Wrapping up the Weight Loss Adventure

For those of you who followed my weight loss adventures this year, I believe I owe you one last post. The 101 pounds in a year goal...not happening. That said, I feel like this goal-setting and blogging season has been 100% successful. He who shoots for the stars does not end up with mud between his fingers.

I'm maintaining now. My doctor encouraged that. I've gained a few pounds from my low point, but I'm still right there, still counting points, still exercising routinely.

What about the commitment to returning to being an athlete? Yes, that's still happening and feels great. My best 3-mile time for the summer/fall was 24:11 before the weather turned. I can still run through the winter, but not at that pace. So here's the plan:

1. We have a family YMCA membership for the winter months. Colleen and I have been swimming with Jason about 5 nights a week for the last 3 weeks. It's nothing formal, but I've been doing a pile of laps every night in between dodge ball and goofing around. Jason is swimming in the deep end, jumping off the diving board, and even doing dunk fights with me in the deep end. His fitness is very important to me too.

24 Years Later: Returning to Being an Athlete

33 pounds in 19 weeks.

That's what it boils down to today. I talked with a friend this morning about maybe taking 18 months to pursue this goal instead of a year. He said, "Ah, you can do it." Maybe he's right. After a day of mulling it over, here's the plan.

I've got to return to being an athlete.

My first 50 pounds was returning to healthy eating.
My next 20 pounds was returning to being active with walking 7 miles/day.
The next 31 pounds will be a return to running, and going beyond any conditioning I've done since high school.

I ran three miles today. I can do that now without a major problem. Time was 32:40. My running plan involves running 4-5 times/wk. That means every day except when I'm derailed. I keep this plan until I reach 24:00 for 3 miles.

If that happens before I lose 101 pounds, I use Ken Cooper's elite running plan for competitive Master's runners (to age 49). It's all charted out in 4-5 workouts/week. Goal: 18:00/3miles.

I also need to improve my nutrition system so I can plan better for what I need day to day. List of staples. Menu of main meal choices. List of high value foods.

August turned out to be a maintenance month for me. I used all of my flex points each week, and some extra on about three days. I had a bowl of ice cream and grilled stuft burrito and three cinnamon rolls, and a few extras. My excuse is that we were driving Jason to Tomahawk or Plover several days a week for childcare until school started. My three "blowing it" days were about half the points of a normal day before. :-)

I also think I needed to come to a decision about whether I'm willing to commit to being an athlete. I think that's what I need to do...24 years later.

SIS#30 - On the Road Again

Self-Improvement Sundays

***29 weeks complete, On pace, 72 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Three weeks of being stuck...and we're on the road again, baby! To be honest, I've been eating a little more. Rather than scrimping more and cutting my points to a lower weight zone, I backed up to my current weight zone for Weight Watchers points.


It's the strangest thing: eating 1200 calories a day, walking 7 miles a day, and loosing nothing.


So the first "decade" is down. In this last 40 pounds, the "60's" are done. Ah, the 60's. I won't forget being stuck on 69 pounds for 3 weeks. I don't know if I can lose all 101 pounds in one year. I want to. But I know I'm learning a few things on the way. Like, doing something really hard is totally different from facing something impossible. And I'm not sure how often we know the difference on the front end.

SIS#29 - Plateau Busting Plans

Self-Improvement Sundays

***28 weeks complete, Behind pace, 69 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Yes, I'm still on a weight loss plateau. Three weeks with no weight loss. Although it's jeopardizing my one year goal, I'm not very upset about it. I still feel like my body is toning up, so that's very good.

Yesterday I hit my 50 day mark for 7 miles walking every day. So I've walked well over 350 miles in that span. It takes a good case of hay fever to sneeze at that! (It's nothing to sneeze it...let me explain my obscure humor.)

Here's what I'm hoping to do more of to move off of this plateau.

1. Variety in food, both the amounts and the types.
2. Variety in exercise - get some more hills on the walks, do some more running, biking, swimming.
3. Accuracy - make double dog sure I'm not fudging myself.
4. Water - look at 100+ oz per day.
5. Strength training - if I need to take this step, get back into some basic calisthenics: squats, pushups and crunches are my standby's.
6. Non-weight metrics - Look at what else I'm winning at besides pounds: health, clothes sizes, walking miles.

That's a summary of some suggestions I've ready. Three weeks of being stuck is enough for me!

I've been asking myself whether this is all really worth it, or if I should just flip into maintenance mode. But it dawned on me, What if this is just really difficult? I mean, what if it's not impossible, just really hard to do? I can do difficult. I don't want to quit because of difficult. I guess I keep going...

SIS#28 - Plateau, Sweet Plateau

Self-Improvement Sundays

***27 weeks complete, Behind pace, 69 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

I lost the pound I gained last week, but I'm a pound behind pace to reach the 101 in 1 goal. So I've officially hit the plateau. I'm still not planning to change anything I'm doing. Sticking with the plan seems like the best approach. The big picture is this:

1. I'm down 69 pounds in just over 6 months.

2. I feel great.

3. I've got great clothes until I lose another 15 or 20 pounds. Then I've got nothing.

4. Life is happening on a dozen levels besides weight loss, with many positive developments.

So, yes, I'm a bit frustrated with being stuck. But I don't think I'll be stuck forever. The path I'm taking now is too focused to maintain status quo. I totally believe that.

Here's to perseverance.

SIS#27 - Halfway There, Livin' On a Prayer

Self-Improvement Sundays

***26 weeks complete, On pace, 68 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

I hit the halfway mark today toward my one year goal of 101 pounds. I gained a pound this week. A bit disappointing, but remember I dropped three last week. It's so up and down that my job is just to stick to the program: stay with the WeightWatchers points and walk/run seven miles a day.

No wet noodle slapping here. Out of 26 weeks, this is only the second that I have not lost. The overall chances of reaching my goal are still good. 68 pounds in the first 6 months, 33 pounds in the second 6 months. 

I want the goal, but if you've followed my blogs you know that my life focus is much broader than this. At this point, WW points and 7 miles/day are all I'm willing to do. Later on I might consider doing more.

So, God, thank you for a very exciting 6 months and for all of the health breakthroughs I've had since January. We're halfway there, and I've never been more fulfilled in walking with you.

SIS#26 - New Vans and Old Wagons

Self-Improvement Sundays

***25 weeks complete, Ahead of pace, 69 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

It's been a great week, and interesting.

Why great?  I hit another 3 pound week, which feels like the tipping point of success for the goal of 101 pounds in a year.  It means I'm ahead of pace, and 1 pound per week with few occasional 2 pound week thrown in will get me to my goal.  For the first time, I feel like I've got this.

Why interesting?  In a nutshell, people are starting to look at me very differently.  Several people at work told me they didn't recognize me right away and had to walk back down my hallway again to see who "that guy" was.  Kinda fun.

But the really interesting phenomenon is the kinds of looks that people give me now.  Last year, Colleen and I had two vehicles: a relatively new Pontiac Montana minivan and an older Mercury Sable station wagon.  I was always amazed at how other drivers treated me on the road depending on which vehicle I was driving.  When I was in the Sable, they tended to cut me off, tailgate, and generally be less respectful.  When I was driving the Montana, even though it's no Escalade, they tended to wait before entering, back off, and generally be more respectful.

I'm not sure I like it, but people are now looking at me like I'm a Pontiac Montana.  I guess it goes back to the old Bible verse that says God looks on the heart and man looks on the outward appearance.

I am renewing my commitment to not be that way.  It makes me angry when people butter up management and belittle maintenance. If I'm really a Jesus guy, I am here for the last, for lost, and the least.

SIS#25 - Tested by Travel

Self-Improvement Sundays

***24 weeks complete, On pace, 66 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

I've been gone for a week, traveling to see my family in Canada. My mom did a great job having good low-cal food around and the meals and snacks went very well. The fun part was pulling 8 or 10 family members at a time outside to go walking with me on my daily quest for 7 miles. They were great! We'd typically walk down the hill from my parents' place and circle the campground several times, often stopping to chat with friends.

I was able to get my miles in every day except the return travel day. Oh well. I made up for it with 10 miles today.

So, I managed to get a pound out of the deal, but I think it might actually be more. I didn't weigh-in on the trip, so today's reading was my first. It's possible I had a lower point during the week. That's OK. If I'm right then my week just gets a bit easier this week.

Most of my family hadn't seen me since Christmas...6 months and 65 pounds prior! My brother-in-law, Brad, kept saying, "Where's the rest of you?!"

I'm pressing now to finish of my seventh "decade" of weight loss: the 60's. Hitting 70 seems like stepping into the big leagues. Here's to a good week back in the routine.

SIS#24 - How to Advise a Friend

Self-Improvement Sundays

***23 weeks complete, On pace, 65 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Much effort and 1 more pound this week. Hey, I'll take it. Some of you may have noticed my midweek tweet. "1st 3 mile run in a few years. 32:48...not exactly Olympic, but feels like gold. I'd like to do a 5k this fall for fun. 5m 6d since 300lbs." So the cardio is slowly strengthening and the body is getting that "Hey, let's go!" feeling.

It's interesting to me that no one commented on my post two weeks ago when I gained a pound. But then, what would one say? When you watch a friend stumble while trying, what do you say? Let me give a few ideas from my point of view post-stumble.

1. Sometimes stuff just happens. I didn't blow it that week, but what if I did? On the path to good things, sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back.

2. Keep the big picture in mind. At that point I was 21 weeks in and 61 pounds down. That's still astounding success in spite of a bump in the road. In other words, changing plans drastically is probably a bad idea.

3. Honor individual dignity and purpose. I think the words that might have meant the most to me would have gone something like this: "Look what you've been able to accomplish so far! The same resolve and creativity that's gotten you this far can take you even farther." The worst advice would be: "I knew that Weight Watchers program was a bad program all along. Here's what you need to do to succeed..." The sad thing is that many people don't even realize the controlling, dehumanizing nature of that comment.

4. What do you want and why do you want it? No matter what's happening at this very moment, helping a friend to stay focused on mid- to long-term goals is always great.

5. Don't coddle me. One of my favorite scenes from the movie Iron Will is where Will is about dead on his feet several days into the sled race. He wakes up early again, after just 2 or 3 hours sleep, and can't feel his legs. The newspaper reporter who's waiting with him tells him there's no way he can go on. Will responds with something like "help me stand up or get out of my way!" I want the dignity of pushing myself beyond my normal limits to accomplish something great. Help me if you like, but don't coddle me!

So that's what I've been thinking about. Helpful?

SIS#23 - The 7-Milers Begin

Self-Improvement Sundays

***22 weeks complete, On pace, 64 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

We're back in business, baby! Thanks to a redoubled effort with 7+ miles/day walking, I was thrilled to grab a three pound week for the first time in a while. I've always known that exercise was my ace in the hole, so now I'm playing it.

For the inquiring minds that want to know, this doesn't mean that I walk a 7-mile course everyday. I just drop my pedometer in my pocket every morning and don't go to bed until it says 7 miles (12,000 steps for my stride length). I've done just a skitch of jogging in there, but I'm able to multi-task better when I'm walking...podcasts, todo lists, prayer time, things like that.

The focus is still on nutrition, but the walking is an added dimension.

I emailed Col this week and described how badly I want this goal now. True, I've already won, but I want the grand prize that I've laid out. Not getting 101 pounds in a year still doesn't mean defeat, but I'm not going down without a fight. Right now the fight goes out to my walking paths.

SIS #22 - Staying Hitched

Self-Improvement Sundays

***21 weeks complete, Behind pace, 61 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Well, it's finally happened, as I knew it would. I've gone up a pound. In 21 weeks, this is the first time I haven't lost at least a pound each week. Anxiety? No, relief.

My daily readings this week were probably a bit better than last week's actually. In all the up and down, though, I didn't get the dip below the previous week's low. That's a first, but I knew it was going to happen. Mathematically, you can't lose a pound/week forever!

There's a scene in the movie Far and Away that I relate to. Near the end of the movie, they have a race into the western frontier to claim stakes of land. Hundreds of wagons and horses and families are lined up waiting for the signal. And the gun is fired and dirt flies as pioneers gallop toward their destinies.

Tom Cruise's character is on horseback alone, and has a significant advantage over families trying to carry their accumulated possessions with a team and a covered wagon.

I'm staying hitched. That's the point. Yes, I'm a claim staker like everyone else, but I won't unhitch from the family to get my land. And our claim may ultimately be humble, but we'll be together.

The weight loss has been rewarding, but if you've been tracking with me at any depth you're aware that this has more to do with life change. My life goals are much more broad and meaningful than how I weigh in on the scale.

I actually hit the track yesterday and did a 3-mile run/walk, slow jogging 7 or 8 of the 12 laps. It felt pretty good and I was pleased that my heart rate monitor was pretty kind to me.

I have no illusions that I can exercise an hour a day in our crazy family life right now. But I'm hopeful for more. Is 101 in 1 an attainable goal? A college prof said it like this: "He who shoots for the stars does not end up with mud in his fingers."

SIS#21 - Whew! Most Dramatic of Weeks

Self-Improvement Sundays

***20 weeks complete, On pace, 62 lbs - Goal 101 lbs in 1 year***

Another challenging week! Some of you might have caught my Saturday Facebook update:

"Don't have my pound yet this week! It would be the first no-loss week since January 17. I've decided to fast today and possibly tomorrow...until I get it. Can you feel the drama?!"

I ended up eating only salad, apples and cherries. By morning I had my pound, plus one. Nice!

So why go all kamikaze for a single pound? I even said just last week that I'm bound to have a zero week at some point. Well, this was my first week embracing the aggressive new goal of 101 in 1. I just felt determined not to start out that way.

My hunch is that the 3-pounds I got last week were due to an over-generous reading on our home scale. Whatever the case, I should be back on track. Hopefully I'm poised to push the pace all the way to the end.

SIS#20 - Goal #3 - 101 Pounds in 1 Year

Self-Improvement Sundays

***19 weeks complete - Goal 1 was 40lbs, Goal 2 was 60lbs***

I struggled most of the week to get my 58th pound, and Friday night I was pleasantly surprised to actually go all the way to 60. Nice! Goal #2 is history, six weeks ahead of pace.

And you might have noticed the subtle reference in the post title to my new goal: 101 pounds in a year. How often does one have the chance to lose 100 pounds in a year? I'd say once, so I'm taking it.

Remember, I started at 300. So I would drop to 199 by midnight on January 16, 2011.

Doable? Well, I've lost 60 pounds in 4-1/2 months, so I just need to lose 41 pounds in 7-1/2 months. True, it's not quite as quick now, but I haven't really started exercising yet either. So that's my ace in the hole. Of course, I'll evaluate as I go and change course if it seems unhealthy.

What about internal goals? 41 pounds and 7+ months is a long time with no milestone celebrations. OK, we'll celebrate the "decades", the 10-pound increments. I've already beaten the 90's, 80's, 70's, 60's, 50's and 40's. I'll drive a stake in the ground, so to speak, when I beat the 30's, 20's, 10's and 0's.

And at that moment I'll be lighter than any point since college in Minneapolis, possibly one of my earlier years in college. Interesting that 2011 is my 20 year reunion for North Central.

I still haven't had a single day of binging or a single week without losing at least a pound. That pace may not hold all the way to 199, but it's not the pace that's ultimately important. It's the final result.

I debate about blogging about weight loss less often, say, monthly. But my weekly check-in with Ev nation is possibly the greatest factor in my overall success. Anyone still with me for the last 41 pounds?

Oh, by the way, my clothes I couldn't fit into before are hanging from me like flowing robes. Virtually none of my clothes will fit me in 8 months, and I don't care. I'll replace it all from Goodwill if I have to.

Sorry, no grand ideas tonight, just focus. Time to go rest up!

SIS#19 - Why the Picture?

Self-Improvement Sundays

***18 weeks complete - ahead of pace >53 lbs - Goal 1 was 40lbs, Goal 2 is 60lbs by July 11***

57 down, 3 to go.

If anyone wonders why I'm using this picture for all of my SIS posts, it was more of an intuitive thing. When I look at this scene, I see freedom, life, vitality, and power. I see both passion and serenity. It's a desire to be fully alive. That's much more powerful to me than dropping clothing sizes or looking good at the beach. I intend to live.

SIS#18 - Rollin' Back the Years

Self-Improvement Sundays

***17 weeks complete - ahead of pace >52 lbs - Goal 1 was 40lbs, Goal 2 is 60lbs by July 11***

I got my 55th pound this week, not until Saturday...but it still counts! I'm now 2 pounds shy of my Highland weight, when I was on staff as Music Director there 11 years ago. I've touched down a bit lower than this once or twice, but if I keep going I'm rolling back into my second decade previous to today. I know time travel is confusing. That guy on the park bench in Back to the Future never figured it out either.

Just like God added 15 years to King Hezekiah's life in Isaiah 38, he has means to add life and quality of life for us. Life is his business and I'm happy to be a client.