moving out of +$2

I had to break down and buy some clothes, as all my clothes look like I am wearing my big brothers clothes now.

Tammy bought me some jeans at Burkes Outlet. We stopped at Walmart for a completely different reason and I decided to check out their selection of jeans. They had their usual selection. However, I noticed that my size now no longer falls in the 'larger sizes, add $2' range.

Wahoo ! This eating right and getting healthy is paying off ! (laughing)

I went to a suit outlet yesterday and got a couple pair of dress slacks, a couple new neckties, and a new sports coat. It was funny. I bought them based on size. I did not try them on. I figured if they were a bit small I would lose into them, eventually. When I got home and decided to try them on. I held them up and said to myself, "These will never fit; They are way too small."

Even in my hands they felt too light. They felt wrong going on. Well, not wrong, I guess, but different. I got used to buying large and comfortable (comfortable = extra large for growth.) These seemed too small.

Imagine my shock, when they fit. They not only fit, but they fit like pants are supposed to fit.

Losing the weight was never about looking better in my clothes (well, not mainly.) It was and is about being healthier, living longer, getting around with greater ease, and feeling better inside my skin. This looking better in clothes is just a great bonus.

Pictures will be posted soon.

New weight and thrift store shopping

This weeks weigh-in yielded the following result .. 29 weeks in .. 105 pounds gone !!

We had to go shopping yesterday as only two of my dress shirts now do not look like balloons on me. We got blessed in that one of our favorite thrift stores was having a 'fill a bag for $5' thing. I got six dress shirts and TJ got two skirts and a blouse for $5. That is about fifty-five cents per piece.

We decided early on in this loss thing that we weren't buying new clothes until the weight is gone. Clothes that fit don't seem to fit long, so there is no need to buy new things. I went through my T-shirt drawers last night and culled out over a dozen t-shirts that were excessively large. Being large is not an issue with a t-shirt, normally, but these were hanging down to nearly my knees and sleeves hanging past my elbows as the shoulders didn't fit anymore.

It felt good to cull out clothes because they were too large instead of too small.

I could get used to this.

Well, for at least another 25 pounds, which is how far I am from my goal weight !

What new thing can be said about love?

It is little wonder we speak of falling in love

As love is always there, waiting for us

Love is old, yet, love is ever new

It is as old as time, but as new as the next second

Love is giving, yet, it is always open to receive

Love is patient, yet, it blazes with an impatient passion

Love is an open hand, yet, it holds you in an unbreakable grip

I am captured by its freedom

I am in bonds to its liberty

It is not hidden, but laying in the open,

waiting to be found, waiting to be discovered

It begs to be found, yet delights in the mystery of discovery

It boldly calls out to men and women, yet creates a shyness about itself

It is in the thoughts of the mind

It is in the emotions of the heart

It is in the whimsy of the soul

And it is woven in the words of the mouth

All the words, spoken or penned, have not contained it

All the tomes of time have not described it fully

There is nothing new that can be said of love that has not been said,

Yet, it falls fresh from the lips of every lover, as if never spoken before

It is not the words, old or used,

But the freshness of the heart

That has been washed anew,

By the fire of its passion

These are not new words I say to you,

But a new depth, and a new height,

I love you, Tammy Jo

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2011

Ron Simpson, Jr.

27 weeks

the interference of work

Today brings to an end my fifth week at work. It has interfered with my keeping you posted about my daily challenges and triumphs. Trust me, they still come. Because of work, they are different, but still challenges and still triumphs.

When I worked before in the construction industry, lunch was generally something cold, easily packed, and not very good for you nutritionally speaking. It was usually a sandwich of some sort and a bag of chips. When I worked in factories. doing construction, we would utilize the factories cafeteria, which offered many unhealthy temptations as well. Now, that is not to say that you cannot eat healthy and work construction, I just never did.

That was one of my fears on this job.

Fortunately, the hospital cafeteria has a small salad bar. It does offer lettuce and spinach leaf; with shredded cheese usually; carrots half the time; broccoli most of the time; boiled eggs most of the time; cubed ham and/or turkey sometimes; and a light dressing (usually ranch) all the time.

The problem is that the other choices, less healthy (not necessarily unhealthy) and more calories are usually cheaper.

I try to stick with my morning drink (190 calories, 25g carbs, 10g protein) and a salad at lunch. Every now and then (but it got to be too often so I stopped) I will have biscuit, gravy, scrambled eggs, and two slices of bacon. Sometimes for lunch i will do the turkey burger, but it tries to pull this french fries in with it, so i am careful.

So, I have learned to eat right even when eating wrong is so readily available.

Work does interfere with my morning walks. I used to walk about 8AM for a few miles. Now, at 8AM I have already been working for an hour. To compensate for it though, I wear my pedometer at work. So far, I am walking (at work) about 25 to 30 miles a week. It is not the same as walking a straight 2 to 3 miles in the morning, but much of my walking at work is between buildings, so it does stretch out to several half mile walks and a lot of less than half mile walks. Still, walking is walking and calorie burning is calorie burning.

All in all, i have adjusted.

Now, I just need to catch up on my blogging.

Nearing 6 months

6 months ago, before I changed my life, I was wearing pants with a 60 inch waist.

Today, 5 months, 3 weeks later, I put on a pair of pants with a 44 inch waist, and they fit just fine.

The last time I wore pants this size was around the time my youngest (biological) daughter was born. That was late in 1987. Twenty-three years ago, I left size 44 behind. Today, I welcomed it back.

I am 10 pounds away from losing 100 pounds. I am 40 pounds from my one year goal.

Six months ago, I walked with a cane. Last week, for work, I walked 28.6 miles. No cane !

While, literally, my life is much lighter than it was, it is much lighter emotionally as well. I never fully knew the impact my extra weight was having on my life. Looking back, I can just begin to see how far I have come. There is more to come, and more to go in the future.

planning the 100 pound party

Nearly six months in, i never thought I would be working on the plans for the '100 pounds lost' party. Yet, here we are, 90 pounds lost in five and a half months. I should hit the 100 pound mark by the end of February.

I am amazed at how this change has gone. God has blessed my efforts greater than I could have imagined. My BMI has dropped from 53.2 to 39.5. My BMR has dropped from over 4000 to just over 2000. My hips and waist have dropped nearly 30 inches.

I am humbled and blessed by the work He has done and is doing through my efforts.

If you are in or near Lexington Kentucky at the end of February, stop by for the celebration !!

Crazy Week

This week was crazy at work and with the weather.

Weather-wise, we started out with snow and ended up with more snow. Thursday evening saw a rapid snowfall of about 3 to 4 inches. Friday's commute to work was on half lane to quarter lane roads. Still, to work I drove and arrived safely (thanks, Lord.)

I got a new pedometer last weekend and wore it at work this week to get a better idea of how much walking my work day entails. Including the 4.5 miles I walked on Monday (Holiday/no work) I walked 27.2 miles this week. I told my wife I had walked a marathon! She told me she didn't think the idea of a marathon was to walk it in one week. I told her that she could walk a marathon her way and I would walk it my way (laughing.)

This mornings weigh-in yielded a total weight loss in 5.5 months of 90 pounds.

90 pounds !!!!

I weigh 260 pounds! The last time I remember weighing in this general area was when I weighed 250 when my youngest daughter was born. She turned 23 in October.

I actually had on a pair of pants recently that were 44 inch waist. The were a bit snug, but not choking my waist. When I started I had a pair of 60 inch waist pants hanging in my closet. For now, I am mostly wearing 46's for the comfort of the loose waist. I am probably in the middle (45) as far as what would fit me just right.

I have adjusted to the increased calories needed since I have returned to work. I am still giving my body enough to work well and function properly, without adding weight.

And, at the end of this crazy, cold, snowy, walking week, I am 90 pounds lighter than when i began.

I like it!

week two closing

Week two at work is coming to a close. It has been a busy week and a sore feet week as well. The weight progress continues though, unabated by the including of a 40 hour work week.

This morning, marking the near close of my 23rd week of modifications to my diet and exercise, brought new results via the scale. My net weight loss for the 23 weeks is 88 pounds. My waist has shrunk 13 inches since I began.

I figure I walk about 2 to 3 miles a day at work, so, although my usual morning walks have been relegated to weekends only, my miles walked has continued to climb. Yesterday, I surpassed the 200 mile mark in miles walked.

When I started, the task of losing 130 pounds seemed quite daunting. however, now, with the weight of 88 pounds behind me, pushing me to continue, the journey keeps getting easier. I still remain vigilant so as not to slide back into old habits. it is so easy to do.

Onward and less-ward ..

Work week one down.

This week I went back to work after being off work since June 2008. My work for most of my life has been a physical type of work. I worked as an electrician in the construction field. Before my recent stint with unemployment I was working in the electrical field, but in the teaching end of it. That was not nearly as physical as the field work I had done for most of my life. I began teaching in December, 2004. So, it would be safe to say that this week’s physical work activity is the most I have done in work in six years.

Five months ago, I could not have done this.

Five months ago, I was an out of shape fat man. My wife said I had the activity level of a garden slug (hurtful, but true.)

Some of you have been reading me for a while, but for those that are newly joining my journey, let me catch you up.

August 9: I changed my life. Eating ruled my life and when I changed my eating, I changed my life.

August 16: I changed my physical activity level. I walked with a cane, when and only when, I deemed walking absolutely necessary. Arthritis in my back and weight related pain in my knees and ankles kept me chair bound for the most part. It was not just the pain, but my unwillingness to endure it to work through it. I started walking for exercise.

January 3: This was my first day at a new job. I am working on the construction team for a local university medical center. On that first day, I walked nearly five miles. Some of this was trips I wouldn't have to make daily, but it also included some walking that will be a daily requirement. By the end of the week, that total would be over fifteen miles.

I experienced a new thing this week as well.

While being off, my main exercise was my walking. I did other things, but not in the form of exercise. My work around the house was limited. My calorie intake was usually between 1000 and 1100 calories per day. This gave me no problems. It was enough to fuel me daily.

Tuesday, around ten-thirty in the AM, I was working with one of the other electricians on a project, when I began to notice some odd sensations. I had stomach pains and got nauseated. I know this is not odd in as much as there has been a cold or virus thing running around between Tammy and the kids. I figured it was just part of that.

Then, shortly thereafter, I began to get a euphoric feeling. It was a feeling of being slightly disconnected to my surroundings. I felt light-headed and, what I can only imagine is, high (I have never been high before.) I excused myself to go to the restroom. There, I called my medical expert, Tammy. She correctly told me it was my sugar level. It was too low.

I went to the vending machines and got a three musketeers bar. After eating it, most of the symptoms subsided. I ate lunch within the hour (Oven Roasted Chicken breast sub from Subway®.) After lunch, all the symptoms were gone.

The energy burned while working was far more than the energy burned while walking and being at home. My walk was an hour of energy consumption. This was eight hours a day of energy consumption.

To fix this, I add 8 ounces of orange juice to my morning drinking. I usually have a 24 ounce diet Dew® in the mornings. When it is about half gone, I add the orange juice to the remainder. (Orange juice is one of the main ingredients in Diet Mountain Dew.) I sip this as the morning progresses. Since Tuesday, there have been no more issues with low sugar.

One of the things I have maintained all along with this is that this is what works for me. It may not work for you. It stopped working somewhat, when my activity level changed drastically. This required a change in what I do as far as eating is concerned. You have to do what works for you and what you like doing. If it doesn't work or you don’t like it, you won’t continue it.

I still love food as much as I ever did. I just love it in smaller portions. I love it in healthier choices.

And, when it is necessary, I adjust. My calorie intake has risen to 1200 to 1300 a day in light of the new needed energy level. It will take a while for my brain to see this as OK, but it will come.

Sorry for the novel-ette, but it has been a while since I blogged.

Back to work

Monday was my first day back at work in over two years.

It was an interesting day. I wore my pedometer because I was going to miss my morning walk. I had to go to the parking office to get a pass for parking in the employee lots. It was a good little drive, but I decided to walk. Then there was the walk to the security office to get a badge. Then I had to walk back to the truck to get the second paper and back to the security office. Add a walk to the clinic for a TB test, and then back to the office, and then to the hospital to actually work, and by the days end, I had walked over 4 miles and 9200 steps.

Apparently it was a slow day.

And .. I did manage to maintain my new eating plan ..

All I can say is .. Amazing

It has been an amazing 4.5 months.

August 9th, I began a journey. I wasn't sure how it would go but I did have a destination in mind. I decided that, in one year, I wanted to go from 350 pound to 220 pounds. I picked 52 weeks to lose 130 pounds. This would require me to lose 2.5 pounds a week (on average.) I wasn't sure I could do it, but i was sure I couldn't continue as i had to that point.

Most of my jeans were size 58" waist and snug. I did have one pair of navy blue work pants that were a size 60" waist. they fit, but were a little bit loose. My 3XL shirts fit snugly and 4XL's were loose. Since i don't care much for tight fitting clothes, I was a 60" waist, 4XL kind of guy.

It has been 20 weeks since I started. By the numbers:

It has been 38.5 percent of the time I chose. 20/52 weeks

I have lost 60 percent of my goal weight loss. 78pounds/130 pounds

I have lost 23 percent of my total body weight (from 350 to 272.)

My pants have dropped in size from a 60" waist to the 46" waist pants I wear today.

My Shirts have dropped in size from 4XL to 2XL.

My collared dress shirts have dropped from 20 inch necks that I couldn't button to 17.5 inch necks that are loose.

My BMI has dropped from 53.2 to 41.4.

One week into the change, I began walking. In the 19 weeks since, i have walked over 175 miles for my health. i only count the miles I walk exclusively for exercise and not my normal day to day walking (which has increased as well.)

When I look back over the last 4 to 5 months, all I can say is .. amazing.

I give thanks to God and my family for their wonderful support.

2011 looks to be a better year as far as my health is concerned.

Let's see where we can go !!

Because you asked ...

Before: This was about 3 years ago .. and about the size I was when I began in August

After: This was taken today, December 29, 2010

The Hill .. revisited

Way back in September, when this walking thing was still new and in its infancy, I tackled a hill that caused me to question whether I was sane or not. Back then, walking over a mile in one trip was still new. This hill was long and steep. It was an uphill battle (literally.)

Today, four months into my walking habit, I tackled it again.

The last time, I thought my legs were going to revolt and find a new, less abusive body to which to be attached. This time, my legs never made a peep. They quietly went along for the walk.

Here are some shots I took on this trip:

This is at the bottom looking up the hill. I was going to be on that bridge crossing the street soon.


This is looking down the hill back toward the house. Take that, hill!


These are shot entering the cemetery and walking around it.






This is the back row of the left side of the cemetery looking into town (on the left side of the road)


This is from the top of the bridge seen crossing the road in the first picture. This is looking back toward the house.


This is a sign inside the cemetery


It was just a little over 2 miles to, around, and back from the cemetery, but it was a great walk. The air was crisp and clean. It was 16° and sunny. I loved it.

Another new size !!!

I guess I should be used to wearing new sizes, after all, I was often buying bigger sizes before. Since I changed my philosophy about eating, I have also saw a decrease in sizes as well. You would think the thrill would be gone, or at least somewhat diminished, but NO!

This morning while getting dressed, I notice a pair of khaki's that my daughter gave me. She found them while cleaning out some clothes at her house. I was wearing around a 50 waist at that time and these were 46's. She gave them to me instead of putting them in her donate or yard sale bag. I tried them on when she gave them to me and they were way too small.

A couple weeks ago, TJ and I were at a thrift store (great idea for shopping if you are changing sizes consistently) and she found a pair of pants that were 48's. I told her they would never fit, but she insisted I try them on. I did, just to amuse her. Oh my gosh, they fit.

well, as I said, this morning I noticed the size 46's while getting dressed and decided to see how far I needed to go to fit into them. To my shock and utter delight, they fit !!

The worst part of it was that I was the only one out of bed at the time and had to stifle my delight because I didn't want wake TJ up to tell her.

Rest assured, as soon as her eyes were open, I told her.

A new Size !!!!

August 8 ............. size 60

December 27 ...... size 46

A new love for holiday eating

Before, the holidays were excuses (as if I needed one) to overeat. I would pile my plate full of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I would eat until I was more than full and then lapse into post holiday dinner coma.

Now, the holiday are just a part of my new eating philosophy. Having learned how to eat less (yes, it is a learned behavior,) I enjoy my dinners much more. I can still eat full and robust holiday meal and keep the calorie demon in check.

Eat more turkey than ham. Both have plenty of protein, but the turkey is lower in calories. Eat more green beans than mashed potatoes. Green beans are only 34 calories a cup. A good half cup serving is only 17 calories. Eat more corn then stuffing. Corn is only 40 calories per half cup. Go light on the bread and deviled eggs. Go small on the baked mac and cheese.

I stay away from the deserts, but if i were to eat some, it would be a small sliver of pie or cake. All my mouth wants is the taste, and I can get the taste with much less and slower eating.

My dinner at Christmas was 707 calories. My dinner at Thanksgiving was 692 calories. Both days, the total calories were under 1100.

I love eating my favorite holiday treats, much less and therefore, much more.

And .. easy to fix leftovers for lighter meals .. yesss !

surprisingly lower than I thought

TJ was running all over three towns yesterday and called me to tell me that if I planned on eating supper, I had better get busy cooking.

Cooking and I are well acquainted.

I went downstairs to the kitchen to rummage for cooking fodder. I found many frozen packs of chicken in the freezer, but I am more partial to pork. Further rummaging yielded the object of my search, pork tenderloin. I also found some frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, yellow and orange carrots.)

Then, it was off to the pantry to find other cooking fodder. I found a jar of diced sweet vidalia onions and peppers, balsamic vinegar, a can of diced tomatoes, and a jar of marinated mushrooms. Things are looking up.

I sprayed the casserole dish with canola cooking spray and added a dash of olive oil. I added the diced tomatoes and laid the sliced pork tenderloin on top of them. I sliced several of the mushrooms and added them to the top. Then I added part of the vidalia onions. Next, I diced up some green pepper slices and added that as well. i finished with a splash of the balsamic vinegar. I covered it and stuck it in the oven to bake (350° for 35 minutes.)

The frozen vegetables from the freezer were put in a microwave safe bowl; about 3 tablespoons of water were added; and it was put aside for a moment.

Out of the fridge, I produced a can of buttermilk biscuits. I added them to a glass dish. I melted margarine and added garlic powder to that. I spooned it over the unbaked biscuits just enough to wet the tops of the biscuits. Into the oven that went.

The vegetables went into the microwave for about 6 minutes.

The biscuits were just browning on the top when I took them out and spooned the rest of the garlic butter mixture over them and added some shredded cheese. They went back into the over for a few more minutes.

The vegetables in the microwave finished (ding!) The biscuits were done and the cheese was melted. The pork came out of the oven .

One 3 oz tenderloin, about three-quarter cup of the steamed vegetables, and one cheesy garlic biscuit, made the meal. It was a wonderful combination, each part complimented the other parts. And, it was under 400 calories for the meal.

Delicious.

Nutritious.

And finished in time for us to make it to church for Bible Study (albeit 5 minutes late.)

The weekend comes and goes

Here it is Monday again. The cycle continues.

The weekend was busier than others, possibly, but not as busy as some.

Schools had been closed for a couple days prior to the weekend. There was snow and ice to contend with. We didn’t do a lot of traveling, Thursday or Friday. For at least one of those days TJ’s oldest son and his wife and son were at the house. The water was frozen at their place. Thursday, I didn’t get to walk. Friday, I walked about a mile and a half.

Saturday arrives. I walk about a mile and a quarter in the cold, snow, and ice.

We have plans for Saturday evening. There was a meeting at a restaurant in the town where I graduated some 35 years ago for graduates of said high school (Woodford County High School.)

There was a reunion in July for all classmates graduating from 1970 to 1980. I was there, having graduated in 1975. I was there at 350 pounds and walking with a cane. Saturday, I weighed 275 and walked without the cane for some time now. Several of the attendees of the first reunion were going to be there and some of them keep up with me on Facebook®. One, in particular, said he wanted to see the new skinnier me.

We went to the restaurant after dropping the youngest boy off at the oldest boys house, where the water flows freely now. I was cautious about eating at restaurants that I didn’t know, but was also confident that I could eat a salad anywhere and be fine.

It was great seeing old friends that I had recently become reacquainted with and catching up on what I was doing, or not doing, as the case may be. I did eat chicken tenders and green beans. Although it is possible, it is hard to go wrong with green beans. Someone at the table said, “As long as they aren’t cooked in bacon fat or something like that.” I responded, “Oh, you mean, any green beans cooked in Kentucky.” Still, it was a good time and not as calorie filled as I feared. The food was good and the company was great.

Sunday was as busy as Sunday’s usually are. I, accidentally, slept in. I did get up before the alarm, but I usually get up a couple hours before the ‘Gotta Get Up’ alarm. I wake up early and go for my walk. The alarm is the get up and get ready for church alarm. So, there was no morning walk for Sunday. Being up later and feeling rushed caused me to walk out the door without grabbing my usual morning breakfast drink.

There was nowhere to stop and get one without pushing us farther behind schedule, so, no breakfast was the way. Church was good. Then we visited a bit and came on home. I had a salad for lunch, and then a grocery run. After that, I went to Lexington for church where my mother attends. It was also a good time and great to visit with mom and two of my four sisters. One was in Ohio and one was snowed in.

I was going to stop on my way home and grab a bite. However, everyplace seemed unappealing, so I made it home without stopping. I knew there were leftovers available at home.

Both days, Saturday and Sunday were low calories days. I mean ‘lower than I like’ calorie days. I know I need to take in a good amount of calories to make my body work right. I know I need to eat enough to convince my body to let loose of some fat. Saturday was only 739 calories, and Sunday was 884 calories, by virtue of the missing breakfast (190 calories.)

I must do better for my body and my health.

Monday has started well. I had a 2.35 mile walk this morning. I did my 180 calories breakfast drink (vanilla instead of chocolate, hence the 10 calorie difference.) My lunch was a salad @ 183 calories. A good supper and an apple for snack and I should be over 1000 calories for the day. My goal is a bit higher. I am working on finding more calorie rich foods that will not overfill me. If I get satisfied, I will stop.

My monthly average is 1005 calories a day right now. My average calories for the length of this ‘diet’ are about 1025 per day.

We will see what tomorrow will bring,

Oh, yes, I have lost 75 pounds now.

A walk .. with pictures

It was another 3° walk this morning. I was bundled up well and had the important parts of my body covered to minimize wind exposure. (gloves, hat, scarf)

Here are some of the shot I took along my 1.75 mile walk:

About half to three quarter mile from the house

Another shot .. backed away a bit

Along the second half .. probably a half mile from home

Another shot .. looking down the bridge to town

From the bridge .. overlooking the creek

Fair trade

This morning I went for my usual morning walk. I say it is my usual walk except for the fact that my walk changes daily. I try to take different routes each day to keep the walking fresh. I do have several favorite routes that I repeat, but not generally day after day after day. This morning was the Locust St to Queen St, to Camargo Rd, to Locust St at Bank St, to Richmond Ave, turn and come back home route. It covered 2.35 miles and took me 47 minutes.

Then, Tammy had a follow up visit to the doctor to see how surgery helped or didn’t, and to see where to go from here. Afterwards, we went to a consignment shop, and then had lunch at the brand new Waffle House here in town. We had talked about it the day before. It just opened this week.

I had the 5 ounce strip steak, with eggs over medium, hash browns with onions and tomatoes, and toast. I had water to drink. As near as I can tell, by the internet info I gathered and the portions I ate, my lunch was 564 calories. This was in contrast to my usual lunches of 275 to 360 calories. It was somewhere between 200 to 300 calories more than my regular lunch fare.

After lunch, Tammy had to go to the hospital for x-rays. I stayed home and worked on some writing She told me she was going to stop by the library on her way home and wanted to know if I wanted her to come by and get me. I told her I had already planned to walk to the library while she was gone, so I would meet her there.

I decided to walk around the longer way to the library. The direct walk there is a half mile. I put my books to be returned in my backpack and headed out after a while. I walked past the library (truck was not there yet) and on down toward the bypass to a known turning point and back to the library. She was outside when I got there, so my timing was good. I returned my books and checked out a couple more. She was still browsing, so I told her I would walk on home. She pulled into the driveway as I crossed the street to the house.

The entire walk was 1.9 miles and took about 40 minutes of actual walking time. Between the two walk, I covered 4.25 miles and burned 574 calories.

So, I walked off 10 calories more than my lunch added.

Not a bad trade at all.

On the border of CrazyTown

I am not sure I am only on the border anymore.

12° on my morning walk on Tuesday, and I still went for my walk. The wind chill was -6°.

7° on my morning walk on Wednesday, and, once again, I still go for my morning walk. I have no idea what the wind chill was, or even if there was one. It was a fairly calm morning.

12° this morning, and I am bundling up for another morning walk. Today's wind chill, according to the local weatherman is 4°.

I always knew I would go crazy one day, but I never knew I would be crazy about walking. I especially never figured I would be crazy enough to be out walking in this weather.

I have always worked in this weather. For most of my adult life I have worked in the construction industry and that generally required some outside work even in the harshest conditions. I recall working on a scaffold 30 feet in the air with the winds blowing off the river in Canton, Ohio, with the temperature being only -6°, but, that was for money.

This is different. No-one is paying me to be out there this morning.

Well, I guess that isn't exactly true. What drives me (or pays me if you prefer) is stepping on the scales after four months and seeing it read 72 pounds lighter. What pushes me out the door is the feeling of much more energy than I have had in a long long time. What moves me past the pain in my heels (tendonitis) is the near erasure of the constant pain in my back, knees, and ankles. There are as many reasons to go walking in this near zero cold weather as there are days I am adding to my life and the life I am adding to my days.

So, I am off to don the official uniform of a crazytown walker.

two pair of sweats .. check

two long sleeved t-shirts .. check

one pull over wind-breaker type jacket .. check

one pair of jersey cotton gloves .. check

one toboggan .. check

one muffler style scarf .. check

one pair of walking shoes .. check

cell phone for emergency .. check

Ipod for Bible or music listening .. check

crazy idea that this will change my life .. CHECK !

UPDATE ..

Didn't do my walk as intended .. had to run to son's place to fix electric and take his wife to appointment .. walked 2.2 miles in Winchester before working on his place .. Temp was almost up to 20° by then ..

The Question Answered

A friend asked me what I was doing to lose weight.

Why do people ask such questions and expect one line answers?

Ask me what I did to gain up to 350 pounds and the answer is not one line either.

Losing weight is simple. Burn more than you eat or eat less than you burn.

That is the short and simple answer.

What am I doing to lose weight? I am burning more than I eat or eating less than I burn.

Now, the nuts and bolts of how I am losing weight goes like this:

I started August 9th. I have lost 65 pounds in 16 weeks. Now, that is definitely not typical. Typical is about 2 pounds a week.

What I eat:

Breakfast is always a slim-fast chocolate drink: 190 calories, 10 grams of protein. I usually drink it after my morning walk of 2 or more miles

Lunch varies.

Sometimes it is a salad (usually in the 275 to 325 calorie range.) My salads consist of lettuce, broccoli, onion, radish, carrot, red and green peppers, boiled egg, shredded cheese, and a fat free Italian dressing.

Other times, it is a sub from subway: 350 to 360 calories. I get the turkey and ham, or chicken breast, or club, all with pepper jack cheese, includes everything except pickles.

Supper is anything I want, just in moderation. My suppers are usually in to 500 calorie range (which is a lot of food to me now, veggies=low calories) steak, pork tenderloin, chicken, fish, even pasta.

We never were big on frying things, fried chicken on occasion, but not much else.

Snacks consist of several things: fruit (apple is 81 calories, banana is around 80 to 100 depending on size .. peach and/or pear cups are 70 to 80 calories,) yogurt cup: 100 calories, baked chips and salsa (salsa is only 5 calories per tbsp.).

I also have a jug-o-fireballs. I have one of them about every third day or so, only 35 calories.

(The big Hershey’s chocolate bars are only 40 calories per square.)

The key to losing is to burn more calories or take in less, or a combination of both. For me, walking 2 miles in 40 minutes burns just over 300 calories. It would be more or less for others because of individual weight, higher or lower.

You burn about 10% of the calories you take in by chewing and digesting. Then you burn calories just by living, heart beating, lungs working, blood pumping, ect..

You can find out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate - number of calories you burn by doing nothing) at http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/. Then you multiply your BMR by how active you are and it tells you how many calories to take in to maintain your current weight.

A pound is 3500 calories. Cut out 500 calories a day or burn 500 more calories a day, and you will lose 1 pound in one week.

My BMR is about 2344. Then my activity level brings the calorie count up to 3345 to 3633 calories a day. (You will find this using the Harris-Benedict Equation. The link is on the same page as the BMR calculator.) According to this, I should take in 3300 to 3600 calories a day to keep my weight where it is. I take in about 1100. Using the figures from this site, I should take in 23100 calories per week. I take in 7700, leaving a 13400 calories deficit. Divide that by 3500 and you get 4.4 pounds per weeks. 4.4 pounds times 16 weeks is 70 pounds. I have lost 65 pounds, so it is close.

That is the nuts and bolts.

What one line answer did you want?

me .. 65 pounds lighter

Major Milestone Achieved

August 8, 2010:

I decide that enough is enough. I weigh in at 350 pounds. This is not the heaviest I have been (weighed in once at the DR office at 362) but it is heavy enough. I told TJ (Wife) that I wanted to change the way I eat. I realize that I need to change everything about my eating habits. I eat wrong. I eat at the wrong times. I eat the wrong things. I eat the wrong amounts. I eat for the wrong reasons. That changes August 9th, the first full day of my new life.

I plan to lose 130 pounds in 12 months.

August 15, 2010:

After one week on the modified eating plan, I have lost 12 pounds and decide it is time to up the ante. I need to increase my activity. I decide it is time to start walking. Up to this point I have walked for a while with a cane and then only when I deemed walking to be entirely necessary. You know, there is usually someone that will get that for you, or go into the store for you, or do the errand for you. While being helpful, my wife and kids enabled my excuses. I put excuses behind and take a walk around the block. It is one/third of a mile. It took me 20 minutes and I came home breathing hard and sweating.

August, September, October, and November:

The distance I walked on my daily walk increases. I usually do 2 miles but have had days of nearly 4 miles. November 11, I pass the 100 miles walked for exercise mark.

My daily calorie intake has dropped over 70%, from over 3500 to around 1050 calories.

Today:

It has been 113 days since I changed my life, literally.

My waist has gone from 58 inches to 47.5 inches.

My hips have gone from 60 inches to 48.5 inches.

My BMI has gone from 53.2 to 43.3.

One hundred thirteen days and my weight has dropped from 350 pounds to 285 pounds. I have lost 65 pounds. That is half of the 130 pounds I plan to lose.

Sixteen weeks and one day and I have lost 22 inches from my waist and hips. Even my wedding ring is nearly too large for my fingers. My face is smaller. My feet are smaller. I can bend over and touch the floor again.

This is the new me.

Today, I am half way to the me I will be again!

Thanksgiving success

It was a great thanksgiving, for which I am grateful.

I didn't go over in my calories and enjoyed practically all of my holiday favorites. I had: Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Green Beans, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Baked Mac-n-Cheese. I had them all in moderation.

My weekly calories prior to T-Day were:

Friday - 1149

Saturday - 1019

Sunday - 1013

Monday - 1117

Tuesday - 890

Wednesday - 707

And, my calories for Thanksgiving Day .. 1022

The average calorie intake for the seven days including Thanksgiving is 988 calories a day. The daily average for the month of November (so far) is 1015 calories a day. (Now, before you fuss .. I am being supervised by my doctor and she is good with my calorie intake as long as everything keeps functioning properly.)

I can't really say that I was concerned about overeating yesterday. I knew my new eating discipline would prevail. (Although, it did look like a lot of food on the plate.)

I did stay away from all the pies. There were (and still are to some degree) apple, cherry, pecan, and pumpkin pies. I will, at some point this week/weekend have a small slice of pie, but even then it will be much less than my last years normal eating.

Let me be the first to say, I don't feel I have given up anything in this new eating plan. I still eat the things I love. I eat them with a new moderation, but I still eat what I like. I think one of the biggest downfalls in dieting is the idea that you have to give up the foods you love. It is not necessarily true.

My favorite sandwich is simple and loaded with fat and calories. It is a bologna and cheese sandwich with Miracle Whip and onions. I used to eat them many times for lunch. Unfortunately, I would normally eat two of them, to the whopping calories total of well over 1000 calories. I don't do that now. One sandwich, on thinner bread, eaten every now and then.

We cook better. We use lighter substitutes. We don't compromise taste. We cook lighter and eat less.

It was a greatly successful Thanksgiving Day.

I hope yours was as well.

And .. my weigh-in for today .. 288 pounds .. down one more pound

What? A new size ?

OK, so most of my pants don't fit anymore. I still have a few pair that I can wear. Some of them only bunch up a little under my belt. I posted recently that I found a pair of khaki's in the closet that I looked at and said to myself, "Those will never fit." They were waist size 50. A couple hangers over were another pair of pants that I used to wear that were a waist size 60.

Just to see how much farther i had to go, I tried on the 50's. To my shock, I didn't have to go any farther. They fit!

Yesterday, my wife was at a local buy out store. They buy out lots from stores that are overstock or closeout merchandise. She called me to tell me they had some black St John's Bay dress slacks for $2 and asked if I wanted a couple pair. Well, I do need pants and $2 was a great buy. I told her yes. She said they had 50's and 48's. I told her to get me the 50's as it was what I was wearing.

She came home with two pair; one size 50 and one size 48. I figured I could wear the 50's and work on fitting into the 48's. I tried on the 50's. They fit just fine, but I do have to hem them.

So, I tried on the 48's to see how close I was to fitting into them.

Oh My Gosh !! They fit ?!?!?!

I fit into a waist size 48 pants for the first time in I can't remember.

Let the good times roll !

Late Weigh-in

I didn't get the opportunity to weigh in this weekend as we were busy and didn't visit mom's house. I use her scale for several reasons; a few of those being, it is a DR type scale, it is where I weighed when I began, and it is far enough away to prevent me from obsessing and weighing every day.

So, this weekend's weigh-in was pushed back until today.

The results of the weighing are that I lost another 2 pounds last week. This brings my total weight loss to 61 pounds in 14 weeks. I have gone from 350 pounds on August 8 to 289 pounds on November 15.

I can not even begin to catalog all the changes that losing 61 pounds brings. Someone asked me if it felt better being this much lighter. I had to say yes, but, I feel better in ways I wasn't aware that I felt bad.

When you gain weight slowly, you grow accustomed to the limitations and restrictions gradually. Sure, you notice the big differences. You notice how hard it is to get up and out. you notice how much more effort it takes to do things. You notice how clothes fit tighter or how you have to buy bigger sizes.

However, there are changes you don't notice because they happen so gradually, or it isn't something you do all the time.

There are changes in how long you can stand before pain makes you sit. There are numerous endurance limit changes.

I notice now how I can stand for much longer periods without having to sit down. I notice how I am not constantly shifting my weight from one leg to the next to be comfortable. I notice I walk down steps one step at a time instead of making half steps. (This is where you bring a foot down to one step and then the other foot to the same step, and repeat.)

I notice I don't hurt as much. I don't breath as hard. I don't snore as loud (well, I didn't notice that one. I was told.)

So, yes, it does feel much better. It feels better in ways that will only be evident as I encounter them, but, encounter them, I will.

289 !!

100 miles

August 8th, I was 350 pounds. It was not the heaviest I had been, but it was plenty heavy enough. I decided to change my life.

August 17, one week into my new lifestyle, I decided that walking would be good for me. Later that evening (11ish) I took off for a walk around the block. Firstly, I live in a small town (pop. 5600,) so; it was safe to be out walking around that late at night. Secondly, it was just 1/3 of a mile.

It took me 20 minutes. Yes, I was walking at the blazing speed of one mile per hour. Oh yeah, it wore me out as well.

August 18, I did it again, albeit much earlier. August 19, I did it three times that day and reached my first mile walking day.

By the end of August, I had walked one 1.8 mile day and had walked 9.75 miles for exercise. I only count the walking I do specifically for exercise.

By the end of September, I had walked a personal best day of 3.28 miles and had walked 43.78 miles that month and achieved a 53.53 mile total.

By the end of October, I had walked a personal best day of 3.9 miles and had walked 41.25 miles that month and achieved a 95.05 mile total.

November started out badly for walking. As you may have read in the previous post, I didn’t walk but one day in the first week. Yesterday, I was determined to get back into the flow of walking. I walked 1.4 miles on Wednesday. Today, I walked 2.4 miles. This brought my total miles, in one week shy of three months, to 100.67 miles walked.

Now, my brother is a runner. He runs 5 to 7 miles a day. Some days he runs 10 or more. He is preparing for a marathon. 100 miles is a couple weeks to him. But, for me, it is a major thing. I was not a walker or runner. Now, I did run in high school, but that was decades ago. (35 years to be exact.)

So, just endure me while I celebrate reaching the 100 mile walking milestone.

Yip yip yippeeeeee !

getting back on track

The last seven days have been rather hectic and detrimental to exercising. There have been Doctor visits, hospital stays, surgery, son's wedding planning, daughter's moving, and car selling. Yeah, seems like an average week. In the seven day stretch, I managed to get in one hour of walking.

This morning started out trying to be busy (son-in-law issues) but I was determined. I walked 1.66 miles, including a stop at the courthouse to file the marriage license from last nights wedding.

I hate when I don't get to walk.

I never thought I would be one of those. You know who they are. You see them out all hours of the morning, throughout the day, and even late in the evenings. You see them in their walking suits or jogging suits. You see them walking, oblivious to the weather and other distractions. you see their headphones in as they go along. They are the 'walkers'. I never thought I would be inducted into their tribe.

Yet, there I am, in the morning, putting on my walking pants and tightening up my walking shoes. I am checking the battery in my mp3 player (I listen to the Bible as I walk.) I am checking the time to know how long it took me to walk my walk. I am making sure I have my phone for emergencies. I am checking off the list.

Phone ............... check
MP3 ....................check
Key .....................check
Sunglasses ........check

So far, my longest walks have been in the 3 to 4 mile ranges, which takes me 60 to 80 minutes. No extra hydration needed on my walks. I am, however, on the lookout for the dreaded 'fanny-pack' for the time when my walks grow to longer distances and times that might require some additional H2O.

So, today, determination in hand, I got back to the walks.

59 pounds and the next wall to fall

My latest weigh-in yielded the results of 59 pounds lost in 13 weeks. That is astounding to me. As I have said in the past, I wish this was the hardest thing I have ever done, so I would have an excuse for not doing it 20 years ago, but it isn't. It has been easy for the most part. The hardest part, probably, was coming to the place where I said I was going to do it.

I have gone from my starting point of 350 pounds (not my heaviest) to today's weight of 291 pounds.

The next wall to fall:

I was in my closet looking for clothes to wear a couple days ago. All my jeans and slacks fit me if I don't mind holding the extra 6 inches of waist material while I walk. Or, if I don't mind 6 inches or more of material bunched up under my belt. I did find one pair of khaki's that looked (in my eyes estimation) to be way too small. I checked the size and the tag read '50 waist'. "There is no way these will fit," I told myself.

So, I put them on, and to my amazement, they fit and fit right. A 50 !! No freaking way !!

So, the next wall to fall (since the 300 pound wall fell) is the 50 inch waist wall. I am looking forward to the day when my pants waist size will be in the 40's.

I am leaning against that wall now.

Pushing !!

The Cost of Carelessness

We were busy yesterday running numerous errands and my wife neglected to lay out anything for supper. This was not that big of an issue, as we did have 'carry out' options available. TJ wanted pizza, so we headed to the local Little Caesar's for some hot and ready pizza.

Now, the local joint doesn't cut their pizza's very well. This is fine as we re-cut them at home and make them a 10 slice pizza instead of an 8 slice pizza. This makes them about 200 calories a slice. The 1/8th slice is still only around 250 calories, which isn't terrible, either.

Well, when I went in to pick up some hot and ready's, I found a large line and an empty pizza holder thingie. Their hot and ready's were neither hot nor ready. The worker told me it was going to be 25 minutes until pizza's were ready. I wasn't in the mood to wait, nor go home and come back, so we went to the Pizza Hut which was about a half block away.

We decided to eat in at the Pizza hut. We ordered the large meat lovers for the three of us. I drank water (I hate paying $2 for a soft drink at restaurants.) Normally, knowing I would be going to a restaurant, I will research the calorie contents to make sure my choices are good, but this was a spur of the moment choice. I assumed the calories would be similar since it was still bread, meat, cheese, and sauce.

WRONG !

The difference was staggering, as I discovered after eating. I had three slices of pizza, thinking I would be in the 600 to 800 calorie range. I had less than 400 calories in the first two meals of the day and figured 800 would be fine. It would put me a little above my average, but still within what i consider acceptable.

1 slice of Pizza Hut's Meat Lovers Pizza is 480 calories !!!

Oh My Gosh !!

In that one meal, I had taken in more calories (1440) than I had taken in on any day (total) in the past three months. The total for the day was 1859 calories.

Sigh .. It is just a one day thing, I tell myself. It was just the result of carelessness. It will not change the fact that I have lost over 50 pounds. It will not change the fact that I am more active and feel better than I have in years. It will not change the fact that I have lost 9 inches in both my waist and my hips.

It will change how I eat in restaurants. I will ask for a nutrition guide before I order if I do not already know the calories and such.

This is much too important to get careless after 12 weeks of hard work.

Viva la revolucion !