I'm an incurable double addict.

I know I’m losing significant weight. When people notice. When they comment. That’s happening. With increasing frequency. I’ve never been obscenely overweight. But much of my life I could have afforded to lose 10 pounds. I’ve weighed as much as 180 pounds on my six-foot frame. Now I’m down to a svelte 165 pounds. And I attribute the weight loss more to my exercise regimen than to a diet. I’ve pedaled my bicycle for over 3,300 miles since April 1. I hardly ever put on less than 30 miles in a day. And I’ve exceeded 50 miles some days. I haven’t missed a single day of biking. And that’s done the trick. A half-pound at a time. Because, in a sense, I’m biking across the country. Or all the way into South America. From Minnesota. Just depends on the direction I choose to take. And I do it all within a 10-mile radius of home. I have my little routes. Including some one- and two-mile circular routes. Of course, I’d have difficulty if I were still living in Minnesota in the wintertime. But my plan is to move to Sardinia for the winter. By Nov. 1. And not returning until April or May. This bicycling craze started when I had a sore foot. Made it difficult to walk. The foot is fully healed. But now I’m more addicted to bicycling than to walking or jogging. I have two addictions. Exercise. And to my Italian true love. Yes, I’m living the way life was meant to be. As an incurable addict. –Jim Broede