The Skinny on Thinking Thin

My wife told me that I need to start writing more. Since I work as writer, it is actually hard to find the time to write just to do it. I am not complaining. It is a "good" problem to have if you are a writer. My wife, Teresa, also suggested that I write about something I enjoy doing that would be acceptable conversation in a public forum.

That provision eliminated a lot of my options. However, it did leave two good ones: staying fit and aging gracefully. It was only when I fell out of shape and began noticing it that I knew how important it was for me to be fit. However, I had to become more than 60 pounds overweight before it stuck in my pliable mind.

Aside from the soft spot on my brain, it was the the gut and the butt that were my most noticeable dense zones. The best friend of procrastination is self-denial. (I am not gaining weight; these pants must have shrunk ... just like all the others; yeah, sure.)

And I know that everyone has heard this once or twice. Before getting fat, I was in decent shape my entire adult life. Well, in August 2004, we moved from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Fl. Apparently, I used that three-hour time shift to add an extra meal or two to my daily routine. How else could I have gained 35 pounds in 18 months?

During that time period, I went from weighing 190 up to 225 pounds. We had moved north to the Greater Philadelphia area in January 2006. Eighteen months later, June 2007, our residency in Northern Delaware was established and my weight went up another dirty dozen. I weighed about 237 pounds.

I think that 237 was my heaviest weight. When I saw the numbers on that digital scale flash 235 and kept blinking that day, I closed my eyes. That photo of me at the top changed everything. When I saw that scowling old fat fart with the ponytail and flab around the neck, it devastated me. How the f--k did I get so fat?

Well, I did and then made it back to the other side, too. My personal Shawshank Redemption scene resulted in me losing more than 60 pounds in six months. I have managed to keep it it off for more than three years. Today I weigh 175 pounds and can easily slide into 30-waist blue jeans. So I am either crazy or doing something that is pretty OK as far as staying fit goes.

While I am proud of what I did, this is not the BragFest Club. All I am trying to say is that if I did this, anyone who is wanting to do so and physically capable of trying could probably do it, too. My wife dropped more than 40 pounds with a few tips, a couple of suggestions, and little bit of self-initiative. Her approach toward fitness is way more scientific than mine. She counts everything and then charts it as well. But that is another story.

Bottom line (saggy or firm?)

Find some activities and a calorie-counting system that you like and make it a part of your lifestyle. Tying to find stuff that works is what this blog is about. By the way, that "Jimmy Warhol" photo of me was taken two days ago. Fake colors; real tone; BS-free content.

Am I thinking thin, or Thin King Thin?

My next fitness goal: Run a 7-minute mile.