Day #62 - What a "Creature of Habit" I Have Become

Back on Day #26, I wrote about how I was starting to become a "Creature of Habit" but I was not quite there yet. At that point I had developed a pretty good nutritional habit because I was eating nothing but healthy food since Day #1 of the mission. My eating was under control but my workout routine was not. At that point of the mission I was trying to develop a consistent workout routine that would help me maximize my weight loss. I can definitely say, having the eating part down and just starting to work on the exercise part, that I was slowly building myself into a "Creature of Habit."

Let's fast forward to the present day. It is currently Day #62 and I am still going strong with my mission. I have developed such a nutritional eating habit, that my stomach actually starts to feel bad when ever I think about eating greasy food. It is a very beautiful thing! I have been so faithful to this mission that I have only allowed myself to have one bad meal in the last 62 days. And that meal was an ice cream sundae from Friendly's. I can't even believe that I have gone this long without eating any junk food!! I have also managed to get the exercising part of my weight loss program up to par with the nutritional side. A few weeks ago I decided to man up and developed a workout routine with my friend, who just so happens to be a personal trainer. At first, it took me a little while to find out what weight amounts I was comfortable with when I started to execute the new routines. That part took me about 2 weeks. But since the start of this week, I have found my grove and I have been busting my butt in the gym. My workouts have been so intense that I actually managed to gain some muscle weight this week!! It has taken me awhile but I accomplished what I thought would take a lifetime to accomplish. I turned myself into a Real Creature of Habit!

This morning I woke up late because I opted to sleep in a little. I don't really get this opportunity often, so I take advantage of it when ever I can. Anyway, I was in the laziest mood today and I think it was because I slept so much. Because of this mood, I decided to postpone my daily workout routine to the night time. During the course of the day I felt very unmotivated and I didn't really want to do anything at all. I finally managed to get out the door when my fiancee dragged me to the store to get her phone fixed. If you already don't know, I am a big fan of electronics. So you can only imagine how I felt being in a store full of cool phones. This made me want to take a little trip next store to Best Buy (My favorite store of all time). I have been wanting, for a while now, to purchase an electronic device that would help to keep me organized in both my professional and personal life. Today was my lucky day because I found exactly what I was looking for. By the time we walked out the door, of Best Buy, it was already 7:45pm and I suddenly realized that I hadn't exercised yet. Now, knowing that I am a huge electronics nut, you could only imagine how I would of handled this situation in the past. I would have not gone to workout, I would have picked up fast food for dinner, and I would have ended up playing with my new electronic device the whole night. However, I am a different person now and my health comes first. I made sure that I went to workout, ate a nice healthy dinner, and of course I wrote my post for today before I even sat down to figure out my new toy. Tell me that doesn't sound like a Creature of Habit! A very determined, Creature of Habit.

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 eggo nutrigrain waffles with a cup of Light'n Fit yogurt and a Weight Watchers Blueberry Muffin = Points 6
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 1 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookie and 2 rice cakes = Points 3
Early Afternoon - 3 slices of white anerican cheese on 4 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread (2 grilled cheese sandwiches) = Points 11
Late Afternoon - (1) 6" Chicken Teriyaki sub on whole wheat bread with a slice of american cheese and a side of baked potato chips (Subway) = Points 12
Dinner - 1 serving of home made Chicken Teriyaki with broccoli and brown rice (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers raspberry ice cream bar = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 39 Points

Exercise

Today I executed my legs and shoulder workout routines: Leg Press (4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps), Leg Extensions (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Leg Curls (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Military Press (4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps), Dumbbell Lateral Raises (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Plate Front Raises (3 sets x 12 reps), Calve Raises (3 sets to failure), and Reverse Flyes (3 sets x 15 reps). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio and my core body workout.

Day #62 - Weigh-In = 267.8 lbs

Day #62 Weigh-In

Day #62 Front Shot

Day #62 Dinner
Chicken Teriyaki w/ Broccoli
(Weight Watchers Recipe)

Day #61 - I Gained Weight!!! But in a Good Way

Today was a perfect example of how a person's body weight can fluctuate from day to day and even week to week. Studies have shown that a person's weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs during the course of a regular day. However, it still can be a shock when it happens to you. This morning started off like every other morning. I woke up at 7:30am, I used the bathroom, and I went straight to the scale to record my weight for the day. I was not prepared for what the scaled said after stepping upon it this morning. At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. So I stepped off the scale and stood there for a couple minutes, just in case the scale needed some time to collect itself. I then took a step back onto the scale and looked down to read the screen. Well, I wasn't seeing things. Then I thought maybe the spot on the floor that the scale was placed on was a bad spot. So, I picked the scale up and moved it to a different part of the room and stepped back on it again. Holy crap!!! I gained 2 pounds since yesterday! I immediately thought back to my earlier scale saga, that happened at the beginning of my mission, and thought I had another broken scale on my hands. But before I jumped to anymore conclusions, I decided I would weigh myself on the trusty serviced scale at the gym.

Once I arrived at the gym I went straight to the scale, stripped down to my underwear, and proceeded to weigh myself. And guess what weight the scale was reading, 268 lbs, 2 pounds more then I weighed in at yesterday morning. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how this happened. I have been eating healthy everyday and exercising my butt off, so why the 2 pound increase? Looking for an answer, I approached the head personal trainer of the gym and told him about my situation. He laughed at me and then proceeded to ask me some questions. First, he asked me if I have been exercising regularly and of course I said yes. Next he asked if me I have been lifting weights on a regular basis and I answered yes, every other day. Then he asked me if I was lifting weights at a high intensity level and I told him my workouts have been getting harder and I have been pushing myself more to complete the routines. Then he finally said to me, well there you go, you are gaining weight because you are growing muscle mass. It turns out that while I am losing fat by exercising and eating correctly, I am also gaining muscle because I have been executing my weight lifting routines at a higher intensity with more weight then I have been using. No wonder my body has been so soar lately, I have been growing muscle. I should of came to that conclusion on my own because I knew this would start happening eventually.

Later on in the day, I was talking to my father and I was explaining to him the changes my body has been going through and he said something very interesting to me. He first told me that what the trainer said at the gym was absolutely correct, I have been gaining muscle weight. He then told me to keep in mind, that usually between the 6-8 week mark of any weight loss program is when you will truly start noticing a significant change. What my father said made perfect sense because if you remember what I spoke about yesterday in my post, people were suddenly telling me how I look like a completely different person. And these comments just started at the beginning of this week. Which just so happens to be around 8 weeks into my mission.

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 eggo nutrigrain waffles with a cup of Light'n Fit yogurt and a serving of strawberries = Points 4
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 2 rice cakes, 1 Weight Watchers carrot cake, 24 pieces of pumpernickel mini pretzel sticks (spread out during the course of the day), and 1 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookie = Points 10
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of left over home made Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca veggie burger on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread with a slice of Weight Watchers american cheese and a side of baked potato chips = Points 6
Dinner - 1 serving of home made Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 9
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar = Points 3

Total Points Eaten Today = 37 points (2 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran on the elliptical for 40 mins and then I did a core workout on the cable crossover machine.
Tomorrow I will be executing my legs and shoulder routines.

Day #61 - Weigh-In = 268.6 lbs

Day #61 Weigh-In

Day #61 Front Shot

Day #60 - My Appearance May Change But I Will Always be Me

After a few weeks into my mission, I was receiving some very nice compliments from a decent amount of people. Compliments such as, "You are looking good," and "It looks like you lost some weight." Of course every time I heard a compliment like this it would make me feel awesome and more motivated then I already was. I have been receiving these kinds of compliments for a while now. However, just recently the compliments have been going from people noticing a little change, to people telling me that I look totally different. Now, I really don't notice the drastic changes that other people are seeing as much because I see myself everyday.

A few days ago I decided to put 3 photos on my post that were taken at three different times. These photos were showing me from the side instead of the normal front shots I post everyday. I don't think I have ever received so many reactions from so many different people in my life time. The day after I posted these 3 photos, I decided to show them to some of my co-workers. I had 2 people at work tell me, at 2 different times during the day, that the first picture (Day #1 - 302 lbs) and the third picture (Day #54 - 269.2 lbs) looked like night and day. I also, had another co-worker tell me that I looked like a totally different person. Even today, my brother told me he noticed a huge change. He was looking at that same post I showed everyone at work the other day, on his phone. He only had room on his screen to see the first two photos at first. He said as he looked at them, he noticed some small changes. As he started to scroll down to see the rest of the post, he came across the third picture. As he looked at the picture he was asking himself, who the hell was in the picture. And after looking at if for a few seconds, he realized it was me. He said that he couldn't believe the drastic changes from Day #1 to Day #54.

I thought all of these reactions were very interesting. In some weird way, I completely understood what they were saying. I can relate to all of those reactions in my own way as well. Even though I don't notice my physical changes as much, I can definitely tell that my whole demeanor has changed for the good. I am not tired as much anymore, I feel very energetic constantly, and I wake up every morning happy that I am alive and much healthier then I was 60 days ago. I can honestly say that I feel like a completely different person, even though it will take me awhile to physically see it. No matter how much my physical look changes, I will always be me on the inside.

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 eggo nutrigrain waffles with a cup of Light'n Fit yogurt and a side of strawberries = Points 4
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 2 rice cakes, 1 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookie, 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone, and 28 pumpernickel mini pretzel sticks (spread out during the course of the day) = Points 12
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of left over home made Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of left over home made Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Dinner - 1 serving of home made Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar = Points 3

Total Points Eaten Today = 38 points (1 point under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed my back and triceps routines: Lat Pull Down (4 sets x 15, 12, 10, 8 reps), Seated Row (4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps), Lying Skull Crushers (4 sets x 15, 12, 10, 8 reps), Bent Over Rows (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Overhead Dumbbell Extensions (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Standing Triceps Push Downs (4 sets x 12 reps), and Standing Dumbbell Shrugs (4 sets x 18 reps). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio and my core body workout.

Day #60 - Weigh-In = 266.0 lbs

Day #60 Weigh-In

Day #60 Front Shot

Day #59 - A Fear I Have.........

This morning started out as one of those days were the scale was moving in the right direction but you look in the mirror and say, "Holy Crap! How did I ever let myself get this way?" Yup, it was starting to turn into one of those days. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I was focusing in on my mid section. It is crazy to realize how much the human skin can stretch to cover fatty mass. As you can see in my side shot, I posted two days ago, my stomach was pretty large only 59 days ago. It has gotten better since then, but damn, it was pretty bad not too long ago. One of my biggest fears with losing weight is that my skin will not shrink after the fat has disappeared. I don't want to be left with a big clump of loose skin were my gigantic stomach used to be. In the same token, I will never go back to that gigantic stomach look again.

While reading some other weight loss blogs today, my fiancee came across a lady who lost a ton of weight. This individual used to weigh in the high 300's. She managed to lose so much weight that she got down to around 180 lbs. What an amazing accomplishment!! In her blog, she mentions the misconception many people have about loose skin. She did some research and the following information is what she discovered. Many people think that the skin around the stomach area is like a balloon. Once the air (fat) is let out the balloon (skin) it becomes all shriveled and there is no way to fix it. As a matter of fact, the human skin does exactly the opposite but in the same token, it does take time and determination to help your skin return to is natural form. If you pinch the skin on the back of your hand you can see how thin, the human skin really is.  She goes on to say how the human skin is a living organism that stretches to cover the changes (fat mass accumulation) in the human body. As the fat mass is lost, the human skin shrinks to cover it just the same but you have to make sure that you are losing the weight at a nice healthy pace.  However, individuals who go on these crash diets, tend to lose a ton of weight really quickly, leaving no time for their skin to adjust accordingly. This is why some people look like they have loose skin. Well, I am happy to tell you that I can avoid the whole loose skin saga by continuing to lose my fat at a nice healthy pace. I love finding great tips to help me get to my goals.

If anyone else has any information to add about the scary possibility of ending up with loose skin, please comment or email it to me - theheavymansdiary@gmail.com.

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 3 egg whites on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread with a slice of Weight Watchers american cheese = Points 3
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 2 rice cakes, 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 1 Weight Watchers carrot cake, and 1 large pear = Points 7
Early Afternoon - 2 Boca veggie burgers on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese and a side of baked potato chips = Points 9
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of pork chops with a side of apples in brown sugar (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 6
Dinner - 1 1/2 servings of Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 9
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 35 points (4 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins on the elliptical and I did my core body routine: Side Dumbbell Crunches (3 sets x 20 reps with 25lbs), Medicine Ball Sit Ups with Leg Lifts (2 sets x 15 reps with a 4 lb ball), and Planks (1 rep x 30 secs). Tomorrow I will be executing my back and triceps routines.

Day #59 - Weigh-In = 266.2 lbs

Day #59 Weigh-In

Day #59 Front Shot

Day #58 - Holy Baggy Clothes.... Heavy Man! / Another Photo Update

I seem to have developed a little problem. I believe when it comes to having a problem there are two ways it can be categorized, a good problem or a bad problem. I woke up this morning with that great "feeling of accomplishment." I had a meeting this afternoon with a company that could become a potential sponsor of the event that I am currently developing and I was very prepared to get down to business. As I made my way to the nice clothes I laid out for my meeting, I wasn't prepared for what happened next. I first put my undershirt on and noticed that it was feeling a little roomy and I really didn't think anything of it. Next, I put on my nice collared polo and that too was feeling a little big on me. However, it wasn't until I put on my suit pants that I noticed I was swimming in my clothes. I mentioned a while back that I was extremely excited that I moved from a XXXL T-shirt down to a XXL T-shirt. My clothes were starting to fit better and I was noticing a little change. It has now been a few weeks since I had tried on my nice clothes and let me tell you what, there is a big difference. It is definitely a good problem to have. However, I was looking a little like a kid who tried on his father's clothes. My pants were actually bunching up on the sides as I tightened my belt to a new personal best, three holes. I probably could have gone to four holes but my pants would have really looked weird. While basking in my personal accomplishment, I suddenly realized that I wasted a bit of money on this suit because I purchased it, about a week before I started my mission, for my friend's wedding.

This little realization also got me thinking. If my clothes are starting to get noticeably baggy now, what I am going to look like a few more weeks down the road. This now brings me to a some what bad problem. I really can't spend the money for a new wardrobe because I have a wedding coming up in a year that I need to pay off. Plus if I get new clothes now, it will only be wasting more money. I say this because I will still be losing weight and they too would be baggy before I know it. So I now find myself in a little dilemma. My wedding is a little under 400 days away and I don't plan on stopping my mission now. I have the feeling that I might have to ride the next year out and purchase some articles of clothing here and there. Like I said, this is turning into a good problem because even though I don't have the money to buy all new clothes, I am going to continue to lose more weight and shrink to where my clothes will be extremely big on me. Believe it or not, that makes me really excited and motivated.

Another Photo Update

Yesterday's side shot comparison was a really big hit. I had people telling me that they could really see the difference more with the side shots then they could with the front shots. It makes me happy that my fiancee made me take those pictures and put them up on yesterday's post. I have also officially decided that I was going to continue to incorporate the side shot into my post. However, I will only do so at the beginning of every month. I decided this because I like inserting in the element of surprise into the blog. I will still take my front and weigh-in shots everyday for the post.

After seeing the great response for the 3 side shots, I decided to experiment a little more with my photos. I went back through my portfolio and pulled up the front shot from Day #1 and put it next to my front shot from today. I will let you see the comparison for yourself. You can click on each photo to zoom in.

Day #1 - 302 lbs

Day #58 - 268.2 lbs

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)

(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 eggo nutrigrain waffles with a serving of Light'n Fit yogurt and a side of fresh strawberries = Points 4

Snacks During the Course of the Day - 2 rice cakes, 1 Weight Watchers mini carrot cake, 1 Weight Watchers brownie, and 1 large pear = Points 7

Early Afternoon - 1 serving of left over Beef & Vegetable Cheese Casserole from last night (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7

Late Afternoon - 1 1/2 serving2 of left over Beef & Vegetable Cheese Casserole from last night (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 11

Dinner - 2 pork chops with a side of sweet potatoes and apples (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 10

Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 41 points (2 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today, I executed my chest and bicep workout routines: Dumbbell Chest Press (4 sets x 8, 10, 12, 15 reps), Incline Smith Press (3 sets x 21, 15, 12 reps), Straight Bar Curls (4 sets x 8, 10, 12, 11 reps), Incline Cable Chest Fly (3 sets x 15 reps), Incline Alternating Dumbbell Curls (4 sets x 12, 10, 8 ,6 reps), and Low Pulley Hammer Curls (3 sets to failure). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio and my core body routine.

Day #58 - Weigh-In = 268.2 lbs

Day #58 Weigh-In

Day #57 - Finding Motivation in Friends / A Photo Can Tell a Lot

I am so blessed to have a lot of supportive friends and family in my life. They have been a big help to me not only since I have started my mission, but my whole life as well. When I have a question that needs an answer, I turn to my friends and family. When I'm feeling down and need a pick me up, I turn to friends and family. And of course when I need motivation to keep going strong, whether it be with my mission or anything else for that matter, I turn to friends and family. I have built the foundation to my mission and this blog from the support I have received from my friends and family.

However, lately I have noticed that I been receiving additional motivation from new friendships I am developing, just by sharing my journey with anyone who wants to listen. These new friendships are exactly what is needed to build the walls upon the foundation that has already been set in place. These friendships are being forged with people who know what it is like to look in the mirror and wish they saw something different and other people who are kind enough just to lend their support. These are friendships that are formed with some individuals who know what it is feels like to look at the models in commercials or on the cover of magazines and wonder if they will ever have a chance to look like that, at least once in their lifetime. I know this because I am one of those people. Now, I am not saying that everyone I have met so far is unhappy with the way the look or feel, I am just saying that I have become friends with some people who feel the same way as I do. These new friendships will help to motivate me to be healthier. I want to show my new friends that anything is possible if you believe. I am so blessed to be surrounded by old and new friends. Because with out them, I am alone.

A Photo Can Tell a Lot

Once in a blue moon, my fiance convinces me to expand my photo portfolio by adding a side shot into the mix. Of course you all can see how much my body has changed over the last 57 days just by looking a my front shots every day. However, that only shows you how I have been shrinking from side to side. By looking at a few of my side shots next to each other, you can see how I am shrinking from front to back. I have only taken 3 of these side shots so far and I have hesitated to put these shots up because I am a little more self conscious about the way I look in these then my front shots. However, since I have started this mission, I have learned to be more confident about myself. So, here goes nothing. The 3 photos below are taken at three different times in the past 57 days. I am going to put underneath each photo, the # of the day during the mission and what weight I was, when the photo was taken.

Please let me know if I should add the side photo into my daily blog or if I should leave it out for an every once and a while thing. You can either comment your vote or email it to me at, theheavymansdiary@gmail.com.

Day #1 - 302 lbs

Day #30 - 280.8 lbs

Day # 54 - 269.2 lbs

With all of that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)

(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 nutrigrain waffles, with a cup of Light'n Fit yogurt and a serving of fresh strawberries = Points 4

Snacks During the Course of the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 1 Weight Watchers carrot cake, 1 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookie, 2 rice cakes, and 1 large pear = Points 8

Early Afternoon - 1 serving of home made Yankee Pot Roast with a side of red potatoes and carrots (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7

Late Afternoon - 1 serving of home made Yankee Pot Roast with a side of red potatoes and carrots (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Dinner - 1 1/2 servings of Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 11
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 39 Points

Exercise

Today I ran on the elliptical for 40 mins and did miniature core body workout because my stomach was a little upset. Tomorrow I will be executing my chest and bicep workout routines.

Day #57 - Weigh-In = 269.6 lbs

Day #57 Weigh-In

Day #57 Front Shot

 

Day #56 - A Sense of Accomplishment Can Go a Long Way

I mentioned yesterday, learning that weight loss takes time, is probably one of the most important experiences I have had to date, since the start of my mission. And I will be preaching this lesson for the rest of my life. Learning this, was a great first step towards reaching my goal. But what should we do to fill in that time frame? Here is how I approach it, I know that I am going to be spending a lot of time doing what it takes to become healthier. So, why not take it one day at a time. After learning the proper rate of weight loss per week (1-2 pounds) and understanding that I have to control my food intake and workout properly, I am in no rush. I mean of course I want to be sexy by my wedding, but I also have some time until the day is here.

There are two other quotes that I like to use when it comes to taking my time and doing things properly. They are, "Take it one step at a time," and "You have to walk before you run." Now a days, when I know that I am going to be embarking on a project or a mission that will take time, I want to make sure that I am going to be doing it correctly. That is why I did my research before doing Weight Watchers and why I did my research about which exercises would be good to do in the gym that would help me lose weight and build muscle. That is also why I did my research before buying a new scale because I did not want to be stuck in the same situation I was in at the beginning of the mission, with a cheap scale that broke. Taking the time to understand what works and what doesn't is very important when you are going to be spending time doing something. The last thing I want to do, is having to start over again from scratch.

Now that I understand that losing weight will take time, I have come up with a way to make the days go by a little quicker as well as keep me focused on my main goal (losing weight).  I develop a bunch of tasks that I incorporate into my daily life that will give me the, "Sense of Accomplishment." Let me tell you, there is nothing more motivating then finishing a task that you set out to do. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, that usually leads to me wanting to get other tasks done. Before I know it, everything that I wanted to get accomplished has been completed. Let me give you an example of how I incorporate this method into my mission.

Everyday, I make myself a checklist that consists of two parts. The first part is all of the personal tasks (Blog, workout, food shopping, etc...) that I need to get done for the day and the second is everything I need to get done for work. For example: I wake up every morning at 7:30am to weigh myself and to take the scale picture that you see every night. Once I have completed that task, I check it off and move on to the next. More often then not, after the morning weigh-in , I make my way to the gym for my daily workout. After my workout, I come home to take a shower, have breakfast, and pack my meals for work. As I walk out the door to my car, I stop at the convenience store and I pick up my daily newspaper that I use in my profile picture everyday. I think you get the point, after I complete a task, I check it off. Believe it or not, every time I check off a task, I get that sense of accomplishment that makes me want to do more. It is almost like a snowball effect. I usually get the most sense of accomplishment on Sundays. For the simple fact that I am home from work, I get my workout done early, I plan my meals for the week and go food shopping accordingly, and I also plan out my workout schedule. Come Monday, I am ready to roll.

I know it may sound weird to some people but developing tasks and getting them done actually motivates me. I believe that incorporating this method into my mission has helped me cope with the fact that I will be spending a lot of time, most likely my entire life, losing weight and staying healthy.

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Early Afternoon - 2 Boca veggie burgers with 2 slices of american cheese on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread and a side of baked potato chips = Points 10
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone, 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 1 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookie, and 1 large pear = Points 6
Late Afternoon - 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread with a side of baked potato chips = Points 5
Dinner - Chicken BLT Salad from Wendy's = Points 15

Total Points Eaten Today = 36 Points (3 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed my legs and shoulder workout routines: Leg Press (4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps), Leg Extensions (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Leg Curls (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Military Press (4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps), Dumbbell Lateral Raises (3 sets x 8, 10, 12 reps), Plate Front Raises (3 sets x 12 reps), Calve Raises (3 sets to failure), and Reverse Cable Flyes (3 sets x 15 reps). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio and my core body routine.

Day #56 - Weigh-In = 269.6 lbs

Day #56 Weigh-In

Day #56 Front Shot

Day #55 - It Will Take Time

As you all have probably noticed, I am a big fan of inspirational quotes. I mentioned in a post a few days ago that one of my favorite quotes is, "Rome wasn't built in a day." I use this phrase as a reminder that I didn't gain the weight over night and it certainly won't come off over night either. It has taken me a long time to realize that weight loss takes time, but has everyone else who struggles with weight issues come to the same realization? I know that I had made the mistake to many times in the past, not wanting to continue with a diet, because I didn't see a drastic change after a few weeks. I think that is why so many diets fail to do the job. I know I used to look for the quick solution to overcome my weight problems. I did not like the idea of having to watch what I eat for the rest of my life. However, having been through the process of trying to lose weight so many times in the past, I can safely say that I now know getting healthier is a lifestyle change. This is a change I am willing to take because I want to live happy and healthy for a very long time.

I made a friend over the weekend and her user name on twitter is, "maggieslosingit." If you have a Twitter account, please click to follower her. And it just so happens that is the name of her blog as well. She is an individual like myself, who is trying lose weight to become healthier. If you have a free moment, visit her blog to see what she is all about, http://www.maggieslosingit.blogspot.com/. I find Maggie to be a very big inspiration because, as it says on her blog site, she had finally decided it was time to lose weight and to change her life. And the next part I found to be very awesome, she says, "Whether its 50 or 250 pounds, I need to do this for me." I think what she says there is amazing. She is not determined by the particular amount she loses, she is embarking on her own mission to become healthier for herself.

I received a comment on my blog this morning from Maggie. Within the comment she said to me, "I still have so far to go until I get there. But, I'll keep chugging away!" These few words that she said to me, is exactly what I was talking about in the first paragraph of today's post. With her experience, she realizes that it will take time to get to her weight loss goal, but she will also keep on going until she reaches it. It is great to see that other people share the same goals as I do. Seeing that I have learned the same things through my experiences as other people have, makes me believe that I am heading in the right direction. Maggie, I wish the best of luck to you on your mission and I hope that you get to where you want to be.

With that being said, let's get to the details of the day:

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 39 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Lunch - I slept in late this morning. I had a Grilled Chicken TBM Melt with a side of baby carrots from Cosi = Points 19
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 2 rice cakes, 1 serving of Weight Watchers mini cheese pizzas, and 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 9
Dinner - 2 Boca veggie burgers with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread = Points 7
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 37 Points (2 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran on the elliptical for 30 mins and then I did my core body workout: Dumbbell Side Crunches (2 sets x 20 with 20 lbs), Medicine Ball Sit Ups (2 sets x 20 reps), and Lying Leg Lifts (2 sets x 15 reps). Tomorrow I will be doing my legs and shoulder workout routines.

Day #55 - Weigh-In = 269.8 lbs

Day #55 Weigh-In

Day #55 Front Shot