Wednesday, August 03, 2005

I Need Shaming

It's come to my attention that 7 months on the job has exaggerated the roundness of my gut. 18 pounds worth of hyperbole. Okay, I wasn't in the best shape when I started. I was thin, body fat in the 7-9% range. My pants were all 32 or 33", depending on the style. Working in the restaurant provided a healthy amount of miles walked and/or run in a typical day.

Now, the body fat is at a staggering 15%, with the waist unable to wear the 32's, and the 33's are getting uncomfortable. My jeans are tighter, and work pants seem snugger around the middle. I'm definitely at the age where a lot of guys start to pack on the pounds. Some do it in college, some do it now, others hold off into their 30's and 40's. I think 26 is too early for me. My bulletproof metabolism has failed me. Or perhaps I have failed it?

Being a rather trim guy, gaining a little weight shouldn't have been an issue. However, I've gained all of those 18 pounds on my stomach and sides. What the fuck? I look like a Somalian refugee with a distended, bloated stomach. All I need now is a couple flies to follow me around and land on my eyeballs. Am I going to Hell? Yes. Will I get VIP seating there? Probably. Will I need to get two seats to accommodate my gut? We'll see.

I ate a lot for the first two months here. Snack after snack. I was bored; what was I going to do? When the weight gain started, I cut out the snacking and made a real effort to eat fruit for breakfast and stop eating meatball subs for lunch. Didn't work. The problem must be my new, sedentary nature. How do I combat this?

I know, get off my ass and go running, or play tennis again, or basketball. I get little to no exercise. This is my problem. This must change. I may need to get up earlier to make time for the new plan...but that's a stretch. I'm not a fan of getting up, especially when the words early or earlier or pre-dawn come into the mix. But times are tough, and if I want to drop this ungainly fat and return to my 7% body fat I will need a significant change.

To start, I'm going to chronicle what I eat at work. Knowing that the world can see what/how I eat will perhaps help. Also, any and all physical activity shall be documented as proof of my commitment to looking better. Maybe I should lift some weights...we'll see. If I feel like gaining mass I'll do so after bring the fat back into control. Then I can up my calorie (protein) intake for the sake of bulk.

So please, feel free to stop by and heckle or shame me. Public humiliation is a powerful motivator. I'll post my intake, activity, weight, and body fat on a daily or near daily basis.

08/03 - 169 lbs. 15.1% body fat. No activity yet.
10:00am
20oz water
7 oz lemonade
1/2 slice of buffalo chicken pizza (good start, no?)
1 Granny Smith apple

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