Hooray for moms who support our good decisions!

Me and my mom

Mother's Day is just around the corner, so in celebration of moms everywhere I thought I'd post this story of how my mom has been one of my greatest supporters during my weight-loss journey (and always!), and how decisions I have made as a result of her support have led to my being able to take off, and keep off, the weight.

Early on in my weight-loss journey, when I still weighed more than 400 pounds, my mom offered to treat me to a round-trip to Paris once I reached my initial goal of losing more than 100 pounds. It was an incentive, and one that I asked for by name. I did this because I knew that if one person still believed in me in this world, it was my mom. And it's nice to know someone believes in you enough to help fund your dreams.

At my largest size, my freedom to fly comfortably, if at all, was impinged due to my severe obesity. The thought of flying to Paris, and imagining being there, sitting on a park bench in Luxembourg Gardens as the city whirled around me, provided me with enough visual candy to chew to allow me to evade my craving for other sweets (as well as overly saturated fats and other sabotaging foods).

My mom's amazing incentive for completing my daunting new goal tied in nicely to a yet-unfulfilled lifelong dream. Even though I ended up not cashing in on her offer, the offer itself was significant and enough to get me motivated when I needed it most. And as it would turn out, my mom would come to support me throughout my journey in ways that would turn out to be much more significant than an amazing carrot on the end of a stick.

When I started this journey, I was unemployed and scared to go out on a job search for fear of size discrimination, which I had begun experiencing in subtle and direct ways. I had been a journalist and an ESL teacher, and prejudice against me for my size became apparent, but bearable, once I hit 330 pounds. After being laid off at a time when I had reached my top weight, though, left my confidence in shambles. I ballooned up even more, and increasingly became reclusive, afraid to put myself out there in any social situation that might leave me open to being excluded.

In response to my predicament, my mother offered to help me out with clothing to make sure that every step of the way I could wear things that fit perfectly and made me feel proud of my accomplishments. With her help, I was able to buy clothes to fit that I would only wear for a month or so before turning around the next month and needing all new stuff.

One of the first things she bought me was clothes for new job. Even though I didn’t feel confident enough to bust down any doors at publishing companies or apply for new teaching gigs, I did get up the courage to apply for a job as a waiter at a local ale house. I told the manager how I had already started losing weight, and I assured him that I would for sure be able to keep up with the young, fit crew I saw swirling around me as he interviewed me at a booth I barely squeezed into just as the lunch rush was dying down.

The manager there took a chance on me, although he did express concern during the interview that I might not be capable of actually performing the job due to my excessive weight and size. And so, with my new black pants and shirt, and a pair of skid-free tennis shoes, I was newly employed and, with a sweat rag of courage in my back pocket, was ready to attack obesity once and for all.

It helped me more than you could imagine having this support. I would donate the old stuff to charities, and with mom’s help, replace it with other stuff – primarily from thrift stores and discount stores like Ross, Marshalls and TJ Maxx.

I think without her help, and in this specific way, I might not have been able to build my confidence and keep it strong enough throughout the laborious and incredibly trying middle stages of being committed to a plan for significant weight loss.

Now, I’m not saying that everyone will have the same needs during their weight-loss journey as I did. The first incentive of a trip awoke my mind up to old dreams. The second gave me wings to fly. And this worked for me because I absolutely love shopping, and I absolutely care about being comfortable in my clothes while presenting myself to the world. Others may have other needs that would support them, and each person knows innately what that is.

The bottom line is that it's important to be able to be totally real with yourself and others when you're going through the process, and make sure you are doing it FOR YOURSELF and on YOUR OWN TERMS. That's key.

It really is a journey. I took off nearly 165 in about 18 months, and then gained 20 back - after deciding I needed to slow things down for a while - to level off at around 275. I then worked keep it off, and I remained stable for a year before now, as I'm trying to lose more.

Back at it now for about two months, I've lost those 20 pounds I had gained a year ago and am working on losing another 40. I'm patient and focused on eating right and exercising. I'm happy with my weight and level of physical fitness, but my goal is to overcome "obesity" and that's what I'm going to do!

Hitting the gym again, and it feels so good!

My body feels so good after a rigorous workout. and the good feeling lasts for days. I've been three times since joining last week, and I can already feel that I'm building muscle, which in turn is burning fat.

Before, when I went to the gym, I spent no more than an hour doing just one specific routine, then I went home, regardless of how much energy I might have had remaining. I didn't want to overdo it, and I wasn't sure what I was capable of. I would either do my medicine ball routine, shoulders with back and biceps, chest with triceps, or legs. Now that I'm back at it, I'm learning a little from a friend of the benefits of cross-training.

He has been having great results by doing a variety of exercises, working out his entire body every time he hits the gym - about three days per week. So taking a cue from him, I've developed a similar attitude.

On Friday, I went to the gym with Khizer and we did one set of about seven exercises using the medicine ball. This was mostly focused on core, but it's really a total body workout. Then, he went to do legs and I did shoulders and back. I also did some focused work on abs with about 200 reps of Russian Twists using the cable pulley machine. We stayed about an hour and a half, a full 30 minutes longer than I ever used to work out.

Then, on Saturday I returned to the gym myself and had a great workout in the same vein, but this time I did more exercises and spent about two hours there. I started off by doing the same medicine ball routine, but I added a second set. Then I did the cable pulley Russian Twist abs workout, doing about 200 reps - 100 on each side (focusing on both lower and upper abs). After this I did my regular chest and triceps routine, which includes three sets of 12 reps each of five different exercises (using machines, free weights and pulleys). Plus, I added weight-assisted dips, which I now plan on making a regular part of this routine.

I'm heading back to the gym today after work, and I plan on doing another 2-hour workout. In fact, my new goal for the gym is a two 1-hour workouts and two 2-hour workouts per week. I will also plan on hiking for between 6 and 10 hours per week (two 2-hour hikes during the week and one on 4- to 8-hour hike on the weekend).

My fit life journey is back on track; relationship's in tact

On May 7 of last year, in a post titled "Weight restrictions begone! Time to have fun!, I reported that I weighed in at 255 pounds that morning. That low-weight point was to be the high point of my fit life journey to date, which started at more than 420 pounds. Within a few weeks of that happy day in May, I began planning a move to Boston, which caused my stress levels to rise, along with my weight.

I wasn't too upset about gaining a few pounds at that point. My plan was to allow my body to adjust to the rapid weight loss I had experienced. At that point, I had lost 165 pounds in about a year and four months.

Eventually I settled in somewhere in the mid-270s. I was hiking a lot in Boston - something like 20 miles per week - but I had to quit my gym membership for financial reasons. Then, after just a couple of months in Boston we decided we were going to be moving to Albuquerque. So, as we planned another move and thus extended our state of flux, the stress was compounded knowing it would be at least another few months before stability in my life was returned.

By the time we moved to Albuquerque in January, stress was mounting exponentially. Throughout the fall I dealt with my stress in two ways: 1) by hiking 20-miles per week, and 2) by indulging in Ben and Jerry's ice cream and sweets any time I felt like it. The exercise counteracted much of the damage that otherwise could have been done by the occasional binging, but by the end of January I was pushing 280, and I wasn't very happy about it.

At that time, my stress hit a high point. The week before I got an offer to start my new job, my partner decided he needed to strike out on his own. As a result we experienced a break in our relationship, which at that point was the one remaining bit of stability I was counting on. Not being one to sulk for too long, I decided to react to this time of transition by focusing once again on my weight goals. I signed up for a couple of 5K runs, continued to hike every chance I got, and once again cut out the indulgances of ice cream, cookies and the like.

I have been experiencing a steady weight loss since February, and as of today, I am weighing in at 259 pounds. Needless to say, I'm elated. Just four pounds to go until I'll feel I'm 100 percent back on track. And I'm just 32 pounds away from my goal of overcoming obesity once and for all!

Yesterday, I finally joined a gym, something that I've been wanting to do but haven't been able to afford. I haven't enjoyed my regular weight-lifting workouts for the past six months. But even as I hit the gym with a renewed vengance, I still plan to continue my hiking regimine. I plan to do resistance training five days per week and hike at least three. I will probably be putting on a lot of muscle, which I know will slow my weight loss. But that's fine by me. I'm working on building strength so I can do all the things I want to do in life without restriction.

In a bit of good news, too, I'm happy to report that my relationship with my former partner is transitioning nicely into a strong and supportive friendship. I have always felt that it is important to have continuity with those I care about than it is to have things turn out exactly the way I want them to. As we transition from one type of relationship to another, I know it is for the best.

I recognize that people need room to grow. He needs room, and so do I. But also, we have invested a lot into knowing each other, and we still care deeply about one another, so it is good to know that even if we choose not to continue with things the way they were, as friends I know he will still be there in my corner when I need him and I, of course, will still be there for him whenever he needs me. And that makes me feel very, very happy.

Kick it up a notch with at-home medball workouts

The time has come to go hard core with my medicine ball workout once again - The Tar Heels Workout, which Men's Health calls their Ultimate Medicine Ball Workout.

The workout is basically 200 repititions, 20 each of 10 different exercises using a medicine ball. I am going to start by using an 8-pound ball, since I haven't been working out this intensely for a while. But within two weeks I plan to move up to a 12-pound ball. I was using an 18-pound ball before, but I'm going to give myself at least a month to six weeks to work up to that again. I want to avoid injury at all costs.

Here are the basic 10 exercises that are part of the Tar Heels Workout with a brief description of each. These ten exercises together are considered one complete set. The goal is to do all 10 exercises with no break between them for a continuous 200 repititions, but start off slow and take short breaks as necessary until you can do more. Then, work up to three sets of these exercises, resting no more than three minutes between each set. (Go to the Men's Health site for better descriptions and pictures of each exercise, as this is a description of my personal exercise routine, and I am not a certified personal trainer.):

1. Big Circles - Start with the ball in both hands, outstretched above your head. Feet shoulder-width apart. Then make big circles in front of your body, with your arms acting like the hands of a clock, twisting your core to the side at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. Do ten circles in each direction.
2. Wood Chopper - Start in the same position as Big Circles but with legs slightly more spread. Make a chopping motion with the ball, thrusting it through your legs and returning to the erect position, ball stretached above your head. (Last summer I posted a video of me doing this exercise on YouTube.)
3. Russian Twist - Start with the ball in both hands stretched out in front of you at shoulder height. Then, twist and stretch fully to the right, pivoting on your left toe, and then to the left, pivoting on your right toe. Once you are back to the center this is one repetition.  
4. Squat to Press - Start again with the ball raised above your head. Then, as you squat, bring the ball down to your chest. Once in the squat position, burst up again to original position. This is one repetition.
5. Medicine Ball Sit-Up - Lie on the floor with your legs bent comfortably and with the medicine ball at your chest. Hold the medicine ball to your chest as you do your sit-ups. Be careful to hold the ball in a stable position to avoid injury.
6. Rocky Solo - Start in a seated position, holding the ball in front of you. Then, twist to place the ball around behind your back and leave it there as you twist around to the other side to pick it up. When in the original position, this is one set.
7. Toe Touch - Starting flat on your back with your legs straight and on the floor, place the medicine ball in both hands and stretch your arms along the floor above your head. Then, at the same time, life your legs and your arms to touch the ball to your toes. Return to the original position for one repetition.
8. 45-Degree Twist - Seated, with legs slightly bent and your back at a slight angle, take the ball in both hands straight in front of you. Then twist to the left side with arms outstretched and touch the ball to floor. Twist back to the right side, touch the floor with the ball, and return to the original position. This is one repetition.
9. Suitcase Crunch - Start with your back flat on the floor, similar to the Toe Touch, and bring up one leg toward your chest separately while bringing the ball forward at the same time, over the knee, crunching, to touch the toe. Repeat with the other leg. This is one repetition.
10. Diagonal Crunch - Start this exercise lying on the floor as in previous exercises, but this time with your torso twisted to one side and with your legs spread wide apart. It is like doing a twisted sit-up, where you come up from the twisted position to sitting straight up on the floor. Tap the ball to the floor and go back to the lying position, this time twisting to the the other side. Sit up, tap the ball and return to the original position for one repetition.

I did this routine for nearly six months straight, about three to four days per week, but I stopped doing this it in its entirety after moving to Boston last July. After quitting my favorite gym - Island City Health and Fitness in Wilton Manors, FL - I just couldn't find another place to get into the routine. I loved that gym because there was a quiet, mirror-clad room where I could do the full workout and see myself from every angle and during every exercise. That kept me motivated because I could watch my form and measure my progress at every moment of the workout.

Now that I am in a new place and have plenty of room to workout at home, I'm setting things up so I can do this workout four days per week without having to worry about gym dues. I will supplement this exercise, as always, by walking and/or hiking at least 20 miles per week.

Going all the way: Setting a new healthy weight goal

I am inspired right now to reconsider my healthy weight goal. When I originally started this project, I weighed more than 420 pounds and set a goal to halve my weight. I settled in on a number - 227 lbs. - because it was just under the mark for Class I Obesity for my height. But the more I consider that goal, I feel it doesn't go far enough. It's a good goal. Hell, it may be a great goal. But it is not reflective of my desire to live in a way that leads me to optimal health.

I want to reduce my risk of chronic disease. That's the point. It's not about how I will look. It's about how I feel. And more, it's about what I can do.

Realizing this will take a new level of focus for me, I am exploring ideas. I've considered prescribed exercise plans like P90X, the Insanity 60 Day Workout and CrossFit, and I haven't ruled them out, because exercise is a huge part of what will make me successful at reaching my new goal (just as it has been to the point where I am today).

More important though, I want to take my food intake more seriously and begin cooking seriously healthy foods on a daily basis. I need to stop eating out on a regular basis, because even if I select healthy options while I'm out, I want to have more control over the ingredients, and how the ingredients are prepared.

I'm watching the new video called Hungry for Change, which talks about addictive chemicals in processed foods, which is stuff I already heard about in Food, Inc. But it also talks about juicing and a raw diet and other things I haven't given much thought to as of yet. There's also a recipe book that you can order from them as well (I think this is related to Tony Robbins), so I plan on buying that since it's in line with my desire to prepare healthier foods at home.

Meanwhile, I'm very much considering taking up a hard core workout routine. If something has worked for you, let me know and tell me why. I'm looking for all the information I can before deciding which path to take on the next step in my fit life journey.

So, you may be wondering, "Where's the part about your new goal?" Here it is. I'm almost hesitating to say it, probably because I still harbor fear and doubt over my ability to achieve it. But it is do-able, I know it. And I have developed a strong system of support, so I know where to go for help and am not afraid to ask for it.

So here goes: I will work to achieve a goal weight of 190 pounds. That's nearly 80 more pounds to go, and 30 more pounds than my original goal of 220. And I will strive to lose this weight by the end of the year. That gives me nine months. I will remain with the goal of weighing 227 pounds as an interim goal to be met by my birthday in August.

Now I just need to come up with the new plan...

Save money (and calories) on snacks by planning ahead

Planning ahead can make a big impact on your bottom line

Packing a lunch is sometimes impossible. With so many cheap, convenient options on the road, who needs it anyway, right? I mean, if you're anything like me, it's tough enough to simply get up, get showered and dressed and get out the door with a cup of coffee most mornings. Besides, I have found a select few ever-present fast food joints that I can rely on to eat healthy in a pinch.

But snacking, ironically perhaps, is a bigger problem for me. Even if I do make the time to have some oatmeal or a fried egg sandwich before heading to work, that mid-morning pang in my belly will have me thinking of food long before the dreaded 10 a.m. meeting that's bound to stretch into lunchtime. And where I work, there just aren't any healthy options that I can grab during that always busy rush that seems to consume some mornings.



So if I don't want to have to rely on casing that nasty vending machine for my mid-morning snack, I know that I better think ahead. In the past, I have stocked up on my favorite snack ahead of time - 2% Greek yogurt with a bit of honey. But my brand costs about $1.70 for a single serving, and sticky fingers sometimes walk away with one or two of my stash, so it's just not feasible on my current budget to count on that five days a week at work.



Beware the evil vending machine!



Plus, I run into the same problem in the late afternoon as I do in the morning. Around 3 p.m., I wonder how I often lack the energy to finish the work day, let alone fight traffic for 30 minutes, greet two yipping dogs waiting at the door to be walked and get set to prepare a healthy dinner. So what's a guy to do?

The answer: plan ahead. If there's one thing I learned in Boy Scouts, it's be prepared. If you're interested in fit living, which I'd imagine you are since you're reading this blog, being prepared can help you stay healthy while at the same time being economical and being kind to the environment by promoting recycling and reusing, etc.,

So for healthy, pre-planned snacking, I buy the four-serving container of yogurt for around $6, which brings the per-serving cost of the stuff down by twenty cents. Not a bad start!

Then, I shave even more cents off the per-serving cost by adjusting my own personal serving size. I have always found that the serving size listed on the container is more than I need to eat as a snack. By cutting the serving size in half I not only save money - when one serving makes two I spend only seventy-five cents per serving - but I also save 85 calories, 2.25 grams of fat, while still getting 11.5 grams of protein.

To put this into perspective, by saving just one dollar per day on snacking, I'm saving $365 per year. That's a round-trip ticket to Miami. And because I'm snacking healthy, I'll look good in a bathing suit once I get there!

So at the beginning of the week I pre-portion all of my yogurt. One container makes enough yogurt cups for the first four days of the week. Then on Thursday I crack open another container and make enough portions to last through the weekend.

There are other benefits of pre-portioning my own yogurt cups, too. For one, sticky fingers stay away from my homemade yogurt cups. Plus, I find that adding my favorite local honey tastes way better than any of the pre-packaged yogurt and honey recipes I've tried. And, at the end of the day, I feel better about reusing containers so I'm doing my part to keep unnecessary trash out of landfills.

Exercise Log: Keeping things up to date

I've been exercising quite a bit lately, though I haven't been able to blog about it since I've moved to a new apartment and don't have internet service there yet. So here I will provide a summary of what's going on with me lately.

Walking/Hiking

During the week, I make it to the trails in the Sandia Foothills at least two times and hike for at least two hours, or about three to four miles depending on the intensity of the route I choose. Each weekend I have been doing one strenuous hike of at least three hours, or about five miles. In addition, I have begun walking my dogs between two to three miles daily around my new neighborhood.

Strength Training

I have been doing my medicine ball exercises about two times per week lately. I plan on upping this to three times per week doing the full workout described in a previous post. As I modify this workout to add more sets of varied excercises I will post that here.

So while I may not be posting daily about my fitness routine, I will try to keep this blog up to date as I make changes, adding or deleting activities to my exercise routine. I am also going to begin posting more exercise videos to YouTube in coming weeks.