Last time I shared with you the spark that led me to lose 25 lbs in two months and in my journey I unlocked an inconceivable truth. It always seemed like dieting and hard work was the answer to my getting fit. Since eating has served a multipurpose of enjoyment and fulfillment over the length of my lifetime, it was beyond me to consider any other perspective as an acceptable one. The instant I let a new idea creep into my mind, my initial reaction was to reject it. It seemed absurd. “Eat the same thing everyday?” No way. This simple thought coupled with an ounce of self-reflection rippled its way through my life and into my pocket. By eating the same thing everyday as I explained in Part I, I was able to turn my metabolism into a nuclear force.
When my physical health came to the forefront of my mind I spent a lot of time looking for answers without really knowing what the question was. I needed to first recognize the gears in my factory to discover the right oil for my engine. Not all engines use the same oil, after all.
Starting With My Schedule as a Template
If you recall, I am person with an ongoing love affair with anything convenient. And in order for something to be convenient it had to be within my reach at the right moments of the day.
My Schedule (Ideally)
- 8:00am Wake Up, Eat,Wash Up, Make Lunch, Leave
- 9:30am Arrive at Work and do stuff
- 12:00pm Lunch
- 6:00pm Leave
- 7:00pm Gym
- 8:30pm Eat Dinner
- 9:00pm Do Whatever I Want
- 11:00pm Go to Bed
This is a normal day of my life during the weekdays. Very routine, very bla and not very efficient!
I’ve been trying to adjust to my post college life by having some regularity. But let me make it clear to you: growing up I have never been a man of any rituals, routines, or traditions that I did not myself create. Having a routine is a very hard thing which to this day I am still trying to master (but I’m thankfully making some gains.) I have a very hard time going to bed early and getting up at a reasonable hour
Beat Traffic, Throw It In a Bag
Using my generic schedule as a template, I thought hmm, how can I make my life easier.
- It takes me about 20-30 minutes to iron my clothes and get ready for work. But it only takes me 5 minutes to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. No matter what I do it still takes me 20 min to shave and shower
- It takes me about 15-20 minutes to make a breakfast and a lunch but it only takes me 2 minutes to grab a bunch of crap and throw it in a bag!
- Traffic at any time from 7am-10am is a complete mess. A 15-20 min trip becomes an hour long trip! See all the time I lose! I hate it. Solution: Leave at 6am!
- I also get an added bonus of leaving work earlier with less traffic, and less people at the gym!
So yes by making these changes I have saved nearly two hours of my personal time! Woo hoo! Works for me.
So now I’m saving time and by extension money. What money? Phantom money that is worth the amount of free time that I’ve been losing of course.
This system has worked rather well for me. Let’s see my revised schedule:
My Schedule (Revised)
- 5:30am Wake Up, Eat,Wash Up, Make Lunch, Leave
- 6:00am Arrive at Work and do stuff
- 11:30am Lunch
- 2:00pm Leave
- 3:00pm Gym
- 4:30pm Do Whatever I Want
- 6:30pm Eat Dinner and Do Whatever I Want
- 10:00pm Go to Bed
Excellent.
Now where did the part of the food come in?
February 9th, 2007 at 11:23 am
I eat instant oatmeal too! I get the variety pack where it has flavors like strawberry and cream, apple cinnamon, peaches and cream.. OMG! I love those!
I can’t eat fruit to save my life though. Instead, I drink it. I drink 100% natural juice that I buy from Aldi. I’m addicted to it. Two containers of it almost last a full week. Its the fruit punch one. OMG. To die for.
Dinner takes me a long time to cook, but if I cook a lot, it will last a big chunk of the week. Reheating only takes a couple minutes.
Thats cool. We are like brothas! Except without nappy hair! Well, my hair is kinda…
February 9th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Try training for a marathon! I didn’t lose any lbs, but I gained alot of muscle weight. And, training for the marathon (with my wife, but you can try to get a friend to sign up for one with you) gave me a goal to strive for.
Of course I was never, ever a runner, and I only had 5 months to train, but I finished the Marine Corp Marathon in DC. I write about it on my site and give my own tips for beginner runners and marathoners:
Marathons for Beginner Runners
We’ve decided to run another marathon this year before “starting a family”. It’s also the year to try to chop down debt.
Good luck!
February 9th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
fj: yeah but you’re already a toothpick to begin with haha. Yes oatmeal, I get the same one’s you’re talking about!
clever: trying to get me to run is like trying to get a cat in a bathtub. Ok — well not really. But still. lol.
February 9th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
I use to run Cross Country in high school. I was never any good, but I did like being in shape. I think I have a funny beating heart, so its prolly not healthy for me to start training for a marathon, well at least without a Dr.s approval first.
My buddy at work does those though. He loves it. He even just recently started triatholons. He even travels to compete in other marathons. I think its cool, its like a hobby. But my passion lies in the arts (like music and stuff). I might check out your training tips though, I’m looking to expand my workout routine to gain some more muscle.
February 9th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I don’t think you have the build for it. Seriously.
February 15th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Brilliant! I can’t wait for the third post in this series. It certainly sounds easy, doesn’t it? So it is like our elders say — early bedtime, discipline, discipline, discipline — and the nutritionist — whole foods only, no processed foods. Thanks so much for your sharing your insights and being an inspiration. Glad it’s working out for you. I think I’ll give it a try!
And the food — I can do without it, and keeping routines — I’m a mom, so it’s necessary, but it’s that darned early bedtime…argh…I’m a night owl. That will be the hardest part. Guess I’ll have to switch my alone time from late nights to early mornings. That will take some serious getting used to.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:23 am
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