Still, this male must get through.

Our weather is making it's transition into winter. This is always a wet, gray, gloomy proposition- and today was way-wet. Usually people start down that dark path into depression and self-indulgence beginning... 5, 4, 3, 2, ...NOW. We denizens of the gray typically pull on the sweats and keep them on until late spring whilst carbo-loading and glazing our eyes in front of the TV.

Ah, tradition.

This year I'm breaking old habits and braving the weather. Rain ain't bringing me down or keeping me in- I've come too far for that.

Today was a gym/weigh-in day. Down a pound! I was feeling pretty good about it so I did a lap around the track/bleachers to cement the loss. Oo-rah!

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Today was a track day and I was lucky to have been accompanied by my wife. She's been recuperating from her first race last Saturday and was feeling good enough to give it a go. I'm really proud of her. She started running less than a year ago and she's already competing- and placing. She placed 6th in her first race and is completely jazzed about continuing on to more competitions. She's awesome!

With that kind of inspiration how can I possibly fail?

Easily. It's all about choice.

I could have chosen to stay in bed this morning; cuddled up in my nice warm comforter, pillow just-right, room just cool enough. I chose instead to head to the track, hand in hand with my wife, to burn some calories.

I could have loaded up on pancakes, eggs and sausage for breakfast this morning. Instead I chose my usual protein smoothie.

I could sit here and snack on M&M's while I work, but I won't. I choose to stick to my plan and eat small, healthy meals at regular intervals throughout the day.

Choosing is such a simple activity. “I choose to make the right choices.” There, done. How simple was that? Notice I say simple rather than easy.

Choosing becomes easier when I consider the consequence/reward resulting from my choice. I know what happens when I sit all day and pound the M&M's. I know how much better I feel after going to the track or the gym. I know how great I feel when I'm putting on a pair of pants that haven't been able to wear in ten years- and they fit! I know. I know.

A simple choice yields either failure or success. I choose success.

Many years ago I ordered Anthony Robbins' "30 Days to Personal Power" program during one of those late-night infomercials. I'll admit that it was about 2AM and in my half-dazed state I probably would have bought just about anything. I forget what the price was at the time, but whatever it was seemed paltry when compared with the potential realization of "personal power".

Once the package arrived, I had no idea what it was that I had ordered- making it a little like somebody sending me a present; so I ripped into it like it was my birthday. Inside I found a set of cassette tapes in shiny plastic boxes that looked really cool on the top shelf of the bookcase in my office, which is where they sat for about a month.

Having not achieved personal power on my own, I retrieved the first shiny box from the shelf and popped it into my cassette player (for those of you born after the Golden Age, please ask an older person what a cassette is) and hit the play button. What filled the room was majestic and almost inspirational music accompanying various inspirational speakers introducing Mr Inspiration himself, Anthony Robbins.

Now, I don't mean that with any amount of sarcasm. The guy is good. You listen- and if you truly listen and want to absorb what he's saying, you kind of get excited about life. You begin to think that things are going to get better; that little by little you're going to increase your "personal power". All it takes is to follow a very simple formula:

1. Decide on your outcome
2. Take massive action
3. Notice whether what you're doing is working and adjust if necessary.

There is also a "shortcut", 1-a step:

1-a. Find someone who is getting the results you want for yourself and copy them.

Guess what? IT WORKS. When I think about anything good that's occurred in my life and analyze just how it came to be, I can identify little things that directly relate to Tony's formula--- even before I listened to the tapes. Does that mean I already had "personal power"?

Whatever.

What it means is that Anthony Robbins really knows how to recognize, package, and market positive human behaviors. Bravo Tony!

What it means to me is confirmation that I (just like EVERYBODY else) am already capable of achieving whatever I want if I consistently do what's worked for me in the past.

Again, bravo Tony. Thanks for articulating what I should have realized and gone consistently after all along. And if you think this is an endorsement of your program, whatever the latest generation of your spiel is called, feel free to send me a free copy (or better yet, a check-- I love big fat checks).

I've said all along that most programs have a grain of value to them if you take action and apply what you already know: that it's up to you to make the change. Copy somebody if you want, but no matter how miraculous the results, it's always you, and only you, doing the heavy lifting.

Decide, act, adjust, repeat; that's my plan.

Down another pound! I think that's cool- and when I say cool, I mean superlative!. It's progress; moving ever-closer to goal. That's what my renaissance is all about.

My means to my ends haven't varied much. I continue to exercise routinely and eat healthy foods in healthy quantities. I am a little astonished by how much easier it's getting to make proper choices when it comes to foods, especially in social situations and other times of snackin' opportunity.

Take yesterday for example. Family was in from out of town and with that usually comes many opportunities for gastrointestinal engorgement. There is always food about and social gatherings are usually centered around a huge meal. This was just like every other occasion- lots and lots of food. Was avoiding temptation a challenge?

No. Not really. I chose to become more healthy.

It has been a lot easier to just not eat things that will impede my progress. The pleasure of the weight coming off far outweighs the momentary taste of cakes and potatoes and other stuff. I mean really, it's all about making a choice- a choice to lose weight and making that same choice time after time. In my case it's a choice of keep on keeping on.

That's my choice and I'm sticking to it.

Feet on the floor at 4:44 (AM), or 4:32, 4:56, 5:43, 5:55 , etc. Recognize any patterns here? (hint: Why might today have special significance?)

I like to bring order to things- all things. It helps me stay focused. It helps me stay productive. Over the years I've worked it into conversation- usually making a joke out of the whole thing.

“I like to do things in threes,” I'd say.

It was true.

“I have to wash my hands 27 times per day, no more, no less, or something bad will happen,” I'd mention in casual conversation.

Not so true.

“Why 27?” they'd ask.

“Because it's a perfect number,” I'd say, “27 is 3 to the third power, and 2 + 7 = 9 and 9 is 3 to the 2nd power. Three represents all that is holy (as in the Trinity), all that is powerful (as in three branches of federal government), all that lies beneath (as in the “Trilateral Commission”).”

Pure BS.

Still, locked in my subconscious, I was fixating on the number 3. Slowly it began to show up in my habits and speech. I was becoming obsessive.

Or not. Hell, I still maintain that we all have and make choices based on the gajillion-or-so options that befall us through the course of our lives. I declare that I control “3” and it doesn't control me (sounds kind of poetic). No fate. No spoon.

I may be dismissed as a nutcase, but hey, it's working for me. I do three set of every exercise each time I'm at the gym, I go around the track/bleachers in multiples of 3, just about everything I do is done in multiples and intervals of 3... at least when I'm thinking about it. If I don't, something bad will happen.

Or it won't. Kooky, huh?

Today was gym/scale day and I'm down another two pounds (woohoo!). The hours for the gym have changed, so I don't go until 9AM- which shifts my work schedule (starting earlier, ending later), but I'll adapt. It's just 3 days a week, and 3 works for me.

The hell I say!

I'm the first to admit it; I'm a creature of habit, of routine, of tradition. I'm spontaneous during the moments between these habits and routines. I schedule spontaneity. Wait, what? That's not quite right at all. The thing is, I follow a daily regimen of activity and unscheduled, spontaneous brick-a-brack. Somehow, almost frenetically, the hours get filled and I still manage to get stuff done.

Things happen that are beyond the scope of control and tend to distract me from time to time. Somebody wants this, what's-his-face needs that, joe-somebody needs picked up from who-knows-where. The phone rings, PC blue-screens, hair catches fire, dingo eats your baby, or what ever else is next on your list of things you could never imagine happening. It's LIFE, and life tends to interrupt that vision of what you expect your life to be.

Believe it or don't, I had one of those days yesterday. LIFE put my life on hold. Rather, I allowed STUFF to distract me from productivity and industry. Did I go to the gym? (no) Did I gain weight? (I dunno) Did I survive? (yes) Did the sun rise this morning? (yes) Am I back on schedule? YES! Do I recognize that I still could have gone to the gym yesterday despite of all that was happening? YES! Will I maintain focus and purpose throughout the day, every day, and accomplish all that I set out to do? OH HELL YES!!!

There it is, that's the attitude I should have because that's what is going to get me through. Did I completely forget about exercising yesterday? No. I did take fifteen minutes at my desk and did a few sets of dumbbell curls with some weights I have just for such occasions. I use them usually as an emergency stress-reliever and yesterday I was tempted to beat the hell out of somebody with them. Not literally- that would be wrong, but figuratively (which is perhaps less satisfying but definitely less life-changing).

I am back on schedule and it feels good. My wife and I ran the bleachers this morning. I'm still doing the routine of bleachers - walk - sprint 100 yards - walk - repeat. My wife says I'm running faster than I have been. I have to agree- this morning I ran so fast my shorts fell down (literally). This was due primarily to a combination of being way-too-big over slippery Under Armour (which I really like). Good thing it was still dark 'cause the moon was indeed full. Not pretty.

Despite embarrassment and the morning chill, I feel pretty darn good. I'm definitely gym'n it tomorrow.

Man! I really missed going to the gym over the last two weeks. The first thing I did was hop up on the scale to end this crappy phase of not knowing whether or not I was making any progress. I'm one of those guys who likes to monitor the effectiveness of all my actions. I don't like being surprised- I like making progress. I like making corrections in the short-term rather than trying to remember how what I did a month (or two weeks) ago may have affected my current circumstances.

Not that I'm knocking a 5 lb loss. I'll take one of those every week or two- no complaints.

And I had a few clues along the way; my watch and clothes where "mysteriously" getting bigger, and I am feeling pretty good. I'm wondering what the next two weeks will produce- now that I'm back at the gym and have access to a scale.

OK. I skipped a day of reporting on my progress and considering that I've been away from the scale for two weeks, I think perhaps I'd gone on a bit too frequently already. Next week is going to be upon me soon enough and with it, access to the gym and the blessed scale.

My church and altar return! Can you give me an AMEN and a Hallelujah!

Sacrilege and blasphemy aside, I'm really looking forward to my old, albeit modified, routine. Three days in the gym and three days on the bleachers; I can totally feel the weight dissolving. I'm seven shades of jazzed.

I have altered my track/bleacher experience. Up until today I was climbing the bleachers as part of a complete lap around the track- which is a-ok. Today I started running half of the walking-part of the lap. So now each lap goes walk, run, walk, bleachers, repeat. Whew! Again, I'm melting.

I'll do this again tomorrow and then off to the gym on Monday-- along with an end to the suspense and anxiety of not knowing whether I've lost (or gained) weight.

Overall, the last two weeks have been pretty good. I'm feeling good, my clothes are getting a little baggier, and people are commenting on how much better I'm looking. I'm even smiling more often-- as opposed to grimacing. All good things!

I still have quite a ways to go, but it's nice to see progress.

We put a lot of research into taking care of our dog. She's a beagle from a rescue and that can provide several challenges. First, she's a beagle. That's says a lot all by itself. The breed is stubborn, resilient, and focused almost exclusively on its' nose. Their ears flop over, which I'm certain blocks out every command, cajole, or plea you can utter, command, or scream at them. Once they get a scent, they're gone. Second, she was from a rescue- abandoned in the woods fo who knows what reason. There was bound to be some baggage included with our little dog.

I read that they respond well to treats, and to that I can attest. Our beagle (Karma) will do almost anything for a treat; including ignore her own healthy and expensive kibble. She wants, first, whatever you're having, and second, those dog treats up on the top shelf of the pantry. And let's just say that the treats are on the top shelf for a reason (I think ours is a beagle-monkey hybrid).

We relied on the treats quite heavily when we first brought Karma home; it was the quickest way to the desired behavior. She is still given a small treat whenever we lock her in her kennel before leaving the house. It's the coolest thing- she happily takes her treat and runs right into it and waits for us to lock the door.

But...

She got huge! She went from a spry, springy little dog into this belly-dragging, fur sack that did nothing but beg for treats and stare you down while you ate your own dinner. She developed a mysterious "limp" that only occurred at meal times and when you put on her leash. She worked the "hang-dog-sad-whiny-starving-puppy" routine into an unbearable frenzy. I grew to hate beagles. All beagles. Everywhere.

All this a slight exaggeration of course, but she really did gain a lot of weight. And the whining-- Oy!

We had created a monster and it was all our fault. We mistakenly began rewarding good behavior with bad food. And ultimately the results were terrible. Then I realized that we did the same things to ourselves, and our kids, and our employees. We gave out candy and ice cream and had bbq's and threw catered luncheons and on and on to induce or reward good behavior. We were making everyone fat.

Once the realization hit us we took a long look at the consequences then decided to change. We no longer use food as a reward. We use praise and attention instead- and it's working. The dog has thinned up considerably, WE have thinned up considerably. We're all better off for the change and will continue.

I cringe when I hear diet gurus saying that it is OK to reward yourself with food. That just doesn't work for me. And celebrity endorsers going on about chocolate cake during Weight-Watchers commercials is counter-intuitive at best. Why focus on food at all? Why not focus on action and lifestyle instead?

The short answer is, "Don't reward with food!" No longer do I give my kids piles of dessert just for cleaning their plates. I mean, I wouldn't fill my car's tank with gas, then fill up the trunk too as a reward for topping-off. Food should be considered as just fuel for the body- once replenished, off it goes to burn some more through activity and exercise.

Whew! Off on a rant again! This morning was great- exercise was fun, the weather is perfect, I seem to have some pent-up energy--- I think I'll get away from the desk for a time today and do something more physical.

All that said, we love our beagle. She's happy and healthy and walks us for miles. She doesn't limp anymore, but she still begs and stares me down whenever I'm in the kitchen. It kind of makes it difficult to eat in front of her, but maybe that's a good thing.

I noticed my post titles have been a little skeewonkuss day-number-wise. I won't make any excuses, just resolve to do better. It's just a minor thing, but minor things can snowball. Had I continued on, I would've needed to change titles on possibly a hundred or so posts just to maintain order- rather than the 3 or 4 I had to this go-round.

Confirmation is a wonderful thing most of the time. I'm not going to dwell on times when it isn't so good but rather when it comes to making the right choices out of intuition rather than knowledge. I was sent a link regarding a simple list of foods to avoid and noticed right away that I've been doing that all along. These are things that I just logically thought were bad and my doctor thought I really wouldn't miss. It's great to see this type of confirmation.

In a workout-related side note; there was a skunk out under the bleachers this morning rooting through some trash. I got plenty of warning (phew!) before getting too close and gave it a wide berth. I never really realized how much wildlife we've got in our little suburb.

My weight has been the focus of my renaissance since May and will remain such until I reach my target weight, but weight isn't all I am changing. I am changing ME.

What I really didn't consider was the impact going about this whole change would have on my life. The results thus far have been positive in their effect in so many areas- but mainly in my interactions with others.

There was time (mere months ago) that I would shy from just about every social occasion for fear of being a spectacle. I stayed away from certain people simply because they wanted to help me. I'd stay home most of the time, avoiding what I considered uncomfortable, and worse, I would send my family to apologize for my absence.

That is no way to live. That's isn't how I was and it certainly is not how I will remain.

As I'm slowly chipping away I notice that I am more open and friendly, more apt to accept invitations to social events, and generally have a more positive attitude toward just about everything. Am I coming out of some sort of depression? I don't know about that. My prior actions have been rather logical considering my circumstances. I've been making myself logically and practically inconspicuous.

I used to jokingly refer to the once-skinny me in old pictures as "just some guy I ate" while adding some weak Donner Party reference. It's true- I did eat that guy and buried him deeply. Now all I want to do is barf him back up and let him live his life once more.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I have finally DECIDED to change (or change back) and am making significant progress towards that end. What's more is that I am enjoying myself more and more in the process.

That is a good feeling- a feeling I never want to change.

I've begun noticing the little things about the whole transformation process- mainly because I don't have access to the scale for another 8 days. Things like how clothes fit, how easy it is to get my wedding ring on and off, and now my wristwatch "dangle".

It used to be very uncomfortable to wear because it is heavy and tight and pinches my wrist and hurts my hand when I bend my wrist and boo-freakin'-hoo; it's just a watch for cryingoutloud! Anyway, if you look at the photo, you can see that it has become fairly loose. That's right, loose and uncomfortable. But it's a GOOD uncomfortable.

Today I ran the bleachers at the high school again. Geez, the bleachers after a football game are quite the obstacle course. There was trash and soda everywhere. Trash was strewn around (within inches) of half-empty garbage cans. It was appalling. I picked up just about everything that was in my path just because I couldn't stand to wade through it- and it was kind of a safety hazard. I really feel for the school custodians.

My son got the mini-rant when I got back this morning. He was at the game last night and I made it a point to impress upon him the importance of making sure his trash made it into the trash can lest he be the one responsible for me slipping and falling to my death on some of his discarded garbage. Well OK, I didn't paint the whole "dead dad in the pile of garbage" picture, I just asked that he pick up after himself.

Today is Friday- and I love Fridays. It's the day my wife and I usually have the most time together. And now that the kids are back in school, our attention is typically focused on just each other. It's not like we're running off to Monaco or anything outrageous, usually we work on some home improvement project or run to Costco or something equally non-exhilarating- but it's time spent together, and that rocks.

I ran across a website the other day that is run by an Australian motivational speaker/health club owner/who-knows-what-else by the name of Craig Harper. He's made some videos that are a little off the cuff snippets that shed some light on his attitude about self-improvement, weight loss, and life in general.

Most of what he has to say really makes sense in a no-BS kind if way-- once you get past all the playing around on-camera.

As we (my wife and I) were walking to the track this morning, we heard a huge commotion in the yard of the house next to us. There was a number of load thumps and then a blur of motion as something big ran from the yard. We turned to each other in surprise and then spotted more quick movement crossing the street just as a coyote bolted from the yard.

Once in the street, the coyote did little more than a quick yard as we watched in make it’s retreat off into the dark of early morning. Having never seen one this close (less than 20 feet), we didn’t realize they were so big. Nothing like a little wildlife fun to make your morning more interesting.

Note to self: No more Adam’s All Natural Peanut Butter- unless it’s UNSALTED.

I like the stuff, to be sure, but if you pour off the oil (like I do) you still have to mix it up. There isn’t anything like the briny deep of an unmixed jar of all-natural peanut butter. I’d say that the bottom 10% was carrying 90% of the salt for the whole jar. Never again.

Now if I could only find the unsalted stuff in bigger than a 2 cup jar.

I hit the bleachers again this morning, plodding along well before sunrise. I imagine those just waking up in the dark houses that line the field, wondering what that thunder is in the East. Hey, it's just me shaking the big metal bleachers. Over time I hope they realize that I'm shaking them less and less as I shrink and that, one day, they'll hear nothing at all- just see a sleek streak up and down the stairs.

I was in Costco today and noticed that they carry this product I've been seeing a lot of on the television. It goes by the brand name alli (I'm misremembering the pronunciation as in ally, I'm sure) and is touted as a commitment to real weight loss and the only FDA-approved over-the-counter diet pill.

"Hooray," I say.

I think it's great that there is something on the market that may get positive results. Will I try it? No. But that's just me and it really doesn't look like the kind of commitment I'm looking for. I certainly don't want to commit to any of the side/"treatment" effects. I have to admit though, blocking fat absorption sounds pretty good. Still, it's just not for me.

Being fat is tough, losing weight is tougher- especially at first. But the way I look at it is this; nothing you ingest is going to really address the "real" problem- and it's a MATH problem. If calories going in far exceed those burned or excreted, the surplus will be stored as fat. 2500 calories of excess translates roughly into a pound of fat. You could probably super-size something at a drive-thru and get pretty close to that. Avoid the excess and create a caloric deficiency through exercise, and you'll lose weight. I really believe that it's that simple. Not easy, just simple.

From what I can tell, most weight loss programs re-package just that. Even gastric bypass surgery does only that; create caloric deficiency. Do you need surgery or a pill? No. You just have to put down the food. You just have to change the way you think about it. You just have to get up a move a little. You just have to change your life. You just...

It's easier said than done- everything worthwhile is. I'll tell you what, I feel better knowing that what minor successes I have made are mine, not some pharmaceutical company's, not some doctor's, not some late-night, compensated, celebrity endorser's (that's right, not even your's, Chuck Norris), or some guru's. Just mine- a fat dude who'd just had enough and realized that all those people are RIGHT, all those PROGRAMS work, all the PILLS, MACHINES, and PROCEDURES are effective- effective at creating a caloric deficiency in the body resulting in weight loss. And I realized I could create the same effect without them. For them, my thanks- my absolute gratitude. Thanks, but no thanks (if you get what I mean).

That is what I'm doing, and will continue to do for the duration.

People ask me what kind of things I eat. Well I'll tell you, definitely nothing too special or outrageous. There are a few staples that I stick to on almost a daily basis; things like peanut butter, broccoli, spinach, and salad mix. I don't go in for the packaged diet foods- especially the branded (South Beach, Jenny Craig, etc) stuff. Not to say those prepackaged meals aren't good, I personally know people who've lost lots of weight on the prepackaged food diets, it's just that I don't want to rely on them and I'm too cheap to spend the money.

The only possible exception is my EAS Protein Mix fixation. I love this stuff! First of all, I can get it at Costco- which makes it cheap. Secondly, nutritionally it provides a decent amount of protein without all the weird garbage found in some of the other powders. Balanced with some good fiber from fruits and berries and it's great. I really give the old Magic Bullet a workout.

I usually have it after the gym- mixed in a simple recipe of powder, blueberries, ice, and water. It is fairly tasty stuff, especially the chocolate. This mixture accounts for breakfast on gym days, followed by a snack of broccoli and salsa. Lunch is usually a chicken breast and salad (basalmic vinegar for dressing), A snack of celery and peanut butter is followed later by a dinner of lean meat and greens. I may have another snack of vegetables or salsa later. That is pretty typical of my diet though it varies a little day to day.

I use FitDay to track everything and ensure that I am getting enough food in the proper mix of carbs/protein/fat as well as fiber and other nutrients. I was religiously tracking everything originally until I had a fairly solid routine down. I just recently re-focused on being exact in order to reach my recent short-term goal. I plan on paying close attention throughout this two-week period while the gym is closed and the inaccessibility of their scale. It will be interesting to see the results after two weeks "in the dark".

The bleachers were a little tougher today for some reason. I take that back, they were tougher for one reason. I did something I rarely do- I slept in and didn't make it to the track until 8am. For some people, sleeping in is a treat; I really don't like it. When I do, it feels like I missed something- which I guess may seem weird. I really can't explain it beyond that, but let's just say that it throws me off for the rest of the day.

Three hours later in the day meant that I was going up and down those bleachers in weather probably ten degrees warmer than I was accustomed to- making it a lot less comfortable to begin with. Oy, what a whiner!

Did I let it stop me? No. "Improvise, adapt and overcome" is what the Marines say. Now, I can't imagine how or what I'd improvise in such a situation, but adapt and overcome seemed to be the soup du jour. So I just "manned-up" and went at it.

It makes me think that perhaps that's what my renaissance is all about: adapt and overcome. I mean, as I exercise and eat as I do, my body adapts by strengthening and shrinking. This process will eventually overcome my weight issue.

As you may of guessed by now, logical thinking is not part of my skill set.

What I really wanted to mention (relevant to the title) is a little thing I've really come to enjoy- stuffed fig leaf on the BBQ.

I mix up a little ground turkey with some spicy chicken sausage, some onion, cilantro, and various other herbs and spices, maybe a little goat cheese, fold the mixture up burrito-like in a fig leaf (that we've washed and soaked in water for an hour), and cook it on the grill.

The fig leaf adds a nutty, vanilla-like flavor to the whole thing, and there must be some nutritional value there as well- or at least some fiber. Anyway, I think it's probably better for me than a hamburger bun and from what I've found on the web, I doubt it will kill me. Even better is that I'll have fewer fig leaves to rake in the fall.

This morning my wife made me change clothes before church because the suit I usually wore no longer fit. There I stood in the bedroom, cinching up this and tucking in that, when she said, "Those pants are just way too big. Change them."

I don't think I have ever heard anything like that (said to me) in my life. The coolest thing is that I had to agree- they had gotten well beyond the comfortable stage and were looking really weird. I was totally jazzed.

Her statement prompted me to shuffle through my closet to find something that does fit- only to discover a couple more things had grown too large for me. I've got to say, that kind of inconvenience is a huge motivator for me. How can I possibly NOT look forward to climbing the bleachers tomorrow?

The extra work and greater focus over the last couple of days really paid off. For me, there is nothing like a short-term goal (or crisis) for motivation. This morning after the gym I went ahead and did a circuit on the bleachers over at the high school- just for that little extra something to keep the burn going. Man, oh man, it worked--- the walk home was almost a relief by comparison.

Today was also the last gym day for a couple of weeks. It's supposed to re-open the 16th of this month so I'll be switching gears between now and then. It is going to be a seat-of-the-pants kind of experiement because the gym not only houses the equipment I've been using, but also the scale with which I've been measuring my progress.

You know what? That is OK. It was suggested that waiting a couple of weeks to weigh in might be a good motivator- and I agree. This will also be a great test of adaptation.

What I plan to do is pretty simple; I'll just head to the track every day and follow up with some sets of push-ups, sit-ups and dumbell curls on the "gym days". I'll also do some of the other routines from the Men's Health Mag to fill out the equation. FitDay has the caloric values for all the exercises, so tracking will still be pretty simple.

Until the gym opens, I'll post the day number of my quest, but the weight loss will remain static.