I haven't lost my waistline, I've gained an Olsen.

In the spirit of putting it all out there, I should clarify my "I've gained 70lbs" statement.

I mean I've NETTED 70lbs over the years.  There were two occasions in the past 12 years that I lost 20ish pounds in a relatively short time.  So add 40 to that 70 and.... OMG.  I'm lugging around an Olson twin in my saddlebags.

So what made those two occasions different than the 537 other occasions in the past decade or so of my life?  How did I drop that weight?  (we'll get to the why it's back with a Terminator-like vengeance later)

I literally walked my butt off. 

First 20- March/April 2002.  I was in Miami, FL for three weeks, working with the Volvo Ocean Race.  (love the lovely VOR)  My hotel was in downtown, my "work venue" was by the arena where the Heat play basketball.  A little over a mile away.  Since I didn't have a vehicle, and was a little nervous taking public transportation, I walked.  And I don't mean to say I sauntered down Biscayne Blvd, taking in the sights.  I.  HAULED.  ASS.  every day. 

Now, this was difficult at first, because I am, by nature, a saunterer.  You know how John Wayne had his signature swagger?  I have my signature saunter.  If I could figure out a way to do it without being fully upright I would.  However, my work schedule and really- the excitement of working with the race made a saunter imprudent.  So every morning, I'd pack up my 12lb laptop, strap it to my back and start my speed walk down the blvd.  There were days when I'd make the trip twice, racking up 4 miles of walking to and from. 

Another thing that really helped me during that time was diet.  The team traveled with a chef and a nutritionist who prepared lunch and dinner every day.  Ahhh Mats and Helena, how much I miss you.  I trusted Mats implicitly.  He got me to try dishes I never would have even looked at, just because I knew he would not, probably COULD not, make anything yucky.  Pork green curry, salmon with beet puree, pasta, rice, chicken...  All meals were high carb, high protein, and I still lost weight.  Take THAT Atkins!

Second 20- again- I walked.  My company (Securitron) established a "Get FIT" program for employees.  Basically we set up teams and competed with each other to see how much we could walk and how much water we could drink.  By the time the program ended (18 weeks) I'd lost almost 20lbs.  Just walking and drinking water.

So what can I take away from this?  What knowledge (in convenient bullet point format) can I impart?

• Walk.  Walk a lot.  Walk with intent, not sauntering.  I read somewhere that a "good" walk is roughly 4 miles an hour.  So walk hard (but don't kill yourself) for 15 minutes a shot.
• Eat.  Find a person you trust to work with you on some recipes.  Take a risk now and then.  When Mats announced the green curry, I announced I would be hitting McD's for dinner that night.  He said to trust him, so I did, and I have never regretted it.
• Drink.  Lots of water.  Get a 2 liter bottle and fill it with water.  Drink that much every day.  At least.  

So, there's my plan.  I'm going to walk, eat and drink.  Hopefully you'll see less of me around soon.