The Wife Weighs In...Week 24

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

Yes, I admit it...the bacon cheeseburger topped with chicken wings was mine. How could I not order something so ridiculous? It was really good, but the Buffalo Pierogies appetizer and the Fried Oreo dessert were truly out of this world. Oh, and if you ever get to Street Meet in Hilton Head, be sure to order a Cocaine Lady or two...good times.

I ate and drank with wild abandon while on vacation. Lots of fried shrimp, a Bloody Mary or two (or more), some hush puppies, and a local specialty called She-Crab Soup. We had great food (especially the salsa and queso) and margaritas at a Mexican restaurant across the marina from our resort. We also had a really nice "white linen" dinner at another restaurant across the marina...I had Scallops Gratin...yum.

On the flip side, I got to the treadmill for an hour on Saturday morning...I even ran two separate half-mile stretches! Beyond the treadmill, between shopping, sight-seeing, and purposeful exercise, I must have walked and/or biked at least 15 miles while we were gone...it was 1.5 miles just to get to the beach.

So, what's the result? Other than being much more relaxed and being thankful for a fantastic getaway with some very dear friends? I had a gain. Whatever. It was a smaller gain than I thought it would be and I had one heck of a good time.

Stand-off begins on Monday!

Until next week,


(a.k.a., Elle Tee Jay)


My update:
3/28/08: 183.2 pounds
4/04/08: 186.2 pounds (a gain of 3.0 pounds)

Total loss: 41.2 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

The Weigh-In Week 43

222 =( That's what it said on the scale this morning. A 4 pound post vacation gain.

I am not so worried about the 4 pound vacation gain... I am worried about the 9 pound gain I have accumulated over the last two weeks.

I have 4 weeks until my next 5K race and I would like to be at a new low by then. That means some serious work ahead. Hopefully I will be starting in on some serious Tri Training in the next two weeks, so that should help some.

To get things started right next week has officially been declared a standoff week.

As the weather is finally turning to spring, I am hoping to get my bike bought in the next few weeks and hit the road. I also plan to start swimming at the local Junior High in the next two weeks.

Play time is over, it's time to get serious.

You can tell I am serious, I have used the word serious 5 times in this post!

Have a great weekend everybody. Get out there and enjoy your first taste of spring.

Tony
04/04: 222 lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
14 lbs. to go

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 43

Back from vacation and feeling rested and relaxed.

We had a wonderful time. As much as I love and missed my girls, it sure was nice to sit in a restaurant for 3 hours with no fear of tantrums or broken china...well almost no fear.


We were in Hilton Head, South Carolina. A beautiful island 45 minutes from Savannah Georgia. It was the perfect place for this vacation. A low key kind of town with plenty to keep us busy but absolutely nothing that we had to do.


I got up the first morning with two of our traveling companions and ran to the ocean. It was such an amazing way to start the day, we decide to do it every morning. So I got in 3 runs and a couple of bike rides while we were gone.

My lovely wife did great too and got to the gym a few times along with some bike rides and walks to the beach. We even spent some time riding on the beach. That was a new one for me but highly enjoyable.

I could easily spend a few years living on Hilton head Island... assuming I was rich and didn't have to work or anything.

Despite the active vacation lifestyle, my goal of coming back lighter than when we left didn't work out so well. Most of the non active parts of our vacation were spent in restaurants or in the hot tub with a beer. I thought I was earning all my calories but the scale this morning says otherwise.

On the last night we ended up in a restaurant that served some of the craziest cuisine I have ever seen, including this hamburger toped with chicken wings.


I won't tell you who ordered it but it wasn't me!


I'll have to hit it hard starting next week if I want to be in shape for the 5k on May 3rd.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
04/03: 218 lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
10 lbs. to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

The Weigh-In Week 42 And The Wife Weighs In

Let's not make a big deal out of this.

218. A five pound gain. Probably would have been 215 if I hadn't had a huge lunch and pizza for dinner at 8:30 last night. Yesterday morning I was around 216.

This sets me up for an awesome goal this week. Come back from vacation with a loss!

Who thinks I can do it?

My lovely wife on the other hand had a very good pre vacation week getting down to a new all time low with a loss of 1.2!!! Way to go sweetie!

The Wife Weighs In
3/14/08: 187.0 pounds
3/21/08: 184.4 pounds (a loss of 2.6 pounds)
3/28/08: 183.2 pounds (a loss of 2.6 pounds)

Total loss: 45.2 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

Have a great weekend everybody see you next Thursday!

Tony
03/28: 218 lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
10 lbs. to go

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 42

A mixed week to say the least. I had a few to many mini-binges this week. I'm not doing well with this transition week from Easter to Vacation. The week has kind of turned into an extension of Easter or a vacation preview. An Eastecation if you will.

On the other hand I made some big strides in the gym this week. Ran an extra 6 minutes on the treadmill on Monday. Managed to do 50 push ups on Tues. Did my first bike to treadmill cross training on Wed. The bike to treadmill went surprisingly well, although I am feeling it today. I spent 20 minutes on the bike and did 4.7 miles. Then, I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and did 2.2 miles. Not bad for my first try.

Sadly I can almost guarantee that the extra effort in the gym will not be enough to offset the extra effort in the snack drawer.

I am bringing my shoes along on vacation though and plan to get at least two runs in. Next week we'll get back on track. Can't forget the Triathlon is only 3 months away... which reminds me I still need to get a bike. That will be first on the list after vacation. And the new 5K is only 6 weeks away!

I'll do my best to post my weigh-in before we head to the airport tomorrow morning.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
03/27: 213 lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
5 lbs. to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

Still Here

Just a quick note to say I am still here. I am bogged down trying to get things done before vacation.

I feel like I have been going through withdrawal these past two days. After the big eating weekend I have been jonsing for sweets...and sadly I have given in more often than not. So today is rededication day. I pledge to be good today and tomorrow so I can swing into vacation on an up tick...or down tick.

Miracle of Miracles the scale has been on my side during these mini binges. I have managed to lose a pound and a half of the 5 I gained over the weekend. I still don't think I'll have a loss this week. But it would be nice to get close to 214 again.

Out of guilt I have been pushing myself extra hard in the gym these last two days, I am sure that has helped with the scale.

Yesterday I achieved a new gym milestone. I managed to do 50 push ups in one go. I was shooting for 50 push ups in 50 seconds. I didn't have a watch so I don't know how long it actually took me but it couldn't have been much longer then a minute.

The attempt was inspired by this article over at Men's Health . I am pretty impressed that I managed it on the first try.

If I can get to the gym today, I am going to try a split workout, 4 miles on the bike and 2 miles on the treadmill. Just to see how it feels.

Oh and I singed up for another 5K with my Dad. More on that later.

Contest tomorrow.

Tony
03/24: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
5 lbs. to go

p.s. So much for a short check in post.

Not A Good Weekend

I managed to do the opposite of everything I had planed on doing this weekend.

I was going to eat well. I was going to squeeze in an extra workout. I was going to avoid a huge weekend gain.

Instead I ate way to much. I missed my Friday workout and didn't make up for it on Saturday. I gained 5 pounds.

All in all this was a very up and down weekend. We had some great times and some horrible times.

We had a wonderful Easter celebration with family and a great trip down memory lane.... even if it was a little chaotic.

Unfortunately we also had a sick little girl and some other not so fun things going on.

So this week is about getting healthy mentally and physically and looking forward to next weekends vacation.

A loss this week is a long shot, but I am going to give myself until Friday for the weigh-in in a furtive hope that we might be able to pull things off.

So the contest will be on Thursday as normal.

Tony
03/24: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
5 lbs. to go

The Weigh-In Week 41

213! That is what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of .6 pounds.

Not a bad way to follow up last weeks big accomplishments. Now I just have to behave this weekend...or squeeze in some extra workouts and hopefully I can coast into vacation next weekend as a non-obese guy.

Our big winner this week was Teresa with a last minute guess of .6. Nicely done Teresa. Only 5 votes though, so no prize this week.

As a correction from last week, our winner was Ali, not Butters. Ali I didn't have a chance to pick up a race day souvenir for you. So I'll have to think of something else.

Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter.

Tony
03/21: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 208
5 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 24

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

Quick update for me as I only have a couple of minutes. I'm taking the day off and the girls are still sleeping, so this might be my only chance! (Even though Nana Heather is here today...there is just so much to do!)

I had a little stand-off of my own this week and I stuck to it pretty well. I went back to logging everything I ate and even planned out my days ahead of time. Yesterday was a little more difficult, as my staff threw me a surprise birthday party. Buffalo chicken salad wasn't too bad, but I had a little trouble resisting the blue cheese.

Cardio and weights on Monday, hour on the treadmill on Tuesday, overslept on Wednesday, hour on the treadmill yesterday, cardio and weights this morning.

I hope to continue the stand-off through the Easter weekend (yikes!) and next week as we get ready for vacation.

Have a happy Easter! Don't let the Reese's peanut butter eggs bite you in the backside...
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

3/14/08: 187.0 pounds
3/14/08: 184.4 pounds (a loss of 2.6 pounds)

Total loss: 44.0 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 41

It's been another good week of naturally healthy eating. No major cravings, no major binges. Knock on wood.

I ate kind of heavy over the weekend, what with all the race day celebrations and all., so as always it comes down to today to see if I will have a loss or not. Even if I do have a gain, it will be a tiny one. I think I can pull out the loss though.

I have decided to stop logging my food. I have hardly done it since the beginning of the year, and the few weeks that I did do it, the logging was always done at the end of the week instead of as an on going thing. So really it wasn't helping my choose what to eat. I feel like I am at a new phase in this journey. I know what I can and should be eating now. It is simply a matter of being mentally aware. I don't think I need the log for that anymore.

One last bit of house keeping. My lovely wife and I are headed off on Vacation next Friday for some much deserved R and R. I may move the official weigh in to Thursday to accommodate our traveling, which would move the contest to Wednesday. Stay tuned for further details.


Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
03/20: 213.6lbs
Goal: 214 lbs. ACCOMPLISHED
NEW GOAL: 208
5.6 lbs. to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

So What's Next?

When I woke up on Sunday morning I realized I no longer had a goal. For the last few months my energy has been focused a lot more on training for the 5K and less on worrying about my weight. It's just a nice coincidence that training for a 5K is a good way to drop the pounds.

While I am still actively working to get under 200 pounds, it doesn't feel like a mission anymore. The weight loss is kind of a way of life now. Which is the best possible place to be.

Without a mission, I missed the excitement and passion I was feeling everyday. It took just one day for me to go from fired up to feeling a little lost.

So with a little help from a couple of friends I have come up with a new mission... and I am excited and scared!

On July 20th of this year I am going to compete in the 23rd Annual Heart of The Lakes Triathlon!!!


You read that right, I am doing a triathlon!

Are you shocked? I know I am.

My dad was pretty shocked too. But it took all of a day for him to get over the shock and sign up for the race. So once again we will be doing this together. And Dad, I couldn't be happier!

And my friend Teresa will be doing the long race the same day. So I will have plenty of training buddies.

I will be doing what they call a sprint triathlon. A 1/4 Mile Swim, A 9-Mile Bike and a 2.5 Mile Run.

Never in a million years would I have thought this is something I would try. I don't even own a bike.

But now that I have officially signed up I am so excited! I am excited for the thrill of doing something new, excited to stretch beyond my comfort zone and excited to have a mission again.

First things first, I have to get a bike.


Anybody out there own a bike shop or bike manufacturing company? Do you want to sponsor me?

My second new goal is to get down to 208 by my birthday on May 29th. 208 would mean I have lost a total of 80 pounds.

Welcome to part 2 of my journey. Chapter 2 promises to be just as exciting as the first!

Tony
03/18: 213.6lbs
Goal: 214 lbs. ACCOMPLISHED
NEW GOAL: 208
5.6 lbs. to go

Race Day Wrap Up

That is the official "unofficial time". The official time will be closer to 26:55 due to the 5 seconds it took us to get to the starting line after the whistle was blown. Hopefully the official results will be posted later today.

The race went better than I could have ever imagined. The goal was to finish in under 30 minutes. Did that and then some!

26:55 is nearly 2 minutes better than my fastest 5K to date. The adrenalin help some I am sure but what helped even more was having my Dad and my brother-in-law set the pace... and having my Dad right there acting as cheerleader the whole way.

Thanks for the encouragement Dad!

As for the race itself, I felt real good until we finished the second mile. We petty quickly settled into a good pace and passed quite a few people in the first mile and a half. That alone was an awesome feeling, being the one doing the passing instead of the other way around.

At the 1 and 2.5 mile marks there was a huge hill..well it felt huge at the time. I did great coming up the hill the first time around, but that second hill just about killed me.

Luckily just over the top of the hill was all our cheering fans. Seeing everybody there gave me the last little boost I needed to get across the finish line in under 27 minutes.

Thank you guys for coming out and cheering. And thank you to my lovely wife for all her support and encouragement and the lovely sign!

The race was everything I hoped it would be. A celebration of all my accomplishments thus far. A great bonding experience with my dad. A personal achievement I never would have imagined a year ago!

So now the question is, what's next? We'll talk about that tomorrow.

Tony
03/17: 213.6lbs
Goal: 214 lbs. ACCOMPLISHED
NEW GOAL: 208
4.4 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 23

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

First of all, I’d like to congratulate my amazing husband Tony on his big accomplishment this week. I am so happy for you! I would also like to wish him an official "good luck" on his big 5K race this weekend. I know how much this means to you and I am so proud of you! I can’t wait to be there, cheering you on, saying, “That’s my man!”

I promised some progress photos last week in honor of the one-year anniversary of commencing my weight loss journey. Well, and to show off my new haircut, too. In the pictures, I am wearing what used to be my favorite pair of trousers. They are the last piece of clothing I own from “back in the day.”


Now, to my update…

I kind of hate to sully the good name of “Guess How Much I Weigh” with this week’s report, but that’s not going to stop me. Yes, I had a small gain again this week…0.6 pounds. This is the first time since I began this journey over a year ago that I have gained two weeks in a row. Boo.

Just a quick note about reporting…I report whatever weight I happen to see on the scale on Friday morning. I don’t average my weights over the week. If I had weighed in on Wednesday, I would have seen a two-pound loss…184.4. My average would have been 185.6.

I ate very well in the first part of the week, but an early morning meeting, a couple late work-nights, and a trip out with my staff on Wednesday night kind of did me in. Not only did it affect my eating, but it also made it difficult for me to get to the gym.

Yoga on Monday, early morning meeting on Tuesday, two hours (!) at the gym on Wednesday morning, late work-night Wednesday night that included cocktails with co-workers afterwards, sleeping in on Thursday morning, late night meeting last night, and back to the gym this morning. No wonder I’m tired today.

Tony and I are going on vacation with friends in a couple weeks, and I would really like to be at a low when I leave. With Easter next week, that might be a challenge! Tony and I have already planned to discuss a plan this weekend. As someone said in last night’s meeting, “To plan is human, to implement is divine.”

'Til next week,
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)


3/07/08: 186.4 pounds
3/14/08: 187.0 pounds (a gain of 0.6 pounds)
Total loss: 41.4 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

P.S. In last week’s comments, laura n said: “I can't wait to see your hair! I can completely relate to the thinner face/shorter hair thing.” The comment was in response to the fact that I would not have been comfortable with hair this short a year ago.

For me it was a thinner body/shorter hair thing. I was always afraid of looking like a pin-head…you know, wide body and a small head…sort of like an old-school weeble. Or, more accurately like the shrunken head guy in the movie “Beetlejuice.”

The Weigh-In: Week 40

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL
213.6!!!!!!! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 2.4!!

It's a whole new me. A new hair cut, a clean shave and a new weight class!!!!

So now we can celebrate. I am officially no longer obese!!!

A quick recap. According to the charts a Body Mass Index of 30 or greater is considered obese. Now that I am under 214 my BMI has dropped to 29.8. Which means, I am now moderately overweight and no longer obese!

So why shave the beard?

I have not been clean shaven in 5 years. And I only did it then for a roll I was playing. I have had a beard pretty stead since I graduated college 12 years ago. I have not seen what my face looks like naked and thin in more than a decade. I wanted to see it again.

When I was heavy and clean shaven I always looked like a fat 12-year old. It was not a good look. Now it's not so bad.

Beyond that the shave is a symbolic gesture. A clean start with this new life.

With so many things coming together, the race, the BMI, the 214 goal, this weekend is starting to feel like the culmination of this journey. Maybe not the end of the journey, but the end of the first chapter. Or maybe the end of the first book in a trilogy. I'll talk more about it on Monday along with my plans for my new goals.

This weeks winner is Butters via Uncle Al! Nice job Butters. I'll send you a Maple Lake Irish Days souvenir next week.

Next time you see me I will be an official 5K finisher! You'll get the full race rundown on Monday...unless I can find Internet access somewhere this weekend.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Tony
03/14: 213.6lbs
Goal: 214 lbs. ACCOMPLISHED
NEW GOAL: 208
4.4 lbs. to go

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 40

Wow!!! Week 40. That is 3/4 of a year already. I can't believe we have been doing this that long!

This is shaping up to be a big week. First there is the race on Saturday, and now it is looking like there is a good chance I could make my goal tomorrow.

I have been really good this week. I almost said "disciplined this week" but the truth is it hasn't taken discipline. It has come very naturally this week. I have been stuck in a lot of meetings with a lot of food the last three days and I have not been the slightest bit tempted.

Something in my brain just clicked over this week. I don't know if it is race week excitement or being so close to my goal, but this week has been the first natural week I have had in a long time and it felt really good.

This is what I want the rest of my life to be like. A healthy relationship with food instead of a constant struggle.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
3/13: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2 pounds to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

The Great Clothing Giveaway

Over the past month or so, both my wife and I have had to almost completely restock our closets. It has turned out to be one of the few downsides of this whole weight loss journey.

A nice problem to have, I know, but an expensive one as well.

So I want to make the transition a little less painful for other guys out there who are on their way to needing to restock their closets.

I have 39 items of my old clothes to give away ranging from dress pants and shirts to casual wear. Most all of it is in good to excellent condition.

I'll ask is that you pay the shipping cost for me to send the clothes to you.

I wish I could ship the clothes out on my dime, but as a poor father of two who has recently shelled out more than expected to restock all the closests in the house I just can't justify the cost.

To see all the details and the clothes head here

The giveaway will last for the next two weeks. It's first come first serve and you are welcome to claim as many items as you wish.

Happy Shopping.

Tony
3/12: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2 pounds to go

Sunny Days Part 2

The run went great. The weather was as advertised, sunny and 42 with a slight wind that felt pretty darn good after the 1st mile.

I made my 5k in exactly 29 minutes. A little slower than my runs on the treadmill last week, but only by 45 seconds or so. I blame the huge set of stairs I have to run up halfway through the run.

For some reason my legs are hurting a lot more after running outside than they do when I run on the treadmill.

I'll get one more run in on Thursday and take Friday off to rest up for the big day.

Tony

Sunny Days

It is a beautiful, sunny day in downtown Minneapolis today. Finally the weather is taking a turn towards the warmer. So I am going to run outside today!!! I am so excited to get off the treadmill... and it will be good to simulate race day conditions.

I'll let you know how I do later this afternoon.

Tony
3/11: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2 pounds to go

Race Week

Cue Rocky Music!!!!

I have to admit I am very excited for the Maple Lake Irish Scamper on Saturday. When I think about it, it seems pretty silly to get all revved up about 30 minutes of my life...but I can't help it. I am excited.

It's not just the race, although I am excited to experience the race and the race day atmosphere, it's what the race represents. This race is the culmination of all my accomplishments so far rolled into one perfect half hour.

It's also a moment to bond with my dad. Don't get me wrong, my Dad and I have had many, many, many bonding moments in our lives...but something about this one feels different.

I know that I don't have anything to prove with this race. I have already proving that I am a changed person...and yet I feel like I have something to prove with this race.

And now I am rambling. Stay tuned for more Race Week developments as they arrive.

Tony
3/10: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2 pounds to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 22

Happy Friday, all!

Yep...I had a gain...a fairly big one. I'm not terribly surprised, however. I was unable to get to the gym even once last week. I indulged in some snacks over the weekend that were very yummy, but not very good for me. Those items plus some hormonal water weight set me up to be pretty unsuccessful this week.

It's okay...I'm already over it.

I went to yoga on Monday, hour of cardio on Tuesday, cardio and weights on Wednesday, and an hour on the treadmill yesterday. I've kept the rest of the week in check pretty well, so if I keep my weekend in check and hit it hard next week I should be looking at a decent loss next week.

As a side note, this Sunday will mark one year since I started my weight loss journey. In that time:

• I have lost 42 pounds.
• I started at a size 20 (nearing size 22) and I now wear size 16's (many of which are now too big for me).
• I no longer have to shop plus-sized clothing racks.
• I joined a gym.When I first joined the gym in November, I walked on the treadmill at 3.5 mph. I now walk at 3.9 mph with a 2% incline. As someone who has never liked to run (even as a child) I am proud of the fact that I can run for five minutes at 5.2 mph at that same 2% incline.
• I have started practicing yoga.
• I feel better about myself and better about the world around me.
• I am no longer uncomfortable in my own skin.
• I am much more self-confident.
• I feel much more in control of my life.
• I have a much more optimistic attitude.
• I am, for the first time in about 10 years, taking time for (and care of) myself.

While I saw a gain this week, I am proud of my progress over the last year. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

'Til next week,
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

3/09/07: 228.4 pounds
2/29/08: 184.2 pounds
3/07/08: 186.4 pounds (a gain of 2.2 pounds)

Total loss: 42.0 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

P.S. I had two and a half inches of hair cut off last night after having the same hairstyle for about 5 years. I would never have been comfortable with hair this short before losing weight. I feel like a new woman! I hope to be able to post some progress (and hair cut) pictures next week.

The Weigh-In Week 39

216! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A 3 pound loss!!!

I know it seems a little suspicious that I would choose 216 as my goal for the week and then hit it exactly, but that is honestly what happened. I checked the scale 3 times. Guess my body knew exactly what it needed to do.

Now if I can just hold strong next week I should be able to make 214 by race day a week from Saturday.

Next week looks like it should be a lot calmer than the last three weeks have been so I can really concentrate on eating right and working out hard core. Insert grunt here.

Our big winner this week was my lovely wife!!! Way to go sweetie. We only had 5 votes this week so no prize. Although I think I can find something for my sweet, wonderful, adorable wife.

Uncle Al your photo will get into the mail this weekend!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Tony
3/07: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2 pounds to go

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 39

So far I've done a good job of staying on track this week, despite some late nights and work craziness. I probably had a little too much dinner on Tues. night to power through a marathon work session, but other than that I am feeling good. If I do good today, I think I have a good shot of making this weeks goal of 216.

My 5K is only 9 days away!!! I am feeling pretty confident. I would like to get a few outdoor runs in though. Unfortunately the weather has turned cold again. The combination of winter winds and icy trails has kept me on the treadmill this week. I am hoping I can get an outside run on Saturday or Sunday.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
2/28: 219lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
5 pounds to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

Another Busy Week

It is going to be another busy week this week, so you might not here from me as much...once again.

I am determined to stay on track this week though.

As of this morning I am 4 pounds above my goal of 214. My goal for this week is to lose two pounds to get down to 216. Then the goal for next week is to lose 1 or 2 pounds to be at or close to my goal on race day which is less than two weeks away.

Here is my funny / disturbing story of the day.

When I looked in the mirror yesterday morning I thought to myself, "my face looks chubby".

I am only three and half pounds from my lowest weigh-in and still knowing that I have gained weight had me thinking it was showing in my face. Silly me.

Here is the cool story from the weekend. We were shopping at Target on Saturday and ran into in old family friend who hadn't seen Laura or I since we started this journey. She walked right past us with out realizing who we were! It took her a second after I said her name to register who was talking to her.

That felt good!

Tony
2/29: 219lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
5 pounds to go

The Weigh-In Week 38

Let me start with a huge congratulations to my lovely wife!!!!! While I was pigging out due to a stressful week, she managed an incredibly loss. And trust me, she had just as much if not more crazzines this week than I did!!! Way to go sweetie you are looking hot!!!



219!!! A gain of a whole heck of a lot.

But did you notice the asterisk. I know this is cheating and rationalizing and all that but I really don't weigh 219.

Ok, I did weigh 219 when I step on the scale this morning, but for the rest of this week I have weighed 217.

Last night I was at a board meeting surrounded by salty snacks of which I helped myself to plenty. So that is the asterisk. I blame the 219 on late night salty snacks. It should be gone tomorrow, or the next day.

But even without this mornings tainted weigh-in I still would have had a gain this week.

So let's get to the real issue. I am a pretty even keel guy. I don't get stressed out much, and when I do get stressed I do my best to keep it calm on the outside... the whole duck under the water thing.

I have been a little overwhelmed these last two weeks. To be honest, there is a lot of it I love. I love preforming under pressure, I love how it makes the work exciting... I don't love missing my family or letting the stress drive me to eat however.

Last week I was genuinely stress eating, it was an unconscious falter.

This week I have been using stress as an excuse to allow myself to pig out... and I knew I was doing it. Every one of those snacks was a conscious decision "justified" by my "oh so stressful week"!

Well next week looks like it is going to be just as crazy as the past two, but I am retiring the "stress eating" excuse. I am getting back on track next week, crazy week or not! No ifs, ends or buts about it.

The good news in all this gluttony is my exercise. In the past workouts would have been the first thing to go when I was tight on time. But not now.

My workouts have been my one constant over the last two weeks. That is a huge accomplishment for me and one I am very proud of.

Ok I got deadlines people, so until next week, have a great weekend.

Tony
2/29: 219lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
5 pounds to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 21

Happy Leap Day, GHMIW fans!

This month has been ridiculous. I feel as though I am just running in circles. Work has been so busy and we've had extra commitments and I have just felt like we haven't had a moment to take a breath. Yuck.

Between Tony's business trip, a co-worker being out with pneumonia, and our family working hard to avoid contracting the stomach flu, this has not been my most focused week. I did not get to the gym even one time...not even for yoga on Monday! Boo!

But, I had a very good loss this week. Hurray! I finally broke through the plateau. That gives me great motivation to stay on track next week, so that I might be able to continue the momentum.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Until next week,
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

2/22/08: 187.0 pounds
2/29/08: 184.2 pounds (a loss of 2.8 pounds)
Total loss: 44.2 pounds (only 0.8 pounds to a 45-pound total loss!)
Next goal: 182.0 pounds (2.2 pounds to go)

P.S. Laura's shortest...update...ever.

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 38

How the heck is it Thursday already!!!!!!

One more week of blind guessing. Sorry. I am hoping to have more time for you all next week. Just because I'm ignoring you doesn't mean I don't care for you.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.

Stats for the week of February 25th.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
2/28: 216lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2 pounds to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

Still here...

and still dedictaed.

Sorry for the prolonged abscence the last two weeks. I know when some one dissapears for any lengthg of time from thier weight loss blog, the tendency is to think they have giving up and reverted back to thier previous life. While I have had a few slips the last few weeks I am still here and still as dedicated as ever.

Life has simply gotten in the way of blogging. And honestly when I get this busy this blog has to be the first thing I cut back on.

The lastest interruption has been a last minute trip to Chicago... in the middle of the cities 30th snowstorm of the year.

I'll be back home tomorrow and hopefully we be able to resume regular up dates in a day or two.

I hope all is well with all of you.

Talk to you soon...I promise!

Tony

The Wife Weighs In...Week 20

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

So, I had a small gain this week.

It was absolutely to be expected. I ate horribly from Friday through Sunday afternoon. I had Chipotle for lunch on Friday, worked (very) late that night and had deep-fried appetizers and a bloody mary or two with a co-worker afterwards. On Saturday, I had swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes for lunch at Ikea and pizza for dinner.

Then, there was the blow-out at a Sunday brunch family gathering...egg bakes, cheesey potatoes (one of my biggest "red flag" foods), Tony's grandmother's homemade doughnuts, and some sort of wonderfully sticky and gooey french toast in a pan.

Yum.

Come to think of it...I'm surprised I didn't have a bigger gain.

I kicked it back into gear on Monday. Yoga on Monday night and cardio on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Unfortunately, I slept through my alarm both this morning and Wednesday morning. The extra sleep was nice, but I really could have used those extra workouts.

You see, I really need to break through this plateau. For the last seven weeks, I have been trapped in a three-pound range. 189.4 at the top, and last week's 186.4 at the bottom. Given all the success I've had over the last year (almost), I find it frustrating that I'm having so much trouble sucking it up and doing what I need to do to power through this plateau. Grrr.

Maybe I'm stuck in a rut created by the winter blahs. Maybe I need to remember the words of support I got from Laura N a couple of weeks ago: "Hang in there... spring is around the corner, when all things bloom and become new, including our ability to lose more weight." I can only hope.

On a positive note...at least I'm not gaining the ten pounds I have traditionally put on each winter.

So, in the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day." I hope to be able to keep it together throughout the weekend so that I'm not starting my week off at a disadvantage. Wish me luck!

Until next week!
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

2/15/08: 186.4 pounds
2/22/08: 187.0 pounds (a gain of 0.6 pounds)
Total loss: 41.4 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds (5.0 pounds to go)

The (Brief) Weigh-In Week 37

216. That's what it said on the scale this morning. a gain of 1.4 pounds.

This was expected considering the week I have had and the stress eating I was doing.

I fill ya all in later or maybe tomorrow. Pictures too I promise.

Tony

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 37

It's random guessing time!!!!

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.

Stats for the week of February 18th.


Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
2/21: 214.6lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
.6 pounds to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

Did You Miss Me?

This week is looking a tad bit crazy for me so the odds are good you won't be hearing from me much.

I'll post the contest on Thurs without tracking and do my best to get the weigh-in up in a timely manner on Fri.

If the weigh in is not up on Fri. I'll get it up on Saturday.

Have good week. Try not to miss me too much.

Tony

The Wife Weighs In...Week 20

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

What a week! I can’t believe it’s Friday already.

I need to be perfectly honest…I have been ravenous all week. My stomach has been growling from morning until night. In fact, I could eat my desk right now. I’ve been tracking my WW Points (thought I’d try something new) and having a heck of a time staying within my daily allotment. Goal for next week: fill up on more veggies.

I got to the gym four times this week. Yoga on Monday night, personal training session on Tuesday, cardio on Wednesday and this morning. I stayed home yesterday morning so that I could be with my darling husband and beautiful little girls on Valentine’s Day morning. We surprised them with books and special placemats and heart-shaped waffles with raspberries and whipped cream. They loved it and, from what I hear, they requested that breakfast as a “snack” all day long.

I enjoyed my training session with Stef, who is very positive and supportive. We didn’t get through the entire work-out in the one-hour session, so another session will be in order. My quads are still a little sore this morning from the lunges. When I saw Stef this morning I told her that I can still feel the fatigue in my muscles when I move my foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. She was a little surprised and said I may want to decrease the number of lunges next time. Oh, thank goodness.

I am starting to see some new muscle definition in my arms, shoulders, and calves. It is also very easy to tell which clavicle I broke playing touch football in eight grade. I haven’t seen collarbones in quite a while…how nice.

‘Til next Friday!
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

2/08/2008: 186.8 pounds
2/15/2008: 186.4 pounds (a loss of 0.4 pounds)
Total pounds lost: 42.0 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds (4.4 pounds to go)

The Weigh-In Week 36

214.6! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of .6

So close once again!!!

I am extremely happy with this small loss. Not so much because the loss is small, but I am under 215 for the first time in well over a decade. And being under 215 means I am no longer OBESE.

I know I said I needed to get to 214, but technically I just needed to get under 215.

A body mass index of 30 is considered Obese. A BMI between 25 to 29.9 is considered Overweight. I am at 29.9.

So I am excited, but I'm saving the celebration until I get under 214 since that was the original goal.

Once again Teresa is our big winner this week. Will not exactly big since there were only 9 votes, but definitely a winner. No prize but Teresa does win big congratulations! With an exclamation point even!


Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
2/15: 214.6lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
.6 pounds to go

p.s.

I almost forgot....

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

Share the love, not the chocolates!

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 36

As always it's going to be touch and go for tomorrow's weigh-in.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.

Stats for the week of February 11th.

Calories Consumed: From Friday morning through Wednesday. night I have consumed aprox. 13440 calories.

Calories Burned: From Friday morning through Wednesday night I have burned aprox. 22794 calories.

36% of my calories have come from fat.
13% of those calories came from Saturated Fats.

46% of my calories came from carbs.

16% of my calories came from protein.

Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
2/14: 215.2lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
1.2 pounds to go

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

Body Fat

This whole time I have been basing my success at getting healthy on what the scale says and how far I can run.

As you can imagine I am pretty happy with both those indicators.

Last week I finally got around to taking some measurements and figuring out my body fat.

Now I am wishing I had been taking measurements all along. I had really good intentions of keeping track, honestly I did. But when you come home every night to two smiling balls of energy yelling "Daddy's home, daddy's home", you tend to forget those less important things until it's too late.

So according to this website, I have 24% body fat.

They say the average American male is at 22% body fat, top athletes are at 3 to 10% body fat and the healthy normal range for me should be 15%.

I know I shouldn't be surprised that I am so far above the healthy percentage, but I still am.

Having watched the numbers on the scale go down overtime, I have context for that success. This number is still arbitrary to me and because of that it feels really high. I

t makes me wonder what my body fat would have been at my heaviest.

The Perfect Weekend

Despite temps that dipped south of 30 degrees (when you count the wind chill) I had a nearly perfect weekend.

We carted the family up to my parents lake place for a little hibernation. Although we didn't hibernate nearly as much as the weather would have permitted.

It was a weekend full of good fun, good food and a lot of video games.

Best of all it was a very active weekend with some huge milestones.

My father and my brother-in-law and I went for a run on Saturday morning...when the wind chill was a measly 5 above. This was the first time I have run with my father in more than 6 months. Not only did I mange to keep up and finish another outdoor 5K, I did it faster than ever before.

We did 4.3 miles in 42 minutes. I had to take a 4 minute walk break at around 3.5 miles. Other than that I ran the whole way. My normal runs are around 3.9 miles in 45 minutes. A huge improvement. It helps that I was cold and motivated to show off in front of my dad.

We also packed up the whole family and hit the pool on Saturday. Again, a great way to stay active and I just love how much my little girls love the water. Oh, the hot tub felt pretty good after that run too.

As for the video games... there was no sitting around mashing buttons. We were Wii-ing it baby. Maybe not a great workout but still something active.

Turns out the only Wii game I am any good at is Tennis. My lovely wife and my sister kicked my butt at Boxing. My wife kicked my butt at Cow Racing. (Yes cow racing is an actually game.) My mother kicked everybody's butt at bowling.

Heck even my 80-year old grandma kicked my butt at bowling.

Maybe the best part of the weekend was the food. My lovely wife and sister and mother made some delicious meals this weekend that, while not being "diet" healthy, were made with our healthy lifestyles in mind. It made it so much easier to eat good this weekend knowing that everyone else was trying to do the same thing.

And we ate well too. Turns out it's not that hard to make great tasting meals that are also better for you meals. Says the guy who did no cooking this weekend.

I did gain 2.8 pounds over the weekend but according to my wife most of that is due to the sodium in the Chicken we had for dinner last night. I am betting the gain is gone by tomorrow.

214 here I come!

Tony
2/11: 215.2lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
1.2 pounds to go.

The Wife Weighs In...Week 19

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

I feel as though I have some renewed momentum today. What a relief.

I have been on a weight loss plateau since the Christmas...up a little, down a little, and not really going anywhere. After almost six weeks of standing still, I started to panic a little...this is how things usually begin to unravel. My fear was that the little ups and downs were going to start becoming a series of little ups and ups, then a series of big ups. I needed to get things back on track...and fast.

Inspired by my darling husband's stand-off over the last couple of weeks, I decided to take a stand of my own. For me, it began yesterday. I logged each and every crumb and morsel that passed my lips yesterday, something I haven't done for a long time.

In addition, I made a bold move yesterday morning at the gym. Some of you may remember the horrible experience I had with a personal trainer when I joined the club. Since then, I've wanted to talk to a different trainer about designing a new weight program for me, but I've been fearful, thinking that it might be another disaster.

I started talking to one of the club's female trainers yesterday morning (I'll call her "Stef"...'cause that's her name) and before I knew it, she was apologizing for the last trainer's behavior, running me through a new assessment, and setting me up with an appointment to work with her next Tuesday morning.

Stef is friendly, positive, and supportive. She understands that I am a mother of two with a full-time job and not a lot of extra time to spend at the gym. Plus, she doesn't care that I can only afford to work with her once every three to six months. I can't wait for next week's session and am hopeful that starting a new strength training program will help build on the momentum I'm feeling this week.

I had a good loss this week and am at my lowest weight since beginning this journey. (Hurray!)

I may have broken through the plateau, but I am not resting on my laurels. This is only the first step in the turn-around. I will probably relax a bit (but not a lot) over the weekend, as I will be spending it at the cabin with Tony's family. However, the stand-off will be back in full effect on Monday.

Until next Friday,
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

2/01/2008: 188.4
2/08/2008: 186.8 (a loss of 1.6 pounds)
Total pounds lost: 41.6
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

The Weigh-In Week 35

215.2!!!! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 1.6!!!!

And, a new low for me!

Finally I have dropped below my pre-holiday low of 216.2.!!! As you can probably tell from the exclamation points I am ecstatic. It took seven weeks, but I am finally back on track!

I wish I had more time to revel but I am swamped today. So one more quick pat on the back...(pat, pat)...and we'll move on.

The goal this weekend is to eat sensible and get a workout in with my Dad. Hopefully I can avoid starting Monday with a big gain. If I can manage that, I think I have a good chance of hitting my 214 goal next Friday.

Obesity I'm coming for you!!!

The guesses were tight this week. No one nailed it on the head, but Cousin Angie was closest with 1.5. See, sometimes those odd numbered guesses do pay off.

Only 8 votes this week, so no prize. Which works out OK since I am still trying to find a recipe for my Dad's Banana Cream Pie. If anybody knows a good lower cal recipe, please send it my way.

Correction. Alan from Texas squeezed two guesses in right under the wire; one for himself and one for my cousin Geoff. That puts us at ten and makes Uncle Alan the big winner with a dead on guess of 1.6.

Uncle Al requested a nice family portrait of the skinny Johnson clan, so that shall be his prize. We'll take some pictures this weekend and send you one next week. Congratulations!!!

I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend with the family.

Hope you all have a good weekend too. If you're in Minnesota don't forget to bundle up.I hear it's going to be so cold on Saturday night that any exposed skin will shrivel up and fall off in just 20 seconds.

Tony
2/08: 215.2lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
1.2 pounds to go.

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 35

The numbers might not look so good this week but I think if I can stay strong today that I can still pull out a loss tomorrow.

I didn't bother trying to recap the gluttony from the weekend. Just know that I ate wy more than I should have. I did step it up in the gym this week. Well kind of... I went from running my 5ks at 5.5 mph to running them at 5.7 mph. I have completed 4 5ks in a row since last Wed.

Step right up, step right up.
Guess how much I weigh and win a fabulous prize.

To Recap:
Every Thursday I give you my stats for the week and you guess what you think the scale will say on Friday morning. The winner is the first person who guesses my weight / weight loss for the week without going over or the person who is closest without going over. Go ahead and click on comments at the bottom of this post and leave your guess.


I will post the winner when I post my weight on Fri. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.



Stats for the week of February 4th.

Calories Consumed: From Monday morning through Wednesday. night I have consumed aprox. 7392 calories.

Calories Burned: From Monday morning through Wednesday night I have burned aprox. 11730 calories.

32% of my calories have come from fat.
11% of those calories came from Saturated Fats.

52% of my calories came from carbs.

16% of my calories came from protein.

Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!


Tony
2/07: 216.8lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2.8 pounds to go.

p.s. Don't forget you can subscribe to the e-mail edition of Guess How Much I Weigh . Simply enter your e-mail address in the space to the right.

The Wife Weighs In...Keeping It Off

In last week’s post, I promised a post about strategies for weight loss maintenance. First of all, looking at my track record, maintenance of weight loss has never been my strong suit. I have always been great at losing the weight, but keeping it off has been another story. That said...

I was out for cocktails one night last fall with Tony’s sister (a.k.a. Sister Sarah), Nana Heather, and a good friend of theirs who has been very successful at maintenance after a big loss. Her advice? You can relax a little once you reach your goal, but if the number on the scale goes up ten pounds, you’d better get back on that weight loss horse and ride it hard.

Well, maybe she didn’t put it exactly like that, but you get the idea.

Interestingly enough (or maybe not...your choice), I am taking part in a weight loss maintenance study conducted by our former heath insurance provider’s research foundation and the Obesity Prevention Center at the University of Minnesota. The study was for healthy adults who had lost at least 10% of their body weight in the previous year, and is being used to test two different “Keep It Off” programs.

As part of my program, I report my weight weekly and speak with a personal coach every other week. Also, as part of the program, I was given a course book based on lessons learned from the National Weight Control Registry, a research study tracking “over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time.” (NWCR Website)

What has been interesting to me about these maintenance strategies is that they are the same as the weight loss strategies. Every chapter in my course book could be the outline for a Weight Watchers meeting: Physical Activity, Menu Planning, Overcoming Barriers, etc.

The “Keep It Off” strategies for successful weight-loss maintenance? Here we go:

1. Be physically active; take part in 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day.
2. Write down your weight, physical activity, and eating on a regular basis, preferably daily.
3. Eat a diet that is moderate in calories and allows you to maintain your weight.
4. Eat breakfast every day.
5. Enlist social support to help you eat healthfully, be active, and maintain your weight.
6. Don’t let lapses turn into full “relapses”—restart your weight-loss plan if you gain two to five pounds.
7. Appreciate the progress you’ve made, even if you haven’t achieved your “dream” weight.

This has led me to a grand epiphany. The strategies for weight loss maintenance are the very same strategies used to lose the weight in the first place. In order to be successful, one must make a complete lifestyle change. Forever. Period.

That’s what makes maintenance so difficult. When you have been significantly overweight for a long period of time, you believe that once you lose the weight, the struggle will be over.

Guess again.

Eventually, I came to the realization that there is no reward at the end of the journey. Or, more correctly, there is no “end” at the end of the journey. At the risk of sounding trite, the reward is truly in the journey itself.

So, as a response, I am learning to enjoy the struggle. And that, in a nutshell, is my strategy for weight loss maintenance.

At least I sound like I know what I'm talking about, right?

Ash Wednesday

It's ash Wednesday. A day of abstinence and fasting for us Catholics to kick off the lenten season.

I think I have done a good job of getting my snacking under control these last two weeks, but I can guarantee you that I am going to have cravings all day today. Simply because I am told I must fast, it will be a struggle.

When it's my choice no problem. When it's somebody else's choice, bring on the cravings.

I suppose that's the repentance part of the day. If we're not conscious of the sacrifice then the sacrifice doesn't mean much does it.

So bring on the cravings. For today and today only I welcome them as a chance to reflect and repent and to give thanks for all the gifts I have been given.

Tony
2/05: 216.8lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2.8 pounds to go.

The Wife Weighs In...Week 18

Happy Friday (ur, Tuesday), GHMIW fans!

As Tony mentioned in the comments to Friday’s post, I was home with our girls on Friday, which made it difficult for me to post my update. In addition, because I was home with the girls on Friday, I spent a lot of time getting caught up yesterday, which made it difficult for me to post an update.

So, I thought I’d post a quick update today.

Last week was not great. My eating wasn’t actually all that bad, but I had terrible cravings all week long. I gave in and made some very tasty Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookies, which helped.

I had a small gain that I am attributing to general lethargy, a lack of motivation, sub-zero temperatures, and hormonal water retention. I didn’t break through that plateau, but c’est la vie. This is a new week.

Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

1/25/2008: 187.8

2/01/2008: 188.4 (a gain of 0.6 pounds)
Total loss: 40.0 pounds
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

Kind Of An Anniversery

Last week marked the one year anniversary of my first stuttering steps on this healthy lifestyle journey.

In February of 2007 I started tracking my calories and watching what I was eating. As most of you know I started at 288 pounds.

This is the photo that inspired me to want to change.

I saw this photo and I was so embarrassed for myself that I made a decision to do something about it. I jumped in without a plan. It was a diet, not a lifestyle change. And, it worked for a little while.

I lasted about two months and got down to 274. A respectable loss to be sure. Alas it was not to be sustained. By April I was off the diet and eating worse than ever. By June I was back up to 280.

June is when my weight loss journey really started. June is when I started this blog. Shortly there after I set some realistic goals and put together a healthy eating and exercise plan.

June is also when I discovered my real motivation. For the first time, I wanted to lose weight to be healthy for myself and my family. It was less about vanity this time around and more about living a quality life and being there for my daughters.

And this time it worked.

So here are the 3 things I have learned this year that have made all the difference.

1. You have to find the right motivation.
Maybe vanity is the right motivation for you. Maybe it's a doctor telling you you will die if you don't get in shape. The motivation needs to be more than "I want to lose some weight." Take the time to figure out why you want to lose that weight and that motivation well get you through the tough times.

2. You have to find something or someone to hold you accountable.
Maybe it's Weight Watchers. Maybe it's a spouse or a friend. For me it was this blog. You can not do this alone. You will need support and encouragement.

3. You have to exercise.
Without exercise you're simply dieting. Exercise changes everything.! Just start walking a half hour a day, everyday. Walk as fast as you can. Once your comfortable build up to more strenuous exercise. Eventually you will learn to love it.

Tony
2/05: 216.8lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2.8 pounds to go.

Weekends Are Killing Me

I know this has been a common theme from the very beginning, but I have got to figure out a way to get my weekend eating under control.

I am so good during the week and then once my daily routines go away so do my healthy habits.

It's not like I'm going crazy every weekend. But there always seem to be two or three key moments where I do something stupid that causes the scale to jump 3 pounds on Monday morning.

This weekend we were in Duluth. We had a lovely weekend. We even got out to see a movie with some friends. Two movies in one week. What is going on here?!!!

Laura and I split a medium popcorn. A movie just isn't a movie without the popcorn. But then for some reason I finished off an entire box of Dots that we had bought for our friend. It makes no sense. I wasn't hungry. I'd just had a big thing of popcorn and a nice dinner.

They were there. That is the only reason I ate them. They were there.

It amazes me how Monday though Friday I can be so good and not feel hungry, but on Sunday afternoon I can eat a brunch with more calories than any entire week day worth of eating and still feel starved.

So now that I am feeling back on track with my week day eating. The next step is to get the weekends under control.

I need to find a balance between having a little freedom and going totally hog wild.


I did do one good thing this weekend. I got up on Sunday morning and went for a run down by Lake Superior. It was so beautiful. A winter run down by the lake is one of the most peaceful things you'll ever experience.

I was supposed to go cross country skiing with my father-in-law but the rental place rented me to left boots. Always check before you leave the store. I am pretty proud of myself for channeling my frustration into a run instead of plopping down on the couch in front of the TV.

Tony
2/04: 216.8lbs
NEW GOAL: 214
2.8 pounds to go.