Weight Watcher? Make that Weight Warrior!

Hey, sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was... lazy. Well, as far as blogging is concerned. In reality, I went grocery shopping, cleaned up the house, did some yardwork, hit the gym and cooked a delicious and healthy dinner. Today, after work, I got in a great workout. I'm still rockin the elliptical. After all this time, I still seem to struggle with entering the realm of weightlifting, but I am confident that I'll get there when I'm ready. What I did manage to do today, was ramp up the intensity on the elliptical by ramping up the resistance on the machine, which helped to keep my heartrate a little more steady without having to focus on my speed. I like it.

OK, so last time, I mentioned in passing a little 3.5-mile obstacle course race that I completed recently. The event is called Warrior Dash. I ran it in Forney, Texas, a suburb in Southeast Dallas, which just happens to be a city where a lot of my friends live. I got off work early on Friday the 30th and drove the 500-some mile trip, arriving at a friend's house around midnight. The following morning, we got up, had a nutritious Chick-Fil-A lunch and drove down to Cousins Paintball, where the course was laid out. The course winded around the paintball grounds, through a creekbed, a small bog, the woods and some fields. Along the way, there were obstacles such as a huge wind machine, a steep, 15-foot muddy incline with little more than some slippery footholds in the mud and a rope to climb it, some large cable spools to hurdle over, a 20-foot cargo net, a line of fire to jump over and a long pool of thick mud with barbed wire overhead to crawl under. Here I am taking on those last two obstacles (which were the final two, less than 100 yards from the finish line):I really enjoyed running this race with my friends. The weather was perfect, the energy was palpable... I finished the race in 45:13.60, which is a 14:35-minute mile pace. That's not terrible, but considering someone finished it in under 18 minutes, I'd say it's not amazingly good either. That said, it's only about 30 seconds slower and 0.4 miles longer than the 5k I ran last summer (not to mention being slowed down by the obstacles)... I'm getting better. My primary frustrations were that the course was very muddy and slippery in some spots which made it difficult to run, and I'm still very bad at running in a full-impact setting. I really need to train myself to run somewhere other than the elliptical, because my 9-minute mile pace there doesn't translate to real running in any stretch of the imagination.

Anyhow, Warrior Dash was awesome. I can say with confidence that it was the most insane race I've ever run, and I'll definitely be running again next year. I know that by that time I'll be at my goal weight, I'll be in much better shape and better trained for real running. I hope to improve my time by at least 10 minutes.

Oh, and if any of you are tempted to run this race (which how couldn't you with my fantastic retelling of the event and inspiring pictures of me triumphing over it?), fear not, for there are 7 more Warrior Dash events throughout the states over the next several months:
5/22 & 5/23/2010 - Southeast
6/19 & 6/20/2010 - Midwest
7/10/2010 - Northwest
8/21/2010 - Rockies
9/18 & 9/19/2010 - Northeast
10/9/2010 - Mid-Atlantic
10/30/2010 - NorCal

Two years ago...

Two years ago, I stepped into Weight Watchers and signed up for the 5th or 6th time in my life. I had every hope that this time would be different than all those other failed attempts, but no real reason to actually believe it'd happen this time. The program works, I knew that walking in; I just struggled in the past with sticking with it. I'd get bored or frustrated or just fed up with being mindful of what I was eating and I'd quit. I was ready to give it another shot and anxious to see where I had gotten myself, having avoided scales for a full year since my last time quitting Weight Watchers. I knew I was going to be higher than the 325 I was at last time, but I was shocked to see 358.2 pounds: by far, I was in the worst shape of my life at 28 years old.

After the meeting, I sat down with my leader to discuss my goals and was told that, according to the BMI scale, I should be at maximum 179 pounds. That is exactly half the weight I was when I started this weight loss journey. I shook my head and frankly said "I'll never be able to get that low." She told me not to worry about it, that I should set smaller goals (like 10%, a whopping 35.8 pounds, 5 more than I'd ever lost in my life), that my doctor could sign a note if I wanted to maintain a weight higher than 179. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but wound up choosing 225 as my goal weight. I've never in my adult life been that low. By the time I finished growing up to the 5'11" (really? I couldn't have just grown that one last inch?) that I am today, I was already over 250 pounds.

There are commercials on the radio from time to time hocking some diet drug that ends with the tag line "get high school skinny." Well, fuck you fad diet advertisers. I've never been skinny. Not in college, not in high school, not in middle school, not even in grade school.

Two years ago, I was a completely different man. I snored heavily. I had severe back pain just trying to turn over in bed. I was wearing size 3X shirts and size 48 jeans, both of which were fairly tight and unflattering. I was a hot mess, but I was willing to do something about it. That was two years ago.

I don't recognize that guy anymore. I've lost over 130 pounds. I'm now just 2.6 pounds away from hitting that final goal of 225 pounds I'd set for myself on day 1. I'm not where I want to be yet, but the fact that I'm almost there is just incredible. I've come a long way in 2 years. I'll hit it, celebrate casually, go skydiving with some friends later this summer, then press on until I find the weight I intend to maintain.

I know I haven't posted in a while. I know a lot of you have been commenting on my last post asking where I am, how I'm doing, assuring me that no matter how bad it's gotten, I've got support in this community. I want you all to know those comments haven't fallen on deaf ears. I appreciate all of the encouragement, truly (especially the comment I got from BornSquishy).

So what's been happening? Well, I struggled with my eating and my exercise and gained about 20 pounds in 2 months. I went through some rough realizations about my relationship with my fiancee and parted ways with her. I finally broke out of the ranks of the unemployed; I've been working in my field now for 2 months. I got back on the wagon and lost all 20 of those pounds I'd gained in less than half the time it'd taken me to gain them. I ran a 3.51-mile obstacle course race with some friends in Texas (more on that tomorrow).

I'm on track to hit that 225-pound goal within the next couple of weeks, depending on how things go this coming week. I can't wait to share that success with yall.

Just shy of the new milestone...

but I'm celebrating it anyhow.

I lost 3.4 at WI today after 2 weeks of really solid workouts and tracking. Recently, I've added 30 minutes of recumbent bike to my workout. It seems to have helped me along, and I'm happy with my progress on the elliptical as well, where I've been pushing my intensity ever so slightly.

To reach 125 lost, I needed to lose 3.6. I was seriously 0.2 shy. Oh well.... Enjoy!

Progress so far: 124.8 pounds.

Really wasn't expecting this one

Wow. Just... wow. I know I kicked it into overdrive after the slip-up last Friday, but I completely surprised myself at weigh-in today.

Down 3.2 since last weigh-in (4 weeks ago). Just 6 days ago, I was fully prepared to face a gain. Color me impressed. Now To prove this is for real. Time for another week of solid focus and determination.

Progress so far: 121.4 pounds.

I should be committed

Yesterday, during another energizing elliptical workout, I got a little bug in my ear that I should really thank my gym for all the help and support I've gotten in my weight loss journey. Letting my mind wander like that and think about what I'd say really helped me blast through the rest of my workout at a slightly higher-than-normal intensity without even really noticing.

When I climbed off, I wandered over to the trainers' desks and asked one if she had a moment. She's definitely one of my favorite staff at my gym, particularly when I lost my membership card and asked her if I could get another, she told me they would normally charge $15 for a replacement, but then she saw I was sporting an "I voted today" sticker (this was super Tuesday 08) she said she couldn't charge someone who had done their civil service.

Truth be told, everyone working at my gym is like that. From the moment I walk in the door and hear "have a good workout" from the person at the reception desk, to the knowing, encouraging nods I get from trainers as they walk by me sweating it out on the elliptical, to the "have a great day" as I head out the door, I just know I'm in my gym.

Anyhow, I sat down and told her how my journey started 20 months ago, and I didn't step foot in the gym until I was already 2 months and 30 pounds into it. I told her how grateful I am for my gym and the supportive staff there, how I couldn't have lost the additional 90 pounds without them and how I am confident that I will continue on to goal, maintenance and a lifetime of improving my fitness as long as I have such a strong system behind me. I could see in her eyes how much it meant for her to hear that. She pulled the GM of the club over to hear me tell him the same thing and he encouraged me to send in an email. He told me that more often than not, the people who speak up are the people who are unhappy with something because the majority that are pleased with their experience don't really feel the need to give feedback. I could just tell that sharing my story with them really brightened their day.

I was also handed this t-shirt, which I'm told is a very limited edition prize that only the most dedicated individuals earn. ;) So I sent my email. I hope it helps those trainers realize they are appreciated.

This morning, I hopped on the scale for a sneak peak and I may not be showing a gain after all. I still have 7 hours to go till WI, but right now, it's looking like I may maintain or even lose a little bit. Awesome! If I lose even a hair of weight, I'll be in the 230s for the first time, barely there, but there nonetheless. I'll just have to keep working it this next week and get a more solid grip on the new weight decade next week. It's gonna be a challenge this weekend, too. Tomorrow night, we are headed to a French bistro with some friends. Saturday, we head to the KU game and will be grabbing dinner at a BBQ joint, then it's make-up Christmas at my dad's Sunday.

I'll update this evening with the official result. Lates.

I feel so incredible

Today has been one of the best days I can remember recently. I woke up feeling fresh and ready to face the day. I started cleaning up some dishes and for one reason or another I got a fire lit under my ass. I spent 2 and a half hours cleaning behind, around and inside the oven, the kitchen counter, sink and floor, the bathroom sink, toilet, floor and (with a lot of tilex and bleach) the bath tub.

After a great lunch and some more cleaning, I added 50 songs to my workout playlist, which I must admit has been getting a bit old after a year and a half of the same 36 songs. I headed to the gym later than usual. I got there smack in the middle of the evening rush. It took me 5 minutes to find a parking spot. Not a nearby space, just any space. By the time I was ready to work out, it was 5.30 and there wasn't a single Lifefitness elliptical open. None of the 18 treadmills were available either. I grudgingly climbed on a Precor elliptical and got to work. It was different, not too difficult, just awkward and unfamiliar. I kept glancing over my shoulder to see if anyone was leaving my preferred machines, and a couple of times I spotted an open machine, but didn't bother heading over to it because I could see someone headed for it already.

Finally, 11 minutes in on my slightly clumsy workout, one opened up right behind me and I lept on it right away. The rest of my workout was familiar and focused. I really enjoyed my new playlist tracks as well.

After I got home, I took advantage of my freshly-cleaned tub and took a nice, long, extremely steamy shower. I reheated some delicious steak tips and peppered mushroom gravy (courtesy of my fiancee's new Cooking Light subscription), curled up and started watching Biggest Loser.

I had this feeling just wash over me. I don't know if it was the housework accomplishment, the solid workout, the comforting shower or the delicious dinner (most likely the whole day coming together), but I just felt extremely good. The only way I can describe it is the polar opposite of a wave of nausea. What a fantastic day.

Continue

Sometimes, my weight loss is in a zone where nothing could derail me. It is during those times that I will lose fierce amounts of weight and my motivation will soar. So why, if the weight loss is a strong cycle of effort, reward and drive do I so frequently halt that solid progress and lapse into a period of negligible loss (or worse, gain)? I have a compulsive need to celebrate and reward those periods of focused loss with a short (sometimes just a single meal) relaxed grip on the program.

Most recently, I gave myself permission to indulge on Christmas. I knew it was going to slow down my solid progress, but it hit me hard. I worked my butt off and was hoping to weigh in on the 8th with at least a maintain from my previous weigh in on the 17th. Well, that didn't happen. I was facing a gain and let myself get talked out of going to weigh-in. Weather, gain, first meeting of the new year... blah blah blah. Instead, I went to a buffet and indulged again.

The following morning, I felt that all-too-familiar remorse and was certain I was going to get back on the wagon full force and post a loss at the next upcoming weigh-in. Well, then an email arrived that delivered some bad news on a job that I thought for sure I was going to get. That would have been the end to a four-and-a-half-month stretch of unemployment. I responded by devouring the remains of a bag of tortilla chips and half a frozen pizza, then a burrito from chipotle. Had I not felt stuffed to the point of pain, I would have eaten 800 Calories worth of monkey bread as well.

I know I'm still an emotional eater, but I also know that I've fallen 142 times in this weight loss journey. I've stood back up and dusted myself off 142 times too. That's all I can ask of myself. I know I'll never be able to be the perfect loser that can go from huge to tiny without a single hiccup along the way. Instead, I have to be the loser that can recognize his mistakes and continue the process.

So here I am, freshly back on the wagon and determined to succeed. I'll likely post a gain this Thursday, but so what? At least it won't be a 40 pound gain, right?