Thursday, April 1, 2010

My Big Fat Butt

I'm just going to put it right out there:  I'm fat.  Fatter than I've ever been in my life.  Growing up, I was always painfully skinny.  I don't think I topped 120lbs until I was 20.  People often thought I was bulimic because I could pack food away and never gain weight.  Shoot, if I just glanced at a gym the wrong way, I dropped ten pounds.

But the last few years has seen me really battle with my weight.  The last two years have been the worst.  While I was writing The Deathday Letter, I packed on a lot of pounds and got up to about 195.  I dropped about 15 lbs to go to Europe but immediately upon my return, I started my slow build to where I am now, which is my heaviest weight of 215.

It's easy to say that, because I spend so many of my hours sitting in front of a computer, I should just resign myself to being overweight.  I mean, that's what I've been doing.  But that's wrong.  I look like crap, feel like crap, and my health is probably terrible.

I tried to give myself a goal by signing up for a marathon last year.  I got a training schedule and tried to stick to it for a couple of days.  It didn't go well.  In fact, I think my lack of progress made me even lazier.

Over the last two weeks I've changed my diet and my exercise schedule.  I'm eating healthier and jogging 3.5 miles daily.  But I need a better goal.  So here's what I'm going to do:

For every pound I lose, I'm going to donate one book to a charitable organization (if you know a good one, let me know! I'd prefer it to be one that works with children and literacy)  My deadline will be June 1st.  If I get down to my goal weight of 175 by June 1, I'll donate 50 books.

This way I can count on you all to harass me and make sure I lose the weight and donate all 50 books.  If anyone wants to join in, email me and I'll set up a special page to track progress.  Over the next couple of months put together some posts about how I'm working to lose the weight, and how being heavy these last couple of years have affected me.  And I encourage you all to tell me about ways that you stay healthy and fit.  My goal isn't to "diet."  It's to effect a healthy change in my lifestyle that helps me get to a healthy weight.

So let's do this.

10 comments:

  1. Hmmm something I definitely need to do as well....perhaps I shouldn't have been stuffing that chocolate muffin in my face as I read your post ;-D

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  2. This is a good idea. I hope it goes well for you!

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  3. And here I wrote about my felonious Cadbury Egg addiction today.

    This is a much healthier post.

    Seriously, good luck. I'll be pullin' for you.

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  4. This is a great idea, Shaun! Go you! I know what you mean about trying to stick with things. I'd been running 15-20 miles a week before getting pneumonia last year. Right when my lungs had recovered enough to run, I broke my ankle. Now I'm back to running, but it's slow-going.

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  5. I was just blogging last month about how crappy I was feeling due to not exercising and putting weight back on. For me, when my health is crap then my writing is also crap. Double whammy. Last night I went to McDonald's at the kids request and ate a grilled chicken sandwich with ketchup and I so happy and sad all at once. Being healthy does not taste that good. I will email you. I may have a place for book donations; and I may get brave and join you! Is it weird to say I'm proud of you? I totally am.

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  6. I love that goal...Hmm...I think you may have just started something here!

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  7. Wow. That's really awesome, Shaun. I'm rooting for you!!!

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  8. Totally cheering you on! Great goal and I love the book donation idea!! 3.5 miles a day is fab too!

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  9. A book per pound is a great idea, and I'm with Margie: 3.5 miles a day is awesome, too. Any farmers' markets near you? Fresh produce can be addictive.

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  10. Thanks everyone :) I'm down to 206 now, so I'm on my way.

    Shan: If there is, I have no clue where. Which is sad too. I'd love a good farmer's market. I remember last year when you were running/walking to work. I'm thinking about buying a bike and biking to work.

    Kat: I too am addicted to the Cadbury Cream Eggs. I think they sprinkle them with highly addictive substances.

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