30 Days Should Do It!
By
Stephen J. Flitcraft
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30 Days Should Do It!
(Smashwords Edition)
By Stephen J. Flitcraft
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without expressed written permission from Brass Hinge Publishing.
©2011 Brass Hinge Publishing, published at smashwords.com
ISBN-13 978-0-9831590-5-6 Brass Hinge Publishing
Brass Hinge Publishing retains the exclusive rights to artwork presented on the cover. This artwork may not be copied reproduced or retransmitted in any form without written authorization from Brass Hinge Publishing.
Acknowledgements
Publisher: Brass Hinge Publishing, Marion IN
Published at: Smashwords
Website: brasshingepublishing.com
Cover Illustration: “Man Doing Pushup" by Michael J. Ratliff, Jonesborough TN
(All rights reserved)
The American Diabetic Association is mentioned as a possible source of educational information only and has not officially endorsed this book in any manner.
CAUTION: Never begin any diet or exercise regimen without first consulting with your doctor. Please heed my advice and save yourself some possible negative consequences, serious injuries, or even death.
Time for a change
Everywhere I turn, I see weight loss advertising. There are diets of all kinds, healthy food preparation machines, and a multitude of pills and concoctions.
Further, there are the equipment and exercise aids, which are a “sure fire" way of “taking it off” easily. I have to think, “Do any of these even work?”
My word, now I’m thinking of all the money being spent on this stuff. Surely, I can trim down at a lesser cost. Free has a nice ring to it.
I am a male, 52 years old.
A few years back, I was put on permanent disability as the result of a stroke. I survived without the severe consequences usually associated with such trauma. I can still walk and talk the same as I did before the injury. The turmoil of not being able to continue working at my chosen profession was nearly impossible to deal with.
Until the stroke, I had been a loyal, dues paying commercial carpenter. I’d been a union member ever since I graduated from high school. By the nature of my work, I had always been in decent shape, both physically and mentally.
Nonetheless, I was a smoker and a drinker. I smoked a pack and a half of cigarettes per day. I drank at least a six-pack of beer on a daily basis. At the time, my weight didn’t seem to be an issue.
In those younger days of my adulthood, I was content to be around 190 pounds. For years, I hardly ever wavered from this particular weight.
I felt strong and healthy.
Right before my stroke, I had ballooned to a hefty 223 pounds. (The most I had ever weighed in my life.) Mind you, I am 6 feet 2 inches tall and other than a nice beer belly, my less than proportionate frame is acceptable.
I’d bet money you smirked, possibly, thinking, “You shouldn’t have been drinking so much beer and smoking!”
I humbly accept your admonishment. (Your thought, by the way, resembles my Wife and doctor’s position on this subject.)
Let’s move on please.
Because of the stroke, my doctors helped me to reduce my blood pressure. They began monitoring my cholesterol and, of course, my weight.
Much to the delight of my doctor, I did quit smoking. This would be a complete other story, so I won’t pursue it here.
Quitting smoking is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I feel much better and can actually do things without breathing like a dying behemoth.
BUT! The effects from quitting smoking have caused my weight to jump to nearly 260 pounds. Yes, I am still drinking the beer, but not nearly as much. My blood pressure is doing great and my cholesterol is ambling along on the okay side of needing to do something about it.
My doctor noticed the weight change and suggested I get it back down to 240 pounds. Actually, I felt good when I was between 200 and 220 pounds.
Therefore, I’ve set a personal goal of getting back to a safer and more comfortable weight.
Being 250 or 260 pounds has had a dramatic change on me. Coupled with the nil to no physical activity associated with not working, I have new problems. I’ve never had these types of conditions before. I have sore ankles and feet, swollen knees, lower back pain, and a myriad of lesser-felt evils.
Oh, I forgot to mention the wardrobe change. Going from a size, XL to XXXL has had a profound effect on the contents of my wallet.
For now, my doctor has everything under control. I still drink beer, but at a more agreeable and manageable rate of consumption. My food intake or diet could be better. I seem to have leveled off at the 260-pound mark.
I’m sluggish and gimpy at this weight, and I have decided it’s time to get back in shape. I need to get back to the old me, happy, healthy, and not so heavy.
I know 30 or 40 pounds of excessive weight doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming problem with obesity. Rather than formulate a plan or scheme, which necessitates weight loss, I prefer to classify my proposed actions as preventive maintenance.
If I continue to passively ignore my weight gain, I could easily find myself in a less than desirable condition. This would certainly wind up being more costly in the long term. This could, and most likely would, encourage dangerous health issues.
Yes, it’s time to do something.
My plan!
First off, I must warn:
CAUTION: Never begin any diet or exercise regimen without first consulting with your doctor. Please heed my advice and save yourself some possible negative consequences, serious injuries, or even death.
Thank you.
Now, having said that, let’s proceed.
The two basic rules to weight loss have to do with calories and how to deal with them.
First, control the number of calories taken in, and second, burning off those calories once you have them in your system. Unburned calories become fat, which is stored within your body. This equates to Added weight.
In my plan, I am not going to dwell so much on the intake side of these important calories.
Rather, I hope to keep my diet “as is" and worry more about burning them off.
Once you have burned up the intake calories, your body will still need energy. This needed energy comes from burning accumulated fat. (Calories) Fat is merely stored and unused calories. Fat loss equals weight loss. I know this sounds simple, but it’s the raw truth.
My plan is to lose excessive fat and or calories by burning off more than I take in.
Implementing the Plan
I remember the days of practicing for the high school track team. I was not a star athlete but I participated with reserved deference.
Our new coach brought with him a new philosophy about training. He believed an athlete needed to be in shape, and using weights was not the best type of training for a runner or sprinter. He was not dead set against weights; he merely used other methods to attain the strength and agility needed to compete. Instead of weight training, our team was introduced to isometrics.
Isometrics involves muscular contractions against resistance without movement. (The muscles contract but the length of the muscle does not change.) An example of this might be, continuously squeezing a soccer ball between the palms of your hands for a specified amount of time. You might do this possibly ten times in one workout session.
There are many different isometric exercises, all of which are low impact and need virtually no weight machines and such.
Common sense tells me a runner needs to run many miles to build stamina and endurance.
Our coach had a way, which enabled us to “Run" great distances without the use of treadmills or jogging lap after lap around the track or gymnasium.
What we did seemed childish at first. What was it?
Jumping rope.
Every team member was given a jump rope.
The ropes were high quality too, with large wooden handles and ball bearings for smoother action. The first few days were quite comical. Even the star athletes lacked the coordination to simply take right off and do it.
Eventually, the entertainment value passed, and it was understood, jumping rope was an actual exercising alternative. Coach pushed us to the max too!
Every practice began with stretching, followed by the usual stretching and calisthenics. (Jumping jacks, pushups and sit-ups, etc.) Stretching is very important in any training, so don’t skip this part.
Once the calisthenics were completed, the routine changed. We would jump rope for 10 minutes. (Non-stop) Our resting periods would be coupled with isometrics. We would switch back and forth between the rope and the isometrics. We worked each part of the body as we went. It was fun, not as hard on the joints and we were actually benefiting from the unique workout.
After this workout, we headed out to the track for individual event training.
I will implement this type of training into my weight loss plan.
At this point, my only expense will be a jump rope and possibly a large ball of some sort.
The future might well find me adding a treadmill or stationary bike. I’ll decide this later, when I can see how well this jumping rope, and isometrics training is going to work out.
I will proceed cautiously. High school was 30 plus years ago and back then I was a hundred pounds lighter.
Nonetheless, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
The “where there’s a will" comment brings me to the mental side of this newfound idea.
I used the word newfound, which is not the actual truth. I have been milling this weight loss notion in my head for several months now.
I even thought about asking my wife to join in.
Whoa, wait a minute! She’s not fat at all, so I’d better leave well enough alone. (This will save me some personal injury reports.)
Anyway, if I decide to stop, the less she knows, the better off my ego will be.
On the other hand, if this plan does work, I will have evidence, which might encourage her to get in better shape as well.
Boy, I’m beginning to love this plan.
So, I’ve made my decision. I’m going on this adventure by my self.
Without a partner, I must be prepared to stay persistent and remain disciplined.
My plan will include a daily routine.
I am an early riser, so an early morning workout (5 a.m. or so?) might fit my schedule better. Besides, the wife sleeps in and I can be done before she even gets out of bed.
I’d say you’re thinking, “He’s afraid of making a commitment.”
Not true, once I makeup my mind to do something, I follow through with it. I smoked for 28 years, and 4 years ago, I quit smoking. It was difficult at first but I stuck it out. I haven’t had a single puff since.
I am confident I can do this exercise plan!
I only hope my body can endure.
It will be enjoyable, knowing I’ll be doing the old workouts again.
What will I be doing?
I absolutely refuse to rush in and begin a heavy workout right away. I am to far out of shape. I am certain; all I would get is a crash course in pain. Sore muscles and an aching back is not my cup of tea. Pain discourages activity and thus would undermine my intentions.
I will begin very slow and deliberate, starting out with minimal exertion and increasing the amount a little each day.
I chose to begin on the first day of the month. My reasoning here is simple enough.
I will do one sit-up and one pushup on the first day.
On the second day, I will do two sit-ups and two pushups.
On day, three I will move up to three each, and on the fourth day four and so on.
When it’s the middle of the month, all I need to do is look at the calendar to know how many sit-ups and pushups I need to do. If it’s the 14th, 14 will be my number.
I will not be limiting my exercises to sit-ups and pushups. I will do mild stretching of the leg muscles and back muscles.
Caution: DO NOT bounce your back or legs while stretching! Add tension slowly. The muscles should “burn" slightly. Limberness will increase naturally as you go.
I hope to incorporate more exercises into my regimen. I could possibly add jumping rope or jumping jacks after the first week.
In thirty days, I should be doing 30 sit-ups and 30 pushups.
By the end of the thirty days, I should be very limber, which will help in doing exercises that are more rigorous.
I don’t expect to have much weight loss during these first thirty days. Yet, I will have established a routine I enjoy.
At the end of 30 days, burning off calories will be brought to the forefront of my daily routine.
I think leveling off at 30 sit-ups and so on will be sufficient for my purpose. I may even back the number down to 20 or 25. It will depend on what seems to be the least agonizing for me.
However, for sure, I will be keeping the "One more each day" thing going until the end of the month.
When time allows, I will evaluate my condition and adjust if necessary.
Here I go!
January 1st will be my first day. This endeavor will continue for the complete month. Yes, I see there’s 31 days in January. Ok, I’ll go for 31.
Dang! I should have waited until February to begin! Oh well, January it will be.
There will be no days off for holidays either.
I don’t anticipate going out of town, so I should be able to workout everyday without interruption. Keeping it up will be the real test. I am determined to do this.
During my quest for a trimmer and fitter Me, I will keep notes of my thoughts and share them with you. This compilation will resemble a diary. (Which is what it truly is.)? I hope to give insight on what’s happening with my body and my mind.
The day to day!
January 1st:
5:30 a.m.: My wife is asleep and the house is quiet. I have a small bedroom, which I use for my office. There’s plenty of room in here to do the sit-ups and pushups.
Oh my! I can’t believe how stiff my body is.
I slowly and cautiously got down on the floor. I felt things in my back move around; nothing painful, but it certainly isn’t what I expected.
It’s time for the first and only sit-up of the day.
Holy crap! I can’t even pull my torso up. This is pathetic! I’ll scoot over and put my feet under the end of my desk.
Yes, now I can do it, but this is shell shock.
Am I this far out of shape?
Gee, let’s roll over and try the push-up.
Slowly up and slowly down, BARELY! My arms and back were strained but I made it.
I am in total disbelief, which completely aggravates me! I’ll put my feet back under the desk and do two more sit-ups.
This didn’t prove anything, nor was it any different than the first one. My only thought at this point is, “I’m sure glad my wife didn’t see this!"
I put my hands on the desk and pulled myself to my feet.
“Well, well, Mr. “Let’s get in shape," you certainly have your work cut out for you."
Wow, this didn’t start out the way I thought it would! I will not be deterred. I’ll continue tomorrow with two of each, exactly the way I had planned.
The rest of the day, I wandered around the house with a different outlook about my physical condition and my mental state of mind. Maybe a couple of beers tonight will make me feel better?
I’m sure glad I quit smoking, and for sure, I won’t let this disappointing start cause me to puff again!
No pains…yet!
January 2nd:
5:30 a.m.: My wife is sleeping and all is quiet, the same as yesterday morning. I am prepared for another round of yesterday’s anointment into the disturbing reality of my ridiculous physical condition.
Last night, I had a few less beers too.
I felt the same moving parts in my back again, but still no serious pain. I automatically put my feet under the desk. I shut my eyes, strained up, and back down for the first sit-up. I didn’t want to drag this out, so I immediately strained and continued with number two.
I was still aggravated from yesterday and popped up one more time. (I guess to prove to myself I could do it.)
I rolled over and pressed up and down twice to complete the pushup portion of today’s session.
Reality sat in again and I struggled to my feet. (Without using the desk for assistance, thank you.)
I forgot to do the stretching yesterday and by golly I’m not doing it today either. Tomorrow, I will add the stretching and possibly one isometric.
I can’t believe how pathetic I am.
I’m sure glad I have another six-pack in the fridge.
I’m a little strained but in no real pain. I guess my “little at a time" thing is definitely the way to go after all.
Mentally, I am still in shock. I am determined and I will persist, even knowing it will get tougher each day.
Oh, I haven’t mentioned this to the wife yet.
January 3rd:
5:30 a.m.: I am noticing some soreness in my shoulders from doing the pushups. I’m not overdoing anything, so I expect to have this condition until I get in better shape. I am weak and my lower back is definitely getting a workout.
I know it’s only the third day, but reality reared its ugly head again. I can see this is going to be as much of a mental battle as it is physical. I’ve started this and I will continue.
I added one isometric exercise. I press my hands together in front of my belly and push them together with all my strength. I hold it for 10 seconds and release. I did this three times.
I also sat on the floor and began slowly stretching my hamstrings. Even with my long arms, I can’t touch my toes.
Boy, getting back in shape is going to be a slow process.
This is so humiliating! I hope my wife keeps right on sleeping in for a while. I’m not waking her up!
My morning routine is a little different now and I enjoy the change of pace. I believe I can do more, but for now, I’ll not press the issue. Slow and steady with no pain sounds good.