Ahoy, Mateys! A Whale!

While we were at the beach last week, a friend was kind enough to Flickr some pics from our previous beach trip. Here's one of LBB, TB, and me making merry by the sea as we awaited a table at an oceanfront restaurant.

It was a fun, whimsical shot, but one thing that disturbed me was how much kinder this was to me than any others from the set. There were a few shots of me frolicking in the surf, and they looked like this (although I didn't get quite that tan):

I'm 5'10" and 215 pounds right now. I've allowed myself to get quite large; corpulent; lethargic; with all the aches and pains that go along with it. I'm a fat-ass.

So that, along with a recent rise in my cholesterol, has convinced me that it's time to lose 20. I really should lose 40, overall, but I decided before going to Wisconsin and then to the beach, that losing 20 by the end of September was achievable with a bit of discipline and self-control. I knew the two weeks away were a lost cause, so I was pleased that I only gained a pound during that time.

So, how am I going to do this? I haven't mapped out the specifics yet, but I am going to keep an intake and exercise tally.

Note the brown bottle with the red and white label in the first picture. I'll have to severely cut back on those. Stepping up the exercise should be easy. I've been running about once a week since the beginning of this year, so doubling or tripling that regimen should be no problem. I have a membership at the Y that I just might use.

So, world, today I begin sharing with you my experiment in healthy living. I won't bore you with daily details, but I'll keep you in the loop. Down to 195 by 9/30. Wish me luck!