No Special Thoughts For Today

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.8-pounds.
Huh, that's a jump from yesterday's record.

What happened. Umm, I ate some really big pieces of pizza yesterday. That's all.

I don't have much to say right now, I have to go.

Bye for now...

Another Weight Loss Record For This Weight Loss Season

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 181.8-pounds.
This is a new record for this weight loss season.

I have been keeping my eye on the ball the last couple days, and as you can see it has had an effect. I have been sticking pretty close to my 1,500 calorie allotment of calories each day.

I don't have much time, so I thought I would check in and give you my progress report.
Sadly I must end it here.

Bye for now...

It's Not A Good Idea To Puff Up With Pride Because You Lost Weight.

Hello weight losing fans...

I don't have my weight for today, because I don't have the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale with me.

Yesterday I was at a close family members home, and I am here now writing this. One of my in-laws was there and was amazed at how much weight I lost. She was congratulating me. The temptation was there on my part to feel a sense of pride at having accomplished something.

Well, losing weight and getting to where I should have been ought not to be a situation that puffs up the pride. It's because I never should have let myself get that big in the first place.

I can honestly say that I didn't do it deliberately. However, be that as it may, I did the things I shouldn't have done to get myself up there in the obese category.

What's that you say? Yep, I did the things that I shouldn't ought to do. I OVER ATE FOOD.
I ate more food than I needed to survive.

If you are over weight, even by just ten pounds then you are over eating. The consequences can be devastating to the human body.

Now, more than ever people are developing type-two-diabetes. This ravaging disease destroys the nerves, effects the immune system, increases heart related diseases, and a whole host of other disorders that accompany it.

And, it's mostly because we over eat and spike up the insulin levels time after time, day after day.

In this country today, no one who has half of a brain can say, I don't know. There is book, after book, after book, about losing weight.

There is report after report that tells us that we are becoming over weight as a people.

Now, I have heard that it is only because we are sedentary. Many people seem convinced of that.
Well, that's only part of the problem.

I have seen beach balls jogging up and down the street with waves of fat shaking on their round bodies huffing and puffing away. I have seen woman who have the fat gelatinous legs, and thighs, but narrow skinny upper bodies running and trying to lose weight.

All these people who are overweight start out with the best of intentions at losing weight. Eventually they quit when they find that exercise isn't accomplishing what they thought it would.

And, it's really very, very hard to embark on an exercise routine when carrying around 40- pounds of extra weight. This extra weight helps excerpt pressures on the body that strain the joints in the legs, the heart muscle, and the back.

I have tried to run and excercise while being over weight, and it really is hard to get such a big mass into motion and to keep it in motion. It was hard to engage in a regular excercise routine and keep it going.

I am not convinced that excercise and our sedintary life styles is the reason we are over weight. I am convinced it's because we are over eating. We eat more than we need to.

Excercise shouldn't be the main source at burning calories. Excercise should be used to condition the muscles of the heart, and the body, and to help strengthen the bones and joints. Excercise also helps the body move around the fluids that are in the body. It's all to complicated to finish here.
You get the idea.

In the end I will stick by what I have been writing all along: EAT LESS FOOD.

Get prepared in your mind that this weight loss thing isn't a fad, it's a complete life style change. And I agree, it's a pain in the Ars. (I deliberately misspelled that.)

This weight loss thing is something that you will have to continue with all the days of your life. It's going to be this, "Lose the weight, and then keep it off." "I gotta keep it off."

This mindset will have to be a continuous one for the rest of your life as long as you have your wits about you.

And, yes I know we wrestle with our compulsions. We all have those little voices that say, "Go ahead, you can eat that." Those voices come from the inside our heads, and from the outside of our heads from friends and family members.

I am not saying that it's easy to change that life style. I am saying that someday you will have too.

Maybe you are one of those charge forward kind of people that can set your mind like a post in concrete, and can do it with hardly a breath of effort. Then for you losing weight will be like falling out of bed.

However for me this has been a new experience. I don't like this weight loss thing. I don't, I don't, no I don't.

That said, if you are embarking on an effort to lose weight, or you have lost the weight and gotta keep it off; do take heart, you aren't the only one.

Yesterday a close family member came over with the family. He developed type-two-diabetes about five years, or so ago.

When he got the knews he was alarmed as anyone could be. He became vigilant at excercising and eating right. He managed to get off 40-pounds of fat. He was bike riding everyday.

I went on a 20 mile bike ride with him and he almost killed me in the process. That's because I was out of shape myself.

He would test himself daily and watch that blood sugar level.

Now, the years have gone by, and I don't think he even tests his blood sugar anymore. He has regained 40-pounds and more.

I watched him yesterday as he ate one piece of candy after another. He didn't even think about what he was doing. He ate everything he could get.

All that effort from the years before is gone. His vigilance is over. He got his blood sugar down, he lost the weight, now he thinks he can go on doing the wrong things again.

I am sorry to say that it will catch him someday. Yes, it will.

His problem is the same problem that we have. We think that losing weight is an end game. In other words we think that losing weight is a goal that we are striving for.

Instead we should think that losing weight is a "Life Long Process."
With this mindset we won't get so over stressed when we step onto the scale and see a few extra pounds from the day before, or maybe a week or so ago's weigh-in.

With constant vigilance we can get the pounds off, and then keep them off. This is, "The Battle Of The Bulge."
It's a life long war that can never end. As soon as it does, we will lose, and regain all that weight again. Then we will suffer a worse fate than we hoped for.

Bye for now...

No Commentary

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up on my Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184-pounds.

That's up 1-pound from yesterday. It's 4-pounds over the target for this weight loss season.

I started to make a commentary on a Dennise Austin E-mail that was sent to me. But, I had some problems getting the format right. So for now I will scratch the project.

She really does come up with some dizzy ideas. Well, she means well. Uh, huh, OK.

Bye for now.

I Woke Up With Hunger Pains

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds. Yes, that's down from yesterday, and only three pounds away from my target of 180-pounds that I thought sure I would have arrived at by now.

I haven't got much time to post this morning. I am going to Indiana. I will see if I can finish up there in Indiana. If not I will share a quick experience with you.

Yesterday I wrote that I ate all those pancakes. That came in at a whole bunch of calories for breakfast.

In the afternoon I stir fried up some chicken and green beans. I also ate a tablespoon of peanut butter for a snack.

Well, early in the afternoon I had hit my calorie allotment for the day. I went to work, and as the evening wore on I was getting hungrier and hungrier. Someone I was with gave me a double hamburger. I graciously accepted it, but I didn't eat it.

There I was hungry as a bear waking up from a winter nap and I didn't eat. I had hit my calorie intake allotment. I knew I had eaten and written it down. I was not going to blow this.

Well, when I got home at 1:00 AM I was still very hungry. I went to bed and fell asleep. At 5:00 AM I woke up as hungry as I could be. I needed to get more sleep, so I resisted the urge to get up and eat something. After about an hour I managed to get two more hours of sleep.

It was hard to say the least. But, look at the results; I am back at the 183-pound mark.

I am telling you on some days and some nights the hunger can make someone crazy. But, you have to ride it out. I did, and I do ride it out.

I don't like it. But, I want to get back down to 160-pounds someday. It won't be easy. And when I get there I will have to be vigilant for all the rest of my life.

Part Two
I am down here in Indiana at the Depauw University campus. Wow, what an incredibly beautiful place to be. I could live in this town and be perfectly happy. It's all farm land around here, and forests. It's just incredible with the fall colors.

I mentioned earlier that I had eaten a double hamburger for breakfast (410 calories). At lunch I ate a subway six inch cold cut sandwich (410 calories), jalepino potato chips (190 calories), and a diet pop. (TOTAL 1090 CALORIES TODAY)

Now, I still have some calories left if I get incredibly hungry. I have eaten fairly decent meals, and I am a bit satisfied for now.

I have been getting suggestions from people about how to deal with hunger. I appreciate all the input. However, when the calorie allotment has been achieved for the day, there isn't a whole lot of options but to wait out the hunger.

Sure, I could eat something, but then I would be pushing over the 1,500 calories that I have set for the day. The reason I have to keep hitting this target is because I have figured out that about all the calories I can consume in a day that will still effect fat consumption.

It's not easy to deal with. And you may have to wrestle with the hunger too. I am almost positive you will have to.

Hunger is a good thing. This is the bodie's way of letting someone know that it's time to fuel up. Unfortunately we over fuel ourselves.

It happens because as children we're not taught to watch what we eat. Now adays parents give their children a sweet roll, and soda pop for breakfast. Then when they reach adult hood they have no idea how to make good decisions when selecting foods.

Worse than that many people are addicted to sugar. This is like being addicted to cigarettes. It's hard to give up sugar when we have eaten it all of our lives.

Don't get me wrong. I am not telling anyone to give up sugar. I am not saying don't give up drinking a soda. But do consider what it is that you are eating. Look carefully at the kind of food that you consume most often.

I was a big soda pop drinker. I used to drink down a 44 ounce regular Coke everyday. I would go to breakfast and eat two donuts. I would put two or three teaspoons of sugar in my coffee.

When I finally realized what was going on with my body it was too late. I was bigger than normal.

When I made up my mind to get off those unwanted pounds, my body threw fits. I had to fight all kinds of compulsions to eat the wrong stuff. In fact here it is one year later and I am still wrestling with my compulsions to eat the wrong stuff.

I guess those compulsions never go away. So, it's day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, second-by-second vigilance watching what I eat.

A friend of mine mentioned that my way of losing weight is a hard way to go. Oh, it's harder living fat and unhappy.

Bye for now...

The Snickers Bar Candy Diet

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto that Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184.4-pounds.
That's down for yesterday's weight, and I am still 4.4-pounds away from my target. Shucks, this is hard...
Well, I thought for sure I would have passed under 180-pounds by now

Guess What I Had For Breakfast This Morning?
I ate pancakes for breakfast. Yep, I took out two of the cellophane packages of precooked pancakes and put them into the microwave oven.

I stacked six CD sized pancakes one on top of the other, buttered them, and poured syrup on top. That small stack of pancakes came in at a whopping 540 calories. The tablespoon of butter was 100 calories. Then the syrup was 270 calories. The total for one meal was 910 calories.
Yep, it was a good breakfast this morning.

I never told you don't eat those pancakes. I said eat and then count up those calories. When you have hit your calorie allotment for the day, STOP.

Yesterday I mentioned that I ate a very large Snickers Bar that came in at a whopping 510 calories. I added that to my calorie count for the day. That candy bar was my dinner. I didn't eat for the rest of the day.

I'm Thinking About Writing A New Diet Book: "The Snickers Bar Candy Diet."
I am debating in my mind going on a diet where I will eat three of those large Snickers Bars a day. I am half serious here.

It will be a diet where I purchase three giant Snickers bars that total 510 calories per candy bar. I will eat three of those a day. I will do that for a month. (I think I'd be sick of Snickers Bars afterwards.)

My point would be this for the diet: You can eat anything that you want, but not to excess. I have been losing weight pretty consistently eating 1,500 calories of food a day.

I have eaten donuts, pancakes, ice cream, and other things that make the average dieter cringe with feelings of guilt. Yet, here I am, almost 60-pounds lighter than I was last year.

All my vitals are in good order. My pulse beats at around 60 beats per minute at rest. My blood pressure is below the maximum normals. In other words my blood pressure is way down now. Finally my blood cholesterol is sitting in around 164. That's down below what it used to be at 204.

All of these results have come from going on a restricted calorie intake diet. I like what one blogger wrote in his blog, "It's a life style change."

Of course I like what I write better, "I quit being a gluttonous hog." Oink!

That's not to say that I don't have my moments, but they are much more infrequent. Of course the results speak for themselves.

I used to cook up a 14 inch pizza, and eat the whole thing myself. Now, I will eat a slice of pizza and freeze the rest for later.

I would buy a three pound roasted chicken, and eat that whole chicken myself, all in one sitting. Now, I will eat the breast, and freeze the rest.

I am much more civilized now. Oh, I make myself laugh.

I still have a tendency to jam my fork in to the peoples food sitting next to me, and snatch it away. But, I don't steal the little kid's hamburgers at the McDonald's when his mom's not looking anymore. Whew, that was a hard habit to break.

Anyway, I eat less now. And this is the message that I keep putting out there: Eat Less Food.

Bye for now...

Let's Throw This Weight Loss Thing Out'a Here

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.6-pounds. Nope, that's no typographical error there.

Yesterday I didn't post. I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185-pounds.

Well, what can I say? Oink!
Here little piggy.
Oweee, Owee, Snort...

I was thinking yesterday about what I was going to write for my blog today. Hmmm....?

It's obvious from the results listed above there is something going on here. Yep, it's called free food. For two day's in a row I have been treated to buffet style lunches and dinners. Lucky me.
I have been hungry. So, I ate.

Now, it didn't help me that on Tuesday night I went over to a friends house and ate two especially large pieces of cake. But hey, they were good.

Drat, where was the fat police when I really needed them?

It's not my fault I tell you. If those people didn't give me free food, well, then I wouldn't have eaten it. I am gaining weight here because people keep giving me free food. Oh, yeah, and now I have all this beer, and liquor that they gave me.

Glug, Glug, Glug, burp... Aah...

Yep, it's not my fault at all. They made me eat that food and drink that booze, and look at me now. I am up four pounds from my record weight, and almost seven pounds from my target of 180-pounds.

Those bad people, don't they know that I am on a diet?

Maybe I ought just throw this weight loss thing out'a here.

Cus, I just can't do it anymore.

Part Two
This afternoon my friend and I decided to take a trip down the prarie path. He was a running man, and of course I was a walkin' man. It's only because I have a knee that gives me fits if I over stress it.

Well we agreed to start our walk and run at the same spot, and in 48 minutes meet back at that spot. Well, he took off like a scared rabbit. Me, I started off like a turtle.

I got to the one mile marker and turned to head back to the starting line. Meanwhile I was still looking at the trail of dust he was kicking up in the distance.

Well, when I was almost to the starting line I saw on my watch that I probably wouldn't see him for another 10 minutes or so. I decided to get a diet coke. Remember in the past I have pooh-poohed diet sodas. To add injury to my compulsion, I purchased a very large snickers bar. Yes, I did, and it was good. That big bar came in at 510 calories. Whoa.

So, I decided to blow it out there. Hey, I am just like you. Sometimes ya just gotta do something ya shouldn't ought'a do.

By the way, I never said don't eat a candy bar. I have never said you can't eat something sweet. This is the difference between me and the rest of the weight loss gurus. I know sometimes want something sweet.

I am telling you don't kill yourself to lose weight. If you have a craving for a candy bar, then eat it and calculate it into your calorie count for the day.

Bye for now...

Oh Preponderant Ones, Who Will Listen To Our Message?

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto that Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds.

OK, that's two days in a row here hanging at this weight just over my record loss.
I can deal with this.

We Are A Preponderant Nation
Back in April of 2007 I started writing my first blog.
I had a friend who was after me to write a blog.
About what, I had no clue.
He started helping me set up my blog site with the passwords, and the format of what it should look like. This was way back in January of 2007.
It was almost four months of him haunting me until I finally decided to write my first words.

I didn't take it seriously, so by the time I got started, I had completely forgotten my password.
So somewhere out there in cyberspace is a formatted blog site with a password which may never ever be opened.

When I started writing my blog I thought about what it was that I had a passion about. Well, there is politics. (Oh, don't start my engine with that one.)
There's my extreme dislike for Islam. (Oooh, I can really go off with that one.)
Then there was this weight loss thing that I had been working at since late November of 2006. I had some success, so I decided to write about that. (Yeah, am I still doing that weight loss thing?)

I sat down to write my first dribble. And dribble it is, who reads this stuff?
I am just a guy who got just a little pudgy. Well, maybe I was just a little more than pudgy, I was plump, but, only a little bit plump. Well, OK, OK, I was more than just a little plump, I was kinda fat.

Yeah, I was kinda fat. Let me see, my Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale as it whined with pain ticked out a whopping 35-percent-body-fat. Um, kinda fat?

Hey, that was obese. I am talking about "Hey Fat Boy" kinda fat. I am talking about being so fat that I was a border-line-diabetic, a prospect for a serious heart-attack, and a potential stroke victim from high blood pressure, and a racing heart.

It was getting bad. Now, years before I had gotten up to 260-pounds. I got that down to around 200-pounds. I did the Doctor Atkins's Diet to accomplish that. At that time I was at 43-percent-body-fat.

Time went by and I regained 40-pounds. So, last Thanks Giving of 2006 I awoke real early in the morning to go to work. I wanted to cry, (I guess I am just an emotional guy.) because I could not button my uniform pants. I had to suck in my gut to button them.
My belt was all the way to the last notch. I was in mental duress over this dilemma for sure.

I retried the Doctor Atkins's diet, but it didn't work this time. Nope, it was futile.

I wrote all this to come full circle to my initial point: We are a preponderant nation.

As I began writing my blog I had it in my mind to convey my thoughts about losing weight and the struggles I was experiencing.

I knew how sensitive I had become about my weight and what I was experiencing, so I wanted to be sensitive as I wrote my blog. (Gee, a lot of good that did.)

I coined the phrase PREPONDERANT ONE. Since then I have found others using it. (Copy cats...)

Most often the word preponderant is used in law; as in a preponderance of evidence, or overwhelming evidence.

It can also be used as the term for overwhelming or weighty, or tipping the scales.

I thought this would be a delicate term for we who are tipping the scales.

I am trying to relate the idea of being PREPONDERANT to a child's teeter-totter or seesaw.
On one end is you or me and on the other side of the balance beam is a bunch of sand bags that represent the proper body weight.

Would you or I tip the balance beam down with a thud? If so, this is what I mean by being a PREPONDERANT ONE. It's tipping the scales in the wrong direction instead of being balanced.

I was preponderant, I am a PREPONDERANT ONE. I will always be. For I must never let my guard down.

Since I have been at this weight loss thing for almost a year for this weight loss season, I have become more sensitive to the sight of preponderant people.

I am beginning to think I am becoming a minority in a sea of PREPONDERANT PEOPLE. Everywhere I look I see people who are fat and getting fatter.

We are becoming a PREPONDERANT NATION.

Oh preponderant ones will you listen to my cry? We tip the scales in the wrong direction.
Our clothes do not fit us.
We are developing diseases that the doctors cannot cure.
We are gluttonous in our appetites.
We eat until we are full, and then we eat some more.
Do we not care what will be in our futures?
Is it only now that we care for?
Our futility in thought shows itself in our eating habits.
We want it now.
We are the Preponderant ones, and our god is our food.
Do we not remember when we leaped like gazelles?
Do we not remember when we looked good in our clothes?
Do we not remember when we weren't tired?
Do we not remember from where we came from?
Some say that I have been like this all my life, I have always been a Preponderant One.
The time is now to make a change oh Preponderant one.
Your life depends on you making the sacrifice.
Here my cry, and beware for your health may change for the worse.
Go ahead and eat until you are full, listen to those pangs of hunger.
Let the future grow dim as you get bigger.
Here my cry, it's time to change, oh preponderant one.
Oh, you foolish preponderant ones, food is cheap now, but it won't be once the government taxes it.
Oh preponderant ones they will promise it's for the children and health care.
You'll starve as the government takes away your cheap food.
Get wise oh preponderant ones, learn now before it's to late.
The time is now to get off that excessive poundage.
EAT LESS FOOD oh preponderant ones, you'll change your future, and your life.

Bye for now...

Honestly Even The Fitness Guru's Get It Wrong

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds.
That's down from yesterday's weight, and just up over my posted record by about 1/2 of a pound.

OK, I can handle this... I do wish that I were down at 180-pounds like I said I wanted to be two weeks ago. But, it's just a slow grind here getting off those pounds.

Hey I Am Not The Only One Who Gets Hungry
About three days ago I posted a commentary about how incredibly hungry I have been getting since I have been pushing for the 180-pound target. (At this rate I should get there sometime next year...)

Well, I found someone who has been complaining about hunger; it's our friend Lizzy who we had not heard from in many months.

Here is what she wrote:
"I really hate being hungry at night. I eat three meals and one snack a day, but those last four hours before sleep I get soooooo hungry! I cave sometimes, but usually I just sit there and try to distract myself. I know I can probably grab a fruit or something, but then when I do eat something a long those lines I still feel so hungry. I've heard that at night it strikes back if you don't eat enough during the day. I wonder if I'm not eating enough? I dont really know.

All I know is that night time is mean and cruel. lol."
Thanks Lizzy for your thoughts.

Now those are her written words. She wrestles with the Hunger Monster just like anyone will when making an attempt to lose weight.

This is why, we have become accustomed to eating more that we need to survive.

Our Food Choices Are Getting Abundant, And Temptation Is Going Up
There are so many food choices out there. The stores shelves are full of snacks, sodas, teas, milks, creams, candies, meats, and other varieties of foods. Don't get me wrong, I love it.
But, it does make it a challenge when it comes down to avoiding temptation.

And that temptation to eat gets all the more stronger when at every corner we go to there is food instantaneously available to eat. All we have to do is purchase a little cellophane bag, tear it open and eat it.

There is no cooking it, and smelling the aroma of the food as it rises into the room. There is no thinking about anything related to preparing the food. All anyone of us has to do is buy it, tear it open, and then eat it. It's instantaneous self gratification.

The food manufacturers know this. There is a science in getting people to eat. The more food that we eat, the richer the food makers become. I don't begrudge it to them.

It's just hard as all get out to avoid falling into the binges when it's so easy to get to.

Denise Austin (That Hottie Fitness Lady) Has All The Answers To Beat Those Munchies: Just Do What She Says
I have these little E-mails that I get from the Denise Austin web site. She is trying to get people to subscribe to her online weight loss center, so she sends out little E-mail ticklers like this below.

In one of her most recent E-mails she offered some thoughts as to how to avoid binging. I could not believe what I read.

• After dinner, clean up the kitchen and shut off the light. You'll be less tempted to graze after you "close up shop."
• Brush your teeth right after dinner. Don't ruin that minty fresh feeling with a snack!
• Avoid eating in front of the television. Studies show you'll eat more while watching the tube and not even realize it!
• If you must have a late-night snack, choose wisely! Have a cup of yogurt and fruit, a salad, a broth-based soup, or some steamed veggies.
  

(The above mentioned was pasted from the Denise Austin web page.)

One of the suggestions was clean the kitchen, and then turn out the light and declare the kitchen closed. I laughed when I read that.

Here is what I thought, "OK the kitchen is closed. Now, I can faithfully walk away looking over my shoulder at the darkened room knowing that I can't go back in there until then next day. Yes, the kitchen is closed. Stay out of there now, the lights off, and the kitchen is closed. Yes, that's right, stay out of the kitchen. Don't turn on that light. Walk away, I said, the kitchen is closed. Denise Austin said this would work. She knows what she's talking about. Denise is the authority. Stay out of the kitchen; walk away."

"Oh, what's this dish of chocolates doing here on the coffee table? Hmm... I can't go back into the kitchen, but I can eat this chocolate that I set out for guests. Hmm... no guests, maybe It will turn bad. I can't let that happen... Oh, oh, OK I will eat only one. Just one piece of chocolate, that's all. Chomp...Oh, oh, OK, just one more piece of chocolate. Just, one more, I can eat just one more."

"Hmm... I wonder what I forgot to put away in the kitchen? Nope, I can't go in there it's a closed shop; and I just brushed my teeth. After all I don't want my teeth to decay after eating this dish of chocolate. Sorry guests, you didn't show up soon enough. So there, I am done. That's that."

"Huh... did I forget to empty the trash in the kitchen? I think that I smell something. Nope, it's a closed shop. There's no more going back into that kitchen, I turned the light out, and I brushed my teeth. Nope, Denise said this will fix my munchies habit. She's right after all."

"Hey, where did the bag of potato chips come from here on the TV stand? Huh, the potato chip fairies dropped it by accident. Chomp, drat, they are stale... Oh, they aren't so stale. Chomp, chomp, chomp, crunch. Hmm... I am still hungry... Did I cover up that chicken dinner? I better check. Nope, it's a closed shop; I can't go back into the kitchen. I guess I better brush my teeth again here. Phew, I am hungry. Maybe I am not hungry, maybe I am just compulsive.

"Huh, why can't I go into the kitchen again? Oh, yeah, it's a closed shop. Yep, I am going to beat these munchies today; I've closed the kitchen, and brushed my teeth one more time.
Oh, they feel so clean."

"Growl, Gurr, Growl, how come I feel like eating?
I can't go back into the kitchen, nope I can't go back in there. It's dark in there. I am avoiding those munchies by staying out of there."

"Click, buzz, "Hello, Pizza Hut, can you send over a large sausage cheese pizza?" "Yeah, could you put extra cheese on it for me?" Yeah, I like cheese."
Yep, the kitchen is closed, and I can't go back in there. Oh, I'll brush my teeth before I go to bed."

HONESTLY DENISE, what were you thinking when you sent that E-mail? This chick hasn't got a clue what we suffer with.

I like that hot mama, but, hey this suggestion makes me wonder what's up inside that pretty brain of hers. Hey, it's all about marketing.

We preponderant one's suffer with food addictions, and the smart people are capitalizing on it. She's no different.

Bye for now...

Do The Yuppies Know How To Eat Better Food?

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.8-pounds. Whoa, what happened?

This is a temporary glitch due to a plumbing back up in my intestines. That's all.

Yesterday I stepped up onto my Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.8-pounds in the wee hours of the morning. (4:00 AM)

The night before when I came home from work I actually stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 181.8-pounds. Since this wasn't a morning weight, which is what I use to post my weights, I will not make it a record for yesterday's missing post.

Yesterday I made every effort to post on this blog, but I could not get onto the Internet. I was in South Bend Indiana, the home of Notre Dame University. Well it was the University of Southern California verses the Fighting Irish, and everybody and their brother closed shop to go to this big game.

They shouldn't have wasted their time, because California tromped hard on the Fighting Irish who went away like whipped puppies. (We're talking a shutout game of over 32 points when I left.) The boys from California were being fed well, and may have been on steroids, because the boys from Indiana were half their size.

Now, the boys from Indiana are big kids, compared to me. Yet the boys from California were twice as big.
Notre Dame didn't have a prayer against those over fed behemoths.

Honestly, it makes me wonder what's inside of food these days because children are becoming so extraordinarily large compared to the past generations.

I am off my points here.

I am up considerably from my lows. I am not overly concerned. I did eat real well for yesterday, but then I haven't passed it out either. (Use your imagination.)

Will I be on track soon? Oh, yes I will, because this is an aberration.

What Constitutes A Healthy Meal
I was with a bus load of people yesterday and we tail gated before the big game. These folks had with them cooler after cooler of beer, wine, and hard liquor. They also brought along a bunch of food to snack on.

Now, they were yuppies who thought that they were being healthful in their food choices, so they only had breakfast cake, and Starbucks coffee for breakfast. (Their weren't any potato chips, or Cheetos.) Then they had box lunches for lunch.

Let's just break down their fallacious thinking here. Let's start with the breakfast: Breakfast cake.

I brought home some pieces of the breakfast cake that was being served as a breakfast snack. There were two cakes, one a sesame seed almond cake, and the other was buttered pudding yellow cake. Each piece was sliced to about 1/2 inch thick, and it was about 2 inches by 3 inches rectangular.

I took those little pieces of cake and put them onto my Handy-Dandy-Food-Scale and weighed them in at 1.5 ounces. Then I looked them up in the food book that came with the scale.
I was surprised because each piece of cake had more calories inside of it than if I had eaten a cake donut. Each delicate piece of cake came in at 190 calories. (Oh, and I had eaten three of them yesterday.)

So, after having done my due diligent checking, I could begin to surmise why all these potential hot looking California ladies were round like beach balls.

Next let's examine the box lunch: One Turkey Breast Sandwich with Swiss Cheese and Mayonnaise. One Small box of cold pasta, and one very large cookie.

The sandwich broke down like this: Two pieces of wheat bread (220 calories), two slices of Swiss Cheese (120 calories), Mayonnaise (100 calories), and the turkey (120 calories).

The pasta was about two ounces at (200 calories). Finally that giant cookie came in at a whopping 510 calories.

Then of course there were all the generous servings of Coca-Cola, liquor, wine and beer.

It was all you could eat and all you could drink. There weren't any limits. With the exception of the young boys on board, and yours truly, everyone had their fill, and then some of everything.

This is why we as a society are getting fat, and then fatter. It's because we over indulge in everything that we do that is associated with food and drink.

Bye for now...

Trail Mix Is Supposed To Be Healthy; Watch Out For All The Calories

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.2-pounds. That is a new record. It's a small change, but it's a difference of about 0.4-pounds.

Well, what's the big deal? Nothing really. It just goes to show that I am slowly heading in the right direction. And, since I am not an advocate of starving oneself to death to lose weight; it's pretty much along with my objectives to lose it slowly.

That Yuppie Food Is Loaded With Calories
Many years ago someone came up with the bright idea of mixing a bunch of nuts with different kinds of seeds, like sunflower seeds, and dried fruits then giving the mixture the name of "Trail Mix." The idea behind this product is someone could carry it in a back-pack and use it to snack on for energy; thus it was named "Trail Mix." Of course there have been variations of this product since.

Since this invention of Trail Mix the yuppies have pretty much turned it into a staple of the yuppie diet. It can be purchased in bulk from different stores. Or it can be purchased prepacked in little bags.

Today someone from work gave me half of a uneaten bag of trail-mix. Since I was hungry, I decided to eat it.

Now, no one would think that something that is supposed to be so healthy as "Trail Mix", could really be a potential stumbling block for weight losing. After all it is just nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Well, I am holding in my hot little hands the cellophane bag of the "Trail Mix" that I ate today.

In this pretty purple bag was packed 14 ounces of Peanuts, Raisins, Chocolate Candies (M&M), and Sunflower Kernals. It sounds healthy enough, doesn't it? That was until I turned over the bag and read the nutritional panel printed onto the back of the bag; 1,960 calories.

That 14 ounces of healthy nutritional food can be divided up into 14 serving sizes of 3 tablespoons. To make it easy that is about one man's size fistful per serving.
Each serving of 3 tablespoons was 140 calories.
Simply put one fistful of this Trail Mix was 140 calories.
There are 14 serving in a bag, or to put another way, there was 1,960 calories in the bag full of Trail Mix.

That's a lot of calories for a bag of food that most people would snarf down in one sitting while working or watching TV.

One bag of this Trail Mix exceeds my allotment of 1,500 calories for the day by 490 calories. In other words, if I ate the whole bag I would blow my calorie count for the day.

And I wonder how many people are aware of this? Not many. As it was I ate three fistfuls or about 420 calories worth. And, to be honest, it didn't do anything to cut my hunger.

So, do be aware of what it is that you are eating. Inside that little bag of snacks may be one big calorie diet. And, it's eating stuff like this that helps make people fatter.

Most people don't realize how many calories are in the food that they are eating. Which brings me to my next point for the day.

Lady Don't Get Mad At Me Because You're Eating A Fritter
Today I was at work and one of the woman there was talking with me while I was looking at the bulletin board in the break room.

In her hand was cradled a napkin that she had wrapped a fried fritter in. It was a puffed dough bread that had been fried upside down and powdered sugar was sprinkled on top.

I looked at it and said, "That looks good, did you want me to tell you how many calories are in that?" Now, I know that wasn't cool. She immediately said, "Shut up, shut up, I don't want to know." Oops.

I said, "I am sorry, but I do it by habit now with everything that I eat. I am always calculating the calories in food."

She got a look on her face like I was an idiot for saying that. She then said, "I know that there are probably a billion calories in this. It's probably all the food I can eat for the rest of the day."

I said, "NO, that's not true." "It's breakfast." "That's all you can eat for breakfast." I said, "That's about two pieces of bread there in your hand, that would be 2 x 1oo calories." "The powdered sugar would be about 60 calories." "I said that is about 250 to 260 calories there in your hand." What was the use in telling her that?" I thought later.

I am sure she didn't appreciate it at all. She is someone who lost a bunch of weight by eating one bag of Frito's a day. That's what she told me. Really nothing I have to say to someone like that makes any difference.

The same goes for any of us who are trying to lose weight. Really all we can do is take care of ourselves, and watch what it is that we eat.

I can't lose the weight for you or for anyone else. Neither can you lose it for someone else. So the moral of this story is. Don't Waste Your Breath, They Aren't Gonna Listen.

Bye for now...

Hunger The Weight Loss Dilemma

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds.
That's down from yesterday. I am just over my record weight.

I Am Still Having To Deal With Extreme Hunger
This morning I awoke at 3:00 AM, ate, dressed and went to work. I had about 380 calories of food for breakfast. Here it is at 10:00 AM and I am starving with hunger. Yes there is about six or seven hours since I ate, but this is becoming an epidemic.

Lately I have really been wrestling with hunger, even after I eat a meal. I am trying to figure out what I can do that will keep me in the calories zone, and then feel satisfied. It's frustrating to say the least.

I believe that hunger is the absolute biggest stumbling block that encourages weight gain, and discourages weight loss.

It probably is for most people. Only they don't admit it.

Well I am going to go.

Part Two Of Today's Posts
Something happened this afternoon. I took a nap after I finished work today. I was up real early with only five hours of sleep, and I just could not stay awake. Two hours later I woke up.

I decided to see what I might weigh; so I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.8-pounds. Now, I am not going to post this as an official weight. It is 0.2-pounds above my record loss posted on the side bar.

Hey, I like it. It came at a cost. I have been very stringent with my food consumption, and been fussy about what I eat. I have been making a point to eat more salads, and much smaller food portions, like smaller meat portions.

I am determined to hit that 180-pound target. But, it's not coming soon enough for me. I know that I will get there.

The Hunger Has Been Awful
I wrote part one of this post earlier today. I didn't have a lot of time to finish up my thoughts; so I posted and ran. Now, I have a bit more time to elaborate about what I started earlier today.

I was wondering for those who read my blog if you have ever been so hungry you can feel it to the spine of the back? This is the kind of hunger that I have been experiencing lately.

Yesterday, by the time I ate lunch, I was so hungry I could feel it through to my spine. The same thing happened a couple of days ago.

I have really cut back on eating. And it has produced unbelievable hunger. I have been attempting to cut down the hunger by eating more fruits, and salads. But, those remedies only last for short periods of time. Then it's back to the gnawing hunger.

This is a real stumbling block for me. Today I ran out of salad fixings. I went to the store to get some. I stood in the line at the check-out looking at all the chocolate bars. I was so tempted to by one and eat it.

I opted to buy some dried fruit and eat that instead. However, one quarter cup of dried fruit was 190 calories. That was about the same as eating a chocolate bar. The dried fruit was better for me.

I have gotten some terrific benefits from getting off these excessive pounds. But, it has been a ............ to get here. (I hate to be wimpy about this.)

Maybe, just maybe you are reading this blog. I am telling you now, you will probably experience the same things. It's inevitable to experience hunger when trying to lose weight. It's something that has to be put up with. And that hunger does affect concentration, at least for me it does.

I honestly thought that I had the Hunger Monster whipped. Well, that was until I decided to push for my next weight loss target. Then that Hunger Monster returned with a vengeance.
I wish that there were something that I could do to eradicate it. So far I can't think of anything.

If you do, then good for you.

Bye for now...

I Am Hanging Around The 185 Pound Target

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184.8-pounds. That's up from yesterday by 1.8-pounds. I am below 185; not by much.

Well, here I am up and down around that 185-pounds target. I seem to remember two weeks ago I was writing that this would be the week that I hit 180-pounds. Well, well, it's harder than I predicted. I believe this is a set point for my body here.

I haven't gone so far off of my calorie allotment of 1,500 calories to deserve these slow results. I may have to lower my calorie allotment to 1,400 calories. I don't have the time to increase my excercise. (I work 12-14 hours a day)

So, what will I do? We shall see.

I Am Suffering From Extreme Hunger
Today I was awake at 4:30 AM. I set the clock for 5:00 AM. It didn't have to go off because I was wide awake and absolutely could not go back to sleep. It's because I was hungry.

I got out of bed and made breakfast. I ate it. It was about 380 calories or so of food. I was fine for a couple of hours, but by 9:00 o'clock in the morning my stomach was sore with hunger. I knew I would be eating lunch so I decided to ride out the hunger.

Let me tell you my stomach began to hurt and I got a head ache. It was a distracting, nauseating 3 hour wait until lunch time.

When I finally did eat at noon, the food that I consumed didn't seem to be enough.

I had a salad, and a tortillini (pasta) dinner in mushroom sauce. Then I had a small dessert. Here it is 2 hours later and my stomach is turning on itself.

It's hard to keep at it with this weight loss thing. Sometimes the hunger is just unbearable. It's something that has to be dealt with if anyone hopes to lose weight. That's just the way it is.

It would be nice if I had a lot of options for foods when I am out on the road. Many would like to comment and tell me what to eat. Folks, it's not that easy. It's just not. I am away from home from Sun up until Sun down. So, that's the way it is.

I don't have a lot of time to complete this post. I am up in Rockford, Illinois for today. I raced over here, and now I have to be on my way.

So, bye for now...

Today I Ate Too Many Carbs

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds.

Tomorrow I am not so sure I will get the same results or better. I ate pretty well today. The biggest problem will be because of the amount of carbohydrates that I consumed today.

For breakfast I ate a cheese, sausage biscuit (430 calories). Around 11:00 AM I consumed a bunch of turkey meat, a pint of milk, and two very sweet bananas.

Then I was invited to lunch where I consumed two very large pieces of homemade bread, salad, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, fish, and some whipped cream, pudding (1 billion calories).

The carbs were the biscuit, the two slices of bread, the mashed potatoes,the pudding made with chunks of rum cake, and the two bananas.

It's safe to say that I went beyond my total calorie intake of 1,500 calories for today. I haven't calculated by how much.

We will see in the morning what the end results will be.

Bye for now...

Eat Fruit If You Are Hungry

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183.8-pounds.
Yesterday I didn't have time to post on my blog. I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.0-pounds.

So, here I sit at the 185-pounds (right around that), and I am wrestling with getting down to 180-pounds. Hmm, I wonder, oh I wonder what will break this trend?

I am going to admit the only reason I hit the record 182-pounds before is probably more to do with not eating for most of the day than really having lost weight. In other words, I was pretty much emptied out.

Eat Apples And Fruit To Beat The Hunger
Yesterday I ate an MRE (Acronym for Meals Ready to Eat) for lunch that was given to me by the National Guards the day before.

It consisted of an assortment of high carbohydrate foods packed in vacuum tight foil pouches. All this was food that we buy at the grocery store that is packed in such a way as to preserve it for long periods of time.

I didn't eat everything in the meal. What I did eat came in at 1,090 calories. There was absolutely no meat in the meal at all. The vegetarians and animal lovers would be proud of this meal.

After I ate the MRE, I calculated the calories with what I ate for breakfast. I was at my 1,500 calories for the day. This was at 12:00 PM.

Later in the day I was dieing of hunger. My stomach was tearing me up. I went to a local grocery store and purchased three apples, two oranges, and some yogurt. I ate that to assuage my hunger. It worked for a while.

My total calories for yesterday came in at approxiamately 1,900 calories.

Now, I when I was hungry, I went for the fruit, and the yogurt. These are foods that are beneficial.

I had to eat something. I was just being eaten alive with hunger. I am telling you it got like cats were in my stomach clawing at the walls. Not only that, when I am that hungry, I get a bit faint.
Something had to be done. So I turned to eating fruit.

You may get real hungry after hitting a total calorie count for the day. You may find you must eat something because the hunger can become unbearable. It may be a good idea to eat some fruit. There are a lot of benefits in eating raw fruits.

Bye for now...

Someone Linked My Blog To Pornography

I want say I am sorry to everyone who may try to find my blog at blogspot.com. Somehow my name and blog info is linked to a blog called Wicked where there is pornography. I had nothing to do with that at all. I don't know how it was done, and I am severely upset that someone would do that.

The U.S. Military Is Getting Fat

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183.6-pounds.
That's down from yesterday's 186-pounds.

Military Guys And Women Are Getting Fat
Yesterday I was with about forty Illinois National Guard Soldiers. I was amazed at seeing these men of differing ages and how much bigger in diameter they were compared to when I served in the U.S. Army Reserves many years ago.

When I was in the Army they did not tolerate many people who were overweight. If a man or woman remained in service, then he/she usually didn't get regular promotions to the next level if he/she didn't meet the height and weight requirements of the military. This was especially true of the Active Military Side. I actually received a bar from re-enlistment from my commander until I got back to where I was supposed to be.

Now I see that every thing has changed. When I was in, we may have had a fat General here or there, but it was very rare to see an over weight officer. Now that isn't so.

Everyone is getting fat, now even the military is. What's going on?

I guess the military can't afford to lose anyone, so they don't enforce the rules

I watched what these young men ate when we were at a restaurant. They ate big beef sandwiches, and French Fries, along with other over sized portions of food.

This is why these men are getting fat. And it can't be real good for them.

I got a kick out of seeing one of the men load a medical scale up to go out to the camp site with them as they camp. Gee who is going to pass getting weighed on that thing? I wonder.

Last Night I Was Incredibly Hungry
Yesterday around noon time I hit my total calorie count for the day by eating a McDonald's Medium French Fry (380 calories), and McDonald's Crispy Chicken Ranch BLT (600 calories).
These amounts are added to what I ate earlier in the day.

I didn't want to go over my 1,500 calories for the day, however, last night I was so incredibly hungry when I came home from work.

I took out my handy-dandy-food-scale and weighed out two tablespoons of peanut butter (190 calories). I also took a tablespoon of honey and stirred it into a cup of hot water (60 calories).

I had to do something to assuage that biting hunger. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to sleep.

Early that morning I woke up at 1:00 AM. I tried to sleep but I was so hungry my stomach was growling really loud. I could feel it moving as it growled. I did the same thing, I ate two teaspoons of honey, and two tablespoons of peanut butter.

If I had not done something to fix the hunger, I would not have gotten back to sleep. It was one of those nights when the hunger monster attacked.


Bye for now...

The Battle Must Go On: Losing Weight Is A Continuous Process

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.2-pounds.
That's up two days in a row after the record losses.

Hmm... I wonder, oh how I wonder, what has happened. Surely I must have been binging? Perhaps I was... No, not really.

Yesterday I had three small pancakes for breakfast, and syrup. That came in at 540 calories. I had a chocolate cake donut. There went 300 calories (Maybe more). For lunch I had an Italian sandwich. There went about 600 calories. So, I pushed up a little over the calorie count for the day. Oh, and I had a cup of wine last night. So, I am up at around 2000 calories.

Now, Is this what is responsible for my gains? Who knows?

It's like I wrote before, the weight goes up, and the weight goes down.

Someday I will hit that 160-pound target. Someday I will.

What about you? Are you even making a sincere effort to get off the unwanted pounds? I don't know.

Let's not forget that at this time last year I was at 240-pounds. I am coming up on my one year aniversary for this determined effort to get off the unwanted pounds.

I am determined to keep off what I have gotten off so far. Here is the clincher: I am not going to kill myself doing it. And, I am not in one of these total self denial modes either.

Yes, I look at every bite of food that I eat. Yes, I have to excercise caution. No, I can't continuously go overboard, and then expect to keep off the weight. I just can't.

So, the same goes for anyone else. It's a never ending, no not ever, ever never, ending battle. It's a war in fact with little battles along the way. It's "The Battle Of The Bulge."

And you and I are in that battle. And as long as we have our wits about us, we must continue on.

Bye for now...

Up, And Down, I Wish That I Would Stay Down

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.2-pounds.

What in the devil happened? How did you pack on so much weight David in just one day? Did you go out on a binge or something like that?

Umm, No. I ate just about 500 hundred calories yesterday more than my set allotment of 1,500 calories.

I really do think that this is just food waiting to leave. I have to drink more water and a bit more fiber. That's really all I think the problem is.

We will see.

Bye for now...

Two New Weight Loss Records

Hello weight losing fans...

I Have Two New Records To Share
Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.6-pounds.
Yesterday I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183.0-pounds.

These are two new records back-to-back for this weight loss season.

Yesterday I went fishing. I didn't post.
I did catch my record fish for me anyway. I pulled in a 29.5 inch Northern Pike at around 3:00 PM. I was pretty happy.

I should have quit after that, because I had no more luck. I had fun.

I Was Supper Rumbly In My Tumbly
Yesterday when I went fishing I was so intent on catching another big fish, I didn't eat anything for lunch. I didn't pack a lunch either. So I went without.

When I got home at night my stomach was empty like a hollow drum. I was famished with hunger.

The long period of not eating really made my body go after the fat. Oh I ate four big scoops of protein powder before I went fishing. It's because of that I know I was burning off the fat. There was protein for my body to do it's thing.

Like I have written before. I don't recommend skipping meals. And, I don't recommend fasting unless it's for detoxifying the body.

I usually pack a sandwich or something to chomp on when I go fishing. Yesterday I was lazy and didn't bring anything. Oh well...

Well I have to get on my way.

Bye for now...

Getting Down To 180 Pounds Is Getting Tough

Hello weight losing fans...

Tomorrow I am not going to post. It's a legal holiday and the library won't be open. Besides, I am going fishing. So, I am not even going to make any attempt to post.
I will fill you in on Tuesday if I can.

Well today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185-pounds. This is the same as I was yesterday.

Now, for the last few days I really have been watching what I consume. I have been writing everything down, and adding a calorie count to it, then adding everything. I have stuck to the program.

Even so, I am still hanging onto that 185-pounds. Hmmm... this is tougher than I thought it was going to be here. I have been exercising and keeping my calorie totals close to 1,500 calories, and nothing seems to be happening. Oh well...

Something has to break eventually. I ate breakfast this morning and then went to work. I drank a lot of water today but haven't had anything to eat since. It's because I haven't had a chance.

Right now I am really, really rumbly in my tumbly. I suspect that I am going to go home and step onto that scale weighing in at around 184 or less pounds. I will see.

I must go. I am going home to get ready to go fishing. I'll let you know if I catch any big ones.

Bye for now.

Walk; It Gets The Fluids Moving

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 195-pounds. That's up a bit from yesterday's posting.

Before I posted today I had it in my mind to go jog, or walk for excercise. Just as I was getting around to putting on my shorts, my friend called. He wan't to go walk. I had thought about running. However, I had some tenderness in my groin from last nights run. I thought better of the matter and joined my friend for a 2 + mile walk around the college track.

It was better than going alone because we could chit chat along the way and keep each other company. So I opted for the walk. We completed the 2 + miles in 33:43 minutes. He was happy with it. We were chugging around the track at a faster than normal walking pace.
We both broke a little sweat. I knew I was burning something. Albeit maybe not as much as it I had jogged.

After we walked I went home and weighed myself. I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.4-pounds.

I won't be posting this as a record today. I am accounting that this dramatic change in weight of almost three pounds was due wholly to a loss of body fluids due to dehydration. Sorry but no record for this today.

However, this does show me that there is some potential here on the horizon for a new weight loss record. Maybe, just maybe in two weeks I will hit that 180-pound target. It's looking pretty good here.

And did I tell you that I am feeling much better having lost all the extra baggage? Hey, just think I have lost six 10-pound bowling balls of weight off of different parts of my body.
Or another way to put it is I have lost 7.5 gallon jugs of water. (One gallon of water is about eight pounds U.S.)

That is a dramatic difference there.

Here Is How I Did It
I did it by cutting back my portion sizes, adding a calorie value to everything that I eat, and drink, writing it all down (yes everything), and weighing myself at least once per day.

You can do it too. Do you want to? Are you happy with that belly that laps over the belt line? Are you happy with those thick thighs? Are you happy with those fat calves?

I don't know if you are. But, if you aren't, then you can get it off.

In other words: EAT LESS FOOD.

Today I ate: Three eggs (210 calories), sport drink (120 calories), Oatmeal-1 cup (wet) (150 calories), Honey-1 tablespoon full (60 calories). The total today so far is 540 calories.

Part Two: Finishing Off The Day
This is my ending food consumption for this day.
I went to the store and purchased two cans of food. You know those little cans of pork and beans, and the other was beans, and chicken wieners. I finished off those for lunch (440 calories).
Later I ate one of the plastic cups of Chef Boyardee Spaghetti And Meat Balls. With that I ate two large apples, and two oranges. My total calorie consumption for today ended at 1590 calories. There you have what I ate for the day.

Bye for now...

I Never Wrote: "Don't Eat A Donut"

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184.6-pounds.
This is the same weight that I was yesterday.
OK, I can handle this.

Where do I go from here? Well, I have gotten a strong resolve to push for that 180-pound target. I am shooting for this time two weeks from now. This would be around two pounds a week loss as a target. Who knows if I'll hit it. In other words, what dark temptations are there in the future to lure me into pigging out? Oh, come on...

If I do, then I do. If I don't, then it would be just as well to keep hanging around where I am now; about 185-pounds. Many people seem to think that I am at a good weight now. Mind you, I am not doing this weight loss thing for anyone but me. So, I am determined to start busting those calories again.

I May Hit The Track Tonight
When I get off this evening I am planning to go walk, and maybe jog some. That is if I am not overly tired.

The weather has been exceptionally warm for this time of year, so if I have the time, I figure I will take advantage of it. Let's just see though what my schedule for tomorrow will look like. If I have to be up real early then I will cancel my plans.
I will let you know.

Lately I Haven't Posted What It Is That I Am Eating
In some of my past posts on this blog I have made an attempt to list the food that I have been consuming.

I don't eat anything different than anyone else. I just make an attempt to keep the total calorie consumption for one day at around 1,500 calories.

Lately though I haven't been so diligent at totaling up my calories consumed. I got tired and I got lethargic. Oh, I have a written record of what I ate. And I have an idea what the size of the portions were. I didn't look up the calories for the food.

So, I am back at it. I am determined to keep at that 1,500 calories a day limit.

Today I ate a cup of oatmeal (wet) (150 calories). In the oatmeal was a tablespoon of honey (60 calories). Before I came to post I consumed a Burger King Cheese Burger (330 calories), and a small French Fry (230 calories). Total for the day so far 770 calories. That leaves me about 730 calories. Which is still a decent amount for a dinner meal.

I Never Wrote Don't Eat Those Pancakes
Two days ago I wrote that I had eaten a large stack of pancakes. I also wrote that that was my last meal for the day. Yes, I had some fruit later.

Now, I knew that was enough calories there for one day. I also stopped eating yesterday after having eaten a double cheese burger, and a very large serving of fried onion rings. That was because In one meal I had hit my calorie goal for one day.

I have never written don't eat a donut. I have never written don't eat that fudge brownie. I have never written don't eat that Ice Cream.

What I have written is, if you do eat that kind of food, then that better be counted in your total calorie count for the day.

Hey, this afternoon if I had decided to eat a quart of Haagan Dazs Ice Cream, then that would have been OK. But, I can't eat that and a cheeseburger with French Fries. I don't get both. It's one or the other.

Again, what is the calorie count at the end of the day? If you must eat donuts, then stop when you hit a point that will exceed your calorie allotment for the day. In other words, you can only eat about three cake donuts for the day, and it's over for you. It stops there. No more food for the rest of the day. I don't care how hungry you get.

Do you know what I am getting at here? We can eat, but don't over eat.

And, do be aware there are some advantages in eating lots of vegetables, and fruits. They bulk you up, they cut the hunger, and they don't have a lot of calories. Plus, they have other advantages like high fiber, more nutrients, etc.

Go ahead eat that birthday cake. But that better be all you eat.

I Would Like To Know Where The Homeless Guy Eats
The other day I was driving down a ramp off of the expressway. There at the corner was a man standing with a sign that had, "Need money for food," written on it.

I looked at the guy and did a double take. Here is why, he was fat. I don't mean plump. I mean he was fat.

I thought where is this guy getting all the food from? He was surely eating well. It showed on his body.

Yet, he had a sign that read, "Need money for food." Hey, this guy needed money for a diet clinic. He was big, and he wanted more food. Who was he kidding here?

That's like a guy writing on a sign, "Need money for gas." Meanwhile parked across the street is his 2007 Chevrolet Corvette.

Honestly, what was this guy thinking? And what do we think when we see this? I couldn't feel sorry for him. His whole gig didn't match up.

What about you? Are you begging for food when you really don't need anymore? Are you convincing yourself that you must eat that next bite of food? I don't know.

But it is a thought.

Part Two Of Today's Posting
I had some time after work to go do some exercise. Like I wrote earlier in the day, if I had to be up real early, I wouldn't have bothered.

I went out to the Prairie Path on the other side of town around 7:00 PM. It was just starting to get completely dark.

I felt enough vim and vigor so I made an attempt to jog two miles instead of walk. I was surprised at the speed with which I jogged the two miles. I did the two miles in 28:11:25.
If I didn't have to stop and wait for two traffic lights to change then I probably would have done the jog in about 26 minutes instead.

The last time I jogged two miles was on the track about a month ago. It was a much slower pace, and I did it in about 30 minutes.

Now, I am delighted with this change. It means that the couple extra pounds that I have lost has given me just a tad bit more speed.

I don't know how much more jogging I will do for the season, considering that it will be getting cold soon. I may just try to walk more.

After my jog, and I took my bath, I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale to see what I might weigh. The numbers ticked down to 182.8-pounds.
Yeah...

I am not going to count that as an official weight though. It's because I was dehydrated after my jog. And, I usually use my early morning weight for my official weight for the day. However this does show potential for a new record tomorrow when I wake up.

I did eat tonight after I weighed myself. I ate four hard boiled eggs, two scoops of strawberry protein, and a fistful of cashews. This finished my calorie count for the day at 1,450 calories.

We shall see what I weigh tomorrow morning. I do hope it's a new record for this weight loss season.

Bye for now...

I Found A Fast Food Restaraunt I liked

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184.6-pounds. That's just one pound over the record for this weight loss season.

Gee, am imagining this, or am I back in control? Hmmm? Well, maybe I am.
I guess it will all depend on how well I handle that Hunger Monster over the next few hours, days, weeks, and years. Whew, I'll be at this weight thing for the rest of my life.

Yep, you will be too. So get ready. Just how strong willed are you? Umm... I can't answer that.

I guess it will depend on how good you are at comparing the before I lost weight scenario, to your after I lost weight scenario.

Will you stop huffing and puffing like I was?
Will you run up the stairs like I do now, instead of grabbing that handrail and pulling myself up the stairs?
Will you look better, like I do?
Will you just feel much, much better than you did?

I do.

And the sacrifice that I made was worth it. And, I will not forget so soon how crappy life was being 60-pounds more than I should have been. I still have a ways to go. Those pounds aren't budging so easy with this last 25-pounds.

But, I am not going to starve myself to death to get off 25-pounds.

I Ate A Real Big Meal So I had To Stop
Yesterday I posted that I stopped eating for the rest of the day because I ate three large pancakes for brunch and blasted through my 1,500 calorie allotment.

Today a similar thing happened. I had to stop eating anymore food for the day after having lunch. I wandered into an interesting fast food restaurant called Johnny Rockets. It's a diner with a theme going back to the 50's type diners.

Up front I am going to give the food I ate an A+ for very good.

I ate a double cheese burger. Each patty was a 1/3 pound patty, served with cheese on a large bun. I had a side order of onion rings. These bad boys were good. And they gave me a large portion that I ate before the hamburger. I could have stopped there because I was stuffed.

So, after I ate this big meal and washed it down with a diet soda, I was done for the day. That was around noon time today. It's now 9:20 Illinois time, and I haven't had a bite since that meal.

I don't advocate skipping meals. But, let's face it. This was all my calories for the day in one sitting. Just like yesterday, I had to quit.

I am only a bit hungry right now. Yesterday I got real hungry by the evening and ate down two large juicy apples, and two oranges.

Now, that wasn't what I call a meal. It was just fruit that I hoped would kill those munchies. I would have loved to eat one of those extra large blueberry muffins I saw while walking past the bakery on my way to the produce section. I didn't, but oh was I tempted to.

The next time you are out and about, and are looking for some real good fast food, check out Johnny Rockets. I certainly enjoyed the food, and the trip down memory lane.

There is one draw back to my dining experience. The manager didn't have a ready supply of nutritional guides available to hand out to anyone who wanted one. I asked for a calorie counter and they could not produce the hand out.

I also went to the Johnny Rockets web site to find a calorie guide, and there isn't one there either. Don't let that stop you from checking them out.

Bye for now...

Holding The Weight Loss Line

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto my Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.2-pounds. OK, I am holding the line here.

Are You Full Of Poop?
I hate to revisit this one topic because it's so personal. I am not fond of the brown stuff. It's just I want to share with people what happens to me. Maybe, just maybe, it will help.


This morning I woke up at 8:00 AM on the button. I went to bed at Midnight and Voila I woke up eight hours later.

I meandered into the bathroom and jumped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale and the numbers ticked to 186.2 pounds. Immediately after that I did my business.

I then stepped up onto the scale again and weighed in at 185.2. I lost one pound in waste.

Check out if you are moving along like you should. Maybe you have five or more pounds of Pooh that has to leave. I am not kidding here.

You should be eliminating at least once per meal. Every time you eat, your body ought to be responding in like manner.

I know it's not convenient. But it's worth looking into.

Part Two Of Today's Post
I have a few minutes to kill, so I am going to post some other thoughts.

Today I went to breakfast with a friend. It was expensive for what I eat. But, it was time with a friend so I figure I am paying for the ambiance.

I had for breakfast the bannana split pancakes. This was three large pancakes covered with walnuts, and strawberrys. To be honest I could have made them at home for about a dollar.

Anyway I sat there estimating how many calories was in one pancake. Each pancake was about 270 calories each. So there goes 810 calories for the pancakes. Add another 270 calories for the syrup. Add about 100 calories for the butter. I am now just about done eating for the day.

I had some oatmeal real early this morning that knocks off 100 calories more. Ding, Ding, Ding, that's the ending bell for the days calories. From this point forward I must go without food.
Now, I am going to eat some apples to cut the hunger. But, I won't be eating any meals.

It's so easy to exceed what we need to eat in just one sitting. I am not saying don't eat pancakes. It's just one really should have been it.

Fortunately I have the intestinal fortitude to resist eating the rest of the day. Or, like I just wrote, I will eat some apples. They are high in fiber, and it's a complex sugar which is loaded with fido chemicals.

It's Not Easy Saying NO
It isn't easy to say no to food when I get hungry. And if you are like me, it won't be easy for you to either. Welcome to the human dilemma. However, if you are going to hit those weight loss points you hope to, then giving up the food by saying NO is the only thing that you or I can do.

I know that it's tough. I know. It is worth it.

Bye for now...

How McDonald's Helps Figure Out That Food Consumption

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I don't know what I weigh. I don't have my scale with me.

I was looking for suggestions about what to write in my blog. I am bankrupt for ideas. I guess I could continue to beat the same drum. Even I get bored writing EAT LESS FOOD.

It really can't get any simpler than that. It's hard to apply. It really is. This last week I went back up to almost 190-pounds. I was just under 190. Whoa...

Now, how did this happen? Well, I was out of town. I wasn't anywhere near my familiar surroundings and I went whirling out of control. Good luck all you weight watchers.
Actually, I am not overly concerned.

Now, I do have to dine out of town a lot lately. Contrary to popular believe and people's views, I frequent McDonald's.

I heard a woman say how bad McDonald's is for people. Oh, I beg to differ. It's the amount of food eaten at McDonald's that's not good for people.

A hamburger is pretty much a hamburger. A bun is a bun. A sausage patty is a sausage patty. It doesn't matter who makes it. Besides, I trust McDonald's quality control. They have a vested interest in making sure the food that they serve is good quality.

If I walk into McDonald's I can immediately interpret the amount of calories I am about to consume. All that I have to do is ask for a McDonald's place mat. On the back of the McDonald's place mat is a list of all the food items available at that store, or any McDonald's for that matter.

On that place mat there is also nutrition information concerning fat contents, sodium, and other nutritional info. of interest to a dedicated weight watcher.

Here is the little kicker: Doe's anyone really pay attention?

I don't have this convenience at any other fast food chain that I go to. Subway has the little handouts that they make. Not every store is real happy to hand them out. It must cost them money.

So, at every establishment that I go to I have to guess at what I am eating. Many times I am not always sure. Yes, I carry my little hand book. Lately I haven't been.

I have been losing track of my calories. I know what I have eaten, but many day's lately I haven't calculated up the calories. I have been tired as all get out.
I work a lot.

Am I A Hypocrite Or A Stumbling Block?
I have been writing this weight loss blog a little over four months now. I get stinky in my commentary. I may even seem very strident.

Well, I don't belong to any weight loss clubs. I made no one any promises about what I am going to do to lose this weight.

I am not losing weight for my government, or my family, or anyone else. I am doing it for me. It's my gig, and no one else.

And to be honest, if you are reading this blog, then you should have the same attitude. Why? Because no one, not anyone, on this planet can do it for you. You are the one who has to do it for you.

Now, I think that people who know better, and don't do better are actually clueless as to the effect that they are having on people around them. Believe me when I say this, I don't like fat people. (Oh, I don't mean that I don't like them as a person. I mean I don't like the fat.)

Yep, I dare to write that. It's one thing if you are witless, and just cannot control yourself. I understand that. But, if you have the ability to consciously make choices, then you really ought to opt for the better choice.

Is it easy? NO, it's not easy. Am I perfect everyday? NO, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Do I strive to get better. Let's put it this way: I am working at it. I am aware of the fact that I am impacting the people that I encounter.

I was talking to a young man the other night. He was nice enough, and actually was funny. However, he was huge. He was easily 100 pounds over where he should have been. That isn't good.

Somehow, he and I got into a conversation about rice. It's actually a starch that is loaded with protein.

I was telling him that I plan on eating more rice. He wanted to know why. Well, I told him that it's a good food to eat on a reduced calorie diet.

He asked me if I was doing the Doctor Atkin's diet. I said no, I am doing reduced food consumption. He reacted strongly. He said, "Oh no, don't ask me to eat less food, I love my food."

Well, maybe he likes type-two-diabetes. Maybe he likes heart failure. Maybe he likes to live a less than full life.

How about you? What do you want your life to be in ten years? It won't be any easier if you keep adding on those pounds.

I don't have a crystal ball. I cannot predict the future. But, I can predict that you and I are lowering our quality of life by letting ourselves tip the scales in the wrong direction.

Do I wake up and say, "Oh boy, I get to lose weight?" Not at all. I am honest, I don't like this weight loss thing. I don't, I don't like this weight loss thing.

You won't find that positive go get 'em attitude here.

Here you'll find, "Oh poop, I have to avoid that. I wish that I didn't have to."

I Wish It Was All Warm And Fuzzy
I wish that I wish I could be warm and fuzzy. I wish that I could cheerily write, "Well, if you'll just have this positive attitude, all will go well." I wish that I could.

I do know this: If you eat more than you need (Only you can make that determination) you will get fat or fatter. That's it.

I was thin 30 years ago. Now that I am older it seems to be tougher to keep off the unwanted pounds. There is only one solution: Eat Less Food.

Bye for now...

I'm Back Down Around 185 Pounds

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the weight scale weighing in at 185.6-pounds.
Yesterday I weighed in at 185.2-pounds.
The day before I weighed in at 185.0-pounds.

Well, why no continuous weight loss? Umm, I ate food, and more food.

I have been working so much, and so many hours that I just couldn't keep blogging.

Yesterday I had a day off so I decided to go fishing. Yes, yesterday I caught the big ones.
I caught a very large cat fish which pulled my rod into the water and took it 100 yards out to sea. I called my uncle who brought out a plastic boat to the lake. He retrieved the meandering cat fish, and my rod. It was pitch black out. I had a lighted bobber that my uncle followed out to the cat fish. He pulled up the fish, the fishing line, and my brand new fishing rod. Whew...
Then I caught a 26 inch Northern Pike. He gave me a fight.

Now, they both are fish fillets waiting to become a meal.

So, I had fun.

Bye for now...