- Body Fat - Ok, this is a good cost in that I paid for my blood, sweat and hard work with losing excess pounds. Can't complain with that one.
- Gym fees - As I mentioned in my previous post, we gave a go at using the workout equipment at our local neighborhood clubhouse, but with both Jen and I working out and only being able to do it during nights / weekends, it meant that we would hardly see each other. So, we had to find a gym (Lifetime Fitness) that had child care that our kids liked going to and would allow Jen to go during the day
- Food costs - You would think if you are eating less to reduce the number of calories you intake to help lose weight that you might be able to save a few bucks on food & groceries. Think again. Part of losing weight is learning how to read nutrition labels, find the foods high in fiber and protein, and read the ingredients for what really makes the food tick. It's no wonder we are an 'overweight' society when all the cheap stuff at the store is non-nutritious. If lawmakers want to truly fight our nations growing waistlines, they should subsidize healthy foods.
- Time - One of the 'costs' that kept me from getting in shape over the years is how much time it takes (and continues to take). Luckily, Jen and I each year seem to knock off a favorite TV show or two giving us less time staring at the Tube and more time to do exercise and stuff with the girls. I've never been one to workout early in the morning (I don't mind getting to work early, but just don't have the strength to workout before 8a)... If I could just find a job that I could get to work at 10a and leave at 4p.
- Wardrobe - On the surface, one might be excited to get to go shopping, buy new clothes, etc. However, if you change your body shape, weight, etc enough (I dropped 5 inches on my waist), then nearly all of your old clothes will no longer fit. Basically being an 'XL' guy for so long, I had my favorite collection of t-shirts, work shirts, etc. However, I quickly realized that I started looking almost 'sickly' because of how big some of my shirts would look. Sure it nice to go down a few inches on pants, but having to replace every long sleeve/short sleeve/work shirt/tee shirt/sweatshirt/jacket that I owned was painful mentally as well as financially. Add to it that since the majority of American males are not the same body type as me, I found myself trying on Large and sometimes Medium shirts that would be too short... or too wide around the waist.. and I would have to go to 2-3 different stores to find even a single pair of pants in my size in stock. After 2 years, I'm finally close to replenishing my wardrobe.
- Guilty pleasures - I'm sure everyone struggles with this. There were soo many yummy foods that I had to leave by the wayside... my once a week fastfood breakfast, pretty much all scrambled eggs (dang cholesterol), cool ranch doritos, my daily pepsi, Chili's Chicken Crispers, Too much candy/sweets, I could go on and on.
For all the costs that I pay, I remember that I'm doing this for the betterment of my family by living a healthier life for them... and treating my body as what it is, a temple for worshiping God. If He could just impress on a believer the ability to create a machine / pill / process that could take the place of all this hard work and sweating, life could be just that much greater.
Then again, we tend to appreciate more those things that we really work hard to get.
As for a goal this year, I'm going to resolve to run the Rock in November. The half-marathon that is. Of course, I probably should resolve to just start with a 5k before tackling 13.1 miles... but I think it can be done. So, if anyone has any secrets on how to totally beat up your body by running great distances in preparation for a really long jog, I'm all ears..
Happy Workouts!
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