21.5lbs down....more to come!!!

That's right I officially have lost 21.5 pounds during the last 3 weeks of my work place's Biggest Loser competition! I only lost 2.5 pounds this week and was kinda dissaponted, I mean I had lost 13 then 6 but then I rememeber this is just one pound of fat:



(http://www.eatingcleangettinglean.com/)

Wow....I've lost over 21 of those blobs....kinda puts it back into perspective!

So now I'm only 3.5 pounds away from allowing myself to celebrate 25lbs with a Trappist brewed beer I purchased! I'm hoping to just allow 1, but who knows I may not be able to stop due to my love of true beer! Watch, I'll lose 25lbs, celebrate and then need to lose 2.5 more just to get back to 25 total lbs lost!! HAHA!

Anyways, if you are wondering just what is he doing to get these results?! Well here is the short of what I'm am doing:

-I rarely eat any breads outside of the one piece of Ezekiel (all sprouted greens) with my morning egg (sometimes with peppers). *I do occasional allow a no sugar added tortilla at dinner if having healthy tacos!

-95% of what I buy at grocery store comes from the produce section...only things that don't are meat, plain greek yogurt and true natural peanut butter (occasional spices too, but only ones without sugar or corn syrup added!)

-I try to exercise 20-30 mins minimum a day, and always take the stairs at work (actually always try to hit 10 a day, even if over lunch) *Some days I've been known to put elliptical infront of the TV and go for 30-50 mins on a lower setting...very easy way to burn 300-500 calories!

That's it! The eating healthy I feel has made the biggest part! Reading labels has changed my life! Just by removing all added sugars (corn syrup, malodextrin and all other forms) I feel is the biggest factor in my weight loss!

So that Channing Tatum picture yesterday...probably out of the picture but you know what I could end up looking like a fatter more normal version of him here very shortly haha!



Yeah that's how I look....well not yet...

(googleimages)

Yeah okay you caught me I'm lying...not quite what I look like, I have stubble....okay fine I look nothing like that, but a boy's gotta have a goal.

Alright I don't really hope to look like that, I mean until someone is writing me checks based upon my appearance I don't care to look like that. I like beer too much!

Speaking of beer, it's been 3 weeks now I haven't allowed myself any beer! Now I'm no alcholic but I'd like to consider myself a micro-brewery specialist....ugh and a new one just opened up in my area. GET HERE 25lbs LOST! <---Going to celebrate by putting on a pound or two in beer haha!

So how close am I?! We'll see tomorrow morning, currently I'm setting officially at 19lbs down in 2 weeks...hoping to break 20 for sure but 22 is my realistic goal. That puts me within reach of 25 in 4 weeks!

How is he doing this?

A WHOLE LOT OF THIS:

(all googleimages)

Also no added sugar in any form if I can help it!

Your boy is also burning up the eliptical, off-brand total gym (you know the Chuck Norris machine!) and believe it or not a shake-a-weight <-----thing is ridiculous!!!

So with tomorrow's weigh in you can bet tonight is going to be a hard night in the exercise department!! So if any of you are going out tonight, please have a cold one for me!

So you've lost weight...big deal!

So I'm two and a half weeks into a weight loss challenge at my place of employment...I hate those things. I think they're stupid, waste of time and only a temporary fix. That said this one's for money so obviously I'm in it to win it!!! After two weeks I've lost 19lbs and a little over 7% of my original weight, which is a good 2% more than the second place person.

Feeling good about myself I constantly strive to not eat junk food, have steamed veggies and no carbs after breakfast and continue to force myself to working out downstairs in the man cave/workout room.

So this entire time I've been striving to lose weight my wife has been sick for most of it. She has ran fevers in the high 102 range and even touched 103. She's barely ate anything but jello and ice cream (occasional Mac & Cheese on the good days) and has lost over 12lbs trying and doing nothing....maybe I'm going about this all wrong. Is it smart bad of me to want to attempt at contracting this unknown illness from her just to lose some more weight?!

I guess my decision will come this Wednesday, the dreaded weigh-in day....of which it's looking like if I stay the same as last week I'll be happy.

Perhaps if this whole healthy eating thing and exercise doesn't keep me ahead of the pack I'll just simply contract an illness or look into that aneroxic thing (seriously kidding...I think) haha!

Resurrection post...The Nail Polish Addiction

Alright, so I'm gonna make another go at this blog. Can't believe I couldn't seem to find the time to just sit and type for 5 to 10 minutes a day. I missed it though, just the dialogue of my days and getting the chance to share with others the exciting...or should I say boring and some times embarrassing things that occur in my day to day life.

The nail polish addiction is her newest thing...I'm still waiting for the never ending switching of hobbies to finally land on "Buying hunting or fishing stuff for my husband"; something tells me that cog is broken on the grand wheel of hobbies she seems to spin from time to time.

Any ways....wife wants to run to Target after work to get some things. "What things?" I ask. NAIL POLISH!!! Now you need to understand that my wife has spent recent nights after her planning (she's a teacher) on a blog dedicated to nails and nail polish. So of course one would assume she'd need more nail polish....the 5-gallon bucket of barely used ones isn't enough DUH! I kid it's really maybe just 2 gallons worth.

Any-hoooo...so one can imagine how shocked I was to discover those tiny little capsules of glorified paint costs a freaking arm and a leg; for the ones "this heavenly blog" has recommended. I mean seriously $10+ for one bottle of the clear over-coat!!! Geesh...and she says I'm dumb for buying a $50 shotgun-THAT WILL LAST FOREVER!!!!

Oh well, it's the little things that are worth it I guess, and I'll admit she did get extremely jovial (nice word!) when she finished painting her nails...ah that little smile just melts my heart!

It's all good though...I got a brand new computer game in exchange for her spending spree on nail polish....which I'll play for a week, beat it, and then never play it again <-- CRAP....NOT REALLY HELPING MY ARGUEMENT FOR SMART SPENDING!

Keep On Keepin On!

It could be worse....

You know a lot of times in life things just seem to come undone, seemingly finding a way to not work out like we hoped. Than steps in the cliche saying, "It could be worse.."; typically followed by something which most definitely would be worse.

To give an example I'll use myself. Weight has been an issue for me for well 23 of my 25 years on this earth. There was just a 2 year time period where I was happy about my weight...however sadly those two years are not presently occuring. I'm taking the steps now slowly toward changing my eating habits slowly and introducing working out slowly (I used to be addicted to it). The key is to move slowly and change my habits in life, if I do that I know in a year or so I'll be a lot closer to what I want to be weight wise. However, I still look in the mirror from time to time and feel depressed at the man in the mirror. I've let my self get flabby, no longer the guy you could look at and know instantly "He is athletic".

I however always try to snap myself back into reality. It could be worse you know! I could have had my roles switch with my brother Bryce...who sadly only live 6 hours. Or I could be alone in this world with no encouraging wife to help me on my journey. Or...well you get my drift; things seriously could always be worse no matter the situation you find yourself in.

That doesn't mean that some times in this life we're going to feel so far lost that it truly couldn't get worse...remember though that God will never leave you nor forsake you. It couldn't always get worse because He could decide to leave...and that my friends would be the worst of worsts.

So whether you find yourself in a small situation like my struggle with weight, or you're dealing with the loss of loved ones just keep on plugging forward. Ask Him for strength to take another step into each new day. Keep on keepin on folks.

I'm not normal but my blood is!!!

So last week I told you about my blood problem....well my second test results came back and (drumroll).............

I'M FINE!!!!!

For some reason the machine just didn't recognize my white blood cells the first time, but whoever the unlucky person was staring into a microscope for endless minutes counting my blood DID SEE THEM!!!

My doctor today joking said, "While you may not be normal, your white blood cell count is."

I've never been more happy to be classified as abnormal and completely laughed and smiled my way out of the doctor's office! So babe, I'm not going to die...well atleast not blood related anytime soon!

AND THAT MY FRIENDS IS THE BEST SILVER LINING I'VE EXPERIENCED IN QUITE SOME TIME!!!! PRAISE GOD!!

Leukemia anyone?

I know the title may sound like a bad attempt at a joke, but that's where I'm at right now. Waiting to find out if I in fact have one of the many different types of Leukemia. I've also been told it could be a simple blood problem or bone marrow problem not associated with the L word, but the fact it's possible scares the hell out of me. I found all this to be possible this Tuesday when I went in for a follow up doctor visit, which was I assumed would be a quick wam bam thank you mam and out. Well the discussion of the prior week's blood draw didn't have all good things.

First, very quickly, let me brag on the fact that I have great cholesterol, and the word amazing was even used for a couple of the findings...

...but sadly not everything was good. I had a low WBC (white blood cell) count, and this had been something I'd had the last couple times. The doctor last time said he wasn't sure if it was worth looking into last time, but with it being low again he was immediately concerned. I can still remember when he was going to through the various causes and Leukemia first came up...and I'll be honest I don't think I heard anything else that doctor said the rest of the time I was in his office.

Now he did say he doesn't believe I have it, but he also hates to not tell patients all possible options or reasons and then it comes to be. So, this is where I am now. Awaiting a second blood draw results, this time done at the hospital and counted by a technician not a computer (how much would that suck!). I'll know results next Wednesday, but until then I just have to sit and wait. Wait to learn if my life is about to change or if I go on as I was.

I will say though, and here comes the silver lining, when you're faced with something like this being possible....it brings an amazing amount of clarity to one's life. I now see that no big deal if it takes a year of trying to lose weight to succeed...atleast I'd have that year. All the things that I still let bug me...don't seem nearly as pivotal as they once did. I hate how at times it takes such terrible things or the threat of terrible things to actually make us appreciate this life we've been given.

You know whether I find out something is wrong or I'm just abnormally normal, I'm going to try to not forget to appreciate life. Try not to turn so cold to the world around me, the time given and the people placed in my life. Try not to get in so much of a routine I'm just spinning my tires, digging deeper and deeper ruts.

I refuse to ignore all the silver linings!!!