January 11, 2016 - This is me. I just had my 47th birthday. I took this sitting in my office at work, looking into the mirror that sits at ground level. In the past, every time I would swivel my chair around so I could reach for a file, I would see myself and what I've let myself become.
This was me in 1989, age 20. I joke all the time that I've become "twice the man I used to be," but it's really no joke. The 2nd pictures shows me at about 145 lb. At 5'10" that is probably a little underweight, but that's because I was never very muscular. I had participated in sports and athletics my entire life; football, baseball, basketball and in high school started running. Distance running. I was never spectacular, but I was good enough to letter in both cross country and track my junior and senior years of high school. 10:37 for the 3000 m, 4:55 for the 1500 and 16:37 for a 5k. Not bad...not spectacular...but not bad. Just to prove to myself that I could do it, after my senior year of high school, during the summer, I timed my self at 4:57 for a mile on the track.
Now I sit here, in my office, at 244 lb. Almost 100 pounds heavier--no--fatter than I was at the age of 20.
What has caused this? Well, it's pretty easy to understand. 1) My metabolism finally slowed down and caught up to me. 2) I stopped exercising. After running about 60 miles per week--every week--from the age of 16 to 19 (2 years off for the mission) and then for about year after I turned 21, I just couldn't do it anymore. My knees were shot and shin splints were unbearable. So I stopped running...and I stopped doing anything that would be considered regular exercise. 3) I eat like crap. Too much processed food (if you can call it food), too much fast food, too much soda (Like 44 oz of Mountain Dew per day) and not enough plant based food.
All of that stops today.
My goals for the next 90 days are as follows:
*50 lb lost so that I see the other side of 200 lb again
*Control my eating. I am following the "Fast Metabolism" diet--though after doing some studying I don't really consider it a diet, but a plan to eat in a more healthy manner. It is a grain, fruit and vegetable diet with enough lean protein; fish, chicken, turkey, even some leaner cuts of beef, to satisfy my "sorry, but I'm not giving up meat" person that I am. The app is on my phone and the book is on my kindle. Today, so far, 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal and pear for breakfast. and 1 1/2 apple for a snack at 10 am (with unlimited celery sticks...yeah). The thing about his is that I know I feel better when I eat in a healthy manner so I don't' see this as a diet.
*Exercise, 30 minutes of circuit training and 30 minutes on the bike, 5 days a week.
I'll check in weekly, every Monday morning. See you next week.
Dave
