Public Notice: I Will Not Quit

Let’s start with a quick update on my life so far…

No need for a lengthy bio, but it’s important that you know this: I was born in North Carolina and raised in Tennessee/Kentucky. My diet has been a mixture of classic southern food (fried this and that’s, and many casseroles based on mayonnaise and cheese), 80’s kid junk food (canned pasta, pizza rolls, etc.) and fast food.

I’ll turn 48 this year and can no longer make fitness a someday goal. There are many reasons It needs to happen now. Here are the top three:

• I need to set a better example for my 15 year old daughter
• I’m getting married this year
• I nearly died from Covid in 2021

“I’m going to get in shape” is a lie told by many - so let’s go from platitude to plan.

Here’s what I have committed to thus far:

1. I will eat a Ketogenic diet from January 1, to March 31
2. I will exercise daily (beginning mostly with taking walks)
3. I will not consume aspartame
4. I will consume at least 1 gallon (3.79 liters) of water per day
5. I will not drink milk
6. I will post updates daily

I know…that’s hardly a recipe for Iron Man training, but for me, it’s significant.

Let’s start with number one - in particular, the time limit. Keto is intended to be a lifestyle. It’s not the sort of thing you dip in and out of. I acknowledge that this is true; however, I HATE it.

I would like to get to the point where I can control my eating and have a diet that excludes the disgusting processed foods and empty carbs, but still allows me to eat other fruits and vegetables that are not part of the keto plan. At the end of March, I will evaluate my progress and make changes if appropriate.

As for the exercise…Since I started working from home, I move much less than I ever have. So not only am I not accustomed to exercise, the longest walks I get are usually in the grocery store.

Number 3 and 4 are big for me as well. I typically consume several liters of diet soda per day. I’m aware that Aspartame is not good for me, but I do it anyway. I also rarely drink water. Omitting the former and drinking a gallon of the latter is a serious change.

Number 5, no milk, is an embarrassing topic, but here’s the truth: I am accustomed to drinking nearly 1 gallon of whole milk, per day. Not drinking milk takes away 2,400 calories and 127 grams of fat out of my daily diet.

So, what’s the starting point? My current weight is 238 lbs (~108kg). My weight goal is 185lb (~84kg).

I’m just under 6' tall, so my current weight puts me in the Obese category. My first milestone is to get from Obese to Overweight which requires a loss of 18 lbs (we’ll keep it simple and call it 20 lbs).

As for the daily updates, many of these will just be my current stats and perhaps a quick note about my current mental state.

I have set up a chart to log my exercise, water intake, and weigh-ins. I’m not counting calories, but I am tracking my carb intake which I will keep below 20g per day.

I purchased one of those digital scales that gives you all kinds of info (bmi, water weight, bone density, etc.), but I refuse to install the recommended companion app due to the amount of my info they’re asking for. Not to get too nerdy (a trait you are bound to notice if you choose to follow my regular updates), but I used my HackRF to grab the data from the scale (sent via BTLE), so I’m certain I can write something to parse the data without selling my soul to some company. If I manage that, I may add some more stats here.

Walking Weather

	     Overcast
    .--.     +41(36) °F
 .-(    ).   ↑ 11 mph
(___.__)__)  9 mi
	     0.0 in

Current Stats