The Measure of a Man

How we choose to mearsure ourselves has a lot to do with the scale we choose to measure against.  As I began to approach my mid-life milestone I was set on a somewhat sedentary stroll into the future, accepting of the fate that was predestined for me.  Heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure were all traits in my family, and therefore a part of my future.  However, when I began to research my ancestory, another story began to unfold.  I will cover the details of this research in a future post, but just suffice it to say that most of my ancestors died of old age after living long and fruitful lives.

Every journey of change has a tipping point, or that moment of clarity that causes one to choose a new direction in life.  My tipping point occurred in late September of 2010.  I was newly single and decided to pursue a new relationship with the help of online dating.  It's a revealing process to document your worth in a marketing campaign to attract a new mate.  After a couple of dates, I realized that I was not attracting the type of gal I was hoping for.  After further evaluation, I knew it was time to make some changes.  I'm very comfortable with my moral/spiritual self and had no intentions of major changes in this area.  My financial situation has always been challenging for me and I dedicated myself to making changes in this area, but those changes will take time to produce fruit.  When I evaluated my physical appearance and overall health condition, this was the greatest area of opportunity that I could attack immediately. 

And attack it I did.  I was in the gym 5 or 6 days a week.  I started with 30 minutes on the Elliptical machine and worked up to 60 minutes over the course of a month or so.  Then I added 15 minutes on the Treadmill and dropped the Elliptical to 45 minutes.  In my final month I was doing 60 minutes on the Elliptical and 30 minutes on the Treadmill and/or weights.  Occassionally I would trade time on an Exercycle for the Treadmill.

I also changed my diet.  The first step was to record EVERY single item that went into my pie hole, 6 days a week.  I had read in Men's Health Magazine that a good strategy to adopt for success in weight loss was to allow your self one day a week that you could eat whatever you want.  Sunday was my splurge day.  For tracking my food intake I used the MyPlate tracking software at http://www.livestrong.com/.  I quickly realized that I was eating enough food to keep a small village alive.  Portion control was my new mantra.  At the time I began dieting I bought into the low-carb diets.  My daily routine was an egg white omelette (usually with spinach, zucchini, garlic, onion, etc), banana or celery with peanut butter for lunch, a chicken breast or salmon with some veggies for dinner, and a protein shake after the workout.  I usually had company over for dinner on Sunday evenings so I would cook a big meal (and send the leftovers home), have some pasta for lunch and some pancakes or waffles for breakfast.  After a few weeks of splurging on Sundays I began experimenting with healthier meals.

Needless to say, my online dating experience was not successful, but my attempt to win back the heart of my true love was.  I'm a very happy man and blessed in so many ways.  In September I was 265 lbs and sometime in January of 2011 I reached 220 lbs.  Today the scale reads 226 lbs.

When I re-introduced carbs into my diet I gained back some weight and got back up to just over 240 lbs before dropping back down to my current weight.  I'm not going to the gym anymore and I've been relying on walks and bike rides to meet my exercise requirements.  I've been planning to incorporate yoga and some basic exercises at home, but I'm struggling to find a routine.

Overall, I still do not measure up to the man I wish I had become by this time in my life, but I've always been a "glass half full" kind of guy.  I'm still hoping that the best years are ahead of me.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying!

This photo was taken as part of the celebration of my 50th Birthday this year.  I've been processing this pivotal time of my life for the past couple of years and trying to come to terms with the fact that I'm most likely closer to the end of my life than the beginning.  Of course, when you say it like that, it makes you realize that it's time to "Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying".  For those movie buffs, you may recognize this quote from "The Shawshank Redemption".  As a child growing up I was fortunate to have cable TV in the 70's and got an early start on way too much TV and movies, so many of my quotes will come from these sources.

Unfortunately, like many Americans I have spent more time unemployed in the last few years then I would've liked.  Having this extra time on my hands has provided my with an opportunity to read, think, study, research, and affect some change in my life.  This blog is about that change.

This photo also represents the last time I've eaten meat.  For many of my friends reading this blog, this may come as a bit of a shock.  While working in Texas in 1999 it was my goal to find the largest steak available and consume it (36 oz Porterhouse, and yes I did finish it).  This behaviour brought me to well over 280 lbs.  Part of my journey has included a significant weight loss (40 lbs in 4 months).  I'm currently under 230 lbs and working to establish a healthy weight around 200.  I'm 6' 4" and this should put me at about the right BMI and a reasonable percent of body fat.

My father died of a heart attack and my mother had diabetes most of her adult life.  Both parents suffered from high blood pressure.  As I began to review the medical history of my ancestors, the story actually got better.  I will discuss this in more detail in a blog specific to my family history.

As with any journey, it is often the first step that is most difficult.  Hopefully that is the case with my new blogventure and the future posts will roll with ease.