Weight Loss Update - Breakthrough

First some history:  I had been on my journey for about four months.  I had lost 25 pounds.  Not a huge loss, but a good start.  Then I hit a plateau, a stall, a weight loss brick wall.  Maybe I was lax around the holidays.  Maybe it was the weather turning nasty.  Maybe, I was just a little bored with the journey.  I simply don't know, but I started going off the proverbial weight loss rails.  I didn't go crazy and start pigging out, but I was not as strict as I had been.  I just wasn't fighting as hard.  And it showed.  I weighed several times a week and for a month I sat between 287 and 284.  I wasn't really gaining, but I certainly wasn't losing either.  My mind just was not in the game.   I wasn't doing what I needed to do to lose, and I knew it.

About a week ago, I mentally checked back in.  I knew I didn't want to give back any hard fought for ground.  The pounds are too hard to lose to let them just creep back on.  I had to make some changes, but the desire had to be there first.  I had to WANT to lose weight again.  I had to want it bad enough to give up coasting.  In the video, I talk about my progress and some of the changes I made.  Have you found that this game is mental?  What changes did you have to make to get going on your journey.  I love reading your thoughts!!!

Plateaued! Weight Loss Update

I have been stuck in the 280's for three weeks now.  I hit a low 284 and have been basically hovering right there.  It's not a lot of fun to be sure, and it is certainly frustrating.   However, I know what I have to do to break through it.  I need to simply start doing the things I was doing when I was losing several pounds a week.  The plan is simple--the execution of the plan--not so much.

When I started my journey, I know I wanted a plan I could live with.  This  means my plan had to be something simple, because I am a simple guy and I like "simple".  I developed some simple guidelines for my journey.  First, I would give up the obvious bad stuff like sweets, sugared pop, and cakes.  Second, I would give up bread and really limit my pasta.  This of coarse sounds simple, but was not easy for a bread/pasta addict like myself.  Third, I would incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet.   Finally, I reasoned I would eat many of the remaining foods, just with smaller portions.   I made a rule of just having one bowl or one plate for a meal-- no going back for seconds.  I think by and large I have been pretty successful in the first three areas.  However, I think know the portion sizes have been slightly creeping up.  My one plate rule did not allow for a plate piled up with food three feet high!!!  I knew this, but either consciously or unconsciously didn't adhere to my plan.

Maybe I got off track with the holidays.  Perhaps I could blame it on the nasty weather.  Regardless,  of why I am off pace, I know I am off pace, but am officially getting back on track and back in the game.  How about you?  Are you doing anything to perk up your weight loss game?

I like to wind up on a positive note and with a smile.  So here is a video I made when I was starting my journey.  I try to show just how tiny portions look to the eyes of this fat guy.  I have 30 weight loss related videos you might like to check out on my channel at http://blip.tv/virtualpaul

Weekly Weigh In A Beautiful Day

A Beautiful day...for a weight loss report.  As far as January in Michigan goes, it doesn't get any better than this!!!  I have no complaints, this has been a great winter so far!!!  Now, if we could slid right into spring!!

This old dog is trying to learn a few new tricks.  I just started a twitter account.  I am not sure exactly why, but I thought I would try it.  I think I even managed to put a follow me button on the right.  If you would be so kind to follow, I would really appreciate it since I am new to it and not following anyone LOL.

In this video, I discuss starting to count carbs.   I guess I figured with four months in, I may as well try something.  Let me know what you think?

Weight Loss Weigh In Was I Naughty Over Christmas??

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year.  We had a beautiful day.  The weather was as near perfect as one can expect this time a year.  By that of coarse I mean there wasn't a foot of snow on the ground!  We had the traditional turkey dinner with sides of stuffing and mashed potatoes.  In diet speak I guess you could describe our dinner as "turkey and carbs".

After all of the festivities of the holiday seasons, I suppose there must come that day of reckoning.  Boy, I dreaded stepping on the scale.  This post is somewhat late not just because I was so busy for the holidays, but also because I dreaded stepping on that scale.  If you click the link, you will see a short video of whether I was going on the diet good or naughty list:

Weight Loss Update Good News and Bad News

Well winter is picking up steam here in Michigan.  The water on the lake is in a constant battle between freezing and thawing.  In my linked video you can see it.  Of coarse the ground alternates day to day from white to green, and Christmas lights twinkle through the neighborhood at night.

Today is my Week 13 weigh in.  I showed a loss of 2 pounds for the week for a current weight of 286.  In my video I confess to not eating the best this week, but how juicing may have covered up for my wrongs.  I plan to do a future post on my juicing adventures so far.

Hope you all are doing well and are having fun gearing up for the holidays.  Has the holiday cooking/baking bug hit you yet this season??

Juicing - Jumping on the Bandwagon

I'm jumping on the bandwagon-sort of.  You see we bought a juicer yesterday.  There have been people in the YouTube weight loss community that have gotten huge weight losses by juicing.  There are guys that have lost over 100 pounds at a rate of one pound a day.  However, in order to post such huge losses, they have been on juice-only fasts.  Now, I really like the taste of the juice, but I can honestly say I do not have the willpower to go on a juice only fast for much more than a day LOL.  In addition, I don't think that would be a good plan for me long term either.  Even if I could stay on the fast (which there is no way I could) I am afraid once I quit the fast, the weight would creep back on.  I am much more comfortable and confident in the smaller portions and lifestyle change method that I have adopted.  The reality is though, I think juicing for a meal several times throughout the week, is something that will aide and not hinder me while on this journey.  In addition, I can see a lot of good in the fact of getting nutrients from the juice of fruits and vegetables I would never ordinarily be eating.  So far all I can say is that the machine is very easy to use and it does a good job.  I plan to use it for a few days and will let you know how it goes.  Anyways, have you ever tried a juicer?  I would love to hear of your experience with it.  Is juicing something you would consider?  Maybe you know of someone that has tried juicing.  Maybe you think it is plain stupid.  Whatever the case let me know what you think.  I really value your input!!!

Weight Loss Update Goose Egg

Yep, goose egg.  Nada, zero, ziltch whatever you want to call it, that is what I lost this week. NOTHING!!!!  Am I happy?   Well, I am happy that it wasn't a gain.  I definitely know that I have to make some corrections.   At least I can say I didn't go crazy pigging out.  I  do need to get back to more salads.  I also need to be stricter on my portions.  On the exercise side of the equation, I know I must spend a little more time either walking or on the elliptical.  Although I realize I wasted a week, I am not going to whine about.  (Maybe I am whining a little by writing this lol)   I like to think of this as simple math.  I burned all the calories I took in.   I know what I need to do to fix the problem.  I just need to do it.  This isn't rocket science, but it is mental.  And difficult.  I did learn one thing though.  When I do reach my goal of being not fat, the journey doesn't simply end as I guess I might of thought when I had first started.  Now I see that just maintaining is going to be in itself a journey.  A life long journey at that.

Losing Weight For Health

I have started a new habit. Yep, and I am happy about it.  See we often think of habits as bad because they often are.  But with a little determination, it is possible to start a good habit.  From looking at several articles, there doesn't seem to be a concrete amount of time needed to form a new habit.  However, it seems that consistency and repetition are key.

Well my new habit is actually working out on the elliptical.  Its easy.  Well, not the workout, but getting in the habit of working out.  My plan was simple-make it fun so I will want to do it.  Let's face it, working out isn't always enjoyable. And if I don't enjoy something, I can find about a million good reasons why I don't need to do that something. So, I placed my elliptical machine right in the room with the TV.  Yep, I am serious about this weight loss now.  Guess what?  It really works.  So now when I come in to watch TV instead of plopping down in the chair, I get on the machine.  If it's an interesting show, I get so engrossed in it that I hardly notice I'm exercising.

This is one weight loss tip I wanted to pass along.  It is working for me, and just maybe something like it can work for you too.  I do know dieting and exercising are hard. So if there is anything that will make them more palatable then that's got to be a good thing.  Maybe, you need to buy an Ipod to take with you so you will keep doing your workout?  I don't know, but I think we should do whatever it takes to help us not to quit. Let's face it, we are dealing with our lives here, and we are worth it!!!  Have you found any tips that are helping you in your journey.  I sure would like to hear them in the comments.

Losing Weight with Pizza

So yeah, for lunch...pizza.  You might say, "No wonder you are the Fat Man, Paul.  You didn't even make it a day since your big introduction and you are already falling off the wagon!".  Well just hold on and let me do some explaining...

Normally, I bake a frozen pizza--and eat it---ALL.  Yep, all.  Not good, yes?  But today, I cut the frozen pizza into eight teeny, tiny, little pieces and ate---ONE...Yes, just one and put the rest away.  And by the way, I have learned to put it away and fast!  If it's sitting on the counter top, I'm going to eat it plain and simple.  I can't have that temptation so I stick it in the frig fast.  For me, out of sight, out of mind

So with some simple Fat Man math, I ate one eighth of what I usually eat.  Throw in a salad and a bunch of water and I was good.  No hunger.  Since two weeks of smaller portions, my stomach (the organ not my belly yet) seems to have shrunk to the point where it no longer needs a raft of food to feel full.

For dinner I may have a bowl of cereal or chili.  A bowl as in one not the usual three or four!!!  Mix in me eating some fruit here and there, going some on the elliptical, and that's me fed and happy and losing weight today.

Well that's my plan.  I'm sure it's not perfect, but I guess I have to start somewhere...What's your plan? I would really like to hear it!!!