Coach’s Corner

 

Once a week Pat Eliasen, Mike Boomer, and I get together for our weekly Bible study and fellowship time. Of course, as good friends and football coaches, our meetings usually include dinner and beverages at one another’s house. At one such get-together, Boomer jokingly coined the term "critical mass."

What exactly is critical mass? It is that point in time when your body tells you that you weigh too much. Thiscan happen in a variety of ways, not by just looking in the mirror. We get used to seeing the same fat body day after day, so mirrors don’t always work. The aches and pains from normal activity is the easiest way to tell that you have hit critical mass.

Just the other day in the yard, I was playing baseball with the kids. I was chasing after grounders, running down base-runners (trying to at least), and pitching from the mound. My left knee is pretty sore now and that means only one thing: I have hit the "critical mass" stage.

I seem to be a living example of a fairly normal but unhealthy American trend. We are fit at a young age, get married, have kids, and then we quit worrying about the "staying fit" part of our lives. As a coach, I know a lot about diet, nutrition, and exercise. That doesn’t mean I take the time to enact all that I have learned. I guess it is kind of like seeing the doctor or nurse on a smoke break. They know it isn’t good for them, but hey, they like to smoke.

A few years before I got married, I first hit critical mass. I was 270 pounds and decided to start working out vigorously and eating a very rigid diet. A month before my wedding, I weighed 205. I felt and looked great.

Last night, I stepped on the scale to see 260. I have now hit critical mass for the second time. I am older and busier now, so recovery will be much more difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed my journey to 260. Cans of Coke, Chinese food when available, nachos, World’s Best Donuts, and large portion sizes have all been highly satisfying on my way to 260.

However, my sore left knee has reminded me that I enjoy a lot of other things far more than anything on my gluttonous food list. People can preach and preach to you about dieting, exercising, eating healthy, moderation, etc., but when it comes down to it, you must want to be in great shape to actually get into great shape.

In previous columns a few years back, I have shared bets about losing weight and various other ploys to trim down. Now that I have reached a "critical mass" level, I think I have to do something bolder.

My goal is to weigh 210 pounds one year from today. I am writing this column on Tuesday morning June 16. I need to lose 4.16 pounds per month for the next 12 months straight. Some people would say that is losing too much too fast and that I’m setting an unhealthy or unreasonable goal. Maybe, but I am a competitor, so let’s set a big goal and go for it.

Within my big goal of weighing 210 pounds in one year, I must be able to jump over some tall hurdles. First, I need to divorce myself from Coca-Cola. Thatis my number one addiction. I tried to give it up last week but already failed by this weekend. By the way, those Coke Zero commercials you see on television are a totally false advertising scheme. Trust me, if Coke Zero tasted anything like Coca-Cola, that is all I would drink.

Second, I have to know my weaknesses. I am a carbohydrate addict and there are just some things I won’t be able to eat. People always preach "moderation," but what they don’t understand is that certain people have a propensity to eat carbs just as a smoker craves his nicotine.

Third, if I want to lose weight it means setting aside the time for some hard work. No secret diet, no fad exercise machines, just working out on a regular basis despite life’s busyness of work, kids, road trips, and ball games.

My wife is supportive but is probably thinking that my public goal setting is a terrible recipe for disaster. Thatis okay with me. If I fail, it will bring on some much-needed humility. If I succeed, then hey, 210 pounds staring back at me sure beats the 260 pounds of "critical mass" looking back at me now.