Apparently, I started this blog on November 9, 2011.  I had no idea.  Or rather, no recollection.  But calling it Thinning Out is fairly apropos to why I want to start this.  There are several reasons, actually.  High up on the list is that in exactly a year, I'm getting married, and I don't want to look like a pudgeball during the event, or have photos that make me look fat (if that camera adds 10 pounds, I am in trouble).  But I also want a couple of other things.  I want to make this a routine.  Too often I work out for 2-3 weeks, then stop for the same amount of time, or longer.  I want to learn how to set goals.  I do a lot of things - because I have to.  I do very little that I don't want to do, which leads to a pretty sedentary lifestyle.  I also am at a desk 6-8 hours per day, sometimes more, and above all, I hate exercise.  Even after doing it semi-regularly, I despise it.  I get very little intrinsic pleasure out of it, even knowing that I am keeping my self healthy.

I am not quite a nihilist - I do not believe that life has no purpose.  But I do have trouble keeping goals, especially long term ones, at the forefront of my head.  My would be wife and I recently attended a session on home buying.  I am all for it.  But if I never owned a home, and rented (read: single) for the rest of my life, I would be no worse for wear.   Such is my attitude towards exercise - I I know it must be done, and it is probably better for me short term and long term if I did it, but as I sit here typing this, I am no more cheered by the possibility of it.

Let's also be clear about a couple of things:  I am by no means obese.  I am 6'3", and about 220 pounds.  I have been under 200 once that I can remember past the age of 15.  Living the life of a starving graduate student got me there.  But returning to the working world has pushed me past the point where I'd like to be.  And with a couple life changing events coming up (marriage, children, etc), I am slowly running out of time to get this done.  This is a completely do-able goal - if I cannot get to 185-190 in a year, I either lack complete motivation (possible),

So - to the particulars.  I will be using a couple of pieces of technology to help me.  The Gympact app is terrific.  You agree to work out for a certain number of days per week.  If you do not, you agree to allow your credit card to be charged an amount (minimum of $5) per missed workout.  If you successfully complete your "pact", you receive a share of the monies that those who have missed a workout have "donated".  I also will be using the livestrong calorie tracker.  It has thousands of store products, with complete nutrition information, and you can also create custom recipes, to allow cooked meals to be shared as well.  Finally, I will use the 100 pushups app.  It purports to allow you to start from nothing and be able to do 100 pushups in 6 weeks.

So the goal is to firm up, slim down, count calories, and look and feel better.  Help.