Weighing In

I'm almost positive I should be skinnier. Obviously, I'm not talking model thin. I'm mean I don't think I should have to keep buying new clothes, because the ones I bought a month ago don't fit. And I bought those, because the ones I bought a few months earlier didn't fit.

And I shouldn't use the term "skinny." I want to be healthier. A doctor once noticed my family medical history and said, "To be on the safe side, try losing about 20 pounds over the next two years." I used to joke that I switched doctors and never had that problem again.

Anyway, that was about 40 pounds ago.

For about two years, I went from sitting in front of a computer all day at work to home, where I sat in front of a computer for school. I was a full-time student and full-time worker, plus I did some volunteer work (in front of a computer). It's easy to see how the pounds packed on.

But I'm moving now. I take short breaks to walk away from my computer at work. I run when I get home. I took a break from school to rest. I counted calories to no avail.

At a meeting someone said, "And once you start running, the pounds will just shed off."

I couldn't help it. I said, "No! No, they don't! I've been running for months!"

Someone asked if maybe my clothes fitted looser. "No," I said. "No, they're not!"

And there I go, making another great first impression. It seems odd to say I'm running wrong. But sometimes I think that's exactly what I'm doing.