Second Chances...

Another year. One whole year gone by....

Amazing what kinds of things can happen, or not happen, in a year.

The last time I posted here, I had grand designs on 2011 and all that I would achieve. I was heady with the successes of my weight loss and charity fund raising. I was tearing it up. And I was gonna keep going...

Let's just say that 2011 was NOT a year of achieving my fitness and health goals. Not only did I not do the Cooper River Bridge Run, but I pretty much dropped out of running all together for the majority of the year. I allowed an aggravation (stress fracture of my foot) to become an excuse that lasted long after I had healed.

As for the USMC PFT, I started the pull-up workout by purchasing a bar that works in a doorway. I got it assembled and hung it up. Beyond that, not much there. No real progress on the sit-ups or push-ups either.

And then, to top it all off, I bailed out of the LiveStrong approach to losing weight that had been so successful for me before. In about March, I read "The 4 Hour Body" and liked the look of what it had in there about weight loss and muscle gain. I did pretty well for about 6 to 8 weeks with it and then found ways to "cheat" the program. Of course, I was only cheating myself....

By Thanksgiving 2011, I had gone from a low of 216 lbs (around Christmas 2010) to right at 240 lbs. Not the right direction....

So what does it mean now? It means I lost focus and need to get it back. My goal is still to get below 200 lbs. I'm targeting the end of 2012 for that. I should be able to average less than a pound a week to make that. I'm setting up my LiveStong account to count calories as if I was going to do 1.5 lbs per week to see how that works for a couple of months.

I'm disappointed in myself and I know that these set backs are not permanent. They don't define who I am or what I can do. I see my successes in the past and know what I am capable of.

So, as I start of 2012, I'm taking a second chance. We all get them. We don't all give them. And many of us won't take them.....

How was your 2011? Do you need to take a second chance?

Logo/image credit to Designhuone.net

That was then. This is now.

As 2010 ends and 2011 begins, I'm looking back on this "journey of health" I began in September 2009. I was trying to figure out how much had changed between then and now. Here's a few highlights:


Weight

• Then - 321lbs
• Now - 216lbs

Waist size:

• Then - 48in
• Now - 36in

Shirt size:

• Then - 3XL
• Now - XL (a couple are L)

Exercise

• Then - None
• Now - Run 3 miles 3 times a week

Money raised for Love146

• Then - $0
• Now - Over $1400 (and counting)

It doesn't look like a lot when I type it out (well, except for the money for Love146!) but I gotta tell you it is HUGE. My everyday life is so very different now. From tying my shoes to playing with my kids (Nerf guns rule!) to exercising... it's like I'm a new person. It's so hard to describe to someone who hasn't been, effectively, held captive within their own body. The liberation is absolutely amazing!

So, where to go from here?

As far as weight goes, I'm targeting 200lbs. I want to be at or below the 200 mark by July 1. Doesn't seem so hard: less than 20lbs in 6 months. One thing will be different this time, though. I plan to start adding strength training into my schedule. Not body building stuff but I really need to get some muscle tone and strength back.

There was a time I could bench press around 350lbs. I'm not going for that kind of thing but I figure I should at least be able to bench my own body weight a few times. I also found out recently how bad off I was when I failed to even do one "regulation" pull-up.

So, I'm looking at a few things along with my weight target:

1. Run the Bridge (10K over the Cooper River bridge here in Charleston in the Spring)
2. Complete 100 consecutive push ups
3. Complete 200 consecutive sit-ups
4. Score 150pts on the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (3 mile run in 27min, 10-12 pull-ups, 50+ sit-ups in 2 min).

I'm not necessarily shooting for July on all of these items. Obviously, the Bridge Run will happen before then but I don't know about the other yet. And I'm not joining the Corps but the USMC PFT is a daggum good measure of physical fitness so I figure it's a good goal to shoot for (300 is a perfect score on the PFT, by the way).

So, here's to a stronger and healthier 2011. If any of you have done these sorts of things before, I'd love to hear about your efforts and victories. Also, if there is anything that I can do to help anyone in their efforts or fitness goals (I'm no expert but I am willing to try to help) please let me know.

Happy New Year!

Photo credit to kconnors.

Weigh-In 66 and 67

Well, I'm down to one week left in the 210 in 2010 challenge and, as much as I hate to admit it, it's not looking good...

At the end of last week and then again this week the scale tells me the same thing

216.0

With the track record of the past month of so it just doesn't seem feasible to drop 6lbs in the next 7 days. That being said, I'm not gonna throw it ll out. I'm gonna stick to the plan because it's not just about this goal. It's about getting to a healthier life where I can enjoy the things that God has blessed me with.

Honestly, I want to be able to play with my kids and then, I want to be able to play with their kids one day.

So, whether or not I reach the 2010 goal, I am incredibly happy with how far I've come so far. And I'm looking forward to where I'm going from here.

Peace and good will to you. Merry Christmas!

Photo credit to Leah Gregg.

Weigh-In 65

No grand truths or profound insights this week (have there been any before?) just a reminder that there are people, perhaps in your town or city even, that are not looking forward to this day.

And I don't mean they have something difficult to do or they are tired or they have to go to a spouse's office party where they don't know most of the people.

I mean that they face slavery, cruelty, torture, and/or abuse today. They will face the very real choice between wanting to live or die today. In truth, that may be the only choice that is theirs today.

For about 27 million people in our world, today is one day closer to hell.

But you can help change that. Today, you can make a choice to do something about it. I'm asking that you make a choice today to help Love146 end child slavery and exploitation.

I'm asking that today be one day closer to the day where we don't have people in slavery any more. Will you help today?

You can learn more about the issue over here. And you can donate directly to Love146 right here.

Let's make today a great day....

Speaking of days, the number of days left in the year is ticking down. And I'm trying to get the number on the scale to do the same thing. This weekend I did manage to get it to

217.0

So, a little move back in the right direction. And with 3 more weigh-ins before 2010 ends, I gotta find a way to move it some more.

We shall see....

Photo credit to Clearly Ambiguous.

Weigh-In 64

I'm not a big fan of this time of year. I'm sure it's a culmination of things but the basic piece is that I just can't get excited about it.

Schedules and activities are everywhere and you are expected to be at or do everything. Nerves are thin and frayed. The concerns about finances and money seem amplified.

And depending on what sort of job/industry you are in, it can be the busy (or impossibly busy) season on top of everything else.

I don't want to sound like a Scrooge, but, to borrow a line from one of the greatest shows on TV, "I have an intense burning indifference!" (See the whole musical number here)

The oddest thing is that I love giving gifts and being generous (I think it is my Love Language) and I really do enjoy how happy my family is on and around Christmas.

I get the meaning behind Christmas - celebrating the wonderful and amazing gift that God gave to the world (that's all of us) in His son Jesus. And I am forever grateful for that and feel that it is worth celebrating. I just don't feel like that is what is happening.

I guess I'll chalk it up to some character flaw or idiosyncrasy.Everyone else seems to be just fine with it and happy as can be about it. So I'll just try and keep up...

I didn't weigh in on Friday like normal this past week. Everything has been off schedule, it seems, since right before Thanksgiving. So, I stepped up on the scale Sunday morning and it looked back at me with

218.0

Very disappointing to me. I'm down to the last 3 weeks of the year trying to hit the 210 in 2010 goal and everything that has been working to lose over 100lbs is suddenly not working for the last 8lbs. Very frustrating....

I will say that I have been a LOT hungrier the past couple of weeks but I have been doing a pretty good job of not indulging (with a small exception at the Chili Cook-Off Sunday night). I'm trying to figure out if that's a sign from my body that I'm not eating enough and I've slowed my metabolism down significantly.

I wish there was a dial or gauge somewhere that I could check to see what my "burn rate" is at any given time. That sure would help.

Peace to all of you. And good will to men (and women)...

Image credit to Topher208