I've gotten as low as 188, but I end up bouncing as high as 192. Average everything out, and it's still a plateau. After three months, my body has gotten used to this notion of daily exercise. It's reach an equilibrium. It likes where it is, and it's still 40 pounds more than I'd like it to be.

I added weight training Thanksgiving weekend — nearly three weeks ago — but I know I won't start noticing a physical change for another few weeks. The last time I did weight training, it took about two months before I even started feeling a bump in my biceps. Perhaps then some of that muscle will burn the fat.

I could probably afford to eat a smaller dinner or smaller portions on the weekend. But for the love of deity, I do not want to drink Slim Fast shakes twice a day. I'm already guzzling that crap for breakfast during the week. It makes me appreciate breakfast tacos on the weekends all that much more. No, I'm not giving that up either.

Zigzagging calories is dangerous for me. That requires a level of attention that I'd rather apply elsewhere.

I've changed the program I'm using on the treadmill. I tried a light jog instead of a brisk walk when the program sped up, but my knees don't like that. I also tried the cycle over the weekend, but it didn't get my heart rate up to where I wanted it. I'm not sure what else I can change with the cardio part of my regimen.

I think maybe it's time to consider actually taking a day off more than once a month. Perhaps — gasp! — once or twice a week. I pushed myself to do the daily thing because I didn't want to give myself any room to slack off. Now that it's part of my routine, I would feel odd giving myself that break. At the same time, brute force can backfire.

Here's a lousy analogy — when I'm on a roll with coding at work, I tend to smoke more. Sure, I could find other ways to step away from my desk than lighting up a cigarette, but there have been many a time where a smoke break afforded me enough distance to find the solution to a problem easily.

It's time I consider an analogous — not literal — smoke break from the daily exercise. Would I really spiral to slackerdom if I gave myself a day off here and there? That's the real test, actually. The routine thing is as much of a crutch as not doing anything at all.