how do you like them apples?

just ran 10k in 57 min 02 sec...without stopping or vomiting ;) next goal is to do it in under 55 min. this is the 3rd 10k i did this week and its only getting easier, but i do not want to get complacent, i wanna keep setting the bar higher. big goal for this year: run in the toronto marathon in october. there, it is now on record :)

by the way, the title of this post is in reference to good will hunting...will is from south boston, home of the boston marathon, where i eventually want to compete.

(ps. in order to compete in the BM I need to finish the toronto marathon in 3hrs and 10 min or less...CRAZZZYYYY!!!!)

up in smoke

Before I delve into my story of transformation I have to finish telling you how I got to where I was in the first place. Anyone here like spicy food? I do. In fact I don't just like it...I crave it. Writing this now is making my mouth water :P The reason I am telling you this is; more than spicy food, I loved a beautiful, comforting cigarette right after a hot meal....mmmm. Now, that would have been fine if all I had was one directly after a meal. But those who know me, know that I have an addictive personality and 1 quickly turned to 2, turned to 10, turned to a pack, finally turned to 2 packs (would have been more if there was more time and more opportunity to smoke). 2 packs a day! 50 cigarettes...looking at this number, I am dumbfounded and astonished at how much I used to smoke and how happy I am now that I don't. See, my decision to get healthier started with changing my mentality. But no matter how much you tell yourself, "tomorrow I will start to eat healthy" or "next week I'll start to go to the gym" or "today I won't smoke", it all means nothing until you actually do it. For me it wasn't too hard. To quit smoking, you can't be told or forced to quit, you have to literally make a conscious decision each and every time you have craving...eventually the cravings will be less and less. For me, all it took was an overly tight seatbelt and the inability to breathe that did it. I haven't smoked since. and that was really the first step to successfully living a healthier life.

biggest loser and the aha!

I'm a HUGE fan (pardon the pun). I started watching and became a fan years before I started losing weight. I watched in awe as these enormous people having the hearts and minds of lions, running marathons, working out 6 hrs a day, eating strict meals; slowly but surely shedding their old selves to become whom they always thought they were... I watched this with a tinge of jealousy, envy... I think it was, season 7 or 8 where watching it was no longer entertainment, but it became wholly relevant. Cheesy as it sounds, this show, was a massive inspiration to me and was actually the catalyst in getting me off my ass.

The Tuesday night after I was called obese (see previous entry) The Biggest Loser premiered, and if you are a fan of the show you know that during some commercial breaks, Bob and Jillian give; "trainers tips" one of these tips was literally, get off your ass during commercial break and do something...

So I did. Man, it was incredibly hard. I remember doing knee raises and sit-ups as a circuit for 5 minutes (try doing this after the blog) for me and my unfit ways, it was like trying to climb Everest. Let me tell you, the feeling that I got after I completed my 5 minutes was the same. It was at that moment that my brain was telling my body, "no more bullshit Tony, you lazy sack of potatoes...we're in it now, and come hell or high water, we gonna cause some ruckuss!" (I'm paraphrasing of course). But that was it... that was my "aha" moment.

anyone else want to share their "aha" moment?

it all began with...

Quickly, an introduction;

My name is Tony, I used to weigh over 250lbs, I was unhealthy and I was unhappy. This blog is really so I can get this down on paper, maybe inspire a few people along the way and hopefully release the demons that I have carried for so long...

It all began with... Christmas eve 2008. Gorging as usual. To the point of sickness. All the while, the voice in my head continued to give me motivational speeches; "it all tastes soooo good. It's ok, it's Christmas! People are supposed to gain a few extra pounds..." The problem with that logic was, I was already 246lbs.

So, Christmas comes and goes. Enter stage left; the wii fit. oh man!!! So, my sister in-law gets this as a gift. I think it was for her birthday that we all went over and tried this thing out. What a marvel of engineering! I loved it, until it was my turn... the damn thing called me obese, in front of everyone no less!!! I wanted to chuck this thing into the TV, right after I survived my embarrassment! This was my real low point. I knew I was overweight, like way, way, way deep down inside; but I never actually admitted it, not even to myself. But now, there was no denying it, I had this marvel of technical achievement, telling me, point blank; "YOU ARE FAT!" Besides being my low, this was also a big wake up call... enter stage right; the "new" me... 1 year later, don't smoke (yeah, forgot to mention, I was a 2 pack a day smoker), rarely drink (occasional glass of wine with dinner), and 70lbs lighter :)))).

This is about my journey, from then to now and where to next.

hope you join me.

Tony