REBOOT

So here I am again.  I have been MIA for several months.  "Life" has transpired since I last posted, which I have in turn let take a toll on my body.  Well I am tucking my tail and admitting that I have not held up my part of the deal I started to blog about.  So I do not know exactly where to start as there are a million thoughts running through my head, but I am going to just pick up and then move on.

Fast forward to current day....

Hi.  My Name Is Rusty.  I started a 10 day Juice Fast and then QUIT after 24 hours.........

I know it has been a long time, but didn't I say that I would NOT "do any dramatic diet changes as in becoming a vegetarian, or starting a supplement program.  I am determined, as I have always been, to just eat HEALTHY & BETTER."?

Yes that is a statement from a couple of posts that I did in 2013.  

So where am I?  As of a few days ago, before the "10 Day Juice Fast", I was 249 lbs.  What??????!  I was down to 225 at the end of 2013.  What is going on?  I feel like I am a yo-yo. In 2013, I posted 20 times between September and November.  2014?  Once in September.  2015?  Today.  May 7th.  

So yes, I admit, I jumped into a "fad" diet...  "Reboot with"....  

• Friday: I purchased a juicer from Amazon that was to be delivered on Sunday afternoon.  
• Saturday: I went out and bout a large amount of produce in expectation of the the juicer.
• Sunday: afternoon the juicer arrives
• Sunday: I make a serving of juice to drink for dinner
• Sunday: I told people what I was doing,
• Sunday Night: I juiced about 1/2 gallon of juice for the following day.
• Monday: I drink the juice all day long
• Monday Afternoon: I begin reading my own blog and realize I was doing what I said I would not do.

So.., Rusty's tail is tucked between his legs and he is admitting it.

Where am I?  I was looking to do a Juice Fast/Reboot of my body?  I was looking for a quick results "diet".  Truthfully I wasn't trying to escape an illness that I was diagnosed with, I was trying to loose weight FAST, without any "work".  So here I am after 24 hours in and I realize what I was doing.  After telling some people on Sunday about my plans, one person said that I should begin blogging again.  I began thinking about this and realized that I was doing my best when I was putting my thoughts on the keyboard.  The moment I let "fear" creep in, I quit blogging, quit running, quit loosing weight, and here I am again.

So where does this leave me?

I COMMIT to begin blogging once a week.
I COMMIT to work out at least 3 times a week.
I COMMIT to begin eating "CLEAN/er".
I COMMIT to contact some specific people to help hold me accountable.

To be continued...................

SO HERE I AM AGAIN..............

So here I am again, weighing in for what feels like the first time.  I know I have been missing in action for several months, and for a while there I was being asked why I was not posting by some of you, but I gave up.  Today I looked back at my last post thinking it was after the 2nd FULL marathon I had ran(yes I ran TWO marathons), and to my surprise and embarrassment, I quit blogging months before I thought I actually had.  My last post was November 15, 2013.  We are about to hit October 2014 and what do I have to show for it?  20 lbs.  You see, I completed my 1st marathon in November of last year and it was HORRIBLE & AWESOME!!!!

Now let me explain.  It is the end of November and the wonderful state of Texas has a warm spell hit and race date temps rise to 90 degrees, meaning we started the race in the upper 70's and probably close to 90% humidity.  Starting out, the race was going great, then came time for the full marathoners to split off from everyone else.  Well, we must have been the minority of the race, and therefore we were not given much support as there were very few watering stations, lack of crowd support, direct sunlight on 90% of the course,  which all added up to a very poor race experience.  Without going on and on and on, which I could, let me explain why the race was awesome.

Previously I also mentioned that "Preparation is Key", and that is exactly why this race was awesome for me.  You see, even though I had some bad training experiences, I also had some very good ones.  Actually many more good than bad.  I firmly believe that if I had not trained properly, I would have quit the race and just given up.  However, I kept pushing forward.  I hate to admit this and I will not mention the persons name, but one thing that got me through this race was seeing an experienced marathoner struggling worse than I was.  You see, this person I had trained with a couple of times since I joined the running club I was involved with, and he has ran many marathons as well as completed at least one Ironman and he was behind me. All of that being said, if I had not caught a glimpse of him struggling, I probably would have quit and just chocked it up to the fact that I am not built to run marathons.  Instead, I kept pressing on and COMPLETED.  This race took me 5 hours 46 minutes 1 second to complete.  When I crossed the finish line, I walk through the finishers coral and out to my wife and the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "I am ready to run another when it is not so hot."

Update to be continued...

9/29/14 STATS
11/15/13 Weight: 223.4 lbs
Current Weight: 243.2 lbs
lbs Lost: +20 lbs GAINED
Journey195 lbs Lost: -3.2 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: -1.33%
Journey195 Starting Weight July 2013: 240 lbs
Heaviest Weight 2007: 285 lbs
Overall lbs Lost: 41.8 lbs
Overall % Lost: 14.67%

11-15-13 WEIGH IN - PREPARATION IS KEY: MIND, BODY & SPIRIT

• 3-1/2 Months
• Bedtime @ 9:00 pm (Yes we are old)
• Wake Up Time @ 4:00 am (But what time do you get up?)
• Approx 260 Miles Ran
• Approx 35 Bootcamps
• 15 lbs lost

These past months have flown by for me.  As you can see I have been busy getting ready for this coming Sunday.  When I look at the fact that I have covered around 260 miles in my training, and that is me modifying it to fit in my bootcamps, I can't help but be proud of myself.  I started "Journey1Nintey5" as a way to track my weight loss, but it has now turned into something more.  Yes I would like to be able to be under 200 pounds, but that may not be the case for my ultimate goal.  I started this thing out saying that I would not take on any crazy fab diets or take and special pill to achieve my weight goal, I just want to learn HOW to eat correctly.  My goal is that this CORRECT process will stay ingrained in me for the rest of my life.  I have seen too many people spending way too much money and effort on a system that may work at the time, but once they quit paying the money, they return to where they started.

So am I ready?  I believe so.  If it weren't for my supportive wife, I may not have been able to say that.  I know that going to bed at 9 pm EVERY night, especially Friday nights is getting to her, but she has been there to even kick me out of bed a few times at 4 am.  The mental process of completing a marathon I believe is 80 percent of the battle.  Several weeks ago when I built up to 18 miles for the first time, I had some physical obstacles that I had to overcome during that run.  This was my first time at this distance and I was of course slower than everyone else running that day, by the time I made it to the water stops, THEY WERE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yes this is a physical obstacle, but the hardest part of the entire thing was my mind.  That thing can drive you nuts. I could not help but be VERY negative and it reflected on my body and my run.  I say this because two weeks later I PREPARED myself.  I went out and bought a 70 oz hydration backpack.  I WAS NOT GOING TO DIE OF THIRST AGAIN.  So when I ran my 20 miles two weeks later, I felt GOOD.  Yes I just said that after running 20 miles I felt good.

As I stated last week, I am not going to solely base my success on my weight anymore.  That is where I think a lot of people make their mistake.  I will keep it posted below because it is a good thing to see, but I am looking forward to see what my next "journey" is going to be.

11/15/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 223.4 lbs
Current Weight: 224.4 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: +1 lbs GAINED
Journey195 lbs Lost: 15.6 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 6.50%
Journey195 Starting Weight July 2013: 240 lbs
Overall lbs Lost: 60.6 lbs
Overall % Lost: 21.26%
Heaviest Weight 2007: 285 lbs

**Next week I will post an update on my BMI stats.

11/8/13 WEIGH IN - BEFORE & BEYOND "195"

With my "JOURNEY" I have an ultimate goal in mind which is to get my weight down to 195 lbs, yet I have other things that I want to achieve along the way that may even take precedence over the weight goal.  For years now I have always wanted my family to be the type that is ACTIVE in everything that they do.  From not looking for the closest parking spot at the grocery store to building vacations around activities that require physical exertion.  I pray that if I can ingrain these qualities in my children in a way that they enjoy or just expect, they will not have to take on this type of journey when they become adults.  Here is a list of things that you may or may not already do.  Some of these are everyday items that I do or need to do differently and others are goals that I want to work up to.

• GOING TO THE STORE
• Take a back parking space at the store vs. driving around waiting on someone to leave.
• Carry a basket when only getting a few items vs. pushing a buggy.
• AT THE OFFICE
• Take the stairs.
• Take the long way to the restroom.
• AT HOME
• Get off your butt and get your own stuff.  Even if you think that is what your kids are for. (GUILTY)
• Mow your own grass
• Show them that exercising can be fun.

Well maybe for them.

• Have exercise competitions WITH your kids
• My 9 year old can outlast me on a plank

• VACATIONS
• Build them around active activities
• Go camping.  You burn a lot of calories during set up and tear down.
• Take hikes
• Swim
• Take bike rides

In doing the above items I feel that I will ultimately succeed in my goals.  Over the past couple of weeks I have struggled with breaking the number on the scale.  For a couple of those weeks I let it get to me and I did not have the greatest outlook on my weight goal.  This week has changed that, but let me set the stage as to why.  About a year ago when I was starting to get back into working out I went out and bought two pairs of jeans that were a size lower than I was currently wearing.  For a year those jeans have hung in my closet counting down the days till they are no longer in style.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to try them on and the first pair I tried "fit".  Now they were a little snug, but not so bad that after a few minutes of wearing wouldn't stretch out enough to be halfway comfortable.  The other pair however not so much. This past week I realized that the pair that I was able to get on was beginning to feel a little better so I decided to try that other pair on, and it went on.  Just to test my achievement, I decided to purchase another pair of size 36 jeans over this past weekend and the same thing, they went on.  

So what does this tell me?  Quit paying so much attention to the number on the scale.  Sure I would love to make it to 195 lbs but I have other "Journey's" that I am on that are more important than the number on the scale.  I will continue to post my weight but I will try to not base my success on that alone.  One major journey that I am about to complete is my marathon.  In 9 days I will accomplish a huge achievement that I have been diligently training for.  The week after my race I will do an update on my BMI stats.  It will have been about 2-1/2 months since I last had it checked.  

So with all that being said, this mornings weight was......

NOTE: The above post was written over the past couple of days when I did not believe that I was going to see a weight loss.  To my surprise I cannot complain.  This week though has truly changed my mindset that I need to concentrate on just correcting my bad eating habits and temptations that creep in from time to time  and my physical appearance.  When I do that the weight will adjust to where it is supposed to be.  

11/08/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 225.8 lbs
Current Weight: 223.4 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 2.4 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 16.6 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 6.92%
Journey195 Starting Weight July 2013: 240 lbs
Overall lbs Lost: 61.6 lbs
Overall % Lost: 21.61%
Heaviest Weight 2007: 285 lbs

JOURNEY MILESTONE: T-MINUS 12 DAYS

Two Saturday's ago I ran to my standards an awesome 14 miles.  I felt good.  Unfortunately I also pulled something in my leg that actually worried me a little as I am so close to my race.  As I mentioned last week I took the week off from doing any physical activity on my legs so that I could give it time to rest.  This past Saturday was a test and I feel that I passed it.  Sure I did not blow my previous pace out of the water, however I was able to complete 16 miles without any pain.  On top of that I did not wake up Sunday hurting.  Now I can breath a sigh of relief because I was getting worried about my race coming up on the 17th.  T-Minus 12 days till I achieve a new milestone:  26.2 Miles

11/1/13 WEIGH IN - PLAYING IT SAFE

This past Saturday was a 14 mile run for me.  All in all I did very well.  When compared to my 1/2 Marathon time from November of last year, I beat it by 30 minutes.

2012 R&R 1/2 Marathon San Antonio  2 hours 41 minutes
2013 R&R Full Marathon Training Run (13 miles) 2 hours 10 minutes (14 Miles in 2:20:51)

After looking at the numbers I was ecstatic about the progress that I have made since last year.  So why am I playing it safe?  Here is a rundown of events since last Sunday morning.

• Sunday Morning
• I wake up to my left leg hurting a little.  Just behind my ankle and up the side of my leg.  No worries as I probably need to stretch it out some.  
• Sunday Night
• My leg still hurts.
• Monday Morning
• My leg still hurts so I decide to not go to Boot Camp and rest it.
• Monday Night
• My leg still hurts.
• Compression Socks that I ordered showed up so I put them on and slept in them.
• Tuesday Morning
• The discomfort is getting a little better but it is still tender.
• Tuesday Night
• Still discomfort in my leg so I decide to try out KT Tape.  Which includes shaving a strip of my leg.

• Wednesday Morning
• After sleeping in the compression socks Monday night and them putting on the KT tape last night, this morning my leg seems to feel better.
• Wednesday Night
• Doing Better
• Thursday
• My leg seems to pretty much be good.  Still a slight discomfort.

This morning when I woke up I probably would have been just fine going to boot camp however I decided to give it one more day.  I know that my long term goal is to loose weight, and to loose weight I need to workout, but being able to run and complete my marathon is first and foremost on my list.  Tomorrow is a  17 mile run after not doing anything for a week so I am going to just take it steady tomorrow.  I am so close to achieving that goal that the last thing I want to do IS get injured and not be able to run. 

After taking an entire week off from work outs, I also ended up choosing to take it off from my good eating habits.  Now I did not make monstrous trips to the fast food place, howe
ver I did not follow my carb-cycle plan.  Yes my wife reminded me daily that my business is now out there for the whole world to see.  So I apologize that I was not able to write a motivating post about how even though I was injured I still stuck to the plan and found other ways to exercise that didn't involved high impact on my leg.  Now that I write this, I wish I would have just got my butt out of bed and lifted weights or spent some time on the elliptical.  

With out any further ado, this mornings weight was.....

Yes I technically gained weight, but .06, not going to complain here other than the fact that I can't show a loss.  

11/01/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 225.2 lbs
Current Weight: 225.8 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: + 0.6 lbs WEIGHT GAINED
Journey195 lbs Lost: 14.2 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 5.92%
Overall lbs Lost: 59.2 lbs
Overall % Lost: 20.77%

10/25/13 WEIGH IN - LIFE HAPPENS

Life happens.  Normally people say this when they are upset or things just didn't go the way that they wanted.  The past couple of weeks I would have most likely used that analogy of the statement, however this week I have a more positive outlook.  I have been working my tail end off getting ready for my marathon over the past several months and just in the last few weeks my mileage has been getting pretty extreme.  It's crazy that I am exited to ONLY run 14 miles this weekend.  With that being said, my wife tells me that I really need to remove my 13.1 sticker from my truck.  With tomorrows run, I will have ran in excess of 13.1 miles 6 times in last 7 weeks.  WOW!

Back to "life happens".  Last month I hit my 10 year anniversary with the company that I work for.  This of course is a milestone that not many people reach, especially in my generation.  One of the things that I was taught growing up was that you put 100% in everything that you do.  My dad was a very hard working person and taught me a work ethic that many people do not have today.  Last week my boss's wife asked when my wife and I could go to dinner to celebrate my achievement.  With the amount of work and dedication that I have put into my health lately I suggested a Monday or Wednesday Night.  This was strategic for me.  If I go out on Monday or Wednesday night, I will have already worked out for that day and the days following I already do not get up for anyways.  However, she also works out on Mondays & Wednesdays, just not in the mornings as I do, so she suggested going to dinner on Tuesday night.  My plan was busted and so I graciously said Tuesday was good and was not able to get my run in that night.

For dinner they took my wife and I out to a very nice steak restaurant that neither of us had ever been to.  The food was awesome and I did not even think twice about the calories that I was about to consume.  This was a special occasion and I had worked very hard to achieve it.  Now I will say that I did not consume the entire 20 oz Bone-In New York Strip, I probably ate about 1/2.  All in all I did not leave the table feeling like I had just consumed a weeks worth of food in one setting.  I guess that this whole eating better thing is working even when I think I am splurging.  Just a few years ago I would have consumed probably twice that amount of food.  After getting home and making sure the oldest were asleep, I did not get to bed until close to 11 pm.  Wednesday 5 AM boot camp = NOPE. Thursday's I have been running in the evening after my kids finish their practices but this week some were cancelled and one we played hooky as I needed to mow the yard to get ready for my nephew's birthday party on Saturday.  Thursday's Run = NOPE.

So it's Friday morning and I am ready for what the scale has to tell me.  I know that it can't be good.  I did not stick to the plan because of "life".  So what's it going to be?  1 pound? 2? I hope it is not 5.  So this morning my weight was...............

Seriously?  Exactly the same?  This is AWESOME!.  What this tells me is that if you work your butt off, when "Life Happens" whether good or bad, you do not have to start all over.  You can just pick up where you left off.  Just don't WAIT TILL MONDAY.  START TODAY.

10/25/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 225.2 lbs
Current Weight: 225.2 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 0.0 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 14.8 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 6.17%
Overall lbs Lost: 59.8 lbs
Overall % Lost: 20.98%