And today - we weigh in

Well, good morning, Internet!

Today is my (self-mandated) official weigh-in day. Every Wednesday morning I wake up, have a cup of coffee, a glass of water, take a shower, and weigh-in.

Since June I've come down 15 lbs from 243!!!

It's been an up and down battle, but I'm happy right now....

Initially - back in 2014 when I looked at myself and said "Wow... you've let yourself go" I was 265 lbs.  Literally the heaviest I've ever been. 

This is me... at 265 lbs.
Nov 2014

My overall goal is to just get down to a size that looks healthy, allows me to live a better life, and a shape resembling "fit-ish".  I have no desire to be super buff and look like like a body-builder. I just want to be healthier. My goal weight is 210 lbs... which means I have 18 lbs to go. I'm pretty sure I can do it.  And if I end up only making it to to 220 or 215 - but I'm happy and healthy - I'll be okay with that too.

It's better to stop thinking of going to the gym as a "weight loss" method. It's not. Going to the gym is an active lifestyle choice that results in a change in your body. In some cases you lose weight - in some you gain weight. Either way should result in a happier, healthier you as long as you put in the time and effort.

The same goes for eating. I'm not on a diet. I am not diet-ING. I am just eating differently than before. I'm limiting the types and quantities of food I intake on a daily basis... again, this is more of a change in lifestyle than a "diet."

So - there ya go. My rant on weigh-in day!!

Hope you all have a good Wednesday

The GYM SELFIE!

It's all about camera angle... And you know that a visit to the gym doesn't actually exist unless you take a gym selfie...

Based on this photo alone, you might think - "Hey, he's just a big, muscular guy!" - when in reality, it is mostly fat that I'm just posing to look good.

Either way - it's fun and I like it.

Fitter, Healthier, Nacho...ier....?

If there is one thing that my wife and I love - it's Friday night Nacho night. Which is awesome. I mean - we've really honed our nacho recipe down to a good, solid recipe.

It was good, simple, and fairly healthy... it's a high-calorie, high-carb meal, but as far as cheat-meals go - WAY better than a pizza. 557 calories per serving (serves 4), 31 g Carbs per serving...

Recently, though, I've been trying to cut carbs down... and the Nacho Night was just killing any amount of low-carb/no-carb week I've had. How can I still enjoy my nachos without crushing my goals of being low carb?

The answer was pretty easy in the end - ditch the nacho chip. Carbs from peppers and veggies are fine in my world, but the 62 grams of carbs from tortilla chips was killing me. So - how can I eat the rest of the meal without the method of conveyance to my face from the plate?

Lettuce Wraps.

Boom.

• 
  
• 1 lb lean ground chicken 
• 2 TBSP Cumin
• 2 TBSP Smoked Parika
• 1 TBSP Onion Powder
• 1 TBSP Garlic Powder
• Salt and pepper
• 6-7 sweet mini peppers
• 1 jalapeno 
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 1.25 cups of cheddar jack cheese

1. pre-heat oven to 475
2. brown chicken in skillet
3. add all spices as you do, stirring them in as you go
4. slice all peppers, fine-chop onion
5. pull lettuce leaves off of head - place on plate
6. place browned chicken in 9x9 dish
7. sprinkle lightly with more cumin
8. arrange layer of peppers
9. sprinkle on some onions
10. sprinkle on some cilantro
11. cover with cheese
12. sprinkle on more onions
13. sprinkle on more cilantro
14. sprinkle lightly with more paprika 
15. bake at 475 for 10 minutes

Spoon mix into lettuce, add some salsa, and enjoy!!!

calories 357
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23 g	36 %
Saturated Fat 11 g	54 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 149 mg	50 %
Sodium 482 mg	20 %
Potassium 144 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 7 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	3 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 33 g	66 %
Vitamin A	21 %
Vitamin C	12 %
Calcium	37 %
Iron	9 %

FAT_MAN_DO!

Well, here it is - a Blog.

Just what the world needs - another overweight guy pouring his guts out to the internet while he tries to lose weight. BUT... I'm not forcing you to be here, reading this... nor is anyone standing behind me, forcing me to write this.

This blog is a place where I can expand on ideas and plans, share recipes, and just expand the reach of my personal goal of being healthy. Sometimes, being healthy isn't just about getting fit with your body - it's also about getting fit with your mind. And maybe a blog will help with that. Who knows?

So - there ya go, folks!  My first official blog post!

Welcome to my journey!