I have been using this site as a resource for the last several weeks, and after reading everyone else's journal decided to start my own. The basics:
I am 32 from near Milwaukee Wisconsin. I started my 1 millionth diet in December, and am proud to say that this one took. I am down 30 pounds to date. I am married, and my wife began her diet a few weeks after I did and that has helped a lot. She is down about 14 pounds now and I am very proud of her. I am limiting myself to about 1400 calories a day, and excersizing 5 mornings a week. I do 3 days of running on the treadmill, and 2 days on the elliptical. I work about 60 hours a week, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to weight loss.

I do and will always appreciate any and all feedback and comments. This site must lose several hundred pounds a month!

Welcome, Todd. And congrats to both you and your wife. Feeling better, being able to handle all were given and getting healthy is what it's all about. Keep up the great job you're both doing. You couldn't have picked a better place than DT for support.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kerri!

I has a great day on Saturday. The WIFE and I spent the day out and about and made healthy decisions all day. We packed a cooler with healthy food (fruit and veggies) that we kept in the car, and that really helped a lot. We munched before we went into the movie (Firewall, which was campy and cliche) and again before we went grocery shopping. It all worked out so well, and kept me from craving bad food.

Today my WIFE surprised me with a new scale. It is more than a scale, really, because it computes body-fat and hydration percentage as well. It seems great...but the downside is that I weigh a pound and a half more on it than I did on the old one...it feels like someone stole that pound from me and I want it back!

Hi, Todd! :wave: Congratulations to and your wife both for the great success so far. That's a good idea about packing a cooler for Saturday errands/movie! Don't worry 'bout that extra 1.5 pound ... it'll be history soon. You can do it!

Thanks Athletea. Yesterday was a good day, and the cap on a great week. I averaged 1450 calories for the week, and I managed to get my lazy butt on the treadmill/elliptical 6 out of 7 days.

Today was a big day for me health wise as I raised my milage on the treadmill. I was dreading it all day yesterday and it wasn't too bad. As they say, you don't get fit from exercising...you get fit recovering from exercise. Hope everyone has a great Monday. I have to run out quick and get a V-Day card for my wife!

Good for you Todd. Having your wife for support will be a real help, too. I find when my hubby is helping me or eating healthy and working out, too, it makes it a lot easier. Sounds like you're doing great. Like Athletea said, that 1 - 1/2 pound up will be gone in no time, especially with the great job you're doing.

Thanks for stopping by Kerri!

I had a great food and exercise week. I averaged 1350 calories for the week, and was able to eat a little extra at the mongolian bbq on Saturday and still keep my average where I wanted it. Than goodness for fitday! Exercise wise I made 6 days this week, and today was able to add a new "Sprints" work-out on the treadmill...it was exhausting! Add to that that I lost 4 pounds this week, and HAD to go buy some new jeans. I wish every week was this easy...I'm sure I am up for a tough one this week. I have a couple of overnights and some business dinners scheduled...I'll hope for the best.

Todd

Hi todd,
Stop by to see how your doing. Congrats to you and your wife on the loss:cheers: ! way to go. Your work outs sound just great, keep that up and you will see that goal and will feel so much better. I wish you all the best on your journey. I know you will do great!

Have a great week!

Hey Todd,
thought i would stop by and say g'day.
looks like you and your wife are doing awesome.. thats wonderful about dropping 4 pounds and needing to buy new jeans.
Keep up the great work!
hugs bell :)

Saturday 2/25:
Had a good day, I kept busy which kept my mind off of food...that helped a lot. My wife and I went out for dinner, and I entered my calories into fiday BEFORE we went out. That worked well and kept me from overspending.


Sunday 2/26
Did sprints today on the treadmill, and they were harder this week than they were last week. I made 6 out of 7 days with 30 minutes of cardio, which is my goal. That is 3 weeks in a row for me at 6 days. That coincides with 3 weeks of a major plateau, so I am hoping for a big loss this week.

This week has been tough. I made my calorie and exercise goals, but Sunday to Sunday I am UP 2 pounds. This is the first real plateau I have had. I am giving it another week before I really freak out. If nothing changes in a week I'm gonna raise my calories and see if that works. I have averaged 1350 for the last few weeks.

Thanks Millie for stopping by. You are down almost 100 pounds, that is AWESOME.

Bell, thank you as well. My brother lives in Austrailia (Townsville) and I might be coming in June. Should be cooler then, right?!



Todd

Townsville is north of where i am and it gets darn hot there..but by June it should be just nice!
6 out of 7 days working out is awesome.. keep up the great work.
hugs bell :)

Thanks Bell.

February was a good month all around. I lost 15 pounds, did cardio 6 days a week, had no cheat meals/days, and have more energy than I have had in years. This site has been a godsend for ideas, support and accountability. It is always good to know that you aren't in this alone. It also helped to get through February, without a doubt my least favorite month: gray, cold, dark, and dreary...it is the month of no hope! March is a different story! The days are getting longer, MARCH MADNESS, basball spring-training, and a work-sponsored trip to vegas the last week of the month to get out of the cold! Thanks everyone for stopping by...I think we are all getting ready for the best summer ever!

It has been a really good week. I am down another 3 pounds for the week, and am looking forward to upping my miles in the coming week. I have 3 more weeks before I have to go to Vegas on a work trip. I am hoping to lose another 5 pounds before I have to go. I'm excited about it because I will get to see some people that I haven't seen since I was my heaviest, and who know nothing of what I have been working on. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces! I hope everyone had a great week...thanks for stopping by.

That will be awesome to see their faces.they will be proud of the changes you are making inside and out i am sure.
Great job on being down another 3 pounds!
hugs bell :)

You're doing great, Todd. Hope you meet your goal before your trip. That would be really great and people who don't see you regularly really notice a loss, too. Congrats on both your Feb loss and the additional 3 pounds!

Thanks for stopping by Kerri and Bell, I appreciate the support.

Today is the first day I have ever had to skip my exercise. I have had a cold all week, and was able to push through in spite of it until today. Today I was having such a hard time breathing I knew it would be useless to even try. The thing is now that I really feel out of sorts not having my daily run. Who would have imagined that! A few months ago I exercising at all would have been a huge win, and something that I never really thought about. Now I can't imagine NOT exercising. I hope that never changes!

Hope you get to feeling better real soon Todd :)

Your doing :super:

Todd- I definetly know how your feeling, I've been so sick I've missed almost a WEEK at my gym :( I have lost another 1lb tho bringing me to 30 total :D Mon its back to the gym, no doubt. I hope u get to feeling better soon, congrats on your accomplishments so far, you are a big inspiration for me. I know ur wife is so proud of u. Do u ever watch the biggest loser? It comes on NBC on wed nights at 8/7C.... its also very helpful, at least for me, lol. Anyways, get well & keep up the work! :D

Beth and MustLose: Thanks for the kind words. I am finally starting to feel better today than I did yesterday. I was able to get on the eliptical today as well. I am heading to a wedding reception tonight...1st one this year. We are going to eat some healthy food before we go so we aren't tempted by all of the naughty food and drinks. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Hey Todd- Glad to hear ur feeling better, I'm getting there, slowly but surley, lol.

Hi Todd :)
Once you get the exercise addiction its in your blood buddy! sounds like you have it well and truly!!
Glad that you are starting to feel better though. there is no point in working out when you are really sick though. i have done that and ended up almost getting pneumonia.. not working out really bums you out though doesnt it? glad you managed to get back to it so quickly though.
so how was the wedding reception? eating healthy before you go sounds like a great plan to me.
hugs bell :)
p.s i love your avatar..very cool!

I like your avatar.. I find it.. relaxing to stare at. Hehehe

I am happy you are feeling better.. I had to back off the workouts too, which is HARD.. but you do what you have to do, right?

Corinna

Hey Todd

Cool Avatar. Thanks for dropping by in my journal. You are really dropping the pounds dude, keep up the consistency, great work !

Wow, thanks for stopping by everybody!

Mustlose: Glad you are feeling better. I was doing sprints today on the treadmill as the last remnants are hanging around. My lungs really burned, but it felt great in a weird way.

Bell: I totally agree with the exercise addiction. Who knew? On another note closer to your home, my brother who lives in townsville got engaged on Saturday! We are putting together a care package now for him.

Corrina: I got bored with the usual avatars and found the dancing superheroes on some website. How do I get so fascinated by the little things?

Jumpsoda: Thanks for stopping by, I appreciated the advice on the glycogen stuff. I have been including a day of sprints into my week of running for the last 4 weeks, and have really noticed an increase in my fitness. My resting heart rate is down from 75 BPM to 70 BPM over the last month, and is down from 90 in December. My heart beats 28,800 less times per day now...WOW!

The wedding reception was fun, and a little white-trashy which made it more fun. We went down to the south suburbs of Chicago for it, which is a whole other world. THANK GOD I ate before we went, everything they had there was completely sinful. Being semi-full really helped a lot.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Todd

Do you have any goals with your running? A race? A distance? My husband started THINKING about training for a triathlon, but he hates swimming (I got all excited thinking he'd train with me) so I am trying to convince him to do a duathlon now.. It'd be nice to go cycling as a family, too. :)

Corinna

Corrina, that is a good question. I have given it some thought, but haven't landed on anything yet. I am gonna run through the spring and maybe into the summer, and see how ambitious I get. There is a 5/10K in my home town on Labor day, that would be fun. I am up to 2 and 1/2 miles in 1/2 hour which is about all I can spare each day for exercise. I have never run this far in a half hour in my life!

Congratulations! It's an awesome feeling, isn't it? :)

Corinna

Hi Todd! I just caught up with some of your posts. You are doing great! Congrats on the weight loss and consistency and commitment. That's awesome! I also run three times a week with hubby and we're thinking about upping our run b/c we're at 2.5 right now and it takes us a little under 30 minutes also. That's awesome you'd like to do a marathon! We're thinking about doing that but I am training for a tri for next spring. Mini goals. Woohoo!

Corrina: Yeah, if people only knew ho I spend 5am to 5:45 every morning they wouldn't believe it!

Melinda: Thanks for stopping by, it looks like you have lost some serious weight. My wife is losing with me as well, but she diets with me, I can't get her to exercise. She is always planning on starting "next week." Maybe with the summer coming she'll come around. She is a principal at a big school for 4th and 5th graders (about 1800 students) and it is concert/play/sports time so she has been working some long hours. June should be another story!

As far as running in a marathon, I am not opposed to the idea, but I'm gonna wait until I can do 10 miles or more on a long run before I make any plans, and that most likely won't be until this summer/fall. Maybe in 2007? Could be a good maintainance strategy. I was just watching another program on the news using the same statistic that I have seen (and been a part of) a hundred times: 90% of people who lose weight gain it back within 5 years, and 50% gain it back in 1 year. I want to be in the "cool" 10% this time!

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

Hi Todd,
I too am loving the exercise regime that I've recently put myself on. I walk every morning (starting slow at 18 minutes - - two laps around my big block) and will build up to more time as the weeks go by.

5:00 a.m. - 5:45 a.m.? WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I ever get out at that hour I'll be sending you good vibes from NY. Most likely though, is I'll be turning over in bed and getting cozy for another cpl of hours. What time do you got to bed??

I think that when your spouse joins you in weight loss is makes ALL the difference in the world. My husband did it with me (Weight Watchers) a cpl of years ago and we both lost. Problem is, we've gained it back.

This time I'm doing it for good. I've had enough!! Keep up the great work. I'll be looking out for your progress.

Bye for now.

Thanks Arianne, you are EXACTLY right. I wouldn't be doing HALF as well as I am now without my wife's partnership and support. It is good to have an ally on your journey.

I have to get up that early to get my exercise in, and I am not thrilled about it. I need to be on the road each morning by 7am. I never know when I am getting home from work. Could be as early as 6, or could be as late as 9. When I tried exercising in the evenings it seemed much easier to have excuses NOT to exercise. I know now that if I don't get it in in the morning that there is a good chance I won't get it in at all. The benefit is really in my mood all day. It is good to start your day already feeling like you have accomplished something. It is very powerful. On weekends I ALWAYS sleep in. I normally get started on Saturdays between 8-10, and on Sundays I don't exercise until the afternoon. I take Tuesdays off. Not sure how that day was picked, but it has been working great for me!

I definitely agree that starting the day off with exercise is a mood enhancer. I feel great for hours after I've walked! I used to jog (when I was far lighter) and I would love to do it again after I've taken off a considerable amt of pounds because my knees just can't take it. I loved the high I would get from jogging. Walking doesn't give me that, but I'll take the far milder joy it does give me. Maybe one day I'll jog again, but I'm not so sure. I want to start an exercise habit that I can stick with. Walking I can do.

And speaking of that, I'm going to get out with my two little guys to enjoy the last of daylight for the day. When we come back I'll plan a smart dinner that doesn't include lots of starch (my favorite).

Thanks Todd, for saying hello. Nice to meet you. Keep up the great work. I see you've lost quite a bit already, so you must feel pretty terrific.

Have a nice rest of your day.

Hey Todd, just stopping by to see how ur doing, congrats on all ur progress, your def a striver... I know you'll make it! :D TTYL

It has been a weird week. Tuesday and Wednesday I ended up with just 900 calories. I was traveling on business that week. The options were terrible for dinner, and I ended up with french onion soup and a salad...and ended up back in the hotel room scarfing down 2 south beach bars. Same, same for both nights. Then, after returning home on Thursday I couldn't stop eating. I ended up OK calorie wise because I ate a lot of low cal food...but I haven't had cravings like that for months. I really didn't like feeling that way.

I did my normal exercise routine while traveling (1 day on the eliptical, and 1 day running on the treadmill.) I can't belive how much harder it was to do the same amount of exercise on different equipment. I have read about avoiding muscle memory, but I have never felt it like that before. The first thing I did when I got home was to adjust the cushioning on the treadmill. I must have it set too high. I want to take it easy on my joints, but I am really looking forward to running outside this summer. I am going to reduce the cushioning 1 setting each week for the next 4 weeks until I am at the lowest setting. I hope that works.

Thanks MustLose and everyone else for stopping by...I hope you had a great week.

Hi Todd,
Wow you are doing just wonderfull! Congrats on the lose and all the great exercising!You are just going to town. That is great that your wife is doing it with you. Keep up the great work!

I love your avatar. Have a GREAT one!

Hi Todd,

I wanted to give you a ^5 on how far you have come and it is good to see you being so aware of your health. Also, a note on muscle memory... I used to do the same routine every single day for a year. Now, when I say that, I dont mean I did the same exact thing everyday, I did the same routine. I would do cardio the first day and weights the next day. But I did the same cardio and the same weights. Now, granted I did lose weight every week... but I wasnt seeing the muscle change I wanted. My body quickly got used to my routine and it was no longer challenged like I wanted it to be. Dont get mem wrong, it was still hard and I was still sweating so of course, I will still losing weight... just not the way I wanted. Yea, its never good enough, is it? Ha! :laugh:

So, I decided to do something different. I have liked the changes... it is much more fun! I lift weights everyday, I do cardio about 3 times a week. I do completely different routines everyday, they are never the same. Its easy for me though, because I go to a gym. I just go to different machines everyday, and I do different weights. I also do lunges, lifts and crunches... so my body never gets used to it. Anyway, try it some time... it works. I throw in something outside sometimes too... I guess I have finally gotten to the point of liking exercise. I hit golf balls, throw ball, swim. Either way, what you are doing is working and you ROCK! This is just my 2 cents... >clink clink<

Keep it up!

Wow, Todd! What a great week of discovery for you. One of the amazing things I've noticed is I experience new understanding of my body here and there while on this journey to lose weight. Sounds like you learned a lot just in this week - your body needs more than 900 cals for 2 days or you crave and want to binge and you need to vary your exercise to reach all the muscles you want to. I love weeks like that. You're doing awesome. Thanks for your support at my journal, too.

It seems like forever since I have posted here. I have been traveling 4 nights a week for work as I am doing some corporate training for the next couple of months. Eating has been a real stress for me while I am out. We always tend to go to some really nice restaurants, which is nice, but the food options for me are so limited I end up not eating enough. I really feel that eating too few calories over the last couple of weeks has really slowed my weightloss down.

Exercise has been easier, and more interesting. Because I am in so many different hotels I end up on different equipment every few days. The new equipment is always different than what I am used to, which provides for a better workout and combats muscle memory.

On a positive note I passed the 50 pound mark last week which I am really proud of. I have more thoughts surrounding that, and will post more later when I have more time. I am writing this from an airport and we are getting ready to board. I hope everyone has a great week. Thanks to Millie, Shelby, and Kerri for stopping by!

passing the 50 pound mark!!!! thats an awesome accomplishment! i am really proud of you!
At least when you are eating at all those fancy restaurants you arent eating too much..maybe just pack some low cal snacks with you so you can have one after your meal when you are back at the hotel etc if you are worried about your cals being too low.
keep up the great work Todd!
hugs bell :)

hey todd, i just wanted to congrat u on the 50 lbs mark! thats awesome! update us, when u can.. :D

Hey Todd,
just checking in to see how you are doing? havent seen a post from you for a while..i am sure you are just busy.
Stop in and let us know how you are doing!
hugs bell :)