I've had an up & down relationship with my weight ever since my first child was born (and I wasn't the one who got pregnant!).  My wife and I try to live reasonably healthily by eating right, exercising, and getting (some) sleep ... but three kids later and I'm definitely not at the weight (or physical health) I want.  Over the past 7 years (yikes), I've basically moved between about 210 and 239 (haven't quit hit 240 yet, but scarily close) -- I'd gain weight over time and then work hard to lose it, only to gain it back.

This time, I'm trying to do things a little differently.  Although I definitely want to lose weight (and win my current diet bet games), I think the real key is finding a sustainable balance in my life -- particularly with regards to food and exercise.

To that end, I'm using this journal entry to list out some of the key challenges I face with food & exercise and will use subsequent journal entries to track progress in figuring out the right approaches to those challenges for me. In the unlikely event that someone reads this, please feel free to comment with suggestions or thoughts and, naturally, feel free to make use of anything from my journey to help you on yours!

 

So ... food challenges:

  • I pair food with contentment -- an event is always more fun with good food, whether it be snacks & alcohol while watching sports, cheese & wine at a nice party, or a nice meal out with my wife, the act of eating and drinking is something I associate with increased enjoyment of the event.  This means that, as long as the event is happening, I tend to keep eating & drinking.  This can (and does) lead to overeating (and drinking) far beyond what I need for the given meal.

  • Dinners at home -- my kids are young and tend to get hungry for dinner around 5, but I don't get home till 6 (and that's skipping a workout).  So, while we do occasionally eat together during the work week, my wife and I usually end up eating dinner together after we get the kids to bed.  On the one hand, we love this time together just the two of us -- a nice meal, a glass (or two) of wine, and a chance to talk & relax without interruption is wonderful.  On the other hand, this means we're starting dinner at 8:30 or even 9pm ... which is quite late.  We're pretty hungry and therefore tend to eat too much ... plus it's just that much closer to bedtime and eating right before sleeping isn't all that healthy.

Really, that's about it (I think).  I actually eat relatively healthily -- I could be better, but most meals are home-cooked (by me) and are made from healthy ingredients.  It's the portion & timing day-to-day combined with all-too-frequent event related splurges that get me.

Food plan:

To deal with these challenges, I'm going to try the following:

  • eat (and drink) slowly!  you hear this suggested a lot, but I don't really do a good job at this.  I think it would help for both events & regular evening dinners ... maybe
  • smaller portions from the outset -- I cook the dinner and I plate the dinner for both myself & my wife.  I should also, therefore, be able to put less on our plates.  If there's less there and I'm eating it slower, portion control may be easier.

 

Anyway, yay for actually trying a journal entry and here's to hoping that I find a long-term system that works for me over the next few months!

 

Exercise challenges:

  • Timing is everything ... unfortunately.  I like lifting & running!  I do!  But wow, it's hard to find the time.  My wife works out in the early mornings while I get the kids up, make breakfast for everyone, and help them get ready for school (in all honesty, I probably lack the willpower to get up at 5:30am for a 6am workout class anyway, no clue how my wife does it).  This means I need to workout during or after my workday.  I never seem to be able to pull this off on a consistent basis.  Largely this tends to be due to a combination of meetings during my "regular" workout time and the need (or at least it often feels like a need) to still take at least a little lunch break.  If I workout after work, then that's directly eating into my time with my family in the evening ... and I hate to miss out on any portion of that time.

I think that's it for exercising too -- I know what I want to do exercise-wise ... but figuring out how to fit it in regularly is a challenge.

Exercise plan:

  • Yoga!  There's a tuesday & thursday yoga class at work that some of my coworkers attend ... maybe not the world's greatest workout, but I need to stretch more and the consistency (and fact that coworkers are already going) may help
  • shorter workouts ... I fit do sprints & 20 to 30 minute lifting workouts into my day much more easily, I don't *have* to take a full hour (or more) for a good long run or gym session.