Yet another annoying rant coming on....

Ok.

First off, I get that folks would be upset at me for thinking that weight loss is a simple matter. Heck, I'm overweight, why can't I get it done?

However, to back up my argument, here's how I see it:

First off, there's moderation, like I posted earlier. Take everything in moderated amounts. THAT INCLUDES EXERCISE, NOT JUST FOOD.

Secondly, you have to stick with this. You have to want to make it work, and you have to be dedicated enough to go through with it RAIN OR SHINE. Just because it's a nasty day out doesn't mean that you get a free pass. It means that you get creative, and find some other way of getting your exercise in without walking that mile uphill, or whatever.

Personally, I'm overweight because I really don't care. Plain and simple. I'm comfortable with myself. Yeah, it'd be nice to have the fit and toned body that I had when I came out of the service, but that was 20 years ago, and I'm not going to put myself through the rigors I went through to get there again.

Plus, I love food. I like the taste, I love the textures, I love the smells, and I love to eat. I enjoy cooking it, eating it, preparing it.. The whole nine yards.

I actually DO exercise. I don't exercise nearly enough for the amount of crap I put into myself, but I do get out and get active. I play volleyball three times a week for about 2-2 1/2 hours each time. It's fun, it's active, and it gets the sweat flowing and the muscles moving.

If I could restrain myself from taking in so much crap, I'm sure that I'd drop weight, and get down in pounds and sizes. However, because of my care-free attitude, I don't. I'm not blaming anyone but myself for how I am, and where I'm at. I don't eat because I'm stressed, I don't eat because I'm angry, I don't eat to take out aggression or passion about something. I eat because I love to eat, 'nuff said.

Now, I know that there are healthier ways to prepare foods. I also know that there are better items out there to eat besides red meat and beer. That being said, I also know that if I decide to fix steak and potatoes, I don't eat an entire pound of steak and six helpings of potatoes, and instead opt for a reasonable cut, and one medium baked potato will suffice. I mean, c'mon! This seriously ISN'T rocket science!

I've taken nutrition courses. I've cooked the "regular" and "weight-saving" ways. To be honest, aside from the meat substitutions, it's really not much different! The calories are still there, the carbs actually get higher with some more "health conscious" foods if you're not careful, and sodium increases with some of the preparations you make in the "healthier" meals.

Basically, if you pay attention, READ what you're putting into stuff, moderate what you eat, and balance that with exercise, you're going to lose weight, and slim down. I know that saying this seems simple, and to be honest I really think it is. You just have to make it a priority, and stick with it. Habits are formed easily. If you can stick with a habit of buying and preparing healthy food, plus exercising daily.. You'll lose the weight.

I don't see what all the hype is, really. Get a gym membership. Buy some cookbooks, and instead of going with red meats, substitute chicken or turkey. Eat more fish. Make meals smaller, and have a couple more during the day. Instead of three square meals, have five. Breakfast, after breakfast, lunch, midday, and dinner. Or, if you want, snack ALL DAY, but don't actually sit down for a serious meal. Whatever you decide, you need to stick with. BUT ADD THE EXERCISE. You could seriously eat like a mouse, and hardly take in anything during the day. But if you don't exercise, and sit on your butt, you're still going to mushroom. Take in food, burn it off by swimming, or running, or playing basketball, or some such thing. JUST BE CONSISTENT. If it rains, go run on the treadmill instead of outside. Just make sure that you're dedicated to not only feeding yourself, but exercising as well.

I'm done ranting. I know that this will probably offend all of you, since each and every time I've said something along these lines, it pisses folks off.. So be it. If you don't like what I say, you honestly don't have to come back here and read it!

Um... Ouch!

Yeah. I'm in pain.

Why? You might ask?

I'm exercising.

Yes, this late 30's male with extra weight and no body tone is trying to exercise more.

How am I going about this?

I'm playing sports again.

I used to LOVE playing volleyball competatively when I was younger. I was actually pretty good, too!

Now?

Not so much.

I mean, the skills are still there, and I know what I need to do, what I should do in a given situation.

However, the physical responses just aren't there. Reflexes that would have helped me dive for a ball in my younger days just don't cut it now. Those reflexes helped move a body that was 140 pounds lighter than it is now! The joints don't want to move as much. The muscles ache from a lack of training and use..

But I refuse to give up.

I'm sore, and I ache in places I'd forgotten I had.

But that just lets me know that I'm on the right track!

I mean, how much weight and exercise can I get from work? Most of my day is spent watching a computer screen, or spent on the phone trying to get a technical issue resolved. I spend some time moving and tossing boxes, and quite a bit of time walking around this giant warehouse... But for the most part my job is a sedentary one.

Add to that my habit of coming home, and camping out in front of the TV or the home computer, and you've got a recipe for laziness and an ever-spreading butt and flabby gut.

So I'm going to try to get my lazy ass out there and do some serious exercise to wake me up, and get me moving again.

Sure, I'm going to be hating life for a while until my body re-adjusts to doing a physical workout, but I'm willing to deal with it!

Wish me luck, and make sure to take out stock in Aleve or Tylenol, since I'm going to be going through those like candy for a while!