Fat Guy to Fast Guy

I'm Coming Back...

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Spread the news.

Don't Give Up, Don't Ever Give Up

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:36:00 +0000

Regardless of your situation, this is inspirational. The journey resumes very soon.

Time to Fight My Way Back...One Inch At A Time

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:54:00 +0000

The Journey Resumes...Stay Tuned...

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Weigh-In Day #7: Continuing the Climb

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:19:00 +0000

It was another bad week. I'm now at 299.9 pounds. A very symbolic weigh-in. It's like God is telling me that this is my last chance to turn around and start losing weight again. Or else we all know what's next: weighing above 300 pounds again.

I still haven't found the motivation to lose weight again, but I really haven't been putting in the effort to find motivation either. I have received a lot of great advice from you all, and I will definitely put it to good use at some point, hopefully very very soon.

School has started up again for me so that has added an extra layer of stress to the situation. But life is all about stresses, so I know that I cannot use this as an excuse for not putting in the effort to lose weight.

What's next? I'm not sure. Hopefully a better week. I guess the first step is to find that motivation again. I know I can find it... I just hope I can stick with it this time.

Weigh-In Day #6: Disappointment

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Yes, I met my little mini-goal by not gaining more than a pounds, but this is still extremely disappointing. Obviously, I have no one to blame but myself...no exercise + bad eating = weight gain.

I fear that I have lost motivation completely and that I am inching my way towards falling off the weight loss bandwagon. What to do next...I'm not sure.

Food Hangover

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:05:00 +0000

I just woke up about an hour ago, and I have that sinking feeling in my stomach because I'm hungover and totally regretting what I did yesterday.

No, no, not THAT kind of hangover and regret...it's a food hangover, and that sinking feeling in my stomach is the literal result of eating much too much yesterday. Half of a large buffalo chicken pizzz (with blue cheese dipping sauce), chips and salsa, lobster, the other half of the buffalo chicken pizza (and dipping sauce), and, of course, libations. It's just been one of those weeks...I can't fully explain my thought process during this week...I'm guessing it's just been a general feeling of laziness. A common thought this week has been, "I simply do not care about eating healthy." I'm still trying to figure out exactly why I don't care this week, and why this week in particular. I can't seem to keep my emotions in check...

I guess I'm fully in a rut...here's to hoping that I can salvage today and Sunday. Unfortunately, my goal this week is not to gain more than a pound. Obviously, this isn't a very good goal, but this is just temporary until I can end this week and move on to the next week.

So Far So Good

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:42:00 +0000

The back-on-track day is going well thus far. Healthy breakfast. Healthy lunch. Sucking down water like it's my job. Keeping myself busy. Dinner is already planned for tonight, and it sounds like it will be healthy, so I anticipate a good food day.

Since I'm away from home during the day today, I have to exercise this evening, probably around 8:30pm. I'm not a huge fan of working out at this time, but if I have to exercise late in the day in order to get my activity points, then so be it. I've heard that exercising late in the day can cause you to have bad sleep...personally, I haven't had that problem yet. Also, if I had to choose morning or night for working out, I would choose night, because I am definitely not a morning person. But...I really like working out in the morning after I've been awake for an hour or two...but that doesn't really work out with a work schedule.

A new study says that meal replacements aid weight loss. Good to know, actually. During previous diets, I used to eat just Slim-Fast bars and shakes for breakfast and lunch, and it seemed to work. In fact, I think I did this when I lost a lot of weight in 2001. I've thought about buying these again, because they are major time-savers, but I will probably lose out on some nutrition. Tough choice...save time or maintain nutrition?

Chugging on toward dinner time...I have good vibes that this will be a good day.

Another Bad Day

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:29:00 +0000

Another healthy breakfast and lunch, but a terrible dinner. I don't know if it was stress this time...I think it was more "I'm lazy, I don't want to be healthy today" sort of thing. Argh...I'm totally battling my old self these past two weeks. I'm totally fighting the diet thing this week, and I know I shouldn't be. I'm stuck in a major funk right now. I'm funkdafied, and I want to be de-funkdafied. At least I worked out on the elliptical today...

I gotta have a good rest of the week and weekend, or else I'm predicting a bad, bad weigh-in on Monday. Gotta brainstorm about how I can fight the funk.

I'm A Maniac...

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:37:00 +0000

...and I'm eating like I've never eaten before. Stress got the best of me today...I ate a healthy breakfast and lunch, but dinner was a disaster. At 2:30pm today, I decided I was too stressed out to care about eating healthy and exercising for the day. I shrugged my shoulders and basically said, whatever...I simply do not care about being healthy tonight.

Of course, I'm totally regretting it now. I went out to eat at a restaurant, I stuffed my face with buffalo tenders, and I chowed down on a bacon cheeseburger and fries to the point where I felt my belly was going to explode all over the bar. Not good. I've been told that it is OK to have one bad meal per week...but I don't think overeating to the point of exploding was what they had in mind.

Stress eating has always been a problem for me. It's almost like I spend all my energy being stressed that I simply do not care about anything else for the rest of the day. No matter how much progress I have made thus far...it all vanishes when I become stressed. I'm not entirely sure what to do to combat stress...I know a lot of people use exercise for that purpose, but it hasn't done the trick for me yet. Some people use therapy...not sure if I'm ready for that. What else is there?

I think I need to keep my goals in perspective when I encounter these problems in the future. I know I can't use food to deal with stress...I have to combat stress in a more conducive manner. I'll probably be wracking my brain for the next week because of this night. Argh.

Weigh-In Day #5: A Week-Long Relapse

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:19:00 +0000

I knew I was going to go up this week. No doubt about it. I didn't work out for a week and a half. I didn't track Weight Watchers points for a week, which resulted in me eating rather badly. I haven't blogged in a week. I basically jumped completely off the weight loss bandwagon for a week. I think I needed a break...things seemed a little overwhelming all of a sudden. Plus, I felt a sudden need to be SUPER lazy before I can't be lazy anymore...the school year begins in just two short weeks.

I think I should be thanking my lucky stars that I only gained 1.6 lbs. I'm looking at it as a minor setback on this journey...I knew things wouldn't be perfect, and I am going to learn from my mistakes. I ate healthy today, and I worked out on the elliptical.

I think I'm going to give up the Wii for a little while...I got a little bored with it, to be honest. I'm also considering joining a gym sooner rather than later...probably in the next few weeks. I feel that I'm missing something in my workout, and I think that something is strength/resistance training. I was sort of getting that with the resistance band that came with EA Sports Active...but I'm not sure it is enough. It also got a little monotonous. I think the strength training machines at the gym are useful...but I don't think I know how to use them, or at least use them properly. I'm hoping that my gym gives a free personal training session or a basic workout plan, because I really don't have any sort of workout routine. Anyone know whether gyms will give out basic workout routines?

I apologize to all for not updating, but I'm back and ready to start losing weight again. Let the daily updates resume. :-)

Weigh-In Day #4: Small But Sweet

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:09:00 +0000

Yikes, I've been on my longest hiatus yet...I haven't updated since Friday, when I promised all of you that I would update this weekend. And I totally broke my promise. I had one of those really really lazy weekends, where I didn't really want to do anything except relax and enjoy a quiet weekend. I think it is because law school starts again for me in a few weeks, and I'm trying to enjoy my free time while I still can.

Unfortunately, that laziness resulted in some hiccups this weekend with food and exercise. I didn't exercise the entire weekend, and I ate slightly larger dinners. But things are OK...I lost 1.3 pounds this week, coming in at a weight of 294.7 pounds. Honestly, I think I would have lost more if it wasn't for this weekend. But it's OK...I remain fully on the weight loss bandwagon, and I'm still very much energized and excited about exercising and eating healthy.

I'm still trying to enjoy these last few days of freedom, so I probably will not exercise today. However, I am getting back on track tomorrow. I will be away from home, but I have decided to find a way to exercise at the hotel I am staying at, either at the on-site gym or by walking around the premises for an extended period of time. I would be content with doing either option.

I want to thank everyone again for your continued support...you guys are the best!

It's Friday Night

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:38:00 +0000

Go enjoy yourself...it's the weekend. No blog post tonight, but I promise I will make it all up to you this weekend. Perhaps with a double dose of blogtastic action IN YOUR FACE tomorrow. We shall see.

I'm the fat guy. You stay classy, San Diego.

A Traveling Conundrum

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Next week, I will be traveling to and staying over in Connecticut. I will be staying at everyone's favorite tribal land. This will be the first time that I will be away from home since I started the diet and exercise routine. I'm not so worried about the diet...I'm definitely more worried about exercising. Here are my options:

Work out at the on-site gym. The gym apparently has a full range of cardiovascular equipment, including an elliptical and a treadmill, which is all I really need. But it costs $15 to use, and I'm not sure I am ready to exercise in public yet. Plus, I think I will feel guilty if I don't check in with my Wii workouts on a daily basis. I might be afraid of the Wii yelling at me for cheating on it.

Bring the Wii with me. Why not? It's easy enough to bring along, and it can probably be plugged into the back on the TV in the hotel room. But there's a chance that the TV won't be compatible with it, and I would have to lug along the balance board. Plus, I should probably not be so crazy about having to check in with it every single day. I just don't want it secretly hating me.

Skip a workout day. I haven't skipped a workout since I started officially trying to lose weight in late June, so I suppose it would be good if my body and its muscles got a rest. But exercise has been a good way to beat stress and avoid hunger, and I get nervous that a day of no exercise will result in less weight loss when I weigh-in. If I take a day off and end up not losing any weight, then I will immediately point the finger at the day off.

I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are. I'll decide by Monday.

Planning For The Future

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Quick update tonight, since I'm getting up early tomorrow to travel. I just wanted to share some great websites for information on and tools to help with running.

I'm definitely getting ahead of myself here, but I'm really looking forward to training for runs. I'll probably regret saying that when I actually start training, because my legs will probably feel like they are going to fall off after my first couple runs. But it's kind of cool to think about running, simply because I've never been a runner. It's sort of like learning a new skill or trade, or beginning college (or law school, in my case). It's a little scary to think about, but it's kind of exciting to be learning new things. Anyways, on to the websites...you runners out there probably already know of these places, so feel free to skip today's blogisode.

Hal Higdon is a legendary Runner's World magazine writer who has a ton of books about running and provides a bunch of training programs and information. His site is LOADED with extremely valuable advice. I will absolutely visit this site on a regular basis when I'm ready to train. But I now have a difficult question to answer: follow Hal's 5K training program or Cool Running's Couch-to-5K program? Anyone have any suggestions or have personal experience with either?

Map My Run allows you to plan your running routes in advance, so you can determine how long a route is and whether there is any elevation in your run. You can also view runs set by others (there are over 3.5 million runs), log your training, and even create leaderboards. It is so great to know that a helpful website like this exists, because it gives me greater confidence to get out and run in the neighborhood. I was wondering recently, "How do I know where to run around here?" This site is the solution. Looks like they have a cool iPhone app, too.

I'm sure I will discover more resources as I get closer to training. For now, it's fun just reading all of the articles on these sites and playing around with the cool tools. I'm getting psyched!

My Inadvertent Detox

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Unsuspectingly, my alcohol intake has reached lows not seen since before college. I haven't limited my drinking on purpose...sort of. It is sort of an indirect result of being on Weight Watchers, since it preaches and demands that I track EVERYTHING that enters my body, including any kind of beverage and any small bite of food.

I love all sorts of beers...Sam Adams, Sam Summer, Heineken, Guinness, most of the beers at the BBC, and of course the occasional hard liquor. But 12 oz. of regular beer is 3 points, and that can add up during a night of shenanigans. Even a beer at a restaurant during dinner can be costly...a lot of those restaurant beers on tap are 16 oz., so it would be 4 points per beer. Some have "super-sized" servings of 22-24 oz., so one of those can be 6 points...just for drinking a frosty beverage. Some of those malt beverages or pre-mixed drinks, like Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade, are between 4-6 points for 12 oz. But the worst drink is a margarita in a pint glass...11 points! Mudslides come in second with 8.5 points, and long island ice teas take third with 8 points. Surprisingly, hard liquor is not that bad...usually around 2-3 points per shot. In addition, the best alcoholic drinks have hard liquor in them: rum and diet coke, and vodka and soda each cost 1.5 points. White wine spritzers and bloody marys are only 2 points.

Since I would rather spend my points on food, I have been drinking either light beer or just water. Although light beer is only 2 points per 12 oz., it can add up, and I REALLY like spending my points on food. Therefore, I have really only been drinking water over the past couple weeks. I've probably been pretty lame lately because of this, but it's been kind of nice...sort of like a detox or a cleanse, I guess. Maybe it's the exercise and the dieting, but I feel healthier by just drinking water...I feel more in control of my body.

Concerned readers: I haven't eliminated alcohol completely from my life...that would just be tragic. Beer will always have a special place in my heart.

Weigh-In Day #3: First Milestone Achieved

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Today, I reached my first milestone: I have lost 5% of my starting weight by weighing in at an even 296 pounds. I also reached a mini-milestone by being under 300 pounds for the first time in a long time (I think it's been around eight years). Good news all around!

Obviously, I'm happy with my progress thus far, but I know I still have a very long way to go. I can't let myself get too giddy. In the past, I would celebrate a good weigh-in with a day and night of not tracking points. Naturally, I would eat like a pig and feel OK about it since I was celebrating. But the celebration would continue into the next day...and then for the rest of the week. Before I knew it, I had gained the weight back and would have to get to the same milestone again. Usually, I wouldn't get to it again, because I had gone too far. I had eaten too much the week before, so I usually decided that I had fallen off the weight loss bandwagon and that I would need to start all over again...after a few weeks of binge eating, of course. Yo-yo dieting, indeed.

Today, I "celebrated" by continuing the same routine of dieting and exercise I have been following. And I feel great about it. Granted, I ate a slightly larger dinner than normal, but certainly nothing too extreme. I'm still very much on the weight loss bandwagon.

People may be wondering if I notice any change in appearance. At the moment, I don't see a difference, but I can feel it in somewhat subtle ways. I wore a polo shirt today that used to feel rather tight, but it feels a lot more comfortable on me now. My jeans and khakis are getting loose, but they aren't too big to wear yet. Instead of having -50 muscles, I feel like I have -10 muscles. These are all small things, but they definitely help raise my confidence in the weight loss program that I am following.

Here's to reaching many more milestones. Thank you everyone for your constant support!

Busy Being Bored

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:48:00 +0000

Today was a calm, relaxing day. Humidity was in full force today, and we all know fat guys like me don't do well on hot days, so I spent a lot of time indoors, usually parked in front of a fan or A/C unit. Outdoorsy activities were out of the question, so I did not suck it up and deal with the heat as I previously stated I would. I think I need to lose some more weight before I feel more comfortable in hot weather...right now, I'm still sweating just by waiving my hand.

There's only so much you can do inside before you get bored...and that quickly happened to me today. Naturally, the hunger pains arrived with vigor, so I tried distracting myself, but I didn't do a very good job doing that, since the hunger wasn't going away. I didn't try very hard either...did a lot of TV and movie watching. I think the heat fogged up my brain or something. Regardless, I made it through the day without overeating, and I'm feeling good about tomorrow's weigh-in.

Speaking of boredom, today was the first time that I felt bored with my exercise routine. Since late June, I've been doing the same Wii workout routine: 30-45 minutes a day on either EA Sports Active or Wii Fit. I started using our elliptical machine a couple days ago, but that's only because I am finally below the weight limit for the machine. There's nothing else I do besides the Wii and the elliptical. I wasn't bored with these routines until today. I'm worried that this is gonna be worse as I continue to do the same routines. If I'm not comfortable with doing exercise outdoors, what options do I have? Join a gym? Try workout routines without the Wii? Suck it up and do outdoor exercises? Do nothing and see how it goes?

I'm gonna see how the next week goes before changing up my routine. Maybe it was a one-time twinge of boredom...

Ore-Oh No

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:04:00 +0000

I splurged on some Oreos when I got home from dinner. Argh, I couldn't resist!

I had a healthy day with food. Low-fat strawberry smoothie from Panera Bread in the morning. Lean Cuisine panini sandwich for lunch. Grilled chicken sandwich for dinner. All was right in the world...until I came home.

I had around 4.5 Weight Watchers points left for the day (I am currently allowed 43 points per day, with 35 extra points per week and activity points earned through exercise). 3 Oreos are 4 points, so I decided to have 3. But 3 turned into more than expected...I think I ended up eating 12 Oreos total, so I ate 16 points worth of Oreos. 12 points over for the day.

Now I know that I'm still not over my allowed points for the week, but past experience has shown me that eating at or below my daily points target results in greater weight loss on my weigh-in day. This goes against everything that Weight Watchers preaches: they tell you to eat at least your points target every day AND some of your weekly and activity points. According to WW, if you follow their suggestions, you will lose weight at a healthy rate. But that can mean weeks where you only lose one-tenth of a pound. I'm not sure that is gonna work for me...I need to lose a consistent 1-2 pounds per week to keep my spirits high. It's not a sprint to the finish line...but I don't want to come in last, either.

Since the Oreo guilt is now upon me, I must get through Sunday without going food nutso. Clearly, I can't be tempted at all by ANYTHING remotely bad for me, so I might have to wear a straitjacket and lock myself in a padded room for a day.

Heart Healthy

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:19:00 +0000

I've been thinking about buying a heart rate monitor. A friend of mine planted the seed in my head recently, and I never forgot it because it shocked me so much. I know that we all have target heart rates which we should all maintain when we exercise, because they are fat-burning zones. But I didn't know that if you go over those target heart rates, you may not burn off any fat, because your heart goes into a sort of panic state when it is exerting too much energy.

I got concerned about this today when I was on the elliptical in our home. I hadn't been on an elliptical in a very long time, so I was pretty winded within a few minutes. Initially, I tried to do a workout on an incline, but I quickly realized that I couldn't do that quite yet, so I lowered the incline to the lowest setting. Even at this level, I was feeling tired. I checked my heart rate by gripping the stationary handles, and it seemed a little high...I think it was around 175. Part of me thought that I wasn't burning any fat because my heart was working too hard.

So, I think I'm going to venture out tomorrow to the local sporting goods store and see what I can find. This Timex model is the highest rated heart rate monitor by Consumer Reports, but this Omron model is the best seller on Amazon, and I've heard a lot of great things about the Polar models. Price is an issue too...I don't want to cheap out on one, but I don't really want to splurge on a heart rate monitor.

OK, that's all I got for today. The weekend is upon us...go enjoy it.

Dogs Can Help With Weight Loss? Blasphemy!

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:44:00 +0000

This is Ted. Ted the dog. See Ted run. And run and run and run. And play with his ducky.

Ted is visiting for a couple days, so I might take the opportunity to go for a walk or a brief run with him. Just a 15 to 30-minute walk, and perhaps I'll try running for a minute just to see what it is like. Humans and dogs need regular exercise to fight off fat and regulate their moods, so why not exercise together? The wifey and I have been considering getting a dog of our own in the future, and I'd like to be able to walk and run with him/her on a regular basis, so I hope I can be somewhat in shape by the time we get one.

Wifey: yes, we will get one soon.

FOLLOW UP FROM YESTERDAY: My friend Michelle sent me a great link to a listing of restaurant foods at Dotti's Weight Loss Zone. Wow...I never knew this site existed. This site has a gigantic listing of restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, and the like, along with meals and drinks served at each place with nutritional information and Weight Watchers points. This is absolutely a must-see for people that like to eat out a lot, like me! The rest of the website is pretty cool and inspirational, as well.

T.G.I. Wednesday

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:12:00 +0000

No, I'm not serious when I say that, but I did eat with the wifey at T.G.I. Friday's this evening. Even though I eat out 2-3 times a week, I still forget how hard it is to eat healthy at restaurants. Sure, a lot more places offer "healthy options" or "low-carb options." Applebee's even offers Weight Watchers meals with points listed right on the menu.

But I can't live without the classic, fatty meals! I've tried those healthy options on the menu...and they just don't satisfy me. For me, I am happy eating smaller portions of the regular menu items than eating the healthy options. I will also try to eat a healthier version of the classics, like grilled chicken instead of fried chicken, or turkey tips instead of steak tips. Tonight, I went with the sizzling chicken and cheese...OK, it wasn't the healthiest thing on the menu, but it is simply grilled chicken with some cheese, peppers, onions, and mashed potatoes. This is a lot better than my favorite meal there, the cheesy bacon cheeseburger, which is basically a bacon cheeseburger with a mozzarella cheese patty on top. Plus fries, of course. I probably ate around 1,500 calories just by eating that atrocious thing.

My friend Becky sent along a great link to the Healthiest Restaurant Meals in America at the Eat This, Not That website. As this site shows, eating healthy at restaurants can be as easy as choosing sirloin steak. I'm quite sure that I can live with eating sirloin steak on a regular basis. I'm going to have to try as many of these choices as I can...I just can't resist a good meal prepared by someone else.

The wifey sent along a link to a CNN.com article about plus-sized TV shows gaining a large viewing audience. I haven't seen any of these shows, except for The Biggest Loser. And I think I've seen Dance Your Ass Off mocked by The Soup. It sounds to me, however, that all these shows are really catching on. I like the realism of them all...real stories, real struggles, real life. I wish shows in general were more realistic, you know? I'm intrigued by Fox's new show More to Love, which is essentially The Bachelor for overweight people. The brief preview I saw looked both touching and entertaining.

Guess what? A new diet pill is on the way. This one sounds promising, but it's still too early to tell. It seems to be different from diet pills that attacks food cravings head on, but I'm more interested in the side effects. Alli is well known for having...ahem...sticky side effects. Remember olestra, which were in those Lays Wow! potato chips? I guess the best way I can phrase it is...waxy discharge from the rear. There are plenty of websites that describe the side effects in more detail, so I'll leave you to find those on your own.

My opinion: don't go the easy way and take a pill. Work hard, eat healthy, and exercise. You and your rear won't regret it.

A Tale of Two Weight-Loss Plans

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Brief update tonight, since the sleeps are hitting me hard this evening. I just wanted to share two websites with weight-loss stories I found to be particularly interesting.

First, my friend Kelly sent me a link to Joy Fit Club transformations on the Today show website. The first story about Darren Norman really hits home with me. Granted, I have never even come close to weighing 378 pounds, and THANKFULLY I've never had a photo taken of me shirtless drinking two beers. But his feelings before his weight loss were very similar to mine, and he simply followed Weight Watchers and exercised. Pretty basic stuff. Reading stories like Darren's will help motivate me on days when I feel like I'm wasting my time. Gotta be healthy for the future. Be sure to check out the other weight loss stories on the Joy Fit Club website, too.

Second, CNN.com has a story in its Fit Nation section about a man named Rich Roll who went from a miserable man to "Ultraman." Now, I totally respect what this guy did, and it is certainly amazing that he completed the Ultraman World Championships at the age of 42. But check out the before photo of this guy...this guy thought he was fat??? Jeez, I'd love to be sitting on a beach right now with my shirt off with a cute little pug keeping me company. I would gladly be that kind of fat any day. He lost around 30 pounds before competing in the Ultraman competition...so basically, the guy was just slightly overweight. Not really comparable to my situation, but still interesting nonetheless.

Mr. Roll does give some good tips in the second half of the article. But be forewarned: this guy started his weight-loss plan by engaging in a "well-researched and supervised seven-day fruit and vegetable juice cleanse...followed by an entirely plant-based nutrition program." In addition, he feels "quite strongly that a nutrition program built entirely around plant-based foods and completely devoid of animal products is optimal." Yikes...I'm going to pass on the cleanses and plant-only diet. I still love my meat...and meat loves me.

Weigh-In Day #2: Tough to Swallow

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Now I know what it must have been like to be the '86 Red Sox when they almost won the World Series, or Tom Watson when he almost won the British Open yesterday.

Well, not really, but you get the idea. I weighed in at an even 300 lbs. this morning. 300! My body couldn't have given me that extra tenth of a pound, so that I could be at 299.9??? Instead of beginning my next milestone, I'm still stuck at my first milestone of getting below 300. Frustrating, to say the least.

Obviously, this isn't as bad as I am making it sound. I still lost 1.3 lbs., and I have now lost a total of 15 lbs. I ate healthy and worked out every day, so I don't really have anything to be ashamed about. But still...I like the sound of "under 300" more than "lost 15 pounds." And I feel like I ate healthy enough to have lost at least two pounds.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I miscalculated or underestimated certain food point values in Weight Watchers. For example, on Saturday and Sunday, I had chicken fingers for one of my meals. In Weight Watchers, the generic entry for chicken fingers is "Chicken Tenders, Restaurant Type 1 serving: 6 points." I was calculating this as one meal of chicken tenders, but now I think it might be 6 points for EACH chicken tender. Oops...that might explain the disappointing weight loss a little bit.

I've also learned that I shouldn't trust the weight that Wii Fit gives me every day. For the past couple days, it has put me around 297 or 298. I suppose I should have known that the weight shown isn't entirely accurate, since the balance board isn't a scale. Regardless...FALSE HOPE! BAD WII FIT!

Now I have extra motivation for this upcoming week of eating and exercising...maybe my body was sending me a sign.

INTERESTING ARTICLE OF THE DAY: Check out this Boston Globe article regarding how the recession has affected exercise and eating habits. Now that I think about it, I do find it kind of odd that I started my weight loss journey in the middle of a recession and while I'm a poor student. I guess I should be thankful for my summer job...and student loans...and the wifey's income.

I Dreamed a Dream

scott@fatguytofastguy.com (Scott) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:41:00 +0000

I had a horrifying nightmare last night. I dreamt that I decided to "let loose" and eat like a mofo for one night. I think I wolfed down an entire pack of Girl Scouts' Thin Mints. I woke up early this morning and had of those moments like, oh my god...I actually did that last night...what am I going to do?!?! Panic set in. And then reality set in, and I realized that my Thin Mints binge did NOT happen last night.

Now that I think about it, I have been dreaming a lot about food since I started the diet and exercise. And of course, I'm not dreaming about fruits and vegetables. I'm dreaming about the hardcore stuff: pizza, burgers, buffalo chicken, pizza, brownie sundaes, sausage egg and cheese sandwiches, and pizza. Too many times, I have woken up and thought that I ate those things in large quantities at some point during the previous day. Luckily, it's just been my brain being overly active. I don't blame it...the poor thing is probably still in shock.

I completed the 30-Day Challenge in the Wii EA Sports Active recently, so I have decided to do another 30-Day Challenge. I changed the intensity from easy to medium, and today was my first medium-intensity workout. My body is screaming ouch right now...the first workout involved lots of running. It wasn't so bad...a month ago, there's no way I could have done a medium-intensity workout. But now, I definitely feel like I could keep going without quitting.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day number two, but I gotta get through today first. Hopefully I won't eat too much, both in the real world and the dream world.