“Four pounds!” I said, disgusted with my slothful self.

Every January, I get a routine physical exam. I don’t mind it because my physician is a very nice man and always complimentary. Pulse, heart, blood pressure, blood test, eyes, ears, tongue, reflexes … all that stuff typically looks A-OK. I have never smoked or drank. I take an orange baby aspirin every morning.

I used to be skinny, but for years my weight has been solidly in the “normal” range for someone 6-foot-1.

It still is, but this snowy, icy winter has taken its toll. I haven’t been walking as much, and I haven’t ridden my bikes at all. Still, when the doctor told me I had gained 4 pounds since last January, I was shocked. I never weigh myself, but I could still zip my pants, so I just assumed that nothing had changed.

Four pounds is a lot. I remember bagging Kentucky bluegrass seed and onion sets at Lehmann Bros. Ace Hardware when I was the stock boy there. We sold 1 pound, 2 pound, 3 pound, 4 pound, and 5-pound bags. A 4-pound bag was pretty heavy. A half gallon of water weighs 4 pounds. Think about that.

My doctor wasn’t critical at all, because, as he said, most of his patients are overweight or downright obese. Still, all sorts of calculus was happening in my brain … 4 pounds in one year … that’s 20 pounds in five years … that’s 40 pounds in 10 years … that’s …. well, I was on my way to being another Al Hirt, but without musical ability.

I was a health reporter for several years, and I wrote countless stories about the key to a healthy lifestyle: diet and exercise. I couldn’t remember any of the details, but I immediately began my own little regimen.

Exercise. Come spring, I’ll be outside again, working on the house, riding my bike, taking walks, getting in shape for my next backpacking trip. Until then, I’m hitting the exercise bike.

It’s a Schwinn Exerciser, which my mom bought at Van’s Schwinn Shop on Woodbury Street probably 35 years ago. It was expensive, but good. She put thousands of miles on it before she hurt her back and gave it to us.

The speedometer/odometer doesn’t work anymore, but the timer does, and you can still adjust the tension on the wheel. I have found that it’s easier to exercise in the morning, right after breakfast, than it is after work, when I’m tired.

Lately, I have been pedaling for 30 minutes, every day, with my headset on. I have a bunch of CDs, but my favorite one for riding the stationary bike is loaded with catchy pop tunes from the early 1960s. “The Best of Lesley Gore” lasts 30 minutes.

It’s kind of fun to pedal away and listen to “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” “That’s the Way Boys Are,” “Maybe I Know,” and “California Nights.” Go ahead and laugh, I don’t care. Lesley Gore has some pipes on her. I can still remember when I listened to her on WLS, and she had some No. 1 hits.

In addition to the daily bike rides, I’ve been walking home from work whenever the weather permits. It’s only 20 minutes, but it’s delightful. I always have thought that there’s nothing quite like a nice walk to improve the mood and reactivate the senses.

Laurie likes old neighborhoods too, so I always have lived close enough to walk or ride a bike to work whenever I wanted to.

I’m also focusing more attention on the second part of the equation, diet. I used to drink a Coke every day, but I gave that up years ago. I drink a lot of tea, which, fortunately, is rather good for me; plus water, lemonade and milk.

All my life, almost every day, I have eaten peanut butter and toast for breakfast. It’s an old Cullen tradition, which I inherited from my grandmother and my dad. But peanut butter is loaded with fat, and I can’t stand the low-fat variety. White bread isn’t that great for you, either.

Instead, I’ve been eating good, old-fashioned shredded wheat. Laurie and the girls always say it looks like I’m eating hay, but I don’t care. It’s delicious, and rich in fiber. I’ve had it every morning for a couple of weeks, and I haven’t really missed the peanut butter.

I have totally forsaken French fries — which I rarely ate anyway — and potato chips. I’m eating more oranges, bananas, popcorn, yogurt and lettuce, which is not an imposition. I love them all.

Time will tell whether I stick with my modest little lifestyle change. I hope so. The ride on the exercise bike burns a few calories, and it perks me up in the morning. The walks home get me out of the car and into the fresh air. There’s no way that potato strips, dunked in boiling grease, can be good for anybody.

I still haven’t weighed myself, but it shouldn’t take long to get rid of 4 pounds. Who knows? I may go for another four. I may even buy another Lesley Gore album.

Danville native Kevin Cullen is a former Commercial-News reporter. Reach him at irishhiker@aol.com.