Welcome Back Old Friend

Why is it that it takes so long to get back in shape, but it seems like no time at all to lose it?  That is how I felt during yesterday's workout.  I was about halfway through when I thought, "No one else is here, I could just stop now."  The old me probably would have and used the excuse that I was just getting back in to working out so I don't want to be too sore.  I knew that if I wanted to make any progress, I couldn't quit.  I pushed through and finished the workout, 41 minutes.  Not a great time by any standards, but I had finished and not quit.  And laying on the gym floor in a puddle of sweat, trying to catch my breath and not have a heart attack, I smile because I know that I will soon be seeing an old friend.

That old friend I am referring to is the ache in your muscles the day after a good workout. My legs are really sore today and my body really aches, but I know that old friend has good intentions.  I know that old friend has come back into my life to help push me towards my goals.  And I welcome back that friend with open arms.  That pain makes me feel good about what I have done in the last few days and it makes me want to go back again.  So today I did.   

Intimidation

Intimidation- to make timid; fill with fear.

For me, intimidation relates to weight loss and working out.

Setting weight loss goals can cause intimidation.  Looking at what seems to be impossible can make a person timid.  I know that it has for me in the past.  I always looked at the end number and total lbs. that I wanted to lose and thought to myself that it was impossible.  I would start out strong, but when I would start to lose a few lbs. I would still realize that I had a long way to go.  I would get discouraged and afraid of falling short, intimidated by my seemingly impossible task. It was always easier to fall back in to my old routine instead of facing my fear. 

If you have never been intimidated by your workout, you never have done Crossfit.  Just the name of some of the workouts fill me with fear.  Fran, Murph, and so on.  Just typing those out sends a chill down my spine.  Mostly the intimidation comes from the fact that I know how I am going to feel during the workout, like death is around the corner.  I know that a little bit of fear is good.  What I can't do is to let the fear dictate my workout.  Just because I am intimidated by the workout doesn't mean that I should skip it or half-ass my effort.  I will only end up where I always have in the past, unhappy with my weight.

While intimidation is an aspect of everyday life, how you handle it will determine your success.  If I back down from it, I will never achieve my goals.  The key is to take it 1 day at a time, 1 meal at a time, and 1 workout at a time.  In the end, I will come out a better person.

Today's workout
5 Rounds
40 double unders
30 box jumps 24" box
20 kettlebell swings 53lbs.

Excuses

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."  

I am not sure who said that, but today it was true.  I woke up later than I wanted to today.  Then, after breakfast, I thought, "I should relax a little, then head to the gym."  Then time, like it always does, got away from me.  Next thing I knew, it was too late to go to the gym.  I didn't have time to drive to the gym, workout, come home, eat and be to work on time.  So my old self started with the excuses.

I started to tell myself that if I ate good today, I can start the working out tomorrow.  But I have been telling myself that for way too long.  Excuses have gotten me to my current weight of  286 lbs.  It's always, "I can start tomorrow, one day won't kill me."  It is that attitude that has led to this point.  So I have decided no more excuses.  If I can't make it to the gym, I will find another way to workout.  And that is exactly what I did.

Today I set a goal for myself to jog non-stop for 10 minutes.  For me, time is more important than distance.  I know it isn't much, but it is a start.  I put on my running shoes, cranked up my IPod, and headed out the door.  10 minutes went by and I had made it, without a heart attack.  Inside I did a little happy dance.  After a cool-down walk, I was feeling pretty good with myself and decided to do something else.  100 walking lunges for time.  It took me 7:30.

There is no more excuses.  I proved that to myself today.

Here is my starting (before) pics.  286 lbs.  I will be posting a pic each month to show my progress

    

The Journey Begins

It seems like everyone has a blog these days so I figured that I would start one to document my struggle/journey into a healthy lifestyle . I am a 32 year old police officer from Cleveland, OH.

I want to lose weight, get in shape, and open up a Crossfit box, which is a gym, on the west side of Cleveland. My goal is for Jan. 2011. For those that don't know what Crossfit is, I encourage you to check out Crossfit.com. Even then, until you experience it, you won't understand.

I know that losing weight is not easy for anyone. Being in better shape not only will improve my health, but it makes my job easier also. I think that writing about it holds me accountable and more likely to stick to it. Plus, if I want to open a Crossfit gym, I have to get my butt in shape. Nobody wants to go to a gym run by a fat guy.

Growing up, people would tell me, you don't look fat, you are just a big guy. I even have had friends tell me, your the fittest fat guy I know. While I don't consider myself a fat slob, I am not even close to where I would like to be. By following a zone/paleo type diet and through Crossfit workouts I am hoping to reach my goals.

Aiming for Jan. 2011 gives me about a 9 month time frame to get my sh*t together. So Monday, 3/29/10 the journey begins.