2018 Goals

Beat Diabetes (A1C < 5.6)
Lower Cholesterol  (< 200)
Weigh under 200lbs
Reduce Neck and Shoulder Pain

4.5 Years Later

It's been over 4 years since I started this blog and I've come to a point in my life that I need this blog again to save my life. I've been through a lot since my last post, from new jobs, new home, new relationship to also new challenges. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few years ago and it's an uphill battle ever since. I feel like my weight and health go up and down like a rollercoaster. I hope that I find some motivation to better my health and well being. Cheers to 2018, the year I will beat diabetes!

To be continued..

I am at the weight of 213 lbs as of 07/21/13.

Continue my journey on my new blog: 150daystochange.blogspot.com

Where my goal is to change my life in 150 days, which will be December 19, 2013 my 25th birthday.

Thank you everyone for reading and following.

Day 49 - Sick.

I feel extremely sick right now. My throat is killing me, I have a nasty cough, and phlegm in my lungs and sinuses. At any rate, I was watching The Biggest Loser, and it's the season of "No Excuses". I'm sick, I've worked all day, I'm tired, I just want to stay in bed forever and never get up.... I'm not going to make an excuse, and will work out tonight after work. Tomorrow will be day 50 and I will also be taking my measurements. I am not expecting a high number, I didn't get as many work outs this month as I would have liked, and battling sickness doesn't help either. This was a stressful month, and I do know, after reading many articles in Men's Health on my Kindle Fire, that stress can cause someone to not lose as much weight or even gain weight.

I will post some new photos tomorrow, and be ready to see some results!

-Dennis

Worst Day of Nutrition...

Not a good day for my nutrition, I will have to work out extra hard this week...

Dear Angelica,

Kick my butt please.

Thank you,

-Dennis

Day 39 - Free Weights, Basketball, and Acquaintances

Today was a rather interesting day. I started the afternoon with lunch at Ziggy's Bar and Grill where I got a buffalo burger with a side of fruit. I was with my friend celebrating her birthday. We went to Sprinkles Cupcake and Crave Cupcake where we each bought one from each store. I know...that I shouldn't have cupcakes, but I thought it was a special one time occasion. Dinner rolled around and I had a grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, and onion stir fry w/ brown rice. Late that evening was when I decided to work out.

The gym was practically empty with the few 4-5 other members training. There was this one particular member who I've seen before, seemed like he didn't really have any set routines. He jumped from one exercise to the next, it seemed like only one set each exercise, and the entire gym, no kidding, had various weights/bars/swiss balls/mats/etc that he used all over the floor. I felt bad for the employee that was going to have to pick up after him.

Besides that, I did my workout. Bench Press with 30 lbs free weights, shoulder press with the 20 lbs free weights, triceps extension and bicep curls using the cables. Butterfly press with the cables, more triceps/biceps/shoulder work outs, leg press and hamstring extensions on the machines. With all of the exercises I did 3 Sets of 12. I also did crunches on the floor, crunches on the swiss ball, side crunches with the exercise ball. I did 2 sets of squats on the BOSU ball until my knees started to hurt. Overall, a good work out.

I then decided to shoot some hoops and when I got to the court, there were three other guys that were playing 21, and asked if i wanted to play. I knew my knees were still weak, but I let them know and they went easy on me for the most part. I loved it though. Playing basketball.....I was not good at all, and only made three baskets, but it was fun. In doing so I met people at the gym. One of which, I think is training with one of the other personal trainers, James, if I'm not mistaken.

All in all, it was a good day...besides the cupcakes, but I hope that I can keep this momentum going.

Thanks for reading!

-Dennis

Day 33 - The 100 Club, Knees, & Basketball

I reached a small stepping stone this weekend, and that is weighing under 200 lbs. It always feels so good to weigh one hundred and so and so. The training has become more and more beneficial, and I am feeling better, starting to see some physical results, as well as getting stronger, faster, and smaller.

I've noticed that I've gone up in weight on the bench press, from benching the bar, to now benching 75 lbs.

Tonight, after my weight training and cardio, I decided to take advantage of the empty basketball court and shoot some hoops. I didn't do so well, but I guess running for the ball is somewhat a form of exercise. I remember kids in the neighborhood where I grew up always playing street ball outside. I always wanted to play. When I did befriend them, I sucked...a lot. I wasn't good at all, I didn't understand the game, and I gave up. I stopped trying. Another part of my childhood was being involved in the YMCA Basketball. I was part of the "Lakers", and I was part of the team that was undefeated!....problem was, I was a bench warmer, and when I did play, I never got the ball. When I did get the ball, I always missed. The only time I really got to shoot the basketball were from the free throw line. I miss both shots, I got the rebound, fouled, and missed the first shot. I then made the second shot, but the damn ref counted it no good because I was passed the line...

Tonight, I made up for it. I shot from the free throw line, made 7-8 good shots, and it made me just want to practice it more and more. Although my knees are bad, I would like to be able to play one day, and be good at it too.

In regards to my knees, I finally seeked medical attention and went and saw my physician. I have discovered that I have thin cartilage, which is almost like bone to bone from my tibia to my patella (or knee cap). I also got an x-ray and will soon find out if I should worry. The doctor recommended me anti-inflammatory medicine and glucosamine.

Now off to bed...I have work in 4-5 hours...

-Dennis

Day 25 - Nutrition is the Key

The weekend was a good weekend overall. I didn't work out on Saturday, so I worked out on Sunday instead. I did weight training today, worked out my pectorals, abs, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and back. Nutrition wise, I had oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast, a protein shake after the work out, and tried to eat every three hours when I could.

After reading some articles that Angelica sent me, I am starting to understand how much carbohydrates and amino acids are important in order for me to reach my goals. The carbohydrates provide two things for my body.

1. Energy to perform at maximum level. For example, if I do not eat before I work out, I will not be at 100%. Which is very important that I eat an hour before I work out. One training session I had with Angelica, I was running on empty. She had to get me a protein shake towards the end of the session. The carbohydrates is like gas for your body, to make sure it keeps running.

2. Repair/Rebuild - After a workout, you need carbohydrates in order to give you, once again, energy to rebuild your muscles.

Overall, it was a good weekend, but after today, I will be on a 7 day work week. I am hoping that all will be okay and I won't be as tired throughout the week.

Day 22 - New Month, New Goals

Today, was a wonderful day. In two weeks, I've lost 1.5% body fat. I went from being unhealthy on the body fat chart to acceptable! I had a training session with Angelica today and during my session today, is that my legs are weak and it will take steps in order for it to get better. We did a work out on the hip abductor, which I have always seen a lot of women on the machine, doing so many reps so that they can burn the fat off of their hips, but I learned that with the correct posture, weight, and consistency, it would be possible to increase the strength and muscle at the same time as burning off the fat.

I was really proud of myself for doing 75lbs on the bench press today. I remember when I first started years ago, I could only lift the bar. I have come a long way from back then.

So we set out some goals today, and my target goal for this month is to lose 5% body fat. It's going to be a tough feat to accomplish, but I think with the right training and possibly the purchase of a bodybugg, it will help track what I eat, how much I'm burning, and what I'm doing throughout the day.

In regards to the gym in Rice Village, it is an amazing facility. It's one of the cleanest gyms I've ever been to in Houston. There is always towels ready for you when you are greeted at the door, and did I mention they have a basketball court and a racquetball court as well!

Day 20 - Dreams & Goals

Today was not such a great day today with regards to my nutrition. This morning at 6AM, I was running late for work, didn't eat breakfast, I didn't eat lunch, I had no food in my body until after I got off of work at 4PM. That's 10 hours of time with no food for energy. Top it off, I went to Panera Bread, had 1/2 a chicken panini, chips, and a side salad. I then started to snack. Snacked on things when I don't quite know if I was hungry. On Thursday, I need to clean out my kitchen, get rid of anything that would not comply with my diet, and go to the grocery store for some healthier options.

On the bright side, I went to the gym at 10:30PM, I've never gone that late at night, and it's not as crowded as opposed to 4PM on a weekday. The pool was empty, few people working out in the free weights area, a few people working out in the cardio section, and a lot of guys playing basketball.

Speaking of basketball, I really miss playing it. I used to play basketball in the summer days of high school. I was never really good at it, but I tried. It just reminded me of always wanting to be good at it. I was never better than any of my other friends at that time, but it was a good work out when I did play. Now that I'm having these problems with my knees, I don't know if it'll ever be possible to even play. Switching your weight from side to side and quickly would probably not be good for my knees. I might as well work on my shot.

So I did cardio tonight, I was on the elliptical for 30 minutes, and then in the sauna for 15. It was very relaxing going into the sauna after my cardio, might as well sweat some more and sweat some toxins out of my system.

Tomorrow, I am going to do more cardio because I am doing weights on Thursday.

Dinner for One: Pan-Seared Salmon w/ Sauteed Mushrooms














Ingredients:

1/2 lb Fresh Atlantic Salmon - $4.00
1 Lemon - $.50
1 bunch Cilantro - $.33
1 pkg Whole Mushrooms - $1.70
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Total Cost: $6.53

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Sprinkle the seasonings on both sides of the salmon. Heat oil in skillet. Sear the salmon, skin down, in the skillet until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Take a sheet pan and place a sheet of foil on it. Place the salmon on the sheet pan, skin side up, and cook in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the salmon is flaky.

While the salmon is in the oven, clean the mushroom thoroughly. Remove the stems from the mushroom caps. With the same oil and skillet that was used earlier, toss the mushrooms in the skillet over medium-high heat. Sauteed until tender and serve with the salmon when it's done.

Chop some cilantro and slice some lemons for garnish.

Enjoy!

Day 14 - McDonald's

It was quite a long day today. I had work all morning, and stayed for an hour meeting, and then had my training session with Angelica. We started my work out with leg work outs again. The goal is trying to strengthen my quads so that it can support my weak knees. We worked out all upper body as well and a goal that Angelica gave me is to do push-ups every day, adding one push-up a day. I also, played a small joke with Angelica, that I ate McDonald's right before the training session and she almost flipped out. Part of me wanted to get in super trouble so that she could kick my butt even harder. After the work out, I had a 50g protein shake, went home, had one beer [Shiner Bock Light Blonde], and am watching shows on tv with my roommate. I still need to get up and do Cardio!

Until next time,

-Dennis

Day 13 - All That Jazz!

Today was an interesting day. It started off very well, I slept in later than normal, and I tried a new grab and go place to eat. I tried Tru Meals today for lunch, I had a Tuna and Apple Salad with Pita Bread and Carrots Sticks. The meal was medium size, had 27g of Protein, and had moderate calories and very low fat. Tru Meals had a lot more variety than My Fit Foods, it's a bit more expensive, but I must admit it does taste better.

I had my training session with Angelica today. She tried a couple different work outs to help support my knees. Since I have bad knees, and I think I might have a Runner's Knee, the exercises with the resistance bands will help tremendously. We were on the bench press again today, adding 5 more lbs to the bar. It was a good work out today. After the work out, we took [shirtless] before photos, which I will post shortly.

After the training session, later that evening, I went to a beginner's Jazz dancing lesson with my friend Brent. It was more intense than I thought it would be. We stretched and warmed up for 30 minutes, did a core work out for 5-10, and the rest of the time we were dancing, or rather following the instructors precise directions. I learned how to do a pirouette! It was a pretty good class, a bit fast pace than I wanted it to be, but nonetheless it was also a good work out.

At the end of the night, we had dinner at Ziggy's Bar and Grill in Montrose. It's a healthy restaurant, that had a lot of amazing items on it's menu. Brent got Spaghetti and Meatball with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Mixed Veggies. I got the Grilled Salmon, Carrots, and a healthy Macaroni and Cheese.

I will post photos soon.

Thanks for reading!

-Dennis

Day 12 - The Year of the Dragon

Today, was a very long day filled with running around town, driving to Huntsville, Texas, and full of festivities with the Chinese New Years today. I am part of a Chinese Dragon Dancing Troupe that perform all over Houston, and today was the busiest day of the year.

In regards to my diet today, it was not a very good day. I had a lousy breakfast, a not so great lunch, and a late night dinner. Overall, I could have done better. The one problem I have is my nutrition. I am not eating well enough and not often enough. I understand that food provides energy, but at times, I just don't feel like eating, and when I do, it hasn't been the best choices I've made.

Tomorrow, I have a training session with Angelica and then I am taking dancing lessons with my friend Brent later in the evening. I hope to get enough sleep tonight, and continue to do what I need to do to reach my goals.

Day 10 - Personal Training Day

Today, I woke up bright and early so that I would make sure I had a very good breakfast for my work out with Angelica. I had fat free yogurt, a banana, V8 Fusion Juice, and a turkey and cheese sandwich with fat free mayo. I came to the gym and did some cardio on the ellipticals, and afterwards I thought I had my training at 9am, but it was 10am, so I did some more cardio and I went to the stationary bikes. I had some more time, so I also sat in the Sauna for just a little bit, and then started my training session.

So the training went very well, I got to go on the bench press today, which made me so excited. Unfortunately, I couldn't do the leg press because my knees just kept bothering me and popping. There has to be some way to strengthen my legs. I want to get buns of steel!

During the work out, there were two very strange men, who were rather large and muscular using the famous [Shake Weight]. It was hilarious. All I could hear while I was working out was *squeak squeak squeak squeak*, but according to Angelica, it's harder than it seems and does provide a good work out.

After almost 40-45 minutes into my workout, I started to get fatigued. Angelica got me a 50g protein shake which helped reboost my energy. She recommended that I go to My Fit Foods to get something to eat after the work out along with that protein shake I just had. After that great work out [and as I am typing, my arms feel like Jell-o] I went to My Fit Foods and try one of their meals out. I got a Chicken Spinach Wrap [320 Calories, 7g of Fat, and 16g of Protein] It was actually quite good! There was also some fresh fruit in the box too, and it was very affordable [$3.75] and I was quite satisfied!

Now, I am off to work, and then I'm going to go to the store so that I can purchase a basketball. After doing cardio this morning, I saw a couple of guys play basketball, and it brought back some high school memories of streetball in the neighborhood.

One last thing that really motivated me today was a Success Story that Angelica helped someone. 18 year old guy was 26% body fat [like me right now] got him down to 12% body fat. That's amazing! It really helped add fuel to my work out, and wanting to accomplish my own goals.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

-Dennis

Welcome Back Readers (and unfortunately the weight too)

After almost two years, I have lost a significant amount of weight, and I have also gained some weight back as well. After taking a demanding job, thinking that I didn't have to work out as much or try as hard, I fell back into old routines and eating habits that weren't very good for me. The whole vegetarian diet didn't work out, as I was constantly becoming sick to my stomach. But now, it is time. Time to get back to the grind, time to get back into shape. To be healthy and to find myself again in this process.

Statistics say that more than 80% of Americans who've lost a significant amount of weight, will gain that weight back. When I saw that I weighed over 200lbs again, was when it really started to hit me. I spent so much time, sweat, and tears to lose the weight, why am I gaining it back? It was my excuses that got to me.

"Because I'm too busy"

"Because I'm tired"

"Because I deserve to eat unhealthy, I lost X amount of weight already"

"I will work out tomorrow!"

What I really was saying was:

"Because I'm lazy"

So after much consideration, I decided to get a Personal Trainer again, this time, someone new, close by, and also Seth (my old personal trainer) has moved on to bigger and better things at A&M. I am now working out with Angelica at the 24 Hour Fitness in Rice Village.

I have told her my three goals that I have for this year and they are:

1. Do 1 pull-up.
2. Lose my gut.
3. Lose 30 lbs.

So far, I've had two sessions with her, and so far so good. The first session showed how out of shape I was, and my strength and cardio was not where it used to be a year ago. The second session showed my breaking point, where I got frustrated that I couldn't do the things I used to do. I had bad form, could only do less weights, and I even had to walk away for a second (with tears in my eyes). I felt like a failure, I felt like I let everyone down. After a minute, I used that anger, rage, and momentum, and did my best on the work outs.

The following day, I wasn't feeling very well. After work I ended up taking a nap, and woke up the next morning. Today, I had work this morning, and more work in the evening, so I couldn't work out again. Tomorrow, I am going to work out after work and make sure of it too.

I have also recently been taking the Group X Classes that 24 Hour Fitness offers. Last Monday, my friend Brent and I went to take a Boot Camp class, and let's just say, I felt like Jell-O afterwards. There were so many ladies and older women that were running laps around us, but that gives me so much more of a drive to get better, and one day I will be able to keep up with the other ladies.

One thing I need to focus on is my nutrition and making sure I eat every 3-4 hours. The past couple of days I would eat at 5:30am and the I wouldn't eat until 3:00pm. That's 7 1/2 hours of not eating.

So to everyone who may read this, I hope this blog will show you that this is not going to be easy, but if you have the right support system in place, the motivation, and the drive, anything is possible.

-Dennis

356 Days, 12 Months, 1 Year.

It has been exactly one year since I started this blog, started working out, and started to change my life. It has been a long road for myself, having lost 60 lbs, going through 4 jobs, graduating college, working full-time, running 5K's and 10K's, working out w/ Seth, hitting the dating scene, and towards the end of the year, dealing with sickness and illnesses back-to-back. I honestly have not worked out consistently for over a month now. I have not trained w/ Seth for over a month, and today will be our 1 year anniversary together, working out. I have no idea what he has in store for me, but what he doesn't know is what I have for him. As for this blog, this is the end. This is the final post. To anyone who has followed my blog, thank you. I want to give special thanks to my Personal Trainer Seth Franklin, who has helped me every step of the way towards my goals. I want to also thank the people at 24 Hour Fitness Club 209 for helping support my weight loss journey. Lastly, my friends and family who has also supported me too. Lastly, I want to say Good-Bye Fat, Hello Muscle.

Month Eleven.

It has been a little more than 11 months since I started working out, and here is an update about what is going on. The past couple of months, I've had to deal with some health issues, three different infections, my liver failing, and whatever else you could possibly think of. In April, I was not eating right and not working out. I went up to 190 lbs at one point during the month. In the past couple of weeks, I have been eating right, eating healthy, watching my portion control, and not eating late anymore. I avoid fast food places when I can, and still have not been working out, but once again due to illness. I feel better now, I went running at Memorial Park [and I have noticed my cardio is not exactly up to par]. I weighed myself today, and I am currently 177 lbs. I have lost a total of 63 lbs. On June 1st, it will be one year since I started my weight loss journey, and it will also be my last training session with Seth. I can no longer afford training any longer due to: Myself moving to a new apartment, my bills, and my goals have been met. Now the only thing is to maintain and keep striving for my health.

Slump, Slop, Slow.

I have hit a rough patch in my journey towards my goal. I am gaining the wrong momentum toward achieving my new goals. I have become lazy. I have become tired. I actually have become sick, and I have not been working out, eating right, and I am just watching all my hard work go down the drain. Maybe I am too hard on myself, but it's all true. I need to get myself back on track, and the only way I know how is to find something completely crazy, so that I can work my way to it. I want to do the Houston Triathlon in September, but I hope that's gonna be enough to help me. My knees and joints continue to shut down on me, I have had a hard time breathing lately, and above all, I am always tired...probably the sickness talking, but I need to do something about it.

Update on how I feel about my workout, diet, and health.

I am starting to see a really big difference from the old me to the present me. Somethings that I still want to work on are things like I still hate my gut, the area around my neck, and how weak I am if I compare myself to everyone else. I haven't been doing so hot on my diet and cardio. I feel like I'm not giving it my all. I need to find some motivation. Something in the back of my mind for me to work for. I have my goals, but something with a deadline. Maybe I should sign up for the Warrior Dash, another 5K or 10K, or something challenging. I will be researching all of those things soon. I lost my second mp3 player, perhaps why I have not been doing a lot of cardio. I will need to buy another one....which brings me to my next point. I need to save my money. I need to save up for an apartment. Save up for graduate school. Save up for more personal training. This post was really just me ranting, but at least its an update.

New Year, New Protein, New Workout, New Me.

It has been pretty hectic since the new year started and I am seeing so many things change right before my eyes. New people in my life, new friends, and reconnections from the past. As far as my workouts and weight loss goals, I am currently 185lbs and five lbs away from my goal. I have started a new work out with Seth to build muscle and strength. I am going to try to update more and more, but eventually this blog will end and a new blog will emerge. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog from time to time. I hope someone does read this thing.