64
by the$inmusicisallmine_Archive
Thank you Ringo/Patrick. I am so in. Let me tell you kiddies, if you keep up your habits from your 20s and early 30s into your late 30s and early 40s, you're gonna have a problem. I am 6 feet tall, and at my fittest (in my late 20s) I was about 185. In April or May I got on the scale and weighed 232 pounds. My pants were all too tight, my shirt collars could not be buttoned. Gross. I did a motorcycle track day in June. My leathers were so tight I had trouble breathing. After two sessions, my legs were toast. I was smoking like a brush fire, and out of breath and aching by lunchtime. It sucked, and I basically wasted $175. Since then I have been on halting effort to improve. First it was a weight watchers style calorie counting program. That worked for a few weeks. I lost about 7 pounds, but I was tired a lot, and feeling stressed out. I did learn how to stop snacking during the day, and how to avoid eating big lunches or big dinners. These things are helpful. Got down to 225, but stuck there.Then I started working out - 35-40 minutes on the elliptical machine, followed by 15-20 minutes of free weights and crunches. I stopped smoking. Cold turkey. Just don't do it anymore. And I re-discovered my bicycle. I went out for a ride on a sunday afternoon, and it was glorious. I figured out an 11.2 mile loop from my house through nearby farm roads. There are various side roads I can take to make it 14.3 miles or 18 miles, depending on the time I have avaiable. If I get out the door by 6am, I am home by 7am, and i can get ready for work normally. So now, my routine is biking 3-4 days per week, elliptical and weights on off days or rain days. I occasionally swim 500 yards when I can get to the pool. I have modified my diet - one piece of dry toast and yogurt for breakfast. Some days no breakfast at all. All the black decaf coffee I want. Lunch is a small sandwich, plus yogurt and water. Lots of water during the day. No snacking. Dinner is a normal dinner - plate of pasta, two pizza slices, italian sausage, two hot dogs, whatever. No second helpings. No "just finish it off". Maybe a Coors Lite or two.38 miles of bicycling last week (second full week of effort) spread over 3 days. Going for 50 this week. I am down to 218 as of last weekend. I hope to get to 200 by my birthday (November). Then the challenge will be to maintain. Tough, given the winter weather and my bicyling. I will just have to switch to the rollers. Courage! and just keep going. thanks for letting me share.