Day #145 - Travel Series Part 9b

Today was a very long day. It wasn't long in a bad way but it was definitely a long day. This morning started off at around 9am in Patty's sister's house, with a nice healthy breakfast. Shortly after breakfast was over, Patty and I packed up and we were out the door heading towards Hampton, VA for tonight's event that we were running. I really wasn't excited about the 4 hour drive this morning because I wanted, so badly, to stay in bed this morning and sleep. But like the workaholic I am, I sucked it up and made the trip.

I mentioned to Patty, while driving today, that eating healthy on the road isn't as hard as I thought it would be. The reason I say this is because there is a Subway literally in almost every town across the country. And I really don't mind eating Subway while traveling because at least I know I am eating healthy. Another great restaurant to eat healthy at on the road is Applebees. I love Applebees because they actually have meals that are Weight Watchers approved and the points are right there on the menu. Needless to say, I ate healthy today thanks to both Subway and Applebees.

Anyway, the event went very well tonight after we thought we were going to have to use our magic to make it work. The reason I thought it was going to be a little harder than usual is because there was almost 10,000 people at the game. Usually when it is a big game, we have a little less say in what happens. But in the end, the event went well, we ate very healthy today, and the day ended up being a success.

I know this post is short, and I promise tomorrow's will have a little more meat. I am exhausted after a long day of traveling and running the event tonight. Anyway, talk to you all tomorrow!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 36 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - Egg whites on 2 slices of whole wheat bread with a slice of low fat american cheese = Points 6
Snacks During the Day - 2 servings of ham jerky = Points 4
Early Afternoon - (1) 6" Turkey sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese and a serving of baked chips = Points 10
Late Afternoon - Grilled chicken sandwich with a slice of cheese = Points 10
Dinner - Grilled Chicken sandwich with a side of fruit (Applebees) = Points 6

Total Points Eaten Today = 36 Points

Exercise

I did not make it to the gym or even run outside today. I have been traveling most the day and had run around most of the night from 6:00pm - 11:00pm executing an event at a football game down in VA. Tomorrow morning I will be executing the weight lifting portion of my workout routine before I leave to come home.

Day #145 - Weigh-In = 239.4 lbs

Day #145 Weigh-In



Day #145 Front Shot





Day #144 - The Heavy Man, Travel Series Part 9a

Patty and I are on the road yet again. We are currently on our way down to Virgina to announce another football player to my big event in Charleston. I used to travel constantly at my old company and it really took a toll on my body. However, this time around I am making the effort to eat properly and of course workout while I am on the road. The best part this time around, is that Patty is with me when I travel now, so it is easier to stay on top of the necessary steps I need to take to keep going strong with my mission. She is a constant thorn in my side, in a good way. However, before we could get on the road for our fun filled 7 hour drive, we had to get some things done in the office.

I honestly thought that today was never going to end. Everything kept on piling up and as soon as I finished one thing, I had to jump right into something else. But to make a long story short, I managed to get everything done by 5:00pm and we were on the road by 6:15pm. The one thing about traveling down the east coast, is that we have family at key points in various states. So instead of wasting company money on hotel rooms, Patty and I are able to sleep at our family's house as well as spend some time with them in the process. This weekend's travel brought us down to Dover, DE to Patty's oldest sister's house. What is great about stopping at Dover for the night, is that it cuts our travel in half. And all we have to do now is drive another 4 hours to Hampton, VA and our event does not start to 7pm tomorrow night. This means we can get there early enough to setup and make sure everything looks first class. Just the way I like to execute my events.

As for the mission today, I ate healthy like I usually do and I managed to get a workout in after a long day in the office, plus traveling about 3 1/2 hours on top of that. Today was actually a weight lifting day, however I did not have any access to any weights or a gym. So I did what I do every time I can not make it to the gym, I took my workout to the streets. The great thing about where my future sister in-law lives is that every street kinda looks the same. She lives in a nice little development that is not confusing at all to get around. So I ended up running along the main road in the development that actually turned out to be a gigantic circle. It was so big that it took me 15 minutes just to get around once. By the time my workout was over, I ended running for 30 mins straight which equaled two very large laps around their development.

Anyway, it is late once again, and I am exhausted from the work day and the long drive. I will talk to you guys tomorrow. I hope everyone has a great night!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 36 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 4 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 4
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers Brownie, 1 serving of baked tostitos, 2 rice cakes, 1 protein bar, and 1 serving of ham jerky = Points 11
Lunch - 1 serving of homemade Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna = Points 6
Dinner - 2 Boca veggie burgers on a serving of Weight Watchers flat rye bread with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese and a serving of whole wheat pasta = Points 12
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher ice cream bar = Points 3

Total Points Eaten Today = 36 Points

Exercise

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

Day #144 - Weigh-In = 240.4 lbs (My weight fluctuated a little yet again, back up to 240 lbs. It really isn't a surprise or shock to me anymore. I did have 2 very good weight lifting sessions this week so far, so that can be a reason why. I did not mention it in the main body of my post today because I have been talking about it a lot lately. But no matter what, I am still focused and I will push on with my mission like usual).

Day #144 Weigh-In

Day #144 Front Shot

Day #143 - Acts of Kindness

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that this morning I weighed in at 239.8lbs. That officially makes it 2 days in a row under 240 lbs. That means I am another step closer to never being in the 240's, on the unhealthy side, ever again in my life time. I also managed to run another 4.6 miles again today without stopping! I did however, complete those 4.6 miles in 50 mins, which just so happens to be a minute more than the time I was able to run that same amount of miles 2 days ago. Hey, at least I was able to survive it the second cardio day in a row. It can only get better from here if I keep at it.

Anyway, during my run tonight, I happen to stumble upon a few acts of kindness bestowed upon be by a few people I have never even met before. The first act of kindness came at the begin of my run. As I was making my way down the street, I passed a bus stop that I normally pass every night while running. Some nights there are people there waiting for the bus and other nights there are no people at all. But every time I pass the stop when people are there, I usually get some blanks stares looking back at me. However, tonight there was a lady standing there waiting for the bus and as I passed, she smiled at me and said hello. It kind of threw me off a little because I wasn't expecting her to say hi to me after all of the blank stares I have gotten the past few nights. As I made my way into the next town, there were a few cars going down the road and as I was coming up to a cross street, the pedestrian sign turned on signaling that it was okay for me to cross. As I was in the act of crossing, a car was pulling up to make a right turn but ended up slowing down so I could pass. And as I was looking at the car to thank the person, all I could see was a lady smiling and waving to me as I passed her. She was very kind to let me pass. Finally, as I was running on the sidewalk towards a bar that is usually packed every night, I noticed that there was a few people standing outside on the sidewalk in the path that I was heading down. Now I have no problem at all running around anyone because the last thing I want anyone to do, is to move so I could pass. They were there first and I should, by all means, move to go around them. But I as got closer, everyone who was outside, moved to form a path for me so I could keep on going. And as I passed them, I said I was sorry and thank you. One of the guys that moved said back to me, " No worries man, do your thing."

I thought that was very kind for that person, who has never met me before, to not only move but to encourage me on, as I ran passed him. And as I continued down the road, what that guy said to me kept on echoing in my mind, "Do your thing." As I thought about that phrase, I suddenly realized that what I have been doing the last few months, has really become my thing. I have made my mission of getting healthier and writing about it everyday, my thing. Now, I am not saying that I am the only person who does that because there are a ton of people who do the same thing that I am doing, very well. But as for myself, within my own personal life, this whole mission has definitely become my thing. Some people go fishing, some collect baseball cards, some play video games, some write books, some build models, etc..... Me, I work hard to lose weight and then write about the struggles and accomplishments I experience in trying to do so. What has started a goal to get healthier by my wedding, had turned into a habit, and has now turned into my thing that I do on an everyday basis. And I realized all of this, from several acts of kindness that a few people had showed me tonight while I was running.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 36 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 homemade Glazed Pear Muffins (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 6
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 1 pear, and 1 serving of baked tostitos = Points 5
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 - 1 serving of homemade Two Cheese Vegetable Lasagna = Points 6
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 34 Points (2 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran 4.6 miles without stopping and I managed to do that in 50 mins. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #143 - Weigh-In = 239.8 lbs

Day #143 Weigh-In



Day #143 Front Shot





Day #142 - Hey 230's.... I'm Back!!

I felt pretty good last night after a great running session. The feeling that a person can receive after accomplishing a personal goal can go a long way. That is why I set these small goals of mine because not only do they give me a sense of accomplishment after they are complete but they serve as a great motivational tool as well. I mean come on, who doesn't get a natural high after accomplishing something that they don't normally do or haven't been able to do before.

Anyway, like I said, I felt pretty good last night after my run. So good, that I had a great feeling that I was going to wake up in the 230's once again this morning. It was funny because I was a little nervous this morning, while making my way to the scale. I had weighed in at 239.8 lbs on Saturday morning and was very excited to finally break through that 240 lb wall. However, for whatever reason, I ended up going back into the 240's on Sunday and Monday morning. This weight shift could of happened based on numerous reason but I did not let that get me down. So I vowed that my goal of breaking into the 230's and staying there was going to happen very soon. And guess what my friends, I made it back to the 230 lb promised land this morning! I actually weighed in at 239.0 lbs, which now brings my total weight loss count, for the time being, to 63 lbs since the start of my mission!

Of course the weight loss and reaching this goal for the second time has got me pumped up and extremely motivated. But it was looking at my front shot picture from last night, that really made me happy. I actually noticed my progress a little more then I usually do. My stomach is looking a smaller, my sides look like they have shrunk a little, and I look a little taller then I did a few months ago because my posture is looking a lot better. Now for those of you who don't know me, I am my own worst critic and being able to notice the positive improvements in my physical features is huge. I also took my picture viewing session a little further and compared last night's photo to my Day #1 front shot photo. And I know it is not the first of a new month but I wanted to share with you all what the comparison looked like last night.

Day #1 (302 lbs)

Day #141 (241.4 lbs)

You can double click on the pictures to zoom in. Let me know what you all think. A picture can definitely tell a story of a person's past.

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 36 Points) * I go down a point in my daily limit because I broke into another weight range.
(I am currently following the Weight Watchers Points System)

Breakfast - 2 homemade Glazed Pear Muffins (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 6
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 1 pear, 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar, and 1 serving of Baked Tostitos = Points 8
Early Afternoon - 2 Boca Veggie Burgers on a serving of Weight Watchers flat rye bread with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese and baked tostitos = Points 9
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca Veggie Burger on a serving of Weight Watchers flat rye bread with 1 slice of Weight Watchers american cheese and baked chips = Points 6
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 5
Dessert - 1 Weight Watchers ice cream cup = Points 2

Total Points Eaten Today = 36 Points

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 Down (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Crunches, Bicep Cable Hammers, and Cable Chops (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be running outside.

Day #142 - Weigh-In = 239.0 lbs

Day #142 Weigh-In

Day #142 Front Shot

Day #141 - Achieving a Personal Best

Why does it seem like every Monday goes by so slow? Today was even a busy day and it still went slow. Well I shouldn't say the entire day was slow, 1:00pm came pretty quickly. But once that clock hit 1:00pm, it took forever to get to 6:00pm. It might have been because I was on a ton of conference calls today or maybe it was the schedules / timelines I had to develop for my next big event. Well, what whatever it was, I ended up leaving work with a gigantic head ache. All I needed to do was step away from anything work related tonight, eat my dinner, workout, and get a good night sleep. And I will be right back into the work day tomorrow, ready to rock and roll.

Speaking of working out, today was another cardio day and I had a brand new running goal to attack. Now I know I have been on a "goal kick" lately but I think I have found a new way to help myself get to where I want to be for my mission, come my wedding day. And I apologize if it seems boring from time to time but I just had to share tonight's goal attempt with you all. Anyway, to bring everyone up to speed, my newest goal was set just last night and it has to do with running outside again. This new goal entails running from my apartment past the fire house, past the large hill, and to the entrance of the large park in the next town over. I wanted to make it to the park tonight, without stopping. I mapquested the route last night and it turns out that it is roughly 2.3 miles away from my apartment. So, I figure I would take it one step and at time and try to make it to the park and have Patty come pick me up. Well, it didn't quite go according to plan.

I started down the street towards the designated location, with one thought in my mind, to make it to the park without running out of steam. Once I made it to the fire house, I looked at my stop watch to see how I did on time. It turns out I made it to the fire house in just under 14 minutes, which just so happens to be a personal best of mine. As I continued, I made it down past the bottom of the large hill and thought to myself that this new goal of mine was very possible. Determined to keep my focus, I saw the park coming into my sights and I felt great because another goal was going to be accomplished. However, the next part of my workout is where my plan went right out the window. I definitely made it to the entrance of the park and I did so in 23 mins, which was a lot quicker than I thought it was going to take me. But I did not feel exhausted or even tired, I actually felt like running some more. So, without even stopping or losing stride, I circled back around to attempt to make my way back to the large hill that I conquered during my last goal.

It was funny because I felt like I was replaying the scene in "Forest Gump" where he ran to the end of his street and felt like going some more. So he ran to the edge of town and still felt like going farther, you get where I am going with this story. Anyway, I ended up making it to the bottom of the hill and felt like running to the top. Once I reached the top of the hill, I felt running back to my town. And once I reached my town, I figure I would run all the way back to my apartment. To make a long story short, I ended up running from my apartment, to the park, and back to my apartment without stopping! I managed to run 4.6 miles in 49 minutes. My new personal best for both distance and amount of time running without stopping! Another goal officially accomplished and then some.

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 homemade Pear Muffins (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 6
Snacks During the Day - 1 Weight Watchers brownie, 3 rice cakes, and 1 pear = Points 6
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 7
Dinner - 2 Boca Veggie Burgers on a Weight Watchers flat bread with 2 slices of Weight Watchers american cheese and a serving of baked chips = Points 8
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 49 minutes outside and I accomplished my running goal. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #141 - Weigh-In = 241.4 lbs

Day #141 Weigh-In

Day #141 Front Shot

Day #140 - Setting More Goals...On a Nice Relaxing Sunday

Today couldn't have been more perfect. I did absolutely nothing but relax, workout, watch football, and go food shopping. It is easy to forget sometimes how great doing nothing, every once and a while, really is. I have been traveling constantly for the past few weeks for work and I really haven't had much time to myself. Thank goodness I have Patty traveling with me because if she wasn't, I think I would have gone insane a long time ago. I have also learned that working 24/7 can be bad for a person's health as well. That is why Patty and I took some time yesterday to spend with family and to have a little fun after our event was over. And taking the time today to relax and recharge my batteries will go along way with trying to survive the up coming work week and all of its twists and turns.

I also mentioned yesterday that I weighed in at 239.8 lbs and it was the first time that I had weighed in the 230's in a very long time. It has been a small goal of mine, for the last week, to break into the 230 lb range. And for a moment, I had accomplished that goal. However, the whole human body weight fluctuation process thing, came into play yet again today. I actually weighed in this morning at 241.8 lbs. Now there can be numerous reasons why my weight had spiked like that in the span of one day. Maybe it was because I didn't get to the gym yesterday due to traveling. Or maybe it was because I had my cheat meal for the week last night, when I was out with family. I really don't know what could be the reason and I will only tire myself out trying to guess what it could be. All I know is that it happened and it is time to move forward. Because yesterday morning, I witnessed that I can make it into the 230's and I am very confident that I will be back there very soon. In order for me to keep going strong, I can't let the small things in life, like weight fluctuation bother me.

My goal of safely breaking through into the 230 lbs range is still alive and waiting to be knocked of my list. I would also like to take this time to set a new small goal as well. I managed, just recently, to accomplish my goal of running from my apartment to the bottom of the large hill, the next town over, and back to my apartment without stopping. Now, I would like to go past the bottom of the hill and make it to the gigantic park, in the next town over, without stopping. The park is about 2 1/2 miles away from my apartment. So, this goal will involve just making it to the park without stopping. Once this goal has been accomplished, I will work on making it to the park and back without stopping. Both of my current goals will be affective starting tomorrow. Wish me luck!

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 serving of homemade Chicken Parmigiana (Weight Watchers Recipe) with a serving of whole wheat pasta and 2 crescent rolls = Points 16
Snacks During the Day - 1 pear and 1 homemade pear muffin (Weight Watchers Recipe) = Points 4
Late Afternoon - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (Weight Watchers Ingredients) and a serving of baked chips = Points 7
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe) = 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 executed the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine: Incline Dumbbell Press, Rear Delt Flyes, and Bicep Hammer Curls (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 Crunches, Triceps Push Downs, and Side Dumbbell Bends (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #140 - Weigh-In = 241.8 lbs

Day #140 Weigh-In

Day #140 Front Shot

Day #139 - Travel Series Part 8b - Another Successful Event

Today's event in Bowie, MD had me running around from about 9:00 am to about 5:30 pm today. I didn't make it to the gym unfortunately but I sure did get a cardio workout, in some way shape or form. Today's event was also a first of its kind because we arrived about 3 hours early to film highlights of a pep rally that was being put on before the actual game we were there to cover. I will tell you what my friends, if you are in the area of Bowie, MD around this time next year, make sure to stop by Bowie High School and witness one of the most amazing pep rallies you will ever see at the high school level. I was very impressed and the atmosphere was out of this world. Anyway, the event that I was responsible for, went well and the game was a nail biter going down to the last seconds. I definitely would call this weekend's work efforts a success!

I woke up this morning, once again, in another hotel for the thousandth time. And yes, I was equipped to keep the mission going strong. As soon as I was up and out of bed, I made my way to the bathroom where my scale was residing. Wondering if I had accomplished my next goal of breaking into the 230 lbs range, I stepped up on the scale. And to my excitement, the scale read 239. 8 lbs! It was definitely a moment to celebrate for reaching this next milestone, however I do realize that it is barley into the 230's and of course my weight can fluctuate in a different direction, very easily tomorrow morning. Plus, today was a cheat meal day, however my cheat meal was a cheese burger with onions and a serving of fries. Also had a few nachos as well. But when it comes down to it, I really didn't go over board with my cheat meal at all this week. So, hopefully my weight is still in the 230's come tomorrow morning. I did move around an awful lot today, so hopefully that is a positive deciding factor. And if it just so happens that am I back in the low 240's again tomorrow, I will just have to keep on working hard to make this newest goal accomplished permanently.

Well it is once again 2:30 am in morning and I am here writing my daily post, to share with you all. No matter what, you can always count on me having something to share with you all every single day. I hope everyone has a great night! Talk to you tomorrow.

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 meal day, so I will still be sharing the foods I ate today with everyone without the points.

Breakfast - (1) 99% Fat Free Yogurt and  bowl of Cheerios with a cup of milk
Lunch - French Onion Soup and the Weight Watchers grilled chicken sandwich (Applebees)
Dinner - About 12 nacho chips, a cheese burger on a roll with mozzarella cheese and onions, and a serving of fries

Exercise

I did not make it to the gym today, however I was moving around and running an event from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm today. My legs and hips are very sore. Not to mention I am physically exhausted. Tomorrow I will be executing the weight lifting and strength training portion of my workout routine.

Day #139 - Weigh-In = 239.8 lbs

Day #139 Weigh-In

Day #139 Front Shot