Happy Holidays, Now stop eating!

Well good morning everyone  I certainly hope everyone had a joyous  Christmas and are enjoying this slow end of the year week as we wrap up 2011.  Myself with all of my best efforts and diet determination was not enough to keep my from celebrating my way right off the diet wagon the last few days, I guess it's just with all of my work and progress there are just certain things I won't give in on and enjoying my Christmas and it's food with my family is one of them.  But now as the leftovers vanish and the wrapping paper gets trucked away in the recycling it's over and done and time to move on time to get ready to set my goals for 2012 and get set for a final 4 month push to April 7th to close out my year of weight loss.


So today it's time to get back into the gym and workout and burn off some more and get back into the swing of things, I must say this break came at a very good time as by last Thursday I was very worn out after  a few weeks of hard work and fatigue was really setting in so a few days to take it easy and rest my body and spirit was just what the doctor ordered as today I feel much better and am ready to roll.  I guess Santa was trying to tell me something this year as he left under my tree a whole bunch of cool exercise gadgets  and stuff to trick out my running and cycling.  One thing I have that I'm itching to try out is Nike+  for ipod, which is a receiver that you put in your shoe that works with your Ipod to track all your running and walking stats including speed, miles, calories all sorts of stuff so I am ready to get out and see how that works maybe tomorrow.  So anyone who has this and has some advice to give on this product I would love to hear about it maybe some tips you found out as gadgets like these always seem to have some quirks. I hope Santa brought you all of the stuff you were hoping for this year and that at least one thing was something to help get you motivating to improving your health.


So I'm getting ready to take my after picture this week for the FIT challenge as that gets wrapped up this week, then hopefully my progress has been good enough to make the finals.  But whatever happens with that I am really proud of the effort I put in and I think all the proof I need will soon be in the pictures because I know that even with a few holiday slowdowns I gave it all I had and made it so far in improving my Body composition  and  achieving my fitness goals and if some body else out there has given more than me and achieved more than me than god bless them I don't know how your still standing but  Ill sure tip my hat, lol


So thanks for checking back in this week as we rocket towards the end of 2011.  So are you ready to set those New Year's resolutions yet, well I want you to set them with me to join my team because  together I know we can achieve big time weight loss as I have a ways to go and my goal is going to be to lose 50 pounds in 2012 so what I really want is to get like 10 or 20 people and see if together we can loss a few hundred pounds and all celebrate together at the end of next year so be ready because if your New Year's resolution is to lose any amount of weight big or small I'm the man who is going to make sure you get there.  So again thanks for stopping by and reading today and please continue to click like and share on the blog so we can get as many people as possible to join our team for 2012.  Make it a great day and get out there and burn off a little Christmas  and take another step towards FIT.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Well a good Thursday morning to everyone I hope every one's week before Christmas is going well.  Well last night was my third night of running with the run club and it certainly was exciting and really a microcosm of my whole Journey so far.  You see as you might remember my time last week was 45 minutes  so this week I set out to finish the course in at least under 44 minutes so I could at least see some improvement.  It was a nice night for a run and I was really giving it my all the whole way even without the shoes I still need I was down to the last tenth of a mile and was on track to beat my time, then it happened  with sweat pouring down my face and I'm completely out of breath I didn't see a high spot in the sidewalk and went down.  Now don't worry other than a scraped up elbow I'm fine but it just was  a test of my drive as I  was so determined to make it I got up brushed my self off a kept driving for the finish line and guess what I made it in an new record time of 42 minutes, so I am quite proud of myself this morning for making it over the finish line.

Now your probably asking yourself how does this have anything to do with my story as a whole.  Well it's just the whole Journey seems to have been this way made up of day after day of Blood, Sweat and Tears.  Just nothing but determination to get not just across that 5k finish line but my big finish line of completely  losing this weight and accomplishing my big goal now like my run last night I have fell countless times and it has seemed like I was so hurt and so tired that I couldn't go on any further as it was just too hard but like last night those times I picked my self up off the ground brushed off the dirt  toweled off my sweat and blood and kept going because that's how bad I want it that's how bad I wanted to beat that 45 minutes and that's how bad I want to accomplish this big weight loss. Now the moral to this story as they say is this if you decide to take on a Journey of transformation for yourself this too will happen to you, it will be hard you will fall you will hurt but when your down on the ground literally or metaphorical you have those two choices stay there and wallow if your mistakes or get up and keep driving for that finish line.  As simple as my words my seem the sad reality is over ninety percent of people who start a Journey like mine won't get up the will just wallow in there failure and stay down, why do you think there are so many over weight people because so many lack to drive to simply get up and keep moving.

So what do I do to keep myself in that 10 percent who will get up, it all begins with surrounding yourself with people who won't let you stay down people who except no excuses  people who want only to see you win as much as you do.  My advice to you is to seek these folks out no matter where they are you need them because you will fall you will want to quit but all you need is a hand to help you back up and an encouraging push back down the road to success. Another part of it comes with knowledge  learn as much as you can arm yourself with information to help ward off self doubt  to keep you from using something that might not even be true as a way to keep yourself down.  Now my goal with this blog has always been to not just share my story but to be a hand for you when you go down on one of those unforeseen bad places on your Journey or someone Else's so chin up and keep moving because that's what I do.

So I managed to beat my time by a full 3 minutes so I am pumped about that the weight loss has been so so so far this week and I don't know if that scale is going to give up the 299 number in the next 9 days or not I guess we shall just see.  I want to thank Troy and Jackie and all the folks who came out and ran last night and are always my helping hand for me to help me get across that finish line and whenever I may stumble on my Journey.  So thanks so much for stopping by today after a few days off from the blogging I needed a little inspiration and found it by a scraped up elbow but hey whatever it takes right.  So as always thanks for sharing the blog especially right now as we try to motivate people into really making those New Year's resolutions in a few days even if losing weight  isn't going to be yours I'm sure you know someone else who it needs to  be so be that hand for them pick them up and let's give them that push to set there own finish line in 2012.  Make it a great day and get out there and take another step towards FIT,

Hard earned Victories

Well good morning everyone I hope everyone had a nice weekend and managed some time for exercise this past weekend even if it was like me and was "power shopping" for those Christmas presents.  Well for those of you who did not catch my addition I made to Friday's blog, Friday afternoon I had a very successful weigh in and I am at a new all time low of 302 so I was so pumped to get a nice result last week after putting so much into making some progress last week.  Well with this week being the last full work week of the year and the last full week for me to stick to my regular schedule and get after that goal of getting these last 2 pounds off by the end of the year.  So it will be another hard week of training and hitting the gym each day beginning today with mega Monday and finding more creative ways to stay on my healthy eating plan, I tried a new recipe Saturday that turned out well as we made Chili but we switched the ground beef for lean ground chicken and it was very good and with so much seasoning you can not even tell and with the chicken it cuts the fat and calories way way down so I highly  recommend it just put in your favorite recipe with as many fresh veggies as you like makes it even better.


So my new weight loss total is up to 118  which leaves 32 more to go by April 7 to hit my year long goal, which may or may not be realistic I don't really know any more as slow as the progress has been the last 6 weeks or so as it has been a big struggle just to get from 310 to 300 but I am very committed to giving it my all and we will just see what happens. We also have just another 11 days left in the contest period for the FIT challenge as I have to submit my  After pictures by the 30th of this month and don't worry Ill be sure and post them here as well.  This week I had to submit  several more before pictures  for the contest and It really hit me as I was looking at them though how far I have came this year. I look at myself then and I can't really believe how bad I let myself get, how far I let myself slip, how much time I wasted being that much of an unappealing out of shape person  that I was at that size.  I guess it is all perspective  because if you never change you never really see the way you look when you see yourself in pictures even though so many of us say" Oh don't take my picture, I look bad" and run from the camera you still never know what you truly look like until you can compare yourself with something so totally different than you have ever seen before.  So these next two weeks I have an easy challenge for all of you when you gather these next two weeks don't run from the camera  be in as many pictures as possible get as many looks at yourself as you can at your worst in that ugly Christmas sweater, whatever just get a good look.  Than if you want to give yourself the thrill of a lifetime take the chance you have in 2012 to change it you will have 11 whole months to make such change that next year's holiday season you will be so excited to be in every photo because you love the way you have changed your whole look and your whole life. Just trust me there is no comparison to how you feel when you look back and don't even recognize yourself that is the payoff for hard work and it is awesome.


Well thanks so much for stopping by and checking out the blog today I certainly appreciate all of your support each and everyday as we move along this Journey this year. So  thanks so much for sharing the blog and getting this challenge out  to all of your family and friends as we try and make a big change next year as I want to get all of you moving along your own journey too no matter how small or how far you have to go it all starts with a single step and that step could be forwarding this blog to somebody.  Well have a great Monday and get out there and take another step towards FIT.

A new kind of Holiday Lifestyle

Well Happy Friday to everyone as we finally  made it to the end of another long work week.  So I am back in the blogosphere today after a busy day yesterday and another great workout yesterday  as we did another strength training and boxing session with another one scheduled for this afternoon so I am really looking forward to the weekend.  So today I have been thinking a lot about how my new lifestyle has changed the way the Holiday season feels for me this year I can say it certainly has a much different feel to it than any other than I can remember.  With all of the sweet treats and all of the Christmas parties that we partake in this time of year it is certainly a time when so much extra calories and fattening food is thrown our way and we have to make those hard decisions do we hold strong and turn them down or give into tradition and go ahead with our regular  holiday traditions. Myself I have managed to turn them mostly all down and tried to find new alternatives  to enjoying this time of year without sacrificing my weight loss efforts and falling behind from where I want to be. It's just a simple choice for me no glass of eggnog is worth falling behind for me and no sugar cookie is worth an hour on the treadmill to make up.  But what does that mean really how do find that happy median between what is healthy  and what is happy.  Most studies have found that the average person this time of year puts on an additional 5 pounds during this season just from all the extra eating  and everything else that goes into the season so I figure this season if I can lose 5 pounds Ill really be losing ten pounds by not adding the other 5.  So where do you draw the line what indulgence is too much this time of year or is there anything that is too much for you?


So I am proud to report that Wednesday night my running with the running club went very well and I managed to lower my 5k time from 55 minutes to 45 minutes.  The first time out I probably jogged only about 25% of the distance and this week I managed to to jog over 50% and the best part was I feel good today and am not that sore.  It is funny now I can see so much progress in my cardio and how far I can run without getting  totally winded but it has gotten so much better than my body size would let on.  As now my leg strength  seems to give up long before my wind does because after all my legs are still pushing around 300 pounds.  So now I am going to just work on trying to lower my time each week and try to get it down to around 30 minutes eventually is my goal which would mean jogging the entire three miles so I still have a ways to go yet to reach than but I'm damn proud of a ten minute improvement this week.  So now I'm in the market for a great pair of running shoes, any ideas?  Has anyone found a great brand that works great for you and is moderately priced please let me know because I am definitely asking Santa for some next week and I need some suggestions on which ones to try.


So it has been a pretty successful week as I have been to the gym for at least 2 hours everyday this week and the diet has been going really good this week especially as I said for this time of year.  So hopefully I can have some great weigh in results to report on  this weekend as I continue to strive for 299 by the 31st.  But I am really in a good place right now no matter what the scale says, I have gone through periods where I have agonized  over each and every pound and it seemed to be quite litterely driving me nuts but now I can say I am truly happy with what ever I mange to do as long as I am giving it my all as I continue to do each and everyday.


So thanks so much for stopping back by today and checking out today's post as I  pontificate over another topic, lol  I really do appreciate all of your support as I try to find the extra gear of will power to get through this time of year and finish strong this year.  So be sure to become a follower of the blog if you have not already so you can get the latest updates.  To my Facebook friends thanks so much for clicking share on my facebook posts with the blog link so others can see it on your wall and maybe avoid that Holiday 5. Well everyone have a great Friday and please find a few minutes to get out there and take another step towards FIT.


P.S   12-17-11 A new all time low has been achieved, 302 pounds last night so my hard work this week really payed off and I'm totally pumped by these results only 2 more pounds to go and two weeks to get there. Have a great Saturday everyone.

Mom was right, eat your veggies.

Well a happy hump day to everyone out there as we charge through this week with less than the full twelve days of Christmas left. So yesterday I made it to the gym sore upper body and all and burned my 1000 calories on the treadmill and bike it's funny the best my chest felt all day was when I was working out again when I stopped it went right back to hurting. So tonight all systems look go for the run/walk club to meet tonight for our second 5k so that's what on today's agenda after the weather did not cooperate last week I'm ready to get back out there and see what I can do so anyone in the area feel free to stop in and walk with us  at 6 as we leave from Vintage Vino on Dakin Street.  So yesterday I had a good weigh in as I made it back down to a new all time low of 304 so no I'm still perched and ready to shake these last four pounds so at least I saw some loss that gives me hope to get a little bit more in these last few weeks.


So I have gotten some questions about the kinds of foods that I do eat on a regular basis that have gotten me where I am now.  There are so many options and opinions on what someone who is trying to lose weight should eat everyday and there are a lot of crazy diets with recipes for stuff that you should just eat for a specific amount of time and you will lose weight.  Well you probably will lose some weight you will also lose your mind and get sick of what ever 1 thing you eat over and over.  So what I suggest is finding a few Healthy staples and keep changing them up and reinventing them in ways to keep things fresh and new flavors coming.  My staples I have found that work for me are chicken breasts, sweet potatoes, okra and these steamer bags of mixed veggies but are mostly broccoli and fresh carrots.  I can say for certain that I have eaten more vegetables and more vegetables in different ways  in the last eight months than I have my entire life.  So that is really the secret get to love vegetable and fill your plate with them you can eat tons of them and the benefits only multiply because of the high nutritional value they have compared to other types of foods. So the real trick is to find some things you like that are good for you and as long as it is not white potatoes or corn the vegetable aisle is wide open for you to explore to your hearts content.


So thanks for stopping by today and checking out the blog  don't forget to share the facebook link and to become a follower of the blog so you can get the latest updates. So don't  I hope your plans of finishing out the year strong are coming along good and even during the Holiday season  you are finding some time to squeeze in some exercise and some healthy eating.  Well enjoy your Wednesday and get out and take another step towards FIT.

Pain is Good

Hello everyone and welcome to another blog entry from yours truly.  Well today I am sore as heck from a great chest workout yesterday afternoon with Ulrick and Jen.  I am so proud of Jen today as yesterday Jen was able to accomplish one of her big fitness goals she set out to do from the start and that was to be able to do some push ups and not only was she able to do one she was able to do three whole sets and with perfect form not even the girlie push up's but straight up push up's, so today we are all very proud of Jen for accomplishing this feat and impressing us all.   I have improved my ability to do sort of a push up it's still quite hard because I am lifting so much weight off the ground it kind of comes up in two steps and kind of looks like I'm doing the worm break dance.  But hey at least I'm trying and improving from not even being able to lift myself at all.

It had been a long time since I had done any weight training when I started these workouts back in April but one thing I have learned is nothing beats  weight lifting for something being a good measure of how your body is changing.  Each time you go you will be sore you will hurt that's just the way it is and that aspect scares off so many people from ever trying to do strength training and they just stick with cardio but no type of cardio can give you what strength training can as a positive result in the way your body looks and feels and shapes.  So I have resigned myself to the fact that pain is good, each week will hurt because next week ill be stronger and the week after that the week after that. That's just the way muscles are you have to break down the old to build back new that are a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger but the process in between can be difficult and painful but remember pain is good if you can't feel the muscle the next day screaming at you then you didn't work hard enough.  I'm really starting to see a few changes in the shape of certain parts of my body which is good as I knew it would take a long time to show any muscle development as everything was covered in inches and in some spots more than a foot of fat and as the fat melts away I am hopeful that new muscles that I have been building over the last eight months will begin to show.  Another huge advantage and something I highly suggest for anyone who wants to lose over a hundred or more pounds id strength training because It is a life saver when it comes to skin If all you do is burn fat you get loose skin and droopy skin in areas that used to be round, but if you replace that area with new muscle growth it takes up that slack and you still look good and not droopy with flabby skin especially on the arms and belly, so loose the arm fat and replace with biceps and triceps and loose the belly fat and replace with abs and much like the Men's warehouse commercials "You will like the way you look I guarantee it"

So yesterday we had some good conversation about choices  that people and a diet have to make about food and the weighing of Risk vs Reward when it comes to situations we are in.  This time of year I think it is certainly harder for us as even more choices are given to us and we feel more pressure to give in because it's the Holidays and because it's tradition.  Well tradition is whatever it is you make it out to be you want to start a new one start a new one just because some has done something for decades a certain way  doesn't mean it is right for you and when it comes to eating we all have to realize we are the master of our own destiny only we decide what we eat and only we can raise that fork or that cup. So consider that next time you are deciding Risk vs Reward with all this Holiday food be master of your own destiny.

Well thanks so much for stopping by on this Tuesday or whenever it is you check out this particular entry don't forget you can go back and read all of the previous entries  in the archives  through the link on the right hand side of the blog there just pick what month and he title. Also don't forget to share our website fitdon.com as it has access to the blog and some other stuff so go check it out and tell your friends that's where they can access the blog just type in that web address and there we are. So thanks for sharing the blog and all of your great feedback it helps everyday as we continue to push forward this end of 2011.  So make it a great day and get out there and work those muscles while taking another step towards FIT.

Risk versus Reward

Well a good Monday morning to everyone I certainly hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend as we continue our run up to the Christmas Holiday season.  Well I have to admit  I had a pretty lazy weekend and didn't do much as I just took some time off to rest up after a busy week on the fitness plan and this week should be even more active as we continue to add more to our plan.  But one thing I have to admit to all of you, is Saturday night I  decided to indulge in a tremendous craving I had for Chinese food and I know that it is a diet sin but I did it anyway not too over the top but not on the diet either if ya know what I mean.   But all of that really got me thinking about the decision making process that folks who try to live a reduced calorie diet and healthy lifestyle have to go through everyday.  For me each decision always comes down to Risk vs Reward what will I gain vs what will it cost me in the long run and nine times out of ten I always answer with it's just not worth it and pass it up and keep moving on.  But what is not so easy to quantify is the mental toll that all that saying no takes on one's life all of that being denied what we want really just becomes a real bummer after a while.  Yes I know that this kind of giving in is what leads 95 percent of all dieters down the path to failure and quitting but what I'm concerned with is us in the 5 percent  that can make it this far how do  we survive the craving's and the constant risk reward measurement, the constant bombardment of finding happiness in success on the plan or happiness in just getting what we want no matter how small.


Now I believe the answer as most answers lies somewhere in the middle somewhere deeply seated in the grey area's between to opposite choices.  The answers I have some up with are really to make a list of things that I have given up for good and will never go back to and stick with that no matter the situation and I have not had a problem with those items like soda's or juices or sweet snacks I don't eat them or don't want them.  For me the problems come from the things that are not what you would call healthy but are not things I would eat everyday or even every week,  like this weekend and my yearning for some General Tso's chicken now I decided since I had not had a cheat meal all week and had been the gym five times I would reward myself and risk the momentary setback of a single non diet meal.  But something else I can say for sure boy was it delightfully sinful and I savored every morsel of it to be sure egg roll , soup and all.


So what are the criteria for you when you have to make decisions everyday about what you choose to give in to and what you steadfastly avoid? Where do you draw the line. what is too bad, what can be forgiven and made up later?  These are all very difficult questions especially for us who are farther along the path towards the new selves we are searching for than those who are just starting up now.  But how do you make those decisions on what to eat and what to leave on the table without just going crazy. So let me know because we all need that kind of good advice  we all need the help to avoid those temptations and beat back those cravings and as I always say we are all in this together.


So it's another week and we are now sitting less than three weeks from the end of the year  that's how much time we have have left to accomplish the goal we have set out to beat this year. Me I'm still sitting here with just a few pounds left to lose  and working my butt off trying to make it happen.  But now I have resigned myself that if I get below 300 pounds when 2012 gets here great I would have achieved the goal but as long as I am giving it my all and retaining my sanity along the way I can be just as happen if when midnight of the 1st hits and I'm at 304  because I would have left it all on the field as they say.  So what's it going to be for you how close are you to your goals this year can you see them from here can you reach out and grab them before that clock strikes twelve.


So thanks for stopping back by today, I certainly appreciate each and everyone who takes timeout to read what I have to say if each one of us can just share this story with those in our lives who need that little push we can really get a great movement going to make 2012 the healthiest year yet. So start that ball rolling by sharing the blog on facebook by clicking the share button it is located right down next to the like button and this will share my blogs link to your wall so someone on your friends list might read it and join in on our path towards FIT. So everyone have a great Monday even on this gloomy wet day here in Florida and let's all take another step towards FIT.

Uncharted Waters

Well Happy Friday everyone we finally made it to the end of another long work week. So this morning I am feeling pretty good as I had a good result yesterday from my measurements, yesterday I measured my body composition with a body analyzer and scale that will tell you not only what you weigh  but what things make up that number.  You see I found out my body weight was 304 but my body fat is now down to 106 which is way down from the first time I used that type of measurement I was off the charts and it just came up error because I was over 225 pounds of body fat so I know now how much fat I have lost because my 305 I know now is made up of 106 pounds of fat and 198 pounds of everything else ( bones, muscle and organs).  See this is what I have learned and always say the scale will lie to you because it does not give you an accurate  and complete picture as to what you added up to reach that number. Because even now as I continue to lose fat pounds I gain muscle pounds and it will just be a wash and the scale will give me the same number.  So I really suggest to everyone to get one of these body analyzers and check your composition to see where you are at so you know the whole story and not just what the bathroom scale will tell you.  But what really made me happy was there is a chart that goes along with that machine that shows models for different body types with your fat % and I finally made the chart as I am now down below 35% and that is the highest the models go on the chart so It is a major victory for me to even make that chart being I was no where even close when I started.  My goal is to get down to around 20% or below but even then my body weight will still be above 230 so I'm just never going to be that light but as long as it's not body fat that the scale is weighing it's all good.


A number goal is important but it's only part of the story remember this low numbers make us feel good but they don't define success and failure all by themselves.  For me the proof is coming now every time I go shopping, you see my whole life when I went shopping for cloths  the only thing I could do was to find the biggest size the had and hope it would be lose enough to use and that's just all I have ever known.  Now I go shopping and my wife has to remind me  that things might be too big and I need smaller sizes, and that ladies and gentlemen blows my mind. I'm not the biggest possible size anymore and it is so weird to grab the cloths that are not all the way on the back of the racks where the big sizes are always put now, I'm more in the middle where the large and extra large things are.  I know I will never get down below a 1x shirt but coming from a 4x eight months ago to now most 2x shirts being too lose  it's like moving all the way to medium for most people.  So let your cloths do the talking they will tell you when fat is gone when you see that extra bunching up on your pants and your shirt hanging down a bit farther that's when you know even if the scale doesn't tell you what you want to hear.


So we made it to the end of the week how bout you are you ready for a new size in 2012  are you putting a smaller size on your Christmas list to motivate you to work hard to get into next year. So who's had some good results this week are you still working hard making smart choices and finding time for exercise no matter how small. Yesterday was another good workout this time we did legs so my legs are really screaming today but I know when they get better Ill just be that much stronger and able to do that much more than yesterday.  So back in the gym today for a nice long trip on the elliptical machine to close out the work week strong.


SO thanks so much for stopping by and checking out the blog today I always like to have good news to share even if it is a little scientific today, lol  Don't forget about clicking the share button on the facebook post's to share the blog and sign up to become a follower of the blog.  Well everyone enjoy your Friday and remember those healthy rewards and get out take another step towards FIT.

Finding another Foothold

Well good morning everyone on this chilly morning here in the sunshine state today.  So yesterday unfortunately it was too wet and windy to run so I guess we will just have to try it again next week, so I was a little bummed about that but today is another day.  Sometimes It gets hard for me to remember exactly what my life was like 8 months ago as it seems I have just been in this tunnel just trying to get from one side to the next but at each turn I see more tunnel ahead.  Yesterday I read a great post from someone else who has lost a lot of weight like me and he said sometimes you lose focus because you see so much mountain left ahead of you to climb until you look down and you can't see ground anymore.  That is what it is like I am stuck somewhere way past the middle but not so near the top that I can quite make out the summit so as any mountain climber will tell you the only thing left to do is find the next foot hold and pull yourself up another few feet.  That is what this process is like climbing a very steep mountain one step at a time each time I pull myself forward I'm one step closer to the top.  I think what so many people do is focus not on what they have done but what is left to do and that's when you get discouraged however also I have found if you linger to long on your accomplishments you can also become too content and lose focus on the path ahead.  This is why I try to take this huge climb just one new foothold at a time focus on each tiny step each new bit of ground I can gain is the best place to focus and not on the top or the bottom.


So today I am back in the warm confides of the gym as we wait out this brief cold snap to pass.  With our usual training session with Ulrick  just as on Monday when we worked shoulders I'm finally today able to raise my arms above my head again so I guess it's time to find some new pain, lol  Each time we work different body parts in addition to  the cardio and the boxing really adds up to a real butt kicking each session for yours truly. You know getting with a trainer as I have said  has been on huge key to me sticking with this as long as I have because it really does make a difference, just knowing that you have a plan a schedule and someone else has their time invested in us makes a huge difference  not to mention all the benefits from the workouts themselves. If you are at all able to consult with a personal trainer and train working out with one in your gym I highly suggest it it makes all the difference I have seen the results and I live the results everyday.  Just having as many people invested in your success makes the difference having others who have a stake in your success can mean the difference in success and failure.


So thanks for stopping by and checking out a brief if yet poignant blog entry today, lol So don't forget to become a follower of the blog by clicking the button on the right side that says become a follower it is free and easy and you will get the latest updates.  As always thanks for clicking like and share on the facebook post's  so we can keep the post visible in the ticker. Well everyone make it a great day stay warm but still get out there and take another step towards FIT.

DON VS. SCALE

Well a pleasant Wednesday to everyone and thanks for checking back in today.  Well it has been 10 days now since my post Thanksgiving re commitment  I can report I am still going extra strong my diet has been spot on and I have worked out  9 out of 10 days taking only one day off to rest up.  But even with all of this even with going flat out like I have the scale is still not my friend and it is getting pretty frustrating to the point I am ready to smash that thing to pieces.  Now I know all of this I am doing has me going in the right direction and as fast as I can get there but it is still frustrating to set a number goal and not see the progress that I was looking for and Ill admit it is down right discouraging as a matter of fact when the scale just doesn't reflect the effort that I have put in the last ten days.  It's getting so hard now and I have to do so much to lose anymore weight  even though it looks like I have a lot left to lose  as most people if they weighed 305 would think they were really heavy and it was a time to start to lose weight.


So tonight is night number two of the running walking club and I am going to try and better my time of 55 minutes from last week with a little more jogging and a little less walking.  So anyone in the Kissimmee area who wants to come out and hit the pavement with me tonight we leave at six and go three miles, it doesn't matter how fast or slow you think you can do it only that you do it, just put one foot in front of the other and get it done.  It's so different to actually get outside and do some jogging as apposed to inside the gym it is so much more fun and I'm actually looking forward to getting out there tonight and seeing what I can do.  So how have you been doing this week have you been going strong for the finish line this year or just limping across and living on hope for next year. The key is to build now and that big start come January 2 that so many of try and do will be easy because you will already be in motion.  So get out there and set those wheels in motion now and come January 2nd all you will have to do is speed them up.


So as I continue to go hand to hand combat with the scale this week  I definitely need to hear all of your success as motivation for me to keep up the good fight and conquer this foe.  So somebody anybody please let me hear how you struck a blow against the scale this week cause I need to know of a victory for our side the bigger the better. Have you lost a pound over the last few weeks how bout 2 or 5. Because the scale as we all know is a very strong opponent and it will take all of us to beat him that's for sure.


So thanks so much for coming back by and checking out the blog today and for all of your comments.  Remember to remind your friends to click on the  from fat to fit link on the facebook post and not just read the facebook post. Also thanks so much to my friends who continue to click share on the links I post everyday so other can find the blog as it is easy to get lost on the ticker. Don't forget about the run club for anyone who is interested in joining my walking team just get in touch with me and Ill give you more info and by the way it's all free. So again thanks for stopping by and lets all get out there today and strike a blow for FIT.

The Game of our Lives

Well a pleasant morning to everyone this Monday I certainly hope everyone had a nice weekend  and made some time to work on closing the year on a high note.  Well yours truly had a productive weekend  and have managed to get myself back to where I was a few weeks ago when I was setting a goal to get down to 303 or below.  It was a week of hard work and executing the plan but I am back on track and rolling strong in the right direction. Saturday I was at the gym yet again for workout number 5 this week  then Sunday I went on the spinning bikes with Ulrick to make a total of 6 days of working out last week so I really went all out to make progress last week. So how did the weekend go for all of you, were you able to resist all the temptation's that come this time of year with Christmas parties and all the food and drink that goes with the season.  You know I really love peppermint and right now Chick Fil"A has commercial for a peppermint milk shake which is absolutely brutal for me it seems like they play the damn thing every 15 seconds just to tempt me and rub it in my face.But such is life I guess, everyday we are  bombarded with temptation for the things  we want even if we know they are not what we need.

You know one realization I have had while on this diet is this, the battle of weight loss for people who are over weight is a rigged game a totally rigged game it's all designed for us to fail at  not just once but over and over again.  I say this because think about it for a moment we are bombarded everyday with two types of messages one is a characterization of what is sexy and what is a desirable look you want that is beautiful and hot.  The people we all wish we could look like with the nice flat stomach's and Ab's able to look good in anything draped over them these are the bodies we are all sold is what we should be because these are the cool people these are the one's who come into our homes on TV and movies and music these are the people that get on magazine covers and become our sports hero's.  Now how is it a rigged game you ask, well look at all the advertisement's that fill the space in between us looking at the desirable people doing these desirable things. Most all of it is for things that will never make you look like any of them for example fast food ad's make up a huge segment of marketing on TV and radio and nothing they have to sell will ever help you achieve becoming one of the desirable people who you are tuning in to see.  Do you honestly believe Tom Brady or Angelina Jolie is stuffing their face with Mcrib's and washing it down with peppermint milkshakes heck no they are not. That's why it's a rigged game my friend's the world dangles the carrot for us as to how good we can look but then only sells us things that will never make it happen.

But rigged game or not this time I'm going to beat the house I'm going to beat them at their own rigged game, I'm going to grab that carrot and do it in the face of all these ad's that do nothing but try to sell me things that will make me fail.  The peppermint Milkshake as good as I'm sure it is will only set me way behind I know this and the harder I work at this the more I'm able to resist it and just say no because themore I have invested the more I have to lose.  That's why I always try to get you to to get more and more invested in your own self just like me because that my friends is the only way to win this rigged game to have so much on the line that you can resist their best efforts to throw you back down because you have to have something to lose before you can have something to win.  So work at it anyway try harder anyway even if they managed to stop you before by luring you back down the path to failure keep playing because this is the game of our very lives.

Well thanks so much for stopping in and listing to my rant today     ( that damn milkshake ad is just making me mad) lol.  It's going to be another big week for me as I am really going to try hard to get below 303 this week and be right on track for my end of the year goal and get into uncharted waters as I am now back down to about my all time low now, so into the unknown  we go.  Well thanks for sharing the blog we got some wonderful comments from some new folks over the weekend and I really do appreciate so much all of your support and faith in me, and know that I have faith in all of you too. So be sure to become a follower of the blog it only takes a moment it's up in the upper right hand corner there.  Thanks so much to my facebook book friends who continue to click like and share on the Facebook post as well.  Well let's all start this week off strong and get out and take another step towards FIT.

4 days and 4 pounds

Well Happy Friday everyone we are nearly there on making it through another work week.  Well I hit the gym yesterday for the fourth straight day and had another training session with team Don and boy was it brutal, my abs are really killing me this morning but I'm getting stronger and better at that plank each time.  However the good news I have to share today comes from the weigh in last night as I am well on my way to getting to my end of the year goal and ditching the extra add on from Thanksgiving, If you remember I started off Monday morning at a brutal 310 but after four days of hard work I weighed in yesterday at 306.  Now I know some of that was water weight from the food but I am quite proud of it and am glad to be within sight of my all time low of 304 that I hope to get back too in the next few days.  It always is one of the best feeling you can ever have to have hard work on eating right pay off and give you a positive result like I got this week.  So now you can see why I always say you too can make it happen for yourself and all you need is hard work and good decision's and it will happen, we all have the power to make changes it only takes to "want to" , to make it happen for us. I have a whole bunch of "want to" to hit this goal by the end of this month I am so close to being below 300 I can taste it and I believe it will taste pretty damn sweet, sweeter than any desert or candy I know of.


So who else has been making it happen this week I know if you have worked as hard as I have you are seeing some good results this week too.  It is far too easy for us to cast off this time of year and just say "oh Ill just start next year".  However the truth is this is the perfect time to start, think about it if you can make it through the Holiday's with making good decisions about your food and your health any other time of the year will be easy, walk though fire now and the rest of the year will just be sand. 


So this weekend I am going to continue my exercise and make some more ground cause a diet and exercise in not a Monday to Friday thing it is everyday. A few months ago I entered the FIT Challenge  a contest being put on by Tahitian Noni for people who are using the FIT products and losing weight and fat, and the contest period ends December 30 so I have another 28 days to improve my numbers for that so that's even more motivation.  What kind of motivation you ask, how bout a trip for 2 to Europe, yeah that's whats on the line for me this month as I really want to win this thing.  So by the end of the month I am really going to need all of your help to help me win the contest but Ill have more on that later.


So this weekend I am going to be filming some videos to put up on the blog and on Fitdon.com so get ready for that.  So thanks so much for stopping by today and checking out the blog today and to those of you who went and checked out the blog all week as it has really been a busy week as our readership is now over 1400 so thanks so much for sharing the blog it really does make a difference to me but mostly to any one who we may inspire to go out and make a positive change for themselves because that's what we are trying to do here. So everyone make it a great Friday and a great weekend and please get out there and take another step towards FIT.

Run Don Run

Good morning everybody, I hope everybody is well enough on this chilly morning from here in Florida no matter where you are in the world.  Well last night I had my first run walk club event and I am happy to report that I came, I saw and I ran ( well maybe walked most of the way) all 5 kilometers and had a lot of fun and met some fun new people who I look forward to walking with each Wednesday. It was a little bit chilly out but as long as you keep moving you feel fine. So my new Nike shirt worked out well too it moved well and kept me plenty warm but was light too.

So now I just have to fine tune a few things to improve my comfort cause let me tell you it is no small effort to get even the new smaller me to run down the sidewalk.  So last night my goal was just to complete the course in less than an hour and see what it was all about and I managed it in about 55 minutes so mission accomplished there now I can just try to work on that time every week to make it better and better and add more jogging and less walking.  But I have to say a big thank you to Jackie and Troy for setting it all up and making it happen, it was a lot of fun and I look forward to it next week and making it bigger and better.  So all of my Kissimmee area friends really need to come by next Wednesday at 6 to get out there and see how you do with a 5k course. It's so nice if you are like me and do most of your exercise indoors at the gym or at home to get outside and get some fresh air and see some different scenery sometimes it's really good to mix things up. That's really what I am trying to do now just add more and more ways to exercise in different ways I just want to try as much as I can while I'm still young enough to do it whether it is a class or a run club or learning a new sport that's what I want to do now.  I can't stress enough how if you have a lot of weight to lose once you lose a bunch of it you will feel more energy than you ever have you will feel like a dog who has been tied up and can finally (literally) run free. 

So yesterday I talked to another member of my gym who is starting her Journey to Fit just like I and hopefully some of you have too and she decided to start her own blog to tell her story her blog is http://courtneyloses.blogspot.com/ so we all need to go and check out Courtney's story because she has a very  real story to tell just like I do and we can all learn something from someone else's  struggles and success's along this path to become the awesome people we all aspire to be.  So go on over and check out her blog and let's all support her as she starts anew on her path to fit but this time she has something she didn't before all of us here.

So thanks for stopping by today, I certainly hope everyone had a successful day yesterday and got out and was productive.  So today I am going to begin video chronicling my workout's and other stuff so I can start incorporating some video blogging so if you don't have speakers better hurry up and put some on your Christmas list, lol  So be sure to tune in tomorrow as I hope to have some cool new stuff to share.  As always thanks so much for stopping by and sharing this blog and Courtney's blog as well as we all get out there and take another step towards FIT.