Fat Fat Fatty

The first time I was told I was gaining some weight was probably the summer before last, when I was back home in Vacaville and next door at Anthony's house. His dad said something to the extent of "you've gained some weight there" at the time. I hadn't thought much of it and really, up until then I've had the image cross my mind of myself getting out of shape and fat.

To summarize it, basically it all started probably as soon as I got to college. No more track, no more PE classes - no more "regulated" or "forced" exercise. Not to mention no one else to play DDR with me (and I had lost some interest). Best case scenario I was stagnant due to the walking back and forth on campus up the hills but counter-balanced by all the junk that I was eating at school (and no Mom there to force me to eat the veggies that gets replaced by more junk food otherwise).

But then I think I took a positive step the first 2 summers in which I returned to Vacaville to work at the pool supply store. Especially the 2nd (last summer ever) that I worked there, because I remember working hard, long, 8+ hour days where I would spend my lunch break sleeping in the office or munching on Gordettos to ease my appitite. I'm pretty sure that summer I lost a good 5-10 pounds due to work.

However, once I moved into the Johnson house is where I think things started to take a turn for the worst. First, I turned 21 so the bars now added a good amount of extra alcohol to my diet. I suppose I just continued to eat junk and not balance my diet, coupled with more and more lack of exercise. It continued for about 2 years up to now, where I ate whenever I wanted to and the summe time I worked at a place that bored me to hell and didn't keep me busy (or on my feet). This summer especially, I've just eaten when I wanted to and whatever I wanted, late at night before going to bed as well. I've noticed that I've had trouble squeezing into some pants and my shirts are becoming tighter. Just as importantly, I'm completely out of shape physically and strength wise. I can't keep up at all on DDR, and just looking at myself in the mirror I look like a wreck. I can't lift weight as well as I used to, and I can't even do 20 push-ups without struggling.

I don't know how much I weigh, but I'll know tomorrow after I buy a bathroom scale. The plan is this (and I've started already):

1.) DIET: has be changed completely. I can and will only eat between the hours of 5PM and 12AM. I will try to make my own discretion at what I'm allowed to eat and what I'm not allowed. Water will be the beverage of choice, not sodas or even Gatorade. The main emphasis of this diet is to kill my appetite and cravings to eat/snack - with cutting how much is going into my body only a side note.

2.) TRAINING: the parts of my upper body that I will focus on first will be my chest and arms. Push-ups daily (as long as they're not worn out from the previous day) to build up to a regime of about 40 push-ups without getting too tired. I will also work out my biceps until I am able to lift the dumb-bell set that I have here with all the weights on it at 20 reps per set, 3 sets a day. I really want to phase in my abs into the routine but I don't know what I want to do with that... it's so disgusting to look at myself (and in the past these excercises have never produced quick results) but I need to at least get myself back into shape so that I can do sit-ups with ease and not stress myself.

3.) EXERCISE: I have always hated cardio, and will continue to hate it for the rest of my life, but I will have to do it to help lose weight and to get back into shape. I'm trying to figure out ways around it, mainly DDR (hopefully) and even jumping rope. I wonder how treadmills will feel and what kind of results, but I don't want to drag my ass to the gym.

We'll see how long I am able to keep all this up... my goal will be all the way until I go back home for Thanksgiving at least, and hopefully all the way through to Christmas.