Chili, fixins too good to pass up (11/07/08)
We held a chili cook-off at work Thursday, with Teresa Ward winning first place out of six chili entries. Many others brought desserts, hot dogs, chips and other fixings, and everybody said they really enjoyed it. Of course, I ate four small bowls of chili and three desserts. And a chili dog. And some chips and guacamole. Now stop that chuckling! You know I had to try some of everything .....

No applause...just throw money! (10/31/08)
I was exuberant Saturday when I finished the United Way Spooktacular 5K run/walk. It was my first official 5K run, and I was proud to be able to finish it -- and I didn't even have to stop to walk! I was still somewhat sore after my practice run three days before the official event, and I must admit, I wanted to quit at least five times. But I dug deep and was able to tough it out. A little perseverance can go a long way...

Reaching a triumph, and paying the price (10/24/08)
I experienced a personal triumph two days ago, and I was still paying the price for it this morning. I ran the entire 3.1 miles of the United Way Spooktacular 5K route Wednesday, and when I finally dragged myself out of bed this morning at 5 a.m., even my hair hurt. I was SORE...

The key is wanting what you've got (10/17/08)
After my last column, one of our online readers posted a long comment in response to it, which in part suggested that taking some time off during an illness is perhaps the best way to go. The comment also said that martyrdom can be counterproductive to a healthy lifestyle. Ouch!...

Trying to cheat on a 'diet' in this town is spooky (10/12/08)
I'm looking ahead to the United Way Spooktacular 5K Run/Walk, and it's not looking good. It's only two weeks away, and it's getting scarier every time I think about it. I have only run a few times in the past few weeks, and not at all this past week...

Pressman enters exercise class with 'strip show' (10/03/08)
Times-Gazette head pressman Martin Jones was a big hit at Zumba Tuesday. I had dared him to join me, and of course, that worked. Men are suckers for dares. Of course, being an (amateur) actor, he made a grand entrance, sauntering into the exercise room after the first song started, calling out loudly, "Where's Philleo?"...

Philleo: VU likely to beat Auburn in Nashville (10/02/08)
How 'bout them Rebels? I've got to hand it to Houston Nutt and his Ole Miss squad for beating Florida Saturday. The blocked extra point was a textbook block, and couldn't have come at a better time or in a better game. I'm just glad somebody beat Florida. My two favorite teams are the Vols and whoever's playing Florida. Houston Nutt is a great coach and I think he makes a great fit in Oxford...

Getting more folks on the bandwagon (09/26/08)
I got a little help with my diet yesterday from my dentist, Jay Davis, through the installation of a temporary crown. It was my first one, and although the drilling was nerve wracking, Doc Davis and his staff did a great job. I was perfectly numbed and well treated...

A positive look at quest for fitness (09/19/08)
It's been a few months since I began this column, and I've reported some mixed success. But today I think it's important for me to dwell on the positive. At my heaviest, a little more than a year ago, I weighed 256 pounds. When I started writing this column about three months ago, I weighed 244, so I had lost a total of 12 pounds in a little more than a year...

Embracing your inner albatross (09/12/08)
I learned some very revealing information about myself and others at a management seminar Thursday. The seminar was made available through the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation's Traveling Campus, and was held at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Consultant William I. Beauchamp (pronounced Beecham) led the seminar...

New Yorkers aren't really rude, but they do know good food (09/05/08)
Sometimes journalistic integrity can be a real pain in the butt. This is one of those moments. I'd love to say I've lost two or three more pounds this week, but it simply isn't true. I have experienced a complete reversal in my weight loss program during the past 10 days, and have climbed back up the scale to 231 pounds...

Faith gives us courage to face fears (08/29/08)
I flew in an airplane for the first time in about 10 years this week, and I was surprisingly calm. When I was a child, my sister and I would fly to Florida to see my grandparents or to Michigan to see my father, and I was never afraid of flying. In fact, it was fun and exciting...

Much is possible if we don't give up (08/22/08)
At my weigh-in two weeks ago, I weighed 231 for the second week in a row. Last week, I did Zumba on Saturday, hiked five miles on Sunday, and did Zumba again on Monday and then on Tuesday. On top of that, I walked a mile on two separate mornings before getting ready for work...

I was busted with contraband at the Rotary Club (08/15/08)
I really enjoyed visiting the Shelbyville Noon Rotary meeting Thursday, except for the fact that I got busted with contraband. As soon as I walked through the door, one of the Rotarians I met mentioned this column, saying she reads it every week. I've been getting a lot of that lately, which is a good thing...

If I could just listen to that 'still, small voice' more often (08/08/08)
I'm not a Buddhist, but I have read some books by the Dalai Lama (Tibet's exiled temporal and spiritual leader), and he makes some good points. He is a very wise and compassionate man, and all of us, Christians or not, could learn from his teachings...

Always save something to throw back in (08/01/08)
I've never had to pull my water from a well, but my mom did. She told me one time she would always have to leave a little water in the bottom of the bucket to throw back. If she didn't, the well would remain dry. If she returned that little bit of water, more would begin to flow...

How the county fair solved all my problems (07/25/08)
Talk about a gut check; I had one Wednesday night at the Bedford County Fair. The week was not even halfway over, and it had already been a particularly busy one for me -- one that stood out among a crowd of busy weeks. Even when I'm not at work, I have a tendency to think about work...

Golden Key and weight loss accountability (07/18/08)
Several people have called, e-mailed or commented to me about this column within the past few weeks, and I thank everyone for their encouragement. One gentleman called and asked me how I avoid eating sweets, and the only thing I had to offer him was that I try to pray whenever the temptation arises...

Instant gratification is challenge to weight loss (07/14/08)
A little more than two weeks ago, I set some goals for becoming more healthy, and documented them in the first installment of this "Gut Check" column. My goals include regular exercise and a sensible diet, with added focus on the spiritual and mental challenges involved with this major lifestyle change...

Fat guy gets off duff, with help from above (06/27/08)
If you're looking for expert advice on how to lose weight or get healthy, read no further. If you're interested in exploring the trials and tribulations of an average fat guy trying to lose weight, please continue. Throughout my childhood, I was a picky eater and a scrawny kid bursting with energy. They didn't have the term ADHD back then, but I'm sure that if I were a child today, somebody would suggest pumping me full of Ritalin...