Week 10 progress

Posting a day late since my scale decided to give up on me. Got a new one and I'm happy to report the results. It said 418 lbs.  this morning which means I've lost 40 pounds in the last 10 weeks. I'm halfway to my 80 lb. goal.

I was actually surprised that I did well this week,as I've been home the last 5 days watching my grandsons and sitting at home is when I have a tendency to snack. Making the snacks healthy fruits a veggies makes a huge difference.

Week 9 Progress Report

It is amazing to me that NINE weeks have already elapsed in this personal challenge of mine.  Time  just seems to accelerate as you grow older.  I know that is not the case objectively, but subjectively I certainly believe it.  Anyway the good news is that I am another 3 lbs. lighter this week than I was last.  That brings my 9 week total to 35 lbs. lost.  The bad news is that this was done almost exclusively with diet since my activity level was very low.

What is encouraging to me is that I do continue to lose and I am not really feeling deprived of food.  Sure when everyone is eating donuts or cookies, I certainly would love to have one, but I know that would be sabotaging my health.  So I stay away and stay focused on eating healthy snacks like an orange or veggies.

I do need to get my butt more active though.  Too much time is still spent sitting on my rear-end on the computer or watching TV.  I did have at least a small excuse this week end as we actually had rain the last 3 days.  No it wasn't all day rain but it was significant for the area. Of course that is just what I said it was, an excuse.  I still could have done SOMETHING active, but I chose not to.  This will be changing and soon.

Week 5 progress

Another week has come and gone and I have lost another 2 lbs.  Not a great loss, but a loss, none the less.  I do need to get back on target to bump up the losses, though.  If I want to hit my goal, then I need to lose an average of at least 3 lbs per week over the next 21 weeks.  Hard to believe I'm already 5 weeks into this personal challenge.

Next week is going to be a big challenge.  I will be attending a conference for work and I'm hoping to get in a decent amount of walking but the food is what worries me.  Finding the best choices may be an issue.  I will do what I can to stay on track, though.  Of course I can worry about that next week. Now I need to focus on this week and eating as clean and healthy as I can.

Too much time gone by - time to start again...

I have been hemming and hawing around about what to post on here for quite some time.  This is, after all, supposed to be a blog about my journey to getting fit and healthy.  Unfortunately that has not been where I have been heading over the past several months Actually closer to a year.

When I finished the Biggest Winner competition last May, my ending weight was 423 lbs. As I stated then, that was a 28 lb. loss for the competition and should have been the beginning of a continued weight loss.  Well that didn't happen and by the end of August I was up to 455 lbs.  The next time I weighed in towards the middle of September I was up another 3 lbs. to 458.  I didn't step on the scale again until a couple of weeks ago when I was at 455 again.

The reason I bring this up is that I need to get my weight under control and I know the largest component of that is to watch my eating.  I need to stop just eating everything in sight and not eat for enjoyment.  I need to understand, fundamentally that fuel is fuel for my body and I only need a certain amount for it, not to over fuel it because that excess needs to go somewhere and it is going to fat.  I need to really get a handle on my eating.  If I do this, then I know I can get to where I need to be, where I can do the things I want to do and my weight is not holding me back.

My wife and daughter watch a TV show called My 600 lb. life.  It follows individuals who go to talk with a doctor in Texas and have gastric bypass surgery.  It shows their transformation over the course of a year or so.  These people are losing a good deal of weight.  I would say that on average about 200 lbs. over that year.  They have both been saying that I need to get that surgery.

This has been an eye opener for me - they are worried about me and are pushing me to get surgery because of their worry.  While I don't doubt that the surgery is an effective way to lose weight, I have seen the stories where over time, people who have ad the surgery have managed to expand their new, small stomachs and have gained back the weight in 3 to 5 years after losing it.  What I see is that there needs to be a fundamental shift in their relationship with food in order to become healthy and maintain the weight loss.

Yes, I understand that this can be a trigger to make the changes one needs to become healthy, but I think if I can make the changes myself, then I will be in a better position and not have to risk going through surgery.  Let's face it, while it is a lot safer than it used to be, anytime someone is put under anesthetic and surgery is performed there is risk.  That risk is increased for someone of my size.

So, what I have proposed to Michele, is that I will take the next 6 months to get my mind right and get moving towards a healthier, lighter me.  I have pledged that if I do not lose at least 80 lbs. over the next 6 months, then I will call the doctor and make an appointment to talk about the surgery. Towards that end, I got on the scale last night and it read 458 lbs.  That means by August 7 I need to weigh less than 378.  I know I can do this.  I need to focus on eating the right things in the right quantities and getting my butt moving more than it has been.

I plan on riding my bike and walking more than I have.  I plan on eating the right whole, natural foods, primarily following the Paleo Diet as it seems to be a good choice for me.  I will post updates of my progress at least weekly on here so that you can hold me accountable and follow my journey.

Here is to another new beginning, this time I am planning on making a significant, permanent change.