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I would say that I have learned to fail more in the past year than any other period of my life.
It’s true. Though I don’t have time or space to tell you (and surely you don’t have the time either), this year has been one that has challenged me in nearly every facet of my life. So, where have I been? Certainly not here, and certainly not losing weight.
I have lost the battle…but the war goes on.
I would understand if people have written me off. I would understand if people have decided to stop following my progress (or lack, thereof). However, for the handful of you who have stuck it out with me: thank you. I hope you’ll follow me into a new phase of this journey of mine.
www.fitlanthropist.com
That is where you can find me now. I know the title is a little silly…basically just adding “fit” to “philanthropy.” But what a portmanteau, eh? So, surely you have a question or two about it.
Somewhere down the line, I lost my motivation. It happens. I’m not happy that it happened, considering my wife and son should be plenty for me to get motivated. But nevertheless, it happened. I have always been a proponent of charitable giving and service, so I thought to myself, “Why not go one more step and tack on some additional motivation?” So, beyond myself, my wife and my son, I am going to challenge myself to lose weight for charity. For every pound I lose, I will pay $1 (US) and solicit others to match my amount. That’s the crux of it, but you can read more about it here. It’s a work in progress, but I’ve got to start somewhere. And for those of you who are part of the Twitter craze, I’m here too: @fitlanthropist.
It’s time to transition. I’ve slipped, yes, but given up I have not. I look forward to catching up with you!
I’m not dead. Heaven forbid I should become one of those teeny-bopper rumors we all heard in high school (I think the big one that really impacted me was that Mark-Paul Gosselaar had died…if you know me at all, you probably know that I’m a huge Saved by the Bell fan. Go ahead and make fun of me, but there’s no way you’ll EVER beat me at SBTB trivia).
So, it’s been a while. A LONG while. And, frankly, I don’t have much to account for my absence other than the semester from hell. I’d tell you about it, but it would only throw me into a foaming-at-the-mouth rage witnessed by few, and only comparable in nature to the time Sarah Palin mocked community organizers at the Republic National Convention. Well, either that, or the time FOX cancelled Arrested Development.
I have, no doubt, lost readers, but I want to thank those of you who’ve kept up with me from time to time. Your support has not gone unnoticed!
However, I am back to regain my journey. I made a significant dent by losing 30 pounds. I haven’t stepped on a scale lately, but the fact that I don’t want to should tell you something. The time has come to re-engage my goals and get serious about them.
When I started this, I realized that I might fall a couple of times. In fact, of the stories I had read of really successful weightloss, many had to lose and regain several time before the true success took place. If this is one of those times, so be it. I’m ready to get back to it, and I’m ready to share my endeavors with you again.
I went for a run last week and it felt really great. I need to remember the fact that I can do it. That the despite the fact I weigh…what I do…I AM A RUNNER. I need to be grateful that I can use my legs to carry my corpulent body a few miles in under an hour…and I need to use that to get me back on track.
Who’s with me?
OK, so when I post my September stats tomorrow or the day after, you note that overall this month just sucked. There’s really no more eloquent term to use (although since readership is growing, I should probably try).
However, October is my re-commitment month. It’s a busy one, still, but I think it’s time to bite the bullet and do it. You’ll note from an earlier post that I still haven’t gained anything back, which is fine, but I need to keep losing if I want to reach my goal.
The rest of this semester is going to be a killer. Trips to Phoenix and Philadelphia (and one to Orlando just completed), plus deadlines for conferences, journal articles, and research advisors are on the horizon. But, I still have to reassess my goals and get in gear.
Tonight I went out for a run (3.15 mi.) and ran it in 43:38…my best to date. I was scared at first because I haven’t run for two weeks (I know, I know), but was encouraged to keep going when I found it was my best recorded time for that distance. But it’s getting cooler, and I’m used to my schedule now, so things should only get better (at least I hope).
I am alive and well, I’m happy to report. Please forgive me for the lack of posts. Truth of the matter is I’ve been ridiculously busy with school and family. I kind of knew that this would happen, but I assure you that I will get back in the swing of things shortly.
Fatherhood has been great. Don’t get me wrong…it’s been tiring, as well, but the benefits are all greater than the defecits. The larger downside is the fact that my workouts have more or less stopped…and this is not good. I’m happy to report that I have not gained any weight…but conversely, that means I haven’t lost any either. This will change.
I have an upcoming 5k in October, so it would really behove me to get out and working on my time. It is so much cooler now, I really should take advantage of it (though I’m fighting a nasty little sinus infection which could make it worse).
In any event, I am here and will be working my way back into the blogosphere and getting back on track with my goals.
The month of August was eventful to say the least. My little boy arrived on the 7th and that has changed my life all for the better. In terms of personal goals, I ran my first 5k and had a great time. I also finally moved beyond my plateau weight, and am down to 346 lbs. I still don’t really feel it or see it, but my wife say she does…so I’ll trust her on that one. I ran less and burned fewer calories in August than in July, yet I lost a little more weight. Guess I have no complaints there…6 pounds for the month is great to me.
So, for the month of August…
MILES RUN: 24.6
TIME SPENT RUNNING: 6:05:07
DAYS I RAN: 9 (what?!)
SHORTEST DIST.: 2.0mi (3.2k)
LONGEST DIST.: 3.11mi (5.0k)
CALORIES BURNED*: 15,244
WEIGHT LOST: 6.1lbs.
See you in September!
*=includes cross training workouts
This week’s story comes from Tara Parker-Pope’s Well blog in the Health section of The New York Times. It originally ran online August 18th…
Better to Be Fat and Fit Than Skinny and Unfit
I appreciated this article greatly, especially in light of last week’s AP story on Patrick Deuel that focused mainly on the perceptions of fat as unfit. This isn’t to say that I necessarily agree with it, but I appreciate the varying perspectives presented.
Ms. Parker-Pope poses a question all of us have surely asked ourselves, “… is a person’s weight really a reliable indicator of overall health?”
If we’ve asked ourselves that question enough, most of us have probably answered in the negative…weight is not necessarily the most reliable indicator of overall health…but I believe it’s an indicator nevertheless. I have a couple of friends who are larger than I am, and are in better health so to say. One friend in particular (let’s call him Freddy) weighs in at about 380, does not exercise regularly, and to my knowledge does not have high blood pressure or cholesterol problems. I, on the other hand, last weighed at 346, am on medication for high blood pressure, and received an e-mail from my doctor last week to “renew [my] mission to get in better shape.” He’s a great doctor, but I hope he realizes that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do. Perhaps he hasn’t noticed my weight loss as much as I would have hoped.
But that’s just it. I’ve dropped some pounds, and yet I’m clearly still at risk. My “comorbidities” have definitely manifested themselves in one form or another. The one thing that I think I can attribute to weight-loss and exercise is that my cholestorol has gone down considerably, and I no longer have to take medication for that.
Last week, my wife told me that weight-loss is not an exact science. I believe she’s right. No two people are the same. Parker-Pope’s story uses a lot of statistical information, and also points out that some of the data used in studies sparked the ire of many readers and bloggers. If I look at it statistically, I can’t help but think that the error term–the “unobservables” that somehow may or may not factor into our weight–is always too great to ever provide a definitive, uniform method of weight-loss.
Or, you could be like me, who after having tried every diet from here to the moon lives by the mantra “Eat better, move more.” Some people might phrase that “eat less, move more,” but we all know that less is not always best.
Later on in her post, Parker-Pope noted a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found that “fitness level, regardless of body mass index, was the strongest predictor of mortality risk.” Of the test used for fitness, she wrote:
During the test, the treadmill moved at a brisk walking pace as the grade increased each minute. In the study, it didn’t take much to qualify as fit. For men, it meant staying on the treadmill at least 8 minutes; for women, 5.5 minutes. The people who fell below those levels, whether fat or thin, were at highest risk.
The results were adjusted to control for age, smoking and underlying heart problems and still showed that fitness, not weight, was most important in predicting mortality risk.
OK, then…so, last week I discovered I can run 20 minutes straight now. Does that mean I’m fat and fit?
And, may I just point out that these “underlying heart problems” were never specified. In my opinion, there are probably myriad threats to the validity of this study.
It’s not the most inconceivable thing to be overweight (and for all purposes intended in the article, obese) and be somewhat fit. But the vast majority of people who struggle like I do…they definitely don’t make the case.
Your thoughts?
Geez, before I start, I almost feel like I should change shoes and put on a cardigan (ala Mr. Rogers)…
Perhaps one of the more redeeming things I have gained from this brief weight loss experience along with the desire to become a runner is the fact that I have found so many amazing and supportive people along the way. I know I’ve said things akin to this before, but it astounds me how I can make personal goals, open up to the world about it, and have a blogger friend or two cheer me on. I love it. There is much kinship and camaraderie to be shared, and I have been the benefactor of much of it…and to all those who’ve given me ‘virtual’ pats on the back, I sincerely thank you.
Some time ago, John wrote an open letter to his wife in which he revealed his fantastic weight loss blog. It was earnest, honest, and touching. I am a big fan of John’s and try to read his blog every day. I’ve never met John, but I look forward to reading all that he does. I have high hopes for his goals and am thrilled when he succeeds. The same goes for numerous others like Andrew, Annette, Matt, Courtney, Will, Elisa, Sharon…basically my entire blogroll. We’re all very different people…some of us have similar motives, while others differ, yet we have one thing in common: GOALS. We all have goals–more or less–to become better people.
I often think, then, why do we have a hard time applying the well-wishes we so freely give through cyberspace to real life, face-to-face interactions? Maybe I should back up…you all might already do that…you probably do…but I will be honest…sometimes things like envy, jealousy and even depression get in my way. And, unlike John, I haven’t exposed my goals to most of my family or friends. I haven’t tested the waters to see if I’ll get encouragement that I believe I so desperately need. The family and friends who do know about this blog have been extremely supportive…so why can’t I man up and tell everyone else?
Honestly? It’s because I love you all too much. My readers who give me what I need to keep going. The simple compliments, the amens, the mad props…whatever it is…keeps me going. Friendly strangers, blogging friends who have come through in the support area…I’ve tested the waters here, and it feels safe and secure (believe me when I say this isn’t an invitation for current readers to turn on me 
).
It addition to readers here, I’ve joined other online communities that I really love (some of which I’m going to profile in the near future). My online communities have been fantastic…but I need to springboard a little more into reality. I need to open up the desires of my heart to be a healthier me to my family and friends. The time has come to reveal some big plans to them. I may get doubt from some…but in November or December of 2009, or maybe January of 2010 when I cross the finish line of whatever marathon I run with my friend Aaron and I lose the remaining 5/6 of my weight goal…hopefully I will give the doubters a reason to believe in me again.
At my most recent weigh-in, I discovered that I have now lost just over 22 pounds. I now weigh just over 347 lbs. I will never (and don’t think I’m going to recant or think about slip ups here), never weigh 350 lbs. again. I have spent more time running in the past three months than I probably ever have at any one point in time.
As I watched the Women’s Olympic Marathon with my wife, we learned that one of the Chinese runners favored to medal supposedly ran over 700 miles a month. To me that’s amazing…nothing short of a miracle.
But then again, so is someone who used to weigh 370 lbs. who finally got off his ginormous butt to do something about it.
I might only run 30 miles a month right now, but I can honestly say that for the first time in my life, I have finally impressed…myself.
Energy has not been my friend lately. I don’t know what it is, but the past few days have seen a sharp decline in my overall energy. Once we returned from vacation, my internal clck got all screwed up and for the past week, I wasn’t able to run in the mornings, so I ran in the evenings instead. For a few days it seemed to prove worthwhile as it seemed that I had more energy, however, it’s not been constant.
Friday was a big milestone for me…or at least it was supposed to be. Friday was the day I was supposed to run 20 minutes straight without a walking break. From the very beginning, I knew it was going to be difficult because I was so blasted tired. Even my music didn’t help. I lasted a paltry 9.5 minutes before I broke down and took a walking break. My energy was totally gone.
Plus, in hindsight it probably didn’t help that I decided to try a paved running trail that ran in a loop nearby. I thought it would be fun to try, but I knew my entire course after just .65 mile. It got boring and hard all at the same time.
Sleep has been shaky, and I’ve realized fast how important it is to keep a good running regimen going. I came home from church this afternoon and literally slept all day.
Something is clearly up.
Tomorrow, I’m going to do my best to get up and get that 20 minutes in. It’s going to be hard, but I’m going to do it.
I’ve been bad on responding to comments lately and I apologize for that!! I WILL get to them…that’s one of the things I wanted to do most when I started this blog…respond to every one.
WEEK 8 starts tomorrow…and I’m supposed to weigh in. Hoping for something good!!
So, I was on vacation a large part of July and was scared that my weight loss might be less than stellar. Needless to say, I’m perfectly complacent with the 4.4 lbs. I lost. That’s about a pound a week, and right on par with the least I hoped to achieve. I’m really looking forward to the 349 milestone on the scale though…that will be the lowest I’ve been in a while, and will put my overall weight loss goal at a double-digit…sure, it’ll be 99 lbs., but still…a double-digit.
So, for the month of July…
MILES RUN: 29.7
TIME SPENT RUNNING: 7:38:02
DAYS I RAN: 13
SHORTEST DIST.: 1.5mi (2.4k)
LONGEST DIST.: 3.35mi (5.4k)
CALORIES BURNED*: 22,216
WEIGHT LOST: 4.4lbs.
On to the crazy month of August!
*=includes cross training workouts
Friends, it’s been a few days. It’s the end of my summer term and I’ve been scrambling to finish some assignments. But never fear…I am here…with a LOT of stuff to write, so bear with me. Let’s see if I can succeed at not making this entry too obnoxiously long…
- Goal Reassessment. Most of you have probably noticed that I was supposed to have completed the 100 push up challenge by now. I have not. I have decided that I need to reformat how I am going to accomplish this, rather than kill myself trying to do it. I am a big guy, but my upper body strength is not sufficient to heft my 352 pound body off the ground that many times yet (hence the entire reason I’m doing the challenge). So, I’m going to start on my knees and work my way up to 100, and then try the legit push ups. My new date is September 30.
- Couch-to-5k update. I am euphoric, people. I am on week 7 of running (week 5 of the program). Monday called for a 5/3/5/3/5 run/walk interval sequence, and I’m happy to say I ran every 5 minute interval. I kid you not, in the very same spot where I passed the snide firefighters, I saw a group of kids running with a couple of older guys…I assumed they were a youth track club, or something of the sort. As I passed them, the two older guys’ faces lit up as they waved when we passed each other. Then the kids started cheering! I couldn’t believe it…they just kept clapping and yelling for me to keep up the good work. Their coaches and parents should be proud…that was sportsmanship. I loved it. And to top it off, today’s run was an 8/5/8 run/walk…and I did it!
- Last, but definitely not least, MY COACH. I am blessed with a great “team” of supporters. My family, friends, and definitely you all who read and support me definitely inspire me to keep going. I have, however, a good friend of mine who is one amazing, inspiring athlete who has been with me on my journey, who, for all purposes intended, is my coach. Aaron Shamy is nothing short of amazing. He is an X-Games gold medalist in speed climbing (rock climbing), a former Cirque du Soleil performer, has completed at least one ultramarathon that I know of, and runs “regular” marathons on the side…just for fun. He is energetic, inspiring, and he’s helping me a great deal. Aaron is also working on furthering his education, and if there’s anything I can do to help him with that, it’s this: He has entered a scholarship contest that is based on votes through YouTube, so please, help me help a great buddy of mine and watch his quick four-minute video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTohVkO2dew or http://www.wgu.edu/landing/video_repeat.asp. You be able to catch a glimpse into his unique life, and help him and his family for the better by helping him with one of his biggest goals. I’ll definitely be writing more on Aaron later, but let the video be your first introduction to my amazing friend.
Well, that’s it for now…see you on the flipside!
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