Geoff wrote:
"The appropriate term is 'The Bro.'"

Manssiere!  ;)

This very argument brought about financial ruin for Kramerica, Inc.

I started a diet a few weeks ago actually and it's the same diet I used four years ago to lose fifty pounds (which I kept off for three years, the last year has been difficult weight wise and I'm back where I started).

Basically I have spent the last two weeks adjusting portion size down, slowly weaning me off of large to medium portions (measured by ladelfulls of food, my goal is two ladels, stew or chili for example) and changing my morning snack habit from a muffin to carrots.

The key for me is to do all of my own cooking and own buying of food, when I do that I inevitably cook healthy food (except for southern fried steak which isn't all that slimming). As long as I stick to the two ladel guide and find healthy snacks I know I will succeed. By summer I should be back down to 210 (from 250). The only major difference is that I'm married now, and Danielle is a saboteur (THERE IS A BAGFUL OF HALLOWEEN CANDY ON THE COFFEE TABLE NOT BLOODY FIVE FEET FROM ME! Luckily I have already eaten all the tootsie pops... and there was only one. But still; a bagful of halloween candy placed in front of a dieter? Isn't that a bit cruel?).

One thing to change about myself? Nothing appearance wise (as Tom pointed out that just takes work and when I lose the weight I'm going to look damn pretty), and as to personality? I get these deep, dark Irish depressions every once in a while. I don't get angry or anything like that, I just need to be alone for a while and think things through.

On the other hand, that hasn't really negatively effected my life so I would go with my shyness attacks. Most of the time I am a loud, boisterous, opinionated but respectful person who people seem to enjoy having dinner with. And then I get these attacks where I can't talk, can't initiate conversations and I just shut down into a polite, inoffensive, unmemorable non-entity. Like at the recent World Fantasy Convention, the point was to talk to a bunch of people and get some contacts and make myself known in some way to publishers and agents. But I couldn't do it, couldn't push myself forward.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and met a lot of people and talked to them but as soon as I found out they were someone I should have been schmoozing I couldn't do anything. Definitely want to change that, but that's part of a process. That's the way I used to be all the time and at least now it's very infrequent.

I used to be sooooo shy to the point of dropping a speech class 2 times because I got to the point of having to talk and I just couldn't do it. When I had Jonathan my worry about what kind of world we were leaving him made me get out of my shell. I circulated a petition to start recycling at the college I attended, I got over 1000 names and presented it to the president of the university. Things started to happen , I formed an environmental group, I was hired to bring recycling to the university and went on to be awarded the Governors Award for Recycling Education.

Now I can not imagine ever being shy, so no issue there, but I feel for you Steve, it is so frustrating. I would feel like kicking myself for not speaking up more.

My issue is, I do not work out of the house and I have gained weight because of not being active. I really don't eat that much, I have a special K protein bar for breakfast and lunch and then I have a normal dinner. I don't drink much soda maybe one every other day, I love the water we have, it's from a well and it is great, no taste at all.

I love to walk and weather permit I try to walk a mile of two but Indiana has the worst weather. I just need to find an exercise program and maybe this will inspire me to do it! 

I'm in. If it's recieving free advice that is and I need to lose weight.

 Lars keep us up on your progress, I'll do the same.

Hmmmmmm..."Baron"

Sounds almost important.