Saturday, August 23, 2014

Day 905/WEEK 129-Back on track

Day 905/WEEK 129
Start Weight: 365.4lbs
Last Week’s Weigh-in: 352lbs
Current Weight: 349.8lbs
This Week’s Weight Loss: 2.2lbs
Total Weight Loss: 15.6lbs
To Go: 139.8lbs

Weekly Bike Mileage
Mon: 4.95
Tue: 2.12
Wed: 10.11
Thu: 8.05
Fri: 0
Sat: 0
TOTAL: 25.23

Total Miles Biked: 3084.85
Miles to Go: 4415.15

Current Goal:
I am only focused on getting to 339.9lbs

TODAY:
Those numbers at the top (Day/Week) sure make it seem like I’ve been doing this forever. I am going to just say this once, and then LET IT GO (gee sounds like a Disney tune): I am really ticked off at myself for having gone so far last year, and then letting most of my progress disappear!!! CRAP!!! DANG IT!! SHOOT! Sorry for all the expletives! ;)

I am where I am, and I realize “I” made the choice to stop exercising and to stop eating better over the past year! Today I weighed in at 349.8lbs. The lowest recorded weight I’ve been during this challenge was 271lbs back in July of 2013,…just about a year ago. So I’ve put on almost 80 pounds in a year! WOW!! Maybe I should rename my blog 410 Again! Yes, I’ve been beating myself up. It’s okay…that is what life is all about…making mistakes, and turning around and correcting them...and doing better.
I think what‘s really gotten annoying for me is the constant talking in my head over the past year of how I should or shouldn’t be eating this or that…that I should be riding my bike…that I would feel so much better it I did this or that..and that I could be doing this today if I had been doing that yesterday! When you know where you’ve been and where you could be right now, that’s one of the most frustrating things ever. I could literally be at 210lbs right now had I kept fighting for that number over the past year. Again, I made the choice, I am accountable, and what’s most important is, that I recognize it, and am actively doing something about it again! OKAY…Enough of the beating myself up.

Before I tell you how this week went, I will tell you, I’ve made a few changes to the blog…

I have revised my stats layout at the top of the page so that it’s easier to write and read quickly. I was sharing where I was geographically on the map and once I got a couple of thousand miles out in the Pacific Ocean, it just seemed to get a little boring. Also, I am still shooting to ride my bike 7500 miles. Initially when I started the challenge, I calculated how far Japan was from my house here in Salt Lake City using my finger and a Google map. I came up with 7500 miles. The idea was that I would virtually ride my bike the distance from my house to Mount Fuji. But, come to find out, using your finger to measure distance on a computer screen can be very inaccurate. The actual distance is 5500 miles. Oh well, what’s an extra 2000 miles? J

This coming week (Aug 25-27), marks the 1st anniversary of my bike ride from downtown Tokyo to Mount Fuji, and then my hike to the top of that big mountain. This week I took some time to gather all the pictures from the Japan trip and published them in a 100-page photo book from Picaboo.com. It took me a couple of weeks to put it together. That trip to Japan was a big part of my life, and I felt it needed to be documented in a book. It’s mostly a photo book, but I also included all my blog entries from the bike and hike. I share the parts from the book of my bike ride and hike below.

Our family also watched some of the videos from the Fuji trip this past week…my wife tells me I was crazy. As I’ve pondered and reminisced about the entire experience, it just gives me a great feeling. And it actually isn’t too painful to think that I get to work hard, not only over the next year or so, to get to 210 again, but for the rest of my life. Somewhere in the back of my head I think I may do that Tokyo to Fuji bike ride again, and this time, get to the 5th station. I know my daughter wants to climb Mount Fuji, so maybe there will be another hike in the near future. As I ponder it all, I get a happy feeling inside of me…because I did it!

So as I come upon the 1st anniversary of my Mount Fuji ascent, I get back on the path I was on, and vow to not fall off ever again. Does that mean I will not make mistakes? Of course not, however, everyday, I get to be conscious…and be conscious the rest of my life. I have begun writing in my blog again, and will update it every week. This is to hold myself accountable, and to be accountable to all 3 of you out there! ;)

I am not focused on 210lbs today, tomorrow, this week, or next. But I am focused today, tomorrow, this week and next on 339.9lbs. You see, that is the number that represents the most important goal for me right now…to lose 10 pounds, and get out of the 340’s. Then once I am in the 330’s, my next goal will be do to get to the 320’s and so on. If I stay focused on these small goals and wins, it will be easier to celebrate. I can celebrate more often, and have some fun with it.

This week I got back on my bike, and rode to work most of the week. I took Friday off as I could feel my body and legs getting tired. I don’t think I have ever rode a road bike at 350lbs! It sure take s a lot of energy to peddle! It was good to get on the bike, but I’ve been grumbling during the rides. It is not easy. But it’s really cool to know that since I’ve done this hard thing before, that I can just keep pushing through. I know how to do this! I’ve done it before.

Anyway, my butt hurts and the familiar pains I felt when I first started riding a bike have brought back forgotten feelings. When you’re my size, riding a bike can be a little painful. But I know from experience that by the end of next week, the pain will begin to subside.

To celebrate my 1st anniversary of the Fuji ride, I ordered a lot of cake and ice cream! Just kidding!

I look forward to putting in some more miles, and eating better this week! I hope you have a great week yourself.

It’s always great to hear from any of you out there reading the blog. Please drop a note and say hi, and let me know what you’re doing to improve your health!

Don













Saturday, August 16, 2014

I'm Still Alive!

Don't have a heart attack...but I am again writing on my blog! In just a few weeks it will be my first anniversary of climbing Mount Fuji. Believe it or not, I have taken a year off of my exercise and have  lost ground as far as my weight. Currently I weight about 346lbs. I'm not proud to share that with you, but it is the truth. I've done a lot of pondering and thinking about my situation. I know pondering and thinking doesn't help me stay fit, however, I am gearing up for phase two of 210 Again!

I think I am driven by having a goal sitting out in front of me, but I also don't want to overdo it. The biking and climbing Fuji experience was a perfect start for me. I have learned a lot about myself. The two biggest things that I have learned are, 1) I need to have a goal in front of me to keep me focused and 2) I need to learn to create a lifestyle for myself. While I was training for Fuji, I was a bit in overdrive all the time That was good, but for an ongoing lifestyle, I believe I can burn myself out being in overdrive all the time. In fact, that may have been what happened after my Fuji journey.

So, I felt inspired to write today because over the past few weeks I've felt that my first anniversary for climbing Fuji would be a good time to jump back on the bandwagon...or bike... and live again!

I sure have missed the way I used to feel. I've been so tired lately and feeling so lazy. I remember last year I'd get to the end of my day and didn't feel tired at all. But the day to day life now leaves me exhausted...and I'm hardly doing anything.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I got on my bike a few times and it sure felt good. It was like I went to visit a good old friend. I sure miss that old friend and look forward to striking up that relationship again. Also, I have 4440 miles to still bike to have biked the distance from my house to Mount Fuji.

I am also going to sign up for a century ride next Spring. That will give me something to work towards. I'm trying to get my brother to join me on the century.

I will hone back in to writing on this blog. I'm curious if anyone is still out there. I'd love to hear from you. I notice that about every week or so that about 100 views of my page occur. Somebody out there is reading my past blog entries.

Talk with you soon!

Don