Day #240 & #241 - To Much Snow!!!

As I sit here tonight (Wed, Jan 26, 2011 - Day #241), writing this most recent post, I am reminded of how much I miss the warm weather. As many of you know, I live in New Jersey and we are currently in the middle of a very bad snow storm right now. The kind of snow storm that does not allow you to see a foot in front of you as you drive down the street or attempt to look out the window. So with this being said, you could only imagine how hard it was to get to the gym to workout. But being either the brave or dumb person that I am, I decided to take the trip to the gym anyway because I didn't want to miss my workout. I didn't want to miss the workout today because I managed to actually get below 202 lbs, as of this morning, and I was afraid to lose the momentum that I currently have.

Anyway, it usually takes me about 10 minutes to get to the gym but this time it took me a little longer. And as I embarked on my very snowy journey, I manage to pass two cars stuck in the snow in the street and I got stuck behind the snow plow brigade for what seemed to be a life time. However, this story does not end successfully because the gym was closed when I got there. All of that was for nothing. So I turned around and made my way back home. Of course there is always tomorrow but I am afraid to see if I went back up in weight because of the missed workout today.

Yesterday (Tues, Jan 25, 2011 - Day #240) was a very boring day. I was in the office the entire day from morning until around 7:00pm, came home for dinner, and then went to the gym to workout. So you all didn't miss anything. But I still want to leave you with my update photos for both yesterday and today. Until the next post, have a great night everyone!!!

Day #240 (Tues, Jan 25, 2011) Weigh-In

Day #240 Front Shot

Day #241 (Wed, Jan 26, 2011) Weigh-In

Day #241 Front Shot

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

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 roll with a slice of american cheese = Points 8
Snacks - 1 serving of wheat thins, 1 serving of 100 cal pretzel pack, and 1 apple = Points 7
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 - 2 servings of homemade Stuffed Shells (Weight Watcher's Recipe) = Points 11
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone = points 4

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

Exercise

I did not workout today because my gym was closed due to a very bad snow storm.

Day #241 - Weigh-In = 201.4 lbs

Days #238 & #239 - Up and Down...Goes My Weight

I apologize for not posting the last two days until now. Some times it is hard to break away from life to get things you want to get done. But again that is not an excuse and I will focus on being as good as I was, putting up posts, before I went down to Charleston for the month of December. Anyway, Sunday (Jan, 23, 2011-Day #238) was a great day because I visited my mom for the first time since the end of November. And the best part was, I am 20 lbs lighter since I have seen her last. And her reaction was exactly what I thought it was going to be. It is always good to put a smile on my mother's face, when it comes to my weight loss program. She was the one person who gave me that life changing wake up call, almost 8 months ago, that started this entire mission to lose weight.

Below are the update pictures for Sunday. Notice that my weight had gone up since my weigh-in Saturday morning. I had reached my goal of 202 lbs on Saturday morning but then executed my weight lifting routine and had a cheat meal, on Saturday afternoon, to celebrate my 100 lbs lost. So, my weight did go up on Sunday morning but has started to go back down since then.

Day #238 (Sun, Jan 23, 2011) Weigh-In

Day #238 (Sun, Jan 23, 2011) Front Shot

Monday (Jan, 24, 2011 - Day #239) was just about the same as every Monday. I traveled into the office, completed all of the objectives I had mapped out on a daily check list, and then ventured into NYC to see my brother's show at Caroline's on Broadway. And of course I ate healthy the entire day. The only two things that were different yesterday, is that I did not get a chance to play basketball last night because of my brother's show and I did not make it to the gym to workout. I had set my alarm for early in the morning but I slept right through it. And then I was in the City last night until 10:30pm, so I did not have much time to do anything. I did however, walk 30 blocks in the freezing cold. That must count for something.

I did start the day off on a good note yesterday because my weigh-in was less than what it was on Sunday. So I am apparently dropping back down to 202 lbs and hopefully more, if I can keep this momentum going. Anyway, below are yesterday's (Mon, Jan 24, 2011) update photos. I hope you enjoy and I will talk to you all in the next post. Until then, have a great day!

Day #239 (Mon, Jan 24, 2011) Weigh-In

Day #239 (Mon, Jan 24, 2011) Front Shot

With all of this being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Mon, Jan 24, 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 - 4 rice cakes and 1 pear = Points 6
Early Afternoon - 1 Boca chicken patty with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese on a WW whole wheat roll and a serving of baked chips = Points 11
Late Afternoon - 1 Boca veggie burger with a slice of Weight Watcher's american cheese on a WW whole wheat roll and a serving of baked chips = Points 10
Dinner - 2 pieces of grilled chicken on 2 slices of white bread and 6 french fries = Points 12

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

Exercise

I did not make it to the gym yesterday but I did walk 30 blocks in the city last night, to catch a train home.

Day # 239 - Weigh-In = 204.0 lbs

Day #237 - An Adjustment Period

Yesterday morning (Sat, Jan 22, 2011) I weighed in again at 202 lbs!! It was my second day in row weighing in the 202 lbs range. This means that as of yesterday, I was still at 100 lbs lost for the mission!! And I know this next part is going sound stupid. But I actually went out with Patty's family, who was up by us yesterday, for a cheat meal to celebrate my 100 lbs lost. I know it sounds like a bad idea but I was so happy with myself that I just had to do it. I know this morning's weigh-in might be a little over 202 lbs but it was well worth it. Not to mention, yesterday was the first day I lifted weights in a week, so that will add to the potential higher weigh-in as well. But I am determined to be under 200 lbs by the end of next week anyway. I now know it is possible for me to be at 202 lbs or 100 lbs lost!

Anyway, I took my first weight lifting trip to my new gym yesterday. And let me tell you what an experience that was. As you all know, I am very used to an empty gym and being abe to use any machine I want, at any time. But yesterday was not the same story. This new gym, Platinum fitness, is a very popular gym and it is always crowded in there. I think the $10/ month plan is obviously working. Getting back to the story, I was actually fighting for machines. Which in a way actually caused my workout to speed up because I had to time everything perfectly before another person jumped on the machine that I had to use next. So it actually made me sweat a little more than usual. But on the other hand, it was not fun trying to sneak my way onto a machine. This new gym transition is going to be an adjustment period that I am going to have to be patient with. And believe me, I am not going to give up, even if I have to fight for every machine. I mean not literally fight with everyone, I mean work even harder to get what I have to get done.

Well it is another full day of NFL football and I am excited to see both games!! Until the next post, have a great Sunday my friends!

With that being said, let's get to the details of yesterday (Sat, Jan 22, 2011):

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

*Yesterday was a cheat meal day, to celebrate my 100 lbs lost for the mission. I will be back on the normal eating routine again today.

Breakfast - 4 nutrigrain waffles
Snacks - 1 apple, 1 pear, (2) 100 cal pretzel packs, and 2 granola bars
Lunch - 1 serving of french onion soup, a cheese burger with waffle fries, and a serving of peanut butter pie
Dinner - 1 serving of whole wheat pasta and 2 pieces of home made garlic bread (All Weight Watcher's Ingredients)
Dessert - 1 Weight Watcher's ice cream cone

Exercise

Yesterday I executed my weight lifting routine: Dumbbell Press on Stability Ball, Lat Pull Down, and Side Dumbbell Lunges (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Push Ups w/ Stability Ball, Upright Cable Rows on Half Ball, and Alternating Bicep Curls (4 sets of each x 15 reps each), Cable Rows, Side Raises, and Squats with Stability Ball ( 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). Today I played basketball and tomorrow I will be executing my weight lifting routine again.

Day #237 - Weigh-In = 202.0 lbs

Day #237 Weigh-In

Day #237 Front Shot

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