April 4, 2007
What did you eat for breakfast? You mean you don't know? What did you eat last week for breakfast? You mean you don't know? I'll tell you what I ate this morning for breakfast: Coffee with Splenda (0 calories), two pieces of fried bacon (80 calories), two scrambled eggs with salsa and shredded cheese mixed in (eggs x 2=140 calories, cheese 28 grams 100 calories), miscellaneous for fried food (50 calories). Later at work I ate: 2 fried eggs (140 calories plus the 50 for frying), two pieces of toast (2 x 120 calories=240 calories), 4 ounces of orange juice. (65 calories), small bundle of green grapes (28 large green grapes 90 calories). How do I know? I wrote it down. When I get home I'll add it to my food journal.

Yes, I have a food journal. Years ago I used to keep one then I got away from it. Now, since I am working to shed those unwanted pounds, I'm writing one again. It may sound peculiar but it's the only way that I have to remember what I have eaten. And I use it to diagnose my food intake. I am resolved to keep it for the rest of my life.

You see, I can't go from day to day not knowing what it was I ate or I drank. I have to keep a record of everything. I know that this may sound peculiar, however, if I don't know then how can I change my diet? Not only that in the middle of the day when I get those awful hunger pains I have to be able to say to myself I already ate something; see I have it written down.

Did I write awful hunger pains? That's right, I wrote awful hunger pains. I have them now, even though I ate not more than three hours ago. I am not intaking any kind of diet pill to curb my appetite. I'm not munching on a stick of celery right now hoping they will go away. Because they won't go away. Not completely anyway.

And I defy any so called diet pro or doctor to prove to me that he/she can make those hunger pains disappear with the "right kind of food balance." Nonsense... It's not true. I've tried. I've used all kinds of diet pills, like Ephedra, and that African diet pill that supposedly kills hunger and gives energy. They don't work. Even if they did I wouldn't recommend a diet pill because I have to learn to control my appetite. So does anyone else need to. And it's hard. It's blinking, stinking, nausiatingly hard.

I could bulk up on foods like green beans, lettuce, cauliflower, and other green vegetables. That helps, but then sooner or later I will have to face the hunger pains. Then I can eat some comfort food, or just remember that I ate and learn to deal with it.

And, I know that there is some smart pants nutritionist that wants to tell me well if you'll do this or you'll do that then you will be more successful. Then she'll want to charge me for the advice. Nope, their isn't a magic formula for losing weight.

Your food journal doesn't have to be complicated. All you have to do is go to Office Depot and pick up a spiral legal notebook or some kind of a ledger book. I also found at a bargain book store some calorie counting books from the T-factor diet. These little guys are slick, not only do they have food items in there for most foods, but they include a list for some of the most popular fast food restaurants. Years ago before the internet became popular calorie counting books were everywhere. Now, they are scarcer than hens teeth. I had a devil of a time finding a small book that I could use to count calories with.

Well, I could go on the internet and count calories that way. Try it. Everyone on the internet wants to charge for the information. Not only so, I can't carry my desktop with me everywhere I go. So there. The government has a free calorie counter and nutritional web page.

Well, just how successful have I been so far? I am down 30 pounds. That's right 30 pounds, and I suffered to do it. I have more to go and I'll keep you posted.

Now, who would care about what I just wrote? Well, let me tell you a true story. This story is true for millions of Americans. It's called unregulated food consumption that results in a preponderance. How's that for polite speech? That's right for many Americans if their scale could talk it would scream, "get off me, you're breaking my springs."

Anyway I witnessed this over consumption of food this morning at a restaurant. I saw a very large woman get her plate of food, and her side dish. She was probably around 50 years old. When she sat on the chair the cheeks of her fanny hung over the edge of the chair by about 3 inches to each side. This lady was real wide at the hips. This woman is way, way to big for her own good. I asked myself, "how long has she been like this?" I felt sorry for her.

I wondered has she ever tried to lose that weight? Does she even care? And who would guide her? I know she could go to some weight specialist and he or she will load her up with prescription diet pills. Oh, she'll lose weight alright. Then when she gets off of the prescription she'll put all those pounds back on when her appetite returns with a vengeance. Then what will she do? She could be like a woman from T.V. and get her stomach redirected. But then for the rest of her life she'll be confined to eating these little tiny meals that will come up on her if she over eats. That's right stomach bisecting has consequences.

And, I do believe that the jury is still out on how long a person lives after undertaking something like that. I am not talking about having the colon cut to remove cancer. I am talking about having the stomach piping all redirected. And, I already know one man who had it done. He's not happy. Oh he has lost a lot of weight. Ya know what? He can't eat a full meal and enjoy it.

The idea I am trying to get across is that with persistence you can lose weight. It takes time, it takes thought, and it takes determination to burn the pounds off.

I'm not telling anyone what he or she should eat. But, there is a smart way to eat. Yes, you can have your cake, and eat it too. I do. I also eat a donut once in a while. However, I am careful how much I eat.