Deciding to Live to 100

In October of 2009 I weighed 227 pounds.  Not terribly large for a 5 foot 11 inch man, but definitely overweight (obese technically).  I wasn't diagnosed with any particular issues like high blood pressure or diabetes.  I didn't have sleep apnea or knee or back problems.  I wasn't on any medication.   I had no real obvious reason to get healthier... except I'm a nerd.  I obsess over data and I had recently taken an online quiz about how long I would live.  It came out to something like 87 years, which was less than I expected, so I started looking at why.  The biggest reason - "You're too fat."

I guess it was not a surprise, I was more than 50 pounds over what the Body Mass Index (BMI) says is the ideal weight for my gender and height.  I had lost some weight before through some changes in diet and some sporadic exercising, but 50 pounds?!!  Like many people, I justified that I was the exception to the rule.  I have a big frame and a thick neck.  I have a football player's build.  I think most people who are overweight believe they are a lot less overweight than they really are.

In any case, I did accept that I needed to lose some weight and decided that I would lose it all by running.

Why running?

I saw a lot of thin, six-pack weilding runners and decided I should join that crowd.  The internet also told me that running was one of the best ways to stay fit long-term, as well as one of the least expensive.  It was the perfect sport for me.  I resolved to begin running the next day and began dreaming of what I would look like with my perfect six-pack.