I’ve been told there’s no shame in being trapped beneath a 45 pound weight bar. Of course, the person telling me this was gasping it out between guffaws, so…
I have a bad habit when it comes to exercise. In my mind, I’m a triathlete of the greatest level. I picture myself jogging, and it sounds spectacular. Nice, cool spring morning, the Black Keys crooning into my ear as the pavement flows beneath my Nikes and the neighbors give admiring waves as they watch that paragon of fitness cruise on by, an inspiration to the entire community. The reality is somewhat different. I’m gasping and wheezing by the time I reach my mailbox, the neighborhood children are placing bets on whether I’ll throw up or pass out first, and the only people watching me are concerned paramedics who are busy warming up the defibrillator and reviewing cardiac arrest procedures.
Nevertheless, all of us have harbored amazing fantasies in our minds about completing a marathon, biking from Atlanta to New Hampshire, or clambering up the side of Mt. Everest. Up until the point that the sweat begins pouring like a leaky Hoover Dam and our heart begins testing the structural integrity of our ribcage. At this point the sofa begins looking more and more appealing.
With that considered, I didn’t hate the fact that TSFL doesn’t require that participants hit the gym five times a week. In fact, the program is structured very carefully to ensure that you don’t have to lift a finger in exercise, and you’ll still lose weight. Between my concerns about passing out on the elliptical at the YMCA and a fractured wrist, this has given me all the excuse I need not to work out. However, I’ve recently realized that I’ve reached the point where I’m closer to my goal than where I started, and hitting that target weight (once a vague dot on a dusty horizon) is now fast approaching. While there will be much celebration and song on that glorious day, there will also be a very natural question: Now what?
TSFL is very blunt about the fact that it’s more than just a diet. It’s designed to teach you to live a healthier life. Whether I like it or not, part of that healthier life will be exercise. I can keep delaying all I want, but I know that if I don’t continue my focus on improving my health, I’ll slip back into old habits.
So, I’ve begun an introductory workout routine to begin getting me into the swing of things. I’ve pulled exercises from the outstanding bodyweight exercise book You Are Your Own Gym, exercises that don’t use my wrist (still wrapped in my lovely cast). I’ll be doing these on a daily basis, and logging my progress using the remarkable website Fitocracy. Fitocracy is an excellent way to track your daily activity, whether it’s jogging up the stairs at work or doing backflips with barbells taped to your shins. Plus, it awards points and lets you increase in level as you progress, which tweaks the gamer in me quite nicely.
Should anyone out there feel masochistic enough to want to join me in this quest, I’ve created a Fitocracy group called Fat Nerds To Slim Nerds. One of the best aspects of Fitocracy is the social nature, and I’d love to assemble a small group of people who can offer each other encouragement and ridicule (as the situation may warrant). Follow the link, sign up for the group, and let’s all see if we can’t make ourselves flop face first onto the floor… as a team.
