Kids… I need to get in shape.

I know, round is, technically, a shape. But I need to get into some other kind of shape. The kind that will allow me to comfortably button up all those button up shirts I tend to wear unbuttoned. The kind that will allow me to walk from one end of my school to the other (including a couple flights of stairs) without breathing heavily.

I noticed it when I was moving recently. I would get a carload over to my current home and I would carry a box or two up to my room on the second floor. And I would then proceed to sit down for about five minutes because I felt like that was the kind of recovery time I needed.

And I know I’m 38 years old, so I may not be expected to be in the kind of shape that I’d have been expected to be in when I was 28. But I don’t think that necessarily means that, at 38, I should be wheezing when I carry an armload of hanging clothes up a flight of stairs.

Logic tells me that, to lose weight, I’ll need to burn more calories than I’m taking in. Right?

That’s the thing… It’s mostly about what I eat. And drink. I could work out all day every day and not make a bit of difference in how much I weigh if I’m not changing the way I eat.

There are a lot of diets out there. But I don’t want to do a diet. No offense to people who jump on board with whatever the trendiest diet is this month, but I think diets are stupid. I did the Whole30 last year and I was miserable. Yes, I saw positive results at the end of it, but I was miserable the entire time and could not wait until it was over.

It’s all about discipline, I know.

Because here’s the thing… I don’t actually eat a whole lot. My problem really isn’t portion control. It’s what I eat. Well… mostly… it’s what I drink.

To say I’m addicted to soda would be an understatement. I probably need caffeine to function. Literally. But I hate coffee and I’m not a big fan of tea. So my caffeine intake comes from sugary carbonated beverages. Mostly Coke or Mountain Dew. And we all know that these things are just empty calories.

It’s not that I don’t drink water. I do. I just drink soda, too. And I drink more than I should. But it tastes so good.

And, okay, the food that I eat isn’t the best. I may not overeat, but I know I’m not exactly stuffing my face with the foods that are good for me. Because pizza exists. But I tell myself it’s okay because (other than the soda thing) I really don’t have much of a sweet tooth. You’ll never find me snacking on candy or chocolate just because it’s within reach.

Come to think of it, you’ll rarely find me snacking in general. I’m not much of a snacker.

There are times when I wish I was. Because maybe then I would think to buy some chips or crackers when I go to the store just to have nearby in case I get hungry.

Like right now. As I write these words, I’m struggling. I’m super hungry and it’s really not near lunchtime yet. Well… it’s kind of near lunchtime. But not close enough so it makes sense for me to heat up my frozen pizza and get to eatin’ it.

What’s the point of writing all this? I need to change some things up. I guess that’s the point. I’m overweight. I’m out of shape. And I’d like to live past the age of 53.

I honestly don’t feel like my life is in danger at this moment, but I’m not naive enough to believe that if I stay on this path, it won’t lead to bad things.

I have a membership at a local gym. So I guess that’s a start. But the real change will come when I can convince myself to change what I’m ingesting.

Suggestions? Comments? Encouragements? Condemnations? All are welcome…