Another week in the books

Over the last week my weight has been up and down, but I was down again overall.  This morning I am afraid to step on the scale because of Thanksgiving yesterday, but I'll get back on the program again today.  Over the last few weeks my exercising has taken a true turn the worse.  With work, school, family, weather and the time change I haven't been able to get any workouts in.  Yes, they are excuses and I have to quit with the excuses, but it's what has happened.  Even with what little work I've been putting it, I ran our little Turkey Trot yesterday and PR'd both my 5K and 10K, which was a mental win and shows what I'm doing is working.  Even more so was the fact my average pace over the first 5K was just over 11 minutes, a full minute faster than I was earlier this year.

With my work schedule, I have to run after dark every night and I can only run around the marina so many times, especially now that I'm supposed to be stretching out the distance.  I'm starting to think about running some of the easier trails at night with a headlamp, but it's a little unnerving for me at this point.  As it's gotten colder, the garage gym isn't as appealing as it once was, especially a cold barbell!!  Things will get a little easier in a couple weeks once school is done and once I finish my weeknight Ski Patrol training as I have a little more time and get a run in before dark and may even make it back to the gym before closing.

As far as my diet goes, I'm still holding pretty strong overall.  I slipped up a couple times this week, but overall I'm happy.  Unlike previously, I rarely have cravings, which makes it a ton easier.  It's also easier because when I do have the cravings I have a little more control over portion size, which is another big thing I have learned over the last few weeks.

Thanks for the support and I'm going to keep seeing what I can accomplish!!

My project is done, but I'm not quitting

Well, the reason I started this, a paper for a substance abuse class is now done but I am going to keep sticking to the plan.  When I weighed in this week I was back down to where I was prior to the gout flair up, which is huge for me because I haven't been exercising but I was able to lose a few pounds..  I was finally able to start running again yesterday, even though not as much as I have wanted to.  Over the next few weeks things will start to calm down a little bit for me.  I only have one more week of my Ski Patrol medical class, so that frees up my Wednesday nights, and only a couple more weeks of school, so that helps too.  By the second week of December, my life will free up a little so I can get back in the gym on a regular basis and get some miles, even with the holidays.

For those that are interested, here is the paper I wrote going over what I truly went through over the last six weeks battling my addiction to junk food.  It is long, but it's quick and easy reading.

A little over 8 weeks ago I embarked on a journey to give up something to learn about the process of combating addiction.  Throughout my life I have battled, and seen others battle, addiction and this was a chance for me to truly study the fight against addiction.  At this point in my life I have given up tobacco, I’ve never done drugs and I rarely drink, so there was only one thing I could I could give up that would affect me like an addict giving up drugs, soda and junk food.  Throughout my life I have struggled with my weight and the last eighteen months have been the worst after my son was diagnosed with cancer.  In a matter of a few short months, years of hard work battling my weight were lost.  The struggle with my weight boils down to the fact I eat like crap and this was my chance to fight it and really have a fighting chance.
I feel many people are stress eaters, I definitely am.  Between my work, going to school, my sons battle with cancer and relationship issues with my wife, stress was going to be the one thing that would break me.  If there is one thing about me that can get me in to trouble is that I’m stubborn, and to get through this I needed to use that to my advantage.  I have learned if I have a goal that is within my reach it is that much easier for me to work for and attain that goal.  When I decided to run my first half marathon, I knew when it was and how hard it was going to be and I went after it and got it done, that is what I needed to do to be successful at this.  When I first made the decision to give up soda and junk food I sat down and came up with a plan as to how I was going to get it done.  Over time, I have been given a ton of advice and information to make the right choices when comes to what I eat to lose weight and get in shape, I just have never been able to put it in to practice and get it done, this time it’s going to change.
            My first step was to plan things out……... I needed to at a minimum plan my breakfast, lunch and snacks during the day for work.  I also needed the support of my family because if there was a ton of junk in the house I wasn’t sure how successful I could be.  When it came to my food plan I started with my breakfasts and lunches.  Over the years I have used the meal replacement shakes, drink mixes and supplements from Wilderness Athlete and liked the taste, so that was step one.  A big plus with meal replacement shakes for me was the ease of fixing them while at work, it was so easy to find some water to mix it that I wouldn’t be tempted to get something quick and easy (junk) if I got busy.
The second part was the snacks.  I had a previous meal plan from one of my first CrossFit coaches that included various snacks that I modified to fit what I would eat and what I could easily take with me to work.  My snacks consisted of fruit, vegetables, jerky, nuts, cheese & salami, tuna & crackers, cottage cheese & berries and the like.  These were also all measured out so I knew how much I was eating because another part of my plan was to track everything I ate so I could see what was going in and what was working and what wasn’t when it came time to weigh myself.
Another part of this was really stepping up my running and workouts.  I really needed to put it all together to get the results I wanted.  I had several races planned for October, so running was going to be a huge part of this.  I set a goal of running and lifting weights a minimum of 3 days’ week each but shooting for 4 days each.
The first week was pretty tough.  A new employee at work brought in donuts and I couldn’t resist, but I only had one and I tracked it, so I saw what it did to my intake for the day.  Throughout the week I had some serious cravings for a soda but I was able to resist.  Besides the donut, one night after our family walk/run we hit the new ice cream sandwich shop and we went to a birthday party at Chuckee Cheeses’ and I gave in both times, but everything I ate was tracked.  It feels good to get my family involved and watch everyone enjoy it and get healthy at the same time.  I did have some serious cravings for a soda, but I was able resist out of fear for what else I might have gotten from the store.  The biggest plus for the week was running my first 5K under 36 minutes and averaging under 12 minute miles over a 9K race.  The sub 26 minute 5K was something I have been chasing for years.
Week two started good, not due to lack of cravings but the fact I am too busy to deviate from my plan.  Tuesday I broke down and had tacos from Del Taco, but no soda and everything was tracked, so I can see the results.  Wednesday will probably the toughest day of this whole thing and it did not end up good, but it could have been much worse.  This was the day of my son’s six-month post treatment checkup at Children’s Hospital in Oakland.  Road trips are the worse for me, and sitting and waiting at the hospital definitely increases the stressors.  I broke down and had some soda and some junk, but again, it could have been worse.  At lunch, I had a slice of pizza, some fruit and some cottage cheese.  Instead of each of us getting burgers and fries on the trip home, we split an order of fries between three of us.  So I have learned, I just need to stay strong.
As week three progressed I was very happy with myself.  We had a water main break at the house and even with dealing with that it didn’t force me into breaking down other than a soda from Costa Vida with dinner one night.  With Logan, he doesn’t eat nearly as much as he needs to and sometimes you have to break down and get him what he will eat and that is usually McDonald’s chicken nuggets.  On Sunday after the boys and I ran the Komen 5K I took the boys to McDonalds for lunch and I had absolutely no desire to eat anything from there.  This shows me how much stronger I am when it comes to what I am putting in to my body.
By the end of week four I was feeling good.  I was down about 12 pounds, which really helped.  The biggest boost was running in to some old friends who couldn’t believe the change in my appearance because of the changes I’ve made and the hard work I have but in.  This was topped off by running a 10K personal best while pushing Logan in his stroller.
Week five was more of the same.  Friday night I had some soda and we had a veggie and chicken pizza, but this was after a four mile run and my calories were still under so I will take it.  I still have cravings, and I will give in to some extent, but never to level I would previously and rarely does it happen multiple days in a row.
In the end I feel I did much better through this then I thought I would do.  Yes, I broke down and had a couple of sodas and I ate some crap, but not to the extent I would have prior to this.  Over the weeks I reached some major goals which helped keep me going.  I lost close to 16 pounds, over 5 inches and 5 percent body fat all because I changed what I ate.  Prior to this I was running and working out this much, if not more, but this truly proved to me it was more about intake then exercise.  Another major plus for me was my family got involved with this as well. With the exception of Logan, we are all eating much healthier and exercising more effectively.  We are also saving money because we aren’t eating junk or drinking soda.  There were weeks I spent under $100 at the grocery store to feed a family of 4, which I feel is huge.
Overall, I feel so much better and it’s because of the changes I’ve made to my food intake.  I’m eating so much healthier that I can feel the difference.  During the 6 weeks I think I had less then 4 sodas, a couple slices of pizza and one fast food burger and some fries, a huge improvement.  The other plus is I feel sick when I have broken down and had a lapse.  Sometimes it’s physically sick and other times it’s mentally sick that I broke down and took the easy way out.  Making this change is tough.  It’s hard work, but in the end it was well worth it.  Because of what I have been through the last few weeks, and what I have accomplished, I want to continue doing this and see how far I can get.  It has definitely been life changing and now that I know I can do it, I want to continue.

Have a great night, and for those of you going through this with me, don't give up, it's worth it in the end!!

It was bound to happen

Well, I knew it would happen at some point and it did, for the first time I gained weight during the week.  It was just over a pound, but it happened.  Was it my fault, yes and no.  Without making excuses, I could have eaten a little cleaner, but due to a major flair up of gout, not only couldn't I run, I could barely walk.  Here it is, Saturday morning, and I haven't worked out since Sunday.  I'm going to try and lift today, but I'm still popping Motrin like it's halloween candy!

I am proud of myself in that I think I have had a total of three pieces of the boys halloween candy, so that's a plus.  And I'm still eating fairly clean, but the wife made spaghetti with homemade bread and beef stew with from scratch biscuits, so the bread and biscuits were my downfall.  It didn't help that I was extremely hungry and they were really good.

I think the big thing now is to get back on the horse and get after it.  I've gotta lift and if I can't run I will try to get on the bike and just get some exercise!

Half way done!!

As of yesterday I have completed 6 weeks of this program and I'm still feeling good.  This was the first week I didn't hit my 2 pound goal, but I'm not letting it get to me.  Overall I'm down just under 14 pounds so I'm averaging over 2 pounds a week, so I'm still happy.  This week I was down 1.5 pounds, which is still decent, but my clothes are fitting me much better which is what this is about.  I haven't had a chance to take measurements yet, so we will see how those go.

This week has been interesting because of my new workout programming.  On Sunday I started the Military Athlete Fortitude plan and I can feel the difference already.  This is mainly because I have never been a big bench press guy and Tuesday I spent a ton of time on the bench and I'm feeling it in my chest and shoulders.  I went with this program because it combines some strict strength work, bench and deadlift, high rep work capacity workouts and running, all which fits my goals.  My running is also improving tremendously, I ran 4 miles of trails in the rain yesterday and still averaged mid 12 minute miles after a full day of work, so that is keeping me happy.

Overall I am very happy with my progress.  I'm hoping to be below 260 pounds and have less then 30% body fat by the time I'm done the beginning of December.  I also hope to improve my strength and get my first pull-up ever by that time as well.  That is the huge part for me, I can actually see myself hitting some of these goals I have had for a very long time, all thanks to some hard work and great support.

Here's to seeing if I can keep this up and reach some more goals!!

It really feels good when someone notices the changes you've made!!

Over the last couple days I have run into some old friends, both of whom commented on how much healthier I'm eating and how much healthier I look and it really feels good!!

Yesterday I spent the day at the Ski Patrol medical refresher and learned one of my old bosses is also on the patrol.  It has been almost 2 years since he retired, and almost as long since I had seen him.  At lunch he made a comment at how healthy I was eating.  For a snack in the morning I had some cottage cheese and raspberries, a little later I had a couple hard boiled eggs and an apple.  For lunch I had my usual Wilderness Athlete Meal Replacement Shake.  This is a normal thing for me.  There were cookies and candy available, plus soda, but I had absolutely no desire to have any of it.

This morning I took the family to the Run for Education, a fundraising event for local schools.  When I was running back to the Jeep to unload some things prior to the race starting I ran in to another old friend I had not seen in a year.  This is a guy I did Search and Rescue with for years and saw on a regular basis for a very long time.  The last time I saw him was during Logan's treatment when I had put a hell of a lot of weight back on.  In talking with him he said how much better I looked as well.  It really made me feel good again.

To top it all off I ran another personal best this morning, so I am really feeling good today!!  I pushed Logan in his stroller while running the 10K and finished a little over 4 minutes faster compared to the last 10K I ran back in May and averaged under a 12 minute mile yet again.  It's amazing what you can accomplish when you really set your mind to something!!

Have a great day, I know I will!!

Another week down and still keeping after it!

Well, I finished another week and I'm down a couple pounds and a couple inches, but definitely not where I want to be.  Between work, school, family and weather, I haven't gotten my workouts in like I want, but I am keeping up with the clean eating.  I have always heard, but never believed that diet was the biggest part of this, and I am truly understanding that now!!

At this point, 5 weeks in,  I'm down to 268 pounds, which is close to the lowest I've been in a very long time and it feels good.  My clothes fit so much better, I feel better except for being tired due to going non-stop.  On my runs I'm hitting consistent sub 12 minute miles which has always been a goal of mine.  I know I can improve this as I drop more weight and get more runs in.  I'm also trying to work out more, but I haven't found my rhythm yet.

One of the issues I have run in to over time is finding programming that works for me and matches my goals.  I have always loved CrossFit and Train to Hunt workouts, but I love to get my runs in as well.  With my upcoming ski season I began looking for some exercises to prep for the season when I came across the Mountain Athlete website.  In going through their stuff they've got a ton of programming, some with wide goals and some with very narrow goals.  And unlike a lot of programming I've looked at, they don't hit just one area, they've got a whole gamut of programming for not just athletes, but the working athletes........military, public safety, mountain guides, etc.  After a few emails back and forth I ended up going with a 6 week military plan which I will start here in the next day or two.  It's got everything I enjoy.........some heavy lifting, short and long distance running, weighted pack runs and some strength-endurance workouts.  I'm looking forward to getting some direction and combination in my workouts and continuing to improve myself through this!

Let me know what you think or if you have questions.  Yes I'm doing this to improve myself, but at the same time I want to help others reach their goals!!

Another week down and still keeping after it!

Well, I finished another week and I'm down a couple pounds and a couple inches, but definitely not where I want to be.  Between work, school, family and weather, I haven't gotten my workouts in like I want, but I am keeping up with the clean eating.  I have always heard, but never believed that diet was the biggest part of this, and I am truly understanding that now!!

At this point, 5 weeks in,  I'm down to 268 pounds, which is close to the lowest I've been in a very long time and it feels good.  My clothes fit so much better, I feel better except for being tired due to going non-stop.  On my runs I'm hitting consistent sub 12 minute miles which has always been a goal of mine.  I know I can improve this as I drop more weight and get more runs in.  I'm also trying to work out more, but I haven't found my rhythm yet.

One of the issues I have run in to over time is finding programming that works for me and matches my goals.  I have always loved CrossFit and Train to Hunt workouts, but I love to get my runs in as well.  With my upcoming ski season I began looking for some exercises to prep for the season when I came across the Mountain Athlete website.  In going through their stuff they've got a ton of programming, some with wide goals and some with very narrow goals.  And unlike a lot of programming I've looked at, they don't hit just one area, they've got a whole gamut of programming for not just athletes, but the working athletes........military, public safety, mountain guides, etc.  After a few emails back and forth I ended up going with a 6 week military plan which I will start here in the next day or two.  It's got everything I enjoy.........some heavy lifting, short and long distance running, weighted pack runs and some strength-endurance workouts.  I'm looking forward to getting some direction and combination in my workouts and continuing to improve myself through this!

Let me know what you think or if you have questions.  Yes I'm doing this to improve myself, but at the same time I want to help others reach their goals!!

Some surprises along the way

When I started this little adventure just over four weeks ago, there were certain things I knew would happen.  I knew I would lose weight and I knew I would feel better are the two big ones.  But the big surprise is how much better I feel and how much weight i have lost.  But even more surprising is how much my family has come along on this journey with me.  Not only have I cut out soda and junk food, so has my wife.  No, she isn't doing the full on 28 Day Challenge, but she is using the same snacks I am and she is exercising more and cutting back on her coffee and soda.  But even more so, my oldest son is getting in on it as well.  Both boys ask to go on walks, my oldest even ran his first 5K with me yesterday as I pushed my youngest in the stroller.  It's unbelievable how proud I am of my son, not only did he run his first 5K, he ran it faster then I ran my first, and unfortunately for him he's built like me.  It also feels good knowing last Friday I broke down and had my first soda, which I hated myself for doing but it tasted so good, but when I stepped on the scale this morning I was down almost 3 pounds from Thursday.

I think the biggest thing I have learned is how infectious this can be for a family.  And also how much it requires the whole family to work together to get this done.  Yes, my wife does about 80 percent of the cooking and meal prep, but I do the shopping and some of the cooking.  I know I wouldn't be where I am right now without the support of my family.  I also know having the coaches from the gym, where I haven't been in way to long, like my posts on both social media and on MyFitnessPal means a lot.  When you can impress them you know you are doing something right.

The biggest thing to impress on all of you is if you really want this and are really willing to work at it, there is nothing holding you back.  Find something that works for you and your family, get yourself a good support system and get after it!!

The first 4 weeks is done!!

Well, as of this morning I have completed my first Wilderness Athlete 28 Day Challenge and while the pictures don't do it justice, I'm pretty happy with the results.  Over the last 4 weeks I have lost 10.5 pounds, 5.5 inches and roughly 4 percent body fat.  The below pictures don't really do it justice, but I lost 1 inch off of my chest, 2 inches from my waist, 1/2 an inch from my hips and an inch from each leg.  My upper arms stayed the same, but they are definitely leaner.  One issue I have noticed with me is I don't burn belly fat first, it comes off my neck and inner thighs first, so I think for next four weeks I will measure my neck as well.

Overall, I am happy with these numbers, but I am more happy with the how I feel and how I am performing.  My run times have come down drastically!!  Even with work, school, running, lifting and family I don't feel as tired as I did prior to starting this, which is a huge win.

The picture on the right is the before and the left is after.  I can't wait to see what will happen over the next 4 weeks!

The first 4 weeks is done!!

Well, as of this morning I have completed my first Wilderness Athlete 28 Day Challenge and while the pictures don't do it justice, I'm pretty happy with the results.  Over the last 4 weeks I have lost 10.5 pounds, 5.5 inches and roughly 4 percent body fat.  The below pictures don't really do it justice, but I lost 1 inch off of my chest, 2 inches from my waist, 1/2 an inch from my hips and an inch from each leg.  My upper arms stayed the same, but they are definitely leaner.  One issue I have noticed with me is I don't burn belly fat first, it comes off my neck and inner thighs first, so I think for next four weeks I will measure my neck as well.

Overall, I am happy with these numbers, but I am more happy with the how I feel and how I am performing.  My run times have come down drastically!!  Even with work, school, running, lifting and family I don't feel as tired as I did prior to starting this, which is a huge win.

The picture on the right is the before and the left is after.  I can't wait to see what will happen over the next 4 weeks!

Why I am doing the 28 Day Challenge

The other day I had someone ask me "why use the Wilderness Athlete 28 Day Challenge instead of something more sustainable?"  My answer, this works for me.  I have tried various meal plans, I have done the weekly food prep, I tried a ton of different things, but nothing has worked for me over the long haul like this program.  For those that don't know, my meal plan consists of a Wilderness Athlete Meal Replacement Shake twice a day, breakfast and lunch, two healthy snacks and a sensible dinner.  Following this plan, plus my workouts, I have dropped 8 pounds, 2-3% body fat and 5 inches over the last 3 weeks....... I'd say that is working for me.  On top of this, my runs have improved and I'm definitely gaining back some strength.

To explain a little more on why this plan, versus the typical meal prep, works for me, it comes down to personal preference and time.  Most days I don't have time to cook breakfast, but I can drink a shake on my way in to work.  Unlike most people, I don't have a set lunch time, or any actual "lunch time", but I can always find time to drink a shake.  Another issue is I hate reheating food, and without regular access to a microwave, reheating my lunches doesn't work for me and it's tough to eat a salad as you're driving.  I also hate eating the same things over and over again..........all of you that eat chicken, rice and a vegetable every day, several times a day, more power to you!!  I'm not really sure why I can drink two shakes a day, 7 days a week, and not eat chicken and rice everyday, but I can't.

Don't get me wrong, we do prep and plan, all of the nuts and jerky I eat as snacks are pre-measured and are grab and go.  Obviously the shake mix is measured out a head of time, so it's grab and go as well.  The morning prep usually consists of cutting up some fruit, berries or vegetables, throwing some deli meat into a bag or spooning some nut butter or cottage cheese into a container.  As far as dinner goes, with the exception of Logan, we all eat the same thing, so this is helping all of us eat a little healthier.

Overall, I think it all boils down to what works for the individual person and what doesn't.  The owner of the gym we go to happens to be a nutritionist.  When she has talked about helping my wife with her nutrition, the first step is to track what you eat and what works and then make changes to really dial in what works instead of making drastic changes that may or may not work.  That's what I've done, I've taken what works for me and really dialed it in and I'm seeing the results I want.

It's been a tough week!

This last week has made it tough to stick with my plan.  This is week three and I've had some issues when it comes to both my workouts and my eating, but I'm not giving up.  Between work, school and making a trip to Oakland for Logan's 3 month post treatment doctor's appointments I've had some ups and downs.

Yes, I've run twice and lifted twice, but they were both double days, so now I've got to do two more double days to hit my goals.  The biggest issue has been my eating this week though.  Yes, it could have been much, much worse.  One food that I truly enjoy is tacos, and who doesn't love tacos?  I'm not talking the healthy fish tacos I've had a couple times, I'm talking crunchy fast food or taco shop tacos with ground beef and lots of cheese.  Del Taco original Del Taco tacos are my crack......... I love them and I've been craving them for weeks.  I've never eaten them regularly, but prior to this I would eat them once a week or so when I really got a craving and until Tuesday it had been a month.  With Tuesday being national taco day I couldn't hold out anymore, so tacos and beer it was.  Then Wednesday on the trip to Oakland I held out until lunch, but ended up having some pizza and a little bit of soda for lunch and we drove through In-and-Out for dinner on our way home.  Again, it could have been much worse.  At lunch I had 1/4 of a soda and dinner I had water to drink and Nancy, Hunter and I split an order of fries.  But the important part of this for me is I tracked each and every thing I had to eat in MyFitnessPal so I can see what I did and take responsibility for it.

Even with these lapses I am still seeing some results, both with my weight and my over all fitness.  Last Saturday I ran my fastest 5K since I started running and the training runs I have done have continued that trend.  I did a 3 mile trail run Thursday night at a 12:24 minute mile pace, which is quite a bit faster then any trail run I've run before.  As of this morning I'm weighing in at 272.2 pounds, down from 280.7 pounds when I started this, which is over my goal of 2 pounds a week.  While my weight and runs are going in the right direction, the one area I am still lacking is getting in to the gym.  Yes, I'm lifting and doing some Train To Hunt workouts and some of the Black Iron Gym  programming here at the house, but it isn't the same.  Hopefully over the next couple of weeks I can get all this dialed in and really start seeing some results.

Overall, the biggest thing I have taken from this, and want all of you to see, is even with small lapses you can get it done.  Just because you break down and eat 4 tacos and have a few beers isn't a reason to give up 3 weeks of hard work and dedication!!

Keep at it, I know I will!!

WOW!! I truly surprised myself!!

On one of my earlier blogs I talked about setting and reaching goals.  In that blog I talked about the fact I had been chasing a running goal of a sub 36 minute 5K.  In the past I had come close but had never reached it.  Yesterday morning I ran a 9K race as a fundraiser for the Sheriff's Office K9 unit.  When I started my goal was to finish and have a decent time compared to previous runs I have done.  Over the last few weeks I haven't really pushed my speed or distance in my runs, I just got it done.  I started out fast for me, but it wasn't until I finished my first mile, which was 9:57.  This was probably the fastest mile I have run in close to 20 years!!  At this point I knew I needed to slow down or I'd burn out.  As I closed in on 5K mark I knew again I'd be faster then any previous 5K, but here I was running a 9K.  When I crossed the finish line and I puled up the numbers it really hit me.  Not only did I beat my previous 5K time by over 4 minutes, I finished the 9K at 11:57 per mile pace, well faster then any race I have ever done.

The hard part for me now is setting a new goal.  I'm built for comfort, not speed!!  Can I run a sub 30 minute 5K?  Can I run at a 10 minute mile pace?  I'm not sure, but I sure as hell am going to try.  I will say for the first time I am seeing what a good, healthy diet will do for you.......... Your body truly is an engine and you need to fuel it properly!!

Here I am coming in to the finish of my 9K!

Just keep this in mind........ If I can do it, anyone can!

The Journal

This week I finally started the journal for my class, the big reason I started this.  Because of some issues with the class, this wasn't started until this week, but it's on now!!  Over the next few weeks I will be journalling how I'm feeling and what happens as far as the giving up soda and junk food and at the end I will be writing a paper, which will be a significant part of my grade.  For me, I plan on continuing this for some time after the assignment is over because of what I am accomplishing.

This journal, and the paper, is about abstinence from an addictive behavior for a substance abuse class I am taking this semester.  What better way to learn about helping someone kick a bad habit then by kicking a bad habit yourself.  A majority of the class is counseling or social work majors, but a few, like myself, are pursuing criminal justice degrees, so there is a wide range of people in the class.  While many are giving up smoking or alcohol, I decided to give up the one behavior that has truly hampered all of my fitness goals over the years......... the crappy food I put in to my body and the poor choices I make.

Instead of writing more of the same, I decided to share with all of you my journal for the week so far. While I put everything I eat into MyFitnessPal, which all of you can see, I also journaled the crap I ate this week and how I felt after word.  Take a look, and please, let me know what you think and ask any and all questions you may have, I am not doing this just for my self, but to help others and show that anyone can do this!!

9/26/16
For this assignment I have decided to give up soda and junk food, for not only the 10 weeks, but try to kick it completely.  I have tried numerous times over the years to really dial in my diet, and this is the perfect opportunity.  I actually started this 3 weeks ago, when we were supposed to start the project and have been keeping up with it since.  I feel cutting out the junk food is going to be harder than the soda, but we will see what happens.
  9/27/16
I got up and started the day feeling great and ready to continue fighting the urges to eat crap and drink soda.  Everything was going great until our new employee at work decided to bring in 3 dozen donuts and threw them out on a desk I walk past multiple times a day!!  Yes, I broke down, but instead of eating one of the ones I love, I hit the small, blueberry cake donut and damn did it taste good!  I did the right thing and tracked it in my meal tracker so I could see what it did to my numbers for the day.  I guess I will be running a little extra tonight.
 9/28/16
Today was a very long day.  Work and then school and then ski patrol training made me start craving a soda to get through the day.  I wanted one early, knowing how long the day was going to be, but not having any in the house definitely helped, same with the fact I was rushing around all day long I didn’t have time to stop and get one.
 9/29/16
Today was a great day right up until we finished our walk/run at the marina.  The run itself was great, Hunter ran with me for a good part of it and I am proud of the fact that because Nancy and I are eating healthier and exercising more, he is too.  The down side is I decided to take everyone to the new ice cream sandwich place.  Damn it was good, but I feel terrible now.  It’s tracked and I can see the numbers.
 9/30/16
It’s Friday!!  Not only did I make it through the day without a soda and without eating crap, I was able to go grocery shopping, buy only what was needed (no soda or crap for us or the kids) and spend $50 to feed the family for a week.  It’s amazing how much cheaper our trips to the store are when there’s no soda or crap in the cart.  Yes, we are spending more overall because of the shakes I am drinking twice a day, but overall I’m thinking we still aren’t spending as much now as we were before.
 

Have a great day and wish me luck, time for a little 9K fundraising run!!