Back At It

Well I am just wrapping up my second week of hitting the gym and watching what I eat. It has been like flipping a switch as far as motivation is concerned. One day, after eating a large amount of fast food and having my weight spike at 269, which is an all time high for me, I decided it was time to get all drastic again. So, since my children were waking up at 5:30 anyways I decided I should too and thus I was off to they gym. When I started weighing myself again I was 25.5 and 31.4% body fat. I am down to 262 which is 3.5 pounds in two weeks. All in all it as an OK start. I will try to get back to regular post as I was doing before the arrival of the baby derailed me.

Day 77 - Knee Update

On the 8th I went to visit and orthopedic doctor about my knee. He took some X-rays, did an examination and said that he believed that there was some inflamed cartilage under my knee cap and a fold in the capsule that surrounds my knee that was also inflamed. (He actually had medical names for both of these conditions but I do not remember what they were.) After going over the history of the treatment I have tried already and how effective it was, the doctor presented me with two options. 1) I could get a cortisone shot in the knee or 2) I could go in for surgery. If the cortisone shot did not work after a couple of weeks, or if in a month or two the knee flared back up, then I would need to consider the surgery.

Well, needless to say, I opted for the shot. It has been just over a week and there is definitely improvement in the knee but it is still not back to normal. I am waiting to see if it continues to get better or if levels out. After about a month if it is still the same as it is today then I will need to go back for the surgery.

I was encourage though by the doctor because he said he believed the problem to be correctable and the surgery would only put me out a couple of days. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2562
Weight: 253.5 lbs
Mood: Kinda indifferent and definitely tired
Total Weight Lost: 11.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 76 - St Patricks Day

Today was St. Patrick's Day. For me that means Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner. This is the kind of meal I like to call "Man Food" because it is so easy to cook. Throw the meat in the crock pot. Turn it on and eat it. Then steam the veggies about 30 minutes before you want to eat. (Actually you could probably put the veggies in the crock pot too if you do not put in too much water. However, I fill the crock pot with water to slow boil the meat)

This a great treat but the meat is pretty fatty so it is not something you can eat very often. But for this special day there is not other way to go.


TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 3894
Weight: 252 lbs
Mood: Doing well
Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 75 - Rice Krispy Treats

I have to give a shout out to Kelley and Ethan for making Rice Krispy treats this weekend. Ethan "helped" mommy make them and they are so yummy that when I was at the store today I picked up an extra box of Rice Krispies and a bag of marshmallows so they can make some more. I think I have eaten half the batch. And they are only 90 calories a bar. Yum, Yum, Yum.


TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2342
Weight: 254 lbs
Mood: Loving Rice Krispy Treats
Total Weight Lost: 11 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 74 - Back to the Blog

Well, I have been putting it off for a while now but I think it is well past the time to start blogging again.  So her I go.  Here are some posts I have in the works for the next couple of days:

• Finding Normal Again
  
• An update on my knee
  
• Doctors
  

For now I will just talk about where I am at in my journey.  With the birth of Eliana I gave up calorie counting and was not able to weigh myself since I was at the hospital.  Since that day I gained back 5 lbs.  I am back down to 2 lbs so I am currently at 255.5.  I have resumed my daily weigh-ins and started counting calories again. So, I guess you can say I am back on the path.  Also, Kelley has joining Weight Watchers so she can zap those baby pounds off even faster than last time (she is amazing and an inspiration to me) so we will be able to take this journey together which really is the only way it can be successfully taken.  

Well that is enough for today.  Hopefully I did not loose to many of my faithful followers during this brief blackout.  I hope to keep on track here going forward.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2644

Weight: 255.5 lbs

Mood:  Enjoying the wacky weather and the fact that life is settling into a rhythm.

Total Weight Lost: 9.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day ??? - Eliana Renee

Well for anyone out there who does not know my wife delivered our baby girl, Eliana Renee, on Feb 26th at 12:20am.  She was 8lbs 12oz and is a pure bundle of joy.  

As a result of the addition to our lives I have not been tracking my weight or food consumption as well as I should.  However, I plan to start tracking again today and get back on track with my blogging.  Fortunately I have not lost a lot of ground but I have gained a few pounds.  So it is time to renew the resolve and get back on the horse.  (How many cliches can I put in one sentence) 

As far as working out I have not done so for a couple of weeks because of my knee.  The doctors appointment for my knee is next week so I report back then on what he says.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 

Weight: 252.5 lbs

Mood: Proud of my new baby girl.

Total Weight Lost: 12.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 55 - Updates

So here are a few brief updates:

Baby - Still not here yet.

Knees - Still Hurt

Workouts - Have skipped quite a few because of my knees. Probably will start back up Thursday unless baby comes.

Food - Have been slipping here. Need to renew my resolve. Really I just need to eat more veggies.

That is it for today. Hopefully soon I will get to share some baby pics.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 3757
Weight: 252lbs
Mood: Kinda blue
Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 54 - Therapy

I am not sure if it is because I am anxious for the baby to come or because there are some other factors weighing down on me but for some reason I woke up this morning extremely sore and tense as if I had been doing pull ups all night long and my back, neck and shoulders were all very tense and I had a bit of a tension headache.

If I evaluated my life and my job right now I would say that there is not really a reason I should feel stressed out but it is quite obvious from the way that my body is behaving that I am stressed.  So as a result I decided to go get a massage today.  I called my wife's chiropractic office, Rody Chiropractic, and asked if they had an opening for today. 

They did have some openings with Brianna and so I booked and appointment.  It was extremely relaxing  and she did a good job working on my back, neck and shoulders.  She had to work the pretty hard and noted that i was quite tense (which I already knew) but afterwards I felt much better.  I highly recommend her if you are in need of a massage in Puyallup.

I still had a bit of a headache an hour or two after the massage but a few Ibuprofen and the headache was gone.  It was amazing how something as simple a massage can bring so much rejuvenation.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2693

Weight: 251.5 lbs

Mood:  Started out tense and sore but is ending a bit more relaxed.

Total Weight Lost: 13.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 53 - Dinner with friends

The family got to spend the evening with some friends of ours from Pullman, WA who we knew from when we lived over there.  They have recently moved over here and it was fun to get to hang with their family.  Ethan really enjoyed playing with their kids (and their kid's toys) and did a really good job waiting patiently at the dinner table while everyone finished eating.  Over all we had a great time and some really good food.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2882

Weight: 252 lbs

Mood: Not quite ready for the work week.

Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 52 - McDonalds

Today as Kelley and I were walking around the block with Ethan there were kids riding bikes in the street. Ethan enjoyed watching the kids play and sort of joined in on his own big wheel trike. After a while we continued around the block and Ethan looked up at us and said "more kids?" He said this while making the sign language sign for more which to us means he really wants more kids to play with.

For me this just tugged at my heart since I know that Ethan really enjoys playing with other kids but the moms of some of his friends were sick so we were not able to call them up for a play date. As a result I told Ethan that I would take him to McDonald's where could play with the other kid's at the playland.

So, later that day the family made our way to the McD's down the road a ways and Ethan engaged in some much needed kiddy social time, which for him involves chasing and being chased by the other children.

I got to load up on some very unhealthy and calorie packed food while getting a kick out of watching my son run around the indoor playground.


TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 4210
Weight: 251 lbs
Mood: Glad it is the weekend
Total Weight Lost: 14 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 51 - Waiting for Baby

The due date for my second child to be born is coming up fast (it is Monday) and both Kelley and I are very anxious for the big day to arrive. Actually, Kelley has alot more reason to want the big day to be over with since she has to live with another person taking up all that space in her body and making her uncomfortable, but I am also looking forward to meeting my daughter. Any day now Kelley could go into labor and that is a pretty wild and amazing thing. It is hard to imagine what that day will be like.

With Ethan she ended up being induced per the doctors orders on the day before Ethan's due date. This time the doctors are willing to let her ride it out a week or two. I am hoping that the birth happens this weekend but since neither of us have control over these things we will just have to wait for God's timing.


TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2475
Weight: 251.5 lbs
Mood: Ready for baby!
Total Weight Lost: 13.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 50 - Week 7 Results

Here are the results of my 7th week on the plan:

Current weight: 251.5 lbs
Weight Lost This Week: .5 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 13.5 lbs
Body Fat %: 28.8% (down 0% this week and 1.6% since 1/1/09)
Avg Calories Eaten Per Day: 3,141
Total Calories Burned: 23,737
Total Calories Eaten: 21,987
Calculated Daily Caloric Need: 3,391
# of Days I Worked Out: 2

No surprise here on the amount of weight lost. I ate a lot more calories and worked out less because of my knee.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2639
Weight: 251.5 lbs
Mood: Ho Hum.
Total Weight Lost: 13.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 49 - Biggest Loser Week 7

Here are my thoughts on last night's episode of biggest loser:

Bob went a bit overboard when he told his team to not ask for his help anymore when it comes to elimination. He wanted them to vote off Dane but they voted off Blaine. I feel this shows respect for Blaine's wishes and puts honor above game play. Though I can understand why Bob was frustrated it is a bit extreme to say you will not give advice in the future. Also it is probably not true since he likely will still give advice.

Laura showed this week that she can work hard. I think that Tara was really discouraging her partner by reinforcing the idea that she did not work as hard. It is perfectly understandable that Laura is not going to have the same endurance, strength and stamina as Tara since Tara has a whole month's advantage from being at the ranch while Laura went home. I think that Laura really does want to work hard but has a hard time keeping up with Tara.

I thought it was really fun when a bunch of the players wrestled around in the mud. I think it really shows that they are all really fun people who are not out to get one another.

It appeared the Jillian really seemed to flounder without the gym. While I would say that the weigh in proved otherwise, the workouts that Bob did outside the gym seemed far more interesting and sustainable, in a real world setting, than Jillian's workout which seem kinda boring and looked like she did not know what to do.


TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2408
Weight: 252 lbs
Mood: A bit of a headache
Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 48 - Knee Update

Well, my knee is still bothering me and has been alot worse than it has been the past several months so I scheduled an appointment with an Orthopedics doctor. The appointment is not until the 10th of March but at least I took the step and made it. I will let you know how it goes when I get there.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2774
Weight: 253 lbs
Mood: Kinda tired
Total Weight Lost: 12 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 47 - Back on the Wagon

Today I was able to keep the calories a lot closer to my 2400 goal. Other than that I had the day off and do not have much to say.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2502
Weight: 254 lbs
Mood: Relaxed
Total Weight Lost: 11 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 46 - A Weekend of Excess

This weekend has turned out to be a weekend of over indulgence.  It started with Fast Food Friday and my decision to get McDonald's for breakfast.  The two Sausage McMuffin's with egg for $3 had been tempting me through billboards and radio commercials and I decided to cave.  Then for lunch it was a Pita Pit Gyro and then a dinner of Kilbasa and Dorito's.  All in all the calories totaled 3679.

Then on Saturday, in celebration of my bonus and valentines day and everything else that is going on in our lives we decided that we would go out to a nice dinner.  However, a sick kid and two tired adults caused us to change our plans and we decided to do pizza instead.  Kelley found a place that makes gluten free pizza crust so she could have take out for the first time since she discovered her food allergies.  I got a Papa Murphy's pizza for myself and Ethan.  Eating 7/8 of the pizza plus my eggs and hash browns for breakfast put me at 3798 calories.  

Finally today I capped off my weekend of grease and fat with a couple of peanut butter english muffins, followed by a lunch of corn dogs and Doritos and then for dinner, since the wife had been at a baby shower all afternoon and did not want to cook we hightailed it over toApplebees where I had the Brutus bacon burger with fries and an appetizer of caso dip and chips along with two strawberry lemonades.  Today's total calories weighed in at 4085.  

Needless to say this has not been a good weekend in the epic journey I am on and I definitely need to double my resolve the rest of the week.  Hopefully this does not set me back too far for too long.   I need to hop back on the wagon and move on.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 4085

Weight: 252.5

Mood:  Enjoyed the party but it is time to get back to work.

Total Weight Lost:  12.5 since 1/1/09

Day 45 - Tractor Tippin'

Ethan's current favorite movie is Pixar's Cars.  In this movie he likes certian scenes and has learned to skip from scene to scene using the fast forward/rewind button on the DVD player.  One of the scenes we find him watching most often is the tractor tipping scene.  

He has even begun to take his passion for this scene a step further and now, when he is playing with his own cars, he recreates the scene in his play.  He starts by putting two of his trucks or cars face to face.  Then one (or both) honks at the other. He the proceeds to make the mooing sound as the trucks flip up on their hind sides.  I find this to be very cute and enjoy watching him do it over and over.  He even tries to get me involved and so sometimes I will play along and be the tractor that tips to his honking.  It is fun to watch him grow up and begin to encorporate what he sees into his play.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 3758

Weight: 252 lbs

Mood: Why did I eat the whole pizza?  

Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 44 - Bonus Check

Yesterday, while I was working through a 4 inch stack of very tedious fleet upgrade invoices and work orders, my boss came into my office and closed the door.  At first I thought he was going to tell me something bad or that they were getting ready to lay off some more workers ( a few people had been laid off recently which is kinda sad) however, instead he handed me a white envelope that looked a lot like a pay stub and said something to the effect of "I know we had talked after you had gotten [the e-mail that said no one was getting bonuses except those who had signed an agreement back in February of 08] but I talked with Brent (his boss) and him and I both agree you are doing a great job so we pulled some strings and did some groveling and here is a bonus."  This literally injected a shot of sunshine into my dreary paperwork filled day and came as a wonderful surprise.

I had pretty much assumed I would not be getting a bonus at all since A) the e-mail said you had to have a signed agreement from February, which I did not since I had only been with the company since September.  And B) my boss pretty much told me that i would not get one, which I was OK with.   Along with the bonus is some stock warrants which vest over the next few years.  

I have to say that, in this economy and in these times I am truly blessed to have received anything and all and it really helped bolster my confidence in the job that i am doing.  It is amazing how a pat on the back, some encouraging words, and something like and unexpected bonus can really bless someones day.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 3679

Weight: 249.5 lbs

Mood: Ecstatic that I got a bonus.  Whoo Hoo!!!

Total Weight Lost: 15.5 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 43 - Week 6 Results

Here are the results of my 6th week on the plan:

Current weight: 252 lbs
Weight Lost This Week: 1 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs
Body Fat %: 28.8% (down .3% this week and 1.6% since 1/1/09)
Avg Calories Eaten Per Day: 2,954
Total Calories Burned: 24,178
Total Calories Eaten: 20,678
Calculated Daily Caloric Need: 3,454
# of Days I Worked Out: 3

I am glad that I am down another pound and that my body fat % is dropping.  It is nice to see progress in these ways.  However, on the flip side my right knee has really been bothering me. I am looking into setting up a doctors appointment soon to get it check out by a sports medicine doctor.

TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2704
Weight: 252 lbs
Mood: Glad to loose another pound.
Total Weight Lost: 13 lbs since 1/1/09

Day 42 - Biggest Loser Week 6

Another week of the Biggest Loser sees us saying goodbye to Blaine. He seemed nice and Dane, his silent counter part, is a bit of an unknown to us since Blaine has been the spokes person for the black team. It was nice to see everyone respect his wishes to go home. So far I have enjoyed the fact that I can root for everyone on the show. They all have unique stories and it is fun to watch them go back and forth. I still don't have a favorite yet though there are a couple of folks whom I root for more than others.


TODAY'S STATS

Calories: 2551
Weight: 253 lbs
Mood: Really wanting my knees to feel better
Total Weight Lost: 12 lbs since 1/1/09