Coming out of a rut!

Well I guess I lied, new blog not till after the 1st... So here until after the new year!

I been down in a rut lately. Just had a lot on my mind and have been letting it affect me more that I want it to. Maybe its the holiday season. Usually it's a great time to be around family, friends and overall happy time, this year just seems more of a saddend feeling. I read a quote that got me thinking and has helped get me out of my funk. Still in one but it will get better I am sure, I will deal with it and keep on going! NO I am not mad at anyone, NO I didn't do something to make the wife mad haha it was just me and how I felt... Time to kick it in high gear!!! Have Tough Mudder/Warrior Dash/Marathon waiting for me in 2013!!!



SAYYYY WHAT TUBBY??????? MARATHON????? I have been going back and forth about competing in a marathon. Why not run the half marathon first? F that haha once I know how hard it is I will not want to run the full so go big or go home SON!!!!! I want a fun one, like the rock and roll one. The one where they have a band on corners and what not. I know I will not be fast at this run. Hell I would love to finish and get a metal!!!! Would be great! This will keep me running even when the snow hits here in Illinois. I hate running on a treadmill. I get so bored and end up cutting my runs short! I love running outside even does anyone even read my blog? haha if you do message me on fb 1 and 2nd person that say they do get free 2nd place looks good on you tshirt, get ahold of me via text or fb... ok back to topic if its cold. I think what I really love is running past Teds Garage, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and the Mexican place... Know why??? THE SMELLS!!!!!!! Damn it makes me smile when running past those places. It just smells so good and I can get my fix and NOT have to eat it. Mexican I usually have once a week tho. Shrimp Taco Salad! So damn good but mcd and teds and pizza hut smell amazing when you are 2 miles into your run!

The quote that snapped me back was this "You've gotta wake up every morning and ask yourself, 'How bad do you want it?' How much work are you willing to put forth for the things and people you want and need in your life? Nothing great comes without effort. But I promise you that if it's something of great meaning in your heart and something you need in your life... EVERY risk, EVERY step and EVERY drop of sweat will be worth it.

That quote helped motivate me when I needed motivation. I have given over a year of my life to get into the shape I am now, and I plan on giving the rest of my life to get in the best shape I have ever been in. I love helping people achieve their goals and helping them any way that I can. Friends have told me that they have started to watch what they eat, workout, and make better decisions because of what I have done and that shocks me when they tell me that. Never really thought of it before but it feels pretty damn cool. I want to get into great shape really bad. Well how about good enough shape to do my messed up runs and challenges haha. Yes I have made small sacrifices, but it is well worth it because of the way I feel compared to years past!

Christmas is right around the corner! I set a goal to weigh 210 by Christmas day! I will fight to hit that goal the next week and half so here it goes! Hoping to stay on track thru the holidays with all the food, parties and friends getting together! Can not wait to set the 2013 New Years Resolutions and beat them down!!!

Thankful For...

Ok on Facebook for the month of November people wrote everyday what they were THANKFUL FOR. This being the last day of November I thought I would just put 1 blog on what I am thankful for. If you know me and seen my FB post I post things off the top of my head, didn't think I could go a whole month with being serious! So what are you thankful for?

I am thankful for a lot of things! Alison for being the wonderful person she is. She puts others before herself and has been a great motivator at keeping me on this road I began over a year ago to get healthier! I am amazed by her on a daily basis. I could not have asked for a better person in my life than her. I truly thank god every night that I meet her! We have been married for 4 years and been thru some great times and some sad times. It is amazing that I found someone that I can not wait to spend the rest of my life with! I could go on and on about her and she knows how special she is to me!

My family is very special to me as well. If it were not for my parents I would not be where I am today. I truly believe that. I take traits from both of them. For better or worse ha. Think I take being a people pleaser from my mom and my stubbornness from my dad haha. They have taught me a lot in my 31 years of life, and there is no way I could ever repay them for it. I am extremely proud of what they have accomplished and what they have taught me. I am grateful that they are always there for me. Anytime I need to talk or whatever it may be I can count on them. I am also thankful for my extended family as well. This is from my in-laws which I could not have ever in my wildest dreams of asked for better in-laws, they are truly amazing! The support I get from my family as a whole is amazing!

They say friends are family that you choose, I really believe that. Some of my friends I have known my entire life, some since high school & college and some just recently. You really can not help who you become friends with. I am thankful I have you all in my life. Its funny sometimes you can go weeks without talking or even months and when you get back together its like nothing has changed. Tho I do not think I have gone that long from being around friends. Thank you all for being there for me thru some tough times and good times, and I truly would do anything for you guys! Well except burry another body again, btw Jason we need to talk about that... LOL JK damn CIA going to be on my doorstep! Look forward to many good times with old and new friends for sure!


I am thankful that I got my ass in gear to get in overall better health! It has NOT been easy by any means. I wish I could sit here and say oh it was a breeze, but in reality its fucking hard work. Some of you can walk by a bakery or bake cookies, cake or anything and not think about it. May have 1 just to see how it taste. Me well I think i have to try a dozen to make sure it was correct ha.. But it is true, I have never had self control for as long as I can remember. I can remember one thanksgiving over at my grandma jeans house. I was younger in grade school. I would eat so much that it was hard to get to sleep at night becuase I was so full. I know you can say hey thats being  young... But it didnt stop heck even up until a few years ago I would still eat like that... Maybe thats why I got to 300lbs.. But I am glad that I decided to get into better health. Yes I had some motivation to get there, and that same motivation could have broke me down again to just eat the way I used to but I made a promise and I am not looking back. I feel amazing compared to where I was before. I have tons of people to thank for that! Wife and Family is a given! But also an thankful for WeightWatchers for giving me a plan that works and not being a diet but a way I want to live the rest of my life! My ww Leader Beth, I have went to many different ww meetings and meet many ww leaders, tho they are all good at what they do I just never really stuck with it. She has really motivated me to stick with it and is a great leader! I am thankful for the experiences ww has given me. I truly think I would still be 300+ if I did not start the program. I have even been interviewed by ww casting for commercial spots and other plans. Tho I did not make the 3rd cut they still want to keep me in mind for future things which is exciting for me!

I have many more things I am thankful for but these are the main. Thank you for reading my blog. I am currently working on a new blog layout that I am hoping to debut the first or 2nd week of December! I will post on here what the new address will be and hope you all follow me on there. This was started as a way for me to write about my weight loss for 1 year to reach a goal! It has really helped me to write about it and I will continue to do so and hope you enjoyed reading it. 

Thank you all!

Donny

Holiday Season

So the holiday season is upon us! What a great time to see friends, family and eat some good food! At the beginning of November I set a goal of being 210 by Christmas. I am currently at 218 and think I have a good chance. This past week and a half has been great! NO NO NO I have not lost weight I have actually gained but just a tad. Come on it was MANCATION and THANKSGIVING.... What is this mancation you ask? :)

MANCATION is a vacation with the boys! It is a quest to visit EVERY NFL STADIUM! We decide a game to go to when the NFL schedules come out before the season. It usually consist of a Colts game or a Bears game. We alternate every year. This year Happened to be Patriots vs Colts at Foxborrow aka BOSTON!!!! Now one good thing about Mancation is it usually entails great FOOD, BEER, and some memorable moments. This year was no exception. The seafood out there in Boston was AMAZING!!!!!! Fresh seafood, clam chowder, oysters, lobster, scallops... I mean whats not to love! We went to some amazing places to eat, drink, and almost get thrown out of lol... You can not go to boston and NOT take a tour of Fenway Park. The oldest stadium in MLB! 100 years old. It was a great tour and if I ever see a game there I def want to sit on the green monster! Best seat in the house! Another thing we do on Mancation is if there is a brewery in the area we make sure to tour it! This year we had SAM ADAMS!!!!! Love their Oktoberfest so was excited to take the tour! We made our way to the brewery and it was very small compared to all the other breweries we have toured before. Basically 1 room they only take  you into, they only brew beer in Boston for Boston! They have 2 other breweries that supply the rest of the US, one in Ohio and one in Pennsylvania. But the tour showed us how they work and they told us that all the beers are experimented with in the boston brewery. We were able to try a few beers and one of the beers we tried is not out in the market yet they are just testing it to get feedback. A lemon zest beer, which I did not give high marks on. It really did taste god awful. But thats my opinion. Next was DOYLE'S, the first place Sam Adams was sold! The trolly tour driver made the trip! He was very funny and loved to say DOYLE'S... Just the way he said it made you want to ride the trolly around and listen to him talk. DOYLE'S is where Tim Robbins was taken out of a bar to be killed in Mystic River.. Its where they celebrate winning cases in Boston Legal, its a really old bar 130 years old!  This was around one pm and we had been drinking since sam adams around 11:30.... The drinks never stopped until early the next morning so yu can imagine how our night went, we had good food, drank a bunch of longislands, made new friends, almost got kicked out of cheers, went on a 7 mile historic walk, seen john handcock and paul reveres grave, walked the streets the red coats did, and ended the night as some irish pub drinking what I think was a clear long island... Can't tell you much more commmmme on our wives may read this lol... It was a successful mancation, already looking forward to next years trip!!!! oh and the colts got SPANKED!

Us at Cheers! Oh btw its is NOTHING LIKE THE SHOW. The only thing on the show that is from this place is the sign we are standing by and the steps going down to the bar. Inside it is very small and they DO NOT LIKE YOU BEING LOUD NO MATTER HOW MANY LONG ISLANDS YOU HAVE HAD.... Oh and its not cheap 2 bottles of beer came up to $21.50 but I can say I had a beer at Cheers!!!



Turkey Day
Well I was home all of 2 days before Thanksgiving events kicked off! I was already dreading standing on the scale from mancation and now I had to deal with, drinks, turkey, stuffing, pies, fudge, taters and gravy, and much more! Ugh the holiday are the worst for weight control. But I went in with my goal of getting to 210 by Christmas in mind. I actually contained myself NO Pecan pie, 1 slice of pumpkin, turkey and stuffing. I did not stuff myself so bad that I felt miserable! It amazes me at the control I have had gained over eating. Heck not to long ago I would have said WeightWatchers whaaaaaaaaat and been all over that food! Eating till my stomach was about to burst. But now I actually have control and feel good about it! So after visiting with family, and eating I knew I had to go weigh in on Black Friday... HELL NO I DID NOT GO SHOPPING! I went in to see the damage I did with eating and basically living the way I want the rest of my life.... There were only a handful of us 6, 7 tops there. Small compared to the regular meetings I go to. But stepped on the scale and UP 4 pounds... Hey hey thats not bad for not working out for a few days and basically eating whatever I damn well wanted to!!!!

So whats up next, CHRISTMAS then NEW YEARS....
Ah the food and drink keep on coming. Holiday parties, friends, and family then finish it off with playing dress up downtown Chicago with the wife and friends! Can not wait, open bar downtown! I have sworn off drinking until new years and OREOS... If you know me I LOVE OREOS... I mean I have 1 a day people! haha.....

Well Recipe Time... Have not done this in awhile!

REINDEER POOP AKA No-Bake Fudgy Snow Balls

No oil, no butter, no baking required. There's much to love about these no-bake cookies, they are healthy, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, and they taste great too.

MAKES: 21
SERVING SIZE: 1
WW PTS: 2 PTS


  
Ingredients:
15 pitted dates
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup whole roasted unsalted almonds
1 tbsp honey (agave if vegan)
2 tbsp water (or more if needed)
3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Directions:
Add almonds to your food processor and pulse until ground. Add dates, cocoa powder, honey, and water. Mix until it forms a sticky mass. If it seems too dry, add a little water, 1 tsp at a time. Wash hands and using damp hands (keep sink running) measure 1 tbsp and roll into a ball with the dough. Set balls on parchment paper.

Put confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Roll balls in your hand and then roll in sugar.
Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Motivation and Goals

7 months from now I want to be a lifetime member to WeightWatchers! That is my GOAL... I need MOTIVATION in order to reach my goals! I know that weight is only a number and that you can not judge how you do by the number on the scale... But this was my goal from Day 1 when I started this weight journey! I have roughly 40 more pounds to go. I know that it will be harder these last 40 than it was for the first 80. Man that does not sound right 121 pounds lost. That is what I am shooting for. The thought of me losing that much is crazy to me. Crap my wife doesn't even weigh what I am losing. That is crazy to me.

I found that setting short term and long team goals keep me motivated. Not only weight goals but other goals like fitness or even how I feel etc. Ill share some of my new goals at the bottom of here but along with setting goals I have found that reading others stories and talking with people that have accomplished what I have set out to do is just as motivating! Some days when I have ZERO motivation I tumblr motivational quotes, or motivational stories, transformation pictures. It  gives me that little something I need to get out and run that night, or to workout!

What Motivates you to change? What drives you? I love listing to these type of things. If you don't mind sharing I would like to listen.

What drives me is I hate losing. I set my goal and I want to reach it. I don't care if its a pick up game, saying lets run 6 miles, words with friends, tic tac toe, I just hate losing. The thought of me not getting to my goal is what motivates me. Yes I have some help on the way. Friends and Family help me along the way, even if they dont know they are helping. A simple compliment can make you feel great and want to keep it up! I have had 4 friends start insanity in the last week. Some have told me its because they seen the results with me and it really picks you up. Most have asked me about it because they know that is one of the programs I use for cardio. Its a GREAT program and if you are dedicated you will see results! I tell myself its 6 days of Hell with one day off. Right now I am in Round 3 of it and week 3 of month 2. Hour long cardio workouts I tell you can be hell. But LOVE the results of this workout. My friends that are starting out I say this to you: Just stick with it and know that it will kick your butt its not called insanity because its easy.

Past Goals made for New Years Resolution
So in 2012 I would like to accomplish these tasks!
1) Wear and Fit into XL T-Shirts 


Currently wearing XL t-shirts and getting rid of my 2XL and 3XL shirts!!!!! Accomplished!!!!

2) Finish Tough Mudder (Sunday, March 17th 2012)
Tough Mudder was canceled due to weather! I did finish warrior dash in record time!!! But am running Tough Mudder Chicago in 2013!

3) Run 15 Miles without walking

Well my runs are now 6 mile runs or 5... I am going to sign up for CHICAGO Marathon 2013!!!! This should be interesting

4) Walk into a store and purchase jeans I am currently in 36/38 W jeans depending on the brand! This is huge since I was in 42/44 and even got up to 46 W jeans!

5) Stay Determined and Motivated
 working on that year round!

NEW GOALS
1) FINISH Tough Mudder Chicago
2) Become WeightWatcher Lifetime by May 2013
3) Be 205 by Christmas (currently 218.8)

Activity!!!!!!!!

Well since summer and the warm weather is giving way to the cold do you have a problem getting in ACTIVITY???? In the summer/spring it is so easy to get in your activity, with events that are outside and fun to do. I will take a day of mowing the yard rather than walking outside and seeing my breath in the cold air! Days seem short because it is dark when I get off work.

Working out has helped me start to shape up. Well as best as I can. I started with just running/walking and now that has went to 5/6 mile runs 3/4 days a week. Then I added in the Insanity workouts and that has kicked my butt! I am currently in my 3rd time thru (on month 2 end of week 2). Then finally I started weights and cardio up in the mornings.  Running outside is actually bearable with the UA leggings and cold-gear. Feels good to not be over heated like running in the summer does to me!

Typical Week
Sunday - AM: Run (2/5 miles) then Insanity
Monday - AM: Elliptical, Weights, Jacobs Ladder, • PM: Run (2/5), then Insanity
Tuesday -Elliptical, Core Workout  • PM: Insanity
Wednesday - AM: Elliptical, Weights, Jacobs Ladder, • PM: Run (2/5), then Insanity
Thursday -Elliptical, Core Workout, Insanity • PM OFF
Friday - AM: Elliptical, Weights, Insanity • PM OFF
Saturday - Rest or If I have a race...

Usually rack up anywhere between: 75-125 activity points in a week. Sometimes more or less depending on what all I get in.

I also just recently starting sitting on a medicine ball at work to help with posture and what not. I actually like it a lot better than sitting in a chair. Maybe that's because I am a little weird.

What do you do that helps? I am always open to suggestions!!!!! Here is to losing more and getting to my goal!

Well Well Well its been a few months! Back on July 12th I weighed in at 231.8, down from 301! I am not weighing in at 218.8. I have been sitting at this weight for a few weeks now unable to get lower! I thought back about my last year I devoted to losing the first 75lbs and came to the conclusion that writing about it actually helped me get thru ruts and keep on track! So here I am I have 35/40 more pounds to go before I hit my ultimate goal of weight between 180/185.

As I sit here and think I am wanting to lose a total of 121 pounds! To me that's crazy to think that's even possible. I sit at 83ish pounds already and I wonder where the weight has gone. Why didn't I do this earlier in my life!!! I truly think with working out, eating right, and staying on goal I will reach my goal by late spring. I am shooting for the end of April or beginning of May so roughly 6 months to shed 35/40 more pounds! Let the weights/running/insanity/elliptical workouts begin!!!!!!!

DAY 365!!!!!!!!

Day 365 of 365!!!!!

 Well it's the moment of truth. Day 365!!!!!! It has been one year since I made up my mind to get in better overall health. I wanted to work off 75 pounds. I was going to have to change my whole lifestyle of eating and working out. I was going to have to learn discipline.

Weight
July 12, 2011 = 301.9 lbs
July 12, 2012 = 231.8 lbs

That's a grand total of 70.1 pounds in exactly 1 year! I did come up a few pounds short of my 75 pound goal but I am very happy with the outcome. I am not going to tell you all it was easy and that I had no problems along the way. It was fucking hard! I had slip ups, there were days that I ate till I was sick or wanted to quit. But I had set up goals along the way to help me get thru ruts. Even if it was a simple goal as just lose a pound this week or lets try not to gain. Monthly goals of 3 pounds or 5 pounds. I always had to have a goal set, how else was I going to reward myself with some kind of treat haha.

So how did I do it?
I starved myself ha, just kidding. I can tell you what worked for me was starting weight watchers, help from family and friends, and exercise. Seems so simple, why didn't I think of this when I was in my twenties???? Weight watchers was a HUGE help to me. I was leery at first really. I have tried weight watchers before and was successful in losing a little weight but had gotten off it because why pay someone to tell me to eat right. It is much more than that I now know. Yes, I do go to the meetings. Every Thursday you can catch me in the meeting sitting there and mostly listing. Its comforting being in a room with people that go through the same struggles and to hear what they have to say about what works and what doesn't work for them. I found an amazing leader that the program has worked for. Actually a leader that is the same age as myself. I am not saying that the older leaders are not good by any means, I just simply can relate to her more than I could someone that is 20-30 years older than me. What WW taught me was that I can eat whatever I want. If I want pizza one night I can have pizza, by god if I want that blizzard I can have it. May have to work a little harder that week but you know what I can have it. It has taught me what a portion really is. It really gave me that discipline to weigh out my food, to really look ok this is a cup, or this is 4 oz. Not just to throw it on my plate and think well that looks like a serving. Trust me, what I thought was a serving well lets just say it was a serving for a family of 2 or 3. I have learned a lot from them and will continue to do so.

Friends and family have helped me along the way as well. From encouraging words to helpful things they have tried and done over the years, and great recipes that most of you have seen or tried while visiting my casa. Most have taken notice of my change and have asked what I have been doing differently which I will gladly tell them what has worked for me. Everyone is different so you have to make the plan work for you.

Why do I do these things?
Well not far into my challenge, I had one of my good friends talk me into signing up for TOUGH MUDDER. If you do not know what tough mudder is go to their websit www.toughmudder.com and watch the video, its basically a 12 mile race though mud, water, hills, and doing some crazy obstacles and then running through 10,000 volt electric lines at the end. What got us to sign up for this is we ran a race called warrior dash. Which is a 5K though mud, water and some obstacles. Which wasnt so bad. I finished in an hour and ten minutes. Which for me that was pretty good considering I was 300lbs and it was over 100 out. So after the race we start talking about these other races. I am thinking to myself, hell NO. I can barley run half a mile without stopping and you want me to do 12 miles. Soooo of course I said YES lets do it! I think my brain says NO but my mouth didn't get the message. So We sign up to run the tough mudder in early march in Indiana, AND tough mudder in June again. So I thought not bad I can train and get through them both may take some time but hey this will push me to lose the weight.

Well March rolls around and they postpone the Tough Mudder due to it could be freezing and they really do not want us to freeze to death. So I thought not a problem they change the date to June... Well wouldn't you know it is the same weekend as warrior dash!!!!! Well we could have both said hell with that we are only doing tough mudder, BUT what is the fun in that. We thought to ourselves LETS DO BOTH THE SAME WEEKEND.... Warrior Dash on Saturday, Tough Mudder on Sunday. Now while this may not be a problem for some of you, lets recap me=300lbs well I was hoping to be 250 ish by then or lower but hey thats going to be alot for this guy!

Weekend starts with Warrior Dash, its only about 100 outside so your typical Illinois muggy weather and we are about to start the race. Its a 5k with 12 obstacles. Last year I ran it in over an hour. This year I crossed the finish line in 38 minutes. I was really amazed at my progress, I have been running and getting in better shape but I had no clue that I would better myself by that much! So onto Tough Mudder... Well as we were at dinner that night it started to pour down. I guess they got a TON of rain so when we went to bed that night and email came out canceling the tough mudder event for Sunday. So after a little complaining about it being washed out we came to terms with it and decided not to ask for a refund but to just sign up for the Tough Mudder 2013 Chicago. So just when i thought I was going to get out of it I turn around and sign up to do it again... I have been told I'm not right in the head haha. So I am still training for this, which I think is good. It will keep that competitive edge that I have.

I also have started Insanity workouts, along with back to the gym. I am currently in my 2nd round of Insanity and I LOVE IT. It is some intense workouts but it really gives you results. Great workouts can not say anything bad about them at all! Can not wait to really see the results of my hard work!

Keep it up

I know that the scale is not the only measure of success. Yes I have dropped 70 pounds and it feels great. My knees really have stopped aching, my bad is no longer stiff after sleeping or playing softball. My joints feel good and I know that it is only going to get better!

I have gone from a 3xl t-shirt down to a XL in this year
shorts/jeans have gone from a 46W to a 40W
wedding ring slips on and off easily tho the wife may not like that but it feels great to not have it feel like its strangling my finger.

I know that to keep on this track I have to continue doing the things that I have learned. Hard work pays off and I know that now.

So now that my 365th day is over I have a new goal in mind. 

1) Weigh in at 195 by Christmas
2) Keep working hard at it.

I have much more work to do and look forward to it now. Thank you everyone for all your helpful words along the way!

I think its time for some new shorts.....

364 days of 365 Days of a more fit me!

Well 1 year ago today I sat in a Monicals Pizza restaurant with my wife and was looking around waiting for my LARGE pepperoni pizza. No I was not sharing it with her, this pizza was ALL MINE!!!! I had decided to change my lifestyle a few days before this but wanted July 12, 2011 to be the day I started.  If you remember back to why well because exactly one year ago today I sat down for dinner to have my last supper so to speak. A Large pepperoni pizza from Monicals. I could not of came up with a better meal. Some of you may but for me its pizza. Monday night pizza night!!!

So as I sat there I can still remember thinking can I do this? Can I really loose 75 pounds in 365 days? It will be hard and this can not just be a diet for a year then go on with life. This was going to have to be a lifestyle change. I would have to learn portion control, better choices, and keep an exercise routine! Well tomorrow is when I will go to the same scale and calibrate it then stand on it to see where I stand in weight loss. I know that weight loss is not the only measure I have to go by, but for this challenge that was my goal 75 pounds! Shooting for something under 301...

Along the way I have recieved some great motivation from friends, family, and even complete strangers. It has been a rewarding year for sure! Recently some have asked if I am close and I just tell them we will find out in a few days. Some have told me if I were close to just cut way back on eating and etc... I could do that but thats not how I will live the rest of my life I explain to them. So tomorrow when I step on that scale I will have no regrets and already have new goals in mind and wrote out!

thanks for reading and will have a blog up tomorrow...

A look back

Lets take a look back at those NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS!!!!!
Here is what I posted back in January I wanted to accomplish by NEXT January....


So in 2012 I would like to accomplish these tasks!
1) Wear and Fit into XL T-Shirts (went from 3XL to 2XL so far)
2) Finish Tough Mudder (Sunday, March 17th 2012)
3) Run 15 Miles without walking (currently at 4 miles)
4) Walk into a store and purchase jeans (AE only Carries up to size 38 in stores, currently 42)
5) Stay Determined and Motivated


1) Wear and Fit into XL T-Shirts (went from 3XL to 2XL so far)
I currently am between 2xl and Xl shirts already. The shirt I have on today was from 2001 back when I was a JR at good ole WIU. We won the shirts by whooping up and winning flag football intramurals!!!! It is an XL and I have not worn this shirt since 2002 because it didn't fit anymore. I blame the open cafeteria at wiu and no self control! I can not belive I put the shirt on and it fits now its a great feeling.


2) Finish Tough Mudder (Sunday, March 17th 2012)
Well well well look is what is coming up this weekend! This will be a true test and I will have the determination to finish!!!

3) Run 15 Miles without walking (currently at 4 miles)
Well I am not going to lie this one took a back seat when I got injured. I was hurt for a month and could not run and then started up Insanity so running took a back seat. I am praying to make it thru warrior and tough mudder this weekend then start running back up. So its down but not dead yet. I went for a job and got my 4 miles in with no walking so while on life support I have not pulled the plug yet!!!!!

4) Walk into a store and purchase jeans (AE only Carries up to size 38 in stores, currently 42)
I am sitting at around a 40 in jeans. Not bad but still can not walk into AE and buy some. I am hoping to walk into a store before the year is over!!!

5) Stay Determined and Motivated
This has been pretty easy so far 6 months in! My gym routine has taken a dive as I have not been to the gym in over 6 weeks but have kept losing weight and started INSANITY. You know the video with Shawn T telling you to push it and total cardio nightmare! Yes I decided to go all out and give it a try. LOVE IT.  Alison has me working out in the garage due to the amount of sweat this workout entails! But I love it out in the garage at 5:00 AM. It's nice to have the cross wind from the 2 doors and is not air conditioned so I can get that much more sweat built up. I have decided that next week I am going to start going back to the gym on Wednesday - Friday after work. That leaves me to insanity in the morning and weights/running in the evenings. I am starting to tell a HUGE difference in my appearance from just 11 months ago. Even in just the last 6 weeks!!!! Stomach is much flatter, actually can see triceps and biceps definition in my arms. I can even start to tell there is muscle under that stomach of mine! Energy level is a lot higher also.

Weight Watches has kept me on track and motivated as well. Seeing 235 lbs is a great sight to see. When I stepped on that scale 11 months ago and seen 301 I knew I had to change! There would be nights I would lay in bed and be short of breath or run in softball and feel like my airways were closing. The worst I have ever felt in my life! Sometimes it felt like someone was sitting on my chest and I just couldn't breath like a normal person could. It was a feeling of not getting enough breath.  But the big eye awaking thing was seeing the 301. I mean that was it. Just standing there thinking what did I let happen to myself was all the motivation I needed. Put that feeling with wanting to start a family and it will make anyone want to get in better shape. I am 11 months into this year long transformation and 6 months into the new year and I am not going to slow down!!!

I want to add a goal for these next 6 months!
6) Be a fit 200 lbs by Christmas thats a total of 101 lbs in a year and half!!!!



Grilled Potatoes


Servings: 2
Size: 1 potato
Points+: 4 pts

Ingredients:
2 (13 oz total) medium russet potatoes, washed
2 tsp olive oil
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high heat (an indoor grill would work too).

Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. I used a fancy crinkle knife with ridges but straight cuts are fine. Toss the potatoes with olive oil. Add salt, and pepper to your taste.

Reduce heat on the grill to medium and lay the potatoes slices straight onto the grill; close the lid. Cook until the potatoes are golden on one side, about 6 to 10 minutes, making sure they don't burn and adjusting flame accordingly. Turn and cook until tender inside when pierced with a fork, but slightly crisp and golden brown on the outside. Remove from grill, and serve immediately.

1 month left

I am 1 month away from my deadline I set for myself. Sitting at 66 pounds lost with just 9 pounds to go! I am hoping to blow by that and set a new goal for Christmas! The above picture you can see my progress up to this point. I guess you get what you work for! I'm not going to lie and say I stuck to my diet every day but when I loss the battle of one meal I was determined not to lose the battle of the next meal!

Week 6 of INSANITY starts Sunday night! Oh boy so far so good on doing it every day and taking Saturdays off. It is one HELL of a workout and I would suggest it to anyone that is tired of their every day workout. I have learned to never do the same workout 2 days in a row so my body does not get used to working out. I have started back up at the gym with weights and ellyptical.

Day 328 of 365

Wow almost 1 year into my journey. So I have not been very good at keeping up with my blog. Been busy. Usually my busy time of the year is Summer. Just like I am sure most of you are busy this time of the year.

Well I am in week 5 of my INSANITY workouts. This week is recovery week so its not the constant pounding of the body but you take it at a slower pace. I really like the workout routines. Tho I have not been to the gym in a month because this takes up all of my time in the morning. Going to start adding in the gym now just have to get to bed earlier and wake up earlier. Need to get back some of this motivation!

I ran my first race of June on Saturday. The Chicago Color Run. It was a very fun race. Not really a race you run for time but to have fun and they throw colors on you as you run the course so you come out very colorful as you can see in the picture below!




Now in 2 weeks is my BIG race week. Warrior Dash AND Tough Mudder! This will be a very tough weekend for running. Will def be good running this and getting it out of the way.

Just have to keep going and keep my long term goals in mind!

Creamy Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cupcakes Servings: 12 • Size: 1 cup •  Points+: 3 pts

Ingredients:

• 12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
• 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 24 blackberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.

Edamame & Pear Crostini

Today was weigh in day...239.4  Looking good so far. Down 51 lbs with WeightWatchers and 62 since last July. When I sit here and think about it last year at this time I was tipping the scale at 301. WOW it really makes me think as to why did I let myself get like that. In high school i weighed around 200 and in college I was 225, but I was active, I played sports went to the gym in the mornings and was generally busy. I know you hear it all the time people get out of school and sit at a desk job, quit playing sports, find excuses to not go to the gym. Why sweat when I don't have to.

Last July after telling my wife for the 100th time that I'm going to go on a diet or I'm going to really try now, I finally did it. I remember the day that I decided. It was Sunday that I decided that Tuesday will be the day I start my new healthy lifestyle. I had tried to start a few months/weeks before but I did not have my mind right on this. So that Sunday I thought to myself I will start on Tuesday. The one thing I LOVE IS MONICALS PIZZA. It just so happens that Mondays are fresh pizza all you can eat night at our local monicals. I know I know don't deprive yourself BUT this is my last supper kinda thing. So that Monday we went to monicals for dinner with some friends and I had a Large Pepperoni pizza all to myself. I did good all day with the foods but this was it my last i don't give a shit meal so to say lol. Afterwards I never told anyone didn't mention that I was going to put 100% into this just kind of did it on my own and soon people started to notice me losing the weight.

Mixed emotions really, I am extremely happy for the weight loss and the overall feeling I have. Less back pain when I wake up in the morning to being able to actually run a few miles not without having to stop or crawl  back to the house. Its hard in the fact that you still see yourself as the big boned kid. The one that never got over the insecurity of being big. People say oh get over it, its not that hard. Mind you those are the same people that never dealt with being big. It does take some time to get used to, it takes time believe it or not to take compliments or to be able to share how you have done it. It is a emotional roller coaster, not meaning i physically show it but in my own mind (scary I know) I still feel like its not enough. If one week I gain 3 lbs and I worked my butt off kinda makes you think why try anymore, then there are times when you go in and you lose 4 lbs and think man I didn't do anything to deserve that result. I have learned to take it day by day and broke it down to meal by meal. Just because I mess up one meal does not meat I will mess up my next meal or write the whole day off. I try to better myself with the next one.

I have a GREAT support group (My wife Alison who I can not thank enough for helping me stick to my goals, my friend Melanie who started ww with me and is doing a fantastic job as well, and my Family, my Thursday morning WW group and an awesome WW Leader Beth)

a quote people say "Skinny never tasted so good" always makes me kinda of laugh and say in my head yea well skinny never had a birthday cake blizzard did they. :) ha but it is a great quote. Another that I have come to love is "You can't beat somebody that never gives up" 

until next weigh in Shawn T and I have a date for some more INSANITY.

Edamame & Pear Crostini

Servings: 30

Serving Size: 1 crostini

Calories: 62

Fat: 3.3 g

Carbs: 5.3 g

Fiber: 1.1 g

Protein: 2.9 g

Old Points: 1.3 pts

Points+: 2 pts

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) bag frozen shelled edamame

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 (12 oz) baguette, thinly sliced

1-2 Bartlett pears, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cook adamame in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place in ice water.  Drain and set aside 1/4 cup whole edamame, process the remainder in a food processor until coarsely chopped.  Combine mashed edamame with reserved whole edamame, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup mint, cheese, salt and pepper.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush lightly with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and bake for 10 minutes.  Top each baguette slice with 1 tablespoon edamame mixture and 2 teaspoons of chopped pear.  Garnish with additional mint, if desired.  Enjoy!

sacrifice

So today when I woke up I was feeling lucky. Waking up at 5 am to workout can suck some days, but today I felt good. Walked in the bathroom and thought I would weigh myself. I started last Sunday on INSANITY and weighed in at 245. Today stepped on the scale and weighed in at 237... NICE haha this is first thing in the morning weign ins for me. First time under 240 in god knows how long!!!

For the past 10 days (9 workouts, 1 rest day) I have been doing INSANITY. The workouts I find challenging and kick my butt. I like the workouts in that the same day does not repeat its self. But man do they kick my buss. Heat beat starts off around 65-70 when I wake up and steadily stays around 150-160 during the workout. I can deffintley feel the workouts in my core, shoulders, legs and ass. Which is a good thing. I have had people ask me about the workouts. I tell them its what you put into it really. Sure you can do it and not be worn out afterwards but then whats the point. Give it what you can and you will see results. Sunday I have my 2nd fit test along with measurements. I can tell it in my legs for sure just not sure about the other body parts. I am not good at looking at myself and saying if its working or not.

workout is for real!

Well I am fast approaching my 1 year anniversary just alittle over 2 months left. Over the past year I have seen my weight drop and my energy go up! Clothing feels great to wear shirts are not longer tight thru the stomach and I do not have to stretch them out after I wash them, ok you got me after Alison washed them. I swore she shrunk everything before haha. 

My race weekend is a month away and I really havent been running all that much latley I need to pick it up. With doing Insanity in the morning at 5 am and softball after work I really have not had the time. I could go run after insanity but I am already dog tired after that. We will have to find out what to do!

Yes I started to do INSANITY... It is pretty damn nuts I will admit! But it is a hell of a workout. I have talked with people who have done it and stuck to it and the results are very nice! I can see how so many people get it and try it then quit it. But I refuse to quit! Below are my measurements and Fit test results from Day 1

Fit Test
Switch Kicks-64
Power Jacks-37
Power Knees-72
Power Jumps-23
Globe Jumps-6
Suicide Jumps-15
Push-Up Jacks-15
Low Plank Oblique-38

I just finished day 4 and love the workout just hate the pain sweat and tears haha. Well till next time... 

INSANITY

well well well look what we have here. I have been stuck on my weight loss for a couple of weeks so I decided to get drastic. I have heard some great stories about this workout. 60 days! JUST 60 DAYS TO TURN YOUR BODY AROUND.... Huh seems like fun right? I have been told its the most INSANE workouts you will ever do!

Doesn't that sound like FUN haha.. Well day 1 begins SUNDAY so we will see how that goes!

Yet another day in the life of Donny...

Ah it's finally FRIDAY!!!! This week seemed like it went by so so SLOW for me. I exercised and ran/walked/biked every game so that was good, but just didn't feel like I lost any weight. I mean don't get me wrong I feel good just didn't feel like I had lost any weight. Which when I got on the scale I was up 1lb... UP and I worked my arse off... Huh maybe next week I will be down!

Today at W.W. the discussion was about ANCHORS... What anchors you down and keeps you coming back in those doors each week? Well there are a few things that actually bring me back week in and week out.  1) I know it works! I have been on this plan for long enough I know that it works. If I get my exercise in, track my food, and just remember the bigger picture, this plan is great. Some say well just do it on your own. Why pay $40 a month for someone to tell you what you already know.  The easiest way I can describe it to them, and I have tried many ways, is would you ask a recovering alcoholic why he goes to AA meetings? I usually get "well that's different, alcoholism is a disease". I then tell them well over eating is my disease, and I live with it every day of my life. It's hard to just not open the fridge and get something to eat just because you are board. It's a damn hard habit to break especially since I have been doing this my entire life.  W.W. had held me accountable for my actions, I weigh in usually every Thursday at 9:30 AM. I go to the meetings and sit and listen and talk with people that go thru the exact same thing that I go thru. I have lost on this plan so that keeps me coming back! 2) I made a promise to my wife. I made a promise to my wife that I would get healthier so I could give myself the best chance I could to living a long life with her. I started this if you remember when my wife was pregnant with our son. This is really the #1 reason that gets me back every week, what drives me to get to the goals I have set. We were expecting a son in August of last year and I wanted to make sure I could play sports with him and play and not have to take breaks because I was tired. Well circumstances didn't allow us the joys of being parents for long, but at least we got to hold him. I know we will be parents one day and that keeps my mind set on getting healthy for my family. When the time comes I hope I have made good on my promise. 3) I'm a dumbass and sign up for races. I am not talking about your every day 5k or 8k races. Hell I am starting to think that a half marathon may be easier. I signed up with some buddies to run warrior dash AND tough mudder IN THE SAME FUCKING WEEKEND... Granite they were not suppose to be the same weekend but as god would have it they are. So that is 3.25 miles Saturday thru 13 obstacles and mud, then 12 miles Sunday through 24 obstacles and mud and ice water. I get asked this question a lot "WHY?' ANSWER: I am just not right in the head, I wanted a challenge. Well i sure got my challenge. But with me wanting thing as a goal I have learned to love running, well like running, ok ok ok I despise running but hey I love the results of running. Pants fit better because of running. I have started to lose my ass. Its pretty nice to be able to look in the mirror and not have my shirt get stuck on my ass.

So those are my 3 reasons for walking in that door every week! I take my weigh loss one day at a time. Because every day is a struggle, and I will beat this!

The World's Healthiest Ice Cream

I was astonished at how simple making healthy ice cream was. It is vegan, lactose intolerant, paleo, celiac, and weight watchers friendly.  Simply, because it is made from just one ingredient, bananas. 

Directions

• Slice bananas as thin as you can, and put small portions (1-2 bananas into zip lock bags).
• Freeze bananas overnight. 
• Put frozen portions into food processor.
• Process until creamy.

Enjoy!

Made theBerry.com

#3 on theBerry.com

So my twitter tweet made theBerry.com in the Need motivation thread! I was planning on skipping tonight's workout only because the motivation wasn't there. I have now decided to go ahead and keep the workout on for tonight.

if you like to follow me on twitter my account is d3artstudio

I have not played around too much with twitter as it is new to me. Lets see what its all about.

So far I am down 56 total pounds!!!! I still have until July 12, 2012 to lose 19 more pounds!!! WW total is 46 pounds...

I am not going to say I NEVER go off target and I do not over eat sometimes. I do, not going to lie! Sometimes I lose the battle to pizza, sweets, cookies, or the blizzard. It will happen, unless I get stranded on an island... So as long as I can control my urges I should be ok.

Stuck in a rut right now. Yes I lost 1.8 last week but have not really seen much of a loss as of yet this week. May have to switch up routines or try something different. Wanting to hit the 50lb WW goal I set for myself and the 60lbs total goal! I know I have 107 days to lose 19lbs! I will not slack off in any way, I really hope to fly by the 75 pound mark and reach 100 total pounds by Christmas.

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be thinking of losing 100 lbs. To go from 301 to 201 in a year and a half I thought would be crazy. I am half way there and it has been difficult. I hear this a lot  "you can get off your "DIET" today", or people saying "you don't need to lose weight", and my favorite "can you eat this"...  I used to give in and say your right tomorrow I can get back on, or I just deprived myself of things.

There have been times that I thought about giving up (months of roller coaster weight up 2 lbs here down 3 here and so on...). But little things really kept me going.

Greek Pita Pizzas

Ingredients
2 Tbs olive oil
4 (8-inch) pita breads (WW Pita Bread works great)
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
salt and pepper (few dashes just for taste)
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped (I used 12 large olives)
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (kraft fat free)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over both sides of pitas. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Toss with the olives, onions, and tomatoes.

Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita, leaving a small border. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of mozzarella on each pita, Divide the vegetable mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle with the feta.

Cook until the vegetables are softened and the cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes.

4 Whole Pizzas
8 Pts per Whole Pizza
4 Pts Per Half Pizza

I'm BAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKKK.....

So I took a little break from blogging. Actually I think I went into hibernation from the whole blog world.  Sooooo what has changed... Well went and took my shorts out of storage because of this crazy Illinois weather. Its the end of March and we had maybe an inch of snow from the winter, then here in march it's 80º outside!!! Well upon trying on my shorts I found out that I need to order some new ones sometime this spring. I have went from a 44W to a 42/40W and my shorts fall off my arse!! I have made 3 adjustments to my belt (I refuse to get rid of it, ever have something that is so broken in that it feels good just to wear it... Yea thats my belt!)

Well tought mudder and warrior dash is fast approaching! June 16 & 17 will be one hell of a weekend. 4 Miles of obstacles and mud Saturday followed by 13 miles of mud, water, and obstacles on Sunday... What did I sign up for? What was I thinking??? oh well a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I never thought I would be losing the weight I have, Never thought I would enjoy running (currently in a love/hate relationship) NEVER thought I would enter a race that I had to sign a wavier that said I acknowledge that I can break bones, sprain mussels, or even paralyze myself. When I read that I knew this was the race for me haha.

This week at WW I had a 1.8 lb loss. Good news it was a loss and am shooting for 5 lbs this week! Have alot of working out to do. Started to ride bikes with my wife. So now my after work workout schedule looks like this: Get home change go for a run (between 2-4 miles) walk our dog (1-2 miles) then ride bikes in the evening (no set distance), my morning workout usually starts at 5:30 AM it includes elliptical (30 min) Jacobs Ladder (15 min) then free weights (45 min). Those of you who have not tried out a Jacobs Ladder it looks easy but man is it a workout! It works like climbing a ladder at a 55º angel and goes as fast as you do. Sounds easy I thought wow first few times I could barley go 5 min! Now I can do 15 min without looking like an uncoordinated arse...

well till next time here is a snack for you... This can work with all kinds of fruits. Just remember to divide how many you end up with into 6 to get your points total

Yogurt Blueberries

2 Cups Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt (blue cup) Honey Flavor (3pts per cup)
1 Carton fresh Blueberries (I had 60 berries in mine)

Directions:
Stick a berry with a toothpick and dip/swirl in the yogurt and use a second toothpick to push it off onto a cookie sheet.

Do all of them and place in the freezer. After an hour you can pop them off the cookie sheet and into a plastic baggie.

(I actually dumped my yogurt in a mixing bowl and added the blueberries and used a wooden spoon and mixed them all together and used toothpicks to take them out and put on a cookie sheet to freeze...to each their own haha)

6 pts / 60 Berries = 0.1 pts per
10 Berries = 1 pt...

ok ok ok

ok will get back on this sorry for the hiatias... will start it back up in the morning!

Relapse

So this weekend I fell off the bandwagon.

I have been hovering right at 250 lbs... That is good its 51 lbs off but I mean I am STUCK!!!!! This no running thing is killing me but I plan on easing back into it this week!!! We shall see how that goes!

But this weekend I fell off that bandwagon and hit the ground hard! I'm not talking oh I snuck a few Oreo cookies in here or eh I had a piece of fried food there... NOPE I MEAN I STEPPED ON THE SCALE MONDAY MORNING AND I WEIGHED IN AT 257! 7 pound weekend!!!! WOW...

time to step this into overdrive!

Thirsty Thursdays...

Sorry for no blog last week. I usually only blog on Thursdays as its weigh in day. Well I had an x-ray on my left leg on Tuesday. Waiting to go and talk with the doc. I have not been able to run for the past 2 weeks. This has put a hamper on my training for tough mudder... But tough mudder has been pushed back to hopefully I will get back to running soon! When I try to run my left ankle and knee swell up and cause me to limp. This happens after about a quarter of a mile. The Doc is thinking stress fractures in my fibula or tibula bones... He said a classic case of too much too soon.... I never was used to running long distances hell running at all. Doc said that usually it would take a few years to go from never running at my weight I was to work myself up to 6-7 miles. I did it in 6 months, but started to have pains after about 4 months. But like any other red blooded American that has play sports, I had that mentality of "FIGHT THRU THE PAIN" it will get better. He said that was the worst thing I could have done. So now I am taking some anti inflammatory and icing 2 times a day while not running. I do bike and walk and even elliptical just can not run. I have seen wait loss slow down considerably since not being able to run. I was so used to losing 4 lbs here and 3 lbs there, now its either 0.4 lbs or sometimes 1 lbs here but sometimes now its 0...  But the good news is that its not going up. What can I do to boost this back up without running..... I am going to try longer walks, (must do on treadmill or flat ground was told because of leg) maybe elliptical longer. We will see. Going to try a few different things...

Now everyone knows this Sunday is SUPERBOWL Sunday... This means food food food! So what do YOU plan on doing to prepare for it????

I am making some wings this year along with some other healthy choices. Turkey Chili dip with some chips also. As long as I plan then I should be ok. Its a no drink weekend I am having this weekend so we shall see if I have the same results at the scale as I did last time.


Weight in was today as always. I stepped on the scale and lost 1 lbs this week! Hoping for 2.5 next week. We shall see!

Creme de Menthe Cheesecake

7 ww pts if cut into 8 pieces
4 ww pts if cut into 16 pieces

Crust
(Chocolate Prepared Grahm Cracker Crust)

Filling
3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
6 table spoons of Splenda
3/4 cup egg beaters
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup green crème de menthe

Garnish
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
8 thin chocolate and green mints, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Step 1 Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add
sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 3/4 cup
whipping cream and crème de menthe until well blended. Pour into crust-lined pan.

Step 2 Bake at 300°F. for 60 to 70 minutes or until edges are set but center still jiggles slightly when
gently shaken. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake sit in oven for 30 minutes or until center is set.

Step 3 Remove cheesecake from oven. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Step 4 Just before serving, carefully run knife around sides of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. In small bowl,beat 1/2 cup whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon whipped cream around edge of cheesecake. Garnish with chopped mints. Store in refrigerator.

***WARNING TOPLESS PICTURES***

Another Thursday  weight in now in the books... Down 2lbs this week!!! 

So today is Day 189

I have been asked to see before my goal and up to now pictures... I have yet to post these because lets face it NO-ONE wants pictures of themselves out there that they may be ashamed of or for people to judge. My weight has always been my biggest insecurity!

Throughout the years I guess my mind has played a trick on me thinking my clothes hide it. Which to some degree is true. I had become a master at just enough baggy clothes to hide the weight but not look sloppy. (well sloppy in my eyes) Its amazing what you can hide in a hooded sweatshirt or a pair of jeans that are relaxed fit aka baggy.

When people looked at me they would ask, "Why are you on a diet?", or say "No Way your 300 lbs you do not look it." Well the reality is I was 300 lbs and it was wearing on me. I could see it. Underneath the clothes before a shower, face all puffy in the cheeks.  I could feel it in workouts... Running was damn near impossible to do for a city block, and don't even try to run a mile unless I wanted my knees to throb, lower  back to ache, and shins to explode! I could always run well what I called running around the bases in baseball pickup games or softball games. No problem it was my slow pace. You know guys say "hey pick up the piano" in a fun teammate razzing... But it got me thinking. Can I lose weight and go back to the outfield? Hummmm... I'd have more fun in the outfield than playing the infield... Or even enter 5k and 8k races could be a challenge... Hell why not throw in some Warrior Dashes and a Tough Mudder this year while I'm at it... Hell next year Nashville Half Marathon ok ok well maybe haha we shall see..

I am down to 250lbs now. Feel much better than I did when I started. Its been tough but well worth the challenge. Just think only 176 days left...

Now the moment you all been waiting for... Picture time. Here Goes nothing

Shirt Size Before: 3XL - 2 XL 

Shirt Size Now: 2XL - XL

Workout Shorts Before: 3XL

Workout Shorts Now: 2XL

Jeans Before: 44W 

Jeans Now: 42W

Dress Pants Before: 46W

Dress Pants Now: 42W

Dress Shirts Before: 18in Neck, 3XL
Dress Shirts Now: 16.5 Neck, 2XL

January in Illinois

Well its yet another Thursday! So I went to the Dr. and he told me no running, elliptical, or Jacobs ladder for 1 - 2 weeks... So this week I watched even closer what I ate and only worked out with weight lifting... I was expecting maybe a small increase in weight... I feel different when I do not run now. Its not a bad different just a seance of I didn't do enough or sweat enough. My left leg has gotten alot better and is no longer swollen but I still ice it 2 times a day and stay off it as much as I can. Race day is only little more than 2 months away!

So i get on the scale today and I actually lost... 1.2 lbs down from last week. Its not my normal 2-3 but hey its a loss with 0 cardio, other than walking our dog... But hey that's good, I will take it! Now that the holidays are over I can get back on the weight loss track. Having that food around was just too tempting and tho I did not gain during the holidays I did not lose either. So lets get this going and make it last. The gym actually has not been that much busier than before the whole new year. But I guess going at 5 am will do that. I have went to the gym a few times after work and it is a little busier than before but thats what those new year resolution people do...

Its looking like when I get to start running again, I will have to take them inside to the treadmill. It is January and if you know Illinois weather that means snow. It has been in the 40s here lately and sometimes into the 50s. I dread running inside. It gets so boring, running watching a tv or staring at a blank wall is not too much fun. Then the gym thinks that running inside when they have the heat up to 80 is good for you. Do they not read that running in colder weather builds your lungs better for running.. Geish get with it hahaha. I enjoy running outside because I can go at my own pace. In the gym on a treadmill you set the speed and it never changes, unless you set up intervals but do not want to take that much time on a treadmill. What I like about outside is that the scenery changes, terrain changes and best of all I get to run by Teds Garage (restaurant), Pizza Hut, Mexican, and McDonalds...  Why do I like running past these places? Well since I gave up french fries for the new years and do not eat the greasy pizza and teds right now I love the SMELL... Yes yes I am one of those people that can get over the craving by just smelling it. Weird I know, but meh it satisfies my craving for that food. Breath deep during those sections of my run! I am going to try to start running again on monday... Lets hope for the best and that my leg will cooperate...

15-Minute Skillet Cassoulet


9 Pts Per Serving
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

	2 spray(s) cooking spray, or enough to coat skillet
	1 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped
	1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
	8 oz low-fat sausage(s), smoked variety, sliced 1/4-inch thick
	1/4 tsp dried thyme
	3/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth
	30 oz canned great northern beans, rinsed and drained
	1 1/2 Tbsp canned tomato paste
	1/2 cup(s) dried plain bread crumbs

Instructions

• Preheat broiler.
  
• Coat a nonstick ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and heat. Add onion, garlic and kielbasa and sauté until onion is tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme, broth, beans and tomato paste; simmer 10 minutes.
  
• Sprinkle bread crumbs over beans. Place skillet under broiler until bread crumbs are browned, about 30 seconds. Yields about 1 3/4 cups per serving.

Happy New Year!

So here we are 2012! I have alot of plans for this year, will I make them happen????

So in 2012 I would like to accomplish these tasks!
1) Wear and Fit into XL T-Shirts (went from 3XL to 2XL so far)
2) Finish Tough Mudder (Sunday, March 17th 2012)
3) Run 15 Miles without walking (currently at 4 miles)
4) Walk into a store and purchase jeans (AE only Carries up to size 38 in stores, currently 42)
5) Stay Determined and Motivated


Well its been awhile since my last update. The 5 goals above I am hoping to accomplish this year!

I have had a minor setback in running. For the past 2 weeks I have felt a slight pain in the side of my left knee to mid shin... Instead of getting it looked at I did what the inner athlete does "FIGHT THROUGH THE PAIN" I mean come on I have a race in 2 months that I have to get ready for!!!  But it finally was so bad that it hurt to walk let alone run. So went into the Dr. He told me that i almost ran myself into a fracture... Its right before a fracture he said. I am now on some meds to make the swelling go down and if I am not better in 2 weeks I have to go back in for an X-Ray... Great 2 weeks of no running! I was doing so good I told the Dr. he then told me its a case of too much too soon... My body was not used to running at all so going from walking/jogging to 4 miles put alot of strain on my shins/knees and ankles. After 2 weeks I can start to run again but only a mile to half mile at a time. Once I feel any pain I have to stop... Once I reach 3-4 miles again with NO pain on a treadmill he said then I can go back to running outside. I have to avoid hills until then.

Oh well I must learn to walk before I run I suppose...It just gets discouraging. I feel like I am at the Dr. more now than when I was just eating what I want and sitting on my arse! This getting into shape thing hurts haha.

Well more later