Jesse 39.9 Comes to a Close [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes. You can read all Jesse 39.9 blogs here.

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This is the final blog entry for "Jesse 39.9" | Read All Jesse 39.9 Blogs Here

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My goal was to lose 39.9 pounds before I turned 39.9. That date was April 29, 2014. (I would have suspended it around now anyway, as next week is the Yard Sale, which requires a lot of prep and disrupts my normal schedule). I failed to get to my goal, but I'm not disappointed. I lost 20 pounds (from 235 to 215) in the first month, but have been fighting to keep those pounds off since then, through a better diet and exercise. I ran into an unexpected problem -- not being able to run due to leg pain. When I can't run, I can't lose weight rapidly. I thought walking (and elliptical) would cut it, but it didn't, and I still haven't been to the doctor for a diagnosis. The best news, however, is that I have been consistently losing body fat since I got the Aria scale. I started at nearly 30% and am down to 27.8% today. This is because I've added strength training (via Bowflex) to my routine. That means I'm gaining muscle, which is keeping the weight loss minimal. That's a good reason to not be losing any weight. Still, my weight is not where I want it to be. I'd like to lose another 10-20 pounds -- I'd like to be around 200, I think that is my next goal, which I will pursue this Summer.

Second Secret Weapon and Some Progress [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

I've a mere 10 weeks left for project Jesse 39.9, to lose 39.9 pounds before I turn 39.9. Another secret weapon has been added to the arsenal...

I bought a FitBit Aria Wifi scale. This makes tracking my weight much easier. I just step on it once a day and it automatically uploads to my Fitbit account!

...and after a week of better eating and exercising, I am finally starting to make some progress:

Houston, We Have a (Weight) Problem [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

Well folks, it's time to admit I have a problem. Even though I've been exercising more in the past couple weeks and eating better, I just can't get back down below the 215 (15 pounds down) threshold that I set right before Thanksgiving. Check out the weight graph:

Unfortunately, I'm heading to New York City a week from today, where I'll probably get less exercise and eat more calories than I do here at home. But the good news is, I can come back with a renewed effort to lost that other 25 pounds by my birthday in June. I can still do it, losing only two pounds a week.

Secret Weapons: FitBit, Kindle HDX & Gold Rush Fever [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

In order to achieve my new fitness goals, I have a couple of secret weapons. One is a Fitbit One:

This thing is awesome. I can track the number of steps I take in a day, calories burned, and even sleep! It's so awesome. It's also so small I may lose it!

Another challenge has been the cold weather - we've never seen such a cold winter here. As a result, the temperature in the garage has been in the 20s and 30s. Not great for the BowFlex and Elliptical I've been using. I do have a heater in there, and I've cordoned off the area, so that can help get it into the 40s sometimes, but in a week like this one, where temperatures are expected to be in the single digits for several days in a row, there's no hope.

The solution: The Amazon Kindle HDX I got for Christmas fits perfectly on the treadmill in the AccuWeather.com Fitness Center at work. I can now continue to watch "Gold Rush" Season 4, a great show that I've been with since Day 1.

Back on the Horse [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

Well folks, an unexpectedly long Christmas stay with relatives (that ended in a week-long bout with the flu) has continued to take a toll on my weight loss. The damage is done. I'm at 220.2; I went down 15 but back up 5.

But, I feel much better now and am redoubling my efforts to meet the Jesse 39.9 goal. I'll be in New York City for Social Media Week next month, so I'm going to see if I can lose 10 pounds before then. That will put me at 25 pounds down, 15 to go by June 5th. Easy peasy. Back on the horse. Along for the ride. And whatnot.

Thanksgaining [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

Well, Thanksgiving didn't quite go as planned. I gained 3 pounds. I shouldn't be surprised given what I ate, but I can surely recover next week.

Week 4: 222.2 [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

Another week, another couple of pounds lost! I weighed in at 222.2 pounds this week; subtracting for clothes, that puts me at around 218 -- 12 pounds down so far. I think I really have the hang of this now.

Another hurdle was passed today... I had two nights of not-so-great sleep, but even though I was tired at work I didn't drink a soda or have an unhealthy snack. I've actually found that Gala Apples help quench the fatigue (which also naturally goes away after 20 minutes).

Apple photo by the Canadian School System. Exercise continues - and I'm glad to see the weight loss graph continue to go down!

The Soda Demon [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

In order to get this weight-loss thing kicked off, I've identified some villains who have made things hard in the past, and I'm going to bring some of them to light over the next few weeks.

Tonight's topic is: SODA. POP. COLA. Whatever you call it in your neck of the woods.

To me? Pepsi and Mountain Dew are the nectar of the gods. This is probably my number one offender. When I weigh too much, I average 10-20 cans a week. When I stop, I magically lose 5-10 pounds. That's because they are essentially bags of sugar.

I know this, and yet it doesn't stop me from drinking it. I'm addicted to the taste, and I never chide people who can't quit nicotine or hard drugs -- I have a hell of a time neglecting sugar, and it's not as addictive. Mountain Dew & Pepsi are my drugs of choice. And they keep making better Mountain Dew flavors!

I also drink it because of the caffeine. I'm always tired (I take several medicines that may cause this, although I'm sure being overweight doesn't help).

I don't like coffee, tea, or diet soda, so that's a big problem. I don't feel that I can be "on" in social situations unless I have caffeine. I don't think I can drive. I don't think I can go to a big meeting at work. Well, over the next month I'm going to challenge all of these.

Week 3: The Fast & The Foodiest [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

Week 3 of Jesse 39.9 is complete. Three weeks with less than 1 soda and very little sugar. I'm now at 220 lbs, 10 pounds down from when I started (remember, you have to subtract clothes from the scale numbers that I show here). The lightheadedness from last week is getting better. I don't feel as tired from the carbs that I used to eat either though. Basically I used to get tired mid-morning, then drink soda, get wired for an hour, then tired again; repeat mid-afternoon. Now I'm just normal all day. It's a gift and a curse.

If I continue to lose 2 pounds per week, I'll be to my goal of 39.9 pounds in another 15 weeks, or around the end of February. That's probably not going to happen, because I may not lose weight Thanksgiving and Christmas week (though I'll try) and I'll be in NYC for a week in February. But I'm not turning 39.9 until May 2014, so I've got time to spare.

This week's hurdle was going out of town. We visited Kristi's parents in York, Pennsylvania, which we do every couple of months. Typically I drink a soda and maybe have a candy bar on the way down so I can be cognizant while driving. This time, I had a water and some seeds & nuts, and I did fine. While there, we had a birthday dinner with soda, cake & pie but I only had a water and 1/2 a piece of key lime. Like the movies, I returned home much less out-of-it than usual.

The next day, before our trip back, we ate at a steakhouse. That usually means a burger, fries and a soda for me, but I didn't want the carbs to make me tired on the drive home, which would in turn make me need to drink soda. So I got a grilled chicken salad and a water (I was too sad about that to take the obligatory picture of my dinner, so I took a picture of the window (see above). I was able to drive home without getting tired. I have to remember these benefits when I get tempted.

I continue to ramp up the exercise... I'm up to 30 minutes on the Elliptical in the garage, and 10 minutes of the Bow-Flex with six different exercises. I'm shooting for once a day for that workout, so if I miss a day or two over the course of a week, I'm OK.

Week 2: Gravity [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

The second week of Jesse 39.9 is going well. I lost about 5 pounds, from 230.2 to 225.4 (subtracting for clothes). This is more than I expected to lose.

As we move forward, I'm going to discuss several "hurdles" to weight loss. Excuses, if you will, that I would have used in the past to eat badly.

The weight loss hurdle this week was: THE MOVIES.

I go to movies in a theater half for the big screen, half for the popcorn. But when Kristi and I went to see "Gravity" last weekend, I was determined to only have a few pieces of popcorn, two cookies I had brought with me, and a few sips of soda (the first soda I'd had in two weeks, which coming off of a 3-4-a-day bender is amazing).

It was a great movie, and I came out of it feeling much less "brain foggy" than I usually do after reaching the bottom of a big bag of popcorn, a large soda, and a large box of Junior Mints.

Week 1: Success! [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

The first week of Jesse 39.9 is going well. I lost about 5 pounds, from 230.2 to 225.4 (remember on the photos of the bathroom scale, I have to subtract the weight of my clothes). I'm not really surprised, because this always happens when I stop drinking soda and eating bad food. Next week will be harder.

My body is punishing me a bit and I'm going through a bit of withdrawal from lack of caffeine and sugar. I've been tired this week and a bit listless. It doesn't feel good. But, as they say, no pain no gain.

I literally have not had a sip of soda during the last week. I can't remember the last time that happened and it's quite unlike me. I'll be talking a little more about that demon later on.

I did, however, decide to have an orange scone and 1/8 a cup of so-called "Iced Cream" this weekend. Here's hoping that doesn't kill me.

Jesse 39.9 [J39.9 BLOG]

NOTE: This blog was previously published under the [JESSE 39.9] blog at http://jesse399.blogspot.com/ but has been absorbed into Jesse's main blog for archival purposes.

I've decided since I'm going to be 40 next year, that I need to solve my weight issues now. I'm sure a lot of people say that and don't last long. I will succeed where others (including myself over the last two years) have failed. I'll tell you how, but first, some history.

The biggest changes in my weight during my adult life are shown on the graphs below, first showing the last 7 years, then the last 20 years:

Generally, I have struggled losing weight since I got my first apartment in college in 1994. The Great Stomach Flu of 2007 knocked me down to 187 pounds, the lowest in 13 years. After I got divorced in 2010, I started running 20-30 miles a week and eating a carb-free diet. The reward from this was a loss of 40 pounds (the diet also caused kidney stones, but that's another story for another day). When

I started getting back in the dating game in December 2010, on my doctor's advice, I stopped losing weight. After meeting Kristi in April 2011, I became much happier and started eating more (plus Kristi is a really great cook and butter has something to do with that). Although I never really recovered from the gain, I managed to keep it in check during early 2012 when I upped my exercise schedule (we'll go more in depth with exercise graphs later).

That brings us to today; I'm now 75 pounds heavier than I was two years ago. By May, I'll be 39.9 years old. Between now and then, I intend to lose 39.9 pounds... hence the name of this blog (it's also an inside joke on my divorce blog which was called "Jesse 2.0." This blog (like Jesse 2.0) is mainly for me to keep me on track, but if some of the techniques I use help you too, all the better.

Reasons I think I'll succeed this time:

- I know that I have done this before; I know I am capable of losing this much weight.

- My wife Kristi and her daughter will be there for me. It's easy to lose weight when you live alone, not as much when you're both tired and neither wants to cook. But she has committed to using less butter, helping me portion control, and keeping us out of the drive-thru.

- I still have Sudafed on my side. Without it, I probably wouldn't have lost the 40 pounds back in 2010. I take it for my allergies, but a side-effect is loss of appetite. I'm never hungry, I'm just used to eating too much.

- YOU will also be on my side. I'm reactivating the "J-CAM," a webcam at my job, to keep myself honest (I decommissioned it in 2012 due to technical problems). The whole world can now watch me at work and lambaste (mmmm... basted lamb...) me on Social Media if a candy bar or soda can ends up at my desk.

So here's where I'm starting (subtract 2-4 pounds for clothing)... around 230 pounds. Tomorrow I'll discuss how it's going so far, and bad habits that led to my 75-pound gain. You can keep up with my progress here on Blogger, on my Runkeeper profile, or on my public Facebook Feed.