Then, two weeks ago I head back down the path of eating better and exercising rigorously.  Nights were spent either lifting in the gym, prepping my upper body for lots of Florida pics at the end of the month, or afternoons walking and jogging in the park.  After two weeks I was giddy for a ginormous weight loss post, only to step on the scale and see 243.  I will not tell you on this wholesome family site the exact words I told the scale, but they weren’t pleasant at all, nor should they be repeated.  I think you get the point.

That’s when I remembered that I’m not the only one who is going through this.  Cris and I have been tossed into opposite worlds lately.  After landing this third shift gig we don’t talk as much as before.  Not that we don’t like each other, heck, I still have a massive crush on the chick.  It’s just that I sleep all day after work and don’t get to see her until the evening… right before I go to the gym before work.  We have finally started to make adjustments in our off work schedules to make sure we get to spend the time we need together and it’s amazing how much you can learn from someone by talking to them.  She has been in the same boat as me!  This made me feel tons better.  I felt like a huge failure and was letting my wife, my readers and myself down.  Turns out that I am not a failure, I’m just human, plateaus are real and the only true failure is to believe you are one.

If you’re working toward the good, you are NOT a failure.  Time to get my head out of the sand.

I am forcing pushing myself to work out either when I get up, or before work almost every night now.  Like I said earlier, all of my weight lifting will be focused on upper body to tone up before our little Disney excursion in a few weeks.  I want to see muscles in our pics this time, not what I see in previous years’ photos.  I think I have finally broken in either my shoes to my feet, or feet to my shoes.  The pain I felt at the beginning isn’t near as bad as before.  I even put Addie on my shoulders the other day and ran in the park for a little HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training.  Run 30 seconds, 30 second good mornings, run 30 seconds, squat 30 seconds, run 30 seconds, repeat.  That in itself is pretty tough, now and a 5 add a half year old on your back and see what happens!  I am liking the results I see in the mirror after a GOODe lifting session too.  Muscles swell during and after a workout due to increased blood supply to them.  After a hard lifting session my arms, shoulders and chest look HUGE!  Makes me wanna go back!

I also want to say thanks to one of my best friends.  Kritz and I talked the other night about fitness.  She was wanting tips on what Fitbit to purchase and I ended up getting more useful information from her about diet and exercise.  After a long discussion on the phone I felt ready to tackle this Year 2 Change again with a new outlook.  I need to start looking at the day to day of this challenge and not just potential success or failure of the end results.

And as always, I want to thank Cris for loving me through this challenge as well.  We talked the other night about her struggles which made me open up about mine.  Together we reworked our plans and both feel rejuvenated.

I am working on getting a new fitness tracking device.  Although I love the concept of the FitBit that Verizon sent us, I have lost mine twice.  I still have it, but I’m scared to wear it and lose my Wilson too.  I am still researching smart watches as well as the Jawbone wrist band.  I need something that is permanently attached to me without being able to slide out of its holster.  Anybody out there wear something they like?  I want a step counter as well as an activity counter similar to the FitBit.

Results:

242.3 Lbs

+2.7 Lbs

Ya know how I am always saying that Year to Change is all about picking yourself and dusting yourself off and getting back at it…

Well here I am, doing just that.

I have all kinds of excuses… but they don’t really matter.

All points of my game are off at this point… some more than others.

Most of all, balance has been missing these last couple weeks.

No rest. No family time.

And that all came to a stop yesterday. Puddie and I now have a game plan to finally bring this shift change back to center… FINALLY.

And that means, my excuses are over.

I have been lax on sharing with you, lax with my diet (to a point) and lax on the exercise (to a point).

I haven’t went back to my old ways by any means, but I haven’t had my head in the game for a while.

Week 30 Results

All of this has lead to a 3.9 lb gain over the last two weeks. You heard me right… I rarely lose that in a month and I have gained it in two weeks!

Boo!

Truth be told, I am grateful for the gain. It is calling me to the mat and getting me back on track.

An Introduction

Another “wake-up” call was when I lost my Fitbit over the weekend immediately following my very first marathon relay.

This photo was taken right before I lost it…

I spent my weekend crying “WILLLLSOOONN!”

Telling everyone who would listen that I felt like Tom Hanks when he lost Wilson in Castaway.

Verizon sent me my Fitbit right at the beginning of Year 2 Change and it hasn’t left my side these last 7 months.

It has helped me so much and the second I realized it was gone I felt so strange.

I looked everywhere and once I got an email from my dear Fitbit telling me that it was dying (I kid you not!), I took a cue from Mr. Hanks in the closing scene of Castaway and immediately ordered a new One.

The Fitbit One has replaced my Ultra and I have to tell you I am so in love with the new model!

So much so that I promptly named her Wilson.

She is sleeker. Her casing is more secure (thank GOODEness!) and she syncs a lot easier.

She also has reminded me of what she is there for… to get me off the couch and get moving.

Life has been really hectic lately. Between schedules and travel, I don’t know whether I am coming or going most of the time. BUT I do know where this weight is going

Down, baby down! Over the last two weeks I have lost 2.6 lbs! Total loss? 55.6 lbs since about a year ago and 36.6 since we started Year 2 Change!

What I am feeling GOODe about?

I am feeling really GOODe about being able to somehow keep my head among chaos… I really worked on my spiritual life while traveling and I enjoyed indulging from time to time but not throwing my diet out the window. It was so strange to feel normal- like I could order something reasonable without feeling like I had to eat salad the whole time I was away from home and my kitchen.

What do I want to improve on?

My spiritual life is the foundation for all that I have gained while losing… and unfortunately when travel ended, my new habits nor my old habits kicked in. Instead life got chaotic and things got shoved to the back burner. So, my goal this week is to really commit to getting back on track spiritually, mentally and physically.

What inspired me this week?

All of the entries for our Fitbit/WiFi Scale Giveaway!! You guys are amazing! Every time someone tells us how we are inspiring you, that just pushes us along that much further! Seriously. When we hear that by sharing our story with you about two real parents tackling weight loss realistically that we are giving others something tangible to consider for themselves it is so motivating to keep on going. Thank you! (and BIG thanks to Verizon for sponsoring the giveaway!)

Granted, I am no way near where I want to be yet.  I am up this past couple weeks.  I went back into the 240′s for a few days, but am now back down to 239.6.  I lost my mojo there for a little bit.  The switch to third shift got to me big time and totally whacked out my eating and work out schedule.  I am still plugging away at figuring out how to balance everything, but I’m getting the hang of it a little better now.

As far as workouts go I have been working out in a different way this past week.  Cris had a conference in Texas so I took the week off to watch Miss Add.  I took that opportunity to finish a project that I started a couple months ago.  I rebuilt our master shower but still needed to tile the darn thing.  Did I mention our master bathroom was upstairs???  10 boxes of tile at about 45 lbs each and 120 lbs of grout and mortar all hauled upstairs.  I decided to carry things one at a time to maximize my step count.  After carrying everything up, then came the mixing of the mortar by hand.  I hadn’t chopped that much mortar by using a hoe since I worked for a masonry company back in college… about 39.6 lbs ago.  Along with mixing the mortar came the lifting the tile in place.  After all was built came the grouting.  I used a drill mixer for this little task, work smarter not harder…  After grouting came the cleaning of the tiles.  125 square feet of “wax on, wax off”.  I spent 3 full days on this “little job” and worked about 12 hours each day until all was complete.  THAT was alot of workout!  My muscles are still sore and begging me to go back to the gym where I only do an hour max.  I head back to work Wednesday night and will be packing my gym bag along with me

I need to lose 1.5 pounds a week to reach my goal of 200 lbs by September 16.  This is totally doable.  I am getting my mind right once again to dig my heals in a little deeper. I will not let a schedule change be the thing that knocks me off track (yes, I work for the railroad and that was a pun…)  I look forward to see what the next 26 weeks that this Year 2 Change brings.

Are you in this Year 2 Change with us?  Do you want a little help?  Our friend, Michele, from Verizon is sending us a little package to give away to one lucky reader!  Click the link below to see more!

http://asgoodeasitgets.com/fitbit-one-wifi-scale-verizon-giveaway/

I have totally been there.

Or, are you on a weight loss journey and would like a little boost in your efforts?

I have totally been there too…

How would you like to win a brand new FitBit One and WiFi Scale from my dear friends at Verizon Wireless? They have so graciously offered to send these fantastic tech tools to one of our readers at As GOODe As It Gets to help us celebrate our halfway point in our Year 2 Change.

As you might recall, Verizon sent Puddie and I our own Fitbits and Scales at the beginning of this journey and they have been a fantastic tool for weight loss for me.

I wear my FitBit all the time. Every. Single. Day. (Even though I don’t get those kinds of steps every day – by a long shot.)

And, I weigh in on my scale at least once a week and more often when I am struggling.

The great part about both of these devices is that they work seamlessly with the Lose It App and LoseIt.com and automatically update your calorie allowance based on your weight and activity level. Psst… Did I mention the Lose It App actually allows you to scan your food’s bar code to log it?!

If you are anything like me, the FitBit will begin to teach you just how sedentary or active you really are and you will suddenly find yourself trying to be more active to up those numbers.

It may also show you why you aren’t losing like you should. Most weight loss programs calculate your calories by estimating some base line activity level. For example, I used think– even on a sedentary day– that if I did a lengthy workout I earned some extra calories to burn. That can totally be true on an active day, but if I have sat on my computer for most of the day working and then burn an “extra” 400 calories on the elliptical, I may just be making up for lost activity– and shouldn’t eat that extra snack. The FitBit takes care of updating my calorie intake allowance on Lose It and lets me know when that extra isn’t really extra at all.

I have found my mind plays all kinds of tricks on me if I don’t keep it in line.  It will tell me I have ate less than I really have when I don’t measure and it also tells me I have moved way more than I think I have when I don’t look at my Fitbit until later in the day.

These tools and the Droid Razr Maxx that Verizon sent me are some of my best friends inside and outside of the kitchen that keep my memory from telling me little white lies like yesterday:

My Mind: You sooo walked forever at the airport — go have a cupcake.

Ms. FitBit: Ahem, you totally haven’t even walked 5K steps yet today, skip the cupcake and get that booty on the elliptical.

My Mind: BUT I traveled all day.

Ms. FitBit: Which involved you sitting in an airport and sitting on a 2 hour flight… not to mention the last (or maybe 2)  hour you have been on the couch… Go say hello to Em (you know, your elliptical), she misses you.

With tools like these in hand and the Year 2 Change mentality in hand, I know you can start to drop the weight just like we have been these last 6 months.

Want to enter to win your own FitBit and WiFi Scale?

Just comment below (make sure to leave an email address that you check regularly) and let me know which of the tips I shared over on Verizon’s blog resonate with you or leave me your own staying active tip.

Contest ends April 3 at 11:00 PM and winner will be notified via email. Winner must respond within 48 hours of receiving the winning email or another winner will be chosen.

And the Winner IS:

It has come to my attention that my dear delusional husband has shared a legendary story with you…

Except, I fear  the truth something was lost in translation.

So allow me to translate…

He said…

It’s college time for us, circa 1997.  It is also finals time.  Everyone is cramming every last bit of book smarts in their head right before their tests, including Cris and me.  We are in my apartment, along with my two roommates and I decide that WE are hungry.  I politely suggest that Cris go make us all some hamburgers.  As a GOODe and faithful girlfriend, she happily went into our little kitchen area and started making up the patties.

He got the date right.

And the fact that I was studying for a big final… but unless he and his roomies were going to battle, I am not sure those video games they were playing actually count as studying…

His polite suggestion was that I take a “break” from studying to feed the boys was of course entirely for my educational benefit… oh and to save the world from aliens or something.

I could hear the sounds of a skillet being set on the stove and the click of a knob as the heat was turned on.  A couple minutes later I could hear the sizzle as the burgers were placed in the skillet along with the shaking of the salt and the pepper as she seasoned our meal to perfection.  The smell of the cooking meat was wonderful to all.  Then, all at once, there was the sounds of horror, screams even.  It was the sounds of little juicy hamburgers being crushed to death under the weight of a cheap plastic spatula…

What he meant to say is that as he walked in the kitchen to thank his girlfriend for making him a meal during her finals study, he noticed she was checking the burgers-the way her mama taught her – to make sure they were done as to not interrupt his important gaming battles with a bout of food poisoning…

I sprang to action as I leaped off the couch, my books of knowledge flying about.  I rushed into the kitchen hoping to save at least one burger, preferably mine, but I was too late.  There was no hope for the burgers, but I still knew there was hope for her.  I pulled her away from the stove, and with loving admonition, explained to her that you cook a hamburger low and slow and to NEVER smash a hamburger as not to permit the juices to run out of them.  I pretty much told her that was not the way MY mother cooks hamburgers.  My point was taken well, I tell ya.  She even made the suggestion of how to eat the hamburgers. I didn’t know you could eat from that end of the body.  Must have been something she learned in a biology class or something.

“Loving admonition” and “explained” are others words for yelling and berating his girlfriend “That’s not the way my mom does it!” in front of said roommates, no less.

Then my Daddy’s daughter promptly handed the spatula over and told him that his Mama’s son could cook the burgers himself

And that was the last time he advised my cooking in the kitchen.

Although that moment was so long ago, it must have stuck with her.  I like to believe that she took my instruction and ran with it.  She went from Cris Goode, Hamburger Killer to the creator of GOODEness Gracious, where she cooks up “All GOODe things with a side of life.”  I am so proud of what my girl has become.  She has taken my advice and has gone beyond what I would have imagined.  And as for the name “GOODEness Gracious”, you are welcome.  Yeah, I came up with that too…   Now she is beyond successful with her blog, her career and her cookin’.  She even gets to team up with awesome folks like Michelle at Verizon Wireless, partly thanks to my help.

As for GOODEness Gracious, he did have a huge role in helping it become what it is today… bigger even than the yarn he just told you…

No, he didn’t come up with the name- although he is convinced he did.

But what he does is way more important than names (that he totally didn’t come up with )…

He gives my dreams wings.

He supports me.

He covers for me.

He encourages me.

And these days, he keeps our parents out of our kitchen to keep the peace.

We are here!!!

The halfway point of Year 2 Change!

Six months ago Mike and I started this little journey and today I am 34 lbs lighter and 53 lbs lighter from a year ago when the picture on the left was taken.

It hasn’t been easy.

But it has been worth it!

We have endured a lot these past six months, but the one thing we keep doing is picking ourselves back up and dusting ourselves off each time we fall off the wagon.

So here is to the next 6 months! Psst… next week we are going to have something fun for one reader to help them with their own Year 2 Change!

Is 2013 your year to change? Join us!

Join in on Twitter and Instagram by using the #Year2Change hashtag.  Or, join the Year 2 Change Facebook Page, Pinterest Inspiration Page and new Google+ Community.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s college time for us, circa 1997.  It is also finals time.  Everyone is cramming every last bit of book smarts in their head right before their tests, including Cris and me.  We are in my apartment, along with my two roommates and I decide that WE are hungry.  I politely suggest that Cris go make us all some hamburgers.  As a GOODe and faithful girlfriend, she happily went into our little kitchen area and started making up the patties.

I could hear the sounds of a skillet being set on the stove and the click of a knob as the heat was turned on.  A couple minutes later I could hear the sizzle as the burgers were placed in the skillet along with the shaking of the salt and the pepper as she seasoned our meal to perfection.  The smell of the cooking meat was wonderful to all.  Then, all at once, there was the sounds of horror, screams even.  It was the sounds of little juicy hamburgers being crushed to death under the weight of a cheap plastic spatula…

I sprang to action as I leaped off the couch, my books of knowledge flying about.  I rushed into the kitchen hoping to save at least one burger, preferably mine, but I was too late.  There was no hope for the burgers, but I still knew there was hope for her.  I pulled her away from the stove, and with loving admonition, explained to her that you cook a hamburger low and slow and to NEVER smash a hamburger as not to permit the juices to run out of them.  I pretty much told her that was not the way MY mother cooks hamburgers.  My point was taken well, I tell ya.  She even made the suggestion of how to eat the hamburgers. I didn’t know you could eat from that end of the body.  Must have been something she learned in a biology class or something.

Although that moment was so long ago, it must have stuck with her.  I like to believe that she took my instruction and ran with it.  She went from Cris Goode, Hamburger Killer to the creator of GOODEness Gracious, where she cooks up “All GOODe things with a side of life.”  I am so proud of what my girl has become.  She has taken my advice and has gone beyond what I would have imagined.  And as for the name “GOODEness Gracious”, you are welcome.  Yeah, I came up with that too…   Now she is beyond successful with her blog, her career and her cookin’.  She even gets to team up with awesome folks like Michelle at Verizon Wireless, partly thanks to my help.

Now I am not a proud man, but I like to think that I am her Yoda.  Proud she has done me and well pleased is her master  husband.  She has really found her wings as a cook and a career woman… and now she can really make a tasty burger!

I am really looking forward to her side of things on this topic.  I am sure you will hear high praises and much thanks.  I just wanna say in advance, Cris, YOU are welcome  

May the forks be with you…

Where action has been lacking has been in the gym.  It started out with being sick and not wanting to move, then it went to the excuse of having to take care of my gals/I need to practice my music for this week/I gotta work/I’m too tired/Running hurts my feet…  after a while it just sets in that I don’t want to work out.  I have been so busy working on my excuses that I haven’t been doing the work.  I am not over-eating and I still drink my shakes, but I seem to be starting to slip into a funk.  Heck, I even forgot to post last week because I was so busy working on my excuses.  Then I remembered something I did before and I think I’ll try it again, I made a promise.

I promised that I would work out at least 4 times in a post a few weeks back or I would do 300 push ups for each time I missed.  Time to renew that promise.  4 workouts (or more) by next post or 100 burpees for each time I miss.

The GOODe news is that I am still dropping the weight.  Last weigh in put me at 236.6 lbs.  That means I have officially lost over 30 pounds and I’m feeling great about that!  A buddy of mine told me last week that it was officially time to buy some new pants as all of mine are starting to look pretty baggy.  I went out and bought another pair of 36 in waist jeans and they fit great!  This helps to motivate me to keep going for sure.

I know that I need to post a pic and will do that as well in the next post.  If not… 300 push ups.

Here’s the results:

Weight: 236.6 lbs

Loss of 2.7 lbs

Total weight lost: 30.4 lbs

Her Ingenuity

Cris left her job 3 years ago to run her own business as well as to focus on GOODEnessGracious.com.

She had a great paying job and was quite successful in building her career, but knew there was more for her than the 9-5 pace.  She was scared and excited the days prior to going on her own, but confident that she would succeed as she always has.  In just a few months her business grew and so did her blog.  She is constantly coming up with ideas and executing them with precision.  She toils many hours to perfect her work, be it with awesome Indiana agricultural agencies, The Real Farmwives of America as well as her own blog.  And she does this all while taking care of Miss Add and me.

She is Hilarious

Now she will scoff at this statement, I am sure.  I am the comedian in our little duo, but she makes me laugh more than anyone.

Her wit is sharp and creative and whether it is in her writing or a random one liner in our house, she can keep me in stitches.

(And yes, she came up with the idea for our costumes…)

She is an AWESOME Cook!

Now, she didn’t used to be…  But as everything else she sets her mind to, she has honed her mad culinary skillz.

I am sure the story of her smashing a hamburger to smithereens will come up in a post one day, but I will keep that in my back pocket for later.  She went from someone with a limited arsenal of simple foods to an expert (she hates that word, by the way) in recipes be it in a crock pot, stove top, oven or even a campfire.  I used to compare all foods to my mom’s, including Cris’ cooking.  Now I compare other food to Cris’.   It’s that GOODe!

She is a Loving Woman

I don’t just mean with me… but ohhh she is with me  She is a reserved soul and tends to be quite the introvert when it comes to others, but when Cris befriends someone and lets them into her life she does it with such a devoted love that one can’t help but feel it.

She will do anything for those she holds close to her heart and will go out of her way for them and will love them forever.

I get to see this every day and am beyond thankful.

She Loves Me for Me

In her 10 Things post she made me look like a prince.  I know me better than that.  I do my best to be a nice guy but there are times when I am not.

A railroader’s life usually involves lack of sleep and normalcy due to weird work schedules.  This tends to lend a hand in absolute grumpiness.  I have mastered the art of being a grump.  When I get in my semi-conscious funk I tend to lose my mental filter and say whatever I think, however wrong that may be.  I never see frying pans whirl past my head. (and that’s not just because her aim is spot on either.)  She reminds me that she loves me despite the butt I can be.

She has known from day one that I am imperfect and has done her best to change that about me, all the while accepting that it probably won’t happen… at least any time soon.

She Is A Rock

Everyone has a moral compass.  Some point true, others don’t.  Her compass points true North and her life is guided by that compass without deviation.  If something is right she does it.  If it’s wrong, she steers so far away from it that her wake is seen by all.  I wish I had a compass as true as hers.  Luckily I can use hers when mine is a little off.  It would be easier to move Mount Everest with a tow rope than it would be to move her from her morals.  I come from a family of all boys.  I never had the chance to see what raising a girl was like, only being raised to chase them.  Thankfully, I ended up chasing (and catching) her.  This bodes well since our child is a little girl.  I have Cris to show her what innocence and virtue is.

I pray daily that my daughter grows to be pure in heart with the same compass her Momma has.

She Is A Leader

Part of her many jobs is to give presentations and lead groups to execute different tasks.  People come to her for guidance and leadership on a daily basis and she has the innate ability to steer them in the right direction.  In the past she has taken groups that had differences and helped them to meet a common goal.  Those same groups are a huge reason she now has her own business.  The came to her to work with HER because she is just that GOODe.

She Loves Her Kid

To see the way she loves my daughter makes me swell with pride.  She is always letting Miss Add know that she is loved, and not just by her words.  She will take time out of her work to make crafts with her or let her know that she is always welcome to be hands on in Cris’ kitchen.  When Addie broke her leg last summer Cris held her all night long while she cried in pain.  The only one crying harder was Cris.  She wanted nothing more than to take the hurt away even if it meant taking it on herself.  She wants the best for her kid, be it in school, church, our home or in her future and she intends on giving her just that.

When she sees Addie her eyes light up, letting Miss Add know that she is her joy.

She Loves Her God

Some people think of God as this all powerful deity that is to be revered in fear… not her.  Don’t get me wrong, she knows that God is powerful and mighty and deserves the reverence and honor that only He can get.  But she also knows that He is a friend and talks to Him as that friend.  There are stacks and stacks of journals in our home that are full of prayers.

 I have never read any of them and never will, but I know what is in them.  They are letters to a friend, pleas for help, thanks for the day, struggles with sin and her thoughts.  She loves Him more than she loves me and I am cool with that.  I have been able to see her grow in her relationship with Him, especially in the last couple years and oh what a sight it is to see!  The reward for this relationship is awesome.  He blesses her constantly through her professional and personal life and in turn I get to feel those blessings too.  She reads the Word daily, taking notes and studying to better herself and in turn betters others.

She Is Beautiful

Yes… beautiful.  Look at those eyes.  Now, look INTO them.  You will see the woman who has all the qualities I just mentioned about her plus many more than I could ever write.  Beautiful I tell ya…

She is warm and caring.  She is intelligent and intellectual.  She has a passion for her family’s happiness and well being.  She has a gift of discernment knowing what is right at what is wrong and the wisdom to choose correctly.  I get to look into those eyes every day and see that beauty.

I look into those eyes and instantly feel like a better man.  This is why I love her the most…