Days 44, 45, 46 and 47

I know it's been forever since I posted but it hasn't been my fault...Tuesday and Wednesday I couldn't get the site to work and then Wednesday night I got another virus and my entire computer went to crap...I was son fed up with it I decided my time as a pc user had come to an end...so, yesterday I went and got myself an ipad2!!! This thing is so cool and will now be my main computer...instead of trying to remember what I ate thenlast few days I will just let you know that I've done well and am expecting very good numbers today after I'm done playing basketball...I am still planning on writing out my strength workouts this week so you can try them...they have been difficult but fun and rewarding all at the same time...once I get home from basketball I will update this and post my new pictures and stats.

196...10.6% body fat...25.8 bmi...Boom!!!

Not sure how to add photos yet with my iPad but I'll figure it out and get them posted.

Day 43

I really need to stop waiting until late at night to blog...I had a pretty good day today with a little highlight as well, but I'll get to that later...I woke up for my 6am and had my protein shake and then I had my scrambled egg-whites with salsa and cheese for my second breakfast..Then I had an 9am, 10am and I worked out with my 11am...I was excited to workout today...Until I had to do it...I still did a total body workout but it had a definite leg focus and for those of you who have done a serious leg workout you know how much fun I didn't have...I will post tomorrow what I did for that workout and then I will also have two other workouts that I am doing this week that I will post.

For lunch I had chicken, cottage cheese, greek yogurt and watermelon...I was a little hungry after my workout...Oh, and I took today's stats and I was at 200.5, 10.7% body fat (which is a new low!!!) and 26.4 BMI...The new body fat low was part of my highlight today and it gave me a lot of motivation because I am just that close to being under 10% body fat, which I have never been down that low before.

After I had lunch I went to the driving range and about turned my 9 iron into two 4.5 irons...That should tell you how much fun I had...Then I came home and had another greek yogurt and then played my guitar for a while until I needed to cut my hair and then go to an appointment with a potential new client...The meeting went well and she signed up, so I got a new client today as well (this is the other part of my highlight today)...Oh, and for dinner I had some chicken with hot sauce and a little ranch to go with my greek yogurt.

I then had to go play in a slow pitch softball game, which wasn't very fun...For one it's slow pitch softball and two our team sucks...Two thirds of the team works at Motorola so that should tell you how athletic the guys are...And now I'm home (I had some almonds when I got home) and now I am headed to bed...I get to see Esther in 5 days and by then I hope to be under 10% body fat!!!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be
shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.
Think big anyway.
What you spend years building may
be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack if you help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have
and you might get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
       - Anonymous

Days 41 & 42

I'm very tired so this is going to be short...I played golf yesterday and today...I went out to eat last night and had some pizza, wings and beer...I ate pretty good today...I am going to weigh in tomorrow but now pictures (new pictures on Friday)...All in all I would say I did well this weekend and will be able to make some good progress this week.

Just smiling can do wonders for your attitude

Days 39 & 40

Finally some pictures and stats!!!But first I'll start with yesterday and work up to today...I had my normal shake before my 6am...After that I came home and cleaned the rest of the kitchen for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then I made my scrambled egg-whites with salsa, hot sauce and cheese...I then had a 9am and after that I came home and finished the laundry...Having to move by yourself isn't much fun...For lunch, which I had at 11:30am in order to get my food timed right for my workout and post workout meal, I had my chicken dish, cottage cheese and an apple...After lunch I went and picked out my new driver...I got a Callaway Diablo driver...It was normally $300 on sale for $150!!!And then I went to the driving range to try it out and I like it a lot!!!Then I went home and had a greek yogurt before my 2:30pm appointment so that I would have enough energy for my workout after that appointment.

For my workout I did interval sprints...1 minute at 12 mph and then 1 minute walk at 4 mph...Intervals are a great way to burn fat but they are extremely hard...I was wiped out after but I had to shower quick and get ready for my 4:30pm appointment...After that appointment I went home for an hour before I had to go back for my 6:30pm appointment...I knew I had to go meet our new land lord to finalize our lease so I ate dinner before I went to my last appointment...So, I had a piece of chicken with spices and cheese, with some spicy mustard and cottage cheese...When I got home I wanted a glass of wine so I had one and played the guitar for the rest of the night to keep me occupied.

And on to today...I felt great when I woke up and was so glad/proud for not giving into my cravings the night before...I hope I start to remember these moments that way when my cravings come up again I know that I can defeat them...I had my normal shake for breakfast but I knew I wasn't going to be able to have my normal second breakfast because I had appointments at 6am, 8am, 9am, 10am and then workout with my 11am...So, I stopped at the 7-Eleven and bought a protein shake to have after my 8am...I worked out with my 11am and I was so hungry when I started but once we got going I was fine...It was so nice to workout and not feel my belly giggling up and down as I ran on the treadmill.

The rest of today all I have is a 2:30pm and then I am going to go golfing to really test my new driver...I also won't be home for my mid-afternoon snack so I am going to get myself a protein bar to eat after my appointment...And I'm not sure what I'm going to do for dinner because I don't know when I will be done golfing and then I am going over to my friends house to watch "Fringe" with them.

And now for the stats and pictures...I weighed in at an even 200 pounds with 11.7% body fat and my BMI was 26.4!!!It took a little under two weeks to recover from my birthday extravaganza but I have and am now in position to reach my ultimate goal.

I will be going to my parents house for my dad's school's golf outing next weekend so I need to make sure I have a great weekend and week next week to give myself some leeway when I go there...And to end here are my updated pictures...I can start to see a few cuts of definition that I haven't seen in a while and seeing those helps keep my motivation up and wanting to have a good weekend, nutrition wise.

Days 37 & 38

Yesterday was a normal day...I had my protein shake, egg whites, chicken wrap with cottage cheese and fruit, two low-fat string cheese and fruit for my meals 1-4...I was planning on doing something with some friends but that ended up not being able to happen because they already had plans...So, I was thrust into my worse case scenario, which is having a plan and then getting that ruined...I stopped at Trader Joe's and got some cheese and wine...When I came home I had cheese, wine, left over prime rib (from Saturday's dinner), chips, some more wine and some more cheese...What a bad night...But I had a normal day today to recover and even though I am up from where I would have been I know I can have a good end to the week and a good weekend to get me under 200 by Monday.

I will be doing my weigh in and pictures on Friday and on Monday and then continue with the weigh ins on Monday's after that...I've had really good workouts this week and by Monday I really feel as though I will start to really see the result I am looking for...I'm stronger and more solid than I have in a while and these last few weeks as I try to lean out more and more I feel like I will get to where I want to be.

I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
       - Thomas A. Edison

Day 36

Today starts my last few weeks of this...I know I've extended it a couple times but that's okay...Again, if I was on a diet I would have given up after two weeks and gone back to my old, unhealthy habits...Friday I will be weighing in and taking pictures...Today I woke up and weighed 201, which puts me in great position to attain my original goals...This week I am expecting a big week...I am busy at night this week and I'm hoping to avoid another Thursday meltdown...Tonight I am playing softball from 8pm-9:15pm, which helps me tonight...Tomorrow night I work until 7pm and should be able to do something to keep occupied for an hour or so until I go to bed...Wednesday night I have youth group and then the bulls game after that...Friday I think I am going downtown with some friends but I'm not sure yet...Anyway, let's get started on today.

I didn't have to wake up until 7am this morning because I had no early morning client today but I knew my friend Zac needed help going to get his car around 8am because it got towed...I also knew I had clients at 10am and 11am...I also knew I was going to work out with my 11am...So, for breakfast I had two low-fat string cheese and some grapes...Then after getting Zac's car around 9:30am I stopped at a gas station and got a protein bar and a G2 gatorade to fuel my morning workout...After I worked out I came home and made my chicken wrap, cottage cheese and fruit for lunch...Then I cleaned the kitchen...I mean I cleaned it cleaned it...Scrubbed the cupboards, scrubbed the counters, stove fridge and sink...I cleaned it so well it smells like the all-purpose cleaner in the apartment.

I then had clients at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30, so I stopped at 7-Eleven and got a RTD (Ready To Drink) Muscle Milk Light protein shake for my mid-afternoon snack and since I am out of chicken I am going to stop by Subway and get a six inch roasted chicken breast for dinner and have some cottage cheese with it...Then I will freeze my butt off playing softball tonight and then go to sleep in my nice warm bed!!!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
       - Philippians 4: 4-7

Days 31, 32, 33 and 34

Ok, so this time it wasn't my fault and anyone else who uses this service for a blog can back me up...The blog service has been down the last couple days so I wasn't able to post...Anyway, with as many days in there as there was I am not going to try to remember everything but just give a few highlights and then my plan from here on out.

Let's just say I didn't have the best Thursday night...I snacked a lot but got back on track yesterday, which was Friday...I also saw "Thor" last night and the actor who played Thor really motivated me to get down to my goal weight...The dude was jacked to say the least...The amount of dedication and hard work it takes to get your body in that kind of shape is inspiring to me...Of course if I was getting paid $10 million to look like that I probably would have a little more motivation.

My plan has changed a little bit...I had a stomach bug this week and that threw me off and Thursday night didn't help...Esther and I also planned a little get away when she gets back, which is four weeks away...So, I am extending this two extra weeks to really see what kind of shape I can get in...I had a great workout today and since the weather is starting to get a little nicer it will help motivate me to get outside and workout a little harder...I just need to find things to fill my time with at night...I guess I could try packing and cleaning :)

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
       - Anonymous

Days 28, 29 and 30

I first want to apologize to Gina for it taking me so long to get this done but it's not my fault...On Sunday night a got a computer virus and wasn't able to use my computer until late last night...With that said it's been an interesting couple days.

First, at dinner I didn't have steak and two sides of veggies...I ended up ordering a tenderloin sandwich and fries...It sounded really good and it was :)  Sunday was a tough one...Not only was it Mother's Day but we also celebrated my birthday with my in-laws...First I didn't have breakfast because I was still full from the night before...Bad #1...As soon as we got to their house I was starving so I ate candy and chips with guacamole...Bad #2...We had burgers made with an 80/20 ground beef...Bad #3...My mother-in-law also made me my favorite dessert, chocolate cheesecake...Bad #4...Esther left to go back to Indiana for her clinical...Bad #5...I had left over snacks from Friday night so I finished those with some wine...Bad #6.

Definitely not one of my best efforts...It just goes to show how quickly things can get out of control if you let them and don't follow the guidelines the previous days.

Monday morning came and needless to say I was full...But I learned my lesson and made a protein shake for breakfast...I then had my egg-white omelet for my mid-morning snack and then went to my 9am appointment...After that I worked out, which felt so good to get a good workout in, and then came home and made my normal lunch...I then had clients from 2:30-6:30...I stopped at the 7-Eleven to get a protein shake to take with me to work that way I knew I would have my mid-afternoon snack...I was still feeling pretty full so all I had for dinner was a chicken breast with salsa and some asparagus...I really like to use the veggie steamers for quick veggies that still taste good.

This morning I woke up feeling a little better...I didn't have a 6am so I slept in until 6:45am because I had an 8am and 9am appointments...But my 8am texted me at 7:20am asking if we could switch to this afternoon...This gave me some extra time so I made scrambled egg whites with some salsa and hot sauce mixed in, this is my new favorite egg-white breakfast...I then went to my 9am and was planning on running after that was over...It was about 70 degrees by that time so I ran outside...I planned on running 5 miles but only made it 3 because I hadn't eaten enough in the day and started feeling like I could pass out so I backed it down and had to walk home...It just goes to show you that it doesn't matter how much you exercise, if you don't give you body food/fuel to go off of you will have zero energy after 15-20 minutes of exercise.

When I got home I knew I needed some sugar but also didn't want to eat crap...So, I had a greek yogurt and skim milk...Plenty of good sugars in there and protein and carbs..Then I had to go to my 11:30am appointment...It was a little awkward at first because I had a little incident with this client last week.

This is what happened, she texted me at about 8am that morning asking if she could come in at 11am...Keep in mind this was only 3 days before Esther was going to leave for her clinical...Well, I go to my studio and 11am comes...11:15...11:30...No call, no text, nothing...A no show...My policy is if you don't show up and we both knew you were suppose to be there I charge you for that hour...Very standard for the industry...Well, she shows up the next Tuesday and we go through the workout...I then have her sign in for the hour and there was the line that said I was going to charge her for her no show...Well, she didn't like that and got all upset at me and then stormed out of my studio...At that point I was pretty sure I lost a client but she texted me a couple days later to apologize and all is better now...But at least she now knows I'm serious about my no show policy  :)

Anyway, after that appointment I had to come home and grill up some chicken and then I made a mexican style chicken breast with some cottage cheese and then I had a 2:30 and 3:30pm to go to...After that, since it was still 75 degrees outside, I went to the driving range, which is always an interesting time...Once I was done making craters in the earth, nothing sounded better than a six pack of beer and some pizza...But knowing where I was in my journey I decided that beer and pizza wouldn't be such a good thing...I went home and still had the craving and even got so close as to put my shoes on to go to the store...Then I had to stop and think which was more important to me, the quick satisfaction of pizza and beer or the long term satisfaction of reaching my goals...I chose wisely tonight...Thankfully.

I feel ok but I know I will feel great in a couple days...Oh yeah, I forgot to put what I had for dinner tonight...I made a chicken breast with marinara sauce and some cheese and another of my asparagus steamers and I just had some strawberries...Definitely feel full and ready to go to bed once the Bulls finish off the Hawks tonight...And I promise I will do better of staying up on this...Pictures and stats Friday!!!

Days 26 & 27

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because...Esther is home!!!She was able to come back this weekend from her clinical so we get to spend the weekend together!!!

Anyway, here is how Friday went...I was able to wake up on time and have my protein shake and coffee like I like to do...I had clients at 6am, 8am, 9am, 2:30pm and was suppose to have a 4pm but she canceled...Since I had an 8am it threw off my normal eating schedule...After I got back from my 6am I waited until about 7:50am to have some greek yogurt and a glass of skim milk...Then after I got back from my 9am client I waited until about 10:45am to have my egg-white omelet...Wait, I got that backwards...I had my egg-white omelet before my 8am and then the greek yogurt and milk after my 9am...Ooops...Anyway, then I went to go play basketball...Unfortunately only one other person showed up...So, we played a couple one-on-one games since he is about 55 years old and couldn't play much more than that...Needless to say, playing basketball against a 55 year old isn't much of a workout...Sorry to anyone who is around that age but it's the truth...When I got home I went for a two mile run in order to complete my cardio for the day.

After I ran I heated up a chicken breast and had that with some hot sauce with a little ranch and a few tortilla chips and then I headed to my 2:30pm...After that I took some kids to a skate boarding event that my friends were putting on...They run a skateboarding ministry called "Foundation Skate Ministry" (http://foundationskateministry.org/ or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foundation-Skate-Ministry/185958357397?sk=info)...It is a Christian ministry targeted toward skateboarders...It's really a cool thing what they are doing.

I was at that event from 4pm-7:30pm and then headed home to meet Esther there...I stopped and got some cheese, crackers and wine and a dozen roses to welcome her home...She got home and we just got to hang out again and start watching "24" on netflix...I had some of each of the snack I got but not too much because I wanted to enjoy our dinner the next  night...Mission accomplished!!!

Today is Saturday and I got to sleep in until 7:15am...I still can't believe that 7:15am is sleeping in for me now...Anyway, I only had two appointments today but one of them was with a new client!!!In between my two appointments I got my workout in so I could spend the whole day with Esther...She went to a baby shower while I was at work and then we went to Sam's Club to get some groceries and she needed to pick up her new glasses (yes they have an entire optometry section in Sams...They sell everything there).

We have been just lounging around all day and just enjoying being able to see each other again...We are going to dinner tonight and I already know I am getting the filet mignon with two veggies instead of potatoes...The restaurant is also a winery and Esther is getting a membership to their wine club for my birthday...It's really good wine and also you get some good discounts.

That's about it for today (sorry Gina no juicy details and no snooky/situation drama) but I have been able to right the ship a little bit and put myself in good position for reaching my goals...Pictures and weigh ins will resume next Friday!!!

Day 25

I am officially back on track!!!Yes I had a few rough days but I'm dealing with my habits and getting them under control...I am still not counting this week and will do three more weeks starting Monday but I am putting myself in good position to hit my goals...It just goes to show you how depressing having a few bad days in a row can deter you...I wanted nothing more than to quit doing this and just be okay with where I was at...But I had to take my own advice...Had I taken the rest of this week off I would have been right back to square one on Monday but I decided that in the long term I did not want that...The short term satisfaction of food is not worth the long term feelings of disgust and disdain for myself...I've really had to put things back in perspective...I've really started to think about my food decisions...I've really started to think if I really want to eat/snack at night and have wine at night...I like my normal routine...I like having my coffee, protein shake and egg-white omelet in the morning...I like waking up feeling refreshed and energized...I don't like being so full that I don't want anything to eat and don't want coffee...I don't like feeling sluggish and drained for the first half of the day.

Yesterday I had a pretty normal eating day besides my first breakfast...I woke up late and had to down a greek yogurt real quick before I left for my 6am...But after that it was the normal egg-white omelet for my  mid-morning snack, chicken, cottage cheese and fruit for lunch, greek yogurt and kashi and a glass of skim milk for my mid-afternoon snack for my mid-afternoon snack but my dinner was thrown off because of my night schedule...I was at my studio from 4:30-7:30 (I did pick up a new client though!!!) and had to go straight to a meeting from there and then to a bible study that my friends do for skateboarders...Needless to say I was hungry when I got there so I had half of a burger and about 10 potato chips...Not very good but I did the best I could for the situation.

Today I woke up and weighed myself and I was back down to 201!!!  That puts me right back on track for Monday...By then I should be right around 200 and be in position to achieve my goals...Esther comes home today for the weekend as well and I can't wait for that!!!And we are going out to dinner tomorrow night and I can't wait for that either...With these past few days I will feel as though I can have a good dinner and not feel guilty about ordering something that might not be the best for me because it will be my reward meal...We also will be celebrating my birthday and mother's day with Esther's family which means another meal that won't be great but I can do the best I can and then make sure I keep things in check the rest of the day.

I am feeling better about all this and this will give me my second wind in order to finish this thing strong!!!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
       - Doug Larson

Day 24

I can't believe I am 24 days into this already...Yesterday was a good day because it was my birthday!!!The weather was great so I went and played nine holes of golf by myself, which was nice because nobody got to see some of the shots I hit...I got a good workout in (I am still doing the same strength workout) before I went golfing...My eating yesterday wasn't very good because of all the crap I had eaten the night before...I was still full when I woke up which means I didn't feel like eating...What a vicious cycle this is.

The cycle is when you eat a lot late at night you are not hungry the next morning...This is a double whammy because not only are you eating tons of calories and then going to bed, meaning you are not burning off any of the calories you just took in, you aren't hungry until lunch time, which means you have gone around twelve hours without eating...The cycle continues at lunch time, usually people want to feel as though they eat a healthy lunch because of what they ate the night before so they get something light, like a salad...This only continues the cycle and makes it worse...It makes it worse because by the time you finish your day at work and come home your body is craving energy and food and this is when people start the cycle all over again...It starts with eating something like chips and salsa and maybe have a couple beers or pops with it...Then you have a big dinner and some more beer or wine or pop and by the end of the meal you have taken in around 2,000 calories and thus won't feel like eating breakfast.

The correct way is to turn this around...You should be hungry when you wake up...You then will want to eat breakfast and this will get your metabolism going and make you hungrier throughout the day...You want to be hungry throughout the day!!! This means your body is revved up and working for you...It also means that your body is consistently getting food/calories/nutrients, which means you won't have the same cravings and will be able to have a better approach to dinner.

Anyway, back to the rest of my day yesterday...For lunch I had my chicken and cottage cheese and then after I played golf I came home, took a little nap and then had some grapes and greek yogurt and then went to youth group...And that was my day...I feel better today and I am going to try to get things back on track here that way I'm not starting all over again on Monday and I want to feel as though I can enjoy my birthday dinner with Esther on Saturday.

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.
       - Anonymous

day 23

Birthday weeks suck!!!  I have to make some adjustments because this week is going to kill me...My clients tonight gave me a cake, gynormous chocolate cookies, toffee, a $90 bottle of Cabernet, and a bottle of white wine and I'm sure there will be more to come...So, I am going to make an adjustment...I am going to take the rest of this week off and then add one week to my journey...So, after this week I will be doing this for four more weeks...I will still blog everyday to let you know my eating habits this week and how I'm dealing with everything but I am going to enjoy my birthday week and then continue after that...I will also blog about what I eat and exercise as well this week.

This brings me to a big point in healthy living...Just because I have a birthday week and I know I am going to gain weight doesn't mean I abandon ship...Will it be a bad week?  Yes, but that leaves me 51 other weeks during the year...I am going to enjoy my birthday but it will not derail me from my ultimate goals!

Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month.
Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power.
       -Paul J. Meyer

Day 22

Today has been tough...I stayed up late to watch all the Osama bin Laden news and way over slept this morning...So, I had no breakfast...When I got home I was so tired I fell back asleep until about 9:30, so no mid-morning snack...I woke up and wasn't hungry because I hadn't eaten all day but I knew I had to have something so I had some almonds to get things going...I then had to eat my lunch at 11am in order to be ready to workout at 1pm...So, I worked out and then had clients at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30...I stopped at the 7-Eleven and bought a protein shake for after my workout...I was suppose to have a 6:30pm appointment but her daughter had come home from school sick so that got canceled...This throws me off more than anything...To have a plan and then have it ruined is tough for me...I made a chicken quesadilla and had a couple beers and some chips...I always have a tough time sticking to my eating plan when I have free time...Now throw in Esther being gone and I have to deal with my bored eating tenancies which is really hard for me...I did okay but definitely not as good as I wanted to...I will have to be really disciplined for the rest of the week in order to reach my goal by Friday...I am hoping to just be back down to around 203 by Friday...Birthday weeks are tough but I think I can manage this.


Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more wisely.
       - Anonymous

Day 20 and 21

Oh boy...This is going to take some getting use to...Esther is in Fort Wayne...I have never lived alone and this is very different...Last night was definitely not good...Lots of food and fun but I took in about 2,500 calories...It is my birthday people!!!Today wasn't much better...Big breakfast and lunch...I am not looking forward to tomorrow...I am actually going to wait until Friday to do the next weigh in and pictures...It would be pointless and depressing to do it tomorrow...I will post my weigh in after my workout and then Friday is when I will do the updated pictures...It's getting really hard to continue because I am at a point where I am comfortable but I want my comfortableness at 200-205 to be feeling heavy...In order to do that I need to be very diligent these next 3 weeks...Esther is coming back next weekend and we are going out to Cooper's Hawk for dinner for my birthday and I have my birthday lunch with my in-laws on Sunday...It ought to be interesting.