Physical Fatness

No, there’s no typo in the title. It’s confession time, brothers and sisters. During my recent odyssey to the United States I gained a whopping 15 pounds. Further, this crime has the distinction of being both premeditated and one of passion, terms which are mutually exclusive in courts of law.

So, yes, I thought long and hard about all the goodies I would consume while abroad and, yes, I enjoyed their consumption immensely. Popeye’s spicy fried chicken—Blimpie’s “Best” subs—juicy bacon cheeseburgers—7 layer dip—steaks on the grill. The list is considerably longer but I’m sure you get the picture. Oh, and copious amounts of wine and beer were obviously necessary to wash all these meals down.

I’m one of those weirdo’s who weighs himself every day. On this trip I didn’t even bother getting on the scales until it was time to go home. When you’re constantly eating like a death row inmate devouring his last meal what’s the point? I knew what I was doing. Still, I must admit I was a bit shocked when I witnessed a number I hadn’t looked down at in a l—o—n—g time.

It’s amazing what a mere 5 weeks of over-consumption and minimal exercise can do to one’s body. Yet I couldn’t help but think that what seemed like debauchery to me isn’t that far removed from the average daily adult American lifestyle. The only thing missing was the 4-5 hours of TV watching. It's really not very hard to understand why the US has such an obesity epidemic.

But here’s something I found interesting. Even though I enjoyed myself, it turns out that for the most part the anticipation of eating stuff I thought I’d missed far exceeded the pleasure of actual consumption. The mind plays tricks on us that way, doesn’t it? So often in life things don’t turn out as bad as we fear or as good as we imagine. But that Tex/Mex burrito lunch was damn good!

Now I’m back home and 6 pounds are gone after 6 days. The rest of it will be history in a couple of weeks. How? Eat healthy-- eat less-- drink less alcohol-- exercise regularly. What a concept! I think I’m on to something!

On future trips this excessive behavior will not be repeated. I’ve gotten it out of my system, if you’ll pardon the digestive reference. In fact, I’ve returned to Cuenca with a greater appreciation of the healthy lifestyle we enjoy here, and in 2011 I’m excited to quite possibly elevate my overall fitness to the highest level I’ve ever experienced.

Por que no?