Sometimes You Just Gotta Walk

Here's a little bit of an update:

I did gain weight in The Bahamas. I want to stress that the walking was effective. I'm sure I gained a pound or so LESS because of all the walking. For you skeptics, that's just the way it works. Your body does physical work and it burns calories. There is no magic (except in romance). I DECIDED that I was going to eat basically what I wanted after a couple days at Atlantis. I had never been east of Florida before and I was not going to miss out. I chose to eat more and a wider variety, knowing the consequences. I had already done a little of that New Year's eve.

Regular readers may recall that earlier on New Year's eve I weighed myself and that final weigh-in for 2008 was 112.2 kilos. I started the year at 123.2 kilos and that difference of 11 kilos means that I lost 24.2 pounds. Some (females, especially) are amazed how much weight a man can gain in a short period of time. If you're really curious, email me. I am back to "being good" with what I eat and this morning I weighed in at 113.7 kilos. That is down from our arrival home Sunday night.

New readers may actually wonder, "What are you telling us all this stuff? Do you just like to hear yourself speak(/write)?" [ Let me think...MAYbe...I did once tell a mentor that I treasure my own company! ;-) ] My hope is that by seeing what is actually going on with a real person you can be encouraged that YOU can do it, too. No matter what it is for you, you can do it. (And, for 90%+ of us, walking is something we can do and it helps our bones and our brains!) Weeks or months or years from now you can revisit my blog and as long as I'm alive and coherent (some already see this as iffy) enough to post, you will see me making progress. I know you can do it. I'm DOING it in my life right now!

I want to acknowledge our creator here. (If you don't believe, you obviously have the choice to skip ahead, but please don't stop reading this blog entirely. People who care about you want you to reach your goals and be around when you're old to do things like bounce your grandniece on your knee or teach her math and science or read Where The Wild Things Are to your grandson.) In 2007 I wanted to lose weight and I barely achieved that goal. I lost 1 pound in 2007. On December 31, 2007 I asked God for help in losing weight and getting in better shape and in 2008 I lost 24.2 pounds. (Thank you.) I also want to thank you who are reading my blog. Knowing that you're out there (especially when you comment!) means that there are some people to whom I'm accountable. That helps me and it can help you, too.

Right now I'm going to do it - some walking - because no matter what else is going on, sometimes you just have to close your mouth and stop what you're doing and saying and get out there AND DO IT! And my loyal dog, Mellow, will be a little happier. Somebody said, "Just Do It!" That's what I'm going to do. Right now.


Keep walking!

Resolution Poll

Because I had some success this year with my New Year's resolution (for which I asked God's help), I am trumpeting the idea that you can do it, too. Here is a very quick poll to get you thinking in that direction. If you are someone who does goals and not resolutions, so be it. Like somebody said, "Just do it."

Click this link to make your voice heard and maybe be an inspiration to someone else. http://tinyurl.com/BMW777192


Keep walking!

40 miles in ten days

Forty miles is a good start to the year. Here is just a little bit of trivia because I have played a fair amount of poker in my four and a half decades on this earth. Forty miles is short for the phrase "forty miles of railroad track" which means you have four tens. You hear the phrase "thirty miles" much more often because you make three tens much more often than four tens, which is a very nice hand. So when it's time to show your hand, you turn it over and say, "Forty miles," and the vast majority of the time you hear "very nice hand" in return. Once in a while when you have "forty miles of railroad track" you might hear, "Nice hand, but it's not a winner," because someone has a hand so "big" that it beats four tens.

When you have walked 40 miles in your first ten days of a resolution or on track to a goal, you have a "very nice hand". Now I'm in the middle of my forties and I have 40 miles, a very nice hand, and I would like 40 more and then maybe, 40 more again. Do you have a very nice hand? Would you like 40 more miles? Get a pedometer from wherever you like and get started. Whether it costs $20 delivered or $200 is up to you. Or you can go down to Target or your favorite sports oriented store and get one there. Just do it or something like that. Now. Today. Join me. Join us. OK?