Day 232: Happy Birthday Sherri.

"May you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine."
~ Frank Sinatra

Today was Sherri's birthday...and what a day it was.

Sherri celebrates her birthday with a exuberant youthfulness that is extremely refreshing. Like a child on Christmas morning she was up early, bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to tell the world that today was her day.

Its not about the gifts or the cake, although she loves surprises. It has far more to do with family & friends...and all the attention she gets!

Sherri told me today that she has always found New Years Eve to be highly overrated. She never makes New Years Resolutions, insisting that your birthday is a far better time to make plans or resolutions since its the start of the next year of your life as apposed to just the start of a new calendar year.

Sherri boldly stated that "this is my year to shine". She has made a resolution to refocus on living a healthier & happier life. Nothing else said today could of made me happier. Sherri is one of the main reasons why I have been successful thus far, through her support and encouragement. When I started my 'journey on the road to healthy living' I did so more or less as personal goal. I didn't put any pressure on Sherri to follow suit...and now she has.

I just wanted to take this time to wish her a happy birthday and let her know just how happy she makes me, and just how much I appreciate her....Happy birthday Baby.

Now back to me!

Due to the whole birthday thing my eating/exercise was a bit of a write-off, but wasn't absolutely terrible -- it could of been far worse.

My weight has dropped a bit so far this week, but my BF% has crept back up again to around 32%. Hopefully I can turn things around a bit for the remainder of the week. The emphasis will have to be on exercise and water consumption to make this happen.

Tomorrow is Sept. 1st which means its only 19 days until my birthday and the target date of my next personal goal. Just as a reminder my goal - Weight 225 lbs. & Body Fat 29.5%

I'm on target to hit the weight goal, but I'm a bit behind on the BF%....but all is well. I'm happy with my progress and all the benefits it has brought.

I hope everyone else is having a great week!

Knee'd A Reason To Lose Weight?

"A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses." ~ Hippocrates

If you have suffered through numerous knee injuries and surgeries like I have, then dealing with osteoarthritis is just a way of life.

Yes, there are options such as over the counter pain relievers or anti-inflammatories.

A second option is something called NeoVisc which is an injection that goes directly into your knee to improve the "natural viscosity and elasticity of synovial fluid" - just like oiling a hinge. Injections are needed every 4-12 months (depending on pain tolerance & severity), if your willing to flip the $300.00 plus bill yourself because its not covered by health care.

As a last option you can get a Knee replacement, but this is really only something that should be considered if you're +60 yrs.

So, my options are popping pills, expensive painful injections or surgery...ahhhhhh, no, no thanks & no way.

Sound familiar? Well, yesterday and today opened my eyes to something new and something that needed reinforcing.

First off let's discuss the more obvious option...losing weight! I knew long ago that my excess weight was putting excess strain on my knee, and therefore putting me through excess pain. After all this blog was started in part due to my reoccurring knee injury as a way to prevent it from happening again.

So, what reinforced my goal to lose weight and relieve my knee? A short article in Prevention titled "A pound lost is 4800 saved" which states:

"In a study of 142 overweight men and women with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers found that every pound patients lost equaled 4 fewer pounds of pressure on their knees--that's per step.

Dropping just 10 pounds could spare each knee 48,000 pounds of pressure per mile, says Stephen Messier, PhD, study author and an exercise science professor at Wake Forest University. 'People with osteoarthritis often avoid exercise. But this research shows that exercise and a little weight loss can reduce pain by 30%.' "

- Prevention. Written by Selene Yeager author of New Foods for Healing (Rodale, 1998), the book from which this story was excerpted.

Considering that I have currently lost 14.9 lbs and that I still have +28 lbs to go, that's a lot of pressure taken off my knee. Oh, and now that I think about it -- yes, I know Prevention is a chic magazine...but it contains a lot of useful information, and so does their website.

As for the second option....in yesterday's post "The Best Supplements For Men" I featured an article from Men'sHealth by the same name. In this article was the following write-up on knee pain:

"The remedy: Glucosamine plus chondroitin

Why it works: Glucosamine is a building block of connective tissue, while chondroitin helps cartilage retain water so it stays flexible. Together they soothe sore joints by keeping cartilage supple and in good supply. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that 79 percent of men who took 1,500 mg glucosamine and 1,200 mg chondroitin daily felt a significant reduction in chronic knee pain."

-Men'sHealth

Excited by this new information I took a visit to my local GNC store, where I found a product called GNC Triflex

• Triple action formula.
• Combines glucosamine, a natural component found in connective tissues and joint cartilage with chondroitin and MSM.
• Glucosamine and chondroitin provide many benefits:
  

1. Supports the body's natural ability to support joint tissue/function*
2. Helps rebuild cartilage and lubricate joints*
3. Support the body's ability to support joint health integrity*
4. Supports the body's natural ability to regenerate cartilage*

• In addition to Glucosamine and Chondroitin this highly effective product also contains MSM which is an organic sulfur found within connective tissues and joint cartilage.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

- GNC.com (for complete product information)

I figured I'd give it a whirl for a few months and see if it helps....but for heaven's sake please heed the following advice:

"PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Supplements and prescription drugs have a lot in common. Both can help you feel better and avoid common ailments, and they're readily available at the local CVS. But natural remedies are missing something their Rx counterparts come with: a Patient Package Insert. This FDA-approved document provides vital information on how to take a drug safely, identify its negative side effects, and avoid potentially dangerous interactions with other drugs. However, because the FDA doesn't regulate supplements under the same guidelines as prescription medications, the only watchdog over your intake is you. So follow these three rules to make sure you do the job right. After all, you can't improve your health if you're compromising it.

DON'T IGNORE SYMPTOMS

"Even too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea," says Ruch Kava, Ph.D., R.D., director of nutrition for the American Counsel of Science and Health. "If you reduce the dosage and the problem goes away, you're in the clear." Doesn't help? Stop using it. Upset stomach and skin rashes are the most common complaints; glucosamine and saw palmetto are two likely culprits.

AVOID AN OVERDOSE

Large amounts of water-soluble vitamins, such as B12, are seldom harmful, because your body can easily excrete any excess. But high doses of fat-soluble vitamins -- specifically vitamins A, D, and E -- are stored in organs and tissues, and can cause dry skin, nausea, joint pain, and depression. The safe limit for men is 3,000 mcg of vitamin A, 2,000 IU vitamin D, and 1,000 mg of vitamin E per day.

MIX WELL

"If you're being treated for heart disease, you're crazy if you don't talk with your doctor before starting a supplement," Kava says. For instance, Ginkgo biloba and ginseng both thin your blood. As a result, they can exacerbate the effects of some heart medications and cause dangerously low blood pressure. To be safe, always read both product labels and double-check with your pharmacist."

- Men'sHealth

Hopefully this post helps out someone other than myself...or is at least an interesting read because it took a long time to complete.

Happy Bloggin'

Non Squishy Meal: Enchilada Lasagna

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world" ~ J.R.R Tolkien

I found this recipe in Sept.2000 issue of Men'sHealth:

What You'll Need:

1⁄2 lb ground turkey breast
1 1⁄2 c reduced-fat Mexican-blend or Cheddar cheese
1 c canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 c low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese
1⁄4 c canned jalapeño peppers, diced
1⁄2 c chopped scallions
2 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
9 6" corn tortillas (I might use whole wheat).
1 c taco sauce

How To Make It:

Brown the turkey in a nonstick skillet. Let it cool, then combine it in a bowl with the cheese (reserving 1/2 c), tomatoes, cottage cheese, peppers, scallions, chili powder, and garlic, stirring well. Coat an 11" x 7" baking dish with cooking spray. Place three tortillas in the dish and top with half of the turkey mixture. Layer three more tortillas, then the remaining turkey mixture. Place the last three tortillas on top, pour taco sauce over them, and sprinkle with 1/2 c cheese. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings

Per Serving:

437 calories
34 grams (g) protein
43 g carbohydrates
11 g fat (6 g saturated)
893 milligrams (mg) sodium
3 g fiber

P.S: This post is something I plan on doing at least once a week!

The Best Supplements For Men

"Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork" ~ English Proverb

So if you eat right are you missing out on anything from a nutritional point of view? Ever wondered if there is a legitimate supplement to help with knee pain? While reading this month's Men'sHealth magazine, I came across a plug for their website advertising a few of the online articles available (one of which was on supplements).

"The Best Supplements For Men" was an interesting read. I was particularly happy to read the following (Since I use this one):

"Green tea is a bona fide fat burner because it contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that increases resting metabolism and stimulates thermogenesis -- the process by which your body burns fat. In a Dutch study, researchers helped 76 people successfully lose weight, and then asked them to consume either a placebo or a 270 mg capsule of green tea daily for the next 3 months. The group who supplemented with green tea continued to lose weight, but the placebo poppers soon regained their flab."

- Men'sHealth

Here's a list of the supplements that I'm currently taking:

- GNC's: Natural Blend Green Tea Extract
- GNC's:The Total EFF (Omega 3-6-9)
- GNC's: Mega Men Multivitamin

Unfinished Business

"Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness"
~ Richard Carlson

I had a better day food and exercise wise today; but as I've said before in past posts, living a healthy life is all about BALANCE. Lately an important part of maintaining that balance has been absentmindedly left unchecked........mental health.

I am notorious for not finishing projects/tasks. I get bored. I get distracted. I move on to something else. I'm also a bit of a procrastinator, which is a deadly combination. As time goes by the number of unfinished projects/tasks keeps growing and growing. Eventually some get completed, buried, abandoned, or brought to my attention, but most occupy my thoughts on some level or realm between the conscious and subconscious part of my mind.

Sometimes I walk past something I started and think - maybe I should finish this (usually while I'm doing something else), you know if I finish that project in the backyard it would make this easier, but I did promise so and so that I would complete that other thing first, what was it Sherri wanted me to tackle next?........I'll figure it out later.

Most of the things I leave are not mission critical.....believe me I would hear about it far more, but as the little things continue to pile up its starts to become overwhelming and eventually stressful.

I always seem to follow a pattern of letting them build up, getting all stressed, followed by a mass completion of projects..........ENOUGH.

I compiled a list of jobs/tasks/projects etc....etc that are currently in various stages of being completed. I'm dedicating the next week to complete them and I'm vowing to stay on top of things from here on out.

So many people micro focus on one aspect of their life.....their weight, job, relationship etc...etc. Life is about Balance and my life is about trying to LIVE HEALTHY.

'A personal journey on the road to healthy living' is a journey based on Balance......plain & simple....well maybe not simple.

I'll post my to do list soon.

Bloggin' #%*@$!% Problems!

"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." ~ Albert Einstein

Its been brought to my attention that my blog looks "all over the place". I'm attempting to fix the problem now...but I'm not sure exactly what the problem is.

My blog is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution or higher....so if you're viewing it at 800 x 600 it won't fit on the screen. This I am aware of.

The weird thing is that my blog looks great on my computer, Sherri's computer and at her parents place on their computer..........So I'm not sure what's wrong.

If anyone has any suggestions let me know.

UPDATE: The common link between all three computers is the web browser....FIREFOX. For whatever reason my blog looks all messed up in MS Explorer and I don't know why.

UPDATE 2: I managed to find the code that Internet Explorer doesn't like.....DANG Microsoft!
For what ever reason the text in my sidebar is different and in bold while being viewed in Explorer......but at least it can be viewed/read.

Please leave me a comment if my blog goes wacky again in the future......THANKS ALL!

P.S: GET FIREFOX

New Blog Link Added

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. " ~ Mark Van Doren

Stumbled upon a new blog today: Fat Boy in a Thin Man's Body - "On growing up fat, losing weight, avoiding mirrors, getting a tummy tuck and writing a memoir".

From what I've read so far (which isn't much), this blogs perspective is from an individual that has already lost his weight and is now in the process of maintaining it.

Personally I'm planning on going back to the first post and reading forward. I'll update everyone if I find it as interesting as it looks.

UPDATE: It appears this blog no longer exists. I googled it and came up empty handed.

Day 227: Off Track

"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing."
~ Denis Waitley

I've been posting like a madman this week, but alas my eating & exercise have strayed off course. I will attempt to redouble my efforts for the remainder of the week, and hopefully I'll have some positive results to show for my effort.

England Bloating

"The future is plump with promise" ~ Maya Angelou

And apparently so is the waistlines on the British. Today a BBC News headline stated "England to have 13 million obese by 2010". Their report stated:

"More than 12m adults and one million children will be obese by 2010 if no action is taken, a report by the Department of Health is predicting. The Health Survey for England also warns 19% of boys and 22% of girls aged two to 15 will be obese."

- BBC News

This news report isn't much different than the reports that I've covered over the last few days, and neither is the advice; be aware of what you eat and obtain regular exercise.

Update: BBC News has just posted another article titled "Obesity Predictions: Reactions" featuring the reaction to this study by various health organizations.

Want To Slim Down? Live In A City.

"This city is what it is because our citizens are what they are" ~ Plato

And if you happen to be from St. John's, Newfoundland there's a 36% chance that 'what you are' is obese. After yesterdays post "Newfoundland Is Fat", I happened to read an article published in the "Globe & Mail" titled "Fat of the land: How to keep slim" written by Margaret Wente (which is less than popular here in Newfoundland).

Never less Wente discusses Statistics Canada's newest study.

"Forget about South Beach and glycemic loads. Here's some really useful advice, courtesy of Statistics Canada, about how to keep from getting fat.

Live in the city, not the country. Big-city people are a whole lot thinner than rural types. But make sure you choose Toronto or Vancouver, not St. John's. I like Newfoundlanders, I really do, but St. John's weighs in with more fat people per capita than anywhere else in the country (36 per cent, versus Toronto's slender 16)."

- Globe & Mail

Wente later discusses the problem of childhood obesity, naming a wide range of culprits from "the disappearance of phys ed from schools" to "inner-city crime", but in the end its the parents role which bears the brunt of the blame.

Personally I don't blame my parents for my obesity, but I will go as far as to say that my weight problem has a lot to do with my family, as my brother, mother, grandad and I (to list a few), have all struggled with weight through-out most of our lives. Whether this is a result of parental upbringing, cultural cues, genetics, etc....etc....or a combination of these reasons I'm not sure.

Regardless of the cause, I'm making the necessary changes to ensure that obesity is a problem of my past.

BMI can BMA......again!

"The word "belief" is a difficult thing for me. I don't believe. I must have a reason for a certain hypothesis. Either I know a thing, and then I know it - I don't need to believe it." ~ Carl Jung

Today was a happy day for me. If you remember a while back on July 20th, 2006 I posted "BMA can BMA" out of shear frustration with the BMI model..........Well it finally feels like I'm not alone.

While I was on Fitness Mantra I happened to read a post called "Be overweight during midlife and have fewer years to live" . I'm not going to reiterate the content found there, because you should visit it for yourself......its an excellent read!.

I did however find another article called "Time To Toss The Body Mass Index" posted on MSNBC.com which states:

"The standard measure of obesity known as body mass index, or BMI, is badly flawed and a more accurate gauge should be developed, according to doctors in the United States.

- MSNBC

Its nice to see that some of the more trusted news sources are starting to acknowledge that BMI might not be the best means of measuring ones ideal weight.

RSS Feed Added

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
~ Arthur C. Clarke

Well after about a year of putting it off I've added an RSS feed to my blog. If your reading this and thinking 'what is a RSS feed' don't feel bad, your reading a blog which puts you well ahead of the curve.

Wikipedia describes a RSS as;

"a family of web feed formats specified in XML (a generic specification for data formats) and used for Web syndication. RSS delivers its information as an XML file called an 'RSS feed', 'webfeed', 'RSS stream', or 'RSS channel'. These RSS feeds provide a way for users to passively receive newly released content (such as text, web pages, sound files, or other media); this might be the full content itself or just a link to it, possibly with a summary or other metadata (data describing the content)."

- Wikipedia

Still not sure? Maybe this will help:

"RSS is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, including major news sites like Wired, news-oriented community sites like Slashdot, and personal weblogs. But it's not just for news. Pretty much anything that can be broken down into discrete items can be syndicated via RSS: the 'recent changes' page of a wiki, a changelog of CVS checkins, even the revision history of a book. Once information about each item is in RSS format, an RSS-aware program can check the feed for changes and react to the changes in an appropriate way.

RSS-aware programs called news aggregators are popular in the weblogging community. Many weblogs make content available in RSS. A news aggregator can help you keep up with all your favorite weblogs by checking their RSS feeds and displaying new items from each of them."

- XML.com

Basically, if you read a lot of blogs like I do; you can subscribe to each blogs 'RSS Feed' and instead of visiting ever blog you read to search for new content, you simply open your 'RSS Feed' reader (referred to as an aggregator) to see all the new posts from one spot.

My RSS Feed is located in the top right corner of my blog under the bornsquishy header.

Knights Armor Shines in Spotlight

“Your highness, when I said that you are like a stream of bat's piss, I only mean that you shine out like a shaft of gold when all around it is dark”
~ Monty Python

The Knights Of The Fat Bottoms were featured in the 'Calorie Counter News' section at www.CalorieLab.com

"When all else fails in the diet arena, communicate your ups and downs, and most importantly, your weight, with others. A strong support group can enhance your chances of diet success, or at the very least, provide camaraderie with others who share in your attempt at weight loss."

- CalorieLab (complete article)

Thanks Twice The Man for spotting this post!

Indulgence

"There are limits to self-indulgence, none to restraint." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Last weekend Sherri's niece suggested picking up ice cream from McDonald's for the rest of the family so Sherri took down every one's order and the two left to pick up our ice cream treats.

Not wanting to be left out, and seriously craving something sweet I ordered a Oreo McFlurry. I enjoyed ever morsel until early the next day when I started to consider just exactly what kinda damage a treat like that might do. Determined to find out this is what I found out online:

McDonald's Oreo McFlurry Nutritional Information:

Calories = 560
Calories From Fat = 150
Total Fat (g) = 16
Saturated Fat (g) = 9
Trans Fat (g) = 2
Cholesterol (mg) = 50
Sodium (mg) = 250
Carbohydrates = 88
Fibre (g) = 0
Sugar (g) = 71
Protein (g) = 14
Vitamin A (IU) = 20
Vitamin C (IU) = 0
Calcium (mg) = 45
Iron (mg) = 10

So my McFlurry contained as much calories as a full meal, 1/2 days fat (most of which was saturated or trans) and enough sugary carbs to send my blood sugar soring through the roof.

And you're probably asking where I found this information? Well its straight of the 'Food, Nutrition & Fitness' of McDonald's homepage. Why would they want someone to have access to this information? McDonald's tells us:

"We provide a nutrition analysis of our menu items to help you balance your McDonald's meal with other foods you eat. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make sensible decisions about balance, variety and moderation in your diet."

- McDonald's

What really blew me away was that McDonald's had something to say about fitness, but after a thorough search of the 'Food, Nutrition & Fitness' section I wasn't able to locate any words of wisdom from Ronald on fitness.....which is just as well because I can't imagine that it would be easy to exercise or play sports in big floppy red shoes.

Newfoundland is FAT!

"For the first time ever, overweight people outnumber average people in America. Doesn't that make overweight the average then? Last month you were fat, now you're average - hey, let's get a pizza!" ~ Jay Leno

We all know that people in North America are getting fat at an alarming rate. If you haven't heard it yet then you must be living under a rock or in denial. Yes Americans waistlines are growing faster than anyone Else's but now more than ever it is evident in their skinnier neighbour to the north......particularly in Newfoundland.

At hearing a report last night on the local Newfoundland & Labrador "CBC News: Here & Now" they had a report about the growing obesity problem in our province.

"Residents of St.John's are a lot more likely to be obese, than people who live in other Canadian cities. That information today from a new report that's based on actual measurements of height and weight. Past studies show that people underestimated their own weight when asked to provide the information themselves. This report says that the obesity rate in St. John's is thirty-six percent, compared to the national average of twenty-three percent. They found that generally, people who live in cities are thinner than those who live in smaller towns."

- CBC News: Here & Now (Link to daily news: Aug.22nd, 2006. Actual story is 35secs from 8mins 4secs - 8mins 39secs)

CBC News: Canada Now had this to add;

"Obesity is a growing epidemic. One that's driving healthcare costs higher. Now, Statistics Canada has found an intriguing correlation between the size of a city and the likelihood of obesity. The bigger the city, the slimmer the people. And people living outside big cities are more likely to be obese. And time behind the wheel may be a factor."

- CBC News: Canada Now (Link to full report: Aug.22nd, 2006)

Both of these CBC reports are based on a new 'Statistics Canada' report.....but unfortunately they don't name the report and I can't seem to locate it yet, But I'm looking.

Back on July 6th, 2005 released the following report: "Canadian Community Health Survey: Obesity among children and adults", but this information was obtained by the 'Canadian Community Health Study (CCHS)' back in 2004.

"The 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey: Nutrition (CCHS) collected information from over 35,000 respondents between January and December of 2004, and directly measured most respondents' height and weight. As a result, it is now possible to draw a more accurate picture of the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Canada."

- Statistics Canada

Because the new data was collected by actual measurements as apposed to the "self reported" data of past studies, it was now possible to compare Canada and the U.S in a more accurate light.

The following chart illustrates the gap in obesity between Canada and the U.S:

Since the U.S is the leader in the Fast Food industry and in the commercial food industry its not surprising that their in the lead in terms of obesity as well.

What worries me in particular is that the levels of obesity that the U.S is seeing is only around the corner for the rest of the western world.

With the increase of world trade and the development of new easy to use communication devices and technology the world is becoming a smaller place, where the end result is a nation of bigger people.....who more often then not tend to be vertically challenged.

The last 10 years has brought enough apocalypse scenario's to make my head spin - Killer meteorites, global warming, killer waves, nuclear war, killer bee's, pandemics.....

Maybe........just maybe it will be obesity that kills us in the end!

Fast Food Nation: "The Big One" Movie!!!

"If one considers some typical modern foods- hamburgers laden with growth hormones, vegetables laced with pesticides, soft drinks full of refined sugar, and foods too numerous to mention whose colour and taste have been artificially enhanced by manufactured chemicals-one could easily imagine that the goal of the global food system is simply to provide the global health care system with more customers." ~ Helena Norberg-Hodge ('Bringing The Food Economy Home: Local Alternatives To Global Agriculture')

This movie is already starting to generate a lot of heat;

Now, more than a dozen trade groups representing producers of beef, potatoes, milk and snacks, along with restaurant groups, are fighting back with a media campaign to counter what one groups contends is the "indigestible propaganda" Mr. Schlosser is spreading.
- Wall Street Journal

I can hardly wait to see this! The book was amazing......hopefully they can pull it off well as a movie.

Fellow Blogger Plug

"Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever or whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing." ~ Thomas H. Huxley

If you haven't already visited 'A Road To Reduction - An Integrated Strategy For Sustainable Weight Loss' take the time to pay this blog a visit. The author of this blog clearly reads a lot and usually provides a great number of useful links and information.

I followed on of his links back to an article on MSNBC.com and found a whole section designated to Diet & Nutrition.

I hope everyone finds this useful!

Week 32: In Progress

"When the chairman introduced the guest speaker as a former illegal alien, I got up from my chair and yelled, 'What's the matter, no jobs on Mars?' When no one laughed, I was real embarrassed. I don't think people should make you feel that way." ~ Jack Handey

This week has been going okay. For some reason my Body Fat % has started to creep back up (even from last weeks gain), but I'm not overly worried. Monday, Tuesday went pretty much according to plan with the exception of limited exercise. Wednesday started off okay with the exception of eating KFC for dinner.

Sherri and Jean (her mom) were out shopping and were kinda running late, so Jean suggested picking up take-out on the way home.......which was a very nice gesture. I really didn't want to eat the KFC since I was one day short of going 2 months without breaking my 'Fast Food Resolution', but I have to admit my mouth started to water the moment they walked in.

We decided to eat outside since the weather was nice. Everyone grabbed a plate and helped themselves before going outside. I was given a plate first. I grabbed 2 pieces of chicken, a small amount of potato wedges, a small serving of macaroni salad and a tall glass of water.

After everyone sat down outside someone (doesn't matter who) pointed out that I had grabbed the 2 and only breast pieces which also happened to be the biggest. I was so embarrassed. I offered to switch one of them with someone else but no one wanted to. I really didn't consciously make the decision to grab the only breast pieces or the largest pieces, but I couldn't help but feel like a pig. I didn't enjoy my dinner at all and ended up feeling even more guilty for eating KFC. I thought about that chicken for the rest of the night and much of today.

I couldn't figure out why I made that choice. Was I being greedy? Inconsiderate? A pig? Or did I just grab 2 pieces of chicken off the top of the barrel? I really don't know. Whatever the answer I know that the decision was done unconsciously......even though that doesn't make me feel any better.

Besides being distracted by the whole chicken thing (pardon the pun), I did end up having a better day. I ate well and went out for a 1hr & 10min walk. Tonight a couple that are friends of the family came over to play cards with Sherri, Jean, Roland (Sherri's father) and I. After a few rounds of cards we decided to break for tea and a snack. I plate of cheese, crackers and chocolate cookies was put on the table. I had 5 or 6 crackers and cheese and a glass of water.

After 5mins or so we decided to start playing cards again but the plate of cheese, crackers and cookies were in the middle of the table. Someone moved the plate to the corner of the table closest to me and someone else said "Oh, don't put the plate next to Bryan". My first instinct was that they were implying that I was a pig and would eat everything that was on the plate if it was with-in reach. My next thought was that maybe they said that knowing full well that I was watching what I was eating and were trying to be thoughtful by removing the temptation. Either way I was really embarrassed once again.

I'm not mad at the people who made these comments......there's some truth in them. I'm just looking forward to the day when I have a better grasp on my relationship with food so that occasions like this don't arrive as often.

On a different note, tomorrow is Friday which means that the four of us are heading to Gander for the weekend. I plan on taking my running shoes & scale with me again.........hopefully I'll put the shoes to better use this time.

I'm hoping that I'll have time to post something this weekend......if not I should be able to post something on Monday night when I get back.

Regardless, have a great weekend!

Progress Chart

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." ~ George Benard Shaw

Coming Soon.......how soon? Who knows!

Under Construction!

"Only in men's imagination does every truth find an effective and undeniable existence. Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art as of life." ~ Joseph Conrad

If my blog looks a bit screwy........Don't Panic! I'm tinkering with the layout.

Hopefully the new changes will spice things up a bit when I'm done. As for when "done" is..... your guess is as good as mine. If my ADD doesn't get the better of me "done" should be today or tomorrow...... but only time will tell.

P.S: After I'm "done" I'll try to create a few posts with a bit more substance......my last few posts have been a tad bit short for my liking.

Milestone

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." ~ Chinese Proverb

Yesterday BornSquishy past the 1000 Visitor marker....I know it's not that exciting, but it made me happy.

Thanks for visiting!

Day 214: Back On Track

"Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need." ~ Votaire

Yesterday was much improved.... I ate healthy and exercised. Two in a row coming up!

Day 212: Complacency.

"The lazier a man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow."
~ Norwegian Proverb

I had a nice weekend at Sherri's parents home in Gander. Over all I didn't do too bad food wise but I completely slacked off on my exercise routine. My results on Monday still showed a decent loss weight wise for the week, but the results were somewhat hampered by the weekend.

Monday and Tuesday were busy days and I didn't eat as well and continued to slack off on getting some exercise. I kept thinking "oh well, I'll pick things back up again tomorrow" & "I deserve a bit of a break anyways".

Today was a complete right off. I had Pralines & Cream ice cream in a chocolate covered waffle cone at the mall, some bits n' bites, Cheese Whiz & a sleeve of saltines and a chocolate bar that Sherri's mom bought me as a treat..............AND no exercise.

Okay so I had a bad day. Today has no baring on tomorrow. Tomorrow won't be a repeat of today.

I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow......I know I will.

Day 207: Away For The Weekend.

"Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character." ~ Stephen Covey

Consistency is a great way to describe my progress lately. I've been eating well, exercising regularly and generally living a healthier life. I apologize for not posting over the last few days.....we've had a few guests staying in our home and we had to convert our computer room into a bedroom for most of the last week.

I currently in Gander for the weekend, but I brought my sneakers for walking, vitamins, reading material and scale with me to keep me on track.

This week is shaping up quite well and I should see some positive results again on the scale on Monday, which will be the next time I will be able to post a message.

Have a great weekend everyone!