Day 180 - Aged Banana Bump'n

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Thursday it is, in case you did not know. You probably knew that did you know that bananas are the world’s most popular fruit after tomatoes? While grocer’s like that they make up 3% of their total sales they are less than happy that bananas account for the most complaints from grocery shoppers. Some just go off at the sight of an overripe or even spotted banana. Fact is that a spotted banana is 6x sweeter than a green banana. So people, don't be shy of the more 'experienced' bananas amongst the bunch.

Yesterday my son & I visited Lake Andrea for some exercise. We followed last weeks walk / jog layout exactly the same. Decided to do this versus increase the total percentage of jogging. Oh I will do that soon, but yesterday I just wanted the challenge to try and be a better time, or, amp up the pace of both the walking & jogging. And that we did, we completed the 2.25 mile loop in 29:32 minutes, beating our best by 1:23 minutes. Oh Yeah!

Bumper Stickers, was doing some bumper sticker window shopping (what you don't do that?) and came across a few worthy of sharing...

Ah, many times in the past I could have displayed this one and related. Start a diet, flounder through it, lose steam, slip and slide and quit before even giving it a chance. In the end, all I did was lose time. Well, hopefully I also gained some knowledge on how to 'not' diet. Or even more optimistically I gained some knowledge on why 'I' quit the diet because the diet did not quit me.

Another I can relate to. In part the bad choices of my 20's & 30's left me really feeling life in my 40's. And when I'd look in a mirror, the show was not a good one. Fine, that may be so. But now I am going to try & reverse this bumper sticker and prove that a better life can begin in your 40's and you can improve how it shows too.

This one is pretty simple to relate to I believe. What do we say, eat less & move more to get healthy. I prefer eat smarter & move more, but let us not split bananas here. Get off the rump roast, eat less of it too, get on your feet, and move. Simple enough?

Well, this one is just silly I suppose. Why did I show it? Because it reminded me of the 1,273 excuses I have used in the past for why I was (still am) obese. Most were attempts to use humor to ease the pain of being obese and change the topic either in my head or with someone else. Have fun, laugh out loud, but be serious about our health - we can have fun and be healthy. But making fun of ourselves and leaving it at that, well that just is not funny!
 

This one you can fold in half lengthwise and just show the top portion in my opinion. Get healthy for yourself. Do it whatever way you inspires you to get it done. Lace on the Nike's and just do it and worry not one ounce what anyone else thinks about how you look, what you are doing, your progress or plateaus or set backs... all that matters is what do you think about yourself?

Source for all of the above bumper stickers.

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 179 - All The Weigh

Kenz, over on All The Weigh posted a questionnaire last week. I've seen it answered on a few blogs, have enjoyed the Q&A and am giving it my attention here and now. If you enjoy this, take the time to answer these questions too in a comment on her fantastic blog, or in your own blog post. If you do, let Kenz know so she can enjoy your answers too.

Here are my answers...

1. What was your highest weight, what do you weigh right now and what is your goal weight?
320 pounds, my last weigh-in on 10/3 was 261.5 pounds; my goal wight is 199 pounds. Whew, 320, i can't imagine how I tolerated lugging that load around for as long as I did.

2. What is your #1 motivation for losing weight?
I probably answer this question a bit different each time when asked, there simply just is not one reason. But if I treat '#1' as if it is the most important reason possible, then that reason would be to do all I can not to die at a young age as a result of my own poor choices. And to a lessor extent because I want to wear with confidence swim trunks without also having to wear a tarp of a shirt to cover up the moobage.

3. Have you always been overweight?
No, although I have most of my adult life. I was 'puffy' in high school. I was fit in my early adult years. That gave way to weight gain in my later 20's and eventually obesity by my mid-30's.

4. When you want to give up what inspires you to keep going?
The fear of posting on my blog that I gave up, that I quit something. One of the greatest benefits of blogging is the accountability factor. The thought of having to say to all who read that I gave up; not a pleasant one in my head.

5. What is the #1 thing you look forward to when you hit your goal weight?
Writing that blog post. I have it scripted out in my head, it will be epic! As well I look forward to strapping on 121 pounds of weight (not sure how) and feeling once again - one last time - how that used to feel as a celebratory remembrance of what I used to be and how far I have come.

6. Do you have support on your weight loss journey?
Yes, oh my yes. My wife is there for me. My kids are too. Our cats benefit too as I give them more nibbles off my plate; yes our cats beg like dogs. And of course, the weight loss / fitness blogging community is in my corner in a big way too.

7. What is your favorite exercise?
Weights, free weights over machines. I love feeling strong and acting strong.

8. What is the most important thing you have learned on your weight loss journey?
Choices, it all comes down to choices. You have the power to choose, nobody forces you to eat crap and lay around like a pile of it. The program, the diet, the exercise, the secret to succeeding is not in any of them. It is within you. CHOOSE one that you feel good about, CHOOSE to make up your own, but just CHOOSE to get up and move more and eat smarter.

9. What is one thing you have given up that you miss the most?
Ordering at the drive thru and getting your feast within 38 seconds. That instant gratification stimulus of the fast food world is as addictive as the food itself. Eating healthy takes more effort, time; and it should. Being healthy, being happy, being alive is an amazing reward and the best rewards come from passionate & determined effort.

10. What is your strategy for losing weight?
I follow no plan because I find them to be boring and not very fun. If I can't have fun doing this then take me back to 320 please. Let me tell you something, I am having allot of fun. What fuels the fun is myself, I believe in myself. I simply believe in myself to make the choices necessary to get healthier each day. Think about that for a second... believing in yourself, how simple is that? Simply I choose each day to eat less, or burn more, or both. Keeping it that simple removes allot of stress from the mission.

The hardest part was realizing that this is what I want. You have to want to be healthy more than you want to just eat food to eat food.... Until a person can say that then he/she hasn't made the commitment needed to succeed; I myself have made that commitment. I've said it before, many have, getting healthy starts mentally; realizing why you want to get healthy and what it is going to require from you. If a person doesn't know how much, or how little, work this will be... how do they know they are ready for it?

Healthy weight loss does not happen by accident. We have to get ready for it, do a little homework. Know why you want it, what is involved is, and how you will achieve what you want. If you've done that, you've done the hard part. Now, if you believe in what you have come up with, you've set yourself up for success. All that is left is the simple part, commit to your belief in yourself and go gett'em.

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 171 - Fueled Up Simple

Let's give Tuesday a little love shall we.

Do you consider this to be the second or the third day of the week?

On Monday my eating was good and I did get in some cardio. While waiting for my sons soccer game to start I switched into my walking shoes and did three laps around the high school campus. Three laps in 45-50 minutes covering 3 miles.

Today I offer a simple picture of the simple foods I bring to work each day. Today it is a plum (huge one at that), a gala apple and a banana. Also my daily can of V8 and a bottle of water which I'll refill 2-4 times on any given day.

Simpler foods provide us with better fuel; is that a true statement? Oh I am sure there are some great articles out there that debate this into oblivion. Honestly I am not certain, but, if forced to pick true or false; my gut would have me say true.

As a hobby of sorts I love to get busy in the kitchen. Actually calling it a hobby is incorrect, instead it comes from a desire to eat food that tastes good. I didn't get to be obese eating food that tastes like the rubber end of a plunger.

Many of you know my joy for cooking from my occasional spread of photos of my work on the grill, the smoker or the stove. And believe me, I share only a small smattering of this pleasure here on the blog.

Whether I'm working on a meal that is an all day affair or a quick grab and go, I do try and keep the recipe as simple as can be and the ingredients even simpler. That paella recipe on the 'stove' link is about as complex as I like to take it. Oh I am not daunted by the complex, hardly. Rather my years have brought me to believe that food tastes better when approached & prepared simply. As well my recent mission to get healthy has me believing that the simpler the food itself, the better it is for you.

Agree, disagree? Huh, you want me to pass the Cheetos, now cut it out!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!