Weight Loss Weigh In Was I Naughty Over Christmas??

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year.  We had a beautiful day.  The weather was as near perfect as one can expect this time a year.  By that of coarse I mean there wasn't a foot of snow on the ground!  We had the traditional turkey dinner with sides of stuffing and mashed potatoes.  In diet speak I guess you could describe our dinner as "turkey and carbs".

After all of the festivities of the holiday seasons, I suppose there must come that day of reckoning.  Boy, I dreaded stepping on the scale.  This post is somewhat late not just because I was so busy for the holidays, but also because I dreaded stepping on that scale.  If you click the link, you will see a short video of whether I was going on the diet good or naughty list:

Juicing - Jumping on the Bandwagon

I'm jumping on the bandwagon-sort of.  You see we bought a juicer yesterday.  There have been people in the YouTube weight loss community that have gotten huge weight losses by juicing.  There are guys that have lost over 100 pounds at a rate of one pound a day.  However, in order to post such huge losses, they have been on juice-only fasts.  Now, I really like the taste of the juice, but I can honestly say I do not have the willpower to go on a juice only fast for much more than a day LOL.  In addition, I don't think that would be a good plan for me long term either.  Even if I could stay on the fast (which there is no way I could) I am afraid once I quit the fast, the weight would creep back on.  I am much more comfortable and confident in the smaller portions and lifestyle change method that I have adopted.  The reality is though, I think juicing for a meal several times throughout the week, is something that will aide and not hinder me while on this journey.  In addition, I can see a lot of good in the fact of getting nutrients from the juice of fruits and vegetables I would never ordinarily be eating.  So far all I can say is that the machine is very easy to use and it does a good job.  I plan to use it for a few days and will let you know how it goes.  Anyways, have you ever tried a juicer?  I would love to hear of your experience with it.  Is juicing something you would consider?  Maybe you know of someone that has tried juicing.  Maybe you think it is plain stupid.  Whatever the case let me know what you think.  I really value your input!!!

Diet Plan - The Turkey Day Gameplan

Well for my readers not in the States, this Thursday is Thanksgiving.  In a nutshell, it is a day set aside for family, food, and giving thanks for all we have.  It stems from our history, of the colonist coming here and not being able to grow much in the way of food.  The colonist were starving and dying until the native American Indians taught the colonist the techniques of successful agriculture that led to a bountiful harvest and much to be thankful for.  So from the start the holiday seemed to have the sharing of abundant food as a cornerstone.  Of coarse this has evolved into having a reason for a feast that usually centers around a main coarse of turkey with stuffing and gravy.  Many families often add ham or roast beef along with any other delectable dish you can imagine.  In short Thanksgiving has become a great reason to splurge.

Many in the weight loss community have been formulating their strategy to get through the holiday without packing on many extra pounds.  I think it is wise to have a plan and I have given some thought to my plan as well.  First, I know what I don't want to do.  Since Thanksgiving is a social gathering, I do not want to play the martyr.  You know what I mean.  The one person with only one raw carrot and one stalk of celery on their plate.  The dieting martyr loves to have everyone take notice of how hard they must sacrifice.  If this is you, that's cool--it's just not me.  I plan to embrace moderation as my coarse of action.  I plan to have a LITTLE of everything.  Just one plate is my general rule.  I will keep my eye on my portions.  In other words, I am on my diet to live, but I do not live for my diet.  As always I would love your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree.  If you are outside the States, I would like to know if you have anything like our Thanksgiving (without the pilgrims and Indians of coarse).

Weight Loss Nuggets From the Newbie

Well it's true I'm a dieting newbie.  Just seven weeks in and still wet behind the ears as they say.  That being said, if you are an experienced dieter, you may want to tune out as I am sure you know all this stuff already.  This is just a post of a few simple truths I want to record.

• There are different types of eating.  There is emotional eating.  For example, sometimes I eat if I am frustrated.  Sometimes I eat if I am bored.  Being frustrated or bored is not a good reason to eat.  Try not to do it.  Remember how much work on the elliptical it will take to burn off that frustration snack!!!  Sometimes I eat for a social gathering like going to a restaurant with the family.  This to me is a gray area and a little tricky.  I think as long as I do good  the majority of my dieting time, I think this social aspect is OK.  The jury is still out on this for me.
• Do not be a diet snob.  Find a diet that is right for you and that you like so you will stick with it.  However understand that what is right for you may not be right for someone else.  If someone else's diet is to only eat pineapples while standing on their heads-that's OK.  (Actually that is the way some of these new diets sound to me).  Wish them success and mean it.  There is no need to try to convert people to your diet.
• Do not take yourself too seriously.  Even if you lose all the weight you want, hit and stay at your goal weight, we are all going to die.  Even skinny people.  A snack once in a while (maybe as a reward for doing well on your diet) is not going to kill you.  Maybe it will help you stay on your diet long term instead of being too strict and falling off the diet wagon for good.  
• Have fun.  Life is just too short not to enjoy it even if on a diet.  If you are not having fun; stop, re-evaluate, and make changes until it is fun again.  

Have you found any nuggets you would like to share????

My Struggle Right Now

Right now, I don't have a nagging sweet tooth.  I don't have the desire to binge eat a raft of food.  I am quite content with my smaller portions diet.  But, I am dealing with a certain dieting demon.  IMPATIENCE!!!  There, I said it.  I want this blog to be a totally accurate and honest account of my feelings and experiences through this weight loss journey.  So, in all honesty, I am struggling with severe impatience.  Impatience over the speed ( or more accurately the lack of speed) of weight loss.  Basically the thought pattern goes something like this: I have been dieting for over a month...I have been making do with smaller portions and exercising...so I expect something in return...I want to SEE some progress.  I want to FEEL some progress.  I want to HEAR from people, "wow you have really been losing some weight!"  I have lost 16 pounds, but I haven't had any of that.  I know I have not felt or seen anything!!  How depressing.  How utterly boring.  I feel like Linus who is waiting and waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.  It never comes.  My tummy is still there.  Just as big as ever.   I went hiking today.  I didn't glide along the paths-it was the usual struggle.
So I think writing it down will help.  I believe that recognizing this potential pitfall and addressing it is the first step in fixing it.  I know that I must keep telling myself that the weight wasn't put on in a day so it won't come off in a day, or week, or month.  I certainly do believe that losing it slowly will enable me to keep the weight off long term.  I know it was important for me to address this because, I don't want to just let the dieting demon win by talking me into a mental tailspin.  To me this journey is every bit as much of a mental battle as it is a physical struggle.  I have worked too hard to just quit because the progress is excruciatingly slow!

Weight Loss Lessons Learned Along the Way

Well, I have been on this weight loss journey almost  a month now and I have learned a few things I thought I  would share with you:

* You will encounter doubters and /or negative people.  They may come at you with big smiles. They may seem to be well-intentioned.  It is possible that they may not realize what they doing.   But be careful, because their negativity will be like throwing water on your fire of enthusiasm.    Try to avoid mean or negative people like the plague.  Seriously life is just too short!!

*The less I eat, the less I need to eat to feel full.  For those of you who have been on the journey longer, these tips are probably basic knowledge.  But for someone like me, this is all new.  It seems as though my stomach (organ, not tummy so much) has shrunk.  In other words, I don't really have the capacity to eat the volume of food like I used to do.  I suppose this is similar to the effect achieved from the lapband surgery.  Whatever it is, I'm loving it!

*Do a diet that you enjoy?!?!  Sounds silly right, but I mean it.  If I don't like it, I wont do it.  It's that simple: I know myself.  I know I have about zero willpower.  I have all the respect in the world for those that do the various fasts and really strict diets.  I wouldn't last a day!!  I knew I had to keep my diet simple, because I am lazy!!  So I eat the same foods as before, just less...simple.

*Exercising is about 20 percent--Dieting is about 80 percent.  Of coarse this is just my opinion, and just based on my personal experience so take it with a grain of salt.  In the past I have tried to eat the same portions, and just burn it off with exercise.  It didn't work.  Unless you are doing something extremely physicial like mountain climbing all day, there is just too much energy (calories) in food to simply burn off with normal exercise.  I have come to think of my weight loss plan as simple math:  bring in less calories + burn more calories = a lighter me!!

*Make a Lifestyle Change!  This goes back to the idea of sustainability.  I don't want to lose a bunch of weight on a overly strict program so that when I eventually quit that program,  I gain all the weight back.  I have personally seen this happen and it is so sad.

* Substituting soup broth for a meal late at night is helping.  Yep, it is hot, filling, almost no calories, and tastes good.  I did a video on it here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H49XUXff91I
Be sure to watch the blooper at the end.

Have you learned any lessons along the way?  I would love it if you would share them with us in the comments.

Losing Weight For Health

I have started a new habit. Yep, and I am happy about it.  See we often think of habits as bad because they often are.  But with a little determination, it is possible to start a good habit.  From looking at several articles, there doesn't seem to be a concrete amount of time needed to form a new habit.  However, it seems that consistency and repetition are key.

Well my new habit is actually working out on the elliptical.  Its easy.  Well, not the workout, but getting in the habit of working out.  My plan was simple-make it fun so I will want to do it.  Let's face it, working out isn't always enjoyable. And if I don't enjoy something, I can find about a million good reasons why I don't need to do that something. So, I placed my elliptical machine right in the room with the TV.  Yep, I am serious about this weight loss now.  Guess what?  It really works.  So now when I come in to watch TV instead of plopping down in the chair, I get on the machine.  If it's an interesting show, I get so engrossed in it that I hardly notice I'm exercising.

This is one weight loss tip I wanted to pass along.  It is working for me, and just maybe something like it can work for you too.  I do know dieting and exercising are hard. So if there is anything that will make them more palatable then that's got to be a good thing.  Maybe, you need to buy an Ipod to take with you so you will keep doing your workout?  I don't know, but I think we should do whatever it takes to help us not to quit. Let's face it, we are dealing with our lives here, and we are worth it!!!  Have you found any tips that are helping you in your journey.  I sure would like to hear them in the comments.

Weight Loss Journey An INTRODUCTION

The Intro: 

Hello and welcome to Fat Man Writing!!!!  Since this is my first post, I think a little introduction is in order. From what I have seen in the movies, I should start by looking around the room and saying, "Hello, I'm Paul and I have an eating problem..."   So basically, I'm 45 years old and you guessed it: another Fat Man with too much free time and a laptop!!!  Yes, I like to eat.  No, scratch that, in all honesty actually I LOVE to eat!!!!  However- here, together, we are going to work on the eating problem--or really, the over eating problem. I just started my weight loss journey two weeks ago with the start of my channel on Youtube.  http://www.youtube.com/user/VirtualPaul123 


The Numbers:
So I am about 6 feet tall.  I weight 305lbs.  I started vlogging at 311 lbs.  My highest weight was 335 lbs.  Ya, so I have a long way to go!!!



The Plan:
So, I love to eat...  I'm not going to quit that so I have come up with a totally new and never thought of before idea:  I'm going to continue to eat what I want--but, but, here is the new part (at least for me): I"m going to eat LESS of what I love to eat.  Now, if you take this totally new idea and write a book and make a million dollars on it, remember to throw a few buck to the Fat Man.  Ok, so that's the plan for me.  Let"s see how the story goes together, and maybe have a few chuckles along the way.