Greetings from Delaware!

dave_in_delaware

Hello everyone. I just joined this site (last week) for a few reasons:

1. To keep track of all the food and beverages I put into my body (OMG what is wrong with me!!?)
2. To analyze my problems with #1 (I have a serious problem)
3. To get some information on fitness, nutrition, exercise, weight loss, etc.
4. To ask questions and gain knowledge about exercise, diet, equipment, etc
5. To find motivation and know I'm not alone
6. To find exercise partners local to me
7. To have open dialogue with like-minded people
8. To figure out how to lose 20 pounds
9. To figure out how to run without pain
10. To figure out how to manage my time to exercise
11. To figure out how to manage my wallet to eat healthier

A brief intro:

When I was much younger (middle school and high school) my friend and I would ride our BMX bikes all over town, every day in the summer. I loved the freedom and exercise it gave me. I was skinny.

Later in life (early college days), I took up jogging around my neighborhood for exercise since I didn't see my friend to ride bikes anymore. At first things went OK but over some time, I would get horrible pain in my shins so I gave up running totally. I did take weight training in college and was still physically fit with a high metabolism. I maintained a weight of 180-185 pounds without really trying.

After college I got a desk job in front of a computer for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. I also got married to a woman who had some health problems and I pretty much ended up staying at home and taking care of her (and later, our kids). So, needless to say I didn't get out at all, especially to exercise. Due to the stressful marriage I had I turned to eating to make things feel "better" even though I know it wasn't helping. For a while I was on a low carb diet (Eades books) and while it helped, it's more expensive to eat healthy and with one income for 5 people, it wasn't happening in the long run.

Today, I still work a desk job for 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. I'm divorced but recently remarried. I see my kids every other weekend. I also work a second job when I can just to make some extra much-needed money. This doesn't provide much time to get out and exercise.

I used to enjoy weight training, mountain biking, and hiking. But I just don't have the time to do these things anymore, nor the money for a gym membership, nor the space for a home gym. If I did have the time, I'd be tired from my regular activities or it would be dark and late to go outside, so I'd just stay home. I tried doing that onehundredpushups.com thing last year, but after a few weeks I got sick and never started it up after feeling better. I've only gotten the chance to go out and mountain bike on the local trails maybe 3 times all last year (and once it was February). That's not nearly often enough to make any difference.

And right now I can't even chase my own children around a playground and play with them without pain in my shins, or running out of breath in a minute. I'm only 39, 6'-0" and 220 pounds, but I feel like I'm 84 sometimes. I'm not obese by any means, unless you look at my BMI, which I think is total BS.

Now I have this spare tire gut and love handles that I want gone! I know I need to eat healthier. Seeing the numbers on what i've been eating certainly gives me an eye-opener!! I know I need to exercise. I know I need to get off of my butt and "just do it" but it seems either myself or other forces always stop me or get in the way. I lack motivation, discipline, and sometimes just the time to do the right thing for myself.

I'll be adding a new "career" in the future and it will require me to be more physically fit. I'll need to be able to run, climb, wrestle, and have strength to handle certain situations. I want to get a jump on this now instead of being out of shape for it in the future.

Hopefully this site and its members can (and will) help me get into the right frame of mind and GET ME OFF MY BUTT!! No more excuses. No more barriers.

Thanks for reading.

bflicker11

Hey there! I'm in DE. I walk a lot at Glasgow Park and work out at Planet Fitness. If you ever need a fitness pal, shoot me an email. I'm on here throughout the day and night. Hope you're doing well in weighloss/health journey.

dave_in_delaware

Well, first off thanks for the warm welcome Bflicker11. I appreciate that.

update: Since my last visit, I was lucky enough to acquire a treadmill.

A few days ago, I started the C25K Program (treadmill version). It was a little brutal, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Day 2 is tonight. Hopefully i'll be able to stick to this method of exercise. I doubt I'll enter a 5K, but you never know.