One Little Index Card

One little index card.

The last time I seriously tried to lose weight, I brought an index card with me to the gym and carried it around as I worked out.

On the index card, I wrote 210. That’s the weight I wanted to get to. That was my end goal. That also was about seven years ago.

I’m happy to report I have recently got down to the number on the card. I weighed in at 209 on Sunday.

But now I want more. I still have about 15 pounds to go to get to my end goal of 100 pounds of weight loss.

So I decided to break out another index card. On this one, I will write 194. That’s the end goal. That’s where I want to be and my target date is December 3, also known in my circle as my daughter’s birthday.

Having kids can be motivating. You have to be on your toes. You have to be ready to move at moment’s notice. I felt like I needed to make changes in my life to be a better dad and husband.

One of my friends at Anytime Fitness, the manager actually, told me choosing my daughter’s birthday was a great idea.

In her words, and I am paraphrasing, she said your daughter has been your biggest cheerleader during the entire process so it makes sense to make the big day her big day.

Now, can I get there? That’s 15 more pounds in about seven weeks.

It won’t be easy. And if I don’t hit the date, it won’t be the end of the world. But having that index card with me while I work out will help motivate me to do another set or two on days I just don’t feel like being there.

I will get to 100 pounds at some point. But getting it done before that date would make it special for me and her.

Update: I did not reach the 100 pound mark by December 3. We are still trying to hit that mark but will get there at some point.

A promised weight loss update from August

I promised a reader I would update my weight-loss journey every so often and have really failed to do so lately.

So I think it’s time for another one.

Things are still going well. Better than I expected to be honest. I have lost 70 pounds since January 10.

There have been many more ups than downs the past eight months but there have been weeks that just puzzle me.

I weigh in every Sunday. And this past Sunday’s scale reading showed minimal weight loss from the week before. It can be frustrating. Especially since you know you had a great week outside of one day.

I took my daughter to Pizza Ranch on Saturday. We were home without Mom for most of the weekend. We stayed home Friday but I let her choose the place for Saturday and we hadn’t been there in what seemed like forever.

I tried to eat the best I could but did indulge in some pizza and I finished her cheese bread.

Unfortunately, that one day probably hurt the scale reading the next morning.

And it came after a strong week of exercise where I hit 30 minutes of exercise each day and reached more than 11,000 steps in five of the seven days, including 20,000 steps on Thursday.

I have seen similar weeks to that before. Where you think the scale is going look great and it just doesn’t. And then I lose more than I expected another week.

It’s a process. And one that I don’t plan on getting away from. I like this version of me way more than where I was in January. It won’t be easy and I’m sure I will have some tough moments, but I don’t plan on going back.

I have changed my goal since starting, too. I figured why stop now and lock myself into one goal. You can always improve.

So now, instead of wanting to get around 220 pounds (I weighed in at 224 on Sunday), the new goal is to lose 100 pounds by next spring break.

We have a trip planned during that time for the first time since I can remember and I would love to be under 200 pounds for it. I would be at that milestone for the first time since maybe college? I don’t even know when I was last under 200 pounds.

The last time I gave an update, I had to get through state wrestling and state track and some other key times of the year when it’s basically impossible to eat well. But I did it.

Protein bars were a life saver. I just packed a few in my bag every day and it got me through long days.

I ran into a former boss at the Iowa Shrine Bowl in late July and we talked a little bit about the changes. He doesn’t know how I was able to get rid of energy drinks. It’s a staple with sports journalists who work long days and are up until 2 a.m. each night.

The truth is, I didn’t give them up. One of my biggest early changes was an adjustment of what I purchased at gas stations. I love gas station food and drinks. It’s quick. It’s easy. And it’s not all that expensive.

I got up to 294 pounds because I purchased sugar-packed energy drinks and hot gas station food like hamburgers, chicken and rib sandwiches, burritos and corn dogs every night.

Now, my almost daily trips to Kwik Star consist of diet pop, sugar-free and zero-calorie energy drinks and bananas with the occasional Muscle Milk thrown in there.

I’m still drinking a protein shake every day for breakfast. That includes protein powder, ice and a banana. I have recently added pumpkin to the shake after one of my fitness YouTube personalities told me it helps with muscle growth. So we’ll see how that goes.

Another friend asked me the other day if all I eat now is chicken breast. I chuckled a bit, but she’s not too far off. I do eat a lot of chicken breast.

Some other key low-calorie foods that have played a role in the weight loss include cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tuna fish sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, bananas, apples and pickle spears.

I eat a lot of salads, too. I put chicken breast, eggs and croutons in those and I don’t think I am suffering through it at all.

The last column update, I mentioned doing daily push-ups and squats. That’s still going strong. I am now doing 4 sets of 25 each so 100 per day. That helps me get some exercise in even if I can’t get to the gym that day.

Here’s to my next goal of 100 pounds and here’s to limiting the amount of Mexican food I eat weekly.

A weight-loss journey update from June

I wrote this column back in June. I wanted to share some articles on my weight-loss journey here as I approach the 100 pounds of weight loss. I am about 7 pounds away as of today and a few days after a not-so-good holiday weekend of eating a few too many sweets. 

I will share a few more stories a long the way as we get to the finish line. 

Here's the article that I published in the middle of June. 

When I stepped on the scale Sunday morning, it read the same exact weight as the week before.

I wasn’t bummed. I wasn’t frustrated. Just more motivated.

Sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I thought I had a great week when it came to working out and the stuff I put in my body. But the scale doesn’t lie.

Since January 10, I have lost 63 pounds. It’s been an almost complete overhaul of what I eat and drink on a daily basis.

I cut out unhealthy gas station food, energy drinks that are high in sugar and I stopped snacking just to snack.

Those were the biggest issues I had that caused my weight to get to an all-time high back in January.

Some weeks have seen huge drops in weight. Some weeks showed minimal weight gain. My average weight loss per week has been three pounds with the largest being 11.2 pounds way back in Week 2 of the program.

When someone asks me what my secret has been, I don’t exactly know what to say. Most of things you can do to lose weight are common sense stuff. Most of us simply don’t want to do what is required to do.

I was one of those people for a long time. Because of the nature of my job, it was always easier to just stop at the gas station before I left town to cover a sporting event. Or grab something from there when I got back into town before I went to the office.

Now, when I go into those places, I buy diet pop, cottage cheese, yogurt, Muscle Milk and/or bananas.

I am pre-cooking food in advance so I can re-heat healthier options when it's convenient. Things like hard boiled eggs, chicken breasts and fish.

I have had a lot of salads in the past four months. But every salad I eat has chopped up chicken breasts, smashed up hard boiled eggs and croutons in it. The salad dressing is the only thing that is probably not the best but who eats salad without dressing?

The chicken breasts and fish have been awesome in the process. The BBQ sauce is not but again, you can’t get rid of everything.

And guess what, if you eat clean throughout the day, you are still able to eat things you ate before a few times a week. Like Mexican food.

I have tried to stay consistent through the process. Every morning, I wake up, make a protein shake with a banana and some ice for breakfast, eat tuna fish sandwiches or Greek yogurt or a chicken breast and egg salad for lunch and then eat whatever a lot of times for supper.

The next question I get involves the fitness part of the equation. I have always worked out. But there has been things I have done to add to the workouts.

My daughter and I do push-ups every day. It started with 25 per day in January and has built up to 50 every day in June. The number will keep growing and my daughter has been keeping me motivated and challenging me more every day.

It’s been a lot easier to run when you are less weight, too. I started out early in the process by doing sprint-type HIIT workouts on the treadmill to shred some weight.

It moved to timed three mile runs where I tried to better my time every workout. I also have learned through one of my favorite YouTube channels that walking can be just as effective as running. Especially if you put the treadmill at an incline.

The most surprising part of this process has been the fact that I was able to lose weight on the weeks of state wrestling and state track and field. And instead of riding in a golf cart to cover that sport, I chose to walk every time.

This process hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t always been fun. But it has been worth it. I feel great. And I was able to fulfill a promise I made to my daughter a few years back that I would get into better shape to be able to do more activities with her outside.

We all need a little motivation when it comes to weight loss. Besides doing what I told my daughter I would do, my biggest motivation was that I was ashamed at what I had become.

I’m still not quite where I want to be. But I'm no longer ashamed. That’s a great feeling.

Has to be Wilson, Fields or Lance

 The San Francisco 49ers made one of its biggest trades in the past 20 years when they moved up from No. 12 to No. 3 in the NFL Draft. 

Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch hitched their wagon to the quarterback of the future and if it fails, they may not get to pick another one. 

They get could have gotten Mac Jones at 12 in some folk's opinions. So I can't imagine them making this move to guarantee they get him. 

I have heard several with that opinion though. Including 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco, who is more plugged in than anyone. 

There are a lot of smokescreens. I have no idea what to believe. But I think the guy they would take if there is Zach Wilson. But he's expected to go 2nd overall to the Jets. 

That leaves Trey Lance and Justin Fields. As a fan, I would take either of them. I think they both would add a dynamic to Shanahan's offense that he hasn't had since RG3. 

Fields was incredible accurate in college. Shanahan puts a lot of value on that. Jones was accurate, too. But if he can get the accuracy with the tools of Fields, I think that's what he does. 

The pick is huge for 2021 and the future. They cannot miss on this pick, whoever it is. I will trust the brass to make the right choice. Adam Peters seems to hit on a lot of first-round picks so just do what he wants to do. 

My only wish is to find a quarterback who can make plays and stay on the field. Injuries at the QB position have really hurt the 49ers in two of the past three seasons. The one year it didn't hurt, SF was in the Super Bowl. 

My gut says Kyle wants Fields or Wilson over all. And I feel like he knows what the Jets are going to do. Maybe Robert Saleh did his old boss a favor and told them their plan so they make up their own plan in response to it. 

Just take guy who can lead us to 3 or 4 more championships. No pressure. 

Weight loss not enough anymore

The scale read a number that was 2.8 pounds less than the week before. But it wasn't good enough this time. 

I had a goal to get under 250 pounds for the first time in what felt like a few years. It read 250.4. So even a 2.8 pound weight loss was a failure to me. 

Not really. But I wasn't happy with just that. I had a great week of nutrition. I am running and exercising more than normal. I thought it was coming. 

Guess I will have to wait until next week. 

Today's 3-mile run was time in 27:23. On Friday, I ran the same distance in 27:49. Every time I get on the treadmill to do that 3-mile run, the time is faster than the previous one. Not sure how much faster I can go but I will continue to give my best effort. 

And the music is helping me out every step of the way. 

Here's 249.9 this week. It has to happen.  

Pushing Through Adversity

Weight loss is a challenge. If it wasn't, we would all be skinny, healthy and in control of our physical activity. 

As I started on another weight-loss journey on January 10, it had gone very well. It was feeling like it was easy. 

But if last week was any indication, things won't always be easy. I have lost more than 40 pounds since that date in January but last week was my first "gaining" week. I only gained .2 pounds but it wasn't the consistent 2-5 pound loss week that I had been seeing since I started.

I had one gigantic 11-pound weight loss week at the very beginning but it's been around 2-6 pounds consistently since I started. 

I could blame Spring Break. I could give other excuses. But sometimes things don't go your way. I maintained my hours at the gym. That hasn't been the issue. And I don't feel like I did that much different. My nutrition isn't perfect it wasn't that bad last week. Sometimes, it's just not your week. 

My official weigh-in days are Sundays. But I stepped on the scale today and already had a few pounds lost. We'll see what the scale says on Sunday because I have seen it the other way too on this journey. 

I really will celebrate getting under 250 pounds. When I started, I was 294 pounds. That's probably the most I have weighed in my life. Not a good feeling. But as I continue to shred the weight, I continue to see what it was like about 5 years ago when I was training for half marathons and 10K races. 

I am running consistently now and last week started a streak of running for 30 minutes straight and seeing how far I can get. The goal is to improve my three-mile time every time I run. So far, that has worked as I completed three miles today in 28 minutes. 

I have been charted my miles in 2021. I went 37.64 in January. The number increased to 42.21 last month and so far in March I have gone 51.14 mies. 

The lighter I get, the easier it is to run and even walk further. And it's getting nicer outside so walks and runs to the gym as warm-ups will be happening consistently soon. 

The food intake is still challenging. I do really well with breakfast and lunch and save all of my points for dinner. But I still like to snack late at night. Those snacks have just gone from chips and cookies to apples, pretzels and things like hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese and protein bars. 

Recently, I tried some Greek Yogurt. It's a low-point item and I loved it. So that might be something I hit up pretty hard in the coming weeks. 

Things are still going well. My jeans continue to be harder to wear (because they are too big) but I also know that it won't always be easy or perfect. 

Dominating the week

 When I stepped on the scale on Sunday morning, it said I was down almost three more pounds. That's nearly 40 pounds since Jan. 10. 

I feel good. The pants needed a new belt. And I am running better and longer than I have since my half-marathon days. 

I use an Apple Watch to keep track of my steps, move calories, exercise minutes and stand hours. 

Unofficially I set new personal records in exercise minutes on Tuesday and then had my second best day on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday, I went walked to the gym and then back home, which is one mile each. I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes at the gym, then walked our dog with my daughter later in the day. That was a half-mile walk. After that, my daughter wanted to go further on our own. 

In total, I put in 91 exercise minutes, went eight miles and took 16,909 steps. 

Wednesday's workout included a 3.19 mile run around my neighborhood after my mile walk to the gym. That day included 75 exercise minutes, 15,812 steps and 8.3 total miles. 

This was all after going 58 exercise minutes, 13,269 steps and 6.4 miles on Monday. 

Things couldn't have started any better this week as far as exercise goes. I have done OK with the diet too. The breakfast, lunch and snacks side of things continue to go well. We cooked at home for supper on Monday, Aubrey and I got her traditional "Subway on Dance night" dinner on Tuesday and we ordered Montana Mikes on Wednesday. 

Just when I think I will have my first positive gain week of this process, it always ends well on that Sunday weigh in, 

This is conferences week for the wife so Aubrey and I will be together all day Thursday after she gets out of school at 1:30. I should be able to eat well all day and not over-eat.

I am glad things have started well on the exercise front this week after taking a day trip to my in-laws on Saturday. We had a little too much fun with the diet as we celebrated a birthday with ice cream. And I ate Chick Fil A on the drive home. 

So I needed to get off to a good start to hopefully shed those extra pounds. It was a fun day but eating out of my current comfort zone makes me a little nervous. I think I made up for it though. 

Unfortunately, the weather is supposed to turn back to chilly temperatures for about a week or so. That likely means less walks but the gym is always there when I need it in this situations. And my pre-cooked food should get me through the rest of the week. 

Wish me luck. And thanks for reading.