Stuck in a Quarter Life Crisis

i am planning to get in shape. yes, dareal_aka_alex is about to get it right, get it tight as we approach the end of 2006. this will be an even longer-term goal than getting into law school. most people tend to jump on the health bandwagon at the start of the new year in hopes of strutting along the beaches of [insert trendy tropical city here] in a bikini by the summer. that's never been appealing to me. if i'm headed to the beach, it ain't to walk up and down the shore and profile. i go to the beach to, dare i say, swim! anyway, my ultimate reason/goal is to avoid the health pitfalls that are prevalent not only in my family, but in african-americans in general. i tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle and i would like to become more active and maintain my youthful looks. and i just want to improve my overall health. what would the world be like without me around? i'll tell ya...a sad sad world that's for sure. ok, well maybe just for my friends and family, but still!

right now i've got an average body figure i think. i'm proportional. when you plug in my numbers to these bmi and other health calculators, i'm considered overweight. however one site indicated i should be around 120. i'd be blown away by a gust of wind if i were 120 at this height. i'm going to ignore basing my overall goals according to these health calculators. i do have a visual of what i'm aiming for though. now i've always been fortunate enough that my height hides my weight. a few pounds gained here or there aren't noticeable. the way i fit my clothes is my indicator of whether or not i need to back away from the table from time to time. in the past i've been able to get in a groove with working out and eating better. my problem is being able to maintain that routine longer than 4 or 5 months. i always seem to hit a road block. and then it's downhill from there. another obstacle is nutrition. i have a good sense of what to eat and what not to eat. but when it comes to getting up and actually cooking when i get home, now that's another story. most of the time i'm just too tired. a bowl of frosted flakes with banana slices always hits the spot and it's so simple to prepare...yet loaded with sugar!

i think what i may do differently this time is track my progress. basically record what i'm doing in the gym and what i'm eating. i've heard that journals are helpful, i just have to make the time to commit to maintaining one. i'll also have to resist the temptations of all the unhealthy options surrounding me at work and home. that neon flashing krispy kreme hot doughnut sign is the devil!!! it's like my body has a sixth sense for when that kk employee flips the switch cause before i know it, i am pulling into the drive-thru. and anyone who says they can eat just one is a liar!!! the only time i can eat just one is if there is one left in the box at work or a friend's place. man, either i may have to move or they may need to shut down my local krispy kreme out of respect for my new health kick. ha! if i had that kind of pull, i wouldn't need law school.