Woohoo!

So I've found that I am addicted to working out lately. I've been lifting weights consistently for the last couple months. I actually started closer to the beginning of the summer but I didn't get into the swing of it until about mid-June.

Anyway, my good news is that I've lost 8 lbs since I started working out. I am adding more cardio to my routine so I'm hoping that will make the process of losing some weight even quicker.

A brief history:

I have always been short and stocky so any weight I gain is really noticeable. That was never a problem because I have never had a problem with gaining weight. I have a relatively quick metabolism and I was always really active.

During my mission in Florida I gained the most weight I'd ever gained but then I lost the most weight I'd ever lost by the end of it. You look at pictures of me at the end of my mission and you'd think I was anorexic. In one of my areas I reached 180 which was a high for me. I quickly lost that in my next area which was full-bike which was how the rest of my mission was.

I got home and kept in shape. Somehow I managed to keep the weight off.

Then in August 2007 I tore a ligament in my left knee. It has taken until just recently for it to get strong again. The recent weightlifting has helped it immensely. I had done the same thing to my right knee in 2000 while doing a ballroom dancing lift, but, for some reason, that injury was not as extensive as the other knee.

I missed running and working out but every time I tried to get back into it, my knee would protest. So I just relied on my walks around campus to help me get the exercise I needed. That didn't help, though, because my knee was weak and I found that it slowed me down a lot. Especially during the winters.

And then, in 2008, when my sister passed away I had no, absolutely no, desire to exercise. Seriously, in the last year and a half I have weighed the most I've ever weighed which was close to 200 lbs! Ouch.

I'm still not where I want to be, but I'm well on my way. This summer I have had a big desire to get back in shape and to lose weight. There are a few reasons I'm doing this.

1. For myself. I found that I was really hard on myself. We're all our own worst critic, but I would look in the mirror and just think "You're letting yourself go. Your double chin is getting a double chin." While that's an exaggeration...the point is that my self-esteem was down the drain. I want to prove to myself that I can do this.

2. For my future wife. Along with the lack of desire to exercise this last year and a half, it has also been really hard for me to get back in the search for a wife. Much to my parents' dismay, I have been pretty reclusive and reluctant to go on dates. My friend, Mike, calls this sorta thing a LGN, Look Good Naked diet. It really isn't. Now that I'm finally getting to where I can date again, I think I should get myself looking my best.

3. For my future. I want to be healthy. I'm cutting down on the sweets, cutting out the soda, and I'm trying to eat more veggies and fruits. So far I've been pretty good. I have my bad days and my good days. I don't think I was heading for obesity or anything, but I was definitely not eating very good stuff for me which would only lead to health problems later on in life.

So yeah...this 8 lbs may seem like nothing. But it is huge to me. I will keep you posted, periodically on my progress.