Week 17 -- Not Bad for a Thanksgiving Week.....

Start Weight: 226.0
Week 17 Weight: 209.2
Weekly Loss/Gain (+): 0.8
Program-to-Date (PTD) Loss: 16.8
% Weekly Loss/(Gain): .35
% PTD Loss: 7.43
Program Goal Weight Loss: 36.0
Program Goal % Loss: 15.9

All things considered, this was a great week. We had Russell home for the holiday, had family over for Thanksgiving, went to family for feasting on Friday, and had some good time at the temple with the youth in the church tonight and a bit of dinner afterwards with them as well.


Only one slightly down note.... Arthur hooked us up with some tickets for the Kings this past week... we had our choice, vs the Spurs on Monday, vs Golden State tonight, or vs Houston on Saturday. Naturally, still being Spurs fans from our time in San Antonio, and finding not a whole lot to be real excited about the Kings since moving back here, we (Michael, Wendy, and I) jumped at the chance to see the Spurs kill the Kings. We talked about how we'd some of the very few who would walk out of Arco laughing and high-fiving while the other 14,000 faithful would be hanging their heads and muttering about the Kings' troubles.... we got the tables turned, Kings whupped the Spurs 112-99, and it wasn't even that close. We got down to the pre-game shootaround and got some good laughs in with Big-Shot Bob Horry, but the karma never came and we were left with no response to those 14,000 rabid Kings fans. Oh well..... it's a long season.... With all that and a double-double at the Truxel In-N-Out before the game, .8 lbs came off.... I know it's no where near where my goal has been, but it's the lowest I've been in this program.... so a little each week, I will keep at it. It was great to have Tim, Denise, Joel, Bonnie (and husband James , and toddler Sophia) over for Thanksgiving... I had sympathetic ears from James and Bonnie on the whole Gail wedding ring thing, I haven't laughed that hard for some time....

ROUTINE: The exercising is keeping me steady... I stayed away from the annual Turkey Bowl this year, opting for the work gym instead. I've got some sore achillies going, I think due to the treadmill, so I sat out the Turkey Bowl. I hear it was great though... Dean Thomson catching a TD pass for the 28th year in a row.... that man is the man.... that should be a subject of a whole 'nother post.


Anyway, the gym on Thurs, Fri, and Sat even though I was off work, tempered my appetite some as I didn't go too crazy with the feasting. I was up to about 35-37 minutes straight on the treadmill, but my heels are hurting now, so I'm going to back that off a bit. My goal is still to do 60 min straight by the first of the year. December is almost upon us, not too much time left to completely make good on all these goals.

ON THE BIKE: I did not go checkout yet that new Fuji 7100... I'll e-mail the guy from Craigslist again, I had a small window of opp to do it lat Friday, but the guy was out in Elverta and just didn't happen. I do hear my buddies are still out riding, I'm getting along quite well with the JaBen crowd, and the grief has lessened considerably on most of the biking front. Gail has got a great jump on all the Chrtistmas stuff.... and she seems to be sincere about making a bike happen for me.... but we might have to sell a kidney, or..... hey, what about gall bladders? I guess no one needs extras of those... I fear for my kids, Stacie and Wendy too have been having symptoms, guess it could be genetic somehow.... mine's at the bottom of Lake Eire somewhere along with all the other medical waste from our stay in Syracuse, NY. How can I spin that E-Bay auction??? I think I still have those pimento-like stones around here somewhere.

ODDS N' ENDS: I think it's all been said.... the Christmas tree is in the backyard, we're reluctant to bring it in for fear of Sara being all in, around, and on it. There's only one thing she's afraid of and that's the vacuum cleaner.... we've seriously considered going down to Goodwill and buying up all their vacuum cleaners... and place them strategically around the house... in front of the Christmas tree, by the kitchen cabinets, in the fireplace where she prefers to sit and ponder, and by every toilet in the house. Wonder if we can get volume discounts on those vacuums... I'll have to post some video of Wendy's beautiful Christmas piano music, we're trying to get her to agree to do a couple of concerts over here during the holidays...by next post we'll be well into December.....


FAQs:

Q. Have you scheduled your physical yet for the beginning of the new year?

A. I tried that a few weeks ago, but they only take appts up to four weeks out... yeah, that is part of the program goal... to increase my life insurance... see if I can get the best rates... wonder if they're all BMI-based....

Q. Um.... might not be a good idea to discuss life insurance here... some of the FOBS might turn into EOBS, and then into FOGS, if you know what I mean.....

A. Oh yeah.... you're probably right.... but the insurance amount not likely to get too many people excited...but not a bad idea to always watch one's back.


'Til next week... Brian

Week 16 -- Time for a Holiday

Start Weight: 226.0
Week 16 Weight: 210.0
Weekly Loss/Gain (+): (0.3)
Program-to-Date (PTD) Loss: 16.0
% Weekly Loss/(Gain): (.13)
% PTD Loss: 7.08
Program Goal Weight Loss: 36.0
Program Goal % Loss: 15.9

This really will be short, it is time for a holiday.... I have tomorrow and Friday off, that will be a nice break. The grooves of the rut grew a little deeper this week as the scales recorded 210 even. The exercise effort is still there, but I need a mind warp, mind meld, altered mind or something with the eating. I blame Russell for some of it... he was supposed to come in last night from Utah, but as Gail, her sister and brother-in-law, and the rest of us were sitting around chatting last Friday night at around 10:00, in pops Russell as a surprise to all of us. He and his riding partners decided to head home early. It was great to see him, he likes school a lot...he's dropped about 15 lbs...says he's low on funds, not eating much, studying hard, etc.... Gail then (and I'll use our Texan phrase "bless her heart") proceeds to bring on all the Thanksgiving gourmet out about a week early...man, just good stuff. Russell, of course, just plays along and eats it up. It is all good... we'll have Dad over and Tim's family too tomorrow and then be with the Morford crowd on Friday. I'm well aware this is week 16 of the 22 week plan... time to look at contingencies....

ROUTINE: Nothing new here, although after a few early holiday luncheons out, I realized the season is here. I just read the average American gains seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years... I'm determined that's not gonna be me. The gym has saved my bacon so far, I'll be at it in the morning, and it doesn't feel like a chore... just gotta get the brain in a new way of thinking.

ON THE BIKE: I'm going to look at a bike on Friday, this guy on Craigslist won a bike in a raffle and wants to get rid of it... a TREK bike, supposed to be easy on the rear and a comfortable ride, I'll see how it fits...

ODDS N' ENDS: Arthur came by... offered me three Kings tix for this next Monday vs the Spurs, I'll be on those... looks like me, Michael, and Wendy... I saw an article in the paper, another reason why I might live to 100, in addition to the extra 20 lbs I'm carrying, learned that was beneficial from last week's article... this week's article is titled:

Having Lots of Kids Helps Dads Live to 100

the authors said.... "we were surprised that having more than three children is beneficial to longevity..." they couldn't pinpoint why, just there was a very strong correlation. They said it was counterintuitive findings, conventional wisdom says the more kids you have, the sooner you go nuts.... it's conventional wisdom for a reason... now new evidence says otherwise.. go figure.

FAQs: None for the week... I should have some decent pics for next time. Everyone have a great Thanksgiving...when you put it all together...the blessings are overwhelming...

'Til next week..... Brian

(A thanks to Matt and Victoria Arnold for the Sara church pics...)

Week 15 -- A Little Movement....

Start Weight: 226.0
Week 15 Weight: 209.7
Weekly Loss/Gain (+): 0.8
Program-to-Date (PTD) Loss: 16.3
% Weekly Loss/(Gain): .35
% PTD Loss: 7.21
Program Goal Weight Loss: 36.0
Program Goal % Loss: 15.9

The hour is later than ever and I tried to get a ghost blog writer this week which in the end didn't work out... so just me with not a whole lot on the brain. Good news is I'm under 210 even though it is just by a few tenths... still at the gym, I've started to mix in some weights, but I haven't toned down the eating a whole lot. My awareness level kicked up a bit when I decided to put on a smaller size pants and tighten the belt a notch, literally. I am in between pant sizes so, I've got the smaller ones on, and let's say I'm more aware of the fit... I think that helped in not going full on at meal time. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I'll get through it, have a lot of fun and not get too crazy... I say bring it on. No good stories this week, we had a great day at the temple on Monday the holiday, my dad to the rescue on the clothes dryer, and the youth had a great activity at the church tonight.

ROUTINE: Just a little smaller portions this week... and I planned it out a little better. Sweets are still killing me though, but I don't want to get to the point where I say certain foods are definitely off-limits... that seems a little drastic, but the 100-calorie packs aren't working out too well either... so I'm caught in the middle. And I admit... I broke the AM/PM vow... I went in honestly for a refill of my diet Sobe cranberry/grapefruit drink..., my friend the manager comes over and we do a little small talk.... then he goes for it, says he's got a brand new food item that AM/PM has never seen before, he'd personally make me a free sample, he's just looking out for me, etc... I did, in the name of friendship, I took the sample... an Italian baguette stuffed with pepperoni, ham, mozarella cheese, and tomato sauce. It was good, but not great, I bought one from him... good news is I won't buy another one because they weren't that good. And, as the weather gets colder, the 44 oz iced diet Sobe doesn't sound great either...so I really don't have any business there. The exercise routine stayed the same... I am used to that. So, I've decided tight pants are the overall key to sustained weight loss.... who woulda thought?

ON THE BIKE: From now on, I'll just post when there is bike news. If someone out there can assist in getting me through the bike malaise, just speak up.

ODDS N' ENDS: Quite a bit here.... I'll be brief... we had the best letter from Steven, no mention of health issues... just about the contacts he's making and the progress of the investigators, does parents' hearts good. The clothes dryer stopped drying, would run but no heat... you'd figure the son of the best appliance repairman ever could handle that... taking apart is no problem, figured the heating element was bad... got that sucker out (even though when all said and done, didn't have to go to that much trouble), thought I'd call Dad to just confirm, he says he'll come over... he brings his electrical test kit... says the element is fine, thermostat is the problem... Gail goes down the next day buys a new one, we put it all back together and presto, it works. Gail was the engineer on the whole belt/pulley action, Dad got down and dirty with the take down as well... Dad, at 81 is still the man, Gail's always been the fixer-upper... I tear stuff down....We figure Dad's know-how saved us $229, but he got that back in a great home-cooked me from Gail...everyone called it even... what a deal. Kids had a great time at the church tonight... the YW leaders (pictured below... hard to believe two of the three are JaBen wives) came up with the idea of a "service" scavenger hunt....


....they sent the youth off to four different places in search of things, trying to beat other groups back to the church... what the kids didn't know was there were four "plants" (pictured).....


who needed help at these places, one lost a wallet, one had car trouble, one was on crutches, etc... the test was to see if the kids would stop to help... they came through pretty well... the point was that while we're rushing around in life, there will be people in our paths who need help.... we can't just rush on by.... a great activity. That's about all... football season now over.... I'll see if I can stay close to the wrestling and b-ball worlds...


FAQs:
Q. I see the People Magazine sexiest men alive issue is out. You and none of your FOBS made that list. Does that surprise you?

A. No, not really.... then again, I, and I think all of the FOBS, never set out to make the list... I hear it's highly political anyway. We're all pretty much comfortable (maybe too comfortable) in our own skin. As always... (to this anonymous FAQster)... thanks for noticing.

'Til next week..... Brian

Week 14 -- More of the Same....

Start Weight: 226.0
Week 13 Weight: 210.5
Weekly Loss/Gain (+): (0.1)
Program-to-Date (PTD) Loss: 15.5
% Weekly Loss/(Gain): (0.04)
% PTD Loss: 6.86
Program Goal Weight Loss: 36.0
Program Goal % Loss: 15.9

I must've set some sort of record, this is five weeks in a row with only fluctuating .1 or .2 lbs around the 210.5 lb mark. Not much to say tonight, it's getting late and the head is muddied. I did have some encouraging e-mails this week, one from my brother Tim, and one from Steve, my biker buddy, who is in Africa helping to build water filtration systems for the people of Uganda. I'll post a few of his comments below. He volunteered through his church to go..... if you happen to read this Bishop, how 'bout sending me to, say somewhere like.... Tahiti, where there is a need for conversational English teachers? It'd be a hardship, but I'd take one for the world's team. Also, a thanks to Tom Cadle who was in line with me at the Halloween chili and cornbread dinner...he had some encouraging words as well.... just be consistent, tortoise and the hare kind of thing. So, I'll just count my blessings and stick with it... we had Sara's birthday this week to liven things up a bit. Plus, an article in the paper boosted me too... excerpts... "Being 25 pounds overweight doesn't appear to increase your risk of dying from heart disease or cancer... the findings may comfort some who can't seem to lose those last 15 pounds. And they hearten backers of a theory that it is possible to be "fit and fat"... but overweight people have a higher risk of death from a variety of ills, including diabetes and kidney disease".... now I will sleep better tonight.... I don't see myself as fit or fat... wonder how that fits in.


ROUTINE: Not much new.... the gym most every morning and I did stay away from all the AM/PM activities for the week... I don't even know what the November monthly special is... I heard rumors they were throwing in a free two-pack of pop tarts with a purchase of coffee or hot chocolate... may be tempting on those cold mornings... but I have that advice ringing in my ears... "Brian.. you have no business ever of going into an AM/PM".... Looking back on it, I had too much of the birthday cake and ice cream... and other late night snacks. Appears I'm maintaining, albeit at a level 20 lbs higher than desired. A thanks to my buddy Harold at work who checks in on me daily at the gym... then comes by if he doesn't see me there... that does help.


ON THE BIKE: No thought on it this week... even though gas is $3.25 at the local Circle K. We have had some great weather here in Sacramento, mid-70s for most of the week. The bike momentum has slowed to a trickle... need a change of attitude there.... still keep those Craigslist ads coming, I've bought off there before and if I see something that looks good, who knows? If I go long enough, maybe Gail will take pity for Christmas... then again...


ODDS N' ENDS: Great news is Steven is feeling much better and has returned to almost a regular routine in Mexico. A thanks to those who have thought about him and prayed for him... We're (Gail) sending off a package tomorrow, the crown jewel being a 32 oz box of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch... do they have real milk in the villages of the Yucatan?... Russell will be home for Thanksgiving, then Christmas too when Randy, Scott and his family will be here as well. Time to start thinking festive... last football game of the season this week vs Casa... hard to tell what the playoff picture is... BV is 7-2, Casa 9-0 and Del Campo 8-1. Steve, in Africa... "I am at the internet cafe in Gulu, which is like the wild wild west of Uganda. As I walked down the streets of this village this morning, there were kids carrying guns on their shoulders riding bikes down the street... I hope I do not look like anything they want to shoot. Other than that and the presence of some army troops, all is well... been working hard sifting rocks in a rock quarry for the water filters... lot of mosquitos... time to go."

Stacie's our awesome cake decorator and delighted us with these for the celebration.


That's it for this week.... no FAQS that are fit to print.

'Til next week... all the best... Brian