Different Perspective

Ok, so I have been very faithful to my exercise and eating very well.  I have seriously cut my portions down to half!  I have been eating small 100-300 calorie meals every 3 hours.  I feel so much better, I feel as though i’m moving around nicely.  Regardless, the scale hasn’t budged much, It has not been merciful nor forgiving of anything.  I have even cut out most drinks besides water, decreasing my personal daily calories by a minimum of 500! 

Ok, so I decided not to worry much bout the pounds because i could be gaining some muscle.  So after some weeks I took another picture and compared it last night.

…baffled…I just stared…my heart sunk…I turned off the monitor and headed to bed.  Dissapointed.

I honestly thought i was doing soooo good, better than I ever had been before, more motivation, more discipline.  It has been over a month, I figured something should show.

Strange thing is i can look at my body in the first person and I could swear that i see the difference. 

Regardless of what has taken place, i refuse to walk by what i see, or be moved by what has not happened.  I am determined to do this, and to walk by faith.  I WILL MAKE IT. 

I worked diligently at becoming obese, and so I will counter that work with efficiency, determination, dilligence, discipline, and a desire that nothing else in my life can match.

Even if i have to kick, scream, and cry through my workouts, I am gonna get there!

Today I noticed that I am moving around more freely.  I don’t feel as though I’m dragging around as much.  I feel loosened up and more flexible.  It is a great feeling, and a good motivator.  I hope those fighting to lose weight are being successful.  I sure feel like I am.  As alway though, I give all glory to God, and Jesus Christ.  I know that I have attacked my weight loss harder since I have asked him for help.  He is faithful.  The scale proves it, and so will my progress pictures. 

Best of luck to everyone! 

Anyone use Wii fit?

I actually bought this beast for my girlfriend, but find myself wrapped up in the competitiveness of it all!

They did a great job making it.  It has lots of neat games to play, exercises, strength, yoga, aerobics, etc.

Our whole family of 6 plays this.  Not only is it a blast but will seriously get you sweating!

If you can afford it, want to burn a hair more calories and have fun with loved ones, buy it!

So far I have managed to keep my motivation up by keeping my workouts interesting.  Where I may be partial to some exercises and less partial to others, I continue to do them all so I don’t get burned out.

First, there is running stadium stairs, second, Gym exercise with eliptical, stair climber, and bike.  Third, believe it or not, Biggest Loser DVD.  At first i scoffed at this DVD when my girlfriend was doing it.  One day she asked me to do it with her and I said OK.

I am hooked to it now because it seriously whipped my butt.  Something that causes my shirt to be soaked within 30-40minutes has got to accomplish something.  That DVD is no joke!

So there it is, I feel as if I have some variety to keep me from getting burned out. 

I have a feeling though, that in a week or so, a nice progress picture is going to be going up. 

So when i first got back into losing weight I went to the stadium to walk the track.  After walking the track and realizing that it probably wasn’t enough, I decided to up the intensity a hair.  I started walking one lap, followed by walking two stadium flights of stairs (36 stairs)  Each lap up to a mile i followed with 2 sets of stairs.  I remember breathing hard and thinking, "wow, this is rough." 

Then i realized the dedication others had, and i started facing my own whining and worries about hurting myself "hitting it so hard."  Wow, what a laugh I had at myself.  I realized i could do so much more!  Between each lap, i started running one set of stairs, and then walking 2 sets.  I was pretty impressed as now i was running a total of 4 out of the 12 sets of stairs.  Still i wasn’t satisfied.  I knew in my heart and mind that i could do so much more. 

I prayed, "God, give me the strength to make this happen.  Help me to rebuild this temple! I know I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me."  Prayer works, I now, within 2 weeks of the aforementioned workout, am running 16 sets of stairs.  After each lap, I run 4 sets of 36 stairs.  I am 29 years old, 260 pounds.  This is an accomplishment for me.  Sometimes we shortchange ourselves, and sometimes we need a little divine push as well.

Even when i weighed 180lbs, I was unable to to accomplish this much, which is why it seems to be so significant.

These are my own thoughts.  I’m not quoting anyone.  Feel free to add some.

Success does not come from -

- The ice cream shop

- The candy isle at walmart

- taking 5 minute breaks between sets

- eating anything you want because you went to the gym for 20 minutes today.

- eating a candy bar because it has almonds in it.

- lifting weak

- Blaming anything other than yourself

- not taking responsibility for your own weightloss.

- waiting til january 1st. to do it. to quit, to change, to slowly cut down, to lift more, to spend more time with family. etc.

- spending quantity time with your couch.

- blogging about what your going to do and not doing it.

- reading all about workouts, weight lifting, weight loss without putting them into action.

- being hopeful (hope simply implies expectations from outward circumstances, and take away from personal responsibility)

- wishful thinking

- Singing karaoke when your drunk :p

- lifting alot of weight with crap form.  if you look like the pendelum of a grandfather clock before your repitition, then you have crap form.

- Knowing your wrong, but arguing anyway.

- Thinking you are better than someone else because you can lift more.

- complaining.

I’ll add more as time goes by.  Thanks for reading.

At my new job my boss calls me into the office and tells me to open the bottom file drawer and pick out 2 shirts.  He asks me "what size do you wear, a 2x probably?"  Ouch.  There is very few things more embarrassing. 

I used to fit a size Large, and so 2x was not something i was ready to hear.

  It really puts things into perspective in regards to how others see me.  Fat.  But that’s ok, I heard what he said, and I let it sting a bit, and then i tucked it away into my motivation box.  (What he said was not rude, or mean, or disrespectful, it simply taught me something.)

I’m looking forward to the day where i say "Boss, I have lost so much weight, i need a size or two smaller!"

Take care everyone.

Ok friends, i’m not sure if anyone else here does this, and if so then great! The more positive influence, the better.  I am going to start implementing little thoughts of positivity into my blogs for everyone to read, meditate on, or whatever it is you do with it.  I hope you enjoy it.  I thoroughy enjoy reading books and meditating on what matters most…a better perspective.

My first post will be a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  He said "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." (1.5)

My personal thoughts on the quote - (and i would invite yours as well)

People most often live in either the past, or the future.  They are concerned with what they wished they could change in the past, or live everyday hoping for something better in the future.  They may also live for a certain future event.  "I’ll be happy when I ____."

Their is not personal creative power when living in the past or the future, but only when living in today.  We can never really know what truely lies within us, if we are never paying attention.  Yes the past happened, embrace it for it’s experience.  The future? Well, you are never really guaranteed that part, and we never really know what is to come anyways, so it is fruitless to DWELL on. (planning for the future is different, because we plan in the present.)

Build a better future by enjoying all the great things that happen today.  We miss so much each day that we are not conciously living.  Live in the present, and realize what you have now!  Don’t trip on what you lost back then, and what you MIGHT have years from now.  You have so much to believe in and be greatful for today.  Dig it up, live it, and enjoy each day.

How I tie this to bodybuilding. 

Forget about your past failures, on what you cheated on yesterday or the week before.  There is nothing left in those memories.  Don’t predict perfection for your future workouts and nutrition goals.  We’re not perfect obviously.  Instead, appreciate your success and experience in today and today only.  Make each days workout a huge success, and truely appreciate your dedication in that day alone. If that day was a defeat, acknowledge your defeat in that one day, grab the experience and trash the memory.  Overdo your compliments to yourself each day.  Don’t wait for someone else to congratulate you on a great day of training and eating healthy.

Again, these are my personal thoughts on the subject.  I can’t say that I’m right in my opinions, but it is alot of fun to ponder these thoughts.  Take care.

I leave with this small thought. - If a friend, talked to, treated, insulted, belittled you like you do to yourself, would you still be friends with that person?

Holy wow! Some of the portions you good people take are small! I have read some of the nutrition parts of your bodyspace, and of the transformation folks and i cannot believe how small of portions you eat.  I believe that is my biggest struggle.  I am getting much better at eating healthy, but the portion aspect of it is a struggle.  Any suggestions on how some of you made that change?? Thanks.

So my girlfriend decides to join me lifting weights.  I am shcocked! She only likes to do cardio.  I have been so proud of her.  Her bodyspace is jrbk_angel i believe. Send her a message of encrouagement if you get a chance!  Anyways, she hangs in there with me, she is patient learning how to lift weights and she does an excellent job.  There is nothing more attractive then your partner trying to better themselves, and be healthy! Jess, if you read this…I am very proud of you, and i enjoy exercising with you.  It means alot to me.