Now I'm committed...
Some of you know (if you've read from the start of my blog in the Summer of 2008) that I had gastric bypass surgery in January 2008. Since that time I've lost over 185 pounds and my life has changed drastically. That's great and all, and to a large degree I've had very little to worry about in the realm of weight loss since then. It's pretty tough to NOT lose weight when your stomach can't even take in more than a certain amount. Aside from running for 2 months last Summer until my knees couldn't take it any longer, I've been extremely inconsistent with my exercising. Well... eventually the losing slows and stops. Then you're really just maintaining, and as your stomach pouch slightly stretches it's possible to slide back...
The metabolism slows as the calorie intake drops. That's natural. Your body stops burning calories as rapidly, because it thinks you're in a state of deprivation. It stores more. After the surgery there's a natural rubber-banding when once you've reached your low weight, it rises some...
Well... I'm not having it. I was miserable for years because of my weight. I fucked up my knees and my feet. I can't even entertain the idea of backsliding. So... in front of my friends and my readers I'm placing on myself the following challenge...
For 3 months, starting May 1st (I'll explain why I'm waiting 2 weeks in a minute)...
-- I'm going to be a vegetarian. This is really a no brainer for me. I have more difficulty with eating meat than any other type of food. It doesn't process well. It usually makes me feel sick. I love the taste of it, but I've been thinking for a while that the trade-off isn't worth it. Now the Tofu Muchacha can help me introduce more Tofu...
-- I'm cutting out fried foods and sweets (with the exception of Jello)... This sounds drastic, but to be honest with you, I live perpetually on a slippery slope... Better to cut it out entirely... I've never been good at moderation. Just because my tiny stomach pouch enforces moderation for me, doesn't mean I should lean on that.
-- Why 2 weeks from now? I want to give myself as much of the 3 months of pain-free exercise as possible. As I mentioned earlier my knees are totally jacked up. Last Fall I went to see a doctor about them, and aside from recommending surgery, his only other solution were these silicate injections that sort of create a synthetic lubricant between my joints. Well, I need to make an appointment to get these injections. The effects won't be instantaneous, but if I can get a head start on making my knees a little happier, I'll take it.
-- I'll be attempting to do P90X. It's an extremely popular work-out program that claims to make a huge fitness impact in the span of 90 days. I've started and stopped it a couple of times already, though not particularly recently. This will be my biggest challenge, as I need to carve out at least 80 minutes (with workout and shower) every day, and that's easier said than done. Of course... I've spent an hour on this blog (I half wrote a different, unpublishable one)... The time DOES exist.
So... We'll see how it goes. I don't have a weight loss goal. I'm not concerned with losing more weight, really. Just want to feel healthier. Possibly tone. Sharpen my jawline...
Come May 1st, I'll officially announce the start. I'll post weekly updates at least, and I'll likely have a lot to say about the ills of tofu.
Thanks for indulging me.
5 comments:
Love the post, but will that mean you'll have to temporarily adjust your blog name/title? (maybe something like the 'Not So Beefy Muchacho' or thereabouts..)?
Found you through Kasmira:) Love the posts and your attitude. Good luck with the P90x. Tony is a machine and makes you want to "do your best" Not sure how close you are to a Moksha hot yoga studio. I think there is one in Northern KY. If you like heat, it's a great way to rev up the metabolism and be kind to your joints. That's my two bits:)
Meant to say good luck!
Good for you:) I fight my weight too and getting older and feeling the effects of added weight in my knees and ankles (3in heels don't help) swimming at the YMCA has really been a benefit too! They have yoga classes too.
One of the girls at work did P90x to finish off her weight loss and it was pretty fantastic. She was so sore she couldn't sit down a lot of the time but it certainly made a noticeable difference.
My word verification is "TryGI". Maybe it's a sign that you should consider the military.
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