I like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks from Audible.com while commuting to and from work. I can catch up on tech punditry, learn more about a subject in which I’m interested, or just listen to funny people being funny. Sometimes it’s just nice to hear an author reading their own words (although there are a lot of great audiobooks read by voice actors).

Beginning with this very post, I’ll be publishing an audio version of each blog post on Clean Livin’. Rather than putting out a supplemental podcast, these audio blog entries will be like the audio book version of this blog, for those on the go, or the blind or sight impaired. You’ll get to hear me stammer through what I’ve written. Maybe from time to time I’ll sneak some extra content or commentary into the audio version, especially for older posts.

Over the next few months I’ll fill-in previously published posts with their audio versions, working backwards until I reach the beginning. If you want to listen to them as they’re published, you can subscribe to the podcast feed, stream or download each episode right here on Clean Livin’, or subscribe via iTunes.

Clean Livin' 001: Weight Loss Audio Blog Podcast [ 1:26 | 0.77 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I was interviewed by WalkJogRun.net for their podcast a few weeks ago, but there were audio issues so today they posted a transcript of the interview along with some photos from Clean Livin’.

I’ve previously written about WalkJogRun and it’s a great site for plotting the distance and path of my walks, and better yet, finding a great walking or running route when you’re traveling. They also have a fantastic iOS app and their podcast is always full of great information. I talked to Caitlin of WJR about Clean Livin’, my history of being a fat guy, and about my weight loss success over the past four years.

Being interviewed has given me the bug to start a podcast. Any interest in hearing me prattle on about Clean Livin’ for 15–20 minutes a week?

You can read a transcript of the interview at the WalkJogRun blog.

I’ve been reading Ed Levine’s Serious Diet posts (as part of the excellent Serious Eats blog) since I started on my path to getting fit. With a sedentary lifestyle and a job that requires me to sit at a desk and type for hours at a time, I have a difficult time with getting enough exercise. Since I’m out so much I also tend to have to eat out a lot, or have to whip things together quickly when I’m home, so I have a difficult time eating right too. Compared to most people, I have an uphill battle. Thankfully, I have to lose so much weight that cutting calories and finding ways to increase mobility is an easy target. My nutrition and exercise were so bad prior to my new habits that it would have been difficult to do any less to get healthy.

Now consider this blogger for a bit of contrast. Ed Levine eats for a living. Well, technically he writes for a living, but he has to try out all sorts of different rich and calorie-packed foods and then write about them. Sure, it sounds like a dream job, but I imagine he has a harder time losing weight than nearly anyone on the whole damn planet.

For the past 38 weeks Levine has been posting updates every Friday morning on his progress for the past week. As diet and exercise blogs go, it’s not as filled with tips and tricks that you can use as some others (that I’ll mention here soon) but it’s a good consistently updated journal of one man’s diet, and the comments from other serious eaters are also usually excellent and positive.

I plan to follow Levine’s lead and write weekly updates starting this weekend just to keep a running commentary of my progress, pitfalls I’ve befallen, and other extenuating circumstances each week. The week seems like a good unit of time for measuring progress.

This is the story of how I lost over two hundred pounds and got into fighting shape by making incremental adjustments to my lifestyle.  Within I will reveal what I’ve learned about fitness, nutrition, exercise, and the various industries centered on helping you get fit or fat.  I’m looking at fitness and health as a new hobby, and whenever I develop a new interest I tend to turn my innate geekiness toward learning as much as I can about things in which I’m interested.  I’m reading the books and blogs, talking to experts, specialists, and trying to coalesce as much knowledge as possible down to its essence.  While this is my personal story, I expect there are many more people like me who may benefit from my efforts.

I started this site because my personal trainer suggested that I start a log of my goals, progress, feelings about exercise, dieting, food, &c., and I thought it would be easier to type it than write it, and easier to keep it on the Internet then tied to a particular computer or location.  As I started writing, I thought I’d keep myself more honest by making it public so anyone reading could view my progress and comment on my findings.

My goal is not simply to be thin, or generally fit, but also healthy, athletic, strong, agile, active, and (most importantly), to look great naked. To achieve my fitness goals I’m also changing other habits (slowly) and taking this opportunity to foster overall self-improvement.  I’m not just losing weight, I’m trying to be a better person.  It isn’t easy, but little that is worthwhile ever is.

However, if you’re trying to get fit in modern society, you’re fighting an uphill battle.  The deck is stacked against you, and getting fit can be made a whole lot easier and more fun than most diet specialists make it sound.
Here we go…