Day 1 - the new challenge

So in October of 2011 I started my first challenge diet.  It was kind of great, and I lost more than 50 pounds before all was said and done.  In the past I've talked about what constitutes failure on a diet.  Unfortunately the most basic definition is regaining the lost weight.  Over the last year, that's happened to me.

I have a lot of excuses, not least of which was a knee injury last summer that largely stifled my exercise and kept me from keeping in the habit of diet and exercise.  Realistically though my excuses don't matter.  I did a great job of getting in shape, and at my peak of fitness I broke a 2 hour half-marathon time and was floating around 210 pounds.  For me that was as close to ideal as I was likely to see.  Since then though I've let myself fall back into old habits, and my weight this morning was 262.2.  Essentially I've regained everything I've lost.

It's not all bad of course.  For all that I'm back to being morbidly obese again, my fitness hasn't vanished.  Even more, I know I can succeed again, I just need to get back to it.  So I'm currently training on a bike, figuring it will be easier on the knees and today I biked 36 miles.  That's a level of activity that would have been unimaginable 3 years ago.  With that I can get ahead of this.  But I'm going to need the help of my friends and family again.  I know I can count on Erin and Hannah to keep me on track, and I'm sure others will help out too.

So starting with today:  Food was an egg and cheese sandwich (300 calories), two chicken patties for lunch (600 calories), penne, sauce and garlic toast (1000 calories) and some Gatorade chews (150 calories).  Exercise was a 36 mile bike ride which took a little more than 3 hours (3000 calories).

Points earned:
Total Food:  2050 calories
Exercise:  3000 calories
Points:  3950
Total Points:  3950