So here we are...

Hi, you guys.

Well, here we are. The grand total weight loss: 56 pounds. Not quite the 74 pounds I was shooting for 365 days ago, but a great success, nonetheless. Thank you to those of you who have been following my and my weight loss throughout the year. It really means a lot. I'm glad I could help inspire others, too. One of the big reasons why I was so public with my weight loss was so I could have you guys constantly pushing me not to give up and to give me that support when I needed to hear it. It wasn't easy to give up because I knew you guys were watching me and waiting to see what each new week would bring. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2010 was all about eating better and losing weight and now my big focus health-wise for 2011 will be to actually get fit and gain some muscle. Believe it or not, I actually did not go to the gym at all in 2010. I walked a lot, I biked a lot, I played Wii Fit, but I actually never stepped foot inside a gym. However, I now have some flab and I really don't have much muscle (at least on my upper body). I'm getting work-out tips from some good-looking friends and I'm certain that this will actually be a lot harder than my weight-loss challenge last year.

Financially, I'm budgeting for the future. Too often in the past few years, I was living too much in the present and not thinking of saving money for my future. I'm now finding myself wanting some change in my life, even considering the big move to LA, but not really able to find the means to make ends those ends meet. I don't regret those big trips I made to the UK in 2009 and out to Portland/Seattle last year, but they were paid for by credit cards and I'll be paying for those for a while now.

I'm also prioritizing my comedy schedule. I'm going to be gearing my time more towards my own performing projects this year. There were shows I really enjoyed doing last year, but I so found conflicted with doing a few other things I might have also wanted to do. I've already got completely new things that are in motion and I'm going to put up a one-person show (or close to it) before the end of the year. I'm really going to try and actually challenge myself.

I am blessed with great friendships, family, employment, good prospects and improving health. Here's to 2011. I can only hope you bring even greater things than 2010 brought.

Thank you again and Happy New Year!!
Neil

My Year In Videos

I probably did more video projects this year than I ever have before. Not every video has been released yet, but the majority have been released. The following are those videos, along with where I was in my weight loss when I did them. Also, laugh.

Master of Inventions: Boardroom Scenes. 
Shot January 10th. 
Weight: 248 lbs.

Out Take - Neil in Boardroom from Joe Avella on Vimeo.

Master of Inventions: Jeff Speaks Up from Joe Avella on Vimeo.

Master of Inventions - Jeff's Daydream from Joe Avella on Vimeo.


MoveSmart (with Cell Camp). 
Shot April 17th. 
Weight: 222

Move Smart from Clark/Olson Media on Vimeo.


Impress These Apes: Callback Audition. 
Shot May 4th. 
Weight: 217

Impress These Apes 5 - Callback Audition - Neil from Blewt! Productions on Vimeo.


Master of Inventions: More Boardroom Scenes. 
Shot May 8th. 
Weight: 217

Master of Inventions - Taste Test from Joe Avella on Vimeo.

Master of Inventions - Scientists from Joe Avella on Vimeo.


Kelley Blue Book Toyota Corolla Contest Video. 
Shot June 12th. 
Weight: 214



Impress These Apes: Week 8 Finale. 
Shot July 26th. 
Weight: 209

Impress These Apes 5 - Week 8 - Neil from Blewt! Productions on Vimeo.


Kelley Blue Book Review of 2010 Nissan GT-R 
Shot October 16th. 
Weight: 198



Cell Camp: Cord Drawer. 
Shot October 25th. 
Weight: 201(?)




Doritos Contest Entry. 
Shot in November. 
Weight: 198.


Yep, it's been a great year.

Winding Down 2010

Seems I've not been the only one losing weight this year. Huffington Post listed the Biggest Celebrity Slim Downs of 2010. Some of them I knew about (J-Hud, Drew Carey) but John Goodman, good for you. And Anthony Hopkins, WTF? 800 calories a day?

Weigh-ins...
(11/20): 199
(11/27): 202. (Thanksgiving!)
(12/4): 198
(12/11): 198

So it would appear that I'm plateauing again. I've done this before, but this time seems a little bit more persistent. I've been the same weight now (fluctuating) for about two months. I haven't been exercising as much on account of the cold and what-have-you and the slip-ups have been holiday-related, to be sure. I'm allowed those and I'm sure it'll happen around Christmas too.

At any rate, I won't be hitting my goal of 180 pounds, which is fine. I was hoping I'd lose another 4 pounds before the end of the year to hit an even 60 pounds lost but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. It doesn't bother me because I know I'll hit it next year and even more. I've already begun making plans for next year which I'll blog about in a few weeks at a special end-of-the-year post on the last week of December.

I will say that I've been very busy in these last few months of the year. It has made me re-evaluate a lot and I'll be definitely setting priorities. So, stay tuned, kiddies.

Neil

Checking In (not Checking Out)

Remember how sometimes bloggers stop blogging just for no reason other than they just don't make time for it? That's kinda what I've done. For those of you who have been tuning in to my blog this year, you've noticed I haven't really blogged much anyway on here. Most of the entries are just weigh-ins.

Due to circumstances sort-of beyond my control, I've been moving a lot in the past three months or so. My internet access has been rocky as has my free time. However, you'll be happy to know that I haven't stopped my weigh-ins.

(10/9): 201.
(10/16): 198.
(10/23): 204. (I had a ton of sushi the night before)
(10/30): 199
(11/6): 199
(11/13): 197

My total weight loss this year is now 57 pounds. My jeans are now size 38. I am wearing size Large shirts. I am still going and it actually hasn't been very hard to keep up.

I'm not sure how often I'll update this blog, but it's pretty safe to say that I've changed my lifestyle permanently. I'm still losing weight - albeit slowly - and I'm not sure when it'll cease. It isn't always easy, but it's sustainable and that's really what I've needed all these years.

Neil

Day 275: The Weigh-In: Week 39

This past week was my vacation week and I went to Seattle and Portland because I had never been before and there were people out there I haven't seen in a long time (or ever!) There was some question of whether I could afford this trip. I went anyway even though I probably couldn't, so I'm hoping this doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (10/2): 201.
Weight loss this week: +1
Total weight loss: 53 lb.

As expected this week, I gained weight. I can't think of a healthy meal I had on vacation, to be honest. I did walk a few miles in Portland too, so I'm sure that helped. But it was only a pound; very manageable.

For those of you who don't know, I am moving into a house with my amazing talented friend Jonny. He bought on this house in March but the banks who own the place still haven't closed on it. It looks like its actually going to happen in the next few weeks. During this time, I have been in a temporary apartment with my friend Mary. Since it's been temporary, I've never quite felt like I've had a home-home, so it's been very hard to make any decisions.

So, Phase 3 begins in November... I'm hoping. Fiscal responsibility. Weight lifting. Running. Ugh, I hate running so much. I might powerwalk to start. We'll see. I'll be cheering on those Chicago Marathon runners next Sunday though. I might be one of them in a few years.

Neil

Day 261 & 268: The Weigh-In: Week 37 & 38

I think I may be at that point when bloggers just forget to blog or don't make time for it. This may be related to my current situation, which I will address further down the post below.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (9/18): 202.
Weight loss this week: 0
Total weight loss: 52 lb.

So last week was my third weekend at 202, which was not very surprising as I really haven't changed my diet too much, nor have I really been exercising. See, right now, I'm currently in what I would call a "holding pattern." I am in-between living situations where I was in an apartment and I will soon be living in a house with two dudes who have beards.

But, in the meantime, I'm in a temporary apartment with my friend Mary. She's been great but I just haven't felt settled in this time, probably because I know I'll be moving again soon. It could be as soon as 3-5 weeks. So, I haven't updated a lot of my mail, etc. (I get most of my bills done electronically anyway). Anyway, my life has been based on getting into routines in the past 9 months and it's been hard trying to adjust some of them when I know I'm just in a temporary place.

Regardless, I went to my friend Adam and Jenn's wedding last weekend and saw a lot of people I haven't seen in 50 pounds. People were very nice and it was great seeing everyone. It was really amazing to think that I've known a lot of those people for well over eight years and none of them had seen me this thin. Hell, I've never seen me this thin, which is another reason why I've probably slowed down my routines.

It feels like I've already reached my goal because I've never been this thin. But I know I can do better. This week I thought it would be more of the same.
 
STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (9/25): 200.
Weight loss this week: 2
Total weight loss: 54 lb.

Turns out, not so much. This is so exciting, you guys. Right on the vergey verge of being under 200 lbs.  I will definitely film my weigh-in and post it online!

Tomorrow, I head to Seattle & Portland for my first vacation since March 2009. I really, really needed it and I almost didn't go because my moneys are so "iffy" right now, but I decided ultimately I could make it work, with some tips from friends on keeping things cheap. I've never been to either city but I hear they're just great and quite different from Chicago. I hope I don't love them too much. Stay tuned.

Neil

Day 254: The Weigh-In: Week 36

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (9/11): 202.
Weight loss this week: 0
Total weight loss: 52 lb.

No weight loss but no weight gain, so overall it's pretty positive. I started riding my bike again this week. I got in 43 miles total this week but I didn't really change my diet.

I've begun a semi-regular routine of a couple of slices of toast for breakfast, two sandwiches for lunch, usually one turkey and one ham, and then Subway for dinner. Sometimes breakfast or dinner will change, but lunch is generally the same. Surprisingly, I've really fell into this routine and am enjoying it quite a bit. I've been doing it for about two weeks now and I'm not really sure when I'll get tired of it. I really look forward to each meal.

Now I know what you may be thinking: That's a lot of bread. And yes, it is. But despite what Atkins and South Beach claim, bread is actually good for you. I've been downing Subway a lot in the past 9 months and I would say the results have been damn good. Delicious, even.

My lunches have been so cheap, too! One tip for the sandwich makers is to try and get them loaves of bread that don't have the corn syrup. It surprised me that that jerk made its way into bread! You're supposed to be in junk food, corn syrup. Jerk.

Next Monday is my birthday. Would be nice to hit 199 as a nice present but I haven't lost 3 pounds in a week since the early days this year. Plus, I'm due for a weight gain in the cycle, I think. We'll see what happens.

Neil

Day 247: The Weigh-In: Week 35

I don't think I rode my bike at all this week. Maybe a few miles if I did at all, but not enough for me to remember to take note of it in my dailymile. I ate pretty well, however, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (9/4): 202.
Weight loss this week: 2
Total weight loss: 52 lb.

Nice. Again, it was another time when I really felt thinner by the end of the week, so I'm glad the old body managed to drop a couple more pounds this week. Two-pound weeks are hard to pull off at this stage in my weight-loss and I suspect I'll have at least a week of weight gain before I finally hit 199.

I really can't believe I'm this close to being under 200 pounds. My friend Joe asked me today when the last time I weighed 202 pounds was and I told him I could not tell him. I honestly don't know! I'm thinking it had to be back in high school though. I say this because I'm pretty much officially in size 40 pants, which I haven't worn since high school.

I joked this week that if I didn't reach my goal this year that I have to start all over again in 2012, since next year I'd have to gain back all the weight I lost. How comical! I wonder if the weight gain would take just as long. I think with plenty of tummy aches I could gain it back quicker than I lost it.

Of course, I might cause some damage to my everything.

Neil

Day 245: Transition

The transition so far has had its good moments and bad, like with any move. I've mostly been out every night, so this is actually my first night of rest. A lot has happened in the past week in my personal life; most events were probably ultimately insignificant in the big picture but they were a bit much to deal with in a short period of time.

But I digress.

I am currently living temporarily in my friend Mary's apartment near Lawrence and Pulaski, so I decided to try out the #53 Pulaski bus for the first time. This bus is almost a straight shot down and reduces my travel time to work from an average of 75-90 minutes to 50 minutes. This is good, but it is a shot against my motivation for riding my bike, as that also takes 50 minutes with my bike-lane-friendly, bad-neighborhood-avoiding route I've plotted out for myself.

I did find it humorous that on the first day I rode the Pulaski bus, I read an article in the RedEye about the worst bus routes and the very same bus was at the top of the list. They are right, though. The bus is always packed, although I get on early enough to get a seat. I have yet to ride my bike to work this week and with today's rain and tomorrow's post-work agenda, it looks as if it's not going to happen.

I did get a wicked workout on Sunday with the moving and subsequent bike riding. I'm not really eating too differently this week either, I don't think, but I'm interested to see if I see any weight gain. I still feel pretty great in general.

Man, I hope I didn't gain weight.

Neil

Day 240: The Weigh-In: Week 34

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (8/28): 204.
Weight loss this week: 0
Total weight loss: 50 lb.

I'd much rather not lose any weight than gain weight, so not a bad week. I cut down on the biking, but still managed 67 miles.

This was my last week in the neighborhood I've lived in for the last four years and the only one I've called home since I've moved to Chicago. It's not a far move: just one neighborhood over to Albany Park. However, the move does affect my biking trips to work. What's annoying is how I'll be biking to work. I'll now be going east, then south, then west instead of going south and west the entire time. The neighborhoods get pretty bad directly south between this apartment and work so I have to avoid them. The distance is the same though, really, regardless of the fact that I'm starting from a different point.

It should be interesting seeing how my workout changes, if it does, during this transitional point. I'm in a temporary apartment(s?) until the bank finally closes the sale on Steiny's house so most of my stuff is packed away in storage, making me feel mostly not at home. But we will see, I suppose.

Neil

Day 233: The Weigh-In: Week 33

My major biking goal this week was 100 miles. I started out on-track but decided to take a small break on Wednesday so I wasn't burned out by Friday (which is what happened last time). Because of that, however, I needed to make up the time so I ended up biking a lot more on Thursday and Friday. Nothing beats hitting a major goal at the end of a work week.

Of course, I figured there would be muscle gain this week (as there had been on other major biking weeks) so I didn't expect much of a weight loss, if at all.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (8/21): 204.
Weight loss this week: 2
Total weight loss: 50 lb.

So, with this hitting of the big 5-0, I made it to two major goals this week. I definitely felt thinner by Saturday morning so I'm glad I actually was. Being under 200 pounds is right around the corner and, when that happens, hoo boy I'm gonna be a wreck.

As my next major biking goal, I actually tossed around the idea of biking out to Woodstock some weekend. Woodstock is 50 miles from Chicago. Right now, the longest I've biked on public streets is just over 17 miles and the most in one day was 28 miles. The longest I biked ever was the Bike the Drive event, which was 30 miles. I'm pretty sure I could do it, but I'm not sure I'll do it this summer. Stay tuned.

Neil

Day 226: The Weigh-In: Week 32

This whole week I spent thinking about that damn weight gain from Monday, hoping I'd somehow get it down to 206 again. Yes, it was probably mostly water weight, but I figured I'd still keep some of the weight gain.

This was difficult, as being sick along with a heat wave in Chicago limited me to only 20 miles biking for the entire week.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (8/14): 206.
Weight loss this week: 0
Total weight loss: 48 lb.

Luckily for me, that wasn't the case and I managed to lose all the weight that I had gained last weekend. I was more than satisfied with that result than losing any more weight this week. Needless to say, this weekend was very different and I only had one or two guilty foods. Very little cravings for the crap foods for sure.

The week of the 16th is calling for excellent weather and I am slowly getting over my cold, so I am shooting for biking 100 miles this coming week. I've got to get in as much biking as I can. Autumn is just around the corner! Unbelievable. Hopefully I can hit 50 pounds lost next Saturday.

My birthday is one month away and I'm looking to make it a combined 31st birthday/50 pounds lost/first time under 200 lbs get-together. It'll probably be at a bar as I'm not exactly sure where I'll be living next month.

Stay tuned,
Neil

Day 219: The Weigh-In: Week 31

I'm posting this as a Saturday post, since that's when I did my weigh in, but this entry is about my entire weekend through Monday evening.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (7/31): 206.
Weight loss this week: 2
Total weight loss: 48 lb.

I lost two pounds! I hit 206 for the first time! However...

After my weigh in, I commenced eating really badly this weekend. It was unprecedented. I kept eating until I had a stomach ache. I'm done, of course, because the weekend's over. It's crazy how I just did not stop myself when I had the bad food just sitting there with no one around to eat it but me. I bought more bad food even after I had already eaten plenty. I was full, but I still ate because I knew this was my only time I could be bad.

I still kinda had a stomach ache today, but that may be partly because I'm getting sick. (I think there's a bug going around too because everyone else seems to be getting sick too.) Anyway, tonight, after a long day at work, I decided to weigh myself again, which is something I almost never do.

Well.... tonight the scale read 211.

Yikes. This is three days after my weigh-in on Saturday that read 206. Now, I know my body fluctuates up and down every day, but that is a LOT of fluctuation. I didn't exercise at all this weekend either, so it's not like I gained muscle. After my bike ride home on Friday, I ended up playing softball and that made me sore the rest of the weekend. Sure, I went out a few times, but generally all I really did was veg and eat.

So, in conclusion, my gorging this weekend has pretty much put me off bad food for the next month or so. These were just poor choices and I will not be making them again any time soon. I do believe that I should allow myself to eat whatever I want at points, but these are the kind of actions that would sabotage everything I've been working so hard for this year and I'm going back to making sure I eat right as often as possible along with keeping up the exercise. Plus, it's just dangerous.

And in case people are wondering, no, I'm not going through a very stressful time or anything. Things are generally OK. I think I'm just not used to being in this body so I'm testing my limits and seeing what I can get away with whenever I get a chance. I just went really overboard this weekend. I really don't think I've eaten this badly since before the diet started. I am certain much of the weight gain is from eating and not from gaining muscle.

I'm really remembering how I blew it the last time I was around this weight. I guess we'll see where I'm at come next Saturday morning. I'm hoping I've just got a lot to process still in my system and hopefully the rain won't prevent me from biking a few times to and from work this week as it did last week.

I feel like right now I'm in the middle of this stupid fight between Clark Kent and Superman from Superman III and I'm Clark Kent and the old me is Superman.



Thanks again for the support everyone. I won't let either of us down.

Neil

Day 215: Now What?

So, it's quite the change going from lots of projects to zero.

I've only biked 3 miles this week and I already feel like I'm eating worse. I bought snacks tonight and they're already all gone. I drove to work this morning (it was raining!)

At any rate, I already feel lazier. Last week I biked less than the week before and this is the slowest start to any week yet. Plus, I already feel like my cravings are higher than they've ever been! Not sure why this would be. But now that I have all this time I'm just staying at home, so I guess I can't buy them salty snacks. I think I learned this lesson months ago and forgot about it.

I'm hoping to ride my bike to work tomorrow. Gotta get back in the routine. I know, I really haven't fallen out of the routine yet, but I feel like it would be really easy to do so. I haven't gotten far enough away in my lowest weight ever to feel totally secure yet that I won't reverse the trend.

At least I'm aware of these issues. Not even sure they're issues yet, but I'm gonna try and tackle them before they become issues. This might become harder than it has already been.

Neil

Day 212: The Weigh-In: Week 30

I was out of town for my weigh-in time so I had to wait until the afternoon to weigh myself. It's really too bad. The scale I used to weigh myself in Milwaukee was much nicer than the scale I use all the time. (I wish I had lost 5 pounds!)

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (7/31): 208.
Weight loss this week: 1
Total weight loss: 46 lb.

So I'm back to where I was a few weeks ago. I didn't bike nearly as much this week as I did last week, hoping to focus more on eating less than exercising more. It worked, it seems.

What a week this was. I finished Impress these Apes on Monday in 2nd place, with perfect 10s for my finale. It turned out pretty much as well as I could have hoped. Everything came together, with help from Jill and Tim, and I made the piece that I'm most proud of ever creating and performing in my life. The reaction was overwhelming, with a standing ovation that seemed to last forever. The night was unreal and I was so proud to have been a part of the whole experience and perform on stage with such great talents.



On Friday, Cell Camp performed in Milwaukee for our first live show since January. Unfortunately for us, our Kate was in NYC doin' improv, but our show still went great. Theater was about half full but the response was awesome. I got to see a lot of Milwaukee friends, too. An overall amazing time. Plus, this nice picture was taken that really shows off how much weight I've lost.

Almost all my remaining free days this week were taken up by rehearsal for *Creepy Hug's new show, "Heat Stroke." It's my first Skybox show (and my first sketch show run) since May 2009. This opened Saturday night and went off better than any rehearsal we did. Check it out; four more weeks left!

Now I have almost nothing on my plate. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Relief at the moment.

Neil

Day 205: The Weigh-In: Week 29

It was the final weekend of "Impress these Apes" so I didn't update this on Saturday. However, I was really excited to get on the scale because I biked just over 80 miles Monday thru Thursday. And I just plain felt thinner.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (7/24): 209.
Weight loss this week: 0 (+1)
Total weight loss: 45 lb.

No way! However, I know for certain it's muscle gain. I didn't even eat poorly the entire week despite the gain in exercise. So, I gotta deal with that happening if I keep this routine up.

The rain through the rest of the weekend and just plain exhaustion kept me from reaching 100 miles biked in one week, but I think its very achievable. It was SO HOT and my work does not even have air conditioning; I can't believe that I actually biked as much as I did.

I'm taking it easy the week of the 26th but will try again the following week.

Holla,
Neil

Day 198: The Weigh-In: Week 28

I'm a little sad I haven't been blogging more than once a week, but being a contestant in Impress These Apes really takes up a lot of your brain space during the week. Sadly and thankfully, the show closes on July 26th. I'm currently tied for 3rd place! Come see the show if you haven't already and get your tickets now because we will sell out the final weeks.

Anyway, I really pushed it this week. Three months ago, after my first big bike trip, I set a goal to hit 204 in a hundred days. I had a particularly rough section in May/June where I kept gaining back the weight I lost and, for a while, it felt like I wasn't going to lose any more weight. But then I got back on the horse and started to lose weight again. I knew I wasn't going to hit the goal but I wanted to see how close I could get.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (7/17): 208.
Weight loss this week: 2
Total weight loss: 46 lb.

I really stepped it up this week. According to dailymile, I rode 67 miles on my bike since Tuesday. Since a lot of my travels were to places away from home, I went to Subway a lot more. (I really should get them to sponsor me in something.) I was worried when I woke up this morning because I could feel that I definitely have gained muscle from my riding. This is good, but it would also mean I may not have lost weight. It's so difficult balancing that out.


Being four pounds off from my goal is really not bad. I still lost sixteen pounds in 100 days and I'm the lightest I've been as an adult. I've actually had a difficult time grasping this thought. It hasn't really hit me yet, so I think either when I hit 199 lbs or when I hit 50 lbs weight loss or something, I'll post something really nice.

About five or six years ago, I got to be around this weight and thought I couldn't lose any more I guess (?) so I just slowly gained it all back. Here I am, back where I was before, and I feel like I've given myself another chance to really see what I can do.

I have lost 46 pounds this year. I am 28 pounds away from my goal, which I have to reach in 167 days. It seems easy, right? However, of course, most of my weight was lost early on.

I lost 30 pounds by Day 100. I lost 16 pounds more by Day 198. So, in order to stay on target, my next goal is 20 pounds more by October 30 (Day 303). This would put me at 188 pounds. This would also give me 62 days to lose my last ten pounds.

I'm just going to keep trying. I'm not going to take any drastic, unhealthy measures to reach these goals. Like this time, if I don't reach them, I just don't reach them.

I will just keep trying.

Neil

Day 191: The Weigh-In: Week 27

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (7/10): 210.
Weight loss this week: 0
Total weight loss: 44 lb.

No weight loss this week, but I did feel like I wasn't trying too hard either. I still biked 61 miles since last Saturday. I actually went on the scale this morning saying to myself, "Just don't gain. Just don't gain." And I didn't.

The weather finally became what all of us Chicagoans dread, which is July weather. Steamy hot (and humid at times), which really makes it difficult to want to work out when you live in central air. I knew I was being bad the whole week, though, and finally got out for some biking before my rehearsal on Thursday night.

I had off of work on Thursday, which is usually the day I ride my bike to work, so I rode my bike on Friday which turned out to be a bee-yootiful day. I got some great news and the workday went by fast, especially for a Friday. I ended up going to bed at 10:30 last night, which is super early for me. I think I was just pooped. I may not hit my 204 lb goal next Saturday (still 6 pounds away) but I'm going to come as close as I can.

I've decided I think I'm going to try and ride my bike to work every day. That would be an automatic 80 miles of biking every week (I work 4 days a week) plus it would help prepare me for long-distance biking, which is what I hope to eventually do in a year or so.

PEACE.
Neil

Day 184: The Weigh-In: Week 26

Barbeque season is definitely upon us. Last weekend's feasting antics spread into the week, but I managed to curb it around the middle of the week.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (7/3): 210.
Weight loss this week: 1
Total weight loss: 44 lb.

Still keepin' it up! I don't think it has completely sunk in yet that I'm the lightest I've been in my adult life. Maybe I have to lose a few more pounds? I dunno. Soon, though. Very exciting.

I joined dailymile this week. I am not good at logging anything in general, so we'll see if this lasts. So far, I really like it. It seems more accurate and easier to use than walkjogrun. However, I tried using livestrong earlier this year and I just couldn't keep up, but I think that's because I just needed to constantly be updating that.

At any rate, I biked to work twice this week (first time for that) so my numbers are already high for this month already (47 miles in two days). I do like that I get to work faster by biking, but I really am quite pooped by the time I get there that it just takes a while for me to function. I think I'm going to try to bike to work whenever I can, since a round trip really does burn a lot of calories (about 1600/day).

Today, we shot the last scene of episode one of "Hank Frisco," which required me to eat Oreo Snack Cakes. We had to do multiple takes, so I ended up eating, like, 7 of these things. And boy, did my stomach not like them after a while. I never thought I'd get sick of chocolate, but there you are.

We're already past halfway through the year (June 17) but I am already past halfway through my goal. Whether I'll hit 204 pounds by July 17th is still up in the air. At this rate (2 weeks away), not a chance (3 pounds a week?), but I'll be close. I honestly think if I just make a few adjustments in my diet, I could pull it off, but I don't want to do anything drastic. Who knows? If I bike to work every day, I still could hit it.

Neil

Day 177: The Weigh-In: Week 25

There was some trepidation to weigh-in this week. I thought I might not have lost any weight or maybe even gained a pound. I didn't get to bike as much this week because of the storms, but I still got in what I am going to try to make my standard once-a-week bike-to-work, which is about 20-miles round trip.

STARTING WEIGHT (1/1): 254.
CURRENT WEIGHT (6/26): 211.
Weight loss this week: 1
Total weight loss: 43 lb.

I still managed to lose a pound! I'm only 7 pounds away from reaching my next goal of 204 pounds on July 17th. It's going to be very close at this rate, but if I hit this goal, it would mean I am exactly on target to reach my target weight of 180 on December 31st.

These intense summer storms have been awesome and I'm not looking forward to their demise this season. After my Apes show on Monday, I was fortunate enough to be caught in one of these storms on my bike. I say fortunate because I've come to discover that there is little I've experienced that's more exciting than biking through the city during a severe thunderstorm. The lightning bursts, the huge thunder, the heavy rain, the traffic. Yes, it's dangerous, but it was awesome and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Mind you, I only did this because I knew I was going straight home. I was soaked with rain and, by the time I got home, I felt like I had just been through one a ride at a water park but I was completely clothed. No one wants to go anywhere else but home after going through a severe thunderstorm.

If you want a real thrill, I highly encourage biking through a thunderstorm at night. Keep in mind: It is pretty dangerous. Lots of big puddles, very wet, be alert to traffic and be safe. Also, make sure when you get home that you keep warm afterward and drink plenty of Vitamin C to make sure you don't get sick.