got the editing process started

Finally got a good deal of my clips processed and organized (to some degree). Also, had two of the best runs yet (both today). Pressing hard with that - not much time tonight - got to get home and get some art done for the upcoming show.

I weighed 210 today.

one more thing

OK - how could i (in the previous blog) have left out the very important concept of blogging about your weight loss effort. I highly recommend that you if you need to lose weight and you're planning to start a diet and exercise program - blog about it daily. It brings a higher level of accountability and you may just meet some really great people who will give you advice or inspire or encourage you along the way!

I weighed 212.2 pounds today.

back to running / + 3 things

had a great run - very little pain - best run yet. i normally hold the sides of the treadmill - maybe for as much as 15-20 minutes of the run. i use to kinda beat myself up for this, but figured what i was doing was working... tonight i ran the entire run and maybe held the sides for less then a minute. that was actually quite a surprise. i ran hard too - i was listening to Blue October a band i heard play live at a late night party for a movie called "my Suicide". they were handing out discs at the party (i took two).

i had an interview with the Pioneer Press Thursday. i shared three things that i have learned - but not sure that i have blogged about yet. on a PBS program i heard a doc say that to lose weight and keep it off requires a "super human effort" i agree with that and have been inspired by the comment through out my effort. they mentioned that 97% of all diet attempts fail. my own experience confirms this. so here's my take on that - three things to keep in mind if you want to beat the odds.

1. Sticking to a diet requires a super human effort and executing an effective exercise program also requires a super human effort. Don't start out by trying to do both at once. I really believe this is why the percentage of failed attempts is SO HIGH. I highly recommend that you start your exercise effort first - no diet. Eat what you normally do. Focus on the exercise first. I started by running for 2 miles 3-4 days a week. I did this for six months before I started dieting. I lost less then 5 pounds during that 6 months. But I improved my conditioning and I was totally and comfortably into a routine - one super human effort was behind me - one super human effort at a time is enough. Once I got going on the diet the weight dropped like magic. And once i reached my first plateau I was prepared to increase my exercise effort to counter this.

2. Everyone is good at something. Everyone is successful in something. Take the principles and practices that you never fail in and apply them to you diet and exercise effort. For me making my weight loss effort into a creative project made all the difference this time. The focus is on deadlines and meeting expectations that have little to do with the weight loss itself force and drive a successful project over-all (it just happens to include getting into shape again and losing weight).

3. Be incredibly selfish. It sounds terrible - but almost everything in my life that hasn't contributed to the process or success has been set-aside. It's not mean spirited - I have just found that helping out by making meals makes me fail. The current exercise routine requires 4 hours a day. There's a good 9-10 hours on the full-time JOB, and with the blogging and website and filmmaking - the entire day is spent. If you want to lose weight it has to become your #1 priority.

I weighed 210.4 today.

sxsw withdrawal

i crashed and burned during my run Sunday - only got in about 1.5 miles. i think it might be withdrawal from the food there in Texas both the great quality and quantity. also i have had some pain in my upper inner thighs ever since i increased my workout to 13 + miles. i'm skipping my running for the next three days - hope this helps with the leg pain. also will be going back to 600 calories and a liquid only diet to counter the lack of exercise. my weight was up considerably this morning but that's because i didn't run today.

here's the band from the documentary "the Promised Land" i'm hopping to maybe use some of there music in my film.

http://www.myspace.com/lilbandogold

i weighed 223.6 today.

great workouts

got in two great workouts today - though each was cut a little short - focused on upper body during the run - felt great.

getting my taxes done - got a nice return coming might even be able to purchase some of the missing parts and pieces I need!

i weighed 218.8 today.

I'm back

Much to talk about regarding SXSW. First I'm pleased to say that I didn't gain a lot of weight. When I left on the March 13th I weighed 217.4. I was a little fearful I might gain as much as 25 lbs. Instead I gained a little over a pound. I'm very happy with that. I weighed 218.8 today. I'm still up from where I had been but I got through the challenge of last week pretty well. I was quite lucky because not only did the hotel have a first class workout facility but they also had Precore 966i treadmills all set for a manual 1 hour long. This is always my preference when at Mayo.

I got in 13 miles on the treadmills there at SXSW all but three of the 7 days. On two of those days I did 6.5 miles and on the other I did 9.5 miles. We all did a great deal of walking from venue to venue also. This certainly helped.

I've come back fairly inspired and anxious to get to the editing process of my film. There were many good films and documentaries I'm sure I'll be commenting on them all in the weeks to come. At this point it's just good to be back and I look forward to dropping my weight back into the single digits - perhaps by the end of next week.

I weighed 218.8 today.

For fun here's a pic of me and George Hardy, star of the 1988 nmovie Troll 2. The worst film ever made (according to one documentary we saw).

SXSW 2 days away

I'll be leaving for SXSW in a couple days - I'm going to need to finally buy some new clothes. For work I have one pair of dress pants (they're actually far to big) and I have just one pair of blue jeans that fit. Since I'm running so much I just wash and re-wear the same clothes everyday. This isn't going to work at SXSW. I'll be gone for 6 days straight with no washing facilities. That would mean that I need to buy and bring 13 shirts, 13 pairs of socks, 13 pairs of underwear,13 pairs of shorts, 6 pairs of blue jeans (this is crazy) today I will check into Mayo's policy on using the hotels laundry service for sure!

I weighed 214.6 today.

another art show coming

I'm going to be a part of another Art Show in Stewartville, MN in April. More details on that soon. I just wish I had more time would be nice to have a few more pieces painted.

I weighed 210.2 today.

SXSW is coming soon

I've had some up and down days here - with the eating and the weight. I'm back down to 211.2 tonight. I'm getting ready to head back to SXSW - really looking forward to it at this point. Also just a bit apprehensive. I'll be gone for almost a full week and I will be eating out for every meal. I could easily gain 25 lbs. I don't want to. I originally told myself when I started on this diet that if I was successful I'd allow myself to eat all I wanted when I made my way back to Texas. Now that I've done it - I just can't allow myself to gain a lot of weight. It won't be easy though. I'm hoping there will be a treadmill there and I will simply have to find a way to it every day if not twice a day. I think I read somewhere on the Mayo Clinic travel policy that Mayo now covers laundry service for those who are maintaining an exercise routine while at the conference events. I'll need to double check on that.

I bloged about a movie, a documentary, called Man on Wire. Congratulations!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Pb_tLvs5o

I weighed 211.2 today.

brief again

just a note to say:

I weighed 211.2 today.

good day ahead

got my run in - just doing one - need to blog fast.

I'm attaching a pic of me in my blue jeans coat circa 1977-78. It's one of the few articles of clothing from my youth. Since I was in HS in the 70's this is a good thing. The clothes were a little ODD as I look back on some old photos of myself in that era.

it has been a long time goal to get back into this jacket!

get to paint today! can't wait

weighed 210.8 0n the 28th

weighed 210 today