30 by 40

Today is the day.

I've said it again and again.

Today is the day I change my life.

Today is the day I start living my life.

Today is the day I stop waiting for my real life to begin.

Of course, most of the time what I really mean is...

Today is the day I start the diet.

Today is the day I go for a run.

Today is the day I finally make it to the gym.

But today I'm raising the stakes.

Today I'm making it public.

On October 6, 2011, I will turn 40. As it happens, that is 29 weeks away. And as it happens, I'm about 30 pounds overweight. I'm not great at math, but here is what I figure:

At my skinniest, as an adult -- a healthy adult -- I weighed 27.5 pounds less than I weigh now. That is to say, in the last ten years or so, I have gained 27.5 pounds. Round that up to 30, and you've got what sounds like a reasonable weight loss goal for a 39-year-old who has spent the last 10 years slowly and steadily gaining weight.

So today is the day. 30 by 40. Thirty pounds by my 40th birthday.

I'm not doing weightwatchers again. I'm not joining any clubs or using any products. I'm not wearing shape-up shoes, and I'm not spending every day at the gym. I'm doing it healthy, and I'm doing it my way.

I'm not sure what my way is yet. But I'll be chronicling it here as I figure it out. Every day. Every pound.

How brave am I?