Ennie Minnie Ninety Mo

Weekly weigh-in: 201.3
Loss: -1.4
Total loss: 90.2 lbs.
Emotion: Ready to Go

There I was, playing a game of tug-of-war with my brain. I mean, part of me really wanted to blast past the 200 lb. mark in 2009. After all, ’09 was the year that I got my act together and started this mind-boggling body-odyssey. Why not end the year in spectacular fashion?

Then there was that rational part of me (the one that’s no fun at parties) that said this: “What’s the hurry, bubba?” Its argument was that we should be looking at this as a lifestyle change, not a sprint to any particular number. It goes on to put dire warnings in my head, recalling all the times I’ve lost and yo-yo’d right back

In the end, I balanced some crazy-hard workouts and really good days with some bigger-than-usual meals and little-too-much party grazing. The net result? A nice loss, blasting me past the 90-lb. mark (my dog Dip was skulking around this morning looking pitifully frightened; apparently she didn’t get the memo that she was off the hook…).

One of the first things you learn on this weight-loss rollercoaster is that the scale can be as unpredictable as a drunken prom date. However, I’m calling my shot: when we gather back in this spot a week from today, I will be corresponding with you from that mythically enchanted landscape known as Onederland (I’m already saving up to buy souvenirs). I have not an iota’s worth of doubt that I can get this done over the next seven days, and if you can find anybody who’ll take action on it, bet the house. I am all over this…

One last note: I think I scared some folks when I said this place was getting more serious for the new year. I really meant that it was getting serious for the amount of time most people get serious about their weight loss when the new year rolls around: about three to four days. I might be a little more solemn and somber for a week or so, but to quote that famous Greek philosopher Popeyeitus, “I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam.”

Anyway… next stop: Onederland!