Weigh-In Wednesday ... Week 6 !!!

Yesssssssssssir, it's Weigh-In Wednesday Week 6! 


That's 6 Weeks .... 42 Days. 


My big goal this week was to see a 7 on the scale this week. I came pretty darn close. This is kind of a weird angle picture lol , but it will do. 

Week 5 Weight -- 283.2
Today's weight -- 2-8-0 !So that's another 3.2  pounds down this week.

Total Weight Loss to date = 14 pounds




I actually saw a weight as low as 279.8 this week, but I'll settle for 280 since that's what I got today :-)


It's been a great week. I'm really enjoying biking and it's helping me keep my workout routine fresh. 


It's all in your head ... 
I've noticed that almost everyone gets really excited when I tell them what I'm doing or show them the blog. However, I've also found it amusing when people kind of give me that sarcastic "ohhhhh that's great , but I know you'll never stick with it" look. I even had someone tell me "Don't be surprised if all of the sudden you just can't lose weight anymore, some people are just meant to be big."  LOL. Nice. Keep it up. I like the challenge. 


That is what has made this such an exciting 6 weeks. I've had alot of moments early on where I doubted myself because of past results...It's all in your head... keep going
And now this week I've thought of several occasions where it was much easier for me to pass up something I know I shouldn't have...Stay focused ... keep going. 


Thanks to every single person out there supporting me. I love all the continued messages. Also,  welcome to all you new readers that are just seeing the blog for the first time.  


Family Matters... 
Dad, this blog is dedicated to you this week. Thanks for this awesome encouraging email! Since you couldn't figure out how to post it online, I'll help ...  You also get to be the quote of the day. 


"Haven't figured out how to select a profile to comment on your blog. So I'll use email.

You have always had great determination and effort to succeed when you set a goal. I remember a guy with a goal to be a starter on bball team when the raw talent was not as good as some others. But his determination and will translated into dedicated effort. I can still hear the early morning sound of a bball bouncing on the driveway pavement and hitting the backboard while I was still in bed. This occurred morning after morning, week after week, as he got up early and practiced before he went to school.

This guy did indeed become a starter on the bball team. Not only a starter, but one of the best 3 point shooters on the team. He also became one of the best rebounders even though he was routinely matched against much taller players. Rebounding, more than any other aspect of bball, is characterized by sheer determination and effort.

I now see this same guy undertaking an even bigger challenge. I also see this same determination and effort ramped up to meet the challenge. In other words, I see a repeat performance with a certain repeat success. But this time with even greater, life changing results.

Keep It Up!!  The results are already looking good!!

DAD"

I have a bike, and I'm not afraid to ride it...

Happy Sunday Everyone!


I hope you've all had a great weekend . Mine was pretty much jam-packed but it was a blast.


I started out Friday night with an Improv show with Strangers and Fools at Smiley's Coffee House for their back to school Friday night live. We had an awesome crowd come out and it was a good time. FYI we also have some shows coming up at "The Box" Theater in Ybor in September, and also we were invited back to American Stage Theater Co. for another show on September 24th at 10 PM. Come out and see us and laugh. After the show we went out for food like we always do, and I am proud to say I successfully resisted the delicious temptations at Steak N' Shake and just made do with my cherry limeade beverage lol. What was unique about this experience, was that I never even almost ordered something. The temptation was minimal, and all I could think of was progress , progress. I'm sure a burger and fries wouldn't have killed me, but it sure would have slowed me down. 


On Saturday, I woke up with one mission in mind: Get out there and find a bicycle! I realized a few days ago that I'd never actually bought a bike, just been given them as gifts when I was younger. So I reached out to my friends etc for help. Thanks everyone for the great ideas and suggestions. Special shout outs to my brother-in-law Dan Crider and Dr. Kris Dewitt for pointing me to Chainwheel Drive Bicycles, a great local bike store here in Tampa Bay. They were happening to have their summer sale this weekend so it worked out perfectly. The people there were awesome, so if you're looking for a bike around here go see them. They have great deals. They let me test-ride about 3 different bikes and helped me find one that fit my body type. Another cool thing is that the color I wanted wasn't built yet, so they built me the color I wanted right there in the store for no extra $$$. Super Cool. It was about a $500 bike, and I got it for $350. After adding a kickstand and taxes etc it was about $387 all said and done. Not too shabby. I went with the Raleigh Venture 3.0 (see pics below). It's a hybrid style bike (thanks Bob Koechig) and I love it.

I went out for a 50 minute ride today on the new ride and it was great. It felt really good to be back on bike. One of the worst parts of the ride was riding through a giant cloud of gnats lol. When I got back and looked in the mirror most of my face and neck were covered in them. Gross.  That's a pic of me with the bike, after I got off most of the gnats. Rough pic I know. This blog is beginning to look like a scrapbook of me and the bike so lets move on haha.

Food News:

I had some great food at First Watch this weekend. My wife and I were craving breakfast. When this happens we usually go to Lenny's, Bob Evans, or the old classic Cracker Barrel. There are so many great breakfast diners around here, and one of my favorite foods in the world is good biscuits. I knew there was no way I could go there and not get one sooo.... I wanted to go somewhere a bit healthier with less temptations and still good food.  So we decided on First Watch. I went with the Power Wrap (see pic below). It was so good. 470 calories and TONS of protein. Try it, you'll love it. It's egg whites, mushrooms, spinach, onion, and swiss. 

I've seen significant progress again this week on the scale and that has been very exciting. Thanks for all the support and encouragement on this journey. 

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Bicycle , Bicycle ??

Hey hey everyone. 

Quick check-in. Cardio tonight at the studio, should be a blast. 

Anyways, I'm looking for some feedback. I am wanting to get a bicycle to use for exercise. I want something to break the routine and give me a different option than a jog. There are alot of mostly flat trails around here. Any bike suggestions? 

Also, best place to get one? Not looking for anything fancy, just something that does the job.

Weigh-In Wednesday --- Week 5!

It'ssssssssssss Wednesday! And you know what that means...time to weigh-in. 


I know you've all been sitting on the edge of your collective seats waiting for this moment.


This week was filled with new challenges, tactics, and victories. 


Week 4 Weight -- 285.0
Today's weight -- 2-8-3.2 !


So that's another 1.8 pound loss. Almost two more pounds this week. 


Total Weight Loss to date = 10.8 pounds


Below is a picture of Pat, Me, Jaimie , and Dad in Bruges when we were visiting Belgium in July. 

This is me today at end of Week 5. Can you see a difference? 

I actually saw an even lower total a couple of days ago at 282.8. I know things flex up and down though. Part of what I've been reading has been telling me that as you start increasing the intensity of your workout, then you actually add on muscle which weighs a bit more than fat. So this can result in a slow down or brief up-tick in weight, but it makes your body burn fat and calories much more quickly. 


I've had lots of really great encouraging moments this week as well. Thanks to all the friends and family for your support and constant vigilance lol. I love the accountability. 


The cardio class is still kicking my butt, and I'm able to do more each and every time. I am really loving working out in a Tae Kwon Do studio again. What I really like about the class is that there is room to push yourself further and further every time.


In Food News:
I had a great salad at Mo'Ziki tonight on the way to church. It's on Starkey and Bryan Dairy in Largo. Check it out it's pretty good. Also shout out to Fiber One Snack Bars . Really, really good. And filling. There are a few things I crave from time to time like Delco's Cheese-steaks and the Wendy's Double Stack for lunch lol. Honestly though, this is totally worth it, and I'm committed to seeing this through. 


In other random news. I am so ready for WVU Football Season! Let's Go..........


Continuing on the sports theme, Here's a really great quote from legendary basketball coach John Wooden


“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” 

Great weekend...Identity315...Ben Zobrist...Music

Hello All. 


Just a quick update. Sorry it's been since Wednesday that I've posted. I had a busy busy past few days getting ready for the Identity 315 Youth Conference at our church, Starkey Road Baptist.  I was part of the worship band and it was just an amazing time. Lots of people had their lives changed in big ways. It was great to play and hear the worship with some old and new friends. You can see a pic of everyone below. 


The speaker for the conference was Ed Newton and he was awesome. We had a great time getting to know him over the weekend. He's the guy in the Ray's hat below. As you can see we also got to hang out  with Ben Zobrist and hear him speak and answer questions for a bunch of the students at the conference. 

Just a great weekend all-around, although it was busy busy. 

The lifestyle change still going great. I abstained from the wealth of free chicken biscuits available at the conference Saturday morning. I also had a few more people come up to me and mention that they were noticing a difference which is pretty cool.

I had a couple small snack slip-ups, but nothing too major. The key I've found is just not to let things start to snow-ball. 

Tonight I went out for a nice jog to get my cardio in. I REALLLLLY didn't want to do that but I felt so great after I got back. 

Since it's not Wednesday, I won't give a weight, but I will say that I've been pleased with the progress I've seen here at the half-way point this week. 


Mom you are going to love this quote...It's about willpower lol 


“It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.” ~James Gordon

END OF MONTH #1 --- Weigh-In Report

Welcome to weigh-in Wednesday Week FOUR. I have officially completed one full month of this lifestyle change and I feel great! Thanks again to everyone for the growing support I've been receiving.


The Weigh-In Today.... IS .... 2-8-5.0 !!! That's 285. That is a 3.4 pound loss this week. 


End of Month 1  Total Weight Loss = 9 Pounds

I am especially happy because I was able to meet my goal loss of 9-10 pounds here in this first month. 


Many of my shirts are starting to fit much, much better. And I'm finding it easier everyday to avoid random cravings and big time cheating traps. 


I've been telling people how much I've enjoyed this so far, and it's true. It's been challenging but also fun and rewarding so far.  I have had ups and downs, but that's life. The important thing is that I haven't given up and I'm still going strong. 


I had a great call from my Grandpa Bowen aka Popsy this week with lots of encouragement. We always crack each other up, and it feels so great to know that you have the support of all the people you love the most. 


I have had people tell me that it's all uphill from here, and I've also had people tell me that once you make it past the first month, then it just gets easier to stay consistent from there. I think both are valid, and I know it's going to require consistency and preparation from here on out.  As Popsy likes to say, "Anywhere, as long as it's forward."


Anyways, I'll have more later this week, but I wanted to give my weekly weigh-in update. It's been a great week and I'm so excited about what this next 4 weeks will hold. 


Keep up the support, encouragement , and accountability everyone. It is much needed and appreciated.


Thanks, 


I like this quote alot. I think it captures what this first month has been all about. 


“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~Mike Murdock

Things I'm Loving in Week 4 :-)

Been a great week so far.

Just a couple days till the week 4 weigh-in and I am enjoying this journey more & more. I'm excited for the 2nd visit to the Bodyfit cardio class at J Park Tae Kwon Do. Should be fun.


What will be even more fun is when Jaimie comes with me on Thursday. 


Here are some cool blogs I found online of guys that have done what I want to do. Really interesting stuff:


http://www.jayloss.com/
http://www.andrewisgettingfit.com/
http://formerlyfatrunningguy.blogspot.com/




Foods, etc. I really like these days:
Special K Protein Snack Bars
Craisins -- Especially the Cherry Flavor
Quakes Sweet Chili Rice Cake Snacks
Tuna , Tuna, Tuna
Pita Bread
Vitafusion Fiber Gummies

Macintosh Apple Cherry Sobe LifeWater (thanks to Jon for introducing me to this in Michigan)


ONE FOOD I HATE lol and will never buy again: 

Fiber One Brownies - I usually LOVE Fiber One stuff. But this one truly tastes like mud. Yuck. 


So far so good this week. I'm excited for weigh-in Wednesday. Really looking to meet my goal of 9-10 pounds total weight loss in the first month. 


Once again thanks for all you encouraging friends and followers out there. I am really, genuinely moved when I hear that someone else is inspired to start doing this ( You know who you are! GOOD LUCK!!!)


“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” ~Colin Powell

Killer Cardio

Happy Friday Night!


Quick update. 

I went to this Bodyfit Cardio class with my friend Alex at a Tae Kwon Do Mixed Martial Arts center near my house on Thursday night.  It brought back good memories being in a Tae Kwon Do dojo, and it reminded me of when me and brother Pat used to tear it up in our Blue stripe and Blue belts respectively. 


It was 45 minutes of serious intensity and I loved. I've got to say that is probably the best workout I've had in a while. We jogged, did pushups, crunchs, jumping jacks, punching, kicking, resistance bands etc etc etc. 


Quite sore today though. I think I'm going to start going there on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 


Good things so far since the weigh-in on Wednesday. Weight is still going down and I'm feeling better every single day. 


Also had some killer sushi at Matoi Sushi in Tampa tonight. Go try it, it's great. Healthy and very very good. 


Looking forward to the weekend ahead. Got lots to do, and of course will fit the workouts in somewhere. Tonight I just kept it light and walked for a while down to the CVS and back. Had to restock up on the fiber gummies lol. 




Anyways, that's all for now and thanks for following. 


Good Night!

Phil is Losing it ....

OK I kind of stole that from these YouTube videos I saw called "Pete is Losing it" where this guy does a video diary every single day tracking his weight loss. Pretty cool to see someone else out there doing it and seeing success. I found his vids when I did a Google search for the weight that I saw at weigh-in today....Which is .... 


288.4 pounds. One more pound lost. 


Three full weeks in. Total Weight Lost - 6 pounds--- 2 pound loss per week


I really was shooting for 2 or 3 this week so that's kind of disappointing. But hey, a loss is a loss. 


I did like how 4 separate people asked me today..."Hey isn't today weigh-in day?" Support keeps growing and that really helps so much. 


Here are a few highlights of things I experienced this week. 
1) There was one day I wanted to just quit altogether. I have no idea why, and it didn't last that long. I just had this frustrated feeling that it's hard to explain. Good news though , I didn't quit.
2) I had two nights where I snacked later than I should have and for no good reason at all. granted the snacks were things like fruit and nuts, but it was still bad. I think this also slowed progress. Snacking is probably my biggest hurdle. Good snacking is going fine, it's the off-schedule snacking that needs to stop. 
3) Good things are that I have done much much better with exercise this week. Tonight I did some laps in the pool, some water aerobics , and 250 jumping jacks lol
4) My friend Alex is doing a cardio class a few days a week and I'm going to be joining him tomorrow to check it out. Should be exciting. 
5)I am getting much more immune to seeing people around me eat what I can't and being OK with it. Last night, we went with some friends to Buffalo Wild Wings for Tuesday Wing night. There were altogether about 40 wings on the table. I had a grilled chicken wrap totaling 600 calories. I was full. I survived lol. 


I keep reading places where rapid weight loss is not realistic and that slow and study wins the race. Also I've heard that sometimes the first few weeks or even several weeks are the hardest and give the slowest weight loss. I've also heard "you will plateau, you just have to stick with it." I hope this is true, because I feel great, and  I just wish the scale was showing more progress. 


Things are going well, and I wore a shirt today that fit much much better than it did 3 weeks ago. I want more and I am always finding more things I can work on and improve. I am going to shoot big for next Wednesday. I would like to have lost  a total of 9-10 pounds in my first month. That means 3-4 pounds next week. 


Let's do this thing .... 


I really like this quote today. Very true and very inspiring... 
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~Robert J Collier

Chili-Fest, Improv, Ruby Tuesdays, Landscaping, and Cheddars.... Oh My

Happy Sunday evening everyone! 
I haven't blogged since Wednesday so we have some catching up to do. 


For one, I got on the scale today and I'm still going down :-). I won't reveal any numbers until weigh-in Wednesday, but I just hope I can keep up the trend. 


I've managed to really keep the exercise going almost every day and have been mixing it up to keep things fresh. I've done long walks, jogging, working outside, swimming, etc. This allows me to stay away from that trap of getting sick of something really quickly. 


I also feel like I'm really settling into this lifestyle change in my eating habits, portion side, etc. You really do have to pick your battles sometimes (more on that later), but the key here is preparation and expectation. New habits start to form and it is getting easier little by little. 


Anyways......This weekend was really great and really busy, and I managed to stay in control. For starters, I had a date night with my wife Jaimie on Friday. We ate at Ruby Tuesdays. I must admit that the bacon cheeseburger she ordered looked amazing.  I ordered two turkey mini's and the salad bar. My Sandwich did come with a few fries, and they were so good lol. However, I still was in control of my calories and since I knew I was going out to eat that night, made up for the fries in other ways. I tasted a little bite of that real hamburger. Wow. But hey, you have to make sacrifices right?


Saturday was going to be tricky, but I planned it out and made it work. I did some work outside in the morning and then hit the pool. I had a slim-fast for breakfast, some healthy snacks, and a small grilled chicken wrap with some fruit for lunch. 


Saturday evening we went over to meet with our good friends from the Improv team I do comedy with (check us out at http://strangersandfools.com/) at Matt and Sara's place. So , at this meeting of the minds we were going to have two different kinds of chili, chips and salsa, and then some awesome desserts like always. The chili was actually pretty healthy, but I knew I'd have some chips and salsa  (most likely more than some because I love chips and salsa). They were great. I was having a great time laughing with everyone. Hooray. But then .... Dustin's wife Shannon, broke out this awesome chocolate waffle dessert with ice cream. Also brownies made an appearance.  Man was it tempting. 

Here's how I survived lol. I cut off a teenie tiny piece of brownie. Ate it. And then drank a ton of water. Everyone around me was practically rolling in chocolaty goodness and I actually felt good. And full. And I didn't ruin my entire week of work.  DISCLAIMER:  I do not think the Improv team is a group of gluttonous maniacs. They just really like dessert. And three of the wives are pregnant lol. I love you all. 

Here they are... or here we are...  Left to right ( Me, Dustin, Matt, Steph, Chris)


I did eat some peanuts and Craisins when I got home while I was watching TV which was totally cheating, and I shouldn't have, but I moved on and I did extra exercise today to make up for it. 


Finally, today after church we went out to lunch with our friends Mark and Cristina to this great restaurant called Cheddar's. Really good. I got grilled Dijon chicken with mushrooms and rice. I passed on my favorite broccoli casserolle and switched it out for steamed broccoli and green beans. Not too shabby my friends. For dinner I just had a mini pita with some Syrian cheese and an apple. Score. 


All  in all it was a great weekend and things are still going well. 


More challenges to come this week, and hopefully more results. 

Thanks everyone! 


“This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.” ~Scott Reed

I love the 80's !

It's Wednesday so you know what that means. WEIGH-IN DAY!!! 

                                                                                    

Cheesy Graphic .... CHECK

Weigh-In today ..... 2-8-9.4 ! Down to the eighties. Sure it was just another pound. But it feels big to see that EIGHT on the scale where the NINE used to be. 

Not bad considering I traveled over the weekend (and cheated a couple times). But I bounced back with some solid exercise, right back on the tight diet, and overall lifestyle change. 

Went for the slim-fast shakes for breakfast and lunch today with healthy snacks in between. For dinner I did some homemade tuna salad with crackers and some fruit and nuts.


After that I got about 40-45 minutes of cardio in to complete the daily exercise. 


I'm excited to see what this next week brings. My goals is 2-3 more pounds, so we'll see if I can make it happen. God has been really good all the way through  and I'm just praying that I can keep my commitment going strong. 


Once again thanks for the encouraging messages, emails, and posts. This is what keeps me accountable and motivated so thanks to all. 


“There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.” ~Pat Riley

There are Ups and there are downs ...

Hello Everyone! 


Sorry it's been a few days since the last post. 


I actually went up to Michigan to visit my in-laws for the long weekend. My wife, Jaimie, had already been up there a week. We had a GREAT time! We got to see lots of cool things up in the D-town area. Saw some great cars at the Henry Ford, went to the DIA museum, saw lots of family etc.


Needless to say, like any great trip there was going to be great food available to me. Soooooo I knew I had to pick my battles and try and come out of this weekend on the minus side :-)


First, I made sure I continued my exercise program. I actually woke up early on Saturday and Monday mornings and went out for a nice run/jog/walk depending on the speed lol. Regardless I made sure I got at least 40 minutes of cardio in each of those mornings. I literally can't remember the last time I worked out on a trip. We also were very active during the trip which helped alot. 


When we did go out to eat I avoided fried foods etc. I tried to stick to the "healthy stuff." My only really bad error was the Michigan Coney dog and root beer I had the last day. It was soooooo good, but I was kicking myself after. I definitely could have made better choices, but I made some good ones too. 


Tomorrow is a weigh-in morning and I'm anxious to see what shows up. 


Today I had a slim-fast shake for breakfast and lunch with granola bars as my snacks and a cup of yogurt and pretzels this afternoon. For dinner I went to Jason's deli with Jaimie and had an nice big salad and a half-sandwich. They gave me a huge plate of chips with the sandwich, and I only ate about 10. I can't remember the last time I left chips on a plate lol. 


For my exercise today I did all the yard work (Lawn mowing, edging , weeds, sweeping etc)
I have seen several ways over the past week that I can tighten up my diet and exercise routine and am going to work on honing that down next week. 


Weigh-in is tomorrow. Cross your fingers and stay tuned! Still losing weight slowly but surely. Actually, check that... Still making a lifestyle change slowly but surely, and no matter what the scale says tomorrow morning. I. Feel. So. Much. Better! 




“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” ~Johann von Goethe