Growing up my mom was a health nut, so we would only have dessert about once per month and we would get sugar cereal on Christmas. When I got to middle school, I was offered a vast selection of foods—pizza, cake, white bread, candy, etc., as well as some more healthy options. I was given about two dollars per day to buy my lunch. I'm sure you can all guess what I would end up spending my money on. So starting in 7th grade, I gained quite a bit of weight. I wasn't obese by any means, but I was overweight enough to be called fat in the halls and by my best friends. Kids can be so mean.
Anyway, after a few years of being "fat," I decided to take control of my life. One night I laced my running shoes, headed out the door and ran as far as I could. I remember it being soooo painful, but I didn't give up. I went a whole half mile and then laid on my front yard to recuperate. I did this day after day. I quickly lost weight. My runs were easier. I felt better than ever. Most importantly, I felt great about the new me—a person who takes control of his destiny.
In 2009 I ran two half marathons and a sprint triathlon. I was in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately, right after my triathlon, I had a minor accident on my brother's motorcycle which really hurt my knee. That put me out of commission for a few months. Regrettably, I still ate like I was training for a triathlon. My wife was also pregnant at the time, so I gained sympathy weight.
So here I am. I went from 175 to 201 within these two years. Gaining 25 pounds certainly isn't the end of the world, but I know I'm on a slippery slope. If I don't take control of my diet and fitness now, I could easily end up gaining more and more weight over the years.
Here's what I'm going to do about it:
- First, I'm going to go off sugar. I'm not going to be extreme. For instance, at social gatherings I'll eat white flour. But no desserts, no sugar cereal, no white flour otherwise, no white rice.
- Second, I'm going to start a running routine. Last week I did 5 miles. This week I did 5.25 miles. Next week I'll do 5.5 miles. And so on. Five miles doesn't seem like much compared to how much I used to run, but I have to start again somewhere.
- Third, I started this blog. I need to stay accountable to others for me to stay motivated and I need the encouragement!
I'll blog about my workouts and tips I have for those in similar situations. If any of you have any tips, comments, or encouragement, feel free to respond!
Anyway, after a few years of being "fat," I decided to take control of my life. One night I laced my running shoes, headed out the door and ran as far as I could. I remember it being soooo painful, but I didn't give up. I went a whole half mile and then laid on my front yard to recuperate. I did this day after day. I quickly lost weight. My runs were easier. I felt better than ever. Most importantly, I felt great about the new me—a person who takes control of his destiny.
In 2009 I ran two half marathons and a sprint triathlon. I was in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately, right after my triathlon, I had a minor accident on my brother's motorcycle which really hurt my knee. That put me out of commission for a few months. Regrettably, I still ate like I was training for a triathlon. My wife was also pregnant at the time, so I gained sympathy weight.
So here I am. I went from 175 to 201 within these two years. Gaining 25 pounds certainly isn't the end of the world, but I know I'm on a slippery slope. If I don't take control of my diet and fitness now, I could easily end up gaining more and more weight over the years.
Here's what I'm going to do about it:
- First, I'm going to go off sugar. I'm not going to be extreme. For instance, at social gatherings I'll eat white flour. But no desserts, no sugar cereal, no white flour otherwise, no white rice.
- Second, I'm going to start a running routine. Last week I did 5 miles. This week I did 5.25 miles. Next week I'll do 5.5 miles. And so on. Five miles doesn't seem like much compared to how much I used to run, but I have to start again somewhere.
- Third, I started this blog. I need to stay accountable to others for me to stay motivated and I need the encouragement!
I'll blog about my workouts and tips I have for those in similar situations. If any of you have any tips, comments, or encouragement, feel free to respond!
Sounds like a great plan! And you should take comfort in knowing that I'm off sugar, too. I'm excited to follow along and be inspired by your posts.
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