New Challenge

This year, there will be no Wisconsin Run Challenge. In fact, last year, we scrapped the challenge once I signed up for the Green Bay Marathon.

This year, there is a different challenge of sorts. This one involves our waistlines.

Since I stopped running on a regular basis, the waistline has grown and the pounds have returned. On May 12, about a week before the Green Bay Marathon, I bottomed out at 176.2. According to my most recent adventure on the scale, the digits now tell me I am fast approaching 190!

It might be a bit of a reach, but I would love to be able to work myself down to about 170 by the time the Green Bay Marathon (May 21)! That is nearly 20 pounds in about five short months!

I have been thinking about this ... running without 20 extra pounds! Pick up two ten pound dumbbells, jog or walk around your block. Once home, put the dumbbells down and run that same route. What a difference! (I'm not 100% sure this is the perfect analogy, but I like to think of it this way.) Such a difference that I am very keen on the idea of losing the weight.

What does this mean?

The first 10 should not be that hard. If we cut out most the delicious sweets we have been eating and reduce our sugar intake, I'm sure we'll see quick results. The challenging part becomes the next 10 pounds.

The next 10, to go from about 180 to 170, will involve healthier meals, smaller portions, and an insane amount of self control. Jody and I have talked about establishing weekly meal plans for dinner ... and sticking to the plans. Fortunately, we do not eat out that often, so cutting back on "easy" or "fun" dinners should not be that hard (at least for me, Jody may find it more challenging because of all her travelling during her busy season). I would also like to include "cheat" days or "guilt-free" dinners. That is, a night where we do go out and order that burger with the egg on top or buy a pizza from Sendick's. But these days must kept to a minimum.

Now that I am trying to return to this blog with some regularity, I may post updates on this new challenge. Hopefully, it will be my way to guilt myself into eating better and exercising more ... so I can brag to the few of you that I set a tough goal and accomplished it!