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By NCN, on January 10th, 2012
In the past, I’ve used charts and graphs to represent my weight loss and weight gain. I’m not going to do that anymore – at least not right now.
If the history of this site has proven anything, it’s that I’m not very consistent when it comes to my plans for losing weight. Oh, I try – try – and try again – but my plans are always changing.
So, I’m just going to report where I am – today – and how much I’ve lost since the beginning of 2012.
After a lot of research, using a ton (no pun intended) of information from around the web, I’ve concluded that I need to lose 60 more pounds to be in good, healthy shape.
So, that’s my goal. I want to lose 60 pounds. I don’t care if I lose all of it this year, or just part of it, but I want to be moving towards that mark, at all times.
As of today, I am down 2 pounds in the year 2012.
I have been exercising and following my eating plan – but I still need to get more sleep and drink more water. Why I ever started drinking diet sodas again is beyond me, but, hey, we must all have some small vice.
I hope you are having an awesome 2012. My year has started off great – and I am excited to see what the rest of this month has in store. Rock on!
By NCN, on January 4th, 2012
My wife and I have recently started to get up at 5:30 to walk on the treadmill. One of us will walk, the other will stretch and do push ups – then we’ll swap. It’s never easy to crawl out of bed, that early, especially when you are a night-person like me, but it’s totally worth it.
I always feel better after we walk. It’s like my day has gotten off to a good start. One thing that I do struggle with, however, is getting very tired, say, around 10:00 am. I’ve tried everything I know to do – including additional exercise, eating fruit, eating protein, not eating, coffee, etc – but I still get very groggy around 10:00 am. I’m beginning to think that it has more to do with the fact that I’m not QUITE getting seven hours of sleep – and that I really need to focus more on going to bed earlier.
I think it’s important to find the time to exercise. With three kids, it’s fun to take a walk around the neighborhood. That’s not always easy to coordinate (especially with a 3 year old), but the effort is always rewarded.
At almost 37, I’m looking at this whole exercise thing in a brand-new light. Instead of trying to be some super-athlete, I’m actually looking at exercise as a time for relaxation and reflection. Sure, it’s hard work, lifting weights and running – but it’s a great time to let-go and just “be”. I love to put on some inspirational music, listen to some inspirational teaching, and just enjoy the time.
I guess I’d say – Whenever I make the time (find it, somehow, even when busy) to workout, to exercise, to walk, whatever – I do myself a huge favor. It might require effort and even some inconvenience, but the benefits are of great value – both physically AND mentally.
By NCN, on January 3rd, 2012
Happy New Year!
Here’s the new-and-improved plan for 2012.
1. There will be DAILY posts, here at No. Calories Needed.
2. I will lose 50+ pounds.
3. I will eat consciously – enjoying foods that I like – and foods that are, you know, real foods.
This year’s motto – no gimmicks, no excuses.
Getting in better shape is goal # 1. To that end -
1. I will (continue to) walk 20 to 60 minutes per day.
2. I will get back into my running routine. I missed running this past year (and, really, stopped most of my health-related blogging, because of a terrible combination of lower-back pain – and kidney stones. I will not bore you, but most of my lack of enthusiasm for the whole “weight loss” thing came as a result of those kidney stones. It took some time to figure out what was causing them, and I am prayerfully-optimistic that they are gone, for good.)
3. I will workout – 3 to 5 times weekly – with a focus on strength and flexibility.
I am not exactly sure how I will document my weight loss. I can’t decide if I’ll start with the numbers from January 2011 (a very hit-or-miss year, both blogging and weight loss wise) or if I’ll just start from January 1, 2012. Let me think, for just a second… Yes, I will start with numbers from January 1, 2012 – and pretend that last year (blogging and weight loss wise, mind you) never happened. Here’s to a brand new day!
First weigh in report will be next Monday. Gulp.
No. Calories Needed is an independently-operated, single-author, personal fitness blog. Rock on.
By NCN, on December 29th, 2011
2011 was an amazing year for me and my family. I am excited about 2012 – and I thought I would share a few of the plans I have for the coming year. (This article is very similar to one I just published over at my personal finance site – No Credit Needed.)
Writing -
In 2011, time available for writing was extremely limited. Thankfully, my schedule has settled a bit, and my passion for writing appears to have returned. I plan to write (a minimum of) two articles per day, one at No Credit Needed and another at No Calories Needed. I also plan to announce the launch of a new site – one focusing on the spiritual aspect of my life.
Connecting -
My twitter handle is @NCN. You can follow me here – twitter.com/NCN. How cool is that? I have a three-letter twitter handle. Here’s the deal, though. See, I signed up for twitter a LONG time ago (in Internet years) – just after the site started. However, I didn’t see how big of a deal twitter would be – and really cost myself an opportunity to gain followers. I hope to rectify that, in 2012.
Financial Planning -
This will come as no surprise – but my lack of writing has led to a lack of focus, when it comes to managing my finances. Making the change from one job to another required a significant commitment, and now it’s time to laser-lock, and put into practice many of the lessons I’ve learned, and written about, over the years. It’s been stated in a thousand ways – but personal finance is personal – it’s emotional, psychological, spiritual, and intellectual. I’ve been treading water and now it’s time to get back to work.
Fitness Training -
I made a goal, a couple of years ago, to really focus on my health. I’ve done a decent job of losing some weight – but not nearly enough. I’ve continued to run, but I need to run more. I plan to make 2012 a productive year, a year to make more progress, grow stronger, and be fit.
These are my plans for 2012. I’ll have more to say in the coming days – with specific “fitness resolutions”. If you haven’t done so, please consider subscribing to the site, via free daily email or rss.
No. Calories Needed is an independently-operated, single-author, personal fitness blog. Rock on.
By NCN, on December 12th, 2011
It’s funny how making small adjustments to my workout plan can keep me motivated.
Instead of waiting until the afternoon to go to the gym – and often finding an excuse not to go – I’ve been getting up at 5 and hitting the treadmill. This small change has created a more consistent commitment to working out and provided me with an awesome energy boost each morning.
I have also focused on eating a balanced breakfast, with plenty of protein. I’m never really hungry in the morning, so I have to persuade myself to eat. Once I do, I always feel 100% better.
I’ve also learned to incorporate more stretching, throughout the day. I really focus on my lower-back and hamstrings. I spend a good amount of time driving around each day, so it’s vitally important that I work to maintain some flexibility.
I’ve been bouncing around between a couple of eating plans – trying to avoid unhealthy carbohydrates. December is a tough month, especially for foragers like me, so my December goal is to simply maintain my weight, while continuing to work out.
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