Archive for September, 2009

Hey Everybody,

Welcome, this is the new & improved, still under construction, whoatemyblog.com

I have finally been able to design my blog the way I want. I used Artisteer 2 to create the Wordpress template and I’m using hostgator to host whoatemyblog.com

I will have more details soon on how to do a migration from blogger to wordpress.

Have a great Tuesday.

Thursday, Donnie at Fitness Together kicked my butt in out workout. After the workout I had a ton of energy. Also, Friday morning I did a 1.5 mile walk. That felt great also. I am amazed at how easy the workouts and walks are becoming, and that I am not deathly sore.

Today I am going to a conference here in Birmingham called Word Camp Birimngham. It’s all about Wordpress and blogging. I’m really excited.

Well, I got to go get ready for the conference… I’ll have pics tonight. Have a great weekend.

I had 45 votes on my “Should Stephen go to Talladega Raceway on Halloween?” poll. 39 said go and 6 said stay.

First, thank you all for the overwhelming response.

I got more details yesterday on the event: This AMP party is on Saturday, October 31st after the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. So, the party is not on Sunday, which is when the Sprint Cup Series cars run. Most likely this is some type of costume party for Halloween, and I seriously doubt that any drivers will be there, but I still don’t have all of the details. No matter who’s there or if I don’t see any racing, I will still make $300 and probably enjoy the party. It’s always fun to be around drunk people in costumes. Oh, by the way, I am going to the party.

If I have permission, I’ll post some pics from the party on the blog. There are two rooms for this party. Steve is gonna setup his studio lights in one room, and I’m gonna setup my studio lights in the other. (They requested the lights.) Normally I would use just a hot shoe flash. Good thing I didn’t sell my Novatrons (studio lights) and Minolta light meter. Maybe when I get this weight off I will start shooting for money again. I quit shooting because of my size. I wasn’t comfortable standing up in front of a group of people and directing them around. Also, I was so out of shape that it was a major job carrying all of my equipment around.

This week food wise has been really good, but the exercise started out shaky. It rained all day Monday, so I didn’t do any walking, and then my workout partner was out sick. Also, I am still waiting on the cables to come in for the Bowflex. So, I took Monday as my rest day. It was funny, I got all pumped up on Sunday about working out and then my balloon fizzled. Also, another thing that happened on Monday: I called Donnie at Fitness Together, and he said I could use their treadmill. So, I had my gym bag and was pumped about going, and before I left to go to FT, I peeked in my gym bag and I didn’t have my tennis shoes. I was pissed! I left my sneakers in my truck, which was out at the mechanic being repaired. (I needed a friggin $1000 clutch).

Then on Tuesday, my mom and I started our walk by the house. As we started walking somebody discharged a firearm (3 shots) near our house. So, we walked about a 1/3 of a mile and decided it would be best to get in the house. Then in the afternoon, I had a 3:00pm workout scheduled with Donnie at Fitness Together. I got so busy at work that I could make it. Also, I was working out in the field and didn’t have Donnie’s number programmed in my phone. I felt bad because Donnie always calls me if there’s a schedule change. I’m sorry Donnie. So I skipped on working out on Tuesday.

Now, this morning: we got our walk in. We did 1.25 miles. It felt good. The only thing that really sucks is holding my pistol in my pocket while I walk. The moron from yesterday scared me to the point of carrying my 9mm while on my walk. My shorts are already so loose that I have to hold them up. Now I have to keep my gun gripped in my pocket or I would be walking in my underwear. I would be comfortable but my neighbors wouldn’t be.

I’ll see if I can workout with Donnie this afternoon. Or, maybe my cables will come in. However, I want to stay away from Andy’s office for a couple of days. They have some virus spreading in their office. It might be the flu.

Weekly weigh-in: 515 lbs.
Loss: -1 lb.
Total loss: 117 lbs.
Emotion: impatient

Lost one pound last week. I am going to work out every day this week and walk every day. Let’s see what happens at the next weigh in. If I have similar results, I will modify my food plan. Also, I will drink 8 glasses of water per day. I haven’t been doing that like I should.

View “Think and Grow Rich” online at:
http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0304spiritpsych/030413.Hill.Think.and.Grow.Rich.pdf

Pages 24, 25, and 62 were used to aid in the creation of my “clear, concise statement”

Here’s my statement:

By the twenty-fifth of April two thousand and ten, I will have lost three hundred pounds.

In return for this weight loss, I will work my butt off, literally. I will follow my food plan, even when special occasions and holidays roll around. I will follow my walking and work out plan, even when I am tired and sore.

I believe that I will lose this weight. My faith is so strong that I can see myself stepping out of that Limo at Talladega. I see my new NASCAR shirt and hat that I purchased with Jack Sh*t’s nascar.com gift certificate. I can taste the one of many beers that will be consumed this beautiful day. I see Trent and me meeting drivers in the pits with those pit passes hanging on our necks. I hear the roar of the engines and smell the gas and burnt rubber. I see myself getting teary eyed thinking about what such a wonderful journey I had getting to Talladega. Also, I see myself thinking about all of the wonderful people that read and commented on my blog. I also see myself thinking about the 4 medals hanging in a shadow box frame on my wall at home from the four races that I walked.

I need your opinion on something:

I have an opportunity of taking pictures at Talladega Superspeedway on Halloween this year. Amp Energy Drink is throwing an after race party at the track, and my buddy Steve the photographer has gotten the job of taking pics at the party, but he needs an additional photographer. He has asked me to go with him to take pics, and I’m really excited about this opportunity because it pays $300 and I might get to see/meet a lot of NASCAR drivers.

The downside of this is that I have never been to the race track and going on Halloween might take away from my trip to Talladega in April 2010. What do you think? Should I do it or not? I created a poll on the right hand side of this page. Please vote on the poll.

Honestly, I probably will not go because I want April 2010 to be a really special trip.

About yesterday: I didn’t exercise on Thursday because I was sore from Wed’s workout and I was extremely tired all day. I must have moved my CPAP mask while sleeping because I was mega tired all day.

This morning I walked a mile and I plan on working out this evening.

Here’s an email from Danny Haralson to me about my training:

Let’s mix it up – but tell me if I’m over reaching you…..I’d like for you to be walking 2 miles non-stop within the next week (by 9/26). There are several ‘flat places’ around measure perfectly and we’ll run [walk] a couple of them….I know you’ve walked 2 laps and the ‘Hill of Death’ so let’s try this…..
Day 1: .75 (equivalent of 3 laps) Today
Day 2: .75
Day 3: 1 mile (4 laps) (Sunday?)
Day 4: .75
Day 5: 1.25 mile
Day 6: Rest (Wed. ?)
Day 7: 1.50
Day 8: 1.25
Day 9: 2 miles

Let’s see how this works – then after that I’d to find one day to do ‘hills’ where you start out climbing the hill 2 times and each week add 1 more trip up….this would be an additional ‘workout’ (like the morning of an evening run or the evening of a morning run). It will increase your strength and raise your metabolism AGAIN, so that you double your calorie burn. If we can hit 2 miles by 9/26 ‘ish’, then we have almost 14 days to get to 3.5 miles before the Race for the Cure so that you start out (and finish) the race with 100% confidence. Here’s the mind set – Stephen, you are ‘focused’ on the weight loss for Talledega and that’s cool – But! YOU are also an athlete in training! You are training for the 5K and the 10K – there are challenges,but you CAN meet them and as you meet these challenges, by training like the athlete you are then the other goals will all into place…..It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are or whether you are running or walking – you are still an athlete, and you ARE in training. So put that schedule in place and start TRAINING! Cover the distance! If you have to stop to catch your breath do it, then go on. The Navy Seals have a saying, “The only easy day was yesterday” Add that to the SeaBee’s motto of “Can do” – no matter the task, how impossible the order, their response is CAN DO! Come on, let’s see Stephen the athlete and let’s make some miles! Thoughts?

–Danny Haralson

I was finally able to get a workout in. I did 2 sets of 12 modified pushups and squats. Also, I did 1 set of 12 Arnolds with 20 lb dumbbells.

Andy worked out on the Bowflex. We are missing 2 cables for the overhead bar, and I’ll get those ordered today.

I have got to establish a routine for my workouts. I haven’t been working out recently because of back problems and strep throat. – I’ve got that 5k on 10/10/09.

Sorry for the quick post.

I am feeling better. My throat didn’t bother me so much today.

Went to another Chamber Luncheon today, and I wore the same dress pants that I wore to last month’s luncheon. What was cool is that last month they were tight. This month they were extremely loose. Talk about a non-scale victory!

 Also, I called the doc’s office today and asked about working out while on antibiotics, and they said as long as I feel up to it, go for it. SWEET! So, tomorrow I will be doing my first real Bowflex workout. Andy IM’d me this afternoon and said he’s gonna need the additional 50 lb bands soon. The unit will hold one additional set of 50 lb bands. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, to reach Andy’s level.

I filled out the paperwork to register for the October 10th Race for the Cure. This is exciting. My first race. – I’m not ready yet, and I don’t know if I’ll really be ready by Oct 10, but I’m gonna walk it no matter what. There’s no time limit, so I’ll just take my time. My primary objective on all of the races is to FINISH!

I watched The Biggest Loser tonight, and one of the contestants basically collapsed after running/jogging/walking a mile. They had to transport that poor lady via helicopter to the hospital, and she missed the entire first week of competition. Fortunately, her partner, Coach Mo, kept her (and him) in the competition by losing enough weight. Anyway, the lady that collapsed made one major mistake in her mile race. She went way over her physical capabilities by running the first part of the course, which included some major hills. She should have walked the first part of the course and saved the running for the last portion of the race.

Danny (our running/walking coach) preaches the tortoise and the hare story to us at our bi-weekly runs/walks.

Have a great Wednesday.

Weekly weigh-in: 516 lbs.
Loss: -4 lb.
Total loss: 116 lbs.
Emotion: okay

I had a decent weigh in. I didn’t exercise a lot last week because of back pain.

Here’s a pic from my first Bowflex workout:

 

I hope you have a great week. I know I will.

This has been a good weekend. This morning I walked the hill of death again.

Tomorrow, I’m gonna pick up a bowflex from Chris Weeler from Locust Fork. Chris reads and comments on my blog, and is giving me her bowflex because she never uses it. I am so appreciative to Chris.

My buddy Andy said we can put the bowflex up in his office, and I’ll be working out with him every afternoon.Both he and I are excited. I plan on also taking my few dumbbells up to his office. I beleive he has some also. We can use the dumbbells with the bench of the bowflex.

Also, yesterday I canceled the gym membership. So, that means I lost my sign-up fee and first month’s payment.(aprx $104.00) I was hoping they would refund my money because I never worked out, but I signed an agreement, and at first they were going to make me pay for two more months, but they allowed me to just go ahead and cancel. Needless to say, I plan on never dealing with any gym ever again. Especially the big box outfits. All they care about is their bottom line. The salespeople at these places remind me of car salesman. They made me come in to the gym to cancel, and then they tell me that they don’t agree with my decision, and that I will plateau in 2-4 weeks with the bowflex, and people never workout at home. blah, blah, blah

I feel that if people have the gear, no matter if it’s at home or at the gym, they will work out if they want to.

By the way, I canceled the membership because I’m getting the Bowflex.

To end this post on a positive note, here’s a picture of Cracker in his newest outfit: