Fatness 2.0

I'm Scott.  ScotteeeRock to a lot of people.  That used to mean a lot more when I was a fit good-looking 80's-ish rocker front-man running around on stage acting like a crazy person...a good stage show can always make up for lack of real talent--just ask Brett Michaels.  Besides acting like a fool on stage, I have always enjoyed just about any athletic activity you can name.  I am probably best at basketball, but I have always competed well in just about any sport including football, volleyball, dodgeball, tennis, golf, even running.  In fact, if I could pic my top two favorite things to do (that don't occur in the bedroom) it would be being on stage and participating in sports.

So why am I not doing those things anymore?  Because I am fat.  FAT.  Flubbery.  Sorry if I offend other Fatty's out there, but I have never been one to be very diplomatic or politically correct.  When I joined my first band I was 5' 11" and weighed 125 pounds.  At my heaviest I was 225...granted, it has been 20 years, but I have gained 100 pounds over that time.  I wore 28 waist Levi's.  Unreal.  People that know me today would never believe I was once that skinny.  People used to say I looked like Brad Pitt or Val Kilmer . . . now they say I look like Sam Kinison.  Wow.

So, finally, I have had it.  My friend Shane has been a motivation true enough, but recent trips to the doctor showing high blood pressure, trouble breathing, constant lethargic-ness, depression, hopelessness, and even envy, have finally pushed me to the edge and I am done with being fat.  DONE.  I know you have heard it before from people this time of year, but this time its different.

I have tried and succeeded losing wait before.  I can drop 20 or 30 pounds pretty easily by dieting, but when I reach whatever goal I set, I stop and slowly gain back the pounds until I am right back where I was.  My super ULTIMATE ideal weight would be about 165 I think.  My real goal is 175 to 180 depending on my muscle mass as I weight train.  But at this point weight loss is not my number one goal really.  It is my health.

I want to get in shape, period.  I want to be able to go toe to toe with my 16 year old on the court without getting winded after 10 minutes.  i want to be able to breathe at night without my stomach pushing my diaphragm up and choking me.  I want my blood pressure down without medication.  I want to avoid diabetes (which I am borderline after my last physical).  I want to hike and climb mountains like I used to.  I want to be able to swim farther than 20 feet and I want to be able to lift my own body weight into a boat without struggling.  And I would like to be able to do a rock show without sweating and huffing and puffing like the fat pig slob that I am right now.  I would like to have sex without being winded after 2 minutes.

So...like I have seen my buddy Shane do...I am going to run.  I am going to run until I am in shape.  And then I am going to keep running.  I started a program called "couch to 5k" yesterday http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml and guess what?  it is doable.  Even in my fatness I managed to do the first workout with a fair amount of ease.  I must warn you that it was not easy . . . nothing worthwhile ever is . . . but I was able to do it without killing myself.  And I will tell you, last night before bed I felt great.  I told my friend Shane how amazing I felt for the rest of the day, just exercising that much.  He basically said, welcome to the club, that it is natural.

So off I go on this couch to 5k journey starting at a flubbery 223.8 pounds.  Let's see what happens.