Tiffany and I went down to the beach yesterday and today. We're both working hard on becoming Bronzed SunGoddesses (TM). It was wonderfully relaxing, with a nice breeze coming off of the water. We both enjoyed the scenery, especially when the scenery was playing frisbee. The scenery had some very nice abdominals.

* * * * *

It still hasn't rained. It's still outrageously hot. There's a slight haze in the air that people are saying is due to the fires in Mexico. We've almost given up on our walking during the day because of the heat, though the running at night is working really well. Last night we went about 2 miles, and the only car we saw the whole time was a police car.

* * * * *

Rant of the day: People who say I look just fine the way I am.

I know I look fine. But why should I be satisfied with "fine"? Where is the line between "fine" and "way too much"? And why should I wait until I'm totally obese before doing something about it? I have pictures of myself when I weighed 125. I looked very good (in my very un-humble opinion.) I liked how I looked, and my clothing fit well. Well, over the course of the years I've slowly put on weight. 5-10 pounds a year adds up. Sure, I still look "fine" now, but in a few more years, if I hadn't stopped what I was doing, I would have topped 200. Is that still "fine"? Or would I have reached "fat" yet? Where's the line? What is so wrong with trying to look my best and feel my best? This whole diet/exercise thing is something I'm doing for me. I want my clothing to fit, I want my thighs to stop rubbing together, I want to be able to run a mile without puking. It's not just an aesthetic issue, it's also a health issue.

So yes, I've lost about 18 pounds. And yes, I still want to lose 22 more. It's really fairly easy once you figure out The Big Secret of Losing Weight.

Forget special diets. No-carb, high-carb, mega-protein... all of that is crap. You lose weight when you consume fewer calories than you expend. That's it. You can accomplish this by dieting like crazy (i.e. being hungry), exercising like crazy, or both. And yes, you will be hungry when you diet. But after the first couple of weeks you really don't notice it anymore.

And when you start seeing progress it's all worth it.