June 13, 2014

I have begun my latest effort to improve my health in fresh spirits, a 28 day cleanse, with a coach, Erin Weesner.  My long-term goals are to reduce my waist size by 4”, to 34”, to reduce the percentage of body fat (which in a recent Bod Pod test measured at just under 21% —  21% is generally considered to be in the unhealthy zone), hopefully through reducing my weight while building my muscle mass.  Toward that end, I am currently lifting weights for one hour per week, and the the next few weeks will have a little more time, so intend to increase that to 1½ to 2 hours/week.

My quest to bring my health up another notch begin about seven or eight years ago (I’ve lost track). During that timespan,  I’ve tried and temporarily succeeded in losing weight, but have not escaped the outcome of the 65-95% (depending on the fact source) of dieters who regain what they have lost.  I have (at least) a two-fold purpose for this pursuit: first, my life as a performing musician demands the most rigorous focus, in my estimation, that of an Olympic athlete.  Surely such a result requires careful attention to diet and other lifestyle choices. Second, my fascination with nutrition in combination with a decade of financial instability  regarding my employment has spurred my studies to the point where I recently became certified as a holistic health counselor through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  I believe it to be paramount that I succeed at applying the large amount of knowledge I’ve acquired, of converting knowledge into wisdom in order to achieve the confidence borne of personal experience.

For the large majority of that time, my endeavor has  been a solitary one. I’ve tried multiple approaches and seem to have been “spinning my wheels.”  Of late, I’ve come to desire the opportunity to work with a coach, someone to bounce around ideas as an aid toward bringing my goals to fruition, and to be accountable to.  I have also decided to publish this on my blog as a further incentive to achieve a positive outcome!