Week 1 Day 1 Begins

I was excited to start my workout. I had told myself that I would start January 2 and that's exactly what I did. I took a before picture which I hope will motivate myself. I remember how great it felt to lose all that weight (about 30 lbs) between March to September 2011. I still remember how many people told me I looked good. I felt good to and that's what is important. I felt so much better when I was exercising and losing weight.

When I started in March 2011, I was right at about 235 edging in on 240 which was the most I have ever weighed. Back in March, I decided it was time for a change. I knew I had problems when it was difficult to bend over to tie my shoes or get winded walking up a flight of stairs. I started running just for the exercise... I never thought I would actually enjoy running and doing 5K races. I ran in three 5K races in 2011 and I enjoyed each one. Each one helped to motivate me to the next one. Well, that is not exactly true as the last one (in September) I lost all motivation after running that race. I initially thought it would be only short-term and I would start running again. I quickly learned that my thought process had completely changed and that I did not care what I ate, drank, or the fact that I was not exercising at all. How quickly the pounds came back on and back on my belly.

To help to motivate, I decided I would post a front and side view picture. Ah yes, my belly is back and almost to the point where I can rest a can bottle on it. I can feel it when putting on shirts that were before previously fitting very nicely. I felt good and people were telling me I looked good.

While I do plan to post a blog update at least weekly, if not more often, I only plan on taking the set of pictures the second of each month. The next 5K I will be running in is tentatively set for April in Kansas City. Shayne and Autumn found the event and it sounds like it will be a fun one to run in. That leaves possibly three other events for me to race in and goals to train for during the next four months.

I hope everyone has a great 2012 and I look forward to posting my updates through the year on my progress. I hope that if I miss out on posting that you call me out on it and help to motivate me on this life changing routine.

If you have not used or heard of MyFitnessPal, I strongly encourage you to check it out. I can be found on the site where I keep track of what I eat and the exercise I complete by visiting http://www.myfitnesspal.com/havertyj. I would be happy to help motivate you on the site too.

Thank you!

Brief Update on my Motivation

Even though I am not dieting at the moment, I still like to check my weight on the scale. I do so probably about once a week. I remember back in September, or even October, running into people at work or elsewhere and they would tell me I look great! Have I lost weight? I would then tell them about all the running I had done and the amount of weight I had lost.

Fast forward through football tailgate season, Thanksgiving, and now into December.... I do not hear it at all anymore. Was it a motivation factor to have people tell me how great I look? Yes! It is now a little depressing to step on the scale after working so hard for so many months earlier this year to be back about where I was at when I decided a life change was needed.

I am feeling the will power and the motivation kicking in and I am going to get back down to where I was at and more. My goal this time is to break 200 lbs. That was my goal last time, but I never did make it. I got down to 203, but never broke what I was shooting for.

I think it is true that this has to be a life change and not just simply a diet. I think earlier this year when I did it, I did make it a life change. I used MyFitnessPal to track my food, exercise, and weight. I will be doing so again in January. I also plan to cut out beer, wine, etc., completely for at least the first month. After a month, I will only reward myself occasionally and not in excess. Having a beer or a glass of wine should be a reward and not the norm for hard work and losing weight.

Some might wonder why I am making January 2 my start date instead of Jan 1. Well, I know there is food and drink I will be enjoying on January 1, so I set the second as my official go live date for my life style change to kick in. I am really looking forward to it and it is everything I can do to NOT start it today.

I plan to involve weights more into my routine too along with good eating and of course jogging. I will also be looking for 5K opportunities as that gives me something to train for and compete in which helps to motivate me... Plus, I enjoy running in the 5K events.

Well, I wanted to get a few thoughts down on this Saturday morning as I was thinking about them while getting ready this morning. A hing of depression at how much weight I have gained back, but I know I opened that up by saying I would eat/drink whatever I wanted the past few months. Now, it is time to turn that around and get back into shape!

OK, so my "brief update" turned into a bit longer of a post....

The Lifestyle Changes in January

The last time I ran was back in September. The last time I cared what I ate was back in September. The last time I ran in a 5K was back in September. I had almost made it to my goal weight of being below 200 lbs. I was so close! At my lowest weigh-in, I was at 203. I could not lose those last three pounds and get under the 200 mark.

Well, fast forward to December with a half-dozen tailgate football games, parties, and various other events where I drank what I wanted to drink and ate what I wanted to eat. I have gained back about half of what I had lost. I am back to the 215-220 range.

I decided that instead of trying to get back on the running regiment prior to, or even after, Thanksgiving to Christmas, that I would simply wait until after January 1. I have set a start date of going back to the lifestyle I enjoyed which included running, eating right, and feeling so good about myself for January 1. Really, it will be January 2. Until then, I do not feel bad about eating what I want or drinking what I want.

I can tell from the new clothes that I have purchased during the past six months that I have gained a lot of weight back. New shirts that I had are fitting tighter and I am winded chasing our new puppy around the house.

Starting January 2, I will be hitting my new lifestyle change hard. Cut out liquor, start the Couch to 5K, and eating right. I am looking forward to it. What will help me further will be to have a target date set for my first 5K of 2012. I plan to have other 5K races set as well as that helps me to have something to focus on and to train for instead of simply running for the feel of it.

I intend to post a update of my progress each week and how the running is going. I believe this will help me with my progress as well. So, watch for new updates starting in January. I will include a start picture and something to aim for through the summer.

Until then, I will talk to you later. If you feel like posting some motivation, I am certainly open to it as I have struggled to get back into the swing of my diet, er, life style, since September. With drive and motivation, I will get back to that swag and feeling of looking good.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year until I post again....

Grilling and other Ramblings.... Long time Since Last Post

Well, it has been a long long time since I have posted. I had great intentions starting the grilling season. It did not turn out the way I had intended in regard to grilling. So, finally, one single steak grilled to perfection along with a simple salad and a beer. Good night of watching a movie and eating dinner. Hung out with our new puppy Oliver and missed our Carrie. Oliver and I needed some guy time though.

I had to go back and look when the last time was that I posted anything on here... It was clear back in June. Wow! That is horrible! Believe it or not, I have done a lot of grilling since June. Last weekend probably being the most cooking brats, wings, and then steaks the next night. Cooked for about 25 - 30 people. It was a blast!

Another excellent steak meal we had was back in late June when we were in New Mexico. Ah, it was so good! We ate outside and everything was cook perfectly! It went well with the wine we were having too. We love it out there, so it is always a good time.

We grilled a few times while we were in New Mexico. We did wings, steak, and a few others which escape me at the moment. Lots of good food and a fun time with friends!

The other thing that I started clear back in March, I believe was running. I loved it! During the course of the summer into the fall, I ran in a total of three 5K races. I really enjoy the feeling of running and of course dropping the pounds made me feel good too. During the time of my running, I lost a total of right around 25 pounds. It made me feel great and I look forward to the next race or run.

Well, my last time to run was back in September. I have not run since that time. The biggest reason is that we also got a new puppy. I ran in a Washburn 5K Fun Run and that day we bought a puppy. That was basically the end of my running after work. I have not minded because we love our new puppy and we are so happy to have him in our lives. (More on that later along with pictures...) But I do miss running after work and I am hoping that once he is potty trained and can just hang out, that I will once again go back to running and I will be running in more 5K races in the Spring. I do enjoy it and I cannot wait to get back in the swing of running.

The summer is basically a blur and I am still trying to get over the fact that Thanksgiving 2011 is just a week and half away. I never did listen when I was little and my parents and grand parents would tell me that time flies. Wow, does it ever! Hard to believe that the year is coming to an end.

As I mentioned, we got a puppy back in September. It was not planned at all. Our friends, Shayne and Autumn, said after we ran the 5K race at Washburn and ate breakfast that they wanted to stop by Pet Smart to check the puppies. Carrie of course was all over it and I said sure. Well, that was the start of a new relationship with us and our new family member, Oliver. Wow, he is so great! The last time I had a puppy, I was in grade school. So, I did not have to worry about training, punishing, or being a good example.

We are of course taking a lot of pictures of our new puppy. Most of those pictures can be found on Flickr with more added each week (or day). He is so cute and fun to play with that we cannot resist to take pictures and have fun with him. We do still think about, talk about, and miss our kitty Sidney [pictures]. We sometimes feel that we did not grief long enough for him, but I think he would be happy that we have a new pet in our lives that is making us happy.

One of the things that drew us into Oliver at the pet store was that his tonge sticks out sometimes and he does not even know it. Sidney would do this all the time especially after sleeping. Oliver does it too and we love it! We are so lucky to have Oliver in our lives and we hope he is happy that we are in his life.

My golf game did not happen nearly as much as I had hoped over the summer. I played probably about 10 - 12 times total this whole year. Not much at all or at least compared to last year. Funny because this year my elbow and wrist was feeling a lot better, but then I was not playing as much either.

Well, until next time, I better head to bed... or let Carrie use the computer. Maybe one day, we will have two computers in our house so we do not have to share this one computer. Might be another reason why this blog is not updated on a regular basis. Maybe one day.... At least that's the excuse I am using now.

Later....

Grilled BBQ Chicken Tenders Saturday Night

Again, I do not have any pictures from grilling last night. I think this is primarily due to the fact that after grilling I am starving and want to eat. So, no pictures from last nights feast!

It was a basic grilling of chicken tenders. I did them over high heat burning in the grill marks on each side. As they were about done, I slathered on BBQ sauce. They turned out very nice with Carrie and our friends enjoying them to the point of finishing them off completely.

We also did corn on the grill. Again, very basic with corn wrapped in foil. Nothing else on the corn. Threw them on the grill for about 30 minutes and they turned out great! I enjoy corn on the cob anytime, but on the grill it really brings out the flavors.

I think I said in my last BBQ post that I would take some pictures. I promise there will be pictures with the next BBQ.

Happy grilling!

Grilling Time... Chicken

I got my 28 minute run (12 min mile) in last night after work. It was a good run and I felt good afterwards. Following my run (and a shower) I grilled a little bit. We grilled simple chicken on the grilled and then as they were almost done I slathered BBQ sauce on them. Oh, they were so good... if I do not say so myself. We also did squash on the grill. We did the squash in aluminium foil and they also turned out great! The last thing we grilled, but we did not eat last night, was asparagus on the grill. We will have that one night this week.

Overall, it was a good grilling experience as none of the chicken stuck to the grill. I have started a new technique that I believe is helping a lot. I am not sure if I read this somewhere or not, but I get the grill as hot as it can go before putting the meat on the fire. I leave it this way for a few minutes to sear the meat before turning down the flame. I repeat this process again after flipping. So far it has been working very nicely. I use to lose half of the whatever I was grilling by it sticking to the grill. This is much easier and gives a better appearance.

OK, you knew I could not post a new blog without talking a little about our boy Sidney. Well, last night was the first time we grilled since we put him down. Yes, it was odd! For eleven years now, whenever I grill I have had to try and keep Sidney inside while I go in and out grilling. From our house in Lawrence to this house in Topeka, he has always tried to escape while I am grilling. Often times this causes me to be carrying whatever we are grilling outside and jumping on one foot as I try to keep Sidney inside.

He would get so excited when we would let him outside while I was grilling. He almost had that look on his face like he won. Well, I guess he did in those times when he got outside to eat grass and sniff around the back patio. I missed battling the boy while I was grilling. I missed hearing him meow and purr as he stood inside the house watching me through the door. Each time I move towards the door he would meow. Ah, yes, I miss all of that....

It was a pleasant surprise last night as I was grilling with my sister Dina calling me. We chatted for a bit and it was just her calling to check in on what was happening. After I hung up, I told Carrie it was odd not to talk Kansas basketball with her in our phone conversation. It was also very nice and I hope something we all continue to do with one another in our family... check up on each other and stay informed of what each other are doing.

I had another pleasant surprise just as I was getting ready to head to bed with my brother Tim calling me. We chatted for a bit and it was very nice! He was calling to see how Carrie and I were doing a week after we put Sidney down. He said he was sitting on his back patio smoking a cigar and relaxing in the nice cool weather we were having last evening. We had a good chat and it was nice!

Both of these conversations reminded me that my sister Jennie called on Saturday just as I was headed out to play golf. I told her I would call her on Sunday.... I forgot! Opps! I am going to try and call her tonight to catch up and see how she is doing.

That is all for now... Have a great Wednesday! About a week until I leave for vacation and I can hardly wait! So much to do at work, but I think I can get it all in before we leave.

More Sidney Stories....

Well, I was going to add additional memories to the previous post of Sidney, but I decided I would simply post additional blogs.

Carrie and I were remembering other Sidney stories and two came to mind....

The first one was how Sidney would get on our bed and then hunt through the covers to find a place to sleep. I am not sure I am going to be able to describe how he did it and we never did get it on video. Basically, he would go under the covers and put his head down and then raise it up so as to move the sheets up so he could go further under them. He would repeat this over and over until he got to the place (or position) he was seeking under the sheets on the bed. Watching this from the bedroom door always made us laugh. He was working so hard just to find that perfect spot under the sheets. Once he found the spot, he would be there for hours and sometimes all afternoon or evenings sleeping.

Sidney first started going under the covers when we were in the process of selling our house in Lawrence. Our house had been through a few showings, so we had been gone for the afternoon. We came home to find Sidney out in the family room and everything seemed normal. When we went into our bedroom, we could see that there was almost a tunnel under blankets that were nice and neat when we had left. As we investigated what might have had happened, we figured out it was Sidney that had gone under the covers under the sheets to find that perfect spot. He had tunneled his way about halfway down from the pillows to the middle of the bed. I am sure that people going through the house wondered what was wrong with our bed and what the lump was in our bed.

Carrie told me that he use to sleep under the sheets all the time when he was a kitten. The time I saw this in our house in Lawrence was the first time I had seen him tunnel into the blankets. From that point on including when we moved to Topeka, Sidney would continue to tunnel in sheets throughout the house. Whether they were on our bed (where he primarily do this), other beds in the house, or blankets in our family room. We loved it and miss this behavior from our little kitty.

The second one has to do with Sidney waiting for us when we would be getting ready in the the morning. Again, no pictures from this, but we have it in our memories and we miss seeing him waiting for us as we get out of the shower.

Sometimes when we would get up in the mornings, Sidney would be no where in site. Obviously, he had found a place to sleep other than our bed. This could be possibly in one of the spare bedrooms, down stairs in the in one of the rooms, or tucked away in a closet somewhere in a room where we forgot to close the door. We never thought much about it as we were getting ready. But then, about the time we were getting in the shower, here would come Sidney slowly into the bathroom. Walking as though he had been partying all night and was not sure why we were up so early. Typically this is during the week as we are getting ready for work, but he also did this routine on the weekends too.

Sidney would walk into the bathroom and either sit in front of the shower or walk over to one of the sinks and sit on the floor mat. Lick his paws, clean his ears, or lay down to rest a bit more as we prepared to get in the shower. Usually as we would exit the shower he would have changed his location to be right in front of the shower. There, he would sit on the mat and as we finished our shower, we would have to step over him all the time dripping water all over him as we grabbed our towel. He did not seem to mind at all as the water dripped on him. Sometimes he would make a little meow to at least let us know he was there waiting and almost to tell us to hurry up.

It was usually at this time that he would get exited and go into the shower to drink the leftover water on the shower floor. He would stay in there as the shower continued to drip and splash him, but again he did not seem to mind.

It is odd that since last Tuesday, I have not been able to remember a song that I use to sing about Sidney almost every day. I cannot even remember how the song goes or what I use to say. So odd!

Well, that is all the stories about Sidney for now. It is one week ago Tuesday that we put him down. Yes, we are doing better, but it is still difficult to be in the house without our boy walking around or snuggling up with us in the bed. I am sure we will continue to miss him and remember him for years to come. He was the best!