Now Where Were We?

Lately, (especially in the area of weight loss) I've been really good at starting things gung-ho only to fizzle out or give up after a week or two. A recent health & fitness endeavor fell into this category, but it's time to resurrect it and give it new life!

I've actually TWICE tried to do the "90-Day Fitness Challenge" by former Biggest Loser contestants Phil & Amy Parham. If you glance back a handful of posts, you'll actually see some entries pertaining to said challenge. I made it through a solid week of the challenges, but probably only put about 45% of my effort into it.

Before Jason Bourne, I wanted to be Michael Scofield

I'm also the kind of person who likes to begin unfinished tasks from the BEGINNING again. Even though I've seen 3 seasons of the show "Prison Break," I recently started from the very genesis of the series and watch it all the way through to completion. Even though I've already read "The Bourne Identity" as well as "The Bourne Supremacy," I had to re-read them before moving on to "The Bourne Ultimatum" once I got it.

Okay, maybe I'm slightly O.C.D. So sue me.

Either way, I'm giving the Parham's a second chance. And since it's par for the course, I'm starting again from the beginning. But instead of trying to post every day about the challenge, I'll just post once a week showcasing my favorite or most helpful challenges from the previous week.

Sound like a deal? Raise your hand if you care. Yeah, that's what I thought...but it's not for your benefit anyway. Just please read along - because I love watching that little view counter on the right-hand side move in the positive direction. Savvy?

Also, I'll now be posting my weight loss progress in the column on the right of the page. (In case you were curious).

Yours Truly,
Jordan

Post Blog Thought (P.B.T.): Maybe I continue to fall back to my heaviest because of this nagging urge to always start failed projects over from the beginning...

"Obese" & "Poor"

I have a history of thinking that certain things don't apply to me. When I was in 6th and 7th grade, I unfortunately didn't think that my teachers' or parents' rules were things I needed to follow. As a cameraman at sporting events, I figure that regulations and boundaries on regular spectators don't include me, so I can walk all over the football field. 

And for the last couple of years, I thought that the BMI Scale didn't apply to me.

But after visiting Trinity Christian College's new Human Performance Lab and getting some vital statistics tested, I think I need to take off my blinders and face the music...

I'm a big guy.

At Trinity, I found out my Body Fat % (41.7%) and my VO2 Max score (33).

Body Fat % Categories

VO2 Max Norms for Men

After looking at these charts, you can see that my Body Fat % puts me WELL into the "obese" category, and my measly score of 33 for my VO2 Max puts me on the border of "poor" and "very poor." 

But...but...I've run four half marathons! How can I find myself labeled obese and poor?!

I think either I've been lied to all these years, or I've just refused to believe it. 

So what does that mean for today? Tomorrow? 6 months from now? It means that every decision of every day is valuable. It means that my health should be near the top of my list of priorities (behind finding a job and loving my wife), and that it should be a focal point of every day - and especially every meal. 

So here goes nothing!

Reasons to Lose Weight

Happy New Year! Okay, so I know it's almost the end of January already, but this is my first post since late December. Whoops? Anyway, needless to say, my New Year's resolution is still the same as in 2009, 2010 and 2011 - lose weight and get fit. But why am I so persistent on accomplishing this?

I found a blog that lists a few reader-submitted "reasons to be fit" every week. And even though it's geared more towards females, a lot of their reasons ring true for me too. Here are a few examples:

• To be able to run a marathon
• To show all that've doubted what's possible
• To be able to inspire others
• To be able to say, "I did it!"
• To prove that I finish what I start

But outside of these, I see one reason that  stands above the rest. It's quite simple and practical really...

If you're trying to lose weight too, what are some of YOUR reasons for wanting to lose the weight? What are some of the goals you've set for yourself? You never know when the Zombie-pocalypse will be upon us!