Forgive me, blog readers, for I have sinned. It has been three months since my last published weigh-in. While I continued to pursue my weight-loss goals half-heartedly during my blogging silence, the truth is, I eventually gave in to temptation and slowly slipped back into my old eating habits. Sadly, much of the good work I had accomplished, including losing nearly 20 pounds at my best, has been erased.

This post is a confession: I failed to consistently strive for health and weight-loss the way I want to. However, it’s also a declaration of war: I’m back in gear, and ready to fight my own weak flesh and its cravings.

Here’s where I stand now…

Measurements

• Weight: 348.8 lbs (334.4 in March, up 14.4)
• BMI: 47.98 (47.98 in March, up 2.06)
  
• Waist: 61 inches (59.5 in March, up 1.5)
• Neck: 17.75 inches (17.75 in March, no change)
  
• Hips: 48.25 inches (48.75 in March, down 0.50)
• Chest: 53.25 inches (53.5 in March, down 0.25)

Weight Graph

Photos

Front

Side

Back

Thoughts

If you recall, from the beginning of my health posts in December/January, I’ve seen this as a spiritual journey, not just a health journey. My weight is simply the result of my personal “pet” sin: gluttony. I’ve once again chosen to repent of this sin, and am ready to get back in the game. I cling to Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I’m not going to beat myself up over the past three months of poor decisions, but I most definitely am going to get back in the ring to fight my flesh.

I’m starting over. Recommitting to many of the same practices that helped me lose the nearly 20 pounds I lost in January and February. I’ll be making healthy choices in regards to food, tracking my calories and measurements, working out regularly, and of course, blogging.

However, there are a few other things I’m throwing into the mix. First, I moved the weight-loss content from lessof.lenflack.com to the main lenflack.com site. My life isn’t packaged into neat little boxes, so it didn’t make a ton of sense to me to blog in multiple places. I totally see why other people break certain topics into their own spaces, and I may do that again in the future, but for now I need to just do it and not have so many irons in the fire.

Second, I’m starting a 60 Day Bible Study today called The Lord’s Table. The focus on this course is finding satisfaction in Christ, and not in an addiction to food. Since I believe that the root issue at the center of my lack-of-health has been sin, this should help me a great deal as I seek to be transparent about my issues and to glorify God in the process.

I appreciate all of you who have been faithful readers, and I welcome you to continue on this journey with me. I love and appreciate your comments.

Blessings!

Wisdom...

The reasons that I started this blog included the idea that it would be a source of accountability for my weight-loss goals. That whole accountability thing has worked pretty well; since I haven’t posted in nearly four weeks, I’ve gotten emails, txt messages, and even a comment or two through my Mom. Those of you who read this blog have been a big help, and for that, I thank you. I’m aiming to get back to regular updates starting April 1st.

In the mean time, I will mention that this month has been rough. I’ve had a lot of time on the road for conferences and whatnot, and I’ve found it hard to eat well and exercise when I’m sitting in a car, and enjoying Taco Bell or other fast food joints more often than not. This schedule has made it nearly impossible to hit the gym regularly.

I could get sad and depressed about my March failure… But I’m not going to. Instead, I’m looking forward to April, knowing it will also be a busy month, but that I’ve got the support and motivation needed to get back on track. Thanks again for all of you who’ve encouraged (and harassed) me. Keep it up!

Weigh-In 8 didn’t happen. What I mean by that, is that while I weighed myself last Monday, I never got around to posting the stats and info online. Life has been extra busy, and I’ve been… less than diligent… about my healthy lifestyle.

This post is more for me (documenting my data) than it is for you, though I did promise full-disclosure when I started this project. On 2/22/10, when I should have posted Weigh-In 8, I weighed 336, and was in the middle of a substantial upward climb that took place over the course of a week or so (and involved me gaining nearly 9 pounds). Argh…

I’ll explain more in my next post, today’s scheduled (and monthly) weigh-in.

First of all, sorry to those who were looking for a Weigh-In on Saturday. Life has been busy the last few weeks, which has been evidenced by completely failing to post anything other than Weigh-In’s here… But then I failed to even do that. On the plus side, the reason I missed it was because I was so excited to spend Saturday with my family that we got up and left the house before my brain caught up to the normal routine. Oops!

That said… I love Chili… but it doesn’t love me. I was pretty sure I had maintained my weight for the week, though I know I hadn’t lost anything. Then, on Saturday, we went to the 11th Annual North Country Chili Cookoff. I’ve been wanting to go to that for years, and it was a great event. However, any event where the main purpose is to eat 30-plus types of Chili is going to wreak havoc on a weight-loss plan.

Add that to a busy week that included more eating out than I might like, and multiple cancellations that kept me or my workout partner from the Army gym (and he has to sign me in), and you can see why I gained.

This week’s statistics can be found after the jump:

Measurements

• Weight: 340.6 lbs (336.6 lbs last week)
• BMI: 48.87 (48.29 last week)

Thoughts

Well, clearly I’m not pleased with the whole gaining four pounds thing. However, I’m not going to dwell on it. Last week I got a little comfortable, and ended up with too many meetings and social events that involved food.

Obviously, I just need to get back on track doing the things I know work: drinking water, eating smart, and exercising. I’ve got a bottle of water with me right now. I’m planning smart meals for the week (though I’m locked-in to Chinese on Thursday). And I’m about to hop on my recumbent bicycle. And I hope to hit the gym at least once this week, (my partner can’t get me in today, and Fridays just aren’t working with my work schedule). In the mean time, I was given a Total Gym XL, and I’m planning to learn how to use it this week, and begin doing that as well.

I know a number of you who are following my blog are trying to lose weight as well. If you had a good week, awesome! If you had a bad week, don’t beat yourself up! We get enough negativity and backhanded compliments from others as it is. Get motivated, learn from it, and get back to the daily grind!

Here’s the long and short of it all. I’ve found this week to be by far the hardest week of 2010 thus far, and not just in the realm of healthy living. Sunday I found myself at the lowest weight I’ve hit in years, 338.2 lbs. However, starting Monday, I began a slow upward climb on the scale, despite decent eating habits.

Additionally, I hit the gym on Monday for a good workout time with my friend Josh. It was the most physically draining workout I’ve had yet… And it resulted in some of the worst pain I’ve ever felt, in a severe case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). I could barely walk most of the week, and had to literally crawl up the stairs to go to bed at night. That really put a damper on the whole exercise thing.

Work was more stressful than usual, and involved numerous meetings. I wasn’t home for a number of meals, and instead of bringing healthy stuff to eat, I hit local food establishments a few times. It was great to meet the new owner of Keddy’s in Carthage and try her new menu, and I’m sure I’ll eat there again since it’s convenient to the office and I am a big supporter of local business, but I wasn’t as health-consious with my food as I could have been this week. That isn’t to say I went crazy with my calories, but I’m sure there was more fat, and less fiber and water than in previous weeks.

Yesterday was probably the worst day. I was scrambling to get work done, and somehow managed to not even count or weigh in. Epic fail. After work, I went out bowling with a political group I am a part of, and had two slices of pizza and some soda. It was technically dinner, but again, I wasn’t as vigilant as usual.

All of that added up to a net gain for the week. Doh! The week’s statistics can be found after the jump:

Measurements

• Weight: 342.2 lbs (340.0 lbs last week)
• BMI: 49.10 (48.78 last week)

Thoughts

Up 2.2 lbs?! I’m not happy with that. As the title says, I know I can’t win ‘em all… but I’m still frustrated with that result. It is what it is, however.

I know what I need to do this week to get back on track: First, I need to exercise, but not kill myself in a workout by trying to be a brute. I’m no athlete, and I can’t act like it and expect my body to play along without working into it. Second, more water. I need to “turn to the bottle”, in this case a Nalgene, a little more often than I did this week. Third, I need to be better about food logging and weigh-in consistency.

I know some of you who read this have commented here and privately that you are also on a journey towards health, weight loss, or something similar. Keep it up! You may not have had a bad week yet, but they are inevitable. That doesn’t mean we should give up. Learn from your situations, and if you made mistakes you can control, correct them. Keep going!