102 Pounds

Improve Your English Vocabulary

2009-05-28T19:02:00.004-04:00

I keep myself on a permanent self improvement path, daily I do something that will improve me, in different areas of my life. I exercise as I have a goal of getting thinner and being fit. I read software development as my chosen career. I read for entertainment about politics and history. I am becoming fluent in French, so I keep talking French courses.

My latest conscious improvement area is English. I decided I will improve my English vocabulary on a daily basis. So I find myself looking up words every time I run into a snag. The internet is useful for this, but sometimes I don’t have access to the net, so I found this little software program called vocabulary builder, that allows me to practice, through study or by means of playing games.

This software has a small footprint, installs fast and flawlessly. It allows you to learn based on a specific vocabulary, depending on your needs. For example you can work with the SAT approved vocabulary; this will help you learn all the words you need to take the SAT exam. It allows you to test yourself with multiple-choice vocabulary test. It also allows you to play words games, where your score is based on your knowledge of the word.

You can set the level of difficulty you want and you can create your own study cards with the words you want to remember. It also has the ability to pronounce the words so you can learn by listening. Is a very powerful software and very inexpensive.

The key is that no matter what you do, you have to find a way to improve every day.Live Strong.

Rodrigo

Go check out Fixr.com

2009-05-27T17:10:00.004-04:00

Finally a service I could learn to love once it develops. This website fixr.com offers a place where homeowners can meet contractors. Allows contractors to bid on potential projects and allows homeowners to quote on services for home projects. I always find it really hard to get good service when I have a project I need to do. I used to have a painter that did a great job for me but he moved and now is hard to feel in the comfort zone when you get someone into your house and you do not know what to expect of the quality of their work.

There are plenty of categories to select from, if you look at the image, you will see a selection of categories. I found that landscaping is really popular this time of the year.

This website allows local contractors to bid on my projects, being a fast fix, remodel ling or full renovation work, allowing me to select the one that fit my price, have the better and most references and also the one that have had the most positive feedback. Contractors will strive to give a good quality of service as is in their best interest to receive good reviews from their customers, reviews are public and they can not hide a bad service, as in real life.

I am really excited to see this service come to life; I will keep an eye it and recommend it for sure.

Parks

2009-05-19T14:46:00.015-04:00

Hey I have been walking and jogging continuously for more than 15 days, it feels good, it is like a drug , that you don't want to let go. I missed a couple days and in those days I felt bad, like something was missing. It was the amazing accomplishment rush you get once you are done, is orgasmic.

Hey this picture was a few months ago, when I was 283 pounds.

I Used to jog mainly on a treadmill at the Gym, even on summer days. Lately I have taken to the streets and I like it. I do prefer parks where you can see lots of people, but sometimes streets have to do. My last few weeks I have explored the Branch Brook park in Newark and the Chestnut park in Nutley and I like both. They are big enough, they are fill with people exercising, so you don't feel alone in the universe, but they are not crowded, and you don't feel like a fashion show showing your latest sneakers you got for 300 bucks.

I exercised few times at central park in Manhattan, but found it too distracting; first ,too many people, so you have to be on the lookout all the time, second too many people doing other things, but exercise. Feels a bit intimidating.

I like parks that you feel you can breathe clean air, that have nice views, that you feel safe, that have a loop so end where you started so you can measure your distance. Also they have to have a path that is not too rocky, but not necessarily asphalt. I will be exploring more parks as I progress towards my goals.

Keep going strong

Rodrigo

Grapes are good

2009-05-07T22:20:00.002-04:00

I just read some old posting in this natural health blog, that gave me ammunition, so i don`t feel that guilty when going to the liquor store to get a few bottles of red wine. I had read news before, and kind of knew that grapes in any form are good for you ( I prefer the fermented form), they help maintain brain function and to fight cancer. Red Wine also taste good and I am starting to get into the habit of having a glass or two almost every night.

Read the article here: Grape Antioxidants for Heart Health and Diabetes and I hope you sleep tight, I usually do after my second glass.

Stay Strong

Is anyone into Natural Medicine

2009-05-07T21:57:00.002-04:00

I am starting to do a bit of research into Natural medicines, specially any organic product that could help me lose weight. I am new in the topic but really want to find out , every fact on how to use natural products. I found this, natural health forum , is a forum that deals with Natural Medicine, seems interesting. What I love is that I found out that the smell of coffee may reduce stress, yes, I am a coffeeholic, love the substance and drink it a lot without regard to consequences. Check it out here Coffee aroma may have stress-busting qualities.

I really need to get into anti-aging and brain-energy supplements, after all I am not getting younger.

Stay Strong

Hope is the last thing you lose

2009-04-29T16:15:00.003-04:00

I got hope ,hope than some day I will be able to see myself in the mirror and really love what i see. Why has passed more than a year since I last posted ? and in my case it really means without a comprehensive weight loss plan. Surely I ran the occasional time or didn't eat garbage most of the time, but I wasn't focus. Focus is a hard thing to do. I am focus this week which may be the reason I am writing this paragraph.

This week I walked/jogged six days in a row. Is like I am alive after 10 years of being buried. I don't know if this is gonna last, but I am excited about it. Now regarding my weight after so much time. I went up, by a substantial margin. I stayed in the 265-270 mark but in the last 3 months I went home to visit my sisters, in Nicaragua and wow, isn't that food delicious, it is, it is amazingly tasty, so in those 3 months I went up all the way to 285 lbs. Some of my pants didn't' fit anymore and I started to feel lousy and depre. So I started walking again, to the point that I weighted myself today @ 272lbs and feeling really good and all that in less than a month.

Is hard sometimes but I can see the obvious, a couple weeks of good eating and hard exercise gave me the peace of mind of knowing i can lose weight if I DECIDE to do so.

I just hope that I can keep up.

Rodrigo

Back on the TreadMill

2007-12-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

Well I am back on the treadmill, and on the bench press, it took long enough. I am joining in to beat the crowd joining the gyms in the January Rush. I can say I am more mature and a bit smarter on the whole issue of Weight-Loss.

To summarize the last months, (more detail will come), is like, when there are more pressing issues in you life, even if you have some time to do it, it just so hard to get there and try to do something about your weight. And I have so many pressing things in my life for the whole year, that even that it was in my mind, I just couldn’t muster the motivation to get out there. I made it to the gym , occasionally, but that is not enough to sustain weight loss. And must important my diet took a detour to sour-land, in fact I was surprised that I didn’t gain weight back to my original mark.

Now on my weight , the awful truth is that in January of this year I was 252 lbs, a few weeks ago I was 266 lbs and I stayed in the 262-264 lbs for the most part of the year. Today I weighted 257 lbs. so there you have it. My theory is that I did not gain pounds in a massive way because of that thought on my mind, trying to fight for better food and making me feel bad every time I didn’t pay attention. Also my life style is a bit more active, I am really not sitting down on a chair for 10 straight hours in front of a computer as before, this is too bad for my purse, but that is another story.

The good part of all this , is that I believe I have so much more knowledge and smartness on the whole issue of motivating yourself for the purpose of losing weight. I hope I can transmit those to you, so you don’t commit the same mistakes.

Do Something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

Lazy Dude

2007-05-23T12:52:00.000-04:00

Food Desfile

2007-02-14T15:00:00.001-05:00

Hello all It has been a really peaceful couple of weeks, thanks to friends coming for visit. I overdid it on the eating front, from coca cola, to Doritos, to Ice cream , to CheeseCake and pizzas, ribs, Shrimps. It has been a delicious DESFILE of fat and calories.

The exercise front also suffered a lot, I barely has been able to make it to the GYM, for time reasons, entertaining friends , working hard, car problems, etc... so I have not find the time to go often, just barely scrapped a couple times a week. I am glad that I made it yesterday and today and worked-out hard, lots of sweat and pushed the limits.

I Got to say that my metabolic requirements must be way higher than before because I abused my eating and did not or have not affected me in the wrong way. I am at 248 lbs still, static but at least I did not move up the scale. The YMCA where I go only has one scale and is out of service, in fact has been out of service for a few days and is driving crazy. I can't believe how much I depend on the scale on a daily basis. I went to my doctor just to weight myself in a reliable scale, it was funny. But I became an addict to see those numbres daily. I know they vary a lot from day to day, depending on water and body waste but I need it, give it to me PLEASE.

FIX my SCALE

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

Happy New Year

2007-01-04T15:24:00.000-05:00

Hi I take this opportunity to wish you all the happiest and more fulfilled year ever. Make 2007 the year, the year to get healthier, the year to get fit, the year to shred pounds, a year that can be remembered and cherished for the rest of your life. Make a good start and stick to your dream, it will become a reality, I promise.

I start this new year with only 251 lbs and a dream of losing 31 lbs more so I can accomplish my goal of 102 lbs. It is a danting path, but a path that I decided I will walk, and a Goal I decided I will reach.

What is your PATH to GLORY ?

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

The Tortoise and the Hare

2006-12-18T00:26:00.001-05:00

What a slow few weeks, I have shattered, to pieces, my weight loss pace, the slowest ever so far. The Good thing is that I keep losing weight, is amazing, I cant believe it myselft. SO I weight 254 lbs, which is 3 lbs less than my last posting and feel so good, so close to the 250 or what I imagine in my mind 249 lbs.

"WHAT a dull, heavy creature," says the Hare
"Slow and Steady wins the race" says the Tortoise

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

"Vita non est vivere sed valere vita est"

2006-11-29T12:58:00.000-05:00

For so many days I saw the numbers in the scale, stay put, don't move , they seemed dead. Did I insulted them ? What Did I say ? What Did I do ? Why the don't like me any more ? Seemed like a bad date, please not again.

I can't handle them not moving, they most move, yes, and move in the right direction. I have become dependant, they can make me happy or sad, they affect my mind, my soul, my heart, they can ruin a whole day or they can give me a huge high. What a weird relationship.

Then, they started to show some signs of life, I could feel them breathing, turning around, shaking, moaning, waking-up. Finally they started moving their little feet, timidly, afraid, insecure. They were driving me crazy, nut, is this possible ? Did they move away from our goal, is this happening, is this a nightmare? God please be merciful. But then something happened, they stopped turn around and with a touch of superiority and a quirky smile, strolled back the right way. What a Peace of mind, is so possible is so probable. Yes it was happening, I was so joyful, they didn't move much , but they did, they settle themselves at 257 lbs, that's 2lbs closer to that beautiful city that I call LIFE, I call living, because LIFE is more than merely staying alive.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

Milestones

2006-11-18T22:48:00.000-05:00

Another milestone achieved, I was able to break 3 small goals this week, all have to do with running, Don't worry I have not forgotten that my goal is weight-loss, not to run faster.

2 Miles

I runned/jogged/walked 2 miles under 26 minutes

1 Mile

I broke the 12 minute barrier by running 1 mile in 11:48

1/4 Mile ( 400 meters)

in only 2 minutes 22 seconds

So there you have it, I feel really good that I am increasing my speed and also decreasing my time. If I keep at it (I hope) I will be able to run in 5k race pretty soon. I have been losing about 1000 calories a day by exercise alone, just too bad that I lost control of my eating for so long, the last 2 days I have been eating healthy and less calories that I need so I hope I can see some weight loss this week, cross my fingers.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

Déjà Vu

2006-11-14T16:59:00.000-05:00

I have been so steady, so on the job, on my struggle to be healthy and less heavy. It seemed too easy somehow, I wanted to tap my head and say How come you Couldn’t do it before ? Well is not easy , let me tell you. All I needed to fall in chaos was some major stress in my life, like, 10 days ago something happened that make me be my old self, scare, stressful, feeling overwhelm and full of doubt. WHAMP I started eating lie there was no tomorrow, I can’t believe how soothing and calming food is, movies are calming too but they don't increase your weight. I thought it was going to be like a day or two, but my binge when on for almost a week, and I ate everything I was fighting not to eat, I drank Coke like water and sat in front of the TV with a 2lbs container of Chocolate Ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup of course. It was me all over again running to food to feel in control, it was déjà Vu, it was the Matrix reloaded

I can see now how easy is to fall back on your bad habits, I get full of anxiety just to think that I can put pounds on. No please , No.

The good news is that , I kept exercising so I didn't increase my weight. I just feel sad to be stuck in 259 lbs for so long.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

The Secret of my Success

2006-11-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

I think one of the most important factors in my struggle to lose weight is to keep myself motivated, motivation is the key, motivation is the thing that will make you decide to lose weight, motivation is what will keep you coming back to the GYM day after day, motivation is what will keep you going when you are tired and mentally quitting. I do believe that we quit mentally first, emotionally, our body’s can still go but we think in the comfort of the sofa or in the great taste of a chocolate bar and our knees shake in weakness. In my personal case I already have some mental images that I can focus on to give me the boost to continue when tired or bored and every one of you can Do it , FIND IT, try different things until you find something that really works, you will feel it in your bones when you find it and maybe even contain your emotions so you don't show them to your treadmill neighbor, is not easy to hide the redness in your eyes and the tears coming out of your eyes, although the winter season and its associated flu’s and cold's is the best time for a cover-up.

Another important factor in my case is feeling comfortable when exercising, slack clothe, loose comfortable shorts. I can feel the difference in my mood when I can’t wear (Washing issue) my favorite items, I feel more conscious and uneasy. Your shoes are a must, they have to be comfortable, so you don’t even think of them. I made the original mistake of trying to walk and jog with my Basketball shoes and they were ok for 10-15 minutes but after that I started feeling mindful of my steps as it bothered me a bit, later at home, my feet ached, not a lot but enough to call my attention. so I decided to buy running shoes, what a difference it made, My feet has not been an issue since that day. The ones I bought are like middle of the road shoes, no self-appointed runner will ever buy them, so don't worry about price , you can find decent ones at good prices, I'll say at least, half the price of the tennis you buy your trendy teenage boy. Mine are new balance , the widest I could find and they keep my feet out of pain, please do it, because this time, you will lose weight for good , this time you and I will never go back to our previous weight.

The problem I have, now, is that I have to carry 2 pairs of shoes to the GYM because I play a bit of basketball when I can and if I play competitive my running shoes will not do, they are not made for those sudden stops and acceleration and drastic direction changes, no traction and they get lose too easy. Well that's life.

The third thing I am talking about today is MUSIC, music can change your emotional behavior very easy, so I use it to give me emotional drive. To be trustful with you , I just can't do it with out it. The days I forget my MP3 player, I feel weaker and I tend to exercise less time and less strong, seriously. That was my other investment I did , my mp3 player, is not an iPod, just a generic player , with 1 GIG of memory so it can hold plenty of music or audio books, or recording of your daughter saying "I love you Mom". I tried originally with my old CD player , but it was cumbersome trying to burn CD's to accommodate what I wanted to listen to, so I bitted the bullet and bought an mp3 player. One of the best decisions ever, it has helped me so much on my program.

I usually listen to music when on the treadmill and when on the bike I tend to listen to a Pod cast or an audio book. It will take you a while to find the right combination of music that makes you feel energized and motivated to help you on your exercise. I am uploading my generic 30 min Hard( like I want to push my aerobics and sweat) treadmill work-out so you can listen to what I listen when on the sweat factory. For the rest of the time I listen to a more soft and wide variety, some of my favorites are David Usher, ColdPlay, Five for Fighting, Smashing Pumpkins, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Kansas, Queen, Lifehouse, Gavin Degraw, Howie Day, Smash Mouth , The Killers , Early November and Salsa of course.

30 Min Hard treadmill workout (includes 5-10 min warm out and stretching)

1. Yolanda Adams - I Believe I can Fly

2. Black Eyed Peas - Don't Phunk With My Heart

3. Yolanda Adams - I Believe

4. Yolanda Adams - I am Thankful

5. Yolanda Adams - Never Give Up

6. Rihanna - Pon De Replay

7. Elton John - Tiny Dancer

I hope I can keep motivating myself in any way possible to get to my 102 pounds goal. Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

Going Strong

2006-10-25T19:32:00.000-04:00

The Gym has been pretty consistent, except for last weekend, but other than that I has maintained my Gym goals to the tee, I keep sweating and I keep pushing so I end puffing and out of air. My hamstring is getting better, I can increase the speed without the pain, so all is peaches and cream. I am a bit scare at the fact that I developed a bigger hunger for food (I guess my body is asking me for more food that before) so I have to fight this hungry moments on a daily basis and I get scare to the thought of failing and going on a binge, it does bother me, a lot.

I had a friend over for the weekend and consciously decided that was more important to expend time together that to follow my exercise routine, which is very time demanding and gets in the way of a lot of stuff, wouldn’t have it other way. I also caught a bit of a cold, so decided to rest an extra day. So I ended skipping 3 days Sat-Mon. On the food front I held my ground and didn't over do it, I ate less than normal, a bit, I think , to compensate for the lack of exercise, so I can't complain.

I weighted this morning at 259 lbs, which is AWSOME, I am on the border of the 250's, makes me feel good. Is like a mental barrier that I am about to shatter to pieces, makes me excited and eager to hit the Gym, in fact I am on my way to a recreational game of volleyball, I have to keep those little ugly creatures (calories) burning.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

Disturbing thought

2006-10-15T17:23:00.000-04:00

The ability to maintain my goal of 750 calories-loss a day due to exercise have been harder to achieve that I originally thought, I have been able most days to do it and sometimes I get carried away to more than 1000 calories, but is a work-out. I also found out that doing high intensity combined with low intensity works out better, so instead of say maintain a pace of 4.5 mph on the treadmill, I force my self to 6.2 mph and rest at 3.6 mph, I definitively burn more calories this way.

Now, the hamstring on my right leg has been bothering me, so to rest it, I also been doing some stationary bike, you lose way less calories doing this but is some I got to do till my leg gets better. The important thing is to maintain some kind of activity, swimming, rowing etc.. to keep those calories burning.

I weighted today a bit less than 262 lbs. This is exactly 60 lbs loss since I started my weight-loss marathon, 6 and half months ago, what a trip it has been, I remember been tired of going a fly of stairs or walking a couple blocks or eating all you can eat sherry Garcia ice cream or sitting in front of the TV with a big bag of Doritos, what a difference 6 months can make, 60 pounds of difference.

The disturbing part is that times goes by, sometimes we don't even feel it, can you remember last Xmas, well we are in mid October already , have you started your purchases, after the Halloween season, all stores will be dragging Xmas down our throws. What if I had not decided to lose weight ? Six month would have gone by and I will still be sitting on my butt, complaining about being fat or even gained more weight. Disturbing thought.

I am so glad I took that decision, and that this time was a real decision, not a wishful thinking, see the difference is that you have to want it, envision it ( oh yeah I can see myself @ 220 lbs) , plan it ( get that Gym membership) and schedule it ( go today at 8 pm to the gym ), is a word of difference that just wishing to be skinner and believe me if I can do it, so can anyone on Earth, Mars and Venus.

On a side note, my waist is down to 42 inches, and my BMI is 34.6 which means that I am in the very overweight or obese category, I am not a severely obese person anymore.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Roddy

Slow Month

2006-10-12T12:12:00.000-04:00

My weight loss in this last month was only 5 lbs, I did averaged about 10 lbs until now, so it feels a bit disturbing. On the positive side I managed to still lose 5 lbs overall, I also increased my aerobic capacity substantially.

This last weekend was a KILLER, I combined my birthday, for those wondering I just became 44 years old, and the Canadian thanksgiving holiday, so it boiled down to lots of food and no Gym for 4 days. I usually feel bad when I miss a Gym day, but for some reason or other I didn't mind not going on those days.

The first day back after my little break was hard, it felt like starting again. But so far so good, I have another victory to tell, I ran for 2 full miles in about 29 minutes, my legs were burning, but my breathing was slow and under control., so my new roadblock is the strength of my legs, abdominal and lower back muscles, they really ache during and after my work-out.

My current weight is 263 lbs, which is awesome, I was hoping to be in around 255 lbs by this time but once thing or another got in the way. I just wanna try hard to be in around 245 lbs by the end of the year, so I can relax and eat without guilt this Xmas.

That's all folks, Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

Big amd Heavy

2006-10-05T00:32:00.000-04:00

I got rid of all my XXL t-shirts, I cut them into pieces and sent them to heaven. They were good t-shirts, they did their job pretty well, they just felt too big and heavy, it was time for fresh fabric. So I went out to get few sport t-shirt for my runs, size XL and got a couple L to try them out, seems they fit OK, but I like the XL size more.

It is exhilarating to be able to buy smaller clothe, you feel like a new person, as a normal person, as the selection of XL/L clothe is way bigger than the XXL size. Another huge victory in my personal War.

That's all folks, Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

Well, I am really back this time

2006-09-29T16:07:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone

This last few weeks have been , interesting , a learning experience on how weak our bodies can be, the advancement of modern medicine, and my resolve to be healthy. I still can see my doctor's face telling me, you know Rod, people die of pneumonia, so for the next 4 weeks no walking fast, no running, no aerobics. Was like a hammer or a Hummer just hit my head. I guest he was right, I just couldn't get rid of the infection, My left lung was infected this time and had to try a different antibiotic.

I guest it worked, cause all seems to be OK now, and I was able to reduce the no-run recommendation to only 2 weeks. It still was a challenge as every virus in the air landed on me and kept using my runny nose as a slide but eventually it subsided and I got back to my normal ways. Not before going through a Hilly starve-pig-out cycle, blame it on the antibiotics, but for 2 weeks almost I did not eat , well almost nothing, then for a week at least I ate like there was no tomorrow, you know CARPE DIEM, that was my motto when I kept running into McDonald's.

The good news is that is all over, I hope, and I am back on the wagon. I weighted 265 lbs yesterday and a few days back I ran my first mile ever, that I can't remember, One continuous, non-stop mile , that's 1609 meters. That's a great accomplishment on my part, specially that just 6 month ago I ran out of air for walking 1 block.

That's all folks, Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

A new start

2006-09-06T13:22:00.000-04:00

Hi there

Took longer that I anticipated to really recover, in fact even today I haven't fully got back to the same exercise intensity that I had before the Storm. My aerobics capacity is still diminished and that's is one of the more important issues in my struggle to lose weight, specially that I really want to do the half-marathon in October.

So my focus is still to walk for long periods of time at low intensity, with intervals of running hard (really short period of time, really short) to try to increase my air capacity. I missed so many days in the Gym, that I was afraid I was going to gain weight, but I am back on my goal of going 6 days a week. I am trying to walk 60 minutes every day @ 3.7 mph average(this is about 6 km), then once a week go for 120 minutes @ 3.2 mph(about 10 km). I want to incorporate before October, once or twice, to walk for 20 km, which is the half-marathon.

My last weighted-in was 268 lbs, so I am still losing weight, at a much slower pace than before, but hey is still going. I can notice the difference in the amount of calories I lose when I walk on the threadmill, weighting 50 lbs less, I guess my body doesn't struggle as much to carry his own weight.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

After The storm

2006-08-19T02:05:00.000-04:00

Hi there

Seems I am a OK now, no more infection, no more pain, no more suffocating, no more sleepless nights. Feels so good to feel better, I sincerely , from the bottom of my heart, don't whish pneumonia to anyone, it just sucks badly.

I already restarted my walking/running program without the running part, I feel so exhausted just to walk 30 minutes, although I did 60 minutes today and a bit of bike, so I am glad I started again, I was going bunkers, nuts, loco.

I weighted-in today @ 269.8 lbs, that is a huge lost which came dude to my illness and lack of appetite, even today I have to force feed myselft, I just don't feel hungry. So is a bitter sweet milestone as I am happy for it but it cost me almost 6 days in bed and a few more days of dizzy living.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

Total darkness and total silence

2006-08-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone

I am recovering from pneumonia, yes, infection of the chest, lungs. I don't know how I caught it, but it brought me down to floor and stepped on me with no mercy.

I have never felt so weak and fragile in my entire life, it was an awful feeling, feeling of fear and nothingness. I expend the last week doing two of my favorites things, sleeping and trying to sleep. Last Monday and Tuesday were the two worth days, I was sick, but I still didn't know, why ? Monday, day time was a bit normal, just generally, all around not feeling well, I decided to go to my normal treadmill work-out. What a shock. In my warming up routine, I just could not bend my body, I also could barely breathe, I tried pulling my arm down on my back and it hurt, Something was wrong.
I hit the treadmill anyway and I could not breathe, breathing was painful, I can do it only in a short, shallow rhythm that can't maintain and strenuous walk, so brought down the speed till I could do it, I settle @ 2.5 mph and was able to do 30 min, but it was a nightmare, the guy beside me was pounding the mill @ 9.5mph and the noise was getting me irritated, I pumped the volume on my mp3 player to the top, but still could hear the noise. The lights were bothering me, the temperature of the room was too cold, I felt like everything bothered me.

Monday Night, I did not sleep, I couldn't lay down on the bed as the pain on my ribcages was too big and I could not breathe, I tried sleeping sitting down but could not find the right position and my mind just flew away un-constrained, Took me everywhere, from childhood to my last years, naked or dressed it was quite a night. After the fact I think I got maybe 1 hour total sleep time, Tuesday, I tried to put a normal face until I tried moving, walking, standing, any body movement required a huge struggle in my breathing pattern, to avoid pain. So I decided I need help, set an appointment for later that afternoon and go see the doctor, then I spend the day trying to catch up on my sleep.

That night, being diagnosed, I felt a bit better, emotionally but still so weak that I could barely maintain a conversation. The sleeping didn't go as well, I Think I slept more than the day before but still restless and overexcited with my mind wandering into every galaxy in the universe. That night I got desperate, so I went and unplugged every single electric artifact I thought was making noise or keeping any light shining. Total darkness and total silence, like a black hole.

Starting from Last Wednesday, I was able to sleep on a normal way, laying down on a bed, as it didn't hurt anymore, and I've been catching up on my sleeping since then. I still feel like if a MAC truck paved the street with me, but no more pain, just a general feeling of being weak. During last week I totally lost my appetite, so bad that I barely ate for the whole week, I force feed me a Subway last Friday and had the occasional soup, still today anything I eat feels funny, not the right taste.

I hope I can get back to my normal routine sometime this week.

Roddy

Niagara Falls Marathon

2006-08-02T03:47:00.000-04:00

I will be walking the Half-Marathon, which is a 13.1 mile walk. I am focusing my walking sessions for this event, and lose weight at the same time.

I am really motivated , to the point that I want to try a full marathon in the near future. (will see how I feel after the half). The Big Sur Marathon on the California coastline, near Carmel seems to be an inspirational one. I just love the fresh air and breath-taking views of the Pacific North-West.

I am serious about the half-marathon, I and inviting any other weight-loss bloggers or any one by out there to join me on this event. Please advertise this to your friends and readers as it will be good to have someone there with the same goals and experiences. Please PASS THE WORD. The race is on October 22nd, and you can register till 1 day before the marathon.

Here is the information about the Niagara Falls Marathon. It is on both sides of the border, starts in the USA and ends in Canada. You can check and get more information on their website.
http://www.niagarafallsmarathon.com/

By the way I weighted myself today at 283.8 lbs, that is about 5 pounds less than my last weight posting. I am so excited, I can feel the under 280's now, that will be like another artificial barrier in my mind, I just can't wait for it to happen. I am in the process of taking some pictures, that I can post so I can show my full body length front and rear, I will post those in my next posting , once I figure out the technical aspect of blogger.

Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW

Roddy

INSANE, no more

2006-07-31T00:48:00.000-04:00

I find myself having to think a lot about what I am eating, every time I want to put something in my mouth, or thinking , calculating , planning , How can I make exercise fun and exciting?

We have to make decisions that affect our health, every day, almost constantly:

Do I go to the Gym or not ?
Should I walk to work ?
Jane invited me for a hike, I ma tired, I'll go next time!
That chocolate chips ice cream looks delicious, just one scoop!
Foot long Cheese Steak with mayo on it please!
Is only one big Mac, I can handle it !
I haven't have a snickers in long time, I deserve one !
Wow , Red Lobster have a Shrimp special, I better go !
The Filet mignon at the Keg is to die for, lets go!
Just 2 Peanut butter cookies, well maybe 3, 4....!
Venti mocha Frapuccino with extra power, please!

And time and time we make the wrong choices, yes, "Choices", is our choice to do or not do something, we are in full control of our life, as adults, but we can't seem to get it right. We keep hitting the rock with our toes, ouch, it hurts. We are insane, "The definition of Insanity, is doing the same thing, over and over again and expect different results".

The law of physics tells us, every action has a reaction, effect-results. We make the wrong choices, we get FAT, period. I have known this fact for a long time, and I bet you also do, and time and time again I chose the wrong option. I was INSANE, totally nut, loco, cucu, nothing up-there.

I also know, that is hard to break this pattern. The solution is the "PUSH". The push is what you do when a car is stalled on the street and you need to move it, out of the way, you push it. We need this extra push to get going in the right direction, because most of us has the Niagara syndrome, we just cruise life without direction, enjoying the trip on the river, until we see the falls, or hear the roar, then we try hard to steer away, when is too late. So we need a push, an event, a happening, that start our motors in the right path, the path to a healthy, happy life. Now, for some people this event is a heart attack, for others is the death of a friend, for me I think it was, the failing of my marriage, but it doesn’t have to be bad news, could be the birth of you son, you just have to have to find your "PUSH".

But the push is just the start, we need more. Once we get ourselves moving, we need juice, power, gas, stamina to keep going , and going and going. We need to keep the momentum , and this is as or more important than the start. We don't want to stop and sit idle, or worth reverse the course taken, we need to keep motivating ourselves, constantly, day in and day out, so we keep making good choices, every day. You have to tap into that huge emotional reservoir, every day to do the hard work. Could be imagining yourself running with your daughter a race, or playing some soccer, or remembering your mother advice, what ever it is you have to find it , because the work is not easy, it requires time, sacrifice, pain and sweat.

Like I say before , our struggle is a fight to the death, no bells, no 10-count, no draw., is victory or defeat, success or failure, health or sickness. Is also a sustained battle, long, no easy shortcuts, our health requires a lasting effort, forever, for life. Sometimes we get into the diet and weight-loss business without sight of the real issues, the real problem and hope that this will be over soon and that we will attain our goal fast and efficiently. We get bamboozled by anyone trying to sell the latest miracle diet, "lose 16 pounds a month", lose weight exercising 7 minutes, 3 times a week. BULL , CRAP. The moment you start believing any of that non-sense , you are determined to FAIL, FAIL. To lose weight we need to be focus, to have it present all day long, every day, every single day, make good choices.

WAKE UP and Smell the Coffee, is YOUR LIFE.

Roddy

Overweight for life

2006-07-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

This last few days, have been full of hard and long work on the exercise side, as I changed my daily goals of calories-loss due to exercise to 750 calories a day(minimum), and I start a preparation plan for walking the Niagara Falls Half Marathon, as they don’t have a 10 km run and I am lazy to look somewhere else. A half marathon is 13.1 Mile or approx 20 Km. This is a huge challenge but I think I can do it, as I still have 3 months to improve my walking stamina. I will be posting details , so those of you that live near by, or just want to join me, DO IT. It should be fun if we get a group and do it together. If you think about it, is just walking 4 hours @ approx 3-3.3 mph.

Today’s weight-in, stopped the scale at the 288.2 lbs mark. It feels great, I am so excited. After three full and long months since I made my decision to lose weight and started doing something about it( My new motto is "Do something, Do anything, Get going, NOW"), I have made a big improvement as I already loss a total of 34 lbs, an average of about 11 lbs a month. I promise I will post a photo , so you can check how handsome I look(hehe).

So this is my new Statistics:

Weight: 288 Pounds
Waist: 44 inches
Height: 6.0" +
BMI: 38.6

Based on the categories associated with the Body Mass Index (B.M.I) definition used by the World Health Organization (WHO), I am not anymore Morbidly Obese. I dropped down into the Severely Obese category. I am still an obese man but I feel like screaming loud and clear, WOOOO-HOOOO!!!!!. See table :

Now, having fun and playing with my future weight numbers I get an interesting observation, just follow thru: I need an extra loss of 28 lbs, a weight of 260 lbs, to get into the lower category of Very Overweight or Obese. Now an extra 29 lbs, on top of the previous loss , a Weight of 231 lbs gets me into the Overweight club. What is funny is that the final 11 lbs I need to lose to get to my goal of 220 lbs will keep me in the Overweight category, with an BMI of 29.5.

There is a newer guide called halls.md v2 that takes in consideration Age, as we age we tend to gain body mass, so that is considered in the calculation of obesity. The problem I have with these tables is that they don't take in consideration body type, or percentage of Lean Body Muscle. If we used those tables, all Football players, most of the Basketball players, Hockey players etc... will be overweight( excepting Baseball bellies of course). So I am not that concerned about it, once I get to my goal or closer to my goal I will start using my body fat index, to measure the percentage of fat in my body and try to decrease fat and increase muscle, but staying in the 220 lbs mark.

So I guess I am destined to be Overweight for the rest of my life, but for now I will enjoy my Severely Obese status.

Have a good day and Do something, Do anything, Get Going, NOW.

Complement to previous Post

2006-07-17T13:59:00.000-04:00

One song to complement the picture slider, enjoy

Roddy

Pictures of Alex

2006-07-17T04:12:00.000-04:00

I promised you some pictures of my son's Alex band, Sentient. So here it is.

Alex is wearing a green sweat.

Roddy

Another Pound Down

2006-07-14T02:06:00.000-04:00

I just weigh-in at 291.4 lbs, that is about 1 lbs less that last time, so all is good. This week was fun, I tried many things, just testing my capabilities and also ensuring that I have fun exercising instead of getting bored. I just don't get people that says they enjoy Working-Out more than anything else. Please.

Volley-Ball
It and was really fun, I really enjoyed doing it. I have the fundamentals, so I did' look like a total newbie. Although the group was really a mixture of all ages and all skill levels, so instead of feeling intimidated I fell encouraged. My local YMCA has this Co-ed all ages, open court, volley-ball night on Wednesday, running from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Let me tell you, I was sweating a lot by the middle of the season, I guess you don’t' notice ,but once you get into the heat of the game, you start running hard at balls and jumping a lot. No idea how it ranks on calories-loss , but it as definitely a keeper. I will try to go every Wednesday.

Lane-Swimming
Let me tell you , is hard. I thought I was at a decent cardio level, I am NOT. My lane -swimming attempt was the probe that I have way, way, ways to go. Some how the Bike is misleading, it makes you feel better that you really are. Any way my first day on lane-swimming was horrible, I experienced, first hand, one of my phobias, which is asphyxiation, please God don’t le me die that way. I came early , put aside 1 hour for the project, and wamp 5 minutes later I was done. I barely finished 3 pool-lengths, I was exhausted, short of breathing, scare to go to the deep end,. It was a rude awakening to my stamina and cardio strength. I felt so discouraged, so uneasy , so demoralized. It make me think that those 10 years of health-procrastination , really took a toll. My imagination started going on, and on. I am an imagination genius, so I came to about 10 different ways that I could die on the water, in less than a second. How long could I last on the water ? What an horrible death that will be.

Anyhow , I stayed in the pool , just doing short swims like a kid and working on me holding my breath, for the rest of my hour. The good part of this was that I decided , incorporate , swimming into my weekly activities. I need to feel I can do this. I just remembered my childhood and teens years. I was born on the beach, I learn how to swim before learning to walk, I was a beach bump, I could be on the water for hours. I need to get back to that state of health, PRONTO.

Aqua-fit
Aqua-fit is a low impact , aerobic program offered at the YMCA. It follows the same format that most aerobic programs, jump, run, ski, jumping jacks, weight resistance etc... but on the water , what makes it really low impact. Trying to schedule my time in the pool, I decided to combine my swimming attempt together with the aqua-fit program, on a sliding scale. My goal is to get-out of aqua-fit slowly as I can spent more time swimming.
It was fun, trying to do this aerobic moves under water. The weight section I fell it was worth it, as I fell some of my upper body muscle really worked-out. Will see how it goes, for the moment I'' do it twice a week.

Treadmill-Bike
I took the decision to easy out of the bike all-together, I feel the work-out and calorie-loss is not as strong as it could be. Let me tell you I sweat a lot and feel tired, but I think I can increase my aerobic better on the treadmill and of course lose more calories as well. So I started alternating and higher speed on the treadmill, so far is working fine. My sheen splint pain is not as strong and can do the few minutes without problem. So I alternate between jogging at 4mph and walking at 3.6mph, when I feel I need a bit of a break I walk at 3.0mph before going up again. I will keep that until I can increase more time jogging and of course increase the speed of the jog.

I ran into this girl, she works-out sometimes at the same time I am on the treadmill. She lost 70 pounds, she looks amazing. All she did was walk, walk and Walk. I know we all can do this, I just sometimes wish I could do it faster than possible. I Got to learn to be patience and keep working on my plan.

Have a good week.

Roddy

292.6 and going down

2006-07-06T06:01:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone

I am so grateful, that my weight keeps going down, I am afraid to weight myself and find out that nothing happened, but so far, so good. I weighted-in at 292.6 lbs so for now all seems to be going in the right direction.

I have kept a very strict watch on what I eat, I feel myself more in control, because I know when I can go for a treat, yesterday I had an Ice Cream Smoothie. I started adding a lot of protein to my diet as well, "Tuna is good for you". I also happen to love tuna for some weird reason and is easy to prepare.

On the exercise front, I feel I am doing excellent. I miss the odd day now, instead of going the odd day, a total reversal of fortune. I am still doing the same stuff, Bike, Walk, Treadmill and Basketball.

I decide to add a bit of swimming , specially now that the weather is getting hot, they way I see it is like a nice refreshment. There is Lane swimming at my YMCA from 6-9 AM, so I am heading there once I am done typing this. There is also an Aqua fit Work-out I will try it once to see if I like it. I still do not know how to fit it in and what kind of portfolio I will create, so stay posted.

I also starting to look into Martial Arts , is something that I did long ago and wouldn't mind starting again. I am just not sure if I can do it yet, I may need to get into the 260 lbs are before will see.

My walking kind of hit a snag. My sheen splint issue is really bugging me, I can walk without any problem to about 3.8 Miles per hour, when I try to Jog @ 4.0 or higher, it starts bothering me after a few minutes. I found some exercises that I Am doing to strengthen my calf and spleen muscles. I'll keep you posted.

My daily routine is between 1.5 and 2 hours a day, I usually do 30 min of bike, then 30 min on the treadmill, then 30 min back on bike. Some days I just switch and do the treadmill for 30 min, then bike , the treadmill again. Some days I add 30 min of basketball. I also find myself with more desire to the hard stuff, no more treating myself with soft gloves, I am focusing a lot better on the exercise, really sweating now. Really I notice a change on attitude towards the hard work. Before this I use to justify slowing down or stopping for a short break , not any more. So please do not take a book and start reading when you are on the stationary bike, you can’t do both well, Focus on your heart rate and maximizing your effort when on the bike and go read to you living room.

Update on my son Jorge's trip. It seems he's having a blast, I am kind of wishing to be there. Here's a picture

to entice you to go check his travel blog at
Jorge's Travel Log

Well everyone, keep going.

I AM Still here

2006-06-29T02:03:00.000-04:00

I am still here, still struggling, fighting, thinking, planning; this is an all consuming war to lose weight. This week I got distracted, my emotions were some where else, so I could make it to the Gym, only twice, so I tried to make up with a very strict calorie intake, too strict, I don't plan to do this too often, but in this case it did work.

I weight-in at 295.4 lbs, this loss was huge, but unhealthy as I really starved myself. I intend to eat more and make it to the Gym more often for the rest of the week

The good part is that my son Alex is having his first serious Gig, playing in Toronto, this Thursday. He has been composing music for a while but I never notice an inclination of performing music, till now. I'll be posting some pictures, later.

My son Jorge is gone for the summer, he's backpacking in Central America, they going to cover Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras in 2 month and a half. Took some hard preparations and hard work.

Keep going, never stop, never relax.

Roddy

I Am FINE

2006-06-19T20:05:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone

Yesterday, I ate like a pig, a big one, oink, oink, and oink. Food fell tastier than usual; it was good, first time in a long, long time that I felt in control, eating felt normal, felt good to eat. I was in a celebrating mood all day long and didn’t mind the extra calories; I didn’t feel like I was doing something wrong, I didn’t feel my usual F.I.N.E (Freak-Out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional). I was with my son Jorge, just talking , chilling, having a good time, flavoring a delicious St. Louis Burger with a Chocolate Milk Shake @ Johnny Rocket's, when I said to him, Dam I am eating like 1200 calories, right now, he answered back , Do not worry is ok to do this once a month, then I thought to myself , yeah he’s right , when you have been working hard, you have to love yourself, appreciate yourself, thank yourself for all the will power and focused effort you have been enduring, you, no one else's, not you hubby , not your best friend, not your support group, not your bloggers, it was YOU, they all helped you , motivated you, but it was you the one that got off that chair and moved your butt to the GYM and sweated it out for an hour, it was your inner you, that said NO way Jose, when you saw those Doritos and felt the cravings for a cold one (Corona with lime).

"Hey by the way, one day later, but better late than never. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the fathers out there. "

So let's all take some time every day to thanks ourselves for what are we doing, to say thank You, RODDY, you are the man, you made it to the GYM today, you pushed yourself to the limit, everyday, you really want this to happen, you showed your DESIRE to lose weight, Thanks to me and thank to all of you, who are going thru the same challenges, you are my inspiration.

I am so pumped, I am wearing some older shorts now, and guess, guess... they are 44, no more 46 waist for me, feels like honey. I also broke the 300 lbs barrier, I weighted around 299 lbs for two days in a row now, and it is a great feeling. It is an amazing feeling of accomplishment and happiness.

Glorious day!!!!!

Roddy

Bloggers Do it all Night

2006-06-13T03:39:00.000-04:00

Early on Tuesday, I just couldn't sleep, so decide to read on peeps blogs and write an entry. Another week came and went, I am getting older , damm , I should feel like this, but I am NOT because I feel like this,

due to the fact the I lost another 2 pounds (well almost). Yes, I weight only

On another note, I feel bad for the USA team loss on soccer but today plays my favorite team, Brazil so I am feeling groovy.

Hey keep youself on the track, because no one else will.

Where did he go ?

2006-06-06T01:45:00.000-04:00

I was going thru some of my old pictures, the few that survived moving into many countries over the years, and of course, most of my latest pictures, I don’t have , I need to have my ex to make duplicates for me.

I need to get a good scanner to get this pictures into digital format. So I can get some of my old pictures of moi in my 20's when I was handsome and thin.

Keep working everyone, we can DO IT.

Wow another week

2006-06-06T01:44:00.000-04:00

I am so pleased with the results of this week ( technically 8 days, but we won’t tell anyone), I went from defeat to success, from darkness to light, from misery to ecstasy, in only 7 days, I feel energized, motivated, hungry and ready.

Somehow I feel is possible, is attainable, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I can smell the fresh air on the other side, I listen to whispers of pleasure, I can almost touch that feeling, I can taste the sweet. I want to walk that tunnel, I want to cross the street, I need to be there, I want to be there, I WILL be there.

My plan this week was to diversify, change it up, make it fun, enough running in circles for hours, I think I memorized all the scratches on the walls and the bumps on the floor, I can walk that track blindly. So I set my sights at the stationary bike, wows what an emotional surge, less taxing on my feet( poor boys need it a rest), my old friend CD player doesn’t skip anymore( yap I know I should get and IPOD), lots of people around, makes you forget about time, precise measure on my heart beat so I can keep it @ 70% (best for fat burning). It was great, the only problem is that I needed to add more time as I burn less calories biking(sitting). I could make it only five days but hey, it was way better than the two days I dragged myself to the Gym last week. I could have done better on my eating but was able to hold the cravings @ bay, my only big meal was Sunday, I felt so guilty of not cooking anything the whole week, so I hit the kitchen, created some magic and overate. (Wow the best rice I had ever made, it was delicious)

Here is the big news, I stop the digits at an amazing 304.4 lbs, oh yeah, that’s 3.4 lbs less than my last week weight. I was like, this can't be truth, something is wrong, but hey I'll take it.

So there is hope, keep plugging.

Niagara Falls

2006-05-30T23:32:00.000-04:00

I continue to make in-road in my fight, but this jungle is so thick that I can even barely see the skies, sometimes I whish I could wish some pounds away, Anyone there want some, I’ll trade. I weighted in at 307.8, which is great, lost almost 3 pounds since my last (public) posting, but not enough, not enough. It was a yo-yo week of highs and lows, of joy and gloom, I saw the scale at 305.2 just to disappear into thin air in the next couple days.

I faltered, I lost my way, I lost momentum, I drowned in wrong emotions and sorrows, It was a week full of anxiety and insecurity, I felt like a little Lost puppy on the streets on New York, struggling for its life, besieged, looking everywhere for answers and not finding any. It was horrible.

I spend some time in Niagara Falls, that's my way out, it beats Nielsen chocolate bars, or those delicious Mexican Nachos with cheese and Jalapenos on top. The roar of the water, the mist in the air, the smiles on peoples faces, the majestic fall, the smell of spring, the sound of birds, the beauty of nature, all that beauty helps settle my pain, soothes my soul.

I am ready for another week, I say bring it on. I want seven days out of seven days in the GYM, lets go for a perfect 10. I know, that the only way I lose weight is through exercise. There is something weird with my metabolism, I can stop all food intake and barely lose any weight, I would probably DIE before I can see any radical change (seriously).

So here goes Roddy.

Ensalada

2006-05-23T23:11:00.000-04:00

Ensalada, spanish for Salad: A dish of raw leafy green vegetables, often tossed with pieces of other raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, cheese, or other ingredients and served with a dressing.

In my struggle to lose weight, I’ve been eating a lot of fruits ( banana is my favorite), drinking a lot of water and eating a lot of salads. My favorite salad is (of course), Caesar salad,

"Hi Caesar, those that are about to die, Salute you"

but as you can imagine is loaded on those little pesky things we call calories, dam. There was a time that the only thing I ate for lunch in my lunch hour @ work was a Chicken Caesar salad, until I found out that potentially could have 1800 calories, few, good that I check that out because I thought I was being a good boy and eating well. (What a moron!!!!!!)

So I am asking my fellow bloggers to share salads that they eat, if you please, as that is one of my best friends in this battle. I will start by sharing a salad I like a lot, it is really good and filling, got the recipe from Melissa, my son's GF, so if you read this Melissa, thanks a lot.

You need :
• Pineapple (can)
• Fresh Onion ( chopped any way you like)
• Fresh tomatoes ( any way you like it)
• Corn (can) the frozen type doesn’t taste as fresh
• Olives ( jar) the green ones add the right flavor
• Dill Pickle ( jar ) small size, the garlic type
• Mixed Green lettuce (bag) (hope you can get it in your supermarket) is mainly romaine, but have other varieties. You may need 2 bags.

Mix it up in a big bowl, serve what you need , store the rest, add your favorite dressing, for this salad I prefer zesty Italian (light of course).

Start eating.

To change it up you can add some fried mushrooms, or cucumbers or you can make it a meal with some chicken or boiled eggs.

I hope you try it

On other note , I played hooky on my exercise on Sunday and Monday ( Victoria Day here in the Big North), but feel pumped about today at the YMCA, I walked 6 Km in 1 hour and then had enough juice to play some basketball pick-up games for another hour, feels so good.
I am feeling very optimistic about my struggle, I just hope I can keep this level of emotional power for the long run.

I know WE CAN DO IT.

310.2 lbs

2006-05-21T19:49:00.000-04:00

I am so happy of the results of this week, I just hope and pray that I can keep the momentum going. I have to say I was able to squeeze 5 days in the Gym this week, it was heaven. What it is interesting is that I didn’t feel exhausted or in pain and I felt I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to do it again, it was great.

On my eating habits, I did ok, I feel I could have done way better. Specially last night, when a huge hunger-feeling came to me and I ate more that I should. I also drank a can of Coke, imagine that. Felt really good like always, I am just happy it didn’t became a 2 liter bottle.

I am getting into the habit of weighting myself everyday after my work-out at the YMCA and my last weight-in this Saturday was 310.2 lbs.

On a different note, I appreciate the comments of the people that read my blog this week, feels good that some people takes time of their important activities to read my ramblings, felt like having Angels with me, making sure that I succeed, if you are a movies nut and saw Angels in the Outfield, you know what I mean.
Please feel free to link to you website, blog, space, etc... I will correspond kindly.

Roddy

Strategy

2006-05-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

How to lose weight, is a question I guess everyone ask themselves. In my case, knowing myself. I will lose weight mainly through getting my Butt out of this chair, that's it, move it, shake it, stir it, just don't let it sit idle for too long.

So key fact that shape my strategy for losing weight are :

1. I am a software developer, a gamer and a do-it all on the computer, read news, check statements, pay bills, read books, listen music, take courses, buy stuff etc.... I can not leave without internet, there I said it. In fact my TV is gathering dust already. I can sit 24 hours on my desk without feeling the need to get up, shameful, but true.

2. I really don’t eat a lot, and have been able to eat kind of healthy for several years already. With the odd occasion for indulging of course. I also have been able to control my cravings over the last few years, no more Pepsi, no more Cherry Garcia, no more Hazelnut Chocolates. I really have been able to control my habits.
3. I love basketball, I could play for hours if i had the stamina to do it, I guess is the challenge of wining a pick up game , show you skill muscle and destroy the opposition.

Based on my analysis of me, I will not even think of pounds to lose or mid terms goals or long term goals. My tow main goals are:

Keep controlling my food income and quality of the food I eat
I will read as much as i can of nutrition, calorie intake, calorie consumption. I will learn to cook simple , healthy food, tasty ( enough Tuna) that will discourage my inclination to eat out. As part of these goal I intend to join Weight-Watchers, I have been there a couple of times and found it lacking, it wasn’t for me and in reality it is not for me as the main trust of losing weight, but as a support action for motivational and educational purpose.

Exercise regularly and substantially
I will get into some kind of physical activity as often as I can as this is my main trust for losing weight. 3500 calories burned thru exercise are the equivalent of 1 lbs of weight. I will walk, run or play basketball as often as I can. If I can do it 3 times a week it will be an amazing success, but I hope I can motivate myself to do it daily, even if it is only 10 minutes a day.

There you have it, this is my strategy to accomplish my goal of 102 pounds.

Me

2006-05-18T17:31:00.000-04:00

In the Beginning

2006-05-18T14:23:00.000-04:00

I want to track my weight loss or gain (hum) in a systematic, formal way. I could have done this privately with no embarrassment and exposure, but decided against it. I need to motivate myself in ways that will help accomplish this goal. So decide to experiment with a blog, see if it is the right medium to do it.

I am extremely overweight, it has been a long time to get here, so long that I can't barely remember when I was Skinny (yes it sounds good), yes, is true, I was once healthy and maintained a regular exercise program (if you can call playing basketball daily, a regular program)

I have been overweight now, 20 years, yes that's a life time for some, for me it almost half of my time on earth. All started to go down the hill, when I fell in love with computers, with software cuz I never left my chair after that.

I jumped to 200 pounds stayed there for a few years, I still remember when I was 220 pounds, and I felt so unfit. Then I gain a bit more weight, then a bit more, and more till I hit 260 pounds. I stayed there the longer, worked for a good company, had basketball pick up games etc... So I dint increase that much even that my eating habits were so bad. I could go over 1 pound of ice cream a sitting or down 4 litter of Pepsi a day or eat @ McDonald's 3 times a day. Me Bad.

The problem is that I also didn’t lose weight, I didn't feel the need, I am a very assured person, and even being that overweight , I felt on top of the world. Who was I kidding?

Then in the last few years I just ballooned (in red) to 290 pounds, to a maximum of 322, yes that’s three hundred and twenty two pounds of repulsive flesh. I could blame it on lots of things, job, stock market, marriage or even the weather, but after all, I ate those big bags of lime Fritos or Guacamole Doritos, on my own.

So a couple weeks ago I decided that enough is enough, I have to lose weight and get my life in control. There are multiple reasons that prompt me to do this; I think the most important one is that weighting over 300 pounds does not sound right to me. In my mind somewhere deep inside, the 300 barrier scares me (I whish I could feel the same for the 200 pound mark, but I don't).

Other important reason is that I just don’t want to keep buying clothe, I don’t mind the odd shirt or pant , but all my dressing shirts and pants and my suites, I just can't afford it. Also my collection of clothe that don’t' fit is getting bigger and bigger.

Then is the issue that I am single again, after many, many years of being married, I find myself, more aware of my looks and feel the need to start dating again and right now, let me tell you, you will not convince me to date me. And last but not least important is my health of course, I just can believe how my body has taken so much punishment without cracking. So I better maintain this vessel before it breaks. Oh I forgot to tell you that my cholesterol level is off the charts, can't imagine the traffic jams.

So, I joined the YMCA and started making a serious and lasting attempt to keep a regular exercise schedule. Walking is pretty much what I can do at the moment, without triggering a massive heart attack, and I understand is one of the best things you can do to lose weight, anyways.

I have been totally inconsistent, so far, but have a feeling that I am in the right track ( the walking track , getting in the way of all the 70's year old that just zoom by me)

Not all is bad news, as I can PROUDLY say that I weighted today at a whooping 313.6 Pounds. Oh yeah , get the calculator out , that is a big loss of 8.4 pounds in about 20 days, Could have been more , but yesterday, I couldn't resist Taco Bell for lunch.

So this is where I start:

Weigth: 322 Pounds
Waist: 46 inches
Height: 6:0 feet
BMI: 43.7

Now, where I want to go, I just know that I have to go down, my weight goals is 220 Pounds. Once I get there I'll see if that's where I want to stay.

So, start walking.