I can hardly believe it's May already. It's true. The older you get the faster life seems to go by. Here we are about 18 weeks into the year - over a third of the way done already - and it seems like it was only yesterday I was making the decision to live a healthier life.

You might recall my first post on this topic, the one in which I declared I would try to get this old body back nearer it's old college weight by losing a pound a week. If I were to actually count up the weeks I'd see we're about 18 weeks into 2007 already. Have I lost 18 pounds?

I'm proud to say that as of this morning's weigh-in, my weight is down by 20 pounds since the start of 2007. I'm officially 2 pounds ahead of schedule.

What's helped is the onset of Spring and all the extra yard work that goes with it. I'm certain the combination of Springtime warmth and sunshine and our all the exercise I've been getting updating our home's deteriorating landscaping has done it.

If you're a couple of pounds heavier than you'd like to be and the full extent of the landscaping work you do is walking behind the lawn mower, I might recommend an inexpensive investment in a shovel. It's a tremendously effective piece of exercise equipment.

Looking ahead, I can see my working on the landscaping exercise strategy can't last forever. Summer is coming so I know I'll lose my zest for outdoor physical labor when that happens. Plus there is only so much mulch to spread and so many bushes to plant, dig up and replant. (Do the words "Let's see if the couch looks better under the window" sound familiar to you? The same dynamic works with landscaping. Beware.)

I'm a sworn believer in the power of exercise as a means to keep the pounds off. Next up will be replacing all this hard physical labor with a regular exercise routine. I'm committed to shedding those last 5 pounds. I want them gone, lost forever.