Week 4

Well, here we are in week 4 and I think all is going well. I've caught a cold and am a little miserable with the stuffy head and scratchy throat, but I'm sure it will pass in good time.

As I posted at the end of  week 3 I broke the 360 lb barrier by a week 3 end weigh in at 357.2 lbs. That is a milestone I am proud of. I have been taking unofficial sneak peek weigh ins this week and am noticing the same seesaw of weight that I did last week. My water consumption is a bit off with the cold. I just have not been able to take in my normal gallon a night. My weights have been fluctuating 5 or 6 lbs up and down through the day, which is obviously mostly water weight, as real weight doesn't move that much that quickly, but am looking good at the evening time check. I'm confident I will break the 20 lb. mark by the end of this week. That's an average of 5 lbs a week for this first month. That's a bit faster than is recommended, but I'll take it. I'm not starving myself, so I'll take what I can get in these early stages, since I know it will get harder.

I'm finding that I am now missing my target calorie intake by an increasing amount, and actually have to push myself to eat some of my planned snacks to keep my metabolism going. That's a good problem to have. Yesterday with the walking added in, I was just over 1000 calories under my goal. It does get easier as you go. I even ate a chocolate chocolate chip muffin yesterday, and still came in that much under. Two days ago I treated myself to a cheese steak for dinner (if you're from eastern PA and particularly the Philadelphia area, you understand) and still came in under my calorie goal. The key is not depriving yourself. It's keeping the bad habits under control and accounting for your eating. I also had some potato chips and M&Ms yesterday, but all in moderation and logged.

I'm looking forward to my weigh in this weekend. Here's to hoping it will be below 355.4.

Week 3 End

This was my view at
about 9:30 am

The weather man was right this time! We actually got more snow than predicted and broke the all time record for a storm. We received 30.2" of snow between Friday night and Saturday night. If ever there were a temptation to sit in front of the TV and stuff myself, this was it. I'm happy to report, that didn't happen. I stayed within my allowance for the day and actually was about 500 calories to the good.

The neighbor caught me trying to find
the sidewalk with the snowblower.

Fortunately this storm fell over my days off and I didn't have to try to make it to the prison before the roads were plowed. We live in a development and we had our first plow early this morning. He made one lane down the middle of the street. Not what I had hoped for, but if they don't come back later, at least I can now get out to the main road to go to work tonight. A big shout out to my brothers and sisters at DCP who had to brave the roads and probably had to work a double shift to boot. It's always the luck of the draw with when these things happen. I just came out on the lucky end this time.

Week 3 end, 357.2 down 18.2 lbs.

This week was a little bit of a seesaw with my weight fluctuating a good bit. I'm pretty sure it was all about the water weight because over the weekend here, when I drink less water, There was an appreciable drop. I did my week end weigh in and was pleasantly surprised that I have now broken the 360 barrier. My weigh in was 357.2, down 18.2 lbs since I started. With a goal of 8-10 lbs a month, I'm on track to double that this month. Of course that is only the first 20 and I do not fool myself into thinking that this will be as easy next month.

One of the side benefits I have been noticing (besides clothes fitting better) is that my blood sugars have been remarkably good of late. I know my doctor told me that my insulin resistance would likely go down as I lose weight. I'm of course also eating better things in my quest for the weight loss, so I'm sure that plays into it as well. I am hoping that if I can reach my goal weight of 225 by next June, I will also be able to get off the diabetic meds. I am actually anxious for my next doctor's appointment in a few months. I want to see if my A1C has dropped along with my weight.

I was very pleased with the fact that I was able to be out snowblowing for 2 hours yesterday. The weight loss of nearly 20 lbs and the improvement in my knees made that possible. I had Synvisc injections on Friday morning. According to the doctor it will take 2-4 weeks to see what effect if any this will have on knee pain. I am hoping this along with the continued weight loss (should be about 30 lbs by then) will give me a new lease on life and activity.

The plan now is to start hitting the gym in the coming week. I want to really try to increase my activity. It will be good in combating the arthritis in my knees, as well as the diabetes.  I am confident in my ability to do this. I just have to make sure that I follow up the plan with action.

Here's a couple more snow pictures from yesterday, looking out the front door.

What a difference 24 hours makes (the day after)

Week 3

How much water should you drink?

Here we are at week three, in fact about halfway through. As predicted I have not dropped much weight yet this week. While disappointing, it's not unexpected. I drink a lot of water (a gallon in an 8 hour shift at work) so until I cut back (don't drink quite as much on my days off) it's hard to tell what's water and what's not.

I'm feeling good and the clothes are starting so fit better, so I know I'm on the right track. Also my monthly goal is 8-10 lbs., which is ok with my doctor, so, I'm still ahead of the game for this month.

I don't have a lot else to report except the hunger thing is starting to subside, as I knew it would. I find that I didn't eat a couple items from my lunch (I prepare and take it to work) in the last couple days (nights, I work night shift). I've been several hundred calories under my target the last few days. I must actually be careful not to eat too little and slow my metabolism. I guess that's a good thing to be considering this early into my quest.

I'll update at the end of the week if not sooner. Of course there will be the weekend weigh in as well. We here in Central PA are promised a winter storm Friday into Saturday, so I may get a little extra exercise shoveling snow if it actually comes to fruition.

***Update*** 1/21/2016

It looks like the snow is coming! We are looking at as much as a foot or more here in the metro Harrisburg area. If you are in the path of winter storm Jonas, please be safe.

1/21/2016 down 15 lbs.

I did a weigh in last night (1/21) and was pleased to see a little more loss. I have been meeting or exceeding my calorie goals this week (by exceed I mean under not over). I am starting to feel the effects of the loss. I hit the 15 pound mark now and it is easier to do almost everything. I know that sounds silly, but take and strap on an extra 15 lbs for a day and see if you mind carrying it around. I can't even imagine how much better it will be when the 100 is gone!

I go for Synvisc injections in my knees this morning. This is a new treatment for me. My hope is that I will get enough relief to begin cardio workouts at the gym. I like the elliptical machines as they put minimal impact on my knees. The addition of the exercise should allow me to bump my metabolism up a notch ensuring that my weight loss continues.

Week 2 End

bad mirror selfie 1/16/2016
Down about 15 lbs.

It has been a good 2 weeks. I am down roughly 15 lbs (unofficial check of the scale this morning), but will officially weigh in this evening. I have declared this a cheat day and will (within reason) treat myself to whatever I want.

I saw an inspiring video online yesterday. It was of a 22 year old man who lost 160 lbs over two years. He, like me, just decided to take his life back. (https://youtu.be/ydIdmOWHc2I) He did it the right way and now is prepared to live his new life. Had I not already decided to do this, I think it might have inspired me to take the step. His overweight life did leave him with the consequence of much too much leftover skin in the end, but he is ok with that too and is happily living the life that he reclaimed.

You might look at the incredible amount I've lost over 2 weeks and say, hey you should lose your 100 lbs in 5 or 6 months instead of a year! Well, I have no illusions that this quick and easy loss will continue much longer. Experience tells me that it will slow in the next few weeks and I will have to be very committed to make that 100 in 1 year. But, I can't lie. I do like the fact that it's been relatively easy so far. Many look at fat people and want to give us advice. The truth is, many, if not most of us, know more about dieting and nutrition than you fit people. We've studied and battled it for years, but for varying reasons have lost the battle. I have lost and won many battles where my weight is concerned. This time, I intend to win not only the battle, but bring the war to an end as well.


While I've lost nearly 15 lbs, in my case, it doesn't even show yet. I like to say "it's like taking a bucket of sand off the beach. Nobody notices until you dig a big hole.". I have not taken this blog public yet (haven't promoted it) because I'm waiting for someone at work to notice that I've lost weight. Once people can see the change in me and know that I am serious, I won't be afraid to let them follow my journey. What I don't need right now, especially in the beginning, is naysayers bringing me down (and there are plenty around me). I realize that's an insecurity on my part, but I just feel I need to be sure before I let others in on my quest. I have told some trusted friends of my plan to lose 100 lbs this year. The response has been "that's good", but I can tell, most don't believe it yet. It will be sweet when it really starts to show and people take my resolve more seriously.

Update:

1/16/2016  down 13.8 lbs

I did indulge in an excess of my daily allotted calories today, but did not go overboard. I exceeded the recommended calories by 664. With the many underages this week, (2754 total) I'm not overly concerned. I also missed the 15 lb mark by 1.2 lbs on my weigh-in, but again, I'm not overly concerned as my weight loss has be much higher than planned or worked for.

What did I do on my "cheat" day? (I think I am going to change it to "treat" day. It's more positive) I went out shopping with the wife and we stopped at a restaurant called Primanti Brothers. They are a famous bar and grill in Pittsburgh who has now franchised and has a place locally.

awesome sandwich for "treat day"

I decided I would order exactly what I wanted and not sweat the calories. I did however log them to continue to be accountable. I had a Capicola and Cheese Sandwich, which included the traditional fries, coleslaw and tomatoes on it. Total calories 775. We also split an appetizer of fried batter dipped pickles with my share of the calories coming to 696. I drank a diet coke (0 calories). Total calories from lunch, 1471. That's more than I usually eat in 2 meals, but it was great and I am glad I allowed myself that indulgence.

When I say that's more than I usually eat in two meals I do not want to leave the impression I starve myself. That is not a healthy way to lose weight. I do snack and do fill in a reasonable amount of calories for a grown man. The app I'm using calculates a 2 lb/week loss for me at 2280 calories/day. As my weight goes down, it will recalculate and eventually lower my calories in order to maintain the weight loss goal.

For breakfast today I splurged and ate a full bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios (about 3 cups) with Almond Breeze Almond milk (vanilla/unsweetened). The almond milk is so much lower in calorie than even 1% milk (30/cup) and has a good taste. Total breakfast calories were 250. When I say that I splurged, I mean that I usually eat about 1 cup of some plain unsweetened cereal.

Finally for dinner, I ate spaghetti w/meatballs. I had about 4 cups of spaghetti with about 1/2 cup of Prego Heart Smart Traditional sauce and 4 Armour bite sized meatballs. Total calories 1136.

I also ate a snack of about 30 g of cheez-it crackers in the late afternoon. Total calories there 225.

I'm not putting all these stats in to bore you. I am more concerned that those who are reading this and trying to lose weight themselves, understand the importance of a food log of some sort. Is it a pain? Absolutely! But, if not accounting for what they eat, most people eat way more than they think they do. I started out with a notebook and pen along with a calorie counting book to look up foods many years ago. It worked, but was difficult. Remember, this isn't my first foray into weight loss. That's why I'm a big proponent of the MyFitnessPal app. It allows me to log my food on the go and has great resources for looking up nutritional content of most anything. The scan tool is amazing and makes adding ingredients to a recipe a snap. At some point I may add a little video showing just how easy it is. I highly recommend this app if you are serious about losing some weight. And no I don't have any vested interest in it beyond using it, and am not being compensated in any way.

This is about taking charge of your life and holding yourself accountable for it. I have a very long way to go, but I'm in it for the long haul. 

I also booked our family beach vacation today for the end of this summer. I am looking forward to being 60-70 lbs lighter and able to be more active than that same time last year. One day, one week, one month at a time. I didn't gain this weight in a few months and it won't go away in that period either.

Here's some additional "before" pics from today.

January 16 2016 (361.6 lbs) 

Week 2

1/11/16 9.8 lbs

Part way through week two and so far so good. I weighed in last night (I've been trying to do it every 2 days) and was pleased to see some more loss. The weigh in was 365.6 which is closing in on 10 lbs.

This is way ahead of target, but the first 20 is always quick. It will be the last 80 I have to work for.

I am still fighting the cravings and occasional hunger, but it will improve. I think by next week I will be in good shape in that department.

Week1

Starting weight 1/1/2016

Well, I started this journey on January 2, 2016. I could see no need to start on the 1st, as I had leftovers from Christmas to finish as well as New Year's pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes to stuff myself with, so I put it off until the 2nd.

It has been a good week for the most part. From past experience I can say that the first two weeks are the toughest while my body get used to the new lifestyle and lower calorie count, but it has been good.

I am using an app on my phone called "MyFitnessPal", available on both android and iphone. It allows me to track my calories, weight, water, and exercise. It has a great database of foods, allows you to scan bar codes on packages for nutrition information and also allows you to create your own items by recipe. It's free in its basic form but does have a subscription version that eliminates ads and provides cloud storage of info. I have found that the basic version is adequate for my needs at this point. It also has an online website which is synced with your app where you can check your progress or enter meals or exercise if you don't want to do it on your phone. This is also free. http://www.myfitnesspal.com. You can find links to the app as well as create a login to monitor your progress.

I weighed in the evening of  Jan. 1 at about 9 pm to start things off. As you can see in the photo above, I weighed in at 375.4 lbs.. My allotment of calories as assigned by "MyFitnessPal" is 2280/day. That is designed for a loss of 2 lbs a week. With that said, I have only exceeded that limit one day this week. On Tue I did go over by 231 calories. But, I have been under for ever other day this week.

Jan. 7, down 8.2 lbs

I weighed in on Thur and my weight was down to 367.2 lbs. That's a loss of 8.2 lbs. I will weigh in again this evening (I try to keep it to about the same time each day) and see where we are at the week mark. I don't get too excited over these figures because I do realize that much of the fluctuation in weight is due to water intake. I drink a lot of water, so my weight can fluctuate by several pounds during a day. But, this is certainly a good start on my goal.

I am still at a point where I get hungry between meals and crave snacks. That usually passes after the 2nd week, so I am just trying to hang in there and make sure that if I do have a snack it is something low calorie and healthy. I actually love canned green beans. That has been one of my go-to snacks. I will throw a can in a bowl and nuke them for a couple minutes (The whole can comes in at about 60 calories.) then put a little hot sauce on them. I love "Frank's Red Hot" and it spices it up just enough without adding any real calories.

I work nights so what would be breakfast for most of you I call lunch. I eat at about 2:30 am. This past week my lunch has consisted of a sandwich made with Sandwich Rounds (100 cal), 4 slices of sliced Oscar Meyer turkey (@30 cal, 120 total), and 1 slice of Kraft Swiss Cheese (60 cal), A cup of Yoplait Light Greek Yogurt (100 cal), 1 cup of applesauce (50 cal) and a cup of sugar free jello-black raspberry (10 cal). Total lunch calories 440.

My other meals of the day generally consist of whatever my wife cooks for dinner and something else I can find around the house. I do track all these meals though and make sure I keep a fair accounting. After all, who am I cheating if I do cheat? Only myself!

I do snack on apple slices, cheese slices, carrots and celery (and I do dip them, always counting the dip too). Another favorite no calorie snack is a big dill pickle. I do however need to watch because of the sodium content of a lot of these things.

Jan 9, down 8.4 lbs.

I would definitely call this first week a success. I will update my weigh in tonight. I also plan to get some selfies to show my progress along the way. I have not taken any yet.