Day 38: Damn This Illness

Seriously, I'm not being lazy. I have a sore throat, a nasty cough and so stuffed up that I can't breathe. Taking it a day at a time. My alarm is set for 7am. If this sore throat is gone then I'm heading to the gym.

Day 37: Taking Advantage Of The Weather

Today I went skiing with my fiancé and we are both feelin it. After getting in a few good runs I thought that I should take advantage of this opportunity and burn an extra few calories. I found if I kept my knees and hips bent a little more than usual, ever bump you hit on the hill feels like a squat exercise. My legs are on fire right now, just like when I go to the gym. But this way I got to spend some quality time with my fiancé.

Days 35 and 36: Down For The Count

Sick as a dog. No more treating my body like a garbage dump for fatty foods. Party time is officially over. I'm back on track now.

Day 34: Christmas Day

You may have notice that my recent posts have been coming in a day late. Well actually it's because I'm not getting home until really late ...these holiday celebrations have made it tough to follow the program. But by working out as hard as I can I have managed to maintain a constant weight over the holidays. From this day until October 15th I have no further excuses. Time to get with the program again.

Day 33: Can't Move

I worked so hard yesterday that I can't move today. I wish I could say I just took it easy and ate well, but I made a stop at my bosses place and, well ...ate like a champ! Actually, I didn't eat more than anyone else at the table but, because I have been decreasing my protion sizes, I can't eat as much anymore. And since I'm still "the big guy" people seem to think I want to eat more. AND because it's Christmas and they were nice enough to have me over for dinner I have to eat everything they give me ...just to be polite ;) But seriously, am I the only one that has been in this situation? I think not. I was so full that I felt like I was going to explode.
What can I say ...it's christmas eve. I'm just trying to maintain. Tomorrow is Christmas and I think I am doomed.

Day 32: Dedication

I slept until about noon today because I had to work last night and then worked again all afternoon. I had been eating well all day until I went back to the office for a little Christmas party. Needless to say there was no healthy food and yes I did indulge in some treats. When I got home I passed right out. Crap food just makes me feel like garbage and I decided to drag myself into the gym ...even thought it was 12:00 at night. I stayed until 2am busting my ass until I felt sick and I hope now to use this experience as a reminder that nothing tastes and fit and healthy feels.
Gym again tomorrow and/or maybe some hockey.

Day 31: Pain In The Butt

Literally. I am so sore from play hockey yesterday that I can harly move today. I'm going to take it easy and rest. Not so much because of the muscle pain, I am having really bad knee pain too. That concerns me a little and I don't want to push it. I have to work a night shift anyhow, so I'll need some time to chillout.
Lets rock tomorrow.

Day 30: Back To My Roots

Things are a little slow around the office these days with the upcoming holiday so I looked up the shinny schedule at a local arena and hit the ice. When I stopped playing hockey I weighed about 190 lbs and I had a ton of energy. Today I was completely wiped after just the warm-up!
I would love it if I could play for a team again and compete at a level that I used to play at. If I keep it up I could possibly play for a team next year and that would totally rock! I smell a beginning of a new goal :)

Bed time and gym in the morning. Feeling great!

Day 29: Step By Step ...ooohh baby!

I know I keep talking about doing the stairs, but man does it work! I remember the first time I did them I felt like I my heart was going to explode and now it only feels like a mild heart attack, lol.
Keep on keepin on.

Day 28: Starting All Over Again

I am sort of at a loss for words at the moment. I am right back where I had started. 273 lbs. I know exactly why too ...lack of focus and follow through. The whole point on this accountability thing is to make myself focus enough to follow through on my goal. Well, that hasn't been working so far and it's because of the way I act around my friends. I am motivated, but then drawn in by the temptations that got me in to this mess in the first place. The bottom line is that I have to change my habits and also who I hang out with on a regular basis. I'm sorry friends. But if you can't support me, then I'm not going to be around for a while. That's my next big lesson. Surround yourself with supporters, not enablers. I have to keep trying. I will never give up.

Day 27: I Hate To Admit

...I did nothing today. This really sucks. I hate admitting it, but it's true. I had planned on going to a run, then my friend cancelled and I spent my time Christmas shopping and working till 11pm. I hate this feeling. I don't want to have to write this again.

Day 25 and 26: Christmas Temptations

Firstly, the part 2 for my Day 24 was just going to be a follow up. I did the stairs and it hurt ...but it's getting easier.
As for Day 25, I didn't have access to a computer as I was out of town. Not much to report any way. Busy busy busy.
Day 26: Making up for yesterday and avoiding temptations ...a little.
I love this time of year. In particular, I love stuffing my face with food and feeling guilty about it by January 1st. I find I am having trouble associating pleasure to things that will get me to my goal weight. I am going to have to implement a weekly weigh in to make sure that I am staying on track. The problem with having a goal set so far away is that you never really know if you're making progress. From now on I will weigh in every Sunday and I will also take measurements too. Chest, waist and hips.
Time to hit the sack. I have an early morning run with a friend.

Day 24: Part 1

It's 8am. -10 degrees C outside and that's not including the wind chill. My shoes are on and I'm bundled up. Time to be accountable ...time to make this happen. This morning I am focusing on my goal and why I am working so hard. Time to go.

Day 23: Didn't Plan Well, But Managed

So I found myself getting caught up in work today and the next thing I knew it was 10:30pm. A little late for the gym, but I still followed through! Push-ups and sit-ups. You can't go wrong with the basics.

I'm waking up early tomorrow to hit the stairs and do some filming with my brother. The stairs are hard enough. But when you have to do several takes it really turns up the heat on the workout ...which is a good thing! I am going to get back to these early morning workouts. It's a lot tougher to get going, but I don't want to put myself in a situation where I'll miss my workout. Get it done in the morning so you can rock and roll all day long.

Day 22: Rain or Shine, but I didn't say anything about snow

With a packed schedule today I decided to focus on getting some more real estate business before Christmas and thus did not work out today. I did eat well though! After waking up and seeing all the snow this morning I realized that the next 4 or 5 months are going to be a long haul. But I will be back at it tomorrow. I'm still on pace :)

Days 16 - 21: Rain or Shine. But First, An Apology

Well I disappeared for about a week and the apology that I would like to make is to myself. After a couple of weeks of making myself accountable I thought that maybe I didn't want to do this anymore. The thought that I might not be successful became a bigger worry for me than the pleasure that I would gain by accomplishing my goal. I think this is a common problem for most people. You get a running start at your goal and then in a couple of weeks it’s all in the past and you quit. I decided this morning that I am going to continue my blog and subsequently I am going to keep working out and eating clean. Lesson learned. You may hit a few road blocks along the way, but you have keep moving forward. I have to say, this accountability thing seems to be working. As soon as I decided to keep writing I ended up going for a run.

I woke up this morning to 0 degree weather and rain. The last thing I want to do is strap on a pair of shoes and go for a run in this kind of weather, but I knew that if I didn’t that I would have to write about how I didn’t follow through today. I meet up with a friend, Kyle, who tried to get out of this but I convinced him to drag his butt out there. Alone in the woods we tackled icy terrain and freezing cold rain, but they we no match for our determination. I am continuing my high intensity interval training (HIIT). We raced up hills and continued on until my heart felt like it was going to explode, then we walk and let my heart rate come back down to normal. Despite the conditions, we set a faster pace than last time ...even after taking a week off! Let this be a lesson if you are a quitter. DON'T QUIT! You are making progress!

That's all for today. I'll see you tomorrow ...I promise. 

Day 15: Raising The Bar

Firstly, I'm late again, lol. I have to start writing these sooner. But at least I'm still following through.

This morning I had a friend come with me for my run. Normally I don't like doing this. Especially if I'm in better shape than the other person because it just slows you down. But I went with a friend in much better shape and it resulted in a kick ass HIIT run! We ran on a path called the main circle in the Dundas Valley. It contains lots of hills, some flats to lower your heart rate and some of the most beautiful scenery around. I was really impressed with myself at how I was able to push myself harder than I have been able to in a long time. Things are starting to look up for me. My energy is increasing, my stamina too ...I'm feeling pretty good these days.

I can't wait to do it again on Wednesday :)

Day 14: A Little Rest

I've been working out every day since I started and so I thought I would give myself a day to recuperate.
I still ate clean, minus a glass of wine. I really didn't do all that much today ...it was nice. I think its healthy to slow down once in a while and, to be honest, today made me look forward to getting back at it tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning I'm doing a HIIT running session ...a HIIT and run, if you will ...
It should be fun because I'll be running on some amazing trails in Ancaster. It makes training so much easier when you're in a nice atmosphere.

Cheers, and I'll see you again tomorrow.

Day 13: Good News and Bad News

Let’s start with the bad news. CBC National is cutting me from there show this Sunday. The good news is that is because my brother did such a good job with his video that they want to do a story on me.
Now I'm not completely comfortable with being on camera. Actually, it scares me quite a bit. But ...I feel like if you don't spend your life challenging yourself and taking on your fears, then what’s the point on even living.

As for my workout, I followed through by doing the stairs and following up with a run/sprint. After my heart rate came down to a pace that it no longer felt like it was going to explode, I felt pretty good.
I also spent some time, today, experimenting with quick food recipes that I would find delicious and help me lose weight. Today was stir-fry with a hamburger patty. No oil. I am assuming that the fat in the burger is more than I need for one meal, and I added a bowl full of mixed, fresh veggies. The verdict ...delicious!

I know I'm not doing things perfectly at the moment, but I'm working towards it. One step at a time baby!

Day 12: Giving it my all

I'm really starting to turn up the intensity in my training. So much so that when I came home to blog I fell asleep at my computer, lol. It's 8am now and I am just getting ready to start the process over again.

There is always time. If i can work the hours that I do, commit time to my fiancé and workout then anyone can. My schedule consisted of showing houses, listing a property, signing an offer on another, searching for properties for clients driving all over town with the temptations of fast-food at every corner, taking lunch to my good looking fiancé at her work and going for a run (HIIT) and running the stairs at the escarpment only to have enough energy to write the only the title of this blog before passing out and finishing it this morning.

I'd say I am giving it my all ...or am I? Let’s try harder today.
I'm going to work out more today, spend more time with Sarah and be more effective at my job so that maybe I'll have time in my life for other important things.

Goal writing day! Not just my weight, as I started out with. It’s time for more specific goals about everything in my life. I will share those with you asap.

Day 11: Keep on Keepin' on

Remember a couple of days ago when I said working out in the morning makes me feel better ...what a lie that turned out to be today. I did my run this morning in the freezing cold. It was raining with a mixture of snow and I was moving like molasses. I'm sure the benefits are going too far outweigh the negatives, but I am really going to have to work hard at it.

Let’s do a recap of everything that I am doing so far. Planning my meal (trying. I haven't been on top of it every day, mainly because I keep running out of food), visualization and HIIT (high intensity interval training). Although this morning HIIT was more like OMMS (old man moving slowly). My goal is to stay consistent with this for a week and then evaluate my progress.

Let’s see how I feel tomorrow. Maybe I'll visualize myself enjoying my work out tomorrow morning ...riiiight.