Tag: fat adam

  • Consistency

    It’s been a few months now. Three or four days per week I climb out of bed a little earlier, put on my fancy running shoes, grab the leash, and go jogging with Stoney. (Our 8 year old yellow lab)

    The first month or so was mostly trotting, gasping for air, and just trying to make it around the route without puking. Literally, I pushed myself too hard one morning and had to stop and sit in the grass because I almost lost it. Another morning I pushed myself too far and came home and dry heaved.

    It hasn’t been pretty. It still isn’t pretty. And it will still be a long time until it is pretty. (If it ever gets pretty.)

    The goal was never really weight loss. It’s always been to feel better. I didn’t like climbing 3 flights of stairs and being out of breath. Or feeling too tired to want to play at the park with my kids.

    But weight loss has been part of the process, and part of the process I like. I suppose I’ve lost a few pounds. But I have a lot more to lose before I’m willing to brag about it.

    No Short Cuts. No Yo Yo’s.

    One of the weird things this journey has been the clash of my strategy versus the popular strategies out there.

    People want quick results so they do crazy things. Everyone has a favorite extreme exercise. Or a diet. Or a killer chemical combo. Those are all short-term methods that they use to take off 15 pounds quick. (I always wonder what method they use to put it back on?)

    That’s what I’m trying to avoid. I’m trying to focus not on the weight but on the habits that lead my body to feel that way. I don’t need a gym membership or a dietician or anything else but new habits. If I can go for 3-4 jogs per week, 3-4 bike rides, and eat more veggies than cheese, I’ll be just fine.

    I don’t need a short-term fix. I need new habits.

    Ultimately, I want slow and consistent improvement. Heck, I’ll just take slow and consistent without much improvement.

    But a little is nice, too.

  • Fat Adam is Weak

    There’s little joy in kicking fat Adam to the curb. It’s not as simple as dragging him to the curb and waiting for the truck to haul him away. Fat Adam is old, crabby, and full of bad habits. He’s punchy. And he puts up a good fight for a fat guy.

    My weapons of choice

    Skinny Adam is making progress. Here’s how.

    3 times per week I’m running 1.5 – 2 miles… easing up to 3.2 miles. At least 4 times per week I’m commuting to work for an additional 6 miles of bike riding. I gave up soda (pop) for lent and haven’t gone back to it. I’ve tried to replace it with water as much as possible while cutting down on easy calories like getting regular coffee instead of my favorite blended drink at Starbucks.

    My drugs of choice

    Fat Adam is holding on to some bad habits. Here’s what I mean.

    My eating habits suck. It really isn’t how much I eat on a given day so much as when and how I’m eating it and what I snack on. I tend to skip breakfast. (Or eat something carb/sugar heavy. Like a bagel. Or a donut. Or a bagel and a donut followed by granola.) Since I skip a proper breakfast and snack all morning, I tend to not feel hungry at lunch. Which means I eat a late lunch, or eat a full lunch when I’m not really hungry, and then eat a regular dinner too.

    Unless I eat lunch so late that I skip dinner and eat dinner really late. Which is super bad.

    The result? I’m feeling much, much better but I know I could be doing a lot better. Muscles are noticeably stronger. My lungs and heart feel much stronger. And I don’t fatigue on my runs nearly as soon or as bad as when I first started.

    But my eating habits are holding me back. I can feel it when I’m out pounding the sidewalk.

    While this whole thing isn’t just about weight, I’d feel a lot better if I could drop some of the weight. I’ve lost weight. My clothes all feel more loose. Which is awesome!

    The plan for July. I’m not a fan of diets. But there’s a connection between what I eat and how much progress I can make and I need to make that sacrifice. My fancy plan? I will eat breakfast. Not just a cup of tea. (Which is what I like!) I’ll eat– at least an orange or banana… something that isn’t a bagel.