Dancing with the Scale

Over the course of the past 25 years, I’ve had a wicked time maintaining a healthy weight, diet and lifestyle. My weight range runs from 150 to 210 pounds. 150 pounds does seem to be the ideal weight. Clearly, 210 pounds is not. On the bright side, I begin this program aimed at healthy living at a weight that is lower than the all-time high I referenced.

My efforts commencing today represent my third major campaign to restore an ideal weight, beneficial diet and healthy lifestyle. My primary objective this time is to develop a regimen that will permit me the ability to not only take weight off, but to keep it off and truly develop healthy lifestyle practices well into the future.

I’ve decided to share my experiences in addressing my weight, diet and overall lifestyle through this blog and some other outlets. I rather think that other people, particularly middle-aged men with weight and diet issues, may appreciate a sense of commonality – may appreciate the reality that they are not alone.

I think a good place to begin is sharing a tiny story of my first major slimming and dieting effort.

In 2004, I’d reached my highest weight ever. But, I thought I weighed “only” 180 pounds. I had the opportunity to participate in a weight loss research program being conducted through the University of Colorado Medical Center.

During a telephone interview about joining the project, I was asked how much I weighed. I advised: “180.” The representative from the University stated I did not weigh enough to become a program participant. But, she also said I should double check by getting on a scale. (In fact, I actually had not weighed myself … in years.)

I went to the bathroom scale, stepped on board. The register on the scale flickered to 210 pounds. I immediately shouted out: “This damn scale isn’t working.” When I shouted out, I was holding a half-eaten donut in one hand and a regular Pepsi in the other.

Stay tuned.

Mike Broemmel
www.mikebroemmel.com