Brief update!

Yesterday I stayed very late working on some personal stuff and was just to tired to blog! So last night I weighed 207.8. Tonight I couldn't quite finish 6 miles during the 2nd run did maybe just 11 total for the day - oh well. I really need to figure out the right amount of calories to give me the energy for two runs and also not gain weight. I'm really in the maintenance phase at this point.

I weighed 208.4 today.

I've reached the goal

Kind of - tonight I dropped a good amount again. I've really done well the last few days with restricting the calories and the running. I weighed 207.4 - which - if you minus the 40 lbs of excess skin = 167.4. Going into this of course I had no idea about the excess skin (at least not how much weight would be involved).

The surgery will be the only way the last 40 will be coming off. I'm going to stick with the same program - I may drop more weight yet - but for now I've made the goal (for what I control) just hope to hear from the doc soon re: surgery.

I weighed 207.4 today!!!

great day!

just one of those great days where I'm really inspired and it all comes together. Not much time to blog - weight took a nice drop again.

I weighed 212.8 today.

tough day - tough run

Didn't get enough sleep last night - had to take a friend to the emergency room. My morning run was great, but just felt so weak after getting about 3.5 miles into the second run. Only a ten mile day - better luck tomorrow. Feeling a little weak over all right now - hope I didn't pick up what my friend had

I weighed 218.4 today.

emergency room - again

I'm back at the emergency room again - not for myself this time I needed to be here to drop off a friend. I'm waiting to take him home also. I was just getting ready to go do my second run when he called. I skipped the second run yesterday and I gained 5 lbs. since yesterday. I figured the second run would help me to get a little more of that off - not going to happen now! Oh well...

I did get in a good first run and tomorrow I'll be back on track.

I weighed 217.4 today.

Boring day

Did just one run today - not feeling entirely well. The run seemed to make it worse. Busy all day with variety of mundane tasks. Sorry for the incredibly lacking effort on this blog tomorrow will be better I hope!

I weighed 212.4

Thanks Rochester Post Bulletin!

Special thanks to the PB and Laura Gossman for the excellent article about me and the project. I really appreciate it. Here’s a link to the online version.

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=386179

I feel obligated to point out that there are three stories on the cover of the paper. The story about my weight loss and two separate stories about President Obama (I’m referring to the printed version of the paper). If you add up the space occupied by both of the President’s stories – I still got more press. I think this is the first time I've had a story on the cover of a newspaper in which the two opposing stories were about a sitting President and my story was occupying more real-estate.

I had the pleasure of seeing a Masque Theater Performance of Alice in Wonderland last night – this is why I failed (again) to blog last night. Since the article just ran in the paper and since I may see a spike in traffic to my site and the blog, I’ll use this opportunity to shamelessly support the play. PLEASE go see the play! It’s really great and the costumes alone make it worth the price of admission (which isn’t cheap - $15 for adults and $10 for children). The costumes were all hand made by members of the Masque Theater group.

Call for show times
14 - 4th Street SW
Rochester, MN 55902
(507)287-0704

I weighed 212.2 yesterday.
I weighed 211.4 toay.

Here are some pictures I shot last night. This is just a few of the wonderful costumes.



my daughter Paige played the Chesire Cat, the cook and Alice's sister.

I'm terrible

I really need to get focused on this blog again. Intended to stay late last night to do many things but it was so cold again last night just couldn't do it. It snowed again too. I think that's enough for the year. But I know it's pretty common to have snow will into April here. This blog is really for yesterday. I hope to blog again tonight.

I weighed 211.8.

two posts in one

Missed blogging again last night - oh well. I weighed 216.8 yesterday and tonight I weighed 212.8. I'm just 4 pounds away from my goal. I haven't heard from my doctor yet about a mtg. with the surgeon. I will need to get in touch with him again.

I'm feeling great. I weighed a little less then this a week or so ago but was feeling terribly depleted. I feel very strong right now. I think I will slip into the goal weight real soon here (next few days maybe). Hard to believe actually.

I weighed 212.8 today.

my conversation with Jarka

I have been very busy of late - so many things going on. I didn't have a chance to blog last night and I have missed several days this month. There are some things that are far more important than blogging.

I have immense respect for Jarka, for her art (both the paintings/drawings and the poetry) and for the person she is. Today we had a private conversation touching on the transforming power of art - how it can change an individual (me actually). But art can potentially have such a positive effect on groups of peoples or opinions. Art for me could be a painting, a movie, a song, a poem, a performance.

It can also change the person - the artist - doing the art. This has happened for me with this project for sure. My weight loss wouldn't have happened but for the desire to create the film. I'm putting so much time and effort at this point into my filmmaking - which today included the mundane task of clearing files from an old hard drive to be able to transport digital clips to and fro for my film. In the process of doing this I came across this very old Cingular Wireless commercial that I found quite inspiring/transforming for me personally many years ago. Seeing it again today made me realize how "unbelievably lucky" I am.

I'm unbelievably lucky to have a friend like Jarka, I'm unbelievably lucky to leave this blog to go and run a second 6.5 miles for the day, I'm unbelievably lucky to be an artist and to have the freedom to pursue my passion and most of all I'm unbelievably lucky to know God.

I hoped to upload the movie clip but it wouldn't allow that but I did find it posted on youtube. I'm sure you have all seen this before but it surely warrants repeat viewings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KRGUjNFD-Q

I weighed 216.4 today.

weight just isn't dropping

I have surprised myself by maintaining these 12 mile a day runs. I actually ran 13 miles today and 12.5 for the last couple days. Yet the weight has been fairly consistent. I weighed 217.8 today. Still have not heard from my doctor about meeting with the surgeon. I sure hope these blogs began to be more about the film and less about the exercise :)

I weighed 217.8 today.

missed a couple days

I even considered heading home without blogging today just couldn't go three days in a row. On Monday I did both runs and ended the day weighing 220. Yesterday I did 12 miles also - ended the day weighing 217.2. I tried to blog last night but the electricity in the building was down again. I ran twice today (I'm leaving early today) and weighed 214.8 today. Did both runs. For the second run I pushed the MPH up to 6.5 instead of 6. This makes for a much better run.

Yesterday I learned that the skin removal surgery is one of the most painful you can experience. Also it costs about $150,000. I don't know if this info applies to me exactly or not yet. Waiting to hear from my doc about a meeting with a surgeon. I know I don't have that kind of money. I doubt my insurance covers it - likely an elective surgery. Hopefully I will know more soon.

I did the interview with the PB yesterday - that's the second one, I think it'll be a three part story.

I weighed 214.8 today.

Up but feeling good

My weight is up - I weighed 217.8 after my run. But this was the best run yet. I decided to start and keep the pace of the treadmill at 6.5 mph instead of 6.0 mph. This to make up for only doing 6 miles and also for a little over-eating. I made it through the run - and in fact with about 6 minutes left I increased the pace to 7.0 mph and then to 7.5 mph for a sprint for the last minute. Running this hard just felt GREAT!

I heard back from Progresso (actually I heard back from General Mills the parent company) it was a form letter rejection. That was a little discouraging. My friend Nick said don't give up - call Progresso directly and stay on it (he's right) not going to stop yet.

Monday they are going to announce the top 5 finalist of the SXSW interactive design competition, it's very competitive - and it'll be a miracle if my site is in the top 5.

I'll be meeting with a reporter from the Post Bulletin on Tuesday of next week. They want to do a follow up article to the one that ran in the PB in August of last year. The article was published on the web last time (in addition to the newspaper) I'll post the link in my blog when this one comes out.

I weighed 217.8 today.

Much to do today

I just finished my run - I weighed 214.6. In theory I have about maybe just 200 calories left to eat for the day. I'll try to stick to that - even if I can I will not be coming back for another run - so much to do. That's what hurts most on weekends. Only 6 miles a day. But I got to start editing and I have a lot to learn in that regard.

I weighed 214.6 today.

Weekend is nearly here

My weight dropped again - it'd be so nice to even maintain it throughout the weekend - but that's not likely (just know from experience it never works out like that) - but I'm going to try. I know it's hard to get 2 runs in right of the bat, anyway we'll see.

I weighed 212.2 today.

another 12

I seem to have recovered from the bad day on Monday and feel I'm back in the grove. ran another 12 and the weights dropping again. Tomorrow I've got to get in touch with my Doc about the next steps.

I weighed 217.4 today.

boxing is back

I blogged earlier that the Silver Lake Gym had closed down (this is where I was hoping to complete one aspect of my exercise routine). It was a little bit devastating - as it had been part of my plan since day one. Today I found an outstanding coach who is willing to participate in the project fully. Lots of work to get this off the ground - but this whole thing has been lots of work - so just par for the course I guess. Off to run back shortly.

Had a great run. What a relief after the crash an burn yesterday - went the full 12 miles today - I think the mtg. with my new coach helped.

I weighed 221.2 today.

rough night

i had a great 6 mile run this morning - felt great all day - was about to get on the treadmill for a 2nd 6 miles after work and I felt my whole body go weak all at once. I got on anyway and decided there was no way I could do another 6 - figured I just get in a quick three. I had to quit before I got to even 1 mile. This has happened twice before. I described it as "crash and burn". Not sure what causes this, just glad it happens so rarely.

I was really counting on 12 tonight because my calories were way up this weekend. Oh well - better luck tomorrow I guess.

I weighed 221.3 today.

Super Sunday

Don't know if I'll even watch the game today - far more interested in jumping into the movie stuff I need to get completed. Now that I have my system set up at home I'm also very anxious to get started with editing the film. Want to see the commercials though I can see that on youtube.

Hope to see Bruce tonight during the half-time show. I was really inspired during my run today - I came across this outstanding version of "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" He sings this with Tom Morrello - what an incredible performance of a great song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp-oDAxx8So&NR=1

feel free - to play it loud

I weighed 218.8 today.