Before we begin...

...let me just offer that this is my story, full of my opinions, with things done my way, etc. etc. I am not a licensed nutritionist or qualified trainer, or a coach, or any sort of fitness guru or expert whatsoever. I'm just a regular slob like you who managed to find a way to lose a fairly significant amount of weight and keep it off by completely changing my lifestyle; in fact I'm expecting that tomorrow when I do my weekly Monday weigh-in that I've been doing for the past 6 months I should be on the last 10 pounds to my "goal weight" (another topic for debate). This blog is intended as an experiment to see what happens to me as I attempt to lose those last 10 pounds - which may take a few months, it may take a year, it may not happen at all, who the hell knows. It's also a place where I can answer a bunch of questions that keep popping up with people that haven't seen me in a while like - wow, how did you do it? What's your secret? Believe me I love the extra attention (as always) but I'm kinda getting sick of repeating myself so I figured I'd make a space where I can dump all my opinions and stories and stuff about weight loss (and the varying industries surrounding weight loss) while also keeping a diet/exercise diary to show how I did it (if it works). Some days you might just get the diary, some days more. Hopefully you find it interesting and informative...and hopefully some people get inspired not necessarily to follow my example, but to learn how to blaze their own path on the way to good health.

A DISCLAIMER: I have inherited from my father several things, one of which we'll get into detail about on the first day, but the one trait I want to address right now is that of being a good-hearted but seriously opinionated, occasionally cranky son of a bitch. I tend to state opinions or hypotheses as fact and not apologize for it until after I'm proven wrong (at great length and peril). That's my problem and I'm aware of it, but I figured I should just throw that out there before I even hear the first "but you said...". Shut up. I can be wrong too, so there.

Also - FAT people, listen up, because this bit is for you. And yes I called you FAT, not PHAT, or large, or big-boned, or glandularly-challenged....as you roll around to the 2nd window to pick up your 2nd order of the day you know all those PC labels are a bunch of crap. I am a recovering FAT person myself so you cannot hide from me even if there is a Sequoia and ten elephants in between us. You need to look in the mirror and realize you're gonna die a whole lot faster because you're FAT. Food is a wonderful thing, granted, but so is breathing, okay? So occasionally as a form of therapy for myself AND you, I'm probably not gonna be all touchy-feely as you want me to be, call it my inner gym teacher, tough love, whatever - I'm not mean in any sense, I just call it being real with you, and I hope you understand it's really in your best interest to listen and read between the lines. You need this because you need to realize what you are doing to yourself. And to stop making the excuses that I made for so long, to start making changes for real rather than waiting for someone else to do it for you. Plus sometimes it's funny.

At any rate, I hope people find something in here for themselves on some level, whether you're fat or thin or just bored and reading. Hi. Enjoy. - dB

P.S. - I want to thank my wonderful family and friends for being so supportive of me during this whole ordeal of losing weight and living through the past year or more, I am forever in your debt...And to my kids, Daddy's gonna be around for a looong time, don't worry :)