Monday, July 11, 2011

Time to get real...

Ish = Fried Food and soda continues...

I have cheated a hand full of times.  I have had taco bell twice (there is nothing better than taco bell when youre hungover, trust me.)  Even though I have been hung over infinity times since the new year started, only two were bad enough to get Taco Bell.  I have also had McDonalds once!  :(  (so good).

Besides that, nothing too significant. 

I purchased a treadmill and a bowflex machine and within the past two weeks have worked out a handful of times on them.  I am really looking forward to busting my ass on those things and losing even more weight for the year.  Having them in my room will motivate me more to exercise as opposed to going to the gym. 

I weighed in this morning at just under 243 lbs.  That is ~25 lbs since the beginning of the year! 

As progress continues I will keep everyone more up to date and maybe, if you're lucky, you will get some more pictures!

Thanks for following, sorry it took so long to post again, but now, as progress continues, posts will come more frequently.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Ish vs. Weight Loss in a stalemate!

Hello again!  I know its been a while since my last post, but nothing has really happened since the last one. 

Holding strong at 248 lbs, which is an overall loss of  ~18 lbs. 

I ventured to Springfield, VA, with Chris Clements (who by-the-way, is on the same diet I am and has last close to 20 lbs and you can really notice it.) and we went to two Capitals games and opening day at Nationals Park.  Nationals Park has roughly 475 food stands that sell Boardwalk Fries.  It sucked!  All we wanted to do was jump in the fryer oil with a huge bag of fries and eat our way out.  Even though we both really wanted some, neither one of us succumbed to the cravings.  We also learned that the only none fast food restaurant on an exit on 66-West or 81-South is Subway.  We really couldn't find anything else.

While I was at my parent's house in Springfield I did some scavengering around to find my old yearbooks and some old pictures of me.  I didnt find much, but I did find my middle school year book and my Senior Prom picture.  As soon as I get them scanned I will post them for all of you to see.  I was a handsome boy!

In the last post I said I was going to get a gym membership, but I still have not gotten one.  I promise, by the next post I make I will have one!

Anyways, I will make a new post in about a week with more progress, a gym membership, and those photos.  Til then, ta-ta!

Brian Palmer
540-588-3781
IshVT@yahoo.com

Monday, February 14, 2011

New challenge for Februaury (and the rest of the year)

     I have decided to move forward in the exercise part of the program.  Wednesday afternoon I am going to go to the gym and sign up for a membership.  I feel like I am doing a good enough job at eating better and now its time to step it up.  I usually dont work Wednesday's (although I'm obligated to Trivia and Darts) so I thought Wednesday afternoons would be a good time to go to the gym.  With a little exercise here and there, I feel like the pounds will just shed off.  I saw my old friend Grayson Forehand this weekend and he looks amazing.  He did the P90x regiment, which he is going to have to let me borrow!!!
     I cheated just a little bit!!! I haven't had any fried food (not even a single fry or potato chip), and I haven't had any fast food, and not even any non-diet soda, however, I did eat pizza twice within a week!!!!  I know its not the biggest deal on the planet, but I want to be honest with those of you who are following me.  Everything else is going according to planned though. 
     Tara and I went to whatever the gas station is that is connected to Bojangles to turn in some scratch-off lottery tickets in which I profited 58 bucks.  Right at the register they had the old-school Coke bottles sitting in an ice bin.  Man, did those look tasty.  I was trying to look and see if they had any diet ones, but OF COURSE NOT!  Tara and I both wanted to chug one down.
     I am going to set a goal of 235 lbs by April 1st, and then 225 lbs by May 1.  Weigh-in this morning was 252.4 lbs, still right at that 10 lb marker. 
      Just a short post this week, keep following please!!!

Brian Palmer
IshVT@yahoo.com
540-588-3781

Friday, February 4, 2011

January has come and gone!

     1/12 of the way through the year and so far so good (minus the exercise part). 

     No blunders so far, but so many urges.  Ollie ordered pizza the Monday night we refelted the upstairs pool tables (they are covered in a sweet new black felt).  He offered me a piece, but I had just had pizza a week earlier.  In my head I said "screw it" and went to reach for a piece, but quickly refrained.  If it wasnt disgusting Pizza Hut I probably would have taken one!

     Tara decided to swing by McDonald's on the way home from Jessie Crockett's birthday party in Radford.  She ever-so-kindly decided to pick me up a sausage mcmuffin and hash brown.  She offered me the McMuffin and I barked back at her, "Uhhh...it's fast food, you know I cant eat it".  She then said, well just eat the hash browns.  (Not only fast food, but FRIED).  

     For those of you who are taking part in anything similar to me, you understand how challenging it is to avoid all of the overwhelming urges to eat crappy food.  It sucks!  McDonald's, Wendy's, and Taco Bell are all so good.  (Anyone else hungry yet?).  But as Ryan Fehr once told me, if you cheat, you are only cheating yourself, and as much as I hate to say that Ryan Fehr is right about something, he is.  Don't succumb to them.  Be strong and stay on the healthy side. 

     In addition to the normal challenge, January was the month to give up chocolate/desserts/candy, etc.  That went surprisingly well.  I didn't have anything in those categories.  Tara and I made cookies after midnight on January 31st though!  February's additional challenge is to stop crappy snacks (baked chips and crap like that) and to try to eat more fruits and vegetables every day. 

     In terms of the exercising, I am going to repeat January's walking/running program, but have a much higher rate of success.  I need to be a little harder (enter "That's what she said" joke here) on myself about getting up and being active.  

     I weighed in at 252.8 pounds this morning which is a little bit over 10 pounds in a month (I can't believe it has been a month already.)  If I wasn't so fat and lazy and could have done any real exercising during this month I probably would have lost close to 20 lbs.  I also have not had a cigarette since January 3rd! 

   All and all I feel like January was a success and was a great beginning to this year of cutting back and losing weight.  I hope everyone else is having a good time with their diets and exercise programs.  Please feel free to post or facebook me your success stories (or failures).

Brian Palmer
IshVT@yahoo.com
540-588-3781

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Counting down the days of January...

     Still on track...not being able to eat sweets is a lot tougher than I thought.  Chocolate cravings are almost impossible to get rid of.  It makes my mouth water just talking about it!  You know those TV shows you see with babies that have food all over there mouths and shirts and hair?  That is what I am going to do with chocolate on February 1st. 

     I've finally cracked into the sodas and have tried a handful of diet drinks.  Here is what I learned.  Diet Dr. Pepper is overrated.  It has a strong "fake" taste to it at the end.  Diet A&W is pretty good.  Slight "fake" taste, but overall, its pretty good.  Diet Pepsi sucks in anyway except for out of an ice cold can.  Not bad at all if you can find it in a cold can. 

     Food wise...As I said before, Baked Doritos still suck.  Baked Tostitos Scoops are pretty good, pretty much like the real thing.  A friend of mine recommended Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream, but I didnt find them as enticing as he did.  They are ok I guess, not awful, not great.  Baked Cheetos are FANTASTIC..they are just like the real thing. 

     As for meals, I'm pretty sure I am leading the state of Virginia in grains of rice consumed by an individual.  I have at least a cup of rice everyday, sometimes more, and sometimes more than once a day!  It's good though. 

     Still failing miserably in the exercise part of the challenge.  However, my Call of Duty: Black Ops skills have increased as a direct result.  I had 25 kills and only 4 deaths the other day.  Take that PHELPS!  It's not miserably cold or windy tonight, so we may go for a short walk tonight, who knows.

     Tara and I went to the grocery store the other day and I swear everything that is awful for your body was on sale.  Everything from Doritos (basically half off) and Wavy Lay's ($1.00 off) to Nutty Buddies (10 boxes for $10.00, Who would buy 10 boxes of Nutty Buddies you ask? This GUY!!!) and King Size Kit Kat bars ($1.00 each). 

     I am looking for things to give up for February, please post, email me, or facebook any good ideas you might have.  I am thinking of doing cheese, mayo, bacon...stay tuned to find out.

     Official Weight:  252.8 lbs (close to 10 lbs gone in 20 days!)

     Thanks for all the advice, encouragement, and well wishes from everyone, keep them coming, they keep me going!

Brian Palmer
5405883781
ishvt@yahoo.com

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Another day, another post...

Roughly 10 days in now, and my will power is still keeping me going.  I know its still VERY early in the year, but I have a couple of weights to report:

Chris Clements has lost 6 lbs this year
Zach Jahn has lost 5 lbs this year
and as of this morning, I have dropped 7 lbs.

Congrats to us!!!!  Now we just have to keep it off and lose more.

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I have managed to not cheat.  Not only have I not had any regular soda, I haven't had any diet soda either, or red bull, or anything else carbonated (besides soda water).  Even more impressive (I think), I have been able to get drunk several times and not cheat.  Also, I haven't had a single cigarette.  I didn't smoke too much before, but not having a cigarette while drinking has been way harder than not eating. 

Tara and I have been making a lot of delicious homemade meals.  We both had our first encounter with cooking pork chops.  Tara baked them with an amazing apple, carrot and cinnamon topping.  They were really good.  We have also made pasta, tacos, and a nice little chicken and rice casserole that Tara made as well.  Homemade cooking is soooo good.  If you don't cook a lot at home, you should.  It's better than eating out.

Tonight Tara is making either Sloppy Joes, Pasta, or the remaining pork chops. 

I have been slacking on the exercise part of the challenge (as expected).  I have only been on two walks.  One was two miles and we traveled up Harding and around the streets back there.  The second was a nice ~ 1 mile walk from my house down to the duck pond and around the drillfield.  Both walks were in the snow and both were very pretty walks.  Tara and I took Bailey of course! 

I hope everyone is having a great New Year so far.  Keep your eyes on the prize!

Brian Palmer
540-588-3781
ishvt@yahoo.com

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

So far so good...

     It's almost 4 am on January 5th, 2011.  It's only been 3 days, but I haven't cheated a single time.  The urges are unbelievable.  I had no idea that literally every commercial break there are multiple fast food and pizza commercials.  Despite the urges, I have been successful, however, I have already eaten Chinese and had a burger from Hokie House.  It'll be two weeks until I have those again.  Thankfully, PIZZA is still available. 

     Obviously, my meals have been much better for me since I'm not eating a lot of bad food.  Sunday I had a ham sandwich for lunch and Chinese for dinner.  Monday I didn't have lunch because I woke up late and Tara and I just waited to eat dinner.  We each had a small bowl of Caesar salad, garlic bread, and some lasagna.  As some of you might have noticed, I went out and got drunk that night, and had some yogurt with granola as a late night snack.  I managed to drink the whole night without having any soda (including shooters) and actually I didn't even have any beer.  I was drinking Three Olives Mango vodka with Soda Water and an orange slice.  They are fantastic!  At the end of the night Monday, Joe Gillespie, Scott Joiner and I couldn't really figure out why we smoked cigarettes, so we decided to quit.  Then, we each drew one cigarette from the pack, toasted them together, and sucked em down while shouting the words to the song that was playing in the background, Don McClean's American Pie.  Since I came up with these challenges for 2011, I have wanted to add no-smoking to the list, and our little farewell party was a perfect way to do it.  I'm glad those guys were around to do it with me.  Tuesday, I had an ACC burger from Hokie House with a side salad for lunch, and I made some spaghetti w/ meat sauce for dinner. 

     Ok, now that the boring part is over, it's time to get to the fun part.  Weigh-In's, challenges, and "before" photos.

     I have weighed myself twice this year, once at 262 lbs and once at 260.2 lbs.  Tara and her brother Taylor have agreed in part to do these challenges with me.  Taylor weighed in at 250 lbs and Tara was 129.5 lbs.  We purchased a scale that gives us are BMI and our body water %.  I'm not exactly sure what those two things are but I will find out and keep everyone posted.   The only other person I have a weight for is Zach Jahn and he weighs-in at 281 lbs. 

Challenge Reminder: 

No Fast Food (pizza is acceptable), No Fried Food (chinese is acceptable), No Sodas (diet is acceptable)
Other unhealthy food options (such as pizza, chinese, burgers, etc.) are acceptable, but only once every two weeks.
January's additional Challenge is to not eat any chocolate, sweets, or desserts for the month.
January's exercise Challenge is to walk 7 miles and run 3 miles every week
NO MORE SMOKING!

And now the part we've all been waiting for...
This is a picture of me standing with normal posture.

These two pictures are views from the side.  I am pushing my gut out for effect!  I'm not sure what is going on with my face in either picture.

Here is a delectable picture of my backside.  Notice the lack of hair!
Yep!

Like Daniel Tosh, lets see how many jokes I make about this picture in 20 secs.


#1) Is your head attached to your body backwards.
#2) Didn't you star as Jabba the Hut?
#3) Eddie Murphy's next role, a fat white guy.
#4) Check out the goatee!  
#5) I thought Rosie O'Donnell was dead.
#6) If that's a goiter, it's very Beamer-esque.
#7) I believe its called a dewlap (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewlap)
 
One last thing...I am thinking about adding a feature where you readers can agree to pay a certain amount of money for each pound I lose.  It would be very similar to sponsoring someone in a walk-a-thon.  The money will in turn be donated to our friendly, neighborhood charity, Bike the US for MS.  (www.biketheusforms.org).  I will be talking with Donald Fraser about setting it up, and as always, I will keep you posted.

Brian Palmer
540-588-3781
IshVT@yahoo.com
Thank you to everyone for all of their well-wishes.