Want to See a Scary Photo?

As I mentioned a few weeks ago... and as Emma may have told you, I've been a bit of a fitness/diet freak lately.

The reason? Shortly after Thanksgiving I was slapped with the fact that I had reached an all-time high weight. Don't know how it happened. I didn't really take notice of it; and Emma *says* she didn't notice my weight gain, but it happened. If you saw it..shame on you for not telling me.

Regardless, our Wii Fit confirmed it when it showed me that according to its BMI calculation I was statistically on the 'overweight' border. But now, the almost-always-creepy-little-Wii-voice congratulates me for lowering my BMI and losing 32 pounds. Neat.

So here you go -- its the scary photo. They're both photos of Em and I -- the first, taken at Thanksgiving, and the second, taken recently at Easter.

So! For all you who told me I didn't have weight to lose, you're wrong; evidence is above. And for everybody else who wanted to know what I did, here ya go -- 10 steps, in two broad categories:

>> Exercise

1. Bike - I started by riding my bike in the morning before leaving for work. Partly to wake up so I'm not in a half-sleep when I'm at the office. But biking is also a great way to exercise. It's not a "rough" exercise, and you get to ride through some pretty fantastic scenery. Em joined me from the very beginning and it's turned into an activity we look forward to doing together on the weekends. Now, I finally bought my road bike, and am enjoying the sport even more.


2. Kettlebell - Think of a kettlebell like an all-in-one gym. It's basically a cannonball with a handle on it. And because of it's 'no-center-of-gravity' attributes it's a great fat-burning tool. Em and I each have one and try to use them daily for 20-30 minutes. They work to enhance your core muscles and balance -- all while shedding fat due to the still-active rest periods.


3. Run - I hated running a couple months ago. But since giving myself the "Before 30" goal of completing a triathlon, it's grown into part of my routine. Along with my new Vibram Five Finger shoes, I've been working to build up my distance tolerance rather than bugging myself about intervals. Running is now more of a goal I want to tackle and triumph over, rather than a nagging activity I need to do.


4. Swim - The final component of my triathlon training is new to the routine. Once upon a time, I was a budding smooth-stroke swimmer. And now, I'm still trying to find my stroke. But when I'm able to tap into that smooth cycle, swimming is really fun -- especially now that I have my waterproof iPod case and headphones.


5. Walk - Em and I try to walk around the neighborhood a few times a week. It helps us 'come down' from the day at work without immediately sitting in front of the TV. But we try to walk whenever we can; walk instead of wait for the closest parking spot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk around the office complex at lunch just to get some sun -- it all adds up...

>> Diet

1. Livestrong.com - Without a doubt, I wouldn't have made any progress if it weren't for Livestrong. Every day, I visit the 'MyPlate' section of the site and log any and all food I have, plus any fitness activities. By telling the site what my height and weight are, coupled with how many pounds I want to lose each week, the site gives me a daily caloric limit. And by logging my day's consumption, I'm able to see what foods are better for me than others. It's free, easy to use, and highly motivational.


2. Paleo - Have you ever seen a picture of a fat caveman? That's basically the entire idea behind the Paleo lifestyle. The Paleo diet asks -- would a caveman been able to eat this? And if not, you don't either. It's a reallllly big extreme, so I've tailored it back for myself so it's more of a "if it wasn't around for my grandparents, I don't eat it" type statement. What you find yourself doing is eating more like a hunter/gather, and less dependent on processed foods.


3. Color - In every meal, I make a point to add color. Fruits and vegetables are a huge part of it. Before, too many times, the meals were a sloppy cream/brown color -- and nutritionally, that's not a good thing. Make a point to add color to it; help your taste buds out and give them some real food.


4. Timing - This was a pretty tough -- my "last meal" cut-off became 8:00 p.m. In doing so, I made sure I aided the digestion of my meals before slowing down my metabolism and hitting the sack. I also made a point to eat something following my morning workout, helping to increase and regulate my metabolism.


5. Keep it Natural - I wanted this to be a long-term lifestyle, not something that I'd lose and suddenly gain back. So you'll note the absence of any over-the-counter pills or anything of the sort. Vitamins are excellent supplements to diet and exercise, but I wanted to stay away from anything that comes with "results not typical" claims.

I'm like everybody else; I went into it thinking that I was already tired enough and I couldn't afford to spend any more energy exercising. But it's true, getting up early and starting out my day doing fitness increased my energy levels and transformed my moods (I'm not nearly as moody anymore...promise).

It may not be for everyone, but it worked/is working for me. It's not always easy or fun, but if you're looking to change your lifestyle -- not a quick fad diet -- some of those points could also be for you.

Any questions, let me know!