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It doesn’t seem like it that was long ago that Eric Berry was tearing up the field at Creekside High School and terrorizing local defenses with his play on both sides of the ball. Berry was a quarterback who could make something out of nothing and a defensive back who would take your something and make it nothing. He is the best player I have ever covered in high school, which is saying something considering I also had the pleasure of watching Sandy Creek’s Calvin Johnson play.

It was time.

I couldn’t wait any longer.

I had to know.

What would my Friday nights look like for the next few months?

Jamborees start next week and I’ll stop by Whitewater hosting East Coweta on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Starr’s Mill hosting Pebblebrook on Friday at 7:30 p.m. I’m there mainly to grab some pictures for the Football Preview (it hits the streets, Aug. 27) and to see what the starters look like. Things take a decidedly slower turn in the second half and neither coach really wants to show much of anything anyway.

Until your frame of mind has been changed, working out can seem terrible, hard, inconvenient, punishing and boring. An hour spent in front of the television is undoubtedly more relaxing than going to the gym and not having to drive somewhere, get all sweaty, drive back home, do your sweaty laundry and shower certainly saves more time than doing those things. Besides, even if you got the energy to go exercise, if you aren’t taking a class you probably have no idea what you’re doing and you’re sure everybody is watching you and judging your performance.

It’s over.

Eight weeks passed very quickly and I have to admit, I feel like a new man.

It’s no secret that I am a believer in the “I Lost It At The Club” program - I lost weight auditing a number of classes the last time it was held - but being “embedded” with a team and fully engaging in the program made a much more significant impact on my fitness and life. I am truly grateful for the opportunity, the guidance from my trainer, Sheila, and the encouragement and acceptance from my team - Weigh Waaayyy Less.

Sorry for not updating the blog last week but an old friend was in town and writing on my phone from the golf course was proving too difficult. This week’s blog will count for two though and the last two weeks couldn’t have been more different.

This is the second time that I have participated in “I Lost It At The Club” at World Gym and after going through the process one full time and reaching the halfway point this time around I can say with certainty, it works. I lost 10 pounds the first go round and I’ve lost six already by the halfway point - including two pounds just last week. I am now at 194 pounds.

What’s the secret, the magic behind this program? Diet and exercise.

Yuk, yuk. I couldn’t help it. I love puns.

But seriously. This week’s meeting of Weigh Waaayyy Less featured a military style workout. It was a series of several exercises done repeatedly and once that set was over there was another one with some different things to do. And then another one. Our trainer, Sheila, is no drill sergeant, but she knows how to push us and also knows we won’t quit either.

Life happens

The workout schedule got adjusted a little bit and instead of meeting at our normal time, there was an optional workout to attend before our next regularly scheduled installment.

After a week of (incrementally) moving from Jonesboro to Fayetteville, and eating poorly on the run, I was expecting the worst when I stepped on the scale at the start of the second meeting of Weigh Waaaaay Less. I started on 200 pounds (last week's weight) and goggled as the bar sunk. I had to push it back a notch and start from there, meaning, despite eating fast food for much of the weekend and meeting friends at Taco Mac on Friday, I had lost weight. I am down to 197.5.

In the fall, I dropped 10 pounds participating in World Gym’s ‘I Lost It At The Club.’ I audited classes at all three gyms in the county, saw (and felt) the different styles of the different trainers and met some of the individuals participating. This time, it’s going to be different. I’m part of one team and what I do (or don’t do) will count. The accountability I have to my team, Weigh Way Less, and the full participation in the program between me and my teammates should make a great story.