Before & After

Blizzard Jonas; the national weather service started naming winter storms like hurricanes for the sake of hype... I think it's a dumb idea, but I'm a cynic - Anyway, Jonas came to town and dumped a lot of snow on us. I worked through it... made a video... The second day, when everything stopped, I was off, and already stir crazy, so I shoveled, did laundry, watched Kung-Fu movies and discovered, they really motivate me to exercise in ways I don't normally do... and then I took some evaluation pictures. I think I shoveled twice today.

Anyway, after taking the eval shots, I found a picture from 1982-ish, when I was in the Navy.

Then this happened...

34 years later and still jacked?? Nope.. it's more like re-jacked, because during those three decades,
this happened...

About 225 lbs. in 1996.

When I got out of art school I weighted 167 lbs. When I started the job I'm about to retire from, I weighted about 170. During the first ten years I gained 60 lbs. This picture, taken by my daughter, did more to inspire me to change than any weight loss program promise. I decided I want to leave the gig the same weight that I started and allowed myself +5 lbs. (175). But I think I can get 170... even if I have to do for 170 to get 175.

I have no problem celebrating and even allowing myself a small brag when I come close to my goals - but I always dig up this picture and if I don't post it, I take a good look at it just to remember where I was and that I don't want to go back there.

How did I do it? The first step was looking into the possible future and not liking what I saw, just like A Christmas Carrol - from then on, it was all attitude, education, trial & error, diversity, philosophy and even more attitude.

I have to keep a goal; one in my hand and the other in my pocket. The overt goal is 170 lbs., and a better than 3:1 muscle to fat ratio. Keep body fat below 13% (12% if I can manage it) and NEVER go back above... (I don't even know what number to pick. I'm freaking out now when I go over 180.) So let's say 180.. alarms sound!!

That is all. I didn't expect to get this much written.

Ciao.