No News...

Weight: 237.25
RMR: -2,716

Breakfast: +390
Lunch: +870
Dinner: +510
Snack: +100

What the hell is the deal with my weight? I'm 1.25 pounds heavier than I was Saturday morning. The week started so promising and now its slipping away.

Today is a scheduled off day, which is no exercise.

Total deficit: -846

Slip and Fall

Weight: 237.25
RMR: -2,716

Breakfast:+160
Lunch: +532
Dinner: +1,345
Snack: +150

Bike: 20.08 miles. 1:11:10 (16.93 mph) -1,467

Can that be the correct amount of calories burned on a 20 mile bike ride? I checked it on a couple different sites and it appears to be correct. Wow, I really need to road bike more often. Steve and I had a good ride. Nice effort, good weather, and a respectable pace to boot.

Since Saturday, I have done nearly 9 hours of exercise and I can feel it. My hunger has returned with an endless emptiness in my stomach and I'm tired.

Confession:
Yesterday at work, all was well till the very end... I was in bed before 10pm, but I woke up when one of the other trucks got a call a few minutes before midnight. I couldn't fall back sleep. Unfortunately, I found myself awake and starving. Long story, short... I ate. It's embarrassing I don't demonstrate more self-discipline than I do. I suppose it's a learned behavior and I still need to "un-learn" these unfavorable traits. A rough estimate is about 1,000 extra calories on the mini-binge. I look for small feats and one would be, I didn't drink any calories.

Had a great day with my kids. I've spent a lot of time teaching Alison to ride her bike and today it finally paid off. She took three solo rides. She's been capable of riding on her own, but she needed a push to get started. She also gets scared when turning. Today she took off three times without my help and she executed numerous 180 degree turns in the road. She's officially a bike rider. I could not be more proud of her if I tried!

Total deficit today: -1,996.
I know this doesn't seem right, but its what the calculator said!

Good Food

Weight: 235.5
RMR: -2,705

At work today.

Pre-run snack: +200
Breakfast: +468
Lunch: +1150
Snack: +150
Dinner: +930

Run: 2.19 miles. 25:05 (11:27 pace) -404
Walk: 0.64 mile. 10.39 (16:38 pace) -74
Walk #2: 2.65 miles. 41:48 -335
Mid-body workout: -80

I must be getting old. My bones and muscles ache during the first mile of a morning run. Its nice to be done early, but its rough waking up and getting the first mile under my belt.

Update on my back: It still aches in the morning and just before bed. Ibuprofen seems to do the trick, but I'm concerned about the nagging issue. I'm very in tune with my back and I sense it is about to do something I do not like...

Total deficit for the day: -700

Didn't hit a big deficit number today. Several causes for this:
1. Pre-run fig newtons (200 calories)
2. Small snack size granola bar, which I ate for no reason at all (150 calories)
3. Cooked 2-cups of wheat pasta with my lunch which came in at a whopping 630 calories.

Both meals I cooked were different from my usual and VERY delicious, but as you can see... they tipped the scale on the high end.

I don't have the energy to do anything else tonight in order to get the deficit right. Plus I've already showered and I'm ready for bed. I'm done for the day.

Good Start

Weight: 236.0
RMR: -2,707

This is a GREAT start to "deficit week". Usually, my weight doesn't balance-out till Tuesday morning, leaving me only 4-days to lose. I'm hoping I can pull down a big number this week.

Breakfast: +200
Lunch: +905
Snack: +260
Dinner: +1000

Bike: 1:03:00 minutes. ~10.7 miles. -674
Upper-body workout: -80
Walk: 2.83 miles. 44:11 (15:37 pace) -366

Ran out of "gas" on the bike ride. Workout also seemed a little tougher than usual. Easy walk in the evening... in an attempt to put a few more calories in the bank.

Total deficit: -1,462

Made my way down to Finish Strong Sports for a new pair of shoes. Raymond made me a sweet deal on a pair of Asics gel-nimbus 9. This is a higher end shoe than I normally wear, but as I said, the deal was too good to pass up.

This is a larger deficit than I planned and I"m considering a small snack.... it's almost 9pm, so I'm not sure if I will eat again or not.

Mindless Numbers

Weight: 239.25
RMR: -2,728

As much as I look forward to my "free-meal", I always hate seeing 2-days worth of weight gain. I'd like to do away with the free-meal, but I truly think it is what keeps me motivated when I want to binge. I tell myself it's only "X-number days" tills I can eat whatever I want. It has worked in the past and it's working now, so I won't be changing anything for awhile.

Afraid I might be getting sick.. my throat has been sore since last night...

Breakfast: +500
Lunch: +820
Snack: +600
Dinner: +680
Feels like I have been eating all day. My usual diet plan restricts me to a maximum of 2,100 calories, but as you can see, I consumed 2,600 calories and I still have a significant deficit. There again, I did nearly 2-hours of exercise....

Bike: 9.58 miles. 50.38 (11.44 mph) -579
Walk: 0.64 mile. 10:05 (15:45 pace)
Run: 2.68 miles. 30:01 (11:12 pace) -579
Lulu and I tried to wait out the heat. At 7:45pm we left the house and it was still 84 degrees. The heat didn't seem to matter... it would appear the planets have aligned or something, because this was another really good run. I'm loving this!

Lower-body workout: -81
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 20 sec. Knee stability balance
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

Isn't it odd that both the bike and the run came out to the EXACT same amount of calories burned? I couldn't do that again, if I tried.

Total deficit for the day: -1,367

Streamline Format

Weight: 236.5
Percentage of Fat: 30.3%
Fat Mass Weight: 71.5 lbs

Whooo-hooo, another 3.5 pounds GONE. I've lost nearly 27 lbs in 7-weeks. Not too shabby.

This week I plan to hit the floor running in "Deficit Mode". The magic number is going to be, -800 to -1000 per day.

At work today.

Breakfast: 702
Lunch: Free-meal. Taqueria Arandas. Chips/salsa, grilled chicken, flour tortillas, rice, lettuce/tomato/avocado
Dinner: 930
Total calories for the day: 1632, not counting the free-meal.

Didn't enjoy the free-meal as much as I usually do. I was craving something other than what I ate, so maybe that has a little to do with it. On a positive note, I drank tons of water today.

Walk: 1.0 mile. 15:14 (15:14 pace)
Run: 1.37 miles. 16:03 (11:43 pace)

Another great run. Houston athletes have been lucky with the late season cool-fronts and I for one, appreciate them.

Mid-body workout:
3 x 17 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 40#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 15#
3 x 10 incline press 30#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 25#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

Running Naked

Weight: 238.0

Unusual to lose weight the day after an "off-day". Hopefully, that means I'll lose a little more before tomorrows weigh-in!?!?!?

Breakfast: 200

Mountain biked on the greenbelts. Bike computer was acting screwy, so the mileage is not correct, but the timer seemed to be functioning properly. Computer shows I covered 8.82 miles in 1:00:43 (8.88 mph). I had a quick pace, I assume something around 10.5 mph.

The weather has been really nice this week.

Upper-body workout:
3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 25#
x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 25#
x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

Today's run was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. No pains, no aches, my legs felt good, and my back was trouble-free. Felt so good I didn't want to stop. Ran 2.36 miles in 26:02 (11:02 pace). Walked 0.46 miles in 7:19 (15:54 pace). Didn't run with Lulu and I wasn't pushing the kids in the stroller, so I kind of felt... naked. I enjoy the company of my kids and/or the dog, but it was nice to run.... just me and my ipod.

Lunch: 1,080
Dinner: 860
Snack: 150

Total calories for the day: 2,290. Dammit, I went over my calories again... that is 3 times this week! This is the result of not preparing my meals ahead of time. I'll go walking to make up for the overage.

Walked 2.01 miles in 33:15 (16:33 pace)

Sub-240!

Weight: 239.0

I'm glad to see that number. With the exception of my back issues, I feel good. Can't wait to lose ever more weight!

My training log shows that I weighed the exact same weight this time last year. In May 2007 I was trying to start running after my knee surgery, but my weight was starting a small upward climb. Interesting....

Off day. No exercise, yet I did some yard work that had me sweating.

Breakfast:
2-slices wheat bread, 1-slice turkey, jalapeno chips, and 1-cup skim milk (503). Odd choice of food for breakfast. I love turkey sandwiches and I didn't want to cook, so there you have it.

Lunch: 1,110

Dinner:
Salad (390)

I'm tired of listing everything I eat. For awhile I'm only going to enter the calories. I'm not trying to hide any food, it just takes a lot of time for me to blog all this crap. When I eat something extremely good or I make unwise choices, I'll write about it. I don't see the need to read about the same-ole-same turkey sandwiches over and over. You know what I mean?

Total calories for the day: 2,003

Morning Run

Weight: 240.5

Often I SAY I'll wake up early and run, but seldom does it ever happen. Last night I went to bed early enough to get the required sleep in order to drag my ass out of bed. I'm stoked that I ran, but the run was no good. The first 100 yards of the run was pure torture. Sharp pains in my right knee and my back wanted nothing to do with the run. I adjusted my pace to a crawl and toughed my way through it. After ten-minutes I settled into a rhythm, but every time I picked up my pace the "pain" resurfaced. In the end, I got it done... nothing fancy, just done! Oh yeah, forgot to mention... it was waaay humid too. I weighed myself after the run and the scale read 239.25. I know it was from all the sweat, but it was still nice to see 230-something. Now that I'm done, I feel really good.

Walked 0.92 miles in 15:02 (16:20 pace). Ran 1.64 miles in 20:01 (12:12 pace).

At work today.

Breakfast:
Omelet; 3-eggs, 1-slice cheddar cheese, 4-oz ground turkey, and jalapenos (435)

Lunch:
2-slices wheat bread, turkey, 1-tbsp light mayo, 1/2 small avocado, jalapeno chips, and 2-California rolls left over from last night (690)

Dinner:
1-cup brown rice, 1-can black beans, 1-can rotel, and 6-oz extra lean ground beef (1,039)

Uneventful lower body workout:
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

Went over my total calories for the day.... again. Consumed 2,164

Did an additional walk to make-up for the minor calorie overage. Covered 1.94 miles in 31:38 (16:20 pace)

Rough Day

Weight: 241.75

Looks like I'm on another plateau

Breakfast:
Fig newton and 1-cup skim milk (280)

Steve and I rode our road bikes on the East side of Lake Houston. Covered 16.72 miles in 1:00:07. Average pace 16.75 mph. We pushed ourselves to pure exhaustion on this ride. The out-and-back course was windy on the way out, with a 12 mph average.
Initially I was concerned about my back, but I figured I'd keep on riding and if it "goes out" then I'll deal with it at that time. My back was sore, but no big issues to speak of. I'm sure the celebrex is kicking in.

Lunch:
4-oz pan fried chicken breast, corn on the cob, green beans,and a roll (980)

Mid-day was hard. Erin a I were at wits end with each other. It's not worth revisiting, but she has completely stopped being nice or even trying. We're at a point now that she is going out of her way to be mean. Okay... enough said

Upper and lower body workout. Increased a few weights as seen in red:
3 x 17 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 40#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 15#
3 x 10 incline press 30#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 25#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 25#
x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 25#
x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

Picked up Alison from school and we had an early dinner:
2-veggie burgers, no mayo (680)

Went grocery shopping today. Bought tons of healthy stuff with one exception... I bought a large bag of Jalapeno chips. I've been re-portioning the food when I get home and I was able to re-proportion the bag of chips into 8-smaller bags. I enjoy these chips with my turkey sandwiches, so I don't view it as a deal-breaker.

One other item I impulsively bought today was spicy inside out California rolls. I had enough calories left for three, but I ended up eating six (300).

Total calories for the day (2,240)

Back Pain

Weight: 241.25

My back is hurting so bad. I found some old celebrex and I HOPE this will get me back to normal.
If you don't have back issues, thank you lucky starts... because it sucks!!

Busy, busy day. I had a new realtor over to see the house, so I had a lot of yard work to do before her arrival. The house should be back on the market this week.

Breakfast:
Sweet & Salty granola bar (160)

Lunch:
Turkey sandwich on sour dough bread and jalapeno chips (725)

Dropped my truck off at 10am to get the brakes done. The job was suppose to take about an hour, but when I arrived at 1 pm (3-hours later) they said it wouldn't be ready for another couple hours. I didn't have another ride to the business, so I had to wait. Finally got my truck back at 5 pm.

Mountain bike ride to East End Park. A friend and I started at Town Center, biked to the park and then returned to the truck. Biked 9.89 miles in 55:15. The ride was 5-minutes short, which I realized when I was entering the data into my training log.

Skipped my workout. I'll double-up tomorrow.

Early Dinner:
Jason's Deli: Turkey Slimwich, steamed broccoli, and 2-small ice cream cones (636)

Late night meal:
Lean cuisine turkey dinner and 2-fig newtons (440)

Total calories for the day: 1,961. First time in awhile that I have been under 2,000

Easy 20-minutes

Weight: 242.0

Right on schedule, there's the "free-meal" weight gain.

At work today.

Breakfast:
3-eggs, 3-oz ground turkey, jalapenos, and 1-slice cheddar cheese (425) I'm getting better at making these omelets.

Lunch:
Turkey sandwich on sour dough bread and jalapeno chips (725)

Dinner:
1-cup brown rice, 1-can pinto beans, 1-can rotel, 6-oz ground turkey (950)

Easy lower body workout:
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

Walked 0.64 miles in 10:13 (~15:55 pace). Ran 1.84 miles in 10:03 (10:55 pace). The run itself felt great, but I keep getting those damn side stitches. I could have gone a lot further, but this is a recovery week. I stayed true to the schedule and only ran 20 minutes-walk 10 minutes.

Total calories for the day: 2,100. Odd to have 2-days in the same week with EXACTLY 2,100 calories.

Back Pain

Weight: 240.0
Percentage of Fat: 30.8%
Fat Mass Weight: 74.0 lbs

The last minute push helped, but it wasn't quite enough. I'm still a quarter-pound short of seeing something in the 230's. And with my free-meal, it's unlikely I will see the next milestone for a few days.

I'm still extremely excited about my progress. I've lost 23.25 pounds in 6-weeks, which equates to 0.55 lbs/day.

I'm not setting any goals or expectations for this week. I'll continue doing what I have been, which is to consume less than 2,100 calories per day. Next week, I want to go at it hard. I'm CONSIDERING what I've done in the past. If I decide to do it, I'll monitor my total daily deficit. My usual goal is a deficit between -500 to -1000.

I'm a nerd for useless numbers, but it's what keeps me motivated. Below is the weekly averages for the last 6-weeks:
263.25
256.75
254.25
249.75
249.0
243.50
240.0

Breakfast:
Fig Newton bar (200)

For the last few days my back has been bothering me. It's worse in the morning. I've been popping ibuprofen and stretching to keep it from getting any worst. May sound hard to believe, but it always feels better after my run, which is opposite from my past experiences with back pain and running.

Pushed the kids in the stroller. We walked 1.0 mile in 16:01 (16:01 pace). Ran 1.33 miles in 14:04 (10:35 pace). Decent run... nothing much to report.

Mid-body workout felt really good.
3 x 16 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 35#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 15#
3 x 10 incline press 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 20#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

"Free-meal" at Tauqeria Arandas. 1/3 basket of chips and salsa. Chicken/shrimp fajitas, flour tortillas, 1.5-cups Spanish rice, lettuce, and tomato.

Dinner; pizza pockets. I'm not actively buying this stuff, it's just junk still lingering around the frig and pantry. Before anyone comments, I'm to frugal to throw it out!

Total calories for the day, 1,400... minus the free-meal.

Side Stitches

Weight: 242.5

Safe to say sub-240 before tomorrow morning is officially out of reach. No problem... I'm sure I'll see sub-240 next week.

Extremely busy this morning and didn't make time to eat breakfast.

Lunch at Pei Wei. Lettuce wraps and spring roll (680)

Biked on the greenbelts. Covered 10.21 miles in 55:25 (average 11.08 mph). Great pace, considering how hot it was mid-day.

Summer is back!

Lower-body workout:
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 20 sec. Knee stability balance
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

Upper-body workout:
3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

Me and the kids had dinner at Wendy's. Alison begged and begged and she's been really good, so I saw no problem with it. I had a ton of calories "in the bank", so I was able to eat with her. Small grilled chicken sandwich, medium french fries, chicken nuggets, and a diet coke (740)

Supper:
Chili (680)

Walked 0.63 miles in 10:01 (15:54 pace). Ran 2.67 miles in 30:02 (11:15 pace). I did this session while pushing both kids in the stroller. For the first time I had to take a walk break. The heat and side stitches got the best of me from the beginning. I never stopped moving, simply had to adjust my game plan. Original plan was to walk 5-minutes, run 30 minutes, walk 5 minutes. What I actually completed was walk 5-minutes, run 20 minutes, walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes. I'm okay with this. I assume I got the side stitches because I ran 30 minutes after eating.. and like I said, it was PLENTY hot.

Total calories for the day: 2,100

Late Week Hunger

Weight: 242.5

Only 4-hours sleep last night. Needless to say I'm exhausted.

At work today. It's an "off-day"

Breakfast:
3-flour tortillas, 3-eggs, and 2-small potato's (702)
I've noticed a pattern of increased hunger on Thursday's & Friday's. It feels as if my Saturday free-meal gets me through Wednesday, then I'm hungry until my next "free-meal"?!?! Dunno what it is...

Lunch:
Medium smoked turkey sandwich and jalapeno chips (725)

Dinner:
1-can field peas, 1-cup brown rice, 1-can rotel (630)
When packing food for the day I thought I grabbed a can of beans. As I started cooking dinner, I realized it was actually a can of field peas. I enjoy field peas, but the combination was a little odd.

Total calories for the day: 2,057

Pictures

Weight: 243.5

My weight is back to where I started this week at. Gonna be tough to go sub-240, but it is possible.

Breakfast:
Omelet: 3-eggs, 1-slice cheddar cheese, 1-slice turkey, and jalapenos (330)

Mountain biked 9.70 miles in 55:28. Average pace 10.52 mph and average heart rate was 133 bpm. Lulu joined me for the final 1.25 miles. She loves our bike ride-run. This morning when I pulled the bike out of the garage, she was so excited she nearly knocked the fence down. She is also getting very strong. Today we averaged 11-mph and I was working hard to keep up with HER!

Wyatt called and invited me to Jason's Deli for lunch. I had the Chiabatta Bing sandwich with fresh fruit and an ice cream cone (900)

Dinner:
Smoked turkey sandwich on sour dough bread and jalapeno chips (725)

Total calories for the day: 1,955.

Took the kids for photos today.... as you can see.

Total Body Workout

Weight: 245.0

Breakfast:
Egg omelet; 4-eggs, 1-slice of mozzarella cheese, 1-slice cheddar cheese, and 1-slice turkey (455)
This was an "experiment". As I was getting the ingredients together, 2-3 eggs didn't seem like enough, but later I learned four was way too much. I needed to add some veggies, but I didn't have any than sounded good with eggs. Also, two different cheeses was not a good taste. I'll try again in the morning and see if I can improve on the taste and reduce the calories.

Snack:
Sweet and salty granola bar x 2 (320)

Walked 0.32 miles in 5:01 (15:41 pace) Ran 2.49 miles, while pushing Alison in the stroller. Took us 28:01 minutes to cover the distance (11:15 pace). The residual rain made for a humid out and back route on the greenbelts. Looked at my watch for the first time at the turn around. I felt like I was moving at a good pace, but the watch told another story. At the halfway point my average pace was 11:35. On the trip home I picked it up and dropped the overall pace down to 11:15, which means I must of been running 11:00 pace.

My back is aching, so I've been taking lots of ibuprofen.

Late lunch - early supper:
1-can pinto beans, 1-cup brown rice, 8-oz ground turkey, 1-can rotel (955)
This might become a stable... I really like this meal!

I've missed the last two days of weight training. In an attempt to catch up, I did all three body regions:

Upper-body workout:
3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

Mid-body workout:
3 x 15 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 35#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 12#
3 x 10 incline press 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 20#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

Lower-body workout:
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 20 sec. Knee stability balance
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

I was fatigued in the weight room. Still toughed my way threw the session.

Lynn called late afternoon and wanted to exercise. We walked 4.17 miles in 1:09:38 (16:42 pace)

Snack:
Smoothie: 1-cup pineapple sherbet, 3/4-cup grapes, ice and water (335)

Total calories for the day: 2,065

Big Breast

Weight: 246.5

There's the weight gain I was expecting. Looks doubtful I will go sub-240 this week.

It was brought to my attention (even though I already know it) that it was an idiotic decision to consume all those liquid calories. Looking at this mornings weight makes me extremely regretful. I'll try to learn for this and move on.

At work today

Breakfast:
2-flour tortillas, 2-eggs, 1-small potato (468)

Lunch:
6.5-oz broccoli, 13-oz chicken breast, 11-oz corn (676) This might have been the biggest chicken breast I have ever seen. Whoa, that was a lot of protein!!!

I endured 55-minutes on the stationary bike. Level 4, 13.9 miles, and averaged 15.2 mph.

Walked 0.26 miles in 4:01 (15:42 pace). Ran 2.38 miles in 26:01 (10:56 pace). The entire run was in the rain.

As I approach the 3-mile mark, running is getting a litter harder. Also had my first sign of pain. During the first quarter-mile, I had a sharp pain in my right knee. Luckily, it went away and never bothered me again. Need to start stretching as a proactive measure for these nagging little pains that are sure to show up if I don't address them now.

Dinner:
1-cup brown rice, 15-oz black beans, 10-oz can of rotel, and 8-oz ground turkey (900)

Rick mentioned he eats a lot of black beans and brown rice, which is why I threw this meal together. I was shocked how much food it was, how few calories, AND how good it tasted. I really, really enjoyed this meal... although it looked "interesting" in the skillet. One of the guys at work asked, "Who threw up in this skillet and plans on eating it?".

Total calories for the day, 2,044.

No Wammy, No Whammies

Weight: 245.0

Not too sure why I gained 1.5 lbs. Oh well.

Breakfast:
Fig newton (200)

I was out all day, so my meals were all on the go.

Lunch:
Grilled chicken sandwich and medium french fries (870)

Watched the Astros play the Brewers. What a game! Beautiful weather to have the roof open. Better than the weather was the 9th ending rally to tie it up and Pences' homer to win it all in extra endings!!! As much as I wanted to, I refrained from food... which was very, very hard. Instead of eating I had two, 20-oz bottles of water. At 4-bucks a bottle, it has a way of taking your mind of gas prices!!!

After the game we went to Chili's restaurant. I had the GUILTLESS CHICKEN PLATTER: Grilled chicken breast with rice, sweet corn on the cob and steamed seasonal veggies w/Parmesan cheese (580)

I hung out with a friend for awhile and was still very hungry after eating dinner. My hunger got the best of me on the drive home.

Overall, I'm happy right now, so it wasn't my usual pity-party eating, but rather, I was just fuckin' hungry. I'll admit, I went off the deep end, but whatever... I'm not going to worry too much about it. I enjoyed the meal and its all behind me.

Late night meal:
Double meat cheese burger, large french fries, and a large sweet tea (2,040). Holy shit! I had no idea the meal would be this high in calories. The sweet tea was nearly as much as a single burger. Damn, damn, damn.

If thats not bad enough, I ran out of time for my run. I'll do like I've been doing and double up tomorrow. Urg... "Get it together, Bill !!"

Total calories for the day; 3,690. This sucks and the scale will certainly show it for the next couple days.

Damn.

Almost 20

Weight: 243.50
Percentage of Fat: 31.2%
Fat Mass Weight: 76.0 lbs

Lost 5.5 lbs this week. The 20-pound loss mark is just 0.25 pounds away. This week I want to see if I can get under 240. If I succeed I'll take it easy the week after that and just let my body dictate what it wants to do.

Breakfast: Banana (105)

While looking over my eating habits and workouts, I always see "stuff" I could do better, but I have to admit... it is going pretty easy right now and it feels maintainable. I'll stick with what I'm doing right now, unless I meet an unbreakable plateau.

Calories in, calories out.... it's not rocket science.

Side note: My first race of 2008 will be the Astros 5k and I hope to be in the low-mid 230's.

Lulu and I walked 1.17 miles in 18:26 (15:26 pace). We ran 1.10 miles in 12:00 (10:55 pace). It was mid-day and hot, but the weather didn't bother me on the run.

Lunch:
2-small chicken sandwiches (640)

Mid-body workout:
3 x 15 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 35#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 12#
3 x 10 incline press 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 20#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

Free-meal:
Chicken fajitas for one; 3-flour tortillas, ~6-oz chicken fajitas, 1-cup Spanish rice, 1/2 basket chips, 1/4-cup queso, 1/3 avocado, salsa, and an unsweet tea. I didn't over do the extra meal, even though it looks like I did by reading this. Didn't eat much queso, but I still listed it.

I slipped a little bit after dinner. My free-meal is a single meal where I allow myself to have whatever I want, during that ONE meal. I still have the rest the daily calories to consume, which "allows" the other meals to be larger. Anyways.... I went to the movies and I wasn't hungry, but a large soda was calling out to me. I justified the soda in my head, because I still had plenty of calories. I've insisted that I would stop drinking my calories, yet still ended up sitting down with a large soda despite knowing it was a dumb idea.

Supper:
Soda (375)??

Total calories for the day: 1,120... plus the free-meal

Big-Ass Meal

Weight: 244.5

At work today.

Breakfast:
2-flour tortillas, 2-eggs, and 1-small potato (468)

Lunch
1.5-cup wheat tortellini, 1-can cream of mushroom-lite, 10-ounces extra lean ground beef, and 2-cups broccoli (1279). This was a HUGE meal and I ate every bit of it. It was a ton of calories, but it tasted ohhhh-sooooo good.

Stationary bike 50-minutes. Level 4. Average speed, 15.5 mph.

Lower-body workout:
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

Walked 0.40 miles in 6:08 (15:20 pace). Ran 2.11 miles in 24:10 (11:28 pace). I struggled today. I wanted to take a walk break. It was all mental and the heat sucked. Within the first 5 minutes I was ready to be done. It was hot outside, so I made a small adjustment in my pace and the run instantly turned magical. No problems whatsoever. All I had to do was slow down 30-seconds per mile. Pretty simple, huh? It worked!

Upper-body workout:
3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

This was a long workout session. Took me about 3-hours from start to finish.

Dinner:
Subway: 6-inch roasted chicken breast on wheat bead (310)

Total calories for the day; 2,057

For what its worth, I'm feeling healthier.

Early off-day

Weight: 242.0

Woke up late due to last nights adventure. Not putting any stock into the the weight loss, because its not "real".

Caesar salad and turkey sandwich (550)

Snack:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (240)

Alison and I had lunch at the mall. McDonald's; big mac and medium french fries (920).

Want to see a little into my ocd? There was a lot of choices at the mall food court, some better than others. I wanted the Japanese place that had a rice/grilled chicken/vegetables plate, BUT you want to know why I didn't eat there? ....because there was no way for me to know the exact amount of calories for the meal. I really need to change this. I could of had something I wanted and it was probably better for me than a burger and fries.

Dinner: Chicken & Broccoli pot pie (350)

Total calories for the day; 2,060

BTW: Today is my 2-year blog anniversary.

What a Day!

Weight: 244.5

Yeah, that's right 244.5!!!! It's a result of dehydration. I didn't drink much water yesterday. I'll correct the hydration issue today and probably see a small gain soon. It has been a good week on the scale.

Breakfast:
1-banana, 2-fig newtons, and 1-cup skim milk (385)

Rode 8.95 miles in 50:47 (10.6 mph). My legs are sore and it was a bit windy, but otherwise it was a good ride.

I grabbed a Schlotskys medium turkey sandwich and small bag of chips before attending a 4-hour medical class at the fire station (725)

Snack:
Smart popcorn (120)

A few hours after class, two other friends and I went to a sports bar for his birthday. I didn't have supper and I drank waaaaay to much. It felt good to let loose. I haven't done that in years. Unfortunately, I'm paying for it now with a massive headache and complete lethargia. My schedule calls for lots of working out today, but I think I'll swap today's hard day with tomorrows off day. So, much for my attempt to re-hydrate!

Ahhhhh, flexibility at its best!

Total calories for the day: 1,230. The true number is much higher due to all the drinking and I have no idea what that number might be. URG!

Running Pays

Weight: 246.0

I'm at work, so this will be relatively short. I LOVE these cool nights/mornings!

Breakfast:
2-flour tortillas, 1-VERY small potato, 3-eggs (438)

Lunch:
Large bag of frozen mixed vegetables, 7-oz chicken breast, and soy sauce (456)

Snack:
Mini cliff bar (100)

Dinner:
4-oz orange roughy fish, 2-tortillas, and 2-medium zucchinis cooked in a can of Rotel tomatoes (387)

Walked 0.51 miles around the fire station in 7:58 (15:29 pace). Ran 2.01 miles in 22:23 (11:07 pace). Broke two-miles for the first time tonight. Actually... today's run was suppose to be 22-minutes, but I was so close, there was no way I would allow myself to stop.

Frequently, I see small change on the road, yet I seldom stop to pick up anything smaller than a nickel. Today I hit the jackpot and found a 5-dollar bill. Very cool!!!

Mid-body workout. Just kinda went through the motions. Blah...
3 x 15 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 35#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 12#
3 x 10 incline press 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 20#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

Snack:
Quesadilla: 2-tortillas and cheese (310) Thankfully, I'm almost out of those damn tortillas. Why do they have to taste so fuckin' good? Who knew a pack of 25 would last this long!

Total calories for the day, 2,041
That's it. Not much else to report.

At Last...

Weight: 247.0

Finally, a drop in weight. I'm going to work hard this week and see if I can get below 245 before Saturdays weekly weigh-in.

Breakfast: Sweet & Salty Granola bar and 1-cup skim milk (240)

Beautiful weather out side. I was actually COLD during my bike ride. Rode 8.5 miles in 50:48. Average pace 10.07 mph. Lulu joined me (she ran) for the final mile.

Snack:
2-fig newtons and 1-cup skim milk (280)

Upper-body workout. Increased a few more weights:
3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

Lunch:
4-slices wheat bread, 2-slices turkey, 2-tbsp light mayo, and 1-small avocado (587)

Dinner:
Turkey sandwich on sour dough bread, jalapeno chip (the last of the chips in my house) 725

Me and the kids went for a walk. Erin was running near my house and Alison wanted to go "find mommy", so we went looking for her. Indeed we found her and in the process we walked 1.44 miles in 24:11 (16:50 pace).

I wanted to eat something in the evening. Wasn't truly "hungry"... I guess you could say I had the munchies. With a few calories left, I made a fish sandwich.
2-slices of wheat bread, 4-oz orange roughy, and 1-tbsp light mayo (200)

Late evening walk with Lynn. We walked 3.68 miles in 1:00:51. Average pace 16:33. Its been a good cardio day by chance happenings.

Great Run

Weight: 249.0

I can't believe my weight has been the same for EIGHT FREAKIN' DAYS!

Lots of you have been posting some great advice. It's time I tell you guys (and gals) my "game plan". Actually, it's very simple... Calories in, Calories out. Its' easy to see all the bad stuff I'm still eating, but I'm trying to transition into a healthier lifestyle. I'm focusing on calories right now, because lets be honest... at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is calories. I have to be careful, because I don't want my OCD to kick in. When that happens I look at every single gram of protein-carbs-fiber-sugar-fat that comes near my mouth and that 'life-style' becomes 'life-consuming'. Sure, I lose weight fast when I do that, but as you've seen, it NEVER last very long. I'm still eating what "taste good" AND I'm trying to keep the calories within a reasonable range. In the months to come I'll shift into another gear and change it up.

I'm consuming a fair amount of water. Probably not as much as I should be, but a hell of a lot more than I use to. I've only had one regular soda and a couple sweet teas. I'm very proud of that fact.

Flexibility is most important to me. All my failed diets have been completely rigid. It's taking a lot to get use to this idea, but I feel like I am in a 'groove'. Although, it would be a lot easier if the scale would start moving again!

Breakfast:
2-flour tortillas, 3-eggs, and 3-oz potato's (469)

Erin dropped off the kids as soon as I got off work this morning. I took the kids to Main Event in the Woodlands. We had a lot of fun playing video games and bowling. I made the mistake of not packing a lunch. To be honest, I didn't think we would stay there as long as we did. I ate breakfast at 8:30 and ended up "breaking-down" at 3:30 and eating there at Main Event. I was SHOCKED to find they had a nutritional value guide. Very cool!

Late Lunch:
Grilled Chicken sandwich on wheat bread and one order of french fries (1,000)

My run felt GREAT. Hell, it was better than great! Probably one of the best runs since I started. Todays 20-minute run was 100-times easier than yesterdays 10-minute run.
Lulu and I walked 0.63 miles in 10:02. Average walk pace 15:56. We ran 1.79 miles in 20:01. Average run race 11:11. Haven't mentioned it before, but I'm trying to run continuously. The last time I tried running again, I was addicted to walk breaks. Currently, I walk a little before starting and a little afterwards with progressively longer run times. It's working for me.

Supper:
Large Caesar salad and turkey sandwich (600)

Lower body workout. Increased a few exercises, as noted in red:
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 40#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 35#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 30#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 20 sec. Knee stability balance
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

Total calories for the day; 2,069

First picture is of me and the cutest kiddos in the WORLD at Main Event. Second and third pictures is my running buddy.

First Month

Weight: 249.0
Percentage of Fat: 31.4%
Fat Mass Weight: 78.5 lbs

Mixed emotions about today's weight. On one hand I lost a mere 3/4 pound on the scale this week, but on the other hand, my percentage of body fat and fat mass dropped. My overall percentage dropped 1.3%, which is good for one week. Today was the completion of the first month. Here are the numbers since I started:
263.25lbs, 33.9%, 89.0lbs
256.50lbs, 33.3%, 85.5lbs
254.25lbs, 33.2%, 84.5lbs
249.75lbs, 32.7%, 81.5lbs
249.00lbs, 31.4%, 78.5lbs

I'm at work. I'm finding it a challenge to stay the course right now. Erin "picked a fight" with me this morning while getting the kids. My "usual" response is to eat, I've been telling myself all morning... "I'm stronger than these stupid emotions". So far, I'm doing okay. I just don't understand her and some of her decisions & comments. Enough said.

Thought I had lost my old readers, but here they are again. Thanks for all the great comments. Keep the comments coming, I really enjoy feedback/advice!!! Thanks; Rick, Cassie, Disco, Steeeve, Vic, Sarah, and Lou.

Breakfast:
1/2-cup oatmeal, 1-tbsp butter, 1-tbsp sugar, and walnuts (450)

Lunch:
Chili; 6-oz potato, 1-can rotel, 1-can kidney beans, 2-small cans tomato sauce , 9-oz extra lean ground beef, and 1.5-cups white rice (1509)

Made enough for 2-meals.

Ate dinner early (other half of chili).

John Karshner and I walked 1.20 miles in 20:03. We ran 0.95 miles in 10:02. Average pace 10:35. Even though it was only ten minutes, it was a tough run. Not sure why.

Mid-body workout went very easy. Go figure.
3 x 15 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 35#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 12#
3 x 10 incline press 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 20#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

Snack:
2-slices wheat bread and 1-slice turkey (166)

Total calories for the day; 2125. Due to miscalculations I went over by 26 calories. Something is wrong with my diet. I'm always hungry. I've taken notice that I HAVE NOT been eating vegetables, so I will try to improve on that.

Heavy Load

Weight: 247.25

Breakfast:
2-fig newton cookies, and 1-cup skim milk (280)

Three mile walk at East End park with a friend. I forgot my watch, but we maintained a respectable pace.... probably in the 16:00-17:00 range.

This same friend took me to Pei Wei for an early lunch:
Spicy Chicken salad and 2-spring rolls (880)

The problem with salads is I am hungry a few hours later. Today was no different. By 3pm I had also ate left over Chinese food from last night (450) and a can of ravioli (500)

By the evening I was starving again and out of calories for the day. I decided to have my "free-meal" a day early.
Baked a chicken breast with BBQ sauce, sweet corn, and mashed potato's. While waiting for dinner to cook I ate 5-cheese sticks. After dinner I shared a cupcake with Alison. Its sounds like a lot more than it was, honestly!

Today was one of those days where I was hungry all day. Last night I had lots of stuff pinging around in my head, so I didn't get much sleep and now I feel groggy. My legs are incredible sore from yesterdays bike ride and I dreaded running today, but I made it happen.
...okay, I'm done whining.

I pushed BOTH kids in our single stroller for today's run/walk. Alison weighs about 45 pounds and Preston weighs 17 lbs. It was a lot harder to push them than I had expected. We walked 0.77 miles in 12:07 (15:44 pace). Ran 1.60 miles in 18:01 (11:16 pace).

Wind

Weight: 248.5

Last Thursday I weighed 248. Today, one-week later... I weigh 248.5. This sucks. Gotta stay the course and see the BIG PICTURE.

Breakfast:
2-flour tortillas, 2-eggs, and 2.5-oz potato (397)

Steve and I rode 22.28 miles in exactly 1:30:00. Average pace 14.9 mph. The wind was fierce! We knew it would be a challenge when we crossed the Lake Houston bridge and saw white-caps on the water.

We rode an out and back course. The wind was in our face outbound, making it a struggle to maintain 12-miles per hour. On the other hand, the wind was "our friend" on the return trip with a 22+ mph pace.

I have problems riding long distances because I have two herniated disc in my lower back. Usually I stop every hour or 15 miles in order to stretch. Today I stayed in the saddle the entire time. There was some discomfort for awhile, but I toughed it out. I tried stretching while staying on the bike. The stretching seemed to help.

This was a good, yet tough ride.

Upper-body workout:
3 x 10 wrist curl 35#
3 x 10 reverse wrist curl 10#
3 x 10 alternate bicep curl 20#
3 x 10 seated bicep curl - bar 15#
3 x 10 lying triceps curl 25#
3 x 10 standing triceps curl - bar 15#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 20#
3 x 10 prone deltoid press 8#

Great workout. I'm starting to feel stronger.

Snack:
2-slices wheat bread, 1-slice turkey, 1-tbsp light mayo, and 1-slice mozzarella cheese (254)

Alison and I had lunch together at Subway:
12"-roasted chicken breast on wheat bread and jalapeno chips (970)

I had plans to run today, but my legs are too sore from the bike ride. I'll run first thing in the morning and get caught up.

Lynn called and invited me to join her for Chinese food. I hesitated at first, but I really wanted to spend time with another adult. My life is work & kids, kids & work. Even though there is not a romantic interest, it is nice to spend time with another person.

I ordered chicken & broccoli off the "Diet Menu". This means the rice and vegetables are steamed and the chicken is cooked without any oils or sauces. The order seemed large so I pushed half of it to the side (to go) and enjoyed half of my meal. I had ~1/2 cup steamed rice, ~4-oz chicken, and ~2-cups of broccoli. After a little math, I assume I consumed about 450 calories.

Total calories for the day; 2,071

Added a couple pictures for the day. First one is of my kiddos. Preston has a new "car" and Alison likes pushing him around... it is so cute to see them interacting. When I have my kids, I don't have a trouble in the world!
The second picture is of my potato & egg breakfast tacos, which I've been enjoying for nearly a week.

Tacos!

Weight 250.0

At work today.

Breakfast:
2-flour tortillas, 2-eggs, 5.5-oz potato (479)

Lunch:
1-can rotel, 6-oz mahi-mahi, 2-flour tortillas, and 1-small avocado (597)

Lunch and breakfast tasted really good, but the recent addition of flour tortillas to my diet is starting to pile on some serious calories.

Walked 0.90 miles in 14:00 minutes (15:31 pace). Ran 1.57 miles in 16:02 (10:12 pace). For giggles I wore my heart rate monitor strap. My average heart rate while walking was 126 bpm. Average heart rate during the run was 158 bpm. Per an online search, my maximum heart rate is 174-187. Todays average heart rate was in the aerobic zone.

Lower body workout and mid-body workout, (which I skipped yesterday).
3 x 15 sitting toe lift
3 x 10 squat to bench 20#
3 x 10 forward leg raise
3 x 10 leg extension 35#
3 x 10 hamstring curl 25#
3 x 15 standing tow raise 25#
3 x 10 side leg lift
3 x 10 inner leg lift
3 x 12 toe-in stretch
3 x 12 toe-out stretch

3 x 15 crunches
3 x 10 side bends 20#
3 x 10 dumbbell press 35#
3 x 10 dumbbell flyes 12#
3 x 10 incline press 25#
3 x 10 dumbbell roll 20#
3 x 10 upright rowing 15#
3 x 10 dead lift 25#

I'll be caught up tomorrow after I add the "missed" bike ride.

Dinner:
1.5 cups white rice, 1-can cream of mushroom light, 9-oz chicken breast.

Used too much cream of mushroom, which messed up my rice and added extra calories. Lesson learned.

Snack:
Diet soda and 2-fat free fig newtons (200)

Total calories for the day: 2,076

Weakness

Weight 249.5

Worked at my part-time job today. This is likely to be my last day. This is a great PAYING job, but it is also the worst job I have ever had. It is a stressful and negative atmosphere. I'll take less money to be happy.

Ate a "breakfast on a bun" sandwich from the cafeteria (550)

Took my lunch to work. 2-slices wheat bread, 1-tbsp light mayo, 1 slice turkey, and jalapeno chips (664)

Small moment of weakness....

Dammit, I did it again. I'm tired of posting what "Erin did to me", lets just say she is inflexible and does not understand. The divorce and "aftermath"" was HER CHOICE, so it seems easy to her, but she doesn't understand that it is incredibly hard for me to live without my kids and my old life. Any ways, I don't want to get into it right now, so I'll move on...

I was weak and turned to food. Sugary cravings are back. It wasn't a full-blown binge, yet I went WAY, WAY OVER my calories.

It's also been difficult to stay motivated when there hasn't been any weight loss in ~5-days. I skipped all my workouts yesterday as well. That has a lot to do with the Part-time job. I was exhausted and had zero energy.

Time for me to learn from this moment and try again in the morning.