The Weigh-In Week 24

221! That is what it said on the scale this morning. A gain of .2 pounds.

I think the scale gnomes messed with the scale because they were ticked at me for cheating and moving the weigh-in!

Actually, I realized this weekend that I have allowed Friday and Saturday to become free-for-all days, where I eat whatever I want. Then, come Monday I workout like crazy and eat healthy and evreything evens out. I guess I just didn't have enough time to even out this week.

There's always next week...or the week after that.

Have a great Thanksgving everybody.

Tony
11/21: 221 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
1 lbs. to go

p.s. Sorry about the late post. I just couldn't get to the computer this morning.

Guess How Much I Weigh Conest - Week 24

Welcome to a Holiday Edition of Guess How Much I Weigh.

I don't want to worry about lugging the scale all over the place this week so I am officially making tomorrow my official weigh in day. Is that official enough for you?

It seemed unamerican to track calories during the week of Thanksgiving so I chose not to..

Ok, Ok, I'll be honest. I was lazy again this week. Next Monday I will start tracking again. I ask you all to hold me to that. Send me an e-mail on Monday bugging me about tracking, it will help motivate me.

Laura and I are taking a little vacation for the rest of the week and I have already made the decision to lighten up on my calorie counting. I'm not going to instantly go off the deep end here, but I am going to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and Friday leftovers without feeling guilty.

I am also bring my running shoes along and I plan to put in some miles while on vacation. A plan I will stick to. My sister-and-law and I are even talking about getting a run in on Thanksgiving morning. I may also get a chance to do some strength training.

So who thinks I'll make my goal tomorrow? Right now I'm thinking the chance is about 50 -50.

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 Wed. morning. If we get ten or more guesses I will have a prize for the winner.


Tony
11/20: 220.8 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.8 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.

New Suit. New Haircut. New Man!

Thanks to some quality veg time this weekend I am feeling like my old relaxed, mellow, Spicoli like self.

I spent a good portion of the weekend looking at myself in the mirror. We established long ago that I am an extremely vain person, so I apologize for nothing.

My lovely wife and I attended the wedding of a good friend on Saturday. Due to my crazy schedule last week I had to leave all of my prep work to the last minute. Which meant I had to pay an outrageous sum to get my haircut at a fancy salon. I felt crazy guilty about it until I got home and looked in the mirror. I have not had a new hair style in about 7 years, and that's only because my lovely wife finally convinced me to start putting "product in my hair". So I am sporting a new 'do I and I love it!

I am also sporting a new suit. I found this awesome suit that is just a smidgen to big for me on the clearance rack on Saturday afternoon. It was nothing short of a Thanksgiving miracle. This is one of my favorite things about weight loss, being able to shop anywhere, anytime and expect to find clothes that fit!

I have been reluctant to buy a new suit until I am done shrinking. I have never been much of a suit guy, but I finally broke down and bought the first suit I have owned since I was 11 last February. I wore the suit 4 times, then lost 60 pounds. When I went in a few weeks ago to see if the suit could be tailored, the salesman laughed so hard he was crying.

Thus my reluctance to buy a new suit until I know I will be able to wear it for awhile. But I couldn't pass this one up. In fact I am wearing the suit coat today...and I wore it yesterday... and Saturday. That is how much I love my new suit.

So I was felling pretty h-a-u-t-e, HOT!

See for yourself.



Losing weight has giving me the confidence to be more daring in what I wear! That could ultimately become a dangerous thing.

The only thing hotter than me at the wedding was my lovely wife who was "turning heads and breaking hearts by the dozens" hot. She was finally getting her well deserved accolades for all the hard work she has put into her own healthy lifestyle. I couldn't have been prouder to have her on my arm while people gushed over how good she looked.


My old suit will be going up for sale on E-Bay after Thanksgiving. I think it is a size 52 R. If anyone is interested drop me a line.

Tony
11/19: 220.8 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.8 lbs. to go

The Weigh-In Week 23

220.8!!!!! That is what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 2.6 pounds.

Considering the week I have had it is genuine miracle. .. fingers crossed this one is not another fluke worm.

I will admit, I broke down and did a small bit of stress eating this week. It was a crazy, overwhelming week with lots of tight deadlines and late nights and responsibility, oh my. It was also a week where I manged to work out my stress in the gym instead of in the kitchen! A big, big step for me.

I just did 45 minutes and 3.7 miles on the treadmill and I feel like a new man. Still a brain fried man, but a different brain fried man then I was when I went into the gym.

Ok since I stopped making sense somewhere shortly after 220.8!!!!! I'll rap things up and come back renewed and refreshed on Monday.

I am moving next weeks official weigh in to Wednesday to see if I can't make my goal before Thanksgiving!!!! So look for a special holiday edition of Guess How Much I Weigh on Tuesday.

Cousin Angie was closest this week with a guess of 2.2. Nice job Angie. Sadly no prize though.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
11/16: 220.8 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.8 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 9

Good morning, GHMIW fans!

All right…let’s get it over with. Get a cup of coffee…it’s going to be a long one.

I am bitter. Here’s the story:

As reported last week, I visited our local gym/club/den of Satan for a tour of the facilities. After some general waffling (mmm…waffles) I went back Saturday morning to enroll/enlist/sign away a little piece of my soul. I avoided signing up for any extra programs, which was a big success for me. At that point, we set up an appointment for the first of two complimentary consultations with a personal trainer.

Sunday morning at 8:45, I left for the gym. I was bright and shiny, excited about the first day of the rest of my life, excited about the prospect of my new lifestyle, excited about the new body I was going to earn. I was like a little girl on her first day of school (maybe it was the pigtails). At 9:00, I sat down in front of a rather large 27-year old with a shaved head. I’ll call him "Jason" (‘cause that’s his name).

I told "Jason" that I had lost 35 pounds and that I had about 50 to go. I also told him that my ultimate goal is being able to wear more body-conscious clothing (okay, let's be honest...I told him I would like to have a body that could pull off slutty clothes if I so chose) and, while I am excited to reap the health benefits of exercise, my main motivation is pure vanity. He liked my honesty. I thought we were off to a good start.

This was an assessment session, so I got on the treadmill, did some (very few) push-ups, and some stretching. I also had my body fat measured. Let me say that I was not shocked when I found out that the results were not glowing. I haven’t exercised on a regular basis in over 10 years. It wasn’t an earth-shattering realization that I am not the picture of fitness. I know that I am a "before" (or possibly an "a little while later")…I was there because I want to be an "after."

Over the next 20 to 30 minutes, Jason told me (among other things) that my eating was "for sh*t," rolled his eyes when I mentioned Weight Watchers, and scoffed at my mention of a yoga class by telling me it was "really only glorified stretching." What was most annoying was that he really didn’t listen to anything I had to say. He would ask me a question, then start rolling his eyes and shaking his head before I’d even completed my answer, all the while watching what was going on in the rest of the gym instead of focusing on me and our conversation.

In that short amount of time, I went from being an intelligent, sassy, strong, confident woman who had made positive and successful changes in her life to being a stupid, lazy "fat chick" who had achieved nothing and had no idea what she was talking about. And, for a brief moment, he succeeded at making me see myself through his eyes.

We made an appointment for 8:00 Monday night. I met my neighbor Ali for yoga at 7:00…definitely not just glorified stretching. I loved it. By the time I sat down in front of Jason once again I had some sore muscles, but I had shaken off the negative stuff from the day before and was ready to get to work. It didn’t go well. The workout was tough (which I was fine with), but I didn’t have his full attention and he wasn’t supportive. I had hoped for an experience where I felt like I had a partner in the fight, but he was all about negative motivation. I felt as though he was trying to motivate me by making me feel bad about myself, like he was punishing me for being out of shape, instead of wanting to help me achieve something. It was really yucky.

When I told him that I couldn’t afford the more than $500 a month to work with him, he completely wrote me off. Obviously, my priorities weren’t in the right place and my goals weren't really all that important to me. When I asked him about planning a session every three months or so, in order to assess my progress and change up my program, his response was, "Well, I guess it would be better than nothing."

I left the gym feeling kind of embarrassed, kind of ashamed, and kind of like I should ask for my money back. All this from a gym whose sell line is… wait for it… FEEL GOOD INSIDE.

I went back Tuesday morning at 6:30 (very sore) for 45 minutes on the treadmill, and felt better. I went back Wednesday morning at 6:30 (still quite sore) for an hour on the treadmill, and felt even better. I decided to take sort of a "to hell with him" attitude about the whole thing and use it as additional motivation for my success. I went back to the gym on Thursday morning at 6:00 for cardio warm-up, strength training, and an additional 30 minutes on the treadmill, and felt pretty darn fantastic. My attitude about the club has turned around (okay, it's not really a "den of Satan"). I even ran into an acquaintance who works out early every morning...she was positive, supportive, and glad to see me.

This week marks some major successes. Joining a gym, overcoming the scourge that is "Jason" (who totally didn’t even have the decency to say "hello" when I greeted him with a cheery and smiling "good morning" on Wednesday...jerk), getting to the gym at an ungodly hour three days in a row, and finding out that I think am really going to enjoy this exercise thing. Hurray for me!

So, why am I so bitter? I gained 1.4 pounds.

This leaves me with 5 weeks to lose 8.8 pounds, including Thanksgiving. Therefore, I am readjusting my goal. My new goal is to reach 182 pounds by February 1. 182 pounds will move me from being obese to simply overweight…and won’t that be a happy thing?

Have a great weekend, all…and a happy Thanksgiving! No weigh-in for me next Friday, unless I decide to find a WW meeting in Davenport, Iowa. I know it’s a possibility, but is my actually making it there really all that likely?

Laura

11/09/2007: 192.4 pounds
11/09/2007: 193.8 pounds (a gain of 1.4 pounds)
Total loss: 34.6 pounds

New mini-goal: 182 pounds by February 1
11 weeks and 11.8 pounds to go!

P.S. Thanks to Angela for being so supportive about my wanting to give in to evil foods last week. I also had a lot of support from other friends and family (thanks, too!), who congratulated me for not giving in to my cravings. After reading that, I thought to myself, "The word 'cravings' seems a little off the mark. It’s not really about just wanting to enjoy some French fries…in fact, it’s not even really about the food at all." DING! What an epiphany.

P.P.S. I wonder how it’s going to be before Tony tells me to get my own darn blog and stop trying to take his over.

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 23

So instead of posting this way late, I will post it way early.

I have no clue how I did this week. I lost track of tracking again. Honestly my head is spinning this week. It's been even busier than I thought it was going to be. I think I have been pretty good though... except for last night. I put in a 13 hour day yesterday. Around hour 12 we ordered in pizza. I partook fully. Well three-quarters fully.

Go ahead and let the wild guessing begin!

The weigh-in will most likely be delayed on Friday. I am in meetings until sometime after lunch.

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.


Tony
11/14: 223.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
3.4 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.

Crazy Busy

Just a quick check in. I have a crazy busy week this week so you might not hear from me as much.... and the Guess How Much I Weigh contest may be posted late on Thurs. I am taking Thursday morning to record a series of children's books for an educational company here in town. More on that later.

Here is the exciting news from the weekend. After two days of hardcore yard work, I stepped on the scale this morning and saw some very good looking numbers. I am going to do my best to stay off the scale for the rest of the week. I also promised myself that I will try to eat well and exercise this week despite the insane schedule. Hopefully we will all have something to celebrate on Friday morning.

And Tonight will be the third day in a row that my lovely wife makes it to the gym! Way to good sweetie!!! I am very proud of you!

Tony
11/12: 223.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
3.4 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 8

Good morning, weight loss fans!

I had a surprisingly good week this week. You know, one of those weeks where you don't think you did all that well but are pleasantly surprised when you step on the scale?

Despite a good loss, I felt as though I was dangerously close to veering way off-path. I didn't have a binge or anything like that, but I felt that familiar exhaustion creeping up on me...that feeling of just being overwhelmed. I was overhelmed by a couple of big projects at work, by my outside commitments, and by the things I know I need to do at home. My greatest desire this week was to take solace in foods I know I shouldn't be eating, foods I haven't eaten in months...cookies, chips, french fries...anything sweet, salty, greasy, or full of fat would have done the trick.

This was not a desire for a quick splurge, which is something I can handle. This was something much bigger and much deeper. Fortunately, I was able to rein things in, but it was a very scary feeling. It was a huge reminder that in order for me to reach my goal and keep the weight off, I am going to have to ever-vigilant. For me, heading off-track can happen in the blink of an eye.

On a positive note, I am pleased that I was able to identify that feeling and keep myself from taking the first step down the slippery slope. I had an 8th straight week of loss, and shaved another point off my BMI...down to 31.

As an additional success, I actually visited the local gym and got the tour. I plan to call later today to schedule a time to register. This is a HUGE step! So, by next week, I should be a woman with a gym membership and at least a few workouts under my belt. Wish me luck!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Laura

11/02/2007: 194.6 pounds
11/09/2007: 192.4 pounds (a loss of 2.2 pounds)

Total loss: 36 pounds
Next mini-goal: 185 pounds by December 21

6 weeks and 7.4 pounds to go!

The Weigh-In 22

223.4 Lbs. That's what it said on the scale this morning. Both a loss of 2.2 and a gain of 2.6 depending on whether your glass is half full or half empty of water or a Brandy Manhattan.

I am extremely happy with this result. 2.2 is a great loss over the past two weeks, considering I didn't really watch what I was eating last week. I'm still in great shape to reach 220 in the near future.

Marathon not a sprint...marathon not a sprint....

No winner again this week, but Heather was the closest with a guess of 2 lbs even. Nicely done Heather, nicely done.

I am having crazy computer problems so I'll keep this short. Of course I have an insanely busy day. Busy day + bad computer = stressed out Tony... I look forward to taking that stress out on the treadmill in a few hours!

Tony
11/9: 223.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
3.4 lbs. to go

Guess How Much I Weigh Contest - Week 22

I am going to tell you right now, last week was a fluke brought on by a fluke worm.

I just looked up what a fluke worm is ...eewwwwww!

So it wasn't a fluke worm. That was just a clever play on words, but my giant loss last week was definitely the result of a stomach bug and lots of dehydration. My weight jumped back up on Sunday and has been bouncing around all week.

I knew this was going to happen so I am not disappointed. I am still way ahead of schedule to reach my goal. And just having 220 in sight is exciting. I don't know if I'll reach my goal by Thanksgiving, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet you a few bucks I'll make it by the second week in December.

So here is what we are going to do. We are going to throw out last weeks results and pretend like they never happened.

Your guesses this week should be based on how much my weight has changed from my weigh-in 2-weeks ago. 2-weeks ago I weighed in at 225.6.

This has been a great week for exercise... not such a great week for eating. No major binge sessions, but I did succumb to a candy bar on a hardware store run on Sunday and I did break down and have Chipoltle on Monday. Hopefully the new exercise routine will win the battle of the burrito.

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.

REMEMBER: Your guess this week is based on how much my weight has changed from my weigh-in 2-weeks ago. 2-weeks ago I weighed in at 225.6.
FORGET 220.6 EVER HAPPENED!

Stats for the week of November 5th.
Walked / Ran: 9.52 miles

Calories Consumed: From Thursday morning through Wed. night I have consumed aprox. 18809 calories.

Calories Burned: From Thursday morning through Wed. night I have burned aprox. 26306 calories.

33% of my calories have come from fat.
9% of those calories came from Saturated Fats.

49% of my calories came from carbs.

16% of my calories came from protein.

Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!

Tony
11/8: 220.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.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.

My Couch To 5K Pointers

I moved in out of the cold this week and started running on a treadmill for the first time. It felt kind of like starting over. I had gotten to a point where I was finishing 3.1 miles in 32 minutes pretty consistently. My run on Monday was 36 minutes and I only made 3.02 miles. I had set the machine for 35 minutes and it shut off on me with less than a tenth of a mile to go.... I figured it was a sign to stop for the day. I'll set the machine for 40 minutes today just to be on the safe side.

Since it feels like I am starting over I thought I would share the wisdom I have gleamed so far from learning to run.

I have not been using a Couch to 5K plan but here is what has worked for me. Most of this is common sense, but maybe it will help some of you who are just starting down this road.

1. Start walking for the first week or two. Work your way up to a couple of miles at a really good pace. Once your legs stop cramping and hurting, add a little run. But keep it short. No more than two minutes at a time to begin with. Even :30 seconds. This is not something your body is used to doing.

If you can only do 1 or two minutes of running out of your half hour walk that is fine.

As you feel more comfortable running start to add more running. Run for a minute or two, then walk for 5 or ten minutes then run again.

Using this method I have worked up to 20 minutes of running during a 32 minute outing.


2. Try to stretch the first run as long as you can. In the first two months I worked up to a 5 minute run then a two minute walk and another 2 minute run to complete the first mile of my course. After that I would alternate walking and running as I felt comfortable.

Now I am able to run an 8:30 minute mile for the first mile... and every once and awhile I can stretch that first run to 12 minutes.

If you have a few days rest try to really push the first run. That is how I eventually made my mile.


3. Get good shoes! You will save yourself a lot of pain and suffering.

Tony
11/7: 220.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.6 lbs. to go

Habits

Over the last few months I have developed two new habits. These have nothing to do with eating or exercise but they are directly related to the psychology of losing weight.

The first habit started shortly after I started wearing my wedding ring again. Five or six times a day I slide my wedding ring off my finger, just to feel how loose it is. It has gotten to the point were I do it subconsciously while I am talking to people or when I am sitting at my desk writing. I'll be deep in thought and suddenly realize that my ring is off and twirling around in my other hand.

Having my wedding ring fit again was one of the first major symbolic victories of this journey. Sliding it on and off reassures me of how far I have come.

The other habit has a lot more to do with vanity. I find myself constantly running my had down my stomach to feel how flat it is. It's another habit that has become subconscious. I do it all the time when I am standing in line or waiting for someone. Hopefully it looks like I am just straightening my shirt and not fondling my bely button.

Just two more little ways losing weight is changing my life.

Tony
11/6: 220.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.6 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 7

Good morning, weight loss fans!

I bit the bullet this week and retired my fall weigh-in outfit. I had been weighing in wearing a lightweight skirt and a tank top, but it's getting too darn cold for that! So, this week, I weighed in wearing jeans and a sweater (my winter uniform), an outfit I know weighs about 3 pounds.

Isn't it amazing what kind of games we play with the scale?

I figured I was safe because my first morning weigh-in would have set me up for a loss of almost 4 pounds. It remains to be seen how much of that loss has to do with the afore-mentioned possible stomach bug.

So, my loss was small this week, but that is perfectly okay with me. This week marks 7 straight weeks of loss. In addition, I didn't eat any of the girls' Halloween candy or any of our trick-or-treating leftovers. The even bigger success is that I'm not even interested. It doesn't even sound good to me...not even the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which are my all-time favorite. That's a step forward.

So close to that next 5-pound marker!

One final note...because this has been consistent thread throughout my posts...no exercise yet again this week...unless you count trick-or-treating (which I really can't). This is my ongoing challenge and an obstacle that I need to conquer in order to get to the place I want to be. And, that's all I have to say about that.

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Laura

10/26/2007: 195.4 pounds

11/02/2007: 194.6 pounds (a loss of 0.8 pounds)
Total loss: 33.8 pounds

Next mini-goal: 185 pounds by December 21
7 weeks and 9.6 pounds to go!

The Weigh-In Week 21

220.6!!!! That is what it said on the scale this morning!!! That's a loss of 5 pounds!!!!

Sadly there may be an asterisks attached to this amazing drop. Both my lovely wife and I seem to have picked up a stomach bug from our daughters this week. Some resulting physiological issues associated with said stomach bug may have contributed to this miraculous decline.

I guess we won't know for sure until next weeks weigh-in. If the number jumps back up the loss is tainted...but if it stays down...well woo-hoo for me.

There are a few other factors that may have contributed to this mornings scale sensation. Yesterday’s workout was a killer. An all new routine that targeted a whole lot of new muscles. I worked out earlier than usually which probably shocked my system a little as well. Plus last weeks weight gain was probably inflated based on a few days of bad eating vs. actual weight gain.

While I think the stomach bug may have contributed an extra pound or 2 to this week’s loss, I was probably on track to loss 2 to 3 pounds just from diet and exercise.

Which means I could very well be in sight of reaching my 220-pound goal next week!!! Once I reach 220 it is just another 6 pounds until I move out of the obese category and into to merely overweight!


No winner this week since we only had six votes. The closest to the mark was Teresa with a guess of 2.5 pounds.

Tony
11/2: 220.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.6 lbs. to go

p.s. Sorry for the over abundance of exclamation points. Guess I'm a little excited!!!!!

Guess How Much I Weigh Conest - Week 21

Despite a massive haul by our little girls, not a single piece of Halloween candy made it past my lips last night. My will power was strong. It helps that my lovely wife and my parents were all there to stand guard.

I couldn't believe how quickly the girls figured out the whole Halloween racket. They don't even know what candy is, but by the second house they were demanding more of it. "Trick or Treat" quickly turned into "More Candy!" Keep in mind these little geniuses won't be two until December!

A couple of quick things.

This was another week where I got way behind on the calorie tracking. By Monday night I was already 3 days behind so I gave up trying and I am living free this week. Which means no stats again. With the exception of Sunday Night's bread debacle I have eaten well this week and worked out everyday but Monday.

I am starting a couple of new things on the exercise front this week.

First, I am changing my schedule. Instead of running 5 to 6 days a week I am cutting back to 3. I have reached a point where my legs are wearing out faster than my lungs, so I want to give my legs more rest time. On my off days I will be doing strength training and possibly some cardio cross training on an elliptical machine.

As of today I have joined the tiny little gym we have here at work. It's not much but it will suit my needs for awhile and should help make my strength training more effective. As the cold weather starts creeping in I am going to need the treadmills for running inside as well.

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
11/1: 225.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
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.

Happy Halloween

My lovely wife bought our Halloween candy weeks ago and I still have no clue where she hid it. That is what I call a supportive wife. She told me in passing that she had purchased it and then without mention, she hid it away. I didn't even realize she had hid it until two days ago. To my credit I have yet to try and seek it out.

Thanks to my wife I have yet to indulge in a Halloween Candy pig out session. Let's hope that statement remains true when I step on the scale on Friday morning.

We are taking the girls out for their first night of Trick-or-Treating tonight. They are going to be the two cutest little princess' in the history of the world! Now if I can only convince the girls to demand a trick instead of a treat we should be golden.

Oh, we also need about 100 kids to stop by our house to ensure that all the candy gets gone. If you live in the neighborhood, stop by and take two or three.

Tony
10/31: 225.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
5.6 lbs. to go

Manifestations of Guilt

Yesterday morning I was feeling good about getting back on track after a not so good week. I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, "My face is looking thin. Yippee."

Last night we attended a Spaghetti Dinner at our church and I ate way, way too much garlic bread. This morning I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, "Man do my cheeks look puffy...I look like a chipmunk...or the state puff marshmallow man. Ughhh!"

Thus did guilt rear it's ugly head...literally. Sadly guilt's ugly head had my face on it.

Garlic Bread has officially been added to the Axis of Evil Foods.

Tony
10/29: 225.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
5.6 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 6

Today's update is going to be a quick one. It's very busy this time of year when you work in Anoka, Minnesota...the Halloween Capitol of the World. (It's also Garrison Keillor's hometown)

This afternoon, all the area schools close down for the "Big Parade of Little People." All the schools kids march down Main Street in their costumes with marching bands and the whole nine yards. In fact, there are three Halloween parades here every year. Busy, busy, busy.

I had a good loss this week. Hurray! I attribute much of this week's success to tracking my points and actually eating them. I had been short-changing myself by not eating my entire daily allotment. It always happens when I'm not tracking. In an effort to "be good," I eat much less than I should. It's amazing how much better everything runs when I'm fueling my machine!

I've been tracking my progress in my own little chart. It's so gratifying to watch those numbers go down.

I guess I've sort of started a streak of my own...six straight weeks of loss!

Exercise, however, continues to be my challenge. We'll see...this just might be my week. Thanks, again, for letting me butt in and thanks for all the kind words of support, everyone!

Have a spooktacular weekend!

Laura

10/19/2007: 197.8 pounds

10/26/2007: 195.4 pounds (a loss of 2.4 pounds)

Total loss: 33 pounds
Next mini-goal: 185 pounds by December 21

8 weeks and 10.4 pounds to go!

The Weigh-In Week 20

225.6. That's what it said on the scale this morning. A gain of .2 lbs. Streak number 2 is broken!

If my life were a movie, my tragic breakdown and confession on Monday would have been followed by a three day montage of extreme workouts, raw eggs and motivational pep talks from an old Chinese guy.

Sadly my name is not Daniel or Rudy or Rocky and this is not 1985.

My heart rending confession was followed by two days of hard workouts and well planed meals and one day of a big lunch, a beer, some cheese and crackers and a sandwich from the deli down the street. I blame the beer and the cheese for that .2 lbs. gain!

So lets focus on something positive.

This morning as I was pulling on my size 36 jeans and cinching up my brand new belt to the last notch, just before I slipped on my Large t-shirt, I noticed two things:

1. What were once massive man boobs along the lines of double D's have now become actual pecs. I think I can now stop referring to my chest as "my boobies."

2. I am starting to see some muscle definition on my arms. Not much, but the muscle is beginning to overtake the flab. In fact there is almost no more waddle hanging off the bottom of my arms. So those of you who had taken to calling me Turkey Arms, can kindly stop your taunts.

I don't know about you but I am looking forward to a nice big loss next week.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Tony
10/26: 225.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
5.6 lbs. to go

p.s. No winner this week. When I gain, we all lose. Sorry.

Guess How Much I Weigh Conest - Week 20

Minus my indiscretion on Monday night this has been a pretty average week. The only thing I missed was my strength training, but I am hopping that all the yard work we did this weekend will offset the two missed training sessions.

The real challenge is figuring out how much those 1800 "slip up" calories are going to cost me this week.


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 October 21st.
Walked / Ran: 15.5 miles

Calories Consumed: From Thursday morning through Wed. night I have consumed aprox. 15589 calories.

Calories Burned: From Thursday morning through Wed. night I have burned aprox. 27216 calories.

37% of my calories have come from fat.
14% of those calories came from Saturated Fats.

45% of my calories came from carbs.

16% of my calories came from protein.

Let the guessing begin. Good Luck!

Tony
10/25: 225.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
5.4 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.