Great to see your back in the game! I need to get back in too, I've been slacking since I met my 185 goal... I believe the correct phrase is "bounce back". (That's just what I'm doing with my weight... yikes!)

P.S. Send me your cell number again in email... I can't seem to find it. :(

Hey Rich - I'm back on Traineo and back on the fitness track. I need to post a new pic...some day soon.

Lookin' good in your pic bro. Please tell me you didn't take it at Chuck E Cheese.. :)

Keep up the good work - call my cell if you need anything. Or hell...just call anyway - its been awhile.

Ivie, I think I look WAAAAAY too proud in that pic. ;)

Cool new pic, Richard!

Thanks Ivie, I appreciate that.

Richard, so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I hope she gets better soon, and I will keep her in my prayers.

I decided to follow suite and go in increments myself, Angie. It's more encouraging to meet the small goals instead of waiting long stretches for the bigger goals to be met.

I'm maintaining Rachael -- which I really can't believe because of my "bad" choices I've made up to now. ;)

Thanks Amy! I thought maintenance was suppose to be easier than this???

Ivie, I have to say, out of everyone here, you have figured out the way to lose! Even if it's only 1lb or less a week -- it's happening for you! That's really awesome -- I'm very proud of you and the progress you have made. Me on the other hand -- I need to take my own advice and start making good decisions again.

Hang in there, Richard! You are maintaining fabulously - which is a difficulty in itself! Way to go!

Congrats on meeting your first goal! You are on a roll. Keep up the great work! ~amy

Haha! Thanks Richard!!! Don't sell yourself short though! You are working really hard and losing weight too!! How have you been doing lately? On track?

Oh thank you Richard. I actually have more than 5 pounds, I just keep getting overwhelmed when I put 130 or less down, so I'm going in 5 pound increments. I've had a major set back of emotional eating, but I am doing my best to get back on track (and stay there) this week.

Keep making your great choices and thanks again for your encouragement.

I think my weight is climbing... but I still feel great though, (go figure!) LOL!

I suppose I'm happy that I met my first goal and that I'm just doing my best to make good eating choices and exercising more than I ever was. (I exercised almost every day this week -- yesterday I took a break.)

I've also incorporated much more weight training in my workouts -- that could be the difference. :) Oh well, I'm feeling good!

Yay! Thanks for the support! How are you doing??

Richard,
Thank you for your post on my page. I know it takes time... I go see the doc on Thurs next week. I will get back on track im sure.
Huggs
Dea

Hey Richard!

I'm actually trying to lose another 15 lbs total, but 5 lbs is my next mini goal. I'm giving myself until memorial day to do it.

looks like you're doing fairly well! keep it going!

Now now, let's not have talk like THAT meeeeester... All of you is "worth showing" and then some! (Well, no nudes--it's not THAT kind of site here!).

Anyway, again, it's a real nice photo.

: )

Thanks Minu -- had to get rid of the full body pose. (My physique is still not worth showing.) LOL!

Lovin' the new piccie, Richard.

You dimply thang, you!

; )

M.

Worked hard last night on getting down one pound -- I intend to do this more often to see some major results this week. My eating habits will need to change though. :(

C'mon Richard! Keep going! you can beat that 179 :)

I'm afraid to post anymore -- my weight is gaining back full force. Maintaining weight seems to be more of a challenge then actually getting to a one time goal -- I had momentum on my side, now I have to tread water indefinitely, (so to speak.)

Hows it all going Richard?? Have an awesome weekend! :)

My next goal is 179lbs -- which is slow going...

another goal met! congrats, Richard! :)

Thanks Rachael -- I'm sure my weight will fluctuate this week. (If that will make you feel any better. Hehe.)

Seriously though, my weight has been up and down so much, I gave up on weighing in even as often as I was -- which was pretty lax too. Just keep eating right and doing those exercises!

I'm waiting for the nice weather now -- time to get outside and get active!

Congrats on the weight loss this week Richard!!! I feel like I'm stuck in some sort of evil spiral that just keeps me going in circles! I want to lose weight dadgumit!

Ivie, yes we can -- and we will!

Lately though, I have had a rough time with "AMGS - Achieved Minor Goal Syndrome" And my appetite is picking up in intensity! I've slightly gone down from obsessed dieting to relaxed dieting. Trying to pick up speed again.

Oh well, enough venting and more sweating those pounds away!

We can do this, Richard! We can make it to 179! Congrats on your upcoming 11th anniversary! My 14th anniversary is coming up on May 8th. Let's kick things up a notch and lose these extra couple of pounds by then! (Rah rah rah! LOL)

Thanks Angie -- You're already slimmer than me! you have 10lbs that you need to focus all your attention to -- and you can do it! You've come this far -- sprint this last stretch.

Thanks Sam -- you're doing awesome! (Keep inspiring me by dropping those multiple pounds per week -- You and Spyke are beginning to make me think that neither of you are human. LOL!)

Hi Richard thanks for stopping by my profile and for the comment :D You're doing fantastically well and I know you will make it to your next goal of 179lbs - **Congrats on your 11th anniversary too!! **

Look at you...UNDER your goal! Way to work it off, Richard. I'm really happy for you. My anniversary is May 17th...hopefully I can be as slim as you are by that time! Keep up the good work!

Thanks Minu! I hope I can get to my next goal of 179lbs in the next few weeks. It would be nice to be slim for my 11th anniversary on May 31st!

YOU'RE MELLLLLTINNNNNNNNG!

Lookin' good, Slim.

Enjoy this last sacred leg of your journey, Richard and bravo on all the running!

: )

M.

Lily, with every sickness there comes a benefit or ability -- it just has to be channeled properly.

you're doing awesome, Richard! :) thanks for the comment(s)...i was wondering who it was from Kansas that visited my blog ;) and yes, i'm very organized...it's a sickness :P

Good, my weight decided to come down 2.4lbs bringing me real close to my 185lb goal, (just .8lbs off.)

This weekend was going to be a killer with my sisters wedding and family visiting -- I thought for sure I was going to plump up, but alas my will prevailed over my stomach!

Had a great 1 hour run tonight -- hope it shows on the scale tomorrow morning? (Have to work off those few girl scout cookies I had tonight after the 1 helping of spaghetti. Did I just admit to that out loud???)

What goes up, must come down! (Sometimes gravity is OK -- at least the law anyway!) LOL!

Coming back down! Awesome!

Thanks Dea. I didn't have ham, which we traditionally do. So I think the sweets are to blame. ;)

Water will be my only ticket with an accompanied workout, or two, or three...

Easter im sure was mostly water weight gain. Especially if you ate ham (in any amount) It is very salty and can add water gain in a large way!! Get back on track and drink LOTS of water to flush it out!!!!
Huggs
Dea

Well, I guess it wasn't enough without the exercise -- I gained 2.2lbs bringing me up to 188.2lbs! Ugh!!! I'm going the wrong direction! I seriously need to get back on track here.

Yesterday, I felt sick most of the evening -- I wonder if my body is just not use to sweets anymore?

Can't wait for this weekend to be over with...

Thanks Jina -- I hope tomorrow reflects my dedication I had today in curbing my diet... we shall see tomorrow.

Yay! Wow! Look at you! How exciting!!! :)

Thanks Jessi! Easter was a bit rough on my will power this time around and now I'm going to my younger sister's wedding this weekend -- pray that I come out the same weight or less. :-)

I need to figure out how to maintain. Ugh!

I am SO PROUD of you, Richard! You really focused in on the methods that work for you. What a great example you've set for all your loved ones.

Don't worry Rachael, when you do succumb to the temptation:
1.) use moderation,
2.) drink lots of water,
3.) exercise it off

Like they say in the financial world, "Don't spend beyond your means."

So have you succumb to any Cadbury eggs yet? Haha. I haven't but they are in the fridge. My husband bought them, but I am being strong. :) Keep up the great work Richard!

April, I'm so sorry to hear about all of this. I will keep you in my prayers. Stay strong and continue to keep the good habits you have developed.

Thanks for letting me know.

Hi Richard!

I am back! Finally - going through the Big D. It is for the best though, it just takes up a lot of time and I am also switching to a new role at work and taking on a part-time job for awhile so that I can keep my house, it is only a year old and I built it so I want to keep it! lol I am probably not going to be able to keep up with the spreadsheet but I do need to keep up with my attendance here, I am putting on some weight since I don't have anyone to be accountable too! I don't even remember what my last weigh in was! lol UGHY!

That's a good idea Rachael.

Btw, what is your next mini goal? Be careful when Easter gets here, ok? You'll be at your goal in no time at all if you keep yourself disciplined.

Your new pic makes me want to put a new pic up of myself. :) It's probably about time I stopped dwelling on how I looked on my honeymoon anyways. I can do better than that! It's taking a lot of effort, but I can do it. Your success makes me even more certain I can achieve my goals!

Thanks Sebastian. It's an amazing feeling being respected in such a way.

Yes Spyke, my chart is a bit bizarre isn't it? (It would look even worse if I posted my weight changes every day though -- which I use to do.) Thanks for the kudos.

Geesh Richard, your weight chart did a jackknife!

Great job! :)

nicely put my friend ... just so you know you're an inspiration for a lot of people .. you're doing so great !

Not a problem Sabastian... anytime!

Yes, I finally figured out how to lose weight -- not to take on the burden alone, but to rely on others that are willing to push me along the way.

thanks for the note, everything's going pretty good this time around !! but you're on fire too dude .. way to go.. you should be proud !

Thanks Meg, I appreciate that!

Ivie, it does feel great knowing our children respect us for our efforts and sacrifices that we do for them, (even if sometimes it provides us with benefits ourselves.) No more personal stories like that though, my eyes water each time I even think of it. It's a very emotional thing -- It's an awesome feeling.

Rachael, thanks a bunch! I'm hoping I can continue down to the 170s as prescribed by Ivie? and I only look skinny because I took the photo showing me from the front, not my side view profile images with the pop-gut anymore -- a photographers secret. Oops! LOL!

OH, and I love your new pic! You look so skinny!!

You made it to 185!!!!! That is SO GREAT Richard!! I am so proud of you!! You are showing everybody how it's done! Keep up the great work and I'm sure you can reach any goal you set your mind to!

Well, many kudos to you - and your wife too! I saw one of her comments on your page, and it looks like she's doing an awesome job as well!

The part about your daughter reminded me of something that happened with my 11 year old son the other day. He was giving me a hug that turned into a bear hug that almost cracked my ribs LOL. Then he looked at me and said, "Wow, I can really hug you now! I couldn't really hug you before because I couldn't get my arms all the way around you, but now I can!" That was pretty awesome, let me tell you.

I know I'm working my way down the scale this week...we'll have to see on Tuesday if I've caught up to your 185 lbs or not. Believe me - I've been working hard to get there! :)

Wooooooo!!!!!!! congrats - good for you man!

Well Ivie I don't know if I'll make it to the 170's, maybe if I go under 180 -- I suppose it's possible. :)

My motivation is a variety of reasons:
1.) I was starting to feel bad. Aches in my knees, hard time tieing my shoes, walking a few hours caused my feet to burn, bloated, etc.
2.) My clothes were always too small for me to wear. I didn't like that fact that I had to buy XL shirts and 40 inch waist pants because my @$$ was so big.
3.) I wanted to feel good about my appearance. When I was younger, I never had to think about it. You can be the nicest person in the world, but people still treat you like you're different if you're overweight. :(
4.) I wanted to make the people I love proud of me. My wife especially -- 'cause she has to look at my ugly mug everyday! And the rest of my family to show that if i put my mind to it I can accomplish anything. (My 4 year old daughter was starting to call me fat too -- So losing weight was my remedy for that.)
5.) I did this for myself so that I could have a better esteem.
6.) Those of my family and friends that are overweight needed someone to show them the way, I pretty much volunteered to do just that. So many of my family and friends are doing what I'm doing just because of my example! (People at work too!)

I don't believe people, that are overweight, who say, "Oh, I'm happy with who I am inside, and that is what counts!" Sorry, that doesn't work for me. I cannot be happy for a few more years of my life then croak because of my stubbornness to do something about my health. I cannot lie to myself anymore! So there you have it.

How do I do it? Lots of discipline! Eat what you know is low in calories and good for a typical diet. Educating yourself is key. Also moderation in food portions, lots of water, and cardio weight training exercises. I have been pretty good about keeping consistent and sometimes changing things around once my body gets "use" to my routine. Oh, and don't be afraid to be a little obsessive about dieting the best you can. :P Also the last and final thing that a person needs to lose weight which no one tells you about is this... M. O. T. I. V. A. T. O. R. S.!!!

When I first started Traineo I thought people would flood to my aid, but that's where I was wrong. So I finally got smart and went out and sought as many good people as I could that were willing to push me to the limits! And so, here I am 3 months later. Need I say more? :D

Hey Richard...I just saw your post to my profile page. It's funny you ask about my motivation because I'm at a point that some days are just on auto-pilot...I exercise because it feels weird not to and I eat pretty healthy because it's a habit. Not a bad place to be at this point.

Other days, I am just completely motivated by my progress so far, and how close I am to some of my personal goals. I know I wish that I was making progress a little faster, but I know that slow and steady really is the way to win this race.

Speaking of races, I just started the Couch to 5k program to see if I can increase my running speed. I hate running (LOL) but I like the way it makes me feel when I do it - strong and lean. I would love to run a 5k this next year, so we'll see if that helps my motivation at all.

So where does your motivation come from...and what are you doing to lose so consistently? I know you have some spikes in your chart, but your weight has gone down pretty smoothly otherwise. Share your secrets because inquiring minds want to know these things! :)

Way to go, Richard! Since you're going to keep going, just remember those 170's are right around the corner!

Not a problem Minu -- anything I can do to help keep you in the game. ;)

Thanks Hunny! I wanna look good for you so I'm going to continue to lose -- but you already knew that! :P

Well it's official, I HAVE MET MY 185lb GOAL! (On the Ides of March!)

Well baby, you did it...you reached your goal and are looking so good. I wish i could say the same for me, but I've got a long ways to go. Way to go

Thanks for the drive-by @ sicko-land, Richard.

Lil by lil, I'm returning to normality, but not without considerable whining...

; )

M.

Jina, you're not bad, just a little side-tracked, that's all. Get back on the bandwagon and continue to lose weight.

Brandi, it's ok, as long as you are still sticking with your diet. If other sites are helping, by all means, utilize them!

Dreama, if you and Angie continue to work together I'm sure you both will reach your goals very soon. It's a true blessing to have someone to workout with. ;)

Richard, no I wish I was still in the 120's. I finally updated my page. It's been a little crazy the past month. Hopefully I will be back there soon. Thanks for the encouragement. You are doing awsome!! I know you want to be at your goal by Easter. You are so close....I know you can do it. Good Luck!!

Thanks!!! Sorry I haven't been on here much. I've been utilizing thedailyplate.com like crazy.

I know.. I'm so bad! I think I gained a couple pounds over the past few weeks. I'll have to weigh in this Saturday. Let's hope I didn't gain too much back. :(

Bad weekend caught up with me -- 189lbs this morning. Working on burning the unfriendly calories I'm harboring in my body now. (yuck!)

Thanks Rachael and Belinda! I hope I can surprise everyone with yet another drop in weight. My next weigh-in is on Saturday. :)

WOW you're doing so well, only 3lbs to go! that's great :)

Nice charts!! You are doing awesome!!

Thanks Rachael, are you trying to get me into trouble? LOL! So you like that pic? I just took that one last night -- wanted to hide the tummy, (I'm still fat.) :-)

Thanks Minu, I just dropped .6lbs to get to 187.8lbs -- slowly inching towards the finish line. (Hope I don't trip up!?)

Richard, congrats! You've got that target in your sites and I'm happy to be rootin' for you at such an exciting stage in the game.

Bravo!

: )

M.

I like your new pic btw!!

Haha! What would Misty-Jo say about all your girlfriends?? JK! Haha :D

Hey, hey, hey -- welcome to Traineo Tammy!

You better believe it! They seem to be the only one's that want to see me thin. I guess women are just better motivators than guys -- I'm living proof that they are doing a hell of a job!

Thanks ladies!

Yea for you. You got a lot of girlfriends. :)

I'm glad that I can help. You are helping me stay motivated too! :)

Not a problem Dea, you should be so proud of your progress! The weekend was rough -- but I'm still in this game!

Thanks Jessi! I want you to reach your goals as much as I want to reach my own. Why? Because part of my goal here is to get you to your goal.

Hi Rachael, I'm not there yet. But I intend to stay strong to the very end. Thanks for the encouragement. Without my motivators, I would have already given up by now. You all play a VERY BIG part in the results I am showing. Thank you!

Richard! You are putting the rest of us to shame! Only 3 lbs to go!! Amazing!!

Keep it up! You're an inspiration to us all!

Richard,
Thank you for the water bottle. I hope you had a FANSTASTIC week end.
Huggs
Dea

Jina, glad to hear you got the job, got off your 3 day Ramen binge, and back in the gym!

Now the trick is to keep at it and get to your goal.

Hi! I guess you can say that I was on a vacation from my diet. Hehe...I was traveling for interviews for a new job, and with all that stress I couldn't get myself to go to a gym. I think I ate ramen for 3 straight days... :( But luckily, I got the job! And I went to the gym today and I feel fantastic.

And look at you go! Wow!! Keep it going!