Seeing 210

Namesake Post

2009-10-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

I've seen it. I saw it often as it flew past and landed on a chubbier number. But, today... it stopped. It stopped on 210. I stepped off, stepped back on...still 210. I silently motioned for Sally to come look, to give me a positive affirmation that the number that was actually on the scale is the same elusive number I've been longing to reach. And, it was.

I remember that chilly fall morning as Sally and I were backing out of her parent's Chuckanut house and in the rear view mirror I saw, on the windshield of the Mule, the number 210 written in the snow. Dennis, who coined the phrase and also urged me to SEE it, had used his finger to carve out the numbers. He must've seen something in me because I launched into a nearly year long battle to lose all this weight and I have absolutely no plans of ever returning!!!

Thank you to all who have read this blog throughout the year. You've inspired me to keep on pushing myself and in turn "inspire" you, well, some of you... but, it's still an awesome feeling to know I have my "work-out" family to support me whenever I need it! What a ride it's been.

So what's next? I don't know. As cool as it is/was to see 210, it was a bit anti-climatic. I mean, it's really just a number on the scale. For all I know, maybe now I'm just a skinnier fat dude, you know?! My goal's now are less weight oriented and more fitness oriented but mostly maintenance oriented. The blog? I'm not sure... maybe when it slows down a little more I can get back into writing and finding new inspiration.

Till then... I'm signing off (as I've said in the last 3 posts:)...

Jeff

Where've you been?

2009-09-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I've written anything other than a Facebook status update or an email at work. To all of you who wonder what the heck is going on and am I still working out and all that, hopefully this will answer some of those questions.

Right now, in our photography business we are in full-swing... it's wedding season which is our busy season. This is our first really busy season so we didn't really know what to expect. Then, throw in my new promotion at work (thank you very much) that brought on a new schedule for me which makes the homelife time even less. Oh, and of course... we have Audrey, 3 months old today:) Combine all those together and I have a busy thing going on! But then again, who isn't busy?!

I've continued my 16 floor climb every morning at work and I walk about a mile and a half to and from the bus... and honestly, that's the extent of my actual "workouts". I still watch what I eat, or rather, I continue to eat a helluvalot better than I used to... I also throw in the occasional push-up/sit-up set a few times a week. Shooting a wedding has proven to be quite the exercise, too.

With all this put together, I've found a happy(ish) medium where I don't gain but rarely lose. I'm maintaining at 212 right now. It's not too exciting to talk about and rarely do I feel motivated to write something on here because there's just not much to tell... but for the sake of an update. I'm doing well:)

Hope you all are as well!!!

The Stairs Are There...and the people are using them

2009-08-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's catching on. I'm not the first person who has thought of it but I've been telling my co-workers how I walk the 16 flights of stairs to our floor every morning. And, most recently have been climbing to the top floor (23rd).

One came over to me the other day to tell me that she has been climbing the flights from floor 10 (where our lunchroom is) up to 16. She is out of breath from it but feels so much better. It was really fun to talk to her about it and I challenged her to add in a few more here and there and to take the plunge. I said one day you are going to walk through the front doors and decide today is the day and you will huff it up the 16. Or, just stop at 10 and take the elevator. We'll see what she does.

A couple of weeks ago, another co-worker came to me out of breath after a large meeting we had down on the 3rd floor. I took the elevator but she totally showed me up, she decided to just climb them all to 16:)

It's really fun to see people around you getting into it. To me it's just a part of my day but they are beginning to understand how nice it is that we have those to use whenever we want:) I use the stairs as a justification for more coffee (which I don't need). I walk up the 16 to my desk. Then a few minutes later walk down to 10, get my coffee then climb back up 6 to my floor. A few hours later I go back down and repeat. So, by the end of the day I've climbed at least 28 flights... sometimes more!

"Didn't you have a beard?"

2009-08-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

I've been running into random people here and there that are finding it hard to put their fingers on what has changed about me. For people that have been near me the change has been gradual and almost non-noticeable... but, there are others that I've met once or twice before that when I saw them again they didn't even notice me.

This last weekend, Sally and I did a photo shoot for a family that won a portrait package we donated for a charity auction (same family won it last year). We walked up and said hellos and the guy looked at me a little cockeyed and said "didn't you have a beard last year?" I said, "maybe... but, I've also lost a little weight!" He was shocked and we all discussed it for a few minutes. He said he didn't even recognize me, "you look really different".

I have found that sometimes people don't want to come right out and ask if I've lost a lot of weight and hide behind a question about some other trivial part of my appearance... then there are others who think I was a different person. Both are great to hear, and both make me feel like this is all worth it!

A New Low

2009-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

But, not in a bad way... I realized after writing the title to this post that it could be misleading, but never fear, the new low I've hit was on the scale. Two-eleven, to be exact. I'm getting back into this quietly. I have (once again) had to re-evaluate my eating habits that I thought I had so in control.

Just because I'm finding it hard to find time to write doesn't mean I've given up. I've got my partner-in-crime back (Sally) and I'm so excited about that. It has rejuvenated me and given me hope again...I thought I may be destined for the 215 mark forever (which goes against everything I have learned and written about). It's my typical problem areas that have creeped up on me, slowly and finally made themselves known.

You know how it is when you achieve something? That feeling of "I made that goal and achieved it, what's next?" It all snowballs from there... new goals, new feelings of accomplishment leads to even bigger stretch goals and absolute elation. My body is abuzz with the possibilities I've just reached.

Two-eleven. I'm almost there... next goal (this shouldn't be news though)...sub 200.

Too Busy to Blog

2009-07-17T16:19:00.001-07:00

I am taking a temporary hiatus from writing so I can get through this big event at work. The biggest day is over and it should calm down next week. Tomorrow morning we are coming downtown to the Flagship Nordstrom store to walk and walk and walk while the girls shop and shop and shop. So, in a way it's going to be a great workout:)

I hope you guys are enjoying the wonderful weather. I suppose I have to pass one little tidbit of encouragement on to you... this last winter I made myself a promise, actually I made it known that I was going to lose weight during the holidays. This forced me to reconsider that third cookie or 7th beer... it all resulted in a few pounds lost during the biggest food consumption time of the year. Hey, if you want to rock out all summer long on jerky and cheap beer I kind of understand but just remember...if you want it to stop it's totally up to you. And, it's totally doable! Don't feel like "just because it's the holiday (or summer)" that you are destined to pack it on...it doesn't have to be that way:)

Talk to you in a while.

Two Hundred Sit-Ups

2009-07-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

I took a week off from work to welcome our baby (as you should know by now) and for the most part took a week off from everything including my pursuit of 200 sit ups, 100 push ups and seeing 210.

On Monday night, I decided to start week 5 over. I did my first 4 sets easily (32, 38, 32, 32) then I had to do a max set. The max set for this day is 48. I started cranking them out and got to 48 before I knew it. I was shocked to feel little in my abs so I kept going. As I reached 100 I was getting a bit tired but pushed on, concentrating on my form so I wouldn't hurt myself.

By 150, I was stunned... a week off and here I am 3/4 of the way through and feeling good. I got a second wind and it honestly felt like I was just starting the set. I recalled a piece of advice from the two-hundred sit-ups website that said to make sure to breathe out on every rep (on your way up). I got into a rhythm and reached 200. I would've kept going but stopped out of sheer excitement and disbelief that I have beaten the 200 sit-ups challenge on my 5th week.

Still not believing myself I went back to the website to make sure I did the sit-ups correctly. Well, as far as my form, I was spot on. There is one small discrepancy... it mentions pausing for a second or two when you get to the fully contracted position. Damn. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

Last night I did day 2 of week 5 and finished off my set with yet another 200 sit-ups. Now, I have to do this with the 1-2 second pause... I will do it!

I lifted this image from the website of a proper sit-up according to them.

Morning Jog

2009-07-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

This morning I was awoken by my lovely little 2 week old passing gas about 1 foot from my head. Not so pleasant. After changing her and taking her back to mommy to be fed I looked over at my alarm clock to see that it was just about 6am. Hmmm...time for a morning jog.

I geared up and hit the road. I gave myself a rude awakening by forcing myself to jog up a rather steep hill during the first half mile. After I was up it the rest of the jog was quite easy. I took a different route this morning and it was nice to see some different neighborhoods. It was also nice to go so early in the morning because there are less cars and it's a lot less hot out. Today it's supposed to be mid to upper 80's, maybe 90.

My last post was about how I'm easing back into things... I realized last night (hence the morning guilt run) that I'm still hiding from what needs to be done. I'm still making excuses for myself. Instead of easing in I've been standing on the edge of the pool contemplating, maybe dipping my toe every once-in-a-while.

This morning was another toe dip. Hopefully I can jump right in soon because I feel like the fat kid again and that's annoying. I've come too far to feel like that again!

For those of you who celebrate the 4th of July, enjoy, and have a safe one! For those of you who don't...have a great weekend anyways:)

Easing Back In

2009-06-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

I've gotten the eating back under control...a hard thing to do when there are so many people bringing over such fantastic meals! Then, I woke up and knew what needed to happen. No more making excuses and hiding behind this little 8 lb bundle of joy... today I had to go jogging. I've missed the feel of the street and the dull burn of my legs, I missed that feeling you get just moments after the final big breath of the cool down and most importantly I missed moving. I just haven't moved much in the last 2 weeks.

From a tip I received from a neighbor of mine, Natosha, I set out on a new route. A new chapter in my life should be celebrated with a jog around town in a different direction. I'm easing myself into it...that run was 3.25 miles and took me all over the place. There is an interurban trail in North Seattle and it was great...hardly anyone on the path and if you can get past the cemetery on your right and the power lines on your left it's an absolute joy to run where you know you can't be run over by horrible Seattle drivers.

So, today I woke and thought I'd head out early in the morning. As the morning went on I realized it's going to be a late afternoon jog, no biggie. I then thought I might hit up old faithful...my 5 miler. I spoke to my father-in-law, Dennis, and he reminded me that there is no rush to getting back into it. Why push yourself so hard that you don't want to head back out? OK, I'm heeding his advice. I've dropped my jog down to a 3-mile loop this afternoon...it'll be nice to get a second warm-up jog before I hit the road for a long one.

Here is the loop that I ran yesterday...I will probably go on this one quite a few more times...what I also love about it is that it's very expandable...I can add a few miles easily without disrupting the natural loop. Love it!

Audrey Royce

2009-06-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! My baby girl was born on my birthday, June 19th at 11:10pm. She weighed 8lbs 7oz and was 20.5 inches long.

As in all birth stories and recollections of all things fatherly, it is utterly impossible to put into words the feeling you get when you see your baby being born. The rush of emotion and general haze it puts you in is just mind numbing. Watching Sally labor through it all was really tough but I knew she could do it! And, of course...she did and Audrey Royce was born!

To celebrate and for reasons of sanity I took this week off from work. A very wise decision indeed! I'm excited by the smallest things this little girl does. The first hint of a smile nearly reduced me to tears:)

We have been helped out so much through these last few days and I am so thankful! However, with all this good food around I've noticed the tightness I've worked so hard to attain is turning a little soft. I'm excited that the weather will be cooperating this week and I hope to get out on the road and run a few quick jogs to get my legs back...they will probably be personal bests because of my want to be home holding or just looking at little Audrey!

To see some more pics of Audrey and us at the hospital click here.

A Nice Morning Walk

2009-06-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning! Last night I decided that working from home made more sense...see previous post for many reasons why being at work around many people wasn't the best idea for me!! I woke at my normal time, went downstairs, had my coffee with Sally, started working from home then we took a break and went for a neighborhood walk... down to Sandle Park and back.

Walking down to that park is about as relaxing as a walk in our area can be. We strolled checking out every one's yards and I kept her busy by asking her what types of flowers or plants we were looking at were. I love checking out the neighborhoods and seeing how different people are and how it all seems to work. It's always nice for us to get on the street together since my normal jogs are almost always done by myself.

The morning air and leisurely pace was exactly what I needed to help destress! I only have to work till 2 today so that will feel amazing when I can be done and have the rest of the day to hang out at home with Sal:)

Beside Myself

2009-06-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

Today our baby is officially one week overdue. Never has a time in my life gone slower than the last week. I'm unable to describe how I'm feeling right now, but, it wouldn't be like me to write a post without at least trying! So...here it goes:

I feel like I'm floating and all the normal, everyday things are just flying past me because all I'm thinking about is Sally and the baby.

I feel like I felt back in school when I'd watch the clock and wish the next 3 hours would go by in a few seconds. Time would stand still, that's today!

I feel like there is a huge planned event that will happen any second but there is no way to predict nor know when it will happen.

I can't focus on anything (including this post).

I jump every time my phone rings.

I feel like a zombie but only because I want my reality to be something it will be inevitably.

I try to will things along and realize I have no control.

I'm a control freak and I've been rendered useless, I cannot control this situation.

I'm exhausted.

I don't want to go to work, not just because of the work, but because I have to face so many people and answer the same questions. (If I'm here, then no, the baby hasn't been born).

I'm still very excited for all my goals and working out again with Sally but feel I'm having to put life on hold till this happens!

OK, that's enough for now...I think you get it. It is truly a mind-F dealing with the day to day of waiting for our baby. I know it's going to be well worth the wait but I had to be honest with you. It's draining! And I'm just the Dad...I can't even imagine how Sally is feeling! I think she is dealing with it a lot better than me.

Wish us luck!! Thanks:)

Reaching Out

2009-06-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've been learning a lot about this lately...it would seem to be a pretty obvious thing since, you know, that's what our business is all about. Every time I put myself out there and let people in on my "personal life" I usually get an amazing response and find that most people are just as excited to share information as I am.

Recently, here at my normal job I've let people know that I'm a photographer. I've found out there are a few other photographers including a wedding photographer, a lady that makes jewelry, two make-up artists, some venue owners, a florist, and on and on. I've also heard nothing but great response about my whole "losing 60 some odd pounds" thing. Just the other day I was asked if I take the stairs up to my floor...a girl from my work saw me entering the stairwell. The answer in short was, yes. I've been climbing those damn stairs for the last 7 months. I've only missed them a couple of times. Once when I was too sick and I shouldn't have been at work and the other time when I tweaked my back. Many days I fight it but still force myself to go up them, I guess it's just a part of my day now.

I know this isn't about my workouts or any cool goals I've achieved...this post is about life. It's about how fun it is to share ideas with people, it's about networking to become a better person and it's about the feeling I've gotten this last week from all the outpouring of support and new readers. It's been a lot of fun sharing running routes with our next door neighbors, challenging some newcomers to the Fatbet and seeing comments from people I've never met.

With baby due any moment a new chapter starts in our lives...Sally is excited to get back to pre-baby weight and I'm stoked to not have ice cream every other night...I mean, I'm excited to have her and I eating the way we used to because now I have a hefty goal. My next goal is to lose even more fat and become a sub-200'er. Yes, it's a word...and here's a fun fact. I haven't been under 200 pounds since before I was in 8th grade (maybe 7th)!!! That was the last time I saw a number on the scale that was less than 200. It's going to be a strange day for me especially if I think of what I was like back then. I had braces and spiky hair and I was uncomfortable in my own skin...that'll be a fun before/after shot:)

Here's to a new chapter and sharing it with some new friends! Cheers!

Fatbet - Join Us

2009-06-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Every few months or so I start up a new Fatbet with family or friends. It has kept me in check and has provided me with some healthy competition for this whole weight loss gig.

What the heck is Fatbet? Fatbet.net was started by a few guys back in 2007 when they realized that their upcoming Hawaii vacation was looming and a conversation (bash fest) started about who was fatter and who could lose more weight by the time they left. After a very early version of the newer, polished website they realized that losing some weight could be a fun and competitive sport. Fatbet was born! For their whole story, check this page out.

Basically you get a group of people together interested in losing some pudge. You set a wager or a penalty to make it competitive then everyone sets their goals. Your actual weight is never shown but the amount you want to lose is shown. There is also a message board where you can write in taunts and/or encouragement to each other. I have found that there is some taunting but it always ends up on the encouraging side because as you lose you want others around you to succeed as well!

With that, I'm writing today to invite anyone who would like to lose a few pounds to join in on our newest Fatbet!! It started today and will run through August 31st. A penalty or wager has not been set yet, though...that is still up for debate.

Check it out at Fatbet.net and if you decide you'd like to join us (which I really hope you will!) then click on this link: http://www.fatbet.net/joinbetreg.aspx?JoinBetId=2953&Digest=4BPVANrZzwI7m4aozBGDlQ

Hope to see you on there...or, at least hear about yours:)

100 Push-Ups : Final Update

2009-06-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

I opened my mouth a few weeks ago and now I'm starting to wonder if it was what I said that is making baby not want to come out. I mentioned that I made a goal of doing 100 consecutive push-ups before baby was born! Idiot...who puts that kind of pressure on their self (or their unborn child) but me?!

Last night I finished my 3rd day of week 6...the final day of the prep. All I have left to do now is 100 push-ups. I'm ready. I've taken all the necessary steps and it's on me now. What will it take to succeed? Ugh. One thing I noticed right away when I'm doing a long set like that is I get extremely bored and agitated. I'm not even really tired and I want to give up because it's an annoying motion to keep going through. Hard to explain but my goal is to put that all aside, put it behind me so I can finish this little challenge. Maybe tonight I'll give it my first shot!? Seconds after I finished my 9 sets of over 245 push-ups, Sally looked at me, congratulated me then said... "Oh great, now you can finish and do your 100 tomorrow?!" I laughed.

So, maybe tonight then? One thing that I'm excited about and gives me confidence is that after a big night of push-ups I awoke to little or no pain. My muscles have no recollection of the stress put on them last night. I kind of wanted to be sore to prove that what I've been doing is not going unnoticed by my own body...hmmm. I'm over it.

Wish me luck...and if you are just starting this challenge...keep at it. It's flipping hard at times but you will be SO surprised at what your body is capable of. I remember on week 3 looking at week 6 and thinking, "oh hell no, there is no way!!"

I'm on the third week of Sit-ups and am about to start the squats! I'm excited:)

Good luck to the newbies...Cheri, Dennis, Chris and Natosha! Let me know how you guys are doing!! I'm gonna keep you honest right here on this little blog of mine:)

National Doughnut Day?

2009-06-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, it really exists. It was created by The Salvation Army back in 1917 as a way to boost morale of soldiers fighting in WWI. It takes place on the 1st Friday of every June.

Did I celebrate? Yes.
Was it because I need a boost in morale (and sugar)? No.

Without bringing my political views into my blog (which may be a little unavoidable) I have to explain my thoughts on eating doughnuts. I would have to say it reminds me of the saying "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." But people wouldn't kill people with guns if there weren't guns around. (told you, couldn't be avoided).

Anyways, it reminds me of it because doughnuts alone will not make me a fat ass again. Eating 5 doughnuts in a day every week will, though. True story, I used to work for my dad and this saleslady brought in two boxes of doughnuts every Tuesday (or Wednesday?) and since my job was "cleanup kid" I could roam the shop and not worry about getting in trouble. I would "clean" the lunchroom on that day every week. I honestly used to scarf down or "cleanup" about 3 - 5 of those fried delights...glazed ones, powdery goo filled ones, fritters, maple bars, etc, etc...

Today I had just one. I feel like hell now but it reminded me of the time when I stomached triple the amount and probably mixed it with a Mountain Dew. What I'm trying to say is that over time I've changed and I don't "need" the doughnut fix. I realized it back then and went cold turkey and didn't eat a doughnut for over 6 years...I broke when Krispy Kremes were introduced to Seattle. And since, I've only had them here and there.

I changed my mind about how to deal with food and have found a very satisfying balance. I never deprive myself, ever. I can do the cold turkey route but if I like something then I should be able to have a taste every once-in-a-while, right? Well, that's how I see it. I spent the better part of my journey getting my eating habits in check. I've discovered how I work and I've enjoyed life along the way.

Instead of a big bowl of ice cream...I enjoy a few scoops in a cup.
Instead of 5 doughnuts...I have just one
Instead of a bag of chips (full-size)...I dump a portion into a bowl and then stop. (sometimes I stop, chips are my kryptonite)
Instead of many cheap, weak beers...I go for a few nice beers.

Calories are important...they are one of the most important parts of the whole calculation of weight loss. We know that. But, I'd argue with anyone that deprivation will be the downfall of your weight loss goals! When you finally break, the guilt that comes with that is so big that it will throw you into such a funk that "you might as well just keep eating whatever you want because you've already failed yourself!" Trust me, I've been there...many, many, many times.

So, go enjoy a doughnut...celebrate this strange holiday!
(and don't play with guns or deprivation, they are both killers in their own ways!)

Congrats to Andrew!

2009-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

My blog buddy from New Zealand, Andrew, just completed his first marathon! He masterfully recapped his experience on his blog "Andrew is getting fit"...I urge you to check it out!!!

In it, he quotes a poster that was put up near the end of the race...it hit a nice chord for me too. "It's not that I finished but that I had the courage to start."

Nice work Andrew!

A Whole Lotta Nothing

2009-06-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a confusing last few weeks. I haven't done anything that is noteworthy but at the same time I've been doing a lot. I've been attending BBQ's and parties and have come away a little better off than a few weeks ago. I've continued the hundred push-ups challenge...now on week 6 and finished Day 1 last night...holy cow, that's a lot of push-ups.

I did a set of 40, a set of 50, a set of 25, another set of 25 and a max set of 50. Ugh. I did them all...it took me a little longer than they say to give yourself but I did them and that's HUGE and important in my book:) I have also continued the 200 sit-ups challenge... starting Week 3 tonight!

We went shopping last night and I found a mental hurdle I wasn't expecting. Before I lost all the weight it was all about finding shirts that fit in such a way that it didn't make me look fat. A horrible idea that never, ever works because when you are buying XL and XXL so that the shirt fits "loose" (read:baggy) then it's obvious you are hiding something, mainly rolls upon rolls...you get it. Anyways, last night while trying on size Large polos (the vintage style that runs small and more fitted) I all of the sudden felt self-conscious. I felt fat again. I looked in the mirror, nothing. I showed Sally and an old friend that still works at the store and they both said the Large is the right shirt and that it looked good fitted. Hmm. We (or rather THEY) decided that a Large Tall would work best for me. Since that size isn't carried in the store we walked away and it hit me. I was explaining to Sally how it's weird to see me fit into clothing this small and when it fits a little tighter I feel weird. She calmly explained to me that certain items of clothing should fit like that, such as the vintage style polo. The hardest part for me is accepting that maybe I do look good now, maybe I am this small. I know, I know...really "hard" problems I've got. I'm a smaller guy and after all those damn push-ups I'm actually able to wear some tighter clothing. I'm not talking about spandex tight, just fitted.

One last thing...the other night I went to a nice BBQ at my sister's. My older brother and his wife and 4 kids came down, too...I was playing with the kid's, throwing them around, lifting them up in the air, drawing with sidewalk chalk...I was pleasantly sore after that! Hmmm...there's got to be something out there that shows "workouts" you can get by playing with kids. I'll search around and let you know if I find anything!

10 to go

2009-05-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Today marks 10 days till the due date of our baby! As you can see by my lack of recent posts, I've got a lot going on!

Right now I've shifted to just maintaining as I sort these new things out in my life. I'm also still participating in the 100 push-ups as well as the 200 sit-ups challenge. Tonight I am on Day 3 of Week 5 for the 100 push-ups.

Look at the crazy amount I have to do tonight! (amount per set): 20, 20, 24, 24, 20, 20, 22 and a max set of at least 50! Added up that is at least 200 push-ups tonight. The kicker...I only get 45 seconds between each set...yikes! What I'm finding is it really pushes me mentally, almost as much as it does physically!

I'll keep pressing on and finish this and will let you know when I hit the 100 continuous push-up mark! My PR for continuous push-ups so far is 67.

I'm excited for baby to be here, in part because I can stop being anxious about what I think it's going to be like and move on to just being a father and learning my new role. I'm stoked for it!

100 Push-Ups : Update

2009-05-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

I finished my first week (actually week 3 of the program) and I was surprised at how difficult it really is. The biggest difference of doing this program versus doing the same amount of push-ups on my own time is the time between sets. The first day you are only allowed 60 seconds between each set. How does that feel? It feels like you are doing one long, continuous set. Capping off each day is a max set which always really sucks!!! My chest and arms feel like they are ripping and shredding which makes me want to quit. I persist and then am forced into a stale mate with gravity.

Beginning of week 4. I started week 4 last night with a renewed vengeance. I looked forward at the upcoming weeks and the daily workouts... and it scared me! The number of sets jumps from 4 sets of 20+ to upwards of 8 sets of 40 and 50 push-ups! I know I will do it though, I'm just a little scared right now;)

The website also offers two other programs (all free by the way)... 200 sit-ups and 200 squats (holy hell). Last night I decided to do the 200 sit-ups challenge too. I did my exhaustion test last night and will start up tonight fitting it nicely as an every other day thing with my push-ups. Wow.

Keep checking back for progress reports and whining about how hard it is!!!

A Taste of Summer

2009-05-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we had shorts and t-shirt weather. Around here, as soon as you can walk outside without a coat on the BBQ is turned on. I had a bit of a wake up call this last weekend. I was reminded that even though I’ve lost lots of weight and have gotten better about what I eat and drink, I still can’t just do whatever it is I want. I went out to happy hour on Thursday, we went to Sally’s Dad’s birthday party on Friday and a BBQ at my sister’s on Saturday. Phew…three days in a row of eating out and drinking.

Since Sally has been pregnant it has been a lot easier to lay off the booze and eating out but when people around here can get outside the plans start building up. I had a blast at all three of these events but I came away so bloated and fat. I’m going to have to figure out a new way to approach these events because I know I will be at many, many more to come. I get wrapped up in the celebration. Lots of food and drinking. I over-consume and I’m fully aware that it’s happening. It’s a bit of a slap in the face because I really thought I’d broken all the bad habits. Apparently, though, I’ve got some more work to do.

Having this first taste of summer will hopefully prove an invaluable learning experience…I’ve bounced back, or rather, shrunk back down to where I started last week which is great but going forward I must learn to separate the drinking and eating from the true reason of celebration! I’m excited to go to our pool in Chelan and not feel like beached whale for once in my life…so why ruin it now with burgers, ribs, chicken, gin & tonics, beer after beer, soda, chips and all those other crazy slaws and sauces. Bring on the fruit and small plates. I want to taste summer as a skinny guy!!

Waking with the City

2009-05-16T06:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things in life is waking up early in a foreign city and getting my day started before the rest of the city wakes up. There's no easier way to get a feel for a city than walking around while the shop owners are sweeping off their sidewalks or the delivery trucks are unloading their goods.

Since I can't travel anywhere right now the best way to translate this feeling is to head out for a morning jog before anyone else. I wake up at 5:30 every day for work and sometimes on the weekend my body just forces me out of bed. I woke Sally so she wouldn't worry where I was then I left to go on a leisurely jog around the neighborhood.

I timed it a little wrong though. I love jogging by the stores to see it getting prepped or to see the earliest of risers enjoying their first cup of coffee, or jogging by the bakeries and smelling wonderful bread or pastries... not today, nope. NOTHING was open, not even the coffee shops. In Seattle, there were no coffee shops open at 6.

I'm home now and I'm about to make a fresh pot and wake Sally back up... what a great start to the day. A jog, Sally's company and a fresh pot of coffee... oh, and it's sunny out:)

Enjoy your weekend!

Just an Ordinary Guy

2009-05-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

This morning I was listening to the Blue Scholars. They are a local rap group consisting of two guys and usually I just listen to the songs and then move on to whatever comes up on random. Today I actually listened to the lyrics (not the norm for me!) and I was surprised at the simplicity of the lines and how they concisely convey everything I’ve blabbed on about for the past 5 months. There is a lot more to the song but this stood out to me, kind of like when you hear your name at a party even if it’s loud and you are on the other side of the room! Check out the lyrics…

And people keep asking how I lost this weight
More work and less food on the plate, man
Just a simple plan with a little bit of self discipline

I'm just an ordinary guy, ignoring all the hype
I let it all pass me by

When I’m asked about my weight loss I often stumble at the simplicity of it all. Like he says, “more work (read: get off your ass) and less food on the plate, just a simple plan with a little bit of self discipline”. That’s it, that’s exactly how it happened for me. Some of the lines were left out but when I heard how the chorus started it all just fell together. So here is how I will answer from now on, (minus the whole rapping and rhyming thing).

“Wow man, you’ve lost some weight, how’d you do it?!” so and so asks.
And I’ll say, “I ate less, I worked out and moved more along with a little discipline and will power. I knew it would have to be a lifestyle change not a quick fix. Not anything fun to hear but that’s how it happened.”

Down, Up times One Hundred

2009-05-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve been beating around the bush and claiming that I’m about to start this, I’ve even started doing push-ups more regularly and did a burn-out of an awe-inspiring 67 consecutive push-ups the other day. But it’s time to start this for real and I’m ready for the challenge. I told Sally the other day that I’ll be able to do 100 consecutive push-ups before baby is here. I’ve got some work to do.

Thankfully there is a great site that has a 6 week program you follow and log in to that has been designed to help you build the right strength and stamina in order to achieve the 100 consecutive mark. Wait! But I have less than 4 weeks till baby’s due date… since I’ve tested out at 67 (just last week) I get to start on week 3. Perfect timing.

If you are at all interested in joining along, go to http://www.hundredpushups.com/ and sign in. I’ll keep you updated with my progress…wish me luck! And, if you’ve done this already let me know how it went for you :)

Running (a fever)

2009-05-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yet another exciting set back hit me over the weekend. I was cruising through the last few months watching everyone around me fall victim to a nasty sickness. Alas, my body finally gave in and said "let's get it over with"... it hit me pretty hard. Luckily, it seems, the last few years I've gotten a similar sickness I usually save up and then it hits me like a ton of bricks all at once, then I get over it and go on with life.

I'm thinking this is what happened this weekend. On Sunday I woke up and felt really cold. I kept feeling cold and watched my very pregnant wife open every window in the house because she was boiling. Hmmm? I decided after an hour of not warming up to take my temperature (because it's not every Spring day where you'll find me in a full sweat outfit with big wool socks on). I declothed and popped the thermometer in (my mouth) and got a reading of 102.1... ugh. What's worse is this thermometer has been consistently reading our normal temps under 98.6, so further deduction made me believe it would've actually been higher.

I hopped into bed in the fetal position and proceeded to be babied by my very pregnant wife, who is also sick (just not feverish). I felt like such a wuss... I suppose that's why women are the bearers of children not men! She left me in my fever-inflicted comatose state to head to the store so she could make me homemade chicken noodle soup (hell yeah). I was continually reminded to hydrate and was given proper dosages of Tylenol and theraflu throughout the day.

Sally helped pull me out of the sickness... and I love her for it! Today I'm feeling so much better even though I'm at work, but at least I can move on to feeling normal again. Hope you are all feeling well and have gotten over all the sicknesses for the season! They've been nasty!

Humbled...

2009-05-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Part of what makes writing day in and day out (or every 4th day;) so interesting and rewarding is the people you connect with. Old friends, family and people on the other side of the world have come to this blog to leave me a comment or two... I've been inspired by them and have somehow inspired them, too.

I didn't really struggle at weight loss in the past few years because I wasn't trying to lose weight. For many years I just lived. I ate what I wanted, drank what I wanted, both too quickly. That's a recipe for disaster. Yeah, I felt gross and sick at times...I felt guilty moments after eating something... I was dilusional to how I looked, yes, I've been there. I was always aware of it but I made every excuse (I still make some now)...one of my favorites that always makes me laugh is when I told Sally that "my body must like being 250 so I'll just shoot for that" Ha ha ha. Absurd!

Lately the onset of a stall... a long, boring plateau has just flipped me around. I've written about this way too many times but I kinda lost it, I just wasn't trying as hard. I'm finally feeling a resurgence as of late and have heard so many amazing comments from people around me. I want to share one from my cousin Wendy! She has hit a milestone goal for herself and I have to call her out!!! I hope this is OK Wendy:)

"I just wanted to let you know that this morning when I weighed myself, I was seeing 110! I reached my goal and I am so happy! I owe much of my motivation to your blog and really appreciate you being so honest with your journey of weight loss. For awhile I felt, after 30 you just can’t be as thin as you were in High School. You have been inspirational to me to get back in my good habits and continue to reach for my goals. I have been stuck in the “5 lbs over my goal weight” for about three years now so this day is very exciting for me. Last summer I was even 10 lbs over, so that was very difficult. I can finally fit into my Sevens…are they even in style now…it’s been awhile. I was stuck in what I called my “big girl Hudson’s” for a few years...refusing to buy bigger sized clothes except for one pair of Hudson’s I got on sale at Nordstrom’s. Just kidding…thanks, Jeff! I will continue to follow your journey as I attempt to maintain what I have accomplished. I never thought I would see 110 again, so I am proof it’s possible! I had many things going against me, but I did it to my surprise. I know you’ll be seeing 210 in no time!"

What an amazing thing to read! So happy for her...and you are safe with your Seven jeans...they are still cool :)

Have a great weekend everybody! And, keep the faith! It's gonna happen:)

A New Idea, Direction and Goal

2009-04-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today is April 30th, the end of the month...the date I'd been looking forward to for the last 4 months as the day I saw 210. The day isn't over but it would take a minor miracle to reach 210 today. I'm sitting at 214 which I've been at for well over a month. I'm feeling great though, I'm a little upset at a missed goal but am still amazed that I am where I am. I never thought I'd get here.

Anyways, not that you haven't heard all that before, I tend to reiterate a lot of what I've already said :) I suppose it's lack of material, since, you know, I haven't been doing as much as I've been saying lately! I've been doing some searching and (yes, here we go...another regurgitated idea) I really feel naming my blog Seeing 210 has been the best thing for me and the worst. It gave me a tangible goal, something to strive for...then I realized I was scared/anxious to reach the goal.

In the next few weeks you can expect some changes. Changes in my goals and changes on this blog. I'm going to do my best to get some more progress pictures up and hopefully add some different features. I'm also starting the process of renaming it...I plan on changing the Title Bar but leaving the URL until I've finalized it all then I may migrate this blog to the new address. You'll be the first to know!

Thanks for your continued support and for following me along this crazy fat loss path!

Feel Good Post-Prego Stuff

2009-04-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Shifting gears here for a little bit…talking about a sensitive issue here. As we get closer to the baby's due date, Sally and I have talked about our plans for our post-baby workouts. We have all sorts of walks planned which will be great for us and the little one to get outside but she is very interested in getting back to pre-baby weight as soon as possible. In addition to our planned outings, Sally has heard about and is planning on buying a post-pregnancy workout video. There are many of them out there but the one that keeps coming up in her searches is the Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy Workout DVD. The problem is it's so popular that it's nowhere to be found. Do a search on Tracy Anderson in Google and you are bound to see how she is the personal trainer for Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Yesterday we did a photo shoot of a friend, her husband and their 1 year old daughter. The day before she had done a 3.5 mile walk for the March of Dimes. I thought to myself, what a great way to get back out there…great exercise for a great cause! It also got me to thinking about an 8k coming up that's a really popular one for this area.

Beat the Bridge is an 8k which raises money for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund). 2 mile's and 20 minutes after the last wave leaves the start area, the University Draw Bridge goes up…the idea is to "Beat the Bridge". I've volunteered a few times for this race and have participated in it twice. It is a blast. I'm looking at my schedule but would love to run it again:) They also have a 4 mile Family walk and a Diaper Derby.

It's great to know there are events like this to get us out of the house (with baby) and doing our part. I will be following up with more post-pregnancy ideas when I come across them!
Have a great week!

Happy Birthday Dad and Steve

2009-04-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's been all about birthdays and BIRTH days lately!

Since my success has reached beyond the level of a freakish my family has been taking note. Maybe not taking notes, but definitely they have noticed and our motivation and enjoyment at becoming smaller versions of ourselves has grown by leaps and bounds.

My brother Steve and his family have changed up so much of the way the eat and think about food and exercise. Steve's birthday was on the 18th and one of the greatest presents that I think he got was a new wardrobe because he can fit back into the clothes that he wore when he just got married! (it wasn't too long ago so the looks aren't too out of style;). I'm just so stoked to see him melt before our eyes...both he and his wife Nicole have really turned the corner. Out of experience and seeing the change within myself I can recognize that what they are going through now will change their lives! They are doing so well!

Today IS my dad's birthday! One thing I feel my dad and I shared was the "Big Guy" mentality. Once I finally broke free of that identity I noticed a dramatic shift in my attitude. He is on the cusp...he has made some great strides and hearing him talk about it with such hope and actual belief that it will happen for him makes me so excited for it to start showing for him! I'm in a great mood right now (for various reasons) and I'm happy that my hardwork and my struggles have helped them see that they too can make changes for the better!

Happy Birthday Guys and well done!

Life Happens

2009-04-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Everything is lining itself up nicely for a wonderful afternoon jog today and tomorrow.

70+ degree weather. Check.
Physically able. Check.
Emotionally ready. Check.
Motivation on high. Check.
Time to run? Not going to happen. Not today. Not tomorrow. Ugh. Life Happens.

Take today for example: Get home at 4, pay bills, mail off client's pictures, clean up from a party at the house yesterday, edit 5 photo shoots worth of material (over 1000 images), post on the blog (not this one), eat dinner, call the guy that hit our car (again!), grocery shopping, refinish the changing table (yes! Still working on that!), rehang the shelf in the baby room, patch 6 holes in the wall, hang a new light, work in the yard and then it's time for bed. Yes, you're right…too much!

I've been contemplating the morning runs now. I'm out of time, I have no other good time to get out there and take care of business…I've always been an afternoon/evening runner. I've gotten out on the rare morning occasion but it was usually around 9:30 not 4:30/5 like I’m planning now. If I time it right I will be getting back home right about the time I normally roll out of bed. I'm out of ideas because life is coming at me full force these days.

I've written many times about prioritizing your life and making time for a jog or a workout but the 30 - 1 hour blocks are very hard to come by these days. I'd love it if any of you have any other ideas how I can free up some time?!

"Keepin' the Faith"

2009-04-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's a saying that often adorns all email communication between Dennis and me. It's not really meant in a religious aspect but more for the actual word and meaning of faith itself. Of the many definitions of this word the one that best encompasses what is meant is: the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a promise (person, engagement, etc...).

We go back and forth about our newest conquest, our newest personal record and pretty much anything that keeps us headed in the right direction. It's very evident that having support has played a HUGE role in my ability to stay the course, to keep my sites set on my goal and to keep pluggin' away!

My "faith" and obligation is only as strong as I want it to be. Fortunately, I have Dennis to keep me striving to outdo myself (or him) in various ways. He credits me for keeping him in line which is great because I have found (as most humans probably do) that it's easier to say, than do. I've done a lot of both. This blog has allowed me to "say" a lot and it in turn keeps me honest and I "do" a lot as well. That's how it works with Dennis and I.

Often times, the "faith" is my loyalty to Dennis, to Sally, my readers and to myself. I can't let them and I can't let myself down...gotta keep the faith. It will happen!

Seeing 210 by EOM

2009-04-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

I'm in high gear now as I try to hit the 210 mark sometime during this month! The end of the month is looming and visions of attaining this goal are shining like the light at the end of a very long tunnel. At night, I've been back to my push-ups... last night I knocked out 100 push-ups in 4 sets. I could've done more but I was exhausted from staying up too late watching a movie.

I've been working some overtime as well as getting stuff ready for baby. Yesterday I assembled the crib and put a coat of primer on the changing table. Tonight I will apply the first coat of paint but am dedicated to going for a jog. It's been harder and harder to get out on the road (read: I've made every excuse possible!) but I must make time! Remember, I'm committed to this goal!

Sally is helping out tremendously. She continues to wake early with me and makes me the most beautiful bowl of oatmeal complete with raisins, cinnamon, a little brown sugar topped with a large dollop of yogurt... oh, it's so good! What a great way to start the day!

There are so many things going on in the families right now. Babies on the way, houses and practices selling, today is TAX DAY, birthdays... you name it and it's probably happening this month! I am still floating between 213 and 215 but I know with my determination I can get it to 210...even if just for a moment, I need to see it, this is the month it'll happen. I'll work on keeping it 210 later (and lower for sure) but for now, it's Seeing 210 (by the End of the Month).

Flea Circus

2009-04-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

You've undoubtedly read about how you can train fleas to jump a certain height, right? If you haven't read this quote… I learned about this way back in college and it stuck with me (thanks Mom & Dad for tuition, figures I'd remember the important things)… While reading this you should make a few connections with our motivation (or lack thereof) or possibly, as I've realized for myself, you'll see a pretty strong correlation between your goals or expected results and your efforts.

"Flea trainers have observed a predicable and strange habit of fleas while training them. Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top. When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They won't jump out because they can't jump out. Why? They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high."

This all came up because of a push-up email Dennis and I have been sending back and forth recently. Well, that's how it started anyway. I was doing a burnout of push-ups the other day and I got to 32ish and I stopped and got up. I had more in me, my body just said "you're done, dude, get off the filthy ground." So I did. The next day after the email thread had started and Dennis push-upped about 40 or so I got back down without any thought of how many I was going to do. I hit 51. Hmmm. When I typically do my sets of push-ups I usually stop at 25. My thought was this: have I been conditioning myself to only be able to do 25 push-ups at a time?

As the thread went on we talked about hitting this point and the awareness of our own walls and "lids"… what we haven't figured out is how to break this conditioning… how do we let ourselves achieve greater goals and see the potential? I suppose it's just "keepin' the faith" as Dennis leaves every email to me... yes, a lead in to another post... (to come)

Suckin' (warm & flowery) Air

2009-04-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

I kept my promise yesterday and I jogged my normal 5 mile loop! Except that I was sucking air the whole way...and not to mention the trees are in bloom (pastel pinks and whites) right now so I was breathing predominantly pollen! Luckily I'm not allergic, well not that allergic to pollen... but it got to be a little overwhelming at times. It was one of the more uplifting and beautiful runs I've gone on in awhile but also one of the hardest mentally! Coming off of 3 weeks of nada (Spanish for nothing) I kept wanting to walk and almost talked myself into thinking it was smart to do so. But I persevered, I pushed on, wading through the thick, aromatic pollen blanket until I finally reached home.

My goal was to See 210 by the end of this month... at this rate that means I have about 1.25 pounds to lose per week...totally doable, especially if I'm working out regularly now too! I have a birthday party to attend tonight so it's a test. How badly do I want to make this happen? Only time will tell, in fact 24 days will tell.

I woke today feeling alive! It's that post-workout numbness that courses through your body that gives you a sense of purpose and excitement for the day to come. I love waking up early to watch the day take shape and feel like my body is doing the same! Wish me luck on the home stretch! I'll keep you posted with my progress!!!

In the (blue) Shadows of the Great Olive 8

2009-04-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

My cubicle is next to a floor to ceiling window on the 16th floor of a building in Downtown Seattle. There is a new building, the Olive 8, being built across the street (South East) of me. The building has these odd, blue glass plate accents all over it. As the sun was passing through one it cast an eerie blue blast of sun into my whole cubicle. It was such a weird feeling that I had to grab some other co-workers and show them! And...so far...that's about the most interesting thing that has happened to me today!

The weather forecast looks great... at least for the next few days...enjoy the weather!

Calling Myself Out

2009-04-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here it is, I'm calling myself out! Since I tweaked my back (which actually happened), I haven't gone jogging once, I haven't lifted a single weight (unless you count my camera) and I have even skipped some of my nightly routines (push-ups and abs). I've been using the back as an excuse but now my back is fine. In fact, it's been fine for a week and a half. We shot a wedding last week for 14 hours...no problems with the back.

So I'm laying it out there. I'm writing with my tail between my legs and a red face just to let you know and to promise myself that today I will be changing my routine (again) today!

Tonight...I'm going for a jog. I'm returning to my roots or (routes) and will be hittin' the road around 4:30 today. I'm shooting for a 5 mile loop...then I'm going to come home, have a nice dinner and feel good and less hypocritical about my "inspirational blog". Sometimes, you just have to call yourself out. I haven't been slipping at all though, in fact, my weight has stayed the same and actually has dropped a little so I'm lucky...but adding the workouts back in will drop it even faster!

No more lying to myself... if you are living up here in the Pacific Northwest you all know this is rare weather...get your butts off the couch and get outside!!! Enjoy:)

Dream Run - #7 (Lake Bled, Slovenia)

2009-04-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

Have you heard of it? Most people haven't and stare quizically at me when I say one of my favorite places I visited in Europe is Lake Bled, Slovenia. Favorite partly because of the beautiful lake with the path that circumnavigates the water's edge (often times over the water), favorite because of the view of the Alps rising above the cliff with the castle on it, favorite because of the church on the little island in the middle of the lake and also a favorite because the great people I met while I was there.

The route shown is an actual path that I walked with these new friends I had made. It was a snowy, messy, cold morning but we trudged through it all…and we were awestruck most of the way. When I think about my photography and places that stand out as possible turning points, Bled ALWAYS stands out. I only had a point and shoot with me but the images I was capturing still amaze me.

The path around Lake Bled was partly paved (think Greenlake) and partly raised, wooden pathways (like a dock) that curved with the lake's edge and at times was over the lake. It turns out, our leisurely stroll (to help the hangover) ended up being a 4 mile journey. Who would've thought!? And, like so many other places I've been, I've promised to return here as well:)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2694174

BMI : My Journey to Normalcy

2009-04-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

34.1 was my Body Mass Index at my highest point. This gave me a baseline to work from…even though I've read so much about how it isn't the most accurate I kept it filed away. I checked back on it midway through my loss and was still discouraged by how slow it seemed to be dropping. A score over 30 is considered Obese. An example I just read about why it is flawed is to think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. During his prime lifting days when he was Mr. Universe he weighed 235 pounds and is just over 6' tall. This put his BMI over 35 which made him "obese". Clearly that cannot be correct, look at him.

Regardless, it has served me a good base to check against since my goal thusfar has been strictly weight/fat loss. I'm not getting any taller (and hopefully not any shorter!) so my BMI should change in a fairly linear and somewhat accurate way.

I have been weighing in under 215 most of this week and hit 213 yesterday so my new BMI is now 25.9! According to the Index, I'm still "Overweight" which, judging by my shrinking but still prevelant spare tire, I reluctantly concede that this a fair and accurate assessment. However, once I eclipse my goal of 210 and land on 204 I can finally call myself "Normal". <-- insert joke here!

Was turned on to a wonderful site that I didn't even know existed. Thank you Emilie! You have to check out http://www.livestrong.com/. Lots of great information on there!

Yakima Bound

2009-03-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last night we left for Yakima. We are shooting a long wedding today and will be back tomorrow. We were just talking to the videographers about how much work it is lugging around this equipment. Today is an exceptionally long day. We have been up for 5 hours already (it's 1oam) and we will be going strong till 9 pm tonight! We'll be sore as ever and then we have to decide whether or not we can make it over the pass tonight. It's supposed to be just dumping snow up there...they are expecting 20 - 24 inches of the fluffy white nightmare. Good times.

Hope your weekend goes well and I'll be posting more regularly next week!

After...ish

2009-03-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of me today, happy, at 215. Still a few more to go but looking and feeling a whole lot different!

A few months ago I posted about some Before and After shots:

Check out the BEFORE and the DURING posts to see the change:)

Rolling with the Metaphors

2009-03-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

My back is 75% now…it actually feels like 85% but I'm allowing for 10% failure rate because I'm at the point where my mind is saying it's good to go but one move in the wrong direction could have me laid up again. I was having a tough time this week getting myself motivated to try anything…I figured some rest has got to be good for me!

Lately, when I hit a lull like this I've gotten a friendly kick in the backside and/or reminder to keep on plugging away! I have heard from a lot of you recently during these tweaked back days and I really appreciate it. Last post I mentioned a metaphor that I wrote to Dennis…well, he wrote back. He sent me a metaphor that got me to think about those times when you are either in a lull or incapacitated in some way. Dennis and I write back and forth to keep each other motivated and it works! Lately I've been talking the talk but he's walking the walk. 4 of 8 days he has done his routine and is just killin' it, good stuff. Wish I could say the same.

The metaphor was a good one, it reminded me that I can keep going through motions to not lose the "fire" I've built over these many months. He simply titled it "Pilot Light". During an email to him I told him that I was going crazy driving on my running route and that I really missed all those things that I physically can't do at the moment. He countered with giving me a few non-impactful exercises I could do that would isolate all movement away from my back…then said "why pilot light? I guess, because it's something to keep the fire burning until you come bursting back, exploding onto the scene with full speed and power…" So basically he just reminded me to go through the motions, do a little careful exercise to not lose the momentum I've worked so hard to gain!

What Next?

2009-03-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

I wrote this to Dennis (my Father-in-Law) just a few minutes ago. I've been getting closer and closer but have kind of hit a mental wall. After much reflection and thought this is the metaphor I keep seeing in my mind and I thought I'd share it with you.

I'm sure you've been on a long road during the night, right? You can see the car way ahead of you because of the other car's headlights. You may be miles behind it but you know it's there. You start to pick up speed because you decide you want to see what kind of car it is and can't stand the idea of being behind so far. 10 minutes later the car is just outside your car's high-beams. You click them off...then speed up so the car in front of you starts to take shape and is then illuminated by your lights. You start to notice that it's a nicer, faster, newer version of the car you are driving. You pace it for a few minutes waiting for just the right time to pass it and when you finally feel that you are ready to do it, the car in front of you starts to pull away. Before you know it, it's out of your beam's and you are losing ground quickly. Right now, the car is in my beams...I'm pulling in on it and my finger is rested on the turn signal. I've been pacing it for a few weeks now afraid to overtake it, scared that I'm not in the best position, worried that the road will take an unexpected turn.

This has played out in my mind as I get closer to my original stretch goal of 210. I realized I have been just coasting along as of late and started to wonder if maybe achieving that goal brings more along with it than I originally thought?! I've learned through overlapping goal setting that as you get closer to a goal it's OK to reevaluate it and tweak it if necessary (maybe a slight reference to my back tweak, maybe:).

What will my new goal be? Possibly sub 200? I can see it... when I figure it out you'll be the first to know!

Stressed? Hug More

2009-03-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Leave it to the Swiss to run studies on how hugging can relieve stress. I ran across this article on MSN and it made me want to run home and hug my wife, like 20 times :)

"New research shows that hugs and kisses slash stress. Loving touches — and the resulting gush of good feelings — can cut the level of stress hormones coursing through your body by 7 percent…"

7 percent may not seem like a lot but as a by-product of something I love to do anyway, I'm sold!

You owe it to yourself to read the brief article here!!! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Off Week (courtesy of a tweaked back)

2009-03-16T18:47:00.001-07:00

Last night I went out to my newly cleaned garage to do some dumbbells. I was going to do the routine that I posted a few posts ago. I love how quick and effective it is. What I don't like is how I thought I could just pick up where I left off. I worked up to using a 30lb dumbbell last time. This time I started with one. During the 3rd movement (the bent-over row) I was trying it a few different ways to make sure I was getting the full and intended effect. Except... I moved too suddenly and quickly in precisely the wrong direction.

Damn! Figures it has to happen on my low week! I hit 214 and 215 numerous times!

I'm doing OK but it means all activity has ceased. I can walk but it's painful (and robot-like). I can't do push-ups, no yoga, running (ha ha, yeah right) and weight lifting is out for sure. This week I'm focusing on my food intake. I have no choice. I'm also trying to find any sources on stretching and how I can help my back heal faster.

My posts for this week will probably concern more about recovering from injury. I just got done reading an article last week about roadblocks in your workouts. Injury was on there as was having a baby. Guess I should go find that one again:) Wish me luck in my recovery!

Hook, Line & Sinker

2009-03-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

It totally had me. Images of people starting their days with the sun rising and so much hope ahead of them… all to the tune of a very influential song, "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins. I hoped during the first 20 seconds that it was going to be a commercial for something inspirational. I would've been ok with a Nike commercial. Sadly it was a Visa commercial. Visa didn't get me into the financial situation I'm in (it's like saying guns don't kill people, people do) but I was left flattened and confused at how all that inspiration ties into Visa and having a credit card. I mean, I get it…the message is simple enough… but, really?! Visa?

Anyways, now that I totally let the cat out of the bag… try watching it for what it is. It's a great commercial with a great imagery and one of my favorite voice-over voices (I won't ruin that for you). I like to watch it and pretend it's going to be a different product at the end. Kind of like during a suspenseful movie when you try to will a different ending, or maybe that's just me. Another idea would be to watch it for the first 25 seconds then move on…allowing the song and the images to be ingrained as a positive message before the Visa logos are plastered across the screen.

An inspirational message brought to you by the fine folks at Visa.

Preparing for Changes

2009-03-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

...and I'm not talking about diapers

Everywhere I turn people tell me that "once you have a baby everything changes." Can we get a more boring, blanket statement? I don't do well with the ambiguous, I need specific things that will inevitably change so I can prepare myself for them now. I like to be prepared, mentally and physically.

A friend of mine, Shane, was chatting with me back and forth via email and he finally gave me a little of what I was asking for, some hard truth. He laid it out there for me and as I suspected it was something that being privvy to it maybe I can start to make small changes now to lessen the blow later. What he told me was that the bulk of his weight gain happened right after his first daughter was born and it was simply the fact that all your schedules (sleep, food, work, etc…) are all screwed up. His advice was get a routine that works for you now. How I've expanded this in my brain (this is where my preparation comes in) is to identify my weaknesses and eliminate them or at the very least, control them. Since then, Shane has kicked it up a few notches and has been losing weight steadily and has found a new vigor, a new fire in his daily battle to get rid of the fat…meanwhile, Shane has dropped more pounds while welcoming a new baby. Between his wife and him, they've lost close to 100 pounds! That's amazing!

Then I was talking to my sister the other night and she was telling me about how hard it is when you need to make something quick for the kids and you end up eating it too. I'm assuming it was something like tater tots and fish sticks or something like that (at least that's what I envisioned). I didn't have much of a response at the time because, well… I hadn't really thought of that as being a problem. I'm sure I'll be faced with more and more "things" like this as I become a dad. I suppose that's what makes these parenting styles, right, everyone has one and no one's is as good as your own! The first thing I thought about after I hung up the phone with Diane was, "can't they just eat what you would fix quickly for yourself?" I know, I know…I have NO idea, and I oversimplify…but here's my dilemma. One of the problems that I've identified about myself is that I pretty much will eat whatever is near me. If we have it, I'll probably eat it. We buy chips every once-in-a-while for lunches, mainly Sally's lunch, and I can't help myself! On the other side of that, if we have a lot of fruit and veggies around…I eat that too. (I do have to interject…I have actually gotten better at just eating when I'm hungry and limiting my portions…it just sounds more desparate when I say I'll eat anything:)

I guess I have a lot to learn and even more to prepare for…and I suppose that's what being a parent is all about. That's probably why I won't get too many hard facts or too many specifics, right? There's too many to list and wouldn't it be like trying to tell someone all the changes you'll go through during your 20's? It's humbling already, but I'm ready for it!

Long, Large and Slim (my dress shirt that is)

2009-03-07T19:45:00.000-08:00

Last night we did something that I haven't done in about 15 pounds. We went "shopping". We didn't buy, but I tried on many, many things. Right now I go to work in the same clothes that I've had for the past few years and 65 pounds. I have a ton of nice shirts that work for the occasion but recently I've noticed how they are feeling more and more like sails rather than shirts.

As I sit here writing I can wear size Large dress shirts, the slim cut ones. I fit into size 36 pants and almost 34...I am actually a 35 if they made more of those.

Last night was the first time where I got to see myself in the mirror of a changing room (which by the way always adds what seems to be 10 pounds) and actually felt like I was looking at someone else. I didn't even notice the guy in front of me. Sally has been making comments here and there about how small I am now and how thin or emaciated I look. OK, maybe not emaciated, that is definitely an inside joke (especially funny since it took place 35 pounds and 3 years ago).

I walked away without any bags in hand, no new clothes... but I left with a sense of pride that all my hard work and determination has finally made a difference. I love it!

Optimism

2009-03-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

I live with an eternal optimist. She sees the possibility of goodness in every situation, every single person in every area of our lives. As I have been thinking about optimism lately I came to wonder if people are predestined to be optimistic or pessimistic. Kind of a lame thought if you got stuck on the half empty side! As I've read more and more about it and have searched my life for examples I've concluded that we have a choice everyday whether or not we are going to look at something through rose colored glass or not. I don't know about you but I vary widely from day to day, maybe that's my innate sense of over-dramatizing things, or is it over-analyzing things and reacting too sensitively to the analysis?!

I have found that living with a person like Sally has helped me see greater potential in what I can achieve. Optimists tend to make many, many plans and truly think that they can achieve all these goals. They crazy thing is, they usually do. Being optimistic can piss off pessimists. I know because I used to wallow in my own bouts of pessimism like a pig in mud pulling any and everyone down around me because so and so was achieving something I would rather not hear about. Yeah, wow. But for the most part I'm a pretty positive guy, in fact, I'd say I'm optimistic.

Especially now. As the weight came off and I fought through those days when I thought it was a waste of time or I thought I was destined to be a fat guy forever an amazing transformation took place within me. I became optimistic. I now believe in myself and I believe that if I make a goal I will achieve it. It is a powerful thing and it's very contagious! I'm lucky to have someone like Sally around me at all times reminding me that I can do it and most importantly that I WILL do it.

I found a few articles about Optimism and it's benefits on our health and well-being. Very interesting stuff. Check it out if you are interested. Here, here & here.

And...if you are needing an inspiring quote or two on any topic go to this great site: ThinkExist

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." ~Winston Churchill

A Different kind of Dumbbell Workout

2009-03-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

If you search around enough for what to do with those rusty dumbbell's sitting in your garage, you'll undoubtedly come across this article. I've come across it numerous times, saw it on Men's Health's website (and magazine) and I even went as far as trying them out without a dumbbell (just to see if it was worth my time.) Ok, my time? Really?! Today I got home and couldn't decide what type of workout I wanted to do. I clicked on MSN for some inspiration (seems so illogical) and came across this, again.

Today I decided to stop being lazy and give it a try. The whole routine is done with the same dumbbell, without stopping between movements...you get 2 minutes rest between the 4-movement set and then go at it again (3-4 times).

I started easy with a 15 lb'er and realized that I was wussing out...I stepped up to a 20 lb'er and for my final set I busted out a 25. I found it was actually easier to stay in form with a little more resistance...but that's me, do what works for you!

The link to one of the many places you can find this article is HERE, I also attached the pictures for you, because, well...I like you guys;)

By the end of this I was sweating. Then a few minutes later my body just tightened up. These are all very good examples of functional training (I'm not sure if it's called that)...but doing movements that you use in every day life to build up your core stability will help prevent many injuries! Try it out and let me know if you liked it!

99 (Baby) Bottles of Beer on the Wall

2009-03-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday marked 99 days till the estimated birth-date of our baby. Obviously the first thing that came to mind was the annoyingly catchy "99 bottles of beer on the wall" song…I spent the better part of the weekend thinking of how I could incorporate the amount of days left and that song. Babies and beer. I imagined the cartoon baby from looney tunes (the one with the cigar) reaching for a beer filled baby bottle…not really the image I'm going for. I then remembered hearing about a game played at co-ed baby showers (I can't think of a worse hell) where you have to race to finish one of those beer filled baby bottles. Hmmm. I then thought, "maybe I could explain how not drinking 99 bottles of beer could extend my life as a dad and further my advancement on this weight loss thing (yawn). I tried rewriting the lyrics to be "witty" and "original" but realized it's about as fruitless as coming up with an ending verse for the "song that never ends".

Alas, I've folded…I have nothing for ya. I'm just excited to know that I have that many days to get everything as lined up as possible…97 days (now) to keep working on all my goals!

*I apologize if that song is now stuck in your head…I always am stuck at 99, I take it down, pass it around then look up to see it has been replaced - I'm back at 99?!

TMI : Too Much Information

2009-03-01T18:02:00.001-08:00

The other day I was talking to a co-worker about my weight loss. Normally I don't talk about much at work except work but lately I've been chatting more about my personal life. With baby on the way and an obvious change in my appearance it's hard to escape it! The girl I was talking to had so many questions and wanted to know exactly what it was that I did in order to lose as much as I have. I swear not everything has been so cut and dry as I've made these last few posts seem but I really did have two distinct thoughts while I was listening to her.

The first is that there is just too much conflicting information at our fingertips these days. I recognized this early on as she was telling me how she's doing this and that and not eating this but eating that and so on and so on (a run-on sentence is best in describing how the actual conversation went!). I began thinking of how I sifted through all the information grasping onto what turned out to be useful nuggets. Exhausting! One day it's okay to do this then the next day it will lead to certain death. We are so fortunate to have information but maybe it's all the information that makes us quit prematurely? Just a thought...which actually led to my next thought. (which is...)

Clearly, we are all different people. Different shapes, different sizes, different ideas of how it should be done and most importantly we will require our own special code that must be cracked. Once you crack your own code you are in the money, trust me! It was easy to realize that I overate, it was difficult to figure out how to limit my portions and stick to it. It was super easy to realize that I didn't work out enough and it was a helluva lot harder to not only start but keep up a regimented exercise routine.

Don't get me wrong...I don't have it all figured out, I still struggle with many things that life throws at me! I just realized though, after talking with my co-worker, that maybe I've just cracked my own code (yes, I'm foreshadowing possible postings in the future...I didn't just use an obvious metaphor such as "cracking ones code" for nothing!)

Thanks to all of you that have checked out our Photo Blog...the response has been very positive and helpful! If you haven't checked it out...go here.

One of those Weeks

2009-02-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

This week has been one of those weeks. I haven't had the chance to work in any extra workouts at all. We met with our accountant, we met with a client for a wedding, we had our monthly class with our midwifery group, I worked late for two days, we worked for 9 hours straight to launch our new photography blog and today, finally, we woke up and felt like we turned a corner in our business.

So much of my blog thus far has mentioned how I build in my workouts so if I have a week like this then I don't have to feel guilty for not jogging 5 miles every other day. I've been banned from running at night in the city because I'm a father-to-be...plus, I suppose it can be a little sketchy anyways! I continued to do what I could: watching what I eat, doing the stairs at work, doing lunges and push-ups at night and basically trying out this new thing called maintenance. I was shocked that giving my body a break for a week actually made a difference.

I hit 215 on multiple days in the morning...at one point the scale said 214!? My body needed a little rest and it needed to see what it's like to be at it's new and vastly improved weight.

I don't let on to what I do much outside of this working out/losing weight gig but a huge part of my time can be divided into two distinct areas:

1.) Getting ready (mentally) for our baby's arrival. This means classes, painting rooms, reading about things, talking with my wife about observations we've made of other parenting techniques (use your imagination) and various other things that take up a lot of time.

2.) I work a second job. Sea Studio photography is a business that my wife and I started a year or so ago. We are constantly looking, talking and translating our inspirations into new blogs, blog postings, website redesigns, etc, etc. We make lists about everything, we even make lists of lists, it's crazy.

What I think has made the biggest difference this time around in my weight loss journey is I actually believe I can do it. I finally have stopped listening to that little, negative voice inside me that tells me every lie possible in order to keep me from making my dream a reality.

Anyways, I really just want you to check out our new Sea Studio Photo Blog...we put a ton of time and energy into it:) I will be back onto regular posting for this blog starting this week!! Thanks again for following along, as always!

Snoose for a Slice?

2009-02-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

Temptations abound in the Greenwood neighborhood starting next month. We just got word (or were reminded) that we have an amazing pizza place (Snoose Junction) opening within walking distance from our house. We are very happy about this but this will be a test for me because good pizza is my kryptonite, my weakness...and like all temptations, proximity is usually the catalyst for failure.

I vow to forgive myself for a slice here and there. And, I also vow to stop after just a slice!

Other notables about Snoose Junction are their commitment to being an Eco-friendly company. The decor inside is all reclaimed woods, some of which are taken from the lanes at a now defunct Sunset Bowl and the coolest part (sort of:) is all deliveries are done by bicycle!

It should be a welcomed addition to this growing neighborhood! They even have a cool logo;)

(Yes, I do realize that's two postings in a row that mentions pizza...I told you it was my kryptonite!)

Dream Run - #6 (New York, New York)

2009-02-24T14:36:00.001-08:00

A few years back, Sally and I lived in a very small Greenwich Village aparment in Manhattan. The adventure we had out there could fill an entire blog on it's own (or book) so I'll try to limit my excitement to just one of many walks I'd love to go on if we go back. This could very well turn into a Dream Run subset. I find myself gravitating to the things I know (Manhattan, Italy, Spain and pretty much anywhere I've traveled to)…I didn't have the foresight to see how hard it would be to choose somewhere like Bali or Rio and try to come up with a "dream run". If you've been to Manhattan with Sally or myself this isn't too far off what we would've made you endure! We loved torturing, er…touring with our visitors showing them the sites…we had it down, too!

Starting at Bedford and Downing (our apartment) we walk towards SoHo..saying hi to the Joe's on the road (old super). In order to get us through this long journey we have to (MUST) stop at Ben's Pizzeria for a slice of the best NY pizza (in my opinion) on the corner of Thompson and Spring. Refreshed we walk further south on the coolest, cobble-stoned road (and only with trees) in SoHo, Wooster! We swing by Sally's old work then cruise up by mine. It's out to Broadway and up to Bleecker…turning right we head towards the Bowery and see the remains of CBGB (rip). We navigate through a few streets with our sites set on McSorley's Old Ale House…(I see a common theme here reminds me of Dublin).

We then take a small detour to 1st Ave then brings us back to Day 1 when we stayed at a shoddy hostel! We walk down 14th Street (the longest of all the Streets on Manhattan...not Avenues, Streets) to Union Square and turn to head up Broadway to the Flatiron building. We look up at it and then push on across town on another long thoroughfare, 23rd st. We turn on 9th and head back downtown stopping in at the Chelsea Market to see if we can find Emeril. After checking out the market we browse up and down the Meatpacking District. We work our way towards Hudson Street passing Cowgirls and Christian Louboutin along the way. After enjoying our favorite stretch of the Far West Village we head back to Bedford, across 7th and back to our 400 sq. foot place we called home. I guess it would be weird to go back there now since we don't live there, but hey this is my dream run:)

Here's a picture of Ben's...oh how I love it so!

Do Your Chores!

2009-02-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I concerned myself with the amount of time it would take me to burn the calories of a truffle I ate. Today I'm doing chores. Last weekend, there was a lull in my posting because I was working hard on getting our baby room ready. I painted. I painted the baby room on Saturday, then I painted our room on Sunday.

This weekend, I escaped the big project list but am left with a house that needs a series of smaller chores done to make it look exceptionally clean. Just the way my prego wife loves it;) Right, honey..."yes, I know, just after I'm done here writing this post...I promise." Geesh, all those years of laughing at my dad's supposed "honey-do" list has come back to bite me!

In an effort to ease my mind for losing a day of jogging or feeling guilty that I didn't do a proper workout, I set out to find any information on caloric burn potential for the average household chore. I was pleasantly surprised, actually. Lugging that vacuum up and down and all around this house can burn 658 calories for a guy my size in only 30 minutes! That's about how long it takes. I was also surprised to see that my painting effort while beautiful and renaissance-esque, was also a helluva good workout, 490 calories an hour!

Here's another chart that I found out there with some common chores and the burn potential. It hasn't changed my mind on doing them, I still don't love to do them, but if I can work in a workout while doing them then I guess it's worth it...plus it makes the misses happy;)

Burning (Calories) Man

2009-02-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

While I was jogging yesterday (during the first good mile) I had this thought. Is there a calculation out there or a program that exists that could tell me how many minutes of a specific workout I would have to perform to burn off the amount of calories I'm about to ingest? In other words, I'm about to pop into my mouth an amazing truffle that is 50 calories...how long will I need to run and at what pace?

The answer I've come up with after hours of exhaustive searching on this convoluted thing called the world wide web is no, not really. If you want to figure this out there are a few different things to take into consideration. How many calories will you burn doing a specific exercise for your specific weight during a minute or an hour. Thankfully I came across multiple, very easy to use sites that have a calculator that does just that. So far the one I like best is here. After you've determined this, then you'd have to find an example. Let's say that truffle I was talking about...50 calories, not bad for a truffle...how long will I need to do the exercise of my choice in order to burn the caloric content of my chocolate treat? There must be something out there that can do this in one easy to use calculation...right? Nope, I had to take matters into my own hand.

I created a simple (very simple) spreadsheet that I have to enter numbers into but shows me very clearly the work I have to do to shed the calories I'm about to eat. It could be useful for making up my mind, maybe it'll get me to think: "do I really want to eat this" or "I have to run how far to burn that?" or on certain days I could use this as an excuse "If I run for 7 miles, tonight I can eat that whole Ben & Jerry's pint all by myself". Thank God those days are over;)

I'm still trying to figure out how to post my spreadsheet but here's a screen shot of what I made for myself to help me "weigh" the pros and cons. Yes, a horrible pun that unfortunately was intended:) Also, if you would like me to tweak the spreadsheet and make one for you I'd be happy to...just let me know your current weight and your exercise of choice! I'll input the numbers and send you your own cool, calorie calculator!

Head Games

2009-02-21T08:11:00.000-08:00

I've struggled a little this week coming up with things I want to blog about. Is that the right verb, "blog" or should it be "post"? Having a short week messed with my mind a bit, I kept thinking I had more time that I actually did. I would refer to tomorrow as the day itself...like "on Sunday I will do such and such" when usually I would just say "tomorrow..."

Or maybe it's just this week? Yesterday (which was Friday) I got off work and didn't feel inspired to do anything. But, I forced myself out the door and jogged 5 miles. I felt great for the first 2 then instead of kicking it into a nice, smooth cruising gear I hit a mental wall. It really made me think about how much of running/jogging really is psychological. It's mind games. I didn't want to be out there and I was in a hurry to get back home...therefore, my run sucked. On Monday when I ran 10.6 miles I had nothing to do and my only goal for the day was a long run. Go figure, it was a great run.

I guess what I'm really wondering is how beneficial is a workout if you aren't feeling it? Most of the time if I can just get myself started, the funk will subside and the workout seems worthwhile. But, on those occasions (such as yesterday) when I just can't get it to click I feel it was a waste of time. The funny thing is, I still jogged the 5 miles so physically I still "got" the workout.

I suppose there must be some benefit in at least going through the motions. I had to battle my laziness yesterday and I beat that so that's a win. The next skill to figure out is once I'm out there, how do I enter that blissful feeling of workout goodness. How do I let go of the week's stress and really just focus on how great it feels? Mind you, this only happens once-in-a-while, usually I have no problem getting out there...I usually am looking forward to it!

As for today, possibly our last sunny day for a week or so, what am I going to do? I haven't figured that out. I would love to get down to Greenlake again and at least put in one good lap around the outside...then maybe later on I could do a little yoga to settle myself down and give my tired body a stretch. Battling the head games has been exhausting lately but I'm still progressing which inspires me to get back out there. This morning I weighed 216.5, a new low!

Progress Report

2009-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

I weighed in at 217 this morning. I've been up and down, up and down the past few weeks but a breakthrough run and another look at my diet is showing me that I have much room for improvement. By the end of the month I want to be weighing in at 215 consistently. I know it'll happen!!

Some changes I've noticed lately are:

1. Further tightening of my mid section - less jiggle in the middle
2. I can feel more bones - I can see my ribs (but not in a starving-kid kind of way), I can see and feel those hip bones and I'm starting to see more of my neck (muscles/tendons/jugular/adam's apple).
3. My arms are taking shape - I'm seeing indentations by my bicep/tricep area and what appears to be deltoids
4. Sally said I'm "starting to get that v-shaped thing going on, broad shoulders down to skinny waist" - that's cool

Here's a graph of my weight loss since August (35 lbs.) Sally will be taking pictures of me next week so I can post some better Before/After shots!

Double Digits

2009-02-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

I did it! I was feeling good this morning and have had a run in my mind for the past few weeks. After my last "long" run of 7.2 when I went down to Greenlake around it once and came back, despite the watery left eye, I thought it would be possible to add a second time around Greenlake.

As I was jogging up to the lake I decided to stay along the outside ring and then I was going to pop into the middle eventually. However, today is a holiday and it was sunny out which in Seattle means EVERYONE was out in full force today. The double-wide stroller gangs (at least 3 wide and 2 deep), the latte holding weavers (matching North Face jackets and jeans), the high school crew teams (with oversized t-shirts and what appears to be spandex short-shorts), the tight-rope walkers, the Greenlake Speedwalker (complete with black yoga pants, Nike jacket and Nike hat with pony-tail out the back [can be confused with the Bellevue mall mom]), the roller-derby girls (no joke), the "way-too-cool" long boarders, the horse-like dogs with human size poop, the Lance Armstrong full-gear bikers and a bunch of other characters ...needless to say I stayed on the outer ring.

About 100 yards ahead of me I saw another guy going about the pace I wanted to go...so I switched gears and just cruised. Once I caught up to him (a safe, non-stalker distance) I just paced him. That dude was a machine...in fact he's probably still down there running laps.

The first one went by pretty easy. By the second lap I was feeling a little tightening on the sides of my quads along that muscle that runs from your knee up the side of your leg connecting to your hip...ooh yeah, I still feel it! But I kept on and before I knew it lap two was over and I was on my way back to Greenwood. I staggered into the house and plopped down to write this.

The double-digit mark has been a long time coming and really opens the door for more long distance runs. Or at least it's easier to conceive of them. With the half-marathon coming up in May or June (not sure which I'm doing) this is definitely helping with the frame of mind I think I'll need to make it 13.1 miles. In fact, if I add another lap around Greenlake it would be close to 14 miles!

Today I ran 10.6 miles...here's the link

Ode to Sigg

2009-02-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law, Jafar, sent me a text that made me laugh then got me to think. It was a small poem about his Sigg bottle that Sally and I got for him for Christmas. When we gave it to him we gave him the rundown on the benefits of having a reusable bottle (yada yada) and I told him how I find that I drink a lot more water because of it. Jafar and I talk a lot about our eating (or over-eating) habits and when he sent me this text it hit a chord because I have come to the realization lately how important it is to drink water all the time. I find that if I'm not at work, I don't drink nearly enough. I'm working on it, but without further ado…here is the text I received this morning:

"Take a swig out my sigg helps prevent me eatin like a pig! Ya dig!" ~Jafar

I was searching around for a scientific interpretation of Jafar's poem and found this strikingly similar message:

"If there is a slight dehydration the thirst mechanism may be mistaken for hunger and one may eat when the body is actually craving fluid."

Personally, I like Jafar's quote…It rhymes, it's to the point and it's backed by science!

Here's a picture of Jafar and his wife, Hailey, during a photo shoot we did of them awhile back. This was before he had his new Sigg...just think of how much higher he may have jumped!

Just a reminder...I'm still hoping more of you will share songs that you like when you work out. I'm thinking of compiling them all onto my iPod and taking them out for a jog...just enter them in the comments field of the last post!!

One last thing, DRINK MORE WATER!

Soothing the Savage Beast

2009-02-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I've been having a hard time figuring out how to write this posting because it is of great importance to me. Music helps me in so many ways but I'm not going to write a self-help on how music saved or changed my life, maybe it has maybe it hasn't, I'm just going to break it down into it's simplest meanings (for me).

It helps me run. It keeps me moving. It keeps me company (on those long runs). It makes it so I can't hear myself breathe hard (which is helpful). It's mine. The music I like is the best music in the world, according to me. Therefore, music is personal. But today music is simply a tool for working out.

I want anyone reading this to share with me 3 songs that you love to listen to when you work out. Personally, I like songs that have a medium to high beat per minute. I try to mimic the beats to my steps. Here are my 3 recent songs I want to share that are on my playlist at this very moment:

Noah & the Whale - "5 Years Time" - it tricks me into thinking it's warm out [good for those long straight-aways]

Tokyo Police Club - "Be Good" - dunno, just like the beat [good during the 1st mile]

The Von Bondies - "C'mon C'mon" - an older song that I used to listen to when I "used" to jog [good for those damn hills]

***One last note, I am not a "lyrics" guy...I mean, sometimes I hear them but usually I just pay attention to the music and not what they are actually singing about (this has caused some interesting situations btw)***

Now share with me 3 of the songs on your playlist!

Sweatin' to the Yogi's

2009-02-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I write things off without trying them. Sometimes it's intuition and sometimes it's someone's advice that leads me to not try something; then there's yoga. It wasn't because of something that someone said nor was it because of this supposed intuition, it just never happened. It was more of an after-thought. I guess I was just indifferent to the whole thing. I never even gave it a second thought. People asked if I'd ever tried it or would like to try it and it was more just a shrug and a "nah, maybe some other time". Maybe I was put off by the names of the moves? Downward Dog?

One day, about 2 months ago, I was sitting at home and it was starting to snow which made my afternoon jog unlikely. I sat on the couch, moping about wondering what to do. I saw Sally's Yoga DVD staring at me and I thought "no one's home, I guess I'll see what this is all about, it can't be too hard?" I got my ass kicked that snowy afternoon by a very calm, blonde lady on our JC Penney TV. I was hooked.

Sally got me my very own DVD by this guy (Eoin Finn) that's a surfer (imagine that) and now I was doing it at least once, sometimes twice a week. I'm a believer now. I don't have too much to say as far as yoga goes because I'm still learning it and trying to understand it but what I can say is that makes you feel amazing. It feels like your body is functioning as it was intended. The blood flows unobstructed delivering all the necessities through your body. My posture is straighter, I want to eat better and I swear it makes you feel like a better person. It's not an easy thing to explain without sounding like a freakjob hippie but the word "centered" has never made more sense than it does after you do yoga. Plus you sweat, a lot, and that makes it feel worth-while!

There so many dvd's out there that it's hard to know where to start. I like the one I use…here it is at Amazon and pictured to the left.

Birth-days

2009-02-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a moment to wish my wife, Sally, a very happy birthday (belated in real time, it was on 2/7…no, I didn’t miss it!)

By now it should be very obvious how important my support group has been. Sally has been there from the start for me. She listens to all my ideas, is excited for all my "ah-ha" moments, inspires and motivates me to do more…she even tempts me with ice cream and this amazing chocolate sauce that she "whips up". I usually cave in but a little ice cream isn't what makes you fat it's the lifestyle. Yes, an "ah-ha" moment!

I also wanted to announce (if I haven't already) that I'm going to be a Dad! (this is where you have an ah-ha moment). Yes, it's true…our own little, bundle of joy! This has been a huge motivation for me because I want to be living a healthy lifestyle and be able to teach our child(ren) without seeming like a hypocrite! I want to be around a long, long time and enjoy all of life's craziness!!

So…Happy Birthday Sally (I love you!) and happy almost birth-day to our baby. (does that mean our baby is -4 months old? Hmm)

(not) Blood, (maybe) Sweat and (or) Tears?

2009-02-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

I Google'd it. Nothing. I found how to keep sweat out of the eyes but that's not what was going on. I also found information about "dry eyes" which is an ironic name btw but not what was really going on either. The best way to describe it is; I was sweating out my eyes or I was suffering from non-emotional crying in the left eye. Yeah, I know, weird.

When I got home yesterday I plotted out a jog that would change my course and give me a new long mileage to work on, 7.2 miles. I set out on my jog and my eyes were unusually blurry but I figured it was because it was starting to get dark and my eyes don't see well in that dusk light. By the time I got 2 miles into it I felt my left eye well up with "tears?" but I wasn't sad. Hmmm…I kept going. Then a tear or tear like fluid rolled all the way down my cheek…I couldn't keep my eye dry. This lasted the rest of my run.

I jogged right in to the office and tried to figure out what was wrong with me? The only thing I did differently today was drink a big glass of water before I left. Has anyone ever experienced this? I don't think it's possible to have eye sweat but that's the best way to describe it?!

I made it through my run pretty painlessly (other than the overproducing tear duct) which is exciting and I woke this morning with a new low of 217 on the scale.

Another Notch

2009-02-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

I've got this belt. It's a pretty normal belt as far as leather belts go. Silver buckle, a few holes and it holds my pants up pretty well. I've had this belt for over 7 years. It's faded, cracked, the stitching by the buckle is frayed and it's actually mishapen from the years of yanking and stretching. There never was any sentimental value for me because it's just a belt.

A few months and about 15-20 pounds ago, Sally and I were visiting her parents up in Bellingham and I was giving my progress report when Dennis looked at me and offered to add a new hole in my belt. My belt wasn't really doing anything but being a waist accessory so I took it off and we went out to the garage to perform surgery…it felt like we were going to go shoot the old horse out back. Maybe it was time to just kill it and get a new one.

With the new hole, my belt worked again and the excess wraps so far around me that I have to pull the belt buckle to the side just so it doesn't hang down like that brief and really bad braided belt trend back in 8th grade (which I was never cool enough to pull off; who's cool now?!). With the revival of my old belt I decided to use it as a reminder of my journey, yeah, yeah all that cliché stuff.

Flash forward to yesterday. I was chatting with my dad (who has embarked on his own quest) and he just added a hole in his belt. I'm not sure if his belt is as uncool or old as mine but I was proud of his achievement because I know what that feels like. I pulled on my pants this morning and as I was blindly trying to buckle the belt (or thread it through the hole) I realized that I'm in need of a new hole. Could that be possible?! Yes, it is true and apparently quite possible so I am adding a new hole and perpetuating my belt's life.

It's more than just another hole though, it's an achievement and I'm keeping it! (I hear Sally groaning)

Mental Hurdle #3 - The Plateau

2009-02-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

I welcome the plateau (let me explain). A plateau signifies that things are clicking for me, I'm maintaining my current weight effortlessly, or shall I say, I'm more in tune with the changes I've been making and now I'm used to it. But, it also gives me the perfect opportunity to really break down my habits and make new goals.

Here's what I do everyday (almost):

Wake up, have coffee, have breakfast (always!), catch the bus to work, walk .6 miles to my building, climb 16-23 flights, sit on my butt all day, drink 2 liters of water, eat a PBJ and usually a piece of fruit, walk .3 miles to my bus stop, get home, go for a 4-6 mile jog (or 45 mins of yoga or nothing), then I settle in to figure out my dinner situation.

When I first started this weight-loss thing I was upset when I wasn't losing consistently and drastically but now recognizing a plateau, I will tweak my everyday routine and plan on other ways to make changes. What's next you say? Training for a half-marathon, different weight training routines and I am flirting with the notion of starting a food journal. It is amazing when you write things out, it holds you to your own word and will make you look at it differently. The best way to explain this is write down your age: (for me) 30. Only I know how I perceive this number and all the memories that are associated with it. I have my own time relativity and only I know how old I really feel.

But try this out, write out all the years you've lived consecutively.
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30

Wow, yeah I know…I've been doing this exercise recently which would explain the get married, buy a house and have a kid on the way phenomena;)

Embrace the Plateau! Then change something…you'll continue to lose in no time!

Worldwide Support Group

2009-02-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

Why Blog? I've been talking a lot about support from friends and family but as I'm reaching out and checking for new inspirations all over the internet I'm finding more and more people that are blogging about the same thing and I've started linking to my favorites.

I stumbled upon a guy named Andrew from New Zealand (check out his blog). He has already lost 113 pounds and has really changed his life! The other day I was thinking how funny it was for the past 4 or 5 years how I always talked about running when I "used" to do it "a lot". I did have my running phase back in 2000 and I probably lost some weight but I was better at being a bachelor and gained it all back and more. As I was making the final turn onto Greenwood off of 82nd the other night (a rare clear night) I got inspired. I was thinking about all the new inspirational blogs I've been reading and some of the running tips I had read about and it all made sense. I'm a runner again.

The other night we had Amy (Sally's best friend) over for dinner and she has started training to do a half-marathon. I realized the only thing preventing me from joining her is me.

So…why blog? To find inspiration! With the internet connecting people globally I am creating a virtual support group! Amazing blogs from people on all continents! I was on Andrew's blog and he had this video posted about another blogger.

Dietgirl…an Aussie living in Scotland, lost half her weight (175 lbs!) and has written a book about her experience:) Enjoy!

Watch CBS Videos Online

Laird, Gabrielle and Surf Lessons

2009-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've got this weird thing where I think I'm a surfer. Or, maybe it's that I want to be a surfer. Or, maybe it's more that I admire what they stand for?

Well, whatever it is it's weird that I've always had that feeling of attachment to the surf culture. What they wear, the music they make, their love of the earth, their laid back lifestyle…so many things. I've never surfed, ever, never even tried it. This is going somewhere…bear with me.

I came across an article about Laird Hamilton on MSN. It lists Laird's 10 rules on eating healthily as well as plugs his book "Forces of Nature". I found it very inspiring and in line with my beliefs…and then it dawned on me. Maybe I want to be like Laird, or at least aspire to have that surfer bod (as my wife calls it). Laird is married to Gabrielle Reece, a pro beach volleyball player. Which, coincidentally is my wife's fitness inspiration.

Kind of random but worth mentioning! Check out both of their bods (and an interesting swim suit) here.

A new goal: surf in Hawaii

A Little Help from my Friends

2009-02-02T08:53:00.001-08:00

Building a support system has been the key to much of my success. Sure, I can find the best workouts, add another mile, eat a little less but when you are just getting started nothing helps more than having someone to turn to for inspiration, for kind words and/or someone to keep you honest!

I have been very fortunate to have a wife and family that (of course) accept me for who I am or whatever I looked like. And, when I finally hit my breaking point, when I was wheezing to put a pair of shoes on or had to stretch my T-shirts before I put them on these people I had around me helped me more than I ever imagined.

With the help of a few goals (attainable yet lofty) I set out to transform myself. Sally was there to help me with anything she could and was absolutely the biggest support for me (on a daily basis). As time went on the occasional "wow, have you lost weight?!" helped but when I finally started feeling good inside everything changed. I had a tone of hope in my voice and a purpose in my stride. I seeked answers and tips, and I started asking the right questions to the right people. As time went on I found myself getting motivated to look different and weigh less everytime I saw my in-laws, my parents, siblings and even my co-workers.

This motivation has driven me far past the point of just losing a few pounds because Doc says so...this has helped me change my life. I'm indebted to all those who have helped me along the way and I'm trying to give back now. I'm giving all that I've learned and lending any support I can because I know how important it was to me! With that, my Dad is in the same boat I was in last year at this time...and HE IS MOTIVATED. I can't tell you how stoked I am to hear the same fire in his voice as I have in mine. I sent him a map of Chelan with a proposed loop that would make me even think twice. They conquered it and I want to share it with you!

Congrats Dad and Mom for demolishing this loop! Can't wait to walk it with you!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2487041

A New Look

2009-01-31T13:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, you are still on the right blog. I finally put a little time into personalizing it and making it my own. I'm stoked with how it looks now...no more of that obnoxious orange!

The shoes pictured are my trusty Kayano's that have been with me from the start. They were placed in the middle of Greenwood and I took a few shots of them with "my road" in the background. I will be making little updates to the look of the blog here and there and would of course love any ideas and comments. Don't be shy, really, I love the comments and will do my best to answer and feature any ideas you have!

Keep the faith!

Dream Run - #5 (Dublin, Ireland)

2009-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

My next Dream Run is also one I've been on but have promised to do again! I will get back to more of places I haven't been but at the moment I'm enjoying going back to the places I've already visited! I'm speaking for "we" not just "me" in this post specifically because I have promised my Father-in-law that we'd go:)

Starting at the hostel I stayed at (which I'd never go back to) we head out to a park. We quickly leave and head up a pedestrian friendly area then head out to the first main thoroughfare we can find. Our sights are set for my first major point of reference. After awhile on this road we head toward the River Liffey just to change it up…Eventually the magic happens. We have arrived at the Guinness Storehouse, the brewery! After the tour they treat you to a free pint of Guinness at the top of their building in a circular bar called the Sky Bar. Gorgeous!

Reluctantly we leave Guinness but am happily reminded of our next stop. The Jameson Distillery for another tour and a taste! Ahh…the smooth, triple distilled Irish Whiskey! You can't beat it! The rest of the trip is just a wandering back to where we are staying. On the way we walk through the Temple Bar, a cobble-stoned cultural center…it's very cool and there are lots of bars but we are beat from a long walk and a few binges so we head back and take a nap.

Go to Dublin. Drink Guinness and try Jameson's. Life is Good!

Click on this link to see the interactive map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2526435

Turning Point(s)

2009-01-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

Last night when we were getting ready for bed and I was doing my new favorite ab routine, Sally and I talked about turning points. I was asking her when she thought my turning point was. When was that specific moment when I finally felt that my goals were possible and actually believed it!? It's far easier to say things like "I can't do it" or "I'm not good at doing that" or "my body doesn't like that" or "maybe I'm just destined to be big" or "I'm big boned'd" or any other phrases we tell ourselves. What makes this so hard for people (as I'm finding out first hand) is that you believe yourself a lot more than you believe anyone else.

[begin side-track] The best way to explain this is how I came to understand Advice giving and taking. Ever notice how when you get "good" advice it's usually what you wanted to hear? And when you get "bad" advice it's usually what you don't want to hear? I'm not saying this is the only way to understand or interpret advice but it definitely makes sense. Some advice, the tough advice is also "good" advice but you don’t know it until hindsight kicks in. Moving on…[end side-track]

What I'm trying to find out is when did I stop believing all the excuses I was making? When did I finally start to think, "hey, this can happen for me"? The inner dialog shifted and my quest now is to find that point. My guess is, is that it's less of a single solitary point but a series of smaller points. I thought about this as I was finishing up my workout and hadn't come up with anything solid enough to say was it so I went to bed.

I woke today thinking more about it. As I write this I'm still unsure what it was but one of the most noticeable changes I've made is I stopped telling myself I can't and started believing that I could. I know, I know…I said this to Sally and she said "wow Tony Robbins". I'm reminded of how annoyed I used to get by "motivational" quotes and speakers and this and that and blech! When you feel like you can't do it you believe it, it's what you know and it's how it will be. Changing my train of thought into a motivational tone (for myself) has been the turning point(s). My goal is to keep the motivational speaker in my mind going and eventually figure out when the change happened for me. I will inevitably share with you what I find, because that's what I do!

The trick to all this is to change the advice you give yourself, you are going to believe and want whatever it is you tell youself so if it's for the better then you are on your way to seeing your own low number and achieving whatever goal you set for yourself! I believe that now and that's the biggest change in me!!

100 Motivational Fitness Quotes

2009-01-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

I've been cruising around looking for other blogs that can inspire me and maybe you. I came across this yesterday and wanted to share. It's from a blog called "Trying Fitness - because you've tried everything else", I've linked to it from my Blogs to See area but can be found easily by clicking here.

Quotes have never really done it for me, I'll be honest. Lately though, I've really started to understand why quotes are so amazing...they can be motivating for one (and a bunch of other wonderful traits that are seemingly very obvious to everyone but me?).

On this blog she links to a pdf (found here) of 100 Motivational Fitness Quotes, check them out and share them with whomever you'd like!

Side Effects May Include...

2009-01-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

A few things have been changing other than just the number on the scale, here are a few others...

I'm a lot colder…I have to wear a sherpa-lined hoodie just to stay warm, at work!

I finally get the whole "metabolism" thing…I don't know how to explain it, it's just very noticeable. I feel like my body is always running and burning, not sluggish like I used to feel.

A new wardrobe from stuff I previously "grew" out of…which now I've almost grown out of, too. *hint to anyone that knows me personally, my birthday is in June:)

Jogging is easier…at least physically! Mentally I still find it very challenging but now I when I go jogging I don't have that unsightly 60 pound fat sack strapped to me. My joints are never sore after a jog either!

I have a jawline…a visible one. I was going to attach a picture of Gaston but I realize the resemblance isn't at all accurate. I don't have a pony-tail nor do I have black hair;) OK, here's one

I'm more motivated in other areas of my life…I'm really focused on this weight loss and fitness thing but it has energized me in other areas such as writing and photography

I appear taller…according to Sally, but I suppose that makes sense!

Amendments - 1st Edition

2009-01-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

I've had a few comments about how my posts are worded so I thought I'd clear a few things up.

Last post I talked about a bunch of things I do during otherwise boring moments: well, let it be known that although all of these have been done by me at some point, I never do them all on the same day every day. I'm motivated, but I'm not crazy!

For the record...when I'm lazy, I sometimes do nothing too...my body also needs to rest!

My new low weight was hit yesterday...217. However, in all fairness to myself and my readers...I only "count" what I weigh in the morning (precisely 5:50am) not what I weigh after a 5 mile jog. (but it is pretty sweet to hop on the scale to see a low number;)

Finally, let it be known that Sally (my wonderful wife) is only helping me attain my goals. She is mentioned many times in my blog but only because she is such a great support system for me. I will be expanding on the importance of support systems and how they have affected me very soon! As well as explain why I started this and why I'm even more motivated now than ever!
Thanks for reading and following!

Building in my Workouts

2009-01-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

Here are 10 Things I do to take advantage of otherwise boring activities

1. When I need an elevator; I take the stairs (At work I climb 16 flights in 3 minutes.)
2. When I'm brushing my teeth; I do walking lunges or wall sits until my heart is racing or my legs give out
3. When I'm watching TV; I do a set of push-ups during the commercial break (max 4 sets, I'm still working on it!)
4. When I'm waiting for wife to come to bed; I do another set or 3 of push-ups or crunches and get all sweaty right before I hop in bed. Sal loves that.
5. When I'm walking around work; I walk with my abs flexed…builds core stability
6. When I'm carrying groceries; I do curls or hold my arms so they are parallel to the ground
7. When I'm putting on socks; I stand and bend at the waist pulling them on. (amazing core workout if done properly)
8. When I'm about to walk upstairs (at home); I do a set of incline push-ups
9. When I've turned on the TV and there isn't anything on for 8 - 9 minutes; no joke, I do a set of 8-minute abs (an oldie but a goody)
10. When I take the bus; I get off a few stops early and speed walk into work. It's actually comparable to walking normal speed from a closer stop. I've timed and tested it many times!

I'm always searching for new things I can do at the same time as a normal, everyday activities.

If you have any to share please leave it in the comment field, I'd love to learn some more tricks!!

A Goal – Improve our Image

2009-01-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

One morning, like many mornings, Sally and I sat with our second cup of coffee chatting about what we want to accomplish for that day. The conversation (as it often does) moved towards our new Photography Business (shameless plug “check us out at http://www.seastudio.us/”) and what we could do to build our brand. Out came the black notebook which is where it all starts. Another outline of ideas became goals but we touched on one that felt a little funny to talk about.

At the time I had lost about 25 pounds and I was feeling pretty good because I was back to the weight I’ve spent most of my adult life at…right around 255. I convinced myself that 255 was the weight my body “liked” to be, it was easiest to maintain and I felt it was who I was, my identity. (See this previous post to learn how I got over this). The idea of making goals isn’t about dwelling on the current state of affairs so we let our minds wander.

Our business gave me another reason to succeed. I wasn’t letting me down by not trying harder…I’d be letting down my wife (even though she wouldn't agree with that;) and possibly our well-being, our business. I know, I know, it can seem a little vain, almost narcissistic but seemed as valid then as it does now. Building a brand is a huge part of our business and gave me a goal beyond myself. I hit 218 this weekend and as I get closer to the number we wrote down that day the more I think maybe I sold myself short. An interesting, unexpected twist on goal setting!

Mental Hurdle - #2

2009-01-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

Diet and exercise, diet and exercise...I got so tired of hearing that's all it took. I would do the tricky, day-to-day "balancing" of what I thought was right. It usually included whatever I want whenever I wanted. With the help of Sally we started identifying all of my trouble areas when it came to eating. Slowly we started changing them and I found out that it really was indeed diet and exercise.

One day I was at work and found myself feeling very lethargic after lunch at work. That night I told Sally about it and we thought I should try something else. I took only a half sandwich, a piece of fruit and some crackers. It was crazy...I had been eating way more than I needed. I sit ALL day at work so I don't need a ton of calories to maintain. It was a Eureka moment for me and it made me excited to figure some more things out.

I started making sure I ate breakfast! This is hugely important...I read a quote about how to think of the meals we eat. "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." Think about it and give it a try.

While I was reigning in the amount of food I was eating I was simultaneously eating better foods. More fruits and vegetables (of course), more organics (everything I could afford), less fried foods, less fatty foods...and as time went on and I got healthier I stopped wanting things like chips, beer and other high calorie foods.

It was difficult letting go of some of these comfort foods but as time went on and my goals became more a part of my daily life the easier it got to stay away from them!

Dream Run - #4 (Dubrovnik, Croatia)

2009-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Admittedly this run is actually a walk that I did when I visited Dubrovnik back in 2003. I was curious to see how far I had gone because it felt like miles and miles. I suppose it was not knowing where I was going that made it feel long. Ends up this long walk was only 3.7 miles but the views on the way were so amazing that I would do it all over again!

It starts in the old town (like so many of my DR's do:)...then I climb up some steep, way too narrow stairs to the wall that encloses the old town. For a nominal fee you can walk around the top of it and see all of Dubrovnik from an unbeatable vantage point! I highly recommend visiting this "Jewel of the Adriatic"...I'm sure you all remember the wars that went on in this region...Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Serbs, Montenegrians, the Yugoslav Army and the like (early 1990's)? Well, mortars were basically lobbed down onto this town shelling out a large part of it. Now, after rebuilding you can see a stark contrast from the new and old. I'm attaching some pictures from that trip:)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2515321

Back to the Basics

2009-01-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

It's time to get back to the basics, folks! The good 'ol push-up…doing them is one thing and doing them right is a whole other thing. Today I'm reminded of how important it is to keep them in my daily routine. When I was first getting started last year I would focus on doing sets of 25. At one point I was doing 4 sets totaling 100 per night (quick math;). I have since gone in and out of having push-ups in my routine. I received an email from Dennis today that really got me thinking again.

I thought of reasons why I talk myself out of them…I mean, who really wants to do a push-up?! As I was trudging up the 16 flights to my floor this morning at work it hit me. Push-ups are synonymous with the Army and when I started thinking about the connection (an obvious one at that) my mind wandered to visions of trench warfare. Down in the dirt, muscles grinding, teeth gritting, exhausting…I knew then and there that my focus had to go back to the basics. There's a reason so many people don't do them. They are free, convenient and relatively simple (as far as motions go) but no one likes doing them.

As I was re-reading Dennis' email he was telling me how he eclipsed some of his last push-up goals. Inspired by me at one point, Dennis started keeping track of sets and has reported faithfully back to me on his progress. He's kicking my butt and is twice my age. I started looking up articles about push-ups and found one right away written in a blog named "Well" that is featured on NY Times' website. It's a great look at the push-up and how this basic movement can serve so many purposes and help us age a little safer, perhaps.

Check out the original article and video on the "Well" blog HERE

The Well blog is being added to my "Blogs to See".

My New Favorite Ab Routine

2009-01-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

The other day I was telling Dennis (my Father-in-law) about this great article I read in Men's Health. To better explain the situation I got down in the plank (the first move) during a large family party. I got a lot of weird looks but thought I'd post this workout as it truly has made a difference in my "abs". And yes, I'm starting to see them!

There are 3 pages you can click through...the first page is beginner, the next is the intermediate and finally the advanced. They are the same 3 basic movements with slight changes to make them harder. I'm in between beginner and intermediate at the moment.

Try them out, it takes just a few minutes! And let me know what you think:)

To get to the Men's Health article just click HERE!

Size 34, Really?

2009-01-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I tried on a pair of size 34" waist pants. I was surprised that they'd even go on my legs and even more surprised to find out that I could button them. I looked like a sausage and took them off quick!

Last night we were out shopping around and we popped into Nordstrom Rack to look at some stuff. I meandered back to the men's area and started rifling through the size 36 jeans, grabbed a few pair then went to the 34's...just to humor myself. I held up a pair that looked so incredibly tiny that I thought only a child or a very small man could fit into. I took those with me.

I tried them all on and each one of them I was able to button up. In fact, one pair I considered but on closer inspection it had a very illogical placement of one of the rivets. It was placed in the middle front which instantly made me feel like less of a man. Hard to explain until you see it.

Regardless, I was stoked. Just 1 year ago almost to the day I was wearing size 40" pants. The 36" I tried on last night were big, it's crazy. Some people live by the pants not the scale and after tonight I can see why. One side effect of losing so much weight is that it can be expensive trying to replenish items like jeans when they only fit for a month...my 36's that I bought just a few months ago look big on me these days. It'll be nice to get to where I'm trying to be and settle into a few more options!!! Getting closer:)

Yes, those are Ads

2009-01-21T13:41:00.001-08:00

I decided today that getting money from Google can't hurt, right?! Hmmm...we'll see.

When I Feel Lazy...

2009-01-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

...I think of how much closer to my goal I can get if I just force myself out the door. Often when this happens I have found if I just come home and put on my running clothes without any emotion involved. 9 times out of 10 (no I haven't counted, this is just a guess) I end up going jogging. Once I'm out there and past mile marker one it's all good.

Yes, I'm having one of those days...thinking about how good it feels to have it behind me doesn't always help...sure I love how it feels, who doesn't. I find that tricking myself out of laziness can work. Wish me luck! My plan (even though at the moment I don't want to) is to jog my 5 mile loop and try to better my time again:)

Dream Run - #3 (Florence, Italy)

2009-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

When we are on the road traveling, the easiest, cheapest and one of the most rewarding things to do is go for a walk around the city or town you are in. Take in the sites, see it from a different view and possibly or most likely stop for some gelato along the way!

Starting at the last place we stayed we head towards the River Arno, cross the closest bridge and make our way up to a wonderful viewpoint, Piazza Michelangelo. From there we make our way down a small path that leads into a very small, quiet part of town along the wall. The road twists and turns through and comes out along the river again. This time we follow it, checking for HUGE rodent's in the water, then taking a right across the Ponte Vecchio.

Following the tourist route we walk towards Piazza della Signoria and set our sights on the Duomo. From the Duomo we hang a left, stealing a glance at the gates of paradise and head down a main street. We stay left on the Y in the road and end up at Santa Maria Novella. Chug a Guiness at Diane's favorite pub (I always forget the name) and then walk up past the train station, hang a right then another, pass by the hostel I stayed at and walk down one of my favorite streets in Florence. Then we cruise through the flea market by San Lorenzo then head towards the back of the Duomo.

From there we weave through some tiny roads and end up at the best gelato place in Florence! Then it's a few blocks and we are back to the hotel to get ready for an amazing dinner:)

When an Article Hits Home, Finally!

2009-01-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

I've read this article probably 10 times throughout the last year. "10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin" It wasn't because I was looking for inspiration or for any new tips on health and nutrition but mainly because it is THE most popular article on MSN's Fitness & Nutrition category and it's featured on the MSN homepage just about every month and it's always disguised as a different article.

What I find so interesting is they are all very obvious traits/"secrets" but don't make sense until you are doing them yourself. The further into my life-changing journey to be thin the more I adopted these traits without even knowing it. I don't know if I ever made any of these goals of mine but with the help of Sally (who incidentally lives these on a daily basis) I started doing these things.

The other day, just after the New Year, it was featured prominently on the rotating images so I clicked on it. At first I dismissed it thinking "I've seen this way too many times"...then as I clicked to the next slide I kept thinking "I do that" click "I do that" click "I do that"..."that's weird, I do all these (*except one, I'll explain another time)"...it was then I started to realize just how much I've changed and a few days later I started this blog!

Check it out: http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100218116

The Importance of Goals

2009-01-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

This should come as no surprise to most anyone but setting goals has played a very large part in my overall weight loss. What made this goal-making experience so different that any before is that I made sets of goals - large and small for various amounts of time. Putting a time constraint on a goal, an actual physical date has made the single, largest difference to achieving my goals than anything else. More than my desire to lose and more than seeing a "fat" picture of myself.

The first date I put on a goal was to walk 50 times around Greenlake by the time we left for Hawaii last April. We did it, too (on the last day)! During the 3 months we gave ourselves to walk these 50 laps around Greenlake a funny thing happened. I started making more, mini goals. They all fell within the realm of my original goal and included adding on jogs around Greenlake to make it harder on ourselves. Along with setting a time limit or a specific goal date I began tracking my workouts as well as my weight daily on a calendar. I will expand on those ideas later in a separate post because they are almost as important as setting goals with a set date on them.

Another thing I learned about myself is once a big goal is attained my tedency was to enjoy it then forget about all that I had worked so hard for. I maintained throughout all of summer and stayed steady around 255. I had reached my goal and went back to life, living as I wanted. As Summer was waning I read about this website called Fatbet.net. The idea of tracking my progress so other's could see what I'm up to would keep me honest, it would motivate me to get back on track and most importantly give me a new goal. It forced me to write what my weight goal is as well as set a date for me to reach it. Amazing results…I had lofty goals and nearly made it but the transformation during this last push hasn't slowed down in me at all. Since late August I've lost an additional 35 pounds.

My goal is still losing fat but as I lose more fat I'm seeing more muscle and bones. When this started happening, I took a more aggressive approach to my goals. I added in jogs, yoga, sit-ups, push-ups and some free weights. I'm sampling all sorts of different workouts to find the best fit for me. Below is my graph from Fatbet.net which shows my weight loss since late August to today. The link will take you to the most current Fatbet we have going.

http://www.fatbet.net/viewBet.aspx?BetId=1119&Digest=2HOA7OyvgW5C167vYhcdag

Dream Run - #2 (San Sebastian, Spain)

2009-01-16T08:34:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite locations I’ve visited while on my travels is the beautiful San Sebastian located in the Basque region of Spain. I loved that place so much that I went there 3 times in the same trip. San Sebastian is known for it’s culinary prowess and is often considered having the best foods in Spain…which makes it an equally important location to throw in a jog or a walk.

We start in the Parte Vieja (Old Town) and head out towards the aquarium. Circumnavigating Mount Urgull along the water we take a right to go back through town on our way to La Playa de la Concha. We follow along the beautiful promenade until we reach the park at the base of Mount Igueldo, take a breather and watch the waves crash into the rocks with iron sculptures mounted on them…courtesy of Challida!

Then it’s back to the beach where we kick off our running shoes and walk along the beach and back up the ramp to the promenade. We then head back towards the Old Town to get ready for our night of pub crawling and tapas eating! Maybe throw in a Kalimotxo which is a drink my brother Steve found out about from a local which is 50% red wine and 50% Coca-Cola…ahhh, the Basque people had it all figured out!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2494992

DURING - Slowly Melting

2009-01-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

These range from Spring to late Fall. I swear the more I lost the happier I look, or maybe it's because my teeth appear that much bigger? Whatever it is, you can almost see a difference in energy level!

I'm going to try to get Sal to do a mini-shoot with me in different locations so I can update what I'm looking like now. What really excites me is that I've gotten so far but really do have quite a bit more to lose...check out the difference though:)

BEFORE - En Route to 280

2009-01-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

OK, OK...so I've been searching for pictures of me just before I went on my journey to losing a 1st grader's weight in fat over the last year! What I found is quite disturbing...I was bigger than I ever imagined, in fact, I remember thinking I looked good for some. I'm going to post a few because I think it's crazy how different I look now.

My 5-mile Route

2009-01-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

I used to live on 82nd St between 3rd and 6th Avenue about 6 years ago. When I lived there I ran this same route except it was stopped short because I lived on 82nd.

We now live on 103rd so this new, improved run has a built in 40 extra blocks. City running isn't nearly as scary as you'd think. Sally is always making sure I'm being as safe as possible. Honestly though, I feel safer on a sidewalk near a busy street than I ever felt when I jogged in the suburbs. Go figure?!

Anyways, here's where I'll be between 4:30 and 5:30 today if you're looking for me;)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2493814

Building in my workouts

2009-01-14T13:25:00.000-08:00

I figured out a way to build in a workout that I could easily follow every single day I worked. I work on the 16th floor of a building downtown on 7th between Olive and Stewart streets. Stairs!

I don’t know why I started it but last year some time I was on the 10th floor getting my coffee (they have a café on 10) and I was waiting for the elevator to come and I thought, eh, why not, give it a try. 6 floors later I was huffin’ and puffin’. After a few weeks of doing that I would show up to work and ride the elevator to 10 then climb the remaining set of 6. The beauty of this was it was always there and only my laziness made it not a viable option.

Skip forward to today...I get in around 7am and start my day by climbing 16 flights. I get my coffee and climb 6 more. On days where I want to mix it up, I will climb all the way to the top of the building, yeah, that’s 23 flights. Below is a picture of my building.

What I learned from this was the huge benefit of using your everyday situations to your advantage.

Mental Hurdle - #1

2009-01-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

Much of my struggle to lose weight came in various forms of mental hurdles that, as one would expect, have changed quite a bit since I’ve started. When I figured out that much of what was holding me back was myself I took to identifying the hurdle and treating them as a goal.

Through this blog I will be outlining a few of the major mental hurdles I’ve faced along the way. These will not be in any specific or chronological order.

When I entered High School I weighed 200 pounds. With the help of my football rosters and an easy weight gain pattern I’ve remembered this for years. My sophomore year I was 230 pounds. Junior year I was tipping the scales at 260…when I graduated I’d settled into my comfortable 250-255 range.

One of the most interesting mental blocks I’ve faced thus far is shedding my “big guy” identity. It was acceptable to say I was big boned or that my body “likes” being 255. In fact, during high school some of my friends called me Mungo after the character in “Blazing Saddles”. Mongo (not Mungo *note, my friends were good friends but not the sharpest tools in the shed) is a huge oaf and in an infamous scene punches a horse in the face. I played football and many of my friends were big guys so I just felt comfortable at that weight and comfortable with my "big guy" identity.

Only until recently after one of my many inspired talks with Sally did I realize there was a fear of losing my identity. I felt doomed to be what everyone knew me as “a big guy”. After that talk I came to my senses…being the “big guy” or the “big brother” never suited me well inside. I was over it, way quicker than it took for it to be gradually and deeply ingrained in me.

With that hurdle for my former “identity” behind me, my workout and determination became way more focused. I get excited to see people I haven’t seen in a few years, even a few months because I’m a changed man and I never thought it could feel so empowering!

Sigg

2009-01-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

I just filled up my Sigg for a second time today and felt compelled to write about them. Since we made the switch from Nalgene and other (begin sarcasm) awesome BPA leaching bottles (end sarcasm) I've drank more water than I ever have, have been more hydrated than I ever have and have been to the bathroom more than I ever have!

They can be found virtually anywhere these days and have tons of cool designs...just remember, NEVER freeze them.

Check out REI, Amazon, the Sigg website and any other outdoors store near you!

Here's the one I've got...we bought it at the Kokua Festival in Hawaii!

Dream Run - #1 (Makaha, Hawaii)

2009-01-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

When I couple traveling to favorite locales and my new found love of working out a beautiful thing is born. I'm calling this series my Dream Runs. Some of these places are places I've been that I would LOVE to go back to and revisit and some are going to be places that I just want to go!

Like so many of my goals have been so far, these places and ideas are just dreams right now...but like so many of my goals also have been achieved and therefore coming true. I will go to these places someday...and I will walk, run, jog, bike, skip...whatever it takes to make them happen.

The first is the beautiful Makaha! A 5-miler that takes you up in the valley then spits you out onto the water so you can mingle with the Turtles and walk back on the beautiful Makaha Beach! An obvious first in my Dream Run series!!

Click on the link to see more details: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2487016

Fitbit - Pedometer

2009-01-12T17:53:00.001-08:00

Saw this in an article about the Consumer Electronic Show and thought it was really cool. The device clips on to your clothing and keeps track of your steps, calories burned and answers the question - did I get enough exercise today?

It's wireless and when you walk within 25 - 50 feet of your computer it automatcally uploads to the Fitbit website. Once your info is uploaded you can logon and check out the analysis, share with friends and create collaborative workout goals and routines with family and friends.

Seems pretty cool to me, a toy down the road perhaps?!

http://www.fitbit.com/

Seeing 210

2009-01-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Like every blog that I've ever started, the desire to write until I have perfected an intro that will inspire other's to read on weighs heavily and seems so important. That's a lot of pressure so I'm going to jump right into the basis of this new blog.

I'm naming it "Seeing 210" because of a phrase that my inspirational Father-in-Law coined on one of our many emails back and forth about my newest endevour.

Around this time last year, January 2008, I weighed an astonishing 280...I've never been so much. I have always gotten away with being a "big guy" but 280, really! We had booked tickets to Hawaii in April and there was no way I was going to be the beached whale I had envisioned so Sally and I took to walking. The biggest step we took was making a goal, a goal of 50 walks before we left. I'm sure I'll be posting much about goals and goal-making as that alone has been a huge part in my quest to see 210.

This blog will explain my journey through thick and soon to be thin. If no one else reads this except my family then at least they can attest to the difference losing 60 pounds in one year can make on a person.

I look forward to any input, any ideas, new studies, different workouts and inspirations as I shed these last few pounds and see 210 for the first time since my Freshman year in High School! Who knows, I might see 210 then keep on going...it's hard to say, but having support along the way always helps!!!

Thanks for tuning in!