Mixed Results

Awhile back, I posted that I was changing things up a bit. Healthier living, etc. I just thought that, in the interest of keeping myself honest, I should provide an update. And also, because Sue asked in the comments last time and I forgot to respond.

I haven't had fast food as a "regular" meal since that day. I have had it in airports and once when everything else was closed at like 10:30pm, but I was enabled to do so by the healthiest and most in-shape person I know so I don't count that either. I'd give myself an A- or B+ on that aspect. My avoidance of soda has also continued pretty much unabated (with the same occasional travel-related exceptions).

The second part of the equation, exercise, has met with less resounding success. I continue to have ankle pain after runs of any distance (2.5 miles or more) and the pain sometimes lasts for 3-5 days. Some good post-run stretching advice put the kibosh on most of it, but every now and then it pops back up and ruins my week for running. It is frustrating, and I am concerned that it is because I still weigh too much. C+ for running.

On that topic, I was approximately 233 pounds back in the winter. I am now between 215 and 220 depending on the day. It is a good start, but if I can't get past this running thing, I fear I will plateau where I am. Suggestions are welcome. B- for weight lost.

Moment of Clarity?

Last night, as I was debating whether to get fast food for dinner, I had a minor revelation. It wasn't about fast food, but about health in general. I did the math and realized that if I had a child tomorrow, he or she would turn 18 when I was 49 years old.

To me, at 31, an 18-year-old isn't very old. I remember being 18 and not knowing squat about zilch. And if I have kids, I'd really like to be around to help them out with that kind of thing.

I haven't given much thought about having kids, except to assume that at some point I will. But I have never considered whether I will be around to see them become adults. Given my family history of leaky heart valves and other such things, I am already at a slight disadvantage. The fact that I outweigh my father by 10 pounds is another bad sign.

So this "revelation" became a personal charge to myself. Healthy is better. I am still plenty young enough to change my habits, and in fact have already been doing that. No more fast food (not even "only once in awhile"). More running--daily when possible. Less couch potato-ish activity.

Part of this is because I finally realized how I can accomplish this. It's less about saying "never eat unhealthy again, ever" and more about saying: tonight, do I need a hamburger from Wendy's? And the answer is always no. Baby steps to the elevator, yo.

I don't have kids yet. Hell, I don't even have somebody who wants to birth any of my children.* But I'll be damned if I'm going to let my laziness in 2008/2009 screw me over in 2027.

*This is just shorthand. I am entirely in favor of adoption. Please don't yell at me about skyrocketing population or something.

Wanted: Business Acumen

One of the biggest reasons I believe I'll never make a killing with investments, or real estate, or any of those power-broker Wall Street type things, is that everytime I hear "Fannie Mae" I think they're talking about candy.

Housing crises be damned, I want some chocolate nut fudge.

Let's Get Down to Business

People, some things need to be changed around here.

Here being me. Around me.

You can really only look at so many pictures of yourself before you realize you are headed down an out-of-shape path that should be abandoned as quickly as possible. Yes, if I had better posture I might not notice anything, but I've always had bad posture.

Because it's always hard to stick to things, especially when you're doing it only through your own willpower--and many of you may recall my willpower tends to be intermittent at best--I figured I'd throw it onto the web for all to see.

The Situation
I currently weigh, according to my inaccurate bathroom scale, 209 pounds. This is not bad for my height (6'3") but it is "overweight" according to the deeply flawed BMI system. The system, however, is deeply flawed for reasons unrelated to my particular situation; my weight is not "all muscle".

The Plan
Step One: Eating better. Enough is enough with the fast food; it used to be that my lifestyle and metabolism could keep up, but now that I've been office-bound for more than a year, my metabolism can't handle the load. It's also healthy for a wide variety of other reasons, not the least of which is that I rarely feel "good" after eating from Wendy's or Taco Bell. Yes, even Wendy's. It's the end of an era.

Also, no more soda. Not even diet (which tastes horrible, so that won't be a problem). The caffeine isn't that great for you and the sugar in soda is ridiculous. I'm also cutting down on Starbucks to 1 or 2 times a week, tops, instead of 4-5.

Step Two: I dislike working out and I don't belong to a gym. I also don't feel like I have "time" because there are things I like to do to which I give preference. But I do occasionally enjoy a good run, and the "high" afterwards is pretty great. So I'm going to step that up as well, and after a few weeks of running and mild weight-training, I may join the overpriced gym right next door.

The Goal
To be less than 200 pounds again. I don't need washboard abs or anything like that, but my body has the capacity for a great deal more endurance and strength than current operational levels. I used to be able to run 7+ miles without stopping or walking. Granted, that was when I was 18, but it seems theoretically achievable.

Status: 209 lbs
No Soda: -4 days
No Fast Food: -3 days

Comments are, of course, welcome. I'd just turn them off if they weren't.