Weigh-In Wednesday Week 15!!!

15 Weeks Completed 

105 Days Down 

Starting Weight -- 294

Week 14 Weight -- 265.8

Today's weight -- 2-6-5! So that's another 0.8 pounds down!

Total Weight Loss to date = 29 pounds !!!


Not my best week so far, but still productive! My fantastic family was here for a visit, and Jaimie and I got to go enjoy the Hilton Grand Vacations Resort and Disney. 


For the before and after pics for Week 15, I've chosen a couple of pics from our Europe trip in June. These pics are from Amsterdam. You'll notice that I'm wearing the exact same clothes in both sets of pictures. Can you see the difference? 


Before Pic #1 - Amsterdam 

Before Pic #2 - Amsterdam 

Week 15 - From the Front 

And of course... From the Side 

And that's that. 

Progress was actually slower this week, and it looks like I came up just ONE POUND short of my 30 pounds lost by the end of October goal. You know what though, I'll take it. 29 pounds is more weight than I have ever lost in my life, and it really feels great. I think there were a few factors that played in to the slower paced loss. I had more special meals with family at restaurants, and definitely didn't watch things quite as strictly. To me, that's OK. I still had a loss, and after over 100 days it feels good to see some real progress. 

Now it's time to get back to it and have a 2-3 pound loss next week. I'd like to drop another 15 pounds by the New Year. Do-able?? I think so. 

As far as the Disney trip goes, I'll put some more pics up and give that it's own post sometime this weekend. Here are a few pics from the trip! 

More to come later! Thanks for all the support!!!

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

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

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.” 

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

"I think you are slimming down!"

Weekend Success!
I think the challenge with weekends is that it is much harder to stay on a set schedule.

Therefore, I had to find a way to plan things out and just make my own schedule, and try and stick with it.

Things actually went really well. We went out with our friends Matt and Sara to celebrate their getting back from their Honeymoon out in San Fran.

We went to a Mexican restaurant which was actually pretty good for me. I ate some fajitas which were a mix of chicken and steak and lots of veggies. I stuck to just one tortilla and very little sour cream or cheese. All that to say, I achieved my calorie goals for that day still and managed to stay in the game.


Lifestyle Changes
That is the phrase you always here from everyone and everything when learning how to lose weight the long-term way, and keep it off. I’m working on this slowly but surely. The temptation is to make a bunch of really extreme drastic changes all at once. I’ve tried this before and I can do it for about a week or two but then I stop. So.... I’ve decided to take advice and make significant changes and then build on them.

Here are some things I’m doing:

• I go to the 2nd floor bathroom at work. This way I get two flights of stairs every time.
• I am keeping track of every little thing I eat
• I always am looking to stay under 2,000 calories every day no matter what. But my big goal is 1,500 or under. So far I’ve only had one day over 1,500 , but have stayed underneath 2,000 every single day
• I try to pack and plan for everything. I’m actually pretty busy during the week, so I try and make sure that I have lunch and dinner planned. ( I was really tempted to get Wendy’s today, because I was in a huge rush to make it from work back home, and then to music practice. I abstained. VICTORY!) You’d be surprised how much you fall back on fast-food or unhealthy food just because it’s convenient.

I have also decided to weigh myself weekly. I am going to be picking up a scale tomorrow (finally).

The hardest thing for me right now is that I want instant results. I know this is going to take several months , if not longer. So I like little things , like when a shirt starts to fit a little better.
One thing that helped me with this, was a sweet little old lady at church on Sunday that told me I looked like I was slimming down. She told me that she’s been meaning to tell me for a few days, and that no matter what, I shouldn’t give up. God definitely sent her my way.

I am also working on getting more consistent with my daily exercise.

Cravings come and go, but I am finding that the more I just do something else when  I think I’m hungry and stick to my snacks and meals, that they usually go away.

Funny People
I like how some of my friends are taking my goal into consideration. “Should we eat here?”  “Are you sure you can have that?”

Thank you . I need all of your help if I’m gonna make it long-term.

Anyone up for Chic-fil-a? Just kidding :-)

I have found that, as in with most things, much of the “sacrifices” of losing weight are just perspective. It’s just food after all. I keep saying that, and hopefully it will stick.

On to the next day …

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

OK.... Here we go.

My name is Philip. Phil to most.  I just turned 27 on 7/14/11. Beside me is my lovely wife Jaimie :-)

I've decided to "Blog" for two reasons.

1) Accountability and hopefully a learning experience
2) Maybe I can help other people at the same time

I consider myself blessed. I have attained a moderate amount of success with my job. I have a beautiful wife. I have a great relationship with my family. My friends are second to none , and if nothing else they keep me laughing and grounded. God has been really good to me.

There is, however, one thing that I have never been able to accomplish with any amount of success. Drum-roll please ...... and that is getting myself to a weight I'm happy with and healthy with. My entire life, literally, I have wanted to lose weight.

I enjoy life. For this simple reason I want to enjoy life as long as I can. And that means getting healthy , and staying that way.

Before we get all emotional here let's establish a few facts:
1) This is not the fat kid in gym class story.
2) I didn't suffer scarring embarrassing ridicule from my peers growing up (at least not that much lol)
3) I'm not trying to go all "biggest loser" on everyone (although hopefully that's the kind of success at this I have)
4) I don't need a breathing apparatus when I run around the block
5) This is not a boo-hoo apology, poor old me, it's not my fault, sorry I've let anyone down kind of thing. The fact is whining about it won't change a thing. Trust me. I've been there and done that.

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.

I am scared to death and excited  at the same time posting this because I usually can succeed at whatever I put my mind to. It's scary because if this is like every other time I've tried to do this, then this will be quite embarrassing. I'm sure my brother Patrick will never let me live it down lol. I need that. I keep finding myself dreading this, and I don't know why. It’s exciting because this is going to change my life and be a milestone I never forget. I know I have an awesome support group and a God that loves me to help me all the way through.

The nice thing about weight loss is that it doesn't mean I can't do the things I love. All I'm giving up is food. Sounds silly. But it is way harder than it looks. Especially when you love food as much as I do lol.

This is just an intro. Long story short I'm going to work on a plan of attack that means eat less and exercise more. I need group support so this covers that.

I am going to buy a scale because I don't know my weight. Yikes. I know I need to post the weight on here, and that will be awful, but extremely important.

My Mom had a great point when she's told me over the last few years, "No one can do this for you, and you can't do this for anyone else. Until you decide this is what you want to change, you won't." Touche, Mom.

I'm going to update this blog a few times a week, hopefully more. I don't want this to be a food journal or a minute by minute recap of every day, but I do want to post what I've changed, am changing, and any slip ups along the way. I do want this to be a big way for me to look back and see the journey. I do want my friends , family, and then whoever else comes across this to help me. I need encouragement.

The big test will be to see where things are in August, September, then 2012, etc etc.

I don't know if anyone will follow this besides my wife and family lol, but even if that's all there is, this is important.

I start today.

I'm sweating already...

“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.” ~Ralph Marston