Weight Loss Adventure

Hanging On!

mballard3 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:49:39 +0000

I haven’t fallen off the wagon but I sure have been leaning. I thought it would be easier to diet and exercise in the summer but it has been harder. I am a routine kind of guy. It has been a great summer but now the kids are back in school and I am back on the exercise routine.

Keep Moving!

I am still here!

mballard3 — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:30:26 +0000

I apologize for the lack of post the past two weeks but I have been swamped with Vacation Bible School (it was fantastic!)and other family responsibilities. Lord willing, I will be able to post more next week.

I am still progressing well on my diet and exercise. I am down 8 pounds!

Don’t give up!

Moving right along

mballard3 — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:40:37 +0000

I jog/walked 3 miles this morning. Once the ole body warmed up I was able to move at a decent pace – I actually felt like I was running. Yeah! I am going to try and do a 5K race in a couple of weeks. I did a total of 10 miles for the week. Lord willing I will increase my mileage this week plus I am wanting to work on my flexibility.

Now I just need to keep a good eye on my food. That is the biggest challenge for me right now.

Have a good weekend and I will post again on Monday.

Rest Day

mballard3 — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:21:22 +0000

Yesterday was a “rest” day for me. Sometimes I feel a little guilty for taking a day off to rest but being in my mid forties I know its not good for me to keep pushing my body every day. Rest is just as vital as exercise. It give the body a chance to recover and to gain strength. I will probably try to keep Thursday and Sunday as my rest day. I may do some fun recreational activities such as playing basketball with my kids or going for a walk with my wife.

The biggest challenge of a rest day is not snack. Yesterday I did pretty good but on the weekends is where I really struggle.

This morning it was raining so I went to the “Y” and did a little over 2 miles on the treadmill and did my weight routine.

Feeling Good…So Far!

mballard3 — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:22:26 +0000

I am pumped at my progress so far. I lost 2-3 pounds my first week and so far I am rocking this week.

Monday: Weighlifting
Tuesday: Run/Walked 2 miles
Wednesday: Run/Walked 3 miles

I am getting ready to go another weight work out. My body is holding up well and I am being extemely careful not to overdo it.

My eating is also doing better than average. I have been eating lots of fruit for breakfast. Lunch I have a salad with some grilled chicken on it. Supper I have been eating smaller portions.

I have a long way to go but I am excited that my adventure is underway. I am enjoying it and I starting to look for some area 5K races to particpate in starting mid July.

Hanging in There

mballard3 — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:58:16 +0000

Well, the weekend was a little shaky. I did get up earlier and ran 3 miles on Saturday giving me a total of 10 miles for week 1. Not bad for getting back into the routine. My eating was so-so. Seems like when I hang out at the house I get in a snacky mood and start snooping for snacks. I’m trying to keep healthy snacks around but I need to keep them in a more visible area so I grab some fruit instead of rummaging the pantry.

I am planning on lifting this afternoon and doing a run Tuesday morning.

On the Right Track

mballard3 — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:05:26 +0000

I am excited to report that after my bumpy start I am now on the right track – Praise the Lord! Now, as many of you know the challenge is staying on the right track. Amen!

I’m pleased with the exercise I have been doing – here a brief review:
Monday: YMCA – weightlifting
Tuesday: Jog/Walk 2 miles
Wednesday: Jog/Walk 3 miles
Thursday: Jog/Walk 2 miles in the AM & weightlifting in PM
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: Scheduled run & lift plus have a double header softball ball.
Sunday: Worship & Rest or Walk

Since I gave my friend the rest of my homemade cherry pie my wife made me for Father’s Day (as Mr. Food says, “Ooh, it’s so good!”) to my friend I have been able to avoid the sweets and almost all other junk food. Wednesday at lunch the kids had some bags of chips out and I grab a chip and stuck it in my mouth without thinking. I had to remind my self to think before I eat! I am trying to keep my guard up at all times.

I am amazed at how much better I feel after just a few days on my Weight Loss Adventure – that in itself is enough to keep me self motivated.

Let me encourage you to think before you eat and to keep your guard up. Keep moving and eat less!

God Bless!

My Goal

mballard3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:11:19 +0000

It is a little embarrassing to discuss my weight goals but it is also at times just as embarrassing (if not more) to be teased about my weight.

The main reason why I decided to blog about my weight loss adventure is for my personal accountability. I am a goal driven person – if I set a goal I will hit it, break it or come close to making it. One reason or another I have been reluctant to set a weight loss goal – I enjoy my ice cream! Last year I set a goal to complete the 2006 Indy Mini Marathon (13.1 miles) and I succeeded! Unfortunately, I did a lot of training but I didn’t work much on my diet. I lost 10 pounds in my training and sadly those 10 pounds have found their way back on my belly.

With the exception of my weight I am a fairly healthy and it has masquerading me from seeing my real need to shed some major pounds. I have seen my gut for what it really is and now I am driven to do something about it.

The reason why I call my weight loss adventure I figured I might as well try to make it as fun as possible. since it is an adventure I am willing to take on the challenge. I love a good challenge and being a guy I love even more the cheers from the crowd! Please help keep me accountable.

Here is my goal: Lose 60 pounds in 6 months. (I need to lose 75-80 total). My start date is June 17, 2007. I will update my weight each Monday. Pray for me!

Getting In Gear

mballard3 — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:43:38 +0000

I am happy to report that I did make it to the YMCA and did two sets of lifting on their various machines. It was a good full body workout. It felt good to work out again and I was careful not to over do it. I believe by working out it did help surpress my appetite when I got home for dinner.

Lifting weights is a good way to increase your metabolism and to strengthen your muscles and joints. At the YMCA there are fitness coaches to help develop a personal program, to adjust the machines for your body and to show you how to properly to use the machines. Good stuff!

I did have about 4 oz of a grilled steak with a baked potato and a small salad. I did have butter and a slice of cheese on the potato but I did cut out the normal sour cream I ususally add. I did limit the dressing for my salad. I need to get some oil and vinegar to use for my dressing. Ok, I will confess I had a piece of pie later for dessert. I told my wife I need to get that out of the house and she told me I can give the rest to some friends.

This morning I got up at 6:30 to do walk and jog. I did 2 miles at a little faster than a snails pace. At first I thought about trying to do three miles but I came to my senses and cut it back to two. I want to be careful to avoid an injury from trying to do too much too soon.

As I head out on my weight loss adventure I am going to set some goals and I will share them with you tomorrow.

Bumpy Start

mballard3 — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:40:28 +0000

I haven’t got off to haven’t got off to the flying start like I wanted to but I am out of the gate. Between my daughters birthday and Father’s day this past weekend I had some extra sweets. I wasn’t able to tell my wife no thanks to a piece of homemade cherry pie she made me yesterday for Father’s Day.

On the positive side I did not over eat – small victory! I also got in a couple of walks with my wife and played basketball and took a bike ride with my youngest daughter. So I did get in some exercise and spent some good quality as a husband and a dad.

Today my eating has been much better. Breakfast: Fiber One bar. Lunch: Medium portion of spaghetti and meat sauce, a yogurt, four grapes and I caved into a teaspoon of the leftover cherry pie.

I am getting ready to head to the YMCA to lift some weights and I also hope to get in at least 20 minutes on the treadmill. Way to hot and humid to walk outside today.