Weigh in Wednesday – Week 2

Success! Total weight this morning? 296 lbs. That is 5 lbs lost in a week!

(I apologize for the bad pictures. I left my phone, i.e camera, at work last night. I could only take them in the mens room here at the office! Will try to replace!)

It has been a couple years since I have been down in the Two hundreds. I know I have a lot to go, but it is still progress!

Counting calories and exercising regularly has done wonders. I have been a Nutritional Label freak this past week, and it has paid off. But the most eye opening thing was the total calories I would consume without even thinking about it! Snacking here, bad meal there, bad meal here. It is truly amazing I am still alive just by looking at the junk I have been putting into my body. Here are some common foods consumed with a surprisingly high caloric value:

• 2 Table Spoons of Peanut Butter – 200 Calories
• 1 Large Bagel (123g) – 354 Calories
• 1 Mini Bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (49.6) – 250 Calories
• 8 0z Mountain Dew – 110 Calories (imagine how many calories are in a 20oz bottle)

Now this doesn’t mean swear off these foods! Well, the Mountain Dew can go. I would rather eat my calories than drink them. But the thing is, this past weekend.. Pizza. Yep, I ate pizza. But I had the nutritional information from the restaurant (Jet’s Pizza … a very awesome pizza place if you are in the Knoxville area) and one square of deep dish pepperoni pizza was 300 calories. Is that high? Yes. But moderation is key! I took ownership of that, and had 2 pieces on Sat and 2 pieces on Sunday. I built that into my daily caloric limit. My point is, I am not on a diet. I am simply changing the way I eat. I still eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat it. I simply choose healthier options and if I do eat unhealthy foods, I account for it in my diet and enjoy it in moderation!

The point is, you need to be AWARE of what you eat and account for it. Make a conscience decision about the things you put into your body. At the end of the day, you are ultimately responsible for you. No one made you eat that entire bag of chocolate sweet sixteen donuts (which btw, is a whopping total of 1226 calories at 230 calories per 3 donuts). Which yes, I have sadly done before. Sadly.

Staying Motivated

As with all new projects, most people feel highly motivated at the beginning. I am feeling this now as well. However, I am not naive. There will be times when it gets hard or I am tempted. I will try to convince myself that I can’t do it. But there are certain things I look to so I can try to stay motivated. Here are a few motivating things I turn to:

• Future Sailor Weightloss This is the story of a guy who was overweight and wished to enlist in the Navy as well. He was 256 when he started. I believe now according to his twitter account (@Geoffbreedwell), he is currently serving and is stationed in CT. Very inspiration to know there are others like me.
• Fat to Fit This is an amazing thread on a forum I like to visit. It is right now, a 239 page long thread of amazing men and women who have lost 10,20,50,75,100, and even 300+ lbs of weight. They have posted progress pics, etc. It is extremely motivating!
• The Navy Cafe This site has some great members that post actively on the forums. Members include Active Duty and retired sailors alike. Very beneficial and motivating to hear of other’s stories.
• 344pounds.com This blog is of a guy who has lost a tremendous amount of weight and has changed his life considerably. Very awesome and inspiring!
• ExNavyNuke This is another blog that is a compilation of ex Navy Nuke’s experiences. Always motivating to read through these and strive for excellence.

Of course the biggest motivation comes from within. I am not only doing this to serve my country, but to serve myself. I am getting healthier to enjoy a long and rewarding life. And that by itself, is the most motivating factor in my pursuit of this goal.