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%

THE "I'LL START ON MONDAY" SYNDROME

We have all said it before and have failed. The question I have is what is your "Monday"?  For me it is usually Tuesday's and Thursday's as those are the days that I am on my own to get a workout in. Currently my Tuesday's and Thursday's are designated short run days in preparation for my marathon.  I would like to be able to get up and run from the house at 5 a.m. yet I have failed to make myself.   Why?  It is just boring.  Every other day of the week I have a group that I am a part of.  In those groups I have made connections with people whether it be my boot camp trainers or a few fellow runners that I can count on to be there when needed.  Sure part of me likes the extra hour and a half of sleep, but I know how good I feel the rest of the day when I work out in the mornings. So what is keeping me from running on those mornings?  Accountability.  Hence the reason for this blog.  Even when I do not want to continue, I also do not want to just drop this thing and take two steps backwards.  My suggestion is for you to find someone that can help hold you accountable.  For those of you on my side of town, I would LOVE to see you at 5 AM at boot camp.  HINT HINT.  And tomorrow, Wednesday, can be your Monday.

MARATHON TRAINING UPDATE:
Saturday 10/19 20 Mile Run = AWESOME - I couldn't have asked for better weather or a better run as I reached the peak mileage of my training before my race on November 17th.

Mile 1   10:55
Mile 2   11:05
Mile 3   11:08
Mile 4   10:58
Mile 5   12:26 - Fuel & Water
Mile 6   11:33
Mile 7   11:24
Mile 8   11:21
Mile 9   13:20 - Fuel & Water
Mile 10 11:22
Mile 11 11:07
Mile 12 11:09
Mile 13 13:06 - Fuel & Water
Mile 14 11:05
Mile 15 11:08
Mile 16 11:06
Mile 17 14:05 - Fuel & Water
Mile 18 11:42
Mile 19 11:40
Mile 20 11:40

All in all my average pace for the entire run was around 12:00/mile and I didn't feel like my legs were about to break off as they did a few weeks earlier for my 18 mile run.

10/18/13 WEIGH IN

I haven't been too excited about this week.  If it were not for my wife, I probably would not have completed my workouts as I did.  Starting Monday, I skipped my normal morning boot camp.  However, my wife hit me up to take a Body Pump class at our Y that evening.  Monday - Check.  Tuesday I ran in the evening.  Wednesday I did Boot Camp.  Thursday I ran in the evening. Friday, I got out of bed, weighed myself and went back to bed.  Honestly, if it would have been a better number, I would have most likely went to boot camp.  I will however be running 20 miles tomorrow morning which more than makes up for the calories that I would have burned in today's workout.  Though I would probably feel better today if I would have just got out of bed and worked out.

Just as last week this week was a small decrease, which is still a move the right direction.  This mornings weight was....

With the amount of work out sessions I am doing, I know that there is a lot of muscle mass being added to my body.  The question I have is whether I am just putting on that much muscle or do I still have some figuring out to do to get this process right?  Which ever it is, what I am at least sure of,  my clothes are getting looser and I am about to be fully into a size 36 pants that I have not been in for probably 12 years.

10/18/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 225.8 lbs
Current Weight: 225.2 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 0.6 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 14.8 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 6.17%
Overall lbs Lost: 59.8 lbs
Overall % Lost: 20.98%

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER - ADJUST & MAKE IT UP

"Better Late than Never" is something that was never taught in my home growing up.  My dad would always make sure that we were extra early to everything.  That has rubbed off on at least myself over the years. (Can't say the same for ONE of my sisters.  Not mentioning any names here, but you know who you are)  The only thing my dad was o.k. with being late to was church.  Now it wasn't that we were always late on a typical Sunday.  No, the only time it was o.k. to be late for church was when were getting back from a 10 hour drive home from Arkansas on a Sunday or Wednesday night and he made sure that we quietly caught whatever was left of the sermon.

Fast forward to current day, I am close to the same.  Now I do not finish a 10 hour road trip with sitting my kids or myself for that matter in a church service, but I do make sure that I am early for most everything.  Now how does that have anything to do with my journey?  I have a habit that if I oversleep at all and have to rush out of bed and to the gym to be 5-10 minutes late, my habit is to just not go.  This is something that I have to work on.  Sure I do not want to show up for just the last half of the class, but if I am only 10 minutes late, I still get a good 40-50 of exercise in.  This is something that I need to ingrain in my mind and live by.

One other option is to ADJUST the plan that you set up for yourself.  Just because you overslept and missed the planned workout, you can still MAKE IT UP.  This is what I did on Monday.  I did not get up to go to my boot camp so my wife and I met at the gym after I got off work and did a Power Pump Class together.  Sure it may have been different from what I wanted, but if I am so critical about the times that I work out, I will be constantly beating myself up for my "failure" and probably abandon my journey in the end.

10/11/13 WEIGH IN - BEING CONSTANT

This morning is a bit of a bittersweet weigh in.  This has been an awesome week again, work out wise, however there have been some screw-ups.  Last week I titled my blog "Hard Work, Dedication & a Few Screw Ups" and one of our friends asked my wife where my screw ups were mentioned in the post.  Here are my screw ups.  I know I may sound like a girl, sorry ladies, but my demise at my workplace are the bags of chocolate candy that my boss' wonderful wife continually puts out.  I cannot resist.  Especially when I get stressed and am having a bad day.(Yes I have admitted and accepted the fact that I may be an emotional eater)  Again, I feel like a girl, sorry again ladies.  So there you have it Amanda, my screw ups.

Over the past several weeks I have been thinking about my Journey and the goals that I want to achieve.  Inside all of us is a want to be competitive in some area of our life.  I began to get a little discouraged during a few of my boot camps because I was not able to keep up with some of the other guys, or ladies for that matter.  I have to realize that this Journey I am on is not a competition to see who can do the most reps during a workout, it is a competition with myself.  The only way I am going to succeed LONG TERM in this is to base the competition on my own abilities.  Beating the other guys in boot camp is not going to make me succeed, because what happens when they move on and quit coming to that class?  What happens when I am the most advanced?  Who will I compare myself to?  Myself.

Additionally, over the past several weeks of my marathon training, I have entered in to uncharted water in regards to the mileage I am running.  This past week was 18 miles, and in two weeks it will be 20.  So I have been trying to go with the mindset of just moving forward.  This is also the mindset that I am taking with my workouts.  I feel that if I am being CONSTANT and continuing to move forward, and not quit, I will be achieving the goals that I want.  With as cliche as it sounds, I want my Journey to be a Marathon and not a sprint.  I want to make sure that the changes that I am making are ingrained in me and not just some sprint to loose weight and then turn around and gain back more than I lost because I did not make a lifestyle change.

As I said above, this morning's weigh in is bittersweet.  I did not loose as much as I would have liked, however, the scale is continuing to move in the right direction.  So this mornings weight was...

10/1/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 227.0 lbs
Current Weight: 225.8 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 1.2 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 14.2 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 5.92%
Overall lbs Lost: 59.2 lbs
Overall % Lost: 20.77%

CARB-CYCLING BASICS

So I have mentioned a couple of times about the eating plan that I have decided to give a whirl.  Last year a friend of mine, Christian, asked me in a conversation if I had tried Carb-Cycling.  I had not and at that time I had never heard of it before nor did I look into it after that conversation as I was not committed to my Journey.  Fast forward several months and as I was watching Extreme Make Over Weight Loss Edition, Chris Powell mentioned that the process he uses in his make overs was Carb-Cycling which reminded me of the above conversation.  Basically it is providing your body with just enough carb's to fuel it but not over do it to where it turns the left overs into fat.  I wanted to know more so I purchased Chris Powell's book Lose More Choose More for Life.  This book expanded on his initial Classic Carb Cycling plan and gave a couple other variations that offer different levels of cycling.

I chose to use the Turbo Cycle.  As with each cycle, they are based around eating 5 meals a day, 3 hours apart, with the first meal being eaten within 30 minutes of waking up.  You are rotating between low carb & high carb days or meals.  Your first meal each day is a high carb meal that gives you the fuel that you need to jump start you metabolism.  So here is what my cycle looks like.

Week 1 - 3
Sunday - Low Carb
Monday - Low Carb
Tuesday - High Carb
Wednesday - Low Carb
Thursday - Low Carb
Friday - High Carb
Saturday - Reward Day

Week 4
Sunday - High Carb
Monday - High Carb
Tuesday - High Carb
Wednesday - High Carb
Thursday - High Carb
Friday - High Carb
Saturday - Reward Day

REPEAT

In Chris' book you are given several recipes.  Honestly, I have not used many of them.  It does give you a very good look at how you can take lots of meals and make them either a low or high carb meal.  Basically on low carb days you eat a protein about the size of your palm coupled with two servings of veggies about the size of two closed fists with a thumb size amount of fat.  On high carb days, you eat the same protein and veggies but you supplement the fat for a fist sized carb.  Below are some examples:

Protein: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish
Veggie: Squash, Zucchini, Red Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Salad
Fat: Avocado, Olive Oil
Carb: English Muffin, Whole Wheat Toast, Corn Tortilla, Sweet Potato, Quinoa, Couscous, Brown Rice

As with all of these items, you have to prepare them correctly.  No sauteing your veggies in globs of butter or "chicken frying" your steak and chicken.  Below was a good low carb day for me yesterday.

Breakfast 4:30 AM - Approx. 285 Calories
Protein Pancake - 80 calories
Peanut Butter - 1 tbs - 90 calories
1/2 Banana - 55 calories
1 oz Light Pork Breakfast Sausage - 60 calories

Morning Snack 8:00 AM - Approx. 230 Calories
2 Scrambled Eggs -140 calories
Sauteed Zucchini, Squash, Onion & Red Bell Pepper - 1 Cup - 35 calories
2 oz Sauteed Chicken Breast - 55 calories

Lunch 12:00 PM - Approx. 265 Calories
3 oz Sauteed Chicken Breast - 105 calories
Salad Greens - 40 calories (estimated very high)
Salad Olives - 20 calories
Mild Cheddar Cheese - 25 calories
Croutons - 30 calories
Salad Dressing - 45 calories

Afternoon Snack 3:00 PM - Approx. 120 Calories
Honey Roasted Turkey Lunch Meat - 60 calories
Sliced Roma Tomato - 30 calories
Sliced Zucchini - 30 calories

Dinner 6:30 PM - Approx. 300 Calories
2 Large Scrambled Eggs - 140 calories
2 Slices Bacon - 80 calories
1 Slice Pepper Jack Cheese - 80 calories

Entire Day Total - 935 Calories & I ate all day long

Because of the success of such low calories, I treated myself with a 150 Calorie Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cone with my wife while watching How I Met Your Mother.

Upcoming Blog: Preparation is Key
I will be covering sleep, recipes and food prep.

10/4/13 WEIGH IN - HARD WORK, DEDICATION & A FEW SCREW UPS

So this is where I left off after last week's weigh-in:

So what am I going to do differently this next week?  RE-GROUP.

Saturday: 15 Mile Long Run, Reward Day not Sabotage Day (I need to make up for this week) DONE
Sunday: Rest, Meal Plan, Grocery Shop, Prepare quick grab & eat meals  DONE - Sort of - Texans Tickets trumped going to the grocery store - It was an awesome 3 qtrs until we lost in OT
Monday: Boot Camp DONE
Tuesday: 3-4 Mile Short Run (I cannot seem to get this one is the past couple of weeks) DONE
Wednesday: Boot Camp DONE
Thursday: ACTIVELY coach Daughters volleyball practice, 3-4 Mile Short Run DONE
Friday: Boot Camp DONE
Saturday: 18 Mile Long Run READY FOR TOMORROW

As you can see I have completed each workout that I said I was going to do.  I definitely feel good this week knowing that each day I worked my butt off.  I am not going to sit back and say that I did everything right, but I definitely was on the right track this week.  In addition to this weeks awesome completed work-outs, my meal plan was changed slightly.  I have not gone into my entire meal layout, though I will in the coming weeks once I get through an entire cycle, this week was a High Carb week.  I believe that this accounts to what could have been a little lower number on the scale, though I am not complaining.

To be honest, I was a little worried about this week due to the fact that I was not doing the normal carb cycling that I had for the past three weeks.  This week was a reset & trick your body week.  Just like lifting weights, you have to change things up from time to time to trick your muscles.  Since I was not expecting much of a decrease, I told my wife that I needed a side by side picture to point out that it is not always the number on the scale that matters.  TAKE PROGRESS PHOTOS so that you can see the difference and not just a number on a scale.  So here are my progress photos showing my Journey1Ninety5 starting photo taken on 8/1/13 next to last nights photo taken 10/3/13.

Definitely a very GOOD change.  I am blown away by the difference you can see on the side view.  The hard work and dedication is paying off.  That person that I AM NOT is definitely melting away.

So for this morning's numbers.................oh and I am sorry that it is so blurry.................

YES!!!!!  2 lbs lost.  Even with the added carbs, bad previous week, and a couple screw ups this week, there is progress.

10/04/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 229.0 lbs
Current Weight: 227.0 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 2 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 13 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 5.42%
Overall lbs Lost: 58 lbs
Overall % Lost: 20.35%

MY APOLOGIES

My apologies to those that live within or were driving through the areas in which I ran my 15 miles on Saturday.

So why am I apologizing?  Lets back up a few weeks.  I have talked about the need to be prepared.  This is VERY VERY important.  And what I am about to discuss will probably only apply to guys which I will get to in a minute.

• Long Distance Running Check List:
• Pre-Run Hydration
• Sleep
• Easily Digestable Pre-Run Meal
• Nipple Protection
• Moisture Wicking Clothes
• Fuel (ie. GU, Shot Blocks etc.)
• Good Shoes

Did anyone catch the most important bullet?  NIPPLE PROTECTION.  So what is this about?  Ladies, you most likely do not have this issue as your clothing supports and holds snug against this area.  However for us guys,  there is a problem that happens when our soaking wet shirt constantly rubs against and chafes this very sensitive area.  As a result of my unpreparedness a few weeks ago.....

YES that is blood.(this is a very minor amount as I kept squirting water on it to wash away the blood)

YES is did hurt, FOR SEVERAL DAYS.  

YES I did vow to myself to always keep nipple protection readily available.

So as for why I am apologizing.  Let me paint the picture:

• Wife wakes me up at 5:00.  Should have been up at 4:30 to my alarm. 
• Rush around house sighing (my wife says that she has never met anyone that sighs as much as I do) trying to gather everything together and get out the door.
• Take wife's car as my truck is attached to a trailer. (something VERY important was in the console of my truck)
• Start running and 2 miles in begin to get tender.  I FORGOT TO PROTECT THE NIPPLES!!!!!
• Bear through the pain and pray that I will not start bleeding for the next 4 miles.
• At mile 6, the group I am running with turns back and I continue as I have a farther distance to run than they do.  
• Nipples hurt REALLY REALLY BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY APOLOGY

So far my prayers have worked, NO BLOOD.  Time to do damage control.  Remove shirt and continue to run without it for the next 9 miles.  As I have now stated a couple of times, I apologize.  Normally you do not want to see a "husky" guy running down the street and through your neighborhood without his shirt on.  No, I am sure the ladies would hope that shirtless guy had a six pack.  However, those of you along my route did have to bear the sight of this "husky" guy.  I am not ashamed.  Trust me, if you would have seen me with blood flowing down my shirt from both nipples, I guarantee that image would have stuck with you much longer than this pasty white husky guy running without his shirt.  

YOU'RE WELCOME!!!!!

9/27/13 WEIGH IN - TIME TO RE-GROUP

So as I mentioned earlier this week, this week has been a little BLAH for me.  Just haven't felt the greatest.  I made a couple of not so great eating decisions, coupled with moving my Saturday morning long run to Sunday afternoon, which in turn made it very easy to stay in bed Monday morning instead of going to boot camp.  On top of this I have not felt the greatest the past couple of days dealing with allergies, which in turn made it easy yet again to stay in bed this morning and not go to Friday boot camp.  This turned out a week that was not as successful as I would have hoped.

One thing also to remember is that with all of the working out and training for the my Full Marathon, I have to fuel my body differently than just working my butt off to loose weight.  At this point in my training when I am going to be running 15, 18 & 20 miles on the weekends, I must properly fuel myself.  In return this mean that I am not necessarily going to be dropping large amounts of weight each week.  Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty of fat to loose, however, I am replacing that with muscle.  One good thing is that even though I am not seeing the pounds drop off, I am feeling better and my pants are getting looser.

With this all being said, my weight this morning was.....

So 1 pound lost.  Like I said above, I would have liked it to be more, but I also did not play out my week in a manner to drop more than this.  This is what I have to realize.  If I only put in the effort 50% of the time, I will not get the results that I want.  As I said earlier this week, the keys to my success are to PLAN, PREPARE & RE-GROUP(IF NEEDED).  So what am I going to do differently this next week?  RE-GROUP.

Saturday: 15 Mile Long Run, Reward Day not Sabotage Day (I need to make up for this week)
Sunday: Rest, Meal Plan, Grocery Shop, Prepare quick grab & eat meals
Monday: Boot Camp
Tuesday: 3-4 Mile Short Run (I cannot seem to get this one is the past couple of weeks)
Wednesday: Boot Camp
Thursday: ACTIVELY coach Daughters volleyball practice, 3-4 Mile Short Run
Friday: Boot Camp
Saturday: 18 Mile Long Run


9/27/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 230.0 lbs
Current Weight: 229.0 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 1 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 11 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 4.58%
Overall lbs Lost: 56 lbs
Overall % Lost: 19.65%

KEYS TO SUCCESS - PLAN, PREPARE & RE-GROUP (IF NEEDED)

So last week ended up being a good week for me.  I laid out a semi-structured PLAN of my meals and PREPARED several items ahead of time.  This made it very easy to just grab and go with my non-traditional meal schedule.  This week, not so much.  This past weekend was a bit hectic and I was not able to grocery shop with my wife, which I like to do, as long as the kids are left at home.  I took it for granted and today I failed.  Today I had to run an errand at lunch and did not prepare myself correct meals that allowed me to grab and go.  Thus in my haste to get back to the office I stopped and grabbed fried chicken and a biscuit.  MAJOR FAIL.  I know.

I still struggle with these items from time to time however there is a silver lining.  With eating so many veggies and natural foods over the past couple of weeks, my taste buds have changed.  I have noticed this over the past couple of weekends when I had my reward days.  I have noticed that I have become very sensitive to salt.  It literally feels like it is burning my mouth.  Those foods that I used to enjoy, now are pretty much unbearable to eat.  Don't get me wrong, I still am drawn to eat them, but afterwards they leave me feeling disgusted.  If I continue to to take the time to plan ahead, I will succeed and will also learn to not crave those items that once tasted good.

Some of my favorite meals that I have prepared are:

• Protein Pancakes (Oatmeal, Cottage Cheese, Eggs, Baking Powder, Cinnamon) topped with fresh berries and a small drizzle of honey.
• Egg White and Veggie Scrambles
• Veggie Omelets (whole egg)
• Sauteed Squash, Zucchini & Onions
• Chicken Tortilla Soup (No Tortillas)

In addition to the above, one other item that I had prepared for but was not able to follow through with was my Saturday long run.  This past Saturday morning I was to run 12 miles as part of my marathon training plan.  After looking at the 90% - 100% chance of rain each hour through noon on Saturday, I elected to take this chance to sleep in, which I rarely do anymore.  Of course in typical Houston manner,  IT HAD FINISHED RAINING HOURS BEFORE I SHOULD HAVE RAN.  I am not going to lie, I enjoyed sleeping in, but now when was I going to run.  If I run on Saturday evening, I cannot spend time with my family.  I cannot run Sunday morning as I have commitments at church that require me to leave the house at 6:30 in the morning.  I guess I will run Sunday afternoon.  Which I did.  I was able to track out a 12 mile route, put my head phones in and returned approx. 2 hours and 20 minutes later.  Not too bad of a run with the sun beating down on you.  All of this to then point out that I was unable to make it out of bed Monday morning to get to Boot Camp.  Sorry Jen L.  

So today is Tuesday.  I did not end my Sunday - Saturday week as I would have like to, which ran into the start of my new week.  Time to RE-GROUP.  Tonight I am going to plan out my meals for the rest of the week.  Make sure that I get to the Gym the rest of the week and hope that I did not hinder this weeks weigh-in.  One thing that I want to keep in mind but not allow to become a crutch is that we will all fall off track from time to time, but the key is to jump right back on and not allow this speed bump to turn into a 10 pound gain as it did over the summer.

9/20/13 WEIGH IN - BACK TO SQUARE ONE

So to most people "BACK TO SQUARE ONE" may be a negative statement.  For me however it is not.  Every time in the past that I restart my Journey, I always tell my wife that the pounds that I have to RE-loose do not count in my mind.  Don't get me wrong, they are still pounds lost.  However in my mind, I just do not feel like I have made any progress until I get back to my lowest weight.  Well this morning the scale read:

Now I am back to square one.  So what does this mean?  This means it is time for me to really get my butt in gear.  I want to blow this number out of the water as it has been nearly a year since I was consistently here.  Sure I may have had a good week and weighed myself in after a long training run when I had just sweated out five pounds of sweat, but I was never consistently below this number.  That is about to change.  Plus my wife keeps giving me a hard time about the two pairs of jeans I bought last year at this time in the expectation that I would be going down a size and never did.

9/20/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 232.8 lbs
Current Weight: 230.0 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 2.8 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 10 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 4.17%
Overall lbs Lost: 55 lbs
Overall % Lost: 19.30%

MARATHON TRAINING - NOT JUST FOR THE EVENT - FOR MY LIFE

So if you do not know yet, I am training for a FULL Marathon.  Yes, 26.2 Miles.  I have mentioned previously that last year I was drug into running a 1/2 Marathon with my wife and a group of friends.  Come to find out, I like to run. So my training begins.  

MARATHON TRAINING PLAN:  Run.  Run some more. Run even more. Just keep running.  

That is pretty much the jest of my training plan.  Seriously though I have been following (with some variance) a training plan provided to me by a running club I have joined, Cypress Running Club.  During my training over the past several weeks, I have had a lot of time to think while running.  One thing that I keep telling myself is that yes I am running 14 miles, 12 miles, 15 miles, 18 miles all to prepare for my RACE DAY, but I do not want it to stop here.  When I finally jumped off and started this blog, I jumped into a very large uncomfortable/vulnerable area for myself, but I finally realized that what I have been doing recently has not given me the results that I am looking for.

While running 14 miles this past weekend, I began to think of Newton's Laws of Motion.

• An object at rest stays at rest.
• This is where I was for several years and where many of you might be.  You may not realize it but you are.  Going from being active in school sports to sitting at a desk all day was definitely "staying at rest".  
• An object in motion stays in motion.
• This is where I believe I am now.  I have made up my mind to not quit in the middle.  I want to be an object in motion that stays in motion.
• Unless acted upon by an outside source. (Good or Bad)
• My outside source that kicked me out of "rest" as I mentioned in my first post was my eye opening picture. (See it here) This picture pretty much threw me off center and made me move.  Sometimes outside sources are good.  My family, friends and trainers are good outside sources.  They will help me and even give me a nudge when I need it.  
• On the flip side, there are other outside sources that do not help you.  These can be all sorts of things as in my list of items from my first post.  

My goal is to line my "course" with enough good sources that when I do hit a speed bump or even hit a wall head on, that I also have a good source that will be there to give me the nudge that I need.  For me this looks like the following:

• My Wife
• She is good about nagging me out of bed, most times, when I do not want to.  Mainly because if I don't get out of bed I have a problem with snoozing the alarm and keep her up for the next two hours instead of just turning the alarm off.
• Friends/Family
• I have some friends/family that have gone through and hit goals they have set for themselves.  They are there for any advice and encouragement that I may need.
• I also have some friends/family that may need or want to start their journey.  Hopefully they will follow me and start their own journey.  Which brings me to my next source:
• Journey195.Blogspot.com
• This blog was mainly created as a way to add a form of accountability for myself.  This is where if I fall off the wagon, those of you who are following me can know that you may need to step in and give me a little nudge.  
• YMCA Trainers
• I try to consistently attend Boot Camps on M-W-F and have informed those trainers of my goals.  This allows me to be transparent with them and also allows them to call me out or ask me for an update of how things are going.

My main goal for all of this is not just for the "Race" as I discussed with one of my trainers.  I want this to be a large jump start on the rest of my life.  Who knows what will happen once I hit 195.  Will I stop there? Will I still have more weight to loose?  Will I just need to concentrate on building muscle?  Will I enjoy the marathon and want to run another?  Will I want to try my hand at other events?  One thing that I know for sure is:

My journey will never stop and I will always have to make a conscious decision to not go back to my old ways 

9/13/13 WEIGH IN

So this is my first weigh in since starting this blog last week.  Since then  I have been pretty consistent with the goals I have set for myself.  There have been however some slip-ups but overall I would consider it a successful week. One thing that I will expand on more later is a way of eating change that I have decided to give a try.  This I do not consider a "diet" as I will not be taking any magic pill or take any extra supplements, it is just a way to change up the way you eat.

Several months ago I was talking to a friend of mine and was discussing the wall that I had hit.  He asked if I had tried Carb-Cycling, which I had not nor did I know anything about.  At the time I didn't give it much thought, though it had seemed to work for him.  Fast forward several months, I had began watching a TV series called Extreme Make Over: Weight Loss Edition and this Carb-Cycling idea was brought up which jogged my memory of my previous discussion.  The short of the long is that you alternate High & Low Carb days through your week to rev up your internal furnace to burn more fat. (More on this later).  I have done this now since last Saturday and have also only missed one cardio day in the past week.

So I mentioned that I would post my weight each Friday as it reads prior to working out that day.  This morning you would have thought that I was on one of those TV shows about to weigh in on live national television, I seriously had butterflies in my stomach.  My thoughts were that this is my first weigh in and this will have to go on my blog and what if I didn't do enough.  Well I took a deep breath, then exhaled because I am sure air weighs something, and stepped onto the scale:

SUCCESS!!!!!!  I did not fail, What a relief.

9/13/13 STATS
Last Weeks Weight: 235.6 lbs
Current Weight: 232.8 lbs
Past 7 Days lbs Lost: 2.8 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 7.2 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 3.00%
Overall lbs Lost: 52.2 lbs
Overall % Lost: 18.32%

Click HERE to see where Journey1Ninety5 began.

PLAN OF ATTACK

Every good leader looks and develops a plan prior to attacking when possible.  Although there are situations that it is best to just attack with the resources that you have.  As I mentioned in my first post there was a point that I was so deep in that I had no choice but to BEGIN.  I did not sit down and spend hours, days, weeks or months planning out how I should CORRECTLY attack my health, I just attacked it.  It wasn't going to hurt me to begin using the elliptical machine or quit eating a 2,214 calorie lunch.  Even if I did not do it all right, anything was going to be better than what I was already doing.  I also mentioned that my current plan of action was not to jump into any major diet changes as in becoming a vegetarian or starting any supplement programs.  My main concern is to move towards a healthier lifestyle that is balanced all around yet pushing myself harder than I have ever before.  So here is my initial plan (I know that it will change, and possibly tomorrow, but here it is)

• Exercise
• Mon-Wed-Fri 
• 5:00 am Bootcamp
• Tue-Thur
• Cardio
• Food
• Cut Back on Fast Food
• Take my lunch to work each day
• Try to eat a salad & lots of vegetables at each meal as my MAIN COURSE
• Cut out fried food
• Treat myself weekly (NOT SABOTAGE MYSELF)

Click HERE to see where Journey1Ninety5 began.

THE FIGHT AGAINST DISCOMFORT

So I have continued to do a lot of thinking over the past couple of weeks.  I have looked back over my sports years and have come to a realization.  I have come to realize that in regards to physical sport activities throughout my life I have always lacked a drive to push myself beyond what is comfortable and easy.  That is not the case in other areas.  I am a very passionate and dedicated worker.  I always try to make sure I solve any problem that is put in front of me and long to take on a challenge, IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER. I have been thinking a lot about when I was on swim team and how I would train. I can remember that when I was tired and my coach would go to his office for something, I would hang out on an end of the pool that he could not see me in and then begin swimming the minute I could see him on his way back.  I was never the BEST at any sport that I participated in but I was pretty good at them without having to try very hard.  So what does this mean now?  This means that to get to where I have set my goal:

• I will have to push myself harder than I have ever before.
• I will have to be uncomfortable.
• I will be sore.  
• I will hurt.
• I will have to make myself get up at 4:00 AM nearly every day of the week to workout.
• I may puke.
• I will have to be constant with my workout and not "HIDE" like I used to.
• I will have to change my eating. (I refuse to use the word "diet")
• I will have to be vulnerable.
• I will have to lean on family & friends for support.
• I will have to juggle my health and my family.
• I will have to spend time with my wife.
• I will have to spend time with my kids.
• I will have to spend time with my friends.
• I will have to find time to blog.
• I will have to find time to HAVE FUN!!!

Like I said above, this is not going to be comfortable.  As "comfort" is what got me to where I never want to be again.  From here on, I will be posting my weekly weight as it reads on Friday mornings before I work out.  No LAST CHANCE WORKOUTS here.  To start off today, 9/6/13, I weigh in at 235.6 lbs.  This puts me at loosing approx. 1.83% of my original body weight in the past 2 months since I first began my MENTAL & Physical journey of this blog.

9/6/13 STATS
July Weight: 240 lbs
Current Weight: 235.6 lbs
lbs Lost since July: 4.4 lbs
Journey195 lbs Lost: 4.4 lbs
Journey195 % Lost: 1.83%
Overall lbs Lost: 49.4 lbs
Overall % Lost: 17.33%

Click HERE to see where Journey1Ninety5 began.

ALREADY IN PROGRESS - JOURNEY - BEGINS AGAIN

My name is Rusty, I decided to start this blog to help hold myself accountable in regards to my health.  This is way out of my comfort zone so bear with me and we will see where this goes.  This first post will most likely have a lot more transcript than any future posts as I am not a person of many words.  I have learned a lot about myself over the past several years and I will lay some of those things out.  To me it seems like rambling, to others this may sound like normal conversation, but I want to set my background story which may be similar to others.

8th Grade

Growing up I was a very skinny kid.  I never had any weight issues. Was able to eat and drink anything I wanted without thinking.(More about that later)  My mother and father both were overweight but only after entering their 20's.  Looking back now I know that the only reason I was as skinny as I was is because I loved to play sports and be outside.  I was never one to care about sitting in front of the TV and play video games.  My idea of fun was to pickup sticks in the pasture.(I was in my early teens and this was how I convinced my Granddad to let me drive his truck)

Looking back I can see that I began putting on weight my senior year of high school.  This was because I went from playing sports to taking up Business Co-Op and sitting at a desk all day.  Even though I loved being out side picking up sticks, playing and mowing yards, I always wanted to have an office position.

Eye Opening Picture

This picture is what opened my eyes.  I believe that this was taken in 2007 on a fishing trip with my company.  I still keep this in my wallet so I can see where I NEVER want to be again.  At this point I was at my heaviest weight of 285 lbs and wearing a tight 42" pants.

At that point and time I just got my butt in gear and BEGAN.  I began going to the gym and using weight machines and spending time on the eliptical.  I started eating less.  Not necessarily better, but less.  I was able to drop 30 lbs over a period of time which put me at 250 lbs.  Over the next couple of years I fluctuated up and down and was able to get down another 10 lbs which put me at 240 lbs.  Last year myself and several friends were challenged to run a 1/2 marathon.  Because my wife decided to, I was then drug into it.  I hated long distance running.  It was never an event that I even thought about wanting to do in school.  Come to find out, I like it.  Though I have not continued to run on a regular basis, I really enjoy the fact that I CAN go out and cover 10-13 miles and I WILL NOT DIE.  During the course of training for the 1/2 as well as doing BOOTCAMP workouts at the local YMCA, I was able to get down to 230 lbs.  This 230 lbs was a wall.  Most likely a self brought on wall but still I have not been able to break it.

I know I am jumping, but stick with me as I talk this out.

Over the past couple of weeks I have done a lot of thinking about WHY?  I have come to realize that I may be classified as an emotional eater.
Over the past couple of months there have been several events that have added to my stress level.
Over the past couple of months I have began eating like CRAP again.  Though not as bad as what you will see below, but not good. Couple this with not making it to the gym as I was, I have now put on 10 lbs which now puts me back at 240 lbs.  ENOUGH'S ENOUGH!!!!!!

I look back over my journey and I see the following:

1998-2007
- Senior year of high school I find out that my mother is Bi-Polar.  Her medicine that has kept her stable for so many years, has quit working and now she has to be put into a hospital to get things straightened out.
- Senior year of high school I ask my sweetheart to marry me.  (YES we were crazy in love and still are 13.5 years later)
- Graduated High School and had to get things together since I was about to be a married man.
- Got married
- Had a couple different jobs
- Dad diagnosed with Kidney Cancer
- Wife had miscarriage
- Mother in & out of Deep Depressions & Manics which meant alot of time in the hospital
- Dad dies of cancer 8 months after he was told he had only 1 month to live. (HOME Hospice - Enough said)
- Baby #1
- Pregnant with Baby #2
- Get laid off from Job
- Baby #2
***285 lbs***

Above you can see that there was a lot of stress over the years.  A lot was even left off as to spare you my chaos.  Now I need to point out that I am HAPPILY Married and love my wife and life very much.  The above bullet points are just a listing of what I can account my eating habits to. During the above period I know for a fact that I was not eating good.  I cannot tell you what all I was eating though I can remember the following trip to Jack in the Box that I made prior to receiving the above picture and being awakened.(and I know this was a frequent trip)

Jack in the Box
6 Tacos @ 193 calories/ea = 1,158 calories
Big TX Cheeseburger = 557 calories
Large Coke = 499 calories
Calorie Total = 2,214 calories for LUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To this day this still make me sick.  And the fact that I still ate breakfast, dinner, snacks and late night snacks is appalling.  Couple the above with the fact that the distance from the Jack in the Box to my office is less than 5 miles with an estimated driving time of 10 minutes, I would FINISH ALL FOOD BEFORE GETTING TO THE OFFICE.

Like I said earlier, I never got on a DIET or Training Schedule, I just BEGAN.  I just began looking for and finding that kid that loved to be active and found that he is still there.

As I began this post, I am doing this as a way to be held accountable.  To my friends that are reading this, please do just that and ask me how I am keeping up.  As of right now I have no plans on doing 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.  So here we go.  LETS DO THIS!!!

Today is day 1.  This morning I weighed in at 240 lbs.

The above post was written a couple of weeks ago and I got a little hesitant in completing and posting as this puts me in a vulnerable place but I know that loosing this weight isn't going to be comfortable physically or mentally so here we go.

AS OF 9/5/13 These are my stats:
Shoulders: 54-1/2"
Chest: 48"
Waist (Navel): 43-3/4"
Calf: 16-1/4"
Thigh: 20-1/2"
Arm: 14-1/2"
Weight: 236.2 lbs
Lean Mass: 167.94 lbs
Fat Mass: 68.26 lbs
Scale Body Fat %: 32.9%
Caliper Body Fat %: 24.9%
Average Body Fat %: 28.92%


Heaviest Weight: 285 lbs
Current Weight: 236.2 lbs
Overall lbs Lost: 48.8 lbs
Overall % Lost: 17.12%

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