Errant thoughts and observations...

I have to date lost around 40 pounds. Have another 25 or so to go. This is no longer about vanity; we’re talking life and death now. My ticker is ticked off and will brook no more nonsense from the rest of the body politic.

Live fit or die, that’s my motto.

Some lessons learned long the way:

None dare call it diet. Diets are like most of my relationships before I met my bride: Short, usually painful and always destined to end badly. Need a label? Call it md-life crisis, a change of life (but don’t say style, people that use the term life-style usually have neither), a message from God or Gaia or your own brave and lonely stand against the International food conspiracy.-Brothers and Sisters, put down your forks- you have nothing to lose but your chins!

But call it a diet and you have already lost the battle. Now you’re just waiting for the proper authorities to accept your surrender.

Exercise. Like your life depended on it, cause it will eventually and already does in my case. The SEALS say the only easy day is yesterday. Words to live by. Mix weights and cardio and anything else you can think of to get your lazy butt off the couch. If you run out of everything else dig holes in the backyard then fill them up again. It will drive your dog nuts and give your neighbors something to think about.

Plateaus. Sooner or later, you will hit one. Count on it. Here’s my advice: GET FROSTY. Counting calories? Count em twice to make sure. Working out? Work out harder and differenter.

Weigh yourself weekly if you must or monthly if you can but not every day. Scales are wonderful for maintenance but the moral equivalent of thumb screws when you’re trying to shed weight. It will torture you with quarter pound losses followed immediately by two pound gains. Don’t give the damn thing the satisfaction. Just put down your progress chart and step away from the scale, nice and slow ,nobody needs to get hurt here...

Habit or Hunger? The great physicist Richard Feynman once said that the first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you're the easiest person to fool. If it goes into your mouth it's going to end up somewhere, probably just exactly where you are trying desperately to get those jeans to button. So ask yourself: Am I eating from habit or hunger? If you are really hungry, rate it from 1 to 10 with say 1 being five minutes from now I won't remember why I am in the kitchen and 10 being lost at sea for a month and a half. Putting things into perspective instead of your stomach is calorie free.

If you are a heavy drinker, stop and don't start again unless and until you think you can handle it. I went from Dean Martin to mostly teetotaler and do not miss the hangovers or liquor bills. Also I can now afford better cognac and scotch because it lasts damn near forever. A million reasons to avoid the stuff but mostly I shun the empty calories.

To all of you out there, remember the road may be long and strewn with obstacles and wrong turns, but you are not alone so if you feel yourself faltering or getting lost in the fog just grab ahold of the virtual arm of that person next to you. Then, when you can, pass it forward.