Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllls

I should start with a confession. I was not an especially good boy this weekend. Aside from mowing the yard and shopping with my wife (a near marathon by my standards), I didn't get in a real workout. I realize that if I want to reach my goals, I'm going to have to start looking at the weekend as time off of work...not time off of being fit.

That said, I realized this weekend that I haven't really talked about any specific goals of my own. I've said I want to lose weight and get healthy, but that's pretty vague. How much do I want to lose?

It's hard for me to think in terms of a goal weight that isn't attached to my favorite sport, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA...Most folks know it as "ultimate fighting"). I've been watching MMA for a few years now, and I'm thoroughly addicted. To be clear, I have no intention of ever actually fighting. I tried taking a class once, only to discover that I don't like getting punched in the face. Still, when I think of my potential weight loss. It's in relation to the UFC's weight classes and titleholders.

Currently, and for some time now, I'm a Heavyweight (206-265 ibs). That means that I'd been facing likes of the tank-shaped fellow on the far right. Brock Lesnar has to cut weight to make the 265 pound cutoff. I don't want to be Brock Lesnar.

If I drop another ten pounds, I'll be a Light Heavyweight (186-205 ibs). That's probably the most exciting group of fighters to watch, in my opinion. The new Light Heavyweight champ is Lyoto Machida. He's the kind of Karate Kid that would have been a nightmare for Ralph Macheo. Truth be told, even fat I'm too small for that weight division.

Next up would be the Middleweights (171-185 ibs). Right now I'm 30 pounds from fitting in with this group, and that seems like a pretty ambitious goal. Still, when I look at belt holder Anderson Silva, I start to lose bowel control. Again, those guys are pretty tall. If I end up putting on a lot of muscle, this might be a good goal.

If I end up looking wiry (isn't that a beautiful dream?), Welterweight (156-170 ibs) is where I think I should be. Welterweights like champion Georges St. Pierre often walk around much heavier than 170 pounds and have to cut weight before fight day. If I can get under 185 pounds, I'll just imagine that's the case with me.

The last UFC weight class is Lightweight (145-155 ibs). At one point, Lightweight champ B.J. Penn was my favorite fighter. Not to put too fine a point on it, though, but barring the amputation of a limb, I don't see myself weighing 155 pounds. Remember, my goal is to lose weight and get healthy. I have no plans of implementing an eating disorder into my weight-loss arsenal.