26 June 2013

Letting Myself Go- Summer 2013

Bad news guys. I've had some changes in my life recently, like a girlfriend and summer vacation, and things aren't looking good for my well being. I've really found myself getting careless with my appearance, and in just about every aspect of my life I've been letting myself go... When you're in the throes of dating- and numerous first dates in particular- you feel the need for some sense of personal grooming and you desire the semblance of a respectable man. But then when you get in a relationship you take it for granted that she's going to just like you no matter what. That's the reward of a committed relationship- right? So add that to the fact that I have no responsibilities related to my work, and you get one sloppy caveman. Let me paint you a graphic and disturbing picture through some real case studies.
Today I found myself half naked, covered in sweat and sunflower seed shells, at 2:00pm having not showered on the day. That's the ugly truth and I'm not proud of it. I went for a run in the late, humid morning and was so sweaty when I came home that I took off my shirt and sat down outside because I was too wet to sit down anywhere inside. Feeling a strong desire to replenish my depleted salt, I grabbed some sunflower seeds and started chomping and cracking. I was too tired to lean over my porch railing to spit the shells into the grass, so I just spat the discarded shells straight up. Thirty minutes later I was still in the same chair, still sweating profusely, still not showered, and now covered in a patina of sunflower seed shells on my crusty body. It was not my proudest moment. The scariest aspect of the whole story is that I can see myself doing the same thing tomorrow if there's no intervention. Consider this a plea for assistance.
These life changes have also been taking their toll on my weight. Since I moved last February I stopped weighing myself. In the meantime, I started running aggressively and training for my half-marathon which I completed in May. Then this morning I broke into my roommate's room (which was both deadbolted and alarmed) to use his scale which he very explicitly told me never to use. After our hand-to-hand combat I made it to his scale, and I learned that I've lost 8 pounds since I moved 5 months ago. That's 5% of my body weight. If you are a math person you can use that information to figure out what I weighed then and now. If it motivates you, just know that my 7th graders can do it. Percent change, baby. Many people have commented on my loss of weight, and this marks the most significant weight change since 2005 for me. But you didn't come here to read about my weight changes.
You came here to learn what a downward spiral I'm in so that you can feel better about yourself. It's just really hard finding motivation to do things when nothing is expected of you. Last week my chapstick ran out, and I still haven't replaced it. I've been eating boiled eggs and toaster strudels two meals a day, and supplementing my diet with the Fruit by the Foots my roommate slides under my door each night.
The fact that I'm only three days into my Summer vacation is sobering. I have to do this for two months, mind you. Sure I have some events to break up the monotony, like trips to the front door to meet the deliveryman and voyages to the basement in search of more black trash bags to seal off my windows, but all in all it's just one sinuous cycle. Day in and day out of vacation I barely move. It's hard for other people to understand what it's like to get two months of vacation, but hear it from me- it ain't easy. I would post some pictures, but then you'd realize that what I'm saying is true and you'd never Holla at me again...