History: You Can...if You Think You Can
We set goals then we tend to forget about them. Simple as that. Today, I am writing this letter because I made a promise to myself, and I kept it. Last year was an extremely tough year for all of us, and now more than ever, goal setting can get us through these tough times. I set a goal January 1, 2011; I made a promise to myself that I would begin to work out at the gym. I was over-weight, my clothes didn’t fit me well, I started snoring, and felt like I was always tired. The bottom line; I was overweight by 50 pounds! I ballooned from a size 34 to a size 38 in the waist. I had to lose weight. The French fries and the soft drinks had done their job, and I needed the discipline to do mine. The mirror did not lie. I was, in my own mind, gross.
Today, I am proud to report that the goal I set has been reached, and sustained. I have lost those unneeded and unwanted 50 pounds and feel great! Just this one simple goal and following through with a promise to myself is so healthy. The benefits are incredible; I sleep better, feel better, and think better. My allergies have even gone away. Even the heat does not bother me like it used too! I am consciously aware of what I am eating. Just the other day, I tried my old staple…a coke. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t finish it. In the old days, I could easily drink a 44 ounce soft drink before noon, and today 6 ounces of a 12 ounce can remain in the can. I have tried and for the most part succeeded in elimination “high fructose corn syrup” from my diet; that stuff seems to be in everything. It seems your body makes formaldehyde and ethanol from it, which is as far as I am concerned, isn’t good for you.
Time, routine and discipline were my keys to success. (Time) Weekdays I was at the gym at 5:30 a.m. (Routine) simple; workout for one hour on the elliptical runner, sauna for 10 minutes, shower, and be ready for the day by 7:30. On weekends, I would go at my leisure. I chose the elliptical runner as it is easy on your knees. I would burn on average, 750 calories in one hour on the runner, and sweat. (Discipline) I had the gym run my “check in” dates, and am attaching it; in 1 year, I checked in to the gym 400 times. That’s 400 days times 750 calories which is 300,000 calories which translates for me into a 50 pound loss! Now I am down to my proper weight, and enjoy visiting the gym, and improved my own personal quality of life. It is not a goal any longer, it is what I do, and I love it! I look forward to seeing you at the gym in the a.m. Get there early, and then you have the whole day in front of you, and because you are getting healthy, you will look at each day differently, I guarantee it!