Day 153 - 201

That’s right - its about that time to bring forth the rhythm and the rhyme. 

C’mon C’mon
Feel It Feel It   
Feel The Vibration

;-)

It is the eve of the New Year’s Eve and I finally have a few minutes to sit and reflect on the last 201 days of my life.  It really does seem like just a few days ago that I wrote down my first plea for those to help with words of support.  Yet, 201 days have passed and there area so many things running through my brain right now.  (ok - for me that is like 3 things but I am on overload!!)

Lots of things have happened since my last update….lets start with the fact that this fatass ran a 5k!?  That’s right - Fatass to 5k in 5 Months actually happened!  Let me start by saying I still don’t enjoy running, but I’m going to keep trying until I do.  The run was not without incident - but nothing major.  The run was on Thanksgiving so on Monday I decided to get a last run in after work.  It was pouring that day so I went to a gym with an indoor running track.  Somewhere around the 3rd mile of the run a lovely muscle in my fine looking yet non existent ass decided to pop.  I nursed it on Tuesday and Wednesday and by race morning, after a nice stretch it felt somewhat ok.  (though I’m pretty sure it was the numbing lotion I used combined with compression pants that made my fine looking yet non existent ass feel ok)  So - race starts and I get into my stride, stop for some water about halfway through and then start going again and yea…it goes again.  So - I’m now about halfway through so turning around is pointless so I keep motoring on.  So, by the time I get to the end my motoring looks more like Gollum hobbling through Middle-Earth BUT I did cross the finish line in 44 minutes AND I wasn’t the last person to do so.  (that was truly my only goal for the 5k)  I now have a time to work towards and I’m going to work on the running part as 2012 progresses.  Now, for the next 3 days I also hobbled along but all in all it was still worth the pain. 

As for Thanksgiving dinner - it wasn’t really as much of a temptation as one would think as I’m not really a fan of turkey but I was able to get through the day right at my calorie intake for the day.  (buffered by the 5k run and a 30 minute swim afterwards)  Score two times for the big guy on Thanksgiving day!

Word….

I want to take you back in time a little bit to the summer of 2010.  I went to the oh so wonderful Hershey Park (The Sweetest Place on Earth) to ride some rides and have a day of fun.  One of the first rides we decided to go on was called “The Claw”.  If you are not familiar with “The Claw” you are in a harness and it swings back and forth and spins you around and is truly not for someone that has issues with vertigo.  (thankfully I do not)  So, we are waiting in line and I’m thinking nothing of it because I’ve never had an issue getting on any ride before, PLUS the outside seats are for the larger folks as the sign says.  Nothing to worry about.  Yea….right.  So I squeeze in the seat and pull the harness down and they have this awesome system to detect if you are locked in or not - either a red or green light.  Mine was red.  So they came over and started pushing on it to lock it in tighter.  Nope - still red.  After a few minutes of this and me feeling that my shoulder might break from the pushing I was asked to leave the ride and wait for my friends.  Folks - I’ve done the walk of shame a few times before in my life, but that walk of shame did not compare to walking out of this ride.  (this probably should have been my wake up call but I wasn’t ready to be woken up apparently)  Fast forward to December 10, 2011.  I’m back at the Hershey Park (STILL THE Sweetest Place on Earth) with friends for the Christmas Candylane light show.  As we are walking through the park I notice that “The Claw” is open and start to tell my story of shame.  (the story of shame referring to said ride, not the countless other stories of shame from my life)  As we were walking back, my friends said that would wait with me and get on the ride so I could have a healing with Hershey Park.  As we were waiting in what seemed like a forever long line in what felt like sub zero temperatures (I have a tendency to exaggerate) I am still worried about the ride as I was wearing a heavy coat and such.  I couldn’t handle the walk of shame again.  Its our turn to get on the ride and I walk up, sit in the outside seat (for the larger folks) and pull down the harness thing and look up and BOOM - there’s a green light.  Yea - I’m locked in.  Ironically, someone else had to do their own walk of shame that evening as they couldn’t get it but not me - I’m locked in.  I was truly Hershey Park Happy.  (or is that Hershey Park Glad??)  Many thanks to those friends who braved the sub zero temperatures to help a friend out!

So - 25 hours left in 2011.  Time to get a little reflective.  (I promise - like Johnson Baby Shampoo - there will be no more tears)  2011 started out to be a year where I was yet again ignoring my body telling me to make a change….much like all of the years before it.  For 6 months, I let things really happen as they happen.  Really through pure luck I was able to shed 10 pounds coming into June.  From June on, things clicked and I started setting and hitting all of my goals.  I’m very happy to announce that the final goal for 2011 has been achieved.  A very good friend of mine challenged me to match or exceed my lowest known adult weight before the end of 2011 when I saw here in July.  At that point I weighed about 289 pounds and the thought of accomplishing that goal seemed impossible at best.  So - I started doing the little goals here and there - all along though this one was in the back of my mind.  As the days moved on, I started to realize that not only was this possible, it was GOING to happen.  My lightest weight ever seen as an adult was 235 pounds (and this was after being sick for 8 days and not being able to eat anything solid so really I was 235 for all of about 30 minutes I think)  So, I’m happy to say that as of thing morning I weighed 235.4 pounds and I fully expect to be under 235 tomorrow morning when I weigh myself.  (if not, I’m still going to say I hit the goal as even using standard rounding tactics this WOULD qualify as 235 pounds and the last time I checked we weren’t going by The Price Is Right rules)  2011 then can be a year where I weighed my heaviest and lightest adult weight - all within the same year.  So, what was first impossible became possible and then became reality. 

If anyone hasn’t been able to tell already - the change to swimming after the Boot Camp workouts ending has been very good for me.  Oh and while leaves SUCK ASS they do provide quite a good workout!

So - here are the numbers as of today:

201 days without soda/tea
185 days without any caffeine
77 pounds lost since my heaviest weight (312)
67 pounds lost in the last 201 days
54 pounds lost since starting my heavy workout phase (158 days)
35 pounds until my ultimate goal and PSLs
My current weight is now 235 pounds

I’ve also lost 7 inches on my waist…picture to come later.

Now, no good plan for the upcoming year is without some specifics - so here is a sneak peak at where I’m headed in 2012.  My first goal is to weigh 222 pounds by Super Bowl Sunday.  (this is not just some weird number - it would represent 90 pounds lost from last Super Bowl Sunday)  From here, I am going to take into account a possible slow down in weight loss as I get closer to 200.  But - here goes - May 19.  By May 19 I will weigh UNDER 200 pounds (remember 199.9 qualifies for me) and will have hit my goal.  That gives me over 3 months of time to lose the remaining 22 pounds after Super Bowl Sunday.  Currently I am losing just over 10 pounds a month, so even with a slow down, this should be a realistic goal.  How am I going to celebrate this you ask?  Well - on May 19th I will be taking part in Warrior Dash here in Maryland.  (just really decided this a few hours ago)  What a way to celebrate the end of nearly a year of work and sweat by rolling around in mud, right?  (you too could be a part of this wonderful celebration if you’d like -just message me for details?!)  So - there it is - my 2012 plan.  Of course - along the way there will be more blog entries and I’m sure some tough days as I get closer and closer to The Final Countdown.  (I guess there is no one to blame….we’re leaving ground…will things every be the same again?)  Ohh….it’s the Final Countdown.  (Europe - for those asking - “Who sings that song?”)

So, as 2011 closes out - let me be the first to say “Happy New Year” to anybody and everybody that takes the time to read this blog.  I really appreciate the kind words and support that you have all given over the past few months and look forward to even more in 2012.  You all are truly very special people.  (and I mean special in the nice way and not the window licking/short bus riding kind of way)

Much love and other pleasantries,

LANDIS