No, that’s a typo. It’s eight, as in down eight pounds against a monthly goal of five toward sixty-one this year. It’s a good start but lots of people have good beginnings to a New Year’s resolution. February got off well, too. Yesterday I pushed through a sub-nine minute mile on the elliptical, but my left hip and knee ached through the night to thank me. Taking weight off those joints is a big part of this effort. Still, while exercise is good for cardiovascular, pulmonary, and muscular health, it’s a fairly small part of weight loss as my NordicTrack readout shows.  That 381 calories was replenished and then some in about the five minutes it took Beth and me to finish off an amazing Burratta appetizer at Dario’s, the best restaurant in the area – though we haven’t been to the new Brady’s yet. Dario’s has been at their River Street, Fitchburg location for years, but we didn’t check it out until a couple of months ago. O M G… I’ll do a review at some point – I want to do it justice. Sorry, this post is rambling, but it’s a blog, not Hemingway. Really, this one is just a weight loss check-in. Oh, and here’s another calorie-curbing tip: Don’t bring the 8″ Double Layer Variety Cake to your daughter’s after dinner. My small slice of carrot and chocolate = about 680 calories… Tip #2: When dining out, eat half your entree and bring the rest home for lunch or dinner later in the week. Really. You ate enough.