That may not seem odd if you are reading this. Would it make a difference to you if you knew that the ones asking were family members that I see every week? Apparently they had looked at my diet blog the other night and could not believe the size of me back then. Some were not even able to remember that I had been that large without looking at my before pictures.
It will be four years this summer. It has been a long enough time period that memories have faded. When I think about it, I can’t believe it has been that long myself. I think the difference is that I changed not only my appearance, but I changed my mindset. Exercise is an essential part of my weekly routine now. Not P90X exercise…that is new. Exercise in general. I have a membership at Planet Fitness which I have used consistently. I broke at least three of their treadmills because I run with heavy steps. But exercise has become a very important aspect of my life.
Moving around physically has become something that I embrace. I love taking vacations where people have to walk distances or just spend time in the air. The mountains, the beaches…you name it. The heat doesn’t bother me at all anymore. In fact, there was a time when the heat was devastating to me. I could sweat just thinking about walking. Not anymore. I can stand in the sun and just bake it in.
I don’t look at food the same way. I eat almost the same thing every day. I have oatmeal for breakfast with natural applesauce and raisins. I have a good sized salad for lunch. When I say ‘good sized’ I don’t mean one of those salads that is decorated with every fattening thing in the salad bar. Just because they stick it under the clear blast screen doesn’t mean it is healthy. In fact, there’s a lot of stuff that has invaded the salad bar that should be tossed. Blocks of cheese. Instead of lean chicken or fish…the barbeque sauce covered stuff. The salad bar used to be a bastion of healthy eating, but no longer. A ‘good sized’ salad to me is a salad that has a lot of lettuce. Lots of olives, green pepper, artichoke hearts, a hard boiled egg and some lean chicken. Dressing is usually the most fattening thing…the Kraft light Dijon is my choice these days. For dinner, I have whatever has been made (except these days with P90X) and do my best to stay within the boundaries of what I need to eat.
There are occasions when I have snacks, holiday gatherings, football games…but it is not my norm. It is an exception. I will have dessert sometimes. I like Apple Crisp, or chocolate cake…with coffee. But I don’t have dessert every day. Most of the time, it will be a weekend...maybe a Saturday night. I have developed an understanding about the food I am putting in my body and a healthy approach to it. I don’t eat for entertainment anymore. After four years though, I have made it such a habit that I do it reflexively. I have stopped thinking about it.
I am watching things very closely these days on the P90X. Mainly because I want to see results faster and I am working my butt off on the exercises. I don’t need to do anything that adds to the workload. But P90X doesn’t have to be my life if my goal is to just be thinner and healthier. The last three years have not been that extreme. On the contrary, they have been extremely normal.
My cholesterol, which once topped out at about 260, was 177 at my last blood test last fall. All my markers for my health were optimal. The doctor said my body was responding like I was in my twenties, not my late forties. For people who have only known good health and healthy living habits their whole life, this may not be a big deal. For a guy who four years ago was in size 44 waist pants, had a death defying cholesterol level, acid reflux causing chest pain, material back issues, and inflammation everywhere due to immune system breakdown…I think it’s pretty good.
My word for the day is this…you can lose weight if you truly want to. It’s a mindset. It’s a desire to do things a little, but not drastically, different from now on. It is not difficult to find 30-40 minutes a day, or 50 minutes every other day, to exercise. You can find it somewhere if it is important to you. It’s not hard to begin to create healthy eating habits. The food that is good for you is actually in the same grocery store as the food that is awful for you. The same store. It doesn’t have to be spaghetti-o’s, it can be spinach. It doesn’t have to be Twinkies, it can be apples, pears and bananas. It doesn’t have to be the soft fluffy white bread…it can be whole grain wheat.
Your life WILL NOT BE MISERABLE by making these choices. If you are in such bad physical condition (overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol) that it is jeopardizing the quality of your life…I guarantee that I can see misery in your future. These changes will improve your life. It’s not that hard. People who insist it’s impossible simply do not want to change. For whatever reason, they don’t want to. The obstacles they see are being put in front of them by them…nothing else.
If you want to understand ‘hard’, read yesterday’s blog.
When you decide to take the steps to make these changes, you simply make the same decision every day. You make them until they stop becoming decisions. You make them until they become who you are.
Thoughts need motivation, motivation needs action, action needs repetition and repetition brings results.
If you want to look in the mirror and see something different, the power is entirely yours.
As I was answering the questions last night, it was obvious. I created a new ‘me’ by changing my mindset. You can too. You will feel better for it.
Ab Ripper X and Arms tonight!
[later that night]
I was a little tentative about how the shoulder would be tonight. Ab Ripper X and then the Arms and Shoulders routine were on the agenda. I survived just fine...better than fine...no pain. All the reps were done, some with increased weight. I am logging my progress as instructed in the book. My arms are getting more taught and definitely fuller. The ab ripper went real well too. It struck me as I was sitting doing my curls that next week is the warm down week...but I don't want a warm down week. I want to do the same as this week and then move into something more challenging. So I'm going to have to consult my coaches and see how to approach this. At work today, one of the women looked at me and said, "What's going on? Are you doing some kind of weight loss thing? I think you are losing weight or something." This is really cool.
Ab Ripper X and Arms tonight!
[later that night]
I was a little tentative about how the shoulder would be tonight. Ab Ripper X and then the Arms and Shoulders routine were on the agenda. I survived just fine...better than fine...no pain. All the reps were done, some with increased weight. I am logging my progress as instructed in the book. My arms are getting more taught and definitely fuller. The ab ripper went real well too. It struck me as I was sitting doing my curls that next week is the warm down week...but I don't want a warm down week. I want to do the same as this week and then move into something more challenging. So I'm going to have to consult my coaches and see how to approach this. At work today, one of the women looked at me and said, "What's going on? Are you doing some kind of weight loss thing? I think you are losing weight or something." This is really cool.
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