Cool Runnings
So I'm working on getting myself back into shape - I know Kelly talked about this before, but Kelly is already a gym regular, and if you've seen her, the girl is fit. No, this post is for people more like me: pudgy, mildly uncoordinated and addicted to health-related vice.
I'm quitting smoking, I'm cutting back on my drinking, and making strides on my diet. Granted, these are all recent changes (like 2 days recent and I've already had some hiccups), but I'm really gonna make it happen.
I have a plan. Well, sort of.
First, my buddy Sean and I are going to start running regularly - today's our first run - so I think I've actually got some help to clear that first hurdle. Anyone - especially gym rats - will tell you it's always better to work out with a partner, and since Sean and I are beer-gut bros, I think we can keep each other motivated. Especially since Sean can be such a competitive jerk about it.
But I really hate running - it hurts, man. So here's where I'm gonna make up for what I know are going to be temporary running lapses: BOXING.
This is really the crux of my plan - a few months ago I lost a pretty substantial amount of weight when my buddy Scott had me in the gym floating like a butterfly and stinging a heavy bag like a mad man. I swear I've never enjoyed or got so much out of a work-out, and that includes when I was a swimmer in high school.
I recommend it to anyone - guy, girl, flabby or lean. It releases aggression, and punching, when done properly and safely, is killer cardio. (But seriously, make sure you have someone show you how to punch properly - it's really easy to hyper extend an elbow or hurt yourself wailing away at a heavy bag. Take a class or get someone who knows what they're doing to show you the ropes the first time out.)
So that's my work-out plan for now - I'm scheduling in 3 runs a week and trying to hit a boxing gym 3 times a week as well. Ambitious for sure, but I think it'll work.
Here's where I'm struggling though: my diet.
I eat like crap. Any suggestions for a diet that someone who likes carbs, likes red meat and really loves hamburgers, can follow?
-- Evan Parker Pierce
