Monthly Archives: January 2008
January is a Wash
My weight tonight was 268.2. Although that means I’ve lost 28.2 pounds since I started, it also means I’m at the same weight that I was on December 30th.
I need to hit the workouts a bit harder. On the positive side, most of my arm/neck/back/shoulder pain is gone, so I can do a little lifting.
Reflection
Most of my pants are a size 42. They used to be tight on me. They are quite loose now. I have a few size 44s that I tossed in the trash.
My first thought was to go buy a couple of pairs in a size 40, but I decided I’d rather wait a while longer, and buy 38s, purely for my own psychological reasons 
I am still losing weight, although slower. I haven’t been as diligent in tracking my weight, but I still do it now and again. I look a bit thinner in the face. My gut is a little smaller, and a lot softer. My leg muscles are much more toned from using the elliptical.
I don’t suffer from depression as much. I rarely binge-eat. My alcohol consumption is way down. I drink a lot of water. I still drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day.
My diet change is now habit, and I don’t have to think about it much. My digestive system work better now (I’m not going into detail about this). I didn’t realize how badly I was abusing my body until I changed my habits.
I haven’t weighed in a few days, but I will soon, and I’ll update it here, but I assume I weight about 270. That means I’ve dropped about 26 pounds in approximately 3 months. I still have at least 70 pounds left to lose, but these three months have made a dramatic difference in my life.
Updating and Restating My Goals
I’ve changed my goal weight from 180 to 200 lbs. I think 180 may be a little too thin. I want to get a little more muscular, and I probably can’t do that and be much under 200 lbs. This means I only have 70.6 more pounds to go.
Here are my goals:
- Summer 2008: be able to ride a bike for 15-20 miles.
- Early 2009: achieve my goal weight of 200 lbs.
- Summer 2009: be able to run 10-20 miles.
Why I have these goals:
- I don’t want to suffer a heart attack in my 40s or 50s.
- I hate not being able to fit properly in a roller coaster (I love roller coasters).
- Being obese leads to lack of self-esteem and depression.
- A 300 lb man looks funny in a Kia Rio.
- To set an example for my wife and daughters.
- My weight causes pain in my back, neck, and shoulders, especially after sleeping.
- To fix a few problems with my digestive system, that I won’t discuss here.
What have I achieved so far:
- My current weight is down 25.8 lbs to 270.6
- I am able to do two 45-minute sessions on the elliptical in a day, instead little ten-minute sessions.
- I have changed my eating habits, so that eating healthier comes naturally to me.
- When I eat a dessert (such as ice cream) I have a very small serving.
- My beer consumption is down to about 5% of what it used to be. I rarely drink now, and don’t drink as much.
- I can walk up eight flights of stairs in the parking garage without feeling ill.
Considering I started all of this at about 300 lbs, and I would get winded by a short walk, I’m quite happy with the progress that I’ve made. I still have a way to go, and like everyone else, still have the other day-to-day issues to deal with, but I’m confident that I will achieve the three goals. I’ve even considered making a 2010 goal to run a marathon, but I’ll wait until 2009 to make that decision.
Workout to an Album
I really needed to get a serious workout in today, due to my slacking off recently. I also had just bought a new CD, and imported it into my iTunes library. I hadn’t really had a chance to listen to the whole thing, so I figured some fresh music would keep my mind occupied while on the elliptical.
It worked well. I actually listened to the lyrics instead of just using it as background music, and I got a 47 minute workout (that was the length of the album). On the downside, I can’t really afford to buy a new album every time I work out. I do have other albums that I haven’t listened to in a while though.
I had tried reading previously, but that had two problems. The workout was limited to a slow pace otherwise the bouncing made it difficult to read. Also, even at the slow pace, it was a little too difficult to read.
Some Change, and More Focus
I have been slacking off recently. I need more focus. Today, I got back on the elliptical, and I did a fair amount of weight lifting (with 20lb dumbbells).
I haven’t really been tracking my calories for the last week. I’m not going to. I’m still eating well, and losing weight. I think I’ve got most of my dietary habits in control, so I’m going to focus more on the workouts. I have removed the daily calorie intake page from this site.
In addition to this blog, I was using Traineo to help track weight, workouts, and diet. However, that was yet another place to keep updated, and it had become a fair amount of work. Also, their servers have become slow recently, so I decided to drop it.
I hadn’t weighed for a week, and I was worried that I had gained weight. However, I was pleasantly surprised to be down to 267.6, the lowest weight since I started this.
I’m also going to focus on blogging everyday again. I find it useful to help me focus on my goals. I have more to talk about, but I’ll wait so I have something to write about tomorrow
Back Into the Swing?
I’m back at work, and hopefully back to tracking everything on a daily basis. I didn’t do a workout today, but I will tomorrow.
I’ve had a couple of people at work notice my weight loss, so maybe I’ll post a new picture soon.
A New Year
It’s just hours away from the new year here in North America. Many people have resolved to lose weight next year. I resolve to continue losing weight.
Due to some issue I’ll blog about at a later date, my tracking of food and weight has fallen behind, and I’ve skipped workouts now and again, but overall, I’m still losing weight.
My weight last night was 268.2, so I have dipped below 270. I’ll probably peak back above it before dipping down below, hopefully to stay. I have not updated my weight on this blog, or on traineo.com, but I will.
Since the weight loss began I have felt better physically than I have in a long time. However, the last few weeks have left me with painful muscle aches that are probably due to stress.
I will probably be in bed before midnight tonight. I’m not going to any parties, or getting drunk. I’m at home, having a few beers. Last year I got rather drunk, and there are embarrassing pictures to prove it.
Happy New Year!
