Addiction, Addition, and Additives

(UP FRONT DISCLAIMER: I by no means intend to make light of drug and alcohol addiction. My family has dealt with both, and chemical addiction is no laughing matter.)

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These are a few of my favorite things:

Favorite food: cheeseburger (preferably with mustard, pickles, and jalapenos)
Favorite other food: steak (medium rare)
Favorite other other food: anything made from potatoes that does not involve the liver of an animal

Those of you that have been with me since we started this journey (see The Seven Commandments to catch up), already know that one of the main mountains in life that I am attempting to climb is weight loss. Like I said before, my metabolism is such that, in the event of a nuclear winter, I will be the last man standing.

Now, here's the deal...and you may have already thought of this...but dealing with a bad eating habit is really, really tough. You may be saying, "But Aaron, it's not like food has addictive substances in it like drugs do." That may or may not be true, but consider this:

Let's say I am a smoker. Then one day, I decide to quit, and with the help of Chantix, I do. I never buy another pack or smoke another cigarette again. Great!!

Now, let's pretend I am addicted to (insert drug name here). Then I get help, and through much adversity, I get clean. I never touch (insert drug name here) again. Fantastic!!

Finally, let's apply that to my current problem:

One day I get serious about weight loss. So I set my mind to making a change, and I never eat another bite... Hold on!!

You have to eat!!

Asking a habitual overeater to "cut back" is very similar to telling an alcoholic, "You really ought to quit drinking so much. Let's just keep to one beer in the morning and two in the afternoon. Okay?"

I'm giving it my best go. For example, I am blogging right now instead of eating the yogurt I was going to grab earlier.

Yum...yogurt...gotta go!

Favorite Comedy of All Time

So, just for experiment's sake, I put a little poll in the sidebar of my blog with just a few choices for favorite movie. I've now dumped that poll and put up a new one with a little bit more extensive list and specifically focused on Comedy.

This is a list of some of my favorites, plus some that I pulled off of "Top 25" lists, etc. By the way, for my younger readers, I am not endorsing or recommending any movie listed. I also purposefully stayed away from newer movies. I believe that "There's Something About Mary" is the newest movie and it is now 10 years old. Please note they are listed alphabetically...no favoritism there from me!

If your favorite movie is not in the list, then please stick it in a comment. If your favorite movie IS in the list, feel free to still drop a comment about why, or what that particular movie means to you.

This isn't just a filler blog to me. I always think it is interesting to hear what appeals to people, and why.

The poll is over on the right. Vote away!!

Rhythm & Hues - It Rocks

Hey!! Here's a link to the AJC (Atlanta's major paper). There's a cool article about the coffeehouse venue we have at the church I attend. Once a month...hold on, just read the article. It tells you everything!

Rhythm & Hues

Thanks. Just wanted to give them a plug.

Independence Day and Overeating

Well, you may or may not have read my last post, but suffice it to say that I am trying to eat more healthily. I have to say, though, that to me, the 4th of July = Independence...and independence = hot dogs. That's right, hot dogs. Perro calientes.

My son's birthday is tomorrow, (happy birthday Nathanael), so we had a little party for him today. And, of course, I grilled hot dogs. All beef, because I am allergic to chicken, and lots o' them.

On those hot dogs I put mustard and my wife's homemade jalapeno pickle relish. Yum, yum!! Let's see...today I broke 3 of the 7 rules. Not bad. But, hey, it is a holiday! Calories are free on holidays, right?!?!

Also, as a gentle reminder about fireworks safety, please view the following video from my pals (I don't really know them, just exchanged a couple of emails), Rhett and Link.

Freelance Fireworks Hall of Fame

Have a great 4th weekend!

The Seven Commandments

I think I am going to try them again. The Seven Commandments, I mean.

Just as God gave Moses 10 Commandments, he gave Aaron (me, not Moses' brother) these Seven Commandments. These seven commandments (or laws, if you will) are something that I used before to lose weight. I didn't stick with it, though, so of course, what weight I had lost I gained back.

Without further ado, here they are:

The SEVEN COMMANDMENTS!!!

1. Thou shalt eateth modest portions - of seconds, thou shalt haveth noneth
2. Thou shalt NOT partake of the sweet drinks - sugar shall be as the dung of the camel to thee
3. Thou shalt NOT eateth sweets or desserteths
   
4. When the 9th hour has past, NO MORE shall passeth your lips until the cock crows at the rising of the sun
   
5. Fast Food shall be far from thy mouth, as the East is from the West
6. Thou shalt eateth healthy snacks, but thou shalt NOT grazeth
7. Honor the Sabbath and keepeth it holy by eatingeth whatever you want
   

Sounds easy, right? Hard-e-har-har.

Losing weight has always been difficult for me. I have a great metabolism...if you are trying to survive a nuclear winter.

My ultimate plan is to lose 100+ pounds, write a book about it, get rich, then maintain my new figure with expensive surgeries and highly paid personal trainers.

But seriously...I've put it out here on the entire WWW for everyone (both of you) to read, so I have a high degree of accountability. Maybe this will be a subject I blog on periodically.

Well better go. I need a snack!