Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here.

I don't actually mean that, I just felt I needed something suitably dramatic for day one of my weight loss journey. In fact in the story Dante did not abandon hope because he had a friend and guide, and I feel much the same way. Thank you again to all of you who have offered support and advice.

Electronic Judgment

Not often do I spend $50 on something I am sure I will hate so much, but this was a necessary purchase. Yesterday my Escali glass top scale with body fat and water analysis arrived.



It is actually kind of pretty in a stainless steel refrigerator kind of way. But that is not why I got it. This is post #1 of weekly posts of my weight. I will probably post more frequently to discuss my trials and tribulations, but once a week is the bare minimum.

When I weighed myself this morning I discovered a small problem with the scale. Depending on how I balance myself on it (as it is a bit narrower than my natural stance) the result can vary a bit. So I will be averaging two readings to come up with my weight each week. Without further ado then, here is my starting weight.

440.2 Lbs.

It is a bit higher than I thought it would be, but being perfectly honest a number that high is not unexpected. I am shocked at how easy it was to get here, but the past is the past. This is the starting point. I am not sure how effective it will be to set a target weight because I have never been thin enough to really know my body type or how a certain weight level will sit on me, but I think 225 or so is a reasonable goal weight. I don't have to be married to that.

Do They Have Methadone For This?

Other beginnings I have made since my last post are to experiment with exercise and eliminating soda from my diet. The Biggest Loser Fitness book I got recommends starting with exercise three days a week to start with and I think that is a great start. Thursday morning I did 15 minutes on the treadmill and 70 crunches as well as some stretching to warm up and some light calisthenics. As I feel more comfortable I will be adding more time and exercises, but right now I just need to build up a bit of endurance.

Eliminating soda so far has not gone according to plan. Instead of being smart and doing a little research I just stopped drinking soda. Since I used to drink so much, and it was the only source of caffeine in my diet the withdrawal symptoms were incredible. I had to have half a cup of coffee at work Thursday night and another small mug Friday afternoon. The headache was still so bad that I vomited Friday morning and had to miss work. I heard once that caffeine was more addicting than heroin, and now I believe it. I am feeling better today, but stubborn refusal of all caffeine is in the past. If the Mayo clinic strongly recommends against quitting caffeine cold turkey, who am I to disagree. I do have some Folgers in the freezer and splenda in the pantry, so the effects on my diet should be minimal when I am forced to drink coffee as long as I remember to chase it with twice as much water.

Next post I will highlight some of my better food choices and struggles with cravings, but I think that is enough for now.

The game is afoot.

We Attack At Dawn

Thank You!

Before I do another thing I want to thank all of those on Facebook and who have joined me here for their support and interest. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I made my decision to start the blog. My journey will be beginning here soon and I hope all of you will stick around and offer a kind word or a good idea as the months go by. The ideas and advice I have received so far have been great and I'll need them all as I go forward.

I'd also like to let those of you who are not in my normal circle of friends know that I sometimes curse a little bit. I don't use it for humor or shock value often, and I hope you can see past it if it bothers you.

Now, down to business.

Success in any endeavor is attributable to many factors, but first among these is, I think, a good set of goals and a plan for success. I am a lazy guy by nature, but when I have a plan I don't have to think and I don't have to decide; I can just do. In preparation for this I went out today and got a few tools I think will help me be more active and make better choices. I'm laying the ground work to but my plan in action, so without further ado here is my plan of attack:

I must (in the words of my friend Shanna) stop drinking my calories. This may be the absolute worst thing I do to myself, and what I am sure will be the most difficult change for me. I drink a lot of soda, and when I am out with my friends I have beer or mixed drinks. All of these things add to my calorie intake while giving me absolutely nothing in terms of nutrients. Some folk shave suggested diet sodas, but artificial sweeteners give me headaches and taste terrible, so I'm dropping soft drinks all together. I may still have the occasional adult beverage, but liquid calories are out otherwise until I get where I want to be with my health.

I must cook more. Restaurants don't feel the need to watch the fat and calories for me and packaged foods substitute freshness and quality with preservatives and sodium. I need to take control. The more I know what I am eating the more I can fine tune my intake to support my goals. I like cooking and I don't plan to stop enjoying food and cooking for myself is one way I can enjoy food before even eating it. I think this will help me build a healthier relationship with food and allow me to take back some responsibility for my diet.

I must make the better choice when eating out. To that end I bought a book called "Eat This, Not That". Hopefully when I am not eating my own meals I can make the choices that will give me the best chance for success. It has better choices for restaurants and at the grocery store, so I can avoid even buying food that has a better option out there.

I must get off my ass. After soda, a sedentary lifestyle is probably my biggest health sin. I occasionally go for a walk or hit the elliptical, but never with regularity or much enthusiasm. I have a small gym in my building that I hardly ever use. That will change. I bought the book "The Biggest Loser Fitness Program". Hopefully having a book full of safe, tested exercises will provide me some variety and help me establish a routine. I also got a nice pair of headphones for distraction. Exercise and stretching will help me not only with my weight loss goals, but will help me gain more control over my body, my actor's instrument. That is the other goal of this whole journey. I don't want to be some soap opera idol or a model. I want to be healthy and in full control of all aspects of my performance. I can't do that unless I hone my mechanism.

So that's the plan. I just finished the last Dr. Pepper in the apartment and I don't plan on getting any more. I work late tomorrow so there is no reason I cant hit the treadmill for half and hour. My next post will come when my scale does, but I am laying the ground work as of now. I am not gonna lie; I am both excited and scared. Here goes nothing.

In The Beginning...

Accountability.

The whole reason for this blog, even if no one reads it, is about it. I need it. I don't know if I can achieve what I want to achieve without it. What is it I want to achieve you ask?

I need to lose weight.

A lot of weight.

I won't know how much until the scale I ordered ten minutes ago arrives, but I know its a lot.
As an actor I need to be healthy, interesting to look at, and able to do whatever a director asks of me. I can't do those things right now and that is unacceptable.

Therefore I give you my goals and promises for this blog:
I will post my weight at least once a week
I will be honest
I will not give up.
Once something is on the blog it is on the blog for good.
I will periodically post pictures as I can.

Because of the last two promises I can't say how long I plan to operate this blog. I guess it'll be as long as I need to.

Well, its out there now. Those who know me best know that my fear of judgement will now out-muscle my fear of change.

Here we go.