I’ve been terrible about updating my blog. Now that I have Facebook and Twitter, I find that there is a lot less drive to come on here and write new stuff. I am working on a post that is very important in regards to the future and God’s plans for it, I’m just not ready to publish it yet.
We’re still doing well in our weight loss. As of this past weekend, I’ve lost 42 pounds and Cassie has lost 27. I’m still hoping to hit 50 pounds by my birthday, but it’s now less than 2 weeks away and my weight loss has been slowing down the past couple of weeks. I’m still very happy with how things have gone and I’m still losing weight each week so I can’t complain. My workouts are getting more intense each week. I’m now walking a mile, riding the exercise bike three miles, and then swimming over half a mile at most of my workouts. We’re going to work towards running in the 5K the day of the Detroit marathon in October, and I will be running the whole way. I’m shooting for doing the whole 3.1 miles in 30 minutes, which would be a big deal for me. Thankfully it’s a long way away and I’ve got time to train.
I’m looking forward to April 1st at work because I’m going to be working for a new manager. I’m in a difficult spot in my job because I like what I’m doing in general, but there are certain things about my job that are very frustrating. A lot of the frustrations have to do with my manager and “team leader” who both leave a lot to be desired. I’m hoping that with some changes my job will not cause as many headaches as it has. I’m also still on the lookout for a management level position and I think one may be on the horizon that I would be perfect for.
Cassie may also have work related news in the future, but it’s far too early to mention it right now.
I’m looking forward to the Easter Sunday service at church. The creative arts team always does a fantastic job with the Easter presentation and I hope this year will be no different. And on the subject of creative arts at church, I’m becoming more involved with the Reality worship team and I’ve even been singing of late. I never realized how much I missed leading worship until I started playing again. Now I just need a decent guitar to play so I don’t have to keep borrowing other guys equipment. I have a beat up old Yamaha guitar that’s fine for playing at home and practicing, but it’s not a performance guitar. We don’t have the money to buy a new one either, so I guess I’m stuck borrowing for now. At least the guitars I’m borrowing are Taylors and they sound incredible.
I’m off to the gym. I’ve got another crazy workout to do.
I am officially a member of Forum Fitness in Westland, MI. It’s not a flashy place, I guess you could compare it to Average Joe’s Gym from the movie Dodgeball. It’s pretty basic with some free weights, a few treadmills and elliptical machines and a lap pool. I’m sticking to the pool for the time being, but I’ll be doing some more aerobic exercise in a couple of months. They also use this workout planning software called ActivTrax which can customize your workout to accomplish what you want with your workout. I haven’t used it yet, but I plan to.  They also have a masseuse on staff and you can get lower rates on massages as a member, which is a major bonus.
I’m feeling really good about the whole process. I can tell that eating better and exercising more is helping me keep my energy level up. I don’t even think about drinking pop anymore, and I’m not tempted to break my diet. It helps that I’m not starving myself. I’m still eating enough to keep myself full, but I’m eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting down my portions during meals. I’m trying to divide up my meals better so that I’m eating small meals throughout the day instead of three larger meals. When I’m at work, I’ll divide up my lunch so I have something to eat midway through the morning, at lunchtime, and then midway through the afternoon. It doesn’t always work, and there have been days when I’ve eaten my entire lunch at 10:30 in the morning. Overall though, I would call it a success so far.
Now that we’re nearly a month into it, it’s becoming our routine to eat healthy and stay active. Cassie and I are coordinating our schedules so we each have enough time to work out.  I am really trying to push myself when I’m working out. I spend most of my time working out alone, so I have to motivate myself to push beyond when I want to quit. Last night is a good example. I was swimming laps and I just hit the 1200 yard mark. I was shooting for 1500 yards, but part of my brain was content to stop at 12oo yards. It took me a minute to decide, but I ended up swimming the extra 300 yards. Tonight I’ll be back in the pool and I’ll be shooting for even more.
Last night I went for a swim. This wasn’t a leisurely or recreational swim, it was a workout. I’m paying the price today because my shoulders and arms are really sore. The shame of it is that I didn’t even swim that much, only about 700 yards or so.
Many people don’t know, but I joined the swim team my senior year of high school and spent a couple of months swimming every day. It was hard work, but I got in good shape and I lost 40 pounds. So when we made the decision to start living healthy, I thought it would be a good idea to start swimming again. But last night when I got in the pool and got a few laps under my belt, I realized that taking 9 years off from swimming was not the best idea. I’ll work my way back into shape and hopefully I can see the same kind of weight loss that I did several years ago.
In other health related news, Cassie and I are joining a gym. Despite some people’s suggestions to the contrary, we decided that it was better to join the gym than just working out on our own. I’m hoping that this is going to be another step toward our newfound health. Plus, they have a pool.