Max weight: 480+ current weight 283

I forgot I had this site for some time my last time posting was OVER 4 YEARS AGO and a lot has happened.

In July 2012 I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery.  Since then I have lost over 200lbs (and than gained some back).  My lowest weight was 243 (down 237lbs) around a year after the surgery.  Since then I have slowly been gaining as of today I weigh 283 lbs (down around 200) and again am in fear that all of my hard work and decisions will not pay off for the long haul and I will stay at this weight and not lose more, or worse gain back more weight.

I am recommitting to this blog, for myself, to reach my goal weight.  I am going to start running as the snow melts this spring.  I have come to love biking especially mountain biking and will continue to use a bike as my primary means of transportation (in the summer months).  I am beginning to count calories again.  My wife and I are getting on a C25k program together.

Please comment or email me with questions or comments.  I will post some pics in the near future.

Late post, Update on my status.

I did not write last week so I will catch you up on whats been going on.  The scale at the gym did not work last week until Thursday and when I stepped on I gained 1 pound.  I didn't panic but I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed.  Anyways Monday I stepped on again and was under 450 I will do the official weigh in on Wednesday but I can say that I think I broke the 20lb barrier this week.  20 pounds in a month is better than I could have hoped for considering all the times I cheated on the weekends by not working out enough and by cheating on my diet.  However, seeing the weight on Monday was a good boost to my Ego and I am ready to hit it hard again.  Next week I will change up my lifting program and post what I will do on each day.  Tomorrow I will chime in and let everyone know what I weigh.

Some other good news, "I can weigh myself at home now" and I will be able to step on the scale in my kitchen I will post pictures of the readout on the scale to let everyone see my progress.  Pics of me will not be posted until I am under 400 but that should only be a couple of months.

Weigh in for Feb 10, 2009 - 455.4 down 6.2 again.

Down 6.2 again I was hoping for more but feared less so I guess I'll take it. Actually 12.4lbs in two weeks is a good amount of weight. If I can lose 5 or more pounds a week I can lose my first 100 within 5 months!!! That would be wonderful! I did another 60 minutes on the elliptical today that makes 3 days in a row of 60+ minutes while still lifting.

I do my lifts Monday-Thursday and leave Friday and Saturday for core workout.  I guess if I don't get to the core workout I am not hurt that bad but I want to make sure I stick to my muscle building program.

HOW I'M FEELING

I want to take a minute and explain how 2 weeks of training has affected me.  I feel good.  Also, my belly fat is getting loose and my thighs aren't rubbing together as much when I run on the elliptical.  I really feel good after a workout I am tired and energized at the same time.  I will post pictures soon so you guys can see what I look like.  As always feel free to email me loseitorlosingit@gmail.com.

Talk to you soon.

Worried About This Week's Weigh-in

Tomorrow I need to weigh in but I am worried about the weekend. I went to a new bar and had a little more fun than I planned on, plus I watched the super bowl and snacked and did not count calories really closely. My big problem right now is that I have a 3 day weekend since my wife and I have Friday off. This turns into a Thursday night through Sunday free-for-all. We do work out on Friday and Saturday but we also splurge more all four days. I am worried that I will not meet my goals.

I will be happy if I lose at least 5 pounds this week. I think that is reasonable since on the biggest loser week 2 is always the toughest all around week. I also think I have built muscle so it is important for me to not get hung up on the numbers and try to just push through if there is a lull in my progress.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

I also have considered that if I plateau for more than two weeks I will hire a trainer to up the intensity and try to get me over the hump. However, I don't think I will need one since I have already been thinking of the next phase of my training.

NEXT PHASE:

I have decided to make my training 30 day commitments and then make changes based on my progress. Right now I am doing the simple lifts that I have outlined and I am doing cardio on the elliptical trainer. Next month I will switch cardio to something else, I am thinking either stair climber or incumbent bike. I might also start jogging (though I am pretty large to jog right now). For now I like the elliptical it is a low impact and high intensity device I have tried to raise the intensity everyday by some factor or another. I started doing 30minutes and now I have gradually raised that to 60 minutes. I have also started raising the level and adjusting the workout, I started in manual mode on a low level and now I am doing random on level 9-15.

I think that the push to do one more rep or a little more weight or a little more time is the key to succeeding. I never want to move backwards and if I am not moving forward I am moving backward. I want to make one more lift, one more mile, one more good decision about nutrition. I hope that I can reach my goal of 440 before the end of February and be well on my way to the 300's by mid April. It will take a lot of work and determination but with all of your support I'm sure I can reach my goals. Thank You for all your emails and comments.

Email: loseitorlosingit@gmail.com

First week = First Victory. Plus, Goals!!!

Alright I have been working out for a week and a half now and I already have results. These results are as follows. I have lost almost six pounds and I have gained muscle, due to the lifting I've been doing. I have already feel better and healthier but I know I have a long way to go.

From now on I will weigh myself every Wednesday. I will do it at the gym after my workout until I am light enough to use my scale at home (440lbs), then I will start weighing myself in the morning before I eat.

With that in mind I have set creative goals. Also I will post the date I reach each goal and my average weight per week. So with that in mind here are my goals.

467.8 - Start Weight
440- "I can weigh myself at home"
400- "In the 3's"
350 - "I can use the Wii Balance Board!" - I will start posting Pictures soon and reveal my identity!!!
331.4 - "Halfway to goal!!!"
325 - "Lightest I've been since Junior year of college"
300 - "In the 2's" - Pictures definitely posted by now
275 - "Lightest I've been since Junior year of High School"
250 - "My weight-loss goal in high school that I never reached"
225 - I am probably really ripped and look pretty thin
200 - "I can stop now or if there is some pudge go for 10-20 more"
180-190 - "Goal Weight - Marathon running weight - Male model weight - Woot!!!"

In all I want to lose over 250lbs!!! It sounds unbelievable I am still questioning myself but I want give it my best effort. The name of this Blog "Lose it or Losing it" is a not so clever way of saying that I am losing my mind and if I don't lose the weight I will lose my mind. I am trying to stay chipper but obesity causes serious health effects that I worry about every day. I am 25 and can't take it anymore. I should be fit and having fun, I want to be healthy for when my wife and I have children (hopefully soon) and I want to be healthy for myself, for my general sanity. Please help cheer me on and share your suggestions for me and you encouragement you can reach me at loseitorlosingit@gmail.com.

Exercise: To Lift or Not to Lift

Most of the research I have done on the topic indicates that lifting weights may be the key to sustained weight loss. I think it is a two fold cure. First, lifting builds new muscle which burns calories, this will help make up for my weight loss causing me to burn fewer and fewer calories every day. Second, weight lifting is fun. It is sometimes easier to see results with strength gain. Also, it is nice to "feel" the burn and know that your body is responding. Often cardio leaves you tired where lifting leaves you feeling pumped.

With that in mind I have designed my own weight lifting program that I will do four days a week. The beauty with this plan is that you only need four days and you don't necessarily have to lift weights M-TH or M,T,TH,F. I will be able to do two days of lifting in one day if I have a short week. This is because I have divided up my lifts by muscle group and will focus on a different muscle group every day.

Also I have included an optional 5th day of the workout to do Abs, this will be completed every week whether between the four days, on the fourth day, or on the 5th day.

With that all in mind, here is my program;

# = Attempted Reps
R = Actual Reps
W = Weight

Monday: Chest and Triceps
Flat Bench Press - 4 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
4.R._____W_____
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Dumbbell Flyes - 2 sets :
16.R_____W_____
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
Dips (assisted for now)- 3 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Cable Press Downs - 2 sets :
16.R_____W_____
12.R____W_____

Tuesday: Back and Biceps
Pull-ups (Lat Pulldowns) - 4 sets
18.R._____W_____
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Bent Over Barbell Row (T-Bar Rows) (- 3 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Seated Cable Row - 3 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Barbell Curls - 3 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Seated Dumbbell Curls - 2 sets :
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____

Wednesday: Abs or Thursday or Saturday if Rest

Thursday: Shoulders, Traps and Abs
Seated Barbell Press/Shoulder Press - 4 sets
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
4.R._____W_____
Single-Arm Lateral Raises - 3 sets
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Barbell Shrugs - 4 sets
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
4.R._____W_____
Abs (Today, Mid Week or End of Week)
Crunches (Machine) and
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Hanging Leg Raises and
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Seated Turns
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____

Friday: Legs
Squats/Lunges - 4 sets
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
4.R._____W_____
Leg Press - 3 sets
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Stiff Legged Deadlifts - 3 sets (Head up back stiff [don’t lift with back] Okay to lift off rack for beginners)
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
Leg Curls - 2 sets
16.R_____W_____
12.R____W_____
Standing Calf Raises - 5 sets
16.R_____W_____
12.R____W_____
8.R_____W_____
6.R_____W_____
4.R._____W_____

Saturday/Sunday: OFF

Obviously I will be doing cardio every day I hit the gym. Since I have had knee surgery and I am still very heavy I will probably hit the elliptical most days and maybe some walking/jogging when the weather gets warmer (5 degrees yesterday). I have been adding 5 minutes every 2-4 sessions to try to gain endurance now I am up to 40 minutes and hope to be up to an hour by the end of February. This program 4 days a week with cardio for 4-6 days a week should show pretty rapid results. I will post my proposed nutrition plan tomorrow.

Welcome and Introduction

I guess in a first blog post you should tell others about yourself and explain why you wanted to blog in the first place. I am a 6'1'' 25 year old 3rd year Law Student who weighs 467lbs and needs to lose it. I want to create this site to try to create some accountability and some transparency into my weight problem. It is easy to shut everyone out of your struggles and create a facade of happiness. Actually it is not really a facade, I am happy in a lot of ways. I am married to a beautiful, intelligent and supportive wife. I am about to finish law school. All in all my life is good.

What I mean by a facade of happiness is that when you are large, you always think about it; not like a stalker or a drug addict. I mean your mind often slips and thinks, "I am the largest person in the room", "I am really tired from walking up those stairs" and so forth.

I have always struggled with my weight I have lost 50+ lbs two previous times in my past but have always gained even more back. I am not sure what character, physiological or mental defect I have that will not allow me to be a normal weight with even relative ease. I have blamed everything for it my genetics, my parents, my upbringing, my country, and of course myself. I have even tried to blame my wife once or twice which I know is totally absurd as I was very large when we got married.

I think at this point I am not blaming anyone. No one wanted me this way; no one wants me to be unhealthy; no one made me eat another portion. I don't even believe blaming myself is the answer I don't think I am stupid or weak or challenged in a way that most people are. I ate because I was hungry and did not care to think about the consequences of indiscriminate eating. Many people like me just don't/didn't think. We know and knew that eating too many calories would make us like this and we decided to just eat without thinking.

This first blog entry is my pledge to think, not only to think but to act on conscious efforts to get healthy. I will exercise and eat right (80% of the time), and I will lose all of the weight I need. Please help hold me accountable on this journey.