Well, my friends, the New Year is upon us. It is a time for our annual resolutions to change behavior or appearance. If you are reading this blog, then there is a good chance that you may resolve to lose weight in 2011. If you have been reading this blog for a couple of months, then just maybe your resolution will be different this year. I hope so.
For my last blog of the year, I wanted to impart some wisdom on to you about motivation in the new year. We make our resolutions, and we usually start out very determined, and as soon as we falter, we get discouraged and give in to temptation. It's only human, you're not alone in this. Don't be so hard on yourself. My advice to you is make sure your resolutions are reasonable. Pace yourself, don't try to do too much, too soon. Stay consistent. If you want to see results, you have to work out consistently and you have to maintain your calorie intake consistently. You can't just go one week and then miss a couple weeks and then come back for a few days here and there and then miss a bunch of days. You have to stay consistent.
Another important aspect to losing weight is focus. In the past, this is an area where I failed miserably. I was trying to lose weight, but I was also trying to get bigger muscles and I was also jogging a lot. I got into pretty good shape but I wasn't getting the results I was looking for. So, now I'm smarter (o.k. wiser), I will stay focused on losing weight by doing a lot of "cardio" along with lifting weights, but I will keep the weights light and do a lot of reps. In the old days I would have been lifting heavy. I think my body was too confused. When I get down to my desired weight, then I will start lifting heavier to grow my muscles a little bit. Then when I get to the desired end result, I will do a lot of jogging to help maintain my physique. So my advice is to focus on one thing at a time and keep plugging away until you achieve the desired results.
I wish you all thin bodies and fat wallets/purses in the new year. Thank you for reading my blog (I now have readers in 9 countries and 4 continents).
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
THE 4 MINUTE LESSON
This morning I woke up to a man being interviewed on T.V. and he was talking about a weight loss book that he had wrote and was promoting. A lot of the things he was talking about made sense (keep in mind I was half asleep still). He touched on several things that I have mentioned in this blog (he recommended one "free day" a week as opposed to my recommendation of having them every so often), and then went into detail about why these things worked and even had a name for them. He obviously was a very smart man. So after coffee, I went to a book selling web site and looked up the book and the author. I then read the reviews by people who actually bought the book (I always find these to be very helpful). I thought that I might buy this book to learn some new things to impart to you on this blog. A lot of the reviews were good but I also like to read the negative reviews so as to get the full picture. One reviewer said he noticed that a lot of the negative reviews were being scrubbed from the site. He also said that while the author provided some good information, there were also some half truths and omitted facts which he went on to list in detail and explain what the author did. He made a lot a sense to me. The reviewer was obviously an expert in one of the subjects that the author wrote about in his book. The book was more than a weight loss book, it was a book about losing or gaining weight in short periods of time, gaining a lot a muscle mass and improving athletic ability in short periods of time and even how to become a better lover. So I thought to myself, this author sure knows how to appeal to our impatience for results to market his book. The reviewer also went on to describe some of the extreme measures that the author went through and was recommending his readers do the same. I found these measures to be extremely dangerous for average people trying to lose weight. So I decided not to buy the book.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, be careful. The old adage holds true, "If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is". Be careful what you buy into and beware of people trying to sell you a miracle. Also, there is a movement in our country to fight obesity with surgery. That should be a last resort for those that are mortally obese. Surgery is dangerous, and like medications, there are side effects. And there is no guarantee that you won't gain the weight back. So I am begging you, please give my ideas a chance, please be patient, you didn't gain this weight overnight, you are not going to lose it overnight. Take your time, write everything down, keep notes and then stick with what works for you. Remember, I'm the one that actually cares about whether you lose weight or not. How do you know? Have I ever asked you for a single penny or have I ever asked you to buy a product? I'm writing this blog from the bottom of my heart and ask nothing in return except that you give losing weight an honest effort and when you succeed, be there for someone else struggling with weight. Why do I do this? Because I know first hand how some people judge us "fat" people. We are depicted poorly in movies, always stupid and always eating something. And in life we are always labeled as weak, no self control, happy but stupid, and I know this is not the case. I remember someone on T.V. saying once that "in this country, it is more acceptable to be a heroin addict than it is to be overweight". This is why I don't judge anyone, because I know how it feels to be wrongly judged and that is why I write this blog.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, be careful. The old adage holds true, "If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is". Be careful what you buy into and beware of people trying to sell you a miracle. Also, there is a movement in our country to fight obesity with surgery. That should be a last resort for those that are mortally obese. Surgery is dangerous, and like medications, there are side effects. And there is no guarantee that you won't gain the weight back. So I am begging you, please give my ideas a chance, please be patient, you didn't gain this weight overnight, you are not going to lose it overnight. Take your time, write everything down, keep notes and then stick with what works for you. Remember, I'm the one that actually cares about whether you lose weight or not. How do you know? Have I ever asked you for a single penny or have I ever asked you to buy a product? I'm writing this blog from the bottom of my heart and ask nothing in return except that you give losing weight an honest effort and when you succeed, be there for someone else struggling with weight. Why do I do this? Because I know first hand how some people judge us "fat" people. We are depicted poorly in movies, always stupid and always eating something. And in life we are always labeled as weak, no self control, happy but stupid, and I know this is not the case. I remember someone on T.V. saying once that "in this country, it is more acceptable to be a heroin addict than it is to be overweight". This is why I don't judge anyone, because I know how it feels to be wrongly judged and that is why I write this blog.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
HAZY SHADE OF WINTER
First order of business, I would like to recognize Simon & Garfunkel as inspiration for the title of this post.
Here in America (yes, I actually have readers from 5 other countries...welcome, and thank you) it is winter time. Also, many seasons of celebration. If you are like me, it is also a time of significant weight gain. It seems it happens every year, all sensibility gets thrown out the window and then after the new year, we resolve to lose weight, but we never do. At least we never reach our target weight. We have many excuses, it's the holidays, it's too cold to exercise, I only see these people once a year so I'm going to enjoy it, etc, etc, etc.
Then, on top of everything else, we have the cold and flu season. If you get the flu with a fever you may actually lose weight. But if you just have a cold then you have to feed it, usually with lots of chicken soup. Remember, "starve a fever, feed a cold". So again, you toss out sensible eating habits (at least I used to do that).
Well, so far I've weathered the winter pretty well. I've gone through Thanksgiving and a bout with a cold, along with hitting a plateau and I've still managed to lose weight. I still ate my chicken soup, but accounted for how many calories it had and made sure not to exceed my calorie limits. This worked. I recovered. I didn't work out while I was sick, but I still was able to lose weight. It seemed before, I always gained weight while I had a cold.
I also think that our bodies go through a transformation during the colder months. We were meant to eat more lean proteins. Think about early man who had to hunt for food during the winter and had no access to fruits and vegetables. So if you find yourself eating more proteins but less fruits and vegetables, there is probably a good explanation. So, just watch your calories, allow yourself some "free days" during your celebrations, and get out there and exercise (just like early man who had to chase his dinner through the woods), no excuses. I guarantee you will feel better.
My "free days" are going to be Christmas eve and Christmas day, where I'll eat anything I want, won't count any calories, and won't feel a bit guilty about it. This will be the first year ever where I've actually lost weight during the winter. I hope you do to.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all faiths and religions, and if you are Atheist (hey..I don't judge), I hope you enjoy losing weight during the winter.
Here in America (yes, I actually have readers from 5 other countries...welcome, and thank you) it is winter time. Also, many seasons of celebration. If you are like me, it is also a time of significant weight gain. It seems it happens every year, all sensibility gets thrown out the window and then after the new year, we resolve to lose weight, but we never do. At least we never reach our target weight. We have many excuses, it's the holidays, it's too cold to exercise, I only see these people once a year so I'm going to enjoy it, etc, etc, etc.
Then, on top of everything else, we have the cold and flu season. If you get the flu with a fever you may actually lose weight. But if you just have a cold then you have to feed it, usually with lots of chicken soup. Remember, "starve a fever, feed a cold". So again, you toss out sensible eating habits (at least I used to do that).
Well, so far I've weathered the winter pretty well. I've gone through Thanksgiving and a bout with a cold, along with hitting a plateau and I've still managed to lose weight. I still ate my chicken soup, but accounted for how many calories it had and made sure not to exceed my calorie limits. This worked. I recovered. I didn't work out while I was sick, but I still was able to lose weight. It seemed before, I always gained weight while I had a cold.
I also think that our bodies go through a transformation during the colder months. We were meant to eat more lean proteins. Think about early man who had to hunt for food during the winter and had no access to fruits and vegetables. So if you find yourself eating more proteins but less fruits and vegetables, there is probably a good explanation. So, just watch your calories, allow yourself some "free days" during your celebrations, and get out there and exercise (just like early man who had to chase his dinner through the woods), no excuses. I guarantee you will feel better.
My "free days" are going to be Christmas eve and Christmas day, where I'll eat anything I want, won't count any calories, and won't feel a bit guilty about it. This will be the first year ever where I've actually lost weight during the winter. I hope you do to.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all faiths and religions, and if you are Atheist (hey..I don't judge), I hope you enjoy losing weight during the winter.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
IN THE KITCHEN
By cooking your own meals, you can keep a better watch on your calories. There are a lot of hidden calories in food when we eat out. Remember, they want you to keep coming back so they load those foods with all the things that taste good, but help to keep us heavy. The portions are also huge because they want you to feel that you get more than what you pay for. So, if you want to lose weight but you eat out a lot, try restaurants that list calorie amounts on their menus. You could probably get away with just ordering appetizers also. Remember, stick with the lean proteins, and you can even carry a pocket scale with you to weigh out your portions. I know, but it's the price we big folks must pay if we want to lose.
I work at home, but I also put in a lot of hours, and then go to the gym 4 nights a week. So, I tend to keep my meals very simple during the week. I also like to cook a lot of food at once and then eat leftovers the next few days, so I don't have to cook. My favorite tools in the kitchen are: a cast iron skillet, a sharp knife, and a large pot with a cheap steamer insert. That's it, nothing fancy. If I'm having steak, I just let it set out for an hour (with a rub on it) to let it come down to room temperature, then I heat my cast iron skillet up til it smokes (no oil), then I just sear my steak a couple minutes on each side, then finish it off in the oven, about five minutes. The most important thing is to let it rest for at least two minutes before cutting into it. That keeps it juicy. I cook a lot of lean meats that way. It's fast and it tastes good without adding a lot of calories. I can get four meals out of a 12 ounce steak. So it's acually not that expensive if you watch for the weekly sales at your supermarket. I steam most of my cooked veggies. Again, it's fast and I don't have to add a lot of calories.
Like I've been telling you, you don't have to spend a lot of money to lose weight. The industry wants you to think that you do, but I'm telling you that you should be saving money from losing weight, not spending it.
I work at home, but I also put in a lot of hours, and then go to the gym 4 nights a week. So, I tend to keep my meals very simple during the week. I also like to cook a lot of food at once and then eat leftovers the next few days, so I don't have to cook. My favorite tools in the kitchen are: a cast iron skillet, a sharp knife, and a large pot with a cheap steamer insert. That's it, nothing fancy. If I'm having steak, I just let it set out for an hour (with a rub on it) to let it come down to room temperature, then I heat my cast iron skillet up til it smokes (no oil), then I just sear my steak a couple minutes on each side, then finish it off in the oven, about five minutes. The most important thing is to let it rest for at least two minutes before cutting into it. That keeps it juicy. I cook a lot of lean meats that way. It's fast and it tastes good without adding a lot of calories. I can get four meals out of a 12 ounce steak. So it's acually not that expensive if you watch for the weekly sales at your supermarket. I steam most of my cooked veggies. Again, it's fast and I don't have to add a lot of calories.
Like I've been telling you, you don't have to spend a lot of money to lose weight. The industry wants you to think that you do, but I'm telling you that you should be saving money from losing weight, not spending it.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
ROOTEN TOOTEN GLUTEN!
There is yet another diet fad sweeping America, Gluten Free Diets (please see tab above- About Gluten Free). The Hollywood svelt are singing it's praises. Now remember, I'm not a medical professional or dietician, so if you have been diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance or your physician has you on a Gluten Free Diet, then by all means carry on. If however, you are self diagnosing or you want to try a gluten free diet on your own, you may want to read on. Again, I was there earlier this year, I wanted to go gluten free. I thought maybe I was gluten intolerant. Like a lot of overweight folks, I was looking for something to blame. Some easy solution as to why I was working so hard but was still overweight.
What is really happening though, is that by eliminating gluten from thier diets, they are just avoiding a lot of carbohydrates. If you are otherwise healthy, this may not be so wise. We need a balanced diet, and there are a lot of benefits to eating healthy grains. We need to stick to whole grains and the less processed the better, but there is nothing wrong with eating grains if you can tolerate them. So if you stick to the formula I've been harping on since the beginning, eat the right amount of calories and have the biggest percentage of your calories coming from lean protein, then you should have no trouble losing weight. Keep your diet balanced, don't eliminate anything if you don't need to. This will keep you satisfied, content, and able to maintain healthy eating habits the rest of your life. Thus you will feel better. And that's been my objective all along.
HAPPY THANKSGIVNG!!
What is really happening though, is that by eliminating gluten from thier diets, they are just avoiding a lot of carbohydrates. If you are otherwise healthy, this may not be so wise. We need a balanced diet, and there are a lot of benefits to eating healthy grains. We need to stick to whole grains and the less processed the better, but there is nothing wrong with eating grains if you can tolerate them. So if you stick to the formula I've been harping on since the beginning, eat the right amount of calories and have the biggest percentage of your calories coming from lean protein, then you should have no trouble losing weight. Keep your diet balanced, don't eliminate anything if you don't need to. This will keep you satisfied, content, and able to maintain healthy eating habits the rest of your life. Thus you will feel better. And that's been my objective all along.
HAPPY THANKSGIVNG!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Have A Twinkie, It's O.K.
Below is an article that reinforces what I've been saying all along. If you want to lose weight, just eat less calories than you burn off in a day. Create a calorie deficit while eating anything you want. So print out a copy of this article for when the next time the food police comes around to take away your fried cherry pie or tells you that you have to start eating carrots and celery to lose weight. And San Francisco, put the toys back in the Happy Meals, this is America.
_________________________________
Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds
November 8, 2010 8:40 a.m. EST
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Nutrition professor's "convenience store diet" helped him shed 27 pounds
- Haub limited himself to 1,800 calories and two-thirds come from junk food
- Haub said it's too early to draw any conclusions about diet
(CNN) -- Twinkies. Nutty bars. Powdered donuts.
For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.
His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food.
The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.
For a class project, Haub limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of Haub's pre-dieting size usually consumes about 2,600 calories daily. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned.
His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. He now weighs 174 pounds.
But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so.
Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.
"That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?"
Haub's sample day
Espresso, Double: 6 calories; 0 grams of fatHostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Centrum Advanced Formula From A To Zinc: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Little Debbie Star Crunch: 150 calories; 6 grams of fat
Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat
Diet Mountain Dew: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat
Doritos Cool Ranch: 75 calories; 4 grams of fat
Kellogg's Corn Pops: 220 calories; 0 grams of fat
whole milk: 150 calories; 8 grams of fat
baby carrots: 18 calories; 0 grams of fat
Duncan Hines Family Style Brownie Chewy Fudge: 270 calories; 14 grams of fat
Little Debbie Zebra Cake: 160 calories; 8 grams of fat
Muscle Milk Protein Shake: 240 calories; 9 grams of fat
Totals: 1,589 calories and 59 grams of fat
Despite his temporary success, Haub does not recommend replicating his snack-centric diet.
"I'm not geared to say this is a good thing to do," he said. "I'm stuck in the middle. I guess that's the frustrating part. I can't give a concrete answer. There's not enough information to do that."
Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.
Families who live in food deserts have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so they often rely on the kind of food Haub was eating.
"These foods are consumed by lots of people," he said. "It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it's unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits. It may be healthy, but not realistic."
Haub's body fat dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent. This posed the question: What matters more for weight loss, the quantity or quality of calories?
His success is probably a result of caloric reduction, said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian based in Atlanta, Georgia.
"It's a great reminder for weight loss that calories count," she said. "Is that the bottom line to being healthy? That's another story."
Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said she's not surprised to hear Haub's health markers improved even when he loaded up on processed snack cakes.
Being overweight is the central problem that leads to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, she said.
"When you lose weight, regardless of how you're doing it -- even if it's with packaged foods, generally you will see these markers improve when weight loss has improved," she said.
Before jumping on the Ding Dong bandwagon, Blatner warned of health concerns.
"There are things we can't measure," said Blatner, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health."
I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much.
--Professor Mark Haub
--Professor Mark Haub
On August 25, Haub, 41, started his cake diet focusing on portion control.
"I'm eating to the point of need and pushing the plate or wrapper away," he said.
He intended the trial to last a month as a teaching tool for his class. As he lost weight, Haub continued the diet until he reached a normal body mass index.
Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.
"There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy," Haub said. "It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much."
He maintained the same level of moderate physical activity as before going on the diet. (Haub does not have any ties to the snack cake companies.)
To avoid setting a bad example for his kids, Haub ate vegetables in front of his family. Away from the dinner table, he usually unwrapped his meals.
Haub monitored his body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, and updated his progress on his Facebook page,Professor Haub's diet experiment.
To curb calories, he avoided meat, whole grains and fruits. Once he started adding meat into the diet four weeks ago, his cholesterol level increased.
Haub plans to add about 300 calories to his daily intake now that he's done with the diet. But he's not ditching snack cakes altogether. Despite his weight loss, Haub feels ambivalence.
"I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it's healthy. I'm not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it's irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn't say that."
Monday, November 8, 2010
HOLLYWOOD HEAVYWEIGHTS?
Have you noticed some changes in Hollywood lately? Well, I have. Some of my favorite funny people are dropping some serious pounds. Some of these folks have been heavy for a lot of years, but now all of a sudden they have found success. That gave me some inspiration, thinking, WOW!, if they can do it, so can I. Here are some of their stories.
Horatio Sanz
The former Saturday Night Live star, 39, lost around 100 lbs. by cutting back on booze and "eating better," he has said
Ricky Gervais (Night At The Museum, Ghost Town, The Invention Of Lying)
Ricky Gervais has lost 42 pounds in recent months and he tells the Daily Telegraph it was for health reasons.
Horatio Sanz
The former Saturday Night Live star, 39, lost around 100 lbs. by cutting back on booze and "eating better," he has said
Ricky Gervais (Night At The Museum, Ghost Town, The Invention Of Lying)
Ricky Gervais has lost 42 pounds in recent months and he tells the Daily Telegraph it was for health reasons.
Drew Carey
Drew Carey opens up about his remarkable weight loss and health transformation in this weekend's Parade Magazine. Carey has lost over 80 lbs so far, and hopes to have lost a total of 92 lbs by his self-imposed October 31 deadline, down to 170 from his starting weight of 262 lbs.
He now eats right and exercises, is off of his medication for type-2 diabetes, and no longer pants trying to keep up with his fiacee's 5-year-old son.
John Goodman
"I know it sounds sappy, but it was a waste," the 58-year-old actor tells PEOPLE. "It takes a lot of creative energy to sit on your ass and figure out what you're going to eat next ... I wanted to live life better."
Mission accomplished: The Treme actor has lost more than 100 lbs. thanks to his healthy new lifestyle. He quit drinking three years ago and hired Mackie Shilstone -- a health coach who has trained many athletes including tennis player Serena Williams. Now Goodman has cut sugar from his diet and works out six days a week. "I'm breaking a sweat but I'm not going nuts," he says.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
ONE WORD
When we are losing weight or trying to maintain our weight, what we eat affects our plans just about as much as how much we eat. So we have to minimize the amount of foods that are going to make us feel hungry right after we've eaten or foods that will give us wild cravings throughout the day. Again, we are all different so please make notes about how certain foods affect you.
The one word you want to learn is SATIETY. Satiety is the feeling of being full after eating. Lean proteins will give you satiety, that is why I have been harping on the notion that you need to eat lean proteins for breakfast, so you will feel content until lunch, and then eat lean proteins for lunch to feel content until dinner. Steak, boneless skinless chicken breast, hard boiled egg whites, ham or ham steaks, pork loin, fish fillets or tuna steaks (not tuna in a can), boneless skinless turkey breast are examples. Again, I'm a meat eater so if you like tofu or similar options, that will work too.
This is what a recent study concluded at Purdue University as they evaluated a group of obese women losing weight.
"In addition to helping preserve lean body mass during weight loss,
consuming a higher-protein diet helped retain the women's sense of satiety
or fullness after meals. The women on the higher protein diet rated
themselves more positively in terms of overall mood and feelings of
pleasure during dieting, which could help dieters stay
true to their weight loss plans longer."
Remember, with all else remaining the same, the more muscle mass we have, the more calories we will burn naturally. So please, find what lean proteins give you SATIETY, and utilize them to your advantage.
The one word you want to learn is SATIETY. Satiety is the feeling of being full after eating. Lean proteins will give you satiety, that is why I have been harping on the notion that you need to eat lean proteins for breakfast, so you will feel content until lunch, and then eat lean proteins for lunch to feel content until dinner. Steak, boneless skinless chicken breast, hard boiled egg whites, ham or ham steaks, pork loin, fish fillets or tuna steaks (not tuna in a can), boneless skinless turkey breast are examples. Again, I'm a meat eater so if you like tofu or similar options, that will work too.
This is what a recent study concluded at Purdue University as they evaluated a group of obese women losing weight.
"In addition to helping preserve lean body mass during weight loss,
consuming a higher-protein diet helped retain the women's sense of satiety
or fullness after meals. The women on the higher protein diet rated
themselves more positively in terms of overall mood and feelings of
pleasure during dieting, which could help dieters stay
true to their weight loss plans longer."
Remember, with all else remaining the same, the more muscle mass we have, the more calories we will burn naturally. So please, find what lean proteins give you SATIETY, and utilize them to your advantage.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
YOU HAVE TO WANT IT
Well, I have been blogging for almost a month now. Frankly, when I started I didn't think I would have this much to say. I guess being on some sort of diet and exercise plan for 30 plus years gives one more wisdom than one might think.
All through those 3 decades there were many reasons I wanted to lose weight. When I was younger my parents wanted me to lose weight, then in high school there were the girls, then friend's weddings I was in, then I wanted to be noticed by a certain lady, then I wanted to lose 30 pounds for my 30th birthday, 40 pounds for my 40th birthday, then I wanted to be thin for my own wedding (I really appreciate my wife who loves me the way I am), now that I'm approaching 50....yep, you guessed it, 50 pounds for my 50th birthday. Now that I know that I am going to achieve that goal easily and since I have done some soul searching while writing this blog, I finally understand that the only reason that one is going to be successful on any diet plan is that they are doing it for themselves. You have to want to do it for yourself and you really have to be tired of being overweight. Otherwise, it is not going to work, or if it works initially it won't last.
I'm not here to judge anyone, because I've been there. If I would have read this blog 20 years ago, I wouldn't have paid any attention to it. So please do me one favor. If by some chance you happen upon this blog but you are skeptical, or you think there is a better way to lose weight, or you are just going to wait until they come up with a pill to melt fat, all I ask is that you print out this post, or write down the key points I'm going to list below and tuck them away for a later date, for that date in the future when the light bulb goes off in your head and you realize Melting Man was right.
All through those 3 decades there were many reasons I wanted to lose weight. When I was younger my parents wanted me to lose weight, then in high school there were the girls, then friend's weddings I was in, then I wanted to be noticed by a certain lady, then I wanted to lose 30 pounds for my 30th birthday, 40 pounds for my 40th birthday, then I wanted to be thin for my own wedding (I really appreciate my wife who loves me the way I am), now that I'm approaching 50....yep, you guessed it, 50 pounds for my 50th birthday. Now that I know that I am going to achieve that goal easily and since I have done some soul searching while writing this blog, I finally understand that the only reason that one is going to be successful on any diet plan is that they are doing it for themselves. You have to want to do it for yourself and you really have to be tired of being overweight. Otherwise, it is not going to work, or if it works initially it won't last.
I'm not here to judge anyone, because I've been there. If I would have read this blog 20 years ago, I wouldn't have paid any attention to it. So please do me one favor. If by some chance you happen upon this blog but you are skeptical, or you think there is a better way to lose weight, or you are just going to wait until they come up with a pill to melt fat, all I ask is that you print out this post, or write down the key points I'm going to list below and tuck them away for a later date, for that date in the future when the light bulb goes off in your head and you realize Melting Man was right.
- the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories (by exercise plus Basal Metabolic Rate combined) than I take in. Calorie Deficit.
- keep a journal and write down everything I eat along with how many calories each item is
- drink a lot of water
- the biggest percentage of my calories should come from lean protein but don't deprive myself of other foods I like
- exercise routinely, at least 3 times a week. Cardio exercises that get the heart rate up for a sustained period of time. Progressively add more exercises and time spent on each exercise as I lose weight and get in better physical shape.
Now take these key points and put them somewhere where you can easily access them later on. Come on, I've never asked you for anything, just do this one thing for me. It won't kill you. Which brings me to my last point. Another reason that people lose weight is because they have a "health scare", you know that phrase no one wants to hear, "lose weight or you are going die soon".
Friday, November 5, 2010
AFRICAN MANGO?...REALLY?
Well, you can stop reading this blog now. The new super product to make us all skinny has arrived. It's been talked about on various news programs and Dr. Oz even talked about it on Oprah. What is it you ask? African Mango. If you are a frequent reader of this blog (ah, so you're the one), then you know this is exactly the kind of thing that gets me fuming.
As I was reading online newspapers this morning, I came across some advertisements for this new super supplement. So, like I always do, but probably most people don't, I scrolled all the way down to the bottom of the page and I read the disclaimers written out in teeny tiny print . I copied, pasted, and enlarged them for you to glance over . I even highlighted the entertaining parts.
1) The statements made on our websites have not been evaluated by the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration). This product is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your health care professional and should not be construed as individual medical advice. Please consult your health care professional before beginning any weight loss or exercise program. Moyoberry is an all natural dietary supplement for use as a weight loss aid. The African Mango Plan is an online program developed by weight management researchers who understand that an effective solution for weight loss includes a reduced-calorie diet and activity plan for a healthy lifestyle. The testimonials on this website are individual cases and do not guarantee that you will get the same results. Typical weight loss results are 1-2 pounds per week. Individuals are remunerated.
______________________________________________________________________
2) The statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease. It is important to note that this site and the comments/answers depicted above is to be used as an illustrative example of what some individuals have achieved with this/these products. This website, and any page on the website, is based loosely off a true story, but has been modified in multiple ways including, but not limited to: the story, the photos, and the comments. Thus, this page, and any page on this website, are not to be taken literally or as a non-fiction story. This page, and the results mentioned on this page, although achievable for some, are not to be construed as the results that you may achieve on the same routine. I UNDERSTAND THIS WEBSITE IS ONLY ILLUSTRATIVE OF WHAT MIGHT BE ACHIEVABLE FROM USING THIS/THESE PRODUCTS, AND THAT THE STORY/COMMENTS DEPICTED ABOVE IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY. This page receives compensation for clicks on or purchase of products featured on this site.
Let's go over the highlighted parts together, shall we?. Come on, it'll be fun.
As I was reading online newspapers this morning, I came across some advertisements for this new super supplement. So, like I always do, but probably most people don't, I scrolled all the way down to the bottom of the page and I read the disclaimers written out in teeny tiny print . I copied, pasted, and enlarged them for you to glance over . I even highlighted the entertaining parts.
Statements and Disclaimers for African Mango ads
1) The statements made on our websites have not been evaluated by the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration). This product is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your health care professional and should not be construed as individual medical advice. Please consult your health care professional before beginning any weight loss or exercise program. Moyoberry is an all natural dietary supplement for use as a weight loss aid. The African Mango Plan is an online program developed by weight management researchers who understand that an effective solution for weight loss includes a reduced-calorie diet and activity plan for a healthy lifestyle. The testimonials on this website are individual cases and do not guarantee that you will get the same results. Typical weight loss results are 1-2 pounds per week. Individuals are remunerated.
______________________________________________________________________
2) The statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. The FDA only evaluates foods and drugs, not supplements like these products. These products are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease. It is important to note that this site and the comments/answers depicted above is to be used as an illustrative example of what some individuals have achieved with this/these products. This website, and any page on the website, is based loosely off a true story, but has been modified in multiple ways including, but not limited to: the story, the photos, and the comments. Thus, this page, and any page on this website, are not to be taken literally or as a non-fiction story. This page, and the results mentioned on this page, although achievable for some, are not to be construed as the results that you may achieve on the same routine. I UNDERSTAND THIS WEBSITE IS ONLY ILLUSTRATIVE OF WHAT MIGHT BE ACHIEVABLE FROM USING THIS/THESE PRODUCTS, AND THAT THE STORY/COMMENTS DEPICTED ABOVE IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY. This page receives compensation for clicks on or purchase of products featured on this site.
Let's go over the highlighted parts together, shall we?. Come on, it'll be fun.
- Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. So they could be lying or misleading and they won't be held accountable.
- MOYOBERRY? I thought this was an ad for African Mango, why are they talking about moyoberry, and what the heck is moyoberry anyway.
- They actually acknowledged that the best way to lose weight is through a reduced calorie diet and exercise. (Isn't that what I've been telling you?) So, why do we need to take African Mango?
- Typical weight loss will be 1-2 pounds a week. You know that is exactly what I've been saying in my blog, and that's without spending a lot of money on this stuff. Heck, just send me half the money you would have spent on African Mango (just kidding).
- Individuals in the ads are remunerated. That means they get paid to say they lost weight by taking African Mango. Heck, if they paid me enough money, I would say I lost weight by eating "mud pies". (Again, just kidding)
- The second statement is my favorite. The web site is based loosely on a true story. WOW! And the story and comments are not to be taken literally. I almost fell out of my chair when I read that. Boy, sure is a ringing endorsement for African Mango.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
THE "WRITE" STUFF
Yes, I realize that puns are the lowest form of wit. Hey, I admit it, I'm not a professional, just a "hack" trying to help.
Looking back, I think my childhood memories shaped a lot of my ideas about how to lose weight. Seeing a lot of neighborhood moms weighing their food out, or not eating this or that, or being on some sort of fad diet. And they never lost weight. So it was easy for me to assume that counting calories was not the way to go. I avoided it for so many years. In the late 1980s, I was on a low fat diet and did have success with that. My workouts were brutal though. I worked very hard to lose weight, but I managed to lose 50 pounds in a summer. But food manufacturers caught on and started producing low-fat foods. What I was unaware of at the time is, these low fat foods contained a ton of sugar to add flavor. So once I started a career and couldn't do brutal workouts anymore and I started going for the pre-packaged low fat foods, that's when I started gaining weight again. So I kept looking for the next diet that would work. There was Atkins, South Beach, this diet and that diet, and I tried some sort of variation of most them with little to no success.
Once I broke through my own mind's barrier of counting calories and writing everything down, that is when everything came together for me. It literally happened in one day. I read an article on the USA Today web site, titled Many Americans Clueless Of How Many Calories They Do Or Should Eat, written by Nanci Hellmich, published July 7th, 2010. For some reason after reading that article a light bulb went off in my head and I started my weight loss plan that very day. The first day in my journal is July 7, 2010. No, I'm not related to Nanci, and she (or the USA Today) didn't pay me to mention the story. You're such a skeptic.
I became determined to write everything down I ate, no matter how embarrassing it might be to me later on. And I have stayed true to that. The beautiful thing is that, writing things down has so many other benefits I never even thought of. Writing everything down gives you accountability. What I mean is, it stops bad habits formed over the years. Habits like "the drive-by", you'll be walking past a candy dish and just grab a piece out of habit, they're small, it's not much, it won't hurt. But how many times a day do you walk by that dish? Now, you take a piece of candy, you have to go write it down in your journal. The next time you walk by that dish and reach for that candy you're thinking, if I have this candy, I have to go write it down. You don't feel like writing anything, so you don't have it. Or you've already reached your calorie limit for the day, so you dutifully put the candy back. Then there is eating out of boredom. You're not really hungry but there is something good on T.V. and you have to have a snack while your watching "your shows". But now you are more aware of what you're eating, so you can easily break the habit of snacking while in front of the tube, because snack foods have a lot of calories. Then there is the one I fear the most. "Stress-eating". That is the one that gets me. I think I formed that habit early in my childhood when I went through a very stressful event. It all turned out O.K, but I developed the bad habit of eating (because I was too young to smoke or drink and there were no anxiety pills in the house) to cope. When I'm angry I eat, when I'm nervous I eat, when I'm frustrated I eat. But now, by writing everything down, I'm aware that I'm reacting to my anger so I do something else to cope, and that helps me stay on course. It gives me the strength I never had before.
Looking back, I think my childhood memories shaped a lot of my ideas about how to lose weight. Seeing a lot of neighborhood moms weighing their food out, or not eating this or that, or being on some sort of fad diet. And they never lost weight. So it was easy for me to assume that counting calories was not the way to go. I avoided it for so many years. In the late 1980s, I was on a low fat diet and did have success with that. My workouts were brutal though. I worked very hard to lose weight, but I managed to lose 50 pounds in a summer. But food manufacturers caught on and started producing low-fat foods. What I was unaware of at the time is, these low fat foods contained a ton of sugar to add flavor. So once I started a career and couldn't do brutal workouts anymore and I started going for the pre-packaged low fat foods, that's when I started gaining weight again. So I kept looking for the next diet that would work. There was Atkins, South Beach, this diet and that diet, and I tried some sort of variation of most them with little to no success.
Once I broke through my own mind's barrier of counting calories and writing everything down, that is when everything came together for me. It literally happened in one day. I read an article on the USA Today web site, titled Many Americans Clueless Of How Many Calories They Do Or Should Eat, written by Nanci Hellmich, published July 7th, 2010. For some reason after reading that article a light bulb went off in my head and I started my weight loss plan that very day. The first day in my journal is July 7, 2010. No, I'm not related to Nanci, and she (or the USA Today) didn't pay me to mention the story. You're such a skeptic.
I became determined to write everything down I ate, no matter how embarrassing it might be to me later on. And I have stayed true to that. The beautiful thing is that, writing things down has so many other benefits I never even thought of. Writing everything down gives you accountability. What I mean is, it stops bad habits formed over the years. Habits like "the drive-by", you'll be walking past a candy dish and just grab a piece out of habit, they're small, it's not much, it won't hurt. But how many times a day do you walk by that dish? Now, you take a piece of candy, you have to go write it down in your journal. The next time you walk by that dish and reach for that candy you're thinking, if I have this candy, I have to go write it down. You don't feel like writing anything, so you don't have it. Or you've already reached your calorie limit for the day, so you dutifully put the candy back. Then there is eating out of boredom. You're not really hungry but there is something good on T.V. and you have to have a snack while your watching "your shows". But now you are more aware of what you're eating, so you can easily break the habit of snacking while in front of the tube, because snack foods have a lot of calories. Then there is the one I fear the most. "Stress-eating". That is the one that gets me. I think I formed that habit early in my childhood when I went through a very stressful event. It all turned out O.K, but I developed the bad habit of eating (because I was too young to smoke or drink and there were no anxiety pills in the house) to cope. When I'm angry I eat, when I'm nervous I eat, when I'm frustrated I eat. But now, by writing everything down, I'm aware that I'm reacting to my anger so I do something else to cope, and that helps me stay on course. It gives me the strength I never had before.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
GREAT EXPECTATIONS!
First order of business, I would like to acknowledge Charles Dickens as the inspiration for the title of this post.
The great thing about America is, if you have a dream, you can make it come true. The bad things about dreams are, sometimes they are unrealistically rooted in vanity and greed, and sometimes we are just too impatient for them to happen. Marketers know this all too well and take full advantage. We want to believe that if we eat a "cookie diet" that in a couple of weeks we are going to become thin and beautiful which will lead to a gorgeous spouse that will worship the very ground we walk on or that we will become rich and famous, which will then lead to a gorgeous, famous spouse that will lavish us with great affection. Hey, I am all for dreams, and I may be the biggest dreamer of them all, but I'm here to tell ya that if you eat a steady diet of cookies you won't become rich and famous anymore than I will become a world class basketball player if I slap a pair of Air Jordans on my feet. (let's face it, Michael Jordan could have beat 90% of the players in the NBA if he was wearing a pair of stiletto heels. Wow, now there's an image).
So be careful out there. There is no magic formula for losing weight. If you follow this blog, I'm confident you'll lose weight at a 2 pound a week rate. So, if in the mean time something comes along that promises you "instant skinny which will lead to fame", if you have the money, please don't fall for it. I'm not saying that you'll live forever, or that'll you find the woman of your dreams, or that you''ll become a professional athlete, all I'm saying is, if you follow this blog you will lose the weight you've always wanted to lose, and you will feel better. And if we all feel better, maybe we'll treat each other better. That's all.
I like to use the analogy that people are like dogs. We all come in different shapes and sizes and colors. Life would be pretty boring if we all looked alike. Now, for example, take a Saint Bernard, a big fluffy dog which some people might consider over weight. Well, if that St. Bernard lost weight he would still be big and fluffy, only now he could scale higher snow covered mountains at a faster clip while carrying an even bigger barrel of brandy under his chin, up to your frozen butt stuck in the ice. He is still not going to be out on a track chasing an electronic bunny so that you can loose a week's pay. But that is what marketers try to sell you. "Take our product and become the next runway model". So be realistic about your dreams. When you lose weight, you will be just a thinner version of you (and from where I'm sitting, that's not bad). If you are a "tool" now, you are still going to be a "tool" then, just a thinner "tool". So if you want a gorgeous spouse, or you want to be a famous movie star, those changes are going to have happen from within. Not from a magic pill that someone is trying to sell you.
The great thing about America is, if you have a dream, you can make it come true. The bad things about dreams are, sometimes they are unrealistically rooted in vanity and greed, and sometimes we are just too impatient for them to happen. Marketers know this all too well and take full advantage. We want to believe that if we eat a "cookie diet" that in a couple of weeks we are going to become thin and beautiful which will lead to a gorgeous spouse that will worship the very ground we walk on or that we will become rich and famous, which will then lead to a gorgeous, famous spouse that will lavish us with great affection. Hey, I am all for dreams, and I may be the biggest dreamer of them all, but I'm here to tell ya that if you eat a steady diet of cookies you won't become rich and famous anymore than I will become a world class basketball player if I slap a pair of Air Jordans on my feet. (let's face it, Michael Jordan could have beat 90% of the players in the NBA if he was wearing a pair of stiletto heels. Wow, now there's an image).
So be careful out there. There is no magic formula for losing weight. If you follow this blog, I'm confident you'll lose weight at a 2 pound a week rate. So, if in the mean time something comes along that promises you "instant skinny which will lead to fame", if you have the money, please don't fall for it. I'm not saying that you'll live forever, or that'll you find the woman of your dreams, or that you''ll become a professional athlete, all I'm saying is, if you follow this blog you will lose the weight you've always wanted to lose, and you will feel better. And if we all feel better, maybe we'll treat each other better. That's all.
I like to use the analogy that people are like dogs. We all come in different shapes and sizes and colors. Life would be pretty boring if we all looked alike. Now, for example, take a Saint Bernard, a big fluffy dog which some people might consider over weight. Well, if that St. Bernard lost weight he would still be big and fluffy, only now he could scale higher snow covered mountains at a faster clip while carrying an even bigger barrel of brandy under his chin, up to your frozen butt stuck in the ice. He is still not going to be out on a track chasing an electronic bunny so that you can loose a week's pay. But that is what marketers try to sell you. "Take our product and become the next runway model". So be realistic about your dreams. When you lose weight, you will be just a thinner version of you (and from where I'm sitting, that's not bad). If you are a "tool" now, you are still going to be a "tool" then, just a thinner "tool". So if you want a gorgeous spouse, or you want to be a famous movie star, those changes are going to have happen from within. Not from a magic pill that someone is trying to sell you.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
EDUCATE, DON'T CONFISCATE
Ah, it's election day here in America. Although I promise not to turn this blog into a vitriolic political diatribe (for you youngsters, "a rage against the machine"), I thought that on this historic day I might offer up my opinion on a certain political climate. In this country, there is a movement to regulate certain foods to battle the growing problem of obesity in the U.S. In New York they've already regulated salt and fried cherry pie (mmm, that sounds good) and recently I heard a story where a young boy's lunch, that he'd brought from home to school, was taken from him because his sandwich wasn't made with whole grain bread (or something to that effect). Please people, school is hard enough, let's not further traumatize the children.
With all due respect, to whom I'm sure are well intentioned politicians, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKIN' MINDS? Prohibition doesn't work. Take a lesson from history. It didn't stop alcohol abuse and it's not going to prevent obesity. In fact, if you continue down this road America might just get even fatter, because we all know if you want people to do something, the fastest way to get them to do it is to tell them they can't. Do you want to create a snack-food black market? Do you want Americans buying "black market" fried cherry pie made with outdated ingredients, smuggled into the country hidden in who knows what body parts, stored in who knows what dank, rat-ridden cellar out of the sight of the food police? Talk about unhealthy.
And let us not confuse "thin" with "healthy". I know plenty of thin people that spend many an hour in the doctor's office or hospital and conversely many people who might be considered obese that are otherwise healthy and exercise routinely. As the great Orson Welles once stated, "gluttony is not an anonymous vice" and is therefore an easy target. So I say to politicians, let us also not be hypocritical either, how many cigarettes do you smoke?, how many drinks a day do you have?, how many hours do you spend on congested, pollution filled highways on your daily commute to Washington?, how many amphetamines do you take to maintain your hectic work schedule and/or YOUR weight? Just the mere fact that we are born means we are going to die. Living is a risky proposition and who are you to decide that my lifestyle is anymore "unhealthy" than yours? Judge not, lest you be judged!
So, how about we keep the police focused on murderers, rapist and thieves and you politicians concentrate on more important matters like creating jobs and stopping the growing problem of corruption in government and big business. How about getting on the same page with food manufacturers to come up with a system of guidelines that are gender, age, height, and physical-activity specific, instead of "painting everyone with the same brush"? There is a lot of conflicting nutritional information and deceptive advertising out there that have Americans pretty confused. How about we regulate the information that is going out so that we might educate ourselves properly and make our own choices. That's what America is all about, freedom to choose.
I am working hard to to educate myself so that I might maintain my weight, but sometimes I may want a fried cherry pie, so be warned, if you come into my home to take away my pie, you better come "heavy" 'cause I won't give it up without a fight. If you don't cease and desist this ridiculous behavior you'll have Americans even more stressed out than they already are, and STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS. Coincidence? I think not!
With all due respect, to whom I'm sure are well intentioned politicians, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKIN' MINDS? Prohibition doesn't work. Take a lesson from history. It didn't stop alcohol abuse and it's not going to prevent obesity. In fact, if you continue down this road America might just get even fatter, because we all know if you want people to do something, the fastest way to get them to do it is to tell them they can't. Do you want to create a snack-food black market? Do you want Americans buying "black market" fried cherry pie made with outdated ingredients, smuggled into the country hidden in who knows what body parts, stored in who knows what dank, rat-ridden cellar out of the sight of the food police? Talk about unhealthy.
And let us not confuse "thin" with "healthy". I know plenty of thin people that spend many an hour in the doctor's office or hospital and conversely many people who might be considered obese that are otherwise healthy and exercise routinely. As the great Orson Welles once stated, "gluttony is not an anonymous vice" and is therefore an easy target. So I say to politicians, let us also not be hypocritical either, how many cigarettes do you smoke?, how many drinks a day do you have?, how many hours do you spend on congested, pollution filled highways on your daily commute to Washington?, how many amphetamines do you take to maintain your hectic work schedule and/or YOUR weight? Just the mere fact that we are born means we are going to die. Living is a risky proposition and who are you to decide that my lifestyle is anymore "unhealthy" than yours? Judge not, lest you be judged!
So, how about we keep the police focused on murderers, rapist and thieves and you politicians concentrate on more important matters like creating jobs and stopping the growing problem of corruption in government and big business. How about getting on the same page with food manufacturers to come up with a system of guidelines that are gender, age, height, and physical-activity specific, instead of "painting everyone with the same brush"? There is a lot of conflicting nutritional information and deceptive advertising out there that have Americans pretty confused. How about we regulate the information that is going out so that we might educate ourselves properly and make our own choices. That's what America is all about, freedom to choose.
I am working hard to to educate myself so that I might maintain my weight, but sometimes I may want a fried cherry pie, so be warned, if you come into my home to take away my pie, you better come "heavy" 'cause I won't give it up without a fight. If you don't cease and desist this ridiculous behavior you'll have Americans even more stressed out than they already are, and STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS. Coincidence? I think not!
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