Day 21

Old weight: 269 lbs.
New Weight: 275 lbs.
+6 Pounds

So I new it was going to happen, after a week of Hawaii and a week of eating this is what the outcome is. Today I ate pretty well, I did have a burrito, but it was probably a little healthy. Oatmeal is BACK! Bought my books at Cabrillo today, $500 later I was able to leave. Okay guys I’ll write soon.

Day 20

It’s Sunday and I am going to restart my dieting and exercising this Monday, which is tomorrow. I am planning on working a lot this week, and I need to get my books for Cabrillo. Maybe I’ll get my books when I go to a review course for ENG 1A. I received a check yesterday for $500, it was from a scolarship I was chosen for. I still need to talk to my brother about a running program and weightlifting schedule. Talk to you guys tomorrow after I weigh in.

Day 18

So I got back from Hawaii a couple days ago and I’m eating like normal. Normal being like crazy, I’ve eaten so much food lately and I hate myself for doing it. I skipped a weigh in Monday because I was on vacation, which means I’ll weigh in this upcoming Monday. I feel kind of bad starting my journey one week before I went on vacation, it was as if I was setting myself up to fail in the beggining. Starting Monday I’m going to be back on track, I promise. Before I went to Hawaii I started eating oatmeal every morning and I can’t tell you how good it is for keeping my stomach full all morning.

There are a lot of things I need to learn before I really lose weight, and one of them is to run. I’ve heard that running is very good for you and speeds up weight loss. Since I’m home and I can think long term eating and excerise habits, it’s time for me to sit down and come up with a weekly routine. When I got to Hawaii my friend Dan said I looked skinnier and yesterday my Mom was asking if I was losing weight. Comments like those will be like stones, stones layed down as I walk on my path, my path to become healthy.

School starts in a little over a week and I’m kinda nervous, luckily I took a few college classes when I was in high school so it won’t be a huge step. It’s going to be hard juggling school, work, and time to workout. I want to do my best in school, make enough money to be happy, and be healthy, it’s going to be interesting how things work out. I think I’ll buy my books next week, hopefully I won’t have to spend a lot of money. Tonight I’m going out to dinner with some good friends that I gew up with, should I get the steak, mashed potatoes, string bings? Or maybe the grilled chicken salad? Healthy or not Healthy? THAT IS THE QUESTION! My mom put this quote on the fridge and I think I’m going to put it on my bathroom mirror. “What you eat is entirely up to you!” So perfect don’t you think? All right, I better go, have some stuff to do before I leave, I’ll probably write tomorrow.

Don’t know what day!

So I got back from Hawaii a couple days ago and I’m really tired. Unfortutetly I ate a lot on the trip and probably gained some weight. I went ziplining and it was really fun. The plane ride was great. We actually flew business clas instead of coach. Even though I fit in coac just fine. All right guys, I’m not feeling so good and I need some rest. ttyl

Day 8

August 13th, 2007

Starting Weight: 271 lbs.
Week 1: -2 lbs.
New Weight: 269 lbs.

Even though I went on vacation and had a hard time sticking with my diet, I still was able to lose some weight. Feels pretty good to have lost 2 pounds, trying to begin to realize that is only the beginning. I’m off the Hawaii for a week and I plan on eating well, I’ll try to get those vegies into my diet. Leave today at 1:00pm, might not write until I come home on the 20th. Hope everyone has a great week.

Day 7

August 12th, 2007

Today I went on a hike in Fall Creek and had a shocking time. So as I was on my merry way, minding my own business, and by chance I was stung by a wasp! It actually got entangled in my hair and stung me several times. It was kinda embarrising, a woman and her baby watched me frantically pick at my hair. I did meet a nice young couple and we talked for awhile, good company to hike with. So now I’m home sitting on my deck loving the cool breeze, it can get pretty hot here. Tonight we are having a steak dinner with mashed potatoes and asparagus, not to healthy:( Tonight I’m off to K Mart to pick up a few things before I go to Hawaii tomorrow, I can’t wait! Losing weight is hard and sometimes I feel like I might quite and live the rest of my life being fat. But then I go to this site on youtube called losetogain. He’s an awesome dude who has a lot of motivation and advice about losing weight. He used to weigh something like 475 lbs., now’s he’s like 240, that’s pretty cool. Can’t weight until my weigh in tomorrow morning.

Day 6

August 11th, 2007

Even though it’s not a typical day I write, I wanted to tell everyone that I did something today that I haven’t done since I was 12. I went of a hike in fall creek via the creek. It was a lot of fun, and I totally fell on my ass like 3 times. Today was also my last day at the bank. I’ll miss my coworkers so much! All right, back to having a great weekend, and Monday I leave for Hawaii.

Day 5

August 10th, 2007

So I usually write at night, but I thought I’d do it before I go off to work. I went on a small vacation on Tues and Wed and ate a lot of food. Like, a lot of food. I heard from other peoples blogs that they sometimes have a cheat day. Well, I don’t think I can have one of those, ever. Sacramento was awesome, got to see the capital building and have a chance to enter the govenor’s office.

I think I need to go shopping with my mom so I can get some healthy food that I can eat when I’m hungry. What’s really hard is that my family has a lot of junk food around, a lot of chips, soda, and candy. I need an alternative!

All right, I’ll keep it short, have to leave in just a minute. I’m trying to lose weight and it’s fricken hard! Have any advice? leave me a comment.

Day 1

8/6/07

Weight: 271 lbs. -First Weigh In-

Today was pretty interesting, I had a lot of oppurtunities to screw everything up. My friends bought soda and I got 0 cal flavored water instead. Let me tell you, saying “NO” to Mr. Jones Soda was pretty hard. I did eat red meat today, probably shouldn’t have. This morning I ate oatmeal with a spoon full of brown sugar. I could only eat about 1/3 cup before I started to get full. I think thats going to be my new everyday morning breakfast.

Dinner was a little hard, ate some cheese with crackers for appetizers, then ate some BBQ chicken. My mom makes ths really good potato salad and I hardly ate any of it. Cooked carrots was okay, I guess I’ll have to get used to them. That potato salad probably has a million calories. I promised myself that I won’t eat anything after 8:00pm. I will only drink water and possibly, I said possibly a piece of fruit.

As for excersing, I did go for a walk today after work and a haircut. Went to Quail Hallow Ranch, it was pretty cool, never did break a sweat. At least I did something else besides chilling on my computer while laying on my bed eating potato chips and eating candy. I think I’m going to do more research online and develop a daily routine.

All right, tomorrow and the next day I will be out of town in Sacramento. I think eating out will be difficult, but I’ll manage. Okay guys, I’m off to watch the tv show Monk. Be back on Friday!

The Night Before I Begin

8/5/07

Hi guys! My name is Mark and I weigh 271 lbs. Thats right, 271 lbs! I’m 18 years old and tomorrow I will begin my biggest journey. My journey to weight loss, my journey to health, my journey to a longer life. My plan is to use this blog as a place where I can write my thoughts and record my progress.

My weight has always been an issue for me. I grew up being a depressed little brat who took out his anger by eating. In junior high I dredded the day we had to run the timed mile, I can’t even explain the anxiety. I had an awesome P.E. teacher who worked with me and helped me improve my overall health, the problem was that I didn’t have her the following year and fell back to eating.

Freshman year in high school I started going to weightwatchers with my mom who was also trying to lose weight. Weightwatchers taught me a lot about eating healthy and how to eat to lose weight. I lost around 10 lbs, then I had the flu, lost another 10 lbs and gained it all back 4 weeks later. I quit the program the following week, should have stuck with it.

Freshman and sophmore year in highschool I really tried to focus on excerising in PE. I was able to run a mile without stopping and played all sorts of sports with hardly any trouble. Even though I weighed 275 lbs. My weight training class was awesome and I really enjoyed having a teacher who loved to help his students with their health. I made a lot of improvements in that class. My first day I maxed my bench at 115 lbs. The last day of school I was at 195 lbs. First mile run was almost 15 min., everyone was waiting for me, how embarrissing. Last day my time was 12 min. My good friend Joey ran the mile with the first half of the class and then ran it again with me in the second group. I owe a lot to Joey for my success, he was a great motivator. I still weighed 275 lbs. I’m totally over being fat!

It’s only been recent that I’ve been having anxiety about being able to sit comfortably in the theatre, in a plane, and in my car. In a week I’m going to Hawaii and I’m nervous about the plane ride. Hey, I’m a big guy okay! My friend signed me up for ziplining and the weight limit is 280 lbs. Thats almost what I weigh now! I’m so nervous that I won’t fit in the harness, and they’ll send us home. Screw it though, I’m going to try, I hate being afraid. I haven’t swam in a pool for a year because I feel bad about my body. I live 6 miles from the beach and I haven’t been in the ocean for years. What have I become? I get nervous when my friends ask me to play bball after school, I can barely keep up with the other kids. That’s over, I’m done being affraid, I want to live my life! Stop telling me what I can’t do!

Tomorrow I am going to start the biggest, longest, and hardest journey in my life. I am going to lose weight! By exercising, and eating right I plan on losing weight, and gaining back my life. The following are the measurements of my body.

8/5/2007 – The Night Before I Begin My Journey

Body Measurements

Left

Ankle – 10.5″
Calf – 20″
Thigh – 33″
Wrist – 7.5″
Forearm – 12.5″
Bicep – 16.5″

Right

Ankle – 11″
Calf – 20″
Thigh – 33″
Wrist – 7.5″
Forearm – 12.5″
Bicep – 16.75″

Waist – 48.5″
Tummy/Gut – 52.5″
Chest – 48″
Neck – 16″

Beginning Weight: 271 lbs.
First Goal: 260 lbs.
Final goal: 180 lbs.

I plan on analyzing what I am eating and beginning a self-made diet program. Weightwatchers will be a big influence! I plan on getting off my ass and start getting active. Sometime soon I’m going to go pick up my weight bench from my friends house and get it set up downstairs in the garage. I’m going to buy DDR and dance like a crazy obese guy trying to lose weight! I’m going to start a running program that my older brother is going to give me. He’s a crazy skinny dude who participates marathons and triathalons, he’s going to be a big suporter. That reminds me, I’m the only one in my family who is overweight. I’ll buy a scale and keep it in the bathroom. I’ll weigh myself every week, every Monday morning between 6:00 and 8:00. I’ll blog every Monday, and Friday, keeping everyone updated.

Please wish me the best of luck!