229

I weighed in this morning at 229. Same as yesterday. That's 13 pounds less than I weighed a couple months ago. It's not as much progress as I was hoping for, but it is a significant amount of weight. The good news is, I'm just getting started.

I bought a new bicycle this week (a Trek 2100 road bike) and have been riding every day. It's been difficult getting past the initial discomfort that comes from years of inactivity. My back and legs are very weak and I put too much pressure on my hands - even after multiple adjustments. So I get quite a bit of hand pain when I ride. I also get quite a bit of butt pain because my sit bones are not used to sitting on a bike seat (or any hard surface for that matter).

Despite these issues, I'm riding every day and hope to make this a permanent part of my life. I suspect it will be difficult to continue throughout the winter, but I'm hoping that by then it will be enough of a habit that I will be able to continue despite the cold weather.

I also started karate classes last week. I signed up my two oldest sons also. We go on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I am hoping to make this a permanent part of my life as well. In fact, I paid for a year in advance so I know it will last at least that long.

I am absolutely determined to be in the best shape of my life by next summer (2009). With cycling and karate I should be able to stay pretty active. I will also be lifting weights a couple times a week. That's the hardest one for me to get going. I don't enjoy weight-lifting like I do cycling and karate, although I do love how I feel for the next few hours after a good weightlifting workout. And of course I like the results I get when I make myself do it. I will also be trying to stay active in other ways, but these three activities will be the key to my success.