Where do I stand now?

My last weigh-in had me sitting at a total of 218 lbs, which was a 7 lbs loss in 4 weeks. This was slightly under my goal, but my body fat percentage had dropped significantly from 25% to 18%. To hit my total goal I will need to have lost another 18 lbs in the remaining weeks with a finishing weight of 200 lbs. A lot of people are surprised by my big goal I have set. The reason it is so high is that I wanted to motivate myself to work harder than ever. Not only that, but if I fall short, I will achieve a lot of success.

How far have I really come?

With all that said I also want to highlight something else. When I first moved to Toronto I weighed in at 250 lbs. In the course of a couple of years I had put on a total of 70 lbs, the most ashamed I have ever been with myself. After moving I made a vow to myself to finally get into the shape I deserve. After I hit my 200 lbs goal I am going to set a new one based on how much further I think I need to go.

For everyone to understand and a reminder to myself, the following is a picture of where I was at during the worst shape of my life. Here’s to hitting my goals!

• Weight as of March 15 was 225.4 lbs
• Weight as of April 5 is 218.4 lbs (loss of 7 lbs)
• Overall I am 3 lbs behind as goal was to lose 10 lbs in first month

Now onto body fat percentage:

• Body fat percentage as of March 15 was 25% (or 56 lbs of body fat)
• Body fat percentage as of April 5 is 18% (or 39 lbs of body fat)
• Overall I think I’m making great progress here

Since my weigh in I haven’t skipped a beat, running a 13 kilometre run the very next day. Here is to keeping motivated and working hard!

Celebrating this as a means to appreciate my current efforts and to motivate me forward. Only 7 weeks left to go.

See the image from my iPhone tracking my progress. This is he Nike+ app.

The Results Are In

Bet you’re wondering what the states are, so let’s get right to them.

• Total Weight – 225 lbs (last week) – 222 lbs (this week) = 3 lbs loss
• Body Fat (%) - 26% (last week) – 22% (this week) = 4% loss
• Body Fat (lbs) - 59 lbs – 49 lbs = 10 lbs loss

Patting myself on the back for a first week with great results.

Goals for Next Week

My plan is to keep up the good work but tighten up on a few dietary things where I have checked with sauces or carbs. Additionally, when I do have carb based meals my plan is to put them 3 hours before a big workout or run to burn them off during my workout. After the workouts, I will go all protein and veggies.

Also plan to keep the running up to a high. Ran a 5k with a co-worker this week and my energy was high, so I think running will be my new love (thank you Nike+)!

Let’s see what happens next week.

This is why I have taken on a new challenge for myself and I am more dedicated than ever. My goal is to lose 25lbs in 10 weeks. Right now I am finishing up my first week and Thursday will be my first weigh in. Let’s hope for 2.5lbs or more!

I figure the blog would be a good way to journal my activities along the way and keep myself motivated.

So what am I doing to lose this weight? Well let me break it down.

Food: (Breakfast) protein shake, oatmeal with blueberries and three egg white omelet. (Lunch) salad with chicken. (Dinner) chick or salmon with veggies. (Snacks) carrots, almonds and apples. (Liquids) water. (After Workouts) another protein shake.

What I’m not eating much of, sugars, salts and carbs. This means no drinking and no dough foods. Don’t even ask about fried food.

Fitness: (Trainer) two days a week hard cardio. (Weight Lifting) two to three times a week. (Running) so far 20 kilometer but aiming for near 30 by weekend end [thank you Nike+ GPS App]. (Fun) any additional sporting activity.

So here’s to beating my goal with a sledge hammer. Hopefully I can inspire a sole along the way.

Tonight after an evening out I came home to check some emails and noticed on my Twitter feed a number of tweets about Steve Jobs. As we all know now, Steve Jobs has passed away leaving many of us saddened.

I simply wanted to share my condolence with his family, friends and those whom knew and worked for the company I admire the most.

For me, Steve Jobs and Apple have been an inspiration.  It was a legend that I’ve been able to watch through the growth of my early adult years. A company’s philosophy to “Think Different,” which I have lived with every day since I heard those words.

Barack Obama wrote a few words last night in regards to Steve Job’s passing and re-reading, they hit me hard. Appreciate these words:

“The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

The following are some quotes by Steve that I grabbed off Twitter that I will always live with:

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you want to become.”

“Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

Simply put, I have loved everything Apple stands for, from before I owned a single product and even more since I’ve joined the cult. I’m truly and deeply saddened and will continue to keep is wisdom as part of the way I live my life.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” read the entire quote here.

The reality is that we are afraid of what we can become if only leave behind many things we know that are comfortable and embrace new opportunities. It’s understandable that stepping into the unknown is a scary place to be as you can never be sure what you will encounter. For those who are hesitant to embrace change, this is even more difficult.

Additionally, many people are afraid they will let themselves down. That they can not take the disappointment of not succeeding and others and even they will view themselves as a failure. Honestly, how wants to feel as if they can’t achieve their own goals?

Ever since the beginning of time we were meant to exceed our parents and past generations. If we have come from cavemen, then think of how far we have excelled. Think of how far the world has progressed since the creation of the computer. The only true failure if giving up on yourself. Everything you do might not be successful, but learning what not to do is one step closer to the right thing.

Giving up is the opposite of progression. You are willing choosing to allow the world move ahead while you not only stand still, but watch as everything passes you. I’ve always believed that you are either moving forward or backwards, there is never a state of standing still.

Everyone has the ability to succeed simply by taking steps forward.  You won’t let yourself down, you’re the only one who truly is looking out for yourself all the time. Who’s got your back more than you?

All of this year I have tried to lose weight and get into good shape.  Before I moved to Toronto, while I was living in my mother’s house I was having a hard time controlling my diet.  This was because I didn’t have control of the groceries and even my schedule.  I couldn’t create a routine and limit myself to healthy foods.

Even when I moved to Toronto and stayed with family I still struggled a bit.  This is because it wasn’t my house to control.  Not being in charge of my routine and living space put me out of ease.

Now that I am living in my space I have improved my diet.  This has brought me perspective of how important it is to be able to have control over your environment.  If you can’t control what is going on around you, it can easily influence you. Think of someone trying to quit smoking and hanging out in the smoking section.

Discipline not only involves regiment and making the right choices, but also setting yourself up to succeed – that means controlling your environment.