It’s been three (3) months and I feel as if I am now mentally prepared for the for the battle or task of living every day life where calories, exercise and the time continuum come into play.  Many of us can acheive the short term gains of extreme diets, short term gimmicks or a week/month long exercise regiment, but what about the rest of the time?  How can we achieve a balance without going underboard (not eating) on the food we like or worse, overboard on the foods we love and have become used to eating?  Many of today’s foods are addictive based (by design) on cravings for a particular ingredient in a food or the simplicity of eating whatever is available in a particular place (work or home) at a particular time (whatever we have time for). What is even more difficult is how to avoid or go against the grain of the environment we live and thrive in on daily basis. 

Good, bad or indifferent, many of us dont have a choice (or think we dont) or havent developed the ”will power” tools to ignore the surroundings that influence our daily routine.  In lew of not using our will power, we fall victim to our environment and simply follow what’s easy, convenient or simply do what others do.  The solutions to all of these issues are available if we practice and train ourselves to use the tools that have been stripped or lulled away by fast food restaurants, marketing gimmicks and the influential media. 

For everyone its different, but there is one common denominator that groups us together; we are all very creative when it comes to fabricating excuses as to why we “cant” change the way things are in our lives.  As a race, we have become who we are by the people we surround ourselves with and our influences (friends, family, support groups).   And, as long as there seems no reason for change then we continue to exist in these groups until we wake up one day and dislike who we’ve become. 

This “victim of our environment” mantality can be changed if we choose to change it.  Its not easy, but it can be done with superior attitude and superior state-of-mind to break the mold that we’ve poured ourselves into.  One moment, one day and one person at a time we can change…I’ve proven it in a short period of time and will continue to evolve the new me.

Today was nothing spectacular on the diet or excercise front.  While i had intentions to go to the gym, I decided to ride my bike around the 3 mile circle (home track) and spend time with my son before I leave to Canada for my best friends’ wedding this weekend.  I suspect i wont be eating organic foods, drinking electrolyte water or enjoying spicy tofu soup; however this weekend should be a good test of control, balance and moderation with food, wine and song. 

The last time i saw my college friends was almost a life time ago and we could each drink a keg a piece.  15+ years later, our bodies dont function the same and most of us are married with children living a much different life than the good old college days.  It will be great to see everyone again…older and hopefully wiser.  I’m particularly looking forward to spending time with my old friends and hope I dont stress too much about the food and drink i’m consuming.

I need to be realistic and not obsess about the diet that i wont be able to keep or the food that will replace it for the next 5 days.  This is crucial in my process of achieving balance in every situation where i cringe about the thought of becoming one of the people that cant eat at certain places or find anything on the menu that is good enough.  With all of that in mind, i also wont be re-polluting my body, liver or intestines with junk after working so hard during the last six weeks to rejuvenate myself.  This weekend should prove to be interesting while my mind and body play tug-o-war.

 The official results are in with pictures to follow: 

Current Weight:  170 lbs                 Previous Weight: 190 lbs

Current Waist:  32 inches                Previous Waist:  36 inches

Next Month Goals:

Weight 165lbs, Waist 30 inches, improve neck and back problem by working on core excercises and finding back and neck specialist; ride 40 miles (total) per week on the bike; workout minimum of 2 times a week at the gym to improve body core strength; register to cycle in a charity fund raiser of at least 40 mile race or run half marathon by the end of the year or beginning of January 2008.