“Well, that sucks…”

Those were the first words uttered by me this morning after weighing in for the first time in probably a couple of months, and the first time I’ve recorded my weight since my October 20, 2008 weigh-in. Then, 340 pounds even. Today?

358 pounds.

I’ve gained 18 pounds, and the first thing I have to say about it is, “Well, that sucks.” 

Obviously.

I’m not too shocked by this gain, though I am glad that it is not the entire 30 lbs I had previously lost. Nevertheless, I’d probably be exceptionally upset if the gain was just a few pounds.

In any case, I have been working on some more goals, have talked to my trainer/coach/friend and wife and am ready to get back on the path to success. That kind of sounds cheesy, but hey, it is what it is.

Sorry this is so short, but stay tuned for some new posts!

In the news: Calorie Counting

OK, short and sweet is the theme of the day. Two things caught my attention last week, both of which centered on calories. I know most of us hate calorie counting…I can attest that I’m not a fan, but I am actually doing my best do so because I think I’m at a stage in my weight loss where it matters.  I will certainly concede that it is not for everybody.

The first item came from a blog post on Yahoo from Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of SELF magazine.  I am not familiar with SELF at all, but obviously the title caught my attention…

Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

OK, well this will be completely obvious to just about anyone who has a pulse. Let me briefly reiterate her tidbits: 1) pick up produce, 2) snack smart, 3) sip more water, 4) map out your meals, 5) eat every meal. With no disrespect intended for Ms. Danziger, it seemed the the first utterance out of my mouth was, “duh.” Is it that simple?  I think it can be…though we know it usually takes much more than that to get real results.

The second item is still in the same ballpark, but with a twist.  I am an alumnus of Arizona State University and on occasion I’ll check the website out to see what’s new. Last week I came across a press release for a recent study done by the W.P. Carey School of Business…

ASU Study: 100-calorie packs makes dieters eat more

Slightly intriguing, no? I think there is clear face validity here…doesn’t it make sense that our minds often focus on the quantity we eat over the content? Well, let me put it this way…I get what they’re saying, but I don’t know if I always buy it. I think there’s a problem here with external validity in terms of the study. They used M&Ms and Mini M&Ms and I just think that some other food combos should be tried out before a b-school tells the world what’s up with how people perceive and eat their calories. When I think of 100-calorie packs, I think of the little, low-fat Oreos or packages of Wheat Thins. We don’t get them often in our house, but when we do, I think it’s understood that you still just eat…one. I don’t like diet food in the first place…I prefer to eat regular food with extreme moderation and monitoring…but hey, that’s just the way I prefer it.

So, now, I throw it to you…what are your thoughts on calorie counting and 100-calorie packs?

In the news: Former half-ton man endures hard times in Nebraska

Most of you probably don’t know that I’m a recovering journalist. In my formidable* formative years (not that I’m entirely out of them, I guess ) I wanted nothing more than to be a print journalist. I attended a great j-school (at least I thought it would be) and my experience led me to realize that journalism was not my business (this is an entirely different story altogether that I’ll spare you of…but if you really want to know, just ask). Despite writing for a few newspapers, including my favorite stint as a columnist for my college newspaper, I have came full circle and realized it wasn’t my thing. Nevertheless, I read several papers daily and have decided to look for articles of interest to share with you.

I would have failed newswriting for that laboriously long lead….but anyway, I think I’m going to pick Thursdays for my “In the news” segments.

***

This week’s story comes from an AP article published August 15th in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It’s headline:

Former half-ton man endures hard times in Nebraska

Now, I realize there are numerous happenings in the world that lead to news coverage, but I initially failed to recognize the entire point of this story, until I re-read it a few times. Stay with me here… First, I would encourage you all to click on the link and read it…it’s short, but maybe some of you will also see that there’s either not entirely too much story to the story, or it’s all a matter of reading between the lines.

I have read a great deal lately, especially on other blogs, about the great divide between those promoting fat acceptance and those promoting slimmer waistlines. As for myself, I am caught in the middle. I have been fat for most of my life, and for the most part, felt accepted by friends and family and most strangers.  There are occasions when I have felt ostracized about my size, but for the most part, I was able to let it go. Because I’ve been in a position where I’ve felt I’ve been discriminated against, I can certainly empathize with the fat acceptance camp. However, the past two and a half months have made me realize I can accomplish my health goals. I am eating better, I am moving A LOT more, and I am losing weight. I do not want to be fat anymore, but that does not whatsoever mean I would have any disdain for those who promote fat acceptance.

But, let me categorically state that I am entitled to my choices, and my choice is to improve my health. As for myself, many of my health problems have been linked to my obesity. I’m tired of a poor immune system, I’m tired of high-blood pressure, and I’m tired of being on the verge of diabetes.

So, what can we learn from Patrick Deuel in the story? Here is a man who is in clear need of help. I cannot fathom a human heart being able to take on over 1,000 pounds of body weight, and I feel, in a sense, that Mr. Deuel has been given a second chance at life with the gastric bypass…and I somewhat wonder if that chance is slipping away yet again. I don’t know what exactly to feel in terms of Deuel’s situation. I am glad that he is doing his best to not be glum…and I admire him for allowing the press to expose his situation given this country’s exceptionally polar views on the subject of obesity. Yet, there is no ultimate happy ending to this story in my opinion, unless he finally decides to do more about it.

I am glad that he is evaluating his employment options, but I think that if he’s currently unemployed, that perhaps he should capitalize on the opportunity to focus on his health and nothing but his health until he finds gainful employment again. We all have weaknesses for chips and salsa, Patrick, but chips and salsa and smoking alone are not the only reasons you find yourself in this situation. And I hate to pontificate, but time was my perpetual excuse…it is very cliche to say “if there’s a will, there’s a way,” but I now live by it. I don’t believe I’m walking proof…I have a very long way to go.  But the profusion of examples of people who have taken initiative and done something about it are all around us.

I could go on and on about the dozen or so paragraphs of Patrick Deuel’s story, but I won’t.  I have my opinions, and I hope you will let yourselves think about the situation as well. What do you see that is positive from this story? Perhaps someone could enlighten me to where I might be missing the mark.

Again, I’m not impermeable…I just have opinions, and my final one is this: Patrick Deuel has been given second chances that many people don’t get.  I hope he realizes that and does something about it. Like everyone, he too deserves his chance at living a long, healthy life.

* = feel free to look up formidable

End o’ the trip: Leaving Clark County for Clarke County

Well, our fun family-filled trip is over. We’re in Las Vegas at the airport waiting for our flight to board. Then we get four hours of airplane bliss to Atlanta, and another hour and a half to Athens. Sweet. My wife and I equally hate airports (and flying) , but I am thankful for free internet to write a brief update.

I have learned that it is well worth it to program workouts into a trip. This trip in particular was quite fun since I was able to run with family…I’m really grateful for them because it seems as if we’re pretty good at motivating each other…in any case, they’re certainly good at motivating me. Yeah, I had to battle food issues, but I still managed to run six times, when I was trying to be realistic and had only planned for four.

Getting up at 5:30 this morning for a quick 1.5 miler made me realize that I am committed to doing this.

Can you say obsessed?

We had a great time…I’ll be sure to post a few pics as soon as we get home.

I’m glad my parents read me “The Little Engine That Could”

Else, where would I be in this fight to drop pounds and get healthy?

The one thing I have absolutely treasured in the past five weeks is that not one person has told me, “No, you can’t.” I had a soccer coach in middle and high school who would make us run laps if we ever used the word ‘can’t.’ I learned early on that it was not taken lightly, and after a decent amount of laps due to that violation, I learned to keep my mouth shut and just do it.

For the most part, I have eradicated the word ‘can’t’ from my vocabulary.

Now, I do know my limits, but rather than say that I can’t do something, I just postpone it…or rather, make it a long-term goal. Truth of the matter is, I can do most of what I’ve set out to do.  Even with this week’s setback of struggling with the five minute interval, I’ve realized I just need a little more time. I know I can do it.

I have been doing my best to eat well while we’ve been traveling. There are some really good cooks in our family, especially my sister-in-law who makes quite delicious white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. They have been hard to resist, and I’ve only had one so far, and I fear that will be my limit. However, a plus to being in Nevada these past few days is all of the runners and walkers we have in the family.  We’ve hit the track the past fews days – my mother-in-law, two of my sisters-in-law, and myself – in an effort to “keep on a goin’” as we like to say.  They’re all really great motivators, and are pretty disciplined. I get lapped by each and everyone one of them, but that’s okay…someday I’ll be able to keep pace with them.

So, odds are, I will repeat Week 4 of the Couch to 5k into Week 6 of my training.  Geez…just thinking that I’ve kept up with this for six weeks still floors me, but I know the repetition will be well worth it.

When we get back to Georgia, I’m a little worried about the next month. I’ll be starting classes again, my boy will be born shortly, and I have several projects that need some dire attention. I have a conference in Florida to go to in September, not to mention a work trip back to Arizona. Things are going to get crazy busy, and I feel that I have a huge challenge ahead of me in trying to maintain my training while I start to get busy with life again.

Can I do it??

I think I can.