Finally Normal BMI

140 Pounds in 15 Months

It has been a year since my last check in with this blog. Some of you may have been wondering if this 5th attempt failed again. In fact it is still moving forward with 140 pounds of weight loss in just over a year. Yes, you read that correctly - 140 POUNDS in just over a year.

I have gone from 310 POUNDS at the start of this Weight Journey to 171.8 POUNDS this morning. Yes, just under 140 pounds; however, I am celebrating this weekend as it is also my Wedding Anniversary. So call me out on that 1.8 pounds if you want and troll it all day but in the end it is still an amazing transformation. All without surgery!

Just the other day I went shopping for undershirts and had to decide if Men's Small were going to be TOO BIG! Instead Boys XL (18-20) undershirts fit perfectly. I am nearly at my target weight and for the first time in two decades have obtained a normal Body Mass (under 25) when I dropped under 179 last month.

Today's Weight/Size: 171.8 (Boys XL) 

6 1/2 Years Later and ...

60 Pounds Weight Loss in 4 Months

As everyone knows during the last six and half years I have gone up and down in weight.  Mostly up.  Holding at over 300 pounds for the last two/three of those years with no real efforts to change my lifestyle until just over 3 months.

In the last 3 and a half months (15 weeks) I have lost 57+ pounds and getting excited to see the scales show under 250 pounds!  At the end of August I was almost 310 pounds and had over a 56 inch waist. Today my waist is 47 inches and getting smaller.

Today's Weight/Size: 251.6 (3XL)

Railroad Tracks

310 Pounds & 56" Waist

In November, I broke the 300 mark and officially had a waist the size of Railroad Tracks. I started going to the gym a couple times a week. When I started to slip in my routine a little a doctor friend texted me and got me right back on track at another gym. This lasted until the week before Christmas.

I went to my physician finally throwing my arms in the air seeking medication to help (Phentermine). Despite my efforts I felt just as heavy and was getting depressed that I was unable to control my excessive eating at mealtime (4-5 eggs at breakfast, 10oz of meat with macaroni at dinner, 2 loaded sandwiches at lunch) just for the flavor. I went to her knowing that I would have to show that I was trying and just needed that little extra help and was pretty sure that showing her my check-ins at the gym along with compliance with other medical issues she would write the prescription for at least a month to give me a little motivation.

During the initial weight in at the office I was surprised - 299 pounds! I lost weight! How could I lose weight with me eating so much and minimal exercising (30-45 minutes / 2 times a week)?

Well you guessed it I was not prescribed medication as seeing the result of mere exercise a couple times a week was motivation to continue with exercise. She also told me to just cook a couple eggs or make just one sandwich and if I was still hungry afterwards to go back and cook a couple more/make another sandwich. At the same time I am thinking in the back of my head, "Does she know the cost of propane to cook two meals at the same mealtime?" :)

Christmas came and our kids got bicycles so I had to finally build my son's confidence up to ride (failed at least a half dozen times) and this time doing so with a broken arm (yes, he broke his other arm, this year!). This lead to a small quarter mile walk to the nearby park the first day then a half mile the next day. Finally this lead to a 5+ mile round trip trek to a nearby lake (I walked/hiked while the kids rode their bikes). The following days we found various ways to make this trek (shortcuts).

Now for the past couple weeks I have made the trek a daily morning 30-40 minute up a steep hill then a flat walk along the lake and am down to eating, believe it or not, one egg in the morning (this morning with a slice of sourdough and other times with honey, etc). For lunch I down to a reasonable amount of food and can handle a little yogurt or 1/2 sandwich with dinner consisting of a reasonable portion of food.

In closing, I am restarting my blog entries and going to avoid the feeling of having to do an entry everyday by numbering them by the day and will make entries as time allows with my main focus will be on exercise and health. Until my next entry I wish you the best in your efforts and just start small.

Today's Weight/Size: ~300 (4XL)

Day 10 - Broken Arm

Today I had a little wrench thrown in the workout routine and that is 'life'.

My son fell off his scooter on Sunday night and after close examination it was determined to be broken radius in the forearm. The Urgent Care placed a temporary cast and referred us to Children's Hospital of Orange County.

Tomorrow we will be off to the specialist.

Today's Weight/Size: ~264 (4XL)

Day 8/9 - Disneyland California Adventure

After losing ten (10) pounds (add another one today) this week it was time for a little reward and family time. So after the gym this morning we hopped into the car and drove to Disneyland California Adventure to spend a couple hours before Church.

While at the park we got to take a look at some of the changes coming over the next two (2) years and are looking forward to the opening of the Little Mermaid in the coming months.

It reminded me that we all need a little make over from time to time. People fear change to much that even the choice to make a personal change can be difficult. It is and without a doubt this experience has taught me that with change comes periods of 'breaks'. The construction on some of these new additions to the park was not taking place today; however, they still have a targeted date.

I am looking forward to another week of reaching for my target and beyond.

Today's Weight/Size: 264 (4XL)

Day 7 - 10 Pounds

Time for a little celebration, tonight. Went to Outback Steakhouse!

Feeling pretty good about dropping a total of 10 Pounds so far this week. One more workout on the schedule for tomorrow morning. Although I am pretty tired/stuffed from a huge piece of steak!

Looking back at the week I will admit the first few days were mentally the toughest. It just took a couple days for the body to begin burning the fat. Of course most of the weight loss so far is likely water ... it sure is motivating.

Let us see if I can drop another 10 pounds next week?!

Today's Weight /Size: 265 (4XL)

Day 6 - 8 Pounds

Big Day - Big Reward - Only After 3 Days of Exercise!

I had to weight myself twice just to make sure I was looking at the scale, correctly. I still cannot believe it. As of today I have lost EIGHT (8) POUNDS this week and it is only Thursday!

Then during the peak of celebration it turned to panic as someone opened the "emergency exit" and the alarm began to sound during the Auqa Aerobics. This sent me high tailing out of the pool area and taking some Xanax.

Sucks having a Panic Disorder!

Today's Weight/Size: 267 (4XL)

Day 5 - Hump Day

Beef, beef and more beef...

Tonight, I think I went a little overboard on dinner with a second serving of steak and an after meal snack (Atkins Bar). I need to start portion control part of the diet.

Today was the hump day in the workout routine (as well as it just being Wednesday) as the muscles are starting to feel the pain and the body is tired. Did the full Aqua Aerobics session today followed by a two hour conference call. Might be the reason for being tired.

Looking forward to regaining a little rest and strength.

Today's Weight/Size: 272 (4XL)

Day 4 - Just Another Day

Today was a slow day. I was only able to complete about 30 minutes of the Aqua Aerobics as nature took its course. However, just thirty minutes allowed the heart rate to raise and I felt good afterwards.

Last night I was reviewing the Atkins Book and researched my medications. It is interesting that certain medications can hinder weight loss. Luckily my prescriptions were not found to contain SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

This evening, I am happy to report that a few pounds appear to have dropped thus the weight loss has officially began to show with 3 pounds coming off the waist in the last day. I am looking forward to see what the scale will show tomorrow. Today, I was still around 800 calories spread over high protein, low carb and an Alli to help offset the overall fat intake.

Today's Weight/Size: 272 (4XL)

Day 3 - First Workout

It is official, I started my first structured workout today...

Aqua Aerobics

The session was only a little over an hour; however, reminded me that weight loss requires cardiovascular exercise. The water is the perfect environment as it puts less stress on your joints and still enables your heart rate to increase to the optimal level for the body to burn calories while working almost every muscle.

Learning some of the basic moves was great as it will allow me to also do the exercises outside of a structured program. This will empower me to go to the gym maybe twice a day or perform the same exercises on days when the class is not available.

So far today, I have consumed roughly 600 Calories, 20 Fat, 10 Carbs and 90 Protein with one Alli Tablet this morning while eating eggs. The bad news is I gained a pound over the weekend.

Today's Weight/Size: 275 (4XL)

Day 2 - Websites

Registering for various websites, today -

- 24 Hour Fitness

- myAlli

- Atkins

- myApex

Not sure the exact benefit of each of these sites; however, more support during the program the better for motivation. The sites did provide some useful calculators. I outlined the equations in the past as shown in the blog; however, I was looking for a simple solution.

According to the BMI (Body Mass Index) Calculators on these various sites it shows my current BMI is: 38.2! They also show that I burn about 2,200 calories a day at rest. Therefor, in order to reach my goal I will have to burn 140,000 calories more then I consumer over the next 30 days or 4,700 calories a day. Thus I have to burn 2,500 calories/day through exercise/gym or 2 1/2 hours of swimming exercises in addition to the amount required to offset my daily intake.

These sites also enable the user to track various aspects of their progress, including journalizing the process of their weight adjustment.

In the end, for me at least, it comes to Keeping it Simple and using these tools as a reminder and if I miss a day of tracking it is not the end of the World. The only person I have to worry about is me.

Today's Weight/Size: 274 (4XL)

Day 1 - Shopping, Shopping then Gym

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I made a trip to Wal-Mart to make a supply purchase for this round of weight loss. I purchased some Atkins Bars, Whey Protein Drink Mix (cheaper then the pre-made drinks - just add milk or water), Gym Towel and a Combo Lock. I also purchased a 20-Day Supply of Alli (story to follow).

After leaving Wal-Mart I went to Sports Chalet to look for a Gym Bag and was shocked at the sticker price (cheapest one was $25). I left there and realized that even a Diaper Bag would serve the purpose of carrying gym supplies (towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, gym clothes, etc).

Arriving at Babies R Us, I went to the clearance area and found the perfect bag that even came with 'accessory' bags that can work for toilettes and even had a pouch for phone, another for wallet and keys. Cost $10.00.

Finally, I could no longer avoid the gym... I took it easy in order to stay motivated. I spent an hour between swimming, whirlpool, sauna, stream room. Before this I did an 'official' weight-in and found that I need to drop 40 pounds in a month! Let us see how far I make it.

Today's Weight/Size: 274 (4XL)

Day 1310 - Again

Last year I purchased a year supply (not meant to last an entire year) of Atkins Shakes/Bars and started a weight-loss program. Today I still have supplies left over and no progress.

Moments ago I joined 24 Hour Fitness for the next two (2) months (paid first and last months). This time I have no choice to drop about 30-40 pounds in roughly 5 weeks!

I did it once before and this time I have the same motivation. I must be around 230 pounds no later then February 3rd / 4th in order to complete my High Adventure Training with the Boy Scouts.

So here I am again ...

Today's Weight/Size: ~270 (4XL)

Day 1 - Shopping Spree

Good Morning

Last night I went on a $150 Shopping Spree and got myself a one month supply of Atkins Shakes and Snack Bars. I know I am going to the extreme again and need to watch myself as it comes closer to the end of the three weeks where I usually begin to eat more food.


A good note, I weighed in a lot less then I thought I was yesterday. I am actually starting at 261 Pounds. I have been able to maintain a 10 pound reduction in my size over the last year. Not a bad feeling this morning.

This morning I woke up at 4:40 and headed to the gym for an hour of very low key workout. Mostly Aquaweights and 5 laps of swimming.

Today's Weight/Size: 261 (3XL)

Day 875 - Try Again?

Here I am again looking at myself in the mirror with the same results for doing the same thing for the last two and a half years. Do I make it a 3rd Attempt or do I throw the towel in and call it a day at trying to drop a hundred pounds and 20 inches from my waist?

Eventually we have to ask ourselves are we serious about getting better or are we just doing it to make ourselves feel a little better for a few days. For me, I find myself happy knowing that I can drop the weight with some effort as I have done so in the past. It is just staying with the game plan that always seems to prevent me from keeping the weight managed.

Looking back at the last 3 years I was motivated by an end result. Which is not a bad idea; however, am I only looking at the short-term goal vs the long-term result. It is time to look at an end result not in a month but in a year. With a game plan for life.

Planning is going to be key to this round of dropping the excess weight. I am looking for a method that will allow me to drop 15 pounds the first month (of course I want more):

1. Nov 09 - 15 lbs
2. Dec 09 - 15 lbs
3. Jan 10 - 10 lbs
4. Feb 10 - 10 lbs
5. Mar 10 - 10 lbs
6. Apr 10 - 10 lbs
7. May 10 - 5 lbs
8. Jun 10 - 5 lbs
9. Jul 10 - 5 lbs
10. Aug 10 - 5 lbs
11. Sep 10 - 5 lbs
12. Oct 10 - 5 lbs

H.E.L.P. is the method I am going to use this time around. Here I am today and Eventually where do I want to be by Looking at the Long-Term and Planning for managable results.

Today’s Weight/Size: ~270 (4XL)

Day 25 - Eating More ...

Another Day of eating - but healthy! After having the beef patty and two (2) scrambled eggs I had an oversized Chefs Salad for lunch followed by Burger King for dinner (rodeo burger no bun and a side salad that was two days OLD!

Today’s Weight: 244.5

Day 24 - Still Eating ...

It is time for me to once again refocus my energy again on the weight loss plan. Over the last couple days I have enjoyed a little too much food. More then I actually needed to eat and it has cost me a few pounds. Not bad for a little celebration after three weeks of intense dieting and exercising. But finding that right balance will be essential in maintaining a healthy relationship between what I actually need and what my taste buds desire.

On Monday, I enjoyed huge meal from Islands Restaurant in Irvine as an award for winning the Biggest Loser Competition. That was followed by a slice of pizza for dinner. Yesterday, I had two (2) scrambled eggs for breakfast, side salad and fried zucchini for lunch and the leftovers from Islands for dinner. A lot of food! This morning I had a ground beef patty and two (2) scrambled eggs. It is time to get things a little under control before they control me.

Today’s Weight: 240

Day 23 - Gaining a Little Back

Yesterday, I came in at the last second to pull off a victory in our Office Biggest Loser Competition. The final tally was 31 to 37 pounds. The actually percentage was .4%.

It was an awesome race with Islands as our reward. Today with normal work clothes on and the competition over I weighted in at 240 pounds. Not too bad considering about 3 of those pounds is clothes.

The last three weeks have been tough. It was also very educational in the fact that my goal is being redefined to a more realistic number. In all we lost nearly 70 pounds together!

Thank you all for being there to support us in the crazy weight loss challenge.

Today’s Weight: 237

Day 22 - 35 Pounds Later

Saunas and Weight Lose. Last week I got a 7-Day Guest Pass from 24 Hour Fitness to help my chances at winning the Biggest Loser Competition in the Office. It did help me lose some weight. I had to place incorrect weights on my daily weight in order to mislead the others in the Office.

Did it work? Yes!

Everyday I did aerobic exercises and on Tuesday I stopped eating. Yup my last meal was Tuesday Morning. On Wednesday I began using the sauna at the gym in 15 minute intervals to lose the excess water weight.

This is not the end of the race to lose weight. I have the Long Beach Half Marathon to prepare for in October and now my goal is to get my weight from 235 pounds to 190 (45 pounds) in 3 months or 15 pounds/month. The only thing I am lacking is someone of importance to push me everyday.

Today's Weight: 235

Day 21 - Hale Telescope

We had a great camping trip with the Scouts this weekend. From watching the stars and meteors to walking on the floor of the Hale Telescope.

Today's Weight: ~237.5

Day 20 - Camping

Friday Night I headed up to Palomar Mountain with the Scout to enjoy a relaxing evening (after dealing with traffic - even leaving at 4:00P).

Today's Weight: ~240

Day 19 - Bittersweet Victory

Kind of moving away from weight loss for a little bit as my partner here in the office has pretty much taken the victory. He is pushing himself to the finish line. I wish him the best of luck in reaching his goal of 203 pounds by Monday.

He is so competitive that even with physical injuries he continues his now personal quest to lose 30 pounds in 5 weeks come Monday. I am declaring a bittersweet victory at 20 pounds in 3 weeks and am just trying to maintain my weight at 250 (with clothes on).

Had I started the race 2 weeks before maybe I could have had a chance at giving my co-worker as good race to the finish line? However, he has a personal motivation to reach 30 pounds.

In the end it was fun to have someone to push me a little in the race and now I can only hope for a double or nothing on a 3 month goal ;).

Today's Weight: 247

Day 18 - Long Term Goals

Good Morning. I am on my way to work (Public Transit) and reflecting the last couple weeks. It has been a major change so far. Seeing my weight under 250 pounds for the first time in many years is amazing. Projecting myself to drop 20 pounds a month for the next 3 months is even more stunning. My waistline down near 45 inches and the additional energy I feel cannot be replaced.

I will likely not win our office Biggest Loser Challenge come Monday; however, the key win is overall health improvement. My biggest challenger will likely weight in at 204 (although he is pushing for 203) and have 12.5% weight loss. Myself on the other hand will likely weight in at 245 with a 9.26% (although I am pushing for 243 with a 10% weight loss).

In any case I will have lost roughly 10% of my body weight in just three (3) weeks!

Can I continue to lose over 3% of my weight each week? That will likely not be the case and my goal will be to at least maintain half that percentage or 2-3 pounds a week. This will put me on target to drop another 20 pounds before the Long Beach Half Marathon in October.

Today's Weight: 245

Day 16 - Overdrive

Weight Loss Time just got serious yesterday. As I mentioned we have a little biggest loser challenge going on in the office. As of today I am losing the race by 10 pounds. The race ends next Monday. What do I do?

I really do not have the time to do much more then I am already doing. I do not like to say this fact; however, I might be out $50 next Monday.

In the end we both win! My office co-worker is projected to drop 30 pounds in 5 weeks. I am on track to drop the same amount of weight in only 3 of those 5 weeks. The main difference is our starting weight so he will win by a higher percentage.

In the end we both will have lost a combined 60 Pounds in just over 30 Days!

Today's Weight: 245

Day 17 - Waistline

What size am I? A year ago I had a waist over 50 inches and wanted to dropped 20 inches. That goal has not changed and it is still my desire to remove years of added fat from my waistline. I believe I am on the right track to achieve that goal before the holidays and most of it before the Long Beach marathon.

I have set my goals in 4 inch increments (48, 44, 40, 36 and 32) to help me see where I am every couple weeks.

• 52 - 54 (4XL)
• 48 - 50 (3XL)
• 44 - 46 (2XL)
• 40 - 42 (XL)
• 36 - 38 (L)
• 32 - 34 (M)
• 26 - 30 (S/16)

This week my waistline 47 inches and just 5 inches away from breaking out of the multiple X's.

Today's Weight: 244

Day 15 - 25 Pounds!

25 Pounds in Two Weeks!

Ok I know this is extreme; however, I have lost 25 pounds in two weeks even with two (2) Birthday Celebrations and eating out twice this weekend.

How did I do it? I ate very small portions of the cake (1 tbsp) to satisfy the flavor and to participate in the activity. Yes, maybe not good for the diet; however, it is family and those times where you can justify eating a little extra sweets.

We had a great time this weekend regardless of not losing weight in the amount that I wanted to drop. Yesterday, I played a little baseball, watched a movie and went to Islands with my family for my son's birthday.

Today's Weight: 245

Day 14 - Parties

This weekend I am slowing down on the weight loss. Yesterday, was very busy with my son's birthday party. We had lots of fun and his cake was very good. However, water intake dropped a little and so did rest.

Both rest and water are critical for my weight loss. I look forward to Monday.

Wish me luck!

I wanted to let people know of a good friend that needs some prayers and support. He is the author of Total Transformation. Recently, a loved one of his became ill and required surgery. Please check out his site for more information: Total Transformation

Today's Weight: 246

Day 13 - Pelican Hill Grill

Yesterday was a tough day. It was my Birthday! I had an In N Out Patty with light salt for lunch. Then came dinner...

Over the pass 9 years we have enjoyed Pelican Hill Grill for special occasions. We had the same server for 7 of those great years who moved on during the reconstruction to Palm Terrace Restaurant at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, CA. Last night we were seated with the one returning servers from the previous management team.

I have about 4 spoons of mash potatoes, a few Ice Teas with sweetener, couple bits of chocolate cake and some pot roast. It was a great meal. I knew I would gain a little this morning; however, I could not replace the time I had with the family.

The only thing that I do not agree with under the new General Manager is the availability of a Kids Menu. Kids want to experience the same feeling as the adults and a menu that is suitable for them would allow such to happen. The new General Manager does not agree.

Today's Weight: 246

Day 12 - Water Intake

Readjusting back to the diet yesterday was pretty easy; however, I still am having problems with my water intake throughout the day. My goal is 100 oz a day of water. I use a 20 oz bottle and fill it at 9A, 11A, 1P, 3P followed by a water drink at dinner.

This week I have only consumed less then half the amount of water as I should be intaking each day which had an impact on the amount of weight loss. Today I am using Outlook to set up timers throughout the day to help ensure I get at least 3 liters a day.

I am looking forward to the weekend and my son's birthday party.

Hope everyone has a great time and thanks for your support.

Today's Weight: 246

Day 11 - The C.A.P.

Yesterday was an experimental day on my diet in order to mix things up a bit. I added both a breakfast and lunch item to my routine. A little too much.

For breakfast, I had a cup of cup (only drink about 2-3 oz) with a 1/2 tbsp of creamer, with Sugar based Carbs (~6 grams). For lunch, I had a Del Taco Taco with meat only (did not eat the shell) with the Saturated Fat, lots of Cholesterol, a little Carbs and a pinch of protein. For dinner, I had to two (2) pieces of Roasted Chicken with skin, Cholesterol, lots of Sodium and our friend Saturated Fat. Only good thing on the Chicken was the protein (~80 grams).

This resulted in my body going into shock last night with a couple trips to bathroom (sorry). I think I keep with the simple routine and focus on the long term goal. I also had my first increase in weight in 10 days.

The main thing with a diet, I have just learned, is Consistency, Affirmation and Patience. Stay Consistent with your plan. Affirm your progress. Be Patient! Keep your CAP on :).

Today's Weight: 248

Day 10 - Fine Balance

I feel a little better this morning after I just pulled out the scale and can officially declare victory over the 250 mark (247 pounds).

Yesterday, I had a spoon full of taco meet for lunch and a can of tuna for dinner. At two pounds a day this week I can foresee 240 pounds by the weekend. Which is great as I have a Men's Breakfast Saturday morning followed by a Birthday Party.

I did have time to think a little yesterday and came to the conclusion why my weight loss slowed down starting Monday and it is work related stress. I never agreed with those that said stress could cause weight gain and mostly because we all deal with stress and people still remain healthy. However, they likely have a healthy routine outside of work to counter the effects.

I may begin to add some taco meet in for lunch going forward as it seem to help. My wife also mention to ensure I have enough calcium to help counter the heartburn and settle the stomach. We will see how these additional changes will effect the ability to continue drop pounds and inches.

Today's Weight: 247

Day 9 - Flat Line

Well yesterday seemed like another normal day. I did my weekly weight in at the office for our Biggest Loser Contest (weight in was 254.5 with clothes) and lost 5.57% of my prior weight of one week. I was right on track.

I had meatballs for dinner and felt that I had an awesome day. I did notice that I was starting to get heartburn after taking a Vitamin C (which I noticed has carbohydrates today). However, the thing that got to me today was my morning weight in.

After waking up a little late this morning I weighted in and only lost 1 pound. This was pretty shocking seeing that I lost six (6) pounds over the weekend. It was a little depressing; however, it was still a pound.


Well it is a new week and a new goal to lose 15 pounds this week. Wish me luck.

Today's Weight: 249

Day 8 - 20 Pounds Later

I did pretty good yesterday on the diet. I did not have anything for breakfast and got some much needed water intake. I started to move the treadmill that was left behind by a prior tenant into the bedroom only to find out that the machine had a broken piece where the belt turns back up to the motor rendering it useless.

I did some surfing on the Craigs List for a while and the family headed out to the Inland for a Birthday Party. I held myself back knowing that I would be too tempted to eat sugar. I ate my can of Tuna a little early around 4:00PM and found myself adding a small spoon of peanut butter just before I went to bed last night.

I weighted in this morning my my new six dollar scale and was very happy to see I officially dropped 20 pounds the first week on this diet. I am so motivated right now and look forward to losing 10-15 pounds this week. I can see 225 pounds in my sight within two weeks if I keep this program up. If I continue this program for 4 weeks and put my my Half Marathon Training it is foreseeable that my weight could be at or below 200 pounds.

However, I am only placing my goal on a weekly basis and will target for 235 pounds by next Monday. I really want to get an exercise program added to this diet quickly. Then again I am scared that by adding such too soon will prompt me to intake more food and not be beneficial to my weight loss program.

Today's Weight: 250

Day 7 - New Scale

Ok today I was pretty scared to step on the six dollar scale I purchased yesterday at Target. Actually let me back up to my trip to Target. I went to the new Target at the Irvine Spectrum last night around 7:00PM and found myself looking for that all important closest parking space with no luck. I found it funny that my entire trip to the mall could of went a lot quicker had I just parked further out when I first arrived.

Yesterday, I had about 10oz of eggs in the morning. They tasted so good! Then I had about a half dozen fries around 5P and my can of tuna around 8:30P. Also my water intake was very limited again yesterday and I need to get my liquids back in my system. I really felt that I was in for a serious awaking this morning when I pulled out the new scale.

Oops, I almost forgot about the 2oz of banana I had last night instead of popcorn while watching a movie with the kids. We watched 10,000 BC. I was also suppose to run this morning as I prepare for the Long Beach Half Marathon in a couple months.

In all I really did not want to step on that scale this morning. However, I was amazed to see the scale read under 255 pounds! This means I lost an average of 3.5 pounds a day over the last couple days. This is likely water weight as I have not drank the amount of water that I had been drinking the past week. With that in the equation the true loss is likely around 1.5 pounds a day and tomorrow will likely be a correction day in the weight.

Today's Weight: 253

Day 6 - The Bale Diet

Today I am without a scale. I did pretty good yesterday and stuck with one can of tuna for dinner. I did however fail in my water intake and only had 40 oz. Today I will not have a weight in as I do not have a scale at home that works so I just have to push hard through Monday.

Christian Bale lost over 60 pounds by eating an apple and a can of tuna everyday for nearly 4 months. He was not heavy to begin with so I can see it possible to lose 100 pounds at my weight in the same amount of time.

I have not yet introduced an apple to my daily intake yet and that might come in a couple weeks. I so want to see the 200 pound mark before the kids go back to school in September. That is a about 1.5 pounds a day. Insane!

On a personal note, Christopher Laurie passed away this week and his father has a blog for people to express their prayers. Please take a minute to drop a line, click here. My wife grew up with him through Harvest Church.

Today's Weight: ~260

Day 5 - Ice Cream

Last night was tough. I had a half a cup of Half and Half Milk with a 1/2 spoon of pure sugar and chocolate syrup. I was able to stop myself mostly because I actually felt full. Upon return to the car I opened a can of tuna to help get something of value in my stomach.

Over all I thought I did pretty good; however, my body woke up in the middle of the night from the sugar high. I do feel a little on the bad side this morning so I am writing this entry before I weight in this morning. I do not feel that I lost anything yesterday and in fact I feel that I might of gained a few pounds despite only 60 calories in a can of tuna.

See I downed the entire can even though I was not hungry and only to offset the pure sugar I ate earlier. It was scary and only did it to settle the stomach down. I will see how much I lost when I get into the office this morning.

In all my biggest fear is that I lost the state of ketosis in the night and now the body is set back a couple days while the liver readjusts to the sugar intake. So I am not targeting as high for the next few days; however, I just hope I can make it up in some exercises this weekend.

Today's Weight: 260

Day 4 - Sloppy Joe

Well the treadmill is still in the garage. Last night I went home and crashed on the sofa and watched television of all things. What a waste of time!

I did eat a little more then I wanted to last night. I ate at least 6-oz of ground beef and then went back for seconds. I had about 4-oz on my second serving as the sloppy joe meat was pretty tasty. Ok then I went for thirds as I could not get enough of the flavor and had about the same as the first serving. It was too good!

I justified the extra serving as an experiment to see if I could loss weight on an akins style diet. Well I dropped 3 pounds last night. Insane!

Tonight we are going on a hike with the Scouts and making Ice Cream on the Beach. Wish me luck.

Today's Weight: 261

Day 3 - Bowling

Good Morning! It is now day 3 in my 100 day quest to lose 100 pounds. I know I am insane to think I will drop an average of a pound per day. However, I currently burn roughly 3,000 calories each day at my current weight. This will of course slow as the days pass.

In the middle of September I will drop to losing about a half a pound a day. Right not it appears that I am dropping about 2.5 pounds a day without exercise. I had a can of tuna last night to settle the hunger pains. I do believe this will drop tomorrow to maybe a pound unless I get my training plan in order.

I have a treadmill in the garage so I will need to pull that out today and get it set up in our bedroom. I went bowling yesterday with my son and was too tired to much more last night and went to bed a little early.

Tonight I have to get my on the treadmill and run for about a half hour. I know that running does not burn too many calories. I have to at least get started on getting ready for the Long Beach Marathon. I am still targeting for 100 pounds in a 100 days.

Today's Weight: 264.5

Day 2 - 100 Day Goal

Ok the first day of the fast is complete. However, I did eat a bite of chicken last night to settle the stomach and get a little taste in the mouth. It really helped.

Today is a little tough as the hunger is pretty consistent and feels like a pressure in the stomach. I worked on a chart for the weight loss plan to drop 100 pounds (actually 95) in 100 days.

This will be the hardest task I have done in years. Today the scales showed me at 266.5. Of course at such a high loss will not be consistent so I am taking that number as reference only and depending on tomorrow morning will determine if I need to revise my 100 day goal.

Tonight I am bowling with my son for his 8th birthday and my training for the half marathon calls for a two mile run. I will let you know how well I did in the morning.

Today's Weight: 266.5

Day 1 - STARTING OVER ...

Ok everyone it is now day four hundred eighteen (418) and I am back to where I was when I started this quest at 270 pounds. I failed! I gave in to food. I gave in to time. I gave in to life.

Today I am entering liquid fast to get a jump start on gaining control again and starting my count over at Day 1. This time I am going to break the 200 pound mark before the Long Beach Marathon.

My goal is 20 Days (August 11) and this time I have a challenge to lose more weight then a co-worker by percentage. However, I am a little behind right now. See this weight lose challenge actually started two weeks ago and I have not lost a single pound. Ok, maybe a half a pound.

My co-worker has already lost twelve (12) pounds and at his current pace will lose thirty pounds which means I have to lose thirty-five pounds just to break even or 1.5 pounds a day over the next 20 Days. From August 11 to October 12 I will need to lose 45 pounds to be ready for Long Beach!

Am I insane?

Weekly Weight: 269.5

Day 370 - Still Alive

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for the last year.

As mentioned last year I did the Long Beach Half Marathon and will do it again this year. It is a very nice path and most of the event is along the shoreline with a great view of the Queen Mary. I did not get enough time for training to do a second Marathon.

However, I have not made that much progress towards any additional weight loss. I can think of all the excuses and it mostly came down to time. Even that is not a solid reason as time is available at any time and it comes really down to energy.

The family is doing great with our son finished up his first season in baseball with outstanding results (3rd place in the playoffs). He also made some great friends. I spent the season as the unofficial pitching coach which gave me the chance to relive my High School days with my two best friends and brother. We are still involved in Scouting and about eight months ago I took on the ranks as the Scout Leader for the boys.

Just last week we went the Northeast on a “Road Trip” vacation of the historic battlefields, White House, Ground Zero, Gettysburg, Minute Man, Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Hershey and of course Ben & Jerry. It was a great time with the family and I want to thank all those that made the vacation and experience great, including but not limited to, Congressman Miller, American Airlines (Special Thanks to Pilot Mark from ORD to SNA), Hilton Family Hotels and Places to Go Travel Agency, in Dover, New Hampshire.

It is time to once again kick everything in gear before the summer. I will try to check in at least once a day for a few minutes in the morning.

This Weeks Weight: ~270 Pounds

Day 31/32 - Jogging

I got my butt kicked today! A very close friend of our family invited me to go running with him up Newport Bay this morning. I told him I would do half the run (he was running 10 miles). The first mile was easy at a 12:00 minute pace. The next half mile I had to withdraw. (I thought, if I walked back and ran the same distance again it would be 3 miles.)

At the start of the run I was ready for a run pace and the pace was more of a fast walk. Legs barely moving, but wanting a longer stride and to kick off on each step. I just went with a higher stride, instead of a longer stride. I need to learn how to run for a marathon.

After a mile and a half I walked another quarter mile only to turn around and run short 100 meters and walk 100 meters to work on stride. When I got back towards the starting point I was going to run the mile again to see if I could get a better pace on the mile. Well I did not have to entertain myself as I all of a sudden had to take a bathroom break.

The bathroom was back where I turned around and headed back to the starting point. I think my second attempt at the mile was under 8:00 minutes. I was kicking off on each stride and attempting to bring my leg behind me completely up during the run. Once again when that mile marker passed me I had to go to a slower jog. My body is program from training to run a mile. This is going to be fun retraining it to run longer.

(Additional Resource: Endurance Coach)

Day 30 - 270 Days ...

Only 270 Days Left to get rid of a 100 pounds. Oh wait – Only 80 pounds left to get rid of now. The last 30 Days have been exciting and motivating to drop “20 Pounds in 30 Days”. Of course it will get tougher as I continue to drop the other 80 pounds, but not impossible! The last 120 days will be the toughest part of the battle.


I am looking at being under 200 in time for the 1/2 marathon in October. I am going to invite my little brother to see if he is up to the challenge. If anyone lives out here in Southern California and are looking at running the event, please let me know.

The next three weeks I will be working on muscle strength as I get ready to enter my 12-week half marathon training and focus a lot on losing the 15 pounds for the month a little early and try to push to the 20 pounds, if possible. So long as I am close to 225 before I start the running part of my training, I think, I will be at a safe weight for my knees and joints.

For the actual half marathon I am targeting to be at 200 pounds (give or take 5 pounds). I am really looking forward to seeing myself at the point where I am at the 200 mark. From that point is where the weight will be the hardest to drop and I will most likely slow to about 5 pounds a month at that point.

Today’s Weight: 250

Day 29 - Weekly 13 (I)

Here is my "Weekly 13" for Thursday, June 28, along with some other fun stuff:

Weekly 13

• 6/27 - Immitation/Natural Sugar
• 6/26 - Urgent Prayer
• 6/26 - Chicken Salad
• 6/25 - Pause Diet
• 6/24 - No Scales Required
• 6/24 - Head Spinning
• 6/23 - Tangled Up
• 6/23 - Healthy Sugar
• 6/22 - Correct Way
• 6/21 - 288 pounds?
• 6/20 - Natural Weight Loss
• 2/27 - Break the Plateau
• 0/00 - 7 Habits

Other sites with Weekly 13, please feel free to leave a comment and a link.

---

A week ago I was “tagged” on a couple posts...

7 Random Facts about me, tagged by Incredible Shrinking Ladies

1. Married for over 10 years with 2 kids
2. Former High School CIF Finalist (Miler)
3. Grew up in rural America and walked to school everyday
   (It was not uphill both ways)
4. Cannot see the World upside down anymore (read blog)
5. Love the Outdoors (Camping, Hiking, Skiing)
6. Struggling business owner
7. Scheduled to run a marathon within 6 months

---

Get to Know you Better, tagged by The Diet Pulpit
INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1. Sophiagurl (Life is just around the corner)
2. Tam (Fitness Journal)
3. Tom LeDree (Get Inspired) and Brian (Lose Weight With Me)
4. Lady Rose (The Diet Pulpit)
5. Alan (My Big Waist)

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was getting married and enjoying the first six months of life.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was tired and worn out while trying to run a business and a job at the same time.

Five Snacks You Enjoy:

1. Snickers
2. Yogurt
3. Oatmeal Cookies
4. Lucky Charms
5. Cantaloupe

Five Songs to Which You Know all the Lyrics:

1. Sinking, by Jars of Clay
2. Tonight, by Jeremy Camp
3. Like a Child, by Jars of Clay
4. Lightning Crashes, by Live
5. Runaway Train, by Soul Asylum

Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire:

1. Invest in Small Businesses
2. Start a Huge Project (Business Idea)
3. Finance a Group Home for Fathers with Children
4. Build a Library Room for my Family
5. Hike the Pacific Trail

Five Bad Habits:

1. Eating Out
2. Ignoring the Yard (Landscapers make you lazy)
3. Email Communications
4. Working at Home
5. Researching TOO much

Five things you like doing:

1. Weekend Vacations
2. Blogging about Life
3. Running a Business
4. Relaxing with my Wife
5. Playing Volleyball

Five things you’ll never wear again:

1. Inside-Out Pants
2. Alf Underwear
3. A-Team Muscle Shirts
4. Dick Tracy Pajamas
5. Boxers (need to prevent certain things from bouncing around while running)

Five favorite “toys”:

1. Microsoft Access
2. SQL (Simple Query Language) Analyzer
3. Blog :)
4. Running Shoes (coming soon…) and PE Shorts
5. Hardware Store and the Gym

---

Now my turn to “tag” five:

1. Diet Blog
2. Agent of Change
3. No More Mr. Fat Guy!
4. Body Fitness Info
5. Total Transformation Test

Sorry for the late post today as I was busy this morning with "interesting" activities at home...

Today’s Weight: 250

Day 28 - Broken Scales

Ok seriously we always hear someone say, “The scales are broken.” when they weight themselves. Today, I have the evidence to prove the scales are really broken.

On a medical scale you have a lower bar that have 50 pounds makers and the top bar that have single pound markers. Today, I was right at 250 and when I placed the lower marker at 250 (where it has been for a while) and move the top bar over to zero the balance was hanging low (meaning I have to go lower). Now moving the lower bar to 200 and the top bar over to 50 the balance was hanging high (meaning I have to go higher).

Arg… Happy Wednesday :)

Today’s Weight: ~250

(Photo courtesy of Support4Change - A New Way to Weight Less)

Day 27 - 2" Later

I am officially less than 48” (just above 47”)!!! I was also happy to see the scale almost under that 250-300 pound section which will put me in the 200-250 pound section on the medical scale. All wonderful news this morning even after eating at Chili’s Bar & Grill in Foothill Ranch last night. The trick was sharing a plate with my wife, having conversation between eating AND stopping when we were full.

We had a wonderful server who even encouraged us with healthy selections for sides and chatted with us throughout our meal. I commended his style along with his service to the manager. Most servers just take your order, but at Chili’s there staff always have energy and are willing to have a good time with there guest.

What else can I say this morning? In the last 30 days I have dropped 2” and almost 20 pounds. It was not easy and I have to admit that I enjoyed my meals at times and did things that I was not suppose to do on a diet. I am going to do those same things even after I lose the weight and waist.

It comes down to balancing. :)

Today's Weight: 251

Day 25/26 - Timeshares

Another post that has nothing to do with weight loss but a timeshare presentation we attended in Carlsbad, California at the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort & Hotel. We were excited as this hotel appeared to be part of the Hilton Family of Hotels & Resorts. As we watched a pre-show we saw the resorts within the Hilton Grand Vacations Club, followed by a tour of the property.

It was a good opportunity to get to understand how a timeshare works. There are hidden things that are not presented unless you look closely and put aside the financing. Association Dues ~ $750/yr, Property Taxes ~ $200/yr, and Exchange Fees ~ $200/yr or a total of approximately $1,200/yr after you include the $49/yr Hilton member fees. For that same price I can go to Acapulco with the family and have money left over for spending.

I almost forgot that I have to pay 14.9% interest on a ~ $25,000 loan for the next 10 years - that is almost $6,000 a year. Now I am looking at an average of $7,000/yr for a week vacation every year for the next 10 years then about $1,500 a year after that as they increase your Association Dues and other fees. For $7,000, I can take a 3-wk all-inclusive vacation almost anywhere in the World each year for the next 10 years.

Each 1-Bedroom/1-week unit selling at $25,000, 52 times equals $1.3Million along with $65,000/yr in fees. The best part about our evening was when a third sales representative came up and offered us a “give me”. For $1,300, we could try vacation ownership for a year. How can we pass up such an offer? That is a 2-wk vacation for us at $90/night not a 1-wk timeshare.

Today's Weight: 253

Day 24 - Gaining Weight

I cannot tell you how much stuff has gone through my mind today after gaining two (2) pounds this morning. In the past couple of days I have been busy with various celebrations and moved away from my normal routine. These events included a graduation, Cub Scout Ceremony (we have a Wolf in our family, now) and something we did Wednesday Night. I have snacked late at night which caused me to not get a good sleep, because I was hungry two hours after snacking.

Yesterday was my off day at the gym; maybe I can blame that and get out easy? However, I ended up playing volleyball on the beach with the Scouts so that was a good workout (it was). Our Den Leader’s son has good focus when it comes to the game. I felt bad not being able to challenge him more as my own focus was gone as I started to hit the ball like a mad man with no sense of control.

My weight gain comes down to having a little fun for a couple days and enjoying myself a little. Does it mean I have to work out twice as hard next week? No, I did 15 minutes at the gym today on my upper body and I am not going to change anything next week. Nothing wrong with a small gain here and there as I am still focused and I know what needs to be done for my overall goal.

I am still better off today then I was a month ago at this same time. Even as I say that I have thoughts of double time going through my head. It is just time to refocus myself and just get back on the program. I made some mistakes this week, but I did them because I love my family and had fun and some good time.

Today's Weight: 257

Day 23 - Fat to Live?

LOL – I need a pound of fat a day in order to maintain my current weight. No seriously, I do! Based on my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) multiplied by 1.4 for sedentary daily activities (1.6 for light activity and 1.8 for physical activity) my metabolism burns 3,400 calories a day. That is equivalent to almost one pound of fat.

Reducing a calorie intake by 1,000 calories a day is the same as reducing 2 pounds of fat a week. I never really looked at calorie intake before now as I never really understood. All I knew is that if I ate it, I had to burn the fat (too bad I did not listen to myself). Simple concept; you would think.

Now that I finally know that 3,500 calories is the same as one pound of fat I can watch my calorie intake and calorie expense. Just getting me on a controlled 2,000 calorie diet would help and I could lose a pound to two pounds a week – for the first month or so.

Our metabolic rate is determined by our age, height and our declining weight. I found that the Harris and Benedict Equation is the standard used in obtaining a good estimate of our BMR.

• For men, BMR = 66.4730 + (6.2377 * w) + (12.7084 * h) - (6.7550 * a)
• Women, BMR = 655.0955 + (4.3379 * w) + (4.6980 * h) - (4.6756 * a)

w = weight in pounds / h = height in inches / a = age in years

Understanding what is happening in our body can help us understand how to manage our body. For those that are math challenged, I personally found a quick calculator at Discovery Health.

Today's Weight: 255

Day 22 - Education

Yesterday we went to a class that is part of a series of classes being offered by Bally’s Total Fitness in Santa Ana, California near to South Coast Plaza. The class was held by runner and author, Nicholas Prukop (sbcglobal.net email: runningnick) of Newport Beach, CA. His first comment was his own personal lack of knowledge, but use of proven methods in his own training. In his series of classes offered to educate and motivate students he speaks and writes on being fit beyond 60.

Every person has different goals and those goals need to be balanced by cardiovascular conditioning, nutritional balance and weight training. During the class, which are offered every Wednesday at 5:00PM throughout the summer, he uses personal references to his own personal family and lifestyles at different stages in life.

A couple times in the class Mr. Prukop reminded the class that muscles burn calories at rest as they are continually repairing themselves, even as we sleep. Of course I heard that same message before but it was one of those things you do not remember after you look at a body-builder and bow your head down as you continue on the treadmill.

Does it take being a body-builder in order to benefit from the calorie loss from muscle repair? In researching this I found Ph.D. Research Student, Ms. Wilbert (pcflabs.com email: cwilbert). In her research she states, “Building just five pounds of muscle is equivalent to burning 26 pounds of fat in a year.”. Now if we can only control fat intake to benefit from the burning of this fat to actually see a difference in our waistline.

Today's Weight: 257

Additional Resource:

Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories (MayoClinic)

Day 21 - Lifestyles

I am posting this not to offend anyone. I saw me in the coffee shop this morning and I did not like what I saw. Every morning I am now getting some coffee with non-fat milk and no sugar. A big change from the blended ice mocha! This morning after the gym a guy in front of me purchased such a drink and as he stood there with his big waist I saw MYSELF!

What I saw I did not like to see anymore. That was me and the lifestyle I was living. Yes, I will still enjoy those when the time is right and when I am making other correct choices with my life. The only single difference between me and this guy was only a procedural element of the transaction when he did not want a receipt.

Every choice we make has a path. In school they teach us to say, “No” to drugs and walk away under pressure. The drugs of our life are the chemicals in food and more importantly the fat that is killing us. When is enough, enough!

Watching people eat and looking at the food they are consuming is starting to actually make me sick and wanting to vomit. Now I have other concerns of becoming mentally unstable after losing weight in developing pcrescophobia and anorexia nervosa. I do not think this will be the issue and I will only be concerned that what is entering my system is not going to be bad or harmful. Anyone for a Venti® White Chocolate Frappuccino® blended crème with whipped cream topping and a Cinnamon Twist (1,240 Calories)?

Today's Weight: 258

Venti® and Frappuccino® are registered trademarks of Starbucks Corporation

Day 20 - Water

I have never drank so much water in my entire life. Actually let me repeat that, “I have never drank so much water in my entire life!”. Yesterday, in an effort to flush (shock) my internal systems and remove all the chemicals in my body I drank TWO Gallons of Water! It was amazing and yet easy. I found more energy and strength throughout the day.

I started the day with two sips of coffee followed by alternating 20 ounces of water then vitaminwater every hour and fifteen (1:15) minutes. It was wonderful and I will continue that today and over the next few days.

As I talked to a psychologist who works in my office she recommend the “Master Cleanse Fast” as an alternative if I felt there was too much sugar in vitaminwater. Towards the end of yesterday the vitaminwater was starting to taste too sugary.

I ended the day with some wonderful yogurt to help through the night with something semi-solid in my stomach. It tasted good and gave me that little extra as a reward for a good day. I think I might try a revised Master Cleanse that includes a one-a-day vitamin.

Today's Weight: 260

Day 18/19 - Back to Gym

This morning I went back to the gym for the first time in 3 years. It was only for an hour and I only did very light cardio (15 minutes) along with some muscle toning. About 45 minutes into the workout I retired to the sauna to help my neck pain and loosen up the muscles in the neck. While in the sauna I spoke with another gentlemen who lost 75 pounds in the last year just going to the gym 2x a week.

It was good to get back into the gym and realize that in 10 months I will be a lot more happy and be excited about my life. How can anyone be happy when they are not able to do things with their family?

Your family is suppose to be your greatest support network, but when they are overweight and tired all the time that just does not happen. Our kids are raising themselves because we are not able to westle them to the ground. We can but we might break a few bones on the way down from the weight crushing against them.

If you are serious about your life and want a better life then do what it takes to get to that point.

Today's Weight: 262

Day 17 - Marathon

Besides my goal to walk 1,000 Miles in the next 10 months, I am now ready to challenge myself to run the 2007 Long Beach Half Marathon on October 14, 2007, followed by the Orange County Full Marathon on January 6, 2008. These are both going to require major adjustments to my lifestyle starting now.

After writing about running, I just cannot wait to see the track and run. Am I going to make it? That is not a question. My question is, "How much weight am I willing to run with during the marathon?" (Do I want to carry a hundred pounds for 13 1/2 miles?)

What am I willing to do in order to get my body in shape and get rid of this weight? Daily gym with interval jogs along with light muscle toning. In addition, I will be starting a fast in order to clean out my system.

I will be drinking Glaceau (now owned by Coke) vitaminwater, 4-5x a day for the next few weeks or month. This will be tough at the start along with everyone around me eating, but as I said when I started this journey, "When is enough, enough?

Day 16 - Baby Teeth

I know this post has nothing to do with weight loss but has to do with another loss. Last night our son came out of his room bearing a gift in his hand, his first tooth!

He was very excited even after I told him that it meant no sweets for a couple days until the gums close. That did not even phase his excitement as we lightly brushed his gums and rinsed out his mouth. Now he can say he lost his first tooth!

Day 15 - 5 Pounds

Good News! This morning I did a weigh-in and dropped 5 pounds. Over the last couple weeks I started walking after work (even a half mile when I was injured) and sharing meals with the wife instead of filling my own plate. These simple changes have resulted in a little weight loss. I am not declaring the 49” waist as the tape measure showed exactly 49” and we know how things vary from hour to hour. But I have dropped below 265 pounds from over 270 pounds.

Tonight I am reinstating my gym membership and will begin a more targeted exercise routine to help lose the weight. My physician also wants me to take a multi-vitamin once a day. The walking and eating “sensible” are a long-term change and were not that difficult to adjust. Of course I am still going to have those “big” meals, but not every other day.

As a formal California Interscholastic Federation Finalist in track I find the same method and motivation to succeed now as I did in High School. In track you are not racing against others, you are racing against yourself. You strive for pace and your first 100-meter time should be the same as your last 100-meter time. Regardless of the other runners your difference is determined by your ability to maintain solid times throughout your run. I can hear my coach saying “sixteen five” and yelling at me when I was too fast, “Your under sixteen Alan, SLOW IT DOWN!” (However, I would always push myself into the 15’s for the last 300 meters to help cut off about 3-5 seconds)

The difference between sprinters and runners is short-term versus long-term results. A sprinter is quicker, but is not able to maintain the same speed for a long time. My goal is to make this change a marathon run and have fun.

Day 14 - Church Scam

How do I start this post? I am lost for words at what to say ... Last night I saw a news piece on a wonderful (keep reading) resource coming from the “Church” that helps people like me. It was shown as a discipline to God’s Word and pretty much nothing else to lose all the weight.

Understanding that discipline exists in every activity we undertake, it prompted me to visit the site. I attempted to look for some quick materials, including a simple biblical verse and was only successful in finding one short video clip and a $200 price tag for materials. This made me continue my search in finding a real resource for biblical guidance.

I came across a wonderful and well organized blog of a fellow “FatBlogger” [Yes, we have an official title for us that are (or were) fat, improving our life and blogging.]. The Diet Pulpit (http://thedietpulpit.wordpress.com/) is the blog of Lady Rose and she posted an article this morning (Church of Thin) that awoke me to this newest money making scam.

What makes a true Church? The open door [come as you are (that is rich or poor, clean or dirty, and so forth)] to those who want to enter the Church. I have never had to pay upfront for anything from the Church and a site selling a message does not fall into this definition of the family of ministry. We give back to God and the Church though our stewardship and not through forced giving in order to receive God’s Word.

Day 13 - Detoxification

Does the body already have an internal system in place to remove toxins from body? I found it interesting to see diet programs that argue the use of “detox” such as colon hydrotherapy, body cleansing juice, fasting, saunas and so forth. All of these sound useful in helping clean your system and yet we forgot that our body has a system that keeps us alive.

If we had unhealthy levels of toxins in our system I think we would not be here reading this blog and instead would be in dialysis or the emergency room. I better knock on wood!

So what do all these sites mean when they promise detoxification from using there products, methods and services? One of the overall message I get from all these sites is simple – Increase Water Intake!

2 Liters of Water a Day! When was the last time you drank eight cups of water? That is why we feel worn out is because we are not helping our body. Can I just drink extra coffee and soda? On average it takes an additional 2-cups of water for every cup of coffee we intake in order to properly digest because of the diuretic drugs contained in coffee. For every cup of soda ... well you get the point.

Day 11/12 - First 10 Days

My first 10 Days have been challenging as I have been recovering from my neck injury over the last week. It has put a big damper on my mental state and has been personally difficult for me to motivate myself. This is generally where people will throw in the towel and give up and return to what they were doing – nothing.

Well I do not expect this injury to be the stopper in my quest to regain my health and take control on my life. Nobody said this was going to be easy and without pain. I am currently looking at completely recovering from this injury and placing my goal into high gear.

This next week I will look into a gym in order to assist in my recovery with aqua therapy. I have been a member of Bally’s for the last 14 years and only find myself at the gym when I am looking at working out. The closet Bally's to my house does not have a pool. I am not really looking for a workout and want more cardio through a balance of my three favorite sports – biking, running and swimming.

Maybe we can make this a family adventure and I can get the wife to motivate me into aerobics. Shortly after we were married my wife lost over 50 pounds with aerobics and restrictive diet intake. This was part of her pre-marriage commitment to herself to lose weight by losing 50 pounds even before we were married. Life took its course and we found it easier to do nothing.

Day 10 - Morbid Obesity

What? Yes, at 100 pounds overweight or a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more can be diagnosed as clinically severe obesity (278.01 - Morbid Obesity) by a physician. Of course other factors are considered by a physician when he/she reviews your medical problem before you are diagnosed with this condition.

• 5-7 times greater risk of death from diabetes or heart attack


• High risk of "end-stage" (untreatable) obesity
  

At 100 pounds overweight I do not need a physician to tell me that I have severe obesity. Oh what, I do - Blue Cross of California will not cover any medical treatment for weight loss until you become "morbidly obese" this includes any form of medication to help you reduce your weight.

Oh and a Health Club is not considered medical treatment although the medication they would approve requires it to be used with an overall weight loss program. Why does an insurance company have anything to say what a physician determines as the best course of treatment?

Day 9 - Chiropractic Arts

This week, I went to David John Armstrong, DC in Mission Viejo, CA [Fitness Plus Gym, 24401 Alica Parkway, Suite D, Mission Viejo, CA 92691, America Online (aol.com) email: rugbydoc14] to help with the pain associated with my recent neck injury. After feeling the neck he determined because of vertebral subluxation that my upper back was misaligned, not the neck, he proceeded with helping relieve the pain. It worked - for a few hours!

Following this visit I made my way to the emergency room after the pain returned. Dr. Han was the physician on-duty and performed a medical evaluation and professional assessment of the problem. She placed the neck into a brace and within an hour the pain was resolved and I really felt my body could actually heal.

Some people consider Chiropractic Arts as a Medicine in order to obtain greater creditability for its use. In 1897, Daniel David Palmer developed the chiropractic arts and in 1906; Mr. Palmer was convicted for practicing medicine without a license. Today most States, including California, consider Chiropractic Arts a consumer service and thus regulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

My use of Chiropractic Services is for quick relief of pain from what I refer to as a pinched nerve and I usually find the service quick and simple with no need for a "medical" referral. Their services are great and help relieve the problem. Now I have to pay since insurance now have special contracts with these services and want you to go to their approved vendors.

Day 8 - Habits

When you have a back injury I simply get an adjustment and put everything back in place. David Armstrong has adjusted my back for the last 6 years and I would not trust anyone else in putting things back in there working position. The same is true with my private physician that I have seen since I was a teenager.

We are all creators of habit and changing these habits is not something that happens overnight and some habits do need adjusting. This is true with our lifestyles. Our habits drive our diet and our exercise routine.

Changing habits starts with the change of your mindset and desire to make the change and better your life. Sometimes this happens when you have a "Come to Jesus" event.

My change came when I had such an event and that event was seeing a tape measure reach 50". What will be your event? I pray we can all make a change before we kill ourself because we love our food.

Day 7 - Flowers

Every year our son, together with his other classmates from his school, watches a movie on the first Saturday after school is out for the summer. This year that date falls on Father’s Day Weekend.

Out of courtesy, I made a quick call to a family friend and wanted to see what his schedule was like for that weekend. In talking with him it appeared to me that this was already considered and he was not expecting anything different in his plans. He of course is pretty good at time management.

It occurred to me towards the end of the call as I became lost in thinking that the reason I am here today looking at losing 100 pounds is because of my extreme lack of time management for MYSELF.

A couple days ago I asked what does the World look like upside down and today I ask what color are the flowers?