Author: Gus

Checked the scale this morning, only my second time since my assessment. It was bittersweet.

My initial weight was 361.8. My weight Saturday when i checked was 352. My weight this morning was 354. On the one hand I’m super super happy that I’ve lost over 7 lbs, especially considering I only started working out on Wednesday. I’m upset though because I know it could have been more, but I know why I stumbled. I ate things I shouldn’t have this weekend. Funny enough, not because of the Super Bowl, we went out and I didn’t eat what I should have.

But I’m ready to go another round!!!!

We started our weekly challenges at Caine Halter and I am so pumped. I love love love competition!!!

I’m ready to do this.

Oh, and I immediately regretted eating what I did because I was sluggish and didn’t feel anywhere near as energized as I did all week, so I just need to remember that.

We are always going to have temptation in our life, but God will never give us more than we can handle with hi help, because nothing is too great for our great and wonderful God.

My goal this week is to be a weekend warrior!

1 Corinthians 10:13

 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

So I was at my mother in law’s for a Direct Sales party my wife was hosting and they had snacks and I tried really really hard to restrain, but I did eat things I shouldn’t have.

Some of a cheeseball, a small pretzel turtle and a mini cupcake.

I don’t think it will set me back too much but it’s just annoying I couldn’t resist yet. This is why I don’t keep this food in our apartment, though even if my wife has the food I’m just better in general. I don’t know if it was because there were other people or what.

I did it, it wasn’t like a horrible horrible thing so now I’m putting it behind me and moving forward. Not gonna let the food beat me.

Finished week one!!!!

I’m gonna make Sunday my recovery day.

So big things I learned this week: always, always, always stretch before a strength work-space, the water pressure at the Y is amazing and feels amazing after a workout, and Caine Halter YMCA does not open until 7am on Saturday lol.

This is going to be a tough 12 weeks, but I know with God, my family and my friends that I can do it! I won’t always eat as strict as I am now but I’m looking at this as a body reset and a 12 week boot camp to jumpstart the rest of my health journey and my life.

One thing I haven’t done yet is weigh myself since my assessment. I’m not 100% sure when I will because in the end it not about the weight, and I know it has to be coming off with all I’m doing, but I know if I step on the scale and the number hasn’t gone down as fast as I’ve wanted then I’ll lose steam and get discouraged so I’m just focused on eating healthy foods, eating enough, and doing my workouts, the scale will take care of itself.

To all the other Rbl participants, I’ve been reading all your blogs and I’m touched by so many of your stories. I know we can do this!!! Praying for success and a reformation for all of us!!!

So I did the treadmill today!!!

While I didn’t get up to much of a jog or running, I definitely power walked that thing! Kept my heart rate in my target zone so I know I was doing good.

I think I need to stretch a little more before my strength training. I get a little too crampy for my liking. Gonna look up some good stretches today.

I love how you feel after working out. It’s sore, but it’s like a really good sore, you feel accomplished and like you can conquer the world…you know after you get up from being exhausted from working out lol.

So our 8 month old, Owen, gave me a cold this winter. Right around Christmas, and while it’s pretty much all cleared up, I still have this nagging tickle in my throat, like maybe my lymph nodes are swollen? Anyways, I don’t have insurance currently but we are blessed with some amazing friends who are lending me some stuff to kick this, I love essential oils. Please pray God takes this cough from me, thankfully it has not impeded me working out yet =)

Love this verse.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple^[f] of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Phew!!!

Just finished my first full workout.

I hate cardio….well specifically running, lol. It’s not really that bad but I sure feel winded afterwards. I did 22 minutes of the Arc Trainer today for my cardio and my warm-up. It helped I got to watch I Love Lucy while I worked out =)

Afterwards I did my strength training and then took a shower and straight off to work.

I’m sure I’ll feel it later on today but right now, as I usually do after a work-out, I feel awesome. I feel a little sore, but it’s nothing compared to how accomplished I feel.

If nothing else, today shows me that I can do this. I know I can do the workout part of this journey. My struggle will be with eating.

So, for me, I have put together a very strict meal plan. I know most people would say that makes it harder, and initially it will be for me too. The first few days are going to be awful as my body gets used to it, but I also know it would be much worse if I didn’t do this. If I give myself and inch, I will eventually take a mile and I know that.

So what am I eating?

Before my workout I am eating two energy balls to give myself the carb and energy boost I will need every morning. Recipe HERE.

For breakfast I am currently drinking a SlimFast shake, with water not milk, though this may change for a healthy egg bake for more protein and less preservatives.

Lunch is 4 oz Chicken Breast with a delicious marinade which I am using over 16 pieces of chicken so the calorie count is very low for the marinade, 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa with amino acids, and 1/2 a grapefruit.

Dinner is Chicken again with grapefruit.

Snacks I am eating 1/4 of Aldi’s Chili Lime Cashews when needed, probably no more than twice a day.

I know it seems limited but I know it will get me the results I want and it’s keeping enough calories in me to keep me full. Anything else I eat would be 0-very low cal foods like celery, carrots etc.

Sometimes I’m sure I will deviate a little like if we go out to eat but I’m going to stay vigilant in ordering very healthy food.

Excited to see results!

My name is Agustin Edmundson, most people call me Gus.

Rob’s story really hit home with me when I heard it for the first time, which was just this past couple months. I had a pretty similar situation happen to me.

In 2011 I got married to my best friend, Alicia, and we spent our honeymoon at Disney World and Universal Orlando. Harry Potter world had just opened up recently and we were super excited to check it out. At this time I was 230 lbs.

We got to ride everything and it was a magical trip, so much so that we decided to go back in 2013 along with my mother-in-law. We were extremely excited to show her our new favorite ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which was an adventure coaster/motion simulator type ride. It used extremely advanced technology and was just an awesome ride.

In 2013 I was closer to 330 lbs.

Since we were celebrating all of our birthdays, we are all within 30 days of each other, the ride staff was really cool and took us on a private tour of the castle. As we walked through they had replica ride seats, which I noticed the tour guide stopped at frequently but didn’t say anything and I thought was kind of odd. When we got to the actual ride I found out why. Once we all got in our seats I realized i couldn’t fasten mine properly. As the seats don’t stop moving, you have to get on quickly, the staff quickly tried to get me strapped in but when they couldn’t I had to get off.

I’d ridden the ride before so it’s not like I never got to experience it, but the feeling of shame I felt as I had to stand by the side and watch my wife and mother-in-law depart on the ride was crushing. I told them, with a smile, as I got off the ride that it was fine and I’d see them in a few minutes, but it really hurt me. I felt inadequate. I felt huge.

3 years later in 2016 and about 20 lb heavier, as life happens and I’m a stress eater, I’m listening to His Radio in February and I hear them talk about Rob’s Big Losers and I think, what an awesome idea! I told myself I would keep listening and when they offered it again, I would jump on the opportunity.

Cut to earlier this month, January 2017, and I hear it for the first time this year and I immediately go home and jump online. I fill out my application and just pray God would grant me this opportunity to get my health in order. I’ve had weight-loss success in the past and I know I can eat right, but this program offers me the support and accountability through a group of people which I think can really make the difference.

So here I am!!!

I had my initial Wellness Assessment this morning and I think it went pretty well. The Caine Halter YMCA, which is my Y and my Team, is incredible! There are so many different machines and classes and instructors, you really just need to show up and jump in and I don’t see how I won’t make a difference in my health.

When I announced to my friend and family I was chosen to go on this health journey I got such a pouring out of love I couldn’t even believe it. Even more surprising to me, was how many people came up to me at church to let me know they were cheering me on. It was extremely uplifting and I know with God, my wife, and my friends and family I can definitely do this. And my son! I have to stick around to see all the awesome stuff in his life so there’s a great motivation too!

My starting weight is 361.8 lbs.

And I’m ready to see it go down, and see my life change. Let’s Go!