Here We Go Week Three...

So, I updated earlier this morning about how last week wasn't the best week for the world of Tyler Loses It!  And...that is true, I definitely could have done better.


Today I went to the gym and did 3.5 miles on the elliptical and .75 miles on the treadmill.  It is getting easier for me to work out and I am finding that I enjoy that hour or so I spend in the gym each day.


I did weigh myself this afternoon while at the gym and the results are in...

My weight, as of January 25 is:

311 pounds

A loss of 2 pounds from last week!

I'm proud of that, seeing how I didn't end the week on a good note.

I have a few goals this week, here they are:

• Limit going out to eat.  This is something I really struggle with because it is so easy for my friends and I to go out to eat and enjoy a meal and each other's company.  It is also easier for me when I do go out to eat to overeat and not really be aware of the calories I am putting in my body.
• If I DO go out to eat...make better choices and eat less.  I tend to think ''Oh, I'm eating at a restaurant, I can order whatever I want and eat it all.''  NOT TRUE!  I still need to make wise choices AND only eat half of what I'm served.
• Continue working out on a daily basis.  I got a little lazy last week and missed a couple of days of working out, that's fine, but I want to try and go every day for at least an hour if possible.
• Reduce stress and anxiety using healthy tools.  Last week was very stressful for me, and when I am stressed or anxious I revert to what I know best and what is the most comforting to me:  food.  I have to do a better job of releasing stress through working out, talking, drawing, something that is healthy and doesn't kill my eating plan.  Yeah, a little cheat here and there is okay, but at the end of last week a mixture of stress, anger, and excitement about the weekend led to me eat, frankly, whatever the hell I wanted.  Not a good idea.
• Finally, limit ''liquid calories.''  I love soda and I love sweet tea...it hasn't been that hard for me to cut those things out, actually since I have stopped drinking them (I did have a diet soda last week and unsweetened tea, that I sweetened with Splenda, once) I am not having headaches and I feel better.  The main source of liquid calories in my life, as a college student, is alcohol.  Yes, I know, I promised you honesty...so here we go.  I really enjoy wine and beer...but do you know how many calories that crap has in it???  And I'm not necessarily talking about drinking the stuff to get drunk.  For example, when we went out to Mellow Mushroom in Asheville over the weekend I wanted a beer, the place has dozens of different options.  So I got a pint, and then a refill.  On top of my delicious calzone, I consumed hundreds of calories!  I need to reduce my ''liquid calorie'' intake.
• One more...update the blog daily, yeah, I sucked at that a little bit toward the end of last week, let's try harder this week, shall we?

So, those are the goals for week 3, say a little prayer, if you feel so inclined, that it goes well!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

The Health Effects of Obesity...

I thought it would be good to have a post today detailing the negative health effects of being overweight or obese (and yes, I am obese, extremely obese actually, which is determined by measuring one's BMI, now, my BMI is -----...actually, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out when I post that and my first weigh in!).  Many people have an idea of the effects obesity places on one's health, but they aren't really aware of how serious the issue is.  The list below is from Stanford Hospitals and Clinics and can be found at this link.  I highlighted the effects that I suffer from because, as I stated in my first post, one of my big goals with this blog is to be truly honest with you all and let you know who I am and what I'm going through.  After the list, I explain how some of these have impacted me throughout my life thus far.

Health Effects of Obesity

Obesity has a far-ranging negative effect on health. Each year obesity-related conditions cost over 100 billion dollars and cause an estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the US. The health effects associated with obesity include, but are not limited to, the following:

• high blood pressure - Additional fat tissue in the body needs oxygen and nutrients in order to live, which requires the blood vessels to circulate more blood to the fat tissue. This increases the workload of the heart because it must pump more blood through additional blood vessels. More circulating blood also means more pressure on the artery walls. Higher pressure on the artery walls increases the blood pressure. In addition, extra weight can raise the heart rate and reduce the body's ability to transport blood through the vessels.
• diabetes - Obesity is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes begins in adulthood. Obesity can cause resistance to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. When obesity causes insulin resistance, the blood sugar becomes elevated. Even moderate obesity dramatically increases the risk of diabetes.
• heart disease - Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is present 10 times more often in obese people compared to those who are not obese. Coronary artery disease is also more prevalent because fatty deposits build up in arteries that supply the heart. Narrowed arteries and reduced blood flow to the heart can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Blood clots can also form in narrowed arteries and cause a stroke.
• joint problems, including osteoarthritis - Obesity can affect the knees and hips because of the stress placed on the joints by extra weight. Joint replacement surgery, while commonly performed on damaged joints, may not be an advisable option for an obese person because the artificial joint has a higher risk of loosening and causing further damage.
• sleep apnea and respiratory problems - Sleep apnea, which causes people to stop breathing for brief periods, interrupts sleep throughout the night and causes sleepiness during the day. It also causes heavy snoring. Respiratory problems associated with obesity occur when added weight of the chest wall squeezes the lungs and causes restricted breathing. Sleep apnea is also associated with high blood pressure.
• cancer - In women, being overweight contributes to an increased risk for a variety of cancers including breast, colon, gallbladder, and uterus. Men who are overweight have a higher risk of colon and prostate cancers.
• metabolic syndrome - The National Cholesterol Education Program has identified metabolic syndrome as a complex risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome consists of six major components: abdominal obesity, elevated blood cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance with or without glucose intolerance, elevation of certain blood components that indicate inflammation, and elevation of certain clotting factors in the blood. In the US, approximately one-third of overweight or obese persons exhibit metabolic syndrome.
• psychosocial effects - In a culture where often the ideal of physical attractiveness is to be overly thin, people who are overweight or obese frequently suffer disadvantages. Overweight and obese persons are often blamed for their condition and may be considered to be lazy or weak-willed. It is not uncommon for overweight or obese conditions to result in persons having lower incomes or having fewer or no romantic relationships. Disapproval of overweight persons expressed by some individuals may progress to bias, discrimination, and even torment.

So, some of these effects haven't necessarily been pointed out by a doctor, but I am aware of how I am affected in these ways.  For example, I get headaches, a lot, like everyday with a migraine about once every couple of weeks.  They can be debilitating at times and make life a little more difficult.  Now, as I posted yesterday, I will be finding a doctor in the coming month to monitor my progress, and hopefully s/he can help with this headache issue, but I do think that they may be caused by high blood pressure.  On to the joint pain issue...I'm 21 and my legs, ankles, feet, and back all hurt, bad.  That's not a good sign and is another issue I have got to get healthier.  On the sleep apnea issue, I snore pretty badly and my sleep is never really "fulfilling," I wake up tired and am exhausted by about 6 p.m. every evening.  Finally, psychosocial effects can never truly be measured or observed like the others, but I am aware of the fact that I may get stared at, people may talk about how big I am, I may be an embarrassment to others around me, and I have low self esteem.  I have also always been picked on because of my weight, even while I've been in college (one would think that college-aged individuals would be past the need to harass others, but I guess I'm wrong).

This is just another set of reasons why I am embarking on this weight loss journey!

An Important Note about The Blog  -- Two things here:  1)  I encourage you all to share this information, along with my blog, with your family and friends.  I need all the support I can get AND want to be an inspiration to others (or some feel good crap like that :-P). And 2)  In the right sidebar of the blog, I will be posting different information and encourage you to check it out!  It includes some of my favorite links, the Blog Rolls I am listed on, my stat counter, AND my weekly goals.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Some of My Goals...

So, I thought I would go ahead and share some of my goals with you all as I begin to prepare for Monday!  I almost feel like a prisoner on death row...getting ready for my execution, and eating everything in sight until then.  And...I'm okay with that.  I have really been preparing myself mentally for this whole ''weight loss thing.''  I think that is something I have lacked in the past is a real intentional preparation for what is ahead.  I also think I will be able to keep these goals and see success because my semester is not going to be nearly as difficult as what I have done in the past -- it is my last one after all!


So, as I said, here are some of my goals...these are more long term or overall, I will have weekly goals too, starting next week.


GOALS

• Exercise, 1 hour each day, Monday - Friday -- Okay, this seems a little bit overwhelming, especially for a chubby kid that can barely walk up a flight of stairs.  BUT, I know that exercise is very important and plan on exercising at least an hour each day.  This will be mainly cardio, and I hope to add some light weight work after a few weeks.
• Walk at least half an hour every day, on top of the 1 hour per day exercise goal -- I also want to spend time walking, outside of the 1 hour of exercise per day.  I think it will be a good way for me to continue to keep myself active outside of my aerobic walking course that I am taking this semester, and the exercise that I plan on doing daily in the gym.  I can definitely spend more time being physically fit instead of sitting in front of the TV.
• Lose at least 2 pounds per week -- So, this is another goal that I feel is a little dangerous to give myself, but again, I feel it's important.  As I have learned over the past few weeks a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, SO, for me to lose 2 pounds a week, I have to consume 7,000 calories less than what I usually do.  With a combination of healthy eating (which will be a lower calorie diet) and exercising, I will be consuming less and burning more.
• Lose 35 pounds by graduation (May 17, 2010) -- Graduation is on Monday, May 17 2010.  That is 19 weeks away from when I start on Monday.  If I lose 2 pounds per week, for 19 weeks, I will have lost 38 pounds by graduation day!  Wow, what an amazing accomplishment!
• Reduce my BMI to somewhere within the "Normal weight" range -- One's BMI (Body Mass Index) is the measure of their body fat, based on weight and height.  The "Normal weight" range for BMI is 18.5-24.9.  For a person that is 5 foot 11 inches tall, like me, that translate to a weight of 136 pounds to 179 pounds.  Now, let's be honest folks, could you imagine what I would look like at 136 pounds?  I KNOW!  A crackhead, meth addict, and malnourished child.  SO, 136 is not what I'm going for.  I want my BMI to be within the healthy range, but I have no desire to be some skinny, tiny little person (no offense to my skinny, tiny little friends).
• There are also several other measure of ''ideal weight'' for a 21 year old, male, who is 5' 11" and weighs -------- (I'm not telling you yet!  You'll have to wait for Monday):  The "People's Choice Ideal Weight" for me is 244 pounds.  The "Metropolitan Life Table" range for a person with a large frame, such as me, is 164 to 188.  And, finally, the "Dr. BJ Devine Formula for Ideal Weight" says I should weight 166.
• Eat 3 meals a day plus 2 healthy snacks (one mid-morning, one mid-afternoon) -- This is one thing I have been thinking a lot about, how much I will eat and when.  I know that folks say the smaller 5 meals a day works.  BUT, I know me and I know that I really, really, really LOVE to eat. Haha.  Eating 3 healthy meals per day with 2 healthy snacks (for example:  Breakfast -- Oatmeal with bananas, Morning Snack -- Berries and Yogurt, Lunch -- Low Fat Chicken Salad on Whole Wheat Bread, Afternoon Snack -- Babybel cheese and whole wheat crackers, Dinner -- Grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and whole grain rice) will work much better for me.  Of course, this plan may need to be altered once I actually get to it.
• Watch less TV...mainly Food Network -- As I mentioned in my first post, I LOVE cooking and, therefore, really enjoy watching Food Network.  BUT, Food Network leads me to get hungry, crave ridiculously unhealthy recipes, and fall deeper and deeper in love with Paula Deen (and butter).  I MUST cut down on my Food Network obsession and replace it with a FIT-TV obsessions...okay, not really.  But it will be helpful to put down the remote and start walking or, oh I don't know, do homework or read or quite procrastinating on my work.
• Understand the emotional and psychological reasons behind why I eat -- Another issue that I am very well aware of is that I take part in emotional eating.  I always have...when I am tired, stressed, upset, have low self esteem, or depressed -- I EAT!  I think it will be vital for me to understand the emotional and psychological reasons for this type of eating and help to stop it.  It may be difficult for me to have to work through those feelings and NOT have food to fill in that gap.  BUT, I do think that a lot of my issues with self esteem and being depressed can be traced back to my weight and not be completely comfortable in my own body...losing weight should help with this!

Okay, I think those are enough of my goals for now.  I will be posting weekly goals on Mondays of each week, along with that weeks weigh in and my work out plan for that week!

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Until Next Time...

-Tyler

Well...Here We Go

So, I plan on beginning my new diet/exercise/weight loss plan on Monday!!!


I can't believe it's almost here.  This has been something that I have needed to do for a very long time, and I finally am.  I feel very very motivated and encouraged and KNOW that I can do this.  It won't be the first time I've tried to lose weight.  In high school I did Weight Watchers, which did work, and Atkins, which I hated.  I have also done the Cleveland County Shrinkdown since I've been in college and tried to lose weight several other times.  I'm not sure what happens...I think I get really overwhelmed, then I get stressed, then I start eating bad foods, then I quit going to the gym, and then it all falls apart.  Within a month.  SO, it will be different this time because I know I can do this and I will make it through the first month.


I will post my goals on the blog later and will start to do more updates as Monday gets closer.  But, for the time being, let me share some of my reasoning for doing a blog and letting the whole world see my weight AND what I hope to include in the blog over the coming months:

• ACCOUNTABILITY -- I feel that if I am keeping a blog and have people following my I will have a better chance of success.  If I have people watching me, keeping track of me, and pulling for me, then I know that I can do this (also, see GOAL SETTING).
• GOAL SETTING -- From past experience, AND from what I understand from researching weight loss success stories, people do the best when they write down their goals and have others see them.  If I just come up with a goal in my head ''I will exercise an hour a day this whole week," but don't write it down or tell it to others, then there is a better chance of me thinking, later on, "Oh, I didn't mean that, I meant 30 minutes a day."  Writing down my goals on a weekly, monthly, and longer range basis will help me in this endeavor.
• SHARING SUCCESSES AND FAILURES -- By sharing what goes right, and wrong, as I try to lose weight and be healthier, I hope to inspire others and gain encouragement.
• RECIPES -- For those of you who know me, I LOVE to cook.  It is one of my favorite things to do.  I love cooking for others and sharing meals with others as well.  Food has always been a very important part of my life, it has been a way for me to come together with others, have conversation, and form and maintain community.  Because of my love of cooking I plan to post healthier recipes that I find and ones that I develop for others to use.
• PICTURES -- So, this blog is really going to be "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of my weight loss journey.  Something that I feel will help is to share pictures, similar to what you see on the Biggest Loser.  I'm going to hate doing it and will be embarrassed to do it too, BUT, I must and I will.
• MY TRUE WEIGHT -- Another aspect of the blog that is going to be difficult for me is to post my true weight.  This has always been something I am uncomfortable with because I feel that I don't look my true weight, I feel that I look thinner.  Whenever I ask a person how much they think I weigh they always guess 50 pounds less than what I really do weigh.  But, for the blog and for my weight loss plan, I will post my true weight and weigh myself every week.

Again, I will post some more as Monday gets closer and I prepare for this crazy journey!

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Until Next Time...

-Tyler