Week 45 update, A Pound A Week Shall Do Just Fine (1 lb lost)...

276 lbs.
93 down
7 to go
7 weeks left
$16 per lb pledged
$1488 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

You know how in "Wheel of Fortune" or "The Price is Right" they spin the wheel and it flies around really fast but then as it slows those last few clicks are slow and measured until it reveals the result?  That's the feeling I'm getting as I push toward the goal.  I can't complain too much, because one pound a week is exactly what I need to get to my goal in a year, but I was just kind of hoping that I would hit it before Thanksgiving hit, if you get my drift.  I keep reminding myself that nothing is changing even once I hit the goal, but it's still hard not to want to blow by it instead of this pound by pound thing.   I just have this feeling that I have another big week in me and if I can put all the variables into effect I can cross the 100 pound mark even before November hits.  We shall see.

One more thing before I press on towards another Friday weigh in.  Someone commented in last week's post that it appeared as if I was solely focusing on cardio.  It made me realize that I don't emphasize enough in the blog how much weight training I'm doing every week as well.  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I only run for about 10 minutes and then work out different muscle groups for another half hour or so.  It's a vital part of this whole process and I highly doubt I would feel as healthy as I do (and look as good, wink, wink) without it.   There are many who have traversed this road long before me and we each have to find our own way, but in my opinion that way has to include some form of controlled eating, weight training, and cardio.  All three are important and have been highly beneficial for me.

Thanks for the comments and please if you have other questions just let me know.  I'd love to start passing on more of what I've learned as I click, click, click toward the goal.

Week 44 update, Candy Wings, Chimichangas, and Lots of Exercize (3 lbs lost)...

277 lbs.
92 down
8 to go
8 weeks left
$16 per lb pledged
$1472 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

Turns out that whole excercize thing is the key.  I had some meetings this week and of course all the usual snacks and over eating that go along with such endeavors.  This included (but was not limited to) mounds of these incredible wings which instead of some sort of BBQ or Wing sauce had this candy coated syrup, and two huge chimichangas (and some flautas) at a local Mexican place.  So how on earth did I end up 3 pounds lighter this morning?  Running.  While at the hotel I took advantage of the treadmill and ran at least 30 minutes each morning AND EACH NIGHT.  Now, in the 10+ months I've been doing this I have never done a night work out until now, and I must say, not bad at all.  As long as you don't have to be asleep within an hour after you finish, it's actually quite refreshing.  Of course I also ate much better the rest of the week so it was only a couple days of indulging as opposed to constant slacking.  The end result is that today I stand 8 pounds away from the 100 pound mark and ready to blow by it sometime in November (so I can start depression binging after the election).   Hopefully next week I can make it two nice loses in a row instead of this 3 steps forward, 1 step back thing I seem to be doing.    I just can't get passed the fact that even if you cut off my thumbs, I can still count the pounds I need to lose to hit my goal on the remaining fingers.

SOMEBODY THROW AN OCTOPUS ON THE ICE, IT'S GETTING CLOSE!

Week 43 update, Too Much Slacking, Time to Refocus, (1 lb gained)...

280 lbs.
89 down
11 to go
9 weeks left
$16 per lb pledged
$1424 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

Well, perhaps I should be a little more focused.  With fall pushing the temperatures downward the urge to stay snuggled in my comfy comforter is becoming larger.  I also imagine my body wants to hang on to it's insulation a bit more as well.  But the main problem is that I had that extra scoop in many meals this week (it's so hard when your spouse is such an amazing cook) and exchanged apples for candy bars a few times at work for my afternoon snack.  Add to that not running on Tuesday and Thursday (brrr, seriously, brr) and I'm not extremely surprised to see a pound appear.

What does it mean?

Just that I need to refocus and continue to make correct decesions so that it turns back around and heads in the right direction.

Come back next week and see how it goes!

Week 42 update, Multiples of 10 are Fun, (1 lbs. lost)...

279 lbs.
90 down
10 to go
10 weeks left
$16 per lb pledged
$1440 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

Apparently this is the week that our base 10 numerical system comes into full effect at Lose for the Fuse.   Here's the lowdown, after playing 100 holes of golf Friday and weighing in at 279, I have 10 days to lose 10 pounds to have lost 100 pounds in 10 months or I can take 10 weeks to lose 10 pounds to have lost 100 pounds in 1 year.  Catch all that?  Well, it doesn't really matter, the point is I'M 10 POUNDS AWAY FROM THE GOAL!

As it gets closer and closer I'm thinking more about the things I want to do once I'm done losing weight. 

- Clothes shopping

- Go to Cedar Point (and not need three workers to come over to lock me into the Raptor)

- Get some Chiro and Massage work on my new body

- Go skydiving

- Help others do the same thing (lose weight that is, not go skydiving)

- Walk around shirtless all the time

OK, maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.  I might not get to do all these things (unless congress passes some sort of skinny Dice bailout fund so I have the dough.) but I'm excited knowing that they are all possibilities in the future. 

It's the home stretch now, if you've been waiting to pledge, wait no longer.  Anyone care to wager when I will hit the 100 pound lost mark?

Week 41 update, The Return of Apples and Salads, (4 lbs. lost)...

280 lbs.
89 down
11 to go
11 weeks left
$16 per lb pledged
$1424 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

Great news all around this week as I got another solid number and even added $1 per pound from a fellow ONU alum.  I'm not sure if I mentioned it here, but my alma mater, Olivet Nazarene University, did a piece on LFTF in the most recent alumni update and the response from my Olivetian brethren (and sistren, a word not often used because it sounds so much like cistern, but I digress) has been very encouraging.  Make no mistake, there will be many benefits to this process, but to get support for FuseFM is the reason I began this in the first place.  I truly believed that there would be 100 people willing to encourage me with $1 a pound, and though that number sits now at only 16 maybe Deron's pledge could be the catalyst that sparks you to think of why you haven't jumped in to support.  Deron is someone who I barely know, but is willing to give, couldn't you consider it as well?  I know $100 is a lot of money, but you don't have to write the check today and you can send it in chunks over the next few months (or beyond).  Every morning when I get out of bed to run or work out, every time I decide that 2 pieces of Pizza is enough for now, I do it because I believe in FuseFM and know how great the need is for this station to stick around.  I would greatly appreciate your fresh consideration for what you could do to make that a reality.  Who knows, as momentum pulls me towards my goal, maybe 100 people isn't still out of the question.

As far as the past week goes, it was a very solid week with 4 more pounds deciding to disconnect from my body and run out the doggy door to find a new home (sorry, very random Dr. Who reference there, check the first episode of Season 4 for context.)  I made it my goal to be within 10 pounds by the end of September and that appears very likely.  At this rate I may hit the 100 lost mark before November.   I did decide early this week to scrape a few unnecessary carbs from my eating habits.  I had been doing a PB+J sandwich for lunch and afternoon snack for a while now and decided to go back to an apple for my afternoon snack (something I haven't done in several months) and to throw a couple salads in for lunches once or twice a week.  I've also decided to try and do eggs more for breakfast as opposed to cereal (although I've heard oatmeal is a good choice as well)  Again these aren't decisions just for the moment, they are acceptable lifestyle choices as I continue on towards healthy living.  I've also discovered how important variety is for your system and to mix it up every once in a while is a good idea (this goes for exercises as well).  The 4 pounds from this week put me at needing to once again lose 1 pound a week for the next 11 weeks to hit my goal.  My guess?  It won't take nearly that long.

Thanks again for reading, and honestly give a decent thought to whether or not you could support me in this right now, the link is at the top of this post and it is much appreciated!

Week 40 update, No more "Someday" clothes, (1 lb. lost)...

284 lbs.
85 down
15 to go
12 weeks left
$15 per lb pledged
$1275 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

Here's what I wrote in a recent newsletter update from FuseFM:

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There are no more “someday” clothes in my closet. I was just telling my wife this week that after losing 80+ pounds in the past 9 months that all those pants and shirts that I kept “just in case” now seem to fit.. It’s an amazing feeling but pales in comparison to the feeling of knowing that everyday I get healthier and healthier and might be adding years to my life.

If you haven’t been following my “Lose for the Fuse” journey at loseforthefuse.com I would encourage you to check it out. Every person that drops by and leaves a note or pledges $1 a pound is one more bit of encouragement that pushes me along and keeps me from eating that fourth piece of pizza. Each Friday I weigh in and post my new numbers as well as a few comments on how the week went. I’ve learned so much through this process and hope to share as much as I can. If you are interested in supporting me or even doing this yourself make sure you click on the links and fill out the forms.

Thanks again and make sure and stay tuned for the culmination of this year long process on December 7^th of this year. Maybe my “someday” clothes won’t fit again, but this time because they are too big.

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With just 12 weeks left and at the 15 pound to go mark, things are looking great.  I know it's just one more pound this week, but as long as I keep doing the right things at least the number should continue to diminish from here on out.  I'll have to lose more than 1 pound a week at some point, but you have to think I have at least one more big week in me soon, right?  Whatever the case, I appreciate your interest and pledges and let's see this thing through these last three months!

Week 39 update, Back to the Weekly Grind, (1 lb. lost)...

285 lbs.
84 down
16 to go
13 weeks left
$15 per lb pledged
$1260 raised

If you are new to loseforthefuse.com please read the first post or pledge here.

I wish I had some great story for this week's update.  But this week has been about as mundane as they come as far as the losing weight thing is concerned (with four sons in the house mudane is not a word I get the chance to use much).  The kids (well 3 of them) are back in school, and so my workouts have shifted to a little earlier so I can be back to take them, but other than that it's been your basic workout, try and eat right, kind of week.  I've had a few too many Peanut Butter flavored treats this week (shakes and Reese's Cups) some outside of my main eating schedule so I guess I should be pretty thrilled with the 1 pound loss.  Both the end of the year and the 100 pound mark get closer every week and it's going to be a fun race to see which comes first.  Thanks for joining me on this journey, and as always feel free to pledge!