Back to the Gym for Your Regional Editor

There can be no excuses.

Just a few years ago, I weighed in at around 185-190. I ran the Long Beach Island 18-mile run. My cholesterol was down and all was well.

I'm now pushing 50 -- I turned 48 in October -- and my waist has expanded, the scale is up (217!), as are my trigycerides and cholesterol, and I haven't been for a real run in almost a year.

What happened?

Well, life did, my busy, crazy life.

The Patch life, as rewarding as it is, can be pretty exhausting. And that's if you're not working toward your master's degree and teaching twice a week at the community college, as I do. Add to this the dangers of working at home (grazing being chief among them), and it becomes clear what has happened.

But, as I said, there can be no excuses. I was a pretty avid runner and had a consistent exercise regimin for years. I had reformed my diet. I had lost weight. I was, as I said, hovering in the 180s for a while.

The goal is to get back there. That's why I am taking part in our Patch-NJ-wide fitness effort, "Patch Takes It Off."

I figured that I needed the extra incentive that potential public humilation might bring to get my self back to the gym and get my growing rump back in gear.

So here is the plan:

Fix my diet: First thing to go French fries and sweet drinks. I'll remove other questionable items as we move forward, but these should take some calories out of my diet.

Get to the gym three times a week. I'm on my way toward that goal with trips to the Fitness 19 around the corner from my house on Tuesday, Wednesday and today. Total elliptical trainer miles: 10 for the week. Plus a full slate of weights each day.

Get on the road: I plan to start running outdoors again next week and hope to compete in several 5K races in the fall, including races in Cranbury, New Brunswick and South Brunswick.

And I'll be reporting back to our readers every Saturday with my progress.

But this isn't about me. It's about our readers. We want you to join us on our trip to better health and fitness by sharing your stories of weight loss, improved health and healthier eating. What are you doing to get fit and stay that way? What health recipes are you willing to share?

Email me -- hank.kalet@patch.com -- with your thoughts and we can set you up with a blog so you can easily share your progress.

We'll also be sharing tips and deals from local businesses that want to help all of us look and feel better.