Day 238: Motivation Tuesday-Weather You Will or Weather You Won't...

One more week of me sharing quotes and then next week we'll get back to the individual features...

The weather is getting cold out there where every you are (in North America) and as it gets cold, I notice that for me, there is a great opportunity to avoid working out. When it's cold, wet and miserable, it's harder, and sometimes impractical to be outside exercising.

Let's decide at this very moment that we're going to take advantage of what's left of the fall and the upcoming winter, to push even harder. We can still workout indoors and push a little more. I don't know if there is any scientific proof of this, but I notice that my eating and movement changes through the winter, and as a result that "winter coat" appears. It may even naturally appear as the body tries to insulate itself from the cold. We may need to work just a little harder to move through the coat.

So the question is, "Weather You Will or Weather You Won't!"

It's getting cold out there...but it's warm in here.

Keep moving like a Mayflower Truck! ;)

Don

Weather You Will or Weather You won't

Day 235-Weigh-in Day: 318.4lbs

WEEK 32

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 319.4

Current Weight: 318.4

This Week’s Weight Loss: 1lbs

Total Weight Loss: 47lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 41.22

Total Miles Biked: 1919.4

Miles to Go: 5580.60

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

Pacific Ocean (1210 miles off the west coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

WEEK’S MILEAGE

Monday: 6.39

Tuesday: 16.64

Wednesday: 8.47

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 9.72

Saturday: Rest

TODAY:

Well, I signed up with the gym, but never made it this week. I was supposed to go 3 times. Had some car problems and stayed at work late this week. Plus I played Mr. Mom 3 of the days this week. I have an appointment this Monday morning for my first workout with a trainer, so I will get there. I will again, plan on getting to the gym at least 3 times this week. I continue on the plateau, but will look for a change this week. This week I will have some time to focus on my program.

I am going to get my Body for Life book out and review how to do resistance training. I remember about 15 years ago, I gave that program a try and it worked…I just didn’t stay consistent. I will make it work.

LEARNED:

I am just learning to just keep trying to stay positive and keep moving forward. I am still feeling like I am not making progress. I think I have wasted 2-3 months by not shifting my workout sooner. Oh well, that is feedback for me to look at. I think though that I have built a good cycling habit of riding to and from work. I even walked to work on Monday since it was raining the Friday before and I just left my bike at work. So I did a 5 miles walk this week. It felt good.

Hey, do you realize that I've almost biked 2000 miles! 

EATING:

The tail end of my week was bad. While I was playing Mr. Mom this week, we bought some cookie dough from some of the neighbor kids as they were selling it for fundraising. So what do I do? I make a batch of cookies. And who had to sample quite a few of them? I’ll let you guess. I think cookies got the best of me this week. They were good though! From now on, if I get a cookie in my hand, I am going to run out of the house as fast as I can and throw it as far as I can. My neighbor will probably wonder why cookies are suddenly appearing in his back yard.

FILM:

I know I’ve got to go shoot some more stuff before the snow falls. I’ve already heard threats of snow in the forecast. Gee…I want to move to California for the winter.

Thanks for reading!

Don

P.S. Just got a hold of this picture. I was part of the CMN Hospitals staff that went to the White House with 50 of our Champion children to meet President Obama. See my Motivation Tuesday feature on these Champions HERE!

The White House!

This was about a month ago while in DC. I love this memorial!

Day 232: Pedaling in the Rain

I had a fun ride home in the rain last night. It was fun getting home totally soaked. There was something refreshing about the whole experience. I came home and took a hot shower!

Day 231: Motivation Tuesday-Stairs

Good Morning!

Today is Motivation Tuesday. I hope you are making progress toward your health and weight loss goals. I officially bought my gym membership and am anxious to get going! It was raining Friday when I went to bike home from work. My wife picked me up and I left my bike at work. So yesterday, for fun, I walked to work! I thought because I was biking that it wouldn't phase me. Well, I felt muscles I hadn't felt in w while. So, there's a whole other "muscle" world out there waiting to be discovered.

I have some more interviews of fascinating people who have made some big changes in their lives coming up. Look for a great one next Tuesday.

Today though, I am going to leave you with a simple quote and thought...

“Success is a staircase, not a doorway.” ~Dottie Walters

When I read that, it made me think about my place of employment. I ride to work every day and work on the fourth floor of my building. Once I get to work, I feel that I have done my workout and now I can put it in auto-pilot the rest of the day. I don't take the stairs, I just conveniently press the elevator button and ride up.

Today, that is changing! No longer will I take the elevator. It is all stairs now.

Again, remember the quote above..."Success is a staircase, not a doorway." Be making efforts every day that will take you a little closer to your goals. Think of something little you could change today that will make a huge difference over time.

I'll bet taking the stairs multiple times a day will add a couple of pounds of lost fat over the next 12 months!

Have a great day doing your thing!

Don

Not the staircase at my work!

Day 228-Weigh-in Day: 319.4lbs

WEEK 31

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 318.8

Current Weight: 319.4

This Week’s Weight Loss: +.6lbs

Total Weight Loss: 46lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 35.3

Total Miles Biked: 1878.18

Miles to Go: 5621.82

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

Pacific Ocean (1169 miles off the west coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

WEEK’S MILEAGE

Monday: 9.96

Tuesday: 9.55

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 11.9

Friday: 3.92

Saturday: Rest

TODAY:

Well, today I had a double bacon cheeseburger! And it was deeeeelicious! Ate a bunch of fries too. Okay, I got that off my chest. ActualIy, I don’t feel bad at all. This week was not the best week I’ve had. I think I could say that I feel like I’m slipping. No I’m not going to give up, but my motivation level is low right now. I’ve been thinking back to the way I was feeling 7 months ago, and I don’t quite feel that same pumped up feeling.

<>

Okay, I feel better now that I slapped myself. I will get back on the train.

This week I stepped foot inside 3 gyms! No, I didn’t work out, but did go check them out to see which one I want to join. I have decided to join Planet Fitness. They offer free personal training with their membership, and have some beautiful looking facilities. They’re clean too.

So starting next week, I will be starting my resistance training. I am excited to give it a good effort and see if my body will snap out of this coma it seems to be in. I have to admit, when I don’t see my weight making progress, it has been very deflating as far as feeling like I am being successful. Yes, I am riding my bike, almost every day to work. And I do eat a lot better, but again, it’s time to shift gears. Are any of you out there a member of a gym? Are you having success? What sort of a program are you on? I am going to sit down with a personal trainer, tell them what my goals are, have them show me what I need to do, and then I am going to do it religiously!

So my goal this week is to officially sign up, sit down with my trainer, and then work out at least 3 times.

LEARNED:

I don’t know if I’ve learned anything this week…other than…no matter how motivated you feel at the beginning, it’s not going to last. So you’ve got to recognize that and just keep moving.

EATING:

I have noticed that when I get to the weekend, I feel like I can let my hair down a little and eat a few more things I want. This week by Friday, that attitude had taken over me and I went to eat lunch at a chinese restaurant. Then my wife forced me to eat a Ruby Snaps cookie! They have the best gourmet cookies, and are a big temptation. I had a big peanut butter cookie that was half-dipped in milk chocolate. Then today I had that bacon double cheeseburger. So, this is not helping me is it. Please feel free to publicly humiliate me in the comments. I deserve it. I will get back in line and march in step.

FILM:

I have some more filming I need to get done before the snow falls. Hopefully it won’t be a very bad winter.

Keep pedaling, swimming, running, or pumping…what ever you’re doing!

Don

Do not eat these more than once a year!

Day 224: Motivation Tuesday-Quote

Here's a fun quote to ponder today...

“The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.” ~Sarah Brown

Unless you're laying an egg today, stand up and go do what you gotta do!

Move forward fast...or slow but keep moving forward!!

Don

Day 221-Weigh-in Day: 318.8lbs

WEEK 30

Start Weight: 365.4

Last Week's Weight: 316.2

Current Weight: 318.8

This Week’s Weight Loss: +2.6lbs

Total Weight Loss: 46.6lbs

Miles Biked this Week: 52.59

Total Miles Biked: 1842.88

Miles to Go: 5657.12

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

Pacific Ocean (1134 miles off the west coast. I am heading for the Hawaiian Islands)

WEEK’S MILEAGE

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 25.70

Thursday: 10.6

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 16.29

TODAY:

The roller coaster ride continues with my weight. No large dips or hills just a constant ping ponging between 316 and 320. I can’t seem to break the cycle. So, I will go join the gym this week and break it up a bit. I think I need to consult with a pro to see why I am stuck. I need someone to push me out of the mud.

I guess if I were getting 100+ miles a week, I would be burning more calories. I get tired though when I’m doing 25-30 mile days. It’s hard to recover and do it every day. However, I’ve done it before.

I wanted to weasel out of this morning’s bike ride. 39 degrees! But my good friend I bike with encouraged me to go. How could I say no! We left a little later though at 7:15am. There was frost on the lawn! While we were biking we ran into Bonn Turkington! He was featured a few weeks ago on Motivation Tuesday. He was out warming up for his last race of the season. He said he weighs 158lbs. I weigh 318lbs He’s basically half of me! Gee…he looks great and is quite the inspiring guy. He’s got a beautiful bike…and my riding companion went out and bought a new bike! I am jealous!! Oh well, my day will come.

LEARNED:

A positive discovery despite the slow weight loss…I have noticed that I am maintaining my weight. Something that I plan on doing with my life once I get down to 210 Again! So, the biking is maintaining…I just need to figure out how to burn an additional 3600 to 7200 calories each week consistently.

EATING:

I think I can say that after 7 months of eating better, I have established good habits of eating. I don’t over do it, and know how to stay away from the “bad stuff” more often than not. I think I could always do better, but I could eat the way I am right now the rest of my life and be pretty satisfied.

FILM:

Nothing here.

Even though I have 53 people following this blog, I don’t see too many comments. I appreciate the encouragement and advice that comes when you're not too shy to give it. I know that many of you are on a journey to a healthy life too. I’d love to hear how you got past your "plateau" if you’ve ever experienced one.

Keep those gears a shifting!

Don

Motivation Tuesday: Don't Put It Off!

We're on the run this morning, so today's Motivation Tuesday will be a personal challenge...

What ever you are wanting to put off today, be it a ride, walk, swim, or a show of love to someone, don't put it off!

Go engage yourself in that activity whether you think you have time or not. Your body, and/or somebody needs you today. Go be selfish and show some self love, and go be selfless, and go serve someone!

I will be doing that today with you!

Pedal with a smile!

Don