Drumroll Please

Well the Porterville team weighed in this morning. A couple of my teammates told me how much they lost but none of the other measurements so they will tell you on their blog...if they so choose. I did ok. In the grand scheme of things I did great, but I won't know till Monday how I did in the scheme of the team. I'll just give you a few of the bullet points; I won't tell you how much weight I lost, because, as I was reminded this morning, that's the number that is almost deceptive because it doesn't give you an idea of other health factors. I lost over 3% body fat, I lost inches off chest, waist and hips. I feel better, I don't get tired during the day at work(at least not the kind of tired where you know you could just stop and take a nap).

These are the kind of results that one needs to focus on to keep going with a LIFE change. If I was to focus on only the pounds lost, I think I would begin to wonder if all this work and effort are worth it; yet by focusing on how my WHOLE LIFE as benifited, it is definitely worth it and definitely going on with even if I get eliminated this week or in 2 weeks or whenever. This Challenge has already been what I wanted it to be, a kick in the butt to make a permanent change, to be here longer for my family.

PS
I'm looking forward to winning ;)

I've been reading the other contestants blogs and I must say I'm getting a bit, let's say, twitchy. It seems that some of the other teams have got to weigh during the last 3+ weeks, and a couple have even checked their body fat percentage. I haven't seen any numbers since the initial weigh in and its got me nervous. This is one of those situations where I am trusting in those around me because, as warned, my vision is blurred in respect to myself; yet those around me say they can see a difference - I don't. Rocky keeps asking if my clothes fit better or different and I have to honestly say I can't tell a difference, but then again your reading the blog of a man who buys 2XX or 3XX shirts so it doesn't show all the unsightly bulges (by the way, does it work? Not so much). Here, 2 days before first weigh in my pants sorta, kinda, maybe seem to be not as tight. So, the fact that some of the other contestants have an idea of how they are doing makes me nervous but on the other hand maybe its one of those situations where you are better off not knowing.

All this to say that I'm nervous about Thursday's weigh in but not about the changes I've made in my life. It is weird that in this contest, a teammate is going to be eliminated; in most game/survival shows, the team works together to keep each other in the game, to support each other against the other team, this one is a bit backwards...get to know someone, encourage them, sweat and moan and groan with them just to say goodbye to one of them, or if its me, to say goodbye to 4 of them. This is going to be where we show ourselves to the world as Christians, by how we love one another.

So Monday, after the names are announced, I will be back in the gym, eliminated or not, on the blogosphere reading how the others are doing and posting how I am doing.

Apparently Spelling Counts in Workouts

Had a good weekend, very sore today. I meet with our trainer Rocky 2 days in a row, Friday mornings for my 1 on 1 and Saturday mornings with our group. I posted about Friday and my headache already, well Saturday the headache was finally gone and now that I was able to focus, apparently Rocky really doesn't go easy on us LOL! Yet its all good, I feel good now about being sore several hours after a workout, it means my body is still working, burning calories even hours after the workout.

Thursday is our first weigh in and we won't know the results until Monday morning when the rest of the KDUV world finds out. On the way to work this morning, Cari & Dale, were talking about that and how they have to give the bad news, Dale mentioning not to kill the messenger. They were also talking about the blogs and how some of them tended to ramble and had some grammer issues. Well all I can say, is you two need to get pounded by a personal trainer and then come type about it!! It hurts, your fingers hurt, your forearms hurt, you're leaning back in your chair because it takes too much energy to lean forward. You're trying to make a coherent thought but all you can think about is how you're going to make it to the shower and the 5 calories you're going to eat for lunch instead of the 10,000 calorie double double from In & Out(insert circle R). I may not have to kill the messenger, but I can sure make them feel a small piece of my anguish. In the midst of fighting with myself, trying to let God work through me and take care of the temple I've screwed up over the years, I get the grammer police. Well Okay, God can handle that too :)

Welcome to California Dale!

P.S.
The thoughts put down here are not necessarily those of the owner of this blog as he is undergoing the effects of Pepsi withdraw (some of you might understand if you're coffee drinkers or some other love). Just know that he does Love you and is glad you stopped by to read his ramblings...really...he is....honestly!

Headaches Come in different forms

Well over the last week or so, I've been fighting off migraines. I've had them all my life, but can count on one had how many I get in a year, but over the last week its been crazy; I've got a Dr's appointment to ask some serious questions. Anyway, I went to work out with Rocky this morning, headache and all and it was painful- the lights, the noise, the motion, but I fought it out and finished, but I think Rocky was being kind because it just didn't seem like he pushed me that hard- or it could have just been that I was so focused on not banging my head on the weights equipment to kill the pain I just wasn't focused on the workout. Needless to say I didn't make it to work, so I'm at home(late afternoon now) resting up for tomorrow-group workout with Rocky. Come what may I'm gonna push hard.

Only 1 more week and even though people are telling me they can see a difference, I don't, might just be paranoia speaking. I know I will continue this once I am eliminated, if eliminated, but the contest, lets face it, is in all our heads. Its hard not to think about it, but I'm trying- really need to focus on just living better for my family and my students - that's what I got into this for.

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Mathew 17:20

Start by doing what's necessary;
then do what's possible;
and suddenly you are doing the impossible. - St. Francis of Assisi

The three qualities necessary for training
Great faith. Great doubt. Great effort. - Anonymous

The Gym-It's Not just for Exercise

With my new goal to keep my blogs short..er, here goes. Went to the gym yesterday after work. Tuesdays are hard for me to squeeze gym time in because we have church on Tuesday nights so time is tight - but I used Monday (holiday) as my day of rest and didn't want to miss 2 days in a week - oh and by the way Missy, I agree with you 100% , down time is the hardest-God Bless my wife for stocking sugar free jello and tons of fruit!! Anyway(so much for shorter), I squeezed in a workout yesterday and I saw a friend in there and we got to talking about God as we worked out-which is a a work out in itself for me because there is the obligatory gasping for air between "God is great" and "Amen". Now this is the 2nd or 3rd time this has happened and as I was thinking about it last night, I had to ask myself "how many people around me and my friends heard us talking about Jesus?" So now I have a new addition to my prayer before going to the gym - "Oh gracious and heavenly Father, please don't let me die on the elliptical, or at least not fall off and whack myself with a rotating pedal, but if I do, give me the opportunity to tell someone about You between gasps of breath and whacks of the pedal....Amen"

Rest is good

I thought I was doing good; working out everyday, burning calories, watching what I eat etc. I was sore as I mentioned, and tired, but not so much that I didn't think I was doing well. I've struggled with the eliptical, I just couldn't seem to stay on for any continuous length of time longer than 5 minutes, so a 30 min. workout took 45 min, then of course there was hitting the weights. Then Tuesday came and that's the day of the week for me that if even 1 thing is off schedule, workout isn't going to happen, and guess what? Yep, about 3 things went long or got added and I couldn't work out Tuesday, so I got an unintentional day of rest; so come Wednesday, I'm ready to get back at it so I get on the eliptical and the most amazing thing happened--I did my 15 minute warmup non-stop and I could have kept going!!! It was amazing! Next is Thursday so I go in about 15 minutes earlier than planned because I'm gonna test myself, see how long I can go before rubbery legs and sore knees hit...30 minutes and I can still keep going!! Well of course I don't, I go into the weight training that Rocky (Our Trainer) set up. I had been hitting the eliptical at home also, trying and trying to build that endurance with just no luck, my legs would burn, knees would hurt, lungs would suck in air...then BAM! I'm cranking out a full 30 minute warm-up. God gave us a day of rest for a reason...use it.

I had a couple of people comment to me about the length of my last post so when I have xtra stuff to post, I'll post them in the comment section of the post so you don't have to read them if you don't want to...like this post is an awesome recipe my wife found and made for us...problem was not eating all in one sitting :)

Decisions Decisons

I have a dilema...how often to work out? Right now I'm fired up and want to work out whenever possible, but in the back of my mind I wonder if I do that, will I burn out; so I only work out 1 time a day at the gym for an hour and then do stuff at home...we have an eliptical and a Bowflex (insert circled R here for trademark). What I really want to do is go to the gym 2 times a day but I just fear burning out and then not going at all which would be worse. So at this point, like I said, I'm going 1/day to the gym and doing stuff at home.

The food lifestyle change is going good. Haven't had anything but water in over a week now. Friends and others keep telling me about these things called....oh what was it...oh yeah, "Diet" drinks. Sweet drinks as I think I mentioned previously, are my downfall. Pepsi (another circled R here) especially, and fruit juices (speaking of devious things...you'd think fruit juice would be healthy...I mean in the back of your head you know it really isn't but you grasp at anything to justify eating/drinking something you shouldn't) are really dangerous for me, I should have been in a program for Soda recovery...what I'm trying to say is that I don't even want to drink Diet Pepsi(circle R) or Crystaly Light((R)) etc. because I won't stop at just one, or I'd go back to justifying fruit juice once and then since I know fruit juice isn't really healthy then I can just say "Oh well, I've already blown it might as well go all the way" then you find me in the minute mart with my head under the Pepsi( (R) ) fountain like Pauly Shore drinking Slurppee ( (R) ) in the movie Encino Man. Not pretty.

I'm keeping my calorie count right around 1200/day and I'm going to try that as long as I can, but it's getting harder, the workouts have really boosted my metabolism and I can feel myself getting hungry more often...oh, I guess I should explain. Rocky, the Porterville trainer, has me eating 5 - 7 SMALL meals per day instead of 3 and always, Always, ALWAYS!!! breakfast. I was good about 3 squares/day, but of course they were very large squares. So now I'm eating smaller, healthier meals more often daily example for those that might need a bit of help:
Breakfast ( 7:30): 1/2 cup oatmeal and water 130 calories (can do light oatmeal for 100 cal)
Snack (9:30): 6 oz fat free Yogurt & water 100 calories (there are brands that are 80 cal)
Snack 11:30: 1.3 oz cereal bar & water 130 calories
Lunch 1:00: Turkey sandwich, ( use low carb whole grain bread and read label on turkey)
veggies (1cup) 1 med Orange
& Water 210 calories
Snack 2:30 6 oz Yogurt & water 100 calories
Dinner 6:30 (recipe my wife made not
sure ingredients) but 2, 2 oz hamburger patties (called Oriental Salsibury
steak) Green Salad with vinegreete or Balsamic dressing & water
500 calories

Total Calories for this day 1220

you do this and you keep hunger at bay and you are eating way healthy. And maybe for some people the "Water will fill you up" may be true, but it doesn't keep me from being hungry. This does, eat small and more often...and KEEP A JOURNAL!!! it really does keep you honest; and you need to right everything down...if you have a cracker as you're walking by the counter...write it down! its amazing how fast it adds up.

Anyway, this is where I'm at as of this post...Do more exercise? Drink diet drinks? I'm gonna go with what the Holy Spirit seems to be telling me...Slow and steady wins the race...push where and when you can, but don't burn out, its a long race.