The Healthy Journey

What a crazy week.  Well maybe not so crazy.  My life has become pretty vanilla.  Black and white.  So maybe not so crazy.  The week started like it normally does.  Eat really good (still not great) and exercise.   I do still like my occasional bar food.  You know, the chicken wings, poppers, Texas toothpics.  Eating 3 chicken wings really sucks!  All that work on 3 wings for chicken wing goodness.  Sometimes it doesn't make it worth it.  We all need our fix every once in a while.  Thats the key right?

For all you calorie counters out there.
3 wings from Applebees is 385 calories and 29 grams of fat! 

So just think about it.  Eat 3 and eat more stuff.  Or eat 12, exercise like a mad man for HOURS.  Then squeeze in some great food.  No thank you.  This is the whole reason why I count my calories.  Its a pain in the ass, but for once, I finally know what goes into my body.   Don't get me wrong.  I'm not going to deny myself these foods.  I LOVE these foods.  I just limit them.  MODERATION is my key.  I've tried eliminating these foods from my diet......scratch that NOT diet.  Take 2.  I've tried eliminating these foods from my new healthy changes.  But it seemed to make it worse.  I craved these foods.  I mean super duper CRAVED!  Once I ate them, it sent me into a downward spiral.  6000+ calories later, I was on an emotional roller coaster.  Anger, guilt, depression.......stuff that nobody should be dealing with.  So I've learned MODERATIONS.  Its taken me years to learn this and not to diet.  Just eat right and exercise.

I'm down 2lbs this week.  I couldn't tell you how.  Normal days earlier in the week.  Then I got sick half way through the week.  No exercise since I've been sick.  To make it worse, I really haven't eaten well or eating food at all!  I'm not too worried about it though.  As soon as I'm not sick, I will be back on track.  Next week is going to be tough.  Lots of baseball stuff going on.  Pretty much will be this way for the next few months.  Finding time to exercise will be tough.  Making sure I eat good meals will also be tough.  Quick and easy will rule the next few months.  We'll have to fight that urge, so lots or pre-meal planning for the next few months.  My goal is to avoid fast food as much as possible.   And to avoid the quick and easy frozen meals.  I know how to do this, we can do this.

If you Tweet, follow this one.  Its been great!  Sometimes its a big eye opener and also DUH!!!!
http://twitter.com/EatThisNotThat

Healthy Changes

What a slacker I am.  I can't believe its been two weeks since I last updated my blog.  I like updating it.  I like attempting to write.  I suck at it, but I do find it entertaining.  So why no updates?  I'm just a big ass slacker.  That's the only explanation I have.  A big HUGE slacker.

Speaking of big.  I'm a litte frustrated again.  Actually a lot frustrated.  Since I decided to finally make a healthy change last summer, its been good.  I weighed a ginormous 265.  I've never EVER been that big.  I never thought that I was that big.  I've dropped 30lbs.  But now I've hit the wall again.  That stupid freakin' wall.  Its been nice, consistantly losing about 1/2 - 1 pound a week.  Some weeks gained, but I was always down at the end of the month.  This time not so much.  The thing that bothers me the most is I feel great.  My clothes are huge.  People are noticing the changes.  So why does it not reflect on the scale?  Thats the part that is very frustrating. 

Talked to my friend John again.  He's half the man that he used be.  He's always been good for great advice.  My first step is to not rely on the scale so much.  I know my body, I feel the changes.  Second step, take a picture.  I don't want to.  Who really wants to see that.  Even I don't want to see that.  A picture would be a great tool at how well I've progressed.  So twist my arm, hold me down, duct tape myself to the wall.  I will take a picture.  I believe I still have a picture from last year when I first started.  I would be nice to compare the two.

I've come a long way.  In pass months, if I wasn't losing any weight, I would be really down.  Which would end up me binge eating.  Now I don't let these little things affect me.  There will be ups and there will be downs.  A lot more downs then I would have even known.  I don't look back, I just move on and tackle the next day. 

I like food.  I LOVE food.  I hate dieting.  So I compromise.  I make better, educated decisions of what I eat.  I eat what I like (in moderation) and I most importantly, I exercise.  At least 5 days a week.  This has been the ONLY thing that has worked for me.  No fancy pills, no fancy drinks, not cabbage soup diet, Atkins, South Beach.  Believe me, I've tried some of these, great at first then major disappointment and failure.

Stay positive and be positive.

The Routine Monster

I have not realized that I'm SO set in my routines! WOW! I wake up everyday between 5:00-5:30am I take a shower, make coffee and eat breakfast. All before 6:00am. I watch Mike and Mike in the morning. Start getting ready at 6:45am. Check out Hannah Storm on Sports Center at 7:00am. Leave for work at 7:30am. WOW!!!

Even at my job its the same stuff everyday! Arrive at work 7:45am. I have reoccurring tasks to do for each day, each week and and each month. The same tasks everyday, every week and every month. WOW! Everyday, inventory levels, too high...too low. Sales reports, back orders, open PO's, overstock. AAHHHH!!!!! Its spread sheet hell sometimes. But yet again, its another routine. WOW!

Same routines on the weekends. Wake up early 5:00am-5:30am. Watch Sports Center. Watch College Game Day. Watch Sports Reporters. Watch NFL pregame shows. Its all the SAME! WOW!!! This cannot be normal.

Changes in my work place has made me take a step back and take a look at myself. I've been living my life with blinders on. Last week I had a four day weekend and I was going CRAZY!! I was a terrible grumpy old man last Monday. I was such an asshole. I was terrible. How in the hell do my kids and wife deal with me. Its so sad and funny. So sad that a small change, like vacation messes me up so bad. So funny that I let a stupid thing like this mess me up. Isn't vacation suppose to be a relaxing release from everyday life and routines. WOW, what the hell is wrong with me?!?!?! I'm vowing to change! Its been years of the same stuff everyday. Hopefully stepping back will not send me to the GRUMPY OLD MAN phase again. Maybe baby steps first? NAH! I'm going for it feet first off the high dive in the deep end.

WAIT! Is this a mid-life crisis talking?!?! Man I hope not.

My healthy life style change.....

Lost 1 more pound last week! WAAHOOOOooooo!! Still on the mend with my bad hammy. Still no exercise. But my hammy feels 10x better the last couple of days. Hopefully I can start my exercise routine again next week. WTF?!?! <---another routine! This is going to be tough change for me.

One of Jennie's school mom friends noticed I lost a lot of weight. That always makes me feel REALLY good. Lets me know what I'm doing is actually working. That is always a good thing.

I've been checking out Halloween costumes. But this year I haven't been looking at the plus size costumes. Its always the same. Fat Priest, Fat Pimp, Fat Zombie. It will be nice to get a cool no plus size costume.

My BIG pants!

Stupid cold! I really, really dislike the artic cold. STUPID COLD!!! I was trying to be a grown up and wear pants. I'm already way over the pants. My pants are too BIG, my belts are too BIG. I don't want to go buy new pants and belts. My kids keep telling me to pull my pants because my underwear is showing.

Today I went with my sweater.....

paired with some shorts......

SCREW YOU COLD WEATHER! I'm wearing my damn shorts!

Big day for me tomorrow! Hopefully I'm down and not the same.

Calorie Goal: 1750

Consumed 1760 and burned 300.

Lots of temptations today! Chips at Micasa Too. Fully candy bowl at work. Pub Mix in the break room. Today was good, had none of it.