Thanks everybody!
Growing up in woods like these at the dead end of a dirt road is how I came to be a biologist. Nature was my neighbor. I like the solitude and woods, but I miss the culture and diversity of the city.
I'm back as of today. I haven't been doing well on the diet front and I haven't exercised in 2 days (which feels excessive to me). I'm back on track today.
I don't like counting calories and I'd like to take another shot at just portion control. Snacking especially at night is were the problem is. If I eliminate snacking beyond healthy daytime snacks I should be at a calorie intake that will make me lose weight. I'll weigh Saturday and as long as I lose any weight each week I'll avoid the calorie counting. Even if I just maintain I think i can adjust and lose rather than trying to count and track everything. I need to develop this skill to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.
I have likely gained a bit of weight. Hopefully I will still be at least a couple pounds below 300 on Saturday. I hit 294.6 on June 21st and I hurt myself two days later. 23 days of lost ground. The not running was unavoidable even if the injury was avoidable. My diet has been crummy on the whole. Today I will run and eat a reasonable amount of a vegan diet.
Short term goals:
Be back to normal running and be as far below 300 as possible a week from now on my 39th birthday.
30 minute 5K will happen this fall. Saturday, September 27, 2014 at 8am in Carthage, Texas to be precise. Now this is race time and not the 30 minute 5K in the aerobic zone, but still a big running milestone.
long term goals:
I will be the most fit and best weight of my life when I turn 40. I hope to have a habit of eating an appropriate amount of food without having to count calories or obsess over it by then as well.
I want to hit 200 on or before my 40th birthday. I can do this in a healthy manner. If I'm below 300 on my birthday then the lose rate will be below 2 pounds a week.
I will hit the 30 minute 5K within the aerobic zone before 40 as well. That's 53 weeks from today. I expect to do so by Spring however.