Diary Entry

I've had to change my approach to working out. I had been going seriously into muscle building, increasing my weights as often as I could and really trying to bulk up, thinking that the more muscle I put on, the more calories I'd be burning.

While that's true to an extent, I'm now doing more repetitions but only upping my weights once a month. That builds more lean muscle and burns more calories during the workout itself.

Something else I've learned is the tremendous value of stretching after my weight workout. I used to do my machines, then call it a day. I accepted as fact the idea that I'd wake up the next morning and spend a couple hours hobbling around like an octogenarian rugby veteran after a reunion tournament.

Now that I stretch after lifting, I find I can actually WALK the next day. It's a miracle!

Be careful when you stretch, though. Get the advice of a trainer on what stretches to do and how much to do them.

Getting New Duds

Readers of The Weird Chronicles may remember the picture at left, taken of me before an Orange Shirt Day celebration a few years back. That shirt, a 6X, fit me pretty well ... or at least it didn't let anything hang out that shouldn't.

I'm now down into the 4X territory, and even into the magical 3X sizes in most pullovers. Why magical? Well, for those of you who, like me, haven't shopped for clothes in a mainstream department store in 20 years or so, 3X is usually the last size carried in the "big" department.

Why is this important? Well, if you don't mind paying $27.50 for a T-shirt, it probably isn't. However, to those of us on Planet Mortgage, it's crucial.

Fortunately, my shopping partner is the most sale-savvy person on the planet. I often joke that when she dies she'll be canonized as Our Lady of the Clearance Rack. She's got this uncanny ability to sense a clearance rack from across a crowded store ... sometimes even from across a mall.

With her assistance, I braved a department store on my own behalf a couple months back. Lo and behold, I emerged with TWO bags full of clothes! I got shirts, shorts and even jeans ... cheap!

Now, don't get me wrong, I got VERY lucky and hit the clearance jackpot. Normally, it's still next to impossible for me to find department store goods to swath my still-ponderous girth. That's where outlet malls come to the rescue.

If you live in or near any major urban center, or even most midsized ones, there is quite likely at least one outlet mall on its outskirts, sometimes a good ways out.

On a recent trip to Atlanta, I spotted a sign for a Lodge Cast Iron factory outlet along the interstate about 40 miles from the city. Immediately, visiting that store became priority one for the trip back to North Carolina. Little did I know that the Lodge store was just one small part of a giant outlet mall, run by the Tanger Co., which spanned both sides of the interstate.

And, wonder of wonders! There was a Casual Male Big and Tall outlet. Since buying out Repp a few years back, Casual Male has been just about the only game in town when it comes to storefront big and tall shopping. I was delighted to find the store, but even MORE delighted to find, just a few doors down, a "general" men's clothing store selling many of the same labels as Casual Male for far less money.

Big guys, when's the last time you found blue jeans for $14.99? Shorts for $6.99?

And don't forget the shoes. I swathed my 15EEE boats in top-of-the-line Adidas for $25, and got a pair of suede Skechers walkin' shoes for $35. If you've tried to buy big shoes lately, those prices probably have you sprinting for the car.

Women, you're hardly forgetten at the outlet mall. Lane Bryant was there, as well as no less than four independent stores advertising plus-size clothing.

Now, I'm a guy. I don't normally like to shop. I'd just as soon sit home and mail-order everything and never have to hear dressing-room Muzak ever again. However, when I find stuff this cheaply, I suddenly get in touch with my Inner Shopper. It's truly a frightening sight.

So, what are you doing still reading? Get out there and shop!

And buy me something nice.

Got a question? A brag? Just want to vent? Drop me a line anytime!