Is Running Out of Time Considered an Exercise?

Wow, it's been a while since I've been here.  Even longer since I've actually written anything... just getting by with FitBit updates and cat photos.  The original intent was to document a year long process of becoming physically fit by the time I reached my 55th birthday.  Three hundred sixty-six days to implement changes, lose a bunch of weight, and give myself a better chance of extending my best-if-used-by date.  It seemed like enough time nearly 300 days ago but, alas, life has a tendency to get in the way of any mouse's plan.

One of my biggest lifestyle changes was a promotion to a supervisory position where I am employed.  I've never been what others might call ambitious.  I've always just wanted to have a job I liked and to be the best at doing the job.  This was the setup I had enjoyed for about 15 years.  Loved my job.  Damn good at it too.  Not responsible for anything but my own performance.  Now, however, all of that is gone for me.  Oh...I love my new job and I still try to do my best, but rather than be responsible for myself I'm now responsible for the performance of a whole lot of other people working across three shifts 7 days a week.  Work time really has no meaning anymore.  I might be in my office at anytime day or night, any day, whatever is needed.

Which is not to say that I work around the clock all the time.  I still have gobs of time when I am not actually working.  It's just that I can't plan when those times are going to happen from one day to the next.  That is my snag point.  Exercise is one of those things that I had to plan for or it didn't happen.

Or it use to be.

I had a little bit of a revelation about planning.  There is the old saying that "if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail".  Well, I used that in a little different way.  I would plan to go to the gym and exercise but, if demands of work or whatever preempted that plan, that would be just the excuse I needed to skip that day's exercise and I always jumped on it like a tick to a hound dog.  If I would plan on going to the gym early in the morning but had something come up with work instead, it was "tsk, guess I can't do it today, I'll try again tomorrow".  Same with my eating plan.  "Gosh, I was so busy today I didn't get lunch so I'll be okay to eat this cheeseburger".

My plan was designed to fail because it was designed for a schedule that I no longer have.  So, I've taken a look at what my schedule really is and came up with something a great deal more flexible.  Exercise every day...whenever I have a spare hour...and I have several every day.  Eat proper meals or do not eat at all.  Missing a meal here and there will certainly not starve me and may motivate me more to at least drink a shake every three hours or so rather than try to tide myself over with a candy bar or bag of chips.

I have the time, but I'm running out of time to make a difference in my health.