So it begins....

So it begins……..248 lbs/25.7% body fat. GOAL: 195 lbs/10% body fat.

Today is Day 1 of my quest to become 19 again. What have I been doing for the past two weeks? Planning, researching, and eliminating excuses. The last one took the longest.

Here is my plan thus far…

I am going to do cardio M-W-F and strength/core training T-TH-SA. Yep six days a week….the Football Gods look down upon missing Sunday Worship.

I formulated my own beginning cardio plan utilizing The Beginning Runner’s Handbook as a reference. For my core strength training I will be using two separate programs from hundrepushups.com and twohundredsitups.com. I will post links to my work-out plans, including cool pocket versions, soon. (visit pocketmod.com for a cool app that will allow you to turn pdf files into handy pocket sized reference guides).

As far as my diet is concerned, I am going to focus on increasing my protein and fiber intake coupled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Portion control, eating slowly and drinking plenty of water will also be primary concerns.

As you can see, my plan is very basic. I want to do things that are accessible to everyone. As I get into better physical condition I will increase the intensity of my workouts and add in weight training. The key will be keeping things simple and not pushing too hard too soon….I always say I am going to start off easy and then end up over doing it.

8/31/2009

I woke up feeling pretty good this morning after a decent night’s sleep. Of course, it being Monday, I wished I could have laid there a bit longer (or all day…I was pretty comfy).

I had a very busy day at work but my energy levels stayed up and the day flew by.

After getting home I had a snack and waited for the sun to head toward the horizon.

We arrived at the local Jr High track and I started my cardio work out. I am happy to say I completed the 2.75 mile work-out and felt pretty good afterwards. The lightning show kept the work-out interesting as well.

We will see how I feel in the morning…lol.

Day 1 was a success…..153 days to go.

Please feel free to post questions or offer suggestions.

19 Again.....

Here I am; 37 years old and arguably in the worst physical condition of my life. Years of sedentary jobs, sedentary hobbies and several sports related injuries have taken their toll. A few clichés come to mind;

‘Never say Never’……. I remember myself saying that I would never allow myself to get out of shape.

‘Only the strong survive’…….. You have to be strong of mind, strong of spirit and strong in body to survive……if this were baseball, a .333 batting avg wouldn’t be bad…..but this is not baseball.

‘Excuses are like belly buttons; everyone has one’…… if this were true my abdomen would look like the lunar surface.

‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired’……time to make a change.

I have always been a believer that if you listen to your body it will tell you what it needs. Recently mine has been screaming for help. Low energy levels; un-diagnosable abdominal pain; atypical chest pain (this is what the emergency rooms tell you when everything looks normal but they feel the need to justify the $100 co-pay); the list goes on. My body finally has my attention and it is time to take action.

Why 19? Well, 19 yrs of age represents the time before the shoulder reconstruction; the two hernia repairs; and the ACL reconstruction. It was also when I was in the best shape of my life; 194 Pounds and under 10% body fat - I felt indestructible. I was in my freshman year at ASU and was determined to try-out for the football team the following year. I was full of what could be and I was more than a little full of myself. I am still full of what could be (or perhaps something else) and I am committed to letting go of what could have been. It is time to move forward.

Why blog about it? This is for me. I want to capture the challenges, document my success and I want to hold myself accountable. My goal is to turn back my physical clock and feel 19 again by my 38^th birthday.

I am currently 245 pounds and 27% body fat.

To be 19 again I will have to lose 50 lbs by January 31^st, 2010.

That is the goal and I will be tracking my progress here.

I will include my work-outs, my diet, and how I am feeling along the way.

I am doing this for my wife; she deserves to have her trophy husband back… hehe

I am doing this for my son; he deserves to have an active, healthy role model.

I am doing this for myself; I deserve to be the best I can be.