Some days I have to think about a cheat-day on the weekend to get me through. Today is one. At the office I'm surrounded by all kinds of free goodies, and at home Lindsey's home-made wheat bread is healthy but sooo good...so good in fact that I no longer feel sorry for my pioneer ancestors. Sure, they crossed the plains with all of their possessions in hand-carts or wagons. Sure, they faced death at every corner...but I'm sure they had home-made wheat bread soon after arriving, not to mention all the crickets they could eat! I'd bet most lizards would actually be jealous of them.
I love eating healthy and being fit, but I'm still a fatty at heart. Sometimes I'm stronger than others, but the weekly guilt-free cheat days, good health I enjoy, and taste I've developed for nutritious food make all the healthy days worth-while.
AFTER
AFTER
BEFORE
BEFORE
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Maybe fat celebrities aren't having all the fun
Last Sunday I read the Parade article about Drew Carey losing a bunch of weight. To me, the interesting thing was how miserable and lethargic he said he was before losing. Whenever I saw him on T.V., he always appeared happy and energetic.
Other obese entertainers have appeared to not be suffering from their unhealthy choices, then died young as a result. They include John Candy, Mama Cass, Big Punisher, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (of Somewhere Over the Rainbow fame).
The truth is, as fun as it is to gain a lot of weight (and believe me if you haven't, it's fun...pizza at night...2 + trips to the dessert bar...Halloween every day...butter and salt on everything...soda to wash it down), being obese is MISERABLE.
Other obese entertainers have appeared to not be suffering from their unhealthy choices, then died young as a result. They include John Candy, Mama Cass, Big Punisher, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (of Somewhere Over the Rainbow fame).
The truth is, as fun as it is to gain a lot of weight (and believe me if you haven't, it's fun...pizza at night...2 + trips to the dessert bar...Halloween every day...butter and salt on everything...soda to wash it down), being obese is MISERABLE.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Where there's a will, there's a babe!
It's true. Desiring to be fit and staying motivated are essential to any real, long-term progress in losing weight and maintaining (and being a babe- according to my wife).
I believe the more reasons one has to be fit, the more likely one is to find long-term motivation. Therefore, I'm soon going to begin compiling a list of A MILLION reasons to be fit. I'll be bugging friends, family, neighbors, strangers, and enemies for reasons, so consider this an advance warning to start brainstorming. They can be serious or lighthearted...it doesn't matter 'cause I just want reasons baby!!! Please submit them by email or comment, don't be shy, and have fun.
Here were my first 5 reasons to be fit:
-I wanted to live a long life with my family
-I wanted good quality of life
-I wanted to enjoy good food without any guilt
-I was tired of people asking me for my autograph, mistaking me for John Candy or Chris Farley :)
-I wanted to be a rebel...with 66% of adult Americans being overweight, isn't it amazing that being fit would make me a renegade?
I believe the more reasons one has to be fit, the more likely one is to find long-term motivation. Therefore, I'm soon going to begin compiling a list of A MILLION reasons to be fit. I'll be bugging friends, family, neighbors, strangers, and enemies for reasons, so consider this an advance warning to start brainstorming. They can be serious or lighthearted...it doesn't matter 'cause I just want reasons baby!!! Please submit them by email or comment, don't be shy, and have fun.
Here were my first 5 reasons to be fit:
-I wanted to live a long life with my family
-I wanted good quality of life
-I wanted to enjoy good food without any guilt
-I was tired of people asking me for my autograph, mistaking me for John Candy or Chris Farley :)
-I wanted to be a rebel...with 66% of adult Americans being overweight, isn't it amazing that being fit would make me a renegade?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Another tip to help lose and maintain...
Limit eating at night.
For me, I'll usually eat at or before 7 pm, and If I'm strict, will only have a protein shake or a scoop of peanut butter after that.
My dinner meal usually consists of fish or chicken breast, part of a yam, and green vegetables- like a salad with vinaigrette.
Have you ever found success with this?
For me, I'll usually eat at or before 7 pm, and If I'm strict, will only have a protein shake or a scoop of peanut butter after that.
My dinner meal usually consists of fish or chicken breast, part of a yam, and green vegetables- like a salad with vinaigrette.
Have you ever found success with this?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
In my opinion, the biggest key to losing weight and maintaining...is...
Setting goals!!!
Now hold on a second before you punch your computer screen!...I've always hated setting personal goals, so I understand the natural reluctance many of us have in embracing them as a means of furthering progress. In the case of losing weight and maintaining, those annoying weenies (goals) are always first to tap you on the shoulder or stick their finger in your ear when you're about to take a bite of a doughnut on a non-indulgence or non-"cheat" day. The thing is though, they work.
By the way, I say "goals" because I've found that the more realistic goals I set and make, the easier losing and maintaining is.
For example, when I was losing, I learned to ALWAYS have at least 2 concurrent goals- one short-term (usually to lose 5 pounds within 3 weeks) and one long-term (to hit my ultimate goal of 170). Once the short-term goal was made, I'd make a new one and the long-term goal would keep me in check when I'd indulge in a guiltless treat...usually broccoli...just kidding...more like enchiladas.
Now that I'm maintaining, with the normal daily and weekly weight fluctuations I experience (due mostly to guilt-free, weekly indulgences), I'll always set weekly goals to be at a specific weight on a specific day.
The bottom line: If I'm not setting realistic goals, I'm not losing or maintaining.
Now hold on a second before you punch your computer screen!...I've always hated setting personal goals, so I understand the natural reluctance many of us have in embracing them as a means of furthering progress. In the case of losing weight and maintaining, those annoying weenies (goals) are always first to tap you on the shoulder or stick their finger in your ear when you're about to take a bite of a doughnut on a non-indulgence or non-"cheat" day. The thing is though, they work.
By the way, I say "goals" because I've found that the more realistic goals I set and make, the easier losing and maintaining is.
For example, when I was losing, I learned to ALWAYS have at least 2 concurrent goals- one short-term (usually to lose 5 pounds within 3 weeks) and one long-term (to hit my ultimate goal of 170). Once the short-term goal was made, I'd make a new one and the long-term goal would keep me in check when I'd indulge in a guiltless treat...usually broccoli...just kidding...more like enchiladas.
Now that I'm maintaining, with the normal daily and weekly weight fluctuations I experience (due mostly to guilt-free, weekly indulgences), I'll always set weekly goals to be at a specific weight on a specific day.
The bottom line: If I'm not setting realistic goals, I'm not losing or maintaining.
Monday, September 13, 2010
A stroll down memory lane (without needing a fat-guy Jazzy)
Once I hit my weight goal, maintained for a while, and was eating healthy, it was easy to loose sight of the wicked-awesomeness of being fit.
So looking back, here's one thing that has completely changed for me and helps me to stay motivated: day-time fatigue. When I was overweight, I used to get tired in the afternoon without exception. 2 pm would roll around and I'd start dozing for at least an hour. If I stayed awake, I was in a zombie-like state, so either way it affected my performance at work and made me feel like a 80-year-old at 26.
Now that I'm fit...zero day-time fatigue. I have so much energy throughout the day that I'm thinking about looking into Ritalin:).
So looking back, here's one thing that has completely changed for me and helps me to stay motivated: day-time fatigue. When I was overweight, I used to get tired in the afternoon without exception. 2 pm would roll around and I'd start dozing for at least an hour. If I stayed awake, I was in a zombie-like state, so either way it affected my performance at work and made me feel like a 80-year-old at 26.
Now that I'm fit...zero day-time fatigue. I have so much energy throughout the day that I'm thinking about looking into Ritalin:).
Thursday, September 9, 2010
No problem here folks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released a study showing that in 2009, only about 33% of American adults consumed the daily recommended amount of fruit/fruit juice (2 servings), and only 26% of American adults consumed the daily recommended amount of vegetables (3 servings).
Wow! I can definitely understand why- there are so many tasty/bad/cheap things to eat.
With information like this available, how does anyone not know why 66% of Americans are overweight?
It would be nice if I could just sing my way to good health, a la Slim Goodbody, but reality demands I actually follow what he says make good nutrition choices every day. The more I do however, the easier I've noticed it tends to become.
Wow! I can definitely understand why- there are so many tasty/bad/cheap things to eat.
With information like this available, how does anyone not know why 66% of Americans are overweight?
It would be nice if I could just sing my way to good health, a la Slim Goodbody, but reality demands I actually follow what he says make good nutrition choices every day. The more I do however, the easier I've noticed it tends to become.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Thoughts on eating like a horse
I've always been teased at work for eating like a horse. There are two ways of interpreting that statement: eating mass quantities of food, or eating healthy. In the past I was teased for the former, now for the latter.
Over time I've adopted the motto: to be as healthy as a horse, I must eat like one. Literally. Like a horse, my diet consists in large part of oats and other plants. Like a horse, I’ve actually acquired a taste for those “blandies.” Like a horse, my cardiovascular health is superb. Like a horse, I’ve become much leaner, ripped, and veiny. Unlike a horse, I still don’t have a very long neck. Why are you turning red?
If you decide to eat like a horse, give yourself at least a month of honest trying. I notice after long periods of non-deviating, horse-like eating my cravings for good (bad) foods weaken and it becomes easier for me to resume the horse-like eating after a guilt-free indulgence.
Join me in eating like a horse, and not eating like a horse. Let your office cronies mock- they’ll eat their words when you have a huge nose and they don’t.
Over time I've adopted the motto: to be as healthy as a horse, I must eat like one. Literally. Like a horse, my diet consists in large part of oats and other plants. Like a horse, I’ve actually acquired a taste for those “blandies.” Like a horse, my cardiovascular health is superb. Like a horse, I’ve become much leaner, ripped, and veiny. Unlike a horse, I still don’t have a very long neck. Why are you turning red?
If you decide to eat like a horse, give yourself at least a month of honest trying. I notice after long periods of non-deviating, horse-like eating my cravings for good (bad) foods weaken and it becomes easier for me to resume the horse-like eating after a guilt-free indulgence.
Join me in eating like a horse, and not eating like a horse. Let your office cronies mock- they’ll eat their words when you have a huge nose and they don’t.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)