I’m Chris Landis - and I am an addict
Yup - you heard it here. I am publicly admitting that I am powerless over my addiction - but my life has not - and it will not become unmanageable. To think, I owe it all to a friend I met just over a year ago…
Picture It…Gaithersburg…2012
This is where the downfall to addiction started. It was a chilly winter Saturday and I was getting ready to try something new in the “make Landis less of a fatass” portion of my life. I had no real idea what I was walking into and because of that my stomach was churning as I drove towards Gaithersburg - not knowing that my life would change again in mere hours.
Dramatic enough for you? I make it sound like a drive to Gaithersburg was like Apollo 11 and the moon landing. (ok - maybe not that serious)
What I’m really talking about was my first workout with Soldierfit. I walked into a room with 40 plus strangers and 1 person that I knew and walked out part of what feels like a family of people all there for their own reasons but all working towards a common goal - to be healthier each day. So - THIS is my addiction and it is serious.
What is Soldierfit you may be asking? Let me do my best to explain how/what I feel Soldierfit is.
(and before I go on - might I add that I am NOT being paid for this but it may sound like a sales pitch)
Soldierfit is not a gym or a building or anything physical. In fact, with most everything we do in a session - you don’t need anything physical to have a Soldierfit Basic Training class. (by the way - there are 4 convenient locations where you too can enjoy an intense workout) Basic Training consists of a warm-up jog and stretches and then there are 5 stations set up that work on one or more muscle group. You workout at each station and a times interval and then move to the next station. In between stations and after/before starting stations again there are other exercises too. That is what the actual workout part of an hour Basic Training class is. (again - at 4 convenient locations - visit www.soldierfit.com for more information) Beyond that though, it is so much more. In one Basic Training you will have skill levels from ripped like Jesus folks down to slightly less fatass folks that are uncoordinated (like yours truly) but you go at your own pace. There is no competition, there is no shame for being done after somebody else - there is the opposite - those that may finish an exercise before others cheer on those (like yours truly) who are slightly behind. I have attended sessions at 2 of the 4 locations and this is the exact same feeling you get from any location and any session you attend. You are encouraged to work as hard as you can work (and then work harder) and you know what? You do that exact thing. It feels like a team/family where you work your ass off so as not to let the other person down. (and might I add at 4 locations in Maryland) During the workout you have no time to look around and see the other “troops” but when you have a break, or once it is over - you can look at each other and smile because you know you’ve been through the same thing they have. THAT is what Soldierfit is to me. It has absolutely nothing to do with any building, piece of equipment or fancy signs. It is a group of people standing together yelling “WE ARE, I AM”
I have been doing a lot of different workout things over the last 9 months - and I sit here on a Wednesday night (after going this morning) thinking of how I can’t wait to go Friday after work and considering driving back to Frederick to do the late evening session…I haven’t had that feeling before. The summer bootcamp workouts I did last year were as close as it got - but I think the size of each of Soldierfit’s sessions (at 4 locations) is what is has driven the addiction to a new level.
So I’m admitting to the addiction - but PLEASE do not schedule an intervention.
(PS - many thanks Natacha)
Ok - I swear - I’m done with my sales pitch for the night. (I think) Now back to our regularly scheduled program…
When I last left you - I had reached a plateau stage and it was….well…sucky. But, I had a plan and was determined that this was only going to be a temporary plateau. (did you know a man a plan a canal panama is a palindrome? Do you know what a palindrome is?) So, I went to work doing my SWIMTASTIC, RACQUETTASTIC, STRENGTHTASTIC and RUNTASTIC routines and kicked it up a notch.
BAM!
I started with a personal trainer only a few days after my last entry and have been working with him until he left. (I apparently drove him to quit - or he found a better job) So twice a week I was doing that and mixing in the rest of the workouts. I enjoyed the personal trainer but it wasn’t what I was looking for really. (which is why I tried Soldierfit) I have 3 sessions to finish it out and I am glad that I did this - it taught be the right way to do exercises and it taught me some weight routines that I can do on my own. It was a positive experience and got me out of my comfort zone in the gym. The good news is - within a week of starting the personal training - the weight loss started again and has continued on. So - apparently the plan worked?! (or I’m just a lucky ass) The relief I felt after the first few weeks with weight continuing to come off was enormous. Tomorrow I go back for one of my last training sessions and to get measured again - looking forward to seeing the results.
I’m still a work in progress on the whole dressing part. I’m more comfortable in the new clothes I bought so that is a positive. The downside to it is I think the reason I am comfortable in them is that some of them are already falling off of me. (jeans especially) Good problem to have really - so I will not complain. But - if anybody out there in this world is a tailor or knows one that is CHEAP (like free) be sure to let me know because I have some work for them to do! I’m now drinking a cup of coffee nearly everyday also - oh how I missed coffee. We were lovers that were apart for so long and now back together. Reunited - and it feels so good. J
Lastly - and this may come as a shock to many of you - you may want to sit down for this if you happen to be standing. Ok - sitting now? I have decided that I will not be purchasing Steelers PSLs once I hit my 200 and under goal weight. The more I thought about the cash I would have to put down to purchase the PSLs and then the cash yearly to get the tickets, the more I thought it was a bad financial decision. (it would cost about $5000 a seat to purchase PSLs and then $1000 a seat per year to buy the tickets - and those are for not so great seats) So, I will save away $1000 a year and purchase tickets to the games I want to see and sit where I want to sit and save the other money for something I can use all year around. (hmmmmm - like say a Jeep Wrangler anyone???) So yea, I already got my reward ahead of time - sue me? But, I am so laser focused to hit the 200 and below mark - it is GOING to happen.
(and be looking for an invite to a party at my house on May 26 - coming to everyone that reads this - and really everyone I know too but of course the people that read this first)
Ah - the fun part now - the numbers!!
275 days without soda/tea (really anything but water, coffee and beer - gotta have the beer)
95 pounds lost since my heaviest weight (312)
85 pounds lost in the last 275 days
72 pounds lost since starting my heavy workout phase (234 days)
17 pounds until my ultimate goal (199.9) and I already have my reward
My current weight is now 217 pounds
Will Landis reach 199.9 pounds?
Will his addiction to Soldierfit get worse?
Will the next blog entry actually be funny?
Tune in next time
Same Bat Time
Same Bat Channel
Holy Fatass Batman!
Much love,
Landis
