oops

so i am not 100% sure. but i worry that the scale might go up on monday ;(. I think i have been eating too much. and by eating too much, i mean eating too much healthy food. i have sort of abandoned the day to day menu of the Instinct Diet, BUT i have continued to use her recipes and food choices for meals. i mean i guess i'm doing the non conformist version. but i bought some salami (i know so bad) (lol) and have very much enjoyed that with goat cheese as a snack a bit too often. than probably rec.

i think it will be okay because i have continued to hit the gym soooo i'm hoping i won't see the scale go up on monday.

i am (excuse me, i'm going to stand on a soap box for a minute) also pretty sad about my situation with said guy from other posts. he came back in the picture for a minute then continued on his path of selfishness and bad behavior. sadly i've felt that the three months of fun and happiness was NOT worth the hurt i'm going through now. yup i think that's called regret. at this age though as terrible as it seems i would for sure trade those three months for not going through this depressing state of making vats of beef stew applesauce just to keep my mind busy while searching for employment.

some might say that he helped boost me into this nice phase of loosing weight but what's cool is he doesn't get any credit for any of the positive things i've been dealing with as i never at one point thought, "well i'll get fit for jacob" or "i'll show him,i'll loose weight and be even hotter"...nope these are all MY own goals and desires and that does feel good. and for today, it feels good knowing that i would trade that time with someone for happiness now. i know some people might call me a b****. well, we can't always be perfect.

ok but wait-- i did punch MUCH harder at boxing last night than i have in awhile. in fact i think my punches were pretty stellar. so --- jacob i guess you can own that for a minute, the fact that i could move someone wearing a belly pad with my fist. ;) good work.

anyway- thanks for listening. and wish me luck on the overeating healthy food. i know she says in the Instinct diet that you should keep healthy food in the house, but she also didn't say eat it all in one sitting. hmm. balance.

one more thing. i have to keep repeating this...ice cream with high fiber ice cream (add some fruit too) is GENIUS. so yummy!

have a great rest of the week.

record low

today is not only a busy day for me but a good monday. the scale read something so low i stepped on it twice!

part of last week i fell off a bit (see cheated) and went back to the first stage of the diet to make up for getting off track.

today i'm supposed to jump into stage II but i haven't had the opportunity to really study the meals. i glanced at a few options that i thought sounded really good-so hopefully i'll be able to incorporate the food choices for the next 6 weeks.

Measurements
My B,H,Arms were all the same.

Thighs were .5 inch bigger than last check in ;( not sure if that's muscle or what!?!? (or error)

Waist: 26in (.5 less than last week)

Weight: 142.4

Seriously- i thought it was 144.2 which is what it was the last two weeks. so i stepped on it again and was so excited and motivated to stay on track. i almost forgot to check and ran upstairs almost certain the scale was going to go up. I do worry though that this may happen a little if i loose a lot more. My body has been comfortable at 145 for over 5 years now so I don't know where it will settle if i continue to lose more. does that make sense?

regardless-seeing a record low on the scale sets the tone for a great week. especially given my roller coaster love life and nonexistent work life.

i don't have any good updates for the "love life" but i do have an interview today. so maybe the more important things in my life will begin to fall back into place sooner than later. nonetheless interviews provide a good boost in the "job search" whichever decision they result in.

some housekeeping: a few of you have commented on writing, i welcome your thoughts,struggles,successes, so send them over! also please if you enjoy this blog, leave a comment every now and again!

(pictures to follow!)

cheated

so with the inauguration excitement and visit from my mom- stage II didn't last too long.
my mom, a huge fan of "yummy" foods (being McDonalds or pizza etc) didn't seem as interested in me cooking for her as the little pizza place down the road. AND she deserved a few dinners out since she works like crazy and just barely had time to visit.

i tried to implement some of what i've learned while eating out. such as getting a salad before or packing some high fiber snacks such as apples for the inauguration (which we didn't really eat much of) (but newly made friends enjoyed some of the apples and strawberries!) and post inauguration i def enjoyed the large salad i made for dinner.

with the events of the week, i also didn't get to work out much but am planning my return tonight and tomorrow with zumba! nothing like calorie blasting cardio to get you back on track. i also am trying to stick to stage one of the diet until sunday.

the hard part about cheating is it gets you out of "the zone". you no longer are thinking with your healthy brain and remember the world of things like chips and bread. lol. so before starting over- last night i decided to finally try the indian fusion restaurant 3 blocks down the road from my house. although i got a spinach dish (with the ONE peice of naan they included)- the saddest part about cheating, is when it's not really worth it. it was good- but post i'll have to go back some day to try some of their other dishes to see what they strengths are.

my friend justin is dealing with some stress right now and i hope he does join us here again soon, but we'll have to let him slide for now. in the meantime i await some "guest contributors" who i feel will also help give you a boost back on track- if celebrating Obama made you want to eat a whole cake. (which i didn't btw ;))

tchau.

monday monday monday!

there's good news and news news.

first i apologize i can't write too much. i have a lot ot accomplish in a little time before my mom gets here!

i am getting so excited for the inauguration--and for not being tempted by crap food. okay maybe a little tempted by the DOUGH BOY stand at the metro last night but i walked on by.

measurements. here's the updates.

Good news:
Everything stayed the same! i didn't go up OR down but am happy that the scale said exactly 144.2 this morning.

it's good for a lot of reasons. one being my average weight is 145lbs and that's usually where i stay. so if i can stay at 144 then all efforts at the gym and eating right will hopefully push the weight lower week by week. (don't worry i am staying in the zone of healthy weight for my height!)

And everything stayed the same with my measurements although my waist was .5 inch bigger. which i'm not sure i think is a bad thing. i think that could be my error or maybe my muscles are getting toned ;)

so all in all, i'm happy with the end of week two. and despite being able to start the next stage of the I diet-things are so busy around here i'm not sure when i'll get to look at the book again.

okay more soon. happy obama day!

almost through week two

talk about an annoying week. nothing like getting rejected last week, then being in contact, getting ones hopes up only to be dumped again. never once getting to look him in the eye.

nonetheless what better motivation to kick some booty at the gym? this week with not much else going on, i pretty much got dressed for the gym each day wearing the same workout pants over gym clothes and a hoodie, marching there, sweating through pain,frustration and all other negative emotions rejection leaves you with.

LEAVING with much more though! leaving with burned calories and that boost in serotonin knowing you can and will eventually get over him.

i've really enjoyed this diet actually. i have learned some great recipes and keep getting more and more excited to try new ones. i made salmon last night-enough for both of us--right this is where he bailed once again,sigh through email- but guess who now has some great dinner for the rest of the weekend! the salmon with yogurt dill sauce was so simple and easy to make and tasted fabulous!

that's something i've enjoyed about the "I" diet- i haven't had to buy all new and exotic foods or a million dollars on spices or get stressed trying to understand how to make a basic salad following her recipes. they all are so simple and taste incredible and fit in with hectic schedules. ALTHOUGH my schedule is unemployed (not hectic) i haven't had to spend hours making anything and know everything would be easy to make before work or quickly after a workout.

"I"Diet i'm impressed--you took what i learned from south beach and increased my cooking skills all while helping me lose holiday pounds last week AND feel like i can get over a boy. that's a diet. okay and zumba helped and strength classes...okay AND the cute guy at the gym that told me he might try zumba next week. (well post inauguration).

thanks for continuing to send postive messages our way. i am thinking of all of you in colder states right now, be healthy and stay warm.

a few tips: target is now selling fitness items i their "dollar" section and they work! arm resistance bands and weights all things that can give you a quick workout while stuck inside.
i've put some near my bedroom door so i know if i stick the gym i don't have many other excuses.

next week is a very exciting week for DC (and our country) and i'm really excited for my mom to visit. also because i get to cook for her all these yummy "diet" foods.

losing bad habits.. gaining some pretty damn good ones.

in case you wanted to know...

what is zumba? what these videos....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Hxw_Jf2B4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf0q6qtThF4


it's all that and more!

you'll love it.

week one weigh in

i'm pretty hungry but always forget to weigh in before eating so today i remembered and am happy!

Before Diet
149lb-150lb (holiday bonus weight!!)
(sadly i didn't do any measurements)

After week one
and the scale says 144.2
I won't post bust measurements, as it's always just going to be a small bust ;) lol
Waist 26.5in
H 36.5in
Thighs 21in (be kind folks this is one of my target areas) (and of course hardest place to lose weight for women)
Arms 9 in

This is def. one of the first and most public ways i've announced my progress but i'm trying to provide honesty for the motivation you've all given me. i have a "diet tracker", which when used frequently is another great tool for staying fit, well i've gone back and forth with it, however i did try to update my weight every now and again.

i was actually at 144 in Aug of 2008, with some of the same measurments, however my thighs were .5in bigger and my hips were a whole 1 inch bigger! so i'm feeling really good about the measurements.

which of course give me reason to stick to the "I" Diet (as it's called in the book) and see myself applying a lot of it's tips into future eating habits.

that being said, i'm ready for some high fiber cereal,granola and fruit for breakfast.

happy monday.

tired,happy and not hungry.

end of week one. ah the bliss of a saturday night spent at home still high off of the zumba class this afternoon and last night! i know, maybe not the weekend that you are having but nonetheless one that i very much am enjoying.

so here's the diet report. this week wasn't that bad. i wasn't able to follow the diet meal by meal, but i pretty much stuck to the meals and just moved them around on different days if i was short ingredients for one day. i also didn't want to have to spend (and can't actually) too much over the food budget, which was another reason for shuffling meals on certain days. i didn't feel too hungry or deprived of anything. if i skipped snacks or pushed meals too late then i def. felt hungry and cranky. right now i have a bit of a headache from not being fully hydrated and eating a bit later than i should have.

brace yourself. i cheated 3 times! boo ---right? well let me explain. it was some really disciplined cheating lol. i was at my farewell staff meeting and they had a cake for me! not only a cake, but vanilla my all time favorite! i seriously could have eaten three huge peices but-managed to cut myself the smallest peice and enjoyed every last bite. when i say small i mean small... about the size of half a credit card and as thick as a deck of cards maybe less? good right?

second cheat was a ferrero rocher when i needed a chocolate fix. (chocolate is actually allowed in stage 1 of this diet) so it wasn't that bad of a cheat. and the last cheat was the same day as the cake and was a bite (one bite) of a friends pizza. and that was it!

i am looking forward to weighing myself on monday and also taking measurements. i've gotten some great encouragement from all of you,making me think this time may be the time i get to my goal weight.

as far as working out goes it was also a solid week. although "The Instinct Diet" does require exercise i feel it's bonus for the body and brain while dieting. my week included a hardcore strength class and three zumba classes,along with one today that def. made my saturday much better since i usually overeat and SKIP the gym on the weekends.

i'm feeling really good about the diet and getting back on track. it's amazing how one week can make a difference. my emotions were all out of whack and i was feeling really really down. i dealt with some rejection,started a diet,got a library card,was inspired by some good books,applied to some jobs, SCORED an interview and feel really fit and not gross.

that's the way to end your week! if every week has the ability to move me like that well hot damn, sign me up ;) for now though i'm going to gear up for another week of the first phase of the diet and keep kicking my booty at the gym.

oh right and justin... he's sick (faking) (jk ;)) but promises to be back full blast (yes i just said that lol) next week. so much for justin's headstart though- i'm totally gonna smoke him.

tchau.

walking hurts.

despite feeling less pathetic than the past 12,000 weeks of being unemployed, the rain definitely didn't make "rise and shine" really happen. i did physically wake up and turn some lights on at 7:30am but decided that i didn't have to get out of bed until a bit later. i won't say how late for all of my employed friends, probably wishing they could sleep in... but in reality that would mean you would be unemployed like me and that is not even close to fun.


i only left the house yesterday, determined to take a yoga class to help my stop my body from screaming at me in pain. i walked to the metro thinking about all the other shared blogs i could write with people to help keep me moving and active. i could write a 3 mile blog and promise to walk at least 3 miles every day if someone on the other side of my computer screen could join in the efforts. i guess that's what book clubs and running clubs are all about ay? although revolutionary to me, pretty standard and common for the rest of the world.


anyway the walk over was actually really calming and all my body wasn't screaming and the rampant "you're pathetic get out of bed, get a job, actually get a boy to commit to you, save some money" thoughts seem to be distracted by the quiet calm of my neighborhood. probably because it was a little rainy outside.

so i get to target before the gym and pick up another pack of orbit strawberry mint (they only seem to sell it at the 14th street target) since that's helped me not cheat and eat entire bags of chips and i see my zumba instructor.

for any of you who has talked to me for more than five minutes, you know that zumba is one of my favorite work outs. you burn something like 500-900 calories depending on how much you put in. (fair enough right) (although the non smiling, wearing a sweatsuit, barely moving woman next to me, who made me think someone had forced her to come to class and not only attend class but be miserable, probably only burned 150 calories for frowning the whole time). it's salsa, merengue,samba, hip hop all rolled into really active "dances" which require very little coordination. i actually have thought about becoming an instructor.


destiny convinces me to let her sneak me into the already full (you're supposed to sign in ahead of time) class and it's all that and BETTER than a bag of chips :).


and today with a somewhat busy schedule i actually won't be able to work out, and since i can't really walk up and down the stairs properly i think stretching will be a good choice for myself. and tomorrow i'll hopefully have enough serotonin to get me out of bed early enough to be able to hit the gym before becoming busy in the evening.


many of you have sent some really encouraging emails and messages to me and justin since starting this blog and of course this morning one of my quotes on my "igoogle" pages reflects all of your wonderful words ;) (which i do very much appreciate!) (SEE BELOW)


enjoy your day today and burn some extra calories for me!

Never tell anyone that you're writing a book, going on a diet, exercising, taking a course, or quitting smoking. They'll encourage you to death.
- Lynn Johnston

1/7/08

Murphy's Law is a son of a bitch.....

I get all geared up and focused to start this plan and execute it...and what happens???...I wake up one morning paralyzed. Awesome.

My neck is hurting real bad again today....don't know if I should push it at the gym until I can turn my head without wishing for the sweet release of death....

I'm an idiot..

Ignore that last blog...I guess when you hit some button.....it automatically posts! Woops..

Anyway..I felt good about this week...I was looking forward to really hitting it hard...I went into Bally's right after work and weighed myself...202lbs! I had last 3 lbs in my first week. Not bad eh? I was concerned, however, that this workout may be a wash...I woke up earlier in the day with a strange pain in my neck. I may have slept on it wrong. I started lifting and I could feel it bothering me right away. I did what I could, but didn't get in a great workout at all. I plan to make up the things I couldn't do on Wednesday if my neck feels better by then, beacuse it's Tuesday and I acutaly took off work due to it hurting so much. I may just walk on a treadmill at least to get my blood pumpng until my neck stops being stupid. You can always do something! I just hope this doesn't set me back too much. I think I can't go to the gym today either...I don't want to aggrivate anything more so.

Why is it...that no matter what time or day you go to the gym...you manage to see the same 2 to 3 people there....are these people there alllllll the time???...or has God simply run out of extra's in my life??

losing is more appropriate than ever

i'd love to spend a lot of time writing here as some of you have started enjoying this blog. however i am feeling pretty low despite my return to the gym. i will say that day one at the gym is never easy and going to a class by the hardest trainer might not have been the smartest idea.

what i try to do is go in with some type of negative thought then use that when you feel like giving up. it's amazing how much you'll push yourself to get that negative thought out of your mind or to beat yourself up for it. for example thinking about how much you ate during the holidays even though you knew that it wouldn't help your hips or thighs fit into anything without a stretch waistband.

i like to think about how much rejection i've had to deal with in life. that really keeps the weights in the air and not on the bench.

anyway enough moping. i am happy to have gone back but am not looking to being sore tomorrow. i'm also planning on attending the boxing class on wednesday which is another class to be yelled at and push yourself leaving you thinking you might vomit or die before the hour is up.

i'll try to be more positive tomorrow. just know that despite my miserable post today, getting back to the gym is something we all need to do. more often.

Some pics..

This is me in 06'....not overweight by any means......just.....squishy....

But still Handsome...












summer of
07....

And it begins...

OK....so I am finally getting a chance to write here...I mean...what else would I do at work...right??

So Janaina and I have been bitching about how much we suck at life for the past few weeks...namely in the excercise department. It's pretty funny how me and her have been on the same wavelength dating back to 97. We both became obsessed with the gym at the same time....

I was always athletic, captain if the basketball team type, my whole life. I just never was a guy anyone would turn their head to and say "Wow....look at that guys arms". Not that I want that or anything, but I often aspired to be. About 2 years ago I started working in a bar...where I was the only guy behind the bar.....picture COYOTE UGLY. I finally had found my inspiration since I couldn't ever quite get it from myself. Pathetic right? I had always tried to start a gym routine, but I ended up always sucking out within 3 weeks. I was finally determined and had a plan to boot. I started a work out my friend Bill reccomended called THE T SHIRT BODY WORKOUT. http://www.mensfitness.com/workout/88 It gave me a step by step guide of what to do, and eat.....and I followed it to a T. I started this in March of 07...and by May...you could really tell a difference. I had put on a bunch of muscle and was getting compliments on how I looked all the time. I will try to find some pictures to put up for comparison.

Over the course of that summer I was "nuts"...addictde to the gym. I didn't feel right if I didn't go. They you if you do something 30 days in a row it becomes a habit.....this became an additciton. I was eating so good as well too....never anything fried...EVER....my biggest problem like many others was my drinking. What can I say..I'm a drinker....

After the summer and for the following year, I still worked out quite a bit, but it wasn't as much as a priority as it once was. I had lost that EYE OF THE TIGER. It is only recently when I saw that I tipped the scales at 205 (the most I ever have) that I realized I needed to get back into my passion of working out. Hopefully this blog will keep me on track..

I've been working out hardcore again, and eating right for a week now. I am starting off with my 8 week program that got me into in the first place almost 2 years ago. It's good to mix up your routines, but I thought that starting with an old friend may bring back memories of obsessions of yore..and get my ass in gear. So far soo good....I can already feel it in my arms and back. The muscle I had gained is still there...now it's just getting rid of that 15 lbs of fat I had put on!! I weighed in at 205 on the 29th of December.....I will be weighing myself every Monday and updating my weekly progress....my ultimate goal is to be down to 190 by March 1st. 15lbs in 2 months?? No problem.....

a thousand words...

okay so i can't seem to move these pictures. above is a pic from the summer after first losing 15lbs. (2004)
this is the me now-- feeling a little "curvier"! this was i think in october 2008.
this was during a thanksgiving. i was so dedicated to working out- i always found time. i hope to get my legs back to this shape ;)
again summer of 2003 or 2004-- obviously a tan helps but still was in great shape!


okay so those are some pictures to start. i know you're staying up waiting for more, so i promise they'll keep coming.

stay classy folks!

You only think you are hungry...

i'm sorry that you are reading my thoughts again as I'm sure at this point you're more excited about hearing from Justin. nonetheless blogs don't write themselves and unlike his unemployed friend over here, justin has a life.

so i'm doing it. i'm starting a diet. i think i mentioned the last diet i did was South Beach with my mom about 5 years ago. i learned a lot from South Beach so I never thought a diet was necessarily the thing i needed as i had altered a lot of what and how i ate.

but something that happens when you embark on something new, is you are awarded the beginning stages. the most fun of everything. the new year, a new job and a new diet. you get the exciting feelings of starting something good and for all you know, lasting.

i might not be gearing up for my inauguration speech marking the beginning of changing a whole nation, but i'm gearing up to change my world. change my habits. change my breakfasts, lunches, dinners and hopefully in two months pants size.

the start of a race. the purchase of something new. the purchase of something new and big; a car, a computer, a house. the birth of a child. a new engagement. the first day of training at a job that pays a salary that is very new and exciting for you. the first date, with for once a great guy.

always so promising and so exciting. usually coming at times when most needed, pushing us towards a change in a path that might have started to look worn. and we, often welcome the change when it's on our own accord.

these are the reasons it was time to start a new diet. and as predicted, i'm pretty excited. i've read most of the introduction and agreed with the author page after page, the feeling of visiting with a friend at a coffee shop nodding through each others' stories. yes- you understand how i'm feeling!

the food choices almost require very little shopping which makes me feel good about the things i'm already eating. i'm excited that it's an 8 week diet. 2 months. easy. and the no alcohol phase is only 2 weeks. i'm excited that Dr. Susan Roberts (the author) hasn't yelled at me for not working out and even told me i dont' have to work out to lose.

now- i love working out and got new gym clothes for christmas, so once i brush this "the gym is how far away and it's how cold out?" funk off my shoulders i'm sure the workouts will help the world seem so much more beautiful on so many levels.

so here are the stats. and yes, i'm about to admit my actual weight.very scary moment here since i almost never talk about how much i actually weigh, just how much i'd like to weigh. but how can i compete with justin and make you realize that this is totally possible and make me actually commit to something other than cleaning if i don't face the truth?

currently at 149lbs. (i'm 5'7 for any of you math wizards calculating my BMI out there-- don't stress, i'll post that here next) would like to be 130lbs. i would like to tone my thighs and buns (who doesn't right?) and increase my visible abs from 4 to 6 including my obliques.

stay tuned, for pictures. (yes very scary) and measurments. i'll talk to justin and maybe we'll come up with a format for reporting that to one another.

after finishing the rest of the cape cod chips with sour cream and onion dip(yes i finished that too) last night, i think i've almost cleaned out the accessible crap foods in the fridge and am probably ready to start tomorrow.

any personal inspirational quotes you'd like to share? or pictures of you eating dough boys at the fair?

false start

justin was supposed to start the first entry since unlike his partner in fitness crime, has actually stepped into the gym this past week. much more than my visualization of stepping into my gym.

here's what happened. i lost my job. thus somehow also losing my ability to regularly work out. makes zero sense since now i have more time to actually workout non stop and reach any stick figure goals i want to set.

so all in all with the holidays, i've probably been away from the gym for close to 2 months. last night during our "woes me with men and women" conversation, justin and i realized that both of us have partaken in the "two month no gyms program" which has left us feeling "more fluffy" than either of us enjoy. luckily i've only gained 4 lbs but def. notice the lack of nice toned muscles.

although justin played sports growing up and i danced, for me working out was a fairly new thing post college and feeling the "wow i really did gain the freshman 15 all four years" endeavor. i go back and forth between being mildly addicted to full out addict. i love myself the most when i'm using the gym very close to obsessively.

something about that post workout glow that increases your serotonin, makes your body look hotter and makes you feel good when you see that you actually have abs. i'm very proud of my four- (working towards a) six pack.

tonight i might hit my favorite gym class. zumba! which i actually have thought about becoming an instructor for. we shall see. i have to call and see if the class is still on and if so, tonight might be my relapse back into the world of addiction.

justin has a headstart and should update you soon on his week of return. maybe he'll tell you his story of gym addiction, maybe even in a less sarcastic way than i did. you may also notice that i have horrible grammar habits, i'm pretty sure justin will be better at that. i also think justin might be a nicer person than me at least more charming, so you'll probably fall in love with him and encourage his "journey" much more than mine. which i'm totally ok with. i'm pretty competitive so i'm sure any inkling of justin getting closer to his goals will help me push myself into high gears.

that being said i better get into the shower since slowly the day is slipping away and i can't continue to support my "eat whatever i want despite not working out" habits by sitting in bed.

happy new year. may you all find motivations to kick yourself into a healthier 2009.