Less of Me to Love, and I'm Glad!

A year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. It shocked and alarmed me, and forced me to re-examine how my life had been going. At the time, I was at 293 pounds:

Yes, this is an un-retouched photo from three years ago. The fat is mostly visceral, which means that it is mostly under the muscle, not under the skin.  This is the really, really bad style of fat. Puts a lot of stress on the system.

My face is puffy and looks unwell.

In the time since, I have been following the advice of the wonderful diet and diabetes coaches within the Sharp healthcare system. Thanks goodness for domestic-partnership health benefits - My husband Dennis is the Webmaster for the San Diego's Zoo. Isn't life funny - a Webmaster and a Leathermaster, living under one roof for 22.5 years!


I have not starved, suffered or felt like I have been deprived at any time. I actually lost an inch and a half off of my waist during the last three holiday months of 2012!


I was always tall (six foot three, the first day of seventh grade) and slender. This is what my standard body-type used to be, thirty years ago:

This is me, as of this morning, minus 25 pounds, at 268 and heading downward:



The pants and shirt both used to be TIGHT on me. The shirt rode up over my belly, and couldn't stay tucked-in. I had no hair on the insides of my thighs, because they rubbed together. Like many fat men, I tried wearing suspenders, but they gave me horrible headaches from throwing my spine out of alignment.

Plenty of men have eagerly told me that they LIKE a nice, hairy "Daddy Belly", but I can't live that way any longer.  It was killing me off, day by day.

Now that I'm trimming down, I am sleeping better (no sleep apnea any more), thinking better, able to scamper up Cowles Mountain without ever once running out of breath, and I'm always aware of how I am taking care of my well-being. I get sick a lot less these days, and my overall mood is more stable.

I expect to level-out at around 235 pounds, but with a broader chest and bigger arms. My body has changed permanently as I have gotten older. I will never look 41 again (like the picture above), but I want to look like a healthy man of my actual age.

These pictures from my past have been helping me to set realistic goals for how I want to be shaped for the rest of my life: