Some Fun With Fake News

OK...no weight loss stuff this morning. I just thought it would be fun to do some fake news, seeing as the first snowflake of the year always bring about panic to the St Louis region LOL.

So now...your fake news (or not far from the truth news LOL):

    

St Louis MO, Vinny Slavin Reporting:

This morning was a disaster all over St Louis when a snowflake fell upon the region. All over the highways people were slamming into each other after seeing said snowflake.

One commuter was asked if after seeing the snowflake if he feared for his life. His response "My god yes. I saw the snowflake falling and as it hit my car on the windshield, I was all like holy shit I am going to die, I better slow down and do 15 mph on this 60 mph highway."

Another commuter was asked the same question while his hummer was being turned over from an earlier accident. "I saw the snowflake and immediately started to drive 120 mph to try and avoid it. That is when I drove over the top of some other obviously scared commuter doing 15 mph. Next thing I know I am in this ditch.....damn snowflake!"

In St Charles, MO a man was seen coming out of a grocery store rushing to load everything he bought into the back of his pickup. When asked what he thought about the snowflake he stated "I work from home, so I didn't even have to come out this morning, but when I saw the snowflake I knew I had to act fast. I came to the store an bought 8 gallons of milk, 12 loaves of bread and 6 dozen eggs. You know, just in case the snowflake decided to eat all our food. When I got to the register the girl ringing me out asked what all this was and I told her I saw a snowflake....she freaked!" What did she do then I asked? " Well she started screaming bloody hell and that is when all the insanity broke out. People were yelling and screaming and trying to get the last of the canned goods. Others were being hit over the head with french bread sticks, it was crazy."

All over the St Louis area stories were the same as people on their way to work saw the season's first snowflake fall. One can only imagine what will happen when many snowflakes get together and decide to fall at the same time. This reporter can only assume Armageddon.

Disappointment?

Yesterday was my official monthly weight in, I lost 5 pounds in the month of October and I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed in the results. I’m not upset at the loss, hey 5 pounds gone is never a bad thing, but with as hard as I worked I was really hoping for a bigger loss. Ten pounds I would have been ecstatic with.

I know I shouldn’t be concentrating on the scale as much as other things, but I need to see something to keep me motivated. Some have pointed at the fact that I’m weight training as the cause for the limited weight loss (only 30 pounds in 7 months). I do see a difference in my shoulders when look in the mirror; they are becoming defined a bit, but we have no full length mirrors in house so the chest up is all I can see. The stomach is still my major issue though. I don’t see much improvement at all in that area, although my girlfriend does. Why can’t I see it?

I don’t know, maybe I’m nit picking at myself or maybe I just need to go back to taking measurements. I’m just afraid motivation will start to taper off and I’ll go back to my old habits. Yesterday was a good example. I got off the scale and felt I let myself down. That led to a half ass lazy workout, and eating so much at dinner I felt sick.

Can someone say emotional eating? I guess I still have a ways to go in that area.

Today I obviously feel bad for the binge, no surprise there. I also know that I need to have a great workout today to get me back on track. So why is it I’m sitting here writing a blog post and trying to get motivated, instead of getting ready for the gym? Ugh…I’m really hoping I can turn things around today. I know I’m making some progress, I just look at where I am and I think…man, I am so far away from where I want to be.

I think a lot of this is fear talking. I just bought tickets to go home to see my family for the holidays. I’m really happy seeing that it’s been almost 12 years since I have spent a holiday with them (I’ve been home to visit since, but no holidays), but all I keep thinking about is one thing.

Will I need a seat belt extender when I get on the plane?

Seriously, this is what goes through my head. I have never used one, but there have been times when I just couldn’t get the belt snapped together and should have asked for an extension. Yup, I’m one that pretended to be buckled in when really I wasn’t. I suffer from a bit of social anxiety and the last thing I want is to be the center of attention by asking for the fat belt.

So this month I will be working even harder than last month, all so in early December I can hear one small goal…..”CLICK”. 

My Very First Guest Post

I will be back to my regular scheduled programming later in the week. Today though, I would like you to check out my very first guest post on Fat Girl vs.World. I am summing up my month for the #OctGTD challenge (October Going the Distance).

I was very honored that she would ask me to do this, and I would be equally as honored if you all jumped over and read it. :)

http://bit.ly/cdb7Ra   <------Read it here, then follow her here @FatGirlvsWorld on Twitter.

What Is Your Resting Heart Rate?

I’m going to talk a bit about heart rate today, more specifically resting heart rate. It’s something that we should all consider and watch on our fitness and weight loss journeys, but it’s also a number that sometimes gets pushed aside by more traditional numbers to watch, such as our weight.

 

Your resting heart rate (or RHR) basically gives you an idea of how much your heart is working to pump blood while you’re at rest.  A very strong heart pumps more blood with each beat and therefore requires fewer beats per minute. Why is this important? Well you RHR is a good indicator of your overall cardiovascular health and should be monitored.  It’s very easy to monitor and it should be done in the morning before getting out of bed. Even sitting up in bed can raise your heart rate, so check it as you are lying down.

To test your RHR place your fingers on your neck or wrist to find a pulse and while tracking beats per minute you will arrive at your resting heart rate. To avoid counting beats for an entire minute, you can count them for ten seconds and take the result times 6 for the same answer. The chart below will give you a good idea of where you are against average and where you should be:

 

A high resting heart rate can cause many symptoms, such as:

• ·         Dizziness

• ·         Rapid pulse

• ·         Difficulty breathing

• ·         Lightheadedness

• ·         Heart Palpitations

• ·         Chest pains

• ·         Fainting

Do any of these feel or sound familiar? If they do, work on getting that heart rate down. How? Well by exercising and eating better of course. Now there are more things that cause a high RHR than just being unfit, but the main cause is obesity.

The main reason I am going over this today is because 7 months ago before I started my weight loss journey, I had my RHR tested and it was an awful 82. That right there my friends is a number you don’t want to see. That number can cause many many problems, including strokes and heart attacks. So you can imagine my dance for joy last week when I tested it again and it was at 58!! WOW, what a difference cutting out fast food and a little exercise can do huh?

When I tweeted that number Tara (@TidBits_Of_Tara) said “That is a life saving number my friend”, she is so right. I use to have panics attacks about my heart rate being so high. Then imagine having panic attacks about having panics attacks! Crazy I know, but it’s true. I was constantly living my life in fear of when I was going to have a heart attack. I have not had a panic attack in months. Sure I still suffer from a bit of social anxiety because of my weight, but it’s nowhere close to what I was going through just a few months ago.

Exercising and eating better has added years onto my life by helping my heart.

I still have a long way to go on my journey. There is still a lot of weight I need to take off and I still need to work on my social anxiety, but taking my RHR from a deadly 82 down to an almost athletic 58 is a major NON-SCALE victory!

Have you checked your RHR lately? If not, do it.

The New Beast At The Gym

Well I would like to be able to say I and the new beast at the gym, but that is not the case just yet. I can say though, that I have found another machine to renew my interest and kick my ass at the same time. Ladies and gents, say hello to my new nemesis...the Precor AMT 100i. 

This master of fitness mayhem has been sitting in the gym for some time now, but I have never gone near it. Why you ask? Well, notice the tall presence and bright yellow colors. I learned long ago that you stay away from bright colored animals because they tend to hurt and cause serious damage to those who try and bother it. I figured I should heed the same warning at the gym. Stay away from the bright colored intimidating machines, because if you bother them, they will hurt you. 

Colors do not lie...even in the world of fitness machines!

The AMT 100i sent me home today with something to think about. What I thought about was, do I value the use of my legs and lungs. That answer is yes, but I also like great competition and that is what the AMT provides. 

This monster goes a step beyond the elliptical in the fact that it can be used as a step machine (short up and down stepping motions) or it can do medium or long strides. Let me tell you, when you are doing the long running type strides, it feels like you have weights strapped your legs...and that was just on a resistance of 2. My heart rate was hovering around 155-165 the whole time and sweat was pouring off me like there was a shower head above me. I got off this thing and my legs were shaking, telling  me enough already, we can do round two tomorrow.

I had been getting a bit bored at the gym as of late. I tried the treadmill, bikes, and elliptical, all which gave me a good workout, but I was getting bored. The AMT was like a new challenger staring me down, daring me to step over the line it had drawn in the sand. It was scary to walk over and accept the challenge, with it being all brightly danger colored and all, but in the end you need to face your fears or forever wonder what if. In the end I'm glad I walked over and faced the new beast. It was fun, it was very challenging, but best of all I conquered yet another fear. 

If you have an AMT at your gym and have not tried it yet, I suggest you give it a try. Yeah, it looks like it will kick your ass, and the first few times it probably will. I guarantee though that after your workout, you will feel like you just pulled the sword from the stone.

What fears have you overcome to bring new challenges to yourself? I'd love to hear them.

First Goal Down

This post is a long time coming…for me anyway.  In the past months since I’ve started this journey I have seen many hit their goals. I have given well deserved congratulations to people all while hoping my day would come soon. It was like they were having parties that I really wanted to be part of but just wasn’t at the level to be invited yet. Today though….today is my party, and you are all invited!

I have been fighting the same 5 to 7 pounds for the last 2 months. It was a frustrating wall that I could not get over.  My first goal seemed so far away, yet it was so close number wise. I even considered stopping the weight training to see if the scale would move below that 300 mark. I needed to see some progress for my sanity. I don’t want to be a prisoner of the scale, but I needed to hit my first goal. Just to know that I was on the right track and moving forward would do wonders for my mind and give me that extra something I needed to keep going. I had been stepping on the scale all week and watching the number drop every day… I knew I was close, I had to keep fighting.

Today I am proud to say, I hit my first goal. I am now officially below 300 pounds, weighing in at 298! Oh yeah…I stepped on the scale about 4 times to make sure it was right. I moved it around the floor to make sure I wasn’t on uneven ground. I even had my girlfriend come check it out to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Yes friends, all 4 times the scale read 298. To say I was happy was an understatement. My girlfriend gave me a hug and I walked into the bedroom with a little fist pump. Yeah…it was a good day.

To some 298 pounds is a goal they would someday like to achieve. To others 298 pounds is a goal they have blown past and never want to see again. Some have never even had the torturous experience of weighing that much, and for that I am glad. For me though, 298 pounds represents a new beginning of sorts, the start of working toward my next goal which is 270. I never want to see 300 pounds in reference to my weight again, and I won’t.

To all who have inspired me to move forward and break through the wall…THANK YOU! To anyone who is struggling to break through their own wall, I leave you with this:

“To be challenged is inevitable. To be defeated is optional…NEVER GIVE UP!”-Unknown

Follow Fridays?

For those few of you not using Twitter (I’m looking at you Patrick :note, he is now on twitter @Rspnsblty199), Follow Friday is a time to list people whom you think others should follow. We use the hash tag #FF or #FollowFriday proceeded by a list of names. The problem with this format is that because Twitter limits you to 140 characters, we tend to just get a bland list of people to follow without knowing why we should follow them.

So last week I tried to change that up a bit and started to give individual shout outs to people I think others should follow. I wanted others to know exactly why I thought they should follow these people. This is not a new concept and I don’t pretend to be a trend setter by any means, but I do think that this idea is not used often enough.

So, although today is not a Friday, I am summing up all the #FF’s I did last week and adding others that I just did not have time to mention. So without further ado, I present to you my Follow Friday list. Say hello and follow…:

#FF This tantalizing tweep hails from MO. Likes fitness, WOW and has a knock your socks off personality, say hi and follow @ahrdor

#FF With a great sense of humor, this tweep will make you smile at her blog http://tinyurl.com/2ayrk4e . Say hi and follow @FatGirlvsWorld

#FF A new name to my stream, he has proven to be a fascinating person. Hailing from www.urbanbacon.com say hi and follow @UrbanBacon

#FF Her story @ 263andcounting.com will inspire, her positive attitude will kick your lazy ass, say hi and follow @tidbits_of_tara

#FF He has a passion for technology and bacon with an ear for great music say hi and follow @iAmCloud

#FF Her savvy writing and flair for social media will leave you wanting more. Say hello and follow @jenncloud

#FF He will captivate you with his humor and bedazzle with his wit. Say hi and follow @nomorebacon and visit www.nomorebacon.com

#FF Geekdom, sports and technology pretty much some up this tweep. Visit http://bigdaddyshouse.tumblr.com say hi and follow @smartin73

#FF Armed with his camera and his blog (http://tinyurl.com/25u4pjp) @chrispugh will impress you through pictures as well as his tweets.

#FF take a scenic journey around southern UK through his captivating pictures, as @Cyclingsi shows off his passion for biking and hiking.

#FF She will help you trigger a passion for running at her site www.halfofjess.com, and astound you with her grand personality. Say hi and follow @HalfOfJess

#FF An advocate for eating organic, this cyclist and personal trainer will impress with his affectionate nature and love for the best sports teams :p. Say hi and follow @Lebrillesoleil

#FF Say hi and follow @MollyMFNitka, because her adventurous nature and bubbly personality are only topped by her sincere adoration for her followers.

#FF This monarch of weight loss has inspired a ton of us, with his humorous tweets and his affectionate yet bold blog (http://jackfit.blogspot.com). Say hi and follow @jacksht

#FF Named most influential tweep in St Louis, his informative tweets will enlighten you, while his humorous T-shirts will leave you asking “where’s mine”. Say hello and follow @RizzoTees (http://rizzotees.com).

#FF Common knowledge dictates that to be happy we should surround ourselves with happy people. That’s why following Brandon is good for you. Not only is he pleasurable to talk with, but an uplifting weight loss blogger as well. Say hi and follow @AHealthyDad

#FF  Not just another great blogger, this magnificent maiden give you something more. Check out her blog here www.fatgirlscanrun.com and follow her journey down the path to healthy...oh and to eat 500 fish sticks :p. Say hi and follow @fatGirlsCanRun

#FF Looking for a wondrous follower who will offer extreme amounts of inspiration? Say hello and follow @Brooklyn_1012

#FF  Another new follower to my stream, this gentleman is made of awesome and will add laughter to your day. Say hello and follow @slimminsam 

#FF Add a little sports knowledge to your life while being inspired by this fearless father of a 4 year old. Say hello and follow @jpnagan

OK, well that is all for now. I missed a ton of people, but if you like follow me @VinnySlavin and every Friday I will try to suggest more great tweeps to follow.