Lately, when I look in the mirror I have to sigh. I could never understand how people allowed themselves to reach morbidly obese weights, resulting in them having to be removed via forklift from their home. Or, I used to never understand…

I noticed recently that I am on the path to become on of those people. I live a sedentary lifestyle and choose to sit around playing video games over getting any sort of physical activity. I realized if I continue to live the way I am, I will be cutting my lifespan down day by day. If I could manage to stop smoking cold turkey after 12 years, simply because I didn’t want to smoke anymore, I can manage to change my fitness habits.

I sat down last week and tried to figure out how I would go about making this change. I have tried many times before to become fit, but I would “fall off the wagon” whenever some chance to break routine came along. I decided this time to make something I enjoy (video games) dependent on actually exercising. For every 30 minutes of excercise I get a day, I am going to allow myself 30 minutes of video games. There will be no “borrowing” or “banking” of time, as that will only give me the chance to cheat.

I realized that while this could be a plan that works, there needed to be more than immediate rewards. I have learned a lot from my wife, who is a behavioralist. I know that relying on instant gratification alone would not help me be successful. I need some short-term and long-term goals as well. I may have set some lofty ones, but I really think I can hit them.

My first short-term goal is to make sure I get in 30 minutes of exercise every day. Not only would this allow me to play video games every day, but if I can maintain this through December 8th, I will be able to get myself a HTC Touch Pro from Sprint when my contract is ready to renew. I have been wanting a smartphone for a very long time, so this is going to be a very good motivator. Should I miss this goal, I will have from the 8th through the 25th to try again, and then I would give the phone to myself for Christmas.

My first long-term goal is to be under 200 pounds by Thanksgiving 2009. I have been hovering around 250 pounds for years now, and I am tired of being that guy on the beach who won’t take off his shirt because he is ashmed of how he looks. I am tired of feeling jiggly when I have to jog. I am tired of living like this, and I want a change.

Tune in every week for updates on my quest to lead a healthier life. And I promise, everything else will be much shorter and easier to read. Maybe there will be pictures at some point as well.

Related posts:

1. Fitness Goals Week 5 - Snails Pace
2. Fitness Goals - Week 1
3. Fitness Goals Week 9 - Old Habits Die Hard
4. Fitness Goals Week 4 - Stumbling Blocks
5. Fitness Goals Episode 3: Revenge of the Holiday

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