Pain... Yep!!! PAIN!!!

Day 113: 6/14/2016

The wonderful thing about being in horrible shape, is that your body tells you in the meanest and most honest way just how horrible of shape you're in.

As I stated yesterday, I started boxing, and I started my new food plan. For those of you who don't know, the reason I love boxing as an exercise, is that it is natural body movement that works muscles that I just haven't been able to work with conventional weight lifting. I'm not knocking weight lifting, or running, or crossfit. I've liked all of them at some point... BUT, every single boxing workout, works the entire body. It leaves those like me, in pain the next day.... and the next day after that.... and the next day after that.

Today, was one big test. I planned my food for my day. I had a nice array of vegetables for lunch. However, today wasn't the normal "go to work, put the lunch in the fridge" kind of day... I attended a fun conference for work today in which I didn't have a fridge for my prepped food. By the time lunch time rolled around, my vegetables were wilted and yucky. My conference, although enjoyable, also shared the same space as a bakery and a biscuit restaurant.... So I had those smells going on in my nose holes for a while.... Then, with no lunch, watched everyone else who isn't the size of a manatee (like me) enjoy some delicious catered food. None of which are on my food plan....

I stayed strong and didn't give into my enormous temptations. I almost went to the biscuit place to ask them if I could just smell a fresh biscuit.... Yeah, I'm that guy.

I drank water, ate some raw almonds, and said curse words in my head the whole time.

Then, I went to day 2 of boxing, which turned out to be kickboxing class. I'm 100% sure I looked like a newborn obese baby deer running into a punching bag.

I'm in pain, I'm sore, ALL over. For the first time in a long time, I'm ok with it. It means I am kicking my own ass. Pain isn't weakness leaving the body. Pain is strength building up every aspect of who you are as a person.

To end this post, here is my tired, sweaty face after today's kickboxing. Thanks Title Boxing!!

Hitting The Wall

Day 56: 4/18/16

Sure, marathon runners, triathletes, yada yada yada - awesome fit people (insert thinly veiled insult out of jealousy, here) hit the "wall" when they compete. At that moment, they have to choose, to bust through it, or let it stop them.

Today, I hit my mental wall. I don't know why. I could choose any number of excuses to give. I'm just going to be honest and say it.

I LOVE TO BE LAZY!!!

I do, I love Netflix, and my couch, and my movie/TV collection that at any time, I could spend endless weeks watching and enjoying. I love my kitchen, where I can spend time creating any number of things that could make my inner (and outer) fatman squee with glee!!!

While I still want to be lazy, the battle of the century is within the battlefield between my heart and mind. My mind says "dude, do you know how many things are in your Netflix queue?"

Meanwhile, my heart says, "You could totally rock a Batman branded banana hammock in the Caribbean if you would only get up off of your sinking love handles and exercise"

Then, I'm quickly reminded why I do most of the difficult things in my life. The woman who puts up with my jackassery every single day..... We have two of the most beautiful and fun and furry children anyone could ask for. I have a great job with people I enjoy being around. I have great friends who support me, love me and want me to succeed.

So, really..... what is there to bitch about from here on out. Time to make the love handles sink less.

I'm Stressed... That Doesn't Make Me Special.

Day 53: 4/15/16

I avoid talking about the things that cause my "down" moods as much as I can. I've been thinking about it today, and maybe that's a mistake. I try to be as honest as I possibly can on this blog, so here I go.

Here is a list of things that cause that stress level to impact my ability to fight on at any given time.

• Work stress
• Feelings of inadequacy in my job/marriage/friendships/life
• Family drama
• Marriage woes
• Physical illness
• Financial worries
• Home ownership issues (stupid friggin dryer)
• insert whatever else here

The point is.... these things aren't special. I'm just like everyone else. Everyone has stress in their life. The reason successful people are successful, is their ability to stare the stresses in the damn face and move forward in the direction they want to go. 

So, as I'm preparing to truly tackle phase II, I need to learn how to cope with stress. I'm thinking getting back into boxing just may be the trick. Thanks to my pal Patrick, I'm going to get a crash course on Monday 4/25....

I'm going to post a video of me puking during that workout, just you wait.

Freedom

Day 51: 4/13/2016

This isn't a 4 month, 6 month, 1 year, 5 year journey. This is a lifestyle journey. I deserve to live a long, happy, healthy life, but it comes at the cost of giving up the gluttonous and lazy lifestyle.

I am now able to give myself a little bit of the foods that normally I'd have to say "absolutely not ever" to. On day 6, if I gave myself some of my favorite pizza (Village Baker here in UT) I wouldn't be able to stop. One pizza would turn into many pizza's, with cheeseburgers as the topping.

Being healthy is something that has been an abstract concept to me. Healthy has meant that I get my 3 meals in a day and I get some sleep. That's not enough. I owe it to myself to be the best version of me. I remember a year after my gastric bypass surgery, I was truly able to do things that I had not been able to do since I was a teenager. I want that again. Sure, I want to look extra beefcake-like to my wife, but that's not anything she's ever asked me to do. She'll love me no matter what, but it doesn't hurt to have your spouse want you even more.

This provides me freedom. I don't feel trapped by this journey like I did when I started. This phase is slow to start... I'm not going to lie. I'm not giving every effort that I know I have. I have no doubt that I'm ready, though.

I've had some excellent feedback to my challenge I gave a couple of days ago. Some of the goals that were sent to me, inspire me to improve my own. Kudos to you who have made those goals.

Until tomorrow!!

The Reset Button

Day 37: 3/30/2016

Yesterday I talked about wanting to quit. It only seems fitting that I talk about the all powerful "RESET" button. This is a pinned picture on one of the fitness groups I am a part of on Facebook. If you want to check that group out, search "Geekshow Fit" and join. (Geekshow says HEY!)

This button doesn't give you power to enable your bad choices. It gives you the power to overcome guilt, shame, embarrassment, frustration, and pain.

This button doesn't take away the consequences of your bad choices. It gives you the power to choose not to make the same choices again.

This button doesn't give you all the answers. It gives you time to figure them out.

Life throws much harder things at you than curve balls. It throws grenades. No matter which way you hit it, it's going to do some damage.

I learned a valuable lesson today and that is when the opportunity comes for me to step up, I will take it. It's not out of pride. It's not out of desire to be a hero. It's out of desire to do the right thing when it's presented. I don't always succeed, but I definitely give it a shot.

This lesson isn't just applicable to this journey, but I think it fits nicely. Yesterday, was a hard day. In fact, the last month has been very hard for me. However, I know, that tomorrow has a chance to be better.

I had so many people reach out to me since last night to give their love and support. I can't thank you enough. your support keeps me motivated to FalconPUNCH the universe, and this bountiful belly in the face.

Accept Your Success (PSST... This post has measurement updates)

Day 35: 3/28/2016

Well, I did it. I skipped a day of blogging yesterday. It wasn't because I didn't want to. It wasn't even due to the Easter holiday. It was because I didn't have anything of value to say to myself. I was in the dumps, really.

I wasn't in the dumps because I felt unsuccessful. I was feeling down because I'm impatient. I WANT RESULTS NOW!!! For many people who go through a weight loss, or health journey, they want to see the end result immediately. I am guilty of this. I feel like if I chose not to eat the quarter pound cheeseburger, that means that I should LOSE a quarter pound. Of course this is flawed, but it's how I see things. I need to be able to accept the wins that I have, daily, weekly, and monthly. Gotham wasn't built in a day. Batman wasn't the best detective in the world in Batman Year One..... And I won't be fit and trim in the beginning either.

When I was younger, I was an athlete. I played many sports. I was good at some, and GREAT at others. If any of the readers of this blog played football with me back in the day, they may be able to vouch, I was mean, tough, and competitive. This mentality still bleeds into my life, today.

This journey has shifted and game has changed. I have been saying that I just want to be healthier and live a longer life. That's bullshit. I am not ok with just doing it. I want to kick in the naughty bits. I want bad health to be the bleeding, cancerous pulp laying on the ground, wishing that it had a hold of me, but it can't. I want to win. I want to be the one at the end of the journey, looking back and crying that I was able to accomplish something great.

In my post on 3/19/2016, I posted some measurements of myself. This was so that I could hold myself accountable for my results. Well, here are my results compared to that post.

Weight: 356 lbs (-1.5 lbs)
Neck:17.5in (-.5in)
Right Bicep: 16in (-1.5in)
Left Bicep: 16in (-1in)
Waist: 50in (-0in)
Right Thigh: 27in (-4in)
Left Thigh: 27in (-3in)

10 inches lost!!!

A Fat Man's Prayer

Day 25:3/18/2016



Enjoy some laughs, today.