Someone asked me the other day, so what is your next routine (P90X by the way) and how long will you do that? (90 days for starters!). Then they said something interesting... "well, at least after that you'll be done". Done with what? Getting up before 5AM to workout everyday? Being more careful of what I eat & drink? Nearly eliminating my soda & alcohol intake? Does that mean I'll be able to start snacking and watching TV after the kids go to bed (8PM) every night? NO.
That's when it occurred to me. What I HAVE CHOSEN is a lifestyle change. I CHOSE that I wanted to be healthier. Look better. Fit better into my clothes. Make healthier choices for me and my children. Be someone that my children can look up to and not be embarrassed of their over-weight, out of shape father.
What does that mean exactly??? It means I'm going to continue to get up and do something nearly every day to stay fit. It means I'm going to continue to be more selective about my food/drink choices. It is something that is going to have to continue for the rest of my life... hence the "lifestyle change".
Do I like to get up before 5AM to exercise? NOPE. Do I like to exercise at all? Not really. Do I like NOT snacking? Egh... yeah, sometimes actually. lol Do I miss ordering a ton of snacky/appetizer foods and sitting my fat ass on the couch and just watching TV all day? YES I DO. The problem with that though is that there were too many of those days and not enough better choices to off-set it. Some people ask me "Do you miss the 'Dew". I'm notorious for my love of Mountain Dew. Actually, I don't. I mean there are times where I just want a damn Mtn Dew and I have one. For the most part though, no - I don't and I do typically now just limit it to one. Is the greatest drink ever made to man Water? LOL Seriously? No. It's good for you, it has no calories and as long as it's cold I'll drink it, but it wouldn't be my favorite drink by a long shot. lol
What I do like (LOVE actually), is the way I feel after I workout. I love feeling the blood flowing through my body. The renewed energy in my mind & body. I feel so much more alert. I certainly have a lot more confidence. I'm not going to lie... I do like the "pumped up" look. lol Not to mention being looked at by your wife and reminded that not only does she still find you physically attractive, but you look even more attractive to her than when you first met! I like being able to help people, it is usually at the expense of time with my family, but I do sincerely like being part of a solution. A lot of the help I have provided for people in the past has been an extra set of hands for physical labor. Labor that would leave me exhausted and useless for the next day or even longer. I can't say that I really get that way now. I can go help someone for the day, bust my ass, work up a ridiculous sweat, be physically tired - but still have energy to play with my children before bed. Still have energy to complete my day before I go to bed and re-energize my body. The next day, yeah I might be a little sore, but I can still get up and do my exercise and still have plenty of energy for everything I want to do. To me, that is pretty awesome. Maybe because it is a feeling I haven't had in such a long time? Something I haven't had since I was a teenager, but I have it now and I love it.
So in short, if you are "choosing" to workout/exercise, whatever you want to call it. Ask yourself some tough questions. What is the point? Why are you doing this? When can you stop? Your answers may just tell you that you have chosen a lifestyle change, one that will hopefully give you the feeling of satisfaction & reward you for the rest of your life.
A little update on my progress by the way: I'm only down about 12 lbs (started at 202 and down to about 190). I've got a minimum of 15 lbs more to go. Ideally though I'd like to get to around 170 lbs (longer term). I used to force myself into size 36 waist jeans & dress clothes. EXTREMELY uncomfortable. In reality I should have been in 38s or 40s. I'm now comfortably fitting into 34s. I want to get back to my size 32s. Again, a longer term goal. I've all but stopped wearing XL shirts. They hang off me and don't fit very well. They certainly don't show the results of my efforts. It's nice to be back into size large shirts. I dont' anticipate going smaller there. That is one clothes item that will likely stay at it's current size. lol That and my socks. lol It's a tough journey. Being healthy is not something that comes natural when you have lived an unhealthier lifestyle for so long. It can be tough, but it is very rewarding.
Wish me luck over Thanksgiving because it is my most favorite food holiday of the year!! lol
Wish me luck over Thanksgiving because it is my most favorite food holiday of the year!! lol
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