I Had My First Major Relapse and It’s Okay47 lbs LOSTso farOctober 24, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 16 comments
Today was a rainy, gloomy, depressing day. It has been pouring all day, since late last night actually. I was in a crappy mood all day and it showed. To top it off I had the first major relapse since starting on my weight loss journey.
I caved in and we ordered pizza. Domino’s Pizza to be precise. My wife didn’t feel like cooking and wanted to eat pizza. I wasn’t really in the mood for it, but I went ahead and said it was fine to order. We had two medium pies, an order of cinnastix, and a liter of Coke soda. It was so good. Deliciously-good. I-couldn’t-stop-eating-it-good!
After eating it I felt like crap. I hadn’t felt so crappy in a long time. When I say crap, I don’t mean I felt guilty or anything of that nature. What I mean is that my body was in some weird sort of state where I felt tired. The feeling was overpowering. My body hurt and I couldn’t open my eyes. I felt heavy and with no energy. I think my body was in shock from having eaten that stuff. That’s a sign of not ever doing that again!
I also noticed that mentally I am fine with the fact that I cheated. I don’t feel like wanting to kill myself or giving up on my weight loss. I just know that I cheated big time and need to work my butt off to get back on track. I will be doing that tomorrow.
I think I am finally getting to where I need to be, both physically and mentally. That’s a good feeling.
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Saturday, Schmaturday47 lbs LOSTso farOctober 20, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 23 comments
Fat Man Unleashed
I’m in a not so good mood today. My body is sore and I don’t feel like doing anything. This is gonna be a short post. Last week my sister made me aware of a cool site.
It’s called Daily OM and helps you nature your mind, body, and spirit. Perfect for my inner warrior. I like the daily emails I get from them because they are very motivational and spiritual, as well as calming.
Anyway, check it out. I just checked my email a few minutes ago and it helped me deal with making this post.
Have a good Saturday folks. Peace.
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Tipping the Scales: 2 lbs. Lost this Week47 lbs LOSTso farOctober 9, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 16 comments
I can’t say I am surprised. Given the slow start I had to last week I was expecting to lose only a pound, but every little bit helps I suppose. This reminds me that I can’t slack off whenever I think that I a have accomplished something. My goal is to be at 299 lbs by November 1st and this makes me want it even more. I have about 3 weeks to lose 18 lbs.
I know I will do it. From today on I will not slack off or cheat or anything for the rest of the month. This will definitely put me on the right path. I am predicting a 5 pound weight loss next week. That’s right, 5 lbs. This should be easily attainable by eating healthy, exercising a bit more, and incorporating some new things. If I do good enough I may take Sunday off, but most likely I will not. I want to punish my body this week and teach it a lesson. If that makes any sense. It’s time to get hardcore up in this place. lol.
I am going to be lifting some weights today and then running. Both at high intensity so that I can get that pump that I love so much. If any one has any little tips or tricks that I can add to my routine, both exercise wise and daily living wise, please let me know. I am going to need every thing I can to lose the weight this month and having your help is appreciated.
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I Fell Off But Got Back On Track47 lbs LOSTso farOctober 8, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 13 comments
Last week I fell off the path for a couple of days, but I managed to get back on. I got a bit happy and cocky when I realized I had lost 20 lbs. So I decided to celebrate by eating some pasta, which isn’t that bad. But then I didnt workout on Wednesday and had sub par workouts on Thursday and Friday. Add to that the fact that I ate Taco Bell Gorditas and some KFC Honey BBQ wings and you will see why I feel sorta crappy about it. I don’t regret eating the food since I didn’t really overeat, but I do regret not getting better work outs in. I had fallen into that slump I get every few weeks after I start working out again.
Then Saturday came around and I had a pretty decent session and started seeing the light again. I was getting back on track but wasn’t quite there. That is until Sunday. Yesterday I had one of the best workouts I have had to date. I rode the recumbent bike for 40 minutes on a high resistance level, then I lifted weights working out my back, biceps, shoulders and some chest. To top it all off I hopped on the treadmill for a 10 minute run and cooled down with a 10 minute walk. Afterwards I felt amazing. I was back on track. I actually wanted to keep working out but realized that too much is not always good. So I showered, had my protein/creatine/amino acids/green tea shake and relaxed.
My wife then made some grilled chicken breasts with salad that we both devoured. I was feeling great: I worked out and ate a healthy meal. I couldn’t ask for anything else. Amazingly, she had the audacity to bake a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (one of my favorite). It was crunch time and I needed to make a judgment call. Do I indulge and negate the progress I just made or do I maintain and live to fight another day. I am happy to say that I was strong enough to resist. That right there made me feel better than the workout I had earlier. Each time as I passed the kitchen I would see the cake tempting me with its chocolaty frosting, but I would keep going.
I told myself that I couldn’t let this happen again. I was tired of starting the weight loss process and then quitting after I start seeing results. It’s like a switch always flips that tells me to revert back to my old ways of self sabotage. But not this time.
This time I persevered. I got back on track.
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Stretch Marks Are My Biggest Regret47 lbs LOSTso farOctober 1, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 35 comments
I have some of the ugliest stretch marks known to man. It’s rather disgusting and repulsive. Of all the things I have regretted about letting myself get so overweight, it’s my stretch marks that I regret the most. I have bunch of them along my sides that wrap around my love handles. I also have a few on my lower abdomen. Let me not forget the ones on my arms, although I don’t care about those that much since I have had them for years.
I just couldn’t let myself post the pictures of the stretch marks on my back. I have limits dammit! If you look close enough you can see them in my current Evolution Pictures.
I first noticed all of the disgusting stretch marks one day when I had finished showering. I was toweling myself off and went to grab the deodorant when I noticed some reddish purple marks on my back in the mirror. I thought I was bleeding. But alas, it was the dreaded stretch marks. I immediately examined my body and realized that I had officially self-mutilated my body by letting myself get so fat. I then put on a shirt and hoped they would disappear.
They did. Because I didn’t look at my body in a mirror for many months. I was depressed the whole time. That also led to my making this blog and deciding that enough was enough. The affect it had on me was devastating. For all those months I continued to add to the obesity by over eating, binging, and not exercising. I still find it a little hard to look in the mirror but having to take photos for the blog is helping me. You see, this is therapeutic for me. It also helps me hold myself accountable.
This may seem shallow but I don’t want to have a bunch of nasty marks on my body when I finally get back in to shape. I have seen some people, and friends, and it isn’t a pretty sight. I hope mine turn white and blend in with my skin over time. If not I won’t be taking my shirt off at the beach. No sir!
Is there some kind of surgery to remove stretch marks? Are stretch marks haunting you?
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I Almost Didn’t Workout but then…47 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 28, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 12 comments
I did. And loved every sweaty minute of it. I had been struggling with myself all day as to whether or not I was going to workout. I wanted to but something wasn’t letting me. Two days ago on Wednesday I had a pretty grueling workout, so I took yesterday off. I ate right and controlled my mouth, although my brain kept saying, “EAT. EAT. EAT.” It was pretty tough getting through that.
I kept thinking that I should just give up and stay fat. But then my inner warrior kicked in. I held off on the binging and made it through yesterday unscathed, calorie wise. Today was much of the same and since I hadn’t worked out in a day my brain started telling me to give up again. Until I finally got off my ass and went into my shack.
This is a result of that:
As you can see I had a pretty good workout. I feel awesome right now actually. I worked out my back and biceps, then hopped on the treadmill for some good old fashioned HIIT. Well, it wasn’t old fashioned. I switched it up a bit. I think that modifying workouts is something I tend to do. That way they fit within my limits. Nonetheless, I was feeling the pain, and goodness, of having worked out. Especially since I began the day not wanting to even think of fitness.
So, I almost didn’t exercise but I am sure glad I did. It feels that much more satisfying knowing that I beat the little demon in me that wants me to stay fat and unhealthy.
Damn. Now that I think of it, I know why I worked out. It was because of my wife. Wow. That’s like a revelation. She got home from work. Then she suggested we go to the movies. We watched some Popeye cartoons and took a little nap. At that point I only had 2 hours to get ready, workout, blog, and do my other online stuff. Without thinking, I prioritized by putting on my workout gear and going right into the shack. Cool.
Thanks honey!
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I Got Hit By a Train and Survived47 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 26, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 16 comments
At least that’s how I feel. My body is in so much pain it’s not even funny. Everything aches. Each step I take is agonizing. But you know something? I love it. It shows me that my workouts were hard and are affecting my body. Today’s workout was especially taxing. I was stiff and sore throughout the entire session. I wish I had a tub that I can soak my body in like the professional athletes on television.
The simple act of walking on the treadmill was grueling. I felt so slow and nonathletic today. I could barely jog so what I did was walk for 30 minutes and jog a few minutes in between. It was rough. Before that I lifted some weights and even the lightest of weights felt heavy. I mean, I am a pretty strong guy and know my limits, but I was lifting some really light weights and it felt like I was lifting thousands of pounds.
I think that my body was shocked today. Why? Because I essentially took too many days off to heal my ankle. Well, maybe I didn’t take enough days off. I don’t know. But now my whole body hurts instead of just my ankle and knee. I have been trying to take it a little easy so that I don’t adversely hurt myself, but I have been desiring a workout so I had to do it. Especially since I have a competition to win next week.
I know I need to take this journey as a life long one, but I need to see some results within a month so that I can keep my morale up. Working out and eating right makes me feel good, but at the end of the day I need to see some physical changes.
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Being Admired for My Muscles47 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 24, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 11 comments
Yep, you read that correctly. I am admired for my muscles. Well, actually, it’s my strength. By whom do you ask? My elderly neighbors. 
My neighbors are always asking me for help with lifting heavy objects. They are the type of folks that were very active in their earlier life and now that they are old they try to stay active. Unfortunately they are held back by surgeries and hernias. That’s where I come in. That’s not me in the pic, but I definitely feel like that when they are around.
When I workout in my shack they can hear me grunting and making noises. They are very aware of my mission to get back into shape. Whenever they need help with something they come over and ask. Whether it’s helping them bring in the groceries or mowing the lawn, I take advantage of it. I especially like it when they say how strong I am. It’s been a while since someone has admired me for my strength, and not just my shear bigness. As shallow as it seems, it makes me feel awesome.
It may not seem like anything, but it helps with my confidence boosting. Being admired does a lot for my workouts too. I tend to feel better about myself because I know that people are noticing the gains (and losses) that I am making. I push harder on the running and go heavier with the weights. Every bit helps.
Next on my list is to get my friends to admire me again. Bwahahaha.
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Working Out with My Family47 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 20, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 13 comments
Over the last week or so I decided to institute a “Family Workout” routine. It basically consists of the entire family (me, my wife, and our 2 year old daughter) going to the park or going out for walks. Something, anything. My wife has been on me for months about going for walks, so this works perfect.
We have been going for walks and going to the park lately. We went to Wal-Mart and purchased some tennis rackets and tennis balls to play with at our community park. We’ve even set up a net in the backyard so that we can play volleyball and badminton.
The problem I am having is that I don’t get an intense enough workout from my family. I know it should be more about spending quality time with the family, but dammit I need to lose a lot of weight. So when I strap on my running shoes I expect to get my heart rate up. Today was an especially bad day because I couldn’t control myself. I was so disheartened with the lack of “exercising” during our park visit that I just wanted to come home and jump on the treadmill. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my beautiful ladies. But I want to exercise at MY pace.
I think I need to stop being so hard on myself, and my family. It’s not their job to make me lose weight, it’s their job to support me through this journey. I’m going to start treating “Family Workout” time as “Family Outside” time. That way I don’t put pressure on us. Yes, that will work. It will work perfectly. Bwahahahaha! That’s my evil laugh for those that don’t know.
I have noticed that I do break a sweat when we go out together, so that’s gonna have to be good enough now. At least until my daughter grows up and starts wanting to go out for runs with me.
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Intervention Leads to Insult47 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 19, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 9 comments
My mom calls me up and tells me to tune into TLC (The Learning Channel). As I am searching through my Dish TV menu guide she is telling me how awesome this show she is watching is. I was extremely eager to find out what it was, until I saw what it was. It was Inside the Brook Haven Obesity Clinic.
While I do have the show DVRed (or Tivo-ed to you Tivo folks), I wasn’t expecting to hear what my mom was just about to say. She had the nerve to compare me to the people on that show. I am fat and I accept that fact, but I ain’t on the level of the people on the show. I weigh over 300 lbs but she some how forgot that I am not the normal 300 pounder. The patients on the show are morbidly obese and most require some kind of surgery in order to lose the weight. Many of them can’t even perform normal, every day activities without some assistance.
So when my mom calls me up and thinks that I should check myself in to the clinic or get gastric bypass surgery, it pisses me off. I know that she is just trying to care for me, but I don’t like being compared to those folks on the show. I feel like I have been progressing nicely with my weight loss and overall health, but this just makes me feel as though I haven’t.
It’s like I have been delusional or something. As if all my progress is just a figment of my imagination. This is definitely a set back in the morale column. Thanks mom! Now I need to go get angry on my treadmill. Yes, that should work nicely.
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Sweaty, Sore, Hungry and a Bet47 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 13, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 2 comments
Let me start off by telling you about my bet. I was helping my bud pack up stuff for a move when he jokingly offered me his large size Dallas Cowboys jersey. I told him it wouldn’t fit me and he agreed. I then told him to give me a few months before it would fit me properly but he scoffed at me. That’s when I decided to make a bet, a bet that I would fit into the jersey within 3 months and it would look GOOD.
So here is a picture of how the jersey looks on me now. The mere fact that I fit into it now is amazing. Deion Sanders, eat your heart out. Who said a 300+ pound man couldn’t where a size Large.
The last few days workouts have been busting my butt. I have upped the ante to two workouts a day so that’s probably the reason why. I have been aiming at having at least two cardio sessions a day. I start my day by eating some cereal, then heading into The Shack for my first session. The Shack, as I call it, is my workout haven. This usually consists of strength training and cardio on the treadmill. After about an hour and a half I get the heck outta there and then have my protein shake and lunch. My second session is usually a non-traditional workout such as going to the park and running around with my daughter or moving some stuff around the house. Although it may not seem like a strong second workout, it is effective because I sweat a ton.
My body is extremely sore from the extra exercising session, but I think I like it. I haven’t felt this kind of soreness in a while. I feel it all over my body. I was beginning to think that I was maybe not working out hard enough or effectively enough, so this is a welcomed change. The soreness goes away right before I workout, but returns right after which gives me a sore-less workout experience. A buddy of mine once told me that pineapples are excellent for muscle soreness. I take glutamine and protein, plus water and sleep. I think that works good for me.
I do get a bit scared about overdoing it. I don’t want to overwork my body to the point where I can’t workout effectively. That’s something I have been thinking about a lot lately. There have been times in my life where I have pulled muscles, broken bones, and twisted ankles. All of those suck big time and I just don’t want to go through that again.
Something else that I realized is that I have been really, really hungry over the past few days. I guess that the thermogenesis is really kicking in now. Which is good, because I need to keep my internal furnace burning if I am going to lose this weight. It’s also been an exercise in mental toughness. There have been moments when I just want to raid the fridge and fill the emptiness that I am feeling in my stomach. I have not been starving myself or anything like that so I guess it’s just the extra workouts that are burning up those calories faster.
On another note, I recorded myself doing some bench sets and running on the treadmill but I couldn’t upload the files to You Tube.
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