19
Getting Healthy
Tagged Under : exercise, weight loss, workouts
This year I have some major life changes that need to be made. In August we will be having our second baby which I am very excited about but it means some big changes around our house and in my life.
Late last year I learned that I had developed Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which is more commonly known as Hypothyroidism. Basically, the white blood cells that normally fight off infections like viruses and the flu are instead attacking my Thyroid gland as if it were a foreign body.
What this means is my Thyroid is unable to produce enough of the hormone responsible for metabolism. It also means I have to take medication (a small pill) that reproduces this hormone for the rest of my life. That’s not such a big deal since it is one small pill but nonetheless it’s permanent.
Over the past few years I have been struggling with my weight. I’m 6 feet tall and currently weigh between 215lbs and 220lbs. I don’t consider myself obese by any stretch but I could stand to get rid of this gut. Overall my health is good, my blood pressure is good and my pulse is good, I just have too much midsection going on and that’s not something I want to keep.
To that end, i have committed to changing my diet which is a combination of the Men’s Health Abs Diet and the South Beach Diet.
I’ve stopped drinking alcohol now for at least 4 weeks so my doctor can run another blood test and find out what is going on with my triglycerides.
I’m also trying to figure out a workout schedule. Except for Mondays and Fridays, i work in San Francisco and leave my house too early in the morning to do any real exercise. I also get home between 7 and 8 pm which leaves little time for playing with my son, dinner, time with my wife and to somehow squeeze in some exercise.
One thing that has helped keep my weight down is the fact that I walk almost everywhere. I walk an hour a day to get to and from work but what I need to add to this is some real weight training. The problem is I don’t have a weight bench (or room for one anywhere) and I only have a curling bar and a couple free weights to work with.
I’m interested in hearing from my readers what they do for exercise/weight training. In the spring and summer I get my workouts done by mountain biking a couple days a week.
I may just have to suck it up and join a friendly neighborhood gym and stay motivated to keep going but the thought of forking over $40 a month for a gym membership annoys me.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress but I’m interested in hearing your stories.
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