Wow, so I'm getting bad at this... Sorry everyone. I really didn't think it was going to be THIS hard to keep track of my blog. I don't have any real excuse for why I haven't posted, but we'll try and keep it up until the race, which is 1 MONTH AWAY!!!!!! After that, who knows what will happen. I'd like to continue writing about my progress, even if no one reads. It's something that I might be able to look back at and reflect upon. We'll see..
Like I said above, the race is 1 month away! I'm scared, nervous, excited, and every other emotion, all tied in one! More than anything, I'm proud of myself for continuing to work out and try and do better for myself and my family. I know that I've relaxed a bit the last 2 months, but what I am MOST proud of, is the fact that I have NOT gained any weight. That in itself is a great accomplishment. My eyes are still on the ultimate goal, though, and I'm going to get there! Can't wait to see anyone and everyone who decides to show up and run. Such a great cause. You can get more information, HERE.
So, what's happened the last MONTH...... Let's see: I got some new shoes, they fit GREAT! My feet feel good, but I think I'm still breaking them in a bit. I hurt my shoulder (not sure how) and calf (basketball). Calf feels good, I'm running again. Shoulder is a different story. I'm probably going to end up at the Dr, and it's probably going to be bad... we shall see. Other than that, I've maintained with weight, same 3 pound range every day, which I'm VERY proud of. I'm planning on heading back to the Y for early morning workouts, this week. Not sure why, but now that Amber is back to school, it makes it so much easier for me to get up early and work out. Hope to see you soon, Brandi! The plan is to train, train, TRAIN for the race! I'll probably go to the Dr. after, to get my shoulder looked at.
Last thing, If you didn't know, the Race for Freedom website has a weekly posting from me about my progress, training for the upcoming race. I guess I HAVE kept up with the blog, just not this one... :-) HERE is the link to that, in case you want to read; this week's entry has some questions for seasoned runners. It should be up today or tomorrow. Take a look and give me as much advice as possible, I'll need it! Have a great day, everyone! Talk to you soon!!!
Joel
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Thanks, OJ. You've become one of my biggest motivators and supporters....
So much for the "weekly blog" i said I would do A MONTH AND A HALF AGO!!!! Whoops, let that one slip by just a bit, right? What can I say, life happens! I hope everyone has been enjoying their late spring, now hot-as-cheese summer with family, or friends, or alone while their kids and wife are at the farm :( , like me....). I miss them like crazy, I got to spend the weekend with them, which was awesome, and they'll be home (FINALLY!!!) most likely on Friday this week. Thanks to Skype and picture text messaging, I haven't gone completely crazy! Well, here we go folks, it's what you came for!
So far, I've stayed in the 30-35 pounds lost range which is awesome because I've kept if off! I'm a little frustrated that it hasn't been more, but I'm basically to blame for that. I started playing basketball on Monday's with my little brother and other's at a local church for open gym. Now when I say basketball, I don't mean 3-on-3 half court games. This is 5-on-5, full court, all out ballin'! It's great to play and actually be able to run up and down the court without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack! However, Tuesday and most of Wednesday, I am SUPER SORE!! From the spikes in my hair to the tips of my toes, I'm hurtin'! I'm finally good by Thursday, which is softball night. Now, I have no idea why, but running in softball is so much different than running like I do, either on the track or around my neighborhood. My shins hurt so bad for a couple days, and again, I'm out of commission. Usually until Monday, when the cycle starts all over again....
I know that I should be doing SOMETHING, lifting, walking, swimming, etc... I just easily talk myself out of it, because I'm so sore. That has to stop, no pain-no gain, right?! I have to push myself to WANT to do this on 'sore' days. I suppose part of the whole process is being able to overcome all the obstacles that get thrown your way. I have no doubts that I'll be able to overcome this one, with great results!
If you told me back in February and March, during the NCAA tournament, that I would be playing full court basketball 4 or more games in one night in June, I would have told you that you were an idiot! It's crazy how things work out though. And when I say full court, I don't mean that I'm that guy only playing from 3-point line to 3-point line. I'm running, and running, and RUNNING! It's amazing what a few months of running, and LOTS of motivation will do for you. I have to thank my little brother OJ for this. For about a year now, he sends me text messages, telling me to get ready to play ball. I kept putting him off and putting him off, telling him I wasn't ready now, but I would be soon. I was lying. I really had no intentions of playing. I think he knew that also, but he continued to bug me about it over and over. Once I started working out and losing weight, OJ got a few people together to play. Most of me, didn't want to play, I wanted no part of it. There was a tiny part of me that did though, wanted to see how I would do. It went ok, still not quite ready to go full out, but it went well. Fast forward a couple weeks to the beginning of June. OJ, tells me about playing in a tournament in August, with a team made up of nothing but our family members. I think this is awesome, but I do NOT want to be that weak link that ends up costing us a game. We started playing open gym on Monday, and it was amazing to me that I could play full-court ball, multiple games. I actually cried on my way home, after the first open gym on a Sunday. I was so emotional that I actually did it, but more emotional because I owed it to my little brother. He NEVER gave up on me, and even though I'm sure he knew I was putting him off, he never stopped texting me, reminding me that I used to be able to do this with no problems and I was going to do it again. Thanks, OJ. You've become one of my biggest motivators and supporters, and I owe a lot of this to you. Love you, bro!
I am still planning on running a 5k in September, the 'Race for Freedom.' You can find more information and register for the race, HERE. Early bird pricing is still available until Friday! I'd love for as many of you to join me, not for me, but for the great organizations involved to hopefully educate people more about child trafficking. I'm getting pretty excited about the run, and can't wait to lace up my shoes and get out there with my fellow runners!
Sorry to those who have been waiting to hear from me and any updates on my health and fitness. There's probably not many (if any), but for those who are, I apologize. Thanks again to all those who continue to give me words of encouragement, it really means so much to me, more than you know. Again, please share this with anyone you think would enjoy, comment, criticize, laugh, cry, puke! Whatever floats your boat! Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone, I leave you with this classic, by Ray Charles.
So far, I've stayed in the 30-35 pounds lost range which is awesome because I've kept if off! I'm a little frustrated that it hasn't been more, but I'm basically to blame for that. I started playing basketball on Monday's with my little brother and other's at a local church for open gym. Now when I say basketball, I don't mean 3-on-3 half court games. This is 5-on-5, full court, all out ballin'! It's great to play and actually be able to run up and down the court without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack! However, Tuesday and most of Wednesday, I am SUPER SORE!! From the spikes in my hair to the tips of my toes, I'm hurtin'! I'm finally good by Thursday, which is softball night. Now, I have no idea why, but running in softball is so much different than running like I do, either on the track or around my neighborhood. My shins hurt so bad for a couple days, and again, I'm out of commission. Usually until Monday, when the cycle starts all over again....
I know that I should be doing SOMETHING, lifting, walking, swimming, etc... I just easily talk myself out of it, because I'm so sore. That has to stop, no pain-no gain, right?! I have to push myself to WANT to do this on 'sore' days. I suppose part of the whole process is being able to overcome all the obstacles that get thrown your way. I have no doubts that I'll be able to overcome this one, with great results!
If you told me back in February and March, during the NCAA tournament, that I would be playing full court basketball 4 or more games in one night in June, I would have told you that you were an idiot! It's crazy how things work out though. And when I say full court, I don't mean that I'm that guy only playing from 3-point line to 3-point line. I'm running, and running, and RUNNING! It's amazing what a few months of running, and LOTS of motivation will do for you. I have to thank my little brother OJ for this. For about a year now, he sends me text messages, telling me to get ready to play ball. I kept putting him off and putting him off, telling him I wasn't ready now, but I would be soon. I was lying. I really had no intentions of playing. I think he knew that also, but he continued to bug me about it over and over. Once I started working out and losing weight, OJ got a few people together to play. Most of me, didn't want to play, I wanted no part of it. There was a tiny part of me that did though, wanted to see how I would do. It went ok, still not quite ready to go full out, but it went well. Fast forward a couple weeks to the beginning of June. OJ, tells me about playing in a tournament in August, with a team made up of nothing but our family members. I think this is awesome, but I do NOT want to be that weak link that ends up costing us a game. We started playing open gym on Monday, and it was amazing to me that I could play full-court ball, multiple games. I actually cried on my way home, after the first open gym on a Sunday. I was so emotional that I actually did it, but more emotional because I owed it to my little brother. He NEVER gave up on me, and even though I'm sure he knew I was putting him off, he never stopped texting me, reminding me that I used to be able to do this with no problems and I was going to do it again. Thanks, OJ. You've become one of my biggest motivators and supporters, and I owe a lot of this to you. Love you, bro!
I am still planning on running a 5k in September, the 'Race for Freedom.' You can find more information and register for the race, HERE. Early bird pricing is still available until Friday! I'd love for as many of you to join me, not for me, but for the great organizations involved to hopefully educate people more about child trafficking. I'm getting pretty excited about the run, and can't wait to lace up my shoes and get out there with my fellow runners!
Sorry to those who have been waiting to hear from me and any updates on my health and fitness. There's probably not many (if any), but for those who are, I apologize. Thanks again to all those who continue to give me words of encouragement, it really means so much to me, more than you know. Again, please share this with anyone you think would enjoy, comment, criticize, laugh, cry, puke! Whatever floats your boat! Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone, I leave you with this classic, by Ray Charles.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Its time for the BIG announcement!!!!
Good afternoon/eveing to everyone out there in the social media world! Today was such a beautiful day, and I spent most of it inside, at a desk... How awful is that!? Would have much rather have been on the golf course, at a local pond fishing, or even doing yard work; anything to get out of the office! I'm sure there are several of you that feel the same, but what can you do right? Hopefully you got to enjoy some of the beautiful day today.
Well, our fitness challenge at work finally ended last week, and after holding strong to the lead for about 5 weeks, I ended up finishing 3rd. Not bad, considering that the girls that finished a head of me turned into workout-zilla's for the last 3 weeks of the competition! :) Weight-wise, I did lose the most (27 pounds!), but other factors were taken into consideration for the entire challege. All in all, it was awesome and I'm so happy that I accopmlished so much! I'm also happy for everyone at work who participated, becasue we ALL took a step in the right direction to get fit and live healthier lifestyles!
Now comes the hard part...Now that the challenge is over, can I continue to make good healthy food choices? There's no one holding me accountable at work anymore now that the contest is over. Hog Wild, Mickey D's, or KFC all sound pretty good aruond 11:30, even more so now that I know it won't count against me like it did in the fitness challenge. So far I've done good. Hopefully that's still the case 3 days, 2 weeks, or 1 month from now. I think I'll do fine, but it sure is tempting! Maybe I should look at it now as a 365 day, for the rest of my life challenege!
Still working out, 4 or more times per week. Last week was tough, probably tougher than it should have been, looking back it now. I took a bad step playing basketball with my cousins a couple Fridays ago and didn't think much of it. Just a bad step, it didn't hurt too bad. I was ok. Shook it off, continued to play and won the game of 21 (as if there was any doubt who was gonna win... lol). I ran some the following day and a couple days after that, and then it started to hurt pretty bad. Most of my workouts last week were yard work. I felt sorry for my self because I 'couldn't' work out. Not until one of Amber's cousins posted that I should go swimming did I realize that I really SHOULD have done something else. Honestly, I knew I could do that, it was just much simpler to take the 'easy way out' and play hurt. Hopefully I won't try and use the 'hurt' card anymore. Now that you know all this, hopefully someone who reads this won't let me use it either!
I came to an agreement with an ex-co worker of mine, Brandi, a couple weeks ago that I would do the YMCA's Summer Slim-Down with her starting in June if I could lose 15 pounds in the month of May. I should have NEVER made that accord with her! Brandi has now become my own personal Jillian Michaels! Holy cow! She's calling me out, via Facebook and text, for not showing up in the mornings last week. She's more critical of me than my own WIFE!!!! :-) Don't get me wrong, Amber is very happy that I'm getting healthy and working out (mostly because we're not paying for a membership we aren't using, like in the past) and will encourage me to go work out or 'make sure' I'm planning on working out. Brandi is more like 'You BETTER be there to work out!' It's ok though, I'm thankful for Brandi's 'tough love' and all the other motivation and encouragement I recieve from people. Keep it coming!
Amber ran her very first 5k a couple weeks ago in the Color Me Rad run at Sedgwick County Park. Armando and I went to support mama in her big day, and man was it COLD!!!!! I felt so bad for Mando, who I know wanted to be there to support mommy, but was doing a horrible job of lying every time he said no when I asked him if he was cold. He was a trooper though and him and I went and warmed up in the car right after Amber and my sisters took off, until right before they crossed the finish line. I took a couple things from that race on that cols, wet, miserable Saturday morning. 1. The atmosphere was AWESOME!!! The people there could care less about what the weather was, they just wanted to go! It was a big 'ol party, and I can't wait to be a part of something like that. 2. I am sooooo super proud of Amber for setting her goal of competing in a 5k and doing it! Her and my sisters who were super great motivaors as well, finished in 40 minutes, WAY faster than Amber led me on to belive she would do. Great job, Amber. I'm so proud of you and like I've said before, you inspire me to want to be better, and motivate me every day to get healthy and fit so we can spend MANY more days together as we get older. I love you!
(Drumroll in the background...) And now, the moment you ALL have been waiting for! Unless of course, you scrolled to the bottom first to find out what race I was running and then back to the top :). I have decided to choose a race that not only was going to be times, but also one that I thought would benefit a good cause. There was 3 that made the final list, but I will be 'taking my talents' (LeBron James voice) to the Race for Freedom, on September 7th, in Wichita. This race helps to raise awareness to stop human trafficking. All the information for the race and more, can be found here. Early registration goes thru July 5th and is less than 25 dollars. I didn't see a place to sign up as a team, but I'm not too worried about that. if you are interested in running this, please go to the page and take a look. I will be registering next week. Hopefully, we can get as many people as possible to sign up for this event. let's raise some money for a great cause!
Well, there it is people. I got a little bit of time to get ready, and I know i can do it! I thought about doing one in late July or early August, but to me, this is the right timing. Have a good week everyone, enjoy the warm weather, becasue who knows, tomorrow it may snow!!!!
Well, our fitness challenge at work finally ended last week, and after holding strong to the lead for about 5 weeks, I ended up finishing 3rd. Not bad, considering that the girls that finished a head of me turned into workout-zilla's for the last 3 weeks of the competition! :) Weight-wise, I did lose the most (27 pounds!), but other factors were taken into consideration for the entire challege. All in all, it was awesome and I'm so happy that I accopmlished so much! I'm also happy for everyone at work who participated, becasue we ALL took a step in the right direction to get fit and live healthier lifestyles!
Now comes the hard part...Now that the challenge is over, can I continue to make good healthy food choices? There's no one holding me accountable at work anymore now that the contest is over. Hog Wild, Mickey D's, or KFC all sound pretty good aruond 11:30, even more so now that I know it won't count against me like it did in the fitness challenge. So far I've done good. Hopefully that's still the case 3 days, 2 weeks, or 1 month from now. I think I'll do fine, but it sure is tempting! Maybe I should look at it now as a 365 day, for the rest of my life challenege!
Still working out, 4 or more times per week. Last week was tough, probably tougher than it should have been, looking back it now. I took a bad step playing basketball with my cousins a couple Fridays ago and didn't think much of it. Just a bad step, it didn't hurt too bad. I was ok. Shook it off, continued to play and won the game of 21 (as if there was any doubt who was gonna win... lol). I ran some the following day and a couple days after that, and then it started to hurt pretty bad. Most of my workouts last week were yard work. I felt sorry for my self because I 'couldn't' work out. Not until one of Amber's cousins posted that I should go swimming did I realize that I really SHOULD have done something else. Honestly, I knew I could do that, it was just much simpler to take the 'easy way out' and play hurt. Hopefully I won't try and use the 'hurt' card anymore. Now that you know all this, hopefully someone who reads this won't let me use it either!
I came to an agreement with an ex-co worker of mine, Brandi, a couple weeks ago that I would do the YMCA's Summer Slim-Down with her starting in June if I could lose 15 pounds in the month of May. I should have NEVER made that accord with her! Brandi has now become my own personal Jillian Michaels! Holy cow! She's calling me out, via Facebook and text, for not showing up in the mornings last week. She's more critical of me than my own WIFE!!!! :-) Don't get me wrong, Amber is very happy that I'm getting healthy and working out (mostly because we're not paying for a membership we aren't using, like in the past) and will encourage me to go work out or 'make sure' I'm planning on working out. Brandi is more like 'You BETTER be there to work out!' It's ok though, I'm thankful for Brandi's 'tough love' and all the other motivation and encouragement I recieve from people. Keep it coming!
Amber ran her very first 5k a couple weeks ago in the Color Me Rad run at Sedgwick County Park. Armando and I went to support mama in her big day, and man was it COLD!!!!! I felt so bad for Mando, who I know wanted to be there to support mommy, but was doing a horrible job of lying every time he said no when I asked him if he was cold. He was a trooper though and him and I went and warmed up in the car right after Amber and my sisters took off, until right before they crossed the finish line. I took a couple things from that race on that cols, wet, miserable Saturday morning. 1. The atmosphere was AWESOME!!! The people there could care less about what the weather was, they just wanted to go! It was a big 'ol party, and I can't wait to be a part of something like that. 2. I am sooooo super proud of Amber for setting her goal of competing in a 5k and doing it! Her and my sisters who were super great motivaors as well, finished in 40 minutes, WAY faster than Amber led me on to belive she would do. Great job, Amber. I'm so proud of you and like I've said before, you inspire me to want to be better, and motivate me every day to get healthy and fit so we can spend MANY more days together as we get older. I love you!
(Drumroll in the background...) And now, the moment you ALL have been waiting for! Unless of course, you scrolled to the bottom first to find out what race I was running and then back to the top :). I have decided to choose a race that not only was going to be times, but also one that I thought would benefit a good cause. There was 3 that made the final list, but I will be 'taking my talents' (LeBron James voice) to the Race for Freedom, on September 7th, in Wichita. This race helps to raise awareness to stop human trafficking. All the information for the race and more, can be found here. Early registration goes thru July 5th and is less than 25 dollars. I didn't see a place to sign up as a team, but I'm not too worried about that. if you are interested in running this, please go to the page and take a look. I will be registering next week. Hopefully, we can get as many people as possible to sign up for this event. let's raise some money for a great cause!
Well, there it is people. I got a little bit of time to get ready, and I know i can do it! I thought about doing one in late July or early August, but to me, this is the right timing. Have a good week everyone, enjoy the warm weather, becasue who knows, tomorrow it may snow!!!!
Friday, April 26, 2013
...I'm a firm believer that negativity breeds negativity...
Sorry it has taken me so long to write, hopefully you all haven't forgot about 'lil old me! Hopefully, everyone is doing well and enjoying this on-again/ off-again spring/winter that we're having. Next week will probably be 100 degrees all week, followed by snow-nadoes!!! So I just figured out how lo link certain words/sentences to internet links, this is going to be AWESOME now! If you see a word/sentence that's a different color, click on it and it will take you to something I think is cool, or referencing what I'm saying! I just made this thing THAT much cooler! :). Today's post is going to be the direction I'm going to go now on my blog. I'll always start with an update on my health/fitness. I think I'll follow that with other thoughts or observations. Let me know what you think. If there's anything you would like for me to add on here or talk about (I will NEVER talk politics, fyi), please feel free to comment and I will definitely take it into consideration!
I've noticed a slight decrease of motivation on my part to work out. Not sure why, or what is causing it, but I can feel it. I still go and work out, I love it, but not sure why I'm not as motivated to go. Maybe it's just a phase that I'll get over, small obstacle to overcome. In a spiritual sense, it's the enemy trying to bring me back to my old ways. I have to be stronger than that though, and continue to press forward!!! I've committed fully to running/walking as part of my workout, and I absolutely LOVE it! I tried to go back to the elliptical machine, but I can't. Don't want to. Although my legs and shins hurt during and after, I love the feeling of accomplishment I have when I make the last turn and cross the 'finish line,' and do my cool down walking lap. I've also committed to working out in the morning, before work. 5:30 am is early, but I like that there isn't too many people at the gym yet. I need to start lifting again, make it part of my routine. Not sure why I got out of it, but I did. We'l get that going again though, got to!
I went clothes shopping the other day, thinking to myself that since I've lost some weight, things should fit better, or at LEAST look better on me...... W.R.O.N.G!!!!!! I was so sad/upset/embarrassed that clothes didn't fit any better on me. I understand that losing weight doesn't mean that it's going to to come off where you ant it to, but dangit, it should!!!! That trip is just another one of those little motivators to keep going and work that much harder, to achieve these goals I've set in place. I'm going to have a whole new wardrobe when I drop another 20-30 pounds. I've got clothes in tubs that I CAN'T WAIT (Bart Scott Voice, lol) to start wearing. I spent a lot of $$$ on them and really never wore them all that much. Again, more motivation!
I'm really excited to see friends and family members on social media posting about how they've started working out, or started eating better and are seeing results. It's much better to see things like THAT on FB, Twitter, etc... as opposed to reading about a crappy day, dislike/hate for certain people/groups, or game invites ..... :) I don't know about you, but I'm a firm believer that negativity breeds negativity. The exact same applies, however, to being positve. The more positive you see/read/hear, the more positive you will be. Same goes for the negative. Most, if not all of you know that I'm sure, and it's your right to post whatever you want to on social media, but with all the negativity we see and hear on tv, radio and internet, wouldn't it be nice to see SOMETHING positive? Again, congrats to all of you, friends and family, for making the decision to get fit, lose weight, and live a healthy lifestyle.
I guess that will be it for today. I really hope to update this blog more often, at least once a week. I know for sure that I won't wait almost 3 weeks to write again! Again, if there's anything you would like for me to write about, or something you'd like answered, questions about anything, please comment and let me know. As long as it isn't off the wall, chances are, I'll answer. Be blessed everyone, have an awesome Friday, and weekend also!
Joel
I've noticed a slight decrease of motivation on my part to work out. Not sure why, or what is causing it, but I can feel it. I still go and work out, I love it, but not sure why I'm not as motivated to go. Maybe it's just a phase that I'll get over, small obstacle to overcome. In a spiritual sense, it's the enemy trying to bring me back to my old ways. I have to be stronger than that though, and continue to press forward!!! I've committed fully to running/walking as part of my workout, and I absolutely LOVE it! I tried to go back to the elliptical machine, but I can't. Don't want to. Although my legs and shins hurt during and after, I love the feeling of accomplishment I have when I make the last turn and cross the 'finish line,' and do my cool down walking lap. I've also committed to working out in the morning, before work. 5:30 am is early, but I like that there isn't too many people at the gym yet. I need to start lifting again, make it part of my routine. Not sure why I got out of it, but I did. We'l get that going again though, got to!
I went clothes shopping the other day, thinking to myself that since I've lost some weight, things should fit better, or at LEAST look better on me...... W.R.O.N.G!!!!!! I was so sad/upset/embarrassed that clothes didn't fit any better on me. I understand that losing weight doesn't mean that it's going to to come off where you ant it to, but dangit, it should!!!! That trip is just another one of those little motivators to keep going and work that much harder, to achieve these goals I've set in place. I'm going to have a whole new wardrobe when I drop another 20-30 pounds. I've got clothes in tubs that I CAN'T WAIT (Bart Scott Voice, lol) to start wearing. I spent a lot of $$$ on them and really never wore them all that much. Again, more motivation!
I'm really excited to see friends and family members on social media posting about how they've started working out, or started eating better and are seeing results. It's much better to see things like THAT on FB, Twitter, etc... as opposed to reading about a crappy day, dislike/hate for certain people/groups, or game invites ..... :) I don't know about you, but I'm a firm believer that negativity breeds negativity. The exact same applies, however, to being positve. The more positive you see/read/hear, the more positive you will be. Same goes for the negative. Most, if not all of you know that I'm sure, and it's your right to post whatever you want to on social media, but with all the negativity we see and hear on tv, radio and internet, wouldn't it be nice to see SOMETHING positive? Again, congrats to all of you, friends and family, for making the decision to get fit, lose weight, and live a healthy lifestyle.
I guess that will be it for today. I really hope to update this blog more often, at least once a week. I know for sure that I won't wait almost 3 weeks to write again! Again, if there's anything you would like for me to write about, or something you'd like answered, questions about anything, please comment and let me know. As long as it isn't off the wall, chances are, I'll answer. Be blessed everyone, have an awesome Friday, and weekend also!
Joel
Monday, April 8, 2013
...he got sick, REAL sick... he was FORCED to change his lifestyle....
Hope everyone had an awesome week last week and was able to enjoy their weekend with family or loved ones, or even just a relaxing time alone. Tough weekend for WSU fans, as the beloved Shockers came up just shy of playing for a national title on Monday night. Not only was it a great game, but the way the players, coaches, staff, an even the fans represented themselves and the school made me proud to be a Wiki-Wiki-Wichitan, even more so than I already am! Here's to next season, hopefully it's just as memorable if not, more than this year!
Well, let's see where we currently are, my friends. Monday will mark the 1 month marker of our weight loss challenge at work. I've been basing this mostly on that, so I may have lost just a bit more, but this is a good starting point. As of today, I have lost 16 pounds! I think that is an AWESOME number, but cannot wait for more to start coming off. I don't notice anything in my appearance at all, but I know that will come in time (I hope...). I DO, however notice that my energy level is so much better than it was before. Also, I just feel better overall. Over Easter weekend, I made some BAD food choices. Not so much the type of food, but the amount of it was ridiculous. I ended up paying for it from Monday night, thru Wednesday. I told myself that it would be ok to eat like that, and my body disagreed. Ultimately, my body won. I know now, those days should be behind me, as long as I can control my behavior. Remember, this is a lifestyle change, there will be some trial and error.
I've taken a strong liking to running/walking on the track at the Y, and even though I do still have some pain in my shins, I'm not going to let that keep me from doing the workout I really want to do. My usual routine consists of lifting weights for the first 20-30 minutes, then heading upstairs for 1-2 miles on the track. I try to do more running that walking, one lap walking followed by 2 laps running. It's tough, but it drives me, and I feel good about myself when I actually do it, and not stop. I've been getting up around 5 or so, and working out in the morning, as opposed to the evening after work. I've gone from hitting the snooze and NOT waking up, to getting up now with little to no problem, and heading to the gym. That's HUGE to me and makes me feel really good, knowing that I can get up before the sun comes up and head to the gym to get myself better! My cousin Joe still checks in o me from time to time, to make sure I went, and it's always good to see a familiar face every now and again (Brandi, co-worker and Amanda, old friend) to say good morning to. I can't believe that I'm about to say this, but I'm actually starting to look forward to go workout in the morning. I'm not 100% there yet, but it's definitely not a burden any more. Not at all.
I had a really good conversation with one of my brother in law's best friends on Friday evening. We all got together for birthday dinner and I hadn't seen him in about 6 months. Rodrigo (not his real name, but I don't know if he'd want you to know who he is, so fake Mexican name it is!) is also a large man, like myself. together, we are some big beautiful men! First thing I noticed about Rodrigo was that he had lost A LOT of weight. My first thought of course was that he had gastric bypass surgery (sorry man, it was either that, or crack....). After beating around the bush for a while, I finally asked him how much weight he had lost, and just how the heck he had lost it. He told me that he got sick, REAL sick. Sick enough that he spent some time around his last birthday in the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack. He was having some serious health issues. Although I can't remember whether his weight was the major cause of his health problems (stress is ALWAYS #1, right?) I'm sure it didn't help the cause. Rodrigo has lost over 100 pounds over the last 6 months, because 1., he was sick, and 2., due to being sick, he was FORCED to change his lifestyle, or there could be some serious consequences. I told him about me and my decision to start living healthier. Near the end of our conversation, he told me he is feeling better now and is pretty much accustomed to his new lifestyle. He also encouraged several times to continue doing what I was doing. He said that if there was something I could do now, in order to avoid something like what happened to him, DO IT!!!!!! I'l always remember that advice from Rodrigo, and he has become another one of my inspirations to get better and be healthy! I'm glad he is getting better himself and hope nothing but continued success and great health for the future. We're going to be medium-sized beautiful men sooner than later!
NO one likes to be told what they can and can't do, ever. I can't even imagine what it would be like, being told I have no say in what I can and can't eat. Not just for the next few weeks or months, but for the rest of my life?!?!?!? Wow, what a thought. Oh, and by the way, if you do chose to have what you want, you could die..... Hopefully I have started to make the decision to get healthy in enough time to avoid any type of future health risks. I don't know what type damage I've already done to my body, hopefully getting healthy can help to repair some, and allow me to continue to have the choice. I hope you all have an AWESOME week! Feel free to share my blog with anyone, or leave a comment, whatever you'd like. Thanks for stopping by, until the next one!
Joel
Well, let's see where we currently are, my friends. Monday will mark the 1 month marker of our weight loss challenge at work. I've been basing this mostly on that, so I may have lost just a bit more, but this is a good starting point. As of today, I have lost 16 pounds! I think that is an AWESOME number, but cannot wait for more to start coming off. I don't notice anything in my appearance at all, but I know that will come in time (I hope...). I DO, however notice that my energy level is so much better than it was before. Also, I just feel better overall. Over Easter weekend, I made some BAD food choices. Not so much the type of food, but the amount of it was ridiculous. I ended up paying for it from Monday night, thru Wednesday. I told myself that it would be ok to eat like that, and my body disagreed. Ultimately, my body won. I know now, those days should be behind me, as long as I can control my behavior. Remember, this is a lifestyle change, there will be some trial and error.
I've taken a strong liking to running/walking on the track at the Y, and even though I do still have some pain in my shins, I'm not going to let that keep me from doing the workout I really want to do. My usual routine consists of lifting weights for the first 20-30 minutes, then heading upstairs for 1-2 miles on the track. I try to do more running that walking, one lap walking followed by 2 laps running. It's tough, but it drives me, and I feel good about myself when I actually do it, and not stop. I've been getting up around 5 or so, and working out in the morning, as opposed to the evening after work. I've gone from hitting the snooze and NOT waking up, to getting up now with little to no problem, and heading to the gym. That's HUGE to me and makes me feel really good, knowing that I can get up before the sun comes up and head to the gym to get myself better! My cousin Joe still checks in o me from time to time, to make sure I went, and it's always good to see a familiar face every now and again (Brandi, co-worker and Amanda, old friend) to say good morning to. I can't believe that I'm about to say this, but I'm actually starting to look forward to go workout in the morning. I'm not 100% there yet, but it's definitely not a burden any more. Not at all.
I had a really good conversation with one of my brother in law's best friends on Friday evening. We all got together for birthday dinner and I hadn't seen him in about 6 months. Rodrigo (not his real name, but I don't know if he'd want you to know who he is, so fake Mexican name it is!) is also a large man, like myself. together, we are some big beautiful men! First thing I noticed about Rodrigo was that he had lost A LOT of weight. My first thought of course was that he had gastric bypass surgery (sorry man, it was either that, or crack....). After beating around the bush for a while, I finally asked him how much weight he had lost, and just how the heck he had lost it. He told me that he got sick, REAL sick. Sick enough that he spent some time around his last birthday in the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack. He was having some serious health issues. Although I can't remember whether his weight was the major cause of his health problems (stress is ALWAYS #1, right?) I'm sure it didn't help the cause. Rodrigo has lost over 100 pounds over the last 6 months, because 1., he was sick, and 2., due to being sick, he was FORCED to change his lifestyle, or there could be some serious consequences. I told him about me and my decision to start living healthier. Near the end of our conversation, he told me he is feeling better now and is pretty much accustomed to his new lifestyle. He also encouraged several times to continue doing what I was doing. He said that if there was something I could do now, in order to avoid something like what happened to him, DO IT!!!!!! I'l always remember that advice from Rodrigo, and he has become another one of my inspirations to get better and be healthy! I'm glad he is getting better himself and hope nothing but continued success and great health for the future. We're going to be medium-sized beautiful men sooner than later!
NO one likes to be told what they can and can't do, ever. I can't even imagine what it would be like, being told I have no say in what I can and can't eat. Not just for the next few weeks or months, but for the rest of my life?!?!?!? Wow, what a thought. Oh, and by the way, if you do chose to have what you want, you could die..... Hopefully I have started to make the decision to get healthy in enough time to avoid any type of future health risks. I don't know what type damage I've already done to my body, hopefully getting healthy can help to repair some, and allow me to continue to have the choice. I hope you all have an AWESOME week! Feel free to share my blog with anyone, or leave a comment, whatever you'd like. Thanks for stopping by, until the next one!
Joel
Thursday, March 28, 2013
I strongly dislike Joe this morning.... :)
I want to first start off by saying go Shockers and KU!!!! Also, what a great result for the US Men's soccer team on Tuesday night, getting only their second point EVER in Mexico in almost 30 attempts. Way to go boys!
Hope everyone is having an awesome week so far, the weather around here looks like its FINALLY starting to get better (knock on wood...). I've been feeling a little down the last week or so, not sure why. Been working out still regularly, lost a couple more pounds (HOORAY!), but I just feel big as ever. I feel like my workouts aren't doing anything to help. I'm sure that I'm just being too hard on myself, and I know that this is going to be a process, but c'mon man! Let's start fitting into some smaller clothes, look a bit more slender, and LOSE MORE WEIGHT!!! This is just one of the many physical, emotional, and psychological obstacles I'm going to have to get through, in order o achieve my goals. I'm done complaining about it now; complaining is not going to help any. Shout out to my cousin/ lil brother Joe, who has really encouraged me through al of this. He gave me some tips on what I should be doing for workouts after I told him about how I was feeling. I strongly dislike Joe this morning because my arms and chest are on fire! But I love him too, for knowing exactly what was going to get my fire lit again and feel better after a workout! Thanks homie!
I've been debating taking a few cardio classes at the Y, one with an old co-worker and a Zumba class taught by a friend who was in show choir with me in college. Obviously I'm weary of doing either, one because it is at FIVE IN THE FLIPPIN' MORNING!!! The other, because it's Zumba. Not even sure what that means..... We'll see. I have a day or so to decide. If not, Brandi is going to be hounding me until I say yes or no. :)
15 years ago yesterday, my grandfather, Ramon Sanchez Sr passed away. Yesterday was very emotional for me, and I'm sure, for my family as well. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him, or wish that he was still with us. He taught me so much about being a good person, and really was the first to teach me about being a man. I'll never forget the things he taught me and will be passing those things on to my son, so that his legacy continues for generations to come. My grandfather had lots of health issues, blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease. My grandmother on my dad's side, Natalia, also passed away due to very similar issues, at an even younger age. This scares me, a lot. Not only do I have a history of health issues on both sides of my family, but I'm also allowing myself to live a lifestyle that is only going to accelerate these issues to attack me? No sir, not this dude, not anymore. If it is something that I can try and prevent, then by all means I will try. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, the way I was living life previously was going to send me to an early grave. One, much like my grandparents’' that did not allow them to see some of their family's greatest achievements. I don't want that. If I can prevent it, then I sure a heck am going to try!
I don't think you, as a reader, as a friend, realize how exciting it is for me to hear that you've started working out again because of this blog, or that you can't wait to hear what is next. It's humbling, it truly is. Again, thank you ALL for your support and encouragement. YOU are my motivation, as much as anything else to do well, to succeed. Have a wonderful Easter holiday with your family and friends, until next time!
Joel
Hope everyone is having an awesome week so far, the weather around here looks like its FINALLY starting to get better (knock on wood...). I've been feeling a little down the last week or so, not sure why. Been working out still regularly, lost a couple more pounds (HOORAY!), but I just feel big as ever. I feel like my workouts aren't doing anything to help. I'm sure that I'm just being too hard on myself, and I know that this is going to be a process, but c'mon man! Let's start fitting into some smaller clothes, look a bit more slender, and LOSE MORE WEIGHT!!! This is just one of the many physical, emotional, and psychological obstacles I'm going to have to get through, in order o achieve my goals. I'm done complaining about it now; complaining is not going to help any. Shout out to my cousin/ lil brother Joe, who has really encouraged me through al of this. He gave me some tips on what I should be doing for workouts after I told him about how I was feeling. I strongly dislike Joe this morning because my arms and chest are on fire! But I love him too, for knowing exactly what was going to get my fire lit again and feel better after a workout! Thanks homie!
I've been debating taking a few cardio classes at the Y, one with an old co-worker and a Zumba class taught by a friend who was in show choir with me in college. Obviously I'm weary of doing either, one because it is at FIVE IN THE FLIPPIN' MORNING!!! The other, because it's Zumba. Not even sure what that means..... We'll see. I have a day or so to decide. If not, Brandi is going to be hounding me until I say yes or no. :)
15 years ago yesterday, my grandfather, Ramon Sanchez Sr passed away. Yesterday was very emotional for me, and I'm sure, for my family as well. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him, or wish that he was still with us. He taught me so much about being a good person, and really was the first to teach me about being a man. I'll never forget the things he taught me and will be passing those things on to my son, so that his legacy continues for generations to come. My grandfather had lots of health issues, blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease. My grandmother on my dad's side, Natalia, also passed away due to very similar issues, at an even younger age. This scares me, a lot. Not only do I have a history of health issues on both sides of my family, but I'm also allowing myself to live a lifestyle that is only going to accelerate these issues to attack me? No sir, not this dude, not anymore. If it is something that I can try and prevent, then by all means I will try. Like I said in one of my earlier posts, the way I was living life previously was going to send me to an early grave. One, much like my grandparents’' that did not allow them to see some of their family's greatest achievements. I don't want that. If I can prevent it, then I sure a heck am going to try!
I don't think you, as a reader, as a friend, realize how exciting it is for me to hear that you've started working out again because of this blog, or that you can't wait to hear what is next. It's humbling, it truly is. Again, thank you ALL for your support and encouragement. YOU are my motivation, as much as anything else to do well, to succeed. Have a wonderful Easter holiday with your family and friends, until next time!
Joel
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
I want to walk my daughter Izabel down the isle...
So I had something just about done, ready to post today, and I deleted it all! Weird, just didn't feel right. I talked about my overall progress so far (I've lost 12 pounds!), thanked everyone for checking this blog out, I've had over 250 views. That's amazing to me, but seriously, thanks to EVERYONE who has stopped to read and/or comment. It truly means a lot. I looked over it, and decided I would go in a different direction. This post gets a little personal again, like I mentioned earlier, I want you all to know me, and my motivation to be healthy and lose weight.
Someone recently asked me what I wanted to accomplish by losing weight. Was I not happy the way I was? Why do I have to be fit, why can't I just be happy the way I am, the 'way God made you?' There's a lot of answers there, but I gave the same response I would give anyone. There's a TON I want to accomplish (we'll get to that in a bit). I am happy with WHO I am, but not with WHAT I am, overweight and unhealthy. I don't have to be fit, no one does. But it is a choice that I am making, for myself, first and foremost, and also for my loved ones. The next part made me think for a bit. This person was right, God did make me, He made me in His image (Genesis 1:27). But my personal opinion is that God did not create us to be fat and lazy people who have no desire to better themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
My feeling is that I have not been living my life to its fullest potential. Instead, I got into a 'comfort zone' which included laziness, being a boring person. The worst and most frightening part of this to me, is that I was bringing my family right in with me to this horrible place. They're supposed to look to ME for leadership and comfort, and I was taking them ALL to the path of an early grave. I wanted to cry on Monday evening watching my 3 year old son, Armando, kicking the ball around at soccer practice. I was so thankful that I was able to be out on the field with him, kicking the ball, and sharing in his joy. Now, I would have been able to that whether I lost 12 pounds or not this last week, but it served as such a motivator to me, thinking about 5,10,15 years from now, (hopefully) watching him on his senior night in whatever sport or activity he participates in. I want to be there!! I want to walk my daughter Izabel down the isle and give her hand to the man that God ( and to a lesser degree, me. HA!) has picked for her to spend her life with. I want to retire, move to the farm, and grow old with Amber. I want to see grand babies, and be that 'grumpy old man' that tells kids to get of the grass, or turn that music down! I know now that I'm taking those steps to get there, it's a long road ahead, but I have no one but myself to blame. I'm beyond that now, no time to be mad at myself for what I've done. It's time to move forward and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! Here's a few other things I want to do, and feel I can and will do with less weight and a healthier lifestyle:
JOEL
Someone recently asked me what I wanted to accomplish by losing weight. Was I not happy the way I was? Why do I have to be fit, why can't I just be happy the way I am, the 'way God made you?' There's a lot of answers there, but I gave the same response I would give anyone. There's a TON I want to accomplish (we'll get to that in a bit). I am happy with WHO I am, but not with WHAT I am, overweight and unhealthy. I don't have to be fit, no one does. But it is a choice that I am making, for myself, first and foremost, and also for my loved ones. The next part made me think for a bit. This person was right, God did make me, He made me in His image (Genesis 1:27). But my personal opinion is that God did not create us to be fat and lazy people who have no desire to better themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
My feeling is that I have not been living my life to its fullest potential. Instead, I got into a 'comfort zone' which included laziness, being a boring person. The worst and most frightening part of this to me, is that I was bringing my family right in with me to this horrible place. They're supposed to look to ME for leadership and comfort, and I was taking them ALL to the path of an early grave. I wanted to cry on Monday evening watching my 3 year old son, Armando, kicking the ball around at soccer practice. I was so thankful that I was able to be out on the field with him, kicking the ball, and sharing in his joy. Now, I would have been able to that whether I lost 12 pounds or not this last week, but it served as such a motivator to me, thinking about 5,10,15 years from now, (hopefully) watching him on his senior night in whatever sport or activity he participates in. I want to be there!! I want to walk my daughter Izabel down the isle and give her hand to the man that God ( and to a lesser degree, me. HA!) has picked for her to spend her life with. I want to retire, move to the farm, and grow old with Amber. I want to see grand babies, and be that 'grumpy old man' that tells kids to get of the grass, or turn that music down! I know now that I'm taking those steps to get there, it's a long road ahead, but I have no one but myself to blame. I'm beyond that now, no time to be mad at myself for what I've done. It's time to move forward and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! Here's a few other things I want to do, and feel I can and will do with less weight and a healthier lifestyle:
- Get on a boat and be able to fish in peace, instead of feeling like it's going to flip over with any sudden move I make
- Fit better in a theater, arena, auditorium seat, and be able to not look like I'm stuck and need the jaws of life to get me out!
- Play with my little brother OJ in his basketball league and show I still have some skill in my game
- Run a 5k before the year is out
- I want to go to the gym and recognize and be recognized by random people and have 'gym talk' about workouts and getting 'ripped,' lol.
- Not get looked at by kids like a 'brown Shrek.'
- I want the tattoo on my shoulder of a wooden cross to splinter from how buff I get! (Remember that, Lorena?)
- Participate in events and activities with my family, where weight is not going to come up as to whether or not I will be allowed to partake.
- Go swimming or walk around my house with my shirt off and not feel like a total slob, but with pride in what I have (hopefully) accomplished.
JOEL
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