2 Days to go!

Hello, I first like to apologize for not blogging over the last month. I am a retail manager and Christmas time is very busy for me.  I have been doing my best to motivate William, but it was hard to motivate myself this last month. My daily exercise has been compromised because of the holiday rush.   In 2 days William and I will be running his first 5K. I am pumped for him, I know he my not be as ready as he would like but the fact that he is running is huge! William has been running and exercising, doing his best to motivate himself. I know it’s hard to do when all you want to do is be comfortable. We all know sitting on the couch is comfortable. Great job William! I know that any time you run on Saturday, we all will be proud of you.

If there is anyone out there that thinks it is too hard to change your lifestyle. Just remember that doing one thing differently in your daily life is all it takes to make a healthier lifestyle change!

Here to a new year and a new healthier lifestyle

11/30/10

Today I picked William up at his house at 5:30am to go to the local recreation center for some swimming. I called William when I arrived from the driveway and he told me that he would be right out. I was very impressed that he was up and ready to go! He jumped in the car and away we went.

On the way there we discussed his calorie counting from yesterday, and he told me that he only ate about 1900 calories. I have been thinking about this a lot; I think he should be eating more calories and making better choices.

So I did some research on the internet and this is what I found:

He should eat 2251 calories a day to lose a pound per week. However, he only needs 55% carbs, 15% protein, and 30% fats, therefore he needs to make smarter food choices in conjunction with his new active lifestyle in order to get better and faster results.  Unfortunately, I cannot be there for him to help in his decision making when it comes to his meal plans.  He will have to do some self motivating on this.  I can only give him the tools; he will need to put them to work for himself.

We get to the recreation center where we are going to swim. William puts on his swimming suit, it does not fit. It is too BIG!! I can not believe it. He has only lost a few pounds and his clothes don’t fit. Last week he told me that his jeans don’t fit right, that they were too big. I was thinking that it was in his head. I guess not. William had to swim in his gym shorts. While he was changing into them he had a big smile on his face. I wonder what was going thru his head.

 We get into the pool at 6am. William swims a lap and then the life guard stops us and asks us if we need a kick board. I reply “Do I need one?” I don’t know what they are used for I am not a swimmer. She then said “You use it to help to get a break by just kicking but you are still moving.” She then explains to William that it will help him develop his kicking. She can see that he is not a very strong swimmer. She gets us a board, we kick to the other side of the pool, and William tells me that it is difficult for him to kick. I get to the other end of the pool before he does and the life guard tells me that maybe the kick board is not for him. When William gets back to the end of the pool the life guard gives William some pointers on how to do the backstroke. Then before I knew it there was another life guard in the water demonstrating the breaststroke for William. The last 40 minutes of the work out William swam one length of the pool doing the breaststroke, and returned doing the backstroke. In the past William would struggle swimming freestyle and the workout would drag on. William would be frustrated with not being able to swim like he wanted to.  I am glad that the life guards were there to help both us today, because swimming is definitely not my strong point.  We get out of the pool and I tell William that he is not the only person wanting to “chop me in the throat”; I wanted to as well. I have never been swimming for an hour ever in my life (other than swimming at friends’ houses when I was a kid). Nothing ever like this! I was exhausted! William was exhausted as well. We changed out of our swimming suits and headed back to the house!

On the way to the car we talked about Kirsten (the life guard) I can not believe a perfect stranger was willing to help him succeed in today’s goal. I told William that surrounding himself with active people that are willing to help each other is very good for his new active lifestyle.

Today was eye opening for me, because I should have more knowledge of the event we are doing. I am very glad Kirsten was there to help. I think today was a huge success for both of us! 

11/28/10

I called William on my way home from work today to talk to him about going swimming early in the morning. He is okay with it. I asked him if he had stepped on the scale today. He said he had lost 2.3 more pounds. I asked him how he felt about it, because he said it like it was no big deal again. “Okay I guess, I have been here before and put it back on.” He said.  I told him he should be pumped! He is only working out a few days a week, and he has not changed his diet and he is losing weight.

William has done Weight Watchers in the past with no success. He has also worked out with me, but I did not push when he had an excuse. Not this time! I am getting up at 4:30 in the morning to make sure he sticks this out.

We also talked about logging his calories so he knows how much he is eating. I am hoping that keeping a log of what he has eaten that he might see where he can improve. He told me that he had Wendy’s for lunch today. I was a little disappointed because eating fast food you can rack up the calories quickly. But he told me that 2 weeks ago he ate fast food everyday for lunch, so one day a week is an improvement.  

Tomorrows work out is going to be an hour of swimming and maybe some biking at the gym. Hope he is ready in the morning an hour of swimming at his weight he will burn about 1500 calories. Now, only if he does not answer that Wendy’s craving tomorrow, it will be a big day!

11/27/10

I called William and invited him over to do some more running. He said that his knee was hurting him and he thinks he should take it easy, so he suggested doing some yoga. I think that taking a break from running is a good idea. We had a P90x yoga party, our wives joined us. This was challenging because the living room is very small, and we all had to follow along on a lap top. William did very well, at the end of the hour and twenty three minutes he was still going strong. I am proud of him, he did not quit when his knee was hurting. He came up with an alternative. Way to go William!

                                                   

William taking a break during Yoga X.

11/26/10

I do not feel good today why because I have eaten two Thanksgiving meals this week. While I was waiting for my wife to finish saying goodnight to my girls, I was looking up weight loss on the internet and came across this article. It has some good points about portion size and how many calories you should take in to lose weight. I e-mailed it to William and now I want to share it with you.
Hope you enjoy!

Lessons on Weight Loss

Most people who have lost weight (and kept it off) adopted these five habits. It'll be your loss if you adopt them, too. By Liz Applegate Ph.D. Image by Zohar Lazar From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World

When it comes to dieting, everyone wants to be a loser. But only 10 percent of people who manage to drop pounds also manage never to see them again. The good news is that as a runner, you already have a head start in joining this enviable club.

For the past dozen years, researchers Rena Wing, Ph.D., and James Hill, Ph.D., have meticulously tracked about 6,000 people who have met the minimum requirements to participate in their National Weight Control Registry: They must have lost at least 30 pounds and maintained that for at least a year. (The average is 70 pounds off and for six years.)

The successful losers didn't turn to wacky eating plans, fad diets, or extreme measures like gastric-bypass surgery. Instead, what worked was common sense-they modified their diet and increased their physical activity to change their caloric balance. Whether you're consciously trying to drop five pounds or 70-or just looking to stay in top form-following these five key habits of NWCR participants will make you a big-time loser and a better runner.

Keep Up the Carbs

You won't find NWCR folks on a high-protein diet. Most successful losers get about 49 percent or more of the calories from carbs, about 29 percent from fat, and the remainder from protein. This makes sense for runners, as you need the carbs to fuel your workouts. The key is selecting the right carbs-foods rich in fiber, like grains, beans, fruits, and veggies. Fiber helps dieters by providing a sense of fullness. Even better, research shows that a diet that includes 34 or more grams of fiber daily actually drops the number of calories your body takes up from your food. Over a year's time, this could equal a 10-pound weight loss.

Action plan

Divide and conquer your dinnerware. Carbohydrate-rich foods should make up about three quarters of your plate, with protein sources making up the rest.
Go with the whole grains. Multigrain breads, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice all have higher fiber than the alternatives.
Read labels. Select foods that supply no more than 30 fat calories for every 100.

Take Good Notes

Most dieters typically stop bothering to write down what they eat after a few months of weight loss. But many NWCR participants, like runners logging miles and times, have kept a food diary for years, taking measurements and noting precise portions and calorie counts. This allows them to respond quickly to changes in their eating patterns, says Wing. The bonus for runners is that, combined with a training log, a food diary can help determine the crucial connection between eating and energy-like how a late-afternoon snack of fruit and a handful of trail mix might affect your performance on an after-work run.

Action plan

Write down what you eat, with serving sizes, for three days; tally up the calories (calorie-count.com is a good source). For weight loss, your intake should be about 12 to 14 daily calories to every pound of your body weight.
Review your three-day food log and decide which foods you could pare down, with the goal of saving 100 or more calories daily.
With a set of measuring cups, compare how much you serve yourself to the suggested serving size. The discrepancy can be shocking. A serving of pasta or rice, for example, should be 1/2 cup, about the size of a computer mouse. (Runners need six to seven servings daily.)

Become a Morning Person

In one study, 78 percent of NWCR participants reported eating breakfast every day-a habit that may help curb appetite later in the day. Research shows that breakfast eaters, especially those who start the day with cereals (a natural for fiber), have a lower body mass index than those who skip the morning meal. Plus, protein often appears in breakfast foods in its proper proportion for sating appetite. Eating in the a.m. is particularly important for runners who work out in the morning, since it helps restock drained glycogen stores, along with supplying a variety of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed for recovery and good health.

Action plan

Sit down for breakfast. Allow yourself time to eat a bowl of fiber-dense cereal with skim milk topped with fruit before heading off to work.
Or take it with you. Stock up on easy-to-transport healthy food like peanut butter on whole grain toast or banana, cereal, and yogurt packed the night before, should you end up in a rush out the door.
Always include a protein source-eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, lean meat-which helps curb your appetite later in the day.

Weigh In

Routinely stepping on the scale and checking body weight is another key way NWCR participants stay on the losing side. To keep that routine from becoming obsessive, don't weigh yourself more than once a week. (You might want to forgo the scale at home to resist temptation.) There are normal weight fluctuations throughout the day-especially for runners around workouts-of anywhere from a pound to 10 pounds, depending on how much fluid you've consumed. To keep an accurate gauge, weigh yourself on the same day of the week, at the same time, say, Saturday morning before your run when you're well hydrated.

Action plan

Once every two or three weeks, step on a scale at your gym or a medical center, perhaps with your running partner as witness; this creates a ritual that you're apt to treat with more respect than if you were at home.
Log this weight in your running journal and track how your workout performance and weight compare.
If you once fit into a pair of jeans that are now too snug, use them as motivation during your weight-loss phase-then as celebration of success.

Keep Moving

You know as a runner that burning calories tips the scales in your favor. So it comes as no surprise that NWCR participants are steadfast with their exercise. "The average person in the registry is burning about 2,800 calories a week in activity," says Wing. Last year, the USDA established 60 to 90 minutes as the recommended daily physical activity for those trying to maintain weight loss. Research shows that people who exercise daily on average weigh less than sedentary folks but eat more.

Action plan

Decide when your run and other workouts will fit into your week ahead, and stick with the plan, period.
Incorporate more routine physical activity by walking or riding a bike to do errands. USDA Dietary Guidelines say that increments of at least 10 minutes throughout the day contribute to the 60-minute total.
On your nonrunning days, get that hour of exercise in, ideally in a way that stimulates your mind or body differently than running: play in the park with your kids, try a yoga class, or take a brisk walk at lunchtime. Even cleaning out your garage counts, as long as you keep moving.

11/24/10

Today is the day before Thanksgiving and I invited William and his wife over for my family's dinner. Before we all sat down for dinner we are going to go for a run the girls are going to run together while we will work on William’s training. The plan is to run 5 miles total, 1 mile to the track, 3 miles around the track, and 1 mile back to the house. This is going to be the longest run he has done to date.
We head out running down the side of the road; I think William was kind of freaked out about it. We have to run down a big hill to get to the track. Running down hill is very hard on the body and William has a history of having bad knees, so I was a little concerned about the possibility of an injury, but he did a great job; he made it over half way down before he had to walk. On the way to the track I tell William he is going to run a 5K today and we are going to time it so we have a gauge for the run in January. I don’t think that William was exactly thrilled about this plan, but he went along with it anyways! Before we start the timed run we did some stretches. William’s first mile was fairly quick then he hit the wall.  
So while we walked it out we discussed William’s lack of motivation. I posed the question of what he thinks about while he is sitting around the house feeling unmotivated.  I feel like we are getting some answers as to why he has had so much difficulty in losing weight by himself.  He revealed to me that he is afraid of doing anything because he does not want to disappoint anyone, including himself.  I asked him if sitting around was letting himself down? His answer was “No, I am not doing anything to let myself down.” I told him that sitting around was in fact letting his family and friends down. He was shorting his family because of the unhealthy life he was living. We also talked about his eating habits.  He admitted to me that he does need to step up and make dinner nightly so he and his wife do not have to get dinner at fast food places.  I hope that these little talks are getting to William and that he understands that I really just want to help him achieve his life goals.  I can only imagine how hard this task is and on top of it having someone else blog about everything we do must make it all the more difficult.  I am hoping that this blog will really help William to see that he can do this if he just puts his mind to it and gets moving!
After we got moving again we needed to do another lap, but William was wanting to head back to the house, as we got to the starting point also the place to leave the track I threw my water bottle behind me and said” Come on man! I dropped my water bottle.  We need to do another lap because I can’t walk back to get it I can only go this way.” He chuckled and started to cuss me, then started running. We got to the last turn and I told him he needed to sprint the last little bit. He ran like he was being chased, it was awesome! I picked up my water bottle and we walked to the road and started running home. We ran to the hill, walked up it, as we got closer to the driveway I told him he was going to sprint one more time for a strong finish; I don’t think he liked that idea either, but he did it! When he finished I asked the ever so important question to gauge how hard he had worked, “Do you feel like you could puke?”  He was so out of breath he could barely respond.  I knew he had done a good work out!  We stretched again and called it a day.
As we were walking into the house William put his hand on my shoulder and said ”Thanks man” I was glad to hear those words, because he did not have a very pleasant look on his face after the run. I was thinking he was not happy with me. 

Over all he did great, had it not been for that wall he hit he would have completed the plan. We also talked about doing other activities other than running to find that spark. He mentioned doing football drills, playing racquet ball, and biking. I think next week I will find us a new activity to do. All the while keeping our goal of completing his first 5K in our sights!

11/21/10

Today is William's birthday, and for his birthday I have signed him up for a 5K run. The run is on 1/1/11, I hope some more of his friends and family will join us. Hope to see you there..

11/18/10

Well, it has been four days since mine and William’s last training session. We were both sick on Sunday.  I don't know if it was something that we ate or what, but what a bummer.

Talked to William today and asked if he wanted to meet at my house for a run. That is about a half hour drive for someone that is not that motivated, so I was a little concerned he might try to get out of it, so I was very pleased when he actually said yes! And when he even showed up a half hour early I was even more impressed! Way to go man!!

When we started running I could see that he was very motivated today, more than normal. We ran about a 2.6 mile out and back. He took off kind of fast for his pace, I was thinking he is going to burn himself out, but I will just push hard at the end to get a good run in. He told me that he and his wife did some yoga the day before. He also had said that his wife wanted to go for a walk this morning, but he had to work. He said, “It is hard for me to get up early, I am not a morning person." I thought to myself, is this another excuse, another voice saying "Just sit here and sleep you can go later."? This is where he needs my help, with the motivation. We get to the turn around spot and I ask him "Have you stepped on the scale lately?" He said, "Yes I have......" with a long drawn out pause “AND...?” I said.  He nonchalantly replied, "342" What?! He just told me he had lost 5 pounds and there was no excitement in his voice. I started jumping around. "THAT’S AWESOME!!!!!" Four days and 5 pounds, I am pumped! He is playing it cool like it is no big deal. Then it hits me, he has been here before. Just diet and lose a few pounds, stop and it comes right back. I am hoping that this will not happen this time. We finish up the run and I am feeling awesome about what he has just accomplished, his best run so far. Although, he was feeling quite the opposite, he ran longer distances this time without breaks than during any of his previous runs.  

After the run, William and I sat at the table, with my wife, and chatted about the blogging and the different ways in which we are each approaching the blog. He made a comment on how I write things in here that we talk about during the run and that my comments really affect him and make him really think about where he is at right now. It made me concerned that my comments might be hurting his feelings, though that is never my intent.  I hope he understands that all I really want to do is help motivate him to accomplish the goals he says he wishes to attain. We also talked about how good today’s run was, and that just because it may not have felt great, he did in fact do a great job and I am very proud of him.  

William's Blog

You can follow Williams blog @ http://strength2act.blogspot.com/

Day 2 (11/13/10)

Today I wanted to just get a short run in. I told William we would only do a mile just to losen up. After a bit of procrastion he was ready. He kinda just walked around the house looking for his stuff.  I was thinking "come on man, we could be back already!".  After a slow start he started moving faster, he even ran a long stretch without stopping, until some dogs started barking at us. We stopped, streatched, and turned around.  On the way back, I was going to ask him to run a very long streach without stopping, about 1/4 mile. He was almost to the end when he started to slow down and I told him, "Come on man, why would you stop when you are so close to the end.  That voice that is telling you to stop is the same voice that says, "Hey lets go get fast food for lunch!""  He started to pick up pace again and finished without stopping anymore!
After the run, he set the goal to run a 5K on New Years' Day for some more motavation. I said "That's a great idea! You can so do it! You ran a 5K yesterday!" He replied, "What how long is a 5K?" "3.2 miles," I said. "I am so going to kill that F-ing 5K!" William said with excitment in his voice.
Now only if he keeps to this goal; this is going to be easy...

Day 1 (11/12/10)

Friday morning I showed up at William's home @ 6:15 a.m. the game plan for today was just an easy run. I really just wanted to talk with William and get a true sense for what his state of mind is and if he is truly ready and commited to making this life change. We talked about a shorter life expectancy, all of the health concerns that go along with being obese, him and his wife planning a family and his concern for not being able to keep up with his future children. We talked about William being a role model for the young kids he coaches in football for the local recreation team.  I asked William "How can you be a role model to 9 & 10 year olds when you are in no shape for running laps?"   I feel that although William does seem to understand all the "baggage" that goes along with being obese and he does have the dream of losing weight that there is still something missing in him.  I was looking for the spark, the fire, the passion inside him to really ignite, but I don't think it is there just yet.  I have not given up.  I will keep looking and keep motivating him and maybe we will find it together. 
That being said.  The run was great! He was very motivated to get out and move. Though I had no set goal in mind distance wise, William did surprise me with a 3.40 mile walk/run in just over 54 minutes! Great for a first workout! The funny thing is that I am always asking William to run a 5K; he is just so intmadated by "5K" he always says no (little does he know he just completed his first!). We ended on a very good note with a "see you tomorrow for some more of the same!"

A new start

Ever wanted to help someone with one of their big life goals? I do! I have a friend who is over weight and sick about it, I know this because he always has a new plan to lose weight, a new work out tape on tv, a new ap on his phone. He is always saying next week I am going to start to go the gym. We have in the past gone on long bike rides together. He will also go running with me Who in there right mind wants to run  when your over weight unless you want to lose it? There is one thing he is missing, the push , the drive, that feeling in your gut that tells you, "GET THE FUCK OFF THE COUCH, FATTY, AND MOVE!"

I myself was there drinking beer every night, eating crap for dinner.I was that skinny guy who could eat anything I wanted. I would go visit friends and the look on their face said it all look at all the weight Mike has put on. My 30" waist grew to 38" in wat seemed a day, I WAS FAT! My poor wife was there with me. We both were about 50 pounds heavier than we are now. We lost all the weight running and bike riding. We changed our diet by just cutting out the shit. I helped my wife lose the weight, I pushed her to the point of huge arguements on many of our runs together. Why you ask? I love her.! She hated the way she looked. I did not, I married her when she was 50 pounds heavier. She needed to love the way she looked as much as I did. Now she will see her self in a picture and say "Is that really me? No way." Her happienss has inspired me to help others.

Enough about me!

10/30/2010: I approached William about helping lose the weight and blogging about it together. He went for it. ( He has no idea what I have in mind.)
 11/9/10: I sent him a text asking if he wanted is get his life back. His response "Yes I do." My reply "Okay buddy see you Friday!"
THE PLAN: I am going to go over to his house and wake him up EARLY and MAKE HIM MOVE! I am going to break him down and make him face the truth and severity of his being obese. Who will break first Mike or William?
 Stayed tuned...