The Tale of Two Full Water Jugs

Keep reading on to know the significance of this Blog title. This week I lost 6.8 lbs. Total of 83.4 lbs lost. Bringing me down to 442.6 pounds.

This was a tough week. I haven't felt well this entire week. Started last Saturday being up point 2 of a pound. Then Monday & Tuesday I had a horrible asthma attack. When I have to do asthma treatments I get super shaky and jittery. This wrecked my exercise plan for the beginning of the week. But I got back on track.

My wife and I went swimming. I was able to jog and walk a few days during the week. This Saturday we got up early to get our exercise in. San Diego is having a heat wave so we wanted to get our walk in early. Great thing we did.  The heat was in the triple digits. When we finished walking 3.27 miles, my active link was at 120% at 7:30 in the morning. Great feeling.

After our morning walk we headed to the weight watcher meeting. Maria decided to change from Online only to joining me with the monthly pass. She can now go to all the meetings with me. Its fantastic that Maria gets to share this with my journey with me. When she found out I lost what I did I could see the look of pride in her face. She gave me a huge hug and was very happy I had past the 80 pound lost mark.

Its now a new week, a new month and I am still on this journey. Its been a lot harder than I thought. There are many times I want to give up and pig out. Maria keeps me focused and on track. She is such an amazing woman. I am very privileged to be married to her. She has ordered a custom made shirt for me. I can't wear it until I loose 16.6 more pounds. The shirt says I have lost 100 lbs. If I can do it anyone can. I cannot wait to be able to wear that shirt with pride.

If you want to see how it feels to carry 83.4 pounds around, try holding two full 5 gallon water jugs. This is a total weight of 80 lbs. Its a sobering fact that I have lost that much weight. I used to carry it around every where. I didn't think I could change. But look at me now. I know it won't get easier, but I am happy I am losing weight. I want to keep going.

Someone at our Weight Watcher's meeting made a really good point. Point is: There will always be obstacles in our path to being healthy. When we conquer one thing, another thing will always be there to test us. Power is defined in the dictionary as a continuous path of strength. I think, no, I know that I am on the right path. Keep telling yourselves that when you feel like giving up. Remember that a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline. Lets keep that goal always in front of us and practice our strengths so our weaknesses are further behind us.


Please feel free to comment. Share this blog with who ever will read. Any one that needs to be inspired I hope I can help them. 

The Amazing Shrinking Dude
Todd

Gold 5 pound star for over 80 lbs

Holding the amount I have lost.

Haters Gonna Hate

This week I lost 1.2 Lbs. Total of 76.8.

There are certain people in the world that its never good enough for them. I was asked "when am I going to get gastric bypass or lab band." They only see me as heavy, not the fact that I have lost 76.8 lbs. They don't realize the hard work and dedication I have put in over the last 6 months. Since they are not happy with how they look on the outside, and on the inside.

Haters are gonna Hate.

I am proud of what I have done. I have lost a lot of weight in 6 months. I have completely turned my life around. I have great people supporting me. There will always be those people that want to see failure. People in public don't see what I have done, they just see the weight. But you can't dwell on that. Most are just hateful and ugly on the inside. Everyone that knows me, knows what I am doing, how I am progressing back me up and support me. They are the people who matter to me.

This week I got back to swimming. We swam 4 days this week. It is always hard getting back into activity but it is worth it. I had a so so week with eating. Will get back on track this week. The weight watcher meeting at work has been canceled. So I had to change my weigh in day to Saturday instead of Wednesday. That will take some getting used too, its all good.

This is a new week. Even if people want me to fail I won't. I will succeed. The haters won't even know what hit them when I get to the end of my journey. Don't dwell on hate, lean toward support. Haters try to bring you down. Don't let them. Know you will succeed. Goals will be reached.


Please comment. Feel free to share this with anyone that will read. 

Todd
The Amazing Shrinking Dude

A Mountain & Fears Conquered in One Afternoon

Saturday we decided to go for a Hike in the mountains around San Diego. My wife Maria. My Oldest Brother Scott, My Mom.

The hike we decided to conquer was called Stonewall Mountain in the Cuyamaca National Forest, East of San Diego, Ca.  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=667
The hike was a 4.5 mile round trip. We decided to go at 2:00 in the afternoon. It was cool and cloudy around our house. When we got to the mountain it was 90 deg F. Not a cloud in the sky. Beautiful Day.

We started our Hike. Water packs strapped to our back. Hiking Poles in Hand. The first part of the hike was brutal. Very Steep. No shade. HOT. After the first half mile the steepness was not as bad. There was more shade and the breeze picked up to cool us down. The rest of the trail was all switchbacks. Very gradual grade. Few rocks and steps here and there. It was compacted dirt most the way up.

Once we got done with first few switchbacks we started to be able to see the amazing views. They started to appear thou the trees. The trees were burnt from wild fires a few years ago, and were starting to grow back. The view was just incredible, breath taking. I have lived in San Diego most my life and this was the first time I have ever climbed a this mountain. I didn't even know there was a trail there until a few days ago thanks to Maria.

My brother felt like jogging, so he took off up to the top. He is training for a 10K mud run next week. My mom and Wife stayed with me. We took a break every few switchbacks. Making sure we drank LOTS of water. Since it was so hot, Maria poured some water on my back and head to cool me down. This kept me cool enough to keep moving. When ever we needed a break we would take one. Mom & Maria were cheering me to keep going. Once I caught my breath and cooled a bit we would continue. About half way up I got a text message from my brother saying he hit the top. I told him where we were and he started cheering us on via Text message. Messages like "you're doing great, keep pushing." "You are going to love this view. You can do it."

Having my family push me and cheer me on was amazing. I was telling my self, I can do this. I will conquer this mountain. In the last few months I have completed three 5K runs/walks. Color run, Chula Vista Fun run & the Bridge run. I went up a mountain last week. Lost over 75 lbs. So I knew I could make it to the top of Stonewall mountain.

Once we reached the last switchback we could see the top. Scott was perched on a rock at the very TOP of the mountain, waiting for us. to reach the last section of the mountain we had to climb some narrow stairs to reach the top. This was where Maria had to conquer her fears. She is afraid of heights. Mom went first and made it to the top. Next was Maria. I was was going up last. All I could hear Maria saying was "I will make it to the top, don't look down!" She got to the first step. Moving one foot in front of the other, she started to ascend to the top. One stair at a time. She was doing it. She was facing her fear right in the face. After each step, Maria would repeat "I will make it to the top." Before she knew it she was at the top. The look on her face was terror at first, then amazement. She was in awe.

Now since Maria had made it to the top, it was my turn. Again one step at a time. I did it. Making it to the top was Breathtaking. We were over 5633 feet above sea level. Full 360 degree view. We could see the lake and everything else around. We took pictures, and rested at the top. We were there about 35 mins. Then we started the trek back down. Again moving one step at a time. Once we started heading back down.

Once we got down to the bottom of the mountain, I was shocked that we did it. We conquered it. Maria faced her fears. My heart was pounding from the excitement. I would do that hike again. I told my family I will jog up the mountain by next year at this time. I am thrilled that I finished. Now its time to rest. I will see what mountain I will conquer next.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment. Share with who ever will read.

Todd
The Amazing Shrinking Dude

April 2012 & June 2013

Maria & I at the top

Mom at the top.

Maria facing her fears. So happy at the top of Stonewall

Final walk to the stairs to the top. 

Maria in a playful mood on the way down the mountain.

Scott over the edge. On the top. 

Amazing view

Scott on the top of a boulder on the way to the top. 

The mountain before we Conquered it. 

I stepped over the rail. I felt like I was on top of the world. 

Huge Milestone Achieved

I did it. I hit a huge milestone this week.

I lost 3.4 lbs. Total lost 75.6 lbs. 

That's right. I have lost 75.6 pounds. I am in such amazement that I did it. If you would have told me in December 2012 that I would be down over 75 lbs by June 2013 I would have laughed in your face.

How did I do it?

I have been tracking my food since I started Weight Watchers in January. Even days when I wanted to give up and stop, I tracked. Fast food & soda was my friend before weight watchers. Now Fresh fruit, vegetables and water are my friend. Fast food & soda I consider my enemy now.

Think of it like putting gasoline into your car. If you put horrible cheap gas into the car, the car will not run to its full potential. Once you put better fuel in and get the bad fuel out of the system the car will run much better. That's how I feel. I was eating the bad fuel and not doing what I could. Now I put better fuel into my body and I get incredible results.

I have cranked up my activity since starting Weight Watchers.

Thursday I went swimming with my wife Maria. We swam for one hour. I was able to swim 15 full laps. I swam hard. I would swim to the wall, take a 5 second break and do it again.
Friday we went for a 1 mile walk before going swimming again for an hour. Then after the pool, anther 1 mile walk back to the car.
Saturday we went for a Hike up Cowles Mountain in San Diego. This was a 4 mile hike round trip. We thought it would be just steep. No big deal. But when we hit the trial it was all stairs all the way up. It was insane. We went during the heat of the day. But we conquered the mountain.We made it to the top. It was an incredible view. Well worth the hike.
Sunday we went on a 3.2 mile walk around Rohr Park Golf coarse next to our house.

My support system is amazing. While we were hiking my wife was pushing me to make it to the top. I had random strangers cheering me on. It was a great feeling. My next goal will be to get to the 100 pound mark. I know I will hit that goal.

We will be doing our next 5K in August. This 5K is timed. Must finish in 60 mins. I have been averaging 75 mins. I have 2 months to cut 15 mins off my time. If I push hard, I know I can reach my goal.

On a different note. One draw back about losing 75 lbs, is the excess skin. My skin has become very loose. Mainly under my arms and on my thighs. My arms feel like a flying squirrel with the flaps of skin. That is a minor problem. I can deal with that. I didn't think it would affect me, but it gets in the way a bit.

For extra motivation my wife put pictures of our upcoming trip to Hawaii on our Fridge. This is Mud Bugging. The number one thing I am looking forward too. Off road trails, covered in mud. This is keeping me going. Should be a blast.

I earned my 75 lb charm. Just another one to add to my awesome growing collection. I can't wait to see the 100 pound charm. Today was the last meeting for Weight Watchers at work. I am happy I earned my 75 charm today.

That is my blog for this week. If you have any questions with how I am reaching my goals please ask. Feel free to leave a comment. I love to hear from everyone. If you enjoy reading you can sign up for email updates.

I Lost 75 pounds. If I can, anyone that needs to lose that much can. Stick to your goals. You will hit them. 

Share this blog with anyone that is willing to read. Feel free to leave a comment. 

Todd
The Amazing Shrinking Dude- 75 lbs lighter than I was 21 weeks ago.