Well, I'm trying to set up a normal routine. I have come to the realization that basketball is a supplement to, not a replacement of, my normal workout activity.

eating has to come around to. That's holding me back a bit. I'm cheating more and more, so I have to reign that in.

Weights are improving, but I need a steady diet of Cardio now. basketball is just not cutting it. I don't think Anaerobic works for me. I need a routine again. Routine, Routine, routine.

First weight workout since I moved from hempfield rec in February. Lost a lot of strength. Ugh... Well back to the grind. I am Iron Man.

Okay, so getting into a routine didn't work so well. But today is a new day. I've been playing a lot of basketball, but I need to start adding aerobic and strength training in again to maintain my weight. Plus I ahve to eat better... yeah that too.

Back to the grind. Moved in, new gym, and ready to get back into a routine. Also looking forward to the spring when I can work some biking on the nearby trail into my plan, as well as some swimming.

Squeeze them in, you will feel great!

A busy time coming up with the move and all that goes with it. Will have to find the time to keep a workout here and there.

Good workouts this week. I'm leaving it on the field.

git r dun big daddy

Well, it's a new year, with new (old) goals. December wasn't a great workout/weight loss (gain) month, but all that's going to change in cold bitter January. Hey, what else do I have to do?

Great to see you guys today.

Two good workouts so far this week, after missing the earlier part of the week due to work volume. Eating is going awful in wake of the holiday week. Need to cut down on carbs and sugar, big time.

I am right there with you between 205 and 210 because of my eating not losing much weight but I feel great! I was sore when I began to run and found that coupling my runs back to back helped get my body used to the activity and pain. The pain goes away, your basketball skills on the other hand are another story...

Eating is still not going so well, so I waver between 212 and 215 on any given day. Basketball, I've learned, is not more than a once a week activity. If I play on Monday, I really don't stop hurting till about Thursday. Welcome to your 30's my friends, it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here.... Oh wait....

Good idea. You should be happy that you lifestyle and eating habits have allowed you tomaintain you weight. Thanks for your encouragement.

I'm kind of stuck in weight limbo right now. No dramatic ups and downs which is good, but I don't think I'm going to meet my second goal in the time I allotted myself. I'll start anew, now that I'm into more of a routine, I can get a better handle on the eating. The exercise has been pretty consistent, so I've been happy with that, I just have to kick in the eating again.

I have been running between 8 pm and 11 pm at night. Everone is in bed, less cars and most importantly not 95 degrees. Tonight it was like 80 but humid. How are you doing? My next big mile target is 12 miles, if I can do that then I may train for a marathon. I am suprised that I can run as far as I have been with very little pain.

Great food weekend keep up the good work. Fly Eagles Fly - our first must win.

Look how far you have come! We might be the same weight but I was much more overweight. I really enjoy my runs which make for a longer workout. Yo can still get to your goal. Our weight may not be the same as my scale is generous.

Nothing too exciting to report. It looks like I've reached a plateau of sorts, right around 210. Of course, my eating this summer has been less than stellar, so that might have something to do with it.

Started the elliptical machine this week instead of the treadmill. It feels funny, but I think I'm getting more cardio with less wear and tear so that's a good thing.

Come on Brian, 35 days left. You can do this! Git rrr Dun!

Am I a loser because I'm psyched that my gym is replacing the crappy old Nautilus machines with the new hotness that is Cybex?

Oh... I see.

New weight routine should keep your workouts interesting. I fear the coming months for me food wise with 8 tailgates and many meetings and events with food that will kill my progress if I am not careful.

Keep going towards your goal, you have come so far and your goal is right around the corned. Just think two pounds a week and you will be 199 in a little over a month.

So my children's birthday parties pretty much kill me when it comes to my eating habits. I have to rededicate myself eating-wise in the next month if I want to achieve my goal. It's been a nice summer full of BBQ and the like, but now it's time to get back to business.

And especially, no more ice cream.

Switched up my weights routine to accommodate the gym's re-outfitting of their Nautilus type equipment. I'm going to try a free weight routine that is supposed to be good for eliminating belly fat. We'll see. It was a toll today, but I feel good, so I'll keep trying it for awhile to see if I can get some results.

Got back to the gym today after being away for so long. When we got back from vacation we were all sick so that was another reason not to get to the gym. It felt great to be back after being away for so long. I was getting antsy. I never thought I would say this, but I really enjoy getting in the weight room. It's a routine I can really get in to. Cardio is something I have to do, but I actually kind of like the lifting. I'm shocked my weight hasn't ballooned from all the bad eating I did during the vacation, but I'll take it and try not carry that over into "real" life.

Ran on the beach today for the first time in a decade. A nice way to exercise!

I've been maintaining a weight of between 207 and 210 for the last month or so. In about a month, I'd like to make push for 199, hence my new goal.

I've changed up my gym routine to focus more on weight training and less on cardio. I've been doing 30 minutes of weights and 10 of cardio as opposed to the other way around, and I've only been getting to go about every other day.

The good news is that my weight is staying stable so we'll see how this goes!

I did it! 40 lbs later I've made it pat my goal of 210 lbs! I never thought I could have made it in the time allotted to myself, and the last month was up and down, but I squeaked in under the wire two days early!

Next goal is to see the 2 drop from the front of my weight and get down under 200. After that I think I would like to maintain between 205 and 215. But first major goal has been reached! 40 lbs! That's like losing the equivalant of my 3 year old son! Unbelievable.

1 lb to go. 1 lb to go. 1 lb to go! 3 days for 1 lb! I can do it!

I am officially less than 2 lbs away from my goal. Unfortunately, my goal date is only 8 days away, so to make sure I reach it, I'm going to have to really make some sacrifices (albeit healthy ones) regarding my diet.

I really really really want to reach my goal in the time allotted. When I first set the date, I thought there was no way realistically that I was going to get to this weight in that amount of time. About a month and half ago (when I was losing 10 lbs a month) I thought I would come flying in a month early and I thought I was going to shatter it. I think I can still do it. No backtracking this week, watch what I eat, and I'm sure I can do it!

ONLY 1.5 TO GO!

Well, I knew that this was coming. After my son's birthday party this weekend (at which I ate lots and lots of beer soaked brats) and some bad food choices (eating after 8 pm on Saturday, junk food to keep me awake on a long drive) I've backtracked 2 lbs from last Thursday. Can't say that I'm surprised, but now I look at my progress, and I'm at the same weight I was two weeks ago, so it feels like wasted time. So, I'll commit myself to better choices this week and make up some lost ground.

Damn you Chinese food. 6 lbs to go it is.

5 more lbs to go to my first goal! Only five more to go. Unbelievable!

I've noticed that after several days of exercise I really do need to take a break and let my knees relax. If I run several days in a row, I'm wincing as I go up the stairs, but I'm expecting it because I'm overweight and I know I'm punishing them.

Good job on another pound lost!

Only 7 lbs to go to my goal. Lucky number 7! This week has been great from a weight loss standpoint, but hasn't been so great on the exercise consistency. I've been up and down on my stamina, one day being able to run a full 3 miles without a break, and the next not having the stamina to finish up after 25 minutes! Weight training has remained pretty consistent, and I'm probably going to jump up a weight class on a few machines next week.

Yesterday, I was able to run 3 miles in the morning, do my weight training, then play 45 minutes of basketball during my lunch hour! I felt great afterwards, but later that night, my knees paid the price. I love basketball, and I haven't played in over two years (and I think I acquitted myself quite nicely on the court thank you very much!) but I don't think it's ever going to be more than a once a week or once every two weeks type of activity.

So after all that activity yesterday, my knees weren't up to the 3 miles today, but my weight was down another pound, which is the whole point I guess.

7 more to go to my first goal!

219! I'm into single digits towards my goal! Let's hope this last 9 aren't the hardest 9!

I'm down to 220 lbs today! Next stop 210's! That means I've lost 30 lbs since the holidays, and 20 lbs since I started my exercise process.

Only ten more pounds till my goal! It even looks like I might come to the finish line (of this goal anyway) a little early if I stay on the pace I currently am on (about 9-10 lbs a month). 51 days to lose 10 lbs. I can do it in 35!

Also, I'm up to 3 miles a day straight out running consistently. I have another mini-goal for my first outdoor 5k this summer (date TBD). 5 k in 10.5 minute miles. That's coming in under 31.5 minutes. I'm between 33 and 32 right now. I'll get there.

At 221 lbs today so I'm almost into single digits in lbs to go towards my goal (210). Pretty exciting. Starting to get a lot of comments about my weight from people I run into. It's nice of them to notice, but I was always bad at taking a compliments so I never know what to say exactly. I usually settle for a "Yes" to the question, "Are you losing weight?" and then either a "thank you" or a number depending on what the follow up is. I'm beginning to have a really serious clothes problem as most of my pants are becoming extremely large. But it's all good news.

Well, I ate Chinese food AND I ate after 8 o'clock last night AND I paid the price. 1/2 a pound in the wrong direction. DAMN YOU RITA'S ITALIAN ICE! DAMN YOU TO HELL! (No really, it's very tasty and highly recommended.) That's why I like weighing in every day, it lets you see what kind of effect your choices have.

Felt really great today. Very energized after my morning trip to the gym. I only have 15.5 lbs to go to get to my goal! I also want to lose a lot of the loose blubber that's still hanging around, but one thing at a time. Thanks for your continued support!

Held steady at 226 over the Easter Weekend after some major slippage on the healthy portions front. Sorry, ham with horseradish is WAY too tasty not to have second helpings. Thanks to the generosity of my in-laws, I was able to go to their gym twice over the holiday weekend, so that may have staved off some negative process. Going to their gym really showed me how stuck in my routine I am though. I may have to start switching things up, but I am a creature of habit, and things are going well, so who knows?

When to Bob's last night to buy some jeans. Every pair I owned were now officially too baggy to wear (my wife was starting to make fun of me), and the smallest waist number I had on hand was a 38.

I bought two pair of 36w x 32l jeans last night and they even had a little room to spare. Unbelievable. I'm currently on a 10lb loss per month pace, so I think that's pretty maintainable. We'll see. Another .5 lb today and only 17 lb more to go to my first big goal!

AWESOME!!!!!! Congrats on breaking through that 230 floor and getting back into the 220's!. I'm very excited for you.

I'm still waiting to see the weight come off more quickly but no dice yet. At least my waist is slowly shrinking.

Cheers to you on your breakthrough!

A 1/2 lb backtrack today. Not too bad considering I ate a burrito the size of a small moon this weekend AND I didn't exercise other than moving up and down 3 flights of stairs roughly 233 times.

FINALLY! A breakthrough! 228.5! I am pretty excited about this. I can't remember the last time I was in the 220's. When I started this process, I didn't think my goal was achievable in the time allotted, but now with only 19 lbs to go, it might be possible! Unbelievable. I'm still trying to remain realistic, but wow, I am pretty excited about the progress so far.

AAAAARRRRGGHHH! I swear my body is trying to taunt me. 230.5 AGAIN TODAY! Granted the last two days have probably been my worst two days "food-wise" since I started this process, but still... I went in to today expecting the worst, a back-track, but after I ran (I wait for the weigh-in until after I run) I was cautiously optimistic. So I guess it worked out the way it should, being right in the middle, no change. But still...

Thanks for the encouragement Maurice. I do appreciate it, I have seen the positive changes in my health since I started this process and I am excited about the non-weight related gains I have made, but I am a numbers guy, and I like to see movement in the direction I want! GRRRRR!!! I think the good part of this is that it makes me angry, and anger generally leads to resolution actions on my part. So it just makes me want to do more to get over the hump.

Brian,
I think you're doing great. It can seem like you're struggling through losing weight, etc, but there are more variables to consider. Remember, you're helping your blood pressure, you're helping your heart, you're setting a great example.

I've heard doctors and trainers say to not focus on the weight as much as the positive progress (like being able to run 3 miles for the first time) or your clothes fitting better.

Keep it up man!

Some exciting news! I ran 3 miles today for the first time... well... ever. I'm sure when i was younger during basketball I probably ran more over the course of a practice or training session, but since I've been an adult I've mostly hit the wall at about 2.5 miles.

A friend challenged me to run the 3 by April 1st, but today I felt pretty good and loose so I decided to go for it, and it wasn't too bad. I don't think I'm going to be running 3 miles every day, instead trying to keep my mind focused on the length of time I'm running and not necessarily the speed, but it's good to know that I can get there if I want to!

Weight is stubbornly holding steady at 230.5 for the last few days as if to spite me. "I will not go under 230 you oaf." Maybe later this week. The Chinese food last night probably didn't help the cause.

Up 1/2 a pound today. What gives? Getting into the 220's is getting harder than I thought.

Well, after the weekend I was hoping to be under 230, but the scale told me otherwise. I was 230 on the nose. So hopefully this week we'll significantly decrease that number.

I behaved myself this weekend, although the wife and I did go out on a date night one night and I indulged in some bad (but tasty) appetizers and a steak dinner. I guess the steak in and of itself wasn't bad and the accompanying asparagus wasn't bad, but the huge mound of garlic mashed potatos probably didn't help anyone. Still gotta live right? Just can't eat like that every day.

Also I ran outside on Sunday for my first weekend activity. That was good, but felt absolutely awful. My chest was on fire from the cold air, and I could feel me knees being eaten up. I'll stick to the bouncy treadmill for now.

Only one more pound to go and I'm under 230 for the first time in what seems like forever. I haven't been in the 220's since college I would imagine. My cardio has been hitting a wall. I haven't been able to extend my times or my distance this week. So that's been kind of a let down. But I'm getting into some new weight categories in the weight training department and I've added an extra machine to each regiment (upper body and lower body) I got three UB in this week and 2 LB, so I'll switch it next week and start with LB on Monday.

I think there's something wrong with the digital scale at the gym.

After registering a nice rebound yesterday, after getting back to 235 from over the weekend. This morning I registered a 232! There's no way 3 pounds dissappears overnight. Right?

Anyway, I'll chalk it up to fluke and see where we go from here. Today was the first day I didn't feel 100% exhausted after working out. I actually felt good.

Brian!
Thanks for encouraging me to do this and use the website. Having this tool available is already making me feel more motivated and excited to lose weight and track it.

Thanks very much.

Well, today in workout world started out great. After my low ebb yesterday with the abbreviated cardio session, I was back to feeling pretty good today. I didn't push it to 30 minutes to overdo it but I did do a consistent 11 minute mile pace up to 25 minutes so I was feeling pretty good.

Then I stepped on the scale.

According to that digital bastard I had gained two pounds since yesterday! How could that be? I ate a salad for lunch, a banana for breakfast, and a moderate amount of chinese food for dinner the day before, AND I've been working out ALL week. I chalked up at least a half a pound to the GIGANTIC basketball shorts I was wearing today, but even at that, I was back-tracking a pound and a half since the previous day.

Okay, I guess I have to figure out what went wrong. It can't be the food, because I ate like a fiend over my birthday weekend and I LOST weight that weekend, not gained. Maybe it was, who knows. Anyway, instead of taking the weekend off as I planned, I guess I now have to add a day of workout stuff to make up for lost poundage.

This is my first minor setback, but I am determined to respond accordingly.

Please stick with this ,you have so much to look forward to in your life and now you can do it being fit and healthy. Love You Mom

Today's workout was a complete disaster. Okay, just the cardio portion stunk the joint up. After pushing myself to 30 minutes yesterday (and it went really well) my sides were splitting after only 11 today. So I had to alternate a slower pace with a faster one just to make it to 25 minutes. What gives?

Anyway, I added a lower body machine to my lower body day upping my total to five. I saw some weight increases on those machines this week too, so that side of the workout turned out okay. I guess I'll have to add a machine for the upper body as well. Crap.

Having a good week so far. I've been able to push my cardio up to 29 minutes, and my mileage is up as well. I've been avoiding sweets, and not eating after 8 pm. Weight training has been going well too. I should probably add a fifth machine to my 'mini-circuit.' Haven't missed a day so far this work week!