Motivation in 140 Characters or less, thanks @BL11Austin

Journeys of change are hard. Ask anyone who is on one or try one yourself and you'll see. If you know someone who has quit smoking, lost weight, kicked a bad habit, gone back to school, well, then you know someone who has challenged themselves and come out better for it. But take a second to appreciate just how hard a trip it was.

It's never an easy trip, and there are lots of pitfalls along the way. Lots of reasons to just go back to what is comfortable. Lot's of reasons to simply live in the now instead of being focused on your future.

And sometimes we need a little help, and sometimes it comes from surprising sources.

Earlier this week I posted a blog quoting Austin from The Biggest Loser. When I sent out a tweet tagging Austin I immediately got a response from him encouraging me. But that's not where the story ends.

The next day was hard, really hard. I didn't want to work out. I wanted to eat about half a tub of ice cream and just feel better for a minute. Then I took a quick look at my blog, I noticed that my last entry had 10X the amount of traffic I normally get. But I didn't know from where. I logged into twitter and discovered to my great joy that Austin had tweeted a link to my blog to his followers, and all these eyes had come over to read my story.

All these people, many in the same boat as me, reading about my struggles, my achievements, my journey.

And a funny thing happened. My motivation went through the roof. My next entry couldn't be about a failure. I couldn't let myself down and have to share that with everyone.

Austin, this young 20-something from California had, in under 140 characters, got me off a couch and out the door for a run.  The ice cream forgotten, a healthy snack in its place. My journey uninterrupted. The struggles of the last 6 weeks erased, I wake up this morning back to 258.6, those extra pounds shed and me ready to continue.

I know weight loss, and any self-help goal has to be motivated by your own desire to change, it has to be a little bit selfish. But sometimes we all need some help. Sometimes it's a friend with a kind word. Sometimes its a family member with nothing more than a look. Sometimes it's a quote, an image, a TV show that gets us moving.

And sometimes its a stranger, a young man, tweeting from California, who gets us going again.

Thanks Austin,  I needed that.

Fatfitman

Checking back in

So 11 days ago I vowed to start working on that 5k run.

I'm happy to say I've been sticking with the Couch to 5K training plan so far. Yesterday I completed run #2 of the second training week. 5 min warmup then 90 seconds of running followed by 2 minutes of walking for 6 cycles (21 minutes) then another 5 min cooldown.

I'm also proud to say that my DW (darling wife) has taken up running with renewed passion. I say renewed because back before I met her she was an avid runner, 10Ks, half-marathons etc. But after she finished law school she stopped. Well, she seems to have the bug again and looks forward to her training days far more than I do!

It felt good to have some success again, its been a solid 6 weeks it seems of going backwards. Sometimes the early success we have can make us complacent. I know it worked that way for me. I stopped logging food, I stopped working out with the same regularity. I lost that first 10lbs easy. I should have known it would get tougher, I should have known it was the discipline I was showing that was leading to my success.

I want to thank @bl11austin for a tweet on Apr 16th. He quoted Jim Rohn "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment"

Don't ever forget that my friends. Goals are great, goals can drive us, goals make us reach for more. But discipline is required to achieve them. Without discipline goals are just empty promises to ourselves.

Don't go backwards

A very good friend of mine (JL) said something once I have always loved. "Let the bridges I burn light my way"  Though he wasn't exactly making the point I am, the sentiment is the same. Don't go back the way you came, don't even allow yourself the option. Always move forward and create situations where moving forward is the only choice.

I mentioned in my last blog I needed to change my workouts because of an injury (which by the way I will be seeing a specialist about in July). So since one of my goals this year is to run in a 5K race, I figured i would start my training for that.

but how do I get myself out and doing it? Well, the easiest way to stop saying "I'll start tomorrow" was to force myself into a situation where tomorrow wasn't an option. I registered for the 5K race that is held in concert with the Mississauga Marathon. The 5K is held May14th. That's a mere 5 1/2 weeks away. That leaves me about the bare minimum amount of time to go from couch potato to struggling runner. I do not expect to be able to run the course by then, but I do expect to be able to run most of it. If you want to see a handy program for going from couch to run click here.

So last night was my first crack at the distance, finished in 43:59. Mostly a brisk walk, but for the first 20 minutes I alternated running and walking as per the program above. My neighbourhood is very quiet, beautiful and a little spooky in the dark I discovered.

The main thing is i know have a goal, an immediate one, one I can't ignore and delay and say I have lots of time for. I've committed to this run, I've left myself no option to slack off in the training. For the next 6 weeks it's all about getting ready for that day. Moving forward, one step at a time. I have my plan, my route is laid out, all I have to do is execute it.

I'll keep you up to date on the progress.  What's your goal, and what are you doing to get yourself there?

3 Months in..An Overdue Update

So where have I been?

Stalled and stalling.

I did not want to write this blog. See, blogging is easy when you're doing well, it's a chance to motivate others and celebrate your own successes at the same time.

But what if you haven't been succeeding? what if you've been failing...Miserably? What if a diet health blogger yesterday saw they gained 4 pounds over the last month or so and decided to celebrate that misery by having an ice cream cone and a slice of pizza?

How do you put your failures out there right alongside your successes?

Well, something like I just did I suppose.

I mentioned previously that I had suffered a training injury. For those who have been asking, the injury has not healed, in fact it has become worse. this has stopped me from continuing my P90X training, at least for now anyway.

Stopping the workouts is not an excuse for weight gain, anyone serious about a journey to a healthy weight knows that the number one thing that makes an impact is what you eat, not what you burn. But stopping the workouts had an unexpected effect on me. It broke my routine, it sapped my motivation. It made me stop thinking about the penalty of bad choices because I just went back to all my habits before the changes.

This can't continue. I still need to be below 220lbs before Dec 31st (minimum) I made a commitment, to my readers, to my family, and, most importantly, to myself.

So, step one, admit I screwed up. Say it aloud, get it out there. Be accountable for it (thanks JB). Blog about it. the blog and knowing people are reading it is immensely motivating for me. I should have been on here a bunch, I wouldn't have slipped as far.

Step two, make adjustments. Watch the input of food, watch it closely. Find a new exercise routine until my wrist is healthy. Looks like I'll start prepping for the 5K a little earlier than I had planned.

Step three, keep it up. Do it today, then tomorrow. Small good decisions, made consistently, until I'm back in the pattern again.

Back on my feet folks, off the coach and away from the nachos. Hope you'll continue to join me.

Fatfitman

Not all pain is gain

So chaos has reigned around my place recently. We've been battling sick kids, a leaky basement, a collapsing pool liner, and our own illnesses. Quite a 2 weeks.

To top it off I suffered a training injury about a week ago that has just been getting progressively worse. As a result I cannot do most of my strength building exercises, so my P90X routines have come to a crashing halt until my wrist heals. I can still do excerpts from them, but not the full workouts.

To top it all off my treadmill broke and now I need to have a service call on it.

I am in an excuse-rich environment. I could easily just back it in and say "it's not my fault". however, i didn't.

what i did do was pay even closer attention to what I could do. I watched my calories. i watched my choices about portions, types of food, putting myself in vulnerable situations. I reached out to my support network for help a few times.

So this morning, the leak is fixed, the kids are getting better, the service guy is coming for the treadmill soon, and hopefully by the weekend I can start moving and burning more. But, the real question I had was, how did I do through these trials?

So I stepped on the scale.

258.8

WHAT?????

258.8

I broke through that damned 260lb mark. Put it behind me..Forever.... I'm not going back over that number ever again in my life. I haven't been under 260 since probably last summer, and despite all that went on the last few weeks, I managed to find a way to slay the 260lb Guy and now am looking forward.

I feel energized, I feel proud, I feel like I overcame obstacles that would have sent me scurrying for a Burger King Whopper in the past.

Don't let your obstacles lead you to excuses. Find a way around, over or through them. You might be amazed at what you are capable of when you stop believing that you can't do something, or that something is too hard.

The sweetest victories are the ones we are surprised by, fight those tough battles my friends, the rewards are worth it!

NOTE:  I received a note from a follower asking for help. When she makes Kraft Dinner at home she almost always eats the whole box, invariably feeling guilty and a little ill afterwards. She wanted to know how to avoid that.  Well, besides not cooking it (or having it in the house to start with) I would suggest the following. As soon as it's ready, take the pot, walk over to your trash and throw half of it away. Don't wait until you taste it and start to be seduced by the processed cheesy salty goodness. If you must have it, force yourself to limit it by getting rid of half before you even start.

If anyone has any other questions I'll try to answer them in future entries. 

Nothing happens in a straight line

I'm just back from 2 weeks on the road. The first week was for business in Cleveland. More on that later. The second trip was 10 days in Florida with my family. To save on airfare we drove down.

In a straight line it is 1184 miles from Toronto to Fort Myers, FL. By car it is 1520 miles. 340 miles, 20% of the trip is zig zagging your way down the highways, 340 extra miles because it's not a straight line drive. We have to go around obstacles like hills, lakes, valleys.

Weight loss is similar. I'm not just going to go and drop 50 straight pounds...I wish. I'm going to have good days and bad, good weeks and bad. I'll get to my goal, but I'll have travelled a lot further than 50lbs to get there.

On January 30th I announced I had lost that first 10lbs. well, a few weeks on the road has proved to be a detour. I now weigh 263.8.

I could get all depressed here, and quit the process. I could say, well, it's bad, so I'll start tomorrow and have a nice grilled cheese and bacon sandwich for lunch. but just like driving to Florida, i want to get there. I don't want any more detours than I have to make. So the bodymedia armband is back on, I have an exercise date with my wife tonight, and we start pushing deeper into the process.

Some people have been asking me how I managed on the road with food and exercise.  Well, it is HARD!!! Driving along seeing nothing but McDonald's, Cracker barrel, KFC...All poor choices. Subway was my salvation. Turkey subs, light or no mayo, lots of veggies, water to drink. healthy snacks in the car, made before we set out by my wife. Planning a little, waiting until we saw a Subway saved untold calories.

During the business trip it was even worse. At least in Florida we were staying at my parents house allowing us to cook. While in Cleveland I had to really watch what happens in the restaurants. Salad appetizers, dressings on the side, choosing small beef dishes (careful with chicken, many restaurants saute, or sometimes even presoak the chicken in butter!), went out for fish one night.

I was less successful with the exercise, in Cleveland I should have done much more, in Florida lots of walking.

All in all 2lbs or so gained after 17days on the road is not terrible. It's a detour. I didn't go too far out of my way, and I am ready for the next leg of the journey. I have to push hard these next few miles to make up some lost time, but overall...I'm still on course.  How about you? Still on that good track?

How do you fit it in?

Family. Religion. Friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business. - Montgomery Burns

He could just as easily have been talking about fitness it seems.  Probably the number thing I am hearing from friends and family is where do you find the time to work out every day? I won't lie to you, it's tough. Two toddlers, a career, new house. It's a challenge when it's 9pm, all I want to do is sit down on the couch with my wife and watch TV.

But everyone does that, and the latest data shows we're all getting progressively bigger and more out of shape. And I've always done that, sat in front of the TV. And I've gotten progressively bigger and more out of shape. My favourite definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. How can I expect to get healthier, how can I expect to achieve my goals if I just sit here.

So last night my DW (darling wife) and I went downstairs after the kids were in bed and worked out together. I have to give her special credit here, last night was a resistance workout, she is not a fan of these, but she stuck to it and worked hard. She's also promised to join me tonight for the Yoga DVD. I always look so awkward compared to her doing Yoga, but I'll be doing it nonetheless.

When you have a goal, a dream, a journey, never forget you can't get there by standing still. You can't rise above the masses by simply doing what everyone else is doing. You have to put in that extra effort. you have to do the things others are not. You have to find it within yourself to stand up, get away from the couch, away from the TV, away from your comfort zone and start putting in the work to get to your goal. Unlike what Monty Burns said at the start of this blog you do not have to sacrifice those around you, you can find ways to make them part of it. I challenge all of my readers to do something tonight that moves you a step closer to your goal. If you are serious about your own goals you'll find the time.

It's worth it.