To lose weight, first you get mad, then you get consistent.

Yesterday I finally posted about my weight loss. Now some of you may beg the question, "Why not tell us sooner about this?"  Honestly, I was a bit embarrassed.  

I had always been right around a Clydesdale athlete (200 lbs).  I trained at  about that weight for Ironman triathlons for almost four years and contrary to normal thinking, it is damn hard to drop weight even with that much training on the schedule. After I got injured in April of 2008, I was told, "workout and die," so for the next 18 months I put on a little bit more weight through inactivity. At my worst day last fall I tipped the scale at 214 lbs. 

That was enough to finally pull back from what most people call 'normal eating habits' and regain some control of my body. Luckily I was finally able to start getting structured, consistent exercise back into my life and those extra calorie expenditures really helped to initially start losing weight. I know what my base metabolism is, so I started tracking all my food again so that everything that I eat goes on record based on calorie count. Every calorie I expend in exercise goes against it. At the end of the week, I should have seen a decrease in body weight. 

So no secret. Calories in are less than calories out. My first goal was to get back to 190 lbs, something I thought posed a challenge with Halloween through New Years looming. I hit it easily. So I set a new goal. Then another. And I seem to be hitting all of them. It has become so easy now to drop pounds and build my endurance foundation that I gave myself a thus undisclosed final goal weight that I should reach in a month or two.

Let me tell you that it is not easy to begin a program. Its damn hard to maintain it. Almost impossible to make it a complete lifestyle change. That is why so many people say they will start a program and never do. Those that do rarely stick with it. For the few that make it through to their goal, the vast majority cannot sustain the results long term. 

I can honestly say I have not denied myself much. I still have a couple slices of pizza every Friday for family night. I have a sweet tooth that often acts up around 9pm that I try to fight. I won't turn down a cold beer. You will see me weighing food at home. You will see calorie counts on the food I pack for work, written in black sharpie. I plan. Then I stick to the plan.

When it came down to it, I realized that socially you just don't see fat people living into their 50's, 60's, 70's and beyond without severe medical conditions that affect their health. Even as a training Ironman athlete I knew that if I dropped weight I would be happier, healthier and faster. I would have more self confidence and self esteem. And I do. Now.  Life is to be lived to its fullest and while that can certainly happen at any weight or age, I plan on doing it as physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally healthy as possible.

I am not going to just exist. I am going to live.