100 Things I Learned in the Last 100 Days

Not in any specific order...

1. I can, indeed (despite numerous failed attempts), lose weight.
2. Drink lots of water.
3. Drinking half your weight 'in ounces' of water (240 pounds = 120 ounces of water) every day is harder than it sounds
4. Nuts have lots of calories.
5. Avocados have lots of calories.
6. So does cheese.
7. Andrea got me a membership in the "Cheese-of-the-Month Club" for Christmas. Go figure.
8. Going 'public" and telling 3,000 of your closest friends and customers that you're going to do something is a great way to feel (and be) committed!
9. Regarding #7 above: Despite getting me a membership in the "Cheese of the Month Club", Andrea is not just a great wife, she's a great friend... and a GREAT COACH!
10. Never shop when you're hungry.
11. You WILL hit plateaus when you're dieting, so do be surprised and get discouraged when they occur.
12. When you do, mix up your food intake and exercise routine.
13. Having organized exercise classes to attend are better than just going to the gym and working out on your own.
14. You can lose 1.2 pounds of water in 30 minutes in the sauna... but you will gain it all back drinking a single large glass of water when you get out!
15. Every choice you make, no matter how small, makes a difference.
16. If you fall off the diet, get back on immediately.
17. Fat free food can still make you fat.
18. I hate doing crunches.
19. But I love what doing crunches does for my core.
20. Peanut butter has the devil's fingerprints all over it.
21. Snacking on peanut butter is like injecting 'liquefied lard' directly into your veins.
22. SLOW DOWN when you eat. Give your brain time to get the message that you're full.
23. Eating from smaller plates works, but only if you limit the number of small plates of food you eat!
24. You CAN lose weight during the holidays - even Thanksgiving! But I'm convinced that the devil created Christmas stockings.
25. Lettuce has negative calories.
26. Lettuce has negative taste, unless you put lots dressing on it.
27. Dressing has lots of calories.
28. Where did we start? Oh, yeah, lettuce.There is an entire section of the grocery store dedicated to health food. Who knew?
29. There are entire stores that sell athletic clothing and equipment, too - whole chains of them, in fact.
30. Nike now sells socks that are 'foot specific' (one for your left foot, the other for your right) that actually have an "L" and an "R" on them. This means that if you have two pair of socks, and you lose the "L" from each pair, you're screwed.
31. The ad says, "Friends don't let friends drive drunk." I say, friends don't let friends eat cheese."
32. Too many happy hours can make you sad.
33. Posting your weight loss goal on the refrigerator is fine, but all the 'goal setting' in the world is useless if you don't change your behavior.
34. Cotton is better than cotton/polyester blends when it comes to breathability.
35. Never exercise in a green rubber suit with the erroneous belief that you'll sweat off extra weight. All it does is block your pores (which prevents evaporation) and makes you look like a giant jogging pickle.
36. Muscle weighs more than fat.
37. Weight lifting is only half the job; you also have to put them down SLOWLY to get the full benefit.
38. It should be called weight-lifting-and-lowering.
39. The reason most people go to the gym for years but never make progress is that they work until they 'get tired' when they should be 'working to failure.' There is a BIG difference.
40. Building muscle is a process that starts with destroying muscle, which (during the repair process) is repaired and rebuilt stronger than before. And then doing this again and again and again.
41. You cannot lose a significant amount of weight by cutting your hair, unless you have a significant amount of hair.
42. Taking your dog for a brisk walk can be a great form of exercise. Taking your cat for a walk will only slow you down.
43. Prunes do what they say prunes do.
44. Never eat prunes before giving a major presentation.
45. You still have to eat if you want to lose weight - otherwise your body will think you're starving and shut down your metabolism.
46. I used to blame my metabolism (and my parents) for my weight gain ("It's not my fault, it's genetic). But now I know that, even if your genes are conspiring against you, YOU can conspire back.
47. You need a full 7-8 hours of sleep every night, otherwise your metabolism gets disrupted.
48. Wine truly IS the primary "trigger" that causes me to eat too much, and if I want to control my wight in the future, I must control how my alcohol consumption.
49. I actually do like fruit!
50. I actually do like seafood!
51. I actually do like yogurt!
52. I really do not like raw vegetables.
53. Breakfast really IS the most important meal of the day (lunch and dinner are VERY jealous!)
54. Never eat anything that starts with the letter "C" (cookies, candy, chocolate, cheese, cake, cheesecake, crackers, cupcakes, corn dogs, and on and on)
55. The letter "P" isn't much better: pasta, pizza (especially with pepperoni), popcorn (especially if you butter it), pastries of almost any kind (especially of the "puff" variety) and, oh yeah, did I mention peanut butter?
56. Exceptions to #54 & #55 above (corn, carrots, coffee... pears, pomegranates, prunes)
57. Coffee has no calories - it's the cream that kills you (another "C")
58. 40 pounds = 6 inches in my waistline (44 to 38)
59. A 100 Day Weight Loss Challenge can save you lots of money on dining out. If I told you what we used to spend dining out you'd die.
60. You must learn to strengthen your "core"
61. The best core training is AB WORK, BACK EXERCISES, YOGA and PILATES (which does it all!)
62. Muscles bur calories, even when you're sleeping, so if you want to lose weight, build muscle!
63. The typical bag of marshmallows contains about 1,500 calories... even if you toast them
64. One has no idea just how much weight they've gained until they lose it!
65. Nothing tastes as good as 'thin' feels
66. Eating a single Snickers bar requires 40+ minutes on the treadmill to work off
67. Be kind to your hips and knees - you'll miss those suckers when they're gone
68. Great friends are good to have, especially when you go about tackling a big challenge
69. I found out that Andrea doesn't put up with any $#!+ when I make public commitment, and then want to 'cheat' (and that's a good thing!)
70. Did I mention that peanut butter is evil? I'm pretty sure that if jars of Skippy Extra-Chunky were hanging in the Garden of Eden, Adam would have been the first one with his hand up in the branches.
71. I've spent the last 12+ years carrying the equivalent of a large bag of dog food in my arms. No wonder I was always tired!
72. Scrambled eggs with cheese in them may taste good, but it triples the calories (there's that damn cheese again!)
73. Contrary to popular belief, you heart won't automatically EXPLODE over 140 beats per minute (200? That's another story, but 140 is exhausting but pretty safe)
74. There's a new piece of exercise equipment called an 'Elliptical' machine (well, at least it was new to me)
75. Just because a stocking has someone else's name on it, that doesn't mean the candy in it
76. John F. Kennedy, during his famous 1962 "Moon" speech, said: "I believe we should commit to put a man on the moon and return him safely to earth." The 'return safely to earth' part is important. Therefore...
77. I'd like to amend my original declaration of "Get under 200 pounds" by adding "and keeping it off."
78. I...
79. will...
80. never...
81. weigh...
82. over...
83. 200...
84. pounds...
85. again.
86. Next January 1 I will send you an updated photo!
87. You can do anything you set your mind to, even if you've tried and failed over and over and over before.
88. Oops, forgot to mention 'Cashews' and 'Pretzels'
89. Getting snowed-in can really make things challenging because there's nothing to do but work... watch TV... and EAT!
90. I now need new clothes, but that's a good thing
91. I do have some old stuff I've been saving for when this day came, but it's all 'out of style'
92. Staying on a diet while traveling CAN be done!
93. The seats on airplanes seemed to keep getting smaller over the last decade, but now they seem to be getting bigger again. Or is it just me?
94. My back problems seemed to go away as my weight reduced. A coincidence?
95. I could have lost 50 pounds if I had been "perfect" (but who is complaining?)
96. It didn't take 100 days to feel good about yourself. I started feeling good the day I "decided"
97. You can't hire someone to do your push ups for you.
98. Watching exercise shows on TV while laying on the couch burns exactly 4 calories per hour. Actually getting up and doing the exercises burns more.
99. I you've got weight to lose, it doesn't matter where you start from - just start!
100. It can change your life.

To Quote George W. Bush... "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"

100 days ago (October 5, 2008) I created a "clearly crystallized vision" of stepping on the scale on January 12... looking down... and seeing my weight at 199.5. Well, I missed.

Because on Day 98 I hit... 199.3!

Yes. It. Feels. Good.

No, that's an understatement... it feels FANTASTIC!

Here are the final "before and after" photos (Day 1, Oct. 5, 2008 and Day 98, Jan. 10, 2009)...

To celebrate I've decided to summarize my experience with a final blog (finals for this topic, at least I hope!) with a list of the "100 Things I Learned in the last 100 Days" blog, which will appear on Tuesday. In the meantime...

Thank you, one and all, for your uniformly 'kind words' and 'amazing support' - I could not have done this alone.

See you Tuesday!

I Thought the "Breakthrough" Would Come Today, But...

I delayed writing my blog yesterday with the eroneous belief that my breakthrough to 199.9 (or less) would come today, but alas - my body has other plans.

Let's put it this way: My body and I are in a duel-to-the-death regarding the last few pounds to my goal. It's a veritable tug-o-war with me pulling the rope with all my might, with the little red flag dangling inches from the finish line... with the evil "not-so-fast-mister-weight-loss-guy" forces pulling back.

So here I am... with just 3 days to go... stuck.

How far away am I? Less than ONE POUND with today's weigh-in registering at 200.9!

So I have a plan...

I'm going to the one place where the evil "stay-fat" forces can't find me. No, not the gym - they know I go there on a regular basis now! Instead, I'm going to the steam room at the gym. And then what am I going to do?

Nothing. As Satchel Paige once said, "Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits." Well, sometimes I workout and sweats... but sometimes I just sweats.

No, I'm not going to the gym to run.
No, I'm not going to the gym to lift.
Yes, I'm going to the gym and simply sit in a hot room and... SWEAT.

Is this cheating? Make no mistake: when this started I said I would do whatever it takes to get under 200 pounds - and I meant it (short of physical amputation, of course, though I did entertain it on several occasions!)

And if this is what it takes, so be it.

Photos on Tuesday! See you then!

11,089 Minutes (and 41.6 Ounces) to Go!

Well, here we are, in the final 'push'... and I'm counting the minutes and the ounces to the end of my 100 Day Body Transformation Challenge.

Current weight: 202.5! Just 2.6 pounds to my goal of getting my weight under 200 for the first time in over a decade!

The interesting this is that what has transformed most isn't my body, but my thinking.

No, I haven't made it all the way there in reality, but in my mind I made it long ago - everything else has been just details. Like a karate master breaking a stack of bricks with his bare hand, I've visualized the bricks breaking in my mind as I hit through them to an imaginary spot past the bottom block. The "doing" was simply that. Doing. There was no question... just executuion.

So, if it was so easy, why didn't I do this long ago? Great question.

And the answer might surprise you.

It's because I liked it the way it was. I liked eating and drinking (and sometimes gorging) myself into a wine-induced, caloric stupor. And I liked the feeling of being able to do what I wanted (translation: eat and drink) when I wanted (translation: every day). And why? One word...

Control.

Eating and drinking gave me a sense of being in control. Of course, life is ironic at times. Because the control I wanted ultimately placed me out of control... of my weight... of my health... of my emotions... and my life.

Now I feel in control but not eating and drinking anytime I want. Like I said, ironic.

Make no mistake, this doesn't mean I will never struggle again - Christmas taught me that lesson (damn ham and stupid stockings!) But that's the point, isn't it? The ham and the stocking stuffed with candy will be there every year.

And I'll be there, lusting after them like an adict craving crack.

"Hello, my name is Rich ('Hi, Rich') and I'm a Ham-oholic."

No, I'm not making fun of people with serious addictions - I'm being completely serious. Because an addiction is an addiction is an addiction. Yes, some can kill you quicker than others... but they're all deadly.

Even if the only thing they kill is your spirit.

A New Year's Gift (for Us All)

(Note: This blog may be a little longer than usual, but you'll thank us for it... we promise).

Andrea and I would like to take this time (and space) to accomplish three things:

1. Say "thanks" to everyone for your support
2. Share our hope for you in this New Year (and beyond)
3. Do a movie review (yes, a movie review!)

First, thank you. And not just for following this little weight loss blog (face it, in the big scheme of things, how many pounds of organic material can currently be found "inside" Richard Fenton's skin and how much can be located "outside" of it is not stuff of supreme import considering the state of world affairs. But, 'thank you' nonetheless. Your support has been (and is) greatly appreciated (and for those of you who do care, the scale currently reads 204.8!)

Second, we hope this blog finds you as healthy and happy as we are. Actually, that's not accurate - because we are not merely happy on this New Year's Day... we are blissful. And bliss isn't easy to achieve.

How does one achieve bliss? Well, the answer is rather ironic.

The great mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote what many believe to be the three most important words to fall from a human tongue. And those words were: "Follow Your Bliss."

So the answer to the question, "How does one find bliss?" is to simply follow your bliss (we warned you the answer was ironic).

For Andrea and I the answer is to be together (for those of you who do not know us well, we are the original 24/7 couple - we spend every minute of every day together and still don't find it to be quite enough!) and to do meaningful work you love. Speaking and writing isn't simply a means of creating income for us, it's our passion!

And the result is true bliss.

So if you hate your life, find a way to live a different one. Yes, there is a price to be paid for making any change - sometimes a steep one - but trust us, bliss isn't cheap, but it's worth any price you'll have to pay.

Finally, the movie review!

Last night, on New Year's Eve, we ventured out in the cold and rain to see what we believe to be one of the most wonderful (and important) movies you will ever see. More directly, if you see this movie and it doesn't move you, go to a therapist immediately and have yourself checked out!
The movie is called Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven't heard anyone mention it before now, don't worry - you will.

• The Los Angeles Times called it "the best audience picture of 2008."
• USA Today gave it "4 out of 4 stars."
• The Chicago Sun Times said it was "a phenomenon... miraculous"
• The Wall Street Journal said "There's never been anything like this... groundbreaking... damned near earth-shaking."

And, to our mind, none of the above does justice to just how AMAZING this movie is.

We share this movie recommendation with you not because we think you'll be entertained (though you will be) but because of what the Village Voice said when it declared that Slumdog Millionaire "will send you out of the theatre feeling like a winner."

Question: When was the last time you went to a movie and, when it was over, nobody moved? And we don't mean that everyone sat through the credits (which they did) but that they literally... didn't... move! As... in... not... a... single... muscle!

Why? Probably for the same reason we didn't move - out of fear that even the slightest twitch might break the spell and end what was two hours of pure movie (and storytelling) magic. And when people did finally move it was to break into wild, spontaneous applause.

(No, we're not getting paid for this review.)

Now, we're not going to say anything about the plot of the film - to tell you more would be to spoil the experience. But be warned...

• This movie will make you squirm.
• This movie will make you ache.
• This movie will make you uncomfortable.
• This movie will make you angry.
• This movie will make you laugh.
• This movie will make you cry.
• This movie will make you wonder why you are ever unhappy, even for a minute... reaffirm all that is important in life... and remind you about what you've always known but somehow have forgotten.

And it will make you grateful for every... single... thing... you... own - right down to your shoes, literally.

What more could any of us ask from a film... or from life?

Back On Track... Without an Extra Day to Spare!

Okay, the holidays are behind me. Well, almost. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are yet to come, both being days on which I traditionally 'pig out'.

But I have a plan!

So, what is this plan? Go back to doing what I was doing, what brought me enormous success already. After all, I have dropped 31 pounds and the ship is headed in the right direction again (I dropped 4 pounds in the last few days, getting back to 206.6) for those of you who were concerned after reading about my recent 'mistletoe meltdown'.

Because the answer to taking off weight is ALWAYS the same, no matter who you are...

• Eat well.
• Exercise regularly.
• And if you get sidetracked, get 'on track' as soon as possible.

Yes, there is a temptation to simply stop eating - after all, if I simply have Andrea lock me in the garage with a bowl of water and some of Courage's cat-kibble, I imagine I could break the 200 barrier, no problem. But... not... too... smart.

So, while I might slip in fruit-juice-fast to accelerate things a bit, doing something radical is not in the cards... and really unnecessary.

But I am cutting it close.

OKAY, OKAY... THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET AND HAD SOME HAM!!!

And not some ham... LOTS of ham!

Actually, it's worse. To be brutally honest, I went on a a three-day, industrial-strength, cruise-ship-quality "binge" over the holidays. I mean, I ate everything in sight... and a few things that weren't!

Let's just say that Fred Meyer will be reporting strong holiday sales.

And I'm not just talking ham. I'm talking about ham (with honey mustard)... and green beans (with onion ring topping)... and candied yams (with brown sugar)... and cranberry sauce (with whipped cream)... and baked pears (with ice cream) and...

And? Could there actually be more? Yes! because then I raided the Christmas stockings! I'm talking Snickers and M&Ms and Milky Way bars and fruit-flavored Tic Tacs and Egg Nog Truffles (a See's Candy holiday tradition for over 50 years)... and (for good measure) I washed it all down with a plate of CHEESE - the highest, calorie-dense food on the planet short of injecting liquidfied-lard directly into your veins!!!

Whew!

And (you guessed it) I gained a little... like in 4 pounds!!!! Going into the holidays I was down to 206.0. This morning I tipped the scale (literally, tipped) at 210.0! Now I find myself with 10.1 pounds to lose... in just 17 days!!!!

But, while I fell off the wagon (it's hard to keep you balance holding all that food) I... will... still... make... it... to... my... goal!!!!! I WILL BE 199.9 at my 100 day weigh-in. I admit, I don't exactly know how (I've been wondering which body parts weight the most and would be least missed if surgically removed) but I will get there.

Can you spell g-y-m-n-a-s-i-u-m?