I don't know if you know this, but I wasn't exactly a showcase of health and fitness 4 years ago. I know, I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true. I was exactly 50lbs heavier 48 months ago. I gained roughly 16.67lbs per year from the time I was 21, that equates to 174300 extra calories. Sounds about right!
When I met Christi I weighed in at a less-than-svelte 245lbs. Although I thought I looked good, it became abundantly clear as I saw photos of myself that I was much more of a man than I wanted to be. Christi's active lifestyle brought back fond memories for me. I tried to be a bit of an athlete through most of my formative years. Wait . . . that last sentence possesses way too much conviction. Growing up I played hockey, baseball, basketball, volleyball, track & field, golf, snowboarded, you name it, if there was a sport related venture, I was in.
Let me paint a a pretty little picture for you. Before Christi and I made the move to St. Andrews, New Brunswick in the spring of 2004 this is what the majority of my days looked like: I would wake around 12pm (often a little later) where I would wander upstairs and down a carafe of black coffee. I preferred not to eat breakfast, (I'm not sure it's still considered breakfast at 2pm?) as I was trying to stay 'lean', but if I indulged, it consistently consisted of a bagel with an initial slathering of butter and a generous second layer of complimentary peanut butter. I would usually head to my intellectually stimulating bartending position around 4pm where I snacked and consumed 5-15 glasses of sugar laden iced tea. The end of my shift was consistently celebrated with an ice cold pint of Rickards Red or 5, and a burger and fries.
If the mood struck me right, and 6 out of 7 days it did, off to the local sports bar we go. After a couple of rounds of Golden Tee, (the world's premier roller ball golf arcade game), more beer, and Shank"s world famous Boneless Wings (hot, of course) later, I was off to bed again, or Denny's.
This was my pattern for 3 years, but that 50lbs is still a mystery. I've racked my brain trying to figure it out, but with little success.
One brisk afternoon in April of '04 Christi and I ventured into a book store in Bangor, Maine. As I perused the health & fitness section I came a across a red and white hard cover book with no less than fifty 'before and after' pictures of men and women splattered on the front and back, even on the spine in all their splendor. Sadly, many of their 'before' photos reminded me of me.
That very day, Christi and I began the Body for Life program. A high intensity program of weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. That time was not only the turning point for me, but the beginning of my long road to Ironman Canada.
Ride on brotha, ride on . . .
When I met Christi I weighed in at a less-than-svelte 245lbs. Although I thought I looked good, it became abundantly clear as I saw photos of myself that I was much more of a man than I wanted to be. Christi's active lifestyle brought back fond memories for me. I tried to be a bit of an athlete through most of my formative years. Wait . . . that last sentence possesses way too much conviction. Growing up I played hockey, baseball, basketball, volleyball, track & field, golf, snowboarded, you name it, if there was a sport related venture, I was in.
Let me paint a a pretty little picture for you. Before Christi and I made the move to St. Andrews, New Brunswick in the spring of 2004 this is what the majority of my days looked like: I would wake around 12pm (often a little later) where I would wander upstairs and down a carafe of black coffee. I preferred not to eat breakfast, (I'm not sure it's still considered breakfast at 2pm?) as I was trying to stay 'lean', but if I indulged, it consistently consisted of a bagel with an initial slathering of butter and a generous second layer of complimentary peanut butter. I would usually head to my intellectually stimulating bartending position around 4pm where I snacked and consumed 5-15 glasses of sugar laden iced tea. The end of my shift was consistently celebrated with an ice cold pint of Rickards Red or 5, and a burger and fries.
If the mood struck me right, and 6 out of 7 days it did, off to the local sports bar we go. After a couple of rounds of Golden Tee, (the world's premier roller ball golf arcade game), more beer, and Shank"s world famous Boneless Wings (hot, of course) later, I was off to bed again, or Denny's.
This was my pattern for 3 years, but that 50lbs is still a mystery. I've racked my brain trying to figure it out, but with little success.
One brisk afternoon in April of '04 Christi and I ventured into a book store in Bangor, Maine. As I perused the health & fitness section I came a across a red and white hard cover book with no less than fifty 'before and after' pictures of men and women splattered on the front and back, even on the spine in all their splendor. Sadly, many of their 'before' photos reminded me of me.
That very day, Christi and I began the Body for Life program. A high intensity program of weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. That time was not only the turning point for me, but the beginning of my long road to Ironman Canada.
Ride on brotha, ride on . . .
2 comments:
Just for the record I actually gained weight during our Body for Life transformation period. Although I believe my hard work showed in Eric's body....well that's what I'm going with.
C
just for the record, you're awesome!
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