The Fat Guy's Journey

February 3, 2013

2013-02-03T10:38:00.000-05:00

On this frigid but sunny day in the great south I have come to the realization that I have been stuck on a yo-yo. I will go hard on a healthy lifestyle kick for several months, go off, go on and so forth. For my birthday, the 8th, I am giving myself the gift of life long health. I am going to monitor more so of how much I eat and drink than what. If I can practice moderation and start exercising I can make this a prolonged effort.

On a completely different note, all you ladies out there that religiously follow the bachelor on TV, WHY? That show disgusts me. Why would any woman want to go on national television and make out with a guy who has just made out with 6 girls before you. What are they doing while the cameras are off? This is not the way I would encourage any woman to find love. It disappoints me when I see Christian women getting excited about discussing the show on their Facebook page.

Can't wait to hit the gym tomorrow morning.

Checking in....

2012-04-23T22:35:00.001-04:00

Good gracious it's been a minute since I have updated this thing. I'm still kicking fat out of my life. I'm working hard in the gym and trying to maintain healthy eating. Very rarely do I indulge in sweets and I avoid eating seconds at meal times. If I decide I want to have something unhealthy I eat it and don't feel guilty about it. I'm putting in about an hour of weights 4 days a week and an hour of cardio 4 days a week. I'm pretty active even on my off days. I'm sure you guys love the southern way I talk even in my writing. I hope everyone is doing well. I'm not seeing the results on the scale I want to see, but I can see it in the mirror and how I feel. All kinds of women are commenting on my weight loss too (no they aren't blind or ugly). Can't wait to run in another 5k. My work schedule doesn't align well with races though seeing how I work on Saturday mornings. What are you gonna do? Gotta work. Start posting comments or I'm going to start posting more pictures of me with no shirt. Headed in the right direction, Shep

Still Rocking Baby

2012-04-16T16:03:00.001-04:00

I have been going strong. I am still hitting up the gym religiously. I am going to work out 4 to 6 days each week. I did an hour of cardio this morning logging 4.75 miles and burning 785 calories. I am maintainging pretty decent eating habits. I limit the amount of sugar and refined carbs. I am down to 227. I feel amazing and I am starting to look pretty good too. I want to attempt to run a half marathon before November. I am excited about the changes I have made and the results I am seeing.

Rocking it out,
SHEP

Still going strong

2012-04-12T12:05:00.001-04:00

I have not posted in a while. It is tough to keep up with blogging while working like crazy and working out like crazy. I am down 31 pounds since January. I am having a blast working out and getting my body squared away.

3-18-2012

2012-03-18T22:25:00.002-04:00

Today was not the brightest day of my weight loss journey. I was facing some hard truth about some things in my non-weight loss personal life that I would rather not have to face. I was angry, upset, hurt and frustrated. I did not have time to get to the gym to work off some steam, so instead of simply going for a walk or a run (which I did have time and space for) I chose to have a sweet biscuit from a fast food chicken place with my grilled chicken salad and diet Pepsi. Several hours later I was still pissed off and feeling sorry for my self. I decided the pity party could not go on with out some candy. And what party isn't complete without a cheeseburger? To top it all off, I went home and had dinner as well. A BBQ sandwich and potato chips.

I will tell you the truth about this, I am pissed off at myself that I did not try to get my frustration out in a more helpful manner. That food did not make me feel any better about what is going on in my life, it just made me feel worse about things. I could make a list of at least 5 things that I could have done instead of eating the unhealthy foods I chose to try and fill an emotion in my life.

I am going to learn from this mistake and move on. I cannot dwell on it for long or it will make matters worse. I know that I cannot let my emotions be the driving force of why I am eating something.

SHEP

Improving is Harder Work.

2012-03-17T18:44:00.000-04:00

When you make a decision to improve something it is usually hard work. My wife and I decided we did not like the carpet in our house. We stripped all of the carpet and padding from the floor. We had to scrape some excess glue and carpet tacks up. Sounds like a lot of work, right? That was just the beginning. We wanted to etch and stain the concrete underneath all of the carpet and padding. I went to the local equipment rental company and rented a HUGE industrial grinder. This thing was massive. It weighed at least 300 pounds. I was drenched in sweat by the time I had finished grinding the floor to an acceptable standard. I had to work very hard at getting this machine to go in a straight line much less just to get the machine to even move forward.

Every aspect of life improvement is hard work. Doing any do-it-yourself home improvement task requires lots of time, patience and hard work. Being a good employee is hard work. Becoming an improved employee is harder work. Being a good father is hard work. Becoming a better father is harder work. Staying alive is hard work. Staying alive and becoming fit and healthy is harder work.

By no stretch of the imagination is any of this unattainable. It will take a lot of the cliche adjectives that people like to use to describe hard working people. Dedicated. Motivated. Inspired. Responsible. Intentional. Deliberate. Somewhat obsessed. Focused. Driven.

I have been busting my butt in the gym. I do not think I have been any of the above mentioned adjectives enough to get to where I want to be. I have to become more intentional about what I do in the weight room and when I do it. I have to become more driven to get the results I desire.

My first 5K of the year is this Saturday. This week I will be focusing on upping the amount of cardio I do this week. I hope to get in 4 to 5 miles Monday through Thursday.

Lets get it done.
SHEP

Drop me some comments and or questions. I would love to interact with the readers of this awesome publication.

Rest Day

2012-03-12T20:24:00.000-04:00

I decided to take the day off today. I worked out hard Friday, moderately Saturday, and hard on Sunday. I got lots of extra sleep. With a face like mine, lots of extra sleep is needed. I picked my children up from school this afternoon. We piled into the car and they started yapping about needing a snack. I told them that a snack was something I could accommodate for them. When we passed by the gas station they started moaning about me not getting them a snack. I told them I would stop and get them a snack, just not at a gas station where you can get a bunch of junk food. I took them to the local super market and got us some veggies and fruits. I am getting my children involved in eating healthy and exercising. We stopped at a local sporting good store today and they were picking out new shoes. I told them if they wanted the new shoes, then they would have to earn them. We already make them do chores as their way of giving back to living in the house and having all that they need. They agreed to my idea of them earning new shoes. I told them they would have to log 10 miles on the treadmill or on the track by Sunday and they could get new shoes. If they were in NEED of new shoes, I would have bought them on the spot, but they do not NEED new shoes. They are gung-ho about this idea. Each kid has logged at least one mile already. The two girls have already knocked out 2.

I am very much into this new healthy lifestyle. I have fought the temptation of the foods I know aren't good for me and I have stayed away from the sugary drinks as well. I cannot believe I am actually liking the salads and vegetables. I am turning into a gym rat rather quickly. I get kinda perturbed when I don't get to go to the gym or if I don't have enough time to finish my full workout.

My next 5K is just around the corner. I cannot wait. My goal is to get in under 31 minutes. I think I can get there, but it will take hard work and sticking with my training. Come out and join the Fat Funny Guy for the Walhalla Elementary 5K.

SHEP

2012-03-09T22:10:00.000-05:00

I have been working out a lot here lately. I am resting about one day a week. I am trying to incorporate as much cardio, weightlifting and healthy eating into this journey as possible. I really excited to by home much this journey has improved my quality of life.

After coming home from Iraq and getting out of the Army I have been working through PTSD and depression. I have been on multiple different prescriptions that have not really improved my quality of life much. I am so much more energized ever since I have been going to the gym and getting active. My self confidence has been increased. I think more positively about myself and where I am going with my journey. I am much more happier with who I am. I still have a long way to go, but I have seen some major improvements in the past two and a half months.

I started out at 258 in January, today I weighed in at 232. I am not very concerned with the amount of weight I lose, but the amount of fat that I lose. I will be more than happy with being 200 lbs but having less body fat.

My workout today was insane. Earlier in the week I did 5.5 miles on the elliptical machine in 45 minutes. I wanted to increase my mileage and stay within the same amount of time. I pushed myself hard today and did 6 miles in 45:25. I was drenched in sweat by the time I was done. I went down to the weight piles and worked my arms for about 45 minutes. After pounding away with the dumbbells I wanted to make sure my free throws were on because Sunday we have the first round of the playoffs. I grabbed a basketball and headed to the basketball court. I was shooting around when I noticed a group of guys looking for a 10th guy to run a game. I jogged over and said I would jump in. An hour and a half later I finally called it a day. I was the oldest player by at least 10 years but I kept up like a champ. However, I will probably be the first to be sound asleep tonight.

I cannot wait for the day that I can walk around in public without a shirt on. Slowly but surely I will attain my goal.

SHEP

2012-03-04T20:01:00.001-05:00

It is good to be alive and well. I have been feeling great since exercising and changing my eating habits. I am very pleased with how things are going with my weight loss journey.

I am not seeing the results on the scales that I am wanting to see. My theory is that I am gaining muscle, therefore not seeing the weight coming off, but the fat coming off.

I have gone to the gym everyday this week and gotten some kind of exercise. I have been using myfitnesspal.com to keep track of my caloric intake since Tuesday of this week. Each day that I have logged my food intake and exercise I have had a surplus of calories that I could have used. It is pretty rewarding to see how I am making progress and increasing my fitness level.

Sticking with a diet and workout plan has always been difficult for me, but this time there is something really different going on. I am becoming obsessed with working out and lifting weights. It is awesome to see the strength that I am gaining. I cannot wait to be able to walk around every where with no shirt on. I want to be able to walk the beach and have kids run away screaming. I want to walk into work with no shirt on and all of my co-workers wonder who the new guy is.

I am looking forward to the upcoming Walhalla Elementary School 5K and fun run. I believe it is on March 24th. You can more than likely find more information at http://www.oconee.k12.sc.us/WalhallaES.cfm
This 5K is great. I would love to see you there.

SHEP

2012-02-29T21:43:00.000-05:00

I have had several good days in a row at the gym. I have been excited and motivated about going to work out.

Today I swam 21 laps or just over 1/2 mile. I did some weight training as well. I did some squats with 145 pounds and one squat at 225 pounds. I know the amount of weight I am using isn't proportional to my size, but I have never really lifted weights before now. I need to get onto a consistent lifting schedule. Instead of being consistent with what I do and how much I lift I wander around the gym doing what I like and what makes me sweat the most. I would think that this isn't going to produce the most results for me.

It is all a learning experience,

SHEP

2012-02-25T10:41:00.002-05:00

I am down to 231. I only weigh myself every couple of days. To make sure I am not gaining on my days off I am following a strict no empty calorie rule. I only drink water and the very occasional diet soda (Diet Dr. Pepper). I am eating lots of protein and veggies. I am typically eating grilled chicken and salad for lunch and dinner and some eggs for breakfast. I will have some deli sliced chicken breast as a snack with a slice of Gouda cheese. I will get me an individual size veggie tray for a snack too.

I am pretty excited to see results so quickly. I just have to keep up the work and realize it isn't something I can do on and off but I have to be intentionally active for the rest of my life.

2012-02-23T22:11:00.001-05:00

After a long bout with severe de-motivation I am back to working out and eating in a more responsible manner. I was in a funk for a while and just could not seem to shake out of it. I am motivated and ready to make some changes to my lifestyle and habits so I can get fit and healthy. I have switched to strictly water and have gone low carb. I have been going fairly strong for about 2 weeks and have dropped a decent amount of weight. I started out at 258 and I am down to 241. I am working out at the gym 3 to 4 days per week. I do atleast 30 minutes of cardio 3 days per week and lift weights atleast 4 days per week. I hope to get a little more motivated and increase the amount I work out so I can drop even more weight and get fit. This is the first time I have ever lifted weights. I have heard from several reliable sources that weightlifting is a good tool to help increase metabolism and burn fat. I really want to be able to have the self confidence to walk around with no shirt on in the near future.

a small step forward

2011-04-08T08:43:00.001-04:00

I cranked out a mile on the treadmill in just over 9 minutes. I haven't had a mile time that low in a long time. I am going to slowly build from there. Been stupid busy and haven't been making time to keep my blog current. Thank your lucky stars this publication is free. LOL

Counting Calories

2011-04-04T10:33:00.001-04:00

I started counting calories some time last week. I dropped 2 pounds by staying under my calorie allotment. This weekend, however I did not do a good job with keeping up with my calories. Or try to stay under my allotted 2161 calories. I am going to do a better job of keeping up with my calories.

Weekend Update

2011-03-27T21:16:00.000-04:00

Friday I registered myself at www.livestrong.com so I could take advantage of the interactive calorie counter. According to the website, I am allowed 2,161 calories per day. So far so good. I have been under my calories for three days straight. I know it is not a huge win in the battle of the bulge, but it is a good step in the right direction.

The 5K did not go as planned. I was not able to run the entire race like I wanted to. My wife was not able to attend the race with us, so I had to manage the kiddos alone. The three of them started off very strong. Trevor was the first one to stop and turn around. He was close enough to the school that I let him go on his own. Riley made it just beyond the half way mark before she hitched a ride back. Ryann would run a little, then run a little. There was some type of law enforcement vehicle that followed the racers, but I couldn't just run off and leave my young kids to run alone. The weather was awful as well. I will just have to become more motivated and get out there and run on my own.

Small adjustments will lead to major changes in my health and fitness level.

Brutal Honesty from a Fat Guy

2011-03-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

At track practice today I walked a little over a mile before practice began. That is probably the only good thing I did for my body today.

I feel like the biggest jerk ever. I ate like a homeless guy at a buffet today. I had fast food (large fries and sweet tea) for lunch. I grilled some steaks for dinner and had a baked potato. I had to stop and buy the steaks and potatoes. So while I was at the store I bought some chips and salsa. On the way home I had chips and salsa. When I got home my wife informed me I forgot something. So I had to go back to the store and get the butter for the potatoes. I bought some fried pies (the ones that come 4 to a pack). I ate the whole pack on the way home. But I did wash all of it down with a Coke Zero.

Why can I not get this over eating habit kicked? In our society people will over look the bad habit of over eating as if it isn't as bad as abusing alcohol or drugs. I need to realize I need God to help me with this or I will never get fit and healthy.

Struggling through,
SHEP

Walhalla Elementary Family Fun Run

2011-03-23T14:26:00.000-04:00

On Saturday March 26th at the butt crack of dawn I am going to run in my 5th or 6th 5k race. I have not went on any kind of run since probably November or December. I hope all of the basketball I have been playing will help me with this run. I am still playing basketball any where from 1 to 3 times per week. I don't have any delusions that I am going to set any world speed record for a 30 year old fat guy either.

In other news......
I was working as a companion aide for a student with special needs up until last week. I am no longer needed in that position, so I am unemployed. I am not dealing with this very well. I am struggling internally with what it is that I want to do for a living. I see a lot of different jobs that I feel I would be successful at and would probably enjoy, but I want to be doing what God wants me to do. I know I could get my teaching certificate and be a great teacher, or I could use my organizational skills in an office somewhere and be an outstanding administrative assistant, or I could be some kind of salesman and do great; but the thing I want to do most, is to please God with what I am doing as far as my job/career goes. This is not the easiest thing for me to deal with either because I have so much going on right now and I really enjoy all that I do. I work part-time at a therapeutic boys school. I am the volunteer sports league director at my church. I also coach the throwers on the track team at my local high school. I am getting ready to start subbing in the school district as well.

What is it that I am supposed to be doing????? All I know is that when I do get to the answer, I want the answer and God's will to match up.

I am seriously about to get seriously serious into losing weight and getting healthy.

SHEP

Re-try???

2011-03-10T05:57:00.000-05:00

I am going to try and get my journey to good health and fitness another shot. I have not had the desire to get healthy and fit in a while. I am now helping coach track at my local high school and I need to be a healthy role model not only for my children, but for my athletes as well. It is not going to be an easy task. I am scared that I will fail and give up again.

Whoa Nelly!!!!!

2010-11-19T00:06:00.000-05:00

What is up????

I am so excited. My South Carolina Gamecocks beat the snot out of the Florida Gators Saturday night. I am so pupmed. USC has won their first SEC East division title. Two more games left in the regular season and then the SEC Championship game in the ATL and then a bowl game. What a season.

Today has been a very physical day for me. This morning I did a some bench presses. Mid-afternoon I played a little basketball. After work my wife and I went for a 3.1 mile run. This evening I went and played basketball.

My feet are slightly sore after today. I am very excited I am trying to make a change.

I really need to kick the sweet tea kick I have been on here lately. The school cafeteria provides me with all the free sweet tea I want to drink. And boy do I like to drink it. Gotta cut that junk out for sure.

My run today wasn't great, but it was not terrible either. I walked with my wife a couple of times and then finished out on my own. 37 minutes. 3 miles. Not too shabby. Could have been much better though. But hey, I mean it has been since August since I have done any real running.

Gotta make that turn though.

SHEP

Monday Basketball

2010-11-09T06:02:00.000-05:00

Monday night I played basketball for a decent amount of time. I am feeling it this morning too. My legs/shin splints are killing me today. I have gotten out of basketball shape for sure. January 9th the third season of FCC basketball starts up. I have to get my butt in gear because I do not want to be the worst guy in the league again. If you are not a member of a church already and want to come out and play ball, you can find out more info online at http://www.foothills.cc/.

Quick Update

2010-10-30T09:03:00.000-04:00

I have been fairly inactive since May. I am disappointed in myself, but understand it is a long process. I am ging to be getting this back up and running soon I am going to Greenville, SC in a few minutes after the locksmith gets here, to see my wife run a HALF.

I just have to suck it up and move and exercise daily.

steppin' in the right direction.

2010-08-27T07:04:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, I went to bed before 7 PM. It was awesome to get enough sleep for once. Not that I am complaining, when I do not get enough sleep it is always my own fault. Thursday AM I got out of bed about 530 or 545. I jumped on the treadmill and slowly pounded out a little over a mile. My goal is to slowly work back up to 3 plus miles. I am going to do it slowly so I am not having to deal with lower leg pains like I did in previous months. I had every intention of running 3 miles Thursday AM, but when my legs started screaming that my 230 plus frame was too much to handle I hit the showers. Well, just the shower.

Thursday night I played basketball like usual. I sweated and ran and ran and sweated. I am disappointed with the percentage of shots that actually went in. Some days are better than others. In all reality I am better off now as a basketball player than I was at this time last year. I have no crazy thoughts of being anything but a pick-up or church league baller. I have a good time playing and hanging out. I look forward to Monday and Thursday's.

SHEP

How Bad Do YOU (SHEP) want it?

2010-08-23T22:26:00.000-04:00

I had to take the day off work to drive the 300 miles round trip to Columbia, SC for the Neuro-Psychologist in charge of brain research to tell me I am indeed stricken with ADD. While driving the crazy interstate system of South Carolina I was reflecting on how I would love to coach a sports team. When I get these ideas in my head I often play out scenarios in my head. This particular scenario I was thinking about getting my team prepared for a bigger, stronger, more athletic team to compete against. I could hear myself shouting at them to work hard and asking them "How bad do you want it?"

I then snapped back to reality and considered the things that I want in life.

I want:

To lose a significant amount of weight.

To be a good father.

To be a good husband.

To be a good employee.

To be a better basketball player.

To be a better Christian.

These are all goals that are attainable. I know these are all things I can accomplish. I do not feel like I am putting in enough effort. I can sit on the couch and complain about all the things that I have not accomplished, or I can get up and put forth the effort it will take to reach my goals and aspirations.

I played basketball tonight for about 2 and a half hours. I am very tired and had an awesome workout. However that is all I have been doing as far as exercise goes since May. It is time to get back on the treadmill and start logging some miles.

SHEP

It Has Been A Minute

2010-08-23T00:33:00.000-04:00

I have not posted in a while.....

I am still alive and kicking. I am still around 230 lbs. I need to get my crap together and get back on track.

I had a conversation with my father today. He called complaining about how he has nothing and his health sucks because of his addiction to prescription pain killers. When I told him I had warned him months before that he needed to get help, he tried to explain to me that I do not understand what it is like to be an addict. I do not have any idea what it is like to be addicted to drugs, but food has always been a driving force in my life.

I feel terrible that I am having to explain to my father what he should be doing to get his life together. It sucks that I know not to abuse drugs, but I can't keep my eating habits under control.

At church (http://www.foothills.cc/) the pastor was talking about the verse in the Bible old school folks use to tell people my age we shouldn't have tattoos. You know the one that says your body is a temple. Well, I do not believe tattoos are wrong, but I have not treated my body like it is a temple.

I have some things that I need to take care of for sure.

I have the resources and the support system I need at home to be successful. I need to stop being lazy and get myself back on track.

Today I was humbled beyond words. God showed me no matter what situation is going on, that he is never going to leave me, even when I stray.

I am looking forward to getting squared away. It is going to be a hard, tough battle, but it is a battle worth fighting.

SHEP

Good News, Bad News

2010-07-17T20:41:00.000-04:00

The good news: I am still not drinking cokes and sweet tea. I am still playing basketball two nights a week.

Bad news: I am not running any. I have been snacking at night when I get bored.

The good news: I realize this. I realize I need to make a change. I wrote a plan out on paper. It is an easy to accomplish plan, that I can make more difficult as I go. I am going to run two days a week and play basketball two days a week. I am going to throw a long walk in there as well.

We were out of town last week visiting a friend and went for a hike. It was nice. I would like to do more of this. We have some really nice mountains close by that I could go hiking on.

I still have not been able to find a job. I am getting more and more frustrated about this. I struggled and bumped my way through college and now I cannot put my degree to work. I have made a grand total of $9.15 from this blog. But I will not get a check until I get to $100. I know God has something in store for me, but I am struggling to be at peace with that thought.

I am over halfway to my goal weight. If I could get my head squared away I could exceed my goal weight. I want to get to 210, but I know if I can get my head squared away I can get down to 185.

Summer is coming to a close. What are you going to do to close it out?

SHEP