06:00 AM – Monday, July 23

Yep, I’m not going to make excuses.  I’ve fallen off the wagon.  I need to get back on.  I have 8 days left in this first attempt to turn this train around.  So I’ve decided to have a Q&A today…asked and answered by…yours truly.

Q. Where did you go?

A. I just took a big break from everything

Q. Why did you take a big break from everything?

A.  Pfft…who knows.  I think it was a culmination of things.  But I’ve decided to push and get back into the swing.

Q.  Do you still think that eating in moderation and exercise are the cornerstones of your weight loss?

A. ABSOLUTELY!  I know the rules…but I need to play by them.

Q. How much weight have you lost?

A.  I was up to 25 lbs at my best, but I’m back down to 21 lbs.

Q. Did that get you down?

A. Yeah…there are a lot of things that “get me down”.  It’s all how I choose to deal with them.  Sadly, lately I haven’t been dealing with them well.

Q. Do you have support at home?

A. Yep!  My wife reminds me how easy it is for me to lose weight.  Wants to know what happened to that guy enthusiastic about his changes.  She is my rock.  She gives me motivation and I love her for it.

Q. So what are you doing this morning?

A. uh…blogging?  And I plan to hit the treadmill.  What are you doing?

Q.  So anything cool happen while you were “vacationing”?

A.  Yeah! as a matter of fact.  I got my Roomba working again and my little buddy Chester decided he was going to hitch a ride! He rode it for a good 2 minutes before he became bored.  Or maybe it was his stop?

Q. Read anything interesting lately?

A. Well, yeah.  There’s this article that healthdemystified wrote that I keep going back to. I won’t spoil it…just go read it.  Then I found this site…I love Crackers!  Strangely enough, it’s really nice.  Reminds me of my time back in SC and GA.  I miss all my southern friends.

Q. Did you meet any people?

A.  Actually, I got to see a great friend that I used to work with.  It was kind of cool because she came to one of our local places to eat…and I was there at the same time!  She confided in me later that she was thinking “wouldn’t it be cool if he was here today?”  Cool Huh?  yeah it was….one of the friends I miss the most.  It was a boost I needed.

Q.  Are you going to blog regularly again?

A.  I don’t know…should I?  I talked this over with a friend and they said absolutely.  I think I’ll see how this goes, then go with that.

Q.  Do you have a favorite in the upcoming election?

A.  Haha OH NO…you’re not going to draw me in on that one…no way!

Q. How many belt loops have you gone down in size?

A. It was 4 but then it was back to 3.  But still positive!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my blathering over stuff I think you all should know!  I’m back on the wagon…forging ahead.  Thanks to all who have had nothing but kind words to share.  And thanks to the others who were … less than positive but still meant something good in your hearts.  Keep reading…Keep hoping….Keep losing (weight).

6:11 am – Monday, June 18

What a day for a Daydream!  Well, it wasn’t a daydream.  It was just a dream.

I was sitting in a coffee house against the front wall with a bunch of other people sitting and waiting for something.  I got the feeling it was regarding a new release of a film I made or something.  The space beside me was vacant, on the couch (you know how those coffee houses have furniture in them like that).  On a hanger, near the open space was my chef’s smock, which was stained and worn.  I explained to one person sitting near me I didn’t have time to get it cleaned.

Then Kate Hudson walks in.  She was here for my premiere!  She was walking around greeting people.  Then I woke up!  I never found out who the space beside me was for.  Was it for Kate?  The world will never know!  Was everyone there to see “My” movie?  Did I make it or star in it?  I guess that’s up to me!

Back to the empty seat beside me.  I wonder what that means in my head.  Am I saving a “Spot” in my life for some event?  Is this my fear of losing someone else in my life?  It’s a very daunting piece of empty air.  Emptiness, in life, can be far more terrifying than occupancy, it seems.  I’ll have to think of it as I’m walking this morning.

Over the weekend, my wife told me my shorts looked bad.  Awesome!  Bad looking shorts.  But then she explained, because they looked so big on me, they looked bad.  I’ll have to admit, I caught my shadow the other morning on the ground and I look like I’m wearing a parachute around my waist!  Lol  So that’s sort of awesome!   So I’ll keep going!  every day is one day closer to the brand new pants that she bought for me YEARS ago, that were too small for me at that time.  I don’t want to rush, but I’m looking forward to the day that my backside slips comfortably into them!  There’s a visual for ya.

So no great news this morning on the scale…still maintaining around 22 lbs weight loss, but it’s never fast after this amount of time.  Not discouraged.  This too shall come to pass.

So did any of you have a dream this weekend?  Share it with me!  and have fun this week.  I’ll certainly try to!

6:28 – Thursday, June 14

Morning folks!

It’s gonna be another warm day.  And it’s time to let you all know I haven’t lost any weight again.  I know these times are going to occur, but I was honestly hoping for more loss this week.  It’s not awesome news, but it’s also good that I haven’t slipped.  Just takes a lot out of the fun of jumping on the scale! haha

One of my friends is going to Vegas to participate in the World Series of Poker (WSOP)!  How exciting is that?  He is totally pumped and ready to go.  You can tell these last few days have dragged on for him in anticipation of leaving on his vacation.  It’s really cool.  He’s been playing hold em poker for years.  If he gets a good run, he says, then he’ll sign up for the main event.  I hope he does!

It reminds me of how badly I wanted to be a comedian/actor.  But it wasn’t in the cards…oh no, I went there…cards, Vegas!  Maybe some day I’ll step on that stage again and try to be funny but I’m worried I’m too old for the content that the young folks really want to hear.  I believe I’ve missed that boat.

Well it’s off to exercise.  This should get the day started.  Have fun today, folks!

6:16 – Tuesday, June 12

Struggling to get up.  Foggy head.

Put on glasses, still can’t see well.  Gotta get to the gym.

It’s been a week since I’ve been involved in nothing but the issue confronting our household for the past seven days.  I grumble.  Gotta go work out… grumbling in part because I haven’t in a while.  I haven’t lost any weight…haven’t gained any.  Just maintained.

Over the week, I kept saying “once we get through this…once we get through this”.  It’s over now.  It’s time to get back on the wagon.

Time just stood still sort of.  A lot of worry and tension is now waning.  I can feel the normal feelings coming back.  I can hear my intuition again.  Funny thing, hunger never shut up over the past week.  Or was it that I was more susceptible to it?  Does personal struggle make hunger stronger? Or me weaker?  I couldn’t tell ya.

Fog clearing now.  Beau, the youngest of the two dogs, waits, now, expectantly.  She knows it’s time to go O-U-T.  They’re both watching me, in fact, while I’m writing this.  Patience of a saint in one hand and growing urge in the other.

“It’s time” I hear in their glances “You know what you must do…open the door, human!” Oliver says to me.

He’s right, in more ways than one.  I need to open that door again.  I need to get that spark back, that I lost from a week of tension and worry.  I need to get moving again.  Only then, will I be back on the road to weight loss.

What are you going to do?  Did you slip this week?  Is it time for you to open the door?  Get moving?

Well, do it….and I’ll do it with you. Go on…better health awaits.

06:45 – Wednesday, June 6

Hey Folks!

It’s been a few days but I have good news!  I’m up to 19lbs lost!  I know, I’m baffled too!  I really thought I had broken my change the last week, but I guess my body was more forgiving than I thought.  Makes you wonder if I had stayed on track, how much would I have lost??  Oh well, it’s the past, I can’t change that. (like the song says)

Most of the comments I hear from people close to me and my friends are encouraging, but I get a couple that really aren’t positive.  But I know they’re wrong.

“Gimmick diets don’t work” – Uh, yeah, that’s why I’m just eating less and exercising.

“It’s good you’re losing weight, but it’s important to have a diet that keeps the weight off” – Uh, yeah that’s why I didn’t try to go to some extreme, change the entire way I eat, kind of diet.  If I’m still eating most of what I like, I can continue to do that.

Why is it that there are people who say these things?  Some don’t even believe I’ve lost that much weight.

What does one gain by being so negative?  Are they convincing themselves that I’m losing weight because of some freakish diet I’ll never be able to maintain so there’s no need to change?  Are they not satisfied by their own weight loss that was set up by a professional trainer or some weight loss organization, so they have to run me down?  Do some of them even know that what they’re saying seems negative?  Is this their way of encouragement?

…Jealousy?  I have no idea.

I can tell you this.  I feel better every day, except for the times I’ve slipped, lol.  I don’t let the negative comments affect me.  I’m stronger than that.  I’m the one who controls what affects me.  Therefore, it’s going great….and will continue to go well.

That’s all for now.  You folks take care and I will be back tomorrow!

06:27 – Tuesday, May 29

Hey folks!

It’s another muggy morning.  Makes me glad I’ll be inside for walking, haha. So, as you can tell, I got up with my first alarm.  Not bad eh?  It’s difficult sometimes, even though I was raised on the “early to bed, even earlier to rise” adage.  It’s still difficult.  But not impossible.

My mind wanders about what I’ll be doing at work today.  How busy will I be?  There’s always something to do.  No shortage there.  I feel I’m being helpful and working harder than is expected.  But that could be just me!  Anyway, I’m so grateful to have found a career I can stay at, possibly, until I retire.

I guess that’s why this food change.  I really want to live longer.  So I know this weight has to come off.  I’m feeling really good about it, and I feel like the road is getting easier, but not easy!  Little chunks…Little chunks.  Just take this weight loss a bite at a time.

Thanks to all who have sent me messages of encouragement, like thepeppypineapple!  It’s nice to meet people along this road to better health.

I know this is weird, but it seems that blogging helps keep me focused on my goal.  Isn’t that weird?  Is it just me?  I don’t want to dwell on my food change, but it does help me keep my vigilance, I think.  Is that weird?  I really think it helps.

Ok, time to go get that walk in!

11:54 – Monday, May 28

Well, weigh in was today.  I’m happy to say that I’ve lost 3 more lbs.  So that’s 13lbs in 4 weeks!

I’m so proud, I don’t know what to say.  It’s working.  The times I’ve tried and stopped, tried and stopped were very discouraging.  But this time, it’s different.  I don’t know why, but it’s working!  I can honestly say that.  And it makes me feel good.

Some of the tricks I’ve learned along the way (this worked for me…you have to determine if it will work for you)…

1. Smaller portions (of course).
2. Look on the package…check the serving size, only eat one serving.
3. Put your meals in or on smaller plates or bowls!  Silly, but it helps!
4. Start out with cardio.  20 minutes was good for me.  I like to do the treadmill.  The one I use has a “fat burning” program that I use.  I think I’m gonna add weights this month.
5. Eat something crunchy!  Like roasted almonds.  I like the smokey flavor roasted.
6. If you’re looking for something “chip like” then Check out Special K Cracker Chips.
7. Check your weight as often or little as you want.  If you’re losing weight, you’ll know either way

Here’s the most important thing…you’ll know when you’re ready to lose weight and get fit.  Your friends, your family, they can’t make that decision for you.  You gotta want to.  And it won’t be easy.  There’s no trick.  There’s just self-motivation and determination and hopefully encouragement!

Keep reading!  and I’ll keep writing.  Thanks ya’al!