Week 12 of my weight loss challenge.

It's been too long since I last wrote, and for that I want to apologize. It is not that I discontinued my weight loss challenge. Neither is the case that I was too busy. I was certainly busy but I could have made the time to write. I've been simply caught up in other things. But here I am, for those who are reading (I know there might be a couple readers out there, though sometimes it feels like screaming to a vast empty valley), I promise to keep up reporting my journey.

It's almost the end of the semester, thank God for that. It's been a tough one, but a very satisfying one. God willing, I will be transferring to San Francisco State University to pursue my Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. I feel this is an important milestone in my life. I actually never thought this moment would come. I've been in College for 6 years, studying part while working full time. Being with the Augustinian community has finally enabled me to finish college, and I still can't believe that this important moment is just around the corner. It's been too long, but I'm finally almost there.

But why really, do we think this way of our distant goals? I remember when I was working and studying. The goal of finishing College seemed so distant that I almost felt it was impossible. Paradoxically, I continued studying with limited motivation, even though deep inside of me there was a voice who was telling me "I don't believe you will finish this". There is the almost constant motivation that I should study, it is the right thing to do. I should at least try, even though I was not convinced that I would finish. Perhaps I thought I wasn't good enough, or that someone as lazy as myself would probably not be able to invest the time necessary to achieve such goals. Worst of all, I got used to the idea. I got used to the idea of being lazy, and living life as it came.

When it comes to weight loss the exact same thing would happen. Weight loss was always one of my goals. So distant that it was, and so much work would I need to put into it that a lazy person like me could hardly begin to do it. I would sign up for the gym, go at it for a week, and then simply forget about it. I should at least try, it is the right thing to do. But did I ever believe that I would ever do it? Hardly. I got used to the idea of being fat. My ideal future was always of a thin graduate. That idea was always in my mind. But if I was asked to be realistic, would I think I will be there in a couple of years? No, honestly no. I know I'm capable of much. My past experiences tell me so. But I also know how comfortable it is to be complacent, and simply let life be, while you sit on the couch with the T.V on. I know how hard it is to get out of the comfort zone.

But here I am, some pounds thinner and about to finish College. It is possible and perfectly doable. It's often been said, "don't ever let anyone tell you that you cannot do it". But I say, don't ever let that voice inside of you tell you that you can't. You are capable of much. God has given us this incredible power to change things within us and around us. You already have what you need because the maker of Heaven and Earth has already given it to you. If you have a goal, however big it is, however impossible it is, be realistic about it and say "If I want to achieve this, this and this is required of me" and then plan the next step to do it with discipline, but most of all, with the motivation that comes with the knowledge that this is possible and doable.

But enough of that, here is the weigh in for week 12:

Week 9 weigh in: 304.

Week 12 weigh in: 299.

Total pounds lost: 17.

It's been more than 6 years since I've been under 300 pounds. This is an important step for me. When I started this, I wasn't sure if I would be able to accomplish my goal. I was more inclined to think that I would probably fail. But here I am, under 300 pounds and almost finishing college. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.

Week 8 of my weight loss challenge.

It's been a tough week. It was my first week of class after the Spring break, and I found myself buried in homework. There were days when my mind and body were dedicated in study from rising until 9pm at night. Sometimes I lacked the time to exercise, other times I simply lacked motivation. I still managed to exercise a couple of days, but not nearly as much as I would have wanted it. And to top it all off, we had a priest from the main province visiting, which meant dining out 3 times this week.

I finally have a break today, and the time to exercise and relax. I went for a 4 mile walk today to dowtown, and I enjoyed every minute of it! First I went to a famous park where the "Full House" houses are (that's how I call them):

Then I went to the majestic Civic Hall, which to me feels like a small piece of Europe in San Francisco:

Boy do I really need a haircut! I've been neglecting and delaying the imminent visit to the barber shop. This morning I went out with my old black jeans, a simple shirt and jacket. I didn't comb my hair, and it was an unholy mess. I don't "dress out" for exercise. Needless to say I wasn't in my best style. Apparently, there is a group of Christians that go into the city visiting the homeless in downtown, offering a "good morning", a smile, a snack, and a "God bless you". Great job these guys are doing! I was very happy to see this needed work being done. The thing is, a couple of them confused me as a homeless and offered me a snack! I got a good laugh out of it. I didn't get mad or ashamed, because I honestly don't think myself as "better" in any respect to the homeless in the city, but I thought it was a good and funny indication that I really need a haircut (btw, all these pictures were taken with my phone on my walk).

But enough of that. Here is the weigh in for week 8:

Week 7 weigh in: 307.

Week 8 weigh in: 307.

Total pounds lost: 9 lbs.

Was I disappointed? Yes and no. I was disappointed because I could not exercise as much as I wanted. I had a stressful week, and I'm glad is over. But then again I was not disappointed because I was actually expecting a weight gain, but I managed to maintain my weight. I promise to step it up for the next week, and I expect big weight loss for the next week! Thanks again for your support and see ya next time!

Week 7 of my weight loss challenge- The joy of walking.

This was a good week. I finally have my Spring Break from school and now I have more time to exercise and relax. Yes, I find it amazing that I can now say in one sentence the words "exercise" and "relax". But I find exercise relaxing. I will go one step further, I fell in love with walking. I used to hate walking, now I love it. It is amazing how your mind expands while you are walking. You pay attention to little details you normally ignore if you are driving. If you are walking in the city you appreciate the city even more. You find new things, new paths, new parks that you didn't know existed.

This was my experience this week, where I found one of the most beautiful park in San Francisco. San Francisco is for me, the perfect city to walk through. Last Thursday, coming back from College in the bus, I could see a park one block away from Masonic, on Haight street. I never explored that part of the infamous hippie street. But I decided to explore the park in my next walk. I thought I would find a small, uninteresting park, but instead I found this huge hill, with all sorts of beautiful trees and flowers. Just perfect for hiking. And so I did, not knowing what to find. Midway through the hill, I stopped to catch my breath and I was greeted by this beautiful view:

After a few minutes of resting, I decided to continue my hike. Turns out I was just in the middle of the hill, and I had much to hike. The park was beautiful. Imposing and leafy trees casting a relaxing shadow on my path, the sun's ray carefully squeezing in between the leafs, leaving bright spots on the ground. Pushing myself harder I finally arrived to the top. where I found a small open grass area. Someone was sleeping face up on the ground. A couple was kissing and hugging, a lady was calling her dog to come. The view was again, beautiful, this time revealing the western part of the city, the Golden Gate bridge as my background:

I discovered the joy of walking, and now I'm looking forward to new places to explore. Yesterday I walked through UC Berkeley and Berkeley's downtown. Today maybe SF downtown. But who knows? Maybe I'll explore a city I don't know very well. The possibilities are vast, and I keep my mind open.

But enough of that. Here is this week's weigh in:

Last week weigh in: 308.

Week 7 weigh in: 307.

Total weight loss: 9 lbs.

So there it is! I was really hoping to lose to 2 pounds, but in all honesty, I'm not too worry about the scale anymore. I'm more interested in making a lifestyle change that I can pursue and enjoy for the rest of my life, instead of enduring a painful, temporary diet that will leave me powerless once I lose all the weight. I'm more interested of being healthy. Losing weight is only a secondary side effect. My goal is no longer to lose weight, but to be healthy.

Thanks for your support and see ya next time!

Week 6 of my weight loss challenge- A new challenge also an Android app review.

I apologize again for posting this a few days late. This Friday I had my monthly reunion with the vocation director in the community. He had a challenge for me. A challenge that involves my religious vocation and my health: When I reach 210 lbs., he will promote me as a pre-novice in the order. At first I was shocked, but later I was actually happy with the challenge. It gives me extra motivation to reach my goal. A mental image I can chase while I exercise and while I'm trying to avoid unhealthy food.

On a different note: I often heard Fr. Roderick and many others recommend the Loseit! app for the iphone/ipod touch. But I don't have an iphone! I used to have an ipod touch but I ended up selling it after the many frustrations I endured with itunes But before selling it I had already tried the Loseit! app. Right now I have an Android phone and I'm very happy with it. Looking for an Android alternative I found a pretty good app called Weight loss trainer. In this app you don't have to count your calories, but it measures up your caloric intake automatically by your weight loss (or gain) for every week or day. You do have to "record" your exercise. You can manually add exercise as in Lose it! or you can record one using GPS and a pedometer. If you are walking, for example, the app records your exercise through GPS, giving you the pace, how many miles you have walked, how many minutes you have walked, and how many calories you are burning. I love it! It's so easy to use and really encourages you to exercise. It's perfect for walking, running, riding a bike and hiking. It also has a worldwide high score, where you can compare your progress with others around the world. It shows you for example, that in the last 7 days you have walked 7 miles and also your corresponding ranking (for example I'm in position 1300 with 7.1 miles walked in the last 7 days, the no.1 position has 99.1 miles!). I personally love this feature, as it gives me a competitive push to record more miles. It only accounts for miles recorded using the GPS, and not for exercise entered manually (as in Loseit!), to avoid people putting extraordinarily figures in order to be in a high-ranking position. Here is the website for the app:http://www.worksmartlabs.com/

Enough of that. This is my weight in for week 6:

Week 5 weigh in: 309 lbs.
Week 6 weigh in: 308 lbs.
Total weight loss: 8 lbs.

I also changed my profile photo with a more recent photo. In it you can already see a bit of change from the old picture. Maybe I will post a blog with the two pictures for comparison. Thanks for your support. See ya next week!

Week 4 of my weight loss challenge.

It's been a busy week. I had my time clogged with midterms and papers for my college. Exercising has been a little difficult, but doable. Stress is mounting, but I'm finally seeing a relief starting with this week. I apologize for not posting my weight loss on Thursday. But I did weight myself this past Thursday, and after getting back from a visit to my parents, I think it's about time for me to post this.

Week 3 weigh in: 310.

Week 4 weigh in: 309.

Pounds lost this week: 1.

Total pounds lost: 7.

So yeah, I was mildly disappointed with this result, but at the same time I was glad I lost a pound, since I didn't have much time to exercise as much as I would like to. On a more positive note: this past weekend I visited my old parish church, and I saw many of my friends who I haven't seen for 3 months. They had very positive comments on how I looked. They said I looked more thin, and much more healthy. The parish pastor even joked about it, saying, "they aren't feeding you well in San Francisco". See ya all soon for week 5! Thanks for the support!

What happened to Week 2 of my weight loss challenge?

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting Week 2 of my weight loss challenge. My commitment to weight loss still remains, but now I know it will require more effort than initially thought of. Let me explain. Week 2 was a rough week. Succumbed a couple of days to my old habits, overeating on those days. If that wasn't enough, I cut down on my exercise. This is the worst formula for losing weight. As a result, I didn't lose weight. I was afraid of weighing myself. And when I did, I got 316, which, unfortunately, was my starting weight on Week 1. My first thought was of hiding away, make the best effort for week 3, and post the results for that week , ignoring week 2 completely. Bury my mistakes away, pretending it never happened, and maybe my mind will somehow overcome by sheer necessity. This is a mistake I had made in the past, where procrastination plays a big role in it. When a change is in need, I always procrastinate, waiting for the "right" opportunity in an uncertain future, effectively ignoring my responsibilities at the most important moment, indeed the only moment we have: the present.

I will give one personal example of this: Before moving into the Augustinian community, there were (and still are) some habits that I knew I needed to change. I thought "Oh, moving into the community will be the perfect opportunity to change this, I will simply step it up, and pretend I never had the habit(s)". One of these bad habits is that I am a very disorganized person. My room is almost always a mess. I knew that keeping my room clean was important when living in community, but I never made any efforts to completely eradicate the bad habit. I thought "Oh, I'll simply start cleaning my room once I move in, and all this bad habit will be forgotten in the past". I convinced myself and fantasized that the simple act of moving in will have an almost magical effect of changing my persona, reborn in a new person, where the old habits were not overcome, but forgotten, and somehow eradicated in the process. But your habits follow you whenever you go. They move with you whenever you are. This old baggage we cannot leave hidden in our old house, hoping that it would never resurface in our new house. The only way of breaking this old baggage is by replacing it with something new, something better. And that's creating a new habit to replace the old. And this takes time and effort. Making the long story short, I cleaned my room for the first two week, but then stopped doing it. I didn't replace the old habit by creating a new one.

Disappointed, I shared my struggle with my brother Frank in the community. He used to be fat, and was showing me pictures as proof that he was. He encouraged me to keep forward in my plans. He told me that he wanted to lose a few pounds as well, just enough to reach his ideal weight. He proposed that we work together in this, and I agreed. He quickly drew up a chart, with my name to the left, his to the right. In it included my weight for that night, (he weighed himself as well), and the dates for the future weeks and space to put our weight for those weeks. We posted the chart in the main bathroom of the house, for all to see. That was last Thursday. Since then, I had greatly improved my eating habits, and exercised a lot more. I expect weight loss for this week, the weight in being tomorrow (Thursday). So yeah, my weight ins are changed from Monday to Thursday. And tomorrow I will post the results for week 3.

In the end I decided not to shy away from my mistakes and share this with all of you. Instead of ignoring week 2 completely and post the results for week 3, I thought that this can only help us to learn from my mistakes. It is better to share our struggles, instead of screaming on the mountains our achievements. If all of you know my struggles, my human brokenness, then we can all better enjoy our achievements, when we finally meet our goals. This goes not only to weight loss, but more importantly, in our lives with Christ. Amen.

End of Week 1 Weight Loss Challenge.

I was supposed to post this on Monday, but I was too busy playing Simcity 4 that I forgot to weigh myself. I did so yesterday, and returning from a visit from parents, I decided to finally post it. So there you go, that's my excuse.

So this the result of the end of Week 1:

Starting Weight: 316.

Ending Weight: 314.

Pounds lost this Week: 2.

Total Pounds lost: 2.

So there you have it! I know that 2 pounds is not too much, but I want to lose weight in a healthy manner, unlike my last time I did so. For this week I reduced my serving portions. I did some exercising (walking) but not as much as I would like, and so I'm going to try to step it up this week. See you next week!

The start of my weight loss challenge -Week 1.

As part of my New Year's resolution, I finally decided to start losing weight (in contrast to just deciding to lose weight). As a way to keep myself motivated, and possibly motivate others to do the same, I will start posting weekly weigh-ins, and if I lost any weight, say how I did it. I am a busy student. I'm also living in the Augustinian community as a pre-novitiate candidate. I have many obligations that can make this weight loss journey difficult. But if I can do it, lazy and busy as I am, then indeed anyone can do it. And I know I will do it. I had done it before. When I was living in my native country, Nicaragua, I was 70 lbs. overweight. I decided to make a change. I lost the 70 lbs in just three months. Unfortunately, the weight loss was too rapid to be healthy, and after one year of maintaining my weight, I regained it all back, and then some.

My Goals: But no need to cry over spilled milk. The future is always before me, if God grants me the grace to do so. My goals will be to lose between 1 and no more than 4 lbs. a week. To attain this goal I will do the following:

-Reduce my meals portions.

-Never miss breakfast.

-Have small snacks (no more than 100 cals.) between meals.

-Exercise a minimum of 3 days a week, and if my schedule permits, 5 days a week.

-Try, as much as my class schedule permits, to never have dinner after 6pm.

About the exercise: I am fully conscious that exercising a minimum of 3 days a week is not enough for me to lose weight. I will try to exercise more days. Unfortunately, I am a very busy student (with tons-load of homework) that leave me little time to exercise. The odds seem to be against me, but I know I will do it. At the beggining, my exercise will be simply to walk. Later I will try running. Gym will not be my primary way of exercising, not only because I have limited gym access, but I know many people have limited gym access. Gym is not neccesary to lose weight.

My first weight in: I weighed myself this morning. My starting weight is: 316 lbs.

If you want to know how I look with this weight, just look at my profile picture. I have not changed much since I took that picture.

See you all next week! God bless!