Inspiration

Several things have inspired me to make this change in my life.  I think finding inspiration is an important part of making such a big change.  Weight loss takes time and effort.  It requires tracking, exercising, and limiting how much we eat and what we eat.  It requires a fundamental change in behavior which can only be maintained through a fundamental change in mentality.  Inspiration is what gives me the motivation to make this change.

My family is my first inspiration.  I have a wonderful wife who provides accountabiltiy for my actions.  She asks me lovingly if I'm tracking my food and if I'm going to exercise today while being very careful not to nag.  I've also got an adorable son who deserves to have a dad who can still throw a ball and run around with him when he gets older.  I've got a dad who challenged me to a weight loss competition last year and then lost 91 lbs while I basically lost nothing.  I've got sisters who have done and are doing wonderful things to improve their health and be active people.  My family is showing me that it can be done and that it's worth it.

A few months ago my wife and I also started watching "The Biggest Loser" on Netflix.  I have now seen several people completely transform themselves on that show.  While not everyone should be losing 5 - 20 lbs a week, they're showing that real people who have struggled with weight their whole life can make a change.  These people are making a fundamental change in their behavior.  That show has taught me that getting healthy and losing weight is a lifelong effort.  Getting thin and then going back to eating whatever I want isn't really a good plan.  It's been another inspiration.

My suggestion, find something that inspires you.  A picture of how you want to look or a goal of how far you want to run.  Look to family or friends.  Join a community online like Sparkpeople where you can find countless stories from members who are going through the same thing you are.  If you're going to take this journey, give yourslf some inspiration.  It'll keep you on the path.

A New Start

It's been quite a while since my last post.  I got down to 260 lbs and then let myself take a little bit of a break.  I don't recommend that.  I lost my momentum and got behind.  The one redeeming part of this is that I didn't put any of the weight back on.  I have been between 256 and 265 every time I have weighed myself for the last few months.  Today I weighted myself and was right at 260.  The sad thing is that if I had stuck with it, I would have reached 220 by now.  But now it's time to start again and pick up where I left off.

Here is my next challenge.  Next week I will be traveling for work.  This means that my schedule will be all over the place and that I'll be able to each as much as I want.  That's usually a bad combination.  My plan is to track everything.  I've learned that tracking is the only way I can consistently lose weight.  Just trying to eat less or better doesn't do the trick.  Not if I want real numbers.

So here I go.  I have to start all my exercises over again since I'm not as strong as I was a few months ago when I was following a routine.  My plan for the rest of this week is to get back into tracking all my meals.  Next week, while I'm traveling, I intend to run at least 3 times.  I'm brining my running shoes.