Where’d those 5lbs go???

I don’t want to brag (well, yes I do) but this morning I weighed myself in and came in at a handy 180.8 lbs. That’s 5.2 lbs gone in 15 days.

My target for September was to hit 180 and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to do that. So now that I’m so close to 180, I’m starting work on my next month’s target of reaching 175 by Oct end.

Whatta head start !

What worked? I think it was that elusive little thing called “consistency“. I made sure I work out every day, eat right and be good to myself. A lot of people will say “That’s probably water” and they may be right, but I choose to disagree. I believe it was all fat. So sue me ! 

Now lets see how I do for the next 5 lbs.

Ro

Step 1 – I quit smoking today

I’ve been smoking for 20 years… And have been married for 15! So I’ve known that stick for longer (and more intimately) than my wife!

They say quitting smoking is harder than quitting cocaine. I wouldn’t know as I’ve never gone the cocaine route. But I do know that its bloody hard. In my case, the problems isn’t the withdrawal symptoms – those I can handle. The problem is that I don’t WANT to quit smoking. Crazy, isn’t it?

It had to be the first step I took – it impacts everything else from here on.

1. I feel better instantly, knowing I’ve made progress. (that belly isn’t likely to give me any joy for some time)
2. I have more stamina for the cardio sessions I’ve planned
3. Thanks to the friggin’ withdrawal symptoms, I’m always aware that I have made a major commitment to myself.
4. If smoking goes out of the door, so does its loving mistress – Alcohol. If I fix a scotch, there’s no way I’m not reaching for a smoke. Call me weak, but that’s the way I roll. I’d rather be without those two than with them.

I plan on quitting two ways:

1. Nicoderm patches
2. Announced it on Facebook. Since I did it last night, I’ve already got 19 comments (18 encouraging ones and 1 cynical one). Frankly, there’s no going back without being massively embarrassed.

3. The money I save on cigarettes & booze ($300/month) is going into a fund and I’ll spend that on some really nice gym wear. (No, I’m not gay… I just don’t have any decent gym clothes at all)

I’m working on my workout schedule for next week. In the meantime, I walked on the treadmill for a hour today – covered 3 miles. I’m not rushing into a “Dud to Stud in 2 Weeks” kind of routine. As I said, I’m being patient with myself this time… very patient.

Wish me luck.

Ro

When the warranty runs out…

The lightbulb moment !

I have a theory – We all are born with a warranty on our bodies till age 35.  We can do whatever the hell we want to and our bodies will take the abuse. Of course, I’m not talking about extreme cases… but you get the point.

We can drink, smoke, eat like pigs, party out like banshees, do whatever the heck we want and the next morning… we’re still alive!

But the day after our 35th birthday, after we’ve passed out from all that booze, we wake up to a hangover and realize that something has changed – we’re not the same people anymore!

Now if we have been taking care of ourselves, then we have an “extended warranty” – and that lasts till age 40.

And finally, there are cases where people are pure fitness freaks and can outrun a Lamborghini, but lets not talk about them – its depressing. There’s another reason I detest them – They make us all look bad. That’s never a nice thing to do, right?

So I’m talking about the majority of people who have the Y35 warranty (that’s what I call it). I’m one of those people and have watched the deterioration of my body with fascination over the past 5 years.  Last week I decided that I’ve been fascinated enough and something needs to change.

I’ve thought out my plan in great detail and have mentally identified (and experienced) all the challenges I’ll face as I go along. Never before have I been so certain that this time, its going to happen.

But (unlike before), I’m going to be patient. I’ve spent 20 years getting out of shape… I’m not getting everything back in 2 months… that’s for sure!

Stay tuned for the mayhem that’s about to begin…

Ro