The Weight Loss Results Are In!

It's been a long eight weeks since we started our friendly little weight loss challenge...and today was the final weigh-in!!!

I was really worried about the final weigh-in because we were out of town all weekend for my brother's wedding. And of course, being out of town means that eating good is so much harder.

Still can't believe my baby brother is old enough to be married. He'll always be a kid to me.

To make it even more challenging, Friday night's rehearsal dinner was catered by Dreamland. Now I can easily eat my weight in ribs... but I limited myself to only four. I savored every bite.

Watching "Friends"

The hotel where we stayed had a nice little gym, complete with a weight bench, two treadmills, and two ellipticals. The cardio equipment had TVs built in! They were awesome! The gym was also really hot--I'm talking like "It feels like this room isn't air conditioned" hot--and it made me sweat like it was going out of style! I did an hour the first night.

The day of the wedding, we ate breakfast at the hotel and had Arby's roast beef sandwiches for lunch. I knew the day was pretty much screwed at that point.

However, when I put my suit on, I could finally see the results of all my hard work. For the first time in years, I felt GREAT about the way that I looked.

And I'll humbly admit it: I made that suit look good. ;)

Man, I look good!

At the reception, we had Italian food, which was delicious. And I had a piece of both the wedding and groom's cake. (What can I say? When I fall off the bandwagon, I fall hard!)

Later that night, we were hanging out with my family at the hotel, and we all got hungry. Jackie and I went to get everyone some food. We'd decided on pizza, but after we drove into a questionable part of town, we realized that the Pizza Hut on the map was closed. Instead, we stopped at the world's smallest KFC and got the family meal.

At this point, my diet was going to Hell in a handbasket, so when we called it a night, I went back to the gym for another cardio session. Logged another 30 minutes.

Sunday morning, I woke up an hour early and went back and did 40 more minutes. I was hoping that it would help make up for all the bad eating the day before.

When we got home last night, I did another hour and 30 minutes.

This morning was the long-awaited final weigh-in. I got up an hour early, put on full sweats, and headed to the gym for a grueling two-hour cardio session. (This final workout had been my plan for weeks as a last chance effort to undo any wedding weekend damage.)  I did an hour on the elliptical and an hour on the treadmill. I burned more than 1,600 calories and was sweating like I was in the center of the sun. I was drenched by the time I left. Jackie was worried that I would pass out. "Don't kill yourself at the gym," she texted me while I was on the elliptical. "I'm not dead yet," I replied.

When I got home, I stepped up on the scale, and was shocked to see the final number:

Before and After

I had lost a whopping 34.8 pounds!!! I was so excited! I hadn't been in the 230s since before Jackie and I got married three years ago! I sent my picture of the scale to Jackie's cousin Beth, our official weight keeper, and anxiously awaited the final results. Would my numbers be enough for 2nd place? After weeks of being in 3rd, I really wanted to finish 2nd.

Hours later, Beth posted this on Facebook:

I had done it! 2nd place! The silver medal has never looked so good!

I couldn't have done it without the support of so many people: Jackie, my parents, Ryan Tallie, Chuck Fant, Keith & Ingrid Warren, and a lot of others.

I'm well on my way to my goal of being in the 200-215 range.

I know I can do it. I hope that my transformation also inspires others. If I can do it, so can you!

When You Feel Like the Fattest Person at the Gym

We've got just over a week left in our 8-week weight loss challenge, and things have been slowly progressing. Check out this before-and-after picture of my first weigh-in and last Monday's weigh-in.

Don't get me wrong. I know it is a huge accomplishment, and I'm really proud of myself.

But there are still days where I just feel like a big old blob of fat jiggling away while I'm on the elliptical. And to make matters worse, it seems like lately I've been timing my gym visits with all of the super-fit, chiseled, Greek god-like guys. Nothing makes you feel even fatter than being the fattest person at the gym.

It's depressing.

I see them in the mirrors lifting weights behind me, and I'm all like, "Don't mind me. I'm just huffing and puffing away over here, sweating like I'm sunbathing on the surface of the Sun. Nothing to see..."

I came across this meme on Pinterest the other day, and it totally sums up my feelings about this whole subject.

I know how you feel, Jim Gaffigan...

I know it's stupid to feel like this. Their years of hard work in the gym are precisely why they look the way they do. And I hope that one day my time in the gym will make me look good, too.

But it still irks me when I realize I'm the fattest person at the gym... and that motivates me even more to do something to change that.

If I can lose about six or seven more pounds, I'll be back to the weight I was when Jackie and I got married three years ago.

My ultimate goal is to get down to 200-215 pounds. 215 will get me out of the obese category on the BMI chart. I've told myself that I can do it by the end of the year, which should be a realistic goal.

Yep, I am clearly too short...

Thanks again to all of you who have supported and encouraged me on this journey. Your support keeps me going!

[Tangent beginning in 3...2...1...]

For those of you who are wondering how my dissertation is coming along, here's a little update for you: it's going slowly. I got feedback yesterday on the largest chapter I've written. I knew it would need some work, but my chair wants some major reorganization.

At first I freaked out and got really discouraged. Then I took a deep breath, and got to work on revisions based off of his suggestions.

And what do you know? The chapter is improving and will be much better! I feel really good about it! My chair's honest feedback was right on the money, and I'm thankful for it!

And, by the way, I've gotten hooked on Doctor Who this summer, which makes this picture all the more appropriate when thinking about my dissertation.

Finally, I have been able to enjoy some time to clear my mind from my dissertation and teaching work. I finally got to take Jackie to see Star Trek Into Darkness. She really liked it! My plan to convert her into a nerd worked! I love that she likes Star Trek and lets me indulge in my nerdiness. We also saw Despicable Me 2. Now I can't get this minion's sound out of my mind, and now all sirens should sound like this.

So that's about it. The summer class I'm teaching is going well, and we're also getting ready for my brother's wedding, which is a week from today! Needless to say, I'm as busy as ever--and thankfully, I'm lugging around a lot less weight while we're doing all of this stuff!

Fighting Fatness...It's a "Disease," You Know.

Hi there, readers! Thanks for sticking around through the Great Blog Drought of 2013.

So as many of you may have heard, the AMA has classified obesity as a disease. While I'm not sure I completely agree with that, I do realize that there is certainly a genetic factor at play. (The Finkleas aren't known for being a skinny bunch...) I don't want to make an excuse for my weight by saying it is a disease...and, yes, I am obese. That's a hard word to write...to acknowledge...to accept. But just because I do not like the word does not make it any less true.

I. Am. Obese.

Is my weight the result of a disease? Yes, now please pass the Oreos. No. I am obese because of choices I made.

Should I have a 3rd helping of mac and cheese? Does a bear poop in the woods?
Do you want another piece of pie? You betcha!
Salad? Nah, I'm saving extra room for dessert!
I ate so much that I think I'm gonna pop! Oh, did you say you've got banana pudding? Why, yes, I've got room.

I think you're beginning to see my thought process. I have a love affair with food. I'm an emotional eater. I'm a hungry eater. I'm a I-don't-have-anything-else-to-do eater. I eat if I crave something crunchy. I eat if I crave something sweet. I love to eat.

And I packed on every fatty, jiggling, disgusting pound by eating some of the most delicious, decadent foods on the planet. I believe it was Kate Moss who said, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I really want to slap her across her sunken cheek and ask, "Have you ever had my mom's mac and cheese? I think you'd change your mind."

At my skinniest: 180 lbs. in 2004 or 2005

So here I sit, writing this blog to you, spilling my guts about my...well, gut. As many of you know, I was the fat kid in school. Then when I started college, I finally realized that I needed to make a change. During my freshman year at the University of Montevallo, I dropped 55 pounds while my classmates put on the "Freshman 15." It was the best I've ever felt in my whole entire life. I loved my body.

Unfortunately, my losses didn't last forever. I slowly put back on every single one of those 55 pounds...and a few extra. Then I got married and put on another 30.

I was in my mid-20s. I loved my life. I loved my wife. But I hated myself. I didn't recognize the fatty in the mirror. My shirt size went from being able to wear some mediums, to larges, to extra larges, to 2XL. My waist size jumped more than 10 inches. I trapped myself inside my own body...and I felt like I would never escape.

I prayed that God would miraculously make me skinny. (As Christians, we are supposed to treat our body like a temple of God. I apparently built a temple for Buddha...but at least no body tried to rub my belly.) I'd diet really good for a week...only to reward my efforts by pigging out. I'd think about going back to the gym. (Turns out it isn't "the thought that counts.") I was still fat...and getting fatter.

We tried Weight Watchers. We tried the 6 Week Body Makeover. We tried "Let's just control our portions." We tried Zumba. Nothing worked... at least, not for long.

And then about 5 weeks ago, we were talking with Jackie's cousin Beth (check out her ah-mazing blog, Unskinny Boppy!) and Uncle Jon about starting an 8-week weight loss challenge. (We chose 8 weeks because there were 8 weeks until my brother's wedding.) To motivate ourselves, we said, "Let's all chip in and give the winner a cash prize!" We added more family members and friends, and the winner's pot grew to quite a chunk of change.

Turns out that the motivation that I'd been lacking all these years was a big ol' stack of cash. I started eating better (back on Weight Watchers), lifting weights, and doing cardio like it's going out of style.

After a 50 minute cardio workout. 7.57 miles & 663 calories!!!

And the weight started coming off.

So far, I'm down 18 pounds. I'm back down to an XL shirt, and I've had to tighten my belt a notch. I've also lost 15 inches from all over my body.

Who knew that my competitiveness would jump start my weight loss?

I am on the road to recovery. Each pound that melts away makes me a little more free. I'm rebuilding my temple from the image of Buddha to the image of Christ. (Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" has become my mantra when I want to give up at the gym...which, let's be honest, is often.)

It has not been easy. Muscles have ached that haven't ached in years. There are days I don't think I can get out of bed because my body refuses to move. There are days that I want to simply give up.

But I push through the soreness, roll out of bed, and I refuse to give up!

Workout Before & After. And, yeah, my shirt says "Flossin' ain't just for gangstas"...which is true. Gotta keep that grill lookin' so fresh and so clean-clean.

I've been posting a lot of pictures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep folks updated on my progress. Every like or comment fuels my desire to get this weight off! My friend Ryan tells me and Jackie that we motivate him to run...which, in turn, motivates me to run. It's a good cycle to be in.

Folks that haven't seen me in several weeks have noticed a difference. (But I've also gotten a little sun this summer, so part of the change may be that I look a little more tan and not so much like a pale ghost...)

I like this transforming version of me. He's not only skinnier...he's happier. He will live a richer, more satisfying life. (He'll also live a life where he doesn't get winded walking up a flight of stairs or bending over to tie his shoes...both of which used to be sadly true.)

I can do this. I will get this weight off. I will (hopefully) win our weight loss challenge.

But it's not all about the money.

I want to transform my life...forever.

Yeah, the AMA may say obesity is a disease, but I think it is mostly a choice. It's a choice every time you open the fridge, go through the drive-thru, and sit down at the dinner table. People don't choose to get cancer, or MS, or lupus. Those are diseases. My obesity is not a disease. It is the result of my choices...which, up until a few weeks ago, were delicious sucked.

Thank you to all of my friends and family for your support on this journey. Your words of encouragement mean the world to me, and I couldn't do it without you.

And I have to give a special shout out to my wife. Jackie, you keep me focused and driven, and I am so thankful to have you not only as my wife, but my best friend and partner in life. We are doing this together, and I think that's why we're being successful. I am so proud of your successes, too!

Well, that's it for now. Gotta go to bed so that I can head to the gym in the morning!

Stay healthy, friends!

We're Shakin' Our Rumps...Again.

First of all, you can get your mind out of the gutter.

Jackie has signed us up to run the Rumpshaker 5K this year. (You may remember when we ran it a couple of years go.)

The race is on March 30, so we've got some time to get ready. But we haven't started our training yet. The hardest part is finding the motivation to go to the gym. Last time we ran the Rumpshaker, we went to the gym for a month solid before the race to train.

Every other day or so, one of us will look over at the other and say, "When are we going to start training for the marathon?" (We call it a marathon because sometimes thinking about it makes it seem like a marathon. Apologies to all you marathon runners out there...)

The problem with training is that I've had a total lack of motivation to hit the gym. The race is 3 days after my 28th birthday, and I'd really like to be in better shape by then. I mean, I know I can't lose a ton of weight between now and then, but I like to lose something and be stronger. I keep looking at old pictures for motivation to remind me of how skinny I used to be. They remind me of how I've transformed my body before. If I've done it once, I know that I can do it again.

But why can't I get motivated this time??? I feel like if I can figure that out, I'd be unstoppable. In the meantime, I hope our looming race day will begin to get me to drag my butt to the gym in my free time (you know, the few seconds I have between class, prepping for class, dissertation work...).

We Survived the Rumpshaker 5K!!

After extensive training (OK, it was really just a couple of weeks), today was the day that we'd been waiting for: the 3rd Annual Rumpshaker 5K!!! Our obsession with the Rumpshaker began when Jackie told me about it a couple of months ago.

"Do you want to do the Rumpshaker?" she asked.

"With a name like that? Of course!" I said. "I want a t-shirt that says 'Rumpshaker'!"

We really buckled down with training when we joined Snap fitness earlier this month. Earlier this week, we both did a practice 5K on the treadmill to get an idea of how long it would take us to finish. I clocked in at 45 minutes, and Jackie finished in just over an hour.

I was totally prepared for it to take us longer to run the real race. The practice 5K was, I thought, our "best case scenario" for getting an estimate about our time. It was inside... in air conditioning... with plenty of water.

This morning when our alarms went off at 5:30, Jackie and I looked at each other, and we both said, "This is the dumbest thing we've ever done." Who in their right mind gets up at the butt-crack of dawn on a Saturday...to go running??? Well, it turns out that there were a lot of us that do it!

We met up with Jackie's parents and brother and headed to Sloss. Traffic was pretty backed up when we got close to the race site. Jackie and Diana set out on one last potty break before the race, while Jeff, Matt, and I waited to park the truck.

Once we were finally parked, we set out to find the girls...only to realize that we had no clue where they were. We searched and waited, but all we saw were a sea of people (most of which were wearing Rumpshaker t-shirts, just like us). As we were looking, they announced that it was about time to start the race. The three of us decided that, since Jackie and Diana would have to go to the starting line, we should go there to find them. Amazingly, out of the thousands of people there to shake their rumps, we found them on the way to the start line. We also caught up with Jackie's aunt and cousin, Patti and Samantha.

Before we started shakin' our rumps!

At the starting line, there was some guy from a local gym their to lead us in a warm up. Then they announced that the race would be delayed a bit because of last minute traffic issues (and a train was blocking part of the course).

Finally the horn blew, and we were off!! Jeff and Matt were in front of me. I quickly got separated from them in the crowd, but could still see them. (Jackie and the others were behind me somewhere. Once we started, I never looked back.) It took all of about 30 seconds for me to realize that my wearing my iPod clipped on my hip was going to drive me crazy, so I decided just to run with it in my hand.

When we reached the first turn in the course, I saw that we had to run across a bridge... and it looked pretty steep. I cranked up my iPod and kept on truckin'. I watched the road as we were crossing the bridge (one, so being up high wouldn't freak me out, and two, because I didn't want to step in a pothole or crack).

OK, it wasn't as steep at this bridge...but it felt like it was!

Back on solid ground, I looked up and saw Jeff ahead of me, but Matt was nowhere to be found. I assumed that he had run on ahead. Eventually, I lost Jeff in the crowd. We kept going... and going... and going...

and going...

I began to think that I'd missed the first mile marker because I knew I'd run at least a mile. I kept looking for the water station, which was set up at 1.5 miles. I was getting a wee bit thirsty. I kept on jogging...

That's when I saw it: the one mile marker. Seriously?! Had it really only been a mile?? It was at this point that I was wondering what I'd gotten myself into.

Finally, I spotted the water station. I eased off of my blistering pace...and by "blistering pace" I mean "slow and steady jog"... and grabbed a cup of water from one of the volunteers. I gulped it down...perhaps a little too quickly.

I was feeling good as we reached the next turn, but I had no idea what my pace was because I'd forgotten to start my timer when I crossed the start line. When I finally reached the second mile marker, the volunteer called out a time of 24 minutes and some seconds. That's when I realized that I was not only doing pretty good... I was actually doing better than I did during the practice 5K!!

I had told myself before the race started that I would take a brief walking break at the 2-mile mark, but I was feeling pumped, so I just kept jogging.

At one point, I could feel myself starting to slow down, and that's when my genius iPod started playing Robert Randolph and the Family Band's "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That"--one of my favorite cardio songs EVER!!! I matched my pace to the music and pressed on!

Rounding the final turn, I was feeling great... and that's when my knee started to bug me. It wasn't hurting bad, but it was like my knee was saying, "Ok, wrap this up. I'm getting a little tired."

Eventually, I could see the finish line...way off in the distance. I wanted to break out running as fast as I could, but I knew I needed to hold back a bit longer. Tortoise and the Hare, I kept thinking to myself. Slow and steady wins the race.

I felt like The Flash!

When I hit the 3-mile point, I suddenly got a burst of speed. My iPod also started playing Missy Elliot's "Shake Your Pom Pom" (yet another great cardio song)! It was like the finish line was drawing closer. With just .2 miles to go, I went wide open! I gave it everything I had left.

Nothing felt as satisfying as stomping on the rubber mat at the finish line. Unofficially, my time was 37 minutes and some change, but it will actually be a little better because it was counting from the moment the race started, not when I crossed the starting line.

Matt crossed a few minutes later, and then Sam, Diana, Jackie, and Patti finished! We were a happy (tired) bunch!

Patti and Jackie finish!

After getting some high-quality H2O, we headed to see the main event (at least for us): the inflatable colon!!! Inside the colon, we met a colon cancer survivor, and we saw examples of colon cancer. And of course, we had our pictures taken.

The colon!!!

I touched the polyp.

Having finally visited the colon, we left to go eat. (Gotta replenish our carbs!)

On the way to eat, we all agreed that we had a great time and that we want to do more races together! We're really excited about the Birmingham Zoo 5K Run in May!!! Hope to see you there!

And while none of us won a prized "Golden Toilet," hopefully, we can truly be in the running (no pun intended) for one next year .

I'm going to get one of these one day!!!

My iPod Reads My Mind During Workouts!

Seems like ancient technology now.

Many of y'all know that I first began working out in 2003 after I graduated high school. When I used to do cardio back then, I used to listen to my Walkman CD player. I would burn workout mixes, which could only be about 13 to 16 songs long because that's all that would fit on a CD.

One day, my great friend Ryan loaned me his iPod during my workout...and it was love at first listen. After I lost a bit of weight, I treated myself to one of the 1st-gen iPod nanos, which were brand new at the time. It revolutionized my workouts. Now I could listen to music during my whole workout, instead of just when I was on the elliptical (because those darn CDs used to skip while lifting weights).

Hello, nano!

I stuck with that nano until I got my first iPhone, and now that I've upgraded to the iPhone 4, I can't imagine heading to the gym without my own personal workout playlist to inspire me.

Since Jackie and I joined Snap a couple of weeks ago, I've realized that my iPod has developed a sense of humor and irony. I always set it on shuffle, and let the fun begin. The following examples have all happened in the past 2 weeks:

When I'm really huffing and puffing, Maroon 5's "Harder to Breath" comes on. When I hit the wall, Kanye's "Stronger" gets me going. When I start slowing down (when I don't need to be), All-American Rejects' "Move Along" or the Black Eye Peas' "Pump It" starts blaring.

The last few minutes are often the ones where I just want to quit, that's when "Give a Little More" by Maroon 5 has come on. One day as my cool down started, Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" started playing. Once when I kept watching the clock, counting down to the end of my workout, Ke$ha's "TiK ToK" came on.

(My iPod really likes Maroon 5 and Aerosmith out of the current list of 120+ songs in my workout playlist.)

These are just a few of the instances I can remember. There have been many more...and it's happened enough for me to notice.

Also, the other night Jackie dragged me to Publix with her for one of her coupon extravaganza shopping sprees (which totally deserve their own blog entry in the future!). As we were walking in the door, I asked if I could just go look at magazines while she shops. Lucky for me, she said yes.

One of the 5 magazines I read while she shopped was the Runner's World. One of the featured articles in the "Newbie" section was about a man who borrowed his 8-year-old son's iPod when he went for a run while on vacation. He talked about how it was so motivating some of the songs were, and he was amused that the songs that his 8 year old liked were actually great songs to listen to while running.

So I want to ask you, loyal readers, what are some of your favorite workout songs? Hit the comments, Facebook me, or tweet me (@BruceFinklea) to share your musical motivation!

I Heart My iPod!

"Anything you can do I can do better..."

Tonight's adventure to the gym started on a sour note. As I've mentioned previously, the gym here at the apartment complex leaves much to be desired...and now we are adding a treadmill to that list of desire. It looks like someone stepped on the power cord on one of the treadmills, ripping it out of the machine. Because tonight was a cardio night for us, I told Jackie that she could have the treadmill and that I would hop on the bike.

When I got on the bike, I discovered that it, too, is broken. Well, "broken" isn't truly accurate. The bike is stuck in manual mode on level six. You can't change the program or intensity, and you can't enter a time. It will only let you pedal. And just for the record, level six is pretty tough. Luckily, I was so pissed that the other treadmill was broken I used that as motivation to push on. So that's what I did until Jackie finished the weight loss routine on the treadmill; then we swapped out. At this point I was already drenched in sweat and my legs were on fire. Jackie suggested that I try the weight loss routine. So, not wanting to be shown up by a girl, that's exactly what I did.

I was good to go for about the first 20 minutes, but I hit a wall with about 10 minutes to go. It was at this point that I kept telling myself that I wouldn't let Jackie beat me at this. My pride and ego provided enough fuel to finally finish. My calves felt like they were going to burst and my butt was sore.

So overall being pissed and prideful got me through my hour of cardio. Jackie not only is a great accountability partner, she is pretty good motivation!

(And no, I don't really think I did better than she did, as the title of this entry would imply. I just started thinking of that old song when I started writing this.)

My Near-Death Experience with Zumba

Let me begin by saying that I have never wanted to quit a workout like I wanted to quit doing Zumba. I thought I was going to die. Ok, maybe I didn't think I was really going to die, but I was afraid of passing out.

The Zumba instructors (aka hoochies)

Jackie borrowed some Zumba DVDs from a coworker, and tonight we finally popped it in the Blu-Ray player. We slid the coffee table out of the way and pressed play. Since we were both Zumba virgins, we began with the basic tutorial of all the Zumba moves. It starts with three strippers instructors thrusting and gyrating around on the stage. They showed us each of their dance moves one at a time. We learned the booty circle, crotch thrust, hoochie hips, booby shake, and a bunch of other moves. (Disclaimer: "booty circle" is the only real name of a move we learned. I made up the other names because I can't remember their real names, but they are anatomically descriptive to what we were actually doing.)

This tutorial kept going and going and going. I was beginning to think that it would never end, but we kept stomping, jiggling, and thrusting our way around the living room. We busted out laughing with every new move. The instructors kept saying, "Now add some flavor!!" as they would gyrate and wiggle. I kept exclaiming, "I don't have enough flavor or rhythm! I'm too white for this!" By the time the hour-long tutorial was over, I was huffing and puffing and sweating like it was going out of style. Then the actual workout began. This is when I really wanted to quit, but Jackie wasn't giving up, so I pressed on. Fortunately this 20 minute flew by and actually seemed easier than the tutorial. I've never been so glad to be done with a workout. In the end, we both agreed that Zumba kicked our butts and was a good workout. My abs, butt, and calves were burning!

So I guess we're going to stick with it. Hopefully, not only will it make us skinny, but we'll learn some sexy dance moves, too!