Apr 11
26
Fitness Update: One Year Anniversary
On April 27, 2010, I decided to change my life. I never thought it would be a date I’d remember, but now it’s cemented in my mind. Instead of living a life full of terrible eating habits and laziness, I started a quest for fitness. My goal was never to lose weight, instead I wanted to get healthy (although I knew weight loss would be one of the perks). A year later, I’m proud to say that I’m still going strong!
I feel better than I ever have before. It’s not just physical either…I feel great mentally as well. I have more energy, confidence, and all around well-being. Before I started, I always wanted to take naps. I’d look at myself in the mirror, grab my love handles, and wonder when I’d I actually get rid of them. And, I’d have plenty of ups and downs throughout my day, but now my life is full of ups and not so many downs (it’s even easier to bounce back from the downs than ever before).
I haven’t been perfect through the process. Over the last month and a half, I’ve let myself go a bit. There’s no good excuse aside from a busy life. March is the craziest month for me. There was a stretch that I worked 19 of 21 days, and 14 days in a row. When I wasn’t working, I was trying to get some much needed sleep. I’d go to the gym and then fall asleep for two hours after I got home. That’s much different than normal. Usually my body is reeling after a workout, so I just want to go, go, go.
March is nuts for me because it’s the heart of the college basketball season (we cover four Division I universities in Spokane). I traveled with the Gonzaga men’s basketball team to Denver for the NCAA Tournament, and I also covered the Gonzaga women’s team as they made a wild run through the tourney (they made it to the Elite Eight as a 12-seed). Let me tell you…eating arena food for a month straight is a diet killer. There aren’t many (if any) healthy options, and you don’t have a choice because you’re working 14 hour days inside the facilities. It’s a lame excuse, but it led to too many unhealthy decisions.
At my peak, I dropped 40 pounds. I started at 230 and dipped down to 190. I hate to say that I’ve bounced back up to about 205 over the last couple of months (I like to claim that some of that is muscle mass), but that’s still 25 pounds shy of where I started. I even just recommitted myself to healthy eating habits and solid workouts in the gym (not that I ever completely stopped working out). I want to be the best person I can possibly be, so I’m getting back on track.
Everyone asks me what I did to lose so much weight. I’ve said this a million times, I make the right choices. It’s as simple as that. I decide to go to the gym every morning, I pick an apple or a cookie, etc. It all comes down to having the willpower to make the healthy choice. The more I made it to the gym; the more difficult it was to keep myself out of there (instead of fighting myself to go). The more I stayed away from crappy food; the less I ever wanted to eat it. Fast food just isn’t an option for me anymore. I used to love the stuff, but now I don’t even think about it. It’s like it doesn’t exist.
I really hope it doesn’t seem like I’m patting myself on the back. I’ve posted these fitness updates to show you that it can be done (and it’s really not that difficult once you commit to it). Am I proud of what I’ve accomplished? YES! I’ve dreamed of transforming my life for years, and now I’ve finally done it (even though I know there’s still work to be done). I never, ever, ever (I can’t stress this enough) want to go back to the way I was. I get one crack at this crazy world, so I want to make it count.
I’ve had people wonder if I ”starve” myself to stay fit. That’s not even close to what I do. My equation is very simple: I workout for about an hour-and-a-half four or five times a week and eat five or six small meals a day. That’s it!
For those of you who haven’t followed along from the start, or if you want to know exactly what I did to change my life, check out these links:
It’s Time To Slim Down — April 27, 2010
One Week Down…A Life Time To Go — May 4, 2010
Two Weeks And Counting — May 11, 2010
Three Weeks Later… — May 18, 2010
I’ve Survived A Month (Almost) — May 25, 2010
Are You Tired Of My Updates Yet — May 31, 2010
Trying To Get Back On Track — June 23, 2010
Fitness Update: Four Month Anniversary — August 27, 2010
I’m Becoming A Runner — September 13, 2010
Fitness Update: Six Month Anniversary — October 28, 2010
I want to cap this off with some before and after pictures. I didn’t take any official shots, so these aren’t the best. I think they can give you a pretty good idea though:
Before
A picture snapped a week or two before I started (ignore the stupid hat…I was trying to be funny…chalk that up as a FAIL).
This is one is from 2008, but it really shows how unhealthy I was (Yikes!).
After
A picture from a charity event in July (less than three months after I started).
A shot of me playing golf in August (it’s a picture from behind, but it shows how my body changed).
Merry Christmas (about eight months after I started)!
I want to thank everyone again for joining me on this adventure. I couldn’t have done it without you. Like I’ve said before, but you kept me accountable. I didn’t want to let you down, so I kept pounding away. You gave me motivation (rooting me on when I slipped), inspiration (by sharing your own success stories), and new ideas (workouts and recipes). You helped change my life. THANK YOU!
I would love to hear from you (successes, questions, etc.). You can leave a comment below, email me at tim@timlewissports.com, or get in touch with me on Twitter and Facebook. Feel free to get in touch with me anytime. When it comes to questions, if I don’t have the answer…I’ll find them for you!
If you’re looking for the perfect post workout meal…click here!
Other than that…have an awesome night!
