Tipping the Scales: 3 lbs. Lost this Week41.2 lbs LOSTso farOctober 16, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 24 comments
I am not happy with this weigh-in. Last week I said I would lose 5 lbs for this weigh-in, but failed. I hate failing. I feel like a failure now. Losing 3 lbs wasn’t enough.
I have that dubious goal of being under 300 lbs by November 1st, which now leaves me with 15 days to lose 16 pounds. That means that I have to lose more than one pound a day which isn’t exactly a safe thing to do. I don’t know if I can do it and now that means that I will fail again. The lack of confidence isn’t being helped here. Not one bit.
Since it seems a little far fetched to try and lose 16 lbs in 15 days, I am going to alter my goal. The new goal is to be near 305 lbs (over or under by 3 lbs) or less by November 1st. I think that’s a more attainable goal for me. I will keep on busting my butt though. This isn’t going to be a cake walk, but I am hoping to do it anyway. I am not going to change anything as far as my workout is concerned. I like how things are and I like the pump and sweat that I get from my weight lifting and cardio sessions. Looks like I am going to have to hop on the recumbent bike as I watch The Biggest Loser tonight.
Here’s to a bigger weight loss next week of 8 pounds. I hope. 
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Don’t Ignore the Man Boobs on My Chest41.2 lbs LOSTso farOctober 12, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 20 comments
Yes, that’s right. I have man boobs. I may not be proud of them, but I have enough guts to show them off to the world. The only reason I am displaying my man boobs is because I want to feel pressured into losing them. I have had my man boobs, or moobs, for a few years now and I hate them so bad. I used to have boy boobs when I was kid too. Having to find ways to cover them up was one of the worst things in the world.
Then I started working out and they went down. They actually turned into muscle and I was proudly showing off my chest. That was until I let myself go again. Now I am here today with my man boobs, angry as hell for letting myself get to this point. There are certain shirts that I wear that cover them up, but most don’t. I have never entertained the idea of a Bro, a man bra, or of plastic surgery so that’s out of the picture. My only hope is to get in shape and lose these man boobs the old fashioned way.
Please don’t ignore my man boobs. I need the awkwardness and shame that they make me feel. That is the only way I can lose them. I found a site that had a bunch of guys submitting their man boob pictures, but I won’t link to it since it’s really disturbing. These guys embrace their man boobs and get off on it. I think some of them actually have implants. It’s kinda freaky and weird. I’ll give you a hint: It’s a UK domain name for man boobs. Back to the subject at hand: my chest. Mine aren’t as bad a those guys on that site. I can do push ups and bench presses but it feels like they will never go down this time around. I think doing cardio will help reduce them, but not fast enough!!!!!
Is it too late for me? I hope not. I don’t know what I would do if I had to keep my man boobs after I lost the weight. One thing I can’t stand is when I see a skinny guy with man boobs. Like what the heck dude, just do some damn push ups. It’s the most annoying thing in the world. Remember Chandler on Friends? Ugh. If you’re gonna have man boobs at least be fat.
I also want to get rid of my man boobs because of the possibility of developing male breast cancer. Many people think that it’s not as prevalent as it really is. It exists and afflicts many men each year. Getting rid of my man boobs can help me lower my risk of breast cancer and help get my self esteem up. Two birds with one stone. What more can you ask for?
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Tae Bo Aerobics Kicked My Butt41.2 lbs LOSTso farOctober 10, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 13 comments
On Monday I did Tae bo for the second time in my life. Every now and again my wife convinces me to work out to her tune. Last time I did Tae Bo with her was in our cramped apartment in New York City about 4 years ago. I ended up pulling a back muscle and vowing to never do Tae Bo again. I was in good shape when that occurred. I found that Tae Bo gave me a decent cardiovascular workout, which totally shocked me, but was not about to risk pulling any more muscles.
It was a cardio day and we had just gotten back from our family time at the park. We tried running around on the grass but we both felt awkward and stiff so we just continued to play with the baby until she decided to come home. I didn’t feel like running on the treadmill so we opted to get some aerobics work in by way of Billy Blanks. Man was it tough. I wanted to stop mid way, especially when he had us doing round house kicks and donkey kicks. I was sweating tremendously within a few minutes and my legs and arms were burning. My wife on the other hand was getting through it with ease which made me look like a chump.
A side not on Mr. Blanks: I recall seeing him in some martial arts movies and along side Jean Claude Van Damme when I was a kid. I guess he never really took off as an action star. Oh well. LOL.
My wife has had the original Billy Blanks Tae Bo video cassette for years, since 1998. I recall buying her a more recent DVD edition a couple of years ago but she only does that one on weekends. She wakes up every morning at 6 AM and pops in the Tae Bo and gets her aerobics in before heading off to work. I admire the fact that she is tough enough, both mentally and physically, to get up each day and do that.
We both recently began trying to get back into shape and it is definitely paying off. She has lost about 8 lbs and is almost at her goal of 125. But aside from the weight loss she has reduced the size of her waist, belly, hips and thighs. It’s so amazing how the human body works when you workout and eat right. At first glance it doesn’t seem like she has done much to change her lifestyle, but when you think about it the small changes are what’s causing such a big effect on her body. We have both cut back on over eating, drinking unnecessary “juices” and carbonated beverages, and indulging on sugar packed snacks. She isn’t a saint but she does a lot better now. She has more wiggle room than I do as far as what she can eat since she didn’t have to drop over 80 lbs.
I was glad to have shared some workout bounding time with my wife. It was cool to incorporate something new into my routine so that I could get my workout in for the day. I was also glad to finally face my Tae Bo fears. I was afraid of pulling another muscle but I got through it. Victory!
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Tipping the Scales: 2 lbs. Lost this Week41.2 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 Track41.2 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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Monthly Weight Loss Pictures: 320 Lbs41.2 lbs LOSTso farOctober 5, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 27 comments
Well, it’s that time again. Time to post my monthly weight loss photos. This is a warning: The following is not a pretty site, if you are weak in the stomach then close out. NOW! I have been dreading taking these shots for a while, but I think it is a necessary evil.
Before I get to the pics, I want to touch on the subject of a weight loss contest that a certain someone by the name of Jesse challenged me to. It was about a month ago and the winner would be the one that lost the most weight all around. I think we all know who won. –>ME. But, seriously, I think we are both winners in this. She shed 7 lbs and lost a considerable amount of inches. I lost a total of 20 lbs and feel good with what’s to come. We both got closer to our goals and helped each other out in the process. You can see my updated stats on my Weight Loss Chart section.
So without further ado, here are the monthly pictures of the Fat Man Unleashed. Gulp. After seeing myself I realized how much farther I need to go, but I also realized that it’s one day at a time. I must say, I look way better with a shirt on. The stretch marks seem to be getting darker, which makes me angry.
You can compare them with my first fat pictures here. What do you think? Any progress? I don’t think so.
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Tipping the Scales: 4 lbs. Lost this Week41.2 lbs LOSTso farOctober 2, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 16 comments
Another week gone by and another weigh-in. I had been looking forward to today’s weigh-in all week because I was having a huge week workout wise. I estimated that I would lose about 5 lbs. I was off by one pound. Not bad.
I think it’s good weight that I am losing, not just water weight. I may be building some muscle too, so that may lead to lower weight loss numbers per week. To date I have lost 20 lbs. It should be more but I had to take that one week off when my ankle was hurting. It seems like both a lot and a little.
I am 51 lbs away from my main longterm goal of 269 lbs. My next goal is to lose 21 more pounds so that I am below 300 lbs by the end of October. I think that implementing short term goals helps because it gives you a sense of satisfaction when you hit a benchmark, no matter how big or how small it may be.
Yesterday I decided to switch up my routine a bit. As you can see by the photo, it definitely makes me sweat. I plan on weight lifting Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. During these days I will also perform some cardio, either on my recumbent bike, the treadmill, or the park. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are my primary cardio days. These will be my HIIT days. I love HIIT. I will also work my abs and some calisthenics such as push ups and other military style exercises. Sunday will be my “do whatever” day. Whatever feels right is what I will do. If I need to rest and take a day off, so be it.
So that’s my routine in a nutshell. Simple right?
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Stretch Marks Are My Biggest Regret41.2 lbs LOSTso farOctober 1, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 33 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 Bought a Recumbent Bike41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 30, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 19 comments
I just purchased a recumbent bike from Wal-Mart. It’s the a Stamina Model # 4755. I know it’s not the best quality but I think it will fulfill its purpose for now. Plus it was only $108 bucks. It’s pretty cool and gets the job done for now. I just felt like I needed to have a back up machine for when I couldn’t run on the treadmill. There are days when I just can’t go all out on the treadmill. Now I can perform some HIIT on the bike. It’s supposed to only hold up to 250 lbs. Ha! It held me up good (300+ lbs). It makes no noise and actually gives me a good workout. I know that I will be getting a good workout from it. So will my wife.
My Sunday was a good one. It was a nice day outside: Sunny and windy. So the family went to the park and it was great. We ran around, we played tennis, and we enjoyed ourselves. I managed to work my abs out too. When we got back home my wife made a delicious egg, chicken, and vegetable omelet for dinner that satisfied every craving I had today. My mouth just watered a little thinking of it. It’s late and I need to sleep. That’s all I got in me for today.
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I Almost Didn’t Workout but then…41.2 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 Survived41.2 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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