ZogBlog

I've known I've packed on about 30 pounds in the last 7 years... and I'm not happy about it. Call it depression, call it lazy, call it a medical problem (I've pulled my back out about 3 times), or call it a smorgasborg of eating. Either way, you can't hide from your Body Mass Index. Mine's 28.2 (5'7" @ 183lbs)... that's just a shade under obese. Funny most people think I'm thin... but I can see the love handles and the stomach flap. I know better. When I left the military about 7 years ago I was 155 lbs, 5 years before that I was 135 lbs. (@20). In high school I started at 90lbs and went way up to 115 by the time I graduated HS (boot camp forced me to gain another 20).

Most of my adult life I've eaten when and how much I wanted... but at 32 I'm beginning to think that will need to change. My target weight loss is 28 lbs (back to a healhy 155 which would put me at a BMI of 24.3 (or just shy of overweight). So I'm currently looking into trying out a meal plan at DietToGo.com. For a number of reasons it might be best for me (I work late... and rarely eat at home); and at a $100 a week, it's right inline with my current food/snack/outing budget. Next stop: the gym I pay $50 a month to but haven't used in over a year!

So what's your BMI?

Game night at Check's was long indeed (though we didn't play Puerto Rico as much as I kept insisting). We played three separate games: Nuclear War (weak; dammit I always get all the ones and twosies pop cards, while Check, Jeff and Chris got all the 25's; of course I'm not surprised I have NEVER got a 25), Citadels (good; with 5 players we almost ran out of gold!) and Goldbrau (good). I was handed my hat in all three, but in my defense winning isn't the only thing I find satisfying. Sometimes I find as much satisfaction in completing a strategy, amassing a fortune, or building towards some cool end. Yeah, I know. It's good to rub in the face of the little twit whose always rubbing it in that they win at Puerto Rico *every time* they play. Stupid Corn King strategy.

Speaking of game night, I played with the DC gamers back in November and haven't heard from them since. Usually that let you play with them three times before they summarily dismiss you. Perhaps they had strong feelings? Bah... how could they not love me <g>

It took a few years for the darkness in the tunnel (of my marriage) to really begin to affect me. When I got separated, that's when I could "see the light at the end of tunnel"... and later when I got divorced it was as if the world opened up to me. Others remarked at the time that they had *never* seen me laugh before, but I was simply beaming with the enjoyment of life after; ahhh... good times.

No, I'm not feeling that good... but a kid just rang my doorbell with an offer to shovel the snow off my walk! Oh... joy! Can you feel the excitement? For a whopping $5 he did what this old man couldn't seem to do last saturday without wrenching his back out of alignment. Sure he didn't do the whole walk, and he did leave a whole bunch of ice behind (man I need some salt!) - but hey, I'm trying to be a glass is half-full kinda guy right now.

I think I can see that light at the end of the tunnel. I hope it's not a train ready to run me down.