Up Date

Well, this past week I have droped 2.5 pounds. still have a ways to go to get caught up where I left off but thats ok, I will get there. I am starting to get my training kicked into gear for the up-coming Mountian Bike and Duathlons I want to do. This sunday I am riding in the Tapeworm Time Trials. Tapeworm is the name of one of thlocal trail systems here in the area. Its more of a fun event but still a race. After that will be my very first Dualthlon. It will be at Fort Steilacoom, 3 mile trail run, 15 mile MTB ride followed by another 3 mile run. I am appriehensive but excited about it all at the same time. I will keep you posted. This next week I plan on dropping another 2.5 pounds. Hitting the bike and the treadmill all week. Still have to work on my eating but I can say it is getting better. Thanks for the support!

2011 Stinky Spoke

I rode the stinky spoke this year with my friends from work and we had a blast. I did the longer route this year, 18.5 miles of muddy wet trails. What a great day! It was harder this year than last and not because of the 2 extra miles I did (last year was 16.5 miles). No, it was the extra 22 pounds I have put on since last year. I had hit 238, I am back up to 260. I am struggling. In my last post I talked about setbacks. 22 pounds is a setback. I can point my finger at the holidays and some very stressful situations and yes, there is some validity to that but that is not reason. I HAVE to be honest with myself. It is not my circumstances it is my laziness and choices that have contributed to "falling off the wagon" of my food addiction. So here is my plan. Some sort of accountability here on my blog, better choices about food, better portion control, continued exercise and some goals.

I am going to try to write every night, a journal of my eating that day and the activities. My next race is the Tapeworm Time Trails on Jan. 23rd. I will post some pictures and my results. After that is a Dulathlon at Fort Steilacoom, 3.1 mile run, 15 mile mountain bike, and another 3.1 mile run. There are several more races that I am competing in but I will tell you about them as they come. So, in order to do all of that I HAVE LOSE WIEGTH. Riding my bike and running in this events is sooooo much easier when I don't weigh as much!!!

2010: A Review

I did this more this year then I have ever dreamed I would or could do. A termendously successful year and yet some setbacks as well. This blog is not about work, nor is it about my family. Yes, both of those VERY IMPORTANT areas of my life deep impact my wieght lose and I wil insert Family and Work when appropriate. This blog is about my wieght lose. It is about the Mountians climbed, the bike races, the wieght lose and the wieght gain. Yes, I said wieght gain. I have gained about 30 pounds over the past year. Oh, I have lost but i have gained. Why, becasue food is an addiction and I struggle with it. So, here are some of my success and then lets talk about some of my setbacks;

50 mile Mountain Bike Endurance Race, 6 hours and 38 Minutes. The 16 mile Mountain Bike leg of the Black Diamond Xterra Triathlon, The 15 mile bike leg of the Lake Meridian Triathlon, the top of Mt. Adams, and the 18 mile Mountain Bike leg of the Mountains to Sound Race. The year started with the Stinky Spoke which I wrote about and it just went from there and it was fun! This year I have more races and more challenging activities that I am going to do but, and it's a big BUT, my big butt!!! It has gotten bigger this year. I HATE to say that but I have really really struggled. It's time for change. I know, I know I have said that before but what else can I say. I need to make some changes in my eating habits. The struggle is that I do really good for a couple of days and then I "fall off the wagon". The attitude after that is "I screwed up so I will start again... next week." So now I am back to, "Ok, let’s do this again." I have to be honest I am really tired off fallen off the wagon but it is easier to eat then it is to get back up again. By the way, I am ranting so please just let me rant. My next postings will be about what I am doing to get back into the fight.

The Stinky Spoke

I rode in my very first organized Mountain Bike Race. Well, it was more of a fun ride then a race but I had a race number and 16 miles of riding with 700 other riders and , wow, it was a blast. If you look close you will see a pig on my handle bars, I am riding with a group of guys from work in a couple of races this year and our team name is the Pedaling Pigs. My life style is different but man, it has been a real struggle as I went through the holidays. I got out of the habit of working out everyday and it shows. My eating habits tanked as well, and it shows. I know what to do to get back on track so here it goes. Step 1, admit I have a problem. I have a problem. I am falling back into my old habits, time to stop. I have the will power to do it! Step 2, take action. Today I am writing in my blog, TIME FOR CHANGE!!! Step 3, follow through. Well, you will have to check back in a couple of days and I will let you know. So far today, I am doing good.

So, the Stinky Spoke. 16 miles of paved trail, some paved roads, single track trail, and gravel road trail. At one point on a long steep gravel road down hill I hit 39MPH. I finished 16 miles in 1 hour 32 minutes total, 1 hour and 25 minutes of pedal time for an average speed of 11.3 MPH. the next race we are preparing for is the 24 hour race in Spokane, the 14 mile leg of the Black Diamond Exterra Triathlon and the 12 mile Kayak leg of the Mountain to Sound 5 Leg Relay.

Keep check in and I will keep you posted! Ha, get it "posted" as in posting on my blog... ok Ted Cooke humor, sorry!

Oh the Hollidays

I love this season of Christmas but I am not sure I like this time of year. Don't get me wrong, the blessing of Thanksgiving and Christmas and the meaning we pull from them are amazing, but... In my job, this is the busiest time of the year. It is amazing how many people actually die during this time of year, a lot. From natural death to suicides, and then of course what we have experienced in the Law Enforcement community this year has been nothing short of absolutely horrific! On a personal level, for those of us who struggle with a food addiction, the holidays are like forcing an alcoholic into a bar and all the drinks are on the house!!! I knew that going into this season was going to be difficult so I decided that instead of setting myself up to fail, telling myself I can not enjoy the season, I would go easy and set an attainable goal. Gain no more then 10 pounds, watch my snacking so it doesn't get out of control and stay away from Fast Food. I decided to enjoy myself at the parties and family functions. So, how did it go???? I was in my Weight Loss Dr.'s office on Monday this week, it had been 2 months, the holidays, and I gained 7.8 pounds, I stayed within my goal. Jan. 1st was the day I would ramp back up, watching my cal. intake and getting my exercise back on track. Since then I lost 2 pounds again and I feel good about myself. It won't be long and I will be back to where I was with 20 pounds to go to my goal!

I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT

Do I sound excited? I should 'cause I DID IT!!!!! The scale read 238.8 this morning when I steeped on it which means two things, 1) I broke through 240 and 2) I am 1 pound away from having lost 150 pounds! Wow, I feel good. When I saw my doctor Monday I asked him about upping my protein intake because I am so active. Protein is essential to losing weight, If you are not getting enough protein your body goes into starvation mod and actually stores everything it can, I was drinking 90 grams of protein a day and when I was riding I would have to stop and eat a protein bar because I was feeling sick. Not a low sugar sick but a lack of protein sick and as soon as I ate it I would feel better. This week I am drinking 120 grams of protein, i have not had to stop and eat a protein bar, I feel better and I broke the 240 mark. If your trying to lose look at the amount of protein you are taking in. The Costco brand ready made protein drink in great. 11 oz of drink, 30 grams of protein with only 160 calories, low fat and low sugar, they are great! Well, only 18.8 pounds to me goal, come on 220!!!!!!

Today is a New Day

Psalm 139 says that every day ordained for me was written in His Book before one of them came to be. This means that today is an ordained day, it has been set aside before it ever started so it is going to be a great day. Everything that happens to us is all relative to how we see it. Really, is it a bad day because bad things have happened, or is it an ordained day. It doesn't mean that what is happening isn't bad because bad things do happen but how I look at those bad things in the light of today itself being ordained will help me cope and live through that bad thing. I think Paul said it will when he wrote, "I am convinced that there is absolutely nothing that can separate me from the love of Christ." When I got on the scale today I really didn't expect what I saw. I was letting discouragement lead me and it almost kept me from stepping on. I was expecting 245, 247 somewhere in that neighborhood, what I saw was 242. Discouragement was telling me that I had lost ground and I was letting it lead me, BUT, today is ordained. I believe that God gave me a glimpse. I have not broken 240, not yet, but the glimpse I saw, latter confirmed while doing my devotions was that I have to choose my out look. I can be lead by discouragement or I can see my ordained day ad see it as a great day. Discouragement would have kept me from seeing what God wanted me to see, discouragement would have kept me believing that I can't do it. Discouragement would have stopped my progress today. But today has been ordained for me, today has been set before it has even started and today I have a choice. To see the day as ordained no matter what happens or be lead by discouragement and miss the opportunity of God. Today is ordained.

Feeling Discouraged

I really am, the past 15 days I have been working out, biking, eating right journaling and I can't seem to break 240, it's frustrating!!! Ok, I don't want to rant about what I can't do because I know it can be done. I also know that with persistence it will happen, I just wish it would happen sooner then later. Ahh, the mark of my generation, we want it all and we want it now. Weight loss is not like that, even with great tools such as the lap band. It still takes work, it still takes, discipline and perseverance. I still feel discouraged... So, here is my plan; Up my work outs with weights to 5 days a week instead of three. Do some form of cardio 7 days a week. With day light savings time my biking will change but I will ride at least three times a week, I just have to come home from work early meaning I will to have to go in early but biking is worth it!!! I will continue to journal and set goals form myself everyday, reachable and measurable. I can do it!!!!!!

I am doing it!!!

10 days ago I started really going after it again. I started journeying my food, my calorie intake, what I am eating and when I an eating it. It has been amazing to see the change! Today I got on the Scale and it was 241.9 which means that if I keep this going I will be down into the 230's really soon. That's a mini goal of mine. Almost there...
I am lifting wights in the morning, 3 days a week, with my good friend Ted and it has made all the difference in the world. Thank you Ted!!! When I started 10 days ago I was at 249.7 which means that for the last 6 weeks I have been stuck in the upper 240's not because I was on a plateau but because I got complacent, satisfied with my looks and lost sight of my goal. It was getting hard and instead of working at it I started coasting but now I am back and feeling great and looking at my goal, 21 more pounds and I am there!!!

Starting again and aagain and again and...

Well, I guess if the Bible says to forgive 70x7 and beyond then I have the opportunity to start again and again and again and... do you get my point! Today I started to journal again, writing down my foods, water drinking, vitamins, exercise. It felt good, everything that went into the my mouth was written out on paper and it was a good thing! Accountability is always good and I need it. In order to have a lifestyle change and not fall back into old habits that have been knocking on my door I will have to maintain the accountability for a really long time and I am OK with that!

My Struggle

Well, I saw my Dr. on Monday and this past month I lost no weight. I can't say that I am disappointed because I was kind of expecting it. I have all the great excuses, a week of vacation, a week of teaching a 40 hour class, missed several days of exercise, totally off my routine and schedule. Good excuses and they all work but still excuses none the less. The real reason is that I am really struggling with old habits and bad eating. I had to laugh... and cry..., I was bragging to Lisa that I had not had any teriyaki in a few weeks and what do I eat that very night??? Teriyaki!!! Dang it!!! That stuff is so full of sodium and not good for you. I really am struggling. An alcoholic can stay away from alcohol but a food-alcoholic has to eat, it sucks and my discipline has been weak. I know what I have to do, smaller portion sizes, no late snacking, start lifting weights and not just get a cardio work out. If I make these changes I will break through into the 230's, I am so darn close. I have been bouncing between 241 and 246 this past month, up and down, up and down. This time it is not a plateau but a matter of discipline and work. I have to count my calories, which is something I have stopped doing, track what I am eating and cut my portions. I am eating until I am stuff, not just full. It is so strange still to eat such a small portion and feel full. My brain tells me to keep eating. I have to stop listening to it!
Ok. This is a new month, the past is behind me and the day is ahead. Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow because today has enough problems of its own. So, today, I will count my calories. Today, I will watch my portions. Today, I already meet with Ted Cook who is going to start lifting weights with me starting Friday. Today, we put our plan into place and set up our new work out. Today, I will eat but I will not be controlled by what I eat. I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!!!

A New Blog!!!!

Oh man I will tell you what, now that I am under 250, bouncing between 264 and 248 actually, it has gotten hard. The last 5 pounds I have had to work for. I know, I know, losing weight is something you have to work at but dropping the weight as fast as i did it really wasn't much work. I think I got a little complacent. I have not cheated or been bad but I have not watched my eating as closely and have struggle because of it. In the last few weeks I have really struggled with wanting to eat poorly again. I guess it is the same as some one struggling with alcohol after not drinking for a period of time suddenly the cravings are there. It's tough! I have changed up my exercise routine, going to the gym and doing weights and then cardio in the morning and I am still mountain bike riding almost everyday after work. the key is to take in less calories then you burn in a day, lay off the sugar and the carbs and let the weight come off. Yeah, easier said then done but absolutely doable! Well here are my end of the month pictures. My body is changing still and I actually bought a size 36 jeans the other day, never thought I would buy a pair of 36 pants again, that was cool! Anyways, here are the pics...

Jan 20 Aug 28

I did it, I did it!!!!!!! But....

Yep, you guessed it, I broke 250, finally!!!!!!!!! I was on the scale this morning and it read 248.8, YES!!!!!!!!!!! I have now lost a total of 139 pounds and only have 29 more pounds to go! But.... This has not been without some struggle. The last time I saw my Dr. he put more silicone in my band which restricted my stomach even more. I have to slow my eating and chew chew chew, good grief. Now I am understanding what I have been told, "You throw up if you to much" My food gets stuck really easily if I don't chew super well. The last few meals have been thrown up. I hate throwing up but I hate not been able to breath even more, humm, the lesser of the two evils is throwing up. So I have to really concentrate when I eat, little bites and chew chew chew, oh and small portions helps to. :) I can see how easily it would be to fall into some really bad, old habits of the food addiction. I am a food-aholic and I have to keep that in front of me, like AA... there really should be a FA, a lot of people could get help. Food is an addiction and it is holding so many people captive which is why I am on a Freedom Journey. I will no longer be held in the bonds of food!!!!!!!

250 Freakin Pounds!!!!

Through this weight loss journey I have had a lot of "mini" goals set to help me reach the big one of 220 pounds. Breaking through 250 is one of those mini goals, well, always a victim of Murphy's Law, for the last two weeks I have been sitting right at 252/251. We went on a camping vacation came home and... 251, aaahhhhhh. Yesterday I got on the scale and guess where I was? Yep, 250.1 .1, can you believe it!!!! Man! This morning, 251.2 good God, I gained an ounce. I cant wait to see 249.9! We had a great vacation, here are a few pictures of me doing what I did a lot of, something that I could not have done just 6 months ago because I would not have fit.

Newest Pictures, Biggest Loser Style!!!!

These pictures continue to speak for themselves. Having this surgery is the second best thing I have done, the first was the day I married my bride! So here are the newest pictures...

"Drink Water" July 21st

38 and 38 and more...

Thanks Al for bringing this to my attention, I turned 38 years old a few days ago and I am now wearing a size 38 pants, funny... I guess when I think about going from a 54 to a 38 in a matter of 6 months it brings a smile. I love my life style, mountain biking every day, walking in the mornings, eating right. I have to say that I am getting bored of my walks in the morning. I am making 3 laps around the neighborhood, I think I need a change, a new place to walk. There are lots of place to go I just hate walking down the Maple Valley Hwy with no sidewalk, I am afraid I or Dante will get sucked in under a dump truck as it goes by at 60 miles an hour! I am down now to 253.3 which means I have lost 134 pounds and have 33 pounds to go to my goal. I see my Doctor on Monday and plan on having my band filled which will restrict my stomach more and cut my eating again which will be good. last month the Dr told me that because I have lost so much internal fat around my organs that I am actually able to eat more because there is more room in there now. If I get the band fill it will restrict my eating and I will continue to lose the weight.

Climbing the South Face

Six months ago I could hve never done it, I would have thought about but there's no way that I could physically could have pulled it off. 130 pounds lighter, 37 pounds away from my goal weight and here I am, I took these picture after getting to the top myself...

10 Pounds this Month and Mount Adams

I went in and had my monthly Dr. appointment today. I lost a total of 10 pounds this month. Only half of what I have been losing but I am not disappointed because I am still losing more then they expect. The Dr. would like to see at least 8 pounds a month. One of the issues I am having is my meal size, they are getting bigger. The Dr. said that because I am losing the fat around my stomach I am actually able to eat more but I need to be disciplined and maintain small meals. Not a bad problem to have, the fat around my organs is disappearing.
In other news, I am getting ready to climb Mt. Adams in a couple of weeks, I can't wait! I have been getting my gear together and getting ready. Losing this weight has been amazing, I am rediscovering a whole new life style, wow.

The Biggest Loser, I could have won!!!!!!!

I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

Jan 21st

June 20th

266 and Falling

These were taken at the dedication ceremony for our new Fire Station in Covington, Station 78. Mayor Harto had the lap band surgery done and has lost over 200 pounds, she has been a real inspiration and encouragement to me. I know, the Class A uniform is to big and I even have had it altered once already. I will be ordering new uniforms in October.