Your Body Is A Car... And You're On a Roadtrip

And now... story time...

Fitness - and the desire to be a healthier person - is much like a cross country road-trip.... but in a busted, broken down car that you can't get rid of.


Close your eyes and imagine - You can't read with your eyes closed, I get that - but go with it, okay?

Imagine that you want to pick up from where you are now and go to someplace better. You can see it in your mind and it's glorious... You've seen photos of other people who are there. They seem happy. They seem carefree... But they're so far away and all you have is a shitty, rundown car that has been neglected for 12 years or so.

You jump in, fire it up and BAM! - you only go 3 feet on your first day.

You realize you can't do this without new tires - so you get new tires. And then you go 2 miles - and realize the oil is crap, so you replace the oil... then the fuel, then the plugs, and everything else that goes into the car until you are feeding the car the fuel it needs to run, keeping the fluids in check, and making sure everything stays together... overcoming years of bad habits and cheap gas.

You can't replace the car - it's the only one you've got. But you can put better things in it, you can outfit it for the trip and get moving... you can slowly move from where you are to where you want to be. Some days you'll have breakdowns and some days you'll find that awesome, big-ass hill to go down that takes you so far and so fast you think it'll fall apart...

You just have to learn to be a mechanic... you have to learn to enjoy the trip. You have to learn to accept that nothing happens over night.

Getting there isn't going to happen today. It might not even happen this year. But every day is one little bit closer to where you need to be.

Getting off of you A** and doing something...

Yesterday was Sunday - which is the first night of my weekly gym trips, and I... didn't want to go. True story.

I spent all afternoon on Sunday playing with my kids on the floor building Lego castles, space ships, and boats... and I was having fun. Then I spent some quality time with my wife - and I, to put it simply, just lacked the motivation to leave all of that and go to the gym. I was too comfortable. And that, like any excuse, isn't a good one.

But - my wife is an excellent supporter in this endeavor of mine and urged me on towards the door and the awesome pain of Chest Day awaiting me at the YMCA.  I also have a good workout partner who keeps me accountable - even on dreaded LEG DAY!!!

And the thing is - much like my normal, social anxiety - Once I was there and doing it, I was happy. It's the getting up and going that is my stumbling point.

And that's the problem with a lot of things in life - finding the deep down, innate desire to get up, out of our comfort-zone or routine and try new things or do something difficult. It's absolutely easier to stay home, take "fat-burners", eat pizza and dream about being healthy than it is to get up, get dressed, go to the gym when it's 17 degrees out, and work hard for 90 minutes with various heavy objects.

Don't get discouraged. I know many people are just like me - impatient. Didn't see any results in 12 days? Might as well stop going to the gym!  - That's not how this works. That's not how ANY of this works. It takes 3 weeks before you might even feel a change in any aspect of your personal health or behavior, let along see one. It takes 21 days (I'm told) to form a habit. And to make a habit you need a routine. And that's why Sunday sucks so much for me. Friday and Saturday are rest days and Sunday comes and I am still resting. But that'll change - and having good reminders from family and friends helps - as does the reward of how good I feel after the gym. Well, except on the days when I go and I'm really dehydrated and I cramp up really bad in my sleep - but that's more of a personal problem LOL.

SO - go out there, form a routine, make a habit - AND BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF!!!!  Even if it takes 6 months, 6 years, 20 years, or 40 years!

And today - we weigh in

Well, good morning, Internet!

Today is my (self-mandated) official weigh-in day. Every Wednesday morning I wake up, have a cup of coffee, a glass of water, take a shower, and weigh-in.

Since June I've come down 15 lbs from 243!!!

It's been an up and down battle, but I'm happy right now....

Initially - back in 2014 when I looked at myself and said "Wow... you've let yourself go" I was 265 lbs.  Literally the heaviest I've ever been. 

This is me... at 265 lbs.
Nov 2014

My overall goal is to just get down to a size that looks healthy, allows me to live a better life, and a shape resembling "fit-ish".  I have no desire to be super buff and look like like a body-builder. I just want to be healthier. My goal weight is 210 lbs... which means I have 18 lbs to go. I'm pretty sure I can do it.  And if I end up only making it to to 220 or 215 - but I'm happy and healthy - I'll be okay with that too.

It's better to stop thinking of going to the gym as a "weight loss" method. It's not. Going to the gym is an active lifestyle choice that results in a change in your body. In some cases you lose weight - in some you gain weight. Either way should result in a happier, healthier you as long as you put in the time and effort.

The same goes for eating. I'm not on a diet. I am not diet-ING. I am just eating differently than before. I'm limiting the types and quantities of food I intake on a daily basis... again, this is more of a change in lifestyle than a "diet."

So - there ya go. My rant on weigh-in day!!

Hope you all have a good Wednesday