Happy New Year

Happy new year to all of you--well, more like none of you since I doubt there's anyone who reads this anymore. A two-year hiatus will do that.

I've had the urge to write on this blog for a little while now. I dodged it for a while with thoughts along the lines of, "What if what I have to say isn't interesting anymore?" I got over that with a quick resolution (even though I don't believe in them) and with the notion that I'll be writing on this blog just to write. Note that I don't say "I'll be blogging" since I do see a difference. Blogging implies playing the game--commenting, getting comments, seeking out kindred spirits, etc. I'm just here to write now. I guess I'll just jump right in ...

While my new-found motivation to write here might be considered a resolution, my main goal for this year is to lose a little weight. I don't need to lose much mind you, but we all have this image of what we'd like to look like and mine does not include anything that rhymes with 'dove candles.'

Enter the fitbit (not an ad for the product, just commenting on a gift, people) which my lovely wife (not an ad for my wife although she is pretty awesome), Bernadette, got me for Christmas...

It's a neat little device that basically is a pedometer with Bluetooth. I can log my totals online and see how active I was during the day. That's interesting enough and I like keeping track of that kind of stuff, but I didn't know how that was going to help me lose any weight and get back to a sensible running form. Then I discovered another feature on the website that the information gets posted to.

Food logging.

If you haven't done any, it's the process of writing down what you ate during a day and keeping count of the calories you're eating. I think we can safely and appropriately portmanteau the phrase 'food logging' to a simpler 'flogging.' I think that's fitting for two reasons. The first is that when you first start doing it, you quickly realize that unless you are exercising vigorously, you are limited in how much you can eat. Severely so if you've been noshing over the holidays. Since I don't run in the winter, my caloric intake (if I want to lose any weight) is limited to somewhere between consistently peckish and nigh-ravenous. The second reason is that it's just a pain in the ass. In all honesty, I won't eat something just because I don't want to have to drag my butt to the computer and put it on my log. I guess this is a good thing, since it inspires me to achieve my state of persistent, gnawing hunger. Could I find some filling foods that are lower calorie? Perhaps some leafy greeness that would start a small-scale war between rabbits and hamsters? Sure, I could, but that sounds like work too. There's research and the buying of new foods to deal with. My lazy side kicks in at some point and says, "Hungry is pretty simple. Let's just go with that." I do have an exercise bike upstairs but it's a hassle to convert it from a clothes rack to an exercise device.

All told, my issue is a minor problem that I'll overcome (albeit in an underfed state) and count it as a blessing and a challenge. Here's to hoping you have a fantastic, happy, and healthy new year and any issues you encounter over the year are slight.