Jeff's Weekly Diary

Marathon Man

New member
This will be my year long journal, chronicling how one fat man loses 100 lbs in a year. :)

I lived in Florida the last year, and I've always been fat. I say always, but there was a period around my junior year in high school when I really dedicated myself to changing my life. I dropped 60 pounds so fast that it became an easy excuse for the next five years.

Through college and the couple years since, I've packed on weight each year like a sponge soaking up water. I'd never be fat my whole life, of course. I could lose it whenever I wanted.

Then last month I was lying on the couch in Wisconsin, eating cheese curds and watching The Biggest Loser with Mom and Dad. Fat people, people bigger than me, were running on treadmills, working out all day, doing ridiculous challenges, pushing their bodies to the max. The contestants came out at the end, having transformed themselves and their lives.

You'd think that would be my moment of inspiration, but no.

"Watching all this exercise is making me hungry," Dad laughed.

"Me too." We ate some chocolate chip cookies.

Before I left for Florida, I caught a picture on the fridge of my old self. Damn I was a sexy bitch back then. It was sort of like looking at a reverse before and after.

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You’d think that’d be my moment of inspiration, of tipping the scales so to speak, but no.

No, my inspiration came while singing at the top of my lungs and playing air drums on the interstate. Suddenly “SexyBack” came on.

It hit me just then, as I was shaking my big rump in the seat. So when I moved back home, I joined some weightloss groups, and decided that i was going to try to become a member of the 100 pound club this year.

F**k Justin Timberlake. I’m bringing Sexy Back.
 
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Hey Jeff!

Good for you man! You are off to a good start towards getting back to your sexy self!!! Just making the commitment and posting so you will be accountable is a big step.. but don't stop there!

Keep us updated!!!

Gooooooooooo you!:hurray::hurray::hurray:
 
Weight: 323 pounds
Goal: 185 pounds
138 pounds to go!


So I started, I tinkered for a few weeks before and after moving to Wisconsin, so technically I lost 2 pounds going into my first full on week.

The verdict is in. I am a genius. I used to run every day when I lost weight before. It was hell, but I pushed myself. Being fat and WAY outta shape I decided to do intervals to build up to a steady pace again. I started at 60 seconds running/120 seconds walking (6mph/3mph). It was hell, but made pushing myself so much easier.

Two problems I always had. One, I found it hard to push myself on my off days and run my 2 miles straight. "1.5 miles to go!" isn't much of a confidence booster on a rough day. Two, when I weightlifted after running, my muscles would wear out (i.e. doing curls after doing several other upper body lifts that had already tired my biceps out).

The solution! Intervals to my intervals!

So I've been running three sets of intervals (10-15 minutes), then doing a set of weights (7 minutes), then another run, another weight, and finish with a run.

I can push myself easily on bad days, work with intensity on gaining endurance, and I lose about 3 gallons of sweat with each session, so it must be working. Maybe spreading out my cardio into three 15 minute sessions lessens the benefit. Who knows? But I love it.

I've been working out like crazy. I feel 1000 times better! I have more energy, not depressed at all (though I'm always cheery). I don't give a crap if I lose weight, the feeling of being active alone is amazing! And today I upped my intervals to 120 seconds running/120 seconds walking from 90/120, and I finished them all, even though it was tough, so I'm already ahead of pace on building up endurance.

Losing weight is freaking fun! I love pushing my limits and watching how much they grew in my first week of working out. Some days I even did two light sets at the gym because my body wants to work out.

Week 1 Results
17.4 miles ran
-increased intervals from 60/120 to 90/120 and started 120/120 today.
-got a baseline for all my weightlifting established
-eating 1500-2500 calories a day (minus my two birthday celebrations! haha!)


I'll weigh in with the results bright and early, but I'm so energized from my midnight workout on the way home I can't sleep yet, so figured I'd get the update up.
 
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Wow that is a lot!!!!

What am I saying that is what I have lost this first week too LOL!

Congrats on the Flying Start!!!
 
I technically started last week, though the actual beginning was more like a month ago when I moved back from Florida. And that first month, though I didn't lose ANY weight, was definitely the hardest. That was the whole psychological part.

I cried once watching the biggest loser, got drunk and wrote this ridiculous email to my best female friend back in Florida, and pretty much was dealing with all the insecurities of giving up my one thing that I always turned to for comfort. I was the textbook example of an emotional, late night, binge eater. So giving that up left me pretty vulnerable for a minute, and I think, for me, that was the hardest part so far. I always knew in the back of my mind why I did the self destructive things I did, but I guess I never really confronted it like I did the past month. The fact I quit my job and moved back home (making me unemployed at the moment), gives me a little more time to self-reflect. Living with your parents until you find a job and which city to move to can really make you reevaluate a lifetime of everyone thinking you had your shit together.

So, yeah, I've just started this journey. Yeah, I'm down about 10 pounds with another 130 to go. And yeah, it has only been a little over a week. But I feel like the rest of this will be easy. Because I changed my view and my lifestyle. The rest is going to be a breeze.

On a side note, I got the flu from my nephew (hope it's not the SWINE!), so I'm a little behind on my exercise. Gonna try to go a full 10 miles of intervals on the treadmill to catch up tomorrow. I can't wait to push myself. It's gonna feel so good!

Second sidenote, yoplait yogurt and nutrigrain bars are amazing, but I know I'm shorting myself on my protein. Any suggestions on good low-cal snacks I can pick up that aren't just hitting my sweet tooth?
 
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Didn't quite hit 10 miles. Only did 6.5 at the gym, but I also spent a few hours mowing the yard with a push mower, so I guess that makes up for it. Definitely a bad idea to run so much in NEW running shoes. Got a blister on my little toe or else I would've done another mile or two. Way more than my usual 3, but I wanted to make up for yesterday.


Things I've noticed so far.
--I got away from breaking up my cardio since my endurance is so much better now, but I'm find it harder to push myself with one big block, so I'm going to go back to running three individual miles interspersed with weightlifting like week 1, and just work on increasing the mile time each set to give me a fun goal.

--I've been eating great during the day, but staying up too late is doing me in, with the late night snacking and going out with my sis. Gonna start going to bed earlier and really focusing on staying around 1800-2000 calories next week to see how well a 13,000-14,000 calorie week goes for me with around 15 miles/wk.

--Still down another two pounds mid-week, even with the slight excess the last few days, so I think I'm on the right track, and with a few nudges, should get me rolling even more.
 
Hi Jeff

Good luck on reaching your goal. I lost 50 pounds when I was in high school, and only gradually gained it back over about 3-4 years...but I think I was still growing at that point. Now at 30 I don't have nearly the motivation or discipline I had back then...which makes me wonder how at 16 I could have had more will power then I do now.
 
You still got the motivation under there somewhere, or you wouldn't be here! I think it's easier when your young because you don't have so many other obligations. That's the one benefit of not having a job, I have no reason to skip the gym, though it is harder to get a firm routine for the day going.

But you'll do it if it's something that you REALLY want. For a long time I didn't really want it, so I didn't put in the effort to change. This is the first time I've ever counted calories though, and I think that makes it way easier.
 
It is nice to read how positive you are! That is a great start! I was pretty down, when I reread my diary now I am like "Woooooooow, one whiney girl right there"...

Anyhow I wish you all the best, read the stickies, they have great info, and information is the key to making good choices about food, exercise etc...
Have a great weekend, Camy
 
I'm with Camy! Love the positivity in your journal! You're doing great and I look forward to hearing more about your progress! Keep it up :)
 
Hi Jeff!! You sound like you are doing great...make sure you are totally feeling good from that flu...it may set you back if you overdo it.

Great great great job!!

Kare
 
Thanks Camy, Kaylee and Karebare!

I'm just as whiney and needy as the rest sometimes, but I've always been cheery, and now that I'm getting so much healthier, I'm only going to feel better!

I took another day off from working out today since I pushed myself so hard yesterday and I don't want to get in a habit of overdoing everything in the other direction this time. Hoping to get in 3 miles on Saturday and Sunday though and finish the week at 16.

Excited to weigh in on Monday! I was shooting for a sub-300 by June 1st. A lofty goal, but we'll see if I can come close. I want to get as much momentum as possible that first month and get some good habits established.
 
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Week 2 Results
-Ran/Walked 13 miles
-can pretty much do a mile straight if I lower the speed to 5.2 mph (and not whine like a baby!)
-did rough on food, didn't work out as much, and still gonna lose a bit!

I dealt with a few issues this week. I guess the thing that's the hardest for me is the whole social aspect of eating. I eat out with my sister and nephew. My friends came to visit from Omaha and we ate out. We went out for Mother's day. I probably ate out 6 or so times this week, and not always that healthy. Plus, I love to cook, but I'm living at home for a few months, so sometimes my dad will cook, and even though it's not the healthiest, I still eat it.

I also got sick, so I got a bad start to the week and missed my 15 mile mark. I'm still feeling sluggish, but I think that has more to do with the bad food I ate today than my old symptoms. Anyways, I kept up the exercise routine fairly easily, so that's a big plus.

Weigh in the A.M., but I'll probably only be down a pound or so.

Next week I'm going to weigh and track every single calorie I eat, and be ruthless about the 1800 calorie average, since that has been my weakness this week. I'm also going to create a 6-day routine now that I know what works, with some interspersed miles days and some 60 and 90 minute runs on the treadmill. I do MUCH BETTER with structured goals.

So this week I'll be posting up my exact workouts and food for those that like that kind of stuff. And I'm curious to see how my protein, fat, and carbs breakdown, as well as how the new routine works so that I can rock the summer months like a crazy man!

**Week 3 Goals**
-Under 13,000 calories
-Track nutrients to adjust diet for future
-Run 18+ miles, getting used to some longer runs
-WORK OUT IN THE A.M. (what's the point of being jacked up with energy after a MIDNIGHT workout?!)
 
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Current weight: 314 pounds
Week 2 loss: 1.5 pounds

Total: 11 pounds
129 pounds to go!

About what I expected, shooting for 5 this week.
 
Week 3 Results
Week 3 starting weight: 314
Current weight: 310
Total Weight Loss: 15 Pounds

125 to go!
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I decided to track every single thing I ate on FitDay.com this week.

Monday
Breakfast - Turkey Sandwich w/ veggies and mustard, Nutrigrain Bar
Snacks- 2 Yoplait Yogurt Cups, 2 Granola bars, Nutrigrain Bar
Dinner - Salmon, Mixed Veggies and Peas, Potato w/ Ketchup

Calories: 1,788

Tuesday
Breakfast - Honey Nut Cheerios w/ 2% Milk
Snacks - Tuna
Lunch - DQ Blizzard (Small, Banana Split)
Dinner - Unbreaded Chicken Parmesan, Veggies, Rice-a-Roni

Calories: 1,625

Wednesday
Breakfast - Honey Nut Cheerios w/ 2% Milk
Lunch - Subway 12" Chicken Sub
Snack - 2 Hardboiled Eggs, Nutrigrain Bar
Dinner - Buffalo Chicken Salad

Calories: 1,680

Thursday
Breakfast - Turkey Sandwich (w/ veggies and mustard)
Snacks - 2 Yoplait Yogurt, Nutrigrain Bar
Lunch - Turkey Sandwich (w/ veggies and mustard)
Dinner - Culvers Double Cheeseburger Deluxe Basket

Calories: 2,098

Friday
Breakfast - Honey Nut Cheerios w/ 2% Milk
Snacks - 2 Yoplait Yogurt, Apple, EAS Protein BAr
Lunch - Turkey Sandwich (w/ veggies and mustard)
Dinner - Subway 12" Turkey Sub, Pork Chop w/ BBQ

Calories: 2,226

Saturday
Snacks - 4 Yoplait Yogurt, EAS Protein Bar
Lunch - Buffalo Chicken Salad
Dinner - Rice-a-Roni, Peas, Veggies, Chicken

Calories: 1,607

Sunday
-Didn't Track, Ate out, unsure of nutrition info

AVERAGE FOR WEEK
Calories: 1,837
Carbs: 237 (50%)
Protein: 110 (23%)
Fat: 56.5 (27%)

Yes, I eat a lot of turkey sandwiches and yogurt. Mmm ...
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Workout Routine
I was developing some soreness after Monday's Run in my left leg. Couldn't even finish my run, and then I only made it worse by going back to the gym 3 hours later to finish. So I decided to cut back to 4-5 days a week in the gym. I think I had a little hitch in my giddyup all week which left my whole left side slightly sore after long runs. This week I'm going to add some cycling instead of just 15-20 of ONLY running for my cardio each week.

-Ran about 12 Miles, plus light weightlifting.
-Got my new best mile down to 11:30 (horrible, since I used to do it in 6, but I'm still proud!)
-Didn't stick to my plan after hurting my leg in mile 3 Monday (Always warm up and stretch!!), but still did good.

Feeling pretty good, got a good routine going, and now I just need to stick to it. I may even hit my goal of under 300 by June 1st!!
 
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Update for the last few months!

I was overworking myself by running too much too soon AND wearing $11 Walmart shoes to boot. So guess what? It hurt to run, and I stopped. Then I moved to Iowa for 2 months for work, and I ate. And I got back up to 329.

But I got a great job back home now, and I met two people there who are fitness nuts. One runs marathons. The other, ironmans. I got talked into brand new Sacony running shoes for my high-arch and the running pain has completely vanished. Plus my whole family is having a weight loss challenge, so it seems every aspect of my life is encouraging me along now. That is amazing.

Today I weighed 291. Been steadily losing 2-4 pounds a week the last few months. New goals: 270 by Christmas, 240 by May 30th.

Why May 30th? Well ... I just registered for the Madison 1/2 Marathon! I've never even run a 5K before. My goal for that: just finish. I think having a race and partner at work will help keep me focused. My co-worker just ran like a 3:09 marathon in Milwaukee. Missed the Boston qualifier by like 3 minutes. But he's going to run with me at my slow pace in May, whatever that is. Today I ran a 12:00 steady pace for mile straight. Yesterday I ran a 10:32 mile. I better keep working if I'm going 13.1 though!

Current weight: 291 pounds
Weight lost: 38 pounds
 
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Got my half-marathon training schedule going now. My main goal is to get to a continuous pace 3-miles in under 30 minutes by February. Two days ago I ran steady (with a couple short walk breaks) in 38 mins.

Workouts
3 Mile pace run at 5.0 mph -- Twice a week
30 minutes of intervals (6.0/3.4 @ slight incline) -- Twice a week (starting off w/ 2 minutes ea. of running, walking)
1 mile fast -- Once a week
Cross training on the bike -- Twice a week for 15-20 minutes
Strength training -- 2 days upper, one day lower


Hoping if I can keep that and track all my times I'll see some progress. Wanna run outside but it's starting to get cold in Wisconsin. Hoping by February I'll be able to run pretty easily 3-4 miles at a good clip. Then I'll have 3 months of running outside to follow a REAL half-marathon plan.

Yesterday I had a bunch of cheesecake and a treats and frozen pizza. Terrible day. Trying to hit 10,000 calories in back to back weeks (1400/day). But this week I started the week off high (around 2000 calories/day), and then tried to make it up Thu and Fri. Ate like 600 Thu and tried to even eat less Fri. Until after my workout Fri. Well, I got really hungry and that backfired and I totally binged yesterday and ate like 4000 calories almost. First time in awhile. But I kinda brought it on myself. I got so set in being able to make up my calories by going over a few days that I tried to over do it. Dumb idea to try less than 1000 in a day. So I'm shooting for much more moderation in my daily diet like I've been doing. I like using weekly goals since I have daily flexiblity, but I gotta be more steady throughout the week so I don't create these all or nothing calorie days.
 
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Just got done with my 3 mile run. Almost made it all 3 miles. Around 1.5 miles I starting getting delusions that I'd run the whole thing straight and demolish my personal best and become king of the world. :sifone: Then I decided to walk a minute. Then I took a few more quick breaks the last mile.

Ran a 37:40. 20 seconds better, but kinda disappointed I didn't push myself the last ten minutes.

I made up this fancy chart in my notebook to track every single run the next 10 weeks. It's a great motivator. I'm working overnights a few nights a week and was going to skip my run today. Then I was like ... "Damn, but I already wrote in the column I was supposed to do 3 miles today." And my OCD need to not have to white out my pretty chart overcame my laziness. So I ran.

Weigh in the morning. Ate too much this week. So I'm expecting to gain a few pounds. Gotta buckle down this week. I've been hitting my goals the last few months and my next one is 289 by Nov. 1st.
 
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