Day #103 - Hello.... Weekend!!

Today at work went by really quickly. That is a little unusual for Friday because I am always counting down the hours until the weekend is here. And of course we all know how slow time can feel when we are actually looking at the clock every 5 minutes. Not to mention that it will be an action packed weekend especially since the NFL is back and College Football is into its second weekend. But if I had to pinpoint a reason why the day went by so quickly, I would say that I was knee deep in work and I wanted to get as much done as possible before the weekend hit.

So it appears that I have made it away from the 255 - 254 lbs plateau or as I like to call it, the pit of frustration. Today was the second day that I weighed in at 253 lbs. But the good sign is that I lost a pound this week so far and if you remember me explaining a while ago, losing between 1 to 2 lbs a week is a healthy way to lose weight. My friend, the second personal trainer to help me, is happy with my progress thus far since he helped me develop what direction to take my new workout routine in. He said that next week we will start to kick it up a notch and the fat mass will be coming off easier yet again. I am totally down for that happening.

The weather is starting to get a little chillier over here in New Jersey because the Fall is quickly coming. So I decided to go into the closest that houses all of my hoodies and jackets to pull out the first article of clothing, built for the cold weather, that I will be wearing this Fall season. After searching for a few minutes, I came across a zip up hoodie that I have not been able to fit in for a while now. So, being that I have lost a few pounds, I decided to give it a try. And guess what..... It fit!! I was so happy because it used to be one of my favorite hoodies to wear. Anyway, I walk into the office today, with my hoodie on, and my friend, the one who always makes comments about my weight loss, says to me that I am looking thinner yet again. Now I was a little curious to see what else he would say because he always mentions how I look thinner. So I asked him if it was a good or bad thing that I looked thinner. And without even blinking an eye he said, "It is a great thing!!!" Then he goes onto say how much healthier and better looking I have gotten over the last few months. Hmm... come to think of it, maybe him say that, made the day go by quickly. Well, it definitely put me in a good mood, to say the least.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 Eggo nutri-grain waffles with an apple, a cup of Light'n Fit yogurt and some sugar = Points 5
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 3 pears, 3 rice cakes, 2 servings of Baked Tostitos Scoops with mango salsa = Points 10
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Dinner - (1) 6'' Doubled Stuffed Chicken Teriyaki sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese and a serving of baked potato chips = Points 13
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 40 Points (2 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran for 40 mins on the elliptical while constantly changing the resistance levels. Tomorrow I will executing the weight lifting and strength portion of my new routine.

Day #103 - Weigh - In = 253.6 lbs

Day #103 Weigh-In

Day #103 Front Shot

Day #102 - Breaking Through the Plateau

It is the 3rd day of my newly reconstructed cardio based workout routine and I am feeling more energetic without all of the soreness in my joints and muscles. I am really starting to like this new exercise route I am currently going down. I woke up this morning in anticipation, hoping to see that my weight on the scale has gone down. Even if it was 1/2 a pound, I would have been happy because at least it meant that I had found a way of switching it up just enough to break through this darn plateau that I have been stuck in for the last week and a half.

As I rolled out of bed and made my way to the living room to weigh myself, I felt like I was getting ready for the first day of school. I had mixed emotions because I wasn't quite sure if I was going to the right direction. And if I wasn't going in the right direction, was I going to have to try and find another way to go? Well one thing was for certain, I was going to find out very soon. As I approached the scale, I took off my clothes, I took a deep breath, and I stepped up on the scale. I was standing on the scale for at least 5 seconds before I gathered up the courage to look down. Guess what I saw........?

I weighed in at 253.2 lbs!!! I finally broke through the 255 - 254 lb range. I actually weighed in yesterday morning at 254.4 lbs, so this means that I did something right. And boy did it feel good to look down and see the very satisfying confirmation on the scale. Now, I know a pound is a little silly to be getting excited over. But when you are stuck at a certain weight for an extended period of time, especially after getting used to losing between 1-2 lbs a week for 3 months, it can be a little frustrating trying to break through to a lower weight. Of course, being able to get back to a normal healthy eating pattern after a holiday weekend does help but finding a way to get it done is so satisfying as well.

I am extremely happy with myself for not getting discouraged and giving up. The fact that I took the time to understand what was happening and also took the steps to try and correct it, makes me even more confident that I can make it to my goals.  I hope that this small but important accomplishment is a sign of more positive results to come. Tomorrow, here I come!!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 Eggo nutri-grain waffles with a cup of Light'n Fit yogurt and an apple with sugar = Points 5
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 6 rice cakes, 1 pear, and a serving of Baked Tostitos Scoops with a serving of mango salsa = Points 9
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 9
Mid Afternoon - 1/2 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca Veggie Burger with a slice of Weight Watchers american cheese = Points 3
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) and 1 reduced fat crescent roll = Points 6
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 39 Points (1 point over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training part of my new workout routine: Incline Dumbbell Press, Seated Row, and Triceps Push Down (All three exercises were executed together as a set for 4 sets x 15 reps each); Leg Extension, Rear Delt Fly, and Stability Ball Crunches (All three exercises were executed together as a set for 4 sets x 15 reps each); and Flyes, Straight Arm Pullovers, and Stability Ball Squats (All three exercises were executed together as a set for 4 sets x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #102 - Weigh-In = 253.2 lbs

Day #102 Weigh-In

Day #102 Front Shot

Day #101 - Bring on the Fall and My New Workout Routine

The weather is changing here in New Jersey and boy do I love it!! I say bring on the fall and all of it's glories. It is time for both college football and the NFL to begin, MLB is about to get into the playoff push (GO YANKEES!), and Halloween is right around the corner! Not to mention the cooler weather that will be pushing its way to us soon. It is great to not have to worry about sweating like a pig as I just simply walk down the street to get to my car. What a great time of year!

Anyway, today was a very eventful day. Of course I went through the same old crap that I always deal with on a day to day basis at work. But my boss did however tell me that I was doing an awesome job and to keep on working hard. That to me, was a very cool thing for him to say. Other then work, I noticed a little difference in how my body was feeling today and I think I can credit it to my new workout routine. I mentioned yesterday that I might have found a solution to breaking through the plateau that I have been stuck at for the last week and a half. A friend of mine, who just so happens to be another personal trainer that I know, told me that I needed to get away from the heavy weight lifting and to focusing more on cardio based routines that incorporated weight lifting and strength training. He said that would be the best way for me to break through the plateau, burn the fat mass, and to build lean muscle. After hearing his compelling explanation, I decided that I would give it a shot.

I can honestly tell you that after executing the first new routine he had given me last night, I felt more energetic and believe it or not, more relaxed. That best part is that I woke up this morning and I weighed in at 254.4 lbs, so I am obviously moving in the right direction. I also noticed that I did not wake up in pain this morning. For the past few weeks, with doing nothing but weight lifting everyday, I was waking up sore not only in my muscles but in my elbow and knee joints as well. I actually felt more energetic this morning and I definitely think I can get used to feeling like that every morning. Even tonight, I feel like I had a great workout. And all I did was cardio for 40 mins, on the elliptical, at different levels. I am happy that I took the time to try and fix the problem. Hopefully I can start seeing positive results not only on the scale but physically as well very soon.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites on 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread with a little bit of  low fat shredded mozzarella cheese = Points 4
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 3 rice cakes = Points 4
Lunch - 1 footlong Chicken Teriyaki sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese, a side of baked potato chips, and a serving of apple slices = Points 19
Dinner - 1 serving of Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watchers) = Points 9
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 38 Points

Exercise

Today I ran for 40 mins on the elliptical machine at different levels. Tomorrow I will be executing my new total body routine.

Day #101 - Weigh-In = 254.4 lbs

Day #101 Weigh-In

Day #101 Front Shot

Day #100 - Still Learning as I Go

It is officially Day #100 of my mission!! I am 46 lbs lighter then I was 100 days ago and I am feeling a whole lot better. Throughout the beginning of this mission, I have seen good times and bad times. But no matter what has happened, I take it as a learning experience and I move on. Take today for example, I have been stuck in between 255 and 254 lbs for roughly the last week and a half and of course I knew I was going to reach this type of situation eventually. I am currently stuck at a plateau and even though it is frustrating, I don't want to give up, because I know there is still a ton of motivation and determination within me to make it to my wedding day in the best physical shape and health of my life.

I was curious as to what I could do in order to break through this plateau that I have fallen into. So I decided to take my situation to some professionals. I first wanted to consult with my buddy (The Personal Trainer), who has been helping me a ton with workout routines for the past 2 months now. Unfortunately he had to leave work early today and I didn't have a chance to sit down and talk to him. So, I then  decided to take my little dilemma to my other friend in the office who just so happens to be a personal trainer as well. The first thing he asked me, when I told him that I was stuck in a plateau, was what I am doing as a workout routine. So I told him exactly what my other friend developed for me. After looking at my recently adjusted workout routine, he told me that I was definitely gaining muscle weight. However, I wasn't doing enough cardio in order to burn fat.

It turns out that my buddy, who set me up originally, gave me a routine that was meant for athletes who are looking to do weight training for a sport. I was trying to keep up with all of the weight lifting that the routine called for me to do, and I was becoming too tired to get in the proper amount of cardio needed to burn fat and calories. And it makes total sense because he trains a lot of high school and college athletes for football and track. I do still appreciate all of the help he has given me over the past few months but I am not looking to train for any sports. So with that in mind, I had asked my other friend if he could help me put together a new workout that would help me burn fat, define & develop lean muscle, and get my body into shape. He had no problems with helping me develop that at all.

After a good hour of explaining to me what I should be focusing on during my exercise routines, I think we came up with a good solution. I will be executing a new workout routine that will be cardio based and will also include weight lifting and strength training. He had explained to me that I should be focusing on losing the fat mass while toning my muscles at the same time. And I now know that cardio is a big part in doing so. I will share with everyone my newly adjusted exercise routine schedule after he develops it for me. He did however give me a routine to start off with tonight, he called it a feeler session. He explained to me that he wanted to see what my limits were so he could customize a workout to accommodate to my physical abilities. I am glad that I took the time to try and understand what my situation currently was and what I could do to break out of it. I am still learning as I go.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man = 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites with 1 slice of american cheese on a multi-grain bagel = Points 9
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 1 medium apple = Points 1
Lunch - Half a Rotisserie Chicken with a side of steamed mixed vegetables and cinnamon apples = Points 19
Dinner - 1 serving of whole wheat pasta with a tbsp of parmesan cheese and 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread with reduced fat mozzarella cheese = Points 7
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher ice cream cone = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 38 Points

Exercise

Today I executed a new exercise routine that is cardio based with weight lifting incorporated into it. I had to choose an exercise for 3 of my body parts and I do those 3 exercises at 15 reps each in a row. After I finish the third exercise, I take a 30 second rest and I jump right back into the 3 exercises again. I do this for 4 rounds and then I move onto the next set of 3 exercises for the other 3 body parts. So I do a total of six body parts with an exercise for each at 4 sets x 15 reps. Example: Dumbbell Press, Lat Pull Down, and Dumbbell Curls (4 sets x 15 reps for each exercise) and Stability Ball Squats, Lateral Raises, and Crunches (4 sets x 15 reps for each exercise). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #100 - Weigh-In = 255.6 lbs

Day #100 Weigh-In

Day #100 Front Shot

Day #99 - Travel Series Part 5c, Winning at the Boardwalk

First of all, I hope everyone had a nice relaxing holiday weekend, I know I certainly did. Today, in the best way I can describe it, felt like the "calm" before the "storm." What I mean, is that today was a lot of fun and very "calm." Patty and I took a ride to the beach today with her family. This weekend was exactly what I needed, to get my mind off of the many stresses of work. The "storm" that I was referring to, is the big push that will be taking place at work as I start to prepare for my event in December, down in Charleston, SC. You all will probably be hearing a lot about that from me in the upcoming months.

But for now, let's get back to today. Like I was saying, Patty and I took a ride to the beach near her sister's house in Delaware. And this beach just so happened to have a boardwalk! Now, for those of you who don't know me, I am a huge fan of boardwalk games. It doesn't matter what kind of game it is or what kind of prizes you can win, I am going to play it. If I don't really care for keeping the prize that I win, I will just pass it along to the next person and move onto the next game. Let's just say that I was king of the boardwalk today....lol. I think I won something for each niece and nephew.

However, the real challenge for today was trying to avoid or at least control my craving for all of the greasy but great tasting boardwalk food. I can't tell you how many great smells were coming out of the many different restaurants and candy stores. Not to mention the temptation of trying to win a ton of candy out the many arcade crane games. But when it came down to eating lunch and dinner today, I managed to keep my junk food demons inside. And to be honest, I think I did pretty well today by ordering a grilled chicken sandwich for lunch and a turkey and cheese sub sandwich for dinner.

Well the weekend is now over and it is back to the grind again tomorrow for work and for my mission. My goal for this week is to not let the stress of work get to me, workout everyday hard, and to try and break out of this mini plateau I have been stuck in for the last week. I know some of it may be muscle gain but I want to try and break into the 240's within the next 2 weeks. Wish me luck!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on 2 slices of whole wheat bread with 4 pieces of turkey bacon = Estimated Points 8
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 1 medium apple = Points 1
Lunch - Grilled chicken on a roll with lettuce and 2 slices of american cheese with a side of potato chips = Estimated Points 15
Dinner - (1) 10" turkey sub with 2 slices of american cheese and a bag of baked potato chips = Estimated Points 16

Total Points Eaten Today = 40 Points (2 points over my daily limit)

Body Measurements

Chest- 45 1/4 inches
Waist (Around my stomach even with my belly button) - 47 1/4 inches
Neck - 15 1/2 inches
Bicep (Not Flexed) - 15 1/4 inches
Bicep (Flexed) - 17 inches
Upper Leg - 28 1/2 inches
Lower Leg (Calf) - 17 inches

Exercise

I did not make it to the gym today. I did however, walk a lot and I was moving around a lot too, playing board walk games and going on some rides. What I am trying to say, is that I wasn't sitting around doing nothing. Tomorrow I will be doing cardio and executing my Shoulders routine.

Day #99 - Weigh-In = 254.2 lbs

Day #99 Weigh-In

Day #99 Front Shot

Day #98 - Travel Series Part 5 b, Staring in the Face of Temptation

Today was the 2nd day of our trip to Delaware and I was able to do this morning, what I have not been able to do the last few trips down here. I was able to do a full cardio workout. Patty's sister actually has a treadmill in her house which made things extremely easy this morning. After I woke up, her sister made me an egg white, american cheese, and bagel sandwich, that tasted amazing. Once I was done eating, I gave myself an hour to digest and I went straight for the treadmill. You all probably know by now, I am an elliptical guy when it comes to my cardio routines. However, the only option I had today was the treadmill so I figure I would give it a try.

Patty's brother in-law suggested that I try out the weight loss program that was already installed in the machine. Before I get into this a little more in detail, let me share with you the main reason why I constantly use the elliptical machine. Both my knees have been through a lot over the years. My constant struggle with weight and the fact that I sometimes yo-yo in weight, has taken a toll on my knees. So, I use the elliptical because it is supposed to be better for the knees while doing cardio. Well, let's just say the treadmill this morning wasn't as kind to my body. While executing the weight loss program, I was speeding up and slowing down every 30 secs. I was extremely happy every time I made it to the level that aloud me to walk. I went through 30 mins of speeding up and slowing down. I am happy that I had a cardio workout this morning but my knees are feeling it right now.

Eating today was better then yesterday, however I did have a ton of temptations to over come. First of all, Patty's sister baked chocolate chip cookies yesterday and that is a very big temptation for me. I actually managed to eat only 2 cookies, which turned out to be worth only 3 points. For lunch, we ended up going to a pizzeria and I ordered a healthy grilled chicken club sandwich. The sandwich did come with fries and I managed to eat only about 4 small ones. And finally for dinner, Patty's other sister made ribs, mashed potatoes, rolls, and corn. I actually did pretty well during dinner. It wasn't until dessert, when I had to rely on my "will power." Patty's sister ended up purchasing the ingredients for smores. It took everything I had to avoid eating one.

When all is said and done, day #2 of the trip went pretty well. I managed to get a full cardio routine in while resisting the many food temptations for the rest of the day. I only have one more day of calling upon my "will power" before I am home free for the rest of the week. It is going to be hard though, we are going to the boardwalk at the beach near Patty's sister's house. I love me some boardwalk food. Wish me luck.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on a poppy seed bagel = Points 9
Snacks During the Course of the Day - 2 chocolate chip cookies and an apple = 4
Lunch -  Grilled Chicken Club sandwich on whole wheat bread with a few french fries = 13
Dinner - 4 thin ribs, serving of mashed potatoes, corn on the cob = Estimated Points = 16

Total Points Eaten Today = 42 points (4 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins on the treadmill. Tomorrow I will be executing my shoulders routine and an Abs workout.

Day # 98 - Weigh-In = 255.6 lbs

Day #98 Weigh-In

  

Day #98 Front Shot

 

Day #97 - The Heavy Man, Travel Series Part 5a

This morning I woke up already knowing that I had a long holiday weekend ahead of me. Patty and I had plans, for a month now to drive down to Dover, DE to visit her family for the Labor Day weekend. So with this trip in mind, I decided that I had to wake up early enough this morning to workout before Patty and I hit the road for the 3 hour trip.

While in the gym this morning, I felt like a man on a mission. As soon I walked through the front door of the gym, I went straight to the elliptical. I ran for 30 mins this morning and I was so pumped up that I ran at a higher level of resistance then I had been running lately. So right from the start, I knew this was going to be a nice productive workout. Next, I went straight to the weights to execute my Back routine. The interesting thing about today's weight lifting session was that I wasn't struggling as much as I was last week with the same exercises. I even raised the weight amount for each exercise before I started. I hope this means I am getting stronger. To wrap up my stay at the gym this morning, I managed to execute an Abs routine that made my whole mid section sore.

After the gym, I made my way back to the apartment to shower and pack before we left for Delaware. I want to throw this out there before I continue with this post, I had the full intention of eating healthy today like I have been doing everyday since the start of the mission. However, my meal plan for the day didn't go quite as planned. For the past few weeks, I have been averaging one non-healthy meal a week. This meal usually happens on either Saturday or Sunday. Well, today I decided to have some pizza with Patty for lunch. I felt fine after eating lunch but it wasn't until dinner when things got a little out of hand. Patty's sister brought up the idea of going to a steak house for dinner. And being that I am a nice guy, I didn't want to ruin the night for everyone else because of my weight loss program. So, I said anywhere they wanted to go was fine with me because I will adjust. I ended up eating a caesar salad, 2 chicken fingers, and half a roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. It wasn't that unhealthy at all but I can definitely say that I went over my daily points limit today. And let me tell you, my stomach is letting me know that right now. Back to healthy eating tomorrow.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 38 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

* I honestly did not keep track of my points today. It was the first day since the start of my mission that I ate like crap the entire day. I don't think that will happen again for a long time, at least that is what my stomach is telling me right now.

Lunch - 1 slice of plain pizza and 1 slice of ziti and vodka sauce pizza
Dinner - 1 ceasar salad, 2 chicken fingers, and a half a roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins on the elliptical and I executed an Abs routine: Crunches (3 sets x 25 reps) and Dumbbell Side Crunches (2 sets x 25 reps w/ 30 lbs). I also executed my Back routine: Angled Bar Lat Pull Down (5 sets x 15 reps), Wide Grip Seated Row (5 sets x 15 reps), Close Grip Lat Pull Down (5 sets x 15 reps), Low Back Extension (5 sets x 15 reps), and Good Morning Smith Machine (5 sets x 15 reps).
Tomorrow I will be doing only cardio.

Day #97  - Weigh-In = 254.6 lbs

Day #97 Weigh-In

Day #97 Front Shot