Day 1 - the Kick Off

It's Sunday, March 6, around 10:20 a.m.  I spent much of last night and this morning talking to Karen about how to finally make a change in my life that would stick.  I'm 51 years old, weigh 248 lbs.  I sleep with a breathing machine because I have sleep apnea.  I also use a mouth guard because I grind my teeth.  I have Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and my cholesterol is a little high (the bad stuff, the good stuff is apparently a little low).  I also take daily antacid pills because of acid reflux.

I've not been a good steward with my life and health.  That's obvious.

So, I've set some goals, and we (my family and I) have decided to adopt a new lifestyle that will change the way we eat and the way we invest our time.  I've recorded my body measurements and my weight.  I've set an ambitious goal of losing 3 pounds per week.

We've adopted the Sonoma Diet as the best choice for us - we've experimented with this before with some success.  It is a Mediterranean style diet developed to maximize nutrition and healthy eating.  We're eliminating or secluding all white flours, sugar, candy, etc.  Since we've used the diet before and are familiar with it, we are starting in what is known as Wave II - which includes certain fruits and a glass of wine with dinner. 

The meals emphasize fresh foods and outstanding recipes - I mean, truly, they taste like meals you would get in a fine restaurant.  Also, the program is a boon to family living.  It celebrates the preparation of the meal and eating with your family - sitting around the table enjoying the experience of dining together.  This has great benefits including closer relationships with each other, relaxing and reducing stress, and slowing down the consumption process which aids in weight loss.  It helps you enjoy learning a new lifestyle.

Let's face it, today, most Americans are overweight and eat badly.  We over eat and rush through our days.  I am trying to change that in my home.  I want to enjoy today with my family.  I want to eat better and live better so I can be around longer to be with them.

I think that maybe we live the way we do to fill the emptiness of our lifestyle.  In our effort to "have it all and have it now" we enslave ourselves to a dream painted by the media.  We don't even question or examine whether or not the lifestyle makes us happy or fulfills us.  Instead, we set out at a young age, blithely and blindly, in the quest to acquire things.  Along the way, we become indentured servants, promising to spend our days and hours working to pay for the things we want.

I believe that at some point we find that this is an empty and vain pursuit.  I know I have.  After three decades, I am in enough debt that I'll spend the next decade working it off.  By leveraging the American Dream, I have enslaved myself to it.  This creates an enormous amount of stress.  So, this part of our lives has to change.

The lifestyle I hope to develop will focus on different values: God, home, family, friends, community - a relational based lifestyle, not an acquisition based lifestyle.

Additionally, I have developed a work out plan.  Swimming will be my sport of choice for my main workouts.  I was a competitive swimmer growing up, so I have the basic skills.  Additionally, it is much easier on the joints and feet.  Plus, frankly, I hate running.  I run like a rock.  I tried a couple of triathalons when I was younger and more foolish.  After getting passed in the run by a little old man who encouraged me to keep trying as he patted my shoulder and left me in the dust, I gave up on running.

In addition to the swimming, which I will do three to four times a week, with the goal of building up to hour long strenuous workouts in about three months, I will also do some strength training using kettle-bells, pull-ups, dips, push-ups and crunches, stretch, and play some competitive sports for fun and fitness.  For example, I like to jump into pick-up basketball games at the gym.  I can also spend time with my son playing ball in the driveway.

The kettle-bells are a little bit of a specialty.  I am fortunate to have a good friend, Jeff Martone, who travels around the country training people on how to effectively work out on kettle bells.  He has some great videos on his website.  He also has a certification program for trainers.  After I gain in skill with the kettle-bells, I hope to go through the certification course myself.

The final goal is 190 pounds in 18 weeks.  But, I also want to dramatically improve my fitness levels and build lean, useful muscle, as well as improving flexibility.  Not only that, I want to break free from medications, get the Type II diabetes and high blood pressure under control, and figure out how to reduce stress and anxiety in my life. 

I'm going to blog the process and results, everyday.  I hope that people will join in with me.  I'd love to do this with a few others who will support and inspire each other.  But, I'm doing it no matter what.  Also, I'd love to talk about the process, discuss the results and refine it all.  Finally, it's great to have people who will encourage you along the way.

So, welcome to the adventure.  I look forward to hearing from you.