Fitness

Changing leavesJust like the leaves are changing and the seasons are changing, I am finding the need to make some changes in my life too. And today seems like a greT day to start.

1) lose weight – I need to lose 30 pounds atleast, but probably more  I want to be around for my kids.  So today I walked about 10,000 steps, and continued to modify my diet by implementing a morning Beachbody Shakeology Shake.

2) find a church home – This has really bothered me, just as much as the being overweight.  I miss the church and fellowship that I had when I was in Texas and it is something that I want my kids to  have as they grow up.

3) better financial position – This is a constant struge for most Americans.  One minute I feel that we are moving in the right direction, the next I am up all night worrying.  My wife and I are really focused on getting out of debt and have been throwing all the extra cash that we can at paying down credit card debt.  But, if we can get all of our debt paid off in 2 years, we should be able to save enough to pay for all 4 years of college for both boys and increase our 401k contributions from 8 to 12%+!

4) technology- My job and life revolves around technology  so this is going to be hard.  But I really want to cut back on my usage and dependency on technology.  This is crucial because I constantly get emails, text messages, calls, etc and everytime one of those messages comes in at night, it takes away from my kids.

These are a lot of changes and I realize that.  But i have asked several friends and my wife to help keep me accountable and focused.  So as the seasons are changing and the leaves have started to slowly change colors, I too am changing and I hope that these changes are for the best and for my sons.

 

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I broke down Monday morning and made a purchase, one that I normally would not make, but I bought the Jawbone Up.

If you aren’t familiar with this little gadget, you aren’t alone, neither was I. But my wife had purchased a fitness arm band to help encourage her to get in shape and I figured, why not?

Day 1 – 550 steps in 2 hours.
Not bad. Just have to keep it up and do more. My goal is 5,000 – 8,000 steps in a day, but this will also require going to the gym more often, which may or may not happen.

This is just a transformation into becoming a healthier person and increasing my longevity of being around for my boys, which is what I need to do and be focused on.

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Today marks Day 1 of a new challenge that I have setup for myself and one that I hope that will continue for a very long time.

Ever since I turned 21, I have been reminded that both sides of my family struggles with alcohol. I have known it and have always been really mindful of it. The last 2 – 3 weeks have been really stressful at work and instead of coming home and having a beer or a glass of wine, I was doing 3 – 4.
I was drinking to get through the stress. I knew it. I didn’t want to admit it, but I recognized it. And when I said out loud that I was doing this, I felt like the world was being lifted off of my shoulders.

This past Sunday night, my wife and I had a long conversation and it was really me more or less mapping out what I wanted to do, to try to ensure that I am here for a long time for the boys.
And for the first time in my life, I acknowledged, that if I didn’t make changes, that I wouldn’t be here to watch the boys grow up. So, I asked my wife to give me 2 – 3 nights a week that I could work out
at the gym. I’ve already been doing a pretty decent job with the meals, so I wasn’t as concerned about that.

Today marks Day 1 of this new journey. Day 1 of a new me and a new life. I am fortunate that a few friends are taking this same approach to getting in better shape. I think that the biggest feeling for me, is that there will be accountability, because
several good friends will also be doing this and we will be able to keep each other on track.

 

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Recently my wife encouraged me to download and install My Fitness Pal app and I must say, I have been blown away how easy it is to use, but also to track what I am eating. The app not only works on the web, but also on multiple smart phones as well.

As most, I set out to lose weight, but after the 1st of the year, I normally just continue my eating habits. Now, I am more conscious about what I am eating and when I am eating, because I am tracking my calories. And to even got a step further with the importance of this app, my wife is able to see what I am eating and help encourage me to make better decisions when she sees that I have slipped and eaten a cheeseburger at lunch, instead of a salad or fish.

So far, I am on schedule with my weight loss and it is in large part due to My Fitness Pal.

 

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