Diet, Exercise, and Motorcycles

So, I have this longstanding agreement with my wife. If I "get buff", I can buy a motorcycle. Seems simple enough, and also seems like it should be adequate motivation. However, I have just never been able to stick with it long enough to really make a difference. As such, I have never been able to cash in on the wager. The enticement of the motorcycle, it seems, has not been sufficient.

More recently, I have been unhappy with my overall fitness level. Maybe it's because the years of office jobs are catching up with me. Maybe it's because I'm in some sort of pre-pre-mid-life crisis. I don't know. I do know, however, that I simply cannot stick to an exercise program if I have to figure it out on my own.

A month or so ago, my wife stumbled onto a book entitled "Buff Dad" by Mike Levinson. The title is corny enough, but the summary on the jacket got my curiosity up. His program is all about balanced nutrition with an emphasis on foods that assist the body's natural mechanisms for testosterone production, which is necessary for effective muscle building. The workout routine is designed to achieve results quickly without having to spend hours in the gym. I know I sound like a commercial here, but bear with me...

Yesterday marked exactly one week on the Buff Dad program, and I have to say that I feel so much better than I have in as long as I can remember. It sounds like a cliche, but I honestly feel different. I have more energy and I just plain feel better. The nutritional side of the program is designed such that I don't really feel deprived in any way, and the fact that I feel good makes it easier to make healthy choices.

As for the workouts... Wow, when I read through the book, I truly thought it looked like it wouldn't be that hard. I was wrong. The first day kicked my ass, and I didn't even finish the whole thing. If I hadn't already been motivated to change things, that would have been the final straw. Clearly I was even more out of shape than I was ready to admit. The good news is that a week later when it was time to go back to the 'day 1' workout, I was able to finish it and I could tell that the preceding week had made a difference.

So, back to the motorcycle. The past has shown that the lure of the open road has not been enough to keep me working out. But, this time, all the right pieces are in place and I am confident that I am making changes that will not only fulfill my end of the motorcycle agreement, but will change my life for the better.