Confession time. I’ve put on more than twenty pounds since this time last year. My belly is all jiggly and the man-boobs have returned. Pants and shorts without elastic in the waistband are uncomfortable.

It’s not my fault. A penchant for sweets had nothing to do with it. My gym closed last May, tendinitis in my foot has kept me from running since October, and Andy, who did nearly all the cooking before he passed away, didn’t always prepare the healthiest meals. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?

He enjoyed cooking — especially baking — and spoiled me rotten. I bought groceries, washed the dishes, and cleaned up the kitchen. No matter what he cooked, his version was vastly superior to anything I would have fixed. Most nights, he’d return to the kitchen an hour or two after dinner to make a fantastic dessert.

Now I have no one to blame but myself (like Andy held a gun to my head and made me eat too much). Grocery shopping for one and having to cook all the time are both new to me. Adjusting is going to take time.

Cooking enough for two or more meals isn’t always a good idea. The leftovers have a way of disappearing later the same day. You know — second dinner. Or third.

Grazing is my problem. Eating more or less constantly from dinner to bed time is the norm. Not buying crap food in the first place is the key to success. I’ll get there after I polish off all the bad stuff still in the cabinets and freezer. Don’t judge me. Somebody has to do it.

Getting back into the gym routine has been a challenge. Getting into any kind of routine outside of going to work has been difficult because I just haven’t felt like it. Part of it is the gym. The YWCO offers a fraction of the equipment available at my old gym. Even so, it’s adequate for my needs. I just need to get there.

The tendinitis is getting better. Wearing lace-up sneakers all the time has helped. Exercises to stretch my calf muscles help too. The doctor said I could try running again when I notice it hasn’t bothered me for a couple of weeks. I’m almost there and looking forward to running again.

I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for stopping by!