Speaking of which, I hope you're gonna post photos when its time to drop the gloves. :)

Everbody has to eat and exercise in a way that works for them, otherwise they won't stick with it. tws engineer mentality makes his methods work for him but it a little too Vulcan for most of us. My waist is now at 31" up from wrestling when it was 29" so he's got me by an inch. :) I can't do the gym thing but really enjoy the comradery of a bike tour or the friendly competitiveness of mtn biking with buddies. Food has to be enjoyable so I exercise a little more so I can have dessert. I don't drink soda or coffee because the pleasure doesn't balance with the cost.

Actually, vitamin A is fat-soluble and stored - so you can eat that second carrot, and you won't have to eat any carrots tomorrow. Or eat seven on Monday and get them all out of the way.

I eat whatever I want and hope I gain a little weight.

So there!

I exercise daily by virtue of three dogs who LOVE their mile walk after dinner. They pull me right along with them, pausing frequently for me to catch my breath and them to sniff whatever it was that attracted them in the first place. And pee on it. Each in turn. (three males)

Brian

Exercise is good, but like some people have been saying, it's your diet too. And no, you don't have to live on celery stalks to lose weight.

The first, biggest, and best thing you can do is cut down on the portion sizes. I've travelled quite extensively, and the one thing I can say about the States over anywhere else, our meals are about 1.5 to 2x larger than anywhere else in the world.

Eat the food you love, the food you like... just get into the habit of eating LESS. If you don't consume those calories, you don't need to burn them.

At first it's tough, but after a while you get used to it. And it's HARD to do. If you go to a restraunt, force yourself to only eat 1/2 to 2/3 of the meal, and take the rest home in a take-out bag.

Once you get used to it, the exercise you do willl help you much sooner, much more effectively, and since you're putting less junk in your boddy (fats, etc) you'll feel better for it.

It's a start!

I've been vegan for getting close to a year now, and I find that eating my diet (no animal products whatsoever) keeps me pretty trim.

Also, for people who don't like lifting weights, there are other ways to exercise. Yoga will tone the body more than a lot of people realize. Martial arts of any sort will get you in shape fast (Capoera is a style that will get you in killer shape) Also, flexing will do it for you too. You can do it anywhere, just do something like pushing your hands against each other, or flexing your stomach muscles. Just pay attention to what you're doing, and feel the resistance.

I walk as much as possible, and only really use my car to get to and from work.

Swimming is an excellent exercise, and I enjoy it thoroughly. Join a fitness club or a YMCA with a heated pool and swim all year.

... Yeah. That's my advice.

I have a bike...unfortunately, it's sitting at my 'rents' house in St. Louis with 2 flat tires. Ah, one of these days...

I get 30 minutes of walking in every day, thanks to a slight alteration in my evening commute home...although that walk is now going to be a bit darker and colder when I go back to work Tuesday. Once I get a permanent job, especially if it's one where I drive to and from work, I might have to incorporate the walk into my lunch hour or after work.