This past September, I finally got tired of being fat. I tipped the scales at 250 (not good at 5 ft 7 in) and was on the verge of buying new clothes yet again. I had my yearly physical, and my doctor (a great guy) joked, "You're in good health, but you're too damn short." Obviously, I knew he really meant that I was obese. I jokingly countered with, "I had to have a rectal exam for you to tell me that??" He then replied, "What rectal exam?" Like I said, a great guy.
But it did make me realize that enough was enough. I had, over a year before, given up beer and cigarettes. I knew my diet wasn't great, but even worse, I was doing almost no physical activity. Armed only with a desire to improve my situation, I joined the nearest gym and went to work.
I started with standard cardio. I would do treadmill one day, elliptical the next, and recumbent bike the day after that. I would go to aerobics class once or twice a week. I also made three major dietary changes: no more fast food, no more carbonated/sugary drinks, and at least a gallon of water per day.
Progress was fast. Within a couple months, I was down to 230, and while I hadn't measured myself, I know I have lost at least an inch or two around my waist because I can now breathe when I wear pants. I began to read, talk to folks at the gym, and learn as much as I could about fitness.
In November, I started basic weight training. I read that developing muscle helps burn fat even faster than just doing cardio. Throughout November and December, I trained with weights 2-3 days per week and did standard cardio every day. I had noticed that the weight loss had stopped, but my wife said that I was looking more muscular.
A couple weeks ago, I started reading about HIIT. I have been doing what probably amounts more to interval training, but even that has helped me lose a couple more pounds. I still plan to use weight training, but I have decided to use interval/HIIT training for all my cardio.
I suppose my biggest hurdle will be diet. Fortunately, I've never had a real "sweet tooth," so candy, etc., is not a problem. And I've gotten to the point where seeing a fast food burger almost turns my stomach. But I know I eat too much pasta, starch,etc. Also, I just can not eat fish or eggs no matter what. I'm certain that I can find some substitutes, of course, but I am not asking my wife to cook separate meals (one for me and one for everybody else). I used to hate it when my mother would go on some stupid fad diet when I was a kid, because if Mom was on a diet, EVERYBODY was on a diet. Fortunately, this rarely lasted more than a couple days.
That's all I have for now. I would appreciate any comments (positive, negative, or otherwise) y'all care to make. I have read a few of these journals with interest and hope to comment on them soon.
Thank you and God bless.
But it did make me realize that enough was enough. I had, over a year before, given up beer and cigarettes. I knew my diet wasn't great, but even worse, I was doing almost no physical activity. Armed only with a desire to improve my situation, I joined the nearest gym and went to work.
I started with standard cardio. I would do treadmill one day, elliptical the next, and recumbent bike the day after that. I would go to aerobics class once or twice a week. I also made three major dietary changes: no more fast food, no more carbonated/sugary drinks, and at least a gallon of water per day.
Progress was fast. Within a couple months, I was down to 230, and while I hadn't measured myself, I know I have lost at least an inch or two around my waist because I can now breathe when I wear pants. I began to read, talk to folks at the gym, and learn as much as I could about fitness.
In November, I started basic weight training. I read that developing muscle helps burn fat even faster than just doing cardio. Throughout November and December, I trained with weights 2-3 days per week and did standard cardio every day. I had noticed that the weight loss had stopped, but my wife said that I was looking more muscular.
A couple weeks ago, I started reading about HIIT. I have been doing what probably amounts more to interval training, but even that has helped me lose a couple more pounds. I still plan to use weight training, but I have decided to use interval/HIIT training for all my cardio.
I suppose my biggest hurdle will be diet. Fortunately, I've never had a real "sweet tooth," so candy, etc., is not a problem. And I've gotten to the point where seeing a fast food burger almost turns my stomach. But I know I eat too much pasta, starch,etc. Also, I just can not eat fish or eggs no matter what. I'm certain that I can find some substitutes, of course, but I am not asking my wife to cook separate meals (one for me and one for everybody else). I used to hate it when my mother would go on some stupid fad diet when I was a kid, because if Mom was on a diet, EVERYBODY was on a diet. Fortunately, this rarely lasted more than a couple days.
That's all I have for now. I would appreciate any comments (positive, negative, or otherwise) y'all care to make. I have read a few of these journals with interest and hope to comment on them soon.
Thank you and God bless.
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I wish you all the best. Remember, it's not winning every match, it's showing up to play even when you're on a losing streak; giving as much as you can, whenever you can, but not too much!