Fitness on Notes from the Rabbit Hole

Personal Fitness Journey: Fork in the Road?

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 08:59:55 -0400

I’ve lost a little over 75 pounds now and I’m feeling stuck. So I’m going to eat more.

When I started at a weight of 316 pounds around Christmas of 2015, I didn’t have a plan or methodology. I didn’t have any notions to exercise. My body was in pain from simple things like standing or walking, and I was using a walking stick to get around.

A few months into my journey, simply “trying to eat right” wasn’t enough. I was hovering around 305 pounds. My youngest brother got married and I missed the ceremony, because the walk from the parking lot to the ceremony was long and I was hobbling on a walking stick. I tried to smile for everyone but in truth I just wanted to lay down in a shallow hole and have everyone throw dirt on me. I couldn’t endure any longer.

fitness update

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 06:11:44 -0400

It’s been 60 days since my body started responding to changes in my fitness strategy, and in those 60 days I’ve lost 24 pounds of mass, gone down two shirt sizes, and gained some strength.

In mid-August, I’d started using my Bowflex Max M3 trainer to start dramatically improving my cardiovascular fitness. And to that end, it worked well. But it also started reinvigorating the muscles in my body. It did this so much so that I actually gained weight when I first started using the Bowflex. If you experience this first week weight gain, stay with it; that cliff you see at the beginning of the banner image is where the Bowflex-inspired weight loss kicked in.

getting fit like a nerd

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 05:10:54 -0400

Most of my adult life, since I took up my first full-time IT job in 1994 and sat behind a desk, I’ve watched my waistline grow and my health decline. I’ve tried a few things to fix this, but I think I’m on to something… that people have been saying for years. But like a good nerd, I’m using technology to help me manage my fitness.

December 2015, weight around 315 pounds and my shirt buttons were straining to keep up.

state of the nerd

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 06:26:50 -0400

It’s been awhile since I’ve written, and much has changed. I thought it was time to lay down some updates. Since my last post, I’ve made some big career decisions.

Career

The elephant in the room. Let’s tackle that first.

Happiness is important. And it’s been a little while since I’ve had happiness in my career. I think the last time I was truly happy was the first time that I actually enjoyed being in a leadership position.