Labor Day - Laboring to push back from the table, the snack cabinet, the bar...and everything else.

So I've chosen Labor Day as the kick-off of yet another weight loss event for me.

A couple of quick points.

This blog is not going to be about crash diets, fad diets, carb diets, or anything you read in a book. It's simply going to be about how, through a balanced diet and moderate exercise, I'm going to get back to a healthy weight.

You see, I don't believe in crash diets. I believe in balance, not in eliminating particular elements in a diet, like carbs, or fat, altogether. I've done all that, and though it works temporarily, it's impossible to follow in the long term.

What I'm looking for is the same thing a lot of "Average Fat Dads" are looking for - a way to be healthy without sacrificing work, family or recreational responsibilities.

I'm going to look for ways to exercise WITH my family, not in a gym somewhere. I'm going to look at how WE can eat better, not one plate for Dad and a separate plate for the family. And most importantly, I'm going to focus on a program that integrates INTO my day-to-day activities - not something that requires 2 hours a day of time I don't have to get into a gym, get a workout, shower, and back to my desk or office.

Bottom line - it can only work if it doesn't disrupt the normal course of my life - otherwise I will abandon it the first time I need to divert my attention to work, family, relationships, etc...just as I have done with every other diet I've undertaken in the past.

So feel free to follow me through the process. Admittedly, I'm kicking this thing off at probably the most hectic and demanding time I've ever experienced in my personal and professional life - but I think that's what makes it the most important time to do it. If I can manage it now, then I should be able to manage it when life returns to what many would consider a "normal" pace.

So let's get on it!