My Weightloss Story.

This is a picture of me at Christmas.

I have had a lot of people asking me about my current “weight loss” program.  I thought instead of replying to all of them or just posting on Facebook, I would just do a blog about it.  First, I need to give a disclaimer.  This article IS NOT meant to be a blueprint for anyone else to lose weight.  This is my specific story and my program is specific to me.  As always, you should consult a doctor before doing any type of weight loss program or exercise.

One thing that I want to make clear is that this is NOT a New Year’s resolution.  It just happened that I wanted to start a program on the first of a month, and that happened to be January first.  I wanted to make this clear because I am talking about changing my lifestyle and behavior, and not just making a quick promise to myself that most likely will wear off in a month or two.

So here is the skinny (pun intended) and the timeline.

Around Christmas time, I fell down the stairs and did some damage to my knee.  It was at this moment that I needed to change a few things.  I honestly have no idea if my body weight was a cause of the fall, but I honestly do not care.  It was a good trigger for me to change things.  When I was at the doctors, I weighed in at 252.3 pounds.  With my height of 6’3” (yes Donnie, that is the official measurement at the doctor’s office) that puts my BMI at: 31.5.  Remember those numbers of 252.3 pounds and BMI of 31.5.  That is officially obese.  Something just snapped in me and it was time to make a change.  I actually by coincidence watched the movie “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” that week as well.  So between the fall, the measurements, and the documentary; I knew it was time to change things.  I have three key motivations for the weight loss.  First and foremost is my family.  I want to be around for my wife and kids.  More importantly, I want to be able to do things with my family.  Second, I am a Sports Management major with a Fitness and Nutrition focus (to be honest, not by choice, but that is what is offered at California University of Pa).  Who would take me seriously if I looked like a blob?  Last is volleyball.  I want to play in the open division for one or five more years.  There is no way I can do that with the shape I am was in.  The last one is pure vanity and I am not ashamed to admit it.

So now that you all have the background, let’s look at the plan.

Point #1

January 2 and January 3 were the official start of my program.  I am not going off of any diet, exercise plan, or DVD set.  I am doing this all with my knowledge from school and outside research.  On the first two days I decided I needed to reboot my body.  This was a common theme in the above mentioned movie, and in fact is that name of their website (jointhereboot.com).  I decided that I was going to juice (organically) for 2 days.  I had nothing but organic fresh juices and water for two days.  This was not cheap (12 oz juice was $6 at The Healthy Grocers in Camp Hill), but it was a price I was willing to pay.  This was not really to cleanse me (like a lot of programs do), but I did it to get my mind off fast food, burgers, fries, etc..).  My thought was that my brain would lose the memories of all my bad foods long enough for me to change and work on it.  I was not looking to forget it all together, but enough to give me a jump start.  I probably drank 2 gallons of water each day as well.  I ALWAYS had water in my hand.  I cannot stress how key that is.  Any time I had a graving, I drank water.  It calmed my stomach down.  While I was starting this I began the process of decided how I was going to enact this grand scheme.  I am a tech-guy, so I knew technology would help me.  That brings us to point #2

Point #2

I started using an app called My Net Diary (www.mynetdiary.com).  They have an app for iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Android.  It is also web-based.  It lets you track all your food, water, exercise, measurements and all the key information on multiple devices.  The website lets you view charts and reports (all for free, but you can upgrade to the pro version for $45 a year.  It gives you more reports and the ability to add foods to the global database).  It is amazing how seeing what you are doing can affect your decision making.

Point #3

Goals.  You have to have some sort of goal.  For me, the ultimate goal is 200 pounds by June.  I ended up going on to websites to see about my caloric intake.   These numbers are estimates of the top of my head now, but you can go to numerous websites and get this information.  If I wanted to maintain 252 pounds, I had to get 3,200 calories per day.  Aggressive weight loss put me at 2,500 calories per day.  That made me set my goal to 2,300.  I did not want to be “unhealthy” in my weight loss, but I wanted to be very aggressive.  If I felt like 2,300 were too much of a cut, I would have went back to 2,500.  So now I have my goal, I have my ways of tracking, and I now have my food goals.

Point #4

Exercise.  Let us be honest with one and other here.  We all hate exercise.  When we like exercise it becomes sport, not exercise.  I decided for me to be committed, I had to have a plan that was interesting to me and yet a challenge.  When I was at HACC, I took a water fitness class.  I honestly thought it would just be like an old lady “aquacise” class.  I could not have been more wrong.  There is a movement to show that you can get the same results in water that you can in a gym.  Since I did feel better at the end of that semester (joint and pain wise), I thought this would be the way I would go.  I contacted my old instructor and researched a lot of site to come up with a plan.  I now do this work out 3 times a week and it is never boring for me.  I kid my wife every day that my hidden goal is that I want to wear one of those European swimsuits (like speedo but a short), when summer comes.  I would never actually do it, but I would like to be able think about it, without scaring little kids off the beach.  I have included this workout at the end summary of this blog.  The key is that I did not want to have the stress of the food cutting and a new hard core workout.  So it was all about easing in to things.

Point #5

I know I will hit a plateau at some point, or the loss will slow down.  I want to combat this with exercise.  So starting 60 days after the start (actually is like 55 days, but that is just how the class works out), I will be starting a new “land” based training exercise.  This time I have decided to try a 6 week TRX boot camp.  TRX (www.trxtraining.com) is basically training using your body weight and elevation as the resistance.  This could be a “fad” thing, but even fads with work put in them will produce results.  It is a lunch time boot camp of 30 minutes.  It is my mindset that I can do anything, no matter how hard or boring for 30 mins.  The class is limited to 8 people, so there is a great instructor to student ratio.

Where Am I Now?

So that is my basic plan.  So where am I now?  Well, here are the bullet points:

• Current Weight: 227.8 pounds (1/30/2012)
  • Loss of: 24.5 pounds
  • Current BMI: 28.5
    • Now “overweight” not “obese”
    • Vertical Increase: 1.5”
    • I have not had fast food (at all) since Jan. 1^st
    • I have dropped a waist size (at 35 now, almost 34).
    • I am sleeping more soundly through the night.

Work Out Plan

This plan is done Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.  It takes me about 2 hours to do everything, but 45 minutes of that are my “mental” times in the steam room and such.  You can realistically do the entire workout in one hour of you do not socialize or relax.  All of the “weight room” type exercises are done with the standard foam water weights (I use double foam).  I also have stopped using the waistband in the deep water.  This forces myself to tread water ore aggressively.  If you ware beginning out, I would suggest using it.

My Data

Here is my first month of data for my “habits”.

Calories: 1,672
Fat: 56g (33%)
Carbs: 178g (47%)
Protein: 73g (19%)
Trans Fat: 0g (0%)
Saturated Fat: 14g (9%)
Cholesterol: 173mg
Sodium: 3058mg
Net Carbs: 161g
Fiber: 18g (0%)
Sugars: 44g (12%)
Calcium: 51%

I am coming it a little lower than I would like on my calories (remember, my aggressive goal was 2,300).  However, I feel full and I am not tired of feeling the effects, so I am not really concerned about it.

Summary

So there you have it all.  Nothing super-secret.  Nothing new.  It is all about portion control, taking responsibility for what is going in my mouth, and exercise.  So if I you wanted to jump start a change (again, the above is NOT advice.  It is just my story), I would:

1.  Juice for two days to reboot
2. Use My Net Diary every day for every meal and snack
3. Exercise 3 times a week.
4. Stop any and all fast food consumption.

I can honestly say that I do not miss the taste of a Big Mac anymore.  I have actually been in a McDonalds while hungry and managed not to order anything.  It got a lot easier over time.

Photo from Jan. 28th, 2012.

In Memoriam – 2011

In memoriam – 2011.

12/27/11 CHEETAH THE CHIMP FROM 1930S TARZAN FLICKS

12/18/11 NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-IL

12/07/11 ACTOR HARRY MORGAN

12/02/11 ‘DELIVERANCE’ MOUNTAIN MAN ACTOR BILL MCKINNEY

11/29/11 COMEDIAN PATRICE O’NEAL

11/15/11 ‘WIZARD OF OZ’ MUNCHKIN KARL SLOVER

11/09/11 ‘FAMILY CIRCUS’ CREATOR BIL KEANE

11/08/11 RAPPER HEAVY D

11/07/11 BOXER SMOKIN’ JOE FRAZIER

11/05/11 JOURNALIST ANDY ROONEY

10/20/11 LIBIYAN DICTATOR MOAMMAR GADHAFI

10/08/11 RAIDERS OWNER AL DAVIS DEAD

10/06/11 CHARACTER ACTOR CHARLES NAPIER

10/05/11 APPLE CEO STEVE JOBS

10/02/11 TV PITCHMAN DONALD LAPRE

09/19/11 DOLORES HOPE, WIDOW OF BOB HOPE

08/23/11 KIMMEL SHOW’S UNCLE FRANK

08/10/11 GRAND OLE OPRY LEGEND BILLY GRAMMER

08/03/11 ‘POLICE ACADEMY’ STAR BUBBA SMITH

07/23/11 SINGER AMY WINEHOUSE

07/15/11 FORMER GERMAN MEDIA MOGUL LEO KIRCH

07/12/11 LEGENDARY TV PRODUCER SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ

07/08/11 BETTY FORD

06/24/11 ‘COLUMBO’ STAR PETER FALK

06/20/11 ‘JACKASS’ STAR RYAN DUNN

06/18/11 E STREET BAND SAXOPHONIST  CLARENCE CLEMONS

06/04/11 EX-SECRETARY OF STATE LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER

06/03/11 ‘GUNSMOKE’ STAR JAMES ARNESS

06/03/11 ASSISTED SUICIDE ADVOCATE DR. JACK KEVORKIAN

06/01/11 ACTRESS CLARICE TAYLOR

05/27/11 ACTOR JEFF CONAWAY

05/20/11 MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE

05/17/11 HALL OF FAMER HARMON KILLEBREW

05/04/11 ACTOR JACKIE COOPER

05/01/11 OSAMA BIN LADEN

04/26/11  MUSICIAN PHOEBE SNOW

04/19/11 MARATHONER GRETE WAITZ

04/09/11 CLASSICAL GUITARIST ROLANDO VALDES-BLAIN

04/09/11 DIRECTOR SIDNEY LUMET

03/26/11 FIRST WOMAN ON U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TICKET, GERALDINE FERRARO

03/23/11 ELIZABETH TAYLOR

03/19/11 BERLIN’S BELOVED POLAR BEAR KNUT

03/19/11 FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER

03/17/11 ‘ALFRED’ FROM ‘BATMAN’ MOVIES, MICHAEL GOUGH

03/16/11 RAPPER NATE DOGG

03/13/11 NILLA PIZZI, WINNER OF 1ST SAN REMO SONG FEST

03/08/11 CELEBRITY REHAB PATIENT, ALICE IN CHAINS BASSIST MIKE STARR

02/28/11 STAR OF ’40S AND ’50S FILMS , JANE RUSSELL

02/16/11 UNCLE LEO OF ‘SEINFELD’, LEN LESSER

01/28/11 COMEDIAN CHARLIE CALLAS

01/23/11 FITNESS GURU JACK LALANNE

01/18/11 POLITICIAN AND ACTIVIST ‘SARGENT’ SHRIVER DIES

01/15/11 ACTRESS SUSANNAH YORK

01/11/11 DAVID NELSON, LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF THE TV SITCOM FAMILY

01/04/11 SINGER GERRY RAFFERTY DIES

01/02/11 INSPIRATION FOR BAND OF BROTHERS, MAJOR RICHARD ‘DICK’ WINTERS.

Something New for Thirty.

So I just saw a clip on the TED (Technology, Education, and Design) website by Matt Cutts (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html).  It was how he decided to try something new for 30 days (he credits Morgan Spurlock, of Super-Size Me fame, for the idea).  I found his 5 minute speech rather moving, and decided to give it a try, but with a bit of a twist.  Make no mistake about this.  This is not a weight loss or quit smoking thing.  This is about just trying something new or different for a set time frame.  Right now, my plan is to try something new for 30 days, every other month.  My twist on the concept is that I am going to try something new in four areas (so basically it will be 4 something news).  I am going to use the basic “life” parts to categorize the “something news’”.  While some of these things may fit in to multiple categories, I will try my best to make them diverse.  The four areas are: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental.  I will start a group on Facebook, and you are all free to join.  I would like to see what everyone else is going to do.

So for my first 30 days (Sept. 1 – 30, 2011) I am going to:

Physical: Walk my neighborhood every day, no matter the weather conditions.

Emotional: I am going to write a poem or haiku each day.

Spiritual: I am going to read and understand a different prayer from a different religion each day.

Mental:  I am going to learn a Gaelic word every day.

247.3 (Yup…)

There is no real easy way to put it.  I am overweight.  By how much varies by who you ask and what system you use.  First, lets start with where I am at:

Age: 37
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 247
BMI: 30.1

Ok, so we have that all out in the open.  At my heaviest weight I was 256 pounds.  This was right after I herniated my L4 & L5 discs last August.  I have gotten it back down to pre-herniated back levels, but it is obvious that my weight is what is causing the issue.  So I really do need to do something.  Not just for me, but for my family and the kids I coach.  I mean, how can they take a coach seriously who is not fit and able to do all the drills and conditioning that is ask of them.

So where do I go from here?  Basically I just want to put this out here.  I DO NOT CARE about BMI or Body Fat percentage.  I am not trying to win a contest or anything, so I do not care what those levels are at.  First, let’s look at what some of the “scales” say.

First is the “People’s Choice” scale.  This is basically just an opinion poll of like 2,000 people who say what they think the ideal weight for a specific height is.  According to them, I should be: 216 pounds.

Next is the “Medical Opinion” scale.  This is basically what a bunch of doctors, who have nothing better to do think.  The ideal weight according to them is: 200 pounds.

Last is the “Devine” scale.  This is a pretty funny one.  Basically it was a scale created in 1974 for medication dosage, but has since been used for ideal weight things.  According to the Devine scale, I should be: 186 pounds.

So where does this leave me?  Pretty much where I started.  I want to be where I feel healthy and have energy.  So here it is…

My big “number”: 220 pounds this year and walking around at 200 pounds by this time next year.

Now, here is the catch.  I have tried it all.  It all boils down to the following; I have no motivation.  So instead of doing it all cold turkey and all gung-ho like normal, I am going to ease in to it.  Here are my phases:

Phase #1 (Now – Oct, 2011)
1.  No meals after 8 pm (maybe some snacks, but nothing large).
2.  Breakfast every day
3.  3 meals a day plus 3 snack periods
4.  No change in where I eat, just portion size
5.  2 “Cheat Days” (remember I said I am not doing this cold turkey??!?!)
6.  Volleyball and gym the same as it is now (whenever, no schedule)

Phase #2 (Oct – Feb, 2012)

1.  All that is in Phase 1 plus these changes
2. 1 Cheat day (Getting there)
3. Weight room 3 times a week
4.  Cardio program

Phase #3 (Feb – May, 2012)

1.  All that is in Phase 1 plus these changes
2. 0 Cheat days (hopefully)
3. Weight room 3 times a week
4.  Volleyball skill training 2 times a week
5.  Jump program

There you have it.  I am hoping that easing in to it will help me.  Who knows.  But I have nothing to lose, but a huge gut.

My Vanity…

I guess maybe I am getting older or maybe I am just tired of “the game”.  I recently had a bout with insomnia (those of you who know me, know that I had clinical insomnia years ago) and instead of the usual thought pondering about work, money, and health; my attentions were turned towards life in general.  For years I have had Mickulz.com (since 1994 to be exact).  I have always tried to keep it updated with my resumes, photos, video, all that fun stuff.  Then last night it occurred to me: “Why”?  Why was I going through all this trouble so that I would have a presence on the Internet?  Do I really care if people see pictures of my dogs or kids?  Don’t get me wrong.  I want to share all these things with my friends and family, but does it matter to me if some stranger from across the globe now knows who I am.  Oh, I used to.  Make no mistake about it.  I used to like that people would “Google” me and get pointed to my site.  Now, I just do not care.

Make no mistake about it.  This is not a privacy or safety issue for me.  It is just simply the fact that I have spent hours (more like days) constantly updating these things and trying to be on the cutting edge.  All I really needed (or need now) is a forum to discuss my thoughts and post some of my writings.  That is why you will notice my new scaled down site.  Mickulz.com is simply a repository for my rants, ramblings, and writings now.  If I need to show pictures to people, I will send them to my Shutterfly or Picasa site.  If you want my resume, I will mail it to you.  I just think that it is time for me to disconnect a bit and remove myself a little more from “The Matrix” and go off the grid a bit.  Don’t worry.  I will still be blogging about all the things I have in the past.  I mean, I do have Mickulz.com paid for up to 2018, so I might as well use it.