Starting Over Again....

I weighed in at 258 lbs. That is my new starting weight. I am still down 58 lbs so far. However, I want to finish this year down 70 lbs. I need to lose another 12 lbs in 2 1/2 months. I would love for more, but I want a realistic goal.

Losing 12 lbs will put me in that elusive 240's category. I am still focusing on my original goal of 235 lbs by March of 2008. I still have six months to lose 23 lbs. I feel that is easily going to be accomplished.

It has been harder getting back on the wagon. However, i am taking it day by day. More to come very soon.

This Is Getting Tough!!!

As many of you have noticed, I have not updated the old blog site in a while. The fact is, I strayed from the diet and have not wanted to face it over the last 6 weeks. I knew I had put on some weight but was not sure how bad it was. I talked with a good friend of mine yesterday, Brad Shumpert, about my lapse in discipline. He was very encouraging. Time to get back up on that horse and ride harder than I did before. I hope to have a good push over the next few weeks while my body readjust again to the dieting. I still have time to lose a lot of weight by the end of this year.

I will be updating my weight this coming Monday. I will get back on track beginning today. My wife has challenged me to a little competition. She is training for the Race for the Cure in a couple of weeks and is running daily. Being the competitor that I am, I have to get back on track.

Stay tuned for new weight on Monday.

Closing in on a Milestone

I do not remember the last time that I weighed 250 lbs. It had to be at least 12 years ago. Maybe in high school. I am not sure that I may have just been born at that weight. I started off large in life. I weighed 6.8 lbs at birth and weighed 18 lbs at only 6 weeks old. Not 6 months, but 6 weeks. I then trimmed down before school and stayed thin till high school. Then, well you know the story. So I am closing in on 250.

I weighed 251.8 lbs today. I am down another 2.2 lbs and have lost a total of 64.6 lbs. I will hit at least 249.8 lbs this week.

Becca and I went to Craighead Forrest park on Saturday morning to go running. Now, I could tell you that I ran around the 2.4 mile loop in 30 minutes flat. But, that would be a lie. Becca naturally finished before me, and that is great. She is wanting to run a 5 k coming up and is trying to train more when possible. However, I did run better than half of the loop and walked the rest. I finished in still about 40 minutes. I will keep shrinking that time as I keep shrinking myself. I want to run it before late fall.

I had a big day today. First was boot camp and that is always enjoyable. I have now graduated to an 8 lb dumbbell. You may think that is a paper weight, but try throwing it around for 45 minutes straight. It is tough and I am proud of myself. Second, Becca and I went to TCBY tonight. We had the nonfat, sugar free, peach yogurt. It is only 90 calories for a 1/2 cup. I had the peach and vanilla swirl and it was unbelievably good. (or it has been a long time since I had the good stuff) Regardless, you ought to try this one while it is 100 degrees outside.

I have three weeks left in boot camp and I already plan on signing up again. I want to meet my goals by Thanksgiving. And then, bring on the turkey.

When Did I Start To Like Exercise???

As of Monday, I am now 254 lbs. I lost another 2 lbs bringing my total to 62.4 lbs.

It hit me this week that I am only 19 lbs from my original goal of 235 lbs. I had hoped to hit this weight by March 12, 2007 on my one year anniversary of my diet. I am now realizing that I am going to hit, or surpass, this goal well before the one year anniversary. I hope to hit my goal of 235 by October 1st. I am not going to look around, smell the roses, and celebrate; I am going to keep going and try to get to around 220 by Christmas. To think, close to 100 lbs is possible by the end of the year. Goals are meant to be met, otherwise, they are just dreams.

When did I start to like exercising? We are now 2 1/2 weeks into Fitness Boot Camp, and I actually am enjoying myself during the class. I find myself pushing more each time I go to class. I now find myself coming home and even getting on the treadmill for more exercise. Much to my unbelief, I found that my cardio ability is climbing drastically. I got on the treadmill Monday night at did a 12 minute 40 second mile. I have never run this much in my life. I am on the verge of being able to run a full mile. So, with that being said, I am shooting for a 5 k distance by Christmas as well. I will keep running, keep working out, and keep losing weight. As I said, goals are meant to be met, or better yet, they are meant to be beat.

The Boot Camp Way!!!

I lost 4 lbs this week dropping to 256 lbs. That brings my total to 60.4 lbs.

Lets talk about Boot Camp. We finished our first week and are half way through week number two. You may ask, How is it going? Well, I lost four lbs if that is any indication. I also believe I am losing size faster than weight going to this class. Many of you may know that I signed up for "The Biggest Loser" here in Jonesboro last year and dropped out after 3 weeks. It was terrible. I was around 320 lbs and had to go at 4:45 in the morning. I did not know that 4:45 existed outside of deer season. I HATED IT!!

Now, I am 60 lbs lighter and it makes a difference on ones ability to be more active. If you want to feel the pain I went through, grab a bag of fertilizer at Lowe's the next time you go, throw it on your back, and then jump up and down and exercise for 45 minutes without a break. You won't make it three weeks either. (if so, congrats, you are more of a man than I am)

I have been able to last all the classes, the full 45 minutes, without stopping. It is very intense, but I actually am liking the class this time. It makes a difference that Becca is going with me. We go every night from 6:00-6:45. It is intense, if I haven't said that already. Did I mention it was intense. I have never done this many stomach crunches in my entire life, adding them all up. But we will keep going, because it is working. I mean it, it is really working. Last year, I did not have the determination to bare through the pain to make it through to where I am now. It is working, and I am losing weight. I am not only shrinking in size, I am getting in much better shape. I look forward to progressing in this class and getting more advanced with the moves and exercises. By the way, Boot Camp is running a half price six week class right now. I beleive that it last through the end of July. Don't miss out.

For those of you thinking that it is not possible to go do something like this, you could not be further from wrong. Don't get me wrong, there are some people in this class that don't weigh as much as this laptop I am typing on. But there are many in there that are fighting the same struggle that you may be. Everyone is giving the same effort. To the people in there that are out of shape and battling a weight loss crisis, I commend you. You are going for the prize. Keep it up. For those of you that are sitting at home thinking you should be doing something, look at me. I am not there yet, but I am progressing. Look at my friend like Debbie and Brad. Both are chipping away at their goal one day at a time. We are all waking up the next morning in better shape than we were 24 hours before. You can't go from being a couch potato to a marathon runner overnight. But you can get off the couch and make a difference in one night. Go for the prize. Don't stop and don't let anyone discourage you. Go For It!!!

I'm Back!!!

Well, it has been a while, I know, a long while. I seem to have fallen off the wagon for the last 3 or 4 weeks. It got a little busy at first and I just did not have time to do the blog site. Then it began to take over on the diet as well and, you guessed it, I started eating a little more. So, we are back on track and not looking back.

As of last night, I weighed 260 lbs. I hate to post the gain of .2 lbs over the last three weeks, but I need to admit it so that I will get back on track. I do appreciate some of you riding me the last 3 weeks. I was cornered by Brad Shumpert last week over the lapse in progress. So, Brad, here I am. Back and ready to fight.

To pick up the pace quickly and get back on track, Becca and I have started going to Fitness Boot Camp. I did it last year for three weeks and dropped out. I will finish this time. It was much easier last night than I remembered it being last year.

Hopefully Boot Camp will help get me to my next checkpoint. I want to weigh 240 lbs by Labor Day. I have 7 weeks to do this. I will need to average 2.86 lbs per week. My next point will then be Halloween. I want to get to 230 by October 31st.

Long Story Short..... I am back and so is the blog. See you later this week.

13 Weeks....

After 13 weeks, I now weigh 259.8 lbs. I lost 4.6 lbs this week bringing my 13 week total to 56.6 lbs.

When Becca and I discussed my diet options 13 weeks ago, we debated whether to go at it alone or go to a diet plan at a local medical facility. The cost was a determining factor in our decision. I hated to spend the money to go do a "diet plan" without ever having the discipline to stay on a diet in the past. The agreement Becca and I came to was this....Spend 13 weeks on the diet. If I lost after 13 weeks, we would continue to stay on the plan we designed ourselves. If after 13 weeks, I had not lost, then we would consider a diet plan. The local diet plan said that their average after 13 weeks was 67 lbs. I am extremely happy with my progress.

I know that many people have tried dieting and come to dead end roads. For those of you in that situation, I say find the solution that works for you. If it is something similar to my route, then go for it. If it is signing up for a disciplined diet plan with coaches, then go for it. Just do something. I can't tell you how much better I feel on a daily basis. I have lost 18% of my body weight. YOU FEEL IT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I feel it even just walking across the room.

I am no where near done, but I am definitely making progress. Progress is what it is all about. Brad Shumpert, a good friend of mine on a similar track, told me that a loss is a loss. Even if it is a small loss, it is better than where you were a week ago. That is how I live my weeks now. Be smaller on Monday than I was last Monday. Progress. I still wish to lose about another 40 lbs from this point. Progress will get me there.

As far as a place to go out to eat. My selection this week was Demo's Barbecue. We went Saturday night and I got the half chicken. Peel the skin off and it still very delicious. For a side item, they do have the baked Lay's potato chips here. You can eat healthy and good at this place.

Thank you to all of you who are following my journey. Continue to remember and pray for my success. I will hit my goal by year end, but it won't be because I have done this myself.

Sorry for the delay!!!

I spent a lot of time at church last week getting ready to move into our new worship center and did not have the time or the focus to update the website. However, I am back and ready to give you the news.

I am now 264.4 lbs. I have now lost a total of 52 lbs in 12 weeks. A few updates on the last couple of weeks. First off, Becca and I went shopping in Memphis for some new blue jeans. I was all jazzed to buy 44 inch blue jeans because I would not have to go to a big and tall store. However, to much dismay, we got to Dillards only to find out that they now stop regular sizes at 42 inches. I told the sales lady, that I would have to pass. I was not going to go to the big and tall section to buy any clothes. I was really bummed. Then we went ahead and tried on some 42 inch pants and they fit fine. I was smaller than I had thought. Very Exciting day for me. NO MORE BIG AND TALL!!!

Another update for places to go out to eat. Fast Food: I love going to Wendy's and getting the grilled chicken sandwich and a dry baked potato. As far as a sit down meal, try Ruby Tuesdays grilled Tilapia. It comes with Cajun grilled Tilapia, broccoli, and rice. However, swap the rice for their green beans. Tilapia turns out to be one of the lower calorie meals you can eat. Make sure not to get the creole catch that has the white sauce over the top.

Closing in on 50 lbs!!

I am now 269 lbs. I lost another 3 lbs this week bringing my total to 47.4 lbs in 10 weeks.

I want to hit 50 lbs by next Monday. I have seven days to lose 2.6 lbs. My next checkpoint will be the fourth of July. I want to be down to 250 at that time. I have 5 1/2 weeks to lose 19 lbs. This may be my toughest goal yet. However, it may be time to add a little more challenge to my plan.

Becca and I bought bikes this week. I want to start out riding a few miles a day and work my way up on my distance. I also want to begin walking, running, and biking. Try to mix up the routine and break some of the monotony.

I have had many of you ask for things that I am eating. I have no real clue to tell you how Becca cooks some things. However, I can start giving you some meal ideas that I am eating while out in Jonesboro. For starters, I like Fat City Grill. I will order the grilled chicken platter. It comes with steamed veggies and I add a dry baked potato to the platter. I get a side of barbecue sauce for the chicken and the potato. I already asked and they do not use any butter on the veggies. Be sure to throw the bread stick aside when the plate comes out. Total calories should be around 500 for the platter.

One more idea for you. I don't know if you have seen the new 100 calorie Twinkies and Ding Dongs, but they are excellent. We have not found the Twinkies, but the Ding Dongs are great for curbing that desire for sweets. I will begin passing more food ideas along to you as they come to me.

However, the bike is my new friend and I look forward to seeing my 50 lb mark this week.

Moving on Down...

I am now 272 lbs. I lost another 4.8 lbs this week. I am down a total of 44.4 lbs in 9 weeks. I am getting close to my 50 lb mark and hope to get it in the next two weeks. I am now 54.5% of the way to my goal.

I am in Omaha this week. However, traveling is getting much easier now that I am not as picky of an eater as I used to be.

I worked in the yard a lot this weekend. It is very exciting when I throw a 40 lb bag of fertilizer on my shoulder and think how heavy it feels on my body. Then I realize that I have lost more weight than that bag of fertilizer. If you want to feel the relief that I feel on a daily basis, then strap a bag of this stuff to your back and wear it around 24 hours solid. It is no wonder I don't tire down as much as I used to.

Many of you have been checking this website and offering comments in person or in print. I want to thank you all as I continue on my journey. Your comments have been a huge help.

I Conquered Mexico!!!

I am now 276.8 lbs. I lost another 2.2 lbs bringing my total to 39.8 lbs in only 8 weeks. Mexico was a challenge. However, in four days I did not cheat one single time. I ate chicken (so I think, it could have been seagull for all I know), veg tables, and then a plate of fruit with every meal. I did a lot of walking in the heat while there as well.

I was hoping for a break even week. I at least wanted to maintain the weight I was before we went. The good news, I did not even have a desire to try the deserts and sweets that they threw at you all week long. It was not a challenge for me to avoid the foods I should avoid. I actually had a craving all weekend to get home and have some decent veg tables to eat. A little weird for me because I am used to wanting to come home and eat Twinkies and King Dongs.

So now I have a renewal of determination on my diet quest. It is back to exercise, exercise, and more exercise. I am down 39.8 lbs in 8 weeks. My 13 week target was to lose 50 lbs. I want to pass this mark. I have 9 weeks left until the fourth of July. I want to lose another 26.8 lbs in the next 9 weeks bringing my new weight total to 250 lbs. I could possibly lose a total of 66.4 lbs by the middle of the year. I Will Hit My Goals!!!

Can't Eat On Vacation Like I Used To!!!!

I only lost .8 lbs this week bringing me down to 279 lbs. I am down a total of 37.4 lbs. I will chalk my low weight loss up to two different things. Lack of exercise and eating more than normal.

For starters, I have not been on the treadmill in a couple of weeks. Don't ask me why, but I have gotten away from the daily exercise. Things have been a little hectic with work and travel and I just haven't done it lately. No excuses, I have to get on the exercise trail.

Becca and I celebrated our one year anniversary in Branson this weekend. For those of you who have not been to Branson in while, there is evidently a big sign on every corner saying, Eat Everything You Can Find while you are here. So, I did. I had my first read meat with a lot of other things including Peanut Butter Pie and a good size piece of our wedding cake. Both were good.

However, after not exercising and eating what I thought was a lot of food, I did still lose. I think that I am starting to get more perspective on what is a "lot of food". I still did not eat near what I used to eat. We are in Mexico this week and I plan to stick to it more while we are gone. I still want to hit 260 by the 4th of July.

270's!!!!!!

I am now at 279.8. I lost another 2.6 lbs bringing my total to 36.6 lbs. I did not exercise very much this week. Honestly, I did not step on the treadmill one single time. I did walk around a lot on Saturday in the turkey woods. However, I am regretting not exercising at home. I believe I could have done much better than 2.6 lbs.

Enough whining about last week and on to this week. I still have 9 days before we go to Cancun. I want to lose at least 3.4 lbs to hit my 40 lb mark. If I still eat the things I am supposed to eat and get back on the exercise routine, I can knock that out without any problem.

Becca and I are talking about signing up for boot camp following our trip to Mexico. She has done a great job eating exactly what I have been eating and is losing weight as well. I still want to hit my 50 lb mark before July 4th. I am hoping that 6 weeks of boot camp will push me down another 10-20 lbs. I tried it last year and dropped out after 3 weeks. But I am now done almost 40 lbs and should be able to handle it much better. I am also considerably more dedicated to my success than I was a year ago.

I will post mid week. We have a funeral this week, our one year anniversary this weekend, and our trip to Cancun next week. Got to focus on eating right!!!!

6 Weeks Down!!!

Weighed in today at 282.4 lbs. Down another 6.1 lbs. I am now down a total of 34 lbs in 6 weeks. I have taken 5 inches off of my waist in the last 6 weeks. I took a suit in to have altered and she took out 5 inches in the pants and about 6 in the jacket. I had to go tonight and by a new belt because I have run out of holes on the old belt. VERY EXCITING!!!

I believe my weight loss began picking up last week partly due to water consumption. I had not drunk very much water the previous two weeks and decided to pick back up on the water as much as possible. Now, am back down another 6.1 lbs this week. Becca also made dinners for me before she left town for the week and that helped as well.

I am now 2.4 lbs away from my May 9th goal and I still have 16 days to get there. Our one year anniversary comes up on May 6th and it is amazing the difference I see when I look at our wedding pictures in the hallway. However, I know that I am adding many years to my life with this diet. That means that we get to be together even longer.

Eating Alone but Eating Good.

I lost another 2.1 lbs this week. I am now 288.5 lbs down 27.9 lbs. I will be perfectly happy if I will continue losing 2 lbs a week. I probably had a little more snack food in last week than what I normally have. So I was glad that posted a loss. I have been a little worried about weighing in today. I am still hoping for 280 lbs by May 9th.

Becca is in North Dakota this week on business. Being the great wife that she is, she cooked dinners for four nights this week and put them in the refrigerator. I still got to have asparagus, potatoes, and poppy seed chicken. I also have lasagna that she put in the fridge. She wanted to make sure that I stuck to the diet.

I am on a soup kick at work right now. While at the grocery store, I saw that Healthy Choice has containers of soup ready to put in the microwave . They had several different types of soup that were all 170 calories for the whole meal. I have always been a soup fan and this will allow me to have under 275 calories between breakfast and lunch.

Many of you have asked what Becca is cooking for some of our dinners. I am hoping at some point in the future that she will be able to post some of the meal combinations that I have had so far on the diet.

I will post mid week. I am hoping for 285 by next Monday.

Old but New Clothes

I am still about 4 days from my next weigh in. I am trying not to weigh during the week but I am always excited. I went through the back half of my closet today. You know, that half where you normally only enter when you need to find an old shirt to make into a rag. I took to suit jackets that I have not worn in a long time. LONG TIME. They fit!! It looks like I have already dropped two full suit sizes. I am still pushing for 280 by May 9th. I am going to get back on the treadmill right now and do about 4 miles. See you guys later in the week.

Picking up the Pace!!!

I lost another 5.2 lbs. I am down 25.8 in four weeks. My current weight is 290.6. I really wanted to break 290 this week. However, I quit walking and running around Thursday for the weekend. I feel that I could have surpassed my goal if I would have worked harder. I am happy with the weight loss and now will get back to exercising this week. I really need to start pushing further than I have thus far. Biking is just around the corner for Becca and I.

I have to go shopping for belts. I have gone from the first notch in my belts to the last notch and have even drilled a hole in the belt to get an extra week or two wear out of them. I am already wearing jeans that I know I have not worn in over two years and really see clothes continuing to get bigger every week. It was encouraging when I tried on a bathing suit on Saturday that would normally be my size and I found that it was too big. Really Exciting!!!

Fruit is a life saver for me right now. I am eating fruit most days at least twice. Becca and I went tonight and bought several different varieties of fruit. I am eating it for breakfast at least every other day and also using it to munch on when I just want to eat something. I am still averaging about 1,000 calories a day. Tonight we had grilled fish, grilled potatoes, asparagus, and carrots. I still came in around 850 calories for the day.

My next checkpoint will be May 9th when Becca and I go to Cancun. I have exactly four weeks and would like to weigh 280 by our departure. That would put me down 36 lbs in 8 weeks. (11.4% of my original weight.)

I am off to the treadmill and to a healthier life!!!

Closing in on my first month

I am in my fourth week of my diet and I hope to hit my first goal by this Monday. I want to lose a total of 26.4 lbs in my first month. I was at 295.8 on Monday night and I want to be at 290 this coming Monday. I hit it hard this week. I am now up to running and walking three miles in a session. However, I wanted to make sure that I did it everyday this week to push me towards 290 lbs.

There were a couple of days last week where I just wasn't hungry and did not have the time for breakfast or lunch and only ate dinner when I got home. I think this had an adverse effect on my weight loss. I have made a point this week to eat every single meal. My favorite thing right now is my egg and ham sandwich for breakfast. Tonight will be great, Becca is making omelets and pancakes again.

Clothes are getting bigger everyday. I am already wearing clothes that I have not worn in a while. I can't wait until I get my waist below a size 44. NO MORE SHOPPING AT BIG AND TALL. I will finally be able to buy clothes anywhere I want to buy them. You have to understand that for clothes always cost more for a big fella. I guess it is because they have to hire Omar the tent maker to sew you pants together. That is finally coming to an end.

See you later in the week. Thanks for all of your encouragement on my journey.

Low Week....

Well, I knew my weight loss had to slow down at some point, but I am not discouraged. I am now at 295.8. I have lost 20.6 lbs in three weeks. I will admit that I did not do as much physical activity last week as the two weeks prior and we are going to remedy that this week. I am committed to exercising an hour a day for the next 7 days to get this thing rolling again. I really wanted to hit 290 by Easter. I still have time to get to 280 by the time we go to Cancun in May. We leave the 9th and I wanted to be down 36 lbs by this day.

On a positive note, I think I am losing size faster than tonnage. I am down four notches on all of my belts and have hit the last notch on them. Running is getting easier. I ran last night for a while on the treadmill during my hour long trek. I ran for 5 solid minutes at one point. Does not sound like much to some, but that is 4 minutes and 50 seconds longer than where I was before.

So it is off to the races this week with my determination. Lets see how close to 290 I can get by Easter. See you during the week.

Pancakes and Omelets...

As some of you know, I have always been a fan of having breakfast for pretty much any meal. I love pancakes and waffles. Becca decided to make breakfast tonight and we still did it on low calorie. I had an omelet with ham and cheese, three pancakes, and the syrup for 420 calories. She made the pancakes with whole wheat flour and less oil and they were still very good. It is encouraging to know that I will be able to eat a great breakfast and still be able to stick to the diet.

It is also going to help now that good fruits are arriving at the grocery store. I am excited to start eating melons, cantaloupe, and peaches. That should really help my sweet tooth and have low calories.

I am hoping to keep losing at a great pace. However, I am also know that I have had a great couple of weeks and will perfectly happy if my weight continues to level off at a couple pounds per week. I would still reach my goal way ahead of the schedule for next spring.

Another 7 lbs

I weighed in today at 297.2 lbs. I have been on the diet two weeks and lost 19.2 lbs. I have never been on a diet for more than a week that I did not cheat or at least self rationalize myself into thinking I could eat an unhealthy meal every once in a while. However, I have yet to eat one single thing that I am not allowed to eat my diet. Exercising is now almost enjoyable. Not totally yet, but getting there.

I am now going to begin training for my first goal. I want to be able to run a solid mile in the next 6 weeks. I know that sounds easy to some of you, but it isn't for me. I have never run a mile in my life. I have never had anybody chase me that far and so I did not see the need in running that far. So a mile is the first goal. I have gone to Hal Higdon's website and got my first running program mapped out. After that I will begin to train for my first 5k run. I want to get a t-shirt that shows I ran in a 5 k. If they are not giving out shirts, I will go to Walmart and get the iron on letters and make my own. (I may do that when I get to my first mile).

My long term goal is Summer of 2008. I want to run the triathlon at Craighead Forrest. I know it is big, but I have a year to get to this point. Walking and running comes first, then biking, and then swimming. This will be kind of the crowning moment to this little (or big) journey.

I am off to a faster start than I had hoped. Week three now begins and it is off to the races again. I will lose more weight this week. That is a promise.

Get Help Along The Way....

I spent time talking to two people yesterday about my progress. Whenever someone contributes to the success of my quest, I want to make sure to let them know I appreciate the help. I first spent about 20 minutes on the phone with Brad Shumpert. For those of you who know Brad, his willingness to give advice won't shock you. For those of you who do not, Brad has lost well over 100 lbs in the last year and has truly amazed me. It is always a big help when someone has walked in the same extra wide shoes as you have and they want to help you along the way. Thanks for the help Brad. I also spent time last night with Dr. Lee Woodruff. As I began my quest, I explained that I was trying to avoid some of the same things that plagued my fathers health. Well, one of those would be bad feet. Lee saw my father for years on pretty much a weekly basis and did wonders for him. So naturally when my foot started hurting a couple of months ago, I was off to Lee's office. Lee diagnosed me with Plantar Faciatis. (no clue on spelling, just know it hurts) I could not hardly walk across the room. Now I know that part of this was due to the weight my foot was supporting but Lee told me what to do and the pain went away. Now Lee is giving me advice on what type of running shoes I need to buy. I have found in my short time that I am going to put a lot of miles on shoes. I had no clue that shoes could be worn down in as little as four months. Lee is recommending shoes to me and it looks like I will have to buy them three times a year. But, that is a good thing. It means, I am exercising. Long story short, Lee is a good doctor and a Great Friend. Monday is my next weigh in, I am already getting excited.

Getting Easier....

I am only on day 8, but the days are getting much easier for me. I am still keeping a low calorie intake and have even gone out to eat a few times now. My activity is increasing drastically. I spent an hour and ten minutes on the treadmill last night. The first twenty minutes I alternated running and walking. However, I got wrapped up in a TV show and did not quit at the end of my scheduled 30 minutes. I decided to go 45 minutes and then decided to finish my show. According to the computer, I burned about 800 calories in that session. My wife found a great website where you put your current weight and duration of the activity and it will calculate your calories burned. If anyone wants the website, let me know. It has been very helpful. I still hope to get below 300 this week. I am now going to get on the treadmill and watch the second half of American Idol.

Weekly Weigh In

I have finished my first seven days and I have lost 12.2 lbs. I am now 304.2 lbs. I was very excited this morning to say the least. Eating during the week was easy but the weekend was a little more challenging. I will keep the same amount of intake this week and boost up the activity a little more. My goal for next week is to get to 299. I want back in the 200's.

Eating out is a little different

Becca and I spent the day in Memphis together shopping and going out to dinner. I was concerned this morning with eating out for the first time since we began our diet plans. However, I actually managed to keep my calories to around 1,000 calories. I was shocked since this included eating out lunch and dinner. I am having to change my entire perception when I look at a menu. It helps when she and I are in this together and she can help me order. However, the weight loss is working. I look forward to my first week weigh in on Monday. Becca is losing as well and that makes this house that much more happy. See you on Monday after the scales.

My Wife Is Great!!!

I just finished day three and so far this is not too bad. I am exercising every day on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes. Trust me, bouncing around 316 lbs on a treadmill can wear you down in a hurry. However, I knew this would be a key part of my journey.

I am actually getting very motivated to exercise. Rebecca and I are about to buy bikes and start riding together. Hopefully in a few weeks, I will begin to add swimming to my plan a couple times a week. I figure by combining all three that it will never get boring and I can get three great workouts.

The best part so far of my plan has been the meal plan. My wife is great to me!!! Saying that I married up in life is an understatement. She has committed to doing the same plan as me and eating just as me. That makes it a lot easier. She is amazing me in the kitchen by developing new recipes that are perfect for me in calorie count. I am averaging only about 1,200 calories a day and I am getting to eat food such as meat loaf, sandwich's, mashed potato's, barbecue chicken pizza, and Mexican chicken lasagna. My motto is, "You want a successful diet, marry a food scientist". I figure when you spend the better part of your week as a product developer for Nestle's lean cuisines, coming home and cooking for an overweight husband is an easy task. She is going to be a big part of my success.

I will be posting a new weigh in on Monday. I am very excited. My first goal point is my annual physical in May. It is very exciting that for the first time in years the nurse may check my weight and only have to slide the big weight on the scale to 250 lbs and then get to use the small weight to finish me out. That is my first dream. I don't want to have to move the first weight to 300 lbs anymore. I know, it is a silly goal. But it is a goal.

From The Beginning.....

Most of you don't know that prior to age 15, I was always the shortest, skinniest kid in my class. All of that changed with a series of cortisone shots, a blown knee, and finally being just plain lazy. I have yo yo dieted for years and have always been able to lose the weight. However, I always put it back on in due time.

I was fortunate in 2006 when I had an annual physical to find out that I have been lucky thus far to still be in a good health other than my weight. I have known for years that I needed to drop a lot of weight or I could fall victim to the same circumstances that plagued my father. However, I never could stay motivated to stay the course with my diet and exercise plans.

Then the winter of 2004 came along and my entire life changed. I found the love of my life in Rebecca and my view of my health began to change. Upon being married in May of 2006, I made a promise to myself that the weight was going to come off and I was going to live healthier. Living healthy is not hard since she is a food scientist. However, having the will power to lose the weight is a different story.

So here we are today and I am now 316.4 lbs. I am now going to embark on a very public weight loss effort. I want everybody's help. I have always been very quiet as to what is my actual weight. Well the cat is out of the bag and I want all the encouragement I can get. My goal is to lose 81.4 lbs in 12 months. That is right. My goal weight is 235 lbs. My wife is designing a diet for each day and I have agreed to exercise on a daily basis. We are going to fight this together. Some people have said to reward myself at the end of my journey. My reward is to be able to live many healthy years with my wife and to pass on all the wisdom my parents gave me on to my future kids. So visit my sight often. I plan to give many updates and photos. Thanks for all of your help.