tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15537244224981543902024-03-13T13:02:40.268-05:00100 PoundsOne Man. One Goal. One Hundred Pounds to Lose.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.comBlogger415125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-67837014376443301462017-01-19T12:44:00.000-06:002017-01-19T12:44:09.372-06:00Tangent Thursday: SpeakersSo my parents are awesome. For Christmas they got me a kit to build a set of speakers known as the <a href="http://www.parts-express.com/overnight-sensations-mt-speaker-kit-pair--300-706" target="_blank">Overnight Sensations</a><br />
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They came in a box with most of the components I needed. Cabinet, woofers, tweeters, and crossover parts. <br />
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<img alt="Image result for overnight sensations speakers" class="irc_mi ilc_N2sBEqhk-pQOPx8XEepE" height="565" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d6/4d/ac/d64dac52cfe120dc44d558348ba6c33b.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="565" /><br />
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I started by putting the wood cabinets together. It felt like building a birdhouse. <br />
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After building the cabinets, I wired the crossovers. This part was confusing and took a lot of time and concentration.<br />
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The crossovers are the guts of the speaker. They split the signal from the receiver into high and low and send them to the woofer and the tweeter. I followed a diagram I found online.<br />
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The next step was to treat the wood. I don't have any pictures of me doing this, but I used Minwax wipe-on poly. I put on four coats and the speakers really came out looking nice. The word Claire used was classic.<br />
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Next I installed the sound ports. These are plastic tubes that go in the back of the speakers so air can escape in a controlled way. In this picture the glue is drying. Next I had to screw them in the backs.<br />
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You can also see the binding posts in this picture. I drilled holes 3/4" apart for them. It's where the speaker wire will connect.<br />
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Everything coming together. Testing the connections before I solder the woofer and tweeter in place.<br />
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And finished (almost)! I still need to add poly-fil, secure my crossovers, and glue the fronts on. For now though, they sound pretty good!<br />
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-80718249504066390722017-01-18T09:00:00.000-06:002017-01-18T09:00:05.801-06:00Undershooting the Mark (and why that's okay)So my original strategy to lose weight was eat like a keto god.<br />
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Didn't work out that way. A lot of the keto meals I was making cost more for ingredients and took longer to make. Not to mention I don't have the will power of a keto god. Yet.<br />
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But by shooting for that mark, I did something interesting. I started eating like a normal person. Normal Andrew CRAVES food. Normal Andrew eats until he's uncomfortably full. Normal Andrew feels like crap all the time.<br />
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Andrew who is striving for excellence has a quasi-healthy relationship with food. Oh, I'm hungry. I should eat a meal.<br />
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I say quasi-healthy, because I know I could slip up at any time and eat an entire Dairy Queen cake or decide that feeling good in the moment is more important than feeling good the rest of my day. Or life.<br />
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I didn't get to the weight I'm at now by having a normal relationship with food. I got to where I am now by being normal Andrew. Eating too much. Eating too much sugar. Feeling like crap about my body. Feeling like crap physically. Eating more because maybe if I do I won't feel like crap. <br />
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I have this problem in life. I want to go all-in on everything I do. I want to do be perfect right away. I get discouraged when I fall short. I need to learn to learn as I attempt my goals.<br />
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So I'm going to keep striving. Keep working to eat better and better. I want to be healthy. I want to live a long, happy life. And if I fall short of being a keto god, that's okay. I'm a mere mortal, but one who can still lose weight by changing habits.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-34500228737071382512017-01-16T12:25:00.001-06:002017-01-16T12:25:35.758-06:00Weigh-In ResultsI went offline last week. Work was hard and I wasn't following my plan as well as I had hoped. I felt like my weight-loss journey was on the back burner <i>again</i>. And I had barely gotten started.<br />
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So those nasty, negative, painful thoughts started swirling around in my head. <i>You can't do this, you've failed so many times before. The only time you've ever succeeded was when you had loads of time. You could go to the gym every day and you didn't have a kid. Work was stressful, but you were underemployed and HAD MORE TIME.</i><br />
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You're right, internal voice. I do have less time now. But that doesn't mean I should just give up. I'm sure to write less here, and the path ahead my be a little slipperier than it once was. That doesn't mean I have the right to give up and put my health and happiness on hold until I <i>feel</i> like the time is right.<br />
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The time isn't right, but the time is right now. I have to get healthy. Not make excuses. Not feel sorry for myself. Not get caught up in other things. I need to be healthy for myself, my career, and by far the most important reason, my family.<br />
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So I got my fat ass on the scale this morning. 284.6! That's a loss of 6.6 pounds in two weeks!<br />
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I can live with that.<br />
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So instead of that nasty negative voice in my head telling me what I did wrong. I'm going to tell it (and the entire internet) what I did right.<br />
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I (mostly) stopped eating desserts. All the excess sugar from candies and cakes and treats and sweets made me so hungry. I probably have something sweet to eat once every couple days because I don't trust myself to moderate. I can't have small amounts of sweets every day because I'll just want more.<br />
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I slowed down on other carbs. I'm not eating a ton of bread and pasta<i>. But you had spaghetti last night<b>. </b></i>That's right voice, I did. And I enjoyed the hell out of it. But I'm planning healthier meals.<br />
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I've stopped beating myself up about fat consumption. I'm not inhaling sticks of butter, but I'm not searching for low-fat foods either. Low fat foods are usually more processed with hidden nastiness. Fat is a source of energy, just like any other, but it doesn't set off my hunger the way sugar does. I've even had bacon a couple times the past two weeks.<br />
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So there it is. I've got a long road ahead, but I lost 6.6 pounds and I'm damn proud of that. And whenever that negative voice rears its ugly head, I have 6.6 pounds of ammunition to fight back.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-76512862210760954072017-01-05T09:00:00.000-06:002017-01-05T09:00:00.149-06:00Tangent Thursday: The Basement I like this blog. It helps me reflect and focus my attention. But there's a lot more going on with me than losing weight. So I thought I'd ramble about something else today.<br />
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If you're only interested in a fat guy struggling to not be as fat, you might as well move on. If you want to see what I've been up to, keep reading.<br />
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We bought a house in April. Since then, we've been doing exciting things like painting and watching the principal on our loan go down by a seemingly insignificant number each month. One of the selling features was an unfinished basement. It was a blank canvas. A chance for me to increase the value of our home, give us more living space, and get my hands dirty doing something.<br />
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The hardest part of doing something isn't the doing, it's the planning. I've watched countless youtube videos on every aspect of finishing a basement, spent hours and hours drawing plans, then hours more after they were rejected by the planning office. I've pulled three permits so far and have at least one more to pull. It can be a little overwhelming.<br />
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But the work has started, and over winter break I was able to get some work done. My basement isn't a blank canvas any more. It's a work in progress. I'm doing the physical part now. There's still a lot of planning that needs to happen, but I have something to show for the work I've done so far.<br />
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What would a weight-loss blog be without pictures?<br />
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Let's start with the egress window. My brother and I dug a big hole in the back yard. It ended up being about six feet deep, five feet wide, and four feet long. I felt super productive with the hole at first, but by the end one out of every ten or so shovelfuls of dirt would come back down all over my head. I wasn't mad about the face full of dirt, I was mad the dirt was still in the hole.<br />
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Next we went to home depot. I've got a window well, window, treated lumber, and some odds and ends. It was pricey, but not nearly as pricey as hiring someone else to do it for me. </div>
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My uncle came over and cut out the hole in the wall. We took turns with the sledge hammer knocking out the blocks in the wall. This part was super rewarding. After all that work we could finally see into the basement.<br />
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Here's a photo from the next morning. Pretty artsy, eh?<br />
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Then we did a bunch of stuff and the window and well were in place. This step went pretty fast and I had my hands full, so I didn't get a chance to take any more pictures here.<br />
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Here's a view from the inside.<br />
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There we go. An egress window installed and two giant piles of dirt left in the yard. Good work Andrew.<br />
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The last thing I did was put in rigid foam insulation. This took about four days. I could have done it in one if I had more junk to lean up against it to keep the panels against the wall. I could put up three or four panels at a time then let them dry for a few hours before moving to the next batch. There's three more panels that have yet to go up, so I'm not quite done yet. In addition to insulating my basement, this stuff will be a good vapor barrier to keep moisture out.<br />
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It's been a lot of work and there's a lot more to go. Thanks to my brother, Erick and my uncle, Paul, and my dad for their help. Thanks for reading about my basement. It's fun to share. I'll post updates as work continues.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-70510298465588321072017-01-04T09:00:00.000-06:002017-01-04T09:00:03.215-06:00I'm not going to call it a slip.Today is my first day back at work after the winter break. To celebrate-and to clear out the cupboards-I had the last chocolate left over from Christmas in my house.<br />
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It was planned. I knew I was going to do it all day, and I did a fantastic job eating right.<br />
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I had a few triangles of Toblerone and BAM, instant headache. I don't know if there was causation, but I'm taking it as a sign that sugar is already disagreeing with my body. Other than hungry, I felt great the rest of the day.<br />
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So it's not a slip up. It was planned, and I'm telling myself sugar ends in disaster.<br />
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Lesson learned.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-32409061786646734762017-01-03T09:00:00.000-06:002017-01-03T09:00:04.875-06:00The PlanI've been reading about Keto. The people who are into it are <i>really</i> into it. That probably suggests it works.<br />
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Here's a definition for the uninitiated from <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/ketogenic-diet-101/" target="_blank">Authority Nutrition</a>:<br />
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<i>The ketogenic diet (often termed keto) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/atkins-diet-101/">Atkins</a> and <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/low-carb-diet-meal-plan-and-menu/">low-carb</a> diets.</i><br />
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<i>It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-carbs-per-day-to-lose-weight/">carbs</a> puts your body into a metabolic state called <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/what-is-ketosis/">ketosis</a>.</i><br />
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</i><i>When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketone_bodies" target="_blank">ketones</a> in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14525681" target="_blank">6</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6865776" target="_blank">7</a>).</i><br />
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<i>Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/insulin-and-insulin-resistance/">insulin</a> levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14525681" target="_blank">6</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14769483" target="_blank">8</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14769489" target="_blank">9</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11122785" target="_blank">10</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12079835" target="_blank">11</a>).</i><br />
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<i><b>Bottom Line:</b> The ketogenic diet (keto)
is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It lowers blood sugar and insulin levels,
and shifts the body’s metabolism away from carbs and towards fat and
ketones.</i><br />
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I'm a little intimidated though. So I thought I'd step back to start. My objective is to remove as much added sugar from my diet as possible. I've learned that sugar hijacks my sense of hunger, so the less I can eat the better. I'm going to work hard at reducing carbs. I'm not ready to entirely remove them from my diet, but I'll stick with things that are a little healthier and limit my intake. I'm going to learn as many Keto recipes as I can and try to incorporate them into my diet. Hopefully, I'll get comfortable enough with the food to make the plunge.<br />
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I've got to start somewhere, and I'm not ready for what seems like a complete lifestyle change. I think my plan will be a good start. I've got a meal plan set up for the week. I'm <strike>hoping to</strike> <strike>reasonably sure I can</strike> <b>going</b> to stick with it.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-31735252667647390402017-01-02T10:07:00.001-06:002017-01-02T10:07:36.549-06:00Starting AgainHappy New Year!<br />
<br />
I don't know how many times I've typed the words, I'm starting again. Here's to one more time.<br />
<br />
I can't promise I'll write a new post every day. I can't promise I'll post on a regular basis. Here's what I can promise.<br />
<br />
I'm starting again.<br />
<br />
That's it. I'm going to try to lose weight again. I'm going to try to be healthy again. I'm going to try to keep from getting in my own way.<br />
<br />
I just weighed myself at 291.2 pounds. That's my new starting point. Let's see how long it takes me to get to 191.2. Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-40825780209768264742016-11-15T13:59:00.001-06:002016-11-15T13:59:47.035-06:00I used to be better at thisI've found myself in some weird head space the last couple of days. Along with half of America I'm sure.<br />
<br />
<br />
For those of you reading this in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Trump administration, It's been a week since the election. I've been doing a fair amount of eating my feelings. I'm getting hungrier and hungrier, and I'm not even trying to monitor my intake or exercise.<br />
<br />
I'm also in a weird place at work. Each week I plan 25 unique lessons for 15 different groups of students. I'm stretched to my absolute limit and feel like this is unsustainable. I never feel ready for my next class, I just always feel like I'm surviving.<br />
<br />
At home, life can best be described by three words. Stuff keeps breaking. I've been biking and taking the bus a lot lately because my car has been acting up. This is good for my health, but bad for my motivation. A ten minute commute takes, at a minimum, thirty minutes now. Our dishwasher and furnace both started acting up at the same time. Oh, and we're at the beginning end of a basement remodel. This weekend was installing an egress window. Holy crap was that exhausting.<br />
<br />
So thanks for reading my rant. Since you stuck around I'll tell you why I'm really back here.<br />
<br />
FACEBOOK MEMORIES<br />
<br />
Every day Facebook tells me everything I said on that particular date. Six years ago I linked to t<a href="http://waterballoonist.blogspot.com/2010/11/weigh-in-results_15.html" target="_blank">his post</a> from my blog. I weighed 238.6 pounds. Over the course of about a year, I was able to lose about 60 pounds. I felt good. I was focused. I was proud. <br />
<br />
Then I gained it all back. And then gained some more.<br />
<br />
I need to quit doing this to myself. I achieved something once. Maybe I can do it again.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-9167335903140783162016-07-05T11:18:00.001-05:002016-07-05T11:18:39.664-05:00Back SlideSeems like I just got started again and I'm already backsliding. Okay, not much. Tomorrow I'll tell you what the scale says this week. <br />
<br />
Claire was sick with whatever I had this whole week. I'm a caretaker by nature, and when my sweetheart wanted ice cream, I got her ice cream. Also, I got myself ice cream. <br />
<br />
Friday it was cookies, Saturday was trifle, Sunday was ice cream. I feel pretty gross just writing it all down. Monday morning I felt legitimately hung over. <br />
<br />
I think I need to treat sugar the way I treat alcohol. Once in a while is fine, but if I have a lot of it every day I have a problem.<br />
<br />
With the cookies in particular, I noticed I couldn't make myself feel satiated with whatever I ate afterward. I <i>could not</i> feel full. I felt stuffed. I felt bloated. But I still felt hungry.<br />
<br />
The rest of this week I'm going to do my best to eat healthy. Sweets in moderation, lots of water, lots of protein and fiber. Then I'm going to England. I'm not going to deprive myself while I'm there, but I know what sugar does to me, so I'm going to be careful with what I eat.<br />
<br />
When I get back, I'm going to kick off a new 21-day Challenge. No sweets for 21 days. I'll still allow myself hidden sugar and other carbs, just no sweets. They totally hijack my system and I don't need that crap in my body.<br />
<br />
From there hopefully I can clean up the rest of my diet and get back into a consistent exercise regiment.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-34072859705584256172016-06-30T09:00:00.000-05:002016-06-30T09:00:31.372-05:00Delicious DinnerLast night I made a really tasty dinner. I'm so proud of it I'm going to share it with you.<br />
<br />
It was grilled chicken with pico de gallo and cilantro lime quinoa.<br />
<br />
Here are the parts:<br />
<br />
Chicken<br />
About an hour before cooking, marinate four chicken breasts in equal parts lime juice and olive oil. Dump in some salt and a tablespoon of garlic.<br />
<br />
Grill until done (took me about 15 minutes on the gas grill)<br />
<br />
Cilantro Lime Quinoa<br />
Prepare your quinoa using the instructions on the package. You can swap out chicken stock for water if you want to make it tastier. Add the juice of one lime, half a bunch of cilantro, and sea salt to taste.<br />
<br />
Pico de Gallo (make this while your other stuff is cooking)<br />
Chop one onion, two tomatoes, two jalepeno peppers (throw away the seeds), the other half of that bunch of cilantro, and mix them together. Add the juice of one lime and sea salt to taste. <br />
<br />
I like to serve it on the bed of quinoa with the pico on top. Feel free to add tortilla chips, but be careful, they're not great for you.<br />
<br />In conclusion, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-63500579479480466612016-06-29T11:09:00.003-05:002016-06-29T11:09:51.684-05:00Ankle UpdateI went to the chiropractor yesterday. I go every few months or if my back is hurting. I talked to my chiropractor about my ankle. She told me the spot that in pain probably wasn't in an area that could be adjusted, but she worked on it with the ultrasound. I thought ultrasound was for imaging, but apparently there's another use. She rubbed some kind of device on my ankle for maybe ten minutes and it felt like nothing was happening. By the time I paid my co-pay my ankle felt like I'd just had an internal application of Icy-Hot. It was weird. I'm not a big fan of the sensation Icy-Hot causes. It lasted for maybe an hour. I've felt hardly any pain in my ankle since. Hopefully, it stays relatively pain free.<br />
<br />
She also suggested I wrap my ankle if I'm going to be on it and to ice it again.<br />
<br />
I'm wishing I had gone to see the doctor about it when it happened. I don't think there's any long-term damage, but looking back, it was kind of stupid to try to power through it.<br />
<br />
Hindsight, Andrew. Hindsight.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-21908128397864094652016-06-28T13:21:00.001-05:002016-06-28T13:44:41.626-05:00Weigh-In ResultsI have been sick this week. It's the kind of sick where for the most part my body has felt fine, but my lungs and throat decided they're trying to kill me. It's sidelined my exercise ambitions a little, but I've been eating pretty okay. Well... with the exception of THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.<br />
<br />
Thursday was my birthday. We went to a barbecue my realtor put on. By the way, if anyone is looking to buy a house in the Twin Cities area, I can't recommend <a href="http://www.kw.com/kw/agent/beckychristensen" target="_blank">Becky Christensen</a> enough.<br />
<br />
I ate okay. The worst thing I had was the sugar in the ketchup and the white bread in the buns I ate. My kid, on the other hand, ate so much sugar she literally puked. All over her mother. Normally she eats pretty healthy, but it was a special occasion so she got fruit snacks and a juice box. And YARK.<br />
<br />
On Friday we had an electrician over and our power was out so we went out to Noodles and Company. Holy carbohydrates! Saturday my family took me out for my birthday at <a href="http://www.senyai-senlek.com/" target="_blank">Sen Yai Sen Lek</a>. If you haven't been, go (if you're in Minnesota)! So good! I think pretty healthy too. I got the Laab. It looks like this and tastes like heaven.<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sEXKGBjZUQY/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" class="irc_mi ig__NsNGXnck-pQOPx8XEepE" height="360" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sEXKGBjZUQY/hqdefault.jpg" style="margin-top: 131px;" width="480" /></a> <br />
<br />
Sunday we went to a Mexican restaurant for my wife's cousin's birthday. The food was equally amazing and it filled my tummy.<br />
<br />
I also had some cake and various other sweets my wife brought back from a baby shower.<br />
<br />
I make no apologies. I didn't eat the best, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Instead, I'm going to hop on the scale and keep moving forward.<br />
<br />
So what's the number?<br />
<br />
284.0<br />
<br />
I lost 2.8 pounds this week and 8 pounds total. <br />
<br />
I actually weighed myself on Thursday at almost 2 pounds lighter than this, but my weekend of eating cost me 2 pounds. I'm going to say it was worth it. I didn't deprive myself and I'm ready for another week of healthy eating.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-26441921235817298992016-06-23T09:00:00.000-05:002016-06-23T09:00:35.238-05:00Where I'm GoingSo I told you where I've been, and where I am. It's time to tell you where I'm going.<br />
<br />
If you recall from yesterday's post, I've been banking my posts. This one will be published on Thursday. "What's Thursday?" You might ask.<br />
<br />
To which I'll respond, "The day after Wednesday, named after the Norse god Thor."<br />
<br />
"Wow, that's cool! I didn't know that. But what's so special about <i>this</i> Thursday?"<br />
<br />
This Thursday is my birthday. I'm turning 33. So far I haven't had any major baggage with this birthday. It's not a big milestone like the birthdays divisible by 10. I'm still relatively young and healthy (other than my weight). I like even numbers a little more than odd ones, but this one is divisible by 11 which is cool. I'll take two threes in a row. That seems lucky.<br />
<br />
"What the hell are you talking about?"<br />
<br />
Sorry, let's get back to our regular programming.<br />
<br />
I've already lost 5.4 pounds since I started blogging again. I wish every week I could post as big of losses as the first week of eating right. And do it without some biggest loser level scandal or major surgery.<br />
<br />
<strike>I want to lose 1-2 pounds a week over the summer. </strike>I'm going to lose 1-2 pounds per week over the summer. My overall goal this summer is to lose 30 pounds. That would put me at 262.2 pounds by September. Here's how I'm going to do it.<br />
<br />
Last summer I cut sugar out of my diet almost entirely for a couple weeks. Very few carbs, no sweets. I waged war on anything carbohydrate. This summer I'm taking a slightly different approach.<br />
<br />
No sweets on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
I'll eat less flour and hidden sugar as I can, but I'm not going to beat myself up for it. The key is to keep as much sweet stuff out of my diet and hopefully my hunger level will go down at the same time.<br />
<br />
I'm going to start exercising more too. Step one there is to bike to work every day. I biked once last week and my damn chain broke. If that happens again, I'm ready.<br />
<br />
After that, I'm going to try to get my exercise level up in other ways. Claire has been doing kettle bell workouts. Maybe I'll join her.<br />
<br />
So that's my big secret. Exercise and eat better.<br />
<br />
That's not to say I won't indulge from time to time. I'll probably eat something just awful for me tonight.<br />
<br />
It is my birthday after all.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-12751820530299923892016-06-22T09:00:00.000-05:002016-06-22T09:00:37.039-05:00Weigh In ResultsAre you ready for a WEIGH IN?<br />
<br />
Kind of?<br />
<br />
I can't hear you!<br />
<br />
KIND OF!!!<br />
<br />
This is how much I weighed as of Monday morning. I've been banking my posts lately, as I get inspired on three or four different topics at once and I don't want to post them all at the same time or in the same post.<br />
<br />
So this one is a little delayed, which means by the time I post this, I'll be even skinnier. Hear that fat Andrew? By the time this post hits the interwebs, you won't exist anymore. In your place will be slightly less fat Andew. I'm vanishing like the family in the photo in back to the future. Just very slowly and only if I'm diligent.<br />
<br />
So clearly I'm a little goofy right now. Let's get down to the number.<br />
<br />
286.8. <br />
<br />
I've lost 5.4 pounds so far!<br />
<br />
So what did I do?<br />
<br />
I'll be discussing that in my third installment tomorrow. Where I'm going.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-79783053944656178112016-06-21T09:00:00.000-05:002016-06-21T09:00:00.264-05:00Where I AmSo I told you <a href="http://waterballoonist.blogspot.com/2016/06/where-ive-been.html" target="_blank">where I've been</a>. Today I'm going to talk about where I am.<br />
<br />
I'm at Franklin Middle School in Minneapolis teaching drum line. It's fun, but it's definitely harder than the guitar class I taught the last two years. It's summer though and I've just gone from working 50+ hours a week to 24. Not bad at all. I get time with family and time to focus on my health.<br />
<br />
I'm also at 292.2 on the scale as of last Monday. I'll do a new weigh-in tomorrow when I talk about where I'm going.<br />
<br />
I'm happy with 292.2 as a starting point. Last summer I started at 312 pounds. I'm still down 20 from that so even though I've gained back 10 from last summer's low, I'm treating it as a win.<br />
<br />
Finally, I'm ready. Ready to change my diet. Ready to change my exercise. Ready to be healthy. Let's see how far I can go this summer!<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-74647960475809079582016-06-17T09:00:00.000-05:002016-06-17T09:00:15.563-05:00Oh No!So H has taken to saying "Oh No!" every time she drops something/spills something/sees something fall/something goes wrong/is sitting peacefully in her crib by herself. Usually accompanied by hands on cheeks Home Alone style. It's become the default expletive in our household. Claire drops a spoon on the floor? "Oh, No!" H shuts off the TV while playing with the remote? "Oh No!" I miss when throwing my clothes in the hamper? "Oh No!"<br />
<br />
I had an Oh No! moment on Wednesday. I biked to work. That is to say I biked most of the way to work. About 4 miles into my 5 mile commute, I broke the chain on my bike. <br />
<br />
<i>Okay, Andrew. You've got about a mile to go and you have a non-functioning bicycle. What should you do?</i><br />
<br />
I pondered this question for a couple minutes and formulated a plan. I would push my bike up the hills, ride my bike down the hills, and stand on one pedal and treat my bike like a scooter on level ground. I realized several things.<br />
<i> </i><br />
1. My ankle does not like it when I put all my weight on it and ride my bike like a scooter. <br />
2. I desperately needed air in my tires. When every second counts, you realize quickly what's slowing you down.<br />
3. I need a chain tool to carry around on my bike.<br />
<br />
By some miracle I was only 5 minutes late to work. I teach drum line at summer school. The class next door is doing bike repair. I know, awesome, right? All the classes at my summer program are awesome. So over lunch I ask the bike repair teacher if he has a chain breaker. He doesn't. But he should. So over prep I borrow another teacher's car and drive home, get my own chain breaker, drive back, and repair my chain.<br />
<br />
With about two minutes to spare, I run down to the staff bathroom with possibly the greasiest hands I've ever had and destroy the sink. I try to wipe it down the best I can with paper towels, but I think I have to do something nice for the building engineers now. I'm sorry.<br />
<br />
I run back up, teach my final class of the day, fill up my tires with a pump from the bike repair class, and bike home without incident. Other than running into two former students skateboarding down the bike path and chatting a while. Sometimes Minneapolis feels more like a small town than a big city.<br />
<br />
Here's the moral of my rambling story. Whether you drive, walk, bike, skateboard, or blimp to work, something could happen to you. Be prepared.<br />
<br />I just ordered <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Crank-Brothers-Multi-Bicycle-19-Function/dp/B002VYB4QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466100758&sr=8-1&keywords=m19+bike" target="_blank">one of these:</a><br />
<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Crank-Brothers-Multi-Bicycle-19-Function/dp/B002VYB4QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466100758&sr=8-1&keywords=m19+bike" target="_blank"><img alt="Crank Brothers Multi Bicycle Tool (19-Function, Gold)" class="a-dynamic-image a-stretch-vertical" data-a-dynamic-image="{"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHs9gpxOL._SY355_.jpg":[355,351],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHs9gpxOL._SY450_.jpg":[450,446],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHs9gpxOL._SX466_.jpg":[471,466],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHs9gpxOL._SX425_.jpg":[429,425],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GHs9gpxOL.jpg":[500,495]}" data-old-hires="" id="landingImage" 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" style="max-height: 295px; max-width: 295px;" /></a><br />
I still burned over a thousand calories!<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-48356502014032292102016-06-16T11:14:00.000-05:002016-06-16T11:14:08.216-05:00Where I've BeenWith the exception of <a href="http://waterballoonist.blogspot.com/2016/05/probably-time-to-get-back-at-this.html" target="_blank">one quick post</a>, I've been absent from my blog since the fall. I'm starting to think that blogs aren't a thing anymore. But this isn't about what's trending. This is about what works for me, and the blog format is one that seems to work.<br />
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A lot's happened since the fall. I finished up another school year and started teaching summer school. Claire and I bought a house. H is 18 months old. And I gained 10 pounds.<br />
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This school year was a doozie. Typically after the spring concert, things wind down a little for me. Not so this year. Every day was go go go. Ending a school year is kind of like crash landing a plane. There were grades to get done and students to test for band next year. It seemed there wasn't enough time to do everything that needed to get done. Until it was all done. Then I started training for summer school the next day.<br />
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I sprained my ankle pretty bad about six weeks ago. I had some gnarly bruising. I can't seem to find a picture to gross you out with though. You're loss I guess.<br />
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I was barely mobile for about a week. Limping all over the place. Finally the swelling went down and most of the pain went away. The ankle still hurts, but I can do almost everything I could before on it. I'm planning on seeing my chiro about it soon.<br />
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<a href="http://waterballoonist.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-feet.html" target="_blank">My feet </a>still ache overall, but they're so much better than they were last year.<br />
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H is 18 months old and AMAZING! She's walking and talking and generally being awesome! <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IQjOFMoknM/V2BwMaRivcI/AAAAAAAAPvA/wUwO9KPc_PYwMJ_SSJkZ_gYMjX6XUSANwCKgB/s1600/IMAG0467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IQjOFMoknM/V2BwMaRivcI/AAAAAAAAPvA/wUwO9KPc_PYwMJ_SSJkZ_gYMjX6XUSANwCKgB/s320/IMAG0467.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We bought a house! We put in the offer in February and Closed in April. For about a month after close things were pretty nutty. The process of painting, moving, and unpacking was insane. We were up late working on things almost every night for about a month trying to make this house we bought feel like home. Now it does. However, home ownership is an ongoing process and we've got a series of larger projects to set our sights on now.<br />
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And I gained ten pounds.<br />
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I see it as a victory. I lost about 30 last summer. A backslide of 10 is easy enough to recover from.<br />
<br />
I'm ready. Let's do this.<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-73367330986901186692016-06-14T13:58:00.003-05:002016-06-14T13:58:49.429-05:00SUMMER TIME!Summer is finally here! To celebrate, I'm going to get back into blogging. I don't have much time this minute but I wanted to get a quick post out.<br />
<br />
I plan on filling you in with three posts: Where I've been, Where I am, and where I'm going. Stay tuned!Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-86335952243376617442016-05-20T07:57:00.001-05:002016-05-20T08:00:45.717-05:00Probably time to get back at this<p dir="ltr">I'm in the home stretch of my school year. Things are nutty at work right now, but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm going to stay paying here again because I need to stay focusing on my health again.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Last summer I lost about 30 pounds. I haven't weighed myself in a while but I know I've gained at least done of it back.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Stay tuned.</p>
Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-90951224563603463962015-09-24T20:48:00.000-05:002015-09-24T20:48:03.298-05:00I'm not dead!Hi All,<br />
<br />
I'm not dead and I didn't quit losing weight. I started work again and life is BUSY. Holy cow. I miss summer. <br />
<br />
Anywho, this is going to be my last post for a while. Here is my most recent weigh-in result.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJI1JQTE1Hk/VgSncLcbouI/AAAAAAAANfI/alHq-unEH5M/s1600/IMAG0148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJI1JQTE1Hk/VgSncLcbouI/AAAAAAAANfI/alHq-unEH5M/s320/IMAG0148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So I'm down 28.8 pounds. Not a bad place to leave off.<br />
<br />
I won't be checking the blog for a while, but if you want to check in visit my Facebook page or twitter @waterballoonist.<br />
<br />
Bye for now.<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-83446605921678764302015-08-17T17:29:00.001-05:002015-08-17T17:29:50.068-05:00Quick Weigh In<p dir="ltr">I'm doing thirds from my phone so I'll be brief. I had a 1.6 pound loss this week. I'm really hoping to see the 280s next week.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FHy48UW_bT8/VdJgW_DRkyI/AAAAAAAANHU/w-pvR2dClgY/s1600/IMAG0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FHy48UW_bT8/VdJgW_DRkyI/AAAAAAAANHU/w-pvR2dClgY/s640/IMAG0088.jpg"> </a> </div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-24326277760690400582015-08-13T09:00:00.000-05:002015-08-13T09:00:00.986-05:00Throwback Thursday - My First PostSo apparently Throwback Thursday is a thing. If it's trending on the interwebs, I'm on top of it. I thought I'd start with a reflection on my very first blog post from <a href="http://waterballoonist.blogspot.com/2009/11/am-i-being-too-ambitious.html" target="_blank">November 2009.</a><br />
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<i style="background-color: white;">Am I being too ambitious?</i></h3>
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<i style="background-color: white;">I remember the first time I was called fat I was in second grade. I didn't quite know how to handle it. Since then, like many people in this world, I've struggled with my weight. I've been growing ever since. I've moved up the ranks through chubby, husky, chunky, overweight, fat, and obese. I now weigh nearly 300 pounds. I was up to 312, but I managed to drop back down to a svelte 296. It may not seem like a lot, but anyone my size can tell you 300 is a particularly nasty psychological barrier.<br /><br />I realized today that to lose 100 pounds over the course of one year, I would have to lose, on average, less than two pounds a week. That's something I can do.<br /><br />So over the course of the next year, I'll be writing about my experiences. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing. I've tried WeightWatchers, going to the gym, and even SlimFast. Hopefully, this goal and this blog will keep me on track. I'd really like to weigh 196 pounds in one year.<br /><br />Weight: 296<br />Pounds Left: 100<br />Days Left: 365</i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">So here I am, five-and-a-half years later. I'm 1,719 days past my goal and I've moved a net total of 4.1 pounds. God that's depressing. I wish I could write myself a letter. Let's give it a shot.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">Dear Andrew,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">This is future you. No I'm not skinny. I weigh just four pounds less than you do. Don't give up. Come back here. Seriously, sit down and read this. It's going to be okay.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">You're undertaking something big. Something bigger than you've ever done before. There will be bumps in the road, and you won't reach your destination on time. But you will make amazing progress. You'll discover a love for bicycling. You'll learn what making good choices (and sometimes bad) does to how you feel. You'll push yourself at the gym and at home. You'll make new friends. You'll get the support of everyone around you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">Sure, you'll stall out. Life will get in the way and you'll slip up. You'll overeat, you'll go weeks without going to the gym, you'll let your blog lapse. But every day is a chance to start fresh.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">If I could give you just one piece of advice, I'd tell you to quit eating sugar. It makes you hungrier. Knock off the diet pop too. It's just as bad as the regular. Breakfast cereal is crap. Scramble some eggs in the morning or find a recipe for something you can keep in the freezer and microwave. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">I'll leave you with one comment. You're not being too ambitious. Be bold, throw your cap over the wall. Shoot for the moon!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">Good luck. You've got this.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">You from the future.</span></div>
Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-38624938532464208542015-08-12T17:45:00.001-05:002015-08-12T17:45:11.723-05:00Weigh-In: Post VacationI'm back from vacation. I've actually been back from vacation for about a week-and-a-half now, but took a little time to get back to this whole blogging thing.<br />
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That's not to say I haven't been making smart choices in that time. I just haven't had time to write. I've been doing some stay-at-home dad-ing while my wife runs her law firm (insert shameless promotion for <a href="http://trallelaw.com/" target="_blank">Tralle Law</a> here). Let me tell you, anyone who is a stay-at-home parent is a saint. A SAINT! It's absolutely exhausting. I keep thinking I'll blog or work on baby proofing or get dinner started when H is napping. Then she doesn't take a nap. Now she's cranky because she didn't take a nap. Now she won't sleep because she's too tired. Now shes crawling toward the cat food. I'll just rock with her for a few minutes, that usually puts her to sleep. Oops, headbutted in my windpipe. I know logically she didn't do it intentionally. Now she's got the mail in her mouth. I should have put it higher. What's that smell?<br />
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Okay. I'm here now. I'm sure you all want to see my weigh-in results. What's that? You want to see pictures of H instead? Okay.<br />
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Alright. Back to it. My last weigh-in was 295.1. Let's see how I did this week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eff it. I tried rotating this picture and nothing worked. You'll have to rotate your head instead.<br /></td></tr>
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291.9 pounds. That's a 3.2 pound loss. Not bad at all. However, I got a reading very close to this before I left for vacation, and it took a while to get back here. I feel like I've also been stuck here for a while and want to push myself into the 280s.<br />
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But a loss is a loss, and this one was a sizable one. I'll take (or rather give) those 3.2 pounds as a victory. Let's keep moving forward!<br />
<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-87684765965554830632015-07-27T09:00:00.000-05:002015-07-27T09:00:03.313-05:00Vacation Post 1: A Controversial VideoI'm on vacation this week. So I'll leave you with this video I saw on Reddit.<br />
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Thoughts?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JXDEe_bg9lM" width="459"></iframe><br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553724422498154390.post-17594777343956625402015-07-24T09:00:00.000-05:002015-07-24T09:00:06.617-05:00VacationTomorrow the family is piling into the car and heading north(west) for a vacation. <br />
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We're going to Long Lake just outside of Park Rapids, MN. We'll be taking it easy for a full week. I'm so excited.<br />
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However, I'm a little worried about what vacation is going to do to the progress I've made so far. We'll probably eat out a few times when we're there and I don't want to spend all my time cooking. <br />
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My goal is to maintain my weight while I'm on vacation. I'm not going to obsess about food or exercise. I will be on vacation, after all, and I want to enjoy myself. I need to make enough good choices that I don't backslide.<br />
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So how am I going to get there? I have a couple ideas.<br />
<strong>1. Establish a routine</strong><br />
I want to start each day with the following routine: <br />
<ul>
<li>Light Cardio</li>
<li>Body Weight Exercises</li>
<li>Go Swimming</li>
</ul>
After I get those things out of the way, I can spend the rest of my day any way I want (well, any way that my daughter wants). <br />
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I'm a little worried about my feet, however. In years past I've done some jogging at the lake. This year I don't want to further mess up my feet, so I'm going to go easy on the running. I can't bring my bike with because we don't have the necessary rack to strap it on the car. I don't know what kind of cardio I can do besides running and swimming though, so I'll have to do some researching. Any suggestions?<br />
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<strong>2. Cook </strong><br />
I'm going to bring my sugar detox cookbook with. I'm gonna make some amazing dinners!<br />
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<strong>3. Make good choices when eating out</strong><br />
I'm not going to be afraid to have salads for dinner. Especially when they're delicious gormet salads. I'll keep my sugars to a minimum. I might have dessert a couple times, but it will be intentional.<br />
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<strong>4. Snack smart</strong><br />
I'm not going to be afraid to eat peanuts by the dock or some fresh fruit. But the sugary snacks aren't going to have a place in the cabin this year. No sweets for snacking.<br />
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<strong>5. Keep busy</strong><br />
I'm going to try to keep myself occupied so I won't want to eat all the time. This shouldn't be too difficult with my wife and daughter along. <br />
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I'm psyched. Regardless of where my weight goes, I'm planning on having a great time.<br />
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Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309751515414677817noreply@blogger.com2