You da man Cup.

Well I am still here. Still losing weight, but mostly losing fat. Every week, my belt gets looser and my pants are getting a little baggier. Shirts I used to not wear because they were to snug now fit pretty well.

Today I weighed in at 259. I think I am more around 261 in reality but that's what the scale said today. Working out has been great. Everyday I am excited to goto the gym and try to improve my strength.

I apologize for not posting very often, I have just been lazy. I look at my computer every week and think about how I need to write a post and I just doesn't happen. I guess because I spend most of my weekends doing grad school stuff and I would rather just watch football than look at this screen any more. Grad school has been going well so far. The one thing I don't like is that it takes a month to get some of my assignments graded, but I have to turn in 3 more before I get those grades, so it makes it hard to know exactly what I need to improve or what the teacher is looking for.

Other than grad school, things have been boring, which is depressing.

School is back in it's full swing.

Today I weighed 264, or something close. I forgot already.

I realized the other day that I am only 20 pounds heavier than when I graduated high school 10 years ago. I was fairly happy about that, and it made me realize that I could get back down to that weight again.

School is back and going full steam now, which helps me. During the summer I just had plenty of time to sit around and eat and be lazy, even though I was going to the gym everyday. I am working out with a co-worker now, so that is a nice plus. It makes it a lot easier to go to the gym when there is someone else depending/expecting you to be there.

I started my first real semester of grad school this week as well. I put all my assignments on a calendar and felt very overwhelmed. After starting some of them and looking at what each assignment is, I think it is very do able.


Alright, I'm done rambling now.

Fatty is still getting fit.

Well, I am back. I weigh 264.4 today. I took the summer off from the blog, but not from exercising. I was still lifting and getting on the treadmill, but I was in and out of town so I didn't update. I have maintained my weight over the summer, despite not eating very well the whole time. I guess that is a testament to the actual change I have made. I didn't just gain it back in the weeks I didn't work out (don't worry, it was just one or two). I have noticed enough change in my physical appearance as well as in my cadio endurance. I kinda stopped lifting the last two weeks. The program I was using was getting a little to much, a little to "intense". I will start back tomorrow though, with a co-worker, so maybe that will keep me motivated enough to finish it this time.

I started back to work last Monday, so far so good. One kid puked in the gym on Monday, and everything after that was smooth sailing. Hopefully this weeks is just the beginning of a good year to come.

I'm gettin' more shredded than a Julienne salad, man.

Ok, so the title is misleading. It just was a quote from a great movie that I thought was semi-appropriate.

I am at 269 still. I have just been around that weight since I started lifting. I know I have gained some muscle, by simply appearance and by noticeable increase in strength. I, however, have not been losing weight. There are a few factors for this obviously. I haven't been on the treadmill nearly as much (I'll go into that in a minute), the diet still needs some help but it is getting better, and finally it is summer time, so I sit around more (and do work for my grad school classes).

Now, the hard part about all of this is, do I want to lose more weight, or get stronger? I know it is possible to do both (I think the weight will continue to come off, just slower), but it will be faster if I just stick to the treadmill and cardio work. If I want to get stronger, I will continue with the weights and do less cardio (Some studies have shown that lifting and cardio work do not help one another because they put your body and muscles into different "states"). I think I can do both, it just means more time at the gym, which is ok, I just don't want to be in there all day.

I started grad school this month. I have a 3 hour credit class that started June 1 and finishes June 26th. So needless to say, I have been keeping my nose in a book since the 1st. So far I have done well on my quizzes and assignments, so I think I will do well. I am looking forward to taking a class over the course of a full semester  should be a little better.

On a completely random note, I have found a new show that is awesome. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. It focuses on the weddings, and more interestingly the sub culture, of "travelers" in England. If you have ever seen the movie Snatch with Brad Pitt, then just think about Pitts character and his family/friends. It is a show about them, and their lifestyle. I am fascinated by them for some reason. Also, Pitt did an amazing job for that character, pretty dead on.

Oops

Weight today is 269.

I am not cocky/stupid enough to think the weight gain came from the "muscles weighs more than fat" idea. I just don't think that I have gained that much lean muscle mass yet. What happened was I went to Mellow Mushroom two days in a row, both Friday and Saturday. Thats what happened.

Moving on. Tomorrow is the start of my program. It should be interesting to see how it goes. I feel like I have gotten a good start, but we will see. I am kinda nervous about it, mostly because I hate being horribly sore the next day, a little sore is fine. I just want to be able to still walk normally and pick my arms up above my head.

I also will be starting grad school this summer. Good grief, what was I thinking.

Ouch.

Well today I weighed in at 266.4 I think. I weighed this morning and didn't write it down. I remember it was 266 for sure. Anyways, I think I am actually around 267 or about the same as last week.

The lifting is going well, just doing some basic lifts on the machines. I think I'll be ready to start the "real" program  when school gets out. While doing some of these lifts/exercises I used an Ab wheel on Wednesday. My abs are still sore, that thing is awesome. It is odd how much I like working out now. I have a nice routine of 20-30 mins on the treadmill then about 30 mins of lifting. I rotate what muscle groups I work on each day, and I try to switch what I do so that it hasn't gotten boring yet. I also took a new set of photos yesterday. I could see a little difference  nothing major yet, but it is kinda a driving thing to keep me motivated. If I can see the results, then its encouraging to keep working hard.

School is almost out, which is bitter sweet. I get to do a lot of nothing, seeing family and friends, and I will have plenty of time to go shooting. On the other hand, I get bored easily, so hopefully working out will help fill that boredom.

Two weeks later....

I am now 268.4. I have weighed in that range pretty much all week so I feel confident that it is an accurate measurement. I was going to the gym every day, and pushing myself pretty hard while I was there. Then one day, my legs just couldn't go. I was barely making it 25 minutes with minimal jogging involved. So I took a few days off when I went to Chattanooga last weekend to visit my friend Jay, he is a minor league umpire. After returning back from that trip, it was the week to plan Field Day, so I was at school a little longer than normal and it was tiring to try and plan a whole day for the whole school. That's a lot of kids to entertain at the same time. I was able to goto the gym a few days, but not as much as I wanted.

I have started lifting a little on the machines at the gym. I love the feeling of slightly sore muscles.The program I am going to follow is pretty intense so I want to try and get myself ready to start it. I plan on starting when we finish school for the year, that way I can easily make it my morning routine.

Summer is so close, it's gonna be awesome.

Easter and other stuff

Today is my favorite "holiday". I used quotes there because it is much more than just a holiday. Easter is the most meaningful day to me as a Christian. Without the resurrection, the virgin birth is just a odd mishap, Jesus was just some really nice guy walking around doing crazy things. To me the resurrection verifies everything else. It is the finally bullet point, which brings the whole story together. It makes me realize what one man had gone through for me, who is undeserving of anyones sacrifice, much less the sacrifice of a perfect being. This is truly a day to be thankful for! 

Now for the less important part of today, the weigh in. 270.4. I gained a little, no big deal. I am looking for a good weight lifting program to start on next week. I think I have found one, but it is a little advanced for me, but I have seen it work for a friend of mine. I think I will just adapt a little to simplify it for me for a week or two and build up to the actual program. In case anyone was wondering, it is Maximum Strength by Eric Cressey. It is basically a program to build strength for real world use, not body building. Also, I took pictures of myself now, and will take one every two weeks or so while lifting to see if there is any "improvements". 

So I have been going to the gym everyday. I love it. I started jogging a little more as well during my time. I can jog about half the time (around 15 mins) I'm on the treadmill now, which is way better than I thought I could do. After a week or two of lifting I will see about upping the time on the treadmill. 

Now I need to start working on my diet more, again. With the lifting and improved cardio, a better diet will definitely help my efforts. Looks like more grilled chicken for me. 

Happy Easter everyone!

The gym, learned a few things...

Well, went to the gym yesterday and today. I learned a few things.

1. I like the treadmill. I get to watch tv, it has a fan built into it, and most importantly it keeps me at a good pace. I know that I would average about the same time walking around the 'hood, but that didn't mean I stayed at a consistent good pace.

2. I have very little upper body strength. Seriously, it is pretty sad.

3. It is intimidating going to the gym to do weights. Cardio on the treadmill is fine, but lifting is a little nerve wracking. I think even more so since I am a guy. I feel so out of my comfort zone lifting weights. Despite my amazing body and incredibly manliness, I have never had a serious routine for lifting. I just don't know what I am doing. Which brings me to my next point....

4. I need to get a weight lifting partner or hire a trainer for a few months, just until I get into a routine of what to do and how to do it properly.

Otherwise, things are going great. I honestly just feel better. I sleep better, I have more energy. Granted those two things are subject to what time I actually goto sleep. I have a good church that I really enjoy, my truck for the moment is running well, the dog seems to be feeling good (still has cancer, but is still very energetic), tomorrow is my nephews b-day, I am almost done building my gun (an AR-15 for those that are interested). Lots of good things going on for me right now. It feels nice.

I think the scale may be broken....

First, sorry for no post last week. Went home to visit mom and dad and goto the Braves game, and start putting my gun parts together. Anyways.......

This weeks weight, 270.0. Yeah, I was surprised too. I usually check my weight 2 or 3 mornings during the week, and thought  it might get down to that today. I am just still surprised at how easy it is going for me, and dreading the times when it stops being so easy. The gym opened this week, so now I have no excuse to not walk/work out. After all, I walk by the gym on my normal route anyways. Now I just need to get a weight lifting routine so I can get jacked (this is sarcasm). 

I can tell that this is becoming a serious habit, when this week I tried to talk myself into a day off or two, and I just couldn't. I had to get out there and go. That's a good feeling. 

It's baseball season!!

For those of you that know me, you know I love baseball, especially the Braves. Well, that alone makes this week awesome.

I weighed 275.6 this morning, probably more accurate than last week. I was told by a few people that I was noticeably slimmer. I wore a shirt yesterday that I haven't worn in a while, and it fit much better than it had before.

Not a whole lot going on right now honestly, at least not that I can think of. Sorry for the short post, if anything comes to mind later, I'll talk about it then.

275

Yup, 275. Now maybe today was just a good day to weigh in, who knows. Anyways, I am just glad to see that I am still making progress. Every week I wait for it to level out and to not lose anything. I have been thinking about what has helped me the most. Other than everyones encouragement (thank you all for that), I think it has been cutting out calories that I drink. I pretty much only drink 1% milk in the mornings, a diet Dr. Pepper somewhere during the day, and water from there. I used to drink a lot of fruit juices thinking they were good for me. Well, after I had looked at the labels and seeing the amount of sugar and calories in them, I decided to stop drinking them. I attribute the success to that and regular exercise, because the diet has only moderately improved. I just eat a little lighter for lunch/dinner. So as a word of advice to anyone else, watch what you drink and exercise and you will lose weight.

As far as personal/work things. Well, I have decided to be positive. I try to wake up every day and pray for positivity. With testing coming up everyone in the building is a little stressed, even the kids, and even me. To all of my fellow teachers (especially at Gaines!), you do amazing work and lets not forget we are there to impact kids in a positive way, not just for them to pass a test.

I'm still here.

Welp, I have no idea what I weigh right now. This morning it was around 277, but I don't really remember, and I just ate, so now isn't a good time. I'll be sure to post the "official" weight on Sunday as usual.

Just wanted to write and let everyone know I was still around. I spent last week at mom and dad's visiting family. Spent a night with my sister so of course plenty of time with the crazy nephew and the sweetest cutest niece in the world. Seriously, she is adorable. My sister would tell me about people stopping her in stores and such to say how cute she was (which I totally agree with) but we went to lunch at Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga and sure enough, at least 4 people stopped by our table to tell us how cute she is. All the while the nephew is trying to eat all the pretzels and is falling under the table out of his high chair. The kid is crazy, but absolutely hilarious. I got to see my grandmaw (my last remaining grand parent) who has had a series of doctors appointments lately. She has been diagnosed with cancer and started treatment yesterday. Obviously prayers would be appreciated on her behalf, but just so everyone knows, she is a tough ole' bird and said she wasn't going anywhere till I got married. She might have to wait a while. Anyways, it was great to see her get to play with her great grandchildren.

Obviously, I saw mom and dad. I love my parents, as crazy/off the wall/slow talking as they can be, they are awesome. Dad and I shot some clays in the back yard, good father/son bonding time. Mom and I ate breakfast together one morning, french toast. I like french toast, but no one makes it like mom, her's is the best by far. I had the privilege of getting to see some very good friends and spend a lot of time with them as well. I got to shoot a few times last week, which I love. It's nice to just have some friends come over, throw some clays, put up some targets, and throw some lead down range. The only draw back, my shotgun has been malfunctioning lately, so I had to send it back to the factory to get them to fix it. Just a note, for anyone around Athens that wants to go shoot at the indoor range, let me know, I am always up for that.

Well, now that I got that out of the way, on to current events. I have decided to do my absolute best to not eat out as much (Tuesday is 5$ pizza a Papa Johns, thats $2.50 a meal, can't pass that up. Also Chick fil A for breakfast one day a week and Saturdays. It's my routine, sorry), and now I have an even better goal than losing weight. I want to buy a new gun, so at this point, it's less about weight and more about a new rifle, which will still give me a positive end result at weigh in time and I will be saving money.

Walking has been great this week, not so good last week. I think I might have developed a nice routine now. Get home, eat a nice snack, nap, then walk. I love this daylight lasting till 8ish. Still waiting on the gym to open to start some weights, really looking forward to that.

Ugh, thats enough for now.

I'm so tired.

I can't remember looking forward to a break as much as I am spring break this year. I am just tired every day. There is no such thing as a normal day anymore, something crazy happens all the time. I have done better this week than last week about walking, but still not as good as I should be. I just want to nap every afternoon. I have been having days where I am in a bad mood from the time I wake up to the time I goto sleep, and other days where nothing bothers me. I am looking forward to getting plenty of sleep next week, as well as getting to shoot guns. I honestly plan on shooting 4 or 5 days over the break. It is just something that allows me to concentrate on something totally different for a while. Also, it is fun to push myself to be better at, because I can see a real world connection to a skill that is important, either for self defense or if zombies attack. I will be prepared either way.

In that same vein, I have been thinking about how well I would be able to handle a total collapse of civilization. Would I be able to survive that? It is a fun thing for me to think about, not the collapse, just if I could handle it. Anyways, just some mid week thoughts.

I have back slidden'!

Yes, I gained a pound this week, up to 279.8. I know exactly why, I didn't exercise everyday and I ate out a lot. Dog threw up one day so I had to clean that up, and by that time I just didn't feel like going. Had to take the dog to the vet the next day, and mom and dad came to visit, so I didn't go that day and I ate at Mellow Mushroom (my favorite place). Wednesday I went and got my truck back. Thursday I walked, Friday I was a bum and didn't go. Yesterday it was rainy and same today. So those are the things that I LET prevent me from getting to my goal. Yes, I realize that none of those things should get in my way, but they did. Oh well, this week will be better.

This has been a tough week. I know for sure that I am ready for spring break. I don't have any big plans for spring break which means it will probably result in me going to mom and dad's and shooting guns in the back yard everyday. That will make me happy.

Just keep swiming...

This week was 278.8. So officially below 280 now. I'm pretty happy with my results so far. With some minor changes to diet and everyday exercise I have lost around 15 pounds. Did it come off quickly, no. Did I do it in a healthy manner that developed better habits than a fad diet, yup. It has been nice to see progress even on weeks where I don't expect to see any, like this week.

These last few weeks have been kinda crazy. We have had a lot of teachers leaving (for various reasons) or just out sick a lot. In the last two years I have been teaching, I don't recall teachers being out this much. 

In church today the pastor talked about discord among people. He started with the world, such as in Egypt and Libya and where ever else. Then among our own government, then down to our town/city, then down to the church and work place. It didn't really hit me until that break down, how much discord and disunity there is among us. There are just a lot of unhappy people in the world right now, and unfortunately I find myself slipping into that sometimes. I have seen a few friends kinda let it get to them, and they just aren't the same person they used to be. It's kinda heart breaking to see people I know just get emotionally worn out from the stress that life puts on them. I don't know where I'm going with this, but I just hope that I don't fall into it and that hopefully I can do something to brighten others day. 

I'll finish with this verse, and most of you who know me well, know that it is my favorite. 

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matt 6:34 

It's still going.

So after going home for the weekend to see my best friend get his wings and become a Naval Aviator (Marine jet pilot) and seeing the family for mom and sister's birthdays I thought for sure I would have stayed the same or gone up a little. I ate out for most of the meals this weekend, and didn't really try to eat healthy when going out either. I just weighed myself, and this is at the end of the day when I am usually at my heaviest, and I was at 280.2. So still losing, I am pretty happy about that.

It was a great weekend. It's not every day you get to see someone accomplish their dream. Now I get to say my best friend flies Harriers, what does your's do? (also one is a professional umpire, one is a Army Chaplain and one is a hopefully soon to be missionary. I only hang out with cool people)

This was a better week.

Weight 281.4. Making steady progress. I actually weigh myself every morning, and two days this week I was actually below 280 for the first time in years. Since it wasn't consistent over the whole week I won't make it official.

So things have gotten better this week. The moron who ran into me is letting his insurance handle the accident so that should get fixed soon. The truck is still falling apart, but its not an immediately needed fix. I think I will start looking for a new truck soon and start seriously saving money to put down for one.

The dog is doing ok. I'm not sure how much longer she will have, at this point it should be 3-5 months, but I am skeptical. I will be calling the vet this week to see if we might can increase her meds.

I have done pretty well with the diet, trying to eat lighter and continue the exercise. I made some cheese raviloi this week that was really good. By made I mean, I bought the pasta from Publix pre-made and boiled the water and heated the sauce I bought. Still, it was really good.

I will do my best to update next week but I will be out of town for family birthdays (mom and sister both) and my best friend is getting his wings. He is a Marine jet pilot. Yeah, he lands on/launched off of boats. Yeah, it is as awesome as it sounds. Anyways, I will be there to celebrate with him because this is a great accomplishment and something I know he has worked for his whole life. So next weekend will be a little crazy, so I might try to update before that.

Also, sorry I have been slack about mid week posts, I'll try to do better.

Super Bowl, and I don't feel very super.

Well it is Super Bowl Sunday. Todays weight was 282. Some small improvement, which was good considering that I didn't get out as much as I would have liked, due to weather. If it's cold, I go. If it's windy, I go. If it's a little rainy, I go. I do not go when it all three of those things. I can definitely tell when I don't get out. I am way more irritable and frustrated, and all those things have been piling up lately.

The food has been better, more sandwiches, less eating out. I have been getting a lot more water lately. I have decided not to get my beloved Cran-Grape juice anymore. I was drinking a lot of calories in that, as well as orange juice. I have decided to stick with milk and water, and in all honesty, the occasional diet soda.

On the upside, I have joined the gym, they should be opening in the next few weeks, and I am completely ready to start some weight training. I think I might start with a personal trainer for a few weeks, just so I know what I am doing a little better. Yes, I am a health and P.E. teacher, but they didn't teach us all the ins and outs of weight training.

Ok, time for me to open up a bit more.

So as many know from a previous blog, my dog is sick. Well, I found out that it is a pretty aggressive cancer, and she was given 4-6 months. This has been a tough thing for me to deal with, and I really don't like to talk about it much because it makes me want to cry, I'm tearing up right now actually. This has been a process starting all the way back to October trying to find out what is wrong with her and get her fixed. I have spent a lot of time and money trying to get her fixed and then I find out that she is pretty much helpless. This completely kills me to know that there is nothing that I can do to help her except give her pills to manage the pain till the she passes. So I have been dealing with that for a while now, and it probably bothers me a lot more than I let anyone know (until now, obviously) and it probably bothers me more than I even realize.  On top of that, my truck is falling apart, I need to get a new one, but I can't because I am busy keeping this one running enough to get some money saved up to get a new one, basically an up hill battle. Just to top those things off, I get hit yesterday morning by some moron who had been drinking (it was 10:30 a.m. by the way). He gets out and wants me to not call the cops until his dad gets there, so he can say his dad was driving. Anyways, long story short, I call the cops anyways. It was his fault, he rear ended me. I know that his insurance will take care of it, but it was just one more stressful thing that I have to deal with now.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I rarely am stressed and that I don't get to emotional about things, but lately it has been rough for me. I know that many people have it much worse than me, and I don't want anyone to feel bad for me, I don't feel bad for myself. I just wanted to let out the things that have been bothering me.

Now the other part of my "dilemma" is that I am trying to figure out what God is trying to teach/tell me in all this. Is he trying to teach me to be more diligent in my giving to the church (because money, or lack there of, has been a constant issue in these things and that it is really His money)? Is he trying to teach me to spend more time with Him in His word (which I haven't really done regularly in a really long time)? Is he trying to tell me that I should get out of this town (which would be hard for me, because I love my job and my students, as tough as they can be sometimes)? My only real gripe with God on these things is that he is making my poor doggy feel bad. I would rather Him have made me sick than my dog, mostly because she can't tell me what feels bad or when it hurts etc. (I know, be careful what you ask for).

Today in church we discussed worship a lot, and in "sunday school" we talked about Solomon building the temple. In the passage we were discussing, we looked at a lot of the measurements and rules and standards that God told them to use, and one verse stood out to me. 1 Kings 6:11-13

 " 11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon,12 "Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel."


This just seemed almost like God encouraging him to continue his work, because the end result would be all worth it. I can imagine Solomon, and the workers getting frustrated with having to go by all these exact measurements and rules for building the temple, and God trying to encourage them to keep up the good work.

I think sometimes I get bored/tired of/ forgetful of the measurements that God and Christ set before us to follow and I just start nailing wood together and stacking up rocks and throwing mortar on them. I feel almost like maybe my temple is all out of wack. My walls are curved or crumbling, the floors are weak and flimsy, the roof leaks. All because I threw away the blueprints that He laid out for me.

Ok, all this deep thinking has made my head hurt, I gotta go lay down for a minute.

Random Note: I never really proof read any of these. I just kinda type for a while, so sorry about horrible grammar and the run on sentences. Thats pretty much how I talk anyways, so deal with it.

Yay, some improvement.

Well, let me preface this weeks weight with this. I used to weigh at night, and after discussing it with a few people, it would be better to weigh in the mornings, as it would be more consistent. So with that in mind this weeks weight is : 282.4

Now I know that a lot of that is due to the different time, but the last two weeks I have been weighing a few mornings a week, just to see and it was usually around 285. So the 282 is a pretty good sign that I am still losing, regardless of the time I weigh. Next week will be the real test.

This weeks diet wasn't great, but not bad either. I did however, get Brian McCann's autograph, so that made it worthwhile.

Deep thoughts for the week. Lately I have been seeing shows on t.v. about people addicted to something (Intervention), or involved in something (Beyond Scared Straight) that blows my mind. I can't imagine doing something that so obviously hurts my family. The guy on intervention has his whole family there, daughter and son just pouring out their hearts and crying their eyes out. He gets mad, leaves and basically tells them to shove it. What is so great about alcohol that is better than family? Then on Beyond Scared Straight, these kids are out fighting, robbing, doing drugs, and just breaking their families hearts. I just don't understand how someone could so blatantly hurt their family like that. I say all that for this, while walking around my neighborhood, I have seen numerous broken bottles (of liquor or beer) and even other drug paraphernalia (it was already broken, if it wasn't I would have done that myself). It blows my mind, because I know that their are many of my students who live in this neighborhood as well. Everyday at work, I realize what these kids have to deal with, and I always think to myself  "How would I have turned out if I had to deal with what they do".  Would I chose to fight against it and make myself a better person than my surroundings, or would I just fall into the same traps that the people before me fell into?

I'm trying, seriously.

Ok, so this morning I weighed around 287ish, but as of right now (right after dinner) I am at the same as last week.

I am trying to make better choices for my meals, but it's just not working for me. I have very little motivation to change my eating habits, but way more motivation to actually exercise. I also had a few sodas this week, all diet though. My addiction to caffeine was to great.

I got some potential bad news about Lola this week. There is a really good chance she has cancer of the bladder. I should find out more details on Monday. But that stresses me out, she is my baby. So when I get stressed, I get lazy about eating. I guess you could say I am a bit of a comfort eater, part of it is I don't want to cook or worry about what I am eating when there is something on my mind. I just want to eat something that is good, easy and fast. The other side of that is that when I am stressed, I want to go exercise. The best I felt this weekend was after I went for my 30 minute walk. I wish this gym next to me would open, it would be nice to o lift weights as well.

Well, we will try the menu again and see how it goes. I found a few different Lean Cuisines to try.

Ugh, this week is going to be tough.

Just another boring week.

Well, so far this week I have done pretty well with walking and sticking to the menu. I have realized that I really don't like cooking, or really even know how. I have no idea how to cook stuff. I might need to goto a book store and really read through some cookbooks and see if I can find one that is made for people like me (people who only know how to put something frozen into some that heats it up).

I have noticed that when I weigh myself in the mornings I weigh a lot less, I mean significantly less. It's crazy.

So my dog has been sick for a while now with some bladder issue. This has been kinda stressful for me. I feel horrible for her because I can tell she isn't feeling well, and it's hard to know whats wrong because she can't talk to me or anything. She just had a fairly invasive test done to figure it out, so hopefully that will find the problem and we can take care of it. Based on these events, I don't know how parents handle babies that are sick. They can't communicate the problem and just keep crying, I would go insane.

Slow and steady

Weight for the week. 289.2 A loss of .8 lbs.

I felt great this week, thought for sure I would have lost more. Snowmageddon kinda slowed me down with the walking. Oh well, I did start my longer route yesterday, it felt good to go a little longer. I made a menu for the week as well, I think that will really help me to stop going out to eat. I feel like if I have it written down and planned I am a lot less likely to break away from it.

Something else I realized this week, it is crazy hard to cook for one. I feel like I am throwing money away. I buy food to cook, but since it is just me, I only cook a small portion of it. I know I could cook it all and freeze/refrigerate it, but I hate leftovers. I shall make a trip to the store tomorrow and really focus on finding a good meal to cook for myself.

I also need to make myself start eating salad.

Snowmageddeon and the Icepocalypse

Soooo, there has been a lot of snow and ice around this town. Kinda hinders the getting out exercising thing. I did, however get out and walk around every day, just not as much as I would have liked to. I have always had this insane desire to go out after a storm of any sort and see the damage (in this case, no real damage, just to see what all is completely covered with that white stuff). I remember vividly walking my neighborhood after Hurrican Opel (I think thats the one) when I was a kid. I wanted to see all the limbs everywhere, all the trees down in the woods behind my house, etc. The snow we had earlier this season, the first thing I wanted to do the next day was hop in the truck and see what was going on. So what did I do this time? After waiting for part of the day after it all fell, I headed out in the truck. This is one of the many reasons I will always have 4 wheel drive, I like to take these small adventures and want to be prepared for them. It was pretty crazy that first day, after that the ice showed up and kinda ruined everything. 4 tires spinning on ice is just as bad at 2, so I headed out on foot. Not the full walk by any means, but better than nothing I suppose. The next day, again on foot, headed to Chick-fil-A, just for an adventure. Yesterday, 2 trips to the school and back, again not the full length walk. We get to go back to work tomorrow, should be interesting. I am excited to hear about everyone's long break and see what they did to entertain themselves. In the time I did spend in the house, I cleaned up some, and hung the baseball display case my dad hand made for me for Christmas. Pops is pretty good with the woodworking, those of you who have taken the hour long tour of the shop have seen his work.

I realized today at the grocery store that I need to start making a menu of sorts for the week. I have realized that I aimlessly walk around the store, and buy stuff that sounds good to me at the time (I do my best to never go in there hungry). If I make a menu for the week then I will buy specific things and hopefully it will save me money on not eating out as much. So, not eating out means, less chance of me having a coke, and I should be eating better.

My Goals for the up coming week:
 Extend my walk by 10 minutes every day.
Develop a menu before I go shopping.

Ugh, back to work...

Well, the weight for the week is 290.0. Lost one pound, sounds good to me. If I lost one a week for the rest of the year, thats 50 pounds, and that would be my goal. I know in order to make that happen I have to make changes, but I am being optimistic

School started back this week, and after two weeks off, it was both good and bad. Bad because I have to wake up early again, I can't walk in the mornings, I am always really tired at the end of the day. Good because I am back on a routine, I love our students (always have something , intentionally or unintentionally, funny to say) and I have people at work who encourage me in this process.

The eating thing is still really tough. I am just so lazy about changing my diet.

I tried to come up with some elaborate metaphor for what's been going on in my head lately, but I couldn't. Life is crazy, good things happen, bad things happen, they all are important. Right now, I just feel like I am waiting for the next good thing to happen to me. I don't feel like I have had any exceptionally bad things happen lately, it's just there are some particular good things that I am waiting on.

Fatty might be dreaming...

Well, lets start with the weight: 291. Not bad after two weeks of being "off the wagon".

One thing is for sure, I feel better when I exercise daily. I have just been irritable at things over the last few days. I am looking forward to tomorrow morning and getting out and walking. It will feel good to get back to it. I am actually looking forward to getting back to work, as odd as that may seem. I'm watching Inception right now, so who knows, this may be a dream.

To all my family and friends, it was great getting to see you again. I loved every minute of being home, even my parents annoying with with constant weather updates or asking me where I have been, am going, coming back.

LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK!