From the Gut
Well, I took the plunge yesterday and announced officially that I intended to lose weight. This is a quantum step above some other short-lived efforts where I whispered to myself that it might be a good idea, if it wasn’t much of an inconvenience, to shed a few pounds. These efforts included the obscure reference that has resided in the column to the left to “Column of Shame” that I put up last October. Now that I’m “out” in the house, food availability will probably dwindle and eyebrows will raise if I’m apprehended in the kitchen without a clear non-caloric purpose. Mrs. Perils of Caffeine, I should note, is trim, buff and a rock-climbing machine.
Historically, in order to remove my shirt out-of-doors or go out and buy new clothes, I should weigh 145 or less. I’m laughably small-boned. I stayed happily in the range of 140 - 145 for over 15 years. In 2001 I started creeping up little by little, arriving at my present 155 - 156 sometime last year. Not sure exactly why. Might be from working out of the house and not getting the exercise I used to get walking from the bus stop or parking lot to an office, walking out for lunch at noon, etc, running from co-workers and supervisors that want to kill me. I’m pretty active physically - I run 8 - 12 miles a week, do a Nautilus workout 3 days a week, plus a lot of collateral exercise on hikes, kayak trips and walks around the neighborhood, but I’ve lacked a lot of discipline in eating, especially when I’m out of town and eating more fast food.
I’m not doing anything branded like the Atkins or South Beach diets, I’m signing up for my wife’s old, reliable standby - the “Quit Chewing and Swallowing” diet. I’ll limit between-meal grazing, and I’ll drink less, both to save the calories from the drinks themselves and to avoid the “eating” trigger that a couple drinks trips in my head.
I hit the scale whenever I go my Nautilus club. I’ll update the results in the revived Column of Shame at the left, and try not to post about it constantly.
