Chef!

My chef is on vacation this week, so I have the honor of playing chef all week long.It is not a big deal since it is what I have done the last six years of my life! I am usually in the kitchen helping all of the time anyway, but today I decided cook side by side with the guys and show them a couple of things I have seen wrong, and how to fix them.
I got promoted to Partner earlier this year, but before that I was the chef. I helped design a lot of menu items, and I also was able to run very good financial in my restaurant as well.
I also gained a lot of weight.I mean a lot of weight! I have been in restaurants for over 12 years, and the one thing I did was eat. I was good at it! Now, I have always been a big eater, but being in the kitchen all of the time did not help the cause. Snacking, picking, and cooking were the demise of a 420 pound man.
As a matter of fact, I got so big that I could not wear chef clothes anymore. I was in 5x clothing, and it took to long to order jackets and pants from the distributor. I would wear a dress shirt and slacks instead, from the Casual Male XL. I also got to a point where I was not able to cook on the hot line because of my size.

I remember one year on mother's day, I worked on the hotline. I worked for an hour, and I had to go outside because I was about to pass out. I actually started throwing up outside because of my heat exhaustion. I was so large, it was tough. I needed to cool down so I went in the freezer. Steam was coming off of me because I was so hot. It was not a good time!

I got to a point where I really could not do much of anything. I was always good with numbers, but I could not move around, or cook anymore.
It was sad. I felt horrible, like I was not worth anything in my career anymore. I was scared, because I felt like I could not do restaurants anymore. At 420 pounds, I really felt like I could not do anything anymore. It was the lowest part of my life.
I lost all of the weight while being a Chef/Partner at the same restaurant. I really think that is what truly makes my story special. I did not go to a ranch to lose the weight, nor did I go on disability. I looked my fear in the face and said 'Listen Chicken Parmesan, I am going to beat you!" I have lost 193.8 pounds so far by going day in and day out into a restaurant, and having the courage to say no to a lot of unhealthy foods!
Today I am a partner, and I do wonder if I would be successful in another career. I have heard everything from personal trainer to motivational speaker. I do not know if I would do so great in another industry. Yet.....
I think I could do anything I put my mind to!

But for today, you can call me "Chef!"

"Don't get cocky!"

Thanksgiving is almost over. My phone did not ring one time today, and I am most thankful for that. It was an incredibly relaxing day!
My wife and I went to a family members house today for Thanksgiving dinner. When we got there, everyone was very worried that I would not have anything to eat. People worry about that a lot. It is super flattering, but it is my responsibility to decide the food options I can have. Take a look at the menu we had. Do you see that on the bottom, I have my own little exception menu. It was very kind, but I do not want anyone to go out of their way for me.
It is my job to go out of my way. I had two apples in my pocket, and I made this vegetable dish for the group (Really for me!). It was an assortment of red peppers, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and broccoli. I steamed it with a touch of vegetable broth, garlic, and salt. It came out really good!
And as I expected, no one else really ate it. They had cranberry sauce, and pecan pie, and other delicious foods. But I was more than content with vegetables, apples, and turkey. As a matter of fact, I ate a lot of it, so I was not hungry at all afterward. I actually felt like every other Thanksgiving dinner, stuffed.
After the meal, the topic of my weight loss came up. Most of the people at the house have not seen me since last Thanksgiving, when I was 420 pounds. They asked me if I was tempted by the food, and if I have struggled during the time of my new lifestyle, and if this was a phase.
The truthful answer to all of this was no. I really was not tempted by the food. I sat next to my wife, to remind me why I eat the way I do. I have not struggled, because I do see good results, and this is not a phase. I want to live my life like this. I enjoy it now!
Before we left, I heard the comment "Don't get cocky. Don't you dare get cocky! You have lost all of this weight, and you will slip up and ruin all your hard work if you are over confident. I care about you! Don't get cocky"

The reason I am not cocky about it is because I think about this every minute of every day! I can not go back. I will not fail! I am confident about that.

Thanks to Bloggers!

Today is Thanksgiving! I am so happy I am off from work where I will be left alone. There is no need to call me today, the store is closed. Home office is closed! It is a real nice day to relax. Ahhhhh.
I am going to go a couple of hours away to eat Thanksgiving Dinner at a family member's house, but before I left, ! wanted to give thanks to a few bloggers who have helped me with inspiration and hope for the future. It might be some good reading today before your meal! I have written about a few in the past, but just in case you did not see the post, i will do it again in more depth!

Pamela was the first blogger I ever read, and is probably the nicest blogger out there, even though most bloggers are nice. She will leave positive comments for you if she reads your post, and she is totally a "silver lining" type of gal.
The most impressive thing for me about her is that she has kept off over 150 pounds! 150 pounds, WOW! She beats herself up a lot, but the way I look at it, she has lived in "onederland" for quite some time. She loves movies, and books, and she really loves her family.
Lately she has been going through some hard times, but still is very optimistic. This will be a person who will keep the weight off. I think she is great!

Carlos was the first person who ever wrote me a comment on my blog. I do not know how he even found the blog, I only posted once a month. At the time, I lost 40 pounds, and he was down 73 pounds. I was so jealous! He would encourage me in the beginning, and he would always do it with humor.
His blog is funny, and very real. He swears like a sailor, and loves the ladies, but you get a sense that he has passion for his family, wife, and life.
So now, I have lost 193.8 pounds, and I think he is down 77 pounds to date. He has been struggling as of late, which everyone struggles. He writes in humor how he can not understand why he gained 7 pounds while eating Slurpees, Encased Meat, Pork, and Beer. I love ya Carlos, but it's not the sodium :)

Mizfit is super cool as well. She has her own website, and is pretty popular in the weight loss blogging world. She writes fun poems, recipes, quirky comments, and she also has videos where she is exercising in a supermarket with motor oil. Can't get much cooler than that!
But here is why I really, really respect her! She has left me a comment on every post I have made for the last month. Every time she leaves me a comment, it is at 6am EST. Always! To me, I take that as she is so organized with her life, that she sets time aside every day to go on the computer. It is amazing. 6am every time!I really envy that type of organization!

Those are three bloggers that really inspire me. Trust me, there are many, many more. I think every once in a while, I will write about those who have helped me out, three at a time!

What blogs have inspired you! Where are the "hidden jewels"!

Oh, before I go, and I will post tonight after my meal, check this post out. I really liked it!

Quick Blend!

Tomorrow is the big day! It is the start of the month long eating extravaganza. We begin with Turkey tomorrow, Ham on Christmas, and finished off with Champagne on New Years.
But I will not talk about food today. It is not right. It is like making someone feel bad about gambling before they go to Vegas. People are going to eat what they want to eat tomorrow, the last thing anyone needs is to feel guilty. Just try to make it a one day affair!
No, today I just want to put in a quick blend of items that are of interest to me, and maybe to you as well!

1. I love blogging. It helps me stay focused, and I have gotten a good amount of feedback from people. The best part is that most of the feedback has been positive!!! I recently put my blog on another site called Fatbloggers.com
Before I go on, I do have to say one thing. I HATE the word fat. I think it is just a mean, disgusting word to call someone. I have been overweight my whole life, and I have been called every name in the book . Pig, Chubs, Pork Chop, Peter Griffin, Dump Truck, Jerk (Well, maybe that is not part of being heavy), and House are just a few. I do not mind being called anything. I have thick skin. Actually, I have loose skin now, HA!
But, when I think of fat, I think of a disregarded piece of meat that no one wants on their plate. I think of a slimy, sloppy greasy item that is just foul. That is not what a overweight person is. That is not what anyone is.
I like the term "Overweight" because that is what I am. I am over the weight desired. I can deal with that. And yes, I can deal with being called a pig as well, because I eat out of a trough, and I am a touch sloppy!
Okay, I am off my soapbox. Anyway, this website is really cool! Very nice people, all struggling with everyday weight loss, and really interesting posts. You should check it out!

2. I also love friends! I have these social clubs (Myspace and Twitter) where I would love to be your friend. Please look me up anytime. I do not turn people down! I also have Facebook!

3. So I did something yesterday that I never thought I would be able to do. During my boxing class, I did a sit-up. Yes, a true sit-up. No one held my feet. It was not a crunch. It was a true 100% sit-up! I actually did six of them. I was quite pleased.

4. That you all for your comments. I love comments! I live for them. I try to respond to as many as i can. If I have not responded to any comment you have had, please let me know.

This is just a short post today! I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Accountability and Excuses!

The one thing I learned early on as a manager is accountability. If something goes wrong during the time you work, it is your fault. Not only is it your fault, but you need to come up with the answer to fix it real quick.
A lot of managers are not successful because they do not realize how important accountability is. They want to blame their bosses for not teaching them enough, or their employees for not doing their part. They can not take the heat, they get defensive. The truth is, the leader is always the one who will be held liable for actions, so the issues need to be resolved.That is why there are more managers than true leaders.
I am pretty successful in management because of my accountability.I would like to think i am a true leader. I take the blame for everything. My boss loves it, because I always come up with a answer for the issues.

"Tony, your sales were horrible last night!!!!"
" I know sir, I am fully accountable for this, I will make sure our sales are good tonight"

"Tony, you had way too much staff on"
" I know sir, I am fully accountable for this, I wanted to be prepared. I will cut back a little tonight"

"Tony, Ruben Studdard won American Idol"
" I know sir, I am fully accountable for this. I had to vote for the "Velvet Teddy Bear" over the Claymate, even though Clay Aiken went to the same university that I did"

I have no issues with taking the heat.......until I talk about my weight loss!

Until recently, if you were to ask me why I was so overweight, I would blame everyone! By the way, everyone includes:

1. Uncle Ben
2. Chef Boy-ar-dee
3. Burger King
4. Ben and Jerry
5. Willy Wonka

And so many more.

It was not my fault that I ate all of the food, it was society's fault. I had to eat a lot for Thanksgiving and other holidays, I just had to!.
My job as a chef entitled me to eat as much as possible because I had to make sure the food was right.
I was in a bad mood, so it was okay to eat a lot.
I justified everything!
What made me look at myself is when I started to blame my wife on the inside for eating the way I did. We would go out to eat, so in my mind I had to eat bad. We would have bad food in the house, so it was okay for me to eat it. She was the enabler.
The truth is, she was no where near an enabler. No one is! Weight loss has to come from deep down. When I started losing weight, I was scared. Scared that bad food would be in the house. Scared that I would eat fried food at work. Scared I would stay over 400 pounds for the rest of my life.
I was finally accountable for my weight loss, and had to realize that restaurants will not go away, Uncle Ben will always be at the supermarket, and my wife will not eat the way I do. The world will not change for me, I have to change for it.

So while working at the same restaurant, with the same delicious food, I have lost 193.8 pounds so far.
With chicken nuggets and cookies in the house, I have lost 193.8 pounds so far.
With Ben and Jerry waving to me every time I pass the frozen section, I have lost 193.8 pounds so far.

There is no more excuses for my health. The economy is bad, I could lose my job, and there will be family situations throughout my lifetime.
But as I have said before, it is nice to know I will be able to deal with all of these issues because I have gotten my lifetime back.

The Machine!

If you are one of the 55 subscribers to this blog (by the way, THANK YOU!!!!) you know that I enjoy apples and working out. SO lets talk about working out. I love moving now, for the first time in my life. I do circuit training, a boxing class, even ab work. But my favorite workout is the elliptical machine!
I have been going to the gym regularly for the last 8 months now. My workouts have progressed a great deal. When I first started, I would do a 2-7 minute routine and go home. I could not do more than that. It was way to exhausting. At 389, 7 minutes is a lot of work!
The only workout I would do was the treadmill. Sitting on a piece of equipment was too hard, and ab work was out of the question. I would put it on 2 miles per hour and walk as much as I could. I started at 2 minutes, then 5, then 10 and so on. I was seeing progress, and I love any type of progress. I am a believer in moving in the right direction.
When I got to 20 minutes on the treadmill, I had the courage to try the elliptical machine. It looked so fun, and everyone who was on it looked like they had a great workout. So why couldn't i do it!
About 45 seconds later, I realized why I couldn't do it. It was WAY to hard! The maximum weight was 350 on the machine, and at the time I tried the elliptical I was 365. I felt like I was failing on this machine!
But I was not going to give up. That is not like me. So the next day, I went for 2 minutes. Then 4. Then 8. I worked my way up to the maximum time limit for my gym, which is 65 minutes, within a month and a half. And I got faster on it, and stronger. I would do different programs, like "fat burner" or "cross country".
So today, I was getting tired at 20 minutes on the machine, and I realized that I came to far in this journey to give up at 20 minutes. So I went pretty fast. Actually real fast. I went for the full 65 minutes.
Just a FYI, there are two things I need on any piece of cardio equipment for me to do it.
1. I need music. I can not work a machine without music.
2. I need a magazine or a towel to cover the workout time. If I keep on looking at the time I have worked out, I will not be as motivated.
When I was done, I looked and I burned 635 calories. I went 5.31 miles, and 10200 strides. That is the best I have ever done. To think, I was going to quit at 20 minutes!
I went to WW today, and I lost .8 pounds. I was thrilled! As I said, any weight loss is great! And if I could keep enjoying workouts for the rest of my life, I would be very happy!
By the way, what is your favorite workout?

The "1 Point" Deep Fried Cow!

Last night at the restaurant, I was checking on a few tables to see how their food was. Yes, I am the annoying guy who will come by and say "Hey guys, how is everything this evening. Did the Spaghetti come out like you expected!" (That is where I put both my thumbs up in the air like Fonzie.)

Don't worry, as annoying as I am, you will be the one to say " You know, I NEVER complain, nor do I want anything for free!!! I really don't want anything for free, BUT, this is kind of okay food and I am not going to pay for this food, but I do not want anything for free!!!"

Well, luckily, neither of us were that annoying last night. I did have a table who remembered me from my overweight days, and asked me about how I lost all the weight.
Of course, I said WW and the F-Factor Diet, because that is the way I live. The wife at the table looked at me and said "WW didn't work that great for me. I followed the points, and did not seem to lose any weight.I am on Sugar Busters now!You should try it."
Now, I know she will not read this blog, but I looked at her plate, and from a WW point of view, I could see close to 38 points on the plate alone. She looked like a 26 point a day gal. I guessed she did not have any AP for the week, and I also guessed this was not her first meal like this of the week.
The problem with being in WW for a while is you can figure out the point total in everything. Sometimes you will look at someone and instead of saying "Wow, that looks like a nice sandwich!" you end up sounding like a robot saying "Overload, 23 points!"
After she said that it dawned on me that diets overall do not fail. It is always the perception of the dieter that fails. It happens all the time. Here are the top 3 comments I hear at every WW meeting I go to:

1. WW member- I do not understand why I gained this week.I went to Ruby Tuesday's, and I got this Steak that was only 3 points. I couldn't believe a 12oz sirloin was only 3 points.
WW Leader- I think you are mistaken about the points on the steak. We will talk about your journal later to get you back on track. By the way, did you know the two point fudgie round-rounds are half off!!!

2. Did you know that 2 egg whites are only a point. I had 20 of them for breakfast, what a great 1 point snack!

3. I had a 5oz chicken breast. 5 points! I did not know KFC could be so healthy. I only ate half the crispy skin on the leg , so I saved points.

Trust me, I did the exact same thing. That is why I failed SOOO many times. I would love the diets with the cheat day. You know, work hard for six days, and then on the seventh day, eat what you want. Heck, even God took a break one day out of the week.
Except my "cheat day" became a "cheat 10 years". What a relationship.
Or Atkins mixed in with Snackwells. I mean, I knew about carbs, but those cookies were fat free, right! Guess how much I gained on that. Hmmm, a ton!
WW and F-Factor do not make calories go down in foods. It tries to show you the best possible way to eat. It is a lifestyle, and it can either be embraced, or ridiculed. I really try to embrace it! I still track my points, and why not. It will help you watch your portions, even though the WW program I am on (Core) is not about tracking, it is about eating until you are full.
I also track everything that is zero points as a .5 points. Zero point items is what so many people get confused about at WW. I can guarantee that most people who have a 1/2 cup of Broccoli are really having much more. I know I am. So to be safe, I count it as a .5 point item.
I also believe that I have met so many people who have been successful with WW because they do embrace it as a lifestyle, not a "1 month thang". Same with F-Factor. But you still have your people who have been recommitted to both 38 times.
The good news is the couple loved the food and said they would write a nice letter to our corporate office. That always makes me feel good!
The bad news is that I do not think Sugar Busters will work for her either.

No style!

Wearing my hooded sweatshirt and sweat shorts, I realized something today. I have no idea about what is hip in fashion. I could not tell you what all the cool kids are wearing, nor could I really name any name brands that are cool today.

Lets see, there is Dolce Gabbonya (is that right?), ummmm, is Perry Ellis still hip?

That is all I know, and that is not much. For the last 10 years I bought clothes that fit.That was the only question I would ask.
"Does it fit?"
If the answer was yes, then I would purchase it. I never felt that stripes would make a 400 pound guy look slimming, so I really did not care what the clothes looked like.
My brands were always some off brand item. I wore George Foreman size 60 pants, and some other shirts made by a company called "Synergy" (5x). That was about it.
When I was younger, I was all about the brands. I would wear plastic bags over my feet as long as it had the Nike swoosh. God forbid I would get the shoes with the "four stripes" on each side ( Better than Adidas, but not quite K-Swiss).
By the way, why didn't KangaROO'S ever take off. Those were the best shoes, stylish, and had a pocket you could put a quarter in.
I would wear a paper bag if it had a Hilfiger logo, or a Polo logo. And it had to be a Polo logo, not a "Knights of the Round Table" which was the knock-off brand.
I was all about brands!
I lost all of that when I gained the weight. As a matter of fact, here is a conversation I just had with my wife:

"Hey, did you know that the singer "Pink" had a line of clothing."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, all the girls at the gym have Pink on their butts. I did not think that she was that great of a singer"
"Tony, Pink is a line of clothing from Victoria's Secret"
"That makes no sense, don't they make underwear? Why are girls wearing underwear to the gym?"
"You know, I am real busy at work today, goodbye!"

So now, I put on a medium shirt for the first time. I really did not know medium was a size. I thought medium was just a joke that clothes designers made for their teddy bears and stuff. Nope, I was wrong, medium is a real size.
I also think I owe it to myself to actually buy some brand name clothing. I worked hard, plus I have not done so since the 90's.
So I was about to go to the mall, when I found out that there is no more Structure! What!
I guess I will be a slimmer unstylish guy.

Gobble till ya Wobble!

It is every dieters biggest nightmare. It has ruined more diets than the invention of the Chinese Buffet. It happens every year, and every year it bites us in the butt. That day is of course, Groundhog Day!
OK, maybe not. Thanksgiving is the toughest day of the year for most people trying to lose weight. It is like the Super Bowl for a gambler, or New Years Eve for an alcoholic.
This is my first Thanksgiving while on my new lifestyle. I am not too concerned, because I made a commitment to myself that I will not treat any holiday like a holiday. I will eat the same no matter what.
But, there are so many others who have worked hard all year long, and they think that Thanksgiving can be beaten. Well, it can't! You have to ignore it, but don't try to fight it. If you try to stand up to Thanksgiving, it will knock you down. Oh, the leftovers, Turkey legs, casseroles, cranberry sauce, pies.
And it is not like it is portion controlled. All the food is out there for the taking! "Help Yourself" is what everyone will say.
It is also one of the only holidays where eating a lot is encouraged. If you try to eat less, you feel like a outcast. I have heard of people who do walks and runs that day. That is a good compromise to a dessert. But for the 99% of people who are not going to do that, pigging out is the only option.
So I am going to try to help a little. Although I am a chef, I do not like putting recipes on my blog. But, I am going to put some helpful ideas and substitutions to help get through this beast of a holiday. And to think, the Pilgrims ate turkey and corn before, two healthy items.

Tony's Tips!

1. Pick what is the most important to you- When you are looking at all the food in front of you, pick what you can do with or without. In other words, if you "kind-of" like mashed potatoes, stay away! If you really like Mom's meatloaf, have a piece. By doing this, you can really limit the amount of calories you have on your plate, and still enjoy your meal.

2. Make a vegetable dish- Whether you are cooking for people, or going to some one's home, make a vegetable dish for everyone to enjoy. The best vegetables to use are broccoli, squash, zucchini, or mushrooms. When cooking the vegetables, use seasonings like garlic, salt, rosemary, and thyme. Also, try to steam the vegetables in a soup stock (Vegetable, Beef, or Chicken) for added flavor.

3. Skin is not healthy- You already know this, but hear it again. Try to eat the white meat of the turkey. The dark meat and skin are not going to be the healthiest options.

4. Do not alter your family recipes- If you have made something for generations, do not try to make it healthier by adding and taking away items in the recipe. First off, you will make everyone around you go crazy because they have been waiting all year for that dish, and it will not taste the same. Instead, create a new dish, and make that a new classic

Substitutions:
Turkey- White Meat
Cranberry Sauce- Sugar Free Jell-O (Cranberry or Strawberry)
Mashed Potatoes- Steam cauliflower until it is very, very soft. Then puree it in a blender or food processor with FF milk, garlic, salt, and Butter Buds
Sweet Potato Casserole- Take a sweet potato, cook it, and add Splenda, cinnamon, and Butter Buds. Mash it together, and cook it again.
Pumpkin Pie-
Crust- Take Fiber One and oatmeal and grind it in a food processor/blender. Then add a little "Egg Beaters" to it to get it like a paste. Then add Splenda and spread it on the bottom of a pan
Pumpkin Pie Filling- Take a can of 100% Pure Pumpkin, and add Splenda and Cinnamon as needed. FF milk will help with the consistency as well.
Gravy- Heinz makes a fat-free gravy, I think it is 80 calories for the whole jar. It tastes good, but there is a lot of sodium in it.

These are just a few ideas and tips. I hope everyone has a awesome Turkey Day!! Gobble, Gobble!

Shouldaputa ring on it!

Today at 5am the dog started barking, which really was the dog saying
"Daddy, time to work out!!!"
I walked the dog, fed her, got dressed for the gym, and I was off.
On the way to the gym, I was listening to "The Heat" on my Sirius radio. I looked at the screen, and it said Beyonce with "Single Ladies". Kind of a catchy tune, but all I heard was this lyric:
"If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it!"
OK, maybe he should have put a ring on it? I mean, he did like it. But wasn't Beyonce married?? I am not sure. But what about all the single ladies? Now I can agree with that.
I went to the gym, and had a great 90 minute workout! 65 elliptical, and then my circuit training. Good times!
On my way home, I heard the same song with the same lyric:
"If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it"
Now this song was stuck in my head. I am not a Beyonce fan, but this song is a touch catchy. So then I came up with the idea that I am going to use this lyric all day! That is it, I mean, why didn't he put a ring on it if he liked it so much. Beyonce has some depth.
So I made a plan to use the lyric 12 times today. I was not going to sing it, but just say it in a practical way. I wanted to try it out on my wife, but then I realized it would not make sense because I did like it, and I did put a ring on it. So she was out.
I went to the dry cleaners to pick up my clothes, and the woman who works there said she liked my new shirts.
I said "Well, if you liked it so much, why didn't you put a ring around it"
She then was quite upset because she thought I was accusing her of leaving a ring around the collar of my shirts. I told her the shirts were fine, and I had to go.
Then I went to the gas station, and I got my normal two Smartwaters. The register girl said Smartwater is her favorite, so I said:
" If it is your favorite, why don't you put a ring around it"
A big HUH came out of her, and I knew that it was not meant to be.
Then at work, my sales manager came to me and said "Tone, I am real happy about the party we booked for Friday"
I said "You might be happy, but if you liked it then you should have put a ring around it"
She laughed and said "Beyonce said the same thing". She was right!
My boss called and was upset about some numbers I turned in last week. He was happy with my turnaround this week.
I said "Well, if you are so happy this week, why don't you put a ring around it?"
"The numbers this week were not ring worthy" was his reply. Hey, at least he got it.
I made this comment 36 times today, much more than the 12 I projected. Some people thought it was cute, others thought it was weird.
The final time I said it was when a guest came up to me this evening and said "This Chicken Marsala is to die for!"
I said "Well, you do not have to die for it, but why didn't you put a ring around it?"
This guy laughed hysterically, and said "I love this place!!!! I would have put a ring around it if I had one. You are too much, keep up the good work!!"

So people ask me how did I lose 193 pounds. I lost it the same way. I come up with a idea, and I follow through 150%. I do not care what some people say, because I know the majority will back me up. I am not hurting anyone with what I am doing, although it is a little silly.

And at the end of the day, I feel a lot better!

Progress

Pictures are worth a thousand words. When I look at this picture, only one word comes to mind. No, it is not "Getatan" as I am sure some Anonymous people will post.
I have been taking pictures in a tank top for a few months to see development, and this is the first time I feel like I can post one without feeling so bad. Although the picture looks like a lot of "before" pictures that I would see in a Hydrocuts or Ripped Fuel ad, to me it shows how far I have come. The funny thing is that it has been less than nine months.

Nine months ago I was over 400 pounds. I was wearing 5XL shirts and 60 pants. I was scared of death every time I went to sleep, because my hands would go numb a lot.
Nine months ago I did not have a favorite food. I would eat anything that was in front of me. Sweet, spicy, as long as it was a lot of food. I would consume close to 12,000 calories a day.
Nine months ago my family members did not know how much longer I had on this earth. I literally was a walking time bomb.
Nine months ago I had no passion for life.

That was less than a year ago. It is so amazing to me how much I have come in less than nine months.

Today I am wearing size 36 pants and M-L shirts (I did not know that shirts came in a M size, and I am not being funny).
Today I am working out six days a week, twice a day 4 days a week. I am loving my two gyms, and really putting them to use for the first time in my life.
Today I am in love with new foods, like Apples, Fiber One, Cottage Cheese, and Cod. I have never had a passion for food before, now I have a passion for the right foods.
Today I am proud to say my wife can be sure that I will live for quite some time. I have chosen a new lifestyle, and I can not turn back. I can not stop living the way I do, because I love it so much. It is not only a way of life, it is a pleasure.
Today I love my job. I got promoted about four months ago, and people look at me in a different light. I am not the "Fat chef", I am the "In shape partner"
Today, I have passion for life.

So when I look at that picture, the only word that comes to mind is "progress". At 33 (Well, I have two more weeks until I am 33) I am in the best shape of my life. I run, smile, laugh, and live a much better life.
And there is much more progress on the way!

Scared Skinny

Growing up, I remember a few slogans in school that helped me out in life.

"Say NO To Drugs"- We had a police officer come talk to us in the third grade and tell how drugs would ruin our lives. I took what he said to heart, and decided not to become a user.

"Don't Drink And Drive"- In seventh grade we had a mom who lost her son in a accident of a drunk driver. It was a sad story, and I remembered crying. I have had two drinks in the last twelve years, and I was moved enough not to drink and drive.

"Practice Safe Sex"- Never a issue for a 5 foot 1, 250 pound guy throughout high school, so that really did not move me that much.

But, there was one seminar that made a big impact in my life. When I was a sophomore in high school, we had two people from the local prison come and talk to us about jail and why we should avoid it. I think the program was called Scared Straight.
The life of crime was never on my mind, but who knows, I could have run with the wrong crowd, so it was interesting to see what they had to say.
The first guy came up, and talked about how he was in prison for armed robbery, and it was a tough life. I do apologize, because I do not remember anything he said, nor his name.
Now, I remember the second guy. His name was "Dark and Lovely". I am not sure if that was his birth name, but I am going to assume it is not. Before he came up to talk, he looked right at me and said.
"You would do just fine in prison."
Except he did not say that! Not even close! I have family members who read this blog, so I am going to try to keep it clean.
He really talked to me for 10 seconds about what he would do with me, and why a chubby kid would be the perfect Mrs. Dark and Lovely.And he was quite graphic as well. I do not think he cared that I was a sheltered 15 year old kid.
Now, I do not remember anything else Dark And Lovely said, but that first comment he made helped me realize that I will never go to prison. You see, I lived a protected life, so my thought of jail was from "The Andy Griffith Show", or "Night Court". Not what prison really is!
I was very scared of jail after that little seminar. To this day I :
1. Will not watch Oz or Prison Break
2. Will not break any law, including ripping the tag off a mattress
3. Will not listen to "Jailhouse Rock"
4. Will not play Monopoly because there is a chance I would go to jail.

I am happy Dark And Lovely enlightened me because I did not know that things like that happened in jail. I think that the "Scared Straight" program is a good one because it will scare some people into living a better life.
So I have been thinking, and I would like to go to schools and talk about the effects of being overweight, and how hard it is to live a life. I would call it "Scared Skinny". I would talk about how you can not find clothes in normal stores, you can't go to the bathroom properly. You sweat a lot, and you have a much higher risk with diabetes and other diseases.
I think if someone would have told me that when I was younger, maybe my life would have been different. I really did not know the huge effects of being overweight until I hit the weight. I would love to help kids, because I do not want to see them go through what I did. At least be able to give them some information, and tell them they are not alone.

It is also a good thing I watched a documentary about gangs in the US when I was younger as well, or I would have joined one, and thought I would have to learn how to sing and dance like in "Grease" and "West Side Story".

The Pendant!

So today was my meeting and weigh in day. I enjoy Mondays. I have not missed a meeting yet in 9 months. Even though my diet is a mix of so many programs, I do enjoy the fact that I can weigh in each week, and that is my weight for the week. Even if I weigh 20 pounds more on Wednesday, the weight on Monday is the weight for the week.
So I went to my meeting wearing the same outfit I always do for my WI's, and I was greeted by my favorite receptionist Barbara. Before I even said hi, she grabbed her necklace and told me "Thank you!". I looked, and it said 100 pounds lost on her pendant. She proceeded to tell me that they had a regional WW meeting, and she was awarded the pendant because she had a member lose over 100 pounds, which was me. I thought that was really cool. I mean, she did sign me up, so she should get some rewards.
She then told me how she told my story to the district manager. Before I could get excited, she shook her head and said "The weight just came off too fast for her to take you seriously".
Yep, I have heard that from so many people. The weight came off too fast for them. 193 pounds (Yes, I lost 2.6 pounds this week) in less than 9 months is still hard to believe. I have not plateaued yet. As a mater of fact, I do not know anyone, surgery or not, who has lost that much weight in that amount of time. I am not special. God did not create a different specimen of a man. I just sacrifice more than most.
But you know something, I don't care about people believing me. I know I did it the right way. I have not had caffeine in 9 months, nor have I wondered off plan. I have not had pasta, nor have I had any processed foods. I have kept up my 35 g of Fiber a Day (Thanks Tanya) and I have the best cholesterol level in my family.
My heart rate is where it needs to be. I can see abs now. I can jog....run even. I did it through healthy living, not starving myself, or buying processed foods. I did it just like every single book tells you too.
WW is great, but the guy success stories are silly to me sometimes. A actor loses 25 pounds by keeping his points to a minimum at the bar? Come on. Who does that? I want to see guys who lose 100 pounds with families who are committed to the program, not people who have quit and joined 20 times.
We talked about Thanksgiving Dinner at the meeting today, and the leader asked who was going to eat healthy foods that day. My hand was the only one that came up. Thanksgiving is another Thursday now. Spending time with my family is special, not the food. I've eaten everything imaginable on that day, why would I want to revert back to that?
When my hand shot up, and was truthful out of 50 other hands that did not go up, that is when I realized why my story is special. I have the dedication, and willpower. I see results. I am going to keep losing weight. And I do not care if I ever make it in a WW magazine, or on page 8 of The Clipper magazine.

I am just happy my story will not be in the obituary section for dying of a heart attack. I take care of myself now!

Sponsorship

I like to give my opinion a lot. I will be honest with you, a lot of you will disagree with this blog entry. I am okay with that. I will be very respectful with it, and will write it with dignity and class. But I have been dealing with it for a little while, and it just bothers me for some reason.
I have seen a website about a woman named Tracie who has lost a incredible amount of weight. I think she is up to 194 pounds lost in like 2 years, which is unbelievable and fantastic. She talks about her weight loss journey, which sounds like mine and a lot of people who have been overweight for quite some time, which helps me relate to her. She seems real sweet, and is looking for a way to make a name for herself in this world. Losing 194 pounds is a great way to do it!
Her website is based on sponsoring her during her weight loss. I think you ask for a five pound block, and you support her during the time she is losing the weight. Real cool! She does not ask for money, or gifts, just support (So it says)!
Then, all the sudden, she says you can pay for her WW meeting that week (which she has a Paypal account), or send her clothes. This is where I have the problem. Actually, I REALLY have a problem with that. Tracie has lost 194 pounds. She is a success story. She has lived in "Onederland" for quite some time. And she is "kind of " asking for money. I am sorry, but that is tacky.
My weight loss has been expensive. Two gym memberships, organic food, new clothing, WW meetings, and books have put a pretty big dent in my bank account. I still work about 65 hours a week, and I do sacrifice sleep sometimes so I can work out,spend time with my family, and write this blog.
But I will never ask people who are struggling with weight loss for money or gifts. Look at my blog, there are no advertisements there. I could put some up, I have been offered. It is not right! I have been offered free samples to talk about products. That is not right either. If I like something, I like it. I will talk about it, without a check.
Maybe Tracie did not mean the sponsorship like that. Maybe it is to motivate others. I can live with that. This is the way I perceived it. Maybe since she is successful, she should be giving back.
So that is what I am going to do. I am going to give people motivation. Let me know the weight you need to lose, and I will give you my time and effort to help you with it. I will talk to you via email, and I will help as much as I can. And I promise, it will be free.

Big TV!

Every day I get a "Ruby" message on my Facebook page. I always need to pray for Ruby, or watch Ruby. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!!!
I have heard a lot of great things about the show, but I will not be watching it. Nothing personal, I am just not a big fan of weight loss shows". I have said my opinions on "The Biggest Loser" in previous blogs, and I have not watched a whole episode of it. I know that some people absolutely love the show. I respect that. I just think that not working and living on a ranch and working out is not the way for long term weight loss. But who am I to judge?
I do not know anything about Ruby, but from what I have gotten 10,000 messages about, she is a real nice woman trying to lose weight or she will die. I really hope she follows through, and loses the weight.
But I will say that many overweight people on television have helped shaped my life to what it is today. So I give to you my top 10 overweight people on TV:

10. Wayne Knight "Newman" on Seinfeld- He was funny, sassy, and always made a entrance. He was not the best with the ladies, but he was always invited to go places with Kramer. He also had a government job as a mailman.

9. Christopher Hewitt "Mr. Belvedere" on Mr. Belvedere- He was chunky but funky. The show was named after him, and he basically helped the whole household. He was very important to people. Plus, that stupid theme song is still stuck in my head.

8. James Avery "Phillip Banks" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air- He was a successful judge who was married to two beautiful women ( How did he have two wives). He would dance around a lot, and never worried about what people thought of him.

7. Fred Berry "Rerun" on What's Happening- Always the most popular character, those suspenders made him magic. He would dance, and always be the life of the party.

6.Kevin James "Doug Heffernan" On King of Queens- Beautiful wife, great job with IPS (Not UPS), and owned a home. Isn't that the American dream!!!

5.Nell Carter "Nell" on Gimme A Break- She ate all the time, went on a lot of dates, and still had time to counsel the family. I always thought she would have done well marrying the chief.

4. John Goodman "Dan Conner" on Roseanne- Not the most glamorous life, but he did what he could to provide for his family. I will always respect that.

3. Peter Griffin/Homer Simpson/Fred Flinstone in Family Guy/The Simpsons/ The Flinstones- All three are similar. They are under achievers who always have luck going their way. Plus, they all were married to cartoon women out of their league.

2. Jame Gandolfini "Tony Soprano" in The Sopranos- Okay, so he was in the mob. But he lived a life of luxury.

1. Fat Albert in Fat Albert- Hence the name.

There is my list of 10 people on TV who influenced me. None of them weighed as much as me when I started this journey, and most still weigh less that me now. But they all showed me that you can live a happy life if you love yourself.


And although I do not watch reality shows, sometimes I throw in shameless plugs to get my story out. Now I am on the Biggest Loser bandwagon!

My Diet Berry Story!

Part two of the Berry!! The story!

I love hearing about people's weight loss and weight struggles. Most of the stories are so inspiring, and really tugs at my heart. I love it when I get to hear about someone losing a pound this week, or how they are going to do better next week. How someone walked a mile for the first time, or ate a Snickers bar for the last time.
But I hate generic Internet "success stories". This is the story that is posted everywhere on the Internet, and it is designed to sell pills. It has pictures that are exaggerated, stories that are reaching, and they all sound the same. So, with the economy the way it is, I am going to sell my new product. Here you go!

How I lost 190 Lbs. in 9 months with Yabba Berry!

Hey you foxy ladies and cool cats. My name is TL, which used to stand for "Too Large". That picture is of me, when I was over 400 pounds. Yowzers!!!!! My job was stressful, and my weight didn't help. My dog was mad because I was eating all her food. I was eating close to 6 full pigs a day!!! It was a tough life wearing 20xl shirts and size 120 pants!!
It got so tough that my wife rolled me around everywhere in a ball. And I tried all the popular diets. Slimfast, Trimspa, South Beach, Eating Sand, you name it. But every diet either limited what I ate, or changed my life. Not having it!
Then, I was watching Jerry Springer when I heard about Yabba Berry. It is a Berry from Detroit which makes you lose weight (And you see all the skinny people in Detroit!!) I was skeptical at first, but I decided to get a trial pack. And you know what, it worked.
I also mixed the Yabba Berry with the Colon Doo! At the end, Yabba Doo, I was losing the weight.
Now, you can not find this miracle pill in stores, but for some reason, I have 38 cases in my garage. I am willing to part with some for you, because I know it will help you lose weight, like it helped me.
Look at me now. I am 98 pounds. I actually had to borrow some weight to put on my picture. The shirt I am wearing used to belong to a three year old, and a skinny three year old at that. You should get this product from me, I know it will work. Please hit the link here for a free sample. After the sample, I will hook you in, or take your money! Either way, I am rich!!! Please, leave a comment!!


Hey TL, I used the Yabba, and I lost 20 pounds. Thank you so much- Ben

I do not know what you are talking about, but I lost 10 pounds- Anonymous

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought fourth on this continent a new nation- Abraham Lincoln

Comments closed until moderator catches up with all three of them!!!

There is my generic success story. I will be posting it everywhere. I do not know if I could use my success to sell pills. But....

I will tell you what, if I get offered $500,000 for my story, I am selling out faster than a Hannah Montana concert in Topeka, Kansas!

The Berry!

I do not like telling the "person off the street" about my weight loss. It is a lot of weight to hit someone with at first. People always want to hear about a 20 pound or a 30 pound loss, not 190 pounds. When I do tell someone about my loss, this is ALWAYS how the conversation goes:

" How much weight have you lost son?"
"190 pounds"
"How much?"
"190 pounds"
"WOW, how did you do it?"
" I decided to change the way I think of food and....."
"Oh, that is great. Did you hear about this Acai Berry. I saw it on Oprah."

That is right, I get bumped by the Berry. Actually, you can replace the Acai Berry for any of these other items below:

Alli
Dexatrim
Chromium Picolinate
The Grapefruit Diet
The Cabbage Diet
The Detox Diet
Ripped Fuel
Stacker 2
Stacker 3
Ephedra
Ephedrine
Trim Spa
Mini-Thins
Colon Cleanse

Not a pill, but Atkins:
My favorite Atkins story was a friend of mine did it at the same time I did. I lost like 6 pounds the first week, and he gained 4 pounds. He was so mad, and I remember he said "This is dumb, I cut out all the carbs. I only ate bacon, eggs, and pasta."

People want something that they can take that will enhance how they are eating now. Or they want to do something for a short time, and then go back to the way they used to eat. I do not think that people are lazy, I think that people can not accept change for a long time. People can not deal with eliminating certain foods, and substituting it with better foods. It is too hard.
I give anyone who does WW a lot of credit, because going to the meetings is courageous. Truly counting what you eat every day takes guts. It is different. And it does work.
I give anyone who does South Beach, Jenny Craig, or any weight loss system credit because it is a step in the right direction of long term weight loss. When followed correctly (and not abused) it works wonders.
Pills will never be the answer. People will always purchase them, because they have to test it for themselves. Eliminating a major food group will never be the answer either Let me know if it works, please.
So the next time someone asks me how I lost my weight, I will demand that they let me finish!!

"I lost the weight by rubbing a Acai Berry cream on my thigh. Works wonders, ya know!!"

Not so special

Here is my newest picture. I am pretty excited. I really have gotten some more development in my upper area, especially in my shoulders. I love picture days!
So, I had one of the best workouts I have ever had on Sunday. I went 65 minutes on the elliptical machine, and I did 3 trips through the circuit on my circuit training program.

Circuit training is pretty cool. Most gyms have it, where you go through machines from largest body part to smallest, and you do at least 15 repetitions at each machine without taking a break. I probably did not explain it very well, but it gets your heart going!

Anyway, I was feeling good! I was done, and went to the bathroom before I left the gym. When I got out of the bathroom stall, there was a gym member in a wheelchair giving me a real mean stare. I was leaving the handicap stall, like I have for the last 10 years. I stared back at him, looking at him as if I was saying" Hey, I need to go here, I am over 400 pounds, what do you want me to do!"
Then it dawned on me that I am not 400 pounds anymore. I am actually far from it. I weighed in at 229.8 pounds.I did not have to use the handicap stall, nor do I have to anymore! Wow, 190.4 pounds down is incredible. And sometimes I do not believe it myself.
I realize that old habits still die hard. I sometimes will be driving without a seat belt, because I could not wear one before. If I drop change, I am still hesitant to pick it up because I was not able to before. I will walk in rain instead of run because I was not able to before.
It is amazing what I was not able to do before. I was not able to sit on the floor. I had to get on my knees. Now, I am able to sit Indian style on the floor.Very nice.
I am so excited about my future. I realize that my life is so fun now. I can do things I was not able to do before.
At the last WW meeting I went to, a "lifetime" member made a comment that made me think. She said "It gets hard to stay motivated after you lose the weight. People do not make comments about your weight loss anymore, because they are used to seeing you at that weight now.You do not feel so special."

I think I can deal with not being so special.

November 11th, 2000

Today is a very special day to me. Eight years ago this very day, I met the woman of my dreams (Also tomorrow is my wife's birthday). The ironic thing is that our first meeting was at a bar, and neither of us drink. In fact, I have maybe had two drinks in 12 years, and have not had one in over 7 years. I mean, don't I have enough addictions.
Well, 8 years, 3 cities, 6 different places of residence, and 3 animals later, she is still the woman for me. This year, we are going to wait for give gifts on our Wedding Anniversary in January. But I wanted to write her a letter telling her how I feel. Believe it or not, I am not even close to being a romantic. I can not charm the pants of a mannequin at Old Navy. When my wife got mad at me before because I never got her flowers, I thought she meant flour and bought her a 5 pound bag. True story by the way.
But romanticism does not run in my family. Consideration does. My dad does not buy my Mom flowers, but he will mow the grass when she asks, or go out to the store when she asks. That is the way love is shown. That is the way I show it. I have always been the person to cook a nice dinner when my wife is not feeling well, just to cheer her up. Not to put rose petals and wear a zebra thong. Uhhhh, not a good picture, even now.
So here is my letter, and I hope my wife likes it.


Dear Rebecca,
For the last eight years, I love you more and more each day. You truly are the woman for me. I am excited about the future with you, no matter how the economy goes, no matter how many more times we have to move. I want to make you aware of things that I probably have never said to you:
1. My weight gain over the last 8 years is in no way your fault. I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I always lost weight in a poor way. Pills, not eating, and more pills were the way that I quickly lost the weight. It is something I feel like I have totally changed in my life. As you have seen, over the last eight months, I learned how to eat, and eat much better. I made a commitment to live my life, not only for myself, but for you as well. I was tired of being selfish.
2. I commit to living a healthy lifestyle. Fitness and eating right is not just a phase for me. Once I hit my weight loss goal, I will continue this same path, because I love it now. I do not even think about the foods I used to eat. I only love the foods I eat now!
3. I commit to always being there for you, no matter how hard times get.
4. I commit to walking the dog at 5am every morning, so i have the motivation to work out right afterwards.

I love you very much! Happy "early" birthday. I weighed in at 229.8 lbs yesterday. You have never seen me weigh that little. And this is just the beginning!

Love,

Me

Maybe BlogHer/Him?

I am new to this blog thing. I have done it regularly for about two months now, even though I have had the blog for six months. I do not know if I am good at it, but I do have a good story to tell. Some of my entries are hits, and just as many are misses. I am cool with that, because my main goal is to tell people my story of losing 190.4 pounds (Yes, I lost 3.4 pounds at my weigh in today).
So a lot of times, I try to tell people that inspire me about my story. How I was over 400 pounds, and could not live a normal life. How I made a courageous move to lose weight. How anyone can make a difference in their own lives, just by making some food and fitness changes that will be noticeable in a week. I respond to every email that I get, and I try to give as much advice as I possibly can. Now, I am a guy, but I am so happy that most of the 30 people that read this blog are women. Actually, I am happy that most of the 30 people reading this are breathing.
So today, I made a bold move, and tried to submit my blog to the BlogHer.com community. I love reading blogs here. In fact, most of the blogs I read are in this community, and I thought it would be fun to be part of the gang. I sent a nice email to the community manager, and I got a very nice email back, with a rejection letter.

First of all, I am a guy. I understand that. I am happy about it. But the BlogHer community is for women, hence the name. Now, the email did state that there are three ways I could have my Blog introduced, and they are as follows:

1. Attend a BlogHer Conference- Hmmm, yeah, I think the next one is in July 09

2. Contributing member of a blog registered by a woman blogger- Huh?

3. Blog has been recommended by a BlogHer contributing editor- Don't know any?

So it looks like I got shunned. As my wife said "Well, it is called BlogHer???"

I agree with her, but it is not like I am trying to wear a skirt, or serve at Hooters. I just want to get my story out to as many people as possible, and maybe inspire a couple of them. There is no money in it for me, or fame. I just know what it was like to be so overweight, and I hated that feeling. I do not want ANYONE to go through what I did.
And weight loss is predomitantly women. I go to WW meetings where I am the only guy. I go into forums where I am the only guy. Heck, I even go to a guy weight loss chat forum where i am the only guy.
But you know, just like everything else, I am still happy to type for the 30 people that read this, and I feel great that I inspired a couple of them.

Reach for the stars!

I hate limits for myself. I guess you can say that this is a blessing and a curse, but I am someone who has always thought that the sky is the limit. I always try to overachieve at anything I do. It has happened all of my life. My boss always tells me "Why do you either go 200% or 300% at everything?" Whenever someone gives me a goal, I always go above and beyond. The problem with that is sometimes I dream too big. Or maybe that is my blessing?
When I was in high school, I was not cool at all. At about 5 foot 1 and 220 pounds, I was what you would call "Not cool at all" (Sorry, really no other creative name to put here). I had two pairs of jeans, both 42's, and both cut down by my Mom with scissors. I wore sweatshirts a lot, which for some reason started a trend with me, and now I wear them all the time as well. My self-esteem was low, and I only had one friend, Peter.
For some reason though, I came up with the idea of running for Student Government. In my school, all the cool kids were doing it. Well, they were skipping school and drinking beer, but for now lets just say the cool kids were running for government. I am not political, I really had no motivation to change the school, but I thought it would be fun to see how I would do. Of course, my parents and my one friend thought I was a idiot, and I would lose bad, and make a fool of myself. I agreed!
So, the fool in me started to make arrangements to run for government. Being overweight, I knew that if I used my weight to laugh about I would do okay. I started putting up posters of my face on athletes bodies. It was a hit! People started to notice me, and loved the posters. I would stay up and think of ways to get more attention.It became an obsession. I made a baseball card with my picture on it that I passed out. I passed out Moon Pies and gum with my picture on it. I did whatever I could to get elected.
The day of speeches came, and I always did a funny speech.One year it was a rap, another year it was me pretending to be a chef. I don't know why, but it always worked out. People were talking about how creative I was, and how much effort I put into the election.
I ran for four years, and I was elected every year. I was Vice President in my senior year. I only lost one election. After I was voted on my Sophomore year, I lost to Kwame in the race of Student Body Treasurer.
In all fairness, This guy is Kwame, who did pretty good on The Apprentice
Now, truth be told, I hated being in student government. It was not for me. I am no politician.
But I am someone who always reaches for things which should be out of my reach. That is what makes me special, it is what makes me Tony.
I always go to my wife and tell her something crazy I want to do. Sometimes she says "Okay" and laughs it off, and sometimes she gets a little angry with me about my ideas.
She knows me though. She knows me real well. If I was to tell her "Honey, I am going to be a astronaut", then I probably called NASA three times before to see how realistic it is, and already bought a spacesuit.

The Non-Italian Stallion

My birth name is Tony, not Anthony. I am a general manager of a Italian Restaurant. My brother's name is Joseph Michael, and there is pasta at every family gathering.
But, I am not Italian. Actually, I am pretty far from it. There is one Italian man who I would say has been my inspiration my whole life. That man is Rocky Balboa.
As a guy, I grew up with Rocky movies. I wanted to box every time I saw a movie. Sure they went downhill after the first one. but every movie described humility, determination, and pride. Three qualities I try to instill in myself.
No, when I am talking about Rocky, I am not talking about Sylvester Stallone, I am talking about the fictional character from the streets of Philadelphia who came from nothing to get a title shot with the champion of the world, Apollo Creed.
I do not remember a lot about my childhood, but I do remember something my brother ( Award winning Kansas City Star/SI.com writer) told me. He always said that Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed) looked like a fighter should. He looked like a champion. Rocky never did, although he was a hero.Well, he did not look like a champion until Rocky III and IV of course.
Anyway, Rocky was always determined to be great, and he worked hard at it. He ate raw eggs, he hit meat, he chased chickens for God's sake. I wanted to get chicken's to chase, but my wife would not let me. So instead, I chase the puppy around the table. It gets challenging at times.
He was humble, yet was a champion. People loved him. He ran through the streets, and people would chase after him. He was a legend.
Now, every time I work out, I think of Rocky. Maybe it is a guy thing, I don't know. Whenever I go to my boxing class, this is how it goes:

First 5 minutes:
Hitting like Rocky. Jab Jab!!!

Last 55 minutes:
Hitting like a intoxicated girl at a party hitting her boyfriend who is looking at another girl: Slap, Slap!

But I never give up. I make it through every class! I never stray from what I should be eating. I know the main goal. Earlier this year I told my wife that I would lose over 200 pounds, and although she said that was great, deep down she thought I was crazy. Everyone thinks losing 200 pounds is crazy. Heck, it is crazy.
But I am so close now. I am 13 pounds away. I do not believe in plateaus. Maybe it is just my stupidity, but I don't. I do not believe in giving up. I have done that too many times in my life. I try to tell everyone my story. I even made a Myspace page, something I would never think I would do (myspace.com/theantijared).
See, Rocky's goal was to be the champion. My goal is to get and keep my weight off. I am proud of myself, but the journey has not ended yet. It is just the beginning.
I have the eye of the tiger. It is a hazel eye!

Gimme Some Skin!

It is the most asked question about my weight loss. Heck, it is the question I always used to ask people about when they lost weight. It is loose skin! That is right, the skin that keeps on giving. It had a home before, but after all of the fat is gone, it does not know where to go.
I have lost 187 pounds in 8 months. So here is the answer to if I have loose skin.Hmmmmmmm, well, what do you think? Of course I do! I have some skin around my belly, thighs, and upper arms. It is not that bad at all, but I notice it.Working out really helps put some of it back, but I have some. I saw an episode of Oprah where a guy lost 400 pounds, and he had skin everywhere. I can promise you it is not that bad. By working out, I can actually see some defined muscles. I even saw a ab. I did! Of course, I had to shine the light right on the side of me, but there is a visible ab. I named her Abby!
My doctor told me on my last visit that I should think about removing the excess skin when I lose all of my weight. I asked if it was a health risk to keep it on, but he said "No, it will help your self-esteem."
WHAT!!! That is what I need to build my self-esteem. I am losing a lot of weight, I do not care about a little skin. But, there are a few things I will sadly never be able to do, such as:
1. Be proud in a Speed-O- This would really sadden me if I was European.
2. Become a Chippendale Dancer- I do like the "No shirt bow-tie look though". I can't dance, but I can shake to Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend".
3. Get a accurate body fat test with those tong type calipers-I guess I will have to do the test underwater
That is really all I can think of. I mean, I am married, so the chicks are not a issue. I have a good job, so working shirtless construction is not a option. I love working out in a sweatshirt, I guess chopping wood without a shirt on is not a option.
So I can have a risky $20,000 surgery to remove the skin, or keep it without any health risks?
I think I am going to keep it, and here is my opinion on loose skin. Who Cares!!!
People who lose weight and complain about loose skin are like people who won a million dollars, and complain about paying taxes on it!

Voting

I have never been the kind of person to give my opinion on world issues. In my line of work, or really any corporate line of work, it is best not to discuss abortion, politics, or religion. Plus, do you really care about my opinion?
I did want to blog about the election, so I will discuss it how it pertains to my weight loss.
In Florida, we have early voting. I was off last Thursday, so it was the only day I could go. Voting is important because it gives you a say in America, no matter which side you are on. I pulled up to the local library, and the line was out the door. Cars were double parked everywhere! So I decided to park about a mile away in a local shopping center and walk. It was a nice day, and I did not want to get stuck behind another car leaving.
I went to the line, and I allotted myself about 3 hours there. I mean the line was super long!
Okay, about 25 minutes later, I was done voting. The line went fast! There was over 20 polls in the place, and people were trying to get in and out.
I guess the reason why I am saying all of this is because if I was over 400 pounds, I probably would not have voted. I would have seen the line, and regardless of parking, would not have stood in that line. My back hurt a lot then, so it was not worth it. Nothing was worth my back hurting. I did not have to make a excuse to not vote.
But at a active 233, I was feeling good, and proud that I got to vote. And of course I voted for

Selfish!

So today was a big day for me. I woke up at 4am, walked the pup, and did a couple of chores around the house. Around 5am, I was off to work, getting there around 5:20am. Today was our restaurant's big training day! The company has been developing a new menu for over 4 months now, and we were going to show it to our staff.I got there early to set up breakfast for 65 employees, and went over my speech for the meeting. I was very excited!
The meeting went awesome! There was plenty of food, and the recipes were executed to perfection. We were done around 2pm, so I decided to go work out, then go to a WW meeting, then come back to the restaurant to close it down. I do not like making my managers work more than 10-12 hours at a time, so I usually pick up the slack.
I had a nice little workout, and then it was off to the nighttime WW meeting. I arrived, and was pretty excited. There was a lot of people at the meeting, around 30, where i am used to around 10 on Monday AM.
The meeting started horribly. For 15 minutes, the leader, who looked like Dolly Parton and talked very slow, was trying to explain that a can of pumpkin was zero points. I tuned it out, because I did not care, but it was annoying.Here is how the conversation went:
"This can of Pumpkin is 0 points"
"You mean a teaspoon"
"No, the whole can"
"So half the can is zero"
"No, the whole can"
Then, the leader made a comment about how she was the most popular person in her high school. Again, annoying, and I did not care. I was getting very irritated!
Now, this is where my day changed. The leader made a comment saying " You know, we gain weight because we do not care about ourselves, we spend more time caring about others."
Before I could process that statement, the woman next to me raised her hand and said "Child, I know what you mean. I mean, we care about the children before us, and the children will be fine. We need to be a little selfish." All the women applauded her, like it was a episode of "The View".
I was furious! It did not make sense to me. So out of no where,I raised my hand. I have raised my hand 2 times in 35 meetings. When she called on me, I kind of blacked out because i was tired and mad, but here is a brief synopsis of what I said:

You know, what you all just clapped about could not be farther from the truth! I don't know about we, but I gained weight because I was selfish, and all I thought about was myself. My wife, who I love dearly, saw me dying before her eyes, and all I could think about was putting that next meal in my mouth. When my parents and brother saw how out of control my weight was, all I could think about was dessert. No, I was the selfish one. I thought about myself. For 32 years it was all about me.
I hope you all will never know what it is like to be 200 pounds overweight. You feel like a burden to everyone. You can't fit in a booth at a restaurant, or walk far distances. You can't go to the movies because the seat is too small, and you can't feel the hug of a loved one. I lived it. I was the one who cared about my eating, and not the people around me.
I put my family first, which means my wife, parents, in-laws, brothers, sisters and I, because they want me to be around just as much as I want them around. By putting them first, I do sacrifice. When my wife needs me to do something, I make time. When I need to work out, I make time. I do not make excuses anymore. I do not! I need to live my life like this......

Now, at this time, I got pretty passionate. I actually had tears in my eyes, none rolled out. For the first time, I was finally coming to terms with the anger I had in myself on waiting so long to do something about my weight problem. I felt like I wasted so many years. I will never be the person to gain the weight back, because I know that my family is so much more important than a cookie.
When I looked around, I was a little shocked to see a few of the women crying. For some reason, I thought they would be mad. I got an applause, and the leader said "I have never seen that side of it before." Well, maybe I am different.
I did lose 1.6 pounds this week, bringing my total up to 187. At the end, the leader pulled me aside, and asked me if I loved Jesus Christ.
Now, I will let you know, I am far from religious. But, I am polite, and respect other religions, so I answered her the only way I know how:

"Well, I would love it if he invited me to the Last Supper, and there was a lot of high fiber foods there!"

It's not for me!

Work has been very busy lately. There are a lot of changes going on. There are so many positive changes at work it is not even funny!
Tomorrow, we are having an all store meeting talking about the new changes.We are fortunate, because we are a test store, and have been doing a lot of the newer items for over a month now. Because my store has done this exact meeting for all of the corporate employees and Divisional Vice Presidents of the company, we are well ahead of the game. Today, I had to get some breakfast for the meeting.
So I went to Sam's, and I got a ton of food. Cinnamon Rolls, Danishes, Rice Crispy Treats, Candy, Muffins, Coke.I needed enough for about 60 people. I can not expect everyone to eat like me, so I had to get some fun snacks.
When I was in line checking out with about $200 worth of food, I turned the corner and I saw a woman staring at me. I recognized her from my WW meeting. I waved at her, and she kind of waved back.
Because I have the store meeting tomorrow, I will not be at the WW meeting. I hope she does not tell everyone I fell off the wagon because of all the food in my basket.

Severely Obese!

I woke up this morning annoyed. The pup was barking, the wife was out, and I woke up later than I wanted to. I like to wake up every morning at 5am, but sometimes I sleep until 6:30. Well, today I woke up at 9am, and felt like the day passed me by. I walked the dog, and decided to go work out, even though I felt like it was too late in the day.
I had no motivation going into the gym today. Even my hoodie was not making me feel like working out. Usually when I have no motivation though, I have a great day in the gym. The reason being is I get nervous that i will have a bad day at the gym, so I push myself harder. Plus, when i am not motivated, I look at other motivated people at the gym, and try to be like them.
Well, I definitely became motivated. I broke my own elliptical machine record. I went 5.5 miles in 56 minutes. I was sweating hard, and I really pushed myself to do it. I felt so much better after that workout. And then, the big news came!
I went to the machine that tests your BMI. I am sorry, and please do not try to explain it to me, but I am not a big fan of BMI. I guess it can tell by your weight, age, and height how much body fat you have, and where you are compared to other people.
Well, you will be happy to know that I moved up from "Morbidly Obese" to "Severely Obese".

Wow, and I thought people were the only ones who made rude comments! Nope, machines do as well.

Blogroll 2

Work has been busy!!! That is good, so this is a quickie. I do not have time to write, but some other people have. I have added some new blogs to the blogroll. Check them out. Some are political, so are all about recipes, but all are in one way or another about the struggle of weight loss. Time for work, will be back here tonight.