Thank You, Everybody
2009/02/14 at 8:00 am | In Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Inspiration, Life, Milestone, Motivation, Photos, Progress Photos, Victory, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers | 2 CommentsTags: diets don't work, Discipline, Exercise, weight, weight loss, weight loss blog
Click to enlarge
<< BTW, this is NOT the best picture of me. My face looks…well, deformed or something.
This is a goodbye of sorts.
As you may well know, I started 200by40.com with the intent of tracking my weight loss progress as I tried to reach my goal of weighing 200 lbs. by my 40th birthday.
Today is February 14th, which is also happens to be my 40th birthday and, as you may also know, I reached my goal of 200 lbs. on September 27, 2008—way ahead of schedule.
I have decided that, while I have derived great pleasure in blogging about everything having to do with [my] weight loss, it’s time to put things into perspective and temporarily walk away from the blog.
While this may not be the final post here, it may well be the last one for a long time as I will now concentrate on training for the Disneyland 5k—my first one ever—taking place this September. In between now and then I will do a few 5k walks and, should I have a camera with me, I will post pictures of the events. And don’t worry—all posts will remain intact as will the domain, meaning anything you may have bookmarked will still be in the same place.
Once again, I would like to thank everyone who left comments, e-mailed me, or simply came by to visit (except for you spammers who try and get past Askimet’s death grip–you’re fools for trying!). I do find it a bit humbling and amazing that a normal guy like me would inspire many, many people to get motivated into losing weight. What started out as a simple goal turned out to be something life changing to those who recognized that it’s entirely possible to lose weight if they put their minds to it.
Before I sign off here, I would like to wish all of you good luck with your weight loss program. Regular visitors know that it wasn’t uncommon for me to say things like “You can do it!” or “Never give up!” in my posts. What many don’t realize is that those weren’t just words; I meant them from the bottom of my heart. If I can do this, I have no doubt that anybody can.
Why? Unlike those trying to push diet pills, I’ve been there. I can relate to and understand the struggles of weight loss and being overweight. I know what it’s like to wear size 48 pants, run out of breath when playing with my son, have clothes get smaller and smaller, be ridiculed about my size, be stared at when going to fast food joints, barely fit into the seats on the train, look in the mirror and not like what I see, be intimidated when entering a gym.
But I chose to change all that. I challenged myself to get busy and change my lifestyle and here it is, my 40th birthday and I weigh 197 lbs. I went from a sloth to someone who is going to run in a 5k. Think you can’t lose weight? I beg to differ. (By the way, at today’s weight I have finally reached the golden 100 lbs. lost level.)
While I could go on forever, I want to share with everybody some things I learned about weight loss since starting this blog. In no particular order, here is that list.
I Did It
2008/09/27 at 12:01 am | In Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Inspiration, Life, Milestone, Motivation, Victory, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight loss blog | 14 CommentsTags: diets don't work, disneyland, Victory, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers
Finally!
The finally tally:
- Starting weight: 297.1 lbs.
- Today’s weight: 199.9 lbs.
- Total weight lost: 97.2 lbs.
- Total time: 2 years, 9 months, 27 days
Large and In Charge
2008/09/04 at 7:32 pm | In Discipline, Exercise, Health, Inspiration, Life, Motivation, Victory, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight watchers, wii fit | 2 CommentsTags: clothing, diets don't work, scale, shopping, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, wii fit
Originally posted on September 4, 2008 at 200by40, Weight Loss the Right Way: No pills, no surgeries, no excuses, no regrets. Unauthorized use (blog scraping) constitutes copyright infringement and plagiarism. © 2008 David Moreno
It’s time to bid a fond farewell to yet another t-shirt size that has dominate my life over the years: XL.
Yes, like the 2XL size before it and my size 40-48 pants, the XL shirt has finally gone the way of the dinosaur. Ann picked up at least three L shirts for me the other day and I’m happy to report that all of them fit and fit well. I’m sure they might be a bit snug once they are washed but for now, I’m reveling in my victory!
On the progress front, I seem to have hit a dormant phase but that’s okay because I think I know the reason why: my quest to drop those last few pesky pounds by my vacation in October is starting to take its toll.
It seems to me that this same thing happened the last time I put a strict limit on things, back when I was still averaging 3 lbs. lost per week. By that account, I should have been at my goal by July 29th, but here I am and I’m still not there yet. Even before July 29th rolled around I noticed that things weren’t going as smoothly and I blamed that on my expedited deadline, not my original one of February 14, 2009. So I scratched it off my calendar and forgot about it.
Miraculously, I began to lose more weight. Go figure.
It’s taken me well over 2 years to drop the 90+ lbs. I have, so it seems silly to push deadlines in order to reach my goal earlier than anticipated. I’ve learned that the only thing it leads to is overeating, disappointment in your progress, and falling into old habits.
While I’d love to lose these last 6 lbs. before October 7th or so, I’m going to forget about that date and keep on doing what I’ve been doing for the last couple of years.
I’ll post what happened between now and the next Weekly Weigh-In. It should be interesting!
As far as exercising goes, last night I was just dead tired and failed to do my nightly Wii Fit. I went to bed at 10 p.m., the earliest I’ve gone to bed in what seems like an eternity.
Sometimes you just have to.
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Weekly Weigh-In #15
2008/07/01 at 6:57 am | In Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Life, Milestone, Motivation, Victory, Weekly Weigh-In, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight watchers, wii fit | Leave a CommentTags: diets don't work, lifestyle change, Weekly Weigh-In, weight, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, Wii, wii fit
Was this week really as tough as it felt? Let’s see the results:
- Weekly Weigh-In #15: 218.8 lbs.
- Last week’s weight: 221.8 lbs.
- Gain/loss of: -3.0 lbs.
- Weekly average lost: 2.3 lbs.
Victories and Milestones all around!
At today’s weight of 218.8 lbs., I have officially cracked the 210s. Happy? You bet. This was the one plateau that I thought would be insurmountable but here I am. It wasn’t so long ago when I felt stuck in the 230s but with a lot of hard work and proper diet, in a little over a month later I’m in the 210s.
The belt I bought not so long ago to replace my old Fat Guy Belt is up to its 8th notch. When I bought it I was on the 4th notch so there’s definitely some progress there. And being that there are holes all around the belt, it might be a while before I buy another one.
I actually fit into a size L shirt and shorts yesterday. Ann and Anthony went down to K-Mart and hit the clearance racks for some new clothes. Not only was I pleased at what they bought me, but I was also happy that it all fit! I’m slowly replacing my old wardrobe with new and smaller duds.
An updated progress photo will be coming soon since I bought Ann a nifty new digital camera over the weekend. If I can get her to take one I will post it later tonight. If not, I did my usual bathroom-mirror self-portrait shot earlier today.
As far as food goes, I continue to track my Points in the Excel chart which I have since placed on Ann’s outdated HP Jornada 520 handheld PC instead of my USB thumb drive. It’s ugly, old, slow and chunky, but it works great for this purpose as well as creating Word documents when I’m on the train to work.
Exercise: I continue to walk 1.5 miles a day and do between 30-45 minutes of Wii Fit each night. In fact, last night I achieved a score of 176% on the jogging exercise. My previous best was 101% but I put the Wiimote in my back pocket and it seemed to calculate everything better. (I usually hold it in my hand and pass everybody, end up with an uneven pace, etc.) Either way, my shirt is still fairly drenched by the time I’m done. Hydration! I needs it!
By the way, if you want to see my Mii show up on your Wii, my code is 6162 3298 6869 7586. Add me and I will add you!
That’s all for now. Stick with it, guys and gals. If I can, you can 
UPDATED 10:37 p.m.: As promised, a new photo has been added to the Progress Photos page (scroll to bottom). So head on over there, or save time and see the new image here. Note my obligatory “look of concern” pose
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Numbers Game
2008/06/05 at 11:25 am | In Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Inspiration, Life, Milestone, Motivation, Victory, Wii, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight watchers, wii fit | Leave a CommentTags: diets don't work, lifestyle change, weight, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, weight watchers points excel chart, weight watchers points program, Wii, wii fit
I thought I’d entertain you all with some numbers that pertain to 200by40, and here they are:
- Over 1,000: Total number of blog hits so far since March, for which I thank each and every one of you! (It’s not that amazing but shows me people are interested.)
- Over 100: Total number of Weight Watchers Points Excel chart downloads so far (both versions)
- Zero: Total number of donations since adding the link. Hey, it had to be said
But perhaps the most important one of all…
- 70: Total lbs. lost to date!
I feel incredibly thin today and I like it. In fact, I may have to hit Old Navy soon because my 42 pants are starting to get, um, bigger. Ann tells me that they have some men’s jeans on clearance so I may have to check it out this weekend.
Recognition is beginning—finally! A co-worker told me I was starting to “wither away” since my pullover jacket is getting baggier by the day. (Note to self: look for smaller one of those at Old Navy, too.) When I told her I used to weigh nearly 300 lbs. she had to push her eyes back into her head.
I’ve got another post in the works that may hit the blog tonight. It’s about what I had for lunch today and, despite how tempting the food may look because of its ingredients, how you should always read labels when you’re trying to lose weight.
On the exercise front, I think I’ll give the Wii Fit a night off. I need a change, so it’s back to the sit-ups (at least for tonight).
Oh, and Anthony picked out some new, smaller clothes for me as an early Father’s Day gift: size 40 shorts and two XL shirts. I tried them on and yes, they both fit. I’m amazed
Watch for the other post later. Until then…see ya!
1ST UPDATE: I hope you dig the new template. The place needed a fresh look!
2ND UPDATE: After tinkering with the new template, I realized it cropped my pictures. So I’m back to this one. Sorry…
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More Victories and Weekend Wrap-Up
2008/06/01 at 9:18 pm | In Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Inspiration, Life, Photos, Victory, Wii, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight watchers, wii fit | Leave a CommentTags: diets don’t work, wedding, wedding food, weight, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, Wii, wii fit
I had the pleasure of attending my uncle’s wedding on Saturday in my hometown of Wilmington, CA. Not only was the ceremony very serene and setting sublime, the food was incredible.
But I was good. I sampled just about a little of everything, including the wedding cake, and it sustained me until dinnertime when I just had a few healthy munchies instead.
There was turkey, ham, fruit salad, rolls, and a delicious salad. And even after all of that, I gained such a minimal amount that it’s not worth mentioning. I also have an updated picture that you can see on the Photos page (scroll to the bottom, of course).
Today we literally spent the day in the backyard after a trip to Lowe’s for some plants and other goodies. I stayed active the entire day between yardwork and laundry so I’m sure I’ve maintained and not gained. Lunch and dinner were of the chicken variety. Because of all of the activity, I’m skipping my Wii Fit routine for the night.
Oh, and here are a few Victories for the week:
- I can now wear size 40 pants!
- I can now fit in an XL dress shirt!
That’s pretty much it for this post. Weekly Weigh-In #11 is a few days away and I’m excited about it! See you then.
New Excel Chart in the Works
2008/05/21 at 9:41 pm | In Food, Health, Life, Victory, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight watchers | Leave a CommentTags: diets don't work, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, weight watchers points excel chart
First, I’m feelin’ good about this week. I had a 6″ Subway Veggie Delight for dinner and feel completely satisfied. Very happy.
Second, it appears that my Weight Watchers Points Excel chart is turning out to be a big hit with readers. (WordPress allows me to see which links readers have licked on and the Excel chart has gotten quite a few downloads.) Taking that into consideration I’ve taken it upon myself to update the Excel chart to include a few new goodies, and I think you all will like it.
I’m doing some tweaking and testing to make sure everything is working properly (as I am not The World’s Best Excel Formula Dude). And as usual, it will be completely editable by you.
Check back in a few days or better yet, subscribe to my blog by using Google Reader or click the “Subscribe” button on the right and choose your favorite to know exactly when the latest entries are posted.
Oh, and few more Victories. A neighbor and a few co-workers have inquired about my weight loss by telling me my face is starting to look thinner. I don’t expect it to grace the cover of any magazines soon, but I have to agree with them after looking at some of my old photos.
Gotta exercise. Stay focused, people!
Don’t Eat Those Muffins!
2008/05/14 at 10:57 pm | In Discipline, Exercise, Food, Health, Life, Milestone, Victory, lifestyle change, weight loss, weight watchers | 4 CommentsTags: ab-lounge, costco, costco muffins, diets don't work, kirkland, lifestyle change, muffins, noah's bagels, weight, weight loss, weight loss blog, weight watchers, weight watchers points
If you’re watching your weight then for God’s sake, don’t eat those Costco muffins!
Today was Bagel and Muffin Day at work as is every second Wednesday of the month. While the temptation to eat a muffin was indeed great, I opted for the Asiago Cheese bagel and Weight Watchers cream cheese–9 Points total–and a glass of Rice Dream.
The bagels are bought from Noah’s and if you haven’t had them, they are tasty. The muffins, on the other hand, are purchased in bulk from Costco and while they do look mighty tempting, you just gotta say “no” to them.
After returning to my desk I decided to look up the nutritional value of those Kirkland Signature muffins. Here’s what I found out, and I’m glad I passed on them (Weight Watchers Points are in bold):
- Almond Poppy Muffin (670 cal, 38 g fat, 2g fiber) 16.5
- Blueberry Muffin (610 cal, 32 g fat, 2 g fiber) 14.5
- Chocolate Muffin (690 cal, 38 g fat, 3 g fiber) 16.5
- Orange Cranberry Muffin (690 cal, 38 g fat, 3 g fiber) 16.5
Info courtesy Dottie’s Weight Loss Zone
Wow. Just wow. That’s an average of 665 calories and 36.5g of fat per muffin. At this rate, the fiber content doesn’t even matter. So if you ever come across one of those things, don’t walk away from it–RUN!
And after literally at least a year of sitting in our shed, I dragged the Ab-Lounge out of retirement. You see, we cleaned out our garage last weekend and how have room to park the car in there. I still don’t believe it, either. I think we’re the only ones on the block that can do that.
Anyway, I now have room to use the Ab-Lounge once again and when done, hang it from a hook on the wall. And let me say this: after not using it for a while, it hurts.
Finally, I’m not really sure how to categorize these (as Victories or Milestones). But here’s a few things I’ve noticed lately:
- My new belt, which I started on the fourth notch, is now up to the sixth notch!
- My size 42 pants are slowly getting baggy!
That’s about all I got for now. Once again, thanks to all of you who have been reading this and are finding inspiration in my trials and tribulations. Keep on coming back; there’s always something new
Victory #4
2008/04/18 at 10:22 pm | In Exercise, Health, Victory, weight loss | Leave a CommentTags: diets don’t work, lifestyle change, weight, weight loss, weight loss blog
While paying for a few toys we bought Anthony at the Long Beach Grand Prix, a vendor asked to see my I.D.
He had to do a double-take since my current license has a picture of me from several years ago when I was still…rather large. The vendor looked at me and the license a few times, comparing the faces.
“You look a lot younger than you do on here,” he said.
“Yeah. I was a little heavier back then,” I proudly replied with a smile.
Perhaps I need to update my license image. I can’t possibly use that one for the next four years!
Victory #3
2008/04/03 at 7:36 pm | In Inspiration, Motivation, Thoughts, Victory | Leave a CommentToday I received a Victory of sorts, although more or less a validation of my progress.
A co-worker stopped me and told me to “stop getting thinner,” that I was going to make him “look bad” if I did. I take it from his comment that he, too, is trying to lose weight.
I asked if it was that noticeable. He confirmed it was indeed. I thanked him and told him I still have 50 pounds to go. I also wished him luck as I pass him regularly during my daily walk (in which we seem to go in opposite directions–go figure).
My wife’s co-worker also complemented me this weekend at our son’s birthday party, telling my face definitely looks thinner as do I overall.
Wow. Me. Thin. At 247.
I’m diggin’ this more than I thought I would
UPDATED 9:14 p.m.
I forgot to add this when I was writing the original post. But yesterday, after all of the festivities at Chuck E. Cheese’s were done, I was flat-out tired. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep but unfortunately, a riled-up kid didn’t allow for that.
Once he was asleep I retired to the den and watched the Dodger game for a bit. I fell asleep without exercising.
I managed to wake up at the time of the (rare Los Angeles) rain delay, so it gave me the opportunity to do my thing. And believe me, I didn’t to because I was just exhausted.
But I did, and perhaps more than usual. To make it easier I decided to stop keeping track of the number of sit-ups I did. I realized this will work whether I was tired or not, so I’m no longer going to count them and will stop when I feel I need to.
The lesson here? Don’t quit, no matter how tired you may feel. That’s when you begin to fall into bad habits and when things start to go wrong. Hand in there and persevere, and you’ll be satisfied with your efforts.
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Hello There!
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I Wish For…
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You’ve Been Warned
Posts on 200by40.com are copyrighted and are the sole property of its author. They cannot be reproduced, copied or distributed on any other Web site or blog without the consent of the author (official blog readers are the only exception). Any such use constitutes copyright infringement and plagiarism, and site owners using content originally posted on 200by40.com--especially to sell weight loss products--without permission of the author will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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Progress Thus Far
Start Date
December 2005: 297.1 lbs.
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Spread the Word
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My Helpers
Here's a list of things that have made my journey a bit more tolerable. Note that I am not being compensated for using their names.
Trader Joe's for their delicious selection of healthy foods
Weight Watchers for their Points Program
Reebok, my walking shoe of choice
Apple for the iPod Shuffle, my walking companion
Trek Bikes for making the best bike I've ever owned
Nintendo's Wii Fit for obvious reasons.Dottie's Weight Loss Zone for her list of Points for just about any restaurant you can think of
WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. This blog is a personal weight loss blog and is not affiliated with Weight Watchers International, Inc.
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Donate!
Hey, party people! As you may or may not know, this blog is done on my free time with the intent of motivating readers to do their best when it comes to losing weight. I do not get any compensation from any of product manufacturers mentioned on this blog nor anyone else as I have no sponsors.
So that's where the PayPal button comes in. If you like and appreciate what I have put together here, click on the button and donate! Even if you don't, I'm glad you stopped by and hope you'll continue to visit this blog for information, inspiration and motivation.
Thanks, and good luck on reaching your weight loss goal!
Note: Clicking the Donate button will send payment to the e-amil address 200by40_at_gmail_dot_com, which is connected to my Paypal account.
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