It's Time To Face the Facts

It's been about 10 months since I did a "real" post on this blog. If you are still subscribed to this blog and you're NOT subscribed to my NEW blog, this post is for you.


I encourage you to consider making the transition to my new website if


A) you're interested in health and fitness
B) you know someone that could stand to lose a few pounds
C) you could stand to lose a few pounds
C) you like finding new recipes
D) you know someone that knows someone that could stand to lose a few pounds
E) you ever discouraged about your fitness
F) you eat food regularly


If any of those, A-F, describe you, then jump on over to 1 Meal - 1 Workout and check it out. Not only do I blog over there fairly regularly, I also do a weekly podcast! I think you'll enjoy it.


I expect this will be my last post on this blog...for all your support and reading of Aaroneous Findings...I thank you!

1 Meal / 1 Workout

Hey guys!  I've started up a new website.  I'll be doing most of my posts that are related to health and exercise, as well all the details about any upcoming events I'm planning.

Check it out!  Subscribe if you like.

Thanks!

So How Does One Get REALLY Fat?

"So how does one get REALLY fat?"

This was the question posed to me by one of my close friends.  I just officially past the "100 lbs lost" mark, and we were discussing health in general.

"I mean, as you got bigger and had to buy bigger clothes didn't you realize there's a problem?"

Of course.  But it's a little more complex than that.

When you're fat you don't like to go clothes shopping. At least I didn't.  It's not an enjoyable experience to be confronted with the reality of your situation.  For me, it would usually go like this.

I would put off clothes shopping as long as possible.  As I gained weight, my clothes would do their best to accommodate me.  Shirts would get stretched out, buttons on pants would loosen...or pop off.  You get the picture.

Eventually I would be forced to shop.  Either because I literally did not have enough clothes to make it through the week, or I had a wedding or other event coming up.  When I ultimately made it to the store, I'd find out that I crept up a size...or two.  Each time, one step at a time, I progressed down that unhealthy path.  44 inch pants turned into 46s...2X shirts to 3X...

The problem is that by the time you're in the Big & Tall Store trying to buy pants, you can't just say, "Hey!  Whoa!!  Hold the phone!  I believe that I may have gained some weight.  I'm not buying any clothes today.  I'm going to go lose some weight and THEN come back and buy some clothes."  You're at the store, you need the clothes or you wouldn't be there, so you buy the clothes that fit.

Lather, rinse, repeat. It's a vicious cycle. In my case, this was perpetuated by an incorrect body image.

Most of the time when people think about weight issues and body image, they think about bulimia or anorexia.  People that see themselves as fat when they really aren't. Mine was the opposite.  It wasn't really that I was in denial, per se, but every time that I saw a picture of myself, I was surprised at how fat I was.  In my mind's eye, my body image was such that I saw myself 75-100 lbs lighter than I actually was.

So how DOES one get really fat?

Simple.  Avoid buying clothes as long as possible so that you aren't confronted with the weight you've gained in a quantifiable way.

That's what I did, and it worked for years!  By the way...I don't recommend it.

Set Yourself Up for Success

So...snacks.

I like snacks.

Tonight, I really wanted a snack.  I looked in the pantry for something crunchy and taste-filled.  We had a few bags of chips, some crackers, cheese.  I considered eating a few of these delicacies, but while I was trying to make my decision, I spotted something else.

Crystal Light!  A-ha!  No calories...and tasty! I looked in the fridge and found another treasure:  some kind of fresh, sweet bell pepper. With an almost zero-calorie snack combo, I was set!

So what was the secret of my successful snackage?  Preparation.

Having decent snacks/drinks in the house makes it SO much easier to make a good decision.  If I hadn't had the Crystal Light and/or the peppers, I probably would have had something not-quite-so-good for me.  In fact, I guarantee it.

Do you keep healthy snacks in your kitchen?  How about at the office?  I recommend it.  I know this isn't rocket science, but give yourself good options.  Set yourself up for success.

1/3 of the Way

In case you haven't heard, I've passed the 50 lb mark on my journey to health.  That's a third of the way to my mark.  I'm 10 weeks into the process.  I'm committed to my plan - both the exercise and the eating - but like all lifestyle changes, some days are easier than others.

It's strange.  I don't really miss any particular food or drink.  I don't really miss Dr. Pepper or sweet tea.  I don't even miss eating lots of double-meat cheese burgers.  But, sometimes I just want to eat.  A lot.

I had one of those moments yesterday evening.  I had dinner, but an hour later I wanted to eat again.  Rule #1 of my three rules saved me.

#1)  Am I really hungry?

As I was digging through the refrigerator and the pantry trying to find something to eat, I asked myself the question.  "Am I really hungry?"

The answer was, "No."

I walked away.  Victory!

Later that evening, when I really was hungry, I had a little light popcorn.  Fantastic.

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Next time you're staring into the yawning abyss of the frig (or the pantry), ask yourself the question.  See what happens.

I'm Something of an Expert

There's few things in life that I claim to be an expert about.  One of those few things is hamburgers.   I know hamburgers.  Home grilled, fast food, and everything in between.  It's absolutely my favorite food.

I have definite ideas on what constitutes a good home grilled burger, and there are a couple of restaurants that make great burgers (Hello, Jucy's!) that should not be classified as "fast food".

I've never tried to do this, but I guarantee you that I could demolish a blind taste test of the most popular fast food burgers.  If you blindfolded me and gave me a bite of a McDonald's burger, a Wendy's burger, a Burger King burger, a Krystal Burger burger (too easy), a Whataburger burger, a Jack-in-the-Box burger, a Sonic hamburger, a Braum's burger, and a Steak n' Shake burger, a couple of things would happen.  First of all, I would be full. Second, I think I could identify each one.

In my opinion, with few exceptions, the best way to eat a hamburger is with double-meat, cheese (which, of course, technically makes it a cheeseburger), mustard, and pickles.  That's all.   If you start adding lettuce, tomato, onions, and other things, it begins to mask the real taste of the MEAT, which, after all  is what a burger is really all about. Do NOT be tempted to put bacon on your burger.  Bacon is perfect by itself, and should not be mixed with any other flavor unnecessarily. 

Then take that burger, and dip it into ketchup.  One bite at a time. Do not put the ketchup ON the burger.  Dip the burger IN the ketchup.  Don't knock it till you try it.  I'm an expert.

Of all the fast food burgers I listed above, my favorite is Sonic's Super Sonic Cheeseburger, which is their double-meat quarter-pounder.  Before I said that double-meat, cheese, pickles and mustard, dipped in ketchup is the perfect way to eat a burger.  This is the one exception:  jalapeños.  Sonic's Super Sonic JALAPEÑO Cheeseburger is a work of art.  Sonic's jalapeños have the best flavor, and just the right amount of heat.

For the past day and a half, I've had a nagging craving for something.  I tried a bunch of different things: strawberries, Cheetos, cheese.  Nothing did it.  It has been six weeks or so since I had a "real burger", so this evening I decided to "jump off the wagon" and get a Super Sonic Jalapeño Cheeseburger.

Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what I'm craving!  Right?

I will admit.  The burger tasted great.  Really, REALLY, great.  The problem?  After about 4 bites, I was over it.  I finished it.  I couldn't waste a Super Sonic Jalapeño Cheeseburger.  I just couldn't do it.

Afterwards, I wished I hadn't eaten it. I didn't feel guilty.  I felt cheated.

The burger was good.  But the problem was that it wasn't good enough for me to justify the calories and fat.  The promise of how good the burger would taste didn't justify the calories.  And the fat.  And the sugar.

I enjoyed the burger, but now I actually enjoy eating healthy even more.  It's not even about taste.  It's that it makes me feel better.  Physically as well as how I feel ABOUT myself.

So when your favorite (not-so-good-for-you) food whispers "eat me" in your ear, ask yourself the following question.  "How will I really feel after I've eaten this?"

I wish I would have asked myself that question.

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One last note...  I know there many other burgers out there I didn't mention:  White Castle, In-and-Out, etc.  I was just focusing on the ones that have been local to where I've lived.  Sorry.

It's Poison!!!!!!!

Today one of my coworkers brought a beautiful cake to work to share with everyone.  It was some kind of three layer white cake with extra fancy icing and shaved white chocolate on top.  It was gorgeous.  Everyone said it tasted great.  I ate a little sliver of white chocolate.


Later in the day, one of my other coworkers (who also has been very encouraging to me in my weight loss, by the way) was getting a piece of cake and asked me how my "willpower was doing" with that cake sitting about twenty feet away from me.


I told her, "No problem.  I'm not really tempted at all.  It's got too much sugar.  That's like asking me if I'm tempted to drink poison,  Sugar is my enemy."


"Really?" she asked.


"It's dead to me," I replied.


I know that may sound a little drastic, and I was joking (mostly), but I really wasn't tempted.  It didn't pass my three rule test.  It has been very interesting to find my entire relationship with food has changed.

Healthier Is Possible

Due to some unforeseen circumstances this weekend, we ended up eating out a couple of times that we hadn't planned on.  Usually when we eat out, it's fast food.  Burgers and fries, Taco Bell, or maybe a sub sandwich.  Before, my plan was always to get the most food for my money.  The bigger the better.  But now, I eat differently.  Here's a couple of examples.

SUBWAY BEFORE:
12" Meatball sub on wheat with salt & pepper, oregano, cheese, mustard, pickles, and black olives
1460 calories (300 for a soft drink)

SUBWAY NOW:
6" roast beef on 9 grain whole wheat with s[icy mustard, pepper jack cheese, cucumber, banana peppers, black olives, pickles (lots and lots of pickles), bell pepper, salt (just a little) and pepper (a little more), and LOTS of oregano
420 calories


McDONALDS BEFORE:
Double quarter-pounder with cheese and large fries
1240 calories (230 for sweet tea)

McDONALDS AFTER:
McDouble and small fries
620 calories

Today I had Arby's.  We love Arby's.  In the past I would get the LARGE roast beef sandwich with a  LARGE order of curly fries.  Add in a LARGE Dr. Pepper, and you have around 1,500 calories and a LARGE Aaron.  (And I would usually finish Nathanael's, too.)

I got a medium roast beef sandwich today, and only ate half the bun (which is where half the calories and all the sugar resides).  My fries were also a medium, and I only ate half of them as well.  I learned my lesson.  I would have been satisfied with a small.

I'm beginning to understand that while it may be impossible to eat "healthy" everywhere, it is possible to make healthIER choices.

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So, I'm encouraging you (and myself), if you have to eat out tomorrow, make healthier choices, no matter where you go!