The Change, The Challenge, The Medical Incredible!

Well, many things have happened since I last blogged about 

“The Fat Hair Guy Project” 

and ran my first 5K.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

 to all you strangers and friends alike that have approached me with words of support and encouragement. 

Sorry if I looked freaked out if I didn’t recognize you, still getting used to all this.

I am glad to hear that my long suffering has served as an inspiration to some. 

THE CHANGE!

The first thing I will say is that I have now

Lost: 22lbs

And about: 20 inches 

(Most of it out of my butt)

(I think my nurse Mary called it “an acute case of noassatall” very not funny!)

I have struggled with things like finding time to jog at the end of a 10 or 12 hour work day and not munching out at 11pm.

Other than that, I have learned that just being more conscious of my calorie intake from fat v lean foods and portion control, makes a huge difference in the maintaining of my losses and victories over future defeat.

Two things have dawned on me:

1)      As I choose foods from my list that I enjoy, as I re-discover new foods to enjoy, I am now understanding how this thing is going to be sustainable.

2) I am not only buying regular old fashioned food from the grocery store, but I am learning to shop the perimeter. Most of my stuff Fruits, Veggies, Protiens (Clean burning, low fat, low Cal., Lean healthy foods.) are on the out side of the store. The evil stuff, like my cheese puffs and soda and ice cream are in the dark recesses of the store or in there own special hell section. 

THE CHALLENGE !

As you may or may not recall from my first entry, this entire thing was kicked off as a challenge from my lovely Co-Worker Jolene.

After training for a month and 2 weeks to run my first 5K I did just that.

The Jungle Jog served as a catalyst to move me in to a new phase of my life.

I have since attended one other and I am signed up for 1 or 2 more.

I still have yet to find that “Runners High” or a stinking buzz for that matter, but the way I feel being able to keep up with my kids for the fist time and watching them watching me and learning the importance of fitness for a life time, keeps me going!

My Sex drive is over the top! 

One might think that is a good side effect, but my jury is still out. 

I’m not in the market for another hobby, but nice to know I still got it!

 

As I build back muscle mass my weight loss seems to me, to have halted, but I’m cool with that.

I am feeling great. I would still like to lose 5 lbs more for wiggle room as I see the Holidays Creeping Up (What?, I’m not the man of steel.) I will cheat some!   

I would be remiss if I did not give recognition to the lady that kicks my ass every time we get together to “Work Me Out” and Reset my metabolism.

Look I dig Meggin, but dude, between the humiliation of squats on some

POWDER PUFF BLUE YOGA BALL

or working me out with PINK RUBERBANDS

 within eye shot of the buff dudes this entire process takes guts!

As if it were not bad enough that my trainer is Beautiful and Strong and Kind, now I get to be reminded as to how bad I let myself go every time she “Works me out” with a weight bar with NO WIEGHTS ON IT!

Yes, I am a wimp.

I will admit, and this has become my new mantra,

I STILL do not love this process, 

but I am a convert of the power of making fitness a piece of my lifestyle!

My trainer indeed helps keep me accountable and helps me get the most out of the exercise I am doing.

When you are like me, that is to say kicking and screaming the entire way, having someone there to keep an eye on your form and to motivate you to push 1 more time, this is HUGE in the process.

Although it is clear that Personal trainers CAN'T COUNT !!

YOU SAID 5 THREE TIMES AGO !!

Wow, that kills me!

The Medical Incredible!

The biggest news of this round is this.

My doctors have given my their blessing and I am

 OFF MY

 DIABETES MEDICATION!

Yes, OFF!!

This life change has rocked my world! 

I leave the half used bottles of my meds next to new vitamins to stand as a reminder that miracles can happen and that sometimes, even your wimpy best efforts are enough to construct a life change.

I will say it again,

I STILL DON’T LOVE THIS PROCESS, BUT I AM A CONVERT !!

As my elderly, Texan, friend, Kater would say,

“ Well boy, the proofs in the pudding!”

 This pudding has already probably earned me 10 more quality years of life with the ones I love.

What more could I ask for?

I will check in soon with my last update!

For those of you following along,

YOU CAN DO IT !

THIS IS NOT A RACE !
JUST CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES !

   

In the begining .....

Thank You Jungle Club !

In the beginning, I embarked on what I refer to as “The Fat Hair Guy Project”  as a way to compete with one of my co-workers Jolene Grant.

Jolene (The Challenger)

You see, she challenged me to a foot race, but I don’t run. Jolene said it was for charity, for the American Cancer Society run in October and the Jungle Club Run also in October. Little did I know that my dear Co-worker in her sneaky little way was changing my life in ways she could not have foreseen. I think she just wanted to keep me healthy and alive to make sure our Salon stayed alive thus preserving all of our jobs, all the while helping out our fellow man by giving back, because she is good like that.  Instead she pushed my buttons (as she always does) and changed my life and the life of my family forever. I would like to start by saying Thank You to all of those people behind the scenes of this mighty transformation.

Thank You Jolene Grant for pushing me off the edge.

Thank You Laurie Hoover for ratting me out to your sister. You are always looking out.

Thank You Katie Smith at Jungle Club for calling the first meeting.

Thank You Meggin and Andrea at Jungle Club and Total Solutions for the humiliation (Most folks don’t get your photo taken in front of a pretty girl shirtless as a fat old guy, an aggravation that keeps me fit. You kick my butt and somehow I like it!)

 Ok, stop your giggling, we all start someplace!!!!

Day one: After my first super successful season as Vero’s “Ask The Hair Guy” as seen in Vero Beach 32963 News Magazine

 and the opening of my new Salon & Boutique Mark’s At The Pointe,

I found out I was not 20 years old any more. The 12 and 13 hour days and public appearances had dragged me down to exhaustion. All the Fast Food and skipped meals were literally killing me. As a Dietetic, Cancer survivor, Father of 2 boys 3 and 4 years old and Small business owner, I needed help and NOW! 

That’s me the overweight guy in the tourist floral shirt. What am I, a pale tourist from the midwest? Wow, really? Did we have to publish this one?

Enter Andrea Phillips (Jungle Club & Total Solutions),

with kind words and the expectation that I might be listening, she measured and poked and prodded me to become a part of what I saw as Hell on earth. 

I mean really, this young hot girl is gonna tell me how to eat and what to eat and what ever?….. Like Charlie Brown’s teacher all I could hear was Blah Blah Blah Wha Wha Wha…. I have a wife at home if I wanted to be lectured.

Like I needed this! Everyone knows diets are a set up for failure right? Soon I was to find out just how wrong I was.

The next thing they neglected to tell me or maybe I was just not paying attention, was that now they wanted me to decaffeinate? Are You Kidding Me?! The 1 plus liters of Diet Mountain Dew that I have been drinking daily since my first child’s birth is the glue that keeps me together! None the less, I don’t like to fail. I promised I would comply. THANK YOU Pepsi bottling group for Diet Caffeine Free Mountain Dew!

 Look, when you weigh in at 206 lbs and have body fat of like 26%, bmi of 30 plus and a morning fasting blood sugar read out of 120 to 130, you need help. 

Smart as I think I am, I am smart enough to know when I’m loosing. I believe they call this rock bottom.     

My first running experiment looked a little like Big Foot sightings, old people and small children crying as I approached from down the street. This was neither pretty nor nice. 

Look I don’t want to offend any Sasquatch Americans, but this was ugly! This whole bit about the runners high? I am running about 3 miles every other day or so, but not so much as a stinking buzz! I hate running, however I will comply.

Ok, week one and 2 were hard. I was famished and I still hate to work out but I will admit, loosing my first few pounds and 6 plus inches FEELS GOOD! 

My numbers are coming down! Woohoo!!

I could not have done this with out my Hot Wife that packed my lunch everyday for the first 2 weeks. MMMMMM… Grass and Protein shakes, just like mom used to make.

My favorite Peach Mango! 

Real dude!

Inches are coming off ! This is crazy................................

I am starting to enjoy my meeting with Andrea, I almost believe she cares and what guy wouldn’t like the close encounters with a pretty girl.

 You get used to it. Sort of !

 I call this one the lasso! Not sure what she is looking for, but thank you. 

I will check in soon and let you know how its going...........