Gained two pounds the past week. Back to 475.
Super bummed about it.
It was totally my fault tho. I miscalculated two big meals this week. (My mother in law pointed it out after the fact.)
No excuses. I just screwed up. I need to do better.
Kim from Snug Harbor Bay sent me a motivational email today including before and after pictures of her son, who has lost alot of weight. I think she's planning on posting his story soon so keep an Eye out.
I took about an hour yesterday and practiced with my bow, trying out the sight I bought for it late last fall. I worked up a pretty good sweat. Soon I'm gonna go for a hike on public land that I might try to hunt this fall and scout out some signs of deer. Don't really know what I'm doing as far as that goes but you gotta start somewhere right? Come to think of it, does anyone know of any resources that would be helpful to a first time deer hunter?
Hope you all are keeping out of the heat.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Unhealthy Outdoorsman 7/22/11
Drumroll please....
-2 more pounds! Down to 473!
Keeping up the pace. I still haven't done much exercise yet, mostly because the change in diet is getting the job done at the moment. I need to get on that.
I had a couple moments this past week where I had to violently fight the urge to binge. Mostly on days off. Seems like when I'm sitting around doing nothing is when the craving hits me.
When I do have a snack attack, I've still been replacing junk with fresh fruit. Seems to be working.
I went into the doctor's office today to weigh in and the receptionist now knows why I'm there, she just waves me into the back, I stroll back and weigh myself. Pretty nifty. Once I get below the 440 mark, I have a scale that'll work at home. I think that's my first short term goal, being able to weigh myself at home.
I think I'll look into setting up some kind of tracker on the blog to mark my loss in the next few days.
Well, not much else to report. Thanks everybody for your support.
-2 more pounds! Down to 473!
Keeping up the pace. I still haven't done much exercise yet, mostly because the change in diet is getting the job done at the moment. I need to get on that.
I had a couple moments this past week where I had to violently fight the urge to binge. Mostly on days off. Seems like when I'm sitting around doing nothing is when the craving hits me.
When I do have a snack attack, I've still been replacing junk with fresh fruit. Seems to be working.
I went into the doctor's office today to weigh in and the receptionist now knows why I'm there, she just waves me into the back, I stroll back and weigh myself. Pretty nifty. Once I get below the 440 mark, I have a scale that'll work at home. I think that's my first short term goal, being able to weigh myself at home.
I think I'll look into setting up some kind of tracker on the blog to mark my loss in the next few days.
Well, not much else to report. Thanks everybody for your support.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Fishing with Grandpa 7/14/11
I don't know if I mentioned it previously but I recently switched to a schedule that lets me out at 3:30 but requires that I work Saturdays. Kind of a bummer but I realized that the Thursdays that I have off are now Markdays. I can do whatever the hell I want, with no get togethers, functions, or plans the wife told me about three weeks ago that I totally forget about until the day of.
THEN I realized I have someone an hour and a half away who is retired and down to fish any Thursday I could possibly want:
So, I threw my Shakespeare Catfish Ugly Stik in the back of the Explorer first thing in the morning and headed up for day of catching tasty catfish.
Well, all Grandpa had in mind was tasty catfish. After my recent outing with my dad, I have a bit of the Carp Fever. When I asked if they had a spare can of sweet corn, I got a "why waste your time" look. Well about 5 minutes after we had anchored by the Dixon dam, my zinging drag and net-that-could-only-fit-half-the-fish gave the answer.
Grandpa caught a couple catfish, and then about 15 minutes later I had another carp bite.
Actually, that's not accurate. I looked up to see my pole starting to get lifted off the bottom of the boat, I set the hook and it was ON. The fish took three runs of 30+ yards with my drag set as tight as the 20lb test mono would allow. We had to pull up the other three poles from the back of the boat to avoid tangles as the fish tore back and forth in the water. After a few minutes, I got it up to the surface but every time I'd start to net it, it was dash off another 10 yards or so. A couple tries and Grandpa took over the and we finally got her in.
Not the 30lb monster I was expecting after the fight I experienced. (I can't imagine how some of the pigs from Pondbass, Fly-Carpin, Carp on the Fly, or US Carp Pro Magazine fight.) Not shabby either though. I promise to bring my scale along on future carp trips to start documenting sizes.
That fish, although not massive, bent my #6 baitholder into some bastardized version of a circle hook. When I attempted to bend it back, it broke. Like a dork, I only grabbed my already-rigged pole and none of my tackle before the drive up. I tied on a #4 Aberdeen but it just wasn't the same. For some reason, the carp wouldn't touch the new hook. Too big maybe?
Anyway, the catfish weren't biting in that particular spot so we pulled anchor and drifted about 50 yards to reanchor under one of the bridges with a good view of the town's new waterfront.
We eventually pulled up anchor a couple more times before we got into the catfish. Lots of little ones. After a total of 4 hours, (Grandpa with 5+ keepers, me with 2, but who's counting?) we just drove back and anchored 50 yards from Grandpa's dock (He lives on the river, lucky guy) and proceeded to catch our two biggest fist of the day. (Mine was the biggest but who's keeping track?) After a little bit and a few more catfish, we headed in to clean the fish for Grandpa and Grandma to eat later on.
All in all, 2 carp, 13 keeper catfish and a mess of little ones. A good outing with my grandpa. Something we'll have to do more often, especially while I still have Thursdays off.
THEN I realized I have someone an hour and a half away who is retired and down to fish any Thursday I could possibly want:
 |
| Sorry ladies, he's taken. By my Grandma. So back off. |
Well, all Grandpa had in mind was tasty catfish. After my recent outing with my dad, I have a bit of the Carp Fever. When I asked if they had a spare can of sweet corn, I got a "why waste your time" look. Well about 5 minutes after we had anchored by the Dixon dam, my zinging drag and net-that-could-only-fit-half-the-fish gave the answer.
Grandpa caught a couple catfish, and then about 15 minutes later I had another carp bite.
Actually, that's not accurate. I looked up to see my pole starting to get lifted off the bottom of the boat, I set the hook and it was ON. The fish took three runs of 30+ yards with my drag set as tight as the 20lb test mono would allow. We had to pull up the other three poles from the back of the boat to avoid tangles as the fish tore back and forth in the water. After a few minutes, I got it up to the surface but every time I'd start to net it, it was dash off another 10 yards or so. A couple tries and Grandpa took over the and we finally got her in.
 |
| BTW, super bad choice to alter this shirt to sleeveless just because of a hole in the armpit. My arms are ultra burnt and still blistery. |
That fish, although not massive, bent my #6 baitholder into some bastardized version of a circle hook. When I attempted to bend it back, it broke. Like a dork, I only grabbed my already-rigged pole and none of my tackle before the drive up. I tied on a #4 Aberdeen but it just wasn't the same. For some reason, the carp wouldn't touch the new hook. Too big maybe?
Anyway, the catfish weren't biting in that particular spot so we pulled anchor and drifted about 50 yards to reanchor under one of the bridges with a good view of the town's new waterfront.
 |
| Cuz, you know. There's nothing else you could spend money on but a gazebo, fancy stairs, and walls that keep shore fisherman from being fishermen. The public school has to run ridiculous fundraisers to keep athletic and fine art programs but at least the kids can lounge by the river with their newfound free time. *Off soap box* |
All in all, 2 carp, 13 keeper catfish and a mess of little ones. A good outing with my grandpa. Something we'll have to do more often, especially while I still have Thursdays off.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Who needs a Buff...
... when you can just cut the sleeves off of a 5xl shirt?
Then again, I haven't ever found a shirt in Largemouth.
Then again, I haven't ever found a shirt in Largemouth.
Unhealthy Outdoorsman 7/13/11
Just a quick update on how the weight loss is going. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read and then come back. I'll wait.)
The day after my last post, I went and weighed in at the doctor's office. (The only place with a scale that goes high enough.) I was still at 477. I was a little disheartened as my weight hadn't changed in almost a week but I kept on keeping on. Noone said it would happen rapidly or be easy.
I stopped in today to find out that since last wednesday I've lost another 2 lbs! That brings the total weight loss to 5lbs and current body weight down to 475lbs.
A few days ago Paul (click the link to see his post busting me out to all his readers as well.) sent me some nutrition guidelines. (Thanks again Paul) After that I switched out any snack foods I would usually have for raw almonds and fresh fruit and have been making better choices as far as what I make myself for dinner. (Tuna sandwiches on whole wheat and even made myself some wild caught salmon last night) I'm also making sure to eat something every 3 hours to keep my metabolism up. I think it's helping. I'm still tracking my points via Weight Watchers but since changing things up it's hard to even come close to my allotted points so it might be a mute point now.
I feel less lethargic already. I don't know if it's from my diet change or something else but it's a marked change from a couple weeks ago. Hopefully that keeps up.
2 pounds may not be alot but 2 pounds a week for a year... That's something to look forward to. Hopefully I can keep up the pace. Thanks everybody for your comments on the last post, they motivated me quite a bit this past week.
In completely unrelated news, I'm taking advantage of my new schedule giving me Thursdays off instead of Saturdays to drive up to Dixon, IL and go fishing with my Grandpa. If all goes according to plan, we'll be taking his pontoon out on the Rock River and fishing for bottom feeders. If nothing goes according to plan, we'll be sitting in his backyard and fishing for bottom feeders. Either way, be on the lookout the next couple of days for a report and some fish pics soon.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Unhealthy Outdoorsman
Hello, my name is Mark and I'm an Unhealthy Outdoorsman.
How unhealthy you ask?
477 pounds unhealthy.
So unhealthy that it makes me a bad outdoorsman. I get winded carrying light fishing gear up a hill. I limit myself in how far away from my Explorer I'll walk to chase fish and I know it's limiting my fishing success. The reason you've never seen hunting material on the blog is because camo isn't easily found in a 5xlt top and 52x34in bottom. That and I've never found a treestand rated for 500lbs.
This is the same reason you've never read about me kayaking or wading a stream for smallmouth. There is exactly one pair of waders that might fit me. Buying them would feel like enabling myself to not lose any weight.
How did I get so damn fat you ask? It's not one decision or behavior that led me here, more a perfect storm of factors that have converged over the years. I'm a boredom eater, fast food addict, I work on my ass in a call center, living a mostly sedentary lifestyle since junior high, etc.
Why am I bitching about this on my outdoors-themed blog? Because I need your help.
You see, I'm a follower of healthyoutdoorsman.com, a blog with workout/dietary tips geared exactly towards me and others like me, the unhealthy outdoorsmen. It's run by Paul, a die-hard outdoorsman who is also a personal trainer. (Check it out when you get a minute, it's great motivation.)
Anyway, the other day Paul posted a bit about a diet he personally was going to try out. It intrigued me and I left a quick comment letting him know I was gonna give it a shot.
The diet in question didn't work out for me but it did inspire me to get started on Weight Watchers, which I've done for just over a week and have lost 3lbs on already! Paul sent me an email out of the blue today asking if I had tried out the diet and offering advice if I was serious about losing some weight. He offered to let me try out some of the workout routines he has in the work and such. I'm jumping at the chance, I need all the help I can get.
Which brings me to the real reason for my post. Paul suggested that I blog my experiences in losing weight and I think it's a good idea. Why? Because my wife will love me even if I bloated to Jabba the Hutt-like proportions, and "real-life" friends point out that at 6'5", it's ok for me to weigh more than the average joe.
I need people to hold me accountable. If I don't post for a week or two I need someone to comment and get on my case. When I accomplish something I need congratulations. I know I'm asking alot but I'm hoping you can help. If you don't want to I hope you don't mind ignoring regular "unhealthy outdoorsman" posts.
So what's my plan to lose the 250lbs to get down to a normal weight? Well, as I said above, I've been using Weight Watchers for a little over a week and have already seen success. For now, I'm going to keep that up as far as the nutritional side of things goes.
About a year and a half ago, I got really into running for a couple months when I was 440lbs. I was able to run a 5k in about 40 mins. Believe it or not, about a week and a half ago at 480lbs, I ran 2 miles. (It took half an hour and there may have been as much walking as running but I did it.) There is a 5k coming up at the end of August that I think I want to try to run to give me a short term goal. If Paul gives me some tips I'll be sure to implement them and document the results too.
So what do you think? Feel free to share any encouragement/tips/healthy recipes/success stories in comments section, I'm happy to read them.
(BTW, if you read this far, thanks for sticking around for all that. I feel like an addict going through the "admit you have a problem" stage. )
EDIT: After Paul got me posted on the OBN reader approved list, I've had a couple extra visitors to the blog. If you're one of them, welcome and thanks for checking it out. I've already posted an update here with some results and I'll keep linking to the newest weigh-in.
How unhealthy you ask?
477 pounds unhealthy.
 |
| Carp-ulent, if you will. |
So unhealthy that it makes me a bad outdoorsman. I get winded carrying light fishing gear up a hill. I limit myself in how far away from my Explorer I'll walk to chase fish and I know it's limiting my fishing success. The reason you've never seen hunting material on the blog is because camo isn't easily found in a 5xlt top and 52x34in bottom. That and I've never found a treestand rated for 500lbs.
This is the same reason you've never read about me kayaking or wading a stream for smallmouth. There is exactly one pair of waders that might fit me. Buying them would feel like enabling myself to not lose any weight.
How did I get so damn fat you ask? It's not one decision or behavior that led me here, more a perfect storm of factors that have converged over the years. I'm a boredom eater, fast food addict, I work on my ass in a call center, living a mostly sedentary lifestyle since junior high, etc.
Why am I bitching about this on my outdoors-themed blog? Because I need your help.
You see, I'm a follower of healthyoutdoorsman.com, a blog with workout/dietary tips geared exactly towards me and others like me, the unhealthy outdoorsmen. It's run by Paul, a die-hard outdoorsman who is also a personal trainer. (Check it out when you get a minute, it's great motivation.)
Anyway, the other day Paul posted a bit about a diet he personally was going to try out. It intrigued me and I left a quick comment letting him know I was gonna give it a shot.
The diet in question didn't work out for me but it did inspire me to get started on Weight Watchers, which I've done for just over a week and have lost 3lbs on already! Paul sent me an email out of the blue today asking if I had tried out the diet and offering advice if I was serious about losing some weight. He offered to let me try out some of the workout routines he has in the work and such. I'm jumping at the chance, I need all the help I can get.
Which brings me to the real reason for my post. Paul suggested that I blog my experiences in losing weight and I think it's a good idea. Why? Because my wife will love me even if I bloated to Jabba the Hutt-like proportions, and "real-life" friends point out that at 6'5", it's ok for me to weigh more than the average joe.
I need people to hold me accountable. If I don't post for a week or two I need someone to comment and get on my case. When I accomplish something I need congratulations. I know I'm asking alot but I'm hoping you can help. If you don't want to I hope you don't mind ignoring regular "unhealthy outdoorsman" posts.
So what's my plan to lose the 250lbs to get down to a normal weight? Well, as I said above, I've been using Weight Watchers for a little over a week and have already seen success. For now, I'm going to keep that up as far as the nutritional side of things goes.
About a year and a half ago, I got really into running for a couple months when I was 440lbs. I was able to run a 5k in about 40 mins. Believe it or not, about a week and a half ago at 480lbs, I ran 2 miles. (It took half an hour and there may have been as much walking as running but I did it.) There is a 5k coming up at the end of August that I think I want to try to run to give me a short term goal. If Paul gives me some tips I'll be sure to implement them and document the results too.
So what do you think? Feel free to share any encouragement/tips/healthy recipes/success stories in comments section, I'm happy to read them.
(BTW, if you read this far, thanks for sticking around for all that. I feel like an addict going through the "admit you have a problem" stage. )
EDIT: After Paul got me posted on the OBN reader approved list, I've had a couple extra visitors to the blog. If you're one of them, welcome and thanks for checking it out. I've already posted an update here with some results and I'll keep linking to the newest weigh-in.
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