Fitness Journey-Day 1

I can’t tell you how many times I have said, “Starting tomorrow, I am going to get back in shape, start eating better, sleep more, drink less, etc…” Those “tomorrows” come and go, sometimes I would start, sometimes I would work on a plan for a few days or week. In some instances, I would be successful for months, but invariably, I end up where I am right now, heavier than I want to be, with less energy than I should have for a 35 year old. Since the age of 18, I have gained and lost hundreds (potentially in the thousands) of pounds.

I have tried just about every fad diet you can, keto, slow carb, mediterrean, vegan, Whole 30, etc. They work, for a short period of time, and then I get bored and go back to eating the way I always have. I come from an Italian family. We love food!I love good food! And I love a good bourbon! My goal is to keep loving those things, but find a way to enjoy those, incorporate fitness into my life, feel good generally, and get to a point where I can lose and keep off the weight that continues to come back, time after time.

COVID has taught me a valuable lesson. I have chosen to be where I am right now. I have made excuses for why I am not where I want to be, “I travel too much for work and don’t have time to work out”, “I can’t eat healthy because I am entertaining clients at lunches, happy hours and dinner”, and “I leave for work too early and get home too late to have workout routine.” Well, for the last year- I have worked from home, have not traveled on a plane, haven’t taken a client out for a meal or drinks, and I have a small home gym with a Peloton in my basement-yet I have managed to gain 20 lbs. I owe myself an explanation for that.

I am not “starting tomorrow” anymore, I start today. I start right now. This journey won’t just be about weight, as I think there are many more measures of success, such as body fat %, hours of sleep, and simply my general feelings, but at the beginning, weight will be my primary focus, as there aren’t too many 255 lb super-fit individuals in the world. I invite you to come along on the journey, read the posts for encouragement or humor, or offer support along the way.

My biggest challenge in the past is having been too rigid in my plan. I believe it was Mike Tyson that said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Well, my punch to the face has always been work trips, or a night out with friends or my wife that leads to eating too much, or an injury that makes it hard for me to not work out for a short period of time. Instead of being flexible, I have taken that to be failure and go back to the same routine that has gotten me to where I am today.

That said, I am going to have a new plan every week. This is week 1. My plan this week is to:

1. Workout at least 5 times for a minimum of 30 minutes each
2. Meditate every morning for at least 10 Minutes
3. Read for 15 minutes a day
4. Start each day with my to-do planner
5. Track my food and keep calorie consumption under 1750 per day
6. No more than 1 alcoholic beverage a day
7. Allow myself an off day for day 3 of the week-retirement party for a good friend and I am sure that will include some bad food and bourbon-but to not allow that to derail my plans and continue back on day 4 with the plan.