Proactivity

I have decided to actively pursue excellent health. I've come to the conclusion that no one is going to "cure" me. I've also come to the conclusion that I should be exercising aerobically, contrary to what Dr. Fuhrman recommended (see my post here). I bought an exercise bike near the end of May and was pretty good about doing it for a couple weeks but then the food poisoning incident happened and I skipped a few days and never got back into it. I started again a week ago and am making pretty quick progress. I am already noticing improvement in how I feel. I also installed a pull-up bar in the garage.

I am taking a holistic approach to anaerobic exercise. I'm attempting to do exercises that exercise a muscle group or the entire body at once, rather than isolating certain muscles. I'm also attempting to get all my equipment (from here on out) free, used, or constructed from cheaply obtained materials. The pull-up bar is $20 worth of black iron pipe. I'd like to get a punching bag and a speed bag (the tear-drop shaped punching bag) which will work my entire upper body and also afford an aerobic aspect.

My goal is to be fit by the time I graduate from USC. This date is 261 days away. I hope to buy a road bike upon graduation and begin riding to work (~9 miles one way). I think this is a realistic goal, as long as I stick to it.

The diet is going well. I eat good stuff pretty much all the time and have begun cooking quite a bit more, as much for my parents' sake as mine. This encourages them not to overwork themselves since dinner is better fresh than heated up and also encourages me to cook. I enjoy cooking for the whole family - it's kind of a bummer to fix a great meal and sit and eat alone.