July 9, 2008
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written a new blog. Life sure does get busy at times. It seems like it goes in spurts like that. The challenge has been to stay on track with my exercise and eating habits during this season of business. I bet you’re wondering how I’ve done? I’d rather not say…I’d actually not like to write any more blogs so I could end this public accountability! So I’d like to say I’ve done perfectly, but that would be a lie. Now I haven’t gone off the deep end, as in deep into a bag of cheese puffs, in fact I have lost weight every week but the loss was less last week than the previous weeks. I only made it to the gym about half the time as I usually had…but I didn’t give up. I think there’s victory there somewhere!
You see, I’m going to beat this thing (the Stay Puff Marshmallow physique thing). The great thing about a 12 week program is that you have to figure out how to live life in the midst of trying to change your life. It’s too long to just tough it out. Changing your life and living healthier won’t be realized in a four-week binge diet. Eventually the will breaks down or old Mr. Murphy comes knocking at your door. Well, my schedule is not getting any easier and the challenges that lie ahead are even tougher.
In two weeks, Jenny and I will be going on a two week vacation back home to California. We will spend a few days at Disneyland and hang out at Newport Beach. How in the world will I exercise and stay away from the funnel cakes and Mickey Ice-cream Bars, and In N Out Burgers?!? Will I even take the opportunity to exercise?
YES…Yes I will, yes I will, YES I WILL!!!
The only way I can prove to myself that I won’t fall off the wagon is to keep on track today. I’m busier than ever and being healthy is taking a significant sacrifice on my part. Getting to the gym is tough but I’ve been able to do it every day this week. Making good food choices are difficult when I’m on a time crunch but I’ve made good choices. Anxiety and stress are not good companions but regular exercise and good foods have helped tremendously.
The facts:
- Weight loss to date: 28 pounds
- Percentage of weight loss: 10%
- BMI: 32.8
This week I will be packing and trying to figure out how to live a healthy lifestyle when life moves far from the “normal” routine. Next week I’ll let you know what the plan is and then we’ll send in a blog from Disneyland and let you know how we did. Keep it up…you’re worth it!
Someone Noticed!
Ok, the coolest thing has started to happen…people are actually noticing that I’ve lost some weight. Apparently, my face is a little less like a zeppelin and more like a face. I’ve heard, “How much weight have you lost because I can really see it in your face?” I know that for many this does not seem like a compliment but to me it’s huge! (no pun intended) It’s tough that it took nearly 20 pounds for people to start noticing, but I’ve got a long way to go…60 pounds in all! The thing is you can start to see a difference. What I’m doing is actually working. The good food choices and the daily activity have shown up in my face…and everywhere else proportionately…which brings me to a new fear.
What in the world am I going to do for clothes? I’ve been fat for so long, my skinny clothes are parachute pants and Izods, and I tossed them years ago. If I keep up the “good thing” of losing weight, I’m going to gain the challenge of how to wear shirts that hang like sheets. I already don’t have pants that fit and my belt is one loop from the end. I’ve lost quite a few inches. Some store in town should get on board with us challenge people and give us all a 50% discount in August and September. I honestly didn’t consider that I would eliminate my wardrobe when I agreed to this challenge. I know as a guy it’s a lot easier, but Jenny is doing this thing too. I don’t think it will work for her to just get two new pairs of pants and a couple of shirts.
Oh well, it’s only money, and what fun it will be to blow part of our emergency fund on some new duds. I’m looking forward to buying pants with a waist size that starts with a 3 (36 would be so cool!) and shirts with no more than 1 X! I like the attention and the encouragement of people noticing. I’ll use anything I can to keep me running this race. Thank God for Avera and this weight loss challenge. Their willingness to do this is changing my life and giving me back the years I had been wasting away.
Keep on keeping on! Put down that chocolate chip cookie and put on your running shoes. There’s a long road ahead but together we will cross that finish line in baggy clothes or parachute pants. It’s going to be a lot of work but remember…you’re worth it! Have a great week!
Back on the wagon!
Middle of week four! Honestly, I have not made it past this point in the many diets I’ve done in the past. But this time, I’m doing it! My progress to date is good but if I focus too much on what still needs to be accomplished, I can get a bit down. The goal for me is to celebrate today (but not with New York style cheese cake with chocolate sauce and raspberries like I used to).
Here’s my progress:
- Starting weight 290
- Weight on Sunday (6/8/08) 275!
- I’ve lost 15 pounds which is 5% of my total body weight! (and I don’t want to ever find them again)
- My BMI is still really high. At 290 it was 36.3 and now it’s 34.4. Honestly, I’m not real sure what this number means but it is a motivator to see it go down. Someday it is supposed to get to the 27 area.
If I average out my weekly weight loss, it shows that I’ll hit 225 on Aug 16 and have lost 22% of my total original body weight. I don’t know if it’s doable, but I’m doing my best. 225 is my weight back in 1989 when I graduated from High School. I can’t imagine me at 225 but two months ago I couldn’t imagine me at 275…and I look good. I’m more phat than fat!
In this struggle over my mind and body, I have discovered the two best ways to drop the pounds and it doesn’t add to the $33 billion Americans will spend on weight-loss this year. Here it is: move more and eat less or exercise more and eat better foods. Either way…it works.
I am part of the $33 billion. I’ve probably been on 15 or more diet plans, some I’ve done multiple times and the end result is I am fatter than I’ve ever been. The gimmick, quickie, pill, secret, grapefruit, no carb plans are not the ticket…what I have to do is change me. You see, I’m not fat, I’m Doug, and I’m going to lose weight the way I can keep it off. It will not be dependant on gimmick snacks in 100 calorie bags or in ways that I can’t eat at a friend’s house when invited over. I don’t care if they are serving fish or fried chicken (yummy…fried chicken and gravy with buttery mashed potatoes…) I’m learning that I can still eat in a way that I will lose weight. Good choices and move more.
It might be a good idea to go on the message board and share the ways you get out and move or how you navigate the real world of food with good choices. Keep it up…a better you is an apple and a couple of miles away! See you at the finish line!
Doug Wants to Quit!
June 2, 2008
Week three! Well, the novelty has defiantly worn off. It was rather cool to be dieting and losing weight the first week, the second week was tough but still doable, but the third week is a killer. My body is done dieting. All I want to do is go back to my old couch potato habits, grab a jumbo bag of cheese puffs, a carbonated beverage and watch TV until I drift off into a saturated fat induced coma. What’s up with that? I’ve made such good progress. The tools and routines are working. Weight is coming off. Why do I want to sabotage this just when it starts to work? Isn’t this the reason we all keep yo-yoing our weight?
Well not this time! I’m serious…I’m actually a bit ticked off…I’m sick and tired of being fat. I’ve been fat too long and frankly, fat doesn’t work for me. I don’t feel good being fat. All the food I eat never makes me feel good, except for the moment it hits my taste buds. So I figure it this way; if I’m not happy being fat and I’m not happy getting healthy, I’d rather be unhappy getting healthy. I’m going to stick with this thing. I’m going to walk through the valley of the shadow of death (death of the fat me) and keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone! I’m going to choose meat that clucks and does less mooing. I’m going to drink enough water to hydrate SpongeBob and I’m going to put down that remote and pick up a mitt to throw the ball with my son. I will get healthy!
I can do this if you can do this. I really need the support of friends, family and this weight loss community. Let’s start a thread on the message board for reasons we should stay in this thing and reasons the cycle of yo-yo dieting will end this summer. Give me something to encourage me and help me see why I, and others, need to keep moving forward!
Jenny 'Weighs In'
May 26, 2008
Hi,
This one is from Jenny. It’s my first blog. I wanted to get through the first week and see if I was capable of changing ANYTHING! I’ve tried this before (committing to no more Starbucks, or committing to exercise, or staying within my points for Weight Watchers.) I’ve not been able to stick with any of it, let alone all of it.
I really want this time to be different. Doug is very motivated and losing weight WAY faster than me. I’m happy for him, really. J
I began last weekend after the kick off by trying to walk to all the activities that are close to our home. Soccer games, piano lessons, library, baseball games. We did it too. We have three kids, so you can imagine the responses were varied. “Are we there yet?” “Are we driving home after we walk there?” “Can we stop and get ice cream?” (Why else would you walk somewhere?J) And, “Can we walk to the creek after the game?” All in all we walked an extra 2.5-3.5 miles per day the first few days.
I took the kids hiking on the trails at Great Bear. It wasn’t the great active/healthy family experience I envisioned. My dog jumped in the pond, the kids were screaming, I was pretty sure he was going under, I was contemplating whether or not to take my new pedometer off before I jumped in after him, and then the little wiener (he really is a wiener dog) turned around and paddled back to us. I also had to pull a tick off of my youngest son’s head. Disgusting! Maybe I’ll stick to walking in town.
Next, I added the gym. The first two days it was like 8:30pm before I got around to going. Doug encouraged me to go, but I really just wanted to plop on the couch and watch TV. I went, trying not to say rude things about him in my head. I have been to the gym another three times, for a total of 5 trips to the gym this week. I am starting out on the treadmill, walking for 30-45 minutes depending on whether or not I’m attempting “strength training.” I like it when I’m done, but have no desire to go back the next day.
Hopefully this will change.
I weighed in at my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday. I feel like I’ve worked hard, but have only lost 1.4 lbs. Did I mention Doug is losing WAY faster than me? Again, trying to be happy for him. He’s already pulled out some smaller clothes that he can fit into. Yeah for him!
Tomorrow starts a new week. If I don’t start strong tomorrow with food and exercise, I will go downhill the rest of the week.
Check in with you soon.
May 19, 2008
The kick off is over and the challenge begins! It was awesome to see Marty and Amy and hear their success story. If two people from Omaha can do it…we can! Then came lunch. I didn’t realize it, but I was used to eating the recommended 1500 calories in one sitting and I used to call it lunch. It was my lighter meal of the day. Sourdough bread (200 calories), lots of mayo (150 calories), a few slices of sharp cheddar cheese (200 calories), ¼ pound of turkey (100 calories) and then double it to make two to make a total of 1300 calories! But don’t forget the chips…Sun Chips to be exact…another 420 calories and top it all off with a Coke Zero, because I was watching my weight. I quickly realized that I was not going to make it unless I changed some things drastically. 1720 calories for lunch alone was going to kill me, and my Triglycerides at 413 are proving that.
Come to find out, I actually have some food issues I need to deal with. I’m not just big boned or genetically predisposed to a lower metabolism or weight gain. Even if the above were true, I’m still consuming enough calories to support the nutritional needs of a small village. How embarrassing.
So what was lunch for me Saturday? It was still two sandwiches, but they consisted of low fat wheat bread (120), mustard (0), one slice of low fat Colby (50) and turkey (50) for a total of 440 calories for two sandwiches. I tossed the chips and had some apple sauce- you know, it’s actually very good and not just for babies. I finished it all off with a tall glass of water. Believe it of not, I was satisfied.
For dinner we had baked fish. I didn’t even know that fish could be eaten with out beer batter but it actually can. Every day is a tough challenge. My mind is working overtime to convince me that I need the stuff that got me into this condition in the first place. It’s my choice, it’s your choice, it’s our choice. It’s time to kick these fat bodies to the curb.
May 12, 2008
Hello Community Weight Loss Challenge participants. My name is Doug Bartel and this is my wife Jenny. We wanted to let you get to know us a bit as we will be journeying along with you to a healthier fitter future (12 weeks away!). We have decided to take on this challenge and get the lives back that we enjoyed when we were younger and had metabolisms that ate fat like Whimpy ate hamburgers on Tuesdays (yummy…hamburgers). We are in our late thirties and we’ve lived here in Sioux Falls for about 10 years. We have three great kids, ages 12, 9 & 5. You’d think that having a family this young would make us fit and thin, but you’d be wrong.
Something has happened over the last 10 years. We used to be active and healthy but somehow we have become lethargic and sedentary. Becoming more “slug like” has not been easy. It has required real dedication to go through all the trouble of making an additional meal at about 9:00 PM and consuming it while we watch hours of mind numbing television programs and some of those have been weight loss shows! It has taken commitment to rifle through the cupboards in search of something that will flood my blood stream with enough fat to numb me of my current condition. It has not been easy to send my money to the gym, faithfully every month and never set foot in its doors. But I have done it and as a result, my body has gone through a transformation that just might kill me if I don’t stop this destructive behavior.
As we start this journey, we have some questions that we are wrestling with. I think the answers to these questions will get to the heart of the reason we find ourselves in the “condition” we are in. I believe that inside these prisons of fat are a couple of healthy people that want to live life to it’s fullest.
- How will we do it?
- How bad off are we?
- Will we make it to the end of 12 weeks and be proud?
- What will be the toughest parts?
- How will we stay motivated?
Over the next few months, Jenny and I will share our raw and unedited journey with you. I don’t know if we will be an example of what to do, or what not to do, but if there is one thing I’ve learned in life, we are all an example whether we want to be or not. So here we go. We’ll see you at the May 17th kick off!
