Sunday, January 20, 2013

MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

In May of 2006 I began my weight loss journey when I weighed 442 pounds.




My first step was to begin moving so I started to walk for 5 minutes a day which at that time was a lot since I was carrying so much excess weight. What this did was get me into the routine of exercising everyday which I still do 7 years later in one form or another. I very slowly started to add more time to my walks so that I wouldn't burn out from over exercising. 7 years later I can now walk for as long as 3 hours at a time and also have incorporated resistance training to build muscle.



In the past I have lost large amounts of weight just to gain it all back plus more by starving myself and exercising in excess. I would then fall back into my old eating habits and gain the weight back plus more. This time I was determined to make a permanent lifestyle change but had no idea where to start. The best decision that I ever made was to join Weight Watchers which I knew wasn't the cool thing to do since it's mostly women that go there but I just wanted to drop the weight permanently and adopt a permanent healthy lifestyle which I have been able to do for 7 years now.



At Weight Watchers they go on a point system and each person gets so many points a day plus you can earn extra points by exercising which is an incentive to exercise. I track what I eat in a daily food journal and also track my daily exercise which keeps me accountable for my daily food intake and exercise. Foods that you eat are given a point value and you just deduct what you eat from your points that you get for the day. The best part of Weight Watchers is that I eat regular food just like everyone else and this is a permanent lifestyle change and not just another diet that we know all fail. We also get 49 extra points to use throughout the week which is great to use for special occasions, vacations, birthdays, potlucks, etc. Each week we weigh in and then have a 30 minute meeting with our leader with about 20 other members, the leader speaks about a different topic each week. They also celebrate members who have lost weight with the entire group and they can talk about what has worked for them which helps out others as well. I have been going to Weight Watchers for almost 7 years now and continue going even though I have been at my goal weight for nearly 5 years now.

I have also been a member at 24 Hour Fitness for about 5 years now which at first I used the treadmill, elliptical, stair climbers, and other cardio equipment. About 2 years ago I signed up to take a spinning/cycling class which I was hesitant to do at first because I heard how difficult they were. I was lucky to have an incredible instructor Judi Thiel on my first time going who really made it a lot easier. She told me to take it at my own pace and do what I can until I felt comfortable keeping up with the entire class. After the first class she was nice enough to help me with the set up of the bicycle settings, so that it fits my body perfectly. I have now began going to her J & B Outdoor Fitness Camps which is run with her good friend and fellow trainer Beatrice on Saturday mornings from 8:00 am until 9:30 am at Signal Hill in Long Beach, Ca. This is an awesome workout for all exercise levels and it pushes me to my absolute limit. 7 years ago I never thought any of this was possible but with determination, perseverance and help by so many awesome people that would not let me give up I have now dropped 248 pounds and weigh 194 pounds. I honestly believe that I’m living proof that absolutely anything and everything is possible with hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

This is how I've been able to drop over 240 pounds and maintain the weight loss for nearly 5 years now.



Kevin Hoodward



Thursday, September 22, 2011

Getting Back On Track After Completely Falling Off The Wagon..

Well from time to time we tend to fall off the wagon for whatever reason but the important thing is for us to get back on track, like a favorite vocalist of mine says its not how many times you fall down as long as you get back up at least one more time than you fell down that's important.  For those of you who really know me then you know exactly who I'm talking about ;)

What happened to me through the summer was I would do pretty good during the week and then friday after work I would just eat whatever until monday and that is where my down fall began.  I eventually would slowly start eating whatever on thursday and through the weekend and so on until it was an everyday habit.  I had put on about 15 - 20 pounds and then my wife and I had went on vacation celebrating our 15 year anniversary to Laughlin, Nv and also to Las Vegas Nv for 7 days.  That is when the wheels completely fell off and I just ate large quantities of food all day long at the buffets and was just sitting around gambling all day long except for a few days when I went out on the river on a sea doo for a few hours and when we went to Lake Havasu and Lake Mead for part of a day on cruises. After vacation I had planned to get back on track but then the scariest moment of my life happened at The Rio casino in Las Vegas the night before we were to come home. 

As we were walking from the casino to our hotel room I had a seizure which I've never had before and when I fell to the ground I banged up my knees pretty bad and suffered a fractured shoulder.  I woke up not having any idea what happened because I was unconscious for several hours I'm guessing and was admitted into the hospital.  They did many tests and luckily could not find any damage to my brain from the seizure and I was released from the hospital the next day and we drove home with my father in law who flew out to make sure my wife and I were taken care of especially since my wife thought I was dieing since this had never happened before. When we got home I was put off of work by my Dr.'s until my shoulder is back to normal or atleast until I can work with it. I may have surgery to repair my fractured right shoulder or physical therapy depending on the results of my pending MRI.  I still do not know when I will go back to work.  So as I have been sitting at home with my wife working I have just been eating to feel better since my shoulder is in a lot of pain and have put on another 20 pounds which is not good at all. 

The beginning of this week I have decided that I need to start eating healthier which its been a while so I'm writing down everything that I eat and making smarter food choices.  It's been 6 days now and I have been doing great and even began going on short walks to get some exercise in every day. Hopefully someday in the near future I'll be able to get back on my weight lifting routine but for now walking will do just fine. I am going to continue doing this from now on and I've also noticed that I actually feel much better since I have been eating healthier. I have also realized that eating food does not make me feel any better but it actually does the opposite.  I also have noticed before this week that my clothes were no longer fitting me so this was a big wake up call and I refuse to go out and buy bigger clothes..   So a tip I will give is that no matter how bad you may feel physically or emotionally food will not make you feel better and more than likely it will do the opposite and make you feel much worse.

Have a great day everyone and keep getting back up at least one more time than you fall down and everything will be ok  :)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Burn Those Cardio Calories Outdoors!

Does doing the same cardio routine at the gym make you feel like a hamster on a wheel? If so, why not go outside and get a change of scenery? Exercising outdoors can be a hit-or-miss proposition depending on where you live and the season, but when the weather is decent, there should be nothing stopping you. Take advantage of summertime to enjoy the fresh air! Here are some great alfresco cardio options to get you out of the gym.


Hiking: This is an awesome workout that I happen to love. It allows you to spend time in nature and discover your surroundings. Also, because of irregular terrain, you'll work your core muscles more than you would on a treadmill.

Running: Getting off the treadmill and running outside might help you burn even more calories. Try performing intervals by running or jogging in quarter-mile bursts. You can also work different muscles in your legs by doing intervals in which you run backward.

Swimming: Cool off, tone muscles, and get your cardio in. If you're just beginning to exercise, the pool is a great place to get started. Water provides more resistance than air, so it can make your muscles expend more energy than they would on land. Use a kickboard if you have one: Hold on to the board and use your legs to power you across the pool. Run or walk across the pool, tread water, or hold on to the side of the pool and just do kick drills for as long as you can.

Biking: Why not ride your bike to work instead of driving? You can commute and burn calories (not to mention save gas money)! Biking is an excellent means of exploring and a good calorie burner. It can be a great option if you're dealing with an injury, because it's low impact, causing less strain. But remember, a road bike is a totally different animal from a stationary or recumbent bike, so take it nice and slow at first until you get used to being on the open road.

Don't forget your everyday sports either — basketball, soccer, and the like are fun activities that allow you to get together with friends, get a cardio workout in, and enjoy the great outdoors

Monday, June 27, 2011

GREAT ARTICLE I FOUND ON 10 STEPS TO MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT!!!

Practice these simple, everyday food and fitness smarts to keep your hard-fought new weight.
You've just lost weight and you don't want to see that number go back up on your scale. With these 10 tricks from dietitians and successful dieters, you'll be able to maintain your weight with ease.

Build more lean muscle. Maintain, or even increase, your metabolism by continuing to build lean muscle. "Muscle has a higher metabolism than fat does," explains Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at Houston Northwest Medical Center. If you don't yet train with weights, add this type of exercise to your overall program now. If you do, increase the amount of weight you're working with to keep yourself challenged.

Fight off hunger with more filling foods. A three-year University of Pittsburgh study of 284 women between the ages of 25 and 45 found that those who avoided weight gain the best were the ones whose meals kept them feeling full. "Keeping that feeling of fullness can be done with foods high in fiber — think fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein," says Jenna Anding, PhD, RD, of the department of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Avoid temptation. The University of Pittsburgh study also found that women who best controlled their weight were good at resisting the temptation to binge on forbidden treats. This doesn't mean never indulging in a gooey dessert again, but rather picking — and limiting — your moments. There are many ways to avoid daily temptations, including planning ahead when eating out and banning your worst weaknesses from the house.

Count calories. Another hallmark of successful weight maintenance, according to the University of Pittsburgh study, is regularly counting calories. Use your calculator to keep a running total throughout the day if that helps you keeps track of calorie consumption. Maintaining weight loss is hard; it's okay to be as careful as you were during the weight- loss phase of your diet.

Plan your meals in advance. A maintenance diet has a lot of the same components as a weight-loss diet. Having a meal-by-meal plan that you can stick to, although it has more calories than your diet plan did, can act as a guide to keep you on track.

Consider adding minutes to your exercise plan. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week, but emphasize that the more you exercise, the better able you are to maintain a weight loss. You should aim for 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity every day.

Measure your portions. According to a Center for Disease Control (CDC) study of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, the biggest factors in success were measuring portions and fats, the most caloric foods, in particular. This doesn't mean you have to carry a food scale everywhere you go, but using it as often as possible at home will teach you how to eyeball portion sizes at restaurants and immediately know how much to eat, and how much to take home in a doggie bag.

Weigh yourself daily. The same CDC study reported that people who weigh themselves once a day are twice as successful at keeping off lost weight as those who don't step on the scale as often. Daily weigh-ins, which can be discouraging when you're on a diet, can be a boon during maintenance; they let you see, and stop, any slow creep upward as soon as it happens.

Include dairy in your diet. According to a study of 338 adults, those who ate three or more servings of low-fat dairy daily were more likely to keep off the weight than those who ate one serving or less. For women in particular, this has the additional benefit of improving bone health.

Let your plate be your guide. When you can't count calories or measure portions accurately, Banes recommends using the "plate method" as a way to control the amount you're eating. A great tip for dieters, it works just as well for people on a maintenance plan. Simply put, when you serve yourself using this method, at least half your plate should be vegetables and the remaining space should be divided evenly between lean protein and whole grains. If you go back for seconds, limit yourself to vegetables, fruit or low-fat dairy.

Now that you know the secrets to long-term weight-loss success, get started with your weight management program today!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Healthy Recipe For Raspberry, Avocado, and Mango Salad

Here is an outstanding recipe for Raspberry, Avocado, and Mango Salad that I'm sure you will all enjoy with summer approaching.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups organic raspberries, divided
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black ground pepper
8 cups organic mixed salad greens
1 ripe organic mango, diced
1 small ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped, or sliced almonds (optional)

Preparation

Puree 1/2 cup raspberries, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender until combined.

Combine greens, mango, avocado and onion in a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to coat.  Divide the salad among 5 salad plates. Top each with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle with nuts, if using.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 5

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 215
Total Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 122 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 18 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 3 g

Thursday, May 26, 2011

It Has Now Been 5 Years Since I Began My Weight Loss Journey

In May of 2006 I began my weight loss journey when I weighed 442 pounds.

My first step was to begin moving so I started to walk for 5 minutes a day which at that time was a lot since I was carrying so much excess weight.  What this did was get me into the routine of exercising everyday which I still do to this day in one form or another.  I slowly started to add more time to my walks each day so I wouldn't burn out and over the years I have been able to walk for as long as 3 hours. I have also now incorporated resistance training by going to a 24 hour fitness close to my house which I enjoy very much and have a great 3 day a week workout that targets the entire body.

In the past I have lost large amounts of weight just to gain it all back plus more by starving myself and exercising like crazy then falling into my old habits and gaining the weight back.  So this time I wanted to make a permanent lifestyle change but had no idea where to start.  The best decision that I ever made was to join Weight Watchers which I knew wasn't the cool thing to do since it's mostly women that go there but I just wanted to drop the weight and adopt a permanent healthy lifestyle.

At Weight Watchers they go on a point system and each person gets so many points a day plus you can earn extra points by exercising which is an incentive to exercise.  We track what we eat in a daily food journal and also track the exercise points that are earned.  Foods that you eat are given a point value and you just deduct what you eat from your points that you get for the day.  We also get 49 extra points to use throughout the week which is great to use for special occasions, vacations, birthdays, potlucks, etc..  Each week we have a meeting where we weigh in and then have a 30 minute meeting with our leader.  Their are usually about 20 members in each meeting and the leader talks about a different topic each week.  They also celebrate members who have lost weight with the entire group and they can talk about what has worked for them which helps out others as well.  The best part of Weight Watchers is that we eat regular food just like everyone else and this is a permanent lifestyle change and not just another diet that we know all fail.  I have been going toWeight Watchers for 5 years now and plan on continue going even though I have been at my goal weight for well over 2 years now.

This is how I've been able to lose over 200 pounds and maintain the weight loss for over 2 years now. 

Hope this helps out everyone as you continue on your weight loss journey.

Have A Healthy Memorial Day Weekend!!!!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Great Tasting And Healthy Recipe For Barbecue Chicken Wraps

Tonight we had a great and very healthy dinner with a new recipe for Barbecue Chicken Wraps that I would like to share with everyone.  It's low calorie, low carbohydrate, low fat, and high in protein and was very filling!!

Here are the Ingredients and Instructions.

* 4 large high fiber tortillas  ( I used Large La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortillas)
* 8 oz. shredded, skinless rotisserie chicken breast
* 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
* 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 cup corn (Thawed if frozen, drained if canned)
* 1/2 cup shredded carrots
* 1 cup shredded cabbage
* 1/2 cup red onion, diced
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
* juice from 1 lime, freshly squeezed

Instructions

*1. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all ingredients except tortillas, carrots, cilantro and cabbage; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
*2. In a separate bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, and cilantro.
*3. Assemble the wraps by equally dividing the cabbage mixture between the 4 tortillas, and place in the center of each tortilla. Top with 1/4th of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito.
*4. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time 5 minutes

Number of servings 4

For those of you on weight watchers each wrap is 7 points!!