My buddy Gabe and I have a bet going on that some of you may have seen online. If I don't lose 1% of my body weight per the weight on Monday, I have to wear the Auburn hat for the week until I weigh in the following Monday. If I do make weight, Gabe has to wear the team he despises most and his bitter rival the Georgia Bulldogs hat. As of today, the 18th of March, Gabe has worn his hat 2 times while I have worn the Auburn hat 10 times including a stretch of 6 consecutive weeks. That is unacceptable.
I had a health scare back in July due to being overweight and intense pain in my back. The back pain is a result of bulging discs in my L4 and L5 with a few extra vertebrae pushing on my S1. The back pain is being addressed through physical therapy and medication. However, when the cardiologist came in he told me that I needed to drop down to 240 or else the quality of my health would decline. On July 11th, 2023, the day I came home from the hospital I weighed 332.8. As of this morning, I weighed 314.4. I have lost 18.4 pounds in 9 months. At this rate, I will hit my goal weight of 240 in 35 months or February of 2027. That is unacceptable.
I have hemmed and hawed and made excuses for not having sped up the weight loss since then. I was too tired for the gym. I'll start on Monday so I can just forget about this week. I don't have time. I hurt too much. I have already done so much today that I really should rest. I'll wake up early tomorrow. I needed to sleep in late. I have too much to do today to work in any gym time. One cheeseburger won't kill me. I don't want to cook so I should go ahead and get takeout. All of those excuses are just Bravo Sierra. That is unacceptable.
I have to take real action to get myself in shape. That means no more excuses. You don't want to wake up early to go to the gym? Tough cookies. Get up and Just Do It. You don't want to meal prep for the week so you can avoid doing it? Tough cookies. Get up and Just Do It. You're sore from working out yesterday because it's the first time you have worked out in a month? Tough Cookies. Get up and Just Do It. You have too much to do and not enough time to do it? Tough cookies. Get up and Just Do It.
I have made excuses for my poor behavior. This is MY life we are talking about. If I don't get serious, the Sears family history of men not making it out of their 50s will come to claim me as the latest victim. This is truly life and death we are talking about here. And I've been treating it as a game that it doesn't matter if I win or lose. I have a loving wife that cares for me and loves me. I have two parents that will need me as they get older. I have two in-laws that will need me as they get older. I have three incredibly awesome nieces to watch grow up. I have my sister to see get her doctorate. I have friends and family that I want to do things with for the next 50 years.
I see the tub of goo I've become and one would hardly believe I was once a college athlete. (Not a prolific one but a walk-on for Alabama for 3 years.) In the words of Owen Hart, "Enough is enough and it's time for a change!"Luckily, I have a good accountabilibuddy in Gabe. He's not afraid to bust my balls about the weak sauce I've been making. I also have inspiration from another source. One of my all-time favorite wrestlers is getting back in shape for his 60th birthday to do one final death match. Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy, Mick. And he's chronicling it on his YouTube Channel. Now I do know that inspiration can only get you so far until you put in the work. But seeing Mick in person at World of Wheels and seeing his video behind his reasoning made me feel that way. Feelings will only get me so far so here is the course of action I am laying out before me.
1) I'm going to be honest with my calories. I have been using the Lose It App for over two years now and just upgraded to the lifetime membership. I have not honestly been tracking calories and "forgetting" to include my late-night snacks.
2) Closing the kitchen at night for myself unless it is for ginger ale or my casein shake and two halos.
3) Hitting the gym a minimum of three times a week. That really shouldn't be that hard to do. I just need to be smart and not overdo it at the gym taking rest days when needed.
4) Not using rest days as an excuse to not go to the gym. Too many times I would say to myself, "I'm still sore. I should rest just one more day," and then not go for a week.
5) Cooking for myself more. It's easier for me to eat healthier if I make my own meals. So, eat in more!
6) Getting to bed at a reasonable hour and not mindlessly scrolling social media. Bed is for bed.
These are the changes I'm making now. If you read this, feel free to message me privately or call me out publicly on one of my social media platforms. My Facebook wall lets anyone post on it. (I really don't accept friend requests unless I actually know you. My friend purgatory is quite large) Hit me up on Twitter. Or comment on my posts on Instagram. I am holding myself accountable but I will also take others calling me out. If you want to join this weight-loss journey, we can do it together. I encourage others to get healthy as well. Arnold Schwarzenegger has launched a fitness community that is trying to be the positive corner of the internet. I like his mission. I'm going to try and launch a positive corner of the internet for weight loss and I'd love to have you along for my journey. I'm going to hit my goal of 240. If I stay on the current projection of my plan, I should hit the 240 around January of next year losing it at a safe pace and not on a dramatic crash diet.
My life is going to change and therefore I must change. No more excuses. Tough cookies. Just Do It.
