I promised I would provide interesting updates about my quest to get svelte, but by now you know that my word is about as reliable as a plumber’s estimate. How did I do this past week? Well, that’s open to debate. I lost a pound–yay! The bad news is that I’d lost nearly two before this past weekend. Boo. Too much sloth, too much football, too much sitting on the couch eating things that had been dipped in batter and then, oil. I didn’t get to the gym as often as I should’ve–actually, my membership expired last Tuesday and I told myself I’d renew it the next time I went. I still haven’t renewed it, so you know how long it’s been since I hit the gym.

But I did play volleyball twice last week, I did ride my exercise bike twice, and I did a lot of stretching. That’s one aspect of fitness that people don’t often think about–you get fatter and weaker, but you also get tighter. I used to be pretty flexible, and to a certain extent I still am, but some of my muscles are REALLY tight. I play VB tonight and I’ll be stretching out for at least a half-hour before I head out. And that doesn’t include some time on the bike to get myself warmed up and the blood flowing.

I did an OK job on the eating front this week…except for what I ate while watching Penn State and the Steelers play. Oh, and I broke down and went to the Chinese buffet for lunch one day. But in my defense that was the only meal I ate all day, I didn’t have any rice or noodles, and I only had two plates. And when I told my friend Ted that fact he said, "Two plates!", because Ted is the sort who can personally destroy a buffet’s Profit and Loss statement. Still, most sensible diet plans I’ve read haven’t included a section that says, "Be sure to incorporate all-you-can eat buffets into your eating schedule".

So if I had to give myself a grade for the week I’d say I’d earned a solid C-minus. A little more sweat, a little more discipline. I went grocery shopping last night and picked up more vegetables, a few Lean Cuisine pizzas for when that mood strikes me. Have I mentioned that there’s a brewpub within walking distance of my apartment that has a brick-oven pizza oven? And that there’s a McDonald’s being built just across the road. Temptation lurks around every corner.

Actually, there will be temptation tonight as well. It’s the last week of our one pickup league…and then I’ll join everyone at the bar to drink and eat and watch the football game. Last week I made myself earn those beers–between games I ran laps around the gym (or when I was rotated out). I had to do 15 laps or no brewski. I guess I did around 20. So, tonight, 25 laps or no suds. And I’m sure I’ll be thirsty tonight.

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