Slowly but surely

After realizing that I started off this idea to lose ten pound in the worst way possible (mainly not doing anything), I have been really forcing myself to go workout.  I have been easing my way into working out in general by hitting the stationary bike.  It is extremely low impact which is good for my knees, and let me tell you, I ran on a treadmill for about ten minutes last week and it felt like my knees were going to explode.  I blame my dad for genetically bad knees. 

I find it hard to get the ambition to workout on days that I work.  I have no problem getting out there when I have the day off because I have nothing else to do.  I do not find anything exciting about working eight hours and then going and exerting more energy.  I want to just laze around and do nothing during the evening.  I once again, do not enjoy working out.  I do not feel more energized afterwards.  I do not better about myself, my self esteem isn't higher than normal afterwards.  I feel...more tired.  SURPRISE!  However, the results will be there and I know that and that is the reason I go.  Well, to see the results and to look good in my European man thong, but whatever.  

One small thing can snowball into more and more.  I will continue to get out and workout.  I want to lose the weight and I am going to get there.  

ten pound fail (so far)

It has been twelve days since I brought up the ten pound challenge and I am very thankful I didn't set any real date on completing it because, well, I've done jack shit about it. I shouldn't say that, I have been watching what I'm eating, a little bit anyways. I haven't gotten crazy healthy, but have curtailed the portions on some foods and eaten a few more salads. So, baby steps I guess.

Once again, I hate hate hate hate working out. Some people have said they love it, that it releases stress and it's addicting. For me? Not so much. It's an inconvenience. If I could get to a pool that's not located in a gym that you would have to pay a membership for, I would be all about that. I love swimming. I love (and miss) smelling like chlorine. I miss smelling like clean all the time. There are two major gyms in the Wichita area. There is the YMCA and Genesis Gyms. YMCA is up front with their fees, close to forty dollars a month for adults. Genesis? Not so much. I checked their site, I checked for forums or FAQs via Google, and still nothing. So I just gave up on looking for it and decided that if I am going to do this, I suppose I will give up hope of finding a cheap pool and just use the workout room that is in the apartment complex.



On a side note, news just came on that Osama Bin Laden has been killed and his body is in U.S. custody. A significant day, but nowhere near the end of any kind of fighting in the Middle East for America. A moral booster for sure.

The ten pound challenge

While making the transition from winter clothes to spring and summer clothes, A collected a box of items that were just a little too tight to fit into.  I asked her about the box and she said it's full of clothes that she wants to keep, but needs to lose about ten pounds.  We then joked a little bit about a ten pound box and went into the whole 'yeah, we really do need to start exercising and losing weight' discussion.  I then started to think about some clothes that are in the closet and dresser and came up with a mental ten pound box of my own.  We're getting old, our metabolism is starting to slow, beer tastes good, exercising sucks.  Whatever excuse you want to make for yourself, the fact is the majority of us out there can afford to lose ten pounds. 

One reason why I thought of this was because I couldn't sleep last night.  I tossed and turned just about every hour.  I would fall asleep for a little bit, wake up, and then turn over and fall back asleep.  Repeat this process for five hours and you have my evening.  During one of my moments of being awake, this thought came to me, why not set a goal of losing ten pounds to fit into these clothes that we have held onto?

I know that when I got my physical this year, one of the things my doctor stressed, other than getting a colonoscopy next year, was losing weight.  He wasn't exactly friendly about it, in fact, he came off rather dick-ish about it.  At any rate, over the past five years (or since I've been living in Kansas, is there a corelation, who knows) I've put on about fifteen pounds.  I guess you never really think of it when it's just four pounds here, or two pounds there, but the shit adds up.

So here is the plan.  Lose ten pounds.  That's it.  Through exercise, smart eating, and portion control (something I apparently have a problem with according to A).  The toughest part will be exercising.  I do not enjoy it.  I don't understand people that do enjoy it, but alas, that's just part of the game.