255.2

Well, that's not the way to start my first week back in the office.  So, after exactly eight weeks, I am down 23.2 pounds, or a little less than 3 per week.  That also puts a dent in my plan to quickly get back on pace and leaves me 11.3 behind my goal.  

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 255.2
Change from previous: +1.0
Total: (23.2)
Total Days: 56
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (11.3)

254.2

Down .8 from yesterday and the lowest I have been since December 24, 2012.  That leaves me 9.8 pounds behind my goal... and closing.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 254.2
Change from previous: (0.8)
Total: (24.2)
Total Days: 55
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (9.8)

255.0

Down another 2 pounds and, for now, done with Chicago.  I didn't finish as well as I wanted.  But, any week in Chicago that I come back lighter is a good week.  

Overall, I made seven trips and spent eight of the last nine weeks in Chicago.  After the first week, where I gained 4.2 pounds, I started the blog, got busy, and lost 12.2 pounds over the next six trips and never gained weight in Chicago again.  Other than the day I broke 200 three years ago, I don't ever remember being more proud of myself.  I hope I don't have to travel on business any time soon.  But, if I do, I am now armed with the knowledge and confidence that I can do it without setting me back.  

I am now down 23.4 pounds in slightly less than eight weeks and feel better every day.  This is the lowest weight I have been since December 29, 2012!  I am now 10.1 pounds behind my goal and plan to start lowering that number this week.  On Monday, I will add lifting to my daily routine.  My meals are planned and I have no free meals to tempt me!

Here's to being home...

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 255.0
Change from previous: (2.0)
Total: (23.4)
Total Days: 54
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (10.1)

I'll Take It... 257.0

My last week in Chicago means my last early morning weigh-in.  This morning I weighed the same as yesterday.  I'll take it.  After having only one other week where I didn't gain, this is positive news.  My mini-goal for my last week is to get to 254.  

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 257.0
Change from previous: ---
Total: (21.4)
Total Days: 49
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (9.7)

257.0

Down 1.6.  That is my lowest weight since February 27, 2013.  After one more business trip, I plan to work at reducing that pace deficit which now sits at 9.2 pounds behind my goal.  But, that is closer than I was a week ago.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 257.0
Change from previous: (1.6)
Total: (21.4)
Total Days: 48
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (9.2)

258.6

Down 2.8 after another week in Chicago, .2 off the 3 pound goal I set for myself.  Not bad, over the last two weeks of business travel, I have managed to lose 6.6 pounds!  Only one more week of this project and one more trip to Chicago to go.  Though, to be honest, Chicago is no longer intimidating and I now know I can go there and still lose weight.  This is the lowest I have been since March 7, 2013 and the first time under 260 since that day.  I have now lost just under 20 pounds.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 258.6
Change from previous: (2.8)
Total: (19.8)
Total Days: 47
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (10.4)

261.4

As expected, the early morning rise for Chicago leaves me .6 pounds higher than yesterday and further from the 260 barrier.  No worries.  I predicted the .6 gain after an okay day and have set 258.4 as my goal upon returning from Chicago.  

After six complete weeks, I am down 17.  Not where I wanted to be.  But, I will take it.  If you had asked me 6 weeks ago if I would be okay with being close to 260, it would have been an emphatic yes.  The best thing is that I leave for Chicago this week 3.8 pounds lighter than I was last week.  And, I think I only have two more weeks of travel left.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 261.4
Change from previous: +0.6
Total: (17.0)
Total Days: 42
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (10.7)  

260.8

So close to 260!  I have been telling Lori for three months that once I break 260 that I will have officially turned the corner.  I realize I still have a long way to go.  But, I have gotten around 265 a couple of times in the last year and then fallen off.  For me, 260 means that my head is right.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 260.8
Change from previous: (0.6)
Total: (17.6)
Total Days: 41
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (9.7)

261.4

This may be the best moment since I started this blog!  Back from four days in Chicago and down 3.8 pounds!  I was really hoping to not come back and be .6 or .8 down.  I was hoping for a number closer to 2 pounds.  Those four days even included a meal at Five Guys.  Despite Five Guys and all of Chicago's temptations, I lost almost a pound a day.  

Yesterday, I got to the airport a little early.  I had eaten pretty good at lunch and wanted to offset my Five Guys meal from the night before.  So, I didn't want to eat in the airport.  I also knew that I was going to be home too late to go to the gym and probably wouldn't feel like walking around the neighborhood.  So, I walked Chicago O'Hare.  I even found enough open spots where I could keep a good pace.  I ended up with close to 11,000 steps while seeing parts of the airport that I never knew existed.  I also saw a ton of restaurants I didn't know existed.  I was a little hungry and there were multiple places I debated stopping in and having a quick meal and a beer or margarita.  But, I kept walking.  Kept debating.  Kept walking.  And, finally I was back to my gate and no longer hungry.  This morning I was rewarded for that choice.

This is the lowest I have been since March 24, 2013.  And, I actually made up 2 pounds on my goal pace.  Down 17 total and feeling motivated.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 261.4
Change from previous: (3.8)
Total: (17.0)
Total Days: 40
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (9.8)

265.2

Another first!  For the first time on an early morning when I was leaving for Chicago, I actually lost weight.  Down 1.0 pound and ready to take on Chicago!

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 265.2
Change from previous: (1.0)
Total: (13.2)
Total Days: 36
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (11.6)

266.2

Well, at least I earned that.  After an enjoyable dinner and beers with some friends at the Colorado Mountain Brewery, I figured the outcome wouldn't be great.  Proud of Lori who ate at the exact same place, ate good, still enjoyed a sampling of beers, and lost 2 pounds!  

Looking forward to Chicago where I eat and drink better than I do at home!  I am behind pace by exactly what I have lost.  That's not good.  That means I have only met 50% of my goal.  

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 266.2
Change from previous: +0.8
Total: (12.2)
Total Days: 35
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (12.2)

265.4

Screw you scale!  Down only .2 after a very good day.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 265.4
Change from previous: (0.2)
Total: (13.0)
Total Days: 34
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (10.9)

265.6... Not A Proud Moment

For the first time since starting the blog, I gained weight on a morning that wasn't an early morning when I was heading to Chicago.  It's also the first time I have gained a pound or more.  I can pretend that I am okay with it and try to stay positive.  But, I would be lying.  I am not only disappointed in my choices last night.  But, I am disappointed that I just jumped back to the weight I was on February 24 and I have basically wasted the last 12 days.

Last night, I had a really light dinner planned and was on my way to another solid day.  Then my phone rang.  I looked and saw, as expected, that it was my Mom.  My Mom was supposed to be on her way back to Salida.  But, a snowstorm kept her in town.  And, I knew she would be calling me about joining her and my sister for dinner.  That phone rang as I was leaving the house headed for the gym.  I looked at it and debated whether to answer.  If I ignored it and went to the gym, they would likely be done eating when I got done.  I also knew that my Mom just wanted to chat with her son that she hadn't seen in three weeks... not so ironically over dinner at Mi Ranchito.  I answered.

As expected, my Mom wanted to go to dinner somewhere.  I said yes and tried to get myself mentally ready to be good at dinner.  On a positive note, I did still tell her that I needed to go to the gym first.  When I was done working out, I joined her, my sister Rita, and my son at Sushi Garden.  I again thought to myself that I needed to be good.  And, since I was eating sushi once or twice a week for lunch in Chicago, I wasn't craving it as much as I usually do anyway.  

It didn't work.  I still didn't eat as much as I normally do.  I ate a fourth of the appetizers I normally would and probably half of the sushi I would normally eat.  But, I still ate too much and had way too much salt.  

I won't blame my Mom as much as I would like to.  I am a big boy.  And, while I would like to tell myself that I should have just ignored the phone call, that would have been the easy way out.  What I should have done was gone to dinner and eaten half the sushi I ate and no appetizers.  Or, I could have gone and not eaten and simply had some green tea and maybe a fried green bean or two.  Or, I could have not answered the phone.  One day I will learn.

I still hoped that I might be surprised with no gain this morning.  That didn't happen.  Up 2 full pounds from yesterday.  That leaves me 10.6 pounds behind my goal.  And, it leaves me severely disappointed in myself.  That's not necessarily a bad thing.  Being disappointed in myself has been proven to be a great motivator for me in the past. 

Here's to not answering the phone next time and catching up with my Mom after dinner...

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 265.6
Change from previous: +2.0
Total: (12.8)
Total Days: 33
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (10.6)

263.6

Down 1.2 pounds and glad to be home.  This is my lowest weight since April 2, 2013.  And, since my planned pace was a little slower for March, I made up .7, which leaves me 8.1 behind my goal.

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 263.6
Change from previous: (1.2)
Total: (14.8)
Total Days: 32
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (8.1)

264.8

The good... I am down .8 pounds since my last weigh-in.

The bad... that .8 pounds is over a period of 10 days.

The good... this is the lowest I have been since April 3, 2013.

The bad... if not for our mini-vacation, I truly believe I would have been down between 2 and 3 pounds.

The good... for a second straight time, I return from Chicago weighing less than I did when I left.

The bad... I will be in Chicago the next three weeks.

The good... I am down 13.6 pounds over the last month.

The bad... I am behind my pace by 8.8 pounds.

The good... I am home for five full days.

The bad... I may have to revise my goals.

The good... I ate good today and I went to the gym.

The bad... I broke down and had a Mountain Dew.

The good... I am good with revising my goals.

The good... I am good only being down .8 since my last weigh-in.

The good... I am good if the worst-case scenario was a 13.6 pound weight loss every month.

The good... I am okay that I enjoyed the weekend with Lori and indulging in moderation.

The good... I am good with the Mountain Dew I had today.

The good... I am good.

Here's to the good things...

Starting weight (this time): 278.4
Current weight: 264.8
Change from previous: (0.8)
Total: (13.6)
Total Days: 31
Ahead/(Behind) Pace: (8.8)

That Feeling Is Back!

One of the things I miss from a couple of years ago is that addiction I had to exercising.  While my streak helped motivate me and got me started.  Ultimately, I became addicted to exercising.  I not only wanted to keep that streak alive, but I also needed it.  I wanted to exercise every night.  Even after the streak ended, I felt not quite whole if I missed a day of exercise. 

Like a lot of the things that were going right for me, that feeling somehow dissipated.  But, it's finally starting to come back!  Tonight, as always seems to be the case when I am flying home from a business trip, my flight was delayed.  As the departure time kept getting pushed back, I was disappointed that I wouldn't be getting home sooner.  After 10 days on the road, I was ready to be back home.  But, my return flights have been delayed every single week but one since I started making these trips to Chicago.  On this night, something felt different.  I felt a little more anxious about the delay.

The difference was that I wanted to get home in time to go to the gym.  I knew if I got home by 9:25, I could still make it to the gym and work out for 30 minutes.  I wanted this even more because of the impending weigh-in tomorrow morning.  So, as I watched the departure time go from 5:59 PM to somewhere north of 7:15 PM, I knew my chances were gone.  That feeling has started to creep back in my life.  I not only want to exercise because I know I should.  I now want to exercise because I need to.  Because exercise gives me a high.

I am glad to get that feeling back.  

On a side note, I am afraid to weigh in tomorrow.

Here's to my addiction...

Let's Catch Up

I apologize for the slight hiatus.  My wife, Lori, came in to town on Thursday and left last night.  While not a vacation per se, it was close enough that spending time with her in Chicago took precedence over the blog... or even the computer.  This is the first night I have even opened up my laptop in my hotel room since last Tuesday.  

So, let's catch up...

Things are still going well overall.  Other than a night where we walked the entire town of Chicago, I have been working out nightly.  My knees are feeling better every night and tonight I was able to up my speed once again.  This is encouraging.  I still wake up sore.  But, it seems to work itself out a lot quicker than it did a month ago.

I am still eating decently... for the most part.  I can't say that Lori and I ate as well as either of us has been eating at home.  As my friend Joel says, we "partook" in some of what Chicago has to offer... in moderation.  We didn't eat like we know we should.   But, I wanted to share some of my favorite things with her and some of those things are, inevitably, food favorites.  If all of our vacations were as good as this one, I would be happy with that.  Of course, in time we will be able to enjoy eating as we did this weekend and even accepting a small gain.  But, at this point in the journey, it is a little harder to take.  

I am slightly nervous about my weigh-in on Thursday.  But, as I have promised with my new and improved stop-the-self-loathing attitude, I won't let it impact my success to date and will simply move forward with the same confidence, energy, and enthusiasm. 

As for Chicago, my willpower will continue to be tested.  After a short window of time back in Pueblo, from Thursday to Monday, I return to Chicago for at least the next two weeks.  

The good news is that I have found Mariano's, an incredible fresh food grocery store with a great salad bar and incredible fresh-made fruit and vegetable smoothies.  Mariano's isn't as good as Lou Malnati's, but it is a better choice.  Tonight, I learned that Mariano's smoothie bar closes at 8 PM.  That would have been good information to know before leaving work at 8:15 PM.  So, my liquid dinner was replaced.  But, keeping with the good choices theme, I ate some taco meat with salsa, lettuce, and guacamole and completed the meal with seared Brussels sprouts and sauteed broccoli, green beans and snow peas. 

Tomorrow, in anticipation of my weigh-in on Thursday, I will likely starve myself.  LOL.  I know this isn't a great plan.  I know my brother will give me shit.  But, I also know that a day with few calories is warranted after this weekend and the result on Thursday will effect my psyche more than I would care to admit... regardless of how positive I plan to be.

Here's to the Thursday weigh-in and staying positive...