Week 14
April 17
Gym Membership Renewal
This is uncharted territory – I’ve never renewed a gym membership before. I signed up for a gym membership with Better Body Fitness in Elgin, SC on January 16th and just renewed my membership for another 3 months ($99).
That works out to be about $1.30 a visit.
And because of workout pledge (THANKS!) I started last Friday, I’ll be at Better Body Fitness tonight on the elliptical for 55 minutes at level 18. That’s a sick level to stay at for 55 minutes, but I know I can do it — then move onto level 19.
55 Minutes = 818 Calories
Fifty-five minutes, plus two for cooling down, equals 818 calories burned at level 18 on the elliptical. I really appreciate everyone who participated in the pledge.
I said I’d take pictures, but I lied. I bring you video instead:
I also said we’d be on level 19 after this, but I lied about that too. We’re going to go ahead and just skip 19 and go to 20. That’s the machine’s max level.
How ‘bout them apples?
April 20
Dangers of Rapid Weight Loss
Unbeknownst to me, around the same time I was beginning my weight loss journey my overweight friend Chris in Charleston started his journey as well.
He started at 357 pounds and quickly started losing weight with a lifestyle change similar to mine — until he uploaded this picture to his Facebook account.
He was in the hospital — with gallstones.
His drastic weight loss was 100% to blame for sending him to the emergency room. It frightened me, but honestly and perhaps naively/ignorantly, 344 pounds scared me a lot more than the possible risks/dangers of losing weight quickly.
And in case you were wondering, since his surgery Chris is back to losing weight again. He’s lost 53 pounds and weighs 304 pounds after 19 weeks.
April 21
344 vs. 283 Pounds
It’s hard to put words with these pics — so, I’ll just leave you with them.
April 22 Weigh-In Results
April 22 weight: 279.6
April 15 weight: 283.6
April 08 weight: 289.2
April 01 weight: 289.6
Mar 25 weight: 296.2
Mar 18 weight: 302.6
Mar 11 weight: 306.6
Mar 04 weight: 312.0
Feb 25 weight: 320.2
Feb 18 weight: 324.0
Feb 11 weight: 328.2
Feb 04 weight: 333.0
Jan 28 weight: 338.2
Starting weight (Jan 21): 344.2
I’ve lost 4 pounds in the past week, 64.6 pounds total in 13 weeks!
While I’m definitely not complaining about losing 4 pounds, I know I could’ve lost more this week. I’ve had some very sloppy meals the past several days and have been pretty inactive outside of the gym.
I’ll step up my game and see if we can get under the big 275 next week.
My iPhone was dead this morning, so I couldn’t take a picture of the scale.
April 23
Reader Email from Adam
The emails, comments and tweets are wonderful.
Hey Tyler!
I just wanted to say “Thank you!” for your site. It has given me what I needed so I could do something about my own issue with weight.
About seven or eight years ago, I lost 60 pounds, in a very short time, because I knew I had to. After that came a relationship and a few college degrees to work on. As is often the case, my weight began to increase, along with my enjoyment of life. I put on that 60 pounds plus another 70 to make sure I really had the process down. I have never been willing or able to do much about it. Well, I have been able all along, but it was always easier buying bigger clothes than it was losing the weight.
A few weeks ago, I decided that I just needed to do something about it. I have so many things I want to do and I refuse to let my poor decisions haunt me any longer. I had seen your site in the past and thought it was remarkable. The other day, I came across it again. Because I made the decision to change, I paid more attention to your site. I read every single work on there and it solidified my decision. On Saturday, I told my girlfriend that I would be waking up an hour and a half early, running, and making a healthy breakfast for both of us. She, of course, was supportive, but she made a comment similar to “Do you think you will like that better?” She was asking if I would rather run in the morning, instead of at night. My response came out before I could even think. I told her that it does not matter what I will like, I MUST do it. I am almost certain that response would have been different, if I had not read your site. When this morning came, I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I hit the elliptical hard and played with the resistance until I found the right spot. For all of the money we spent on the elliptical, I am quite pleased to finally put it to good use.
You are an inspiration to every one of us out here that have struggled with weight issues. The difficulty with problems like this is that we could all make the decision to do something about it, but we choose not to. Your choice to do something about it has pushed me to make the same choice for myself. Within the next year, I hope to complete my current degree. I would much rather walk across the stage with a normal, fit body than one of excess, as is the case now.
Again, thank you very much for your bravery and effort. Please keep up the good work. Also, I saw in your comments that you plan on posting more photos soon. I hope that is the case. Seeing and reading about your successes will help a lot of people.
Maybe I will see you next to a pool somewhere!
Adam
Week 15
April 24
The Beginning
My first blog post was made on Jan 16, 2009. In it, I talked about the steps I was taking to begin my new lifestyle but neglected to share how it actually got started.
I’m going to do that today.
While my first blog post was made on Jan 16, 2009, I began my new lifestyle the previous day, a Thursday, January 15th.
I had gone to work on the morning of the 15th as normal, with absolutely no intention of becoming healthy, starting a diet, new healthy lifestyle or anything of the sort.
As a matter of fact, I had stopped at the Burger King located near my office on the 15th and ordered the usual: a french toast sticks meal with large hashbrowns and a large Coke.
I normally skipped breakfast altogether, but if I did decide to have breakfast it was a deep fried feast from Burger King.
As I was close to finishing my breakfast, I stopped. I had a few hashbrowns left and lost all interest in them. I put them back in the bag, balled the bag up and threw it away.
I got up, went to the bathroom, then stared at myself in the mirror for what seemed like an hour. I wasn’t happy with myself. While I was happy with my job, my wife, my friends, my future… I just wasn’t happy with myself.
It wasn’t depression or anything psychological. But, it was still very serious — life or death, actually. The morning of the 15th, in my office, I looked straight into the mirror at the 350 pound, disease-ridden body I created and asked myself:
What did your body ever do to deserve this?
Why don’t you care about the others you’ll affect when you die?
Why don’t you love yourself and at least try to lose this weight?
So, I did. I went back to my desk and went to work. I looked up a good multi-vitamin (knowing I’d never have a perfect diet), found a BMI chart (I was extremely obese, who knew?) and looked up how many calories I needed to eat in a day to lose weight.
It wasn’t scientific or well thought out, I probably made, and still make, tons of mistakes. In fact, I’m sure I do — I get emails all the time letting me know.
I started with no medical supervision or advice (not recommended), no physical trainers, nor did I have a background in physical education or nutrition.
I still don’t have physical trainers, a background in physical education or nutrition, nor do I have any medical advice per se (supervision, yes). All I do is eat smaller portions, move around more and drink water all day.
So far, this plan has lost 64 pounds in 13 weeks and I don’t think I’ll be changing it anytime soon.
It all started by throwing away those hashbrowns on January 15th, 2009.
April 25
Counting Calories 4/20 – 4/24
I’m going to start tracking my calories Monday through Friday. I’ll post here every Saturday with the previous weeks’ calorie consumption.
Monday (1,400 calories)
7 a.m.: 2 cups of Cocoa Pebbles w/ 1% milk = 290
10 a.m.: 1 cup unsweetened applesauce = 50
Noon: turkey and cheese sandwich w/ light miracle whip and mustard = 250
3 p.m.: banana = 110 calories
6 p.m.: 2 hot dogs (mustard, ketchup, relish, onions) w/ chips and salsa = 700
Tuesday (1,790 calories)
7 a.m.: 2 1/2 cups of shredded wheat w/ 1% milk and raisin bread = 390
10 a.m.: 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce = 50
Noon: 3/4 tuna sandwich, handful of fries = 600 est
6 p.m.: BBQ sandwich, chips = 650 est
7 p.m.: 100-calorie snack pack, shortbread cookies = 100
Wednesday (1,530 calories)
7 a.m.: 2 cups Apple Jacks cereal w/ 1% milk = 260
10 a.m.: 1 cup unsweetened applesauce = 50
Noon: turkey and cheese sandwich, handful of chips = 420
5 p.m.: 100-calorie snack pack, shortbread cookies = 100
6 p.m.: 2 cups of spaghetti, bowl of Caesar salad = 700
Thursday (1,467 calories)
6 a.m.: 2 cups Apple Jacks cereal w/ 1% milk = 260
10 a.m.: 1/2 an orange = 25
1 p.m.: Arby’s french dip & swiss (took half the bread off) w/ small curly fries = 682
6 p.m.: Homemade tacos (beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, onions) = 500
Friday (1,582 calories)
6 a.m.: 2 slices of raisin bread, banana = 300
10 a.m.: 1 cup unsweetened applesauce = 50
1 p.m.: TGI Friday’s Sizzlin’ Chicken and Shrimp = 300
6 p.m.: Cracker Barrel’s Grilled Catfish, corn, mashed potatoes, and biscuit = 632
I know I eat a lot of processed food. And yes, I know I’m lacking X nutrient from my diet. But here’s my response to that, and here’s why I’m posting the food I eat:
This is a realistic diet and meal plan to lose weight.
Ideally, yes, I’d love to get my multiple servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I’d love to have a grilled chicken breast with asparagus and a fruit cup everyday for lunch.
But, for the majority people trying to lose weight, myself included, eating plush, healthy, balanced meals all the time is simply unrealistic.
So, until I have the desire, ability and willpower to maintain the “perfect” diet, I’ll try to limit my portions, snack on fruits/veggies, and lay off the fried food.
It’s working… so far.
April 27
Find Motivation to Lose Weight
I have to find motivation every single time I press level 20 on the elliptical. I have to find the motivation to order a salad as an appetizer over cheese fries.
Every minute of every day I’m constantly trying to find the motivation to change the old, unhealthy habits that have become the norm for the past 20 years.
Here’s how I find my motivation.
The list. I keep a list of reasons why I’m losing weight on a piece of paper in my home office. I wrote it when I started the blog and look at it when I have a hard time finding motivation.
My word. When I started this some three months ago, I told you, family, friends and strangers alike that I didn’t want to die. I sent out an email with a link to this blog to everyone I knew. I told you in that email that I was going to lose 100+ pounds and make sure I was able to see my daughter get married (she can’t date until she’s 22, by the way).
Role models. You need to know it’s possible to lose weight. An old friend of mine from high school, James, used to be extremely overweight like me. Years ago, we used to be regulars of Flowertown, a restaurant in my hometown of Summerville.
We’d always go about 3 a.m. (after playing video games all night) and order all kinds of ridiculously unhealthy things. One such meal in particular was a platter of large gravy fries (exactly as it sounds).
His unhealthy habits stopped long before mine, as he lost a great deal of weight (75+ pounds) about two years ago. He did it by going to the gym and playing in a basketball league, while still drinking alcohol and eating junk (college) food.
While it hurts to say it, considering how inferior he is to me in every other aspect of our lives (sorry, I can’t actually be nice to you, James), he’s a role model.
Antagonists. On the flip side, we have the antagonists. These are the family members, students, co-workers and strangers who have dished out the rude comments about your weight throughout your life.
Short, attainable goals. I have some personal goals for my family. A large, long-term goal includes buying a piece of land and building a large house and a pond on it. We could have geese, too, and my dogs (boxer and cocker spaniel) could chase them around all day.
Short term goal? Pay the electricity bill next month.
Fixating on the larger and harder to accomplish goal will make you discouraged and depressed.
My first goal started with getting under 340 pounds — my next goal is to get under 274.
If my first goal had started and ended with “lose 100 pounds,” I wouldn’t have accomplished anything yet. Instead, I’ll be hitting the gym tomorrow knowing that I’m so close to reaching my goal of 274 pounds with just a little bit more effort.
Then, it’s onto 269 pounds. And some day, maybe the day I get my 26-acres with a pond, I’ll be at the gym working toward 220 pounds
April 28
Nike Air Zoom Katana Stars
Being a fan of Consumerist, I’m a thorough shopper. I like to read reviews, ask friends and family for their recommendations, and shop around for the best deal.
After a month of shopping around and trying on probably 20 different pairs of shoes, I decided to buy the Nike Air Zoom Katanas. It was close, the decision was down to these shoes and pretty much anything made by New Balance.
After running a mile, jumping rope, and staying on the elliptical for 20 minutes Monday, I’d have to say they’re well worth the $59.98. They’re much lighter, more comfortable and feel like they don’t “restrain” me as much as my old shoes.
Know what tomorrow is? Weigh-in day! I’ll see you bright and early.
April 29 Weigh-In Results
This was a solid, average week. I hope and expect to lose close to this much weight every week until I reach my goal of 220.
April 29 weight: 275.8
April 22 weight: 279.6
April 15 weight: 283.6
April 08 weight: 289.2
April 01 weight: 289.6
I’ve lost 3.8 pounds in the past week and 68.4 pounds in 14 weeks.
I’m so motivated to breakthrough my goal next week — getting under 275 has always been a huge milestone for me. After that, the two larger remaining goals are 250 and 225, both of which we’ll see before football season starts.
You just wait and see, buttercups.
While my spirits have never been higher, there are two issues presenting themselves.
The first is loose skin — I should start addressing it soon. You can tell from the very first videos that I’m much more “plump” and “filled in” than the last several video updates. My skin is starting to sag.
The second issue involves clothes. We’re of a modest budget here in the Tyler household and while I’d love to go buy new clothes that fit every two weeks — it’s simply not practical.
I’m outgrowing pants/shorts at a rate of every two to three weeks, currently wearing a size 40 waist down from 48 in January. Shirts are also becoming baggy and more loose by the day, particularly dress shirts.
I’ll just have to deal with it until I reach my maintenance goal of 220 pounds. I’ve had worse problems… you know, like weighing 344 pounds and slowly dying.
