Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!

Another good day. I chose to eat a healthy lunch even though I did not want to and I went for a three mile walk even though I did not feel like it. I guess having mind-over-matter constitutes a good day. It’s funny that two days ago I was calling my “homerun shot” at the weigh-in, and today turned out to be a real struggle. I had an early morning meeting in Orem and an afternoon meeting in Sandy so I’d pretty much figured on skipping my exercise today, but somehow I pulled it off.
Tomorrow night and Saturday is scout camp. I think I’ve got my meals figured out and I should get in a pretty good hike. Remember that I’ll be posting my weight tomorrow directly on my blog an on our Facebook group “A quest for a better, healthier life.” Be sure to check it out. I hope it turns out good but if it’s true what they say, and stress really does make it hard to lose weight, I may be in big trouble! Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!

As quick as I think that, I get humbled.

I’ve managed to make it through an entire St. Patty’s day without wearing green and without getting pinched. That’s the sign of a man who needs to get out more. I did go for a nice run though. I’m still a little buggered-up from the Tooele 5k but I felt better today than yesterday.
Last night we played volley ball with the scouts. We had a great time and I hardly broke a sweat. It’s nice to feel a little of the old athleticism coming back and it was nice not to need a shower after the slightest physical activity.
Tonight for dinner I’m making a low-cal version of a traditional St. Patty’s Day feast. Anyone up for some corned-beef and cabbage? Just come on over. I’ve made just enough for a small contingency of leprechauns, so there should be plenty.
I wanted to say thanks to all of you who noticed I was struggling these past few days and send me encouraging comments, emails, and even phone calls. Every once in a while I get fooled into thinking that getting healthy is going to be easy for me but as quick as I think that, I get humbled. Thanks for helping me along.

I’m back in the game, baby!!!

It’s soon time to simplify the way I post my blog. Right now, I’m posting the same information to four different places. I’ll continue to post that way until Friday’s weigh-in. At that time, I’ll be posting only on my blog and our Facebook group page. The reason for the change is not only to avoid redundancy, but to also make reporting my progress and receiving your feedback a bit easier. It will also allow me to use my personal Facebook page for posting non-weight-loss related entries.

Okay, if there isn’t any other “ward business” I’ll move on to my regular entry. I was back in the health-game for the second day in the road. A great run, proper eating, and an excited attitude are the fruits of my day’s labor. For lunch I ate one of those new salads from Wendy’s. I’m sure it had too much sodium and who knows what else, but it also had a ton of dark green and purple kinds of shrubbery, which I’m told have more nutrition than plain ol’ iceberg lettuce. There were lots of apple chunks, pecans, and other good stuff to. The dressing was some kind of strange vinaigrette variety but the tangy flavor really grew on me after a few bites.

Now that I’m back on track, I’m feeling a bit cocky. Not since Babe Ruth in the 1935 World Series has an athlete called his homerun shot but I am calling mine. This Friday’s weigh-in is going “over the fence!” I’m back in the game, baby!!!

Its time I got rejuvenated but how do I do it?

It’s hard to understand what’s gotten into me these days, blog-wise. I’m not sure if my haphazard hiatus is due to the blog possibly losing its magic or if I am getting the feeling you all are board with my plight…so why write or if I’m just a natural-born slacker and have been casually blowing off something very important and inspirational for no good reason at all. As far as you all being board, why wouldn’t you be? Here I am supposed to be this great weight-loss champion and I’ve managed to lose only a pound or two over the last three or four weeks. Heck, if I were you, I’d be board out of my gourd over this thing. It needs a shot in the arm! I need a shot in the arm!
I did run today. That was good. I ate properly as well. Maybe I’m on my way again, maybe you’re still with me??? It seems my time and efforts these days are spread awfully thin between too many great projects. Perhaps I’ve got too many irons in the fire and in an effort to keep all of them glowing to a useful red-hot; I’m inadvertently rotating some of them into cooler places amongst the coals. The truth is, everything I am working on is important, but my quest for a better, healthier life needs to be among my first priorities. Without my health, I won’t be doing any of my other projects much good at all now would I?
How about those of you in the weight-loss trenches with me? Are you still on board? Have you too hit a plateau? Can we work together and motivate each other again like we did when the blog was new? Its time I got rejuvenated but how do I do it? Any advice?

What a race! So there I was, milling around with the other runners at the starting line and I soon got the feeling that everyone was talking in low v

What a race! So there I was, milling around with the other runners at the starting line and I soon got the feeling that everyone was talking in low voices about little ol’ me. It turns out that in every race there is a “man-to-beat.” It also turns out that at this particular race, I, yours truly, was that man…but not for the usual reasons. In most cases, the man-to-beat is the fastest and most well-trained athlete at the event, and beating him/her would mean you were pretty hot stuff yourself. But in my case, the man-to-beat meant no one wanted to lose to “that 300 pound guy”…which like alluded too, puts a huge bulls-eye on my back.

For me personally, I just set a goal to beat all of the runners who showed up in Levis. There were around ten and I lumbered past eight of them by the time the finish line was behind me.

All in all, the race was awesome. Of course the race promoters lied about the whole thing being downhill…I should have known. Most of the upward sloops I handled okay, but the last one, a real steep sucker by any 300 pounder’s standards, was a real bear, and if my favorite sister-in-law would not have been there pushing me on, I’m not sure if I’d of made it up without walking. I mean, I’d like to think I’d of motored on up, but I really can’t say. I was closer to sheer exhaustion on that hill than I’ve been in years and years. Thanks, Sue, for keeping me vertical in those final moments! Oh, and I’m sad that your waiting to motivate your less-speedy bro-in-law will mean your name and finish-time will be posted in the Tooele Transcript Bulletin with less than the illustrious time that you truly deserve. Sorry Sis…but thanks again. You’re the best!

I was at the end of a very long and pitiful rope...

Long day. Out of gas. Did a short jog, a light supper, and am looking forward to an early bedtime. Bought some light-weight running shoes on my way home from SLC today…but I have a feeling they won’t handle the load so I am going to take them back tomorrow and snag a sturdier pair. I’m excited about the big race in Tooele. I’m pretty sure this won’t be the most popular race in the world, but for the few of you who have signed on, I promise that we’ll make it a good one.

For those of you who are new, I’m going to do a repost of my first blog entry tomorrow morning. Let me just say that making that first post was a significant event for me. I was at the end of a very long and pitiful rope and the idea of starting a weight-loss blog just sort of leaped out at me as I was praying for a way to retake control of my health. Now, looking back, posting was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done, but at the time, I was scared to death about what you all would think of me…a grown man going online, flaunting his weaknesses to the world. You can imagine my elation when the flow of support, well wishes, and eventually, comrades-in-arms all came forth in wonderful ways that I could never have expected. Thanks again for tuning in. Thanks for adding to my motivation and thanks to all of those who have joined alongside me in a quest for a better, healthier life.

I was an irresponsible dip-smack!

Nothing like good ol’ fast Sunday to help you recover from a belated birthday party at Texas Roadhouse. As a family, we went there last night to celebrate mine and two other birthdays. I was reminiscing as I ordered my meal how the old me once bellied up to the Road House menu and actually ordered and ½ rack appetizer, a full rack of ribs for my meal, and then added yet another ½ rack as a “kicker”. How insane is that? Our server came back from posting my order and informed us that the chef (who was a regional chef, not some local yokel) said I was the first in franchise history to place such an order. At the time, I wore the honor like a badge, but now…wow! I see that I was an irresponsible dip-smack for doing that to myself! Two massive racks of ribs, plus the two side dishes and several rolls...for ONE guy! And I was eating like that most every meal. That, my friends is how a man can blimp up to 371 lbs in a hurry. I was constantly eating like a fat beef being primed for slaughter in a Denver feedlot!

Now, the new me, still likes to celebrate with food once in a while and I certainly did last night, we all did…and it WAS fantastic grub. But can I say that as delicious as it all was, this morning I woke up with a grease-hangover that Hollywood might want to make a movie about. I felt so freaking sluggish after taking all that “garbage” into my body that I wondered why I didn’t exhibit at least some self control. But, in truth, I did exhibit self control when compared to the old me and that in and of itself is cause to celebrate.

Another great race opportunity!

Here is another great race opportunity. This one is a fundraiser for the Tooele Track Team. Registration begins at 7:30 and the race starts at 8:30. The runners will be shuttled from the park up to a local canyon where we will run down. As in...the entire course is down-hill. Sounds like a great opportu...nity for anyone but especially for those of us amateurs. Down-hill will feel pretty great to me. The cost for the race and T-shirt is only $15 and all proceeds go to the Track team.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO COME AND I WILL GET YOU LINNED OUT ON REGISTRATION! SEE YOU THERE! The race is on March 13th.


The cost is only $15 and that includes a T-shirt. All proceeds go to the track team.

In case you forgot…its FRIDAY! Time for the weekly weigh-in!

I love dogs as much as the next guy—well maybe not as much…or for the same reasons as some Tongans, but I do really really like dogs. Except when I’m out for a leisurely jog about town and some killer k-9 recently off his Prozac charges onto the street in hot pursuit of what his dog-brain interprets as a fleeting felon! I mean, sure an attacking dog always helps you pick up the ol’ pace a little, but that only lasts until the toothy pooch become close enough to get nasty. Then…you have to stop exercising (which is the sucky part!), turn around with your chest puffed out and your shoulders cocked back and try to let the dumb dog know that things are about to get incredibly serious…which by the way, is exactly what you’re afraid will happen! I’m a pretty tough guy, but honestly, who wants to get bit by a dog? All gaping flesh wounds and bloodshed aside, the whole incident would just be an embarrassing fiasco. A fiasco that could simply be avoided if folks would just care enough about their neighbors…and their 4-legged body guards to fence the critters in.
Anyhoo—that’s enough said about inconsiderate, uncaring, selfish, thoughtless, insensitive, and uncharitable neighbors with over-protective, ultra-territorial, disobedient dogs.
In case you forgot…its FRIDAY! Time for the weekly weigh-in!
The good news is, I’m out of the 300’s…again (*sigh*). My current weight is 298.8. That’s still a smidge up from two weeks ago, but it 5 lbs less than last week. Holy freaking hurrah!
I’ve got to tell you guys that I am really getting a positive charge out of this new Facebook group. To add so many new folks to our weight-loss watching ranks is very inspiring. Take today for example. It’s stinking cold out! We’re talkin’ freshly fallen snow, icy pavement, pothole puddles…the whole kit & kaboodle of wintertime obstacles, but still, I went running despite it all because of your being there! Your following my progress makes me motivated.
Now, I know I’ve celebrated being in the 200’s before, and I swore I’d never see the 3’s again, but this time I am so done with the 3’s! No way! Now how am I going back there…as long as I have your support. Let’s be motivated together!

Excited about the next year of my life!

Not to draw any more attention to myself than I usually do…but if you didn’t already know…today is my 39th birthday! And what a terrific birthday it has been. I spent the entire day hanging out at my favorite building in the world. It was a grand opportunity for service, pondering, prayer, and goal setting. I figured if I’m turning 40 next year (gasp!), I’d better get off my can and make some specific goals for myself. I mean, who wants to turn 40 and realized you’re no better off than you were at 39? Not me!

The other very cool development is that I finally figured out how to launch a Facebook group about my quest for a better, healthier life. It has been so killer to see how many of you have already joined. I think it’s like up to 80 members in the first 12 hours. That’s excellent! If you haven’t had a chance, look it up next time you’re kicking around on FB and join…then invite your friends to join. Just do a FB search for “a quest for a better, healthier life,” and you’ll find it. I’ve posted a bunch of pictures from the race and will add some before-and-after pictures soon.

I’m excited about the FB page because it is an easier way to post pictures, web links, recipes, and any other info that might inspire us to get healthier, but I’m even more excited about the next year of my life! How cool will it be to turn 40 and be in better shape than I was at 30 or maybe even 25? Answer: DANG FREAKING COOL!

Thanks again for your endless support and well-wishes, and thanks for joining us on Facebook. See you there soon!

Please, please, PLEASE do like that lady today!

BOOM! The blog strikes again! Today I made a quick trip to the local Nebo Market for some grindage. I had a short list of healthy items in my cart, including a case of navel oranges, a package of all-white buzzard meat, and some whole wheat pasta. While I was trolling the dairy section, looking for cottage cheese, I noticed a woman (who shall remain nameless because I am never sure about mentioning people’s names on the internet) walking towards me. I reached out and snagged the low-fat mini-curd and turned to see that the lady was standing next to me. She said she is following my blog and she was proud of me for making such good food choices. I was so thankful to her for saying something because every time someone does, it makes me tickled-pink for one, and extra motivated for two.
I was thinking the other day about how I almost never by candy these days. And it’s a good thing too, because I never know who’s watching. If I had to guess, I’d say the old me bought some kind of candy at least 20 times per month, and when I say candy, I mean CANDY! Whopping portions! Movie sized candy bars, family packs of mini Snickers! Everything I bought was always in a full week’s supply—a week’s supply that I managed to consume in a few hours. How things have changed, how glad I was that my shopping cart was not loaded with high fructose corn syrup today.
Now, you’ll notice above I said that I “hardly ever” buy candy, but I never say (said) never. As you know, I still have my week moments and planned leaps off the weight-loss wagon, but by in large, I am a very different man these days.
Thanks a gazillion for your help and inspiration and please please PLEASE do like that lady today, and ask me how things are going. It means more to me than you could possibly know.

Then it hit me...

Today I had to lug about 100 lbs of sugar down to the storage room in the basement. The sugar bags were in two plastic tubs weighing about 50 lbs each. It was a pretty hefty load to be packing down that many stairs but the cool thing was…the job was a cinch for me now that I am in better shape. The old me would have paid some kid that was skateboarding down the street to come and do my manual labor, but not the new me. Now I just take life by the horns.
Like I said, the job was easy enough, but I would not want to pack those tubs around all day or anything. Then it hit me! The crazy thing is…those tubes weigh the same amount as all the fat that I’ve lost so far. In reality, I WAS carrying those huge tubes around with me all day. WOW! What an eye-opening experience! How did I even function? How am I functioning now with the 50 or 75 pounds that I have left to lose? It’s crazy how the weight can just slowly stack up on you in a way that you hardly notice.
I had a good run today…and a good nap, and now I feel as if I’m ready for just about any task that comes along…maybe even tonight’s scouting activity!

What a great aunt!

The blog saves the day…again! Today I had a big meeting in Orem with the BSA. By the time it was over, I was pretty near starved right to death, and I figured since I had to go to American Fork anyway, I may as well sample the exotic cuisine of the Far East while I was there. As in The China Town Buffet! DANGER! DANGER! Just about then, my aunt (a blog follower) called and invited me over to their place for lunch. “And don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll have something healthy for you.” Well, that was all I needed to get through a tough temptation. When I got to their house in AF she had a nice plate of raw veggies and some glazed chicken all ready to eat. What a great aunt!

The quest for a better, healthier life lives on!

Another month is nearly gone and so far, life in 2010 has been a ball. I’m feeling stronger today than I have all week. A great run, a few healthy meals and I feel like a brand new man.

A few of you have already expressed an interest in having me come and speak to your group or club, and I hope to hear from a few more of you. I think it would be a win-win situation for me and your group. It’s not that I’m that cool or anything, but I think my subject matter has universal appeal. Even if you’re already in great shape, the principals I am putting together for my presentation will apply to bringing about all kinds of positive change in your life.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! The quest for a better, healthier life lives on!

No longer a member of the 200 club! :(

Obviously I’ve lost my momentum! Any steam that I had built up at the beginning of the week has long since dissipated…gone with the wind. I’ve been trading the same 5or 6 pounds back and forth over the last two or three weeks, which would be terrific if only I was in maintenance-mode, but for someone on the supposed decline, this is terrible.
My weight this week is 305.4! As in…no longer a member of the 200 club. I guess that’s the chance a man takes when he allows himself to teeter on the edge at 299.7 and then sits on his chubby can for 5 of the last 7 days.
Like it was two weeks ago, I don’t think my excessive gain is real fat, but mostly water retained after eating an extremely salty pizza last night. Granted some of the gain is real, just not the whole 5 lbs…but still…this sucks…and I did it to myself! Again!!!
Anyone got any ideas on how I could get my mojo back? I was thinking that I need some kind of deadline, something for me to shoot for. The races are good, but now I know I can run them, they have lost their motivational luster. One of the weight loss areas I’ve wanted to explore is public speaking. I’ve noticed that those who lose weight and then make weight loss their business tend to keep it off. Along those same lines, I was thinking that if I had the opportunity, I’d love to travel around Utah giving speeches about my weight loss journey and how others can do it too. Such a thing would be very motivational to me because I’d always have a speaking event scheduled in the near future and I think that would motivate me to stay the course. Any ideas as to where I could start? I was thinking a mid-week Relief Society meeting might be a great place to try out my idea?

So why not eat this cardboard pizza?

Today was one of those not-so-great days when it comes to my weight loss. Lots of exercise but I ate like crud. I woke up and shoveled snow for a few hours, gulped down a bowl of cereal (not the healthy kind) and headed to Moroni to fix my grandparent’s plumbing problems. The job took a lot longer than expected and while stopping for plumbing parts at the hardware store we each bought a cookie and candy bar for lunch! I know it was stupid but it was like 3pm and we were starving…and I’m pretty sure the hardware store was fresh out of salads. The moral of the story is don’t let yourself get so blasted hungry that you panic and eat junk food. The other reason that junk food is bad is the effect the one poor choice can make on the rest of your choices that day…hence the frozen pizza I ate for supper. “Why not?” I asked myself. “I suck today anyways…so why not eat this cardboard pizza?”

Well, you know “why not,” and I know now…but at the time, pizza seemed like a grand idea. Now I am suffering from a dry mouth, stuffed gut, and heartburn. Serves me right for falling off the wagon! One of the things I’m learning through all of this weight loss stuff is that I can’t afford to get all down on myself after a day like today. Life happens…FOOD happens, and I just have to resolve to do better tomorrow…and I will do better tomorrow. The weather is set to be warm and sunny for a few days, perfect for running out doors and perfect for getting me back to my rigorous training schedule.

I must admit that it’s tempting to never tell you when I screw up. It’s embarrassing, and I’m not proud of my actions today, but to pretend it does not happen to me once in awhile doesn’t do you or me any favors. This is a battle, and battles are not always won but thankfully we don’t have to win them all to win the war.

Nobody leaves Sin City totally guiltless!

Wow! What a crazy past couple of days! Like the rest of you, I’ve been running all over the place lately. I spent all day Monday over in Sanpete where numerous fatty temptations jumped out and tried to kill me. The worst ones reared their ugly head’s over breakfast. As a group, we went for breakfast at a greasy spoon joint in Mayfield, UT. Upon investigating the menu I learned that there were no healthy breakfast options (surprise-surprise!) so I improvised by ordering a green salad. That’s right…a green salad for breakfast. So there I am grazing away while everyone else is pounding an appetizer of extra-large scones slathered in honey butter. Their meals came and they looked and smelled awesome, but I stayed my course, and focused on the sliced avocado in my shrubbery. Then came the next temptation. Out of the blue, the waitress slams one of those enormous scones on the table in front of me, saying that the cook accidentally made an extra and wondered if I wanted it. I made a joke about the scone and everyone laughed at my being randomly temped. Then came, the next onslaught of enticement. The same waitress shows up a few minutes later wondering if we might like to try one of the chef’s special sweet-rolls...it was on the house. This “thing” was freaking huge, I’m talking the size of a grown man’s cranium here…and with a gob of frosting the size of a mud-puddle. Well, we all laughed again at my being tempted but this time one of the ladies at my table was sensitive enough to move that roll away from me before I had a meltdown right then and there.
The next couple of days included an unexpected trip to Vegas. Pretty much a down-and-back deal but it gave me no time to make much of a blog entry. I had some great nutritional victories while on the road, but nobody leaves Sin City totally guiltless. I know that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I will confess…there was ice-cream on the way home! (Gasp!)
Today, it was a quick trip to Orem and back and now it’s almost time for bed. Hope you’re all surviving these hectic days as well and I’ll catch you tomorrow.

Pretty sneaky, sis!

Sundays are always slow. No exercise except a touch of snow shoveling (the ox was in the mire), oh and setting up chairs at the church. I’m still in poor enough shape that these types of activities make me sweat…and anything that makes me sweat is considered exercise. Had a healthy lunch and a small serving of “diet” ice-cream…which is pretty much the same ice-cream as the regular stuff only the diet is whipped extra fluffy so you end up with less cream per serving. That’s how they can say it is less calories and fat. Pretty sneaky, sis!

The fastest 300 pounder to cross the finish line!

As impossible as it sounds, the Ol’ Boz-Man took first place in his division today at the Wild Goose Chase 5k in Delta, UT! Of course I had to make up my own division to do it, which is really the only way I could ever take first in anything sporty. I ended up being the fastest 300 pounder to cross the finish line…very cool. Sure I was the ONLY person even CLOSE to 300 lbs, but it was still a great way to come up with an ever illusive “W”!

The truth is, I’d already won before I got there. The winning was in the preparation. The fact that I was ready to show up and run every step of the 5k is what today’s race was all about for me.

I was so glad to see some of my blog-buddies there as well! Amanda, (and her kid sister), Tina, and Ryan…you are a big part of why today was so dang cool for me. Did we not have a GREAT time? Let’s do it again soon!

My next 5k is in Tooele (mid March) and here’s the best part…the entire course is down-hill, baby! That’s where big guys like me can just let go of the breaks and let gravity do her business. Are any of you “down” for that one?

Well, thanks again to you all for being such excellent cheerleaders for me and my progress and remember that I’m cheering you on with yours!

A “decade low” milestone!

Missed it by that much? Not today! Sorry to have been sitting on such killer information for the past 12 hours but I had very short notice to finish a pretty big project, but along with getting my manuscript submitted on time, I also weighed in this morning at a “decade low” milestone! My new weight is 299.7! How crazy is that? I’m mean, I know if some farmer was looking to sell me at the stock auction, he’d still mark me down as weighing a large three-hunski, but hey, according to my scale…I’m da’ man! I’m in the 200’s again, baby!

The trick now, is to NEVER say hello to the 300’s AGAIN! Of course, if I did see them, I’d be saying something a lot more colorful that “Hello.”

The race is on for tomorrow, but man-o-man the weather is supposed to suck! Some of you have dropped out already, and I can’t say that I blame you, but don’t ever list me for a job reference if you’re fixing to get on with the U.S. Post Office, because they have a very strict “Rain, Snow, Sleet, or Hail” policy that they roll by—sorry! Just kidding, I understand some of you had a long ways to travel in the morning, and I must admit, if the roads are bad enough, I’ll just have to tough it out, because I am running that sucker, Buck-o!
No, I really am kidding. We all just do the best we can when it comes to fitness (and our few Saturdays). I’m a little worded though, because I’m not sure anyone will be there to take my photo when I cross that finish line. Oh well Not like I could sell it on Ebay or anything.

Catch you tomorrow!