Week 8 Weigh In

I am once again late posting my weekly weigh in. I have been really busy lately with life in general. But, I am still trying to watch what I eat and continue to make lifestyle changes to my eating habits.

When I stepped on the scales this time I was really pleased to see a two pound loss. That brings my total weight loss to eighteen pounds in eight weeks. Thats just over two pounds per week so I am quite happy with the progress. Its nice to see some real results that mean something and this week I had one of those moments.

I looked over at the section of my closet where the clothes I had 'outgrown' were and decided to try on some to see if I was getting close to being able to wear them again. I was elated to find two pairs of pants I could wear comfortably and a shirt. I didn't try them all on so I may have some others I could wear too. That felt really good especially since the pants I have been wearing to work of late have been really tough to keep from falling down to my ankles.

Hopefully, for those that are following along with your own journeys, you are having success also.

Week 7 Weigh In

This week was a bit more of a struggle to maintain the plan. Well, to be honest I didn't follow the plan very well at all. I had two nights where I ate high calorie high fat meals and I only actually counted points one whole day for the week. I still watched what I ate and made mental notes of point values but I did not write them down and make sure I did not exceed my limit.

With that said I did have some successes as I continued to decline the office donuts and breakfast sandwiches that seem to show up all the time. I also resisted the urge to eat the birthday cheesecake I was offered. That one was tough, I love cheesecake.

When I stepped on the scales I was expecting to see a gain but much to my surprise I had a one pound loss. That was a real boost to my attitude. What I took away from the weigh in was that even though I had a couple of bad dinners and didn't count everything that went in my mouth I still had some success. One of my long term goals is to change my eating habits to the point that most everything I eat is a better choice than I use to make. An example is that I probably ate high calorie high fat cheeseburgers two or three times a week for lunch. In their place now I eat low fat sandwiches, pasta or other foods much lower in calories and fat. I still crave the ultimate cheeseburger now and again but hopefully I can limit those cheeseburgers to once or twice a month instead of multiple times a week.

For the seven weeks I have been dieting I now have a total weight loss of 16 pounds. In my previous dieting experiences I have seen more weight loss in the first seven weeks but this time I am trying to change my eating habits for long term success. I am not focusing so much on losing the weight but more on making better choices that I can stick with for the rest of my life. Hopefully I will succeed this time.

If you are on a weight loss journey too I want to wish you success. Not luck, because this is one of the hardest things a person can attempt to do. Successful weight loss is a lot of work no matter what method you choose to use.

Weigh In for Weeks Five and Six

I was pretty busy last week and just never sat down to update my blog with last weeks weigh in. So, I am lumping it together with this weeks weigh in. This was one of the tougher weeks I have had since I began dieting again. I didn't count every point every day and I fought urges for high calorie, high fat foods all week. But, for the most part I was able to stay close to plan. A couple of nights I think I went over on points with a late night snack of pretzels one night and animal crackers on another.

When I stepped on the scales today it showed a loss of three pounds since my last post. That brings my total weight loss to 15 pounds in Six Weeks. Just over two pounds a week which is right about where I want to be.

If you are dieting too I wish you success on your journey.

Week 4 Weigh In

This past week I wasn't able to stay within my points everyday. On Saturday I was about five over but way short on my water and Super Sunday I didn't count points but at least what I ate was leaner than normal food. Monday was my wife's Birthday so we went out for dinner. I was half good and half bad. I had the Key West Chicken and Shrimp from Cheddars. So, grilled chicken and shrimp good, mashed potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole bad.

What did that mean to my moment on the scale this week......... I flatlined. No gain and no loss. That leaves me at a total weight loss so far of 12 pounds. I have to buckle back down this week and count those points and drink all my water. I know I reap what I sow when it comes to dieting. If I work hard and follow my plan I lose weight. If I ignore the plan and eat aimlessly I don't lose weight.

Here to a better week and I wish success for those that are on the weight loss path with me.

Week 3 Weigh In

This was a much better week in terms on staying on track than last week. I even managed to go walking one day which is pretty unusual for me this time of year. We were also out of diet soft drinks in the house for a few days so I even did better than normal getting my water in. The one pound gain I had last week was a downer going into the week but I managed to produce some momentum that I feel pretty good about.

When I stepped on the scales this evening I was really surprised by the number I saw. So much so that I checked it six times and each time it read the same. I had lost SEVEN pounds for the week. Wow! What a surprise, I was expecting a three or four pound loss not seven. To say I am happy is an understatement.

I know that a three week weight loss of 12 Pounds does not a successful diet make but it is a really nice start. It gives me hope and momentum to continue instead of taking the easy way out and making up excuses to go back to old habits. I still have plenty of work to do especially in expanding my diet. Right now it is pretty much the same from day to day which will get old soon. I have been working on finding some new foods and recipes to diversify my meals.

I came up with a quick little dish this week that is a nice change of pace and easy to do. It is nothing too elaborate its just a serving of white rice with some cocktail shrimp I lightly marinated in teryaki sauce. The first time I made it I used one of those new steamer bags of rice and some veggies.

Week 2 Weigh In

This past week was a pretty good week and I had momentum going into the weekend. It was going to be an unusual weekend so I was a bit apprehensive about my diet. I did a pre weigh in check on Saturday and I showed a two pound loss. That felt good knowing that the next day and a half would be tough.

Saturday afternoon had me the family Cookie Monster preparing cookies for the teenagers that would decend on our home after their Winter Formal that night. I did okay I only eight one while I was baking. But that didn't hold as the night of no sleep continued to the daylight hours of Sunday.

Sunday morning I had more than my share of cinamon rolls and pigs in a blanket. I finally crashed after breakfast and woke up Sunday afternoon. I didn't feel like cooking so I just ate some of the pigs that were left over. I had resigned to the fact that Sunday would be a day of not stressing about counting points but resolving that Monday morning I would be back on track. I decided to have Pizza for dinner since I was already over on points for the day. I figured it was much better to eat something like Pizza now than blow a good day.

Anyway, Monday I was back on track. I had oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and for dinner my wife made some baked fish. As for the weigh in on Monday night I showed a one pound gain from the week before. It was disappointing but I did go nuts this weekend. I am looking forward to a better week.

I Am Back, So Guess What

Since I am back to posting on this blog that can only mean one thing...... I am overweight still and I have to do something about it. Once again I have let myself down and now I find myself weighing more than I ever have and in the worst shape of my life.

The sad thing is knowing that I know how to correct the situation but I have been unwilling to put the work in to make it happen really bothers me. I know the Weight Watchers program works for me. I have lost as much as 55 pounds and kept it off for over a year before. But knowing is not doing nor is it commitment and therein lies the problem.

Am I ready to go back to counting points and writing down what I eat? Heck no! So what should I do? Well, for one thing I am resurrecting this blog. Between the writing and contact with fellow bloggers out there it was a great source of inspiration and information. Secondly, I am dropping fried foods and McDonalds. Thirdly, I am cutting out real desserts. I am also going to increase my water intake.

That is just a start because I know that only those few things will not produce long term successful weight loss. But, I have to start somewhere and right now that is all I am willing to commit to.

Yes, I am still Alive

I know I have been silent for too long, leaving my readers with no explanation to my absence.  I don’t really have a good excuse, I have rationalized my silence in much the same way I deal with my weight issues. But, today I was hit square in the mouth with the reality of my situation. So I will lay out my weak excuses for at least not popping on the blog and letting people know what was going on with me. 

In the first place I had reached the point where I didn’t want to struggle anymore with figuring out what to eat and how much I could eat. I know what types of food and how much to eat to facilitate weight loss but actually selecting and preparing the food is another thing. Needless to say I have been off program since my last post. I have eaten whatever and whenever I wanted not caring how much of it I ate. One of the things I didn’t want to fall into were blog postings of oops I fell off the wagon, but tomorrow is another day. I also did not want to be a hinderance to others with my failures. I have continued to follow the journeys of my fellow weight loss bloggers and I really didn’t want to have a negative impact on the community. 

Secondly, I have been battling something I have never faced before. I began to deal with stress and turmoil with comfort foods. Maybe I have been guilty of this before but only recently did I realize I was sitting in my chair worried about something and I would get up and make me something to eat. One night after Thanksgiving I was sitting in my chair watching TV when I realized I was not hungry but I was continuing to eat anyway and it felt good. That is until I remembered what I was doing before I made me some cream cheese dip. I was worried about my job and the direction it may take in the coming year. 

The other reason I have not posted on my blog is because I don’t like to admit failures. The way things have been lately that would be most all of my posts. If you ask the people I work with they would also tell you that I don’t like to ask for help. One of the reasons I started to blog about dieting and weight loss was to hopefully encourage others to succeed. It is hard to offer encouragement when I myself am discouraged. 

For those of you that have sent me words of concern and encouragement I want to apologize for my silence and thank you for reaching out to me. For those that have continued to visit my blog I want to apologize to you also. Now, what about the future? I am not sure about that right now. I want to lose this weight but I don’t know if I am truly ready to make the daily sacrifice. Will I return to blogging about my weight issues? I am not sure about that either. 

At least now you know what happened to me. I understand if you decide to unsubscribe from my feed or remove me from your bookmarks or blogroll. I wish all of you the best of luck. 

The Ups and Downs of Dieting

Ever since I reached that forty pound mark it has been a struggle to stay motivated and on program. I have looked back at my previous posts just to see how far I have come and to remind myself of where I was physically when I started. I am not staying on program consistently day in and day out. Some days I just want to throw in the towel or fat free whatever.

The last few days I have spent more time reading other peoples blogs in an effort to recharge my batteries. I have ran across a lot of good information out there and have read many similar stories of the battle to stay on program. From recipes to exercise tips and beyond it is time well spent when you seek out others that are on this journey with you. As you battle your own ups and downs take some time and surf the blogs of your fellow dieters there is a lot of information to be gleaned and inspiring stories to be read.

Will I get over the hump; only time will tell. One thing I know for sure is that if I don’t I will have no one else to blame but myself and a host of people to give credit if I succeed.

Pre Weigh in Jitters

My regular weekly weigh in comes around in the morning and with the results of the last two weeks I am not excited about the visit to the scale in the morning. I did something this past Saturday that I don’t normally do, I check my weight that morning. It made me feel only slightly better, Wednesday is D-Day.

I have heard a lot of talk from other dieters about how often you should weigh yourself. Some recommend only weighing once per week while others say you should weigh every day. I see the good in both approaches but I have chosen to weigh once per week. I have fudged a time or two like this past Saturday, but for the most part I have stuck to the once a week pattern.

What are your thoughts? Pardon the pun, you can weigh in with your comments below.

The Top Three Reasons Why I hate Diets

I have mentioned several times on this blog my motivation and inspiration to lose weight. Today, I want to talk about the top three reasons why I hate to diet. This list could be much longer but the motivation for this post comes from the current blog project over at Daily Blog Tips. Daniel encouraged bloggers to write on a subject using the number 3 as the theme.

What is it about diets that you and I hate so much? Is it the restrictive nature of what you can eat? How about the smaller portion sizes? Maybe your favorite foods are on the taboo list. How about since we are dieting we must be overweight? Well, I can’t answer this question for you but my top three reasons are listed below.

Number 1

The number one reason that I hate diets is that you can’t just live care free. Gone are the days when you just ate what you wanted when you wanted. Just joining your coworkers for lunch is now sometimes out of the question because they may be headed somewhere that is not a part of your diet plan. Strolling through the mall and have a sudden urge for a snack, if you are on a diet you need to just keep walking past that cookie, ice cream or pretzel that’s calling your name. Being spontaneous is not allowed when your are dieting.

Number 2

The other thing I really hate about dieting is that healthy food costs more than calorie and fat filled normal food. I can be on the cheap side so this one really bothers me. For example, I can buy a regular loaf of bread for a dollar but my low calorie high fiber bread costs me over two dollars. Stroll down the snack aisle at your grocer and check out the prices of the 100 calorie snacks. I can buy a huge bag of chips for the same price as a small box of 100 calorie chips. All of the lower calorie and reduced fat items are more expensive than their regular counterparts. I’m sure it costs more to make the diet versions than the regular ones but that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Number 3

I love cookies and bread but both are high in calories and can be high in fat also. My family sometimes called me the cookie monster because I love cookies so much. If I had to pick only two foods to live on for the rest of my life it would be oatmeal raison cookies and pizza.

Do you also hate to diet? Join in the discussion and put your reasons in the comments below.

Week 23 Status Update

This week I expected to stay even or see a small gain. There were two days last week that I was way over on points. I even ate a rather large portion of fried chicken tenders from Cheddars and too much of my daughter’s birthday cookie cake. But I did walk several days last week and that helped me.

So without further delay the scale showed that I had lost another pound. That brings me to the Forty pound marker. That felt really good to type. One of the other things that has been beneficial this week is I have increased my water consumption. I have never had trouble getting the minimum down but now I am nearly doubling that.

For all of you that are on this weight loss journey with me I encourage you to keep going. Just remember why you are dieting, for each of us that answer may be different but it is still what should motivate us.

Week 22 Status Update

Going in to week twenty two I was hoping to hit the Forty pound mark as I am just two pounds away from that milestone. I didn’t hit the diet as hard this week. We had my daughters Majorette team mates and moms over on Saturday and I cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. Sunday evening my wife and daughter and I were watching movies and decided to order pizza for dinner, only the second time in 22 weeks I have had pizza. Boy was it good.

On to the results, this week I had another one pound loss bringing my twenty two week total to 39 pounds lost. Not the forty pound mark I was looking for but I am still happy with the loss. I walked five days last week and I was able to walk yesterday but I probably won’t get the chance to walk again till Friday. Today will be a bit of a struggle to stay on points. I have several meetings today and then we are leaving for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs game tonight. Thirty guys on a road trip will have the junk food flying around.

A Quickie Before Weigh In Tomorrow

Well, I have gone from no exercise to walking two days in a row. It felt really good even though it was really hot. I made a couple of blocks with Bruiser and then went looking for hills after leaving him back at the house. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going in the coming weeks.

Weigh in is just about nine hours away. I feel pretty good going in but the scales will announce their verdict in the morning. I know a few of my readers also weigh in on Wednesdays so I wish good results for all.

A Little Exercise Couldn’t Hurt

I have had a much easier time staying away from the Pizza buffet than getting some exercise. But last night was a little different. My wife, daughter and our puppy Bruiser took a little walk last night. Bruiser couldn’t make but a couple of laps so after we dropped him back off at the house for the air conditioning I kept going.

I’m not sure how far I walked but I intentionally walked up hills at times and really got my heart rate going. I know I need to do this on a regular basis but there are tons of other things I want to do also. We have been taking Bruiser to puppy school at Petsmart for the last few weeks and the trainer suggested that we take him for walks in the morning and evening. Maybe I can use that to motivate myself into walking on a regular basis.

The weight that I have lost so far has been without an exercise program. In the past when I have done Weight Watchers I have either walked a lot or played full court basketball three days a week. I really feel that the rate I am dropping the pounds has been slowed because of my lack of exercise. I firmly believe that no matter how well you stick to the calorie count there comes a time when you hit the proverbial wall and need to do some cardio.

What do you do for exercise? From reading some of your blogs several of my readers are very active.
Good luck and continued success.

Week 20 Status Update

Okay, we seem to be back on track this week. This mornings trip to the little room where the dreaded scales are turned out to be like Disneyworld, the happiest place on earth. A feeling of dread washed over me as I stepped onto the scales but it was soon replaced by a feeling of joy. If there was a reporter in the room he would have shoved a microphone in my face and asked “you’ve just lost TWO pounds, what are you going to do now?” I’m going to Disneyworld…. No wait I’m going to just keep on dieting because next week I have to do it all over again.

Oh well, such is the life of someone that is battling their weight. But on the bright side I am a winner this week with that 2 pound drop. For 20 weeks I have been dieting following the Weight Watchers point system and I am glad to report that I have lost a total of 37 pounds.

This week I have found motivation from my wife to continue and from my fellow bloggers out there a sense of purpose. So with a new found vigor for my diet I am looking forward to next week’s trip to the scales.

Week 19 Status Update

As expected my weigh in this morning was not good news. For the first time in 19 weeks I gained a pound. I was expecting a gain since I had eaten plenty of cookies, chips and dips over the holiday.

Now what? Well, I just have to start again this week. The only good thing about having a few bad days is that tomorrow can be a great day. Today was a pretty good day. I kept my eating under control and stayed at my points level.

For the nineteen weeks I have been dieting I have lost 35 pounds. I am looking forward to another loss at next Wednesday’s weigh in.

Week 18 Status Update

Week 18 Status Update

This mornings weigh in was uneventful as the scales settled right where they were last week. That is still a win for me. I can’t complain if they stay the same. If only they had stayed the same for the past few years.

That leaves my total weight loss at 36 pounds. If I could ever get some exercise into the equation I could probably start scaring the fire out of the 50 pound mark.

Reward Yourself for Dieting Victories

This past week I met my mini goal of 35 pounds lost. Since my diet began I was able to not eat any real pizza. My favorite is Double Dave's. I was tempted many times to have some great pizza but I always held out till I had met that first goal. On Sunday night I rewarded myself, and my daughter with a trip to Double Dave's.

The great thing about this is that I have no guilt. I made a commitment to wait till I reached that mark before I ate any pizza. Normally when you eat something as high in fat and calories as pizza it is a failure and you feel guilty. But for me this was a victory to be celebrated. Now the tough part comes in the coming days and weeks. Just like a baseball team can't keep celebrating their last victory, I can't rest on my victory. I must continue on without Double Dave's for awhile. I must also continue to watch what I eat every day.

I still haven't decided what my next mini goal will be. Until I do I need to just keep to the program day by day.

Week 16 Status Update – First Goal Reached

Today I reached that first goal I had set for myself. When I stepped on the scales this morning I discovered that I had lost another pound. That brings my total weight loss for 16 weeks to 35 lbs. If you have read some of my previous posts then you know what that means…… Double Dave’s Pizza!


I didn’t feel real good going into the weigh in. My work schedule for the first part of the week did not go according to plan. Because of that I did not take my lunch at all. On Monday and Tuesday I ate like I was not on a diet. I went with friends to an old family restaurant and enjoyed home style cooking. You know the kind. When people prepared and cooked food because it tasted good and before they worried about carbs, fat or calories.

I did drink a lot of water in an effort to keep flushing my system. On Monday evening I mowed the lawn, so maybe that helped too. Now that I am at my first goal we will be dining on some awesome pizza, pepperoni rolls and strombolis in a few days.

In the meantime today was a good day. I stuck with my normal 4 point breakfast of muffins and a banana. For lunch it was $5 Turkey Sub day at Subway. For dinner I ate two sandwiches and some non fat Pringles. For dessert tonight I had a 100 calorie Hostess cupcake pack.

I haven’t set a goal to shoot for now that I have hit the 35 lb mark. Maybe I will come up with something in the next few days.