10/16/2008
Well, this past week, I found myself out of the gym and out and about walking the Big Apple. I was in New York City for vacation and ended up missing out on hitting the gym the entire time I was there. I was afraid something like that was going to happen. I mean, I did make every attempt to get to a Gold`s Gym, but sight-seeing became the priority. I did, however, do plenty of walking to make up for missing out on my cardio. For some reason, I knew there was going to be a lot of walking, but I guess I underestimated just how much. There were plenty of stairs as well, which I began to strongly dislike by the middle of the trip. I guess the point to all of this is that when I got back to town and met up with Anna, I was worried that I had added a couple of extra pounds. When I jumped on the scale, it showed that I weighed in about the same as I did last week. I was quite relieved to say the least. Now, I know that weight is just a small portion of what we should be relying on to determine how we are doing and what we are feeling, but sometimes you just need to see that number to give you that added boost. Well, I am completely pumped to wrap up this session of Lose Weight in `08. I don`t think I will get to my goal weight of 180 pounds, but I am shedding more body fat than I thought, and I could be happier. And, through all the walking and stairs, I`ve realized that I have a lot more stamina to carry me through.

9/25/2008
Another week down, and more to go. Today is the sorest I`ve felt since we started the second session of Lose Weight in `08. It`s a good sore, though, which makes me happy because I feel like this could jump-start my workout routine. My goal is to still get down to 180 pounds by the end of the session. I feel like I can do that with the workout Anna has laid out for us for the past couple of weeks. This week, we are working more on our legs, still focusing on our guts and using weights with more variety. Yesterday, I weighed in at 196, one pound lighter than last week. To get to my goal, I have to lose 15 or so more pounds. If I stick to my two pounds a week method, I should easily get there. The challenge as I head into the next eight weeks will be sticking to the five meals a day plan, getting enough sleep and steering clear of extras like alcohol and sweets.

9/18/2008
After another week of our Lose Weight in `08 Program, I weighed in again at 197. That is discouraging, yet comforting at the same time. Discouraging because I want to lose more weight to make my goal of 20 pounds, but encouraging because I know that I have found a happy medium in my life. This past week was my birthday. Needless to say, I didn`t eat the healthiest and didn`t make it to the gym as often as I would have liked. That is something I am going to need to work on this coming week. I need to make it to the gym more and get back on track with eating the right things and portions. Again, I weighed in at 197. I did, however, lose 2-percent body fat. That, to me, is a bigger accomplishment. So maybe muscle is adding to the consistent weight? Only time will tell! But until then, I`ll keep sweating to the oldies as I hit the gym.

9/10/2008
Another week down, and one more starting off. No matter how you look at it, Ali and I started and ended the week with a workout that left us tired and sore! When we started the second session, Ali and I told our trainer Anna that we wanted to tone up. Now, I might be regretting that. For the weekly workout with Anna, she set up a circuit that had us doing plenty of squats, crunches and weights! I am still feeling it the next day. I am excited for this circuit this week, though. Even though I am feeling the pain, I haven`t had a workout like this in a while. For the week, I gained a couple of pounds. I hope to get back on the wagon here in the coming week, with the hope of losing the 20 or so pounds by the end of the program.

9/3/2008
Week two started with some positive news! At the weigh-in, the scale said I lost about 3 pounds from the week prior. That was welcome news seeing as the first week of working out didn`t go as well as planned. Part of it was work related. The other part was not being able to find the motivation to go to the gym. I know as the temperature drops, it will become easier to make that stop after work. But if it remains warm, I might have try really hard to find a balance between outdoor activities and hitting the gym. So my goal for the next few weeks is to see a gradual loss in weight. I am hoping to lose another 15-25 pounds by the end of the session. I think it is something I can accomplish. Be sure to check out the other blogs and video from this "Lose Weight in `08" session as well as the first one.

8/29/2008
Well, twelve weeks down, twelve more to go! Yes, you read that right, we are Losing Weight in `08 once again. Yesterday was our first day with our new trainer, Anna. She worked us up and down the gym yesterday. I think a lot of it was the fact that I hadn`t really been to the gym since we ended our first 12-week program. Now, it wasn`t all that bad. I left feeling like I had accomplished something. I have the amount of time I`ve spent on the river to thank for that! As for the next 12 weeks, I am hoping that Anna pushes me to the max. I lost a respectable amount of weight and body fat with the first session, and I am excited to work on toning my body even more. So, we`ll see if I feel the same way three, six or nine weeks into the program.

7/16/2008
It`s hard to believe twelve weeks of intense workouts is almost over! It seems just like yesterday we started the program. Everyone has done such a great job, trimming down and living healthier lifestyles. I know I have been feeling better as the program has gone by and I hope to continue to lose weight even after we end the first round of Lose Weight in `08. Well, this last week was tough for me. Last Tuesday, I ended up pulling or twisting my knee during our workout with Kayla. So that put me back a couple of days while I let it rest and get better. I hit the gym once again on Sunday and Monday just to go through the ringer again on Tuesday. I have to say, I kept my weight fairly consistent with my previous weigh-in, which is always nice to see. Be sure to watch us next Tuesday, as we`ll be live from Gold`s Gym and unveiling the results of each participant.

7/9/2008
It had been an entire week since I hit the gym. Not because I didn`t want to go, but because I couldn`t go. I was on vacation. i have to say was very proud of myself. I ate the food that I wanted, but I also remembered to choose the healthier options as I visited with family and friends. Whenever I go home, like most people, there is a lot of eating. I think that is because food tends to bring people together. And once people, especially those who can`t easily make decisions, get together, then eating is always the easy fall-back. I have to say, though, that I am getting more and more comfortable about finding and choosing the right things to eat. I have also found the changing workouts Kayla has been sharing with us are really challenging to my body and that is something I am happy about. So, time for the numbers. This week, I ended up gaining two pounds, which isn`t bad for vacation. I look forward to losing that weight in the coming week and getting back on track.

7/7/2008
Whew! What a workout! It was something I wasn`t prepared for at all. So I walked into the gym and the workout about five minutes late. Ali had already been warming up for that five minutes. So they both graciously gave me five minutes to warm up on the treadmill. Then, the hard part came. We did exercises that I wouldn`t want to put my own children through. Yes, that most likely is an over-exaggeration. What we did was push our cardio limits. We did that by doing things like pushing a towel on the floor from one side to the other, frog leaps, calf raises and numerous variations of squats, just to name a few. I was pushed so much, I actually felt like I was going to be sick. I think that was a combination of the heat outside, the heat inside (it was kind of hot in the workout room) and just the amount of pushing I did to my body. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

6/19/2008
Wow! It`s kinda weird to think that we are over half way though the "Lose Wight in `08" campaign. So far, I couldn`t be happier with how things have turned out! I am feeling better, I have more energy and I am fitting into some pants I haven`t been able to wear for a while. But first we have to start with last week. Last week, I was coming off a weight gain of three pounds. I was wondering what went wrong and what I needed to do to fix it! I hit the gym hard the rest of the week and then took the weekend off because of other engagements. I headed back on Monday and thought of taking the excellent advice of our trainer Kayla. She told me to switch up my workout and be sure to eat a certain amount of Calories a day. Guess what? It worked! I lost the three pounds I gained. I did gain more energy and things are looking up (except for the weight). Now, I should note that everyday, our weight does fluxuate a few pounds. It`s just always nice to see the lower of the numbers on the scale. Overall, I am happy with my progress and look forward to trimming down even more as we head toward the Fourth of July weekend.

6/11/2008
Where to begin? I have to say that this has been one of the most disappointing weeks to date so far in the Lose Weight in `08 Challenge. I ended up gaining a total of three pounds. How you may ask? I have no idea. I have stuck, for the most part, to my diet, I haven`t had anything to drink other than water and have been diligent with my workout. On closer examination and after talking with Kayla, I realized that I either haven`t been eating as much as I should be or I am choosing items with higher fat. Whatever the reason, it`s still one of the biggest letdowns when you feel you have worked just as hard as every other week and limit yourself on the things you enjoy. I eventually, though, need to get back into the game and not let one single week keep me down. It`s not going to stop me from working out or from eating healthy. I have already seen some great results. My pants are loose, I will eventually need a new belt and I do have more energy. I guess I just needed to be brought back down to reality in order to make more gains. My goal is still to be at 180 by the end of the twelve week program. With that said, I have a lot more work ahead of me. So here`s to a weight-gain and hopefully a bigger weight-loss.

6/4/2008
For the past week, I haven`t been as diligent with my eating habits as I have been in previous weeks. That`s not to say that I have been eating poorly. I just haven`t been hungry and eating as much as I should. That is going to be one of my challenges this coming week. Personally, I go through cycles where I am very hungry and when I tend to not eat much. The not eating much cycle tends to happen during the summer. So, smaller snack-type meals will have to do to get the healthy nutrients in. As for the working out, I have been working very hard. There have been challenges. After work, there have been a couple of days where going has been quite difficult. In a way, I have to psych myself up just to make that stop before heading home for the day. It`s not that I don`t want to go, but sometimes taking a nap after work just sounds so much better. Heading into week five, I am, overall, feeling extremely happy with my progress. Yesterday, like every Tuesday, was weigh-in day. I lost another four pounds, clocking in at 201 pounds. That`s a 12 pound loss since the first week! Unlike our two participants, Ali and I did the percent body fat test. I was surprised to see how much I have declined. I measured in at 21% body fat, a 7% decline. I can really notice it in my legs. As for the next four or five weeks, I hope to lose another 12 to 15 pounds. We`ll see what happens.

5/28/2008
The Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone! I can easily say that I have survived with flying colors. On top of all the traditional food that tends to make its way to the dinner table, there were a number of graduation parties that I had to attend. The bad news: there was plenty of food that I wanted to eat. The good news: I stayed on course and ate healthy. That would mean a point would go to me (if we were keeping score.) Because of the rainy weather this weekend, I found it quite difficult to leave my place. That said, I didn`t make it to the gym but one day out of the three day weekend. I personally don`t think that had a big impact on the way my workouts went for the past week. It was more of a mental vacation during the three day holiday weekend. So yesterday was the big weigh-in day for all of us. Because I took a couple of days off from the gym, I was thinking it might be a little bit of a rough day. To my surprise, I ended up losing three pounds from the week before. That is exactly what I want to maintain throughout the rest of the twelve week program. As for this coming week, I hope to work on a few things. I need to start getting more fruits and veggies into my diet. It`s been hard, however, because I have not felt hungry. On top of that, I want to try to attend classes throughout the week to give my workout a little variety. Be sure to click on the video links to see how the past week went for Andrea, our female contestant.

5/21/2008
Two weeks down, ten more to go. That is where we sit when it comes to losing weight in `08. This past week was tough! Life seemed to grab ahold of much of my time, so finding the time, and energy, to workout was difficult. I did make it to the gym six out of the seven days, but I felt my workouts weren`t as strong as they could have been. That is going to have to change this week. I am going to kick up my workouts and push myself even harder. Tuesdays, as we will continue through the remaining parts of the program, will be the days we all have our official weigh-in. This past Tuesday, we hit the scales and I broke even. I am not too broken-hearted, seeing as I did lose a larger amount than expected the week prior. Be sure to check out the stories from the past week on the Country Morning Today site.

5/14/2008
Week two is underway and I am feeling more and more tired. It would be too easy to blame it on the workout itself, but it reemphasizes the need for more sleep. That is just one of my goals this week. I need to find time for more rest. If only there was more time during the day. I found out the hard way that the weekends are going to be though for this particular diet. Friday and Saturday evening, I ended up going out with friends and getting caught up in what they were eating and drinking. I am going to have to continue telling myself to either stop eating to to choose a healthy alternative. And finding that healthy alternative also stretches to the grocery store. I find it ironic that I am writing this blog and talking about finding the right things to eat and the fact that I need groceries. As many will agree, I hate grocery shopping. So that means more and more time is going to have to be spent up and down the grocery aisle. The good news from the first week -- I did lose 5 pounds. Now, any medical professional will say that is a little on the higher end for weight loss, but I am happy with the results. I have been hitting the cardio equipment hard and making sure that I stick to my diet during the week. Be sure to check out all the stories here on this page. If you want to contact any of the participants, you can email us at countrymorningtoday@kfyrtv.com.

5/7/2008
One day after we launched "Lose Weight in `08," I`m feeling a little sore. Unlike our contestants, Alison and I didn`t work out as we aired our live show. We went back after work to go through the same routine Jay and Andrea did earlier in the morning. I have to say, Kayla really pushed me to the max. I was feeling energized yesterday evening. This morning was a different story. It was difficult to get out of bed and get ready. But now that I know what I have to look forward to, I think it is something that will be more than manageable. For the next twelve weeks, there will be a lot of sweat and pain. But I guess, no pain, no gain. I think the biggest thing for me this week will be staying on the healthy eating track. I know that later in the week, I tend to be more tired. That leads to me eating more. So, more sleep will be on tap for me.