Slimdude

*I have done really really well today. I did my workout DVD… I did eat a little lighter, but I certainly didn’t starve. I’ve just eaten dinner and my calorie estimate for the day is about 1200. Tonight, I really am going to try and remember to log onto BuddySlim and Blog or Read your Blogs if I get any kind of urges or hunger pangs or anything. I really really want to weigh-in and be 159. That would give me 3 pounds down this week. I’ll be right on track.  And you do want me to read your blogs, don’t you?

Thought so!

Okay then. I was thinking to myself about the days when I used to be thin. SOme people, I know… have never been slim or skinny or anything. They have always been, ummm… pleasantly plump and they are just now losing weight and venturing into territory they’ve never been to. I’m more like the … hmmm… okay I wish I could think of a dude who is slim and then gets fat and then gets thin again. Ray Liotta? Or that guy who played Chandler on friends? really, even though it’s so girly, I think Janet is my best example. Janet when she is really slim is how I used to be. Like that in-shape. But when I think of how much work it really took… I mean I ate about 1500 calories every day, sometimes I would do 1800 if it was a “party night” or something.

And then there is the activity level. I was the kind of person who walked or biked to my jobs… that alone would take about 30 minutes at least. And my jobs were the type where I was always on my feet and moving.

I used to do things like shovel the car out of the snow for 20 minutes BEFORE driving to the gym to workout.

So you can see how… I dunno… sometimes I sit here and look at my little belly and wonder if it is here to stay and I should just accept it? Because even if I do lose the weight, is it going to be just TOO HARD to maintain it? I mean, yeah it would feel great if I could be one of those rare dudes who stays slim and doesn’t have a gut even as I get old.

But sometimes I can’t help but wonder if it is just too hard and I should just give up.

But yeah right. Then I slap myself across the face and tell myself to stop being a little bitch, cowboy up and get slim!

—Matt

So here we are, headed into the weekend… and I realy wish I had done better this week. I don’t beat myself up too much because I know I exercise every day…. yesterday not only did I do my Morning Workout DVD (The Biggest Loser) but I went to the gym and rode the bike for half an hour in the afternoon before picking up my son.

I eat healthy meals and snacks. It is this Night Time Eating that is sabotaging my weight-loss efforts. Seriously. And it is bizarre, I don’t really feel hungry, but it’s like I have to eat and eat and eat! I think last night I had crackers and salsa, two waffles, some graham crackers, an ice cream sandwich, and a big bowl of cereal. This is at about 10:30pm.

Hmmm… I need a better battle plan. No… you know what I need? To STICK to my battle plan. Tonight when I wake up and have the urge to eat something, I will instead log onto BuddySlim and either Blog myself, or read some Blogs, or look at the forums, or something.

Because I will never lose the weight if I don’t stop this. I have to ReProgram myself. And I believe it can be done, because I changed the Other Bad Diet Habits in my life! I eat healthier foods in smaller portions and I never binge or go overboard during the day like I used to.

People can change.

You can change, I can change. And together we will get Slim!

—Matt

It would be hilarious to walk on the Treadmill while chowing down on a bucket of fried chicken

 OR

Walking on the treadmill, every time you burn 100 calories, shout “Whoo-hooo! Another 100 calories down! I deserve a treat!” really loudly, then  pull a Twinkie out of your pocket and eat it.

Maybe it’s just me?

—Matt

I’m a person who gets up pretty early in the morning. For many many years 4am-5am is my wake up time. It has worked out very well for me because the Military often calls on you to keep those early hours, no matter what your job is. I’m not one of those “Roll out of bed at noon” people. Still…

I admit there are many many mornings when I look at my watch or hear my alarm and I cannot believe it is already 4am. I just really want to roll back over and get some more rest. And to be honest, every once in a while I do. But that’s mostly reserved for Sundays. I usually try to motivate myself and get out of bed. It’s gotten even worse this past year after all my pain issues developed.

Oh, that stuff. It is really kind of funny in a way because I believe probably every person on earth has to deal with SOME KIND of issue or another. Maybe you are like Ash and you struggle with your weight and your wife has MS. Or maybe you have cancer or maybe you take care of someone with cancer. Maybe you have one leg or glaucoma. Who knows? I guess my lot in life was to have arthritis that affects my neck and back and shoulders and feet… so far. But the drugs help a bit. And so does moderate exercise once I get going.

I tell myself “I am Rocky Balboa!” even though I’m not, I still kind of hum that Survivor tune, “Eye of the Tiger”… lately I’ve been very into the dancey hip hop music they play on the radio, like P.Diddy’s “Last Nite”, Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” and Kanye West’s “Stronger”.

I am really struggling with the eating at night thing, folks… and to be completely honest, I don’t think I’ve had one night YET in MONTHS when I have not at least nibbled on something if not outright gorged. But I’m hoping I can start “fresh” today, eat right and exercise… if I put in two good days then when we do our weigh-in on Sat I might be 159.

I’d like to lose an average of two pounds per week and this would put me right on-time to be 140 by Nov 3rd. If I lose a little more on some weeks, then great. But I’m only going to look for a loss of two pounds average.

In other news… I saw SuperBad yesterday and it is SuperFunny but be forewarned : there is mucho mucho cussing and vulgarities so if you are the type that is easily offended, skip it.

Also our broker called and everything is good to go with our house! We should be able to close within this next week or so… and then we will start moving in Sept. I am psyched. Our very first home!

—Matt

You know how there is some talk that it is actually WORSE to be a “yo-yo dieter” and keep on losing and gaining 20 pounds than to maintain a constant weight? I think I am a Yo-Yo-er.

I’m not sure if I gave you the run-down on myself as far as my weight past goes, but here it is:

*All my high school and early 20s, I was about 135-140. Sometimes 145. No big deal. I had very very active jobs, plus when I was in high school we walked everywhere with those backpacks on! My jobs have always been the type where I am on my feet and moving for 8 hours. Stuff like Fast Food, retail, box UnPacker, et cetera… so it was not very hard to stay that weight. I always looked like one of those surfer dudes out of a magazine and I was really happy with that. I had muscle and I had abs even though I never looked like Arnold or Sly that is never how I wanted to look. I’m not one of those guys who is trying to see how big I can get my biceps or what the latest anabolic supplement craze is…

*In 2001 I found myself UnEmployed and eating a lot of pizza and chips and by October of that year it was the first time I weighed 172 pounds and I did not even realize it until I saw some pics and then stepped on a scale and I was really surprised!

*Started doing cardio 5-6 times a week and weights again and lost the weight, got back to 140 and I stayed there give or take a few pounds until 2004. In 2004 I entered USAF BMT and since the exercise went up further and the meals slimmed down, I lost ten pounds to be around 130, which was waaaay too much, IMO. I looked too thin.

*Well, in the years after BMT I sort of lost the plot and began eating junk food, not exercising except as mandatory AND I developed a weird habit of waking up at night and gorging my face on junk food. By the beginning of 2006 I again found myself at 172 pounds.

*The first thing I did was start exercising more often. I now work out for at least an hour a day, six days a week. Sometimes I even work out twice. Sometimes. And my second workout is usually something easy like a brisk walk. This is in addition to consciously being more active. Get up and dance with my son, take the stairs, park the car far away, you know the drill… this change alone and I dropped about 10 pounds.

*Then I started eating healthier foods. Read any sane diet book and it’s the same. Stay away from sugar, HFCS, Hydro-Fats, Trans Fats… eat more lean proteins, low and non fat dairy, lots O veggies and fruits and look for whole grains. I really didn’t lose any more weight just making this switch, but I sure felt way better than when I was eating pizza and chips all the time!

*Portion Control is what worked! That is why I love “diet” microwave dinners like Lean Cuisine, South Beach, SmartOnes, etc (I kind of think Healthy Choice is gross). And I like all the South Beach products like cookies and cereal bars because not only are they “better for you” (More protein and fiber and less sugar) but they are PORTION controlled. And I do “meal timing”, I eat my breakfast at about 6am right after exercise, and then every 3 hours apart if I can. MEAL - SNACK - MEAL - SNACK - MEAL and sometimes a small snack in the evening.

*Last fall, I managed to cease my night-time eating habit and I actually got down to below 150 at one point.

*But then the holidays hit, I fell off the wagon, and now I have been maintaining 160-ish for months.

I’m ready to stop the YoYo. I want to rid myself of this final 20, this belly for the last time and maintain it.

Which reminds me, wouldn’t it be great if we had a Maintainence Challenge Forum? After you lose all your weight, the teams compete each week to see which team maintains their weight? For every week you maintain your Goal Weight within , oh, say three pounds… you earn points and the team with the highest points wins for the week?

Just an Idea. Maybe I’m just dizzy from all the Yo-Yo-ing.

—Matt

Hey thanks Angela and Ash for stopping by and commenting. It really does mean something that total strangers would take the time out to comment. And Ash… yeah there have been weeks where I only watched the scale once a week, but it didn’t make any difference regarding my moods or weight-loss. Now… if I was a guy who got all nuts every time the scale went up then I’d HAVE to stay off, no doubt. But you can see (or read, rather…) that it doesn’t bug me, even when I “mess up”. I’ve pretty much accepted that the following formula applies :

EXERCISE + GOOD DIET + STOP EATING AT NIGHT = WEIGHT LOSS

EXERCISE + GOOD DIET - STOP EATING AT NIGHT = NO WEIGHT LOSS

SO I can either accept my current belly and continue to binge and snacks or I can face down the beast and stop doing it and reclaim my flat stomach. It’s all in my court.

I appreciate the fact that there are no “haters” on here. Sometimes in the past, when I tell people I’d like to lose about 20 pounds, they act like I’m crazy. Well, not crazy. But they try and placate me. Like “oh, you look fine…” and I can’t tell if they are saying that to make me feel better?? Friends and family KNOW I gained about 20 pounds over the years. You can see it most obviously in photos. People who are didn’t know me at 140 pounds maybe just think of me as “moderately chubby.” Like I’ve said, weight-loss is relative. It’s like I’m sure you ladies go nuts when you hear someone like Scarlette Johanson or Tyra Banks wants to “lose a few”. You think, “from where???” BUT I’m telling you, even as I sit here Blogging… I am squeezed into pants that were issued to me when I was 140 and I am sitting at 160 now and I have a GUT hanging over my pants that I did not have a few years ago and I will be DAMNED if I accept that BS about just being heavier as we get older. Maybe if I was an older woman who had kids or something that would be different. Perhaps your hormones do change and you just CAN’T get off that “last 20″.

But for me, I think I can. If I would just stop stuffing my face at night.

Here is another sort-of-related thought : Diet Soda. It’s bad… it’s not bad… etc. I think, from a weight-loss perspective, it is actually good for me. In the past I have lost a lot of weight and I drank diet soda all the time. Very often at parties or gatherings, it is a life-saver because if I wasn’t drinking a Diet Coke I’d be downing cake and cookies and whatnot. But some people don’t like it because of the fake sweetners. I’m just saying I like diet sodas and I don’t think it’s neccessary to give them up to lose weight. For other health concerns, maybe…

Let’s see, what else? Oh yeah, do you ever do that thing where you have events coming up and you really really hope you can lose 5,10, or more pounds before it comes up? I have a few of those. Like for instance I have a Detail on Friday and I really really need to watch my diet and not binge at all anymore because it is so freaking hard to fit into my uniforms and it makes it so much worse when I carb-binge beforehand. I also have a 2 Family Reunions on Labor Day weekend and I hope I am at least 155 for those. My anniversary / USAF Ball is the 14th of Sept (my ann is actually sept 20th) and boy I’d love to be right around 150 by then. Do ya ever do that?

Gosh I hope I can make 140 by the first week of Nov. Remember my promise to myself? If I make it, I can buy a Nintendo Wii… if not I have to buy new uniforms! Argh!

I…Must… Stop… Eating by 6:30pm!

—Matt

You ever hear that one? DANG? I think it’s very country.

Why on Earth would I make such an exclamation? Oh… take a wild guess! Well, BuddySlimmers, yours truly had a truly great big binge last night. I don’t even know why, I didn’t FEEL THAT FRICKIN’ HUNGRY!! And yet at about 10:30pm I just ate and ate and ate…

So I peeked at the scale this AM and it says “162″ and I know some of that must just be food but still I’m dissapointed because I was on the road to big-time weight-loss this week. I feel like I’ve let myself down and my new team, the Worker Bees down. I should have come on here and Blogged or done some dishes or even Gazelled or something, but noooo…. I just stuffed my face.

But I am DETERMINED to remain Positive. I will simply eat a little lighter today (but without skipping any meals) , do my 4-mile walk DVD and tonight will be a brand new chance to “redeem” myself and get back on track…

In good news, I am pretty sure I have noticed the Celebrex is working to diminish my pain during the day. I’m happy about that. I have a follow-up with my Primary Doc on Sept 4th and then a follow up with the specialist at the end of Sept.

No news about the house yet. I can’t believe I read that, concerning the miners that were trapped… they are basically giving up the search because the area is too unstable to risk further lives.

It just goes to show me that there are people with so much bigger worries and concerns than just 25 extra vanity pounds…

—Matt

When I stepped on the scale this morning I was totally shocked, but in a good way!! To see “158″ pounds.

 Last night was the first night in a long time that I was able to control myself. I didn’t exactly eat “nothing”. At about 10pm I found myself gnoshing on celery sticks and at about midnight I ate a sugar free popsicle. But I just don’t think those things are going to prevent my weight-loss.

So I hope that the weight is real. You know what I mean. I don’t mind a little water weight, what I mean is, I hope I stay below 160 now. I hope the 160s are done. I am pretty sure I am a member of the Worker Bees Team I will try and check the forums later on.

Well so far this week is going really great. Already 4 pounds down from Sunday? Yeah, I’m thrilled about that!

—Matt

Well it looks like Hurricane Dean will be headed towards Texas and Mexico, and not towards my side of Florida. I hope those people evacuate and I hope they will all be okay. Things can be replaced but family and friends cannot.

I peeked at the scale and it says “161″ this morning. I know you’re only supposed to expect a weight-loss of 2 pounds per week, but I suspect that if I can enforce my “6:30pm eating cut-off time” every night I could probably drop more than that. At least at first. So that is my secret hope this week. I can enforce the cut-off time and maybe I can make my “mini-goal” of 155 by Sunday.

I’ve noticed that a lot of BuddySlimmers are over 200 pounds but their pictures don’t look it at all. I guess I’m a bad guess-timator at weight. And I am pretty sure I am going to get officially added to the Worker Bees roster this week. That would be cool. It would give me a little bit more accountability.

This morning I am making my weekly “To-Do” list and it seems  a mile long. On top of all the family stuff, the career stuff, and closing on this house, weight-loss always looms in the back of my mind. I have little doubt that the reason I wake up in the dead of night to eat is because of stress. I do not feel stressed at all during the day. But it really gives you a relaxing high to wake up at midnight and eat and eat. You do feel stuffed and guilty afterwards, but in the midst of a binge, it feels pretty good.

But really I need to satisfy myself with some blogging and some lighter alternatives, like herbal tea or diet soda or chewing gum. I know I will never get my flat stomach back eating banana and PB sandwiches at midnight.

So, BuddySlimmers! Let’s kick off Monday right! I’m going to do my brand new Leslie Sansone DVD, eat right (1200-1500 calories today), stop eating past 6:30pm, I may get an extra workout in the afternoon with my Flight, and I may Gazelle while watching Fat March tonight.

—Matt

So I woke up this morning and I was dissapointed that, after all… I only lost a pound and a half officially this week. At one point I was down to 158 I think… remember? Oh but then the binges and snacking caught up to me.

And so I resolved once again to end that habit and to try my darndest to impose a 6:30pm cut-off time for eating. I usually eat between 5 and 6pm (dinner) so this should not pose a problem. You would think. But I swear I feel like a crackhead or something the way I wake up fiending for food. And it’s never because I’m hungry. I never binge on carrots or apples. Noooooooope… I’m looking for candy and cake and cookies and bread stuff. And before I know it, I’ve downed 1000s of calories. And let me tell you something : even if I could eat that much and still lose weight… and I can’t BTW I just Yo-Yo around 160…

 It is not a good habit to have. I’m sure all that sugar and fat and sodium in one fell swoop is probably wreaking havoc on my immune system, my blood pressure and more…

Anyway. I did my Leslie Sansone DVD this morning. Yeah I’m a dude who does Walking DVDs. Any problem with that? Good then. And if you have never watched her DVDs and you think it’s just “walk in place” you are sadly mistaken. It’s a great workout. Much better than some stroll around the block. I like to do the 4-Mile Express Challenge because it’s longer than all the others and I know I’m getting a great workout.

I took my son to the Park this morning and chased him around so I’m sure that burned a few more calories, as did our jaunt to Wal-Mart. When I was at the park following him all over that wooden equipment, I thought to myself “If I was a bigger person, how on EARTH would I be able to follow my son through this?” And I don’t think you really could. You know, yes my body is always in pain now but at least I don’t get too tired to chase him around.

And then on to Wal-Mart. I know I shouldn’t buy anything because we are financially strapped (hey who isn’t these days…) but I couldn’t resist a few things. One of the only words my son will say is “Ball” so when he did this and kept pointing to a set of plush-y sports balls I could not resist. And a pinwheel. And a SpongeBob DVD we don’t yet own. The whole family loves SpongeBob. The boy adores it and it is so crazy and funny that my wife and I love it, too. And I bought a new Leslie Sansone DVD. It’s also a 4-mile, one hour workout but it’s new. I hope it’s good. I’ll do it tomorrow.

I can never resist but look at the things people put in their carts, regarding groceries. I tend to be a little judgemental but I don’t know why. I myself binge in the middle of the night so who am I to judge. Still, when I see somebody waddling by barely able to push their cart and it is full of stuff like PopTarts and Sausage, what am I supposed to think?

Oh well. To each his ( and her) own. We are all here because we are trying to change. I want to end this habit and reclaim  my flat stomach!

—Matt