I'm a speed freak. When I was younger it was all about going fast on bicycles, skate boards, skooters, and anything else I could find. When I got my driver's license that naturally translated to cars (and for the first time I hit the slopes and skis got involved too).
My Junior year of High School brought about a pretty nasty soccer injury. I broke my ankle. Unfortunately, it was bone most people don't have and it was tucked away inside the joint, so it took nearly a year to figure out what was wrong. Then another 2 to take out the broken pieces and put the joint back together. By the time I was done recovering I'd started putting on weight. I didn't really notice for another couple of years, but being as sore as I was most of the time led to a sedentary life style. But I kept eating like an athlete.
Fast forward a few more years and I topped out at 275 lbs. 60hr work weeks and a hobby that doesn't really require a lot of moving around (driving, fast) will do that to a person. Especially when you indulge in the related greasy spoon road side diners and drive-ins. I lost my IT job at the beginning of this latest economic down turn and as a result I finally wound up losing my car as well. That was the real turning point. Rock bottom.
That's when I decided that one way or another I was going to design, build, and drive race cars. Step 1, get in shape so I can fit in a sports car without upsetting the balance. Step 2 is education, and step 3 is exposure, but those are part of the story yet.
I started doing some Wii fit training, but sharing the Wii with other members of the household meant I wasn't getting done 'till nearly noon. So I started walking. Progress was slow to non-existent until I found the Android Calorie Counter app and this website. With the extra metrics I've been able to adjust my lifestyle and am now more than 40 lbs lighter than I was at my heaviest, and I'm still getting healthier.
|