W39

I haven't been publishing blog posts weekly for a few weeks.  I have been very busy with work, school, and family and I just forget... and I'm the only one who probably reads these so they're really just for me right now.

I've still been dropping in size but not weight.  I am down to a 42" waist, but still weigh between 265 and 270 depending on the day.  My chest and waist (where waist = the fattest part of my abdomen drawing a line around my belly over my belly button) are about the same.  I can fit into smaller shirts (XLs now instead of XXLs) and XXL shirts feel hugeish to me.  I'm wearing a size 44 jean now, but I can fit into 42s that I've not worn in many years (I have some that have been in storage).  By the end of the week, I'll go pick up a pair of 42 jeans I'm sure.

I'm still riding about an hour a day on the stationary bike and I'm peddling harder than before getting in a vigorous workout.  I've hit that point in my weight loss where I'm subconsciously sabotaging myself by buying candy bars and cinnamon rolls.  I'm craving those things which means I'm doing the right things and need to add more carbs, like carrots, to my diet so I'm not binging on caramellos and apple pies.

I feel pretty good.  A bit stressed at work right now because of juggling school, work, and family.  Going back to school is a young single person's game ;)

W36

Another week down and more results. I went to Dallas for a trip where I ran around the entire weekend (pretty much from Friday at 4pm until Saturday at midnight) mostly figuratively running, but moving very fast... I wish I could've gone to AllCon instead smile emoticon

I didn't eat much, but I did manage to stay hydrated. My weight went up just a little (nervousness produces constipation, just sayin). However, my size went down.

Chest original size (2012) 44 - current 40.75 - I think the difference up from last week was tightness of tape If I'd pulled tighter I would've been 39.75 but I slacked up the tape a bit figuring I pulled it too tight yesterday

Waist original size 49.75 - current 43.75 - down .5 since last week

Thighs original size 31.5 - current 26.75 - no change.

I only worked out last monday, but like I said I was standing and moving from 4 friday to midnight sunday save a couple hours sleep... I think that counts as a pretty good workout. This week, back to riding the bike.

Week 34 and photos

I haven't had a Coke since September 23 (or 24th I can't remember) - approx 5.5 months or so.

I've been working out at least 4x a week for a while now (8 weeks?).  I haven't lost a lot of weight.  I have lost a lot of size... which is better to me.  I've been doing 60 mins on my stationary bike and 45 min strength workout daily for up to 6 days a week.  I've been eating close to 1200-1400 calories a day and eating good pre and post workout.  I haven't had a tastykake or anything like that in 3 weeks (?) now.  I feel really good - a bit stressed about job, school, family, hobbies... but really good overall.

I am not hitting my weight loss goals. I was supposed to be between 262 and 266.  I'm about 8 pounds off right now.  I can probably make that happen by Friday - I'd rather have my belly drop in size another half inch... we'll see.

Mar2016	2Feb15	19Jan2015	July2014	May2014	Jan2010

weights:
Jan 2010 - 270
May 2014 - 283
July 2014 - 277
Jan 2015 - 268
Feb 2015 - 264
Mar 2016 - 274

I copied the last post about photos with comparisons so I could put all of these side-by-side with todays.

Previous picture comparisons
http://elvisapocalypse.blogspot.com/2012/06/old-pictures.html
http://elvisapocalypse.blogspot.com/2014/05/picture-comparisons.html
http://elvisapocalypse.blogspot.com/2014/07/photos.html
http://elvisapocalypse.blogspot.com/2015/02/photo-time.html

W31D1 - BABC

I don't know why I've not been blogging once a week.  Probably because I've been attending school full-time and working full-time and then I have my family full-time - so I just haven't had the time.  What I have had time for has been working out.  This starts my 5th week of workouts.  The first week was 30 mins 5 days a week on the stationary bike (21 speed).  The 2nd & 3rd weeks were 45 minutes 5 days a week on the stationary bike. Last week was 90 minutes 3days (I wanted to do 6 days but got caught in a whirlwind of school and home stuff) with 45 mins of strength and 45 stationary bike.  In one week I dropped from 285 to 277.  Over the course of 2 weeks I've lost 2.2 pounds (1 kilo)... and in terms of January 11, I'm 1 pound over what I was at that taping.

This week is the same as last week 90 minutes (45 strength, 45 bike).  I have 5 weeks left to my deadline and I want to get below 260... I'd like to be 255.  22 pounds in 5 weeks is doable, right? 3.50-4.4 pounds a week will get me to between 255 and 259 (I want UNDER 260).  I feel like the 90 minutes is just the right amount.  I don't want to go over that and I don't want to go under.  If I split it up it's 10 mins every hour during the work day.  If I don't then it's just 90 minutes... but when I ride I study at the same time so I get a bonus of kinesthetic movement while studying.  If I do the 90 mins then I break it up by one circuit then ride the bike and back and forth which seems to be doing well for me.

The final change I made was not pulling the tape tight.  I was pulling the tape really tight and artificially deflating the numbers, so-to-speak, so that I would feel better about my weight loss and size... but if the pants don't fit then the lie catches up to you :)  So last weeks numbers were highter than normal b/c I went with real numbers and not pulling the tape tight

My latest numbers - not going to post the spreadsheet this week:
neck 16
chest 40.75 - down 1 inch
belly button 47.5 - down .5"
hips 50.75 - down 2
thigh 28.25 - down .75
chest caliper 34 - up 2mm
abs caliper 40 - no change
thigh caliper 30 - no change

W28D0 - BABC

This morning, I read this article. Now, I'm not advocating for trying this - I'm only pointing out that he limited his caloric intake. I'll see if I can find the other studies i've read, recently, that talk about limiting caloric intake is the biggest help in losing weight.

Summary: he limited his intake to 2000 calories and worked out 45 mins a day 5 days a week and it took him 6 months to lose 60 pounds.

A "normal" and "healthy" weight loss. I limit my caloric intake to < 1700 cal a day and attempt 30 mins of workout at least 3 days a week. When I up that to 60 mins (which is up to 5 miles of walking at my pace). I can drop a lot of size and up to 15 pounds a month. I have a friend who walk/ran 5 miles a day for 60 days and dropped more than 50 pounds... but I don't know about his eating b/c he said he just couldn't afford food - so that's not healthy at all.

In any case, I think sticking to a caloric restriction, with good foods, and working out 5 days aweek for six months would go a long way. The problem is the 6 months. If I'd stuck with a plan for six months straight starting in 2008 when I first realized I weighed 284 pounds, I'd've been done. Being fat is killing me. Each day, this last week, I've woke up and said "Earn this" and it's felt great... except the fn seat on my bike.

measurements are coming up later this morning *crossing fingers*

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-lose-weight-eating-only-mcdonalds-2015-10

measurements are getting better.  Week one of riding a bike 30 mins a day 5 days a week is complete.  I don't know what my plan is for the week.  Mostly, I just want to ride the bike at least 5 days at 30 minutes each.  I would really like to do 5 days at 60 minutes total.  I also really want to get on a scale and see what's going on; that is secondary to just eating my caloric limit with what I should be eating and working out.

	1/24/2016	1/17/2016	1/11/2016	1/5/2016	12/20/15	12/13/15	12/06/15	11/29/15
weight			276	284.4	278	272	270	268
neck	16.25	16.25	16.25	16.5	16.5	16	16.5	16
chest	41	40.5	40.5	41.5	40.8	40.5	40.5	40.25
navel	45	44.75	45	46	44	44.75	44.5	44.5
waist
hips	49.5	50	49.5	51.75	49.5	49	49	49
thigh	27	27.5	27.5	28.25	27.25	27	27.5	27.5
caliper chest	34	30	30	28	30	24	26	30
caliper abs	34	34	34	38	36	34	34	34
caliper thigh	30	30	32	36	36	32	32	32

W26D0 - BABC

26 weeks.  A half year of blogging each week (I think I missed a week somewhere, I'll have to look).  I've logged in to MyFitnessPal 412 days in a row.

Well, Saturday I went to check on my weight and found that the batteries had eaten into the scale - what do you expect after 6 years? So, I am scale-less. The last weight I had was 277 a few days ago. I have a tape and calipers. I'm going to base my progress on those measurements and not get too concerned with my weight. My goal is to push as hard as I can until St Pats Day. I need to be smaller - being this big is literally killing me. I've attempted to push before and succeeded in some cases - this push has to be a good one. I was supposed to start back to school tonight, but it's a holiday. I need to push in order to be smaller, but also to reduce the stress of working full-time, going to school full-time, and then juggling kids.

Still no soda, almost 4 months (like sept 23 or 24 or something). I had a sweet tea last thursday and the caffeine head ache was rough... and I couldn't sleep or concentrate so that sucked.

I'll update measurements later.  They didn't really change from last week which was expected b/c I got in 2 bike rides last week, but not more and I didn't eat as well as I could have.  I didn't eat crappy.  I just didn't eat as well as I could have.  A lot of stress.  But I didn't eat any candy like when I go through the depressive phases before an anniversary event.

W25D0 - BABC

I managed to get through only 2ish weeks of depression before I got back into working out.

You can see that about 29Nov was just before the depressive period.  I was starting to go up slowly.  Around the 13th or so I hit full stride until the 4th of January or so when I decided to get back into working out and so last week I went back to eating correctly and drinking a ton of water a day and worked out 3 times on the stationary bike.  Except for the physical weight, I'm almost exactly back where I was at the end of November.

	01/11/16	01/05/16	12/20/15	12/13/15	12/06/15	11/29/15
weight	276	284.4	278	272	270	268
neck	16.25	16.5	16.5	16	16.5	16
chest	40.5	41.5	40.8	40.5	40.5	40.25
navel	45	46	44	44.75	44.5	44.5
waist
hips	49.5	51.75	49.5	49	49	49
thigh	27.5	28.25	27.25	27	27.5	27.5
caliper chest	30	28	30	24	26	30
caliper abs	34	38	36	34	34	34
caliper thigh	32	36	36	32	32	32

In this time, I realized that my depressive episodes are related to specific dates and once I realize that I can make a change.  I'll still be depressed and I crave things like reeses peanut butter cups... a lot of them.  I need to get over the feeling that I am not worthy.  Once I can do that I can break through my wall.  I'm going to push pretty hard this week to get my weight and size back down to that first reading on the right.  I can do it.  Then I'll break through that wall again.