Top 5 Reasons to Lose Weight

Here's another post I've been meaning to put together for a while. Motivation is probably the #1 key to sticking with a weight loss program. If you don't feel any reason to lose the weight, why try? So here are my top 5 reasons for losing the weight (20 weeks and counting!):

1. My health - As I've hit my 30's, I've come to the realization that I won't be living forever (nice thought, huh? :). I know it's not entirely traceable to my diet and exercise habits, but I currently have a high cholesterol issue and a thyroid issue. So this isn't only about looking good, but correcting other health issues as well.
2. AJ - When my dad had me, he was 22 years old and still young enough to get outside and throw the football around, etc. as I grew up. When my son is hitting his prime "play with Dad" years, I would like to be able to do the same with him. Also, I feel it is very important to his health to have positive role models in his parents. Perhaps, if he sees me eating fruits, nuts, and vegetables all the time, he will be less inclined to hit McDonald's as much as I did growing up.
3. Do it now while I'm younger - This is something I've been meaning to do for a while, but each year I realize that my body will be harder to change. I have older friends and relatives that work at this as hard as I do and are lucky to drop a pound a month. So, I better get that weight back to an acceptable range. That way, when I'm 40 or 50, I only have to worry about maintaining...not losing.
4. Looks - I wouldn't be honest if I didn't put this in there. All of my life, I have either been too skinny or too fat. For about 2 minutes somewhere between 19 and 20 years old was my weight in the right range. It didn't stay that way for long, because I was having a pepperoni pizza every other night in college. So, for once, I would like to get my body to a shape where I feel comfortable taking my shirt off at the beach and not wonder if people are repulsed (which is sad because I grew up on LI, NY with a beach within 20 minutes at all times).
5. Energy - It is so awesome to be able to climb a flight of stairs or just get up from the floor without feeling winded. It was very scary for me when I would wake up in the morning and just felt like I was laboring to take a shower, etc. It's hokey to say, but I really do feel the extra energy in my step when I go anywhere now. Perhaps it's the confidence as well, but I really think there is a physical change in how my body stores and uses energy.

So there you have the top 5 reasons why I decided I need to lose the weight. On a positive note, I should be good for a 1 or 2 lbs drop this week, if mid-week readings mean anything. And my pushups are on track as well...giddyup!

Fantasy Football Love...

Obviously not weight loss related...

I am a sports geek and belong to not one, but two fantasy football leagues...

I am sure my team, The Drunken Irishmen (same name for both leagues), will finally win me some long overdue cash (I have been played in over 8 seasons between both leagues and have won $$$ just once...

Anyways, someone forwarded me this funny (because it's true!) list of "fantasy football tips". An obvious male slant to the list, but funny for anyone into the fantasy football thing...

Weigh In - Week 20

Such a mixed bag of emotions this week...

For one, I thought I did pretty well from a food / exercise standpoint. No real big food misses on my part (worst offenses were a Moe's Burrito and 2 beers...that's really it). I put in my three workouts this week and added a few extra walks (1 walk with a 17 lbs weight strapped to me in a baby bjorn) around the neighborhood as well as 117 pushups. I wasn't expecting to lose 5 lbs or anything, but it would have been nice to drop just 1 lb...

I think I'm officially in a plateau phase at this point. Or as my Mom would tell me, "Maybe that's just your body saying you've hit your normal weight." In full disclosure, my Mom thinks I've lost too much weight already, which I find totally bizarre. Any thoughts on ways to bust through a plateau period are welcomed. Perhaps, I just need to wait it out...

On the other hand, this is my 2nd official milestone date and my plan was to be at 216 by this point. Even on my aggressive plan, I wanted to be at 196. So even with this plateau, I am still 3 lbs lighter than my best expectations. As a reminder, here are my milestone rewards. I've earned myself a trip to see the Jets play the Eagles at the Meadowlands on 10/14. The third milestone isn't until 10/22.

Last thing on the pushup front. I know I said I was only going to record in 10 rep increments, but I got to 10 + 7 at 10PM on Sunday night and couldn't do anymore. Rather than dishonestly round up to 10 + 10 (I thought about it), I gave myself credit only for what I accomplished. I plan on giving myself the same challenge this week and actually hitting the number. It looks like I have a competitor to spur me on as well. As people who know me, I tend to get competitive and will most likely not only hit my 150 number, but beat whatever number Jynell puts up on the board as well. Bring it on!

Personal Pushup Challenge Results

The final results are in and...

...I didn't meet my goal of 150 pushups this week. I petered out at 117 last night at 10PM.

More on that later when I post my weigh in results, but wanted to reset the ticker back to 0.

I plan on getting there this week though!

There's a Mascot Hall of Fame?

Yes there is...

And this year's finalists are up for a vote...

What are you waiting for? Go vote for Youppi!

Do not, under any curcumstances, vote for Mr. Met. If you plan on voting for Mr. Met, forget you saw this post.

Mr. Met is pure, unadulterated evil...

Disclaimer: The writer of this post is a Yankees fan and hates all things Mets and Red Sox.

Some Non Scale Victory News...

Had some free time on my hands last night waiting to pick up the parents at the airport and decided to hit a local mall to try on some new clothes...specifically jeans.

Since I started my trek and lost over 40 lbs., I have not purchased anything new. I've told myself that I need to hit my magic number of 50 before I start buying new. This didn't seem unreasonable as I was somehow shedding weight like it was going out of style. I unreasonably expected to be close or at my goal weight by now.

It is increasingly looking like I've hit a plateau in my weight loss journey, so I may not be at the 50 lb marker by September or possibly October. As such, I can't wait forever to switch out of my size 38's as they look ridiculous...especially the jeans. I have actually gotten comments from people when I wear them that they look a little clownish.

So I went into Macy's not knowing what size waist would actually end up being comfortable. I brought in size 36's, 35's, and 34's...I was happily surprised to find that the size 34's were the most comfortable. They are "loose fit" jeans, so that probably plays into things a little, but it's nice to wear a pants size that I haven't worn...since COLLEGE over 10 years ago (how sad is that?).

That should keep me happy while I get stuck in the low 190's for a while...

FYI...those aren't pics of the actual jeans I bought. I did a google image search for "size 34 jeans" and this is what I found. These look pretty close to the Levi's I bought though...

Personal Pushup Challenge - Update

Thought I would give an update on my personal push up challenge.

It's frickin tough!

I am roughly 1/2 way through the week and 1/3 through my push ups. I found that I can not crank out more than 10 push ups in a row and I've been able to crank out a max of 2 sets in one sitting.

My plan when I set the 150 mark was to crank out 3 sets during each session and to do 1 session per day for 5 days. That may have been a tad aggressive on my part.

I'm still gunning for that 150 marker. Onward!

Top 5 Favorite Bad Foods

The whole oreo thing below got me thinking about my favorite "bad for you" foods. I thought it would be fun to share with you the foods that are the most tempting / the easiest to rationalize going off my weight loss program. The whole thing can be viewed as cathartic. Without further adieu (in no particular order):

1. Oreos - This has got to be my all time favorite cookie. Oreos also need to be accompanied by milk or else the whole thing doesn't work in my opinion


2. Hot Dogs - Need to be specific on brands here: Nathan's Famous, Sabretts, or Pott's Hot Dogs. Just thinking about a chili, cheese, onion dog from Pott's (only local to Eastern PA) gives me goosebumps.


3. Pepperoni Pizza - I do not consider pizza to be a "bad" food by itself, but start loading up the salty, fatty meats and it moves in that category. I've had my fair share of pizza since I started on 3/26, but have not had a single slice with the pepperoni on it...I'd like to give a quick shout to my favorite pizza place of all time: Little Vincent's (grew up on LI, NY and this place has the best pizza of my 32 short years)


4. Chocolate Milk Shake - I actually let myself drink chocolate milk pretty regularly, but in small portions and with 1% Milk. A chocolate milk shake from the right ice cream parlor (such as Merrymead Dairy Farm) is unbelievable. Immediately after finishing (usually within 10 minutes), I feel absolutely bloated and horrible (milk comas aren't only for babies), but those 10 minutes are usually worth it anyway.


5. French Fries - Once again, I need to stipulate that the fries come from either Five Guys or Cheeburger, Cheeburger. Fresh cut, fried in peanut oil, and sprinkled liberally with salt. These guys are supposedly known for thier burgers, but the fries are all I need.

So there you go...my top 5 guilty pleasures. I've actually been able to abstain from 2 of them to this point (Pepperoni Pizza and Oreos). Feel free to let me know what your top 5 is in the comments section (or backlink to my post in your blog and create your own top 5 post)

Thanks Domino's for making Oreos unappetizing...

If you currently are an Oreo lover and are looking for a way to kill the temptation, watch this commercial for a new "Oreo Dessert Pizza" from Domino's:



The concept of that many oreos on a fried crust drizzled with sauce makes me sick. The odd "milk mustache" concept makes me more sick.

Don't think appetite suppressant is what Domino's had in mind, but I'll use this ad to keep me in check...

Why I will never work in the food service industry...

Browsing the the Craigslist board to see what local jobs are out there (for my wife more than me) and came across this one for a manager of a Saxby's Coffee Shop.

Now I understand that companies tend to embellish the tasks / requirements for any given position when they advertise, but this is a lot to ask of a person (in my opinion):

• Properly hire, train and motivate your Associates • Handling customer complaints properly • Checking in and stocking incoming orders • Counting and reconciling the cash drawers • Maintaining supply of reserve change • Filling in for absences of other staff members • Maintaining quality control of menu items served • Supervising and assisting other employees in the performance of their responsibilities • Taking inventory and placing orders • Guarding against waste • Guarding against employee theft • Maintaining food and labor costs at established levels • Exploring ways to save the company money within the parameters of the Franchisor’s systems • Updating inventory pricing • Reconciling bank statements • Invoicing and collecting any accounts • Entering invoices and payouts in QuickBooks • Filing • Checking bank deposits online • Keeping the office area clean and neat • Compiling and making the daily deposit • Paying bills as they become due • Computing and completing payroll • Being on budget • Backing
up the computer regularly • Verifying and issuing gift certificates • Maintaining sales at or above the projected level • Maintaining, replacing and labeling air pots • Purchasing and placing new prints in frames periodically • Making sure that all maintenance and repairs are performed on the equipment and facility as needed • Assigning staff to duties • Promoting the overall efficiency and profitability of restaurant • Overseeing operations • Screening new hires

And what should the lucky applicant of this fairly complex job expect to earn for his or her time? $24K + (unspecified) bonus. Assuming a generous 20% bonus payout, this person can expect to make a maximum of $29K. Are you freaking kidding me? I have people in my company who do MUCH MUCH less than this and are making double this in salary alone.

I guess this must be the going rate in for a manger in the Starbucks world, which is why I will never work in the food service industry.