Day #24 - Soooo Busy!

The Day in Review

Have any of you ever been so busy between your work & personal lives that sometimes if you take a break, you would fall behind? Well that exact description is my life to a "T". Since I started my newest job 3 weeks ago, it has been a none stop ride! I am not complaining about my job at all because I would rather be constantly busy than bored everyday. But it has been really crazy how busy I have been.

So busy that I am starting to wonder if I will be able to make it back to the gym. Now of course that last sentence was an exaggeration but honestly the thought has crossed my mind from time to time. I did however, get a pretty good workout today in the office, packing all of the heavy boxes and equipment for an event this weekend. And truthfully the way things are going right now, I will take it any way I can get it.

Eating healthy has been a little easier lately because my amazing wife has been sending me to work with leftovers from the night before. So all have to do right now is pop it in the microwave at work and I am good to go! However, since I am being honest..... all I wanted to do after a crazy day of work today was to sit down and have a nice dinner with my wife and son. So I cheated a little by eating some pizza with her at our favorite place in town. I am a little disappointed with myself for letting that happen but it was worth it in my eyes to spend some much needed time with them. I am happy though, that I did good the rest of the day with eating healthy.

I really believe that the motivation and that drive to succeed is starting to come back. And looking back on the last few days, I really don't know why I was in the funk that I was in.  And after spending some much need time with my son tonight, I can see that getting healthy for him is the main goal now. I am going to leave you with a little heart to heart conversation that me and him had earlier today.

Good night everyone! Tomorrow starts a new day!

- The Heavy Man

Day #23 - Being Sick Sucks!

The Day in Review

Well it is day #2 of being sick. I was hoping the NyQuil would do trick last night but unfortunately all it did was make me go to sleep quicker. And being at work the whole day, feeling physically out of it, was not making the situation any better. Not to mention, not sleeping in the same bed as my wife sucks. I hate the feeling of being lonely in a big bed especially when I feel like crap. And finally, I am trying to stay away from my wife and son as much as I can because we can't afford them getting sick.

Anyway, getting back to the day. Today just seemed to last forever. I guess that is a good thing when you have so much that needs to get done at work. On the other hand, it sucks when all you want to do is go home and lay in bed until you don't feel sick any more. I just realized how much I was complaining in this post and I am sorry for that everyone!

As you can probably tell by now, I did not go to the gym again today because I felt like crap. But I did however, stick to the healthy eating for the second day in a row! I know the will power, that I had once upon a time, is making its way back. And when I have finally kicked this cold for good, I know it will be full speed ahead once again! Well it is time for medicine and hopefully I will be sleeping soon.

I promise I will try not to make tomorrow's post sound so boring. Good night everyone! Tomorrow starts a new day!

- The Heavy Man


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Breakfast - Egg whites on a whole wheat bagel with a slice of American cheese = 11 Points
Lunch #1 - Foot long Double Turkey sub on wheat bread with American cheese, pickles, and a side of sun chips (Subway) = 26 Points
Lunch #2 - 1 Serving of left over turkey with a side of fat free gravy, a side of brown rice, and a side of broccoli = 7 Points
Dinner - 1 serving of Chicken Parm with a side of whole wheat pasta (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = 13 Points
Snacks - 3 Apples = 0 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 57 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

This cold that I have has sidelined me for the second day in a row from going to the gym. I am hoping that tomorrow will be a different story!


Today's Photos

Thursday, October 4, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #22 - Here.... We.... Go!

The Day in Review

Hello everyone! I was so pumped up after last night's post that I couldn't wait to get the ball rolling this morning. However to my disappointment, I woke up this morning with a nasty cold. I was sneezing and coughing all over the place! And to make things even worse, I had so much work that needed to get done that I had to go into the office.

Needless to say, I felt like crap the entire day and still do right now! My throat is scratchy, I can't breath out of my nose, and I would love nothing more than to crawl into bed. But as they say in show business, "The Show Must Go On!" And go on.... it did!

I managed to get almost everything I wanted to get done today:

• I finished all of the work that I wanted to get done today in the office
• I weighed myself this morning and to my disappointment I am back at 271lbs
• I ate very healthy today
• I took my Front Shot Photo
• I took my Side Shot Photo

The only thing that I did not do today was get myself to the gym. But to be perfectly honest, I was in no shape to go to the gym. Also, the last thing I wanted to do was to share my cold with everyone else at the gym. Everyone is busy with their own lives and the last thing anyone needs is me getting them sick. I am even sleeping in a different room than my wife and son tonight because I don't want them to get sick either. If you couldn't tell by now, I hate getting sick. It ruins what ever schedule you are trying to accomplish for the day.

Anyway, getting back to my weigh-in this morning. If you all remember, I started the "Heavy Man" comeback 22 days ago by weighing in at 271lbs. And now I am right back to square one. But you know what, the only direction I will accept now is down. Meaning, I refuse to weigh 271lbs ever again!

I hope I feel a little better tomorrow because the gym is calling my name once again! I hope you all have a great night! Tomorrow starts a new day!


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Lunch #1 - Foot long Double Turkey Sub on Wheat Bread with American Cheese, Pickles, a side of Sun Chips, and a Side of Apple Slices = 26 Points
Lunch #2 - 1 Tuna Sandwich on a Long Roll with a Side of Baked Tostitos Scoops = 13 Points
Dinner - 4 Pieces of Roasted Turkey with Fat Free Gravy, Brown Rice, and Broccoli = 17 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 56 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

I was sick today. I am hoping to back in the gym tomorrow if I am feeling better!


Today's Photos

Wednesday, October 3, 2012
(Front Shot)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012
(Side Shot)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012
(Weigh-In)

Day #21 - "The Heavy Man's Diary"... Take 2

This is "The Heavy Man's Diary"..... Take 2. Well technically it is "take 3" but in the grand scheme of things it is all one big crazy never ending drama anyway! If that makes sense?!?!

As many of you know, after reading my post yesterday, I was extremely stressed out and I felt like the light at the end of the tunnel was getting farther away each day. At one point I felt like giving up and eating my stress away. I realize that I am not the only person in the world that is going through a battle with weight issues. But on days like yesterday, I feel like I am trying to climb this gigantic mountain all by myself. However, thanks to a lot of support and words of wisdom from many of you, I am back & ready to push forward!

So with this being said..... I am officially declaring tomorrow "The Heavy Man's Diary" Take 2 - 3ish..... lol. Seriously, it was suggested to me after last night's post, that I should take a step back and take a deep breath. Over the past few weeks I have let the pressures of life get to me and started my "Heavy Man" come back in a crappy way. But tomorrow I intend on doing this thing right! And when I say this thing.... I mean "The Mission to Healthy."

Once upon a time, I managed to push myself just enough to loose over 100lbs. And I did this by eating healthy and exercising just about everyday. Somewhere a long the way, I lost that "push" and now it is time for it to come back even bigger and better!

So tomorrow........ I step up on that scale........... I take my front shot photo....... I take my side shot photo........ I eat healthy once again....... And I get my ass back in the gym! Because the way my health is now, is not acceptable anymore! It is time to pick myself back up for good!

Good night my friends! Tomorrow starts a new day!

- The Heavy Man

Day #20 - An Addiction, Hard To Overcome

Hello.... My name is Chris aka "The Heavy Man" and I am addicted to food.

I have been on this earth for 29 years and have had this addiction since high school. I have never smoked a cigarette, I have never tried a single drug, and my drinking years have long disappeared. The only thing that has kept me from being in shape and healthy, on a consistent basis, has been my addiction to food. And I have trouble most of the time trying to get past it.

I feel that it is a never ending curse.... having to monitor what I eat on a day to day basis. I look at all the people that come in and out of my gym and 90% of them are in ridiculous shape. And all I can think of is how that outcome is so far away for me. So far.... that I have been chasing it for years. And just when I think I have cracked the code, I get swamped with work or the stresses of trying to survive life just seem to pull me down. And that roller coaster of going up in weight and then back down in weight and back up again, takes a toll on me. Not only physically but mentally too! I just want to blink my eyes and have all of the weight that has been latching to me for the last few years to disappear.

Unfortunately, things like this do not happen, at least not over night. In the past I wanted to get rid of my weight problems because I wanted to look like a model or someone that could be in a clothing store ad. My fantasy of losing weight slowly turned into not wanting people to make fun of me or look at me differently because I was overweight. And now all I can think about is being around to watch my son grow-up. It gets me emotional every time I think about it.

And with all of this going on in my head, wanting to lose the extra weight for good, it just seems to be getting harder and harder to stay on track. I think it is because I am exhausted from being on this up and down roller coaster for so long. But no matter what, I know I can not give up. No matter how many times I stumble.... I have to get back up! I have worked to hard, starting a family and trying to survive, that I can not afford to go backwards!

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all of your support! I know it has been a rocky start, bringing "The Heavy Mans Diary" back. But I feel that this is the only way to help motivate me to lose the weight for good!

Good Night Everyone.... Tomorrow Starts a New Day!!

- The Heavy Man

I Am Still Here!

Hey Everyone,

I know I have been lacking in keeping up with the daily posts and I am very sorry for that! It has been hard for me to keep up with my daily posts this time around because my new job has been taking up most my time. But I know that is no excuse! I am determined to make this work and I want to get back in good health for my family! I can not do this without you all and I hope that you all will continue to stand by my side. Please don't give up on me! I will be back tomorrow with a full daily post.

Thanks!

- The Heavy Man

Day #14 - An Old School Workout

The Day in Review

Hey friends!! Today was a much better day. First of all, I was able to control myself as far as my meals go. Even after falling off the path for the last five days, I was able to call on that will power once again and coasted through the day with ease! However, the work day was extremely busy once again and I had no time to make it to the gym.

But I did find a way to supplement a gym workout with an old school workout. Let me explain what I mean. The company I work for now has an office on the second floor of a large business complex as well as some office space on the ground floor of that same building. While the upstairs office is pretty much setup, the downstairs office space needs some work done. The space that we are currently in has some desks, a large conference table, large book shelves, and several smaller pieces of furniture still in it from the previous tenant. My boss had asked us to clean up the space so we could comfortably work out of it. And when he requested the task, I immediately jumped on it because I knew there was going to be a lot of heavy lifting and moving around. So if I did not have time for the gym, I was going to make my own workout to fill in that void.

Let me tell you all, this furniture we had to move was old and extremely heavy! I was actually sweating 5 minutes into the project and continued to sweat all the way through. There was so much to move and clean up that we still need to put some time into it tomorrow. I actually feel like I did a legit workout in the gym tonight. My body is so sore right now!! I think I did a somewhat good job turning nothing into something.


Today's Meal (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Lunch #1 - Double Turkey Sub on Wheat Bread with American Cheese, Pickles, a side of apple slices, and a side of Sun Chips = 26 Points
Lunch #2 - 2 Boca Chicken Patties on Wheat Bread with 2 Slices of WW American Cheese and a side of baked Tostitos = 15 Points
Dinner - 1 1/2 Servings of Rice O Roni Chicken Rice with 2 servings of Grilled Chicken Strips = 14 Points
Snack - 1 WW Chocolate Chip Cookie = 2 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 57 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

Unfortunately I did not make it to the gym again today. However, I did suppliment that with a lot of heavy lifting and cleaning.


Today's Photo

Tuesday, September 25, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #13 - Adjusting to the New Busy Schedule

The Past Few Days in Review

Hey everyone! Well it is unfortunate to say, but I 100% lost the battle over the last 5 days. But here is the thing, I admit it and now it is time to move forward! Last Thursday, a few of my co-workers and I took a trip up north for a weekend event. Now many of you know, I travel a lot for work and have been doing so for the last 7 years. But I have never had a weekend work schedule like the one I had this past weekend.

It was absolutely crazy! We were up Friday - Sunday around 5:30am and we did not get back to the hotel until around 9:30pm every night. Now that is what I call a full work schedule. I am not complaining at all and I realize that I am going to have to find a way to adjust to it. And when I say adjust, I mean....... find a way to eat healthy and exercise just like I would if I was at home.

Like I mentioned above, I am admitting that I lost the battle over the last few days. Even though I did not workout in a gym, I was still lifting heavy things and moving around a lot. As a matter of fact, I broke a sweat just about every day. Now the eating part is a different story. During the day I tried very hard to eat healthy. I actually had a healthy breakfast everyday, ate grilled chicken a lot, but lost it during dinner time. We really didn't have much time to eat during the day and when it came time to eat dinner, I was so damn hungry. And when I get that hungry, it is hard to control myself. I know I can do better and I am determined to do better going forward.

During the first few days of bringing back "The Heavy Man's Diary", I did really good. I lost 6.8 lbs to be exact. And now since I have gone off the course the last few days, I feel like I have gained back those 6.8 lbs and taken a large step backwards. It is a little disappointing to say this. However, I have no other choice but to get back on the right path. There is to much at stake to keep on going backwards. The next real battle for me is coming up this weekend with another traveling event. I am determined to win this time.


Today's Meals

It is no secret by now, I ate really crappy the last few days. Actually it was the last five days to be exact. I did not follow my Weight Watcher's Points limit and I am disappointed in myself for doing so. It is time to get back on the right path. I will be counting points once again tomorrow!


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

Like my meals, I have not made it to the gym over the past five days. And there is no excuse good enough. I hit the gym once again tomorrow!


Today's Photo

Monday, September 24, 2012
(Front Shot)

Back Tomorrow..... I Promise!!!!

Hey Everyone!

I am sorry for being away the last few days. I have been traveling for work and the long hours have been crazy! I will be back home tomorrow (Monday, Sept 24th) with a full weekend update! I can't wait to get back to a regular meal and workout schedule!

Thanks for being patient! The Heavy Man has not gone anywhere... I just have to adjust to this new traveling schedule!

See you tomorrow!

- The Heavy Man

Day #8 - A Brief Update

Hey everyone!

I apologize for the very short post today (Wednesday, Sept 19, 2012). The day has been extremely busy and I did not get home from work until 9:45pm. And to make things even crazier, I have to be in the office by 7:30am tomorrow morning because myself and a group of my co-workers have an event in Buffalo, NY this weekend.... hence the short post. But I promise that I will have a full post up tomorrow with all the normal details.

I will however, leave you with some very good news today..... I had my weekly weigh-in this morning and the scale officially read 264.6 lbs!!!! This means that I have lost a total of 6.8 lbs since last Wednesday!!!! This was a great way to start off the day and a great way to motivate me even more!!

I am going to end this brief post with my photos for today and I will see you all tomorrow with a fully updated post! Good night everyone!

Today's Photos

Wednesday, Sept 19, 2010
(Weigh-In Photo)

Wednesday, Sept 19, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #7 - Weather Permitting

The Day in Review

Hey everyone! Tonight's post is going to be short and sweet! I was swamped today at work trying to get everything done, as quickly as possible. I have a big business trip coming up this Thursday - Sunday. Sometimes there just isn't enough time in a day to get everything done that needs to be accomplished. But to say the least, I got a majority of what I set out to do today completed. So that is a good thing!

I also want to point out to everyone that I managed to stay on track with my eating today! Even though I was extremely busy, I still found a way to eat healthy. I also woke up early enough to eat breakfast as well! I know yesterday I made the mistake of not taking the time to eat in the morning and I paid for it dearly later on in the day. But as for today.... mission accomplished on the food side.

As for my workout routine, well that is another story. The weather actually played a big role in me not going to the gym tonight. Because when your area is issuing tornado warnings and you can not see a foot in front of your car window due to rain, you go straight home! The weather was so bad outside that it was extremely hard to drive home. I was also attempting this in the dark, so that did not help at all. And when I arrived home, I immediately jumped into helping my wife with the baby, while she made dinner. I realize now that I could have done at least some push-ups at home to get some sort of exercise in for the day. I know I have to stay on top of this as much as possible.

There is always tomorrow! I realize that are going to be days like this. My success with the "Mission to Healthy" will not be determined by one crazy day.... I will not let it! Have a great night everyone and I will see you all tomorrow!


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Breakfast - Egg whites on Whole Wheat bread with a slice of WW American Cheese = 5 Points
Lunch - Foot long Double Turkey Sub on Wheat Bread with 2 Slices of American Cheese, pickles, and a side of Sun Chips = 26 Points
Dinner - 2 Serving of Homemade Chicken Pot Pie (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = 20 Points
Snack - 2 Apples = 0 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 51 Points (6 Points Under my Daily Limit)


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

* I did not make it to the gym today due to a busy day at work and bad weather. I will make it back to the gym tomorrow.


Today's Photo

Tuesday, September 18, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #6 - A Busy Day With Much Support

The Day in Review

What's up everyone! It is Monday, Sept 17, 2012 and the day was filled with nothing but busy work. I wanted to start the morning off with my workout routine because it was going to be another busy day. And I thought that I prepared for the morning extremely well! I set my cloths out that I was going to wear, I made sure all of my business related things were packed up, and I even set the alarm for 7am to get up for the gym. But of course things didn't happen the way I wanted them to!

As a matter of fact, this is how the morning went. I woke up at 7am, reset my alarm for 8:30am, and rolled over & went back to sleep. When I woke up at 8:30am, I reset my alarm for 8:45am and went back to sleep. Once the 8:45am alarm went off, I jumped out of bed to get dressed and quickly realized that I left myself no time for breakfast. Way to go Chris! Anyway, I rushed out the door to get to my morning meeting without eating at all. By the time lunch rolled around I was so hungry that I ate my sandwich  in around 5 minutes and then went back to work. So as far as my eating schedule went today, I failed miserably. However, I did come in 10 points below my daily limit. So I guess that could be counted as a win but not in the way I wanted to get that win. I am going to have to concentrate more on sticking to my meal schedule when days get this busy.

Now as far as the gym goes for today. I mentioned above that I slept through my planned gym time this morning. So I had to make the adjustment to get to the gym after I was done with work. I also had my buddy Glenn with me, so I was excited about having my first workout partner in a while. Unfortunately, the gym that I go to wasn't thinking the same way I was. They wanted to charge him some crazy amount just to workout for an hour and I wasn't about to let him do that. But as we were walking towards the door, he told me to go workout because I have been working so hard. He actually ended up running outside while I executed today's workout routine in the gym. That meant I a lot to me because he knew how much it meant to me to stay on schedule. It is support like this that keeps me motivated and on the right path. I will never forget my buddy for doing that for me!


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Lunch #1 - 2 Pieces of Grilled Chicken with 2 Slices of American Cheese on a French Roll and a side of Honey Mustard = 25 Points
Dinner - 2 Servings of Turkey Meatballs with Pasta (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = 21 Points
Snack - 1 Piece of Turkey = 2 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 48


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

Exercise #1 - Dumbbell Incline Press on Swiss Ball (12 Reps x 3 Sets with two 30lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #2 - Reverse Grip Lat Pull down (12 Reps x 3 Sets at 85lbs)
Exercise #3 - Dumbbell Squats on Bosu Ball (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 30lb Dumbbell)
Exercise #4 - Swinging Bicep Curls (12 Reps x 3 Sets with two 15lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #5 - Triceps Cable Push downs (12 Reps x 3 Sets at 80lbs)
Exercise #6 - Cable Wood Chops (12 Reps x 2 Sets at 30lb - Each Side)
Exercise #7 - Cable Side Chops (20 Reps x 2 Sets at 30lbs - Each Side)
Exercise #8 - Dumbbell Side Raises on Bosu Ball (12 Reps x 3 Sets with two 10lb Dumbbells)


Today's Photo

Monday, September 17, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #5 - A Normal But Challenging Sunday

The Day in Review

Today turned out to be a normal slow moving Sunday. With the way my workout routine is developed, I go three days in a row with an intense workout and then I take a day off for my body to recover. But after that day of rest is over, it is back to the grind for three more days in a row of working out. So you could only imagine how happy I was to give my body a rest today!

What better way to rest than to do it on NFL Sunday! I just love turning on the TV, throwing my team's jersey on, and watching nothing but football from morning until night. And that was how my day was shaping up to be! However, here is the twist that made my day so much more challenging than just sitting down and watching football. Today was the first day since I started "The Heavy Man's Diary" back up, that I literally had nothing to do. Which means I was going to be sitting at home with all of the food in my kitchen. And what do most people do while watching a football game....... eat crappy food and drink!

Since I started back up with the "Mission to Healthy", I have been on the go and moving around constantly. So because I was keeping myself busy, all I really had to do was remember to eat my meals, go to the gym, and write the daily post. But like I mentioned before, I was taking a day off from the gym and sitting at home to watch football. And let me tell you.... the temptation to pig out was there. Now before you all think I have a ton of crappy food in my kitchen, I want to assure that I do not! Patty and I made sure, during our last trip to the food store, that we stocked up on healthy meals and snacks. But that doesn't mean that I can sit there and stuff my face with healthy meal after healthy meal. The real challenge was to make sure that I did not over eat and surpass my Weight Watcher's Points limit for the day. I will honestly say that there are a lot of good tasting healthy meals and snacks out there that could cause me to get carried away.

To make a long story short, I ended up eating the exact amount of points I am allowed for the day, while enjoying a few games. Anyway, tomorrow is a new day and the start to a new week. I only have two more full days until I weigh myself on Wednesday morning! Then we all can see how I did for my first official week back. Have a great night everyone!


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Breakfast - 2 Boca Chicken Patties with 2 Slices of WW American Cheese on Whole Wheat Bread with a side of Bake Tostitos Scoops = 15 Points
Lunch #1 - 2 Boca Chicken Patties with 2 Slices of WW American Cheese on Whole Wheat Bread with a side of Bake Tostitos Scoops = 15 Points
Lunch #2 - 1 Homemade Stuffed Pepper = 9 Points
Dinner - 2 serving of Homemade Two Cheese Veg Lasagna (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = 14 Points
Snack - 2 pieces of Turkey & 2 Apples = 4 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 57 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

* Today was a day off from the workout routine. I will pick it up again tomorrow.


Today's Photo

Sunday, September 16, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #4 - M.O.T.I.V.A.T.I.O.N!

The Day in Review

Hey everyone! It is Saturday, September 15, 2012 and I am feeling extremely Motivated today! Well to tell you the truth, I have been very motivated since I brought back "The Heavy Man's Diary". But as for today, I am feeling extra Motivated.

Before I get into my day, I would first like to address an issue that I noticed last night. For all of you who read this blog from a desktop computer or a laptop, you know that I like to start each post with an intro video. I just recently added this piece to my posts because I feel that it gives you all a little more insight into my personality. Sometimes I feel that I have a hard time portraying my personality through written word. And even if each video is only a few seconds long, I think it is a cool piece. Anyway, I was on my IPhone last night looking at the blog site and I noticed that there is a vacant spot where the video is supposed to be and it actually makes me look like I have a problem with spacing. After I noticed this, I tried logging onto the blog site from my IPad as well and the same problem popped up! As frustrating as this is to me, I still want to continue to add the intro videos into my posts because it feels like a post is incomplete without it. On the other hand, not everyone is able to view the videos. It all depends on what device you are reading the blog on. I am curious to know what you all think about the intro video piece. Should I keep it or should I get rid of it? Please let me know, Thanks.

OK.... Now getting to the day! I woke up this morning extremely sore! And when I say I was sore..... I mean I was SORE! And to be accurate, I am still feeling very sore right now. You all know by now that I have not visited a gym or done any physical activity for the last few months. And this past Thursday was my first day back. Now fast forward to today, which was my third day in a row working out and I am feeling like I just went through a week of getting the crap beat out of me. Sorry for the analogy but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't express it this way. So you could only imagine how I was feeling before I even gathered the courage to go to the gym today, to complete my third day in a row.

To tell you the truth, I was delaying the trip for as long as I could. And then I started to read all of the comments and personal messages I have received from all of you over the past few days. It was one great message of support after another and before I knew it I was lacing up my sneakers to walk out the door towards the gym. You see.... it may say in a lot of your messages, that I help to motivate you but I think it is a two way street! I can't tell you how many times in the past that I wanted to give up because losing and maintaining a healthy weight is extremely hard for me. But then I would receive a great message of support / encouragement and I would be motivated all over again! That is what I have been feeling now for the last couple of days. It was something that I lost for the past two plus years but by an act of kindness from many of you, I am able to get that motivation back! I believe we all can help each other out! Because I have been there before and I know I can't do it by myself.

So I would like to thank you all once again for helping me find the strength to keep going now, like many of you have done for me in the past. Let's do this together and make it a little bit easier to get healthy!


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Breakfast - 2 Boca Chicken Patties on Wheat Bread with 2 Slices of WW American Cheese and a side of Baked Tostitos = 15 Points
Lunch #1 - 2 Boca Chicken Patties on Wheat Bread with 2 Slices of WW American Cheese and a side of Baked Tostitos = 15 Points
Lunch #2 - 2 drained cans of Bumble Bee Tuna with two Tbsp of Real Hellman's Mayo on Wheat Bread and a side of Baked Tostitos Scoops = 18 Points
Dinner - 1 serving of homemade Two Cheese Veg Lasagna (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = 7 Points
Snack - 1 piece of left over Turkey from last night's dinner = 2 Points

Total Points Eaten Today = 57 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

Exercise #1 - Bench Press (12 Reps at 35lbs on each side of the bar), (10 Reps at 40lbs on each side of the bar), (8 Reps at 45lbs on each side of the bar), and (6 Reps at 50lbs on each side of the bar)
Exercise #2 - Bent Over Cable Rows (12 Reps x 3 Sets Standing on a Bosu Ball - Reverse Grip)
Exercise #3 - Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curls (12 Reps x 3 Sets with two 15lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #4 - Triceps Extension (12 Reps x 3 Sets with a 25lb Dumbbell sitting on a Flat Bench)
Exercise #5 - Dumbbell Punches (30 Seconds x 3 Sets with two 5lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #6 - Close Grip Row (12 Reps x 3 Sets at 70lbs)
Exercise #7 - Medicine Ball Circle Hops (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 10lb Medicine Ball)
Exercise #8 - Single Arm Cable Pull (12 Reps x 3 Sets at 20lbs Standing on a Bosu Ball going across the body - Each Side)


Today's Photo

Saturday, September 15, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #3 - More Battles to be Won!

The Day in Review

Hey my friends!! It is Friday, September 14, 2012 and this is officially Day #3 of the "Heavy Man's Diary!" If you have been following this blog for the last few days, you will know what I mean when I say the word "battles". If you are just joining us for the first time, I mentioned in the Day #1 post, that we all face battles on a day to day basis and will continue to until the day we die. However, no matter how many battles are won and lost, the main goal is to win the "War"! And my "War" is a little something I like to call, "The Mission to Healthy."

Anyway, the first battle of my day started early this morning. I originally planned to execute my workout routine before my busy day had begun. I had a lot to do today and I had the feeling that if I did not get my workout in this morning, I would have trouble getting it in later in the day. However, the morning didn't go exactly as planned. I woke up early for my baby boy Connor's early morning bottle. Everything went well like it normally does but then something that I did not plan for happened. He was wide awake and smiling after he finished his bottle! He is usually asleep after he is done with his bottle and back in his crib shortly after. Now don't get me wrong, I loved spending that time with him and seeing his face light up! But when Daddy has a busy day that needs to start off with his exercise routine, he would have loved for Connor to go back to sleep. Eventually he did get back to sleep. However, I ended up sleeping in a little later than I wanted to. None the less, I have been so motivated lately that I decided to wait until the end of the day to go to the gym. And let me tell you, it actually worked out better that way. I won the workout routine battle of the day and still got to see my son smiling this morning!

The second battle of the day took place at dinner time. Last week my wife Patty and I had made dinner plans with my Grandmother for tonight. That part is all good. However, I had been so caught up in bringing "The Heavy Man's Diary" back and with work that I forgot to mention to her that I was back to eating healthy. So when she called this morning to let me know that we were having Turkey and all of the normal side dishes that you have for a Thanksgiving Dinner, I did not panic! Well let's say, I did not panic that much. My family and friends are always awesome when it comes to helping me stay on track when I eat at their houses. So I knew that I was not in danger of eating anything that would screw up my Weight Watcher's Points for the day. However, I was worried more about how I was going to be able to control myself during dinner. Meaning.... I needed to control my portion intake! What many of you don't know, is that Thanksgiving Dinner is my most favorite meal of the year. I love it so much, that my Mother cooks it for me on my birthday as well. Yeah I said it.... I get two Thanksgiving Dinners a year. Anyway, I think I came out with a win for this battle as well. I made sure that I took the time before dinner to calculate the Weight Watcher's Points that I would be eating with the correct sized portions. And I made sure that I stuck to those portions, even though it was extremely hard..... BOOM!

All in all, Day #3 was a success! I stared the battles of the day in the face and I knocked them down. Now let's recap the details of the day:


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Breakfast - 2 Boca Chicken Patties with 2 Slices of WW American Cheese on Wheat Bread and a side of Baked Tostitos Scoops = 15 Points
Lunch - Bumble Bee Tuna Fish on Wheat Bread with a side of Baked Tostitos Scoops = 18 Points
Dinner - 4 Slices of Oven Baked Turkey, 1/2 a cup of Stuffing, a cup of homemade mashed potatoes, a cup of carrots, with a 1/4 cup of gravy = 21 Points (I calculated this meal the best I could)
Snack - 1 Apple & 1 Pear

Total Points of Eaten for the Day = 54 Points (3 Points Short of my Daily Allowance)


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

Exercise #1 - Push Ups (10 Reps x 3 Sets Leaning Downward with my Feet on the Swiss Ball), (10 Reps x 3 Sets of Normal Push-Ups), (10 Reps x 3 Sets Leaning Upward with my Hands on Dumbbells)
Exercise #2 - Step-Up Bicep Curls (10 Reps x 3 Sets Curling two 15lb Dumbbells While Stepping Up and Down on a Bosu Ball)
Exercise #3 - Alternating Bent Over Rows (10 Reps x 3 Sets with two 25lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #4 - Dumbbell Swings (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 20lb Dumbbell - Each Arm)
Exercise #5 - Single Arm Chest Press (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 40lb Dumbbell, Lying on a Swiss Ball - Each Arm)
Exercise #6 - Floor to Floor Crunches (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 14lb Medicine Ball, Lying on a Swiss Ball - Front & Back)
Exercise #7 - Medicine Ball Circles (16 Reps x 3 Sets with a 14lb Medicine Ball, Bent Slightly at the Waist, and Squatting)
Exercise #8 - Triceps Push downs (10 Reps x 3 Sets at 80lbs on the Cable Machine)
Exercise #9 - Renegade Shoulder Press Squats (10 Reps x 2 Sets with a 20lb Dumbbell - Each Arm)

* The entire workout took roughly 1 hour & 15 minutes with a 30 second - 1 minute rest between sets


Today's Photo

Friday, September 14, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #2 - Oooohhhh Exercise... My Old Friend

The Day in Review

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that was not able to exercise due to a lot of driving, 7 hours to be exact. And I will admit that I was upset with myself for not making time. This only ended up fueling the fire a little more and made me determined to get into the gym today, no matter what.

Now please understand that I have not stepped a foot inside of a gym or anything that resembles a gym for a while now. A little over two months to be exact. So I wasn't quit sure how my body was going to react to the stress of lifting weights combined with cardio. I will be completely honest and share with you all, that some parts of my workout today felt like I picked up right where I left off. While other parts of my workout were not so pretty. To be exact, every exercise having to involve my legs was a little tough to get through. At one point I thought I was never going to be able to stand up straight for the rest of the workout. I think I have to pay more attention to stretching before I start the workout and realize that my body isn't what it used to be....lol!

The gym was not extremely crowded today, which I liked very much. When there are not a lot of people there, it allows me to get through my workout quicker and more efficient. And even though it was not crowded, I noticed that I was getting stared a lot. I think it was because of this new workout routine I am trying out that a buddy of mine set me up with. There are a lot of exercises within this routine that I have never seen before. And by the looks I was getting, I imagine there were others that thought the same. Anyway, my buddy's name is John Bankhead and he actually trains NFL Players during the off season. And this new workout routine targets the core and involves both weights and cardio at the same time. I have tried a routine similar to this in the past but nothing to this extreme. Many of the exercises he has me executing, are the same exercises he gives to his clients, watered down of course. Because I for one, do not want to pass out during the first week of getting back into the gym!

All in all it was a good Day #2 and I am still motivated to keep going. I can't wait for Day #3 to start! So with all of this being said, let's get to the details of today:


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points / Day)

Breakfast - Egg whites with a slice of Weight Watcher's American Cheese on two slices of Whole Wheat Bread = 4 Points
Lunch #1 - One Tuna Fish Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread with a side of Baked Tostitos Scoops = 18 Points
Lunch #2 - Two Boca Chicken Patties on Whole Wheat Bread with Two Slices of Weight Watcher's American Cheese and a side of Baked Tostitos Scoops = 15 Points
Snack - 1/2 serving of left over Chicken Parm (Weight Watcher's Recipe) with a side of Whole Wheat Pasta = 10 Points
Dinner - 1 serving of Crusty Pork Tenderloin with a side of Sweet Potatoes and Baked Apples (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = 10 Points

Total Points Today = 57 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine

Exercise #1 - Dumbbell Incline Press leaning on the Swiss Ball (12 Reps x 3 Sets with two 25lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #2 - Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown (12 Reps x 3 Sets at 85 lbs)
Exercise #3 - Dumbbell Squats standing on the Bosu Ball (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 25 lb Dumbbell)
Exercise #4 - Swinging Bicep Curls with Dumbbells (10 Reps x 3 Sets with two 15lb Dumbbells)
Exercise #5 - Medicine Ball Lunge Press (10 Reps x 3 Sets with a 10lb Medicine Ball)
Exercise #6 - Cable Wood Chops (12 Reps x 2 Sets at 30lbs - Each Side)
Exercise #7 - Cable Side Chops (20 Reps x 3 Sets at 30lbs - Each Side)
Exercise #8  - Dumbbell Side Raises standing on the Bosu Ball (12 Reps x 3 Sets with two 10lb Dumbbells)

* The workout took roughly an hour to complete with 30 seconds - 1 minute rest between sets


Today's Photo

Thursday, September 13, 2012
(Front Shot)

Day #1 - Let the Battles Begin.... to Win the War

The Day in Review

Well my friends..... Day #1 of the official return of "The Heavy Man's Diary" is a wrap! The battles have definitely begun but the goal is to win the overall War! And that "War" is shedding the fat and losing that fat in a healthy way. A task that is not easy in any way, shape, or form. Take it from me, I know this from years and years of experience.

The first battle of the day started early this morning when I was trying to find a pair of pants to wear for the day. I was meeting up with a gentleman, for business, who was roughly 3 1/2 hours away from where I currently live and of course I wanted to look presentable. So with that in mind, I was aiming to wear a nice pair of jeans that would be comfortable enough for the long car ride. Unfortunately, the pair of jeans I had my mind set on were to tight on me and thus I was not able to wear them. And the crappy part about the whole situation was that they fit fine at the beginning of last week. So, battle #1 of this early stage of the "Mission to Healthy" was an article of clothing that did not fit me well anymore. I actually had to settle for a pair of Khaki pants that felt like they were on their way to barely fitting me as well. I have my first small goal already..... getting my jeans fit me comfortably again!

The second battle of the day was being able to survive nearly 7 hours in a car without being tempted to eat bad food for the day. I have mentioned it in the past and I will say it again, traveling for a living takes a toll on your body. Mainly because of all the crappy food that is out there in the world. However, I have learned that eating healthy while traveling is something that can be managed, if you put your mind to it. And my greatest weapon while traveling is a little chain of restaurants I like to call.... Subway! Yes my friends, Subway is my way of eating healthy while I am traveling. And let me tell you, Subway came up big once again today! I also want to go on record now by telling you all that Subway does not pay me to mention their restaurants within my posts. I just love eating at their restaurants so much because not only is it healthy but the food taste great as well! So as you can see, I won the second battle of the day.

The third and final battle of the day was not being able to workout / exercise like I wanted to. Sitting in a car for almost 7 hours did not help me with trying to win this battle. And the important thing for me to realize is that I am not going to win every single battle. I will admit that in the past I would get really upset over something like that, not being able to workout, and think that the day was a total bust. There will be battles that are won and there will be battles that are lost but the most important thing is to keep my eyes on the prize and that is winning the "War!"

So as for today, I had three main battles. I am admitting that two out of those three battles were lost. But I do recognize that I managed to eat healthy the entire day and I think that really does count for something! Don't you all?


Today's Meals (I am allowed 57 Weight Watcher's Points a Day)

* Before I continue with my meals for the day, I wanted let everyone know that I am following the Weight Watchers for Men Nutritional Plan. Calling it a diet means that it will be temporary..... Calling it a Nutritional Plan means that I understand it is for life. I love the Weight Watchers program because it teaches me to prepare and eat real foods. By being able to eat real foods, it makes the process of having to eat healthy a little more bearable.

Breakfast - 3 Egg Whites with a Slice of American Cheese on a Whole Wheat Bagel = 11 Points
Lunch - 1 Footlong Double Turkey Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread with Two Slices of American Cheese, Pickles, and a bag of Sun Chips (Subway) = 28 Points
Dinner - 1 1/2 Servings of Homemade Chicken Parm (Weight Watcher's Recipe) with a Side of Whole Wheat Pasta with Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese = 17 Points

Total Points for the Day = 56 Points


Today's Workout / Exercise Routine (I will be recording my daily exercise routines)

* I did not have a chance to workout today because of the amount of time I spent driving.


Today's Photos (I will be taking one "Front Shot" photo every day & one "Side Shot" photo every month)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
(Front Shot Photo)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
(Side Shot Photo)

This Week's Official Weigh-In (I will be taking my official weight once a week to show my progress)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
(Weigh-In Photo)

The Return of "The Heavy Man"

Hello Everyone!!!!

You do not have to adjust your computer screens....... The Heavy Man has returned!!

I would first like to take a moment to apologize to everyone that I abandoned over two years ago. For all the people out there that remember me and my blog, I am extremely sorry! I know I let a bunch of you down. I only hope that I can work my way back into your hearts and gain each & every one's trust once again!

For all of you who do not remember or know who I am, please call me "The Heavy Man." It has been roughly two years & three months since my last post and a lot has happened since then. But first I would like to share a little back ground about myself.....

On May 31 , 2010.... I introduced the world to "The Heavy Man." On that very memorable day, I officially weighed in at 302 lbs and I was a very miserable person.

Monday, May 31, 2010
302 lbs

Monday , May 31, 2010
(Side View)

A few days before that day (May 31), I had gotten into an argument with my mother over my weight and health. Later on that night, after the argument, she called me up in tears telling me, "I do not want you to die." Hearing those words coming out of your mother's mouth are very life altering. So from that point on, I was on a mission to fix my health and to get into the best shape of my life for my wedding (Friday, August 26, 2011). I called this mission, "The Mission to Healthy." (If you would like to read the story in more detail, please feel free to go to the archive section of my blog and look up my very first post).

Now fast forward a little in time.... Everything was going extremely well with the "Mission to Healthy" and I even managed to get my weight down to 190lbs!!! But then stress started kicking in, traveling for work was taking a toll on my body, and the mission started going into a downwards spiral. I began not keeping up with my posts and before I knew it, my wedding day was here and my weight was back up to around 250lbs! Now don't get me wrong, the wedding was a huge success and I married the love of my life!

Christopher & Patricia Dombrowski
(Friday, August 26, 2011)

However, my health was declining again and it was getting extremely hard to get back on track. And to make things even worse, my weight sky rocketed back up to 280lbs! I felt like there was nothing that I could do to get back on track. Until, I received some of the best news of my life! My wife was pregnant and I was going to be a father!!!!!! Now let me tell you..... I was not struggling anymore to find that motivation!!

Things were starting to look up again, as far as the "Mission to Healthy" goes. I was loosing weight once again and my health was taking a turn for the better!! I even managed to get back down to around 250lbs the day my son was born!! And believe me, it was the happiest day of my life!!

Me & My Son
(Monday, July 9, 2012)

My Beautiful Son.... Connor Lee Dombrowski

Unfortunately, like so many times in the past, stress and the demand of traveling all the time started taking a toll on my body once again. And now I am back in the same boat. Trying to figure out a way of loosing the weight and getting back to the good health that this body had a long time ago. But this time around, it is not for me but for my beautiful wife & my amazing son.

My Wife Patty & My Son Connor

I need to be around to watch over and take care of them both. This is so much bigger than me now and that is why I am back my friends!! Yes I said it again..... The Heavy Man is back!! And I am bringing back the "Mission to Healthy" with me!

So as for my current state of health, I am back up to around 270lbs and I can feel my self gaining fat every single day. My plan is to pickup with the blogging on a daily basis (to the best of my ability) as well as exercising and eating healthy once again! I am hoping that this time around it will be a little easier getting back into the swing of things.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I apologize to everyone who was reading my blog a long time ago. You all did not deserve me stopping like I did and I am extremely sorry for that. I hope to make it up to everyone, as well as gaining some more friends along the way. The "Mission to Healthy" has officially started once again and I hope everyone can join me!

Until tomorrow... I hope everyone has a great night!