really? really? that's my weight?

so i assumed i would be looking at BMI points for this little endeavor because a 5% weight loss goal that kept resetting probably wouldn't be healthy for me. not that i could be considered 'thin' or 'skinny,' but i also wouldn't be considered fat, overweight, or chubby (except for the beer belly).

i've never had too much extra weight. in college, i put on weight due to all the food my student loans were paying for. then i started the crew team, which had me rowing 5-6 days week, in addition to guided work out sessions at the gym.

after college came the bartender lifestyle, which burns through calories quicker than is probably safe.

when i moved to macon, i put on 30-40 pounds in 6-8 months. i was eating 2-3 meals a day, sitting in an office all day, and not burning off the empty beer calories. a gym membership was worthless b/c it was a 24-hour muscle place, and i never went.

starting tae kwon do did great things for my physical well-being and helped focus my attention at work. it was then i realized regular physical activity had more benefits than i realized.

tae kwon do had to stop due to my work schedule. i couldn't make the early classes, and i was exhausted for the later classes. with the urging of Stoli, we joined the medical center of central georgia's health center & gym.

we kept up with regular gym sessions for several months before being invited to the weight & sports training classes. they're given by a guy who works with me at the board office, and he's built. that lends his class credibility. for a year, we kept up with those classes.

we haven't been back in 6-7 months, and in the past two weeks, i've noticed several pairs of my pants don't fit. this disturbed me...i assumed several pounds and an inch to the waist would've been added, but to have pants not fit? really?

when belhelmel posed this idea, i did my BMI based on my assumed weight, and it was okay. then i weighed myself tonight. i'm 20-25 pounds heavier than what i thought, which is unacceptable. our scale is not accurate, so we'll have digital scales monday for confirmation.

however, i'll say that i weighed in at 180-185 pounds, based on the margin of error for our scales. at 5'10", that puts my BMI at 26.5, which is 1.5 points on the overweight side. (if that changes significantly with the digital scales, i'll post an update.)

it's not the weight that's bothersome, it's where it's placed. it's primarily in the stomach and surrounding areas. so my goal will be a loss of BMI points, a waist line reduction, and reduction in my stomach.

Current Measurements
BMI - 26.5
weight - 180-185 pounds
waist (at my hip bones) - 38 inches
stomach (at the belly button - 41 inches

My Goals
i want my BMI to be down within the normal range of 18.5-24.9 points. i do not have a specific goal yet for my weight, since my only concern is the placement of the weight.

for the size measurements, i want to fit into my pants, which i was able to wear 7 months ago. they have a waist of 32 or 33 inches. (they still fit if i suck in my stomach and don't tuck in my shirt...so by fitting into my pants doesn't mean losing 6 inches off of my waist.)

i won't shoot for that elusive six-pack stomach...i like my wings and beer too much for that to happen. however, i would like to lost a considerable portion of the hangover.

My Plan
this is easy; it is my understanding and belief that most "diets" do not work. by setting a goal of weight loss and starving yourself of certain food groups is ridiculous. what the human body needs is a regular source of nutrition, as well as regular physical activity. you need a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

so, to promote a healthier lifestyle, i will:

1) eat more, smaller meals during the day
2) limit dinner to a lighter dinner
3) go back to the gym classes 3-4 times during the working week
4) utilize the gym and go for a jog each weekend i'm in macon
5) remove beer from my nightly ritual due to empty calories and limit liquor consumption
6) take the dog on a walk every night

so i'll check in next week and see if anything is reduced after a week of living healthier. some of the above i do sporadically (there hasn't been much beer in the house the past 3 weeks), but i haven't followed through with all of them consistently at the same time.

tonight? tonight i'm eating beef stew, having a few drinks, and considering some ice cream. it's sunday, and it's supposed to be funday.

but tomorrow, i face that unacceptable 185 pounds and BMI score that says i'm overweight.