4XLT

Today’s Weigh-In: 306.4 pounds
Next Goal: 295 pounds
Days to Go: 20
Pounds to Go: 11.4

As I mentioned yesterday, I was planning on going to the gym last night for some cardio. However, I was running on fumes by the end of the day and wanted to wait until this morning (payday) to gas up. So, last night, I went out for a mile run/jog on the sidewalk.

It’s the first time in three to four years I’ve done so, as all my cardio since I’ve started working to lose weight and change my life has been at the gym on the machines. And let me tell you: it was brutal!

I had to stop to walk about 50-100 yards twice just because my lungs felt like they were on fire. My legs were doing fine, and awesomely enough, my shins don’t hurt. Everything was going good up until I took a spill on the concrete. I’m not scratched up bad – really it’s just my ego that’s bruised. And it was pretty funny, really – the fall was one of those sloooow moootiooon falls where you seem to have plenty of time to recognize, “Hey, I’m gonna fall.. oops, now I’m falling.. still falling.. aaaaand there’s the concrete.” My left hip (that took most of the fall) was pretty sore this morning, but I’m not sure if it’s because of the tumble or run itself.

All in all, I’m pretty stoked that I went out to run, even though I didn’t like it much. I just can’t get into running or cardio of any sort, but it’s so necessary to all this work. Tonight, I’m going back to the gym for weight training – the first time in over a month. The last time I consistently went with a regular plan and tracked my results was in 2008.

I had great results back then, but I’m a bit nervous to see how much strength I’ve lost. Oh well – got to (re)start somewhere, right?

How I’m Losing Weight

On a pretty regular basis someone will ask me how I’ve lost 130 pounds. I’ve been able to solidly identify five distinct arenas that I’ve had to focus on to be successful: 1) inner resolve (the most important by far), 2) smart nutrition, 3) worthwhile cardio, 4) weight training, and 5) blogging & community support.

I’ve taken an email I wrote in response to someone and added a new permanent page to 4xlt called “How I’m Losing Weight” that goes into detail about those five areas. At the moment, it’s a pretty rough read as the email was more of a shoot-from-the-hip affair, but in time, I plan to edit the page and add more links to helpful resources.

But if you’re staring down the monster of weight loss, whether that’s two pounds, twenty pounds, or two hundred pounds like me, then this page should help get you started.

Today’s Weigh-In: 307.4 pounds
Yesterday’s Weigh-In: 308.6 pounds
Next Goal: 295 pounds
Days to Go: 21
Pounds to Go: 12.4

Well, I’m mostly out of the woods with being sick, and quite happy to be here. The sore throat is gone; I feel pretty much up to snuff; and I’m off of the decongestants, Halls throat lozenges, ibuprofen, & NyQuil. I’m sticking with my Allegra just to stay safe as I still got the sinuses flaring up a bit. So, with that summary, I think it’s safe to say that I’m back, and now I better get back in action.

Three Week Challenge to Myself

In three weeks, I’m going to be taking a long weekend to visit the family. The last time I was back in Oklahoma, I was around 320 pounds. That was six months ago. I’ve only lost ten to fifteen pounds in six months. Granted, I’ve been as low as 303, and have bounced around in my teens a lot, and now have bounced around in the 306-312 range, but this is just ridiculous, and embarrassing.

But haven’t I gone through this two weeks ago?

So, I’ve got three weeks to get ready for my weekend trip, and I’m going to just be embarrassed to go back and only be ten pounds down from where I was six months ago. That would be a joke. That would make me a joke. So, it’s time for me to man up and get to the gym to restart my lifting program. It’s time to gasp for air with interval training. It’s time to get smart and disciplined about eating right.

I’m giving myself three weeks to finally cross through the 300 barrier and get down to 295. That’s basically four pounds a week. That’s absolutely possible as I’ve done it before. I know I’m capable of it, but the time is here to prove it to myself. I’m still holding on to a dream of being 240 (and even below, depending on things) by the end of 2009, but that’s pretty pointless if I don’t get going here and now and get below 300.

Tonight, I’m slammed full with work, but will get to the gym for at least a HIIT session on the elliptical and rowing machines. And while I’m working, I’m going to cook up some chicken for food prep. Tomorrow, I’m going to restart my lifting program and get back on my “Too Easy to Mess It Up” food plan.

For the next twenty-one days, nothing else in my life can be as important. I have to get this train rolling on down the track again. I’ve done it before. I’ve lost 130 pounds! I am changing my life! But I’m not satisfied here at the cusp of 300. I’m still a fat guy. I’m still not who I want to be.

I’m giving myself 21 days to prove it to myself. How bad do I want it?

Today’s Weigh-In: 312.2 pounds

Yeah, that’s a gigantic jump in numbers. I know.

I’ve been feeling pretty crappy this week – the sinus congestion in my head, the nasty postnasal drip, the sore throat, the coughing and phlegm starting to settle down in my chest because of the postnasal drip because to the sinus congestion, etc. It’s just pretty lame. And I’ve been sucked out of all my energy, too. Just feeling pooped.

And then yesterday, I tell a girl friend that I’ll help move some of her stuff (one of those I really don’t want to do this, but she doesn’t have any other guy friends to help out, and I am Big & Strong™ after all – I have to be honest and admit to liking being able to lift and carry large objects, that’s nice). That didn’t do me any favors, I don’t think.

At any rate, all this is sounding like a giant excuse for the fact that I’ve eaten like a grazing buffalo the past week. Cookies, Pop-Tarts by the truck load, fast food, no water, peanut butter toast (not real fun for the sore throat, as I found out), three giant slices of Chicago style stuffed crust pizza, candy bars: the works Basically, what it’s boiled down to is that whatever tasty thing I’ve had the slightest whim to put in my mouth, I’ve eaten.

It’s been a 1-2 knockout combo of being zapped of my mental willpower to make smart choices and just having the lame excuse of “I’m sick, f*** it. I’ll eat what I want.” Today’s been better, but not exactly by much. So I can’t even – or won’t, rather – make any prediction what the scale will say tomorrow.

All I can do for right now is find my spine and start making right food choices from here on out until I get to feeling better (still waiting on the pills I’m popping to do that). That started tonight and had better keep going from here on out.

The three day Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and I’m not sure how me being under the weather is gonna play into any plans I’ll make (got none right now, and that needs to change in a hurry). I think I’m going to go with a general bull rush and recuperate, then repeat plan. Have fun Friday night watching the fireworks for the start of the Rose Festival, take it easy and nap most of Saturday, do something plenty of fun Saturday night, do absolutely nothing on Sunday, and party/grill/party on Monday, but get to bed early to stave off a Tuesday crash at work.

And in the midst of it all, I need to do my best to keep a clear head, stay away from too much booze, too much beef, and any chips. But for now, I’m gonna go to bed early. That’s step one.

Today’s Weigh-In: 305.8 pounds

I really, really want to write something wonderful and insightful here, guys, but I just don’t have the gas for it right now. My sinuses have slowly been draining down over the past week to the point where I’m feeling, well, I’m feeling like I got hit by a Mac truck. This got pretty nasty Friday. Sinuses draining down the back of my throat, sore throat, stuffed up ears, congestion, the works.

So I guess a more apt metaphor would be that I got hit underwater by a Mac submarine, because I feel like I’m up to my ears in H2O right now.

I’ve been taking some Allegra and Benadryl, swapping out, along with some ibuprofen for the throat. I’m thinking about throwing in a decongestent and maybe an expectrant to get stuff out of my chest before it settles there for too long.

So yeah, lot’s of fun in Willtopia these days.

Today’s Weigh-In: 307.8 pounds
Change: – 1.0
Pounds to go: 7.8

This morning, I figured I had to quit all my weigh in cheating, especially after Mary called me out on it. From here on I’m going to do my best to just give myself a “best of three” weigh ins about 12-20 minutes after I wake up in the morning and avoid all the cheating.

I was rather surprised to see I had dropped a pound yesterday, because my food wasn’t exactly fantastic. Nah, just make that pretty bad but not horrible. Kinda ironic, I figure, as I’m trying to get back into the health and weight loss fight, having been drinking my water, doing my cardio, and eating pretty well this week so far. I can only chalk it up to the fact that I’ve been running on 5-6 hours of sleep the last three days (got almost a full 8 last night) and had just got worn down physically and mentally. My guard went down and so Burger King onion rings went in my mouth.

And in keeping with the lackluster theme of the day, I didn’t make it to the gym last night, either. I’ve got the happy problem of having two freelance design jobs I’m working on. So, I tried to get some of that worked on before I went to sleep early to try and place catch up on my rest.

Trouble is, neither of those things really happened. I didn’t get much appreciable work done, and although I wasn’t up too late, I didn’t get to bed any earlier than normal.

So in total, Wednesday was pretty much a wasted day all around. I’m trying to remedy that today. I may not make it to the gym, and because of that, my nutrition is going to be spot on. We’ll see how my third day of no-cheating weigh ins treat me. I’m hoping down into the 306.X range.