I have been plugging away at the gym for several months now, and I have not been able to see a lot of progress. Last week I decided I needed to step up and really work my butt off at the gym every morning. I decided to start running at the gym every morning. I knew this would be difficult as I had not run, without it being involved in a sport, for a long time. Last Monday I decided to start running, but in an effort to not kill myself I started out slowly. The first day of jogging I started for 10 minutes, and then I walked the rest of the workout. I was definitely tired, but it was not too much to handle. The next day I ran for 11 minutes, and then walked the rest of the way. This has gone on for over a week now and I ran for 16 minutes this morning. My plan is to get to the point where I am running for 30-40 minutes every morning. Once I can do this consistently, I will increase the speed I am running at. Right now I set the speed on my treadmill to 5.0. I realize this is not a very fast speed, but it is a nice jog that will get my cardio running effectively.

Like I said I have been doing this for over a week now and I love it. I feel better at work, and I am much more effective. I have had energy at night after work, and I have had a blast playing with my 19 month old daughter. Before I started running, I was usually tired at the end of the work day. I have more energy, and my clothes are fitting better. I will continue to run and hopefully the pounds will start to come off. I have temporarily quit playing basketball in the mornings so I can focus on my weight loss. I have set a goal to get down to 210 pounds before I start playing basketball again. This will motivate me to work even harder now, because I love playing sports and I can’t wait to get back on the basketball court.

I was in a rut and I needed something to take me out of it. Running has provided that spark for me. If any of you are in a rut, I would recommend looking at your workout and finding ways to increase your workload.

I saw this list of questions on another blog and I wanted to create my own to give myself the boost I need to make healthy choices that one day will lead me to reach my weightloss goals.

1.What do you love about your body?
My eyes

• I have always had people comment about my blue eyes.

My strength

• I have always considered myself to be physically strong, despite the extra weight.

2.When did you surprise yourself with your physical strength?
When I carried a filing cabinet all by myself a week ago. I also carried the same filing cabinet with another guy and he complained about how heavy it was. I was surprised I was able to carry it all by myself.

3.When were you braver than you thought you could be?
When I started this blog about losing weight. I knew it was going to be tough to detail how out of shape I am. So far it has been great, and it has helped me focus on the weight loss.
4.When did your self control blow you away?
I absolutely love Mountain Dew, and Coke. I used to drink it everyday, in large quantities. I have not had soda for over 2 months now, and the desire to drink soda is gone. I can’t believe I was able to do it, and actually stick with it.

5.What is your proudest moment ever?
My wedding day, and the birth of my 2 children would top the list.

Whenever someone asks if I am losing weight, or comments on me looking better. It is a work in progress, and when I hear compliments like that I realize I am in the process of accomplishing my goals.

6.When was the last time you felt beautiful?
As a guy I don’t know if I have ever felt beautiful, but I felt really good about myself the summer I got married. That is the last time I can look back and see that I was in great shape. That was 4 years ago.

7.Why do you deserve to meet your goals?
I am working my butt off every morning in the gym, and I am trying to eat a healthy diet. However, the real reason I deserve to meet my goals is my children. They deserve a healthy and strong father to play with them, and do activities with them. My wife is also very deserving of a fit husband.

I want to look in the mirror, or at a picture and think positively of how I look. It has been awhile since I have felt that way, and it is time to get back to that pont.

I never thought losing my extra 50 pounds would be easy, but at the same time I never thought it would be this difficult. I have been at it for a couple of months now and I am not seeing a lot of improvement. Granted, I have been a slacker since the birth of my son. I have lost some weight, but not a significant amount to where I am feeling better about myself. I get so frustrated when I see pictures of myself, and it drives me crazy that I have let myself slip so much. I was watching a movie at the gym this morning (I love working out at Gold’s Gym in the Cinema Room), and there was a line in the movie that caught my attention. The lead actor went back to his town for the holidays where he ran into his best friend growing up. He always wanted to have a relationship with her, but she was not interested until this visit. He was an overweight kid in High School, and not attractive at all. She was the main cheerleader, and the hottest girl in school. After graduation he moved away to Los Angeles and got a good career, and lost his weight. At the end of the movie they get into a fight and they started flinging insults at each other. The insult that caught my attention and hit close to home was when he said “You hit your prime in High School”. When he said that, I realized that I hit my physical prime in High School as well. I was in great shape, and for whatever reason I quit working on it. I have a desire to get back to my old figure, and make it so my prime physical condition is not a memory. I want to be able to say when I am in my 30′s that I am in my prime physical condition. I am 26 now, and I have lost a couple of years that I could be in prime physical condition. I owe it to my wife, my kids and myself to get back in shape!

I am dedicated to get back to my prime physical condition, and I could use your help. I am currently looking at diets to go on. I am not looking for a quick fix, but rather a diet that will help change my lifestyle. Several people have told me about South Beach, and that is the frontrunner right now. Let me know if there is anything else out there that will help me get in shape!

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. My wife and I had another baby recently and I have been preoccupied with diapers, feedings, and taking care of my 18 month old daughter.

I have had some progress, although it is not as much or as fast as I would like I can’t complain. I have broke the 230 barrier, and I am now down to 229. I have been focusing on eating better, and maintaining a healthy diet. Although I have not been able to work out as much as I would like, I have still been able to lose because of changes to my diet. Hopefully the weight will continue to melt off and I can acheive my goals.

I have heard from several sources that it is better to lose weight gradually, and I am working on changing my lifestyle so it will have a lasting impact. I have been good about not getting frustrated at the speed I am losing the weight, by looking at the big picture.