Sorry Everyone

Hi Everyone,

So sorry for having such a gap between posts. I had computer problems, followed by bouts of sheer exhaustion. This week has been both the best and worst week of my life. The best in the sense that I have began a journey down the healthy road, and have already begun to accomplish goals that I thought would be impossible. The worst in the sense that I have never been so sore or tired in my life. This program is a complete assault on your body.

I'll try to give you a quick recap of some of the highlights of my days, and let you know how it has gone for me so far. Let me start by saying that both the staff and other attendees have been great to be around, and the program is ran great.

Tuesday - Arrival Day. I arrived at my new home at around 9:45 am and was met in the lobby by one of the assistants and helped to my new room. I have a roommate named Adam, he has been here 5 months and lost 135 lbs. After getting settled into my room I was picked up and brought the 1 mile to the gym. At that point I went through all the initial testing, which of course determined me to be in poor health, no surprise. My stats are that I weigh 304lbs, have 37% body fat, and 188lbs of lean muscle. After the orientation I met with the nutritionist for 30 minutes. We went over my meal plan which includes 4 meals a day plus a protein shake. It equals roughly 1700 calories a day. Since I will be burning 3500 calories a day, it is not such a big deal. After that I had 1 on 1 training for an hour. He took it kind of easy on me since it was my first day, ya right. He worked me out like I was training for a marathon. After that I went right into spin class with a trainer who might just be the fittest woman I have ever met. Lets just say my butt and everything else was killing me by the time that was done. Next I walked back to the apartment and the day was done.

The following days I have done things like completed a 3.5 mile hike up a mountain. At least the first half was all up hill. I also completed a 2.5 mile walk in the sand at the beach. Killer on the calfs. I've done a lot of cardio, and cardio boxing. Building up my stamina, and burning calories. Today was my first real day of rest, I only had about 30 minutes of cardio today, so my body got a chance to recover. I've been having foot blister problems so the day off was needed. My wife also came up to see me today, so it was a nice day. Tomorrow starts my first full week, and I'll do my best to update you nightly going forward. Once again sorry about disappearing for so long.

Thanks for reading this. Talk to you all soon.

Computer Died

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know my computer died on me Tuesday, and I finally got the replacement today. I will be giving an in depth blog tonight about my experiences so far at LIFE.

Getting Nervous

Well I am less than 2 days from going to the LIFE program and I am officially getting nervous. I'm worried that I am so out of shape that I will have a tough time getting started. I hope that there are more people there that are as out of shape as me, I don't want to feel like I'm the only one. I am going into this in the worst shape of my life, and I hope that I am able to turn everything around in 8 weeks. I don't know how realistic that is, but I am really hoping that it will at least get me started.

Everything else is going ok. I have everything that I need to leave on Tuesday. I picked up the last few things that I needed, so tomorrow night will be the packing night. I hope that I don't forget anything, but I can't pack everything I own either.

My wife is starting to feel the looming deadline as well. She's happy that I am going to be taking such a big step in getting healthy, but she is not going to like being alone for 2 months either. I would like her mom to come visit for a couple of weeks to keep her company, but I'm not sure she will be able to. My wife is going to be concentrating a lot more on her Mary Kay business well I am gone as well. Plus, for those of you who don't know my wife has started a blog telling our story from her perspective. You can find her blog at rebeccaconlon.blogspot.com. Please follow and support her as well.

I was excited today, the NFL really kicked off today. Tomorrow night my team plays, the New England Patriots. I can't wait till kick off. I hope I'll be able to watch some of the games on Sunday's as I'm working out.

Well I am going to get going, I'll talk to all of you tomorrow. Please keep the comments coming. Thanks everyone.

Busy Weekend Ahead

Well I start out this weekend already knowing how busy it is going to be. I have a lot to get done in order to be ready for Tuesday. I am not looking forward to having to pack two months worth of clothes. I just got finished moving, and its going to feel like that all over again.

Yesterday was a busy day as well. I had to take my wife to work, then drop off the car to be serviced. I also had a doctors appointment that I had to go to. On a positive note, I received my regular flu shot, so I just need the H1N1 when that becomes available.

I am going to keep this blog short today, I will have a much more detailed one tomorrow. Talk to you all soon.

One Day Closer

Well I am one more day closer to beginning LIFE and heading towards my goal. Yesterday ended up being a hectic day. I sold my car, and had to deliver it to the new owner in preparation for leaving. I won't be needing one for the next couple of months, and I hope to be ok with just my bike when I am finished. The weather in Southern California is pretty spectacular year round, so I want to start riding everywhere.

I talked to my mom this morning and she wanted to know how I was feeling about going in less than a week. She asked if I was nervous, and I told her that my nerves have turned more into anxiousness and a feeling of relief that I don't have much longer to wait. This next 5 days or so will fly right by, and it will be Tuesday before I know it.

Today I am going to take my 2 dogs, Bella (toy poodle) and Abby (maltese), on a nice long walk. All three of us could use the exercise, plus I need to stretch out after that spin class Tuesday. I am still sore from that class. I think I will go for 2 miles, if we all can make it that is, because I'm not carrying the maltese the last mile.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my Neurologist to go over the findings of my sleep study. I already know the results because my apnea was severe enough that they couldn't delay telling me. The reason I am going to a Neurologist is because I had a concussion back in January and suffered through terrible post concussion syndrome and migraines for months. He is one of the nicest most personable doctors I have ever seen, so I go to him for just about any issue I have.

On top of everything else, I have to pick up a rent a car tonight because our car needs to be in the shop tomorrow morning for some problems it is having. I am renting an SUV so I can move my bike and bar stools to my new apartment. Busy weekend coming up.

Well I'm going to run. Keep those comments coming. Thanks Everyone.

Spin Class Hurts

So my wife and I decided to be brave and try out the spin class offered at our gym last night. Neither of us has ever participated in a spin class so we thought it would be a nice experience for the both of us. Well let me tell you it was not what I expected. I thought I was going to drop dead right there on the bike numerous times, and every time I managed to look up all I could see is this peppy instructor pedaling like she was in a race. I managed to last the whole class, but I am paying for it today. Lets just say the seat on the bike was not made for comfort and I now know that for a fact.

Today is going to be about making a list for odds and ends I still need to get for next week. I know I need simple things like new underwear, and prescriptions filled, but I also need things like a bike lock. So I really have to take an inventory of everything I have and make a list of what I need to get.

I'm also going to hit the gym this afternoon and get a good workout in. I think I will stick to the treadmill, the thought of sitting on a bike just isn't doing it for me right now.

I have come up with a goal for the next 6 days. I currently weigh in at 306 lbs on my home scale. My goal will be to weigh in at LIFE on Tuesday at under 300 lbs. I'm really going to concentrate on what I'm eating, and make sure I get some exercise in each day, as well as drink nothing but water. I want to be heading in the right direction going to the program.

I started yesterday by having a plain bagel for breakfast, peanut butter on whole wheat for lunch, plain chicken with asparagus for dinner, and sugar free jello for dessert. Overall I think it was probably 800-1000 calories. I felt good, not to low on energy from not eating as much as I am used to.

Well I am going to get going for the day. I really enjoyed everyones comments on yesterdays post. Please continue to comment if you can, it really is a big morale booster. Also, if you have any advice on spin class I'm all ears. Thanks for following my blog.

Feeling Nervous

Well I am officially one week away from entering LIFE and have begun to get nervous. Not so much about the program, because I was in the Marine Corps, and nothing can compete with that boot camp. I more nervous about the program not working, and the weight not coming off as much as I would like. I'm also real nervous about when I am done in such a structured atmosphere how will I react back home.

If I manage to lose all the weight that I am going to push for, the last thing I want to do is end up in the same place that I am now a year down the road. The LIFE program offers once a week counseling, but I think I'm going to need more. I need to understand better what makes me eat the way that I do. It is a question that I have not truly been able to answer, and one that I have had enormous struggles with for almost my whole life.

I cannot afford to fail this time around, I am running out of options. I am looking at a major heart attack probably by 50 if I don't turn things around soon. I just hope it is not to late to get my life on track and turn around the damage I've done to my body already.

Now back to reality. My wife and I went on a bike ride yesterday afternoon, it was good for me, not so good for her. She was not prepared for the hills and it took a lot out of her, it was the same reaction I had the first time I did that ride to. She was not feeling to well by the end. I, on the other hand was feeling great, I could have gone again, which is a great sign for me.

I am going to try to lose 10 pounds in this next week to try to get my body moving in the right direction entering the program. I am also going to push my cardio to hopefully get better prepared for next week also. I'll ride the bike at the gym tonight and also do a little treadmill work.

It is coming down to crunch time, the program was fully paid for this morning so no turning back now. I just need to book a ride there, I need a big SUV with all that I'm going to be taking. I'll have my bike, my rowing machine, and tons of clothes because I'll be changing 3-4 times a day. Should be fun.

Well I am going to run for now. I appreciate you all taking the time to read my blog, and sending in comments. Talk to you tomorrow.

Bike Ride with the Wife

Lazy Holiday

Today has been a lazy day to this point. I'm just having trouble getting started today, maybe a medication issue. I'm currently just lounging watching baseball and talking to all of you. I'm going to be getting out soon and heading to the beach.

My wife and I are going to go on our first bike ride together. I've never seen her ride a bike, so I hope my day doesn't end in the hospital. We are going to start out on the beach trail and head up into the canyon. Hopefully I can extend the distance and get in at least 3 miles today. I want to be up to 5 miles by Tuesday next week when I go to LIFE.

I need to start planning my transportation to the facility. I am going to be bringing my bike and my rower, so I'm going to have to hire a SUV. I just talked to the admin at LIFE to get an idea what I can expect the first day.

I check in at the apartment at 10 am on next Tuesday, and I have to be at the gym at 12 pm. They are going to test my body fat and body mass, and also do a VO2 test which will tell them how bad of shape I'm in so they don't kill me during the workouts. I will then have an orientation at which point I'll go over the likes and dislikes of working out. That way they are able to tailor my daily schedule with workouts that I'm more likely to enjoy.

On a separate note, I found out that my brother and his wife are going to be having baby number 2. I am excited, I love being an uncle. I hope that after LIFE I'll be able to be a more active participant.

Its difficult to get involved when you get out of breath walking a flight of stairs or a small hill. Or when you get tired after just a few minutes on your feet. I need to lose this extra 110 lbs and pronto if I want the opportunity for a regular life. Thats why I am doing this blog, you can all hold me accountable and act as my motivation to keep going. Keep those comments coming.

Thanks everyone, talk to you later.

Golf Day Sunday

Today my day started out the way I wish all my Sundays could begin. I played 18 holes with my best friend for my belated birthday gift. We had a great time, we were both equally as bad and were proud of it. It was also a good workout, a lot of walking and core exercises take place during golf. I shot a 96 which is terrible, but I haven't really played in months, so I'm lucky I didn't have any swings and misses.

The rest of the day is going to be spent relaxing. My wife and I have some pictures to hang up in our new apartment, but besides that not much on the agenda. We will probably take our dogs for a nice walk when it cools down later this afternoon. We have been having a late summer heat wave, its been in the 90's consistently for the last 2 weeks.

Last night I slept pretty good with my CPAP on, I turned down the humidifier and didn't get water-boarded, so I need to keep the setting low. I definitely feel better rested, and I wake up much less through the night, although I am sleeping in semi shift. I usually wake up from about 2-3 am and mess around on the computer. Besides that the CPAP has been great.

My wife and I met up with my brother, his wife, their son, and her parents for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. After looking at the 40 page menu, I decided to go with my regular order there, the Thai Lettuce Wraps. They are so filling and pretty healthy for you.

This afternoon I had the Boca Meatless Cheeseburger for lunch. Has anyone else tried one before? I swear, if I didn't know it was meatless, I would have believed I was eating a regular burger. For those of you who don't know, I gave up all red meat, including pork, because my cholesterol was out of control.

I have high cholesterol which I'm on medication for, as well as 2 different types of blood pressure meds. The CPAP should help reduce the blood pressure problem, but I have not had red meat for 5 months in my effort to battle the cholesterol issue. In the beginning it was a struggle, but now it is to the point where I don't miss it at all. I just replace it with chicken, turkey, and now soy. Hopefully that will be the first step in many to come in my battle for weight loss and overall health.

Well I'm going to get going. If you have any recipes, especially heart healthy recipes, I would love to hear them. Thanks everyone for continuing to follow my blog and supporting me.

The Saturday Clean Up

Well today started out as a manual labor day. We had to go back to our old apartment and clean up. Lets just say there was a lot of heavy lifting involved, and it didn't help that it was 90 plus degrees already. We managed to get through it, and I was dripping sweat by the end of the morning. I definitely consider that a major workout for the day.

I got to order my food for the first week of LIFE yesterday afternoon. Lots of good things on the menu, I'm excited to try some different cuisine. I have never liked Sea food before, but I am going to give it a try and hopefully learn to like it.

I'm just a week and a half away from going to the facility and beginning what I hope to be a new chapter in my life. I really appreciate all the support and kind words everyone has been giving. It means a lot to me.

Well I need to run, my dogs were at Petsmart today. One was getting groomed, the other was getting a dental cleaning, so we need to pick them up at 2. I hope Abby, the one who got the dental, is feeling ok. They have to put dogs completely under for that procedure, so it will be interesting to see how she feels.

Does anyone have any ideas on good cardio to do? I want to get a good cardio workout in, but I would like it to be low impact on my knees. Thanks for the help.

Day 5

Today started out very scary. One of my best friends was hit by a car as he rode his bike yesterday in LA. Somehow he managed to escape with only minor injuries. Hopefully he will make a speedy recovery and stick to bike trails from now on.

I had a doctors appointment this morning to get signed of for the LIFE program. I am fit for duty, in all probability I should survive the program. My blood pressure was good, and even my pulse was low, usually it is around 95 resting, but today it was 76. I am really starting to get excited, the date is approaching really quickly.

I am currently at my parents beach house, I am waiting for a contractor and glass installer to go over project bidding. Its nice to actually have something relatively meaningful to do in the day. I'm going to go on a bike ride in a little bit, probably do two and a half miles or so. I enjoy riding my new bike, its fun and doesn't have the redundancy of the gym.

Hopefully you all got the video I posted yesterday of the CPAP demonstration, I'm really going to try to post more video's and pictures. I like the inter-activeness of that type of media.

I really want to welcome all of you who have decided to follow my blog, the support is greatly appreciated. I also want to thank all of you who have made comments on the posts, please continue to do so. I love the feedback.

Well I need to run, I just got the menu for the first week at LIFE, so I need to plan my meals. Talk to you all later.

Day 4

Hi Everyone,

Well I went to the gym last night, ended up riding the bike for 30 minutes and walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes. Then hit the pool and spa. It was a motivating sight, we have a lady who is paralyzed from the waist down that lives on our floor. She was at the pool last night, we watched her getting into the water and swimming laps for at least a half an hour. She is definitely a warrior. Its been a pretty mellow day so far, I'm going to wait till tonight to go to the gym, Rebecca wants to take a yoga class.

Last night was my first night with my new CPAP machine. It went pretty well, I slept a little over 3 hours then woke up for an hour. Then I went back to sleep for a couple more hours. The only issue I have is that water poured on my nose twice. It has a humidifier, and I think the condensation pooled and came out when I rolled over. So I practically waterboarded myself. Besides that I slept pretty well.

I had meatless cheeseburgers last night for dinner. I don't know if anyone else has tried them before, but I couldn't tell the difference between them or the real thing. Maybe I need to go vegetarian.....ya right.

Well I'm going to get going, I'll have a new video either tonight or tomorrow for you.

Day 3

Started my day out at 6 am, which is about normal for me right now. Spent some time getting the blog situated, plus joining twitter. You can follow me at clc9061. I had an appointment with a respiratory therapist and got fitted for my new CPAP machine. 

 

After getting fitted, Nate and I headed to Target to pick some things up for the apartment, and clothes for LIFE.

Tonight after the Red Sox game, Nate and I will go to the gym and I'm going to do a 40 minute bike ride. Oh,

I forgot, we wet to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I did real well, I had water and the Thai Lettuce Wraps.

We are going to hit the pool tonight as well, it is still so hot here, it will feel real nice. Thats about it for tonight,

check out the video. I was a born actor. Not.

Day 2

Hi Everyone. Today has already been a long day for me, I was up at 5:45am and have been going non stop since. I found out the results of my sleep study this morning. As predicted I have severe sleep apnea, I stop breathing an average of 31 times an hour. I have an appointment tomorrow to get a new CPAP machine, and hopefully a full night sleep for the first time in a while. Nate is over, we are going to go on a bike ride as soon as it cools down enough to hit the road. Going to try to do the same ride as we did on Saturday, a little over 2 miles. I'm now 2 weeks away from going to LIFE and begin my new journey for health. Hopefully you all will check in from time to time on this blog and see how I'm doing and maybe offer some words of encouragement. Well I got to run for the day. Till tomorrow.

Day 1 New Blog

I have set up this new blog to try to both encourage and to receive encouragement regarding weight loss. I will be entering a weight loss facility for 2 months starting the 15th of September, and I will need all the help I can get. I plan on sending a daily blog recapping my day to day experiences. I hope to be able to share daily experiences with you leading up to and through the program. Any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.