Drunk Woman, And A Come On

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.2-pounds.
That's down from yesterday.

Last night when I got in from work I decided to weigh myself. I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183.4-pounds.

That's holding the line. It's not where I want to be, but it's better than it's been the last couple of weeks.

Tomorrow may not be so good though. I had a big lunch. I ate a 9 inch sub-sandwich, potato chips, a macaroni salad, and a large 3 1/2 inch peanut butter cookie. This blew out the calorie count for today.

I won't gain fat, but that food will be sitting in my gut when I weigh in tomorrow morning.

She Told Me Don't Even Try, Just Enjoy Life
On Sunday night I got stuck in Lincoln Illinois. It's a town just North of Springfield, Illinois. It was around 10 PM and I was sitting at a computer in a hotel lobby. Some woman came in from a wedding that she had attended and thought she'd flirt with me at the computer.

She'd been drinking, so I must have looked pretty appetizing to her sitting there minding my own business. She came up from my behind and read out loud what I was writing on the blog. She said, "Is it too late to lose those pounds?" She said, "Honey give it up, we're both too old to lose any pounds. Sit back and enjoy life." By now she had moved over to my right side and began pressing into my right arm and shoulder. I looked up and smiled at her and said, "What are you talking about?" She said, "What are you reading there?" I told her it's not too late to lose weight, this is my blog and I am writing it.

I said, "This is my writing." She got intrigued. And began pressing more into me as she leaned over to read what I was writing. It's a shame I only look good when they are drunk.

I told this brazen woman that I lost 60 pounds. She asked, "How'd you do it, I'd like to lose 30 pounds?" I told her eat less food. She said, "that seems like such a simple answer. " Then she said, "that's sounds like common sense. " She wanted to know what eating less food means.
I told her, "Eat less food. Use portion control."

As I was engaging in conversation with this woman who was obviously interested in me, and was pressing against me, her husband screamed at her to come along. Phew...

Before she left being startled by her now angry husband she asked, "Does this mean do I have to give up my beer?" I said no, "Drink the beer, and skip the meals."

She left, and followed after her husband who gave me a dirty look. Hey, I didn't do anything. Besides, jealous husbands don't scare me, I would eat that old man for breakfast if I had to.

I run into people in all sorts of situations. They all seem to want to lose weight. The truth be known, they don't want to give up their food, their beer, or anything else.

Why bother asking the question, if you aren't serious about taking action? In her case, she should take life easy, and forget about losing weight.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

No Weight Today, Sorry....

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at ????
Sorry, I don't have the numbers right now..

Today I was in the hotel lobby. There was one of those help yourself buffets out. There was the usual food fair. There were sugared up cereals, cinnamon rolls, muffins, eggs, biscuits and gravy, and yogurts.

When I woke up this morning I was unbelievably hungry. I had to find some food to eat. So, I ate at this buffet in the lobby.

I picked out some foods to eat. I had to restrain myself and keep in mind that I must eat smaller portions. I am on a mission to get down to 180-pounds.

As I sat eating, I watched a small girl that couldn't have been more than four years old throw a hissy fit. She saw some people in the swimming pool. She spied a young girl that was swimming and she went into a tizzy.

She screamed at her mom, and then stomped her little pink cowboy boots then yelled at her mom. It's not fair mom, they get to go swimming and we can't.

Her mom told her no, that they have to go. Fortunately her mother didn't give in to her crying daughter. It wouldn't have been good.

But, how many times are we like this little girl. We see other people out eating, and drinking, and we want the same things. We are trying to lose weight. We, can't eat what we see other people eating.

I wrote this little limerick to illustrate my thoughts.

I saw a little girl today.
She wasn't more than four.
She wore a pretty pink dress, and pink cow boy boots.
And she was cute as a button for sure.

She saw someone having what she couldn't have.
She got a fit of jealousy, and she went on a tare.
This little four year old girl became a little storm.

As her momma tried to make her do what she was supposed to do.
The little girl demanded that she'd have her way.
The momma looked at her and said we've got to go.
She said I made a mistake and made you a promise that I can't keep.
You're just gonna have to live with it there's nothing that I can do.

The little girl threw a fit and she cried it's not fair.
Momma you made a promise, why can't we swim?
She yelled out that I want to go in.
She stomped her little pink boots and demanded her way

Finally the momma she'd had enough.
Her smile turned to anger and she got a stern look.
She told the little girl you better give up.
If you want to have your swim lessons when we get home,
You better give up or you won't get that.
The little girl insisted she wanted her way.

Finally her mama just said.
Don't stomp your boots at me.
Don't yell at me.
Don't tell me what you're going to do.
You better do as I say.

As I stood there looking at the buffet.
I saw a little boy in cow boy boots.
He was an older man, but he hadn't grown up.
He still thought he could have his way.

He looked around the room and saw all the food.
He saw people eating anything they liked.
His hunger built up inside as he fought with himself.
He new he shouldn't eat any more but he still wanted to.
He had to go to war with that little boy.

I stomped my shoes and I cried out for more food.
I said it's not fair.
I am the one that gets fat.
I want more sweet rolls.
I want more cereal.
It's not fair, It just ain't fair.

Finally a voice inside told me.
Don't stomp your cow boy boots at me.
Do yell at me.
Don't tell me it's not fair.
You know what to do.
Your mamma's not here to tell you what to do
Don't your cow boy boots at me
You know what to do

I felt a little shame, as I put back down the sweet roll
I knew there wasn't anything that I could do
I knew it's not fair that I'm getting fat
But mama's not here to tell me what to do

Don't stomp your cow boy boots at me.
Don't yell at me.
Don't tell me what you want do.
You know what to do.
You better get a grip on yourself.
Even though you know it's not fair.

Mamma's not here to tell you what to do.

Number counter when I posted: 3642

Bye for now...


And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Hello weight losing fans...

I don't have a lot of time to post. Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184-pounds.

That's up from yeaterday. It's because I had a late night meal.

I'll be up tomorrow too. I had a large chinese dinner this evening.

Bye for now...

That's the way it is...I'm David Dane

No Time To Talk, Holding Steady Though

Hello weight losing fans...

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

That's only 3-pounds from my maintenance weight. It's no where near what I want. I am hoping someday to be around 160-pounds.

Some people say that's too skinny. Well, I have 20 pounds of flab on my tummy that says differently. The problem is my body has said, "Umm, 180 is it bud." I have been restricting calories, cutting the sweets, and still here I am.

I haven't got more time to write. I have to be on my way.

Counter since this post: 3600

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Someone Might Take My Advice, We'll See

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183.4-pounds.
That's up some from yesterday.

Finally Someone May Take My Advice
For the last two days I wrote about a woman who I worked with. She wanted advice about how I lost 60-pounds. I wrote her a page of advice.

She said she appreciated the advice and decided she was going to try to lose weight.
I thought, "Good, someone finally believes me."
Now, I will know the next time I see her if she really meant what she said.

Good intentions don't get the job done. It's the actions someone takes after the thought that produce results, good or bad. This woman can say all day long she wants to lose weight. She won't lose weight until she puts the thoughts and intentions into action.

Unless she cuts back her food consumption, and unless she alters some of the foods she eats regularly, she will never lose weight. She will continue to gain weight.

Here is why: She eats too much for her own survival. She probably eats too many carbohydrates particularly sweets like sugar.

If she doesn't change her food consumption, then everything she told me was all smoke. Her words will drift away on the breeze.

It's the thought: I must lose weight + the action: Eating less food, that get the results.

She can even take the action without the thought. She can lose weight without intending to. But, it's all going to depend on the restriction of food consumption.

I can lock someone away in a room and feed them under the door food and water. If they get hungry enough they'll eat what I put under the door. They will lose weight if I restrict that food.
Now, will they be healthy when I do it? Not necessarily.
But you get my point.

The same goes for you. You can intend to lose weight all day long. You can think about losing weight until the cows come home. It's only when you take the necessary steps of reducing down your food portions, that you will start losing weight.

You might hope to lose weight. You might dream of losing weight. You might think you will. The reality is what is the continuous action you are taking to achieve that weight loss?

It's an minute-by-minute-process. It goes from minutes, to hours, to days, to weeks, of taking continuous action. The action is not putting more in your mouth and swallowing it. The action is eating different foods than you probably do.

Someone told me the other day, "I'm a junk food junkie." I thought, "OK, in twenty years we'll see you in the cardiac-ward of the emergency room."

His action is eating the wrong food. He may not be eating to much for his metabolism for now. However, as he ages, it will catch up to him. He'll be like so many men with their fat guts, and flabby bottoms walking down the street.

What about you? I can't believe you'd read this far. But, let's just say you did. What will you do to finally convince yourself that it's time to change course, and take action.

How much weight should you lose to be the appropriate height and weight? Do you know? Do you even care?

For me: It took falling backwards down a stair case when I lost my balance. It took not being able to button my pants, or my collar. It took knees that were collapsing out from under me, to finally convince me that I was in serious trouble.

The alarms were sounding around me when my family members, one-after-another fell victim to adult-onset-diabetes.

What will it take for you? Are the alarms sounding, and you are ignoring them?

Number counter when I posted: 3576

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Your Body Responds To What You Eat

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183-pounds.
That's down from yesterday. It's still 3-pounds over my maintenance target of 180-pounds.
That's not so bad.

I have so much that I want to write about lately. I don't have enough time to do it. It's because of my schedule. I have been working long days, and many days without time off. Ugh...
I have to slip into the library when I can.

Yesterday I wrote about a woman who told me she was a "Fat Cow." Those are her own words. Like her, I keep running into people who want to lose weight. They complain to me that they are gaining weight. They can't face up to the real truth that they are gaining weight only because of one thing: They eat more than they need to survive.

This seems to be the common thread of every person I talk to. They are gaining weight. They don't like what they see in the mirror. They don't like how they feel. Only, even though they have all this bad news showing up with their own bodies, they really don't want to do anything about it.

Here is why, they have to give up their food. (I mean voluntarily.) Yes, they have to give up the jelly donuts for breakfast. They have to give up the super sized French Fries. They have to give up that big hamburger everyday. They have to quit eating those bowls of ice cream late at night.

Yes the thought of cutting back on our food for many people is a frightening experience. It's an arduous decision to make, and then put into action. Keeping oneself on a specific program of food consumption for a long period of time is hard. Most people don't have the self discipline to do it.

And I see this with people from all realms of life here in America, and with many people from other countries too. I see it with people who should really be watching their weights, that is the military. People are getting fat, and fatter.

This isn't any great revelation. It's all over the news now. A day doesn't go by that we don't hear something about obesity in the news. A day doesn't go by that some "Do Gooder" on the news doesn't suggest that the government should have laws for we the fat people.

Hey, the government can't make you thin. All the government can do is take your money by force, take your property, and steal your rights.

You have the right to eat what you want. You have the right to eat until your heart's content. Only, are you abusing yourself in the process?

Why should we wait for some Nazi bureaucrat to decide that the local Ice Cream parlor should be closed down? Why should we wait for someone to pass a law that only certain people can eat ice cream? I kid you not, it can happen.

Disbelief Is Part Of The Problem
Many people who struggle with their weight are filled with disbelief. They don't believe that their being overweight will ever cause some future health problem. I've seen this with my family members who are now diabetic.

When I was in the military, I had to maintain a certain weight. If I didn't; I could get flagged from reenlistment. I did get flagged. This seems so unfair. But, being in the military is actually a very physical job. I had to be thin just so I could do my job.

(By the way, today the military would take me in a heart beat, and ship me off to a war somewhere.)

I had to maintain my weight. I had to make a continuous effort to shed unwanted pounds. When I left the military, that all changed. Now, I hadn't completely given up on the idea that I should keep my weight off. I did fill up with disbelief that I could ever do anything about it.

Because of my disbelief, I began gaining weight. I didn't believe that I could do anything reasonable to lose weight. I had watched my mother who was in a weight loss group most of her adult life fail. I had gotten the idea that writing down a menu of food consumption, daily weight monitoring, and food portions, didn't work. This is because I had seen someone that was so close to me fail in her attempts to lose weight.

I like, so many people, had been indoctrinated by the poor commentary from the news, "Diets don't work."

As a result of the bad press, I had become filled with disbelief. Well, I found out that many people who say they want to lose weight never really tried. Let's face the truth here. If you don't have a serious health issue, like diabetes, a tumor, or Cushings syndrome, or something that actually causes weight gain, then what is your excuse?

If you have a normal heart beat, and aren't seriously ill, then what is keeping you from losing the weight? I'm not scorning you. I am trying to get you to ask yourself the same question. Why are you gaining weight?

What has filled you with disbelief in your situation that you don't want to remedy it? I can't get into your head. You have to get into your own head.

One and a half years ago I was 240-pounds. Today I am at 183-pounds. If you'll look at the side bar, you'll see I've gotten lower than that.

I was filled with disbelief. It took some dramatic events to stimulate my thinking and make me wonder if there isn't something reasonable that can be done about this weight? I asked the question, and began exploring for an answer.

Here is the answer to your weight: You eat too much food. That's it period.
Your body is responding to the amount of food you keep putting in your mouth.
Your body is responding to those little pieces of candy you keep popping into your mouth throughout the day.
Your body is responding to those late night bags of popcorn.
Your body is responding to those big glasses of soda pop.
Your body is responding to those big glasses of juice with lunch.
Your body is responding to that cake for dessert last night.
Your body is responding to that big juicey steak for dinner.
Your body is responding to every little bite of food or drink that you put in your mouth and swallow.

The only way you aren't going to get fat is if you are being some neurotic that sticks his/her finger down throat to vomit up your food.

Now that's a gross thought. Only, you are doing something to yourself that will eventually catch up to you. You are stressing your body out when day-in-and-day-out you over eat. As a result the body reacts. You, nor I, get to pick the results we are going to get when we continuously eat, and eat.

Yes, you're fat. Now, are you going to admit that it's no one's fault but yours? No one stuffed you with food. No, one told you eat that 12 inch sub sandwich. No one told you to drink that big shake. No one made you eat all that food at the company picnic.

Oh, that's right, you don't eat that much? Are you sure you don't eat too much?

Number counter when I posted: 3547

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Obese, Or Just A Fat Cow? Which Sounds Better?

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 183.4-pounds. That's up one pound from yesterday.

Two days ago a friend of mine, a woman, asked me how did I lose so much weight? She asked me what she could do to lose weight like I did. In her own words she said she's a "Fat-Cow."

Part of her problem was she was a long time smoker. She managed to quit smoking. Hurray! Since she has an addictive personality, she went from one addiction to another addiction: FOOD.

I told her the reason she's gaining weight is because she lost her appetite suppressor, which was the cigarettes. Food also tastes better now because she doesn't have the cigarettes masking the flavour of food. So, she's been troubled by two real physical phenomenon that is associated with cigarettes. Then the third issue is her need was, and still is, psychological. She has to have something to comfort herself. The food is her comfort.

Since she quit using the cigarettes, she has gone from this slender woman to what she would call a "Fat-Cow." Yeah, better that than emphysema at 60 like my dad suffered with, and died from.

I wrote a page of instructions for her. These instructions are pretty much what I have been writing in my blog.

It begins with a personal admission that I am overweight. "I am a fat cow." Now repeat that to yourself five times a day. The only way to discover this fact is to be objective, vs being subjective. There has to be a standard to measure against. The standard is a certified weight and height table. This is the only way any one can be realistic about what constitutes being overweight.

And so far, I haven't found any height and weight charts that have a "fat-cow scale." They have a range that called OBESE. Honestly I don't know which sounds worse, Fat-Cow, or Obese.

See that lady over there? She's Obese!
See that lady over there? She's a fat-cow!

Which sounds worse to you? They both seem insulting in sound.

Here let's really put some zing in the insult. Hey lady...You fat-obese-cow.

Off the topic of this woman, my cousin weighs in at 114-pounds. Last year I weighed her at 115.4-pounds. That was with her clothes on. She will tell you she is fat. NO, she's not. But, because she has the typical stretching marks that woman experience after having children, she thinks she looks fat.

This is typical of many woman. They are subjective about their weights, based on appearance.

Back on topic, this woman I wrote the page for has admitted she's overweight. Only, it's based on physical appearance. She hasn't even looked at a chart to see what a reasonable weight for her physical body is.

She may only have to lose 20-30 pounds. This might put her back into the range of a reasonable body weight for a woman with her physical build. She is what I consider a heavy build for a woman. I can look at her wrists, and the ankles, and see they are thick. Her hands are not thin and petite like many woman's are. She is actually what I would consider a woman who would be normal in around the 140-pounds range. This is because she has the heavier bone structure.

Now, how much weight should she lose? I don't know. But, it may not be as much as she thinks.

And for her to not look at her weight loss practically, and totally objectively, is a poor way to judge herself.

Next I wrote that she has to begin monitoring her weight everyday. Yep, some people would say that's so discouraging to do. It's only discouraging if you take losing weight personally. I don't take my weight loss personally. Many people do though, especially woman.

I made a whole list of instructions for her, to include; only attempting to lose one-pound a week. Any more may mean she is losing muscle mass. Losing muscle mass only makes it worse. This might mean she could be effecting her heart muscle, and other vital organs.

Will she make an honest attempt to lose weight? I don't know. I can't speak for anyone else. And, I have learned, most people don't care one wit what I have to share about losing weight.

I have a successful weight lose program for anyone to follow. Here it is: "EAT LESS FOOD."

There, ya-gotta-love-it.

It's not easy to do. I kid you not, my obcession with losing weight has been a full time process. Yes, I am even dreaming about it at night. It's so weird.

Number counter when I posted: 3515

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Diet Trouble? Ask What Happened? Take It From There

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 182.4-pounds. That's getting closer to that 180-target weight that I was supposed to be maintaining. Hardy, Har, Har... Fat chance....

And, I have developed over this one year and a half of weight loss a bit of skepticism. In other words, I've learned anything can go wrong. Once we think we've locked it down, and secured our position, "Human Nature" takes over and screws up the results. It's true with me, and it just may be true with you.

For a while there I reversed course and started heading backwards by regaining the weight faster than I could get it off in the beginning. Yes, I tipped that Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale one morning back at 190-pounds. Not so long ago that was. Oh the shame... Oink...

OK, OK now that we've all shared in the needless guilt tripping, and the self pity, let's get down to a fix for the problem.

First what started the backwards trend? I started into the maintenance mode. I decided I didn't like eating skimpy, wimpy meals three or four times a day, and upped the calorie consumption. In my case I tried to stay at 2,000 calories a day. (Well, maybe it was 3,000. Just kidding.)

What was my disposition? Umm, anything goes is what I thought. Big mistake that was. There are still foods that are better left uneaten in my case. Oh pooh...

What did I do that wasn't normal? I was having trouble sleeping all night long. I decided that it was attributable to the caffeine coffee that I drink. So, I quit drinking all caffeine products cold- turkey. Another mistake that was. My body had become dependent on that little zip the caffeine gave me each day. It decided it was going to rebel. Here is what my body said, "You jerk, you took away my one drug. Here, watch what I do to you fat boy." "Here have a big fat headache. Here have some extra pounds instantaneously there." Poof, I started blowing up, even at 2,000 calories per day.

Caffeine in many cases is a diuretic. In other words, it causes us to lose fluids. I don't know if that's healthy or unhealthy.

Lesson learned, slowly quit that caffeine. Yes, go down slowly, or you'll see some weird stuff happen. I did.

What changed my course in the right direction? This is a two part answer. One: I monitor my weight most everyday. I knew I was getting into trouble.
Second: I had to go back to where I came from. In my case one day I got lucky and purchased 15 banguet TV dinners at $10.00. I ate those dinners morning noon and night. This discipline gave me the right perspective about what constitutes a portion size that I can eat. I took it from there.

Here is the sad part of this success story: I am back to eating small portions of meat, and potatoes, and other things. Ugh... I don't enjoy it.

I have had to go back to 1,500-1,600 calories total food consumption a day. Argh... I don't like it.

I have almost completely eliminated sweets from my diet. Monday, last week, I had the two sweet rolls that came in at 220 calories each, an apple, and a banana. Later I had a TV dinner, and some more fruit. That was it for the day. Tuesday I had my last real sweet. It was a chocolate shake. That's been it for the sweets since then.

Lately I have been eating around 3-4-5 ounces of meat per meal, some fruit, green vegetables, and maybe a slice of bread, or a dab of some starch like rice or potato. But, that's all I have been eating. Oh foohey.....

Here is what I am saying: "We don't have the luxury of eating everything and anything we want to eat." The sad truth is we are on the edge of fat and thin. I am. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

That's just the way it is though. I guess I better get used to it.

There are worse things in life to deal with. Only, this is something I will have to deal with every hour, of everyday for the rest of my life.

You will too...

And, I don't like to be nauseatingly repetative here. But, it does come down to, "What we are is what we eat."

Yep, I will write it again, "Eat Less Food." Drat, I knew he'd write that.

Hey, I didn't make this up. It's nothing I invented. I just am telling you the one darned thing no one wants to hear, or read: EAT LESS FOOD.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane.

Sizing Portions? Eat Less? Oh, Don't Be Ridiculous

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 184.6-pounds.

Today I was talking to two woman up at the YMCA camp for children.
They had offered me to eat some of the remaining egg, and ham muffins, and hash browns that were in a box. I declined the offer telling the ladies that I can't eat the muffins, or hash browns.

They were curious, "Why one asked?" I told her that I had lost sixty pounds, and now was on my last twenty pounds. She immediately said, "Oh no, you'd be too skinny. Why would you do that?"
I said it's because I have 20-pounds of fat here on my stomach. To which she said, "Oh, it's only about 5-pounds, and you can work that off with exercise."

I tried to explain that it doesn't work that way. Needless to say I couldn't convince her or the woman sitting next to her that it really does matter how big the food portions sizes are, and how much any person eats in a day that ultimately effects weight gain, or loss.

Hey, you are going to run into people like this. These are the experts. They know what they know, don't you know? Now, I am the one who lost sixty pounds. But, do you think anyone really cares how I did it?

Of course they don't.

For me, it was the portions sizes that mattered. When I cut down my total food consumption, then a miracle happened, I lost weight.

And, the proof is happening now again. I have lost more weight recently after having gained back about 10 or so pounds.

Don't listen to the outsiders who offer their advice. Here is why, they don't even take their own advice. The one woman I talked to, she was real skinny herself. The other woman in the conversation was a big heavy woman. So neither of them could really talk.

Ignore people, do what you gotta do for you.

Bye for now....

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Pretty Face And A Big Fat Can

Hello weight losing fans...

Yesterday I was unable to post on my blog. I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale yesterday morning weighing in at 185.6-pounds.

This morning I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.4-pounds. When I got home from work this evening I stepped up onto the scale weighing in at 184-pounds.

That may not be the same tomorrow morning. I had to eat dinner. I fried up two chicken breasts that were about 140 calories each, and tossed in a can of green beans. Then before I pulled the whole mess out of the WOK, I tossed in 1/4 cup of cheap red wine. Of course I threw spices like ginger in on top of the mess in the WOK too. Umm, what a delicious meal. It hit the spot.

The one draw back of eating tonight will be that tomorrow that mess will be sitting in my gut. It may show on the scale. Oh well.

I Saw A Pretty Woman That Was Shaped Like A Pear
Yesterday I stopped at a gas station to buy a diet soda pop. When I got to the check out counter, I saw a woman who was fairly tall for a woman, she was my height: 5'10". She had incredibly blond hair, no dark roots. When she turned sideways I was hit by her incredibly blue eyes, and creamy smooth skin. I looked and said to myself my God,"This is one incredibly pretty woman."

She had a problem: She was wide in the can. I mean this lady was wide at the hips. She was beefy in her arms and shoulders too. I looked carefully to see if maybe she was a woman body builder. Nope she had the marbling on her arms that showed she was collecting fat in her arms. Her dimensions on the can were way wide, compared to the rest of her body. She was fat.

Here was this irresistible beauty-queen with the same issue that 50-percent-plus of we Americans struggle with: she had an eating problem.

Why am I mentioning her? Why would anyone care? Well, I saw what she purchased for lunch. This gave me one small clue as to why she may look like this. She purchased a bag of Jalapeno Flavored Potato Chips along with a diet coke. (Go figure.)

She in her mind may have been thinking, "This isn't a lot of food." And she, probably ate that bag of chips thinking this wasn't a real big lunch. Oh, ho, I beg to differ. My curiosity peaked, and I went walking through the store looking for that bag of chips on the shelf.

I found the bag of flavored potato chips and examined the label on the back. It said: One serving-140 calories-3.5 servings per bag. This means that one bag of chips was 490 calories.

OK, so what? Well, I asked myself, "How many people will eat something like this and think they haven't eaten that much?"

Let's examine what happens when someone eats only carbohydrates and sugars for their meals. It's simple: The body converts all carbohydrates and sugars into glucose.
The cells absorb the glucose into the blood stream.
The body secretes insulin to absorb and utilize the glucose in the blood stream.
When the body has too much glucose it keeps pumping insulin into the blood stream.
When the body goes day-in-and-day-out with too much insulin in it's blood stream, then it develops what is called insulin immunity.
The body begins looking for ways to dispose of the excessive glucose that it can't use at the moment, and it begins having a serious problem with insulin intolerance.
It takes the excess glucose and begins storing it as fat on the vital body parts.
For woman, this is usually around the buttocks, and the thighs, and portions of the legs. From there it puts the fat onto the back of woman's arms.
For men, the fat begins being deposited onto the stomach in front.
From there men will see the fat on the sides.

Next the body begins to develop what is called insulin immunity.
This is the point where the body's insulin becomes ineffective in breaking up glucose in the blood stream.
Now, the body in a panic begins to deposit excessive sugars as fat on all the parts of the body.

Many people who are fat actually struggle with a form of insulin immunity.
This of course is a simplified version of what happens.

Now back to that beauty queen. Her is a woman that obviously likes things like potato chips. She knows in her heart that she shouldn't eat that much food. So, my guess is she purchased a bag of potato chips, not knowing that she was adding to those wide hips.

She would be far better off going for the beef jerky at the counter and eating that. She would be far better off serving up higher portions of meat and cutting out those carbohydrates.

Ultimately she would be better off eating less food. She would have done far less damage if she would have purchase a bag of apples.

Like all junk food junkies, we crave what's not good for us.

I wish I could have talked to her and found out what she eats regularly. I am curious how someone gets like this. She would have been modeling material if she were 50 pounds leaner.
She had the genes, but did she have the brains?

We'll never know.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

A Fist Full Of This, And A Fist Full Of That: Those Unintended Calories

Hello weight losing fans...


Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.8-pounds.

Today I was sitting in the kitchen playing my guitar. I saw this large metal can that's been sitting in the kitchen since Christmas. I was given this large can of flavored popcorn as a present. I left it sealed and it just sits unopened. It's Carmel corn, cheese corn, and some other flavor of corn. I turned the can over and looked for a calorie count.


The label said: 1 serving-1/4 cup-140 calories. This 1/4 cup is about one-closed-fist-full of popcorn. That's not a lot of popcorn.


It makes me wonder how many people would have opened that can and chowed down not knowing that with 10 fists of popcorn they would have consumed almost 1,500 calories of food.


Isn't this the way it is with everything we eat? Someone will give us a can of Carmel corn, Tostitos, potato chips, or any other snack food, and then we chow it down. We don't even consider that in that small bag may be our meal.

It only takes blind eating, and fists full of this, and then fists full of that to add those missing calories to our diet that make us blow up like Good-Year-Blimps. It only takes drinking some sugared up lemonade, or iced tea, or cans of soda, to add those missing calories that cause us to become nominees for Porker-Of-The-Year.

Blind eating, and blind drinking...by not paying closer attention to what it is that we eat, we set ourselves up for that fat farm.

I'm so sorry that I have to be so blunt about it. But it's true. We don't have any idea what we are doing to ourselves.

Yes, it only takes just a little bit of extra food to push us over the edge. Then one day we'll wake up and see our clothing has shrunk. Then we have to buy more clothes.

I have a lot of blue jeans. I have at least 10 pair that I can't fit into properly. It's because now they are way too large. They fit on me like potato sacks. Some of the jeans are still new with labels on them. I have to give them away or try to sell them at a garage sale.

If I had been more convinced before that it really was just a matter of watching my portion sizes, maybe I wouldn't have gained the weight back when I lost it before.

This is really what it's all about when it comes to maintaining our weight. It's the portion sizes.
If we think we can keep eating those hefty meals everyday, then we are only fooling ourselves.

We really don't need a Jenny Craig, or some other diet food company to prepare meals for us. We can do our own food portioning.

We only need about three to four ounces of protein per meal. We really need more vegetables than we usually consume. We can get away with two or three cups of green vegetable per meal.
We can't eat all that much starches like, bread, potatoes, chips, etc. Those portions of starches better be small, especially if they are processed, because they are loaded with calories.
We need some fat.

Over all, we don't really have to have the size portions of food we have all become so accustomed to eating. We have to cut back. If you are intent on losing weight, perhaps you'll have to cut way back.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane


Bye for now.

It's Been A Long Two Days, I'm Too Tired To Write

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing ?????
I had my scale in my car ready to go and forgot to bring it with me to Minneapolis.

These last two days have been long. I am going home to soak in the bathtub. I can't eat anymore today because I had a whopper, small French Fries, diet soda, and a small chocolate shake for lunch. Honestly, right now, I am not hungry.

I am going home, taking a bath, then going to bed.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Compare Those Food Calories: You'll be surprised

Hello weight losing fans...

Yesterday I was unable to post. Here is yesterday's weight: 186-pounds.

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.6-pounds. That's down some.

This morning I was driving home from my cousin's home in Wisconsin. She didn't have anything to eat for me. She lives like "Old Mother Hubbard." It's unfortunate but she struggles for every penny.

Anyway, I was trying to figure out what to eat. I stopped at Walmart. I purchased a large apple, a bundle of bananas, and a box of Little Debbie Honey Rolls.

I looked at the box and read the calorie count. Wow, for a little danish that is 3 inches, by 3 1/2 inches, and 1/2 inch thick, this little thing packed a whopping 220 calories. Yes, it's safe to say, that with something like that it would be easy to over consume our calorie counts. That is if we count calories at all.

On the other hand I was getting ready for work and decided that I should eat something before I leave. I put in a TV dinner. It was three small slices of turkey, a small blob of mashed potatoes, and 1/3 cup of peas. The box said this whole meal was only 240 calories.

Look at the difference between a small cinnamon roll, and a turkey TV dinner. The dinner is better for me because it provides a rounded meal. Only, it's so skimpy.

If I you are going to lose weight, then you'll have to take a hard look at the food you consume. You may not think you ate a lot of calories of food, but for you, it may have been way too many.
This is why over the years you have seen your pants for the men, and dresses for the ladies shrinking. Or, the clothes aren't shrinking, you're only getting bigger? Which is it?

Yes, it's that old thing again: "You are what you eat." You eat too much. It shows. Hey, I'm not the one eating all the stuff, you are. Don't blame me.

The solution: "Eat less food."

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

I Don't Eat That Much: I Only Have To Lose Ten Pounds

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.6-pounds. That's the same as yesterday.

Someone once said real genius is being a good copy cat. In other words do, or say what's been successful in the past. Chances are good, all things being equal, you'll be able to duplicate the results. If they are good results, then the odds are real good you'll get good results.

Well, I'm stealing a comment again and posting it:

"You are so right about not being aware of how much food we do eat...it's quite surprising once a person keeps track.The advantage to keeping track is that seeing the number on paper is limiting in itself....sort of shock therapy...as in "it's hard to believe I've eaten that much".Without keeping track there is no way to really stay balanced as in eating the amount we need for weight maintenance or loss."

This was a comment posted sometime between me posting yesterday, and today. Here is someone who has been, like me, through the gauntlet with the weight loss phenomenon. She has a pretty good idea what people wrestle with. She isn't pretentious either. She doesn't pretend as if she has all the answers. Straight forward she is. So I swiped her comment and posted it.

Yesterday I wrote that we have an out of whack perception about food. This could really be true with a lot of things. It could be an out of whack perception about the amount of alcohol consumed. It could be an out of whack perception about our relationships. We see it one way, but the reality is another way. And the results speak for themselves.

In our case, we the preponderant ones (fat butts), our results: are we are brimming over the edge of our pants, as in the case of many men? For you ladies, that dress you once wore isn't fitting anymore because you can't squeeze into it. All sorts of results show themselves, as in lack of energy, huffing and puffing up the stairs, looking in the mirror and seeing the edges of your body disappear off the edges of the mirror.

We start to feel the effects of being overweight in many different ways, yet even so, we go into denial that there may be something wrong here. Over and over warnings are issued about the results of being over weight. Over and over the warnings go out that eating wrong isn't healthy. Yet, we ignore them.

Now, I'm not big on the liberal press and their alarmist behavior. Many of these people are reactionary, and think they have to be. But, some of what's being broadcast on the news about obesity isn't so far fetched. I just don't agree with their solutions: Government Intervention, laws, and regulations.

What I am writing is are we ignoring the obvious? What makes you think that just because today you are only 10 pounds over weight that you aren't heading into the unknown obis of being grossly over weight? I did.

I did care about my weight, only I fell short in a solution. I tried the doctor Atkins's diet. I had great results for a while. Then back the weight came. And it came faster than it did before.

My solution came, and I will make it short and sweet, "Eat less food." Oh, you don't eat that much? Hmmm, your belly tells me different. I see with my eyes something contrary to what you are telling me with your mouth.

Oh, I'm not saying that you might not have something wrong with your glands. You might. But, for about 95% of us out their our problem isn't a health issue, it's an eating issue.

Don't think I like thinking about it either. Don't think I like eating a small portion of meat, a piece of bread, and some vegetables, then pushing myself away from the table.

The reality is, we eat too much. We eat the wrong stuff, and now it's showing.
I can't put it any other way. I just can't.

I like my jelly donuts, I like the cinnamon buns. I want to be able to pop some food into my mouth and not worry about the results. The truth is I can't. It only leads to disaster.


Try This Experiment
Go to the local store and buy a note book. Carry it with you. Every time you eat something, or drink something write it down. Try to compare the portion size to something familiar like a deck of cards, or a tennis ball, or an ice cream scoop size. Try to be realistic and fair with everything you eat and drink.

Do this for a week. Then see if what you are telling us, more importantly what you are telling you, is the truth. Just be honest for this short time. Are you really not eating that much food?

Well, all I had today was a slice of Lasagna. Yeah, but how big was that slice, and how many layers thick was it with cheese and pasta?

Oh, I only had a chocolate donut for breakfast. Yeah, what did you eat all the rest of the day?

What did you drink? Did you ever consider the incredible amount of calories in that large glass of orange juice you just drank? Did you ever consider that glass of orange juice ranks up there with the top ten no, nos on the glycemic charts? Yeah, it's loaded with pure sugar that spikes up the insulin levels real fast. You might just as well get a sugar injection with that. It's about the same thing.

Well, I only had two 20 ounce bottles of soda today. Ahem, that's 300 calories a bottle for a whopping 600 empty, empty calories. This really ranks up there with bozo no, nos on the glycemic index. Let's just get you an IV bottle and hang it for a daily intravenous injection there. Phew.

Well David you're just being a Nazi about food here aren't you? Ah, wait a minute. I'm just trying to make a point. I'm not telling you what to do. Just consider the possibility that you might have a problem.

I have a family member, who is extraordinarily good with people. He landed in the right job, and fits well. He makes a huge salary as a result. Only, he has a serious blind spot. No amount of convincing him will get him to accept that he is grossly over weight. Yes he's big boned. Yes, he has a lot of muscle. He is a physical horse. But, when he takes his shirt off the flab hangs, and I mean it hangs. He won't see the truth, nor will his spouse. Safe to say she doesn't look any better. She also smokes like a factory chimney. Which isn't good.

I am not writing that when we lose weight, we will now be eligible to be models in glamour magazine. Golly, I'm not close. However, I am writing there comes a point when we have to realize we aren't in real good shape if the jello hangs out of our britches. My jello was hanging out of the britches. It still does. Even now people say that I have lost enought. Umm, I am the one who sees myself nude in the mirror everyday, not them. It's truly a sight to behold.

As for you, what's it going to take for you to admit that you aren't there with your weight? Should you be 100 pounds instead 140 pounds? Should you be 200 pounds, instead of 300 pounds?

Are you pushing the envelope with your weight? Well, I only have to lose 10 pounds? Are you sure that's all you need to lose? When's the last time you checked? Well, my doctor weighed me and he said I'm OK. Oh, let's see what the charts say. I mean the latest charts. What do the charts say you should be? Is your doctor looking at the chart? Or, is you doctor being polite? He got his fee for service, now he'll wait until the next time.

Since when do doctors know everything? You can see you don't fit into your blue jeans anymore. Short of being a volemic girl who forces herself to vomit, what's your issue?

Oh, there you go David. You're mean. No, that heart attack is mean. That clicking sound on the cash register is mean, while you're buying new clothes that you shouldn't have to. That is if you aren't changing styles. Blue Jeans are blue jeans, do you have to keep buying more like I did? That diagnosis of diabetes is mean. That relationship that's suffering is mean. You don't look so hot anymore.

Oh that's superficial. Yes, we live in a superficial world. And it's you who's not dealing with reality. It's not me. Oh, I have my blind spots. And, I can be lazy. But, about this weight thing, you know I'm right.

I fight this stinking battle everyday, all day. It never ends. It's a constant thing. I hate it. But, finally, after being at it for over 1 1/2 years, I am getting a little used to it. I still crash.
I get up, dust myself off, and go at it some more.

I don't like it, but it's life. It's the cold hard reality. I am a preponderant. I will always be a preponderant. I look different, but the truth is, I could go into reverse and regain it all.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

What's Our Real Perspective On Food? Not So Good

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.6-pounds. Is this the donuts from yesterday showing up on me already? Gee, I don't know.


Our Perspectives About Food Consumption May Be Out Of Whack
This morning I woke up around seven. I wasn't working today. So, I wasn't in any rush to do anything.

I made the morning coffee and sat around for two hours practicing my guitar. What ever good that is. The only reason I play my guitar is because it's my mental and emotional therapy. I am not so good at playing it. But, I do attempt to improve my skill. I have this vision of playing the guitar like a rock and roll star at 80 years old, and being up on the stage having eighty year old ladies pulling their bra's off and tossing them on stage. Ah, what a vision.

I didn't decide to eat any food right away. I waited about two hours or so before I pulled a TV dinner from the freezer. Yep, I had a TV dinner for breakfast.

The box said that the total calories for this meal was 470 calories. Enclosed was a corn dog on a stick, about 1/3 cup of corn kernels, about 10 small chunks of French Fries, and a brownie that was about 1 1/2 inch square. This was the whole meal.

I have written about this before; that these TV dinners don't really have all that much food in them. Well, from my perspective, it's not a lot of food. However, it was just what it said on the box, which is the sum total of around 470 calories.

That's not an unreasonable amount of calories for anyone to consume during anyone meal. That is if someone is trying to lose weight. And, study the guidelines for the American Diabetes foundation, that's about what is recommended for a diabetic to consume for a meal.

Oh, pooh that's not a lot of food at all. How many times have we heard people say, "I don't eat that much food." Then when we look at them, we see they are over weight. It makes me wonder how anyone defines how much food isn't that much food. What are we comparing our food consumption to? Who's standard are we measuring our food consumption by? That is if we are even measuring our food consumption at all.

And in order to be fair, I didn't have a standard for a long time. It was only until I was pushed to the wall with my weight that I finally had to find a standard and make consistent food measurements. I also wonder what will it take for anyone to measure their food intake?

I am convinced when I see a lot of fat people, they really don't care if they are fat. Some aren't even aware they are fat. Many, just don't care anymore. They wait until a crisis comes with their health to make any attempt to lose weight. I was the same way. Truthfully though, I have been trying to lose weight on and off again ever since I was in the U.S. Army for 16 years.

I am proud to say, I am well within the height and weight guidelines for my age. That is if I were still in the military. It took some real effort to get here. It's taking real effort to stay here too.
I'd still like to shave off 20-pounds more.

When I hear someone say, "I really don't eat that much food." I start wondering, what they mean. From my experience, I ate too much food. It's so obvious because when I finally cut back on the "Not So Much Food," I lost weight. I didn't eat "Too Much Food." Said who? On what did I base my thinking? And, on what thinking does any one base their thinking with a statement like, "I really don't eat that much."

OK, you don't eat that much. Why are you starting to get flabby around the gut there mister? Why is your butt and legs so thick lady? What are you eating sawdust?

Honestly, our perspective on food consumption is out of whack. We'll go to the company picnic, chow down on a large scoop of potato salad, eat a hot dog, a hamburger, some coleslaw, a big scoop of baked beans, a few cookies, and then think "we haven't eaten too much." Only, that's too much food. That meal could have been breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We'll wake up in the morning cook up two pieces of toast with butter, two fried eggs, and a few strips of bacon thinking that's not too much food. Well, the toast is 200 calories alone, not including the butter. That bacon is 120 calories, depending on how big those pieces are. The fried eggs are around 80 calories each.

We'll stop at McDonald's and eat an egg, bacon, cheese biscuit, a hash brown, and coffee with two scoops of sugar thinking we didn't eat too much food. Then we'll go to Burger King for lunch, chow down on a Whopper, French Fries, and a Chocolate Shake and say, "that's not too much food."

Day in and day out we eat all this food. We over stuff our digestive tracts with food, and then think we didn't eat too much food.

Take a look at the recommended diet of a diabetic. The meals are so skimpy. But, this is really just about all the food the average person needs to live on.

I was in the book store looking at cook books. There were many books about low carb dieting. Many gave a picture with the recipe. If anyone is paying attention, the potatoes, the bread, and the starches are conspicuously missing from these meals. Even more scary is the recommended portion sizes. Yes, even the low carb diet books have recommended portion sizes. These may be one chicken breast, and a bowl of vegetables along side.

I guarantee anyone who uses the portion sizes recommended in many of these cook books, low carb dieting, or regular carb consumption, they will lose weight. Why? Because he/she will be eating a normal portion size.

What's a normal portion size? For meat, it's around 3 to 4 ounces. For the starch, it could be a small potato, a slice of bread, or 1/3 to 1/2 cup of rice. For a vegetable, if it's green the portion size could be very generous. But, if it's something like a beet, the portions may only be around 1/2 cup.

Like I have written many times before, we must eat less food. That's right, we over eat. This is why we blow up like beach balls. This is why we as Americans are heading for disaster with our health.

Do I recommend using the fat police? Oh, gosh no. But, I do recommend we finally wake up and realize, it's our own fault for blowing out the sides of our blue jeans. No one held a gun to you and said eat, or I will kill you. No, we've been duped by slick advertising, and the easy accessibility of food everywhere we go. We succumb to peer pressure thinking well if everyone else is doing it, I can too.

Our perspective about food is way out of whack. It shows in our society. We are becoming an over weight society. There is only one solution. It's going to be our own personal choice to fix it.

And, what will it take to change? I don't know for you. If you have gotten this far reading this, maybe you are ready to change.

I'll make it easy for you. Today for breakfast, eat a piece of toast with a 2 teaspoons of peanut butter on top. Fry and egg, and eat that. Then eat a couple slices of melon, or half and orange.

For lunch, eat a tortilla rolled with a piece of balogna and cheese inside. Have an apple too.

For dinner eat a broiled chicken breast, half a cup of rice, and a cup of vegetables.

There you go. Are you full? No? Tuff, that's about all you get. That's just about all you need to eat. You are serious about losing weight right? Oh, no? Go ahead eat that big giant donut for breakfast, and that big bowl of cereal. Just eat, and eat, and eat. There you go. Don't forget to burp out loud like a rude pig too.

Bye for now....

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

I Haven't Given Up My Target Weight

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 185.2-pounds. Yes that's down some again. It's only 5.2-pounds away from that 180-pounds that I was supposed to be maintaining. Uh huh, why ain't ya David? Huh...Huh?

Please, I don't care what the public view on this is. I don't lose weight for the masses. I lost the weight for me. Believe me, I still have that 180-pounds in my sights, and I am going to shoot for that 160-pounds.

The reason I managed to step onto the scale this morning at 185.2-pounds was completely unplanned. I had to stop eating by noon time. This is only because I got stuck at work longer than I was supposed to. Then by the time I made it home, it was to late to eat. I went to bed because I was up again this morning at 4:00 AM.

I am off work now. I was passing the local library heading home, and decided to post for this blog. Again I am having to stop eating already today. This is only because I was with a bunch of clients at a bakery in Buffalo Grove. There were these day old donuts and pastries in the display case. I purchased a cinnamon roll, and a cake donut covered in chocolate. I am estimating that the cinnamon roll came in at around 850 to 900 calories. I am estimating the cake donut was 350 calories. Combined with the calories for breakfast, and this blows my food consumption clean out of the water for the day. It's over.

Now, I made that choice. I have written before, if you eat a donut, then that better be all you eat until that next meal. In this case I had a two-fer. So, that's it, it's over.

It's also more carbohydrates than I really should be eating in one meal. Hey, I ate it, and I am not feeling guilty.

I was talking to a woman who was with me at the bakery. She was this late-50-ish lady that was slender as any woman her age could be. She was telling me how she only eats sweets like I ate as a treat on special occasions. This same woman was sitting at a restaurant yesterday eating a salad, and that's it.

I asked her if she is careful with her weight. She said yes. She deliberately eats like a bird. She also said that she has gotten used to eating less. She said she gets overfull easily. Gee, I wish that was my problem.

She asked me how much weight I lost. I told her. She asked don't you get full easily now? I said no, I can keep eating. I really can. I have not gotten used to these bite size meals yet. It's been over 1 1/2 years that I have been at this. Time sure flies.

Well, lucky her. She has figured out how to keep her self slim and trim. Unlike the rest of the woman who were with us, these ladies all had more fat on them than they needed.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be so incredibly disciplined with our food consumption, we'd all be skinny little twigs.

Oh, I am not knocking her. She looks good. She's very rare. I've known her now for four years. So, apparently she isn't destroying herself by under consuming food. Yes, there is such a thing as under consuming food. Just ask Karen Carpenter. Oh, she's dead. Forget it then.
3260

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

The Weight Loss Fascists Are Here

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.2 pounds. That's down a bit from yesterday's weight.

Someone who periodically looks in on my blog posts and makes comments left me one, so I clipped it and posted it today.

This is one upbeat woman. She has a cheerful little blog-site she keeps up. She has some good insight into things about weight. And, for the average woman out there who may be really struggling with her weight, I recommend checking in on her blog. I also recommend posting a comment or a question she can answer for you.

She like me is struggling with that bit of fat that creeps on incrementally with every bite of food. She like me is no longer in those early years of life, and our age has slowed us up a bit. Read something she wrote in the comments:

"Yes---about 600 calories per meal would put you at 1800 calories a day...that should put you in a range to lose and not be so hungry. Sounds like you are getting back on track...we all get weary of the whole process and need a break...you've had your break, and now it's time to bite the bullet again, which you are in process of doing now. No real damage done...it's normal to gain a little when you increase your calorie intake. You'll be back to 180 in no time...staying there is the trick. Life is too short to obsess about a few pounds."

She should know, and I agree with her. We all have those moments in time with our weight losing where we seem to get into suspended animation, and nothing happens with the weight loss. In fact we suddenly seem to go into reverse. I don't know all of the causes. I just don't.
It could be simply as the result of illness.

I have a friend that is ill. He has been diagnosed with hyperglycemia. He has to eat every few hours, or he could die. Yep, his blood sugar could crash and he would just die. And, he has to lose weight. So, just imagine having that problem. I can't. I guess I consider myself lucky or blessed.

I don't have all the answers. I just know so far what has worked for me. That could change. Fortunately I don't wrestle with diabetes, or hyperglycemia. I could have. If I had continued down the road I was on, I may just have turned that corner in diabetes. Some of my family has.

And, I am here to tell you: Folks, it isn't easy losing the weight. Just look at all the people out there who are over weight. For many of them they simply over eat. For some, they may very well be ill. I can't diagnose everyone of them.

The other day I was watching this TV program. There was a woman from "Americans Against Obesity." Yes, she is a lobbyist against obesity. She goes to the Congress of the United States, and to local authorities, and lobbies for laws against obesity. Can you imagine something like that?

Here is this young pretty woman, who is slender and full of herself and she lobbies to have laws against fat people. I have something for her: It's a bullet in her brain. I kid you not. These are the same people who would have fat people starved to death in a camp somewhere. She would kill you, and not think twice. She's a fascist in a woman's suit.

I joke about locking people away in a room. If they can handle it maybe they ought to be by their choice. I would never force anyone to get off the weight. If you want to kill yourself and look ghastly in the process then go ahead.

Listen, you, you, you, have to figure out what's going on with you. You have to get the weight off of you; not some pretty young slim woman who is full of herself. She has nothing better to do but to meddle into the business of fat people.

She herself said that there are many obese people in her own family. Yeah, so what? Welcome to America. It seems to me, that those fat people in her family must have been neurotic too. They spawned her winsome little fascist butt.

I keep trying to warn people: Don't wait until the fascists decide that you're too fat. You aren't going to like what they are going to do to you. Pay attention to your own weight, and for goodness sakes, if you have children, teach them how to take care of themselves. The fascists are here, and they want you gone fatty.

And, I am truly sorry that I have to write that. I am on your side of the weight scale so to speak. I have to wrestle with this weight losing phenomenon. I don't like it either. It is what it is.

I write what I write in an effort to provoke you. Yes, it's emotions that stir us into action. What will stir you? Have you ever asked that question?

Perhaps losing weight won't put you into the top ten list of the world's most beautiful people. Perhaps, it won't win you the love of your life. What it might get you is more mobility. Maybe losing weight will change your personal well being. Isn't that enough? Isn't feeling better good enough?

I lost weight. I am much more mobile than I was. I just feel better. Yes, I do struggle with the hunger. But, I am here to tell you, that hunger isn't nearly as bad as fighting to get up a stair case. So, you figure out the motivation for you. Get off the weight for you.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Exercise To Lose Weight? How About Eating Less Food?

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.4-pounds. See, I told you I am full of the ......... stuff. (You know what I mean.)

So, what's up with this sudden change? It was excessive fluids, and ......... with little bits of corn.

OK, enough of that David, you grossnick....

The other day I went shopping at one of those big discount grocery stores. I happened to find on sale some Banquet TV dinners. They were 15 boxes for $10.00. In this era of rising food prices I jumped at the chance to purchase them. It's a shame I don't have more room in my freezer, or I would buy more today before the sale ends.

These little delicate meals measure in at around 400 to 450 calories a meal. It, of course, depends on what it is I decide to eat. Let me tell you there isn't much food there in that little black tray. Today I had a chicken patty meal. It consisted of a breaded chicken patty, some cream gravy, about 1/3 cup of corn, and about 1/3 cup of mashed potatoes. This was the whole meal.

Honestly, it's not enough food to even start to cut my hunger. In addition to the TV dinner I microwaved up a cup of mixed vegetables. This added about 120 calories to the meal. But, it helps to add bulk to my meal.

I like the TV dinners because they bring me back to a cold hard reality. This is the reality: "Those food calories add up real quick." Especially when I consume starches like potatoes.
I get to look at this skimpy, wimpy meal and think to myself, "That's really just about all I can realistically consume, and still lose weight."

And, unfortunately for you my reader, you too will have to face up to that same cold, hard reality. If you are going to lose weight, then you really have to "Eat Less Food." Ugh... I hate it too.

Now don't think that today I have played completely by the rules. Early this morning, at around midnight, I could not fall asleep. I made the mistake of drinking a cup of coffee in the early evening hours, and that wired me up.

There I was awake and sitting by the patio window watching a torrent of rain coming down. It was wonderful to see and feel, because it took the mugginess out of the air. It smelled so fresh. I love the rushing sound of rain, and the lightning.

Anyway, I was feeling really rumbly in my tumbly. I was flat out hungry. So, I went to the refrigerator to see what might be left inside there. Oh, ho, I saw them sitting there. You guessed it. I had some giant cookies that I had wrapped in plastic, and before now had the will power to leave alone. This morning, I cracked. I grabbed one of the 3 inch diameter chocolate chip cookies.
I took it out of the plastic and put it onto the food scale. I looked in the food guide to see that this hulking cookie was 485 calories. That's right, on that scale was one meal for anyone one person to consume.

I can't believe I ate the whole cookie. I am so ashamed. NOT....!
Well, at least, I'm man enough to admit my sin... Oh, I make myself laugh.

Honestly, I thought what the hey, I've been crashing this long, what's one more day? I'll start over tomorrow. Only, there's still a few more of those cookies sitting in the refrigerator.

My friend and I were discussing my regression in my weight. He seems convinced that I lack the proper strenuous exercise. Yeah, sure....

How about I lack a roll of duct-tape to cover my mouth with?

Exercise has it's purpose. It should be used to condition muscles, tone muscles, and if anyone has enough testosterone, build muscle. However exercise can't replace that one essential element in weight loss. You got it... Quit eating so damned much food.

My friend, who was advising me, has been running to lose weight. He's been very successful shaving off the pounds. He also runs for miles and miles everyday with his work out. This was something I used to do years ago. Now, it would kill me dead. You think I am kidding.

When he was running last year, he was very successful shaving off the pounds, until he stopped running, then the pounds piled back on. Why? It's because he never adjusted down his calorie consumption to match his lack of activity. His body took the unused calories and put them on his now reconditioned body as fat. So, here he is again with the fat, and back out running like a scared rabbit. Miles, and miles he goes. When he eventually stops, if he doesn't cut way back on those calories, he again will see the return of the winter fat.

Like everyone else he wants to keep eating, and eating. It never occurs to any of us we eat way more food than we really need to survive.

At each meal we don't need much more meat than about 4 ounces. We don't need much starch, a piece of bread will do. If not we can get away with about half of a potato. And we can eat all the green vegetables we want, but that's not much fun.

For someone like me all I can realistically expect to eat is around 500-600 calories per meal, and lose weight. Oh, yes and exercise. Argh.

Did you ever see that rusted tin man in the "Wizard of Oz?" He couldn't move because he rusted up after a rain storm. Well, that's about how I feel these days when I exercise. Darn... It hurts.

Save me from the pain....

Well, I am going to shove off here. I have blathered enough for the day. I think you get the idea behind what I have been writing. You're just going to have to quit consuming so much food. I did, that's how I lost 60-pounds.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Ho, Ho, Ho, The Weight's Climbing Fast

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 190.2-pounds. Yep, that's really up for the weight.

Well, Well, Well, David all that chatter you wrote this year, and last, and here you are crash landing. Your little log books, and digital scale didn't help you did it? Ha, Ha, Ha, even you can't keep the weight off. Ha, Ha, Ha, you were so smug David. You were the master of weight loss. Now, you are up, up and away like a not so beautiful balloon.

OK, but I don't care what you have to say. I am not losing weight for anyone out there in bloggers world, or anywhere else for that matter.

So, you think I am washed out? Fat chance.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

I Don't Like Being The Disciplined One

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 188-pounds. OK, OK, that's up from that February record. Perhaps just like I wrote yesterday, it's only the brown stuff waiting to exit.

Well, where do we go from here? Boy, talk about weight loss creep. You know what I mean. The pounds sneak back on with every little extra thing eaten. You know those extra glasses of orange juice, the extra milk, and those few extra appetizers we chomp on.

It's got to stop. It's got to, but I don't want to. I am sick and tired of being the disciplined one in the crowd. I hate watching those fried mushrooms slip under my nose at that party. Oh, I'll have just one, then two, then three, oh to hell with it. You know that feeling.

It's not the one day of going over board. It's those next few days of going over board that adds the extra weight in our buckets (butts).

Hey, it's a frustrating, long drawn out, stinking battle.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Oh I Can Eat This; It Doesn't Matter, It Won't Hurt Anything

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 188.2-pounds. Now, that's up again.

This afternoon I re-weighed myself. I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 186.6-pounds. So, that means about 2-pounds was stuff waiting to leave.

So, it's safe to say I am full of the brown stuff.

Oh, I Can Eat This, It Won't Matter
Umm, that 8 inch in diameter Cinnamon sweet roll looks good. I think I'll eat it. Chomp, gulp...
(There goes 1000 calories.) It won't hurt anything.

Umm, fresh squeezed orange juice. I'll drink this 16 ounce glass. Slurp...
(There goes 300 calories.) It won't hurt anything.

Umm, that 12 inch long beef sandwich looks good. I think I'll eat that for lunch. Chomp, chomp, gulp... burp (There Goes another 1000 calories.) It won't hurt anything.

Umm, that chocolate shake looks good. I'll have that with my beef sandwich. Slurp...
(There goes 800 calories.) It won't hurt anything.

Honey, what's for dinner? Oh, Spaghetti and Meat balls. I'll have that big bowl full. Hey give me 4 of those big meat balls. Chomp, Chomp, gulp...burp. Ahhh...
(There goes 1,200 calories.) It won't hurt anything.

Oh, I can eat that, and that, and that. It won't hurt anything.

How many times do we say that to ourselves, I can eat this, it won't hurt anything? Just look at all of the fat people out there. They say that to themselves all of the time.

Oh, I am so cruel. How dare I call anyone fat? How dare I imply that people are fat because they don't care? You jerk David....

Well, If I am eating whole pizzas everyday for dinner, and bags full of cookies each day, isn't it ultimately my fault if I get fat? I was eating whole pizzas, and I have eaten bags of cookies.

I have drank whole 2 liter bottles of regular Coca Cola all in one day. I have eaten stacks of pancakes for breakfast. I have had three or four donuts for breakfast. I have overeaten.

Is it any wonder why I blew up like a blimp? Why did I think I could eat like I did?

Don't think it was easy to put on the brakes with my food consumption. Don't think that it's easy to keep a check on your food consumption when you are hungry.

Don't think that I have this weight lose thing locked down. I don't have anything locked down. I haven't won the war yet. I am still battling these extra ten pounds.

You can't think you've won the war either just because you have lost a couple of pounds. It doesn't work like that.

Losing weight is a continuous process. It's a non-stop campaign to get the weight off, and keep it off. It's not easy. And, for sure it's not fun.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Am I Willing To Give Up The Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwiches?

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 187.2-pounds.

That's up exactly ten pounds over February's weight.

A few days ago I began looking back on my food diary from last year. I was trying to find what the magic was that I used to get down to 180.

Initially it began with eating Lean Cuisines. Then I switched to other Diet TV dinners, and finally started calorie counting. I set my daily limit at 1,500 calories. I was still losing weight. Then I hit a glitch. It all stopped.

I went back and started looking at the books. Did you ever have one of those moments in time where you just can't believe you forgot what you were doing? In other words I was having success, and then completely forgot how I did it. I kid you not. I ignored the obvious.

Not only had I cut back on the amount of food, but I was not eating breads, cakes, and cookies. At least, I wasn't having them everyday. Now, I do count the calories today, but back then I didn't dare eat bread for breakfast, and lunch. I was eating large amounts of vegetables, red meat, chicken, and fish, within reason.

I would report that I had days where I had cake, and ice cream, only those days were rare compared to now.

So, I think I, I repeat, I think I have found the solution to my problem. It's just, I really don't want to give up my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or my morning egg sandwich.

So, now that I have my answer, because of the historical insights of my food log, am I willing to make the sacrifice that I need to?

Let's see...

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

It's Hard To Keep The Weight Loss Momentum Up

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 187-pounds. That's down from yesterday, and still up 10-pounds over February's record 177.2-pounds.

What does this mean, am I losing weight again? Was this just stuff that hung around to be flushed out?

Perhaps... At this point I can't really tell. I have been going over the numbers for my calorie consumption, which included calories from fluids like milk. There have only been a few days this week that I went over my two thousand calorie count by a 1000 calories. I haven't really eaten that much food. It may be that I added more bread, and other carbohydrates than I should.

Yesterday I had a bologna sandwich for breakfast with cheese. Then for lunch I had a liquid breakfast of protein powder, 16 ounces of whole milk, and lean breakfast powder. Then at night I had two pints of cottage cheese with pineapple. Before bed I had four ounces of white wine. This finished the day off at around 1,900 calories.

Today I repeated the same thing. I still haven't thought about what I will have for supper. But, I am already hungry.

Lately I have been thinking that the frustration I am going through to continue losing weight isn't worth it. The mental and emotional momentum is tough to keep up.

It's hard to keep the weight loss momentum up.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

So You Like To Hear "Eat Less Food?" I Don't, I Hate It

Hello weight losing fans...

Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 188-pounds. That's down from yesterday, and still up 11 pounds from February's record.

It's hard to believe that was 4 months ago. I haven't come anywhere close to that weight since. Now, am I still hoping to get to 160-pounds. I don't think I will. I think the frustration I will go through at this time won't be good. I am going to have to cut way back again on the total calories.

My schedule is so weird, I have enough trouble staying sane with that. Now, can I get down to that 180-target? Um, I suppose I can. I am not going to kill myself to do it.

Someone commented that I was blunt and to the point, and they liked it. Well, come on... It doesn't take an engineer with a PHD in physics to figure out that the solution to losing weight is "Eat Less Food."

What it does take is the willingness to go through the trial of eating less food. Hey, it sucks. Do you think for five seconds I liked giving up my Cocoa Puffs for breakfast? Yes, I ate Cocoa Puffs, and Donuts for Breakfast. Do you think I wanted to give up my Dunkin' Donut's Bismarks? Not on your life.

This was my morning cuisine. Donuts, and Cocoa Puffs. It's no wonder I blew up like a Good Year Blimp.

I like anyone else developed some nasty food consuming habits. I had to break those habits. It wasn't easy. Those habits still haunt me. I was given some box lunches recently that had Oreo cookies in them. One small bag with two cookies was 100 calories. There was another pouch with cookies that had 6 cookies, and that was 240 calories. Hey, I love Oreo cookies. But, they are sitting now in my refrigerator. Why, because they are a death sentence on my weight losing progress?

I want to eat those cookies. I want to eat everything that's put in front of me; still.

And look how quickly my body has put the fat on with the little bits of stuff that I ate. Wow, it sure didn't take long. It took a month to lose a few pounds, and then it took a week to put it back on.

I am just a Preponderant. I have that tendency to tip the scale to the wrong direction. I don't have that high reving metabolism anymore. It's not the same as when I was in my 20's and early 30's. That stinks.

Yep, it's back to the grind. That slow weight losing grind.... Argh.

Folks, it's not any different for you either. Sorry about that.

Bye for now...

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane

Long Days Of Work, And Losing Control Of The Weight

Hello weight losing fans...

I had some folks write comments on my blog lately. Thanks for looking in. I absolutely have not been able to get to a computer. I have been waking at 2:30 AM everyday the last four days, then getting to work at 4:30 AM, and putting in 15 hours of work per day. Yep, double shifts, that's what I work many times.

I don't have an internet connection at home. So, I have to go on the hunt at local libraries where ever I go. Well, these last four days it's been impossible.

Along with that I have been unable to exercise.

So, are you ready for the weights? I am just going to give you yesterday's and today's weights.
I stepped up onto that Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 190.2 pounds.
Today I stepped up onto the Magical-Mystical-Digital-Scale weighing in at 189-pounds.

Well, well, well, have I been knocked off of the weight losing throne? Hmmm, have I lost my way?

Ummm, nope I haven't.

Someone commented they miss my posts. I'm sorry, I haven't been able to post. And for the most part, when I am posting, I can't figure out what to write.

There is so much on the internet to read. I actually think there are much better writers, and informative writers out there than I am.

Bye for now....

And that's the way it is...I'm David Dane