Healthy Living 2.11 - Becoming Routine

Another week down, and dare I say that this is becoming routine?  Yes, there are constant cravings.  But I will have to fight those battles as they come, one at a time.  Also realized something else this week, actually getting in the car (or riding the bike) to the gym is more difficult than the work I put in at the gym?  Hmm, guess all things are relative.

The statistics for this past week.

BMI - 41.2 (down 0.6 down 5.3 total)
Calorie Intake - 1608/day
Calories Burned - 3520/day
Net Caloric difference -1912/day
Water - 72 oz/day


Proteins - Carbs - Fat distribution -- 49% - 41% - 10%

I truly hope that this does not become routine…at least in one sense of the word.  Routine bores me to death.  I don’t even like taking the same bike route to school every day.  I change it up, short cut behind the mall; take the longer route along side streets, anything to alleviate the same path every day.  Another great thing about being a teacher, even though I teach the same lesson four times a day, each is different because of the dynamics and personalities in the classroom.  I love it.

However, I would like it to because routine, losing 3 lbs/week, getting stronger, getting healthier, feeling better.  That is what I like about this becoming routine.  Yet, I am wary of situations that are out of routine.  Restaurants, lunches at school, parties, bowling night are all opportunities where I might binge.  Yes, that thought is always in my head, always!  Guess I will keep using my supports and will power, hard to believe that this is almost three months now.

-SB

Courtesy. What ever happened to it?

Courtesy, being polite, what has ever happened to it? Simple manners, please, thank you, your welcome, excuse me...all of these are so rare now.

Perhaps I am jaded as I come from Canada, generally considered the most polite country in the world. In fact, I've heard it said that Canadians are too polite? Is that even possible?  Things are different in the United States, I feel the people are more aggressive, but that is not totally a bad thing.  You can be aggressive and polite at the same time.  A funny thing that I noticed when I first visited the United States, when I say “thank you” for something, the response in Canada (every time) is “you’re welcome”; however, what you hear in the U.S. is “huh huh”, more of an acknowledgment.



However, what I am seeing more and more is a lack of courtesy, a lack of respect for fellow human beings.  So let me rank the three most common events of rudeness I see on a daily basis.



1.  Cell Phones – people walk around them like they are protective baby blankies.  It doesn’t matter where they are; restaurant, mall, car, school, park, work, and about anywhere else.  Now, I have no problem with people having their security blankets, I have a problem with how they interact with society when their cell phone is out.  If I am having a conversation with someone and they start to text (or answer a call), I’m gone, listen, that person is a jerk, has no respect for me or the conversation and is not worthy of my time.  I have seen this many times in restaurants, a couple sitting down for dinner, they place their phones on the table and are constantly checking it.  What?  The person across the table is not worthy of your attention?  In school, you are there to learn, and this is not only my high school darlings, but educators (adults) I have seen in class.  You are there to learn.  You playing with your phone is distracting, despite it being on vibrate.  Just the action is enough to draw attention away from the instructor.  Finally, do not use your phone while driving.  When, not if, you get into an accident, it will be someone else getting hurt, probably not you.  What is so important that it cannot wait until you reach your destination, probably less than 15 minutes away?  Really?  You people make me sick



2.  Driving – Hey, have you ever heard of turn indicators? You know that thing beside the steering wheel?  Really, it is a useful thing.  I found out a couple of years ago, that it using a turn indicator in Maryland is not a law.  It may not be a law, but it is the polite and courteous thing to do.  Aggressive driving is not unique to the United States; there is plenty of it in Canada.  Part of the reason I started to take the train into the city everyday from suburbia.  Is it necessary to speed?  To pass on the right?  To tailgate?  What is your issue?  You will save how much time in the long run?  Probably not that much, but in the mean time, you have put many people in danger.  Finally, how about letting someone in when there is traffic? Would it really kill you?  Just be nice to you people, let them in, you will make their day maybe.



3.  Manners – What has happened to basic manners?  Saying please, thank you, excuse me, and your welcome?  It sounds so much nicer than without.  It makes whoever you are asking maybe feel a little better about doing that something for you.  I don’t know how many times I hear a child say “Can I have this?” no “please”, but then no admonishment from the parents.  When someone gets something, there is no “thank you”, sometimes there is barely an acknowledgment that something was done for them. 



I am so disgusted by this.  And do you know what is interesting (sad?), this is happening on a more regular basis.  I try to lead by example in class, at work, when I’m out.  And I’m not the only one who sees this.  I think it is time we start treat everyone with respect, dignity, and courtesy.  Whether you know that person or not.  Think about this the next time you think a text message is more important than the people you are around.  If not, our world, our society is done!

Healthy Living 2.10 - Challenges

Food was not an issue this week…or maybe it was.  My calorie intake is way below what it should be, I am trying to get up near 2000 calories/day, but am not getting close to that, as a result, I think that my body is trying to conserve fat as I may have gone into starvation mode.  So for the second consecutive week I will try harder to get up to 2000 calories/day.  Yet the fear of binging is always there and it is killing me.

The statistics for this past week.

BMI - 41.8 (down 0.1 down 4.7 total)
Calorie Intake - 1550/day
Calories Burned - 3371/day
Net Caloric difference -1821/day
Water - 72 oz/day


Proteins - Carbs - Fat distribution -- 48% - 43% - 9%

Many battles are fought when you have been fighting obesity.  Some jerk on a website said, “hey, to lose weight, all you got to do is eat less calories then you take in!”  Well, no shit!  Well there is a problem, you have to take in calories to lose weight, and a decent amount of calories if you are working out.  For the past three or four weeks I’ve seen my caloric intake decrease and am way below where I should be.  It is crazy to think that you must eat to lose, but it is the way our bodies work.

Another battle I face is the desire to binge.  I’ve talked about it many times.  When I go to the grocery with my family, they buy pasta; I have thoughts in my head about how much I would love to eat an entire box of pasta in alfredo sauce.  Today, my wife made pizza for my daughter and her friend…I could not resist.  I had about 2 servings of pizza.  It took every ounce of energy/willpower/whatever you want to call it to not finish that pizza.  I wish I could explain this desire? need? more clearly, but I can’t and it sucks.  The feeling sucks!  Will this be something that I must battle the rest of my life?  I thought habits were broken in two months, been over two months since I’ve binged, but oh man, the desires to binge are there all the time.

Finally, this past week, getting to the gym was an issue.  I do not know why, but I just could not get my fat, lazy butt out of the house.  Schedule conflicts prevented me from stopping at the gym after school.  I am glad I have the support of family, my friends, and Team Awesome. 

-SB

Quoting Morality

The other day, there was a quote from Dr. Robert Schuler, founder of one of the "most successful" mega-churches in the world. As I heard the quote, I was thinking, should we really be quoting from this man? Just because he is a leader of a church, he gets a pass on the hate he spews from the pulpit and we can cherry pick certain things he says? So let us analyze some quotes from the supposed moral Dr. Schuler.

1. "I'm very proud of who I am. I am innocent. I have not broken a single one of the Ten Commandments. I have not broken any of the teachings of Jesus Christ, and so I'm proud of my faith and message," (http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/schuller/general.htm)

Wow! Hmm, I thought pride/hubris was a deadly sin. The third sentence, not to break a single commandment is near impossible. How about #4? Remember the Sabbath day. Says you should do no work, I'll overlook the fact that it is your job to work every Sunday, you do get paid as a pastor don't you? But how about washing dishes, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, household chores, etc. Well, you are probably so rich you can afford people to do this for you...again, still breaking the Sabbath because you shouldn't hire workers to do thing for you as well. So, no shopping on Sunday, no restaurants, no purchasing gas. Are you saying you have done none of these in your life? Oops, that brings us to number two.

2. By virtue of number one, you have just broke #9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Lying! The big one! Everyone lies, lying is necessary sometimes. Let me give you an example; you are hiding a Jewish family in your attic from the Nazi's during World War II. The SS comes by and asks you questions, "do you give up the family because the commandment says so? Or do you lie to keep them safe and out of harm’s way?" I know what I would do as a moral person, but is faith in the bible and god more important than the life of that family? So back to Schuler, is he being moral when he lies about not breaking any of the commandments? Is he being a good person? Yes, I believe that he believes he is doing something right...but continuing to preach lies, such as there is creationism instead of evolution. (http://www.christianpost.com/news/robert-a-schuller-godtube-co-founder-team-up-reveal-new-ministry-plans-38904/)

So now, should we be quoting morality from just anyone? From someone who themselves is not moral? How should we determine whether this person is moral or not? Here is an example of what I mean. The quote "As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice." sounds like something that you may hear from any conservative, republican or Christian these days. Now, would you be surprised that this quote came from Adolf Hitler? So now, if even I could cherry pick a quote from Hitler about morality, would it be okay to use it in a public forum? I'm guessing there would be much outrage.

Truly, when I think that quotes are cherry picked and people do no research about the people making the quote. I also think that quotes from Christians are very dubious and really have no place in a public setting.

-SB

Healthy Living 2.09 - Inspiration

Life as a teacher, father, and husband is very busy.  Sometimes too busy.   As a result, sacrifices must be made.  For me this past week it was food that was sacrificed.  Time was non-existent to cook healthy meals, the only thing available to me were foods that were not good at all.  So, I had a choice, have an unhealthy meal...or no meal.  I chose no meal.  As a result, for the second consecutive week my calorie intake was way too low.  I had two days when I had less than 1000 calories, about 1000 calories less than I should be eating.  Ugh, it is so difficult to plan to eat healthy, but I am doing the best I can because of my inspiration.

The good news from are the statistics for this past week.

BMI - 41.9  (down 0.3 down 4.6 total)
Calorie Intake - 1375/day
Calories Burned - 3479/day
Net Caloric difference -2104/day
Water - 72 oz/day


Proteins - Carbs - Fat distribution -- 50% - 41% - 9%

On this journey to healthy living, I am finding inspiration an important part of my life...no not from some fictional fairy monster living in the sky, but from friends, family, acquaintances, and from deep within myself.

I have said many times, that my wife is my best friend and the greatest, kindest person I know.  If I could only be a small percentage as wonderful as her, I would accomplish great things.  I could watch her all day, she makes me smile.  And I think to myself more and more that she deserves more than this obese lard ass here.  I look at my daughter, and I hope that she will not follow in my obese footsteps, parents are the only true role models and she sees my bad habits no matter how I try to hide them.  This will not happen!

Friends and acquaintances are great!  My fitness team formed by JT Eberhard is great.  It is good to know how other people watching you calorie intake can make comments and care for you and worry for you despite not even knowing you in person.  I am truly honored by this.

Finally, inspiration must come from within.  It is just difficult sometimes to get it out.  It arrives when I check the scale and it shows a loss, it arrives when I have an aggressive workout, it arrives when I achieve a goal/milestone, it arrives when I use my willpower to overcome unhealthy choices.  I just can't wait until the moment it arrives when I can see a difference in my body.

-SB

Healthy Living 2.08 - Clothing part 2

Last night I asked my wife, "how long do you think it has been since I started doing this 'healthy living' thing?"  Her response, "I don't know, 14 weeks!".  Yup, feels that long, but in reality it has only been 8 weeks, not even 2 full months and it feels a lot longer.  Yes, I love the results, but oh, I miss my favourite food of all time, pizza.  I don't dare eat a slice because I know one slice will lead into a whole pizza, I just don't have that will power. 

In any case, here are the statistics for this past week. 

BMI - 42.2  (down 1.1 down 4.3 total)
Calorie Intake - 1484/day
Calories Burned - 3675/day
Net Caloric difference -2156/day
Water - 72 oz/day


Proteins - Carbs - Fat distribution -- 43% - 47% - 10%
I'm extremely worried about my calorie intake, it is at this point that I feel binge opportunities available.  Yes, I'm making all of my meals, and should really eat more...but have the feeling that I am eating too much.  This week I'm going to increase my protein and reduce my carbs even more.  It means more chicken and fish.  But will, I promise to make a concerted effort to increase my caloric intake to around the 2100 range.

Clothing - Part 2

Last week I talked a little about sizes, this week it is more about the looks and effects of clothes on the obese person.  Clothes, no matter the style always look terrible on obese people and never fit properly (I really don't know about properly tailored clothes).  From a male perspective, the only one I can give is this.  No clothes for obese people fit well and as a result there is an ugly result to this on an obese persons body.

I love wearing Polo's, golf shirts, whatever you want to call them, and getting a size that fits correctly a XXL or XXXL is possible, however, the what happens is that chaffing of the worst kind occurs under the arms and feels absolutely terrible!

Directly under arm, hurts so bad!

Pants, whether jeans, shorts, khakis, whatever, must be cinched up tight with a belt to prevent showing an enormous plumbers crack.  The result is unsightly lines across the belly.  So disgusting and absolutely nothing you can do about it.  I'm wondering if this will be the same 12 months from here.

Clothes in general, big, bulky, hanging off our obese bodies, no matter how, never look good.  I love my friends for they see me as the good person I am and not the person wearing these terrible clothes.  I know it doesn't matter, but there is some vanity in all of us.  And yes, I have some.

-SB

Healthy Living 2.07 - Clothing part 1

What a month it has been for a commuter cyclist in Maryland.  On August 23rd, there was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake that hit the region.  At first I thought it was one of the construction vehicles at our school smashing into a wall.  Next up was Hurricane Irene from August 28th to August 30th.  Then this past week, which really sucked for a cyclist was over 11 inches of rain.  There was flooding everywhere. But oh my, it is very exhilarating feeling the rain stinging your eyes and face as you peddle hard into the downpour.  However, I was really getting tired of being soaking wet upon arrival at school and getting home.  Oh well, it will only make me appreciate the fall and winter season coming up.


The statistics for this past week.

BMI - 43.3  (down 0.7 down 3.2 total)
Calorie Intake - 1658/day
Calories Burned - 3692/day
Net Caloric difference -2035/day
Water - 72 oz/day


Proteins - Carbs - Fat distribution -- 40% - 50% - 10%
This extremely wet week has made me go in search of a new rain jacket for cycling.  Well, I know that a good rain jacket is a speciality item.  So, I go to REI and take a look at the biking jackets.  I find a couple of makes, and way cool, they have a couple of XXL in two different styles.  There is one in particular, in an awesome florescent green, I try it on, I could barely put my arm through it.  XXL, in what world?  Oh yeah, the biking world where most people barely weight more than 150 lbs and are extremely tiny. Grrr!

This has not been my first encounter with crappy sizing, unfortunately, getting quality and plus size clothing is extremely difficult.  I suspect it is because clothing has never really been designed properly for obese people.  But that is another posting.

-SB