2020 Year-End Progress Report

This is typically one of my favorite posts of the year. I’ve done a Year-End Progress Report every year for ten years, and use it to crunch numbers and check in on all the awesome progress I’ve made over the past 12 months, in regards to my health, fitness, and weight loss.

To be honest, I’m dreading it this year, because I haven’t made any progress. I’ve actually gone in the opposite direction. So I’m rethinking this post. This year’s report isn’t about progress, it’s about taking stock of my circumstances and setting a new baseline, from which I can make all sorts of excellent progress in 2021.

And I’m going to highlight any successes that I come across, so I don’t lose sight of them. I need all the motivation I can get! Let’s practice:

Here’s Some Medical Advice: Don’t Get Shingles On Your Face

The past few weeks have been awful. I’m currently recovering a nasty case of shingles on my scalp, face, and in my left eye. The worst of it is over, which I am very thankful for, but I’m still dealing with pain. In fact, I’ve had the same non-stop headache for over three and a half weeks now. The intensity varies, and I’m managing it with a mix of over the counter and prescribed painkillers, but I’m ready for it to be over.

The first sign that something was amiss was about four weeks ago, when

This Isn’t the 10-Year Anniversary Post I Wanted to Write, But It’s the Post I Needed to Write

Happy 10-year blogging anniversary to me! I started this website in September 2010, and in the past 10 years, I’ve shared my story in 1,568 posts. I’ve had 1.2 million page views. (Whoa!)

I’m incredibly proud that I’ve stuck by this website, and have now reached a solid decade of focusing on my health. But the truth is that I’m not in a very good place right now, health-wise, and I don’t feel like celebrating.

My Friend is Literally Running Around the World, and I Ran With Him For a Little While This Weekend

I ran into an old friend on Saturday. Well.. “ran into” doesn’t quite paint an accurate picture, because I drove 90 minutes to see him. I hadn’t seen him in a couple years, and this was my one and only chance to see him for the next couple years.

That friend is Ruslan Shakin, and he’s on a multi-year journey of a lifetime, literally running around the world. So far he’s amassed around 12,000 miles of running, by

I’m Adding Hundreds of Miles to My Cardio Miles Total

I want to get back into monthly weigh-ins. And since a new month began a couple days ago, I stepped on a scale, and was down another pound! I had weighed myself midway through April, for the first time since I began working from home, and had lost 9.2 pounds at that point. That’s now a total of 10.2 pounds lost in the seven weeks that my state has been under a Stay-at-Home order. (Here’s how I’m doing it: Part 1 and Part 2)

Getting back into monthly weigh-ins means I should

I’ve Lost Nearly 10 Pounds Since the Lockdown Began – Part One

I’ve been working from home for five weeks, and, all things considered, I’m in a really good spot. I’m still employed, with no signs of being laid off. I’m healthy, as is my family. I suffer a little cabin fever every once in a while, but long walks with JJ really help with that, and if they don’t, I’ll go for a drive, with no destination, just to get out of the house.

I’m lucky that I have the ability to use the Stay-at-Home order in my state as an opportunity to

I Just Had My Ten-Year Anniversary of Starting My Weight Loss Journey… and I Forgot All About It!

How’s this for embarrassing? On Thursday, January 23, 2020, I celebrated ten years of healthy living. Ten years that began with losing 160 pounds, and then keeping a majority of it off ever since. It’s a huge, impressive milestone… that I completely forgot about. 

What an awful oversight! Halfway through that day, I

2019 Year-End Progress Report

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a delightful holiday season. Here’s a really awesome Christmas present that my sister-in-law Alexis gave me: a portrait of me and JJ as characters on “The Simpsons!” I love it so much.

Now let’s get into it. Time for my yearly wrap up. Time for my 2019 Year-End Progress Report! 

Two More Days… Just Two More Days…

I’m less than 48 hours away from completing the biggest fitness undertaking of my life. On Saturday morning, I’ll be competing in my 40th race of the year. It’ll be the final race of my #40years40races challenge and while I’m excited to compete, I’m even more excited for it to be over.

I never shared my Halloween costume from a few weeks back! Do you know what it is? Answer at the end of this post!

I’ve mentioned before that this

2018 Year-End Progress Report

Happy New Year! My 2019 rolled in with a nasty cold that completely sidelined me for four days. I’m still not 100% feeling better, but the congestion is gone, I’ve begun exercising again, and all that’s left is a sore throat that makes me sound like present-day Kathleen Turner.

But before I rush forth, whole-hog, into the new year, I have some housekeeping to do with 2018. This annual post is one of my favorites, and I can’t wait to jump into… My 2018 Year-End Progress Report!

One of my favorite photos from 2018.

Y’all know how I share