03/28/18

Stage 1

Day 28

of the Extreme Accountability Ultra Marathon

Start Date 03/04/18

Re-Starting weight 195 pounds

Today’s weight 196.2 pounds

Destination weight 175

Stage 2 staying at or below Destination Weight for 365 days

If you have noticed, I haven’t been posting my scales lately, it wasn’t Facebook’s new algorithm, it was me. After losing 129 pounds in 8 months in 2017,  I’ve slid back into some of my old patterns. I could easily be happy with the size that I am now, not because it’s the best for me but because it’s so much better than where I was in weight and health a little over a year ago.

I know that many people believe that the number on the scales doesn’t matter, but guess what it does. Sure there are non-scale victories, but let’s face it, if you or I don’t win the war with the scales those non-scale victories will disappear also. So guess what, what I weigh and what you weigh matters. Not for the number but for your overall health and giving you the ability to achieve all of those non-scale victories.

I am ecstatic with weighing over 100 pounds less than I did in March 2017, but 175 pounds was my original destination weight and still is. In order for me to reach 175 pounds last year, I did what was necessary to get the weight off, I used a healthy plan and my doctor, family, and I were all thrilled.

I have changed my lifestyle and many of my habits dramatically since beginning this journey in March 2017,  but the desires and cravings that resulted in the 304 pound man called Alan Thomas are still there. They don’t just magically disappear.

I get asked fairly often, how did you lose so much weight so fast? Those that are asking probably want the same thing that you and I want, a weight loss lottery ticket, the winning one. I know because I looked for it so long. It does exist. I’m telling you that I have the answer. Now I can hear those same voices responding with doubt, because deep down we all know there is no magic pill or lottery ticket to weight loss freedom, or is there?

It isn’t exercise, but I exercise 5 to 7 times per week now that I have lost weight, not because I have to, because I love how it makes me feel. I’m sure that if you are Michael Phelps or training like an Olympic athlete, you would lose weight with exercise. But the people that are holding a cheeseburger in one hand and a large Mountain Dew in the other probably aren’t heading to the next Olympic games. Also, while moving your body is helpful, exercise alone will likely not get a significant amount of weight off for most of us.

It really isn’t the diet either, but I want to be clear here, I lost weight because I used a healthy plan that I knew would work. Next to the magic pill that I am going to tell you about, the intake is where it’s at. Eating healthy and staying in a caloric deficit produced powerful results for me. I used a plan that got the results and worked, just like I knew it would, but without the magic, the results would have been very little and very temporary.

The magic pill or lottery ticket to weight loss is….. importance.  The importance that I am referring to is the level of importance that “you” place on getting healthy, fit, and yes to a reasonable weight for your height and build. If it is important enough to you or me we can find a way to get our weight off. I used Facebook posting and created the Extreme Accountability Challenge as my way of making it important.

Is that it???? I can hear you saying.

You sound like Dorothy when she found out who the Wizard of Oz was, the curtain that was pulled back, was so disappointing for her but let me explain.

While there are no guarantees, if you make your health and weight as important as it deserves, and keep the focus there from now on, you will be amazed at the results. If I told you that if you did without say…chocolate, or whatever derails your weight loss goals,  until you reached your dream weight, you could have $1,000,000. I bet you could do without chocolate. That’s because the $1m bucks would be slightly more important than the chocolate. Think about this, the importance to you really is the magic pill.

It’s simple but just because something is simple doesn’t make it easy. What makes the simple things that aren’t so easy to do achievable is importance.

And by the way if you die prematurely from an obesity related disease, you may miss making lots of $$$$ millions, not to mention all of the other joys of living. Be willing to do whatever it takes to get the weight off and get healthy.

I’m on my way back down and it’s Easter weekend. Big deal, I can have a chocolate Easter bunny if I want, chocolate is important after all!! My health is more important.

Be willing to do whatever it takes. Don’t trade what you want now for what you want most.

It may feel uncomfortable and scary at first but….

Remember comfort is overrated.

10/16/17

17.8 pounds to go

It may feel uncomfortable at first but….

Day 214

Extreme Accountability Challenge

Today’s weight 193.0 pounds

Starting weight 304 pounds

Destination weight 175 pounds

Goal Date to achieve destination weight 11/22/17

Number of days until destination date 38

Total weight loss to date 111.0 pounds

18.0 pounds to go

Information is so readily available today, that’s a good thing, right? Yes absolutely, but it gave me the excuse to not take action regarding my obesity. There were so many choices in weight loss plans. I don’t think that I could list them all if I tried. The reality is that most of them work to some degree, many of them work very well. The challenge is to follow through and stick to the plan that you choose.

I am no different than anyone else that needs to lose weight.  I just wanted the weight off. But it doesn’t work that way. Sure I could take off 5 or 10 pounds pretty easily. But to get over 120 pounds off. That’s an ultra marathon.

I had to pick a plan and learn life long changes to get this weight off forever.

When I was used to eating everything in sight, 252 days of not cheating once is like running that ultra marathon.

A marathon is a little over 26 miles, an ultra marathon is a distance further than the traditional 26 mile marathon.

Last night when I was trying on some of my 19 year old sons clothing, because everything, even my skinny clothes, are way too big. The size 34’s fit nicely. I was a size 46 stretchy waistband guy 214 days ago. That’s a long way when I look back. The remaining 18 pounds are my ultra marathon pounds. I’m biking, going on long walks, many people don’t even recognize me, and I am sticking to my plan.

I don’t say this to boast, I say this because probably no one believed that I would get this far, except one person, me. In reality, I’m the only one that had to believe.

If you struggle with your weight like I did, pick a course of action, tell someone or everyone like I did, and start. There will be at least 2 that believe you can make it.

You and me.

It may feel uncomfortable at first but….