Field "GOAL" Attempt - Missed Wide Right

Thanks for the question Roder, it helped spur me to blog today. I have been meaning to write a update for the last few days but I haven't been motivated since I kind of tanked it last week. I will cut strait to the chase and say I cant hit my sub 200 by January 1 goal. It does suck that I couldn't pull my shit together enough to do it. Christmas week here in Portland, OR area was a mess. We had record (most in 40 years) snow fall, freezing rain, and just crappy conditions over all. It pretty much crippled everything. The office that I work at was shut down the entire week and I was homeward bound. I only hit 4 out of 6 of my workouts last week. Then on top of that I had a few bad days of eating on xmas eve and xmas day. Not horrible but I wasn't really watching what I ate as closely as I normally do. I had some scotch with my dad, some xmas candy, etc etc etc.... I just re-read the last few sentences and its all a bunch of lame ass excuses (yes I know it). On the positive note I have hit 22 out of 24 workouts I had planned for the last 28 days. As usual I know my downfall is in my diet. All the equations I have used to try and calculate calories needed seem to put me in a 2500+ a day category. So I have been trying to do that and I think its just too much food for me to loose weight. The diet equation is the one thing that has always plagued me. I know I can loose weight if I go low cal/low carb but then I just become skinny fat. If I try to keep my cals up I stay the same weight and maybe gain a little muscle but its a really really really slow process. As my last post said I am currently around 30% body fat (give or take a few percent). So I need to cut fat off my body in a really bad way. If I eat to little calories than I don't feel I have the energy to really nail my workouts. If I eat to much I stay the same which almost makes my workouts meaningless (I know the health benefits are there but you know what I am saying). I got to figure out a way to kick start my weight loss again. I don't know if its my genetics or what but how my body reacts to workouts and food really po's me. Ok I have rambled enough to probably make my short list of readers not read. Bottom line I am not giving up and I plan to meet my goals in 2009. Nothing else I can do but just that, there is no other choice. FYI 206lbs today....

Pissed

Well my wife and for some stupid reason decided we wanted one of those body composition scales (Omron 510) as a joint Christmas gift. You know the ones that tell you your weight, fat%, visceral fat level, muscle% etc. The good thing about the scale is it weighs me really close to the same as our old one (within .5 lbs). The bad news is it measured my body fat at 30%... I really expected somewhere in the mid 20s. Even my friend whom I am working out with seemed shocked that my body fat was that high (he guessed me at 23%). He is just starting his workout regimen and is only 27 via my diabolic fat% scale. So yesterday I walked around really down on myself and frankly pretty pissed and feeling pretty damn defeated. I still did my workout but ended up having a cup of chai tea/nog (lite eggnog of course). So this f-ning scale tells me I have 61 pounds of fat on my body still. Realistically if I want to see 10%bf I would have to loose 40 more pounds of just fat. That would put me at 165 on a 6 foot frame..... That seems really crazy to me. I know these scales are not 100% accurate but I have been told they come pretty close. Anyway I will quit bitching about my fat A$$. Only thing I can do is get off it workout and eat right. Now does someone have a sledge hammer I can borrow???? My scale needs to meet the sledge!

A little Over 2 Weeks Left

Well I am still kicking and screaming trying to hit my sub 200 goal by Jan 1 2009. This last Saturday I saw a 203 (new low) on the scale. However last night I had a pretty good slip up diet wise. I had one of my all time favorite dishes "Phad Thai". Its not so much the Thai food that I have the issue with but the size of the portion I ate. It was probably enough for 2 or 3 meals. It was pretty tasty and satisfying. I didn't weigh myself yesterday or today. I will jump back on the scale tomorrow after a good day of eating and a good workout. My mom made a comment to me about "looking like I am putting on some muscle". She said my arms and shoulders look more broad and defined. I was wearing a polo shirt that I hadn't worn in some time. It was kind of nice to hear as I spend at least half my time working out trying to add lean body mass. I do believe I have some pretty good muscles if I could only get rid of the inch or so of sea lion blubber that encases my entire body. Some where under it there lies a lean tone body.

We just got smacked by a arctic front blowing down from Canada. We are supposed to be in the teens to 20s for the remainder of the week with more snow come mid week. The roads were pretty dicey here in Portland, OR this morning. If it's worse on Wed this week I am working from home or not working at all.

Keep fighting the good fight. Glad to see a few of you picking back up the torch.

Incoming

The battle continues.... Well the thanksgiving pounds I gained were not as easily lost as I had hoped they would be. I am finally back down into the 205-206 range after about 10 days. Diet has been really solid and workouts have been 100%. I have only had one rest day (Sunday) since I re focused. I feel good about what I am doing and am really hoping it will pay off and help me reach my goals. I am thinking of adding a second workout on a few of the days, maybe a short round of HIIT or something real early in the morning. I feel like I really need to jump start the fat loss.

I am really enjoying the holiday season this year. My oldest son is 3 and is totally in the spirit of things. He even helped pick out our Christmas tree this year and has had many questions about baby Jesus and Santa Claus. It's pretty wonderful to watch the season through his eyes. Anyway hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday. Below is the pic we are using on this years Christmas Card. Since I don't have all my FAT blog buddies addresses etc have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

So It Begins

Well the Thanksgiving holiday is finally over.... It was a extra long weekend (wed - sun) at the Oregon Coast with family. For me it was pretty much dietary suicide this year. I ate and drank a ton of shit that I shouldn't have. I skipped all my planned workouts (did get in a couple unexpected workouts). So, did I think about my decisions or feel bad about them. On all accounts yes.... I pretty much felt like a bloated whale thurs-sunday. The workouts I got in were brutal because I was running on total garbage food and alcohol. Those workouts reminded me every time why I need to put good fuel in my tank. I had for the most part forgotten what heart burn felt like until this weekend. It was a good time with family and friends and helped me remember why I am thankful for the weight I have lost so far. I weighed in at 210 this morning.... most likely 4-5 of those pounds will hopefully fall off fast. As I am sure I didn't gain 5-6 pounds in 5 days.

I know I don't have a ton of clout around here besides the fact that this is my blog. I have had allot of failures and allot of success in the time I have spent in this blog sphere. With all that said I am going to take another route that many others are backing away from. I am going to go out on a limb and say I am going to finish 2008 strong. I am going to kick ass in both the diet and exercise dept. I have every intention on hitting sub 200 before 2009 opens the door. I am not going to say I "might" do better. Today is the day I say I "will" do better. The day I will start another drive to hit my goal of 180 or so pounds. I am not waiting to make another lame new years resolution.... Who's in for a kick ass December?

Ground Hogs Day

Well the last few weeks have produced allot of the same for me. As of last Friday I weighed 205 (haven’t weighed myself since then). My diet has definitely been less than stellar the last few weeks (especially on weekends). I have been drinking a little more with friends and family which usually leads to worse food choices. Luckily the workouts that I continue to do have allowed me to maintain my weight and not gain anything back. That still leaves me with the frustration of working out hard and gaining no ground in my constant battle of the bulge. Deep down I know I am kidding myself if I think I am going to lose weight with a questionable diet. My body is good at being plump and it takes the strictest of diet regimens to even make a little dent. For me no strict diet means no weight loss. I can work out until the cows come home and see hardly any results if the diet isn’t in place. My current plan in the back of my head is to start a new round of diet and exercise following the thanksgiving weekend. I am not giving myself a all access pass to go crazy this coming week but I am trying to be realistic. We are going out of town for 4 nights with extended family so being on a really super strict diet isn’t going to be in the cards. I will be trying to exercise at least 3 of those days.

Sorry for the long time frames between posts but I don’t feel as if many people are really being very active in the fat coalition or I suppose this group of weight loss blogs I read. It’s hard to muster up the want to write if you feel like no one is reading. I watch my Google analytics and I am lucky to get a hit a day on this blog. It really kind of saddens me as this group used to be very active. It’s not like we have all met our goals… I suppose like the eb and tide of the ocean blogging will pick up and slow down from time to time. I hope things will start to pick back up around these parts.

Radar Jammer

Not a whole lot has changed for me as of late. I am still hitting my workouts really hard but my diet has left me spinning my wheels. I don't know if its the holidays or if its the weather/less light but I am having a hard time staying as dedicated to a rock solid diet. It hasn't been horrible but I have allowed little things here and there to slip in that I hadn't in the past. I think my wife's resolve has wavered some too and that definitely puts more stress on my willpower (especially in the diet department). For me weight loss is definitely won in the kitchen so I know deep down I must get back to strict eating or nothing is going to happen. At this point maintaining is not enough, I have not gotten were I want to go. I just need to figure out what will motivate me enough to get things rolling again. I have been sitting in the 205 range for way too long. You would think the close proximity to Onederland would be enough motivation to get me going. I ran a sub 30min 5k last night. Was trying to train for the turkey trot that apparently might not happen now. We normally go to Sunriver OR for thanksgiving and location has now been changed to the Oregon coast. I guess I could put on my own Turkey Trot beach style and me and my wife would be the only competitors. At least we would take 1st place in both the men's and women's categories. Besides slow weight loss life is good. We all need to up the blog chatter, besides Roder this place has been way to quite (and yes I still read daily)....

I will leave you with a cute pic of my kid. This year he wanted to be a Christmas tree for Halloween.... yes you read it right a xmas tree. I too was thinking "why not batman or Dracula??" My wife made his costume from scratch and I think she did a really good job. Everyone loved it and you could see him a mile away with the lights lit up.

Where Did October Go?!?!?

Today's weigh in: 204 (new low)

It's great to see a new low but not so great to see that its been almost a month since my last new low. I already know the error of my ways and that would be bad food or not enough food on the weekend. For example last weekend we had two b-day parties to go to, one Friday and one Saturday. I mentally was thinking about good choices but even eating less shit is still eating shit and I can’t expect results while eating crap, that’s just absurd. This weekend we have a Halloween party but besides that nothing huge going on. I need to really keep my whit’s about me. I want to see Onederland and then lots more. Little steps right?

So what’s up with the FAT coalition and lack of blogs? Seems like we are in a major slump much like our wonderful economy. Like the ocean tides hopefully the blogs will pick back up. I miss reading stuff on many of your pages.

I know I am late but I still owe Will 6 interesting things about me. First I don’t know if there are that many but I will try.

1. I was born and raised in Vanc WA. I only left for about 2.5 years to finish my BA and then came back for some reason. Probably has something to do with family and friends.

2. When I went to college I wanted to be an accountant. 2 accountant classes in I decided I didn’t want to be a accountant. I knew I liked playing computer games and had a natural knack for computers. So here I am with a Business MIS degree sitting in front of a computer all day. Part of me still feels that college is overrated. The stuff you learn is obsolete by the time you get out into the real world and most people don’t end up doing what they studied for. (Unless you’re a MD or PHD of some sort, then take back my last statement). I guess it’s all about learning to learn, I get that.

3. I am a geek with to many hobbies... Not really good at any of them. I like motorcycles, photography, sports, RC cars/planes, Computers/PS3/Xbox360, Guitar, Fishing, camping, and many other things.

4. I got stitches 3 times in 1 year when I was about 4-5. The Dr. thought my parents were abusing me. One had something to do with me running around the shower (old school pole type) in the women’s bathroom at the local swimming pool. Needless to say I slipped and busted my head open on the tile. At least I can say I was in the ladies bathroom, bummer is I don’t really remember it. HA HA. The other more memorable one was when my sister pushed me into a full 6 foot mirror head first (yeah I broke it).

5. We used to play light as a feather stiff as a board at my grandma’s house. Of course this was when we were young with my cousins (10ish) I really think it worked once.... freaking still wiggs me out when I think about it.

6. After my associates degree I was 1 step away from joining the US Air force. I don’t know what changed my mind but all the sudden I didn’t want to be owned by someone else for 4 years. I had taken my asvab (placement test) and physical and was there to sign the paper work. When I told the recruiter who worked me for a long time that I was backing out he was pissed.... matter a fact I don’t think I have seen someone that pissed in a long time. I guess to this day I don’t regret nor wish I went in. It could have been a good thing but who knows, my path is my path.

Well there you have it Will. It was pretty lame as I expected and hard to come up with 6 things. Needless to say I enjoyed reading the other peoples you tagged so figured I better pony up.

Here’s to everyone hitting their goals!!!

Note: Melissa, I am unable to leave comments on your page... When I try there is no text box etc to put them in.

Great Weekend, Bad Choices

This last weekend was a good weekend when it comes to life and enjoying it. We spent a long weekend down at the Oregon coast with family. The weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny but cold. For the last few months I haven’t done very well with my diet when I am away from home, especially when sharing a house with a group of people who eat whatever they feel like. I feel like they are pretty much supportive of our diet but they are also supportive of feeding us stuff off our diet too. I know when it gets down to the main problem it lies with me. I have the say and power to absolutely control what goes in my mouth and yet I still choose to eat or drink things that I shouldn’t be consuming. The part that really chaps my hide is that I still have been hitting my workout consistently. I did a long yoga workout on Friday morning overlooking the ocean off the deck of the house we rented. I am sure it looked quite comical to see a big guy out there trying to stretch into positions I don’t belong. Yesterday I did a 3 plus mile run on the beach. For my effort I got a 209 on the scale this morning (4 pounds up from my low). I didn’t eat great but I didn’t eat that bad either. Once again I continue to learn and re-learn the fact that I can’t out train a bad diet or lose weight while eating outside of the very restricted box. I have been thrashing around in the 205-210 lbs range for way to long. At this point I don’t know what it’s going to take for me to put this behind me and just get sh!t done. I know I have said this before but working out really hard to see the scale remain the same is really disheartening. I guess I need to really dig in deep and really look at why I am not succeeding. I will leave you with a picture of our crazy dog. She is a specimen of physical balance and power. At 5 years old she still has the energy of a 2 year old dog and can run like this all day long.

Still Plugging Away

Figured it was about time for a update. Things are going fine out here. I hit 5 out of 6 workouts this week and the diet was pretty good. I did have a few drinks on Friday at my parents house. I am still fighting the same frustration that I have been for a long time. I think Will and I are experiencing similar things. If your diet isn’t 100% clean then you don’t lose any weight you actually spike up (even though I am eating clean 90%+ of the time). I feel like the amount of effort I put it should net me some weight loss. Hopefully this week will get me a new low or two. I was 206 this morning so I am within striking range and lighter this Monday morning then I have been in a several weeks. I meant to take measurements this weekend but never got around to it, so need to do that. I feel like I am adding lean body mass but my weight isn’t really coming down at the rate I would like it too. I guess for the most part I could just copy my blog from last week and paste it in here. Are you getting tired of hearing the same ole thing yet? ;)

My youngest son is having his 6 month checkup today. He is really starting to get around via rolling and severely head heavy commando crawl. I keep telling my wife it has begun. He is going after stuff with purpose now, nothing is no longer safe. ;).

I have had a little bit of a sore ankle the last few weeks. Nothing that is stopping me from working out but enough to kind of baby it a little. Most workouts end up being fine after it warms up and loosens up a little. I bought some new Asics Gel Kayano’s this weekend. I hate spending the dough but I know how important a good shoe is. I should have never bought a pair of those cause now nothing less is acceptable.

Don’t even start me on the seahawks…… (head down shaking…..)

As Ice Cube Says....... ;)

Today was a good day..... 205 (new low) and its my Friday.... "Friday" now that's a classic Ice Cube movie.

I am starting to see a trend here... I get on and complain about not loosing any weight then shortly after my body says "ok fool here's a pound or two, now bit*h shut the F*uck up"... 5 lousy pounds to onederland.... not that anything will change when I get there, it will just be nice to see a 1 on the front of my number instead of a 2. I will still be flabby and needing to loose more weight in a bad way. As has been discussed before I don't really care much about the number its more about body comp and performance. Must keep shedding the fat and gaining the muscle. If I want more results I must keep the weekend in check. I suggest you all do the same.

Fartnockers

Will is right, it’s time for a update. Things are going fine in my world. I have been hitting my workouts hard and diet has been good for the most part. Maybe a little more lax then it has been previously. I have kind of let a iced latte or bagel on occasion slip into my diet on weekends. I know it's not the best idea so I need to nip that in the butt. Last weekend on Sunday morning I weighed in at 206 (my current low). The hitch is my wife and father threw a birthday party for my mother and I this last Sunday. It was football theme snacks and of course b-day desert. I purposely ate a very light breakfast and ended up not eating dinner in an attempt to control the damage. So yeah I ate wings, nachos, little smokies, candy, cobbler & ice cream etc (All the shit I shouldn't eat). Given that my weight spiked back up and in normal Ripx form I am battling my way back down. This morning I weighed in at 207 so almost back to square one. I am feeling motivated and am ready for some new lows and for getting sub 200. Working out really hard and not having much to show for it recently is starting to get under my skin. I am definitely a results driven guy so I need to get back to the results. It still frustrates the hell out of me that I can eat a solid diet 90%+ of the time and still not lose weight. It’s all very F-n confusing to me. My body doesn't work on the adage of calories in calories out from what I can tell. Working out 6 days a week and eating a 1800-2000cal diet is not dropping the pounds all that fast on a 210 pound guy.... Maybe I am eating too much salt?? I don't know . All I know is I am not giving up and that I must continue to press on along this path for the rest of my life. Sorry my posts are always so muddled and random. As you all know spelling/grammar have never been my strong skills ;). Anyway there you have, thats whats been going on.

34

First off, thanks Susie for checking in on me. I am actually doing fine and hitting my workout and diet in stride. Yesterday was my 34 b-day so we did celebrate with some Thai food so that wasn't on the normal menu but hey you only turn 34 once. I cant believe how old I have gotten. I don't feel like I am 34 so I suppose that is a good thing. Life fly's by sooo fast these days. I have been hovering around 206-207 the last 4 or 5 days. In typical fashion my body drops 2 or 3 pounds then sits for a while. I would like to figure out how to keep the weight loss rolling but as long as it continues to slowly go down I suppose I am ok with that also. Sorry I have been a bad blog and comment buddy the last week. I took a 4 day weekend so not sitting by the computer as much as usual the last few days. I guess the coalition has been a little quite anyway. Still striving to get to sub 200 sooner than later. Missed my goal but that doesnt change anything. Well I will keep it short, hope everyone else is doing really well too. Get some blogs up people.... Your blogs motivate me. Weekend warrior time!!

Jab... Cross... Hook... Uppercut!!!

Today's Weigh In: 206 (new low)
Well the inner training coach inside my head is keeping me on the strait and narrow. My diet has been really good and my workouts have been really productive. I have noticed a couple times before a workout that I am actually looking forward to it. Its been a really long time for me since that has happened, i usually dread it. I wish I could harness the eye of the tiger and bottle it so I could use it when motivation wanes. I'm definitely feeling stronger but I feel like I still have this 2 inch slab of whale blubber coating my entire body. Seems like it will never let go, there are days I feel like I will always be the dough boy I have been my entire life. I suppose thinking like that never got anyone anywhere.

Well another weekend is almost upon us once again. Do you have a plan for success this weekend? Saturday is my rest day from workouts so I am totally looking forward to having a day off. I may skip my cheat meal again this weekend in an attempt to keep the momentum. Besides that it sounds like we have another weekend at home and that sounds good.

Keep fighting the good fight FAT!

Still Swinging with Heavy Hands

Today's weigh in: 207 (new low)

Well even though I have been battling a brutal cold I am still hitting my workouts with good intensity and haven't lost my appetite.  I have actually been eating a little more calories wise and my body seems ok with that.  No cheat meal this weekend, however I did have a couple beers one night. 

Watched allot of football yesterday, glad the NFL is back in full swing.  Pretty crazy week 1 (Will did a good out line of the craziness that transpired).

This week I am planning on continuing to hit the workouts really hard and keeping the diet really clean.  I know I am not going to hit my sub 200 goal by my 34 b-day but I can get real close.  I guess I am way better off now then i was a year ago.  

Well I guess this is a pretty lame update but it is what it is.  My son has his first day of preschool today.  He was so jazzed!

Round 2 Ding Ding Ding...

Well even though it wasn't planned I feel like I have been in somewhat of a holding pattern or break for the last few weeks. We spent the long holiday weekend up in Seattle with some friends. I made good and bad choices diet wise. I worked out hard last week during the week and then pretty much didn't do anything this weekend. Last night I kicked it back in gear but I felt like crap while working out. It goes to show a crappy diet = crappy workouts. I almost puked twice and had the hot sweats from over exertion several times. What I have come to realize is its time for Ripx round 2 to begin. I have had a little break after fighting a hard fight the last 3 months. I am happy with my first rounds results/score card but by no means does that mean the fight is over. Time to tighten the gloves and come out swinging. I am down in points in the fact that I will miss my mid September sub 200 landmark. I do know deep in the pit of my stomach that I can still pull out a victory here in the second round if I dig deep. Anyway enough analogies, I am ready, my mind is focused, the desire/fire are there so lets get it on!

We saw some friends that we haven't seen in a while and they have a daughter that is the same age as my oldest son. I cant believe how big our kids are getting and how amazing it is to watch them play and interact. I got a real cute pic of them and thought I would post it. Yes Will I know my son needs a new Seahawks jersey..... (for those of you who are not fortunate enough to be Seahawks fans those are the numbers of Shawn Alexander who is no longer with the team).

Live or Die by the Weekend...

Good new first...

I ran my first 5k in less than 30 mins last night. I was right at 29:54 which was about as close as you can get. My heart rate was racing pretty fast but my goal is to easily be able to hit sub 30 min 5k by turkey trot time.

Bad news...

My diet was not as good as I planned it to be for this weekend. I used the anniversary weekend excuse too much. I sat there last night pretty un-happy with myself and for my choices diet wise. That's where the 5k under 30 mins came in, sort of punishing myself for stupid choices. The really stupid thing is I know my body and I know I cannot loose weight just exercising. I harp on you all about diet being key, abs are built in the kitchen, and you cant out train a bad diet. Then I go and act-a-fool and eat bad crap on Saturday and part of Sunday. It was kind of ripx of old making lame excuses and thinking I could make up for it tomorrow. It amazes me that some of the people on the FAT coalition can have more lax diets and still loose the weight. Must be the difference in body composition or genetics. I envy those of you that can get away with more liberal diets. Ripx180 has to be a diet/fitness nazi and then I am still lucky to loose pounds while doing that. I say whatever, it is what it is, I must right my ships course and continue on. I dont want to take it lightly but it is only a weekend in my very long journey. I just need to have allot more good weekends than bad. I will not and cannot dwell on last weekend.

This week I am re-focusing and re-committing to my quest. A new low will be coming shortly, I must have it.

On to other things not so much related to diet/fitness/my fat ass... I have and will always be somewhat of techie. I bought a I-touch about 8 months ago now and I love the thing, probably the best tech purchase I have made in quite some time. I have always been a "PC" guy and have always worked in the "PC" world. So here's the deal.... Our home laptop is really starting to get long in the tooth so I am considering replacing it with a Mac Book. Yes they are a little more expensive and I would be a little out on a limb with such heavily weighted PC skills but I feel drawn to it. Any advice from mac lovers or haters on a PC guy wading into mac land? I do have a little desktop support experience with them but nothing huge. Any dos, don'ts, must haves when getting a Mac book?

Thanks for the shoulder tap Kevin. I didn't realize it had been 5 days since my last blog but your right it has. So last weekend I decided (well unintentionally decided) to test out Billy's "Whats your true weight" theory. It was Saturday (my usual cheat meal day) and we went to a family members house for a get together. It was sort of a beat the heat day (it had been around 100f for 3 days strait here in the Portland, OR area). Anyway we got there about noon and there was a ton of sangria to drink so I partook. Definitely had my fair share of that. Sangria as we all know is really yummy but also is really loaded with calories when you look whats in it (fruit, wine, rum, triple sec, orange juice, added sugar). I didn't get bombed but I was definitely feeling good (see pic to the right, fat white guy in kiddie pool). Feeling good on the booze makes me want to eat. So I ate a whole bunch of stuff that normally isn't on my diet (you know the usual chips, dips, chains, and whips). Then topped all that garbage with dinner and desert (fruit sherbet). So I didn't weigh myself until Monday. I knew my weight would be up but up 4-5 pounds?!?!?! So Billy your theory is correct in the Ripx180 body. The weird thing to me is I usually eat around 2k cals a day (for the last few weeks anyway, used to be a little less). I am sure I was probably 1.5k over my normal intake on last Saturday. If I do the math that doesn't equal out to 4-5 pounds of weight gain. Anyway I mentally slapped myself for the indiscretion and have been balls to the wall this week. Haven't missed a workout and my diet has been spot on where I want it to be. This morning I was 210 so only 1 pound over my old new low. So it has taken me a good part of a week to clean up one stupid day of bad eating. So all you FATies out there remember You Pay To Play. Moderation and smaller portions on cheat meals are the way to go. Like my little blurp in my banner says its time to forget the past and get working on the present.

The end of this month marks my wife and my 9 year anniversary. I cant believe we have been married 9 years and that we have 2 children. Time really does fly the older you get (damn that pic to the left makes me feel old). This weekend we are trying to throw together a last minute trip to the Oregon Coast in celebration of those 9 years. We are both very much on board with diet and exercise so we will be taking our meal plans and exercise routines with us. We bought several sets of bands for weight resistance that is easy to pack into a suitcase that we will be using over the weekend. I am definitely looking forward to the weekend away from The Couve (Vancouver, wa). Let me say I am not looking for a weekend away from my health and fitness. Hopefully we will end up having wifi access but you never know. I will end this blog with some pics (I haven't bored you all with family pics in a while). My oldest son on the right was in my wife's brother's wedding.

Gun Show???

Well maybe just a 22 caliber gun show but hey its all I got. Anyway I do finally think all the lifting I have been doing is starting to pay off a little in the form of some muscle mass. Still got way too much fat to take off but muscle is starting to show up here and there. No laughing ;)










Will, if you don't have anything to say besides hate/dislike/ etc don't bother... You got me starting to wonder if I really did piss you off. If so piss off ya wanker! ( ok just joking with that last part). Seriously though I can quit posting comments on your blog if that's what your looking for, no problemo.

David,

I thought I would try your suggestion on the different types of runs to mix things up. I am going to be doing a HIIT day, 5k, and long run. Today was my first long run. Went pretty well, probably the longest run I have ever done in my life. My cardio felt ok but I can feel it in my joints since I am not used to the distance. Put a smile on my face though. I'm definitely not breaking any land speed records but it was a consistent jog. The stats are via a polar heart monitor chest strap linked to my treadmill. My heart rate did bump into the 160s a few times.

Nutrition is King!

Just a quick blurp today. I know that many people have stressed the importance of diet in a fat loss program. We have all seen the phrases "Abs are built in the kitchen" or "You cant out train a bad diet" thrown around various forums and literature. I don't think this can be stressed enough for those that are struggling with their diets. John M Berardi of PN wrote this article in his forums which really shines a light on the truth of those phrases. So all you FATers hitting the drive thrus or eating the crud food think twice about all the effort you put into your last workout (I know I do when I f-up). Quit spinning your wheels and feed the machine the fuel it needs.

Not Feeling The FAT Love

Today's Weigh In: 209 (new low)

I am still trying to focus on upping my calories with good foods. It seems when my calories get up a little a funny thing happens, I loose weight. Its so hard for me to conceptualize that you got to eat to loose weight. I stop thinking about it and start settling into about a 1600 calorie day. I think the main difference is you can eat allot more food if its healthy and natural then when your eating crap (volume wise).

I kind of feel like I need to clear the air on my comment on Billy's page earlier this week. I feel like I am taking allot of indirect/direct hits for what I said. The thing that frustrates me the most is it seems like allot of people skipped over allot of what I wrote. I wasn't in anyway saying what Billy has done is anything less than amazing. I just thought I saw weakness from the man that never shows it. It wasn't about the 5lbs it was about the goal he set and what seemed like a bunch of excuses to me at the time (which the FAT coalition has been full of allot lately). I totally agree that Billy is in great shape and a roll model but I thought he wanted more, that he wanted to get those abs or heightened performance. So what I thought was supporting a fellow FAT member turned into people saying I said hes weak and that what he has done is lame. I know there have been those people that like to argue associated with FAT. I have never really wanted to nor have time to be one of those people. I will end this with saying. Billy is awesome, I am a huge fan boy of his..... Billy is one of the main reasons I got involved with this group..... What Billy has done and is doing is amazing... Yes I understand there is a point in getting in shape where the effort isn't worth the time commitment anymore. I have a long way to go so I haven't realized nor reached that point. I will be more careful with my comments in the future.

I Will Take It.

Today's Weigh in: 210 (new low)

Not sure why I got the new low today. I really did not expect it at all, nor do I really feel like I deserve one (but I will take it). My weekend eating was healthy 90% of the time cause we meal planned for it. However I did partake in some brews on both Friday and Saturday while out on the guys weekend. The other thing that was off was how often I was eating. We probably only ate 3 meals a day with a occasional snack in between. Usually I eat 5-6 times a day with smaller portions. I guess I was getting allot more sleep too. We did stay busy trying not to get bit by mosquitoes (they were horrible). I caught some real nice 10-12inch brook trout which I ate for breakfast yesterday. We rode motorcycles around, played horse shoes, played Texas holdem, and sat around the fire etc. Just plain and simply had a good time. I got in a good workout on Thurs before I left but haven't worked out since. So tonight I need to get back in that groove.

My wife made it back from Wisconsin and her brothers wedding in one piece. I had to pick her and the boys up at 11:20pm at the airport. It was really great to see her and my two sons. You really don't know how much you miss your family until they are gone for a few days. Not getting home until after midnight and getting up at 5am has worked me over pretty hard though, I am really tired today. Glad to see that things are going well for some in FAT. I can sense a few others are struggling and making excuses. I am sure those of you that are know deep in your hearts. Only thing we/you can do is get back too it.

Ripx Out...

Whats Going On? - A Whole Lot of Nothing....

Well my stinking weight has hit another week plus plateau. It gets so frustrating when all you expect is a pound or 2 a week and you get none. The last two days I have been sitting at my lowest of 211 but cant for the life of me get my body to go below that. Workouts have been really good and I have been pushing harder and longer intensity and time wise. Diet has been good however I am still having a hard time restricting carbs as much as I would like. Not that I am eating a bunch of bad carbs, most have been either whole wheat (ww) breads, ww pastas, or brown rice. I did have a unplanned bagel the other day that I felt bad about. I have felt somewhat sapped energy wise and I thought a carb boost would liven me up. Well that's just stupid talk if you ask me, no more bagels.

My wife and kidos are going to Wisconsin for her brothers wedding (we live in WA state). She will be gone wed morning through Sunday so i am bach-n it. I am also doing my "mans weekend" I referred to a few blogs back. Luckily I talked to one of the guys who is going with and he is down with eating healthy so we sat down and made a meal plan last night. I might miss one workout but the food intake should be solid. I am sure we will be doing allot of hiking, fishing, etc just moving around.

I wish I had some more exciting news to report on (like a new low) but my body isn't cooperating. I really hope I can still hit my mid sept deadline.

Hope everyone else is doing wonderful.

Quick Hit

Last weekends screw up is slowly coming off this week. Wish it were faster but hey you pay to play right? I didn't weigh myself this morning but yesterday morning I was sitting at 212.5. I haven't missed a workout this week and the majority have felt pretty productive. I have been battling a little bit of energy loss etc. Almost a little depression or something, just kind of feel like I am in a funk. I went to bed extra early last night and got a solid 8 hours of sleep. I guess I still woke up a 3-4 times for no good reason. I think my body thought I was over sleeping cause I got more sleep than normal. I don't feel as tired today so hopefully things will start looking up. I really have no reason to feel down I suppose (I have a good life, no complaints there). My diet has been good except I think I maybe incorporating a few to many carbs. I am not anti carb, I just know I have to keep them limited if I want to loose weight. So I need to adjust that back down.

On a side note my Uncle managed to sneak in a pic of me with my shirt off in the River this last weekend (even after i requested no shirtless fat pics of me). In his normal nice guy fashion he sent it out to god and country along with a bunch of other photos of the weekend. Needless to say i felt pretty pissed and repulsed (by my image). I think that may have started the funk that I currently am in. It just made me feel old, fat, and unsuccessful at my attempt at weight loss. I guess some good came of it cause I made a pact with myself that next year if he happens to snap a pic of me with my shirt off I will be looking totally different.


Observation 2... Swanks (aka swankywanker), I don't know if you read FAT blogs anymore but if you do why the heck did you block your blog??? Its a bummer cause I really enjoyed reading your posts when you posted. Hope all is well with you.

Anyway FAT keep the dream alive by loosing the pounds.

It's a Wrap

The big family camp out weekend is a wrap. Its amazing how fast these annual events come and go. To think next year my almost 4 month old will be walking and getting in to everything at 2 foot level or below. I am sure the few people who read my blog are wondering how I did this weekend. Well folks my diet did slip a little more than I had planned and packed for. When you share a campsite with your sister and your parents who eat the way you did when you got fat its really hard to resist temptation. Goes very far in proving why you shouldn't keep crap food readily available in your home or surroundings. I also partook in more alcohol then I have had in the last 60 days or so (The big family camp out is known for that). I did get in two good workouts which I felt good about, pretty much stuck to my plan there. Wed and thurs diet was fine but Friday and Saturday's fell flat. I was pretty down on myself yesterday, I have been so good about sticking to my plan for the last 2.5 months. I really felt like I had the "Eye of the tiger" going on. I guess it only takes one weekend to botch that though. Like they say there is no reason to cry over spilled milk so now and tomorrow is what I am focusing on. Yesterday when we got home I had myself on the treadmill for 40 mins running like a fool trying to make up for damage done. Diet was good yesterday, probably a little low calorie wise. My nephew had his 6th b-day last night and both my wife and I skipped the cake and ice cream. I feel like even though I checked out for a few days I am back, back to business on hand. Time to get back to new lows and I have a mid September deadline to make too. Anyway sorry for rambling, lots of stuff floating around in my head this morning.

note: 214 on the scale this am..... :(

Quick Blurp

Not a whole lot going on in Ripx world different from the norm. Been hitting my diet and workouts as planned. My weight is holding steady at 211 - 212 depending on the day. My runs are getting easier as my weight creeps down and cardio capacity seems to be up. Still not easy by any means but I find myself smiling while running from time to time or my mind sometimes wonders miraculously eating up time. When I started back at this journey a little of 2 months ago I could only do about 10 push ups. I went to max the other night and cranked out 35 which is pretty good for me. I feel like my legs are much more powerful too. Just for shits and giggles while at the park with my son I hung off the monkey bars to see if I could do a pull up. To my amazement I was able to crank out 1. Felt pretty good knowing I could pull my own big fat a$$ up at least once. I really do believe that I am changing both physically and mentally. Its a long road but it just feels good.

This week we have been making preparations for our long camping weekend. We are leaving this afternoon and not coming back until Sunday so I will be MIA for a while. Don't worry folks I have a meal plan and a few "outdoor" workouts in mind for my time away. Maybe some trail running HIIT style, rock lifting (dam building) to make a deeper swimming hole etc. Plus there is always the 211 pound body I carry around that I could do lunges, squats, push up, etc with. So I have a plan and now I must execute it. With that said have a good rest of your week FATers, I will see you all in blog land on the flip side.

What the Hell?!?! Weight Loss on a Weekend??

Today's Weigh in: 211 (new low)

Some of you might remember the Ripx of old crying on Mondays after a weekend. How I couldn't control myself drinking beer and chowing food. Well I don't know where that guy went but he hasn't showed up in months. Last night I had dinner at my parents house which used to be huge weakness. I called them up and asked them if they wanted to grill. They said sure and I said I would bring some steaks. I haven't had a steak in a long time but I was a man on a mission. Looking for a very lean cut and not huge. I found us four lean nice sized top sirloin petite steaks. My mom threw together a grub-n salad and some fresh melon. Shortly before we left to go over there I got in my run. A little over 3 miles @ 5.5 - 6 mph which is pretty good for me. Anyway, truthfully after a steak dinner I didn't expect any weight loss. I knew it was healthy food and I didn't feel guilty about eating it but I didn't expect weight loss. I didn't weight myself yesterday but the day before I hit a new low of 213. Today I see 211 on a Saturday morning ;) you could say I am pumped and got on the scale like 3 times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Makes me really want to go easy on my planned cheat meal tonight. Success makes a man really hungry for more. Hope some of you are experiencing weight loss on a weekend too :)

It Goes to Show You Never Know

Today's Weigh In: 213 (new low).

My diet has been really good this week, very similar to how it was last week. I'm hitting all my workouts like I did last week. Last week I couldn't get a pound. This week my body has given me 2. So I sit here scratching my head wondering what was the difference? I truthfully don't know but I like this week better than last week. I'm gonna KILL my workout tonight (in a good way) :).

Hope you are all having a good week also.

Quick Post

Today's Weigh In: 214 (new low)

Just yesterday I was complaining about not loosing any weight in the last 10 days. I woke up this morning and my body has finally decided to give me a pound. Hopefully it will continue this loosing trend. I would still like to be loosing about 2 lbs per week. I don't care how little you eat or how much you workout, seems sometimes the body is not willing to give up the fat/lbs. I guess that's why people talk about persistence and staying the course. Stick with your plan people, it will work. Billy wrote a blog a while back talking about how he has tried allot of things to loose weight and if he stuck to it they all worked. Moral to the story "my interpretation" is pick something and stick to it for a good amount of time. If your doing something its better than nothing.

Sacrifice Today for a Better Tomorrow

It's been 10 days since I have lost anymore weight. I am not sure whats going on... I have had my 1 cheat meal a week and worked out 7 of those days. My diet has been really good so I don't know what the heck is going on. This week I am going to really step it up and hopefully bring on some weight loss. I am ready to do whatever it takes even if it means skipping my 1 beloved cheat meal for the week, staying that extra 10 mins on the treadmill, or cranking out that extra rep. I have got to do something cause zero weight loss in 10 days is not acceptable. I feel like I have been working really hard and that my body should be giving me those well deserved pounds but its not. I guess in the past my body has done this to me before. It usually looses in spurts. However I cannot sit around thinking it will do the same again, its time for action. Its time for me to make sure it happens.

On a positive note I am loving the extra energy I have and not getting as winded etc. My muscles in my legs are really starting to pop out more due to all the squats and lunges etc. I am back to wearing my belt on the third notch instead of the second. All these things are great but in the back of my head I know 215 is never gonna be a good weight for me. Its gotta come down and down allot. I have some pretty crazy weeks coming up too. Its year end for us were I work so that means a ton of audit and year end reporting etc. We have a big camping trip planned for July 23-27th where booze and calorie laden food is king. The August 6-10th my wife is out of town and I am batching it with plans for a "Guys Weekend". So the potential for disaster is great and I must start making a plan for success. With that said, I must take a page out of my wife's model of thinking "Sacrifice Today for a Better Tomorrow".

FATers send me some good vibes for a kick ass next few weeks, may the FAT arrow fly true and strait in the next month or so!! ;)

Blowing FAT up on the 4th

Today's weigh in 215 (new low)
Ocean 11 6.5lbs lost

I managed to squeak out 2 pounds this week so that makes me happy. If I can keep that up then things will change at a pretty good pace. I have a plan for my meals today and am not really even worried about falling into 4th food. My parents are having their usual BBQ get together where there will be lots of temptation. But shit I face temptation every day at work with chocolate land mines around every corner on every desk. So I got this... Plus my cheat meal is planned for tomorrow and I am a man with a plan these days.

Will, Rise in July brother..... keep today clean!

Have a wonderful holiday!! don't forget to put old faithful out and thank those or remember those who have fought for our wonderful country.

Post 4th update:
Had a great time and kept my food really clean and in portion like I planned. I did however have 2 beers with a good friend I haven't seen in 6 months or so. I was plenty active with volleyball, trackball, Frisbee, and chucking the football. I am finally starting to look somewhat normal I think. My sister took this picture of me playing volleyball and I thought I looked ok. Still got a little gut as you can see and some other not so great parts but looking more tone in general. I felt really good also "physically". Never really got the winded tired feel I saw in allot of peoples faces and for that I know I am doing something right. Plus I wasnt all that sore the next few days after. Last year I felt crippled after the forth. Cant wait to see what I feel like next year. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Bring it Will

Will, You know I am so there. I haven't fit the lack luster mold you spoke of in months and I am not letting off the gas pedal anytime soon. I know this is my time and I plan to embrace it. This Phoenix is gonna burn in July brother!!! Bring on 340 Will with no BS in the middle or I will be calling you out. You've talked the talk now walk the walk.

If your wondering what the hell I am talking about here check out Will's latest blog.

Slowly Falling

Today's weigh in 216 (new low). -5.5 in the oceans 11 challenge.

As always the weekend flew by like it never happened. We had a really good time up camping. Granted the experience is a little different when you have two young kids. Its not quite as much fun and a lot more work, still worth the cost of admission in my book. Every year camping will become more enjoyable. My oldest son (3) loves camping and I am sure my 3 month old will too as he gets older. I got a chance to put on about 60 miles on my little Yamaha AT1-125 motorcycle. My friend Dan who's family went camping with us has a Yamaha just like mine. We actually purchased them from my neighbor who is moving soon. Anyway I love to fish in the alpine lakes so we set off Saturday morning with the thought of fresh trout for lunch. We had our Gifford Pinchot National Forest map and set out on our adventure. After about 20 miles or so of gravel roads and climbing elevation we ran into impassable snow. There was another lake about 10 miles from there that I knew of and guess what, more snow. So we reluctantly decided we should head back to camp and help our wives with the children etc. The cool thing about it is adding the motorcycles to the trip makes getting there half the fun. Yeah we didn't get to fish but we sure had fun trying. The water in the Lewis River was extra high so it was hard to find places to swim. Snow melt off also made the water really cold and hard to handle for much time. My dad took the picture to the right about a year ago in the campground we stayed in. Its really a beautiful river/forest. There was allot more water this last weekend. I took my camera but totally spaced getting it out.

I pulled a double workout yesterday. Did a weights session in the afternoon and ran a 5k last night (32 min). Eating has been really good minus my one cheat meal a week that I allow (usually Saturdays). I have noticed that I need to eat more often on the weekends, I sometimes forget and that's not a good way to keep the fire burning.

It's Still On!!

Today's weigh in 217 (new low)

That's 4.5 pounds in the ocean 11 contest. I am still a half pound behind Jason but definitely in striking distance. Don't count this old boy out.

I am actually trying to up my calorie intake a little as I think my body needs the extra drive during my workouts. Of course its with good clean foods. I have added one serving of carbs and one serving more of protein and it kind of helped restart the weight loss I think. The body is a weird thing and I wish it was as easy as just eating way less and loose weight. I know people say calories in calories out but there are some internal human body regulators that seem to kick you in the nuts and hold on to all your fat if you get your cals too low. Not that I was running severely low but I was sticking around 1600 cals. I have up'd it to about 1800-2000 and it seems to be working. Lets face it, I like to eat and adding a few more eats is a good thing in my book :). So lesson to the story is less doesnt always mean less weight. FEED THE FIRE!

We are leaving for camping tomorrow morning early (after our workout of course). Really looking forward to getting out. Saturday is my off day for workouts and I will be home sunday ready to hit the workout again. I will see if I can bore you all with some pictures of camping this weekend when I get back.

Have I said I feel motivated lately ;).

Check-n In

Thought I would post up an update given a new week is starting. Weekend was good and I stuck to my plan. Had my bad night on Saturday night. Played some Texas Holdem with some friends and came in 3 out of 11. So I got my buy in back which was nice. Kept my alcohol consumption low (3 drinks) which was good given the opportunity to get smashed. Ended up staying at my parents until late last night so missed a workout (only 5 work out days this last week instead of my usual 6). However I am planning on doing a double today to make up for it. Planning a 5k when I first get home then a lifting session after 8 tonight (after the boys go to sleep).

On a professional front my boss the director of our department is leaving the company. This leaves our entire department kind of up in the air, so I am pretty concerned about that right now. Trying to not freak out to bad and see what the winds of change bring.

Weather is looking great here in the NW for the next week or so. Think we are going to try and get some camping in this coming up weekend. I am soooo ready to get out in the woods. Don't worry the meal plan will be set in stone no matter what day of the week it is. I'm still pushing and nothings gonna get in my way.

Haven't weighed in since my cheat meal morning and I was still sitting at 218... hoping to get me a new low this week.

Overweight

Just a quick thing that I realized today after reading the new gal Susie's blog. With my new low I am now officially just overweight, I have left Obese behind. Not sure if I totally agree with the whole BMI calculation but it feels better to see overweight instead of the obese I had seen in the past. According to the BMI calculator I should weigh somewhere between 137 and 183 to be considered normal. On a 6' man I think anything under 160 and you start looking like a Skeletor! Keep it real FAT.

note: got my first "have you lost weight?" today at work.... felt pretty good :)

New Low HO

Well if you got to be a HO might as well be to the New Low!

218

Thats 3.5 lbs lost Ocean 11 competitors.

I know this has been a long time in the making for me. I looked back many moons and it was all the way back in 2007, end of October to be exact. Pretty freaking lame.... But I tell you what it feels good to be back and burning hot in uncharted territory. I had to re-lose allot of lbs (15) but whatever that was then and this is now. I plan on being the FAT New Low HO for a long time to come. Thank you to all you FATers who have stuck by me gain or loose. I can not be stopped I will be a FAT success story.

I got back to back blogs too so check out yesterdays if you want to see some sweat covered Ripx man sauce :)

If Your Not Sweating Your Not Done!!!

Howdy FAT,

Jason thanks for the reminder once again. The Ripx180 vessel is true and strait. Still killing it when ever I get a chance. I had my usual bad meal on Saturday night were I partook in some applebees appetizers and a couple coors lights. I always enjoy it and it seems to reinvigorate me for the days to come. As I do every weekend I step on the scale the day after and wonder why I decide to have a cheat meal. I usual flux up a couple pounds mostly due to water weight as I know I am not eating enough to gain a couple pounds. As always those pounds are gone in a few days. But it makes a guy think about severally lightening or skipping the cheat all together (even though its planned).

My oldest son picked up a nasty flu yesterday and was puking in his bed last night aroud 3am. I decided to stay home today with him, my other son, and wife. I figured since I was home might as well do a double workout today. Just got done with number one and that's what brought my blog title about. The proof is in the pudding or the picture I suppose. I saw my old new low this weekend 219.5. That puts me 2 pounds down in the ocean 11 contest. Keep killing the workouts FAT ocean 11 contestants or eat my dust!!!! This big fat snowball is rolling and gaining momentum.

Health Juggernaut

Well its a start of another week. Diet and exercise are still very much at the fore front of my mind. The furnace is still burning hot and I want to go where Ripx has never gone before. I really feel like there isn't much that can stand in my way at this point. I feel like a health Juggernaut.

An observation — I really hate seeing the lull in the FAT blogs these days. It really saddens me and I hope this isn't the signs of this group circling the drain. I know some have reached there goals and that means less interaction once you hit maintenance stage. There are still many who have not reached their promise lands that are starting to drift off into the fat vortex. I say it is time for our founders "The Fatastic Four" to reenlist and once again show us how its done. I suppose Billy deserves a hall pass on this calling cause he has reached his goals and is continuing to show us how to maintain the weight he has lost. At this point I call on Rob, Kevin, and Beck to come back with a vengeance and show us all how old school FAT coalitioners get it done. I got to thank all the huge success stories for getting it done (Billy, Brian, Kristen, Jimbo and others). Thanks to the newer peeps for keeping things rolling (Jason, Geoff, Will, and Justin). I miss reading stuff from Melissa (hope you come off hiatus soon), Swanks, Rebecca, Jay, Gene, and Dave. I know I have been kind of absent myself for a while but lets all get back to what we set out to do. Being healthy and fit is so important and this group goes along way in supporting just that.

This last weekend was a huge test of my resolve. I did things that I have never done since being part of the fat coalition. Let me guess, you are all thinking that I blew my diet and didn't work out this weekend. I know you have every right to think that cause in the past that is what I have done. This last weekend was a "mans weekend" and I was a man with a plan. My friend and I were slated to head north to Seattle for golf, UFC night, poker etc. No kids, no wives, just a bunch of guys having fun, taking a break from everyday life for a couple days. Before this it was a pass for me to eat the world, drink gallons of beer, and just plain and simply be a sloth. But no, I had a plan. My meals were all packed in my little cooler. I got my workout in Friday morning before I left and ran 3 miles last night when I got home. My friends tried to break me at every meal or snack. They were all chowing down on pizza, lasagna, chips, cookies and tons of beer. There I sat with my 4 ozs of chicken and salad passing up the stuff they kept trying to offer me. Luckily Saturday night was my cheat meal so I was able to par take in some ribs and some beer etc. But like everything else that weekend my cheat meal was planned. It felt good to say no and be in control of what is important to me even if it meant standing out like a sore thumb. I jumped on the scale this morning and was happy to see no weight gained and I can just taste a new low as it gets closer.

My wonderful wife is really staying the course this time too which helps me eminsly. Evan's color seems to really be looking better. Looks like we might actually get some sun this coming weekend. My oldest son Ryan turns three this week which is a total trip to me.

Blog Slacker!!

I know, I know... I have been harassing a handful of you to post more often but then turn around and don't blog myself. I will try to do better (thanks for the reminder Jason).

I am still kicking some serious a$$ in the diet and exercise front. The weight is still coming off nicely and I am really hoping for a new low post here in the near future. I am going to have to dig way back in ripx180 blog sphere to find my last new low. I think I remember the number and the sad thing is it was way back in 2007 when it happened. I got no excuses or remorse at this point, it is what it is. I can tell you this though, it feels different this time. I can really feel the fire and desire to do this. Even more so then when I first joined the FAT coalition. I just feel like I have a direction, goals, and that I can actually do it. I almost enjoy the slight tinge of hunger in my gut because it reminds me that I am shredding fat of my big a$$. It just feels different this time.

I am playing with the idea of ditching the cheat meal once a week. Part of me wants to keep it but the other part of me thinks it counter productive. I just don't want to burn out and crash by not allowing things that I really like on rare occasion. Last weekend on my cheat night I decided to indulge in some booze (had been 3 weeks since I really had much). I drank a fair amount and had fun but felt like absolute S the next day. The older I get the less attractive booze is. I think in the future if I decide to partake in booze it will be in much less quantities. Drinking or not at social gatherings I always have a good time.

My wife is doing great also. I am so glad that she has decided to make a change for the better health wise too. Its so much easier having your best friend to talk to about nutrition, exercise, frustration, etc etc. She is also loosing some pounds and its starting to show. We seem to motivate one another so I am pretty pumped to see how far we can take this thing.

Evan my 2month old still has slightly elevated jaundice levels. So we had to have a blood test done on him. Poor kid had to have 3 shots and a blood test in a hour period. Luckily everything came back normal on his test and they said to just keep an eye on his coloring. They said that breast fed babies sometimes take longer to expel the jaundice. He is gaining weight and growing like crazy.

I bought a little 1971 Yamaha AT1-125 enduro to go next to my dirt bike in the garage. Its been fun putting around the neighborhood on it and tinkering with the engine etc. Nice to have a little bike that is street legal again.

So there you have it FAT, thats whats been going on in Rips world.

I'm Still Here

Wow I cant believe its been over a month since the last time I posted. I have been trying to comment more on all of your blogs but have neglected my own. Heres to more frequent postings.

My wife was released to start exercising etc after her c-section about 3 weeks ago. So its been really nice to have a diet/workout partner. We have both really helped keep each other on track. We bought a food scale and have really cleaned up our diets both portion and quality wise. We are allowing 1 cheat meal a week and that seems to be working really well for us. It seems that after about 6 or 7 days you are getting pretty fed up with eating clean so a cheat meal allows us to have something we have been craving. It also usually reminds me why I shouldn't eat like that (cause I feel like crap). When I adjusted my portion sized I was and am hungry allot more than I used to be even though I am eating 5-6 times a day. It wasn't that I was eating the wrong things all that often, I was just eating too much. We have also been exercising 5-6 days a week which I am sure will really help. I had regained some of the weight I had lost last year and got back up to 232. So I am currently re loosing the pounds I had lost not so long ago. I am hoping to be able to post a new low in the next few weeks. Evan our 2 month old is doing great. However sleep and downtime around our place is far and few between for us adults. 2 kids is allot more work than just one. Hope this finds everyone in FAT is doing well.

What's Up FAT

It’s been almost 3 weeks since I last updated my FAT blog. I know I need to be doing it more regular. My workouts have been good the last few weeks. I finally feel like maybe I am catching some wind in my work out sails. My food intake has kind of been hit and miss for a long time now. I guess it has always been my Achilles heel. My goal with eating these days is to minimize junk food and eat smaller portions in general. There really isn’t much to a 4-6oz piece of stinking chicken. There is also always more room for veggies.

I had somewhat of an eye opener conversation with a friend of mine the other day. I have spoken about him in past blogs (the firefighter who’s training for a ironman). I was out at his house for dinner and we were talking about his training schedule which is absolutely insane. I started bitching about my workouts and trouble losing weight. He is one of those lucky guys that can eat just about anything and never get fat, so he didn’t have much advice on diet. He only had a few pieces of info on diet “calories in calories out” and “pre/post workout shake or drink”. What he did bring back to the forefront of my mind was heart rate while working out. I have a polar heart rate monitor and never really put much stock in where my heart rate was at. Well I have been running in the 165-175 bpm range when doing runs on my treadmill. I was gassing out after about 15-20min and had no stinking energy. He told me I was working way too hard and that I needed to slow down even if it meant walking some. The stupid thing is I already knew all this information but wasn’t putting it to use. I started researching it a bit and found some generic MHR equation like 220-your age = MHR (max heart rate). I am 33 so my approx MHR is 187. So pretty much anything over 168 was putting me into the red zone 90% of my MHR. My understating is it’s ok to get into those number if you’re doing HIIT but steady state cardio is another beast. So the last week or so I have been keeping my MHR under 160 (preferably 155) while doing steady state cardio. My workouts have been much more enjoyable and effective. Last night was a 40 min cardio session that resulted in over 3 miles and 550 calories burnt. Previously I was lucky to hit 2 miles and 400cal in 25 minutes or so before practically crashing. I think the main issue was I was still trying to work out like I did when I was 30yo, <200 style=""> So if you have a HRM use it and listen to your heart. Your workouts will be longer, more affective, and more enjoyable which will increase the likelihood of doing them again.

Keep it real FAT.

Its all Evan’s Fault...

Ok maybe not at all but he has sure been keeping us busy. We had a planned c-section date but he decided to choose his own birthday and nuke everyone else's schedule along the way. I cant believe that my second son will be a week old tomorrow. For the ladies he was 6lbs 12oz and 19inches long. Both he and his mother are doing great and I am trying to get back in the swing of things on the nutrition and exercise front. Once his mom gets back to 100% she plans to get involved too on both fronts. Hopefully I can talk her into doing a blog also. Now if we can just get Evan on a good schedule and get a good night sleep.

Kristen thanks for sending me a reminder to get back and Melissa sorry to hear that blogspot ate your page. Guess that means I need to back mine up. I have a couple weeks off work so I am planning on getting some more frequent exercise and blogging more also. Help keep me honest FAT, if I don’t blog shoot me a comment if you got a moment.

Here is a little video of Evan at 4 days old. His grandpa got really lucky and caught his first smile on video.

Start of a Good Week

Overall I do feel like things are taking a turn for the better in my quest to get healthier and drop some weight. I have really been trying to pay attention to the mental part of the game which I think is my worst downfall (that or diet). I have been reading allot of old posts and trying to reestablish the reasons why I am doing this. Not that I have ever forgot them, I have just kind of had times where it hasn't been at the absolute front of my mind. Diet wise I am really trying to eat clean and less in general. I think my portion sizes have been somewhat skewed in the past. I am really just trying to simplify things. Natural healthy whole foods and less in general. Here is yesterdays menu...

6am
Grilled chicken breast (small amount) & diced tomatoes, Banana
9am
Green tea, Organic oats & flax, Black coffee
Noon
Grilled chicken breast, veggies, brown rice
2:30pm
Ziplock of spinach, celery & almonds 15nuts
6:30pm
Turkey chili, sautéed zucchini (in evoo), 6oz v8
Throughout the day
Multi vitamin, vita c, 4fish caps, 100+ onces of H2O

Another note on the menu I have started to do like some of you all do. Monday night I grilled up 4 chicken breasts, made some brown rice, and a big batch of veggies. That gave me four lunches and four chicken and tomatoes snacks. Last night we had turkey chili with left overs so I made two more lunches out of that. Almost looks like I am planning my diet out here... :) I have been trying to be more active in the kitchen with my wife to make sure food is being prepared how I like it (healthy). She seems to like input and the help too.

Monday I did a circuit workout that included dumbbell swings, jumping squats, lunges w/dumbbell press, push ups, row deadlift combo. I stayed pretty light on the weights to work on form. I still nearly puked. The all over body workouts just waste me. I noticed another weird thing, when I do these workouts my BP drops significantly. I always thought it would go up. I took it right after I was feeling kind of ill the first time and it was like 91/68. whats your take on that??? Has anyone else taken there BP after or during a hard compound movement circuit?

Last night I did 40 mins on the treadmill. ran for the first 20 mins then switched to a more HIIT approach for the last 16 minutes with a few minutes cool down at the end. I was soaked and really wasted by the end. The treadmill doesn't make me feel like I am going to puke which is nice. I guess if I went harder and faster it might.

Hope everyone is doing well.