Tuesday Lunchtime Links and Update

Happy Tuesday,

I have been getting tons of questions lately like "What plan do you follow?" "How do you stay motivated?" "Do you follow other blogs?" Things like that. Sooooooo... I'm going to start posting links and stuff that I find really helpful. Now that I have been on this lifestyle change journey for almost a full year, the way I live my day to day life has evolved. So has this blog. I'm going to try and make this a helpful place for people that need some extra encouragement and just general info on how to make a lasting lifestyle change. Whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100, this is all about changing it up for the long haul. 

Personal Challenges:

Balance is sometimes the hardest thing to maintain with any kind of consistency in this busy world of ours. For me, I've figured out that the strength training is great, but that I can't sacrifice the level of cardio I was doing. So, I am going to be doing strength training in  addition to the cardio training I do already. My goal is to continue weight loss while also throwing in strength training to tone it up.

Biking is still my #1 choice for cardio, because I enjoy it. I had a killer 21 mile bike workout Saturday morning that burned over 1200 calories, and did it in just over 90 minutes.  

 

 

However, minute for minute, it's hard to beat the results you get from running outside. I did a 5k last night in this nasty FL 90 degree heat and humidity after an hour of yard work. It was absolutely intense and difficult. I was soaked by the end, but it was rewarding. In about 40 minutes I torched at least 600-700 calories.

Workout Goal:

2 5k's per week

1 20+ mile bike ride per week

3-4 days of strength training + cardio at gym per week

Check out these Lunchtime Links: 

6 Sneaky Foods That Are Healthier Than You Think

Your Friends Can Make You Fat :-)

How To Start Running If You're Not A Runner - READ THIS ONE

Eat This Not That: The WORST Summer Drinks

Is it better not to eat at Night? This is always a tricky one for me!

I also get lots of questions on the Apps I use to track my workouts. Here they are:

Two Great FREE Apps are MapMyRide and RunKeeper

Paid App I use for running is Nike+GPS 

Special thanks to all who have reached out to me with questions about your personal goals and especially your successes! It's very cool to know that some part of my journey has helped you in yours!

If you're friends with my sister Laura C. on Facebook, go give her a shoutout...She's been running and working her way up to a 5k :-). I've put her on the spot and said we are going to run a 5k together by the end of the summer. 

Also shout out to Ryan W. He's starting his exercise routine today and taking step #1 towards a better lifestyle.

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

 

Happy Thursday! -- Size 38 ... WHOA

What's up everyone? Did about 12-13 miles on my bike tonight on high intensity, so feeling good!

Guess what, I'm back on the losing side! I lost about 1.2 pounds this week. 


Last week 255
This week 253.8

I have some family visiting in town this week so I wasn't able to get my full update in last night, but I wanted to give a quick update and share this Article I found that is really interesting. 

Here's the link if you want to read the whole thing ....  but I found these tips really useful.  

From Bob Harper's Article , "Here are my best suggestions:

1) Improve the quality of your sleep. New research shows that those getting 7-9 hours of sleep are less likely to be overweight. Sleep improves blood sugar regulation, reduces stress hormones, and balances out hunger/fullness hormones (leptin, ghrelin). Are you getting good sleeps? If not, is there anything that you can change that would help?

2) Increase and/or preserve muscle mass. The only way to push your metabolism back up is to gain muscle mass. The only way to gain muscle (or improve your ratio of fat to lean muscle) is to engage in strength training week (a goal of 2 times per week isn't enough because often, you'll only get 1 of those in).

3) Be very selective with type of carbs. Choose lean protein, lots of veggies (cooked and salads), and stick with higher fiber carbs (brown rice, high fiber cereal, high fiber bread, beans, and fruits). You could experiment with replacing 1-2 of your carb servings each day with veggies and protein.

4) Practice stress reduction. There is evidence that lower stress levels are associated with lower body weight. Regular exercise, hobbies, yoga, meditation, breaks at work, getting sunshine, etc. all help you lower stress level, balance hormones, sleep better, and be able to make healthier choices.

5) Revisit your eating. Are you writing things down or are you guess-timating? In fact, You may not be eating enough and under-eating can actually undermine weight loss as your body goes into starvation mode.

6) Revisit your exercise program. You body adapts to your exercise program which means that you burn fewer calories doing the same thing. You may need to increase the intensity."

It's a funny coincidence because these are all things that I found when I was doing research on getting over a plateau. 

Anyways, this first week of plateau fighting has been going pretty well , but not as well as I'd like. I'm going out this weekend to get small set of weights to do some strength training. I'd honestly rather do that then join a gym, just because I don't want to waste time driving somewhere 3 nights a week.  


On a brighter note I bought my first pair of size 38 shorts this week! It felt really amazing to buy a size since I haven't worn since High School. Also, the t-shirt I'm wearing while I'm typing this is from a family trip to the Outer Banks, also when I was about 15-16 yrs old. 
So good things happening.

Thanks again to all of you for your wonderful encouraging notes, texts, messages, posts , etc. 


Thanks to my Mom for sending me this quote for the week :-)


"By Perseverance, the snail reached the Ark." - Charles Spurgeon

8 Months Down !!!

To quote Will Rodgers, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." 


The last 8 months have been life-changing for me. At my highest weight I for sure weighed over 300 pounds. The highest I ever actually saw on a scale was around 307. After that I didn't weigh-in for a longgggg time. When I started tracking this back on July 21, 2011, I was sitting at 294. 

These pictures are from around that weight... 

So, on 7/21/11, I decided to get healthy once and for all and started my journey towards weight loss and a lifestyle change. Needless to say there have been many ups and downs. And this is one case where you want as many downs as possible. 

And now, sitting at a weight of 255, and over FIFTY pounds lighter... things are starting to look alot differently. I've had to throw out shirts, shorts, pants,  you name it lol. It's been a crazy feeling on putting on a XL shirt instead of squeezing into a XXL or ordering a XXXL shirt online. Amazing feeling. I'm at the last notch on my belt now as well. I think it's about time to by size 38 pants! 

Also, a  couple weeks ago I had a big accomplishment , in running my first ever 5k at the Gasparilla Event! 

BUT......

The last 3-6 weeks have been really challenging for me, because my body has just hit a serious plateau. I think this made my mind also hit a plateau. I found myself getting frustrated not seeing that bottom line on the scale change. I mean really frustrated , and really discouraged. I almost felt like I hadn't lost any weight at all. Very hard to explain.

So I started to have slip-ups here and there , and being less and less careful with my day to day planning. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been slamming Big Mac's and fried chicken every day, but I think a plateau is a mental game as well. And  today I have a plan to snap out of it! 

I actually was able to watch "Biggest Loser" last night for about an hour, and I got some really great tips and pointers. Sometimes I hate that show, because you aren't losing weight as fast as they are, but I'll be honest it also has lots of great tips, and pointers. I realized that I've got into a bit of complacency. While I love being 50 pounds lighter...255 is not my goal weight. I'd like to get down to the 200-210 range eventually, and I believe that is realistic, healthy , and attainable.  

Some things have to change...again...so I'm cranking out a new plan to help push my body and mind over this plateau. 

Short term Goal. Lose 12-15 more pounds by the time we go to Hawaii on 7/1/12  

Long term Goal. Get down to 200-210 pounds. 

Exercise:
I'm going to begin interval and strength training along with my running and biking aerobic exercise. By now, running just isn't having the same effect on my body, and I need to shock the system by mixing it up. My intensity with these needs to increase. I'm actually hitting the gym with a couple friends Saturday morning to learn some new workout ideas.

Food: 

Plan, Plan, Plan. Count, Count, Count.

I'm going to begin looking at all my total intake again throughout the day. 1,500 - 1,700 calories per day again. More fiber and more protein in the mix. I'll keep you posted on how this goes. 

Mind: 

More Sleep. Smarter Workout and Food planning. Not letting slow-downs get me down and discouraged. Stay positive and keep moving forward! 

I'm hoping this plan will help me get back in the swing of things and back on the LOSING team. I appreciate so much everyone's help and support. I love hearing from you! 

I LOVE this quote -- “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

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 32!!!

HEYYYYYYYY EVERYONE!  -- Happy Wednesday and Happy Leap Day!


My Peak Starting weight was over 300 pounds. The day I weighed in I was 294 back in July


Today my Official weight loss is still at 42-43 pounds depending on the day. 

Still trying to push my body into the 240's. I've seen some more awesome changes with my clothes though....and I think I'm about ready to start wearing size 38 pants :-). 


Before Pic of the week....

And a rare before from the side view ... 

And After .... 


Check me out with one of my old t-shirts! This shirt was TIGHT on me a few months ago---

From the side ... 

Anyways....IT'S RACE WEEKEND

Got some cool things going on this week. The biggest and best is that I'm going to be participating in the Gasparilla 5k Festivities this coming Saturday morning :-). Check out the link, their site looks great! 

I'm going to be doing this with a group from my office. They do this every year, and I signed up a few months ago. I know that a 5k isn't exactly a marathon, but going out and doing this in public with a group of people is a BIG deal! The last time I tried to run in public it was at a kids race at my Dad's company's fall work picnic and I quit with an "Asthma attack" about one lap in...I was 10...hahaha. Scarred for life :-(  


I have been running the past few months and I'm really excited and slightly nervous. This is going to be a great experience. I can't wait to post pics etc from the event. 


See you all very soon... 


“Courage is a resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” ~Mark Twain

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 30!!!

30 Weeks Completed 

161 Days Down 

Starting Weight -- 294

Week 27 Weight -- 252

Today's weight -- 2-5-2 Soooooooo staying the same still. 

Total Weight Loss to date = 42 pounds !!!


For some reason my body weight fluctuates up and down right now. I've actually seen weights as low as 250 and one day I saw a spike up to 256-257?? Today I'm back down to the usual 252. 


Really bizarre stuff. 


Before ...

After : 

Before Side ... 

After from the Side: 

But on the bright side I feel fantastic! I had my fastest single mile time tonight at 9 minutes and 50 seconds! That's a pretty amazing change from when it was taking me over 15 minutes to run a mile back when I started running a few months ago :-) 


I'm really trying to keep my mind off the weight plateau my body is going through right now. My clothes keep getting smaller and smaller and my wedding ring actually fell off while I was running Tuesday. I've started wearing it on my middle finger because it's getting so loose. I've talked to a couple of different people for fitness and they both told me to quit paying attention to my weight and start adding more and more variety to my workout plan. I plan on getting a few free weights to mix in and start doing some plyometric P90x style stuff. 


As for the blog itself, I know it hasn't been getting updated quite as frequently with everything going on. I'm going to try to keep it up at least weekly, but sometimes it might be just 2-3 times a month. Do not fear though, I'm still going strong. 


MY SHORT TERM GOAL: To be into the 240's by the end of February 


I like this quote particularly well right now for what I'm experiencing. 
“When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail.” ~Abraham Maslow 

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 28!!!

28 Weeks Completed 

147 Days Down 

Starting Weight -- 294

Week 27 Weight -- 253

Today's weight -- 2-5-2 So that's another 1 pound down!

Total Weight Loss to date = 42 pounds !!!


Arghhhhhhh....Kind of frustrated these days with the pace of the weight loss. I believe I'm officially in a plateau until I can break into the 40's ,,, Buttt I have some really great observations from this week :-). 


First....Here's a couple before pics ...

Andddd After! 

From the Side ... 

Check out these 4 pair of shorts and one pair of jeans that are going to Goodwill this week. I could barely fit into these 28 weeks ago, and now I can't wear them anymore! 

Also, I've prepared a classic "LOOK AT MY OLD PANTS" Picture ... 

I've had some really good workouts since I finally was able to get over that sinus infection. Tonight, I had my biggest and bestest 5k run yet. I made it in 33:38 and burned up about 600 calories! 

My clothes are fitting better than ever before. I've probably seen the biggest difference in my clothes here in the last two weeks. I've had lots of people tell me I need to get new clothes because mine are looking too big. hooray! I'll take it. 

I've been tightening up my diet even more this week to try and move things along as well. I'm going to be running the Gasparilla 5k with some people from work next month so that should be fun too. 

My biggest challenge right now is not getting too frustrated with the number on the scale. I want to get to the next level, but I know that takes time. 

In other news, I recently started teaching a college course on Monday nights, which has been a ton of fun and a big learning experience. As usual life is BUSYYYYY , so it's just a matter of making exercise and healthy choices a part of your lifestyle. every day. no matter what. 

Still want to pick up the pace with the weight loss, but overall I'm very pleased. 

“The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” ~Thomas S. Monson

SIX MONTHS of SUCCESS !!!

WOW. 6 Months. That's a long time. Think of all things that change during the course of 6 months. That's half a year folks. That's 183 days! First off, thanks everyone who has followed this journey of mine, and given me support and encouragement along the way. This has been a major lifestyle change for me, and so many things have changed for the better! 


As of 7/20/11:

1. I weighed 294 Pounds and was up to as high as 300 I'm sure
2. Could not do any kind of sustained running or high intensity exercise
3. Squeezing in most of my XXL and some XXXL shirts and shorts
4. Needed a size 18 or 18 1/2 dress shirt
5. Needed about 44-46 inches in my pants size
6. Had a wedding ring that fit like a tourniquet 
7. Was eating around 2500 - 3500 calories a day. At least.
8. Exercised about once or twice a week. Maybe

As of 1/20/12:

1. I weigh 253 Pounds - A LOSS OF 41 POUNDS! 
2. Run a 5k (3.1 miles) at least 3 times a week, and run 4-5 miles at least once a week
3. Have plenty of room to spare in a size XL.
4. Can fit comfortably in my old size 17 dress shirts
5. Have thrown out lots of old shorts and pants. Now wear a size 40 waist, and most of my size 40 stuff is getting way too big
6. My wedding ring falls off almost every time I wash my hands. I have to take it off when I run or it falls off 
7. I eat between 1500 - 2000 calories a day. I burn about 600-900 every time I exercise
8. Exercise 5-6 days a week. ALWAYS

Those are just some of the changes that have happened. This truly is a lifestyle change. I have new eating habits, new exercise habits, and new planning habits. 

I thought it'd be cool to look back at some of my posts over the last 6 months so you can see some of the picture progress throughout.  So here we go ... 

"I am overweight. I have been very complacent about it. Mainly because I don't always look the part and I can't think of many things I've missed out on because of it. (At least I used to think so)  But let's face it, it's a slippery slope and over the past few years I have not been going in the right direction. I've recently faced the facts that you don't get smaller as you get older lol, so now is the time." -- Posted 7/20/12 - Total Weight 294 Pounds

"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. " Posted 8/24/11- Total Weight 283.2

"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." - Posted 9/14/11 -Total Weight 275.8 Pounds 

"Giving shorts and pants away that are much too big and buying new pants :-). As the theme of this blog suggests, I used to HATE buying myself pants. So did everyone else. Now I look forward to seeing what size I can get. " - Posted 11/20/11- Total Weight 259 Pounds 

One Last before picture (featuring a plank by Patrick) ... 

TODAY!!!! 

And from the side ... (just for you Aunt Patti lol)

Moving Forward ... 

Here are my goals for the next 6 months: 

1. Pick up my intensity with working out and nutrition. I've noticed that I don't lose weight at quite the same pace now that I've dropped 40 pounds. 
2. Lose another 35-40 pounds. I'd love to see a number between 200-215 on the scale
3. Get my 5k time down to 30 minutes
4. Run a 10k and a 15k

Once again thank you to every single person who's supported me through this journey. I have had major ups and major downs. There are days when I didn't eat right, and there are days where I had incredible success in this lifestyle change. If the past 6 months have shown me anything, it is that ANYTHING is possible if you are willing to have a plan, stick to it, and work hard. 

“If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it’s moving you away from your goals.” ~Brian Tracy

“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.” ~Les Brown

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 25!!!

Go away sickness!!! 


25 Weeks Completed 

175 Days Down 

Starting Weight -- 294

Week 24 Weight -- 254

Today's weight -- 254 no change :-(

Total Weight Loss to date = 40 pounds


Before Pic - 

After 

And from the side 

I've actually seen as low as 42 pounds down this week. Some of this may be due to this cold/flu/sinus infection / whatever else it is lol. I've been sick since last week and I just can't shake it. I haven't been able to work out a ton because of the chest congestion. I tried one day and did a 5k, but the next day I was the most sick yet. Anyways, tonight I wanted to get back out there so I took it slower. I did 15 minutes on the bike, and then went for a run for a little over a mile. 


I'm hoping that this stuff clears up and I can get back out and have a really solid workout week. I'm shooting for a 2-3 pound loss week! I am excited to get out of the 50's and see those 40's! 


Even thought my weight didn't really change this week , I am noticing more changes with clothes and stuff like that. Besides being sick , I feel great lol!  I've dropped a t-shirt size down to XL. I've dropped 6 inches off my waist and now some of my size 40 pants are getting loose! I can't wait till I can buy size 36 pants again. The last time I remember wearing that size was maybe my sophomore year in HIGH SCHOOL!


Food has been really good, but not GREAT. There are a few areas to tighten up, but for the most part getting back into my routine has been easy. I think that 2-3 pounds this next week is doable. 


Thanks to everyone for all your continued support as we get back into the swing of things and the daily routine. Next stop...the 40's! 


Also check this out... My mom shared this with me. Really cool stuff: "On Jan. 04,2011, one of my prayers for 2011, was that you would be 30 pounds lighter on Jan. 04, 2012, you so exceeded that.....praise the Lord for answered prayer. "


“You can complain that roses have thorns, or rejoice that thorns have roses.” ~Ziggy

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 24!!!

OK I'm Back. 


One day late due to a magnificent bowl performance by my beloved WVU Mountaineers last night in their 70-33 victory over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. 


I do have a ton to report. and I'm going to do a full-blown report with pictures etc on Saturday. 


The good news is I'm down to 243.5. So I've lost 40.5 pounds total so far! 


January 20th will make my 6 month mark on this weight loss journey. I've got some work to do to catch up to my 8 pounds per month goal. 


The Holidays are officially over. The stomach flu is officially over (hopefully). And I'm still going strong! 


Knocked out another 5k tonight :-)

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and is looking forward to a Happy New Years Weekend! 

Just wanted to shoot out a quick update for all you restless readers out there.

We've been doing alot of traveling back and forth with family etc, and staying busy with the Holidays. My goal was to not even gain a single pound over the Holidays. So far mission accomplished! I'm sitting even at 39-40 pounds total loss. I've had lots of good workouts in, including my fastest 5k time yet!

Thanks to all the friends and family for the support over the Christmas Holiday! I'll be back with lots of pictures and updates etc. And of course back with Weigh-In Wednesday in a few days .

I hope you and yours have a great New Years Eve this weekend. Stay safe, and I'll check in with ya in a few days.