I've Been A Bad Boy

I haven't done well at all through Christmas week.  I've been eating too much and too much bad food.  To top it off, I sprained my back and I haven't been able to do much jogging or hiking, but I have stayed busy working in my backyard.

Today I've started a fast, eating nothing and drinking nothing but water for the next four days.  I'm actually engaging in this fast for spiritual reasons, but doubtlessly I'll lose some weight during this fast.  To be honest, I haven't weighed myself since before Christmas week so I don't know how much, if any, weight that I've gained.  I will not weigh myself again until January 1, which is the day I'll be coming off my fast.  I'll use that weight as the baseline to mark my progress until October 31, 2010. 

I've found that the more I exercise, the better I am to control my appetite.  In that my sprained back has limited my exercise, I think it has caused my appetite to more active than it has been in the past.

Verse of the Day: Gal 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control . Against such there is no law.  NKJV

New Low

Hey, I dropped significantly yesterday.  This morning I weighed 221.8.  I'll be in the 2teens before the end of the month.  I didn't work out yesterday, but I did get a good workout the day before. 

Yesterday I had another Christmas luncheon and I ate smart.  It was at The Old Spagetti Factory in Atlanta.  I had whole wheat spagetti with marinara sauce.  I also had a side salad and a quarter cup of ice cream.  To be honest, the spagetti did not taste good.  I would rather of had the lasagna.  The lady across the table had it and it looked good.  It was huge too.  Looking around the table at those who ate the lasagna, it was obvious why they were all so large.  Sweet ladies and wonderful people, but very large.  I think if I went there with my wife I would buy one piece of lasagna and split it with her, and maybe one of my kids. 

So I made the sacrifice and ate the spagetti that tasts like sticks.  For dinner my wife bought a cheese pizza.  I was hungry, but I decided not to eat any of the pizza, so instead I ate an apple and had a diet coke for dinner.  My stomace was growling as I drifted off to sleep, but I knew the sacrifice would pay off in the morning--and it did.

Tonight we have another Christmas eating meeting.  It is a Christmas dinner with the staff.  My wife is cooking, and she's and awesome cook.  However, once again, I will exercise extreme self-control and probably only have a salad. 

Verse of the Day: 2 Peter 1:5-8
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control , to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  NKJV

The Scales Don't Lie

On Friday I weighed 225.4.  Happy times.   Then Saturday I was up to 226.6, and I stayed at that weight on Sunday, dropped to 226.2 on Monday and Tuesday, but this morning, after very little to eat on Tuesday, I was down to 224.00.    I've discovered a couple things.  First, I haven't been able to exercise at all from Saturday through today and that really slows down weight loss.  To loose weight without starving yourself at the age of 49, then you must burn some calories with exercise.  Second, I've found that exercise is a great way to stay in a positive frame of mind.  Since I haven't been exercising I've been feeling down.

Why haven't I been exercising?  I'm an adjunct professor at a university in Atlanta and grades are due today.  So for the past four days I've been spending all my spare time grading finals and papers.  It is an emotionally gruelling task, but it doesn't burn many calories.  I plan to get out in the yard and do some serious yard work tomorrow.

One thing that helps motivate is when people tell you that you've been losing weight.  Generally, people who haven't seen you since you started losing weight will be the first to notice, but today my daughter (who sees me everyday) said, "You really are looking skinny."  In fact, my wife cupped my face in her hands Monday and said, "You can really tell you've lost weight."  Those things make you feel good.

 To be honest, I haven't really been tempted to binge eat.  I'm actually forcing myself to eat.  I don't get very hungry as long as I eat something on a regular schedule.  Yesterday I waited until 1:00 pm to eat lunch and I was getting really hungry.  I stopped at Longhorns intending to the salmon, but I had a salad instead.  So, all in all, I've seen positive results, even during the holiday guantlett. 

Verse of the Day: Ps 62:9

9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
NKJV

Here The Scoop

Here's the deal, I went to a Christmas banquet yesterday. It was a big deal with all the fixin's and trimmings. For lunch the menu was tenderloin, grilled chicken with a hollandaise sauce, rice and broccoli. There was also a dinner roll and for dessert red velvet cake. I ate everything except the roll and cake. Knowing that this luncheon was coming, I ate a light breakfast, and I had a light dinner as well—I ate lots of melon.

After I returned home I went out to my back yard and worked for an hour clearing brush from the back side of my lot. As I’ve said before, that is a full body workout. Cutting small trees with a machete, pulling vines out of trees, hacking briars, and so on, I really worked up a sweat. I like it because I get a great overall workout, plus I’ve accomplished something.

This morning I weighed myself and found that I’d lost 1.2 lbs down to 225.4. It’s been years since I’ve seen the 225s. I’d love to be down to the 220s by the end of December. I’ve probably got enough brush left on my lot to keep me busy until then.

My problem now is that I don’t have any clothes to wear. I don’t want to buy a lot of clothes because I plan to lose another 25 lbs, so anything I buy now will be too small in about six months. I’ll probably go to Goodwill and get some cheap stuff to hold me over until then.

Verse of the Day: Mark 9:23, NKJV

23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe , all things are possible to him who believes."

Christmas Banquets Begin

I'm dressed to go to a Christmas Luncheon with the North Georgia Church of God state leadership.  This is the first of about a half a dozen such events.  How do I approach these luncheons?  First of all, I had a small breakfast, so I try to trim some calories there.  Second, I'll try to each smart at the luncheon.  Third, I will exercise a little more this evening.

Yesterday morning I weighed in at 226.4 lbs and then I hit the treadmill for 20 minutes wearing my 20 lb weighted vest.  Then, last night, I jogged for one mile and tried to set a new personal best in time.  My last attempt was November 18th and I ran it in 8 minutes and 50 seconds.  Last night I really pushed myself HARD and ran it in 8 minutes and 20 seconds.  Not bad considering I really haven't even been jogging since November.  I've been doing a lot of hiking, but no jogging.  My next goal is to get my mile down to under 8 minutes.

Waking up this morning I believed that all my hard work was going to pay off in getting me into the 225 lb range.  Instead, I ended up on the plateau.  I didn't lose a single ounce.  I weighed in at 226.4 again this morning.  I'm seeing that this is what happens, namely, that I lose quickly, then stall, then lose again--the stairstep process I talked about earlier.  However, though I didn't lose weight from all my  hard work, I do feel that I've lost size.  I'm wearing clothes that I haven't worn in 4 years.  They are a little dated however. 

Finally, I watched the final episode of The Biggest Loser Tuesday evening and it was really inspiring.  Danny Cahill looked like a totally different person.  I hope he can keep it off, and I hope I can as well.

Scripture of the Day: Matt 24:13, NKJV
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Post-Thanksgiving

Admittedly the rate of my weightloss slowed down during Thanksgiving.  In fact, I refused to weigh myself until a week after Thanksgiving.  In addition to the holiday meal, I have been on the road and driven over 2,500 miles back and forth between West Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, DC.  It's a long story, but the short version is that my mother had a heart attack and I was back and forth helping her in a hospital in West Virginia and then in Washington, DC.

While in West Virginia, and before my mother's heart attack, I did walk the hills each and every day.  It was quite a workout.  Then in Washington at the hospital I tried to take the stairs whenever possible.  My mother was on the fourth floor.  In addition, yesterday I was working in the undergrowth in my back yard trying the clear the back side of the lot my home sits on.  Wow!  What a workout that was.  The net result is that this morning I weighed in at 227.6.  I'm .6 pounds away from losing 25 lbs. since September 23rd.  That's half way to my goal of 50 by 50. 

Yesterday I bought a vest that holds 20 pounds in weights.  I wore it up and down the stairs at my home and up the hill in front of my home.  I never realized how heavy 20 pounds was until the cashier asked me to move the box for her.  Then it occurred to me that I've lost that much and more.  When I put the vest on and walked around I reminded myself that I weighed more than that before I started losing weight.  No wonder I was winded going up and down stairs. 

Anyhow, my mother is doing great.  God really performed a miracle.  To hear about that you can go to the link for my sermon last Sunday (Never Give Up On God). 

Scripture of the Day: Deut 7:10
9 "Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments"  NKJV

THE HOLIDAYS

This is gauntlet time for people trying to lose weight. First there's Thanksgiving, then there are leftovers, and after that, Christmas and New Year’s Day with all the football and snacks and stuff. And then, there's the guilt and the resolution to lose weight this year.

The question is how to maintain weight loss during those days when food, good food and plenty of it, is everywhere. During the Christmas season I have been invited to at least half a dozen Christmas lunches or banquets. So what does one do? I could decline the invitations, but that would be rude and not in my best interest professionally or pastorally. With respect to these invitations to holiday feasts there are only two options, or some combination of the two. First, I can simply eat smart. I can eat small portions and only healthy choices. Second, I can eat a little more and then exercise a little more. Or I can do a little of both--small portions and exercise more.

With respect to the family meals and the all the leftovers--pies pleading to be eaten, cookies calling, turkey tempting me--I must simply exercise self-control. Also, I pick one day when I can just eat as much healthy food as I want to. I’ll make smart choices, but not limit the amount I eat. (Chances are that because I’ve been eating smaller portions now for a couple months, I won’t be able to hold much anyhow.) I will need to stay away from high calorie foods such as desserts. The problem is that I love cheesecake. I could eat the whole thing, but I will probably only have a small slice, if I have any at all. Also, I will be engaging in high calorie burning activities. During Thanksgiving I'll be walking the hills of West Virginia hunting. I'll jog and hike as well.

A good goal for the holidays is to get to New Year’s Day without gaining a pound. It's a victory if you don't gain, even if you don't lose anything. After New Year’s you can get back into the routine and start melting away those pounds again.

Verse of the Day: 1 Thess 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. NKJV

I Hate Plateaus

Growing up in West Virginia and spending a lot of time on those thar hills, I discovered that a plateau is a landing, or a short interval in the ascent or descent of the hill.  One could get on a plateua and walk around the hill without much effort.  The problem is that you don't usually don't go down or up.  In fact, you end up going in circles. 

I was rejoicing earlier this week because I'd lost down to the 220s.  In fact, I was down to 229.0.  However, for the past 3 days I've been holding at 229.4 lbs.  I don't like that.  Unfortunately, my shedule this week is such that I haven't been able to do the kind of workout that I want to do.  In fact, if I get to run on the treadmill at all today, it will not be until after 10 pm. 

I know that if I stay the course I will break through this plateau, but I love seeing the weight drop each time I get on the scales.  So far, the best exercise I've found for shedding pounds is walking/jogging up and down Stone Mountain.  Sadly, it takes about 30 minutes each way to get to the mountain, so it isn't as convenient as I wish it was.  Still, I plan to walk it Sunday afternoon.  In the meantime, I'll be watching my caloric intack since I'm limited in my exercise regiment for the next couple days.

Verse of the Day: Mark 9:23-24
23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." NKJV

What a Difference Two Weeks Makes

Here's a picture of me at about 230 lbs.  I took it last night just after I got off the treadmill and posed.  I'm such a poser.  I'm finding that good running shoes are worth their weight in nylon.  My feet feel great. 

I did it.  I jogged/ran a mile in 8 minutes and 50 seconds.  That's 50 seconds faster than I did it two weeks ago.  I want to run the mile and a half in 11 minutes and 30 seconds because that's the qualifying time for Navy recruits.  I want to know that a 49-year-old dude could qualify.  I heard a report that 75% of young people do not qualify for the military now because 1) they have criminal record, or 2) they did not graduate from high school, or 3) they can not pass the physcial, or 4) they simply cannot not qualify on the exercise/run tests.

I took some measurments and found that my neck has gone from 19 inches to 17 inches and my waist has gone from 40+ to 37 inches.  Also, as of this morning I'm officially in the 220s.  I weighed 229 lbs, and I haven't seen the 220s in about 4 years.  So I'm happy now.

Verse of the Day:  Prov 29:18
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (KJV)

My Fat Picture

How fat was I?  This is a fat picture of me without my beard.  Bloated and pathetic looking.  I love this picture.  It was a real motivator for me.  When I first saw it I didn't even recognize myself.  I was at about 250 lbs. in that picture and now I'm at 230 lbs. and falling fast.  I hope to be in the 220s by the end of the week. 

Sometimes we need to see something like this to understand just where we are in life.  It's a wakeup call, a reality check, a slap in the face, and all the other cliches you can think of.  I'm still too heavy, but I have engaged in a lifestyle change that I hope will bring better health and vitality, and perhaps make me look a little better too.

I ran Stone Mountain in 33 minutes yesterday.  What an exhilerating run.  It's only 2.6 miles, but it's brutal.  Tonight I'll be timing myself to see what I run the mile in.  My last run/jog was a mile in 9 minutes and 40 seconds.  I'd love to be able to run it in less than 9 minutes tonight
.
So how do I look now?  Well, I haven't taken a picture today, but I'll post one tomorrow for the sake of comparison.

Verse of the Day: 2 Cor 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJV)

Travel and Weight Loss

I traveled to West Virginia from Georgia to speak in the funeral of a dear friend who passed last week.  The trip is about 10 hours, but because I forgot my wallet and found out after driving an hour, I had to come back home and it ended up being a 12 hour trip up and about 11 back.  The problem with traveling is trying to eat the right food.  It is hard to get good food on the road.  I drank way too much Coke Zero and ate pork rinds and chewed lots of gum. 

When I finally got to West Virginia it was dark but I wanted to run so bad that I took my flashlight and my gun and ran up the hill in front of my mother's house.  It felt good to get out, stretch my legs and get the blood pumping.   I was only there two days but both days I ran the hills.  On the way back from West Virginia I stopped at the New River Gorge Bridge and took the 178 steps down to the scenic overlook.   It wasn't much of a workout but it got my blood pumping. 

Yesterday, I was feeling a little down and I felt like I needed something to pick me up so I hiked up Stone Mountain here in Georgia.  It is quite a hike and I felt a real burn in my legs by the time I got to the top.  It took me 43 minutes to go to the top and back down.  After the hike I felt much better physically and metally.  [Gotta love those endorphins!] I have a season pass so I plan to go at least once a week to climb the mountain. 

So, I didn't weigh myself until this morning and I weighed 233.4.  That's a new low, not by much, but a new low nonetheless.  I'd like to drop a half-pound by morning and be in the 232s going into next week.  At 232 even I will have dropped 20 pounds since September 23rd.

Verse of the Day: Joshua 14:12
12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."

Approaching A Milestone

Here's the deal, I was stuck at 235.6 lbs. for six days.  Of course during those six days I celebrated my birthday by pigging out at a Korean buffet, so the fact that I only gained a little over a pound from my low of 234.4 wasn't a big deal.  However, with renewed vigor I have been watching what I eat and running on the treadmill.  So today when I weighed in at 233.6 I was elated. 

I watched America's Biggest Loser again this week and was super motivated by it.  I love that show!  I saw the woman who was voted off and how she continued to lose weight after she was off the show.  I missed the first episode but when they showed a retrospective of her journey they replayed an incident where the contestants were running a mile just after they arrived.  She passed out and was taken to the hospital.  Then, after returning home and losing a lot of weight, she continued to train and eventually went back and ran that mile in 11 minutes and 22 seconds.  So I decided to see if I could beat her time on the treadmill. 

When I started my own journey on September 23, 2009 weighing in at 252 lbs I managed to walk at 3 mph for 20 minutes.  At that rate it took me 20 minutes to walk one mile.  Last night I jogged the entire mile starting at 6 mph and ending at 8 mph.  I finished the mile in 9 minutes and 40 seconds.  In addition to weight loss and increased endurance, I'm wearing 17 1/2 inch (neck) shirts (I was at 19") and I've lost 2 inches on my waist size.  I'm wearing some of my older clothes that I was planning on throwing out two months ago.

My goals going forward are to weigh less than 230 lbs. by the end of the month and to run the mile in 9 minutes or less. 

Verse of the Day: Phil 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I See A Pattern

I'm going into my second month on my quest to lose 50 pounds by the time I turn 50. My birthday is this Saturday (I'll be 49), so I have a year to go. However, from the time I started until now I've lost almost 18 pounds. So I have a year to lose another 32 pounds. I know I can do that. In fact, I plan to lose 34 pounds which will put me at 200 lbs by the time I'm 50. I can live with that.

Today I weighed myself and I am 234.4 for the second morning. I've noticed that what seems to be happening is that I will lose a pound or more in a matter of a day or so and then level off for a couple days, and then drop again. So, as would be expected, it is not a straight line drop in weight, but more of a stair step drop. At one point I even gained a half a pound. So I see a pattern and as such I can anticipate the manner in which the weight loss will occur.

I plan to splurge and eat at a Korean buffet on my birthday.  I love Korean food (my wife is Korean) and this is an awesome, authentic Korean buffet here in the Atlanta area.  I've found that even if I eat more than I usually do on one day, it doesn't mean I'm going to see a huge weigh gain.  In fact, some of the diets I've been on in the past gave you the weekend to eat whatever you wanted.  I don't plan to do this every weekend, but I will be eating a lot on my birthday.

Verse of the Day: 1 Cor 6:20 (NKJV)
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Way Cool :)

Our church had Homecoming this past Sunday and there was table after table full of food, and I think three tables full of dessert but I didn't eat anything except four pieces of cauliflower, some celery sticks and one small piece of peanut butter fudge (I did have breakfast that morning, a boiled egg and oatmeal). 

So I got on the scales Monday morning and I weighed 236.8.  I went to Captain D's for dinner and had the steamed talapia.  I didn't eat the roll and only a few bites of the rice.  I did eat the fish, the green beans and the steamed broccoli.   I weighed myself again before I went to bed and I was still 236.8.  This morning I got up at 5:30 a.m. and went down to my fitness center to workout.  I lifted a few weights and did some sit-ups.  I weighed myself this morning and I was 234.4 lbs.  I'd lost 1.2 pounds between last night and this morning!

Yesterday I was at a faculty meeting at Beulah Heights University and one of the other professors (Bishop Jonathan Alvarado) noticed that I'd lost weight.  I think he's the first person to notice.  That's probably because I haven't seen him in about six months so he got the "before and after" effect.  People at church and my family see me every day, or at least once a week, so they don't notice it. 

The point I wanted to make was that the comments by Jonathan were very encouraging.  It made me want to work out, so I went home and got in a treadmill workout last night and I worked out with weights this morning.  I always get encouragment from my friends on Facebook and such, and it always helps, but when someone physically notices the difference it is really motivating.

Verse of the Day:  Deut 3:28, NKJV

28 But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.'

Encourage someone today.

I Lost Another Pound

I still haven’t hit the treadmill since my victorious run of 1.75 miles in 20 minutes. I haven’t touched the weights since I threw-up after working out. But I did lose another pound yesterday. I’m down to 237.8. The only thing I’ve been working this week is my brain. I’m finishing up lectures to teach at Beulah University this weekend. In fact, I was up until 1 a.m this morning finishing my final lecture. Then today I wrote a sermon. Apparently all that brain work is burning calories.

Oh yea, and I’m still eating smaller portions. In reality I’m just eating the portion sizes that I should have been eating all along. I’m not starving myself or anything like that, I’m just making better eating choices. I eat very little bread, probably only 2 slices a day. I eat a lot of fish, a little chicken, and no red meat. I love beets. Did you know that a half-cup serving only has 15 calories? I love beets! Also, I eat a lot of melon and when I snack it’s usually baby carrots. Still, I know I need to get on the treadmill again just for my cardio-vascular health.

For those of you who may be trying to lose weight, I know that it can be discouraging when you hit a plateau, but stick to your diet, the weight will begin to drop again. Also, if you went out one night with friend and couldn’t resist a few bites of cheesecake, don’t let that cause you to give up on your diet. A few bites of dessert (or two Pop Tarts) won’t kill you. Just refuse to fall back into your old eating habits.

Verse of the Day: 2 Tim 4:7-8
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. NKJV

I may use the same verse of the day more than once because the same verse may inspire me more than once along this journey. I don’t think I’ve used this one yet, but I know I’ll be using it again when I’ve lost 50 pounds.

Take Heart

I know, I know . . . I didn't post anything for the past couple days. Why? Because I actually gained weight! I was a bit discouraged, especially after running so hard on the treadmill on Saturday and preaching on Sunday. I went from 239.8 to 240.4 on Sunday, and did not weigh myself on Monday. 

Don't tell anyone, but Sunday night I secretly ate two Poptarts--that's like 400 calories just before going to bed!  I felt like I was doing something sinful.  I even hid the wrappers from my wife so she wouldn't know, as if the secret would prevent me from gaining weight. 

I wanted to work out but I had a migraine on Sunday evening and my kidney was hurting on Monday. Frankly I just had the blahs. I was unmotivated and felt too bad with a nagging headache and my kidney hurting to try to do any exercising. So my wife and I watched The Biggest Loser. I love that show. You learn so much about diet and exercise and you can't help but be motivated by the people on the show. After watching it I really wanted to get on the treadmill, but I was afraid it would cause my headache to return so I resisted the urge to exercise and went to bed early.  This morning I weighed myself thinking that I must have gained something, but to my surprise I weighed in at 238.8. Sweet!

Here's what I think I've learned. On Saturday I watched college football most of the day and drank about 6 Coke Zeros. No calories, but lots of sodium. Watching The Biggest Loser I saw that they were as conscientious of sodium as they were of fat and calories. Sodium in the body causes one to retain water and increases blood pressure. All those diet sodas resulted in about a half pound water weight gain. Also, I think that drinking "too much" caffeine is what causes my kidney to hurt.

So, here's the plan. I feel much better today therefore after church tonight I will get back on the treadmill and maybe some weightlifting. I will also limit my diet drinks to one or two a day, if at all. Mostly I'll be drinking plenty of water. It can be discouraging when you get on the scales and haven't lost any weight, even more discouraging when you have actually gained weight, but, stick to the plan because it will work if you work it.

Verse of the Day: 2 Cor 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work .  NKJV

Bummer

This is my home fitness center. I can’t really get everything in one shot. For example the treadmill and stepper are not in this shot. I have a lot of Olympic weights and two Olympic bars. I also have a large rack of dumbbells. At one point I was using 80 pound dumbbells to do decline dumbbell bench presses.

Yesterday (Sunday) morning I weighted myself and for the first time since I started this diet I actually gained four-tenths of a pound. I was disappointed to say the least. After all, I didn’t eat that much and I ran on the treadmill. In fact, I ran 1.75 miles in 20 minutes. That’s a .75 improvement in distance for a 20 minutes run over just 3 weeks ago. I mean I was working it on that treadmill. So I was anticipating a significant loss. The only thing I can figure is that while I watched college football I drank about 6 diet cokes and the sodium causes water retention. Perhaps those four-tenths will be gone by today (Monday). I haven’t weighed myself yet so I don’t know. But, I watched pro football yesterday and snacked on nuts and fruit. My wife Sun told me to stop eating, so apparently I was making a lot of trips to the kitchen. Even healthy snacks like nuts, oranges, and bananas have calories.

I remember some of the diets I used to go on years ago that let you have one day a week to eat whatever you wanted. One was called “The Cleveland Diet” and on that diet you could eat whatever you wanted on the weekends. The problem with that diet was what you had to eat during the week. I think the caloric intake was less than 1000 calories per day. The idea was that when the body senses a significant deprivation of calories it will stop burning fat as readily as it initially does during a diet. Eating more on weekends was apparently supposed to trick the body and hide the fact that you are dieting. As I recall, that diet worked very well, but I could never stay on it for more than 3 or 4 weeks.

Verse of the Day:  Ps 28:7
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.
NKJV

NADA

Nothing.  That's what I lost yesterday.  I'm not surprised.  I started to run on my treadmill and at about 1/4 of a mile the tread was stopping and starting.  Talk about a wierd feeling!  I got off and for the next 30 minutes I was a repairman.  I took the cover off of the motor housing and found that the belt from the motor to the tread rollers was slipping.  It took a while, but I managed to tighten it.  There is an adjustment screw on mine that allows you to tighten the belt. 

By the time I was done I really didn't feel like running any longer.  I got on for another 1/4 mile but then gave it up.  I guess I'll have to make up for it today.  I usually lose a pound on Sundays because of standing, praising, preaching, and so on.  I really put a lot of energy into ministry.

I hope to be down to 238 by Monday.  We'll see.

Verse of the Day: Neh 8:10

10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." NKJV

I know, I know, the eating of fat and drinking of sweet don't really seem to fit this blog, but it's the joy of the Lord part that I love.

A New Threshold

I got on the scales this morning, after not walking on the treadmill yesterday, and I was surprised to see that I had dropped from 241.2 to 239.8.  I ate a very light breakfast, lunch, and dinner yesterday.  I was at a conference most of the day sitting and listening with not much activity, though I did go up and down a large flight of stairs several times.  Now that I'm in the 230's I look forward to dropping another 10 pounds to get to the 220's.

I plan to eat some fish for dinner and hit the treadmill tonight.  To be honest, however, I really feel a little drained today.  I'm tired and feel a bit weak, but I'm happy to be dropping the weight.  I think I may need to eat a little more carbs.  At this point I've really limited my carb intake. 

I'm motivated to keep on keeping on. 

Verse of the Day: Gal 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Half a Pound

This morning, after running on the treadmill last night, I weighed in at 241.2.  I lost six tenths of a pound after a three day plateu.  Today I did no exercise in that I was at a conference for most of the day and came home just too tired from getting up so early, to get on the treadmill or workout with weights.  I had a light breakfast (2 boiled eggs) and then the lunch was supplied at the conference so my choices were limited.  I had a small piece of breaded chicken and one slick of ham, and a small portion of green beans.  For dinner, an associate and I stopped at Rafferty's in Athens, GA.  I had a Ceasar Salad, blackened mahi-mahi, and a backed potato with no toppings.  It feels like I ate a lot, but I really limited the bread.  I had no rolls and I even left out the croutons when eating the salad.

I'll see if I've lost any weight in the morning.  If not, it really confirms the necessity of getting on the treadmill at least every other day and hitting the weights on the other days.  So far I'm finding there is no substitute for a good aerobic workout to go along with the reduced calorie intatke.  Plus, it's good for ya.

Verse of the Day: Php 3:13 - 14
Brethren, count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Another Day at the Same Weight

I have been so engrossed in bookwork that I didn't do any exercise yesterday. I've stayed with my program of eating small portions, but I just haven't added the exercise. I've found that without the running on the treadmill, the pounds just don't drop. I've maintained 241.8 for the past three days, but I really wanted to be down to 240 by Sunday. I simply must make time (only 20 minutes) to get on the treadmill. I'd like to add some ab work as well, but after working out and then throwing up on Monday night, I'm just not real motivated for resistance training.


Today I was given a ticket for free hamburgers, hotdogs and onion rings from a well known restaurant in Athens Georgia and in Atlanta. It's called The Varsity there is something special about their food and if you come to the ATL or Athens, you simply must stop by and eat something. I finally agree to go just to get the free food to give to my wife and kids. I ate one naked dog and two onion rings. Man oh man were they good! In the past I probably would have had a couple chili dogs, hamburger and lots of onion rings, but not now. I'm trying to think about the long term benefits of doing what is right today.

Verse of the Day: 1 Cor 8:7
8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.  NKJV

THE WALL

Shucks. I didn't lose an ounce of weight between yesterday and today. I didn't get on the treadmill yesterday, in fact, the only workout I did was 20 minutes of weight lifting. However, I stayed in motion the entire 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I worked out so hard that I later lost my dinner in the toilet. (Yuck!) I was hoping that would count for something. But I got on the scales and they said 241.8 every time I got off and got back on. I knew this day was coming, it always does. You can drop those first 10 pounds pretty quickly, but after that you have to grind it out. In fact a healthy loss of weight is about a pound a week, not a pound or even half a pound a day. Further, it is possible, when adding resistance training to the exercise regiment, to gain muscle mass while losing fat, which is fine.

I've been told not to weigh myself every day, and I know I shouldn't, but when the pounds are falling precipitously it can be very motivating. At this point, however, a weekly weigh-in would probably be better. More important than weight loss is the change in my body. I need to note the shrinking neck and waist sizes and receive positive reinforcement from that as well as, or even more than sheer weight loss.

When I was 44 I weighed 220 lbs with a 34 inch waist. That was great, however, my goal this time is not as much muscle mass as I carried then. My problem is that anytime I pick up a dumbbell I have tendency for my arms and chest to get bigger. As I reach the age of 50 I expect that this rapid increase in muscle mass will not be as significant as it has been. I've been told that muscle has memory and that when a person starts working out the muscles will tend to grow back to their largest (or at least larger) state. 

Anyhow, I've hit the wall and I hate it. I want to keep losing weight at a rapid rate, but it is what it is and this is the very point at which many people trying to lose weight get discouraged and quit.

Verse of the Day: Josh 6:20
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.   NKJV

This wall too shall fall!

Getting Ready to Workout

I woke up this morning knowing that I had put in much work yesterday.  Preaching is a physically demanding task.  Standing in one place and lecturing isn't, but getting up filled with fervor and fire and preaching requires that the preacher be in shape.  I preached two services yesterday and was drenched in sweat afterward.  (I sweat easily, so it's not like I was running the aisles.)  Later in the day I hiked up a hill called Arabia Mountain and ended the day walking/jogging 1.5 miles in 20 minutes.  So when I got on the scales this morning I anticipated some significant weight loss.  In fact I lost 1.2 pounds yesterday.  I went from 243 on Sunday to 241.8 on Monday.

I've spent the day working on my dissertation, so up to this point (8:00 p.m.) I've been very sedentary.  Instead of running on the treadmill tonight I'll be doing an aerobic workout with weights.  By all accounts weightloss is accelerated by weight training rather than running or bike work alone.  When I was 44-45 y.o. I hit the weight hard and heavy.  I will not be lifing heavy again.  No more powerlifting for me, but I will be trying to get my muscles toned and cut as I lose weight.  At least that's the plan.

I have felt the pangs of hunger throughout the day, and again, I try to mentally translate that feeling into a positive thing.  I tell myself that that feeling is the feeling of fat being eaten away.  My body is adjusting to the smaller portions, but think in time it won't be a much of a shock as it has been in the past few weeks.

Verse of the Day: Rev 7:15-17
16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." NKJV

What A Day!

I just got off the treadmill. I walked/jogged 1.5 miles in 20 minutes. That's not bad considering a week ago I did 1 mile in 20 minutes. My wife and I also walked up Arabia Mountain. I'm trying to stay active between all my reading and writing. This morning I preached a sermon that I feel the Holy Spirit really anointed. By the time I finished I was drenched in sweat. I put everything into that sermon.

As far as my eating today, I ate one piece of pizza for lunch and dinner with my family--small portions as always. However, I did one thing that I didn't think I'd do. I stopped by McDonalds for an ice-cream cone. My wife said their ice-cream cones only have 150 calories. I didn't believe her so I went in and asked to see the nutrition values and sure enough, their ice-cream is actually low-fat yogurt. But that is my favorite ice-cream. It's so creamy and tasty. It was great and I burned 240 calories on the treadmill so I burned it off and more.

Another great thing was that I was able to get my 18 inch neck shirt on this morning. Now I can give away those 19-19 1/2 inch shirts. BTW I weighed 243 this morning. Love it! I've dropped 9 pounds in 18 days. That's about 1/2 pound a day.

Verse of the Day: Prov 20:30

29 The glory of young men is their strength,

And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

Moving Along

I changed up my treadmill workout last night.  Instead of adding speed, I added incline.  I started with the treadmill set at 10 (max incline is 10), and started walking at 3 mph.  After 1/4 mile, I decrease the incline to 8 and increase the speed to 3.2 and continued lowering incline and increasing speed until the incline was at 0 and I was jogging at 7 mph.  At the end of 20 minutes I'd burned 200 calories and was totally exhaused.  It felt good, but my legs were like rubber.

Yesterday I ate a Chick-fil-a sandwich, minus the bread.  The chicken patty was awesome.  I ate a lot yesterday.  I even went to a Chinese buffet.  But again I kept my portion sizes down.  I ate 6 pices of shushi, a piece of boiled fish, and mellon.  Oh yea, and a small piece of cake.  I felt guilty over the cake, so I went back to the church fitness center and rode 10 minutes on the exercise bike.

This morning I weighed in at 243.8.  That means I'm losing about a half a pound a day on average.  However, I think I'll give my legs the day off and take a break from the treadmill.  I think I'll try to get some kind of upper body workout instead.

My Verse of The Day: Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

No Way!

So I got on the scales this morning and they read 244.4! (These are digital scales.) I got off and got back on, thinking there must have been a mistake. I did that like four times. Then I walked away thinking that can't be right. That would mean I lost 1.6 pounds in 24 hours. I didn't want there to be a mistake and then get back on the scales tomorrow and find that they said 245.5 or something. Then I would feel like I gained weight. So I went back again after about ten minutes and every time I got on the scales they said 244.4. Not a tenth more or less.

I looked back to that fateful day on September 23rd when the scales read 252 and calculated that I've lost 7.6 pounds in 16 days. And folks, I'm not fasting or going on any radical diet. All I've done is cut back portion sizes. I eat with my family and I eat what they eat. In fact, two days ago we ate Chinese take-out, but I ate smaller portions. Also, I've asked my wife to delete red meat from our menu, so I've been eating fish (and loving it) and turkey or chicken. Yesterday for dinner we had Italian sausage made with turkey.

However, it has not just been cutting back in portions that have made the difference. At first I didn't see much weight loss from just cutting back portion sizes. The loss has accelerated since I've added 20 minutes of strenuous exercise over the past 5 days. I walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes. I will not increase the time, but I have been increasing the speed, which of course increases the distance. My treadmill indicates how many calories I burn and yesterday by walking (a fast walk) 4 miles an hour for 20 minutes at a 2.0 incline I burned 200 calories. That just about cleared all the calories I ate with the Weightwatcher's lunch I had at Applebee’s with my wife. She had French Onion soup and sliders :(

Admittedly, I feel hungry much of the time. The trick is to tell myself that that feeling is pounds falling off--and they are! I know I'll hit a wall eventually, but getting to 240 will be milestone for me.

My Verse of the Day: Prov 4:12
12 When you walk , your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble. NKJV

Exercise

Sweet! I weighed only 246 lbs on the nose this morning. I plan to be in the 245s by tomorrow. It was about three weeks ago that I stepped on the scales and I weighed over 250. So, I started thinking about losing weight. In addition to the new personal high weight as a motivator, I have been growing increasingly frustrated that I cannot wear any of the dress shirts in my closet. Last week I had to go out and purchase three shirts with neck sizes of 19-19 1/2. Can you believe it? I've always had a big neck, but that's ridiculous!

So, my motto is 50 by 50. I want to lose 50 pounds by age 50. I'll turn 49 on October 31st and I really didn't plan to start my weight-loss regiment until then, but I've gotten a jump on it and I've been on the treadmill for the past three days and doing push-ups. I think the key for me is to start with realistic goals and make incremental changes. For example, I started with 10 push-ups at night and in the morning. I add one a day. Not much of a challenge, and I could have started with more (probably 25 or so) but I'm starting light and moving up slowly. Imagine, if I kept this up for a year I'd be doing over 300 push-ups at a time. Well, we'll see how far I can go with that.
On the tread mill I walk for 20 minutes. My goal is to go farther and farther (or faster and faster) in those 20 minutes. So in a year perhaps I'll be going 2 miles in 20 minutes. I may eventually start working some on weights, but if I do I will use light weights and go for more of an aerobic workout than for strength or size.

My Verse of the Day: 1 Tim 4:8, NKJV
8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

My Fat Picture

Here is a picture taken of me and my wife after a church service. Looking at it think I have a nice smile, but a really fat head. I was looking for a "before" picture and this one is as good as any. I was about 250 lbs at the time. This morning I weighed in at 246.2. That loss is the result of cutting back on serving sizes, eating more veggies, and fish. Plus, I've been working very hard to get my basement back into shape after the flood and all those trips up and down the steps carrying furniture is paying off. So, I've dropped a little more than four pounds in about two weeks. Love it!

I have to be honest though, I was very hungry today. I had a serving of old fashioned oats and a half cup of fat free cottage cheese for breakfast, and a bowl of Progresso light beef pot roast stew and a turkey sandwich for lunch. By dinner my stomach was growling. For dinner, steamed veggies, a small helping of fried potatoes and baked fish. Man did that fish taste good.

I need to start an exercise regiment in the near future, after all, I have set my treadmill back up in the basement.

My Verse of the Day: [You knew this one was coming.]
1  When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well whata is before you,
2  and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3  Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.

That food really is deceptive!

WoW! Preaching Is Exercise

I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 248.5 lbs.  I dropped a little over a pound preaching yesterday.  I put a lot of energy into my sermons.  Just the act of praising, preaching, and praying for people at the altars really requires much effort.   After I finish a sermon my clothes are usually drenched in sweat and I feel as though I've had a real workout.

I don't run the aisles, and I usually stay behind the pulpit, but my intercostals, abs, and diaphram go through the paces as I project my voice and verbally emphasize my points.  I don't shout from start to finish, but I do get caught up in the moment as the Word moves me.  I don't lecture from the pulpit, I preach and preaching involves an intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical investment on the part of the preacher. 

So for those of you who want to loose some weight, find a closet somewhere and pray with all your strength.  Belt out those prayers, shout a praise, and quote scripture.  (I preach, sing and praise for about two hours on Sundays).  Do this every morning for just fifteen minutues and you can probably count on losing a pound a month just in prayer, praise and Word.  So you will grow stronger spiritually and at the same time get in better shape physically. 

My Word for The Day: Ps 28:6-8

6 Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
8 The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. KJV

Give Me A Break

I've started cutting back on my portion sizes, but I haven't yet started exercising.  The net result is that I've been weighing 249.4 for the past four days.  I remember back in 1992 I was planning on going back into the Air Force as a chaplain.  To do that I needed to drop from about 215 to 186 lbs.  I didn't go on a diet, per say, but I simply cut back on portion sizes and increased my activity level.  At the time I was working at Hardwick Stove Company and the job was physically demanding, plus I would used down time at work to do push ups, sit ups, and other calisthenics.  I lost the weight, but decided at the last moment that I wasn't called to be a chaplain in the Air Force.  It was an emotional decision resulting from the Gulf War and my cousins being there.

So, with the past as an example, I know that if I can cut back to small portions and increase my activity level, these small lifestyle changes can result in big long term changes.  I remember that I played a little mind game with myself.  I told myself that when I felt hunger pains it was a sign that I was loosing weight.  I could mentally picture my body eating away my fat.  So I turned a negative feeling into a positive thing.  The problem now is that my cholesterol medicine tends to hurt my stomach when I haven't eaten.

My Bible Verse of the Day: 2 Corinthians 12:9
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

That Was Then

That is my arm at the age of 44 or 45.  I forget when the picture was taken.  My bicep pumped up to close to 19 inches.  Seems like a hundred years ago, but it was only 3 or 4.  I've read that muscle has memory, which is to say that if you have previously been a weight lifter, then when you get back on the weights, your muscles will quickly return to their former size.  Of course as I approach 50 that rate of return diminishes quickly. 

Truthfully, however, I'm not interested in bulking up again, or pushing massive amounts of weight.  I'd like to be lean.  Frankly, my joints just ain't what they used to be.  When I was 44 I had to have shoulder surgery, and though I came back even stronger, now my other shoulder hurts when I lift.  I hate surgery more than I want to lift heavy, so no more bench presses, which is a terrible lift for the shoulders. 

At the moment I'm still getting my basement back in order after the flood, so I haven't set up my home fitness center yet, but when I do, I'll post a picture to let you know what I've got to work with.  I also have the church fitness center available   (http://conyerscog.org/index.php?p=1_8_FITNESS-CENTER), so I may need to put some time in there as well.  I'll post a before picture to compare with on October 31, 2010.

My verse for the day:
11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said." (Josh 14:11-12, NKJV)

Bad Night

Okay, I went to the county fair to hear our church choir sing. Good stuff. We do this every year and every year my wife and I, and any of our children who are with us, eat a funnel cake. So I eat half a funnel cake a year. I ate a light dinner in preparation for the funnel cake. My wife, my son, and I sat down at a picknic table to eat these pastry delights. I only ate half--half of my wife's and half of my son's. {I know, two halves equal a whole.}

Then my son talked me into going on the G-Force ride. It's just a big round chamber that spins around and centrifugal force is rather significant. I hate that ride, but to appease my 13-y.o. son I went on the ride. It made me feel queasy, and that feeling just wouldn't go away. At about 2 a.m. I was still awake, and finally I threw-up. Only afterward did I feel better. But my regurgitation was so violent that it has hurt my throat and now I'm hoarse and tired.

I don't know how people purge to lose weight. I just couldn't do that. However, my experience last night has done two things. First, I don't think I'll ever eat another funnel cake. Second, I will never go on that ride again. I remember going on that ride 30 years ago on our senior trip to Ocean City, MD. It made me queasy then, it makes me sick now. No more G-Force.

So I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 249.5 and my bp was 119/79 I've started taking cinnamon pills along with fish oil tablets. Cinnamon supposedly helps the blood pressure and fish oil helps bring down cholesterol levels. We'll see.

Preparing for the Journey

Okay, so I got on the scales and they said I weighed 253 lbs. Liar! That can't be right. So I step off, shift my weight and step on again. Now they say 252.7. Aha! So they can make mistakes. If they can be off .3 lbs, then couldn't they be off by 10 lbs.? I'm just saying.

So I'm 48 and I weigh the most I've ever weighed in my life. Between pastoring a church, teaching at a university, and writing a dissertation, my plate is full. Literally, my plate is full. So I finish it. I used to be an athlete. I used to be a body builder. In fact, only 4 short years ago I was in the best shape of my life. I weighed 225 lbs but my waist was only 34 inches. I was bench pressing 385 lbs and jogging for miles on my treadmill. But as I began work on a PhD all that went out the window and father time is catching up with me.

On October 31st I'll be 49 years old. As I wrote that on my calendar I decided to create a motto and a webpage to monitor my progress. My motto is fifty by fifty, which means, I want to lose 50 lbs by the time I turn fifty. I'm only about 5'10", but 200 is lean for me. I'm big boned. No really, I am. Even at 250 lbs, my shoulders are still so much larger than my waist that I can't buy suits. I have to buy seperates.

So, here's the deal. Join me on this journey. I will record my diet each day and my increased exercise regiment and I'll post pictures for proof. I'll try to keep my shirt on, but if I should develop abs, I might have to post them. Also, I may post a few videos along the way.

By the way, My birthday isn't until October 31st, so technically, I won't begin until then. In fact, this morning I was already down to 246.2 lbs. So I've gotten a head start. Now if I lose 50, I'll be down to 196.

Pray for me. Encourage me. Join me. Hold me accountable. Give me your best tips for weight-loss.