BOTW - Day 5

Forget yesterday but here's today.

Back on the wagon - Day 3

Didn't do myself any favors yesterday.

Back on the wagon - Day 2

Obviously weight fluctuates a bit so it'll be interesting to see where I'm at tomorrow.

Back on the wagon - Day 1

Not happy with myself. I've put 20 pounds back on since reaching my lowest weight. I've been eating more like the old me and it shows. I need to get back on track. I did go for a run finally on Saturday with some group runners in Lincoln. Super nice people and very welcoming. Ran over 6 miles. Pretty good for my first run since my half marathon on October 2nd.

Airline seats aren't that bad

I am on a flight to Minneapolis as I type this thanks to in-flight wifi. I was actually looking forward to sitting in my seat to see how much more room I had compared to 100 pounds ago. It's reasonably comfortable and I don't feel like I'm invading the space of the stranger in the seat next to me.

Other news...

I ran my half marathon 2 weeks ago today and did really well. Finished it in 2:23:08. I haven't run since then but I plan on it this week, i.e., probably next. A couple of my toenails have turned purple and I cut one of the big ones off last Sunday. That was really, really stupid and I recommend letting those types of things occur on their own. Much less pain that way.

I haven't been logging into MFP as much to see if I can manage on my own. I've done alright. My weight is still around 230 last I checked. Another big negative is that I've been having Mocha Frappes from McD's a few times a week. That has got to stop. It's reminding me of sneaking chocolate ice cream cones when I was 335 pounds. Those sugary drinks don't taste anywhere near as good as I feel after losing all of that weight.

Well the flight is coming close to its descent so I'll end it here.

1 year ago today

1 year ago today I started this blog and made the decision to do something about my weight and lifestyle.

Since then I've lost over 100 pounds and run 8 different races. A few days before starting the blog I ran my very first 5k. I finished with a time of 40:33 and had to walk some of it. This past Saturday, I ran that same race on the same route and finished the strongest I ever had before with a time of 23:58. It was such an amazing feeling to really feel what a difference a year has made.

Raider Run tomorrow

I'm pretty pumped about my 5k race tomorrow. It was one year ago that I ran my first 5k ever at last year's Raider Run. My time then was 40:33. I hadn't quite started my journey yet although I had been running and was about 6 weeks or into the 9 week Couch to 5k workout program. I'm planning on finishing at least 15 minutes faster.

 I should be in bed but I'm contemplating about what music I want to listen to during the race. I'm pretty sure it's going to be the Inception soundtrack.

 I'll have another post after I've run it. Wish me luck.

Losing "weight"

I've been having an internal struggle with something for quite a while about something pretty important to me. But before I say what that is, I'm going to talk about why I am.

For several years now, I've been wanting to do the BAK. And now that I've lost all the weight (and so far kept it off), it's something that I know I can do and really want to do. Well, you can't do the BAK without a bicycle. I have a bicycle but not exactly one for riding the sometimes flat, often times hilly highways of Kansas. I like my bike but it's classified as a hybrid and is great for commuting and riding around town. The farthest I've ridden it is 27 miles. My dream bike is the Surly Long Haul Trucker. It's made for touring and riding long distances. The bike is not cheap so I have to save up for it and that includes selling a bunch of stuff.

And that brings me to the struggle I've been having for a while. I've decided to sell my comic books. I love reading comics. I have since I was 9 years old when the 1989 Batman movie hit theaters and I've been collecting them off and on ever since. None of them have huge monetary value, just sentimental more than anything. I'm going to sell some next weekend at the city-wide garage sale. I'm going to try and get rid of a bunch of stuff and lose some "weight."

Just because I'm going to sell my comics doesn't mean I'm giving them up. I still buy trade paperbacks or multiple issues bound in one volume to get my comic book fix. I'm sure I'll bring some along when I do the BAK to help pass the time in the evenings.

It's going to be much harder mentally and emotionally to lose this "weight" than it was the 110 pounds I lost.

Training for a half marathon

So I started training for a half marathon last week. A friend has convinced me to run in his yearly group run that's right at 13.1 miles. Since that is considerably farther than a 5k or 10k, I can't just show up the day of and run like I have my last 2 or 3 races. And besides, the regular running is good for me.
I started last week and ran a 5k on 3 different days. This week so far I've run 3.5 miles on Monday and early this morning. I plan on running 4 miles this Saturday. My plan is to run 3 or 4 miles for 2 days and then increase my longer run on the 3rd day. So this week is 4 miles. Next week will be 5, the week after 6 and so forth. The half marathon is on October 2nd.
I hope to be up to 9 or 10 miles and the thought is what's another 3 or 4 miles. We'll see how that works out.
Also of note, on September 17th is the Raider Run. It was last year's Raider Run that was my first race ever. I'm excited to do that one again and see how different it will be this time. I'll be able to run the whole race this time around as well as improve my time by at least 10 minutes.
I'm still maintaining my weight. I'm in that 225 to 230 pound range.
I keep thinking that I'm in over my head on this half marathon deal but then I remember a few things. Up until last year, I never thought I'd run a 5k. Up until a few weeks ago, I never thought I'd run a 10k. So why can't I run a half marathon. I'm the only person standing in the way.

My first 10k in the books

I did it. I completed my first 10k on Saturday and had a great time doing it. That's not to say it wasn't tough or that I didn't hurt along way or afterwards because I definitely did but I managed to run the majority of it and finished strong at the end. I have to also say that the 3rd Annual Brew 2 Shoe 10k was a well run event. 418 people finished the 10k race whereas they had over 200 last year.
As far as my placing goes, I finished with a time of 1:10:30.2 and averaged just under 11:21 per mile. I finished 361st out of 418 finishers and 34th out of 36 in my age group. I ran the first 2 miles and walked for a bit after that water stop. Water stops were at miles 2 through 5. I walked after each water stop and probably walked for the longest length of time between miles 4 and 5.
I really surprised myself with how well I did. Especially since I just decided I was going to participate the week before last and didn't train one bit for it. I don't think that's something to really brag about but it's just a statement of fact.
The after race festivities were awesome. The pizza and beer really hit the spot but I made sure I drank plenty of water before, during and after the pizza and beer as well as eat a couple of bananas after the race. I'm already looking forward to next year's race. The folks at Manhattan Running Co. really know how to put on a race, especially with well over 400 people participating and all of the other sponsors, local businesses and volunteers (especially those in uniform - THANK YOU!) helping out make it an event Manhattan can be extremely proud of year after year.
Congratulations to Manhattan Running Co. and Tallgrass Brewing Co. on 3+ years in business. We all make choices with the dollars that we spend and both of these businesses really put forth the extra effort to show why it matters to shop local.

My race playlist:
Barbastella - Batman Begins soundtrack
The Birth and Death of the Day - Explosions in the Sky
Kids - MGMT
Shake It - Metro Station
I Like It - Enrique Iglesias
Hey Little World - The Hives
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Born This Way - Lady Gaga
List of Demands - Saul Williams
Last Known Surroundings - Explosions in the Sky
Human Qualities - Explosions in the Sky
Glosoli - Sigur Ros
Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor) - John Murphy

My first 10k this weekend

So I've decided to participate in my first 10k this weekend. I say participate because I don't plan on running the whole thing. I've registered for the 3rd Annual Brew 2 Shoe 10k in Manhattan. It's a point to point race starting at Tallgrass Brewing Company and finishing at Manhattan Running Company. There will be Tallgrass beer and pizza from AJ's NY Pizzeria at the finish. I'm looking forward to that even if the race starts at 7:30 am. It should be around 9 am by the time I am done.
Luckily it shouldn't be as hot on Saturday as it has been over the last couple of weeks. It's been sad seeing my bike in the garage and not seeing any daylight. I've been making plenty of excuses not to ride or not waking up early enough before the kids are up for the day.
So as a way to make up for all of that I'm doing my first 10k. Not sure what logic there is in that, probably not a whole lot.
I'm still keeping my weight between 225 and 230. I know that if I overdo it a day or two to not get overly upset with myself but to just get back to where I was and I'm just fine.
Something else I've noticed is that I still see what I think is the old me in the mirror. I still have a spare tire but I just have to look at the picture of when I started this journey and all of the ones before to remind me that I've come a really long way in what will be one whole year next month.
So I hope to live to tell about my first 10k. If you're in the Manhattan area on Saturday morning after 7:30 along Highway 24 west of Rambler's, McCall Rd and Anderson, be sure to honk and make sure I'm ok.

Do Life 5k in Omaha

Yesterday morning I hit the road at 6 am for Omaha and arrived just before 9. Upon my arrival, I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Davis, the inspiration for this blog and my journey. Ben is such a cool guy in person. He's just like the guy we see and read everyday on his website, only a bit more tired from this cross country tour he and his dad are making along with the Ironman training they are both doing at the same time. But you can tell that he feeds off of all of the positive energy from everyone that attends (well over 60 people in Omaha) as much as we are inspired and energized by him and what he's doing.

It was also a pleasure meeting his dad, John. He's a really cool guy and someone you could listen to for hours.

John Davis aka "Pa", me and Ben Davis.

It was a rather warm morning by the time 10:15 rolled around when we started the 5k. I didn't run the whole thing but at least ran 2 miles of it. I met some really cool people from Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, each one with their own story and in various stages of their own journey.

I was even interviewed by NTV out of Kearney.



Afterwards we went to Panera, Ben's favorite place to eat. Everyone that was able to make it had a great time. I know I did. And I can't wait for the next time we can meet. Thank you, Ben and John.

Link:
Do Life: Omaha Facebook Album
Do Life Tour
Help them out if you can

A chance to meet Ben Davis

It's a been a while since my last post. There's hasn't been a lot of news in my world. The heat has put the kibosh on riding my bicycle to work so I've been pretty bummed about that.

I have been maintaining my weight between 225 and 230 pounds. I'm pretty pleased with that.

A few nights ago I decided to start a strength program. I downloaded an app called 100 Pushups. I'm really weak in my upper body and I have some loose skin around my midsection. I figured doing this would be a great as well as inexpensive way to build muscle and tighten things a bit.

This coming Saturday, I'm driving to Omaha to take part in the Do Life Official Unofficial 5k Tour. Ben Davis of BenDoesLife.com, his dad and his brother are traveling cross country and they along with anyone who shows up are running/walking/jogging - you name it - a 5k. This Wednesday, they will be in Kansas City. There is absolutely no cost or any sort of registration with this 5k. You just show up, get inspired, inspire others and have fun.

My family is one of the major reasons why I started this journey but it was Ben and his 120-pound journey YouTube video that lit the fire in me. I saw a lot of myself in him. Seeing his before photos I thought that was me. Maybe it was the facial hair, I don't know, but seeing his transformation, I told myself, I can do that. And I did it - minus the 10k, half marathon, marathon and Iron Man races.

Hopefully I can meet Ben and tell him thanks for both his inspiration (and giving me the ok to call this site ShawnDoesLife.com).  If I can manage to get a picture with him, I'll be sure to post it.

Today's lunch

Here's part of what I had for lunch today:

It's The World's Best Veggie Burger from Local Burger in Lawrence, Kansas. I've known about these for quite a long time but it was only last week that I finally had one. I'm kicking myself for not having one sooner. If you toast it or cook it in a skillet with a little oil, their veggie burger gets a really nice crust and has a great crunch when you bite into it. Of the 3 I've eaten so far, I've eaten them plain. I like them on their own.
I'm not compensated for my opinions on things like this. I just thought it's worth writing about so people can read about the types of things I eat that has helped me lose over 100 pounds.

How I roll

So for the past 2 or 3 weeks off and on and everyday this week, I've been riding my bike to work. Since Memorial Day when a friend asked me to go for a ride, I've become hooked on riding as much as I can. The only thing that has stopped me from riding so far has been the weather. A few times it's been raining and a few times, it's been just too hot that I'd be sweating too much at work. And it's not the heat in the mornings as much as it is when I ride back to work after lunch.

Here's how I roll:

I've got my XL-sized helmet, sunglasses with a rearview mirror attached on the left side, my cinch sport bag containing all of the stuff I'd normally carry in my pockets, red bicycle gloves so that it's easier for drivers to see when I'm signaling and then a couple head or hair bands that belong to my wife that keep my pants from getting dirty from the chain and the bike itself. It's really quite a sight.

I love, love, love riding and now I have a new goal of doing the BAK. My dad had tried to get me to take part in it for years but I never felt like doing it. But now it's something I really want to do. Unfortunately my current ride won't work very well on long rides so my dream bicycle is the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

I can't wait to get back on and ride. Riding is so liberating and makes me feel young while I'm smiling along the way.

Get Fit Wamego - Final Screening

Check out these numbers from my final screening this morning.

Almost everything is in the healthy range. Still need to work on HDL and BMI but at least those numbers changed in the directions they needed to. Look at my trigylcerides from this morning compared to April 2010. That's a huge difference. And I've lost 23 pounds in just over 2 1/2 months.

I'm pretty excited an proud of this. There's still quite a bit I can do to be even healthier but what I'm doing now is working.

I hope to see more of you take part in Get Fit Wamego next year. It's a great program.

Thank you everyone for all of your support on my journey. Not only have I changed physically but it's been huge boost mentally as well with all of your well wishes and motivation.

I can wear white

And I don't look terrible. My wife went on a little shopping spree on my behalf. Thanks, babe.

Check this one out too.

I'm also down to wearing size 38 pants. Crazy!

Swimming in my jeans

Take a look at me in my old pair of jeans. I used to wear them all of the time because they were comfortable and loose fitting. I didn't realize how big they were until I put them on a few days ago. The jeans themselves are really heavy.

I've been able to get rid of so much stuff in my closet and drawers. Part of me is worried about getting rid of it because what if I gain the weight back but I'm only looking forward and I know what I need to do to keep having success on this journey. And these pictures are a good reminder of that.

Thinned out the closet some more

Got rid of more shirts, some jeans, dress pants and cargo shorts. Found one pair that was size 48. Today, size 40 is a little loose. I also found a shirt that I wore only once for a wedding almost 2 years ago. It was a light cream color and I hated wearing it because white is not the most flattering color for a large person. 

Here's the before picture:

And the after:

I'll have another post of my old pair of jeans that I used to wear all of the time.

Today's 5k in Marysville

Ran in the Marysville Rib Run this morning. Felt a whole heck of a lot better today than I did running my last 5k. I didn't have any cramping or tightening up this time around. I wasn't sure how I would do today because again, I didn't run at all since then either. I have started riding my bike to work in the last week. I'll write more about that in another post soon.

My time today was 29:00, unofficially. 9 seconds slower than my fastest time. The route was a challenging one but I still enjoyed it a lot. It was the first year for this particular race and going on at the same time was a BBQ competition. Didn't stick around long enough for that though.

I did medal and placed 3rd in my age group. I was pretty surprised by that. I'm pretty sure there were more than 3 guys in my age group. For as much as I enjoy running in races, I should run a whole lot more in between them so that I can do even better.

Race playlist:

Barbastella - Batman Begins soundtrack
The Birth and Death of the Day - Explosions in the Sky
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Shake It - Metro Station
Kids - MGMT
Hey Little World - The Hives
Born This Way - Lady Gaga
Glosoli - Sigur Ros

Diet vs Diet

People have been asking me if I'm still dieting or on a diet. The definition of diet that I've been using is different than what everyone is asking me.

The most well-known definition of diet is eating food to lose or control weight as well as nutrient intake.

My definition of diet is the sum of the food consumed or the food I eat on a daily basis.

The way I see it and what I strive to do can be found on the cover of Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food:



Look at the ribbon on that head of lettuce: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." It's that simple. Now I don't always succeed at that but I'm at least aware of it at all times. Having fruits and vegetables be the focal point on my plate and the meat (especially red meat) be the side item has helped a lot. It's very "un-American." I've run into people on my journey who aren't willing to make that type of change and it's easy to see where it's getting them.

It's not like you have to give up all of the bad stuff. When it comes to red meat, I still eat it but not as often and I enjoy it more. I'm a huge fan of hamburgers, both homemade and at restaurants. Whereas I would have 2 homemade burgers with cheese, mayo, ketchup, etc., now I have 2 burgers in the course of a month, probably more like 2 or 3 and it would consist of mustard and maybe pickle.

If it's steak, I would limit myself to 4 or 5 oz. and not a typical dinner-sized portion.

I've made drastic changes in what I eat and how much. I'm not perfect but I'm more aware of what I'm doing and not just mindlessly eating.

Also, check out that book referenced above as well as his more well-known book The Omnivore's Dilemma. After that, pick up Food Rules.

8 months later

When I started this blog, my first post included a "topless" photo of myself. It was the 335+ pound version of me. The photo would be the initial motivation to start my weight loss journey. This morning I took another picture of myself after being on hiatus for a couple of months.

8 months and 100 pounds later:

The guy on the left wore XXXL shirts. The guy on the right has been wearing a few XL shirts lately.

The guy on the left was wearing size 46 in the waist. The guy on the right is wearing size 40.

The guy on the left was out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs. The guy on the right has another 5k race on June 4th.

The guy on the left was sick and tired of being sick and tired. The guy on the right is the result of that.

The guy on the left wanted to be around for a long time for his family. The guy on the right is going to be around for a long time for his family.

So I've lost more than 100 pounds

And here's the proof:

I was totally taken aback when I saw that number show up on the scale Friday morning. I thought I'd be close to 236, maybe 235.5 if I was lucky but definitely not less than 235. It feels really, really good. I never thought I'd lose 50 pounds. I've lost over 100 freaking pounds.

Now the next stage in my journey begins and that's maintaining my weight. I know I never want to go back to where I was. There's a whole lot that the thinner me is looking forward to doing. That includes spending as much time at the swimming pool as I can with Luke this summer. It also includes looking good in a tux for my brother's wedding. I'm not going to be the fat brother anymore.

Just take a look at the picture below (from December 2009):

There are too many of those and it's time for new ones.

Another perk is that I'm no longer obese according to my BMI. Now I'm just overweight. :)

Yet another before and after photo

I was going through my closet the other day and now have a dozen fewer shirts to wear as they are way too big, all of them XXXL or XXXLT. Also in my closet was a suit that I've worn maybe 4 or 5 times over the last 6 years or so. I hated wearing it because it was too tight and I would have to wear a white shirt and I looked huge in white.

I can remember trying to suck my gut in when it came time for formal pictures wearing that. It was tough buttoning the jacket comfortably.

I put it on and now it just hangs on me. The pants are loose and so is the jacket around my midsection. The first picture is from my sister-in-law's wedding in 2007 and the other picture is from last week. Enjoy!

I'm less than 2 pounds away from losing 100 pounds since starting this website. I haven't taken a picture lately like I did every month but I will once I hit the century mark.

What a difference a year can make...again

This past weekend I attended the Kansas Sampler Festival. It's an amazing yearly event. I attended last year as well.

Here's what I looked like then and what I looked like this year:

XXXL on the left. XL on the right.

I was embarrassed looking at the pictures of the XXXL version of me. The huge shirt just wasn't helping one bit and I looked terrible. Now I'm wearing an XL and I think I look good wearing it. I'm gaining more confidence in what I wear. It's an awesome feeling.

Another before and after photo

I have another before and after photo to share.

The left side is September 18th, 2010 and the right side is April 30th, 2011.

The old me couldn't run the entire 5k. The new me has run two 5k races in 2 weeks.

The old me was testing the limits of XXL shirts. The new me is swimming in them now.

The old me had a goatee to "hide" my fat face. The new me has one because it looks good (I'm told).

The old me had a lot to be happy about. The new me couldn't be happier.

Yesterday's 5k

Lots of highs and a few lows from yesterday's 5k in Topeka. My hope was that I would improve my time but I was 1 second slower than my last 5k. My time was 28:52 yesterday. The race started at 3 pm so that was a little bit of an adjustment but I don't think it had any effect on how I ran. I strained my right calf in the first half of the race and it's still sore today. It's a little bit better right now. Also, my gut started aching around the same time and I wasn't sure if I was going to throw up or what. It lasted the rest of the race and about 10 or 15 minutes after.
I had a decent breakfast, my usual oatmeal with flaxseed meal and also some strawberry greek yogurt. Lunch was lighter with just some vegetables. Looking back, I didn't drink near enough water both in the days before the race as well as yesterday morning and leading up to the race. Maybe a sports drink would have helped some too.
After the race, I went to a sports bar and "celebrated" by ordering whatever I wanted. I overdid it on what I ate and my wife told me she saw the old me. I felt that way too. I inhaled my food and had a lot of it. I had a cheeseburger, onion rings and a beer. I can't forget the spinach and artichoke stuffed mushrooms before my meal either. I also helped my wife finish her french fries. I was definitely the old Shawn for one meal. None of what I ate gave me the pleasure or satisfaction that losing 95 pounds or being a healthier person has. It was good to get that out of my system to remind me that I'm not missing anything.
On the bright side of things, I FINISHED ANOTHER 5K. I didn't stop running once as much as I felt like it and I still finished strong and with a decent time. I've come a long, long way from eating like a pig to where I am today.
If I'm going to keep this up, I really need to run and exercise on a more regular basis. I am looking forward to my next 5k on June 4th.

Here's a picture of me near the finish line from yesterday's race taken by SeeKCRun.com

Running another 5k race this weekend

So I'm registered for another 5k race this weekend in Topeka. It's the Law Day 5k. If you watch WIBW you've seen it advertised on there as they are a sponsor. Race time is 3 pm on Saturday.

I'm getting closer and closer to losing 100 pounds since starting this journey. Hopefully that will happen in the next week or two.

Also, I've been working on a playlist when I run. Here's the playlist from my last race.

Barbastella - Batman Begins soundtrack (I use this as a warmup before the race, walk around, lineup before the start)
The Birth and Death of the Day - Explosions in the Sky
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Shake It - Metro Station
Kids - MGMT
Hey Little World - The Hives
Born This Way - Lady Gaga (skipped this song as it was getting close to the end of the race and I really wanted to hear the next one)
List of Demands - Saul Williams
Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor) - Sunshine soundtrack

I'm always open to suggestions. If you have anything similar to what I have above or think I might like, please let me know. With rare exception, I don't know anything really current but that doesn't mean I'm against it.

Correction - My 5k time was even better

So the official results came out yesterday and my 5k time was 28:51 and not 29:12 like I thought. I'm pretty stoked by that. Also, I was about 30 seconds from placing 3rd. So close!

I signed up for another 5k on April 30th in Topeka. My goal for that race is to see if I can beat 28:51. The course is near Washburn University and the neighborhood to the west so my guess is that the course will be a little similar to the one I just ran as far as the inclines and declines. We shall see.

Today's 5k - 90 pounds lighter - 11 minutes faster

Ran my 2nd 5k this morning and my 4th race overall since starting my journey. I was worried that I wouldn't do very well because I haven't been running much since last month's 2-mile race. My 2 major goals for this race were running the entire race and finishing with a better time than my first 5k back in September of last year. I knew that if I ran the whole race then there was no doubt my time would be faster.

Well I definitely accomplished both goals. I finished this morning in a time of 29:12. That's over 11 minutes faster than my previous 5k. I even ran a faster pace than my 2-mile race last month.

A quick comparison:
9/18/10 - 335+ pounds - 40:33
4/16/11 - 245 pounds - 29:12

I feel like I pushed myself but I was also hurting a bit from not running very much over the past month. I didn't finish in the top 3 of my age group or win any door prizes but it wasn't why I ran. It was for a great cause and for my own health. I ran well and ran the whole race. I'm ecstatic with my time and I'm looking forward to my next race.

Look at me now

My wife gave me a new shirt and pair of shorts for my birthday. Check it out.

Compare that to August of last year in the picture below. Yikes!

What a difference a year can make

This morning I had my health screening for Get Fit Wamego. I took my readings from last year with me to compare and see how much they've changed. Some are really dramatic. According to their scale I am now under 250 pounds.

Everything has gone down. The only negative is that my HDL, the good cholesterol, has gone down also. There are foods I can eat to get that number up while continuing to keep the bad cholesterol down. In addition to the weight loss, the most dramatic change are the triglyceride levels. Keeping that number down keeps the blood flowing through you without your arteries narrowing or hardening, i.e. really important.

3 big reasons why I'm on this journey

Pretty easy to see why I've made the change I have. I plan on being around for a while.

Luke Gregory Lane born 7/24/08
Lauren Grace Lane born 3/24/11
And of course my beautiful wife, Jessica.

My first St. Patrick's Day Road Race

Today I ran in the 33rd Annual St. Patrick's Day 2-Mile and 10K Road Race in Manhattan. This year was my first as a participant as I had attended several in the past. My brothers ran a few times when we were younger. It's a really well known event in the area.

I ran the 2-mile race and kicked some butt. I really didn't know what to expect going into it. I knew that I ran 21:35 in my last 2-mile race back in October of last year in Wamego and since I hadn't been running as much, I figured that I would be lucky to beat that. Not only did I beat that but I finished in just under 20 minutes. My time was 19:59.7 officially. Being 75 pounds lighter certainly helps.

I felt really good during the race and I really picked up the pace in the last tenth of a mile. Had I been more familiar with the course and where I was for the last quarter mile, I really think my time could have been even better because I had enough energy left in me. I can't wait to run it again next year.

I'm also really looking forward to my next race on April 16th.

Under 260 pounds

I officially weigh less than 260 pounds. I'm under 260 by almost 2 full pounds. I'm that much closer to my high school weight. I never ever thought I would lose that much.

The scale read 258.1 this morning. That's 77 pounds lost since September 23rd of last year.

My wife bought me a new bathroom scale as an early birthday gift that's more precise rather than whole and half pounds like the old one. Normally, I'd be offended but I thought it was a great gift. My how things have changed.

I'm still planning on running in the St. Patrick's Day Race next Saturday in Manhattan unless something major occurs like the birth of our 2nd child.

It's a great feeling knowing that I've prolonged my life by losing all this weight so I can play an active part in the lives of my children and family. I've written about a few of the reasons why I'm making this change and after doing it for myself, my family is at the top of that list.

I'm really looking forward to going to the swimming pool this summer. Years past, I was embarrassed to be seen there because I felt so fat but now I can't wait to go and be with Luke in the water. I'll still won't look that great with no shirt on but it'll be a heck of a lot better than before.

Shaved the goatee

I shaved my goatee this morning. What do you think?



Compare that picture on the right from this morning to when I last shaved it back in July of last year.



The goatee will be coming back soon as my biggest fan prefers that.

Side by side comparison

9/23/2010 vs 2/23/2011

335+ pounds vs 265.5 pounds

42 BMI vs 33.2 BMI

Photo evidence after the jump.

5 months

I started this journey 5 months ago today. In that time I've lost 70 pounds. The scale read 265.5 this morning. Not in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would lose that much weight in that amount of time. It was always wishful thinking but it was never anything I thought I could actually do. Do is the keyword. I'm doing life and people are witnessing it along with me.
I've never been this open with so many people about something but all of you are reasons for my success. Thank you to everyone for all of your words of encouragement whether it's in person, second-hand through someone else, comments on Facebook, etc. And a huge thanks to my family. I see you everyday and you get to see my journey on a daily basis.

New clothes

I've been gradually getting new clothes and also wearing clothes that have resided in the bottom of dresser drawers and back of the closet. Last night I wore a pair of cargo shorts that are size 46 in the waist. Now they fall off. That's never happened before. You can see said pants in the picture on the right. I got pants that big because I needed to make sure there was room for the extra junk I had going in the trunk.

I wore a new pair tonight that are size 40. I thought they were going to be too small but they fit great. Totally surprised at that.

Before I lost over 65 pounds, I would try to wear the loosest clothing I could find without it looking like I'm wearing a hockey jersey. Now, I don't mind if a shirt is a little more fitting. It can't be too tight yet as I still have a spare tire.

I'm much more willing to try new clothes now. Before, I hated trying on clothes because I looked like crap and clothes looked even worse.

BMI Then & Now

9/23/2010
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 335+ pounds
BMI: 42

2/18/2011
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 268 pounds
BMI: 33.5

According to BMI ranges, I'm still considered obese and would need to get just under 240 to fall in the overweight category. I've never really given much credence to BMI because it hasn't adapted or changed over time as we've adapted or changed. BMI has been around for well over a 100 years but roughly 30 in its current form.

I'm not sure how much more I want to lose. I'd like to get around 250, my high school weight, and I bet I could get under that because I was overweight at that time too.

It has been nice to not see my stomach hanging over my pants. It hasn't gone completely away. I have a compact car spare tire now instead of a SUV spare tire.

Get Fit Wamego

I signed up for Get Fit Wamego today. If you need a lifestyle change, lose weight, learn to eat better, whatever it might be and need the support of others, this a great way to do it. I signed up last year and didn't do a darn thing. I let an awesome opportunity go to waste because I was lazy and not ready to change. It was only after the program was over that I decided to do something. It's $35 to participate and you get a lot for that. Check out the site. I can't wait!

Not a good weekend

It was not a good weekend. Saturday evening at dinner with friends where the restaurant is known for bringing more and more food out until you can't eat another bite and then tonight at home with some spinach and artichoke dip that my wife made.

Breakfast and lunch was fine. My downfall took place after 5 pm.

Back on track tomorrow. Also, need to start running again so I'm ready for St. Patricks' Day Race on March 19th.

P.S. I highly recommend the Brookville Hotel in Abilene. An old-fashioned fried chicken dinner with all the sides where you eat one piece or like Jake Blues, eat 4 whole fried chickens and still pay one price.

Signed up for a couple races

As a way to get back into running, I've registered for a couple races - a 2-mile race in March and a 5k in April.

I'm going to run in the 33rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Road Race on March 19th in Manhattan. I've been a spectator for several of them but this will be my first time as a participant.

Then on April 16th, it's the Luke Nihart Memorial Run. I came across this race while looking for local races on Active.com and I encourage everyone to take part in it.

So I've "invested" $40 in these two races so I have to do them. I'm looking forward to getting back into running since I've lost over 30 pounds since the last time I did.

From Ben Does Life - 10 Superficial Reasons to Lose Weight.

So one of the many reasons this blog was started was because of Ben Davis. I've got a link to his site in the sidebar. He's lost over 130 pounds during the course of his 2-year journey. He had a funny post today and i thought I would post my thoughts on his list of reasons in italics.

10 Superficial Reasons to Lose Weight. Because we can't always be politically correct.

• You don’t have to pull the seatbelt as far to click it. That's definitely the case.
• Let’s be honest, chub-rub sucks. I've really noticed that on the pants I wear around the waistline. My pants are much looser and my belt isn't strained.
• Far fewer sweat stains. Haven't really noticed. Would need to ask my wife that one.
• Cartwheels are much easier (and graceful). Haven't tried. Don't plan to.
• No more pulling the shirt out of fat rolls when you sit down. (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. I still think about this but definitely agree with him.
• People don’t eyeball you questioningly when you take the last cookie/slice of pizza. Luckily I haven't had the urge to have that much pizza where there is only one piece left or one cookie left in the jar.
• You can put your shoes on like a normal person. For those of you that have never been obese, trust us, it’s really really hard to put shoes on. Slip on shoes were the norm but it's definitely much easier to put shoes on or tie them.
• No more fat-tax ($2 for XXL and up shirts) Still wearing XXL but they are much looser now.
• No more pretending like you’re wearing a T-shirt over your bathing suit to “prevent sunburns.” Can't wait for this summer.
• Floors don’t creak as loudly. Sneaking up on people is much easier. N/A

In the spirit of being a fair and balanced blogger, I will now list the reasons to stay fat.

• If you’re riding with friends in a two-door car, you always get shotgun, because everyone knows there’s no way you’re getting into the backseat without tearing some ligaments. Luckily I still ride shotgun because I'm 6'3" but I'm more willing to try and ride in the back now.

But even still, the lose-weight side wins convincingly 10-1. Let’s keep moving.

Check out Ben's blog, especially the archive to see how much he's changed in just over 2 years.

Down 60 pounds after 4 months

So I started this journey 4 months ago today - September 23rd, 2010. In 4 months time, I've lost 60 pounds. I stepped on the scale this morning and it said 276. Crazy! Like I said in my last post, it was probably 2003 when I last weighed somewhere in that ballpark.

I still don't look that great but I sure as heck look a lot better now than what I did 60+ pounds ago. Not sure what my final weight goal is to maintain. But I'm going to keep going as long as I do it the right way and continue to eat right and also get some exercise.

Here's the proof:

A little historical perspective

I stopped by my local clinic today where I have always gone since my middle school and high school days for checkups, physicals, sickness, etc. I wanted to get a copy of my medical records to find out what I weighed over the years. They only had access to a few appointments as they would have to do research on paper records prior to at least 2004. So I got what was available since then and had 3 different occasions that showed that my weight had been on the rise since 2004.

December 13, 2004 - 316 pounds
June 21, 2007 - 335 pounds
April 28, 2010 - 340.5 pounds

Granted that each of these times I had on clothes but that would only account for 2 or 3 pounds, maybe. Regardless, I was on the wrong track. My weight was increasing. Some years were much worse than others - gaining almost 20 pounds in 2 1/2 years time. I'd like to know more going back further but I wouldn't know for a week or two. I might have the clinic go and do that eventually.

I can recall from memory that I was in the 275 pound range in mid to late 2003. As of this morning I'm almost back there. I can also remember stepping on the scale at my in-laws with 292 being displayed and knowing that chances were good that the next time I was there I wouldn't be able to know my weight as the scale maxed out at 300. That had to be late 2003, probably Thanksgiving or Christmas of that year. Pretty scary if I did in fact gain over 20 pounds between December 2003 and December 2004.

It's good to look back to see how far I've come. It's that much more incentive to keep going in the direction I am now.

Been awhile...

It's been over 2 weeks since my last post. It's time for my weekly weigh-in tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to be under 280 pounds. Tomorrow will also be the 100th day in a row for keeping track of what I eat and calories consumed via MyFitnessPal.com.
I've also signed up for the St. Patrick's Day race in Manhattan on March 19th. I'll be running the 2-mile race.
Everything else has been going well. I haven't cheated except for maybe a couple times. I haven't made myself crazy by fighting against on whether or not to have a cookie for example. Just need to keep on keeping on, know what I mean?

Holiday woes...not so much

Been a while since my last post. I made it through the holidayswithout overeating except for two occasions.

The first was Christmas Eve. It was a gathering of all of my aunts, uncles and cousins with all sorts of good food like chili, chicken noodle soup, cake, cookies, dips, etc. I ate a little bit of everything but didn't go crazy and pile it all on my plate. I was definitely full and hadn't felt that way in a long time where my stomach ached from eating too much.

The second was New Years Eve. We went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner and I didn't leave much on my plate. I had the chicken and crabmeat in addition to the salad, soup, vegetables, and rice that every meal comes with there. It wasn't all that bad other than the rice and the oil and sauces it's cooked in front of everyone.

Other than that I'm in the 285 pound range. I'm going to register for St. Patty's Day race soon. It's a 2-mile race on March 19th. Got to start training for that as well exercise in general.