I haven't done this before, but I'm gonna post my more private New Year's resolutions here. Give myself a benchmark to measure how I do throughout 2023 versus 2022. First, background: The first half of 2022 was spectacular. I dropped 30 pounds, exercised regularly and felt tremendous. Then I went on vacation and was very self-indulgent. But in those three weeks I only gained 4 pounds, and still felt great physically. "I see thin people." The last three months of 2022 were a physical mess. I ate, drank and dropped my regular workouts. Purely self-indulgent and I own that. So, for 2023: -   Back to Ketogenic eating. Exceptionally low carb, with an emphasis on green veggies and healthy fat  consumption. (Avocados here I come!) - Intermittent fasting. 16 hours a day. The jury is out medically on this, but I found it improved my sense of health and well-being. I didn't walk through the day like a zombie after eating (carbs are also largely responsible for this). - ...

(The title, for those who don't speak Spanish, translates as "Dance with Me." You'll understand in a moment.) Here it is December of 2022 and the year has flown by, as I'm sure it has for you. I don't even remember much of November. It seems we just celebrated Halloween when Thanksgiving rushed by. And now we're on the verge of the December holidays.  Unreal. I've struggled with a topic for this entry. I'm worried about the repetition of my entries, and while I try to do something new and have a reason for posting, at some point when you have a hundred-fifteen articles you tend to duplicate a lot of things - though hopefully with updated thinking rather than reposts of the same information said a different way. It may seem to some readers I'm obsessed with labels. In my own way I like to categorize myself and things around me. Not for any reason of needing to do so, but because I hope to convey a particular sense of something to a casual reade...

I've blogged a lot lately about my current drive for fitness. Not just weight loss, but fitness. It's a little bit of an obsession as a friend rightly pointed out. (I reminded her she's only getting that impression from the blog, that in real life I have a LOT of other interests.)  Be warned, this is gonna be another one of those fitness entries with the added offense of personal pictures of a somewhat revealing nature. (I warned my regular readers a while ago that at some point I was likely to post nude photos - which I have in the past but not this many at one time or of more than just some shots of scar tissue in my groin.) What I haven't really discussed are the specifics of how this weight loss is affecting me. Yes, I've mentioned keto, intermittent fasting (eating in a six hour window each day, fasting for the other 18) and exercise, but haven't shared the impact those things have had on my physiology other than weight loss. So, for the faint of heart, if...

It's 9:45 on a weekday morning and I've only just now put on a t-shirt and boxers. Other than a short walk with my dogs I've been essentially naked since last night around 6pm. Why?  To try it out.  I know I enjoyed a full two days of nudity last August, so this was a second attempt to see if it's the nudity I enjoy or if it's the "being naughty," to use an immature term. And honestly, it's probably a bit of both. Since getting into better and better shape I'm even less inhibited about being nude, mainly because I'm less embarrassed by my physical condition.  Been there, done that (I pretty much knew this would happen given the fact that the last time I was in really good shape I was naked a disproportionate amount of the time.) Not only am I continuing to lose weight - down 24 pounds since January 1 - but my morning exercise routine is up to 40 minutes. I'm in the weird transition between having really nice muscle tone covered in a layer ...

I am on a short vacation with my wife. Nothing too extensive in these COVID-ravaged times. Just a hundred or so miles away in a nearby city, taking  time far enough away from home to escape, without the need to hop on an airliner or cruise ship. I’m taking the opportunity to course correct on some things that have kind gotten away from me in the daily hustle. I’ve cut back on drinking and slowly added a few carbs back in - my wife and I have been Keto since January 1st. My morning exercise routine has been sporadic lately, so that too has been revived.  (I’m having a bit of a challenge working out here in the hotel because the suite, with a separate bedroom and really nice bathroom, features the questionable design decision of frosted glass window panels in all the interior doors. Looks great, but even a hint of light is accented, meaning if anyone’s trying to get some sleep the lights of anyone who is awake in the rest of the suite are a distraction.)   My morning exerci...

            (The title of this column refers to the very funny line in BACK TO THE FUTURE, as spoken by the main character's rather befuddled father. I'm not befuddled...much...but density is the focus of this entry.) Denser pubes and a leaner tummy As my regular readers are aware, and as I discussed on my last column, I am going through a period of losing significant weight and putting on some serious muscle. I have a long way to go on both counts, but am over some pretty big (pardon the pun) hurdles already. I'm down 55 pounds from my all-time high five years ago, with only around 35 to go to my current target - I'll re-evaluate if I want to go beyond that point once I get much closer to the original goal. I'm feeling healthier and getting two thumbs up from my cardiologist. Sexually my erections are much firmer than they were, and - unfortunately - my sex drive is higher than any time in the last couple of decades. I say unfortunately because my wife is ...

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel Scent of the pine, you know how I feel Oh, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me And I'm feelin'... good In my usual line of work I am exposed to a lot of people (no, not like that). I interact with the general public in a large specialized retail location making specific recommendations consulting on foods, wines and spirits, and am considered to be an expert in aspects of my field. So, in the interests of my health versus the coronavirus we're all fighting right now, I asked my management to give me time off until this all corrects itself. My wife's medical issues - and my own - make us more vulnerable. My boss was reluctant, and instead proposed a new night shift which I would manage. Just me and a small team to stock shelves and move freight. Very physical work. "Eh, who needs a Speedo?" I agreed, and began the difficult transition to...