Full Throttle - Day 234

It was great to get back to working out this morning. I had not worked out at Full Throttle in a week, so it felt great to get out there and workout... of course the workout was tough. This morning's workout consisted of a deadlifting, building up to a 300 pound deadlift, a 10 minute warmup and then 30 seconds on/ 30 seconds off of 5 different exercise, 4 rounds of each. The 5 exercises were right handed squats with a kettlebell and raising your arm at the top of the squat (I cannot remember what this is called), kettlebell swings, left handed repeat of the first exercise, kettlebell high pulls, and bicycles. After all of this, my legs were exhausted, but I felt great!

Full Throttle - Day 233

I am feeling much better today, and I am ready to get back to normal. I am ready for my workout tomorrow morning.

Full Throttle - Days 230 - 232

These last few days started off really well, but then they were pretty rough. Saturday morning I woke up and was excited to go for a run. I ran two miles, and walked one mile, and I was feeling great. However, within the next few hours I was not feeling so well, and then started feeling even worse. I had a fever and spent the next couple days in bed, including missing work and missing a workout on Monday morning at Full Throttle Athletics. I hated missing the workout, but I did not have much choice... my body was not cooperative. I am starting to feel better, so I am sure I will be able to workout by Wednesday.

Full Throttle - Day 228 and 229

So, I made it through Thanksgiving without eating any of the delicious looking, great smelling desserts, breads, or other unhealthy foods. I "grazed" on broccoli and celery while everyone else was eating junk, and for the main meal I had turkey, ham, some green beans, and I did have a little corn casserole. I feel great in knowing that I did not compromise on the one day a year that I have always overindulged in snacks, breads, desserts, cokes, and anything else in front of me. I feel like making it through the Thanksgiving meal was a huge step for me, and I feel good knowing I did not compromise on my eating.

Full Throttle - Day 227

This morning's workout was another great one. BJ and Kori were out of town due to Thanksgiving, so Jennifer did the class. We did 10 minutes of warmup followed by a 15 minutes workout of 20 squats, 10 pushups, run to the road, as many rounds as possible in the 15 minutes. Then, once that was done, we had a 2 minute break followed by 4 rounds of bicycles and planks (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off), totaling 4 minutes. I felt great after completing the workout.
Today at work we had a holiday meal with the choice of chicken fried steak (one of my all time favorite foods) or meatloaf, and tons of sides. I was proud of myself for not eating the chicken fried steak and eating only a small amount of corn and lots of green beans. Lots of people at work compliment me on my weight loss, and I knew they were watching what I was eating. It was nice to be a good example and not eat all the delicious sides, breads, and desserts. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and I know I will be faced with lots of delicious food that I do not need to eat. I am confident in that I will be able to avoid eating them. I plan to eat mostly turkey and green vegetables, and as much as I like desserts, I will avoid them.

Full Throttle - Day 225

I weighed myself this morning when I arrived at Full Throttle Athletics, and I was down 4 pounds from Friday, to 270 pounds. It feels good to know that with some discipline the weight will start to come off again. I am feeling so good after 4 days of being committed to losing weight again, and I am excited to see the results in a few months.
This morning's workout consisted of a 10 minutes warmup and then another really tough workout. The workout was 50 seconds on/ 10 seconds off of 5 exercises, 4 rounds. The exercises were suitcase deadlifts (half on the right side and half on the left side), pushups with a "T" at the top, deep in and outs (almost a squat position and then jumping while widening and narrowing the distance between my legs), kettlebell swings, and bicycles. My legs were dead when I was finished.
Today I ate:
7am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10am = 22 almonds, whey protein drink
1pm - smoked sausage
4pm - 22 almonds
7pm - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with spinach
I drank over 200 ounces of water today.

Full Throttle - Days 223-224

This weekend was my first weekend back to eating healthy. In the past weekends have been more difficult than weekedays when it comes to eating healthy because I am usually busy and there is no routine. This weekend was no different, but right now my will power to eat healthy is very strong. I have discovered in several different time periods that I am able to have really strong will power at times, it is just a matter of "flipping a switch" of some sort... although flipping that switch can be very difficult. I feel right now that I have the mental toughness I had a few months ago that led me to lose 75 pounds. I will carry this attitude for the next few months, as I have a goal to lose another 40 pounds in the next 3-4 months. I have done this before, so I know I will do it again. This weekend I made good eating choices, and I am feeling really good about those decisions.

Full Throttle - Day 222

This morning's workout was a good one. It was a recovery workout after a couple really tough workouts this week. The workout consisted of a 10 minute warmup, which included overhead squats, shoulder dislocates using pvc, pvc Romanian deadlifts, and walk out to plank. The workout then consisted of 5 workouts, each done in 4 rounds at 50 seconds with 10 seconds between each, totalling 20 minutes. The exercises were body weight squats, pushups, side planks, reverse lunges, and planks. I still love the feeling I get after completing a good workout.
Today I started my journey of healthy eating again. I even went to a party with tons of desserts and poor food options, but I made great choices. It helps that the people at the party are facebook friends and knew I had once again committed to eating healthy... I knew they were watching me (a couple of them even made a couple comments about it). That accountability is the very reason I have this blog and post things about my weight loss on facebook. Here is what I ate today:
2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, scrambled
lunch included salad and several meats
Dinner was turkey, ham, deviled eggs, and lots of broccoli.
I only drank water today.
This morning I weighed myself, and I weighed 274 pounds.

Full Throttle - Day 221

It has now been another week since I last posted on my blog. It amazes me how easy it is to not post on my blog. It is just as easy to make poor eating choices, and I am tired of making so many poor choices. I worked really hard for several months to lose weight and get myself in shape, and I do not want to gain that weight back. I am still working out at Full Throttle Athletics 3 days a week, but my eating has not been what it should be. I do not want to slip back into the unhealthy lifestyle that I have lived most of my life. I want to be healthy and proud of my body. I want to be strong and not always be trying to cover my fat with baggy clothes. Therefore, I am committing RIGHT NOW to making good food choices again. I will not wait one more week until after Thanksgiving. I will not wait 6 more weeks until after Christmas. I will begin again NOW. I still have 40-50 pounds to lose to get to the weight I would like to be. I will also weight myself weekly again (I have been afraid to step on a scale the last couple months out of fear of gaining weight), and I will post my weight on this blog each Friday, beginning with tomorrow. I am putting this in writing and putting this on facebook so that I have the accountability I need. That accountability was very important in my loss of 75 pounds, and I am certain that accountability will help take me where I need to go.

Full Throttle - Day 214

I am discovering that maintaining the proper eating habits has become the most difficult part of my transformation. For a few months I did not have much trouble eating healthy and making wise eating choices. However, the last few weeks I have founf myself making poor eating choices more and more. I want to get my mindset back to where it was a couple months ago in order to continue the weight loss. I know I can get there with hard work and lots of discipline.

Full Throttle - Day 214

I am discovering that maintaining the proper eating habits has become the most difficult part of my transformation. For a few months I did not have much trouble eating healthy and making wise eating choices. However, the last few weeks I have found myself making poor eating choices more and more. I want to get my mindset back to where it was a couple months ago in order to continue the weight loss. I know I can get there with hard work and lots of discipline.

Full Throttle - Day 214

This morning's workout was nice, and I am certainly still feeling the effects. However, this that I feel is a good feeling, not the kind of pain that makes it hard to walk, but the kind of ache that reminds me how hard I worked. I enjoy the feeling of knowing I pushed myself physically, and that there are physical results from that hard work.
I arrived at 5:45 this morning to do some strength training. This morning's strength training was kettlbell snatches. This morning's warmup was the same as Monday's wamrup... 10 overhead squats, jog to the road and back, 10 shoulder dislocates (with pvc pipe) continuous for 10 minutes. It was then followed by a workout consisted of 20 kettlebell swings, 10 pushups, 10 box jumps, and 10 deep body weight squats, repeated for 20 minutes. I was able to complete 6 rounds, and I did all of the pushups from my toes. A couple of the females in the group were doing pushups from their toes, so I knew I could not do them from my knees.
I can feel myself getting stronger and my endurance growing. Getting up at 5am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays has now become such a habit that it no longer hurts to get out of bed. I look forward to going and working out each of those mornings, and I love seeing the results.

Full Throttle - Day 212

I had some trouble sleeping last night, so 5am came very early this morning when it was time to get up and go workout. The good thing is that working out 3 days a week has become such a habit that I no longer lay in bed and argue with myself about getting up. Although it would still be easier to turn the alarm off and go back to sleep, I have found that it is not near as difficult to get up as it used to be.
This morning's workout was really tough (one of the toughest in awhile) but I felt so good about it when I was done. The warmup alone had me exhausted, but I loved that feeling. The warmup consisted of 10 overhead squats, run to the road (about 200 meters), and 10 body weight squats... this sequence repeated for 10 minutes. Once that "warmup" was done, the workout began. The workout was a 50/10 (50 seconds on and 10 seconds off) of 5 different exercises, and the sequence was completed 4 times... for a total of 20 minutes. The exercises were ring pushups, squats, mountain climbers, one arm kettlebell presses, and 2 handed kettlebell swings. The 10 seconds between exercises was just enough to get to the next station and get ready to begin the next exercise. After the 20 minutes, I was exhausted, but it felt so great.

Full Throttle - Day 211

Wow, I have not posted in quite some time. I am a bit disappointed in myself for not blogging, but I am realizing how dauting the task of blogging becomes when I go a few days without blogging. I am thankful for the friends and workout partners I have that I work out with who hold me accountable to blogging and repeatedly remind me that I need to blog.
I am still working out at Full Throttle Athletics, and I feel like I am in the best shape of my life. Over the last month I have decided I will be riding in a 150 mile bike ride in July with several others from Full Throttle Athletics. This is something that is both scary as well as exciting to me because it is such a huge goal, but I look forward to achieving something that I would have never even thought about attempting only a few months ago.
I plan to begin blogging daily again and I am hoping that my blog will continue to motivate me as well as motivate others.

Full Throttle - Day 172

Today was a day in which I felt very encouraged about my weight loss. For some reason today I had several people walk up to me and compliment me on my weight loss, and then I posted some pictures on facebook of me this weekend, and several people complimented me on those as well. This journey is tough, and some days it seems even tougher than others.
Days like today make me realize how much better I feel about myself for being disciplined and working hard. Days like this push me to keep going even when I sometimes want to quit. Days like this encourage me and remind me that others are watching me and want to see me succeed. Days like this remind me how far I have come in the last few months. Days like this make me proud of what I have accomplished. Days like this remind me of my goals. Days like this allow me to daydream about where I will be a few months from now. Days like this keep me going and motivate me.

Full Throttle - Day 171

This morning's workout consisted of 5 stations, and we completed 4 rounds, including 50 seconds per station with 10 seconds between stations. Lately the warmup has even felt like a workout. When the wamrup started I was moving a bit slow as my legs and hips were a bit tired and sore. After a couple minutes of the warmup I felt loose and by the time the warmup was over and the true workout started, I felt ready to go. The stations we completed this morning were side planks, ring pushups, kettlebell high pulls, spiderman crawls, and box jumps. When I first began this journey several months ago, I struggled with box jumps that were 1 foot high. I now can do 1 1/2 foot high box jumps with relative ease. The more I workout, the easier it gets to do more work and to push myself harder. The workout never gets easy, but that is because the easier it gets, the harder I must push myself. I have some goals that are very important to me, and I remind myself of those goals each time the workout gets tough.

Full Throttle - Day 170

Today I was pretty sore from the TSC and from yesterday's workout. My shoulders and arms are sore from Staurday, and my legs, abs, and glutes are sore from yesterday's workout. I like this kind of sore.

Full Throttle - Day 169

This morning was my first workout after the Tactical Strength Challenge, and I was a bit sore even before the workout began. I did not work on deadlifts before the workout this morning, as I am taking a week off from the deadlifts after the competition. This morning's workout was a bit different from what we normally do. It was not timed, but we completed a given number of reps of several exercises. We completed 50 prisoner squats, 50 pushups, 50 band rows, 50 knees to elbows, 100 spiderman crawls (50 per legs) and 100 walking lunges (50 per leg). This workout worked my legs and butt big time!!! I know I will be feeling it tomorrow.

Full Throttle - Days 167 and 168

This weekend was the Tactical Strength Challenge!!! It went great, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We started out with deadlifts, and the first weight I attempted was 325 pounds, which I pulled with no problems. The second weight I attempted was 365 pounds, which again I pulled with relatively no problems (355 pounds is the most I had ever pulled before). I felt good enough to attempt to pull 405 pounds, but I was unable to lift this weight. Although I was a little disappointed, I still was very excited with my effort in the deadlift, and I am pleased with the 365 pound pull. After completing the dealift portion of the TSC, we then did pullups. I was unable to do a pullup, but I have never in my life done a full pullup. My goal for the next TSC is to be able to do multiple pullups. After the pullups we did the kettlebell snatch portion, and the goal in this portion of the competition is to complete as many kettlebell snatches as possible in 5 minutes. I competed in the Novice Division, so I used a 16kg kettlebell for this, and I was able to successfully complete 106 snatches. My goal was to complete 100 snatches, so I am very pleased with 106. Today my shoulders and arms are quite sore from pushing myself, but the soreness almost feels like a badge of honor for competing so hard.
I am already looking forward to the next Tactical Strength Challenge in March/April 2010 and setting goals for then. I would like to deadlift 500 pounds, do multiple pullups and complete 100 snatches with a 24kg kettlebell. So, I will take it easy on the weights this week to give my body and muscles some time to rest a little and then I will start training to achieve my goals.
I am so thankful to BJ and Kori at Full Throttle Athletics for their training, encouragement, teaching, and belief in me. I truly am a different person now than I was 6 months ago... not just physically but mentally as well. My thought process about things I can accomplish is so different now from just a few months ago. As I watched other participants competing in the TSC this weekend I began thinking about the change in my attitude and mentality during this time period. Six months ago I never would have believed I would be competing in anything like this, and now I am not only competing but already looking forward to competing again. I am so excited about this change I am experiencing, and I look forward to even more change.

Full Throttle - Day 166

Today was the last day to train before the Tactical Strength Challenge. This morning I thought it might be possible we would take it light do to the competition tomorrow, but we certainly did not take it light. The workout today was tough, but I pushed myself really hard. We did 10 kettlebell swings, then 10 burpees, then ran to the road and back (approximately 200 meters), then 9 swings, 9 burpees, run, 8 swings, 8 burpees, run, and so on down to 1 swing, 1 burpee and run. There was a lot of running, but it was somewhat fun to try to push myself.
I am very excited about the Tactical Strength Challenge, but I also find myself getting a bit nervous. I am looking forward to seeing how I perform tomorrow.

Full Throttle - Day 165

Well, the Tactical Strength Challenge is only 2 days away. I am excited and a bit nervous about it. I have never competed in anything like this, so I am not exactly sure what to expect. The TSC consists of deadlifts, kettlebell snatches, and pullups. I am setting my goal for the deadlift to 375 pounds. I have not worked on the snatches quite as much, but as part of the competition I will complete as many snatches as I can in 5 minutes. I have never been able to do a pull-up, but I will certainly give it my best shot. I think this event will serve as a great benchmark, as I plan to compete in it again in 6 months. I am excited to see what I will do this week as well as the progress I will make in the next 6 months.

Full Throttle - Day 164

This morning I worked on some deadlifts again, focusing on technique to help me prepare for the Tactical Strength Challenge in only 3 short days. After working on my deadlifts for a few minutes, we had some more new exercises during our 6am bootcamp. The exercises consisted of 5 seperate exercises done for 50 seconds, then 10 second "break" to prepare for the next exercise... 4 rounds, totaling 20 minutes. Although I do not remember the names of most of these exercises, I will describe them. First was a half lunge in which you dont stand fully erect, but lunge up and down, then switch legs after 25 seconds. Next was an exercise using a band in which the band is under your feet and then held in front of you. You lift the band above your head, giving your arms and shoulders a healthy workout. The next exercise also used a band, in which you double the band up and put it under your feet, then pull up on the band, also working your arms. Next were jump squats... WOW, were those tough. Finally, the last exercise was a side plank, 25 seconds on each side. The workout was another great one.

Full Throttle - Day 162

This morning's workout seemed to be more difficult than usual. I found that I had a difficult time getting through the entire workout. It was the first time in a long time that I had to push myself that hard to keep going. I started out working on deadlifts and worked up to lifted 345 pounds. My legs could feel it as they got a great workout. We then did a 10 minutes warmup, and the workout began. Today's workout consisted of pushups with contra lateral toe touches, goblet squats, kettlebell swings, and a short run/jog for 20 minutes, as many rounds as possible. Each time I began the jogging part, my legs were really tired and I found it difficult to jog. Although it was a very difficult workout, I feel like it was very benficial.

Full Throttle - Days 151-161

I must admit, I am quite frustrated with myself for going 10 days without blogging. Once I miss one day, it is easier to miss the next day, and the snowball effect occurs. I have friends tell me they check my blog and have noticed I have not kept up these last few days, and I feel a bit of disappointment. I even almost stress about it at times because the task of catching up once I am behind is a bit overwhelming. The workouts this last week were amazing and different. They were fun because they were unique and new, and I had a blast with them. BJ inoorporated more resistance bands with the workouts, which worked new muscles in ways I was not used to. I am looking forward to the workouts this coming week. I am also preparing for the Tactical Strength Challenge, which I will be participating in next Saturday. I have a goal of deadlifting 400 pounds, and I am anxious and a bit nervous about it. I plan to blog each evening this week, and to make sure I maintain this blog daily.
Thank you to my friends who have encouraged me to continue blogging. I appreciate your persistence and accountability.

Full Throttle - Day 150

Wow, I am at day 150... it feels like a milestone. Since I worked out yesterday, it was a little tougher to get up at 5:00am two days in a row, but it was worthwhile. This morning I worked on kettlebell snatches for 8 minutes before the workout began, which are part of the Tactical Strength Challenge I am participating in later this month. The Tactical Strength Challenge consists of deadlifts, kettlebell snatches, and pullups. I still am not yet able to do a pullup, but I will certainly give it my best shot. I am hoping lots of friends and family will come out to watch me participate, and I know there will be video that I can share with people who do not live in the Dallas Area.
This morning's workout consisted of squats, mountain climbers, pushups, lateral hip bridge, and burpees.... 40 seconds each with a 20 second rest between for 4 rounds.
As always, the workout was tough and challenging.

Full Throttle - Day 149

This morning I met my friend, Mark, at a local park, and we worked out together. It was a really tough workout, but it was alot of fun to do something a little different. We did 10 "knees to elbows", 15 pullups (mine are modified with a jump), 20 pushups, 25 squats, and a short run... 3 rounds. My arms were exhausted when we were done, but it was totally worthwhile. Now I am ready to get back to Full Throttle Athletics tomorrow morning.

Full Throttle - Day 148

Today is Labor Day, and we did not have bootcamp today. It felt strange to have a Monday with no workout, but it was kinda nice to sleep a little later. However, my friend Mark (hi Mark, I know you are reading this) texted me and is planning a workout tomorrow morning. So, I will be getting up early tomorrow to meet him and workout... I am excited to see what he has in store.

Full Throttle - Days 146 and 147

This weekend I spent some time with family that I have not seen in a couple months. They all saw me in June, but all commented on how different I look even since June. It always feels so good to be complimented. One of my cousins told me how different my face and legs looked... funny how open and honest they are when they have been drinking. It always feels nice to be complimented on my transformation, but I know I still have a long way to go.

Full Throttle - Day 145

Another amazing workout today. I started out with more deadlifts, and I am getting more and more anxious about the Tactical Strength Challenge on September 26... only 3 weeks away. I really want to be able to deadlift 400 pounds, and I know I will have to train hard for the next 3 weeks to get there. After deadlifts, the workout started. Today we did lunges, bicycles, prison squats, planks, and kettlebell deadlifts... 4 total rounds.
Today at work we had a huge lunch with all the employees. It was interesting because I noticed everyone was watching what I was eating and making comments on my healthy eating choices. I realize more and more how many people are watching me and seeing what I do and eat. The accountability is nice.

Full Throttle - Day 144

Those who know me know that I am not really much of a fan of attention. However, I am noticing more and more that people who know me always want to tell other people how much weight I have lost. Although I do love the positive feedback, it still feels uncomfortable when I get that attention. I am also still unsure because I feel like I still have so far to go, and the attention is a bit uncomfortable. I am very proud of my accomplishments to this point, but I still have a long way to go. I know that in a few months I will be much closer to my ultimate goal. I have no particular weight goal, but I want to weigh under 230 pounds and be proud of my body when looking in the mirror. I look forward to getting to that point.

Full Throttle - Day 143

This morning's workout was another intense workout. I did more deadlifts for about 10 minutes, and then the workout began. The workout was consisted of 5 different exercises each done for 50 seconds with a 10 second transition to the next exercise.... 5 rounds. So, it is basically a 20 minute solid workout. The exrecises consisted of Kettlebell swings, pushups, squats, planks, and mountain climbers. It was tough, but such a great feeling after being done.

Full Throttle - Day 142

I am getting excited because in less than 4 weeks I am participating in a Tactical Strength Challenge, in which I will be deadlifting. For the next few weeks my training will be intensified, and I will push myself to do something I would have never thought possible. My deadlift goal is 400 pounds. I will totally trust my trainer, BJ, and what he tells me to do in order to be able to accomplish my goal. I am so excited to see how far I can push myself.

Full Throttle - Day 141

This morning's workout was awesome, yet again. Today I worked on deadlifts for about 10 minutes before the workout began. Today's workout was an AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible). I used to despise the AMRAP workouts, but now I really like them because I feel like I push myself harder when we do these. Today we did 5 pushups (I did full pushups the entire time today), 10 ring rows, 15 squats and then a short run of about 200 meters. I completed 8 rounds, which means I did 40 pushups, 80 ring rows, 120 squats, and ran about a mile... all in 20 minutes. It feels so good to be able to complete these workouts that would have been impossible for me to complete just a few months ago. I am loving Full Throttle Athletics.

Full Throttle - Day 136

Today's workout was great. I started with deadlifts again and got up to 265 pounds. I love when the weight gets higher on the deadlifts. I am looking forward to the days I can lift 350 pounds as a typical workout. After the deadlifts we started the bootcamp workout. Today consisted of 10 ring rows, 15 pushups, 20 kettlebell swings, repeated as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes, and I completed 9 rounds. I felt like my arms were going to fall off about halfway through the workout. I am now able to do full pushups for the first couple rounds. When I first began I could not do 1 full pushup. I love seeing the progress.

Full Throttle - Day 135

It is funny how I have gotten so used to getting up at 5am to workout 3 days a week. I have discovered that nowadays I seem more tired on the day that I sleep until 6:30 or 7:00am without a workout. I love the feeling of getting to work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (the days I workout) full of energy and knowing I have already been awake for 3 1/2 hours. However, on days like today, I seem to drag in to work tired. How did I do this everyday? Since beginning this journey I see so many results beyond anything a mirror or scale can tell me.

Full Throttle - Day 134

This morning's training was tough but I felt like I got in a really good workout. We did 50 seconds of workouts, then 10 second "break." The term "break" is used very loosely because those 10 seconds are barely enough time to switch to the next exercise. With going 20 minutes straight with no break, it can be a lot of work. But, I love the feeling of pushing myself and the feeling of doing more than I think I can do.
I took the day off work to spend the day with my kids on their last day of summer break. We had a really good time, and it is so great to have the energy to keep up with them now.

Full Throttle - Days 130-133

This weekend I went out of town. I find it most difficult to follow a healthy eating regime when out of town. The temptations seem to be stronger, and the opportunities to give in to them seem more available. For some reason my body does not take a break just because I do. I did not eat as healthy as I should have, but I still tried to limit eating too poorly. I plan to get back to eating very well this week as I am ready to see the weight really start falling off again.
Thanks Mark for holding me accountable and encouragining me to blog.

Full Throttle - Day 129

Today I saw a cousin that I have not seen in about 5-6 months. He had no idea I had been working out and losing weight, so seeing his reaction when he saw me was awesome. He told me several times how much weight I have lost, and it was very encouraging. With this blog and posting my progress on facebook, I feel like so many people are aware that I am trying to lose weight. So, when someone who does not know about my transformation sees me, it is always very encouraging.

Full Throttle - Days 120-128

Wow, missing one day of blogging can easily become 2 days, then 3 days, then 9 days. I think about blogging regularly, but I have found it is easier and easier not to blog with each passing day. I am thankful for accountability from those who encourage me to blog daily and chronicle my journey. I guess this is a lesson I can learn with any habit in life. With each passing day of not doing something, it becomes easier and easier to not do it the following day. This journey takes such constant focus and determination, and it is a bit scary how easily it could be derailed. I ask that anyone who reads this and notices I have not blogged for a day or two to call me out on it and ask me about it (Mark I know you will).
So, here are a couple things that have happened in the last 9 days:
The scale was not indicating much weight loss for a couple weeks, which became very frustrating to me. However, my measurements were still going down. Well, this last week I weighed 7 pounds less than I had 2 weeks previously, so that was a great sign. I have now officially lost a total of 53 pounds since beginning my training at Full Throttle Athletics, and 70 pounds overall since December 2008.
Second, I have been playing softball for several years and have been out of shape the entire time I have been playing. Well, this season I have really looked forward to getting on base and running the bases. I feel like I am faster than I have ever been and I am certainly in much better shape, so running the bases is so much fun. Well, on Monday night I did something I have never done before. I hit an inside the park homerun (no errors). When I hit the ball, it went over the centerfielder's head, and I knew I was going for it. I felt like I ran faster than I can ever remember running, and I rounded the bases as fast as I could. I was safe at home, and the best part was that I was not even breathing hard. A few months ago, I would have had to stop and take a break at second base.
These small accomplishments are what keep me going. I am excited to continue seeing more and more successes as my journey continues.

Full Throttle - Days 117 - 119

This weekend I was out of town most of the weekend, but I was able to still eat healthy. It can be a challenge when I am not at home and not able to eat what we have at home, but I try to maintain my discipline, and I am usually able to find something to I can eat in most places. I seem to have the most difficult time drinking enough water when I am not at home. When home, I have several bottles of water in the refridgerator all the time, so I can be drinking water almost all day. Although I was not home this weekend, I still was able to do well with the food choices I made.

Full Throttle - Day 116

So, I am discovering in having a blog that I go through periods when I feel like I just don't have much to write about. I am trying to come up with something to write about that involves my transformation and is also interesting. So, I have dedided to talk about this blog and it's importance to me. I am realizing more and more that there probably are not a whole lot of people that actually read my blog on a regular basis, so it is becoming more of a personal journal that I look forward to reading back once my transformation is more complete. I enjoy now looking back at some of my first posts, and I know a few months from now I will enjoy looking back at these recent posts. Also, the blog is a form of daily discipline that helps keep me accountable. I truly believe blogging is an important part of my physcal tranformation.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - 22 almonds, whey protein drink with milled flax seed
1:00pm - grilled chicken breasts
6:45pm - small steak, grilled chicken, smoked sausage, salad

Full Throttle - Day 115

This morning's workout was another great workout. These hot days with lots of humidity have me sweating before the training even begins. It is funny that more sweat makes me feel like I am working harder, so I kinda like working out in the heat. This morning I did kettlebell snatches instead of deadlifts before the training to try to get the technique down. The training then consisted of 5 exercises for 45 seconds followed by 15 seconds of rest (which is really just enough time to prepare for the next exercise) for 4 rounds. The exercises were goblet squats, planks with contra-lateral toe touches, kettlebell swings, hip raises, burpees. What a tough workout, but it felt great when I was done.

Full Throttle - Day 114

I have a goal to not use the words, "I can't" about anything, especially about physical fitness. 4 months ago I would have said "I can't" about the things I do almost on a daily basis now. I also try to encourage my kids not to say, "I can't." I truly believe we can do things that we never thought possible if we work hard and put our minds to it.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal replacement Drink
9:45am - 22 almonds
12:45pm - salad with ground beef
3:45pm - almonds, apple
6:45pm - 10 strawberries
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 113

This morning's training was as good as ever. I did some deadlift work and was able to push myself to do more weight than I have ever done. After the deadlifts today's training consisted of 4 circuits, completed 5 times total. The circuits were for a total of 45 seconds with 15 seconds to transition to the next circuit. After each round we had a 1 minute rest period. The exercises we did today were kettlebell swings, pushups, box jumps, and ring rows. It was a great workout, and I felt so good after it was complete.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:00am - 22 almonds
1:00pm - 2 chicken breasts
4:00pm - 1 apple, 22 almonds, whey protein drink
8:30pm - smoked sausage and broccoli
I drank over 200 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Days 103 - 112

I can make all kinds of excuses as to why I have not blogged in over a week, but all they are is excuses. I have learned that blogging daily is as important in this transformation as the exercise and diet. When I stop blogging, it becomes easier to make poor choices in my eating. I have been busy, going through some difficult times, but still must remain disciplined in all aspects in order to continue my transformation. Thankfully I have people to hold me accountable and make sure I am blogging, and I have people who are there to support me. I will get back on track, and I will continue to blog daily.

Full Throttle - Day 102

Lately I have been feeling a great deal of encouragment in my weight loss. It feels so good when people notice and point out to me that they can tell I am losing weight. It drives me to continue this transformation to know so many people are pulling for me to do this. The encouragment is such a great feeling. I don't want to let anyone down, including myself, so I continue pushing on. I feel like BJ and Kori at Full Throttle Athletics have given me such an amazing gift by training me and taking so much time to help me with my diet and answer all of my questions. They are patient with me, but they push me to do better. I could not ask for 2 better people to train me and help me transform my body and my lifestyle. I am so thankful I found them.
Here is what I ate today:
7:15am - 10 strawberries
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
11:00am - 22 almonds
1:30pm - chicken breast, 4 cups of spinach
4:00pm - 22 almonds
6:30pm - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with sausage, green chiles, mushrooms, and spinach
I drank over 150 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 101

Well, today begins the next 100 days of my transformation. I am so excited to start this new chapter. I feel like in the first 100 days I proved to myself that I can do something I never expected to be able to do and to stick with something long enough to make it a true habit. This chapter will involve more personal growth and building strength as well as losing fat. I hope to have most of my fat gone in the next 100 days and be working on getting even stronger. I am excited about this next stage of my transformation.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - 4 strawberries
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - 22 almonds, Whey Protein Drink
1:00pm - 2 chicken breasts, spinach
6:15pm - 10 strawberries
7:30pm - 2 chicken breasts, 6 small shrimp
I drank over 200 ounces of water today.

Full Throttle - Day 100

Wow, I cannot believe I am at day 100 at Full Throttle Athletics. What a different person I am now from who I was 100 days ago.
100 days ago food and exercise had total different meanings to me.
100 days ago training was something I thought only crazy athletes did.
100 days ago I was fat and so out of shape it was sad.
100 days ago I was headed towards years of unhealthy consequences to my lifestlye.
100 days ago I had no idea how good it would feel to have so much energy.
100 days ago drinking a coke was more than a once or twice a day occurence.
100 days ago I had only the desire to lose weight and lacked the discipline.
100 days ago I only dreamed of seeing the results that I now see.
100 days ago I never thought getting up at 5:00am 3 days a week would be so easy.
100 days ago I never imagined the importance of friendship and accountability to a healthy lifestyle.
100 days ago I weighed almost 50 pounds more than now.
100 days ago I was unhappy with my physical appearance but unwilling to do the work change it.
100 days ago I was the first person to say, "I can't."
100 days ago I was the last person to say, "I can."
100 days ago I started to change.
100 days ago I finally decided to show up and start working out.
100 days ago I nearly passed out 10 minutes in to working out (ok, 5 minutes)
100 days ago was the beginning of a lifelong transformation for me.
100 days from now I will be changed even more.
100 days from now I will be in even better shape.
100 days from now I will be fully proud of my body.
100 days from now I will be an inspiration to others who say "I can't."
100 days from now I will continue to encourage others that they can also do what I have done.
100 days from now I will not stop and be satisfied with where I am.
100 days from now I will be wearing even smaller clothes than now.
100 days from now I will use my story to change lives.
I am ready for 100 more days.... and then 100 more

Full Throttle - Day 99

This morning's training was yet again extremely difficult, but yet again I feel so great when I am done. I started out with deadlifts as I do every morning. However, this time when BJ wrote on the board exactly what I'd be doing, I was surprised to not only see the number of reps so high, but also the weight was higher than I have ever attempted. I did several weights but built up to 285 pounds, and I did 5 reps at 285 pounds. I had never attempted more than 265 pounds, so I was not sure how I would do. I am participating in a Tactical Strength Challenge in September, and my goal is to deadlift at least 315 pounds. After the deadlifting, the workout began. We did 15 squats, 10 pushups, 15 kettlebell swings, and then 10 box jumps. We did as many rounds as possible for 20 minutes, and I was able to complete 8 rounds. So, in 20 minutes I completed 120 squats, 80 pushups, 120 kettlebell swings (using 2 kettlebells), and 80 box jumps. I felt so good when I was done. I then decided this evening to go back to Full Throttle Athletics and pull a weighted sled. I did some arm exercises with the sled as well as some walking and running with the sled. In total I pulled the sled about 1 mile.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - 5 strawberries
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
12:30pm - chicken breast
3:30pm - 22 almonds
6:30pm - chicken breasts with turkey
I drank over 200 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Days 94-98

I have not posted in several days, but I am making the commitment to get back to posting daily. These blog posts help keep me accountable and help me follow my progress. Below is a video of me explaining my experience so far at Full Throttle Athletics.

Full Throttle - Day 93

Throughout this process I have realized that I have been very observant of other people and body types. I look around at other people, actors on tv and movies, athletes, and all kinds of others and imagine that one day I will be built like those guys. I love imagining what I will look like once I have completed my transformation. Will I have big muscles? Will I be lean? Will I still have some fat rolls? Will I have lots of extra skin? All of these are things I wonder about, and I cannot wait to see which one is accurate... possibly a touch of all of them. I love daydreaming and imagining what I will look like.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:45am - 22 almonds
1:30pm - 4 slices of ham wrapped in 2 large lettuce leaves
4:15pm - raw spinach
6:30pm - salad with ranch dressing, small piece of smoked sausage, bacon wrapped chicken
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 92

This morning I went to weigh-in before beginning my workout, and I have lost 9.5 pounds in the last 10 days... what an amazing feeling!!! I feel like the weight is really coming off lately, and I am continuing to work hard. Today was also the 3 month mark of beginning my training at Full Throttle Athletics. In the 3 months at Full Throttle, I have lost 46 pounds and gained a ton of muscle. I also took some more pictures of myself without a shirt, but I will not post those for a few more months. I am still embarassed to be seen without my shirt on, but in a few months I think I will be confident enough to show the pictures. This morning's training consisted of 10 pushups, 10 pullups, 10 kettlebell swings, over and over as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. It was a tough workout, and I was able to complete 10 rounds.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - 22 almonds, whey protein drink
2:00pm - smoked catfish filet, spinach
6:30pm - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with spinach
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Days 86 - 91

I have been away from a computer for the past few days working at a convention for work, so I have been unable to blog. The convention was an exciting experience for me because I saw lots of people who have not seen me in several months. It felt so nice to get so many compliments, and I cannot wait to see some of these people again a few months from now when I am even smaller and in better shape. I have been working out at Full Throttle Athletics for 3 months, and I have experienced a huge transformation so far... I can only imagine how much more the change will be in three more months. I was also able to eat fairly healthy while staying in a hotel, which was a fear I had. I am excited to getting back to my routine and getting more pounds off and more muscle on.

Full Throttle - Day 85

This morning's training was good. I am not doing any deadlifts this week, but I am getting more and more excited about competing in a Tactical Strength Challenge on September 5. I am a little nervous because I have never done anything like that, but I am also very excited about doing it. My goal is to deadlift 315 pounds... I am so anxious to know if it is something I will be able to do. By this time next year my goal is to deadlift 500 pounds. The competition gives me something to really strive and work hard for, and I know deadlifting 315 pounds in September is an achievable goal. Today's training consisted of 15 overhead squats, 10 kettlebell swings, 5 kettlebell deadlifts, and then a 300 meter run... as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. I completed 5 3/4 rounds, and I feel like I worked really hard.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:45am - Whey Protein Drink, 22 almonds
2:00pm - smoked catfish filet, spinach
6:00pm - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with spinach and mushrooms.
I drank over 200 ounces of water today.

Full Throttle - Days 83 and 84

This weekend we went out of town for the weekend. I feel really good about the food choices I made when we had to eat out most meals. I feel like lately I have been really disciplined with my diet, and it is such a good feeling to know that I am eating well. It is also nice to no longer feel the guilt associated with eating unhealthy. As I continue to receive encouragment and see results, it makes it more and more worthwhile to continue my exercise and eating habits. I still find myself daydreaming about the results I will see in the next few months, and that also encourages me to keep going strong.

Full Throttle - Day 82

This morning's workout was incredible as always. I love getting to the point to where I feel so good after I am done working out. I feel like I am able to push myself more each time. This morning's training consisted of overhead squats, kettlebell swings, goblet squats, and pushups. We did each exercise for 20 seconds on, then 10 seconds off, 8 rounds, then moved on to the next exercise.
Here is what I had to eat today:
5:30am - Whey protein Drink (1/2 serving)
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:15am - 22 almonds, whey protein drink (1/2 serving)
1:00pm - smoked catfish, spinach
7:30pm - salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, flounder, broccoli
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 81

Today a little girl who's parents are good friends of mine saw me for the first time in a few months, and she said, "You look weird. You look different" and then she touched my face... as silly as it was, it made me feel so good to know that my physical changes are that obvious. Several people at work have made comments recently stating that they can really tell a difference. What I love about that is that they are all asking how I am doing it, and they are watching me all the time. So, I know I have to remain disciplined. I feel like lots of people want to see me succeed, and I do not want to let anyone down. I tell everyone I can about Full Throttle Athletics and how BJ and Kori give me advice, support, encouragement, and a good talkin-to when needed. I honestly could not have done this without BJ and Kori and the friends I have made at Full Throttle Athletics. However, I also know I still have a long way to go, and I will continue to work hard to keep losing weight and getting stronger.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - 22 almonds, whey protein drink
1:00pm - chicken, spinach
6:30pm - smoked sausage link
I drank over 150 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 80

I weighed myself this morning to see how much weight I lost in June. I lost a total of 22 pounds in June, and I have now lost 37 pounds total since beginning at Full Throttle Athletics on April 13. What an amazing month. I have worked really hard this month and tried to eat as well as I could, and I can see that is paid off. Today I went in at 5:45am for my deadlift training, in which I am doing a few more reps lately. After the deadlifts and warmups, our training consisted of circuits of 40 seconds with 20 second breaks between each one, and we did five rounds of the following: pushups, ring rows, hand to hand kettlebell swings, and squats. It was a great workout.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:45pm - 22 almonds
12:45pm - chicken breast
6:15pm - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with spinach and mushrooms
9:15pm - 2 cups of spinach
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 79

Today was a fairly downer day for me emotionally, and I was not hungry most of the day. My mind was preoccupied, and I just was not at all concerned about eating. So, I went most of the day before I finally ate something. However, I also walked 3 miles tonight.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
6:30pm - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, scrambled with spinach and mushrooms
8:30pm - small chicken breast, small smoked sausage link
I drank close to 200 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 78

This morning I felt really good when I went in to train at Full Throttle Athletics. I started out working on deadlifts and got to do more reps than usual, which made me happy. I just love working on deadlifts. Then, the boot camp started. We did 15 kettlebell swings, 10 box jumps, and 5 hindu pushups, over and over, as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) for 20 minutes. Usually when we do AMRAP I am not able to get as many rounds as some of the other guys who are in a lot better shape. However, today I made it my mission to keep up with those guys, and I was able to do it. I even did one more round than one of the guys, but I did not let him know I was keeping up with him, because I am sure he would have gone faster. I can tell my endurance has gotten so much better lately, and that feels good. I then had a softball game tonight and was also able to see how much more endurance than I used to have. I move quicker and have so much more energy, and I am not even halfway to my goal!!! I cant wait to see the results in a few months.
Here is what I had to eat today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - Whey Protein Drink, 22 almonds
1:30pm - chicken breast, 4 cups of spinach
4:15pm - 3 cups of spinach
7:30pm - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled
I drank over 150 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Days 76 and 77

This weekend was a full weekend, and we were out and about most of the weekend, so it was a bit more difficult to eat at times I prefer to eat. However, I still tried to follow as closely as I could to the food I should eat. I did eat some chips and queso at dinner, and I am feeling very guilty about it. I have been working so hard to make good choices with what I eat, and I am disappointed in myself. But, I did not eat too much, and I know I will make great eating choices all week. So, I look forward to another positive week with weight loss and muscle gain.

Full Throttle - Day 75

I lost 5-1/2 pounds this week and another inch off my waist!!!! I was so excited when I weighed in. These accomplishments I keep achieving feel so good. I have lost 35 pounds total since beginning at Full Throttle Athletics, and 52 pounds since December 3. I look forward to many more milestones ahead.
Here is what I ate:
5:15am - Whey Protein Drink -1/2 serving
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - 22 almonds
12:00pm - salad with spinach and vinaigrette dressing
3:00pm - Whey Protein Drink, spinach
6:00pm - chicken breast
I drank over 150 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 74

This evening I went to Full Throttle to pull a sled, and it was hot. But, the heat was not as bad as I had expected. I used almost only upper body strength to pull the sled, and got a great workout in for my arms. I did several different exercises that worked my arms and torso, and it felt good. I am getting to the point where I enjoy working out in some form or another every time. I am also noticing that I do not get winded doing basic everyday activities like I used to, such as walking upstairs, walking long distances, etc.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - almonds, spinach
1:30pm - smoked chicken, spinach
4:30pm - Whey protein drink, spinach
8:00pm - spinach
I drank over 200 ounces of water today.

Full Throttle - Day 73

This morning I got up nice and early and went to train, and I still go in 15 minutes early to work on some deadlifts. Each week the weight on the deadlifts increases, and today I did 245 pounds and will lift 255 on Friday. I really enjoy feeling like I am getting stronger, and each day I feel stronger. I am starting to be able to feel some muscles in my legs, arms and back for the first time, and I love it. This morning's workout consisted of pullups, pushups, squats, and burpees, 40 seconds of each, then a 20 second break... 5 rounds.
I am also being asked more and more often how I am losing the weight. I love that people are noticing the difference, and I love telling people about Full Throttle Athletics. I love showing people my blog when they ask what I am eating. I am loving this transformation. I am nowhere near where I want to be, but I am getting there.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:30am - almonds, whey protein drink
1:30pm - smoked catfish filet, 4 cups of spinach
4:30pm - almonds
8:30pm - chicken breast
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 72

Tonight I played racquetball with a friend. I had not played racquetball since colleger... almost 10 years. I was interested in knowing if I would do very well, but most of all I was interested in seeing how my fitness level was after over 2 months of training at Full Throttle Athletics. Well, I was a little rusty, but played better than I expected. AND I had tons of energy... I played hard for an hour and never even really got tired or broke a sweat. My friend even commented several times at how impressed he was with my fitness level. It felt good to play something fun and exercise for that long without getting too tired. My friend and I plan to try to play weekly.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, scrambled with spinach and mushrooms
10:30am - almonds
1:30pm - chicken breast, spinach
4:30pm - Whey protein drink, spinach
7:15pm - spinach
9:15pm - chicken breast
I drank about 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 71

This morning's training consisted of 10 minutes of Turkish getups, then 20 minutes of 10 pullups, 20 squats, 30 half kettlebell snatches, as many rounds as possible. It was a tough workout, but felt so good afterwards.
I am starting to have more and more people notice that I am losing weight. It is always such a nice compliment when someone notices that I am now smaller. I am just feeling so good about the transformation so far, but I know that I still have a long way to go. I find myself daydreaming about working out and daydreaming about achieving more results. It is exciting.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - 3 whole eggs, 4 eggs whites scrambled with mushrooms and spinach
10:30am - 22 almonds, 2 cups of raw spinach
1:30pm - smoked catfish, raw spinach
4:00pm - raw spinach
7:00pm - smoked chicken breast, 5 strawberries
I drank over 150 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Days 69 and 70

Saturday morning I got up and went to Full Throttle Athletics to pull a weighted sled. I pulled about 83 pounds forwards for about a mile. Then, I pulled it backwards, using a rowing type motion for about 1/4 mile, then pulled it backwards using my legs only for about 1/4 mile). I always feel so great when I pull the sled.
Then, Saturday afternoon was one of the greatest milestones I have experienced in this journey... I went upstairs to the closet of all my clothes that I had become too big for. I always kept them just in case I ever lost weight. Well, just in case happened, and all the clothes now fit!!!! I have about 20 "new" shirts, and several pairs of new pants!!! It was a great feeling. Also, a blue blazer that I have not worn since 2002 now fits!!! It is so exciting.
Here is what I ate this weekend:
Saturday:
10:30am - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with spinach and mushrooms
2:00pm - chicken breast
5:30pm - salad with bacon and chicken and ranch dressing
7:30pm - 2 pears
Sunday:
7:30am - 6 scrambled eggs with spinach
1:00pm - 12 oz steak, small amount of grilled chicken, small corn on the cob, salad with light vinaigrette dressing
5:00pm - chicekn breast folded in 3 large cabbage leaves

Full Throttle - Day 68

Well, I was weighed today, and I only lost 1.5 pounds. I was highly disappointed when I stepped on the scale and saw this small loss. However, we then did my measurements, all of them were down, and my waist was down 2 inches in the last 11 days!!! THAT was exciting. Today's workout was another intense workout, and I felt so good when we were done. We did 1 minute circuits of box jumps, slamming a weighted ball down, squats, and ring pulls... 5 rounds.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving)
7:30am - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, scrambled
10:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving)
1:00pm - Bowl of Broccoli and cheese soup, salad with ranch dressing
6:00pm - Chicken breast, spinach
I drank over 125 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 67

Tonight I went to Full Throttle Athletics and dragged a weighted sled again. I decided to put a little more weight on it, and it was difficult. I ended up with a toal weight of about 108 pounds that I dragged for a mile and a half. It was a great workout, and I felt great afterwards. Tomorrow morning is my official weigh-in, and like always, I am nervous about it. I have done so well these last few weeks, but I fear the number will ot be where I want it to be. I am really hoping I have lost about 4-5 pounds this week.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - Smoked sausage link
10:30am - 2 cups of spinach, 22 almonds
1:30pm - smoked catfish filet, 4 cups of spinach
4:30pm - Whey Protein Drink, 2 cups of spinach
8:00pm - small chicken breast, small steak, salad
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 66

I have this fear that one day I am going to oversleep and miss my morning workout, and this morning that almost came true. I slept right through my alarm clock, but woke up just in time to throw my clothes on and get to Full Throttle Athletics right at 6:00am. However, I go in 15 minutes early every before every training in order to do some deadlifts, so today I had to do the dealifts after the training. Deadlifts after working that hard were extra difficult, so I will try to make sure I get up on time from now on. Today's workout consisted of pushups for one minute, kettlebell sings for one minute, goblet squats for one minute, and some crazy toe touch from a pushup position that I found extra challenging for one minute, with a one minute break following. We went through this set 5 times. As always, it was a challenging training, but I just love the way I feel afterwards. See below for video.
Here is what I had to eat today:
7:45am - Smoked sausage
10:45am - Whey protein drink, spinach, almonds
1:45pm - Smoked chicken, raw spinach
4:45pm - Raw spinach
7:30pm - Grilled chicken breast
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 65

Today I asked BJ if I could go pull a weighted sled for about 20 minutes. So, I went to Full Throttle Athletics and was about to pull the sled when he asked if I wanted to pull a large tire instead. He said the tire weighed a little less than the sled I usually pulled, but it was a different feel. Sure enough, I thought the tire was more difficult to pull because there seemed to be much more resistance. I pulled the tire for 20 minutes at a distance of about 1 mile, and I felt like I had a great workout. I continue to find it amusing that I actually look forward to the training.
On another note, I have been doing very well with my eating choices in the last couple weeks. BJ gave me a piece of advice last week that has really stuck with me and helps keep me from giving in to the temptation of eating poorly. Before eating anything, I ask myself if eating the item will get me one step closer to my goal. If it does not get me any closer to my goal, then I do not eat it.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with mushrooms ad spinach
10:30am - 2 cups of raw spinach and 22 almonds
1:30pm - Smoked catfish filet, 3 cups of raw spinach
4:30pm - Whey protein drink, 2 cups of raw spinach
9:00pm - Smoked sausage link
I drank over 150 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 64

This morning's workout consisted of lots of kettlebell swings... and then more kettlebell swings. We warmed up then did some one handed and 2 handed kettlebell swings. Then, the real workout started. We got a heavier bell, and did 20 swings in one minute. Once that minute was over, we started again and did 19, then so on all the way down to 10 swings... totalling 165 kettlebell swings in 10 minutes. It was intense, but I think the heavier bell helped my form a little more.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving)
7:30am - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites, scrambled with spinach
10:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving), 22 almonds, spinach
1:30pm - Salad with chicken breast, light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
4:30pm - Whey Protein Drink
7:00pm - 2 cups of spinach
9:00pm - smoked sausage link, spinach
I drank over 200 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Days 62 and 63

This weekend I faced a new challenge that I had not yet faced since I began my transformation... a large familygathering. In my family this means great times and LOTS of food... mostly food that is not good for me. I was able to eat several different meats as well as a small amount of fruit, but I did not eat in the evening. I know that not eating is not a good practice, but that was what I did. It felt nice to not feel any real temptation to eat all the foods that I usually eat and to totally avoid even looking at the dessert table. It was a busy weekend, and I found it difficult to eat at times, so I did not eat as much as I should have. Weekends can be difficult because there is no scheduled routine like I have on weekdays. Although I did not eat several small meals each day this weekend, I am glad that I did not make any poor choices as far as what I actually ate.
Here is what I ate this weekend:
Saturday:
8:30am - 4 eggs
11:15am - almonds
1:30pm - Smoked Sausage, brisket, and pulled pork (with no sauce), 5 apple slices
9:00pm - 5 strawberries
Sunday:
8:30am - 4 strawberries
11:30am - 2 hamburger patties, salad with light balsamic vinaigrette
9:00pm - 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with spinach and mushrooms

Full Throttle - Day 61

Well, I wieghed in this morning, and I have lost 4 pounds in the last week. So, in the last 2 weeks I have lost 12.5 pounds. That is such a great feeling because I have been working extra hard lately, and it is great to see those results. I still find myself getting anxious about the final results, but I know they will come. I have now lost 49 pounds since December 3 and 28 pounds since beginning at Full Throttle Athletics 2 months ago. I am very happy with 28 pounds in 2 months, but I know I can do even better. I am loving this.
Also, if you recall, 2 weeks ago I went to the Texas Rangers game and ate very poorly at the game. Tonight I went to the game again, but I made sure I would not eat poorly, and I did not eat poorly. Another milestone for me.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving)
7:30am - 2 eggs, 4 egg whites scrambled with ground beef
10:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving), 22 almonds
1:30pm - Salad with salami, balsamic vinaigrette dressing
7:00pm - Steak fajita salad with lettuce and steak only
10:30pm - 5 strawberries
I drank over 125 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 60

I have been trying to put in a little extra work lately to help my weight fall off even more and build my strength. I have been doing things like walking extra and trying to just be more active. Today I asked BJ if I could go to Full Throttle Athletics in the evening and drag a weighted sled for some more exercise. So, at about 6:45 I went in and did just that. I warmed up by doing Turkish Getups for about 10 minutes and then started dragging the sled. The original plan was for me to drag the sled for 20 minutes, but once the timer went off at 20 minutes I did not want to stop. So, I just kept going. I kept telling myself I was just going to go one more round, but then I wanted to keep going. I ended up dragging the 80 pound sled for almost 45 minutes at a distance of approximatly 2 miles. I felt so good when I was done.
Tomorrow morning is my weigh-in. I always get nervous that my weight won't reflect my work, but I know I worked really hard again this week, so the weight will take care of itself. I am hoping to reach a milestone weight tomorrow.
Here is what I ate today:
7:30am - Whey Protein Drink, 5 strawberries
10:30am - 22 almonds, apple
1:30pm - 4 oz chicken breast, 4 cups of raw spinach
4:45pm - 6 oz chicken breast
8:15pm - 3 eggs, scrambled with about 1/4lb of ground beef
I drank about 200 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 59

Today I experienced another milestone that I have been looking forward to. Seems like the milestones are piling up! As I have gotten bigger and bigger over about the last 5-6 years, I have steadily grown too large for more and more clothes. However, most of them were still in good shape, so I could never bring myself to throw them out. So, I started putting those clothes into an empty closet in our upstairs guest room. I always figured one day I'd lose the weight and be able to fit into the clothes, but instead I had just had to gradually add more clothes to that closet. Today as I was getting ready for work, I wondered if any of those clothes now fit me. I went upstairs and tried on one shirt that was still a bit too small. However, the second shirt I tried on did fit! It was one of my favorite shirts a few years ago, and I still love it. It feels so good to fit into clothes from that closet. I look forward to many more milestones to come.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving), 3 strawberries
7:30am - Smoked sausage link, 3 strawberries
10:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving), 22 almonds
1:00pm - Salad with romaine lettuce and spinach, egg, mushrooms, and grilled chicken with light vinaigrette dressing
4:00pm - Whey Protein Drink, 1 apple, 2 cups of spinach
8:15pm - 3 whole eggs, 6 egg whites scrambled with ground beef and mushrooms
I drank over 200 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 58

This evening I went to Full Throttle Athletics to do some extra work, and I took my kids. It was fun to have them see what I do, but I won't be making a ahbit of taking them there while I am doing some training. I was worried the whole time they were getting into stuff they were not supposed to get into. But they loved going and seeing some of the stuff I do. My youngest son came home and demonstrated the Turkish Get Up to my wife, and it was very amusing. I did 10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups as a warm up and then walked with the sled, both forward and backward, for a total of 20 minutes. I feel like it was a great extra bit of work to help build some muscle in my legs and help me to lose some weight. Now, off to bed since I will be up at 5am to go train some more.
Here is what I ate today:
7:00am - 2 whole scrambled eggs and 4 scrambled egg whites with mushrooms
10:ooam - Whey Protein Drink, 22 almonds
1:00pm - Smoked catfish filet, 4 cups of raw spinach
3:45pm - 22 Almonds, apple
6:30pm - Smoked chicken breast, salad with mushrooms and light vinaigrette dressing

Full Throttle - Day 57

This morning's training was again tough, but again so fulfilling. I questioned whether or not I would make it through the workout while I was doing it, but I knew I could not quit. It took me much longer to complete the sets than it took everyone else, but I do not mind that. I just wanted to finish, which I did!!!The "warmup" this morning had my heart pumping fast and had me breathing hard. Then, we worked on some Turkish getups for a few minutes before beginning the circuit training. My shirt already had a ton of sweat on it, and by the time I had completed the entire workout, my shirt was drenched... somehow this was like a badge of honor to me. I felt so good all day, knowing I had worked so hard this morning.
Also this morning BJ took my measurements again after taking them on Friday, and I had lost about an inch total just over the weekend. I am really looking forward to some more great results this week. I am doing really well with my eating, and I have had a new blast of motivation during the last week. I am loving this right now!
Here is what I had to eat today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (half serving), 5 strawberries
7:30am - Chicken breast
10:30am - Whey Protein Drink (half serving), 22 almonds
1:30pm - catfish filet, 3 cups of raw spinach
6:30pm - Scrambled eggs (3 whole, 6 whites) with ground beef and mushrooms
I drank over 150 ounces of water today.

Full Throttle - Days 55 and 56

This weekend I had another positive experience. I was able to wear another pair of shorts that have been in the tope of my closet for well over 2 years because they were too small. I am enjoying being able to fit into clothes that have not fit me in a long time. I have an entire closet full of clothes that have been too small for me for a long time, and in the next couple months I should be able to fit in all of them and hopefully even those clothes will become too large for me. This last 7 days I have worked REALLY hard on my diet with absolutely no "cheats." I have been able to maintain the proper mindset that has helped me not even feel tempted with foods I should not eat. My only struggle this weekend came with the timing of my eating. We were away from home most oif the weekend, and I took my food in a cooler so I could eat what I had planned to eat. However, fitting those meals into the schedule at the right time became a bit difficult. Sunday evening I was working my part-time job and could not eat for about a 4 hour period.
Here is what I had to eat this weekend:
Saturday:
6:45am - 5 scrambled eggs with spinach
9:45am - Whey Protein Drink, 22 almonds
1:30pm - 1/2 pound of roast beef sliced deli meat, 3 cups of raw spinach
5:30pm - Smoked Catfish filet, apple, 3 cups of raw spinach
Sunday:
9:00am - 6 scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach
12:30pm - 6 oz hamburged pattie with lettuce in place of buns, salad with balsamice vinaigrette
3:45pm - Whey protein drink, 22 almonds
5:15pm - 5 strawberries
9:30pm - 2 smoked sausage links

Full Throttle - Day 54

I weighed-in today, and I am down 8.5 pounds in the last week. I am now officially down 24 pounds since beginning my transformation at Full Throttle Athletics. I have been waiting for a big weight loss week like this! I am so excited to see such a large weight drop, and I look forward to more weight dropping off in the future. After "relapsing" a bit last weekend, I really buckled down and worked hard, and it paid off. I need to keep this momentum going and continue to follow my diet plan without straying from the plan.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving), 3 strawberries
7:15am - 4 scrambled eggs
11:00am - 1/4 lb of deli roast beef slices, 3 cups of spinach
2:00pm - Smoked catfish filet, salad with light raspberry vinaigrette
5:00pm - Whey Protein Drink, 1 serving of almonds (22 almonds)
9:00pm - grilled chicken breast and salad with light vinaigrette dressing

Full Throttle - Day 53

I feel like I am writing the same things over and over in this blog, but I really look forward to looking back on all of this in several months and remembering the feelings I felt, struggles I went through, mistakes I made, goals I set, and achievements I reached. This morning I weighed myself on my scale at home. I was so excited to see that I have now lost 43 pounds since December 3. In 6 months, I was able to shed 43 pounds!!! What excites me even more than that is that 6 months from now I hope to have lost much more than 40 more pounds. I have only been training at Full Throttle Athletics for less than 2 months, and I know the results will be amazing in a few months, once I have been training there for an extended period of time. Tomorrow morning is my official weekly weigh-in, and I am a bit nervous. After making poor eating choices last weekend and then buckling down and really eating healthy all week, I am curious to see what my weight has done in the last week. I look forward to reporting a good weight loss for the week on tomorrow's blog post.
Here is what I ate today:
7:00am - 6 scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach
10:00am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
1:15pm - smoked chicken breast, zucchini slices
4:00pm - Whey Protein Drink, 1/4 cup almonds
7:00pm - 4 scrambled eggs with ground beef, mushrooms, and spinach
You can see the serving amounts and nutritional breakdowns here.

Full Throttle - Day 52

This morning's training was great. I love the days when I leave and feel like I really got in a great workout. Of course I feel that way after every time we train, but some days I feel it is even tougher than other days. Today was one of those days that felt even tougher. I completed my deadlift training, then did warmups before the workout began. I find it amusing when I complete the warmups and realize that a few months ago I would have been so exhausted after the warmups. After jumping rope, doing some overhead squats and a new pushup type warmup, we got started on the workout. Today we completed 10 kettlebell snatches right handed, 10 snatches left handed, then 15 mountain climbers, and 10 squat thrusts, and then repeat this series for as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. I was able to complete 5 rounds in the 20 minute period. When this was complete I felt great. Although tired, it is such a good feeling to feel like I worked hard and got something out of it.
I have also been introduced by BJ to a new websit called fitday.com where I can track all of the dietary information on eveything I am eating. You can see my fitday profile here.
This is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (1/2 serving)
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink, 3 strawberries
10:30am - 4oz chicken breast, 1 cup of spinach
1:30pm - Salad with smoked chicken and light balsamic vinaigrette
4:30pm - Whey Protein Drink, 1/4 cup almonds
7:15pm - Smoked catfish filet, 2 cups of spinach with mushrooms and light raspberry vinaigrette

Full Throttle - Day 51

Well today I had a bit of a reality check. I realize that I am making too many excuses for making poor eating choices. I realized that this transformation will take constant and consistent discipline. I realized that one small mistake can lead to more small mistakes, which can lead to bigger mistakes, and I must STOP making small mistakes when it comes to my eating choices. I originally expected the exercise to be the most difficult part, but I am realizing that overcoming years of poor eating habits is much more difficult. I have lost 15 pounds through my first 50 days at Full Throttle Athletics. Although that is commendable, I have so much weight to lose, and I know that I can lose much more than that in the next 50 days. I am recommitting myself to doing this the right way, and I know that I will see results.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink, 5 strawberries
10:30am - 1/4 cup almonds
1:15pm - salad with smoked chicken and light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
3:30pm - 1/4 cup almonds
6:30pm - smoked catfish filet, 10 zucchini slices, 2 slices of dill pickles
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 50

Today was a good day. I am committed to eating healthy again, and I am excited to watch my progress throughout June. I had someone at work come to me yesterday and ask me how I have been losing weight. She said she wants to do what I am doing. I told her all about Full Throttle Athletics and directed her to this blog to see exactly what I have been doing. It was a great feeling to have someone notice that I have been losing weight and for her to ask me how I have been losing it. It also felt nice to be able to tell her and show her the healthy lifestyle I have been living, rather than being embarrassed about some fad diet. I was able to show her videos and she was able to see my diet and eating choices.
Today's training was great! I love going in early and doing a few deadlifts. After doing the deadlifts we did 6 minutes of jump roping and several stretches using pvc pipe as a warm up. Several weeks ago just doing that would have had me exhausted. Then, we did 10 pullups, 20 jump squats, and 30 kettlebell swings for 20 minutes, as many rounds as possible. This was the first time I have done jump squats, and those things were killer... BUT I loved them at the same time. I love seeing and feeling the muscles in my legs as they grow, and I know this will make them even stronger.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink, 4 strawberries
8:00am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:00am - 1/4 cup almonds
12:30pm - salad with smoked chicken, light blasamic vinaigrette dressing
3:00pm - Whey Protein Drink, pear
6:30pm - scrambled eggs with grounds beef, mushrooms, and spinach
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Days 48 and 49

Well, I learned a lot this weekend. I realized how easy it is to eat poorly repeatedly after making poor eating choices once. Friday night I ate poorly, and it made the decision to eat poorly easier on Saturday and Sunday. This weekend I feel like I "relapsed", and I realized how strong poor eating choices have a hold on me. I have always been a fan of unhealthy, great tasting foods, and I have always struggled with my weight. For most of the last two months I have been making much more healthy choices in the food that I eat. However, I am disappointed in myself this weekend. I still ate better this weekend than I would have eaten a few months ago, but I still feel guilty. On Saturday morning I was driving by a donut store, and my son told me he was hungry. At first I was only going to buy him some donuts, but then once I was in the store I decided to get me some donuts too. I felt so stupid because I was looking around hoping nobody would see me. Then, as I was paying for the donuts, I heard a voice say, "Is that Full Throttle approved?" I knew I was caught!!! Being caught was probably the best thing that could have happened because it made me realize how strong of a hold food can have on me. I also chatted with BJ at Full Throttle Athletics about it tonight. As he said, if I do not buckle down with my eating, I will just be spinning my wheels. My goals are much greater than only spinning my wheels. The reason I blog about my transformation and write about it on facebook is so I am able to have the accountability that I need. I know that this accountability is very important to my progress, and it is crucial to my success. I must make a plan for the week and follow it closely in order to be able to eat healthy. Without a plan it becomes too easy to make poor choices. As soon as I finish blogging this post I will write out my menu for the week. Although I am disappointed in myself, I will use this experience to help guide me to make wiser choices in the future.

Full Throttle - Day 47

This morning's training went really well. I overslept a bit and was unable to get there at 5:45am to do my deadlifts. So, I will go in tomorrow (Saturday) morning to work on my deadlifts. I ate pretty well in the morning, but I went to a Texas Rangers double header game and experienced my first all-you-can-eat buffet in quite some time. I am a bit disappointed in myself for making poor choices. I ate poorly and too much. I ate a couple hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and nachos. I know that I need to work harder.

Full Throttle - Day 46

Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
9:45am - 1/4 cup almonds
1:00pm - Salad with smoked chicken and light balsamic vinaigrette dressing
6:30pm - 2 filets of smoke catfish and half a smoked chicken breast
8:00pm - Diet Dr. Pepper

Full Throttle - Day 45

Today I struggled a little bit with my eating. I did not overeat, but I ate some things I knew that I should not eat. Eating healthy has always been a struggle for me, and I now get frustrated wth myself when I do so. I know that I did not make any huge mistakes, but I still feel bad when I don't eat the way I should. Here is what I ate today.
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
9:45am - 1/4 cup almonds
12:30pm - Salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and 1 fish taco
4:00pm - 1/4 cup almonds, whey protein drink
9:30pm - 2 bean burritos, Diet Dr. Pepper
I drank about 100 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 44

I am writing this three days later. I can remember what I ate, so I will post that:
7:45am - Apple and ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink
10:00am - 1/4 cup of almonds
12:30pm - Salad with smoked chicken and Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
3:30pm - 1/4 cup of almonds, whey protein drink
6:30pm - 6 Scrambled eggs with hamburger meat, spinach, and mushrooms and hot sauce
I drank over 100 ounces of water.

Full Throttle - Day 43

This morning I went in to Full Throttle Athletics early to start working on my deadlifts. I am still trying to get my form correct, and the proper form will make a huge difference in the amount of weight I am able to deadlift. It felt really good to do some deadlifts and imagine myself lifting so much more weight in a few months. I am really excited about the potential of lifting 500 pounds eventually. This morning's training consisted of a total of 40 deadlifts (I did 3 sets of 5 at a heavier weight before the bootcamp began and then 5 sets of 5 as part of the bootcamp), and then we did 3 rounds of 10 burpees (squat thrusts) with a jump at the end, 20 lunges, 30 squats, and a 400 meter jog. After working my legs so hard, the jog was somewhat difficult. Each time the jog began my leg muscles were very confused and it would take several steps before my legs did not feel like wet noodles. Once I was done with training I came home and did yard work. A couple months ago I would have been so tired I would have never been able to come home and do yardwork after doing so much physical exercise. I am already seeing so many benefits to my training at Full Throttle Athletics, and I know I will continue to see changes, both internally and externally.

Full Throttle - Days 39-42

I am finding it more and more difficult to sit down and blog every day. I will try to continue to do so, but if I am unable to blog daily I will at least blog every few days. BJ has mentioned a Tactical Strength Challenge in September to me several times, which would include deadlifts. During my training at Full Throttle Athletics I have grown to really enjoy deadlifts, and in the back of my mind I knew that the Tactical Strength Challenge would be something I wanted to participate in. I spoke with BJ about it a little, and I am now going to really start training for the deadlift portion of the Tactical Strength Training. I will be going in 15 minutes early each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings to train for this. Plus, the training we do at the bootcamp on those mornings are also great training. Click this link to see some highlights from the most recent Tactical Strength Challenge. I am excited about taking part in this challenge. I have set a personal goal to deadlift 315 pounds by September and to deadlift 500 pounds by this time next year.

Full Throttle - Day 38

Today my wife and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. I told myself today that this is the last time she will be celebrating an anniversary with a "fat guy." By this time next year I will be in much better shape and much stronger. I am excited about becoming healthier so that I can spend more time with her and our kids. I have an amazing family, and I am so glad they are so supportive of me and my transformation. I love showing my kids the videos of the 6am group training at Full Throttle Athletics. We watch them together, and they enjoy seeing me. Today my 6 year old told me that I look different from the others in the group because my belly and chest are bigger. It made me laugh because he was so honest, and I know that I am transforming my body. He loves watching me train and giving me some "tips" and then trying some of them himself. See below for video of today's training.
Today my schedule was a bit off, so I did not eat quite the way I should have. Here is what I had to eat today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (half serving) - 26 grams of protein
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink, 2 slices of roast beef deli meat - 40 grams of protein
1:00pm - Dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse with salad and various meats, including sirloin, chicken, and 2 small sausages.
8:30pm - 2 filets of smoked catfish - 40 grams of protein

Full Throttle - Day 37

I must say that BJ is an amazing trainer. He gives me so much more advice and encouragement than I ever would have expected before my transformation started. If I have a question, I know that I can go to him, and he will respond right away. If I have a concern, I know that I can go to him, and he will put me at ease. He knows what he is talking about, and he is very helpful. When I first started the Boot Camp at Full Throttle Athletics, I had no idea what to expect. My idea of a boot camp was some mean guy yelling over me and making me feel belittled the entire time I am working out. BJ is not like that at all. When we are training he walks around and gives tips, pointers, helps with form, and encourages us. I am by far the largest person in the 6am Boot Camp, but he is patient with me, and the entire group is so encouraging. I have never used any kind of personal trainer, and I am sure there are some great ones out there, but BJ is absolutely the kind of trainer I need. I am so excited to continue training with BJ at Full Throttle Athletics.
Here is what I had to eat today:
7:30am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink, apple - 35 grams of protein
10:00am - Whey Protein drink, 1/4 cup of almonds - 35 grams of protein
12:45pm - salad with smoked chicken and light balsamic vinaigrette dressing - 30 grams of protein
3:30pm - Whey Protein Drink, 1/4 cup of almonds - 35 grams of protein
6:30pm - Chicken breast sandwich on wheat bread - 45 grams of protein, diet coke
I drank over 100 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Day 36

This morning I woke up, and I was exhausted. I am thankful for the accountability of a group of people expecting me to be somewhere to train because that is what helped me get out of bed. On my way to Full Throttle Athletics this morning I was still feeling very sluggish and was worried that it would be more difficult for me to give my full effort while training. So I decided to stop by a convienence store and buy a low calorie enrgy drink in the small shot size. It made a dramatic difference because I suddenly had the enrgy to train harder than I had in awhile. Today's session was tough, but I felt pretty good throughout. I spoke to BJ about drinking an energy drink each morning before our training, so I plan to start doing that. 6am comes early each time I train at that time, and I feel like my fatigue has caused me to not be able to train as hard as I'd like, and I am hoping the energy drinks will help boost me. Today I felt good because I told several people about what we did this morning, and most of them had very stunned reactions like, "There is no way I could do that" or "I get tired just thinking about that." It made me feel good because 6 weeks ago I would have said the same thing, but now I know that I can do it. The warmups alone would have been considered a full workout for me 6 weeks ago.
Here is what I had to eat today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink (half serving) - 26 grams of protein
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Reaplacement Drink, about 10 blackberries - 35 grams of protein
10:00am - Whey Protein Drink (half serving), 1/4 cup of almonds - 35 grams of protein
1:30pm - 3 steak fajitas with cabbage leaves in place of tortillas, and gucamole - 50 grams of protein
4:00pm - Whey Protein Drink, 1/4 cup of almonds - 60 grams of protein
6:30pm - Filet of smoked catfish, 2 beef jerkey sticks - 30 grams of protein
I drank over 120 ounces of water

Full Throttle - Days 34 and 35

This weekend was a good weekend. My wife and I spent the weekend celebrating our anniversary. Although we went to several restaurants, I was very careful with what I ate. For lunch one day we went to Benihana, and I ate only a small amount of rice, along with chicken, and calmari cooked on the hibachi grill. Then for dinner at another restaurant I had scrambled eggs with hamburger meat, spinach, and mushrooms. As most weekends, it is more difficult to drink as much water as I drink during the week days when I am able to drink water all day while sitting at my desk.

Full Throttle - Day 33

Today I was weighed and measured. I have lost 3 pounds in the last week, and I have lost a couple inches. I am excited that my weight went down, but I was hoping for bigger results. Maybe I have watched The Biggest Loser too much, and I keep expecting to have one of those weeks in which I lose 10+ pounds. So far, it has just been slow and steady. This week I ate really healthy, and so I had hoped to really see some results. However, I am down 12 pounds and 7 inches in just over a month, and my waist is down about 2 inches. I am so excited that my weight and size keep dropping. My wife and I are celbrating our anniversary this weekend, so I am really having to remain disciplined as far as my diet is concerned. My goal is to lose 15 pounds per month for the next few months.
This morning's training was intense (as always). I love the feeling after a good, hard workout. The video below was taken during our training today.
I have gotten behind on my blogging, so I am actually typing this several days late. I followed the same eating routine as I have all week with several meals. However, I do not remember exactly what I ate.

Full Throttle - Day 32

Today something happened that I have been waiting for. We all have those clothes that we hang on to "just in case" we lose weight and need them someday. Well, today was that someday, at least for one pair of shorts. I was changing clothes this evening and put on some of my favorite shorts, which I purchased last summer. Unfortunately, those shorts were now too big, and they were practically falling off of me. So, I went to the top of my closet and figured I'd give my old shorts a try. I had not worn them in over a year because they had become too small. Well, they are no longer too small, and I was so excited to be able to wear those shorts. I have half a closet full of clothes I like that I have not been able to bring myself to part with, and I know that within the next couple months I will be able to wear them all. I am a bit nervous about tomorrow morning because my weight and measurements will be taken. I have worked SO hard this week, and I fear seeing no change. However, no matter what any of those measurements say, I am able to wear shorts that have not fit me in over a year. THAT excites me.
Here is what I ate today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink, several strawberries - 35 grams of protein
10:15am - 1/4 cup of almonds - 8 grams of protein
12:30pm - 3 steak fajitas with homemade guacamole using cabbage leaves in place of tortillas (surprisingly delicious!!!) - approx 80g of protein
4:00pm - Whey protein drink, pear, 1/4 cup of almonds - 60g of protein
6:15pm - 6 scrambled eggs - 36g of protein

Full Throttle - Day 31

Today's training was one of the most difficult yet. We did 10 pullups, 20 squats, and 30 new kind of kettlebell swings. After completeing this, we ran 400 meters. Then, we did it again... then again... then again... then again... as many times as possible in 30 minutes. It was unbelievable how difficult it was to run after working my legs so much. As I was training, I kept telling myself that good things will come if I work hard. If getting in shape and being healthy came easy, then everyone would do it. I know it is not easy, and I am reminded of this daily. However, I also know that the hard work will pay off, and eventually I will really see the benefits. I am already noticing that I have more stamina, and my legs feel stronger.
I am going to try to keep track of the number of grams of protein I eat in a day. I am having to do some research to try to figure out the amount of protein in each item I eat.
Here is what I ate today:
5:30am - Whey Protein Drink, about 10 blackberries - 52 grams of protein
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink - 35 grams of protein
10:00am - Several blackberries
12:30pm - 2 smoked sausages, smoked chicken breast - 40 grams of protein
3:45pm - Whey Protein Drink, about 1/4 cup of almonds, pear - about 75 grams of protein
6:30pm - 2 small smoked chicken breasts, several zuchinni slices - 50 grams of protein
I drank over 150 ounces of water today

Full Throttle - Day 30

Planning out your meals for the week sure does make things much easier. It makes my choices much easier and makes it much more difficult to give in to temptation. Although I had to make some slight changes to my "road map" it was easy to fill in the gaps where necessary.
Here is what I had to eat today:
7:45am - ProGrade Lean Meal Replacement Drink, several strawberries
10:15am - handful of almonds
12:30pm - Salad with smoked chicken breast and mushrooms, with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
3:45pm - handful of almonds, pear, and whey protein drink
6:45pm - Smoked catfish, 2 handfuls of spinach
I drank over 120 ounces of water today