Gotta figure out the day

So tonight was ARX and Shoulders & Arms. Did amazingly well considering the amount of missed days.

Food - Light on the calories today. Shakeology for breakfast, protein drink for lunch, a little hamburger soup for dinner. Told you it was light.

I've been reflecting on the last couple of months. Asking myself why I'm doing this. People have asked me why too. The quick answer is because I feel good working out and I have more energy overall.

The deeper answer is because I've always been overweight and have never been really happy with how I look. Call it vanity if you want. I don't. I call it being happy with myself on the inside and just making the outside match.

An even deeper answer is my why is my kids. I need to be around for them. I'm 42, will be soon anyway, and I took a long hard look at myself. The way I was going between the foods I ate, the 6 to 8 liters of diet soda I drank everyday and the sedentary life; I was heading down the road of an early death. At one point I was at almost 230lbs. On a 5' 7" body that is a lot of weight.

I always watched the exercise commercials and said "Hey. That looks like I can do that. I should order that." Never did. Always sat there and said I needed to change my diet. Eat better. Never did. Saw the exercise machines advertised. Thought wow I could look like that and only have to use the machine for 15 minutes 3 times a week. I'm going to buy that. Never did.

I always had the thought to do something about my weight. I did a biggest loser thing at work. Sure I dropped some weight but it came back after the thing was over. Started going to the gym and worked out 4 or 5 times a week on average. Did a lot of treadmill and weights. It helped. I lost a little weight. I started at the gym in January this year. By June I had lost 5 or 10 lbs. Yay me! Not bad for 6 months, ya?

So then came my daughter. She had bought P90X. I had been watching the infomercials and found it interesting. I watched some of her DVDs and thought wow, that's crazy. I made a deal with her. I'd buy P90X and we would do this together. It was fine for the first week or 2 but she had some things going on and had to back out. (It's all good, Kendra!) I kept going and kept asking myself why am I putting myself through hell 6 days a week.

Then I started seeing changes, feeling changes and feeling better overall. I could go into the "infomercial testimonial" about P90X but I won't. Well not too much anyway.

I had my doubts about the program. 90 days to a ripped body. I'm not going to be ripped in 90 days. I know that. I have too much fat to burn off and I haven't been as diligent as I should have been. But has it changed me? Absolutely. In MANY ways. I eat better and smarter EVERY day. Sure I have candy bars, cakes and doughnuts. Just not all the time. I've stopped drinking soda for the most part. I still have a glass here and there but that's a far cry from 6 to 8 liters a day.

And it bugs me when I don't work out every day. It's not obsession. It's a lifestyle change. A change for the better. Better health and better living.

So find your WHY and think about it.