Original Ramping My Health Post
What a difference a week makes!
Quick Recap – My goals when this started on March 22nd was to be down to 200 pounds and running a full 5K by May 30th. Well, I am getting close! I am within 4 pounds within a few minutes of both goals.
The weird part of this week was that I didn’t feel like I had made any major changes. Following Teacher Appreciation Week’s onslaught of sweet treats I went back to my previous routine and it didn’t feel like a burden.
I have been thinking about this RAMPing mission and the notion of Fat Shaming. I’ve seen some conversation recently about a post-Pandemic weight loss narrative being pushed as a way to shame people for putting on weight during the Pandemic. If that’s the way these posts are coming off then I certainly apologize. Everyone’s ideal weight is different and I’ve never intended to body shame.
My goal in these posts is to become healthier and feel more active again. I was not at my ideal size or athleticism and my medical screenings came back with poor results. Since high school the lowest weight I have ever been at was 195 pounds and I was barely eating and exercising regularly. In spite of any additional behaviour changes I couldn’t lose more weight and I couldn’t get any faster on my 5K time. In the end it was unsustainable because I was miserable. Then for about 2 years I settled in at 200 pounds with a reasonably healthy diet and a good amount of exercise. When the Pandemic hit I was eating unhealthy foods at an unhealthy rate, drinking way too much, and not exercising at all. The stress of teaching in a Pandemic was leading to way too many unhealthy choices and it was affecting me and my family. At nearly 220 points I was lethargic, didn’t want to play with my kids, and was constantly irritable. Over the last few weeks I am feeling better physically which is improving my mood. This isn’t about Fat Shaming or Body Shaming it is completely my effort to become a healthier me, a better husband, and more active dad.
| Date | Weight | 5K Time |
| 3/22 (M) | 216.1 | n/a – Week 2 Day 1 of Couch to 5K |
| 3/26 (F) | 214.3 | n/a – Week 3 Day 1 of Couch to 5K |
| 4/2 (F) | 210.1 | n/a – Week 3 Day 3 of Couch to 5K |
| 4/11 (Sun) | 210.3 | n/a – We were camping |
| 4/17 (Sat) | 207.9 | n/a – Week 5 Day 1 of Couch to 5K |
| 4/24 (Sat) | 207.9 | Week 5 Day 3 of Couch to 5K |
| 4/30 (F) | 206.8 | Week 6 Da1 1 of Couch to 5K (20 mins consecutive) |
| 5/9 (Sun) | 208.3 | Finished week 6 of Couch to 5K |
| 5/14 (F) | 203.5 | Finished Week 7 Day 1 (25 Consecutive minutes) |
