52 Pounds - 52 Weeks (1995 - 2016)

New Years Eve - 1995 (~175 Pounds)

52 Pounds in 52 Weeks

New Year's 2016 Weight: 240.9

Week 16 Weight: 249.2

Total Weight Loss: +8.3 Pounds

Friday April 22, 2016: 249.2 lbs

It has been more than a week since I have done any regular movements.  I did have one hike last weekend, limped my way around Arroyo Verde, but other than that, I'm back on the See Food Diet!  Perhaps there is a reason why I have gained back some of this weight - it's like, eww...

I still plan to lose 52 Pounds in 52 Weeks; which means that I now have 36 weeks to lose 60 pounds.  So much for making this an easy 1 pound a week task.  Oy - and with this food storage and rest that I am going through, I wouldn't be surprised if I bounced a little higher before pulling back.  It will for sure be a challenge, but to help motivate me, lets take a look back on- ME :)

1999

Before the digital age, we took pictures and actually printed them.  Over the years and displacements, most of my old pictures have vanished.  Fortunately I did find a twiggy pic from 1995 and then this one above, taken on my old boat, sailing down the Cuyahoga.  Under that flabbiness and long hair, you can nearly see the outline of a six pack that I once sorta had.  I benched 300 pounds then and squat nearly double that.  But that was then.  I then moved to California...
 

?2001? - staying skinny (dark hair)

2002 - Standing Proud with the guards by the Golden Gate Bridge

2003 - Oh No!!!

This is what I looked like a month before my son was born.  However, only a year removed from being in decent shape and a couple years from my peak, at age 28, could I go from Fat to Fit?

...6 Weeks Later

About a week or so after my son was born, this is what I looked like.  I basically sprinted every day.  I could no longer run the sub minute quarter miles, but I did speed around that track in about one double 00.  I ran my first 5 miler, 20 laps around the Ojai track in 90 degree heat.  I ate like a rabbit and topped that off with an hour work out in the gym each day.  I wasn't lifting very heavy, but the 6 week dedication gave me this:

Yay baby - that's right!  At the time I was working full time, third shift for the newspaper.  The money was not very good - I was renting a room in a dumpy house.  Shortly thereafter, I picked up a second job and then a third job.  I wasn't too far removed from being homeless but I was working my way back to stability...

Dude, my legs!

I'm fortunate to even have these pictures.  I made a video, called "My Body" and I still have the old VCR tape.  I'm surprised that the VCR and tape still work.  I took the pictures off the TV and there you go.

2004 with my then girlfriend, soon to be wife

My baby's mamma whom I would marry in 2008.  Together we made a home and life together.  But, I think I started to become too comfortable, which is normal.  In 2004, I was still in good shape.

2006, getting a little thick

I was probably right around 200 pounds.  These are my left over muscles.  I wasn't working out.  The pick above was taken at Red Rock in Vegas.  It was hot, way hot...  I didn't do too much hiking back then.  Also, I started my new job just a year prior, the job that I am still at.  The job that keeps me stuck inside in a cube Monday - Friday.  Let the layers of fat begin...

2008, a month before making marriage official

She for sure is getting more beautiful by the year - where as I am chubbing up.  See it in my face and...

2009 ...see it in my gut

This was out on Lake Mead.  It's a proud belly.  We owned a condo, kids were growing up healthy.  What more could you ask for?

2010 The 1000 Hikes Begin!

 In January of 2010, I weighed 220ish pounds, which was my heaviest ever.  In three months, I dropped down to about 199 and ran the LA Marathon.  I was 35 years old and learning life that I could not drop weight like I used to.  I had become quite lazy over the past few years.  With basically no working out, I went bezerko in those three months to be able to run the 26.2 miles. Ah, never again, but I did it.

However, as the year progressed, I became very lazy with my health.  I bought a house, great price, great views, this will be my million dollar retirement, but stuck in a rut, what do I do...  Well, as the story goes, it was November 2010, I just turned 36 and I began my journey of hiking 1000 trails in 1000 days.  The picture above is one of my first hikes.  Looking at me there, I look pretty skinny, compared to now...

2011 - Green Sand Beach (Hawaii)

Hawaii, where I got stung by a bee!!!

 **I was sucking it in.  I held up okay, fought off the gravity pull of my gut, but this vacation only added to the weight.  Fortunately, I was hiking every day, -- Every Day.  This kept me nearby consistent so that I would not become obese.  Hiking is great for keeping it even, plus the adventure is amazing...

2011 - New Zealand

Yay, I go everywhere man!  I can see that I am starting to get old here, chubby but I can still fly.  Maybe not as high as I used to, but I was holding an umbrella.

2012 - I can Jump over Shaq!

 I suddenly found a surge of energy, drinking a Four Loco with my wife.  I guess I can still jump and I was still climbing mountains.  I'm years now removed from the gym, no sprints, no weights, and my body is slowly absorbing mush.  Legs are still working pretty good so, all is well...

2013 - Mineral King - Franklin Lakes

 Love this place.  My favorite journey during my 1000 Hikes.  Just a month before I climb...

Mt. Whitney with Adam!

This was my final hike.  I walked up this mountain quite heavy.  I may have been close to 220 pounds.  Even though I was hiking every day, I was eating every day too.  I gained only a few pounds from November of 2010 to August of 2013, but the distribution of the weight was the real problem.  Other than my sturdy legs, I lost most of my muscle weight and gained some rolls of fat.  But then, I retire from hiking and basically fall off the map until 2016, this year...

Enchanted Rock - Austin Texas

I'm around 240 pounds here.  Surprised I can still get up like that, lol, stop it...   I was in the midst of a rebound, compared to week 1 (below) of my 52 week goal to bring my weight back to the 1990's...

January 2016

I have a year to change my weighs - ways.  Can I do it?

I think Not!!!

Are you kidding me!  Holy Crap!!!  I only share this picture because I honestly believe that I can look like this again:

Before and After:

To Be Continued... (I have to go to work now and sit in my cube all day)

1000 Hikes Reborn - Failed!!!

After

Before

52 Pounds in 52 Weeks

New Year's 2016 Weight: 240.9

Week 15 Weight: 236.1

Total Weight Loss: -4.8 Pounds

The "Before", Year 2003 at 178 Pounds.

The "After", Week #1 of my 52 Pounds in 52 Weeks Challenge at 240 Pounds.

Thing is, if I am not careful, I can bounce up to 265 pounds like that, and here is why.  I am injured, some strange upper calf pop.  Now, if this were my first Rodeo, my first 1000 Hikes, I would just Kobe Bryant it, come up and shoot the free throws thinking that I will finish up the game.  But at age 41, I am no Kobe, not this time around.  I've been there, done that, drinking a beer and gaining another pound as I write this.

Okay, so what led up to this...

Course 26: Royal High School

High Above Royal High School

In the rain 2.29 MI ON 4/9/2016

DISTANCE

2.29

miles

CLIMB 

*200 ft

BEGINS IN:

Simi Valley, CA, United States

CREATED BY:

Jeremy Jacobus Best Time: 1:10:13

DESCRIPTION:

This is a 2.29 mi route in Simi Valley, CA, United States. The route has a total ascent of 10.69 ft and has a maximum elevation of 820.18 ft. This route was created by Jeremy85135177 on 04/09/2016. View other maps that Jeremy85135177 has done or find similar maps.

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GrilledCheeseTruck.com (Perfect for a rainy day)

It's the co-conference track meet.  Ayden will be running in the 200 meter today, the last event of this day.  Thankfully, we knew this so we did not show up at 8am like most of the other runners.  However, we did appear at 12:30 and due to rain delays and so many teams competing, Ayden did not run until 4:30.

Well then, this gives me a chance to; 2.29 miles around and around and up and down.  The cement bleachers rise approximately 35 feet in elevation.  I did those a few times, could have done more but kept it easy.  Passed the time, Ayden ran somewhere around 30 seconds on his 200 meters.  He won the heat that he was in but as a first year youth, did not make Varsity.  Nevertheless, good job for him to run that hard after taking two track meets off from our RV Vacation!


 Course 27: Royal High School (Part 2)

I'm on Long Jump Rake Duty!

around the track 2.08 MI ON 4/10/2016

DISTANCE

2.08

miles

CLIMB 

*200 ft

BEGINS IN:

Simi Valley, CA, United States

CREATED BY:

Jeremy Jacobus Best Time: 50:42

DESCRIPTION:

This is a 2.08 mi route in Simi Valley, CA, United States. The route has a total ascent of 12.51 ft and has a maximum elevation of 822.93 ft. This route was created by Jeremy85135177 on 04/10/2016. View other maps that Jeremy85135177 has done or find similar maps

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The Long Jumper!

Today was a slightly different Course.  Venturing onto the field, raking the dirt for 3 hours and then hiking around that artificial grass back and forth while kids warmed up.  They probably looked at me like, what is he doing?  Is he lost?

The long jump part was sweat exhausting.  Blistering my hands - I am such a baby!  But check this, if my 1000 Hikes was not reborn, I would have only been; not Be, which I was, alive beyond the standard!  And to keep it up...

Course 27: Continued...

Simi Valley Town Center

THE MALL 0.79 MI ON 4/10/2016

DISTANCE

0.79

miles

CLIMB 

50 ft

BEGINS IN:

Simi Valley, CA, United States

CREATED BY:

Jeremy Jacobus Best Time: 21:18

DESCRIPTION:

This is a 0.79 mi route in Simi Valley, CA, United States. The route has a total ascent of 50.47 ft and has a maximum elevation of 1,011.45 ft. This route was created by Jeremy85135177 on 04/10/2016. View other maps that Jeremy85135177 has done or find similar maps.

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This place has taken a dump.  It opened only a few years back and the Gelato store I wished to take Ayden to was Out of Business.  It's like one of those strange towns, with a carnival, and only a few weirdos walking around.  Okay, so we were those weirdos, walking around.  I pushed the pace to call it a hike and gained the elevation so that Ayden could use the restroom.


Course 28: Juanamaria Park

Where is the Geocache?

ZIGGY RUN 2.64 MI ON 4/11/2016

DISTANCE

2.64

miles

CLIMB

49 ft

AVAIL. POINTS

0 

BEGINS IN:

El Rio, CA, United States

CREATED BY:

Jeremy Jacobus Best Time: 48:15

DESCRIPTION:

This is a 2.64 mi route in El Rio, CA, United States. The route has a total ascent of 49.8 ft and has a maximum elevation of 371.78 ft. This route was created byJeremy85135177 on 04/11/2016. View other maps that Jeremy85135177 has done or find similar maps.

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If nothing else, I love the pattern that the run made.  It's like a Christmas Present with a bow tie in the park...

I did most of the damage while Ayden was at Piano Lessons.  With Sammi in my left hand and Ziggy in my right, I was running awkwardly and at times, dragging Ziggy.  I was stretched like Jean Claude Van Dam in Blood Sport.

The shrubs in this title post were sawed.  What happened?  I recall in my 1000 days when I began the search for Geo Caches, I found a pill bottle here, my only GeoCache actually found.  A 1000 Hike buddy of mine, Chris, goes for those caches on every adventure...

Well, I think the Cache is gone.  But, after Piano, this is what Ayden did:

Yes; One day he will be like Dad, Like Mike, and fly through the air...


Course 29: The Injury

Trying to Rally off 29 Days in a row, I elected to take my talent to the court.  After missing my first five shots, like Kobe, I tried to drive in for a layup, a sure make, but then it happened.  A strange pop in my upper left calf, just under the back of my knee.  My jumping leg - I knew right away; the shot did not go in.

Shortly after I completed my 1000 Hikes, I tried to play in on a game of flag football.  It was the 2nd play of the game and I made a sharp cut, just like I would have done 10 years prior.  However, my right leg exploded!  It was no Charlie Horse - but similar to the point where I needed to toe up my foot to my head.  Then, I hobbled off the field and did not return.  Nor did my calf return to my leg.

The injury lingered for months.  With no medical insurance, I just dealt with it; a calf the size of my thigh and a limp walk that suggested cane help.  To this day, I cannot say that I am fully recovered from that, but I make do.

Well, I Day Course 29, it happened again but on the other side.  Urgh, it suck getting old.  It's like I am too fat to stretch, or is it that I am lazy and just don't commit the time, to prepare.  I am doing things wrong, I am no youth.  So now, I have to deal with it - but, like Kobe, I came back out...

Notice my left foot

 I would normally power jump with my left foot, but by the hands of Ayden snapping the photo, you can see that I jumped off my right and my left is pointing high so it does not pull...

Again, left up in the air.  What am I doing?!  --Well, I need to shoot around for an hour to call this a completed course.  And I did, and in that time I put up 300 shots and made approximately 130 of them.  My movement was very limited, but I did it.  But what did I do?

I took this picture about an hour ago.  A beer and a pound later, I suspect that tomorrow I will be right back at 240.  Now, my injury is limp worthy, so I can get through this.  Nevertheless, I did no activity yesterday.  Therefore, about a month into being 1000 Reborn, I have Failed!

Not sure what I am going to do now?  I took the day off work; I am still committed to 52 Pounds in 52 Weeks, but maybe I wait to the last minute?  This was not the goal.  I cannot do it the way I used to.  Hmm, my wife is a personal trainer.  Maybe I should start listening to her?  Well, she is not here right now, so I am ordering a pizza...

To Be Continue, maybe...