On one hand, it’s a depressing figure because I’ve got such a way to go. On the other hand, I’m just under 1/7th of the weigh (sic) there, which is a great start. I want to get down to my goal weight from a couple years ago, which I never quite made after tearing up my soleus (no rw, not that Soleus 🙂 ) playing Ultimate. As I’ve mentioned before, my Ultimate days are done (until maybe the fall) and the focus is getting back to my goal weight and maintaining a 35-40 mile week. I plan to hit both goals by the Civic Holiday.
I’ve been running regularly the last few weeks, and have re-introduced gym workouts into the mix as of last weekend. I’m sore, but not oh-god-I-broke-myself sore. I won’t call it a good sore just yet, but it’s getting there. Squats, lat pulldowns, deadlifts, leg and bench presses, and a variety of other exercises (including ab work, ugh) are back in the routine, and I can lift about half of what I could at the peak of when I was lifting seriously. But it’s coming back. That’s the important part; or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
The re-introduction’s been tough, doubly so because life has been a bit of a downer of late, and I’ve had zero motivation for anything. I’ve resorted to writing lists and posting them around the house, as well as keeping a reminder card in my wallet. Know what? It’s working for me. The rules are simple, and are as follows:
- No fast food, and make sure there’s 5-7 servings of fruit and veggies a day
- Know (and track) what goes in (count kcals), and follow the 40-30-30 zone guidelines
- A maximum of 4 drinks with booze per week (although I’m happy to throw in a bender for a good reason once in a while… like when I find myself in Cranford or Vancouver)
- Stretch every day for 20-30 minutes when I get up and before I go to sleep
- Read something new for at least 30min a day (preferably 60)
- Run 3 times a week, and cross-train at least once a week
- Weights 3 times a week
- One day of complete rest and recovery
- Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals, and keep them posted front and center
- Variances, in moderation, are ok
That’s it. It sounds kind of silly, but it’s working for me, and I’m seeing results that go well beyond shedding some pounds and getting back in shape. Hopefully I’ll have more to tell on that end in the very near future. We’ll see.
For now, it’s good enough for me to know I’m well on the road back, and that the last few weeks hasn’t been yet another false start.