And so it begins

Well here we go again. I weighed in this morning and I am right where I was when the contest ended. So I have maintained over the past few weeks. Here is a picture of the scale on day number one:

I was hoping it would be a little less but I guess this means that I will be able to lose a few more pounds and raise a few more dollars for MS.

I will be keeping this Blog more up to date then I have over the past couple of weeks. I will be writing at least every other day. And I will be posting weekly pictures of the scale on Thursdays. I figured we weighed in on Thursdays during the Big Loser I might as well keep it up.

Well I need to go and work on a progress chart to hang on the wall of my office. That way everyone there will have an idea of where I am at. Again thanks for everyone's support.

Hello

I have been a little busy and a little sick as of late. I am maintaining my weight but I am not losing. I have been sick more this winter then I can ever remember. But I am not the only one. Just about everyone at the clinic where I work has had several sick days this winter. There is a bug out there that just won't go away.

I am going to be heading back to the gym tomorrow. Everyone in my family is sick so I am going to give it one more day for us all to rest and then we are getting back into it. I am starting my weight loss challenge tomorrow. I have raised about $6.00 a pound in pledges. All the money will be going to the MS Society. I would like to have raised a little more but there is still some time. My goal is still to lose 70 more pounds by July 12th. That will get me into a territory that I haven't been for many years. I also have a personal challenge for myself. I have been saving my monthly fun money allowance and if I can break the 300# mark by March 15th then I get to buy a home theater system. If I don't then all the money I have saved goes to the MS Society.

I am really looking forward to the weather getting nicer. I want to get out on my bike. I am getting tired of riding on the bike at the YMCA. I really want to feel the wind in my face and breath the fresh air. I have been able to increase my riding time on the recumbant bike by a considerable ammount. I have also increased my time on the treadmill. My wife and I are planning a trip to Disney World in September so I need to be in shape so that we can do a lot of walking while we are there. I don't want to be tired and cranky every day while we are there so I want to be able to walk all day without getting tired. I try and do at least 70 minutes of cardio when I am at the gym. I break that up with some weights. I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger. I am noticing muscles in places where there used to be only fat. And it is only going to get better.

I am going to be better about posting on here. This is where I am going to direct the people that have pledged money towards my weight loss challenge. I was hoping that KQ would have picked up on it an helped me get a little more in pledges. Well since I am at work I guess I should do something.

I've been away.

The past week or so has been tough. I haven't been good about going to the gym and I have been craving cookies. I actually gained 2.2 pounds. So I have been thinking of ways to motivate myself. I came up with a great plan. For the past 2 years I have participated in an event called the Crawl 4 the Cure to raise money for the Multiple Sclerorsis society. Well I have come up with a plan to raise a little more money. I would like people to pledge money for every pound I lose between February 8th 2007 and July 12th 2007. I will start it off with a pledge of $1 per pound. I am hoping to lose another 70 pounds so that can give you a gauge as to how much your pledge will be, and I would like to collect at least $20 per pound that I lose. 100% of the money raised goes to the MS Society. And all the pledges are tax deductible. If people want to make a pledge email me at davidwesterberg@msn.com . If you are interested in the event check out www.crawl4cure.org for more information. This event is growing each year and the media coverage is growing as well. If there are businesses out there that are willing to make a pledge I am not above placing advertising on the side of my Jeep. I am very excited about this challenge. I am looking forward to losing even more weight and raising money for a great cause. Over the past 2 years we have raised about $46,000 for the MS Society. If anyone wants to come up and check out the event from the passengers seat of my Jeep (I might even let you drive), let me know and maybe we can work something out. I will have the dietician here at the clinic where I work certify the starting weight and ending weight, and I will take pictures of the scale just to make sure everything is on the level. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at the email address above.

I am confident that this will give me the motivation to lose those 70 pounds. I am very excited about this.

I've been away

Sorry I haven't written much for the past few days. I went up to my Mom's for the weekend to work on some projects around her house and when I got back I got sick again. This has been about the worst winter for me getting sick. I just get over one cold and another one hits.

I stepped on the scale the other day and I was down about another 4 pounds. The scale said just over 36 pounds lost total. I have given my body a break, I haven't worked out in a few days and I can tell. I am going to go on Thursday and work out. Then again on Friday and then the family will go swimming.

I am so thankful for all I learned through the contest and all the support that I have gotten from everyone. I really missed going up to the gym last night and seeing everyone. I like the YMCA and all that but it was nice seeing all the contestants there and knowing them and being encouraged by them.

Well supper is ready then I have a date with my son to watch Return of the Jedi, or as he calls it the Green Star Wars.

It's all over. (the contest that is)

Well it is over and I didn't win the big prizes but I have won so much more. I won back my self respect. I won back my health. And I have won a better life. I don't look at it as losing anything other then 32.4 pounds. My wife and I are making plans to keep this up. We have decided that 3-4 nights a week (depending on schedules) we are going to be going to the YMCA and working out. I sent in my request for an entry form for the William A. Irvin 5K this summer, we are going to run it together (maybe some of you will join us). Then on weekends we are going to get out and enjoy life. Hiking, biking, snow shoeing (if we ever get snow), there are just so many things that I want to get out and explore. We are also planning on enrolling in one of the YMCA's Cardio Boot camps this spring, they look pretty intense. I am really looking forward to warmer weather. I am getting tired of riding bike and not feeling the sun on my face, and looking at the same thing and not going anywhere. If anyone wants to ride bike this spring or summer let me know. I have an almost new bike in the garage that I have only riden a couple of times.

I will be keeping this blog up and running as long as I can. I am going to be keeping up to date on my weight loss. My training for the race and I will start putting some pictures up of the progress. I would really like to get the full picture that Bill took on the first night. I would like to put that in here and put a current picture in so people can see how I have changed.

I am hoping that we can all stay in touch. It would be nice if we could all get together at the Super Bowl party and fill each other in on how we have been doing. It would be nice to get together every few weeks and keep in touch.

Well I guess since I am at work I should do something work related. Congrats to Chris for being the big loser. You worked hard and you deserve it. And to the rest of you. I am proud of all of you. Team Bill stuck together and pulled it out in the end, we lost a little more then 9 pounds more then Team Jason. Hopefully Bill will come up with some kind of team prize. Thanks again to Bill, Jason, and especially Matt for all that they have done.

Last Weigh-In

Well it is all done. Tonight was my lowest weight loss of the contest, only .8 pounds but I will admit it is because I have not worked as hard as I could have this past week. I took it easy this weekend and I used my ankle as an excuse to not go and work out. I could have gone and done something but I decided to spend the time with my wife and son. I have missed a lot in the last 8 weeks and I decided that spending some time with them was important.

I don't know if my metabolism has kicked up a little more or what but I have been a lot hungrier this week. So yes I did eat more and work out less, that is why I only lost .8 pounds. But it was a loss and that is what counts.

I am very happy with the 32.4 pounds that I have lost over the course of this program. I am at a weight now that my wife has never seen me at. And I am only going to weigh less and less. I have found something that is working for me and I am happy. I know that there are going to be more .8 pound loss weeks and there may even be a few gains along the way. But I am going to get to where I need to be. My goal is to lose another 67.6 pounds. That will bring me to 100 pounds lost. But I am going to do it my way. I have found a lot of different exercises that I am going to continue doing and I am really loving the cardio workout. I have lowered my resting pulse down to 62 bpm, and my blood pressure has dropped about 20 points. I have increased my cardio workout from about 10 minutes to about 90 minutes. I have increased all my weights by a minimum of 25 pounds and some as much as 70. I have maxed out on some machines and I have moved to free weights and to doing abs and lower back on the exercise ball with free weights. I am pumped and getting more and more fired up about the changes in my body.

I want to thank everyone that has been in the program for all the support. Bill and Jason for getting us all together. Matt for everything he has done. If you are reading this and looking for some place to work out. 24 Hour Fitness is where it is at. If you want to get in shape talk to Matt he will get you there. And I want to thank everyone that has bee reading along with me and lending their support. Especially the people that don't even know me that have encouraged and supported me. We are going to be able to keep our blogs and I am going to find a way to keep a page going to keep all the blogs in one spot. I have a couple of ideas that might work.

Well it is late and I am tired. So again thank you everyone and to all you big losers congrats on all you have accomplished and all you have done.

Lets Celebrate

Hey everybody. The last day is here and in a way I am glad but I will certainly miss the people. I would like us to all keep in touch and keep each other posted as to what is going on good or bad. Thank you Kim for gathering all the information so that we can do that.

I would also like us all to get together after the weigh in tonight. Bring your spouse or significant other or your biggest supporter to the weigh in and we will figure out what we are doing from there. I will stop and tell Matt because he said he would like to meet with us after it is all done. I am not suggesting we go to the OCB and pig out. But someplace that we can sit and celebrate our accomplishments. So put your thinking caps on and lets do this right. We can all celebrate equally since we won't know who won until Friday morning.

I am so proud of you all. We have all done so much through this program. We have lost a lot of weight. Walked/run/peddled hundreds of miles on the treadmills/elipticals/bikes. And lifted thousands of pounds of weights. We all should be proud of what we have done. We have lost all this weight in what most consider the season to gain weight. We have shunned Christmas Cookies, Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie, and countless other delights from the holiday season. We have all shown that we are big losers and you are all winners in my book.

Congratulations to you all. I hope we can all continue to support each other for a long time to come.

I must recant

Ok my wife read my last post and I need to recant. I guess she hasn't eaten any of the Oreo's. Well she had 3 at supper tonight but those are the only 3 that she has eaten.

We are getting down to the wire and I hope everyone is safe with their work outs and eating habits for the next couple of days. We don't need anyone passing out on the scale, or pulling something trying to push a little harder on the equipment. So please be carefull.

I had to get a few last minute tips from Matt on how to better work my abs and lower back. The machines just weren't cutting it any more. So on to the exercise ball we went. He showed me a couple of good crunches and lower back exercises. So I guess it is time to get the ball out of the closet and add to my workout at home. I can feel it more in my back and abs tonight, it was a much better workout. Thanks Matt for the advice and all the encouragment that you have given to all of us througout all of this.

Well I need to go and sort socks. Everyone take care and I will see you all on Thursday night at the final weigh in. Some of us have been talking and it would be nice if we could all get together and celebrate after the weigh in. So if Bill and Jason have anything planned could we please know about it so we can make plans. It would be nice if spouses could join in because while my wife hasn't come to 24 hour fitness and worked out with me she has been doing so much to support me in all of this so she deserves to celebrate right along with me.

Almost there.

Well we are almost to the finish mine. The final weigh in is looming just 2 days away. I am very pleased with my results so far. I am very pleased with the weight that I have lost and I am impressed with how much I have improved my cardio workout and by the increases in the weights that I am lifting. I have improved my over all health by leaps and bounds. I am so much further along then I ever thought I would be. I want to thank everyone that has been involved with this program. Bill and Jason for setting the whole thing up. Matt for working with us and for all the encouragement that he has given along the way. All the other contestants for their words of encouragement and support. Everyone I work with that have kept me motivated at work, and for all their support and keeping an eye on me. And most important to me, my wife and son. they have had to make a lot of sacrifices throughout this program. They have been willing to let me workout 6 days a week, many of them by myself. They have changed the way they eat to cut down on my temptations. And all the words of encouragement and keeping me on track and keeping my spirits up.

I haven't given up on my goal of running the 5K this summer. It is just going to take me a little while to get to the point where I can run. While playing basketball in High School I injured my ankles over and over to the point where I couldn't play without having them taped, which lead to me breaking my leg and no longer being able to play basketball without severe pain. I have also had 2 surgeries to repair damage to the cartilage and stuff in my right knee (which I will eventually have t have replaced). So going on the advice of my Dr. I am going to lose a little more weight before I start to run a lot. That doesn't mean that I can't increase my speed on the treadmill to just below a run. I will keep increasing the speed, incline and time until I feel I am ready to start running. So I am not giving up on the goal it is just going to take me a little while to get there.

As for the package of Oreo's they are still there. I have had some from time to time but I think that the package will last until late into next week. I am not sure but I think that my wife has snuck a few of them, and maybe my son too.

I hope to see everyone at 25 hour tonight (tuesday). And I think that after the weigh in on Thursday we should all go out and celebrate all the hard work that we have done. I haven't heard if there is anything official but even if there isn't we should do something anyway. Also I am wondering if we are going to be able to continue using these Blogs after the contest is over. I would like to so that we can keep in touch with each other and keep the support going. Even if there could continue to be a small link on the KQ95 website so that other could as well.

I my friends am not a runner.

I had set a goal to be able to run a mile on the treadmill before this contest was over. Well that ain't gonna happen. I have tried a few times to run on the treadmill and between the fact that I am extremely uncoordinated and the fact that I weigh a lot (well less then I used to) I don't think I will be running again for a while. My left ankle is currently hurting because I tried to go a little faster and father on the treadmill last night. So I am going to take it a little easy today and then get back to exercising again tomorrow.

Otherwise things are going well. My wife and I treated ourselves to some Old Chicago Pizza today. It is all right to have treats now and then. I also bought some Oreo's at Target. Yeah I know Oreo's and diets don't normally go together but it is kind of a test for me. We haven't had all that much junk food in our house since I started over 7 weeks ago. But at some point I need to realize that I am going to be around food like this whether at work, home, or while visiting family. And I need to learn some self control, so I am going to make this package of Oreo's last as long as I can. I had a nice Ham & Turkey sandwich for supper and 4 Oreo's and a small glass of milk for dessert. I think that I am well on my way down the road to skinniness (is that a real word?).

Well I am off to watch Attack of the Clones with my son. He is obbsessed with Star Wars which is fine with me, at least he gave up on Cinderella.

Thursdays Weigh In

Well another 3.6 pounds gone bringing me to a grand total of 31.6 pounds lost. A very respectable total. I am very happy with where I am at and even though I didn't win the tickets I am still very proud of what I have accomplished. I have never lost this much weight in any of my attempts. I know that I have found what works for me, and who would have thought that it would have been something as simple as eat less and exercise more. Imagine that. No fad diet, no counting carbs, nothing. Just eat less and exercise more.

I am a firm believer in writing down what you eat during the day. When I do remember to do it I am way better at keeping my intake down. It is so easy to forget about that cookie that you ate or all those little snacks along the way. But if you carry a small notebook in your pocket or purse and write down everything you eat it will make a huge difference. Also for you techie people out there here is a download that you can do to help you keep track of your calories for the day: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010684541033.aspx . It is an excel spreadsheet. What I do is open the template up and enter my food for the day. Then at the end of the day I click save as, type in the date and then save it. That way I have the original template still blank and I have a running total of what I have eaten for the week.

There is only a week to go. I am hoping to get close to 40 pounds lost by the weigh in next week. It is kind of a bittersweet ending. On one hand I am going to miss the competition and the motivation that it provided, and the encouragement and the inspiration that everyone has provided. On the other hand I am kind of glad it is coming to an end because it has taken me away from my family a lot. I have spent many hours in the gym by myself and that has meant that my wife is home taking care of our son. With the contest over we will be able to get into a routine where we can all go to the YMCA and do things as a family.

I will miss everyone when this is all over and I think that we should try and keep the support system going, getting together every so often and helping each other stay on track. I also think that we need to plan something for next week after the weigh in. Some kind of celebration for all that we have accomplished. We all have a lot to be proud of. And one of us will have more to celebrate then the rest as they are crowned the Big Loser.

Chalenge to our Team Leaders

Since this Thursday is our 2nd to last weigh in and work out night I would really like to see our Team Leaders join us at the Gym. We all need a little inspiration to make it through the home stretch. I will be there (right after the weigh in) and I am guessing all of Team Bill will be there at some point that evening.

We are the fortunate ones that were picked to be in this program. There were a lot of people out there that really wanted to be in this and I think that we need to respect the fact that we were the lucky ones that were picked so we need to make the most of this opportunity. We need to be there and work hard. I am so thankful that I have been given this opportunity. It has been awesome to have a team of people cheering you on and inspiring you to keep going, and it has been nice to support other people on their quest to become heathier. This opportunity has changed my life. I am well on my way to losing the weight that I need to, and I have found a way that is working for me. I applaud all of you for the hard work that you have done. We have all come a long way since that first night when we were all so nervous getting our Blood Pressure checked and our orientation to 24 Hour Fitness. We have lost a lot of weight, had to buy new clothes and we are doing things that we never would have thought possible just 7 weeks ago. I thank God every day that I was chosen to be in this program. Because of this I have changed in such a way that I know I am never going to go back to being fat and lazy again. I like the new me so much more then what I was just 7 weeks ago. I know I have a long way to go (about 70 more pounds) but I know I can do it now. My wife and I are planning a trip to Orlando Florida this coming fall and I would like to be able to go to the beach and take my shirt off without worrying about other people gawking at the fat guy that should have left his shirt on, and now I know that won't happen. I am all ready feeling more comfortable with you I am and how I look. Not a day goes by where someone doesn't tell me how much better I look. I carry myself better and I feel better. I used to come home from work and collapse just exhausted. No I usually end up working out for at least 90 minutes before I get home and I feel so much better.

If KQ is going to do this again (I know that they have talked about it), I would like to help out with the teams next time. I know with remotes and stuff Bill and Jason are busy but the teams could really benefit from having someone there to inspire them and keep them fired up when the times get tough and the all you can eat Pizza Hut buffet is calling your name. So please keep me in mind if you are planning on doing this again and are looking for a team Captain.

Well I have rambled enough for now. But I just want everyone to know that I am proud of each of you. You have all worked hard and you have all accomplished a lot. You will all succeed and you will all meet your goals. Just keep your heads up and keep your eyes on where you want to be, don't dwell on mistakes and just keep plugging along.

Workout Tonight

I won't be up at 24 hour tonight. I have a Stewardship meeting at 6 followed by a Church Council Meeting so I stopped in to visit Matt this afternoon. I was there for about 2 hours. 90 minutes on the treadmill (split into 2 45 minute segments) and 30 minutes of weights.

I feel so much better when I go and work out. It is just such a wierd concept that working out will actually give you more energy when you get done.

Well I need to go and make some burgers in the good old George Foreman grill, man I love that thing.

Trying to find time

I am finding it more and more difficult to find time to get to the gym. With work and a family it is getting hard. I feel like I am missing so much stuff by spending so much time at the gym. It is nice on the nights we we can go as a family. I guess I am just whining so I will stop now.

I can't believe how busy it still is at 24 hour. I just got home (about 9:30) and it was still pretty busy up there. There were about 10 people when I left and they were different then the 10 people that were there when I go there. And a few other people came and went while I was there. Cardio is getting a lot easier. I think tomorrow I will go up a level on the weight loss program. I am very happy with where my weight training is going. I am going up in weights on everything and I am really starting to see the results. Muscles are really starting to tone up.

Well I need to go and write a stewardship message for church. Wish me luck.

OK so I couldn't take it and I went and worked out tonight at 24 hour fitness. I did a half hour on the treadmill, a half hour of weights then another half hour on the treadmill. I feel a whole lot better now. Well I am off to bed. Gotta get up early and go to work. Man I hate Mondays.

It's getting Cold

I noticed while I was down at the "Warmer by the Lake" last night that I was getting cold. I was wearing what I would normally wear when it is cold but I was still cold. I must be losing my insulating layer of fat because I never used to get cold.

Well the Cowboys lost in the worst posible way last night so I drowned my sorrows with some chips and salsa. But not that many chips. I am making a nice big pot of chili tonight. It is making the house smell so good. I love soups, stews and chili when it starts to get a little colder outside.

I didn't go and work out today but I went out and worked on my Jeep in the garage, lifting heavy steel and grinding stuff was a workout in a different way. I am looking forward to the coming summer. I can't wait to get the Jeep out of the garage, but I really can't wait to get my bike out and start riding. Hiking down at Jay Cooke, camping, and lounging in the sun. Since we aren't going to have a real winter we might as well just skip to summer.

My swimming son

I said that I would show a pic of my swimmer son well here it is:

He spent about 3 hours a day in the pool in Chicago. The chlorine from the pool actually bleached his swim suit he was in there so much.

Working Hard

So I went to the YMCA with my wife this morning for a nice relaxing workout. I was looking at the sheet where I keep track of weights and machine settings and I noticed that I have increased weights on every machine anywhere from 20-50 pounds since we started back in November. So I am increasing my strength as well as losing weight. I can tell that my body is starting to tone up. Clothes are starting to fit better. I can wear things that I had long gave up hope of wearing again. I wore my almost brand new Carhart coat to the warmer by the lake tonight and I was able to zip it up which is something that hasn't happened in a while.

My time on the treadmill was a lot easier then normal today. I am thinking that since I took yesterday off of working out my muscles got a chance to rest a little. I was able to keep increasing the speed and the incline through the entire 40 minutes that I was on there. The last 5 minutes I was at a 5% incline and 4.0 speed. Then I went and lifted weights for 30 minutes and then spent 15 minutes on the bike as a little cool down. I remember when my wife and I started to go to the YMCA how stiff and sore I was when I would get done. How hard it was to walk up and down the stairs when we would get done. Now it feels like nothing.

I am so glad that I was able to get a kick start from this program. I have found a lifestyle of working out and eating that is working for me and will work for many years to come. This is something that I can stick with for the rest of my life. And it is so nice to be able to do all of this with my wife. We are getting to spend all this time getting healthy together. And I think that I am rubbing off on her because she has dropped a pant size since we started this together.

Well that is enough for tonight. Time to watch my Cowboys on TV.

Tonights Weigh in

Well the official total is in and another 6.6 pounds. That makes 28 even. Not to shabby if I say so myself. But I am really going to kick it into high gear for next week. Bill decided that the person that loses the most weight percentage wise will get 2 tickets to Larry the Cable Guy. So watch out everyone I am going for those tickets.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am going to try and work out a little at lunch and then I am taking the rest of the day off. I got a gift certificate for a local mexican restaurant and my wife and I are going out for dinner. My sister-in-law is taking my son for the night. Then it is back to working out on Saturday.

I am so proud of my teamates. We are gaining steadily on Jason's team. We are really stepping it up a notch for the home stretch. Everyone is doing such an awesome job keep it up.

Well my tummy is growling so I had best eat a little something.

Big Day in Weight loss history

I got a big lift in my weight loss today. For Christmas I had asked for pants that were a size smaller then what I was wearing when I started. Well today I put them on and they fit good. I was able to get them on a couple of days ago but I wouldn't have been able to move, but today I was able to get them buttoned and zipped up.

I am very excited to step on the scale tonight. I never used to think that way but I get such a lift from seeing those pounds come off.

I had an awesome work out last night at the Y. The place was packed with all those people that are trying to stick to those New Year's resolutions. I did 70 minutes of Cardio, and about 30 minutes of weights and then I went and played in the pool with my son. He is starting swim lessons in a week and is very excited. I will post a picture of him tonight in his swimming atire it is pretty funny.

I hope to see you all tonight at 24 Hour Fitness. It is so nice to see everyone there and working out. Everyone is doing so well so keep it up.

The Big Finale

I don't know how much Bill and Jason read these but is there a way that we can have a big finale for the final weigh in. Maybe a little after weigh in party or something. It would be nice to go out with a bang.

Also if you guys have lots of extra Larry the Cable Guy tickets you could give some to the Big Loser Participants as a little incentive/reward for doing such an awesome job.

Workout

I was nice to see so many people at the gym last night. For awhile it was looking like a Team Bill only workout, then some Team Jason members showed up. Hopefully we will have a bigger turnout for Thursday night.

I stepped on the scale this morning at work and I am at 29.4 pounds lost according to this scale. I am so pumped about. I am feeling so good about myself that I know I will never go back to weighing what I did before. I am looking forward to living the rest of my life as a healthy, in shape person. I am all ready making plans for how I am going to exercise this summer, I am going to be getting my bike out of the garage this summer and it will be accompanying me on every trip I make.

I noticed something last night when I was working out. When I first started at 24 hour fitness and I tried to ride the bike I had a hard time because when my legs came up they had to lift my belly up and that pushed everything else up and it made it a little harder for me to breathe, and I could barely go for 10 minutes. Well last night I rode hard for 30 mintes and I attribute that to the fact that when I am sitting my belly doesn't rest on my legs anymore. I am not skinny by any means but that Keg I was carrying around has at least shrunk down to a Coors Light Party Ball.

Snack ideas.

I was talking to the dietician here at the clinic and she gave me some ideas for when you feel the urge to snack. I know most of you have heard them but maybe it will give you some ideas.

Reduced Fat String Cheese
Low Calorie Yogurt
Raw Veggies
Fresh Fruit
Drink Water or no calorie beverage (you may just be thirsty not hungery)
Whole Grain Crackers

Or if you are stressed and feel the urge to snack:

Take a warm bath
Listen to Music
Take a Walk
Call a Friend
Exercise
Garden or other hobby where you can't eat (sewing, knitting, work on the car)

Some things that I have found that work really well for me are the little 100 calorie bags of Chips Ahoy or Oreo cookies, lots of water, Multi-Grain Club crackers, Low Fat yogurt, lots of waterFat Free Cottage Cheese, lots of water, baby dill pickles, fat free beef jerky, lots of water, turkey pepperoni, low fat chips and salsa, lots of water, pop corn. You will notice lots of water, I drink at least a gallon of water a day (more on days when I work out hard). I make lots of trips to the bathroom but I use the one on the other side building a lot so I get up and moving.

I am up to working out 5 or 6 days a week. Sometimes twice a day. But I have noticed that the more I work out the hungrier I get. I am trying to eat lots of whole grains, lean proteins, and stuff like that but I am eating more then when I started this diet, but I am working out more. I will average about 4-5 pounds lost a week. Which I think is a good amount right now. I am eating foods that I enjoy and I am having fun. I went out for Pizza at Sammy's last night and I didn't eat the whole pizza like I used to. We had lots left over. I am learning portion control and I am eating right. I may not win but with the things that I have learned from Matt and the nutrionist I have been able to formulate a weight loss/work out plan that is working for me so in a sense I have won. I have won a better life for me and my family. I am happier and healthier then I have been in a long time. I going to be making an appointment to see my Dr. for a complete physical just to see how much I have improved things since my last physical a few years ago when everything was not good.

Happy New Year

Hey everyone so how are the new years resolutions coming along?

I might be on TV tonight. Michelle Lee was at the YMCA today with a camera man doing a story on people working out I guess and they were set up over by where I was working out. I was on the leg press and the Super Pullover machine.

I have been working out hard this weekend. And I can really feel it. Not that I am stiff and sore but I feel good. I am anxious to get to work tomorrow and see what Mr. Scale has to say about it. It has been good because I have been able to spend a few hours at the gym with my wife and it is so cool to have that support and that motivation. She can kick my but on the treadmill, and she is a superwoman on the eliptical machines.

I hope to see everyone at 24 hour fitness tomorrow. I will be there about 5:15, and working out for about 90 minutes.