Wow... has it been a year?

Sorry that I haven't kept this up to date lately. I have been out living life! At this point, I am about 110 pounds down, and I am running road races competitively (well sort-of, I've never finished LAST) I ran in the Just Fur fun 5k in College Station in November, and the Jingle Bell Fun Run in College Station Dec. I have been training hard to get my distance up. Here is my tentative schedule for 2010 so far -

Jan 9th - New Year's Resolution 5K - CS

Feb. 13th - Valentine's 5K - CS

Feb 26th - Glow 5k (Night 5k) CS

March 7th - Armadillo Dash 1/2 Marathon - CS

April 17th - Blue Bell 10K - Brenham

May 9th - Rookie Triathalon - New Braunfels

Monthly update 6/15/09

Hey everybody! It's that time again. I am still around 98 or so pounds lighter than I was last year, and it feels great. Some folks have been pestering me for before and after pics, and I am finally down to a point where I feel comfortable posting pics. Just for a frame of reference, the befores were taken about a week before I had everything done. The afters this last weekend. The shorts I am wearing in the afters are 10" smaller in the waist, and the shirt is a 2x vs. a 4x.

Before and After Pics:

Update 5/14/09

OK folks, been gone for a while, and it's a long story. I got a temp job working with a friend of mine, making great money. Bad news is that it is in Jefferson City, Missouri. So, I have been living in a hotel and flying back and forth every week. Good news is that I have lost another 15 pounds. That's 95 pounds since December... I am so close to 100 I can taste it!!! I've been working out, but I just don't eat that much on the road. I did get a job close to home which starts on May 25th, so I get to go home! Stay tuned, and As soon as it's official, I'll announce where I will be working.

Update - 4/8/2009

Folks, I am down 80 pounds today. I can't believe it. In these 4 months, I have lost 10 inches from my waist, I am wearing shirts from a REGULAR store, and discovered I have ears and hip bones again! For those that don't know, I got laid off from my job at the end of March, so I am looking for another job. Crap, I'm in good enough shape now though that I could go back to being a carpenter and framing houses ( I did that when I was MUCH younger....). I am thankful that my lovely bride Rachel has had a job for the last 4 weeks as the bariatric coordinator for my surgeon, and she is loving it, and making enough money to where we are making ends meet even without me having a job. I am currently re-doing the website for my surgeon, and staying home with little bit, until I get a job. I am hoping to get on with the University, and possibly continue my education. While the jobs at Texas A&M don't pay that great, the benefits are good, and most departments are flexible with grad school.

Weekly update - 2/23

I haven't been posting any updates lately. Not that I have felt bad necessarily, since my last post, I lost like 9 more pounds. This last week though, I did not lose a single pound. I only worked out twice, and ate crap. So, yes, even I have a bad week sometimes. Staying in for a few adult beverages Saturday, certainly didn't help, but it was a fun weekend!
However, I think I determined why I felt like crap last week. My blood pressure was too low. The doc took me to a lower dosage, and my bp is still good. I am starting to get energy again. It was just so weird, not having energy, sleeping in. Otherwise, I am doing great. I worked out this evening, and am eating much better stuff this week.

2 months out

Two months post operation as of yesterday. I weighed in at 343 pounds. In two months I have lost 55 pounds. I am a little more than a quarter of the way to my goal. The weight loss has slowed somewhat. I am continuing to eat right, and work out most every day. I average a pound or two lost every week, and that is really encouraging. I have gotten rid of almost half of my clothes so far, and I have given most of them away. Today, I am wearing jeans 3 sizes smaller than I was 2 months ago, and shirts two sizes smaller. This is a fun ride.

Week 7

OK, it is time for an update. I am 7 weeks out now, and I am down to 345 pounds. That brings my weight loss to 53 pounds. I hit a little plateau, only losing 2 pounds in a week... But, I am not letting it get me down because I also went to see my surgeon yesterday. In 4 weeks, between the weight loss and adding 25 pounds of muscle... My body fat percentage dropped 5% in a month. He said that told him I was getting PLENTY of protein and exercise... He was amazed again!

Rachel and I tried advanced water aerobics last night (we skipped beginner) and it kicked me and wifey's BUTT! It's not for old ladies... It is a total body cardio workout that leaves you exhausted. I am thinking we will continue that... Today I did weights, and walked for 35 mins. I sprained my left knee going all out on the elliptical, so I am taking a break from it for a few days...

I have become an evangelist for this surgery. The guy that has an office next to mine went to seminar with my surgeon Tuesday night, because he wants to get a sleeve now too.