Day 15 - My worst nightmare at the pool!

Here's my weight today:



And since it is the end of another week, I measured my waist again:




54 inches!  So that's another half an inch off, for a total of  an inch and a half in two weeks.  I'll take it!  It doesn't seem like much yet, but it is progress, and progress moving toward the goal is always a good thing.

Today I started out really good, didn't eat anything until dinner.  I ate too much for/after dinner, but I still feel pretty good.  I have family in town, so we are off of the routine, added to that the fact that I have this wicked tooth ache that has kept me up the last three nights, and it made things tougher.  It's a true principle that when we are tired or in pain, it is much more difficult to exercise self control.  Not that I would excuse any behavior, but we can learn something from it.

So I picked up some antibiotics for my tooth today, and I'll get a good night's rest tonight, and hopefully do much better tomorrow.  I do feel good about my weight loss, however, as I am right on track with my goal.  Hoping to stay that way!

Crazy thing happened at the local pool today.  My kids wanted me to go down the water slide with them, so I did a few times.  The first two times I totally wiped out at the end, despite trying my best to stay on the two-person tube.  The first time I fell off, and the second time I tried holding on and the whole tube flipped and we both went in the water.  Well, the third time as I was getting on the tube, you have to kind of straddle it and the plop your put down, and as I did I could feel my swimsuit split wide open.  So now I'm sitting in the tube, we're starting our way down the slide, and I know my pants are split wide open.  So I'm staying calm, it's cool, first thing I have to do is try to stay on the tube.  Well, I managed to do that somehow, and the slide empties into the lazy river, so I'm trying to stay cool, I can feel the water on my bare butt, there are people everywhere, and my mind is racing trying to think of what to do.  I don't have any more shorts obviously, and there's way too many people for me to try to walk anywhere.  Finally I have an idea, I'll just have one of my kids run and get me a towel while I float around the lazy river a couple times, then pop out and put on the towel as fast as I can.  All set.  Well, as soon as I decide to do that, I hear the lifeguard say "Can I have everyone's attention!" and they all blow their whistles.  Well, this means it's time for a pool check, and everyone has to get out.  Oh snap, so much for my plan.  My mind starts racing again, and I decide the only thing I can do is try to stay in the lazy river and get a little past the exit, so noone is behind me, and hop off the tube and back myself out.  So that's what I do, and I back up against a fence and ask my kid to run and get me a towel fast.  She's like "I can't run at the pool dad", so I say Just go as fast as you can!  Everyone is getting out of the pool and standing around, I'm against the fence with my hands behind my back trying to hold my suit together.  My dad, who is visiting, comes over and says "You wanna go over there?", I'm like "No, I'm good", he's like "Why not, let's go over by your wife.", and I say "No, I'm good, just want to hang out here and dry off a bit first."  He looks me up and down, leans in a bit, and says "Did you split your pants?" lol, I said yep and we had a good chuckle, then my daughter got back with a towel and it was all good.

So what would have been my worst nightmare turned into nothing more than a funny story, because I was able to keep calm, not freak out, and just think it through.  I think that rings true so many times in life.  If we freak out and get all flustered, we are much more likely to make poor decisions.  Also, a win that I was even able to go down the slide with my kids for the first time ever, and a reminder that I have a way to go because I totally blew out my swim trunks.  Needless to say, I spent the rest of our time at the pool with a towel around my waist.  :)

Day 14 - Two weeks in

Well, here's my two-week weight:



So about eight pounds down in two weeks, just about right on track with my goal!

I'm still working to overcome complacency.  I have successfully fasted until dinner the last two weeks.  I have not always just eaten my one plate, however, so I have room to improve over the next two weeks.

Here's my dinner for tonight:



Just some chicken with vegetables and potatoes.  It was delicious.

It's late, so I'll just post this for now.  I'm going to make a weight chart this weekend or next week to better track my goal.

Day 13 - Staying motivated while tired

Here's my weight for today:



Last night I had a bad toothache that kept me up most of the night, so I was really tired today.  Maybe you have noticed that when you are super tired, it is harder to stay focused and have self discipline.  So I was in a bit of a fog today because I was so tired.  I still did good, though, I just walked a lot and tried to keep busy.

I don't have a picture of a dinner tonight because I did get home from work and grazed on left over pulled pork, so I didn't eat dinner.  I'm not super happy about that, but I am proud of myself for not also eating a meal in addition to my grazing, and I kept within my calorie goal.

So tonight hopefully I can get some rest.

The other think I am working on is staying motivated when I am feeling better, most of my biggest reasons for deciding to lose weight are relieved (for now), so I need to focus on longer term motivation.  Like I've said, I already feel way better, my clothes fit a little better, and I already am able to do more than I was able to do, so I have to remind myself that I still have a long way to go, and the way I feel now is only a little taste of how much better I'll feel when I get down to my goal weight/fitness level.

Finally, I have to be content to keep with the program, and be patient, during times when my weight fluctuates up.  This is the danger of weighing every day, so if you get discouraged when today's weight is more than yesterday's, it might be best to weight every week instead.  Right now, I've been "up" for a couple of days, but I know I just need to trust the process, don't give up, and stick with it, and the weight will come down.  My experience is that when weight fluctuates up for a period of time while on a good eating program, that it will eventually plummet and all of the expected weight loss will come, but it takes patience to wait it out sometimes.

Day 12 - The Danger of Complacency

 First, here's my weight for the day:




Back to work today after the long weekend.  I am getting to the point where I am feeling pretty good, I've lost a big of weight, my clothes fit a bit better, and I feel so much better than I did before I started.  I know I still have a long way to go, but it's easy to become complacent and slack off, so I'm aware of that and working to avoid it.  This is the point in dieting where I have often fallen back into bad habits.  I will not do that this time, I will persevere.

I had more of the pork roast I smoked yesterday for dinner tonight.  This time with mashed potatoes,baked beans, and peas.  Here it is:



I did also go on a two mile walk.  The day flew by with meetings at work.  I was really feeling "lost" before my walk.  Just in a funky state of mind where things aren't as clear and my motivation isn't as good because I don't see the bigger picture, and it's easy to slip back into old habits.  Maybe you know what I'm talking about.  So I went for my walk and that really helped.  I would have liked to do another one, but I didn't find/make time.

In addition to my walks making me feel so much better, I also need them so I can eat a little more than 595 calories each day.  The walks give me a few extra calories that help so I am not eating too little.  I am still doing OMAD, and that is really the best for me.  I don't really get hungry during the day as long as I keep busy, drink plenty of water, and get my walks in.  If I get bored or don't drink enough, then I'll tend to think about food, and going on walks lifts my spirits and helps me to feel good and be motivated.

Day 11 - Memorial Day

Let me start by saying, on this Memorial Day, I am thankful for all of those who fought and died for our freedom.

Here's my weight for this morning:



I figured from yesterday's eating that I'd be up today. Still feeling awesome, though.

Today we went and walked a 5k as a family this morning, and then this afternoon we went to the local pool/water park.  It was a lot of fun, and some good exercise.

I smoked a pork shoulder for dinner with baked beans, green beans and onion rings:



It was really good, but the onion rings were pretty greasy.  We usually get the bag of frozen ones and bake them, but today we didn't have any so I tried frying some up.  They were good, but man they were greasy and made me really tired when I ate them.  Overall it was a really good relaxing day.

Day 10 - Lazy Sunday

Well, I woke up today to a little more weight off on the scale:




Today I mostly just hung out with the family, went to church, etc.  I didn't get a walk in unfortunately.  I ate more than I should have as well, especially since I didn't exercise.  I think I was hungrier since I didn't have much exercise.  Here's my dinner:



I still feel really good.  We're going to do a 5k as a family tomorrow, and then we're going to opening day at the local swimming pool.  So that will be a lot of exercise.  Looking forward to that.

So we'll see tomorrow how my extra eating affects my weight.  I wouldn't be surprised to see it fluctuate up a bit.  I'm super motivated, and I know I can do this challenge.  I am well on my way.

Day 9 - The Weekend!

Well here we are on Day 9, here's my weight:




I'm super happy with that!  It is really great to see the pounds coming off.

Today was Saturday, so it was a little bit different dieting at home than at work.  The wife and kids are eating breakfast and lunch and all that, so it's harder to stay focused on OMAD, but I did it!

We started the day with a family 3.5 mile walk and a trip to the farmer's market.  Then later in the day I took the kids swimming, so that was more good exercise.

Dinner was a tostada/taco salad.  It was delicious, and filled me up:



I also had some toast with some seedless black raspberry jam that we bought at the farmer's market.  It was really good, too.  I usually don't like raspberry jam because of all the seeds, and they get stuck in my teeth.  This is the first time I've seen seedless, so I thought I'd go for it, and I was not disappointed.

I'm a little late posting my one-week update video, but I did finish editing and posting it today, so there it is:

As always, check out myfitnesspal.com/50lbs90days for more updates and my complete food diary and daily weight.

Day 8 - Eatin' out

A win on the scale today!  Down another couple pounds:




I went out to eat tonight with one of my daughters to a place called Winsteads, and got a burger and fries.  They don't publish their calories since they are a smaller place, but they are similar to Steak N Shake, so I used calories from there.  And it looks like I'm over a bit from my calorie goal.  I was really surprised how many calories are in the chili especially.  I make chili at home, and it's nowhere near 440 Calories/cup, which is what Steak 'N Shake chili is.  So lesson learned, plan ahead and count calories before going to the restaurant to be sure to stay under!



So other than that, it was a pretty normal day.  Work was busier than usual for a Friday, which I guess is a good thing since it keeps me moving and makes the day go quicker.

Day 7 - One week in!

Well, we made it a week!  Here's my weight for Day 7:




So five pounds down the first week!  On target for my goal.  I feel really good, eating better has really increased my energy level.

I did find out that my original calorie expenditure calculations were not correct.  I tried some various online calculators, and many of them gave me a different answer than the one I had used before.  It looks like the bottom line is that the one I was using assumes a 15% body fat content, which of course is not the case for me.

So my actual expenditure is closer to 2940, so my available calories per day is more like 595.  I usually have been OK with this number at my one meal, and then I've been eating extra to get up to 1440, so it won't be a problem.  I just won't eat all the extra goodies.  With all of the walking I've been doing, I burn extra calories that I can use as well if I get too hungry.

So here's my dinner for today:




Delicious.  I also had a rice cake with cool whip and mini chocolate chips on it.

So anyway, I'm feeling really good.  I'll post an update video later today.

Day 6 - Feeling better

First off, here is my weight for this morning:




Under 295, that's awesome!  Hoping to see it keep going down.

I didn't feel as hungry today as I did yesterday.  I kept myself busy and really got a lot accomplished at work.  I did a lot of the things I have been putting off for a long time, and that felt really good.


I hit my calories pretty much right on today.  I did OMAD again, here is my dinner:
 



That's meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and peas.  That was only about 750 Calories, so I also ate some applesauce with raisins, and I took my wife out for a McDonald's ice cream cone after dinner.  I've also been taking apple cider vinegar (2Tbs) before my meal, as Joe over at omad.info suggests.

I also walked 5 miles today.  I've been walking 2-5 miles most days.

So that's about it, I'm feeling pretty good albiet tired tonight.  I am not nearly as fatigued during the days as I usually am.  I know that eating less and excercising have a lot to do with that.  If I get tired or hungry, I get up and take a walk, and that really seems to help.

I'm logging all of my food and exercise on myfitnesspal at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/50lbs90days.

Day 5 - Keeping busy

Well, it's another day down.  I did really good again today, keeping on the OMAD schedule.  I got pretty hungry today, but I kept myself busy at work, and that really helped.  Here's my weight for today:

For dinner, which was my one and only meal, I had some pasta bake and a salad, a glass of milk, and a yogurt for a total of 1356 Calories.  Here's most of it:



I also walked two miles, so technically I burned about 290 Calories.

I am still feeling really good.  Even though I was a little hungry and tired today, it was nothing compared to how I was feeling before eating a huge amount every day.  I am already sleeping better, and I was able to get up really early today and get to work early so I could get off earlier.

So thing are going really good!  I am excited to see how things are going to continue to progress for the next 85 days.

Follow me on MFP: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/50lbs90days

Follow me on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ywuV0B64vY

Day 5 - Feeling great!

Well, I felt much better today after yesterday's stomach pain.  Here's my weight for the day:




So I was down, which was really cool to see.  Especially after being up yesterday, and knowing my weight will fluctuate from day to day, it's nice to have a day where it is down.  This week I'll be making a weight chart to keep track of my weight compared to my goal.

I did another day of OMAD, and that felt really great.  Here is my dinner:



It was about 1590 Calories.  I also walked four miles today, so that burns about 500 Calories, so overall net calories is within my goal.

I went ahead and started a MyFitnessPal account so I can better keep track of my calories.  You can get to my profile page at https://www.myfitnesspal.com/50lbs90days.  I'll keep it updated with my calories and weight every day as I go through.

Anyway, I am super excited about how good I feel.  I don't feel as tired and have more energy than I have had in a long time.  It's amazing how quickly you feel better when you start making healthy choices.  I know I can stick with it and reach my goal!

Day 4

Today I had bad stomach ache, not sure exactly why.  Must have been something I ate yesterday.  I was up most of the night because I couldn't sleep and it hurt worse when I was laying down, but I'm feeling much better now.  :)  So here's my weight form this morning:




It's important to keep in mind that weight will fluctuate, especially when weighing daily.  That's why a lot of trainers/regiments don't want you to weigh daily.  I like to keep track daily, but have to realize that there will be fluctuations.  Although, I didn't do great yesterday with my eating, so probably retained some water due to that.

Today I did much better with my eating.  I again fasted until dinner.  The stomach ache made that pretty easy.  Here's my dinner:



That's a pork chop with mashed potatoes, peas, and some fruit.  I also had some gravy that I put on after the pic, and a handful of walnuts.  So the dinner was 600 Calories and the walnuts were 200, for a total of 800 Calories today.  That's a good number to make up for yesterday, and considering I was sick much of the day.

Day 3

Well, another day in the books.  My weight was down from yesterday, so that's great.  Here's the weigh-in:




I am doing intermittent fasting.  I have found that when I fast most of the day, I feel much better an am able to avoid the fatigue I feel when I eat during the day.  I am a big fan of one-meal-a-day (OMAD).  Today I didn't eat until dinner, and here it is:



 

It was really good.  It was only about 500 Calories, so I did eat some more food afterwards.  I wasn't good about counting the calories of what I ate after dinner, so I'll need to work on that.  Success isn't that we never fail, it's that we learn from our failures and move on, improving each day.

Today I learned that I need to get all of my calories in during the meal and be done with it, as Joe over at omad.info would say.

Day 2

First, here's my daily weigh-in:




I spent some time editing and uploading the first YouTube video today.  I'm really excited about this journey.  I have confidence that I can achieve my goal of losing 50 pounds in 90 days, and I will do what it takes to achieve this goal.

I spelled out the Calorie math in the video, but here it is so you can follow it in print:

50 pounds / 90 days = 0.56 pounds/day
0.56 pounds/day * 3500 Calories/pound = 1960 Calories/day deficit

So that's the daily deficit I need to achieve my goal.

My average daily Calorie expenditure is about 3400 Calories

3400 - 1960 = 1440 Calories/day

So that's how much, on average, I need to eat in order to achieve my goal.

I'll do my best to post here daily my weight and a summary of what I ate.

Here's the video:

Day 1

I am starting my journey to lose 50 pounds in 90 days.  I believe I can do it.  I have set my mind to this goal and will not quit.

Here are the numbers required to make it happen:

Current Weight: 300lbs




Current Calorie Expenditure: 3407 Calories

 https://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/calories

That means I've been eating, on average, about 3,400 calories per day to maintain this weight.

To lose 30 lbs in 90 days, I need to lose 30/90 = 0.56 lbs/day, so just over half a pound per day, or just under 4 pounds per week.

A pound of fat is approximately 3500 Calories, so to lose 0.56 lbs/day, I need to have a deficit of 0.56lb/day * 3500Cal/lb = 1960Cal/day.

Subtracting that from my expendature, I can eat 3400-1960=1440Cal/day.

So there you have it, my goal will be to eat not more than 1440 Calories per day.  I will, of course, need to adjust this as I lose and my expenditure decreases.