Working out, goals, and their relationship

Defined -
Western Illinois - A geographical location where the summer lasts for 5 months, where humidity equals the heat, and parts of one's body tend to stick to other parts in an annoying manner.

My work outs are becoming more frequent and easier to bear, and I can handle greater tasks each day after only a few weeks.  My appetite has changed and I eat better now.  I am aware of my body in a new way, and not a negative one.  My body is the vehicle that moves my spirt to accomplish the goals I have set.  Much like my car, I better take care of it. Unlike my car, I cant buy a new body if this breaks down.  My father passed of a heart attack at 56.  I am determined to see my son off to college and beyond.  I have to be alive to make that happen.  Working out and losing the weight is the only way to enjoy my life the way I want to. It will only get harder from here if I am going to run the San Francisco marathon in two years.  Wish me luck.

A Walk in the Sun: painful but necessary

My goal is to push a bit further, each time I go to walk.  It will only get harder for a few months, but it has to get done.  My back is hurting and my knee could use a break, but it helps to see results on a webpage to stay motivated.  Monday, weights again, and another walk with my son.

Why I am blogging this process, and how I plan to get it done

Lets be honest, many people start blogs about this subject.  The hardest part about weight loss is staying motivated, and staying on track.  The combination of weight loss tracking software, online posting, and potential accountability will help me accomplish this.  

Two main goals of this blog project, 

1) Get down to 175 lbs (80kg)

2) Run the San Francisco Marathon 5K Event by the July 2012 Event

The weight training is for health and body size.  The Marathon offers a clear date and sufficient time to get my body in the shape required to complete such a task.  

1) Cardio - walking, walking, and more walking; more effective and efficient at weight loss than any other form of exercise not involving weight loss. When I lose sufficient weight to begin training, I will begin jogging.  

2) Strength Training - Simply put, weights.  The surest way to lose weight, besides lowering calorie intake, is to increase the amount of calories the body burns per day. Muscle requires more energy per day than fat: More muscle, more fat burned each day. 

3) Eating - trickier than it sounds the goal it to eat healthier every day.  It wont happen over night, but gradually.

What equipment do I have: Not much. I am using a very small corner of my house off of the back mudroom as a workout area. It is cramped but does the trick. I found old mats used for playrooms, and used the black reverse side as a workout mat setup.

My weight set is a Marcy 40 lb Vinyl Dumbbell Set and a Gold's Gym XR 5.9 adjustable bench. I have a standard workout ball for crunches I bought at a garage sale. 


I have a cheap pedometer, for when I walk and jog. Its not fancy, but will do the job. 


Its a long journey, wish me luck.