These are the words of advice that were imparted to Flounder by Dean Wormer in the movie, Animal House. These are also the words that make up my new mantra. I guess I am not stupid but I did drop out of university so that certainly doesn't speak well of me. Fat and Drunk, however, are two words that may apply. As a once-upon-a-time party animal beer is still a big part of my life...and fat...well fat tends to come upon us as we get older and get less exercise. These are the things I am looking to overcome.
I used to be in pretty good shape. I ran cross country in high school and sporadically through adulthood. However, exercise has not been part of my routine for a number of years. As I have grown older, taken on a full time job, gotten married, and had kids I have not exactly made keeping in shape a priority. This year I will hit one of those milestone ages. I will be the four oh in November. I have decided that I am going to enter my 40s in much better shape than I spent my 30s. I am going to do it through running and this blog will be my tool to keep me honest.
About six weeks ago I came back home from a mini vacation with the wife and kids and in-laws. It was at one of those hotels where it is just a giant water park on the inside. As I was downloading my pictures I noticed something. I am getting fat. My wife had already decided to join Weight Watchers so we had a brand new scale in the house. I got on it and found that I pushed my way up to a whopping 191.6 pounds. I couldn't believe it. When I graduated high school I weighed 140 lbs. For the first half of my twenties I was generally around 150 lbs. I knew I was gaining weight (my clothing would tell me) but I didn't know how bad it had gotten.
As my wife had joined Weight Watchers I, too, decided that I would try to lose some pounds and then start running my way back into shape. I don't do well with organized things like Weight Watchers so I decided to cut a few things out of my diet. No more fatty snacks (just fresh fruits and veggies between meals.) No more sugary pops (now it's just down to the occasional Coke Zero.) Portion sizes - reduced. Last but not least, the beer. OK...I haven't stopped drinking beer but I have cut back considerably. I am proud to say that I am about 16 or 17 pounds lighter than I was just a month and a half ago. The dietary changes coupled with extra long walks with the dog are paying off.
I am not quite prepared to start running until I drop a few more pounds but figured that writing a blog would help me to stay motivated and maybe even entertain complete strangers. I will try to post every few days so please come back to see how I am progressing. Thanks.
Steve
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