Day #125 - It's Side Shot Day Again!!!!

What's up my friends!!! Today was a very uneventful day. I mentioned in yesterday's post, that I got in from my event in Rochester, NY at 6:00 am this morning. I had, once again, gone almost 24 hours without sleep twice in the same week. So you can only imagine what time I wanted to sleep into today. Unfortunatley, I was woken up at 10 am by work and had to roll out of bed to do several things before I got a chance to relax for a change. Anyway, I managed to get everything done that needed to be done for work. I also helped Patty straighten up the apartment, go food shopping for the week, and executed my workout routine for today. And I did all this, looking and feeling like a zombie.

However, I do have some exciting news for you all today....... it is Side Shot Day!! Well, technically yesterday was, but I was on the road the whole day and was too tired to do that this morning at 6am. If you just started following this blog, let me catch you up to speed. At the beginning of every month, I like to take a side photo of myself and then I compare it to the side shot of the previous month, as well as Day #1 of my mission. It switches the photos up a little and shows you a different perspective of how my body has changed over the last few months by doing nothing but eating healthy and exercising constantly. Let me know what you think of this special addition of side shot day.

Today, Day #125 - 247.6 lbs

1 Month Ago, Day #94 - 255.2 lbs

Day #1 - 302 lbs

I don't know about anyone else, but it makes me happy and extremely motivated when I can see positive results. It also reminds me how hard I have worked to get this far. Just imagine how much better I will look and feel by the time my wedding day is here (10 months & 23 days away).  I also want to show everyone my front shot comparison from Day #1 to today as well.

Today, Day #125 - 247.6 lbs

Day #1 - 302 lbs

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)

(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Lunch - Steamed Chicken with a serving of steamed broccoli and brown rice = Points 8

Snacks During the Day - 1 slice of Weight Watchers american cheese, 2 rice cakes, and 1 pear = Points 4

Dinner - 1 1/2 servings of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole = Points 11

Dessert - Weight Watchers ice cream bar = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 25 Points (12 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Incline Dumbbell Press, Rear Delt Flyes, and Alternating Bicep Dumbbell Hammers (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Lat Pull Down, Shoulder Dumbbell Press, and Side Lunges (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Cable Flyes, Seated Row w/ Straight Bar, and Leg Press (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Stability Ball Crunches, Skull Crushers, and Side Dumbbell Bends (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio outside.

Day #125 - Weigh-In = 247.6 lbs

Day #125 Weigh-In

 

Day #124 - Not Your Typical Week

This past week has definitely been one of the longest weeks of my life. As many of you all know, I started the week off by taking an 8 1/2 hour trip to Canada on Monday, executed 3 events on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, took an 8 1/2 hour drive home on Wednesday night, put in a full day of work in on Thursday, drove 5 hours today (Friday) to an event and drove another 5 hours home. It is currently 5:45am on Saturday morning and I just got home from Friday's event. However, I am still taking the time to write and post Friday's blog. I don't know about you, but I think I am just as dedicated to my job as I am to my "Mission to Healthy." But no matter what, I still managed to eat healthy this entire week and exercise every chance I got. Now that is what I call dedication.

Obviously, I have lost a lot of weight over the past few months and I can really see and feel a physical change. But over the past week, I have noticed something that has been puzzling me. During each event I ran ,this last week, there were a ton of pictures taken with me in them. When I go back and review the pictures, why does it always seem, at least to me, that I look just as big as I did a few months ago in the mid section region? I know I have lost weight and I know my body has changed for the better, but why when I look at my picture do I feel like I still look heavy? I guess the camera really does add 10 pounds, which I don't really understand the science behind that. Do I sound crazy or does anyone else feel the same way?

Regardless of how I think I look in photographs, I know I am still losing weight and becoming healthier in the process. I might just have to destroy every picture I have ever been in and trust I will look better in the future. Tomorrow is another day and I am looking forward to what it may bring my way.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on a multigrain bagel = Points 9
Early Afternoon - (1) 6" double turkey sub on whole wheat bread with a slice of american cheese and a serving of baked chips (Subway) = Points 9
Late Afternoon - (1) 6" double turkey sub on honey oat bread with a slice of american cheese and a serving of baked chips (Subway) = Points 9
Dinner - 1 french onion soup and a Steak and Mushroom meal (Applebees) = Points 14

Total Points Eaten Today = 41 Points (4 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

I was on the road for an event from 8 am Friday morning to 5:45 am Saturday morning. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the gym. I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine on Saturday.

Day #124 - Weigh-In = 247.0 lbs

Day #124 Weigh-In



Day #124 Front Shot





Day #123 - Almost the Weekend, But it Feels Like Monday

Has anyone ever have that feeling that it is Monday when it really is not Monday? Please tell me I am not nuts. As many of you know, I have been traveling for the last few days for business. I ran 3 events up in Canada that went really well and of course since I was in Canada, I was not in the office. Not being in the office for those few days and coming back into the office today, made it feel like it was Monday the whole day. Sorry you just lost the last 10 seconds of your life reading this nonsense but I was just curious if anyone has ever felt that before. Anyway, the weekend is almost here!!!

Yesterday morning I received an awesome award from a fellow blogger named Alan. His blog is called, "Pounds Off Playoff." Check it out when you get a moment. Anyway, I am very thankful to Alan for presenting me with this amazing award. So, in order to fully receive this award, I have to follow the protocol that goes with this award.

1. Thank the person who has given you the award

 - Thank you Alan for this award!

2. Answer some questions

Sum up your Blog in five words

- A Mission to Become Healthy

What would you change about your life

- I believe in living my life with no regrets. But I did, however, answer this same question the last time I was presented an award. Wish I could of taken better care of myself a lot sooner then now. I had the opportunity to do so back in college but I chose to eat and drink like everyone else and before I knew it, I was out of control. I am definitely paying for it now. I will use that time in my life, as a learning experience and I will move on from there.

3. What are ten things people don't know about you

1. Not many people know that my middle name is Lee.

2. I sometimes dream about playing for the New York Yankees

3. I like eating pizza backwards (Crust first)

4. I love going apple picking with my family

5. I have nightmares about the "Stay Puff Marsh Mellow Man" from the Ghostbuster Movie

6. I want to help as many people as I possibly can, so they can have a better life

7. I used to make a special trip to Burger King late at night after dinner

8. I was in Lenny Kravitz first ever music video

9. I fear being alone in life

10. I want to dunk a basketball one day

4. New blogs I would like to pass this award onto

- spunkysuzi - Working Towards a Healthier Me

- Dr. Fat to Fit - Dr Fatty Finds Fitness

- Allan - Almost Gastric Bypass

* Please take a second to check out everyone of these blogs. I think you will like what they are writing about.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)

(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites on a multigrain roll with a slice of american cheese = Points 7

Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5

Mid Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5

Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5

Dinner - 2 Boca veggie burgers on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese and a serving of baked potato chips = Points 12

Total Points Eaten Today = 34 Points (3 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Close Grip Lat Pull Down, Lateral Dumbbell Raises, and Leg Press (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Dumbbell Press, Seated Row, and Leg Extension (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Chest Flyes, Shoulder Dumbbell Press, and Tricep Push Downs (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Crunches, Bicep Curl (Ropes), and Cable Side Chops (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #123 - Weigh-In = 246.0 lbs

Day #123 Weigh-In



Day #123 Front Shot



Day #122 - The Travel Series Part 6c - No Place Like Home

I woke up this morning at 6 am, trying to figure out where in the hell I was at. And then it dawned on me, I was still in Canada and I had to get up for my 3rd and final event this morning. I guess not sleeping for almost 40 hours straight from 8:00 am Monday morning to late last night, took a toll on my brain. However, I still managed to get myself out of bed, into the shower, and out the door for the event. The last 2 days in Canada have been the longest 2 days of my life, that I can remember. But I still managed to get what had to get done and made my boss happy in the process. I am providing you all with a link, if you are curious as to how the one of the events I ran yesterday turned out. I am the cool looking guy on the far left, http://news.therecord.com/Sports/article/783923. It made the cover of the sports section in "The Record" up in Canada. Let me know what you all think.

The drive home today was a long 8 1/2 hours and I was thinking about being home for every single one of those minutes. Even though the entire trip was a long 2 days, I still managed to eat healthy, write my blog, weigh myself in, and take my daily photo in the process. I did not, however, get to the gym at all. I was constantly moving from venue to venue as well as setting up all of my equipment and breaking it down 3 times. I think I managed to get some good cardio during the last couple of days though. I could tell that I did get some form of exercise out of it because I weighed in this morning at 246.6 lbs and that weight came down from 248.8 lbs yesterday morning. I must have really been running around like a mad man. I am curious to see what I am going to be weighing in at tomorrow morning.

Anyway, I could tell that Patty was excited about me coming home as well. It wasn't the calls that she was making every ten minutes to see how close I was, but I think it was the fact that she made me my favorite dinner. She made me homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe). I personally believe she was using it as a tool to bribe me into not traveling again for a while. At least she will be traveling with me to my next 2 events, so that is a plus.

After being cramped up for 8 1/2 hours in a car today, I couldn't wait to do some actual workout activity tonight. And being that I haven't been able to actually do a real workout the last 2 days, I decided to do my new favorite thing..... running outside. So, after I was done eating my delicious dinner, I told Patty to put her running shoes on because we were going to spend some quality time together outside in the beautiful fall weather. And believe it or not, my knees are feeling good right now. I hope all of this running I am now doing outside is starting become a little easier.

I would also like to take the time to thank Alan, who writes his own blog called, "Pounds Off Playoff." If you have not seen his blog yet, please take a moment to do so, I think you all would like it. Anyway, Alan presented me this morning with, "A Blog with Substance" award. Thank you Alan for this great honor. I promise I will follow through with all of the requirements on tomorrow's post pertaining to this awesome award. I just had a few things I wanted to talk today about after my long trip home from Canada.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 apples with a side of yogurt = Points 6
Early Afternoon - Grilled chicken breast on a multigrain roll with a slice of american cheese and a side of fruit = Points 11
Late Afternoon - (1) 6" double turkey meat sub on whole wheat bread with a slice of american cheese, a side of baked chips and apple slices (Subway) = Points 9
Dinner - 1 1/2 servings of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 8

Total Points Eaten Today = 34 Points (3 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran outside for 30 mins and then walked for 10 mins, for a grand total of 40 mins of cardio. Tomorrow I will be getting back into the normal workout routine by executing the weight lifting and strength training portion.

Day #122 - Weigh-In = 246.4 lbs

Day #122 Weigh-In

Day #122 Front Shot



Day #121 - Travel Series Part 6b - Working Around the Clock

When I left you all last, I was writing about my crazy long journey, driving to Canada yesterday. When I was done writing the post, I had the full intention of trying to get some sleep. However, it did not quite work that way at all. It was already 3 am when I had finished writing yesterday's post and I had to get up at 5:30 am to get ready for this morning's event. I also had a few things that I still had to finish on top of that as well. So I decided to push forward and finish everything I had to do, so I was prepared for both of my events today.

I am still amazed that I am currently awake right now, writing this post, because I was running around like a mad man today. I first had to setup this morning's event at 8am which took a while to do so because it was raining very hard this morning and I did not want to get all of my equipment wet. After the event was over, I had to pack everything up and move onto the next location. The second event of the day was supposed to be even bigger then the first event this morning. Let me tell you, there was only 15 people at this morning's event and there had to be almost 600 people at the second event this afternoon. So you could only imagine how alert and awake I had to be to execute the second event to a "T."

After both events were completed, I was taken out to eat by the parents of the person I was honoring during this afternoon's event. I was so exhausted that I barely managed to eat anything. As a matter of fact, I did not eat much at all today because I was running around the entire day, setting up and breaking down all of my equipment. When all is said and done, I managed to run two fairly decent events today on very little sleep. Not to mention, I did a ton of cardio today as well. I have actually not slept since 8am yesterday morning. Which means I have actually been awake for almost 37 hours straight and I also have to wake up at 6:00am tomorrow morning for my final event in Canada. I think I will go to sleep now. Have a great night everyone!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
( I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 3 egg whites with 2 slices of whole wheat toast with a little butter = Points 5
Lunch / Dinner - Penne pasta with grilled chicken and vegetables = Points 9
Dessert - 2 apples = Points 4

Total Points Eaten Today = 18 Points (19 points under my daily limit) I know this probably looks bad but it was not intended at all. I was extremely busy with two events and I am way to exhausted to even think about eating right now. I think the most important thing right now is that I get some much needed sleep.

Exercise

I did a ton of cardio today by setting up and breaking done all of my equipment, in the rain, for two events today.

Day #121 - Weigh-In = 248.8 lbs

Day #121 Weigh-In

Day #121 Front Shot

Day #120 - The Heavy Man, Travel Series Part 6a - Going International

Yeah, you all read the title of this post correctly. The Heavy Man has officially gone international! I mentioned about two weeks ago that I went down to Philly to apply for a passport, so I could travel into Canada for 3 events that I had to run. Well, that time to travel has come and I am currently sitting in my hotel room in Canada trying to put the finishing touches on the preparation for my events that will be happening in about 6 1/2 hours from now.

The day started off very early because I had to pick up some signs for my events this morning, they turned out great by the way. I then had to rush back to my office because I had a ton of things that had to get done before I set out on the road to visit our neighbors (Canada) up stairs. It is funny how I thought coming into this morning that I was pretty much set with everything that I had to get down. I was way off, every little thing was a process and I ended up having to buy some new equipment because the equipment I was promised at work, was allocated some where else. To make a long story short, I didn't leave until 6:30 pm.

If you haven't traveled from North Jersey to Canada at all, I am going to tell you that you should fly when you do. I was stuck in my car for 8 hours trying to get up here. The plus side to me driving, was that I saved my company a ton of money doing so. Even though I was stuck in the car for 8 hours, I still managed to eat very healthy the entire day. I did not however, have a chance to workout today. I was busy at work the entire day and then I drove the rest. I will definitely make time later on today, after a little nap, to exercise. I am sorry that this post is so short and boring but I am extremely tired and I have to try and get a little sleep. I will talk to you all again later on tonight. I hope everyone has a great day!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 2
Lunch - Foot long Chicken Teriyaki sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese, a serving of baked potato chips, and apple slices (Subway) = Points 18
Dinner - Foot long Double Meat Turkey sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese, a serving of baked potato chips, and apple slices = Points 16

Total Points Eaten Today = 36 Points (1 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

I did not have a chance to get to the gym today. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #120 - Weigh-In = 248.6 lbs

Day #120 Weigh-In

Day #120 Front Shot

Day #119 - Still Learning as I go

There is a debate going on currently about whether or not a so called "Cheat Day" is a necessity when it comes to losing weight. I can honestly tell you that I don't know if it is or if it is not. I am not a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or a doctor. I am a normal person, like all of you, trying to figure out how to better my health as well as my life, as I go. I know I don't have all the answers but I am willing to try something new to keep the weight coming off, at a nice healthy pace. I tried the weight loss program, "Body for Life" a while back and that is where I first heard of incorporating a "Cheat Day" into a weight loss routine. I personally like this theory because I do go through parts of my week craving unhealthy and fattening foods. But I have learned to not bend and because of that my "Will Power" has become stronger than it has been in the past. And I use a "Cheat Day", one day out of the week, to help subside these cravings because believe it or not, I am human. And when I say "Cheat Day", I really mean that it is the one day out of the week when I have a meal that deviates from my normal routine and that is it. Maybe on special occasions I will eat a little more then one meal, like I did on Saturday for a friend's birthday party, having a piece of cake in addition to my one meal. I have been incorporating a "Cheat Day" into my weekly routine for the last few weeks and I am still losing between 1-2 lbs a week. And if it works for me, I am going to continue to keep on doing until it stops working. Then I will find another way to keep on losing weight.

I am always honest with everyone who chooses to follow this blog and I feel that you all should know how I fight my weight issues. And by me sharing with you what I do to cope with being over weight, doesn't mean you all have to do it as well. It is up to everyone to figure out what works for them the best and I am sure as hell not going to preach about what you all should be doing or should not be doing. I say that because it is your life and not mine. I started this mission and writing this blog because I am a person that needed help losing weight. I am not afraid to admit it because I honestly don't know everything it takes to do so. I have learned a lot so far, in the last few months, and I am sure that the learning process will continue to take its course for the rest of my life.

I enjoy reading comments that are left for me on my posts. I am constantly listening to all of the advice and tips. Some of the tips I have learned already and some of the advice I am hearing for the first time. I mean come on, isn't that why we all started to do this in the first place, to have a group of people who know how it feels to struggle with the same issue as you do. If we can't help each other then I don't know who will. I know losing weight and maintaining a healthy life style is not an easy task. Believe me, I have been trying to do so for a very long time. But I do know how great of a feeling it is when you physically feel better and when people go out of their way to comment on how great you look, after you lose some weight. I have learned that life is too short, and that is one of the reason why I bust my ass to become a healthier person. I have enjoyed becoming a better person both physically and mentally these last few months and that is something I would not change for the world. And even though I do have a "Cheat Meal" once a week, I still wake up the next morning ready to jump back into my mission. I also believe that can be the case for anyone if they worked hard at it.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 4 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 4
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar = Points 2
Lunch - 2 servings of homemade Mac - n - Cheese (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 10
Dinner - Turkey on a wrap with a small amount of shredded cheddar cheese, a side of fruits, and a serving of honey mustard = Estimated Points 16

Total Points Eaten Today = 32 Points (5 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I took the day off from exercising. I mentioned before, that I like to take a day off from working out to let my body rest. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #119 - Weigh-In = 248.8 lbs 

Day #119 Weigh-In



Day #119 Front Shot



Day #118 - To "Cheat Day" or not to "Cheat Day"..... That is the Question

Last weekend I wrote about how I am starting to incorporate a "Cheat Day" into the eating portion of my mission. When I say "Cheat Day" I mean one or two meals during a single day of the week, either Saturday or Sunday, where I can eat unhealthy foods. The purpose of this "Cheat Day" is to feed my junk food cravings for the week. By doing this, I keep my eating habits honest and it works to perfection. Usually after a "Cheat Day", I am chomping at the bit to jump back into eating healthy for the up coming week.

However, coming into this weekend, I knew I was going to be facing a dilemma pertaining to which day I was going to utilize as my "Cheat Day." It made perfect sense to use my "Cheat Day" on Saturday (today) because Patty and I are going to be attending a birthday party and the father of the child is a cook. So right there, I knew I was going to be heading into a battle with my "Will Power" because I will be surrounded by great tasting food. On the other hand, I like saving my "Cheat Day" for Sunday because I usually try to relax and watch football. What better day to eat unhealthy then on Sundays. So you can obviously see that I was conflicted about which day to choose.

Well, I can tell you that my decision was made as soon as the lids came off of the food trays at the party today. I had eaten a nice healthy breakfast and lunch today, hoping I would be able to make through the party and coast into Sunday with a "Cheat Day" in my back pocket. But as soon as the people sitting next to me sat down with their plates full of food, I jumped up and made my way towards the buffet line. I had folded, like I thought I would, and had my "Cheat Day" today.

After the party was over, my stomach was letting me know exactly how it was feeling after eating. To be honest, I really didn't stuff myself at all. But it wasn't until I had a piece of birthday cake that I really knew I was going to be in for a long night. I ended eating around 5:00pm and amazingly, I wasn't hungry for the rest of the night, but my stomach was still upset. Now, usually when I have a "Cheat Day" I don't workout because I am afraid that my stomach will react even worse after I put it through some physical activity. However, I weighed in at 248.2 lbs this morning and I was nervous about having a little set back after getting into the 248 pound range. So around 11:30pm, I decided to go running outside. To make a long story short, I ended up running for 35 mins straight (a new personal best outside) and surprisingly my stomach ended up settling a little. Who knew that exerciseing tonight would be the key to helping my stomach feel better.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 37 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

*Today was a "Cheat Day" and I normally don't record my daily points on a "Cheat Day" because they will be over my daily limit regardless.

Breakfast - 2 Eggo nutrigrain waffles with a serving of strawberries
Lunch - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Cordon Bleu (Weight Watchers Recipe) with a side of whole wheat pasta with parmesan cheese
Dinner - I had some pasta with broccoli, some chicken, some lasagna, and some sausage and peppers.
Dessert - I had a piece of birthday cake

Exercise

Today I ran for 35 mins outside. Tomorrow I will be doing cardio outside as well.

Day #118 - Weigh-In = 248.2 lbs

Day #118 Weigh-In



Day #118 Front Shot