Does my stomach make me look fat?

Inspired by the bicycle in which I lap the Twin Cities, I am working toward a goal of dropping to around 200 lbs. by the end of the year.

How will I do this, you may ask?

Well, first off, I have emptied my cupboards of candy and snack food. No more chocolate and no more cookies. I am also not getting the rare candy bar on the way home or the fast food route.

I looked at my stomach, well, all of the time. It has never been as flat as it could be and I can see the signs of muscle underneath, many due to cycling a lot this summer.

But the trick to being a better cyclist is not lightening up the bike, perhaps, but in lighting up the rider. The average Tour de France rider, while being 5'9", is also 160 lbs. I am 222.5. I could shed 10 pounds easily and healthily if I really want to and I really want to. This is the first time, in a long time, that I am close to the 220 barrier. If I can drop below it will give me enough confidence to get to 210 and, hopefully, 200. According to ancient statistics, the idea weight for someone my height is 188. Really? I like to lift weights, thank you, and I don't plan on atrophying my body so I think I can just increase the burn.

Well, wish me luck.

And... GO OBAMA!!!