Slimdude

Okay so it’s about Nine Thirty Pee Em, and I snacked on celery and salsa, and two sugar free popsicles. And I’m glad that’s what I was eating, too… because my wife just got up to check on me.

 But seriously, if my weight drop really is already at 4 pounds for the week, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna sweat a few stalks of celery and some sugar free popsicles. Maybe this will be it for the night!

—Matt

Well I just read Ash’s current entries and also some dude named Andrew who is doing Beachbody programs.

So I got some good ideas… :::

First of all, I love workout DVDs. When I find really great ones I stick with it. I think my first DVD workout program was Rodney Yee’s AM Power Yoga. Then I ordered Power 90 from BeachBody Dot Com. It’s awesome. But it is a little pricey. My wife and I both like Leslie Sansone’s Walking DVDs. It’t not just walking in place. It’s really more like a low-impact aerobics class. With simple steps. I hate those DVDs where you spend so much time learning complicated kickboxing routines or dance numbers. I want to get straight to the burn. SO Tae Bo never really did it for me. But Kathy Smith has a kickboxing DVD that rocks. I also own P90X from Beachbody and it rocks. It’s also pricey but it’s worth every penny. And I own The Biggest Loser DVD, which is great. In my opinion, if you want a workout program just like Power 90, which combines Cardio and Weight Training on alternating days… a better and cheaper option is to buy a long Leslie Sansone workout like “4-Mile Challenge” and then The Biggest Loser DVD, which has 6 different workouts with stretching and cardio and resistance training. And then just rotate through them. Then you’ve only spent maybe 30 bucks at most instead of the 80 dollars Beachbody charges. Don’t get me wrong, beachbody is great. But there are cheaper options that are JUST AS GREAT.

So that’s what I wanted to comment on…

and then Ash had this post about “why he’s glad he’s fat…”

Now let me tell you… I used to be somebody who had flat abs and a slim body and all that and I could never understand how anybody could let themselves put on weight. I used to be kind of judgemental. But in the last few years when I gained, initially 30 pounds… I even got stretch marks on my legs from it! Well it has taught me more tolerance for people’s struggle with weight loss. I never ever judge anybody’s food or diet or anything because it has been SO HARD for me to just lose 20 pounds. When I see big people working out, I am so proud of them and I think to myself we are in the same boat. I have a horrible habit of bingeing on junk food at night, I cannot throw stones at anybody.

When I see bigger people eating ice cream cones or ribs or something, I tell myself it is probably their “cheat day” or “cheat meal” and for all I know they have lost 30 pounds and are still working on it.

I’m glad I gained the weight, and I’m glad I have those marks because it has taught me about tolerance. So that’s it.

 —Matt

This morning was my “early day”… kind of. I ended up walking around the track and then  with everybody else, instead of the Elliptical. When I got home I kid you not, I weighed 158.5 pounds. I don’t know what is going on. I don’t feel like I’m working out that hard and I have not been restricting my diet THAT MUCH. Am I just that active that if I keep myself to 1500 calories I lose weight?

Oh well… I’ll take it.

This morning our Commander came down and passed out Stripes to those who made it. It’s a very awkward feeling, because you are so happy you made it but there are so many of your friends and colleagues who did not. So by this time next year I’ll be an NCO (Non Commissioned Officer).

I know this is supposed to be a weight-loss blog, and it is. But just let me say I freaking love the U.S. Air Force. Today I got to talk to a panel of NCOs — about what I expect from AF leadership and it was awsome. SOmeday I’d like to be a “chief”. that’s the highest rank you can get in the AF as enlisted. It’s E-9. When people find out you are in the AF, they always assume you are a pilot. Well, there are so many many jobs in the Air Force. And pilots are officers, anyway. I’m enlisted. I really love what I do, though. I fix jets. It is very very fun on most days.

Okay. So my job today was fun and my exercise and diet went great. Picked up my son and my beautiful wife was home early so everything is going great today. Now… can I resist any and all urges to snack and everything today?

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

—Matt

P.S. Thanks to everyone who is stopping by to read and comment. And also I wish somebody would tell me whether I could be on a weight-loss team or not. I’ve already lost four pounds this week if it holds out until Sunday, that ought to be helpful to some team, right?

As in, “Hump Day”. That’s Wednesday. If you read my below post from last night, you’ll see that I was trying so hard not to snack last night. I finally finished Net Surfing at 10:30pm but my body just kepy waking up over and over until at about 2am I finally had a few snacks. Yes, I caved. And no, they were NOT nutritious snacks. And no, I was NOT famished or even really that hungry. It’s just a dumb habit, that’s all.

And… even if I was hungry, so what?! Why are we so afraid to be “a little hungry” ? Isn’t that where the fat burning kicks in? Don’t people fast for religious or medical reasons all the time? Didn’t Gandhi fast? What is wrong with me that I can’t even go 12 hours overnight without eating? It’s seriously ridiculous.

But anyway, I wasn’t hungry and I did eat things like bread and crackers instead of anything worthwhile. I did the “hunger test” on myself… the HUNGER TEST is where I ask myself “Well, could I go for some broccoli, celery or fruit?” and if the answer is YES YES YES then maybe I am too hungry. But if I only am craving cookies and ice cream, I know I’m not hungry but I’m just having a craving.

Well. Even though I gave in to those snacks, the scale… in all it’s deceptiveness… still says “159″ this morning. Hmmmm… So I’m not going to cut back on my food at all today. I’m sticking with my normal 1500 calories. I’m going to work on the Elliptical for 45 minutes this morning. And tonight I will again give it another shot at “stop eating 3 hours before bedtime” and then not eating at night.

For a few nights, it may be very hard. Maybe what I should do is resign myself to the fact that, for a while at least I may wake up over and over again at night. I should just make a commitment to Blog every single time. Wouldn’t that be weird? If every night I did 4 or 5 Blog entries because I was trying to distract myself from snacking.

But it would be worth it.

For now, I am telling myself I have seen the 160s for the last time in my life, unless at some point I decide to become a Bodybuilder, however unlikely.

Thanks to the commenters who have been coming by my Blog. It’s nice to see the British Dude, Ash over here. It’s very hard to find other guys who struggle with food and weight and are willing to Blog about it. We certainly never talk about it in public, other than to poke fun at ourselves. Like when your co-workers comment on your uniforms looking a bit strained at the buttons. That’s no fun. I think “Well… I used to be slim. And I will be again! So screw you, buddy!”

There are some events coming up that I hope I am slimmed down for : A Labor Day party at my brother’s house. Then the AF Ball is Sept 14th. And then my anniversary is Sept 20th. Isn’t that weird that sometimes when you have an upcoming event one of your first thoughts is “Hmmm… I wonder how much I will weigh by then and will anyone even notice?”

I don’t think anyone will even notice my weight loss until I’m almost done. I’m going to make a bet that when I am 145 or 144 is when people will start noticing.

By the way, a little note on my weight : a lot of people on here, especially the ladies… have goal weights similar or higher than mine. But that’s OKAY!! You have to understand that, Number One… I am a small framed guy. Two… this weight I have picked, which is 140… at that point I only have about 11 percent body fat and I have abs. 140 is one of those “Dream Weights” that goes beyond just being healthy and fit. It’s like when a celebrity gets in shape for a movie or something.

I’m trying to get back the shape I used to have where I looked like a surfer model type. So please please don’t read my Blog and get discouraged if your goal weight and all seem so much higher than mine. I am trying to lose 20 vanity pounds, okay?

Okay then. Have a great day!

—Matt