Sad to see you go 290's!

     Is it just me or does it seem like I just got to the 290's? I was exspecting to be there for another week but holy cow! I have been losing about 2lbs a week and really was not even dreaming of more, so to see -5lbs in one week is huge! One thing I am learning with Medifast is that they are trying to teach your body who to burn fat instead of store it. Which means exersise but not going all Rocky Balboa on the workout's!

     I have a gym membership and I go once a day and I take Saturday and Sunday off from that routine.  Last week I did things a little differently. Instead of walking and running on the treadmill for 45mins and then doing my upper body on the machines, I switched to doing the bike for 25mins, and then free weights for as long as I could bear! I backed my workout down a bit though because I found myself running out of gas. One of the other things I am learning about Medifast is that you are not really supposed to go full bore on the workout's! So a few weeks back I was working really hard but it seemed like I had stalled at the 300's. What I forgot was that I was building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat!

     For the next few months I am going to try maximizing my ability to get those bigger loss numbers, but if I manage a steady pace of just -2lbs a week I will still be ok with that. Because it sure beats a plus any day of the week!

-Mike

Woah wait.....Size 44 belt?!?!

     So last night was the Super Bowl. I have to admit I was a little naughty in regards to the food that was there. Now compare what I ate last to me in the past, last night looks more like I was eating twigs and nuts compared to the way I used to eat. The past me would have eaten an entire bag of chips, had 4th's on dinner, polished off half the tray of cookies, add all that up with no exercise and no wonder I was at 420lbs at one point!

     Today was my weigh-in. I was a little nervous because of my "splurge" last night. I really didn't want it to be a 0 or a + number. Needless to say when the scale said 295lbs this guy was stoked! Sure I was a little naughty last night but I did not allow myself to go overboard! Let me tell you there was plenty of food there for me to be naughty with! The key is I was able to keep myself under control and limit what I consumed, being sure to keep what my coaches have been teaching me in mind. STICK WITH THE PLAN!

     The next task was getting ready for the day. When I got around to getting a belt it seemed like the one I have been using was just a touch too loose. So I grabbed one I purchased after Christmas with "future use" in mind. Back in September I believe I was at a 52 waist. Well the belt I had been saving is a size 44 and it fits!!! All of or at least most of high school I wore size 46! Size 44 is crazy talk!!! But man oh man it is awesome! Progress folks! September Size 52 and in February Size 44!!! That's a big deal for any body!

Cheers,

     Mike

290's Baby!

     Well we have finally made it back to the 290's! This is the first time since high school that I have weighed under 300lbs! Friday night I had hit another milestone, I ran a mile just a few seconds over 14 minutes. You read that right. As a teenager I had always had a hard time running for distance. My real problem was a lack of wanting to push myself to be honest. So when I looked at my Nike Plus data at the end of my 5k I did not realize I did my fastest mile until Tiger Woods congratulated me on my fastest mile 14:03! I still had my headphones on and just laughed, and the lady next to me was puzzled and trying to figure out what I was laughing at.

     High school I remember no matter how hard I tried to do a 15 minute mile the best I could squeak out was 16:36 so for me 14:03 is a big deal. How man 34 year old men can say that they are out performing their teen-aged self in their 30's? Just think my goal weight is 168lbs so I still have a ways to go. Below is a graph of my weight loss since starting Medifast.

My weight loss progress so far.

     I am looking forward to competing in a 5k this summer. I am trying to push myself and be ready for a 10k but if all I can handle is 5k then that will be fine with me. I am also looking forward to doing more outdoors / men type things. Not being in NH I have to admit I really miss just being able to go hunting and fishing. I love the woods and the outdoors, my wife not so much. For me the further away from city life the better. Steph loves being near 6 different grocery stores so she can use her coupons and get the best deals. In the boondocks you are lucky if there is a Super Walmart 45 minutes away. Just really looking forward to getting up and doing more!

-Mike

The Big Stall...

     For the last 2 weeks I have been a little discouraged. I hopped on the scale and it still read 306lbs. I was not liking that because I had really ramped up my workout's. So I just kept going, doing about 2 miles on the treadmill every day and doing my arm's and upper body every other day. So last Monday comes along and what does the scale say? Yup a big fat ole' 306lbs. So I took a step back and tried to figure out if I was doing anything different.

     The first thing I did was contact my Medifast coach Arnold. This is exactly why they are there. I have to be honest I was not sure at first that his suggestion would work, yet sure enough it did! It was so very simple. I am on the Medifast 5+1 plan where I eat 5 Medifast meals in a day and then eat a lean protein along with only vegetables. Up until now I had been eating my "Lean and Green" meal at dinner. Arnold suggested starting with a simple change and have my Lean meal at breakfast or lunch time. Skeptically I chose lunch time and stuck with that change. Wouldn't you know he was right on the money! This week I lost 6lbs! Normally I only lose about 2lbs a week! So I am hoping this trend keeps up! It would be nice to have another 6lbs loss next week but would honestly be surprised if it happens for a second week in a row! Would be nice though!

     If you are reading this and doing the diet thing on your own I totally recommend working with some one that has been through this battle before. Claire and Arnold have been a huge help to me, and have both been through what I am going through. If you are like me and have tried Weight Watchers, Slimfast, The Fat Smash Diet, and many others with no success I highly recommend trying Medifast and signing up on Claire and Arnold's website. Now its off to the gym for me! I feel so strange looking forward to working out! :)

-Mike 

Things That Make You Move!

     Finding a diet plan that is right for you is just one of the important steps towards losing weight. Find a plan and stick to the plan. The next step is finding things you enjoy doing that get you up off of that couch and moving. This is where motivation is key. I am from the video game generation and even though I am well into my 30's I still very much enjoy playing video games. For a long time I was really into World of Warcraft. I still play time to time but not like I used to. I just don't have the time for it any more and that is a good thing! Something I have found that I find very cool is Nike+. Now I do realize there is a lot out there but typing in endless amounts of data day in and day out is not fun to me. I have tried a few other free online programs for walking / running and Nike+ is the tool that fits me and is fun for me. I use it with my iPod Nano, and it has several different options.

     To use the Nike+ app for iPod or the iPhone you do not have to use the special Nike+ Sneakers. Those are just an added bonus for measuring your pace & distance. I have the sensor plugged into my iPod and the shoe pod in my Nike+ sneakers. Since buying these sneakers I have already logged over 110 miles! All I do is select the type of run or walk I am doing and press start. Once I am done I just sync with iTunes and my workout data is sent to the Nike+ website. I am able to do this from either work or home and that alone is extremely handy! As you can see I have found my motivation tool. But walking is not the only thing I am doing.

     Some people have gone out and found them self a personal trainer and a gym. I think at some point I too will go out and look into a gym membership, but for me I am having a good time with working out with a Bob Harper Biggest Loser Boot Camp video I have mentioned in a previous blog post. I think once I find that video easy I will have to make the choice between 2 local gym's. Brick Bodies and Planet Fitness. My only reservation about Planet Fitness is the "Lunk Alarm" if you grunt or grown while working out they sound the alarm which can be rather embarrassing. Where Brick Bodies is a locally owned and well respected establishment but I believe their prices are much higher than Planet Fitness. Both are close to my house and one of the problems I am having with my workouts are not the tasks but my 2 little girls who want to do what daddy is doing. Now I don't mind that they want to do what daddy is doing but I also don't want to squish them! Our oldest turned 4 in October and she likes to stand close to me which is a problem when I need to start jumping side to side. Our youngest who just turned 1 in November does not understand what daddy is doing but it looks like fun so she stands under foot and just wants up! This becomes a problem when I need to switch to push-ups.

Find what motivates you to get moving, and stick to the plan!

-Mike

New Biggest Loser Season

     So the new season of The Biggest Loser started tonight. I was a fan of the show until the season Rulon Gardner left near the end. Heck I think the season before that, I kind of soured on the show when Arthur Wornum was booted off. He was a person that really needed to be there but got booted. He was working hard and losing a lot of weight, I kind of forget why he was even booted. I was just sad because he really needed help and got the ole heave-ho. Alas this season is the change I think a lot of people wanted to see in the show. Not only are they helping adults but also kids. The kids can not be voted off the show! Which rocks! Needless to say I will be watching this current season as I too continue my road to weight loss.

     I have been doing rather well with my Medifast diet. Since starting in September I have lost 52lbs! Tomorrow morning I will do my weigh-in and am hoping for a good number. This week I have ramped up my workout's a little bit. Since the 1st I have walked every day, trying to do at least 1.5 miles at work and 3.2 miles at home. Yesterday I decided to try walking / running 10k. I found running up hill was easier than running down hill. I know it sounds odd but I grew up in the mountain's of New Hampshire so maybe that played a part? If you have an iPhone or Android device I suggest installing the free Nike+ app. You do not need the special Nike+ shoes to use it on your smart phone. I use Nike+ on my iPod Nano and for that I use the sensor & shoe pod that fit into my Nike+ sneakers. It is an awesome motivational tool! Once I get into the 200's I will post some progress pictures.

Best of luck in this new year!

-Mike

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