This is very much an opinion, but I believe that most people who are energized and motivated to lose weight have an immense propensity to push themselves too hard. The end result is pain, frustration, discouragement, anger, disbelief, etc., etc. I’ve been there many times, and it’s not fun. That part is obvious, because I’m still fat.

I had lunch with my wife today and we were talking about the reasons so many people have such a hard time staying on a certain path. Let’s face it…we all have good intentions, but sometimes we fall flat on our face.

“I think it’s just like an addiction,” she said. “People have a hard time quitting things. You just have to keep going until you get it.” Being the biased husband that I am, I do think she’s right. There are people out there who think ‘will power’ is a fad, but let’s face it…we really do need to put our minds over matter and learn our limitations.

This morning was my first day of the Couch to 5k program, which resulted in about a 29 minute walk/jog. I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. It felt great. I wanted more. But, just like I had to convince myself to actually get out of bed this morning to do the walk/jog, I, too, had to convince myself to stop. Moderation cannot be a bad thing with exercise, especially with people of my stature. So, instead, I went home and leisurely rode the stationary bike for a few minutes for a cool-down exercise. That made me feel even better. Tomorrow I’ll rest, and then Friday I’ll hit it again.

I like running. I might not be able to do it for a very long time at this point, but I like it. And believe it or not, I have actually participated in two 4.2 mile (about 6.8k) races in Tempe, AZ called “Pat’s Run,” in honor of the late Pat Tillman. I’ve enjoyed these races not only because we can honor Pat’s memory and his tremendous sacrifice, but also because they’ve motivated me to try and keep running. I didn’t have the most stellar times to post, but I did finish the race each time. And this time, I’m not going to fall by the wayside. I’m going to keep running. I have found two local 5k races: one in August (which is right around the time I’ll finish the Couch to 5k program) and one in November, and I hope to have more to work toward.

Am I slightly nervous that the entries will be sparse and that I might just come in dead last? Yeah, but too damn bad. I’m paying for it, I’ll finish it. And I’ll improve, but I need to follow the program, train in a way that won’t harm me, and simply not overdo it.

Tonight, I went and played basketball for a good hour-and-a-half, and I played hard. It was fun, I had all this great energy, and perhaps was subconsciously celebrating the start to a healthy me. But on the ride home, I got dizzy and nauseated…low and behold…I think I overdid it for the day.

Bad me. Lesson learned.

Chalk up goal #3: Finish the Couch to 5k program by August 16th and run a 5k on August 30th.