I've been trying to get in shape lately. No drastic dieting thing or weight training program. My recent interest in life insurance has been a catalyst to get me started. I'm not particularly interested in losing weight or becoming a body builder. I hear aimless exercising is completely ineffective. So then, what is my goal you ask? One chin.
Ever since around my wedding day, I've had this extra chin. I look down and my neck bunches up under my chin, creating my second chin. It used to be a full double. But now it's only like a half chin. So to be accurate, I've got a 1.5 chin but that doesn't roll off the tongue. And nobody really graciously credits you that 0.5 chin anyways. I mean beyond 1+ it's just a double chin. I mean no one talks about triple chins even though I've seen 'em.
Other bad signs: I can pinch like two inches on my midriff. My chest is beginning to qualify as a bosom. At least I can still see my toes.
Roadmap
So how does one go about reducing chin? Well, I've been asking around and looking for some ideas to find some techniques that will work for me. I've no intention of giving up rice. And with a wife and kids, going to the gym or joining a sports team is not an option. I gotta find little practical changes that will move me ever closer to one chin.
Eat Less
I talked to my friend Eugene who's been doing pretty well with his diet. His secret has been - surprise - eat less. He sez you get really hungry for a while but you get used to it. Eat like half your calories for breakfast. light lunch. fruit in the middle of the afternoon. tiny dinner. Don't let the blood sugar drop too low. eat fruit.
My adaptation is a lot less healthy but a lot more do-able.
- No breakfast. Coffee ok.
- Whatever for lunch.
- small dinner.
- Most important don't eat everyone's leftovers. I've built this habit of eating whatever the rest of the family does not finish. That includes my wife, and my two kids, all of whom have a bad habit of not finishing.
- No midnight snacks. Fruit ok.
- One soda. Water and juice ok.
Muscle
My brother, Jay, who's a fitness trainer told me that without muscle, it's hard to get rid of fat. If muscle is near fat, it's more likely to burn it for energy. Good stuff. Worse if your body thinks its starving it will eat up your muscle to save your fat.
So my goal is to do 50 pushups and 50 crunches easily. So far I can't do much more than 25 pushups and 30 crunches. And that's barely. It'll be a while.
Games with the kids that increase strength. The kids love it. As I get stronger, I can last longer.
Maybe I need to do some neck exercises.
Inconvenience
I enjoy a lot more convenience now compared to my younger years. Even if I don't mind the extra work I need to accommodate my high heel wife and my short legged kids. I am beginning to get addicted to a life of comfort and my lazy ass enjoys it quite a bit. But whenever I get a chance I need to avoid those conveniences to add just a little bit more calorie burning to my diet.
- Take the stairs to and from my 4th floor apt. Just like living in a fourth floor walkup.
- Park far away.
- Don't use the automatic doors on my minivan.
- Walk to pizza or burger king.
- Take the kids to the swimming pool or the playground whenever I get the chance.
We'll see if this goes anywhere or whether this fizzles after the insurance thing goes through.
