Archive for September, 2009

Just got in from Jack Sh*t’s place, and we had an easy win with TOM on our side. Check out Jack’s post on “The League of Extraordinarily Fat Gentlemen” http://jackfit.blogspot.com/2009/09/league-of-their-own.html

Tomorrow I will be going down to the new gym. I wanted to go Sunday but my back has been bothering me and today I was really busy at work. 

Also, I am working on a personal challenge, which is walking a 5k race. I’ve got four weeks left to train, and  I tell you, our running/walking coach, Danny Haralson is so motivating, and I am going to share some snippets from the emails that he sends out:

If not you, then who? If not now, when? 

Let me add one more to that – “Why not you? There’s also another great quote that says, “Some people see things as they are and ask “why”, and some people dream things that haven’t been and ask “why not”?

We are into the 2nd week – one week is down, gone, behind you and one week is ahead of you – You are one week better than you were! Isn’t that awesome? How many others can say that, now, today? ONE WEEK BETTER. If the only person you have to compete against is the person you were 2 weeks ago, you are already WINNING! And in another week, you’ll be that much better, that much stronger, that much leaner and that much closer to your goal. Be patient with yourself, believe in yourself and if you get down (IF! I said), then just ask yourself, “why not me, why not NOW?” Then get out there and run!

Keep up the runs! Be patient with yourself. Right now it may seem ‘hard’ but each week you WILL get better and in 2 or 3 weeks you’ll look back and think this week was EASY! But if you quit…….it’ll always be hard. A hard run is just that, 1 day, one time, a hard run – but quitting is forever…..Why not you? This is YOUR time, YOUR dream, YOUR goal! DO the runs and it’s just a matter of weeks, just a matter of weeks – I promise (is this a hint?) that within 10 days you WILL surprise yourself…….Why NOT you? I can’t think of a better person……..

– Danny Haralson

Danny’s web site is http://www.rununiversity.com/ and his blog is http://blog.rununiversity.com/ Check them out!

I hate to disappoint you guys, but I must leave out for an emergency at Jack Sh*t’s place. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but be rest assured I will be staying on my plan.

I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go…

I’ve been called to a secret meeting of the League of Extraordinarily Fat Gentlemen at Jack Sh*t’s place.

Weekly weigh-in: 520 lbs.
Loss: -6 lb.
Total loss: 112 lbs.
Emotion: pleased

I look forward to this week. All soreness is gone from my workouts and I have a new gym membership. This week I plan on walking and working out everyday.

I’m expecting a double-digit loss next week, but I am very pleased with this week.

I also want to say a big THANK YOU to the folks that made a donation to Make-A-Wish yesterday. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I also reduced my fund raising goal to the requested $1300.00 – I’ve got enough to stress over right now (walking these 4 races and losing 300 pounds), so I don’t want to have to worry about raising $6700. I have big ambitions but sometimes I’m too ambitious.

I’m excited about the upcoming 5k Race for the Cure. I should be in the 400’s by then. There’s just four more weigh-ins until the race.

Yesterday, I watched the NASCAR race with my buddy Bob and his little cutie Lola. Here’s a pic of Lola:

Have a great week!

I kept thinking about setting up a workout room at the house yesterday, and I finally decided that a gym would be the most economical option because as I progress, I will want more and more weight lifting equipment. So, I canceled the membership at my current gym because they ticked me off, and because it’s a pain in the butt to get to their location compared to the new gym.

I joined the Gold’s Gym on Highway 31 in Vestavia, which is like a mile from my office. This facility is less than three years old and has everything you can think of for a gym. Here’s a link to the facility: http://www.goldsgym.com/gyms/index.php?gymID=930

I am really, really excited because everything is lining up to knock out these races and three hundred pound challenge. I have been eating well and really putting forth an effort to do my workouts. I setup an account at dailymile.com, which is a free website to track your workouts and it also allows you to post your workouts on twitter and facebook if you choose to do so. Here’s my profile: http://www.dailymile.com/people/StephenV
If you decide to sign up (it’s free), be sure to add me as a friend, and then we can compare our workouts. Maybe we can do some challenges in the future

Finally, my website has been created for the Make-A-Wish Dream Team. If you would like to make a donation, please go here: Make a donation

Your donations are greatly appreciated and please pass this message on to your friends and family. Thank You!

Here’s more information on Make-A-Wish and the Make-A-Wish dream team:

I have taken on a very personal and challenging goal for myself.  I have committed to walk the Mercedes Half-Marathon on February 14th, 2010 in Birmingham.  I will be walking the half-marathon as a member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® Dream Team. I am aiming to raise $100.00 for every mile that I walk, for a goal of $1,300 and hopefully more!

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children between the ages of 2½ -18 with life threatening medical conditions and brings hope, strength, and joy into their lives.  Each wish granted brings happiness to the children and their families at a time when they need it most!  The average cost of a wish is $6,700, with many wishes costing much more.  Presently there are over 100 children in Alabama waiting to have their wishes granted.  So, as you can see, the money that you are able to donate will greatly help fulfill the dreams of these precious children and make their wishes come true. 

The children’s wishes vary from a trip to Disney World or Hawaii, to meeting Hannah Montana or their favorite Sports Figure.  They wish for shopping sprees, for a new playhouse or even to be an astronaut or scientist!  These wishes can not be granted without the help of people like you!

Here is some information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a few examples of the many wishes that are granted every day:

• About Make-A-Wish
• Brandon Visits Sesame Street
• Brent Shreds Some Snow
• Cheyenne Meets Minnie and Friends at Disney
• James Becomes a Real Cowboy
• John Races to Meet Jeff Gordon
• Matthew Becomes a Pilot
• Megan’s Trip to Hawaii
• Molly Meets Kelly Clarkson
• Taylor Gets a Pink Playhouse

For more information about The Make-A-Wish Foundation and for more wish stories, please visit www.ga-al.wish.org

Thank you in advance for your generous support and encouragement!

This week has been going great.

Monday: I went to a University of Alabama recruitment meeting where people discuss all of the latest information about high school players being sought by the University. There was a pretty good turnout, and the coolest part was meeting Matt Caddell, a former wide receiver from Alabama. He played one year for the St. Louis Rams.

Tuesday and Wednesday: work, work, work. A did do a little bit of walking and working out, but I was still recovering from last week’s work out. The first workouts are the worst, but after the first few, it gets really easy.

Today: I went and worked out with Donnie at Fitness Together at Patton Creek (Hoover, AL). There is an incredible difference in working out with a trainer and working out by yourself. First, the trainer plans and demonstrates your workout. Second, the trainer spots and counts your reps. I think this is really important because when I’m struggling with lifting, I tend to lose count or not track the first few reps because I’m focusing on how heavy the bar is. (Yes, I’m weak, only lifting the 45 lb Olympic barbell.) Finally, the trainer is  there encouraging and pushing you to do it

We focused on arms at today’s workout, and used the straight olympic barbell as our primary lifting equipment, but we did do a little bit of work on legs and abs.

I’m putting together a list of gym equipment that I want to buy. My goal is to spend as little as possible and get some sturdy equipment. (Not because I want the best, but because I have a big rear end.

I plan on starting out with the following:

1. Sturdy weight bench with separate bar holder like the following:
   
2. 45 lb Olympic 7 ft straight barbell
   
3. 10 lb Medicine Ball
   

I’ve already got a set of 5lb and 20lb dumbbells.

What’s cool is the above will get me by for a while, all I’ll need to add is weights as I need them, and they can be bought individually.

I’m gonna see what the thrift store has. Also, I hear that Wright Fitness downtown has used equipment, and they carry gym grade stuff. We’ll see what happens.

My birthday is this month so I have asked for either cash towards gym equipment or a Casual Male gift card. It’s funny, I used to loath trying on and buying clothes. Now, I want to go buy the whole store. I can’t wait to be able to buy clothes at a regular clothing store.

This weekend my mom and I are going to clean out my junk room (a former bed room/office). I’ll be donating the stuff I no longer use to the Civitan for a garage/yard sale they are doing on the 12th. This room will be my home gym.

I’m gonna setup the video camera in my soon-to-be weight room. I think a video montage of weight loss/strength building progress will be awesome. Every day I am noticing changes to my body. I’m losing my padding, and I’m doing it without surgery.

There’s nothing wrong with weigh loss surgery, but you still have to change your eating habits with weight loss surgery. I have heard so many stories of people having surgery, losing a lot of weight, and then gaining it all back a few years later. So, there’s no end-all miracle cure for obesity. Maybe except desire and self-discipline. Blogging has helped me tremendously. Have I been perfect since March this year? No

Without this blog, I would have quit after my first bump in the road, but knowing that my friends and family are reading it and so many others have left so many kind, life changing comments, I couldn’t let them down.

Also, I’m getting pumped about the upcoming 5k on Oct 10th. I changed the color of my NASCAR to pink for the 5k. I am diligently walking varying distances to work for this goal. Squats are really helping me speed up my pace.

Finally, I’m stoked about this weekend. We’ve got college football, and I’m a big Alabama fan (insert joke here). Also, it’s labor day weekend. It’s gonna be a fun, relaxing weekend. Well, except for cleaning up my room.

Who’s your team? Are you a Tiger, Dog, Buckeye, Wolverine, etc.?

Roll Tide Roll

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