Revenge of the Gamer

My mother is second generation Italian.  Those of you raised by an Italian family know exactly what that means.  Every social gathering is accompanied by a massive amount of food, and family get togethers are often a daily occurence.  Even doing something as simple as going a couple of doors down to ask my grandmother to borrow something meant being sat down to a three course meal.   

When I was a kid that was all well and good, because I excercised a lot and had a fast metabolism.  But when I turned eighteen that youthful metabolism began to slow, and since that time I’ve wrestled with my weight.  I’ve never been morbidly obese, but I’ve carried a consistent extra fifty pounds.  That has sometimes spiked up to an extra hundred pounds.  

In 2009 I decided to do something about it, and was able to drop 15 pounds.  Unfortunately, I still have fifty more to go.  I’ve decided that 2010 is the year I lose the rest of the weight, and this time I’m getting far more serious about it.  I’m excercising much more consistently, and have started a Weight Watchers diet.   So without further ado I present my weight loss journal.  I will post every week for the next fifty two weeks to show where I am at weight wise, complete with pictures:  

January 1st 2010

 

Current Weight: 237.6 lbs          Distance to Goal: 50 lbs  

January 8th 2010

 

Current Weight: 233.2 lbs          Distance to Goal: 45.6 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 4.4 lbs  

Commentary:   Well, I’m off to a great start.  I lost 4.4 pounds my first week, which was more than I was expecting.  Most of it was diet, as I’ve started weight watchers.  I’m also going to the gym for 45 minutes every morning, and have started hiking around Spring Lake in the evenings for a little extra excercise.  Hopefully I’ll be able to drop 6 more pounds in January!  I figure 2 pounds a week is reasonable, and anything more is awesome!  

I did eat at Carl’s Junior twice this week for lunch, which is definitely a bad idea.  I use most of my daily points from one meal =O.  So next week I need to be more diligent and eat healthier.  

   

January 15th 2010

 

Current Weight: 233.4 lbs          Distance to Goal: 45.8 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 4.2 lbs  

Commentary: Ouch.  This week wasn’t nearly successful as the last.  Instead of losing weight I gained .2 lbs.  Granted that pretty much means my weight stayed the same, but I didn’t lose anything which sucks.  Next week will be better though!  

Negatives:  My diet was horrible this week.  I ate at McDonalds once and Carl’s Junior twice.  For dinner I’ve been eating a lot of fatty foods since I still have groceries from before I started the diet.  I know its bad for me, but I didn’t want to throw it away.  I’ll be through it this weekend though, so next week I’ll be able to shop healthy, which should help with the eight loss.  

Positives:  I worked out hard every day.  In the mornings I hit the gym.  I power walked on both breaks at work, and then walked a lap around Spring Lake before bed.  That puts me at about seven miles a day, which is nothing short of awesome.  Even eating as badly as I did I maintained simply because I excercised so much.  If I can improve my diet I should lose a good chunk of weight next week!  

January 22nd 2010

 

Current Weight: 233.6 lbs          Distance to Goal: 46 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 4.0 lbs  

Commentary: Grrr.  I gained another .2 pounds this week.  I know, I know that’s pretty much no change to my weight at all.  But that’s two weeks in a row that I haven’t lost any weight.   

Negatives:  My diet was better this week, but still bad.  I’m still plowing through the groceries I bought a couple weeks ago, and haven’t started eating the weight watchers way yet.  On Sunday I’ll need to go shopping though, so hopefully that means this week I’ll do a better job of sticking within my points.  If I can manage that I should have no problem dropping the weight.  

Positives:  I hiked or ran a total of fifty eight miles this week.  It might be as high as sixty since I didn’t have a pedometer or anything, and was just going by trail guides.  Some of these trails are pretty tough, and at first I had to stop every couple hundred feet to catch my breath.  Now I can make it much further without stopping!  

The other good news is that I’ve reclaimed the last belt loop on my pants.  Even on that last notch its still loose, and at this rate I’ll need a new belt soon.  I know I’m not losing the weight I want to, but it seems pretty clear I’m converting fat into muscle which is a good thing.  All in all I’m excited by my progress!  I can do this!  

January 29th 2010

 

Current Weight: 232.2 lbs          Distance to Goal: 44.6 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 5.4 lbs  

Commentary: Finally more weight loss!  Not as much as I’d like, but hey its progress.  

Negatives:  My diet is still crap.  Too much fast food, and yesterday I had a slice of birthday cake which didn’t help.  It’s going to take a lot more discipline if I want to hit my weight loss goal.  I wanted to lose 8 pounds in January, but only managed 5.  

Positives:  I’m still working out every single day.  I hiked 50 miles this week.  Not as much as last week, but still pretty damn good!  I didn’t hit my goal for the month, but I did lose 5 pounds.  

February 5th 2010

 

Current Weight: 234.8 lbs          Distance to Goal: 47.2 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 2.8 lbs  

Commentary: I gained weight back this week.  Eek!  Not good, but I’m not giving up.  Next week will be better.  

Negatives:  My diet is still crap.  I had a cold this week, and one of the problems with me and colds is they make me ravenous.  I devoured everything in sight, and because I was sick I dialed way back on the working out.  The combination means I gained back a couple of pounds which is rather frustrating.  

Positives:  I’m still working out every single day, even though I probably shouldn’t since I am sick.  I cut back to just weights, and 40 minutes on the eliptical machine so I didn’t kill myself.  My clothing still feels looser than it did, and I’ve still down a belt loop since January 1st.  So even though this was a tough week I’m not giving up.  

I can improve my diet, and I’m starting to feel better.  Next week I’ll get back to my regular excercise routine, and if I can do better on the diet as well hopefully I can lose the weight I gained back.  I’m hoping to be under 230 by the end of February, which seems like a reasonable goal.  

February 12th 2010

 

Current Weight: 236.8 lbs          Distance to Goal: 49 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 1 lbs  

Commentary: I lied.  This week wasn’t better.  I gained back more weight =(  

Negatives:  Dammit, my diet sucked.  I ran out of groceries and ate fast food waaay too much this week.  I have a long weekend, so I’m resolved to restart Weight Watchers.  I’ll do some shopping this weekend and will stock up on healthy food.  

Positives:  I kept working out like a fiend, and now that I am no longer sick I’m back to hiking in the evenings.  I’ve also kept a great attitude.  I know I can do better on the diet, and am not giving up!  

February 19th 2010

 

Current Weight: 235.4 lbs          Distance to Goal: 47.8 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 2.4 lbs  

Commentary: Woohoo!  Down 1.4 pounds.  I re-signed up for weight watchers and downloaded their app for my iPhone.  It means that wherever I am I can cost out any food I’m about to eat, and makes it FAR easier for me to stick to the plan.   

I only lost 1.4 pounds this week, but that’s deceptive.  When I weighted myself Monday morning I was 239 lbs, which is 1.2 lbs higher than when I started on January 1st!  That means since monday I’ve lost 3.6lbs which is a much more attractive number.  

Negatives:  Friday, Saturday and Sunday of last week were horrible diet wise.  I ordered a large pizza, a dozen wings and a cinnamon pie from Papa John’s.  I ate all of them over the weekend, and added in fast food from Jack in the Box, McDonalds and Carl’s Junior.  

By Sunday night I felt physically ill.  

Positives:  I kept to my workout every day this week, even though I had to get up way earlier than normal to do it on Wednesday and Thursday.  I got up at 6am on Wednesday, because I had to be at work early to make up for an afternoon dentist appointment.  On thursday I got up at 5:30, because I had to be at work by 7:30 for the All Staff meeting.  Even though getting up that early sucked, I did it so I could keep working out.  Go me!  

On Monday morning I was horrified by my weight.  239 meant I’d actually gained weight since the 1st of the year, and that’s just unacceptable.  So I hit Weight Watchers hard, and was super diligent about my diet all week.  I’ve lost 3.6lbs since Monday, and am now firmly back on the program.   

This week was great and it’s inspired me to redouble my weight loss efforts.  I can lose the weight I want to.  I will lose the weight.  

February 26th 2010

 

Current Weight: 234.6 lbs          Distance to Goal: 47 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 3 lbs  

Commentary: I’m down .8 lbs this week.  It’s not as much as I’d like to lose, but it is weight loss.  Over all this was a very good week for weight loss.  I followed weight watchers religiously though I’ll explain the mistakes I made below.  

Negatives:  I burned all my flex points by last saturday, which meant I didn’t have any this week.  That made things a lot harder, and when I caved and had chicken wings on Wednesday I didn’t have the points for them so I broke the diet.   

I also had rice every day, but found out I was miscounting the points.  Weight Watchers costs 4 points for a cup of cooked rice, and I was doing 4 points for a cup of raw rice.  So I was eating like 12 points of rice, but only thought it was four.  Now that I know better I can avoid making the same mistake next week.  

Positives:  With the exception of 1 dozen chicken wings I stuck to the diet like glue this week.  I tracked every last thing I ate in Weight Watchers, and even with the whole rice debacle I still lost weight.  Now that I know what I was doing wrong I should be able to stick more accurately to my daily points, which will guarentee that I lose weight.  That’s what I love about the program.  It’s math based and if you follow the numbers you will lose weight.  

I also worked out every single day, and kept to my hikes in the evening.  This means I’ve now worked out with no breaks for two full months, and its now become a habit.  I’m feeling incredibly optimistic about the program, and am convinced I will meet my weight loss goals by the end of the year if not before.  

I can do this!  

March 5th 2010

 

Current Weight: 236 lbs          Distance to Goal: 48.4 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 1.6 lbs  

Commentary: I gained back 1.4lbs this week.  That’s not terribly surprising as depression and weight loss don’t really go hand and hand together.  I’ve been reeling from depression all week, and its sapped the will  to accomplish anything.  I just can’t seem to force myself to care about anything, weight loss included.  

Negatives:  I ate a fair amount of fast food, and didn’t track my points from Monday – Today.  My diet wasn’t horrible compared to previous weeks, but it was still worse than it should have been.  I’m very discouraged and trying not to give up.  

Positives:  I ordered weight loss pills this week.  They block 25% of the fat your body would normally absorb, which means you generally lose about 50% more than you would without them.  By themselves they don’t do crap, but if I stick to my diet and continue to work out they should accelerate the weight loss.  I need to see some progress, and am hoping they give it to me.  

I worked out every day this week as usual, which prevented me from gaining more weight back than I did.  That part of my routine is rock solid even with the depression.  

I’ve started tracking my points again this morning, and will try my best to stick on the diet this week.  My resolve is shaky, but at least I haven’t given up entirely.  

March 12th 2010

 

Current Weight: 234.4 lbs          Distance to Goal: 46.8 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 3.2 lbs  

Commentary: I lost 1.6lbs this week.  A lot of the reason this was possible is because as of Wednesday I started taking a weight loss pill called Alli.  I can’t speak highly enough of this pill.  It blocks about 25% of the fat you eat.  By itself that doesn’t do much, but combined with excercises and a decent diet it makes losing weight easy.  

Negatives:  On Wednesday morning I stepped on the scale and it read 238.2.  All week I’d eaten badly.  I gave in to depression and didn’t even bother tracking what I ate on Weight Watchers.  It was bad and getting worse and I was really considering giving up entirely.  

Positives:  On Wednesday I got back on the diet and starting taking Alli.  The following morning I was down to 236.  This morning I stepped on the scale and it read 234.4.  That means from Wednesday I lost 3.8lbs.  During that time I did great on the diet, but really didn’t do anything different than I was before.  The Alli helped that much.  

Workout wise things are going great.  I have done a minimum of 35 minutes a day on the eliptical every day since the first of the year, but I’ve been inconsistent on weights.  I started getting up a half hour earlier on Wednesday so I have time to do both every day.  I really pushed the weights Wed-Fri, and while I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck its a good sort of pain.  

If I can keep up the weights and cardio along with the diet I should look pretty good come my birthday.  I can’t say whether the pills will continue to have the same effectiveness as I’ve just started using them, but here’s to hoping they do!  

Oh, I’ve also found that cucumbers, radishes and mushrooms are all 0 points which means I can basically eat as many as I want.  So instead of snacking on things that are horrible for me I’ve started eating a lot more vegetables, which really helps with the cravings.  Hopefully that makes dieting easier! 

May 28th 2010

Current Weight: 231 lbs          Distance to Goal: 43.4 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 6.6 lbs 

Commentary: Wow, I haven’t posted since early March.  I can’t believe I let two and a half months get by me.  Oh well, no sense in worrying about it now.  The important thing is that I’m writing now.  As you can see by my current weight I have continued to lose.  It’s been a very bumpy road, and in mid april I hit 241.  Yikes!  As soon as I saw that i buckled down.  I’ve lost weight for the last three weeks in a row, and this week is off to a good start too.

Negatives:  I stopped posting and stopped tracking my weight for a long time.  During that time my diet was horrible.

Positives: I’m back on board now and am steadily losing weight.  231 is definitely a major milestone and I can’t wait to break 230.

Working out is also going REALLY well.  I’ve only missed two days in 2010, which means I’ve been going to the gym for five solid months as of this writing.  When I started I was doing 30 minutes on the eliptical, and was struggling to do three miles.  A 10 minute mile seemed way out of reach back then, but not anymore.

I can now run a 9 minute 30 second mile, and I hit 4.25 miles every day in the 40 minutes I run on the elliptical.  I also added weights in March, and while I haven’t been as diligent with them as I’d like I’ve definitely gotten stronger.

June 4th 2010

Current Weight: 227 lbs          Distance to Goal: 39.4 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 10.6 lbs 

Commentary: Wow, this week was amazing.  I lost a full four pounds which was far more than I was expecting.  This is the fourth week in a row I’ve lost weight, and I feel like I’ve really built momentum.  Seeing that I can lose weight makes me more diligent in my diet.  I can do this. 

Negatives:  I had a couple of bottles of wine and some tri tip this week, but other than that my diet was perfect.  I’ve stopped doing weights as part of my workout and need to get back on that.

Positives: I stuck very closely to my diet and it paid off.  If I keep sticking to it I will keep losing weight.  Excercise is still going full steam.  Forty minutes on the eliptical in the mornings, laps around the lake at night and hikes on the weekend.  If I keep this up I will be under 220 soon.  That puts me in paintball form!

June 18th 2010

Current Weight: 227 lbs          Distance to Goal: 39.4 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 10.6 lbs 

Commentary:  Man I need to get better about updating weekly.  Such a slacker! 

Negatives:  I keep see-sawing on the diet.  Gained weight back last week =/

Positives: I lost weight this week so I’m back where I was on June 4th.  I’m ecstatic to be in the 220s again, and am hopeful that I can be under 220 by the time I host my Starcraft party at the end of July.  It will be the first time I see Trev and Dave in a while, and I’d like to look good for it!

July 9th 2010

Current Weight: 222.2 lbs          Distance to Goal: 34.6 lbs          Total Weight Lost: 15.4 lbs 

Commentary:  Well I’m still not updating weekly, but at least I’m updating!  Things are going extraordinarily well.  As you can see I’ve lost still more weight and my goal of getting under 220 by the end of July looks very doable.

Negatives:  For once I don’t have any negatives to report. 

Positives: My diet is going great!  I’ve started eating at home for lunch rather than getting fast food, and my work outs are going better than ever.  I can’t believe I’ve been working out steadily for a full six months now =O