Time to shed weight

As most of you are already aware, my holidays this year were special indeed.

I went to England and came back a married man.

Erica and I exchanged vows in Jolly Ole', with her brother and sister-in-law (both Presbyterian ministers) overseeing the proceedings.

And the long-term gain of all this, from a work prospective, is that I came home with fodder for a new ongoing column.

It all started when we looked at the wedding pictures.

It hit me like a slap.

I have somehow been able to avoid the reality of it until now, mostly because I have so few photos of myself. But after looking at the wedding and holiday shots, it has become abundantly clear.

I am fat.

Sure, the scale has been telling me that my weight has been climbing for the past three years, but I never really took notice.

Now the proof is in the wedding album. Yikes.

My six-pack has turned into a pony keg.

Reality is, that in the four years I have lived in Grande Prairie, I have gained 35 pounds.

Fortunately, Erica has been able to look beyond my transformation into a human pear, but it's time I do something about it.

The reason for the weight gain can be attributed, for the most part, to two things.

First off, three years ago, I quit running. Don't really know why. I was a committed runner during my time on Vancouver Island. I ran 10 kilometres a day, five days a week. Then I came to Grande Prairie and basically got lazy. I quit running and did not replace it with anything. I was still walking five kilometres a day with the dogs and felt that was enough of a substitute. It wasn't.

The other main attribute to my weight gain is that I stopped smoking two years ago. I know what you are thinking: Wait a minute ... you were a runner and a smoker? Yes, I was. I would run 10k, then light up on my way back to the office. Can't explain it. Won't even try.

But the bottom line is, while I stopped the steady stream of nicotine and tar into my body, I did not stop the steady stream of hand to mouth action. I just replaced cigarettes with sweets. Then the pounds really started to pack on.

So, it is time to shed the weight. And that brings me to my new column.

I have decided that the best way for me to go about losing the weight and keeping it off is to keep it public. Hey, I have already done the tough part. I have admitted to all that I am going to do this. Now it's just a matter of doing it. I have no choice. My boss is expecting a column every week.

My goal is reasonable enough. I want to shed 40 pounds in 40 weeks. One pound per week. By the time I head out on my spring golf vacation, I plan on being a svelte 180 pounds.

Yes, that's right. If you have already done the math, you realize that I weigh 220 pounds right now, which according to health charts, is the ideal weight for me, if I am six-foot six.

And I have figured out that at this point in my life it would be easier for me to lose 40 pounds than to grow nine inches. (I saw the rack at the Tower of London. Not interested, thanks.)

How am I going to do it? Well, I am not going to start by running. I will wait until I lose a bit before hitting the trails again ... that extra weight might snap my ankles.

I am starting with a visit to the Leisure Centre, to use the cardiovascular equipment there. I have a 10 visit pass, bought for me as a gift six months ago that I never used. (Apparently someone else noticed what I was ignoring.) Oh, and I am trading in the candy for fruit. That's right, boys, the office "Snack King" is abdicating his throne.

My column, which will run every Friday, will be a general fitness column, interviewing trainers, coaches, retailers and such, on a wide range of topics. At the end of each column, there will be a "40 in 40" update, where I will tell you my weight and what I did in the past week.

In the meantime, if you are a trainer, coach, retailer or fitness buff with a story to tell, give me a shout. I will be looking for stories on an ongoing basis.

Or, if you want to join me on my journey back to a decent target weight, let me know. It's a lot harder to postpone a workout if there is a workout partner involved.

I can be reached via e-mail at tfarrell@bowesnet.com . You can also find me on Twitter @dhtterry.

So, here we go, on the road back to respectability. I am looking forward to tracking my progress, and really looking forward to size 34 pants once again.