Day 11

March 24th, 2008

Today, I begin my 3rd Week of THE OAKS PROJECT.

I'm doing really well with getting lots of exercise, but I'm still eating like crap.
Something needs to be done about that.

I am on the run a lot, thus creating need for a quick answer as a meal on a regular basis...


Here's my idea:

What do most combos come with? French Fries!!! Mmmmmm... French Fries!
French fries are a guilty pleasure. They're the pornography of the food world... they get you all excited at first (and during,) but then you feel really guilty about what you've just done to your body.

From now on, no more combos for me. That'll make it easier for me to just ask for a cup of water to drink instead of soda or tea. That'll be like killing two vicious birds with one stone.

Hopefully the pounds will start going bye-bye even quicker than they already are.


Food:

- Sausage & Egg Biscuit
- Hashbrown
- Small Sweet Tea
- Honey & Oats Granola Bar
- Quarter Pounder w/cheese
- Fries
- Sprite



Exercise:
- 3/4 Mile Warm-Up/Cool Down
- 1 Mile Jog
- Bicep Curls (25 reps each arm)
- Tricep Lift/Press (25 reps each arm)
- 100 crunches
- 1 1/2 hours of singles tennis

Observations:

12 PM - Tonight is the first night of our Mebane Men's Night Singles League. You burn off a bazillion more calories playing singles than you do playing doubles. I'm really excited about this.

I am still going to try and hit the health club today. Maybe just a warm-up/cool down walk, mile run, and then some weights.

Day 10

March 21st, 2008

Food:

- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Ice Water
- 10 Chicken Nuggets
- 1/4 lb. Cheeseburger
- Sweet Tea
- Oreo Shake
- 1 Killians Irish Red


Exercise:

- 30 minute tennis hitting warm-up
- 1 doubles quad tennis (24 games)


Observations:

My buddy, Chris Mayo, was in town today. Chris, Suzanna Lusk, and I went to lunch at Chili's. I had Cajun Chicken Pasta. The pasta wasn't drenched in sauce, so I don't feel too bad about my lunch today. I did eat pretty bad for dinner since I was in a hurry to eat and take a shower after playing tennis... before I went to the Mayo residence to hang out for the night.

Day 9

March 20th, 2008

Food:

- 2 Breakfast Burritos
- Hash Brown
- Diet Coke
- Diet Dr. Pepper
- Turkey & Stuffing
- Side Salad
- Green Beans
- Peanut Butter Shake
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich
- Fries
- Root Beer


Exercise:

- 1/2 mile warm-up/cool down walk
- 1 mile jog



Observations:

We have a luncheon to honor our soon to be retiring Publisher. My friend Melissa just called to go to lunch at 12:30. I'll be eating at 12:30 and again at 3:00 for the luncheon. Booooooooo Me, Booooooooooo!!!

One thing I forgot to post in yesterday's blog entry was how bad I felt after eating at Burger King. There is definitely some sort of cause/effect scenario in regards to the foods that I eat and how I feel physically and mentally. I have to work at the theater tonight...hopefully I can leave the office a little early and hit the gym tonight before heading to Carrboro.

UPDATE: Okay, I was wrong... the luncheon isn't until next Friday so I didn't eat as horribly as I thought I might.

Day 8

March 19th, 2008


Food:

- Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit
- Country Fries
- Diet Pepsi
- BBQ Bacon Chicken Sandwich
- Fries
- Diet Coke
- Hershey's Sundae Shake


Exercise:

- Other than walking throughout the day...none :(


Observations:

I was crazy busy today and ate really poorly. I also had my bible study during lunch and ComedySportz rehearsal at night...so, pretty much, zero time to get to the gym.

Day 7

Food:

- Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey Granola Bar
- 2 Glasses of Water
- 6-Inch Subway Melt
- Diet Lemonade
- Pollo Con Crema
- 2 Small Margaritas
- 1 Large Glass of Ice Water


Exercise:

- 1 Mile Jog
- 3/4 Mile Warm-Up/Cool Down Walk
- 50 Upper Abdominal Crunches
- 25 Oblique Crunches
- 15 minute tennis warm-up
- 24 Games... Men's Night Quad Doubles Tennis


Observations:

I tapered off my workout at the gym/health club today just a tad. I'm playing Men's Night Tennis in Mebane tonight so I'll be set as far as exercise goes today. I ate a much healthier breakfast today than I have been recently. Changing things a little bit at a time has made things easier on me. This is actually kinda fun. I feel a lot better and I'm not getting discouraged like I used to in the past with making changes to my exercise plan and diet.

Day 6

March 17th, 2008


Food:

- Sausage, Scrambled Egg, & Cheese Biscuit
- Cheddar Grits
- 20 oz. Bottled Water
- 6-Inch Subway Melt
- Diet Lemonade
- 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie
- 1 Peanut Butter Cookie
- Spicy Baconator
- Fries
- Sweet Tea


Exercise:

- 1 & 1/2 Mile Jog
- 1 Mile Warm-Up/Cool Down Walk
- Bicep Curls (40 reps each arm)
- Tricep Lift/Press (40 reps each arm)


Observations:

I increased the amount I am doing, per session, by quite a bit. I felt really good after I got back to the office today. Colette gave me a recipe for a decent sounding smoothie that she says I should replace my "daily" biscuit with... I'll need to purchase a blender for that.
Since I need to buy a small fridge, I might as well go ahead and grab a blender while I'm at it.

I feel bad about getting the Wendy's Combo, but they were pretty much the only place open last night when Kit and I left the theater. I could have just as easily had something lighter from Wendy's.

Day 5

March 14th, 2008

Food:

- Sausage, Scrambled Egg, & Cheese Biscuit
- Cheddar Grits
- Diet Pepsi
- 2 Cups of Water
- 6-inch Subway Melt
- Diet Lemonade
- Deluxe Hamburger Steak
- House Salad
- Mashed Potatoes
- 3 Glasses of Water

Exercise:

- 1/2 mile warm-up/cooldown walk
- 1 mile jog
- Bicep curls, 25 reps each arm
- Tricep Lift/Press 25 reps each arm


Weight: 238.5 lbs.


Observations:

I realize that I am building muscle and that some of my weight gain can be attributed to that, but I have got to start eating better. I'm hitting the grocery store on my way home today.

Those Cadbury Creme eggs are farkin' wonderful! I was walking through Wal-Mart after ComedySportz practice and saw those things. I instantly remembered how much I enjoyed them as a kid... that hasn't changed. I am going to be strong and not buy any more. Those things are tough to resist.

I was out of town for a large portion of today and fit my workout in as soon as I got back.

It's nice to not be crazy-sore anymore. Working out is already getting easier than it was just a few days ago. I feel really good. I'm ready to attack my weekend.

Day 4

March 13th, 2008

I found out that Burlington's Men's Tennis Night started last week...LAME!!! Coach Walton at the Tennis Center usually calls me several says ahead of time to let me know that they are going to be starting up.

Needless to say, my tail will be out there tonight!

I'm also going to try to hit the gym during my lunch break.


Food:

- Cheddar Grits
- Sausage, Scrambled Egg, & Cheese Biscuit
- Diet Pepsi
- 6-inch Subway Melt
- 1 Peanut Butter Cookie
- 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Diet Lemonade
- Jalapeno Thickburger
- Fries
- Diet Coke
- 1 Cadbury Egg



Exercise:
- 20 minute tennis warm-up
- 1 hr. 45 min. doubles tennis quad

Weight: Did not weigh myself today


Observations:

Tennis was fun, they had gone up in price from 5 bucks to 10 bucks for the 12 week session. That's not crazy, but Mebane's Men's Tennis League Night is free to participate in.

I ate really poorly today... thank goodness for tennis!!!

Day 3

March 12th, 2008

After tennis last night I was extremly sore...and I still am very sore today. Being sore... that's a good thing. Building muscle will help with the phat burning process. I may take it a little easier exercise-wise today.


Food:

- 2 Breakfast Burritos
- Hash Brown
- 20 oz. Sweet Tea
- 6-inch Meatball Sub
- Coke Zero
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich
- Fries
- Barq's Root Beer
- Caramel Corn Quaker Rice Snack
- 2 Cadbury Creme Eggs
- Sprite Zero

Exercise:

- Walked 1 mile



Weight: 233.5 lbs



Observations:

Today was really lax exercise wise. I also had some late night stuff that I didn't need, like the Cadbury Eggs and the Rice Cake. I was really sore though. I was waddling around most of the day like I had something stuck up my butt.

Day 2

March 11th, 2008

It's 9:15 AM and I need breakfast. I can't decide what I want though. I know I need to be good, but it's tough being that I'm at work and don't have a heck of a lot of time for breakfast.

I woke up this morning feeling really good and ready to attack my day. I also woke up a little sore...mainly my legs.

My men's night league tennis weekly event starts up again tonight. The league takes winter off, so I'm really looking forward to playing again.

I am really going to try and get a decent workout in during lunch today. For the first time in a long while, I'm motivated and rarin' to do this!


Food:

- Cheddar Grits
- Sausage, Scrambled Egg, and Cheese Biscuit w/ Grape Jelly
- Small Diet Pepsi
- Subway Personal Pepperoni Pizza w/Black Olives, Banana Peppers, and Green Peppers
- Diet Lemonade
- 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie
- 1 White Chip Macadamia Cookie
- 2 Small Margaritas
- 2 Glasses of Ice Water
- Pollo con Crema w/ Tortillas
- Rice
- Refried Beans

Workout:

- 1 mile jog
- 1/2 mile cool down walk
- Bicep curls, 25 reps each arm
- Tricep Press/Lift, 25 reps each arm
- 20 minutes of warming up hitting tennis balls
- Played men's night doubles tennis quad (24 games - 1 1/2 hours)


Weight: 233.5 lbs

Day 1

March 10th, 2008

Food:

- Sausage, Scrambled Egg, and Cheese Biscuit with grape jelly
- 20 oz. Coke Zero
- Cheese Grits
- Country Fries
- 16 oz. Sweet Tea
- 3 Cups of Water
- Double Whopper w/cheese
- Fries
- Diet Coke
- 1 Piece of Hershey's Sundae Pie

Exercise:

- Jogged 1 mile
- Walked a 1/2 mile cool-down
- Bicep curls 1 set of 25 each arm
- Tricep lifts 1 set of 25 each arm


Weight: 235 lbs.

Observations:

I realize that I'm not going to be able to do this unless I reward myself. I just hope I don't reward myself too much. It's only day one. I left my iPod at home accidentally.

I cheated like a mofo today, but I went unexpectedly on the road almost as soon as I got back from the gym.

Tomorrow I will do better eating-wise!!!

THE OAKS PROJECT BEGINS

THE OAKS PROJECT begins today.

Q: What is this project all about?

A: For starters, allow me to give you a little bit of background info about myself:

Hi everyone. I'm Tommy Barbour. I'm a 28 year-old web developer from Burlington, North Carolina in the good ol' US of A.

In my spare time I'm an improvisational comedian. I love making people laugh. My dream is to do voice work for a show like Family Guy or South Park.

I love playing tournament style poker...live and online. I'm a student of the game. I love watching poker on TV. I love reading advanced books on poker strategy and theories. Another of my dreams is to play in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

I love to gamble. It got me into a bit of trouble at one point, but that's all in the past and I was able to learn from that experience and move on.

I'm also a very talented BlackJack player. Until the middle of last year, I never had a losing BlackJack session. My winnings far surpass my losses.

When I'm not doing the comedy thing or playing poker I like to hang out with friends, listen to music (everything except for Country,) play World of Warcraft, play tennis, and write.

..........

Now, back to what this is all about.

When I was in high school, I was on the Cross-Country team. I was also in darn-near-perfect condition. I ate right, I stayed in good shape, and I was 100% happy with how I felt.

Oh how times have changed.

It's been 9 years since I worked out regularly and watched my diet.

I went into the Army straight out of high school and they kept me in great shape, but after I was discharged the downward spiral began.

My goal is to get back to the weight I was in high school: 180 lbs.

I'm currently at 235 lbs., thus I need to lose 55 pounds to achieve my goal.
..........

Q: Why am I doing this?

A: I want to feel good about my appearance. I feel damn good about the person I've become on the inside and now I'd like to be happy with how I look on the outside. This is for no one else but me.

..........

Q: What do you plan to use this blog for?

A: I'd like to begin to record everything I eat every day. I'd also like to keep track of my workouts.