So it begins... or continues.
My struggle to lose weight (again) and ignore my fast-food cravings is not a secret to those who know me. In April, I started eating right and didn't eat out much, was going to the gym 5 times a week, and I lost a lot of weight and added some muscle. Towards the end of May, this changed. I stopped going to the gym as much and started eating out more. I've wasted a lot of time and money on food.
Because I can eat a lot, it adds up as you can imagine. When the average person goes to Wendy's or McDonald's or whatever, they get probably just the value meal and rarely super size. I get the value meal, super sized, and add things. Chicken nuggets here, a McDouble or two there. It can get out of hand. People are always in awe of how much I can eat, sadly, they're even more in awe if I'm able to limit myself and not eat as much (rare).
When I started in April, I weighed 275 pounds. I dropped 30 pounds quickly and because I was actually lifting weights, I was also adding muscle. My weight fluctuated between 245 and 252 most of the time. I would do less cardio, and lift more. There were times I'd lift weights the entire time I was at the gym, and wouldn't do any cardio. This is rare (unheard of) for me.
In early July, that changed. I stopped playing basketball after July 2. I had some weird back pain that began a week later, and started drinking beer more. Sometime this week I decided enough was enough. I didn't eat out from Saturday July 25 until Tuesday July 28. Then last night, I ordered Dominos, and drank a lot of beer.
This cannot continue.
This will not continue.
New rules:
1. I don't drink pop much. Maybe two a week, if that. From now on, no more pop unless I'm at a restaurant.
2. I can only eat fast food once a week and my limit is $6. Since these new rules begin today, this goes from Saturday to Saturday so there is no confusion.
3. I can only eat at a restaurant once a week and I have to eat with friend(s). I haven't been eating much at restaurants, so nothing should change in this regard.
4. I cannot eat mayo or ranch. I love them both. They are no longer in my diet, unless they are in tartar sauce when I eat fish, or fry sauce. I cannot have them on burger's or anything else.
5. I will weigh myself 2-3 times a week. I bought a scale yesterday that tracks your progress. You put in your height, your set goal, and weigh yourself. It saves your settings. As of today, I am 264.2 pounds with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 35.8 - this means I'm obese. When I think of obese, I don't think of me. If you know me, you probably don't think that either. However, according to the BMI I am not fat, I'm obese. I wouldn't even call myself fat. I just have some weight on my belly (my fuel tank for my beer drinking, ass kicking and love making machines), face, thighs and arms, but not much. Either way, I will weigh myself 2-3 times a week and it will track my progress. My goal weight is 180. I would like to be there by November. This is possible if I diet right and exercise a lot. I have not taken advantage of this nice weather. Since this weather should continue to be warm into early October, I will be going for more walks outdoors.
So, those are the rules. It all begins today. Wish me luck. I'll be updating a few things - my weight, when I ate out, how much I spent (if I over spend it cuts into how much I can spend the next week, and $6 is not a lot for me), and my mood and how I feel. It may be very boring for you. It may be something that you can draw from that encourages you and motivates you to lose weight. Either way, I figure if it's in writing, it will help me focus more.
