207.8

Crap.  Not a great way to end the 19 day plan. 

Day 19 of 20 19 day plan - .4;  Total - (8.8)

207.4

When I planned my 20 day plan, I forgot that I might be out of town on the 20th day...  oops.  So, my 20 day plan has been reduced to a 19 day plan.  Down .8 this morning and definitely back in a groove.  Hoping that I can go to Las Vegas and, at the very least, come back around the same weight as when I leave.  So far off of today's goal weight that we won't even discuss.  But, feeling good this morning about turning this ship around.  Can I get to an even 10 lost over the 19 days by tomorrow morning?

Day 18 of 20 19 day plan - (.8);  Total - (9.2)

208.2

Down 1.6 pounds and, once again, at a new low!  October won't be what I had anticipated, but I should be able to hang on to a 5-6 pound weight loss.  Given my transgressions and my venture off course, I am actually pretty excited about that.  The great news is that I was able to re-focus slightly and lose 8.4 pounds in 17 days.  Maybe that little test of my willpower will end up being a great thing and bode well for my mental state when facing those temptations in the future.

Day 17 of 20 day plan - (1.6);  Total - (8.4)

209.8

Two steps forward, one step back.  I know you have heard this before.  But, I can usually tell when the weight is a true gain or when my body is just reacting to sodium, etc.  This weight will be gone tomorrow...  I think.  The encouraging news is that I stayed under 210!

Day 16 of 20 day plan - .8;  Total - (6.8)

I Am Not Sick!

Over the last week, two people have said that I look great and then followed that up by saying that they hoped it wasn't because I was sick and they hoped my weight loss was actually a planned thing.  Over the last few months, I had wondered if some of the people who ran in to me were wondering that same thing.  But, if they did, nobody spoke it out loud until recently. 

I laughed it off both times and assured these folks that I was indeed healthy and that all 100 plus pounds was by intent.  I get the question.  And, the question in and of itself doesn't bother me.  I understand that part of the reason is that, for most people, it is hard to grasp how someone can lose 104 pounds in nine months.  I know my previous struggles and it is sometimes hard for me to comprehend it myself.  Maybe it's even a little easier for people to accept their own struggles if they hang on to the belief that it can't possibly be done.  

But, it might simply be that having colon surgery three years ago because of diverticulitis tends to make folks wonder.  I lost a good amount of weight shortly before I was diagnosed with diverticulitis.  I will add that all of the pre-surgery weight I lost a few years ago was planned and was due to the things I was doing and not my health issues... though I will admit that 5-10 of those pounds were during my hospital stay and post-surgery diet.  I get these concerns and I get why it might make someone question that.

But, I do have one little problem with it.  I don't mind answering that question and letting people know that I haven't felt this good in almost 15 years and that I feel 35 again.  What I do mind is that I know there are a lot of folks I see that have the same question but never ask it.  That bothers me!  It bothers me that some people might assume that this is the only way fat Anthony could ever have lost the weight.  It bothers me that I can't set the record straight and tell them that I did this all on my own through hard work and life changes.  And, in case any of you haven't been paying attention, let me say this one more time.  I AM NOT SICK!  Hopefully, even though it has been asked, most of the people who see me don't actually think I look sick.  So, if you are reading this, do me a favor and pass it along. 

Should I care what all of these people think?  In the end, no.  I shouldn't spend time worrying about such trivial things.  And, it really doesn't bother me as much as it might sound.  I think I mostly want people to know that it doesn't take health issues to be successful.  I want them to share a positive message with those they talk to and not go around whispering that they think Anthony might be dying.  Here's to feeling great and losing weight without ever seeing the inside of a nasty hospital...

209.0

Down another .6 pounds... 104.0 total!  Two pounds to go over the next four days to make me a happy camper.

Day 15 of 20 day plan - (.6);  Total - (7.6)

209.6

Well, I think that somewhat proves my water retention theory.  Down 2.6 pounds and now at a new low of 209.6.  I need at least 1.6, though I am shooting for 2.6, by Sunday.

Day 14 of 20 day plan - (2.6);  Total - (7.0)

212.2... @#!^&% Mondays!

I think I may cry.  I wanted so badly to end the streak of bad Monday morning weigh-ins.  I have not had a Monday morning drop in weight since September 13.  I thought I did pretty well yesterday.  Probably a little too much salt.  Hopefully, I will see a quick drop and get in the 208 range quickly over the next few days.  With less than a week to go and my official monthly check-in moved up to October 31 rather than November 1, I need to lose at least 4 pounds by Sunday.  I absolutely have to lose at least 5 pounds this month for my mental well-being. 

Day 13 of 20 day plan - 2.4;  Total - (4.4)

209.8!

I know I keep saying "finally", but some of these numbers have seemed a lot harder to get to then others.  Especially recently.  Finally, under 210 pounds.  It has been at least 15 and probably about 16 years since I have been under 210.  Of course, I didn't get far enough under 210.  So, now I prepare for the inevitable Monday morning blues when I go back over 210. 

Day 12 of 20 day plan - (.4);  Total - (6.8)

210.2

Down another .8 and ever so close to breaking 210!  Off to Pueblo Mountain Park to see if I can lose .4 pounds today.  Not even close enough to my official Saturday goal to report.  Now, I am just scrambling to maybe get five pounds out of the month of October.

Day 11 of 20 day plan - (.8);  Total - (6.4)

211.0... A New Low... Finally!

Back in the pool this morning...  inspirational!  If you don't get the reference, refer to last night's post.  Down .8 pounds and glad to hit a new low after a lengthy lull... try saying that three times real fast.

Day 10 of 20 day plan - (.8);  Total - (5.6)

Not Much Of An Inspiration Lately

I should have never thought it.  I definitely should have never said it.  Over the last couple of weeks, I have told a few of my closest friends and family that, while I still planned to continue losing every extra pound I still carry and that I was still intent on getting to 200, I would be perfectly content living the rest of my life at around 210.  When I started this journey, I didn't like myself that much.  Now, I finally feel comfortable with where I am.  I finally feel good when I reach in the closet to figure out what I am going to wear.  I am content. 

I should have never said those words.  I talked to my sister, Gina, today and we talked about that very thing.  The problem with being content is that you tend to lose focus.  While I haven't fallen off enough to gain any of my weight back, I have hovered between 210 to 220 since September 4.  When you weigh over 300 pounds and feel like you are slowly dying, it is easy to find motivation.  When you feel 15 years younger at 212, that motivation is a lot harder to come by.

But, if I can't find an internal motivator that works like it did six months ago, then I think I have found an external one.  If you read this blog from the beginning, you will recall the ephiphany I had one night at Kohl's.  Well, today, while I was talking to my sister, I had my second ephiphany... albeit a little less moving than the original.  My sister uttered the words I have heard repeatedly over the last several months, "You are an inspiration".  I hear this all the time.  I am embarassed every time.  My brother, the very person who has inspired me since this started, said I have recently inspired him through a personal battle that he is going struggling with.  A friend told me last week, while on the verge of tears, that her husband found out he has diabetes and that I have inspired him to get to the gym and change his lifestyle.  Another friend I know basically through a prep basketball forum, recently said that he was trying to lose a few pounds and that I had "inspired" him.

I don't believe I should be anybody's inspiration.  And, as you well know, I don't even believe that what I have done could even flick that switch inside others to make similar changes.  I hope I am wrong.  Despite my feelings otherwise, I really hope it's possible that I can indeed inspire.  But, I haven't been too inspirational lately.  I haven't followed my commandments that I laid out a week or so ago.  I have eaten popcorn and drank soda EVERY day over the last couple of weeks!  I haven't lifted weights since the very first day that I started free weights.  I haven't been in the pool or up early in a couple of weeks.  Lately, I don't deserve to hear any praise that includes my name and the word "inspirational".  Lately, I haven't liked myself again. 

When I hung up with my sister, I realized that I really do want to be an inspiration.  It may sound arrogant, but so be it.  I wasn't the one who said it.  You said it.  So, if that's what you want or what you need, then I will try my hardest to oblige.  I would love nothing more than to inspire as many people as I can to make needed changes in their life.  So, I need to get my head out of my ass and start acting the part again.  Tonight, I start again.

Here's to being an "inspiration"...

211.8

Well, what do you know?  Despite more "taste tests" at work, I managed to show slightly more control yesterday and ended up losing another pound.

Day 9 of 20 day plan - (1.0);  Total - (4.8)

212.8

Hi, my name is Anthony Marinucci and I am a fat pig with absolutely no willpower and possibly no clue either.  Nice to meet you.

Up .2 after sampling every barbeque rib I could at work.  We were supposed to sample each of the three variations of ribs and give our preference.  But, I thought that I needed to sample 3-4 of each rib to fully know how I felt! 

Day 8 of 20 day plan - 0.2;  Total - (3.8)

Music Pass, Lower and Upper Sand Creek Lakes

Okay, I'm a little behind...

About a month ago, we headed towards the Westcliffe area with our friends, Steve and Maureen O'Dorisio, for a much anticipated hike over Music Pass.  I first heard of the trail when I saw photos on Kara Kochenberger's Facebook page of the Kochenberger family hiking it.  Kara was kind enough to provide the info and I immediately started researching it on the internet.  It looked awesome and I couldn't wait for the chance to hike it.  Our first planned outing ended up being postponed and by the time we finally made it up that four wheel drive road to the trailhead, I could hardly wait.

Not sure why I was anticipating this trail so much.  Maybe it was the name... I think Music Pass has a nice ring to it, pun intended.  Maybe it was Kara's photos that included a beautiful lake above timberline that reminded me a lot of Sky Pond.  Maybe it was all of the great articles I read on the internet describing this fantastic hike.  Maybe it was the company, because hiking and talking with the O'Dorisios makes a 10 mile hike seem like a stroll in the park.  Maybe it was stories I heard from Doug Naylon and Jeff Kochenberger describing how their families climbed the pass when they were growing up.  I'm not sure, but I looked forward to this hike as much as I did on Lori and I's first hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.

And, in the end, the hike, the company, the views, the lakes, and the peaks in the background, did not disappoint.  The end of our Sky Pond hike was incredible.  But, I think I enjoyed this hike from end to end more than any other hike we have done so far.  The views were simply awesome. 

The start of the hike is a climb to the summit of Music Pass.  The views in front of you, to the side of you, and behind you are stunning.  After reaching the summit, you head down the other side of the mountain down a pretty steep hill that you know you are going to hate on the return trip!  After reaching the bottom, we made the left turn towards Lower Sand Creek Lake.  That portion of the trail was a quiet and cool walk through the forest.  Eventually, you reach the prettier of the two lakes, Lower Sand Creek Lake.  The lake is stunning and sits below an imposing and equally stunning Tijeras Peak.

After a short rest and snack, we started back down to the main trail up to Upper Sand Creek Lake.  This climb is a little longer, but equally as nice.  Upper Sand Creek Lake, while not as pretty as the Lower Lake, is still quite beautiful.  We relaxed, ate lunch, and took in the views with that great feeling of knowing that it was all downhill from here... save for that little uphill jaunt I mentioned earlier.

That section of the trail that climbs back up Music Pass seems a lot longer going up than it seems when making your way down it.  By the time we got there, we had walked at least 8 miles and the climb went slowly and methodically.  Eventually, we summited Music Pass for the second time and felt that true sense of relief that it truly was all downhill from there.  After a little more than 10 miles and 8 hours of hiking, we were back in the truck and headed back down the bumpy road through beautiful aspens and on our way back home. 

Music Pass lived up to every expectation I had going in.  I highly recommend this hike to anyone looking for a great day hike.  Here's to Music Pass...

As always, click on any of the images below to enlarge.

Definitely click on the photo above to see the panorama!

 

212.6

A solid and encouraging 1.8 pound drop.  Despite not being very good over the last couple of weeks, I take solace in knowing that I am only 1.2 pounds higher than my lowest weight of 211.4 recorded on October 6.  Time to set a new low and finally get under 210.  I lost exactly 4 pounds over the last week. 

Day 7 of 20 day plan - (1.8);  Total - (4.0)

214.4 / 214.4

Up 1.8 pounds yesterday morning.  The same weight this morning.  Not even sure why I am keeping track of my plan below since I have not even come close to actually sticking to that plan!  I have had pizza, candy, popcorn, soda, chocolate, ice cream, and have exceeded my calorie goals on a couple of occasions.  Plus, while I have not had Mexican per se, I did make an incredible batch of salsa and have had chips with it!  So, that means the only commandments I have obeyed are exercising every day and not eating chicken wings or nuts.  Not good...

Day 5 of 20 day plan - 1.8;  Total - (2.2)
Day 6 of 20 day plan - no change;  Total - (2.2)

212.6

Down .6 this morning.  

Day 4 of 20 day plan - (.6);  Total - (4.0)

213.2

I can't say that I followed my 20 day plan guidelines yesterday.  But, you can't argue with the results!  Down .8 pounds and anxious to get to 210.

Day 3 of 20 day plan - (.8);  Total - (3.4)

Crap!

Not enough time to post!  Sorry. 

Tomorrow:  Music Pass, Upper and Lower Sand Creek Lakes

214.0

Despite Lori making chocolate chip cookies for her Bunko outing (couldn't she just make the requisite amount to satisfy her Bunko comrades and not leave a full plastic container at home?), I still managed to drop 2.2 pounds.  These cookies happen to be the best in the whole world by the way.  And, she added a peanut butter chip variation to the mix this time.  I wish I could say that those weren't as good as the original!  I didn't break any of my goals on my checklist... only because I conveniently forgot to include "Not eat any cookies" on that checklist.  Does a chocolate chip cookie count as breaking my "candy or chocolate" commandment?  Well, those cookies can be diet killers and are so addictive that it is hard to eat just one.  I would swear they are made with crack.  But, I managed to contain myself to a couple and with an excellent day still found myself well below my calorie goal.  Still, had I skipped the cookies all together, I may have found another .2 or .4 pounds [he thinks to himself managing to squelch all of the short-lived happiness after losing 2.2 pounds]. 

Day 2 of 20 day plan - (2.2);  Total - (2.6)

The Manitou Incline

A couple of months ago, while I was researching Waldo Canyon and other hikes in the Colorado Springs area, I came across references to The Manitou Incline trail.  I had heard of The Incline before.  But, I didn't know a whole lot about it.  I didn't realize that the trail was the same path that the original railway and incline went up and that I remembered seeing when wandering the streets as a teenager living in Manitou Springs.  I knew people used it to train.  But, I didn't realize the extent of it's popularity.  I knew that it was a straight mile-long climb up the mountain.  But, I never made the connection that it was that ugly straight-lined scar that you could see from the highway.

When we went to Waldo Canyon, we started talking about doing The Incline.  Our friends told us about the people they knew who did it regularly.  Lori and I talked about trying to do it by the end of the Summer.  Well, a couple of weeks ago, Lori suggested we do it.  I had half expected that we wouldn't be doing it until next Spring.  But, I happily agreed.  As I read about it more, I wasn't sure that Lori knew what she was getting us in to.  When I called my friend Joel a few days before we were planning to go, he told me how "hard" it was.  My friend Joel is not a recovering fat person like myself and has always been in great shape.  So, hearing him say that was cause for some concern. 

We took off Saturday for The Incline with our friend and fellow willing masochist, Kelly Brude... albeit a little later than our previous hikes.  We were under the false notion that it was late enough in the year that we wouldn't be fighting for a parking spot or find many other people on the trail.  Maybe it was because of the unusually beautiful weather for this time of year.  Maybe, this trail and area is simply always busy.  We got lucky finding a parking spot or we would have had a good walk just to get to the trailhead.  There were still plenty of people on The Incline.  In fact, there were enough folks that it made me think that it must be crazy crowded in the middle of the Summer. 

The short climb from the Barr Trail parking lot to the bottom of The Incline trail is enough to get you breathing hard... and possibly make you regret what you have just committed yourself to.  The Incline is about a mile long and climbs 2,000 feet.  It is a 45-50 degree climb up old railroad ties with varying degrees of difficulty including some steps that are closer to climbing than stepping.  While there is an element that is a test of one's stamina and strength, I think the climb is more a test of will and determination.  While there are people running or quickly walking up, mere mortals like us breathe heavily and slowly feel are legs turn to rubber.

Yes, it is still illegal to hike The Incline.  Good thing there is strength in numbers!

This photo doesn't do the climb justice.  Plus, the summit you see above is a false summit... not very nice if you ask me!

Yes, that speck on the left is Lori.

That parking lot below is where we started.  This isn't even quite halfway up.

Some of the trail is not as well maintained as other parts.

It was her idea... she couldn't quit after suggesting it!  So proud of you Lori!

And, yes, it was definitely worth it!  The views are incredible.  The feeling of accomplishment even more so.  After a short rest and a snack, we actually continued on another 200 feet up to the true summit and eventually met up with Barr Trail. 



The climb down Barr Trail is the best reward for your efforts.  After climbing 2,000 feet over one mile, the descent is a meandering 3.5 miles down.  As we were walking, a young couple ran past me.  I don't think they meant to motivate me.  I imagine they gave me little more thought than a simple "move out of our way old man so we can keep our pace".  Knowing that Lori had a friend that she could walk and talk with, I decided to give trail running a try of my own.  I ran about 90% of the way, slowing only to maneuver around other people on the trail and an occasional rest.  It felt great and I couldn't believe how fast I got down the mountain!

And, yes, while  it doesn't yet fit like I want it too, that is indeed an Under Armour shirt that I am wearing!  Men's Health magazine, here I come!

The next day, my body didn't think that running down was such a great idea.  My thighs, hamstrings and hips were sore and only got more soar as the day went on.  They still hurt today.  But, you know what I am going to say next... it's a good sore.  The Manitou Incline is a great challenge and a great hike.  I don't think I am going to be breaking any sub-30 minute records any time soon.  But, I know we will be back.  Great idea Lori!  Here's to my wife foolishly believing that we are more in shape than we actually are... 

216.2

First, let me say that my post was titled incorrectly yesterday.  I was actually 216.6, not 214.6... which explains why I called myself a big fat dummy.  Down only .4 today.  But, at least it's the right direction!

Day 1 of 20 day plan - (.4);  Total - (.4)

I Promised...

Well, I was working on photos tonight and I lost track of time.  But, I promised a nightly entry.  So here it is.  Still sore today from my trip up the Manitou Incline.  But, today was much better and I still kept my exercise streak alive the last two days despite hardly being able to walk!  Did great eating today...  good start to my 20 day plan. 

Tomorrow I get back to it with a string of three straight posts about recent hikes including the Incline.  Here's to getting back in to the swing of things and remembering why I was doing this in the first place...

216.6... BFD!!!!

Big Fat Dummy!  Okay, I have 20 days between now and when Lori and I got to Las Vegas.  While I have no reason to believe that I can be better over the next three weeks than I have been over the last three, that is the plan.  So here are my goals.  I would like to go 20 straight days and...

• Not drink any soda... that includes sips.
• Not eat popcorn... which I shouldn't be doing anyways.
• Not eat nuts... see above.
• Not eat any candy or chocolate.
• Not eat any ice cream.
• Not eat any pizza.
• Not eat any chicken wings.
• Not eat any Mexican food.
• Not exceed 1,500 calories.
• Exercise... the only thing I do consistently right.
• Writing a nightly blog entry again... something that I think will help me get back on track.

Okay, I can hear you snickering, shaking your head and doubting me.  I will consider that your challenge.  Thank you in advance.

212.6 / 212.2 / 214.6... Shitty Weekend!

Last week, my high school friend, Will Valentine, said he had tickets to this weekend's football game between Tampa Bay and New Orleans and all I needed to do was get my butt down there and he would take me.  I didn't think there would be much of a chance that I could swing it.  But, I still had Lori price some flights in case we could get lucky!  I was thrilled and would love to be able to take a weekend and catch up with an old friend while watching the Bucs and Saints.  Sadly, the prices were a little more steep than I had hoped for.  So, if any of you readers work for an airline and can get me a substantial discount between Colorado Springs and Tampa, please let me know.  Why am I telling you this?  One, because I like to pretend that I have thousands of followers and that they are going to spread the word leading to sponsorships and promos from sandwich shops, motorcycle manufacturers, airlines, etc.  And, two, because it's a lot easier to talk about than my poor weekend.

The only highlight of my weekend was our ascent up The Manitou Incline.  That was awesome!  The rest of the weekend, not so much.  My calories continue to creep up.  To illustrate this fact, here is a chart of my average daily calories since I started to keep track on March 27.

March - 1,320 calories per day
April - 1,309
May - 1,296
June - 1,356
July - 1,413
August - 1,518
September - 1,777
October - 1,982

Ouch.  I could bore you with the corresponding fat grams and weight loss averages.  But, suffice it to say that they correspond directly, or inversely in the case of weight loss, with the numbers above.  1,982!  Ouch again!  That has to stop.   I can hardly believe that I have averaged over 1,500 for two and a half months.  Almost more surprising that I haven't gained even more weight.  Okay.  Time to focus on 210 again. 

211.6

New streak started.  Down .8 pounds.  Won't hit my goal of 209.7 by tomorrow.  But, I am hoping a planned (dependent on the weather) trip up the Manitou Incline tomorrow morning gets me a little bit closer.

Grapes... The Perfect Snack

One of the things that hasn't changed from eight months ago are the occasional nightly food cravings.  Like everything else regarding my eating habits, I am much better.  But, two or three times a week I come home from the club and I am still hungry.  In the past, I would turn to things like potato chips, Doritos, cashews, and even the ol' standby, frozen pizza.  Not any longer.  Now when I get the munchies, I almost always reach for grapes.

I have always loved grapes.  But, I seem to enjoy them even more now.  They are such a refreshing and healthier alternative to my previous snacking choices.  Our refrigerator almost always has grapes.  The refrigerator at work is no different.  I don't even care how expensive they are anymore because they are still far cheaper than grabbing a snack from a fast food restaurant or a place like Dairy Queen.  Combine our increased grape-eating habits with my son's addiction to them, and we end up buying tons of grapes on a weekly, or twice weekly, basis. 

So, for all of you struggling with those cravings.  Whenever you need to chew on something.  I highly recommend them.  Here's to the incredible edible grape... 

212.4... The Streak Ends At One

Yes, you read it right.  My new streak of keeping track of how many straight days under my calorie goal ended at one.  The good news is that it's only three off of my recent best.  The bad news is, well you can do the math, my recent best is only four!  Five out of six days in October... not a good start.

211.4

You know, this isn't rocket science.  Stick to my calorie goals.  Continue working out like I have.  And the result is a morning like today where I lost 2.4 pounds.  After four straight days over my calorie goals to start October, I finally remembered how this works. 

213.8

Back under 100 pounds lost.  I am not lying when I say that I hate myself.  Four days in to October and I have been over my calorie goal every single day.  Very disappointing.

The Lying Ticker

Some of you may have noticed that the ticker that displays the total pounds I have lost is not always accurate.  There are days I am posting a gain in this blog and that ticker remains unchanged.  Well, let me explain...

On myfitnesspal.com, the same check-in function that updates that ticker sends an automatic update to Facebook when I lose the weight.  The only issue?  That same update is not sent when I gain weight.  I could lose 20 pounds in a month, gain 30 the next month, and then lose 10 again and my Facebook status would reflect the first 20 and the last 10... congratulating me on both.  But, never does it report those ugly 30 pounds gained in between.  Again, I like the very optimistic and positive approach of the site.  I get why it doesn't report on Facebook that I have gained weight... though I wish it would in my case. 

I recorded my weight gains for awhile.  But then, I found it annoying when I had gained some weight back that I would get subsequent congratulations from friends when I lost the SAME weight I had lost previously... does that sentence even make sense?  I found this more misleading than leaving my weight at my low point.

So now, I record my new lows.  This way I only get congratulated the first time I break barriers and reach new lows.  I still record my true weight here on this blog.  But, there are times like last week when I gained 8.6 pounds and the ticker still showed 100 pounds lost. 

That's why someone at the club congratulated me on losing 102 pounds today.  I didn't have the heart to fully disclose that I was really at 100.4 today.  I apologize for any confusion.  Here's to setting new lows and not talking about those days when you find yourself heading in the wrong direction... 

212.2 / 211.2 / 212.6

There are the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday numbers.  Three straight days over my calorie goals yet I still remain over 100 pounds lost.  Glad to have the weekend over... somehow need to get through the weekends without all of these exceptions.  Despite the 1.4 gained back this morning, I am still 9.4 pounds less than I was exactly a week ago.  Nice. 

October 1 Status Update... Make That October 2

Yesterday was my sixth official weigh-in against my monthly goals. Below is a quick status update...

• On September 1, I weighed 221.6 pounds. My October 1 goal was 210.0 pounds. Yesterday morning I weighed 213.0. I missed my October 1 goal by 3.0 pounds and lost 8.6 pounds in the month of September. This is the second straight month that I have missed my goal.  Up until posting this, I had mistakenly believed that I had lost 10.6 pounds this month and kept my streak of double digit losses intact.  But  sadly, the only thing that remains intact is my senility.  I thought I started the month at 223.6.  Oops!
• My November 1 goal was 202. While I have no reason to believe that October will be better than the last two months, I am lowering my goal to the Holy Grail, 200 pounds.  So, my remaining goals are November 1 - 200, December 1 - 195, New Year's Day 2011 - 190.
• I have lost 100.0 pounds since the middle of January... though that number is actually 100.8 as of this morning. I have lost 89.6 pounds over the 29 weeks since the start of this blog. And, I have lost 84.6 pounds since returning from Las Vegas on March 23.
• My streak of exercising at least 30 minutes has now reached 207 straight days!
• I lost .287 pounds per day in September. My goal weight for November 1 would require me to lose .419 pounds per day.  Okay, after seeing it that way maybe I might have bitten off more than I can chew.  But, I guess that's what goals are for!
• And the bad numbers... I went over my daily calorie goal 12 times in September.  As bad as that number is, it was still less than August. 
• My new streak of days below my calorie goal ended yesterday at 4.  Today wasn't much better.  So, tomorrow I start a new streak and try to beat 4.  Hitting your goals is much easier when you set the bar low!
• My plan was to start P90x as soon as I broke 200.  My brother wants to start his second go of it soon and would like to do it concurrently... despite the thousands of miles between us.  So, we have set a date of November 8.  Regardless of whether I have gotten below 200 by that date, that is the date I will begin P90x and I can't wait.  My friend told me that I was the first person they ever heard who was "excited" to start P90x.  I would have thought that most people who were taking that on would be somewhat excited.

I give myself a C- for September. If not for a bad week, I was easily headed for a high B or even an A.  But, I got to 100 finally and I still can't believe I can lose almost 9 pounds in a month and be disappointed.  Here's to October...

213.0... Officially 100 Pounds Lost!

While that ticker has shown 100 for the past week and a half, it has been lying to you.  At my previous low of 213.4, I was down 99.6 pounds.  The myfitnesspal.com rounds to the nearest pound... which is a very optimistic approach when you hit the .5 or greater mark and I like it.  But, I never really got to that mark until this morning.  In additon, I hadn't posted my weight gains over the last week.  So, that number sat at 100 even though we all knew better.  Well now, that number is finally a real number!

That give me 10.6 pounds for the month.  Shy of my goal by 3 pounds.  But, I am still ecstatic that I was able to get to double digits for the six month in a row.  Not sure what my goal will be for November 1.  Yeah, you know me, I will probably try for the full 13 pounds.  Maybe I can show a little more discipline and actually get to 200 by the end of the month.

Full status update to come tonight...