Thursday Thirteen No. 24

Thirteen Reasons to Get in Better Physical Condition

OK, I said at the beginning of the year that I needed to lose 100 lbs. I posted earlier this week that the battle had begun and that five pounds had already left the building. Well, most of us need a good reason to embark on a life changing endeavor. One of my blogging friends, Joyce suggested that I do a Thursday Thirteen on the reasons for getting in better shape. So, in no particular order of importance, here we go.

1. I feel better. I know that five pounds is a long way from 100, but the exercising is already making me feel better. I can actually tell a little difference in my clothing.

2. I may get off of the blood pressure medicine. I have been taking medicine for high blood pressure for about three years now. I have noticed that my blood pressure is dropping and is routinely in the normal zone (120/60) now, especially after exercise. Eliminating the need for BP medicine would save about $25.00 per month.

3. More energy. I love the grandcrew, but there are days that I can't keep up with them. That will change about 75 pounds from now. I want to be able to play a little basketball with Scooter and 'Em as well as play catch with "The Big Guy".

4. I hate shopping for XXL shirts! Yes, I shop for all of my own clothes and I enjoy the experience, I just don't like spending my day in the Big and Tall department. Regardless of what anyone says, the selection is not as good in that area of any store. It's getting better only because America is getting larger. I wouldn't mind being in the Tall department, it's the Big part that bugs me.

5. Magic Kingdom. We're taking our daughter, her husband, and the grandcrew to Disney World in about eight weeks. I would like to be 25 to 30 pounds lighter at that point. At thee pounds per week, that is statistically possible. The goal here is to not look like Jabba the Hut in swim trunks or opt out for just watching everyone else enjoy Typhoon Lagoon. I mean, I'm paying for this trip so what's the point if I can't enjoy it.

6. Wade fishing creeks and streams. Every year myself and several friends head to the Buffalo River to do some trout and small mouth bass fishing. Putting on the waders can be a chore. Getting them off can be an event for America's Funniest Home Videos. That needs to change. Besides, I am truly tired at the end of the day if I actually decide to do much wading. Again, the option currently is to stay on the bank and limit my opportunities to catch the big one. I hate that.

7. No longer be the person everyone else on the plane does not want sitting next to them because I take up more than my allotted space! That's all I'm going to say about that subject.

8. Be comfortable in any car...almost. OK, at 6' and even if I get to 195, I know I'm not gonna be comfortable in a Mini-Cooper, but I would like for the experience of entering and exiting the vehicle to be more normal.

9. Tie a tie without a real short and a real long end. I don't know if I need to explain that or not. I don't think so.

10. Motivate my daughter to lose weight as well. If I can do it, anybody can. With four kids and a hectic schedule, she has precious little time for herself, but she was a drop dead gorgeous teen and now she is filling out way too much and way too early in life.

11. Look more like the Department manager and not the old fat guy in the corner office. I don't think this needs any further explanation either.

12. Make my dad proud of me again. I know he is concerned about my weight and I'm pretty sure he says something about it to others. That's OK, because it's the truth. Don't get me wrong, dad is proud of me and all that I have accomplished in life, in every area of life. I'd just like to relieve his concerns about my weight and health.

13. Perhaps the most important reason for this mission is to make my wife happy. I love her and I want to do what makes her happy and is in the best interest of the family. Being healthier and living longer is in the best interest of our marriage. I am within five or six years of retirement and she wants me around for a long time after I retire. I know she has big plans for us to enjoy the retirement years together and she can't do that if I'm not around. Next month we will celebrate our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary (will most certainly be a multi-post event) and she wants me around to celebrate our fiftieth, sixtieth, and so on.

OK, now you know thirteen reasons why I'm on this mission. If you need to drop a few pounds or, like myself, lose a small person, then find your motivation where ever you can. Stay focused on the goal and celebrate the results. I will keep you informed. This is one of my accountability methods. I don't want to disappoint you either and I want to continue to bring you good news from the battlefront. So, now...what's your excuse? I didn't think so.

Weight Watching for Dummies

At the beginning of the new new year I posted that I needed to lose 100 pounds this year. That was not a joke. Well, three weeks ago the journey began. I joined Weight Watchers Online and returned to the gym.
I really like the online version of Weight Watchers. I can track my meals and weight from anywhere I have computer and Internet access. I don't have to carry around a couple of charts and a book with all of the food values in it. I don't like paperwork and this is a really good option for me. I find myself at Subway and Quizno's a lot during lunch. Their small sandwiches are good and are just about the right point value. Maybe I'll be the senior citizen version of Jerrod in the Subway commercials. The real secret of this process seems to be water...drink lots of it.
Unlike most people, I really like the time in the gym. I played football and baseball in high school. During the off-season we had a weight lifting and exercise program to stay in shape, so I've always liked that stuff. The other factor is that my body seems to respond pretty well to weight training, or at least it did once upon a time. So far, I must admit that I do feel better and some muscle tone is beginning to return to this overweight and out of shape physique.
I refuse to post a "Before" pic. You really don't want to see that! Besides, I try to keep this blog "G" rated and a "Before" pic would just not be a good idea. Maybe later, when there is an "After" pic to go with it.
So, "How's it going?", you ask. Thank you for asking. It's going Ok. The first couple of weeks not much happened. I think my body was telling itself, this won't last, hang in there and he'll give this up in a few more days. Then, last week, three pounds fell off in four days. Another two pounds has abandoned ship in the past five days! I know, five pounds in three weeks isn't much, but it doesn't take a great deal of success to motivate me at this point. That's probably a good thing. So I am increasing my visits to the gym from three days a week, to five days a week. I'll keep you advised from time to time how this is going. More water!!!
Well, I gotta pack. I'm going to Houston tomorrow on business. It's just an over night trip, so I should be back in time to post that Thursday Thirteen...if I can think of a topic.