Losing weight one drop at a time

A time to care

2009-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

So 10 years ago or so someone special in my life at the time bought me a very thoughtful watch. I was never really a watch guy, but this one became very special to me. So special in fact that, 5 years later, it stopped working, but I wore it anyway every day all day for 5 more years.

That special relationship slowly dissolved and finally went away. At that point the watch became a symbol of how my life was standing still and I wasn’t really going anywhere. All my friends told me to just take it off and get a new one, but the funny thing with symbols is that you really can’t take them off; they need to be replaced with new better symbols.

A few months ago a very good friend brought me a watch and said “here wear this until you find that special watch.” Oddly enough, as nice of a watch as it was, it too was not running. The symbol had been replaced, but my direction was still uncertain.

Well, on December 19th, the love of my life gave me the most beautiful watch I have ever had. It’s elegant and very practical for running and workouts. My path has been set, and I’m moving forward now in a direction that will keep me healthier and happier

So I guess what my story is trying to say is find your direction-- your path-- and stay the course. You’ll be happier at the end, and the healthier you are the longer the path will be.

I'm Back!!!!!!

2009-12-17T06:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the break everyone. This whole experience has been overwhelming, and I took some time for myself during the holidays to reflect and spend some time with family and my beautiful girlfriend (Hi baby).

So, folks at my job have decided to participate in there own biggest loser contest. I think this is a great idea, and it’s always easier to diet in a group. So lean on each other and share tips and tricks you learn as you go. I will be offering some sort of healthy breakfast for the most improved boy and girl each week starting on the 29th so GOOD LUCK!!!!

Tip of the day:

Meat hammer (yes I laughed a little that’s a fun combination of words). Take a layer of saran wrap, place it on the counter, place a boneless chicken breast on it and cover that with another piece of saran wrap. Use the flat side of your meat hammer J to pound out the chicken breast flat. You accomplish two things here. First, you’ve made a much bigger piece of meat that will take you longer to eat and second this is great for wrapping around your favorite vegetable for a stuffed chicken roll.

Income to fat ratio

2009-10-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

I hear all the time that is cheaper to eat unhealthy. Well that’s more true than you might think. Did you know (and yes here come more numbers):

Obesity prevalence as it compares to income:

Income Obesity Rate
$25,000 and under 32.5 percent
$25,000-$39,999 31.3
$60,000 and up 26.8 percent

So is it the more you make the less you eat? No those with higher incomes just tend to pick better foods. As a society, we general eat what we can afford, and that is usually the worst things in a box that happen to be on sale that week.

Let me help you out with a few things I have learned about health grocery shopping.

First, did you know grocery stores run sales in 4 – 6 week cycles? For example, if boneless skinless chicken breasts are on sale at Kroger this week they will be back on sale again in 4 – 6 weeks. So get enough to last you until they go on sale again (this holds true for ALL grocery stores). Check out the sale adds online before you make a trip to the grocery store. Most stores now displays there weekly sale adds online so you know who has the best deal before you leave your house. I have a local store that runs boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.00 a pound every 4 weeks so I grab 10 pounds and freeze them up.

Remember it’s not how much you spend, it's when you spend it that makes the most difference. Be thrifty and think ahead. You may actually save a little bit of money on your diet.

You meet the strangest people in the elevator

2009-09-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

So let’s give you an idea of how “fat” we are:

Obesity rates continue to rise every year in America. Approximately 123 million Americans, or 67.3 percent, are either overweight or obese and estimates show those numbers are rising. That means over 25 percent of American Adults are obese in 10 states. Reportedly, 31 states have an increasing amount in obesity rates and NO states have shown any statistics of decreasing obesity rates. That means ZERO states have shown any improvement.

The extra weight leads to at least 100,000 deaths annually. Obese people are at a much higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.

Scary right? Well this is getting worse because life is getting easier. Remember your grandparents telling you stories of walking to school in the snow up hill both ways? That’s what kept them in good shape. I can remember when I actually had to get off the couch to answer the telephone because it was attached to the wall. Video games? Nope. I had a bicycle. Let’s face it; we are becoming lazy because of technology. You couldn’t even get a pizza delivered until the late 60s …the horror!!!

So let’s try and change just a little. Park further away from the store. Take the stairs. Hide your remote. Walk to work or school if you’re close enough. Every little bit counts.

Once, at the Hilton in Dallas, I ran into a VERY famous golfer who was walking down the stairwell. I asked him why he chose the stairs over the elevator. He looked at me and kind of chuckled, “well for one it’s great exercise and (pause) you meet the strangest people in the elevator.”

Write it down

2009-09-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

Ok so you know your number (weight lose is simple math) now we need to stick to it. You can help accomplish this by keeping a journal of EVERYTHING you put into your body in a day. This includes gum, sports drinks, condiments, EVERYTHING. Here’s why: Exercise will make you hungry. Yep, that’s right, the more you exercise the more you will want to eat. Do you think it’s a coincidence the McDonalds has play grounds? You have to think, if a kid plays five minutes and burns 50 calories, he might then go inside and consume 500 calories or even 1,000. The same applies to us.

After we exercise, we often crave sugary calories like those in muffins or in "sports" drinks like Gatorade. A standard 20-oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. If you're hot and thirsty after a 20-minute run in summer heat, it's easy to guzzle that bottle in 20 seconds, in which case the caloric expenditure and the caloric intake are probably a wash. From a weight-loss perspective, you would have been better off sitting on the sofa knitting.

So find your balance. Use your number. Compare it to your journal. Know where you are and how many calories you have remaining in your day, and don’t forget the math

Your number – 500 calories = 1 pound a week in weight lose

It doesn’t matter if those 500 calories are from exercise or a lower caloric intake.

Fact of the day: A pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. So get those knitting needles out and let’s start converting.

Asterisk

2009-09-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

“Amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong”

That is essentially what you’re trying to do with your body. It needs to “practice” being healthy until you just can’t get it wrong. When I first started this journey, I had no direction. I read about every fad diet, pill and surgery on the market, and one thing they all had in common was the asterisk. You know; that little symbol companies use to hide the truth.

Well the asterisk ALL of these had in common was “when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise.” Wait, what was that? That’s what I’ve been avoiding to begin with. So they’re telling me to buy their product then eat a healthy diet and exercise. That’s like burning yourself because there’s not a label telling you coffee is hot… We are all at the mercy of marketing. It is not a coincidence that fast food commercials come on more during the hours of 3pm and 9pm. They are targeting a group…. Don’t be that group.

So what can you do to train your body? Routine, routine, routine. You need to start developing new, better habits. If you’re a “walker,” choose to do so at your toughest times of the day (“hungry or motivationally challenging” times). Do this EVERY day at the same time, and eventually you will not have a challenging time of the day. I have two (yes even after 10 months and 200lbs) times of the day that challenge me. Lunch: that’s when the 250 people around me stop what they are doing to feed, and then again around 4pm. That’s my old “snack until dinner time.” So I chose to break up my runs into two segments. I run some at lunch then more around 4pm.

I’m not saying add more to your workout (although you eventually will). Just divide it up if you have more than one challenging time of the day. After a while, this will become as routine as brushing your teeth and you will lose weight.*

* When used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise

But it's football season!!!!!!

2009-09-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

I realize football season for most of us means chips, dip, wings and all that good old fashion fatting stuff. Well here are a few tips to get you through the season.

Let’s start from the top:

Chips: There are several brands out now that are baked and some are pretty good. The Cheetos, Fire Cheetos, and Scoops are the best of the bunch, but by far the best chips on the market are the Light Ruffles and Lays brand (not baked… light). They taste just like the originals, and 70cal for 20 lays chips it’s VERY impressive.

Dips: This one took me a bit. First of all, salsa of any kind is your friend. Eat all you want. Most salsa is only around 10 cals for 2 Tbs. So get a hardy salsa with corn or other veggies in it and heap it on your light chips. Here’s my favorite new dip: find the 2% Velveeta bar some 97% fat free Hormel turkey chili and a can of your favorite Rotel. Mix all of that together to a thickness you like this is a great queso and ½ as many calories as the normal stuff.

Wings: This is my favorite trick and can be used with other recipes. Take a cup or two of your Fiber One cereal and powder it up (I use a hand mixer but a blender or processor will to the trick). Add some chili powder and red pepper flakes (or whatever spice you like). Rinse off your wings so they are damp and coat them in your powder. Bake them in the oven until done, turning once half way. Not only is this very tasty, but you’re also getting more fiber, and that’s always a good thing.

Gum it up

2009-09-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

The hardest thing to do is change your habits. I mean we spend over 75% of our lives doing the exact same thing. The alarm goes off at the same time. You get out of bed and shower with the same soap and get dressed to the same news every day. This is also true about eating.

If you’re like me, you’ve been “trained” to eat on a certain timetable which is probably not of your own choosing due to work, kids or other scheduled events. It becomes a habit that is burned into your brain. Even on the weekends you will get that scheduled hungry feeling at your “designated” times.

So how do you adjust this? I’ve discovered it’s easier to just adjust what you do during those times than to try to change the time you feel hungry. For example keep fresh fruit around you ALL the time. If you feel hungry, grab an apple or pear. Change what you eat not when you eat.

You can walk during lunch to avoid hunger and overeating. I chose to run during my lunch hour everyday. It keeps me busy, and now that has become my “habit”

The toughest part of the day comes around 3pm for most of us. Lunch was awhile back and dinner seems like forever away. I grab my gum (sugar free of course) when I start to feel hungry, and this is where that habit thing comes into play. You’re used to snacking it up to get by until dinner, but the truth is, you just need to keep your mouth busy. So pop in some gum and skip that extra calorie binge before dinner.

Some foods for thought

2009-09-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

We’ve discussed some high fiber low cal foods and the benefits involved, but there is more to life than cereal and oatmeal. Now I’m going to run you through some facts and figures about my favorites.

First, let’s discuss labels and how to read them. Serving sizes on Nutrition Facts Labels are loosely based on the amount of a product normally eaten in one sitting or reference amounts, determined from nationwide food consumption surveys. The variation in caloric content per serving from product to product is normally because of the reference amount, not because of any set value or common unit. So basically the distributor can set the “serving size” of there product to any “reference amounts” they chose so be careful reading the label. If you look at the label on a can of peas, it may say 45cal but look at the top and it will say 7 servings per container. In this case an entire can of peas is actually 315cal. The first thing you should look at when shopping for food is serving size, and how many servings are in the total product package.

Best bet: don’t get complicated. Chicken and fish are always the staple of a good nutritious diet (baked not fried DUH!!). You can add in ALL the salad you can eat (an entire bag of the prepared store salad is around 60cal). Who needs dressing? I use limes and salsa (try it). Zest and squeeze a few limes on your salad and add 6 tablespoons of your favorite salsa and bang: 100cal TOTAL salad and it’s a lot of food.

Now I’m going to tell you something you didn’t already know. Buffalo (bison) is by far the best meat you can eat. It has less calories and fat than fish or chicken, and it taste exactly like a traditional beef steak you would get at the store. Trust me. It looks and taste just like cow, and you buy it the same way (i.e. T-Bone, New York Strip, Ground Bison)

Some Facts about Buffalo:
Studies have been performed at many major universities, (Cornell, U. of Utah, U. of South Dakota, Penn State, even the U. of Bristol in England) that all confirm that Buffalo are very high in the essential fatty acids and have an excellent ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 acids and contain much more CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) than was known. CLA which is an Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid—or "good fat"—enhances the body's ability to promote a healthy metabolism.

Yes. It is a bit more expensive per pound, but you will eat less because it is so lean. A serving of 8oz of bison will fill you up as much as 12oz of beef due to the leanness. See the table below for a comparison of Bison to some other common meats.

Comparison of Bison to Other Common Meats
3 oz. Cal Fat Chol
Bison 93 1.8g 43mg
Elk 94 1.7g 40mg
Turkey 125 3.0g 59mg
Beef 183 8.7g 55mg
Chicken 140 3.0g 73mg
Fish 125 3.0g 59mg

Stop running in the house

2009-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

Stop running in the house

November 17th 2008 4:45am

It’s cold, dark and quiet in an empty house. I’m lying in bed wondering what I’m going to do with “life.” Things are not as I had planned. Everything I knew as normal had been turned upside down, and the holidays are right around the corner. This should make for a great Thanksgiving.

As I lie here, thoughts are racing through my head: Should I pack up and move on “again”? What’s here? Why am I still here? What is keeping me here? What did I do to deserve this culmination of my life? That’s when I hear the voice in my head: “Get up this isn’t happening fast enough. The only person that can change you is you.”

So I did. I got out of bed rolled on to an exercise ball that was left by my now ex-wife (one of the few things that was left) and started doing crunches. Those words still echoing in my head; “Get up this isn’t happening fast enough. The only person that can change you is you.”

It wasn’t easy, the alarm going off hours before it normally did, getting on that ball doing as many crunches as I could, gradually moving into the floor doing “knee” pushups (hey don’t judge I was 400+ a pushup requires you to be able to lift 75% of your body and that was a LOT).

Then one morning I decided that what I was doing was great but I needed more cardio. I needed to get my heart rate up, but it’s December and I’m not going to go outside especially this time of the morning. So I started running inside my house. I have a long hallway that leads into a large living area where my couch is. I literally started my mornings running down my hallway and around my couch until I was winded (granted this didn’t take long initially).

By February it was warming up outside and I was starting to walk the 1.6 mile track around my subdivision—jogging what I could of it—just trying to keep my heart rate up. One morning I ran the whole thing, 1.6 miles nonstop. It was like a weight had been lifted off my back. My head was never clearer. My thoughts turned into ideas and aspirations.

Move on? No way! I love this town and all my friends and family are close. What’s here? This home I spent over a year creating and a job I love. Why am I still here? I have friends that helped me through some very rough spots and kept me focused on me. What did I do to deserve this culmination to my life? Culmination… not even close! This is a beginning to my life; my life just started.

I have a beautiful daughter that needs her father now more than ever. I’m in the best shape of my life, and after all this time, I finally found someone I care so much about, that I can’t be away from more than an hour without wondering when I will see her again.

Since that day I have gone on to run that 1.6 mile track around my subdivision 16 times which is roughly 25 miles (that’s marathon distance). I’ve run a 5K, a 10K and am working toward my first “official” marathon.

I saw a commercial last night about the “lap band” procedure. The guy in the commercial said, “I lost 130lbs in 12 months.” Well I lost 200lbs in 10 months, and all it took was determination and willpower.

If you can’t do it alone, find some inspiration a photo, a song, an aspiration. Set a goal every week. You and you alone can change your future. 10 months from now, don’t be wondering “what if?”, start asking “what next.”

Good Luck

Tip: Throw your scale away!!! The worst thing you can do for your confidence is weigh yourself everyday. This never works and will only discourage you for several reasons. Here are a couple of examples (1.) Your water weight will fluctuate up to 5lbs a day. (2.) You’re working out so you’re adding muscle and losing fat. This will equal out during weigh-ins. I recommend not weighing more than twice a month until you get close to a goal, then once a week MAX. Instead, look in your closet and find that pair of jeans you refused to throw away thinking eventually you would wear them again. Try them on every couple of days. You’ll see them slowly start to come together, and that’s a much better feeling than a number on a scale.

The "F" word

2009-09-21T06:04:00.001-07:00

No not that one.
After exercise and calorie counting, the 3rd most important thing in a good diet is FIBER. You are not getting enough; I guarantee this. I recommend you get 25-30 grams of fiber a day, and considering the low amounts in most foods, this has to be a conscious effort. Start by reading food labels. You’re already doing this for calories so look a little lower, and you’ll see the fiber on the label too. You’ll also be surprised that most foods are VERY low in fiber.

So how do you get the 25 – 30 grams a day you need? Well there’s natures way:
1. Raspberries, 1 cup 8 grams of fiber
2. Pear, medium 5.1 grams of fiber
3. Apple, medium 4.4 grams of fiber
4. Black Beans, 1 cup 15 grams of fiber
5. Peas, 1 cup 8.8 grams of fiber
6. Broccoli, 1 cup 5.1 grams of fiber

These are my top choices because they all fit into a low calorie diet and are very high in fiber (aside from the black beans but if your exercising the protein makes up for the extra calories).

Now for the “store bought” way (and my choice):

Start you day with ½ cup of Fiber One cereal and ½ cup 2% milk. This is 57% of your daily total all by its self and very filling. Sometime during the day have a Quaker Oats high fiber instant oatmeal pack. (I use this as a snack). It contains 40% of your daily total fiber. Just with these two things, you’ve taken care of 97% of your daily total fiber and the total calorie intake is only 260. That’s right; my secrets are starting to creep out. Those are two filling meals at only 260 calories.

Tip: I was never a coffee drinker until I did the research. Always start your day with a cup of coffee. It’s zero calories and full of antioxidants. The caffeine will kick start your metabolism in the mornings (Warning: more than 2 cups will have adverse effects to the body and to a diet so keep it to 1 cup if possible). If you can’t drink it straight, after you eat your morning Fiber One cereal use the leftover milk to sweeten your coffee. That way you’re not adding anymore calories and you get a good flavor in your coffee.

Weight lose is simple math

2009-09-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

First things first; a wise man once told me “weight lose is simple you just have to burn more calories than you eat.”

Simple right???

Then let’s get you started.

First, you need to know your “number.” There are several places on the web you can get this. In the formula I use (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598), you just fill in the information appropriate to your current weight and lifestyle (be honest), and it will shoot out a calorie number for you. The number is rounded up, but will get you in the ballpark. Memorize this number. This is YOUR number. I recommend going in once a month as your activity increases and your weight decreases to get a new number. And yes, it WILL change.

Now that you have your number, you know how many calories you can consume in a day and not lose or gain a pound. Consuming 500 calories over or under YOUR number each day equals 1 pound a week gained or lost.

So let’s do the math! If your number is 2000 and you only intake 1500 calories each day, without adjusting your activity, you WILL lose 1 pound a week (by the way, this is the recommended weight loss rate by most doctors, but there are a lot more overweight people than doctors).

I recommend a combination to speed up the process. You don’t need to change your number, only your exercise goals. If you used “inactive” as your current activity level, jump up to “active.” If you used “somewhat active,” jump up to “very active.” It’s not that big of a jump.

This site defines “active” as 20 minutes of vigorous activity at least 3 days a week. That’s one hour per week. You probably spend more time waiting in line at the drive-thru (we’ll talk more about that later lol). Bumping it up a level should burn an additional 500 calories per day, and we already know that equals 1 pound per week. Combine that with a daily intake of 500 fewer calories and you’re looking at 2 pounds per week.

Let’s not get rash. You should not go below 1200 calories per day. It’s not healthy, and the weight will just spring back when you go to a normal eating pattern (we will talk about this at length later as well).

I will get into more detail tomorrow about when and how much exercise is enough / not enough, but you know your body. It will let you know when you are doing too much.

Personal tip #1: When I think I’m done, I always add 5 more minutes to my exercise routine. The end of a workout is when you get the most benefit. Eventually, you’ll discover that “extra” 5mins has become part of your workout and you’ll need to stretch it an additional 5mins to get that bonus.

Personal tip #2: Feeling hungry in the car? Of course you are! It’s like Pavlov’s dog. Between the food commercials every 2 minutes on the radio and the smell of the last thing you ate still in the car, your brain automatically switches into eat mode (you know if I looked I could find a stale french-fry under your seat). So first, clean out your car, and add a new freshener (avoid fruit smells). Plug in the iPod or burn a CD. Keep a healthy snack in the glove box if you have to, but a general rule of thumb is to NEVER eat in the car.

2009-09-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

September 15th 2009

It’s been raining for days. My knees hurt. My feet hurt. I’m feeling run down, and my mind is full of doubts and clouded with desolation.

I was running the 1.4 mile trail in front of my office when the weather changed from a drizzle to a rain and eventually to a down pour. Now, I’m just mad and getting madder by the drop. I need this run--I have to have it.

The last 1/4 mile is the longest stretch uphill, and the City of Flower Mound decided to leave the high powered sprinklers on full blast, watering what, as best I could tell, was the sidewalk. With a fence on one side and 4” of mud from the monsoon on the other side, my only choice was to go through it, so through it I went. As I got past the pressure washers and to the top of the hill, Mother Nature sent a 20mph gust of wind into my face practically freezing my running shirt to my chest.

I was all but done with this miserable day and wondering what the heck I was doing running in the rain to begin with, when I started hearing the voices in my head:

“You’ve lost a lot of weight. You get the lap band”…
“He lost too much too quickly. He had to have had surgery”…
“Guys just lose weight faster than girls”…
“XL. Congrats! You’ll be at that size for a while”…
“Wow you look great! What’s your secret?”…
“It’ll take years to lose 200lbs”…
“180 is good, but that last 20 is going to be the hardiest”…
“A mile is good. Talk to me when you want to run a 5k....10K....”…
”Good luck keeping it off” …

Then I remembered the one voice that started this whole thing November 17th 4:45am:

“Get up this isn’t happening fast enough. The only person that can change you is you.”

That’s when I made the turn to run the lap for a second time, realizing my knees and feet were sore because I hadn’t stretched them out in a week. My mind was cloudy because I hadn’t had that time to reflect the way that I like to do daily during my run, and I was feeling run down because I was making excuses.

I ran 4 more laps, 7 miles total, through the sprinklers and the rain.

By the end, the rain had stopped, the wind had died down and the sun actually peeked out, just for a second--I think to say “nice job.”

Hi. My name is Christopher and this is my Blog.

On November 6th, 2008 I weighed 406lbs. Now, I’m less than 200lbs. I’d like to share some stories and tips on how I did it.

I will update this daily with thoughts, tips and ideas, but please feel free to ask me any questions as I go that might help you personally.