Ready to Start Again

September 21, 2009

As is no doubt obvious by my lack of posts and my weight loss chart that continues to go up instead of down, I've been in a weight loss rut. Nay, a virtual crater. The Grand Canyon you could say.

I've realized this months ago and have struggled with finding the motivation needed to get going again. Here's how bad it is - I somehow managed to convince myself that what I needed was a redesign of my website to get me kickstarted. And I've proceeded down the path of making that happen. I'm looking forward to a new look around here and think it may well be what I need to start really posting again, but once I realized I was delaying starting my diet and exercise program until my website redesign was done - well, that was too much.

I may have got the kick in the pants I needed last week when my wife weighed in after her first week of a weight loss challenge at work. She's coming up on the big Four-O and is looking to get more healthy herself. After one week she lost 4 pounds! I don't think I had but one or two weeks that good when I was really into it.

Suddenly there is a little competition in the house.

So this morning I put 30 minutes in on the treadmill before work, the first time in many months, and I ate pretty well all day. And drank a lot of water. Protein bar and a glass of V8 for breakfast, egg salad wrap with a side salad for lunch, a Bologna and cheese sandwich for dinner and an apple for a snack.

OK, not the best day in terms of quality but trust me it beats multiple stops at McDonalds, which is something I have fallen into the habit of. Dinner would have been better but it was straight from work to soccer practice and I only had time to grab something quick.

Soccer practice? Yep, I am coaching my son's soccer team again this year. Another thing I did well today was I purposely got more involved in the action by participating in the drills where it was appropriate. I have a 1v1 drill in a 6 yard square box that literally wiped me out after 5 minutes. Pretty sad. But, it felt good to get more physical.

I'm looking forward to sharing my website redesign with you but in the meanwhile I'm going to start posting again and pushing myself to do better. I'm still absolutely convinced that writing about this journey is helpful and feel as though a big reason for me falling off the wagon is that I stopped writing about it as it was happening. Time to get the virtual pen out again and get back at it.

I'd also like to get reintroduced to my fellow weight loss bloggers - anyone new out there that just started a blog yourself? Tell us about it in the comments!

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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }

Hanlie September 22, 2009 at 4:02 am

Hello again! I'm still here, still at the same address and making slow but steady progress.

Nothing like a bit of competition, is there? Well done on your renewed commitment and good luck!

Greg September 22, 2009 at 6:35 am

Glad to see you're back in the game.

workout mommy September 22, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Glad to see you are back John! :)

Merry September 22, 2009 at 10:23 pm

Hooray! John's back!

Never give up, never surrender! :)

Karyn September 23, 2009 at 11:27 am

I have been in a weight loss stump for months also. Gained 8 lbs back when my mom passed at Christmas and in spite of all my efforts with exercise and eating, my weight just won't budge!

For a while my blog dropped off the face of the earth but, I find keeping it up helps keep me more accountable. Plus, I join challenges fellow blogs set and that helps a lot too. Don't give up. Eventually things will get back on track! :)

AndrewE September 24, 2009 at 2:38 am

Welcome back to the club John!

Steve Johnson September 26, 2009 at 2:25 am

I got into that same problem earlier this year, where I made weight loss progress, was blogging about it, and then fell back on my old ways eating, eating, eating. Six months later, somehow I found renewed purpose, and lost 22 pounds over the next 3 months. Click on my name in the comments, and find the link to my blog.

MamaBearJune September 27, 2009 at 12:03 am

Welcome back, John! Yes, a little healthy competition does a lot of good. ;-)

My husband lost weight a lot faster than I did, but I finally weigh less than him. Slow and steady wins the race! :-D

Joanne September 29, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Hi John - glad I found you. Hopefully a few of us that area walking the same path can be support for each other in blogland. I had my aha moment last month with another blogger - she posted her weight loss slide show and then a few very inspirational posts and since then I have been living a good lifestyle, trying to keep my blog going and hoping to find others living the best lifestyle we can.

Gregg October 9, 2009 at 7:46 pm

Hi John!

I came across your website when I was doing some research on movie popcorn. I'm a big movie fan, and I have always liked popcorn with the movie. I decided to educate myself on the nutritional aspects of my habit.

Your website interested me, and I found myself reading your blog postings. I also looked at your charts and medical information. Dude, I can really relate!

I'm 53 years old. I'm 5'10". At the beginning of February '09, I weighed 280 pounds. I was struggling with diabetes and high blood pressure. While I hadn't suffered a medical "event" like a heart attack or stroke, I was seriously concerned about my future.

I had tried self-dieting and exercise and I experienced the same result you did. I lost for awhile, but then gained it all back. I finally decided that I was kidding myself in thinking I could do this all on my own. I like to think of myself as a tough, self-reliant guy, but I decided I needed help.

I joined the Slim4Life program. They just changed the name to Slimgenics. It's only located in Colorado and Minnesota. I mention it because you wrote in one of your posts that you used to shop at Dayton's. I live in the Minneapolis area, and thought you might too.

Anyway, since I started in February, I have lost weight rather steadily. I have plateaued at times, but the counselors have helped me get through the plateaus. As of this morning, I weigh 199 pounds. I have lost 81 pounds, and have 14 more to lose to reach my goal of 185.

I will reach my goal, and I will keep the weight off. I'm confidant of that now. Some of this confidence is the result of my own motivation. Some of it is as the result of things I have learned and resources I now have at my disposal.

It probably seems like I'm hyping the program I'm on. I'm not, although it has worked for me. But I have come to many realizations during this process. If you think it might be helpful to you, I would be pleased to share them with you. You can decide whether you would like to share them with your readers.

I'm not a weight loss blogger, and as I say, I came across your site by accident. But your posts really struck a chord with me. It wasn't long ago I was right where you are now. If there is anything I can do to lend a hand, I'd be happy to do so.

Gregg

nicole October 21, 2009 at 9:48 am

hey! i just read your bog, and i do want to start one of my own. i know i do alot better when i am mindful of what im doing to myself, and writing is an outlet for me. since i am a stress eatter, the outlet is what i relly need. how do i get started blogging?

Ana October 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm

Hi, John. I started a fitness blog this year and am getting into a routine for better health. I certainly have ups and downs, so having support is important. Good luck with your weight loss journey. I'm enjoying your posts here!

Derek October 28, 2009 at 5:00 am

I'm getting back in the game, too. I just started again on Monday. So far, I'm doing pretty well. I had been very successful, then I let things slip and the weight came back.

Anyway, I've been writing for a while, and I just started playing with video. I definitely believe talking about the journey is helpful!

Lynette November 6, 2009 at 8:55 pm

John,
Where are you? I was looking for something else and landed at your blog. I was thinking it'd be great to have a little accountability as I travel this journey of losing weight. Have you continued to blog and I don't see it.
Stick with it. You'll be so glad you did.

CHRIS L November 30, 2009 at 6:53 pm

Gregg,

I too am in Mn. Wondering what the slimgenics costs?

Thanks
Chris

Gregg December 5, 2009 at 12:13 pm

Hey Chris! Thanks for the question. A brief update: I've lost 90 pounds since Feb. I'm 5 away from my goal. If it feels right, I may lose another 5. As you might imagine, I'm happy with the Slimgenics (formerly Slim4Life) program. I think it's a good option for people who need to lose. There is one guy at my location who is down 145 pounds!

There are two cost components to the program: (1) an up front cost; and (2) product costs. The initial fee includes an initial assessment (weigh in, measurements, orientation), an initial supply of products, and a program. The program is geared to your needs. I wanted to lose 95 pounds. My program is 47 weeks weight loss (2 lbs/wk), 6 weeks stabilization, and 20 weeks maintenance. The up front cost for me was $850. I believe the amount depends on how much you have to lose. Less weight, lower cost.

I know that sounds like a chunk of change, but I wasn't losing any other way. I figured that the cost of being overweight was also huge. Plus, to be honest, I suspect I've saved more than that by reducing the number of times I go out to eat.

The program includes visits to the location where you weigh in and talk one-on-one with a consultant. They want you to come in 3x a week, but you can come in every day if you want. I've done that on occasion when I've been stuck. To me, the counseling part has been very valuable for accountability, motivation, encouragement, information, etc.

The second cost factor is products. They have supplements (pills), vitamin drinks, and snacks. They are healthy and useful, but somewhat expensive. I dropped the supplements early, and replaced the important ones with off-the-shelf substitutes (vitamins, fish oil). I still get the drinks and snacks, however, because they are healthy and taste good. I figure they are worth the cost. Once I reach my goal, I may look for good substitutes, however.

The essence of the program involves eating reasonable portions of grocery store and restaurant foods, however. A balanced diet. I think it's good in that respect because you build healthy habits. Programs with prepackaged meals don't really do that.

Anyway, Chris, I could tell you more, but I don't want to hog John's blog. If you want to discuss this more, give me a way to contact you and I will. Or, you could go into Slimgenics. If you make an appointment on the web, I think you can get a $50 coupon towards your program. And by the way, I don't own stock or get a commission. lol I'm just really happy with the results!

Gregg

Redhed December 30, 2009 at 1:32 pm

After reading all your posts and those of others, I've made my appointment for at Slimgenics for Saturday 1/4 - I'm so tired of constantly thinking/worrying/stewing/crying about my weight and what I'm going to do about it. I've been heavy since birth; gained/lost and gained a few times. I don't feel good and I want to. So away we go…..wish me luck and best wishes to all of you.

Gregg December 31, 2009 at 10:48 am

Hey Redhed! I hope your meeting at Slimgenics goes well. Just a brief update on my weight loss: so far I've lost 92.25 pounds. I'm 2.75 away from my goal. My weight loss has slowed recently. While I lost 8.5 pounds in October, I lost just 2 in November and 4 in December. I attribute this to somewhat reduced motivation because I'm close to my goal. The holiday food and drink fests haven't helped either, although I think I've done better than in the past when it comes to eating at family gatherings, parties, etc. Good luck to everyone in the New Year!

Gregg December 31, 2009 at 10:57 am

Oh, and one more thing. I know some of you are more into inches than pounds. When I started my program back in February, I was measured at the chest, waist, hips, both biceps, and both quads. The measurements were then added together.

I was measured again recently. So far, I've lost a total of 45 inches, including 11.5 at the waist. Heck, my pants stay up now with only a belt!

Redhed December 31, 2009 at 11:02 am

That's a good way to see collective benefit, I will measure as described prior to my Slimgenics appointment. I've read some blogs regarding the first three days on the Slimgenics plan - I'm so nervous, I'm not a vegetable eater….
I will rid the house of all things tempting this weekend. I have about 45-55 lbs to lose. I will have to fill my time and mind with things other than food/drink.

Gregg December 31, 2009 at 11:46 am

Actually, if you go forward with the Slmgenics program, they will weigh you and do all your measurements. They didn't take a picture, however, so you may want to do that if you want a "before" and "after."

I know what you mean about vegetables. I wasn't eating them very often either. But the program helped me change that habit, and now I'm eating them regularly and liking them.

And as far as mindset goes, you actually don't have to put food out of your mind. In fact,you will eat and drink more frequently: meals, fruit, snacks, water, drinks. The difference is what and how much you eat!

Finally, I don't believe in complete deprivation, because I don't think it works. For example, I love buttered popcorn at the movies, and I decided to keep that habit. The Slimgenics counselors didn't approve, of course, but ultimately, it's your life. I figured that, if keeping a habit or two helped me stick to the program, and I was still losing weight, then it was a reasonable thing to do. Just a thought.

Redhed December 31, 2009 at 12:19 pm

You are very encouraging, thank you for sharing your wisdom. I know I won't succeed with complete deprivation either, so I will have to retain some vice to keep my sanity. All I know is I'm tired of pushing this boulder up hill; keep doin' what you're doin', keep gettin' what you're gettin' - time to make a change!

Gregg December 31, 2009 at 1:04 pm

That's what I've liked about the program. Buying into it (both financially and emotionally) helped motivate me. Then the counselors helped me with a mix of accountability, new information, encouragement, and techniques. For example, when I lost my first 20 lbs., they brought out a 20 lb. bag and had me lift it. Realizing I had lost that much was interesting and encouraging. To think I have now lost more than four-and-a-half of those bags! When I hit weight plateaus, they had short-term adjustments I could make to start losing again. If I had hit a plateau on my own, I might have just gotten frustrated and given up.

Redhed December 31, 2009 at 1:19 pm

I have come very close to cancelling this appointment, this site and posts have helped more than I thought they would. I am not an avid blogger nor do I read many, but am pleasantly surprised. Thanks John, Gregg and all the others who provide encouragement and information!

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