I woke up on Sunday morning, crawled off the couch, where I had spent the night and sluggishly made my way into the kitchen to make myself some coffee. For the last several weeks I have felt a little sluggish and had felt like I had fallen into some bad habits. Too much time was being spent watching television, going out for a few beers, and then grabbing a California burrito on the way home. It was at this moment that I decided to go step onto the bathroom scale, which I had been avoiding for a while.
First Look at The Dreaded Scale
I slowly stepped onto the digital scale that sits useless for the majority of its life right next to the toilet. Waiting, waiting…165 lbs. One-Hundred and Sixty-Five pounds! This is a number I had not seen register on the scale in years.
You see, years back I completely let myself go and my weight jumped up to 183 lbs, which is way too heavy for someone that is only 5’8. At that moment years ago, I decided to make a change and I lost nearly 40 pounds and got into the best shape of my life.
Now, here I am slowly climbing to that weight that I had hoped I would never return to. Luckily, I think I have caught it in time, but to say that I was a bit disgusted and disappointed with myself is a bit of an understatement. I knew that during this last year of Covid, I have spent too much time on the couch and have fallen into some bad habits, but I kept telling myself that once the gym opened back up, I would get back into shape.
Month after month after month, my gym, which is just down the street has stayed close and I still don’t know when they plan to open. The problem is that I have been waiting for something to happen instead of making something happen.
On Monday I drove to the next closest gym, which is about a 10 minute drive away and signed up for a gym membership. I have also set some fitness goals for myself and it’s something I plan on sticking with.
Here are my goals:
- Lose 15 lbs (drop to 150 lbs) by July 15, 2021
- Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day
- Eat Healthier
- Listen to Audiobooks That Inspire Me and Teach Me New Things
- Get up Early
- Spend More Time Outside
Sometimes You Need Authors To Kick You in The Teeth
One of my favorite authors that I enjoy listening to when I need a bit of a slap in the face is Gary John Bishop. So far I have listened to his books ‘Unfu*k Yourself’ and ‘Stop Doing That Sh*t,’ and the one I’m currently listening to is ‘Wise as Fu*k.’ What I enjoy about his books is that he tells it to you straight, in his strong Irish accent. It’s motivational and I guess you can call it Self-Help, but it’s much more practical and mostly it’s that kick in the teeth that we sometimes need.
“you must first accept that while there are things that have happened in your life that you had no say in, you are 100 percent responsible for what you do with your life in the aftermath of those events. Always, every time, no excuses.”
Gary John Bishop, Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life
I’ve read and listened to so many self-help books and many of them I have enjoyed, but the ones that grab me the most are the ones that basically tell you that if you want something to change, then get off of your ass and go make the change. Gary John Bishop is great at this, and David Goggins, whose book called ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ tells you just how much farther you can really take it are some of the ones I enjoy the most.
At a later time I will go into more details about some of the books I have enjoyed and which ones have resonated with me the most, but for today, the main objective for this post is to put down in words just how upset I am with myself for letting myself go a bit. I worked so hard in the past to transform my body and mind and it’s a bit disappointing that it has slipped away.
However, I know that I have a strong mind and sometimes it’s a challenge that I need.
Game On! It’s Time to Get It. No Surrender.
On Monday, I started fresh and today I am on Day #3. Throughout these next several months, I hope that I can stay disciplined and committed to transforming myself and accomplishing something that I will be proud of.
Until then, it’s time to put my head down, stay focused, and get back on track.
