Thursday, January 04, 2007

Transition......

My life took a turn for the better in 2006. At the start of the year I realized I was a 32 year old, 6'3'', 236 lbs., inactive, unhealthy, and unhappy person. I ate to much, drank too much, and argued with my wife too much.

As we roll into 2007 I am still 6'3'', but little else is the same. I am 33, physically fit, healthy, and 170 lbs. Personally I am happy and more in love with my wife of almost 10 years then I have ever been. I am a cyclist and a runner. I even have thoughts of becoming a Marathoner and a TriAthlete.

In 2006 I cycled 2508 miles. This included five organized centuries (one day 100 mile rides), the one day one way 160 mile Ride Across Indiana, a just for fun solo self supported 85 miler, and one organized metric (one day 62 mile ride). I developed a love for padded lycra and spent way too much on a carbon fiber beauty.

When the temps turned colder I morphed into a runner. I ran a 5K in Sept (24 mins) and was hooked. Then it was a 10K (50 mins) and another 5K (23 mins) in late November. I ended the year with several 20 mile weeks and 264 total miles for the year.

As I went from couch to bike to 10K the weight kept coming off. For me it was all about Calories, Calories, Calories, and Calories. I counted every single one. Fitday.com was my thing. A great site for anyone looking to shed some pounds.

At years end I had a daily calorie average of 2800 and dropped 66 lbs. I didn't starve myself, but I did go to bed hungry in the beginning and it was the jump start shock I needed.

It is a science; you need a 500 calorie deficiency per day, every day, to lose one pound a week.

My wife played a key role in all of this. She managed the home base while I was off riding the summer away. She supported me and encouraged me to do the crazy things like ride 160 miles in one day on a bike. She was genuinely happy for me every time I succeeded at one of those crazy adventures. Not to mention she has lost 50 lbs. doing Weight Watchers. She didn't do any meetings or order any food. She just borrowed the books from a friend and followed the plan on her own. Congrats honey you look fabulous!!

Alright, that was 2006. I have blogged too much. Later.

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