Climate is always changing, regardless of what man is doing. It is not a simple issue that can be resolved by political posturing, passing laws, or ignoring longer term natural cycles that have nothing to do with human activities.

For a long time I have had problems with the popular notion that “global warming” will lead to disaster in the near future. A lot of the public discussion ignores significant cycles that predate the modern industrialized era. Try going to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age to see that we have been through many ice ages and warming periods and are still here. I remember while growing up on a farm in southern Indiana that we learned about ice covering much of the state and being responsible for many of the hills and valleys.

Today another software developer friend posted two links to recorded broadcasts with scientists that not only discuss many of the scientific findings, but do it in a way that listeners without a scientific background can begin to understand what is really going on.

Check: A True Inquiry Into Climate & Weather (1/2): A Hot Potato

Check: A True Inquiry Into Climate & Weather (2/2): The Plot Thickens

Obviously, we need to be good stewards of our environment. But to pass laws and impose impossible burdens on citizens without regard to the normal climate cycles that have prevailed for millions of years is asking for trouble.

Over a period of 5 months I lost 30-35 lbs after I finally got tired of a protruding belly and clothes not fitting. Prospects of getting into my ski suit this winter were getting more questionable. Although I never kept a record of my weight, I do know that about 30 years ago I was around 175, which is very good for my 6 ft height. But over the years my weight started creeping up until it was around 210 or more.

So what did I do? How about eating less? I always must have a good breakfast to start the day. During the week it is a granola mixture with rice milk from a local organic food store. Regular milk no longer agrees with me. On the weekends, my wife usually makes a good egg omelet for breakfast on Saturday and pancakes with applesauce for Sunday, which we kept up. The hardest part was learning how to skip a full mid-day meal and dealing with the resulting hunger pangs. I started eating a good apple and/or those little carrots, which have nutritional value in their own right. In the evening we usually have a mixed salad with either boiled eggs or tuna for protein. Later in the evening I will sometimes have yogurt. It is important to maintain a balanced diet for good health.

That is it! No fancy diets or special exercises. I still work behind computers most of the day, but now I am much slimmer and feel better. My weight now fluctuates between 175-180 and that is a good place for me. I have received many great comments from friends and people at the gym. Unfortunately, I don’t have before & after photos to show you. I even had to get some extra notches in some of my belts.

Is there a lesson in this? Probably several. Obviously, once I got tired of my increasing weight and was willing to do something about it, the solution was quite simple. Basically, I just had to eat less of the right types of food. So if I can do it, you also can.

November 2010 update: It has been almost a year and a half since I got serious about loosing weight. I was about 210 when I started and now I am consistently 170 when I weigh myself in the morning for a 40 pound reduction. To help tone the stomach muscles I lie on my back and now do at least 80 leg lifts which has also noticeably strengthened my lower back.