January has been exciting... now on to February

But wait!!! January is not finished.

No its not but to set goals you need to have a clear picture of where you are going before you leave.

Imagine yourself leaving on a road trip. You decide to "go west young man". As a biker I traveled to Sturgis South Dakota for the Annual Bike Rally. We planned for 8 months. Budgeting and planning our route. We knew how we were getting there and we knew just how long it should take.

The trip was a comedy of errors. All the planning we thought we had done along did not prepare us for all the mishaps we encountered. We made it to Sturgis 24 hours after we were supposed to. Breakdowns, flat tires and general disagreement was a bit much... but we made it.

I had the time of my life but I learned some very valuable lessons.

To a healthy mind, mistakes are opportunities to learn and refine what we do. January has been that for me. I laid out what my goals were for the month. I tested a new workout regime, which is working well... I am tweaking it but it's essentially the plan I laid out in my mid month post.

In my career I have made a big decision to return to the industry that I love with a passion. In 2007 I left Real Estate Finance, I sold most of my properties between 05 and 07 and I considered myself out of the market. This was due to my health ( the purpose for this blog) and my opinion at the time (proven correct) that there was a correction on the horizon.

In 2009 I decided to start planning my return. In 2010 I laid out a plan that changed a hundred times but solidified in the last three months. Together with two business associates and close friends... We have launched Common Ground Real Estate affiliated with Keller Williams Metro Atlanta. And the last month has been awesome. Business is lining up and I am able to focus on me, my friends, my health and my business.

And now to February, It's a short month. "you got's ta do more inna shor time".

Friends and Family- Thanks for your support it is what I survived on for so long.

Health- Cut the crap out- I've been building muscle and building muscle sometimes adds fat (extra calories you know). The crap needs to go. Office life can be hell. Get those cookies away from me.

Business-Execute and tweak the systems in place. Maggie and Barb you are the best.

ME- Make time for me. NOVEL idea.
afatboynomore.com

'11 has started with a bang...

My New Year's post laid out the tone for my life. It was about my dreams and desires this is the practical application.

In the next week I will announce a new business venture that I am excited to be a part of. I have set a goal to finally get my weight to the final level of 210-215 versus 235-240.

Four weeks ago I started testing a new workout plan that I adapted from a few other workouts.

The results have been VERY successful so far. The plan calls for working each body part once in a 7 day period. Initially it was a 5 day plan but the fifth day had only one body part and I found that after two weeks it seemed silly to waste a day doing 4 exercises.

Workout One is Chest and Triceps-
Workout Two is Back including shoulder shrugs-
Workout Three is Quads and Calves and Hamstrings -
Workout Four is Shoulders and Biceps-

Each body part has 3 to 4 exercises, and this is spread out over a 7 day cycle.

My chest, back and quads have seen a significant pump-I hate to say gain but it looks like they have increased slightly in three weeks. My biceps show a significant increase in size. My plan is to incorporate a running plan into the workout by week 6.

Today I walk 6 miles each day and two days of the week, I take longer walks which are as long as 14 miles (usually 10-12). My intention is to create a full-body week long workout plan that includes three days of running no more than 35 minutes. I really do not enjoy running but the affects running has on body fat are pretty convincing. Fat Runners do not exist...not for long.

My plan will look like this...
Monday Workout One Run Thirty Minutes
Tuesday Workout Two Walk 6 miles
Wednesday Run Thirty Minutes
Thursday- NOT A DAMN THING
Friday Workout Three Run Thirty Minutes
Saturday Workout 4 Ten mile walk
Sunday Ten Mile+ Walk






afatboynomore.com

Auld Lang Syne

It's the last day of 2010- the Decade is over.

And what a decade has this been. Professionally I have seen huge success and huge failure, and the beginning of a recovery.

Heath wise I have seen a slightly over weight guy become an absolute whale of a person, and I have taken my body and health back.

Politically the US has seen huge tragedy in 9/11, a drawn out set of wars that haunt us, a huge economic expansion and one of the longest recessions in recent history.

The Fat Boy sang. 2010 and the decade is done. Wrap it up and put it away. Our successes can be remembered our failures can be regretted. Put them away.

PUT IT ALL AWAY

Tomorrow begins a new decade a new year and a new set of opportunities. What has been done is done. It may have to be dealt with but you cannot dwell on it. Mistakes make us wiser (often fatter and poorer as well). And you will make mistakes... it is human. Wisdom is the treasure we can take from mistakes.

Wisdom is a tool that is often overlooked today. Knowledge in whatever category makes us better. And I am a far better man than I was on January 1 2001 (I did have more hair however).

January 1 2011

I resolve...

Eat Less
Waste less
Judge less
Hate less

Laugh more
Smile more
Give more
Make more
Love more
Read more
Blog more
Walk more
Do more


BE MORE

I love you all





afatboynomore.com

NO NO NO Weight Loss Surgery

Since I have this blog and I am very active on Facebook and other social media sites regarding my weight I have the pleasure of hearing from many people regarding their personal struggles and their successes. I can honestly say the happiest moment for me is when someone says... " read your profile a year ago and I've lost 42 pounds (or 10 or 140). Many bypass my success and I can not be happier.

The saddest thing I hear is " I think I am going to have XYZ surgery". Plastic or cosmetic surgery is one thing and it is Cosmetic. You will not really lose any POUNDS from it... you will tighten or improve the look of a body part...I've not done this but as I age I will have no problem with doing so. What I am saddest about is when someone has gastric bypass or lap band.

I can name 5 personal friends and you have some to I bet who have had these surgeries and after as little as three years they start putting on the fat. Look at Carnie Wilson. Her recent tweet was "I am fat as f*ck". She lost more than 150 pounds and has gained a significant portion back. Please do not respond and say... but I'm going to have lap band. It's not permanent. Surgery is not your best option for weight management. PERIOD At 600 pounds do it. Hell I'll support that.

What has been my success?

First- I am successful because I heard one very important comment my doctor made to me. I told her, " I just don't want to have to think about what I eat anymore" She looked at me with the most sincere response... "then you plan to fail?"

I was shocked but I understood. Weight management for those of us who have "challenges" is LIFE LONG. My friends will tell you... I do not eat like a rabbit. I eat what I want but I have learned valuable lessons. I monitor my weight, I make it my business to understand my body. I make it my business to understand what I eat. Could I lose more?... yes. Do I want to lose more?...yep. Will I lose more? Absolutely.

Can anyone succeed with what I have done. YES YOU CAN.

Emory and the Optifast Program taught me invaluable lessons. Anyone can lose weight. It's a pretty basic mathematical problem. Calories consumed- Calories used= Gain or Loss. But I learned how to eat, how to manage food. How to manage me. How to say NO. That starving children in Africa are not going to get the leftover food on my plate anyway. The most important thing I took from Emory/Optifast was not the 60 pounds or so that I shed in the actual plan It was the knowledge.

By the way. I am not at my lowest weight in the last 3 years. I am about 10 pounds over were I have been be and about 30 pounds more than I want to be. I have the tools to get there. Knowledge my friends, is half the battle.

Join me in my last 30 pounds? And please stop considering Lap band unless you are more than 450 pounds. Talk to your doctor. Contact the local Bariatrics Department of your local hospital or University. If they start out with surgery, go to another.

Find out your options. After you lose weight naturally then you can look into cosmetic surgery- you might not need it. Or you might either way you have taken control of your WEIGHT Management.


afatboynomore.com

It's beginning to look a lot like...

FATMAS

This time of year is extremely challenging to those of us who have issues with our weight. Food is everywhere. Thanksgiving, Parties, Christmas, Hannakah, New Year's, and personally I think everyone I know has a birthday in November or December. Including me. Sometimes we attack our weight with a strong offense but sometimes we just have adopt a strong DEFENSE.

This time of year...DEFENSE!!!



afatboynomore.com

Twinkie Diet?

People ask me about weight loss all the time. I have a set of eating habits that I feel are the best for ME. I think that most people could do well with my plan but I also realize that I love to eat sweets and drink beer and cheese cake was placed here my the gods themselves. But weight loss is truly all about calories.

My step-dad lost as much weight as I have or more on the "cookie diet" and today CNN published an article about a man who ate twinkies and ding dongs and lost 27 pounds. Link attached.


Calories control equals weight loss. Long term health is determined by what you eat, how much you eat determines how big that tire around your midsection is.


afatboynomore.com