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Just a place to share my personal weight loss journey with family, friends, and anyone else that decides to come along. I plan to share my struggle, but more importantly my success.

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After all the seasons of Supernatural I have watched, I am going to be a bit bummed if my friends don't salt and burn my corpse.

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Workout - 12/03/13

Yeah, it's been a bit...

My friend Shawn had a guest pass and asked me if I wanted to go with him. The thing is that before I started posting all this fitness shit I was doing on Facebook, he wasn't really doing much of anything. Not that I am such an awesome motivating force at the moment, but I was really tying to preach about the life for a while.

It felt good to go get some lifting done again. It just gave me some time to just get away from everything that was running through my head.

I better get on to the meat so I can go throw some meat on the grill... Bench: 5 @ 115 lb x 6 Dumbbell press: 3 @ 30 lb x 15 Fly: 3 @ 10 lb x 15 Shrug: 3 x 35 lb x 15 There looked to be a single bench that was fixed in decline, but opted to just use the flat bench and not do decline this time. I had to use a 10 lb for my fly because someone was hogging the 15 lb, which really isn't an issue at my college gym.

It was nice, and I need to get back into it again. It was about this year last time I was really getting into a routine, and was going pretty hard until summer.

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Work week three down

Today was the end of my third week of working full time again. Over the 120 hours that I have billed them for, and I haven't really had to do any work at all.

What the fuck do you do then? Is probably the main question running though your mind right now.

Every morning starts with a four shot caramel latte at a little hipster cafe that some college students meet to study in the morning.

I then spend most of my morning looking at all the funny shit posted on imgur, while switching tabs when others walk by so they don't think I am fucking off.

After three hours I head out to lunch, usually with my friend James, who also works there. Come back after eating an overpriced meal to sit at my desk once again. Maybe go sit in a meeting and nod like I know what all they are talking about. I am not a programmer. Each kind of "computer person" has a different field of knowledge, and there is some vocabulary that is native to each group.

The rest of the day I spend reading this ebook that they gave me. It tells me how to write test cases for the method that they use to do automated testing of their software. Soon I might be writing actual test cases for any or all of them, so that is another reason that I am reading this book and following the examples they provide.

The reason they hired me was to be able to read these test case documents and perform all of the manual tests on each different version of the software running on each different hardware platform. Along with being the test monkey that will smash it against a rock to make sure it doesn't break.

--> Condensed: Each day: about an hour drive, much coffee, imgur / read ebook, overpriced lunch, read ebook / go to meetings, drive home What do: Nothing but read, eventually me break stuff caveman style <--

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Minor update

I know that I haven't been around much lately...

I don't have any fitblr related updates to post. Mostly because I am still on the shitty eating train, and I haven't been going to the gym. on top of that, I am doing much less physical activity at my new job. It just becomes one vicious cycle...

It's quite obvious that I can see how it feeds back into itself and makes me feel shitty. I will need to work to break out of it all again.

I will get back into a groove soon, because I know that is something I really need to have in my life.

Also I will try to get better at posting more... in the event you want to know what else is going on in my life.

Thanks for continuing to follow.

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How are you feeling about the new job now that you've been there for a few days?

It’s not all that bad actually.

The issue is that they really haven’t had any work for me to do, so I spent the entire last week reading technical design documents, and looking at conceptual graphic designs for the application interface. I have the issue where I feel like I should be doing more to warrant what they pay me.

I was given the older iPhone that we have with the app loaded on it so that I could perform some basic testing on the app and get a feel for everything. I went through the app and made notes about all the things that I found, but I am sure that all of them will be fixed the next time I see it.

I do spend some time fucking around online since I have no real work at the moment. Today I set up the environment that they use for the automated testing on my laptop. I figured that I really needed to be familiar with their infrastructure and the tools they use on a daily basis.

The more I know about what is going on, the easier it is for me to do my job, and be able to effectively support my coworkers.

It will take some time before I am able to feel comfortable, and I know it will never be like the last place. I am happy to move on to something different and start learning emergent technologies. There was a lot of red tape at the college, and people with limited IT knowledge could kill a project. I am excited to learn some new software that is being used there, and see a product being developed from all sides.

I am the monkey they pay to break each thing they make. :)I have had worse jobs for much less pay.

In a nutshell, it’s really not all that bad, and I am slowly adjusting.Really…

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First day at my new job

I wish that I could tell you that I was excited to start my new job today.

I finally have my own desk now and a much better laptop than I had previously, yet I am not really all that happy. I think that one part of it is that I just don't like change, and the fact is that it fells a bit colder of a place. The people are all really nice, but I know that it will never have that same feeling of comfort of the position I just left.

I guess this is the point where I have to leave the fuck around part time student job behind, and move into the the serious adult career phase of my life.

What sucks is that it is a temporary position, and I have no idea if they will want to hire me after that time. Also the position that I was offered is for software testing, which I can do, but it is not really my area of knowledge.

It's all about the money right now. I need a few months of full time at a decent pay to get my shit together again. At that point they will either offer me the job, or I will have a new set of skills which employers might be seeking.

I spent most of my day reading through a bunch of design documentation for the software I will be testing. Here is a sample sentence: This unidirectional communications channel is an unencrypted binary data stream. Yay technology!

I won't be bitching as much when I get my first check... I am sure it won't be all that bad, I just have to get adjusted to life as an adult and work a real 8am - 5pm job 40 hours a week again.

There are a good points. My office is located in a different town that I have only visited a few times. I have the chance to find cool new places, and meet an entirely different group of people.

I am going to see what will happen... 2014 could prove to be an awesome year.

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Employment Update Update

Today I received my official job offer letter email.

Of course I already accepted the offer, and I will probably start next Tuesday.

I am a getting a little excited, I like meeting more people, and I get to learn a lot of new things for my new job.

I am am kinda bummed to be leaving the college. There are so many different people that I get to see during the day. Along with the fact that I get to do a bit of walking between buildings on campus.

I really feel that this will help me get a more secure foothold on my career. The last two companies I worked for were small family businesses. This place is a bit bigger than those and much more well organized. They mentioned having a position in their IT department that would suit my skills better. Already I have the possibility of advancement within the company.

Sushi celebration dinner:

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Update: Everything Else

Let's see what else we have to talk about... need to be careful since wine seems to be my truth serum. Though I can actually think fairly clear at the moment.

I was supposed to go LARP this weekend. It is the last event this particular LARP is hosting this year. It makes a lot of sense since it will be freezing soon enough.

The thing about that is... My friend bought these tickets for us to go see Alton Brown at Michigan State University. They just happen to be for the same weekend, and he bought them way before I went to the first LARP event.

You know it would be a total bitch move for me to skip out on going to see Alton. For those that don't know, I fucking love cooking and baking. Alton is one of my icons, and his show Good Eats is just awesome. He shows you how to cook, but then delves into the actual science behind the process. Seriously, this could very well be once in a lifetime type shit right here.

Bummed that I won't be able to go to the LARP. but excited to go see Alton on Friday at the same time.

You would think that with the other two update posts that I would just be ecstatic about life at the moment, but that is really farthest from the truth.

I am kinda sad to be leaving my job. It is really comfortable to be able to just be myself, and I do tend to fuck off quite a bit. Also seeing hot college girls everyday makes life better. It's kinda like going shopping, I get to look at everything that I want, but I can't have.

I am a bit down that I fucked up to the point where I gained 20 lbs back. It really seems impossible that within such a sort span of time that I could put that much weight back on, but I know I haven't been to the gym enough to put on that much muscle. Besides the fact that I know the truth about my recent eating habits.

I felt pretty good that I finally hit below 250 lbs, but I had this disillusion that my appearance would be vastly different. I allowed myself to slip, and different stressors helped spur old habits. It all becomes a shitty downward spiral of depression.

It is important to understand the problem in order to find viable solutions.

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Tonight's dinner...

It looks more red than it actually was... and I could've taken it off a bit sooner actually.

Still working on that bottle of wine...

Steak, wine, and Supernatural made this a decent evening.

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At this moment...

It's 10:45 pm and 41°F (5°C) outside right now. I am getting ready to grill myself a steak.

Might even have to bust open a bottle of wine for dinner since I still have two left in the fridge.

Not that I need to drink, but I want to have all the shit I shouldn't have back out of the house again.

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Update: Employment

As some of you know, I work for the IT department at my college as a student worker. I started working there last December, and I have had a great time becoming part of the team. I had a few fun selfie posts, one from January, and then another one from April. (This really isn't related... it's just me wearing more silly shit.)

Where was I..? Oh yeah, I was talking about team building. There is this one guy that I work with that can be a bit of an asshole. The one day he was jumping on me about some bullshit and making a big scene. I simply had enough so I stood up for myself and told him to eat a bag of dicks. (Gold star if you know the reference, and a silver star if you don't and watch this.) Needless to say he has been much nicer since that day. I was so pissed that day and was ready to fight. He still talks mad shit all the damn time, but he isn't bad to be around now.

I have come to love and respect the quirky little team I have become part of over the last year. I get to say whatever comes to my mind anytime that I want. I wish I could express the amount of freedom that I have at my job. Though raising your voice at a full time employee, with your supervisor in a cubicle in the same room, is probably enough of indication of what I am talking about. My supervisor is just an awesome guy, and just let it all slide as men working their shit out.

I bet you are wondering where this is all going...

Well, in the last week of August, I interviewed for a job at my friend's company. I received an email a few weeks later saying that they weren't going to hire me for the Software Tester position. The guy said there might be a position opening in their IT Department that I would better fit my skills. Last week Thursday, I was scrolling through emails and found one from that company offering me the Software Tester position for a temporary time. I would have a full time position with them from November through February, and I will probably be starting next week. I need to meet with them this week and work out the details.

I told my current supervisor today. I made sure to let him know I wanted to stay on and finish the project that I have been working on for the last few months. I figure that way I can have some extra money coming in while I am working my main job, and I have something to fall back on if this new position doesn't become permanent.

It's almost double my current pay, and I get another twelve hours worth of work over what I able to currently. (Current job capped at 28 hours a week.)

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Update: Living Situation

I figured that it was time for an update.

At the end of July, I was going to move in with Kate and another roommate that she found online. There were multiple problems in the first week that made me decide to not really move any of my things. Not long after that, Kate moved into my place and lived here for a little over a month. About a week ago, she got the old house back and moved back in there. I really did enjoy having her around during that time. I am happy for her to have the house that she wants to have. I have decided that I am not going to be moving into that house. As fun as living with a house full of women half my age for a year might seem, I believe I learned a lot in that first week to last a lifetime.

Basically my living situation has reverted back to pantless hermit mode, and I will be staying in my little house.

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Wow.. I clicked that little heart a bunch times.

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Workout - 10/23/2013

Today was a better day in the gym. I wish that I knew what helped give me that boost today. I added weight to most all of my lifts, and finally felt that exhilaration that has been absent.

I met up with Hayden for the first part of my workout, and then Samantha for the second part in the machine room. I remember wanting people that I could meet up with at the gym last year, and now my list is slowly growing.

Today I felt like I needed to challenge myself, and had Hayden spot as I added more weight to my bench press after my regular set. Then I decided to bump up both of the leg machines by another 10lbs above what I have been doing.

Bench press: 3 @ 115 lb x 6 1 @ 135 lb x 6 Dumbbell decline presses: 3 @ 35 lb X 15 Leg extension: 3 @ 160 lb x 15 Leg curl: 3 @ 120 lb x 15

It was a good day...

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'Tis the Reason and About My Season

I know it's not all in the numbers... that is why there are other key indicators that let me know that the number on the scale isn't complete bullshit.

Many of those new pants that I recently bought are a bit too tight to wear. At the end of August I was at 248 lbs \ 112.49 kg and today I am back at 266 lbs / 120.65 kg again.

Let's examine the factors that have attributed to this change.

I think one of the first things I did was modify my routine at the start of August, and shortly after that my activity in the gym declined. Classes started at the end of August, so I made more excuses to not go.

I started allowing myself treats and that got out of control. The night I made the Nutella Lava Cakes is what started my journey to the dark side. Over the last four weeks I have consumed; a few bags of Halloween candy, a bit of frozen yogurt, quite a few muffins and other baked goods.

I started drinking again. It started out being something I would do socially, but I was drinking almost daily last month. If anyone was doing a 60 beers in 6 weeks challenge please let me know. A few bottles of wine and mead were added to provide a fine balance.

Or maybe it's just my layer of winter fat growing in for the season. :P

I need to get back to eating clean, only have an occasional social drinking night, and get a good routine in the gym again. I need to keep challenging myself each workout.

This is the time where I need to get everything straightened out... Why you ask? Because of last year's post Season's Eatings!

Welcome to the fat bastard's event calendar. Oct: Candy, candy, and a bit more candy Nov: Lots of turkey and a ton of baked goods Dec: Christmas dinner(s) and more candy (Eggnog shake) Jan: New Year parties with plenty of drinks Feb: Valentine's day candy sales... those damn conversation hearts Mar: Drink again because it's St. Patrick's day (Shamrock shake) Apr: All the Easter candy anyone could want... Where my Peeps at?

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Workout - 10/22/13

Today I worked mostly on my back and shoulders. I usually do chest and back together at the same time when using the machines, but I am planning on doing some bench presses tomorrow.

I really didn't feel like going to the gym today, and I won't give you some bullshit about how awesome I felt after. I am not sure what happened to that feeling. Maybe it is because I am not lifting like I was before, or I am not spending enough time to push me to that limit. It is possible that my current mental state plays a role in my overall attitude after I am done.

Seated row: 3 @ 150 lb x 15 Shoulder press: 3 @ 170 lb x 15 Lat pulldown: 3 @ 90 lb x 15

Looks sad compared to the routine I was running for most of the year. I know I need to not associate negativity to any kind of activity. I should just be happy with the fact that I did go do something, and not disappointed by how little effort it looks like above.

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Monday class

As many of you know, I teach two friends Kung Fu on Monday after I get out of work. Since we are all on campus it makes it really easy to meet up.

I recently posted some thoughts that I had about our last training session.

Everything ran much better today, and I didn't have to be an asshole. We were able to use a different room, and it is in an obscure location. There were only a few moments of fucking around but it was over quick.

I think they are getting a little bored of covering the same things, but I need to make sure they grasp the basic concepts. Today we did more refinement on both stance and hand techniques. I can see that the information is starting to be absorbed.

I know that one of my faults traits I have while teaching is that I get really excited, I ramble off a ton of information, and can go off on tangents. I have been trying to correct that each time I teach. I think if I can just introduce things slow enough for them to retain everything, but at a rate where it's not so slow they get bored.

It's all part of the learning experience...