I’m so far behind…

I haven’t been doing much of anything lately. I try to walk to work as much a I can, but it being a steep hill, it’s treacherous to try and walk up/down during a snowstorm.

I’m not giving up though, just a little deterred. Once the weather warms up, I will be back to walking many miles a day, and with luck biking just as many!

Don’t give up on me yet!

I fell off, but I’m getting better.

Hello all.

This month has sure flown by, hasn’t it.

I’ve started walking again. It isn’t much yet, but it’s a start. I’m walking to and from work, one mile each way. Going to work is nearly all downhill, which of course means walking home is up.

My legs are definitely getting a nice workout. I’m still winded as I walk home, but I can feel it getting better.

I’ve been slipping down the slope of unhealthy eating lately. And my waistband and scale are showing it. Well, I WAS slipping. I have taken steps back on the right path, fighting the urge to munch on garbage (especially at work) and am fighting hard against the urges towards my trigger food–pizza.

Babysteps right now, but soon I will be back into gear.

Wish me luck!

New Year, new goal..

Hello all,

It is the new year, so I guess it is time to set new goals.

First, I’m happy to report that I made my 500 mile goal. In fact, I beat it by 102 miles.

Sadly, I haven’t been walking much at all lately, and I actually gained back some of the weight I lost. But, its a new year, and I’m starting again. So maye by this summer Ill be in better shape than I was last summer, we shall see.

So this year, the new walking goal will be 600 miles.

This doesn’t seem like much, considering I walked over 600 miles last year. But bear with me— the new house I just moved into is on a hill. A big hill. And seeing as how I spent the last few months out of the walking loop, it’s going to take a bit for me to get back into my 5 mile a day routine.

On top of the walking goal, I am setting a biking riding goal of 500 miles. Since I really don’t know how to gauge this, I’m setting this relatively low. This year will be a benchmark year for my cycling.

So the 2008 challenge is the 1100 multi-mile challenge.

Ill do my best to post here as often as I can.

500 mile goal reached!

That’s right,

If you look at my counter over there, you’ll see that I finally reached/surpassed my 500 mile walking goal. Truth be told, I should’ve reached it long ago. But in moving, I took nearly a month off of walking, as well as the past few weeks my walking schedule has been screwy at best.

But it’s there.

And to go along with it, since I’ve started walking on New Year’s Eve, I’ve dropped fifty pounds, and many pant sizes (I’m now wearing 42, as opposed to 48 when I started (and down from the 54 I was wearing at my heaviest)).

Since I met my goal, I’m taking the rest of the year off!

Okay, not really. I’m still fifty pounds heavier than I’d like to be. And besides, this isn’t a quick fix.. It’s a true lifestyle change.

I’m still here…

And I’m still walking!

I’ve hit a few roadbumps, so I haven’t been walking as much. But today I walked more than seven miles!

We’re moving to a place where we’ll be within walking distance to everything. And only a few miles to several state parks with hiking trails.

I’ve seemed to have plateaued as far as weight loss is concerned, but I’m okay with that because I feel a million times better than I have just five months ago!

I’m hoping to ramp up the walking this summer, and get back on track to making my goal of 500 miles this year.

P.S. I took the Joe’s Goals marker down, as I was only doing that for the weight loss challenge, and that went under back in March.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let is Snow..

So we got hit with the big snow storm yesterday, I spent my day shoveling the white stuff. We ended up with over twenty inches, plus having to dig out our cars every time the plow came by.

So how many miles does that convert to?

Suffice it to say I’m a tad sore this morning. But it’s a good sore, and hopefully I can get back out tonight and walk.

Cool, I won…

I won January’s portion of the FWJ/WP weight loss challenge. Very nice.

However, if I want to even come close to January’s output I’ll have to step it up a few notches. Last night was the first time I’ve been able to walk since Feb 1st, the weather has just been nasty lately, with wind chills well into the negative numbers.

Because of this, instead of one hour of exercise a day I’ve only been getting 1/2 hour.

But it’s supposed to be mild enough for the next few days to where I can get back into the swing in things.

Incidentally, I’ve been maintaining my weight at around what I was when I graduated the academy ten years ago. In fact, this is the lowest I’ve been since around June of 1997. I went shopping with my wife on Feb third, and for the first time in a long time I was able to buy jeans in a “normal” store as opposed to a “big and tall” shop.

And it felt good.

Ugh, Im stuck!

Well, not really.

But I haven’t walked since Thursday night, and proable won’t have a chance until Monday. Why?

Weather.

Last night was my birthday, so I spent the night with my wife. Can’t blame me for that, can you?

Tonight we’re going out to dinner, and it’s supposed to drop to the low teens, with a windchill into the negative numbers.

Tomorrow is more of the same.

I’m down to my lowest weight since Jan of 1997…. I’m hoping to increase my exercise a lot once the weather starts warming up. I REALLY want to be down to my high school weight (to start.. I’m not finishing there!)… To get there I have 67 lbs to lose…. to get to where I want to be, I have 118 lbs to drop.

I’m not expecting miracles… I’m hoping to be there by my 37 birthday.

I’ve tallied up my FWJ/WP weight loss challenge points (from Joe’s Goals) and I had 51 points this month. Not sure how that will measure up with the group, but I’m glad to have a little extra motivation to get it in gear!

If you’re interested, click on one of the links by my Joes’ Goals widget. It’s not too late to join!

How are you doing?

it’s been a while..

I haven’t posted an update in a while, and for that I apologize. I’ve been working on several projects that have consumed most of my free (HA) time.

I’ve still kept up with my walking. As you can see, I broke the 50 mile marker earlier this week. Was planning a big post for that milestone, and then this project took over.

I’ve also still been on the weight slide…. and my clothes tell the tale if the scale doesn’t (which it does). I am now nearly at the weight I was when I graduated from the Fire Academy in 1997. Need I say I’m pumped?

Yeah, I know eventually I’ll plateau, and when I do I’ll have to work harder, but for now I’m enjoying the slide.

How are you guys and gals doing?

Joe’s Goals…

As part of the Weight Loss Challenge, you may have noticed the “Joes Goals” widget on the right. It measures the amount of exercise and weight loss (exercise in 30 minute intervals, weight loss in one pound increments.) I’ve decided that the only way for me to keep track of weight loss is if I only weigh myself once a week– so since I last weighed myself on Wednesday, I have designated Wednesdays to be weigh in days. I don’t know how everyone else is doing it, but I plan to weigh every Wed, if my weight goes done I’ll add to the list, if it stayed the say I’ll do nothing, and if I gained weight I will subtract it from my previous weeks net loss. Seems to be the only way.

And if I get to the point where I’ve gained more than I lost, I’m doing something wrong.

Oh, and I added three more miles to my total– 33 miles out of 500.