Losing

This is me, just over a week ago. No, really. Don't let the sunglasses and hat fool you. I'm posting this picture here because I wanted something recent of myself. And I don't figure I've changed too much in the last 9 days.I post this picture because I want something to look back on in a few months.

I hereby announce that I am attempting to lose some weight.

You're probably thinking, "Why would this amazing specimen need to lose any weight?" Notice the slight pudge around the midsection. Just under the word "football" on the t-shirt I'm wearing in the picture. One might call it a gut.

I've never attempted to lose weight before. Especially since that time I lost all that weight from not eating. Not the healthiest way to go about it, I'll admit. This time, I want to be smart about it. Also, yes, making a conscious effort.

But I've noticed some things about myself that I'm not really liking. When I recently bought some clothes, I realized that an X-Large shirt kind of swallows me, but a Large is a little too tight for comfort. That tells me I could stand to lose a few. So I decided to jump on the Mark Hipes weight loss train.

This is a guy who has lost around 80 pounds over the course of the last couple years. He's like a different person. I sat down with him while I was in Bluefield last weekend and got some tips on how I should do this thing.

The first thing I need to do is cut out regular sodas. Now, when he started his weight loss kick, he kicked all sodas altogether. But I need the caffeine. So I'll need to keep getting that fix somewhere. And diet drinks will be the best option. I'm not a fan of a diet soda. It tastes like evil. But I'm starting with the Coke Cherry Zero. It's not so bad. It's like a gateway diet drink.

Next, I need to exercise. This is great because I've been planning to work on the Couch to 5k Challenge to get ready for this year's Drumstick Dash in Roanoke on Thanksgiving Day. I began this morning and walked/ran about a mile and a half. By the end of 10 weeks, I should be fully prepared to run a 5k. That's the theory anyway.

Third, and probably most importantly, portion control. This is pure discipline. I have a lot of respect for Mark and his ability to cut back on his portions. He's a guy that likes to eat. Now he gives himself a little more than he did starting out. Apparently his metabolism kicked up a notch during all this. Wouldn't mind that happening for me too.

Another little step is the importance of whole grains. Oh, and light or fat free foods. And, you know, I'm sure there are other details that I'm leaving out. But those are the big ones.

I weighed myself today. First time I've done that in a long time. Came in at 224.2 pounds. I'm not sure what the American Medical Association says a guy standing 5'6" tall should weigh. And I don't care. But I'd like to get down to 180. That's 44 pounds. And I'd like to do this by the time I turn 33. That gives me 6 months and 3 days. Totally doable.

For the record, I'm not doing this because I want to look better. I'm not doing this to win the affections of some random girl in a white SUV. I just want to feel better about myself and not get winded when I'm walking from one classroom to the other while I'm at work. So take a good look at that guy in the picture up there. 'Cause in 6 months, he's gonna look kind of different.