Today's The Day...

So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...TODAY IS THE DAY!!!  I began my new weight loss plan this morning and have had, in my opinion, a very successful day!  This morning I had to work at new student orientation on campus, so I was up early.  The gym didn't open until 8 this morning, so I couldn't go before the orientation.  I had my oatmeal for breakfast, a turkey sandwich with fruit and cheese cubes for lunch, and then worked out this afternoon with my friends Eric and Leanna!  It's pretty awesome because since I decided to do this I have found other folks that want to do it as well, it's great to have a team of support and people that I can talk to and share recipes and success with.  For dinner I fixed chicken alfredo with whole grain pasta and broccoli and a mixed greens salad.  


So, let's talk about the gym.  I HATE WORKING OUT!  Haha.  I hate being all sweaty, I hate being sore after working out, and it's just not fun to me.  BUT, I MUST do it!  Working out was okay, I couldn't do as much as I wish I could.  The elliptical was fine, but the treadmill was too much.  I can walk fast on it, but running hurts my ankles and knees really bad.  I think I'll just have to stick to walking and using the elliptical until I lose some weight and build up my strength.  One thing about the gym that drives me crazy are the skinny folks.  Now, to all of my skinny friends out there, I love you.  But, to all the skinny people that come into the gym and look at us fat, sweaty, trying to not have a heart attack, and gasping for air folks with disgust, I do not want to have anything to do with you.  One of the big reasons I was always nervous about going to the gym (except for feeling like I was dying and losing 10% of my body weight in sweat from one work out) was the fear that people judged me for being all nasty and fat and trying to work out.  This year I decided that I don't really care what others think of me, especially when I'm in the gym trying to better myself.  But, all of that to say, if you are skinny, and you come into the gym, and you look at me with any kind of hate or disgust in your eyes, I will cause you bodily hard.  :-)  Just kidding!  But seriously...


Alright, so the moment you've all been waiting for:  my "Biggest Loser" pictures and my actual weight!

My Weight, as of January 11 is:

319 pounds

And now...the pictures.  I am really embarrassed by these and am even a little disgusted, I'll be honest.  BUT, I promised it and it is something I must do!

Well, that was embarrassing.  BUT, I cannot wait to see the pounds melt away!!!

So, with all of that said, my first weight loss goal will be 10% of what I weigh now:  31 pounds. That is almost the same as my goal to lose 35 pounds by graduation, so I hope to lose that 10%, plus some, by the time I graduate!

I will post my weight every week and post pictures every month!

Well, that's all for now, I'm tired.

Until Next Time...

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-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