Day #138 - The Heavy Man, Travel Series Part 8a - The Fitness Center From Hell

Today was a busy day, in fact every travel day seems to end up being a busy day for me lately. Today, I had the lovely task of traveling to Bowie, MD for an event that I am running at Bowie High School tomorrow morning. But before I could get on the road for my 4 1/2 hour car ride, I had to get a ton of work done in the office. It is amazing how much I can get done when I have only a certain amount of time to do it. Regardless, I managed to get everything done in a timely fashion and we were off to embark on our next adventure.

I was experiencing a high today, after accomplishing my running goal last night in the rain. I can tell you that the motivation I have gained, just by accomplishing that small goal, has been tremendous. So tremendous that it makes me want to break every single goal that I set for myself in the future. All I could think about today, while driving to the event, was what I am going to be doing tonight for my workout. Well, today is a weight lifting day so that much was determined. However, when traveling, not every hotel is equipped with weights or sufficient workout equipment. So, a lot of times I have to adjust on the fly.

Anyway, once Patty and I arrived at the hotel we unpacked, got settled in, and I went right out the door to search for the hotel fitness center. And what happened next is not an exaggeration, the following events unraveled exactly the way I am going to tell you right now. I walked into the fitness center and it looked like the machines haven't been used in a while. The treadmill had tape holding parts of it together, the elliptical looked like it hadn't been tuned up since it was placed in the room, and the bike was missing several buttons on the main control board. Unfortunately there were no weights at all. But I figured since I was there, I would give it a try because any form of exercise is better then nothing.

First, I thought I would try out the treadmill because I have been running pretty well lately and I wanted to continue. So I stepped up on the machine and started a manual program. As the belt on the treadmill started moving, I proceeded to start running with it. However, as my foot touched the belt, it would stop and then start up again when my foot came up. I must have tripped about 4 times trying to run because the belt kept on stopping every time my foot hit it. So, I decided to stop that right away. As soon as I stepped down from the treadmill, I made my way to the elliptical. As I started to move on the elliptical, the left foot platform kept on sliding back and forth on the leg of the machine, making it very hard for me to keep my balance. I figured that I would try the third and final machine in the room before I gave up on trying to conduct a workout, in what now seems to be, the worst fitness center in the country. As I sat down on the bike, that was missing buttons and apparently the straps that hold your feet to the pedals, I started to move my legs. And as I kept on pedaling faster, the seat kept on moving backwards until I couldn't reach the pedals anymore. It was official, every single piece of workout equipment in there was broken.

I was still determined to get a workout in and I wasn't going to use traveling all day or broken equipment as an excuse to not workout. So I decided to take it to the streets once again. I went back to my room, grabbed my hoodie, and made my way down stairs. As I passed the front desk, I figured I would ask them if it was a safe neighborhood to run around at night. And the person said with a very serious face, "I would not recommend it." So with that advice in mind, I did the only thing I could do. I ran in both the parking lots of my hotel and the Holiday Inn next door. I actually ran in gigantic circles that went around the outline of both parking lots. I managed to execute a cardio workout when nothing seemed to be working. I was just as proud of myself tonight as I was after accomplishing my goal last 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)

Breakfast - 4 Eggo Nutrigrain Waffles = Points 4
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup and a serving of mini wheat thins = Points 5
Lunch - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Parmigiana (Weight Watchers Recipe) with a side of whole wheat pasta and 2 crescent rolls = Points 16
Dinner - (1) 6" turkey sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese and a serving of baked chips = Points 10

Total Points Eaten Today = 35 Points (2 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

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

Day #138 - Weigh-In = 240.6 lbs

Day #138 Weigh-In

Day #138 Front Shot

Day #137 - I Kept on Running, and Running, and Running

The entire day I sat at work trying to fully concentrate on getting my work done so I could get home. Now don't get me wrong, I was able to everything that I set out to complete today done but there was one thing that kept on popping into my head that wasn't work related. I wanted to take my running goal head on because today was a cardio day and I wasn't going to let anything stand in my way from accomplishing what I should have done on my last cardio day. I kept on looking out of my office window to see how the weather was going look tonight but as the day went on, the clouds kept on getting darker, until it was finally raining at a steady pace. But I wasn't going to let that slow me down at all.

As the clock struck 6:15 pm, I turned to look at Patty and without her even hesitating, she said with a serious face, "Take me home." And that was convincing enough for me and we were out the door before anyone had the chance to say good bye to us. On the way home, I noticed that I was getting hungry and I didn't want to run with my stomach growling at me the whole time, so I decided to eat first, let my food digest, and then take it hard to the streets. It maybe took me about 5 minutes to cook Patty and myself dinner and 10 minutes to finish eating it. I also waited an hour to run, to make sure that I wouldn't have any trouble moving outside.

Well, the time was here and I was all ready to go. As I walked down the steps and out the front door, I made sure that I was wearing the right clothing for this epic run I had ahead of me in the rain. As I started down the street towards the hill, I decided to keep at a nice steady pace until I was warmed up enough to step it up a notch. I wanted to make sure that I did not waste all of my energy up in the first part of the run. As I moved forward, I noticed that it really wasn't that bad running in the rain, it felt kinda nice.

As I finally made it to the hill, all I kept on thinking was if I can make it down and back up, the rest of the run should be a piece of cake. Going down the hill was fine but coming back up was a little tougher because the ground was wet and the last thing I wanted to do was slip and ruin this attempt at completing the goal at hand. As I made it back up to the top of the hill, I was feeling pretty good but I also reminded myself to keep focused. As I got closer to reaching the apartment, my legs started to feel heavy and I felt my sides starting to show signs of cramping. All I needed was to start cramping up or a car to pull out of a driveway in front of me, to crush my chances of completing this goal. And as I kept on thinking of things that could wrong, I noticed that my building coming up in the horizon. I was going to do it, I was actually going to make it all the way without stopping!

As I rounded the corner to the front of my building, I came to a complete stop at the door. I had completed my goal!! I felt like I was in the scene of Shawshank Redemption, when he is standing out in the rain after he escaped from prison. And as I looked up at the sky, with the rain falling onto my face, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Another goal was in the record books!

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 whole wheat bagel with a slice of american cheese = Points 9
Snack During the Day - 1 rice cake and a pear = Points 1
Lunch - 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken with a serving of steamed mixed vegetables and cinnamon apples (Boston Market) = Points 20
Dinner - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (All Weight Watchers Ingredients) with a serving baked potato chips = Points 6
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

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

Exercise

Today I ran outside and accomplished my goal. I ran for a total of 39 mins, faster then I thought it would take me to get to where I wanted to go and back. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #137 - Weigh-In = 241.8 lbs

Day #137 Weigh-In



Day #137 Front Shot





Day #136 - The Big "60"

Yesterday I mentioned that I have two recently set goals I have been trying to accomplish for about a week and a half now. And I set out, last night, to accomplish both by running outside. The first goal was to reach 242 lbs and the second was to run from my apartment to a certain point, in the next town over, and back to my apartment without stopping. Well, it turns out that the running goal was foiled yesterday when I stopped to talk to one of my friends for about 5 minutes. I did however make it from where I stopped to talk, to the location I wanted to reach and back to my apartment without stopping. Unfortunately, I did not manage to make it all the way through, due to an unforeseen circumstance, but I am certainly not trying to cut any corners. So as of now, that goal is still alive, waiting to be accomplished.

But the first goal I mentioned before, has been reached as of this morning. Yes my friends, I weighed in this morning at 242 lbs on the dot. Which brings me to this very proud announcement, I have officially lost 60 lbs since the start of my "Mission to Healthy." Now of course baring any weight fluctuation within the next day or two, I consider this a great accomplishment that I only hope to build upon in the near future. It is amazing how a person's life can change around, for the better, with hard work and determination. I also have all of you to thank as well, for supporting me through my mission this far.

So, with another small goal accomplished, it is only fitting to create another one to take its spot. With that being said, I am stating for the record that my next small goal is to break into the 230 lb range. It sounds even better when I say it out loud, "230 lbs." I can't even remember the last time I was in the 230's. I have also decided to post my "Small Goals" on this site, right underneath my "Quote of the Day." This way everyone can see, on an everyday basis, the goals I am trying to accomplish. And once a goal is completed, another one will go up in its place. Well here is to the next goal and many more to come after that.

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 mutligrain bagel with a slice of american cheese = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 2 rice cakes and 1 pear = Points 3
Early Afternoon - 1 1/2 servings of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 8
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca veggie burger with a slice of Weight Watchers american cheese on 1 Weight Watchers flat rye bread and a serving of baked chips = Points 6
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Crusty Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Sweet potatoes (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 10
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar = Points 2

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

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), Chest Flyes, Shoulder Dumbbell Press, and Triceps Pull Downs (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Stability Ball Crunches, Bicep Hammer Curls, and Cable Chops (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #136 - Weigh-In = 242.0 lbs

Day #136 Weigh-In



Day #136 Front Shot







Day #135 - Two Goals in One Run

I would imagine that all of you have heard of the saying, "Kill 2 birds with 1 stone." Well I figured I would use the same concept tonight. I attempted tonight, to accomplish 2 goals in 1 run. I mentioned last week that I love setting small goals for myself to keep me going strong, as well as to keep the mission interesting. To bring everyone up to speed, the most recent goals I have set for myself was to make it to 242 lbs, so I can reach the 60 lbs loss mark. Also to run from my apartment to the bottom of this big hill, the next town over, and to make it back to my apartment without stopping to walk. I think I gave it a pretty good shot tonight.

This morning I had weighed in at 242.6 lbs and I know it says 242 lbs but I want to weigh in at exactly 242 lbs flat. Because when I first weighed in on Day #1, I was 302 lbs and I would love to be exactly at 60 lbs lost. Now don't get me wrong, if I end up weighing in at below 242 lbs tomorrow morning, I am not going to complain at all. It has been over a week now since I had set this goal and I am so close to reaching it, that it is actually making me even more motivated to get there. So hopefully tomorrow morning will be that day.

I came close in the past few days to reaching my second goal of making it to the bottom of the hill and back to my apartment without stopping. However, each time I made it back up the hill, I had to slow down to a walk because my knees were getting sore. I started off great tonight and was just about to get to the the hill when I was stopped by my friend, who just so happens to be a police officer in my town. It turns out that passed me on the road in his patrol car and circled back around to talk to me. And being the nice person that I am, I stopped to talk for about 5 minutes. After our conversation was over, I picked right back up were I left off and made it to the bottom of the hill and back to my apartment without stopping. Let me ask everyone this question, Did I actually complete my second goal, even though I stopped to talk to my friend? Or should I scratch that off as a good attempt and try once again on my next cardio day? Please let me know what you think, I did not stop because I couldn't go anymore, I stopped because I am a guy who doesn't like being rude to other people.

Anyway, my night of trying to accomplish 2 goals at once, actually turned out to be pretty fun. I at least hope, that I make it to 242 lbs tomorrow morning and If I have to take a stab at accomplishing that second goal once again, then I say bring it on!

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
Snacks During the Day - 4 rice cakes, 2 servings of mini rice cakes, and an apple = Points 7
Early Afternoon - 2 Boca veggie burgers with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese on 1 Weight Watchers flat rye bread with a serving of baked chips = Points 9
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca veggie burger with a slice of Weight Watchers american cheese on 1 Weight Watchers flat rye bread with a serving of baked chips = Points 6
Dinner - 1 1/2 servings of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 8
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar = Points 3

Total Points Eaten Today = 35 Points (2 points under my daily limit)

Body Measurements

Chest - 44 inches (1/2 inch larger than last week)
Waist (Even with belly button, around my sides) - 44 inches (1 inch less than last week)
Neck - 15 inches
Bicep (Not Flexed) - 15 inches (1/2 inch larger than last week)
Bicep (Flexed) - 16 3/4 inches (1/4 inch larger than last week)
Upper Leg (Thigh) - 27 1/2 inches (1/2 inch less than last week)
Lower Leg (Calf) - 17 inches (1/4 inch larger than last week)

Exercise

Today I ran for 40 minutes outside. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #135 - Weigh-In = 242.6 lbs

Day #135 Weigh-In

Day #135 Front Shot

Day #134 - NYC Again!

Today was a another very special night in New York City (NYC). My brother was asked to come back and perform his stand up routine at Caroline's on Broadway. He had performed there about a month ago and impressed the people in charge, so they asked him to come back tonight. I am very proud of him for sticking to a path that he believes will be a career for him in the near future. It is also very impressive that he can get up there in front of a ton of people and perform his best, on a night where some famous comedians and people who have been doing this for a long time stop by to do their sets as well. His stage presence is great and will only get better in time. If you have a second, check out his facebook page and say hi. I am just warning everyone that he does material more suited for adults and can get a little graphic sometimes. So, if anyone is not into that, just please visit his page and simply say hi. Because he is a really great and kind hearted person.

My Brother (Kevin) at Caroline's on Broadway

Anyway, I felt I was better prepared going into today then I was the last time my brother had a show in the city and let me explain why. Last month I did not space my meals out properly and I did not eat before I left for the show. I ended up not eating at his show at all because everyone wanted go out afterwards to celebrate his first official set in a big time venue. Needless to say, by the time we had sat down to eat, my stomach was hurting and I had a major headache because I had gone so long without eating. Plus we ended up eating a 11:30 pm and that is not good to eat that late as well.

However, I was set for today. First of all, I had a nice healthy breakfast that kept me going throughout the entire morning. I then had 2 more meals that I ate during the course of the day that satisfied my stomach. And when we finally arrived at the club, Patty and I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich for each of us, that was just the right amount of food. Plus I managed to just eat the sandwich and left the fries sitting there on the plate. We also ate around 8:00pm so I was good to go for the rest of the night. I love when a plan is executed correctly. Not to mention we walked 21 blocks, at a fast pace, to get to the show on time and walked another 21 blocks to get back to the train station. So, cardio was covered today for sure and I was in a full out sweat by the time we arrived at the club. When all is said and done, today was a great day for eating healthy, walking a ton, and supporting one of my best friends in the entire world, my brother.

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 - 4 rice cakes and a serving of baked potato chips = Points 6
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna = Points 6
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna = Points 6
Dinner - Grilled Chicken Sandwich on white bread = Estimated Points 8

Total Points Eaten Today = 35 Points (2 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

I walked a ton today in NYC to and from Caroline's Comedy Club. Going to the club, I was walking at a fast pace because I didn't want to be late to see my brother perform. I was actually sweating quite a bit by the time I got there. I also walked all the way back to the train station after the show was over. It came out to about 42 blocks in all. Tomorrow I will be doing more cardio as well as executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #134 - Weigh-In = 243.0 lbs

Day #134 Weigh-In



Day #134 Front Shot





Day #133 - My New Blogger Award!

I hope every one's weekend went well! I was finally able to catch up on some much needed sleep after a long last 2 weeks of traveling for work. I ended up sleeping until 12:00pm today and it was amazing!! Anyway, I was awarded a new blogger award (The Versatile Blogger Award) yesterday from Tony B. Tony writes a blog called, "Half of 360." Please visit it when you get a chance and please show Tony some support like you all have shown me over the past few months.

In order to fully receive this award, I must complete a couple of rules that are associated with this award. But first I would like to share with you all exactly what "The Versatile Blogger Award" stands for:

What is The Versatile Blogger?
1.) Capable of doing many things competently.
2.) Having varied uses or serving many functions
3.) Variable or inconstant; changeable: a versatile temperament.
4.) Capable of moving freely in all directions

As for the rules, they are...
1.) Thank the person who gave you the award.
2.) Share seven things about yourself.
3.) Nominate 5 newly discovered blogs.
4.) Let your nominees know about their award.
 
1. Thank the person who gave you the award
Thank you Tony for awarding me with this great honor!
 
2. Share seven things about yourself
1. I am a huge New York Yankees Fan
2. I work in the sports events world
3. I am a sucker for chocolate chip cookies
4. My favorite movie of all time is "Rudy"
5. I wish Philly Cheese steaks were only 5 points on the Weight Watchers Points System
6. I love being around people
7. My middle name is Lee
 
3. Nominate 5 newly discovered blogs
1. Michele - Ruminations and Uncovering: Toward a New ME
2. Kimberly - The Woman Inside Me
3. Lisa - Rescuing Lisa
4. Diane - Battle of the Butt
5. Patrick - Responsibility 199 - I have been following Patrick for a few weeks now but I wanted to present him with an award for the awesome blog writes everyday.
 
Thank you once again to Tony B for presenting me with this awesome award. I would also like to thank everyone who follows this blog. Without your kind comments, advice, and tips I wouldn't have gotten this far in my mission!
 
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, a serving of baked potato chips, and apple slices (Subway) = Points 18
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2
Late Afternoon - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches and a serving of baked potato chips = Points 8
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 6
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2
 
Total Points Eaten Today = 36 Points (1 point under my daily limit)
 
Exercise
 
Today I executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Dumbbell Press, Seated Row w/ Straight Bar, and Leg Extension (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Cable Chest Flyes, Shoulder Dumbbell Press, and Bicep Rope Hammers (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Straight Arm Push Downs, Shoulder Raises, and Leg Press (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Crunches, Triceps Push Downs, and Dumbbell Side Bends (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.
 
Day #133 - Weigh - In = 243.8 lbs

Day #133 Weigh-In

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Day #133 Front Shot

Day #132 - Travel Series Part 7c / Catching Up With an Old Friend

I am home and boy does it feel great. I have been traveling non stop for work the last few weeks and I am exhausted. This past trip to Melbourne, FL was a successful one but I couldn't wait to get home today. Once again I have gone past 24 hours without any sleep from yesterday morning to this afternoon. Patty and I had gotten back to our hotel room, from our event last night, at roughly 2:30am. The turn around time between arriving at our hotel and getting on a plane was too short. So we decided to just stay up, to not risk, missing the flight. It tried to sleep on the plane but failed doing so because I was cramped up in a small space.

By the time we landed in NJ, it was 12:00pm. This meant that we had officially gone another span of 24 hours without sleep, for the 3rd time in the last 2 weeks. I think that might be a personal record for me, something that I wish would not happen ever again... lol. Anyway, by the time Patty and I arrived home, it was already 1:30pm. There is nothing like wasting half a Saturday by flying home from a work related event. We barley made it up the 3 flights of stairs in my apartment building. Once the front door flung open, we put our stuff down, ate some lunch, sat down on the couch and woke up at 6pm not knowing exactly where I was. It seems that, both myself and Patty, only intended on sitting down for a few minutes but ended up passing out until 6pm.

Catching Up With an Old Friend

If you have been following this blog for a while now, you can tell that I do a lot for my job. And I have been trying to take some time lately to relax and keep my personal life in check. Tonight, was one of those nights where I took time to do something not pertaining to work. I have a very good friend, that I have known since kindergarten, and she invited myself and Patty out tonight to an event that helped raise money for breast cancer awareness. No matter how much I work, or no matter how crazy my life can get sometimes, I will always take time to help my friends and family to support a good cause. To make a long story short, We enjoyed spending time with her tonight. By the way, she ended up raising about $3,000 tonight and I was proud to be apart of her event.

I would also like to give a shout out to a new friend of mine, Tony B. Tony writes a blog called, "Half of 360." He was so kind today to present me with an award, "The Versatile Blogger Award." Tony, I am very honored to receive this award from you and I will complete the steps necessary, for this award, in tomorrow's post. Thank you once again!

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 I incorporated my one "cheat meal" for this week. It was a long day of traveling and I decided to have 2 slices of pizza. The following info are my meals for today, without the WW points. I don't add up my daily points on a "cheat meal" day because they will end up being more then my daily points limit anyway.

Breakfast - 1 apple and a turkey wrap
Snacks During the Day - 1 fruit salad and 2 Weight Watchers ice cream bars
Lunch - 2 slices of pizza
Dinner - 1 serving of whole wheat pasta with parmesan cheese with a side of garlic bread (All Weight Watchers ingredients)

Exercise

I honestly did not make it to the gym today, like I had planned to. I wanted to get my workout in, right after I got home from Florida and before I went to my friend's event. However, without getting much sleep the past two days, I ended up falling asleep on my couch without even intending to. I will definitely make it to the gym tomorrow, to execute the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #132 - Weigh-In = 243.2 lbs

Day #132 Weigh-In



Day #132 Front Shot