Day 84 - Looking Up Dan

How many of you know & follow Dan of "At Darwin's Table"? Dan & I crossed blogs a few weeks back and I've enjoyed his writing on food and recipes, on diet and the science behind it, and on off the cuff stuff too (Go Netherlands!). Check him out if you have not yet met each other, I think you'll like Dan.

Here is what Dan did for me yesterday, he posted his post I link above titled "The Aquatic Ape".  I knew I was going to exercise later when I got home before I read that post. The neighborhood loop walk awaited me, I was looking forward to it but I was not on the edge of my seat waiting for the clock to tick off to the time I could get exercising. But after I read that post, I was ready to push away from my desk and get after it.

What put a tiger in my tank about Dan's post was that he found something there that we all desire, enjoyment & excitement from the exercise we do. For Dan it was a new experience with swimming that has him hungry for more. Enjoyment, Excitement, Hunger for exercise?

Hmmm, I already knew I enjoyed walking that loop and challenging myself to perform better on it. Opportunity to do just that was just hours away. Opportunity to not just get after it but also finish it with the same enjoyment & excitement that had Dan saying, "I loved, and I mean LOVED, every minute of it. It didn’t feel like exercise at all...". I wanted to have that feeling!

The time came and off I went, the 2 mile neighborhood loop. As I was walking I was stoked, looking up and determined to enjoy the success that awaited me. Above there you see a picture of me looking up; see I really was looking up, from start to finish. Previous best was 33:51 minutes with a best 1 mile time of 16:49... last night with Dan by my side, helping me concentrate all the way; I walked it in 33:46 minutes with a best 1 mile time of 16:36... Oh Yeah!

As good as that felt I wanted more. And more I would have. The one block jog, not easy for me and not what I've considered enjoyable the two times I've attempted it previously. Perhaps that's an attitude issue for me to address in time. Away I went and jogged with all I had. It felt good, I felt strong, I could tell I was performing and I was loving the challenge. Imagine my excitement when I replaced my previous best time of 4:15 minutes with a new PR of 3:53... how about another Oh Yeah!

Thanks Dan!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 43 - 19% Progress (and HAWKS WIN)

Hooray it is weigh-in day! Seriously, does anyone really feel that ecstatic about a weigh-in before they get on the scale. Personally I cannot say that I really feel ecstatic, but I do look forward to them. They are a validation of my behavior of the past week, whether or not I have lived up to Responsibility 199... Gotta Do It!!

So let's get down too brass tacks. Brass tacks, does anyone reading this really have any brass tacks in their home? Brass, what is so special about brass tacks vs. say aluminum, or... yeah, who cares.

It is with grand jubilation that I report to you that this weigh in calls for an Oh Yeah! As of just moments ago I am now at 19% of the way to my goal; I've lost 23 pounds in six weeks, 5.5 of them this past week. Today I weighed in at 297 pounds.

Could it be? Could it seriously be that I have exited the 300's and will never go back for a visit?

Oh how I hope so!

No, "hope" need not apply here. I will NEVER revisit the 300's!!!!

Let it be said that May, 2010 was the last month I ever put a scale over 300, NEVER Again; NEVER!

Two days ago I received in the mail my reward for reaching my 10% weight loss goal (12 lbs. lost ); my new workout clothes. It sure felt good getting them in hand and knowing I earned them versus just buying them because I could. In just ONE more pound I'll have that 20% weight loss reward in sight. Nice to know, but let me not get ahead of myself.

Before I get to what is going on today, did everyone see my quick post yesterday evening of my wife & I? We attended game one of the Stanley Cup and we were like kids in candy shop; a sugar-free candy shop :-) I know most don't care two shakes about hockey so I will keep this brief. But my wife & I are life-long hockey fans. And the blood in our veins is Blackhawk Red. For the better part of the past decade our team has struggled and missed the playoffs. But the past two years they found their steel and have the Blackhawk nation on edge. When they were last in the Stanley Cup, 1992, I couldn't afford a vowel let alone tickets to such an event. But today, thankfully we could, so we went. Who knows when in our lifetime they will ever make it back. And did we get our moneys worth. A back and forth brawl with the Philadelphia Flyers for the entire sixty minutes. In the end, the score was 6-5, BLACKHAWKS WIN; see for yourself...

That pic may be a bit fuzzy, sorry; pic from my cell phone. One game down, three more to go and we are the Champions! Ok, deep breath, relax...

Today will be a challenge as it is party day. A party at the sister-in-law's to celebrate a couple of 8th grade graduations, Cameron our youngest and Alicia our niece. Also my wife's Uncle just turned 75 and of course we'll party in honor of Memorial Day too. I am sure many of you have similar food challenges this holiday weekend. We've been there before, we will be here many many times ahead. We also know how to survive these events and enjoy ourselves while even enjoy some tempting foods without completely wrecking our hard earned progress towards our weight loss / healthy living goals. What, need a refresher on what to do at a party and not over do it? So do I, it is always a good idea to revisit what works when faced with the challenge of temptation. Easiest way to do that is revisit some posts or mine, and comments of yours, on just that topic. My Day 13 post is where I asked for help and your comments which helped me come up with a game plan, and my Day 15 post illustrates just how well I did employing that generous and useful advice of yours. Or, review this - I just remembered that I've summarized allot of that good advice on my MY WHAT? page; once there just scroll down to the section titled, "What My Mission Has Taught Me...".

Ok, I have rambled on enough here. Whatever you do today enjoy it and stay healthy doing it!

GO BLACKHAWKS!

Responsibility 199... Gotta Do It!!

Day 13 - Danger Ahead

Today is a day like many others. Up around 5:30 a.m. and at the breakfast table with my gorgeous wife by about 6:15 a.m., that is pretty much the routine for us during the work weeks. And I anticipate the rest of the day to be a usual day at work, at eating healthy and enjoying some family time when back at home this evening. It's all good and I'm good with days like this.

But what about tomorrow, or, the day after? The Weekend!?!? Most weekends don’t present too much added challenge to my efforts to get healthy. This biggest challenge of weekends would be boredom, there is more free time and if not used well boredom can creep in and in days of the past I'd hit the pantry for food to relieve the boredom. Then there is a definite up side to having more free time on weekends, I have more time. More time to exercise. More time to plan for the weeks meals ahead. More time to do healthy things.

On MOST weekends those notions are true. But not all weekends are equal and this, the first weekend of May 2010, is not to be a weekend like most. It is a weekend filled with danger, filled with temptation, filled with challenge, filled with scary scary scary hurdles. Of course I am talking about food challenges. Did I say it is going to be scary?

Saturday is my nephews 1st Communion. We'll make the 2 hour drive to attend the church ceremony and then it will be back to my sister's house where she has planned a bountiful menu of delivery pizzas. Ugh, what a temptation to face at a time which will be the usual time we'd eat dinner anyhow. No doubt after the drive, after the church service, after the initial mingling at her house; no doubt by the time the pizza is served my hunger will be at a scary state and I'll be faced with the first dangerous challenge of the weekend to my success. Pizza? Thanks Sis!

Sunday is no better. Sunday we are getting the families together to celebrate the birthdays we have in May and Mothers Day even though it’s a week early. How are we celebrating that? Well how else, with a Sunday brunch of course. Oh it gets better, we're brunching at Papadeaux. Yes, I know that Papadeaux is a seafood restaurant so there will be healthy options available. But if you have not experienced a brunch at Papadeaux then let me fill you in; it's HUGE. Decadent and Sinful foods from every planet in the galaxy and lots and lots of them. So here I'll be faced with the second dangerous challenge of the weekend to my success.

So how do I get through it? My immediate thought is that if I pay attention to what is before me and am conscious of the decisions I'll need to make this weekend, then I should be fine. Otherwise if I just go into these events blind to my having to think and make decisions then I will no doubt make bad choices and do harm.

Can I handle it, I think so... Can I make the best of these challenges and at a minimum do no harm, I think so… Can I stare down temptation without starving myself and feeling like I am being punished, I sure hope so… Can I quickly book a trip to Guam and avoid it all, I think that would result in a frying pan to my head so probably the best way to face the danger ahead.

All that said I am so looking forward to these events with the family. Never do I want to dread such events because of what they may do to my health. Therefore I am just going to have to learn how to balance family festivities with healthy eating, and as well, eating out with healthy eating,

Hey, TGIF, enjoy it!

Responsibility 199... Gotta Do It!!