A beer gut is never a pretty sight, especially if you’re not a beer drinker. It’s a choice we make every day by overindulging on intake and under indulging on exercise. With a fondness for sweets, I’ve fought the never ending battle with daily sit-ups, push-ups, and running. However, I’ve noticed in this past week in the Miami sun that the first thing to burn is my belly, and I may be now finally  losing the battle of the bulge. The pandemic and related Covid-fifteen has not helped with a more sedentary lifestyle and more snacking. I watch more TV than ever in my life and have a retired wife that likes to cook. I’d often work through lunch but now it’s served to me every day.

My muscles are losing mass and I feel like a marshmallow, but I’ve at least kept up the 5k run everyday. I can’t imagine what I’d be like without this daily habit. It’s hard to sit on Miami Beach every day without thinking about my missing abs. What good is a tan without the body to go with it? Approaching seventy certainly has a lot to do with it as gravity, hormones, and bad posture take their toll. Then, there’s the toll house cookies that I can never resist. We did somehow resist Haagen Dazs last night after dinner at Betsy’s LT but only because they were out of our favorite flavor, Pralines & Cream. 

My wife is making fun of me for even writing this little confession, claiming that I look just fine. However, the eyes of love are sometimes blind. I see the wrinkles and bulges in the mirror every morning that a tan never hides. I’m reluctant to step on the scale when we get home tomorrow, but I know that I probably haven’t gained a pound. Muscle weighs more than fat and men have more fat cells than women. Our fat is stored in the belly and the sun is not burning it off, just the skin on top of the mound. I guess I’ll just have to gut-out these classic symptoms of old man syndrome and turn over on the beach towel today!