Hello and welcome to the Christmas edition of my weight loss blog! I uploaded a new vlog post to my YouTube channel. You can find links to both my channel and the new video at the bottom of this post.
I did not lose much weight since the previous weigh in post dated December 20th. I am happy to have lost weight though. My weight loss barely even registers at 0.2 of a pound. My current weight is 352 pounds. Total weight loss now stands at nearly six (5.8) pounds.
I had a great Christmas! I hope that you did too! I did not restrain myself as much as I should have. I did drink some regular soda. I am not too happy with myself about that. Still, I have heard many times that successful people are often the ones that just keep trying after failing. I am going to keep my chin up and try to do better.
All things considered, I am happy to have lost weight on Christmas day even if it was just a little bit. Progress is progress. It can be very difficult to lose weight during the holiday season. Please check out my video linked below for some other thoughts on Christmas and holidays in general. The next weigh in post will be January 1st, 2017. I cannot believe that we are about to start a new year already. It seems like just yesterday that 2016 was starting up and now it is over. I hope to make 2017 the year I drop some serious weight. Anyone with me? We can do anything if we make up our minds to really do it. Time to get busy. Until next time, goodbye!
My Weight Loss Journey 12/25/2016 Vlog 2
ATechWiz YouTube Channel
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Calories 12/25/16-12/31/16
12/25/2016: Consumed 2,415 calories. 3,488 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/26/2016: Consumed 2,739 calories. 3,427 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/27/2016: Consumed 2,934 calories. 3,156 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/28/2016: Consumed 1,804 calories. 3,715 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/26/2016: Consumed 2,739 calories. 3,427 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/27/2016: Consumed 2,934 calories. 3,156 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/28/2016: Consumed 1,804 calories. 3,715 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/29/2016: Consumed 4,566 calories. 3,381 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/30/2016: Consumed 1,784 calories. 3,861 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/31/2016: Consumed 3,705 calories. 3,328 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/30/2016: Consumed 1,784 calories. 3,861 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/31/2016: Consumed 3,705 calories. 3,328 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Setback
Hello and welcome. Today is the 20th of December and that means it is weigh in day! I am afraid that the numbers reflect the effort this time. Unfortunately, I do not mean that in a good way.
Since the prior weigh in on December 15th, I have gained exactly three (3.0) pounds. My current weight is 352.2 pounds. My total weight loss thus far is now a touch over five and a half (5.6) pounds.
I am upset with myself. I went a little crazy this week. I have been drinking a lot of regular soda lately. This needs to stop. My plan is to drink more water and possibly tea. This should cut a large number of calories out of my diet that have no nutritional value.
I have decided to start doing a video log of my weight loss journey as well. I will link to those videos here on my web blog but if you want a direct link to my channel, here it is. ATechWiz YouTube Channel. Feel free to subscribe if you wish to follow along there.
The interesting thing about doing video blogs is being able to see the weight loss even in the face. I have a few videos of myself on the YouTube channel around the time I had dropped quite a bit of weight the first time and I think it is pretty dramatic.
I really need to get focused and drop the soda. I am trying to focus on one thing at a time and then move on to some other issues that I need to work on. I will likely discuss those in future blog posts. For now, if I can drop the soda that will be a big step towards consistently losing some weight. The next weigh in will be on Christmas day! The best gift that I can give myself would be to drop some weight by then. Linked below is the video that goes along with this post. Enjoy and feel free to make fun of me. I look forward to the next post! Goodbye.
My Weight Loss Journey 12/20/2016 Vlog 1
Since the prior weigh in on December 15th, I have gained exactly three (3.0) pounds. My current weight is 352.2 pounds. My total weight loss thus far is now a touch over five and a half (5.6) pounds.
I am upset with myself. I went a little crazy this week. I have been drinking a lot of regular soda lately. This needs to stop. My plan is to drink more water and possibly tea. This should cut a large number of calories out of my diet that have no nutritional value.
I have decided to start doing a video log of my weight loss journey as well. I will link to those videos here on my web blog but if you want a direct link to my channel, here it is. ATechWiz YouTube Channel. Feel free to subscribe if you wish to follow along there.
The interesting thing about doing video blogs is being able to see the weight loss even in the face. I have a few videos of myself on the YouTube channel around the time I had dropped quite a bit of weight the first time and I think it is pretty dramatic.
I really need to get focused and drop the soda. I am trying to focus on one thing at a time and then move on to some other issues that I need to work on. I will likely discuss those in future blog posts. For now, if I can drop the soda that will be a big step towards consistently losing some weight. The next weigh in will be on Christmas day! The best gift that I can give myself would be to drop some weight by then. Linked below is the video that goes along with this post. Enjoy and feel free to make fun of me. I look forward to the next post! Goodbye.
Calories 12/20/16-12/24/16
12/20/2016: Consumed 1,938 calories. 3,687 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/21/2016: Consumed 3,332 calories. 3,780 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/22/2016: Consumed 3,934 calories. 3,872 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/23/2016: Consumed 2,611 calories. 3,808 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/21/2016: Consumed 3,332 calories. 3,780 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/22/2016: Consumed 3,934 calories. 3,872 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/23/2016: Consumed 2,611 calories. 3,808 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/24/2016: Consumed 1,840 calories. 3,832 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
The Tortoise
Welcome back to yet another weigh in post! Today is December 15th. I heard from some readers of the blog that perhaps I have been a little too focused on getting off to a fast start or at least to not be discouraged about dropping a pound at these early weigh ins. I appreciate that very much. It is easy to feel as though things should be happening at a more rapid pace. In the end, making progress is what it is all about. Perhaps like the tortoise in the old children's story, slow and steady will win the race. How did I do this time?
Since the previous weigh in on December 10th, I have lost nearly one (0.8) pound. My current weight is 349.2 pounds. My total weight loss so far is a little more than eight and a half (8.6) pounds.
I think I will begin to break up my short term weight loss goals into small bite-sized objectives. See what I did there? If only I was as funny as I think I am. With where I am right now, I can always have a goal just a couple of pounds away. For example, my next goal will be ten pounds of total weight loss. After that, my next goal would be to weigh in below 345 pounds. The goal after that would be fifteen pounds of total weight loss and so on.
I don't have a lot to blog about this time. I am just going to keep my focus on making progress. I have been pretty consistent about updating the blog this time and that is also encouraging. I stay on task much better when I am blogging about it. Thanks for tagging along with me on this journey. The next weigh in will take place December 20th. Goodbye for now!
Since the previous weigh in on December 10th, I have lost nearly one (0.8) pound. My current weight is 349.2 pounds. My total weight loss so far is a little more than eight and a half (8.6) pounds.
I think I will begin to break up my short term weight loss goals into small bite-sized objectives. See what I did there? If only I was as funny as I think I am. With where I am right now, I can always have a goal just a couple of pounds away. For example, my next goal will be ten pounds of total weight loss. After that, my next goal would be to weigh in below 345 pounds. The goal after that would be fifteen pounds of total weight loss and so on.
I don't have a lot to blog about this time. I am just going to keep my focus on making progress. I have been pretty consistent about updating the blog this time and that is also encouraging. I stay on task much better when I am blogging about it. Thanks for tagging along with me on this journey. The next weigh in will take place December 20th. Goodbye for now!
Calories 12/15/16-12/19/16
12/15/2016: Consumed 3,745 calories. 3,904 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/16/2016: Consumed 2,198 calories. 3,680 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/17/2016: Consumed 5,018 calories. 3,546 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/18/2016: Consumed 2,100 calories. 3,754 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/16/2016: Consumed 2,198 calories. 3,680 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/17/2016: Consumed 5,018 calories. 3,546 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/18/2016: Consumed 2,100 calories. 3,754 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/19/2016: Consumed 3,344 calories. 3,661 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Priorities
Hello and welcome to the December 10th weigh in post. It has been an emotional last few days around here. Things have changed that really make me think about what is important in life. I will discuss that a bit more but for now, here are the numbers.
Since the prior weigh in just five short days ago, I have lost exactly one pound. My current weight is 350 pounds even. My total weight loss is now closing in on eight (7.8) pounds.
Priorities! I probably can't share too many of the details but a friend of mine recently had a new born baby placed with her to foster. I mean a new born baby! This baby is so beautiful and it honestly breaks my heart to think about an innocent child that needs to be loved and not finding that in his biological parents. The baby did nothing wrong!
Maybe it seems like I am passing judgment on the parents. I remember when my two girls were born. You can go ahead and take my man card if this makes me a baby but I was so proud the day my girls were born. I felt like no matter what I how successful I may be in life, these two girls will always be my crowning achievement.
Then I ask myself, what am I doing today to show my girls that they are my world? Am I eating healthy so that I can see them get married and have children of their own? Have I made this weight loss journey enough of a priority or am I coasting? I am afraid that the answer is coasting and so I need to adjust my priorities. This needs to happen!
I love hearing from those of you that check in with me. Thank you. It is encouraging to know that I am not alone. We can get this done if we stay focused and keep our priorities as we head into the holiday season. The next weigh in will occur on December 15th. Take care my friends and stay safe! Goodbye.
Since the prior weigh in just five short days ago, I have lost exactly one pound. My current weight is 350 pounds even. My total weight loss is now closing in on eight (7.8) pounds.
Priorities! I probably can't share too many of the details but a friend of mine recently had a new born baby placed with her to foster. I mean a new born baby! This baby is so beautiful and it honestly breaks my heart to think about an innocent child that needs to be loved and not finding that in his biological parents. The baby did nothing wrong!
Maybe it seems like I am passing judgment on the parents. I remember when my two girls were born. You can go ahead and take my man card if this makes me a baby but I was so proud the day my girls were born. I felt like no matter what I how successful I may be in life, these two girls will always be my crowning achievement.
Then I ask myself, what am I doing today to show my girls that they are my world? Am I eating healthy so that I can see them get married and have children of their own? Have I made this weight loss journey enough of a priority or am I coasting? I am afraid that the answer is coasting and so I need to adjust my priorities. This needs to happen!
I love hearing from those of you that check in with me. Thank you. It is encouraging to know that I am not alone. We can get this done if we stay focused and keep our priorities as we head into the holiday season. The next weigh in will occur on December 15th. Take care my friends and stay safe! Goodbye.
Calories 12/10/16-12/14/16
12/10/2016: Consumed 2,874 calories. 3,252 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/11/2016: Consumed 2,694 calories. 3,126 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/12/2016: Consumed 3,168 calories. 3,770 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/13/2016: Consumed 3,958 calories. 3,673 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/11/2016: Consumed 2,694 calories. 3,126 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/12/2016: Consumed 3,168 calories. 3,770 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/13/2016: Consumed 3,958 calories. 3,673 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/14/2016: Consumed 2,079 calories. 3,772 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Craving Consistency
Sometimes trying to lose weight can feel like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs. That can apply to both one's emotional status as well as their weight loss. Sometimes I find myself craving consistency.
Since my previous weigh in on the first of December I have lost exactly one pound. My current weight is 351 pounds even. My total weight loss now stands at close to seven (6.8) pounds.
It is funny that I mention consistency because really, at the end of the day, I am the one being inconsistent. I am inconsistent with both the number of calories that I consume as well as the number of calories that I burn. I am the one that controls that! No one is forcing me to eat too much. No one is forcing me to stay inside the house instead of getting up, opening that front door, and going for a walk. That is me! I need to be more consistent. There are days that I do great and there are days that I do terrible. If I can reduce the number of terrible days and increase the number of great days then I will see improvement.
I am not disappointed in losing a pound. Every little bit counts. I just also know that I could be losing this weight faster. The beginning of a weight loss journey is the easiest weight to lose. At least that has been my experience. I am confident that I can do better.
I am enjoying blogging about the journey. Hopefully people enjoy reading about it. The next weigh in will take place December 10th. I am optimistic that I can be more consistent and see some real progress. Check back soon! Until next time...
Since my previous weigh in on the first of December I have lost exactly one pound. My current weight is 351 pounds even. My total weight loss now stands at close to seven (6.8) pounds.
It is funny that I mention consistency because really, at the end of the day, I am the one being inconsistent. I am inconsistent with both the number of calories that I consume as well as the number of calories that I burn. I am the one that controls that! No one is forcing me to eat too much. No one is forcing me to stay inside the house instead of getting up, opening that front door, and going for a walk. That is me! I need to be more consistent. There are days that I do great and there are days that I do terrible. If I can reduce the number of terrible days and increase the number of great days then I will see improvement.
I am not disappointed in losing a pound. Every little bit counts. I just also know that I could be losing this weight faster. The beginning of a weight loss journey is the easiest weight to lose. At least that has been my experience. I am confident that I can do better.
I am enjoying blogging about the journey. Hopefully people enjoy reading about it. The next weigh in will take place December 10th. I am optimistic that I can be more consistent and see some real progress. Check back soon! Until next time...
Calories 12/5/16-12/9/16
12/5/2016: Consumed 2,554 calories. 3,363 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/6/2016: Consumed 6,081 calories. 3,474 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/7/2016: Consumed 1,956 calories. 3,827 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/8/2016: Consumed 2,468 calories. 3,471 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/6/2016: Consumed 6,081 calories. 3,474 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/7/2016: Consumed 1,956 calories. 3,827 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/8/2016: Consumed 2,468 calories. 3,471 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/9/2016: Consumed 3,654 calories. 3,304 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
November 2016
Hello and welcome to my weigh in post for December 1st. The month of November 2016 has come and gone. I have experienced some decent weight loss but also some challenges and things that I need to work on. I finally decided to apply myself to this monumental task of dropping well over a hundred pounds around the 15th of November. Let's take a look at the numbers for the month past but first, here are the current weigh in stats.
Since my last weigh in (November 25th) I have gained nearly a full pound (0.8). My current weight is 352 pounds even. My total weight loss is now nearly six (5.8) pounds.
This is disappointing. I keep shooting myself in the foot. Yesterday we celebrated my oldest daughter's birthday and I did not moderate myself as much as I should have. This left me no time whatsoever to work off those calories. On the other hand, there was one other day that I did not manage my calories well either so perhaps I should be happy with these numbers.
A couple of positives is that I have been getting some good steps while at work. In addition, I have also been going on walks at night and on the weekends. It could be possible that some of this weight gain may be due to increasing activity levels. I am not sure if muscle builds that quickly or not but it sounds like a good excuse for gaining weight.
November 2016 Summary:
Since my last weigh in (November 25th) I have gained nearly a full pound (0.8). My current weight is 352 pounds even. My total weight loss is now nearly six (5.8) pounds.
This is disappointing. I keep shooting myself in the foot. Yesterday we celebrated my oldest daughter's birthday and I did not moderate myself as much as I should have. This left me no time whatsoever to work off those calories. On the other hand, there was one other day that I did not manage my calories well either so perhaps I should be happy with these numbers.
A couple of positives is that I have been getting some good steps while at work. In addition, I have also been going on walks at night and on the weekends. It could be possible that some of this weight gain may be due to increasing activity levels. I am not sure if muscle builds that quickly or not but it sounds like a good excuse for gaining weight.
November 2016 Summary:
- Total weight loss to date: 5.8 pounds
- Total weight loss this year: 5.8 pounds
- Total weight loss November 2016: 5.8 pounds
- Total weight still to lose: 177 pounds
The total weight still to lose would put me at 175 pounds. I have not weighed 175 pounds since my senior year of high school. I would be very happy to weigh in under 200 pounds. I am not sure how realistic it will be for me to ever weigh 175 pounds again but that is where I wanted to set the target.
I have a lot of work to do and the mistake that is very easy to make is to be intimidated by the magnitude of the journey ahead. Instead, I will choose to focus on smaller "bite size" goals. That was a pun by the way since I am blogging about weight loss. My next goal that I am going to focus on is weighing in below 350 pounds. I am only two pounds away. The next weigh in is November 5th. I need to get busy. With that, goodbye for now!
Calories 12/1/16-12/4/16
12/1/2016: Consumed 1,844 calories. 4,045 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/2/2016: Consumed 3,300 calories. 3,326 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/3/2016: Consumed 2,675 calories. 3,127 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/4/2016: Consumed 3,243 calories. 3,675 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/2/2016: Consumed 3,300 calories. 3,326 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/3/2016: Consumed 2,675 calories. 3,127 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
12/4/2016: Consumed 3,243 calories. 3,675 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Post Turkey Day
Well, it is the day after Thanksgiving and that means it is time for another weigh in. Boy, I was very bad yesterday and this is inexcusable. I have never had such a healthy Thanksgiving. Wait a minute, didn't I just say I was very bad. Yes, and I will explain shortly. First, here are the numbers.
Since the previous weigh in five days ago I have gained exactly three pounds. My current weight is 351.2 pounds. My total weight loss so far now stands at a touch over six and a half (6.6) pounds.
So, what did I mean about being very bad yesterday and yet also mentioning a healthy Thanksgiving? Let me explain. With regard to Thanksgiving, the options were super healthy. Cauliflower mashed potatoes (minus the potatoes), cauliflower stuffing, and turkey were on the table. So, how was I so bad? I drank way to much soda for one thing. I had a large coke from McDonald's in the morning after dropping the kids with their mom. I had one at the movies later that night. Then, I had yet another after going home from the movies. The other way in which I was bad was with desert. Boy do I love pie! Just to share one little stat from my Lose It app...I consumed 1,300 calories worth of cherry pie. Then, to top that off, after getting home from the movies I went ahead and had a late night meal. To think, my last blog post was titled "Killing My Old Man". So much for that. Apparently he is alive and well.
I have to be more disciplined. It is pretty embarrassing to have posted about changing behavior in the last blog post and then be admitting some key failures in this blog post. That is the way life is though. It has a way of humbling you. I did this to myself of course so it is not really life doing it to me, it me doing it to myself. I am committed though. This is just one minor setback on the path to my ultimate goal and I will not be deterred by it. Like I always say, I have to just get back up, admit where I messed up, learn from it (hopefully), and keep on chipping away.
The next blog post will be on December 1st and I certainly hope to be back below 350 pounds by then. I hope that you all had a happy Thanksgiving spent with friends and family. If anyone else is on this journey of weight loss and yesterday was a touch out of control, be like Dory, just keep swimming, just keep swimming. I am sure that last sentence had way too many commas in it. Let's do this! Until next time, goodbye!
Since the previous weigh in five days ago I have gained exactly three pounds. My current weight is 351.2 pounds. My total weight loss so far now stands at a touch over six and a half (6.6) pounds.
So, what did I mean about being very bad yesterday and yet also mentioning a healthy Thanksgiving? Let me explain. With regard to Thanksgiving, the options were super healthy. Cauliflower mashed potatoes (minus the potatoes), cauliflower stuffing, and turkey were on the table. So, how was I so bad? I drank way to much soda for one thing. I had a large coke from McDonald's in the morning after dropping the kids with their mom. I had one at the movies later that night. Then, I had yet another after going home from the movies. The other way in which I was bad was with desert. Boy do I love pie! Just to share one little stat from my Lose It app...I consumed 1,300 calories worth of cherry pie. Then, to top that off, after getting home from the movies I went ahead and had a late night meal. To think, my last blog post was titled "Killing My Old Man". So much for that. Apparently he is alive and well.
I have to be more disciplined. It is pretty embarrassing to have posted about changing behavior in the last blog post and then be admitting some key failures in this blog post. That is the way life is though. It has a way of humbling you. I did this to myself of course so it is not really life doing it to me, it me doing it to myself. I am committed though. This is just one minor setback on the path to my ultimate goal and I will not be deterred by it. Like I always say, I have to just get back up, admit where I messed up, learn from it (hopefully), and keep on chipping away.
The next blog post will be on December 1st and I certainly hope to be back below 350 pounds by then. I hope that you all had a happy Thanksgiving spent with friends and family. If anyone else is on this journey of weight loss and yesterday was a touch out of control, be like Dory, just keep swimming, just keep swimming. I am sure that last sentence had way too many commas in it. Let's do this! Until next time, goodbye!
Calories 11/25/16-11/30/16
11/25/2016: Consumed 2,009 calories. 3,159 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/26/2016: Consumed 3,372 calories. 3,203 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/27/2016: Consumed 4,476 calories. 3,849 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/28/2016: Consumed 2,251 calories. 3,762 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/29/2016: Consumed 2,828 calories. 3,700 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/30/2016: Consumed 4,449 calories. 3,747 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/26/2016: Consumed 3,372 calories. 3,203 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/27/2016: Consumed 4,476 calories. 3,849 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/28/2016: Consumed 2,251 calories. 3,762 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/29/2016: Consumed 2,828 calories. 3,700 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/30/2016: Consumed 4,449 calories. 3,747 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Killing My Old Man
Welcome back friends and family. Today is weigh in day and what a change five days can make! I applied myself and the results reflect the effort. You may be wondering about the title of this blog post. Do not worry, my father is in no danger. I will explain shortly. Before I get to that, here are the numbers for this weigh in period.
I am so excited! Since my last weigh in five days ago I have nearly achieved ten pounds of weight loss. The actual number is 9.6 pounds. My current weight is 348.2 pounds. Wow! I realize that this is not going to get easier but I am still encouraged.
Anyone recognize the title of this post? It is the title of one of the songs by the Christian rock band Petra from their album Never Say Die. I felt that the song's title was appropriate since the song addresses the issue of having to kill your old life in order to embrace your new life. One simply cannot do the same things over and over again and expect a different result. Well, you can but be ready for disappointment. If I eat the same things that got me to this point, it would be foolish for me to expect to lose weight. I have to change and thus kill my old man.
I purchased an Apple Watch to track my steps among other things. This makes it so easy to get a very good idea of how many steps I am taking per day and how many calories I am burning. I realize that this is a luxury though and was not necessary to accomplish weight loss. I would have needed to add some kind of activity device though as I have found from my own experience that when I utilize one it keeps me active much more than I would be otherwise.
I have started to blog my calories consumed as well as the calories that I have burned. That helps me to stay accountable. It can also help me to identify when I need to apply myself to either consuming less calories or burning more or both.
This journey will get more challenging as I proceed. My calorie allotment shrinks each time that I lose weight. I will need to be much more disciplined than I have been even during these past five days. This weight loss is great, but there is much that needs to be improved.
I am very excited and encouraged right now. I want to keep this momentum but I also realize that I need to stay grounded, keep my eyes on the prize, and kill my old man! The next weigh in will be November 25th. My goal is to drop below 345 pounds. Can I do it by the next weigh in? Check back soon to find out. Goodbye!
I am so excited! Since my last weigh in five days ago I have nearly achieved ten pounds of weight loss. The actual number is 9.6 pounds. My current weight is 348.2 pounds. Wow! I realize that this is not going to get easier but I am still encouraged.
Anyone recognize the title of this post? It is the title of one of the songs by the Christian rock band Petra from their album Never Say Die. I felt that the song's title was appropriate since the song addresses the issue of having to kill your old life in order to embrace your new life. One simply cannot do the same things over and over again and expect a different result. Well, you can but be ready for disappointment. If I eat the same things that got me to this point, it would be foolish for me to expect to lose weight. I have to change and thus kill my old man.
I purchased an Apple Watch to track my steps among other things. This makes it so easy to get a very good idea of how many steps I am taking per day and how many calories I am burning. I realize that this is a luxury though and was not necessary to accomplish weight loss. I would have needed to add some kind of activity device though as I have found from my own experience that when I utilize one it keeps me active much more than I would be otherwise.
I have started to blog my calories consumed as well as the calories that I have burned. That helps me to stay accountable. It can also help me to identify when I need to apply myself to either consuming less calories or burning more or both.
This journey will get more challenging as I proceed. My calorie allotment shrinks each time that I lose weight. I will need to be much more disciplined than I have been even during these past five days. This weight loss is great, but there is much that needs to be improved.
I am very excited and encouraged right now. I want to keep this momentum but I also realize that I need to stay grounded, keep my eyes on the prize, and kill my old man! The next weigh in will be November 25th. My goal is to drop below 345 pounds. Can I do it by the next weigh in? Check back soon to find out. Goodbye!
Calories 11/20/16-11/24/16
11/20/2016: Consumed 2,747 calories. 3,308 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/21/2016: Consumed 3,431 calories. 3,865 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/22/2016: Consumed 2,332 calories. 3,347 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/23/2016: Consumed 2,484 calories. 3,462 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/24/2016: Consumed 4,805 calories. 3,391 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/21/2016: Consumed 3,431 calories. 3,865 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/22/2016: Consumed 2,332 calories. 3,347 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/23/2016: Consumed 2,484 calories. 3,462 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/24/2016: Consumed 4,805 calories. 3,391 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
The New Plan
Well, here we are again. Another lapse of time between blog posts and more disappointment. I have had enough of this! My weight is out of control. I need to get a handle on this for multiple reasons.
Getting to the point, my current weight is 357.8 pounds. I am starting over. I cannot live like this anymore. I don't have the energy that I should. I can't do some things that I used to be able to do. I feel sick a lot of the time. It is just not a good thing.
So, what is the new plan? The new plan is basically the old plan that I was utilizing when I dropped nearly 100 pounds a few years ago. I will use different apps and devices this time. For my calorie counting, I will be using the app Lose It. For my step counting, I will be using the iPhone until I can pick up an Apple Watch.
I know that I have tried to start the weight loss blog several times over the past few years. The reality though is that I never counted calories or tracked my steps. At least not consistently. I am actually excited to get serious about this again. I enjoy technology and how it can help me. It has already opened my eyes once more to just how egregious my diet has become.
Today is my first day of using Lose It. I honestly started midday and upon logging my breakfast and lunch, I am at my calorie budget already. Wow! Don't worry, I can afford to skip a meal or two or three. If anyone reading the blog would like to friend me on the Lose It app that would be great. Accountability is always a good thing. That is the reason I write this blog. That and the hope that someday, I just might be able to help encourage someone else with their weight loss goals.
The next blog update will be November 20th. I look forward to reporting lost weight at that time. Admittedly, I weighed midday so it should stand to reason that my weight reported here on the blog is a touch exaggerated because of that. Still, I would love to kick off the implantation of the plan with a big number. Until then, goodbye!
Getting to the point, my current weight is 357.8 pounds. I am starting over. I cannot live like this anymore. I don't have the energy that I should. I can't do some things that I used to be able to do. I feel sick a lot of the time. It is just not a good thing.
So, what is the new plan? The new plan is basically the old plan that I was utilizing when I dropped nearly 100 pounds a few years ago. I will use different apps and devices this time. For my calorie counting, I will be using the app Lose It. For my step counting, I will be using the iPhone until I can pick up an Apple Watch.
I know that I have tried to start the weight loss blog several times over the past few years. The reality though is that I never counted calories or tracked my steps. At least not consistently. I am actually excited to get serious about this again. I enjoy technology and how it can help me. It has already opened my eyes once more to just how egregious my diet has become.
Today is my first day of using Lose It. I honestly started midday and upon logging my breakfast and lunch, I am at my calorie budget already. Wow! Don't worry, I can afford to skip a meal or two or three. If anyone reading the blog would like to friend me on the Lose It app that would be great. Accountability is always a good thing. That is the reason I write this blog. That and the hope that someday, I just might be able to help encourage someone else with their weight loss goals.
The next blog update will be November 20th. I look forward to reporting lost weight at that time. Admittedly, I weighed midday so it should stand to reason that my weight reported here on the blog is a touch exaggerated because of that. Still, I would love to kick off the implantation of the plan with a big number. Until then, goodbye!
Calories 11/15/16-11/19/16
11/15/2016: Consumed 3,132 calories. 5,063* calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/16/2016: Consumed 2,444 calories. 2,060** calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/17/2016: Consumed 2,997 calories. 3,900*** calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/18/2016: Consumed 3,180 calories. 4,184 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/19/2016: Consumed 2,918 calories. 3,684 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
* This technically was the day before I got the Apple Watch so I believe that it made some assumptions about how active I might have been that day and so this number is highly suspect as the other days this week will show.
** I did not have the Apple Watch for the full day and so these numbers are also suspect, but in this case, too low.
*** This was the first full day wearing the Apple Watch.
11/16/2016: Consumed 2,444 calories. 2,060** calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/17/2016: Consumed 2,997 calories. 3,900*** calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/18/2016: Consumed 3,180 calories. 4,184 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
11/19/2016: Consumed 2,918 calories. 3,684 calories burned according to Apple Watch.
* This technically was the day before I got the Apple Watch so I believe that it made some assumptions about how active I might have been that day and so this number is highly suspect as the other days this week will show.
** I did not have the Apple Watch for the full day and so these numbers are also suspect, but in this case, too low.
*** This was the first full day wearing the Apple Watch.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Below Three Fity
Today was my next weigh in day! I managed to lose a little bit of weight and it was enough to drop me below the three hundred and fifty pound mark! Woohoo!
I have lost exactly one pound since my previous weigh in from October 9th. My current weight is 349.8 pounds. Just enough to get below 350 pounds.
It was a pretty busy week at work and I think that this contributed to my weight loss. I was more active and actually reached my highest step count since getting my iPhone and it tracking my steps. As I continue to lose weight, I know that I will be able to continue boosting that step count. My knees are still giving me problems and I hoping that these get better as the weight comes off as well.
I am going to keep this short as I have some chores to get to today. I did want to take a little time to update the blog since I always seem to have trouble doing that. I am looking forward to making even better choices going forward and reaching new goals. To that end, my current goal is to stay below 350 pounds. My longer term goal is to work toward losing ten pounds or weigh in around 340 pounds. So, until next time, goodbye!
I have lost exactly one pound since my previous weigh in from October 9th. My current weight is 349.8 pounds. Just enough to get below 350 pounds.
It was a pretty busy week at work and I think that this contributed to my weight loss. I was more active and actually reached my highest step count since getting my iPhone and it tracking my steps. As I continue to lose weight, I know that I will be able to continue boosting that step count. My knees are still giving me problems and I hoping that these get better as the weight comes off as well.
I am going to keep this short as I have some chores to get to today. I did want to take a little time to update the blog since I always seem to have trouble doing that. I am looking forward to making even better choices going forward and reaching new goals. To that end, my current goal is to stay below 350 pounds. My longer term goal is to work toward losing ten pounds or weigh in around 340 pounds. So, until next time, goodbye!
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Inconsistent
I have been so inconsistent and sometimes I wonder if I should just give up on blogging about my weight or anything else for that matter. It is hard to find the time. I did weigh in this past Sunday and so I feel like I should give it another shot. Here we go again!
I literally had to look at my posts to see what my last weight was. How sad is that? So, the last time I weighed in and posted about it was on August 20th. My weight at that time was 354 pounds. My weight today is 350.8 pounds. That means that I have lost a little more than three pounds (3.2) since that time.
Maybe I should be happy about that but I feel as if I have been mired down in apathy. I am just having a hard time getting motivated. I have been tracking my steps with my iPhone and am thinking about getting an Apple Watch as well. In my mind, I tell myself that having an Apple Watch would make it so much easier to track my exercise. In reality, I probably just want one.
I do not have a lot to say this time since this is like the 5th or 6th reboot of the weight loss program. I am going to try to get myself on track again and have a plan to do that but I want to get into it a bit more before I talk about it. I will weigh again on the 15th. I hope to have good things to report next time. Goodbye for now.
I literally had to look at my posts to see what my last weight was. How sad is that? So, the last time I weighed in and posted about it was on August 20th. My weight at that time was 354 pounds. My weight today is 350.8 pounds. That means that I have lost a little more than three pounds (3.2) since that time.
Maybe I should be happy about that but I feel as if I have been mired down in apathy. I am just having a hard time getting motivated. I have been tracking my steps with my iPhone and am thinking about getting an Apple Watch as well. In my mind, I tell myself that having an Apple Watch would make it so much easier to track my exercise. In reality, I probably just want one.
I do not have a lot to say this time since this is like the 5th or 6th reboot of the weight loss program. I am going to try to get myself on track again and have a plan to do that but I want to get into it a bit more before I talk about it. I will weigh again on the 15th. I hope to have good things to report next time. Goodbye for now.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Changes
I seem to really be struggling on multiple levels. I am going to need to change some things about the way I do this blog. I think it will be best if I switch to doing weekly weigh ins. I just have a hard time updating the blog on weeknights. Now I will weigh every Saturday.
My weigh in today was not good at all. I gained nearly four and half pounds (4.4). My current weight is 354 pounds. This brings me to the other change that I need to make.
I have really been struggling with giving up soda. I have to drink more water. I also need to start getting some steps in. My knee doesn't hurt as bad anymore, so I really can't use that as an excuse to keep me from walking.
I just need to get myself together in some other ways as well. If you think about it and are open to praying for me, I would certainly appreciate it. The next weigh in will be on the 27th. Until then, goodbye!
My weigh in today was not good at all. I gained nearly four and half pounds (4.4). My current weight is 354 pounds. This brings me to the other change that I need to make.
I have really been struggling with giving up soda. I have to drink more water. I also need to start getting some steps in. My knee doesn't hurt as bad anymore, so I really can't use that as an excuse to keep me from walking.
I just need to get myself together in some other ways as well. If you think about it and are open to praying for me, I would certainly appreciate it. The next weigh in will be on the 27th. Until then, goodbye!
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Where Have I Been?
Hello everyone! I have been away from the blog for quite a while. It has been more than a month since my last blog update. I have weighed in on a couple of occasions but just didn't make the time to update the blog. I apologize for that.
The start of the school year is always a busy time for a public school employee and this year is no different. My oldest daughter also started high school which I find terrifying on multiple levels. For one thing, I don't feel old enough to have a high school student so that is kind of crazy. Also, how can she be old enough to be in high school anyway? It was just yesterday that she was walking around in diapers. Wasn't it?
Anyway, to get to the point, I did weigh in a couple of times since the last weigh in. Here are the numbers on those specific dates.
Previous Videos - Oldest First
The start of the school year is always a busy time for a public school employee and this year is no different. My oldest daughter also started high school which I find terrifying on multiple levels. For one thing, I don't feel old enough to have a high school student so that is kind of crazy. Also, how can she be old enough to be in high school anyway? It was just yesterday that she was walking around in diapers. Wasn't it?
Anyway, to get to the point, I did weigh in a couple of times since the last weigh in. Here are the numbers on those specific dates.
- July 16th - 349.6 pounds
- August 6th - 353.4 pounds
- August 10th - 349.6 pounds
My weight has been bouncing around for about a month now. I have been getting some good steps at work and my calorie consumption has not been too bad. I think if I can focus a bit more I can expect some decent weight loss.
I have mentioned this before, but I had lost quite a bit of weight once before. Nearly one hundred pounds in fact. One of my regrets that time was that I did not have a lot of pictures of what I looked like before I started the journey. I am not big on selfies and such so I never really have a lot of pictures of myself. One of the things that I did last time was I recorded a few video blogs so that I could compare and see the progress even in my face. It was always striking for me to see those changes. With that said, I am embedding the new video blog that I just did plus the oldest and the last from my previous weight loss journey. Enjoy and goodbye until next time!
Current Video
Current Video
Previous Videos - Oldest First
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Mom's Birthday
Sometimes losing weight is just tough. It is even worse when on vacation. During this vacation we have celebrated both my brother and my mother's birthdays. Their birthdays are within three days of each other.
Today was my mother's birthday. We had a great time. We went out and saw a movie and had dinner. I have maybe been enjoying my vacation a little too much. I have gained weight. Quite a bit of weight.
I know that it seems ridiculous to try to blame my weight scale but it does some weird stuff sometimes. I felt like last time when I weighed, I did not really do that much to have dropped as much weight as the scale indicated. At any rate, here are the numbers.
Since my prior weigh in on July 5th I have gained four pounds even. My total weight loss to date is seven pounds. My current weight is 351 pounds.
This is discouraging but I know why I gained weight. Between birthday cake and ice cream, soda, delicious home cooking, an occasional meal out, it is not a recipe for weight loss. Plus it has been rainy the past couple of days and so I have not been able to do any activity. I am slightly conflicted. I mean, on the one hand, I tell myself that I should be able to enjoy my vacation. On the other hand, there are always things going on in life that provide us with opportunity to make excuses about what we are eating.
I know that I need to start watching what I eat so that I can drop some weight. I suppose now I should reset my short term goal back to 350 pounds. Losing an achieved goal is always hard. Still, I need to press on. My next weigh in will be July 15th. I am leaving Idaho to return to Arizona on that day but I will try to weigh in before we head out. Should I fail to do so, the weigh in will be when I get back home. Until next time, goodbye!
Today was my mother's birthday. We had a great time. We went out and saw a movie and had dinner. I have maybe been enjoying my vacation a little too much. I have gained weight. Quite a bit of weight.
I know that it seems ridiculous to try to blame my weight scale but it does some weird stuff sometimes. I felt like last time when I weighed, I did not really do that much to have dropped as much weight as the scale indicated. At any rate, here are the numbers.
Since my prior weigh in on July 5th I have gained four pounds even. My total weight loss to date is seven pounds. My current weight is 351 pounds.
This is discouraging but I know why I gained weight. Between birthday cake and ice cream, soda, delicious home cooking, an occasional meal out, it is not a recipe for weight loss. Plus it has been rainy the past couple of days and so I have not been able to do any activity. I am slightly conflicted. I mean, on the one hand, I tell myself that I should be able to enjoy my vacation. On the other hand, there are always things going on in life that provide us with opportunity to make excuses about what we are eating.
I know that I need to start watching what I eat so that I can drop some weight. I suppose now I should reset my short term goal back to 350 pounds. Losing an achieved goal is always hard. Still, I need to press on. My next weigh in will be July 15th. I am leaving Idaho to return to Arizona on that day but I will try to weigh in before we head out. Should I fail to do so, the weigh in will be when I get back home. Until next time, goodbye!
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Idaho!
I arrived in the beautiful state of Idaho on July 2nd. We had safe travels although there was some fun wind and rain just north of Las Vegas. I always love the drive.
Since arriving, we had a very nice barbeque on the 4th and went down to Orofino to watch a firework show. It has been so relaxing being up here in the fresh air and the weather has just been a real treat after Arizona's heat wave the week prior to us leaving. Arizona and heat wave, bet you never thought you would hear those words in the same sentence. Phoenix was pretty close to 120 degrees that week. I think the high here so far has been 82, at least that I have noticed. Today has been very cool. I love it!
I have kept myself busy helping the family out a little bit. I always enjoy being able to help out with technology. I had updated my mother's laptop to Windows 10. Then she accidentally cracked the LCD screen. Boo! I can fix that but the laptop is older and not sure it is really worth it.
Today and yesterday I have been helping dad out with the farming. We just have a small hayfield up here that we cut and bail. We had some trouble with one of the tractors the other day. Just a dead battery but that can really be frustrating at times. Dad and my brother Craig ran the bailer and I ran the swather. The hay is so thick this year that the swather would bog down even running the tractor in 1st gear with the torque amplifier at max. Some small problems with the tractor pulling the swather too as I would have to jump off and blow back through the fuel lines every so often. Nothing I can't handle but I tell you, when you are on the plump side, you get a nice workout hopping on and off a tractor all day!
That is probably more info than anyone really needed and or maybe even wanted to know. I better get to the actual weight loss numbers. Since my previous weigh in on July 1st I have lost almost three (2.8) pounds. That brings my total weight loss to eleven pounds even. My current weight is 347 pounds.
Obviously I am pretty happy with these numbers. I have not had a lot of soda while here in Idaho so that is a plus. I have also managed to keep my calorie consumption down. The fourth of July was a little out of control but I balanced that out by under eating the rest of the days.
The next weigh in will be July 10th. My short term goal of 340 pounds is still out of reach for the next weigh in but I am hopeful that I might make that goal by the end of the month. I hope that everyone had a great fourth of July! Until next time, so long for now!
Since arriving, we had a very nice barbeque on the 4th and went down to Orofino to watch a firework show. It has been so relaxing being up here in the fresh air and the weather has just been a real treat after Arizona's heat wave the week prior to us leaving. Arizona and heat wave, bet you never thought you would hear those words in the same sentence. Phoenix was pretty close to 120 degrees that week. I think the high here so far has been 82, at least that I have noticed. Today has been very cool. I love it!
I have kept myself busy helping the family out a little bit. I always enjoy being able to help out with technology. I had updated my mother's laptop to Windows 10. Then she accidentally cracked the LCD screen. Boo! I can fix that but the laptop is older and not sure it is really worth it.
Today and yesterday I have been helping dad out with the farming. We just have a small hayfield up here that we cut and bail. We had some trouble with one of the tractors the other day. Just a dead battery but that can really be frustrating at times. Dad and my brother Craig ran the bailer and I ran the swather. The hay is so thick this year that the swather would bog down even running the tractor in 1st gear with the torque amplifier at max. Some small problems with the tractor pulling the swather too as I would have to jump off and blow back through the fuel lines every so often. Nothing I can't handle but I tell you, when you are on the plump side, you get a nice workout hopping on and off a tractor all day!
That is probably more info than anyone really needed and or maybe even wanted to know. I better get to the actual weight loss numbers. Since my previous weigh in on July 1st I have lost almost three (2.8) pounds. That brings my total weight loss to eleven pounds even. My current weight is 347 pounds.
Obviously I am pretty happy with these numbers. I have not had a lot of soda while here in Idaho so that is a plus. I have also managed to keep my calorie consumption down. The fourth of July was a little out of control but I balanced that out by under eating the rest of the days.
The next weigh in will be July 10th. My short term goal of 340 pounds is still out of reach for the next weigh in but I am hopeful that I might make that goal by the end of the month. I hope that everyone had a great fourth of July! Until next time, so long for now!
Friday, July 1, 2016
Goal!!!!!
Wow! How exciting! I really did not expect this. To be honest, I did not eat very well yesterday and was feeling kind of bummed about it because I thought I was going to gain weight today as a result. I did work hard though since the previous weigh in. Maybe I would have lost a lot more weight had I not made some poor choices yesterday. Maybe this is just one of those examples of calorie cycling where I am not letting my body adjust to my calorie goals. Either way, I met my first weight loss goal!
Since my previous weigh in on June 27th I have lost a shade over two (2.2) pounds. That brings my total weight loss to date up to a little more than eight (8.2) pounds. My current weight is 349.8 pounds. My first goal was to weigh less than 350 pounds. I just barely made it!
I am getting ready to leave for my vacation to Idaho and so I probably need to keep this short. As I had mentioned, I am so shocked to have made my goal. There were really just a few days between weigh ins. While it is always fun to meet a goal, it is important to keep my eye on the prize. I cannot let up now. My new short term goal will be 340 pounds. Just to recap, my long term goal is to weigh in below 200 pounds. By keeping both short and long term goals, I am hoping to keep myself focused on moving forward.
For anyone else on this journey with me, don't be discouraged with set backs. We cannot control the past. We can only control what we do now. I am writing this down for myself also. I am happy with my results today, but maybe the next weigh in will not be as positive. Sometimes, the effort will not match the results and that is not the end of the world. That effort may show up down the road. The body is a funny thing and doesn't always respond right away. I know it is easy to get discouraged, but like some other things in life, positive actions don't always produce immediate results.
My next weigh in will (hopefully) be from the beautiful state of Idaho. I cannot wait to get on the road. I love to drive and spend time with my kids and parents. I envy those of you that live close to your parents. As I travel the road of life I am reminded that we are all finite. I have more body aches and pains than I ever did before. There will come a day when I cannot pick up the phone and hear my parents voices.
By the same token, that is the exact reason that I must do what I can to drop this weight. There will come a day when my girls will not be able to pick up the phone and hear my voice. I MUST DO WHATEVER I CAN TO PREVENT THAT DAY FROM BEING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER!!! I want to see my kids grow up and have children of their own. I want to live a long time and maybe even be a great grandfather! That won't happen if I don't live my life with intention.
I apologize if this post seems preachy. I just get excited when I get to go to my hometown, see my parents, and appreciate the scenery. Where I am from in Idaho is a beautiful place and I love it. Life is a beautiful thing and I don't want to waste it. Safe travels for those of you also hitting the road this summer. Have fun and enjoy time with friends and family! I look forward to next time. Goodbye.
PS. I also apologize if this post is all over the place. My mind is in a lot of different places trying to remember to pack everything and getting ready for the trip in general. Isn't it funny, I said the post would be short. Haha.
Since my previous weigh in on June 27th I have lost a shade over two (2.2) pounds. That brings my total weight loss to date up to a little more than eight (8.2) pounds. My current weight is 349.8 pounds. My first goal was to weigh less than 350 pounds. I just barely made it!
I am getting ready to leave for my vacation to Idaho and so I probably need to keep this short. As I had mentioned, I am so shocked to have made my goal. There were really just a few days between weigh ins. While it is always fun to meet a goal, it is important to keep my eye on the prize. I cannot let up now. My new short term goal will be 340 pounds. Just to recap, my long term goal is to weigh in below 200 pounds. By keeping both short and long term goals, I am hoping to keep myself focused on moving forward.
For anyone else on this journey with me, don't be discouraged with set backs. We cannot control the past. We can only control what we do now. I am writing this down for myself also. I am happy with my results today, but maybe the next weigh in will not be as positive. Sometimes, the effort will not match the results and that is not the end of the world. That effort may show up down the road. The body is a funny thing and doesn't always respond right away. I know it is easy to get discouraged, but like some other things in life, positive actions don't always produce immediate results.
My next weigh in will (hopefully) be from the beautiful state of Idaho. I cannot wait to get on the road. I love to drive and spend time with my kids and parents. I envy those of you that live close to your parents. As I travel the road of life I am reminded that we are all finite. I have more body aches and pains than I ever did before. There will come a day when I cannot pick up the phone and hear my parents voices.
By the same token, that is the exact reason that I must do what I can to drop this weight. There will come a day when my girls will not be able to pick up the phone and hear my voice. I MUST DO WHATEVER I CAN TO PREVENT THAT DAY FROM BEING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER!!! I want to see my kids grow up and have children of their own. I want to live a long time and maybe even be a great grandfather! That won't happen if I don't live my life with intention.
I apologize if this post seems preachy. I just get excited when I get to go to my hometown, see my parents, and appreciate the scenery. Where I am from in Idaho is a beautiful place and I love it. Life is a beautiful thing and I don't want to waste it. Safe travels for those of you also hitting the road this summer. Have fun and enjoy time with friends and family! I look forward to next time. Goodbye.
PS. I also apologize if this post is all over the place. My mind is in a lot of different places trying to remember to pack everything and getting ready for the trip in general. Isn't it funny, I said the post would be short. Haha.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Post Camping Update
I committed to weighing in upon returning from my camping trip. I will keep this post small and to the point. Since my last weigh in on June 20th I have nearly lost a pound (0.8). This brings my total weight loss since starting this journey to six pounds. My current weight is 352 pounds even.
I am not going to pretend that I was doing my best on this camping trip. The main issue was that I was drinking quite a bit of soda. I did mix in water and as much La Croix as I could take though. I also tried to limit myself to one helping at meal times, but I must say, the food was so delicious that I did have seconds a couple times.
I was a bit more active than usual as one would expect on a camping trip. One either end of the trip you have set and tear down of the campsite. That is not very strenuous but can be more sweat inducing than working inside an air conditioned building.
I was concerned that I wouldn't lose any weight this time so when I stepped on the scale I was quite relieved and maybe a touch surprised. That being said, I need to focus on the goal ahead. 350 pounds is as close as it has been on this journey. Given the short amount of time until next weight in, I am skeptical that I will be able to achieve it.
I am leaving for my annual trip to Idaho to visit the folks this coming week. That might mess with my weigh in schedule. I think I will still be able to weigh in the 1st and if I do then my weigh in routine would be maintained. Check back soon for my next weigh in and hopefully more good news! Later my friends.
I am not going to pretend that I was doing my best on this camping trip. The main issue was that I was drinking quite a bit of soda. I did mix in water and as much La Croix as I could take though. I also tried to limit myself to one helping at meal times, but I must say, the food was so delicious that I did have seconds a couple times.
I was a bit more active than usual as one would expect on a camping trip. One either end of the trip you have set and tear down of the campsite. That is not very strenuous but can be more sweat inducing than working inside an air conditioned building.
I was concerned that I wouldn't lose any weight this time so when I stepped on the scale I was quite relieved and maybe a touch surprised. That being said, I need to focus on the goal ahead. 350 pounds is as close as it has been on this journey. Given the short amount of time until next weight in, I am skeptical that I will be able to achieve it.
I am leaving for my annual trip to Idaho to visit the folks this coming week. That might mess with my weigh in schedule. I think I will still be able to weigh in the 1st and if I do then my weigh in routine would be maintained. Check back soon for my next weigh in and hopefully more good news! Later my friends.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Point Of Clarification
I have had at least two of my friends kind of inquire about one of the things that I said in my last blog post. Also, I will be out camping on the day that I would ordinary weigh in so I won't be able to do it until I get back. I thought I would throw up this mini blog post in the meantime to clarify what I meant. Here is the paragraph in question.
"This weigh in, I know exactly why my results came in the way that they did. I ate out several times and on Father's day, we went out and saw a movie and enjoyed popcorn and a coke. I have mentioned several times in the past that I don't really like making excuses. I do believe that sometimes, you need to enjoy some small things in life. That is not an excuse to go nuts all the time and not do the right thing. But sometimes, it is nice to enjoy time with friends and family. Also, I do feel that this can recharge the body for the journey ahead."
They felt like it sounded like I was kind of endorsing overeating. I am glad that they brought this up as it made me realize that perhaps what I meant was not as clear as it should have been. But I think it is good to have an open and frank discussion even if people do not agree with me once I clarify my position, at least I can better define exactly what I meant.
So, first, obviously I did overeat to some extent or I would not have gained weight. Part of the problem was the frequency. I believe that we went out at restaurants maybe two or three times. I forget now exactly. To be clear, I am not saying that you should do that. What I was saying was, I think that it is good to go out and have a meal once in a while. Let me explain the reasons that I think that is a good thing and some of these are strictly from my experience.
1) Burnout: You have to be careful with this one. It is easy to use this as an excuse to not eat healthy. At the same time, from my own experience, if I stick steadfast to a set amount of calories day after day and never deviate from that plan, I will eventually burn out. I am not trying to use that as an excuse. It is just what I have observed happening to me.
2) Calorie Cycling: This is an interesting one to me. I have read some articles online that discuss calorie cycling. That is basically where, and I am probably butchering this explanation, if you stick to a set amount of calories all the time, your body adjusts to that and it actually makes it harder to lose weight. The recommendation is to vary your calorie consumption so that your body never has a chance to adjust to a set, defined number of calories being consumed. I can tell you that there have been multiple times in my previous weight loss journey where I would hit a plateau big time and just couldn't seem to move forward. This was at a time when I was sticking to a defined calorie plan fairly religiously. When I went started varying my calorie consumption it allowed me to break through that plateau and start to make progress again. This happened to me on at least two separate instances and I am not talking about small bumps in the road either. I mean like being stuck for months at a time being obsessive about calorie consumption and not seeing the needle move until I changed it up.
Again, I definitely over did it with regards to what I did wrong with the last weigh in. I did not mean to endorse what I did as justifiable. What I was trying to say was, I think it is good to go out and have a nice meal out with family once in a while. Everyone has to choose what is right for them. I did not mean that when you go out with family that you go nuts either. When my girls and I went to the movie we split a medium popcorn three ways and had probably 20 ounces or less of Coke. To me, that is not all that bad. The number of times that I had gone out was what cause me to gain weight and that was bad.
I hope that this post does not come across as me trying to defend my actions or anything like that. I truly love the friends that pointed this out to me. I know that they only have a desire to see me succeed. I value their input in my life. I only wanted to clarify because I think that, for those of us with a serious amount of weight to lose, it can be a daunting task. I do not think it is the end of the world to go to a restaurant once in a while.
That being said, my friend's point is that we should stop thinking of food in terms of reward. Certain holidays are even focused on food. Thanksgiving and Christmas being obvious examples. This is a great point and one that we need to consider. Youth sports teams win a game and what happens, coach takes them out to pizza. We do tend to use food as a point of celebration and that does perhaps reinforce in us the idea that when you achieve something, food should be part of the reward. Food for thought? Haha.
I appreciate my friends pointing this out. Hopefully I was able to better define what I meant and clarify at the same time where I messed up. Keep the feedback coming, even if you disagree with me. I love the thought provoking issues being brought up and trust me, I am certainly open to the prospect of me being wrong. It would be foolish of me to think that I have things figured out. I would obviously not be in this situation if I was an expert. Take care my friends and until next time, goodbye for now!
"This weigh in, I know exactly why my results came in the way that they did. I ate out several times and on Father's day, we went out and saw a movie and enjoyed popcorn and a coke. I have mentioned several times in the past that I don't really like making excuses. I do believe that sometimes, you need to enjoy some small things in life. That is not an excuse to go nuts all the time and not do the right thing. But sometimes, it is nice to enjoy time with friends and family. Also, I do feel that this can recharge the body for the journey ahead."
They felt like it sounded like I was kind of endorsing overeating. I am glad that they brought this up as it made me realize that perhaps what I meant was not as clear as it should have been. But I think it is good to have an open and frank discussion even if people do not agree with me once I clarify my position, at least I can better define exactly what I meant.
So, first, obviously I did overeat to some extent or I would not have gained weight. Part of the problem was the frequency. I believe that we went out at restaurants maybe two or three times. I forget now exactly. To be clear, I am not saying that you should do that. What I was saying was, I think that it is good to go out and have a meal once in a while. Let me explain the reasons that I think that is a good thing and some of these are strictly from my experience.
1) Burnout: You have to be careful with this one. It is easy to use this as an excuse to not eat healthy. At the same time, from my own experience, if I stick steadfast to a set amount of calories day after day and never deviate from that plan, I will eventually burn out. I am not trying to use that as an excuse. It is just what I have observed happening to me.
2) Calorie Cycling: This is an interesting one to me. I have read some articles online that discuss calorie cycling. That is basically where, and I am probably butchering this explanation, if you stick to a set amount of calories all the time, your body adjusts to that and it actually makes it harder to lose weight. The recommendation is to vary your calorie consumption so that your body never has a chance to adjust to a set, defined number of calories being consumed. I can tell you that there have been multiple times in my previous weight loss journey where I would hit a plateau big time and just couldn't seem to move forward. This was at a time when I was sticking to a defined calorie plan fairly religiously. When I went started varying my calorie consumption it allowed me to break through that plateau and start to make progress again. This happened to me on at least two separate instances and I am not talking about small bumps in the road either. I mean like being stuck for months at a time being obsessive about calorie consumption and not seeing the needle move until I changed it up.
Again, I definitely over did it with regards to what I did wrong with the last weigh in. I did not mean to endorse what I did as justifiable. What I was trying to say was, I think it is good to go out and have a nice meal out with family once in a while. Everyone has to choose what is right for them. I did not mean that when you go out with family that you go nuts either. When my girls and I went to the movie we split a medium popcorn three ways and had probably 20 ounces or less of Coke. To me, that is not all that bad. The number of times that I had gone out was what cause me to gain weight and that was bad.
I hope that this post does not come across as me trying to defend my actions or anything like that. I truly love the friends that pointed this out to me. I know that they only have a desire to see me succeed. I value their input in my life. I only wanted to clarify because I think that, for those of us with a serious amount of weight to lose, it can be a daunting task. I do not think it is the end of the world to go to a restaurant once in a while.
That being said, my friend's point is that we should stop thinking of food in terms of reward. Certain holidays are even focused on food. Thanksgiving and Christmas being obvious examples. This is a great point and one that we need to consider. Youth sports teams win a game and what happens, coach takes them out to pizza. We do tend to use food as a point of celebration and that does perhaps reinforce in us the idea that when you achieve something, food should be part of the reward. Food for thought? Haha.
I appreciate my friends pointing this out. Hopefully I was able to better define what I meant and clarify at the same time where I messed up. Keep the feedback coming, even if you disagree with me. I love the thought provoking issues being brought up and trust me, I am certainly open to the prospect of me being wrong. It would be foolish of me to think that I have things figured out. I would obviously not be in this situation if I was an expert. Take care my friends and until next time, goodbye for now!
Monday, June 20, 2016
Fear Of Failure
I struggled a lot in my late teens and early adult years with being a perfectionist. One of the ways in which this manifested itself was that I would often get frustrated if I was trying to do something and I could not do it extremely well. Perhaps it could even be classified as borderline OCD. In order to ensure that things were done extremely well, I would set up systems and rules for things that ordinarily would not need rules. It is kind of funny for me to say this because anyone that knows me very well knows that in many of areas of my life, I am not a very organized person. I am selective in what I care about. Personally, I think that this is because I know that I cannot do everything extremely well in my life so I tend to focus on those that I can do well. There may also be a bit of "fear of failure" in there as well mixed with a nice helping of needing to be in control.
Fear of failure and the need to be in control can be enemies of losing weight. When I get frustrated because I am not doing something well, it is all too easy to give up on it altogether. That is probably pretty common for everyone but when coupled with the issues I mention above, compound the problem. That is one of the reasons that I write this blog. It can be an outlet for me to be completely open about my failures. The old saying is true, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Other times, despite dedication to the task at hand, the results do not line up with the effort invested.
This weigh in, I know exactly why my results came in the way that they did. I ate out several times and on Father's day, we went out and saw a movie and enjoyed popcorn and a coke. I have mentioned several times in the past that I don't really like making excuses. I do believe that sometimes, you need to enjoy some small things in life. That is not an excuse to go nuts all the time and not do the right thing. But sometimes, it is nice to enjoy time with friends and family. Also, I do feel that this can recharge the body for the journey ahead.
So, what is the damage? I have gained eight tenths of a pound (0.8) since my previous weigh in June 15th. My total weight loss now stands at a little more than five (5.2) pounds. My current weight is 352.8 pounds.
While I would hate to say that I am happy with those results, I will say that given the frequency of my meals out, it not as bad as it could have been. Still, I am eager to see my weight drop below my short term goal of 350 pounds. I am close. Now that I have enjoyed a little break so to speak, it is time to get back up and get to the task at hand. Thanks for the encouragement. Don't give up on me. Check back soon!
Fear of failure and the need to be in control can be enemies of losing weight. When I get frustrated because I am not doing something well, it is all too easy to give up on it altogether. That is probably pretty common for everyone but when coupled with the issues I mention above, compound the problem. That is one of the reasons that I write this blog. It can be an outlet for me to be completely open about my failures. The old saying is true, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Other times, despite dedication to the task at hand, the results do not line up with the effort invested.
This weigh in, I know exactly why my results came in the way that they did. I ate out several times and on Father's day, we went out and saw a movie and enjoyed popcorn and a coke. I have mentioned several times in the past that I don't really like making excuses. I do believe that sometimes, you need to enjoy some small things in life. That is not an excuse to go nuts all the time and not do the right thing. But sometimes, it is nice to enjoy time with friends and family. Also, I do feel that this can recharge the body for the journey ahead.
So, what is the damage? I have gained eight tenths of a pound (0.8) since my previous weigh in June 15th. My total weight loss now stands at a little more than five (5.2) pounds. My current weight is 352.8 pounds.
While I would hate to say that I am happy with those results, I will say that given the frequency of my meals out, it not as bad as it could have been. Still, I am eager to see my weight drop below my short term goal of 350 pounds. I am close. Now that I have enjoyed a little break so to speak, it is time to get back up and get to the task at hand. Thanks for the encouragement. Don't give up on me. Check back soon!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
But Wait, There's Less!
The last time that I updated my blog with a weight loss post, I had mentioned that I was very motivated. To be completely honest, I am always nervous after an update of this nature. It kind of adds a lot of pressure. I don't ever want to follow up a post where I talk about being motivated with a post about how I gained weight.
Fortunately, the effort and motivation paid dividends for this weigh in! Since my previous weigh in post on June 10th, I have lost an even two pounds. That brings my total weight loss to an even six pounds. My current weight is 352 pounds.
I am pretty pleased to have lost two pounds. It is definitely not easy to lose this much weight in just five days. I also know that it will be difficult to continue to lose weight at this pace. So much of weight loss is psychological. Stress and feeling sorry for myself can be my worst enemies. That is why I try to stay level headed and realistic about my expectations. There will be times I gain weight even after putting in some serious effort. Staying focused and setting goals will be my plan to overcome these perceived setbacks.
My knee has been getting a bit better and that makes it a lot easier to get in more steps and activity in general. Still, I owe the majority of this success to managing my calories. I have been much more careful about how much I eat. I am still not eating super healthy but I am making better choices. It helps when friends hold me accountable.
I feel like I need to set a goal now that I have been more consistent in my weight loss journey. To that end, I have always been a believer in having both short term and long term goals. My very near term (hopefully) goal is to fall below 350 pounds. I am almost there! Just another three pounds to go! My long term goal is to drop below 200 pounds. That goal is 153 pounds away. By focusing on the near term goal, I hope to not be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the long term goal. I know that I say it a lot, but the journey truly has to be taken day by day. I also like another analogy for overcoming something that seems insurmountable. It goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! I find that one more humorous given the weight loss nature of this blog post.
My next weigh in will be June 20th. It would be great to achieve my short term weight loss goal at that time, but realistically, I am not sure that is attainable. I could make it happen by not eating at all but that is not a good plan. Far better to lose weight slowly. I appreciate all of the kind words of encouragement that I have been receiving. It means a lot to me. Hopefully blogging about my journey helps someone else, even if only in some small way. Until next time, goodbye!
Fortunately, the effort and motivation paid dividends for this weigh in! Since my previous weigh in post on June 10th, I have lost an even two pounds. That brings my total weight loss to an even six pounds. My current weight is 352 pounds.
I am pretty pleased to have lost two pounds. It is definitely not easy to lose this much weight in just five days. I also know that it will be difficult to continue to lose weight at this pace. So much of weight loss is psychological. Stress and feeling sorry for myself can be my worst enemies. That is why I try to stay level headed and realistic about my expectations. There will be times I gain weight even after putting in some serious effort. Staying focused and setting goals will be my plan to overcome these perceived setbacks.
My knee has been getting a bit better and that makes it a lot easier to get in more steps and activity in general. Still, I owe the majority of this success to managing my calories. I have been much more careful about how much I eat. I am still not eating super healthy but I am making better choices. It helps when friends hold me accountable.
I feel like I need to set a goal now that I have been more consistent in my weight loss journey. To that end, I have always been a believer in having both short term and long term goals. My very near term (hopefully) goal is to fall below 350 pounds. I am almost there! Just another three pounds to go! My long term goal is to drop below 200 pounds. That goal is 153 pounds away. By focusing on the near term goal, I hope to not be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the long term goal. I know that I say it a lot, but the journey truly has to be taken day by day. I also like another analogy for overcoming something that seems insurmountable. It goes: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! I find that one more humorous given the weight loss nature of this blog post.
My next weigh in will be June 20th. It would be great to achieve my short term weight loss goal at that time, but realistically, I am not sure that is attainable. I could make it happen by not eating at all but that is not a good plan. Far better to lose weight slowly. I appreciate all of the kind words of encouragement that I have been receiving. It means a lot to me. Hopefully blogging about my journey helps someone else, even if only in some small way. Until next time, goodbye!
Friday, June 10, 2016
Motivated
I have to say, I am ready to take my weight loss journey to the next level. My last weight loss blog post was about how I had tweaked my knee and it was hurting. It still hurts but I was optimistic that if I managed my calories that I could still lose weight. How did I do?
Since my last weight loss post on June 5th, I have lost 3.2 pounds. I have lost four pounds in total since hitting the reset button on my weight loss journey. My current weight is 354 pounds.
I realize that in the grand scheme of things, I am still ridiculously overweight. That has not changed all that much with this last weigh in. What has changed is my resolve. I will lose this weight! I am more dedicated to the process. I don't want to paint the picture that I was not committed before. A person does not lose more than three pounds in five days by not being committed. I am so motivated right now!
I am also realistic though. I know that in the future, I may or may not be this motivated. I have many friends that are also on a journey to live a more healthy lifestyle. For anyone reading this blog today or tomorrow or whenever, if you find that you are lacking motivation, drop me a comment here on the blog or message me on Facebook or whenever we cross paths. I love hearing from you and honestly, your success feeds my competitive nature. Friend me on Myfitnesspal.com so I can see that you are kicking my butt. I love that!
I know that I can do this and I know that you can do it too! The only thing is, we have to want it. I mean really want it. We have to want it more than the donuts at the office where we work. We have to want it more than that ice cold Coke on a hot day. Life is all about choices. My favorite Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
My point is, many of us struggle with eating things that we know we probably shouldn't. This is not something that only I deal with. Not only that, but there is always a way out. Anytime I have turned down something tasty being offered to me and explained that I am trying to lose weight, no one has ever has ever had their feelings hurt. In fact, they are quick to offer support and praise.
I am going to dedicate myself to this goal of losing weight. If you are on a similar journey, what say you? Are you in? If so, let's get to it!
Since my last weight loss post on June 5th, I have lost 3.2 pounds. I have lost four pounds in total since hitting the reset button on my weight loss journey. My current weight is 354 pounds.
I realize that in the grand scheme of things, I am still ridiculously overweight. That has not changed all that much with this last weigh in. What has changed is my resolve. I will lose this weight! I am more dedicated to the process. I don't want to paint the picture that I was not committed before. A person does not lose more than three pounds in five days by not being committed. I am so motivated right now!
I am also realistic though. I know that in the future, I may or may not be this motivated. I have many friends that are also on a journey to live a more healthy lifestyle. For anyone reading this blog today or tomorrow or whenever, if you find that you are lacking motivation, drop me a comment here on the blog or message me on Facebook or whenever we cross paths. I love hearing from you and honestly, your success feeds my competitive nature. Friend me on Myfitnesspal.com so I can see that you are kicking my butt. I love that!
I know that I can do this and I know that you can do it too! The only thing is, we have to want it. I mean really want it. We have to want it more than the donuts at the office where we work. We have to want it more than that ice cold Coke on a hot day. Life is all about choices. My favorite Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
My point is, many of us struggle with eating things that we know we probably shouldn't. This is not something that only I deal with. Not only that, but there is always a way out. Anytime I have turned down something tasty being offered to me and explained that I am trying to lose weight, no one has ever has ever had their feelings hurt. In fact, they are quick to offer support and praise.
I am going to dedicate myself to this goal of losing weight. If you are on a similar journey, what say you? Are you in? If so, let's get to it!
Monday, June 6, 2016
How To Dollar Cost Average Into Dividend Stocks While Paying No Commission
I suppose that I could very well be considered the ultimate cheapskate. When I invest, I usually spend hours searching for the most cost effective way to do it. I hate paying fees and commissions to buy stock or ETFs. A number of brokerages offer commission free ETFs, but I have always found a certain interest in owning shares in individual companies. Here is what I have found and the strategy that I employ.
Where to buy
I was a little bit surprised in this day and age of lower cost investing to not find many options for buying individual stocks commission free. Admittedly, I did not research certain options extensively because they were not that appealing to me. For example, I know that stock can be purchased through some companies investor relations pages on their corporate website. That often involved adding my bank account to all of the different companies investor pages that I would like to purchase as well as certain minimum investments. Another option was Robinhood. This is basically an app based investment platform that runs on iOS and Android devices. At the time of this writing, they do not have an option to invest through a web site and so I chose to not invest with them at this time. So who did I choose to invest with?
Loyal3
There are some key features of Loyal3 that really appeal to me as an investor. Like all things in life, there are also some things that are not optimal with Loyal3 as well.
The Strategy
The strengths of Loyal3 play well with the concept of dollar cost averaging. That is the premise that if I continuously buy a stock over time, when I buy low, those shares will be worth even more when the stock price goes higher. If we believe that over time, the prices of stocks do tend to rise, then the strategy should work. I use dollar cost averaging to the extreme by only buying ten dollars worth of stock at a time. The goal is to overcome the lack of control that I have over the execution price of the trade. In order to overcome the limited stock selection and some of the inherent risk in dollar cost averaging individual stocks, I have a simple criteria for stock selection that I follow. I invest in every stock available on Loyal3 that pays at least a 1% annual dividend. This selects 41 individual stocks for my Loyal3 portfolio. In essence, I have created my own mini ETF or mutual fund where I pay no commissions and dollar cost average into each of my holdings. My stock selection process is passive in that I don't exclude any company based on my own biases, for or against. So long as they meet the criteria, they are in.
The 1% List
This is the list of 41 dividend paying stocks that I currently invest in at Loyal3 and their annual dividend at the time of this article.
This strategy does present some fairly significant risk. For example, the portfolio skews heaving toward only a few sectors. Consumer discretionary is definitely overweight here. Another potential risk is whether brick and mortar retails can evolve their business model in order to better compete with the online juggernaut Amazon (AMZN). Also, can traditional television adapt in an environment where Netflix (NFLX) seems to be gaining market share as more and more people "cut the cord".
Conclusion
There are many opportunities for do-it-yourself investors at Loyal3. I chose to go with a dividend portfolio but one could just as easily create a growth portfolio. Perhaps the appeal of a growth portfolio might be all the more enticing given the high share price of many growth stocks like Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon . The ability to buy fractional shares at ten dollar increments might just be an interesting proposition. After all, where else can an investor dollar cost average within a single share of stock? In addition, my personal choice to make my portfolio passive in a manner of speaking may ultimately lead to lower returns. However, there have been a few surprise performers in this portfolio that I would have missed out on had I cherry picked the stocks using other metrics. I do feel that overall, it is very hard to "beat the market". It is my hope that broadly investing in dividend paying stocks over time using dollar cost averaging will eventually pay off.
One last thing, I hope that this article does not come across as an advertisement for Loyal3. I am strictly a user of their service and while I do enjoy employing my strategy through their brokerage service, I am also quick to recognize the limitations of the platform. What I hope came across instead is my passion for investing and my willingness to think outside the box to overcome investing hurdles. Happy investing!
Where to buy
I was a little bit surprised in this day and age of lower cost investing to not find many options for buying individual stocks commission free. Admittedly, I did not research certain options extensively because they were not that appealing to me. For example, I know that stock can be purchased through some companies investor relations pages on their corporate website. That often involved adding my bank account to all of the different companies investor pages that I would like to purchase as well as certain minimum investments. Another option was Robinhood. This is basically an app based investment platform that runs on iOS and Android devices. At the time of this writing, they do not have an option to invest through a web site and so I chose to not invest with them at this time. So who did I choose to invest with?
Loyal3
There are some key features of Loyal3 that really appeal to me as an investor. Like all things in life, there are also some things that are not optimal with Loyal3 as well.
- Pros: No commission trades. Fractional shares. Invest as little as $10.
- Cons: Limited stock selection. Batch trading (no control over execution price, no limit orders). No dividend reinvestment (curiously except for Frontier NASDAQ: FTR). No account options such as IRAs, just a standard taxable investing account.
The Strategy
The strengths of Loyal3 play well with the concept of dollar cost averaging. That is the premise that if I continuously buy a stock over time, when I buy low, those shares will be worth even more when the stock price goes higher. If we believe that over time, the prices of stocks do tend to rise, then the strategy should work. I use dollar cost averaging to the extreme by only buying ten dollars worth of stock at a time. The goal is to overcome the lack of control that I have over the execution price of the trade. In order to overcome the limited stock selection and some of the inherent risk in dollar cost averaging individual stocks, I have a simple criteria for stock selection that I follow. I invest in every stock available on Loyal3 that pays at least a 1% annual dividend. This selects 41 individual stocks for my Loyal3 portfolio. In essence, I have created my own mini ETF or mutual fund where I pay no commissions and dollar cost average into each of my holdings. My stock selection process is passive in that I don't exclude any company based on my own biases, for or against. So long as they meet the criteria, they are in.
The 1% List
This is the list of 41 dividend paying stocks that I currently invest in at Loyal3 and their annual dividend at the time of this article.
- 21st Century Fox: NASDAQ: FOX 1.00%
- AMC Theaters: NYSE: AMC 2.76%
- Abercrombie & Fitch: NYSE: ANF 4.10%
- American Eagle Outfitters: NYSE: AEO 3.15%
- American Express: NYSE: AXP 1.75%
- Anheuser-Busch InBev: NYSE: BUD 3.13%
- Apple: NASDAQ: AAPL 2.33%
- Best Buy: NYSE: BBY 3.45%
- Coca-Cola: NYSE: KO 3.13%
- Disney: NYSE: DIS 1.44%
- Dr Pepper Snapple: NYSE: DPS 2.30%
- Dunkin Brands: NASDAQ: DNKN 2.74%
- Frontier Communications: NASDAQ: 8.14%
- Gap: NYSE: GPS 5.02%
- Hasbro: NASDAQ: HAS 2.35%
- The Hershey Company: NYSE: HSY 2.51%
- Intel: NASDAQ: INTC 3.27%
- Kellogg's: NYSE: K 2.68%
- Kohl's: NYSE: 5.53%
- Kraft Heinz: NASDAQ: KHC 2.74%
- L Brands: NYSE: LB 3.51%
- Macy's Inc: NYSE: M 4.36%
- Mattel: NASDAQ: MAT 4.80%
- McDonald's: NYSE: MCD 2.92%
- Microsoft: NASDAQ: MSFT 2.72%
- Mondelez International: NASDAQ: MDLZ 1.52%
- Nike: NYSE: NKE 1.17%
- Nokia: NYSE: NOK 5.25%
- Pepsico: NYSE: PEP 2.96%
- Ralph Lauren: NYSE: RL 2.10%
- Restaurant Brands International: NYSE: QSR 1.44%
- Store Capital: NYSE: STOR 4.19%
- Starbucks: NASDAQ: SBUX 1.46%
- Target: NYSE: TGT 3.27%
- Time Warner: NYSE: TWX 2.11%
- Unilever: NYSE: UL 2.98%
- VF Corp: NYSE: VFC 2.38%
- Viacom: NASDAQ: VIAB 3.55%
- Wal-Mart: NYSE: WMT 2.84%
- World Wrestling Entertainment: NYSE: WWE 2.70%
- YUM!: NYSE: YUM 2.23%
This strategy does present some fairly significant risk. For example, the portfolio skews heaving toward only a few sectors. Consumer discretionary is definitely overweight here. Another potential risk is whether brick and mortar retails can evolve their business model in order to better compete with the online juggernaut Amazon (AMZN). Also, can traditional television adapt in an environment where Netflix (NFLX) seems to be gaining market share as more and more people "cut the cord".
Conclusion
There are many opportunities for do-it-yourself investors at Loyal3. I chose to go with a dividend portfolio but one could just as easily create a growth portfolio. Perhaps the appeal of a growth portfolio might be all the more enticing given the high share price of many growth stocks like Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon . The ability to buy fractional shares at ten dollar increments might just be an interesting proposition. After all, where else can an investor dollar cost average within a single share of stock? In addition, my personal choice to make my portfolio passive in a manner of speaking may ultimately lead to lower returns. However, there have been a few surprise performers in this portfolio that I would have missed out on had I cherry picked the stocks using other metrics. I do feel that overall, it is very hard to "beat the market". It is my hope that broadly investing in dividend paying stocks over time using dollar cost averaging will eventually pay off.
One last thing, I hope that this article does not come across as an advertisement for Loyal3. I am strictly a user of their service and while I do enjoy employing my strategy through their brokerage service, I am also quick to recognize the limitations of the platform. What I hope came across instead is my passion for investing and my willingness to think outside the box to overcome investing hurdles. Happy investing!
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Knee
I have been so inconsistent so far with updating my weight loss journey. I apologize for that. I have not been looking forward to updating because I knew that my numbers were not good. Finding the time to blog about it lately has been a challenge. Not to mention, it has not been good news and that always adds another level of reluctance to making time to blog. I need to get focused though so here goes the bad news.
I don't believe in making excuses, but I have tweaked my knee really bad. It hurts even when in bed and rolling over. I am probably going to have to get it looked at if it does not improve. I don't know if I tore the meniscus or one of the knee ligaments or what the deal is. All I know is even walking hurts pretty bad. So, add to that the fact that I am substantially overweight and it doesn't help the situation.
My last weight loss blog was on the 15th of May. I did weigh in on May 20th at 354.4 pounds. That was a gain of 1.6 pounds. I had not weighed again until today. Admittedly, today's weigh in was in the evening. Typically I weigh in the morning and that number will usually be lower than if you were to weigh later in the day. Ha! Another excuse after I said I do not like making them. Today I weighed in at 357.2 pounds. That means that I have only lost 0.8 pound since my reset of the weight loss journey on April 30th.
It probably goes without saying that I am pretty down on myself as well as feeling sorry for myself. It is twice as hard to get motivated when moving hurts so much. Still, I need to focus on the one thing that I can do for sure. That is watching what I eat. If I can drop some weight, it is only going to help with the knee issue. These knees were never meant to support so much weight so anything I can drop is going to help.
I have really struggled with motivation lately. Like some people, the temptation is there to just stop trying and turn to eating as an emotional coping mechanism. Talk about self defeating!
I am going to try my best to pull myself out of this rut and get back on track. I know that I can do it even with this bum knee. It is just math. Consumer fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. Easy right? I will do better! I must do better! Check back soon!
I don't believe in making excuses, but I have tweaked my knee really bad. It hurts even when in bed and rolling over. I am probably going to have to get it looked at if it does not improve. I don't know if I tore the meniscus or one of the knee ligaments or what the deal is. All I know is even walking hurts pretty bad. So, add to that the fact that I am substantially overweight and it doesn't help the situation.
My last weight loss blog was on the 15th of May. I did weigh in on May 20th at 354.4 pounds. That was a gain of 1.6 pounds. I had not weighed again until today. Admittedly, today's weigh in was in the evening. Typically I weigh in the morning and that number will usually be lower than if you were to weigh later in the day. Ha! Another excuse after I said I do not like making them. Today I weighed in at 357.2 pounds. That means that I have only lost 0.8 pound since my reset of the weight loss journey on April 30th.
It probably goes without saying that I am pretty down on myself as well as feeling sorry for myself. It is twice as hard to get motivated when moving hurts so much. Still, I need to focus on the one thing that I can do for sure. That is watching what I eat. If I can drop some weight, it is only going to help with the knee issue. These knees were never meant to support so much weight so anything I can drop is going to help.
I have really struggled with motivation lately. Like some people, the temptation is there to just stop trying and turn to eating as an emotional coping mechanism. Talk about self defeating!
I am going to try my best to pull myself out of this rut and get back on track. I know that I can do it even with this bum knee. It is just math. Consumer fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. Easy right? I will do better! I must do better! Check back soon!
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Expectations
Today is weigh in day! I had great expectations for this weigh in period but more on that shortly. I did lose one pound (1.0) since my last weigh in on May 12th. To date, I have lost 5.2 pounds.
I should probably be happy with those results. When I really think about it, losing one pound in just three days is not too bad. But my expectations, while perhaps unrealistic, were that I would lose more.
Expectations can kill a weight loss journey. Expectations can lead to disappointment. Disappointment can lead to giving up. I had expectations because I have totally changed my eating habits and started to ensure I get a set number of steps daily. In my mind, this is such a radical departure to how I had been living that I would surely see some mind blowing number on my first weigh in.
I have been through this before. I know that this is not about one single weigh in. I know that this is going to be a long process filled with highs and lows. I don't really find that discouraging. In fact, I find it encouraging because I know that I don't have to win every single battle. I just have to win more battles than I lose.
It also helps to have great people in my life. I have a high school friend that is on the same journey helping me to stay accountable and vice versa. I have a roommate that will also keep me accountable. My kids will remind me to keep on the straight and narrow. My coworkers will not let me cheat on work lunches. My advice if you are on a similar journey...tell people! They will hold you accountable to your goals but also give encouragement and praise when you are doing well. At least they will if they are really true friends.
To summarize, I manage my expectations by realizing that this is just one step in a very long journey. Personally, it is easy to get in the mindset that I just need to do this until I lose a certain amount of weight. Perhaps I am better served by realizing that my life can never really go back to how I was living before even after I lose all this weight. It really does need to be a lifestyle change. That is not to say I cannot enjoy a few meals now and then. But rather, on the whole, I need to be more disciplined in my overall choices and how they impact my body.
I always find it encouraging to hear from others so feel free to drop me a few lines here on the blog or on Facebook. It is always my hope that the blog will in some small way help others that are on the journey. I know that when I was blogging about losing weight before, it was always encouraging to take a look back from time to time and learn from myself. Thanks for reading my blog! Until next time, goodbye.
I should probably be happy with those results. When I really think about it, losing one pound in just three days is not too bad. But my expectations, while perhaps unrealistic, were that I would lose more.
Expectations can kill a weight loss journey. Expectations can lead to disappointment. Disappointment can lead to giving up. I had expectations because I have totally changed my eating habits and started to ensure I get a set number of steps daily. In my mind, this is such a radical departure to how I had been living that I would surely see some mind blowing number on my first weigh in.
I have been through this before. I know that this is not about one single weigh in. I know that this is going to be a long process filled with highs and lows. I don't really find that discouraging. In fact, I find it encouraging because I know that I don't have to win every single battle. I just have to win more battles than I lose.
It also helps to have great people in my life. I have a high school friend that is on the same journey helping me to stay accountable and vice versa. I have a roommate that will also keep me accountable. My kids will remind me to keep on the straight and narrow. My coworkers will not let me cheat on work lunches. My advice if you are on a similar journey...tell people! They will hold you accountable to your goals but also give encouragement and praise when you are doing well. At least they will if they are really true friends.
To summarize, I manage my expectations by realizing that this is just one step in a very long journey. Personally, it is easy to get in the mindset that I just need to do this until I lose a certain amount of weight. Perhaps I am better served by realizing that my life can never really go back to how I was living before even after I lose all this weight. It really does need to be a lifestyle change. That is not to say I cannot enjoy a few meals now and then. But rather, on the whole, I need to be more disciplined in my overall choices and how they impact my body.
I always find it encouraging to hear from others so feel free to drop me a few lines here on the blog or on Facebook. It is always my hope that the blog will in some small way help others that are on the journey. I know that when I was blogging about losing weight before, it was always encouraging to take a look back from time to time and learn from myself. Thanks for reading my blog! Until next time, goodbye.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Annual Wellness Checkup
Today I went in for an annual wellness checkup. The truth is that I don't even remember when I last had a checkup. My employer offers free money to my HSA (health savings account) for doing it and so I guess I couldn't pass that up anymore. Fortunately, I am in good health considering that I am over 350 pounds.
That being said, I really am tired of carrying around all this extra weight. I cannot stand for extended periods of time on hard surfaces. I am usually alright if I can walk around but just standing kills me. I had actually started to pay a bit more attention to my calorie consumption when I weighed in on the 30th of April. I weighed 358 pounds on that date. Since then, I have lost 4.2 pounds. My current weight is 353.8 pounds.
Again, I have really just had enough. For those of you that are unaware, I had lost close to 100 pounds between October 2012 and August 2014. I had reached 258.4 pounds back in July of 2014. I began that journey at 350 pounds so as you can see, I gained it all back and then some but I am determined to get back to losing some serious weight. I don't plan on doing that too fast as that can be somewhat unhealthy.
I hope that some of you will choose to follow my progress and if you like, drop me a line of encouragement from time to time. I was always amazed by how many people were following my journey. I feel like I let many of you down last time and I am sorry for that. I also let myself down and my family down. I am going to have to make time to blog my journey. I am confident it will be worth it. Hopefully it will be somewhat entertaining and if I am lucky, maybe inspirational to someone out there that also wants to shed some pounds. Check back soon! I plan on weighing in again on the 15th. Goodbye for now.
That being said, I really am tired of carrying around all this extra weight. I cannot stand for extended periods of time on hard surfaces. I am usually alright if I can walk around but just standing kills me. I had actually started to pay a bit more attention to my calorie consumption when I weighed in on the 30th of April. I weighed 358 pounds on that date. Since then, I have lost 4.2 pounds. My current weight is 353.8 pounds.
Again, I have really just had enough. For those of you that are unaware, I had lost close to 100 pounds between October 2012 and August 2014. I had reached 258.4 pounds back in July of 2014. I began that journey at 350 pounds so as you can see, I gained it all back and then some but I am determined to get back to losing some serious weight. I don't plan on doing that too fast as that can be somewhat unhealthy.
I hope that some of you will choose to follow my progress and if you like, drop me a line of encouragement from time to time. I was always amazed by how many people were following my journey. I feel like I let many of you down last time and I am sorry for that. I also let myself down and my family down. I am going to have to make time to blog my journey. I am confident it will be worth it. Hopefully it will be somewhat entertaining and if I am lucky, maybe inspirational to someone out there that also wants to shed some pounds. Check back soon! I plan on weighing in again on the 15th. Goodbye for now.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Delay of Game 4
This is a first! I am posting two catch up blog posts in the same day. This blog update is for January 25th. My weight for that weigh in was 355.2 pounds. That was a loss of nearly a half pound (0.4) since the previous weigh in. My total weight loss through this date was 1.2 pounds.
Once again, not going to spend too much time writing about this blog post since I am still trying to catch up. I have been weighing in on time. I have just not always made the time to update the blog. Check back soon for more!
Once again, not going to spend too much time writing about this blog post since I am still trying to catch up. I have been weighing in on time. I have just not always made the time to update the blog. Check back soon for more!
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Delay of Game 3
If you have been following my blog then you probably already know that I am posting these older updates in order to try to bring the blog up to date. I weighed in on January 20th. My weight for that weigh in was 355.6 pounds. That was a gain of 1.8 pounds since the previous weigh in. My total weight loss through January 20th was only 0.8 of a pound.
I have not really been writing too much in these catch up blog posts but I will say that I did turn things around since the 20th. I will try to get another blog post up soon. Thanks for checking in and stay tuned for more!
I have not really been writing too much in these catch up blog posts but I will say that I did turn things around since the 20th. I will try to get another blog post up soon. Thanks for checking in and stay tuned for more!
Friday, January 15, 2016
Delay of Game 2
I am still really late in posting these weight loss updates. I did weigh in on January 15th. My weight for that weigh in was 353.8 pounds. That was a loss of one pound since the previous weigh in. Total weight loss through January 15th was 2.6 pounds.
I don't really have much to say since I am so late in posting this update. I will elaborate more on how I am doing in a future blog update. Until then, take care!
I don't really have much to say since I am so late in posting this update. I will elaborate more on how I am doing in a future blog update. Until then, take care!
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Delay of Game
The last two blog posts have been titled around a football theme but they are also relevant to the blog. This time, I am really late in posting this update. I weighed in on January 10th as I had mentioned that I would. My weight for that weigh in was 354.8 pounds. That was a loss of two pounds since the previous weigh in.
I am not going to write anything more since I am so late in posting this update. I will elaborate more on how I am doing in the next blog update. Until then, take care and check back soon!
I am not going to write anything more since I am so late in posting this update. I will elaborate more on how I am doing in the next blog update. Until then, take care and check back soon!
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
False Start, Offense, Five Yard Penalty, Repeat First Down
I can't sleep. I woke up at 3:50 AM this morning. I have been feeling a little down lately. There are several reasons for that, but one of them has to do with not starting my weight loss journey when I said that I would. That is mostly because I don't like to say I am going to do something and then not follow through. The holiday season is a tough time to start a weight loss program. Still, if I cannot exhibit self control at that time, why should I think I can any other time? So, I take full responsibility for that. I apologize for the false start.
I will just cut to the chase here, I gained a little under a half pound since my last weight loss post on December 18th. My current weight is 356.8 pounds. That is a gain of 0.4 pounds.
I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, gaining under a half pound over the holiday break doesn't seem all that bad. On the other hand, I was somewhat active over the break, getting in some decent step counts on some of those days.
Either way, the journey starts in earnest today. I am confident that I can lose some of this weight relatively easily just by cutting out soda consumption. I have not been eating an inordinate amount of calories, I have been drinking them. Well, that is not 100% true. I don't want to give the impression that I have been eating well. There are times when I certainly consume too much food as well. I just mean that if I had to select the biggest reason for my weight, it would have to be soda.
Today I will be logging my calories and keeping track of my steps. I am excited to get back on track. I am tired of being overweight and yearn to get back to a more healthy lifestyle. Now comes the hard part. Losing weight is not easy, but it is time to get started. Thank you for following along. The next blog post will be January 10th. Goodbye for now.
I will just cut to the chase here, I gained a little under a half pound since my last weight loss post on December 18th. My current weight is 356.8 pounds. That is a gain of 0.4 pounds.
I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, gaining under a half pound over the holiday break doesn't seem all that bad. On the other hand, I was somewhat active over the break, getting in some decent step counts on some of those days.
Either way, the journey starts in earnest today. I am confident that I can lose some of this weight relatively easily just by cutting out soda consumption. I have not been eating an inordinate amount of calories, I have been drinking them. Well, that is not 100% true. I don't want to give the impression that I have been eating well. There are times when I certainly consume too much food as well. I just mean that if I had to select the biggest reason for my weight, it would have to be soda.
Today I will be logging my calories and keeping track of my steps. I am excited to get back on track. I am tired of being overweight and yearn to get back to a more healthy lifestyle. Now comes the hard part. Losing weight is not easy, but it is time to get started. Thank you for following along. The next blog post will be January 10th. Goodbye for now.
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