Hungry Andy

While walking around Target today with a $25 birthday gift card burning a hole in my pocket, I found a great cook book! It's called Hungry Girl, 200 under 200. Its by Lisa Lillien, and it has 200 recipies with a serving size of 200 calories or less! It has TONS of options. She has written several books, I plan to get them all! You should check out her website, it has great recipies and tips for anyone looking to diet. That's all I have for today... Until next time, keep strong, and keep losing!


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Twitter

I found an article that was very interesting. It talked about how to use Twitter for Weight Loss. Its interesting all of the people who have actually done it. My new goal is to try to update my twitter with my journey and tips and my own normal twitters as well... But ya know!

The article is very informative, and many of the twitter's have their own blogs! (maybe I need to add my blog URL to it...) I finally can tell I am off my plateau, I have the will power again! It does help that my wife has managed to finish off the cake... To have her metabolism! Well that's all all I have for today, busy busy busy, off work so a lot of things planned (by my wife)! Until next time, keep strong, and keep losing!


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The Story

Have you ever been driving down the road, listening to the radio and something seems to really hit home? I was listening to The Story it is a NPR program on one of my local stations. They do 2 segments a day speaking to individuals in all walks of life, about something that happened, is happening, or is about to happen in their life. It's always interesting to me, but this week has been very captivating for me in particular. Today, Dick Gordon, the host of the show was speaking to Terrol Johnson, a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, south of Tucson, Arizona.

The main reason Terrol was speaking to Dick was because the Tohono O'odham tribe is known to have the highest rates of diabetes ever recorded. This hit home to me because this is something that could possibly happen to me, if I were to continue on the path I was on prior to my weight loss journey. It made me really think, what I am doing, the loosing weight, is making a difference not just to me but to my family, and friends as well.

You should go listen to the archive of Terrol, it's awesome how far he has come! This has been a tough journey, but it is so worth it. I noticed something today. My weight has been stagnent... But I am down another belt loop so maybe its a matter of muscle replacing fat? I dunno but that seemed to brighten my spirits! Well, that is all for today! Until next time, keep strong, and keep losing!


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Lull

It's been a while since I have posted here, partically because of writers block, partially because I haven't had a whole lot to talk about. I have lost 45 lbs now, and have hit a plateau, partially because September is the "month of birthdays" which means cake, which means I want to eat cake... I have been good but I have had cake and it kind of put me in a relaps of my bad habits for a few days. I think I am finally over it, and thankfully I didn't gain anything, but phew that was close.

What I really wanted to talk about was Erik Chopin. If you don't know who he is, he is, to quote his site:
"Erik won Season 3 of NBC's The Biggest Loser in 2006, losing over 200 pounds. Since winning the contest, Erik has gained back over 100 pounds."

I have been following him on twitter, and his old site, but he launched a new site, and today if you sign up to follow him, you get a pdf copy of his book "From Loser to Gainer!" free! You should check it out! Its really good, and I see myself in him in alot of things. It helps me to know that this is an on going "battle" if you will against weight gain. Maybe someday that guy who loved to eat all the time will not be in the back of my head all the time, but for now he is always right there, on the verge of total take over.

Wow I guess I had some things to get off my chest... Maybe I will start blogging and less informing more regularly... Until next time, keep strong, and keep losing!


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Workout Plan

Here is what I do for a workout:

Monday: 30 min cardio (Any of these: Running, Stationary Bike, Eliptical.)
Tuesday: Chest/Back (I used the machines at my gym for now)
Wednesday: 30 min cardio same as above
Thursday: Shoulders/Arms
Friday: 30 min cardio
Saturday: Legs
Sunday:Rest

Then I flip the days:

Monday:Chest/Back
Tuesday:30 min cardio
Wednesday: Shoulders/Arms
Thursday: 30 min cardio
Friday: Legs
Saturday: 30 min cardio
Sunday: Rest

Every Day I do 3 sets of 15 sit-ups and push-ups.


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Ok Here Goes Sunday Nutrition

Breakfast: Ego Muffin Topers 130 calories
Coffee Black

Lunch: Fazoli's Tortellini & Sun-Dried Tomato Rustico 850 Calories (ouch it was good but
Light Lemonade 10 Calories won't be making that mistake again...)

Snack: Whole Cucumber Sliced 10 Calories
0 Calorie Popcicle

Dinner: TBD



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Week off of the blog

Well I took a week off from blogging, and I haven't posted how I did the last 2 weeks. I have lost 15 lbs since the start of my "journey" 10 lbs the first week, and 5 lbs last week. I am going to be posting what I have eaten in a separate entry at the end of the day every day to keep me honest.

I've done well on finding foods to eat, not that its been tough... I have done this before, I just dropped off the boat time and time again. But not this time.


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Kick Start Your Metabolism

Some things you can do to kick start your metabolism:

1.Sip green tea three times a day. A study from the University of Geneva in Switzerland found that in addition to caffeine, green tea contains catechin polyphenols, plant chemicals that may boost metabolism.
2. Use interval training to rev up your workout. Walk for the same amount of time at the same intensity day in and day out and your body gets as bored with your workout as you do. Throw it a curveball with interval training, which involves varying the intensity of your workout throughout your exercise session. Every five minutes into your walk, jog for one minute. Every five minutes into your bike ride, shift into a higher gear and pedal hard for a minute. If you swim, turn on the speed every other lap. You?ll burn more calories in the same amount of time.

3. Fidget. People who drum their fingers or bounce their knees burn at least 500 calories a day! That adds up to losing a pound a week.

4. Keep a small squeeze ball with you and work out your hands frequently during the day. It?s one of the few exercises you can do anytime. You?ll build up themuscles in your hands--and muscle, whether in your hands or legs, burns a lot of calories.

5. Don?t starve yourself. Cutting too many calories can backfire in more ways than one. Try to subsist on morsels and your metabolism will slow so much that you?ll not only stop losing weight, but you?ll be lucky if you can peel yourself off the couch.

6. Put five rubber bands around your wrist every morning. That?s how many 16-ounce bottles of water you should drink during the day to rev your metabolism, helping burn more calories. At least, that?s what German researchers found when they had 14 participants drink about 17 ounces of water. The volunteers? metabolic rate--or how quickly they burned calories--jumped a third within 10 minutes of drinking the water and remained high for another 30 or 40 minutes. The researchers estimated that over a year, increasing your water consumption by 1.5 liters a day (about 50 ounces) would burn an extra 17,400 calories, or about five pounds? worth. Since much of the increased metabolic rate is due to the body?s efforts to heat the water, make sure the water you?re drinking is icy.

7. Exercise outside. Maybe it?s the fresh air, maybe it?s the sunshine, but something about exercising in the open makes you walk or run faster than doing the same exercise in the gym.

8. Turn up the heat with hot peppers. Some studies show that very spicy foods can temporarily increase your metabolism. Gourmet groceries often stock a dozen different kinds of peppers. Buy one a week and practice adding some to various meals. Spice up your scrambled eggs with minced jalapeno, add a little fire to your beef stew with half a diced banana pepper, or pull together a spicy jambalaya (using turkey sausage and lots of veggies).

9. Eat five small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals. You might think you should eat less often if you want to lose weight, but that's just not the case. By eating every few hours, you keep your metabolism fired up and ensure it doesn't slow between meals in order to hang on to calories. A "meal" can be as small as a cup of soup.

10. Sip a couple of cups of coffee throughout the day. Studies find that the caffeine in coffee increases the rate at which your body burns calories. This does not mean, however, that you can order one of those fancy calorie-packed frappuccinos! And skip the java if it makes you toss and turn at night.


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And so it begins

I weighed myself yesterday. I am 230. Not my heaviest but at a 33bmi I am by far not skinny... I took come pictures of my before. I will add them to this post later... Two hundred and thirty pounds, and to think I was 180 when I graduated... I even kept that weight off for a good 3 years! Its amazing what having a kid can do when it comes to gaining...

I had mini-wheats for cereal, that's something I have said I am going to start doing, eat breakfast. So far I have been doing well on drinking water, 32oz already today. We went to Taco Bell for lunch and I ordered 2 chicken soft tacos fresco style, but they only made one of them that way. I only had one, and half of the wrong one. Not sure why every time I order them that way they are wrong...

I'll get better t blogging but since this is my first weight loss blog post I am sure I will!

Here are the pictures:








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