Can't forget exercise!

     So a lot of folks have been asking me about what I am doing for exercise. "What gym do you go to?" "How many times a week?" "How much have you lost so far?" I get these questions a lot. I do not have a gym membership, I try to exercise every day, I weigh myself every Monday so I wont know for sure until then but its around X amount of pounds. Lots of times they get hung up on the fact I do not have a gym membership, "Wait no gym membership?!?!?"

     I work in an office with no windows, so to be outside and take in some fresh air just rocks my socks! We have a lake right next to the office with a trail and I try to do a once around a few times a week when the weather is warm. Right now it is getting colder and they are doing work on the trail around the lake so its hard to get out and walk on my lunch break these days. I had to find some other form of exercise that I could really get into. A few years back I was into the Biggest Loser series, heck I even did a tryout video and sent in the form. I am kind of glad I did not get the call because I work in the entertainment industry and it would feel more like work to me than a life change effort. Back in late 2010 I had picked up a Biggest loser video by Bob Harper. The Biggest Loser: The Workout - Boot Camp. Unlike last time I intend to stick with it!

     The last time I started on this video my buddy Greg had started coming over and we would rock out the routines together. We had gotten to the weeks 3 - 4 portion but he stopped coming over and I got a little bummed about that so I had stopped as well. Part of that was the fact that we were both not mentally ready for the long term commitment of a diet and exercise routine. What we lacked was a support system not only from our family but also from outside of our families. In my case I learned my bad eating habit from my mother, so it was nice when I got hooked up with my health coach Arnold! It was exactly what I needed because he is a guy who has been where I have been and has faced the same struggles. If any of you that read this blog ever have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer.

All the best,

Mike

The Trip So Far.

     Today is a good day! As you can see on the updated weight ticker I have off to the right side of this blog  I have lost a total of 41Lbs. What it does not tell you is that I have, so far, gone from a 52" waist to a 48" waist pants size! I had a stack of pants in my closet from birthdays and Christmas from the last few years and up until now they would not button and plain old would not fit! Just 20 more lbs and I will be down into the 200's!

     I have to admit this week is a challenge for me. Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I am really hoping I can just lock myself in a room and not even think about the good food being shared by all! Its hard when you have little ones and you want to set a good example for them in regards to table manners. I was really hoping we would have thanksgiving at our house that way I would have plenty of space to just escape from all of the good smells and loud chatter. When I get stressed I tend to eat / snack to help deal. To an audio engineer silence is very refreshing.

     No matter what, I need to stay focused on the goal. 20 more pounds to get under 300! I just need to remember to plan accordingly, and stay true to the road laid out before me. As long as I follow the Medifast guidelines I will do just fine. Its important to not just say, "The heck with it!" and do your own thing. I don't know about you but falling off wagon's does not sound like much fun! Have a happy Thanksgiving and be healthy!

Peace,

Mike

Its Crunch Time!

     November is here and we all know what that means. Discount and leftover Halloween candy, Thanksgiving, yes Christmas and other Holidays,and lets not forget New Years. Yes I know that some of these are still a ways off but before you know it temptation will be right under your nose! I don't know about you but this is a tough time of year for me when it comes to eating. My weak spots you ask? Donuts, Coffee with lots of cream and sugar, Hot Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie, Egg Nog, Stuffing, Nuts, chocolate, and cookies! On top of all this I have 3 birthday's to battle. I have to admit, it is tough to be the only person having water and only eating off the veggie tray. It is important to stay strong.

     People have been asking me, "How do you resist the temptation at these events?" Well so far I try to distance my self from the room with foods in it. Yes the smell of the food drives me nuts because it is stuff I love and really want. This is the moment when you just suck it up and battle through! Do not give in, and no it is not ok to have just one. Because that just leads to just one more, then another, then another, and before you realize it you have eaten almost half the tray that was there. Do you hand a person with a drinking problem an ice cold beer? No you do not. I am on the Medifast 5+1 plan and that is all I can eat in a day. If I am going to a party I just bring one of my to go meals like Cheese Pizza Bites and put them on a party plate or what ever and eat them slowly that way it lasts for the entire time the food is out. This past Monday I weighed in at 328 so 29 more pounds and I will be in the 200's! Man its been since the late 90's that I have seen the 200's!


Peace,

Mike

Getting through cold and flu season.

     Last week about this time I was feeling awesome! I had started walking 3 miles a day and started doing one of those Bob Harper Biggest Loser workout video's. Life was good, I was down to about 335lbs! Then Thursday afternoon happened. I was in the office sitting at my desk and started feeling woozy. Its that moment when you close your eyes and say to yourself, "Please don't be sick, please don't be sick. Dear Lord I'm sick!" Had to head home early and was laid out the rest of the weekend. Boy was I looking forward to Monday.

     As the new week started I just had to get back up on that horse. They weighed me at the Dr's office and I saw that 330lbs pop up on that tiny screen. On the inside I was doing cartwheels and screaming like those people on Family Feud. I think I was more relieved that my body was still working as it fought off a virus. Tonight I am going to fire up that video again and pick up where I left off. So in total that is 30lbs down from where I started! I honestly do not remember the last time I weighed under 300lbs but I know it is somewhere near 1998. If my workout goes well tonight then it will be back to walking tomorrow!

Peace and good vibes!

-Mike

Going to need a belt!

     So I hopped on the scale this morning. I didn't really want to see the number. The week before last I had only lost 1lb. Last week it was 3lbs, so I was expecting another 1lb number. This past week things had gotten rather busy at work. I was not able to get all of my walks in, I had to do my best at the ALDS game at Camden Yards last night finding something close to a lean and green. I found a Pizza stand that had a low fat gluten free pizza slice option! So I went with that, just one slice. I am learning what a healthy lifestyle is and it is helping me find and make the right food choices when I am away from the norm. Now back to this pesky scale.

     So this is the moment. I have to remind myself that any loss is better than a big fat goose egg (a zero), or a gain. I step on and it does its little calculating animation. At this point I am thinking back to Garfield cartoon's where Garfield hops onto a talking scale and it says something like, "Get OFF!", or "Error!" I have had 2 scales give me the error message in the past. Sure it was a private event but stinks nonetheless. I look back down as the new number pops on the screen. -5 pounds oh yeah baby! So I have started at 360lbs and am now at 335. This is progress, my pants are starting to feel loose around the waist and I need to head to the store and buy a belt! What a great start to a Monday!

All the best,

-Mike

   

The dreaded plate of soft warm cookies.....

     So I work in the broadcast industry in a behind the scenes type role. Well lets just say my coworkers like to indulge every so often with fine foods. In the fall and winter it is guaranteed that bowls of chocolate's, plates of cookies, pans of cakes and pies begin to show up. Well yesterday the dreaded 3 foot wide tray of large, soft, chewy, warm, and gooey chocolate chip cookies was placed in the office. These cookies have a 6 or 7 inch diameter and are just shy of a half inch thick. Its not chocolate chips, its chocolate chunks. I have to be honest, this kind of cookie is my biggest challenge.

     When I lived in NH my favorite place to buy cookies was Shaws Supermarket. They had the best soft cookies. I remember as a teenager buying snacks for a night of video games at a friends house, I just had to have a bag of the Shaws cookies. I remember we would buy 2 medium pizza's. One for my buddy and one for me. Top this off with several 12 or 24 packs of our favorite soda and the night was set. I would eat the entire pizza, polish off the cookies by myself, finish a bag or Lays Sour Cream & Onion chips, then destroy the 24 pack of soda. How did I not explode?!

     In times of trials I try to remind myself how I got so big in the first place. Indulging way too much. So when I was confronted with that lovely tray of cookies I just said no. As painful as it was I had to resist. I have been indulging my entire life and right now it is time to take a break from indulging. According to my last weigh in I am 14lbs down from my starting weight. You know what? After only 2 weeks that is not a bad number at all.

Peace and good vibes,

-Mike

Holiday's and Sporting Events

     I have to admit one of my fears on this diet are Holiday gatherings, and professional sport's events. The MLB season is winding down but the playoff season is just heating up! Lets not forget the NFL just started, the NBA and NHL are hot on its heals! This means being invited over to friends houses, lots of food, and the heavenly scent of BBQ on the grill! I better stop because Famous Dave's is just right down the road! That line from Star Wars Episode III A New Hope keeps running through my head, "Stay on target......Stay on target!" I have been doing well when it comes to staying away from events with lots of food, but I can't stay away for ever.

     Holidays, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sure its nice to gather with family and friends, but man do I love the food! I am not going to list the items I love most. Ok maybe the one item that I know I wont be able to pass up ever. Pumpkin Pie! I am going to have to either eat in a different room than the food and people or sit there with my eyes on my plate only and try not to think about getting a second helping. I still have some time to learn from my coach before I am faced with holiday season.

     So far so good! I have lost 10lbs since I started this leg of weight loss. The more I begin to lose the more motivated I will be to stay firm in my direction. As long as the Medifast 5+1 plan is working I tend to stay on it till the end! Right now if it is not on the plan I am not eating it. My wife is also doing a great job keeping me on track by making some fantastic lean and green meals. If you are reading this and feel its time for you to begin I can not stress enough the importance of a solid support system. Do not, and I mean do not ever go it alone! There are people out there with the same struggles as you who are more then willing to lend a hand.

Peace and good vibes,

Mike

When you set your mind to it.

     One thing I have always heard people say is, "Do not even attempt weight loss unless you are ready for it." I never really understood it, and frankly it has made me angry a few times. I have known a lot of people who were ready but the main problem was how they ate. I remember one guy would tell me about his salad he enjoyed every day for lunch. Then one day I saw his salad and understood why he was not losing weight. Sure he had lettuce but he also had a 7 course meal on it for toppings! So how do you reduce you calorie intake without feeling full?

     To be honest there really is not a lot out there. I have tried many diets but what lacked from most was control. What I needed was something where what they give you is all you eat. The Medifast 5 + 1 plan was the best I could find, but before I agreed to the system I had to be 100% sure I was ready. I need to learn a new way of viewing food. I remember having some guests over for some steaks on the grill and some one took the biggest steak on the plate and I was irritated by that. I sat back for a moment and thought, "Wow what the heck am I doing getting angry over something so petty?" That moment I knew I had a problem and that I have had this problem for a long time. That was the moment I knew I was ready.

     When you set your mind to it you can do anything. Most of us heard this a lot growing up, sure mostly from Mr. Rogers but it is a very true statement. If you are struggling with weight loss, and by struggle I mean sneaking snacks. Just because you say you didn't does not make it true! You need to be true to yourself and be able to admit you can't do it alone. If you do not want surgery I highly recommend Medifast's 5 + 1 plan and teaming up with a health coach. This coming Monday I have my second weigh in, sure I am excited but I do not want to get my self too jacked up. The worst is working hard and seeing a plus or a big fat zero. I would be happy with even a -1. So far I feel good and seem to have more energy, did I mention that the food is pretty good? My wife has been doing an awesome job making my "Lean & Green" meals. The other night she made me some Tilapia and a nice fresh salad! Yeah she rocked it!

-Mike

P.S. Below is a link to my coaches site!
http://claireandarnold.tsfl.com/


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So here we go....

     Hi my name is Mike and I can not remember a single day in my life when I was not over weight. When I was a kid I really hated the "Husky" section in clothing stores. I think it was some time in high school where I said, "Ok this is who I am and that's just fine with me." Even though I was mildly active I loved to snack. I think this is where most of my frustration has come from. I played tennis almost every day with my buddy Scott. I would do 20 mile bike rides on the days I was not playing tennis with my friend Dan. Not to mention Golf every so often, that's right 18 holes with no cart! All this activity and I still weighed 260 - 290. Then came college.

     The college years were awesome. The food was good, maybe too good. 420lbs of pure college goodness. I went home one weekend to get my bike out. I sat on the seat, the tires are pumped up all the way, and when I sit they went flat. So I started to peddle, it felt good to ride again! Then it came time to slow down. The breaks squealed rather loudly. I remember people running out of their front doors to see what could be causing such a racket. So the bike went in a barn for the rest of my college days and would not return to me until I was married and owned a house.

     So here I am today. I had been doing a diet on my own plan. I felt good and in May had weighed in at 348lbs. Yet a few weeks ago when I went for my check-up with the Dr. I had weighed in at 360lbs. I was crushed. All that hard work and nothing to show for it. My mom had been bugging me for months to go on the diet she was on. I was on the fence and was not sure if I wanted to pay the cost of the program. Then one day I came across a blog post by a local radio personality who was having the same exact problem I was having. So that was the moment I knew I was going to give Medifast plan a try.

     I am going to try and update this blog a few times a month. Off to the side there will be a progress tracker. Once a week I will be doing a weigh in and the tracker will update automatically. If you are reading this and have any questions please feel free to leave it in the comments section and I will do my best to give a prompt reply. If you would like more info about the Medifast 5 + 1 plan please visit my coaches site at: http://claireandarnold.tsfl.com

Peace and Good Vibes,

Mike