Day #223 - A Much Needed Day Off

Today was a day of relaxation as well as productivity. The first thing I did this morning was to make sure that I got up and ate breakfast. The second thing I did was go straight to the gym to execute my weight lifting routine. Today was a full day of high school, college, and NFL football. I wanted to make sure to get my workout in early so I didn't have to worry about trying to get it in tonight after the late game. And I am glad I did so because I am tired and it is only 10:00pm on a Saturday. I guess my body is still trying to recoup after a long December. Also, Patty has been sick the last few days and I think I might be next because there is not many places in my apartment I can go to escape. I just hope it skips over me because getting sick now would really suck.

My eating routine is back to normal as well. I used up all of my daily points today and I made sure to space out each meal evenly so I wouldn't be hungry late tonight. It is great being back home with nothing but healthy food in our place as well as having Patty's home cooking back in full swing. The great thing about the recipes we use, is that the servings per meal is a lot, so we always have left overs for the next day. All I had to do today was put a serving on a plate and pop it in the microwave. There is nothing better then having time to workout properly, eating healthy great tasting food the entire day, and having football on the TV. Today was a much needed day!!

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 - 4 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 7
Snacks During the Day - (2) 100 cal pretzel packs, 2 apples, 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone, and 1 pear = Points 10
Early Afternoon - 1 1/2 servings of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole = Points 8
Mid Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patty on a Weight Watcher's whole wheat roll with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese and a serving of sun chips = Points 12
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 5
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 5
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = Points 4

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

Exercise

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

Day #223 - Weigh-In = 205.0 lbs

Day #223 Weigh-In

Day #223 Front Shot

Day #222 - My First Weekend Off in the New Year!!!

Today was actually my first full day back in the office without having to leave for meetings. And let me tell you, it felt like the clock was taking forever to reach 6:00pm. I kept on looking down at my watch because all I wanted to do was to head into the weekend and relax for the first time in a while. Football is on all day tomorrow and I have absolutely nothing to do at all. It is going to be great. I will tell you though, that when time goes by slow during the day and you are a hungry person, time seems to go by even slower. It was torture waiting for each meal time to arrive. And it is important for me to spread out my meals during the day because if I don't, all my points will be used up early. And I will be left hungry and feeling miserable around dinner time.

I feel like I have been at a stand still with my weight for a few days now. I am sure stress had a big part with my weight loss down in Charleston. But since I have gotten back to my normal routine, I have been stuck in the 208 lbs range. I think it is my body getting back to a normal weight loss cycle. I could also be wrong and only time will tell the true answer. I feel like I am so close to reaching the 100lbs lost mark but it is still so far away. I was told a few times, at the beginning of this mission, that the last few pounds will be the hardest to lose and I am starting to believe that more and more every day.

On the other hand, I still have over 7 months until my wedding day and I am a strong believer that anything can happen if you work hard. So I say bring it on. And maybe by the time my wedding day is here, I will have a six pack of abs and will look like one of those guys on the cover of Men's Health Magazine. Here is to dreaming big and working hard to achieve those dreams. 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 - 4 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 7
Snack During the Day - 2 apples, 1 pear, (2) 100 cal pretzel packs, and 1 serving of sun chips = Points 10
Early Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patty with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese on a Weight Watcher's whole wheat roll and a serving of sun chips = Points 12
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patty with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese on a Weight Watcher's whole wheat roll and a serving of sun chips = Points 12
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole = Points 5
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = Points 4

Total Points Eaten Today = 50 Points (1 point over my daily points limit)

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins on the treadmill. Tomorrow I will be executing my weight lifting routine.



Day #222 Weigh-In

Day #222 - Weigh-In = 208.0 lbs

Day #222 Front Shot

Day #221 - Back to Work

I had that feeling of accomplishment once again as I headed into work today. But this time the feeling wasn't a result of something I did with the mission. It was actually pertaining to being able to pull off developing, planning, and executing a nationally televised football game in only 6 short months. An event like this usually takes a good year in order to be executed correctly. Myself and several other co-workers managed to it in only 6 months. And that my friends is an accomplishment!!! So while traveling into work today, I was calm and relaxed for the first time in months.

I was very excited for dinner tonight, because Patty was going to be making one of my favorite recipes (Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole). But unfortunately, I had a meeting today in New York City for work. This meeting was to start planning for next year's game. And of course I didn't get out of the meeting until about 6:45pm, just in time for rush hour traffic. So instead of losing our minds, being stuck in traffic for hours, we decided to eat dinner in the city and then drive home afterwards. This meant that I was going to have to improvise once again with a meal and that I wasn't going to make it home for the home cooked meal. But like I always do, I managed to adjust and ordered a nice healthy grilled chicken sandwich for dinner.

Other then my meeting today, the day went by very quickly and we ended up getting a lot done. I have one more day of work tomorrow, before I get to a nice relaxing weekend of football and catching up with family for the holidays. Until tomorrow my friends, have a great night!!

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

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

Breakfast - 4 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 7
Snacks During the Day - 2 servings of 100 cal pretzel packs, 2 apples, and 1 pear = Points 6
Early Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patti on a Weight Watcher's whole wheat roll with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese and a serving of sun chips = Points 12
Later Afternoon - 1 roll and grilled chicken on 2 slices of bread with lettuce = Points 11
Dinner - Grilled chicken sandwich with a slice of american cheese and a cup of New England Clam Chowder = Points 14

Total Points Eaten Today = 50 Points (1 point over my daily limit)

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 mins on the treadmill. Tomorrow I will be executing my weight lifting routine.

Day #221 - Weigh-In = 208.2 lbs

*I forgot my camera at work and I will not be able to add my up dated photos until tomorrow morning when I arrive in the office. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Day #220 - A Much Needed Day Off / Front Shots

I am sorry that this post (Day #220) wasn't published last night but blogger was giving me some trouble. So I am going to be brief with what went on yesterday and I will then have a much more in depth post tonight for what happened today. I spent my second vacation day (yesterday) getting some more personal things done. It was great not having to wake up early in the morning and drag myself into work. It was so relaxing to be able to go at my own pace. The refrigerator is stocked with healthy foods and I have been back on my normal workout routine for the last 2 days now. I even made it back into the gym for my first weight lifting session in what seems to be almost two weeks. I am going to state for the record right now, that my weigh-in number will be up a little from yesterday morning because I lifted weights. I think my body will be catching up and evening out pretty soon, before we see a drop in weight again. But it won't take long before I am breaking through into the 190's. So as you can see, life is quickly getting back to normal and I am loving it.

I am going to leave you this morning with my tradition "Front Shot" comparison. I usually compare my "front shot photos" the day after I show my "Side Shot Comparisons." Let me know what you think and I will talk to you all tonight after work and my workout is over.

Day #1 - 302 lbs

Day #220 - 206. 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 Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 4 Eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 4
Snacks During the Day - 1 pear, (1) 100 cal pretzel pack, 2 granola bars, and 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = Points 12
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's recipe) = Points 8
Late Afternoon - 1 grilled cheese sandwich with an apple and a serving of sun chips = Points 8
Dinner - 1 serving of french onion soup and steak dinner (Applebees) = Points 17

Total Points Eaten Yesterday - 49 Points

Exercise

Yesterday I executed my first weight lifting routine in a while and it felt great. Dumbbell Press on Stability Ball, Alternating Single Arm Pull Downs, and Alternating Single Leg Extensions (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Push Ups on Stability Ball, Upright Cable Rows on Half Ball, and Alternating Single Arm Curls (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Bent Over Cable Rows, Side Raises, and Leg Press (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), and Planks, Triceps Push Downs, and Dumbbell Side Bends (4 sets of each x 15 reps each).

Day #220 - Weigh-In = 206.6 lbs

Day #220 Weigh-In

Day #218 & #219 - I'm Back!!!! With Side Shots!!!

Well it is official, I am back home and I could not be any happier!!! I am sorry that I did not write a post yesterday. Patty and I drove back to New Jersey from Charleston and did not get into our apartment until 5:00am this morning. And we went straight to the bedroom once we walked through the front door, for some much needed sleep. I was extremely happy to be sleeping in my own bed after being away for over a month. It may be colder up here than down in Charleston but there is still no place like home.

I left New Jersey a month ago weighing in at 224 lbs. And I returned this morning weighing in at 206 lbs. I guess this proves that no matter what obstacle stands in the way, it is very possible to accomplish what you want to get done. I left New Jersey executing my mission, lived in South Carolina for a month executing my mission, and now I am home ready to hit the ground hard. When we woke up this morning, Patty and I wasted no time getting our personal life back on track. We managed our budget, paid all of our bills, and went straight to the food store to shop for the upcoming week. It felt great getting out to the food store and buying all of the ingredients to cook our favorite Weight Watcher's recipes for this week. And of course after all of the running around was complete, I made my way to the gym. I ran a lot outside during my month in Charleston and attempted to get into the gym every chance I could. But nothing comes close to being able to workout at home in your own gym. I started my normal routine up again, by running on the treadmill tonight. Tomorrow it is weight lifting...... finally!!!!

I am so excited to be back home and to nurse my life back to normal. I can't wait to see more positive results in the near future. And speaking of results, there has been something missing that I have not been able to do for two months now. And that would be the ever so popular, "Side Shot" comparison. I did not take a side shot photo for December because I was not home and I wanted to keep every side shot photo looking the same. So I had decided to wait until I got home to do so. So without any delay, I will leave you all tonight with this month's edition of my side shot photos.

Day #1 - 302 lbs

Day #155 (2 Months Ago) - 238.2 lbs

Day #219 - 206.6 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 Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast / Lunch - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on a whole wheat bagel and a low fat chocolate milk = Points 19
Snacks During the Day - 1 apple, 1 pear, 2 servings of 100 cal yogurt pretzel packs, 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone, and a serving of sun chips = Points 14
Dinner - 1 1/2 servings of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's recipe) = Points 12
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = Points 4

Total Points Eaten Today = 49 Points

Exercise

Today I ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill. Tomorrow I will be executing my weight lifting routine.

Day #219 - Weigh-In = 206.6 lbs

Day #219 - Weigh-In

Day #219 Front Shot

Days - #215, #216, & #217 - Time to Get Home!!

First of all, Happy New Year's to everyone!!! This very long month has finally come to an end and I am about to make my way back home!! The last time I spoke to you all, I was getting ready for my big event to happen on Friday. And I realized today that I keep on mentioning my big event but I never really shared with you all exactly what that big event was. I am the director of the NUC All-World Gridiron Classic. It is an all-star football game that is played in Charleston, SC. And to make things even more stressful, it was live on Fox College Sports nationally. Yep, I was running a nationally televised football game on a Fox Channel on New Year's Eve.

I know I kept on sharing with everyone how stressful this last month was. And it was very stressful because I didn't want to mess up or have this whole week look like crap. Well I can honestly say that all of the hard work did pay off. The week went well, all of the players were happy with the results, and I was told that the game looked awesome on television!!!! Even though this last month was rough with not being home and all of the work I had to do, I still managed to have fun during the game. And I am so proud of myself for not giving up when times got rough. I can thank my mission for that because I have learned through this whole process to not give up, no matter how difficult it can get.

I know I haven't been perfect with keeping up with the posts during this past week. I kind of expected it to happen because of how busy I was. But I promise that it will be back to the normal routine again this up coming week. I am so excited to get home and back into the normal routine. Well it is time to get to bed because we have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow. I will talk to you all later!!

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)

* I celebrated the New Year and the success of my game by eating crappy today. I can't wait to get back to my normal eating and exercise routine.

Snacks During the Day - 4 granola bars and fig newtons
Lunch - turkey and cheddar cheese on a whole wheat bagel with baked chips
Dinner - grilled chicken with cheddar cheese on a pretzel roll with a serving of french fries
Dessert - samples of cheese cake, key lime pie, and chocolate mousse

Exercise

I did not workout in the gym today. I did however move equipment and boxes all day. I know I haven't had any time to workout this week but I will make up for it from now until my wedding day.

Day #217 - Weigh-In = 204.0 lbs

Day #217 Weigh-In

Day #217 Front Shot