Summer Goal Challenge Week 7

Challenge Start: 245lbs 

Week 1: 242.4, -1.6

Week 2: 241, -1.4

Week 3: 241, +/- 0

Week 4: 237.2, -3.8

Week 5: 237.4, +.2

Week 6: 238.2, +.8

Week 7: 233.6, -4.6

Total: -11.4

I am 1 pound away from the 50% mark, which is absolutely amazing.

Last Saturday I ran the RunWestfield Flat Fast 5k in 35:40. 

I wanted a faster time, but my left quad was feeing the new training with Erica, and there was too much tension on the sprints I had been practicing. I am very happy that I improved my overall mile average, and even had a 10 minute mile. 

Since Monday, I've been on retreat at Guest House in Lake Orion, Michigan, as part of my continuing care for food addiction and weight loss. 

The campus, having welcomed the men's program from Rochester, MN since November, is a beautiful place to reflect with my brother priests in treatment about the continued recovery and journey ahead. 

The Chapel, newly dedicated, is filled with many elements from the chapel in Rochester. It is a not so subtle reminder that the spiritual heart of Guest House continues to beat, keeping alive the memory of all the recovery that has come before this new adventure in Lake Orion. 

(Continuing Care Phase I Sept, 2014 to Continuing Care Phase II May, 2015, -75lbs)

I look forward to maintaining my relationship with Guest House as I seek to help my brothers and sisters in ministry who struggle with food addiction and weight issues. There is a lot of room to grow here in Michigan, but I am glad that people are finding their own recovery in the Damascus Program. 

Summer Goal Challenge Week 6

Challenge Start: 245lbs 

Week 1: 242.4, -1.6

Week 2: 241, -1.4

Week 3: 241, +/- 0

Week 4: 237.2, -3.8

Week 5: 237.4, +.2

Week 6: 238.2, +.8

Total: -6.8

I officially hit a plateau, and probably the first real significant one of this journey. Two weeks in a row, gaining only a pound back, which in the grand scheme of things isn't bad. Considering this last week, I'll take it!

The week started off great. I flew down to Florida, was able to train outside with a friend, and stayed active. My diet for one of the days was tracked, but way off what I normally eat. I did drink more than usual. But I felt good. 

Then the long car ride to Miami and a big weekend of preaching for Haiti Missions at St Patrick's in Miami Beach. I started to notice some swelling in my leg. I returned home a little nervous about the swelling.

When I got home I weighed myself, and the scale read 244. 7 pound gain? How could this be? Even my tracking couldn't account for it. After my workout, which was actually my last workout with Lamar as my trainer, I immediately decided to get my leg checked out. 

My doctor's office performed a blood test to see if there was a blood clot. The indicator came back positive, which meant I needed to go for an ultrasound at the emergency room. 6 hours later, the test determined there was no blood clot...thank Jesus! 

I continued to watch my salt and took my calories down a little for the rest of the week. It was good to be back at spin. It was also good to start with Erica as my new trainer. 

Getting back down to 238 meant that whatever happened, it did not signify my going off the deep end. I'm happy to still be losing weight and enjoying this wonderful life!

To Lamar, thanks for everything you've done for me. I've lost a total of 118 lbs since I started training with you April of 2014! Good luck in your new training job at another gym! 

Lastly, here's a pic that everyone loved on Facebook this week. I finally fit into a medium polo shirt. If you want some motivation and a reason to start tracking all your food and exercise...here you go!

March 10, 2014 (376.4lbs) to May 13, 2015 (240.6lbs). Considering my highest was 464, that picture isn't dramatic enough! 

Summer Goal Challenge Week 5

Challenge Start: 245lbs 

Week 1: 242.4, -1.6

Week 2: 241, -1.4

Week 3: 241, +/- 0

Week 4: 237.2, -3.8

Week 5: 237.4, +.2

Total: -7.6

It's been a rough week with a busy concert schedule and some professional stress. Physically speaking, my body has reacted to cafeteria food from the Sacred Concert weekend, and, as was noted by a new weight loss doctor, I have some inflammation going on. 

I loved going back to Northfield Mount Hermon to sing with friends I haven't seen since even before graduation (12 years ago...ahhhh). 

After my last doctor visit we scheduled a consult with a weight loss doctor. I wanted to know the numbers so that I can determine a healthy goal to get to. What's awesome is to find that my basal metabolic rate is high compared to my body size, which means that all the hard work has paid off. I have a BMR of 2750, meaning my usual diet of 2100-2300 is still in the weight loss category. 

Body fat percentage is hard to determine without a water bath system. The doctor I visited only had a bioelectric impedance test available. It estimated a body fat percentage of 26%. That's roughly half of what it used to be...and since I'm half the size, that means I've built up a lot of muscle mass along the journey. There is still room for major improvement, and we will get there by changing up some of the diet and focusing on causes of inflammation, and increasing strength training.

I didn't blog yesterday, on a travel day to visit friends in Florida. I'm here in St Pete for a quick pleasure trip and then to Miami to preach at a parish on behalf of the Diocese of Fort Liberte in Haiti. It will be my first mission appeal, and it will be a whirlwind 6 mass schedule. I hope to get to the gym at some point. Oh, and beach...lots of beach.