Day #236 - Another Milestone Reached!!

Another milestone has been reached for the mission!! I woke up yesterday (Friday, Jan 21, 2011) feeling great and very anxious to see what I was weighing in at. I had a good few days of working out and of course I was sticking to my normal eating routine. And I could feel it, deep down inside, that something good was going to happen. So I jumped out of bed and made my way towards the scale. But I made sure to take a detour by the bathroom first because I wanted this weigh-in to be as accurate as possible.

After my short bathroom break was over, I continued towards the scale. The walk to the scale seemed like it took forever and it was only about 10 feet from where I was standing at the bathroom door. And as I approached it, all I could think about was what I have been through the last 7 1/2 months to get to this point. So I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and proceeded to step up on the scale. It took me a few seconds to open my eyes and look down. As my vision corrected itself, I was filled with that feeling of accomplishment because the scale was reading that I officially weighed 202 lbs!!! I had accomplished my current small goal!!! I had finally reached 100 lbs lost for the mission!!!

Now I realize that it could go up or down at any time. And I will have to work hard to make sure it keeps on going down. But at least for the time being, I accomplished something that I thought would never happen, even in my wildest dreams. If it does go up a little, I will not let that slow me down at all because I know my body weight can fluctuate and I know that muscle weighs more than fat after I lift weights. But for now, I am going to use this moment as motivation to keep on going strong!! Until the next post, have a great day my friends!!

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Friday, Jan 21, 2011):

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 45 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 4 eggo nutrigrain waffles = Points 7
Snacks - 2 apples and 2 rice cakes = Points 2
Early Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patty with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese on a Weight Watcher's roll and a serving of baked chips = Points 11
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patty with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese on a Weight Watcher's roll and a serving of baked chips = Points 11
Dinner - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of baked chips = Points 11
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = Points 4

Total Points Eaten = 46 Points (1 point over my daily limit)

Exercise

Last night I ran on the treadmill for 40 mins!! I kicked it up a little from the 35 mins yesterday!

Day #236 - Weigh-In = 202.0 lbs

Day #236 Weigh-In

Day #236 Front Shot

Day #235 - Back On Track, Once Again!

I feel like I am back on track now and my current small goals of getting to 202 lbs and breaking into the 190s is just a few days away. I had a great eating day yesterday (Thurs, Jan 20, 2011) as well as I made the time to workout last night. And not only did I workout last night, but I pushed myself a little more on the treadmill. I usually run for 30 mins on the treadmill but last night I was able to go 35 mins. Next cardio day, which will be tomorrow, I will extend my time on the treadmill to 40 mins. I know it is small but I am going to take it one step at a time.

Yesterday was also a big day for stocking up in the apartment. The last week has been hectic and I felt like I was playing catch-up with my personal life. But everything is settling down because I found a new gym, I am back to my normal eating routine, and I feel more relaxed that Patty and I had visited both of our families for the holidays. So the last thing that we had to worry about was filling our kitchen with all of the healthy foods that have helped me get to were I am today. And let me tell you, it was actually fun last night going to the food store and stocking up. We also made it a point to try new meals for this up coming week but of course we still had our favorite, Chicken Pot Pie, on the list.

Anyway, it is time for the day to start and the weekend to begin in a few short hours. I will talk to you all again very soon. Until the next post, have a great day my friends!!

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Thurs, Jan 20, 2011):

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 45 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - Egg whites on a whole wheat bagel with a slice of american cheese = Points 11
Snacks - 2 apples and a 100 cal pretzel pack = Points 3
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 5
Mid Afternoon - 1 serving of Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 5
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 5
Dinner - 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (All Weight Watcher's Ingredients) and a serving of baked chips = Points 11
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = Points 4

Total Points Eaten = 44 points (1 point under my daily limit)

Exercise

Last night I ran for 35 mins on the treadmill. Tonight I will be executing my weight lifting routine.

Day #235 - Weigh-In = 203.6 lbs

Day #235 Weigh-In

Day #235 Front Shot

Day #234 - A Determination to Succeed

Yesterday (Wed, Jan 19, 2011) was day #2 of my current gym dilemma. To recap my last two days, I found on late Tuesday night, that my gym was shut down due to bankruptcy. And after finding out this very disappointing news, I realized that I was left without an official place to workout at. It wouldn't be as bad if it was not winter time because I could easily run outside. But that is not the case, which brought up some cause for panic the last two days. Plus I need a place to execute my weight lifting routine as well. So with all of this in mind, I made it a priority yesterday, to find a new place to workout.

I spent most of the day in the office yesterday and did not have any time to research new gyms. Luckily Patty took the time yesterday to do so, while she was at home. Plus my brother had some input about his gym that he uses, which is in the next town over from where we live. And as soon as I was done with work, I made my way home to eat dinner and then to visit potential gyms. I went straight to the gym that my brother recommended because it was the closest to my apartment. And believe it or not, I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in the doors. It is gigantic and has plenty of weights, cardio machines, and weight lifting machines for me to be able to do what I needed to get done. And the best part is, that it is only $10 / month and I can cancel at any time if I wanted to. So ladies and gentlemen, I am now an official member of Platinum Fitness in Verona, NJ.

I am extremely happy with myself for having the determination to find a new gym right away and to not waste any time in doing so. I could have easily packed it up and said I will look for one over the weekend or next week. But I did not want to lose any momentum that I had built up recently. During my long 7 1/2 month mission so far, I have gone through 3 scales and now I am currently on my second gym. And I have not lost a step yet. If that isn't determination, then I don't know what is. Until next post my friends, have a great day!

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Wed, Jan 19, 2011):

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 45 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on a multigrain roll = Points 8
Snacks - 2 servings of wheat thins and 2 apples = Points 8
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 10
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 10
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 5
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cup = Points 4

Total Points Eaten = 45 Points

Exercise

Yesterday I ran for 30 mins on the treadmill at my new gym (Platinum Fitness). Today I will be executing my weight lifting routine.

Day #234 - Weigh-In = 203.4 lbs

Day #234 Weigh-In



Day #234 Front Shot



Day #233 - A Minor Bump in the Road

Well, I seem to have hit a little bump in the road. This bump came last night (Tues, Jan 18, 2011) when I departed my warm apartment, to execute my daily workout routine. I have been extremely motivated the last few days because the scale is starting to go down again and that goal of 100 lbs lost is right here for the taking. So I wanted to make sure that I got my workout in last night. But as I pulled up to my gym, I noticed that the lights were off and there were a few people standing outside letting out some stress. I was interested in knowing what was going on, so I parked my car and made my way to the front door. Now it is 10:30pm at night and it is 30 degrees outside and all I wanted to do is workout and get home. But that wasn't going to happen last night and to be honest, it will never happen at this particular gym ever again.

As I approached the door, I noticed a white piece of paper hanging on it. And this paper said that my gym, the branch that I am a member at, has been shut down permanently due to bankruptcy. I was shocked to read those words and it took me a few seconds to process it. This gym, that has been instrumental for me over the last few months, is no longer open. Which means I currently have no place to workout at. This problem can be fixed very easily but this news kinda came out of nowhere. I was literally upset last night that I could not workout and that I was going to have to waste time now trying to find a new gym. And what makes this situation even worse, is that it was the only 24 hour gym in my area that I knew about.

Regardless of what happened last night, I have to make it a priority to find my next gym very soon. I don't want lose any momentum that I currently have right now with the mission. If it was spring time, I could just run outside. But it is winter, 30 degrees outside, and the side walks are very icy where I am. So running outside is not an option, plus I still have to execute my weight lifting routine. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Until tonight my friends, have a great day.

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Tues, Jan 18, 2011):

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 45 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on a multigrain roll  = Points 8
Snacks - 3 apples, (1) 100 cal pretzel pack , and 2 servings of wheat thins = Points 11
Early Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 8
Late Afternoon - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 8
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Beef Stroganoff (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 10

Total Points Eaten Today = 45 Points

Exercise

I did not get a chance to workout last night because my gym has been shut down. The weather was also bad last night and I couldn't run outside.

Day #233 - Weigh-In = 204.0 lbs

Day #233 Weigh-In

Day #233 Front Shot

Day #232 - Getting Back to the Basics

Yesterday (Monday, Jan 17, 2011) was a day of getting back to the basics of this mission. Those basics would be: eating healthy and exercise. Isn't it amazing that when you break it down like that, there are basically two main things you have to concentrate on while trying to get rid of that unwanted fat. Of course there are many other things that come into play and every one's body and mental approach can be different. But it can be as simple as eating healthy and exercising every day.

I had a great eating day yesterday and I was able to spread out my meals perfectly. I was not overly hungry at any time during the day and I ate my last meal right around 9pm. Which meant that I did not go to bed with a full stomach. The exercise portion of yesterday actually kicked my butt. I played basketball for 2 1/2 hours last night. And it wasn't like I played a game, sat down, and played another game 20 minutes later. My team actually ended up playing 6 games last night because we kept on winning. When you win, you stay on the court. I don't think I have ever played so much basketball in one night. I actually went home sore as hell. I had no problem getting to sleep last night either. I would say that yesterday was a great day for getting back to my routine.

The wedding is right around the corner and I am not about to slow down any time soon. I realize that the last month and a half was hard but I managed to survive. I ended up losing 20 lbs in the month of December and I think that is a pretty amazing accomplishment. Especially since I was not home and did not have access to a gym everyday. Anyway, today is here and I have a lot to do but I will talk to you all again tonight. Have a great productive day!

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Monday, Jan 17, 2011):

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 45 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of american cheese on a multigrain roll = Points 8
Snacks - (1) 100 cal pretzel pack, 1/2 a serving of whole wheat wheat thins, and a pair = Points 4
Early Afternoon - (1) 6" double turkey sub on whole wheat bread with a slice of american cheese, pickles, and a serving of sun chips = Points 15
Late Afternoon - (1) 6" double turkey sub on whole wheat bread with a slice of american cheese, pickles, and a pear = Points 11
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 8

Total Points Eaten Yesterday = 46 points (1 point over my daily limit)

Exercise

Last night I played basketball for 2 1/2 hours. Tonight I will be executing my weight lifting routine.

Day #232 - Weigh-In = 204.4 lbs

Day #232 Weigh-In

Day #232 Front Shot

Day #230 (Saturday, Jan 15, 2011) & #231 (Sunday, Jan 16, 2011) - The Laziness Stops Now!

I would like to start off this post by saying that I am very sorry for not being as quick with my posts the last two weeks. It seems like I have been playing catch up with my life, ever since I got back home from Charleston. I have been doubling up on posts and I have not been as consistent with my workout routines as I would like to be. Thank goodness I am forcing myself to stay on track with my eating. But there are no excuses and I know I have to pick my game back up with regards to the mission. I have come too far to become lazy with this mission. You all have been so supportive and motivating, that I can't let this slip away. I have been working hard for the last 7 1/2 months and I am currently 97.6 lbs lost since Day #1. And it is now time to push forward to that goal date of Friday, August 26, 2011 because I am determined to be the healthiest I have ever been. I owe it to my family, I owe it to my friends, I owe it to Patty, I owe it to all of you who have been by my side since the start of this mission, and I owe it to myself. So let's go Heavy Man, the time to shine is now.

This weekend was great, hanging out with Patty's family. And now that the holidays are over and we have successfully seen everyone in both our families, it is time to get back to business. My current two goals of reaching 202 lbs and breaking through the 200 lbs wall still stand. I want to reach that first goal by Monday of next week and the second goal by the beginning of February.

It is time for me to get back to work but before I sign off for this morning, I am going to leave you with the update photos for Saturday and Sunday of this weekend. I hope everyone has a great day and I will talk to you all again tonight.

Day #230 Weigh-In

Day #230 Front Shot

Day #231 Weigh-In

Day #231 Front Shot

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Sunday, Jan 16, 2011):

Meals of the Day (The Heavy Man - 45 Points)
(I am currently following the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program)

Breakfast - 2 homemade banana crepes = Points 10
Snacks During the Day - 3 apples and 2 granola bars = Points 5
Lunch - (1) 6" double turkey sub on whole wheat bread with 2 slices of american cheese, pickles, and a serving of sun chips = Points 15
Dinner - 1 roast beef and provolone cheese sandwich on a long white roll = Points 15

Total Points Eaten Today = 45 Points

Exercise

I did not workout yesterday (Sunday) or on Saturday. Laziness is not acceptable anymore. I will be playing basketball tonight and I will be getting back to my weight lifting routine tomorrow.

Day #231 - Weigh-In = 204.6 lbs