Normally I would just give little updates integrated with a topic show, but there is a lot going on right now, so I decided to just put it all in one episode instead. The topics today fall into the categories of Setbacks, Fashion and Finance, and New Environments. But I’ll start with a report on my physical condition.
I ran into a coworker at the Gym. He and a friend were in between raquetball games. He said I was welcome to join them at 5am. They are there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So I went there on Monday and played for about an hour. I think it’s a great way to get cardio while having fun, as oppposed to running and stationary biking, which are not fun for me. The only problem was that I injured my achilles tendon. I don’t know how bad it is yet, but I’m taking the rest of the week off from working out. It’s about time for a break anyway, which I think is good to do every couple of months.
Setbacks. I now have a weight and bodyfat problem. This week my weight went up to 214, 20 pounds over my 12/8 weight. My body fat is 27%, up 2-3% from recent numbers. Why? It started with the holidays, just being out of my habitual environment. I also spent a lot of time in a hospital room and didn’t feel like I could get out and exercise.
There are simply too many special occasions. Birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s, Anniversaries, Valentine’s Day — it seems there is always a special occasion happening. I need to learn that I can celebrate without eating poorly. Mixed with all this is a lot of stress with which I am not dealing well, and often turning to overeating.
I want to be real always. Some listeners have said they llike to hear when I talk about my failures, like when I mention that I ate a lot of pizza the night before. It lets listeners know I’m a regular guy and I have tempations and setbacks. The truth is that everybody falls. What really matters is how you get up from that fall and keep going. Persistence is the difference between success and failure.
There is an addictive quality to this, something I know a little about. I think it can affect anyone if he indulges and makes it a habit. Interrupt the cycle, recognize when you are reaching for that fix. It gets easier the longer you can keep from yielding to the tempation. I think a full episode on temptation is due, with a lot more detail on it.
Fashion and Finance. I made some decisions in November, when for the last couple years
I have done a kind of assessment of various things. Part of that was adopting a ‘pay yourself first’ methodology. Not all for savings, but I have most of my regular transactions automated. I have money transferred every payday to a separate account, then pay my mortgage, etc from that. I also have an automatic transfer of funds going to invest in all of my media projects, both for-profit and non-profit. At the same time I am trying to gradually increase my 401(k) contributions to get to the annual maximum. So with all that going on, it seems like I have less income. But really everything is just going where it should go. It’s a big adjustment, but makes me think twice about little purchases I make.
One big need is clothing. My shoes are wearing out, a pair of jeans has worn out. I’ve started playing raquetball, skating. I got rid of old and non-fitting clothes last year, so I have to put some money in my wardrobe for the season change. But I don’t want to just buy cheap clothes like I did last year just to get by. They are already just about worn out. So I want to get quality clothes that will last, and some more purpose-designed shoes. I’ve already ordered some walking shoes. And I’ve joined a more expensive gym, which leads me to….
New Environments. My new gym is much more expensive, maybe nine times what I had been paying. But much more available. I can get up at 4:30 and be there at 5 when they open. This gym is also where I met the coworker who plays raquetball, which means, yes, they have raquetball courts. The areas devoted to weights are at least four times the size of my other gym. One day I was there and it was only me in the free weights area for about 20 minutes. And there are no circuit training classes taking up the whole gym like there were at my old gym. There is no contract, it is month-to-month. All of these things, I think, makes it worth the higher price.
They say you have to roll with the changes, so that’s what I’m trying to do. I hope you’re able to do the same.
Weight 7-day Avg. (change since Jan 2018): 213 (-61)
Workout time: 0 Minutes
Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 0 Miles (464.04)
Steps: 4,026
Muscle Mass 7-day Avg. (change since Aug 2018): 159.84 (+17)
Body Fat 7-day Avg.: 25.1%
Daily Sleep Duration 7-day Avg: 7 hours
2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat