Adventures in Weight Watching...

Greetings, programs...  Or something like that.

Welcome back.

So, today marked the second full day I've had with the new Weight Watchers program, and I gotta say, it took a little getting used to.  I know on the surface it's not drastically different from the old way, but there are subtle differences, and if you're not careful, you can royally screw things up.  Thankfully, since the first day was a bit of a bust, I was able to plan things a bit better for the second day.  It's not perfect, mind you, but it's a start.  Baby steps, remember?

It's supposedly common sense (ever notice how uncommon "common sense" really is?) that it's better to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals in a day than the traditional 3 meals in a day, and, while it's completely true, for most people it's just not physically possible, due to schooling, or work, or what-have-you.  In my case, since my day job involves working with my family (even working at my father's house), I'm able to take a few liberties with my eating habits, and am able to snack throughout the day.  I'm not to the point where I'm snacking on apples or oranges, but I'm making better choices.  Again, baby steps.

Today I tried to go a full day without a soft drink.  Didn't happen.  That's okay.  I'm human.  I did, however, manage to only drink orange juice (with pulp, and no acid - two key things I've read are crucial to a healthy drink) for the first part of the day, a single Sprite with lunch (granted, not as healthy as I could have done, but it's certainly better than Coca Cola, and has no caffeine, so I don't retain water), a Sobe Lifewater (Black and Blue Berry) for most of the day (I tend to sip throughout the day while I'm working), a Kool-Aid (single serving Cherry in a 10 oz bottle of water) with dinner, and I caved and had a Coke when Tyler and I went out.

As I mentioned, my buddy Tyler and I went out earlier.  Usually we just hang out, play video games, watch movies, or whatever.  Tonight, though, I told him I wanted to go to a store and get some supplements to help with the diet and the workout.  Of course, I'm completely ignorant of these things, so thankfully he took me under his wing.  Instead of opting to go to a chain like GNC (who are concerned more with commission than your health), we went to a locally owned Nutrition Depot, and he introduced me to his buddy Tanner, who seriously has a wealth of knowledge about food and vitamins, and the way the body works, that just impressed the hell out of me.  He hooked me up with a bomb-ass discount on some Muscle Milk, and a multi-vitamin that will help burn off some of this excess fat even before I begin an intense workout regimen.

Speaking of which, I made my doctor's appointment today.  I go see Dr. Morrison on next Tuesday at 2 pm.  Wish it was a little sooner, but I'll survive.  When I spoke to his receptionist about it, she asked my reasoning for the appointment, and I replied, "Just a general check-up.  I'm fat, and I'd like to know before I start a new workout routine if I'm going to keel over and die."  It got a good laugh.  Good.  I enjoy making people laugh.  :)

After Tyler and I finished up at the Nutrition Depot, we headed out to one of the local MMA schools I'd been researching online.  Unfortunately, due to a ridiculous amount of traffic that impeded our progress to Nutrition Depot, we wound up arriving at the MMA school as they were closing up.  I did step in and take a quick look around, and did get a schedule from one of the workers there.  He also told me that they do a free trial at the school, so I can try it out before deciding if I really want to join.  After we left there, we went to another school I'd been researching, but, it too, was closed.  So, it was kind of uneventful, but at least now I know where the schools are, and I can make an attempt to visit both of them again soon and check them out more thoroughly.

Today while I was looking around on Facebook, I saw a friend's page, and remembered he had been doing something similar to myself, in that he hit a brick wall, and decided to take control of his life and his health, and chronicle it as much as he could.  I saw that he had posted a picture of himself after he had lost 50 pounds, and he was still over 300.  That picture was in May.  His most recent picture was from a couple of days after Thanksgiving, and he was down to around 269.  That's impressive.  And, that's just further proof that it CAN be done.  So, thanks, Sam.

And with that, I shall bid you all adieu.  Sleep calls.  I gotta start trying to go to sleep earlier and try to wake up and get some cardio in on the elliptical in the mornings before work.

Baby steps.  Baby steps.

Love you all.

TFG.