First Monday Book Day: Shape Up, America

So, I didn't get much reading done this month either. And I'm currently back in the Motherland ("Hi, guys! Sure hope I can slip out for a Surly with y'all!"), ensconced with brotherS and sisterinlawS, preparing to deposit The Boy at the Alma Mater. Which means that this post was actually written some time ago.

Just in time to see this cool, new link to the Library of Congress's new exibition, Books That Shaped America.

So rather than talk about a book o' the month, I'm going to play the list game.

The list ranges from 1750 to the present (no shining city upon a hill stuff here people!)
Continue reading First Monday Book Day: Shape Up, America

2012 Game 134: Royals at Twins

The Twins come into this one now boasting a winning record in the all-powerful AL Central. They won two yesterday - can they do me the courtesy of one win today?

Esmerling Vasquez gets the start - the first in his career - for the hometown nine. Luis Mendoza, also known as "Meh," goes for the Royals in a game that nobody outside of this site cares about.

The Royals were 17-11 in August. Did you know? I did! Well, as of a few moments ago. Well, good for them. Every time I get down about how bad the Twins are, I think of franchises with prolonged streaks of futility that the 1993-2000 Twins only wish they could match.

WGOM Fitness: September 2, 2012, August Recap

Yesterday was September 1 and I weighed in at 264.2, up 0.2 pounds from the day before. That didn't seem quite right, as I had stuck to the diet and had a pretty solid workout. This morning, after another good day on the diet and a workout at the gym and plenty of yard work, I came in at 261.8. I expect that about half that was lost in each of the two days and a little bit of an anomalous reading isn't anything to think about. On August 1, I weighed 281.0, so I lost 16.8 pounds in the month of August. Four more months of that and I'll be at 200 pounds by January 1, 2013. For the week, I have lost 5.5 pounds, which is about as much as I dare lose, I think. I am seeing clothes start to not fit, which is great, but according to BMI charts, at above about 243 pounds I am considered obsese. Two things: One, I didn't think it was possible that I would ever be obese and two, it's not exactly a great feeling to have lost over 22 pounds and still be considered well into the obese category.

The point of writing this column, of course, is to try to inspire any of you that are out there feeling unhappy about your weight to become inspired to start working on it. I'm not some impossibly fit guru, I'm a guy that needs to lose 18 pounds to become overweight instead of obese. If I can do it, you can do it. Make no mistake, it is work. It is hard work. Losing weight requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice. I would sure like to have a have a beer every now and again (I've had about 5 beers since the diet started, three in one night at a party we went to). I intend on the diet to limit beer intake to no more than one or two a month. Once I get down to my goal, I want to have a maintenance plan that allows for a couple brews a week, so that I can enjoy my life. Obviously, I won't be eating 1800 calories a day forever, I think that 2300-2500 is about where I'll be. There's plenty of room in there for an occasional glass of the good stuff. But, during the weight reduction period of my plan, there is sacrifice. More than that, though, it requires determination. You have to be so determined that nothing will get in your way. I am determined to lose 85 pounds. This goal is more important to me than the things that would sidetrack me from that goal. I'm not saying that everyone can have the goal that I have, but what I am saying that if you have a goal, say, 20 pounds, and you make that goal the most important thing, you may be surprised how saying no to certain things become easier when damn it, I want to be able to say that I've lost that shitty 20 pounds that has been bringing me down.

I have thought about how I got to this point in the first place and why I didn't do something when I was, say, 230 or 240 pounds. What I have found is that thinking about this gets me down. So, I have stopped thinking about it. It is what it is. I weigh 261.8 pounds. It doesn't matter how I got here. What matters is that today, I'm doing something to make that a smaller number. Today, I am going to stay on my diet. I am going to get my exercise. I am going to think about the scale reading something less than 261.8 pounds tomorrow. If is does, then great. If it doesn't, well whatever it says tomorrow morning, that's my new point of reference. I really try to think of this as a series of one day tasks. Today is the only day that matters for me. Make today matter.

Day 40
Weight 261.8 pounds
Total Lost: 22.7 pounds