A Few Bites A Day: My Weight Loss Success Story

Few Bites Blog Moving

2009-06-03T21:35:00.001-05:00

Please visit my new blog address:
http://fewbites.wordpress.com

Accountability

2009-02-16T22:54:00.003-06:00

I saw a video on Yahoo! that reported the results of a study that found obese patients who received phone calls from registered dieticians lost 9% of their body weight compared with 5-6% for patients who received e-mails or no communication.

I'm not surprised. The phone calls hold dieters accountable to their plans.

February 16, 2009

2009-02-16T22:47:00.002-06:00

Weight = 139
Target = 135 - 140

Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays. March through June must be amore months, because there sure are a lot of birthdays in January, February and March. With birthdays there comes lots of good, tempting food.

February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T20:09:00.002-06:00

Weight = 136.8 pounds
Target range = 135 - 140 pounds

The double chocolate cupcakes at Starbucks on Saturday looked good. I managed to get away from the counter before I bought. Doritos at dinner tasted good. It was hard to stop, but I managed to stop after a few.

February 1, 2009

2009-02-01T17:37:00.002-06:00

Weight = 137.8 pounds
Target weight range = 135 - 140 pounds

We had pleasant weather this weekend, allowing me to make up for one skipped workout and ride my bike outside twice. Before that, I've ridden outside once in the past few months. Getting a break in the routine like riding this weekend helps my body and mind feel fresher for workouts to come.

I decided to practice what I preach and report my "target weight" as a range rather than a specific number. Weight naturally fluctuates from day to day, morning to night. Listing my target weight as 137.5 pounds implied an impossible level of control. I target a five pound weight range. When I get near the top of the, I evaluate if my habits have changed and course correct if necessary.

January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T18:27:00.002-06:00

Weight = 136.4 pounds
Target weight = 137.5 pounds

The end of my least favorite month is near. Despite global warming predictions, the last two winters have been wintry, which takes the toll on those of us who like to exercise outside. I can't stand stationary equipment. For those who solely use such equipment, I understand why it's hard to maintain consistency - boredom. My mind is never short on supply of excuses to keep me off the exercycle.

I found my recent iPod purchase helps pass the time, though songs grow stale fast. I'll need to find some interesting podcasts on iTunes. If you know of any, please let me know in the comment section.

With the iPod, two magazines and the TV, 30 to 45 minutes on exercycle is bearable. If you need something to have on TV in background while exercising, listening to your iPod and flipping magazine pages I suggest recording naked native shows on the Travel Channel.

I skipped 4 workouts this month. I have a strong urge to write excuses, but I won't. Excuses will just make it easier to skip. I did better than December and did well in controlling the most important part of weight control - eating the right portion sizes and adjusting my food intake for lower activity level.

January 10, 2009

2009-01-10T15:11:00.002-06:00

Current weight = 137.2 pounds
Target weight = 137.5 pounds

Something happened the past few days to drop my weight. Perhaps there was something to the salt/water-retention theory after all. Also, a week of consistent exercise and a few days back on my typical food routine likely contributed to the drop in weight.

New tempations. A grocery store opened across the street from where I work. They have a lot of good food. It has a coffee island and a case full of donuts and pastries. Luckily for me, it's a tad bit expensive and I'm cheap, so that helps subdue my temptations.

January 7, 2009

2009-01-07T22:22:00.002-06:00

Weight this evening = 140.2 pounds
Target weight = 137.5 pounds

"Other than the circus, nothing packs up and leaves town quicker than Christmas spirit" - Lifted from my local newspaper quote section the day after Christmas.

The holidays are over and the old routine is returning. Everything has trade-offs. Routine is boring, but it's comforting and makes it easier to exercise and eat right. I'm seeing a lot of New Year Resoluters on the trails and in the gym. The predictability is stunning. But, it's nice to have company in the dark depths of winter. I'll miss them in a few weeks.

If you're looking for a way to turn your New Years resolution into a life change, take it easy and slow. You must first strengthen your habit "muscle" by simply doing something. No need to be beach-ready by February. Make your goal for January to build the base of a sustainable routine by simply prioritizing the time to move your body at a moderate level. As you move your body more, you will feel comfortable in gradually increasing workout intensity over the course of several months to a year.

I'm still 140 pounds. So much for the Mexican food, water retention theory. My wife pointed out: too many Hershey's kisses (along with bad poor portion control). I didn't want to hear it, but, it was the truth.

My 7 kiss (special dark) per day (140 calories) habit has crept up to 15 (300 calories) to 20 (400 calories) kisses a day. Chocolate isn't the only culprit. The same slip in willpower on my Hershey's kisses has been present at meal and snack times as well.

I don't obsess over two pounds. It's simply feedback I'll act on. When your car drifts to the left you make a small correction by turning the wheel right to avoid catastrophe. That's what I need to do, make a small correction. I'd much rather do that now than in 20 or 30 pounds.

When my wife told me, I grunted and shrugged her off. My mind involuntarily came up with multiple reasons why it was okay. "Chocolate is good for you." "I'm exercising." "I'm still close to my target weight."

Now, I'm going to thank her.

January 3, 2009

2009-01-03T17:44:00.002-06:00

Current Weight 140.2 lbs
Target Weight 137.5 lbs
Weight with BMI = 25 146 lbs (A BMI of 25 or greater is considered "overweight")

By weighing myself regularly, I've learned it's normal for my weight to fluctuate by a few pounds. I ate a salty Mexican dinner on New Year's Eve. The salt causes my body to hold a pound or two of water weight for a few days. I weighed 136.2 pounds a week ago. I'll continue to watch to make sure that I'm right.

Nice weather today. I rode my mountain bike nine miles at a moderate pace for 40 minutes. I haven't ridden outside in a few months. It was a nice break from running. Running has been leaving my body sore and me less motivated to exercise.

January 2, 2009

2009-01-03T00:07:00.005-06:00

I'm getting over a cold and haven't exercised for a few days. I'm feeling better now. I jogged my typical 3.5 miles this evening.

I plan to restart tracking my exercise this year. I stopped tracking it two years ago because I felt confident about my weekly routine and I stuck with it until the past few months. It's grown easier to skip work outs.

I hope the act of typing into the computer again will give me extra accountability to regain my consistency. It worked before. I already felt a tinge of missed opportunity when I typed "none" in the Activity column for January 1, 2009.

I also plan to write more here. I'm going to share my inner thoughts about exercise and food. Others tend to resist my advice because they think I don't like food, a quality they don't believe they'll ever possess. I do like food very much. I hope others will identify with my struggles and, maybe, that will make them that much more confident in their ability to achieve their weight goals.

Oprah

2009-01-02T23:48:00.005-06:00

Oprah's feeling fat again. On the previews for her upcoming back-to-reality BestLife show, Bob Greene said that she wasn't listening. I think he said it seemed like she wasn't there. My take: she shut off food feedback.

Now she's back on track and she's going to show us everything she's doing to lose weight. I hope she figures out how to keep herself honest and stay out of the food cacoon where she shuts off accountability and feedback.

Good luck Oprah! For all the healthy food and exercise you do, it's really about learning how to make the size of your plate match the desired size of your waist. I've never advocated going cold turkey on the food you enjoy. I think it's more effective to learn how to enjoy these foods in the right amounts.

Accountability and Feedback

2008-04-04T09:12:00.008-05:00

Any problem can be traced to two causes. The first cause is lack of knowledge or, worse yet, having incorrect knowledge. The second cause is lack of accountability and feedback.

Why was I fat? Two reasons. First, I lacked the proper knowledge for how my body worked and I believed in some incorrect knowledge (myths) of how my body worked that were doing more damage than I realized.

My book and website (http://fewbites.googlepages.com/) can teach you the knowledge I used to lose my weight and control it ever since.

Second, I lacked, or blocked out, accountability and feedback. I discounted my BMI results. I figured I was special somehow and the BMI didn't apply to me. I didn't get on a scale often. I even had enablers. People who didn't tell me the truth or were simply unable to see the truth themselves or tried to convince me that weighing a reasonable amount was for the birds, a fools game.

I fixed the knowledge part. That's the basis of my book and much of the rest of my website. I also fixed the accountability and feedback problem. I get on the scale every morning. The scale doesn't lie. It's hard. Some mornings I want to avoid it. But, it's a needed dose of reality to keep me on my path. Without that measure of accountability I would veer off course.

I'll be writing more on the subject. Until then, consider how accountability and feedback may be holding you back. If you think you have the knowledge to lose weight, but haven't had much success, then accountability and feedback may be the next areas to focus on.

"Core Motivation"

2008-04-04T08:40:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, a writer for a local newspaper wrote about a meeting she had with one of the trainers from the Biggest Loser. The writer has struggled with her weight and often writes about it. The Biggest Loser trainer told her that the reason she hasn't been successful is because she hasn't found her "core motivation."

I thought that was interesting. I started thinking about what motivates me to keep the weight off, but I couldn't come up with anything profound. I simply don't care for being overweight. If that's my core motivation, fine. But, it's simple enough and it's not some deep seeded psychological thing that happened to me in childhood. Or, if it is, I don't know about it yet.

The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of "core motivation". To me, the concept is an enabling mindset - as in, it enables you to be overweight because you can use it as an excuse: "I just haven't found my core motivation yet."

I'm much more of the Nike mindset: Just Do It.

Own Your Life

2008-02-15T23:07:00.003-06:00

Who else is going to own it?

Guilty by association - BMI

2007-10-09T22:29:00.000-05:00

Click here for story.

According to this story, a study of 3,362 people showed that blood pressure and BMI were associated with heart failure.

Not surprising, since the BMI was a model developed to predict the risk of suffering from weight-related illnesses such as heart disease. That means the orginal BMI researchers took a group of real people and tracked their health and looked for factors that related to their health outcomes. BMI was such a factor.

But, do we really need researchers to tell us that being overweight is bad for your health?

Few Bites Expands on the Web!

2007-04-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've posted.

I've focused my effort on expanding my the "Few Bites" web presence . I like blogging, but the drawback is that some good "how to" stuff eventually gets lost forever in the blog archive. I thought it would be helpful to put my key advice and info on weight loss on web pages that stayed put.

Please go to:
fewbites.googlepages.com

It's nothing fancy, but neither is weight loss. My hope is that this expanded presence will more effectively help others to conquer their weight problems.

"You on a Diet"

2007-02-05T22:40:00.000-06:00

I'm currently reading the new book by Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz, You on a Diet. It's interesting. Much of their advice lines up with my advice and that of the Zone diet, which is really a repackaged diet that the medical community teaches diabetics to help them control their blood sugars.

The good doctors have a lot of good information - maybe a little too much. It can be overwhelming at times. They could learn from Dr. Sears, the author of The Zone diet, with his condensed book "A Week in the Zone". I read that book in less than 2 hours and it gave me much of the information that I still use today to control my weight.

The good doctors say much of the same things as Dr. Sears, and myself. Eat more often. Eat good foods. Eat in moderation. Exercise. They also provide a lot of details on how the hormonal systems work for you and against you.

You on Diet have a great section on diet psychology. They really should lead the book with this chapter. Getting your head in the right frame of mind is the most important thing. I'll write more about the psychology chapter in another post.

I recommend this book. However, I'd recommend reading "A Week in the Zone" first. And you can also read my short book, an electronic-copy is is available for free (see the link on the right side of the page).

4.3: What is metabolism?

2007-01-29T11:53:00.000-06:00

This is the dictionary definition of the word metabolism (from Dictionary.com):
"the sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available."

I like to think of it as life, because without metabolism we wouldn't be alive. Our bodies are wonderful automated machines. We put material in and our bodies break it down to repair cells and supply energy. We're just a bundle of billions and billions of simultaneous chemical reactions being guided by little biological Oompah-Loompahs. And, for the most part we're completely unaware of it. Good times.

Sitting around watching the tube our bodies burn about the same amount of energy as a 65 to 100 watt lightbulb. When we're exercising vigorously, we burn about the same amount of energy as a computer - approximately 150 - 250 watts on top of the 65-100 watts.

We're burning calories 24/7. On a typical day I burn 1,500 - 1,700 calorieswhile I'm going about my business. That's called my basal metabolic rate. Exercise typically adds another 300 - 400 calories.

Weight is simple math. If I consistently eat more calories than I burn, I'll gain weight. To control my weight I need to balance the 1,500 - 2,200 calories I burn each day with the calories going in my mouth.

Metabolism can be tricky. Your body likes new calories coming down the hatch every 3 - 5 hours while you're awake. If you do this, your metabolism is happy and stays fired up. Regularly go longer than this and you risk two things that can work against your weight goals. First, your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve the energy expenditure to help you make it through those long periods without food. Second, your body will be more likely to store fat because it's putting some fuel in the tank to draw upon when you skipping meals.

Going so long without eating is a common mistake. I hear of people skipping breakfast or not eating after 7 pm. I hear people say they're going to skip lunch so they can eat more at dinner. Simple advice - Don't do it.

I had such a weakness in my routine. I ate lunch and usually didn't eat anyting until dinner. Needless to say, I was usually famished. Simply eating a 100 - 200 calorie snack at 4:30 stoked my metabolism and kept me satiated until dinner.

The Ellen Show

2007-01-13T21:41:00.000-06:00

Martina Navratilova recently appeared on the Ellen show promoting her new book, "Shape Yourself". Her and I share one secret to weight control - moderation. We also share a love of chocolate and have identical approaches to enjoying it without wrecking our waistlines. I eat a few Hershey's dark chocolate kisses each day. Since I know I'll enjoy more chocolate the next day, I don't feel compelled to eat a lot at one time. In fact, by eating it every day, it's even lost some appeal.

I don't believe in giving up the foods you like best to control your weight. That leads to binging and negative feelings about your diet, neither of which are helpful. Find ways to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation and often. You're not trying to become a nun. You're just trying to lose some weight.

Ellen's personal trainer, who is a Biggest Loser trainer, was also on her show recently. He finds that people have a hard time getting back on their exercise routine after falling off. I agree. His advice: Remember how you felt after the exercise, not before it. Good advice. I never noticed it before, but I do that. A few nights ago, I was dragging and not wanting to jog. But I remembered that in the past when I felt the same way, a jog made feel a lot better. I was right.

The Body Religion

2007-01-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful for having the chance to live this life through my body and my mind. It seems proper to do my best to take care of both. I don't worship my body, but I do respect it. It's a wonderful gift. It's the least I can do.

More evidence supporting my moderation advice...

2007-01-12T23:34:00.000-06:00

If you haven't figured out yet, I like to bike. One of my favorite cycling websites is PezCyclingNews.com. This piece on Pez suggests that over exertion in exercise can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to contracting minor ailments like a cold.

Remember that as you start your New Year exercise routines and be sure to read my "forget about no pain, no gain" from last year.

If you're out of shape and you start an exercise routine for the New Year, be careful no to over exert yourself. Catching a cold will then be your first excuse to skip workouts. Instead of approaching your exercise program like you have two months to get ready for the Olympics, start slow and strive for consistency. Patience. Patience. Patience. You have the rest of your life. Consistency is MUCH, MUCH more important that intensity. If you are consistent then you will eventually get in shape.

Consistency and moderate intensity also burns more calories than a high intensity regimen punctuated with lost workouts due to illness.

New Year Resolutions

2006-12-28T22:02:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I think anytime is a good time to make a resolution to change your life for the better, but the New Year seems to be the most popular time.

Here are my "10 Tips to Stick to Your New Year Resolution" from last year (click on the links to read more on each one):

1. Forget "No Pain, No Gain" mantra. Instead, strive for consistency and patience.
2. Give up potatoes and rice for one month. Instead eat fruits and vegetables as side dishes.
3. Introduce fruits and vegetables for each meal.
4. Try new fruits and vegetables to find some you may like.
5. Invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes. Hold off on the gym membership for now.
6. Set a goal to compete in and complete an organized recreational event like a 5k or bike ride in the March - June time frame.
7. Re-prioritize your schedule so that exercise doesn't get pushed off the list.
8. Try one or two new activities to discover something you may not have known that you'd enjoy.
9. Join groups that meet for recreational activities.
10. Keep a food diary for 2 weeks and then use my book to figure out how to calculate your food needs.

4.2: Education: What are macronutrients?

2006-12-22T14:34:00.000-06:00

Macronutrients are three basic building blocks our bodies need for maintenace and energy. Feeding my body the right mix of macronutrients has been one of my most helpful techniques for gaining control of my weight.

The three macronutrients are carbohydrates (or carbs), protein and fat. Each of these macronutrients have calories that can wind up on your waistline if you eat too much.

Fat has 9 calories per gram.
Carbs and Protein 4 calories per gram.
By the way, Alchohol, has 7 calories per gram in case you were wondering.

Our bodies break down these macronutrients to supply energy and to build and repair cells. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just shovel three basic building blocks into our front door and our homes automatically took those to make repairs and keep the house warm or cool? That's what our bodies do.

I grew up in the 80s, with low fat diets. I lived through the 90s and it's low carb diets. Both of those trends did damage to my waistline, because neither worked for me. Dr. Barry Sears, convinced me one evening that my body actually needs a fairly steady mix of all three macronutrients. That evening was the night that my wife bought his short, grocery counter checkout book, "A Week in the Zone". It's a very short book - just like mine - but to me made a compelling case for me to get 40% of my calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from healthy fats every time I eat.

Since then I've seen other diets recommend a similar formula as the long-term eating solution - most notably, the South Beach Diet. Incidentally, diabetics are taught to control their insulin levels with the same mix of carbs, protein and fat.

Before, I use to feel like I needed to visit confessional for eating any fat. I tried to cut as much fat out of my diet as possible. I figured that was the way to stay thin. So, how did I gain weight? Turns out, the body does need fat. It's designed that way. Starving it of fat ended up causing me to eat more calories than I needed.

And that is the reason I got fat. I ate more calories than I needed. For weight loss, mathematically it doesn't really matter where the calories come from - carbs, fat, protein - if you eat too many, you will gain weight.

But, physiologically, where the calories come from can make a world of difference. When I changed my mix of calorie intake to include more fats and to balance out the mix I noticed a difference immediately. It took me longer to feel hungry after eating.

So, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT: with the right mix of macronutrients, I'm able to eat the right amount of calories to control my weight without feeling like my stomach is trying to digest itself 30-90 minutes after eating.

I don't follow the 40/30/30 advice to the gram. It's more of a guideline. And, now, I know (or my stomach knows) well when I stray too far away from that guideline.

4.1: Education: What are calories?

2006-12-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

I'm now getting back on my roadmap to success with the second installment on education.

Have you ever look at a word that you've been using all of your life and it suddenly seems odd? Calorie was such a word for me. What exactly is a calorie?

Have you ever visited the website HowStuffWorks.com? I love it. It contains informative articles on most subjects. Click on the following link to read a "HowStuffWorks" article by Julia Layton and learn how calories work.

How Calories Work

A calorie is a unit of measure for energy. A mile measures distance. A fluid ounce measures volume. Calories measure energy. It's easy to visualize a mile or a fluid ounce, but not so easy to visualize a calorie. Energy is abstract. We see the results of energy expenditure - motion, light, boiling water, for example. But we usually don't actually see the energy. Wow, I better stop, now 'energy' is starting to look weird.

I'll spare you anymore physics. The easiest way to view a calorie is to think that it takes about one to two calories to "keep your lights on" in your body each minute. If your in motion or exercising it can consume 5-10 calories per minute.

I'm thankful for the calorie. A lot of diet plans try to invent their own system of monitoring food intake, but why? We already have a pretty darn good system. Calorie information is readily available for almost every food we eat. Once you know how many calories you need to consume it's 2nd grade math to figure out if you're consuming the right amount.

Calorie and macronutrient (i.e. fat, protein and carb) content are the only two pieces of information I really need to monitor my food intake for weight control. I'll write more about the macronutrients down the road.

A friend of mine says that weight loss is simple - just burn more calories than you consume. I agree, that's the essence of weight loss.

Alcohol is good for you - in moderation

2006-12-12T21:03:00.000-06:00

People always ask me what I eat. I tell them anything I want, just not a lot of it. Moderation is bliss. Add alcohol to the list of things that are beneficial in moderate amounts. According to this article up to four alcoholic beverages per day for men and two for women are linked with longer lives. More than those amounts is linked with shortened lives (hmm - car wrecks, liver disease, etc. - shocker).

I've been around statistics enough in my profession to understand that statistical studies are far from proof of cause and effect, but I can believe this. My guess is that it has something to do with the the disinfectant and blood thinning capabilities of alcohol. But who cares?

The key here is moderation and responsibility. Too much of a good thing, especially in this case, can kill you.

"Mindless Eating"

2006-12-11T21:52:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a little break from my roadmap to success. A friend sent me some information on Professor Wansink's book, "Mindless Eating" because he said that some of the stuff Wansink said reminded me of some of things I said.

Wansink writes that in a typical day we make 200 food-related decisions and that many subtle things impact how much food we eat. For example, according to his latest blog post we tend to consume 28% more calories when eating low fat snacks because we think they're healthier.

Very interesting. I agree. Most people are unaware of the little things that drive their eating habits. For example, I notice that if I don't watch myself, I tend to eat at about the same pace and volume as those I'm with which is dangerous since I'm shorter than almost everyone and I don't need as many calories to maintain my weight.

Food intake awareness is a great skill to develop. It took practice to develop mine but quickly becomes second nature. Now it's like a little computer program that runs in the background. So, while I'm carrying on a conversation with a friend on the way to a restaurant I'm thinking of my options and try to settle on one before I get there to avoid being tempted by the bad stuff. When I get my food, I visualize the portion I want to limit myself to. As I'm eating, I stop and ask my self if I'm full. Sometime in a future post, I'll make a checklist to get you started if you're interested.

I know some are thinking, "that doesn't sound like fun, I want to enjoy my food." Believe it or not, I do that too. When I say it eventually becomes second nature, I mean it's sort of like driving a car. Most of us can drive and do something else at the same time like think about other things, carry on conversations, listen to the radio, and talk on the phone (not recommended). But, all the while you're steering, controlling speed, keeping tabs on nearby vehicles and pedestrians and navigating.

In driving, if you turn off the driving subroutine that's running in the background of your gray matter in order to focus on a phone conversation you might end up around a tree. If I turn off my eating subroutine, I'll end up in a food coma.

4. Education: What is body fat?

2006-09-30T09:56:00.000-05:00

I once thought that my body fat was nothing more than the fat I ingested in my diet deposited to my belly and love handles. As little as six years ago I thought that by limiting my fat intake, I would control body fat. But, lo and behold I was gaining weight even without a great deal of fat intake. I didn't understand what was happening.

Now I feel silly for ever thinking that. But, as I talk to more and more people I'm finding that it's myths like that that are prevent many people from losing weight. The purpose of this educational series is to review the things that I know now that make it much easier for me to understand how to control my weight, that I didn't know six years ago.

*The number of fat cells in your body is pretty much constant after puberty.
*Fat cells are your like your fuel tank. You body stores extra energy there to be used later when your body runs out of the energy supplied directly from your food intake.
*Your fat cells grow in size as they store more energy - that's called gaining weight.
*A gram of fat contains 9 calories. No wonder our bodies like to store energy in fat. Protein only stores 4 calories per gram. On a normal day, you burn 9 calories in about 20 minutes.
*If you continually feed your body more calories than it needs, it will eventually store some of those calories in your fat.
*Your wonderful body does covert fat in your diet more readily to fat in your belly, but extra calories from protein and carbohydrates can and will be converted body fat.
*One pound of body fat can supply your body's energy needs for about a day and a half. If you're 10 pounds overweight, you have enough energy to go without eating for 18 days (although your body would need other vital nutrients to stay alive).
*Fat was our ancestors' insurance policy against famine. They ate well when food was ample and then subsisted on their stored calories in times when external calories weren't as readily available.
*Liposuction can remove fat from one part of your body, but if you keep taking in more calories than your burn, your body will just store the extra calories in the remaining fat cells in your body leading to some weird features (e.g. trim belly, fat arms).
*The distribution of fat differs from person to person. Men tend to have fat cells in the midsection, while women have them in the breasts, buttocks and legs.
*Our body's tend to prioritize where it stores fat. For example, my body tends to store energy on my midsection and under chin first. When I reach maximum capacity in those places it tends to distribut to other parts of my body like my fingers and face. It comes off in the reverse order. For me, it drops off my face and fingers, then my mid-section and chin.

Click here for a GREAT article about fat cells in the body.

4. Education

2006-09-30T09:47:00.000-05:00

When I was overweight, I really couldn't tell you why I was overweight. Generally I knew that I was eating too much and/or not exercising enough. But, I didn't know how to go about figuring out how much I should eat or how much I should exercise.

But, my lack of knowledge was even more basic than that. Before I educated myself, I had only a vague notion on what fat was and how it worked. I didn't know where that cut-off was between fat and thin. I didn't know exactly what a calorie was or how fat, protein and carbs worked. At one time, I actually thought that you got fat by eating fattening foods. I didn't know how body fat differed from fat in your diet. I didn't know how my body takes the food I eat everyday and breaks it down into the pieces that keep us humming.

After talking with many people, I realized that most people don't know these things either. It's a complicated subject matter, which pushes some to try to simplify it into an easily understandable system.

For me it was important to learn the fundamentals of how the body worked in order to be successful at controlling my weight. I didn't want to follow a dumbed-down system, but not understand why I was doing what I was doing.

As the answers came, I realized weight control touches on many different traditional subject matters. It spans physics, biology, chemistry, economics, psychology, statistics, finance, medicine, health with a heavy dose of math mixed in.

For the next several posts I'm going to deep dive into weight loss education. I'm going to step you through the process of how I came to understand weight - at it's base level - which helps me successfully control my weight.

Cost of calories

2006-09-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a short break from my road map to weight loss. Calories have become cheaper, easier to acquire and to consume over the last several thousand years. Twenty-five thousand years ago, most humans spent much of their time finding, preparing and chewing food just to meet their basic caloric needs.

Now, we can buy our daily caloric needs with income that takes minutes to earn and we can take in those calories in a few bites. I thought it might be helpful to put some numbers to this thought for illustrative purposes. I found a site to help me.

According to that link, in 1929 we spent 22.7% of our income on food in total (at home and away from home). In 2005 this figure dropped to 11.5%. WOW!!!! I know, numbers probably bore you, but for the anlytically minded (like myself) this is huge. Just 77 years ago we spent $22.70 of every $100 of income on food. Now we spend $11.50. That's a drop of $11.20. Furthermore, the percentage of income spent on food at restaurants has increased from 15% of our food budget in 1929 to 43% of our food budget in 2005.

Translating this another way, $1 today can buy about 150 calories of food, on average. That same dollar (adjusted for inflation) could only buy about 75 calories in 1929. Of course there are wide variations on the cost of calories for specific foods, but I'm talking averages here. So, today you can get your caloric needs on about $10-$15/day, whereas in 1929 it would cost you $20-$30 in today's dollars.

So...what's my point? This seems to be one of the reasons why, as a nation, we are fat. In less than 8 decades, a mere blink of the eye in human history, we've substantially improved our ability to get the calories we need to survive. Just think how much we've improved over the last several thousand years. Thousands of years ago, it's likely that calorie gathering, prep and chewing took 6-8 hours per day, whereas now it can take less than an hour. What are we doing with all that extra time?

Also, consider that we've made food more tasty and appealing. Mix cheap and easy calories, delectability and lots of free time that can be spent shoveling delectable treats into our mouths and what do you get? Fat America.

I think we've solved the problem of hunger - for the most part - in our country. Now, we need to do a better job of educating people about how to control their weight.

3. Commitment to goal

2006-09-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

If you've read this far then you might have recognized that you have a weight problem (#1) and you might have a desire to do something about it (#2). The next step on my roadmap to weight loss success is committing to your goal.

What's preventing you from comitting today? What's preventing you from committing right now? Nike says, Just Do It. If you aren't committing right now, make a list of all the reasons why not. Do you have any valid reasons? The only real valid excuse is that you're pregnant. Are you pregnant?

Some may want to enjoy the holidays without the guilt of straying from a diet plan. But, you'll feel the guilt when you wake up January 2 with 15 extra pounds hanging from your gut. Take this opportunity to learn how to enjoy the holidays without haivng eat large volumes of food. Savor the taste with smaller portions. Rediscover activities such as board games that you can use to connect with your family members. Get out and play a T-Day or Christmas day game of touch football. Several in my family enjoy a 5k run on T-Day morning. It has become a standing tradition that is now in its 14th year.

There are tons of other excuses to put off shedding the pounds. Let me know if you have any others and I'll give you some ideas on why it's not valid.

Ultimately delaying commitment is a sure sign that you likely won't have the follow-through when it counts.

Commit. Today.

Read my previous post on commitment.

2. Desire to do something about it (Part II)

2006-09-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

I left this one dangling on my previous post. Desire is a tough one. Some people have the desire, some don't. Some try to convince themselves that they have the desire, but they really don't.

How do you get the desire to lose weight? I had a couple of shocking moments that woke me up from a self-denial daze. I jumped on a scale and it showed a number I never thought I'd see. And, I noticed that people who were 5-6 inches taller than me weighed less than I did.

That was enough to light my fire of desire. And, it's stayed lit ever since. Some type of veil-lifting experience seems to be how many get the desire to lose weight.

Do any of these sound familiar?
"Life's too short to worry or obsess about what I eat."
"I enjoy my food more than I enjoy being skinny."
"I have no willpower."
"Food gives me the escape I need."

These are self-defeating statements and they become irrelevant when you have a heart attack or get diagnosed with type II diabetes or some other life altering and life threatening issue.

And, perhaps that's it. It's easy to say when your 25, 35 or even 45 that life's too short to worry about what you eat. And, while controlling your weight does improve your chances of avoiding ailments, it's not a sure thing. So, the payoff of good health simply isn't worth the immediate cost for many people.

However, I'm only 35 and I already know at least a half dozen people who were shocked into becoming very interested in their diet because of some medical treatment. A few of them were close to dying. They had their chest spread open, people were inside them working on them like they were a broken car. They had long and painful recoveries and plenty of time to think about all the damage they did to their bodies for all of those years.

You probably know someone like that too. If you do, have a chat with them. Ask them what it was like when they thought it was about to be over. The one's I know told me that they were scared like nothing before. They weren't ready to go. They felt foolish for being so pig-headed for years and not being smart enough to know that the day would come when it would all catch up to them. They weren't ready to go. They had grandkids that they wanted to watch grow up. They hadn't made it to the Grand Canyon yet. They had just retired and hadn't had the opportunity to find their new lives. They just wanted to feel like they still had some control over how long they're going to live.

I know several others that didn't get to experience the shock. They're gone.

Desire is a funny thing. I was lucky enough to get a major jolt to my desire long before I had an ailment do it for me. I know that I'm not 100% protected from from weight-related diseases and there are trade-offs and risks to my activities as well (e.g. just two weeks ago a woman was run over and killed on her bicycle 2 miles from my house), but I still find that it's worth it to try to stay healthy.

Of course, health isn't the only benefit that I receive. I enjoy the activities that I'm involved with. There's something about rising in the wee hourse of the morning a few times a year to get to an event that I like. When the alarms goes off, I often question what the heck I'm doing, but by the end of the day I'm satisfied. Eating well helps me enjoy those days even more.

I hope you'll find something about being healthy that'll inspire you as well and I certainly hope that you don't wait for the schock of fear to inspire you.

2. Desire to do something about it.

2006-08-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

I've been stuck on this awhile trying to figure out how to write something that might motivate you to have a desire to do something about losing weight, but this is a tough one. This is probably the most important of all the steps, but it's also the least formulaic.

I watched Wynona Judd on Oprah make a pledge to America to kick her weight problem about two years ago. I could read it in her eyes on national TV that she really didn't have the desire to do it. I'm sure she thought that she had the desire. I'm sure she thought making the pledge to a national audience would be the cement that desire in her brain, but it didn't come through in her body language.

Oprah herself has battled weight loss and weight gain, as we all know (I do watch Oprah on the DVR often with my wife in case you're wondering). But, it seems apparent in her body language when she has the desire to keep the weight off and when she doesn't.

Desires come in all shapes and sizes. Some people desire riches, some desire fame, to be loved, to belong, to have a lake house, prestige, to hear from a friend and so forth.

Desire is strange. How much control do we have over our desires? It seems almost primal. You can see desire in the eyes of animals. One of my friends is a super-triathlete. He's a fast runner, a fast cyclist and fast swimmer. He runs marathons and has completed an Ironman distance triathlon. After knowing him for several years, he confided in me that he sometimes desires a cigarette. That surprised me.

His theory was that he smoked when he was 13-14 years old and he thought that perhaps that was a life long desire forming age. Interesting. I started thinking about it. I was riding a bicycle competitively at that age and now I really desire to ride a bike. I love running, which I didn't do a lot of when I was that age, but I don't love it as much as cycling. I'll have to research that to see if I can find anything to lend credence to his theory.

"By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes." I didn't read the book, but I've watched the movie many times. The dark carnival sweeps into town and grants people their deepest desires, for a price of course (their souls).

Last week a TV magazine show was featured three people who had strong desires to become amputees. Two of them actually froze their legs and damaging them to the extent where their legs had to be removed. One asked, "What the hell was I thinking?" Obviously these people are extreme cases. Even they admitted that their desire was not rational or normal. But, they mentioned that their obsession started in childhood. Hmmmmm.....I'll have to give some more thought to this. This is starting to intrigue me.

1. Recognition of Problem

2006-07-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

It took me two years from the time I first calculated my BMI that showed I was overweight until I finally admitted or realized that I was overweight. I wasn't severely overweight, but according to the BMI, I was overweight nonetheless.

I tried to rationalize my BMI score as being an outlier. Since the BMI (Body Mass Index) is a statistical model based on a sample of humans, I figured all statistical models have outliers and I must be one of those outliers. Thinking that, though, didn't get rid of my love handles and stomach pudge.

Part of my problem was that I simply didn't want to admit that I was overweight and the other part of my problem was that I simply didn't understand the BMI. Admitting that I was overweight meant that I might have to do something about it. That meant that I might have to change my habits. That was scary.

However, had I understood the BMI, I might have had an easier time admitting I had a problem. I think the BMI turns off a lot of people because it has three basic ranges: "normal", "overweight" and "obese". Leading with those blunt categories creates a barrier for people, like myself, from understanding what it says.

I think it's because of our typical reaction to the "you are" vs. "I" communication techniques. People automatically become defensive when you tell them "you are not doing something right", in the BMI's case it's telling them that "you are fat". When we become defensive we tend to put up a barrier that protects our feelings from becoming mangled.

The "I" technique is supposed to be better. Leading constructive criticism with the "I feel bad when you react this way" softens the blow to our egos enough for us to consider our actions without putting up the barriers. If the BMI had an "I" communication, I think it would have caught my attention earlier.

The BMI's "I" communication could be: "As researchers we discovered that people with a BMI range of 25-30 have a higher risk of suffering from a weight-related illness such as Type II diabetes." That sounds better than "you are overweight (ie fat)."

Furthermore, "our studies show that the risk of suffering from a weight related illness substantially increases with a BMI score of 30 or above." That sounds much better than "you are obese (ie really fat)."

So, do you want to know your risk of suffering from a weight related illness? Then calculate your BMI. Here's how to do it (it's simple, but grab a calculator):

1. Start with your weight in pounds. Mine is 134 pounds (this morning).
2. Divide by your height in inches. Mine is 64 inches (yes, I'm short!).
3. Divide by your height in inches, again. Mine is 64 inches, again.
4. Now muliply by 703.

My BMI calculation looks like this: 134 pounds / 64 inches / 64 inches x 703 = 23.

My BMI this morning was 23.0. At my peak I was approaching 30 and for years before that I was hovering in the 25-28 range. Just for laughs, the difference between a BMI of 23 and 24 for my height is 6 pounds. So, if I weighed 139 pounds, my BMI would move up one point to 24.

What's your's?

If it is under 25, you're doing well. You have a low risk (but still some risk) of suffering from a weight related illness).

If your BMI is higher than 25 and less than 30, you have an elevated risk of suffering from a weight related illness at some point in your life (moreso while you are above 25).

If your BMI is 30 or higher, then you have an even higher risk of suffering from a weight related illness at some point in your life.

There. I made it through without saying that you are fat or really fat.

So, now you know your risk of suffering from a weight related illness. The next question is whether you have the desire to do anything about it.

Road Map to Weight Loss Success

2006-07-28T22:10:00.000-05:00

1. Recognition of problem.
2. Desire to do something about it.
3. Commitment to goal.
4. Education.
5. Learning the tricks of the trade.
6. Change habits and mindset.
7. Measure progress.
8. Deal with setbacks.
9. Continue learning.
10. Keep goal as high priority.

As I've discussed weight loss with others, I've noticed that failure tends to come when people try to do some parts of the process I outlined above, but fail to consider other parts. Over the next few posts I'm going to explore why each step is important and how it links in with the other steps.

Bicycling magazine letter follow-up

2006-07-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

Below is a reprint of the letter I wrote to Bicycling magazine (it's a year old) along with my annotations where I think it's necessary to provide some additional context for you since you don't have the benefit of the original articles that prompted my letter (though you could read those articles by picking up a copy of the September 2005 Bicycling issue).

July 28, 2005

Steve Madden, Editor
Bicycling Magazine
135 North Sixth Street
Emmaus, PA 18098

Steve Madden:

As a long-time avid cyclist and Lemond-inspired junior racer, I so look forward to reading your rag each month. But, “Who You Calling Fat?” (9/2005) missed the mark on the BMI and propagated poor advice supporting that our body types are preprogrammed.

It’s important to understand BMI in order to use it effectively. It is not, as Conrad Ernest suggests, a “predictor of fitness.” Rather it indicates the risk level of suffering from weight-related illnesses such as type II diabetes, based on the results of studying a sizeable population. An “overweight” BMI score of 25 – 29 simply indicates an elevated risk of suffering from a weight-related illness. The risk goes higher at the “obese” score of 30. Also, BMI formulators fudge these limits for bulky weightlifters, but not endurance athletes.

[Seth's Note: The following paragraph referenced a quote from an athlete named Tim Buese, who poo-poo'd BMI because he experienced lightheadedness at 184 pounds. I too experienced lightheadedness when I got down to a BMI of around 21-22. I solved it by adding a few pounds, but still remaining well within the normal BMI range for my height.]

Taking a closer look at Tim Buese’s numbers, at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds he is only 8 pounds above the “normal” BMI range and 32 pounds shy of “obesity”. I imagine Tim could trim down to 195 – 200 pound range and improve his performance without the lightheadedness he had at 184 pounds (and a BMI of 23, which is on the low end of the normal range for men).

[Seth's Note: The following paragraph references a quote from Jim Glinn that perfectly embodied my attitude toward BMI before I understood and used it to my benefit.]

Also, I disagree with Jim Glinn’s notion that “body types are in many ways preprogrammed,” because it’s that exact thinking that kept me above normal on the BMI scale for years. However, once I understood BMI and a few other things I lowered my BMI below 25. I’ve maintained it at 23.5 for the past four years, without lightheadedness. Not bad, considering I once thought I was “preprogrammed” to be 10 pounds above the normal BMI range.

I wrote about my understanding of BMI and the other things I learned about healthy weight loss in a short book entitled, “A Few Bites a Day: My Weight Loss Success Story” (which is available on Amazon.com). I also write a blog at http://fewbites.blogspot.com . The unfortunate consequence of my book is that I’m not always the first up the hills on Saturday morning rides anymore.

I’ve enclosed two copies of my book, one for you and the other for Sam Wade (who was featured in the “XXXL Dreams” article). Hopefully, you’ll find it helpful. If you’d like more copies or would like for me to send directly to Sam, just drop me an e-mail at: smcmenemy@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,

Seth McMenemy
Author of “A Few Bites A Day: My Weight Loss Success Story”

20/20 on 6/23/2006

2006-06-23T23:31:00.000-05:00

20/20 this evening featured the good doctors who wrote "You: The Owner's Manual". I'm still reading the book and learning new things daily. It's a great read. My only complaint is that it's too chock full of information. I hope somewhere near the end they summarize all of their recommendations into a 1-2 pager.

On 20/20 they discussed some of the myths that they dispel in their book, one of them being that exercising too much is not good on the body, which I wrote about in an early post. First Oprah, now 20/20 - the doctors are making their rounds. Hopefully people will listen.

Bicycling Magazine and the BMI

2006-06-23T23:11:00.000-05:00

Last year Bicycling magazine dedicated one of it's issues to weight loss. In one short article, they discussed and "dissed" the BMI (body mass index). The author's take was that it wasn't realistic and he even quoted a physical therapist (if memory serves me) as saying that we all have "pre-programmed" weights.

This article was the perfect embodiment of how I use to think of the BMI - utter denial. For those of you who don't know, the BMI is a number that you can calculate from your height and weight to determine if your weight is normal for your height or not. I go into more detail on how I came to believe in the BMI in my book. Suffice it to say now, I think the BMI is a great tool for identifying your target weight.

I was digging through my files and I found the letter that I wrote to Bicycling's editor, Steve Madden. Unfortunately, it didn't get printed and I didn't get a response. That's too bad, because I expected a magazine that I've been reading off and on for over 20 years to be more responsible in its reporting.

I was hoping that even if my letter didn't get printed, that the argument I made for the BMI in it would at least prompt the editors to dig deeper on the BMI and retract the rubbish they printed. Unfortunately, I haven't seen anything of sort since.

But, that's not surprising. Now that I think of it, I got much of my diet advice from Bicycling as a teenage bike racer. Carbs, carbs & more carbs - which isn't very good advice for the waistline, unless you're a Tour de France rider.

In Steve Madden's letter from the editor column, he has complained about the few extra pounds that he carries around his waist and his desire to shed those. Perhaps he's just at his genetic preprogrammed weight.

In my next post, I'll recount the letter I wrote.

Parade Magazine; 6/11/2006

2006-06-12T22:04:00.000-05:00

Dr. Michael O'Shea writes a "Better Fitness" column for Parade Magazine (the magazine insert that comes in most major Sunday newspapers). His column on June 11 is the first time that I can recall where someone agreed with one of my non-conventional tips - to weigh yourself often.

"Daily weigh-ins are key to keeping weight off, according to research of Brown University Medical School. By stepping on a scale every day, 61% of people in an 18-month study managed to gain back only 5 of the average 44 pounds each had lost. (Most dieters will gain back a third of their weight within a year)."

I'm a big proponent of getting in the habit of weighing yourself daily. I do. While many diet experts seem to recommend to pay attention to how well your clothes fit rather than the scale, I think that's bunk. You should pay attention to both.

Weighing yourself daily has several benefits. First, there's no escaping reality. When the needle doesn't tell me what I want it to tell me, I first check the scale calibration. If that doesn't work, I may try to run through a couple of excuses, but I usually end up where I should - realizing that I've been letting my eating get a little out of control.

Next, you learn more about how your body weight responds to certain things. I've learned that I usually pick up two pounds of water weight after enjoying one of my favorite Mexican meals due to the high sodium content. After a couple days, that weight seems to evaporate. Likewise, I found out that I could easily lose 3 - 5 pounds on a 100 mile bike ride. Because of this, I drink much more fluids and eat more often during rides in order to stay hydrated and energized. Now I feel better at the end and I rarely allow myself to lose so much weight on one back ride.

Finally, weighing yourself daily keeps your weight control on top of your mind. Avoiding the scale just makes it too easy to avoid the whole subject of weight loss.

It is a tough habit to start, but I do believe it's essential. In order to lose weight you have to be completely honest with yourself and the scale makes it that much tougher to delude yourself, unless, of course, you are better at calibrating the needle on scale than I.

"You: The Owners Manual" Part II

2006-06-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

I'm finally reading "You: The Owner's Manual". It contains some interesting concepts indeed. Here's one interesting tidbit.

The good doctors speak in terms of Real Age and Calendar Age. They contend that our lifestyles make our bodies younger or older than our true calendar age. For example, the body of a 55 year old smoker is more like the body of a 65 year old non-smoker.

Regarding exercise, they contend that you receive the optimal age benefit from 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day and 1 hour (or 3 - 20 minute sessions) per week of vigorous exercise at 80% of your max heart rate (which is 80% of 220 - your calendar age).

They also contend that any more than one hour of vigorous exercise actually reduces the benefit of exercise on your Real Age. They said that a 55 year old man that followed their exercise routine would have a real age of 45. But, a 55 year old man that exercises more would have a real age of 52.

Interesting! Perhaps there is a such thing as too much exercise.

Over the years I've settled into an exercise routine that involves copious amounts of rest and moderate exercise. On average, I probably only get about 1 hour of high intensity exercise each week. I do take 2 days off a week. Perhaps I'll consider adding a short walk on those days to get in the 30 minutes of physical activity.

50 Weight Loss Tips

2006-06-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this link to Chris Pirillo's blog that contains 50 Weight Loss Tips. It contains some really nice tips, with the first one being the crux of my weight loss success.

Enjoy.

A Few Bites a Day

2006-05-16T23:36:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile I'm reminded why I named my book "A Few Bites a Day". People often discover that they're overweight after years and years, sometimes decades, of gradual weight gain. They can't seem to figure out how they got to that point. They don't feel like they are big overeaters and they're probably correct.

But doing the math tells a different story. You can eat 50 calories in 2-3 bites of calorie dense foods and maybe 5-7 bites of less calorie dense foods. Let's say you eat 50 more calories, on average, than you need to maintain your weight each day. That adds up to a calorie surplus of 18,000 in just one year.

A pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories, so the 18,000 calorie surplus translates into about 5 pounds per year of additional waistline or 50 pounds over the course of the decade. It's no wonder people can wake up after 2-3 decades of slight, barely detectable overeating to discover that they're overweight. The "wake-up" often happens when they look at their picture from years earlier and realize just how much bigger they are.

Also, based on these numbers, it's no wonder that a few bites a day can make the difference between losing, maintaining or gaining weight.

Yahoo! Answers

2006-05-14T11:46:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been spending some time on the Diet & Fitness section of Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! Answers is a new feature on Yahoo! where you post questions that you have on just about any subject and other users will answer you.

A very common question is "how do I lose weight?" I think most people realize that eating less and exercise is the best answer, but even that is too general for most. It's kind of like asking, "how do I get something to the moon?" The obvious answer is to put it on a rocket. But most people wouldn't even know where to begin in building and designing a rocket that could make it to the moon. Similarly, I believe most people don't know where to begin once they realize that "eating less and exercise" is the answer to losing weight.

The purpose of my book was to document how I ate less and exercised to lose thirty pounds. I first learned about calories - how much I burned and how much I ate. Then I learned to change my eating habits to balance out my calorie burn/intake equation. At the same time, I have a host of advice that I have found helpful in keeping my exercise from getting boring.

Much of this stuff is basic knowledge that I learned from a variety of sources and finally pieced it all together into a set of actions that worked for me. I think they should teach this stuff in school so that everyone will know the basics before they hit the real world.

Is it easy? Not always. It does require self-control. Once you know how to design and shoot the rocket to the moon, you actually have to go through the efort of building and launching it, which takes discipline and setting the right priorities.

"You: The Owner's Manual"

2006-05-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

Oprah had a great show with Drs. Roizen and Oz. These guys seem to know their stuff. While I have had great success with the information in my book, these guys taught me a few things. I plan to get a copy of their book, "You: The Owner's Manual" soon.

For instance, they said that there's a chemical in diet soda that inhibits the "full" signal that your stomach sends to your brain. So, while you think that you're saving 100 calories, you might be stuffing an extra 100 calories because of the deadened "full" signal.

They highly recommended eating nuts such as almonds, as I do. Although, they said that roasting the nuts damages the good oils in the nuts and makes them not so good.

I recommend checking your local listings to see if you can't find this show. It's definitely worth an hour of your time. They are great at getting the point across.

Buy "You: The Owner's Manual" for $14.97 on Amazon.com by clicking here. Also, purchase my book, "A Few Bites a Day" for $5.99 and Dr. Barry Sears's book, "A Week in the Zone" for $7.50 and you should qualify for free shipping on Amazon.com. You'll have a great library of health and weight loss information for less than $30. Great deal!

"Genes Predict Body Shape and Fatness"

2006-04-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

Click here for article.

Disturbing article. I'd like to see the evidence that they can tell how fat you are by analyzing your genes. I don't buy it.

We all have a set number of fat cells that doesn't change once you are through puberty unless you lipposuction the cells out of there. What does change is the size of those fat cells. If you eat more calories than you burn then your body will store the extra calories in the form of fat in those cells. As those cells expand like water balloons so does your waistline.

I can believe that they could tell what shape you might be based on your genes, since your genes hold the blueprint for how fat cells are distributed across your body. A lot of mine are in my gut and face. Some people have them in their hips or back of their legs. Women carry more fat in their breasts than men.

But, how fat we are is determined by one thing - how many excess calories we take in. I have a hard time believing that's a function of our genes. Admittedly certain aspects of our eating habits might be genetically determined. For example, people with a slow responding "fullness sensor" may be more likely to eat more than someone with fast sensor. And, some people may be genetically predisposed to prefer certain types of food. But, for the large majority of us, I believe that our fat destiny lies squarely within our own control.

Obesity may be handed down from generation to generation, but I'm betting that learned behavior is a bigger factor than genes.

For more on how fat cells work, click here:

"Diabetics misguided on healthy weight"

2006-03-22T12:22:00.000-06:00

Here's an interesting article (click here) that has some parallels with the advice in my book. The article discusses how a survey of diabetics shows that they generally have misconceptions about what constitutes healthy body weight.

I think similar results could be found if the study were expanded beyond diabetics. I hear quite frequently that I need to gain weight because I just don't look healthy.

10. Keep a food diary for 2 weeks and then use my book to figure out how to calculate your food needs.

2006-03-17T21:47:00.000-06:00

Well, we're a quarter of the way through the year and I'm finally finishing off my ten tips to stick with your New Year's Resolution. Hopefullly you're still going strong and I also hope that you have found these tips useful.

My final tip is to keep a food diary for two weeks and then use my book to figure out how to calculate your food needs. As I write this I realize that this is probably THE most important tip yet. Too bad I saved it for last. My bad.

For many people the weight problem isn't really lack of exercise, it's how much food they're putting in their mouths. While exercise helps counter overeating, keep metabolism pumping and allows you to eat a couple more bites a day it isn't as important as how much food you put in your mouth.

Most people (myself included) would really rather not know how many calories they eat. If I had a nickel for every time I've heard something like, "life's too short to worry about calories" I'd probably have about $20. But, I've learned that that attitude is simply denial. Just use that same argument on other things to see its folly. Let me try it.

Life's too short to...
...worry about saving money.
...look at the speedometer every once in awhile.
...visit the dentist.
...visit the doctor.
...worry about grades.
...worry about job performance.
...bother raising my children well.
...maintain my car.

Doesn't work, does it? Unfortunately, I know people with some of these attitudes and it hasn't paid off for them.

If you want to lose weight, you need to become intimate with your calorie intake. Does it take some of the fun out of eating? It hasn't for me. In fact, it's made eating more fun (more on that in a bit). Reality is reality. If you eat too many calories, then you eat too many calories whether you know it or not. I think it's much more useful to know than not know it.

So how has calorie counting made eating more fun, you ask? I rarely overindulge anymore and so I avoid the guilt and uncomfortable, overstuffed feeling that comes with it. I know aproximately how much food I can eat, so I savor my bites and stop when I'm supposed to. Also, stopping gives me quite a feeling of empowerment.

In order to become an expert calorie counter, I recommend simply writing down everything you eat for two weeks. There are plenty of resources available to give you the calorie counts. Just Google "calorie content" or "calorie counts" and you'll be sure to find something.

Usually, I can tell why someone is overweight by just reviewing a two day diary. The reason I recommend two weeks is that by the end of two weeks chances are high that you'll be able to make pretty good estimates of the calorie content of your food without writing it down and looking it up. Then calorie counting will be simply embedded in your brain circuitry. It'll become almost automatic.

I will warn you. If you are overweight, chances are that your calorie intake far exceeds your calorie needs if you were to just maintain a normal, healthy weight. Be prepard for a schock. I know I had one on my day or reckoning.

Finally, please buy a copy of my book (see the links to Amazon.com on the right). It'll teach you how to equate your calorie intake to your weight.

Good luck.

Follow up to the KC Star Magazine

2006-03-15T09:07:00.000-06:00

I was very pleased to see my book featured in the Star Magazine and I've been pleased with the response. My hope is that those who discovered me will learn something useful.

For accuracy sake, I'd like to clear up two inaccuracies in the Star blurb. First, I didn't gain and lose weight for years. I only gained, until figured it out. Second, rather than starting with the Zone diet, I ended with it. The Zone was the last piece of the puzzle I needed to be successful because from it I learned how to optimize my calorie intake without getting terrible hunger pains (or is pangs?).

If you'd like to receive an e-mail each time I update this blog, please send an e-mail to smcmenemy@hotmail.com, subject: "few bites". Also, I promise not to share your information with anyone else.

Thanks again!

Kansas City Star Magazine

2006-03-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

For those of you that learned about my book and blog in the Getting Started section of the Kansas City Star magazine - Welcome!

I try to post new entries once or twice a week (or whenever I have some worthy thoughts), so I hope that you will bookmark this site as a favorite and check back often. I also welcome you to post your comments and questions to my blog. If you send your e-mail address to smcmenemy@hotmail.com (Subject: "Few Bites") and I'll be happy to send you an e-mail whenever I've updated my blog.

Also, I hope that you will purchase my book. There's a link to the right that'll take you to Amazon.com where you can purchase it online. Buy it with other books and it will help you qualify for Amazon's free shipping program. If you are local to Kansas City, the book is also available at Rainy Day Books in Fairway, By the Book in Liberty and Biscari Brothers Bicycles in Liberty. These retailers will be happy to assist you. I'm also willing to mail you a copy. The details on ordering through the mail are in the Getting Started section.

My weight loss story isn't a new, revolutionary program that'll allow you to melt the pounds off while you eat nothing buy cake and ice cream. Rather, it's a collection of most of the information that allowed me to gain control over my weight. All this information is "out there", but it took me years to collect the pieces and to connect the dots to make it a success for me. Many times I heard or read something and it simply didn't register, until much later. For example, I'm now a big believer in the BMI (body-mass index). I knew about it for several years before I dropped the weight, but I refused to believe what it was telling me.

I'm still collecting pieces and I think it's important keep weight control top of mind, which are two reasons why I write this blog. I'd love it if what I've learned can help you figure it out too. Please join me.

-Seth McMenemy

9. Join groups that meet for recreational activities.

2006-03-05T15:53:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned this tip several times throughout my blog. Joining or starting a group or groups that are built around some sort of exercise or activity is a great way to burn calories and keep your mind off of food.

I ride my bike on most Saturday mornings with a group of people. Over the course of the last few years, over 200 people have ridden with us at one time or another, but there's a core group of about 10 - 15 that come back week after week. I always look forward to catching up with everyone and having others to discuss cycling culture with (very few people in the general population know much it). As I've said, we meet on most Saturday mornings throughout the year - even during the winter. We also host a charity ride in May and participate with eachother in other events around the region including other organized events and weekend getaways. Not only do I derive great social benefit for having these people as my friends - as all are top-notch people that I've learned a lot from - but, it just makes it that much easier to get out and burn calories when you have friends that you want to spend time with and they just happen to share your passion for activity.

Clubs exist for all kinds of activities. They can be as informal as the group of people I ride with on Saturday mornings or much more organized and/or geared more toward competition. I know of clubs for running, road cycling, mountain biking, triathlons, kayaking, basketball, soccer, volleyball, rock climbing, skiing and so forth. And within each of these general categories there always seems to be several variations. For example, within my area of expertise - cycling - there are about a half a dozen competitive teams in my area, two major cycling clubs and numerous off-shoots of those clubs that have smaller numbers of people that are located closer together geographically.

All it takes is a little effort from you to find these out. I recommend surfing local athletic websites to find out about the clubs, meeting times and any requirements. Also ask around in your local retail establishments that specialize in your activity for such groups. They can usually point you in a good direction for your level of experience. Finally, don't forget to ask co-workers and friends. They can be founts of knowledge.

If you're still having trouble finding a group that meets your needs, start one up. Maybe you enjoy running, but there isn't a group that close enough to you to make it convenient. Just post a flyer at the local community center, ask stores to post flyers and see if you can get an announcement in the local newspaper. Set a regular time and place to meet to start your activity. Keep at it and soon others will join you. But, chances are there is already some sort of group in your area of interest already nearby. You just have to find it.

Remember, the group activity gives you extra motivation to get out and burn calories and at the same time absorbs some of the time that you may have been absorbing extra, unwanted calories, which is a double bonus for your waistline.

8. Try one or two new activities to discover something you may not have known that you'd enjoy.

2006-02-28T16:55:00.000-06:00

Two years ago I saw a flyer for a paddle expo to be held on a lake near my home. It sounded fun so I went and tried out an array of flat water (not whitewater) kayaks. I had such a good time that I bought one and haven't regretted it one bit. I named her Selma. Get it? Selma Kayak.

In the last two years Selma and I have been on 12-15 expeditions on nearby lakes. Not as much as I'd like, but still enough to provide much needed breaks from my typical workouts. And it gives me something else to look forward to as I dream about my summer activities in the cold (or lately - warm) of winter.

About five years ago, I decided that I was going to learn to mountain bike. For 12 weeks, I hauled my mountain bike (which had previously been used primarily on a college campus) to the trails. The first 2-3 weeks were rough, but soon I was surprising myself at the ease I rolled over difficult terrain.

If you're anything like me, then doing the same old workout routine over and over becomes boring. That's why I like to mix it up and try new things, in hopes I'll find an activity that'll give me another outlet to keep my exercise fresh.

Sometimes even slight variations to your typical routine can make a big difference. Last November I ran in my first cross country running race and had a blast. I've run many road races, but never ran cross country. I just ran my second last weekend and hope to do more.

Don't be afraid to try something new. You're bound to find something that you'll love too. Within every sport, there seems to be microcosms of variation. I'm intimately familiar with cycling. There's all sorts of cycling. For example, just within road cycling you can race, time trial, ride up moutainsides, ride across the country (see adventurecycling.com), ride across a state, go on weekly group rides, raise money for charity (mssociety.org), you can do ultra marathons (100-200 miles) brevets (an unsupported 100-300 miles), rondo's (300 - 500 miles), weekend tours, vacation tours, self-supported tours or simply ride around the same 20 mile circuit 2-3 times a week. And what's more, there are numerous events throughout spring, fall and summer in my region to keep me busy - and I don't even live in an area where cycling is remotely close to being mainstream.

Remember, whenever you try anything new, don't be turned off by snobby insiders. Every sport or activity has their share of these people. Just be patient and persistent and you'll be an insider others are coming to for advice before you know it. And, best of all, you'll have another physical activity in your toolkit to keep burning calories more than a mind-numbing daily ritual.

10 Ways to stick to your New Year's Resolution

2006-02-28T16:51:00.000-06:00

Click here to read my initial post on the 10 ways that you can stick to your New Year's Resolution. I've elaborated on 7 of the 10 tips thus far in subsequent posts so far. Soon to come are more on numbers 8 through 10.

Thanks for reading.

7. Re-prioritize your schedule so that exercise doesn't get pushed off the list.

2006-02-22T17:20:00.000-06:00

A common mistake people make when starting an exercise program is simply not making it a priority. They often stick exercise into their free-time. But, as soon as they get busy guess what's the first to drop from the lis? Yep - exercise. Then we all know what happens. It's hard to get back into the exercise routine then we start thinking about starting again at some far off, non-committal date...perhaps next January.

I am often faced with this dilemma - how to squeeze in exercise during the busy times. It's amazing how creative you can be when you really want to do something. That's why it's so important to make exercise a high, unbendable priority. I give up sleep before I give up my exercise.

Here are some tips to make it easier to work exercise into your busy schedule:
1. ALWAYS remember, some exercise is better than no exercise. Don't give up a potential workout session because you won't have enough time to do your full routine. Even a little exercise is better than no exercise. And, more important, it keeps you in your routine.
2. Plan your shopping trips better (like to the grocery store) so that you can reduce the frequency of those trips and free up more time for exercise.
3. Get to bed a half hour earlier and wake up earlier and squeeze in the workout before breakfast.
4. Use the gym at work over lunch or immediately before or after work. Or walk or run during lunch.
5. Commute to work on a bike. This is great if you live within 10 miles of work, because you can often make the trip quicker on a bike than by other modes of transportation. Use baby wipes to wipe the sweat off if you don't have access to a shower.
6. Half-commute. One of my friends has a nice system. He drives to work with his bike. Then he'll ride home that night and ride back the next morning, and then drive home. This works well if you work in an area where your car is safe overnight.
7. Join in with a group to exercise. I ride bikes with a group on most Saturday mornings throughout the year. We ride out to eat breakfast and then come back and usually burn more calories than we take in. This way I can combine socializing and exercising and the time on the bike flies by when others are with me.
8. Do you watch any TV shows? Do you own a TiVO or DVR? Do you read magazines? I've found that I can catch up on my TV watching and magazine reading while cranking off calories on my stationary recumbent exercycle.
9. Get your friends or family interested in your activities. I bought a tandem bicycle several years ago and converted half the time I use to spend alone on my bicycle to time I spent with my wife. When we ride, we both get good workouts and quality time together. I'm looking forward to attaching a trailer and then a trail-a-bike to the tandem for my son as he grows.
10. Play what-if for the things on your schedule to find extra time. What-if you left work early one or two days a week to get in a work-out? What-if you went for a jog during your kid's soccer practice? What-if you gave up one club or organization meeting each month for a work-out? What-if I jog or ride my bike to the gym instead of driving?

Hopefully, these tips can get you started. If you have any of your own, please post a comment or e-mail me at smcmenemy@hotmail.com.

However helpful these tips are, it doesn't take away from the fact that your attitude is the key to making exercise a priority. If you don't think exercise is important it won't be and it'll fall off your schedule, perhaps permamently, the next time you're in a time crunch.

Simple weight projection calculation

2006-02-21T12:35:00.000-06:00

Many people are of the notion that weight is some pre-determined factor over which they have no control. Fortunately, they're wrong. More likely, people get settled into their eating and exercise habits and their weight is the outcome.

If the needle has been moving on you and you wonder where your "pre-determined" weight will fall-out, as an adult there's a simple way to project it. Estimate the number of calories that you consume for an average day. Subtract the number of calories that you typically burn in exercise. Now, divide that number by 10. That'll be your weight, in pounds, where you'll likely end up unless you change your eating or exercise habits.

For example, let's say Bill consumes 2,300 calories each day and does little exercise. He'll likely settle in at around 230 pounds (2,300 / 10 = 230 pounds).

This calculation varies depending on age and gender, but it is a good, simple rule of thumb. I don't recommend the calculation for pre-adults because more calories are needed for the growing bodies. Also, be careful not to overestimate how many calories that you burn in exercise. Many people do this and can't figure out why they're overweight.

Study shows that low calorie diet takes commitment

2006-02-21T12:27:00.000-06:00

I read an article on Yahoo! over the weekend about a study performed on monkeys proves that a low calorie diet takes continuous commitment to be successful. Did we need a study to tell us this.

I will say that I think the phrase "low calorie" is misleading. If I eat the right amount of calories to maintain my weight (which is considered normal), I wouldn't consider that low calorie, I consider it "right calorie".

6. Set a goal to compete in and complete an organized recreational

2006-02-18T10:27:00.000-06:00

Without goals and variety, exercise can become monotonous, which decreases the liklihood that you will continue with the program. That's why it's important to compete or participate in a few events each year. Participating in events can bend your life toward exercise and away from overeating in several ways.

First, having an event on the calendar keeps you honest. Knowing that you are going to run a 5k in May or ride a century (100 mile bike ride) in September, gives you that extra motivation to log your base mileage in the short, cold days of winter.

Second, if you are anything like me, then you'll find it interesting to compete against yourself in these events. For example, I like to run a local 5k race on Thanksgiving Day each year. I keep track of times from year to year and it's interesting to see how I've improved, held steady or lost ground from year to year.

Which brings me to third way competing in events helps burn the calories and prevents calories from entering your mouth. There's more to a competition than just putting in the miles and showing up the morning of. Every year I gain more knowledge on how to prepare for such races - sometimes I learn through my own trial and error and sometimes I pick tips up from others. But, the important thing is that when I'm thinking about how to improve my times and prepare for an event, I'm not thinking about the dessert on the menu of a local restaurant, which is a double bonus for my waistline.

Finally, you'll push yourself in an event like you'll push yourself nowhere else. The energy and excitement of being around others helps pump the adrenaline and make you do things you didn't think you were capable of doing. Participating in an event is great training. Of course, one of the things you learn early in your event career is to calm that rush so you don't go bust too soon.

Now that I have you convinced to set a goal to participate, go find out what events are held in your area and set your sites on one or two for this spring and summer. Chances are there are dozens of events around your home every year. Find the local running and cycling club websites for calendars. Also, charities host many events. Ask your friends and co-workers for ideas.

5. Invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes. Hold off on the gym membership for now.

2006-01-30T22:18:00.000-06:00

I know what you're thinking. "If I buy a gym membership or some exercise equipment, I'll stay motivated to exercise because I wouldn't want to let the money go to waste. " Believe me, you'll find excuses for letting it go to waste.

The truth of the matter is that you don't need a gym to get started. What you need is to make exercise a regular part of your life. Once you have established a routine and have proven that you can stick to it, then consider stepping up to the next level by committing to a gym.

In the meantime, go buy yourself a decent pair of running or walking shoes and hit the sidewalks near your home or work. I can't stress enough the importance of a good pair of shoes.

For years I didn't think my body was designed for running. Whenever I tried it my legs were full of aches, pain and fatigue. Then, by luck in college one day, a sporting goods store was having a sale on running shoes. Out of random chance I picked out the Asics Gel 123. I realized something pretty soon thereafter. I could run in these shoes and I didn't get the aches, pains or fatigue. I could run further and I felt great. Now, 15 years and 6,000 running miles later I'm still ache and pain free.

Over the years I've tried other brands and a cheaper Asics model three times, to my disappointment. Within two or three jogs in the other models, the old aches and pains came back. I switched back to my model and wah-lah, gone. The model is now called Asics GT-2110.

I believe everyone has a solemate (I couldn't resist), that is a shoe that will work well for them. If you haven't found your's yet, give my Asics model a try. I have a severe pronation (duck-footed: strike the outside of my heel and roll to the instep) and high arches. While most reviews of the Asics shoe don't specifically recommend it for me, it works. The gel in the sole absorbs teh shock of striking pavement, the arch structure cradles and supports my high arches and the wide and cushiony heal tread stabilizes my odd gait as my foot makes contact.

Furthermore, I can tell when the shoe is wearing out. Slowly, but surely, at about 375 - 400 miles the aches and fatigue start to work back into my muscles. I get a new pair and, again, wah-lah, those pains usually go away within one or two jogs.

I've talked with many people who have recently taken up jogging but complain of soreness. I ask them how old their shoes are and they say 4 or 5 years. Yikes. Nobody will continue to exercise through the pain. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a pair of nice shoes. And don't scrimp $30 or $40 on cheap pair. Remember, you're saving money from not joining a gym.

4. Try new fruits and vegetables to find some you may like.

2006-01-21T09:58:00.000-06:00

Again with the fruits and vegetables, you ask? Of course. Adding more f&v's to your diet can make a big difference on your waistline. F&v's aren't calorie dense and contain lots of fiber that fill you up without calories and keeps the internal plumbing in order.

The purpose of this tip is to encourage you to spend some time in the produce and frozen vegetable sections of your grocery store searching for different options that you may not have tried because the more f&v options you have available to you the more likely you are to eat them.

The staples of my f&v diet are apples (red delicious, braeburn, granny smith, etc.), bananas, pears, blueberries, raspberries, marionberries, broccoli, spinach, green beans (although, technically I think that's a legume) and brussel sprouts. But, I'm always on the lookout for something new. I'll go for carrots, melons and onions occassionally. I love the taste of grilled onion with a little oil or butter. I'm still trying to figure out the pomengranite (sp?).

Costco sells of big back of a frozen berry mix that I love. The berries are always big and juicy. I find that rinsing them in a strainer before throwing them on my cereal thaws them out enough to eat.

I also love fried plantains. Don't eat these banana-looking fruit raw. Slice them lengthwise and brown in a pan with a little dab of oil. They make a great side.

Brussell sprouts are strong flavored by themselves, but make a great complement to most any meat. A little brush of butter will soften the flavor somewhat.

Sweet potatoes are also a healthier alternative to russets and are easy to cook. I might eat a few slices of plain baked sweet potato with as a side dish.

These are just some ideas for new things to try. Trying something different isn't that tough. Once a week or once every two weeks pick up a new fruit or vegetable and try it out. Break out of the rut of getting the same old thing every time you go to the store. Over the course of several months, you will surely find a few things that you like well enough to add to your regular diet.

3. Introduce fruits and vegetables for each meal.

2006-01-14T10:34:00.000-06:00

Of course, this tip goes hand in hand with the #2. Give up starchy carbs for fruits and vegetables. But, here I'll explore more ideas on how to introduce fruits and vegetables (f&v) at every meal.

To many people, f&v's are irrelevant. Somewhere in our teens we seem to lose the habit of eating f&v's and find it difficult to pick it back up. Other snacks are easier. You just have to pop open a bag for chips and fries are standard side fare with most restaurant meals.

I've found that adding f&v's to every meal isn't much extra work and I prefer the varied taste and texture to the standard starchy sides. F&v's are good for you. They're packed with vitamins that the body needs and contain fiber that helps keep the internal plumbing clean. Plus, it's really tough to eat enough f&v's, even when they're doused with butter and grilled, to gain weight. Why? Because they aren't calorie dense and contain lots of fiber that doesn't get digested and turned into calories. F&v's are a great way to get your fill without consuming large quantities of calories.

Here are some ideas on incorporating f&v's into your regular diet.
Breakfast - If you are a cereal eater, sweeten your cereal with a sliced banana or berries rather than granulated sugar. Peeling and slicing a banana takes about 30 seconds. I keep a bag of frozen blueberries or berry mix (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) in the freezer. I put a handful in a strainer and rinse and plop on my cereal. If you don't eat cereal, it's easy enough to slice any fruit for a side or rinse frozen berries for a side cup to whatever you eat.

Lunch - I typically slice an apple and eat it along with my sandwich. There are many varieties of apples and I can usually find some that are in season from somewhere in the world most times of the year. Pears also make a nice side. Both apples and pears are great flavor complements to a meat and cheese sandwich.

Dinner - Steam broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots or peas or mixture. Douse with a little butter or oil for added flavor. Also, try roasting vegetables - onions and peppers are especially good. Brush with butter or olive and oil and grill, sautee or broil in the oven until some of the sugars in the v's carmelize. Try sauteeing some mushrooms or spinach in a pan with a little bit of oil. All of these are easy to prepare and tasteful and much more nutritious and weight conscious than sides or rice or potatoes.

2. Give up potatoes and rice for one month. Instead eat fruits and vegetables as side dishes.

2006-01-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you're thinking, yeeesh, this guy is crazy, how can I live with my fries and potato chips? You'd be surprised. I gave up rice and potatoes for a month when I first started losing weight. I can't tell you exactly what happened physiologically, but when I tried fries or chips later, they just didn't taste the same. Something changed in me. It was like the curtain was lifted on the Wizard of Oz. Fries tasted like salty, grease sponges and chips were the hardened version of the same thing.

During that month I had switched out chips and fries as side dishes for fruits and vegetables. Instead of having chips with my sandwich at lunch, I ate an apple (still do). Instead of having fries with the burger or chicken sandwich at Chili's, I ordered the grilled vegetables.

What I found is fruits and vegetables add a new dimension and flavor balance to a meal, kind of like matching wine with food. And any spuds or rice-based side dish is just cheap filler.

Think about it. Restaurants want to make it look like they're giving you a great value. And, in the U.S. that means getting a large volume of food for the money. They'd go broke piling the plates high with good food. But potatoes and rice are cheap. They can heap that stuff for pennies per plate and make huge margins. And, we just eat it all up. I shouldn't have to tell you that one heap of fries that comes with most fast food and casual dining meals probably contains at least half, if not more, of our daily caloric needs.

So, now, I always look for the vegetable alternative when I eat out, not only because I want to maintain my weight but also because I like it.

Give it a try. You can do without potatoes and rice for one short month. And, if you kick that habit like I did you've just removed one big obstacle that kept you from acheiving your New Years resolution in the past.

1. Forget "No Pain, No Gain" mantra. Instead, strive for consistency and patience.

2006-01-04T09:29:00.000-06:00

Many people jump into their New Year exercise program with TOO much fervor. The "no pain, no gain" mantra has conditioned people to think that a work-out session isn't useful unless it hurts. Don't fall for that!

I've learned over the years that loads of low to moderate intensity workouts have better long-term benefits. Why? First, I'm much more inclined to workout. I don't mind a moderate workout. In fact, I rather like it. It's refreshing and makes me feel more alive. When I was younger, I tried to workout hard every time. But, I didn't look forward to such strenuous exercise and I would eventually find excuses not to work out. So, rule #1, doing something, even if it is low to moderate is much better than doing nothing (unless you are resting by design).

Second, tough workouts weaken your immune system and this isn't a good time of year to do that. People often get sick after pushing their body hard. And, if you're sick, then you aren't working out. Refer to rule #1.

Finally, strenuous workouts also mean your pushing your body to the limit, which strains on your joints, muscles and bones and can lead to injury. And, when you're injured your...what?..that's right, you're not working out. Again, refer to rule #1.

I recommend exercising 3 - 5 days each week. If you are exercising five days a week, then I recommend one day be an "active rest" day where you workout for about 2/3rd your normal time at put out very little effort.

Just having the patience to workout at moderate levels and to get your rest in and striving to be consistent so that you don't miss many workouts will have you in much better shape by March or April. Once you've established that fitness base, you'll be ready to start ramping up your intensity ever so slightly.

My workout goal is to burn calories and maintain my fitness and I've found patience and consistency are the best way for me to meet that goal.

10 Ways to Stick to Your New Year Resolution

2006-01-03T17:52:00.000-06:00

Getting in shape is likely one of the most popular New Year resolutions ever. Here are ten ways to help you keep up with your resolution this year. I'll write about each one in more detail in future entries.

1. Forget "No Pain, No Gain" mantra. Instead, strive for consistency and patience.
2. Give up potatoes and rice for one month. Instead eat fruits and vegetables as side dishes.
3. Introduce fruits and vegetables for each meal.
4. Try new fruits and vegetables to find some you may like.
5. Invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes. Hold off on the gym membership for now.
6. Set a goal to compete in and complete an organized recreational event like a 5k or bike ride in the March - June time frame.
7. Re-prioritize your schedule so that exercise doesn't get pushed off the list.
8. Try one or two new activities to discover something you may not have known that you'd enjoy.
9. Join groups that meet for recreational activities.
10. Keep a food diary for 2 weeks and then use my book to figure out how to calculate your food needs.

Happy New Year and random thoughts

2005-12-19T22:00:00.000-06:00

We're only 2 weeks out from 2006 and another 2 weeks of food, food, fudge and beverage. I tried Rachel Ray's 5-minute fudge recipe. Easy & dee-lish. Just make sure you have plenty of people around to help you gnaw on it or it's dangerous to waistline.

On Thanksgiving Day I went with my family to the local turkey trot 5k. This was the first time with my new son. He had a good time bundled up in the stroller. This was my 12th turkey trot in 13 years. It has become quite a tradition. Several of my family members make a point to join me. My wife, Dad, father-in-law, brother-in-law and his girlfriend have been out there with me for many of those years. My cousins and their friends use to join, but I haven't seen them out there for a few years. I still see and hear from several people who I've introduced to T-Day running over the years. And, I typically see the person who introduced me to it on a cold November day in 1993. She's still a great runner and she's usually at several of the races each year. I remember thinking that running 5k (or 3.1 miles) seemed nuts, especially on a cold Thanksgiving day. I figured everyone would run off an leave me. Nah. I found that there were plenty of people my speed and slower. It was a long 3 miles, but it has turned into 13 years of good quality exercise. Hopefully, we'll continue the tradition so my son can pass it along.

I was able to run my second fastest 5k ever. Not terribly fast at 21:23 (21:29 by the race clock), but still much better than I thought I could run even ten years ago. This year was a good year for running, for the few I did (new son). I ran in 5 individual races and one relay race. In two of the races I set personal course records and I ran a strong five mile leg on the relay race. I also tried a cross country race. Wow! That was fun. It was quite an ankle workout, but it was a nice change of pace from the usual road race. Of course, I credit much of this performance to watching the ole' calories and it was worth it. I can't describe the feeling of running that last mile in a 5k. You've been pushing at about 85% - 90% of the max for more than two miles and you kind of have an out-of-body experience. My legs are turning over automatically and smoothly, my lungs are sucking in air near capacity and I think that all the slow trudges, the consistency of exercising regularly and watching my calorie intake over the past year was worth it. And, I also thank whoever for letting me have such a great experience. I am thankful for every day that I get to move my body and enjoy the outdoors.

Good luck over the next few days. Have fun and indulge some. If you can keep yourself from going overboard now you can definitely do it in the blah, ho-hum months ahead of us.

Happy New Year!

You Are What You Eat Part II

2005-11-06T21:26:00.000-06:00

As I wrote in the previous post, I believe the old saying "you are what you eat" is true literally and figuratively. Our bodies are mostly made of the atoms from the food we eat.

But, I think there's some figurative truth to the old saying. How you eat, how much you eat and what you eat defines you. There's so much of our own emotion wrapped up into our palates that it becomes difficult to separate our eating habits from ourselves, sometimes to our own detrimant. And, I don't just mean health-wise detrimant.

Of course, health is the most obvious thing that will slip if we don't exercise some self control. But, we also miss out on enjoyment of food if we narrow our choices too much. People are all over the spectrum. We have the vegetarians and the "meat-and-potatoes" crowd. Then we have the low-carbers, the low fatters, high-protein bunch. Those that skip breakfast, others that skip dinner. Some just eat pizza.

I think it's beneficial to understand what drives my eating habits. When I was gaining weight, eating voluminous amounts of good food drove my eating. When I lost weight, eating specific amount of calories per day without feeling hungry was the main driver. As I maintain my weight, I seek to enjoy a wide array of foods in moderation while being conscientious about keeping a well balanced calorie budget (i.e. calories in minus calories out).

To a lot of people that doesn't sound like fun. But, to me it wasn't fun being overweight and I realized that overstuffing myself on good food detracted from my satisfaction. I still have to fight the very same urge I had when I was a kid - "that tastes good, I want more." But, it's easier than it use to be.

Whatever drives our eating habits also becomes our filter for what others are saying about eating. There are those who I talk to who've read my book that get it. I can tell they have read and understand it. Then there are those that read and I realize they don't get it. They read "rabbit food rabbit food rabbit food" or something like that because whatever is driving their own eating habits prevents them from actually understanding the real message of my book, which is eating in moderation, eating a wider variety of food and understanding how calories work. Anytime they hear the words "weight loss" or "diet", their minds default to "rabbit food" (as in, "I'd love to lose weight, but I don't want to eat rabbit food") so they can scurry on with their eating habits having rationalized away yet another opportunity to learn.

I realized this when I ate a bite-sized chocolate bar at my parent's house. My Mom said to my son, "your Daddy's eating something he tells others not to." I replied, "you can eat anything you want, just don't eat two pounds of it in one day" knowing that while she has read my book, she really hasn't READ it.

So what's driving your eating habits?

You Are What You Eat

2005-11-05T22:51:00.000-06:00

We all hear that at a young age. It's literally true. Almost every atom in our bodies came from something we ate (with the exception of the stuff we breathe in). Our amazing bodies automatically break down the food we eat and use it to build and rebuild our body structures and to fuel our activity.

But, I think there's yet another truth to "you are what you eat". (more to come...)

"85% is what I put in my mouth"

2005-10-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

I saw some show this past weekend on fit celebrities. One of them was Angela Basset (google her if you don't know who she is). She is a very fit 46 year old actress. They asked her about her secrets.

She said that she can do 1 hour of cardio five days a week and works hard with her family. But, she said when she can't do that, "85% of it is what I put in my mouth."

I agree. People tend to spend a lot of time figuring out how to burn more calories, but not enough time trying to figure out how to eat fewer calories. From an time and effort standpoint, it's much easier to avoid a few calories than have to burn them off later.

Why do we eat so much?

2005-09-26T17:11:00.000-05:00

"Why do I eat so much?" That's the most important question that you have to answer for yourself if you ever hope to lose weight.

Humans, through the results of thousands of years of trial and error, have figured out how to make calories bountiful. Thousands of years ago we worked all day to gather and chew enough calories to survive. Now, all the calories we need for one day costs a couple bucks and can be consumed in a few minutes. So, now it's very easy to over consume and gain weight.

It's easy to over eat, but why do it? There are many reasons. Habit, boredom, stress relief, lack of willpower, love for food, lack of commitment to and poor meal management are probably some of the more popular reasons. For me it was a mix of poor meal management (meaning I didn't eat enough fat and protein to feel satisfied), habit and love for food.

Lunch with an old friend

2005-08-21T11:23:00.000-05:00

I ate lunch with an old friend a few days ago. My book became a topic of discussion. Something seemed to be annoying him about my interest in weight loss. He kept asking me, “Has this become your life?” It took me some time to figure out what was “eating” at him. I think I finally understood when he said something like, “It’s no fun if you have to count your calories.” I’ve heard this complaint a lot. Eating is a very personal matter and few people relish in the thought of having to control what they eat. Many of us desire to be one of those lucky people we hear about who can eat anything they want without any dire consequence. So much so, that we often delude ourselves into thinking we are.

“I want to enjoy my food. I don’t want to have to worry about what I eat,” he continued. Don’t we all? I responded that if that was your priority, then that’s fine. I have a different set of priorities. We all make choices. I’ve decided that I don’t like carrying extra weight around. I like to be able to ride my bike fast and I like to run without feeling my love handles bounce up and down. In order for me to meet those priorities, I have to be aware of how much I eat.

Additionally, I do enjoy my food, even though I stay aware of the amount I’m eating. But, I’ve learned that there’s much more to enjoying food than eating vast quantities of it. We have to eat several times each and every day so there’s no shortage of opportunity for me to enjoy my food. Why stuff myself to the hilt when I’ll have another opportunity to enjoy food in a few short hours? I focus on enjoying the taste of my food and working with an assortment of foods that help me achieve my goals.

Believe me, when I taste something that’s really good, I still have the instinct to open the hatch and pour it in. But, my awareness for achieving my weight control goals helps me fight against the urge. I slow down, enjoy every bite and then usually have leftovers that I can enjoy again tomorrow.

What’s wrong with that? It’s similar to how Lance Armstrong approached the Tour de France. Lance, as much as anyone, enjoys kicking the pants off his opponents. The Tour de France is really 21 individual races, each with the opportunity to kick pants. Lance was strong enough that he could have probably gone out and won many more of these individual races. But, he realized that would work against his overall goal of winning the whole race. So, he conditioned himself to override that urge to let loose through most of the race and saved it for those three or four opportunities that he thought would give him the best chance of an overall victory. That takes a good understanding of your overall goal and the maturity to override you competitive urges.

Similarly, achieving your weight loss goals takes a good understanding of your goal, constant awareness of that goal and the maturity to override the urges that will prevent your from achieving the goal.

South Beach Diet

2005-08-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

A friend recently asked for my opinion on the South Beach Diet. I read Arthur Agatston's book and think is worth a read from anyone wanting to lose or control their weight. In my opinion, he starts you out in an Atkins-like phase of carb-busting, which lasts a couple weeks before you start to re-introduce "good" carbs. Then, from there, the diet seems very similar to the Zone in that you eat meals and snacks throughout the day and eat a mix of carbs, protein and fat to ward off hunger pains. Plus, he gives plenty of recipe options to use, though, I must admit, most of them seemed a bit more complicated for my tastes. I did, however, enjoy the various ricotta cheese desserts.

Of course, I also believe that there is plenty of valuable information in my book, "A Few Bites A Day" and "A Week in the Zone". Both books can be had for about the same price as the South Beach Diet. Still, all three can be purchased for less than $30 and are worth thousands of times that if they can help prevent health problems and lead to a happier, healthier life.

Lance Armstrong (no nickname required)

2005-07-23T22:27:00.000-05:00

On this eve of Armstrong winning his 7th Tour de France in a row, I thought it fitting to reflect on what I think of the guy. I'm a year older than Lance. I'm a former junior bicycle racer myself. And, I think I may have been in close quarters with him at one point in my life.

I can't be sure of it, but I think Lance may have been in attendance at an Olympic Training Center cycling development camp I attended in Colorado Springs back in the 80s. I remember a cocky Texan who the coaches seemed to dote over. All of us there figured he was in a class of his own. I remember him saying that the only hills he has in Texas are the highway on ramps

Little recognized outside of the cycling community is Armstrong's quadruple threat.

1. Everyone knows Lance has the genetics to kick ass. When I read his book and discovered that he was kicking butt in his first races, it dawned on me how dim my cycling career prospects were from the results I posted in my first races. I wasn't buying no Camaros at 17 from my race winnings, that's for sure.

2. Lance is brilliant. The decisions this guy makes are incredible. Decisions as minute as what size tire to use for a particular stage of race are crucial and overlooked by his rivals. I could go on and on about the decisions - tactical, personnel, equipment, energy economy, training and so forth, that he makes that sets him apart from everyone else, but that'd take too much space.

3. Lance has a demon inside, balanced with a human conscience. I'm a big fan of the old Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff Angel. For those who don't know, Angel is the hero and sometimes villain of that series. He's an ancient vampire named Angelus who had his human soul restored as a curse from a band of gypsies that were upset that Angelus killed one of their own. So the demon vampire and human soul co-exist in this one body. Most of the time, Angel (the human) is in charge, but when he really needs to kick some ass he channels Angelus (the vampire). In the end, Angel is the champion of champions that saves the world over and over again, like waking up each morning to eat breakfast.

I think there's a lot of parallels between Angel's character and Lance (not to mention only a one letter difference in their names). Lance has a human soul, but there's a competitive demon inside that he channels when he needs to and that sets him a part from the pack. Without it, he'd just be another talented bike rider. Maybe he would've split these last seven TdF victories with Jan Ullrich if he didn't have the demon to push him. Jan appears to be a really good guy. Anyone of us would be lucky to call him a friend. Full of talent, but he lacks that demon to drive him to not eat too much in December or to spend his time analyzing his equipment in October to take more seconds out of the time trial.

I don't know what put that demon in Lance's body. It wouldn't be fair for me to speculate why it's there. Genetics? Environment? One can only speculate. But, for sure, it's there.

4. Single minded focus. Very few people have the ability to focus singularly on one thing. Cancer. TdF. Clicking off the fastest time in his last TdF time trial. Armstrong knows what he's after and he quickly gets back on track after any derailments. Sometimes this singular focus can hurt those around him. But, in the end it elevates him to a new level and allows him to do some mighty great things (LAF for example).

Most people can easily recognize Armstrong's genetic ability, but few recognize the others. But, I believe, it's the combination of these four things that sets him apart from everyone else. Without any one of these things, Armstrong would have likely slipped into oblivion about 3 or 4 years ago.

Lance, Thanks for the memories. I'm glad I was here to witness your ascension to greatness. I'm definitely not equipped to judge this, but if you made any deals with any higher beings to do some good if you were given a second chance you sure haved seemed to fulfilled your end of the bargain many millions of times over.

I know several cancer survivors who were inspired by your story. Some won their battle. Some lost. But all felt connected to something great because of you. All felt less lonely as they faced their demons.

I'll never ask you for anything. I have no expectations for you. You've done so much. Thanks dude. Somehow, I have feeling that you won't stop amazing me.

In a nutshell...

2005-07-23T21:23:00.000-05:00

A guy stopped me in the street today and asked how I keep so trim.

A few of my cycling buddies and I had just rode our bikes to eat breakfast on a hot, July day in the midwest. Our tight cycling clothes revealed our trim bodies.

"In a nutshell," I replied, "eat less and exercise more."

Commitment

2005-05-15T00:33:00.000-05:00

It's getting easier for me judge whether someone will be successful in achieving their weight goals just by listening to them and watching their body language to determine whether they're committed to the task or not.

I believe everything you need to know to lose and control your weight is either covered directly in my book or referenced there because that's all the information that I used to lose 30 extra pounds and keep it off. But knowing information and being committed to achieving a goal is two different things.

Some people know they aren't committed to the goal. For them, having to modify their lifestyle is simply too high of price to pay to lose a few pounds. Unfortunately, many of these people are sorry down the road when they suffer a heart attack or adult onset diabetes or one of the other myriad complications that may result from a lifetime of abuse to the body.

Others think they're committed, but aren't. These people aren't good at being honest with themselves. For example, when discussing investments these type of people always discuss their winners, but never their losers. Likewise, with weight loss, they tend to remember the days they followed the plan but not the days (or even just a few bites in a single day) that they didn't.

Knowledge (my book), consistency (previous post) and true commitment are the three key ingredients to achieving your weight loss goals. If you haven't succeeded in the past, think hard about which of the these three areas stands in your way.

Consistency

2005-04-24T22:41:00.000-05:00

One key to my weight control, that I don't touch on in my book, but nonetheless is very important is consistency. By this I mean consistency with my diet and exercise.

I was riding my bike a few days ago in perfect weather. Most days aren't like that, but I exercise on the bad weather days as well. In the winter, summer, snow, rain, cold, dark, strong winds and heat - I'm out there.

Many of my friends aren't very active unless the weather is nice. And that's when it occurred to me how vital consistency is to my weight control success.

I once believed that I burned many more calories than I really did during exercise, which contributed to my weight problem. When I first learned how few calories I actually did burn, I was shocked. I went through the normal stages of denial and frustration. "Well, if I only burn a couple hundred calories in a 1/2 hour workout, why even do it?"

The answer is summed up best by personal finance author, Jean Chatzky. "We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year." So true.

In the whole scheme of things, one exercise session isn't going to make or break my health. But, the calories I burn during all of my exercise sessions over the course of a year makes a huge difference. For example, I exercise 5 days per week for anywhere between 20 minutes to 4 - 5 hours. Over the course of a typical week I burn around 2,000 additional calories by exercising, which is less than 1 pound (or 3,500 calories). But, over the course of a year that adds up to to 100,000 calories or 30 pounds.

If I only exercised when the weather was nice, that extra calorie burn would be much lower. Consistency keeps me on track.

Same goes for diet. We often think, "I'll splurge just this one time." Once isn't likely to make a difference, right? But, splurging again 2 days later and again in 3 days adds up over the course of the year. And, as the title of my book indicates, it only takes a few bites a day to make the difference between being in control of your weight or having your weight control you.

So, from now on, I'm going to keep the thought of consistency in mind whenever I think about skipping exercise or eating more than I should. Maybe you will to.

Excuse #4: "I'm just naturally filling in"

2005-04-15T23:13:00.000-05:00

About five to seven years ago, I seem to recall this notion circulating about society that we each had a natural weight. I recall it, because for some time I believed it.

We don't think about it on a daily basis, but we each have a set of mental models, or frameworks, that help us understand the world around us. Many of those models were handed down to us in school and by our parents or picked up from our friends. Language is one such model. Has a common word ever caught your eye funny? You look at it, you know you have read the word thousands of times before, but all of sudden something looks strange about it.

That's your mind testing your mental framework. Language is something we learn at a very early age. Spelling comes shortly after. As adults, speech and reading comes to us so naturally that we don't even have to think about it. But, occassionally or brains tend to poke holes in those frameworks and when that happens things we've taken for granted without question for a long time suddenly seem strange.

Religious and political beliefs are other examples of mental frameworks. You hold certain beliefs on how the government should be involved in our lives and that helps you decide who to support by voting for the people you think are going to best put your beliefs into practice.

I'm sure that it's no surprise to you that we each have a mental framework about how weight loss works. The natural weight framework was alive and well in my head at one point. I had resigned myself to a life with a chubby belly, love handles and puffy cheeks.

Thankfully, I'm not the kind of person that sticks with a mental framework that doesn't produce the results I'm after. In other words, I may be stubborn in the short term, but not in the long term.

Eventually, that old framework collapsed and I replaced it a new framework under which I lost 35 pounds, gained 5 back to get to a more optimuum weight and have held it to within 4 pounds of that weight for over three years now. I detail this new framework in my book.

If you've been having a tough time with your weight loss, perhaps its time to knock down your weight loss mental framework, or belief system.

Race Scheduling

2005-04-11T22:52:00.000-05:00

We've had some really great days of weather this Spring where I live. I love to exercise outdoors. I exercise outside through the winter, but it's especially nice not to have to bundle up, feel sunshine for a change, see the trees in bloom (which have been spectacular this year) and see a few people the trails coming out from their long winter hibernation.

By this time of year I have a decent idea of which events I'm going to participate in. You should too. Events, such as 5k runs or MS 150 bike tours are a great way to keep yourself motivated and burning calories.

I manage my event schedule like a pro. I have a certain set of events that I like to repeat each year and then I sprinkle in a few new ones. Some of the new ones stick and become a part of my regular schedule, some don't. I enter 5k races, bike events and I'm thinking of trying an adventure race.

For the events I repeat each year, it's fun to see how my fitness level compares with the years prior.

Check out websites with event calendars in your area so you can start participating in events that'll keep you interested in exercising. I recommend not bogging your schedule down too much with too many events. When waking up for an event begins to feel like a chore, take a break for awhile and resume at a later date.

Also, look for ways to involve your friends and family to promote healthiness and give yourself a little extra motivation for the event.

Excuse #3: "I'll just run twice as far to burn those extra calories."

2005-04-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

I'm amazed about how hard I'll work against myself sometimes. If your brain is anything like mine, then you may find your inner voice coaxing you to eat more than you know you should and providing all kinds of reasons why it's okay. One excuse I used often was that I would workout more to cover the extra calories.

However, this has a few inherent problems. First, using this crutch too often nulls out any benefit I receive from exercising. In other words, I'd have to exercise more all the time just to stay even. Second, as with the previous excuse, I simply wouldn't follow through. Third, we tend to overestimate how many calories used during exercise (and underestimate how much we eat). So, even if I did extend my exercise time, it'd rarely be enough to truly balance the additional calories.

This kind of thinking definitely contributed to my weight gain. I figured that I was active enough to burn all the calories that I was eating. But, the scale told a different story. When I put numbers to my calorie intake and use I was astonished. The imbalance was large. No wonder the needle on the scale kept creeping up.

Learning how to estimate my calorie intake and use was a major key to gaining control of my weight. I describe the simple techniques and calculations I use to monitor my calorie flow in my book. These techniques have been working for me for four years now. Some friends and family members think I'm crazy for tracking my calories. But, to me, having a good sense of my calorie balance is like using a watch to figure out what time it is.

Excuse #2: "I'll start eating right tomorrow."

2005-03-24T20:47:00.000-06:00

Raise your hand if you're guilty of procrastination. Me too. But, as I have learned, telling yourself that you are going to make a change at some distant future date is only a crutch. January 1, our birthdays or after vacation are popular future change dates. Trouble is that there's not much different about those dates than any other date, like today. We're just letting ourselves off the hook, trying to ease the pain and guilt of our actions today for making a promise to ourselves that deep down we know we won't keep.

Ben Franklin said it well, "You may delay, but time will not." I constantly remind myself of this. Even though I've achieved my weight goal, keeping it there means that I have to stand guard against my procrastination demon.

Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy food and treat myself often. However, as I mention in my book, I can enjoy food without eating mass quantities. But, my procrastination demon tries to convince me that I can eat mass quantities and cut back on the portions next week. I have to make the decision every time I eat to eat the right portion.

I'm not sure what other advice to offer you to ward off your procrastination demon except to stop lying to yourself. If you are not able to make the change RIGHT NOW then you probably won't be any better equipped to make the change then. I made my change on February 7, 2002. There was nothing special about that date, except that was the day that all the pieces came together for me and I figured out, or at least had a good idea, of what I needed to do. I wasn't certain yet, but I gave it a try and started to see immediate results. There simply was no reason for me to wait until some special day in the future.

And, when I do find myself starting a trend of increasing my portions and thinking that I'll get back on the portion control next week, I just shake my head (to loosen the grip the procrastination demon has on my brain) and say to myself, "no, I don't need the eat the whole thing right now."

So, I strongly encourage you to stop telling yourself that you'll make a change sometime in the future.

Do it today.

"A Simple Plan"

2005-03-22T21:02:00.000-06:00

The April 2005 issue of Runner's World magazine had a weight-loss theme. "The Simple Plan" provided advice very similar to the advice in my book like balance calories in with calories out, eat a meal or snack every 3-4 hours and eat more protein and unsaturated fats to help from getting hungry as often. This issue also had a great article on Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's amazing weight-loss. Check it out if you get a chance.

The "Simple Plan" was adapted from Madelyn H. Fernstrom's book, "The Runner's Diet" (Rodale 2005-Available in May, 2005). That might be worth a read as well.

Go with your gut

2005-03-21T17:26:00.000-06:00

Here’s a new spin on the old phrase. In terms of weight loss, your gut doesn’t lie. It gives you an instant report card on how well you’ve balanced the calories going into your body with the calories you’ve burned over the course of your life. No if’s, and’s or but’s (well maybe some butt’s too).

Most people believe they do a decent job of balancing their calories in and out and on a daily basis they’re probably correct. But as the title of my book suggests, only a few bites a day can make a big difference over the course of a month, a year or decades. One hundred extra calories a day, or three bites of a chocolate chip cookie, can add 10 pounds each year.

Sometimes it takes decades to add the pounds. If you’ve seen the 1980s Star Wars/Star Trek satire, Spaceballs, you’ll understand this. The space travelers in the movie found that they arrived millions of light years from their intended destination because someone originally set course a millionth of a degree off. Ooops. Similarly, gaining only one to two pounds per year adds 30 to 60 pounds over three decades.

If you’re ever in doubt on how well you’ve balanced your calories simply take a quick gut check. You don’t even really need to calculate your BMI. Just look down. Is your gut or butt hanging out? Those are sure signs calorie intake has exceeded your calorie burn.

Excuse #1: "The BMI must be wrong."

2005-01-29T11:04:00.000-06:00

When I first calculated my BMI (Body Mass Index) it was over 25, which basically meant I was fat. I didn't believe it. I was active and ate relatively healthy - I couldn't understand how I could be considered fat. I rationalized it by thinking that I was naturally thicker than whatever scale was used for the BMI.

Over time; however, I learned more about the BMI. I learned that it didn't necessarily mean I was fat. Rather it meant that my chances of suffering from a weight-related illness was much higher than someone with a BMI less than 25.

I also learned that men should probably be on the medium to high-range of the BMI, or 23.5 - 25 and women should be closer to the medium range of 22 - 23.

I decided to start losing weight as I was approaching a BMI of 30 (the low end limit of obesity). My initial goal was to get back to 25. I thought that would be about all I could do. Once I figured out how to take off the pounds, I made it down to 25 in about 3-4 months and kept going. I bottomed out around 22 and now keep it at around 23.2 - 23.5.

Now I'm a big believer in using the BMI to target your ideal weight range. But, I also think it's important to fully understand the BMI. To learn more about BMI and how I used it in my weight loss you can buy my book by clicking the link on the right hand side or Google BMI or Body Mass Index to read what others on the web have to say about it.

Calculate your BMI:
Weight (lbs) / Height (in.) / Height (in.) x 703

If your above 25, then you should definitely learn more about the BMI and make it a goal to lower your BMI to 25 or lower.

Excuses Excuses

2005-01-16T12:49:00.000-06:00

Excuses are a main obstacle that stands in the way of people achieving their target weight. I know. I had them too.

"The BMI (body-mass index) must be wrong." "I'll start eating right tomorrow (or next week, or next year)." "I'll just run twice as far to burn those extra calories." "I'm just naturally filling in." "Everyone has a 'natural' weight they become." "Everyone else is overweight." "I burn 1,000 calories per work out, so it's okay to eat this." "Life's too short to count calories." Any of these sound familiar? Have any more of your own? If so, please share with me in the comment section.

Over the next few weeks, I'll address these excuses. In the meantime, consider your weight loss goals and target weight (if you don't know your target weight you can do a search for Body Mass Index on the web or buy my book from Amazon.com). Have you achieved those goals?

Nut snacks

2005-01-05T18:56:00.000-06:00

Most of my friends know that for my afternoon snacks I usually eat some nuts. Typically, to reduce the oil intake, I'd eat some roasted peanuts along with some cashews or party nuts, which contain a lot of oil.

Now I found a way to get rid of the oil and cut some costs. I buy big bags of baking nuts like pecans or almonds at Costco and throw a couple cups of nuts at a time into the oven at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes to toast them.

They taste great and I get a premium, healthier nut for much less money.

Enjoy...

Calorie Terminator

2005-01-05T18:49:00.000-06:00

I love the Special K commercial on the air now where a woman is joining her friends for breakfast at a restaurant and she sizes up each plate with an internal computer readout that calculates the calories. She looks from entree to entree, sizing up the calories on each, until she sees the 100 calorie cereal.

That's me. It was easy to train myself to estimate calories. I just carried a calorie book around for awhile and looked up everything I ate and also looked at the nutritional panel the food packages. Within a few short weeks I found that I could estimate a calorie count to within 25 - 50 calories.

Not perfect, but good enough to keep me from eating those "few bites a day" that can add up to weight gain over the course of months or years.

Holidays are over

2005-01-05T18:34:00.000-06:00

I made it through the holidays again without gaining a pound, but I still enjoyed great food.

The biggest misconception I run into is that others think I must only eat "rabbit" food to control my weight. And, I don't think they believe me when I tell them that's far from the case. I control my calorie intake using a variety of methods that include controlling my blood sugar, smart snacking and simply being aware of how much I'm eating and whether I'm full or not.

What the others are too busy to notice is that while they are shoveling their second or third helpings into their faces, I'm sitting there watching them. I've already finished and I'm waiting for the "full" feeling to come before I stuff any more food in there.

But, they still can't figure out why they just can't lose those stubborn pounds. Hmmm....

Welcome to my blog

2004-12-01T00:39:00.000-06:00

A few years ago I lost weight and I have kept it off. Like others, my turning point came when I hopped onto a scale and was shocked. I suddenly became very interested in shedding the pounds that I was beginning to think would never come off.

My interest led me in several directions and I learned quite a few things that were helpful in my weight loss.

I wrote a book, which is available on Amazon.com, with the same name as this blog. I hope that with my book and this blog I can help others find their way to weight control. Learning what you need to know is one thing, but making the decisions that you need to make on a daily basis from now until the end is another entirely.

My book can provide you with the basic knowledge that I use everyday to control my weight. This blog will provide you with the daily challenges I face each day. As the old saying goes, if I can do it, you can to0.