I AM AN OVER EATER!!

Hello to anyone that might actually read this blog. :)

I am doing this to help anyone who might be looking for a place to talk about losing weight and getting in shape in order to help change their lifestyle. And... I'm doing this for me. To help me remember where I was and where I'm going. And to not forget about that "big fat guy" who weighed over 300lbs in April 2011.

This morning I woke up, laying in bed, I was remembering just what I had eaten that prior day, and the day before that....and I realized WOW..I am STILL an OVER EATER. And just how easy it would be to fall right back into that trap.
A little background on myself.....
I am a 49 yr male, 6ft 3in tall and right now I weigh 225lbs (11/9/2011) I am married with 2 teenage children, 3 dogs, 3 cars, 2 mortgages and a partridge in a pair tree. :)
In April I made a decision to change almost everything about my lifestyle.
I weighed in at 306lbs April 1, 2011. I have a membership at the local Gold's Gym and now instead of using it 1-2 times a week, I decided to start going everyday. And just prior to 4/1 I went to my local GNC store in the mall, talked with the Manager (Nate- he is a competitive body builder) and he helped me make some choices on vitamins, diet, and a workout plan.
Over the years my weight has fluxed from 240 to over 300lbs (twice). And from the time I was 18yr I have had Twenty-One orthopedic surgeries. (13 on my left knee, 2 lower back, neck, both shoulders, elbow, finger and my most recent and the one that has caused me the most pain and weight gain...My feet. So in other words I have gained and lost a couple of hundred pounds over the last 30 years. Many of my problems have come from me having an injury that causes me to stop working out and fall back into back and destructive eating habits..Because I AM AN OVER EATER! So needless to say I want this time to be my last time with re-gaining the weight.
So what can I do about this? What can any of us do about this? This the real problem with losing weight...GAINING IT BACK!!!

So I thought Blogging about this might help me and anyone else who is looking for a place to talk about this situation.
I'm going to try and treat this like people who are in AA. Let's talk about it and help each other along the way.
Please share your thoughts, successes, failures and ideas, so maybe everyone can start living and maintaining a better lifestyle.

I will talk in my next blog about what I did to get started and what I'm currently doing.

Day Two of my new Blog.

What did I do to get started.......
Realizing that I needed to lose weight
1st- Get Healthy again
2nd- To try and get my feet to feel better
3rd- To see my kids grow up! This was my biggest motivation.
I've never had too much of a problem when I put my mind to do something to get motivated to go "all in" and do it right. I decided I HAD TO GET IN SHAPE!! So, I had the right mind set and I was going to commit to reaching my goal no matter what.
Like I mentioned before I had gone to GNC and talked about starting a plan of attack. This plan started with a "CLEANSE". I did a 7 day cleanse and with that I did a 5 day "FAST" with only drinking the Lean Shakes from GNC. And if you think I was on the toilet for 7 days I can assure you, I was not. lol  But after the first 2 weeks of being on the cleanse and working out I had lost 19lbs. I had never done one of these before, and I thought my system could certainly use a cleaning out. And I must tell you, it has made all the difference in the world.
Now I was realizing that this was working and I wanted to do more and keep going.
(Side note)......To all my female friends out there. Men lose weight quicker and easier then women do!! There I said it! I don't know if that's medically true, but I'm saying it anyway. I know it's not fair, but lets face it you women need to work harder and longer to see the same kind of results.
Ok.....so now that things are going pretty well with the weight loss now I needed to step up the workouts. By this time I was going to Gold's 6-7 days a week once a day.
TIP OF THE DAY-I would lift weights and then do my cardio. By doing it in this manor with lifting first and then cardio it would help burn more calories longer after my workout.
Well that's enough for today... I do have a job. lol
I see that some of you have liked this Blog on Facebook, PLEASE, PLEASE make comments and tell your stories, I truly think this will help all of us to stay motivated and live a healthier life! Have a Great Day!

Day 3
DEDICATION-

What does dedication mean to you?
Does it mean committing to your goal and doing what it takes to make it to that goal?
Does it involve you getting up at 5:30 in the morning to get up an go to the gym?
Does it make you think about what you are ordering when you go out to a restaurant?
Do you push your self harder every time you go to the gym?? Do 5 more reps...go that extra mile on the tread mill...add 5 more pounds to what you are lifting.
Dedication is something you need to have in order to make those healthy choices so you can change your lifestyle.
Can you dedicate 30 min to an hour a day to exercise?
Can you dedicate to drink at least 8 glasses or more of water a day?
Will you dedicate spending the little extra to eat the right way and take your vitamins?

These are all of the things I have dedicated my self to these last 7 months. It has not always been easy..to say the least, but I feel I have had to do this as part of dedicating myself to the commitment I made to change my life.
Will YOU dedicate yourself to changing your lifestyle? What sacrifices will you make?

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!! 

Even though I had a super busy weekend I still needed to find time for myself and find time to exercise. We had over 8 hours of load-in Fri night and Saturday and an 8 hr rehearsal on Sunday. I was able to get to the gym for 2 hrs on Sat morning and did 30min at home on Sunday. It wasn't much but it just gets the heart pumping and helps you get going.
This one of the problems in the crazy/busy world we all live in...when do we find time to take care of ourselves?
We have to make time!!
If we don't make time now, when will we ever have time later. When we are too sick or too fat to really make a difference.
I feel like if I don't workout I begin to miss it. I've never gotten to this point before, and to tell you the truth...It feels really good!! I like to sweat, I like to get my heart pumping, I like the way I'm starting to look in the mirror. There is nothing better than having people say to you "You look Great". It really keeps you motivated to keep going.
And if you don't have that person in your life or friends that help keep you motivated....FIND SOMEONE! Or even better...I/We are right here for you. That's what I started this for....let's keep helping each other and help all of us stay on track to change our lifestyle and improve our lives.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday and please watch the video Jen just posted on the blog.
:)

Welcome to Wednesday Nov 16th...Happy Hump Day!!
Lets talk about Soda......

I will freely admit that I was addicted to Diet Coke. For a while I was on a 6-8 bottle/can a day habit. I figured Diet Coke....it's Diet, it must be good for me or at least it shouldn't be bad for me.
I WAS WRONG!!! Wow, was I wrong!
I'm not going to get into the medical problems with drinking too much soda but from what I have read and  heard, there really is no upside to drinking pop.
I was drinking DC (diet coke) for the caffeine and just to be drinking something. I don't drink coffee so I thought I really needed something to help keep me going...once again I was WRONG.
Problems with Diet Soda...#1 Problem- SODIUM
What does sodium do to you? It makes you retain water. And if you are trying to lose weight, retaining water will not allow that to happen.
Problem #2 -CAFFEINE
Honestly...your body does not need this stimulant. Try to do somethings naturally, like exercising. Give your bodies natural stimulants a chance.
Problem #3 SUGAR SUBSTITUTES/ASPARTAME
Once again not going to get into all the medical issues but these things are HUGE problems and can reek havoc on your system. Your body does not know how to deal with these chemicals. Think about where all these chemicals have to go in your system...the two major places I will talk about are your LIVER and your KIDNEYS. These are the 2 main filters of your body and all these chemicals we are putting in to our system need to be filtered thru these two organs. We need to take care of these two organs, they need to last us our lifetime. My Mother died from Kidney failure after 7 years on dialysis, and I can tell you it was not the most pleasant way to go.

Solutions:
Stop drinking pop!
Drink water
Drink Milk
Stop drinking Diet Soda!
Get off the caffeine!

Now, how do you stop drinking lots of soda all the time???
You need to CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE!! Commit to first cutting back or just go for it and go COLD Turkey. And that my friends is was a real B!@CH.... But I did it and I know other friends who have done it as well. The hardest part is getting rid of the caffeine buzz you think you need every morning. Once you get past that.....your home free. :)   It will take you about 2 weeks.
When I did that a couple of years ago I lost about 15 pounds in a month.
I started sleeping so much better...and so will you.
A friend of mine has now lost over 70 pounds in 6 months and one of the only things she has done is to quit drinking Diet Soda. (you know who you are)  :)

TIP OF THE DAY!!

Go to Wal-Mart and try the CLEAR AMERICAN flavored sparkling Water. They have many flavors to choose from and a 33.8oz bottle is only .68. I think you will find drinking these will really help you get off drinking lots of soda. These are delicious and with the carbonation it feels like you are having a soda because of the bubbles. And yes I know that it does have Aspartame in it, so remember to still drink some plan water as well.
I hope you all have a wonderful and Healthy Wednesday.
Let's keep this Blog going. Please add comments or add your own personal stories.

Thanks again....talk to you tomorrow.  :)

Thursday Nov 17th
Not feeling motivated to workout/exercise or even go to the gym.......

I don't know about you but there are days I don't want to get out of bed or even think about going to the gym. Well I had one of those days this morning. :( Bed felt good, nice and warm and comfy. It's been a long week of work and rehearsals...and today I was just plan wiped out.
But the alarm went off, and because I have been doing this on a regular basis my mind and body fought the temptation to stay in bed and I got up and got going.
Now when I got to the gym I just started doing what I do every morning....It helped wake me up, and got me going. And that's one of the wonderful things about getting into a healthy routine...sometimes when you might not be motivated to exercise, your body craves it and pushes me to stay on the right path.

TIP OF THE DAY!!!  

I was told early on in this process that one of the best ways to burn calories and get your metabolism started up for the day is to do your cardio right away in the morning. Do at least 20+ mins of some type of cardio before you eat anything!! 
I start off my day by getting on the elliptical machine...( I HIGHLY recommend using the elliptical because of less stress on your knees, feet and back) and doing 30+ min at a very fast pace. I can usually get in 5 miles done in about 32 min. This gets my heart rate up, gets me sweating pretty good and has me warmed up to do my ab workout. I'll talk about the ab workout I'm doing another time. :)
Have a great day! Please keep sharing this blog with your friends and people you feel may benefit from reading it.
Let's keep this going!! :) Thanks again to all of you who have commented on here or have come up to me and  told me how much you are enjoying reading this. It really makes me feel like we are all helping each other.

Nov 18th
It's Friday and the weekend is here! Should we worry about what we eat or drink over the weekend?

I, like many of you will be very busy this coming weekend and the week ahead with Thanksgiving and Black Friday Shopping. Is this a time that we just forget about eating healthy? Do we just give ourselves the week off? Do we just  say the "Heck with it" and eat everything in site? Or do we try and eat smart, and not go too crazy on our food choices?
These are real questions, and I don't have the answer for you.......
I struggle with the thought of going to the In-Laws house on Thanksgiving and eating everything in site!!
Remember, I AM AN OVER-EATER!!
I know that after the delicious turkey and ham dinner, and after I have eaten way too much, I will still peck and nibble the whole day long. WHY?!?! Why do I do that?!? I'M FULL, and don't need to eat anymore...
This is something that I fight with and frustrates me to no end.
So what am I going to do about this??? What are WE going to do about our Holiday eating habits?
I am going to try and eat a sensible Thanksgiving meal. Turkey, vegies, salad, a smaller amount of potatoes and only allow myself 1 dessert. And when I'm done I know I should not feel guilty about eating a healthy meal................But I probably will. So then I will make myself get to the gym and continue my routine and work off those calories. And I know what I will be eating is not bad for me, but I need to keep myself motivated and inspired to keep this weight off and stay in shape.

We all need to think about our actions at the dinner tables over these next couple of weeks...                
WILL WE MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES?!?
The right choices on what we put on our plates...
The right choices on how MUCH we put on our plates....
The right choices on saying "I've had enough"

TIP OF THE DAY!!
ABS
Don't believe those magazines or Infomercials that claim a 2 min ab routine will give you  6 pack abs!!
I have worked my way up to 950 ab reps almost every morning and I still don't have a 6 pack.  lol
I really have worked on increasing this number over these last few months and by the end of Nov , I will be over 1000 ab reps.
If you go to a gym or even at home, I HIGHLY recommend using and exercise ball. If you can do some of your ab work on the ball you will really feel and see the results. Not only does it give you a whole new workout but it helps build and strengthen your CORE, easier and better on your lower back. It also helps with balance and coordination....(anyone who first starts out on the ball knows what I'm talking about..lol)
I do my first 300-400 reps on the ball every morning.
Now when I talk about reps, I'm talking about doing many different machines and exercises for all areas of my mid-section.
300 to 400 sit ups on the ball, working different areas (sides, mid, lower)
50 on the airplane chair with leg lifts (Really great for that lower ab area)
50+ on the weighted ab crunch machine
50 on an upper ab crunch machine
100 on weighted torso twist
50+ on weighted lower back extensions
200 weighted side bends and crunches
50 incline sit ups
Also another great ab exercise is PLANKING... Looks easy...but it's not. LOL start with 15 sec and work your way up to 1 min... You will feel the burn. :)
And after all of this I can tell you that my abs feel pretty darn good and getting rock hard.
Everyone has 6 PACK Abs!! It's just that they are buried under layers of FAT. So if you want a flat stomach and rock hard abs....you really have to work at it. No 2 min exercise will give it to you, and we all need to watch what we eat and maintain a Healthy Lifestyle! :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Let's keep this Blog going, pass it on to friends and those who you think will benefit from joining us on this journey to put ourselves on a path to a much better and  healthier lifestyle.

Nov.21 2011
The weekend is over and now on to THANKSGIVING!!! 
It's time to stay strong and stay focused.......

Well it was a fun and extremely busy weekend myself and my family. We finished "Miracle on 34th St" on Sunday, and after a 5 hr strike we finally finish. I really contimplated just staying home thins morning from going to the gym and even work today. I am so tired and sore, back hurts, arm feels like it wants to fall off, feet hurt so bad I can barely walk...but at 5:45a.m I got my butt up out of bed and went to the gym. Did 6 miles while watching "Castaway". It was the perfect movie for me to stay focused and and remind me that there is always a reason to get up and LIVE for TOMORROW byLIVING for TODAY.
Now it's on to Thanksgiving....
What are we going to do to prepare us for this Thursday and the days to follow?
What are we going to do on Thanksgiving?
Well I know I will be going to the In-Laws house for Thanksgiving. Looking forward to seeing the family and watching football and of course all the FOOD.
So what I'm I doing this week??
I am going to make sure I hit the gym everyday and I am going to cut down on my calorie intake as well between now and then as well.
And on Thursday I will try to monitor just how much food I put on my plate and limit myself to just 1 dessert for the day as well. And I need to tell myself that once I am full...I AM DONE EATING!!
Need to fight that urge of continuous munching all day long. This way, maybe I won't be so miserable all night long. lol
I'm telling myself these things today and I'm going to reaffirm these ideas the next few days so I build up the mindset to follow thru with it on Thanksgiving.

TIP OF THE DAY

Fight thru the Pain. 
Ok, so I'm going to sound like a guy right now. But I have a motto that I have had to live with for over 25 years. (Because of many injuries and surgeries)
"Pain is Mind over Matter, if You don't Mind it Don't Matter"
Of course if you really have something wrong with you then get it looked at. I'm talking about aches & pains being sore.....stop feeling sorry for yourself and work thru it. It isn't going to kill you!
I think you will find that you will feel better if you work thru it, stretch, sweat and just keep moving.  :)

Have a wonderful Monday...let's keep this going. Share with your friends and people you think this might help.
I have really enjoyed reading everyone's comments and stories...THANK YOU  so much for sharing.

Tuesday Nov 22, 2011
Cheating on your diet and exercising!! 

Somedays all I want to do is eat!! Like last night, I made a pretty good meal for Anni and I, grilled chicken breast, Kraft Homestyle Mac & Cheese (I had a pretty small portion) and some corn. But after that I had a yogurt and a banana, some grapes, about 2 cups of caramel corn and some cashews. I know none of it was horrible for me but I felt like I was eating all night.... and that makes me nervous. Because I do not want to fall into that trap again. I feel like I cheated on my healthy way of eating...and I hate it when I do that! And now with Thanksgiving coming up, what will happen on Thursday?? Ugh!!
It's almost the same way I feel when I don't put in a good workout or if I decide I don't need to do that many
reps/sit-ups/miles on the elliptical. I really have to FIGHT those urges and push myself to do what I need to do.
I think we all can and will CHEAT on our diets and on exercising once an a while, just as long as we realize it and then turn around and correct our behaviors so they don't change or healthy habits.

I hope that by writing this down and confessing, it will help me to stay on track and force me to monitor my eating habits and help motivate me at the gym on days I don't feel to excited to be there.

Let's all have a terrific Tuesday and remember to give a word or two of encouragement to those who might need it today.  :)

Wednesday Nov 23 2011
"I Feel Fat!!" 

It's the day before Thanksgiving and I feel like I did 7 months ago. WHY?!? I looked at myself in the mirror this morning after doing 7 miles on the elliptical and doing 900 ab reps and all I could see was a fat old man. All I could think of was....."Why am I doing this to myself?" Is it worth it? All of this pain, sweat, getting up at 5:30a.m., why am I killing myself, is it all worth it??
And the answer to that question is "YES!"
Although I really do feel that sometimes I'm just spinning my wheels and I'm never going to change anything, I realize that's just not the case.
Example: Yesterday I grabbed a sweater vest that I bought last Feb when I was pretty big....not realizing that when I thru it in my gym bag. So when I got dressed in the locker room I put it on and it almost went down to my knees. It was SO BIG on me that when I walked into work everyone just laughed at me, and made comments like I should start looking at buying some clothes that fit. :)
And I do realize that I have changed, but there are days when I want things to change over night, Damn it!!
I want it NOW! I want ripped abs! I want bigger arms and a thicker chest. I want to be able to run again, without being in so much pain........
BTW....side note. It was 2 years ago yesterday that I had both of my feet operated on. Prior to the surgery my feet were in pain all the time with a lot of nerve pain shooting up my legs as well. But after the operation I was so hopeful that things would get better.....I WAS WRONG. Afterwards things got much worse, the pain did not go away it wasn't getting better. So I saw another Doctor, tried other treatments and still no results. In Oct 2010 I went on a drug that was for nerve pain, and it seemed to be helping, but there was one little side effect....from Oct to Dec I gained over 20 pounds! Things had gone from bad to worse. :(
I look back at that now and think...Dan, you have come a long way in this last year. Good job!

So I guess the whole point of this entry today is...Be Patient, things don't happen overnight. As badly as we want them too, they just don't change that quickly. Keep working at it. Don't lose sight of your goals! Ask for help. And remember it's a change of Lifestyle, not a quick fix.

Have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING Everyone.
Talk to you soon. Please share this blog and lets keep things going. :)

ALMOST 500 Hits on this Blog in 2 Weeks!! 
WOW!!  Thank you everyone! 
I know that it's not a huge number, but seriously, I am overwhelmed.
Just today at the gym I ran into to Facebook friends who said they have been reading my Blog and they both "thanked me for it". So I thought I would check to see just how many hits I've had....492 hits. And just so you know I'm staying logged in so I'm not included in that number.
Once again, THANK YOU! Thank you for reading this and Thank You so much to everyone who has been coming up to me or messaging me that they have been reading this blog. All I can hope for is that I hope it's helping you as much as it is me.

Thank you!
Dan