I looked at myself in the mirror. "I'll never fit on any of the rides".
My wife looked up from the laundry. "Don't be ridiculous, there are heavier people that go to DisneyWorld and go on rides".
"I won't be able to take the kids on any rides when we get there. 'Daddy, why are we only watching the rides?'"
"Oh stop it. You'll be fine".
The problem is that I didn't feel fine then. I haven't felt fine for a while. I've slinked around embarassed by my weight for years. One time walking through the hospital to a doctor's appointment, an old woman leaned in towards her husband and said "Look at the belly on that one".
I can't fault people for noticing. I do have a prodigious stomach, large and round like those on a Buddha statue. I'm not morbidly obese I'm not wearing size 60 pants, or even size 48. I can walk up the stairs without a break in the middle. I can run around the yard with the kids.
I'm just...overweight. I've got a programmer's gut, honed from years of Mt. Dew and sitting around programming. From junk food and treating myself to sweets and cheeseburgers and other "naughty" foods. From choices I've made over the last few years.
So I decided to do something about it.
I joined a website, traineo.com to help me track my weight and my progress. I resubscribed to Men's Health, and I'm eating better. I'm cutting back on the regular soda and drinking more and more water. I run up the stairs at the parking garage at the end of the day...well, by floor 5 I'm huffing...but I'm trying. More exercise, better food, a leaner Mo.
And all seemed great when I lost 6 lbs in the first week! Praise the Lord, right?!? I gained them right back. Ooo. Not awesome.
But I'm not despairing, because my pants already fit a little better, and I can feel the muscles tightening up under the blubber, and I feel better.
Paying attention to what I eat and do feels better; it feels like the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do so I can go on those rides at DisneyWorld. It's the right thing to do so I don't get noticed for my Wal-Mart sized gut. It's the right thing to do for me because it's my health, it's more time with my wife and kids, and it's the good example I set for them. And by caring about me I'm showing them I care about them too.
Maurice,
You have to remember that at our age (did I just use that phrase??) you shouldn't be measuring your progress in only pounds. You need to be measuring it by pounds AND by the size of your waist (or some other body measurements) but you need to use additional measurements other than just your weight. I've had issues when training in law enforcement where I was working out every day and I almost ALWAYS weighed a lot more when I was done with my whole goal (to be able to complete so many sit-ups, push-ups, run certain distances, etc.) than when I initially started...but I was in one hell of a lot better shape than when I started too. Make sure that you're taking body measurements or using additional means to keep track of your progress. Using only pounds can be deceptive and can really be mentally disappointing. I’ve even had as much as a 20-pound swing/difference in a month (after several months of working out), but my measurements were telling the tale and I was truly in better shape (even according to my doctor, so I wasn’t just fooling myself). If you’re looking to take the weight off and keep it off, maybe you can join the gym I belong to (and really should go to more). We could go together and be in physical anguish together for only $10 a month!! Yeah!! Hey, did I ever mention that I DESPISE (I mean I HATE, HATE, HATE) working out and especially running??
Keep it up. I know it sucks but you are right. It is worth it, but you need to maintain a positive mindset, continue to eat right AND find some kind of workout regimen that can fit in with you and your wacky schedule. You need to do something like buy treadmill, get a gym membership, get a Bowflex, something…that will allow you to truly exercise on a regular basis. Starting out with what you described is great but you need something that is going to allow you to really workout and is available when you are. Keep this up and you’ll do just fine. Hopefully this all is "motivation to exercise" and not "motivation to punch Brian" the next time you see me. :)
You can do it Maurice. My kids have been a big motivator for me as well. Just remember it's all a numbers game. Calories in calories out. That should appeal to your analytical side.