A little nervous...

My back in the mirror

Okay, so I have finally manned up.  I never planned on putting pictures on here, but I was thinking last night that it would be a great way to show my progress.  Also, it is hard for all of the readers out there to imagine what I look like.  My starting weight was 235 pounds in these pictures, my goal is to weigh in at 150 pounds.  

 My side

I started using an app called MyFitnessPal for my android phone to count calories.  At first I just want to use it for a baseline to see where I am at and where I need to be.  The app says that for me to lose 2 pounds per week that I will need to consume 1780 calories daily.  I had a low carb Monster energy drink and a banana for breakfast, I currently have 1650 calories remaining for the day.  I think that tracking my caloric intake might be the best way for me to concentrate on a diet, so once I am comfortable with counting calories I will start taking it serious.

 My thigh

Ashley really helped to motivate me last night.  I got home from work and we were both hungry so she made a nice salad and I cooked steaks on the grill.  After dinner she walked with me around the block and then I ran 2 laps around "my track."  After running I did a few exercises in the house:

 Me flexing

• 30 push ups
• 30 crunches
• 15 jumping jacks
• 15 barbell curls (60 lbs)
• 15 dead lifts (150 lbs)
• 15 barbell shoulder press (60 lbs)

 My calf

It has been along time since I have worked out like this and it feels amazing.  I actually broke a sweat while running and maintained momentum while lifting weights.  I don't feel too sore this morning, but I can feel in my muscles that I worked out yesterday.

 My front

Things are really coming together for my weight loss journey and I am hoping that I find success at the end of the tunnel.  The people around me and the people that read this blog are really what keep me going.  The thought of becoming a father is really my biggest motivation, I want to be a role model to him in more ways that one.

 My back while flexing

I will go for a walk tonight for sure and probably do some push ups and crunches.  I don't want to push myself too hard and burn out before it begins.

Back to Work

I'm back to work today after a very relaxing weekend.  I went for a half hour walk on lunch and I'm feeling great!  I think tonight will be the night that I add in some more exercising other than just aerobics.  I will start with  push ups and crunches for now.  I'm not sure if I am losing weight, but I have never felt better.

I will be grocery shopping tonight, and as I mentioned I am not exactly on a diet yet.  I will let my weight loss journey influence what we buy tonight though.  I have a very busy day ahead of me today, so today's posts are a little short.  I'm sure I will have more to say tomorrow!

I might as well, right?

I decided yesterday that I'm going to start running on my lunch break at work.  We have a mandatory half hour lunch that is deducted from our pay each day, and we have a very large facility with a huge parking lot.  I work for a trucking company so we have to have room for tractor trailers so there is plenty of space around the entire building.  I ran yesterday 2 laps around the building, stretching before and after.  I only was able to run 1 today because I had to pick up lunch for our mechanics.  We moved our mechanics tools and parts into the building today so it was a very physical day and I did a lot of lifting.

It is amazing running during lunch, I used to be so tired after lunch when I would just sit around and eat.  Yesterday and today I felt completely rejuvenated and pushed through the rest of the day like it was nothing.  I even received a few compliments on the way to my office today, 2 people said that I seemed to have been working really hard yesterday and didn't stop moving until I punched out.  That made it just that much better!

If anyone else out there has a mandatory lunch break, I would recommend bring a quick mobile lunch and strapping on the running shoes.  Not only does it make you have more energy, but it saves time after work for family.

Morning Run

Sunrise over Presque Isle in Erie, PA

I went for a run this morning and I feel absolutely amazing.  I had a free half hour to spare so I did a little stretching and went running for about 20 minutes.  I was pretty sick last night and I got a few extra hours of sleep so I was already pretty energized.  It was cold out and snowing a little bit, but after a few minutes it didn't really bother me.

I am looking into running a 10k locally in August, but I will know better once the time comes.  I need to make sure that I have free time and also that I am in shape to do it.  I will be running alongside a coworker who has been motivating me through the process of taking up running.

I can't stress enough how amazing a runner's high feels, but it feels even better first thing in the morning.  I feel more lively and productive at work, I am in a better mood, and I don't feel tired like I usually do.  Unfortunately, I have a real problem waking up in the morning so it may be hard to do this on a regular basis.  I am working on my wake up routine and hopefully I can find a system that will help me avoid hitting the snooze button for 2 hours straight.

The picture above was not taken by me, it was taken by Tom Rung and posted on www.city-data.com.  I only posted it because this sunrise can be seen from near my house every morning and it is amazing.  Maybe that will be a personal goal, to wake up and run to take a picture of the sunrise.

New Motivation

Well everyone, I have some new motivation for weight loss and exercise.  My fiancee (Ashley) is currently 7 months pregnant, and I would like to be able to keep up with my son when he gets here.  This means that I need to be healthy and in good physical shape.

My biggest issue is that I never fit cardio into my schedule.  I don't own a treadmill and I don't have a gym membership.  I don't enjoy running where I will see other people, but I get bored when I run alone.  We just bought our first home in January and we live across the street from some soccer fields that don't get used much.  I have been telling myself that I will start running there once the snow is gone.  Well the snow has been gone for a few days and still no running.

Last night, I got a dog, he is a German Shepard/Bloodhound mix named George.  After getting everything set up at the house for him, I strapped on my running shoes and grabbed a leash.  We walked over to the fields and then ran all the way around them and back home.  It was a small start, but at least I went running.  After coming back I felt amazing, I ate some cottage cheese and pistachios and then went to bed.

I may not get in perfect shape before Tobias Edward is born, but at least I will have a jump start on the process.  Please sound off in the comments if you have any suggestions that would help.