MONDAY, JANUARY 7


The countdown is on…only two weeks left in “the Challenge”. I must say, if it ended today, I’d be incredibly happy with the results. Today, trainer Travis puts me on the elliptical for 30 minutes and then it’s more weights the remaining time. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink with skim milk and a banana for breakfast. Morning snack: Apple slices and grapes with orange juice. Lunch: A plain Sonic hamburger with lettuce, pickle, ketchup and mustard with a Diet Coke. Supper: leftover homemade potato soup.


TUESDAY, JANUARY 8


It’s another 30 minute cardio workout on the elliptical today followed by lots of weightlifting with Travis. As a matter of fact, Travis is dressed down in his gym clothes when I arrive at Total Fitness today and is in the midst of his daily workout. He is in the power weight section of the gym lifting what I call “big boy” weights that I have no business trying. But, you know me, Mr. Curiosity has to give it a try…so I go over and attempt to lift the big weights resting on the rack. Travis first shows me the proper way to lift without hurting myself and I give it a try. I think I lifted it a few inches and set it back down. Then Travis tells me I just lifted 350 pounds! Guys like him who are cut and have “guns” the size of cantaloupes make it look easy. I don’t think I will ever be on that level, nor do I want to be…but it was fun just to give it a try. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink with skim milk for breakfast. Morning Snack: Lean Pocket Parmesan Chicken with orange juice. Lunch: 6” Subway Roast Beef sandwich with Lay’s Light potato chips and Diet Coke. Supper: O’Charley’s salad with 1 potato skin, 2 chicken tenders and no yeast rolls (I love them, but my weigh-in is tomorrow!).


WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9


Wednesday weigh-in: 254 lbs. (-4 pounds over last week -29 lbs. total) Yeah baby…back in the game! Another four pounds lost since last week and I feel fantastic! What’s even better is that I know this last week-and-a-half will be much easier with a faster metabolism and no holiday foods to get in my way. Today, I do very little cardio as Travis wants me to work in the weight room. I do leg extensions, leg crunches and actual dead-lifts. They weren’t “clean” lifts, but I lifted 135 pounds from the floor to my waist about 12 times. Today’s Diet: Scrambled eggs and sausage with orange juice. Morning Snack: Lean Pocket chicken with Coke Zero. Lunch: A plain Sonic hamburger with a double-berry smoothie (these are great…a combination of strawberries and raspberries with no-fat yogurt). Supper: Zaxby’s Zak Snak chicken dinner with fries and Coke Zero.


THURSDAY, JANUARY 10


Severe weather hits today and I am busy from sunup to sundown. I was supposed to be at several meetings and workout today, but the weather turned nasty early on…so I had to cancel everything I had planned including going to the gym. This also threw my diet off a bit as I started the day with no problem but didn’t really eat lunch until around 3:30. This is the first time anything like this has happened through the entire Challenge. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink and skim milk for breakfast. Late Lunch: 6” Jimmy John’s Roast Beef sandwich and Coke Zero. Late Supper: Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar with a cup of white chicken chili.


FRIDAY, JANUARY 11


I am still rather tired from yesterday’s severe weather but look forward to getting back into the gym since I didn’t get to go. Today, Travis puts me back in the weight room to do a variety of reps. And, there’s a camera following me as we’re taping parts of my routine for the “big finish” of the Allen Challenge. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink with skim milk and a banana. Morning snack: Lean Pocket chicken with orange juice. Lunch: Long John Silvers baked fish with Diet Coke. Supper: Puerto Vallarta Mexican burritos with refried beans and rice.


SATURDAY, JANUARY 12


I spent much of today at the Medical Center Health and Wellness Expo programming radios and talking to many of you about my weight loss and exercise program. I start the day with some coffee and a sausage biscuit. That was followed by a Lean Cuisine pita bread sandwich with chicken and a Longhorn steak with baked potato and salad.


SUNDAY, JANUARY 13


Shelia is very sick today – probably with the virus that’s going around – so we stay home and veg out all day. For breakfast, I have a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with skim milk. That is followed by two whole wheat burritos stuffed with lettuce and vegetables, lean beef and refried beans. For supper, Shelia’s feeling better and wants a real good hamburger. It’s been a while since I’ve had one, too so I go to Toots and order two of their hamburgers with some curly fries. Believe it or not, I couldn’t finish it all!