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!

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.

Places I've Vanquished

Below is a list of all the places I have vanquished in the past month and a half.

Stevi B's Pizza
McDonald's
La Parilla
Marietta Diner
Burger King
Firehouse Subs
Subway
Pizza Hut
Willy's
Starbucks
All Star Pizza

So what does that mean, "vanquished"?  It means that I not only ate there, but I controlled my portions, made good choices, and in most cases took some food home with me.  In the past, if Cheryl and I ate out and we brought something hope with us, it was because it was poultry, and I couldn't eat it.  (In case you didn't know, I'm allergic to poultry...that's why they call it fowl.)

Not so anymore!  Every time I walk out of a restaurant know that I've eaten right, I know I've taken another step in the right direction.  All this different eating has changed my taste buds.

For the last few days, I've been craving...salad.  Salad!  Can you believe it?  I've also started to really have a taste for peppers.  Bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, green...any color), banana peppers, pepperoncinis, jalapenos, you name it!

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Have you had any small victories lately, like going to a restaurant and not over doing it?  Walking instead of sitting?  Water instead of Pepsi?

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.

Not That Scary

The other day I posted about my then upcoming employee physical. I was a little concerned about my health stats since it's been a long time since I've had them done.

Well, I had it today, and...not too bad.

My LDL and cholesterol were a little high, but my triglycerides were fine and my HDL was just a point off. Not bad for a fat guy. It still motivated me to want to get all my stats down within range.

At least she didn't call 911 when she saw my readings and start yelling things like "We need a CBC and chem 7 stat! Hang 2 more liters of O-!!" like they always do on TV.

Thanks to those of you that were concerned with me!

A Scary Day

Next week, I'm scheduled to do my yearly pseudo-physical for work. This year, we're being required to have a lipid panel and blood sugar checked. It's just a finger stick. No big deal, right?

I'm not worried about the stick. I have a pretty high pain tolerance.

The scary part is that I haven't had my lipids checked in a long time. I'm afraid that I might get my results back and they will just say:

Chol = cheeseburger

HDL = french fries

LDL = sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit

I guess we'll see next week!

Oh, and let me clarify. We're not really being "required" to have our lipids and blood sugar done. But if we don't get it done our insurance will cost us $2o more per pay period.

What's your cholesterol?

A Simple Failure to Communicate

When we moved to Atlanta, we left all of our friends and family back in Texas. A few months after we had settled in, I struck up a conversation with a guy who had recently relocated from Long Island to Atlanta.

After talking a bit, I found out that his family was still in New York and that he worked right across the street from me at the Home Depot corporate office. To top it off, we had several common interests. I could only imagine how tough it would have been if I would have had to move to Atlanta ahead of my family, so I decided on a whim to give him one of my business cards and an open invitation for lunch or dinner. I was pleasantly surprised when he contacted me a couple of days later about dinner.

We exchanged a couple of emails, and that's where it happened. Here's a segment of the conversation.

Me: ...we'll see you about 6:00 then.

Him: Would you like me to bring a pie? I can pick one up at Costco's after work.

Me: Sure, a pie would be great!

Him: What kind of pie do you guys like?

Me: I like chocolate, but I'm not a fan of pecan. Cheryl likes anything.

Him: Uhhh...I usually prefer pepperoni...

So, apparently, "up there" in New York, pie can mean pizza. If that's true, what do they call "real" pie?

Have you ever had a "regional translation error"?

You Should Be As Excited As I Am

My wife started a blog!!

Okay...I actually started it. But that's beside the point. This blog is going to be a place for her to put all those recipes that everyone is always asking for! Isn't that exciting?

Also, she doesn't really know it yet, but she's going to put some of her craft-i-est ideas on the blog as well!

Aren't you just jazzed?

Click here to let the eating begin!!

Trivial Trivia

While I was born in the 60's (just barely), having graduated from high school in '87 I'm a child of the 80's. Tonight we went to a local restaurant, ate dinner, and played some trivia. The final bonus question was right up my alley.

Name the band that recorded these 80's hair band songs:

We're Not Gonna Take It
Rock You Like A Hurricane
Cherry Pie
18 and Life
Unskinny Bop
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Girls, Girls, Girls
Round and Round
When the Children Cry
Love Bites

We only missed one (I said it, but everyone said they didn't hear me say the answer). How many can YOU get without looking them up?

Some Good Eatin'

My wife is a great cook. Obviously, my mom is too. My in-laws are not too shabby, either. There's lots of good cooks in my family. I can't hold a candle to any of them. I mean, hey, I've messed up macaroni and cheese (but that's another story).

But there's one thing I can cook: chili. I make a mean chili. I've actually won 3 chili cook-offs!! (Of course, two where at church and one at work, but still...)

The recipe started life as my Aunt Audeen's Winter Chili recipe. I took that wonderful base and morphed it into a work of art. The only drawback is that it makes a LOT. A whole lot. For me, that's not a problem. I have a big 8-quart cooker that I use. You can try to half the recipe, but I say just go buy a big cooker. You'll want lots of it!

Below is the recipe. Pretty simple to make. Mostly just chopping vegetables and opening cans. The secret is in the spices. Start with what is listed below, and then just season it how you like.

Another thing is to cook it two to three hours, but not much more. If you cook it too long, it kind of wimps out. Less than that, and everything doesn't flavor up like it should.

Last thing: eat it with a dab of cheese, sour cream if you're into that kind of thing, and some high quality tortilla chips.

Let me know if you liked it.

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2 tbs vegetable oil
4 lbs ground beef
4 bell peppers (different colors)
1 large onion
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cans ranch style beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans whole kernel corn
2 cans ranch style beans w/jalapeno
2 cloves garlic
3 tsp black pepper
4 tsp chili powder
3 tsp cayenne pepper
5 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp cumin

Brown the meat. Chop up all the vegetables and lightly sauté them. Open the cans. Do not drain. Throw everything into a giant cooker and stir. You may need to add 1 – 2 cups of water, depending on how wet your canned vegetables are - just make sure that it is wet when you start cooking. Make sure you don't have any tomato paste globs. Cook for approximately 2 hours on medium heat.