Getting Moving…

I went for a walk today. Man, am I out of shape. Last week was dedicated to getting used to the new eating plan. This week I want to start moving more. I figure a couple walks at lunch and getting in the gym a couple times.

A couple weeks from now I’ll be traveling for work. Traveling means it is harder to eat right and easier to skip exercise. I figure I need to start some good habits now.

First Weight In: 10 Pounds!

I just got back from my first week weight -in. I am ten pounds lighter than before starting. It feels good to be heading in the right direction. Ten pounds is a lot of weight to loose in a week. The first couple weeks are suppose to big losses. After that I should expect about 1-2 lbs per week.

This next week I plan on hitting the gym twice. That should be the next step.

Starting Weight: 385.4
This Week: 375.4
Difference: -10
Total: -10

And so it begins…

I’ve been over weight for as long as I can remember. Being 6′2” with broad shoulders, I just accepted that I’m a Big Guy. In high school and college I played offensive tackle for the football team and wrestled heavy weight. Being big made me different and it became part of who I am. Friends and family would tell me “you’re not fat, you’re just big”.

After college sports left my life and I embarked on my career behind a computer. Now I’m thirty-one years old and 385.4 pounds. My friends and family are no longer saying “you’re just big”. Throughout my life I’ve tried several diets: Atkins, cabbage soup, even the dreaded bean burrito. (The latter one wreaked havoc on the college roommate’s aromatic senses.)

About a week ago I attended my first Weight Watchers meeting. Tomorrow is my first weight-in since starting. The first week has gone well. My wife has chosen to follow the program with me. She is in generally good shape. But, it’s great to have her support.

For anyone not familiar with the Weight Watchers program, here is a high-level overview. Everyone has an allotted point target they are allowed per day. The point target is based on criteria such as gender, age, weight, and activity. Everything you eat has a specific point total. To follow the program you need to track what you eat and keep it below the target points per day. I calculated my target point total to be 51.

I found the first couple days easy to stay within the limit. I had extra points left over! Basically, I just avoided fast food and planned my meals. After about three days into the program I realized that there is a cap of 44 points – 7 less that I thought. OOPS! Fortunately, the program includes 35 weekly points that you can use if you run out of daily points. So, I was still technically following the program.

Tomorrow is my first weight in. Wish me luck!

P.S. If you are looking for a description of the Weight Watcher plans, here is an explanation directly from the source: http://www.weightwatchers.com/plan/eat/plans.aspx