Let’s Talk About Goals

One thing I haven’t talked about yet was goals. The good news is I think I have it figured out. Back in college I loved that the senior year semesters were broken down into major projects and minor projects. Everything seemed very simple to handle.

The Major Project

Of the 70lbs I gained in the last 10 years, I want to lose half of that by the end of the year. That’s about three quarters of a pound per week.

Minor Projects

When I dropped some weight last year, nothing was felt more rewarding than fitting into some shirts and pants that haven’t seen the light of day in years. When I think about it, I have some great shirts in my closet. My minor projects are going to be ‘goal shirts’. I’ll post some photos of me squeezing into the shirts a bit later…

My Weight Loss Needs a Content Strategy

If weight loss was the focus of 100% of my day — where I can completely focus on it without distractions — maybe it would be easier. Unfortunately, life is full of distractions. Most of the content I consume everyday has nothing to do with health and weight loss. The work emails; the daily commute; the grocery store, CVS, the website I’m coding; they all have nothing to do with my health.

I need community. Talking about my goals every day will keep me focused. Seeing reminders throughout the day will remind me what I’m working for. My weight loss needs a content strategy. Here are my ideas:

1. Leave issues of Men’s Health around the house.
2. Sign up for for Men’s Health Newsletters. Sure, they’ll fill my inbox, but even reading the headlines will remind me of my goals.
3. Make a point to talk about it with others.

Beyond the Basics

For my Saturday workout I wanted to do something a bit more complex and found these three gems in the most recent issue of Men’s Health:

I’m loving the challenge, but find that I’m struggling with finding the right weight where I’m still working my upper body, without overdoing it with the lower body.

How to Feel Like Garbage in One Hour or Less

Alternate Title: I Should Have Opted for the Cole Slaw

I’m far from throwing in the towel just a few days into this, but I made a promise to a friend to grab lunch. Maybe a restaurant with ‘Wild Wings’ in its name wasn’t the best choice…

At first, my mind was bigger than my appetite — and thank goodness the calories were posted. I decreased my order from 15 wings to 10, but my downfall was ordering the fries and chips (not to mention the beer). Bad food tastes awesome, but I should have ended my meal much sooner. I was so stuffed after this meal, I almost considered skipping dinner. I felt like garbage; over-stuffed, tired, slow… you name it.

Today is a new day though… already started it off with a protein-rich breakfast and lots of water.

Healthy Dinner Number Two

For tonight’s dinner I really wanted to balance the veggies and the protein. Green beans with garlic and herb seasoning, chicken with a touch of tomato sauce and cheese, stolen sip of wine from my lovely wife, horrible dog begging for food.