Weigh-in 8 and last of 2009

I was nervous about the eighth weigh-in.

I watched what I ate over the holidays and did a little bit of exercise, but not nearly as much as I did when I was home. Naturally, I feared I had either not lost much or possibly gained a pound or two. I was so hoping I didn't have a set back.

Well, my fears were out to rest when I found out I lost another 4.5 pounds. That puts me at 19.5 pounds in eight weeksand down to around 216. I am more than pleased with the progress.

Now let's see when I hit the wall.

Holiday eating, and I was good

I made it through Thanksgiving unscathed, which was the first accomplishment in Operation 40. Then came the Christmas season, with the lure of all the goodies and food.

Going without egg nog for the first time wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I may have missed it, but it was good I didn't have any.

Steering clear of candy and baked goods wasn't difficult, either. In fact, there wasn't much around so there was little temptation.

Holiday food on vacation was a little different, but I maintained small portions and still was able to eat salads, chicken sandwiches and the like. My heaviest meals included turkey on Christmas, though meats aren't the enemy of Operation 40, and some Krystal burgers and Baked Lays. I know what you are thinking, and it wasn't that bad as I only had three mini burgers.

The holidays came and went and with the weigh-in upon returning home awaited.

Seventh weigh-in missed

I was rushed away on vacation so I missed the seventh weigh-in.

I decided it was best not to use a different scale as it would not be calibrated the same as the Wii Balance Board. So, I went without the weigh-in and had reservations as the holidays approached.

More on that in the next post.

Week 6 weigh-in results

I stood upon the scale and for the sixth straight week I hadn't gained any weight. That, my friends, is the good news.

The scale told me I had lost a half a pound. That brings the total to date to 15 pounds in six weeks. I have made it through 25 percent of Operation 40 and am still ahead of schedule as far as the weight loss.

One thing I noticed is my workout schedule changed a bit. I had been doing simple stepping for 30 minutes. And while I was going heavy and "walked" about 3 miles, it didn't burn as many calories. I have gone back to switching up between straight stepping to the ones involving movements from side to side as well as adding kicking and other movements.

There ya have it. Things are going well.

The fifth weigh-in sayeth

Weigh-in No. 5 has come and gone. The result? Down one pound.

I was slacking on the exercise big time last week. I was busy at work and did get a few walks in and some light exercise at home but nothing to the extent of what I had been doing. I need a swift kick in the ass for that.

Total down is close to 15 pounds in five weeks, which is still good. I just need to keep on keepin' on.

Some of what I am eating, what I gave up

If I had half a brain, and sometimes I doubt I do, then I'd be keeping a log of what I eat every day. I know, I know, I'm a slacker. I'll start this month charting the food, how's that sound?

Anyhow, this post is about the things I have eaten and some of the things I have cut out of my diet. Everything is in the name of achieving the goal of 40 pounds in six months.

Operation 40 is a work in progress. So, inevitably the following is not an all-inclusive list, as more items will be added later.

I'll start by noting some of the changes. I have cut back from 2 percent milk to 1 percent. I love me some milk and am not ready to drink skim, which is like milk-flavored water, nor will I entertain soy. At least, not at this time.

Perils of weight loss for a sports writer Part II

I won't lie. Being a sports writer offers nice perks, namely in the area of food.

Reporters who cover college games are fed big meals before the game and have ample access to soft drinks, water and snacks during the game. This is on top of yummy ice cream at halftime.

Coverage on lower levels, such as high school sports, which I mainly do, also has its tasty temptations in the form of press box food and hospitality rooms.

I always have access to food at football games, as well as big wrestling tournaments and holiday basketball events. The food offered is usually not stuff one would need to eat if they are trying to lose weight, as it ranges from sandwiches to chicken wings, chicken fingers, quesadillas, assorted platters with cheese, crackers and other fattening items and desserts such as cookies, cakes and more.

Weigh-in No. 4

Weigh-in No. 4 was on Sunday. It wasn't as good as the past two weeks, but I lost 1.5 pounds.

Total to date is 13.5, which puts me at 222.5. My simple math tells me I have 26.5 pounds to go.

Last week was difficult. I lacked motivation and didn't exercise much. I worked out on Sunday and plan to do so again Monday and Tuesday, at least. I need a little nudge, sometimes, but I'll pull through.

Results of first three weigh-ins

I will do one weigh-in per week throughout Operation 40. So far I have done three weigh-ins on Nov. 7, 15 and 21.

As a side note, I researched the accuracy of the Wii Balance Board and went with 236 as the official starting weight. The area I use to weigh has soft carpet and the risers for the board were sufficient in my view to bring back a valid weight. I also conducted the Balance Board test and everything checked out.

So ........................ the total weight loss to date is 12 pounds, leaving me at 224. Simple math tells you I have 28 pounds to go.

The first weigh-in yielded one pound and I was not surprised, nor was I disappointed. I was up-front in saying that if I didn't lose 40 pounds I wouldn't consider this a failure. And I figured if in the least I lost one pound a week then that would be 24 by the end.

Perils of weight loss for a sports writer

There are some professions that allow for ample time to work out. Sports writer is not one of those.

I won't bore you with the details of my job, with some of those mundane. The short and sweet of it is in addition to covering area sports I also handle all the online stuff for the sports department. The short and sweet of it is I often have odd hours and sometimes work more than 10 hours in a day.

What this does is put a cramp in my workout regimen. The first two weeks went well, as I only missed two sessions with Wii Fit. However, I replaced it with a brisk 30-minute walk.

And so it begins ...

Nov.1 has come and almost gone and Operation 40 is under way. This was the day for the official weigh-in and exercise.

It also is about portion size and being smart with food. I started some of this earlier in the week already to get myself prepared for what was to come.

Lunch on Sunday was turkey sandwiches, no mayo, half piece cheese on each, OJ and milk. I decided on the cheese since our diet still calls for some fats, though in time I will eliminate most fats. Figured it was good to work up to it.

Dinner is going to be pasta with chunky tomato sauce, bread and milk. For now it is 2 percent milk because that's all I had. I hasten to think about drinking skim, but it's something I might need to do.

Introducing Operation 40, my weight loss quest

There's a lot in the word we can't control. We can't control other people. We can't control how life will place obstacles ahead of us and we can't control the weather.

But, one thing we can control is ourselves. To this point, I give you Operation 40, my journey to lose 40 pounds over the next six months.

This is awful ambitious you may say. I say, yes it is, but then again when you are out to change yourself you have to be ambitious. There are no baby steps here.

Forty pounds is well within the recommended parameters of two pounds per week given to me by my doctor. This is feasible, even after i hit the expected wall soon.

Operation 40 is not just a simple diet plan. In fact, it's less of a diet than a change in the way I am.