Back for more

All right, I'm back again. I had kinda given up on the whole blogging thing due mostly to time constraints. I was also running out of things to say. In the spirit of the health Renaissance/revolution sweeping my office, I've decided to re-visit my blog and re-purpose it for a diary/advice device regarding weight loss and exercise.

As a bit of catch-up, I did reach my goal of 165 lbs. I'm sitting at the weight very comfortably now and have been for over a month. I've lost roughly 40+ lbs since I started dieting and exercising last August. My workout routine changes weekly depending on my schedule, but ideally, it is 3 days of weights, 3 days of cardio (running), and 1 day off. I'm also taking a Tai Chi class at the YMCA, 1-2 times a week to work on my stretching, endurance and mental health.

I've run several short races, and I will be running my first 1/2 marathon on April 25th here in Nashville. I'm still losing weight but I'm not obsessed with it. Mostly I do it to keep from back-sliding and to keep challenging myself to work harder. I've found that having achievable goals has really driven my success so far. When I first started, I was trying to lose at least 10 lbs a month or run at least another minute longer on the treadmill or go another mile farther on the street. By keeping achievable goals, I was able to build off my success at weight loss and gain some real momentum to the point that I can't imagine me ever quitting. After the 1/2 marathon, my goals are fairly modest: run a race (no matter what the distance) every other month and get in at least 25 miles of running a week. I also have a big goal that I'm more or less keeping to myself, but we'll see how that works out.