Day 123-Weigh-in Day: 324.6lbs

WEEK 17

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 326

Current Weight: 324.6

This Week’s Weight Loss: 1.4lbs

Total Weight Loss: 40.8lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 55.47

Total Miles Biked: 935.15

Miles to Go: 6564.85

GEOGRAPHY (Where I'd be on the map having started at my house in Salt Lake City, Utah, heading for Tokyo):

Pacific Ocean (231 miles off the West coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

TODAY:

This week I’ve started to group bike with some friends. These are great guys who are fun to hang out with. This morning we took a 6:00am ride up to Sugarhouse Park. When I went out to get my bike, the front tire was flat! Dang it. There was a big ole rose thorn stuck in it. Fortunately, these great friends of mine helped me change the flat, and pump up the tire. One of the guys’ name is Mike. So now I can say, I went Bikey with Mikey!

Despite a very busy week, I was still able to still get 55 miles in. I said I was going to shoot for 100…well, we’re still aiming for that. I’m close to putting my first 1000 miles behind me!

Also, this week has been scorching hot. By 9:00am it’s 85 degrees. Yesterday I think it got up to 103 degrees! This gives new meaning to a “Hot Ride!”

MJB in the morning!

LEARNED:

This has been a very busy week for me at work. Yesterday I got up at 5am, and I got done with work at 10pm. I was on my feet all day. I was extremely exhausted and thought about sleeping in this morning instead of going on the bike ride. But, I knew that sleep and the added stamina I’ve been feeling from riding would make for waking up ready to go…and I was! What a blessing.

Do you think that exercise can seem like it’s a big painful drag sometimes? I saw a headline on the front of Bicycling Magazine plugging an article titled, “The Science of Suffering: *Sorry, It’s all in your head” That made me think…

Is exercise “suffering, or is it bliss?” How you answer that is an important factor in how far you will go.

EATING:

This week I ate out a few times, munched down some cookies, and had a few pieces of pizza. This is out of the norm for me. I will also add that I half sized salad dressing, drank lots of water, and did not over-eat. I believe I have still been in the 2000 calories a day range. I probably could have lost a few more pounds if I hadn’t eaten the extra sugar, and gotten out on the bike more. However, I am learning that my body will ask me to eat things that I have been lead to believe are unhealthy…like a cookie. Well, in perspective, I think in the past 2 months, I’ve eaten 3 cookies…not a bad thing at all.

FILM:

It’s time to go shoot again.

Day 116-Weigh-in Day: 326lbs

WEEK 16

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 331

Current Weight: 326.

This Week’s Weight Loss: 5lbs

Total Weight Loss: 39.4lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 52.89

Total Miles Biked: 879.68

Miles to Go: 6620.32

GEOGRAPHY (Where I'd be on the map having started at my house in Salt Lake City, Utah, heading for Tokyo):

Pacific Ocean (176 miles off the West coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

TODAY:

I am a half pound from my official “40 pounds lost” day! It has been a little bit of a culture shock. I can get in and out of my car easier. I am now wearing 3X shirts instead of 4X. I’m ready to buy a new belt…I’m on the last hole! When I hear people talking about getting in shape, I smile inside knowing that I am riding my bike 20 miles every day. I remember when I needed to lose 155lbs!! Now it’s only 115lbs! I know you’re laughing…Only 115lbs I say. But it is great to know that things are changing.

I am actually getting to the exciting part of my losing weight and am 26.5lbs away from exiting out of the 300-Club!

I did miss my goal of 100 miles this week. I caught a cold on Wednesday and was down for a few days. I chose not to bike on Thursday and Friday, and rest. I think it was a good choice I will be back on my bike this coming week, and will shoot for the 100 miles. It’s going to be a busy and hot week, but let’s go for it!

LEARNED:

This week I have just started to really feel that all the hard work, and focused effort is paying off. I’ve been doing this about 4 months.

I put out an invite last week, and I will ask again. I am looking for 10 people that would like to make a change in their weight, and have some fun doing it? Do YOU, or do you know someone that has been talking about losing weight but is lacking a little accountability and motivation? I have a fun idea that I think will work. But these 10 people need to have one ingredient, “desire.”

Let me know if you know or hear of someone.

EATING:

This week I didn’t eat any bread. About mid-week I was dying to eat some, but didn’t. I ate more fruits and veggies. Actually, I did have a hot dog bun this evening at a picnic.

I’ve got a great cereal that I found at Sunflower Farmer’s Market that is high in Protein, low in Sugar, and has some great Carb and Fiber. It’s called Best Start. And if you shop there, you can sometimes find it on sale for 2 boxes for $5. Eat a bowl of that, with soy milk, some fruit, and 5 oz of Chicken breast, and you’re off to a good start!

FILM:

Nothing to report here this week.

Day 114: Under the Weather

I've got over 50 miles in this week. It's been hard work. I woke up with a sore throat this morning, but am feeling a little better this afternoon.

I've been going without bread this week to see what my body does, and been trying to eat more fruit and veggies.

Here's lunch today. Maybe a little too much fat...but I might need a little more in my eating right now.

Day 109-Weigh-in Day: 331lbs

WEEK 15

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 329.6

Current Weight: 331.

This Week’s Weight Loss: +1.4lbs

Total Weight Loss: 34.4lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 53.48

Total Miles Biked: 826.79

Miles to Go: 6673.21

GEOGRAPHY (Where I'd be on the map having started at my house in Salt Lake City, Utah, heading for Tokyo): Pacific Ocean (124 miles off the West coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

TODAY:

I missed 2 days of biking due to travel and work. I did attempt to ride my bike yesterday morning to work, but found my bike with a serious flat tire in the morning. So I took it to the bike hospital. Oh well. My knees are very tired, so an extra long weekend of rest will be good.

I’ve been riding a 10-mile route to and from work and it is allowing me to get 20 miles in a day when I do the route. This coming week I will set a goal to get my first 100-mile week in! Riding this far really isn’t a big deal. Anyone in decent health can do it. I’ve discovered that taking a different route here and there really helps. It’s easy to get in a rut when you’ve used the same path over and over. Even if it’s just detouring and biking around a block you've never been to, it helps.

Most of the neighborhoods I bike through are pretty nice and I enjoy seeing what people have done with their yards and houses.

LEARNED:

I didn’t lose any weight this week, in fact I gained a little. I think I didn’t hydrate very well yesterday, I haven’t eaten as good as I could, and I’ve had a busy work schedule this past week. I know what needs to be done to fix that.

Yesterday I had lunch with a couple of avid bikers. One had been in a pretty serious accident years ago, and another actually saw a biker get run over by a vehicle. The guy was killed instantly. As I listened to their stories, it was a good reminder that I, and all of you need to be safe while we’re out there biking. Accidents happen when we do something stupid, and that often happens when we’re in a hurry, or we’re taking risk. Remember, that your actions won’t just affect you…your actions will affect all your loved ones too. So when you make a decision to bike, wear a helmet, ride in bike lanes where available, and reduce the risk of riding where you can.

Also, do you know, or are you someone that would like to lose weight while biking? I have a fun project that I am going to roll out, and I need some victims. ;) Actually, I have a new 210Again.com website that will be rolling out soon. A portion of that website is going to allow others to participate on their own level. Will you please email me if you, or you know someone that wants to make a change in their life using a bike? This will be fun!

EATING:

I must confess my sins…This week I ate a very large piece of pizza at midnight in Hollywood, CA. It was probably equal to 3 regular pieces. It’s a long story… However I also, went to the drive-thru at Original Tommy's Hamburgers in Hollywood, but DID NOT EAT ANYTHING! It’s the best burger joint in the world in my opinion! So that counts for something.

I was on the road for a day, and had busy schedule on Friday which both resulted in me not getting the best nutrition. I also, have noticed that I’ve taken on this attitude that I eating a little outside my plan is okay. Well, Maybe once I get all the weight off I can do that occasionally, and even now, but I have 120 more pounds to take off this bod, and eating healthy and exercising every day can do nothing but help me get to my goal quicker.

I did not eat here! 

FILM:

I hope you liked the video I produced last week giving a quick look at the past 3 months. If didn’t see it you can see it HERE. I will be out shooting in the next week or two some more footage for the film. This is an important part of my story to Mount Fuji. Also, I will put up more fun video clips for you to watch.

Day 106: Aliens in the bike path

Today on the way home I noticed there were some very competitive bikers with their bike outfits on. You know, the jerseys, black shores and the Captain America hat. ;). Well there was one older feller who for the 2nd day in a row passes me up and pedals like a banchi, like his gear is stuck in 1st. So I decided to whip my pedals like they've never been whipped before. I was on his tail and he knew it. I just kept right on and could tell he was looking back without trying to be obvious. I was chasing an alien down.

I just about killed myself doing it and when I finally had to turn down a different street I was wondering if that was such a good idea. After getting my heart out of my throat and back in my chest, I slowed down.

I think I have a little competitiveness in there. I've noticed, that I don't like people passing me. But I better get used to it.

Here are my numbers so far this week:

Monday-L.A. Day Trip
Tuesday-10.55
Wednesday-21.65
Thursday- 21.28

Day 102-Weigh-in Day: 329.6lbs

WEEK 14

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 332.2

Current Weight: 329.6

This Week’s Weight Loss: 2.6lbs

Total Weight Loss: 35.8lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 83.86

Total Miles Biked: 773.31

Miles to Go: 6726.69

GEOGRAPHY (Where I'd be on the map having started at my house in Salt Lake City, Utah, heading for Tokyo):

San Nicolas Island, California (71 miles off the West coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

TODAY:

I created a Twitter account where I am uploading every ride that I do. You can see a map of my route, with the distance and times for everything. If you want to get the updates, you can follow me at: @210AgainDon

There’s a cool free app from MapMyRide.com that uses the GPS in your phone to track you ride. Their website allows you to keep track of all your workouts with all the stats. I don’t have to go to Google Maps anymore to total my rides. This app and their website now tracks it all. And I just press a button it share the ride on Twitter. So you can officially spy on me now if you’re super bored.

This week was the farthest I’ve biked to date…83.86 miles. My knees are tired, and my left knee occasionally barks at me, nothing serious, but a reminder that it needs some additional strengthening. I notice though that when I take Glucosamine that it really makes a difference.

Also this past week I hit the 100-day mark. I am grateful that I have made it this far. There are some days where I get a little discouraged because I don’t see the change as fast as I want. Other times I want to just go crazy eating. Like last night we drove past a Hawaiian pizza joint. I was imagining eating a whole pizza. Fortunately my conscience was still awake, and it quickly slapped that thought right out of my mind. Instead I went home and had 2 cups of water and went to bed. I had just gone to a picnic and eaten a couple of hot dogs, some chicken tenders, and a few chips. That to me, was over-doing it enough ;)

Speaking of the picnic, we were at Lagoon, a local amusement park here in Utah. Talk about being humbled…We went to get on the Wild Mouse ride and the safety bar couldn’t go down low enough on me. They had me move to the front seat but the bar could not go down all the way. It wasn’t like it was hitting my stomach…but my legs are just thick enough that I couldn’t get the bar down. So I had to get off the ride. It’s good to be humbled…just a reminder that I’m not a skinny guy yet :) It was a little funny, my daughter continued on the ride without me even though my wife was on there too. When she got off the ride she started to cry because her dad had to get off the ride. Poor thing. She was okay though. It was a good teaching moment.

LEARNED:

I think this week I’ve learned that I am saving probably $100 a month in gas by riding my bike. I had an interesting revelation along those lines as I was biking. Here in the Land of the Free, we have an obesity epidemic. 2 out of 3 adults are overweight. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers of adults. We have the highest gas prices we’ve had in the history of our country. It’s expensive to get around…and then this thought hit me…the bike solves all these problems! Well, the bike and a little self control.

EATING:

I’ve been eating a Clif Bar after a big ride to give my body a little boost. It seems to be working. Other areas of change are: I choose brown rice over white, wheat and whole grain bread over white, avoid eggs if I can, stay away from red meat, drink soy milk instead of cow’s milk, and make sure I get lots of veggies and fruit. I do have a constant struggle to get a good portion of veggies everyday. I have an occasional soda…maybe once a month, and haven’t bought a caffeinated drink in a good decade. I also eat a few nuts every day.

I need to go get a blood test soon so that I can see how my cholesterol, and other blood vitals are doing.

FILM:

I found a great DP (video dude) to work with me on gathering b-roll. He’s a biker himself and really has a good eye for things. We shot for a couple of hours at Liberty Park last Monday and I have a little video feature I am putting up today to show you how things are going. My wife also helped with the GoPro mobile shoot.

I might mention that the music on this piece was written by my brother David. I have another brother Duncan that is also writing music for my videos, so keep an ear out for their music. It’s great techno-groovy stuff.

Day 100: A Big Milestone!

I've been on this journey officially for 100 days! To mark the occasion I rode my bike the farthest I ever have...22.56 miles. 100 days ago, the thought of that would have literally sounded impossible to me.

I also had someone tell me today that I was looking great. That made my day! I see a micro-change, but still see a very large person staring back at me in the mirror. But I think the next 100 days will bring the real transformation.

Saturday when I post my weigh-in, I have a fun little announcement to share with you. I'm really going to be putting my butt on the line...stay tuned!

I have some video to share with you too.

Happy 100! Only 358 more days to go!

Day 99: Another 20-mile day!

Yee Haa...another 20 miles today. I've found a route to and from work that is 10 miles each way!!

Day 95-Weigh-in Day: 332.2lbs

WEEK 13

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 336.0

Current Weight: 332.2

This Week’s Weight Loss: +3.8lbs

Total Weight Loss: 33.2lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 50.21

Total Miles Biked: 689.45

Miles to Go: 6810.55

GEOGRAPHY (Where I'd be on the map having started at my house in Salt Lake City, Utah, heading for Tokyo):

Costa Mesa, California (Just North of Huntington Beach…my favorite hang out!)

TODAY:

On this virtual bike ride to Japan, I have just arrived a little north of Huntington Beach, my favorite place to chill. I am virtually having breakfast at Ruby’s Diner out on the end of the pier, and am laying on the sand watching the surfers…virtually ;) Next week I will be officially pushing off into the Pacific Ocean!

Yesterday marked the official 1-year countdown to 210lbs. I have 364 days to achieve the results I want. It’s been 3 months since I took this challenge on and a 33 lbs weight loss is a good thing I think. If I can achieve these exact results through the next 4 quarters of the next 12 months, that would be 132lbs. As of today I need to lose 122lbs. Nothing is going to work perfect, and the closer I get to my target weight, the harder it’s going to get…so I will plan accordingly.

I think there is a gym in my immediate future to help strengthen and build my core.

Also, I would like to officially announce a party that I am going to throw for myself. This sounds so vein, but it is part of the journey. I’d love to have you. Please come and celebrate. It’s actually a celebration of health, and it would be cool to have you come and be part of that celebration. The party is going to be "A Celebration of Health: The End of the 300 Club. This will mark the end of years and years of being over 300lbs! It will be a major milestone for me and my health and a great reason to celebrate. Would you come join me? If so, please let me know so I can get you an invitation. We’re still 32lbs away so I am thinking this party will be the first of September. Details will come.

LEARNED:

One of the principles I want to share through this journey is the need to have fun with your weight loss or health. The party that I mentioned above is about holding myself accountable to all of my friends and family. Isn’t it important to have to be able to report to somebody on progress? And again, to do it in a way that is fun?

I had a friend ask why I was able to stay on track. My response was that because if I mess up, I am going to look like a huge fool going down in flames. That sounds funny, but there is some truth to it. It is a good thing to have fun, to set up some landmarks along the way to help celebrate your achievements, and let everyone else see them too. I know this isn’t for everyone, but for me, it is what I decided to do after many failed attempts of getting healthy.

You might ask, “But ultimately shouldn’t you be doing this for yourself?” Yes! I am doing this for myself. And in the process I have discovered that I enjoy bike riding and that this is a new lifestyle that I buy into! Really, aren’t we motivated by joy? Isn’t that one of the reason’s for our existence? Maybe that is why this is working---we’re having a little fun along the way.

If you’re looking for a way to be healthy, have some fun doing it. Set some landmarks/goals up and celebrate along the way. Just don’t make one of your rewards a visit to Baskin Robbins or the local Buffet. Think outside-the-box as to what you could do.

Bottom line: Find a healthy lifestyle that you enjoy Have fun doing it. Be accountable to someone. Set up celebrations along the way.

EATING:

I am back in the saddle with eating. I did notice that eating before and immediately after a rides works for my body. So I am fine tuning my metabolism.

FILM:

Monday, I have a shoot. I will be interviewed, gather some b-roll and grab some stills of me.