Weigh-In Wednesday...Week 13!

13 Weeks Completed 

91 Days Down 

Starting Weight -- 294

Week 11 Weight -- 269

Today's weight -- 2-6-7.5! So that's another 1.5 pounds down!


Total Weight Loss to date = 26.5 pounds !!!


Back on the losing team! After my first 0 pound loss last week, I'm back on track with another 1.5 lb loss this week. I was hoping to make it down to 27 pounds. However, as I've learned, it's not always about the number on the scale. 


This week's set of before and after pics feature the same shirt. These before pictures were taken on our Honeymoon in June/July of 2010. 


BEFORE... 

BEFORE...

After...

And From the Side ... 

This week I noticed the biggest difference not in how I look necessarily, but in how I feel when working out. As you all know I really kind of hate running ... but I'm starting to like it more. I can go farther and faster then I can remember since high school. I've been doing it more and more during the week. I still don't love doing it, but let's face it...it probably burns the most calories and gets you in the best shape in the quickest amount of time.  Working out is continually a challenge in pushing myself further each time. Regular exercise is a huge stress reliever and just makes me feel better all around. 


My family is coming down next weekend and my goal has been to be at a 30 pound loss by the time they get here. I'm going to be pretty close :-) 


Not much more to write tonight, but I'll have more updates later this week. 


Thanks to all for your continued love, prayers , and support. Here's to seeing less and less of me. 


“Willpower can produce short-term change, but it creates constant internal stress because you haven’t dealt with the root cause.” ~Rick Warren

Weigh-In Wednesday...Week 11!

11 Weeks Completed 

77 Days Down 

Week 9 Weight -- 271.5

Today's weight -- 2-6-9! So that's another 2.5 pounds down this week.

Total Weight Loss to date = 25 pounds !!!

Oh yeah broke the 60's this week! Bye bye 90's, 80's, and 70's!

Before Pic with my brother Pat in Brussels ... 

Week 11 ... Front View

Week 11 ... Side View

We've had alot going on this week, so I'll keep this brief. I'm really going to try and post more often this next week coming up. Anyways, this week was actually quite a surprise. I thought I was getting a plateau effect because I kept seeing a flux of 270-272.5 all week long. So today, when I did my official weigh-in I was pretty excited about the loss for week. 

I've been incorporating some jogging and running into my workouts. Some days I'll do biking for about 10-15 minutes first to get my heart rate going. I'm working out at least 5 days a week, and most weeks I can get at least some form of exercise in every single day. 

FOOD:

Some people have messaged me, asking about my meals I plan for during the day. So....

Here's a picture of typical lunch I have during the  week. Special K Protein Meal Bar, Low-Fat String Cheese, and a piece of fruit. 

I really will have more posts this week, so keep checking in. Thanks to all again for your love and support. TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS! WOO HOO!!!

“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.” ~H. L. Hunt

Weigh-In Wednesday...Week 10!

10 Weeks Completed 

70 Days Down 

Week 9 Weight -- 274

Today's weight -- 2-7-1.5! So that's another 2.5 pounds down this week.

Total Weight Loss to date = 22.5 pounds !!!

Before (last Christmas) ...

After ...

And from the side ...

WOW what a busy busy week! I just realized I haven't had any posts since last Wednesday. 

Part of the reason for this is the spontaneous trip I took to go see my beloved WV Mountaineers play on Saturday against the LSU Tigers. 

The game was Saturday night. My schedule went like this: 

Flew out Friday night after work and landed in Charleston at 12:15 AM. Todd picked me up and we drove to Morgantown and arrived around 2:30 AM. 

Woke up at 8 AM the next day and took in ESPN's College GameDay on the campus. Awesome.

Here's a video of the scene when we arrived at Gameday!

And here's the crowd singing country roads :-)

After this we went back  to my brother Patrick's apartment (thanks for the place to stay!) and rested and moved on to the gigantic tailgating festivities at about 2:30 PM and stayed there till we went into the stadium at 6:30PM when they opened up the gates. 

This gives you an idea of how massive the tailgating area is... 

And some pics from the stadium ...

And one last video to show you how LOUD it was in the stadium... 

I have lots more pics and video and I'll be posting those on Facebook later, probably tomorrow. I'm sure I'm leaving out a ton of good stuff, but I'm afraid this post is getting way too long.  

I also was very glad to be able to spend some time with my parents and Popsy on Sunday afternoon. I had time just to relax with my family. My workout Sunday was with my Mom, which was really fun. We walked up and own the hilly streets of Montgomery and got some calories burned before leaving for the airport back to Tampa. 

FOOD TRAPS:

Part of a great trip home and great football is inevitably GREAT FOOD :-). Ah man, there was just an array of great food all around at the tailgate on Saturday. Todd Wilson brought some KILLER pork. We also sampled Pepperoni Rolls, Chicken, Turkey Wraps, Shrimp etc etc etc whatever you can think of it was there. It seems like every tent and RV you pass has some good food to offer. We even had some nice LSU fans give us some of their real Jambalaya. YUM. 

We saw lots of great friends and family at the tailgate and overall just had a wonderful time. I managed to enjoy a bunch of different food, and still stay within my goals by planning ahead and making sacrifices in other places. Special thanks to Todd Wagner's wife Jessica, for packing me some healthy snacks and Sobe LifeWater. That made it much easier to stick to the plan!

My biggest splurge was a DUKE biscuit  Sunday Morning at Tudor's Biscuit World. LOOK AT THESE BISCUITS lol. They are the BEST! 

I was actually a little worried about the weigh-in this week. But I think because of consistent exercise and not "over-doing it" I was just fine and still lost over 2 pounds this week. Well on my way to the 60's!

Thanks to all of your encouragement this week. It was cool to have so many of you back in WV tell me you could see the difference. My buddy Luke picked up from the airport back in Tampa, and told me he almost didn't recognize me. NICE. 

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves." - Thomas Edison 

END OF MONTH #2 --- Weigh-In Report

Welcome to weigh-in Wednesday Week EIGHT. I have officially completed TWO full months of this lifestyle change and I feel great! 


That's 56 days completed. 


Starting Weight -- 294


Week 7 Weight -- 279


Today's weight -- 2-7-5.8! So that's another 3.2 pounds down this week.

Total Weight Loss to date = 18.2 pounds !!!


Before Pic

After 8 Weeks 

And from the side

Sweeeeeet. Success! Well, at least steps in the right direction :-)


I know I have a long way to go still, but I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to be in rhythm with this lifestyle change and being able to both see and FEEL the difference. 


The response and support I've been getting from everyone is just incredible. Family,  Friends, Church Friends, Youth Group Kids, Etc.  You guys keep me going. Thanks for asking me when you see me how things are going. I must have had 10 people ask me at church tonight how this week's weigh-in is going to go lol. 
Thanks Uncle Tom Bowen for this message, " Hey Phil...my friend if you can loose 15...you can loose another 15!!!!!!!!! It's kinda like one down and one to go.... Keep pushing through......a good brisk walk every day will help your body get over this little plateau !!!!! Man, this could be the toughest battle any of us face. Seems like EVERYTHING is built around food. Conquer this and I'm convinced you can conquer anything."
Just one of many encouraging thoughts from this past week from friends and family.


Also, it's been great to hear stories of people being inspired by the journey I've been taking
Here's a shout out to one special relative who said she's lost SEVEN pounds already! Congrats :-) I love you and hope you can keep it going ! 


Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm wanting to just keep this going strong and make a lifelong change. 


In other news:
I've had a pretty busy schedule, and it's becoming more routine for me to plan things so I can control the outcome when it comes to food etc. 


Exercising is becoming the same way. I've mixed in biking , running, martial arts, swimming, walking, and strength training. I try and keep it fresh and not do the same thing too much and too often. This helps me not get too bored and keep my eyes on the prize.


I'll do another post later this week on those things.


This week I just wanted to keep it focused on this end of Month # 2 Weight Report. Thanks again everyone, and I hope you're enjoying this as much as I have been. Special thanks to my wife Jaimie for her help at home, and to my parents and siblings for their moral support over the phone and in person :-). 


See you soon... 


“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!

Happy Long Weekend Everyone,

We get an extra bonus with College Football kicking off this weekend. The highlight of course is WVU's first game in the coal classic against Marshall. 3:30 PM EST on ESPN. Be there. 

We all know that one of the greatest and best things about Football season is the food. Yum. However, I'll have to pass this year lol. There are lots of great options out there though and I got this recipe emailed today by the biggest loser emails I get. It looks pretty good. I'll let you know how it goes. Gonna cook it up for the game on Sunday I do believe.

Biggest Loser Best-Ever Barbecue Chicken:

1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

Coat a grill rack with nonstick spray. Fire up the grill and heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Place the rack on the grill.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix the chili sauce, ketchup, honey, vinegar, ginger, mustard, black pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat. Set the sauce aside.

Place the chicken on the rack over the heat. Grill, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brush with the sauce. Grill until the chicken is no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes. Brush with the remaining sauce before serving.

Yield: 4 Servings

Per Serving: Calories 120, Total Fat 1 g, Sat Fat 0.3 g, Cholesterol 48.7 mg, Sodium 233.4 mg, Total Carb 6.6 g, Fiber 0 g; Sugars 2.5 g, Protein 19.4 g

Have a good weekend. I'll be back before it's over. 

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."
Abraham Lincoln