Busch Gardens - Exit 243!

Miles walked: ?

Aimee and I went to Busch Gardens on Saturday. I don't know how many miles we walked but we were there for 7-8 hours and didn't go on any of the ride with long lines so I know we walked several miles. It's a good thing we've been walking for exercise or we would have been dead tired at the end of the day.

On the way there we passed the exit by 23 miles, and we were very low on gas. If you know the Williamsburg area you know that is a bad place to be low on fuel, with the gas station exits being few and far between. Anyway we spent some quality time in the car, and we didn't have to wait in line to get in the park (it was 2:30pm:). It rained as well so we got free rain passes to come back for another day. We had a really good time!

New pics!

Miles walked: 3.4

I borrowed a friend's digital camera and took some pics. Here is a pic of the Marstall wardrobe I got at the yard sale.



Here is a pic I took of the sunset.



Here is one of Will by the flowers in front of our condo.

Feeling sluggish

Miles walked: 2.6

I was feeling a little sluggish this morning so I hit the snooze button a few extra times. I was not able to walk as far as yesterday as a result. Aimee likes to walk after I get home so I need to try to get up on time in the morning. Before I began walking I read some weight loss tips in Readers Digest. They are taken from a book called "Why French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. The article was very timely for me to read right before starting a new lifestyle change.

Excerpt about the book from Amazon.com

Mireille Guiliano is CEO of Veuve Clicquot, and French Women Don't Get Fat offers a concept of sensible pleasures: If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch -- or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner. Guiliano's insistence on simple measures slowly creating substantial improvements are reassuring, and her suggestion to ignore the scale and learn to live by the "zipper test" could work wonders for those who get wrapped up in tiny details of diet. She sympathizes that deprivation can lead straight to overindulgence when it comes to favorite foods, but then, in a most French manner, treats them as a pleasure that needs to be sated, rather than a battle to be fought.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400042127/102-4922943-9808931?v=glance

These weight control concepts are very doable and make a lot of sense to me. I will post them when I get a chance. The RD article refers to more than just French eating habits. Asian and Mediterranean cultures are referenced too. Basically the articles takes into consideration the eating habits of cultures which have a low body-mass index (BMI).

2 weeks!

Miles walked: 3.0
Today's weight: 245

I was happy that my weight was 245 today because yesterday I didn't walk plus I ate some junk food. I thought I would be heavier today than last Wednesday. I felt pretty good walking, but it was very humid even at 6 am. Later today it's supposed to get up to 115-120 with the heat index! Be careful out there!

Keep on walkin'

Miles walked: 3.0

It seems as though I have a formed a habit. I don't have to force myself out of bed to go walking anymore (although I am sure there will yet be days when I do). I saw a nice sunrise this morning. What a great reward!

Great yard sale find!

I was driving by a yard sale and my wife spotted an antique wardrobe for sale. I hopped out and looked at it but someone had claimed it, and said they would be back with cash to buy it. I looked at it anyway, and happened to catch the name (Marstall). We went home, and I couldn't help but google "marstall wardrobe". Turns out that Marstall was a reputable company that made high end wardrobes from 1893-1929. I went back to the yard sale (with cash and the pickup this time) and the piece was still there. I bought it and we loaded it into the pickup and took it home. It's a really cool well made piece of furniture and for the price I paid I'll soon be getting a digital camera (and maybe an iPod) when i sell it.

Get the whole family involved!

Miles walked: 2.0

Today I got plenty of exercise. Aimee, Will, and I went for a walk (Will was in the stroller). We had a good time. Then when we got home Will wanted to run around in the yard with mommy and daddy since he was rested up from the stroller ride. If I can keep up this level of activity on the weekends it will be great.

Financing an iPod

Miles walked: 3.0

I walked 3 miles today. Sweet! That's a milestone for me. In the past when I walked or jogged I never went that far. I feel like walking to work is closer than I originally thought. I still have the pants from the pic I posted yesterday (way in the back of my closet:). Also the shirt and tie. When I reach my goal weight I will put on those same clothes and take a pic and post it. That would be a cool thing.

I have figured out a way to get an iPod and a digital camera. I have some things that I can sell on ebay. They should bring enough money to get the iPod and camera and a few other things. Take care everyone!

Feeling Alright

Miles walked: 2.6

I'm feeling really good about walking now. It seems like I can go farther and farther. I don't want to push it though. I have been seeing people regularly on my route. I saw two women walking together and one of them was carrying a long stick, like a broom handle. I thought about doing that, but thought people might think I was weird or something. Sometimes I feel like if I had to fend off a dog or something it would be better to have something already in your hand. Maybe I just worry too much, eh?

I finally got a pic of when I was younger to post. This pic was taken on Easter day 1997 or 1998 I think. I was about 200-205 lbs.

Weigh-in Wednesday

Miles walked: 2.6

I stepped on the scale today and I am now 246! That's a four lb loss in one week! Cool, if this keeps up I will reach my goal in half the time. I went farther today then I ever have. I really need to scan the picture of me when I was 200. I just need to remember to bring it to work.

Fat Man Running!

Miles walked: 2.1

The route I normally walk is a road with no houses, building, etc. There is a highway on one side and a thick patch of woods on the other. I was walking along listening to music and I thought I saw a light in the woods. Remember, there is supposed to be nothing in these woods but plants and animals. When I got closer I saw that it was definitely a light, like a Coleman lantern. It was at eye level, about 6-8 feet into the woods. It looked like someone wanted others to see it, but only if they were looking for it. Well, I got a little freaked out and turned around and starting running the other way. I ran for a couple hundred yards, and could have run farther and faster. It's amazing how fast you can move when the adrenaline kicks in! I drove by there on the way to work and didn't see the light anymore. Weird huh? Should I call the cops about this?

Tomorrow I will weigh in and post the results. I think it will be a good number.

Finding a balance

Miles walked: 1.5

I need to find a balance. During the week it is easy for me to eat healthy and exercise, but the weekends are so busy that I don't feel like getting up early to walk. Also I am more apt to eat out so I am more susceptible to eating things I shouldn't. I guess if I were to eat unhealthy things I should at least get some exercise. That should be my rule from now on. Maybe that will keep me from eating things I shouldn't.

On a positive note, Will's party went well. I have a few pics that I can post. Here is one of him blowing out his candles. He had a lot of help from the boy on the right.



Here is one of him on his new bike. He really loves it!

Bad weekend :(

I was bad this weekend. I ate too much at my son's birthday party. I'll post some pics of the party when I get them developed or downloaded from the video camera. Everyone had a great time at the party though. Will (my son) got some cool gifts including a new Thomas the Tank Engine DVD, a Thomas tent, a bike, a t-ball set, and some other stuff too. The problem is that we now have all this food left over from the party and it is laying around that house. Like that big box of Doritos, Cheetos, and other chips. We need to put that stuff away somewhere so it's not in sight.

I guess the best thing to do when you fall off the wagon is to get right back on it. I am putting some new music tracks on my MP3 player for my walk tomorrow. That should help me some. I really just meant to be bad on Saturday but then we went out to lunch today (at Red Robin) and I can't resist their gourmet burgers. Anyway, tomorrow is another day, right?

I should get an iPod

Miles walked: 1.5

Today's walk was much easier. It's amazing how much better I feel after only three days of walking. I was impressed when I got on the scale as well. I will wait until Wednesday to post my current weight. I figure I could post that once a week on Wednesdays (weigh-in Wednesdays?).

I was thinking It would be nice to get an iPod so I can listen to audio books while I walk. I should probably wait awhile on that though. I tend to jump into things with both feet. Then I buy a bunch of gear for that pursuit, and I usually lose interest in a few months. Maybe I could make it a reward at the halfway point. When I lose 25 lbs that should show that I am committed to my goal. I could sell something on ebay for the money to get an iPod. Anyone want to buy a tenor sax? Or trade one for an iPod? I have an MP3 player, but it only holds 192 MB worth of space (and that is only with a memory card that I don't yet have). It will work until I can get a unit with more memory though. I checked out www.fictionwise.com (suggested by a reader of this blog, I have readers? Sweet!). That is a site that sells audio books. It's pretty cool, and looks like there is a large selection.

I was shocked to see what my hit counter was at this morning. I will try to stay consistent with postings. I need to dig up some pics. I want to post one of what I looked like when I was about 200 lbs. I really need to get a digital camera. Then I could take pics on the route where I walk. The sunrise is very cool. I'm sure with the witty prose and the awesome pics I will be posting that this blog will win a Nobel prize for journalism.

Tomorrow is my son's birthday party. He will be 3. Plenty of cake and other food that will test my willpower. Here is a pic of the boy from last fall.

Day Two

Miles walked: 1.3

It seemed easier to walk today than yesterday (and I went a little farther too). Near the start I grabbed a stick and amused myself by sweeping rocks off the road. It made the walk much more interesting. I guess anything to occupy the mind and keep you from thinking about the monotony of walking is good. I wish I could read while walking. Maybe an audio book, yeah. I'll look into that.

I altered my eating habits as well. Only one diet Coke yesterday. It's amazing how good it tastes when you only have one per day! More water, and no junk food. I met a friend for lunch at Chili's and had a grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad, and water to drink (normally I would have the queso and chips for appetizer and then a burger/fries). This is progress!

Here is a pic of me in Vegas in October of 2004. I was about 245 lb then.

Fat Man Walking

I was inspired to track my weight loss progress in a blog. I figured if there are people looking at my blog (that's what I tell myself:) then I will be more motivated to keep losing weight. Yesterday I saw a news story about Steve Vaught, the 400 lb man that is walking cross country. I have been reading about his progress and felt inspired to do something about my weight too. I am currently 250 lbs, and would like to weigh 200 lb in January 2006.

This morning I walked about a mile or so. Got to start somewhere, right?