Can anyone say slacker??? I am not even going to address my overly hectic schedule over the last several weeks and what I have going on at work. I am not going to make tons of excuses about why I have not been blogging and give you pathetic meaningless reasons. I am not going o say I will not tell you about my excuses, and then do it subliminally in my ramblings... I will tell you that I just get lazy from time to time and can't seem to get motivated. Hence my weight issues and other random things I do battle with.

For instance - We always plant lots of flowers and get your yard kickin in spring. Then summer comes and it gets hot and yucky and it doesn't rain and I am too lazy and cheap to keep watering the lawn and the flowers... and then weeds take over... and it is just a slippery slope. I would like to say that I will garden with gusto next year and not allow it to happen, but then life just gets in the way. Know what I mean??? It is the same with losing weight (which as of this morning I am 317.4lbs). I work out and eat right and everything is kickin, and then you feel guilty about spending time with someone and it is so much easier to eat bad when you go out rather than at home. Then you spend too much time out and socializing and when you get home you don't feel like working out or walking... you feel like getting cleaned up and sitting on the couch for some TV. Man I am a slacker!

SOOOOO anyway! This week I have been working out some. I have modified the workout plan of P90 and what I feel I can commit to - which is a four day a week 20 minute weight lifting session. Pretty sad. But I can easily do it in my bedroom right before my shower, and I have been doing it. Walking and a little running is coming next week. Oh! I don't think I ever posted about my heel and my running...

Well, my heel was really bothering me - I MEAN REALLY BOTHERING ME! When I got out of bed in the morning and I was hobbling around and grabbing the walls so I didn't fall down. At work when I would get up from my desk or walk around a job site it was pathetic. All my guys were worried I was going to fall out and get hurt (they were worried in between laughing and making fun of me...). So because I am hard headed and have testicles I put off going to the doctor for a while, like 4 weeks.... KSTS was NOT happy with me... Anyway - When I went to the doctor he told me I had a form of bursitis (old man disease) where my achilles tendon and my planters facilitis tendon meet - on the back of my heel. When I would step it was like fire was shooting up my heel all the way to my calf. My doctor being such a kind physician told me if I had come in sooner he might have helped alleviate some pain, but since I was a dumb ass he told me to stay off of it and ice it and take Motrin. That was a little over two weeks ago and you all will be happy to know that I have been going on a week of pain free walking. So lets go for a run and injure it again!

I do not think we will be ready for the September 5K we wanted to run. I am hoping to be able to do the turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning though! Wish me luck! Our beach vaca is coming up in 5 weeks! And we have a wedding to go to before then as well! I have got to be below my 300 goal! 20 pounds in a month! No sweat right??? I can commit to a month of kickin it right???

Part of my job is evolving and I am hoping to become a social media guru for my company... I know! FUNNY! Especially since I blog so regularly and do it so well... But it is going to help my company and I am going to get paid to do it, so I can commit to that! (i hope) I will update with links and all that good stuff on here... eventually... I will be tweeting, facebooking, and blogging! All about stuff at work - which my MASSIVE followers on here may not find interesting, but then again maybe you will. I will probably NOT update my work social stuff with Mr. Robusto - work people may not appreciate the language or sassyiness of this blog. And if they found there way over to Life with Robusto I am sure to be toast! When Mrs. Robusto posts she is like a loose cannon! You never know what the hell is going to come out of her! And her pictures.... oh vey!

I hope everyone is doing well and I hope I am able to post more regularly. I do like getting things off my mind and I really enjoy feed back - of course mcdowellbabe is my only religious commenter. THANK YOU! Have a great holiday and I hope to hear from everyone soon!

Well... I have let down all my loyal subjects and I am truly sorry. Ever since we got back from our mini beach vacation I have been SLAMMED! Work has been busy and had some serious downs the last couple weeks. And to soothe myself with the downs in work I turned back to my old friend a time or two for comfort... Pizza, cookies, coke, all the naughty things in life... I have still tried to stay somewhat on track with my newer eating plan and when I weighed Friday 7/15/11 I was hanging on to my 316 weight, but I have not lost any over the last couple weeks due to my naughtiness.... BUT! Yesterday I ate well all day and today I am feeling good and back on track!

When I eat bad a really feel lousy. Oh, not while I am actually eating - when the food is going down I swear the euphoria I feel must be what drug addicts feel. Or it must be like the first drink of the day for an alcoholic. It feels wonderful! But that feeling is SUPER SHORT! And then you have to eat more bad food to get that feeling. And then you are just eating, cause you tell yourself it is your cheat day and since you already ate bad today you might as well really gorge yourself.... And so by Saturday night I was feeling pretty much like bootie stank. Oh! And I didn't run Saturday morning cause my freaking Achilles tendon or something in my right heel is killing me. So no exercise and sitting around packing in the calories... But Sunday I did eat well and the result of only one day eating good???? I feel even better today! Amazing the way our bodies work.

So my heel is jacked up. Not sure what the deal is, but I am rubbing with icy/hot and resting it for this week. I will have to postpone my couch to 5k training. I AM going to start doing push-ups and some other weight training regiment starting this afternoon! I feel strongly that I am getting back on track this week. Mom's birthday is Thursday night, but I am going to eat veggies and something grilled, and NO CAKE! No matter how hard it is and how much I complain - NO CAKE FOR ME THURSDAY! Maybe some on Saturday...

Hey McDowell Babe! Your vacation is over, I am so sorry... Back to reality! Are you going to start the diet today??? How many push-ups are you going to do this evening? How many sit-ups? What else are you going to do to get in shape and start moving??? Are you going to go for a walk down your road or at a local track??? While watching TV tonight can you do 3 sets of air squats during the commercial breaks??? What can you do to help motivate yourself, what can I do to help motivate you??? It can be done! It is going to suck and you are going to not like it one bit, but after a month has gone by and you have lost 10 pounds or more you will be freaking ecstatic!

Pops! BEANS & GREENS are calling your name! MAKE IT HAPPEN!

KSTS! What is your next blog off for me?? Bring it little girl!

Weighed in 316 this am! Another great week of weight loss! But we are going to the beach today and tomorrow.... So 2 cheat days!

Hello all!

I am not exactly sure where my location will be the next couple days, so I wanted to let everyone know that I will do my best to take some pictures and post them along the way! KSTS & I have decided to go on a mini vacation tomorrow and Saturday! I have contacted tons of beach rental places to see if they have a place that is open for a couple nights. We were kicking around going to Roanoke, VA or the beach and I think the beach has won!

Our eating protocol has been going pretty well! We will pack our scale and give you an update Saturday morning of  the weigh in and inches and we can compare! I obviously hope it will be down and feel strongly that it is working because my clothes are feeling loser already! THAT MAKES ME FEEL GREAT! Our running is also going well and we will run Saturday morning wherever we end up! 25 minutes solid with no stopping..... I just may die, so if this is one of my last posts I hope everyone knows how much I love cookies! And KSTS OF COURSE!

I will admit that I have been slacking on my P90X and working out in general, and next week I am getting back on board! We have been keeping up with our running, but strength training is just as (or even more) important than the cardio. Countless studies have shown that muscle burns way more fat than cardio, and when you combine the two you get a fat kicking 1 - 2 punch! I am being awfully corny today... Sorry, but I am just in the mood to be gone with my cell phone turned off and not thinking about work or daily chores or any of my normal stuff! Know what I mean?? Good look everyone! I will keep you updated as I am able during my periods of relaxation!

MMMM.... Black beans, steak, salsa!

MMMM... Chicken, green beans, & asparagus! I know this looks gross, but it was actually pretty good!

GOOD MORNING PEOPLES!

WOW! I ate BAD on Saturday! But it was allowed and yesterday I was back on track! I ate so awful on Saturday that I felt sick most of the day and didn't want to eat that way anymore. In the morning KSTS & I went for our run and we kicked some major ass! We warmed up then ran for a solid 20 minutes without stopping! I know to some that doesn't sound like much, but that is a butt load of running if you are not used to it! That is longer than I have EVER ran in my life and longer than KSTS has ever run in her life, EVER!!! That is pretty freaking awesome!

I will give you a brief run down of the bad food cheat day - that is allowed and encouraged on this eating day!

Breakfast - Normal high protein. Eggs, chicken meat, salsa.

Second Breakfast - apple fritter, long john, 4 cookies! 2 glasses milk

Snack - (not cause i was hungry, but cause it was there) more cookies!

Lunch - Burger King - 2 double cheese burgers, chicken fries, 2 large cokes!

At this point I am feeling pretty sick to my stomach and gross. And for the rest of the day I was blah....

Dinner - Skipped due to not being hungry at all! Went to the movies and got popcorn and another coke!

Late night snack - Cookies - Lots of cookies - I lost count....

End results - Felt like bootie stank and was more than ready to get back on track this week!

I didn't weigh myself yesterday cause I knew it would be ugly. So I will just go with the flow and weigh again on Saturday morning and update everyone of my results! I am going to post some pics of this mornings breakfast and our run! Good luck to everyone and keep telling me how you are doing! McDowell Babe, are you still doing pushups and situps before bed or shower in the evening?? How many are you up to now?

Breakfast this morning - Eggs, fajita steak, salsa!

We were feeling victorious after our run Saturday morning! 20 minutes straight guys! COME ON THAT IS KICKIN LIKE VAN DAM!!! Check out that pompadour I am sporting!

Just weighed in. 320! Down 9 lbs since Monday! Total inches are 151.5. Heading out for a run then a day of bad food!!! Life is sweet!!!!

Hello all my peeps! The diet is working! I am feeling pretty good and MUCH less bloated, even with all the  beans! I have decided that my new weigh in day will be Saturday morning. Part of what we are doing says you need to spike your calories once a week with an off day! OH YEAH! KSTS & I have been planning what to do on our off day and we are getting pretty freaking excited! But truly the diet is working - I feel good, have lost weight, and don't find it hard at all to stick to this way of eating. My Love is having a bit of an issue with boredom and not digging the beans! But she is losing to and she is very much so looking forward to two cream horns in the morning! I will weigh in the am and post some number for you. And we are going to measure ourselves tonight!

Couch to 5K is kickin like Van Dam! Tomorrow morning we are going to go to a track and do our running. After our warm up we are supposed to jog for twenty minutes (and cover 2 miles) HOLY CRAPOLA! It is a little intimidating to be honest. I will let you know the outcome. BUT it is getting easier... If only ever so slightly :)

I will give you an update ASAP! So far I am digging this week and hope it keeps on crack-a-lackin! 

Last night we dined out and here is what our food looked like!

This was not dinner last night! But this was lunch! Turkey meatballs, black beans, pico de gio (sp?)

Dinner from a couple nights ago - Chicken, cauliflower, mixed veggies, and eggs! Supposed to be like a chicken fried rice - minus the rice...

Left over chicken fried rice served as lunch & breakfast another day!

My dinner last night - Tuna steak, spinach, and asparagus! BTW, asparagus really does make your pee smell funny! Who knew???

 

 

KSTS dinner - Roasted chicken and asparagus! 

Test from phone... I am so freaking technical aren't I!

 

Breakfast from yesterday! 1 hole egg, 4 egg whites, serving of ground turkey sausage, and some salsa!

Breakfast this morning! 1 whole egg, 4 egg whites, turkey sausage, black beans, and a little spray butter! mmmmm!

Lunch yesterday - 1.5 cups black beans, can of turkey breast, salsa, guacamole, salsa!

Dinner Monday night - Squash, chicken, guacamole, salsa!

KSTS dinner the other night - Same as mine, but better presentation!

Good morning my Peoples! Our run yesterday was not that bad! It really sucks getting up that early - no lies there! But the actual running was not as bad as I thought it might be. My legs felt strong and I didn't feel so awful when doing it, but my breathing is still not right. I am not making excuses and so I hesitate to mention this, but I had asthma pretty bad as a kid. It seems to be gone for the most part, except when I exercise... I think that part of my breathing issues is simply how large and overweight I am. So I will just deal with the labored breathing for the time being. If I am still struggling when I am a skinny boy then I may agree that I still have a touch of asthma.

I weighed in this morning! 323 lbs even. Now this is down .2 from last Wednesday which is not that big a deal, but if you consider that I basically was binge eating Thursday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday (cause I have NO SELF control) and weighed Monday morning out of curiosity and I was 329.... 323 is pretty exciting! WOW! That was a run-on sentence! I will measure up tonight and post those numbers later. I also have been trying to upload pictures from my phone and they have not been coming up????? So I will post some now!

This way of eating has not been that hard for me since I really enjoy mass quantities of protein, but oh how I miss bread... Only 2 days of this and I feel like I haven't eaten a slice in months! I wonder if I can figure out a way to make bread out of black beans??? 

Good day kind people who live here in Robusto Land! I am going to keep this brief today because I am trying to work some mojo here at work!

Today KSTS & I started a new eating plan. I have a friend who turned me onto this eating way of life and I liked what it had to say, so we are doing it! Basically you eat no white foods. No pasta, potato, rice (even brown rice), sugar, etc.... Anything that can turn into sugar in your body (which is A LOT of things) are not good to eat. No more soft drinks, even the diet ones - aspartame is not good for you! No fruit except on certain days. Things like that. Basically beans, meat, veggies. It sounds kind of boring, but the results some people are having look fantastic, so why not!

Remember Wednesday is our official weigh in day, so I will post me weight and measurements then. I am going to measure waist, arms, legs and add them up for a total. Then every Wednesday we will post some results. I am eager for some big numbers! The beach is coming and I am not ready yet!

Also, pray for me! Tomorrow starts the next 4:45 am running session and this is week 6 (but we are running our week 5 schedule this week). Warm up walk then: run for 5 minutes, walk for 3 minutes, run for 5 minutes, walk for 3, then run for 5 minutes! HOLY CRAP THAT IS A LOT OF RUNNING FOR A LARGE PERSON LIKE MYSELF! But if those fatties on the Biggest Loser can do it, so can I! Don't be offended by me calling the BL people fatties - I am just as big as they are, and they are fatties! ADIOS!

OH! Almost forgot - I am going to take some pictures of my food and post it so we can keep track of how this is working. I am going to post from my phone so lets hope it works!

The Great Blog-Off: Challange uno!

So Mrs. Robusto thinks she has a fine tuned Swiss watch embedded in her inner self. She may be right... BUT only part right! If you know the lay of the land where we exercise there is a loop that has many hills to traverse. If do a complete 5 minute warm up walk it places us right at the top of a steep down hill slope. I personally hate to run down (or up for that matter), so I have adjusted our warm up walking slightly... Sometimes we walk pretty fast and we I start us running after only 4 minutes, other times we walk slow and I do start us after 5 minutes (or longer if we are slackers!). But I try to start us in a position that is easier for us to get about fifty yards of running in before going downhill.

Secondly! When we alternate our running to walking ratio I do not flub on the seconds or time in any way! I try to start us and stop us right on time. Sometimes we walk 5 or ten seconds too long so I have to adjust that accordingly. BUT we only run for the allotted amounts. Scouts honor! I think the reason my little wifey poo feels that I am taking seconds away during our break session between runs is because I get so far in front of her, then I walk back to her, we walk together for a short time (because it took seconds for me to walk back to her...), and then before you know it it is go time again! So I promise I am not busting her off on this aspect of our runs! I only bust her off in other areas of our life.

NOW! Here is the real story! I believe I saw something in her last message bout me "enhancing" stories! It is true I like to add a little zing like in any good fish re-enactment, but do not think I am the Lone Ranger on this one! When Mrs. Robusto talks about some things they just keep growing as the story keeps going! One of the many reasons I adore her! You know she is only 5'2", she has to add a little zing of her own!

Bring on the next round of Blog-Offs my dear! I am ready to deliver a sword-hammer to any quirks!

Quick update on the Wednesday weigh in: 323.2, down slightly from Monday. Remember, NO MORE WEIGH INS ON MONDAYS! So NEXT Wednesday lets see how I turn out! Good luck! I see that McDowellBabe took me up on my push-up & sit-up challenge! How did it turn out for you? Has anyone else taken up a slightly more active role that is more than they would normally do? How about eating your lunch while walking around your place of business??? I do that sometimes when I can! Last night was chest, shoulder, triceps P90X - my chest and triceps are sore this morning! But a good sore I like!

THE GREAT BLOG-OFF

Well it appears my wife - Mrs. Robusto - has started a blog today! Please visit her blog here! I am quite impressed with her skills and am humbled by her inspiration. BUT I WILL BE VICTORIOUS! Mrs. Robusto I will take your challenge and be the winner of this quest! We leave at first light!

To be continued.....

Good afternoon all! Well I weighed in this morning - 323.8. It is down from last Monday, but still not back to the 319 from 2 weeks ago. Oh well. You know I am making a new decree -

"Thou shall not weigh on Monday's"

I think I am still carrying around some water and bloat! I am going to start weighing on Wednesday's and reporting then. I am tired of getting discouraged because I ate a little too heavy on the weekend. Yes, it happened again this weekend. My parents are BAD food companions! They encourage you to eat like a rolly poly! Anyway! KSTS and I did run, but we ate not good - but we didn't eat awful either. Anyway today I am eating well and back on track!

It is super hot here right now! So we have decided to start running in the mornings before work. I was not able to this morning because I had to be at my office quite early, but tomorrow we are waking up at 4:45 am to go run! It sucks to wake up that early, and it sucks to run period, but I will say that I feel amazing afterward! It is like when we were doing early morning spin classes - it was so hard to get motivated and get in there, but after you get take a shower and are on the way to work I feel like dancing! I guess it is the endorphins. Whatever it is we are going to run in the morning and I can't believe I am admitting it, but I can't wait!

Out of curiosity has everyone been trying to move more? Did anyone take up my dried bean idea??? Put 5 dried beans in your pocket in the morning then try to walk for ten minutes several times during the day, after a ten minute session throw out a bean - then when all the beans are gone you have accomplished something without even having to try hard! How bout doing ten push ups and ten sit-ups a night before your shower? That would take like literally 3 minutes - even if you do girly ones! Then over time I bet you could build up and do more and more! What if you just tried to add one every week? Just a thought on trying to do better and move a little more. I know it is super hard to commit to an hour of working out or even 30 minutes, but a couple minutes a day is not going to kill you!

So just an update. Week four of couch to 5K was brutal so we are going to repeat week four again this week. Week 5 is still a little daunting. So tomorrow at the ass crack of dawn we will be warming up then running for 3 mins, walk for 90 seconds, run for 5 minutes, walk for 2.5 mins, then repeat! Hopefully we will feel good this week and be ready to move on! I will report in again later in the week my peeps!

Hello all! Well I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I had a bit of a rough weekend and apparently ate quite a TON and I was feeling a might bad for myself the last couple days... Oh well.. Even after all the running and working out I weighed in at 327.2 Monday morning! Considering that the previous Monday I weighed 319.2 I was quite astonished with my gain! And quite upset. I ate good last week and worked hard and I was bad this weekend. We spent all weekend with my Mom & Dad and they are a BAD influence! Really bad! But 8 pounds in a matter of a couple days???? SHOCKING! I am a fat bastard!

So... Monday I ate okay, but was unmotivated. I felt sluggish and lousy and I got some news that I was not happy about so I let that affect me... Oh well.

Tuesday I ate good but could not get motivated to get in gear. I felt less sluggish and less lousy.

Today! I feel pretty good! I feel back to normal for the most part and even though it is hotter than hadies outside I am running tonight! I missed my Monday run, but not tonight! This is the start of week 4 in the couch to 5K and I have got to stay on track! I am truly excited about running the 5K. I don't know why, but it is like having a personal goal and it is something I can see me reaching. So it excties me!

Wish me luck everyone. If I weigh on Monday 6/13/11 and i am up again or still in the 320's I may have to kill someone!

Okay - Everyone has been asking... I mean, only two people have been asking, but when you only have 8 followers that is like a large percent!

This is from Tuesday evening. I had just finished a grueling session of Plyometrics! KSTS tried to get some movement shots, but I was just too fast for my I Phone!

This is from last night. If you look below I was not really sweaty after our P90X arms & shoulder workout, but then we went for our Couch to 5K run and BRUTAL! At 7:00 PM it was still 94 degrees outside! We are in week three so it was good running and I was sweating like a pig!

Stout aren't I! Or robust....

This is the Michael Tucker Pose! Made famous by the Big Hook himself! Maybe I will invite him to view my blog...

Little tricep horseshoe developing again

Obviously this is with my gut sucked in, but look! You can see the outline of the bottom of my ribcage! It has been missing for quite some time!

Normal stance - not a pretty site, but I promise I am changing!

So here are some pics! You can go throw up now after having to look at my dead sexy body! It looks a lot better than it did 50 pounds ago! I have been feeling a touch bloated this week??? Maybe a little too much good food this weekend and Monday? We have been eating great the past two days, but I feel a little bloated again this morning? Maybe too much fiber in my diet - I dunno. Anyway! I will post more of my raw sex self later! I hope I get a few more followers! Hint Hint!

Good morning to the faithful! Today we here in America will be celebrating Memorial Day. Mostly that includes sitting around visiting, cooking out, remembering funny moments, and eating bad food! To be honest this past week has been great for working out and running, but not the best for eating. We have been eating well during the day, but at night we have not been doing the best. We have not been eating awful, but just not as good as we possibly could have. The good news - I weighed in at 319.2 this morning! That is down 2.4 pounds last week! And if you really think about it yesterday was my Dad's birthday and we ate a big lunch and cake! Friday night we had pizza buffet! My favorite! Saturday we had mexican with lots of cheese and guacamole! So this has been a full flavor weekend so far! And today steak, corn, bread, potato's, cake, and cookies are on the menu! BUT I will be running this evening and P90X! I am excited about running - Week 3 on the couch to 5K is getting tougher - Jog 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, jog 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, then repeat the whole thing! That doesn't sound like much, but that is starting to get brutal for a fat man like me. But I am excited about it! I am excited to run a 5K and feel good while doing it! I don't mind eating a little bad food when I am running and feeling good! This morning when I put on my shorts and belt I can go back down another notch! Notch number 6! OH YEAH! When I originally started this quest at a hefty 373 I was at belt notch number 2, then I was at number 5 for what seemed like forever (number 5 for like the past year and a half basically), then I hit number 4 a little before my birthday and went back to number 5 for these last couple months. So to hit number 4, if only for a day, feels good and helps me to know I am on the right track! I will post some pictures soon just because everyone has been bugging me about how other blogs that are "successful" have pictures. To be honest I am freaking excited when I see people have visited my blog and I have a new follower - all 8 of you now! But I am really writing this blog for myself. It is like a journal or diary I guess - of course that sounds a little flametastic, but that is what this is for me. It is a way to talk about how I feel and put it out there. And it really helps me - when I stick to it and write more. But anyway about the pictures - when I stand in front of the mirror and suck in my gut you can see the bottom of my rib cage - I know that sounds silly, but that is one of the ways I know that I am losing gerth and fat. When I am bloated and beasty and suck in my gut there does not appear to be any change - just a round mass sticking out from what could be a healthy body - but now when I suck in you can see some rib cage and it is just my belly that pokes out! OH! And when you tighten up your neck and mouth you know how you can get veins and tendons to stick out in your neck? Well I can see those again a little! So I am excited and I will strive to do well! Today in P90X we are going to do chest and arms I believe - I am going to try and get KSTS to take some pics and I will post those as well. Wish me luck today with all that good food! And remember what I have said before - just move a little and it truly helps! Just a little every day and it makes a WORLD of difference.

Also, if you are visiting my blog and want to become a follower please do! If you want me to write about something else let me know and I will! And do me a favor and click on some of those ads that google puts on here! Every little bit helps! THANKS!!!

Good morning my faithful! So the big news - I weighed in at 321.6 - I am not super happy about that, but I will roll with it. Friday morning I weighed in at 321 even. So it would look like I gained .6 over the weekend - but I don't feel like I did??? I worked hard and am going to chalk it up to water weight and body fluctuation. SO! Friday evening I do some Kenpo before we headed to the race - I did not eat good at the race, but the last race I went to I ate MUCH worse. So I am proud of myself over all. Saturday we slept in late, got up and ran our couch to 5k, then I mowed grass and worked in the yard. We went to Red Lobster for dinner and I had a normal dinner - But that is all I ate that day! So I don't feel guilty a bit! Sunday we did not move a ton - hung out with my M&D and snacked some around their house. We didn't eat bad, but we didn't eat great - then when we got home I did some Plyometrics work out and sweated up a storm! So I felt good this weekend - I hate that my numbers don't reflect that, but I feel good this morning and my clothes are already fitting better!

Today I had a couple granola bars for breakfast, I have a couple apples  packed for snacks, I have soup and green beans with carrots for lunch! We have a showing at our house this afternoon - Please say a prayer that it shows well and maybe we will get an offer! So when I get home we are going to load up the dogs and head to M&D's house. We will do our P90 there (today is pushups and back I believe) then we will go for our couch to 5K in Maiden. By the way, if you are interested in the program we are following here is the link:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I have read several other peoples blogs about getting started in the program and they have all had fantastic results! I am excited to be able to say that I can run a 5K! In high school when I was playing football and in pretty decent shape - I was still beastly, but in better overall shape - I could run a mile in a little over 9 minutes. That is pretty slow, and I was about to pass out after the one mile! So I am freaking excited about being able to run a 5K (3.1 miles) in roughly 30 minutes, which is what this program strives to help you do! KSTS is signing us up for the 5K they run in the Lincolnton Apple Fest - I believe in September sometime. And we are going to do a Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning before we pig out! Then one day the Iron Man in Hawaii!!!!! maybe that "one day" is a LONG ways off..... But I think I can manage a 5K in 4 months! Week one is really easy so there really isn't much to report. I will tell you more as the weeks go on, but week two is pretty easy as well. I tell you the toughest part is my big toes have been bothering me.... My brother and dad have the gout! And I hate to admit it, but I must also be developing a touch of it... Getting older sucks!

I hope everyone is moving more this week! The experts for health and well being say you should strive to take 10,000 steps a day. That sounds like a bunch, but it really isn't. Especially when you start earlier in the day. I know when I sit in my office all day long and don't start moving till I get home it is super hard to break even 7,000 steps a day. But in my typical workout of just P90 I get in 3K steps, doing the couch to 5K gets me another 3 - 4K, and then just your regular moving around gets you the rest. I get up from my desk and move around the office and shop and go look at how the guys are doing on a job, etc... Just get up and move! I know that the internet and really my blog are enthralling! But when you sit around all day long then start moving in the afternoon it is nearly impossible to get in your steps! But if you tell yourself you are going to take 5 ten minute walks around the yard or down your street a day then you will get in your steps with ease! It sucks to think about devoting yourself to an hour of working out, or even just 30 minutes some days. But ANYONE can take a ten minute break a couple times a day! That is nothing! Just a thought. Maybe keep 5 dried beans in your pocket and every time you take one of your 10 minute breaks to go for a stroll you throw a bean out, when all your beans are gone you have accomplished something! Good luck my peeps! It is super easy to dictate what YOU should do from behind my keyboard - obviously I am not perfect! But I am trying! I hope you are too! 

Oh and one other thing - do me a favor and visit some of the ads on my page! THANKS!

Good day folks! Two posts this week! I know! Fantastic! So listen up - This has been my first week back on track where I have been able to stay committed all week long. My dilemma is coming - the dreaded weekend... So in the past I have always been able to make excuses for myself that I have worked hard and its just a couple days over the weekend and it is good to shock my body and blah, blah, blah. The fact is that is bull poop! You have to eat good over the weekend and move some in order to continue weight loss - you can't pig out and expect your body to react properly. So I weighed this morning! Typically I fuss at people who weigh more than once a week because it either gives you false hope or it frustrates you. Neither are good when you are trying to stay diligent and continue to lose. BUT I wanted to know my weight today - which by the way is 321, that means I am down 5 from Monday! - because I am going to weigh again on Monday and compare! If I still weight 321 Monday I will be content that I didn't gain any and I was able to maintain. If I lose some by Monday then I will jump for joy! But if I gain some - then I need to be shot! Because if I can't keep it together for 7 days then there is little hope for me to hit my goals by beach time... Tonight we are going to the Truck race and qualifying at the track in concord. We are going with my father-in-law and have box seats. In the box there is all the beer, soft drinks, and tasty (but NOT good for you) food! So I am preparing myself for tonight. For instance I ate a smaller than usual breakfast, I am going to eat a minimal lunch, and I am not going to snack at all until we get to the track. Then I will eave a surplus of calories that I may eat - this does not mean that I am going to black out and go completely crazy. I am going to eat normal food in smaller amounts, stick to water or diet drinks, no beer at all, and I am going to be reasonable with my food choices. You never know what they will have, but I am sure there will be nachos with all the melted cheese in the world. I am going to have a couple chips - like 10 - instead of entire plate full! I am going to have one plate of food tonight - instead of 3 or 4! And when the desert rolls around I will eat a single cookie - or nothing at all! I am tired of being a fat bastard. I have felt so great this week working out and eating well and I don't want to ruin that because I think cheese is super tasty! All that will happen is that Monday I will feel guilty and hate myself and then it will be that much harder to get started again. And maybe I am destined to lose 8 pounds next week, but because I sabotaged my weekend I would only lose 2. That is not acceptable! I want to be dead sexy and look my best. So when I get home BEFORE we go out tonight I am going to do Kenpo P90x - it is a super good cardio workout if you put your mind to it! You only get out of it what you put in, so if you don't try to push yourself and really bring some intensity then it isn't a good workout - it is just a waste of time. I rather enjoy it and the hour flys by! So I am going to bring the pain! Then tomorrow we have a couch to 5K day and I am going to do another P90x program - not sure which, maybe plyometrics. Sunday there will be some yard work going on and sometime we have got to get some healthy food in the house because I don't have much to pack for lunch next week! Wish me luck everyone! Say a prayer that I am able to fight off my old ways and eat good this weekend! Say another prayer that I am like 320 or 319 by Monday! Good luck all my companions on this suck ass quest of weight loss!

Good morning all my loyal subjects! I am feeling pretty good this morning! It has been a while since my last update - thank you Susan for busting on me. Yesterday KSTS & I ate well and worked out hard! I am very proud of both of us! When we got home from work I was working in the yard dead heading roses and pulling some weeds and KSTS came out and let me know she had a really bad headache and was not feeling well. So I finished up my yard work and come in to sit with her for a few minutes. I was about to say lets just not work out and relax, but I really wanted to start back and get in gear! September/October is rapidly coming and by George I have some fat to burn! So I told KSTS to rest and I was going to go start our couch to 5K. But she was a trooper and said she wanted to come, even though she was feeling like bootie stank and not feeling it. BUT SHE CAME! And it was a good work out! We did our warm up then alternated walking for 90 seconds and running for 60 - we did that for 30 minutes. We both felt great afterwords! And her headache was gone! AMAZING! Exercise sucks huge monkey butt, but it does make you feel better - when it is done... We had a couple quick errands to run and we grabbed some dinner while we were out - a little Mexican, but light on the chips and the fattening stuff. Then we came home and cranked out a P90X workout - it was the first in a LONG time. It was not fun and although Tony Horton is a stud, he is quite aggravating and is hard to watch when it is the same dialogue over and over and over again.... It was a chest and back workout - and I am feeling it this morning! And I like it! I felt so great, AFTER the workout was finished - and I am so PROUD of KSTS for sticking it out and not giving in! We are officially back on track! I weighed in yesterday and I was 326 - fat bastard - I know... But the other days I posted about being back on track I allowed myself to get side tracked... This time I am posting after an official workout has taken place and I have proof today of how great I feel! So I am OFFICIALLY back on track! I have got to be dead sexy for the beach and for a wedding KSTS is in! We are going to see a lot of her old high school peeps and I don't want her friends to look at me and see KSTS married a fatty-Mcfats-a-lot! I want her friends to be jealous of her James Bond studly man-dingo husband! I am have to be svelte and smooth! I may have to work on the smooth part as well... SO! Let me recap it again - it was SOOO freaking hard to get over the hurdle of not working out and not feeling good and being grumpy and just pushing it off another day, then another week, then another month.... But I swear I feel like a champ today! If you can just get past day one, then day two, then a couple more - you will feel so wonderful! I feel like I am on crack this morning! I can't imagine how good I will feel in 13 more days! Usually the first two weeks of being back on track I feel amazing! If I weighed in at 326 yesterday then by May 30th - two weeks - I want to be down to 316!!! 10 pounds in 2 weeks - WAY DOABLE! I am not joking about how good I feel after just one day of eating good and working out - AMAZING! If I could have only remembered sooner how good this feels then I would have gotten back on track right after my birthday - instead it has taken literally 2 months to get back on track! I know you are not supposed to look back, but imagine if I had not taken off these last two months???? Think about it.... Even if I just just lost 2 pounds a week I would be down to 290! Can you freaking believe that???? Instead I gained weight and am a portly 326! Sucks monkey balls! But I can't look back - i cant change the bonehead decision of eating like a pig - all I can do is not let it happen again and kick it back into high gear! And I am doing that! I am on a high and I am going to stay that way! I beg of all you peeps that read this - PLEASE JUST MOVE A LITTLE MORE AND EAT A LITTLE LESS! I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL FEEL BETTER! AND ONCE YOU START FEELING JUST A LITTLE BETTER YOU WILL WANT TO KEEP ON FEELING EVEN MORE BETTER! (I know that is some amazing grammar skills right there!)  My food today - fiber one bar and granola bar this morning, I have 3 apples for snacks throughout the day and raisins, two cans of soup for lunch. I am going on an apple kick lately! Tonight we are eating at dirty dons, but KSTS and I already have a game plan of what to order so we don't over eat and so we eat the right kind of food! Then we are just going to do a quick walk (part of the couch to 5k plan is to ONLY run 3 days a week, and to not push past what they have on their plan - that way you don't burn out) then some more P90X this evening! On my very first post I said I would post some pics of me in my boxers when this all started and then the finished product - I promise that I will still do it! I just need to get back into gear! I am so proud of KSTS for getting back into gear and working had and pushing through the pain last night - I hope she feels as good today as I do! Good luck all my peeps and please post comments! If anyone ever wants me to post something for them in the main body of the blog just e-mail it to me and I will insert it here:
                   "like this. and then you will have your words here. and you can tell me whatever...."

Good luck everyone!

Good afternoon my fair citizens of all things Robusto! Weight today was 324.2. I did lost almost 4 lbs last week, but I wanted more! Probably some of my setbacks come from the snacks mom bought Saturday while we were redoing her floor and room... Of course I am the one who ate said snacks.... And Sunday we went to lunch with big ed. It is a fish house and we were going to get some broiled fish and a baked sweet potato, pretty healthy! Instead when we got there and sat down we found out that on Sundays they only have their buffet... Everything on the buffet was different shades of brown and tan... all fried - except for the macaroni and cheese of course! So needless to say I was not able to eat great - I am sorry let my rephrase that - it was easy for me to eat badly and I did not have the will power to help myself. So there - I blame myself for getting into bad situations and not being strong enough to get out of them. Such is life sometimes.

Well I did run and walk a fair amount last week so that helps! And today KSTS & I are going to hit some P90x and we are going to start to do the couch to 5K plan. I am going to be fit and dead sexy dammit! I have got a beach to hit in September and I plan on not being so self conscious while there! Plus I want to be one of those people that run on the beach that I have always hated!

I feel better today! I ate really well yesterday and consumed roughly 2,000 calories - Healthy calories that were not filled with cheese and oil and all the tasty things the world has to offer. Last night KSTS, Daisy Marie (my niece) and I played some tennis then we went to a track and I jogged/ran/walked (only a little walking) - Then dinner consisted of whole wheat pasta, prego spaghetti sauce, and some Gimmie Lean Soy Sausage! It actually tasted pretty good! The texture of the sausage was a little off, but the flavor was there! And the whole dinner was only 580 calories! Score! So after a day of working hard and eating right I feel better - not great, not as good as I did back on my birthday (I was like 312 that day) - BUT I will get back there and surpass that mark quite soon! I got to! My close are not currently fitting!

For breakfast I just had some oatmeal and a bagel thin and some ham. For lunch: soup, granola bars, and pretzel chips. For snacks: almonds and granola bar. For dinner: not sure yet??? But it will NOT be Dirty Don's or L&L cafe or anything else like that! It WILL either be eating at home (my preference) or Subway! And that is a fact!

Last week was freaking awful... Here is the deal - I did really good during the day, then night time came and BOOM! I was having an out of body experience! And I can't even begin to tell you how many calories I may have consumed. I weighed 328 this morning. I am disgusted with myself. I guess the best way is to starve myself, because obviously I have no self control. I may write more later and further explain myself - but for the time being I ate too much last week, I did not work out, I am slowly killing myself for some reason, and I don't know how to stop. Well that is all a little too dramatic. I just ate because it tastes good and I like it - period. But I also like to feel better and I like it when my clothes fit, so I am going to push myself again this week! I am going to start fresh! By God I need some help, because obviously I keep falling backwards.

Good morning all -

I weighed 323 this morning - Not good, but last monday 4/11/11 I weighed 327.8 - So I did pretty well last week! But wow, it sure is easy to get off track and WAY hard to get back on. My lunch is packed, we have put p90X & walking BACK into the schedule, we have tons of the RIGHT kind of food in the house for dinners this week, and we have a goal again! I do MUCH better when there is a goal in sight! Beach in September! 5 months to get something going! If I could just lose 10 lbs a month then I would be a svelt 275 by beach time! Still not to my elusive 250 mark - WHICH I AM STILL PLANNING ON HITTING BY THE END OF THIS YEAR!!!!! But I think 275 is a respectable and attainable goal. I am currently munching on a few almonds, I had a cereal bar for breakfast - I LOVE the Fiber One bars, but I am having to cut back... WAY too much gas... And there is not an easy way for me to expel that at work so my gut gets all jacked up. I will reserve the Fiber One's for afternoon snacks, sorry kelly sue.... - I have a can of soup, green beans & carrots, and some pretzel chips for lunch! I am thinking some whole wheat pasta with a little ground sausage and light red sauce for dinner. I have to go be looking good for the beach! And KSTS is in a wedding in October to I have got to look good for her then - I will see all her old peeps and I have to impress them! Maybe a new James Bond type suit for the occasion! Friday night I am taking KSTS out for a nice dinner at a restaurant I can't mention here cause I don't want her to know - she likes surprises! In a couple weeks we are going to have a garage sale and sometime we are going camping too! And fishing! I miss fishing and want to go fishing! I am going to get back on track and truly work hard - no more milk shakes or ice creams - no more cookies (at least not for a while) - no more burgers - I feel so heavy and sluggish and sloth like. Just a few weeks ago I was feeling so springy and light on my feet... It is SOOO easy to get derailed, but I am kicking it back into gear! My jeans got tight and we donated all my fat jeans so I better kick it! I wish everyone the best of luck with this battle we all seem to face from time to time. It really sucks and believe me - I am with you! I know how hard it is. But please try! The only people who read this are close to me so please do what needs to be done. Do it for me so I can be inspired by you and then I will try my best to inspire you. I want everyone around me to live long happy lives - I know that cake and pizza bring happiness, but it is only short term. Then the next day when you want to take a walk with your kids or you have to walk up stairs at work or you have to do anything you feel like bootie. If you weigh less then you will feel like less bootie - guaranteed! I wish everyone luck in their "journey" - what an awful word for weight loss, but it is what the silly people on the biggest loser call it... Well I am not on a journey - i am on a quest! Thy shall be done, we leave at first light!

Wow I am a fat bastard indeed! Okay so everyone read my last post on my birthday.... So I had a black out weekend that turned into an eight day pillaging of the land! I may have eaten everything in site.... And I may have enjoyed multiple gallons of sweet tea! So yesterday when I weighed in it was not pretty.... 319.6! I feel so frustrated with myself, but I really don't feel that bad - I knew all along what I was doing so I don't truly have anyone to blame but me... So I am not going to get all upset! But this morning when I put on my jeans they feel tight again! Isn't it amazing how 6 pounds can screw you up??? Last night was Plyometrics P90X and I was not able to do as much as I was able to do 2 weeks ago???? 6 pounds bootied me up! So I have a goal this week to lose that 6 lbs! On Monday 3/28 I want to be 313.6! I worked out hard yesterday and walked for a good bit, today I will walk during my lunch and work out hard and tonight KSTS and I are going biking! I am tired of my sluggish fatty mc fats a lot ways! So I am getting back with it! Now, I won't say I didn't enjoy my amazing birthday cake KSTS made! It was fantastic! Our meals dining out were quite amazing! Lots of pasta and cheese and fried things and ice cream and oh the sweet tea..... You know Friday morning I went by Chick-fil-a and got a sweet tea - the first sip when it hit my tongue and I rolled it around.... ecstasy.... I am not lying! Its like when an alcoholic talks about their first drink of the day and how good it fells and when they swallow it just warms them inside. Well, Chick-fil-a Sweet Tea is my whiskey! It is absolutely amazing! And every other sip is not quite as good as the first, but it is almost as good!

This morning I had a banana, fiber one bar, and water. For snack I have a fiber one bar. For lunch I have some frozen chili and pretzels. For PM snack I have a protein bar. Then for dinner I am not sure what KSTS and I will have. But it will be something not super fun... Now there will be a small piece of cake involved in tonight's dinner somewhere - KSTS is taking a cake decorating class and she has to bake a cake every Monday! So I was not allowed to slice into that bad boy last night, but she told me tonight when we give it to someone I can take a slice then!!!! So my day of not fun eating will be rewarded with a small slice of heaven! But you know what else is heavenly??? Pulling on my pants and not feeling squeezed into them.... So a little less cake and a lot more exercise is what I am in need of! Wish me luck! I sure do like when people leave me comments... hint HINT... Or if anyone would like to post something just send me an e-mail and I will post it for you! I mean I do have an ass load of readers so your thoughts will be posted for all the world to see!

Good selling my peeps! Good luck today! Keep battling the bulge! We must get rid of this sticky goo around our middles! One day (not to far off...) our government will start getting rid of the people in our society that are not producers! So unless you have a beautiful mind (ummm....) you better not be a drag to health care! I for one do not want someone else to euthanize me unless I want it! Good day kind sir! I said good day!

I told everyone I would post my Friday pre-black out weight info! SO! I weighed this morning - 313.4! That is down 2 pounds since Monday! And honestly - i didn't eat very well last night.... I weighed last night before my blackout - 311.4! I going 2lbs during my fish feast! Oh well.... I am not going to beat myself up over this! I know how good it feels to not be bloated and gross - Yes, I am going to enjoy some high calorie foods these next couple days, but I do not intend to stuff myself so full I can't move and enjoy myself. I hate that overly bloated feeling! Well peeps - wish me luck this weekend! I am still going hiking tomorrow and I will still be doing P90X!

Good morning all! Well I weighed in today..... 315.4... up .4 from last monday - but I think that is just water weight and my body being silly. I will weigh again in a couple days and let you know how I am fairing! Friday is my birthday and lets be honest - I am probably going to black out over the weekend... I mean I already know there will be cake and burgers and taco's involved - so right there I am busted! But I will weigh in Friday AM and quickly post my weight going in and then my weight coming out of the blackout. And I will just do my best! I will keep on pushing myself and doing what I can! 250 is still the ultimate goal and I will get there! I am going to take a quick walk around my office building before I have to run some errands this afternoon! - Adios!

WOW! I suck at blogging sometimes! I am so freaking lazy when it comes to taking the time to post something... Sorry about that my peeps! I will get to the weight in a moment, but I just started posting these ads on my site and I was not thinking that they would really do anything - but I just looked and since the last time I logged in I have earned $1.91 for people clicking on those links! HOLY COW! So PLEASE! Visit those sponsors on my site! Heck yeah!

Okay! Yesterday we weighed in - 315 lbs! That is right! I am kickin it solid! The last couple weeks have been very difficult to keep up with the P90X and get our walks in and eat right. For instance - last week I had gained a pound.... That is one reason why I didn't post. I wanted all my many millions of readers to see success, but in reality I should have posted so you all know how frustrating it is to gain weight while you are doing your best. When I went to Dallas I tried to work out my best - I woke up at 4:45 am and would work out for 90 minutes then grab a quick shower and get to my meetings - the trouble was I wasn't going to bed till midnight or 1:00 am and I was eating cafeteria food.... It is very difficult to control the calories you eat when you don't know what you are taking in. I tried, but it was tough. That Monday I lost 2 lbs - pretty good considering all that had happened, but then that week following my trip I could not get my act together. I was mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. Consequently my body needed to recharge and get back on track - I gained all that I had lost and a pound on top of that. Lets look back at my weight -

February  7 - 320.4
February 14 - 318.5
February 21 - 321.4
February 28 - 315

So I am back on track now and feeling good. Last week was a lot of watching my calories, trying not to eat heavy carbs late in the evening (I think that is a big key - carbs in early am to last the day, but none at night to sit in your gut while you sleep), lots of walking & moving, and P90X. And you know what else - SLEEP! I truly think that if you are not resting and recharging your body then you will be busted! When you look at my last month of weight loss and see that I only lost 5.4 lbs in a month i is discouraging, but all I can do is forget about the past and push forward!

My wife and I are trying a meatless March! Well not completely - We are still eating fish and my birthday is this month & I have requested taco's that night and 5 Guys for lunch! I want a juicy burger! And I will eat bad that day, but I will truly push myself the rest of the month! I wanted to be below 300 by my birthday - That is too daunting of a task to try and make that happen now. But maybe I can be below 300 by the end of my birthday month??? What do you guys think??? I need some feedback! I need your comments! It is good to hear your thoughts and it helps to keep me motivated! And also - if anyone ever wants to be a guest blogger on my site let me know and I will publish it for you!

I need to get to work and make some things happen today! I am tired from my last couple days of P90X, but I am going to push it again tonight! I will make a change and I will rock it out! Oh! An update on the wager my wife and I had - I lost that weigh in and so I gave her a romantic sweet massage! BUT! I won this last week's weigh in, so she owes me a massage! Sweet victory!

Good morning all! Lets go ahead and get to it - I weighed in at 320.5 today! Oh Yeah! That is another drop in the old weight department! And I will take it! I didn't work out enough last week, and although my eating habits weren't awful, they weren't the greatest either. So I am excited with a 4lb weight loss for last week! And this week will be even better! Oh, let me get something out of the way. Last week someone - WHO ISN'T EVEN A FOLLOWER, SO I REALLY SHOULDN'T ADDRESS THIS - told me that I needed to do a better job at proof reading my blogs before I post. So allow me to enlighten everyone - I am not the greatest writer, I know shocking! And I am not the best editor, again amazing! And also, I don't really proof read... ever... I generally get some thoughts off my mind and chest and post them - boom! So I actually don't go back and re-read this after I get done writing - I just post it. So if my improper and atrocious grammar skills bother you, move on! That means you powder puff! Now - lets get to the good stuff! I am feeling a major loosey goosey rumbling around down below.... I am not sure what KSTS & I ate yesterday, but I had two major blow outs last night and so did she! And they were not pleasant in the least! We ate really good yesterday and these are the kind of burning, wet, gross, etc... kind of BM's that are most unpleasant... As a matter of fact this is so pressing now that you will have to excuse me...

WOW! That was uncomfortable.... Okay! So I don't have any clue what has gotten into us, but it is sure as hell making its way out with a vengeance! MAN! That was number 5 in less than 12 hours! I am raw and in pain. I truly hope that was the last of it, cause if it wasn't - I may need a plastic doughnut to sit on!

SO! Lets get back to it... We are doing our best to get healthy! We walked just about three miles yesterday cause it was feeling good to be out and moving. Our workout last night was quite difficult - we are moving into the second phase of P90X and last night was mainly push ups - I have no idea how many we did, but it was a ton! All different kinds and positions - I swear Tony Horton, you are the man! I hope and pray that one day I will be half as fit as he is! You know what else? Lack LaLanne was an animal!  Do yourself a favor and Google Jack LaLanne - he was a stud! I am not kidding! He was an old man by the time I was of age to pay attention, but he could have still kicked my ass at 80! I am going to type up some of his sayings and some of his birthday challenges and put them up on the wall in my office to remind me that I suck and what I should be working towards. He was truly awesome and a very fit individual. You know that is what has changed in my mind set - I am no longer looking for brute strength - I still want to be strong, and when I reach my goal weight I am going to incorporate more lifting into my routine - but I just want to be a fit healthy person. I had some small dreams of competing at a strength training event, but not anymore. My goals and desires have changed - instead of picking up a car, I want to run a 5k! Instead of pressing a large rock over my head, I want to do a mini triathlon! I am serious! And lets also be honest, a 250lb 6'3" man is still a robust and stout individual! So I can do some strength training and be massive! AND FIT! I guess things just get more in perspective as time goes on.

My boss and I fly out Thursday morning for a business trip to Dallas and won't be back till Sunday. My goal is to work out like a beast while we are gone! Thursday the meeting doesn't start till later in the day, and our plane arrives around 11. So I am going to get like a solid 3 hour work out in! Some light weights, a lot of cardio, and maybe even a swim! My wife and I have a little wager going this week - whoever looses a higher percentage of weight this week gets a thirty minute massage next week from the loser. I need a good massage from my wife! So I am motivated to say the least! Healthy eating and lots of hard work! I am tired of just losing a couple pounds a week - my goal for next Monday is..... 314! OH YEAH! That's right! I haven't lost that much in a single week since I started this whole thing when I was close to 370! So I want to push myself and get my butt in gear! I can tell you that I will be walking during my lunch breaks the next couple days and really pushing myself hard during my workouts! Next Monday I will be reporting to you that I am the winner of this weeks weight loss challenge!

A sad day

Good morning all. Yesterday I received a call from my mom that her dog had a passed away. I can't being to explain how upsetting this is. People get attached to their pets every day, and it is always difficult to lose something you care for. But in my mom's case her dog was more than just a companion, she brought stability and purpose to my mom's life. My mom is a good mom, no - she is a great mom. She used to be right outside my classroom when I school let out when I was in first grade. We liked to walk home from school on days that were pleasant. She would have a thermos of sweet tea and a hug ready for me. We would walk home and talk about my day and look at flowers in peoples yards. My mom loves flowers and gardening and it meant so much to learn about those things. We stopped and spoke with a few people and mom would ask for clippings of plants so we could root them and grow them in our own yard.Those were good times and mom had a lot of good years. But like flowers there are years with blooms and years without. By the time that I was finishing with college and dad was working a ton mom had no one left to take care of. We had just about always had a pet in the house when I was growing up, but we really didn't have anything during this time. Mom had nursed her parents, but they had passed. She had taken care of my nieces and nephew, but they were old enough to be in school or moved away. My dad's mom had lived with us during her last year alive and mom had taken care of her. Mom's sister had passed away years ago, and she didn't have a great relationship with her brother. So really other than dad & myself she was alone. Liza was the answer. I found her on a doberman rescue site and we drove 700 miles round trip one day to pick her up. Liza was not the most mentally stable of animals, so she needed a lot of love and attention - mom offered that willingly because she had so much to give! During the next several years was are very rough time of transition for mom and our family in general - it was VERY rough for a while. But when mom came out of it there was Liza - still needing love and attention and mom was once again in place where she needed somewhere to channel those emotions. It was a perfect match! Mom has gotten better and has new interested and friends, and she still had Liza giving her tons of attention and love. They needed one another and helped one another in a huge way. I am so thankful for Liza - she deserves a trophy filled with milk bones for providing just what mom needed! Yesterday Liza passed away - it was a very sad day. We will be here to help mom and provide what comfort we can. But I sure will miss Liza - she was my dog too.

Well.... This is a mid week update... I am feeling pretty good about my workouts and eating this week so I decided to get on the scale... I know, I know... When KSTS reads this she is going to bust on me cause I am constantly harping on her about only weighing once a week. I am such a jabroni sometimes. Oh well. SO! I got on the scale this morning... 322lbs! Holy Cow! That means since Monday I have dropped 2.4lbs! Yeah! I don't know if I can drop another 3 lbs by next Monday, but I am going to try! I would LOVE to be under 320! I really want to be close to that 300 mark by my birthday, I would truly love to be around 299 to be honest.... I have been trying to eat low carbs, but it is truly difficult when you are also trying to eat healthy - fresh fruit and veggies have a lot of carbs! Carbs suck! I will say that days where I eat very low carbs I am hungry and my energy is low, but I feel better??? Does that make any sense - my body feels better and not so heavy or bloated. I LOVE BREAD! But white bread is pretty much the devil! I happen to work with two women who I believe are spawned from satan because they bring in the most wonderful baked goods on earth! One of them makes this fresh bread that is like freaking orgasmic! And that is no lie! KSTS has partaken of this bread and she can back me up here! Yesterday I had eaten very low carb so by the end of the day I was dragging. After our workout I was really wanting something with some bulk so I made risotto and threw in some steak. It hit the spot! I really wanted to add cheese and butter up a piece of bread to go along with it, but I was good and just let the risotto fill me up. It probably had more carbs than I should have eaten, but I think it all balanced out. Plus my weight being down this morning is a freaking testament to eating well and moving more! I always try to bring my lunch if I know that I will be around the shop and not out meeting with client, and this year I have been walking during my lunch time. I eat quickly then walk for twenty or thirty minutes. And it really does me right! I am able to clear my head and feel the outside on my skin. I used to make fun of my brother when he would walk on his lunch breaks, but now I know why he was doing it! I hate those people that are always talking about how many calories are in certain food when you go out to eat... Now I am becoming one of those people... It frustrates me that I do it, but it helps keep me in check so I pay more attention to what I am putting in my body. I am sorry if it offends someone who just wants to enjoy their full flavor meal - Believe me! I miss the taste of eating bread with 1/4" of butter on it and cheese and cookies... oh Lord I love cookies... but when I think about how it always made me feel afterward and how good I am feeling right now  I really cant imagine going back to my old ways. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER COOKIE AGAIN! But instead of Mom making a quadruple batch, maybe just make a half batch - I can eat one or two a day for a couple days instead of 12 or 15 a day for 2 weeks! Even though I am still so big, I feel so much better and move so much better - I can't imagine what it will feel like to be 250! I might float away! It is exciting to think about and that keeps driving me. What it must feel like to be able to walk into a store in the mall and buy clothes right off the rack! Instead of special ordering them. How good is it going to feel to fly without overflowing out of this damn tiny seats. Those things hurt! The stupid arm rests dig into my side meat and are quite painful! It will be great to be able to sit in chairs that have arms on them and not hurt! I used to have to go to sales meetings at my old job and the chairs in the conference room were too small - they hurt for me to sit in and it was so uncomfortable, but I didn't want to say anything cause all the people I worked with would harass me. It sucks being a fat bastard! If only other robusto's out there could feel a taste of what it is like to get smaller then they would be hooked! I sure am! Alright.. I am done today - I should probably do some work since I am sitting here at work and blogging instead...

Ahh..... Back to work after a short weekend vacation! Well KSTS & I met with some friends in Gatlinburg, TN Thursday evening. Needless to say it is quite difficult to stay on track with eating well when you are in that kind of environment.... So lets get to the point - we are okay most of the time, but Saturday was a total loss.... Full Flavor Saturday! Breakfast at the pancake pantry, this consisted of lots of sugar and carbs and probably not much real nutrition. But is sure tasted amazing! Then dinner at the Smokey Mountain Brewery - this also consisted of lots of naughty foods, as well as beer, and mixed drinks! Apple Pie Moonshine - AMAZING! So I am not sure of the calorie swing those couple days, but i am sure it was ugly! We did go for a great walk in the hills Friday, and we were active while we were there - but no real work out was done and the bad eating... So I weighed in this morning - 324.4! That was still a 1.2 lb loss from last monday! And I feel right good about it! I think that if I weigh again tomorrow am or Wednesday it will be even less! I think I am probably holding some water weight - but I am okay with the 1.2lb loss! Considering how much I consumed and the lack of a work out - I am a happy boy! Plus when we worked out yesterday I had a lot of intensity and my work outs were lacking over all last week. So this lapse over a couple days is not going to get me down. I am excited to get back on track! I am going to do what I can to cut down on the carbs - evening though I have been eating well and with the right calories (for the most part...) I looked back and my diet is consisting of roughly 60 - 70% carbs. That is not a super healthy option. While you don't want to do completely away with carbs, you do need to be mindful of what you eat. So for a week or two I am going to eat really low carb to shock my body, then try to maintain a healthy level of 40% of my diet coming from carbs. I have done a lot of reading and healthy lifestyles fluctuate a little, but they say you should be at 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fats. I can do it! This is a lifestyle change that is worth doing and I want to make it happen!

Hello out there to all the world! Well, it is a tad cold this morning and I must say that I am beginning to tire of winter. Okay - well we worked hard last week and pushed ourselves a lot! Plus we ate well! There was a day or two in the week when my calories bumped up to the 2500 range, but that is still a lot better than the 4000 plus i was eating before! Last week I lost 3.8 lbs, and am now sitting at 325.6! And i am feeling pretty good! Not as much weight loss as I was hoping for, but it was my official week 2 of eating well and working out. Week 2 is the really tough week because your body is getting used to eating less and working out and it is trying to figure out what is going on. During week 3 some of that figuring out is almost done, but sometimes that is also a bit slow. But when week 4 comes, the pounds start to drop! So I will take my 3.8 lbs for week 2 and hold my head high! And I will take whatever I am dealt for week 3 with the same attitude! Now I must tell you, this week is going to be a tad naughty.... KSTS & I are going to Gatlinburg to visit with friends - we will miss two workout's this week, and we have given ourselves two naughty meals. There is a brew house there with killer dinner food, and there is the pancake pantry.... So we will eat really well for most meals, eat really bad for 2 meals, but we will be walking a TON and quite active while we are there - I am still confident that this week will still be a week of weight loss! My body bugg is really helping me keep track of what I have been doing and it keeps me super accountable! I mean - I don't know how I ever would have stayed so motivated without it! And really - this is just a lifestyle change. I know it sounds so cliche' but it is really the truth. Our lives are going to change from this! We are making ourselves more active, we are eating healthy (but still eating a lot of food, just good food!), and we just plain feel better. I haven't slept this well since I was in high school or college! I swear that when my head hits the pillow I am out, then when I wake up I feel rested and energized! I know it sounds hokey and silly - believe me, the stupid ass fitness people that are so upbeat all the time are so freaking aggravating and annoying, but I know why they are that way... BECAUSE YOU FEEL BETTER WHEN YOU LIVE THIS WAY! And I am learning that for the first time in my life. I just feel better all over. My work feels more rewarding and I am better able to focus, my social life with KSTS feels better and I feel that I am able to be a better husband, and I feel more at peace with myself. KSTS got me pants that fit well for Christmas - I really wish I had taken some measurements before all this and then taken some yesterday, because when I put those pants on this morning they are so big on me they almost fell off! If it wasn't for my large butt and hips they would be on the floor! There is truly enough room in there now for me to smuggle a small watermelon around my waist! Okay.... maybe just some grapefruit, but you get the idea! Man... I am rambling this morning! I will go now, work calls - and these silly postings of mine really go nowhere. And I know that some people will think I am a hypocrite with all this healthy living gaboldy gook, but I hope not too much - Because as sad as it makes me, it is all true... Good luck peeps! Do something positive to change your lives and make an effort to just move more during the day! Someone loves you and if you aren't willing to commit to do something for yourself, at least do it for them!

GOOD MORNING!

Okay so you are thinking two days of blogging in a row!? Wow! Patrick is on fire! Well I just wanted to update everything quickly and let you know that yesterday I was a maniac for some reason and kicked the calorie burning (5,300!) and steps (15,000!) into high gear! I don't know what came over me, but my calorie goal to burn for the day is only 4,400 - So I smashed that! And everyone should strive for 10,000 steps a day - And I decimated that! Rockin Bitches! Maybe I should leave swear words out of my public blog... Probably so... Of course all my many followers are over the age of consent so I will leave it for now! I am feeling spicy this morning! OH! One more thing - My calorie goal is 1925 a day and for some reason I only ate like 1700 yesterday??? But I was full and didn't want anymore! This healthy eating crap is crazy! Who knew??? I am all fired up and I have been reading more and more about running... I know... But I kind of want to set a goal for myself. According to the Bodyubugg I should be reaching my goal weight of 250 in May sometime. I am thinking that when I hit the 275 rage I am going to start running. Right now my right knee kills me - I know it sounds silly and quite cliche, but it truly is an old football injury. When they sewed me up they said I could develop arthritis and problems in it earlier rather than later. Well I guess that is happening. I am not letting it stop me, I just want to get some weight off before I stress it with running. P90X is rocking it pretty hard - last night we did lunges for what felt like hours (really it was only about 10 total minutes spread throughout the video we were watching). And every single time I put weight on that right knee I get paints up and down my leg, it pops and sounds like bones are snapping, and I feel like it is going to collapse. Wah Wah Wah Wah.... I am not letting it stop me though! I can feel my body changing and my energy level increasing and I can feel myself wanting to push harder and do more! Wow! I am rambling this morning! I need to get to work! Adios Peeps!

Ahh I now have three followers, although 2 of you are the same person... Fame is wonderful! I will do my best to not forget you little people as I become famous from my ramblings! Well I weighed in this morning. First, let me explain about this past week. KSTS & I have gone on a healthy eating lifestyle change - at least we are doing out best to. We didn't get in all our gear the first week of Jan, so we didn't really get cranked up on the road to health until January 9th. So from the third to the 8th, we were not 100% healthy - but we weren't awful... Well I was pretty bad... What can I say... Anyway, one week of eating good - around 2000 calories a day (OF THE RIGHT FOODS!) and week one of the P90X - VERY Difficult home work out. We decided to try something that changes from night to night so we wouldn't get bored at the gym. And yesterday is the first time we have repeated a workout session! So it is pretty fun ( I mean that in a very loose sense, because no workout program is really fun). Also, we are wearing BodyBugg's. They keep exact track of how many calories we are burning in a day. Then we go online and log what we eat and it shows us a calorie deficit or surplus. As long as you have a calorie deficit every day then you are losing weight! Simple right??? ]

So all that being said - As of this morning I weight 329.4! This is down 6.6lbs from Jan 3rd! And I am going to keep on kicking it! I really want to be around 250 - that is still a large man size, but a healthy weight from someone who has a build like mine. And who knows - once I hit 250 I may want to drop even more! My brother was around 225 when he was young and he had a pretty good build. Maybe that is my magic number? I dunno. But what I do know is that I want to hit 250! I have not been that size since 8th grade - pretty sad huh? Also, I would really love to be able to run a marathon, or maybe just a 1/2 marathon!The Bodybugg program says that if I follow its rules and keep doing what I am doing then sometime in May I should hit my 250 goal! I will do my best to keep everyone (all 2 of you) updated as to my results! Now - I am finished with lunch (turkey sandwich & pretzels & water...) so I am going to put on my tennis shoes and go walk around our building complex for the rest of my lunch break!

Adios Peeps!