Walking and Spinning

So I started walking, and doing spin class. I can't believe how I've let myself go. I've been walking 2 to 3 miles a night 3 to 4 times a week. After this week I will start doing the run/walk. I'll run a 1/10th of a mile and walk 3/10th. I'll do this for a couple of weeks, and then I will increase the running. Every couple of weeks I'll increase the run distance till I'm just running.

The other day I did the spin class and I hated it. Not because it was too hard, but because it had full length mirrors all around, and I could see just how large I've gotten.

The bad thing about weight loss is that it doesn't take long to pack the weight on, but it takes what seems like forever to get it off.

New Year

It is a new year, and at the beginning of each new year you are suppose to review the previous year, and set goals and objectives for the upcoming year. Recently I started a weight loss program at work. At the weigh in they take measurements to monitor your performance. I have to say I am not in good shape. I am heavier than I’ve been in the last 5 years, and my blood pressure is out the roof.

 

I am happy in my personnel life. Carol makes me happy, but I’m not happy about my health and fitness. A few years ago I was in the best shape I’ve been in since boot camp. My fitness is better than it has been in the past, I can still ride my bike a good distance, and swim a few laps. That said, my fitness is not good, and I need to do something about it.

 

What has changed? A few things, I changed jobs at work (returning to my old job), Cale passed away, and living with Carol.

 

The change of jobs was a good move for me, but it had a significant draw back to my fitness. At my old position I would ride my bike during lunch with my co-workers. Now, I go out to lunch with my current co-workers. This has had a big impact on my fitness and weight.

 

I have tried going to the gym during lunch, but even with it as close as it is, it is not convenient to do. The travel time is too long. When I use to ride during lunch, all I had to do is walk out the door. I find that the more inconvenient something is, the less likely I will do it consistently.

 

Cale passing has also had an impact. Cale and I would walk a mile every day. We didn’t set a blazing pace, but we were moving.

 

When I moved in with Carol, I moved further away from Atlanta. The longer travel time made it less convenient to work out with the tri club and left me less time because of the increased travel.

 

For a while we were going to the gym regularly (I find it is always easier when you have someone to go with or to meet). This was great, but soon her company was bought out, and she had to work later and later. Besides not being able to make it to the gym we started having dinner latter and later. Because it would sometimes be 7 to 9 hour between lunch and dinner, I would snack (I don’t snack healty).

 

After looking back at the why, I need to figure out what to do. This is my plan:

 

Join a group. It can be the Atlanta Triathlon Club, No Boundaries, Swim classes at the aquatic center, Chattahoochee Road Runners, Red Top Cycling, etc… I need to have a group that I’m accountable to. But it has to be convenient or I won’t do it.


Start doing something at lunch or in the morning, even if it is just going for a walk. And, going out to lunch doesn’t count as doing something.


Beer and Ice Cream only on Friday and Saturday, and cut out my unhealthy snacks.


The last thing may be the hardest one to do, but I need to eat dinner earlier. Because of the large gap between lunch and dinner, I tend to over eat. I eat late because I want to eat with my honey, and because she gets home so late I don’t want her to have to cook and eat even later. This will take some planning, and I’m not sure what to do.

 

I’m hoping that in 6 months I will be talking about all the improvements. I plan on blogging more about my progress, as I have found that writing about it helps keep me honest.