Fat Man Down, Looking forward to Biggest Loser41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 25, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 15 comments
Hurt My Ankle, No Weight Loss
Ahhhh! I didn’t lose any weight. My initial reaction is to freak out, but considering what has transpired over the last week, I am fine with it. Last week I hurt my ankle slightly. I pulled a ligament in my ankle and had to sit out a few days. I could barely walk without feeling any pain. Then once that was semi healed, my knee began to bother me. I don’t know if it’s at all mental or if my body just needed a few days off. But I have noticed that whenever I go hard on the two a day workouts that my body begins to get aches and pains that I have only felt during my football playing days. That sucks because I feel derailed, although I think this week I will be able to get back on track. I gotta stay strong!
I plan to start off this week with one hard workout a day, supplemented with a light cardio session. I tried jumping rope the other day and it really kicked my butt. My arms couldn’t sustain the turning of the rope and I felt clumsy as I kept stumbling on the rope as I attempted to jump it. Jumping rope has always come easy to me, so seeing what the effects of massive weight gain can have on my body is disturbing and disheartening. We’ve also been planning on going to the park but it’s been raining every afternoon, which eliminates our family park time.
The Biggest Loser - Week 3
After week ones massive weight loss I wasn’t surprised to see many of the participants with lower weigh lost last week. I was shocked that the numbers were really low for some folks though. The Black team keeps kicking butt and I suspect that they won’t be letting up any time soon. Jillian seems to have some monkey on her back. I don’t know why. I really thought that the red team captain was going to be sent home, which would have been a bummer. I like the guy. Why? Because he is huge and an ex-football player. I have a soft spot for jocks. I am looking forward to tonight’s show. I think the black team will be losing someone this week. Let’s see if I am correct on my prediction.
That’s about all I have for now. This non weight loss has set me back on my competition with Jesse, but I think I can bounce back hardcore style next week for our weigh-in. Jesse, I am gonna win. So don’t even try!
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Showers are a Workout Too41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 21, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 8 comments
Maybe it’s because I am over 300 lbs or maybe it’s because my shower is tiny, but showering is like working out. I tested this by showering yesterday immediately after I worked out and showering today an hour after I worked out. The differences were staggering.
When I showered immediately (within 15 minutes) after working out, I was out of breath. Each movement, each scrub was like an exercise move. I do tend to scrub vigorously, so maybe that is part of it. I could feel myself sweating as the water hit me. I feel my muscles working and it feels as though I am undergoing some sort of endurance challenge. It was almost like yoga: Balancing myself on one leg in order to scrub the bottom of my feet. I actually had to stop in between scrubs so that I could catch my breath. When I waited an hour after working out I was fine. No heavy breathing and no muscle soreness.
I also tested this theory with varying water temperatures. I am a hot shower kind of guy because I like the sauna effect it gives. I found that the temperature of the water doesn’t really effect me that much. It’s more about the time I allot in between my shower and my workout.
This sounds retarded, but think about it. I like the fact that it’s like a workout because I consider it just that, a workout. Albeit, a short one. But it’s just another tool in my arsenal for my weight loss. It reminds me of some aquatic exercises I partook in while in college. My football coach made the entire team take a pool exercising class. They made use run in place, swim, and jump/lung in the water. It was more tiring than I expected it to be. I think I am going sign up at the YMCA for some pool classes.
Is that crazy? Using showering as a workout?
Give it a try and let me know how your next shower goes.
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Working Out with My Family41.2 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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Tipping the Scales: 4 lbs. Lost this Week41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 18, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 4 comments
It may not seem like a lot, but 4 pounds lost is pretty significant to me. Especially considering that it was lost during a 6 day period. I don’t really expect to lose too much weight too fast. Maybe about 10 to 15 lbs per month for the next few months. I think that is realistically in line with my exercise regimen and diet. By the way, I updated my weekly weight loss chart.
I have decided to weigh myself each Tuesday until I get to my goal weight range of 235 to 250 lbs. I like Tuesday weigh-ins for some reason, but don’t really know why. I also plan on updating my pictures on a monthly basis, the next one should be taken on Friday, October 5th and then each 5th of the month there after. By weighing myself on a weekly basis I am holding myself accountable. Which, to me, is paramount for my success. I have noticed that I am starting to “live” my new lifestyle. Working out and eating right is becoming more natural as each day progresses. Making sure to get exercise in each day is extremely important to me now. Something else that I noticed is how much better I feel each day. I feel happy about things.
Last weeks workouts were killer. I had some great weight lifting sessions and my cardio sessions have been kicking my butt (in a good way). My strength is up and I am starting to slowly increase the amounts I lift. Whether I am running at the park, the treadmill, or in my back yard, I feel it. I sweat so much it’s not even funny. Don’t worry, I make sure to keep hydrated. 
The two-a-day cardio sessions have been consistent as well. I make sure to supplement running with walking, playing tennis, or some other activity.
All in all, last week was a good week and I hope to replicate it for the next few months.
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Sweaty, Sore, Hungry and a Bet41.2 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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Drink More Agua41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 11, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 6 comments
I seriously mean it. Drink MORE water. It helps clean your system out. I tend to drink at least a gallon of water a day. Maybe more, I get really thirsty after intense workouts. I also get extremely hungry after an intense workout, but I will cover that some other time.
If you look close enough at the picture you will see my Nike Shox glowing in the background. These, and my New Balance 8500’s, are my favorite running and training shoes. And yes, we recycle.
There are many benefits to drinking water. One of the benefits for me is that it helps me curb my hunger. There are times when I feel hungry although I just ate 30 earlier. During those times I just down some green tea and I am fine (I get most of my water via my green tea). There are times when I seriously just want to binge, but then I open the fridge and the first thing I see is a huge jug of green tea. It’s like my liquid protector.
Another benefit is that I don’t feel dehydrated. I sweat a lot, A LOT! Getting water into my system helps keep me hydrated ahead of time. When I was in the military the drill instructors used to say, “If you’re thirsty, it’s already too late. You’re body is dehydrated.” They used to urge us to drink from our canteens every 15 to 20 minutes, even if we weren’t thirsty. I try, keyword here is TRY, to do employ this technique but the problem with me is that my kidneys process the water really fast. I pee a lot.
Having water circulate through your system helps you clean out your body and kidneys. Have you ever noticed that when you don’t drink enough water that your urine is yellow and stinky? Well, I do. I make sure to always drink enough water so that my urine is clear and odorless. Although I really dislike having to urinate so often, it is a necessary evil. 
Some people think that the more water you drink, the more you will retain. That’s the total opposite of what happens.
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I just had to take a water/piss break. I had to use the bathroom and then decided to drink some water while I was up.
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Something else I have noticed is that when I drink decent amounts of water, my skin is clearer. My pores are cleaner and more open and I have less acne and blemishes. This isn’t something I particularly care about, but some folks may see it as a welcomed side effect.
Drinking an adequate amount of water is good for you, but be wary of drinking too much water. There have been cases in which some people have gotten water poisoning. Sounds weird right? Well, it’s true. A few month’s ago a lady died from over drinking during a radio station contest. She was trying to win a video game system for her kids. She was a single parent. It is important to try and spread out your water drinking and to not drink too much at one time. If you do, you may be drowning your body. That’s what happened to that poor lady.
Did you know that the human body can only last about a week without food and water? But it can last up to a month on only water? Crazy right? Now go drink more agua.
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We Have a Fight On Our Hands!41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 10, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 19 comments
That’s right. A Fat FIGHT!
I’m going to keep this short.
Jesse, from Former Fat Guy, and I have agreed to a weight loss battle. The contest will last 4 weeks. The one with the best stats on October 5th will be victorious. By best stats we mean the best overall change, relative to our bodies. I think.
This is Jesse. I don’t mean to sound cocky, but I am gonna obliterate her with my weight loss. Who does she think she is dealing with here? I am Fat Man Unleashed dammit!!! Challenges like this are what help me cope with the whole “losing weight” thing. It’s fun, gets my mind off of things, and helps me lose weight. What more could you ask for? Give it a try. There won’t be any losers if you really think about it.
Enough talking. It’s time for some inner warrior madness to be unleashed. Let me go jump on my treadmill. It’s time for some two-a-days. My starting weight today is 340 lbs.
It’s on like the sun rising in the East and setting in the West, or is it the other way around? Either way, you know what I mean. It’s on!
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Replace, Remove, Repeat41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 9, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 8 comments
I was having a “comment conversation” with Jesse from Former Fat Guy and as we were discussing a post of mine I blurted the phrase “replace, remove, repeat.” It was in reference to starting out slow and then gradually, over time getting acclimated with the new changes you have made in your life.
Many people fail with their diets and workouts because they make drastic changes that simple leave them feeling empty. By drastically removing things from your life you leave yourself wanting those things and most likely go back to them. There is the occasional person that uses the drastic change technique and is successful, going to boot camps, fat loss farms, military camps, but for the most part it fails. Some folks have the inner warrior that allows them to use this method and succeed. I do it sometimes. What I do is short term drastic changes. What is that? Well, I will set a predefined amount of time that I will practice my drastic change. So say for a month I decide to not eat any bread or rice, I do that for the month and then go back to normal. It may be the difference in losing a few extra pounds or in lowering my cholesterol.
I don’t do that too often, and don’t suggest it either. What I normally do is use the replace method. Instead of permanently removing a food or habit from my daily routine, I replace it. That way I gradually get it out of my system and won’t miss it. It’s almost like the nicotine patch idea: you slowly ween yourself off of the cigarette addiction.
An example of using the replace method is instead of watching television for 3 hours on the couch, replace 30 minutes to an hour of it with some push ups, air squats, and crunches. While you’re are it, do some jumping jacks in between commercial breaks. Another example could be to drink 3 glasses of water for every soda you drink. Little things like that will make you feel way better, both mentally and physically.
So next time you are thinking about starting a new “thing,” don’t make drastic changes. You should instead try to replace something. Over time this will eventually remove that from your life. Then all you have to do is repeat that method.
Simple right? Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
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Next Level? What about my Knees?41.2 lbs LOSTso farSeptember 6, 2007 by Israel Lagares | 8 comments
I think it’s time to start pushing it to the next level. At least I think it is. Isn’t it? Each workout feels easier each day I do it. I think I want to start incorporating some different exercises into my routines.
Yeah, I think that’s what’s best. I think I will run longer on the treadmill, then do some sprints afterwards or possibly jump rope. A buddy of mine gave me a brand new Everlast jump rope. It’s a boxers rope. Pretty slick. The few times I have used it have made me feel like a professional in training. LOL.
The one fear I have is my with my knees. While I know that I have strong legs and knees, I feel like I may push myself too hard and hurt my knees. My high school football coach has had bad knees for years. He just had knee surgery. He told me it hurt like heck.
When I was in New York, I would feel a weird sensation above my knee. It felt like it was vibrating but it didn’t feel weak. It was very odd. As soon as I got back home the feeling went away. Now I am running and cross training and it all feels fine. Aside from the occasional muscle soreness, I haven’t felt anything out of the ordinary as far as my knees are concerned.
Am I over thinking the whole “knee” thing? What do you think?
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Afternoon Sweat Factory41.2 lbs LOSTso farAugust 30, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
I had one of the best workouts I have had in a while today. Yep, I must say I am proud of myself. Although it is very early in my weight loss journey, I am extremely satisfied with the start. If this is a look of what’s to come then I will be at my goal faster then expected. I do expect some road blocks in the coming months, but I will be prepared to stick to the task at hand.
Today I lifted weights and did some cardio. I did a quick bench and triceps workout that consisted of 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps on the bench. Then I did some tricep extensions: 3 sets of 15 reps each. The best part of the workout session was when I stepped onto the treadmill and jogged at a decent speed for 10 minutes non stop. It doesn’t seem like much, but for being a 345 pound guy that hasn’t worked out in a while I am extremely happy with where I am at. I could have stayed on the treadmill longer but my buddy needed me to help him move some large furniture from his new house. I figured I would get a second cardio session in by helping him. Every time a bud or family member needs help moving, they call me up. I guess it’s because they look at me as the big strong guy.
By the time I was done with my workout I was drenched and loving every minute of it. At first I felt as if I should have worked out a bit more, but by the time I got out of the shower I realized that the workout was just fine. I think tomorrow I will step it up a bit, maybe do 15 minutes of cardio. I eventually want to do anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes of cardio per day for about 5 months. Then once I drop most of the weight I want slow it down to 3 to 4 days a week of cardio and 3 days a week of weight training.
Well, I also ate really well today. Some cereal in the morning, fruits for lunch, and chicken and veggies for dinner. It is becoming easier and easier to control myself from all of the enticing delicacies I am used to eating. Things are picking up. They sure are.
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Late Workout Today41.2 lbs LOSTso farAugust 29, 2007 by Israel Lagares | No comments
I woke up today with the desire to workout. But I didn’t right away. Instead I went over to a friends house and helped him move a 250 pound big screen television from his upstairs game room to his downstairs living room. After a few minute and a lot of sweat, we did it. Oh, did I say that I had a sweater on the whole time? It’s about 95 degrees outside. Yep, its Florida. I decided to test myself and had the sweater on almost the whole day. I just took it off actually.
It’s 9 PM on my side of town. Now I need to go workout. I am planning on getting on the treadmill for a few minutes then benching and doing triceps. I hope I have the energy to get a good workout. Time to lace up my Nike Shox, go into the shack, and workout. It should feel really good.
Before I go in though, check out this picture of me. This is a picture of me getting my daily dose of the internet. Notice the huge arms and roles on my sides.
Yuck, I need to get rid of all that fat. I am planning on keeping some size on my arms and chest, but I definitely want them more toned. Plus, I need to cut down on the chubbiness in my face. There’s an extremely chiseled jaw line underneath there somewhere. I know there is.
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