I'm actually emptying my daughters room this weekend of everything she owns bar clothes why? because she refuses to tidy her room I'll take a before and after pic so you guys can see what i'm dealing with

That just might inspire me to do the same! I understand your pain.

Good stuff. You've done a great job.

I have never posted my 'before traineo' pics of me blimping out close to 200. I know there are one or two lurking in the basement. I'll try to hunt them down this weekend.

I think I will finally feel up to adding some original pics to the system later this year.... maybe once I have completed my goal. I'll be taking a photo of myself on the last day of each month this year to show my progress all at once in October.

Wow... saying it on the site really adds pressure.

I was rushing to get out of the house this morning. Argh... forgot to hit the scale. I'll have to log my weight here on Monday.

Not a ramble... good ideas.

So you are correct that I need to start slow and build my way up. Guess I am learning what the basics are as well. I absolutely need to be careful as I do not need any injury setbacks. As I get into this, I understand that it is not all about the running / jogging / walking... I do plan on adding 2 - 3 days per week of some strength training. While my goal is not to need to live in the gym, I feel I need to add some strength over the coming months to be able to progress in my training.

Last summer I would go on daily lunchtime walks at the park and I usually logged about 2-3 miles per day. I was not "power walking" but I tried to move at a good pace for my short legs. I would stop at park benches to do push ups and other exercises. By fall, I was doing some light jogging for between 1-2 minutes at a time. So, while I have been relatively inactive since November, I don't feel like it will take many walks to get back to being able to start some 30 sec - 1 min interval jogging.

Yeah - so these technical terms such as cadence came from a "running clinic" that I went to at a local store called RunningFit earlier this week. It was a fairly poor clinic with not a lot of great explanation for true beginners. These guys we obviously runners and not coaches. I did pick up on a couple things I think, but the best part was the $10 gift card we all got for going through the clinic. Of course we then got to spend big $$$ on their expensive proper running shoes.

I will have to locate the program that we will be following as a team and post it here for people to see. It does include group runs with the team, and a progression through the months as well as a 5K in April and a 10K in July (I think). Not sure if there is a 13.1 later or not.

Some people even use the 30 second run / 30 second walk to complete marathons

This is where I plan to start. Maybe 1 min intervals if I can. But having not been a runner, I know I have to work up to it. As I understand it, I need to begin with some basic mechanics and work up to the point where I can go on an organized run with someone who can assess my mechanics to know where to improve.

I've been told a few important things about how to hold my arms, how to measure my cadence, and to look for 180 cadence songs for my iPod.

@Stephen - It is amazing to have seen your transformation. I desire to aspire to your level of guruism.

I want to go ahead and begin my Chi26.2 Training Log, even though I can't actually begin training until I am released by my doctor to be more physical. What I can do is get ready for the journey in other ways.

If you have not already guessed, yes, I am signed up to participate in the Chicago Marathon on October 7th! I have a lot to learn. I am not a runner. I did not know what goo was until this past Tuesday night. And I have never owned a pair of "proper" running shoes.

So, I am going to need help along the way. I have 8 months to prepare. My 2012 goal is to complete the marathon during the regulation time of at most 6.5 hours. ... hey, I'f I'm doing this I want the medal to prove it!

I decided on a goal this year that would be performance based rather than weight loss based. I figure that I will be working toward my goal and have a bi-product of weight loss.

To all the runners out there, I will look to you as coaches and I'm asking you for all your suggestions to help me succeed.

So without rambling on and on, I will begin with what I am focused on in the next 10 days. Why 10 days - I will not be able to begin lifting any weights or start any kind of running until at least next Friday when I have my follow up appointment with my surgeon from my recent gallbladder surgery. But I know there are things that I can begin doing now to get ready.

For example: I have bought a new pair of shoes.


I had to rely on the opinion of the consultant who suggested these shoes to me at the local RunningFit store. They analyzed my walk, put me on a fancy machine to see my weight distribution pattern of my foot and then suggested a series of shoes. I decided upon the Saucony's pictured above. I can give them a try for the next 2 weeks (on treadmills) and return them if they are not a good fit. I have to say that these proper running shoes feel different that the tennis shoes that I am used to. All of them felt a little different to me. I hope that translates into something positive as I begin walking soon.

That sounds very reasonable. Not extreme at all. One might even say, it is moderated.

If I go full bore out of the gates, yes, I understand that I will see results. Fact is however, that I will also have consequences that go along with the gains... which may in turn equal setbacks.

So I see a definite reason to moderate your physical efforts. But what about the dietary. Can anyone come up with any consequences that may result from not practicing some moderation with diet. If I suddenly took the path of being full bore zero tolerant with a diet plan, (other than the desired weight loss) can anyone think of any one thing that might creep in as a potential issue?

I guess I only say that because that is kind of where we started. I understand that moderately allowing myself to "indulge" has a possible consequence of derailing the diet. But again, I will say that if you are in "my shoes" and have a long way to go, the idea of moderation is not a good thing. But for those who are in a maintenance mode (and I do believe there is such a mode), that a moderated indulgence should be allowed.

The biggest difference is that I don’t walk around half hobbled by muscular pain and DOMS anymore

BTW - Oh how I see this in my near future.

Mike... seriously.. your idea has legs... and demand. I can totally see this on tv. We can call it Traineolies. Sub title: My plan will kick your plans butt


Traineo on tv... I'd watch.... in Moderation of course.

I agree, sorry Rachel

I'll get to myself in a minute...

Can we agree that moderation is okay in terms of maintenance? Because if not, then there are so many things that nobody ought to ever have again. Ever. And again, I want to reiterate that I stated that moderation should only be considered DEPENDENT upon where one is in their journey.

For example, If Angie loses any more weight, I might consider flying a sandwich down to her. She is in fantastic shape and in my opinion should not by trying to lose more weight.

For guys like Stephen who have planned into their diet a day with an indulgence... by definition, that is moderation within his circumstances.

So, what happened to me? Well, I came to a planned end of my Round 2 of my HCG program that I was following. Round 2 was not nearly as successful for me as Round 1. For my program I was following a VLCD of 500-700 calories per day and doing this in conjunction with daily shots of HGC. It was a very specific plan with a specific duration to be taken over the course of 47 days for each Round. Round 2 became too difficult for me to sustain. My Doctor who had prescribed the program to me suspected that I was becoming immune to the HCG, causing it to have a lesser effect.

The solution to this is to take time off the program. We had been discussing attempting the program again in March. Since my lowest weight of 278, I put back on about 15 - 20. EXCUSE ALERT... I had stopped worrying about it for the holidays. I had a series of Gallbladder attacks. Cold weather arrived and my walks tapered off.

I'm now trying to get back on the wagon and get things going again for myself. This time I have added a more physical program to my plan... one that I am only waiting on the okay from my doctor to begin. ..and I'm really itching to start.

By the way, my thoughts on the way the author of the children's book addressed Moderation... I am happy to see these kinds of examples in children's books. No parent in their right mind would enforce an zero tolerance policy in regards to cookies for a 6 year old. It is important that kids understand what moderation is and why it is important to practice. I am lucky to have kids who like to exercise and who like to eat veggies. We don't allow daily cookies and we try to encourage good choices and eating habits for our kids. Education is the key. We're tyring to give them the tools they need to succeed in life. It's not about eating only one cookie but less than twenty cookies off every plate you walk by. It's about knowing what environment is right to allow yourself to have that one cookie... as long as it is not a hinderance to your goal.

Give it a shot for a week. Then come up with a long term plan. I actually tried that diet once back in college. My roommate hated me for making the dorm smell like cabbage. I ruined the containers that I kept the soup in ... no matter how much I washed them, I could not get the smell to go away. Ended up pitching them. The soup itself tasted okay... well for the first few servings. It got old pretty quickly though. Same old thing every cabbage stinking day.

I agree with Justa.

I wish I would have taken a photo of my lunch. I might tomorrow. This could be fun.

I hear you John. And that was kind of what I was saying. For example - would you say that @Angie or @Rachael would be allowed to partake in moderation? I would. They are at a different point in their journey. They are not at a point where they are looking for drastic change. For those of us who are not there, and like me... not even close, you're correct to say that drastic changes aren't compatible with moderation.

HOWEVER

I will point to @Stephen who has lost a ton of weight, and in the spirit of moderation, allowed himself a pizza every week during his transformation. I could not do that. It does not work for me. But he has made it become a successful formula for himself.

Al- actually I think my last week (previous to the surgery) 298 and TW is 295...

So I actually had a -3. Of course that is over 2 weeks. But it is the right direction.

That's awesome. Love the visual, but I kind of have to disagree with you just a little bit. I think it kind of depends on the person and the circumstances. I am not hard enough on myself. I can push myself to do more. I have more room for improvement than most. So if I'm not being hard enough on myself... then that is a problem.



BUT. There are some who have demonstrated that they are doing what it takes to reach their goals. And for those people, I can see where the "you're being too hard on yourself" comment is perfectly fine. You, for instance, are winning the battle. You have come SO far in your journey. You deserve the ability to relax from time to time and not beat yourself up about it.

For others, me for example, while I have come a long way recently, I also know that I have to find it in me to push ahead and that will mean getting back to being hard on myself.

***THINKING FURTHER***

I see what you are saying though... Food (and bad food choices) IS like the heroin addiction you mention above. Just as an alcoholic should NEVER drink an oz of alcohol ever again, slipping back into the pattern of old habits sets off a new cycle of destructive choices. This I can agree with.

But I think the key is that everything should be done in moderation.... except for heroin, of course. But along with that key needs to be the elements of being prepared and carrying with you the tools you need to succeed. So, while I chose not to go to a Super Bowl Party on Sunday ... very much due to the fact that I knew there would be bad food choices for me there, I could have chosen to go to the party and take along with me the foods that I could eat. That likely would have been enough for me to be satisfied and not gorge on the assortment of goodies.

But speaking in terms of moderation... Is it okay to have just 1 of something? It should be. Of course it is not okay for that alcoholic to have just one beer. So for someone who knows that having just that one cookie will send them to the bottom of the package, then no, it is not okay. But if you can, and you know you can, then moderation should be allowed.

It's funny, just last night I was reading a book to my daughter at bedtime and it was going over some "big" words. One of the words was Moderation. The author described the word by saying that it is not okay to go to a party and eat 20 cookies. It's also not okay to go and eat zero. It is okay to eat just enough.

I think that allowing yourself moderation is okay DEPENDING on where you are in your journey. I can rattle off names of who I think fall into that category and who doesn't fall into that category, but that is not cool. We know where we fall. For me - I'm not there yet.

I guess what I am saying is that (I hope) we know when it is appropriate to be hard on ourselves. ... then we can come here and report what we have done and if it was not the right choice, our traineolies can help set us straight!

:)

no excuses, just too much bread

My nemesis. I wonder if I got hypnotized into believing that I am allergic to bread if I could stop eating it.

... Nah, I'd probably cause myself to really become allergic and that would suck.

Cute kid!

I am really stoked to try for one full week with no medical issues starting right now!

I need that too! My MIL is in the hospital now for 3rd time since Christmas. My GB attacks and removal. Now my daughter is home because she is having trouble with her asthma and my wife stayed home with a NASTY stomach bug that began overnight. My wife actually asked me this morning why it seems we are cursed, medically, so far this year. I really just want 1 full week without all the medical issues and hospital visits.

It's really not that much to ask.

So, my swelling is going away.

307 when I weighed in on Friday
295 today

But in terms of the challenge, I think it is more like

LW 296
TW 295
-1

I didn't "really" gain 12 lbs so I can't claim to have lost 12 either. Getting back to normal :) Still a little sore but I improve every day. Itching to start working out. I gotta start doing something... really ought to wait until the Doc clears me. I have that appt on Feb 17th.

I tried that bikram yoga with my wife about 7 years ago. It about killed me. I felt like puking and I think it caused an anxiety attack. I like regular yoga... been wanting to sign up for another session. Maybe in a few weeks.

Actually, I think that is entirely possible. It's not like you're gaining / losing 4 lbs of muscle during those periods. I've actually noted weight gain after sunburns before as well. When your tissue needs water.. your body retains it to assist in repair. I've even heard that your body can retain 9 lbs of water after surgery.

,..

...

23... wow. I would have to get back into the best shape of my life to fit into things I wore at 23.

@Al - not worried. I'll get there.

@Donna - Thanks - not over indulging at all... heck I was was not eating much at all until yesterday. Finally feeling like I can eat again.

Today I'm just a little sore from laying off the heavy meds. Hurts a little to stand up and sit down. My car seat and my office chair are a little more upright than the couch I've been lounging on. So the angle cramps my belly a little more.

A couple more days of this and I should be ready to get moving again. Looking forward to that day!

I can't remember where I am in this. Still waking up from the general anesthetic.

I think I weighed in last week at 298.
TW (yesterday anyway) 307
that would be a +9

While Al expected a loss... and actually I was hoping for a loss... it turns out that lots of swelling and narcotic pain meds that slow the bowels actually cause you to gain weight.

I'm going to have to work hard just to get back to my start weight.

UGH

Not yet ...however there is talks of a 5k in April with my training group. Honestly I would like to workup to a tri... 2013 maybe.

A few years ago, my brother did the 60 miles / 3-Day for breast cancer and that was quite an accomplishment. I will begin my training in about 2 weeks. It will begin with daily walks and move into 1 minute intervals soon thereafter. All of this working up to the second week of March when we will be meeting up with our training groups on a weekly basis. There are some people who are committed to participate as walkers and I am wanting to push myself a little more than just walking the event. I would like to complete the event in the 6 hour and 30 minute max time limit which is a pace that is a little faster than walking at 4 mph.

I need to go buy a pair of shoes this week and my father in law is giving me a stop watch for my intervals that will begin in a few weeks... as soon as I have my last follow-up with my doctor.

Alright - here is it. My goal for 2012 is...

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On October 7th 2012, I will participate in my first ever marathon!

There it is, my registration confirmation. It is a huge goal and to be realistic... I don't expect to run the whole thing... I just want to participate and complete it.

So, I've been having a hard time coming up with a good goal for 2012. Then a couple weeks back, a friend from church approached me and asked if I would be interested in participating in a massive fund raising effort that our church is doing this year which involves the Chicago Marathon. We are working with Team World Vision to bring water to 2 specific communities in Africa and we will be using our efforts with the marathon to raise money. We will have a specific fund raising goal of about $1300 per person. Our church now has over 250 people signed up to participate in the Chicago Marathon and almost another 250 at another church on the other side of Detroit.

We are breaking up into groups by local city location and by athletic ability so that we can train with people who are of compatible fitness levels. We will have running coaches and a detailed plan for achieving our goal.

I have just completed my world vision marathon page here.

So, with that, I have set a very measurable goal for 2012. It is a goal that is not specifically associated with weight loss, but rather a goal where weight loss will be the bi-product of my efforts.

I'm a little scared, but also excited. I have 8 months to prepare. Going from gallbladder surgery to marathon! It is going to be a big year!

I've gained 9 pounds! I've not eaten much this week either. So it has to all be swelling and the fact that I am "backed up". I can't wait to get past that.

However, although I'm still a little drowsy, I am feeling a lot better today. Not nearly as much pain. So, I am going to go ahead and jump over to the thread that talks about 2012 goals and get mine posted. It is a crazy goal... but I think I have the right support team in place for success. Let me get over to that thread now.