Mizblog

We bought our new house!

I didn’t realize it would be such a huge hassle to move into the place, though. Because it isn’t just moving – it’s getting the place habitable and moving! I’m struggling with both.

I still haven’t been able to figure out which phone company offers local phone service, let alone Internet connectivity. Neither Verizon nor SBC (AT&T) show support on their websites.

After that, there’s gas (handled), electric, trash, and water to deal with.

Leaving here, there’s a whole big list of people and organizations that need my new address.

Before we move, we wanted to fix the place up, and upgrade a couple things. A tankless water heater, a new sliding glass door from the master bedroom to the back yard, some wood repair, some plumbing repair, and a new front door. All barely necessary but it’s probably easier to get them done now rather than after we’re moved in.

We went out Saturday and bought new washer/dryer and refrigerator from Best Buy. The guy at Home Depot sent us there to check their refrigerator selection, and we got the same washer/dryer for less money. We also got a dented refrigerator for cheap. :)

So things are going along. I’m stressed out of my normal morning routine for the duration of the move, and I’m eagerly looking forward to being able to relax in my new house!

1. STOP BUYING USELESS SHIT

It’s another year. It’s another decade. Times are tough for a lot of people, and there’s every indication that they’re going to get a lot worse.

I finished 2009 with a week of illness following 5 months of strong physical development. Cold weather and a cold have temporarily derailed my progress on this front, but I’m eager to get back on track and continue my physical conditioning program. I dropped 38 pounds in 5 months, and I’m very proud of that. My first goal in 2010 is to keep this process going, getting myself down below 10% bodyfat (right now ~190 lbs).

I’ve been hunting for a place to live for about a year now. The government has been creating vast sums of money in order to keep housing prices from dropping, so I still can’t afford to buy a decent place to live. In 2010 I’m going to keep looking, and as soon as I find a place that I like and can afford, then I’m going to buy it and move in.

I also need to put effort into keeping what I have: family, friends, job, wisdom. Just because I already have them doesn’t mean I can now neglect them and expect to keep them.

Thanksgiving is here. Time again to remember all the things for which we’re grateful. Here’s my quick list before driving up for an extended family meal:

• I’ve dropped 34 lbs. since July
• I’m not injured despite more vigorous training in fitness and Krav Maga
• My family is healthy and happy
• My job is challenging, interesting, and rewarding
• I have friends who don’t stop being my friends despite hundreds of miles separating us, and frequent periods where we don’t communicate much
• I got my Internet connection back
• There probably is no God

It’s been 8 weeks now, and I’ve dropped a grand total of 18 lbs.

It wasn’t easy, but then again it wasn’t that hard. I had a few key realizations that made everything click.

1. First, I was worried that for whatever reason, my wife and daughter might never come back from Nepal. (They did come back, but a month later than planned.) I feared some unimaginable disaster. So I started taking the possibility seriously, instead of having it this formless looming dread that was keeping me from sleeping and driving me to suppress it by eating too much.

   What would I really do if my family never came back?

   Hmm. I guess I’d have to start another family.

   How would I do that?

   Hmm. I guess I’d have to lose weight and get fit, so I could feel confident enough about myself to attract another mate.

   Well, why wouldn’t you lose weight and exercise right now?

   Hmm. Good idea!

2. Second, I realized that my body was in the shape it was because it had adapted over several years to the environment I had subjected it to. Whatever environment you’re in, your body will adapt to it or it will break. All I had to do in order to get in shape was to change my body’s environment. I started doing very light exercises every morning, and keeping track of the various (easy) exercises in a spreadsheet.

   I used the Hacker’s Diet exercise plan to get started. Actually, I had done this diet and exercise plan (sort of) ten years ago, and it worked while I did it. It made me realize the importance of knowing what you’re eating.

3. Third, it’s easy to keep track of what you eat when you only eat packaged foods. They print the calories right there on the package.
4. Fourth, you don’t have to exercise so hard that you’re sore the next day, especially if you’re not used to exercising at all. Remember the adaptation thing I mentioned earlier? Well, it turns out that there’s a big difference between not exercising at all, and exercising just a little bit every day. Also, after your body adapts to a light exercise plan, it’s pretty easy to do a couple more of one or two of the exercises. Increasing or maintaining the effort every day adds up over weeks, until they’re amazing compared to where you started. And it isn’t very hard on any particular day.
5. Fifth, I realized that even if I woke up in a bad mood or feeling like I didn’t have any energy, I could still do the same exercises I had done the day before. In my spreadsheet I kept track of my mood and energy that I felt when I woke up for the day. Except on the very worst days, there’s no correlation between these mood/energy self assessments and the amount of exercise I was able to do. Waking up feeling weak or depressed is no longer a valid excuse!
6. Sixth, I found it’s much easier to control how much I eat when I consume smaller meals (300-500 calories, vs. my usual 600-1200 calories) if I know what and when I’m going to eat next. Spacing small meals out every 3 hours keeps me from getting too full or too hungry.
7. Seventh, I realized that exercising in the evening was not going to work consistently for me. It was too dependent on my day, and too easy to skip out on. First thing in the morning exercise really is key.
8. Eighth, I started taking allergy meds every single night. They helped me sleep, helped me breathe, and elevated my mood significantly.

So all this change got me moving. I started playing pickup roller hockey, and enrolled in Krav Maga, and except for injuries (and perhaps illness, though I haven’t faced one in 8 weeks) I exercise every single morning before work.

And I’m feeling really good!

I wish I had come up with this theory.

Bizarre theory suggests time may be running out