Scale?

Change is good!

Well, a lot has happened over the last month. Although I hit my "goal"weight a month ago, I still have a lot to get accomplished with my life!

March 3rd was the last time I talked about my weight. When I hit my goal (which was under 200 pounds, 198.8 to be exact) I changed the way I looked at myself.

First off, I have decided to weight myself only once a month at Weight Watchers. Do not get me wrong, I love Weight Watchers, but for me, it is more about feeling good than what the scale says.

Plus, I am pretty confident in the way I am eating now. In fact, I have even changed my eating a little more over the last month, just to make it a little cleaner. Here are a few changes:

Out of the AntiJared eating arsenal:
Fiber One
All Bran
Beef Jerky
Double Fiber Bread
Salsa

Into the AntiJared eating arsenal:
Sweet Potatoes
Puffed Rice/Wheat
Beans
Eggs

The one thing I have also done is changed my workouts. If you remember before, I was all about Circuit Training at the gym (Doing machines as fast as you can).

Well, now I am changing that up a little bit as well. I am not using any more machines, but using free weights. I am still doing my cardio, but not I am working out heavy four days a week with the dumbbells and barbels. I am actually loving it.

It has been very weird not to weigh myself, but I made a promise not to. I need to have the confidence in me that I am eating and moving the right way. The scale is a guide, but I know that if I eat well, I will not gain the weight back.

Well, I snuck a weigh-in at the gym today (Unofficial), and I have maintained my weight of 198 pounds.

Here is what I did not expect, Since March 3rd, I have lost 5% bodyfat. Well, I am not sure how accurate the machine is at the gym. I mean, I can not use calipers because of my loose skin, and I still do not know how accurate it is when you hold onto some handles.

But that is what it said. 5% less.

Not only that, but I can tell a difference in my pictures. Here, talk a side by side comparison of my pics, 10 days apart. The white shirt is the most recent.

There is a difference.














If you know me, I am not the best at giving advice, but I do have one piece to give out.

If you get to a place where you feel you might get stuck, change it up a little. That is what I have learned.

I say that I eat fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats, but my "diet" is so much more than that.

Anyway, just a quick post to let you know what I have been doing over the last month. Now back to my double spaced posts on pride and inspiration.

Sorry, I am the worst weight loss blogger!

John claimed that he is the worst weight loss blogger.

I totally disagree with him! He is not even close to being the worst weight loss blogger. In fact, he is an awesome weight loss blogger.

No, there is someone who "claims" to be a a great weight loss blogger.

He is actually the worst weight loss blogger.

That weight loss blogger is me.

Yes, TheAntiJared is the worst weight loss blogger!

When I read great weight loss blogs, I read about struggles. I read about food issues!

"Well, today work was rough! When I got home, my husband had the nerve to get Pizza. PIZZA! He knows that is my trigger food. What an A**. Uhh, I had a few slices, but tomorrow is a new day!"

No, see, that has not happened to me over the last year. I have gone through two job changes, my father in the hospital, my wife having "pregnant" cravings, and other issues.

Just so you know, people told me I would fail two months into my plan, it has been 13 months so far. Still not a diet soda in sight.

I stuck to my plan. The same plan I will stick with for a while! Being over 400 pounds was not an option for me anymore.

Great weight loss bloggers are very supportive:

"I know you gained six pounds, but that is probably water weight! There is NO WAY you can gain that much weight by eating a few slices of cake!"

I am supportive, but to a point. I love to help people, but it is hard to give advice to those who want to make excuses for their weight loss or failures.

At 420 pounds, no one felt sorry for me. People were angry that I was at that weight.

The angriest one was me.

During my weight loss, I changed the way I ate and worked out. I never treated the scale like "The Wheel Of Fortune" where I would hop on, spin, and pray for a loss, or a minimal gain.

I finally realized that a CONSISTENT healthy life was the only way for me, and the scale meant nothing, as long as I was getting healthier.

Great weight loss bloggers go away for a while:

"I have been busy, sorry I have not blogged for a while. Life has been tough."

I have consistently wrote at least four posts a week for the last 6 months. I have written in airports, Starbucks, parent's house, and even in my car once.

Sure, they are all about the same topic, but hey, no one said I was a great writer!

Weight loss bloggers think about the future, and do not think about the present:

"Well, I ate a lot today, but tomorrow is a new day."

I know that if I can not do it today, then I will not do it tomorrow.

You see, I am sure I will offend people when I write.

I am ok with that.

I have been offended a lot when I was over 400 pounds. From the person who told me I would get Diabetes to the employee who called me a Fat F***, to my doctor who told me I would die.

The truth is, they were all right. I just never wanted to hear it. I was to busy worrying about how someone told me something instead of the content. Sometimes, things do not need to be sugar coated. I learned that, not only through my weight loss, but through the negative emails I still receive to this day.

So John, you are not the worst weight loss blogger. I am!

Honestly, I am proud of it. Because if I was a great weight loss blogger, I would be well over 400 pounds.

Winning it all

Growing up, I was a huge sports fan.

Although I lived most of my life in Charlotte, I was born in Cleveland, OH. Since my brother and Dad were big Cleveland fans, it was only fitting that I would be a Cleveland fan as well.

The Cleveland Browns were huge in my house. During the 80's, no team broke my heart more.

In 1986, the Browns had one of their best seasons. At 12-4, they were destined to go to the Super Bowl, powered by the likes of Bernie Kosar and Webster Slaughter.

They never made the Super Bowl. John Elway took care of that.

In the late 80's The Cleveland Cavaliers were destined for greatness as well.

They had such a great NBA team, with players like Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Larry Nance, Ron Harper and John Williams.

They never made the NBA Championships. Michael Jordan took care of that.

In the 90's, the Cleveland Indians were awesome.

They had such great players like Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, David Justice, Omar Vizquel, Charles Nagy, and Sandy Alomar Jr.

They never won the World Series. Edgar Rentirea took care of that.

When Cleveland sold the Browns, I moved my allegiance to the Carolina Panthers. In 2004, Carolina was having a dream season. Turning around from a horrible 2003 year, they worked their way to the Super Bowl. It was the first team I ever liked in a Super Bowl!

They did not win. Adam Vinatieri took care of that.

So what has this all taught me. Well, here I am with some impressive statistics. In 56 weeks, I have lost 221.4 pounds, I have dropped over 25% of my body fat, I look different, and I just went over 100,000 hits on my blog.

But just like the teams I loved in my youth, it does not mean as much if I do not win it all. If I gain back the weight while my child is growing up, if I quit working out, if I decide I can have a "cheat" day, which will turn into a "cheat" lifetime for me.

And it doesn't mean a thing if I can't keep off the weight. But do not worry, because for the first time, I am in control. I will not be watching it on my television. I will be living it every day!

I will watch what I eat
I will wake up at 5am (powered by my pup) to go work out
I will make adjustments if I slip
I will succeed

That is why I will be different that all of the sport teams I loved as a child.

And what hope does my kid have in loving a great sports team, my wife is from Buffalo!

Three more bloggers!

I do apologize about the delay of updating my blogroll. I FINALLY got to doing it. If I forgot yours, just let me know.

Some people wrote "Add me to your blogroll" without giving me the address. So please, let me know if I forgot anyone!

While updating my "roll" I thought about some of my favorite weight loss blogs. I think you might be a little surprised as to which ones are my favorites, but I hope they are your favorites as well. I have written about a few of them in the past (Carlos, Pamela, Mizfit, etc.). Well, today I want to highlight three more.

Believe it or not, the first blog I want to highlight is Diana.

Now, personally, we are not fans of each other (remember this post, which is still my favorite post of all time because of the passion! I even kept in every negative comment I received in it, which was a lot!) nor will we ever be. But, that does not mean she does not write a great blog!

She has talent, and I respect that! Her blog is a true weight loss blog. First off, she writes very well. She is honest, and has lost a lot of weight (through eating and working out!)

The best part of her blog is that her life is so interesting to me. The way she articulates her struggles with weight and life intrigues me to no end. If you have not read her blog, I encourage you to do so. I guarantee you will keep reading it.

Another blog I love to read is Kate. She used to comment on my blog a lot, but has not done so for the last few months. She has a wonderful blog as well.

She talks about the Bariatric surgery she recently had, and how she, along with all of us, has struggled with weight loss.

I find her incredibly strong, and it shows through her blog. She basically proves that getting surgery is not "the easy way out", and she proves it through her hard work and dedication for life. I guarantee once you read her blog, you will keep reading it as well.

The last blog I want to highlight is Karen. I loved her blog from the moment I saw it. I am sure that most of you have read it as well. There was a three month span that she was by far the most popular weight-loss blogger out there. her awesome quotes and positive outlook for life makes her a true inspiration. She has not blogged as much lately, and I miss her posts. I hope she starts to post regularly again, it really inspires me!

Well, just a quick shout out to three of my favorite weight-loss blogs out there. I will highlight some more, because i have a lot I love!

Food Choices

When I was at a Weight Watchers meeting a few months back, I was sitting next to a couple of young ladies. They were in their mid-twenties, and maybe had 15 to 20 pounds to lose. They looked like they have not been members of WW for very long, due to the fact that they had all of the new booklets for WW with them.

They were talking about men in their lives. Here is how their conversation went:

"Uhhh, I always pick the wrong guys. It is ridiculous!"

"Well, where do you meet most of the guys you go out with?"

"Ummm, I met one off Match.com, he was OK, just not my type. Then I met a real CUTE one at the bar this weekend, but he just seems like a player. My sister hooked me up with someone, but he was a real jerk after the second date."

"Well, you will meet the right one soon."

"Yeah, I sooo doubt it. Guys are just jerks!"

"Trust me, the right one is out there!"

After the one girl said that, she saw me and said:

"Uhhh, I am sorry. I am just venting!"

I told her there was not need to apologize.

That was exactly the way I look at food!

People email me questions a lot. The one question I always get is:

"How do you do it? How do you say no to certain foods although you work around it at a restaurant, your wife/family are not crazy eaters like you, and you drive by fast food restaurants all the time?"

Well, I respect the relationship I have with food.

You see, I have meet some crappy food in my day.

I used to go out with Ms. Pizza who I met at Match.Com, and Senora Cake who I met at a bar, and Madame Soda who my sister hooked me up with.

I always knew they were not the right things for me, but something always had me coming back for more. Maybe I was just prone to crap food. Maybe I just felt that the food was going to be as good as it was going to get from me.

Maybe I had no self-esteem, and that was the way to make myself feel better?

I never saw satisfaction in the long run. I remember going out with Pizza. It was great for the first five minutes, but after that I questioned myself. I would see a grease puddle from the slice under my chin. I would feel the oil on my fingers, and say

"Am I better than this?"

I would go out with the Cake as well, only on special occasions. I felt like I deserved it, because my sister's mother's uncle turned 43. I would always get the biggest piece, chomp it up and say

"Is this really worth it?"

I would hang out with Soda late at night. We would have a great time. But with all the sugar, I could not go to sleep. I also felt bloated. At the end, I would say

"I can do better."

So instead of hating all food, I realized that food is wonderful, I just had to make better choices.

As silly as I am, I do see benefits from the fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and water I put into my body. On and off the scale.

I am not exhausted as often.
I can outrun my dog.
I can be there for my soon to be child.

I only know what it is like to be over 400 pounds. For me, there is nothing like tying my own shoe. Nothing like breathing without wincing.

Pizza, cake, and soda got me over 400 pounds. To lose over 200 pounds, I had to realize I was better than that!

I also know that if I go back, I am just short changing myself and my family. I am doing a selfish move. One that its not what I am about.

So to answer every one's question, before you decide on a "plan" (And there are millions of them) ask yourself these questions.

1. Can I say no to certain foods. If not no, is it possible for me to "portion control" that item (For me, it is not!)
2. Do I deserve a better life.
3. Does my family deserve better.

Once you answer those, you are on your way to see how I lost over 200 pounds, and how to live a healthier life.

Blame Yourself!

You know a little bit about me.

You know that I will post a song one minute, and then write something that is from the heart the next.

Well, this post is the reason I blog.

It is not only to be honest, but to show you a point of view from a former 400 pound plus person.

And truthfully, I really do not care if negative comments come in about it!

Today I was on Twitter when I saw a link for a post by a woman named Lisa. She is a fitness guru of sorts who writes a pretty popular blog.

She wrote a open letter to "The Biggest Loser" about their fitness strategies because she knew a woman who was injured by a crappy trainer.

She basically blamed reality television for the fitness industry, which makes no sense to me.

She talks about a woman who over did herself during a workout. Obviously, the woman did not research her trainer, nor did she have the courage to tell the trainer that she was over doing herself.

Lisa thinks "The Biggest Loser" is to blame.

Maybe you do as well. She got a ton of positive feedback about it.

Here is my opinion.

I blame the woman who was injured. No, I take it one step further.

I blame myself.

I blame myself for being over 400 pounds. For not having the courage to lose weight for so many years!

I blame myself for making my wife's life Hell. Waking up every day, not knowing if I was going to have a heart attack or not, not knowing if I would live!

I blame myself for not working out. For not having the courage to move a little, get some sort of exercise.

I blame myself for not making a change even though I could not wipe myself in the bathroom. I could not fit into certain cars. I blame myself for crying every night and not doing a God Damn thing about it!

I blame myself for being so heavy that we could not adopt a child. I blame myself for not being able to get a better job because of my weight.

I blame myself for not having the courage to blame myself! It was everyone else's fault!

My wife, family, Taco Bell, McDonald's, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, my job, Snackwell's, you name it!

It was every one's fault.

I am not a fan of "The Biggest Loser", but I will defend it here. It is a TV show. Just like Everyone Loves Raymond, Cheers, and Cops!

"The Biggest Loser" is not the issue.

We are the issue! We are to blame for our downfalls. We are the only one's that can fix it!

I get emails about losing weight. Well, I will tell you the first step in getting a healthy life!

Blame Yourself!

That is one sexy P.O.S.!!!!

I love doing cardio!!!! (Was that enough exclamation marks?)

It is my favorite thing to do at the gym.

Don't get me wrong, I like hitting the weights, but there is something about looking at calories being burned on a screen that is cool.

So I was on the elliptical machine at my gym watching TV. I always watch ESPN because, well, I am a guy and I like to watch sports. Well......

Almost all sports. Bass fishing was on, so it was time to turn the channel.

All of the sudden, I saw the most amazing infomercial.

Now, I love infomercials. You have heard me talk about Tony Horton's PZ458ejkdjdkfj Bodynasty kickin chicken boot camp thingy, but what I saw on the television this time blew my mind!

It is my all time favorite!

It is......

THE CARDIO TWISTER!!!

I do not know if it works. I do not really know what it is. It is 7 workout things in one. Isn't that what every fitness infomercial is:

"Hey gals, you want to fit in those hot jeans, sew a sweater, and write a book. Now you can with the new Cardioknitpen! Not sold in stores."

There is something different about this machine. Look at the video.

Notice something?

Well, here is what I noticed.

Everyone working out on the Cardio Twister looked sexy!

I mean everyone! With the Kid Rock lighting in the back, and the slow motion of highlighting the body parts, the guys and gals looked sexy.

When I saw the video for the first time, I looked around the gym to see if I saw anyone sexy.

Hmmmm, well, there is Male Model man, but I do not think women would find him sexy, maybe more like distinguished.

There are the BlackBerry twins, but I do not think they have been called sexy since 1979.

I definitely am not sexy. Sweat everywhere, dancing on the elliptical like I am at the 2003 VMA awards.

I even think I threw in a half-snake move on the machine. Or was that the Cabbage Patch.

No, no one I saw was sexy at the gym. Then it dawned on me:

No one is supposed to look sexy at the gym!

The gym can be a intimidating place, but it is a place to make yourself feel better. It is a place to get healthier. Sweating and running does not need to be sexy or super fun. It just needs to have results.

When I was over 400 pounds, there was no one even close to my weight at the gym. I always wondered:

"Shouldn't more people my weight be here. It is a place to lose weight!"

Today looking around, I did not see a lot of people at the gym. I wish more people would have the confidence to work out.

It helps so much for self-esteem.

After my Cardio Twister video, I looked down at the machine and it said I burned 832 calories. I do not know how accurate that truly is.

All I know is that number was very sexy!

What I learned Feat. Akon and Lil' Wayne!

There are two kinds of people out there. There are people like me who have dealt with weight issues my whole life. I have always known how to lose weight. I have known since 1983:

What! You want a song about it! Well, here it goes!

What I learned- The AntiJared (NYC Dance Club Remix Feat. Akon, Lil' Wayne, and Lil' Jon)

Akon- Ladies and Gentleman! Introducing the real loser. The guy that doesn't want a dozen roses, but will take a head of CauliFLOWER (Flower baby!). The guy who lost more than Enron (Enron Baby!), the Antijared!

Antijared- Eat less processed carbs
Work out hard
Eat six meals a day

Akon- Make sure the meals are small SIR!

Antijared- Don't call me sir!
Eat your Fi-Buuuurrrrr
At least 35 grams a day

Lil' Jon- OoooKkkkkkk!

Antijared- Always say please!
Eat cottage cheese
Lean meats are delicious too!

Lil' Wayne- It's the chicken BABY!

Lil' Wayne:
All his blog posts are not obscene
He promotes the life of eating clean
Some people say he eats insane
He just follows the way of Jack Lalanne
He never talks about the word Fail-ya
He eats more spinach than Popeye the Sail-ya
He works out at least six days a week!
That is why he looks so sleek
It not how he looks, but how he feels
He has been dieting since Deal-A Meals
Over 400 pounds for a good part of his life
He devotes his health to his loving wife
He should be the MVP of the game
Because he eats more points than Lebron James

Lil' Jon-Whhhatttt!!! It's the REMIX!

There are also those who were skinny for most of their lives, and then they got heavier as the years went on. To me, that seems hard. For all of you, I do want to tell you there is so much hope!
No matter who you are, or your weight loss journey, I want you to know it can be done! It does take work, but the work is worthwhile!
Forums can be brutal when you ask a question. There are so many people who have tried and failed with weight loss, and they bring people down. Luckily, there are very few of these people, but they stand out!
For everyone who might not know the best ways to lose weight, or really have questions about weight loss, just know that there is a wonderful blogging community here. There is never a stupid question that you can ask me, and I am sure many people feel the same way!

Also, it is time to update my blogroll. Please let me know if you would like to be added!

As always, ask me anything about weight loss. I will try to answer as soon as possible!

Life Change!

I did some that I have never done.

Over the last year I have said that a lot.

I have a feeling I will be saying it a lot more!

Today I went to the gym, and under my sweet hoodie I wore a tank top.

Now, I have never ever worn a tank top outside of my house. I mean, why would I?
True, I do have a few pictures of me in a tank top from my house, but I have never worn one in front of other people. I was made fun of enough, I did not need more criticism!

So today I hit the gym. I have been on a real workout tear over the last few months.

I have never had a trainer.

No one waking me up at 5am.
No one yelling at me when I feel unmotivated.
No one taking my money when they work me out.

I do have a friend who gives me advice. He helps me design a workout, and I follow through. He is in real good shape, and he has been for his whole life. I learn from experts!

Now, I have been noticing that I am more athletic than I have ever been, which is not saying much. My workouts have been strong. I am trying new cardio equipment every time I go to the gym, and I am always changing up my routine.

Well, the other day, I went back to my boxing class. I have not been there in a month because of my work schedule. It is easier to go to the plush gym I have five minutes from my house!

When I went to the boxing gym, the instructor told us to do push-ups. I have always done push ups on my knees. I guess they are called "girl" push-ups even though I see girls doing regular ones all the time!

The other day I did 70 the regular way.

So today at the gym, I wanted to see how I looked in a tank top. To see if I was defined a little.

Why not?

I was surprised!

When I was working out, I saw definition in my body! I saw a vein in my shoulder.

In my shoulder! Wow!

You know, a year ago I set out to lose weight for the love of my wife. Now, maintaining is for the love of my family, including myself. I want to be the best I can be each and every day!

When I worked out in my tank top, I looked at myself and realized....

Hard work does pay off!

A year ago I could not tie my shoe. I could not do a lot of things! I only blog about it three times a week!

Today is different. Today I am a new person, full of hope. Hope is so important these days!

Not only do I truly look different, I am different!

A year ago I met a man who lost 300 pounds with gastric surgery. He was a great guy! He needed to lose the weight (being over 500 pounds) and he did successfully!
He was thinner, but when he showed me a picture of what he used to look like, he looked the same to me, just thinner.

I never wanted to be like that. I knew I needed to lose weight, but I wanted so much more. I needed to change my life. I needed to change the way I think. I needed to change for the better.

You know, I apologize to Jared. I was wrong! You can lose over 200 pounds with eating a couple of subs a day.

It takes a little more than subs to change your life. I am glad I realized that!

The great giveaway!

We are no different!Actually, we are very similar!

I check out the diet blog scene, and I love when a blogger is giving away something. It is never anything I really want, but it is still cool to see it in a title:

"$5.00 gift card to Paradise giveaway!"

I do not need the prize, but yet I see myself writing a comment to see if I can get it:

"Hey, hey, I got two tickets to paradise, that $5.00 gift card would be great!"

I have been offered to plug products on here, and give away some stuff as well, but nothing was ever that great. A pomegranate drink, workout flash cards, or a fast food restaurant gift card is not something I really want to promote.

But this giveaway is! It is also a great promotion!

Today I woke up at 5am to work out. No hesitation, I was up and moving!

I had a great workout! It felt great!

When I got home, I walked into my garage when I realized something:

I was supposed to organize the garage!

No biggie......except:

I promised to do this in 2005!

I have made every excuse not to do the garage for four years! In four years I have told my wife a ton of doozies. Which include:

I am tired!
Don't I work hard enough!
Can I enjoy a day off!
I will do it on my next day off!

Well, after working out twice a day, losing weight, and working hard I have realized that i can not make excuses in life anymore. That is why today I am giving away all of my excuses. I do not need them anymore. I do not want them anymore. I need to be better than the excuse!

Today I am giving my weight loss excuses, which include:

1. I do not have time to work out- Really? But I have time to watch American Idol!
2. I would offend her if I did not eat those cookies- Really? Maybe it is time to offend someone!
3. It is too hard- Really? So not being able to tie my shoes and breath properly is easier!
4. I only lost a pound, it is not worth it- Really? Because gaining 250 pounds is better!
5. My metabolism is slow- Really? You do not think it is the 8000 calories a day I used to eat!
6. There was no other food option- Really? Because even Dunkin Doughnuts has a healthier option!
7. I am going through some rough times- Really? Because life gets easier!
8. Everyone gains weight during the holidays- Really? Because I can not make good choices all year round!
9. I am tired- Really? Wake up!
10. No one can lose 200 pounds- Really?

I am glad that people enjoy this blog.

I enjoy it as well.

I look back at some of my posts to see what I wrote. I want to look back at this one when I am making excuses, and realize that I gave them away. I hope no one takes them. In fact, I would love for you all to give some of yours away! Toss out one of your favorite excuses!

And Rebecca, about the garage.....

Umm, maybe this weekend?

Pride

So last week I was having one of those days at work!

Not a bad day, just hectic. Every time I accomplished something, I realized I had fifty more things to do. Every time I thought I was ahead, I really was behind.

Around 2:00pm, I was going to knock out a few projects when one of my managers came up to me and said:

"Hey, you know you have an interview right now!"

Ahhhh! That is right. We were looking for a new cook, so I set up some random interviews. I like to do the first one so I can see who will be good, and who will not.
I got organized and went to the interview. I did not look over the application, I was going to do it when I sat down.

The candidate stood up....

I knew exactly who he was!

He introduced himself.....

I remembered his name! I remembered it very well!

We sat down and he started to talk. He was telling me about how long he cooked, and how he was responsible and dependable. He had no idea who I was. It has been a while since he saw me.

During the interview, I spoke once. I asked one question!

"I see that you worked at "this restaurant" a few years back. Why did you leave?"

He went on this long tangent how they did not give them enough hours, and although he did a great job for them, it just did not work out. He left on good terms.

He was a liar! Six years Ago he got fired because he called me a "Fat F***".

When you are overweight, you are called every name in the book! Porky Pig, Fatty, Chunk, Chris Farley, Jabba The Hut, Cartmen, etc. It does not hurt when people call you those names...

It hurts when those names do not affect you anymore. It hurts when you expect it.

When I moved to Orlando, I worked a very short time at a local Mom and Pop place. I managed there for maybe a month. At the time, it was hard to find a job moving to Florida, but once you are in Florida, the sky is the limit.

When I was there, I asked this employee to recook a steak because the guest did not like it rare. He snatched the steak, and proceeded to say "Fat F***" to me.

I sent him home and told him he was fired.

I was a little shocked. I have never been called that before.

I told the Owner/general manager what happened. He looked at me and said:

"Well, maybe you should reconsider. He is our best cook! I mean, maybe we can talk to him about it."

I was shocked. I told the owner that he was fired. If he wanted to hire him back, it would be my last day! Even at 420 pounds, I still had to have some pride!

When I hire employees, I look for integrity, not so much for experience/talent. You can teach someone how to cook. It is hard to teach respect.

The owner agreed and he was fired. I always feel bad when someone loses employment, because people still have to pay bills. This time I did not feel bad. What he said was degrading!

The owner's hesitation made me leave there as well. Throughout my life, I realized that I had to keep my pride. Now, I have a lot of it. I do not tolerate people calling me or anyone else names. Call me Tony, that is my name. Trust me, I do not make fun of myself.

So here we were now. He had no idea who I was. After so many years, I changed my life. I am two weeks into a maintenance program where I ...

Work out twice a day, with a new program
Had my wife make a face when I ate microwaved Fiber One with water
Ate clean all week
Wore a medium shirt instead of ordering a medium Coke

At the end of the interview, I told him there was no way I was going to hire him.

"I do not understand, why?"

I proceeded to tell him that story about the employee who called me a "Fat F***". His smile turned to fear. It is a face that is etched in my mind forever.

People ask me all the time how can I "only" eat fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. How can I work out. How come I can not eat a pizza?

That face makes all of my hard work worth it!

A the end he looked at me and said:

"Wow, you look good sir!"

Without hesitation, I said:

"You finally got my name right!"

Overweight people are not lazy!

I might have told this story a long time ago, but it is a great one. It defines the kind of person I am.

Here I am in 1989, twenty years ago. Man, what I would do to get that sweet head of hair back!

Like a baby Fabio!

Well, a 5 foot 1, 220 pound Fabio!

In 1989, I was a normal 12 year old kid. I loved baseball cards, I hated junior high, and I really wanted a girl to like me.

More important than all of that, I loved video games! We had a Nintendo and a Commodore 64. Commodore 64, the older brother of the Vic 20!

In 1989, the Nintendo Gameboy was coming out.

That is right, portable fun!

I remember hearing about it and begging my parents for one.

"Can I get a Gameboy?"

"Gameboy! Don't you already have a Nintendo!"

"Yeah, but you can carry this system around. Plus, it has a game called Tetris that is educational!"

"Educational! Chess is a educational game! How much is this system."

"It is only $89.99."

I thought when you are a kid, you can put the word "only" in front of anything to soften the blow. I was wrong. It makes you not respect the money you are asking for.

"If you want this Gameboy so bad, you can earn the money to get it."

So my parents came up with this crazy list of cleaning projects around the house. It was a list of like fifty different things. Each item had a dollar value by it, which included:

Washing the kitchen floor- $0.75

Mowing the grass- $2.35

Cleaning the bathroom- $1.95

Vacuuming the carpet- $2.15

My parents wanted me to learn the value of a dollar.

Obviously, since they were going to give me less than three dollars to mow that monstrous yard!

They told me to work on the list for a couple of weeks, and when I was done, they would take me to Sears to get a Gameboy.

I was excited! That was some good parenting to get me cleaning

. This list was made at 11am on a Saturday.

On Sunday at 5am, I woke up my parents:

"Mom/Dad, I am done with the list. Can you check everything for me. What time does Sears open?"

I worked for 18 straight hours to finish this list. I sacrificed sleep, and did not do the homework I was supposed to do. I wanted that Gameboy!

My Mom and Dad woke up and checked everything on the list. It was all done. Not only was it all done, but it was done well.

I got my Gameboy later that day. My Dad ended up stealing it from me because he fell in love with Tetris.

He is the most amazing Tetris player I have ever seen!

Now that I look back, I realized something about myself. Maybe it is about you as well.

When I was overweight, people called me lazy. I was so far from being lazy. I have never been nor will I ever be lazy. I just sometimes direct my energy on the wrong things.

Maybe I should have worked on my diet instead of driving from fast food restaurant to fast food restaurant?

Maybe I should have worked out instead of playing XBox Live?

Maybe I should have joined Weight Watchers instead of watching television?

In life I have always put 300% of my efforts in things. I need to use that for good, not for frivolous things!

I am sure you are the same way. I see bloggers writing this wonderful 3000 word masterpiece about why they can not get on track.

Ummmm, take some of that passion and use it at the gym.

Or someone who writes about how they never have time to work out, and then they write a huge post about "The Biggest Loser".

Maybe it is time to miss an episode.

Either way, I know two things:

1. Overweight people are not lazy.

2. I really want that hair back!

Reality is the best zero point snack!

Buh-nuh-nu-nuh!

So last week I was at work when I got a e-mail. It was titled "Your WW Success Story".

It was from a PR woman from Weight Watchers. She was following up on stories from a contest last year. She said mine was impressive. At the time, I lost 114.8 pounds.

She wanted to see if I lost anymore weight and if I go to meetings. She was interested in my story!

When I used to make the same mistake as a child, my Dad would look at me and say "How many times are you going to get hit in the head with a hammer before you realize it hurts?"

I have been hit in the head by WW too many times!That is why I do not get excited with WW anymore.

When I first started my weight loss journey, I joined WW. I did it because I wanted to see what I weighed. I have not been able to go on a scale in years.

At my first meeting, I heard the leader describe this wonderful world of points.

"As a big guy, you get 44 points a day, plus you get 35 weekly points. See, you do not have to starve yourself! You can eat what you want!"

Eat what you want. Those four words are what got me to 420 pounds!

I tracked all of my points the first month. I realized a few things though:

I realized that I did not understand a zero point snack. How was it that a 1/2 cup of Fiber One was zero points, but a cup was 2 points? To me, it made no sense.
I realized that I was bad at judging food. In fact, a lot of WW people are bad at it. I saw a woman eat a apple the size of a bowling ball one day telling her friend "This is the best one point snack ever!"
I realized that I could not count points forever. I did not want to be on a month or two month journey. I owed it to my wife and myself to live a healthy life!
I realized that I had over 200 pounds to lose. I was not going to do it by controlling my portions of the same foods I always ate. My portions would get bigger. It is like telling a gambler to lower his bets. Eventually, he will bet his house on the Super Bowl! I had to change my life.

At the time, WW had a different option called Core, which is basically Phase 2 of The South Beach Diet. I started doing that, and fell in love with it. No tracking, just healthy eating. I felt better, and full! I was still given 35 points, but I used that on fruits and vegetables.

I also read "The F-Factor Diet Book" which changed the way I look at fiber. I have made sure that I eat 35 grams of fiber a day for over eight months on the journey.

I also made exercising a priority in my life. I have seen too many people lose weight and look like a shell of their former self. It is nice to look in the mirror and not recognize myself. I look and feel healthy!

Now, with all that aside, I will say that WW changed my life! It has made me the person I am today, which is confident and not afraid to talk about my past.
The best parts of WW or any program, and I have said this so many times, are the members and the meetings.

Yes you!

And I do not mean this member:

"Okay, so I ate a sheep, a 1997 Miata, and a lamp, but...... I tracked all of my points and I only ate two of the hubcaps on the Miata!"

Just because you track your points does not mean you have a healthy lifestyle.

Or this person:

"I do not understand why I gained weight. I ate so clean. I had whole wheat pasta, WW two point chips, and a cow!"

Delusion will never let you get healthy!

No, I am talking about the 99.9 percent of the awesome members I have met at WW and on my blog.

When I first started to go to WW, I only listened at meetings. I heard the same pitfalls that I was going through. It really helped me.

Finally, I got the courage to start talking about my downfalls as well. I would talk about the struggles I have had in the past, and also the victories I had in the present.

And to me, THAT is what WW is about. That is what any weight loss program is about.

Not the points, but the support!

WW also gave me the courage to blog, To tell you my story.

I might not be the best writer in the family, but I do have a great story to tell!

A lot of people on WW read my blog, and they are always there for me. I know when I am struggling, I will get comments from people bringing me up! I am thankful for the commenter!

I also see a lot of people in blogland on WW who are struggling as well.
I also see so many people supporting them! That is awesome. That is what "diets" are about!

The truth is it does not matter what plan you are on, the key is to follow the plan and support!

That is what I learned! That is what has made me successful so far, over a year!

So I called the PR lady from WW, and told her how I have lost over 200 pounds now, how I was a chef, how I did not get surgery, how I have moved people with my story and my consistent writings.

I also told her how I would probably never be in a WW magazine nor on the website.

I also told her that my diet, although a little crazy, is considered WW. Well, kind of.......

She laughed and said:

"Yeah, you are right you will probably not be in the magazine. Losing over 2 pounds a week is not what WW is looking for. But God Damn that is a good story!"

Yep, good story indeed!

A Step Forward

I belong to a really nice gym here in Orlando!
It is really big, has three different circuit training routines, and a ton of different free weight and machine options! It should for what I pay every month! It is well worth it.

As many options as it has, there is nothing like the good ole elliptical machine I use every day.

It is a Precor Elliptical machine, and I love it!


Well, when I went to visit my Dad in Charlotte, I was able to use the gym there. Although my gym is small company in Florida, they actually have three in Charlotte. I was in workout luck!


At 5am, I drove in thirteen degree weather to the gym. When I got there, I was excited. The gym looked exactly like the one I go to in Orlando. They had all of the same free weights and workout machines.

Of course, no BlackBerry twins or Male Model there.

No, I got to see a whole new group of gym rats, which included:



Bring the Heat- A guy in a Dwayne Wade jersey
Boots a Plenty- A guy in construction boots
The Hotness- Some girl wearing Channel Sunglasses
Mama's Family- A pregnant woman working out. Made me think of my wife and how much I missed her!



Well, with characters in place it was time for me to go do some cardio!

I went over to the cardio machines to see that.....


There was no Precor Elliptical Machine.

There were NO elliptical machines!


No, instead there were these Life Fitness skiing do-a-ma-bobbies! That is not the elliptical machine I was used to!


Now, the old Tony would have been mad and just left the gym. I do not handle change very well!

But hey, it was cold outside! Lets try something new out.


So I got on the machine, and started to go. I was rocking it at first, moving pretty fast! It felt good!


I realized that I was sweating a lot. I was not used to this machine. Then, I was breathing heavy! I was getting tired.


Finally, I was done! With more sweat on my than I have seen in a while, I looked at the machine to see how long I lasted. It said:


42:45


42 minutes! Well, I am used to doing 65 minutes on the elliptical. 42 minutes was not even close.


I left the gym, and felt like I failed. Although I had a good workout, I was used to doing 65 minutes. 65 minutes is where I felt comfortable in a cardio workout. 65 minutes was my "standard".


My mind was pre-occupied with other things all day, but every so often I would think about my workout that morning. I would wonder why I could not do all 65 minutes on this machine. What if I could never do 65 minutes on the machine? Believe it or not, this really bothered me!


When I was in bed that night, I thought about it again. Then I realized something.....


Ten months ago, I could not even do 6 minutes on a elliptical machine.
This "Life Fitness" was a new machine for me. I can not master everything at once. I will have to do new things in my life adventure. I will "fail" in some of my tries, but I will have to learn to conquer what I can! Not just with working out, but with everything, including eating, and family/job related issues!


In other words, I will have to take a step backwards to take two steps forward!


So the next day at 5am, I drove to they gym in thirteen degree weather. I saw the machine I was on the day before, and gave it a go!


65 minutes later, I was sweating like I never have before.It was a nice feeling to succeed.

It was well worth taking the two steps back, especially since the Life Fitness Skiing Machine is all I use at the gym now for cardio!

Hello Preppy!

My wife is very worried!

I think that she loses sleep over this issue.

We rarely talk about it, but I am going to put her mind at ease.

I will have nothing to do with our child's fashion!

It is a tough pill to swallow for me, but I will admit that I am the worst dresser of all time.

I have no fashion sense what so ever!

I have never been a great dresser. In my life, I would go through phases.I would see someone in a magazine or on TV, and want to dress like him.

Here is a list of my clothing idols and how they inspired me:

Bell Biv Devoe- I owned a pair of $200 Guess overalls that I would wear with one strap down.

Snoop Dogg- I owned a Jerome Bettis L.A. Rams Jersey with "Tah-Dow" on the back.

LL Cool J- Kangol Hat! Rock the Bells!

DMX- Skull Cap

Donnie Brasco- Brown Leather Jacket

I guess I am glad that Tupac did not inspire me or I would have a tattoo that said "Hug Life" on my chest (I am no thug!)

Well, in high school, I loved Saved By The Bell. Zach Morris AKA Preppy was my hero.

Good looking, smart without trying, and he got the girls!

In high school, I was kind of like Zach Morris, except I did not do so well academically, I was not good looking, and I did not get the girls.

But I wanted to dress like a prep!

One thing I did do in the early 90's was lose weight in high school. I lost about 60 pounds, I was around 175 at my lowest weight.

My parents were thrilled that I lost the weight, and they told me I could get anything I wanted, within reason of course.

I already knew what I wanted!

Something with Tommy Hilfiger on it.

We went to the mall, and for some reason, out of the million Hilfiger items I could have chosen, I picked a orange jacket. Hey, it had the Hilfiger emblem on it, and that is all I needed.

I also remember losing weight the wrong way in high school. By doing that, I had a horrible self image of myself. At 175, I thought I was overweight. I was far from it!

When I went to Charlotte a few weeks back, I saw the Orange Hilfiger in my old closet. I had to try it on.

It fit me!

That is when I realized I was not overweight. For the first time in my life, I felt great!

Not so stylish, but great! Look at those shorts!

Last week, my wife bought me a treat. She got me a couple of Tommy Hilfiger shirts.

Here I am with my new Hilfiger and a Jenny Craig freezer bag.

Jenny Craig? I thought you were on Weight Watchers!

Hey, I told you I have never been hip!

5:43am

There I was laying in bed at 5:43am.

I usually get up around 5:30am, walk the pup, and then head to the gym.

I was tired this morning. I really did not want to get out of bed. I was thinking about skipping my workout and getting a little more sleep.

I had every excuse to miss a workout.

I just broke under 200 pounds in my weight loss journey.
I work close to 70 hours a week.
I cooked for my wife the day before!
If I missed a work out, no one would care. In fact, many people would tell me I deserved a day off.

At 5:43am, I was not fooling myself. I had a whole list of excuses. I know all too well what excuses can turn into. I have seen it to much in my life. I started seeing my future blog posts:

April 3, 2009- I finally went back to the gym. I did not have a good weigh in, but going back to the gym was a good start back. I weighed in today at 221, which is not bad. I have still love 199 pounds. I have struggled lately, but I will get back on track!

June 9, 2009- The wife is about to have the baby. I am sorry I have not posted lately, but work has really gotten to me. Yesterday was my WI, and I was at 267 pounds. I have gained some, but I am still down over 150 pounds! I went walking the other day. I really should go back to the gym. I did eat some a healthy taco at Taco Bell. I really need to get back on track. I know I can do it.

September 14, 2009- Well, I never thought I would be back at Casual Male. At 312 pounds, I am back in size 50 pants. I am bummed because I wanted my baby to see me thinner. Well, I am still down over 100 pounds, I can get back on track. I know I can!

December 3, 2009- Happy Birthday to me! I can not believe how much I have been eating as of late. I had a huge steak and bread for dinner. I weighed myself, and I am at 365 now. My wife is worried. I am too. But I am not giving up. I am still down 45 pounds. I will start back tomorrow!

February 23, 2010- A year ago I was 198. Now, I am 434. I have gained back all of the weight and then some. Wow, they were right, maintaining the weight was hard. I tried...but not as hard as I should have!

At 5:44am, I realized it was time to get up, walk the dog, and go to the gym. Maintaining my weight and staying focused is a full time job. One that I will not get fired from. I know every excuse in the book. I do not want excuses. I want results!

I was at the gym by 5:56am

After I worked out for two hours today, someone asked me about my weight loss. They said:

"Wow, what is it going to be like when there is no spotlight on you!"

I answered the only way I know how:

"There has never been a spotlight on me. Just my wife shining a flashlight on my face!"

Alice, let me drive! I Mapquested Onderland a year ago!

Today was my weigh in day. It was not like the others.

My dog did not talk. She slept in this morning. Don't ask me why she did. It is not like she has a rough life.

I went to the gym today, and "male model" was on the machine next to me. He was talking about sports with me. He has never said a word to me before.

He was real nice!

I got home, and my wife looked at me. Actually, she starred at me.

"You look thin!"

It is a funny thing she said that.I have thought the same thing for the last two months.

For the first time in my life, I feel thin!

My doctor told me that I would probably want to maintain my weight around 200. He said this when I was over 400 pounds.

"Doctor, 200 is still a lot of weight!"

"Not for you! Keep in mind that you are not going to be like everyone else. You will have close to 20-30 pounds of skin. 200 will be a good weight."

As you know, I ate well, worked out, blah blah bla........

But he was right. Around 200 pounds, I did feel thin. I looked thin. I was thin.

I started working out a little more and ate a little more. My weight loss decreased.

So today I walked into my Weight Watchers meeting. I hopped on the scale, and I lost 3 pounds!

Now, I weigh 198.8 pounds.

I lost 221.4, and am a proud resident of "Onederland"!

I also made the decision that it is time to maintain.197-199 is a perfect weight for me!

I do not want to lose any more weight. I am healthy.

I look and feel good!

When my doctor sees me this month, I am sure he will say the same.

There was no excitement for my entry in "Onederland" at the Weight Watchers meeting. No Fruities thrown in the air, no 90 year old women hoisting me on their shoulders, no hugs, which is the only real "zero point snack".

No, this is what I got:

"Are you sure you paid your membership. Your card is expired. Didn't you get a new one?Ummmm, these things won't scan! We have a new cappuchino 1 point candy!"

Uhhh, Mondays with Barb and Beth are SOOOO much better!

I left the meeting and started driving home. I thought about how my journey began a year ago.

I also thought about how this is just the beginning of my life.

I thought about my blog, and how fun it is to write still.I will never stop, even if my wife and I are the only ones who read it! Then I thought:

Wow, now people can just make fun of me for being bald instead of bald and overweight!

Why I do it!

What!

You mean I get a day off tomorrow!

Yes, I will take it!

Work has been incredibly busy! Trust me, with restaurants these days, that is a very good thing.

I have been working very hard. Getting up around 5am, and getting home at 11pm. I do not mind.

I have never minded work!

I have not blogged as much over the last few days. It is a shame because I have a ton to blog about.

Ohhhhh, the ideas keep rolling!

I am inspired to write this after I read a post from one of my favorite bloggers Lyn.

Her blog is always interesting!

Plus, she supports me, which is cool as well.

She wrote this post titled "229 pounds". You should read it and give her support. I am sure she has done it for you, she is a huge blog supporter!

In her post, she does ask some interesting questions:

If someone locked you in your house, alone, and you never saw anyone else or talked to anyone else, would you care how you looked? Would you really care whether you weighed 140 or 180, or 220 or 260... would you? At what point is support totally unnecessary? At what point are you strong enough to just do it FOR YOURSELF, with no positive feedback, no one cheering you on?

These questions are the definition of my journey!

When I started losing weight, I did not do it for myself. I felt horrible that my wife worried about me. I felt bad that I could die at any minute. I was scared my wife would be a widow!

I was scared to lose her!

When I started to lose weight, I told my wife not to tell anyone. It was personal, something I would do for the family!

"What do you mean not tell anyone! Can I tell my parents." my wife said.

"No you can't. You can not even tell my parents. This is for us and our future. We will tell everyone in time."

My wife stuck to her word. Finally after losing 60 pounds, my wife's parents started to catch on.If you see someone every day, you can not tell a big difference. They saw me every other week, so they knew.

I told them I was losing weight, but told them not to tell anyone. It was personal.

People at work never asked me if I was losing weight. In fact, I would wear big clothes so they would not notice.It was none of their business. I wanted to be healthier.

Finally someone asked me if I was losing weight at work after I dropped 95 pounds (I was 325 pounds). I looked at her and said:

" I do not appreciate your funny comments. You know I am overweight. How dare you make fun of me!"

Hey, no one asked me again!

My brother came to visit me after I lost 136 pounds. I did not tell anyone in my family that I was losing weight, so he was a little shocked when he saw me.

It was not until then that I told my family. My mom was thrilled, but it was only because I was getting healthier. My Dad was thankful I made the decision to lose.

I also had this blog and did not tell anyone about it, not even my wife. When she saw it for the first time in October (after losing over 150 pounds), she started to cry. She never knew I was a decent writer.

Now I have lost over 200 pounds. I love to write about it, but I really get embarrassed when people compliment me. I can be a little arrogant and opinionated on here, but I am truly very humble. I do the blog and post pictures to inspire other people. I am a normal person who has a full time job, a baby on the way, and I am just as scared about the economy as everyone else is.

But to answer Lyn's question, although it helps, I could do this without the positive feedback.

I couldn't do it without the love of my wife.