The Dog Days of Winter

I haven’t posted much recently for a couple of reasons: 1) I had to take on another job to make ends meet; and 2) I just haven’t had much fire recently. I don’t believe for a second that 1 & 2 aren’t connected — even though the job is in fitness, which is great, I’ve been working full-time from home since 2007 and not being able to do so anymore has been tough, no matter the spin I put on it.

As far as the Challenge goes, I’m in a bit of a rut. I fear my diet, which I always thought was ridiculously light given my size and activity level (typically, well under 2,000 calories), may have actually lowered my metabolism. Recently, I’ve been terribly tired and, worse, terribly hungry — all the time.

The odd thing is in the past couple of weeks I’ve gained weight, yet may have (probably have) lost fat. But I’m still frustrated by how slow the process has been: my shin splints seem to get worse every day, making the treadmill a half-hour of torture. The thought of upping my time, given that I’m already doing it every day…

So, I’ve decided that, starting today, I will do different types of cardio—I like push-ups, I can do burpees, I can run in place with minimal pain (probably because it’s more of an up-and-down rather than a reaching motion).

Overall, I look a lot better, but there’s still a long way to go… and, now, a short time to get there.

To Those About to Sweat, I Salute You

Every once in a while it’s nice to get some positive feedback — from non-family members. Today, I received just that at the gym when not one, but two, people asked me for training tips. Now, granted, they might just as easily have asked me for advice on how to eat an entire pecan pie in 30 minutes or less — I still have a lot of weight to lose — but at least it’s nice to know that I have a few things going for me.

Of course, I know for some — those that have even more weight to shed than I — having others notice and comment on their progress is unlikely. Sadly, among its other negative properties, excessive body fat has a way of obscuring the positive changes one is undertaking (and sometimes the scale is a willing accomplice).

So, to those who toil in anonymity, I salute you. Anybody who works hard has my respect and admiration — especially you nuts running on the treadmill as though you’re being chased by a pack of rabid dogs.