February Results!

Here we are.  At the end of another month!  I am not sad to see February go and am very excited to welcome in March. 

In the month of February I lost a total of 4.8 pounds and travelled a distance of 125.6 miles in my cardio workouts!  That is insane.

I have also lost a total of 8.0 inches in the 4 months that I have been on this journey.  4.5 of which came off my waist and 3.5 off my chest!!

I am very excited for the March Challenge and encourage each of my readers to participate!

Until next time.

Bullied

I think that it is time to get a little serious and a little more real.  Honestly speaking this is a harder subject for me to write about than I had originally imagined.  I am not even joking when I say that I have had my word document open and saved with this title since Friday afternoon trying to decide where I wanted this post to go and how I was going to get there.

Being bullied in no way, shape, or form is an enjoyable experience.  I speak from the viewpoint of a victim in this area and am writing this now from the viewpoint of stronger and better person from going through it.  I think this statement is a little hard to digest (or even for me to write). However, I know that I am who I am today because of the things that I went through.

Friday afternoon I had an old acquaintance bring up the topic of bulling to me.  It was in this moment that I decided I needed to speak out and share some of the things that I went through.  It is My Time to put a voice to this topic and it is definitely my duty as a mentor and leader to give a voice to the silent victims that go through the torment and harsh reality that is being bullied.

All through adolescence from the time that I can remember I have been the subject of harassment and teasing: at school, at dance rehearsals, on sports teams, on the playground, etc.  Where ever I went I was followed by the abuse.  I was the outcast. I was the fat kid. I was the loner. I was the one who didn’t deserve to stand up for myself or deserve the right to have others stand up for me.  I would find myself drifting through social circles not letting people get close because I didn’t want to supply ammunition to those who could use it against me.  I became a clone. Someone who said the right things, laughed at the right moments, and allowed myself to pretend that I enjoyed all aspects of living.

There were times in elementary that students on the playground physically bullied me on my way home from school.  One particular occasion I was cornered by 5 of my peers who held me to a tree and beat me.  They would take turns doing things to me (punching my stomach, pushing me to the ground, etc.).  It was in this situation that I learned that there are other bullies than just our peers.  When I approached the school regarding the situation I got into trouble and got handed a suspension because the 5 students who bullied me came with a different story than mine saying that I was the bully and they were protecting each other.

I couldn’t believe how ignorant and blind the people we are supposed to trust and take refuge in could be in situations such as this.  It was because of this situation that I have decided to become a leader, a teacher, a mentor, a friend, and above all else a stronger individual.

I know that I could go on forever with story after story about the things that I have gone through and the effects that each situation has had on my life…however I think it would go unheard.  Instead I would like to send out two messages;

1)   To the bullies of the world;

Nothing in this world is more coward like, insignificant, or weak as picking on another individual.  You may feel tough, powerful, proud, and in control, however I am here to tell you different.  In the long run those who feed on the humiliation of others find themselves angry and alone in the long run because unlike you others grow up and find happiness in meaningful aspects of their lives.

2)   To the victims of harassment, teasing, and bullying;

Hold your head high.  As tough and unfortunate as it is to go through what you are enduring…when you emerge on the other side you will be a stronger, better, and smarter person than you ever imagined.  You can not even dream of the difference that you will make in the lives of other people and how much you realize that once you move on and grow the things in our past seem less and less important.  You will always remember what it felt like and what happened to you…but you will also laugh at how insignificant and silly it was to see one weak person in character poke fun at one so strong in mind and soul.

I appreciate all that took the time to read through this.  I am not trying to glorify anything…I am trying to be real.  If this post helps even one person than it was worth the uncomfortable feelings that it took for me to write.

In hindsight (as it is 20/20) I am no longer the outcast, the fat kid, the loner, or the one who doesn’t deserve anything.  I am the mentor, the teacher, the adult, the listener, the speaker, the strong guy, the smart guy, and the happy guy that surpasses what I always dreamed I would be.

March 10 - Free Falling

Good job to everyone who participated in the February Challenge.  Still a couple more days to go! Keep strong and motivated over the last bit and remember to finish strong.

I am posting the March Challenge a little early, as there is some homework involved in getting prepared.  Although the challenge is marked the big ten please feel free to modify the number to fit your life style.  Some of you might feel challenged with The Big Five but I do encourage you to not go above ten.

This challenge is designed to stretch our comfort zones and try new things.  Trust me when I say that we will all not “love” every activity we engage in however we might all find that one niche we have been looking for.

Here we go =D

March Challenge!!!!

1)   Pick your Big 10 (or which ever number you chose) activities that you have either never tried or haven’t tried in more than 5 years.  THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES! Write them down and post them on your bathroom mirror, fridge, front door, review mirror etc., as well as in my comments section.  Nothing is too difficult or out there.  Pick things that will be challenging!

2)   Over the next 31 days (Starting March 1^st) attempt each activity once either by finding a drop in class, finding a friend to participate, or just going out on your own.

3)   Set another weight goal if losing weight is your focus.

4)   Create an over the top reward that is bigger than anything you have ever done but want to do more than anything.

My Top 10!!!

1)   Rock Climbing

2)   Yoga

3)   Spin Class

4)   Ice Skating

5)   Mountain Climbing/ Hiking

6)   Pilates

7)   Horseback Riding

8)   Sledding

9)   Curling

10)  Shooting Range

I am setting myself an ambitious weight loss goal of 10 pounds this month.  Difficult but very fulfilling!

My reward for this month is HUGE!!!!! When I complete my challenge I will reward myself with a Bungee Jump from Center of Gravity in West Edmonton Mall.  So excited!!!!!!

Good luck to everyone and I look forward to hearing your progress and sharing with you my journey.

"You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone."


- Percy Cerutty

Pushing Through

Ever have one of those days that you feel like your on a roller coaster?  How about a roller coaster that isn’t fun?  Today that is what I felt like.  I thought that I was on a ride that was considered to dangerous, fast, and crazy to even be put in a Six Flags.  The worst part about this coaster is that it wasn’t just an emotional one or a mental one or a physical one…it was an all of them!

I started out the day feeling like my mind was bouncing off the walls but my body was stuck in a vat of molasses. I didn’t want to move or anything.  Not that I was sore or tiered or anything…just didn’t want to move.  I lacked motivation, determination, and drive. (Side note – it sucks when your mind wants to run a marathon but your body wants to stay in a cocoon). I knew that I needed to go to the gym and get my workout done however found myself coming back home past the gym and into my bed after I finished my work.

My greatest support and best friend talked me into getting up to go to the gym and found the motivation for me needed to match my energy physically with my energy mentally.

Finding myself at the gym I was ready to do my hour of biking. That was until I hit mile 9 at 30 mins and all energy and drive was gone.  I decided that a light workout would suffice for the day.  I got changed and decided to go to the mall and find some new swag for my workouts.  Hoping this would inspire me.  I was fortunate enough to find some nice bathing suits, goggles (for prescription eyes), and a new gym bag.  Again I was put up on a high.

Minutes later (due to personal reasons) I was hit right back to a low as I went to do my afternoon drive (a part of my job).  The whole time on my drive and when I got home I couldn’t push through the mental block that had hit me.  All I could think of was ordering a large pizza and eating it to myself while clearing out my PVR.  I am not even joking.  I even got to the point of picking up the phone!  That’s when it happened.  Everything seemed to pull together.  I glanced over at my new gear and decided that I should go get round two on at the gym.

This is where my coaster came to a nice end with no whiplash.  The most I have ever swum in one go is 750 meters.  Not because I couldn’t go longer but because I just always ended there.  I decided today that I would push past that mark even if it were by 25 meters.  The more I swam…the more energy I seemed to have.  Before I knew it I had completed 80 laps…2.0 km…2000 meters…1.25 miles.  I was ecstatic.  I feel like a million dollars and am very glad that I didn’t order a pizza. 

I know now that I am stronger than I thought I was and I know that I can push through!

Going the Distance

Another week down.  Another week begins.

I did okay this week.  Not the results that I was “hoping” to see but I did see the results that I should have been expecting to see.  I am up 2.8 pounds this week.  Like I said before though…not to surprising saying that I lost 4 last week because of being sick.

This whole week I didn’t stay on track 100 percent either (in terms of dieting).  I kept saying that I should be expecting to gain because again I was sick and used that (not to go overboard) to cheat a little.  Again though…2.8 is not that bad in the long run and I am feeling stronger and healthier and have more energy (mainly because my workout was 100%).

I completed my goal this week of 67 miles travelled in my workouts.  How fulfilling is that? I am very excited about this.  Continuing on my February Challenge I am making a goal of 70 miles this week.  Again I think this is attainable. I am also going to start back up with deep-water aqua size. To reach my goal of 5 pounds lost in February I need to lose 1.6 pounds this week.  Again I think this is doable.

I hope that everyone has a great week and stays active.  March Challenge coming up in a week.  Start getting ready…it’s a big one.  Thank you again for all the support J.

Interesting Results

What an interesting week; a true roller coaster of a ride.  I started this week on such a high.  First pounds lost in a while, awesome workouts, 100 percent diet days, lots of energy and feeling great.  As we all know…. that didn’t last long.

When I went for my official weigh in today I knew that there was going to be one of two results: Either a huge weight loss (from not eating for four days), or a weight gain (from retaining everything over the past 24 hours).  I was surprised to see a even 4.0-pound weight loss for the week .

Now hold on… before you tell me what I already know.  My weigh in today is not accurate.  Because of the roller coaster that my body has been in I need to wait until next week to gain accurate results.  I am fully aware of this however was motivated by seeing such a beautiful number on the scale.  My mentor and I discussed that I may see up to 2.0-pounds of the next week and to not freak out if I do.  My goal however is to stay where I am for this week.  I think it is doable as I am feeling back to 100% and am ready to hit the gym tomorrow to continue my February Challenge.

My distance goal for this week is 67 miles.  You may say that is crazy however I have reasoned it out.  Last week in two very awesome workouts I was able to get in 33.35 miles and would of hit my goal of 50 if I didn’t catch the flu.  Thus I figure I should keep my base a 50 and add what was missed last week (17miles).  I believe in my energy and strength and can’t wait to get back to it this week.

Thank you again everyone for your support and kind words through various outlets over the past week.  Made the weekend go by faster J.

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
     

  - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Another Ditch in the Road

I have come to the conclusion that the flu really bites.  For the past three days I have been stuck in my apartment, bed ridden, watched 4 movies, had a head ache, fever, back pain, dizziness, and a sore throat.  Today is the first in three that I have eaten and I think I have drank enough water to fill a hot tub.  Unfortunately I don’t see a light at the end.

I don’t know if this is motivation or guilt or what but all I could think of during my three days of sickness was that I was not getting my workouts in and thus wasn’t staying on track.  I know that I am insane to feel this way as I physically couldn’t move over the past 72 hours but it was still on my mind.  I hope that tomorrow I am feeling better and can maybe eat my full daily caloric intake, get back on track, and get out for a light walk.  I know that I will not be strong enough to hit up the gym but I do wish I were.  I miss feeling the burn, being in the gym, and feeling like I am working towards something.  I guess this is just another ditch in the road.

I started this week really strong. I completed 33 miles of my 60-mile goal and had lost weight for the first time in six weeks. I was on such a high.  I know that I need to just get better, rest, have lots of fluids, and jump back on the wagon when I feel better. I just keep reminding myself that this is a marathon and not a sprint.  This journey is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and best wishes that I have received from you all.  It makes the journey easier.  I apologize for the acknowledgements but there are two people that I need thank.  Sissy I love you and you are an inspiration to me.  Thank you so much for the kind words that you spoke tome the other day.  I also want to say thank you to AliD.  You are a rock for me to stand on and you support me above and beyond the call of duty.  Thank you so much.

Time to get better and push hard.  Weigh-in in 48 hours.

A Big Day

I think the thing that I love most about taking a journey is the ups and downs that one experiences on the way.  Boy have I experienced them.  I have spent the last 6 weeks putting 100% (most of the time) into my journey and getting no results. As I am a perfectionist and am very hardworking I get very discouraged when I don’t see results that I think reflect my effort.  That is until today!!!!

I weighed in (unofficially) at the gym in the morning yesterday to find the same number staring back up as the one last Monday at my official weigh in.  This was very upsetting (thus the mental games I was tweeting about).  I decided last night that my sweetheart and I would take a break from my diet and enjoy some good rotisserie chicken at the local Swiss Chalet.  I told her that it didn’t matter because I didn’t lose any weight this week and at which point I am going to enjoy something that I have missed since starting my journey back in November.

When I got up this morning I was ready to get back on the bandwagon as I had an abnormal amount of energy flowing through my body and I was ready to jump into my February challenge with my morning workout.  This is where my day/journey took a turn towards the light at the end of the tunnel and renewed my desire to continue.

My morning workout consisted of my completing 18.35 miles in 65 minutes that is a little more than a third of the way to my weekly goal.  I than called the University that I had applied to at the beginning of January to check on my status to find out that I have been accepted in to my program for the coming fall.  So far so good…from here I continued on my day till going to my weigh in.  Expecting what I knew was coming I was pleasantly jumping off the walls from the results.  I found out that I had LOST 2.2 POUNDS!!!!!! This means that not only have I lost weight for the first week in 6 but also I lost a significant amount.  I was very surprised to find that I have lost 29.8 pounds in 14 weeks.  I am so excited.  27 pounds to go to reach my goal (set with my consultant) and 37 more for my personal goal!

Very good day and a very good start to what will be a very good week.  Hope you all have an awesome week too and would love to hear about some of your BIG DAYS!!!

February Challenge - Going Further

I have taken a couple of days to find out what direction I would like this to go.  I noted before that I would like to share my successes, lessons, hardships, and inspirations with others so that this will truly be bigger than just me.  One way I am going to attempt to achieve this is with monthly challenges.

Each month (either on the first day or a couple of days before) I will post the challenge for the month.  Some of them will be about fitness; some will be personal challenges; and some will be just fun.  I welcome anyone who follows to attempt the challenges with me, comment on your successes, and submit ideas for future challenges.  I believe this is a good way to inspire others and myself.  I will, of course, keep you posted on my progress, trials, hardships, and wins.

Because February is already a week in I thought that I would give a fun fitness challenge for the next three weeks.  This challenge is a little selfish and I really just want to see if I can push myself for three weeks and stick with it.

February Challenge;

1)   Workout for a minimum of 1 hour a day either in cardio or weight training for a minimum of 5 days a week. (A total of 15 days/hours minimum from now until February 28^th)

2)   For each of the three weeks set a distance goal for you to complete in the 5 days.  Remember that the average person walks about 3.0 miles an hour, jogs at 5.5 miles an hour, and runs at 7.5 miles an hour.

3)   If weight loss is a goal or focus of yours; set a reasonable, attainable, but challenging goal.

4)   Create a reward for yourself once the challenge is complete.

For myself I am making a goal of 50 miles travelled over the next 7 days and a 5-pound loss over the next 3 weeks.  I think this is both challenging and attainable for my self as I have hit a plateau so 5 pounds is attainable but tough, and 50 miles is a distance not yet done in one week personally.  My reward is going to be a day at the West Edmonton Mall Waterpark as have not been there in a number of years. It is a reward that will motivate me each week.

Good luck to everyone over the next three weeks.  I look forward to hearing about your journey.

 "Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential."

- Liane Cardes

My Time

14 weeks into the journey of a lifetime I feel my faith in myself beginning to wobble.  On November 1^st, 2010 I decided to take my life back and start a weight-loss journey.  I decided to do this so that I may live a longer, happier, and more successful future.

Ever since I was a little boy I have always been overweight and had a negative relationship with food.  Although I am and have been very active I have not been able to be happy and comfortable in my own skin.  This started to change a couple years ago as I realized that I can be comfortable and happy with whom I am because I am worth it and that only I can dictate how I am going to live my life.  Weight at this point was not an issue for me.  It was as I was living happy with whom I was that my weight started to increase and before I knew it was 327 pounds.

I knew at this point that I needed to make a change and I needed to find a way to incorporate my newfound happiness with myself and turn it into something bigger and better than I could ever imagine.  Coming off of a high from taking one of the most life changing and life defining trips of my life I went into a weight loss program and haven’t turned back.

After 13 completed weeks I have lost 28 pounds and over 4 inches in my chest and abdomen.  I am very happy with the results that I have achieved thus far although am starting to get stressed out and frustrated with my progress as I have lost a total of 0 pounds and 0 inches in the last 5 weeks on the program.

I know that it is at this time that I get to define my future. I have three options ahead of me. 

1. Say screw it and go back to living my happy lifestyle and know that it is enough for me and my loved ones.

2. Continue as I am and hope that things will change and get better.

3. Put my nose to the grindstone; work harder than I ever have in my life to achieve something that is bigger than just me.

I think it is easy to say that I chose number 3.  I want this more than anything.  And not just to be skinny or fit or healthy……it is more than that.  I want to inspire, grow, teach, mentor, and lead by example.  I want to be the best dancer and instructor I can possibly be.  I want to complete something that takes a life time to master. I want to be able to run and compete in marathons/triathlons.  I want to be able to climb mountains, see the world, and be comfortable.  I want to live.

Although I am in my 14^th week and this journey has already started, I would like to share my successes, lessons, hardships, and inspirations with others so that this will truly be bigger than just me.  That way I will be motivated to stay on track and try new things.  That’s what motivates me……that’s what inspires me…..that’s what keeps me going.  This is for my future, my family, my life partner, and more importantly......THIS IS FOR ME........THIS IS MY TIME!