The Road to Wolverine

When I first joined Aspire Fitness almost a month ago, I thought losing a few extra pounds meant pumping a bunch of iron and jogging all the miles.  When I was asked to join up under the program Grit to Glory – a three month program to slim down and buff up – I thought sure.  Why not?  I’ll give it a go, and then I’ll probably jump right back on the pizza train.

I couldn’t have been more wrong about everything.

Enter week four.  I just got home from the gym and I’m now in what I call ‘my other gym’ – the kitchen!  As it turns out, getting into shape is a LOT more than just running and lifting weights…it’s an entire healthy lifestyle!  And the most important key on the road to healthy living is diet.

Things I’ve learned:

• Pizza should not be consumed as often as vitamins
• Pizza should not make up all three meals in a day
• Variants of pizza, such as pizza pops, are still pizza

Where I do miss pizza a lot, I’ve discovered that there’s a whole WORLD of food out there I’d never seen before.  Like grapefruits!  Well, any fruits, really.  Did you know vegetables actually taste great once you give them a chance?  Mind.  Blown.  I’ve come to realize that I was heading down a really unhealthy path with my eating habits, and joining a fitness group really helped turn all that around!

Things I’ve discovered:

• I actually enjoy prepping home made lunches the evening before
• I have a LOT more energy during the day
• Sleep like a rock at night
• Routine is my friend, and I’ve never been more productive
• My fiancee really likes it when I cook.  Except when I cook fish.  She hates halibut.

Getting into shape is all about how you feel.  If you’re feeling healthy, you’re doing something right.  If you’re feeling sluggish and not always up to par, chances are you might need a bit of a tune up – whether that be a bit of exercise or just eating slightly better.  I found that setting goals helps a lot, too.  I started this program with the intention of losing a few pounds.  Last month I was at 206lbs, and now I’m down to 192lbs.  My new goal?  To become Hugh Jackman.  Hey, I have two months left in this program, and I asked the friendly folks at Aspire if it can be done.  Their response?  “We can whip you into Wolverine shape, but we’re not paying for the claw implants.”  And here I thought I’d never ask my parents for money again.