I’m stuck in a loop – reliving the same year over and over and over again.  Its November and I’m still fat!  I haven’t stayed consistent with diet, workout, blogging (as you well know!)  Currently I’m working out, but my diet just isn’t there.  I have had successful months this year but still not consistent enough to lose any weight.  What am I missing?  I start and quit, start and quit, start and quit, over and over…

Round and Round we go… Like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day I’m repeating the day again and again – I just need to figure out the lesson to be learned, learn it, and move on!

Seemingly out of nowhere, he appeared.  I noticed him.  He was sitting on a brown sofa – without a shirt; holding a television remote in his right hand; a glass of tea in his left; on the edge of his seat; both elbows were firmly planted on his knees as he leaned forward.  I couldn’t help but notice his gut because of the way he was hunched over.

He was starring at me.

I was starring at him.

Then as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared and my TV show was back on.

I wish that I could look at a picture of me and not think – This will make a great before picture!

When will I take my last before picture? I don’t know – but I don’t trust its anytime soon…

I know I was going to have this website completely revamped – I was going to refocus – I was going to change my life – I was, I was, I was…

But just like my last picture – my website is still in ‘before’ mode… For those of you that still swing by this site in the hopes that I will post something new and encouraging – will you settle for 1 out of 2?

I’m in a ‘lunch-n-learn’ meeting today where pizza was brought in.  I go up with everyone else and grab two slices of pizza like most people did… then as the meeting went on, a few people went back for seconds, some people came into the meeting late and went up for pizza as well.  Basically, there was a regular flow of people going to the boxes of pizza sitting to the side of the room and going to for my third andforth (or fifth and sixth) slices would have likely gone unnoticed by the room… I was tempted.

How do I change my behavior patterns so that going up for the extra 400-800 calories isn’t a temptation?  I used to have a pastor that would say “temptation consistently kept at arms length ceases to exist”.  I agree, but how do I keep the temptation at arms length until that happens?  On one hand, I think how successful would a recovering alcoholic be if everyday at work he was offered a drink?  On the other hand, how long can I continue to excuse myself as a victim of circumstance?

Today I stayed away – but taking it day by day I have found I’m losing more battles than I win.  I know that exercise is important – but like one of my readers commented – it takes an hour to burn 500 calories in the gym but less than a minute to consume 500 calories in the kitchen.  I need a long term strategy for my dieting habits… Something that allows me to go to lunch with the guys at work, eat the same meals my wife and kids do at night, and doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg (although losing an arm and a leg would take about 75lbs off instantly!)

PS – sorry I have taken so long to make progress on the website uplift – its been moved to the back burner with high-pressure work projects and fast approaching deadlines for school work – not to mention the new baby at home.

Interviewed by the local media

Ok – I should have updated everyone sooner – I did not get called back to the Biggest Loser.  The casting director Brandon made a comment that stuck with me – “you may be a hit song tomorrow – but not a hit song today”.  They are casting charactors on a TV show – so no matter how great of a guy I am, if I don’t fit the charactor they are looking for this season, I’m not a “hit song” today.

That was the third time I have tried out for the Biggest Loser – I was able to met several of the former cast from the show – many of them I had met at the last casting call.  It was really cool when Sione recognized me from the last time I tried out – which to me just proves that I’m at least memorable.

I had a good time but I was convenced that if I didn’t get called back this time, that it was “third strike, you’re out”.  Last Saturday, after not getting called back, I was a bit down of course.  I woke up after a few hours of sleep and couldn’t get back to sleep – so I turned on the TV to the Christian television station, which I never watch, but at 3am it seemed like a safe station to put on.  Pastor Ed Young was on and guess who he had on his show?  Michelle, winner from the recent Biggest Loser season!  She talked about not giving up.  I thought God’s sense of humor was obvisous, but I said to myself “third strike, you’re out!”  Then Pastor Young talked about the Mona Lisa painting and explained how through x-rays and infrared, they determined that the Mona Lisa we see today is actually Leonardo da Vinci’s FOURTH attempt at the painting… a sign maybe?

Well, regardless – I had a blast and I will likely go again.  In the mean time, check out the pictures I have on facebook from the event:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2028283&id=1114591836&l=fa6af7bf4b

I’m trying again for the Biggest Loser – my 3rd time.  Its in a few hours, I’m already getting excited as if I were going to be picked… which is like buying a lottery ticket and EXPECTING to win…

Why do I get myself excited about these things?  I know I have the personality for the show and I know I have the weight to lose – but will I stand out? Is there anything about me that will catch the attention of the 20-something casting director today?  Who knows?

Why do I want to be on the show?  Because I’m addicted to food and I haven’t found anything that works for me.  The idea that I could unplug from TV, Internet, Cell Phone for 3 months and focus on losing weight sounds like an amazing, life changing, experience.

Anyway, I’ll make certain to meet interesting people while I’m there, twitter a few pics as well, and blog an interesting anecdote when I get back…

Stephanie and I just had a baby and I’m using that as my excuse to not have the site updated yet (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)

But the Biggest Loser is casting again and I wanted to give you guys something since I’ve been there done that.  You should start by checking out my post about it: What happens at a Biggest Loser Audition.

Next, I would recommend reading through a few tips from a guy that actually made it on the show, Pete Thomas.  Pete lost 185lbs from being a contestant on the Biggest Loser and has posted some pretty good information on the casting at his site WinningMan.com.  You can also follow Pete on twitter @PeteThomas (because you are already following me @dsackr – right?)

I’m not sure that I will be able to go to auditions this time around (did I mention that my wife and I just had a baby???), so if I don’t see you out there – GOOD LUCK!

Both the website and my life are… Under Construction!

Thank you to the few of you that actually checked back – I promised a facelift a few weeks back and its underway – but you won’t see much on the site until I’m a lot closer to done. 

As far as a quick update for my own personal journey (i.e. the reason I started this website) – the title of this post has it covered – Under Contruction!  If you want to keep up with me between now and when the site relaunches – follow me on twitter or facebook.

I promised last week an important announcement “early next week” – and here it is:  

Surgery has been scheduled…

for the website that is!  That’s right – I Quit Again is getting a total makeover!  I know, maybe a bit anti-climatic if you were thinking I was getting weight loss surgery, but unless I get sooo FAT, that I cannot physically get on a treadmill, surgery is just not on the weight loss road map.

So, you are thinking, what makes this a “big announcement”?  The current site isn’t doing the job I set out to do – help me lose weight.  Now, I know a new coat of paint doesn’t make an old barn any better equipt to house the hay – so to speak… but when I say Surgery has been scheduled for the website – I mean real changes.

Just a few of the planned changes:

• New look and feel
• New sidebar widgets for daily calorie intake
• New calendar functionality for workout schedule
• New hazing button that allows you the reader to send me a tough love reminder when I haven’t posted regular updates to my diet or workout – or if I just haven’t posted in a while.
• Twitter intergration and interaction
• Much, Much More!

Now here is the catch (isn’t there always a catch?) – its going to take some time to get the changes in place.  My desire here is to make the site more entertaining for you and more functional for me; my fear is that I’ll get so far behind in the upgrades that I will “quit” – AGAIN!  

This is where I need your help – I believe its going to take about a month to get all the changes in place, how do we – you and me – keep me accountable during the next four weeks?  I’m seriously looking for your help here – don’t let me down!  Post a comment – give me your thoughts!

PS – is there anything you would like to see on the site?

This has been a difficult road over the last several months – and if you noticed my last post – you should have a sense for my fustration level – however I have not quit!  I will be making a big announcement early next week.  

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