Back Home

Yesterday was an interesting day. All of my meals were in the air due to the flights back to NY and a couple of missed connections. All worked out in the end as I am home now. When I stepped on the scale this morning it looks like I gained a pound while in Germany. I am not happy that I gained anything but it could have been far worse and before I began this journey it would have been far worse.

Anyway I am back home and back on track already. Here is to the continuation of my journey.

The end of the Germany trip

Ok I cant wait to be back in my own house tomorrow night. I cant wait to hug my family and tell them how much I missed them this week. The last couple of days have not been the greatest for me during my weight loss journey. I need to refocus right now and jump start this again. I will have until next saturday to have at least lost weight from my last weigh in. Anything less I will consider a huge step back in my journey.

Did OK I think

I think today was okay. I had fruit and some bread for breakfast. For lunch we ordered in Chinese where I had won ton soup and chicken with broccoli where I tossed the rice. For dinner I had exactly what I had last night so I think I was fine there. I have limited myself to just a single beer each of the last two nights. I hope I am still doing good. I just have to wait until I get home to find out.

The whirlwind tour continues

Well I have now left Berlin, flew to Frankfurt and found us driving down the Autobahn to Neustadt. Today I had fruit and an egg white omelet with onions and mushrooms. For lunch I had a little beef, salmon, potatoes and loaded up on the spinach. For dinner I had a salad, soup, and salmon with potatoes and spinach. Reminds me of lunch haha.

Better choices tonight

Well I think I was much better today than yesterday. Dinner tonight was still buffet style but I only had a couple of things and loaded up on the veggies. I skipped desert tonight so I think I am back on track. I did have 3 beers and a glass of wine throughout so you never know.

Thank you all for the encouragement you have shown me from all parts of the world.

Welp Didnt make wise choices tonight

Well I failed in my first day in Berlin. I made some definite unwise choices. The only thing I can do at this point is not look back, hit the gym in the morning in the hotel and get right back on the horse and keep going. I am not going to let one bad day derail me in my quest for a smaller me.

The only really bad mistakes are the ones from which we do not learn from.

Wise choices and not so wise choices from 39000'

Well as you all know I was a good boy in the SAS lounge last night. Once I got on board I think I was good for dinner. I chose the grilled steak since it was the only thing that wasnt fried or loaded with cream sauce. I did not have desert as all I thought about was a half hour in the gym is 301 calories.

Breakfast came 5 hours later and I think I fell victim to the eyes. I had a couple of pieces of sliced turkey and salami and a piece of provolone cheese. I also had a small glass of OJ.

On my plate also was a horrible fruit and yogurt parfait but I ate the fruit but left the yogurt behind. I now have a 5 hour wait in Copenhagen and will pass it by hanging on the net and having coffee

Delayed Flight and this weeks's weigh in results

As I write this I am currently in the business lounge of SAS airlines waiting for my flight which has now been delayed until 3 hours from now. As many of you know these lounges contain many delicious (and horrible for you) treats. There is free beer and wine, and many other snacks.

As I write this I am currently having a snack of a glass of water and a banana.

Getting to this weeks weigh in results which were encouraging.

Weight lost this week: 3 pounds.

Total weight loss for 3 weeks, 15.2 pounds.

I will not be officially weighing in at WW next week since I will be travelling however I will be following as strict as I can during this trip.

Wise Choices

Today for work I had to go to Panera and Starbucks to test something using public WiFi access points. The old Howie would have used this as an excuse to go to town on a big lunch at Panera, topping it off with a really bad coffee drink at Starbucks.

When I was at Panera, I ordered a cup of coffee. When I was at Starbucks I had a small fruit cup and a water.

Tomorrow is weigh in day, lets see how well I did. I went to the gym four times this week. Next week (I leave tomorrow actually), I am in Germany so I will not be able to weigh in at Weight Watchers next week. I plan on loading up on Weight Watchers snacks to take with me during the trip.

This will be my first real test to apply the lessons I have learned to my travels. I hope I do well.

301 Calories

As I finished my workout at the gym this morning I saw the totals for my workout. 301 calories burned. The Weight Watchers plan truly does teach you that what you eat is extremely important. For example, the workout burned 301 calories what choices do you make for that?

For that half hour of hard work I could have eaten any of the following:

1. Roughly 60% of a McDonalds Quarter Pounder with Cheese
2. a McDonalds Egg McMuffin
3. Roughly 60% of a Cheesecake Factory original slice of Cheesecake

Are any of those worth the hard work I spent in the gym? In most cases no. This just puts things into perspective. Take todays breakfast for example, I had a Weight Watchers yogurt and a Jello 60 calorie parfait. The total caloric intake was 160 calories. By the time I was finished with breakfast, I was still -140 calories for the day.

Many times I have tried Weight Watchers but I think this is the first time that I am not just following a plan but am living the choices.

Weight Watchers

Went to a WW meeting today. Found some interesting information on variants of food. Turns out this week's emphasis is on exercise. Good thing I have gone to the gym twice this week so far and intend to go tomorrow and Friday as well.

Travel for work

Today I travelled to Hartford, CT for work. We stopped for lunch at a sandwich shop. I ordered what I thought was healthy but goofed on one thing. I ordered a chicken sandwich that had bacon on it. I was smart enough to tell them to hold the mayo but I didnt remember the point value of Bacon. I figured it would be 2 points. Turns out it was FOUR (4) points.

The good news is that I am making somewhat good decisions and have the points to burn. As some of you know I will be travelling to Germany for work next week. I have never been there before so I am somewhat looking forward to it. On the other hand I am scared to death about making choices off of a menu that isnt in english.

Hope for the best.

Suprise Date Night

Tonight Meri and I got to get out for dinner. Meri's mom came to spend the night because Meri has a Dr Appt in the morning and I have to work, so her mom will watch Maddie tomorrow morning.

We went to Applebees because they have a Weight Watchers menu. Got to enjoy dinner for a total of 12 points WOO HOO.

Went for a walk

I did something that I probably would never have done before beginning my journey. I went for a walk in the wintertime. Normally when it is too cold I dont bother to go for a walk anywhere until the temperature hits around 65-70 at the soonest.

I decided to go for a walk and Meri and Maddie came with me. Maddie was a little chilly so we came home after about 15 minutes and half a mile. My intention was to go a little over a mile. Oh well.

When I got home I found that a 15 minute leisurely stroll is an activity point. While I did not go to the gym today, I was still able to find a few minutes for some exersize.

Weigh in Day

Today was weigh in day. I lost 3.4 pounds this week. I feel good knowing I lost weight and look to do the same next week. I went to the gym 5 times this past week, and am aiming for at least 3 days this week. I have now lost 12.2 pounds since I started. My journey has just begun and I am feeling great about it.

Turkey Burgers

Tonight I am cooking a personal favorite turkey burgers. I change them up every time sometimes they are good and sometimes they just plain suck. I am keeping it tame since tomorrow is weight in day.

I am thinking of holding a poll where you all can vote on how I do this week. Feel free to leave a note with a guess of how much I lose or gain (better not) this week. I will announce the results tomorrow.

Pizza Day

I remember a time when a pizza meal would consist of about 5-6 slices of pizza. On the pizza would be anything from Supreme slices with everything but the kitchen sink and anchovies (YUCK I hate them on pizza) to white slices. I dont even want to know what the total caloric value was of what I used to eat.

I had not gone out to eat since the now infamous sausagegate on Sunday and decided it was time to get some pizza. Instead of the 4 to 5 slices with horrible things on it, I simply ordered two slices with Onions, Peppers, and Mushrooms. According to Weight Watchers, a slice of pizza is 6 points. By loading the slices up with veggies I was able to maintain the 6 points per slice.

I suspect that the slices I had were larger than average so I bet they were a little more than 6 points each. I ended up with about 15 points left over for the day anyway so I think the point is moot.

I have gone to the gym 4 times this week and also plan on going tomorrow. The weigh in is on Saturday so we will see if this week is nearly as good as last week.

My Goals

Today I thought I would share my goals. These goals can be divided into two categories, short term goals, and long term goals. I thought I would share my short term goals first:

1. I would like to lose 50 pounds this year
2. I would like to remain committed to an exersize program
3. I would like to be able to wear pants less than size 50 (Currently 56)
4. Not require a seatbelt extension on airplanes.


My long term goals are a bit broader
1. Be around for my family.
2. Be comfortable in a coach airplane middle seat.
3. No longer require certain medications I need to take at this point for blood pressure and cholesterol

Im sure I will add more as time goes on.

Today's Dr Visit

Today I went to my urologist who has been treating my low testosterone for a few years. I had a procedure performed today that inserts tiny testosterone pellets inside that will dissolve over the course of a few months. The idea is that it will keep my testosterone level at a normal level.

One side effect that may occur is the ability to slow my weight loss down however the effects will also convert fat into muscle so it will help me appear as if I am losing weight. I know this is the right thing for me to do for my health but it may impede the results on the scale I am looking for.

My goal for the week

Well I have set a new goal for myself this week. The goal is very simple. Go to the gym enough times to offset the now infamous "Sausagegate". I went to the gym yesterday, I also went this morning. I have now earned 8 WW points from exercise which leaves me one more gym session this week to completely offset the sausage.

An interesting incident

Well I will start this entry off with a statement that says WHOOPS. I learned a very valuable lesson today about eating out. Meri and I went out for breakfast this morning. I ordered what I thought was healthy, Egg white omelet with peppers, mushrooms, onions, and cheese. I told them to hold the potatoes and dry rye toast. Sounds decent right?

When it came out, it turns out by accident I ordered sausage instead of onions. I questioned what I had ordered, but Meri assured me I did order sausage because she was wondering why I did that. We were in a rush and I figured I had enough points to cover it so I ate it anyway.

I didn't have my points calculator with me so I had to wait until I got home to learn that those 2 Italian sausage links I charged myself for cost a whopping 11.5 points. I was annoyed, and quite honestly the old me might have taken a detour.

Instead I made a decision with Meri to go to the gym today. I did a half hour on the treadmill and came home. When I calculated my time on the Weight Watchers site, it turns out my half hour is worth 4 points which means my sausage really only cost me 7.5 points. But this was a turning point for me I would like to think that I will only look forward and not look back at all.

Thank you all

I want to thank everyone for their support. I have been in many places where people have told me I like your blog. I have also received many emails of thanks and encouragement from people that I know all over the globe.

I created this blog with the purpose of accountability for myself. I am thrilled that people are reading and helping me with the accountability part of my journey.

Thank you so much to everyone who will not only be here when I am successful, but who will also be there to assist me when I am not as successful. It is not a diet, it is a journey and a life change that I realize I will need to keep with me throughout my entire life.

Secret Santa Dinner

Tonight we went out with our friends. I think I did well, I had 1/4 chicken white, salad, fries, and veggies. By calculating conservatively, I believe I did stay within my point range. Chances are I actually consumed far less than I counted but you can never be too safe. We had a great time with our friends. In the past week we have gone out to eat 5 times between lunches and dinner and I think I have managed to get a decent handle on going out to eat.

Weigh in day

Well today was my first weigh in day. I did not know what to expect but was very happy with losing 8.8 pounds. This is the first reward in my long journey. I was able to stay for the meeting today as we had my mother in law here to watch the baby. Other than going to the dentist this morning it has been a great day.

Tomorrow is my first big day

Tomorrow is the first day that I will be weighing in since I joined. It will be time to "face the scale". I am nervous and hope that I did well this week. I think i'd rather go to the dentist, oh wait I do that first before going for my weigh in. Lucky me!!!

Date Night

Well I think I survived date night with minimal damage. We went to a California infused Mexican place. We had Lettuce Wraps as an appetizer, followed by burritos. I had a few chips but I think I calculated the values as close as possible. I dont think I went over my point total for the day but you never know. All in all it was a fun night.

Wow

After evaluating my points for the day I realized I was under by TWENTY. So I enjoyed a nice snack and am still about 10 points under for the day. Way to go ME

Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow night I get to go out to dinner with my beautiful wife. I want to try a place that opened up not too far here a few months ago. We never get to go out to eat anymore because of the baby but life is awesome. I hope I find things on the menu that look good and do not destroy my entire week of weight loss.

Updated Gym Membership

Well I got a new updated membership card for the gym. I hope to start going at least twice a week within the next week.

Picture from the beginning of the journey

I received a note from a friend who thought I made a typo with my bio. I usually select pictures that do not show me to my true weight. Here is a picture that shows my weight as close as possible. I will be uploading pictures as time goes on to show the progress during my journey.

Wow made a good choice

We decided to go to lunch at TGI Fridays today. Here was my first chance to screw up my plan. I looked through the menu and found what I thought to be the least damaging item on the menu. Turns out I did a good move. The Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Sandwich according to my calculations is 8 POINTS. Pairing it with a side salad brought it to a total of 10 points. Not bad for going out to eat for lunch.

First Post

Today I began my weight loss journey by joining Weight Watchers yet again. I weighed in today at about 395 pounds and will be working my way towards a goal of hopefully losing 50 pounds this year. I will be updating this blog as often as possible so please come back. All comments are appreciated.