Markemmanuel

I finished gathering all the data I needed to develop realistic goals and build an action plan.

The Current Numbers

• Blood Pressure: 140/80 mm Hg
• Weight: 202lbs
• Waistline: 40in. waist (measured 2 inches below belly button)
• BMI: 29.4 (Border line Obese)
• Real Age: 3.4 years younger than my chronological age.
• My lab results from a few months ago can be found here.

Goal

My six month goal is to bring all of my numbers within a healthy range.  I would like to see myself eliminate two to three pounds a week with the expectation of hitting a plateau every so often.  It will involve hard work and determination to change my bad habits and stick to the plan.

On April 29, 2010 I want to weigh 167 pounds, fit into a size 34in pant, have a blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg and run a marathon in 3:44:59.  It’s a very doable goal as long as I’m consistent.  At the end of each month or race, I’ll weigh in to give everyone an update.  I will visit a doctor or nurse practitioner for a full physical.

There are other reasons why I’m doing this.  It builds self-esteem and confidence in other areas in my life.  Exercise and physical health improves mental health.  I’ve read news articles finding that a healthy life is highly correlated with a better life.

Roadblocks and Solutions

There will be a few roadblocks in the way.  Friends and family enjoy eating out.  My mom’s good cooking entices the senses.  There will be days where laziness or lethargy sneak in.  The biggest roadblock I will face is a lack of confidence.  Fear and anxiety comes with the territory.

Creating a regular schedule and a regimented routine the first few weeks forces me to go on autopilot.  Early in the morning in need to be super productive before the doubt sneaks in and ruins my day.  I need to get plenty of quality sleep and recharge each night to recover and grow. Each training day needs to be structured so I don’t waste my time figuring things out.

I spared everyone from half naked photos.  It’s not a pretty sight.  It’s not horrendous but I think you’d prefer not to see them until much later.  Here’s to a better life!  Wish me luck!

I want to build a healthy foundation before I start training for the Chicago Marathon.  A better life will rest upon it as well as a better marathon time.  The foundation will be built upon better eating better while lowering my caloric intake, aerobic training, strength training, and mental training.

Eating well and losing weight is an important key to get healthy.  You are what you eat as the saying goes.  During my research at the library and online, I found that the best diet to lose weight is a good balanced diet that is low in calories.  The straightforward and doable diet is found in Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen’s book, “You on a Diet,” on the Mayo Clinic website, and apparently, it’s used on the Biggest Loser.

To make sure I stick to my diet, I continue to track my diet in my journal.  It helps me figure out what I’m doing wrong and why.  It checks reality for me.  Unfortunately, I went over my calorie restriction today by roughly 700 calories.  I do well when I’m outside the home.  There are so many food temptations at home.  I’ll do better next time.

Running will remain my primary form of aerobic exercise.  I need to incorporate other forms of exercise so I do not get sick of something I love.  As the days get longer and warmer, I will start cycling and other outdoor activities.  I’ll find other things to do as I progress.

Building muscle strength is a key ingredient that has been missng in my training.  I haven’t did any real resistance training since my junior year of high school.  I borrowed a few books from the library to educate myself.  I started browsing them earlier this evening and found a lot of useful information that I can use tomorrow.

The most difficult part to train is the mind.  Years of bad habits have built up and are difficult to change.  Being aware of this will speed getting rid of bad habits and replacing with good ones.  With the help of the journal I carry around, I will be able to become the best that I can be.

In addition to writing in a journal to track my progress, I’ll be photographing myself each week and have the printed.  I hope seeing these results will encourage me to keep moving forward.  If I’m still not making progress, I’m going to look into finding a personal trainer to kick my butt.

Building a good foundation to base my marathon training is important.  What’s more important is living a better and healthier life.