So about a year ago I was at 204 pounds (92.5 kg) and shooting to get just below that, which should be an optimal weight for my body type and height. I’m 6 feet tall (182.8 cm.)
Like a lot of folks, I added weight during the pandemic — 25 pounds (11.3 kg) to be precise. I blamed my diet and that’s a part of the problem, but not all of it. There is a mental and another important physical activity that’s been holding me back — sleep.
But I don’t think I should have given the fact that I ran almost triple the number of miles in 2020 that I did in 2019. To combat my climbing weight, I added some yoga and bodyweight exercise sessions to my weekly schedule. I’m getting out and hiking a bit more and I’m trying to be more mindful of my eating. So for my running to be meaningful, I have to be much more deliberate with my life as a whole.
This isn’t quite enough to bring my weight into a healthy spectrum where I can achieve what I want physically. And yes, even at 50 years old, I think about what I want physically to achieve in my life, though I probably hadn’t really through enough about it until now. And this is part of the mental side.
What I want and need to be able to do at this age is quite a lot. I need to be fit enough to be able to sit at my computer and write stories and these blogs and do research and not feel uncomfortable. When I’ve been overweight, doing these things hurt my back. The better shape I’m in, I find the better I’m able to do my work.
I also think more clearly when I’m in better shape. It’s as if the extra pounds slow me down.
I want to be able to do more with my son related to riding bikes, playing catch, basketball and hiking. There are of course benefits for my wife and I, but here on the Creek, we keep talk like that down in honor of our good, uptight puritan heritage. But you know what I mean.
I have lots of house and yard work that also needs to be done.
Basically, I want to live a good life and be able to do stuff. I think that’s a good mantra or self-improvement slogan. Someone should put it on a shirt.
So having a better mind set on what I want to do with better health should help as should being mindful of my diet.
One thing I’ve let happen is the anxiety and the bouts of sadness take over and leading to mindless snacking. I’ve also been lazy about dinners, just throwing some carbs or relying on frozen pizzas or processed foods.
To address this, I’ve been trying to remember to not only think about proper portions, but also enjoying my food. When I enjoy it, I take my time with the meal and that helps.
The last element of this, ultimately, is the hardest to address — sleep. Having a weekend night job is tough on my sleep schedule and I haven’t got the hang of it, which leads to a couple or more days of three to four hours of sleep. It’s just brutal.
I mean, if you really want to lose weight, nature tells you how important sleep is. Just look at bears after they hibernate. They lose a lot of weight doing that. I’m not proposing I can sleep myself fit — This is actually one of my joke business ideas, but there is some basis of truth to it.
Sleep helps your muscles and mind recover from the day. Study after study shows that sleep is the key to better health on both fronts. But it’s getting it that’s been difficult. So that’s what my week is about form the health side. Putting this all together in a way that works for my life.
You got ideas, feel free to share.
Keep running, keep writing
Chalk Creek Writing Outfit 