I’ve Put On Some Weight Recently, And I’m Not Happy About It.
I’ve been inconsistent and lazy in recent years with my health and fitness. So I’ve decided enough is enough. Here’s what I’m doing about…
Photo by Christopher Flowers on Unsplash
I’ve been inconsistent and lazy in recent years with my health and fitness. So I’ve decided enough is enough. Here’s what I’m doing about it.
Welcome to The Reflectionist, a daily dose of reflection on the nature of the self, personal reality, creativity, life and work, submitted to the public record for posterity. Read personal essays and articles on the psychology of creativity to help you nurture and broaden your creative prowess.
The best way, I have found, to make oneself follow through on a commitment is to make it public — make myself accountable by putting it out there. So that’s what this is.
In the last four years or so, I’ve put on about 14 pounds (6.35kg), and although I’m not happy about it, I’ve become comfortable with the extra padding. I have been eating what I wanted with little concern for the effects on my body, and my negligence is showing.
The truth of the matter is that it’s not who I am. The person I like to identify with is lean and fit, not flabby and gasping from a short run up the stairs! I have become self-conscious about my appearance, and although I understand the psychological basis for this and in some way should know better, I still feel it.
It hasn’t always been this way. In the past, I have run marathons and ultras — lots of them. I was the fittest in endurance terms I had ever been. However, I didn’t take care of myself then either.
At one point, I was running so much, my weight had dropped to 161 pounds (73kg), which was way below my usual 180 pounds (82kg). My head actually looked too big for my body, which is a sure sign something was wrong. I picked up pneumonia, and after a period to recover, I decided to give up exercising entirely for a while.
That was 2015, and for the last two years, I have attempted in vain to get back on track. So I have decided to do something about it finally. This is how things break down.
The State of Play
Here’s where I am currently in terms of personal stats and fitness level.
Weight: 198 pounds (90kg).
Body fat percentage: 16%.
Height: 5'10" (1.78m)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 28.41 (I’m in the overweight bracket 25 to 29.9)
I can run a 10k in about 50 mins comfortably
I can run a 5k in about 27 mins comfortably
1 RM squat 120kg (tested Dec ‘18)
By some people’s standards, I may appear in not too bad a shape. By my standards, I’m way off, and I have some serious work to do.
What Success Looks Like
Metrics are great, and they can help us gauge where we are — if we are making progress or not. But the primary metric on which I will judge my success is the mirror test; if I don’t look good to myself in the nude, then I have not yet succeeded.
I am 45 years old on the 26th of September 2019, so I have picked that date as my celebration day. The real term of this process is 5 weeks starting today, Sunday 18th August. During this period, I will undertake several commitments to meet my linear target.
Start Date: Sunday 18th August
Finish Date: Monday 23rd September
THE TARGET: In 5 weeks I intend to drop 10 lbs, reduce body fat percentage to 12%, and run a sub 22 minute 5k.
Follow My Progress
I have started a new publication to serve as a home for the content related to my return to fitness. It’s called 5 Weeks To Fitness, and I’ll be posting my progress there daily.
5 Weeks To Fitness
Follow my progress to lose 10lbs, reduce body fat to 12%, and run a 22min 5k in 5 weeks. I’ll show you what I’m eating…medium.com
I’ll be sharing everything I’m doing on a daily basis to reach the target I have set, including;
What I’m eating
How I’m training
What I’m thinking and feeling
My links to my spreadsheet records and other documents
And my results
The next time I publish on this topic, it will be on 5 Weeks To Fitness, so maybe I’ll see you over there.
Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. Every morning you’ll find me sharing a new thought on life, art, work, creativity, the self and the nature of reality on The Reflectionist. I also write on The Creative Mind. If you like what I’m creating, join my email list to receive the weekly Sunday Letters