Japan, Here I Come

In a few months, I and my family will be heading to Japan again. It's been five and a half years since we set foot upon the land of the rising sun. Yesterday I was pondering about all that was going on in my life 7 years ago, as I worked out and prepared to lose weight and do the crazy ride from Tokyo to Mount Fuji. I discovered that I am revisiting the place that I had to look straight in the eye, and do one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Its conjured up thoughts of whether I should jump back into the weight-loss game again.

Do I want to get back in the saddle, so to speak, or just live life unhealthy and over-weight?

I don't necessarily want to put my weight-loss goals and adventures out there for everyone to see again, but I have to admit, in a way, it did help make me accountable. But ultimately, I need to be the one in whom I need to be accountable to. I need to become a different creature so that the habits of eating well and exercising become a daily routine, and just part of my DNA. This isn't about a diet, or an exercise program...this is about what will be.

So, I thought I could in a small way, like a drop of water falling into a lake, peep out a little energy today and do a blog entry. I did eat a good, healthy breakfast, that was a plus. Especially after doing some pretty bad eating in the mornings. So bad, that I am embarrassed to list what I have been eating 2-3 times a week for breakfast. If you want to know, send me an email, and I will tell you...in humiliation.

But what counts is that I am making a change. It's a small one, but every little small movement in the right direction counts.

I'll be in touch soon with details of what I'm scheming to do.

Don

Hello...hello...hello..

Just thought I'd make an entry on this blog. Seems that there is a lot of dust and tumbleweeds blowing around here. Anyone out there?

210 Again Part 2

May 1, 2015 (Starting Month 2)

Weigh-in Month 2: 347.8

Start Weight: 367.8lbs

Last Month Weigh-in: 367.8lbs

Current Weight: 347.8lbs

This Month’s Weight Loss: 20lbs

Total Weight Loss: 20lbs

To Go: 75lbs

Miles Biked this Month: 51.9

Miles to Tokyo, Japan: 5472

Total Miles Biked since Spring 2012: 3165.94

Miles to Go: 2306.06

Better sit down, this is a long post…

As I wrote in my previous blog post, I am back in the saddle, and have been for one month. You can read my adventures of weight loss by going to the beginning of my blog which started in March of 2012. It seems like a long time ago in print, but it only seems like yesterday that it all started. In a nutshell, I challenged myself to lose over 150 pounds in an 18-month period, by riding my bike the virtual distance from Salt Lake City, Ut to Tokyo, Japan. Then in August of 2013, I literally flew to Tokyo and did a bike ride to Mount Fuji, and then climbed to the top of Fuji.

Did I hit my goal at that time? Well, while I was in Japan, I weighed about 270lbs. Almost 100lbs less than when I started, but still quite heavy, and 60lbs away from my ultimate goal. When I returned from Japan, I slipped little by little, thinking I’d get back on the bandwagon, but never really did.

I tried over and over to get going again and stay and eat consistent, but got so far away from my good habits that I just gave up I guess. I never admitted it, but it happened.

I’m embarrassed to say that I put all my weight on and a little. And as of April 1, 2015, I weighed in at 367.8lbs.

So the bad news is, I’m starting over. But I guess that can also be good news. So the good news is, I’m starting over…or I have started!

I will be weighing in here on my blog on the first of each month. I might occasionally add a blog post a few times a month, but checking in with all the details weekly like I did in 210 Again Part 1, was a tad much. Fun at the time, but this time around will work much better monthly.

So let me share what has happened over the last month, what seems to be working, and what my goals and plans are for the next little while as I work to get back to 210 Again!

On April 1, 2015, I began my journey again, and this journey ends when I die. In other words, this is a lifestyle change. Before I started, I have continued to look into what works and what seems to not work for weight loss. It seems there is great mystery behind weight loss, and thus the thousands of books and diets that have come about.

On April 1, 2015, I began eating different than I did during “Part 1” of my challenge. In Part 1, there was a time that I was restricting myself to meat, beans, and veggies during the week, and then having a free day on Saturday. So imagine being a drug addict, and staying “sober” for 5 days a week, and then on Saturday, partaking of those drugs. That free day is so gratifying, but psychologically devastating on the next day when you go back to being sober. That is the feeling I had. I’d eat great 5 days, go hog wild on Saturday, and then struggle on Sunday, getting back on the bandwagon, and then thinking about how long it would be until the next free day.

That has changed for me. I don’t believe in “free days” any more per se in the context of getting one every week. For now, there are no free days for the time being. I am focused on 210lbs, and that means that holidays, birthdays, special events, eating out, parties, etc., will present me with an opportunity to find the things that will help me get to my goal.

Also, the big thing that everyone hates when doing a diet is the feeling of an unhappy stomach, growling or hurting because it’s not getting fed. Also who wants to feel restricted from eating a variety of foods? Even some that may not be considered A-list foods, but still bring joy to eating?

So here is what I am doing with my eating now, and I believe is working very well, and is sustainable for the very long term…over a lifetime.

Are you ready for the secret? I know it’s going to sound really unorthodox and strange to all of you on special trendy diets. I am sorry to dash your paradigms! I am now eating in reduced portions! Yeah, portion control! And I am eating around 1500 calories a day, occasionally a little more. Rarely this month have I exceeded 2000. I’ve been focusing on hitting about 500 calories a meal. Now for me a man that’s basically a 350-pounder that is perfect. For a small-sized person, that might be too much.

Also, Rice has become a very good friend of mine. Yes, I can hear some of you now saying, “But rice wasn’t cavemen food! The government says we shouldn’t eat very much of it!” I don’t care! The government told us we should be eating a ton of grain, and avoid fat years ago. Now the entire nation is obese. That’s what you get for listening to the government’s food advice. The Japanese and Chinese eat rice at ever meal, and are some of the trimmest and healthiest people on earth. The reason I have added rice to a few of my meals every day is because it gives me that natural full and satisfied feeling. And that feeling stays with me for hours after my meals. There have been a few times during this past month where my stomach just started yelling at me, and within a minute or two of a few bites of rice, my stomach’s happy.

So here is what some of my meals have looked like:

Breakfast:

1 cup of sticky rice, a can of albacore tuna, miso soup (bean paste soup…a Japanese favorite)

or

1 egg/3 egg whites omelet with bacon, spinach, peppers, and other veggies. A bowl of rice on the side

Lunch:

4-5 oz Grilled chicken breast and a cup of rice. Broccoli, or other veggies.

Dinner:

4-5 oz Grilled chicken on the BBQ, sweet peppers, etc.

Snacks may consist of celery with a little peanut butter, a small handful of almonds, or a Michelina microwave dinner, an apple, orange or other fruit (I eat fruit occasionally).

I just record everything I eat, and am mindful about not going over 1500. It’s not hard. What’s weird is I have been feeling satisfied, and not feeling those horrid cravings of wanting to chomp down on everything, even while eating 1500 calories. And remember, without free days. J

Notice though, that for the most part, refined sugar is not really part of my diet. Yes, the carbs that you eat do turn into sugar, but this is the sugar you need to burn through your day. I believe that getting refined sugar out of your eating has a direct correlation to horrid food cravings disappearing.

Now, I will admit, that I have a weakness for cookies, but I have made a choice that while I am doing Part 2, that I will not eat them, along with cake, ice cream, etc. But, I will allow myself, if I “feel” that it’s in balance with the way I’ve been eating, to eat a half a cookie, or what ever. The other day I had just gotten off a bike ride, and was over at my daughter’s school for an evening activity. They were serving hotdogs, chips, carrots, cookies, etc. Since I needed to feed myself, but wasn’t at home, I chose to eat 2 hotdogs, no buns, carrots, no chips, and a half a cookie. I felt like it was okay, because I had just come off a long ride…and my body was asking to eat half that cookie. It all fell within my allotted calories for the meal. And I was satisfied!

I’ve also decided for the time being while I am focused on 210lbs, that I am not going to eat bread, and other processed flours.

I guess it’s just common sense eating. And this is something that I am making “my lifestyle.”

Now, following this new way of eating for the past month, I lost 20 pounds…and how much exercise did I do during those 4 weeks? Well none, for the first 3 weeks. This last week of this month is when I introduced my bike riding. I simply have decided to ride to and from work. Work is about 5 miles away. During Part 1 when I was training for Fuji, some days I’d get 20-30 miles in. But I am not heading to Fuji right now. Right now I am heading to 210lbs. I am not setting a goal to drive me, I am creating a lifestyle that I will consistently do, that will naturally take me to 210lbs.

So, I will add that we bought a used elliptical machine a few months back that is missing some parts. I will buy the parts, put it together, and then I will add an additional 30 minutes on the elliptical everyday, just to help burn more fat, and mix up my exercise. I plan to change up my routine often, as our bodies begin to plateau from the same workouts.

I don’t know if I will lose another 20lbs in May, or if I will only lose 10lbs. But I don’t really care. What I do know is that the natural laws are working in my favor. If I eat 1500 calories a day, when my BMR is about 3500, I should be losing about a half pound a day. Also, if I ride my bike for an hour a day, that is another 500 calories burned, give or take. So when you add that up roughly, I should be losing about 5lbs a week. And in April, I lost 20lbs…it adds up correctly.

Now, I can hear some of you out there saying, “But you shouldn’t be losing weight that quick…that’s unhealthy!” Well, tell my body to slow down then. I am eating healthy balanced meals, not over-eating, exercising, and feel great! Tell my body to not do what it is naturally doing. Should I reduce my exercise, should I eat more? I am listening to my body. It tells me when I have pushed too hard, when I need to push more. It tells me when it needs a bit more sugar, or when it’s had enough to eat.

Let me end with sharing a very important point in addition to eating and exercise. Again this is a lifestyle change. But I am also trying to get to 210lbs…as fast as I can. To keep me focused, the 3^rd part of all this is self-power and motivation. It took a long time to muster up the power to finally decide to get going again, to make the change. It hasn’t been easy. In fact, it seemed no matter how bad I wanted to get going, the timing never quite seemed right. I don’t know what the magic time is for anyone to get going, but maybe it was finally looking at the scale and realizing that I had passed my previous start weight. Maybe it was seeing other people having success and wanting see success too. Maybe, I’d just finally had enough of all the self-talk, and “wishing” I was healthy. I will say though, that when you finally have that feeling, and you “know” it’s time, to get going, you feel in-sync. I finally got to that point.

Anyway, enough of my blabbing. I don’t know who will read this but I know at least I am discovering things that will work for me, and I enjoy documenting them.

Here’s to another month…I’ll check in soon.

Feel free to add your comments…if anyone’s still out there. I enjoy reading your comments and they inspire me.

Don

1-egg/3 egg white veggie omelet

Rice, Miso, and Albacore Tuna...so yummy!

Chicken breast fried rice...made by my wife.

One of my last bad dinners before I started Part 2-A cookie sheet of nachos!

April 1, 2015: Part 2-Life Style Change and Getting to 210 Again!

Well...it's been a long time since I've written in my blog, and I wanted to let you in on what's going on.

I started "Part 2: Lifestyle Change" on April 1, 2015, yes April Fool's Day...a day that I will never forget. Since I biked to Mount Fuji about 20 months ago, I think I let out a well-deserved sigh, and went back to what I used to do...over-eat, and not exercise. As I ate something I knew I shouldn't, or skipped a day of riding my bike or doing some sort of activity, I would tell myself, "Tomorrow, I will get back on the band wagon." But tomorrow never came, and believe it or not, On April 1, 2015, I weighed in at 367.8lbs! Back on February 29, 2012, when I started my Journey to Fuji, I was 365.4lbs. So a month ago, I weighed more than I did when I started this whole adventure. I lost 95lbs before going to Fuji, and then after Fuji, put on 97lbs over 20 months!

As these 20 months have passed by, it has become more and more evident, that all the alments I used to deal with have returned. I'm more lazy, have very low energy, aches and pains from being so large, etc.

So what made me want to get going again? Why now? Why even try again? Well, there's been a lot of things going through my head over the past 20 months. A lot of self-talk. Voices in my head literally talking every few minutes of the day saying things like, "When am I going to start again? I sure feel crappy right now. My feet hurt! I can't sit on my drum throne without it killing butt! My tail bone hurts. Gee I'm tired! I sure miss my bike! I can't believe I peddled 85 miles to Mount Fuji! I would sure like to bike up that canyon over there! I wish these clothes would fit! What, my belt is too tight to wear anymore! I shouldn't be eating this Carls Jr. Burger! Etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.

I guess my real self, the one I discovered through my Journey to Fuji, has been crying inside for a long time. And there has been other talk outside of myself from my wife, daughter, family, friends, etc., encouraging me to get going again.

So, I got going again...and the inner crying has stopped...and it feels good.

I started back up again on April 1st. But it's different this time. You'll see back in the last handful of blog posts, that I had "tried starting" again. But this time something has changed. There is power in having been down a road before.

From this point, I'd like to refer to my Journey to Fuji as "Part 1". And this next phase is now "Part 2".

In the past 30 days since I started Part 2, here is what I have discovered:

1) I am stronger mentally. I know you're thinking, "How can you be stronger if you put all your weight back on...and then some?" It's hard to explain. In Part 1, I worked harder than I had ever worked in my life to achieve a physical goal. Then I went on vacation, and feel like I just got back. Over this past month, as I've been eating clean and riding, I've discovered that I already know what to do. I already know that the pain that comes from riding the bike, is something that I have felt hundreds of times. It's nothing new. And so as I've gasped for air as I've peddled along, and felt the burning in my legs, and the exhaustion after the ride, I know I can handle this...I've done it all before. It's like a familiar friends has come back into my life. In Part 1, I was learning to deal with it, in Part 2, I already know what to expect, and it's almost as if I am continuing where I left off. I have been riding my bike with as much gusto as I did when I was 50lbs lighter. It's not easy, but I just do it...cause I know I can.

2) I choose not to eat all the crap out there. In fact, I have learned in the past 30 days some things that I never quite learned during Part 1. During Part 1, I tried and experimented a lot with different things. I tried eating Paleo. I tried the beans, meat and veggie menu. I tried doing a free day every week, etc., etc. But over the past month, I am doing something that is given me piece of mind, is satisfying me, and allowing the pounds to drop off! I have not had any free days, and have simply made choices that are leading me to where I want to go.

3) All the negative self-talk in my head has stopped. There are no more "wishing I was doing this, or wishing I was not eating that!" My conscience has finally taken over. I am in sync with what I should be doing, so I don't need to battle the "health angel" sitting on my shoulder. I just gave in.

4) I am asking God to assist me. I have always felt he has helped me, but I am consciously praying ash asking for strength. I have seen the power that comes from on high to heal and help...and why wouldn't Heavenly Father help me achieve this righteous desire? My grandfather told me that when he decided to give up smoking, he asked God to take the desire away...and He did! I believe that for me to finally make a lifestyle change that will stick, God has to be my partner.

I want to share the results of the past 30 days with you, but am going to wait to do that in my "results" post on Friday, May 1st. I will share more in detail what I am eating, and what I am doing for exercise. Also, I will give you the hard numbers about what my scale is saying, how I am feeling, and  what my goals are.

I am going to do things different in "Part 2: Life Style Change and Getting to 210 Again". I think I spent a lot of time focused on blogging, videotaping, and Sharing my journey. In a way, putting my life out there for anyone to read has been a good thing. It helped me stay accountable. I knew that I needed to report to my audience every week. Also, I knew I had to get to the top of Mount Fuji, and training was very important...and I had a deadline! However, the only entity that I am doing Part 2 for is...me. Part 2 blogging might look little different than Part. I will not be posting every week, I am going to post on the first day of every month. Also, When I began Part 1, I estimated badly, that Tokyo Japan was 7500 miles away. I set a goal to ride that distance on a bike or stationary bike. I made it 3114 miles. But did you know that Tokyo is actually only 5472 miles from Salt Lake City. So I actually biked over half way. I feel that I still need to hit that goal...and others.

I was almost not going to keep blogging, but as I've read through my past blog entries, it really has been encouraging to me. And who knows...maybe it will be encouraging for you...or someone that might come across this blog. I have noticed that there have been over 20,000 views of my blog over the past 3 years. Not much, but it represents something. I have been inspired by many blogs out there that have motivated me. And if the 210Again blog can have even a little positive influence on someone, I think it's worth it. so I will keep blogging. Again, I need to finish the goals of biking 5472 miles, and getting to 210lbs again!

Look for a post this Friday.

~Don

Day 926/WEEK 132-Simple Goal Setting

Day 926/WEEK 132

Start Weight: 365.4lbs

Last Weigh-in: 349.8lbs

Current Weight: 353.2lbs

This Week’s Weight Loss: +3.6lbs

Total Weight Loss: 13.2lbs

To Go: 143.2lbs

Weekly Bike Mileage

Mon: 4.01

Tue:

Wed: 0

Thu: 0

Fri: 4.83

Sat: 0

TOTAL: 8.84

Total Miles Biked: 3114.04

Miles to Go: 4385.96

Current Goal:

I am only focused on getting to 339.9lbs

TODAY:

Apparently I am heading in the wrong direction! Yikes. I went out of town a couple of times over the past 2 weeks and that never helps. Plus, I have not been taking lunches to work, and have been eating out a lot. Also, it’s been doing some raining which prevented me from riding. I know what needs to happen this week.

This week I am going to simply set some goals that I need to consciously stay focused on. It will require me to create my game plan right here and right now.

Goal #1: I will take a lunch to work with me everyday this week. The food will consist of all natural food, i.e., chicken, tuna, veggies, and more veggies…and a little fruit.

Goal #2: I will prepare my meals on Sunday and Wednesday evenings for the coming week, and have them ready to go for the rest of the week.

Goal #3: I will ride my bike, doing the longer route to work, and home 4 times this week. I should be able to get 60 miles in this week. This will get me exercising for about 90 minutes every day.

Okay, those are my goals. I have written them down here…and will print them off and read them every day!

The weather is starting to change, and the evenings and mornings are getting colder. I know that Fall is here, and can offer some good opportunity for some nice bike riding. But it also creates a mindset that due to it getting colder, that you want to eat hardier, and stay in bed longer. I believe, if I approach every day consciously, with a plan, then this will be key.

This isn’t easy to look out on the long rode ahead. It’s very disheartening, but the longer I stay on the road, the easier it will get, and the more progress I will see!

Have a great week! I look forward to reporting results next Saturday!

Drop me a line, and let me know if you have any advice

Don

Day 912/WEEK 130-Moving forward...slowly this week.

Day 912/WEEK 130

Start Weight: 365.4lbs

Last Week’s Weigh-in: 349.8lbs

Current Weight: 350lbs

This Week’s Weight Loss: +0.2lbs

Total Weight Loss: 15.4lbs

To Go: 140lbs

Weekly Bike Mileage

Mon: 10.73

Tue: 9.94

Wed: 0

Thu: 0

Fri: 0

Sat: 0

TOTAL: 20.67

Total Miles Biked: 3105.52

Miles to Go: 4394.48

Current Goal:

I am only focused on getting to 339.9lbs

TODAY:

This week got off to a great start…then I got sick. My wife and daughter have been sick and they kindly gave it to me. Good Ole Cold.

I took 3 days off work and tried to rest. I missed getting on my bike, but felt week, and knew I’d probably over-do it. Oh well at least I got on the bike.

Lets see if I can get some good miles in this week, and try and eat better.

This is a short entry. I will continue to check in.

Have a great week!

Don

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 1^st 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 5^th 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 1^st 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 1^st 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