Wow. How the heck did I end up going over a month with posting any updates.
So the last month has been busy. My living history season is getting fired up. The early goose hunting season is in. Omar the wunderpuppy has had a delightful bout with some strange guttural problem that sorta put him in the hospital for two days. I had to go on the road for a couple days and had planned to board him at the breeder's kennel where I got him. But with a sick pup that was out and he ended up getting boarded at the vet's office.
Work has been busy as usual.
And I have been a pitiful excuse of a weight-loser. I haven't been to the gym since before I went to Wyoming. It simply feels like I have lost some of my early control.
But, thankfully, I know a loving God who is really helping me.
This afternoon, while waiting on a customer, as they were backing into the building, I stepped onto the scale. I figured I was probably about the same as I had been before. But evidently, something is just working.
432 today.
That is down another 10 pounds since July 10. And I really can't explain it, other than divine help. But this is encouragement that I needed to refocus and reorganize again.
Read more!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Good Report
I had a 3-month follow-up with my Doctor this morning and got a very good report that I was not expecting.
When I started this long road, I of course consulted with my primary care physician to get advice and guidance, and also to establish a few baselines of my overall health.
Now, the only real health problem I had at the beginning was the obesity, but it was just a matter of time before it really caught up with me.
One of the areas that was on the verge of being a problem was my blood pressure. I have never been diagnosed as having hypertension or high blood pressure, but it wasn't long until I did. Actually, my systolic pressure (the top number) was in the Stage 1 level of hypertension and the diastolic was in the prehypertension levels. The reading in May was 148/82.
Today, the reading was 124/86. And while these are still a little bit high, they show definite progress.
It's a good day.
Read more!
When I started this long road, I of course consulted with my primary care physician to get advice and guidance, and also to establish a few baselines of my overall health.
Now, the only real health problem I had at the beginning was the obesity, but it was just a matter of time before it really caught up with me.
One of the areas that was on the verge of being a problem was my blood pressure. I have never been diagnosed as having hypertension or high blood pressure, but it wasn't long until I did. Actually, my systolic pressure (the top number) was in the Stage 1 level of hypertension and the diastolic was in the prehypertension levels. The reading in May was 148/82.
Today, the reading was 124/86. And while these are still a little bit high, they show definite progress.
It's a good day.
Read more!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
A Test
Well, I am a about 2.5 months into this journey, 22 pounds lighter than where I started (442 as of Wednesday this week) and I am preparing for a good test of the lifestyle change.
Tomorrow afternoon I am leaving for a week for at the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous. If I come back having maintained weight, I'll be pleased. It should be a good opportunity to do a lot of walking, too.
Pictures and a report should be here when I return.
Read more!
Tomorrow afternoon I am leaving for a week for at the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous. If I come back having maintained weight, I'll be pleased. It should be a good opportunity to do a lot of walking, too.
Pictures and a report should be here when I return.
Read more!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Little Victories
Sometimes, you have to take the little victories.
Everybody in a war wants a big victory, their Gettysburg. A victory that changes the entire flow of the war. But sometimes, you have to take the little victories.
And probably no where is that more true than in the weight loss war. I mentioned in my last post about how my work life was making it difficult to keep up the fight in my weight loss war.
Well, work is still busy, but there have been a few little victories in the last few weeks. Between 2 and 3 weeks ago I needed some jeans for work one morning, but everything I had was dirty or torn up too bad to wear. So I started digging through a pile of clothes on a chair in my room and found a couple pairs of jeans that had been thrown aside in disgust several months ago. At that time they didn't fit. Not even close to fitting. The button was 2 or 3 inches away from fastening.
But no longer. That morning as I began my day, those jeans could no longer taunt me from their pile, as they buttoned with little effort. A little victory.
However, getting back into these jeans created a new problem. My belt was left serving no purpose. With the jeans buttoned and the belt on its first notch, I was left with a gap. A big gap. big enough that I could place my fist between the waistband on the jeans and the belt before it got tight. So, that night, I had to dig out the leather punch and added 4 new holes to the belt. As of today, I am in the third of the four holes I added. A little victory.
Last week, I was finally able to break away from work enough to get in a couple of workouts, which considering everything that was going on, is a huge deal, and one that had to be done, because I knew what the weekend was going to be like. Last Friday, my parents, grandmother, and I headed for St. Louis for a wedding. Weddings are great things, but can be hell on you when trying to lose weight. Really, it was a test. Friday night was the rehearsal dinner which was a great meal. Hors d'oeuvres were melon in prosciutto wrap, cucumbers and cream cheese, and olive spread with crackers. Dinner was a pasta with sausage and green beans. Dessert was raspberries, chocolates, and a berry sherbert. The food was great, but very easy to overeat on. Lunch Saturday before the wedding was fast food. The reception was buffet with shrimp, chicken, roast beef, potatoes, salad, and of course cake. Sunday, since my brother and his family couldn't make it to the wedding due to illness, we came home via their place. And lunch again was fast food. Yep. I'm screwed. Probably gain 4 or 5 pounds back. Damnit.
So today, I stepped back on the scale to see how much damage I did. And as of 6:30pm tonight (I know, bad time to weigh), I was 443. Actually down another pound from the last weigh in. And while I would really like to be dropping more than one pound, when I don't get to do much serious exercise and going for three days of low activity and lots of rich food, havin lost a pound is a little victory.
It's all about learing to enjoy little victories.
Read more!
Everybody in a war wants a big victory, their Gettysburg. A victory that changes the entire flow of the war. But sometimes, you have to take the little victories.
And probably no where is that more true than in the weight loss war. I mentioned in my last post about how my work life was making it difficult to keep up the fight in my weight loss war.
Well, work is still busy, but there have been a few little victories in the last few weeks. Between 2 and 3 weeks ago I needed some jeans for work one morning, but everything I had was dirty or torn up too bad to wear. So I started digging through a pile of clothes on a chair in my room and found a couple pairs of jeans that had been thrown aside in disgust several months ago. At that time they didn't fit. Not even close to fitting. The button was 2 or 3 inches away from fastening.
But no longer. That morning as I began my day, those jeans could no longer taunt me from their pile, as they buttoned with little effort. A little victory.
However, getting back into these jeans created a new problem. My belt was left serving no purpose. With the jeans buttoned and the belt on its first notch, I was left with a gap. A big gap. big enough that I could place my fist between the waistband on the jeans and the belt before it got tight. So, that night, I had to dig out the leather punch and added 4 new holes to the belt. As of today, I am in the third of the four holes I added. A little victory.
Last week, I was finally able to break away from work enough to get in a couple of workouts, which considering everything that was going on, is a huge deal, and one that had to be done, because I knew what the weekend was going to be like. Last Friday, my parents, grandmother, and I headed for St. Louis for a wedding. Weddings are great things, but can be hell on you when trying to lose weight. Really, it was a test. Friday night was the rehearsal dinner which was a great meal. Hors d'oeuvres were melon in prosciutto wrap, cucumbers and cream cheese, and olive spread with crackers. Dinner was a pasta with sausage and green beans. Dessert was raspberries, chocolates, and a berry sherbert. The food was great, but very easy to overeat on. Lunch Saturday before the wedding was fast food. The reception was buffet with shrimp, chicken, roast beef, potatoes, salad, and of course cake. Sunday, since my brother and his family couldn't make it to the wedding due to illness, we came home via their place. And lunch again was fast food. Yep. I'm screwed. Probably gain 4 or 5 pounds back. Damnit.
So today, I stepped back on the scale to see how much damage I did. And as of 6:30pm tonight (I know, bad time to weigh), I was 443. Actually down another pound from the last weigh in. And while I would really like to be dropping more than one pound, when I don't get to do much serious exercise and going for three days of low activity and lots of rich food, havin lost a pound is a little victory.
It's all about learing to enjoy little victories.
Read more!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Work Interferance
Unfortunately, the last few weeks have been very hard on reaching my overall goal. Since June 1st, I have worked every day, many of which (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) have lasted until 7pm or later.
Now, I am not complaining about the work, it is because we are making a major upgrade to equipment in our facility and it has required lots of planning, demolition, construction, and shuffling.
For those of you who don't know me personally, I work for a recycling services provider and processor that is owned by my parents. We have been installing a new baler (that will process 30,000 pounds of newspaper and cardboard an hour-although we have no intention of being able to push it that hard). The catch? The new baler went in the same place the old baler sat; so the old baler had to move but still be operational and keep up with the sorting process. However, since the baler was moved and the feeding conveyor was no longer operational, we couldn't keep up in a regular 8-hour day, and couldn't afford to pay anybody overtime. So Dad and I had to do the extra baling. Then this week, the install crew arrived to remove the old baler and ship it to Utah and then installed the new baler. But due to a scheduling oversight and now a significant storm, the power company won't arrive until late next week to install the power upgrade needed to operate the baler. And we are COMPLETELY out of storage space.
Anyway, long story short. I have been working a lot and not been able to get to the gym for my regular workout. When I leave work at 7:00pm, I still have to go home and take care of my dog who by that time has been in the kennel for about 12 hours and he won't relieve himself in there (at all-zero-zip-nada, never has except the one night he got very sick). But the gym closes at 8pm. And they aren't open early enough in the morning (and I REALLY hate mornings).
So, I haven't been working out, my meals have been somewhat sporadic, and I really haven't dropped anymore weight, only a pound I am ready for this install to be over and to get back to work on making myself healthy.
Total weight to lose: 220 pounds (give or take some-depends on how I feel and look when I get to the target)
Total weight lost: 20 pounds
Percentage of goal: 9.1%
Read more!
Now, I am not complaining about the work, it is because we are making a major upgrade to equipment in our facility and it has required lots of planning, demolition, construction, and shuffling.
For those of you who don't know me personally, I work for a recycling services provider and processor that is owned by my parents. We have been installing a new baler (that will process 30,000 pounds of newspaper and cardboard an hour-although we have no intention of being able to push it that hard). The catch? The new baler went in the same place the old baler sat; so the old baler had to move but still be operational and keep up with the sorting process. However, since the baler was moved and the feeding conveyor was no longer operational, we couldn't keep up in a regular 8-hour day, and couldn't afford to pay anybody overtime. So Dad and I had to do the extra baling. Then this week, the install crew arrived to remove the old baler and ship it to Utah and then installed the new baler. But due to a scheduling oversight and now a significant storm, the power company won't arrive until late next week to install the power upgrade needed to operate the baler. And we are COMPLETELY out of storage space.
Anyway, long story short. I have been working a lot and not been able to get to the gym for my regular workout. When I leave work at 7:00pm, I still have to go home and take care of my dog who by that time has been in the kennel for about 12 hours and he won't relieve himself in there (at all-zero-zip-nada, never has except the one night he got very sick). But the gym closes at 8pm. And they aren't open early enough in the morning (and I REALLY hate mornings).
So, I haven't been working out, my meals have been somewhat sporadic, and I really haven't dropped anymore weight, only a pound I am ready for this install to be over and to get back to work on making myself healthy.
Total weight to lose: 220 pounds (give or take some-depends on how I feel and look when I get to the target)
Total weight lost: 20 pounds
Percentage of goal: 9.1%
Read more!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A quick weigh-in
Starting weight: 464
Stepped on the scale about 5:15pm this afternoon for a quick check, and to see how bad the conference I was at Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday had screwed me up.
June 4, 2009 weight: 445
Total weight lost: 19 POUNDS!!!!
And not quite 30 days since I started (the first post on this blog actually was put up a couple days before I began).
Needless to say, I'm stoked.
Read more!
Stepped on the scale about 5:15pm this afternoon for a quick check, and to see how bad the conference I was at Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday had screwed me up.
June 4, 2009 weight: 445
Total weight lost: 19 POUNDS!!!!
And not quite 30 days since I started (the first post on this blog actually was put up a couple days before I began).
Needless to say, I'm stoked.
Read more!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Journey Begins
I know this will not be an easy journey; it will require dedication, sacrifice, discipline, and planning. But I am not travelling this road alone. I have the support of my family. My parents have offered to help in any way they can. And I know their moral support will be a key to my success. I also am looking to my brother. He has struggled with weight his whole life. But he is an inspiration. When he was in college, he weighed in at about 380 pounds at his heaviest. But with discipline and support, he dropped over 180 pounds prior to the birth of their son.
I have also tried to approach this process with forethought and diligence.
First I committed myself to the task. While it was an easy decision to lose weight, the commitment to the task required much more time. Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight, especially a lot of it, knows the amount of work that goes into the process. More than once, I have tried to lose weight, but would eventually fail because I couldn’t make the long term commitment. There would be some success, but the weight would not come off as fast as I thought it should, and would quit. So with this decision, I took a lot of time to prepare myself mentally for the task. In December, I began to think about the process, and what it would take to reach the goals. It took over four months of mental preparation and planning to get to the point of actually making the change in my life.
Next, I informed my family my goals. Of course, they support me in the decision. My mother and her sister have both fought weight their whole lives and understand the struggles of trying to lose weight, while still living life. Dad, on the other hand, has never dealt with the struggles of weight, but having two sons who have battled weight, he has seen what limitations obesity can have on a person.
Read more!
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