Runing from the Treadmill: On your mark, get set..

by JLee

Tomorrow, being June 1, marks the beginning of some kind of fitness journey, inspired by literature, my swimsuit and the scary potential onset of hereditary health problems.

My goal: Lose some inches, gain definition, prevent disease and boost energy.

My plan:
1) Build muscle mass via targeted strength training to increase my resting metabolic rate, along with the other benefits that having toned, powerful muscles has to offer, like getting all the groceries in a single trip upstairs, etc...

2) Just say no to cardio. Seriously, I am excommunicating myself from the church of sweat your ass off. I've never actually known someone to lose a significant amount of weight (and keep it off) on cardio alone. No more blacking out at spin class.

{Sorry to interrupt: Kristen Stewart, you're wigging me out, but not any more than the rest of the MTV Movie Awards. Keep it on the stoop.}

3) Diet (control). One thing I hate about the 90s is that self-help books turned diet into another 4-letter word: 'She's too skinny to diet!'/'I'm going on a diet after this slice.' Is nutrition no longer a required course in public schools? Everyone on the planet is on a diet, even starving third world children, since "diet" used to refer to the collection of foods you regularly eat, regardless what that consists of.
There are various theories out there about how to eat and what to eat, when etc. Based on a median of sources, I'm going to shoot for the 1,200 calorie diet, with 300-400 calories consumed per meal, minimum of 3 meals per day, breakfast non-negotiable.

My existing routine:
Weekday bedtime - 11ish
Morning wakeup - 6:30a
Breakfast - nada
Lunch - whatever I crave, when I crave it, occasionally delayed by an inability to break focus
Daytime snacks - none
Dinner - 8p or later, often followed by a bedtime craving for popcorn
Smoking - nada
Alcohol - yes

What will I change? More on that tomorrow.

Stats:
Height: 5'2"
Weight (as of May 31,): 116.8 (Remember, this isn't about losing lbs. but preventing diseases, controlling shape and feeling good)
Waist: 27.5"
Hips: 36"
Arms: 10.75"
Thigh: 21"

As for a specific plan, that will get made up as I go along, roughly following the direction of "The Cardio Free Diet" by Jim Karas.
In the name of science and blogging, here's to better health tomorrow!