LAST. DITCH. EFFORT.
Hi. My name is Eric Weaver. I'm a 43-year-old advertising executive, and this blog is being repurposed into my Last Ditch Effort.
As a kid growing up in Michigan, I was a popular nerd. I was never encouraged to do anything with sports...in fact, it was very discouraged by my mother. Grades were always top priority, so I never developed any affinity for sweating or the typical eye-hand coordination sports that the other kids were into. I had a very high metabolism so I could eat ANYTHING, and LOTS OF IT, and burnt it off within seconds.
My entire life, I've abused this body. Ate poorly, never drank enough water, and never exercised. During my 20s, I ate McDonald's food twice a day for YEARS, and put away enough Coca-Cola to keep their stock price artificially inflated. Despite this, I stayed relatively slender...wiry, and never overweight, at around 165 lbs. for years. But then, between the ages of 30 and 40, my weight increased to 200 and stayed there. And my cholesterol jumped to the mid 200's.
The kicker happened in 2002. An unbelievably stressful and toxic workplace created a severe heart arrythmia. I'd be working and feel the weirdest feeling in my chest. My heart would stop... for up to 5-6 seconds... and then double-beat to catch up... pump 5 times or so, and then stop again. Each time, I was overcome with a kind of low-level anxiety as I could feel my circulation stop. It's a very very weird feeling and one I wouldn't recommend to anyone!
Scared the crap outta me, and I quit the stressful job, changed my eating habits...sort of. As of the beginning of this year, I weighed 214, cholesterol at 257 and continue to be "thick" in the waist without having a true beer gut.
I have a wife and three children who love me dearly, and finally, FINALLY after all these years, I've come to realize that it's time to stop living in my 20s, time to stop abusing this body, time to get off my ass. I need to make a change in diet and exercise, start monitoring my health and investing the time and effort needed to keep me around for another 40. Because if I don't, at this rate, my body will tell my brain one last time to F*CK OFF.
I hate exercise. HATE IT. Don't know a rep from a burn, an elliptical from a free weight. I hate the competitive and narcissistic environment of gyms and feel awkward and self-conscious there. Every five years or so, I'll go a few times and then quit, wasting months of membership dues. I can't run through airports like I used to. I get winded after very short periods. And I have the extremely untoned look of a Mouse Potato.
But today I begin work on-site at my new client: Nautilus Group. Makers of Bowflex, Nautilus, StairMaster and Schwinn Fitness brand exercise equipment, they are EXACTLY the kick in the ass I've needed. For once my work is tied into my health. And I intend to change it.
This blog will record my efforts to get back down to 170, cholesterol down to acceptable levels, and to change my Red Robin/steak/garlic mashed/martini diet to something that much healthier.
TODAY'S WEIGHT: 201
Time to drive to Portland to kick off my Last Ditch Effort.
posted by Weave @ 05:26
3 comments
3 Comments:
After watching a couch-potato friend join the local YMCA in October of last year and drop around 30lbs I did the unthinkable and joined the "Y" myself on April 6th. Just doing 30min of cardio 5 times a week and NOT DIETING but watching what I eat ("Only one giant helping of potato salad this time please dad!") has helped me drop from 210 to 202 in these six short weeks. Can you believe that? Just from moving my ass. And the basic weight training that they put me on is already producing results too. I pulled out an old pair of jeans last week and not only could I ACTUALLY get them closed but they fit comfortably again! (Can I get a "HELL YEAH!!"?)
So congratulations on joining the the ranks of the last-ditchers Eric! And GOOD LUCK! (For me, just getting into the habit of going was the hardest part. Now I freak if I go more than a day between workouts.)
If you ever need a pep-talk let me know.
(On a "MichiGab" note: Your old hometown is bursting with YMCA goodness these days. They have a beautiful new three-story building going up on Pearl Street downtown and there are several other locations in Grand Rapids, Rockford (opening in November!) and Lowell that are all networked. Did you know that the Grand Village Mall is now the Visser Family YMCA? Strange but true!)
-- MacGirl
If I can do this you can.
My problem was not weight (female, 5'2, 115lb, 47 years old) but a suprise diagnosis of diabetes! Went to doctor for a repeat of the pneumonia that I had just gotten over once already. Feeling like death warmed over and doctor said I think we need to do some blood work. "Sugar" at 295 and I found myself ,that afternoon, in Providence Hospital, hooked up on IVs and antibiotics for the day and with a diet and glucose meter within the week. To avoid pills or insulin shots I now have the "food obsession" of specific carb counts at specific times and an excercise routine on my totalgym 5 days a week (house and yardwork count for excercise on the weekends) Blood glucose is staying at pretty close to normal but I hate every last minute of it (except for the cool muscles and the flat abs). But the idea of needles makes me woozy (I can barely stand the meter "sticks") and the thought of circulation problems or a stroke (most likely for my sort of diabetes)is a sad way to go by pieces so I do this to postpone the needles for 5 to 10 more years and stave of the stroke that ruined the last years of my dad's life.
I stumbled on to your blog when I myself was added to absolutemichigan.com today. It's a free service and anyone can join, but I was proud when they asked to add me. (You can hear the 'Own Horns' just tooting away). Needless to say, that's how I found your 'All things Michigan except now it's about exercise too' blog. I'm adding you to my favorites and will be back often. Glad to have joined the ranks with you. Good luck on the losing!
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