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