Time for me to buckle up

It's time for me to buckle down again (or is it "buckle up"? I don't know).

The summer has been great but full of over indulgences.

Have you ever visually "gotten away with it" but if you are being honest with yourself you know what your reality is?

That is where I am at now. 

The clothes I got when I reached goal are still fitting but I know if I don't smarten up they won't much longer. More importantly I just am not feeling healthy.

It is time to push through that wall and start the weight loss process again so I get myself back in check. I am after all a Weight Watchers leader a couple of times a week so I need to...correction...I want to...walk the walk. I believe the program works....but one has to actually do the program for it to work.

The fall season is, in my opinion, the best time to lose weight. We really only have Thanksgiving and Halloween to get through before the December holidays and in reality, even if we give Thanksgiving two days, that is only three official days of challenges. I think almost all of us can deal with three  days of weight loss challenges. Sure we have the things like birthdays but those are year round things no one can change. The summer events that can pose real challenges are winding down.

Yesterday was an interesting day at Weight Watchers. My bosses boss, and my bosses bosses boss (the General Manager) came to watch me lead a meeting. I'm still waiting for feedback but they seemed happy. Time will tell :-)

I am really loving leading meetings. I have managed to get things balanced out so it doesn't interfere with my Real Estate work (I only do meetings at times of day when things are typically quieter from a Real Estate perspective and will only do them if I have a receptionist now (smaller "At Work" meetings don't get a receptionist) which for the most part means I can go in, lead the meeting, and leave, so the time commitment is really limited.

I also spend way less time preparing. I read the topic overview at the start of the week (takes five minutes) and then spend twenty minutes thinking about what I am going to say before my first meeting each week. The reality is the group should be running the meeting not me so over structuring can be an issue. If the meeting is really good we may only barely touch on the topic of the week.

But....if I am going to lead I have to do the program. I really believe  it works so it is time to get 100% back on plan.

Be healthy!

Alan

Ouch...Twisted Pelvis

Hi all.

Have you ever twisted your Pelvis? Well I now have.

I was doing dead lifts and although I felt in control I lost balance as I was lowering the weight and knocked my body out of whack.

It is quite painful but fortunately I was with my trainer and he and another trainer helped me immensely.

I have to be very clear here...although I was being supervised by my trainer it is not my trainer's fault. I have done dead lifts a hundred times and he always tells me to contract my abs...I didn't listen.

I was focussed on lifting the weight and didn't give the clenching of the abs the attention it deserves.

After the accident I was massaged and instructed to do things like pull-ups to relieve the pain and it did work..if only temporarily.

They then suggested I see a chiropractor and at that point I would have tried anything.

My trainer made a call and got me an emergency appointment and off I went.

When I was there the chiropractor asked me how the incident occurred and I told her about the dead lifts and she said "it wasn't your first set was it?"...to which I replied "no". She then told me she sees it too often. People do exercises right for the first set or two, and then get careless and don't do things they need to do like clench their  abs. That was when I realized I was in fact NOT clenching my abs.

So now...because I failed to listen to my trainer I am in a lot of pain.

This morning I barely managed to get out of bed and started walking to the bathroom when my body literally froze. It hurt too much to move forward and it hurt too much to move backward. I had to wake Jamie up and get him to help me back to bed.

Eventually I did get up again (the only real motivator was the desperate need to go to the bathroom) and slowly moved around until my body started to release the stiffness a bit.

The day has been ok but I am a little afraid to go to bed tonight...the body will stiffen again for sure.

So...my words of wisdom for today...listen to your trainer! The things he/she tells you to do while exercising are likely more important than they may seem to be.

Now I can't exercise for a while and that is a worse feeling than the actual pain :-(

Be healthy!

Alan

The Morning After - Paying attention to the feedback

Last night we went to a friend's 40th Birthday Party.

We had a great time and met wonderful new people  but I consumed too much wine (surprise) and ate too much wonderful Mexican Food.

Most of the food was actually quite healthy (the quinoa salad was delicious!) so other than a Samosa and a small slice of cake I wasn't really eating bad food...I was just eating too much good food.

Sadly...quantity matters.

This morning I am not feeling the best. I have a slight hang over but the real issue is I feel sluggish, bloated, and...well...fat.

I am doing my official weigh-in on Sunday mornings now.

Seeing as I actually possess the official "Weight Watchers Scale" (not the ones you can buy in stores...the ones in the meeting rooms that are about $1000 each and are insanely accurate) I can weigh myself once a week, at home, at the same time...and yes...naked.

Ooops...sorry...hope you will be able to get that image out of your head quickly.

I am up 2.2 pounds.

I figure by weighing in Sunday mornings I am keeping it real. My weight will definitely have readings that are not "true" readings because I will have just come off of a Friday/Saturday night but let's face it...life is not evenly balanced and I think by doing it this way I am less focussed on what the scale reads on a particular day (too many variables) and more interested in the trend over time.

I am finding this way I don't starve myself before getting on the scale or binge right after getting on the scale...the scale simply captures a second in life and shows trends over time.

I wish I had had the guts to think of it this way when I was a member attending Weight Watchers meetings rather than  a Leader running them. Sometimes I would get so focussed on making sure the scale said the right thing that I would manipulate my eating patterns to achieve the correct result.

The question is...for who? I may have obtained the results I wanted but I know the truth...and doing it for the receptionist who weighed me or the Weight Watchers Leader is just plain silly. Now that I am a Leader myself I  know more than ever that before a meeting the WW staff are so busy processing people and getting them into their seats that they have forgotten what you weighed two seconds after you weigh in.

So my advice to anyone watching their weight?

Weigh in once a week..record it... take two seconds to think about WHY you are seeing a gain or loss...and then forget about it.

Once a month...take a GOOD look at your weight TREND and make adjustments if necessary. We are not on a diet after all...we are learning a better and healthier lifestyle.

Now back to today...I feel gross. I had fun last night but I could have had an equal amount of fun without waking up feeling like I just ate an entire pig.

Am I going to beat myself up? No. Am I going to remember the feedback? Remember how I feel right now in the hopes that I will do better next time?

Absolutely!

Be Healthy!

Alan

I'm Still Alive

Hey All!

Wow it has been a long time!

The last blog entry was on my birthday June 3rd!

Lately a few people have been kind enough to tell me they miss my blog and that is really nice to hear. Others have just wondered where I went as I haven't been on Facebook much either.

Not sure why I haven't been...just taking the time to re-group a bit I guess.

So why did I stop blogging?

If I am being honest I think for a few reasons:

1) I started feeling I was running out of things to say. After you lose weight one of the hardest things about "maintaining" is that it isn't as fun. There is a lot less joy when one says "Yay...I stayed the same!" It is a bit the same with blogging...writing about "maintaining" is harder.

2) I started wondering if anyone was still reading the thing anyway...but judging by the number of people telling me they miss it...I guess people were.

3) If I am being totally truthful I was a bit worried it was affecting my Real Estate Business. Not from a personal time perspective (it only takes me about twenty minutes and is usually done before 7:00AM) but from the perspective of people thinking I have refocussed and am less interested in Real Estate...particularly since I have taken on a couple of sessions as a Weight Watcher's Leader each week.

Believe me, that last point couldn't be further from the truth.  I am a workaholic and even when I was blogging almost every single day my devotion to Real Estate got me the President's Award for outstanding achievement in 2011...my devotion is and always has been very strong. Still...perception matters so I have to be careful with this one.

I am thinking the solution may be to write more Real Estate Blogs as well...just to ensure people know that that is where my focus truly is...I just won't compromise my health in the process.

So where am I with health and weight loss? With weight loss I am totally cool. Ideally I would like to drop an additional 5 - 10 pounds but the clothes fit great and I don't really need to...I am comfortable where I am..and it is summertime...I want to be able to have fun!

So will I lose the 5 - 10 pounds? Yes...but in September. I am focussing on maintaining for now.

The health side is where I really need to refocus. I have been eating the right foods to stay slim, but WAY too much processed stuff and way too many dinners out.

So a couple of weeks ago we started to change that. I am back to having healthy dinners almost every day and it makes me feel a lot better.

I am loving being a Weight Watchers Leader by the way. My groups are fun, and having to get up in front of them each week definitely helps to keep me in check.

So what is next in terms of goals? I am going to establish four goals as of today:

1) Make a healthy dinner at home at least five nights a week
2) Maintain my weight for the summer and not worry about "losing" while ensuring I don't gain.
3) Refocus on losing that 5 - 10 pounds on September 4th (1st day after Labour Day Weekend) and post a new picture of myself on-line shirtless on Friday October 12th.
4) Track what I eat...even if it is bad.

I guess I have some things to report on regularly.

Looks like the blog is back!

At 49 Life Is Good

Hey Everyone!

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. Life seems to have taken on a form of its own lately and the ramp-up time involved in becoming a Weight Watchers Leader was actually more intense than I realized. So between Real Estate and Weight Watchers training things have been a bit crazy! The good news is the training is pretty much done now.

I miss my old Wednesday night group in Burlington A LOT, but I do have to tell you I am loving being a leader! I ended up agreeing to lead three groups although one is only a "fill-in" for an At Work program that needed a leader to complete the 26 series program there. So I am doing Wednesdays at 5:15PM at Holy Trinity Church behind the Toronto Eaton Centre, Saturdays at 9:15AM at Lawrence Park Community Church and for the next 12 weeks a lunch hour meeting at Ernst and Young for E&Y employees.

I have to tell you the groups at the meetings are GREAT! On Saturday my group stopped the meeting to sing Happy Birthday to me and deliver a cupcake with a candle in the top. They all sang Happy Birthday....and yes...I ate the cupcake...but no...not in front of them :-)

So here I am...49 years young today. It feels good. I read a book a while ago called Younger Next Year and it really helped me to reframe things. I now look forward to aging because as Jennifer Hudson would say: "I Got This". The book Younger Next Year is designed for men who are approaching or have reached retirement age but there is another book called "Younger Next Year For Women" which I am sure must be equally as good.

I don't think it would be possible to feel better than I feel today. Not only do I feel like I have my weight and my health under control, but I feel I am doing what I am meant to do, and that I have the best support group of friends in the world...and I have a support group of friends AROUND the world...it is awesome.

Last year I wrote a blog on my birthday about the importance of celebrating our birthdays simply because we have them...while many of those we love have passed on and are not able to celebrate birthdays anymore. I feel the same way today as I did when I wrote that blog.

Life is too short. It is meant to be lived and it is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest. It isn't always easy and sometimes we have to seek out joy because it may not be finding its way to us...but when we do find it we should celebrate...simply because we can feel. No matter what we may feel from day to day...we can feel.

So lets all celebrate our ability to feel.

It's a good thing.

Be healthy!

Alan

Ok I Admit It. I'm On A Bit Of A High

Those of you know me know that I am not exactly shy about celebrating. I figure I work hard for some things and when that work results in success...damn it...I'm going to celebrate. I try to admit my challenges as well though... cause y'all know I'm far from perfect. Last night I did my first "solo" as a Weight Watchers Leader. I wasn't really nervous about delivering the content. I was mostly just nervous about appearing nervous...and that can be a hard thing to "fix". When I did the trial run on the weekend it went well but the Territory Manager told me when I held my "before" picture up it was shaking like I was a 70 year old man. Last night I made sure not to hold it too long and elected to pass it along through the group instead, but even if I had held it up I think I would have been ok. I was nervous but I don't think it showed much...whew! When I was done the Territory Manager said to me "That was the worst first solo I have ever seen". She the laughed and said "You know I'm kidding right? That was the best first solo I have ever seen". That made me feel real good :-) She did have some great pointers which I really appreciated but at the end of the day I had fun. It gave me a bit of a high. Jamie took a video of it without my knowledge so if he can figure out how to black out the few faces (other than mine) that pop up in it, and if it does not prove too large to load I will post it on the blog and/or on Facebook. It will be a good keepsake to have. I was SOOOOO relieved when it was over and you better believe the wine got opened. Now it's back to reality...Time to devote all my attention to Real Estate...but that's cool...when I'm in a good place...all is good. Be healthy! Alan

Wow That Was Intense

What an intense weekend of training.

When I signed up to be a leader for Weight Watchers I didn't really take into account the preparation involved.

I simply thought: "I already attend one meeting a week so why not lead one meeting a week instead" It is the same time commitment right? Well...yes...it is...when I factor in the time that I do not have to spend driving to Burlington and back every week...but that is only after the training has been completed.

It is kind of a two edged sword. On the one hand there is a fair amount of time commitment (since most of us also have full time jobs) as there are three WW Leader Webinars including one really designed for leaders doing "At Work" meetings, two full days of in class leader training, and five receptionist training sessions (although we are not receptionists we have to know what they do as we are in charge of the whole meeting and we may have to help out from time to time). On the other hand...it doesn't feel like there is enough training before you hit the ground running...I guess one probably never feels like there is enough training. I do feel like I have all the information that they can possibly give me so I guess they are right...it's time.

In my case I am joining the WW team at the same time the annual Spring Training for all leaders happens, so I will have that training June 1st as well...it's all good...just time consuming.

I am looking forward to Wednesday being over. Then I will have done my first meeting and can take a little bit of a deep breath.

In the training on the weekend I had to prepare and deliver a WW meeting to the Trainer and to the Territory Manager. We all had to do this and it was a very supportive atmosphere. If I am doing a totally honest evaluation of myself I think I did really well...but I had one big issue. I was WAY too nervous. I think I would rather have any other type of issue. If it was an issue of product knowledge etc I could fix it. When the problem is nervousness, even thinking about it will just make me more nervous...so I don't really know what to do about that one.

From the perspective of the Trainer and Territory Manager I don't think they were concerned at all. I think they were thinking "He ran a great meeting and after a couple of meetings the nervousness will subside and he will be fine"...so they are happy. But from my perspective it is not so simple. The last thing I want to be is nervous in my FIRST meeting. Oh well...it is what it is I guess.

So two more days and then the big day arrives. I feel like I am making too big a deal of it but it does feel like a big deal to me. Over the past eight years I have had two of the best leaders there are at WW so it kind of feels like I have a lot to live up to.

Deep breaths....I will get there.

At least all this WW stuff is keeping me very mindful of what I eat.

Be healthy!

Alan

Sometimes a door has to close for another one to open

"For every ending there is a new beginning"..."For every door that closes another door opens"...and my favourite from T.S. Elliot..."What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from".

This week will mark an "end". It makes me sad to think it.

It is hard for me to imagine that after driving to Burlington from Toronto almost every Wednesday since 2004 this Wednesday I will be making that drive for the final time.

I have driven there faithfully virtually every week for my Weight Watchers meetings since 2004 and over the years I have made such wonderful friends. There is even a couple that goes to the meeting that has been attending since I first joined WW back in the late 1980s. It will be hard to leave on Wednesday.

Sometimes, however, one cannot begin their path down a new road without leaving the road they are on, and it is time for me to take a new path.

In the first week after this Wednesday I will "shadow" a Weight Watchers leader in Toronto, attend WW training, and then the following week I will begin my own Wednesday night Weight Watchers meetings here in Toronto as a leader.

It is exciting...but right now it all seems a little bit surreal.

Of course I am worried about the first day I have to get up in front of my new group (which is May 2nd). Last week I snuck in and sat in on the meeting I will soon lead. The group seems like a good one so that makes me happy...but there is always the fear of falling flat on your face.

Obviously I want to "look" my best when I get up in front of my group for the first time to so I am diligently following the Weight Watchers plan. That doesn't mean I can't have treats...I will probably have some wine tonight...but I will count the points and stay on plan.

I am also tracking my points by methods I don't usually use. I am tracking on e-tools as well as on a paper tracker and on the points plus calculator. Once I am a leader I will have to help people who track in different manners so I need to ensure I am up-to-date on every method.

I'm really excited about my new group but man am I going to miss my old friends.

If any of my friends in the Burlington Hamilton area (you don't need to be a member of WW) are reading this and are free this Wednesday we are going to go for drinks after my last meeting at the Kelseys on Guelph line (behind the Zellers in Burlington Mall). We will get there about 6:50pm Wednesday and all are welcome.

I'm just hoping I don't cry Wednesday...I am such a frickin sap.

Be healthy!

Alan

Finally I'm back...was the vacation weight worth it?

Back in February I went on a week-long cruise and gained over 10 pounds.

To many that may sound as though I lived my week in the Buffet line but I really didn't.

On the cruise I chose not to have dessert, skipped the big breakfasts, drank less alcohol (I really don't drink that much on vacations), and had a normal lunch. I guess the only real "splurge" was that I did order whatever appealed to me at dinner every night. Nonetheless...it was three meals out a day with no control over how they are cooked and I gain weight at mega speeds.

In the past I have always kind of had the philosophy that I can handle a weeks worth of damage. If I am going away for a week...I don't worry about it. If I am going away for two weeks I tell myself I need to be good, and I usually am for a week...and then I fall apart.

No matter what the scenario is, as soon as I return home I tell myself it was worth it (well...with the exception of the time I gained 21 pounds in two weeks). Life is meant to be enjoyed, and all I need to do is get back on track as soon as I return home right?

After my last vacation I told myself the same thing. It was worth it. I had a great time, and I gained ten pounds...so what?!

It is now seven weeks later and as of yesterday I have returned to my pre-vacation weight.

I cannot help but wonder at this point if it really was worth it.

Seven weeks of being on a weight loss regime to correct one week of fun? Was it REALLY worth it?

Right now my head is thinking a resounding NO...it was not worth it.

I know myself though, and by the next time I go on vacation I will probably be thinking it is totally worth it.

I am not sure which answer is the right answer but one thing is clear to me: If we decide that we are on "vacation" and it is time to just forget about the world and do what we want we can have a great time...but there is a big price to be paid upon return.  Taking off the weight isn't as easy as it was when I was younger.

I don't think there will be any more vacations until 2013 now so I will have a while to reflect on this. I am hoping I will be smarter next time.

Be healthy,

Alan

Sometimes I am never satisfied

Do you ever want MORE? I am like that. I want MORE.

I have no reason to want more. If I keep what I have I should be pretty damned happy.

I have been feeling that way with weight loss this week. I am not always perfect...but this week...I have been perfect. I have stayed within my daily points range for Weight Watchers, I have elected not to eat any of my "optional" points, and I have exercised every day except for one, planned, rest day. I have not even had an alcoholic drink since my "weight watchers week" started Thursday morning. In a nut shell...I have been perfect.

The results I wanted to achieve will be there when I step on the scale at Weight Watchers this week. In my last blog I said that my goal was to be 189 pounds by this Wednesday and and then 185 pounds by April 25th.

I will be 189 pounds by this Wednesday. That is my pre-vacation weight so I should feel happy right? I am perfectly on track.

The problem is that with perfect eating I expect consistent results. If I eat perfectly for a day I expect to wake up the next morning...be able to step on the scale...and see that it was all worth it. I want weight loss for EVERY day I am perfect. It only makes sense doesn't it?

Sadly, our bodies don't always follow the rules. They are like kids...sometimes they just don't listen.

I guess this is why Weight Watchers says that during the "weight loss" mode of the program it is ideal to only weigh in once a week at the meeting. That way we only see the end result of a weeks worth of eating and not the frustrations of going up and down daily.

I obey the Weight Watchers suggestion sometimes...but this week I haven't and it is frustrating as hell. Even though I am exactly where I want to be right now I feel like "good" is not "good enough". I WANT MORE!

It is sheer stupidity and a total "dieter" mentality.

I am making a lifestyle change...I am not dieting...and I need to learn that once and for all.

I get it most of the time...just not this week.

Hopefully I will wake up and smell the roses soon....I usually do know I am being an idiot when I am being one...it just doesn't always stop me.

Be healthy!

Alan

AFTER YOU REACH A GOAL...SET THE NEXT ONE!

At the end of the day I think weight loss it all about setting goals you can keep.

If you have a goal that is realistic and you are SERIOUS about it...you will make it happen.

The thing is though...we sometimes fall apart after we reach a goal. Have you ever noticed I tend to reach my weight goals the day before I go on vacation? By the time I get back I tend to be back where I started.

It is not the end of the world. I have usually enjoyed my vacation and as much as I don't relish starting again I usually feel it was worth it. It just sucks that it takes sooooo long to get back where you were.

The important thing is that you re-focus as soon as you can and set a new goal.

Just because you have reached the end of the road does not mean the journey is over.

My last goal was to lose enough weight to pose for the picture in the upper right corner of this blog. I did it...and then I went on vacation.

I was 189 pounds in that picture. As of my last weigh-in I am 192 pounds so I am almost back to that point again...but this time I will not be going on vacation...thank goodness!

My current goal is to get back to 189 pounds and I already know what my next goal after that is.

Current Goal: I hope to reach 189 pounds by April 4th. It isn't totally in my control (no matter what I do sometimes the body tends to do what it wants).

Next Goal: I want to reach a weight of 185 pounds by April 28th.

April 28th isn't an arbitrary date. It is the date I enter into a two day intensive program which is the most significant portion of the training I will receive to become a Weight Watcher's leader.

I am looking forward to this (yes...with a bit of fear), but I want to be in top form when I enter that training weekend and in top form when I hold my first solo session in early May.

I find solid goals...that have a completion date...and purpose...are the most effective goals.

Having said that...if your "goal" is a weight goal...the date may not always work in your favour...sometimes life just happens....so if you don't reach your goal weight by the date you set...don't spend a second fretting about it. As long as you are going the right way...just keep on going.

As soon as you reach your goal...set the next one.

Be healthy!

Alan

Only 436 Days To Go!

The time is getting near.

In only 436 days until I enter into the "post 50" era of life.

I think it is exciting. In a way I am looking forward to it.

I think the primary reason for this is because my long term goal is to be the healthiest I have ever been at age 50. I am already the healthiest I have ever been but I can still get healthier. It will feel like an accomplishment and that is so much better than feeling old.

My partner thinks I am a contradiction. He says that I say I am not upset about getting older but then I spend so much time trying to look younger. He doesn't believe that getting older does not bother me.

From my perspective it is not a contradiction. Getting older doesn't bother me BECAUSE I feel like I look pretty good for my age and I feel like I am pretty fit for my age. I am ahead of the game.

Often I am at the gym and I look around at the perfectly fit boys with totally ripped muscles and not an ounce of fat and I feel a tinge of jealousy...I think..."why can't I have a body like that...I am working just as hard as them"....and then it occurs to me that they are in there twenties and thirties.

When I compare myself to people my own age...I think I can stand my ground.

So for me aging is like a game. As long as I can stay ahead of the game I feel like I'm winning....and when one is winning how can one possibly feel bad?

I guess it simply boils down to maintaing a heathy attitude.

Last night I put a "count down to 50" clock on my blog. I have 436 days left to age 50 and I am looking forward to reaching my goal: "Fit at 50".

Stay positive, and be healthy!

Alan

What Is A Healthy Weight For You?

Determining a healthy weight can be a difficult thing. There are so many variables involved.

The Canada/US health guides define it by BMI but they are quite clear that it is a "guide" and there are limitations. Specifically, the Canadian Government says the following on their website:

Groups for whom the body weight classification system may have some limitations include:

• young adults who have not attained full growth;
• adults who have a naturally very lean body build;
• adults who have a very muscular body build;
• adults over 65 years of age;
• certain ethnic or racial groups.

So what is a healthy weight?

It is an individual thing.

I also think that there is such a thing as a "healthier" weight rather than a "healthy" weight.

Few could argue that a 300 pound individual who has lost 100 pounds is not healthier. 

Perhaps they are healthy enough.

The person mentioned above who now weighs 200 pounds may be way over their BMI but they may also very well be "healthy enough" for them.

When I lost weight once before I went down to 176 pounds. My maximum "normal" BMI weight according to the charts is 179 pounds. It was the perfect weight for me at the time.

Now...several years later...and many many sessions at the gym later...I think it is very unlikely that I will ever be that weight again. Look at my picture in the top right side of this blog (I am 189 pounds in that picture) and tell me I need to be thirteen pounds thinner than that?  I don't think so...

yet that is what the "normal" guidelines say.

Or is it really? 

It is not.

Why? Because we tend not to read the detail and the detail for me is quoted above where it says:

"Groups for whom the body weight classification system may have some limitations include:

• adults who have a very muscular body build"

I have worked out so much that I believe in my case a "normal" weight is not "normal" for me.

Your normal weight might not be normal for you either...for any one of the above mentioned reasons.

The good thing is we don't need to be "normal" and although many weight loss programs will use the BMI as a guide, programs like Weight Watchers allow you to decide that a higher weight is just right for you.

Of course you can't just pick a weight out of the blue. It has to be logic based and it is best you consult with a health practitioner to decide what is indeed right for you.

I did just that this morning. I saw my Doctor and he determined that with my body and exercise regime anything up to 197 pounds is perfectly healthy for me.

That is a far cry from the 179 pounds stated in the BMI guide...a full 18 pounds higher...but it is ok for my "normal".

The great thing is that Weight Watchers will accept the normal weight of 197 pounds for ME, as a Weight Watcher's Member, with a supplied Doctors note.

Having said that I want to be below 197 pounds. I would prefer to be 189 pounds (as I am in that picture above right) but it is nice to know I have a buffer built in with the 197 pound Doctor's note.

Things are slightly stricter for WW leaders (as they should be) as I cannot be a leader with a BMI over 27 but even this gives me the flexibility to go up to 193 pounds so all is good.

The point is an important one. 

You do not need to get hung up on BMI "normal" weight ranges or the generic guidelines issued by the Canadian and US government, Weight Watchers and other programs. Even they say they are "guides". Consult with a health practitioner, figure out the weight that is right for you, and get it in writing. Then make the "right" weight for you the right weight for you. 

Be healthy!

Alan

Seeing What It Is Like To Be A Woman

Hi all!

This week I have decided to find out what it is like to be a woman. It is part of my self-imposed "research" for becoming a Weight Watcher's Leader.

You see...men are kind of lucky when it comes to Weight Watchers. We get a higher points allowance then women. I, for instance, am getting 38 points a day right now (it will decline to about 34 as I get closer to goal). Many women, however, only get 26 points a day.

I have always thought that there was no way I could live on 26 points a day!

Given, however, that I will soon be telling many females that that is exactly what they have to do...I decided that...as an experiment...I would ry to live that way for a while myself.

So, since last Thursday I have been eating 26 points a day plus my 49 weekly points allowance. This is exactly how many points many women eat on the plan (not all women...there are many factors that determine your daily points allowance).

The 49 weekly points were eaten at a function last Saturday night so they are now gone.


I must say I am surprised. Granted, I have only done it for 5 days but it isn't as hard as I thought. I usually eat one stupid thing a day that disappears down my throat in two seconds, has no redeeming qualities, no health benefits, and does not fill me up. The bottom line is that now I no longer get to eat that stupid thing that adds nothing to my health or day.

Perhaps 26 points a day is actually a good thing. It certainly encourages me to eat more fruits and vegetables (which are primarily zero points)

Still...I am going to trust Weight Watchers and go back to eating my proper points allowance after this weeklong experiment is over. Although I may find I can do it...it does not necessarily mean it is the best choice for me.

Be healthy!

Alan

I Guess It Is Official! I Am Going To Be A Leader

Yesterday I mentioned that I was meeting with the Territory Manager for Weight Watchers.

Well...I met with her...and I am starting the training process to become a leader. I will likely only do a meeting or so a week as I don't have time for more. I do, after all, have another job that takes priority.

So on April 19th I am doing a training webinar, then a full day of training April 28th and 29th, another webinar May 16th, and for five weeks I will do some receptionist work weighing people in etc. at meetings. From there my leader sessions start with a mentor present for a bit.

There is a catch though...I still need to lose more weight. I don't have to go as far as I thought I did. In the picture that I posted February 10th (also on the upper right side of this blog) I was 189 pounds. I thought I had to go to 179 pounds.

I could do this but I wasn't sure I could (or wanted) to maintain at that weight. The good news is I am permitted to maintain at 185 pounds. Co-incidentally that was exactly the weight that I had already decided I wanted to maintain at anyway. Perfect!

The only thing that is not perfect is that I am no longer 189 pounds. I am 198 pounds after my vacation and last weekend's eating binge.

So...I need to lose...again...and I need to do it following the WW plan. If I am not doing the plan right then how can I be an effective leader?

So...here goes....

Be healthy!

Alan

  

Considering Becoming A Leader

It could be an interesting day for me.

I have been in discussions with Weight Watchers lately about the possibility of becoming a leader for them.

If I did it I would likely only do a meeting or two a week as I need to ensure my main focus remains Real Estate...and it will. This would be more like a hobby.

I do think that I would enjoy it, and having to get up in front of a group of people every week would definitely keep me "in check" weight-wise.

I am not sure how women (which is the primary audience) will feel about having a male leader but I do know there are other male leaders and perhaps if more male leaders exist more men will join. They need to be healthy too!

Anyway, I am meeting with the Territory Manager for Weight Watchers today. We will see how it goes :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

Confessions Of A Mad Man

Sometimes I feel like a liar.

Not a liar in the moment, but more of a hindsight liar, or perhaps an "absent" liar.

When I wrote my last blog I mentioned that I had used my weekly points and that meant I pretty much had to stay "on program" the rest of the week. I didn't think it would be too tough as I had no social events planned.

So here is the real deal....we don't NEED social events to fall apart.

I managed to fall apart this weekend in a big way. I also chose not to write my blog as that would involve facing my reality and I wasn't ready to do this.

Actually, to say I fell apart is an understatement. I became obsessed with eating. My food intake over the weekend includes the following:

1) Big Mac Combo
2) Caramel McFlurry
3) Two Mama Burgers and a Root Beer at A&W
3) 20 Swedish Meatballs and French Fries at IKEA...and one of their ice cream cones.
4) About ten chocolate digestive cookies (there is nothing "digestive" about these).
5)  Popcorn With butter and a coke at the movies, oh...and a bag of Malteesers.
6) Sweet and sour fried chicken balls with white rice and Saporo beer at a chinese restaurant
7) A bottle of wine
8) About a box of crackers.
9) A Wendy's double cheeseburger.
10) Two egg McMuffins and an order of Hotcakes (with extra syrup) at McDonalds

I wish I could say that was all but I am sure there is stuff I forgot.

Let's just say: "I LOST IT"!

To be honest I have another problem though. Many would say it is not a problem but I think it is.

At Weight Watchers they say that if you fall off the wagon you shouldn't feel guilty about it. What is done is done...you just get back on the wagon and keep on going.

My problem is I never feel guilty. Perhaps if I did I would learn more from it.

I will get back on the wagon and keep on going but if I haven't learned what good does it do me?

I am thinking that perhaps after all that crap I should do a cleanse...but have not yet decided if I have the willpower right now.

At the very least  I will be back to healthy eating today.

Be healthier than I have been,

Alan

A Day of Food And Drink

OK Yesterday wasn't good...I mean it was GOOD...but it wasn't good.

I had a great day and enjoyed the company of good friends with wine to follow.

Dinner wasn't really tremendously bad. We had steamboat (also known as Hot Pot) where raw vegetables, meat, fish balls, and shrimp, are put on a table and then slowly dumped into a bowl of boiling broth, removed and eaten (after being dipped in a peanut sauce). It was good.

We also had wine, and chocolate, and half a box of Triscuit Parmesan and Garlic Crackers ( I mean half a box FOR ME) and...of course...I had also eat throughout the day before dinner...and not particularly well.

So now I look back on yesterday and think..."How the hell do I even begin to calculate the weight loss points for this to put in my tracker?".

The thing is though...sometimes you don't have to. If you know you have used up all your daily points and all your weekly points then it doesn't matter whether you ate 90 points worth of food or 500 points worth of food. The point is the "points" are gone and what is done is done. Beating yourself up will do you no good. I had a good time...that is what I choose to focus on.

So I will assume I ate my daily points and my extra 49 points and enter that in my tracker. My tracker will then inform me that I have zero extra points left for the remainder of the week. That is all the knowledge I need to have. I do not need to know I have negative 200 points. That won't help me.

Knowing I have zero extra points just means...get back on the normal plan...and eat healthy the rest of the week.

Right now it is cool because I really don't have any more social functions planned. If something does come up though...I won't say "no". I will say "yes" and do the best I can food-wise at that function...and if I blow it...who really cares? It just means my weight would be up a bit and not down when I weigh in next Wednesday.

When you are in this for the long term, one week up or down doesn't change a thing....as long as the weight ends up being "down" more often than it is "up" over time...all is good.

Be healthy!

Alab

Weight Loss Isn't Always About What You Eat

Yesterday my friend Wendy completed here first week of Weight Watchers. Although she was sure she had blown it, and that this first week would be a "wash" she was actually down four pounds. Congratulations Wendy!

I think it just goes to show you that weight loss isn't always about what you eat. Sometimes it is about what you don't eat.

I believe that while Wendy (and yes...I do have permission to talk about her on my blog) was worried about the fact that her point totals might not have been "perfect" everyday, she didn't really realize that for better or for worse, tracking everything she was putting in her mouth was keeping her aware...and that keeping her aware was keeping her on track.

Yes she ate chocolate...but she ate less chocolate.

Portion sizes matter...they matter a lot.

Portion sizes are the only reason Weight Watchers is able to say that no foods are off limits.

Does this mean I always eat the right portion sizes...gosh no...if I did I wouldn't need this blog and my life...from a weight perspective...would be perfect.

Even when I am not tracking my portion sizes (like when I was on the cruise) I am aware that I should be...and I think as long as we always at least stay AWARE of what we are actually doing to our bodies...for better or for worse...eventually things start to go in the right direction.

I got myself going in the right direction this week too. I was down 2.8 pounds...only 8 more pounds to go to undue the weight gain of the cruise. No worries...it will happen.

Be healthy,

Alan

McDonald's Tricked Me!

You would think I would know by now that things in Fast Food Restaurants are often not what they appear. I can still be fooled.

Yesterday morning I went into McDonalds to get a coffee and I wasn't starving but was feeling a little hungry because I hadn't had my breakfast yet.

I noticed they had breakfast burritos on their menu and they are quite tiny so they sell them in sets of two. I looked at it and thought...it is just a wrap with a bit of egg and vegetable in it. I can have this for my breakfast without issue.

I had them...and they were ok...but I thought to myself at the time that they really weren't much of a breakfast. They were so tiny and not filling at all.

When I was home later that day I went to the nutritional page of McDonald's website and was shocked at what I found. There was 16 grams of fat in EACH of them. This added up to a total of 16 of my daily points allowance and all I had had was breakfast (for those of you not on Weight Watchers that is ALOT!).

I really didn't understand why until I went back and looked at the product closer. Although the "ingredients" section on the nutritional page simply refers to the contents of the wrap as "egg mixture" further investigation revealed that this egg mixture had sausage in it. I didn't see anything that looked like sausage and I didn't taste anything that tasted like sausage. It was so small I didn't taste anything!

Anyway...like everything else on this journey it is a lesson learned.

Can I have a breakfast Burrito from McDonalds again? Yes...if I want to. Will I want one again? No. If I had loved it or it had filled me up perhaps it would be worth it on occasion...but this was not worth it.  Live and Learn.

Today is weigh in day and I am currently 5 points in the "negative" as far as my point tracking goes but that is insignificant really and I will exercise myself back into balance "point-wise" before I weigh in. So I expect to be "down" when I step on the scale tonight.

I hope so...I have to take off the 10.8 pounds I gained on my cruise!

Be healthy!

Alan

We Just Aren't Accepting Our "Fate" Anymore

When I was in High School I used to hang out with my friend's John and Sue. We were all pretty "naturally thin". Then I went to University and met Wendy...thin as a rail. Did any of us really even think about weight back in those days? Why would we? We were...after all...thin.

OK...perhaps the girls thought about weight. I don't know...but if they did it wasn't because they needed to. If they thought about weight at all it would only because they were girls and that is what girls did. Hopefully that is starting to change although I know it is still a big issue.

Then the inevitable happened. We aged. As we aged our metabolism slowed down...our activity slowed down...but (and I am presumptuously speaking for all of us here) our food intake did not slow down.

It all started so slowly at first. Sure I was starting to get a bit of bulge in my tummy but not so much so that anyone would notice. I just needed to wear looser shirts...problem solved!

I am sure Sue can quite correctly say that having two kids played a role in establishing weight issues for her. John and I, however, can really only say that we were still acting like two kids. Fun was more important than health.

So now John, Sue, Wendy and I are all hovering around the "fifty year old" mark and we can no longer turn our heads the other way.

We had a choice. We could accept weight gain as "fate" or we could look it straight in the eye and say "damn it" you are NOT getting the best of me!

We have not all followed the same route to weight loss...but we are all fighting back! Sue and I lost over 50 pounds and we now live with the challenges of keeping it off, and I was so excited to read on John's Facebook page this morning that he has just lost 50 pounds!

Wendy has just jumped on the band wagon with Weight Watchers and is on her way to being a healthier person again too. It is all very exciting.

I can't write this blog without mentioning my friend Tom as well. Although Tom did not go to University with us as he was finished University before we finished high school, John and I performed in a few plays with him. A year or so ago he decided that he was not going to let fate get the better of him and has lost 92.4 pounds to get to goal!

All I can say is the proof is in the pudding. Our fate (at least weight wise) is not predetermined. It is totally within our power to lose weight and be healthier.

There is a reality though...and that is that for most of us...we will gain...and sometimes we will gain a lot...but that does not mean we have failed. We only fail if we give up.

Never give up.

Be healthy!

Alan

I Have A 10.8 Pound Bundle Of Joy In My Tummy!!

Yeah you read it right. I went on a cruise last week and came back carrying a baby...or at least the equivalent of one...I gained 10.8 pounds! It is definitely the result of a lot of joy :-). One of our Weight Watcher's member's (Diane) sister's (Linda) was on board...I am convinced she knocked me up when I was asleep!

Back in the old days this would have totally stressed me out.

To work so hard to lose the weight and then gain that much back in one week...yikes! I have done worse though. I went on a two week cruise once and gained 21 pounds. This is the down side of being a man. We get teased because we tend to lose so fast...but man...can we gain fast!

At the end of the day though...it doesn't matter. Why doesn't it matter? Because I don't have to put myself back on a diet...I just have to go back to healthy eating...and it WILL come off again.

In other words...all I have to do is go back to eating the way I should be eating in the first place...not such a big deal.

The only problem is I have not, and may never, reach the point where eating the way I should eat in the first place is second nature. I was not really raised to eat properly...just to eat.

For me it requires help...and for me you all know what that help is...Weight Watcher's. I know it s not for all of you but for me it is my life-line.

I needed to get on that scale yesterday to face my reality and get myself right back on track...otherwise I would just keep eating until another ten pounds came back on...that is "natural" for me.

So not only did I face my reality at the meeting yesterday, I asked if I could take the "magic tracker" home.

The magic tracker is simply a book with three months worth of tracking pages in it. Each week a different member can take it home and track the food they consume for the week...for better or worse...and then the tracker gets returned to the meeting and another person takes it for the next week. It is totally voluntary and the theory is that if you are writing your food in a public book for the week for others to see you just "might" be a bit more careful.

I find it to be a great little trick as is not only motivates me to track my food, but people from previous weeks write hilarious comments about their successes and failures during the week and it reassures me that no matter what I may be struggling with, at the end of the day, we are all human.

So here is to taking the weight off...again...in a healthy way.

Be healthy!

Alan

Got the sniffles today

The night before I went on vacation I started to get a sore throat and thought: "Oh no...I am going to be sick on the cruise!". I wasn't sick on the cruise but every now and then I could sense that I wasn't 100% healthy either. There was a bug inside me waiting to get out.

Fortunately, the bug was kind enough to hold off until I got home, but when I woke up yesterday morning I could tell it was about to start to manifest into something bigger.

So here it comes...the sore throat and the sniffles this morning...sigh. 

I am grateful, nonetheless, that the cold held off as long as it did and allowed me to enjoy my holiday.

I ate normally yesterday (not excessively and not dieting) and pumped myself full of Vitamin C. Hopefully it won't get too bad.

Unless I am on my death bed and/or seriously at risk of making others really sick I will still go to Weight Watchers tomorrow. After one does damage to one's body (weight-wise) I think it is important to face the damage head on as quickly as possible. If you don't know EXACTLY what you are dealing with you can't really deal with it effectively.

So while I hope I am feeling better I have every intention of being at the meeting tomorrow.

Here's to another day of normal eating.

Be healthy!

Alan

What A Difference A Week Can Make

On Friday, February 10th, I posted a picture of myself on this blog...and then I went on a cruise.

The following Friday I was on a beach in Aruba and posted another picture of myself on Facebook. I had taken the second picture on my iPhone and couldn't really see it well until I got home last night. Clearly, a week of buffets for breakfast lunch and dinner along with the odd alcoholic beverage can make a difference in the appearance of a body and face. Here is the picture before the cruise and the picture toward the end of the cruise:

Friday February 10, 2012

Friday February 17, 2012

Now don't get me wrong. I am still very happy and there is a lot "artificial" about that first shot. I was hungry and dehydrated when the "before" shot was taken and covered in "instant tan". In the second picture I had been eating buffet's continually and I had actually drunk that beer in my hand.

There are two realities for me I think.

The first is that had the "after" shot been my "before" shot I would still have been happy as it is a lot better than my original "before" shot of even a year ago.

The second is that it doesn't matter if I am happy or not. This is proof positive for me that if I do not watch myself my body is quite capable of reverting back to its old self rather quickly.

I still had two more days of eating after that February 17th photo, so a little more weight went on the body.  Today I return to the weight loss journey.

The good news is that I will not "diet". Just go back to the normal Weight Watcher's plan that is my life (my GOOD life) and go back to healthy eating. I am not going to put myself in a weight loss race this time but will let you know as the weight drops off...and it will drop off... :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

As Naked As You Are Ever Going To See Me (Perhaps Nieces Should Skip Today's Blog)

Ok today is the day. A month ago I said I would post a topless picture of myself online. Today I am keeping my promise...in fact...I went further...I am in my undies...so if you decide to view today's blog  I suggest doing it on an empty stomach :-)

Before posting the pic though...a quick word about why I am posting it.

For me it is about a few things:

1) Setting a goal and keeping it.
2) Looking back at my journey and taking the time to recognize that I have accomplished something.
3) When I do accomplish something I want to let the world know because...damn it...I worked too damn hard to accomplish it to be quiet about it. I want to celebrate my accomplishments...it makes me happy. Is it vain?...yes...do I care?...no.

If you have never had weight issues you may not really understand the need to celebrate out loud but I am going to take you through a very brief trail of my history in pictures. Perhaps if you see where I have come from...how long the journey has been...and understand that it NEVER ends...you will understand the need to celebrate when you feel good.

So lets go back to around 2004. Here are some pictures of me then.

2004

It was this picture that made me decide to start this journey

On vacation and probably in need of a hotdog.

I wish I could say that when I started this journey in 2004 it was my first journey...but it wasn't. I had lost over fifty pounds a multitude of times before...only to put it back on eventually. In retrospect this was good...as it taught me that the journey never ends. If I am not careful...I can easily be right back there again.

By about 2005 I had taken most of the weight off but kept on struggling. I was thinner...but I did not exercise. You do not need to exercise to lose weight. It helps...and it definitely helps keep it off...but I was not exercising yet so I became a thin geek.

From 2005 to 2009 my weight went up and down...I probably gained 30 pounds back and lost it and gained it and lost it and gained it, but it was during this time I figured out that as long as I never stop going to Weight Watcher's it will always be "top of mind" and I will never ever gain 50 pounds back again.

I will also continue to drive to Burlington every week because I found a leader, and friend, in Cindy there. As far as I am concerned she is the best leader in the business and she is definitely worth the drive.

In 2009 I decided to take a course in Nutrition at George Brown College. It is here I met Anthony who was to become a great friend and nutrition/exercise mentor. Anthony was my instructor at George Brown. He inspired me to take more nutrition courses and I am halfway through a program to be come a Certified Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I do not know if I will ever practice nutritional counselling but the knowledge I am gaining makes it well worth the effort the courses require. I am on a bit of a hiatus from courses right now but will be back again soon. Anthony and I work out together often and he is the one responsible for getting me in shape.

A year or so ago I posted the picture below on the blog. The muscle was starting to come but I was still fluctuating in weight by twenty pounds so attaining any real definition was...well...a challenge.

My consistent exercise has finally resulted in the attainment of definition. Here is the picture Jamie took of me this morning:

Feb 10, 2012

Am I happy? You better believe it. I could look at the picture and criticize (we all do this to ourselves). I would, for instance, love to lose the love handles...but at 48 years old I accept that that may not happen.

I cannot write this blog without thanking my husband Jamie for the years of support. He has been so patient with my ups and downs...promises and set-backs...I honestly don't know how he has survived this journey as I must drive him crazy...but he has stayed by my side.

The journey does not end. I know that. I could be the guy in the first pictures again real fast. Those who read my blog know I mess up ALOT...but I never end the journey. In the early days I lost over 50 pounds and then fluctuated by thirty pounds...then I introduced exercise and fluctuated by twenty pounds...now I think I fluctuate by ten pounds.

I think at the end of the day my point it this. If you start the journey and just keep going...no matter how many times you have set backs...eventually you will succeed.

Why?...because you only had set-backs. By continuing on...failing is impossible.

Be healthy!

Alan

24 hour count-down to Non-Extreme Nudity!

The count-down is on...23 hours to go...your eyes may be offended very soon. Perhaps it will be best if you just keep your computer turned off tomorrow.

Maybe my computer, Jamie's computer, Joni's computer, the Ipad2, and my iPhone will die and I won't be able to do it. We can only hope.

Tomorrow is reveal day. My commitment will be kept and I will post a shirtless picture of myself. If I really feel like scaring you maybe I will just wear my undies...that will likely send my nieces into therapy.

I'm surprisingly not too stressed about doing it but I won't be eating today....come on...I bet Valerie Bertinelli didn't eat for a week after her big reveal...and Kirstie Alley starved herself for so long before hers she couldn't stop eating for a year afterward!

I would love to say I am not eating today because I believe in cleanses and I believe they are good for you. While I believe this to be true I also believe you are not stupid and would see right through that explanation for the crap it is.

I am not eating today because I am vain and want to look the best I can tomorrow.

In other words...I am doing it all for you...I am trying to save your eyesight. I'm kind of like a doctor performing pre-surgery on you.

Don't be scared...you will survive.

Be healthy,

Alan

P.S. I am not sure if I was up or down at Weight Watchers yesterday. Last week I was 189.8. When I stepped on the scale I was pretty sure it said 188.9 but the girl forgot to write it in my book (she wrote it on their records) and being as old as I am I wasn't quite sure. I went back  up to the desk to inquire and she said "oh yes I think I remember you were only up a pound but let me check"...she checked and said..."actually your only up by .1 pounds"...and then proceeded to write it in my book. When I checked my book later she wrote 188.9 pounds. So I am either up .1 or down .9 pounds...either way I pretty much stayed the same...I'm happy with that.

Two More days...

Today is weigh in day and I am pretty sure I will be "up" a bit. Not by much...and I know why...but being "up" in weight two days before I have to post a shirtless picture of myself on-line doesn't quite sit right.

Still...I am actually comfortable. When I look at how far I have come since those dreadful "before" pictures of 2004 I can only be happy.

Don't get me wrong I will do everything I can to make the pic look good without resorting to Photoshop. This means I will likely do a fast on Thursday,

So...yes....the picture will be of me without food for 24 hours...but it will still be me.

I'm going out to a comedy club tonight...thinking that might not help the situation.

All is good.

Be healthy!

Alan

Let the countdown to nudity begin!

Did that get your attention? If so you should probably get help. The thought of me partially naked should put the average person off their next meal. LOL

Whether you like it or not though the day is quickly approaching. In three days (Friday) I have to keep my commitment and post a shirtless picture of myself online (OK OK..it's not really nude...but it feels like it's nude).

I have some abs now so that is kinda cool but I have abs and love handles...if only I could be 18 again...but I'm not...I get that.

So...love handles and all will be exposed Friday.  I am thinking I will go to the gym first (need all the help I can get) and then get Jamie to take pictures as soon as I get home so look for the post around 10AM...or mark on your calendar a big warning sign advising yourself not to look at my post that day. LOL

When it comes right down to it this is the kind of stuff that works for me. I need commitments and goals. I don't always keep them all..but if I keep half of them then I am taking steps in the right direction.

So let the countdown begin.

Be healthy!

Alan

The Roller Coaster Ride

Eat Bad Eat Well Eat Bad Eat Well Eat Bad Eat Well...Eat Bad Thursday Friday Saturday Eat We'll Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday, Weigh-In, Eat Bad Thursday Friday Saturday Eat Well Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday, Weigh-In...

This is the patter of my life. This week is no different. I haven't eaten well Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and today is the day I turn things around.

Why do I do this? I think for two reasons. One is obviously the prospect of standing on the scale Wednesday night and the other is the fact that the bad days are pretty much the weekend days (although I am not sure when Thursday became the weekend).

The thing is it works. I can pretty much lose weight or stay the same with this methodology. Last Wednesday I was "up" but only by .2 pounds (that is "point 2"...not "2").

The problem is I don't really learn anything do I? It allows me to go out and make a total pig of myself. There is no "health" involved here.

Even tracking doesn't alleviate the problem. I have become a master at making my tracker balance out by weeks end by exercising myself to death.

So I need to step back and focus...I need to at least TRY to be healthier when I go out...and perhaps drink a little less (did I say perhaps?...ok...drink a little less).

I think next week I at least have the Thursday covered off as I promised to post a shirtless picture of myself on this blog on Friday...that will keep me in line for sure...yikes!. The challenge is Friday and Saturday next week. Will do my best to remember this blog and be at least "better".

Balance Balance Balance...you think after all this time I would have figured it out.

Be healthy,

Alan

When I don't blog it is generally not a good sign

Hey everyone!

I haven't blogged in five days. Why you ask?

There is the "rationale" and the "reason".

The rationale is that I got real busy. This is the truth. The last few days have been busy.

Somehow I still found time to play an on-line game of scrabble a few times though so I can't really say I didn't have time to blog. When I don't blog it is usual not a good sign.

The truth is I fell off track...then got myself back on track but not in a "weight watcher's" kind of way.

Thursday through Sunday were kind of a disaster for me. Not only was I busy but I was unprepared for eating well. Fast Food restaurants became the name of the day. This was particularly problematic when I was doing Open Houses Saturday and Sunday afternoon as the townhouse I was trying to sell (and sold) was across the street from a Dairy Queen. I went more than once.

By Monday morning I was feeling pretty bloated.

The manner in which I corrected the issue was, in my opinion, a very good thing to do...it was just for the wrong reasons.

I have been thinking for months that I needed to do a cleanse. I haven't done one for the longest time and it is my humble opinion that your body needs it from time to time. Soooo...the cleanse began.

I have not eaten since Sunday night.I am not sure if I will end the cleanse after weighing in tonight or end it tomorrow morning but the three day cleanse has been good for me. I feel good again.

In terms of the scale I believe I simply balanced things out. I am in the same position I was last week. When I step on the scale tonight I suspect I will be up or down a pound but not much more in either direction.

I am happy I corrected the situation...and happy I did the cleanse because I have wanted to do one for ages...just not happy that binge eating forced me into it.

Not posting my tracker today as it is blank (no food equals no points)

Oh well...onward and downward (weight-wise that is).

Be healthy,


Alan

Down 1.1 Pounds :-)

It could have gone either way last night but it went the right way. I am happy about that.

It was a tough week though.

I had fun, perhaps too much fun, and had to exercise my ass off to deal with it.

Truth be told I think I exercised too much. I was a bit manic about getting my points back in line. I didn't quite manage to do it but I managed to only go 13 points over my weekly allowance and that proved to be good enough.

I like that I can have fun on this plan and still lose weight, but perhaps a little more balance on the food front will result in a little bit more balance on the exercise front.

The thing that makes me happy though is that I am finally back in the 180's weight-wise (I am 189.6 pounds) and I only have to lose another 2.6 pounds and weight watcher's becomes free again.

We will see if I get there by next week.

Be healthy!

Alan

I love fresh beginnings

Today is the day I step on the scale.

To say this week has been a challenge from a points perspective is an understatement. The bottom line is I allowed myself to drink/eat too much and spent most of my time trying to compensate for it through exercise.

While this is possible, and I have no doubt I will repeat this pattern too many times, it really is a lot of work to undo food and drink damage. It certainly does make a good case for moderation. I just wish moderation was in my vocabulary. I will keep trying to get it in there.

I ended up being in the "negative" at the end of my Weight Watcher's week last night but only by 13 points...hardly the end of the world.

I think it means that whatever the scale says when I step on it tonight it will not be that drastic a change. I will be up or down slightly but there will be no major movement in either direction.

I know why the results will be what they will likely be so I can accept them.

Looking back over the week I think the only think that real frustrates me is those damn empty treats like donuts. I blogged about them, said I needed to stop eating them, and then continued to eat them. Damn frustrating.

Today is a new day, however, and a new week. There is something very refreshing about going on-line in the morning and opening up your tracker and seeing everything cleared away and the slate set back to zero.  It's a new day.

I will never be perfect...and don't want to be...but am hoping this week will be a little less of a challenge than last week.

Only 16 more days until I have to keep my promise and post my shirtless pic...I need to behave :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

Some Days Are Just Crazy

Yesterday was nuts work-wise.

I was up working by 6AM and by the time 10:30pm rolled around I was still working...and I hadn't even taken a break to have my morning shower. I was not a pretty site.

Fortunately the only "client" I actually had to see was also a family member.

On crazy days it can be really hard to eat right.

I thought I made a good decision at lunch by going to a "wrap" restaurant. I got their Roast Beef wrap of the day combo (combos are never a good idea") with 1% chocolate milk...and stupidly...a bag of chips. I really need to listen to my own "empty treat" diatribes. I topped the wrap with only healthy vegetables, but it still didn't look particularly healthy...it was way too big for one thing.

I was busy...I was hungry...I made a decision to go to a "better" option for take out food since I was nowhere near home...but at the end of the day I didn't make the best choices.

I also didn't have time to get to the gym yesterday. This isn't good from a points perspective but I know in my heart it is good from a health perspective. Every now and then the body needs at least a day's break from the gym.

If this was a normal week it wouldn't be a big deal but it is in a week when I was already finding myself struggling after a couple of excessive nights out.

I'm afraid there is little...scratch that...no...hope of me being in "balance" by the end of my points tracking week tonight, but hopefully the scales won't be too harsh on me when I get on them tomorrow. I am currently sitting at negative 18 points...last week I ended tuesday night with an extra 27 points.

What is done is done. We do not feel guilt...we get back on track and keep on riding as best week can.

Be healthy!

Alan

Had a Carmel Cheese Danish AND an Apple Fritter....oops!

I was feeling pretty proud of myself after my night of drinking at the comedy club Saturday night. Not because I had behaved well alcohol-wise but because I had had a good healthy dinner and then resisted the temptation to order food all night long.

Even when I got home at about 1:30 in the morning in a drunken stupor I thought about raiding the kitchen but managed to resist. I was determined to stay as "on plan" as I could.

I hadn't bargained on waking up this morning with intense carb cravings. I knew I had to get to the gym to burn off some of the "night before" so I forced my butt out of bed and headed to Tim Horton's to get a coffee...but man I was hungry!

It was at this point I caved. I forgot everything I had written this week about empty treats...I forgot about tracking...and decided I was going to eat and not only NOT tell anyone about it but not even enter this one little indulgence on my tracker. With absolute confidence that no one was lurking behind my back to catch me, I ordered an Apple Carmel Danish AND an Apple Fritter. They were yummy.

Fortunately working out at the gym brought me back to my senses. I realized that lying about the whole thing and not putting this food on my tracker was primarily fooling no one but myself.

So...I put it on my tracker (18 points) made a point of keeping the rest of my day's food "low in points" food, and made my indulgence fit into my points allowance for the day.

I was already in the process of digging myself out of the negative "weekly points allowance" so using weekly points simply wasn't an option.

I did an hour and 3/4 exercise instead of my usual one hour in order to gain back some points.

At the present time I am "negative 9" in my weekly points allowance. My Weight Watchers week ends Tuesday and an hour's exercise is five points so, provided I don't so anything else stupid food-wise, I can do an hour's exercise today and tomorrow and bring my nine points back into balance.

Clear as mud? Hopefully next week I won't put myself in a position where I need to dig my way out.

It will be interesting to see if all this creative, but valid, working of the plan, will result in Weight Loss Wednesday.

Be healthy!

Alan

Boring Blog Day

OK this one is going to be short as I don't have much time to Blog today but wanted to keep my commitment to posting my tracker everyday until Feb 10th.

As you may know I budgeted for 20 beer points because I was going out last night.

I honestly didn't expect to use them all but when all was said and done I had had 22 beer points.

So...even after exercising I woke up this morning 18 points in the hole.

Most of this was planned, however, and I can deal with these points through exercise before my week is up Tuesday night.

What I hadn't planned for is the mega carb craving I woke up with this morning...but that is a subject for tomorrows blog.

If it kills me I will make this week work out so that by Tuesday night I am right on plan.

Be healthy!

Alan

Non-Hungry Days

I have blogged in the past about "Hungry Days" and how hard they can be. Yesterday I had a "non-hungry" day.

I have very little doubt that it had everything to do with the 101 Weight Watcher points day I had had the day prior.

Having an "I feel full" day after a splurge day presents its own dilemma.

It sounds kind of ideal doesn't it? I ate too much yesterday and I am not hungry today so if I eat less today it will all balance out.

According to WW this strategy is not a good one and I suspect they are right. I decided to trust them on this.

The problem with the above mentioned scenario is that you end up overly hungry on day three because you didn't eat enough on day two. In reality you have binged and starved (you may not feel like you are starving but you are not giving your body sufficient food). This is the type of situation that leads to more binging.

What we are told to do is just eat normally the next day and make sure we consume all of our daily points allowance. So that is what I did.

I can't say I made 100% the best choices as 6 points went to a small peanut butter candy bar and a sample of chocolate at the Supermarket, but I did make sure that by the time I went to bed I had consumed my entire daily points allowance.

I did my exercise as promised and earned back five of the six points I was in the "negative" for for the week, so now I am only "negative" one point.

Tonight we are going out to a comedy show where drinks will be consumed so I am sure I will be further in the negative by tomorrow but if I stick to my strategy I will be right on plan "points-wise" by the end of the WW week (which is Tuesday).

All is good.

Be healthy!

Alan

Yesterday was a Food Disaster Day...Not the end of the world

Last night I tied one on. It wasn't planned. I hadn't thought I was going out at all....but sometimes life just happens.

Our friend Tim had been staying with us for a while as he lives in Windsor but was teaching at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition here in Toronto. 

Last night was his last night with us and while we had planned to have dinner with wine, we didn't really plan on a "last night out".

After dinner, however, we decided to go to the local Pub the "House on Parliament" for drinks. I knew my weight watcher points had already been used up for the day, but I also knew I had my weekly points allowance and my exercise points so off we went for drinks at the pub.

Although I had already had three glasses of wine I still managed to also have three pints of beer...and a HUGE order of sweet potato fries that I can assure you were not baked in an oven.

The question then became..."how the hell do I figure out how to enter all this in the Weight Watchers Tracker?". This is the type of dilemma that turns people off of Weight Watchers.

Last night I had decided just to move the 49 weekly points allowance into yesterday's points and make the decision that for the rest of the week I will only have my daily points allowance and any new points I generate through exercise.

Today I decided to do my best to be a bit more accurate. It actually wasn't that hard. 

I looked up my points for the wine and beer and entered them on the tracker. The next thing to figure out was the points for the Sweet Potato Fries. The pub I went to does not have nutritional information available so I looked up the Nutritional information for Sweet Potato Fries at the TGIF restaurant as I guessed their fries would be cooked in much the same way. 

When I looked up the nutritional info. at TGIF the website indicated the information was for a "side of fries". I had well more than a "side" of fries so I multiplied the nutritional info by three and calculated the points....it came to 31 whopping points.

So....the grand total at the end of my day yesterday was 101 points (I am allowed 37).

Seems like the end of the world from a weight loss perspective doesn't it? It is not.

Over all, after adding in the 49 weekly points allowance that I am allowed to use at my will, and the activity points I had already earned this week I was in the negative but only by 6 points. I will do 5 points worth of exercise today. This means that as long as I eat just like a normal person today, by tomorrow morning I will only be in the negative by 1 point. 

This goes to show that we can enjoy a good time and still overcome what seems like disaster.

I don't get off scott free, however. I am going to have to be a little more careful the rest of the week.

Looking forward I will use my 37 points daily allowance each day (as I am supposed to) and continue to do 5 points worth of exercise each day. There can be no "skipping the gym" this week.

By tomorrow night I will have paid off my debt and have generated 4 new usable activity points (The five I earn through exercise less the one I was still in the "negative" for). Then on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I will earn five more activity points each day. This means I still have 19 "fun" points available to use.

This is good news as we will be going out Saturday night so I will need them. It will just be drinks Saturday night as we will eat at home. According to Weight Watcher's beer "cheat sheet" a pint of light beer is 4 points. This means that as long as I have a 36 point day Saturday rather than a 37 point day, I can go out that night and have up to 5 pints of light beer. I think that should do me :-)

I am glad I wrote today's blog. It actually helped me to plan the rest of this week out while simultaneously convincing myself once again that the Weight Watchers plan really is doable for life. I can have fun AND lose weight. Well...I guess the scale will determine that next Wednesday :-)

Be healthy!

Alan