Or one of them, anyway…
Lately, I’ve become all-too-accustomed to weighing in at over 180 (sometimes well over) on the rare occasions when I do weigh myself — at doctor’s offices, or when I’m at someone else’s home and they happen to have a scale in the bathroom.
That is not my fighting weight, not by a long shot. In fact, when last I was weighed for any sort of ritual combat — when I was on the wrestling team in high school — I was about 132. The year before that, I was in the 115 class — and just as tall as I am now. I was a scrawny kid.
But that was more than 40 years ago, and now that my uncommon genteel figgar has matured, I see my fighting weight as more in the neighborhood of the 160s. In fact, I recently decided — once again — to set my sights on being eligible to wrestle Shute. That, as I’ve mentioned before, is a “Vision Quest” reference. Awesome movie. Anyway, it means weighing in at less than 168.
So I resolved to go back on my paleo diet in the new year, and to keep myself honest, I asked for and received one of those spiffy digital bathroom scales for Christmas.
And this morning, I discovered a wonderful thing: My clothes, which I am always wearing when I step on other people’s scales, weigh a lot.
I weighed myself after showering, shaving and getting dressed — everything, including blazer, sweater, mobile phone, keys, shoes — and as is too often the case, the tally was 180.7.
But just moments before, having stripped to take my shower, I was only 172.4. Which really made those 20 minutes or so I’d just finished on the elliptical seem worthwhile.
Look how far I’ve come already! Just 4.4 more pounds, and Shute is in serious trouble! And I’ve got the whole year to do it in!
Yeah, I know. But allow me to savor this little victory…
This is Shute, the guy who is in such imminent danger.
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I’ve got my annual physical in a couple of weeks. The drill is, they weigh you before you go into the exam room. I think this time I’ll ask, “You sure you don’t want me to strip first?”
Good for you! I’ve also resolved to get back to my fighting weight, which means better diet and exercise for me. Having two young kids has been an excuse for me for too long. I’ve resolved not to slowly become an overweight lawyer.
My first hard workout is tonight.
Cheers!
Should we have the ER on standby?
Seriously, ease into it. My usual elliptical workout is 40 minutes. But I’m out of the habit, and starting with 20 minutes…
No ER necessary, but I did work my butt off. The funny thing (sort of) was at the beginning of the class, the instructor had everyone go around the room and give their “fitness background”.
First Person: Well, I like to do adventure runs, mud runs, and I’m looking to train for one of those, maybe lose 3-5 lbs.
Second Person: I work for a valet service here in Columbia, and I’m running to cars all day. It’s only short distances, though, so I’m looking to build endurance.
Third Person: I’ve been doing lots of different workout regimes over the last few years but didn’t really like them. I’d like to do this class and pair it with my yoga class.
Me: I’m a lawyer, so there’s not a lot of running involved in sitting at my desk or standing up during oral argument. In fact, I have a person called a “runner” who works for me when something needs to be “run”, so I’ve literally delegated my running. My main goal here is to look good in a polo shirt again.
So, let’s just say I’m the not the most in-shape person in the class, which sucks for me because I hate to be bad at anything. Nothing like competition to motivate.
I made a decision to walk 10,000 steps a day in 2015. I hit that number every day (averaged 13,700). The pounds came off without any other changes in diet – about 15 total. I’ll never hit my high school weight again as I was a gangly underweight 6’2″, 175 pounds. But I did drop from a 38 to 36 inch waist on my pants.
Today was my first day back at H.I.I.T. class. I took 2 weeks off because I was busy with other things, but that 2 weeks did allow a couple of muscle/joint “sore spots” to heal. Now, if I can just keep away from the sweets….
Ah, sweets…
They normally aren’t all that much of a problem with me (I’m allergic to so many of them), but I confess that I have been grazing on some leftover caramel corn from a tin someone gave us for Christmas at ADCO.
Which brings up a point: Why don’t they just make those tins ALL caramel corn? Nobody ever seems all that interested in the two other flavors. And they pose a health hazard to me, what with some of the butter- or cheese-flavored popcorn sometimes spilling over to the caramel…