Monthly Update

Well, folks, it's been a month (I know, I can't believe it, either...), and things are looking pretty good here at my house.  At least as far as re-establishing SOME healthy habits; still working on a few!

Want some specifics?  Too bad - here they are.  Number-type stats first, then some reflections.  Or at least idle thoughts...

• Starting weight ca. Jan 1 - 226 lbs
• Weight as of Jan. 31 - 218.5 lbs
• Net loss of 7.5 lbs.

• 22 workout days
• 142 miles on the bike (all indoors...)
• 8 gym/weightlifting sessions
• 17 hours total exercise
• 13,234 calories burned (based on MapMyRide's calculations - possibly high?)

And the promised idle thoughts:

Not a bad start!  Let me surprise a few of my faithful readers and look at the bright side first.  I've lost seven and a half pounds and worked out far more days than not.  The days I didn't get a workout in were due to illness (four days), a cancellation from TB (one), a concert day, and some just plain lazy ones.  I've established somewhat of a routine, working exercise into my (almost) daily life.  I even started practicing my trumpet again, since I have several performances with the HJO coming up this spring.  Good stuff.

Some challenges still remain, though.  My chiropractor and several others tell me I don't stretch enough.  Could be because I don't stretch at all...  I have a very specific stretching regimen that my chiropractor set up for me; perhaps I will start on it next month.  A mere three months after it was given to me:)

Food is still not completely under control.  When I track the occasions for these choices, they almost totally fall under the category of "Convenience."  Tired, pressed for time, guests at the house, whatever.  We actually were talking the other night about being tired of pizza.  On the upside, though, is the fact that while I'm not making great choices all the time, I'm at least trying to limit my badness.  Two slices of pizza is fine, thank you, and no more bread sticks.  I can still destroy a large burger and fries, though.  So I try to not go to places that serve those.  

Speaking of fries, I'm pretty convinced that I have officially passed the age limit for deep fried foods.  (Sorry, I took a moment there to mourn...)  Dana and Erin and I went out for dinner on Dana's birthday the other night.  Beechwood Inn's lake perch are quite awesome.  But it seems lately that when I eat deep fried stuff I feel very, very uncomfortable.  The basic idea is that my abdomen seems to bloat like a tick...  So I will try to a.) limit the intake of those foods, and b.) make sure the occasion and quality of the food is worth the discomfort (i.e.  Beechwood's perch beats Russ' hands down and is worth the pain).

In the gym I'm pretty happy as well.  I'm almost back to full strength since my surgery last year (this has NOTHING to do with my surgery - that was just about the time I kind of quit going for about a year).  We kind of alternate between "heavy month" and "do whatever TB says, which is probably not lightweight month," and January finished well - yesterday's chest and biceps workout saw some good bench press weight, where Daylin, Dan, and I finished with single-rep sets of 250 lbs. after building up from 8-rep sets starting at 135 and adding 20 lbs per set.  

My pants are still snug, and there are a few shirts I still won't wear.  They fit, but they're not flattering.  And I still have several pair (pairs?) of pants that are too snug to be comfortable.  I actually have one pair of Levi's 501 jeans that are my favorite jeans ever.  I've had them since about 1996.  34 waist, slim fit.  I got into them a year ago.  Not comfy, but they were on, they were buttoned, and I wore them around the house.  My goal is to look good enough in them again to wear them to school.

Well, I seem to be running out of what little coherence I started with, so I will probably go back to Facebook or something.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.  I have a few more ideas in the pipeline for posts, but feel free to suggest a topic.  

I'm POOPED!

You, gentle reader, deserve fair warning...  The title of this post probably does NOT mean what you think it does.  As a matter of fact, if you keep reading you will most definitely venture into the realm of TMI - this post is NOT about being tired.


Get it??

Still with me???


I will give you one more chance to bail....


OK, consider yourself warned.  Any objections to content hereinafter written are entirely because YOU couldn't look away.

Yep, this post is about poop.  Good old run-of-the-mill fecal matter.  Many words have been written regarding this particular substance and function, quite a few of them hilarious.  My family actually bought me (I kid you not) a book on the subject for Fathers' Day a couple years ago.  Detailed descriptions of the many varieties of the daily constitutional.  Laughed til I cried.  

There are also many different words for the stuff itself (the most obvious, beginning with S, we will skip for now, but there are dozens - doo-doo, poop, dookie, fudge, crap, bum nuggets, butt butter - check out http://www.heptune.com/poopword.html#Poop (the stuff, nouns) for a LARGE list), as well as words and phrases for the act of pooping (dumping, daily constitutional, dropping the kids off at the pond, drop a deuce, etc. - http://www.heptune.com/poopword.html#Poop (to do it, the verbs).

My family could go on for hours about this.  And my dad, Doc, loved to hate every second of it.  "Come on!" he'd shout.  "Knock it off!"  And then he would get the wheezing, red-faced, almost-ready-to-combust laughter (which I have inherited...) going and lose all control.

Apparently everyone poops, too.  Women don't, depending on who you ask, but I have my doubts.

Gillian McKeith, a funny, grouchy lady that had a TLC channel show called "You Are What You Eat" for a few years, is very into the analysis of said substance.  She even has a chart with pictures (though if you want to know any kind of information about what your poop should look like you have to sign up for her club):   http://www.gillianmckeith.info/individual-pages/stool-analysis-and-poo-chart/

I have had many a serious conversation about the act and substance with medical professionals; a little over a year ago I had a colectomy, which, as you might guess, is an "ectomy" of a pretty important part of the process...  

"Reasonably smooth, easily passed, with little to no wiping afterward."  This was the first surgical consultation I had.  About two years ago, when I was first considering what was basically elective surgery but very necessary for my long-term well-being.  The surgeon went on to describe many other things in great detail, and kept referring to my colon as a "poop organ."  Hard to keep a straight face based on my family history with the subject.  "Yeah, doc, you shoulda seen the one I did the other day..."  

So, as you might guess, between family history, medical history, and the overall comedic enjoyment I and society get regarding the subject, I have done a lot of thinking about my daily constitutionals.  And here's what I have to offer:

1.  It's still funny.  I don't care who you are, you have a funny story in your personal history about this.  Whether from a toddler's diaper coming off in the crib to the "my word, I must have lost five pounds after that one," (and you DON'T! try it; weigh yourself before and after!) you have enjoyed a good laugh over this.  And that's good.  You should laugh at yourself, because other people probably are:) 

2.  It can be painful.  Whether from the aftermath of my favorite salsa from one of my band parents, an illness, or the effects of too much (fill in the blank here), we have all experienced an unpleasant trip to the loo.

3.  Holy crap, that surgeon was right!!  I didn't end up using him (something just didn't click with us, and if someone is going to be digging around inside me and taking out a reasonably large part of a reasonably important organ, I want to get along with him/her), but he was indeed correct: when I eat right and exercise, they come out just like he said!  It makes sense, of course.  If your body is properly fueled, your body uses the fuel it needs and disposes of the waste.  "Garbage in, garbage out" is the other end of that spectrum.

I could (and have) go into great detail about my various loads.  And I have honestly found it edging toward fascinating sometimes when, after an evening with more than one beer, too many deep-fried foods, and maybe some rich dessert, the next morning's offering is rather different than the one the day before.  

So what?  Well, in spite of the fact that I am not that great at taking my own advice, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  
   - "Smooth, easily passed, with little to no wiping."  
   - Someone named Dr. Lindsay Duncan answered the "how many times a day" question with this nugget: "You should be having 2-3 healthy bowel movements a day. When you aren't eliminating properly, your body's waste may not be expelled for days, weeks, or even months. Most people go through their daily lives eliminating once a day, once every other day, or even less. If you eat 3 full meals a day and only eliminate once a day, once every other day, or twice a week, what happens to all the un-eliminated waste matter? Where are all the other meals hiding? All of that unexpelled toxic waste is sitting in your body affecting every cell and tissue, which has a negative impact on your health. These toxic poisons rob your body of good health and energy, making you feel old, tired and sick. Ninety percent of the time, these complaints can be alleviated or greatly reduced through internal cleansing."
   - This handy link discusses size and color: http://women.webmd.com/pharmacist-11/digestive-problems (it's geared specifically to women, but that's OK)

So there you go.  A little info/experience about going to the library (as my father would say, newspaper in hand, heading down the hall).  One of the first episodes of Seinfeld I remember watching included this hilarious bit in which Kramer can't find a bathroom; he ends up "missing his chance."  Yep.  Been there...



This post is lovingly dedicated to my family.  My siblings - Pam, Kevin, Brenda, Marcia - and I could tell you stories!  My wife, Dana, and I could, too, but it might embarrass the kids:)  Nathan encouraged me to write this one the other day, and Erin always loves hearing about the satisfaction level of my morning constitutional.

Permission Granted

Remember when you were a kid and you would just be dying to try something?  Maybe be allowed to go somewhere, or do something new, or do something by yourself for the first time?  Did you react the way I sometimes did?  "Since I've been trusted with this responsibility, I better not screw it up.  I might need to bank some good behavior for similar activities in the future."  So maybe I would get home early with Dad's car, or bring home the change from the 20 bucks for groceries instead of putting it in my piggy bank.  OK, not EVERY time... 

So this past weekend was the Michigan Music Conference.  A time for all of my band geek friends to gather in Grand Rapids for a few days and enjoy some fellowship as well as attend some classes, clinics, and concerts and hopefully learn more about the craft of teaching.  And there is always food involved.  And frequently alcohol.  This year was no exception, but there was at least a little bit of a difference for me.

This year I managed to not completely overindulge, but I didn't totally abstain, either.  Admittedly there was too much alcohol, calorie-speaking, though an argument can be made that ANY alcoholic beverage fits that category.  But between lunch, late afternoon at the bar, and dinner on Thursday I managed to have four drafts and a punch concoction made up of several shots of harder stuff.  I was never drunk nor out of control, but like I said, the calories were all liquid and not beneficial.  

Friday there were a few more drinks and more food - a dinner sponsored by a travel company that I have worked with in the past. So, too many calories.  BUT... the difference I spoke of above?  I knew it was coming and vowed to at least try to make good choices and I gave myself "permission" to do it.  In other words, I had no plans to abstain or "deprive" myself from food and drink, but I also decided that I wouldn't grouse about my lack of willpower or inability to turn down food. 

And it went well:

 - Thursday's lunch was 2 crab cakes and a small bowl of soup (and two beers..)  Not bad!  No deep fried, and small portions, though the crab cakes are probably high in calories.

 - I had a late afternoon snack at the hotel restaurant - 6 wings (and two more beers...)  Again, decent portions, but deep fried...

 - Dinner was awesome.  Went to Stella's Bar and Grill in downtown GR (you really should go) on the recommendation of a friend.  Had a Buffalo Burger - so much for portion control!!  It was a beautiful thing, though, and I enjoyed it.  With fries.  And these wonderful things called "Stuffed Tots" or something - tater tots stuffed with cheese and jalapenos, breaded and - you guessed it - deep fried.  Only had three.  But they're pretty big.  Anyway...

Friday and Saturday went reasonably well also, with the biggest meal being the aforementioned sponsored buffet.  Limited myself to one trip, though.  And two beers.  And there was wine sometime before dinner.

*Disclaimer:  I don't remember having this much alcohol in two days ever, so don't worry; I'm OK!  Again, never out of control, and no driving.

Bottom line:  ate too much, drank too much, but didn't allow myself to go to that place of "I suck at this, so I might as well just give up and eat whatever I want."  Figured I would have Saturday afternoon and Sunday to do some exercise, anyway, so I would work it off.  (Maybe in my next post I will talk about the cold/sinus infection-type disease I had the last three days that prevented my exercise...  Ah, well, you know what they say: want to make God laugh?  Tell him your plans.)

Anyway, I did better than I have at similar events, and I didn't do the pity party thing.  Which is a big thing for me.  I'll be back at the bike tomorrow, then when I have a dinner meeting on Wednesday at Logan's I will have a low-cal, high-protein meal.  No deep fried.  No carbs?  Probably not, but it's a good thought.

Give yourself some permission once in a while.  Because what I got to thinking was that since I had permission, maybe I would try to bring back a little change.  Or get home early.

I'm Not Lazy, I'm a "Fan of Convenience"

A small, but significant, milestone this week:

218.5.

Yep, I've lost seven and a half pounds since January 1.  Pretty cool.  Not sure if it was the exercise or not (there has been plenty of that); it may have been weight that was coming off anyway just because I'm eating at least a little better.  But that is not the real subject today.  No, today is a post about my enjoyment of doing nothing...

I hate lazy people.  Drives me crazy.  Not really sure why, since I AM one.  Totally.  Notice how it's been a week or so since I last posted?  Did you think to yourself, "well, he's back to work after a vacation and has a lot to prepare for, what with a concert this week and solo and ensemble festival coming up, etc., etc."?  You did, didn't you?  Yeah, it's not really that true.

See, there are many, many times that I could (and, perhaps, SHOULD) be doing something besides what I am doing.  Fact is, I sit around a lot.  And I enjoy it.  I think it keeps me from stressing a lot, but who knows?  

Sure, school gets busy.  But the bottom line is that I'm not a "regular" classroom teacher, so the grading of papers, the intricate lesson plans, all that stuff that they do, isn't happening.  My most intricate lesson plan usually involves writing which part of the music we'll be rehearsing that day.  I can't even fathom being an elementary classroom teacher.  Friend Angie says there are times it takes her longer to write the lesson plan than to teach the lesson for her fourth graders!  And this is FOURTH grade!!  I can't imagine a room full of nine-year-olds.  But anyway, back to me.

Former student Tim coined a phrase that I really like.  I was telling a group of kids several years ago of my lazy tendencies.  He said, "Walker, don't think of it as lazy, think of it as being a fan of convenience."  Perfect!  And I'm a big, big fan.

And that has a bearing on my lifestyle - trumpet practicing, teaching, exercising, eating.  Eating?  Oh, yeah, eating.  Why do you think they call them CONVENIENCE foods???  They're for guys like me.  I don't go grab a good healthy stash of ingredients out of the fridge and make a tasty, low-cal meal.  No, if it's football season, you can find me at McDonald's on Mondays after practice, and somewhere else Friday after the game.  Conveniently eating whatever's in front of me.

So I think (other) lazy people bother me because I reflect on myself in their actions.  

And the real point of this writing?  That it's so easy (ohhhh, so easy) to not exercise and not eat right.  And society has helped make it that way.  (I'm not blaming anyone but myself here, so don't get all crazy on me...)  But seriously - "convenience" store, "fast food," "drive thru," - come on!  When did we lose our capacity to do any work whatsoever?

When I get home from school I like to take some time and relax.  Put my feet up.  Take a load off.  This past week was going to be a challenge for me, and I faced it pretty well - Monday and Friday at TB's Gym (he canceled Wednesday or I would have been there), and trainer rides Tuesday night and Saturday morning (here's a couple shots of me in my lovely basement).  So I only missed Wednesday and Thursday.  A good start.  Let's hope I can keep it up.  Looks like it might be paying off...

my favorite tribute to laziness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZtN7T5PXM

I'm Doing This for MySELF

Well, here I am in the final weekend of Christmas break, wondering if my new routine will carry me through the rest of the school year. It's not that I don't want to do things, it's just that I sometimes find it difficult to keep going with a good plan because, frankly, I'm pretty worn out at the end of each day after school and really enjoy taking a load off.  But more on that idea later.  Today's thoughts are more a continuation of what I talked about last time.

I have at least one friend who is an alcoholic, and I have known many folks throughout the years who have been smokers and are addicted to nicotine.  I hope that I don't offend here, or have people think I am making light of those situations, but I am pretty convinced I'm addicted to food.  Stay with me; there are many signs.

My last class for my Master's degree was a seminar in alcohol and drug abuse.  I thought that would be a good thing for my career and helping kids deal with stuff, etc.  The professor, a psychologist, said something that has stuck with me for ten years.  It went along the lines of "an addiction is when 1 (drink) is too many, but 1,000 is not enough."  I smiled.  "Holy crap, I'm addicted to McDonald's fries..."

And M&Ms.  And many other so-called comfort foods.  Have you ever done something because you're stressed?  Happy? Sad? Angry?  I have associated all of those things with EATING.  The biggest problem here is that I also love food.  Seriously.  I don't know if an alcoholic would talk about loving the flavor, aroma, feel of alcohol, but I appreciate food.  So I can eat virtually any time!  Hungry?  Who cares?  It's FOOD!  Bad day at school?  Burger.  Good day at school?  Celebrate with pizza.  Beginning of the year?  Curragh for Fish and Chips.  End of the year?  NHBC for the D-White pizza.  You get the idea.

I apologize if, in my ignorance, I have this wrong*.  But from what I hear from friends and what I have read, these are addictive behaviors.  I didn't mention things like hiding food from others so they don't see you (yep, done it), eating while standing in the kitchen so it doesn't seem like I'm eating as much (mhmm...), and the classic "I can stop this whenever I want."  The last one's not so bad, because honestly, I haven't wanted to stop all that much.
         *I hate those apologies, by the way.  "IF" I'm wrong.  I don't know how else to put this one, though.

Which FINALLY brings me to the point of today's entry.  I have done bets with people, entered contests at school, signed up for the wellness program (which offers "prizes"), and that kind of thing.  Sometimes it works, but most often not.  Because I have come to realize that until I want to make this happen for MYSELF, it won't happen.

I have a former student who tried to quit smoking last summer.  We gave him crap about it, told him how much money he was spending on cigarettes on a yearly basis, offered to bet with him, reward him, and all the things I mentioned above.  At one point he said something like I did.  He just didn't want to quit.  And in spite of all the stuff I (and he) know about the dangers, evils, and horrors of cigarette smoking, I understood him absolutely.  You can't do it for someone else; you have to admit to yourSELF that things need to change.  (I don't know where he is on his efforts; I have made it kind of a point to not ask, because it's not my business.)

So here we are, at the beginning of another year and another quest, and I know I have friends and family pulling for me.  But I know that, though you are all in my corner, it will not matter how much support I have until I understand myself better.  I've come to the conclusion that I am tired of being this way.  Mostly it's about how I look, honestly (waaaaayy too much like a guy in his late 40s, for instance...), but lately, as I mentioned a couple posts ago, I have also been thinking about my family history.  Doc died at age 70-ish, a few months shy of 71.  Quadruple bypass, brought on by high blood pressure, heart disease, and Type 2 Diabetes.  All preventable with lifestyle changes.  His condition was exacerbated by rheumatic fever as a child (or so I'm told), but I watched the man eat for 20-some years.  We used to fight over Helen's American Fries (which to this day I can't duplicate...) if that tells you anything.

So please understand something as you support me: there's a chance I might bristle at your "assistance" at some point.  It will probably be when I'm holding a damn pint of Ben and Jerry's that I don't need.  But believe me when I tell you that THAT is not the moment to try to stop me or remind me of my successes.  I know at least one person who knows exactly what I'm talking about:)  And you won't understand it until you've been here.

Next in this exciting tale...  "I'm Not Lazy, I'm a Fan of Convenience."  Refer to paragraph number one in today's entry for a reminder.

I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends

Well, 2013 is off to a decent start.  Starting last Sunday I have now exercised five (5) (FIVE!) days in a row.  A pretty big accomplishment on the one hand, but when you figure I, a seriously overpaid, union-card-carrying public school teacher, am still on one of my extended vacations that normal people just don't get to have, it's pretty easy...  The hard part starts next Monday, when I go back to school.

I have found over the years that whether I am in school/working or not, it is MUCH easier to stay on any lifestyle change, eating, or exercise plan if you have someone around to help, support, or do things with you.  And, dear reader, I have a host of people in my life.  Want to hear about them?  Too bad - here they are, anyway:)

For about 15 years now, I think, I have been lifting weights at TB's Gym.  No membership fees ever.  No showers, locker room, or sauna, either.  TB goes to my church and has been a weight lifter most of his life, and we work out in his basement.  (Jeanne is his sainted wife.)  He and Pastor Dan and I have been there officially the longest (I'm in third place in that group), then we added Jason, followed by Tim, and as of sometime last school year, Daylin and Mitch.

I haven't been as faithful as everyone in the gym, mostly between being busy at school frequently as well as many days of being, well, lazy.  But when I miss, they let me know it!  So quite often I go because I don't want to get the grief from the guys!!  (Daylin is the worst, since I see him daily, followed by TB...  And TB bears NO excuses.)  I even won a trophy a few years ago in a local bench press competition.

A couple years ago I set an all-time PR for bike miles for the calendar year at 2,860 (which I just call 3,000).  And all along those miles I had folks from the shop (Velo City, where I am gainfully employed and is a very cool place) like MC, Kaat, Berger, Aaron, JD, Dennis, Sandy, John and Pat, and many, many others.  We ride on Tuesday nights, Thursday and Friday mornings, and occasionally a weekend day.  And it's like a club.  The morning greetings, the teasing about flats, gear, or kit are half of what gets me there.  The other half is the bagels, which are awesome.

I rode several hundred with my brother Kevin, too.  That particular summer we rode on our respective birthdays a mile for every year.  56 for his and 46 for mine.  Had a blast.  Also did the 24-Hour Challenge together (more on that later).

Why is this so important?  Weight Watchers has statistics showing how much more weight a person loses just because he/she is working with a friend.  Maybe it's...  PEER PRESSURE??  That's OK, though; this is a good example of that.

My darling daughter, Erin, from whom I get my writing style, has decided that she, too, will be assisting me in my efforts a la Mick.  you can read her blog post on that topic if you'd like.  Read her other ones, too.  She's quite the wordsmith.

Sister Pam has volunteered assistance as well.  A life coach in addition to being a big bossy sister gives her an edge here, probably.

I am blessed by the people and activities in my life.  Even the comments on Facebook and these blog posts are examples of how this all works.  Thanks!!  Here's a tribute to all of you:
(I like the Joe Cocker version better than the original...)

Next up:  when "encouragement" becomes annoying, or "I need to do this for MYSELF."  You won't want to miss it.

Resolutions, Goals, and Objectives

Well, it's the new year.  Or should I say "New Year."  Everyone always capitalizes it, like it's something special.  I've always kind of considered the beginning of the school year to be the New Year, but that's probably because I've been in school or teaching school for a ridiculous amount of my lifetime.  So today, in honor of the New Year, I thought I would write about resolutions.  And goals and objectives.  (In case you DIDN'T read the title...)

226.  Shit.  Sorry, I know I said I'd keep it G-rated...

That was the number on the scale this morning for my New Year's weigh-in.  In my PJ's and socks.  Not quite my all-time high, but close to it.  And about 10 pounds heavier than a month or so ago, which is totally understandable - the last month or so has seen Thanksgiving, a trip to Ann Arbor for a marching band weekend with a few of my students and my son, a trip to Chicago for the Midwest Clinic, and the Christmas holidays.  But still, TEN POUNDS???

Anyway, that's what inspired me to write about today's topic, which I believe I have mentioned is about goals and stuff.  Here's what I have discovered over the years as my weight does whatever it seems to want to...

RESOLUTIONS suck.  They can wreck your whole year.  "This year I resolve to__________."  Then you fail.  Then what?  You can't just start over again; you have to wait til next January 1.  That's why I never make New Year's resolutions.  If I set my expectations low enough, I can't fail:)  (I'm seldom disappointed with things using this philosophy.  I always expect the worst, then can only be pleasantly surprised.)  

How about the idea of approaching something with "new resolve"?  Nah.  Too much thought.  Moving on, then.

As a teacher, I have been subjected to the idea of "goals and objectives" since I was an undergrad.  "The student will......" and you had to use a form of ABCD form, in which each of those letters stood for an Action, a something that started with B, and a couple others.  

I'd rather talk about them this way: I need to set a goal that's reasonable so I don't get too discouraged.  My overall objective in this quest is to be healthier, and I need to focus on that as much as the idea of how much I weigh.

When I pass out a piece of music to the band, or when the freshmen first see a marching band drill book for the first time, it can be overwhelming.  So many notes, so many things we don't know how to do, how will we get this done, etc.  So we break it into manageable chunks. And that's how I need to approach this idea. I can't just say I want to lose 50 pounds.  First of all, that's a huge amount of weight.  Second of all, it's overwhelming.  How on Earth can I manage that?  I'll just have another cheeseburger.

BUT, if I set a smaller goal with a smaller time frame, it makes it much easier.  For instance...  Two years ago I fell short of 3,000 miles on the bike by about 150 miles (btw, I just say I did 3K; it was close enough).  But I didn't set that as a goal.  I set a goal of riding a lot.  Seriously.  So after today's 17 miles on the trainer inside, I only have 2,983 left.  See why you can't set a goal like that?  My current goal is to exercise every day this week.  So far I HAVE MADE IT!!!!  I went ice skating on Sunday, lifted weights with the guys yesterday, and rode my bike today.  I plan to lift AND ride tomorrow, which then allows me to not feel too badly if I miss a day this weekend when we take Nathan back to MSU, for instance.  See how that works?  If I were to set a goal of "I must ride 5,000 miles this year and that will include X miles per week per month," I would be in too much danger of missing the goal and getting discouraged and giving up.  So my advice to you, dear reader (and apparently I have a few - over 300 views of my first post.  Now there's pressure...), is to set manageable goals that you can achieve easily and work your way up from there.  Advice from one who's been there and knows how it works (said the old, wise fat guy).

So Happy New Year.  I hope that it finds you happy and healthy and that you are able to achieve whatever goal you set for yourself.  I also hope you're enjoying what you're reading.  I'm not an expert, but I do know that doing something like exercise or a weight loss program with someone else or with someone else's advice makes it a lot easier.  As a matter of fact, that's on the list for my next post!  (Which may or may not be tomorrow.  See, I set a goal of writing a blog about this adventure, but not that I would journal every single day.  WAAAAYYY easier to accomplish!)

See you later.