A New Low

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.

Down, Up times One Hundred

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 :)

A New Idea, Direction and Goal

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!

Seeing 210 by EOM

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

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

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!!!

Calling Myself Out

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:)

What Next?

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!

Progress Report

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!

Laird, Gabrielle and Surf Lessons

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

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

Turning Point(s)

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!!

A Goal – Improve our Image

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!

Back to the Basics

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".

When an Article Hits Home, Finally!

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

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