I'm not going to lie. I was never what you call "in shape" growing up. In high school, standing at five-foot-six, I was tipping the scales 120 - which really was the weight I was my senior year. I wasn't fat, but I wasn't healthy, either. I was just blessed with a healthy metabolism. Two years later, however, I spiked my weight to 150. These days, however, I'm a really unhealthy 177 pounds and climbing.
It's my adolescent nightmare, an overweight adult. It's a social thing where I come from that men aren't supposed to put so much stress on their weight. Who cares? Women are the ones who have to stay fit and pretty, right? Considering that I'm Hispanic and my family does have a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and so on and so forth, this is a force to be reckoned with. My best friend, who is only a day older than, was diagnosed with diabetes when we were merely entering our mid-twenties. Now he has to watch what he eats because he failed to handle the problem. While I love my share of junk food, do I really want them to be the cause of my unhappiness, or even - dare I say? - death?
And it's not like the idea hasn't hit me before. I've seen several diet plans and workout regimens - from The Abs Diet to a dancing class - and my motivation faltered every time. (I can't really be blamed for the dancing class, however. I injured my knee midway and it was a college course, so it did have an expiration date; although, I could've continued with the workouts I was taught.) But now I'm ready - I hope - and with the help of this blog, I can stay motivated. Armed with The Belly Off! Diet plus books on yoga and a special Chuck Norris endorsed exercise machine, I'm hoping to shed a few pounds.
I'm not going to be naive here. There is no way I'm going back to weighing 120, but I'd kill to be 150 again. At least. But little at a time, as I was taught. I'll make a ten pound goal limit for every month. I'm going to headstrong. Cut out the bad foods, make sure I exercise at least three times a week in various ways. Wish me luck and join me on my journey.
