Ummm........yeah.
So here’s the deal…
…I need to lose a few pounds. And you know what? I’m okay with that.
When I was a smoker (a 25-pack a day for 16 years) I was never the thinnest guy in the world, but I wasn’t too bad, either. I was average, I’d say.
When I quit, I gained 50lbs over the course of one year.
Yikes.
If you look at today’s numbers, I have since lost twenty-one pounds. However, two months ago I was down to 204lbs…and apparently the past two months have been good to me. TOO GOOD.
So now I’m going to change things. And this isn’t a “lose-weight-quick” scheme; this isn’t some crazy diet. Unlike the last five times, this isn’t because I have low self-esteem and/or want to impress others. This time, I’m doing it as a lifestyle change because I want to be healthier.
I’m 36 now. I’ve got two beautiful kids. I want to see them both grow up and I want them to both get to really know me as they grow older.
I had been considering this for awhile, but this past weekend really brought things into perspective. I found that I believe I have a Pilonidal cyst (please…click on that link at your own risk…it’s a cyst on the LOWER TAILBONE, so you’ve been duly warned). So while not serious at all (which is a relief because cancer runs in my family), it still made me a little concerned about my health.
I need to do MORE of this!!
So I’ve come up with a lifestyle change called the “30/30/30 plan”. I’m hoping to do 30 sit-ups or crunches (whatever I can handle…lol), 30 push-ups, and walk for 30 minutes every single day.
In addition, I plan to do other “little things” in my life. Example? Stop taking the elevator. I’m on the second floor of my building for crying out loud…why am I taking the elevator? Also, park FARTHER away from the building at work. I need to make myself walk just a little bit more and stop being so inherently lazy.
I need to do LESS of this!
Obviously, my eating habits need to be updated, as well. Nothing crazy…just no more late-night snacking. That, I think, will make a huge difference.
Luckily, work is having a friendly “walking/drinking” challenge where people get into groups and start tracking how many steps they take in a day (pedometers included!!) and how much water they drink. If they hit targets, the team can win free lunch.
It defeats the purpose, I know…
So that’s what I’m doing beginning today. The 30/30/30 Plan. I’m ready for it. I need to do it. It’s just the right thing to do.
And as you can tell by the picture at the top of the post, I’ll be tracking my progress periodically. The goal right now is 200lbs by the end of the summer. I have no desire to lose more than a pound or two every week…and I think that’s a healthy goal to strive towards.
Ideas/comments/suggestions/those who wish to join are more than welcome. While I may not be running any triathlons any time soon…a healthier me is really a “win-win”.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Good for you, especially the attitude of a lifestyle change vs a quick fix; that’s the key to success.
My one tip, which I feel contributed significantly to my losing an embarrassing amount of weight after my divorce is a Kashi cereal. Heart Smart. It’s packed with fiber, so start with small portions mixed with regular cereal at first to let your body adjust. It will fill you up completely (I still eat 1 cup and am full until lunch), but better than that, it helps your body regulate your blood sugar through the morning so you’re not starving by lunch and feeling like you need 3 cups of coffee to get through. I ate it everyday for 6 months, and still do. I love it, not just for how successful it has helped me to be, but it actually tastes good too.
Good luck!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:14 am
You GO boy!!
I was on Weight Watchers for a little while. I lost 35-40 lbs in 6 months. I loved it because I learned that I could eat whatever I wanted but in moderation. I also learned to be observant on how some foods made me feel. For instance, I eat MUCH less dairy now.
It is a lifestyle. I was on diet after diet in my 20′s even when I didn’t need to be and I kept gaining it all back twofold. Then in my 30′s I thought, “Well, this is just the size I’m supposed to be.” I was diganosed with gestational diabetes with baby #1 and diabetes runs in my family. I hated it. My doctor told me to watch my sugar intake. Then I was told I had high cholesterol and to eat a low cholesterol diet. Well…. you combine those two diets and you’re left with not much to eat.
So, I went to WW and ate whatever I wanted but in smaller portions and more often. I actually eat just about all day long, still 3 meals but snacking all day. I think my metabolism is actually faster now than it was in my 20′s.
Exercise is great and I was always doing that. But exercise AND diet made the difference to me.
I’m excited for you. And Rachel’s post today should inspire you to keep up that positive attitude. Woohoo!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Oh and by the way, I never attended a Weight Watchers meeting. I tracked my points and learned about the whole system online. (then later with an excel spreadsheet.)
And the weight loss completely healed my cholesterol and diabetes problem…. though I can tell that I’m still sensitive to too much sugar.
I’m happy to see you taking good care of yourself.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Okay now Mr. CaNook, I lurve you lots but that pic of the cyst did make me cringe! Does it hurt? I hope not. How does one get rid of it?
And as for the diet, yes, it’s a complete lifestyle change. But it’s a good one, and one that you will find yourself passing onto your children, which is always a good thing. Good for you!
April 20th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Debra — I appreciate the feedback. Kashi cereal, eh? Hmmmm…I’ll have to take a look. I’m a fussy eater, so no promises (lol).
T — It’s hard to believe that you had an extra 30-40lbs on that lovely frame of yours. I’ve actually done the same thing with WW…taking info online and generating a spreadsheet. I didn’t want to take things that far this time around (yet, anyway) because that would make this a diet…and I want this to be a permanent lifestyle change. I’m hoping that once I’ve gotten into some good habits, that doing something like that and really looking at what I eat will be things I can incorporate into my daily routine.
QTMama — Hey…you can’t say that you weren’t warned. It’s only a link to the Wikipedia page but that picture is gross. Still, for those interested, I just thought it was a good link to insert.
It’s one of those things that I don’t normally feel, but if I press on it there’s definitely pain. From what I’ve read, an anti-biotic or ointment should be enough to get rid of it. In serious cases, surgery is required but I don’t think it’s nearly that bad.
But still…knowing I’ve got a cyst of any kind was enough to shock me, especially given my family health history.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Good for you! Sounds like a great step! When I was ready to loose I joined Weightwatchers online….and said goodbye to 30 pounds! You can do it….especially because you are doing it for the right reasons!
April 20th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Good luck! I have been saying I am going to , but have yet to actually put anything into action.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
It sounds like a great plan!
A trainer friend of mine gave me a really good tip years ago. Do the following sequence everyday:
squats
lunges
pushups
dips
crunches
Do as many reps as you can. Even if it only takes you 15 minutes, it will speed up your metabolism. And it’s great for toning.
Not eating before bedtime is probably the best way to lose weight. If you get the munchies, have some fruit.
Good luck!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I forgot: breakfast is the most important meal. Never ever skip it.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I’ve recently found out about some health issues and my doctor gave me a pretty big swift kick in the a** about how unhealthy my weight is. It’s kind of embarrassing too cause I’m at the biggest I’ve ever been. But like you said it’s about making lifestyle changes not a diet or a quick fix (that’s where I’ve always went wrong in the past – it was always about a quick fix which resulted in some crazy fad diet that only worked short term). So slowly but surely I’m making baby steps towards getting healthier. At 34 I’ve been warned that I’m at a really high risk of a heartache…uhm yeah not pleasant news to hear!!!!
April 20th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
littlemansmom — 30lbs? That’s awesome…congrats! It would be awesome if I could do that.
karen — Much like quitting smoking, changing your bad eating habits can only work if YOU want to do it. So hopefully now that I’m at that place, it won’t be overly difficult. Good luck on getting to that same place!
junctionmama — I appreciate the advice, D. I’ll certainly try my best to get into a regular routine…I think a routine is extremely important. And breakfast is something I’ve neve occurrence r had on a regular basis before. But as of last week, it’s now a regular occurrence.
Tishia Lee — I gotta be honest…I had a splitting headache last night and I got concerned over what would happen if it turned into a seizure. I mean, maybe I’m over-reacting but my concerns about my health extend just beyond being a bit overweight. I think getting a bit older is forcing mortality to stare me right in the face. And I think that might be the bigger issue for me right now.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I had the same gradual loss attitude and approach to losing my “baby weight”.
I’m picky about cereal too so on days when I ate cereal I usually stuck to Special K and eventually Special K Satisfaction (but I really love the original!)
I took advantage of living in a small town and started walking everywhere everyday.
And I breastfed.. but I don’t think you’re quite equipped for that lol
Portion control is my huge thing. I LOVE food and I’m terrible at just having a little bit.
I think portion control and eating frequently to keep the metabolism kick started is hugely beneficial to weightloss though.
Good luck with everything!!
lol
Now that you’ve blogged about it you can’t forget about it — there will be too many people keeping tabs on you
April 21st, 2009 at 12:09 am
Oatmeal every morning. And the Navy Seal workout: http://dadshouseblog.com/2009/01/16/flat-abs/
Whatever your new routine, good for you for the healthy intention!
April 21st, 2009 at 3:20 am
Sounds like a decent/reachable/awesome goal (see what I did with the slashes there?).
Wish you the best. The hardest is always the beginning. Just imagine all the hot ladies you’ll attract with TWO sets of “6-pack abs”! LOL.
Just sayin’…
April 21st, 2009 at 6:15 am
Nicole — LOL…the whole reason for blogging about it was because I wanted to be held accountable. I don’t know if I really should have people keeping tabs on me, but it probably can’t hurt.
Dads — Luckily, you’re already a cyclist so you’re “spare tire” probably wasn’t that bad to begin with. The “navy seal workout”?? Wow…I’m really not even remotely ready for that. I’d probably have to sit down and rest while READING it!!
Amira — I did see what you did there…nice use of slashes. Hmmm…TWO sets of “6-pack abs”? Where does the other pack go?
April 21st, 2009 at 11:58 am
You know, baldness being the other “6-pack abs”.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:20 pm
LoL I tease
I need to start posting my weekly workouts again.. I’m falling behind.. lol
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
It’s awesome that you are writing about this! I have been thinking about doing the same…..
My husband had a Pilonidal cyst!! They suck!! It took months to get rid of, and he would hate that I just wrote that! lol!!
Good luck with the getting healthier plan!! The 30/30/30 sounds awesome!! Keep us updated!!
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
That’s a great thing for you to try to better your life. You’ve got the right age and the will to do it.
As I read your blog I realized that health needs to be respected as you respect yourself.
P.S. I liked the plan, yeah why not!
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