Whew!

Posted Tue Aug 10, 2010 in

OK, I’m not writing again… well, not here anyway. Jim seems to be writing on his blog again. This is a good thing.

I’m writing a lot, but it’s either work-related (reports and such) or in my dead-tree journal. At least I’m writing.

Yesterday marked the beginning (re-beginning) of my Body-for-Life program. I tried to restart a couple of years ago but it didn’t happen. I had some desire, but no go-juice to get it done. Two-years later, I still have desire, but this time I have some motivation. I need to drop some weight and improve my general condition. This is a quality-of-life issue and whatever is left of my God-granted life I want to be able to do things that please me.

I want to ride my motorcycle long distances without dangerous fatigue. I want to be able to hassle my kids and watch over my grandkids. I want to go walk the Tahoe rim trail and walk around Spooner Lake, maybe even snowshoe Spooner.

That means improved conditioning. So, we’ll see if I have the discipline to make it stick.

  1. I’ve never had the discipline to stick with an exercise routine. That’s why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been a Godsend to me. I’ve gotten and stayed in shape by doing something that I really enjoy physically and intellectually (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been compared to chess). If you wind up petering out just working out, find something to keep you going: basketball, judo, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai … something that just keeps you moving.

    Oh, and eat right too.

    — Jim    10 August 2010, 08:33    #

  2. I used Bill Phillip’s Body for Life a few years ago (nearly ten it seems) and it really works for me. The eating plan that goes with it is simple, good, and plentiful. I don’t diet well.

    More later…

    — ruminator    10 August 2010, 08:43    #

  3. I don’t diet well either, but I have adopted a new way of eating. Like you said, “Simple, good, & plentiful.” For me the rub is differentiating between what is food and what Michael Pollan calls “edible food-like substances.” I try to eat as much unprocessed food as possible & when I eat processed “edible food-like substances”, I severely limit how much of them I eat.

    — Jim    10 August 2010, 11:17    #

  4. I read what you wrote about “edible food-like substances” and I like the notion. I need to do some reading to confirm I’m on the right track.

    Sometimes, however, I will eat whatever-I-damn-well-please. That’s one of the freedoms of BFL — Sundays are free-days. So, I can have ice cream on Sunday, if I choose. M&M’s too&hellip

    — ruminator    10 August 2010, 13:55    #

  5. Two books I recommend, if you are in the market:

    In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan

    and

    The Paleo Diet, by Loren Cordain

    — Jim    10 August 2010, 17:37    #