It’s increasingly obvious to me that I’m no longer young and skinny. Since I’ve topped 200 pounds since before my son was born, and he’s nearly 30, you’d think I would have figured this out before now. Well, sometimes I’m a little slow. It also took me a far more than reasonable time to realize that my wardrobe and grooming could use an upgrade. Scruffy face and hair, t-shirts and blue jeans was all well and good in my twenties, but I’m over 60 now. Maybe I should do something about this, you think?
Total beauty, huh?
Obviously, regrowing hair and removing wrinkles are completely out of the realm of likelihood – anyone who thinks otherwise needs a reality check – and I’m not vain enough to color my hair in an attempt to regain lost youth. However, pretty much everything else is on the table. I’m already in better-than-average shape for someone my age, and I already go to the gym on a semi-regular basis. However, my diet and wardrobe can obviously use an upgrade. In fact, I have been so fat for so long that it’s finally begun to affect my health. The doctors keep waving Type 2 Diabetes in my face. And at least one has told me I’m beginning to get cirrhosis of the liver. If I’m going to keep writing for any reasonable amount of time, I’ll have to fix this. So saying, I will be going through my intended action plan in detail over the next week or so, and post updates as necessary. What follows are my initial thoughts on the subject.
First, I have to establish a baseline – you can’t measure progress if you have nothing to measure against. Weight, current workout routine, meal planning, total calories consumed to start. Every diet I’ve ever gone on (there have been dozens over the years) requires the same set of starting numbers. My total intake has changed over the years – I doubt if I’m still packing away 3000 calories per day… well, I used to. But if I’m remembering correctly, my maintenance calories per day for my weight is around 2000. Possibly higher – I need to check on that, too. And I need to add in absolutely everything that goes in my mouth – no cheating.
After that, it’s mostly a question of dropping the total intake by somewhere between 200 and 500 calories per day, establishing a consistent eating pattern and stepping up my workout. Adjust the calorie level as necessary. I currently do two, occasionally three workouts per week: a walk/run of a mile or more, weightlifting and some relaxation time in the jacuzzi. My wife and I play racquetball whenever we can, as well.
This blog post is intentionally short. I just don’t have enough info yet to establish the baseline, and I don’t have a standardized breakfast and lunch figured out, yet. I’m going to withhold any move toward Intermittent Fasting until I see what I’m up against. (I’ve done IF before, it’s really no problem for me.) No plans yet to curtail scotch or cigars. Here we go.
bcd