Day #194 - Good Results

Today was a pretty good day for work. Things seemed to be more productive today then they were earlier this week. I love the fact that everyone, that is involved with this event, is starting to pull together to get things done. It is really great when you have motivated people around you working towards a common goal. I hope the rest of my days, down here in Charleston, go exactly the same way. "Knock on wood!!"

I have some more good news for everyone, pertaining to my mission. This morning when I woke up, I weighed-in at 217.8 lbs!! I am really amazed how good I am doing with the weight loss down here, even though I am so far away from home. I believe it is good that I am using exercise as a way to take a break between the long hours of working each day. This is the first time in a while that I have been able to build up a consistent workout regiment. I say this because I have been traveling a lot, for the last 10 weeks, and I some times have to do cardio more days in a row because I don't have any weights to workout with. But I have now been in one location for a week & a half. And I have been able to establish a balance again between my weight lifting routines and my cardio routines. So I think this can be a contributing factor to my current weight loss success.

Also, I did start a new eating routine as well. I am still following the Weight Watcher's program. However, they have just converted over to a new program called, PointsPlus. And let me tell you, I am loving it so far. I noticed that it allows me to eat a little more. And by being able to consume a little more food, it allows me to eat more times during the day and that serves as fuel to my body. Now I could be wrong with my assumption but that is what I have noticed. Regardless, I just started this new Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program when I got down to Charleston and it seems to have shocked my body a little. I think the results over the last few days have shown.

When it comes down to it, balancing my workout routines more and switching up my eating routine seems to have done something. I only hope this success keeps on going. My event is 3 weeks away and maybe I can get my weight below 215 lbs by then. Here is to hard work and determination!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 49 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 1 cup of Cheerios, 3 eggs with american cheese, 2 slices of whole wheat bread, and a fruit cup = Points 17
Snacks During the Day - 1 serving of baked tostitos, 2 rice cakes, crystal light, and a serving of cheddar cheese = Points 12
Lunch - 1 grilled cheese sandwich (whole wheat bread and 2 slices of american cheese - 2% milk) and a serving of wheat thins = Points 11
Dinner - 1 grilled cheese sandwich (whole wheat bread and 2 slices of american cheese - 2% milk) and a serving of wheat thins = Points 11


Total Points Eaten Today = 51 Points (2 points over my daily limit)
 
Exercise
 
Today I ran for 30 mins outside. I was lucky because I beat the rain. Tomorrow I will be executing my weight lifting routine.
 
Day #194 - Weigh-In = 217.8 lbs

Day #194 Weigh-In

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Day #194 Front Shot

Day #193 - One Step at a Time

Today was full of work, like usual. And like the last few days, things went well and others things did not go so well. But that is how I learn what will work and what won't work. This whole process of going through a first year, with this event, has had its ups and of course it has had its downs. But when it comes down to it, I am learning how to build a business from the ground up. And that type of education I am very lucky and thankful for. Anyway, I am getting closer to getting done with what needs to be accomplished.

No matter how stressful my day may get because of my my job, I am still going strong with my personal mission. I made a pact with myself, a little over six months ago, to become healthy and I am going to see that this happens. And today was no different. even though I had a ton of meetings to attend today, I still managed to eat healthy and stick to the rules of my mission. I did not however, work out today. I was actually on my way out the front door to go running, when my boss stopped me because he wanted to have a meeting pertaining to what has to get done. And that meeting took over an hour to finish. By the time it was over, my clock had already said that it was 12:00am. It was too late for me to run because I still had to write my post and clean up for bed. I have a very important meeting early tomorrow morning and I want to make sure that I get enough sleep for it. I am actually still feeling sore from last night's weight lifting session, so you know it was a very productive one.

Anyway, it is getting late once again and I have to wake up early in the morning. Thank you all for sticking with me this far and I hope that we continue to take this journey together. Until tomorrow, good night my friends!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 49 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 2 cups of cheerios, a cup of 2% milk, and egg whites on whole wheat toast = Points 13
Snacks During the Day- 100 calorie pack, 2 servings of baked tostitos with salsa, 2 granola bars, and a banana = Points 15
Dinner - 1 cup of tomato sauce, 8 shrimp, 1/2 cup of angel hair pasta, and 2 slices of garlic bread = Points 24

Total Points Eaten Today = 52 Points (3 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

I did not workout today. I will be doing cardio tomorrow.

Day #193 - Weigh-In = 219.8 lbs

Day #193 Weigh-In

Day #193 Front Shot

Day #192 - Rough Day, Great Night

Today was a very long and stress filled day. Things didn't go quite how I wanted them to go at work and it really put me into a bad mood. I wasn't mean to anybody, I was just feeling a little off. But that is life and sometimes you have to go through these days to get to the good ones. My buddy said it best today, "everything happens for a reason." And he was right for saying that. Luckily my boss was understanding about how things went today and he was really cool about helping me get things corrected. I felt better after he did that and the rest of my night went pretty well.

But before I jumped into the rest of the night, I made sure that I got into the weight room to let out some steam and frustration. Before I get into my workout session, I want to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my buddy, the former personal trainer. His name is Vinny and I have been working with him for the last 6 months. He is a great guy and a very hard worker. I turn to him to him for advice at work as well as working out. Anyway, Vinny had a great weight lifting routine setup for tonight because he knew how rough my day went. He called the workout, "Drop Downs." And what this consisted of was 5 main exercises that worked out each major muscle (Chest, Legs, Shoulders, Back, and Abdominal). We executed one exercise for each muscle at 4 sets x 30 reps. The first 10 reps of each set was the heaviest weight, the second 10 reps of each set was a little lighter, and then last 10 reps was the lightest. So in reality we ended up doing 4 sets of 30 reps for each exercise. The workout was so intense that I don't think I will have a problem getting to sleep at all tonight.

The day may of started off bad but it ended great. I am very thankful to have some great people surrounding me down here to help me get through the times that I need help with. I am also glad that I made it to the weight room tonight because it really helped me to calm down. Until tomorrow my friends, have a great night!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 49 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 2 cups of cheerios with a cup of 2% milk = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 100 calorie snack pack and 2 meatballs = Points 12
Early Afternoon - Turkey sandwich with a slice of fat free american cheese on whole wheat bread and a serving of baked tostitos and salsa = Points 10
Late Afternoon - Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread and a serving of baked tostitos and salsa = Points 9
Dinner - Grilled cheddar cheese sandwich with a serving of baked tostitos and salsa = Points 13

Total Points Eaten Today = 53 Points (4 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed my weight lifting routine: Chest - Bench Press (4 sets x 30 reps), Legs - Leg Press (4 sets x 30 reps), Shoulders - Lateral Raises (4 sets x 30 reps), Back - Lat Pull Down (4 sets x 30 reps), and Abs (3 sets x 30 seconds each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #192 - Weigh-In = 219.4 lbs

Day #192 Weigh-In

Day #192 Front Shot

Day #191 - Getting Things Done

Today was another long day of working towards getting this big event in Charleston up and running. I believe that most of my day was occupied by meetings. And when I wasn't in a meeting, I was by my computer working on others things that needed to get done. I feel like I am stuck in a weird dream that I can't wake up from. But I realize that this is what has to happen and I am a team player first and fore most. So working hard is what I will do until everything is complete. Come hell or high water, this event will happen and it will be great.

It is funny because I use the same attitude when it comes to my weight loss program. It is not always that easy to stick to something that you know you have to do, in order to stay healthy. I know that eating right and exercising is what I have to do to get healthier and eventually stay in shape. So having all of this knowledge now of knowing how to eat correctly as well as exercise correctly, I know that is what has to get done. It is not a matter of feeling like I have to do it. It is knowing that it has to get done and thus I execute this weight loss program the best I can, to make myself better.

It is amazing what a person can do when they know they have to get something done in order to survive. Whether it be at a job or becoming healthy to live, you will get it done if you know that is what you have to do. Of course making the decision to do it is important, but I think everyone is born with the natural instinct to survive. Anyway, that was my deep thought for the day. I am going to get some sleep before my next wave of meetings are here. Good night and I will 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 - 49 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 2 cups of cheerios and a cup of 2% milk = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 100 calorie snack pack and banana = Points 2
Early Afternoon - Grilled chicken on a sandwich roll with fresh mozzarella and a side of fruit = Points 14
Late Afternoon - Turkey on whole wheat bread with a slice of fat free american cheese and a serving of baked tostitos = Points 8
Dinner - 3 slices of roast beef with a small amount of gravy, a serving of white rice,  a side salad, and a dinner roll = Points 18

Total Points Eaten Today = 51 Points (2 points over my daily limit)

Exercise

I did not make it to the gym today due to meetings all day and a dinner meeting tonight that had us arrive back to the house at 11:00pm. I will make sure to get my weight lifting routine in tomorrow.

Day #191 - Weigh-In = 220 lbs

Day #191 Weigh-In

Day #191 Front Shot

Day #190 - A "Front Shot" Comparison

Today was another long, yet productive day. I had meetings the entire morning that answered some very important questions that I had coming into today. And now that I have those answers, I can proceed with moving forward on even more important objectives. I also managed to complete some developmental objectives as well and hopefully this big event of mine, will start to take shape very soon. I know that there is a ton of hard work getting put into this, I only wish that the out come happens the way I am hoping it will.

Anyway, I had another successful day of healthy eating, as well as exercising. I even managed to grab a couple compliments from some co-workers I haven't seen in a while. And you know receiving compliments for hard work, really motivates me to work even harder. I am also happy that I have managed stay on track so far, even though I am away from home.

I wanted tonight's post to also feature some comparison shots. I know I usually feature my side shots at the first of every month but being that I am not home this month, I wanted to save my next side shot post until I get home. I am doing this because I want each of my side shot photos to be in the same elements every time. I think that makes it easier to compare the pictures. However, I still wanted to share a comparison of my front shot photos from today and the very first day of this mission. I hope you enjoy seeing the difference as much as I do. Let me know what you think.

Day #1 - 302 lbs

Day #190 - 222.6 lbs

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 49 Points)
(I am currently following the new Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Program)

Breakfast - 2 cups of cheerios and a cup of 2% milk = Points 9
Snacks During the Day - 100 Calorie Snack Pack = Points 2
Early Afternoon - Grilled Chicken on a bun with a slice of american cheese = Points 10
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's Recipes) = Points 17
Dinner - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (whole wheat bread and fat free american cheese) and a serving of baked tostitos and salsa = Points 11

Total Points Eaten Today = 49 Points

Exercise

Today I ran outside for 30 mins. Tomorrow I will be right back in the gym, executing my weight lifting routine.

Day #190 - Weigh-In = 222.6 lbs

Day #190 Weigh-In

Day #189 - Weight Lifting Once Again!

Another day down, another day closer to getting back home. Today was another long day of planning, developing, and executing for work. It sucks to say, but from now until the end of December, I will be working none stop. But the prize at the end, developing and executing a successful event, might be able to help me get through this next big push. I did feel a little bit of panic start to set in today because there is so much that has to get done. However, I was able to eliminate that feeling by working out tonight. And I didn't just go running again, I was able to lift weights........ Finally!!!! I felt crappy going into the workout and after I was done, my entire demeanor had changed. While executing my workout, I managed to calm myself down and remembered that taking things one step at a time, will help me get things done. I feel a lot better now and I am ready to hit the ground running tomorrow.

Not only did I manage to get into a gym today, I also continued with my healthy eating routine as well. Today was the third day that I was on the new Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program and I have to admit that I am liking it. First off, my points value is higher than it use to be because Weight Watcher's has developed a new calculation that is totally different from the old program. The new points calculation looks at 4 key nutrients (Fat, Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fiber) that we find in every day food, that help us stay satisfied while losing weight. So instead of just counting calories, this new program looks at the components of calories (macro nutrients) to better account how each of our bodies processes food and how satisfying that food is to us. But having a higher amount of points, doesn't mean that I get to eat a lot more. This new calculation as been applied to every single piece of food that is in the Weight Watcher's database. And a majority of everything has gone up in points value as well. I think the website might be able to explain it a little better, http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx. Check it out when you get a moment, you might find something you like. And like I have mentioned before, I am not pushing anyone to do this program. I am only suggesting that you see what it is about because it has helped me lose 81 lbs in the last 6 months and I am not going to stop anytime soon. I think the new program is very interesting and it seems to be working for me as well.

Well it is getting late once again and I have a meeting to attend early tomorrow morning. I am extremely happy that I finally made it to a gym today to lift weights. And I can honestly say that working out every day, has given me away to escape everything that stresses me out. Until tomorrow my friends, have a great night!

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

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 49 Points)
(I am currently following the new Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Program)

Breakfast - Egg whites on whole wheat bread with a slice of fat free american cheese and an apple = Points 4
Snacks During the Day - 1 apple = Points 0
Early Afternoon - Grilled chicken sandwich with a slice of american cheese, a serving of collard greens, and an extra piece of chicken = Points 17
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 17
Dinner - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches on whole wheat bread with a serving of scoops chips and salsa = Points 9

Total Points Eaten Today = 47 Points (2 points under my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I executed my weight lifting routine: Alternating Single Arm Cable Press, Lat Pull Down, and Side Dumbbell Lunges (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Bench Push Ups, Cable Upright Rows, and Alternating Single Arm Bicep Curls (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Bent Over Cable Rows, Side Raises into Flyes, and Alternating Single Leg Extensions (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Planks, Triceps Push Downs, and Side Dumbbell Bends (4 sets of each x 15 reps each). Tomorrow I will be doing cardio.

Day #189 - Weigh-In = 221.4 lbs

Day #189 Weigh-In

Day #189 Front Shot