Category Archives: Legit

Day 221: Sunday Update

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WARNING: this is going to be a hodgepodge of a post.

So today was pretty good with food. I did have a cinnamon roll and eggs for lunch but even that wasn’t too bad (wasn’t really filling though.)

A few months ago, Megan and I bought Bob Harper’s Skinny Rules book  which has a crapton of fantastic guidelines for weight loss. Bob Harper is a stud. Anyway, we are going to commit to the Skinny Rules for the month of January. It involves a lot of eating just real food. Something we have kind of deviated from recently. So with that will come some challenges, but ultimately a healthy kickstart to 2013! More on that later.

On Friday, we went with our friends Andrea and Phillip to Victorian Christmas in Thomasville and ate at the incredibly delicious Sweet Grass Dairy. If you come to Tallahassee, we’ll take you there!

Photo Dec 14, 7 54 27 PM Photo Dec 14, 10 06 56 PMPhoto Dec 14, 10 06 56 PM

Photo Dec 14, 8 08 47 PM-1

 

Finally, here is my favorite Will Ferrell skit. The week of awesome Christmas videos has begun! See ya tomorrow.

Day 818: Thursday Time!

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For the interest of time, let me break this food down:

Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter 4 points 

Snack: Fiber One bar (that was oddly juicy…) 2 points 

Lunch: Leftover delicious chili! 11 points

Snack: Fiber One bar 2 points

Dinner: Peanut Butter Sandwich 4 points 

SAWS: Played Ultimate Frisbee with some friends from work. (Shout out to my Admissions peeps!) Followed by going for a very very cold run in Southwood. There were also some awesome Christmas lights out there!

Snack: Popcorn 5 points 

So today, I totaled out to 28 points! Hooray for being back on track! Megan and I did a lot of planning about how we are going to be weight loss studs in 2013. Get stoked. See ya tomorrow.

 

 

Day 817: A Worded Wednesday!

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If you aren’t watching the 121212 concert, YOU ARE A FOOL! PRetty epic stuff.

So I haven’t been on here in a while…well a week…which is pretty long for this Fotographing Fat Kid. Frankly, I’ve been pretty bummed. Mostly just about weight loss. I’ve been looking in the mirror and for the first time in a while just not liking what I see. I just feel flabby. My clothes fit the same, but I feel and look softer than I did when I was training and hitting the gym. (SOOOOOO READY TO HIT THE GYM!!!!) If you have gone through that, you know how frustrating that can be. It felt I was still where I was a few years ago. It felt like I was back to square one.

That all changed today…

This morning, I had a sharp pain in my chest that dropped me to the ground which really shook me. Luckily, Megan was quick on her feet and got my two baby aspirin. I felt fine after, but I still went to the doctor to see what was up. (Don’t worry, I just had a sharp muscle spasm. Either way, that ish was scary.)

The doctor wanted to do an EKG to find out to see how my heart was doing. Then the nurse looked at my EKG reading and  asked me the question every guy loves to hear: “You exercise don’t you?” It was like a movie when the girl asks the meat head “Do you work out?” then they guy flexes his muscles until his bicep turns into objects like ships and stuff like Popeye. It was the most encouraging thing she could say at that moment since I was shirtless with my glorious man boobs and loose-skin exposed for all to see.

What I’m trying to say is that while my body might not be ripped, my insides know the truth. My body knows the miles I’ve ran, the hours of racquetball and the crapton of calories I have avoided. It was the reaffirmed that I am still on the right path even if I did gain this week. It was awesome.

So that’s all I have for tonight. Points and other fun things to come. See ya tomorrow.

Day 809: Weigh In Day

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Hello!

My allergies are killing me, the smell of burnt popcorn is still in my nostrils and my hip hurts. So let’s get this sucker going.

Basically, what I was talking about last night happened…well kind of. I had a no gain or loss week. I’m at the same place I was last week, which makes me want to go at it a lot harder this week. So that’s what’s happening.

Also, I ran five miles and it felt awesome until I got home. I think sitting in a hot shower for a while sounds good to me.

So that’s about it. In lieu of a long post, here’s a picture of me with Santa when I was a baby. Enjoy. See ya tomorrow.

me and santa

 

Day 808: Monday and Stuff

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Hello my reading minions!

(Okay… I guess you’re really not my reading minions. If you were, I would have commanded you to recreate the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters to fulfill my dream of assembling, then eating, the world’s biggest s’more of all time. I wonder how many calories that would be…anyway, where was I?)

Let me give you a recap of this past week: Christmas.

That’s right! Although it’s been in the mid to high 70’s and even the 80’s for the past few days, Megan and I have been deckin’ our halls like a couple of bosses! Like a lot of you, we are both Pinterest nuts but aren’t the craftiest people. (Even though I should be. My mom had her own craft business when I was little. I wonder if crafting is a recessive gene…) Anyway, we have been making different Christmas knick knacks and such for ourselves and others. It’s been nice to do something with my hands. It’s weird to have actual free time. I have spent the past 25 years studying, working, and up until a few years ago, eating and abnormal amount of calories. It’s nice to leave work at work and have a little time to twiddle my thumbs. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m trying to find a hobby, something physical or tangible. I love to write and I love to blog, but I do both for my job so I’m not sure this is really a hobby anymore. This blog has turned in to more of a lifestyle which is completely awesome!

So that’s where I’m at. I’m trying to find a hobby that I can do when I create a product. Something different. Something challenging. Any suggestions?

Anywho, along with all of this knick-knack-pattywhacking, I have been trying to lose weight. I don’t always make the best decisions, but I’m doing my best without going nuts. But the fact of the matter is I need to go nuts with weight loss. I’m in this weird place where if I would just push a little harder I would make some crazy strides. I have been in this 227-235 zone for almost a year, breaking through to the next level but then reverting back. The thing is, I know that I will look and feel so different in 30 pounds. The difference between 235 and 265 is insane so I can only imagine what I might look like and feel like. And I don’t mean that in a vapid way, more in the way of I want to be healthier way. Looking better is just an added bonus.

Not that this is an excuse, but it really has been hard not having a gym. It was just one of those things where getting a pass to the gym at FSU is more complicated than it should be. (Well, if you want the married discount. Long story.) Luckily, that’s going to change next semester so I’ll be able to play racquetball, lift and do other fun gym stuff very soon. On the other hand, it’s been bearable because I do run three times a week which has taken a lot out of me. The long runs on Saturdays are about to get longer too. It’s more of the toll they take on my joints. 10 miles of the same repetitive movement becomes painful. But on the other hand, if I was 30 pounds lighter, would my body heal quicker? As you can tell I’m dealing with a lot of chicken/egg scenarios that I have thought about a lot but haven’t put down on paper…or blogosphere.

My issue is that I have played the weight loss game for a long time. It’s like on the Biggest Loser when the players start the play the game where they know what to do that week to win. Granted sometimes that just means drinking a gallon of water the throw a weigh in. That’s been me. My trend recently has been to weigh in on Tuesday, get stoked and eat a lot of what I want, then do the same thing Wednesday through Friday, and then really hit it hard on Saturday and Sunday like drink a lot of water to rehydrate and eat what I’m suppose to eat. Because I’m up four or five pounds. Before I know it, I’ve lost a little to have a “loss.” So I’m not really losing, I’m just maintaining. The thing is is that I have proved myself that I can maintain..at around this weight. I have kept more than 100 pounds off since I hit the 100 pound mark in August 2011. I think I might be scared to take it to the next level. To break that 200 pound mark eventually. Even 225 pounds on is such unchartered territory that is excerifying (terrifying and exciting) for me to even think about. Time to keep counting, running and blogging. The rest will follow. See ya tomorrow.

Day 803: My Awesome Interview With Another Biggest Loser

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Hello!!!!

So it has been a crazy week on the interwebs for me! First, my weight loss story  was featured by the awesome blogger Reinventing Danni, then I have helped raise $130 for prostate cancer through Movember (which there is still times to donate here!) and today, my interview with RetroFit Ministries came out. For those who don’t know, RetroFit Ministries was created by the awesome Biggest Loser duo Austin and Ken Andrews (they were on Season 11 along with some other awesome folks like Courtney Crozier and Hannah Curlee who I met this summer! I’m working my way up the Biggest Loser social ladder!) Anyway, a few weeks ago, I had written something about my journey on Austin’s wall and then after a few exchanges, he asked me about being interviewed for his website! It was such an honor! Here’s the interview. After you’re done check out the other amazing stories! If it doesn’t make you want to do push ups and go on a kale cleanse I don’t know what will. Check it out. Thanks again for the awesome opportunity Austin. See ya tomorrow.

 

THANKSTORIES: THANKFUL NATHAN

Nathan MacDonald Sheds some light on his story of becoming healthy. I have to be honest, I have had an enjoyable time hearing his story, and he has described it in a pretty amusing way! It has been a pleasure to hear Him describe his journey, and I think you’ll enjoy it as well!

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER AMAZING THANKSTORIES OF REAL PEOPLE CHANGING THEIR LIVES! 

AA: Nathan- When did it hit you that you were obese?

I wore XXL shirts in 5th grade

NM: Kindergarten? Lol I was always the fat kid growing up. I wore XXL shirts in 5th grade and I am actually a smaller jean size now than I was in middle school. My weight was always a constant struggle. Sometimes I would get on the right track and it felt like I was really going to make a change, but then something would happen like moving to a new school or something like that.

AA: How would a school change affect you moving forward?

NM: Well being the new kid always came with its own issues. Being an overweight kid made it even more fun lol.

AA: I love the sarcasm! Ha! You struggled all through school, but you never hit your point of not return- when did you hit that tipping point of change?

NM: The tipping point for me was right before I started graduate school at Florida State University in 2010. I had to buy size 54 khakis for orientation. That’s when I realized that it was time to make a significant change, or just accept the fact that I was going to die at an early age.

AA: Do you look at your childhood and think, “My weight makes sense,” because people or bullying?

NM: I was always bullied in elementary, and although I was bullied some in middle school, I was able to deflect a lot of it by playing the “funny fat kid” card that most overweight kids know all too well. I did have two dear friends who died when I was in college and that really took its toll on me. I turned to eating a lot during that time.

AA: You took to eating when your friends passed away?

NM: It was what I was use to. Food had always been there for me so my initial reaction was to eat my feelings. It was much easier to eat over talking out my feelings to my wife and to my friends. It was a truly hard time.

AA: What do you look to for that same feeling if you hit a hard time now?

NM: Well now it’s a lot easier to work out my frustration whether it’s running or an aggressive game of racquetball. I burn calories instead of eating them lol.

AA What happened to give you hope that you could change?

NM: I have been blessed with such an amazing wife, Megan, who has always been there ready to cheer me on when I decided it was time to change my life. It’s also been awesome to have friends from across the world sending me Facebook posts encouraging me. It has really held me accountable and has given me the strength to keep on keepin’ on.

AA: When you discovered that change was possible, how did you decide on what path to become healthy?

NM: Well I had tried Weight Watchers a few times, only to quit a few weeks later. It wasn’t until I really bought in to the system (like counting, calculating, researching restaurants, etc.) that I became successful. I also always liked racquetball and running, so that became a huge part of my cardio which melts the pounds lol. I still do a lot of both now, but I have taken it to a whole new level. I was just happy to finish a 5k, now I want to place in my age bracket and I am training for a half marathon. Losing 130 pounds changes your prospective so much!

AA: Speaking of perspective, I have called this blog series ThankStories, because we are in November and thankfulness is big this time of year- What are you thankful looking on your journey and future?

NM: This year, I’m running in my first 15k. I’m thankful that I have been blessed with a body that can take all of the abuse I have given it from one extreme of being obese to the other by testing its limits every week through working out lol. I’m incredibly thankful for my community of friends and readers who have been with me through thick and thin. It’s been so encouraging to have friends even from elementary comment on the blog telling me that they’re cheering me on. It’s been an amazing journey so far!

AA: Given that you have lost 130 lbs, are you Finished? Is this the end of your journey?

NM: Not even close. I am still a good 50-70 pounds away from where I want to be and I still have struggles with food. Although I still have a ways to go on this journey, I’m loving every minute of it. The hardest days on my weight loss journey are still infinitely better than the days of being 357 pounds. This journey has been such a blessing and it’s not ending any time soon.

Day 801: Weigh In Day

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I’M BACK!!!!!!

Sorry it’s been a while. Thanksgiving is a crazy time. A lot of planning, a lot of turkey, and a lot of fun!

A quick thing about the 15k…IT WAS AWESOME! It was 9.3 miles of crazy awesomeness! The course had a lot of ups and downs (literally) but I felt really good about my time. I maintained a 8:30-9:45 minute mile the whole time. I was going to buy the photos from the racing photography company, but they are flippin’ expensive! I’ll still post the race results on my race results page soon!

So I was working to not gaining this week so I exercised, tried to watch what I ate and drank plenty of water. I ended up losing .2 pounds lol (total 126.4 pounds) which isn’t much, but I really lost 6 pounds in a weird way. You see, at one point I had gained 6 pounds but I lost it all by this morning. Hooray for weight fluctuation!  Anyway, last year I gained something like 8 pounds and didn’t really get it off until the summer so losing is a pretty big deal. The best part is is that I still ate what I wanted, just not as much of it. And there in lies the key for weight loss.

Today I was pretty good with food and tomorrow will be even better. I feel awesome about where I am and I’m ready to lose some serious weight before the end of the year.

Before we end tonight, I just wanted to make another push for Movember.

As you know, the end of Movember is near! Friday is that last day to donate to Movember. So far, you have helped raise $40 which is totally awesome! My goal is to have raised a total of $100 by this Friday! No matter how small or large, any donation is appreciated. I don’t see a dime, it goes directly to prostate cancer research. Even if it just means giving up a meal out this week and donating, that’s $5 closer we are to ending this disease. You can donate here. If you keep donating, I’ll keep growing this itchy, yet legit, stache! Thanks! P.S. Please share with your friends, your family and your co-workers! Spread the stache love! See ya tomorrow.

Day 794: Weigh In Day and Stuff about Thanksgiving

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Greetings Yo!

So the past couple of weeks have been up and down with two massive trips back to back, but things are finally getting back to where they need to be for this Fotographing Fat Kid. This week, I flippin’ lost 4.4 pounds!!! Which is insane! I know a lot of it was that I have been drinking my water and keeping my calories in check, but I also ran around 15 miles this week which isn’t a ton but more than the previous weeks! It was pretty crazy though, I bought a button up shirt last Tuesday at Old Navy and when I tried it on, it was tight in some areas. Yesterday, it was already loose. It’s crazy how much difference even just 4 pounds makes for your body!

As we all know, Thursday is Thanksgiving. A time to be thankful for what we have by eating a lot and then to go by massive TV’s at rock bottom prices…or something like that. Two years ago, I made it a goal to not gain weight on this week of gluttontastic awesomeness and I succeeded! I even lost a pound or two. But last year, it completely threw off my weight loss for a month or so. This year, I’m going back to mindful about my eating and remember that this won’t be the last time I’ll ever eat turkey dinner again (since we bought a 15 pound turkey and there are only three of us…who are all in a weight loss competition with one another.) Mind you I’m not saying this in a preachy “you shouldn’t eat a lot on Thanksgiving!” kind of way. This is just how I am approaching Thanksgiving this year.

With all of that stuff out of the way, let’s talk Turkey Trot! While I’m still stoked for the 15k, my knees are still a little sore. I’ve tried to stretch out everything, but there’s still a little stiffness. My arthritis medicine does help (oh yeah…I have arthritis. Another important reason to lose weight, because even if you are obese and have good cholesterol like I did, you are still wrecking your joints.) but it’s still there after a while. Basically, I’m going to just run as much as I can of that brutal 9.3 miles and then walk when I need to. My issue is sometimes during races I get super competitive and try to pass people even if that means completely breaking my pace. Then I end up slower and falling back behind. It’s kind of embarrassing and annoying. On Thursday, I’m just going to set my 15k record with the intention of breaking it next time. The race is projected to have more than 5,000 runners in a relatively small neighborhood so there are always bad bottlenecks (insert rant about people running with strollers even though the rules expressly forbid them here) so with that and the difficulty of the route (even though we run there every Tuesday and Thursday) it’s going to be an awesome run, not so much a race. It will also be nice when the 10k and the 15k races split off. That’s going to make life a lot easier. It’s going to feel like a normal Thursday run…minus the brutal falling.

Okay, time to take a 23 and a half hour break. Wordless Wednesday. Get stoked. See ya tomorrow.