Symptoms

So it started this morning, the process of getting myself under 2 bills. I weighed in this morning at 220 which is just downright shocking since I spent much of my 20's around 150. When I moved to KC, after a steady diet of working 80 hour weeks for 9 months and maybe eating 1 meal a day, I was at 135. I'm nearly 6'1 so a pretty good weight for me and my body type is about 175. I'd like to get under 190. But I'm not going to drastically change my diet which isn't that bad. What I am going to add is a run everyday.

Stella, my wife if you don't read KC Beer Blog or Hot Blog on a Stick, my Twitter or any of the 10 other ways to follow me, started a program last June "From Couch to 5K". It really worked for her as she's lost all the weight from bringing 3 children into the world, turning 30 and whatever else makes you a little rounder than you wish to be. She is now skinnier than when we were married.

She thought it would be good for me to start that program, but I can already run a 5k. Just a couple of weekends ago, after a winter of no exercise or anything, I hopped on my bike and rode 20 miles with what would have been little effort if it weren't for the horrible headwind on the way home. And this is on a mountain bike not built for distance riding. Last summer, I could ride 25 miles pretty easily, fairly regularly. It culminated in the Tour de BBQ where I rode 35 miles and learning that I could get virtually anywhere in town on my bike if I really wanted to. Bicycling is my preferred method of exercise, but I can't do it everyday because of the weather and watching my kids.

So I've decided to run on Stella's treadmill, mix in some bicycling when I have some time, and try to burn enough calories and build some muscle to burn enough calories so I quit expanding. I've been fairly active for the past 5 years so I don't think I would ever be able to expand to 3 bills or even 250, I'm as heavy as I feel can be comfortable. I've been to 230 before and that was fairly awful, so I'm at my tipping point.

This blog will be about my journey back into the 100's, high 100's, but 100's nonetheless. My goals are to be at 200 by Memorial Day, 190 by August and 175 by Thanksgiving. I think that's pretty modest, 45 pounds in 8 months.  The first  goal will probably be the hardest. I'll adjust my diet accordingly after a couple of weeks.

As far as the exercise goals go, I think I'd like to ride the 60 mile course at the Tour de BBQ this year and maybe a 10k over the summer. I've always wanted to be able to say I've run a marathon. That may be something to work towards, we'll see how much I enjoy running. The absolute apex would be to do a triathalon. If I become that fit crazy I'll let you know, but that might be fun to do as a 40 year old, a little over 2 years from now.

That's it for now, I'll probably read this in a year and think one of 2 things; "what a wuss" or "wow, if I'd actually done what I set out to do, I'd be getting ready for a marathon right now, oh well I'll just eat this bucket of KFC". I hope it's the former.