First post

Starting a new blog which represents a new shot at reaching some goals.

i have suddenly realized that I'm 46 years old and have more years behind me than in front of me. I, of course,  knew this all along as each year ticked by but I don't think it rang home until recently. more and more my middle-aged self becomes a non-entity in large groups and that may be somewhat owing to my personality but perhaps not. at any rate, i've accepted it and plan to run with it.

In an effort to try to have a few more years ahead of me than I currently do I'm going to start working on my health life a little more carefully. Last year I gave up alcohol and the world didnt end but when i added it back in this year i've found there are other vices that don't co-exist well with my current state. I won't give up alcohol again but will work to limit it to the weekend and holidays. I have given up a couple of things this year though...

1. Soda. This is a huge one for me. I used to drink probably 5 or 6 two liter bottles of diet pepsi a week and have now cut that down to zero. i misread an article that said that all sodas cause kidney disease...it was really only in women but by the time i figured that our soda was a thing of the past for me.

2. Coffee. This is relatively recent. I gave up coffee last week because i was having trouble sleeping. without the coffee and in this short amount of time I am sleeping much better. I have moved to Green Tea. It still has caffeine in it but n ot as much and I drink way less of it than I did coffee. I miss the coffee and the morning ritual but sleep is more important.

I have also begun going to the gym on a regular basis. I go at least 4 times a week and try to get more in if possible. I'm currently focusing on getting back in shape so limiting myself to the elliptical trainer and some light weight sessions. i want to move up slowly to avoid any injuries and to avoid being let down by a lack of progress. The gym is an interesting place and I'll have to blog later on some of the more eccentric characters. I think a psychologist would love to spend some time watching the behavior in the locker room.

So there's the beginning. just a blog about how my life is going and how i'm reaching my goals. I should have a post about my goals but I'm a little shy about that. Of course they say that the best way to ensure you attain your goals is to tell people about them so we shall see if i work up the nerve.

Lastly, please let me know if you're out there reading this. I try to think no one will read it so I can write whatever I'm feeling like but it would be nice to know if someone is reading and has some feedback for me.

Best Regards,
Pat McGovern