I did a moderate amount of exercise this week. I did manage to beat my personal best for running greenlake with a time of 29:19. The majority of my exercise was volleyball, which included my weekly friday night volleyball at Alki, followed by the tournament on Saturday.

I’m still on track with avoiding junk food. It’s getting easier to avoid it. Although, there are times when it would be nice to have the option to have a sweet of some sort. For example, on warm sunny day a snow cone sure would hit the spot. Only 10 days left. In August, I’ll allow myself to partake of a treat on occasion. I’m considering two options: the first is only a certain type of treat – like only an ice cream cone. The other option is to have any type of treat but only once a week. I should probably limit the size of the treat so things don’t get out of hand. What works for you? I’m interested to know.

Although three weeks is a short time, I am seeing progress and feeling the difference. For one, clothes are fitting on me better. I still have a while to go before I can justify getting a new wardrobe but that’s something I look forward to. Also, I’m starting to see the difference in my reflection. By the way, my best friend Jed is getting married in mid September, so I’m hoping to make significant progress by then. It’ll be great to know that I did my best to look good in my tux.

Weight: 265 ( delta from last week is -1 )

Here’s my update. I improved with my exercise this week by meeting my running goal. Friday morning I ran Greenlake, instead of doing it originally planned on thursday evening. I completed the 2.8 mile loop of the lake in 29:42 for my best time ever. That makes me happy. On top of the running, I managed to find a volleyball court and play 3 games with some friendly strangers who let me join their game. Volleyball is by far my favorite sport to play, so I try to play whenever possible.

On the nutrition side of this program, I find myself thinking more creatively. Largely, this is because the things I know work are getting boring quickly. I don’t like cooking but it provides for more options, so I’m experimenting with it more. I find that temptations are greatest when I’m in a social situation – like at a bar with friends. It tastes good and incredibly convenient. However, prioritizing by convenience is how I got to where I am. I managed to resist the temptation, but it was difficult as my appetite was bordering on ravenous.

Part of the incentive of this program is weight loss. I read about the topic on several websites, all of which indicate that lifting weights will increase weight loss. I find myself hesitant because I don’t want mass. In my head I imagine the muscles get added on top of whats present, thereby making me larger. I don’t want large muscles. Rather I want definition with an overall decrease in size. This in part, is why I’m running. Who’s ever seen a 300lb marathoner? They’re always lean, defined. While I dont want to be a marathon man either, it’s closer to my ideal than a football player is.

Weight: 266 ( delta from last week is -3 )

Modifying your habits can be challenging, particularly when you have something you’ve been doing for an extended period of time. The first couple of days were the hardest. This is because you have to disrupt your default processes, and need to quickly replace them with a working substitute. Before the JFFJ program, I would decide what I was having for lunch around noon, since that’s when I would get hungry. Now, I’m deciding it in the morning since I’m bringing my lunch with me. So the morning time before work has become critical. This is when I determine breakfast and lunch. The upside to this is that I don’t have to make decisions about my meals again until dinner.

After a week, it’s a little easier. I feel like I’m starting to get a rhythm with eating healthier. I didn’t do so well with the exercise portion of my Power of 2 diet. I was supposed to run 16 Km (10 miles), of which I only ran 6.8 Km (4.25 miles). I need to improve greatly on this, in part by setting time aside for it. Overall I’m feeling better, which is good. My energy level is more constant.

Weight: 269 ( delta from last week is -2 )