Me, myself, and I

I figured since I'm actually using this consistently I might as well be posting too so I KEEP using this site.

Personal History:
I'm 29, almost 30, years old. I've been married for 5 years, been with my wife for 10 years. I have a daughter who will turn 4 in March and no pets. I've been a police officer for over 8 years now in metro-Atlanta and have just started at a new agency. Before law enforcement I worked as a movie theater manager (best job ever!) and at other retail establishments. I have an associates degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management. My wife is an accountant looking to get her CPA and once that is completed, I'm allowed to go back to school for my MBA or MPA (depending on where I am in my career).

Fitness History:
Growing up I was scrawny. I was 5'10" and about 135lbs throughout high school. I played basketball or football in the neighborhood practically every day after school, no matter the weather. In 8th grade I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma that rarely flares up, but it essentially killed any chance at running long distances (I was actually halfway decent at cross country). I played rec league basketball, but even though I was pretty good, having "white man's disease" (slow, awkward, no jumping ability), I missed out on the high school team. Once I was too old or rec basketball and my friends started playing other sports, I stopped exercising all together.

Well with college I ballooned up to over 210lbs while dating a girl who liked to eat (her family was a true southern family) and when we broke up I wanted to drop the weight. Well I had no clue how to exercise, so I hired a personal trainer for a week to get me started...and trust me that was the best $250 I had ever spent. I dropped down to 160lbs (with the help of ephedra and a strict diet) and was pretty cut. Well I began dating my wife and got comfortable, gaining about 30lbs.

In the police academy my priorities changed, so I dropped down to 180lbs and was the strongest I've ever been. Then along came marriage, kid, and new work assignment that had me working crazy hours (different hours every day) so I rarely had time to exercise. Well needless to say after 5 years I jumped up to 225lbs on my 5'10" frame...which I'm an endomorph that carries his weight in his gut. The sad thing is I know how to exercise and diet, I just didn't do it.

I tried p90x, but there were too many distractions at home and I didn't stick with it (even though I did drop 10lbs). That being said, I finally joined a gym and due to my work schedule, I'm in there at midnight or later on my off days and at 6:30am after the nights I work.

Fitness Philosophy:
I put heavy emphasis on strength training, since the more muscle mass you have the more resting calories you burn. I use mainly free weights with heavy emphasis on olympic lifts and compound movements. I get bored doing cardio so I am forcing myself to do at least 30 minutes a day.

This is the first time I've actually counted calories, in the past I just estimated. I still cheat some, but I'll try to make up for it elsewhere. I also try to have more protein and fewer carbs than the website suggests since protein is the building block of muscles.