Week 19 of the ongoing saga.

Getting close now, so of course the weight loss is slowing down. o.O

Weighed in this tonight at 209.4 lbs for a a loss of .8 lbs, 32.6 lbs total. Nothing exciting happened, no idea why I only lost .8 lbs so I'm going to keep on, keeping on.

I get a new pair of shoes tomorrow, thanks to my darling wife. My old ones were starting to feel a little worn. The left one felt a bit "flat" at the ball of my foot, like the cushioning was getting permanently compressed. I didn't realize I had logged around 400 miles on them, so it's definitely time for new ones. I got the most cushioned ones New Balance make this time to help ease the wear on my old, decrepit joints! ;-)

Week 18 Weigh-in

Weigh-in went well again this week.

210.2 lbs, down from 212.4 last week, for a loss of 2.2 lbs. Almost done with Jenny! 5.2 lbs to go, then I'm on my own! I'm actually going to go to 200 lbs but I'll be doing it without any Jenny Craig foods. Not concerned about that aspect to be honest. The foods are fairly easy to replace especially once I go to maintenance intake. The hard part is going to be stopping the weight loss without gaining. It's going to take some balancing since I have the losing it down. I'll have to find my maintenance intake for calories. All of the calculators say 3,000 - 3,100 calories a day to maintain 200 lbs for a 6'6", 38 year old, male, but I'm going to shoot for 2,800 a day initially, see how that goes, then tweak it in from there.

On a related note, I'm really happy with my fitness level and it's only getting better! Go me! My lovely wife gave me some pointers on my strength training that I think are really going to help. Once I get to my goal weight we'll see about maybe targeting some specific muscle groups.

Also, I figure another 10 lbs and I'll be able to wear the jeans I wore when I got out of the Navy over 10 years ago. I can already fit into them but I have a bit of the "muffin top" and no one wants to see that. ;-)

My fellow Americans...

Why do you insist on saddening and angering me so?

This entire week has been a constant struggle to not be either depressed or bitter, thanks to the stupidity or apathy of so many Americans. I try so very hard to do the right thing in all situations. I can't help myself. Oh, how I wish I could! I wish I could hit the "I don't give a damn switch". Oh, how I wish I could enjoy the apathy so many Americans revel in. I could then live out my life not caring that the Right are selling our freedom for the illusion of safety and the Left are selling them for the illusion of a social paradise where everyone loves one another and can talk out their differences. I don't even know WHY I care. I only know that I can't not care. Thus, these bouts with sadness and anger. Sadness that people don't care as much as I do. Anger that people will follow an ideology to the exclusion of all common sense.

Make no mistake, our problems as a Nation can be solved by a good dose of common sense, leavened with a little personal responsibility. The path to solve virtually all of our problems is so very obvious to me it's painful. We control the better part of a CONTINENT; there is room for all of us and our varying points of view. If we stop the ideological demagoguery and work on solutions we could do it EASILY! I challenge anyone to give me a problem that we face as a Nation that I couldn't solve in a rational, expedient, affordable manner that is fair to all parties involved. Check the ideology at the door, forget about personal privileges and power and the rest is simply details and common sense.

I have no idea where I picked up this sense of Duty. I do know however, that it gets heavy from time to time, and all too often I look around and I am the only one bearing it. I feel completely ridiculous, a grown man, literally, sitting here weeping for what is happening to the country I love so deeply. *sigh*

Week 17!

Closing in on the goal! Weigh-in went well again. 212.4 lbs, for a loss of 3.4 lbs. I think having a "spike day", where I increase my calorie intake to maintenance level instead of weight loss level, is helping. Workouts are going well, getting faster and stronger. I think at least part of the faster has to do with the getting lighter! ;-)

Random thought for today.

Is it media bias or reality? I'm not sure which would be more disturbing. What am I talking about you ask? When was the last time... heck, the first time for that matter, when any of you have seen a News story along the lines of "Atheist and/or Muslim Missionaries killed while trying to administer aid" or "Pacifists first on scene to start rescue efforts in distaster stricken area". Do you see what I mean? These sound strange even suggesting them as headlines.

We often hear stories about Christian Missionaries killed doing humanitarian work, or the Military helping with rescue efforts around the world, wherever disaster strikes. We never, or at least I can't remember, hearing of one of these other groups, doing these things. Yet, these other groups are some of the first to lash out at the "narrow minded Christians" or "baby killing Military". They are some of the first to claim they are being discriminated against and they demand to their views respected, while disrespecting the views of others.

Back to my original question. Is this media bias or do these groups actually only appear in the News when they are railing against something. Are these groups being unfairly represented or do they only contribute in a negative manner to society? I see these groups forever, taking and demanding, but what do they give back?

Week 16 / Month 4 Weigh-in

Whew, that seems like such a long time! This week was pretty good though. I weighed in at 215.8 lbs this week for a weight loss of 3 lbs. Just over 10 lbs to go. It's getting crazy. My runs are strong, my lifts are getting better if not great and I'm looking good in the mirror if I do say so myself!

On a related note. I went shopping in my dresser this past weekend. I found 4 pair of shorts that I haven't been able to wear in at least a year. I can also now fit into a couple shirts that Steph bought me a few years ago that I could never wear!

I hope the 10 lbs I have to go will flatten out my belly... if not i'm going to drop my goal to 200 lbs or maybe 195 lbs. I wont go below 195 lbs regardless though. I don't care what the charts say, that's just too small for 6'6"!

Not far to go now! Woohoo! ;-)

Week 15

Well, I was pretty good this week. I followed my diet but I took Saturday off from working out. I think I'm going to add Saturday back into my schedule. I felt really weak Monday, comparatively speaking, compared to the weeks when I worked out Saturday as well. ANYWAY, I weighed in at 218.8 lbs this week for a measly weight loss of .4 lbs =/

New game plan. I'm going to "shock" my system by having a high calorie day tomorrow! Culver's here I come! I'm thinking at least a double cheeseburger and fries. ;-)