Back to the Blog!

It has been a while since I last blogged. I am currently sitting anywhere between 208-213lbs putting me anywhere between 79-84 pounds down from my start weight. I have been lifting every morning and trying to add 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week. I have been on a plateau of sorts and have been looking for something to get me off of it. My wife has lost 44 pounds and is looking great. She is living a gluten-free lifestyle (She has gluten sensitivities and needed to go gluten-free). Based on her results and the research that I have done, I have come to some interesting conclusions.

Not all carbohydrates are created equally. There are good carbs and bad carbs. The good carbohydrates are often referred to as "clean". I looked at what almost all of these had in common. I found that almost all "clean" carbs contain no gluten. Veggies, fruit, brown rice, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, oats, etc. all contain no gluten. There are other carbs that are not considered "clean" such as corn and white rice that are also gluten free. Diets that eliminate all carbohydrates are missing the basic principles and foundations of good health. Carbohydrates are essential to body functions as well the vehicles that transport water, protein and other nutrients to our muscles. The reasoning behind eliminating carbs is understandable, but I think that carbs get a bad rap from the gluten. So while it is essential to eliminate the gluten it isn't essential to eliminate carbs. Finding a balance between protein, veggies and "clean" carbs are essential to good health and are the building  blocks to building strong, lean muscle.

I am developing my own nutrition plan based on the these principles. I will still be tracking my caloric intake, but will be more concerned with eating 5-6 balanced meals that are equal parts protein, and clean carbs. I will throw in some green veggies and fruits in at least 2 of these meals a day.

I have decided to blog again for several reasons. The first is to keep myself more accountable, the second is to keep a journal of my progress through this transformation and the third is to become a resource for anyone who is looking to make positive changes to their lifestyles and need help, or just someone to compare notes with. I look forward to embarking on another journey and as always am grateful for the support from my friends and families.

Remember the 3 D's to success. DESIRE to change, DEDICATION for yourself to your program and goals, and DETERMINATION to be successful and reach your goals!

10/15/2011 Week 52 ONE YEAR Later...

Its week 52 and exactly 1 year from when I started on this journey. It has flown by and has been one of the best years of my life. I have enjoyed keeping this blog and have had alot of fun looking back at the weeks and seeing how much I have lost and how much I have grown. This blog has been very important to me and has helped to keep me accountable every step of the way.

Recap:

Last year on October 15th, 2010:

I weighed in at 290 lbs. I wore an XXL or an XXXL depending on the cut of the shirt. I wore a size 46 pant and was so out of shape that walking a mile hurt every joint in my legs and lower back. I had sleeping issues and snored. I never felt rested. I was drinking 80-100 oz of Coke Zero a day. I was unhappy with my life and lost all the self confidence and swagger I had.

Today October 15th, 2011

I now weigh 215 lbs. I wear a L/XL shirt depending on the cut. I now wear a size 38 pant and and will soon be in a 36. I can now RUN a mile and then go get a full strength training workout in. My ankles and knees only hurt now if I run more than I should. I now get restful sleep and no longer snore. I now drink the occasional Coke Zero on the weekend or with a night out with friends. I have a new job with a great company and I am loving my life. More importantly I love myself again. I have found my Swag! What a difference a year makes!

I had a goal to lose 100 pounds this year. I fell short of my goal and only lost 75 pounds. I really wanted to meet my goal of a year, but even I have to agree that was fairly aggressive, but not impossible. I am very happy with my progress this far and am really looking forward to continuing my journey. I WILL NOT stop until I have reached my goals. I am not sure how long it will take, but I will get there. I am fully committed to my new lifestyle and plan on living this way for the foreseeable future. I hope that I will be able to lift weights for the rest of my life and continue to keep physical fitness in the forefront of my life and the life of my family.

I really need to thank several people. I have drawn inspiration from so many of them. I first would like to thank my wife, she is amazing and has been so supportive over this last year. In fact she has lost 32 pound so far this year and is looking amazing. It really has been the best year!  I also need to thank my good friend Brian Boykin, aka "Big Pappa Pump" for meeting me in the gym every morning at 6am for the last 3.5 months and lifting with me. I would also like to thank my sisters Karrie, and Eilene for letting me pick their brains and for inspiring me, you guys look great! I also would like to thank my Georgia family: Dan Bryant, Melissa Adair, and Angela Martindale... Thank you for being great friends! I love you guys!

This may be the end of my year, but not the end of my journey. I will keep blogging and will post updated photos next week and let you know what else I have been up to. Again, thank you all, if I missed you by name I apologize, but know that I have appreciated every word of encouragement!

09/26/2011 Week 49 Not much to talk about

So I figured that it would be okay if I skipped a week or two from here on out to my quest for 100 pounds lost. There just wasn't alot to say. I lost another pound doing the same stuff as the week before. Trying to eat a clean diet, lifting 5 days a week, and getting a few cardio sessions in. There really wasn't anything new. In fact this week was much of the same, except I didn't lose any weight. So I guess I will only blog once every other week, unless something great happens or I feel I have something to share other than the same old stuff.

I am down to 3 weeks til I hit my year mark of being on a diet. That year has really flown by and I honestly cant believe I have stuck with it as long as I have. I think this blog had a big part in helping me to keep my accountability. I also cant believe that I am more motivated now than I was a year ago. I really have a made a lifestyle change and a commitment to being better.

Here are the numbers. Week 48 I lost 1 pound and week 49 I didn't lose any, so I am down another pound from my last blog entry. That puts my weight at 217 pounds, down a total of 73. I have 27 more to go to hit 100 lost and 17 more to hit the magic 200 pound mark. I am hoping to lose at least another 2 pounds by week 52 and hit at least 75 lost in the year. I know I wont hit my goal, but at least I am much closer than I was a year ago at this time.

I am starting a no carb/low carb diet for the next 3-4 weeks. I really need to try and jump start some fat loss. I haven't really lost anymore inches around my midsection for a month or so. I really need to get that down if  I am going to be successful in this body transformation challenge. I hate going no carb, but I love seeing the results it brings. I will keep you posted.

I would also like to comment about my wife. She joined me on this journey in May and she has lost 28 pounds and is looking so great! I am really proud of her and it is really cool that we can say we have lost 100 pounds together, as a team. I am a lucky guy to have a such a great wife!

09/11/2011 Week 47 God Bless America! 10 years later and we will never forget...

It is week 47 and 09/11. It was one of the most bittersweet days of my life. Here we were, still in the hospital celebrating the birth of our first child, Addisyn (born on 09/10/01) overwhelmed, exhausted and excited to parents. We were awoken the next morning by the nurse telling us to turn on our television. There we sat shocked, both sobbing holding our new born daughter wondering what kind of world our daughter would be raised in. 10 years later and we have a smart, beautiful, caring, and amazing daughter. She is a blessing in our lives and her and her brother Preston (7) have been the best things that have ever happened to us. We are grateful for the brave men and women who have answered the call to protect our Nation and the freedoms that we so richly enjoy.

Week 47 wasn't the most eventful. It was just like so many other. Waking up early, working hard in the gym and battling temptation every day to eat a clean diet. That's my biggest battle these days. Making sure I am eating the proper food at the proper time in the proper ratios to maximize my fat burning and muscle growth. I have some good days and I have some bad days. There are still times that I want to eat everything in site and others where I could care less about eating anything. As much as I like eggs, chicken and steamed veggies I do get tired of it from time to time. I am afraid my food temptation and nutrition is going to be a battle I will fight my whole life. On to the numbers...

I started the week at 219 and ended the week at 218 for a loss of 1lb. for the week. That brings my grand total to 72 lbs lost in 47 weeks putting my weekly average loss at 1.53lbs. I have 28 to go to reach my final goal of 100lbs lost and 18 to get below 200.

Til next week!

09/02/2011 Week 46 I'm like Benjamin Button, See ya 20's, welcome teens!

6 more weeks til my year mark.Where did the time go? It has gone by so fast! I have really enjoyed the ride!

So I will get to the numbers early this week. Last week I was sitting at 220.0 even and had lost 5lbs in the previous 2 weeks, and hit the 70lbs lost mark. I was really guarding against a letdown this week. I kept me diet clean and didn't miss a workout. I kept my fingers crossed and got on the scale. It was 219.0 I was able to drop another pound. That's 6 pounds in the last 3 weeks. That brings me to a grand total of 71lbs lost and a puts me 29lbs from 100 and 19 from 200. It felt really great to get out of the 220's. I had been stuck and plateaued there for several months. I hope my trip through the teens will be much quicker!

08/26/2011 Week 45 It's starting to get a little crazy up in here!

Its been a while since I have had 2 good weigh in's in a row. So I am very excited with the past two weeks, and more so with this week. Its was a big one. I haven't had one of those in a while, so again, pardon the excitement.

I have been very dedicated to my lifting and have been in the gym every morning M-F for the past two weeks. No skipping, dogging it, or sleeping in. I'm getting in, getting focused and getting it done. There is almost no better feeling than walking out of the gym knowing you gave everything you had. It very addicting to say the least. I have to give another big thanks to my boy Brian "Big Papa Pump" Boykin for joining me every morning and helping me to make this happen. I know your reading this... I appreciate all you do brother!

I was looking online at bodybuilder.com for supplements and came across a 12 week body transformation competition being sponsored by MusclePharm called "Live Shredded". It was free to enter and the winner gets 10 grand, so I figured what the heck. I had a friend take my front, side, and back photo's (Thank you again Angela!) I submitted my entry and photos and now have the next 12 weeks to see how much I can change my body shape and try to win 10k. Will I win, who knows, but its worth a shot and it is always nice to have something to keep me motivated, besides, I love the competition. On to the numbers...

I started the week at 223.0 and was coming off a 2.5lb week, I thought there was no way I was going to have another good week. I got on the scale and was 220.0. I lost 3 pounds this week and it brings me to an even 70 pounds down! That's an average loss of 1.55lbs a week. I am now 30 pounds away from my goal of 100 pounds lost and 20 pounds away from cracking the 200 mark on the scale.

Another week down and another begins! Til next week remember this: "Work will win, when wishing wont."

08/19/2011 Week 44 ...and its about time!

What can I say... This week was as good as last week was bad. What a difference a week makes! I was determined, focused, didn't cheat and worked my tail off in the gym. I went back to a straight calorie count but still trying to eat every 3 hours. I really like the fact that I can cycle between calories and carb cycling. It really has helped in keeping my diet fresh and keeping my body guessing. I also did my 60 day measurements, and while I will keep most of them private I am happy to report that I dropped 3.5% body fat in the last 30 days, and have dropped 4.5% in the last 60 days since I started strength training.

Here is a breakdown of the last 60 days. I have lost 8lbs of body weight while losing 4.5% of my body fat. Based on the LBM (Lean Body Mass) calculator I increased my lean mass from 161 lbs to 167 lbs while dropping my total body weight from 231 to 223. So that a gain of 6 lbs of muscle and a loss of 8 lbs of body weight for a total net change of 14 pounds! In the last 60 days I was able to gain on average of .75 lbs of muscle a week. Most experts say that it is impossible to gain more than 1 lbs a week of muscle unless your on the juice, so I am very pleased with my results. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I don't want the scale to be the only indicator of my success. The numbers speak for themselves, so while I may have only "lost" 8 pounds in the past 2 months I have reshaped my body and gained muscle and strength. In the word of Charlie Sheen... Winning!

On to the numbers on the scale. I started the week at 225.5 and had gained a pound the previous week. So I was ready to see a loss. I was 223.0 this morning and have a loss of 2.5 lbs this week. That's a total of 67 lbs lost and it puts me 33 pounds from my goal and 23 pounds from breaking the 200's and getting into One-derland. Based on the previous 2 months of training and the numbers I am seeing I guess it could take a little time to get there. I have 8 more weeks til I hit my year mark and although I will not see 100 lbs lost I think getting to 210-215 would be great and give me a loss if 75-80 pounds this year. If I hadn't started putting muscle on I may have been able to get closer to my goal, but I am very pleased with my progress and weight loss.

Til next week, get out there, get active, and keep it moving. If your thinking about changing your life and getting into shape. Don't wait til Monday, start today!