10 down 58 to go

After a spectacular first week with a 9 pound loss, I am having a pretty slow week.   I have been hovering at 10 lbs lost so far this week (1 lbs lost this week), but I expected it after the big loss last week.

I know everyone says "don't weigh in every day" but I have too.  I have to keep myself conscience of my weight.  When don't see it every day I forget and then I indulge.  The morning weigh in is my wake up call ever morning.  The scale says to me "Hey dummy, you're still fat!"  Yes, I have a very mean scale.  I have been tracking my weight for over 6 years now.  That is a lot of weigh ins!

The cold weather isn't helping me much either because I have to spend more time exercising indoors.  I love to get out and ride my bikes or hike but right now the trails are muddy and while it is cold out they take forever to dry.  Getting out on the road bike in these cold winds is not really much fun at all.   So my road bike is upstairs in the trainer.  So 4-5 times a week I get up stairs and try to get 18-20 miles in.  The last three days, I have logged 53.5 miles on the bike (in the trainer).  The only thing that keeps me sane is that I am able to play XBox while on the bike.  I used to have aero bars that I could rest on but I broke one of the pads so I know use a large pillow to rest my forearms on.  A very ghetto solution but it was free, I can't justify buying new aero bars right now.
Despite the slowdown in weight loss I am feeling great.  Getting the exercise in and the healthier means make life so much more enjoyable.  Some of my sleeping issues are going away, no more reflux, and I actually get hungry instead of a constant "I ate too much" feeling.

I have determined that I am going to start running the local mountain bike races again.   DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bike Association) has announced the dates and locations of the 2012 North Texas Series and I really want race this year.

• Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, Oak Cliff
  Sunday, Aug 5th
  
• Erwin Park, McKinney
  Sunday Aug 19th
  
• Sansom  Park, Ft. Worth
  Sunday Sep 9th
  
• Johnson Branch, Pilot Point
  Sunday Sep 23rd
  
• Rowlett Creek Preserve, Garland
  Sunday Oct 14th

I have raced all of these trails and it is going to be an awesome series.  Except the Sansom race, that trail is a beating and the last time I raced out there it was so dry and dusty I wiped out at least a dozen times and left at least a quart of blood on the trail.

The last time I raced was in 2008 and that was a tough, tough series and Kevin, David, and I were so worn out after that series that we took the next race year off and never got back to it.  But I miss it and I will be back next fall.  In between now and then there are some other races to run.  Right now I am trying to get ready for a 6-hour race at Erwin park in March that is part of the 2012 DORBA Frozen Endurance Series.  They have a 4-hour solo option that I will probably go with because I am not sure I can get in shape enough to do the 6 hour option.  The last time I ran this race, I didn't manage by fluid or electrolytes properly and completely cramped up at 3.5  hours and had to abandon the race.  Hopefully it will go better this time!!!

7 down 61 to go!

Oh yes, I am talking about my eternal battle with my weight.  It seems like I am constantly dealing with it because I always am.  Only once in the last decade have I been down to a weight that I was happy with.  (Don't get me wrong, I have completely realistic expectations about my weight, I am a big dude and understand that) And when I was at that weight I told myself I would never go back.  Yet, it happens so slowly that you give a little here and a little there at POW POW, you are up 60 lbs.  And that is no exaggeration.

July 2008 at 209 lbs.

Nov 2011 at 268lbs.

So, I am back on a quest to get back down to 200lbs and to stay there.  Maintaining is the hard part for me.  Once I get to my goal, I don't stay there.  I slowly start to put weight back on and boy does my body know how to put weight on.  I think since I at one point I weighed up over 310 lbs my body naturally wants to go back to that weight and it is a constant fight not to.

Right now I am back to eating healthy and slowly getting back into my exercise routines.  I would say I am on a diet but I'm not, I hate the word "diet" and all it stands for.  It should be about getting into a healthy long term life style not a temporary change to get results.  I still eat all the things I love I just don't eat them all the time and I moderate the high-calorie foods to very small quantities.  I can't just cut everything out, that usually results in a short term loss, long term gain. (See that little weight pun I threw in there)

I got back to my healthy living the Friday after Thanksgiving and have already lost 7 pounds.  I would like to drop 10-15 more before Christmas and then at total of 35-40 by the time Rebecca is born.  Those are really lofty goals and it will take constant diligence to meet those them, but I think I can do it.