Just another day, I am standing in an upstairs bedroom getting ready for my grandmother's funeral in Las Vegas. It's a dreary overcast day, very abnormal for Las Vegas, even in the month of January. Just another day I think to myself as I pull out my black suit that I bought just after I graduated college in 2000. I lay it on the bed and put on an undershirt, black socks, etc... reach for the pair of slacks and start my legs through, one by one. As I pull up the pants, they feel a little tight... "hmmm did they shrink? Can clothes shrink at the dry cleaners? Certainly not", I think to myself as I pull them up around my waist, grabbing both sides pulling them in towards each other to clasp the button. Unsuccessful, I look down and realize this isn't going to happen. The pants are simply to small, a once 32 inch waist, is now maybe 36 inches, maybe 37. Panicking I think of about my options. I did not pack two suits, I did not pack an extra pair of pants, I am screwed.
I am now stairing at myself in the mirror realizing my problem isn't a figment of my imagination, I have let myself go. A once highly active, athletic guy who used to run track, hike, mtn. climb, gymnasts, lift college cheerleaders into the air, and weight train (you get the point) has become unfit and unhealthy. I now feel like the weather outside, dreary and cold. I keep the pants on, the zipper isn't even up, the button is obviously not buttoned, but my belt is holding them in place and my suit jacket is long enough to keep the embarrassing monstracity hidden. Through the funeral, through the evening's social activities with family I keep my jacket on. Removing it is not a luxury I have.
Just another day right? Not at all, I am 32 and for most of my adult life have always been fit and healthy so this was my first real (what guys will call) "girl moment". In all honesty guy's look in the mirror too and even if we won't admit it because we are trying to act tough, we have these moments, some may be more dramatic then others but they are real and they can define you. The moment itself doesn't define you, but the after action does. Will you do something about it or do nothing? I chose to do something, after the funeral after everyone had gone to sleep. I sat there, watching TV wondering about today's events. My grandmother had passed, she lived over 80 years, witnessed multiple wars, raised four great kids, experienced first hand how technology has reshaped our culture and society, but now she's gone. I think to myself "Life is short..." and then it happened. A informercial starts up, with you guessed it, Mr. Tony Horton. He's talking about getting in shape, feeling great all in the comfort of your home in 90 days. Ninety days? I think, "that's only three months? February, March, April! I could have my old body back by the end of spring? In MAY!"
At that moment I make a commitment to myself, no longer will I let myself go, I will no longer eat crappy unhealthy processed foods. I will no longer make excuses for not exercising, for not taking care of myself. I WILL fit into those pants again and I WILL take my shirt off at the pool or beach and gosh darn it, I will smile when I do it. The next day I get back to St Louis, MO and that evening I ordered P90X. It was a decision I will never regret making.
That my folks is what I call the tipping point in my life, it's the point at which I decided to take action to fix what I had neglected. This is the first of a series of blog posts which I will share my transformation with you and it goes well beyond my first 90 days with P90X. I will talk about eating right, exercising with P90X, setting goals for yourself, finding balance and being active in a sport that you love to do (For me that sport is cycling).
Stay tuned next week for: "The Beginning - My Journey back into fitness - Part 2"
#1 by Oldies DJ - September 13, 2011 at 3:10 AM