Crunch Time

4

4thANDgoal

New member
Hey everyone,


Like so many overweight people, I'm starting a journal on New Year's Day. But I've finally come to the point where I can't keep putting off changing my eating and exercise habits. I've struggled for the past 4 years and that is going to stop now. I will not fail. Why? Because in my mind it just isn't an option any longer.


A bit about myself. I'm 28, soon to be 29 in a couple of months. I was always healthy and athletic growing up. Played basketball in several rec and adult leagues all through college. Everything changed in 2007 when I graduated college. I began my career and just did a horrible job with making time to exercise. I moved to a new city and stopped playing basketball. Since I wasn't playing basketball I stopped working out. And my eating habits became poor. I used food to deal with the stress of work (bad execuse I know, but it's a habit I have developed).


As painful as it is for me to write this my weight has balooned from 170 lbs at graduation to over 250 lbs over the past 4 years. Those numbers are disgusting. I didn't even know it was possible to gain that much weight in such a short period of time. I can't believe I have been living this way for 4 years. Everything else in my life is on track. I've had great success in my career, I bought a house earlier this year and got married in October. It's time for me to stop making execuses and convert back to the good habits I had up until entering the real world (healthy balanced eating, lots of exercise, etc.).


My goals are simple. I want to start eating healthy meals. No more fast food. Reduce my coffee and pop consumption. Begin exercising reguarly. As I shed the lbs I want to get back to playing basketball and running 5k and 10k races like I did in college.


I know the journey is going to be long and tough but I've reached the point where I can't let another year pass without making the changes I've been wanting to make for the past 4 years.


Adam
 
Welcome to the forum Adam! Congrats on getting married last year! You will find this forum so so helpful, everyone is so supportive and provide great advice on how to lose weight and also a helping hand when things get tough. My heighest weight was 249 pounds and im a girl!! EEEK.



I just want to ask two questions if you don't mind. What height are you? and where are you from?


I hope you had a lovely christmas and can't wait to hear more updates from you:)
 
Thanks for the welcome Irish. I live in Michigan and I'm 6 feet tall. 165 - 170 lbs was my ideal weight in college when you could see my abs and I was in great running / basketball shape.


Well, I weighed in this morning to get a starting weight. Tough to post this but it's time to admit to myself just how far I've let myself go. 259.8 lbs. Yikes. Well, it's all downhill after hill (in a good way!).


I probably haven't ran in over 6 months so the goal today is to have a good workout on the treadmill (run / walk). We'll see what I can manage to do.


Adam
 
AHey another Michigander! Yay! lol! Good luck with your goals and congrats on getting married! Welcome to the forum, Adam. :)
 
Thanks Jen!


Good day today. Back to work tomorrow.


FOOD:
2 pieces wheat toast / 1 tbsp peanut butter

Bowl of cereal with skim milk

Turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard

Carrots

Lasagna with turkey and spinach

Broccoli

Salad with veggies and light italian dressing

Skinny cow


EXERCISE:

25 minutes / 1.50 miles on treadmill (running / walking)


I probably haven't worked out in 6 months so I wanted to ease into it because I didn't want to be too sore tomorrow to run. Well, day one of the journey is in the bag.


Adam
 
Good job on easing into the exercise. Too many people push themselves too hard right off the bat and then are too sore to continue the new exercise program. :)
 
First off, great win for Michigan State tonight. We hadn't won in Wisconsin in a decade. GO GREEN!


A good day...


FOOD:

Slimfast with skim milk

Coffee with cream, no sugar

Turkey sandwich on wheat with plain mustard

Carrots

Yogurt

Banana

Granola bar

Salmom

Pasta

Bowl of cereal with skim milk


EXERCISE:

My feet were sore from yesterday's run so I only did 10 minutes on the treadmill. Hoping to get in 30+ minutes tomorrow.


Adam
 
Didn't get a chance to post last night....


FOOD:
Slimfast

Turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard

Carrots

Watermelon

Yogurt

Granola bar

Banana

Baked chicken dish

Roasted potatoes

Broccoli

Bowl of cereal with skim milk


EXERCISE:

Still easing in to it....this has been the hardest part because this is how I realize the most how out of shape I am because I remember what my workouts used to be like when I was in shape. Sigh. 20 minutes on the treadmill. Running / walking. Keep moving forward and build time and distance every single day.


Adam
 
Hey 4thandgoal,

Thanks for stopping by my diary and a late welcome to the forum! The great thing about this site is that you can write what you're really feeling and not feel embarrassed or ashamed..we're all on this road..some of us have farther to go than others, but we're all striving to lose weight and get in shape. Congrats on getting the exercise started...with me, I couldn't do it by diet alone...I had to get some additional calorie burning going on! You're doing great...keep at it and before you know it, you'll be in a habit of healthy! I've still got a ways to go..but it is so worth it!

Sarah
 
Thanks Sarah. It's funny because obviously I can tell I've gained a lot of weight by how I look but I notice it 100x more when I exercise because I struggle so much on the treadmill and I remember how I used to be able to run as long as I wanted and at a much faster pace! But as discouraging as that feels, it is also very motivating.


FOOD:
Slimfa

Turkey sandwich on wheat

Carrots

Watermelon

Yogurt

Granola bar

Banana

Chicken pasta dish


EXERCISE:
None - giving my body a day of rest so I can get in some good workouts this weekend.
 
I know exactly how you feel! When I was in high school (OK, that was a long time ago!), I played basketball and ran track etc...and I was always in good shape..I was inthe Army reserve and still in good shape, almost always max'd the physical fitness test, but always struggled to remain off of the "weight control program"...then when I retired from the Army Reserve no more threat of the weigh-in and my weight just went right on up...and up...and up.! I'm just now getting to the point where I think I could run again...but I'm sticking to the eliptical because I don't want to run outside here in China...it's very safe from a security standpoint, but the sidewalks and roads are not good to walk on, and people occasionally drive on the sidewalks here (they are not very disciplined drivers in China!)...so I just stay with the fitness center machines.

Keep up the good work...you'll be moving that resistance/speed dial before you know it!

Sarah
 
Ugggh tough weekend...didn't do good with the eating and only did OK with the exercise. Not going to dwell, not going to get discouraged. I'm going to have a good week, have a good weigh in on Wednesday (althought I know this weekend is going to hurt it) and next weekend I am going to do a better job of staying on track.
 
Yikes. I can't believe I haven't posted since early January.

On February 14th I weighed in at 265.7 LBS........yikes.......the highest I have ever been. 265 F ING pounds. Disgusting. Repulsive. During my senior year in college in 2007 I weighed 165 LBS and you could see and feel my abs. During my last semester of college I stopped playing in my basketball league that I played in year around for years to concentrate on interviewing for jobs. That was the start of my downfall. By the time I graduated that semester and started my career I had gained 15 lbs and was up to 180 lbs. I still remember how disgusted I felt then. LOL. I can't believe I put on 100 lbs in just over 4 years. WTF Adam. Seriously. WTF?


On February 14th I deceided I was done with letting my weight prevent me from living my life to it's fullest. I joined a gym and got a personal trainer last week. I weighed in yesterday morning at 258.0 lbs. So I'm down 7.70 lbs. I still have a very long way to go BUT at least I am finally LOSING and not GAINING.


Last night was my cheat meal for the week and we out to dinner and I got Steak Fajitas. It's amazing how full I felt after eating such a heavy meal and it seriously felt like I had ate a pound of salt.


I had a good workout today at the gym (not with my trainer). No weight training today but I did 45 minutes on the treadmill (walk/run) and today is the first time where I could feel a real difference in how I felt running. It was a good feeling. I can only imagine how good it will feel once I'm down to 220 lbs, 200 lbs, 180 lbs, etc.


Adam
 
It has been a good weekend. Weekends are always the toughest for me. Friday was my cheat day but since then I have been eating healthy.


Food for 3-3-12:

Slimfast

Grilled chicken burrito with rice, grilled veggies & salsa. No cream or sour cream.

5 egg whites.

2 pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter & bananas.


Exercise 3-3-12:

32 minutes on treadmill - walk/run


I leave for a trip to Houston to visit my brother on 3/14. I want to continue to hit the gym hard and eat healthy before then to lose as much as possible over the next 10 days. I am joined to LA Fitness and there are locations in Houston so I will be able to continue my workouts down there, which is a good thing.


I have such a very long way to go but I just need to keep taking it day by day and focus on the milestones right in front of me. The first milestone will be getting under 240 lbs. I have been under 240 lbs in a year. And then the next one will be getting into the 220s which hasn't happend since early 2009. SO, day by day is all I can focus on.
 
Tough loss for my Spartans tonight. :banghead:


Food 3-4-12:

Bowl of cereal with skim milk

2 pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter

2 chicken sausages on white buns

Homemade chicken pasta recipe with veggies

Bowl of cereal with skim milk


Exercise 3-4-12:

Walk/run outside 20 min 1.34 miles


My weigh in is on Tuesday. Hope to be down 3-4 lbs from last week. I have a workout tomorrow with my trainer so looking forward to killing it and getting some good cardio in after it. I leave for Houston a week from Wednesday so it's time to focus this last week and then my goal on vacation is to not gain anything back that I've worked so hard to lose.
 
Weighed in this morning at 255.6 lbs. Never thought I'd be happy with that kind of # popping up on the scale but I am down 3.6 lbs the last week and 10.1 lbs since Valentine's Day. 90.6 LBS more to go to reach my ideal goal weight of 165 lbs.


Plus my body has been so sore getting back into working out that I haven't been able to go 100% at the gym because it's been taking my body so long to recover. But my body is recovery quicker and I know I will be able to increase the intensity.


Deciding to hire a personal trainer is turning out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made and I have only gone through 3 workouts with her so far. BUT yesterday's workout completely kicked my butt. I thought I was going to throw up on my way home and if I was driving along the highway I would have pulled to the side of the road (sorry for the details LOL). There is no way I could ever push myself to the limit like I do with my trainer. So not only is having a trainer holding me accountable to my workout schedule BUT my workouts are 100x tougher and more efficient.


Working so hard in the gym is making eating healthy very easy. Since I am working my butt off in the gym, there is no way I am going to screw up seeing a weight loss # on the scale by eating crappy. If I am working this hard, I am going to make sure I see results in my weight! My game plan is to follow a healthy diet 99% of the time and on Fridy nights my wife and I will go out to dinner and I am going to eat whatever I feel like for one meal a week.


I feel like once I get down under 230 lbs I will REALLY feel good about the progress I've made. I haven't been in the 220s since early 2009. Once I hit the 220s the next goal becomes breaking the 200 lbs mark which hasn't happend since Summer 2008.


Food for yesterday 3-5-12:

Coffee w/cream

Slimfast

Turkey sandwich on wheat with plain mustard

Carrots

Grapes

Banana

90 cal chocolate chip granola bar

Yogurt cup

Beef pasta dish with veggies

1 piece of light garlic bread

Small salad with light caesar dressing

1 bowl of cereal with non-fat skim milk


Exercise for yesterday 3-5-12:

Upper body / back workout with personal trainer. No cardio.
 
Hey, great job! I read you mentioned the name Adam? Your'e doing really great! I would love to be able to have a personal trainer, but I just can't afford one with my income. I come here to get my motivation, and it's been working. Keep it up! :)
 
Munch - Yeah, a personal trainer isn't exaclty cheap but I was able to negotiate them down and got a really good deal. So, it doesn't hurt to say "this is the most I'm willing to pay" and see what they say.


I am so freaking sore today (my upper body) from Monday's workout. I wasn't that sore yesterday at all but oh man do I feel it today. I can barley put on and take off my suit jacket. It's a struggle. I have a workout today with my trainer and it's a lower body workout.


Food for 3-6-12:

Slim fast

Coffee w/cream (1 cup)

Turkey sandwich on wheat with plain mustard

Carrots

Grapes

Banana

90 cal chocolate chip granola bar

Yogurt cup

Homemade buffalo chicken sandiwch (made in crockpot, no cheese, just the meat & onions).


Exercise for 3-6-12:

Run/walk on treadmill - 50 minutes / 3.61 miles
 
Had another tough workout with my trainer last night. I'm really getting pushed to the point where I want to say "no I can't" and that is what I need......someone who is going to push me beyond the point where if it was just me I working out alone I wouldn't push beyond that point. We did a lower body workout. My upper body is feeling better than yesterday but I am still sore from Monday's workout LOL.


I leave for Houston on Wednesday. I want to get down to under 253 lbs by Tuesday. I weighed in this morning at 255.0 lbs, down 0.6 lbs since Tuesday. Still need to lose 2.1 lbs to reach my goal. And then my goal on vacation is to: 1) not gain any weight and 2) I know I am going to not be following my healthy diet but I want to still get in tough workouts every day to make up for it. Then when I get back the following week, I am so focussed to lose the next 15 lbs and get in the 230's. Once I reach the 230s I know I will be able to start really seeing a difference in how my body looks because that will be 30 lbs lost since I started.


Food 3-7-12:

Slim fast

Coffee w/cream (1 cup)

Turkey sandwich on wheat with plain mustard

Carrots

Grapes

Banana

90 cal chocolate chip granola bar

Yogurt cup

Small caesar sald with light dressing

Homemade stir fry type dish with beef, veggies & a bit of white rice.

Skinny cow fudge pop


Exercise 3-7-12:

20 min cardio on the elliptical

Lower body workout with my trainer
 
Yikes, I haven't posted in almost a week. Normally that would mean I fell off the wagon. But I've been doing great. I've just been so busy with work and trying to wrap things up before I leave for vacation tomorrow afternoon.


I lost 2.8 lbs this week (Tuesday's are my weigh in day). I weighed in today at 252.8. I'm down from my all time high of 265.7 lbs on 2/14/12. So, I'm heading in the right direction and ready to pick up even more momentum. I fell below my goal this week of losing 3 - 4 lbs each week but I could have done better last weekend on my eating and I'm sure that cost me close to a pound.


I leave for Houston tomorrow and will be coming home next Monday. My goal is to just not gain any weight. I already found an LA Fitness in the area so my plan is to work out enough to mitigate the unhealthy food I will be eating. If I can come home with no gain I will be happy and any loss I will be thrilled.


My workouts with my trainer are still going well and I had another tough workout yesterday. I was supposed to have a 2nd workout tonight before I leave tomorrow but I was just too behind at work and I had to cancel.


It's time for March Madness and as always, GO GREEN. This is our year.
 
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