Very sorry to hear. Been a tough winter for the shakes family

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

RIP shakes' pet rat

Got on the scale this morning and officially shed all 5lbs I gained on vacation. I was pretty confident it would come off easy enough and was most just from
overeating and drinking for a week. Spent 90 minutes chiseling 1-2 inch thick ice off my sidewalk, driveway and curb so it doubled as a workout and stress
reliever for me. Pretty sure I will be spending a lot of time tonight moving snow. After using the blower I usually go over it with a shovel and make sure I
get the curb and everything shoveled out for the mail guy. Should be another good full body workout. Hoping to get back into the gym tomorrow.

Sneakers-- keep up the good work!

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Somewhat frustrated I'm not seeing clear results on the scale. I've been bouncing between 240 and 245 for the past month and a half. I could tell there is better definition from muscle gain so I know the gym work is getting results. Unfortunately appears the muscle gains and associated soreness and water retention is keeping the scale from falling.

It's fine but sometimes I like being greedy.

I've been walking around 5000 steps per day and trying to be good about both calories and sodium. I'm one belt notch tighter than I was four weeks ago, so that's progress.

Tonight and tomorrow are the first chance I'm going to get in a week to get a more balanced and longer workout. I like the Home2 Suites chain from Hilton, they are all new construction and their workout rooms aren't afterthoughts. I'm looking forward to staying at the one in Round Rock for the next two nights for work.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

alright back on track. Skated the gauntlet with 4 consecutive days on the ice including 6am and 6:30am Saturday and Sunday. Paid off as I lost 1.5 pounds in the process.

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Cardiologist check-in today. My weight is meh, but the cardiologist didn't care, he said that I looked the best I had in about five years and that I don't have any swelling in my legs. I don't have to go back until September.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

my brother went in and found out his valve is failing a lot earlier than expected (he had it replaced with bovine 8 years ago) and he has to get it done again. Now they are recommending he go with the mechanical valve which sucks cause that means he is done playing sports forever.

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I'm surprised that they aren't able to repair it with a TAVR type procedure, and are recommending a whole new one.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

they've mentioned the TAVR procedure and he is going to meet with the surgeon to discuss all options. Only issue with the TAVR is they are concerned that this could keep happening to him and he will have to keep getting them replaced which is why they are pushing him towards the mechanical valve. But, that's the cardiologist and not the surgeon. We'll see what the surgeon says.

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Still can't get rid of this pesky cough. Woke up coughing at 2am this morning and woke up my wife again. She was pissed so I just moved out to the
couch and tried to fall asleep watching tv which wasn't very successful. Most of my exercise has been from shoveling lately. HOping the snow tonight is light and I can at least just get to do some light lifting and walk on the treadmill or something.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Time to say goodbye to morbidly obese and hello to slightly less morbidly obese! As of this morning I've eaten 10% of myself, 37.4 lbs. Lifting is going reasonably well, feels like I'm on track to hit my old PRs by mid-April.

I haven't had a beer in a week and have already tightened my belt by a notch. It's a start.

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Good work every one. This weekend's weather is gonna set me back a little. I have no interest in running very long in driving rain and howling wind.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Congrats on all the hard work eveyone.

We bought a treadmill but I hate it. Going to try battling the rain today.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Chicago Hustle (AFKA "Hustle Up the Hancock") was Sunday.
I was hoping my fat ass would go under 35 min. Finished 31:41. Better than my goal, but still pathetic.

Joining the 2019 Commitment to Excellence now....looking forward to running season, but guessing that is delayed until April.

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Had a good week, dropped 2 pounds. 15-ish more to go.

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I have made it to the gym a total of 2 times the last two weeks since back from vacation. Pathetic. Going to try to restart tonight. Most of my exercise has been coming from shoveling the past 6 weeks and that is not cutting it. My back has been giving me some problems the last 2 weeks, more than ever before so I am going to give myself a chance to get into the gym and try to get in some better physical shape and see if that helps at all. At an all time high for weight so I know that isn't helping me. Just been stuck inside too much, eating because I am bored, probably drinking a bit too much and depressed because I am stuck inside. I need to stop being lazy and take an hour each day for myself and get to the gym. Hope you guys are doing a better job than me.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Is the need to go to the gym part of the problem? I am too lazy (and cheap) to go to the gym. That is why I run -- all I need to do is get myself out the front door which is hard enough.

Also my wife works some nights so when she is gone I know I am going to watch some TV so at the same time I'll either sit on an exercise ball and lift free weights or ride my bicycle which in the winter I have on one of these trainers. Just some suggestions....Good luck...

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

There is a natural aversion to the gym for me but they built a brand new Planet Fitness about a mile from my house. I really have no excuse not to get my ass over there. Lots of machines and I usually go at times where they aren't busy. Even when I do go at a busier time it is usually good people watching. After a long day at the office or long week, it just seems hard to get motivated to get over there. I am starting to feel like I am breaking down some now that I am almost 43 and carrying all this extra weight is just going to be detrimental as the years continue to tick by. Just need to make some wholesale changes with how I eat and drink and need to get to the gym for an hour 5 days a week. Once spring finally hits I am out golfing a lot and walk 95% of the time there so that is pretty good for my body. I just know that if I buy equipment for home that it won't make much of a difference and will become somewhere to hang laundry.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

People watching would be a definite upside to going to the gym

Other downside to getting older is slowing metabolism and loss of muscle mass. It took me until my early 50s to figure out that I couldn't keep eating and drinking the way I always did. But once I figured it out it wasn't too hard. Eliminating soda and fast food, mostly eliminating deep fried food, cutting way back on bread and processed snacks (i.e. chips) plus exercising more and (mostly) daily weigh-ins all seemed to have done the trick.

Good luck

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Those are all things I need to do. Sounds like I still have time to make some changes before it gets even more difficult. I am back to using the My Fitness Pal today and tracking my food intake. I always seem to do better when I pay attention to what I am eating.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

T-Bone you got this! We're pretty much the exact same age, and I started out this year at 373 fucking pounds. Down to 335 for now, so still a LONG way to go, but I already feel so much better, and look forward to the weekly weigh-ins. I know you said you have a natural aversion to the gym, but if you get a good lifting program going and do it consistently for a month or so, once you see gains it should really start to get addicting. Seems like you know what to do, so just gotta get your head right and get to it (and try not to take as long as me to get your head right!).

That's a good start.

Still ain't gained any weight. I have been eating like a pig, too.

T-Bone, you travel a lot, it seems--I heard that puts the pounds on (because of the food and the weird sleep hours).

I was doing a pretty good job last fall and getting a lot stronger. After my dad passed in early December I think I took my foot off the gas and then we did a lot of travelling during the month of December to visit my wife's family. I never really got things back in gear after the New Year and then went on vacation first week of February. Looking back I can see where I went wrong and should have hit the ground running after the Xmas holiday. No use crying over spilled milk now. Thanks for the pep talk Sneakers, I'll get back in there tonight and try to create some momentum going into the weekend. It really is mind over matter with some of this stuff and just believing in the long term plan. If I lose the weight the right way it will stay off as long as I stick to a reasonable plan. I think I also catch myself making big goals of losing 20 or 30 lbs when I really should be shooting for smaller goals on a weekly basis. I am looking well down range before starting when I really need to look ahead one trip to the gym or one week at a time.

Tommy, I don't travel too much in general but was doing a lot of travel between Thanksgiving and early February which isn't normal for me. I don't have to do much travel for work at all so now that I am going to be home until my trip to Boston in July, I really should have some smooth sailing and no excuses.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Ran 7 miles today at lunch-hour and also cranked out 50 pushups. Feel pretty good actually, although I think I'll feel terrible tomorrow.

Still haven't resumed running after sustaining two avulsion fractures (ligament tears away from bone, chipping said bone) in my ankle almost six weeks ago. Hoping to start up again in the next couple of days.

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