40 by 40?

I'm about six weeks shy of my 40th birthday. I'm not grieving over that, but I
will say that it's making me think about my overall condition more than usual.

See, I'm currently about 75 pounds heavier than I was at age 20. I'm 5'10", and
when I was a Sophomore in college, for a while, I weighed about 135. That may
have been too light, but still, 75 pounds is a hell of a load to add on. Check out the
frightening difference on this BMI calculator.

I seem to have stabilized, though. My age exceeded my waist size back around
34, and although I sometimes need to buy 36 pants, I can get away with the 34s.
It doesn't look like I'll be 40x40 next month.

Still, I announced to LBB last night that I would love to lose 40 by 40. Ain't
gonna happen in six weeks, but I'd like to get a good head start. Beach season
is coming up, and we have not one, but two beach weeks planned this year. Gotta
get my buff on.

A more realistic goal may be to lose 40, and keep it off, by the END of my 40th
year. That gives me a year and 6 weeks. I think I can do it. Back in 2001 I
was running all the time. Did a half-marathon in under two hours, and at one
point I was running nearly forty miles a week. I think I hovered in the 180s
then, and I wasn't doing anything as far as diet goes.

Then we had a kid, the routine slid, and I never quite got back there. Last
summer, I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle severely. I still feel the
effects of that. (Excuses, excuses.) Now I run about once a week, and go to
the YMCA about once a week. That's about all that's keeping me stable.

What's killing me is that I'm going to have to include some dieting if I want to achieve
this goal, and I'll have to forego the beer. Sad days. Well, it isn't happening this
weekend but soon. I might get grumpy.