There comes a moment when you realize that’s it’s time to get yourself back into some semblance of shape. That moment hit me one morning before Thanksgiving.
I was dressing for work when the pants to the suit I was about to wear didn’t fit. They were too tight. Mmmm, that was strange so I tried another suit and the same thing happened with that pair of pants. Then another suit and another suit. I finally got to a suit that I could actually fit into the pants and I sat there and said to myself “What the hell is going on?”.
The truth was that I was not taking care of myself.
I looked at my routine and could see there was almost no physical activity. I sit at my desk to write scripts and I sit on the anchor desk for two hours every day. Hardly a routine to promote physical fitness. Then, I would get home late and eat too much food and go to sleep. I didn’t dare weigh myself. All I needed to know was coming from the pants in my closet. There were suit pants I could not wear and dress slacks I could not wear.
I must admit, it made me more both angry and sad. Even worse, I am at an age where you just can’t down a whole pizza and work it off the next morning. At age 40, it’s harder to keep the weight off. In some respects, you have to work twice as hard to achieve the weight goals you did just 10 years ago.
However, as I stared at my closet and wondered what happened to “thin Andrew”, I made a promise to myself. I knew I had to let out some of those pants, but only a very few. I wanted to work myself into shape so that I could put the rest of those slacks on without any tailoring.
My resolve to turn the corner started the week of Thanksgiving. I ran in the “Turkey Trot” in Greensburg, a hilly 5K run. I finished, but my time was 26 minutes. Hardly the best time I had ever turned in. The day after a very light Thanksgiving day meal, I went to the gym to run and life for 90 minutes. I have kept that streak going ever since. I get to the gym at least five days a week, either before work or between broadcasts. I try to push myself a little bit further everytime.
I also eat sensibly. Less food and more normal hours and I’m trying to keep the alcoholic consumption to just the weekends. As for the results, it’ s not happening overnight but I feel better and can see the weight loss in my face. However, I want to see it in my waist.
Call it my New Year’s resolution … well ahead of the New Year.
Good luck to all of you who are trying to do the same: Avoid the tailor and fit into your clothes.
Andrew Stockey's Blog 