31 by 31

Quick Update on 31 by 31

I know I said I would be posting weekly, and for those of you following this venture, please don’t think I already fell off the horse.  I’ve actually been doing quite well, I’ve lost 11lbs since I started and have continued to lose each week.

For others struggling to lose weight I want to offer some additional advice based on my experiences over the last few weeks.

• Don’t be afraid to cheat - If you deprive yourself of the food and things you love you’ll be miserable. Enjoy a burrito, indulge in a burger, but remember moderation. I’ve tried to stick to only 1 or 2 days a week at most. And that’s usually only one meal.
• Don’t give up - My second week in I was struggling with the workouts because I was tired and sore. I fought through it and the last few workouts have been a breeze. I can definitely see an increase in stamina.
• WATER IS YOUR FRIEND! - I know I brought this up in the week 1 recap, but honestly it has stopped cravings, filled me when I thought I was hungry, and helped to feel a bit more cleansed after eating junk when I cheat.
• Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn - As mentioned before I am using MyFitnessPal.com to help with my efforts and I have it setup to post to Facebook when I lose weight or exercise.  Unless you are dropping pounds so quickly people think you are a different person, most folks aren’t going to comment on your weight loss efforts.  Give them a nudge, my community and my family have been really supportive of my efforts and the occasional posts keep that support coming.
• Don’t Stress About the Calories - This doesn’t mean go out and eat 6 double cheeseburgers. What I mean by this is that once you get a better feel for portions and the number of calories in certain meals you eat, you can usually gauge your calorie intake without constantly doing the math.  MyFitnessPal.com and the mobile app helps with this a lot, but not everything is going to be found in their system and you won’t always be able to track what you are eating.  Portion control is key. Get that down and you should be fine.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me in this endeavor.  It’s hard to believe that I am now only 20lbs away from my goal and still have nearly 3 months to go.  This week I am going to incorporate Wii Fit into my routine. I know it’s not a huge effort, but in between my cardio days it will at least get me off my ass.

I also invested in my first juicer this week, and starting September 5 I am kicking off the Reboot Your Life program as a means of detoxing as well as injecting more fruits and veggies into my regular eating habits.

I’ll get back on track with posting photos and regular posts again Monday. See you all then! 

Week 1 Recap

After a week of weight loss efforts I must say that I am optimistic.  I made a point of letting myself cheat for one meal on a single day so that I don’t deprive myself of certain cravings and wind up hating feeling like I am on a “diet” and it seems to have helped.  I have not been craving a lot of the junk I ate in the past and whenever I have cravings I have supplemented it by drinking water.  Somehow, this seems to help.

The one thing I have found most beneficial about the recent attempt at a healthier lifestyle has been an improved energy level.  I feel better on a daily basis and feel more energetic overall.  I still suffer a bit from my late nights caused by my entrepreneurial spirit, but the lethargic feeling that used to plague my days and evenings seems to have decreased significantly.

You’ll notice that 2 days into the 31 by 31 effort I changed the blog format. I will be taking a photo each Monday and will do an update every Sunday, instead of the daily photo.  It just makes it easier on me, and I feel a weekly update will make more sense to see progress.

The one effort to aid in my weight loss that fell by the wayside this week was exercise, so I am curious to see if that stunted my efforts at all.  I do plan to start the couch to 5k program tomorrow though.

If I could offer anyone a word of advice about an effort like this it would be use water or tea as your crutch. If you get a craving for something, grab a glass of water or tea.  It fills you up and it will force you to increase your water intake, which is crucial not only in weight loss, but in a healthier lifestyle.  Another big help has been tracking calories.  You learn REALLY quickly how terrible most of the food we eat is.

I started using My Fitness Pal both online and on my Android smart phone.  This has been a huge help in not only tracking my daily calorie intake, but helping me make wise decisions on snacks, and meals I eat away from home.  It really put it all into perspective for me when I realized the Carl’s Jr. Crisscut fries contained the same number of calories that my entire lunch contained.  When you start looking at food this way, you will be much more mindful of the food choices you make.

Tomorrow will be my first photo update and first weigh in since kicking off my weight loss efforts.  At this point, even if I haven’t lost any weight I am content with my progress just by accomplishing what I have and being conscious of what I am putting in my body.

Welcome to 31 by 31

With my 31st birthday just over 3 months away and with my health at it’s lowest point ever, I am finally making a pledge to myself to get on track, get in shape, and get control of my health back.  At just under 5’8 and 255lbs I am considered obese by the CDC’s BMI standards, I work in a highly stressful work environment, and I have a family history full of bad juju such as diabetes and heart disease.  In other words, if I don’t get my shit in check I’m not going to be around to enjoy my life and my family.

Beginning Monday August 1, I will embark on a personal journey to eat healthier, exercise, and change my current lifestyle.  I am setting a goal to lose at least 31lbs by my birthday on November 13.  And my hope is that by using this Tumblr blog as a personal journal I will keep at my efforts and have something to look back on once I’ve reached my goal.

I will post a daily picture each morning as I get ready for work as a means of tracking my physical appearance moving forward and each week I will do a wrap up post to reflect on my progress.  I hope you will each join me on my journey, track my progress with me, and cheer me on as I work towards this goal.  My hopes is that this blog with the support of my friends and family, both online and off, I will have the support I need to succeed.