If you have read this blog from the beginning (and if not, feel free to see the archives), then you know that my running adventure started after I was diagnosed with, as my Physician friend Don described it, “industrial strength” high blood pressure. Three things caused this: 1)my weight. Although I had lost a few pounds that fall, I was still considered obese; 2)my genes. Iinherited this from my parents, especially my mom, who enjoys food with her salt; and 3)my diet. Although I was pushing 40, I continued to eat like I was in college and still had a metabolism.
Discovering that one has a condition that could lead to heart attack, stroke, even death, was a sobering thing. I immediately swore off salt, and haven’t salted my food since December 2006. I also decided to start running again, hence, what you see here: a blog, a podcast, a new way of living. I had to lose weight, too. When my condition was discovered, I weighed 247. That was actually down from my all time high of 262 from the summer of 2000.
Running cut some weight in a hurry. In December 2006 I weighed 247. By June 2007 I weighed 217. That was the lowest I got. My body adjusted to running and the calorie burn slowed, and I got lazy again with my diet. I didn’t eat “bad” stuff, compared to my earlier life. We always ate whole wheat, we drank no fat milk, we ate tons of fiber…but the issue was quantity–and the occasional–okay somewhat regular, fast food meal…
Last monday I weighed 231.5. Over the past few months I could tell that although my body was not as flabby as it used to be, I still had gained some weight. I carry the 40-year old male’s albatross–belly fat. So I have decided to lose some weight. I downloaded “tap and track” an iPhone app that sets a weight goal, gives you a daily calorie limit and helps you keep track of it.
By putting it in this blog and later discussing it on the podcast, I want this goal to be as public as can be to give me accountability and motivation. The same thing worked when I was writing my dissertation in grad school. We wanted a family and couldn’t until I got my doctorate and got a job. So I told my wife to ask me how many pages I had written each day she came home from work. That accountability assisted me in completing my dissertation and getting out of school and on to being a dad.
My goal: I’d like to lose 30 pounds, long term, at least. BUT, to assist in the effort, I need to carve this goal into reachable goals that will further motivate me to succeed. So, sub-goal no. 1: 10 pounds off by September 1. Sub-goal no. 2: total of 18 pounds off by October 10.
I want to weigh 213 by October 10. Today, after 1 week, I weighed 228.
This Running Life 
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