New Years Resolution Update!

Every noble work is at first impossible. – Thomas Carlyle

Today marks the one-month mark of my commitment to become healthier. Here are my results:

Pounds lost: 29
Decrease in BMI: 3.9

I have decided to do this, not only to improve my personal health and self-esteem, but also to enable me to become more actively involved in the family. I figure that the healthier I am, the longer I will be around, and the more energetic I will be to enjoy activities with the family.

For years I have added weight. I have gone through diets in the past and dropped some weight, only to gain it back (and then some) after it was all over with. With my 40th birthday coming up, I took stock of where I was and where I was headed. Quite honestly, I didn’t like it. This time, I got completely committed to doing something about it.

Immediately, I decided to cut out fatty foods and soda. I had given up soda several years ago for Lent and ultimately began to drink non-caffeinated sodas again. Now, I have gotten to where I purchase a single 2-Liter of Diet Sierra Mist once a week and I usually end up pouring out at least a fourth of it at the end of the week. My usual breakfast of a sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle has been replaced with oatmeal or Special K cereal. For other meals, I am eating fish, chicken, or turkey. I have eaten very little red meat. This is a far cry from the pizza, burgers, barbeque, etc that dominated my selections just over a month ago.

After 2 weeks of adjusting to my diet, I began to perform cardio exercise every day. I decided that I would start walking home from work. I did this once, but found out that the 2.2 mile walk did not feel like I was doing enough. So I planned a different 3.6 mile route. I would run some and walk some. I got tired of the route and dodging cars, so I ended up planning a 4-mile route up and down the Rock Creek Greenway. It is much safer and keeps me surrounded by nature and the sounds of a running stream. I would like to say it gives me time to meditate, but mostly it has given me an opportunity to think about how cold it is. On the upside, I seem to be the only person out there each evening.

Earlier this week, I purchased a used road bike. The bike, a Giant Kronos, is solid, but needs a little maintenance. I will ride it and fix it up, with the goal of selling it down the road a few months to upgrade. I will now be able to add some variety to my cardio routine and explore more of our town in the process.

While the 30 pound loss has been a huge wind in my sail, I am aggressively pursuing my goal of losing 33 more. That will get me down to the size I like to be. Once there, I will evaluate if I want to continue working toward additional loss or if I want to work toward maintaining.

My family has been immensely supportive of this endeavor and I truly feel that I could not achieve these results without them. In addition, Felicia is working hard on her goals as well and I am very proud of her success.

I look forward to updating you again soon!