Hey all-

Well, I am actually successfully loosing weight. And that is very good news to me!

I joined an office pool of sorts at work to loose weight - all of us (9) pitched in $40 to see who would loose the most weight in terms of % of body weight lost. Sure not the most accurate, but something to kick our fat asses into gear.

This contest ended on Friday and I regretfully say, I didn't win (boo). I did however loose 25 lbs and with going to the gym and lifting some weights (yeah, that does put on weight, but it looks really nice). Clothes are fitting differently. I feel much better overall. Hell, my wife likes the direction this is taking.

For those curious - how I am doing it is not anything out of the ordinary. Eating less crap. Eating less food. Exercising a couple of times a week (including both weights x1 week and at least x2 week cardio). Not starving myself. Occasionally having crap food or eating out with my wife/friends. Drinking, but not that much. Basically, its the whole effort that is doing the trick, rather than brutalizing myself with one component.

In the end, not easy all the time (worst the first 2 weeks) but definitely manageable - and since many of the changes are habituated changes, even when I am "done loosing weight" I will be able to stick with exercising pretty regularly and not eating as much/as much crap.

Right now, I am down to the weight I was at my wedding, which was almost 2 years ago (below what I was on my honeymoon). I do have more muscle, so I actually think I am looking better.

Since I am going to Scandinavia in a few weeks, looking less like a "fat American" is a good thing. I will blog about that and post crap (or links to crap - like photo-kinda-crap) as that comes up/occurs. Very cool stuff indeed.

Literally, I am the healthiest/in the best shape I have been since sophomore year of undergrad. Not quite there yet, but on the way. I would say by years end, I should be in ideal shape (for me). Yeah, I don't expect to be completely ripped or have no body fat (I am genetically prone to have a little more to love) but I realize that I am in my mid-twenties (won't be for too long) and it is now or never to get into a shape that I can maintain. I work at a desk. I like to play video games. I love to cook. I love to drink beer. 'Nuff said. Need to do something.

Well, in other news, I have been scrambling around, working on design projects in and out of work. More about that as things wrap up.