I gotta tell you, I feel so much better already.

This is week three of my diet.  After thinking about it a lot, and on the advice of others, I decided that 1000 calories per day was just too little.  Not only is it pretty much impossible to do, but it’s not healthy.  I knew that going into it, but luckily common sense prevailed and I upped my daily count.

I did some research on ye olde Internet and found some formulas and calculations to determine my proper dietary needs.  For a 200lb man, at 5′10, and 493 years old, my calorie requirements are 1,950 calories per day.  That still seems pretty high to me, so I’ve comprimised and set my goal between 1,200 and 1,500.  I think that’s a bit more realistic, as well as healthier to boot.

I’m quite pleased to announce that I’ve lost five pounds, and now stand at an even 200 (as of today).  More than that, I can honestly see a difference in the size of my waist.  I know there’s a “wishful thinking” factor, but there’s definitely a difference to be seen.  I also notice a slight difference in my face too, and that’s got me excited as well.  I’m very happy with my progress so far.

Here’s a breakdown of averages according to the data I’ve been keeping:

Fat – 28.5% (340 grams)
Protein – 13.9% (372 grams)
Carbohydrates – 57.6% (1,545 grams)
Alcohol – 0.0%
Other – 0.0%

My carbs are a little high, and my protein is a little low, but my fat intake is right about where it should be.  I also had a beer last Saturday (thanks Sra!), but it didn’t have enough effect to register in the formula.  With some slight adjustments, I’ll be sitting pretty.

Daily Calorie Intake – 1,752 cals
Daily Sodium Intake – 2,930 mg
Daily Sugar Intake – 82 grams
Daily Cholesterol Intake – 156 mg
Daily Saturated Fat Intake – 21 grams
Daily Fiber Intake – 13 grams

As you can see, I’m a little over my average for calories per day, but this was due to my “cheat meal” of delicious pizza last Saturday, so the curve is a little off.  I’m still under the 1,950 suggestion though, so it’s all good.

I’m also burning an average of 2,800 calories per day, so that’s another plus.  I actually hope to up this a little in coming weeks.

Overall, I simply feel better.  I’m not all “bloaty” like I’ve been feeling for a good year now, and I’m happier when I catch a glance in the mirror and can actually see progress.  I even did Ensign Peak earlier tonight to watch the sunset, and made it to the top without having a heart attack or wheezing like Orson Wells in the 300 meter hurdles.

Progress, my friends.  My six-pack will be back.

Note to self: Hiking up mountain with two pulled calf muscles is very owie.

Seems like my little league coach’s advice to just “walk it off boy! Rub some dirt in it, ya wuss. It’ll be fine” doesn’t really work so well. It might have been great for taking a 60 mile-per-hour fastball to the ribs, but walking with old age chasing me just doesn’t give that advice much credence.

It seems that there’s this procedure called “stretching” that one should perform before engaging in pretty much anything after a certain age. I’m familiar with stretching from my days as a fitness trainer, but that was in preparing for intensive training. Things like bench presses and dead lifts require the body to be fully prepared and warmed up — walking across the room should not be something that needs a lot of preparation. Yet, that’s exactly how I pulled my left calf muscle a week ago.

It’s just a slight pull. It hurt for a couple of days and then subsided to a dull ache. I can handle it now, but it’s still annoying. I write it off to recent inactivity and age. No big deal.

Last Saturday I participated in the Asthma walk at Sugarhouse Park. This involved nothing more strenuous then walking around the perimeter of the park on the paved surface, but, as luck would have it, I came up lame by pulling the right calf muscle. After shaking my fist in anger at the gods for cursing me with decrepitude, I hobbled over the finish line and then proceeded to sulk for a few hours. Now I gimp about like an invalid every day thinking about my bygone youth, wishing I was in better shape. I don’t remember any passages in the Old Person’s Handbook about stretching before doing something so mundane as walking.

So I’m committed to getting myself back into shape, age be damned. After all, Lance Armstrong is my age and he can run marathons and ride his bike up and down mountains in France, all with only one testicle.  Shaqille O’Neal is my age and he can run back and forth on the basketball court and miss easy free throws. Jason Statham is my age and he can star in ass-kicking movies and hold his own with people like Jet Li. Josh Duhamel is my age and he can fight giant transforming robots. So is Karl Urban, who can fight hordes of Orcs. The list just keeps going and going. I bet none of these people pull calf muscles walking out the the kitchen for a drink. Anyway I’ve considered that I live in the beautiful state of Utah, and Utah has lots of area called “outdoors”. In this “outdoors” there is apparently “stuff”, which can be seen and experienced. I intend to see and experience it, and at the same time, bring my body back into its rightful state of well-being.

This brings me to today, in which I once again gasped and wheezed my way up the hill to Ensign Peak. I was attempting to correct the photographic mistake I made a few weeks ago by actually getting a shot of Salt Lake that’s in focus. I also used it as an opportunity to work on this “get in shape” thing. Baby steps, to be sure, but Ensign Peak will do for now. It’s short and intense. Hopefully, within a few more tries, I will be able to traverse the distance without stopping, although I’d feel much better about it if my calves weren’t screaming in agony the entire time.

I met my first rattlesnake of the season tonight. I was coming back down and there he was, just sitting there sniffing or flicking or whatever it is that snakes do. The little bastard slithered back into his den before I could limp up and snap a picture of him though, so there’s no evidence. I didn’t think that they came that close to the path, especially with all the people that come and go, but upon further inspection there are many suspicious holes right along the edge of the dirt there. I guess it’s finally warm enough for snakes to come out and play. I bet he didn’t pull a calf muscle either. Probably didn’t even think about stretching beforehand too.

Oh well. There it is. My plan is to first heal, then go about finding some good hiking here in Utah. I’d like to extend the invitation to my friends and new blogging buddies to come along if they want. In fact, if you are a Utah native (I’m not), you probably know some good trails and spots in which to hike and experience “stuff”, so I’d be delighted to meet some new people and experience some “outdoors” with them. Just hit me up and let me know.

And I promise we’ll stretch first.

And avoid the snakes.

I haven’t written in a while.  More than a week, in fact.  I told myself when I started this blog that I’d try to write something interesting every day.  Haha… that didn’t even last a week.  I suppose it’s because nothing really interesting happens to me on a daily basis, so there’s no fodder for the fans.

Today I took a short hike up the modest hill that contains Ensign Peak.  Lately I’ve been getting more and more serious about Photography, and as such, I tend to drag my new expensive camera around everywhere.  I’ve taken a liking to panoramic shots, as evidenced by the botched picture above, which was completely out-of-focus in every aspect.  I like taking pictures, and I think I could be pretty good at it once my skills and my imagination actually meet up somewhere.  The focus thing was my bad, and the result of not setting myself properly before I pressed the shutter.  Not a mistake I usually make.

The thing about Ensign Peak is that it’s a super easy hike, yet my flabby, aged ass still has to stop every twenty yards to heave and gasp for air like a pack-a-day smoker after a flight of stairs.  Someone should have told me that all of Utah was uphill before I moved here.  I’m from Ohio, where things are moderately boring and flat,  like Keira Knightly.  Hills and mountains are pretty, and they look great from a distance, but walking on them is another thing all together.  I need to get into better shape.

I’m also still looking for a job.  If anyone knows of anything, let me in on it, ok?  I’m looking for something in an artistic sense, like Graphic Arts or writing.  I did long, long years in retail and I think I’ve paid my dues in jobs that I don’t like.  I’m ready for something else.  Something where I can actually justify getting out of bed in the morning.  It would be great to actually use my talents for something other than pandering to the unwashed masses looking for a “deal” on some gadget they don’t need.  Alas, this job has thus far eluded me.

What else.  I have an entire web site to build.  I volunteered my skills to the Mountain-Con organization this year as a webmaster.  Looking back, that may have not been the best decision.  Building a web site isn’t the problem so much, it’s finding the motivation to work on it.  I find myself goofing off, doing things like surfing around on the web or writing boring blogs instead of actually working.  Sometimes I wonder if I’m really cut out to be creative.  Seems like my head is full of so many ideas and inspirations that my energy and willpower can’t keep up with them.  Oh, for the simpler days of being a kid when there were no obligations and one had plenty of time and energy and enthusiasm.

So yeah.  That’s what’s going on with me, and why I don’t write as much as I should.  Laziness and apathy, my new best friends.