In the accompanying photo, I’m doing the move called, Give Birth to Your Beer Baby in a Rice Paddy. This is my second day in a row working out after not working out for 400 days in a row. Daily Burn 365 will have you often in some sort of squat or lunge. They like big butts.

I’m the guy who makes other beginners feel OK because I’m not always in sync. While I’ve worked out for many years, my preferred exercises were weights, machines or classes like spin, where you did not have to learn new moves. I equate cardio classes with dancing and dancing is really hard for me. The upside is, I’m concentrating so much on getting the moves right and there is so much changing up, the time flies and it’s actually fun. It’s like doing the electric slide at a bar mitzvah every morning!

Working out feels great physically and mentally but I know I’m not going to lose my gut unless I reign in my eating. I was able to gain weight after a 100 mile bike race a few years back because the rest areas included muffins and wine. I can easily eat more than I can burn. Nutrition and calorie intake is the major way of controlling your weight.

Cooking for me is often my zen but I cannot do it for every meal. So like a good gay, I made big batches of things while watching the Downton Abbey marathon on Sunday. I baked a couple of pounds of lean chicken, garlic, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper in an closed aluminum pouch. The chicken like that is delicious but it can also be dressed up different ways after the initial baking, served hot or cold. I also made way too much quinoa with black beans, onions and cilantro.

Before I hit the market, I read the Daily Burn 365 article on what produce is in season and less expensive. That led to lots of kale and swiss chard in my basket. Thanks to my friend Sarah, I now make kale that is not chewier than leather. Chop up some garlic and brown it in olive oil in a large pot. Remove the garlic when browned and put on the side. Into the same pot, throw in your rinsed and destemmed kale, toss it around in the hot oil for a minute, then add a few table spoons of veggie or chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and cook covered for three minutes. When you serve it, sprinkle the crispy garlic pieces on top for a nice crunch and flavor. I’m becoming very GOOP.