When you have 24 hours a day to devote to nothing but yourself, you have plenty of time to ponder life; the past, the present and what you would like for the future. I have always wanted to live my life better and healthier in the future but now I have no excuse for not doing it. It still won’t be easy but I have made some serious inroads lately. I am eating much healthier than usual; Jesse and I walk 3 to 4 miles daily; and I have completed most of the projects still remaining for Dod’s complete restoration.
Next comes the tough part: making resolutions and actually keeping them. Some of the ones I am considering are:
1. Spending 30 minutes a day doing isometrics. Using isometrics requires no equipment, only time. Last time I had a regular routine with isometrics (about 3 years ago), I lost 15 pounds and moved another 10 pounds from my gut back to my chest where it belongs.
2. Spending an hour a day improving my Spanish. I brought along six books and 20 CDs to help me in my goal.
3. Quit smoking (I don’t need to say anything more do I?).
4. Cut back on my drinking; this is as much a budgetary item as it is a health item.
I found a scale in town and I am down to 187 lbs. which is about 5 lbs. over what the book says my desired weight should be at 6’1” in height. That 5 lb. mass is located in my gut but when I started this journey the mass was closer to 20 lbs. so moving 5 lbs. up to my chest should be easy.
Doing some quick math made me face the reality that if I give up both smoking and drinking I can afford three or four restaurant meals each week or spend a couple of nights with hookups each week. It must sound like a no-brainer but 50 years of bad habits don’t disappear overnight.
Wish me luck!
It's hard to do, but if you keep remembering the payoff - you should do well.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good plan. The exercise and better eating will add years to your life. Quitting smoking - yes! As to the money you'll save, if you eat at restaurants three or four times a week, that will be expensive and not usually as healthy as cooking at home. Get some good recipes on-line and experiment! Having a glass of wine while cooking is part of many of my recipes. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's not easy. Speaking from someone who is inherently lazy, it's much easier to let things go if there seems to be no goal in sight. It would seem that you've done some "analysis" (for lack of a better term) and than will help with your motivation. If you're doing that much walking a day, just cutting back on the other "stuff" may be enough to nudge your weight down to where you'd like it.
ReplyDeleteYou'll do fine.
Good for you Brother, Karma works
ReplyDeleteIf you eat out three or four times a week, you may have a struggle with those last five pounds. :)
ReplyDeleteI quite smoking two years ago but still have my beer gut.
ReplyDeletegood luck, Dave!!
ReplyDeleteWishing you all the best - follow your heart.
ReplyDeleteYou have much the same goals as us, except for the no smoking, as we aren't smokers to begin with. If you start out with small goals you will end up at the final goal. Kevin's biggest goal would be drinking less (maybe that is my goal for him!).
ReplyDeleteKevin and Ruth
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com