Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I’ve pretty much always had a weight problem. Even if you don’t know me, you can see from that picture over there to the right, that I’m a big guy.

I don’t like that.

I’ve tried many times to lose the weight and get into proper shape, with varying degrees of success. Back in 2001, I joined Weight Watchers, and thanks to an excellent leader, I lost 40 pounds in just over a year. Now, eight years later, all of those pounds are back, and then some. With a  rather large value for “some”, too.

Last August, I joined a Tae Kwon Do club, which has me working out for two hours each week, and while I know that has helped, that alone is not enough. Last week, I had my six-month visit with my doctor. I was all excited to tell him that I was doing Tae Kwon Do, but the day before my visit, I got on the scale. I was heartbroken. Not only was I heavier than the last time I visited him, I was at my heaviest ever. It may sound unbelievable to say that it snuck up on me, but it did.

And that day, I made a decision: Being fat sucks, and I’m not going to accept that any more. The weight problem ends, now.

So, what am I doing? Getting up earlier, for one thing. Starting yesterday (Sunday morning), I am now getting up at 5:00 AM, Sunday through Friday. I have a workout plan that consists of doing certain things every day, and other things on a rotating basis. The do-every-day list consists of

• jumping jacks (40+)
• stretches
• kicks, 10x on each leg
  • front
  • roundhouse
  • side
  • back
  • inside-out crescent
  • outside-in crescent
  • axe
  • hook
• blocks, 10x
  • low
  • inside
  • outside
  • high
• punches, 10x
  • middle
  • 2x middle
  • 3x middle
  • high
  • side
  • cross
  • low
  • down
• forms, 5x
  • Four Directions
  • Taegeuk Il Jang (form 1)
  • Taegeuk Ee Jang (form 2)

That’s the stuff I’m doing every day. On Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, I am doing both the One Hundred Pushups and the Two Hundred Situps programs. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I am doing the Two Hundred Squats program. All three of these plans have you take a day off between plan days, so this works out well. Pushups and situps go well together, and squats can be happy on their own. Thanks to iPhone apps for each of these programs, I can feed my geek nature and get in shape at the same time. And after completing a plan day, each app updates my Twitter and Facebook streams with my progress: #100pushups, #200situps, #200squats.

What about Saturday, you ask? Well, I’m probably going to sleep until 7:00 AM or so, and then I have Tae Kwon Do practice at 9:30. I don’t think I could handle two workouts in the same morning, at least not yet.

I will be updating the blog with progress reports as I move through this life-change, this new habit. I’m only two days into it, but I can tell something is different from the last time I tried to change myself. It’s going to work this time. I know it.

Getting up at 5:00 also has other benefits, which is why I chose that time. The first thing I will do each morning is my workout. Then shower and change clothes, and then eat a good breakfast. (I haven’t been eating breakfast on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which are the days I have to drive to my office.) After breakfast, and the checking of email, Twitter and Facebook, I plan to spend one to two hours on my Greek studies. As you know, I’m translating the entire gospel of Luke for Lent, and I’m two days behind the pace right now. I need to get caught up, or I won’t finish on time. This extra time every day will help me achieve that goal.

Wish me luck.