And so it begins. Again. I can no longer pretend not to notice that large protrusion around my mid-section popularly known as a beer belly. How it got there I haven’t a clue but I’ve resolved to take appropriate actions to make it go away.

Yes, Google is my friend and the WebMD tells me my beer belly may come from my consumption of beer. Go figure. Also, unhealthy eating habits like indulging my sweet tooth and other high-calorie carbohydrates. This usually happens after I drink a few beers, so I guess there is some correlation. So what to do about it? Well, the web is full of advice, most of which comes down to diet and exercise. Tell me something I don’t already know!

Truth is, I do get plenty of exercise in the form of walking. Admittedly my step count has fallen off somewhat of late, averaging around 18,000 steps daily rather than the 20,000+ I used to do routinely. I’m going to work on bumping that back up but I’m also planning to add some strength training as well.

The real challenge will be in reducing my calorie intake and regaining some discipline when it comes to just saying “no!” to the foods I enjoy, like ice cream and other sweets. That’s why I had that big breakfast of French toast yesterday; just my way of saying goodbye. For a while at least.

So, this is basically my plan: I’ll have a big breakfast and skip lunch. If I get hungry, I’ll eat something healthier like nuts or a slice of cheese. I’ll cut out the sweets as much as I can too. No big ass bowls of ice cream but maybe an occasional strawberry smoothie. What am I forgetting? Oh yeah, the beer. Hmm. I do drink low carb, low-calorie beer now but I’m drinking too much of it. Starting today I’ll cut way back on the beer consumption. I’m thinking I’ll indulge on Hash day because beer is all that is available. On other nights when I’m out and about I’ll switch to something carb-free, like gin and soda water. I’ve already checked with my favorite bars and I was pleased to find that they all stock soda water so I should be good to go.

I’ve done this regimen before. Dropped 70 pounds in about 18 months by taking up walking and engaging in some dietary discipline. I weighed in this morning at an even 211 pounds. My goal is to bet back under 200, so that means at least 12 pounds have got to go. I’d actually like to drop around 20 pounds and then try and maintain a healthy for me weight of 195.

What else is going on? Well, everyone is these parts is waiting expectantly for Super Typhoon Rolly to roll in. I thought it was due to hit in the wee hours of this morning but I hadn’t noticed the times in the tracker were GMT. Arrival is now expected tonight around 9:00. Looks like it is going to be a doozy, probably the strongest storm I’ve seen since moving here. Rolly is hitting at the same time as high tide and word is there will be a storm surge of 2 or 3 meters. So flooding could be an issue for those near the beach. Rolly is also packing big winds and that could cause some damage, especially for those who are living in shacks and squalor already. I guess my worry about loss of power is meaningless, comparatively speaking. Still, I’m fully prepared to suck it up and book a room at Mango’s should the need arise.

It was clear an hour ago, but now the rain has arrived. Good thing I got my morning walk in at least.

Speaking of porn, you should see my ass. Almost a week after taking my spill during the Hash, my butt is still sore. Here’s why:

It’s highly unlikely I’ll be doing a Hash tomorrow. For one thing, Guenter is the Hare again. For another, there’ll be a frickin’ typhoon. I’m hoping things have moderated enough that I can do a bar crawl type trail. We’ll see.

And that’s it from here on this rainy Sunday. Wish me luck!