Day #131 - Travel Series Part 7b - Just Another Day at Work

The good news is that after arriving into the hotel at 2:00am this morning (Friday Morning), Patty and I were able to sleep in a little before our event, that took place from 6:30pm - 10:00pm. But here is the sad part, I am so programmed to wake up at 8:30am every morning, that my body did not skip a beat. Luckily I was able to force my self back to sleep for a little while. However, the work day continues to exist whether I am in the office or not. So, like the true workaholic that I am, I was up at 9:30am answering emails, taking calls, and developing new documents for my big event in Charleston.

I spent most of the day in my hotel room doing work but I did manage to escape for a nice healthy lunch at Subway. I can always rely on Subway when I am on the road because they have a store in almost every town across the country as well as having a store, in what seems to be every 10 miles, on each major highway. Once lunch was over, I was back to the grind trying to finish whatever I could before Patty and I had to hit the road for my event. I also managed to get a workout in, at the hotel fitness center, before we left We made sure to stop to get another bite to eat because we were going to be hungry waiting to 10:00pm after the event was over. The event ended up going well.

It is now currently 3:10 am in the morning, on Saturday. I wanted to make sure to keep up with my daily blog post. It is funny how posting a blog article has become a tradition in my eyes. I almost feel like it will bring me bad luck if I miss a night. But anyway, here I am for the 131st day in a row, sharing my day with you all. I am now going to try and get some sleep before I have to catch my flight home, at 6:30am. Sorry today's (Friday) post is so short, I am very exhausted and I promise I will have a better one for everyone tomorrow (Saturday). Until then, have a great night!

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)

Early Afternoon - (1) foot long chicken teriyaki sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese and a serving of baked potato chips (Subway) = Points 18
Late Afternoon - Turkey and cheddar sandwich on New Orleans french bread (Jason's Deli) = Points 11
Dinner - Cheese burger with a slice of american cheese on a hamburger roll = Points 10

Total Points Eaten Today = 39 Points (2 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins on the treadmill, at the hotel. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #131 - Weigh-In = 244.0 lbs


Day #131 Weigh-In





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day #131 Front Shot

 



 

Day #130 - The Heavy Man's Diary, Travel Series Part 7a

Hello my friends!! I am on the road once again for business purposes but that doesn't stop me from writing my blog every single night. Last week I went north into another country (Canada) and this week I am down south in Florida. After traveling for a few years, it does get hard from time to time leaving home because I miss Patty and my daily routine is always put to the test. When I am on the road it is harder to eat healthy and workout on a consistant basis but I am determined to make this work. The best part about traveling with this new company, is that Patty is able to come on the road with me a lot more then she used to.

I started my morning waking up in New Jersey. I ate a healthy breakfast, went into the office to get a couple of things taken care of, came home to finish packing for the trip, and took off for the airport. I spent the majority of the evening flying and just checked into my hotel literally about a half an hour ago. But the good thing is that I managed to eat healthy the entire day. It is not easy eating healthy in every airport I travel through. Some airports have only fast food and some others have healthy food carts / stands with the pre-made sandwiches and snacks. I tend to search for the carts more because it is easier to adjust and eat healthy on the run by purchasing food from those types of places. Working out is a little harder when I am on the road as well because not every hotel has a fitness center. I will lift weights when I can but I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot more cardio in the future, when on the road, because of my new found love for running outside. Regardless, it is hard enough to stick to my mission when I am at home, let alone on the road. However, I have come so far already and I am not going to let anything keep me from achieving my goals.

Also, I have a little update on my recent weight fluctuation. I have been up and down in weight for the last few days. I was at the 243 lb range a few days ago but I am currently weighing in the 246 lb range. I have been working out pretty hard the last couple of days and the majority of people who I talk to about this situation, all say that I have been gaining muscle. My friend even brought up a good point today. He said that my 5 lb weight loss from last Monday to this past Monday was out the ordinary for my body because I have been losing a healthy 1-2 lbs every week now, for the last few months. He said it is very possible that my body is now leveling out, after losing 5 lbs in a short amount of time. That could be why I gained 3 pounds in the last few days. I am also sure that the weight lifting sessions are contributing to that as well.

Can anyone please let me know if this new assumption makes sense. I am still learning as I go and it would be cool to find out the answer. Anyway, on to the next 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 - 4 Eggo nutirgrain waffles = Points 4
Snacks During the Day - 1 Pear and 1 Apple = Points 2
Lunch - 1 Boca Veggie Burger with a slice of Weight Watchers american cheese on a Weight Watchers roll with a serving of baked potato chips = Points 7
Dinner - Half a Turkey Club Wrap and Half a Turkey BLT Sandwich (Airport Food Cart) with a 1/2 a serving of BBQ Chips = Estimated Points 25 Points

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

Exercise

Today, I did not get a chance to go to the gym or run. I will get back to the grind tomorrow by running and doing cardio.

Day #130 - Weigh-In = 246.8 lbs

Day #130 Weigh-In

Day #130 Front Shot

Day #129 - Still Reaching My Goal, After Gaining Muscle Weight

First of all, happy post season to everyone who has a team that they root for in Major League Baseball, that made this year's playoffs. All I have to say is, "LET'S GO YANKEES!! Anyway, I am sitting here at my desk, trying to write this post but I keep on getting distracted by the nail biter between the Yankees and the Twins.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I recently set a small goal for myself to reach 245 lbs. As of yesterday morning and the day before yesterday, I was weighing in the 243 lb range. However, I was a little skeptical that I was going to stay in that range because I have learned, from experience, that the human body can fluctuate in weight quite a bit. Well, I guess my assumption was correct because I weighed in this morning at 245.8 lbs. In the past, especially at the beginning of this mission, I would have been totally bummed about this weight gain. However, I have also learned that there is such thing as positive weight gain. What I mean by this, is that I can also gain weight by putting on muscle. And of course, muscle does weigh more then fat. Believe it or not gaining muscle actually assists with the fat loss process as well. I have gone through this same situation in the past during my mission and the answer then, was muscle gain as well. Just to be on the safe side, I went to my buddy (personal trainer) and asked him what he thought of the whole situation. He asked me if I was still eating healthy and exercising everyday like he instructed me to. I told him that I am eating the same way I always do and I am still working out the same way he told me to about 4 weeks ago. He replied back to me, that it is most likely muscle gain.

It does make sense that I went up in weight a little from yesterday to today because I have been struggling a little with executing my workout routines. I have gone up in weight, with my weight lifting, since I started my new routine and I am at that point right now where I am working hard to complete my routines. I said it before and I will say it again, "No Pain, No Gain!" At the end of each workout, I am sore and it feels great. When it comes down to it, I am feeling great and I am still noticing significant changes in my body.  So, it really doesn't bother me any more if a gain a little here and there because I know I am working as hard as I usually do. And by the way, I still managed to reach my goal of getting down to 245 lbs even with the muscle gain!

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 white on a multigrain bagel with a slice of american cheese = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie = Points 2
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) and a crescent roll = Points 6
Mid Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) and a crescent roll = Points 6
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 9
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 39 Points (2 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Incline Dumbbell Press, Rear Delt, and Alternating Bicep 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), Chest Flyes, Row Straight Bar, and Leg Press (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Stability Ball Crunches, Skull Crushers, and Cable Chops (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will do cardio.

Day #129 - Weigh-In = 245.8 lbs

Day #129 Weigh-In

Day #129 Front Shot

Day #128 - Completing Goals..... With the Help of Others

I mentioned a few days ago that I am a person that likes to set goals. Of course the big goal is to lose weight and become healthier. But honestly, I could be looking to achieve that goal forever. What I mean, is that I am now living a lifestyle that I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. However, there are those small goals that I am still setting for myself and gives me the motivation needed to keep on going.

For example, I currently have two small goals that I set for myself not to long ago and it seems that they have both been achieved within the last few days. The first goal, I had set about a week and a half ago, was that I wanted to make it to 245 lbs. Well guess what my friends, I achieved that 3 days ago. When I first weighed in at 245 lbs, I thought to myself that it won't stay that way for long because the human body can fluctuate in weight all the time. In some instance, up to 5 lbs a day. But to my surprise, I reach the 243 lb mark yesterday and again this morning. So, maybe I am in the clear and I can officially mark that goal as completed!

The second small goal I had set out to achieve, was to run further outside then I have been, since I started running outside for cardio about 2 weeks ago. I figured that if I am going to run outside, I might as well have distances I want to be able to make it to eventually. The first distance / goal I had set, was to be able to run to the fire house in the next town over. I have been doing that successfully for the last 3 cardio days and it takes me about 15 minutes to get there and 15 minutes to get back to my apartment. The next small goal I had set for myself, pertaining to running, was to make it past the fire house and down the large hill that is right beyond it. Well, Patty ran with me tonight and she hasn't been running as much as I have, so I figured that we would make it to the fire house and turn around to head back to the apartment. However, I was way off, as soon as we made to the fire house, I started to circle around to head back to my apartment but she just kept on going. So, I figure I would just follow her and when ever she wanted to turn around, we would. Well it turns out, that we made it to the bottom of the hill and turned around to head towards home. But it was what happened before we started home, that meant a lot to me. She turned to me, had a big smile on her face, and said,"I just helped you achieve your goal." She then continued to run right back up the hill towards home. That couldn't have come at a better time. She explained to me, that she remembered me stating that my next small goal was to make it past the fire house and down the hill and she helped me accomplish that goal tonight. I did not however, make it all the way home by running. My knees were hurting a little but it was still a great cardio workout that ended up being for 30 mins straight.

Well, now that my 2 small goals have been achieved, I think I will set 2 more for myself right now. I officially weighed in at 243.2 lbs this morning, which means that I am very close to reaching the 60 lbs lost mark for my mission. So my first small goal is to reach 242 lbs and that will take me to 60 lbs lost. The second small goal will be pertaining to running. I had officially made it past the fire house and down the large hill in the next town over. My second small goal is to make it back up the hill and back to my apartment running the entire time, from start to finish. Wish me luck with chasing these 2 new goals!

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 with a serving of strawberries = Points 3
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 1 serving of baked potato chips, 2 rice cakes, and 1 pear = Points 7
Early Afternoon - 2 Boca veggie burgers on a Weight Watchers roll with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese and a serving of baked potato chips = Points 10
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca veggie burger on a Weight Watchers roll with 1 slice of Weight Watchers american cheese and a serving of baked potato chips = Points 7
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) and 2 reduced fat crescent rolls = Points 7
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

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

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins and walked for 20 mins. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #128 - Weigh-In = 243.2 lbs

Day #128 Weigh-In

Day #128 Front Shot

Day #127 - Helping Others Get Healthier.....Through Food

I have shared with you all in the past that I started this mission and blog to not only help myself get healthier but to help others get healthier as well. No, I am not one of those people who thinks everyone needs me to survive or to better their lives. I am just a normal person who has seen the many struggles of being over weight and if I can help a few people move past their struggles, then this mission of mine will be a success.

I just recently made a new friend and her user name, on blogger, is "spunkysuzi." She too, is a person trying to become healthier just like a majority of us out there in this world. Please show her some support by visiting her blog, "Spunkysuzi Working Towards a Healthier Me", I think you all would enjoy it. Anyway, spunkysuzi reached out to me today via a comment she left on yesterday's post. In this comment she expressed her love for chicken pot pie, at least I could tell she was through what she wrote. She also asked if I could share the Weight Watchers, Chicken Pot Pie recipe that Patty cooks for me, at least once a week. And I thought to myself, what an awesome idea, sharing this recipe. What a great way to help someone else become a little healthier, by sharing one of my favorite healthy recipes with them. However, I am not only going to share this recipe with her but I will share it with all of you as well.

Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe)

Points Value per Serving - 5 Points
Servings per Recipe - 6
Preparation Time - 50 mins

Ingredients

- 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups of water
- 1/2 cup wine, dry white
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 Tbsp white all-purpose flour
- 5 oz fat-free evaporated milk
- 4 rolls reduced fat crescent roll dough, unrolled

Instructions

Place chicken (cut into small 1 inch pieces), water, wine and crumbled bouillon cubes in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook gently, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside one cup of broth and chicken.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a deep 8-10 inch pie dish with cooking spray

Microwave carrots and peas for 2 minutes. Drain, heat in oil in a medium nonstick pan, add onions and cook until soft. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in milk and reserved broth. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add carrots, peas, chicken and corn.

Cover entire dish with crescent rolls, pour chicken mixture into dish, and cover with remaining crescent rolls, press firmly around edges to seal. Bake until rolls are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Cut into 6 pieces and serve.



Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Weight Watchers Recipe

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do every week. Please comment and let me know how it turns out if anyone decides to make it for dinner in the near future! I am also looking for new recipes to try as well, so if anyone has any suggestions please feel free to forward them onto me!

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 bagel with a slice of american cheese = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 2 Weight Watchers brownies and 2 rice cakes = Points 6
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Dinner - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (All Weight Watchers Ingredients) with a serving of baked potato chips = Points 6
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 37 Points

Body Measurements

Chest- 43 1/2 inches (1 1/2 inches less then 2 weeks ago)
Waist (Around my stomach even with my belly button) - 45 inches (Lost 3/4 an inch since 2 weeks ago)
Neck - 15 1/4 inches
Bicep (Not Flexed) - 14 1/2 inches (Lost 1/4 an inch since 2 weeks ago)
Bicep (Flexed) - 16 1/2 inches
Upper Leg - 28 inches
Lower Leg (Calf) - 16 3/4 inches (Lost 1/4 inch since 2 weeks ago)

Exercise

Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Close Grip Lat Pull Down, Lateral 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), Flyes, Rear Delt, and Tricep Pull Downs (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Crunches, Bicep Curls (Ropes), and Dumbbell Side Bends (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #127 - Weigh-In = 243.8 lbs

Day #127 Weigh-In



Day #127 Front Shot








Day #126 - A Big Thank You

I first want to thank everyone for the kind and supportive comments they have sent me, pertaining to yesterday's post. I have said this before and I will say it again, I get my inspiration, motivation, and determination to stick with my "Mission to Healthy" from all of you. I know I would have had a hard time going through this journey alone. Day in and day out I feel a sense of belonging, with all of the constant support I receive from everyone who takes a little time out of their day to help me get through mine. For that, I am forever greatful.

I will admit that I some times get upset with myself for getting to this point, where I have to struggle to become healthier every single day. I even think, from time to time, that what I am doing is not working. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, when I see myself in pictures that other people have taken, I feel that I still look the same. I think it is because I am my own worst critic. But then I sit down and take a look at my "Side Shot Photos" from the present time, compared to the first day I started this mission. And I realize that what I have done, in the last few months, is nothing short of amazing. It is amazing, not because I managed to loose all the weight, but it is amazing because I have been fighting tooth and nail to save my life. I don't honestly know what shape I would be in right now, if I didn't decide to embark on this mission. But one thing is for certain, I am glad I decided not to find out.

I weighed in this morning at 244.8 lbs, which was down from 247.6 lbs yesterday morning. I still don't understand how the human body can go from one weight to another so quickly but if I am eating and exercising correctly, I have nothing to complain about. I also took the time to go the gym this morning to confirm that my scale at home was still reading the correct weight and sure enough it was. I can tell you that nothing pertaining to weight loss surprises me any more. I have seen ups and I have seen downs but as long as I am healthier in the end, I will keep on going strong.

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 - I slept in this morning to catch up on some much needed sleep that I lost during this past week's traveling and events. 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole = Points 7
Snacks During the Day - 2 Weight Watchers brownies, 3 pears, and 2 rice cakes = Points 9
Dinner - 1 slice of plain pizza and 1 slice of pizza with pasta and vodka sauce on it = Estimated Points 23
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

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

Exercise

Today I ran for 35 mins outside. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #126 - Weigh-In = 244.8 lbs

Day #126 Weigh-In

Day #126 Front Shot