What I'm Entitled To

Today's weigh in: 204.6 (NEW LOW!!)

Hey, that's a new low!! After almost a month of going back and forth between 207 and 209 then finally getting down to a new low that was only .2 lb less than what it had been that feels pretty damn good. Go me. It took me longer than I wanted to get there, but by practicing what I preach, I got there. I added some new fitness goals for February to the right side of the page. I chose February 24 because it's the last Sunday of the month, and that's when I'll have time to test myself if I haven't hit my goals prior to that. That's not the point of today's blog though. This is:

I was at work yesterday, and one of the girls I work with brought in bags of food from McDonald's for herself and a bunch of other people. Nine months and ninety-four pounds into this thing, I still love the taste of fast food even though I don't eat it much anymore, maybe like once every two months or so when I don't really have an option, but just the smell got me thinking about how good a quarter pounder would taste. I mentioned this to one of my co-workers and he looked at me and said "Just go get yourself some on your lunch. With the amount of weight you've lost you're entitled to every once in awhile."

I hear this attitude a lot, and granted anyone who has the six or seven bucks for a freaking value meal has the right to buy one, but to me it's this type of attitude that holds so many people back when they attempt to do what I've done. Why go run a five k race and burn five hundred calories if you're going to eat a thousand calories worth of crap when you get done? Just skip the run and eat a sensible meal at that point, and you're probably better off. Then again, haven't I earned something through all of my hard work? What's in this for me? Sure, I'm thinner, but what comes along with it? I have given myself several new privileges. Here's what I'm entitled to.

I'm entitled to...

..take my shirt off in public without shame. That gut down there doesn't look anywhere near as bad as it used to.

...take myself seriously. I used to be the guy who talked a big game and did nothing. Now I do things when I feel the need to. Losing the amount of weight I have has taught me a lot about hard work and determination.

...continue doing what I do. I don't have to eat crap and go back to my old habits if I don't want to. I've learned what to do and how to get things done. I don't have to have a freaking double quarter pounder just because it smells good.

...get pissed off if I'm doing the right thing and results aren't going my way. I get frustrated sometimes when I hit a plateau like the one I just moved past and people keep telling me not to be mad about it. Look, thanks for the encouragement but, seriously, up yours. You expect a paycheck when you do your job at work right? My smaller gut and lower number are my paycheck. If it's not there, I get pissed off about it. Offering reassurance is good, but people who tell me not to get upset suck.

...and that's about all I'm entitled to. It seems like enough though, don't you think?

Trying to get unfrustrated

Today's weigh in: 206.0 (NEW LOW!!!)

So things haven't been going so well the last few weeks, and I haven't been on much. The good news is that things FINALLY seem to be going better. I was a 209 point something right before Christmas, which means that I've lost less than three pounds in the last month. It's maddening, but I think I understand why, at least partially.

I know I've mentioned here before that I have a skin condition, and that's why I don't post pictures of myself with my shirt off. I went to see a doctor last week about it, and he put me on Predizone for it, which is a steroid. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shooting beef roids into my butt to make my muscles bigger, this was an oral steroid prescribed by a physician, but I think it made me retain water or something. I took the last of the pills the gave me on Wednesday, and I've been down the last two days though, so maybe I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I know I haven't been on as much as I should, but the semester is back in, I'm taking an accelerated class, and I just don't have a whole lot of time, especially since I've started doing alternating cardio/weight workouts in the morning before my walks. I'll get a blog in more often though, somehow.

While I was at the doctor's office, I asked him what he thought my ideal weight would be. He seems to think it's somewhere between one seventy and one eighty, which only leaves me about thirty more pounds to lose. That sounds like a lot until you realize that I've already lost over ninety, and then it feels a lot smaller. I'll get there, and if I can keep up a decent rate of loss, it shouldn't even take that long.

Gotta make this quick

Today's weigh in: 206.4 (NEW LOW!!!)

I'm pretty happy with my progress, but my goal for my daughter's birthday (200 lbs. by January 19, 2008) is not going to happen. That sucks. It marks my first missed weight loss goal since I started this thing on May 1. Otherwise though, I'm really happy.

I moved my computer desk downstairs today with a bit of help from Tuck (thanks bro!) and I pulled a shirt off the top of it. It was an "I Love New York" shirt that my wife's brother sent me after they moved there, only I never thought that I would get it on, so I never hung it up. It's a large. I tried it on today just for shits and giggles, and it fits! Like really well. I should have taken a picture of it, but oh well. The main thing is that I got it on. I noticed that my pants were hanging a little low today, too which is both good and bad. Good because that means that I'm making progress. Bad because it means I'm going to have to go shopping for more pants soon. I don't like shopping for clothes. I actually got a pair of 34 waisted pants on the other day, too. They were really tight, and didn't feel very good. I took them right off, but I got them buttoned, and I could have worn them if I had needed to. Life is great when your waist is small. This just amazed me, because I started this thing in forty-four waisted pants, and those were just about as tight as the thirty fours were. I won't actually claim ten inches gone until I can wear thirty-fours comfortably, but I'm getting closer.

I go to the doctor tomorrow for two reasons: One, I have this nasty skin condition and I want to get rid of it. Now that my gut is shrinking, I want to be able to walk around with my shirt off and not feel embarrassed. I'm not quite that small yet, but give me another four to six months and I will be. Oddly enough, that coincides with beach season. Go me. I swear to God that I didn't plan it that way, but I'll take it.

Today was goal day, so here is the report: I give myself a C for results, but an A for effort.

Fifty jumping jacks without stopping: Way too easy. I did this like a week after I posted my goals.

Fifty Downhill Skiers without stopping: Pretty much the same thing as the jumping jacks. I did seventy-five of these the other day.

Five minutes of continuous running in place: Mission accomplished. I barely made it back up the stairs after this, though.

Two minutes of the lay on your back and do the bicycle exercise: Yeah, I did it. This left me in bad shape afterward. Thankfully, my daughter was sleeping, and I had a couple minutes to sit when I finally did this, because my legs were so tired I could barely walk.

Two minutes of continuous cross country skiers: I'm pretty sure I've been doing these wrong, but I met my goal. I'm just not going to do them anymore, because something about the way I'm doing them doesn't feel right, and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself.

42 pushups in two minutes: Try 21. DAMMIT!!!! Give me five more weeks of working out, and I should be there. This will be part of my goals for next month.

52 situps in two minutes: Fat chance. I did like 15. I'll get there, though. These should be easier to train for too, because they were when I was in the Army. Chalk these up for next months goals, too.

I'll get an official list of February workout goals together soon. I need to get to writing my paper for school, but first, one last thing.

I wish it would warm up around here. I got my jogging stroller for Christmas and I can't use the damned thing. I love the fact that I got it, but seeing it just sitting there SUCKS!!! Please God, let spring come early this year. I'm all for the greenhouse effect if it can get me out running that much sooner. So fire up your car, turn your heater up a few degrees, turn on every light in your house, burn down a forest, and I'll be back as soon as I can.

Hey...this place looks familiar

Today's weigh in: 207.4 (NEW LOW!!!)

So, I've been gone for a minute, but life is absolutely crazy at the moment, with my wife over my mother in law's every night taking care of her with her broken leg, and me taking care of everything here. It's been interesting to say the least. I'm going to make this quick because of that as well.

Things have been a bit frustrating on the weight loss front lately, but I'm starting back in the right direction now, so they SHOULD get better. I'm kinda thinking that I was dumb to put my goal for this month on my daughter's birthday too. I've never missed a weight loss goal, but I have to admit that with 7.4 pounds left to lose, and twelve days to do it, things don't look so good right now. I'll keep trying though, and if I do miss the damn goal, it won't be for lack of effort. But enough defeatism. Someone (I think it was Brian) was asking from some before and after pics. I don't really do the whole shirt off thing, and if you could see my skin condition you'd know why, but these should make the point pretty well

BEFORE

I'm the guy standing next to Tuck. This kind of gives you an idea of where my gut started out at. This was a few weeks before I started on my journey, I think.

This next pic is a bit wierd. Wifey is currently asleep and I just took it. I had to hold the camera way over my head because the flash was blotting me out in the mirror. This seems to have worked though. Enjoy:

AFTER

Hopefully, that shows everyone what they wanted to see. I think the difference is pretty obvious. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll talk to you all soon.