Motivation

There are many reasons why I’m doing the Tour du Burundi, the main one of course, is to raise awareness and donations for the Academy, but there are many sub-reasons, for lack of a better term, as well.

Today, I’ll focus on weight loss.

A bit of history first.  About 18 months ago, a couple good friends started encouraging me to do something about my overweight condition.  To motivate myself I signed up for a century (100 mile) ride in San Luis Obispo - The Lighthouse Ride, about two months out from when I committed.  Seeing I was doing little to train one of my two friends showed up at my front door one Sunday, bike in hand, and said it’s now or never.

It wasn’t pretty.  Large man on a road bike in spandex, and let me tell you I put the “span” in spandex, cycling up and down San Ramon Valley.  30 miles, flat, I was exhausted.  That was August 7, 2011.

My friend and I spent the next 8 weeks, 6 days a week, riding together.  Many mornings of greeting each other with “I wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t for you” and the reply, “Right back at you”. During the rides we covered a wide variety of topics, one of which, the food I was eating.  I made significant changes.

Well we completed The Lighthouse and I was down about 20 pounds and with that encouragement I joined a new gym, kept refining my eating habits, and lost 55 pounds over the next year or so.

It’s been great but I was stuck at that weight and nothing seemed to reduce it further.  Then the idea of the Tour du Burundi came up and I knew if I committed to it I would be motivated to rework my eating/workout program.

And rework it I have.  In addition to outdoor riding chronicled in this blog, two weeks ago I started working with someone who changed what, when, and how I eat, and educated me on what to avoid, no more oatmeal was a surprise,  One week ago was my first weigh-in and I lost 10 pounds.  Stepping off the scale I start doing the happy dance thinking, “I lost ten pounds, I lost te….”.  That’s when the nutritionist said, “You know it’s mostly water”.

Talk about bursting my (water) balloon!  Later that day I’m sharing this story with my wife while contemplating how many King Size Snickers I was going to eat that day to help with my depressed state and she said, “Who cares what you call it?  10 pounds is 10 pounds”.  Sage woman.  She is right and I don’t care if it’s water, fat, hair gel, whatever, it’s 10 less pounds I have to drag up Mount Diablo at that’s a very good thing.

So today was weigh-in day 2.  One week since the “water” comment.  I had high hopes but the scale said down only one pound.  Really?!  I’m trying to stay positive but my wife is hiding the King Size Snickers in case I don’t.

So that’s 66 cumulative pounds lost since August 7, 2011.  Pretty cool!  My goal by the time I board the Burundi—bound plane is 100 pounds.  34 pounds in 13 weeks.  Totally doable!!  I’ll keep you posted.

By the way, it’s great to have friends like my Lighthouse riding buddy.