Thanks to everyone who has been reading these blogs and keeping up with my progress. It’s definitely helping to keep me on track.
Losing one to two pounds a week is mentally more difficult for me than I had thought it would be. It’s nice to be able to eat more but control seems to be more of an issue for me now. Obviously, I can’t be trusted with food. I have made poor decisions my entire life. So, being able to eat more is a bit like telling an alcoholic that they can have an occasional beer. Food is an addiction for me and it is everywhere. The most accessible food is usually the worst for you.
When I have lost weight in the past I drew clear lines and knew exactly what I could eat. If it wasn’t on the list, I didn’t eat it. Simple, right? The problem is that it’s not practical. It won’t last in the long run. I know that the slow approach to weight loss is the best approach. It’s just hard to tell when I am crossing the line sometimes.
This weekend was a perfect example. Even though I allow myself to eat more liberally on the weekend, I look back and see that I clearly crossed the line with some of the choices I made. We went to the Dave Matthews Concert in Des Moines and made a mini vacation out of it. The problem was that it carried over from Friday to Sunday and that should not have happened. All I can do now is get right back on the horse and back to smart choices. Were it not for this blog and the “brotherhood of the traveling shirt”, I’m guessing this would have carried over for weeks or months until I was right back to 270 lbs or more.
Overall, I still feel really good about the choice to lose weight slowly. It takes my mind off the number on the scale and helps me focus on things I want to accomplish. I think more about how I want to live my life rather than hitting a magic number on the scale. I had the chance to catch up with Matt Hoover when we were in the studio on Friday. Matt has helped me realize that there is no storybook ending to weight loss. Matt won one of the biggest reality show contests and is known all over the world. He really put himself in the public eye. Guess what, he still struggles with healthy choices and weight issues every day. At home, we just see that the confetti drops and think the Biggest Loser goes on to living a perfect, healthy life. Well, if Matt still struggles, I know I will too.
So, I have taken the focus off the end number and have been thinking more about day to day decisions that will carry over and add up to big changes over time. These changes are for me and for my family. My son will have enough to worry about in his life. I don’t need to add to his future stress by teaching him my bad eating habits. I still use the scale everyday and plan on checking my measurements every couple of months. As long as the number is going down, I know I’m moving in the right direction.
I’m also anticipating a new challenge over the next couple of months. We are going to be on a tight financial budget. I’m looking to eat for as little money as possible over the next month or two. If anyone has suggestions for cheap and healthy meals that are also quick and easy to prepare, please let me know.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Baby Steps - Hoping it Will All Add Up
It has been about month since I agreed to carry the torch in this new KZIA “brotherhood”. During the first couple of weeks the weight peeled off and results were coming quickly. After consulting with Jane at the MAC and with a nutritionist from Muve Inc, I realized that I was actually not eating enough. It is very counter intuitive to start eating more when you are trying hard to lose weight but that’s exactly what I have done.
Even though I wasn’t low on energy and was seeing great results, I want to be committed to doing this right this time. I know that I can lose 5 pounds a week if I really want to. Between the radio station, the MAC, and all of my friends and family now aware of this competition, the motivation is there. It is terribly unexciting to only try to lose a pound or two per week and it seems like it will take forever to see real results. But I have become convinced that this is the best way to really change my habits for the long haul. I hope I don’t disappoint or bore anyone reading this but I’m going to take it nice and slow.
I weighed in this morning at 254 lbs. So, I’ve lost 16 pounds so far. If I can continue to lose an average of 1.3 lbs per week I will be at 185 lbs before the first Hawkeye Tailgater of the 2010 season. The scary thing to think about is that I would have been over 300 lbs at that same Tailgater if I had not changed my habits. So, gaining or losing a pound a week really is a big deal.
I recently met with a couple of representatives from Muve Inc. They make a device called the Gruve that tracks an individual’s daily calorie burn. I started wearing it today. I’m really excited about wearing it after learning more about it. So far, it has buzzed me twice, reminding me to get off of my butt. It’s kind of like a video game, tracking your movement for the day by turning different colors. The goal is to hit green every day. Then I know I have burned enough calories to hit my 1 lb weight loss goal each week (combined with a sensible diet, of course). I am sticking with my workout plan on top of this and am proud to report that I have not skipped a workout yet. I have been surprised to find out that I actually like going to work out now, even though I am always the fattest guy in the gym. I’m getting used to the machines and my self-consciousness in the gym has all but disappeared.
My wife told me that she learned recently that kids, boys in particular, tend to take on their dad’s eating habits. I have been trying to keep that in the front of my mind. I’m trying to turn things around for me, but also trying to set a positive example for my son so that he will make smart choices on his own when he is old enough. Otherwise, I am dooming him and future generations to all kinds of unnecessary health problems.
All of these things coming together have convinced me that little changes over a long period of time are much more beneficial than drastic changes leading to instant, dramatic results.
Even though I wasn’t low on energy and was seeing great results, I want to be committed to doing this right this time. I know that I can lose 5 pounds a week if I really want to. Between the radio station, the MAC, and all of my friends and family now aware of this competition, the motivation is there. It is terribly unexciting to only try to lose a pound or two per week and it seems like it will take forever to see real results. But I have become convinced that this is the best way to really change my habits for the long haul. I hope I don’t disappoint or bore anyone reading this but I’m going to take it nice and slow.
I weighed in this morning at 254 lbs. So, I’ve lost 16 pounds so far. If I can continue to lose an average of 1.3 lbs per week I will be at 185 lbs before the first Hawkeye Tailgater of the 2010 season. The scary thing to think about is that I would have been over 300 lbs at that same Tailgater if I had not changed my habits. So, gaining or losing a pound a week really is a big deal.
I recently met with a couple of representatives from Muve Inc. They make a device called the Gruve that tracks an individual’s daily calorie burn. I started wearing it today. I’m really excited about wearing it after learning more about it. So far, it has buzzed me twice, reminding me to get off of my butt. It’s kind of like a video game, tracking your movement for the day by turning different colors. The goal is to hit green every day. Then I know I have burned enough calories to hit my 1 lb weight loss goal each week (combined with a sensible diet, of course). I am sticking with my workout plan on top of this and am proud to report that I have not skipped a workout yet. I have been surprised to find out that I actually like going to work out now, even though I am always the fattest guy in the gym. I’m getting used to the machines and my self-consciousness in the gym has all but disappeared.
My wife told me that she learned recently that kids, boys in particular, tend to take on their dad’s eating habits. I have been trying to keep that in the front of my mind. I’m trying to turn things around for me, but also trying to set a positive example for my son so that he will make smart choices on his own when he is old enough. Otherwise, I am dooming him and future generations to all kinds of unnecessary health problems.
All of these things coming together have convinced me that little changes over a long period of time are much more beneficial than drastic changes leading to instant, dramatic results.
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