Victory | 200by40 - Weight Loss the Right Way

New Running Milestone: 6 Miles

2012/10/21 at 8:23 pm | Posted in Discipline, Exercise, Health, Inspiration, lifestyle change, Milestone, Victory, weight loss, weight loss blog | 4 Comments
Tags: Exercise, Milestone, running, Victory, weight loss, weight loss blog

When I was in the middle of my weight loss program, I would walk at least one mile during my lunch hour so that I could get at least a little bit of exercise in during the day. But as I continued to do this I soon came to realize that, while beneficial, walking was getting a little boring.

That’s when I bought the treadmill and started jogging on it at night. Not only was it something new but it was a way for me to kick things up a notch by going at a higher rate of speed. Not much higher but still faster than walking.

And that’s what weight loss and exercise are all about: trying new and challenging things to prove to yourself that nothing will stop you and that you can achieve lofty goals.

Today I challenged myself and met a goal I didn’t quite plan on: running over 6 miles.

Until today, I would run my standard 5k around the neighborhood on my predetermined path. But this morning I chose to mix it up a bit by running 5 miles on yet another predetermined route.

I hit the pavement at 7am knowing that 5 miles would be in the bag by the time I got home and that was nothing new. I had run 5 miles in the past without too much difficulty. But when I reached Mile 4, something inside of me clicked.

While jogging through the park I started to give myself a pep talk.

“Six miles…you can do six miles…four miles down…what’s another two…do it…DO IT!”

And with that I turned up the heat and started running faster, not knowing exactly which direction to go. I relied on the Sports Tracker app to keep track of my distance but as far as direction goes, I had no plans.

I just kept running until I reached the next major intersection and then started heading home. By then, I was at 5.25 miles so I kept on going. Up the street, down the street, back and forth until my app finally logged 6 miles.

In the end, I ran 6.06 miles or just short of 10k. This is good because I have made decided that 2013 will be the year I start running 10ks instead of 5ks (finances permitting).

You haven’t heard the best part of the story. At the end of my run, I jogged onto the lawn of my house I spiked my (empty) water bottle to the ground, clapped, threw a few fists into the air, and pretty much celebrated my accomplishment on my front yard. This was my first time running over 6 miles/nearly 10k and I was very happy about it.

There were a few neighbors outside when I was reveling in my personal victory and yes, as you can imagine, I was stared at by them. While it seemed like I may have been having a nervous breakdown or just going nuts in general, I can assure you that my reactions were solely based on the fact that I had just set a goal I hadn’t planned on – and I was pumped about it.

Here’s how it looked on my app (click to enlarge):

Look at the stats. Am I the fastest on two legs? No. Is 6 miles the most amazing distance ever recorded? Not to some but to me it is and the fact that I was out there no matter how slow I may have been going at times doesn’t change the fact that I’m still a runner.

I achieved something that wasn’t on my radar for the day, which will make running 5k seem like a walk in the park. This is why you must challenge yourself to better because one day, whether you plan on it or not, you will be.

And trust me when I say that when you get there, you will find it hard to contain your excitement.

Now go out and set some goals for yourself – then beat them 🙂

36!

2009/01/23 at 10:32 pm | Posted in Discipline, Exercise, Health, Inspiration, Life, lifestyle change, Motivation, Video Games, weight loss | Comments Off
Tags: diets don't work, Victory, weight, weight loss blog

Hooray for small victories!

We took a trip to Target tonight for some much needed eye drops. (My left eye has been very irritated and red lately; almost to the point of pinkeye.)

While there I decided to hit the clearance racks for some better-fitting clothes. It was on those racks that I found some Mossimo shorts marked down to the insane price of $6.24 (originally $24.99). The one problem: they were size 36.

Not wanting to pass up such a great deal for something I would definitely wear, I took the shorts into the dressing room to try them on–and they fit.

People, you don’t understand. I haven’t bern that size since my senior year of high school, well over 20 years ago. Although I’m struggling with getting down to 190 lbs., this accomplishment really motivates me to work harder.

Speaking of which, I also broke down and bought a Timex Ironman watch that monitors your heart rate, determines calories burned, etc. This works out really well on the treadmill, as does watching the all-new MLB Network channel to pass the time.

That’s all I have for now. I’m posting from my iPod Touch with the WordPress app so for the sake of putting less strain on my eyes, this is all you get for now 🙂

Without Whom: Products

2009/01/10 at 12:49 am | Posted in Discipline, Exercise, Food, Video Games, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, Wii, wii fit | 1 Comment
Tags: diets don't work, ipod shuffle, reebok, thank you, trader joe's, trek bikes, Victory, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, Wii

Okay, so I’m a little behind…

Here’s the post where I thank the products that helped me make it through my journey. For a list of people I thanked some time ago, you can click here.

Ready? Then here we go. Please note that I am not a compensated spokeperson for any of these products; I mention them out the kindness of my heart for helping me reach my goal.

Continue Reading Without Whom: Products…

Without Whom: People

2008/09/29 at 10:17 am | Posted in Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Inspiration, Life, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers | 2 Comments
Tags: diets don't work, disneyland, thank you, Victory, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers

Since I have completed my quest, I suppose it’s now time to take a moment to thank those that made it possible.

To my always outrageous wife, Ann, who graciously put up with my heartaches, triumphs, successes and failures over these past few years. She’s been the preparer of meals, my rock in my darkest hours, the yin to my yang.

In addition to listening to me complain even more than you readers have on this blog, she’s been married to me for over 15 years. At least you guys can close your browser if you get tired of me; she lives with this. If anybody deserves any kind of recognition for anything, I think it’s her. Take a bow, sugar beet!

To my son, Anthony. It took looking into those little brown eyes in 2006 for me to wake up and realize that I had an obligation to fulfill: to raise him with the healthiest father he can have.

The way I saw it, it was unfair to him to have Daddy be a lazy oaf that didn’t have the energy to keep up with him, carry him, or just do the stupid things that sons and fathers are known to do together. Fortunately, things are a bit different today and I’m glad to report that he gets winded trying to keep up with me, not the other way around.

So thanks, Anthony, and I hope you’re prepared to go on that camping and hiking expedition I’ve been promising next year. We’ve both earned it. I love you both!

To my doctor–that really is him in the picture–who made me realize that I was headed down an unhealthy path, one filled with health complications that I would have rather not dealt with. It was his recommendation of Weight Watchers that got the proverbial ball rolling and made me realize that this was something that I needed to do.

Thanks a million, doc. After hearing about your surgery, it was you to whom I dedicated losing my last pounds. I wish for your speedy recovery and I’m glad I didn’t let you down. I hope you recognize me next time I visit you.

Finally, thanks to all of you who subscribed to this blog or my personal blog and kept yourself updated on my progress. I’ve read and responded to all of your comments so I think you know that they definitely meant something to me and weren’t just a bunch of words strung together. In particular, I’d like to thank:

Kimberly at LadyGypsy.net who often dropped in to see what condition my condition was in and always left amusing and flattering comments. I’ve been a fan of her blog for years so having her stop by sprinkle her colorful bits wit and wisdom here and on my personal blog is always a treat. Thanks, Kim(berly)!
Preston at Me and the Blue Skies who claims to be a fatty but weighs less than I do. His blog is nine kinds of funny and definitely worth a gander. Thanks, Preston, and keep your eyes on the prize. You’ll do it!
Twisted Cinderella who, like me, writes a personal and is also writing about her trials and tribulations in the world of losing weight. That takes a lot of work and dedication, people, especially with a family. And all I can tell her is this: stick with it and you’ll be fine!
Lisa Winternitz who came across this blog and sent me some free South Beach Living products for my consumption and review. Thanks, Lisa, for finding me and giving me the opportunity to try and review these products.
All of you who have linked to me on your own blog. There are quite a few and while I can’t name them all here, thanks for reading 200by40 and adding a link to your blog. It’s really appreciated.

And believe it or not, there are a few people I’d like to NOT thank, including:

My high school art teacher, who was probably one of the most arrogant people I have ever known. He once told me I’d never accomplish anything while I was working on a project in class. Over 97 Well over 100 lbs. later, I beg to differ.
To a reader calling themselves Web Lover, who left an insightful comment in this post about my weight / pants size. I’d love to see what they look like when they are not behind the guise of the Internet.
All of those so-called blogs that stole my content and posted it on theirs in the hopes that my success would push sales of their diet pills/snake oil. I hope you got NOTHING in return.

Yes, on one hand it can be a bit of an ego this writing about your weight loss on a blog and damn near bragging to the world that you’ve reached goal, but I prefer to see it as being an inspiration to anybody who’s been turned off at the thought of losing weight or, dare I say it, go on a “diet.”

A diet won’t get you where you want to be in the long run; they are only temporary solutions. Only a change in lifestyle will yield the results you wish for, and will maintain for good.

I’m glad all of you went along on this journey with me, but there is still much left to do. No, there is! The next few milestones on the slate are:

Reach the 100 lbs. lost mark. With only a few pounds to go, that shouldn’t be too difficult. I will not be setting a time frame for this; it will happen when it happens.
Reach my new weight of 190 lbs. No, I’m not changing the name of the blog; being 200 lbs. by my 40th birthday was the original goal. I changed my goal to 190 as a way to get past those last few pounds that didn’t seem to want to go away and it worked like a charm.

With those two goals in mind, it means that the blog will obviously continue as will the Weekly Weigh-Ins until I deem they are no longer necessary to post. By then, maintenance will be the big challenge but if I’ve made it this far, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

So again, thanks (or no thanks) again to all! Next up on the Thank You list: products.

See you soon 🙂

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