Today is my last day at work for about a week. The next several days consist of a whole bunch of travel:
- 5:30 a.m. flight on Thursday from Greenville-Spartanburg to Moline, IL.
- Two-hour drive from Moline to Sigourney, IA for my family reunion.
- Flight from Moline back to Greenville, arriving at 11:30 p.m. on Monday night.
- Three-hour drive back to Kernersville for the night.
- 90-minute drive to Raleigh-Durham airport on Tuesday.
- Flight from RDU to Spokane, WA.
- Flight from Spokane to RDU on Thursday, arriving at 9:30 p.m.
- Four-hour drive from RDU back to Clinton, SC that night.
While exhausting, I’m not too worried about the travel itself. My main concern is making sure I eat well over the next week. I’ll be spending a lot of time in airplanes and in airports, not to mention exploring the Midwest and visiting with family. Vacation is when I typically don’t do very well with dieting, but a week of eating poorly could be a fairly decent setback.
I’m trying not to worry about it too much, though. I just need to focus on portion control and get in a little bit of exercise when I can, even if it’s just walking around for a bit. Even if I do gain some weight back, I’ll take it back off in no time. I’ve come too far to stop now.
Current weight: 299.6 pounds
Weight lost since 1/1/10: 59.4 pounds
Weight lost since 5/1/09: 79.4 pounds
What’s the significance of that number, you ask? It means three things:
- I have lost 79 pounds since last April, 59 of those in the last six months.
- My goal weight of 250 is now less than 50 pounds away.
- For the first time since I was 13 years old (except for maybe a day when I was 17), I am under 300 pounds.
I don’t think people can fully appreciate the significance of a milestone like that unless they’ve been on the wrong side of it. Like I said when I started this conquest, I’ve been over 300 pounds since the eighth grade. That’s half of my life. The difference between my now-current weight and 300 pounds is two-tenths of a pound. That’s a heavy dinner. But it feels so much different to say “I weigh 299 pounds” than to say “I weigh 300 pounds.” There’s a stigma with it that’s hard to shake.
Is there a chance that I may go back above that threshold at some point over the next several days and weeks? It’s possible. This whole journey hasn’t been completely perfect. But I’ve gotten back below the threshold, and I plan to leave it behind for good when this is all said and done.
Current weight: 299.8 pounds
Weight lost since 1/1/10: 59 pounds
The week has gone well so far. Aside from one workout that was cut short by the fitness center’s A/C not working, it’s been a productive week.
I’m down to 304 now. I probably haven’t been that since I was 17. I’m soooooo close to being under 300 for the first time in an eternity that I’m getting anxious and frustrated. This is something that could very easily be accomplished by next week, but I want it now. I want to go home this weekend and tell my Dad I’m 299, 298, whatever. I’ve even considered taking a few shortcuts, but I won’t. It would be great if it happens this week. If it doesn’t, I’ll keep working and hope for next week.
The other thing is that I don’t feel in some aspects like I’ve lost 75 pounds in the thirteen months. When I look at recent pictures of myself, I still look really big. I suppose there’s an easy explanation for that: I’m a naturally-big person to begin with, and I still weigh over 300 pounds. However, the clothes that were almost too small last year are way too big this year and my face has gotten significantly skinnier. Those things I do know, and those are good things.
Like I’ve said before, progress is a good thing. However, I’m struggling with being contempt with 75 pounds when the goal is 128. The fact I’m motivated to work harder is a good thing, I suppose.
Weight as of 6/9/10: 304.6 pounds
Weight lost as of 1/1/10: 54 pounds
Sorry I’ve been MIA the last several weeks. It’s been a whirlwind, that’s for sure.
I just got back to South Carolina last week after a nice, 10-day vacation in Washington. It was nice to relax and see people. I even took a chance to rest my bad foot, which feels great now.
Of course, the downside of resting means no exercise. And spending excessive time by yourself typically leads to eating more than usual. The bad news is I gained a few pounds during the time I was on vacation. The good news is that weight is now gone again, and then some.
I’ve decided I like the meal replacement option, but only for one meal. I think breakfast is the most-logical option. A breakfast shake runs around 200 calories, which seems to be a good amount regardless. When I tried replacing breakfast and lunch, I believe it limited my calories way too much, which caused my body to not burn as much as it can. We’ll go with this and see what happens.
At this point, sub-300 is well within reach. With a couple of good weeks, I could be below it by next weekend. Or with a REALLY good week, I could be there by the end of this week. No need to overexert myself; I’ll get there eventually…and then some!
Weight as of 6/7/10: 306 pounds
Weight lost since 1/1/10: 52 pounds
I went to the doctor for a physical today. I figured this would be the best time to gauge where I was at in my progress. I learned many things today:
1. My weight is at 312, so I’m up about three pounds from last week. Guys’ weekend in Clemson is a pretty good source of that. (Sure was fun, though!)
2. My cholesterol is at normal levels for the first time in my adult life: HDL (good cholesterol) is at 41 (in the good range), LDL (bad cholesterol) is at 134 (the low-end of the “borderline high” range), and triglycerides are at 85 (optimal range). Total cholesterol is at 192 (desirable range). Considering my family history of high cholesterol, those numbers (especially the triglycerides) are amazing.
3. I have tendonitis in my Achilles. Prescribed course of treatment is rest and a modified exercise routine to put less stress on that area. I need to figure out what that means.
4. My doctor was amazed by the amount of weight lost since last year. He said, “It’s stuff you typically don’t see nowadays. It’s very gratifying when someone comes in with results like that.” It was wonderful to get that kind of talk instead of the usual, “You need to get in better shape” talk.
It’s good to know that after all this time, I’m actually getting healthy. All this work has paid off after all. Now on to vacation!
One of the challenges during my weight loss adventure has been balancing: I’ve realized watching what I eat is the biggest part, but there’s so many things I’ve been hesitant to give up. You come to appreciate food when you eat so much of it for so long.
Part of it has been made easier thanks to a random discovery in the grocery store several months ago: Walden Farms is a manufacturer of various sauces, dressings and dips. All of their products are calorie-free, gluten-free, and carb-free. I’ve been using their BBQ sauce for months now, and I’m about to try their peanut butter for the first time. They also make calorie-free marshmallow dip, chocolate syrup, jams and jellies, coleslaw mix, and many other things.
As a disclaimer, I must say I haven’t tried the bulk of their offerings. However, I plan on trying more in the weeks and months to come. If it’s as good as the BBQ sauce, I should be pretty excited. I’ll also look more into their ingredients; the concept of no-calorie anything has been one of the greatest mysteries for years. I’m curious to see as to how they do it.
However, if you’re simply looking for something free of calories, carbs, or gluten, I’d recommend giving their products a shot!
Sorry it’s been a minute…I’ve been a busy body the last week or two. I flew out to Washington last weekend somewhat-unexpectedly for a few days. I didn’t watch my eating like I probably should have (especially at the Atlanta airport on the way back…I had a craving for Cinnabon for the fist time in years), and when I got back last week, I was at 318. After some serious work, I’m down to 310.8 today, the lowest yet.
This means I have about ten days to lose 10.9 pounds if I want to be under 300 when I go on vacation. Is it possible? Potentially. Is it realistic? Probably not. I’m not going to kill myself to get to it, but I’m going to work my damndest over the next week and a half.
The big challenge recently has been my foot. Specifically, my Achilles has been really sore lately. I’ve tried to work through it (probably not smart), but it’s limited me a few times. I’ve been alternating between ice and heat as much as possible. I’ve never appreciated those two things as much as I do now. It’s done wonders. I’m pain-free for the most part right now, so I’m hoping I stay that way.
Focusing on the positives, my BMI dropped below 40. That means I’ve gone from “morbidly obese” to simply “obese.” It’s not something to throw a party about, but it’s nice to get rid of the label that says, “Hey, you could die if you stay like this for too long.” I’m also finally starting to feel and notice the difference. I finally gave in and bought some smaller clothes (thanks, Dad).
And then I came across an old picture from last year. I’m going to put it side by side with one from last week for comparison:
Like I’ve said before, there’s still work to be done, but it’s progress. I like progress.
Weight as of 5/10/10: 310.8 pounds
Weight lost since 1/1/10: 48 pounds
In an effort to write more (and to force myself to get creative with my diet), I’m going to try a new feature: Fun Food Fridays. The concept is simple: I’m going to create a new dish every Friday that’s homemade, delicious, and low in fat. Tonight was a pretty delectable dish: salmon and vegetables.
I cooked two salmon filets on the George Foreman grill for about five minute, then basted them in BBQ sauce. I recommend Walden Farms sauce. They have the only no-calorie BBQ sauce I’ve seen, and it’s actually pretty good. While this is going on, I steamed some broccoli in the microwave, then strained it and put two slices of fat free American cheese on top. After the salmon was done, I threw some mushrooms on the grill until they were cooked through. The end result was this:
Just to add some sweetness to the meal, I added an apple to the side. Total calories: approximately 500. That’s pretty impressive, since it include two pieces of fish, two slices of cheese, and BBQ sauce. And it was pretty good. I definitely plan on making it again sometime soon.
Now I just need to start thinking of a dish for next week!
So this week’s experiment seems to be going well. I’m doing two workouts a day (35 minutes of vigorous biking each time), and one meal replacement (lunch). At this point, I’ve lost six pounds. Of course, there’s always the chance of fluctuation later in the week, not to mention the chance of it going back up a bit next week when I go back to a regular diet. However, I’m excited at the progress so far.
The sub-300 goal seems to be a realistic possibility at this point, even if I stay where I’m at for the rest of the week. If I can lose a bit more, it may be a goal to get under that by the time I go on vacation in late May. The last time I was under 300 pounds was when I was 17, and it was at 298 for a few days. I can’t convey how excited I am at the prospect of that happening very soon. As I mentioned last week, I still need to be realistic and embrace any progress. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t really embrace significant progress!
Weight as of 4/28/10: 313 pounds
Weight lost since 1/1/10: 45 pounds
I’m wearing a 2XL shirt to work today. Is it a little snug? Maybe. But for the most part, it fits.
The last time I was able to wear a 2XL shirt? When I was 13.
