A personal update, Chewing the fat, or rather the opposite.

So I decided not long ago that if I am to ever get in shape I needed a goal. In my mind, working out just to "be healthy" is tedious, but a purpose is motivating.

So I came up with a couple things.

First, in the unlikely event you're a new reader to this site, I'm the title character/author of this blog. I'm 27, married, work in an office and when I started my workout program, I was 5-foot-7, 336 pounds. My wife Kelli is also working out and dieting with me.

For the record 10ish days into it I'm still 5-7, but now 325 pounds. That 11 pound loss has apparently improved my ping pong skills too, but I digress.

So here stated for public record are my two goals.
1. I want to be able to run a 5k from start to finish, running the whole time. I want to do this within 12 months of today. Probably less time than that if possible.

2. I want to get my weight down to 275 pounds, as soon as freakin possible. My long term goal weight is 200 pounds. Yeah...that's 125 pounds to lose. Good Lord. I figure to reach 200 pounds is going to be an epic feat but a journey of a thousand miles bla bla bla.

I do have a third and more ambitious goal, but we'll start realistically.

So what's the plan?

Long story short I'm trying to hit the gym 3-4 days a week and watch the calories. I'm off to a great head start thanks to some extra shakes an opti-fast patient (Thanks Dad) gave me but I'm under no illusions that this is a fast process.

My usual gym workout goes something like this:

Arrive, change, hit treadmill for 30-min or 1 mile walk. Usually a mile takes me 30 min and they have a 30 min time limit anyway. I plan to increase my walk speed within that 30 minute window to increase cardio. I recently ran for the first time in a few years on the running track, which may become how I start the workout.

My biggest issue with walking/running is the utter and complete boredom. Playing a sport or something is fun, walking/running is not. So...

Some days the whole workout is replaced with ping pong. I know that doesn't sound like a workout but a co-worker of mine and I play for an hour to two hours at a time and we're both intense about it. It's much more of a workout than walking, even for him and he's in shape.

Next I go lift. I know lifting isn't aerobic and I know it won't help me run, but it gives me trackable progress (I lifted x lbs. the other day, today I lifted more, etc.) and I enjoy it. If lifting gets me motivated, I'll keep it up. So far it's been mostly upper body stuff because my legs get a beating from the walking but I plan to expand on that.

If it's a long day of working out, sometimes Kelli and I will also go swim laps in the pool and I like to wrap it up in the steam room before showering and heading out.

As you can see there is no formal plan, but when you're a fat couch potato like me, anything is a good start.

So there is a 5K in August I have my eye on to walk in. As for running, it would be cool to go back to Shawnee State and do the Bear Run but I don't think I'll be ready by the Sept. race, but maybe next April for spring. Kelli and I are checking out races and will choose one soon to give us a hard deadline. I don't actually know if she plans to run or walk.

Since the year 2002 (9 years ago) when I was a 189-pound high school wrestler, I have gained 147 pounds. That's 16.3 a year. If I can lose 20 a year, I can drop 100 in five years. I think if I put a real effort into it, I can lose 50 this year and then settle in to a more reasonable loss plan.

Anyway, that's out there now. Wish me luck, offer advice/critique etc. and if you see me at a buffet for God's sake keep me in check.

Peace