Back in the saddle

Well, I said I was going to continue on and I have...several days later... :(
Didn't work out Sunday; Monday was all kaflooie, was supposed to have a meeting with a parent and it got canceled then we had a 4H meeting and then, and then...
Tuesday is church night for us, so no time. Finally, Wednesday, oh beautiful Wednesday; oh, and by the way I twisted my ankle Tuesday, which didn't bother me after I "walked it off", seriously, it didn't, but Tuesday night when we got back home from church and I took my shoes and socks off, it was all, you know, purply and a bit swollen, but it didn't hurt...weird. So Wednesday, I'm going to the gym and wondering if my ankle will give me any trouble, but it didn't, so it was a good hour and a half workout :)

I also had a Dr.'s appointment Wednesday morning- this was to follow up on some lab work I had done a month ago, yes, before the contest started. I had...get ready for it....high cholesterol levels *gasp*!!! But now its a month later, I've changed my diet, started working out, and all the Dr. told me to do for now(a month ago) was start taking Niacin (vitamin B3 - talk to your Dr to see if this is right for you, but it is a water soluable vitamin- my Dr. has me personally taking 1500mg/day). Anyway, its a month later and results of new blood work are in and my total cholesterol dropped 30 points, my LDL(bad cholesterol) dropped from high risk to borderline and my triglycerides dropped a whopping 100 points! I'm still high, but in just a month I went from very bad to just bad! Praise God. I know others in the contest have said that their Doctors have taken them off or reduced medications they were on also.

Just think, the money you put into gym fees may be paid for by being taken off medications, or at the very least offset the cost some...and it all starts with you stopping reading my blog and go to the gym. Yes the hard part is getting up, but once you get there, you're committed, no not that type of committed, but their are those of my co-workers who think I should be, but not for working out...well that's another blog ;)

Its Official

Well they announced this morning on KDUV the first round of eliminations and I was one of them. Does that make me a loser Loser? Double negative? Remember in math when they taught you that a negative and a negative, when multiplied together make a positive? Well that's how I'm looking at it, not the addition where 2 negatives added together make a bigger negative, because that would mean I'm going to gain weight now; and I don't want to do the subtraction rule because then I'd be at zero, right where I started...so yeah, I'm going for the multiplication rule...a positive.

Dale asked what I was doing this morning, when they announced my name as Porterville's first eliminated team member and being bummed already and in a negative frame of mind from being eliminated, I took it personally, like he was accusing me of slacking...but then my bassett hound jumped on me and licked me like he was trying to console me, but he really just wanted to play, but I was looking for consoling so I convinced myself that's what it was about...anyway, I got over the little pity party, and I know Dale wasn't intending it to sound like how I took it at first, he was trying to sound encouraging, in his own Scrabble rule deficent sort of way ;)

Prematurely Bummed Out

I'm a bit bummed out this weekend. I'm gonna ramble here as I work this out. I'm bummed out because Team Porterville Results got posted in the gym sometime between Thursday afternoon and our team workout with Rocky on Saturday morning, and just going by what I see on the board of how our team did, I'll most likely be eliminated officially on Monday morning. Don't get me wrong, the rest of my team did AWESOME and I'm so proud of them. I did well to, I did just shy of 3 pounds a week, which is great, but I don't think it will be enough compared to the numbers the others put up. So that is why I'm bummed...because I most likely will be out of the competition; yet this too shall pass because this isn't completely about a contest, its about changing my life, and it has. I'll be going to the gym here in a little while, and everyday after today and I am still sticky to a better way of eating (nothing but water to drink in over 5 weeks, well, some 1% milk in a bowl of bran ceral now and then). I will keep blogging, and letting you know how the battle is going, but for now, I'll be a little bummed...maybe I'll take it out on the eliptical at the gym...yeah, that's it, work out the stress and depression at the gym instead of watching tv or surfing on the computer, now where have I heard that before...oh yeah..thanks Rocky, I'll be seein' ya at the gym.

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