A case of water

A pack of forty 16-ounce bottles of water weighs about 40 pounds. I just carried this case of water up two flights of stairs. I managed to do it without stopping, but I’m still catching my breath a few minutes later. About 20 years ago I weighed about 205 pounds. I thought that was heavy … Read more

Oh man

Man, I’ve been a bad boy. Nothing like having your failure in front of the world, huh?  It’s not really the best thing to start a weight loss blog and end up gaining weight over the course of a couple of years!  Was hoping hot to reach 250, but there I am. 🙁 Weight gain … Read more

Eleven times

That’s the number of days over the past three months I’ve exercised 30 minutes or more, according to my records at Joe’s Goals. Ouch. Like most every great plan at the beginning of the year, this one fizzled. It takes a lot of discipline to be the one out of twenty that will lose a … Read more

I hate fundraisers

Well, maybe I should be a little more specific:  I hate fundraisers at work where they just leave a box of candy bars and an envelope in a high-traffic area. I fell off the wagon over the past week or so and became a really, really good customer of this particular fundraiser.  As in I … Read more

Slim down, or pay the piper

The State of Alabama isn’t taking its workers’ obesity lying down.  The state’s 37,000 employees have been given an ultimatum:  Slim down, or pay an extra $300 per year. Obesity has become a bit of an oversized target for cost-shifting.  With over 30% of the state’s residents obese, Alabama will be the first state to … Read more

It’s my own fault that I’m fat

A report issued this past Tuesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health blamed a bunch of things for the rising obesity rate in thirty-seven states, including: Federal, state, and local governments School cafeteria meal planners Long commutes Longer work hours Exclusion of obesity treatment from health coverage High cost of … Read more

One ounce at a time

Someone passed on a copy of Fred Brooks’ software classic The Mythical Man-Month to me. The introductory page to the chapter on progress tracking has this question and answer: Question: How does a large software project get to be one year late? Answer: One day at a time. Small slippages here and there add up, … Read more

What is the body mass index?

Each time I do a Body Test on Wii Fit my body mass index (BMI) is computed and displayed for by viewing (dis)pleasure. Mine hovers in the 36-37 range, which is off-the-scale obese. My ideal BMI according to Wii Fit is 22, which would put me at a sleek 140 pounds. But how the heck … Read more