In the beginning...

Well, I might as well call it that! The last four weeks have gone to shame. I've spent all of those weeks making decisions I would eventally regret! This last week wasn't too bad, but I still don't feel like I am committed enough to getting this done!

I blame it on work, when in fact, I should be placing the blame on my own shoulders! Work stands in the way of the normal means of watching what I eat, and exercising, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a way to get around that, and still do this the healthy way!

A huge bonus to my new co-workers is that they are all fairly health-savvy. Two of them regularly go to the gym, and invited me to go with them this past week. I happily obliged, and went for the first time in years, to try and wreck myself! I can honestly say, I loved it!

With the exception of my poor hip, everything felt great! The workout was just over an hour I guess, with ten minutes on a stationary bike, and another ten on a cross trainer (five minutes forward, two minutes backward, another three minutes forward). That was easily the closest I have been to death in awhile... but of course it felt great when I was finished! I hit the weights too, skipping over a resistance machine that I didn't see to begin with.

I have no real fitness, or weight information to fill you in on! I've lsot track of where I am in the program, as I never really stuck to the original plan anyway. I'd say I'm out of the running for America's next Muscle Mang... Bummer! Well, when I first joined Arnel's group, I was thinking of just having the guidelines, and hopefully a common goal amongst men to boost me far enough ahead to actually get this thing done. Now that I am six or seven weeks into it, I feel as though, even though i haven't really talked to anyone, I've made a bit of family... and for those of you who pay attention to this blog, it means the world to me, and ultimately, I think it's going to be you guys that push me to getting to where I want to be. I always thought that in the beginning, but I had more confidence in the fact that I would just do it by myself, with your motivation as an extra boost. While this was true in the beginning, it has certainly changed! I look forward to the weeks to come though, as I am still not going to quit. I've taken a pretty lengthly pause, but I am going to let it slide, and get back to work. that has to be the most over-used cliche on this blog, but it's true. The longer I stick to this mentality, the more successful I will be in getting back to work.

I don't know why I am teasing myself so badly, as I currently weigh 196lbs, and have for the last month. This is the lowest weight I've ever weighed in my memory, and that was a few years ago. One more pound, and I'm at the lowest I've been in my teenage/adult life... why can't I just stop fucking around, and make it happen?

I've had a go at making some food before hand, and trying to stretch it, and it seems to work better than trying to prepare some restaurant-class meal every night after a 10 hour day at work, and a two or three hour visit with my Mum in the hospital... I guess thus is life!

This weekend, I hope to get some good stuff done, some portioning of snacks, and I want to make some protein flapjacks that are healthy, but good for an on-the-go kind of snack. I've also been trying to recreate some of the sandwich toppings at a local sandwich shop that I enjoy, to save money, and control nutrition.

While I am not going to be wearing a stomach rippled with abs by the end of these sixteen weeks, I will not be out of the game. I am in this, to win it... for myself.

Thanks again to all who keep checking in! I love reading your responses, and it must take some good energy to write something for someone who won't write back! Cheers guys and gals! I appreciate it, like you don't even know!

Now, for photos from week six, or seven?!