Seasons Of Love

So.....

Went to weigh in today and please find below the results

Starting Weight - 381 lbs
Todays gain- 1lb
Total Lost - 52.5 lbs
Todays Weight 329.5 lbs

I have said before that I am totally ok with gains here and there. I know its part of the process. So to have made it through almost 5 weeks of roasted turkeys,dressing, ham, cheesy "stuff", sweet chocolate "stuff", cakes, cookies, pies, candies,casseroles,homemade breads, egg nog and a taste of alcohol here and there ....I am very please to have only gained 2 pounds over the course of the season. Add to that I managed to lose alot more than I gained so I think i am on the right track.
ALSO....I got new pants and am proud to say that since august I have dropped THREE pants sizes. My old belts dont fi(got a new one today)
So thats good ....
I am pleased to have a WONDERFUL friend joining us at WW and cannot wait to be on this journey with her. Its gonna be a blast.!!!
I will be taking a year ending week off and wont report in till NEXT Saturday ...
Have a great END OF THE YEAR WEEK!!

In The Bleak Mid-Winter

2008

2009

So.....

You will find above last years christmas picture and this years ....I see a slight difference. The belt I was wearing in LAST years pictures I cannot wear this year cause it TOO BIG ...Heck Yeah !!

Hope yall had a great Christmas Day !!

So This Is Christmas .....

Luke 2:1-20

The Birth of Jesus

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

O Holy Night

So......

Its Christmas Eve !

My thoughts on another year gone by ....

• I am still in the same job. I love my job and the folks I work with ....Its a frustrating job at times but at the end of the day I go home happy and content with the with the work I am doing. I know alot of folks who cant say the same thing ...
• I am amazed sometimes at the folks who HATE Montgomery. Montgomery is a nice city and my adopted hometown. Be nice to her....
• Having found out this year that I have hearing problems in one ear only makes it seem like I hear even WORSE ....The roar is still in my ears and I am looking forward to the day when that ends.
• I got to spend some great time in Western NC this past year ....Going 4 times total.
• As you all know, Health become a big issue for me at the end of the summer. 2010 is shaping up to be an AMAZING year....I have a few personal goals that I would like to see achieved by this time next year and with some hard work and determination I will do it. I am also excited to have folks join up on the journey. Its gonna be FUN!
• Speaking of health stuff ...sometime after the first I am going to finally schedule some type of sleep test. Lack of Sleep = poor health. I get sick with little things alot...colds sinus etc...time to check this out.
• I am going to go hiking next year. Not a stroll in the woods by my house but a real weekend long hike ...maybe longer. Jmcfee is going to be my guide cause he is the great hiker !!
• I continue to find so much love and support from my WONDERFUL friends. Nick, Laura, MrLucas, Jackie, John, Laura, Jason,David, Ryan, MT, Steve,Mary and Lane.....Yall make my life meaningfull and amazing. Where would I be with the love and support ...I just dont know. Words cant express my love to yall....
• I started to Twitter this past year....do I like it ?? Verdict is still out but I am still tweeting.
• My family....I love yall for everything yall do ....
• I say it every year ...but I still terribly miss my Dad. I dont think that will ever change.
• I dont have any movie lists or music lists to share. I see alot of stuff on Netflix and buy alot on iTunes but I have weird tastes in both at times ....

I could go on and on .....

After this coming weigh in on Saturday I am going to be taking a week off from blogging till the first Saturday in January 2010. As you can tell I have used song titles since August for my blog titles ....should i keep it up or change to something else..? Sometimes the song titles match something in the post itself but other tiumes i just like the song ...So should I keep things the same ?? Let me know

Thats it for tonight ...its getting close to 1:30 am and I need to be up early tomorrow

Peace Love and Happiness to you all and Happy Christmas Eve

White Christmas

So....

A friend of mine emailed this to me and I wanted to share

Ways That Losing Weight Is Like Writing A Letter To Santa .....

Anyone can do it

Being greedy isn’t a recipe for success

Some people need a little help getting it started

You feel better once it’s done

The possibilities are limitless

Your’s is different than everyone else’s

Helps if you write down all the things you want

If you can’t stop being naughty, you probably shouldn’t even bother

Once you’ve done it, you have to continue being good

Sometimes you feel like it’s going nowhere

Just saying what you want doesn’t mean you’re going to get it

You really need to be good, not just say you’ve been good

It’s harder to do when you get older

You really should leave out cookies

It doesn’t work if you don’t believe

Home For The Holidays

So.....

No weight loss stuff tonight ...got family on my mind.

I look at the family picture above and I see two folks missing....My Grandaddy who was and is my Hero and my Daddy. I cried tonight looking at that picture but you know what ...

Our family goes on...It goes on with the smiling faces of those great kids down front there ...It goes on with my cousin Ashley being engaged and getting ready to start a family with Tyler. It continues through the grandkids who have famlies. The grandkids who remember the years gone by and the Christmas of 1975. Or the one from 87. We share with the little ones about how Santa brought horses for presents one year....We share and laugh.

We eat Grannys cake.....Her amazing chocolate cake!

So our family endures through loss and tragedy....It sounds stupid and corny but we endure because we do remember those past holidays, we eat that cake, we share those memories about our Grandaddy who loved Christmas and told us to always believe in Santa Claus....and I do Believe. You miss your Daddy with an incredible ache in your body but you remember how happy he was to watch his grandkids open gifts Christmas Day. You laugh when you remember how he would sneak off after lunch to go home and take a nap...

Family endures.

We fight and argue. We forget names. We laugh at each other till we cant see straight. We wonder who will eat that least piece of chocolate cake and you know what....

My family is full of crazy folks ....but crap I love um!

Merry Christmas !

Deck The Halls...

So.....

Tomorrow will be a busy day filled with family christmas time at my grannys house and i decided to go today and weigh in ....
I lost 5 lbs this past week !!! I dont know what I did different....I dont know how I manged to lost that much weight but I did and am very happy. Getting to 50 lbs is a HUGE deal for me ...its almost psychological if that makes sense....But here I am at 53.5 lbs to date...I said back in August that it would be cool if i managed to lose about 60lbs by Christmas....6.5 lbs is not that far off folks ...
WOW...

So to date

Starting Weight- 381 lbs
Todays loss- 5 lbs
Total Lost - 53.5 lbs
Weight Today- 328.5 lbs

The Christmas Waltz

So.....

We are knee deep in the holiday season ..Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, New Years ...the list goes on and on and so far this year I have been to more than a few parties with a few more to go before New Years Eve.

Here is a list that someone sent me. It is a good listing of things to do to help you out at a party if you feel the need to go a little overboard.

Always bring a pocketful of low-fat ranch dressing to dip carrot sticks in.

Dance furiously to burn off extra calories, even if there isn’t any music.

When you see a plate of cookies, think about me licking each one of them (because I do that at every party I go to).

If you’re looking for a beer that’s lighter than regular beer, try “light” beer.

Chewing on poinsettia leaves will suppress your appetite (probably due to the fact that they’re poisonous).

Instead of eggnog, enjoy a glass of eggwhitenog.

If there’s a bowl of chocolates, stuff them all in your mouth as quickly as possible so that they won’t wind up tempting you all evening long.

To get a little exercise, use the restroom at the house down at the end of the block.

When no one’s looking, spin around a couple hundred times.

Raw vegetables are a good healthy choice, especially if you fry them up and dip them in catsup.

While you’re talking to your boss at the office party, shake uncontrollably. It burns 40 calories an hour.

If someone offers you a piece of cake, explain that you’re Catholic and can’t have any.

Wear clothes that are three times too small so that you won’t feel like eating because one sugar cookie might make a button shoot off you as if shot out of a gun.

Ask the host if he or she has a treadmill that you can drag out into the living room.

Every time someone offers you a drink, fake a heart attack.

Mele Kalikimaka

So.....

I went today to weigh in and for the first time in 17 weeks I gained. One pound. Whos upset ?? Not this guy....if anything I am a wee bit relieved to have a gain behind me....I have my reasons for it but thats what I am feeling right now ....

So to date...

Starting Weight 381lbs

Todays Gain- 1lb

Weight Today -332.5

Total Weight lost 48.5 lbs

To have done what I have done in 17 weeks is still amazing to me ...Keep on keeping on ...
Yall have a DRY Saturday

Mistletoe and Holly

So.....

Twitter or Facebook....This post might ruffle feathers but here goes

I do both but I only do one regular. Facebook. I like facebook cause I get a real name, I like posting updates from time to time. I like seeing pages of pictures.I like leaving comments. I dont do the farmville thing but hey to each his own....

I still dont get Twitter....

I stink at Twitter.....I follow a couple of folks on there that post about weight loss and thats fun and of course I follow just about all of my blog readers out there ...Yall do a good job at updating Twitter. I will sometimes go a whole day without even thinking about it ...I will check FB many many times during the day...

With Twitter I always feel behind ....

See in my opinion there is an art to being a great Tweeter. You must have a really good blend of letting people into your life, re-tweeting motivational quotes, leaving good direct messages, and using the @ often. I dont do all that ....

With all of this being said, I haverespect for the weight loss Tweeters that are good at it.

I do think that being a good Tweeter takes talent.

I just dont have that ....

Frosty the Snowman

So....

I just noticed that I have 304 blog posts in the last 3+ years...a good many have occured in the last 4 months....I also noticed that in a very short while my blog posts will catch up with my weight loss. Or I should say that they will catch up to my current weight. Pretty neat ...anyway moving on ...

I want to bake cookies. Decorated cookies with thick rich creamy piped icing. I want them to be in the shape of Santa and candy canes. I want big plump snowmen with white frothy bodies and black hats. Maybe green and red icing on a wreath or christmas trees.

I want to make snickerdoodles (thanks brad)....and contrary to popular belief they have neither snickers or doodles in them ! I want to make Martha Washington balls.... Yummy confectioners sugar, chopped pecans, coconut and eaglebrand milk...Yeah, I want to do this ...

I used to bake cookies with a friend from Tuskegee ...One year we made so many sugar cookies we had them on the beds to let the icing set ...we made HUNDREDS...So much fun. Then we stopped making cookies...never did it much after that and honest to goodness I have not made cookies during the holidays since.

I am going to bake this weekend I think ...Maybe Saturday. Supposed to be a good cold day outside and I think it would be perfect weather for it....Might make some fudge also

I dont really want to eat all these cookies...I want to give them out to folks. I would enjoy a good sugar cookie and perhaps I might have one with a glass of milk ...

I am just feeling nostalgic today .....Call me sappy

The Christmas Waltz

December 2009October 2009
July 2009

July 2009

So.....

Just a couple of pictures today ...nothing to drastic but kinda give us an idea as to where I was am where I am today. Four months ago today I joined Weight Watchers and so far so good...

The first picture was made this past Sunday night on the 6th when our ensemble group at DUMC did 5 pieces from Handels Messiah ....The second picture is from MWITW back in October....Third picture was from our summer family trip to DC and the final picture is from the church where the choir did a broadway show...

I really think i need some more pictures...we shall see

Enjoy

Winter Wonderland

So....

It snowed somewhere last night but to the best of my knowledge it was a wash here in Montgomery. I mean I had friends in Texas who saw snow and West Alabama saw accumulated snow. Friends in Baltimore, NYC and North Carolina ....Snow, Snow Snow ...but we got rain.

Oh Well...

I spent a good portion of today with my great nephews , Hunter and Connie. We spent the day making a gingerbread house and making some little stained glass ornaments. I remember as a kid doing the same thing with my aunt and wanted to share it with my nephews. We had fun!

Oh I also went to weigh in and here are the numbers ...I managed to lose 3.5lbs this past week!!

So to Date

Start Weight - 381lbs

Todays Loss- 3.5lbs

Todays Weight - 331.5

Total Loss- 49.5lbs

In four months I have done something that i really thought might take me a whole year to do and for that I am thankfull !!

I am pleased with any loss and you all know that ...Thanks for the continued support !

As Francis Albert used to sing " The best is yet to come....."

For Unto Us A Child Is Born

So.....



It was in the news this past week that Jared from Subway fame seems to have a gained a few pounds...

Yeah ...That happens when you struggle with being overweight. ET on television reported on it, Perez " I am perfect so dont bash me" Hilton commented on it ...and it was online on several different news sites. Everyone you read or heard commenting on it was SHOCKED....

Pssssst ...heres the deal-Weight loss struggles and obesity have been around a lot longer than Twitter,Facebook, AOL and Perez Hilton. They aint going anywhere anytime soon.....

I hate it for Jared if he has gained some of weight back but you know what ...He has inspired alot of folks to get serious about their health. Maybe not eat Subway every day for two years but they are doing something maybe.

I read on my AOL page(yeah I still use AOL) anyway on their health page "That's Fit", they said that Jared was "Toting some extra baggage and not the kind on wheels....looks like his mid section is spreading like the mayo on a Sub sandwich"

These are folks who are supposed to care about folks being healthy and yet they decide to make fun of the guy ....That angers and saddens me. They blasted him just like Perez Hilton and they are supposed to be on our side.

I hope he pulls this around and is alright and back on track with weight loss....I am pulling for him and you should be too !

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

So.....

Lets cheat a bit and jump to the end of this blog. I am not a fan of cheaters. I hate when I read that a favorite athlete cheated by taking steroids. ...Or they took money for something....
Or when you read that a big executive at a huge company stole millions from the company to pay for his house or houses in Aspen, Paris, Etc.
We hear about it every day in some form or another ....Cheaters suck!

Having said that lets turn to diets...We have all fallen off the diet wagon at some point but alot of times folks say " I am going to cheat a little today" "Cheating wont hurt me...pass that cake" But it does hurt you ....Eating that first piece of pie can lead to you evntually gaining weight back that you have struggled to lose.

There is no perfect diet out there ....Never will be. I understand a little better about portion control but If I am being honest with myself (and you dear readers) I will have to work for the rest of my life to have a healthy weight. Excercise will be a norm for me ....Some people dont have to struggle. I will and I understand that ....

When we say we are going to have a cheat day it suddenly has a naughty sound to it ....Kinda like taking two suckers at the bank or smoking in the bathroom when you should not be smoking at all.
Heres the deal ...Most diets do work though specially the ones that mainly teach portion control. Slowly building you into a new way of eating and making choices. They are designed to let you eat what you want to eat when you want to eat it ...You can eat pie, cakes, candies, ice cream, starches galore....just be more aware of it and when you get the idea of having a CHEAT day there will be no need because when you look back you realize something....you dont need a cheat day cause I have not lacked for anything.

Cheating sucks ....Just ask the guys from 1919 'Black Sox" team ....

White Christmas

So....

Its about making choices ....I found a site that broke things down and you could register what you used to eat vs what you can order now and not feel like you have sunk your ship....
Enjoy....AND this is post #300 on my blog ...Pretty good !!

Burger King
Then: 9-piece chicken fries, medium fry, medium Coke, cheeseburger, sweet & sour sauce = 1570 cals
Now: Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich (no mayo) = 380 cals

Wendy’s
Then: Spicy chicken sandwich, medium fry, medium chocolate frosty = 1300 cals
Now: Ultimate Chicken Grill = 380 cals -OR- Baked potato (plain), small chili (plain) = 460 cals

Sonic
Then: Ex-long chili cheese coney, medium onion rings, medium liimeade slush = 1392 cals
Now: Grilled chicken sandwich (no mayo), Jr. candy sundae = 365 cals

McDonald’s
Then: Premium crispy chicken club sandwich, medium fries, medium Coke = 1250 cals
Now: Vanilla soft-serve cone = 150 cals

Papa Johns Then: Meat Lovers pizza (4 slices x 3 meals since )= 2400 cals
Now: Slice of cheese pizza = 310 cals Panera Bread

Panera Bread
Then: Sierra turkey (1/2), baked potato soup (8 oz), whole-grain baguette (side),sweet tea = 980 cals
Now: Smoked turkey on sourdough (1/2), baked potato soup (8 oz) = 450 cals


I don’t eat much ‘traditional’ fast food or ‘chain’ restaurant food these days simply because I prefer to spend my calories on more filling type foods....but from time to time you will find yourself out there and will need to decide what you want from a fast food place and remember they always have salads !!

Bells Will Be Ringing

So.....

To me, weight loss is not about what you put in your mouth.No two people lose weight the exact same way.Everybody is different. Some want the occasional "treat", some are "hardcore clean eaters". Some love the gym, some walk at home....for folks to say they are a weight loss expert is to say you are "The master of the Slot Machine"...... Just because you hit a jackpot does not mean you can do it every time or help others win a jackpot.

The one piece of advice that I can give, which might sound weird from me although it shouldn't, is this... A loss is a loss, and do not ever get discouraged that you "Only lost ____" I have already realized that I can do this for the rest of my life.
I know the feeling though, You work so hard all week. You read or see stories about folks who lose 5-10lbs .....you watch "The Biggest Loser" where you see huge losses.
You get on the scale and you "Only lost one pound!".....You question the way you eat.You question if this is worth it.You question your program that has worked for so many weeks.Realistically, losing a pound is awesome. I mean think about it ...If you lose one pound each week for a year BOOM 52 lbs are gone off your frame...pretty damn good if you ask me.
Life is weird sometimes.... no one did not get a date because they weighed 212 instead of 209......no one did not get the promotion because they were 201 instead of 199. Yet every week, those numbers destroy our mentality. Sure there is a difference from 400 to 200 pounds, but why do we sweat the small stuff? This is where people start to fail and this is where I have failed for so long. I never looked at the big picture.When your mentality is destroyed, your mind wonders....You look at other diets and try them out. You get confused at the gym, and try so many programs.Yet, you lost a pound!
DOnt get me wrong ..I am very happy to be where I am ...VERY VERY VERY happy ....I have managed to lose weight each and every week since I started on August 7....But I can understand the frustration of wanting to lose more and not being able to do so ....But a loss of anything kind is a great thing....I am not complaining. This is just whats on my mind today ....
I hate the term "Shake it up". When people say that, it means they are going to try anything to lose "more" weight. Maybe you are different, I am not.So be proud of those losses. No matter how small. If I would have realized a one pound loss is better than a 250 pound gain, I would have been successful years ago.
Onward I go ....

O Tannenbaum

So....

Tonight we had the big "Welcome Home Baby Rosemary...Lets help Mom and Dad put the tree up" at the Lucas house and all went very nice. Baby R is delightful by the way ....

I went today to weigh in and was a bit worried after my trip to Atlanta last weekend and then my big Thanksgivng feast on thursday....Well, I managed to lose 2lbs this week!! How bout that !?!?!?!?!

So to date

Starting Weight 381lbs
Todays Loss-2lbs
Total To Loss To Date- 46 lbs
Weight Today- 334.5 lbs

I am happy and I am tired...Where in the world did the holiday weekend go ?
Peace and Sweet Dreams to you all

The Holly and The Ivy

So.....

Turkey and dressing- Gone. Auburn ALMOST defeated Alabama but almost dont count....Good game though. I was very good with portion sizes Thrusday..had no cake or anything sweet, but I ate a ton of veggies and of course turkey.
Tree is up and decorated but there is still alot to do ....I weigh in tomorrow after my Atlanta weekend conference and Thanksgiving ...we shall see.
I am exhausted after spending two full days with family stuff etc.....
Good night

We Gather Together

There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. ~O. Henry

So...

Its almost Thanksgiving. You got your list and I got mine ...Here are just a few of the things that I am thankful for this year....Its a bit mushy but here goes

• A job that I actually enjoy about 98% of the time. Any job has its ups and downs but when you can go in smiling almost every single day and LEAVE the same way ...well then you got a good thing my friends.


• Family. The crazier we are the more we seem to get along at times. I have to amazing nephews that I adore and love with all my heart and soul. You cannot imagine how my heart feels when I see my youngest nephew walk out of school and realize that I am picking him up that day...The look on his face is enough to get me through 10 years worth of anything bad. To look at my oldest nephew and see the excitement when you talk about books and history and yes politics. It makes me proud. To having a mother and a brother who drives through the night to be with you right before emergency surgery. I Love Yall.


• To seeing my godaughters walking and squeeling with delight when they play. Music to my ears.


• Old friends who are new parents. Welcome to the World Rosemary.


• To renewed family vacations to far off places. What a blast.


• My uncle being home and reminding me so much of my Dad.


• Being 44 pounds lighter than I was 3.5 months ago.


• My friends all over the country and world for that matter.... Oxford, Birmingham, Pennsylvania, California, Atlanta,Dallas, New Zealand, England...The list is long. Thanks guys for being there


• My best friends here....Meals, travels,porch time, understanding, guiding,listening, walking,sharing and growing. I could not possibly be me without yall.


• Watching the kids in my youth growing into young adults and going off into the world. Its crazy that I have been around these folks for almost 10 years.


• Lower blood pressure.


• My granny and the way she shows her love.


• Quilts. I love a quilt.


• My faith. I have it but seldom wear it on my sleeve. Its my business and I am ok with that..


• Memories of my Nana, Grandaddy and my Dad. Bittersweet this time of the year but damn I love thinking about them and the smiles they had .


• Having Grannys recipe for her dressing and being able to make it ALMOST as good as she does.


• Decent health.


• My devoted fans who read my blog to keep up with my weight loss progress

I could go on for pages and pages .....I am a blessed man. I hope yall have a great Thanksgiving.
Peace and Love to you all ....

Santa Baby

So.....

Its the week of Thanksgiving and all is well here on the diet front. Ask me Saturday if things are still great !! Ha
But for real I dont really plan on going overboard this week. I have a listing of points for traditionl THanksgiving items. Dressing, sweet potatoes etc. I am expecting a great week followed by a great victory by the Auburn Tigers on Friday. Tree decorating this coming weekend and then sliding full force into the Christmas Season

I had a full weekend last weekend in Atlanta. Ate some pretty decent food but managed to stay within my points. I think I am starting to move past the point of stressing so much about going out of town and eating. I did not drink enough water or have enough veggies but I did pretty good. The main thing is I had a great chance to connect with some old friends...and we had a nice time catching up. Oh, I also went to a conference thing....

Thats it for today
More tomorrow about the Thanksgiving menu.

Its Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

So....

Today is the end of a busy day of getting up extra early, going to work for a small bit, going to weigh in, travelling to Atlanta for a conference and ending the night meeting up with some old friends for dinner and catching up time.
As I mentioned I went today to weigh in and am as always pleased to report that I lost another 3lbs this past week.

So to date ...

Start Date -381lbs
Loss Today-3lbs
Total Weight Loss-44lbs
Weight Today-337.5lbs

How excited am I that I am now below the 340lb mark??? VERY.
Some of the comments I have been getting from folks about my weight loss is ..."WOW, but its gotta be so hard" Yes, Its been a new thing for me to get used to and yes its meant giving up a few things but overall its been a great experience for me . But as always with WW you can have anything you want its just about making a right choice and sticking with it ...deciding do I want to drink my calories or eat them. Deciding do I want to run by McDonalds for a quick fix or do I want to go home and eat something that if filling and good ....
I know that the day will come when I will step up there and register a no loss or a gain ....or maybe that will never happen.... I dont know but what I do know is this ...I am headed in the best direction possible in my life right now and for that I am pleased.

This next week we will officially enter the "Holiday Season"....Am I nervous about the food offerings that are just around the corner ....not really. I will eat Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and get things going ....I will not keep things off my plate but I will use the moderation key. I will enjoy Thursday just like I always would have.

As I mentioned earlier we are in Atlanta this weekend for the National Youth Workers Convention. Its a great chance for youth workers to connect with other youth workers and to talk and relax. Its our weekend and we make the most of it. I always enjoy my NYWC time.
As a plus to being in Atlanta we also get to see old friends while here....We had a great time tonight with folks. Catching up and talking ...sharing were our lives are right now. The conversation was really great. It was also great seeing them ....

I might not be posting as much this weekend since we have to pay for WiFi at this hotel. Its a nice hotel right downtown and acrros the street from the Georgia World Congress Center but I am not sure if its worth paying each day for internet access when I can come down here and use it for free in the Business Center. Also we are going to be pretty busy with the conference going on till Monday morning.
Anyway...Yall might not hear from me again till Monday night or even Tuesday.

On a very bright note ...Atlanta is already decked out in Christmas decorations ....a wonderful site. Downtown Atlanta at nighttime is a beautiful site.
Have a great weekend
Peace

Working at The Car Wash

So....
I found this online while looking around at stuff ...Pretty funny and also kinda accurate.
Enjoy

Weight Loss is Sometimes Like Buying A Car
You’re concerned about trunk space
It helps if you know what you want
All the numbers that get thrown around can get you pretty confused
The professional that’s there to help you work things out often speaks a lot of gibberish
Your mileage may vary
The more you put in, the easy it is to get a deal done
It’s a good idea to research the options
It’s shouldn’t have to worry about maintenance for a while
To get what you want, you gotta pay the price
You’ll get the best results if you can keep from getting overly emotional
Insert your own “air bags” joke here
The right fuel will get your motor running more smoothly
The longer the process goes, the more you’ll probably get off in the end
The keys are in your own hands
Folks all around you take notice once you’ve done the deal
You know you’ll be safer in a new and improved body
Nothing quite like that feeling of pride and ownership
At the end of the day, you’re the one in the driver’s seat

The Christmas Waltz

So.....

Occasionally something will happen to us so often that we accept how it feels and then when it's no longer there we forget why we ever accepted the way things were.
I've been making it a habit with my healthful eating plan to make note of how I feel in a little journal. I also keep track of my points in this same book. Noticing changes as I move through the next few weeks. One big change that is so confusing and well accepted by me is my lack of hunger and cravings.
I first noticed this on last Friday when I had a HUGE Fuji apple for a snack before I went out to go run some errands.
I forgot about eating until that evening!!! Which is not a good thing, but so surprising for me I just went with it. Sure I was tempted by all of the comforting ideas of seasonal food (flavored coffee, or christmas candy were high on that list) but aside from my initial reaction to comfort myself I just did not have hunger.
Hunger for me is very uncomfortable......... I get grouchy, irritable, nauseous and that feeling of IF I DON'T EAT RIGHT THIS SECOND I WILL EAT YOUR ARM OFF. Which looking at it more closely could be a symptom of high and low blood sugar spikes. I would always fight my way past the hunger though ...go hours without even trying to slow down to eat
Now that I feel stable in that area..... I seem to be able to go longer periods without food and caving to cravings. When I wake up I don't feel that empty -sick feeling of hunger. Hunger is there....... but it is more subtle and less uncomfortable.
Its too early to assume I am cured of this desire to overeat because I'm not. But I really like how I feel. I like being able to go about my day and not be consumed with the thought of eating or wondering how I'm going to sneak extra food in my day.
Peace

Ding Dong Merrily On High !

So .....

This will be a short one but I went today to weigh in and I had manged to lose 2.5lbs !!
So as of today

Start Weight-381lbs
Todays Loss - 2.5lbs
Loss to date -41lbs
Todays Weight-340 lbs

Needless to say I am very pleased considering that this past week really saw me off kilter as far as my diet has been going. I have not excercised one bit, have not had much success at drinking my water like i usually do. I have eaten good this week and thats helped keep me going in the right direction. My biggest concern was that I would gain due to the impact of all the drugs that were in my system.
No worries there though....
Speaking of water and my schedule with that ....When I get to work each morning I fill my 32oc water bottle and start drinking. Usually by 11 or 12 I am done with at least two of these bottles.
I also drink water at other times during the day but for the most part I drink it all at my desk during the day. Being out from work this past week really through me off my schedule ...anyway water over the dam as they say right ? HA
I go to Atlanta on Friday for a 4 day work conference thing and will once again have a test as to my limits of eating and such. I am not looking for a repeat of last years trip to Nashville!! Blech

Thats it for me
War Eagle !!

Grown Up Christmas List

So....

I started back to the gym last week ....Went a few days then got sick. Blerg.
I am not supposed to lift anything more than 5lbs for the next month....so that means that lifting weights on any level is out of the question. But here is my deal ....I am SOOOO ready to already get back to working out ...even going those few days had me energized. I know there is nothing in the world that I can do about getting sick....Crap happens. But I feel incredibly sidelined right now and its driving me nuts.
Here is my goal once I get back to the gym (next week !!)
I am going to tackle the elliptical machine. Yeah ...thats right I am going to take it on and I will whip its ugly stupid face into the ground. I like the rowing machines and the treadmills. I like the stationary bikes and the recumbant bikes. I dont like the elliptical machines.
I will use them for a few minutes and then stop. I will gradually add my time and eventually I will show it who is boss ...Heck yeah !
Here are two things I will need ....

1. Music. I cant excercise on any real level without music of some kind. It motivates me and makes the time fly by....I have set play lists that I enjoy ...ask me if you are curious.
2. Towel or magazine. I have to cover up the time elapsed/calories burned/distance travelled thing when I am working out or I will check every 2 minutes...Tick Tock Tick Tock !!

So thats my plan next Monday morning is to hit the gym (slowly ) again.

Its Time.

Wassil Song

So....

I have now been at home for two days in a row taking it easy...Not doing much of anything and let me tell you this...I am SOOOO missing excercising.

I ahve not been able to walk of course and needless to say I have not been to the gym since last week.

I dont know when I will go back to the gym to be honest because I cant lift more than 5lbs for the next month at least. So at least a month ...right ?

Main thing I am missing is my walking. I was walking almost every single day or night and so far I have not done that since LAST Thursday!! I mean I have been walking around my house but its a slow go still....

I already have Thanksgiving on my mind . The food mainly but I have also mentioned that I enjoy the day period. The crowded house....watching the parade while the turkey roasts in the oven.....watching football after lunch. Taking a walk in the afternoon around the neighboorhood to see the folks already out and decorating for Christmas.

Yeah ...I dig Thanksgiving.

I am also thinking about recipes and what to change this year and you know what ....I am not changing anything...

I will cook the dressing the same way my Granny always did....We will have chocolate cake and sweet potato crunch. We will have pumpkin pie and 7 layer salad. We will have thick rich gravy and fresh yeast rolls. Squash casserole and green beans. It will all be there and I will be there also ...just paying more attention to my portions this year. I will maybe even use a smaller plate...

I will not be changing recipes this year because folks come to eat what they know on the Holidays. They want that dressing that is rich and moist...They want that pumpkin pie that YES you make yourself. They dont want a low fat version of anything on Thanksgiving or Christmas. And I accept and understand that ...I am cool with it.

So I will make the dressing with the 8EGGS in it and 2-3 sticks of melted butter!! And we will all remember at some point during that day that we are very very blessed !

Peace

Santa Baby

So....

I dont have much to add tonight except things are going fine. I had a question for yall though ..
How does taking strong antibiotics and pain meds....how will this affect my weight loss? Will it cause me to gain retain etc
I am not that worried i am just wondering what yalls thoughts are ...
Let me know

HURT

So......

This will be short .....
I went Friday to Mobile to participate in an Advanced Lay Speaking Course at SpringHill UMC. I was excited to be gone out of town for a day or so ...to see an old friend and to just deepen my understanding of what God wants for me ....None of this really panned out the way I had planned...
I did not feel great on Friday ...stomach was kinda hurting a tad bit but if you know me then you know that I am tummy troubles on a regular basis. I thought maybe an ulcer was back ...but by the the time I got to Mobile I was feeling even worse.
Within the span of a couple of hours I was in the ER at a local hospital having blood taken, getting a CT scan of my belly and then I was told that my appedix was causing a revolt and trying to stage a Civil War against my body.....Yeah, it no longer wanted to be a part of this union.
They admitted me and told me to get ready for surgery at 6:30am the next morning.
My mother and brother drove down and got to the hospital about 5:30 am....
I had the surgery and spent the whole day and next night in the bed.
I am home now and looking forward to continwuing my recovery at home ...I will be off for a few days or at least until I can drive ...the surgeon said to give it at least three days to get my range of mobility back. Main thing is I am very sore and "stove" up as they used to say...being put under does something to my muscles and when I wake up it feels like I have had the most intense workout of my life...ugh
I cannot say enough to everyone who texted, called, emailed and sent me messages on FB. Thanks so much for yalls concern.
Aslo a big shout out to David Bowen. David rode down with me to also attend this course at the church and he was so great about helping me out at the hospital. Making calls for me. Sitting and waiting with me ...Thanks man !

In other news I did get to weigh in on Friday and found out the following ....I lost 3lbs!!
So to date
Starting Weight- 381lbs
Loss on Friday- 3lbs
Total to Date- 38.5lbs
Fridays Weight- 343 lbs

Yeah I was happy ...

My bed is now calling ....Peace

Mama Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

So....

I like blogging ....It keeps me honest. It keeps me motivated. The feedback has been great and I have almost posted 100 blog posts since starting my diet...so HOORAY!

Something I dont like is the term "fat". TO call me fat is not nice....when I think of fat I think of a nasty piece of stuff you leave on your plate after you eat a nice steak. A slimy, sticky foul piece of something on the side of your plate....
I am overweight...That is what we should call it because its true. I am over my desired weight. I can deal with this ...

Another thing I have been thinking about alot lately ...I need some new pants. Mine are not huge but they sure dont fit right anymore . The area around my thighs in the back are crazy baggy....my waist is down also and add to that that I now have one belt that fits. The others are too loose when you take them all the way down to the last belt notch.
I like nice pants....I like Polo pants. They tend to be expensive...Like $75-85 dollars a pair expensive. So do I just bite the bullet and get some that fit better now or get some inexpensive pants to make due for now ...
Also I have decided against altering anything at this time because the ladies I spoke with said that trying to fix the baggyness of my pants would result in the pants not fitting right overall.
CRAP! They can take in the waist but its the other that sorta bothers me but ...anyway.

I was asked not to mention this in my post but today is Guy Fawkes Day.
Its also an anniversay of sorts for me and a great friend.....I appreciate all the love and support I have been given these past 3 years...Dont know where I would be without you !! Love you bud
AND today would have been my dads 64th birthday ....Hard to believe that its been 3 years since he died...

Peace and Love

Do You Hear What I Hear

So......

For the past couple of weeks I have been having this roaring sound in my ears. The right ear being the worst of the two....Mild at times and then really bad later at night. Bad to the point of being a distraction....and causing me to not hear things as I should.

On Monday I went to see Dr Knox here in Montgomery to see what was going on ....Let me add this ...I really like Dr Knox, He is a really great doctor who takes all the time in the world with you and add to that the fact that he realy makes me feel relaxed when he walks in the room.

That goes a LONG way with me since I am not a fan of doctor settings and such.

Anyway, he checked me out...looked in the ears, asked tons of questions and after much discussion we finally wound ourselves around to my weight loss. It would seem that in some cases rapid weight loss ( and for me almost 36lbs in 11weeks is rapid) can cause what I was experiencing. The tubes in your ears contract, open and close when you swallow. When you lose alot of weight in a short time they react to that somehow and dont open and close right and that produces the roar that I was hearing.

He said that in time once my body catches up to the weight loss stuff it should go away...Good Deal.

Here is the second part to all this ....He decided to have my hearing checked while I was there just as a precaution. Well after a long hearing test we found out that my left ear is fine...my right ear not so much. I have 30% hearing loss in my right ear. 30%!!

He asked tons of questions about what type of noise I am around...... I am not around long sustained loud noises. Never have been.

We discussed if this was something I was born with ....Not likely. If I had been born with something like this by tht time I got to be my age the hearing loss would have been much further along.

Just great ......

So here we are ....

You Do Something To Me

So....

Its November.....The weather has been perfect today ...nice cooler temps, no rain and just overall goodness.
I was talking with my favorite mother of twins tonight and the topic of The Biggest Loser came up....Its no secret that I am not a fan of the show but we touched on something that I had really had not thought about before and here is how it goes ...
Folks go on this show for what reason ? I mean really, why do they do it ?
Do they want to get their 15 minutes of fame ? Do they want to show their families something ? Do they want to lose weight and this is the final time for them to get things going right for them ?
Maybe they need someone to yell at them and tell them that they are killing themselves....Maybe they need the atmosphere of being with folks who are in the same boat that they are ....Maybe they need therapy.
But for me heres the deal ....
When you are fat, obese or maybe just 30lbs overweight you yell at yourself all the dang time....You try on those pants and say... CRAP! these fit last year or you see yourself in a picture and think YOU ARE SUCH A FAT IDIOT for getting so big ....I dont need Bob or Jillian degrading me any more ....that wont work.
We dont need to go to a "ranch" to be around other fat people... we can walk in WalMart, Publix or anywhere else and see folks who need to lose weight ....We can look at our own families and see the same thing you see at the "ranch".
Therapy for me ....FOR ME I say is finally admitting that I had to do this myself...I cant ask my Mom to do it...I cant ask my best friend to do it ....I cant wait for a heart attack to almost kill me to do it ...I have to step up to the plate and say " Yeah, I am fat and here are the reasons: I eat too much, I eat portions that are WAY to big, I stop by Krystals late at night on my way home from something and get 4 cheese Krystals, I drink 7 or 8 Cokes a day, I love eating a white bread sangwich with lots of mayo and cheese, I dont excercise, I dont drink water, I get excited about a covered dish supper...Thats why I am fat"
Does your family situation play a role ....Maybe. Does the stress at your job play a role...Perhaps.
Does the fact that you want to eat a whole coconut pie play a role ...Hell Yes.
These folks dont need to go to a "ranch"...they dont need a trainer yelling at them ....
They need to be honest with themselves .....
Its working so far for me ....But I am me.

The Monster Mash

BOO!!

Happy Halloween to everyone ...Today found me finishing up the final stuff for several costumes that the Youth are wearing tonight at the Fall Festival.
Not alot to report on the diet front today except this ...Halloween Candy is the work of the Devil, I mean really!
Fun Size Candy can do some serious damage to your diet efforts. Sure I will have ONE little bitty Snickers...and one little tiny Butterfinger....and I guess one little small Hershey bar cant hurt, Right ?
But the next thing you know you got your head buried deep in a bag of Mary Janes and no end is in sight.....
Not for me this year though ....I enjoy Halloween and have for years but this year I will stick to having an apple or two dipped in some fat free caramel. I will enjoy the smell of the pumpkin bread that I baked but will grab a Fiber One bar instead of a slice. I will have another glass of water instead of a hot cup of Hot Chocolate.
Its a broken record and you will have to tell me to shut up but things are different this time for me and there is no looking back.
So to all you ghouls, witches and goblins out there ENJOY your night ...Have a Fun Size candy bar for me ...
Happy Halloween to Everyone !! Be Safe !!

In My Own Little Corner

So....

I have to work today and will be out of pocket tonight but wanted to fill everyone in on my weigh in today ...
I lost 2.5lbs after last weekend of drinking really good beer and not staying on like I should...I have to say I was VERY pleased ...It also shows me that I can go off on a weekend and relax some and have a good time and STILL BE HONEST about my points and do fine. That was a big deal for me ...a test I guess
so as of today

Starting Weight-381lbs
Todays Loss-2.5lbs
Total to Date Loss-35.5
Todays Weight-346lbs

So yeah ...I am happy !!

Also thanks to everyone out there who gave me feedback on the gym question. I stopped this morning after weigh in and joined Planet Fitness. For me at this time its the best thing going. For $39.99 startup and $10.00 a month with NO CONTRACT...it was a no brainer right now.
Go to their site and see all their equipment. They got A TON of stuff for a much much lower cost...So I am excited.

Halloween post coming tomorrow but till then ...
Whats your favorite Halloween candy and scary movie ?

Just One Of Those Things

So....

A quiet week here for me as far as dieting goes ....Last weekend in North Carolina I had my first beer in a long time....It was good and I enjoyed it but to be honest with you I felt pretty dang quilty afterwards. Silly ? Maybe...but it got me to thinking that I am in a different place than I once was ...
I will still have a beer from time to time and there is no pressure from any of my friends to have me drink on any level. I have made this choice and I am happy with it ...

Other Temptations ....
Food at a high school football game!!
I mean come on ...Grilled burgers that are nothing more than processed meat pressed into the shape of a hamburger patty. But oh so good....
SALTY popcorn...
Hot dogs....Yeah,....Mustard, kraut, little ketchup.

I have not weighed in 13 days ....Tomorrow I will go back ....I missed last week due to being in NC and this coming Saturday they are closed for some reason.
For some reason I am nervous about the beer last weekend catching up with me this week. Other wise I have been very good this week.

Fall Festival is coming this Saturday at DUMC....My costume is done and I gotta say its pretty kick butt. Pictures will be coming this weekend....

This post is all over the place tonight but its where my mind is right now ...
Yall have a great night

Do You Hear What I Hear ?

So.....

I want some advice from you folks out there that read this blog....
Here is my thing...I am walking a couple of times a week. Usually about 5 times a week...I am enjoying it alot. The days I dont walk I used this small recumbant bike I have at home.
Here is my struggle...Do I start back at the gym or keep at it like I am going now.
I joined the Y back in the early spring but never got into a great habit of going....It was one thing or another that was keeping me from getting into a tight schedule but I really enjoyed my time while I was there....
I cancelled the Y at the end of the summer but am now thinking about joining back up somewhere. Somewhere I can go that adds a little variety to what I am now doing....
I will most likely be going to the gym in the morning ...I will most likely be going alone. I am cool with that since I am usually walking alone...
I dont think I will be going back to the Y.....They have too much going on there for me I think. Basketball, soccer,baseball,swimming,aerobics and on and on...
Plus its $45.00 per month for a single person. I have looked into Planet Fitness and they offer two plans

• Plan A-You pay $39.99 signing fee and then $10.00 per month. No contract. No nothing.....you get to use their equipment and locker room. Thats it.
• Plan B- You pay no signing fee but you are charged $19.99 per month with a 12 month contract. This gets you into the gym,steam room,massage chairs(forwhattheyareworth). Discounted drinks and such. Little perks.

SO what would YOU do dear reader ? Give me some feedback ...ask some questions...Speak to me ...

They Cant Take That Away From Me

John,Lane, Steve, Jason and Nick....the men of Man Weekend In The Woods.

So.....

How yall been ? We had a great weekend in the woods last weekend. I think its safe to say that Man Weekend In The Woods was a great success and we are already looking towards next year to perhaps round two.

Of course I was a little worked up about the eating situation while away ....This was the first weekend I have not weighed in since I started and the first time I was away from a fairly structured eating schedule.

I did fine....

We went to the grocery store once we were in NC and we each bought a pile of stuff ....My pile was fairly healthy. ....Low fat...salad stuff, apples, low fat wheat thins....etc.

Did I eat perfect ? No.....but I managed to stay within my points and I am fine with that ....

sometimes you gotta dance with the one who brung ya, ya know?

I will weigh in this week and then our local WW place is closed on Saturday so that will put me next week weighing in again later than usual. THEN I go to Mobile over night for a thing and will miss yet another regular weigh in.....

Luckily they have plenty of other days that you can go and get weighed so not really a big deal for me ...

After a weekend in beautiful NC I am ready to get back into the swing of things and slide into fall times then into Christmas....Its gonna be a great end to a great year.

On a sad note....a young man by the name of Cole Ellis died on Monday morning. I did not know Cole but I know two of his friends from Trinity here in Montgomery. His family and his friends are absolutely devestated by this tragic turn of events...

Prayers would be appreciated for everyone dealing with this ....Thanks

North Carolina Is My Home

So ........

Tomorrow we leave for Western North Carolina for what has been dubbed Man Weekend In The Woods.
Most of you out there know of my deep love for the hills of North Carolina. YOu know that I ache for that place when I am not there....I dream of it during the Summer. I long for it during the Fall and Winter.....
I know many of my readers out there also have a fondness for North Carolina ....You have travelled the same roads and highways. You have stopped and stayed in the same towns....
You have visited the same restaurants,shops and attractions. You have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Mt Mitchell to Craggy Gardens to Blowing Rock and Boone.
And I dont mean to say that anyone out there has any less of an appreciation for the beautiful sites of counties such as Watauga,Buncombe,Avery than I do but .....
I feel at home when I cross that state line....I feel a comfort in my heart that I cannot explain to hardly anyone....I feel the strong ties to my family. The family that settled in the mountains in and around the town of Boone. The town where my grandfather was born and raised. The town I visited as a child.
I sleep well in North Carolina ....I live well in North Carolina....Tomorrow for me I go home once again...
Its just for a few days but I take what I can get. Perhaps my love would be dimished some if I actually lived there....Who knows.
Charles Kuralt wrote these words many years ago ....They eventually became a song about NC.

North Carolina is My home....Here where the Smokies rise......
Blossoms adorn the dogwood tree down on the old homeplace....
Tar on my heels feels good to me.....here in my state of grace.
Carolina raised me straight as a mountain pine. Rocked me in her cradle... Southern mother of mine.
North Carolina is my home ...Home far beyond all praise.
Goodliest home under heavens dome...here I shall spend my days

I will be out of pocket until Sunday night so the next message you get from me will be Monday perhaps....I wont weigh in this weekend since I will be out of town but will let yall know next week how I am doing.
Hope everyone has a great weekend ....Travelling pairs for the five(myself,Nick,Steve,Lane and John) of us are appreciated....
Peace

Taking Chances

So......

At one point in my life about a year ago I gave serious thought to having GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY! How did I resort to this. Could I not contain my hunger and weight gain.
Did I really think that i needed to have a surgery to monitor what I eat.
I talked to my doctor about it and he suggested I contact a doctor in Birmingham that performed the surgeries. I made the appointment and never went.
I couldn't get a surgery like that, I had to have some willpower.I knew it was deep down inside me..... I just had to pull it out.

I had someone tell me the other day that I could easily gain the weight back...and you are right I could. But I wont....You see for the first time in my life I have something more important to strive for than eating that extra piece of cake. Having that fried whatever. My life is more important than any of those things. I want to live a long life.
But heres the deal ....I like when folks tell me I might fail at this cause it gives me a new determination to show them how wrong they are going to be.
As I have said time and time before...This time its different for me....
Gnight folks

Blame It On The Boogie

So.....

The one thing I learned early on as a youth director is accountability.
If something goes wrong during the time you are with the kids... it is your fault.
Not only is it your fault but you need to come up with the answer to make things right real quick
Some youth directors are not successful because they do not realize how important accountability is.
They want to blame their chaperones or parents for not doing their part.
They can not take the heat, they get defensive.....the truth is, the leader is always the one who will be held liable for actions, so the issues need to be resolved.
I am pretty decentl in my job because of my accountability.I would like to think that anyway....
I will easily take the blame for everything that goes wrong while I am in charge of something.

I am was good at taking the blame until I talked about my being overweight!

Until recently, if you were to ask me why I was so overweight, I would blame everyone!

By the way, everyone includes:

• Willy Wonka
• Jack Daniels
• Aunt Jemima
• Burger King
• Mayor McCheese
• Willy Wonka (if you want)

And so many more.It was not my fault that I ate all of the food, it was society's fault.

I had to eat a lot for Thanksgiving and other holidays, I just had to!. My job as a youth director entitled me to eat as much bad food as I wanted, pizza,fried things, fast food. It allowed me to have horrible eating schedules.I was in a bad mood, so it was okay to eat a lot. I justified everything!

When I started losing weight, I was scared. Scared that bad food would be in the house. Scared that I would eat fried food at youth stuff. Scared I would stay over 350 pounds for the rest of my life.

But you know what I was finally accountable for my weight loss, and had to realize that restaurants will not go away, Uncle Ben will always be at the supermarket, and my youth will not eat the way I do.

The world will not change for me, I have to change for it. So while working at the same church and being with the same folks and being with or around food, I have lost 33 pounds so far. With Blue Bell waving to me every time I pass the frozen section, I have lost 33 pounds so far.

There are no more excuses for my health. The economy is bad.... and there will be family situations throughout my lifetime. My job will be stressfull from time to time

But, it is nice to know I will be able to deal with all of these issues because I have gotten my life back.

Puttin' On The Ritz

So......

I hate shopping for clothes....
You see I have to shop in the big and tall stores. Or the big and tall sections of stores. The selection is limited. They cost more....and add to that I just feel like crap when I am shopping for stuff.
See here's the deal....and this is a bit of a confession for me. I want to be that cool guy who dresses really nice. I want to wear stuff that they dont sell in the big and tall stores. I want to feel good about what I am wearing.....My dad ALWAYS dressed nice. .I want to dress nice like my dad.
Some of yall are saying " but you do dress nice"....And I appreciate that but I dont dress the way I want to ...and that bothers me ....makes me sad. See when you are overweight you have to get what will fit not what looks the best.
but thats changing...

Until about 10 weeks ago I did not have an option....and while I am still going to be buying from the big and tall stores for a while I am already thinking about the day when I can go in whatever store and buy and not even consider going to the big and tall section. Right now I am going to invest in a good tailor to take some things in ...

THis all excites me ...I am excited to buy a suit for the first time in my life, well the first one since I wore a pastel suit at Easter in 1982(suprising I know). I am excited to buy nicer clothes online from a place and know they will fit and not have to send them back

This is small thing that I am excited about ...I also think I might do a Blog post series about what I am looking forward to in the future ...
Thats all I got tonight
Peace
AND .....

What are you excited about today?

A New Born Feeling

So.....

My apologies for not posting Friday or Saturday but both days found me pretty busy and away from the computer.
I went on Saturday to weigh in and sound that I had lost another 3lbs!!

To Date

Starting Weight-381 lbs
Saturdays Loss-3 lbs
Loss to Date- 33 lbs
Weight Today- 348.5

I am once again very proud of myself and what I have managed to do in the last few weeks. I start week Ten today and its hard to believe that 9 WEEKS have already flown by....AND getting below that 350 mark was a huge psychological thing for me ...YAY. If you ahve ever been to the doctor then you know that their scales typically only go up to 350. That was always a source of embarassment for me...Not any more!

One great problem I have already run into is my clothes are starting to not fit me right at all.
My shirts are ok but my pants are getting way too baggy. Especially in the waist and thigh area...I can pull the waist tighter with my belt but then they gather in the waist area....I dont like that....SO I either need to go see someone about having them altered or buy some new pants at least. I know when you start changing a pair of pants there is only so much you can do before the total fit and look of those pants changes.
Any suggestions from you montgomery folks as to where I should take my stuff? A good seamstress? Tailor?
Let me know
Have a great weekend
Peace and Love

There are Worst Things I Could Do

So ....

Here is my thought right now after my last posting ...I think that frozen meals, while not the best, are ok when used in moderation. I dont think we should eat one for lunch...one for dinner ..EVERY DAY. Thats just too much processed food.

I think that natural healthy foods are the way to go for the most part but sometimes you do eat these meals.

I balance mine out by only having one or two weight watchers meals a week. I add to that and those meals a salad and fruit.

I have started buying better selections of fruit...veggies etc .I have been to the health food store to check on things like gluten free breads and natural unprocessed honey. I am making a much bigger effort than I was a mere 2 months ago....

For me its baby steps ...

Perhaps in a few months I will decide to stop the once or twice a week eatings of these meals....

Maybe not....They might be a regular thing for me ...something that gets me through. I just dont know....

For me I know this though ...I am comfortable with having them in moderation. Just like I have diet coke still.....I am drinking TONS AND TONS of water but I still have a DC from time to time ...or a Diet Dr Pepper.

Our Love Is Here To Stay

So......

Wow what a Wednesday !! Couple of things right off that bat then I am gonna get into the meat of things ...

1. Today was our churches Charge Conference...Glad thats over.


2. I cooked supper for church tonight. It turned out ok. Was not that pleased with the main dish but folks seemed to enjoy it.


3. A former youth of mine had a really bad car accident early Wednesday morning. Looking at the car and knowing all the details about the wreck its hard to imagine that he walked away from it. But he did...has a broken nose and beat up pretty bad but hes alive. Very lucky kid.


4. I have felt just kinda weird today. Just gross feeling for some reason ...not sure what it is but its there

I have a slight food addiction that I want to talk about tonight....I love Mayo. LOVE IT! Before joining weight watchers a few weeks back we could literally go through a jar in a week. No problem! Thats just bad...When i would make a sangwich ...I would put SOOOO much mayo on the bread it was sickening. But this disease only really existed at my home. I never did it much out in public. But while home...watch out Kraft and Hellmans.

Here is how bad it was at home ...I would make a sangwich and then put a huge drop of mayo on my plate to DIP the sangwich in....UGH. I would also put mayo on or use mayo in the following ways ..

• Dip potato chips in it.


• Dip fries in it.


• Put it on my steak.


• Once used it and only it to make a sangwich.


• Remember one time dipping a cookie in it to see what it tasted like.


• Wondered what it would taste like frozen.

Thats just a few of them ......after 2 months on Weight Watchers I am happy to say that the mayo consumption is WAY down. I used to use a spoon to get mayo out but now I use a knife or measuring spoon. I cant remember the last time I bought a jar of mayo ...Its been that long. Maybe two months....I still love mayo and will always use it but the using it in different quantities.

So heres my question to you tonight ......What do you have in your life that is along the same lines as my mayo addiction?

Share and let us all know

Peace and goodnight

When You Wish Upon A Star

So.....

A guy, whos blog i read posted something along these lines the other day and it also got me to thinking....

Dont you wish....

You could really blame fast food for your weight gain.
You could gain muscle without working out.
You never had to exercise.
A diet pill really worked with no side affects.
The media would focus on things that matter not Jon and Kate or David Letterman.
You could eat pizza and crap and it did not cause weight gain but fruit did. LOL

While we keep wishing on these things ..lets remember these things

Smart choices, courage, being happy with a .2 pound loss, confidence, some sort of fitness...These things can make your dreams come true as far as weight loss is concerned. Never forget that....
I keep it in the front of my mind at all times...

Tomorrow I am going to touch on a mild food addiction I used to have....I am in recovery now but the story bears repeating ...Till then


Peace

Get Down On Your Knees and Pray

So.....

I do not mind sacrificing certain foods.

I know the end result....problem I have found with people and myself included is that we think that weight loss will come to them. It wont ...You have to find it and work for it ...
We will wake up, read a motivational quote on Twitter, and everything will come into play."Ohhhh, I get it now!".........Well, it is not like that.
There are hard choices. Sometimes it is not popular with your friends or family or co-workers.
It is easy to drink beer with the guys. It is hard to tell them no.
It is easy to eat your church memebers brownies. It is hard to tell someone to give them away.
It is easy to watch TV. It is hard to go to the gym day in and day out or go walking when you are tired.
This is a lifelong commitment, not something for a couple of weeks.....Anyone can lose six pounds in a week. Eat like crap five days, eat less the sixth, take off your shoes, get naked and jump on the scale on the seventh.You are not fooling anyone!
It gets easier but it is how much you put into it....... Just because you do well one day does not mean you can eat what you want the next two days.
Weight loss is funny. Just when you think you understand it, it hits you in the face.

My Brother Lived in San Francisco

So.....

Today was busy and to be honest with you after a long night of discussion of all things political I just dont have it in me to write a long post about all things weight loss...except this...
It makes me feel great to have an 89 year old man telling me how proud he is of me and my success so far....
I am still working on trying to decide whats the best way to post my inches lost stuff ...
any suggestions ??

More in depth stuff tomorrow night guys and gals ...I promise

peace and love

One Way Out

So.....

Well....Not alot today....Its been a low key laid back Saturday afternoon spent with friends around the TV watching college football. Auburn lost...Alabama won. If I was looking for something to get me to drinking a stiff drink.... I think I could easily point to Auburn and the way they planned. WOW ...

Today was weigh in day at Weight Watchers and here are the results. I lost another 3.5 lbs!!!

Who has two thumbs and is excited ??? THIS GUY !!!!

I cannot begin to tell everyone out there in the world how friggin excited I am to have lost that much this week AND to know that it brings my 8 week total up to 30lbs!!!!

How great is that ....?? I am gonna brag a bit ...I am very proud of myself. I am pleased with how I have so far said no to the temptations (and The Drifters ) I have been able to make the right choices when I have eaten out. I have managed to keep myself accountable. I have gotten a TON of help from my friends and family. THANKS to everyone but mainly thanks to myself for showing ME that I can do this and can continue ....

So....to date

Starting Weight-381 lbs

Lost today - 3.5 lbs

Total To Date- 30 lbs

Todays Weight - 351 lbs.

There is only one way for me ...and its in the direction that I am headed. My health and well being are finally for the first time dictating whats best for me and you know what ...I like it.

Thats all I have for tonight ....I am content right now.

Peace

Peace.

Tangerine

So......

Lets talk for a brief minute about fiber. We all need it but many of us dont get near the daily amount that we should.

I know you are thinking POOP!! And yeah you will be more regular but its sooooo important.

Snacks now are pretty easy for me right now. Since I have been eating better for the last two months, fruits have been a big part of my healthy diet. Until recently I can honestly say I have never snacked on any fresh fruit.No, not really .... I have snacked on an apple or banana here or there ...maybe a grape or two but never alot of "food in the raw"

Fiber in fruit??? I thought only prunes had fiber. Boy way I wrong! Raspberries strawberries oranges apples pears, etc. all have between 4-8 grams of fiber per serving. With fruit, now it was easy to maintain my goal of 35g of fiber a day. So my snacking is mainly fruit now ...

And with that I get a ton of fiber.

And guess what? I feel better, and more full. So now, I am a big fruit advocate.

Water and fruit will fill you up big time folks ....So tomorrow I will not be posting since I will be away in Birmingham for the evening but have a great weekend and I will see yall on Saturday

As Time Goes By

So......

I have decided that I am not a fan of The Biggest Loser. But as a general rule I am not a fan of any show that has alot of yelling and cussing at folks. Its degrading. And before anyone jumps in here ...I know that being fat and overweight has its own degrading aspects but bullying someone into weight loss is not going to do it for me....
I think Jillian and Bob really mot likely have the best interests of the contestants at heart. But you have to remember they are on a game show. Its reality TV.
There are not many places you could go or many diets you could follow on your own and lose at much weight in one week. Add to that that many if not most doctors will tell you that its dangerous to be doing just that.
The producers and the directors of this show are playing for ratings....
Getting in shape is a huge deal ....eating better is a big deal ...but the only thing I see when I tune is NBC/Universal getting fatter in the bank.
If you watch only for entertainment ...then fine. If folks are watching at home thinking "Wow, Thats what I need to be doing...almost killing myself to drop my weight" Then thats scary to me ...
I will lose weight the way i am doing it now ...2lbs here ....3lbs here ...walking at night and doing some other excercise at home with what I got now. As times goes by I will add in things here and there but for Gods sake ....Dont yell at me .

The Age of Not Believing

So.....

I have my fans cheering me on.
I am thrilled to let folks know the small steps of progress I have been making ...My whole life is different and I know i might sound like a broken record
When I started this diet I had this fear that I would be missing something
I hated the thought of "depriving" myself of certain foods.Yet, I have already come to the realiazation that I have never deprived myself...not yet anyway. I am just altering the way I eat.
I have always been a "weird" eater. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that ....I could go days without giving a thought to food. Some folks live for breakfast and look forward to lunch and crave dinner. Not me....its just a means to and end basically.
Now I am working on making changes that will be with me for life.
That is why this blog is so important to me. I need it!
I have had to forgive myself for getting to 381 pounds, but I will NEVER forget.
I will not forget the humiliation or struggles. How much I put myself through these past years as a fat man ...
The future looks bright ...

I do not need to be the most popular, just honest with myself . I am guessing I will have small victories and some disasters along the way ....but its all forward progress for me. I have stepped fully into making my life better...This is only the first step. Whats next ?? You are just going to have to stay tuned and find out....
As the late Jim Fyffe used to say " we've got out laces tightened and our eyes blackened...lets get this started"

I am thinking that Thanksgiving will be easy for me, and so will every holiday perhaps.
Every day I will work harder to excercise more and eat healthier .....Its a new me. Just going to take time to get where I want to be

But you know what ?...I have a nice feeling of peace right now about all of this and where this is all going ....