Why we do this..

I created a workout/weight loss specific blog because I ran across Mr. Greg Todd from a link in Fark (or more appropriately TotalFark because I'm not sure if that ever got over to the main page).

I'd been tracking my workouts in my normal LiveJournal but that was a hodgepodge of my normal occasional rant/flight of fancy that slowly got taken over by my workouts. Time to let that get back to "normal" in time for the next presidential election cycle and move over here for exercise, etc.

I've been using Greg's link section to jump off and read other people's stories as well, and there seems to be a rather huge community of us out here blogging on this same subject. All at varying levels of fitness and weight and all at varying levels of success.

So why is that.. we're vying for our 15 minutes in the spotlight?

Maybe, but I don't think that's the primary motivation. The primary reason we're putting ourselves out here in this fashion is personal accountability. Even if no one ever reads this blog (or if no one ever comments on this blog, which amounts to the same thing from my side of the screen), I know it's here. I know that if I skip a day of calisthenics, or I don't do my cardiovascular workout on a day I am 'supposed to', it's going to end up published right here.

Because I made that commitment to myself.

Am i going to honor that commitment? Well, the only way you'll know that is to keep on reading. (Or, if you happened upon this blog and the current date is sometime in 2008 and this is still the most recent post in the blog, the answer would be "no".) :D

I am fairly confident that the commitment to post is one I can keep.

I'm only slightly less confident about the commitment to get in shape and maintain that level of fitness for the rest of my life.

Why is that? I've got a couple friends who think it's because i have iron will power.

Ummm.. no.

What is driving me to make this change, and gives me confidence that I will achieve it is simple. My desire to change is stronger than my desire to stay on the same path I am on.

So.. I'm no longer a smoker.

And most likely, even at this moment in time I am in better shape than i have been in at least a decade, most likely two.

And reaching my goal is getting harder. I've been bobbing up and down around the 195 lb (88.5 kg) mark for most of this month. And even less to my liking, my body fat percentage keeps hanging around the 20 percent mark. That means that approximately 40 pounds of my 195 pounds is fat. Now I only really show fat in two areas.. my love handles/spare tire and my butt.

I'm not completely confident about my scale's ability to give me an accurate reading on that front because I absolutely know I have added muscle (I'm doing more push ups with about the same difficulty as I had) and looking in the mirror I'm seeing greater definition which should mean less fat.

None the less, if I keep on this track, I should be able to nudge that percentage down as my weight continues to decrease and my strength continues to build. I could be wrong, but my view of the situation says that is the only logical outcome.

The other "why do we do this" which seems to strike the general population as odd. The glowing terms that we (those attempting to lose weight and get more fit) use for what we're doing. Some seem to think we're attempting to win converts to the cause, or even to our specific method of weight loss.

Maybe to one degree, in that one person who succeeds wants others to succeed as well, so they will suggest the method that works for them (You'll likely see me pointing folks toward The Hacker Diet or at least the exercise portion of it) but another reason is very selfish. Being upbeat about successes, no matter how small, reinforces our own desire to continue that success. My sounding pumped about getting heavier hand weights for my cardiovascular workout makes it more likely that I will actually go out and buy them. I couldn't care less if you read this and do the same, I'm making the suggestion for myself, and I may end up deciding it was a silly idea some weeks/months down the road.