Weight 251: Ready for Disappointment?

1/17/17:
Since the Everest debacle, I've toned down my adventuring. I've gained weight (now @ 251) & more sadly, lost so much muscle tone. I feel like I have been bumbling through; working my day job and falling in line with the rest of you 9-5ers.

I was up to 256 & decided enough was enough... Over the last month I've gone done 5 lbs; which equates to one night of binge pizza eating.

My creativity has dropped significantly and I feel dull. This isn't a depression or a slump; it's more of a dulling that many people assume is age or dulling by an uneventful life.

I haven't dove in over a year and I haven't been active.

This needs to stop.

As of today--- this should stop. I need to be alive again.

I made a week of food for the family. It's here sorted out into snacks, lunches, breakfasts, etc.

Let's see what happens.
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11/17/17 - Update:

The above motivation lasted about a week.
It's now November and my heaviest was 257. (I hit it sometime in August.) I've probably lost MORE muscle tone.

As of 10/28/17, I began seeing a fitness/nutrition coach who is trying to kick my ass through emails and texting. I have a meal plan & a workout plan. I'm down to 245, but my goal is to get fit and hit about 220. I want abs again.

I'm curious if my bit of a pot belly will disappear & leave me with extra skin or if it'll shrink back to size. None the less,  I hope this turns me around. My next big hike will be the Appalachian Trail when I turn 40.

Places to go next: Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon, AZ

http://www.thisworldexists.org/blog/2015/8/30/havasu-falls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U76OX0M6f4w

134 Days - Mt. Everest Earthquake

I haven't mentioned the friend I would be trekking Everest with in my blogs because I was respecting his privacy. However, now that he's all over the news... here's his story:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-stuck-in-nepal-palos-st-0430-20150429-story.html

Some of the names in the group we dubbed 'BAMBOO 27'

Long story short, Corey was hiking in a remote region of Langtang National Park when the 7.8 Earthquake struck Kathmandu. He and 26 others were stranded by a teahouse called Bamboo on their way to Lama Hotel. Huddled for 5 days on a cliff, they awaited rescue. It's been a long 5 days here. After researching and discovering where Corey was seen, friends and family of Corey pushed the US Embassy, politicians, media, and anyone we could to rescue this group of 27 people.

Friends reached out to others across the world and we did everything we could to get Corey rescued. Luckily, at about 1:30am and 5 days after they were stuck, 4 helicopters rescued all remaining people who were stranded by Bamboo.

The trails across Everest are largely demolished. At this time the Everest climb is probably put on hold. Further, since the earthquake, my family, and mostly my wife, has put increasing pressure on me to not do the trek due to the extreme nature and unstable terrain.

I am incredibly saddened by retracting my campaign.

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Update as of 5/23/15:

Unfortunately, due to the constant avalanches, earthquakes that are still occurring, and for the love of

my life & family, my Mt. Everest trek is not happening this year. Though the Nepali government says it's okay to climb, many of the ice doctors who fix the trails refuse to climb or hike on Everest for the remainder of the year. ... and their only income comes from Mountain tourism. There is something to be said for those who risk their lives daily when they decide they would rather go without pay for the rest of the year than get paid & die on the Mountain.

I will get there eventually, just not this year. Sagarmatha has spoken and she needs her beauty rest.

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Funds that were donated are being 1) returned 2) given to Fitzgerald Cancer Fund or 3) being donated to Nepali relief efforts. If you have donated and I have not spoken to you yet regarding your funds, please contact me. There were some anonymous donors and some others whom I have been unable to contact. If I do not hear from you, I will keep the funds aside for the future trip. 

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I OFFER A GIGANTIC THANK YOU OF SUPPORT TO: 

Big Frog T-Shirts in Shorewood, IL (http://bigfrog.com/shorewood) for their donations and printing of our banners at no cost.

A HUGE Thank you to:

• Joyce Franklin
• Kumon Math and Reading (http://www.kumon.com)
• Lifestart Fitness of Oakbrook, IL (http://www.lifestart.net/oakbrook/) 
• Master Artist, Chung Liu (http://mastakojo.tumblr.com/)
• Lees
• Diane T.
• Rhonda M.
• Pat & Max Hodges
• And the other 'anonymous' donors, who have graced the Everest or Bust Fundraising Site.

139 Days Left. - My Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Oatless Oatmeal

I received this recipe from one of my Kumon Instructors. It's gluten free and a great protein boost for your day. It's heavy on the nuts and the banana makes all the difference. I usually double this and it'll last me for 4 breakfasts.

The below recipe is for (2) servings (344 calories per serving)

Oatless Oatmeal

Bowl 1
3 eggs (mixed)
1/4 Cup Almond Milk
1 T Almond Butter
1/2 Banana (Mash it up!)

Once all wet ingredients are in the bowl, mix it well! I usually put them in the food processor for a short time to ensure they're well blended.

Bowl 2
1/4 Cup Raw Almonds
1/4 Cup Raw Walnuts
2T Ground Flax Seed
1/4 tsp AllSpice.

Mix these ingredients together. I also usually put these in the food processor, too. This is the base for your 'oatmeal', so smaller pieces work well.

Finally, using a Large Frying Pan on medium heat, mix bowl 1 and 2 together in teh hot frying pan. Continue to stir, mix, scrape, and turn over the pan until it is the consistency of oatmeal.

Enjoy! I've kept it in the fridge for a week and it was still good. I recommend making this in bulk on Sunday night and eating it for breakfast before work throughout the week. It works great!

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Today: I ran a mile and did 30 minutes of PLYO; Les Mills Combat Cardio. Even though the workout gets harder everyday, I'm always able to push a little more than I could the day before.

Weight: 229
139 Days Until I climb Mt. Everest
PANT SIZE: When I began this journey in February, I was size 40. Now I'm size 36.

Days Until Mt. Everest Climb: 140 - Preparations

I stayed in the heart of the city the other day. It was surprisingly easy to rack up

14,000 steps on my pedometer. I parked 2 miles from my hotel and where my meetings were held and walked between. It was a great walk with a 20 lb. duffel bag, plus a backpack full of computers, etc.

I then took a 2.5 hour evening jog/walk around the city. Excellent excercise! I love Chicago. 10 miles. CHECK! It's hard to do that in the burbs just going to work. On an average day of NOT working out, it's easy for me to only go 800 steps.

Today I was dragging. I had to kick my own ass to work out this evening. My wife's Aunt passed away last week, so it changed my routine and workouts a bit. (i.e. I didn't find time to do the Les Mills combat.) Tonight I kicked my own ass. No excuses. 60 minute kickboxing, plus a light jog.

It all went pretty well. I need to up the anty and keep making it harder. I added some abs, too.

And I've switched to decaf. No caffiene for me anymore. I have been weaning myself for a while because I want my body to work on its own accord. Though I'll miss caffiene, I'm hoping that after a while I won't miss it. ... Maybe even dislike it. Before I drank coffee for the first time at a wee age, I had all the energy I needed. I can resume that physical positioning and might even live to tell about it.

I've had a ton of support lately coming in. I'm very happy that it is picking up. Lifestart Fitness of Oakbrook and Kumon North America are running fund raisers for me and to get the word out about Neuroblastoma. Excellent cause! Thank you to both companies for doing this.

Countdown to Climb Mount Everest: 152 days. - Exercise Routine.

The 680 steps at the Oakbrook Tower missed me today. It was my hope to improve my timing (14 min. per lap) and distance (1.5 laps) on the steps since I feel much stronger today. Unfortunately, I was busy at work until about 7pm, when I decided to come home.

Once home, I hung out with the family... and once I put the kids to bed, I came down for a workout. My goal, since I'll be busy for a good part of tomorrow, was to kick my butt today.

I began with a 30 minute Les Mills POWER Workout. (Kickboxing, boxing, karate, and other martial arts.) I was feeling good. The workout was much easier today that it has been in the past. I challenge myself and use 5lb weights for all the boxing moves. It doesn't seem like much, but after 300-500 punches, you feel the burn. Again, I don't want bulk, I want stamina... so I was okay dropping to 3 lbs. in the last 5 minutes when I couldn't hold up my arms anymore.

I cooled down, stretched... and then immediately warmed up for a run/walk. Tonight's movie was OFFICE SPACE. I turned it up &  hit the treadmill: 4 miles, 50-55 minutes (I accidentally hit the emergency stop & lost my numbers at some point, so I turned it on and kept going.) 1,300+ vertical feet. (More 10* incline than last time & more running @ 6 mph @ 10*, too.) I want to be able to run a 5k at 10*. I'll get there.

Buying The Right Clothes for Mount Everest: I was told earlier today by someone who is actually IN Kathmandu right now that clothing and items needed are a fraction of the price in Kathmandu than in the US. For example: Northface pants are $20-$30, not $80-$120. Though at this point I feel it's very unprepared of me to do so, I'm toying with the idea of purchasing many items once I'm in Kathmandu to save money. Minimizing my costs puts more in the pockets of families through Fitzgerald Cancer Fund. (http://www.fitzgeraldcancerfund.org) 

New Sponsor!
Kumon Math and Reading (http://www.kumon.com) will be running a fundraiser through July for me! Wahoo! I'm excited and hope to place a banner of theirs on Mount Everest.

Nutritionist:
I spoke with Sheri Berger from A Better Balance last night. I've been frustrated that my weight isn't dropping as much as I feel it should... and that my body seems to not be reacting as quickly as it used to. (Age is no excuse!) (I'm 232 right now and haven't been able to get below 230. Though I'm more interested in stamina, I'm hoping my weight can drop to about 200 - 210 before I go.) She was very helpful and I look forward to future consultations. (This could be a whole blog post of it's own soon.)

Time for bed. I am speaking at an awards ceremony tomorrow and need to get some rest.

live fully & goodnight.

Days until Mt. Everest: 154. Motivational Video and Training Exercise

Ready for some motivation? How bad do you want it? Eric Thomas is great to listen to in the morning.

Everyday I try to push myself a little more. Some days, I fall off the wagon & life gets in the way. It just means I need to make up for it the next day. I wasn't able to accomplish this last month, but I did yesterday. My routine was:

5am: 30 minute High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) PLYO, 
9pm: 1300 ft climb on my treadmill. 4 miles in 50 minutes. I did this at an approximate 10 degree incline, with a few intervals.

Today, I feel energized and I'm feeling the burn.