Introduction

This is my official - I'm starting to get in shape - blog. As the URL of this blog suggests, I am hoping to be able to run in a 5k ... which shouldn't be too lofty of a goal.

Allow me to tell you a little something about myself. I am 29 years old and stand 6 feet tall (give or take an inch or so) and currently weigh 212.5 lbs. Not drastically overweight, but overweight nonetheless. I am out of shape, and I have a heart defect (it is/was congenital), but my goal (I do have my doctor's blessing on the exercise, before I run a 5k, I will consult him again) is to be able to run a 5k and weigh 190 lbs. When I get to 190 lbs. I will reevaluate where I stand, and I will go forth and proceed as necessary and lose more weight if need be.

About 9 months ago, I went to the doctor and gasped in horror as my weight was read back to me - 230 lbs. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY POUNDS!!!! I was mortified, and that was when I decided it was time for a change of pace, and yes, so far, I have dropped some weight (due to inaccuracies in scales and time of day of the weighing - my doctor weighed me in the evening after dinner - I do believe my true "starting weight" for the weight loss should be more accurately portrayed at 226 lbs.) but I do have a long way to go yet.

And so I'm here today, writing this blog about my experience and my journey to a 5k for 2 reasons:

1) I feel REALLY good today after running/walking twice this week (the first few posts will reflect these workouts) and wish to share the experience
2) I feel by writing this, I will have more incentive to actually get on the treadmill every night so as not to fail myself and my blog

So with that said, I will keep a daily journal - I will post my diets (if you wish to call them that, I will merely call it "diet" for simplicity purposes, but what I really mean is "food intake" - because eating healthy should never be deemed a "diet" but a necessity), my time spent exercising/working out, and my weight will be updated on a weekly basis (during my weekly report card). I will also update my progress report as I understand it to be from my doctor's (cardiologist's) eyes. And hopefully, within 4-6 months I will be down to my target goal of 190 (this isn't going to be an over-night success story - it'll take hard work and dedication) - and hopefully, by then, I will feel so good, that working out will become part of my livelihood. And now, on to the regime.

***NOTE: My workout sessions are done in the evening after dinner - this is due to my unfortunate circumstances surrounding work - where I spend 12-13 hours a day engrossed in - that evening is really the only time that makes sense for me. So if and when I write I was "too lazy" or "too tired" to workout any particular night, I do not need a barrage of comments stating that I should "do it in the morning" because the morning is not an option for me and my circumstance. ***