%&*#$@&%$#

Damn exercise bike!!!

Weigh-In Day

Today was weigh-in day No. 11, and I'm down another three pounds. That's about where I was when I took the sneak peek on Monday.

Thought I had two pretty good days after that, but I've given up trying to figure out this thing. I'm just trying to keep my nose to the grindstone.

Anyway, that's 36 pounds through the first 11 weeks. And now that I've got the exercise bike, hopefully those numbers will begin to increase.

So, here's the scorecard update:

Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1
Week 11 - Lost 3

Taking Another Big Step

Many of you have wondered when I would begin some sort of exercise on this program of mine.

Quite honestly, I've asked myself the same question.

As I stated in an earlier blog, I really feel like this is my last chance. So I have been taking no chances. I wasn't going to do anything that, mentally, I wasn't ready to do. One step at a time. Get the food part down, then move on. If I move too quickly, or do something I'm not mentally ready to do, I'll quit.

That's been my mode of operation pretty much on every other attempt to lose weight.

Late this afternoon, however, I decided the time had come. Mentally, it's time to take the next step.

The question, which is part legit and part excuse, is when do I have time to go to the gym? Funky hours, always on the road. There's no consistent time I can get to the gym on a daily basis.

So, I decided to bring the gym home. Or at least part of it.

Went to Play It Again Sports in Anderson and bought a brand new exercise bike. The guys there - who are big fans of WCCP, I found out - were great. Got a wonderful deal on the right piece of equipment, and home we came.

Oh, had to assemble it myself. Which I did.

Then did 10 minutes, which got me almost two miles, to christen the new bike.

The plan is to do it twice a day, trying to build up more time and stamina as I go along. So far, so good.

Oh, tomorrow morning is weigh-in day, too.

We'll see how it goes.

Sneak Peek

Took a quick trip to the scales at Clemson today, just to get a look at things even though my official weigh-in day isn't until Wednesday.

I thought I would see some good numbers, and I did (although, I can mess up in two days what would take the normal person two weeks or more...LOL). But I was able to resist the temptations at the ballpark this weekend, which was encouraging.

Usually being at Clemson baseball involves hot dogs, a burger, and a number of other things that aren't good for me.

This weekend, though, it was just one small order of chicken tenders and, on Saturday, picking and choosing from the feast sent over to us from the Cajun Cafe.

Hopefully, I'll be able to keep the momentum rolling in the right direction. Wednesday I'll let you know what today's reading was, and whether I got better or worse.

Slow Going

Today was weigh-in day.

Lost a grand total of one pound.

Of course, that's better than zero. Or gaining weight. Felt pretty good about it the last couple of days, though. Thought I'd put up a bigger number.

Time to look at my routine and see if there's a shakeup needed.

Anyway, on to the scorecard:

Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5
Week 10 - Lost 1

Catching Up

Sorry for the few days delay. Seems as if time is skipping by two hours at a time lately, rather than the traditional one.

If you've been reading you know that I haven't started an exercise program yet. I think that's about to change. Mentally I'm getting about to the point where I'm ready to go.

And while I have a place lined up I can use at my discretion, I have received offers from other folks willing to help, as well. And I appreciate them all.

In one or two cases I can't help but be a little wary, though. When you're in a job like mine and you have developed a bit of a public persona (someone called me famous Saturday. I laughed. Michael Jordan is famous. I do radio in Clemson), people love to reach out to you for varying reasons. And I love being able to help.

But from time to time, especially when you're doing something as dramatic and public as I'm doing with my weight loss program, I've found that I have to watch out for others trying to seek personal gain off of my misery.

I'll never forget one particular attempt back 4-5 years ago. A friend hooked me up with a trainer in another part of the state who was touting a particular plan - protien shakes, supplements, etc. I decided to try it and in my first phone conversation with the guy after I received my shipment, he asked how much I weighed. I told him.

His response? Paraphrashing here, basically he said that with as much weight as I had to lose it would come off quickly. And if I really pushed and did it quickly enough, he could enter us into some sort of contest through his business and we would stand to win a truck load of money.

That's all he talked about the entire conversation. It proved the be not only the first, but also the last time I called him.

Meanwhile, I'm still sporting the magnificent temple of a body you see before you today.

So if you've made me an offer and I haven't answered, or I've said thanks but no thanks, don't be offended.

I'm simply trying to ensure that this time, by Goren, I get it right.

Back On Track

Just got back from the training room at Clemson. Today was weigh-in day.

Happy to report we're back on track. Lost 5 pounds last week, bringing my total now to 32 pounds through the first nine weeks. The two previous weeks really set me back as far as my private early goal, but I can't worry about that. Just have to keep plugging away.

So, here's the updated scorecard:

Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0
Week Nine - Lost 5

Thanks John

Wanted to say thanks to John Brasier of the Community Journals.

He did a feature story on me that ran in the Greenville and Anderson Journals, focusing mostly on the weight loss effort, and I thought he did a nice job. I've already gotten a few emails and other comments on the piece, all offering encouragement. It's much appreciated.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I think I've had a good week.

We shall see.

Another Weekend Looms

Well, made it from Wednesday morning to Friday afternoon in pretty good shape. Feeling good about this week so far.

However, I have a rare weekend off. Nothing scheduled. Nothing to do. No trips to take or games to cover. I may have to go back into sleep mode to avoid eating because I'm bored (I know, I can hear some of you screaming at me to get out and exercise. In due time, folks, in due time).

Oh, and check this out. Remember a couple of blogs back when I was talking about my parents being in town and my dad cheating on his program while here?

Even with that, he still lost half a pound.

Go figure.

Holding serve

Normally a zero week would upset me.

But considering the weekend I had with my parents in town, and the fact that I fully expected to gain weight this week, when I stepped on the scales this morning and found I had neither gained nor lost anything I was actually relieved.

Not happy, mind you. But relieved that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

As I said before, it's time to find that extra gear. If I'm going to do this, there can be no more messing around.

So, here's the up-to-date scoreboard:
Week One - Lost 9
Week Two - Lost 3
Week Three - Lost 3
Week Four - Lost 0
Week Five - Lost 9
Week Six - Lost 5
Week Seven - GAINED 2
Week Eight - Lost 0

Paging Dr. Freud!

The psychology of this whole weight loss process continues to amaze me, and yet I continue to learn more and more.

After feeling as low as I've felt in a long time (see back a couple of posts), things are back on more of an even keel as I wage war on my waistline. Up and down. Down and up. I suppose it's going to be like this for a long while.

But what was most interesting was the visit from my parents this weekend.

Getting together with them is always fun, especially since I don't get to see them but a few times each year. And the routine in the past has always included huge dinners - mostly eating out when we're down here, usually a big home-cooked meal from mom when we travel to West Virginia.

So when they came down this weekend, dad and I spent Saturday together while the women shopped (for more than 10 hours, mind you). And while we were out, being together was almost an excuse to over eat.

I, at least, tried to stay within the confines of my diet. But I'm sure I ate too much. Dad, on the other hand, cheated more than a few times. And laughed about it.

Remember, he's the one with the more serious health issues.

That mindset has to change. On both our parts.

As for this week's weigh-in, I'm going to guess that I've overdone it and haven't lost anything. If so, that will be two weeks in a row, and I'm not getting anywhere that way.

We'll see. But somehow, someway, I've got to toughen up.

Enough is enough.

Early Morning View Of The World

It's just after 8 a.m. Saturday. My parents and aunt are in town from West Virginia. The women are going shopping (shudder), my dad and I running a few errands and then probably coming back here to relax.

It's good to have them in town, especially dad since he's going through the same thing I am. I watched him at dinner last night, and he is struggling more at this juncture than I am.

That, along with the emails and other notes I've received since my last post, has helped put things back into proper perspective. As frustrated as I get, I've just got to remember that my current weight was a 22-year work of progress. It isn't coming off in just a couple of months.

To those of you who have taken the time to write these past few days, sharing your current or past struggles, thank you so much. You keep saying that by doing this publicly, I inspired you. You use words like "courage" and "bravery."

I don't know about that. It's probably as much desperation as it is anything else.

But it's you who continue to inspire me. Because if you began to change your life due to something I said or wrote, then there's no way I can fail. I can't let you down. No way.

That, along with my family, continues to be a great motivator. A motivation I both welcome and need.