No More Excuses

Last fall, my doctor gave me an ultimatium: lose weight and start exercising or face gastric by-pass surgery. Before I left his office, he scheduled my next appointment for three months later and gently admonished me to show progress by then.

It's no wonder he got serious with me. At age 38 I weigh nearly 400 pounds and suffer from a host of physical ailments. I'm on a pile of prescriptions and have basically no physical fitness. It's no way to live.

Oh sure, I've tried to lose weight in the past -- mostly with limited success. I've followed Weight Watchers, South Beach, The Zone, The Food Pyramid and met with a host of dieticians. They all worked for awhile until I got frustrated with confusing food formulas or the high price of products.

Well, no more excuses. In 2011, I'm going back to basics: eat less and move more. The plan isn't complicated or pricey: just exercise six days per week and watch my calorie intake. It's not fancy but it does work.