An Exercise in Futility

The Enemy

So let me get this straight.  To lose one pound of fat I must burn off 3,500 calories.  Running a mile burns off about a hundred calories, so that’s 35 miles per pound. Or twelve grueling, three-mile workouts.

But at the same time, running causes me to gain weight.  My body is busy storing glycogen and water in anticipation for my longer runs.  So I'm caught in a vicious, futile circle.  The more I run, the more weight I gain, which means I must run more...  I think it's time to ditch the scale.