Let’s see.  I’ve been doing a pretty good job.  I’m drinking my water and getting plenty of exercise.  On the food front – I’m still eating a bit more than I should, but I’m not really stressing.

I’ve managed to lose about 8 pounds, which isn’t bad considering how busy I’ve been.

I bounce back-and-forth between being “super into” dieting – and then just “kinda into” dieting.

Right now, I’ve got a super-duper-exciting project that I’m working on, so that’s keeping me very, very busy.  Instead of going to the gym, I’m getting tons of exercise, working (out and around) the house.

I’m REALLY digging my calorie counter – it helps me stay focused and motivated.

Honestly, I don’t really have a lot to blog about.  Life is good, the weight is coming off (little by little), and I have some very exciting things I’m working on right now.  Suffice to say, 2010 is looking like a much better year (all around) than 2009.

I hope you all are having an awesome 2010.  You rock!

One side-benefit of the cold weather – I’m just not that hungry.  I don’t know why, but I just don’t like to eat that much during winter months.  During the summer – man, that’s the time to pig-out.  When it’s cold, I’d prefer to just relax and try to stay warm.

I’m doing much better on my eating plan.  I’ve really enjoyed the past few days at the gym.  It feels so good to be back “in the groove”.  Next weigh in will be Monday, and I feel pretty confident that I’ve lost a couple of pounds.

I hope 2010 has started off well for you and yours.  Rock on.

I’m back from the gym – and I had a great workout.  Let me rephrase that.  I had an awesome workout – mainly because I actually had a workout.

It’s been a while since I really hit it hard at the gym, and it felt good to work my arms, do some stretches, and get in a good 30 minutes on the “treader”.  It’s a little depressing, realizing that I’m not in the same shape I was in this time last year, but there’s nothing I can do about yesterday – I can only focus on today – and prepare for tomorrow.

I did pretty well on my diet, except for the fact that I ate a bit more than I had planned.  The kids are heading back to school tomorrow, so I should be able to get back into a normal “groove” and schedule.

2010 is already feeling 50 times more positive than did 2009.  I don’t know what it was, but 2009 was just so….. something.  Anyway.  Onward and upward we must travel.

I’ve been very, very busy the past three or four days, and it felt great to be back in the gym.  Even if the exercising didn’t help me lose weight (which it does, when I actually stick to it), it always makes me feel better.  A good run or workout might be God’s natural anti-depressant.  Rock on.

1.  I will drink 12 to 16 cups of water per day.

2.  I will eat lean meats, fresh vegetables, eggs, nuts, and fruit.

3.  I will limit my portions.

4.  I will eat between 1800 and 2200 calories per day.

5.  I will go to the gym, regularly.  (My goal?  I’d like to go every day that the gym is open.)

That’s it, that’s the plan.

My goal?  I’d like to lose 100 pounds by October 10, 2010.

Things to avoid -

I’m going to do my very best to avoid – bread, starchy foods, fast food, and sodas.  I also plan to cut back on my consumption of salt and salted foods.

My goal is to lose 100 pounds by October 10.

I have 283 more days to reach my goal.

As of this morning, I have lost a total of 2.8 pounds.

If I am to reach my goal, I need to lose an average of .35 pounds per day.

After three full days, my average weight loss, per day, is .93 pounds.

For the past two days, I did a great job of staying on plan.  My goal is to eat “real foods” in reasonable portions.  I did eat some popcorn last night, and I didn’t like how it made me feel, so I’ll probably avoid it from now on.  I’ve been eating lean meats, vegetables, and fruits.

On Tuesday, I managed to drink my full 14 cups of water, and on Wednesday I drank (at least) 14 cups.  Replacing soda with water feels like a very smart decision.

If you want to keep track of my progress, feel free to subscribe (via rss or free daily email) to No. Calories Needed.  Also, don’t forget to follow me, over at Twitter.

My goal is to lose 100 pounds by October 10.

I have 285 more days to reach my goal.

As of this morning, I have lost a total of 1.8 pounds.

If I am to reach my goal, I need to lose an average of .35 pounds per day.

After one full day, my average weight loss, per day, is 1.8 pounds.

Yesterday, I did a great job of staying with my meal plan.  At present, I am simply eating “real foods” in small portions.  I will begin a full-on weigh / measure / calculate “diet” on January 1, but right now, I am simply focusing on lean meats, lots of vegetables, and fresh fruit.

I managed to drink 15 cups of water yesterday and I avoided sodas and caffeine.

Water -

According to the Mayo Clinic, the average adult needs between 2 and 3 liters of water, per day, to stay hydrated.  This includes plain water and water that is contained in various foods.  This water consumption calculator over at About:Nutrition suggests that, for someone my weight who plans to workout / exercise 90 minutes per day, I need as much as 4 liters of water per day.  Other articles I’ve read suggest 8 cups of water per day, plus an additional cup for each 25 pounds that a person is “over their desired weight”.  For me, that would mean 8 cups + 4 cups, or 12 cups of water per day.  12 cups equal 96 ounces.

A liter is equal (roughly) to 33.5 ounces.  So, it looks like I need to drink between 3 and 4 liters of water each day.  That’s between 12 and 16 cups of water.  Knowing my proclivity to eat a bit more sodium than I should, I’m going to shoot for 14 cups of water, per day.

Drinking this much water means that I will not have room for other “drinks”.  I am (once again) giving up sodas (and caffeine).  Frankly, I’ve grown tired of how sodas make me feel, and I’m actually looking forward to going water-only again.

If you want to keep track of my progress, feel free to subscribe (via rss or free daily email) to No. Calories Needed.  Also, don’t forget to follow me, over at Twitter.  Finally, if you are looking to ask or answer questions about weight loss, head over to a brand new site, Slimmify.  Be one of the first to sign up and learn more about this exciting new site.  Rock on.

Please note – I will also count “water” from other sources, such as fruits and vegetables.  Too much water can be dangerous, so I will not go crazy.  I’ll simply replace the soda / tea / coffee that I used to drink with water, and hydrate before and after exercise.  I am not a physician, nor do I play one on the internet, so do your own research to determine what you should eat or drink.

I feel like 2009 was the “year that could have been”.  I had two kidney stones, one of which required surgery, I was sick several times, and I really got frustrated when my weight loss stopped, slowed, and then started to reverse.  I’ll be flat honest.  I’m ready to get this year behind me, clear the slate, and move towards 2010.

However, there’s no sense in waiting on a “date on the calendar” to actually start “attempt #4,859″ to get in shape.  I’m headed to the gym this morning, in attempt to create a more “scheduled” lifestyle.  In the past, I’d workout in the afternoon – which gave me plenty of time, during the day, to eat the wrong things, convince myself that I had blown it for that day, and then just skip the gym.  So, today, it’s gym-time at 5:00 AM.  I’m going to hit the treader, work arms, and then swim some laps.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Rock on!

It’s been a while since I posted, but I’ve been plugging away.  I find that it’s important that I go the gym, as often as I can, even when I don’t, initially, feel like it.  Every time that I fight through the urge to stay home and just go, I always feel better.  Doing what is best for my body – or my soul – or my spirit – or my finances – isn’t always easy, but it is always rewarding.

Sorry for the delay in posting.  As I mentioned over at No Credit Needed, life’s been a little hectic.  Things have calmed a bit, all is well, and I’m back to posting.  Rock on, my weight loss pals, rock on!

My wife and the kids went back to school and I was at back at work today.  Man, it’s amazing how weak I can be when I don’t have my wife encouraging me to cook and eat healthy foods.

I don’t guess that I did all that bad, but I did eat a candy bar and some potato ships.  Why?  Well, they were just “in the house” – and I was just too lazy to go to the store and buy something better to eat.  Ridiculous.

I did manage to get in some exercise, but according to my new GoWear Fit armband, I still managed to eat more calories than I have burned.  It’s 8:35 PM, right now, and what I REALLY need to do is get up off of my behind and go for a quick 2 mile walk.  In fact, that’s EXACTLY what I am GOING to do.

My man MBH from over at Deflabbify and I have agreed to hold each other accountable.  Check out his site, tell him NCN sent you, and give him some encouragement.

Now, where DID I put those running shoes?  Oh, there they are.  Let’s go!

GoWear Fit Armband -

The armband fits around the left bicep.  Throughout the day, it monitors your physical activity.  It records, among other things -

• Calories burned
• Steps taken
• Sleep duration
• Physical activity

GoWear fit Display Device -

The display device is fits on the wrist and looks like a watch.  (You can also clip it to your pocket or belt.) Once you sync it with the armband, it will report -

• Calories burned today, yesterday, and for a specific “trip”
• Steps taken today, yesterday, and for a specific “trip”
• Activity time at both moderate and vigorous levels
• Time of day

GoWear Fit Website featuring Lifestyle and Calorie Management System -

Using the included USB cord, users connect the armband to the GoWear Fit website.  Information from the armband is uploaded to the site.  The site graphs calories burned, calories consumed, steps taken, time at moderate or aggressive activity, and much more.  Users can enter foods eaten, throughout the day, and the system will report either a caloric deficit or caloric surplus.  The armband will also track certain goals, such as steps-throughout-the-day or time spent in moderate-activity.  It really is an amazing system.  The GoWear Fit site requires a monthly subscription to use.

If you were wondering, the GoWear Fit is very similar to the BodyBugg device that is used on The Biggest Loser.

Pros -

• The information about calories burned and steps taken is presented in a very easy-to-understand way.
• The armband is relatively comfortable and after a day or two, I can barely feel it on my arm.
• The display device just looks like a regular watch, not some big-bulky electronic device.
• The armband, once fully-charged, will hold it’s charge for several days and retain stats for more than a week.
• I love, love, love the fact that I can track several goals, including steps and activity level.

Cons -

• I really wish the device included a heart-rate monitor.
• Browser support for the Mac is somewhat limited.
• Initially, the software is setup to “average” calories over a three-day period.  You can change that, and record your actual calories eaten for each meal / day.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m really loving the device.  Now, my goal is to wear it, eat fewer calories than I burn, and lose that 100 pounds!  Next week, I’ll take some screen-shots of my progress and share them with you.

The links to the GoWear Fit Lifestyle and Calorie Management System and the GoWear fit Display Device, are affiliate links.  In other words, if you click them and make a purchase, I’ll get a commission from Amazon.  I do not, however, have any business relationship with GoWear Fit.  If you purchase the system through Amazon, you’ll receive a free three month subscription to the GoWear Fit website, provided you sign up for a subscription plan through GoWear Fit.

When I got home, the kids were clamoring to go to the local park, so I took them.  They spent about 30 minutes playing on the slides and swings while I walked an additional 2 miles.

My wife cooked some chicken breasts in the oven and we ate those with some beans and some fresh fruit.  I did have one diet soda, but that’s better than the dozen-or-so that I used to drink.  I also had 10 glasses of water, which always makes me feel better.

Tomorrow, I have busy day planned.  I’m pumped, ready to do this thing, and glad to be in a good head-space.  Weight loss rocks!

According to my GoWear Fit armband, I have burned 3500 calories today, and it’s only 8 PM.  Yes!

I had a great day today, calorie-burning wise.  According to the GoWear Fit armband that I’m now wearing, I have burned over 4,500 calories today!  This is awesome – even if the device is “off” by a couple hundred calories – that’s still a lot of calories burned!

I’ve gone to the grocery store and stocked-up on healthy foods.  I’m going to use a modified low-carb diet – eating lots of lean meats, nuts, green vegetables, and fresh fruits.

If you’ve been reading this site for even a little while, you know I’m prone to “starting over”.  Well, I was motivated by a recent post over at ManVsFat.  So, here I go.  I’m going to give this thing an honest and open try.  Will it work.  Only time will tell.  All I can say is, I have the information, I have the platform to tell my story, and I now have some added motivation.

My goal is 100 pounds.  I’m 5 feet 8 inches tall.  If I reach my goal, I’ll weight 155 pounds.  That’s what I weighed when I graduated high school.  Can I do it?  We shall see.

No more excuses.  No more whining.  Time to get serious.

Rock on.

Starting weight (10-11-2009) – 255 pounds

In my last post, I discussed my desire to abandon the scale and just focus on healthy choices.  Well, if I’m going to use the GoWear Fit System, I’m going to need to have regular weigh ins.  So, I’ll weigh myself each Monday.

Here’s how the system works -

I wear the GoWear Fit armband on my left arm.  Throughout the day, it records the number of calories that I’m burning.  It stores several days worth of information.  Every other day or so, I connect the armband to my computer, log in to the GoWear Fit website and log into my account.  While logged in, I can enter details about how many calories I’ve consumed during a particular day.

The website will calculate my caloric intake and report whether or not I’ve achieved a caloric deficit or a caloric excess.  Presumably, if I consume fewer calories than I burn during a given time period, I should lose weight.  On the other hand, if I consume more calories than I burn, I should gain weight.

I’ll have a more thorough review, with pictures, on Monday – but I want a to spend a few days using the device before I write my full review.  At first blush, however, this is an amazing product.

The links to the GoWear Fit Lifestyle and Calorie Management System and the GoWear fit Display Device, are affiliate links.  In other words, if you click them and make a purchase, I’ll get a commission from Amazon.  I do not, however, have any business relationship with GoWear Fit.

Every single time that I stop eating junk and focus on eating real food – I feel so much better and I find that I’m not really hungry.

It’s been more than a week since I had junk food.  Instead, I’ve been eating lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and some lean meats.  I’ve been down this same road dozens of times, but I’m always amazed at how much better I feel when I get rid of the junk and just eat real food.

Usually, this is the point where I head to the gym and just kill myself on the treadmill.  This time, I’m going to try something just a little different.  I’m just going to focus on my eating, spend some time playing outside with the kids – and slowly work in some exercise.  Again, my goal is to avoid “feeling like I’m on a diet” – and just live.

I’m not going to weigh myself, anymore.

I was watching a commercial today.  I’m not sure, but I think it was for some weight loss product.  Anyway, I noticed that the folks in the commercial were throwing their scales out.  It struck me – that’s what I should do.

Even when I’m losing weight, the scale always depresses me.  Seriously, I’ve weighed myself, several times a month, since I was 12 years old.  And I’m tired.  I’m tired of worrying about “the number”.  Heck, I’m tired of seeing “the number” go down, feeling elated – and them immediately thinking, “Oh, now I have to be even LOWER tomorrow”.

I’ve starved myself because of the “the number”.

I’ve eaten like a fool because of “the number”.

I’ve been frustrated by “the number”.

I’ve been appalled by “the number”.

Now, I’m down with “the number”.

Instead of worrying about how much I weigh, I’m going to enjoy my life – and work very, very hard to just be healthy.

I’ll know if I’m losing weight.  I’ll know if I’m gaining muscles.  I’ll know how I’m doing – and I will no longer be bound to that square foot of self-image determiner.

As a concession to the No. Calories Needed site, I will weigh myself, once a year, on December 31st.  Other than that, I’m done.

Seriously, I’m done.

Whew.  I legit feel better.

By the way, I haven’t eaten a single piece of junk food this week – and I’ve spent several hours playing football with my son and working outside.  See.  I don’t need no stinking scale.  Rock on!

It’s amazing how much better I feel when I avoid junk food, wheat-based foods, and starches.  Note to self – REMEMBER HOW YOU FEEL TODAY!

I didn’t get to go to the gym, but I DID spend some awesome time with my son, playing a game of football in the front yard.  I’ve also signed up toe be his flag football coach.  Yikes!

I’m not going to make dieting my number 1 priority, as I have in the past.  Instead, I’m just going to focus on living – and finding small ways to improve my health.  Obsessing about food (when eating it or avoiding it) just isn’t healthy.  Instead, I’m just going to fill my days with stuff to do, and find other things to do with my time than eat junk.

I have decided to avoid the scale, at least for this week.  I know how I am, and if my weight is as high as I think it is, I’ll just get depressed.  So, I’m just going to eat the right foods, get some exercise, drink my water, and I’ll weigh in when I’m ready.

I’m looking forward to hitting the track this evening.  My daughter has gymnastics, the weather is nice, so it should be a great day for a little jogging.  I’m a LONG way from where I was back in March, but I have to start somewhere.

Blogging here, each day, even if I don’t have much to say, keeps me accountable.  So, I’ll continue.  Thanks for stopping by.

I’ve been sick, on and off, for the better part of four weeks.  It’s been almost two months since I last wrote an article here at No. Calories.  I wish I had a better excuse / reason, but the truth is, I just haven’t felt well.  My kids have been sick, my wife has been sick, and I’ve been sick.  Thankfully, we are feeling better.

It looks like I’m going to have to start over with my weight loss.  I haven’t been to the gym in a long time and I’ve been eating a lot of comfort food.

I woke up this morning, had some scrambled eggs and a few turkey sausage links.  At lunch, I had a salad with some lettuce, dill pickles, a couple slices of turkey bacon, and some cashews.  I’ve once again ditched the soft drinks and I’ve had six glasses of water.

Tomorrow, I’ll head to the store to stock up on some healthy food and I’ll hit the gym.  Tonight, after church, I’ll go for a walk on the treadmill, for a bit of exercise.

I hope you all have been doing well.

If you would like to stay up to date with my weight loss efforts, be sure to subscribe to No. Calories Needed.

You can subscribe via RSS or free email.

I’ll dare to step on a scale Monday.

It’s always difficult for me to figure out how to have a successful eating day.  My struggle usually begins with breakfast.  See, once I start eating, I want to continue eating.  So, I tend to avoid breakfast.  Of course, that’s ridiculous, and usually leads to me eating a massive lunch.  Then, the massive lunch leads to sluggishness, which leads to snacking, which leads to….

You get the picture.  It’s super-hard for me to get started eating, and then eat sensibly throughout the day.

I’ve tried high-carb for breakfast, low-carb for breakfast, fruits, cereals, oatmeal, protein, fat…  In other words, I’ve tried every single combination of foods that I can imagine.  And, still, once I’ve started to eat, I want to continue to eat.  (Please note – As evidenced on this very site, I can, for a couple of months or so, control my eating, but then I lose resolve and return to bad habits.  It’s ridiculous, but, hey, I wouldn’t have the site in the first place if I was good at this stuff.)

That’s it.  That’s the post.  I’d love to have some insight or some thoughts on how I’ve solved my “breakfast issue”, but I really don’t have any.  Instead, I’m going to go eat an apple, a few cashews, and drink a big glass of water.  Hopefully, this will be enough to satisfy me until lunch, and then I’ll go from there.  Step by step, choice by choice.

With all of the medication and fluids that I’ve had pumped into my body, I’ve gained almost 1o pounds.  My wife is pretty sure that my weight gain, which began about three months ago, started right around the time I started to complain about “lower back pain”.  Come to find out, it was probably the kidney stone.  Hopefully, now that the stone is gone, I’ll feel better, and be able to re-start my weight loss journey Monday.  Thanks for the prayers.  Rock on.

Back in March, when I was really doing well with my weight loss, my Dad came to visit me and help me do some work around the house.  The first morning he was here, I awoke with a terrible pain in my abdomen.  I went to the doctor, and he gave me some pain medications, and warned that I might have a kidney stone.

I took the medication, and after a couple of days, I felt much better.  So, I figured that I either passed the stone, or that there was no stone in the first place.  (I’ve never had a kidney stone, so I really didn’t know how one would feel.)

Since March, as you can see here at the blog, I’ve gone ‘backwards” with my weight loss and exercise routines.  I chalked this digression up to my usual pattern – lose weight, get excited, go back to bad habits, gain weight, repeat.  But this time, I felt different.  I really wanted to exercise, but I’ve felt SO lethargic.  And, I’ve been dealing with a constant “low-level” pain in my groin.

Sunday morning, I awoke to the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt.  Long story short, I have a kidney stone, and I may have to undergo some sort of procedure to remove it.  I’m headed to a Urologist today.  I’m a little nervous, but I am pleased that the “lethargy” and “low level of discomfort” were not simply in my head.  Now, hopefully I can deal with this stone, and move forward with my weight loss.

It’s been a few days, and I’m sure I’ll be a little rusty, but I can hardly wait for the way I’ll feel when I’m finished.

I hope you dig the site re-design.  I’m still working on it, but I’m kinda digging it.  I missed the old green.

I have decided to skip all weigh ins for the month of July.  Instead, I will focus on exercising and healthy eating.

Oh, and it’s 100 degrees here.  Hot, hot, hot.

I’ve stopped losing weight.  In fact, I’ve gained and re-lost the same 10 pounds, over and over, for the past three months.  My body, instead of getting smaller, has entered into a strange stasis, and refuses to change.

I’ve altered a lot of my eating habits, I’m still exercising, and I feel much better than I did this time last year.  These are the positives.

It’s VERY hard for me to maintain weight loss, and I seem to gain weight MUCH faster than I lose it.  These are the negatives.

I’m still plugging along, trying to eat right, and enjoying my time at the gym.  It gets a little frustrating, but I just KNOW, that at some point, the weight loss will pick up, my body will give in to the work I’m doing, and I’ll see some more progress.

Thanks for hanging around.  I hope you are all doing well.  Rock on.

My wife is home for the summer, and we are going to start walking each evening.  It’s always enjoyable to to have her with me for my walks / runs, and it will be good to get into a routine.  I’ve missed the gym / track, and I honestly can’t wait to hit the leg press tomorrow.

I hope you all have been well.  We had a blast, and now I’m relaxed and ready for a very busy summer.  Rock on.

I’ll have a weigh in on Monday, and we’ll see how my renewed hard work has paid off, so far.  I hope to be back down, below 233, but who knows.

Just wanted to check in, and I should have more over the next few days.

I am thankful for those who have visited the site, left comments, and encouraged me.

I have also decided to stop writing new articles for my other sites.  I will no longer be “a blogger”.

Thank you again for your support.

-NCN

I’m back to 235.6.

When I started in September, I was at 252.2.

I’ve lost a total of 16.7 pounds.

It feels good to lose weight, even if I am still several pounds above my “low” of a few months ago.  I had some great workouts last week, and I did much better with my eating.

Sunday, I started feeling a little sick, and I think I may have had a “mild” virus.  I’m not sure what was going on, but I just didn’t feel like working out Monday.  I feel much better today, and I’m really ready to get back into the gym.

I can’t believe I quit focusing on my exercise for almost a month.  Sure, I was going to the gym, but I was just “there”.  Yesterday and today, I “busted it.”  Man, I’m tired, but it’s a “good” tired.

I’m pretty sure I’ll sleep like a baby.  For the past two days, I have rocked.

I avoided all sugars and starches, drank plenty of water, and followed my eating plan.

I also went to the gym, hit all of the machines, and then did high impact interval training for twenty minutes.  Later, in the evening, I walked three miles.  (I actually used my cars GPS, which is removable, to plot out a half-mile “track” around my house.  Now, when I want to walk, I can just walk here, instead of going to the track.)

Alright, time to go to the gym.  Rock on.