Determined To Succeed

Earth. Look at it. When we take a step back she is beautiful (that is when we aren’t completely killing her with oil spills, wars and deforestation – all blogs for another day). All of us have been taught how over 70% percent of the earth’s surface (71% to be more exact) is covered by water and how absolutely essential water is to maintain life on this fragile big blue marble spinning out in space.

Coming back a little closer to home today is Wednesday and you know what that means…mixed martial arts. As you know I’ve started taking mixed martial arts as a way to improve my overall fitness, tone up and hopefully lose the rest of the weight I need to get back to my original goal weight of 225 pounds. However, as I get my inner Daniel-san on, I am reminded of something extremely critical in any exercise regimen…the need for water. Today’s temperatures are going to exceed 95-degrees (yikes). With that in mind I thought it important to remind us all how important this amazing liquid is.

Even if today’s temps weren’t reaching surface-of-the-sun hot water is the most essential ingredient to a healthy life. Water has many important functions for the body including:

• Transportation of nutrients / elimination of waste products.
• Lubricating joints and tissues.
• Temperature regulation through sweating.
• Facilitating digestion.

Proper hydration is especially important during exercise and is essential to your comfort, performance and safety. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right kind of fluids. Studies have found that a loss of two or more percent of one’s body weight due to sweating is linked to a drop in blood volume. When this occurs, the heart works harder to move blood through the bloodstream. This can also cause muscle cramps, dizziness and fatigue and even heat illnesses including heat exhaustion (the body’s response to dehydration and an excessive loss of water and salt through sweat which typically occurs after long periods of heat exposure) and heat stroke (a serious medical emergency in which the body’s cooling systems stop working and the core temperature can rise to dangerous levels. Symptoms of heat stroke include hot, dry skin, lack of sweating, a very fast pulse, confusion and perhaps seizures or coma. If untreated, heat stroke can be fatal).

There are several main causes of dehydration:

• Inadequate fluid intake
• Excessive sweating
• Failure to replace fluid losses during and after exercise
• Exercising in dry, hot weather
• Drinking only when thirsty

Because there is wide variability in the individual length and intensity of exercise, sweat rates, losses and hydration levels of individuals, it is nearly impossible to provide specific recommendations or guidelines about the type or amount of fluids people should consume while working out. There are, however, two simple methods of estimating adequate hydration:

1. Monitoring urine volume output and color. A large amount of light colored, diluted urine probably means you are hydrated; dark colored, concentrated urine probably means you are dehydrated.
2. Weighing yourself before and after exercise. Any weight lost is likely from fluid, so try to drink enough to replenish those losses. Any weight gain could mean you are drinking more than you need.

Also, while specific fluid recommendations aren’t possible due to each individual’s variability, most people can use the following guidelines as a starting point, and modify their fluid needs accordingly.

Hydration Before Exercise

• Drink about 15-20 fl oz, 2-3 hours before exercise
• Drink 8-10 fl oz 10-15 min before exercise

Hydration During Exercise

• Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10-15 min during exercise
• If exercising longer than 90 minutes, drink 8-10 fl oz of a sports drink (with no more than 8 percent carbohydrate) every 15 – 30 minutes.

Hydration After Exercise

• Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses.
• Drink 20-24 fl oz water for every 1 lb lost.
• Consume a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores.

And class, just so we have it all straight and know what to look for, here is a list of the early symptoms and most common signs of heat exhaustion:

• nausea
• dizziness
• weakness
• headache
• pale, cool and moist skin
• fast and weak pulse
• disorientation.
• paleness
• muscle cramps
• tiredness
• fainting

If heat exhaustion is left untreated, it may lead to heat stroke. The key difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion is the presence of confusion and other mental status changes during heat stroke. During heat stroke, the neurological system is affected and can cause odd behavior, delusions, hallucinations, and eventually seizures or a coma.

IMPORTANT:  At the first signs of heat exhaustion, you should stop activity and cool the body by seeking shade, shelter or a cool room, and drinking cold fluids.

MOST IMPORTANT: Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe.

Ok, my friends, there you have today’s lesson on the importance of water. As we all get ready for an incredibly hot day, no matter whether exercising or not, make sure you get plenty of water. Not only is it the best way to keep your body healthy, it’s also nature’s original soft drink.

You ever have one of those days where the wind is taken out of your sails? Yesterday was like that for me. I am doing my best to keep this weight off and I gain some back. I send out a small business contest entry only to find out I was not selected as a finalist. I sent out a press pitch that was (very nicely) denied. I have to spend a little more money than I planned this coming week – money I don’t really have. Not end-of-my-world type stuff but stuff that, nonetheless, deflated me a bit.

As I am an emotional eater this is a HUGE trigger for me. It is exactly times like this that make me want something sweet, something comforting and something really bad for me. What kind of stuff do you ask? Well….take your pick. Hostess cupcakes come to mind. Chinese food. You know, my usual stand-by comfort foods. And they lurk nearby, predators waiting to pounce on a weak and wounded animal.

In fighting this “battle of the final ten,” the last ten pounds I need to re-lose to get back to my goal weight, I admit I get tired. I have been struggling to re-lose this weight for so long I can both taste victory and see it just far enough away to make me wonder I will ever get there. Another wind taken from my sails. And when I have days like yesterday, combined with it being all icky, grey and rainy outside, I really want to go off the wagon and fill my belly with yummy-tasting food stuffs to ease that deflated feeling inside.

So I got myself together and went to the store. As I entered and the electric doors parted for me I remembered something. I remembered a few things actually:

1)      I remembered that, while it is harder to lose weight and make good choices, I am so worth those good choices and effort.

2)      I will not re-reach my goal the more I give in to my triggered comfort foods.

3)      The more I select foods that are good for me I can maintain not only portion control but a healthier diet as well.

4)      Weaning myself from foods that are bad, especially sweets, I curtail that snacky “need” and “taste” I feel at night.

So yesterday, instead of giving into the easy and quick I chose vegetables, fruits and chicken instead of the delicious-looking Hostess cakes, Tastycakes, candy bars and chips so readily nearby. I chose to buy that chicken and veggies to make meals for not just lunch and dinner yesterday, but also lunch and dinner today, too. And I maintained my resolve yea though I walked through the valley of the shadow of snacks for a feared no evil, for it was my choice, as it is always, what I put into my body. And it should be, and was, good.

A very wise person once told me to stop eating crap, stop eating out and that cooking at home is a far better, cheaper and healthier alternative. And you know something, they are exactly right. It is better. And when the wonderful smells and delicious aromas of cooking foods fill the kitchen you know you have done right not only by your pocket book but by yourself, too.

And that is exactly the kind of success we all need to put the wind back in those sails to keep on sailing.

Happy Monday, my friends. Let’s start this week off with a basic refresher science lesson. I know, I know. “It’s too early in the week for physics and I haven’t had my coffee yet.” But stick with me. This one’s easy…

You guys have heard of Newton’s First Law of Motion, right? Newton’s First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force.

The southern New Jersey and Philadelphia areas have had rain since yesterday, with more rain expected tomorrow. It’s cool (somewhere in the 40s) and the skies have a light grey look to them. Drops of rain gently hit puddles of collected water in the streets outside creating small ripples colliding with other competing small ripples and you can hear the wet rolling of the tires on cars as they drive by on the street.  In general, this is a blah day indeed, perfect for just kicking-back, finding a good old movie on TCM or some such channel and curling up on the couch.

It is such a struggle on days like today to get up and get moving. My body, which has pretty much just woken up, still feels “at rest” and would be more than happy to stay “at rest” and let today be spent watching those drops of rain hit puddles, stay under the covers or on the couch while listening to the wet car wheels roll by as I mentioned above. In other words, my body would be more than happy not to have an outside force (me getting up to exercise) cause it to lose its “at rest” status.

Because I am human, rainy days are perfect examples of when I fight the urge NOT get up and exercise.

It would be so easy to justify not getting up, putting on my gym clothes and working out on the elliptical. I’d blame it on the rain (oh, great! Now I’ve got a Milli Vanilli song going through my head!) and say to myself “I’ll just get up and workout doubly hard tomorrow.” Sound familiar? I know it does to me. I can’t tell you how many times in my fat life I’ve said those words. And I’m not saying I won’t ever say them again. I am human, after all. I just won’t say them today because on the good news front, thanks to some smart eating choices, cutting out soda (yes, including my beloved ice-cold Cokes) and exercising, I survived the weekend and am back to 236.5. Just eleven pounds to go before my goal weight is re-achieved.

With that in mind I am willing my body to be “in motion.” I am telling myself to get up and get moving. This weight ain’t gonna lose itself and even though it is a perfect, lazy rainy day I will get up and stay in motion at a constant velocity and will not be acted upon by the outside force of me wanting to be lazy and not workout today. I am going to get my workout “on” and will do my 4 miles on the elliptical, push-ups, sit-ups, weight machines and dumbbells. I will stay on my downward trend.

See, science and physics are not too terribly bad on a Monday, are they? Well, at least as reminders to get up and get moving to achieve a weight loss goal.

Because I write a weight loss column (and am a freelance writer) for the Courier-Post newspaper in southern New Jersey I get to do a few very cool things. For example, I got to cover the Pearl Jam concerts closing down Philadelphia’s beloved Spectrum sports and concert venue. It was very cool being with these photographers from other papers who had their thousand-dollar cameras that each had thousand-dollar lenses taking pictures of the band while I am there with my simple point-and-shoot digital camera – the kind you take on vacation – taking photos this/close to Eddie Vedder. Amazing.

Another of the cool things I get to do is interview people who can offer insight into weight loss. I’ve interviewed personal trainers, doctors and other “big loser” weight loss success stories – all of whom I hope help my readers find the motivation to start or continue a weight loss journey.

Yesterday, I did something daring and bold. I decided I wanted to do an interview with two people very close to public pulse of weight and weight loss. Dr. Sanford Siegal (creator of the famed “Cookie Diet”), who has decided to dig into his own pocket to pay Donna Simpson of New Jersey the sum of $50,000 (!) if she agrees to stop trying to get to her 1,000-pound weight goal and start losing. And Donna Simpson, herself. I’ve written about her before. This woman has a desire to become the “fattest woman in the world,” and is well on her way to doing it. Currently weighing between 600-700 pounds she consumes 12,000 (that’s right – 12,000) calories a day to get to her goal weight. I want to interview her to hear for myself WHY she wants to slowly eat herself to death. WHY she wants to get to such a point she can’t function on her own anymore. WHY she wants to not be able to leave her own house, tend to her poor children who have to see her do this to herself thanks to an enabling husband, and most importantly WHY she wants this kind of attention on herself for GAINING the weight you, me and everyone on a weight loss journey struggle to lose every single day.

I may be off my rocker but when I think of “goal weight” I think of actually trying to LOSE weight and set healthy weight goals. Like losing 5, 10, 20, 50 pounds, maybe more. Not gain the equivalent to two-times the amount of weight I lost to finally get to my weight loss goal. That’s, quite simply, crazy talk and I want to hear from her mouth (I can’t quite bring myself to say horse’s mouth since she’s eating like one) her reasons for doing this.

I have to admit it’s hard trying to remove my personal feelings from the questions I am devising for this woman as I have to retain a level of distance between myself and the subject. But I can’t help but be passionate about not only her seemingly lame-brained weight goal but also her seemingly intentional need for attention using a perverted, reverse cry for help. Like she’d be somehow invisible without it all. Is this a cry for help? Does she want to not be in this situation (her life, relationship, be a mom, etc.) and this is how she sees getting out of it? Does she want this attention and would she try to get to this goal without it?Does she even have any self-esteem and/or respect left? Might you want to lose it once you’ve gotten to 1,000 pounds? And, if so, do you think that will be as easy as packing the weight on?

I have so many questions because I think it’s important to keep your head on straight when it comes to weight loss, and this woman and her “goal” is scary for two reasons. One, this WILL and IS getting her the attention she wants. And yes, I am included in that. Two – there might be people out there so weak-minded (and not in a cruel way just in a lost way) that might say “hey, I need and want attention, too, so I’ll do this too.” But while I am part of that media circus surrounding this story I also do it do say to all my readers “DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME! THIS IS STUPID! THE HUMAN BODY WAS NEVER MADE TO WEIGH 1,000 POUNDS AND IF YOU DO THAT YOU ARE EATING YOURSELF TO DEATH!”

Yesterday I wrote about a dear friend in Chicago struggling to help save the life of one of her dear friends, “Elle,” who doesn’t want to address her own weight loss and health issues, and how that is killing her. How my friend’s friends have all given up and are willing to turn a blind eye to Elle who obviously is feeling so far gone it’s too late. But it’s not too late, neither for Elle or for Donna Simpson. I go back to my own weight loss tenets:

TELL EVERYONE to build a support system and to hold yourself more accountable

WHEN YOU CAN, PURGE YOUR “FAT CLOTHES” to give yourself no way back to being larger

LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TO START AND BE BE FORGIVING OF YOURSELF TO CONTINUE

KNOW THIS WILL TAKE TIME – Sustained weight loss and maintenance should and will be a part of your life for the rest of your life.

KNOWING YOU ARE WORTH IT TO MAKE THE TIME – You are so worth this effort and work, and you are so worth the rewards you will see on your journey.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Keeping these in mind can and does help. Believe me, and I use them myself every day in my quest to re-achieve my weight loss goal of 225 pounds. And as of today I am down a pound. And as hard as that pound was to take off I will continue to whittle down, pound by precious pound, my number. It is that important. Quality of life is that important. And while I am no where naive enough to think the questions of one freelance reporter amount to a hill of beans in this crazy weight-gaining world, maybe the collective questions from us all, the offer from that doctor and the eyes of her own children will be enough to have her stop this insanity and return to the land of the living.

We will see. Stay tuned…

A Blank Page.

That’s how it all begins. A clean slate. A nothingness staring back at you as you look at it almost willing something to write itself. It never does. It’s up to us to do that.

Did you guys see “Terminator 2: Judgment Day?” At the end of it a big deal is made about the future being like road travelled at night, where you head toward a destination without necessarily seeing the destination. Also, how the future is not set and that you make the future based on your actions now.

More on those things later.

I actually did much better this weekend in terms of eating. I am at 233.8, so a mere eight pounds above my target goal weight which makes me happy. I controlled the amount of food I ate, didn’t overload on other unnecessary stuff like pop (that’s a soda to you non-Midwesterners) or candy bars and exercised smarter (breaking up my usual routine by doing exercises on new machines).

As you guys start your week I want to tell you about a letter I received from someone yesterday who was down because of her weight.  She knows it’s the sheer quantity of what she eats that’s making her gain weight, however she can’t seem to stop eating so much. Like yours truly, she stress eats but can’t figure out how to stop. Almost like a pre-determined destiny. But I will tell you what I told her – and yes, it all goes back to “T2.”

The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves. I know in my heart weight loss and how I deal with it is what I make of it. I know that I determine my own weight loss destiny by being the one who decides what I put into my mouth, how much of it I consume and how much I exercise. My future isn’t set and neither is hers and I encouraged her to take some time and examine the reasons WHY she eats so much when stressed. And when she does eat to slow down and give the brain enough time to recognize the body is being fed. And finally, I suggested she print out a copy of the letter she wrote to me as motivation so she could physically see – on paper – her determination to succeed in weight loss.

So I start this week as we all do, as a blank slate. I have that live appearance today on Philadelphia’s CBS affiliate station, CBS3, at Noon Eastern Time.  I know I have mucho writing to do but nothing out of the ordinary. And like you guys I worry about the future. I always have to keep in mind, though, the food actions I take because they all have an effect on my body. Above all the food is the feeling I get knowing my waist size begins now with a 3 and not with a 5. That kind of s&%t keeps me going, man. It really does.

And I know my new friend will do it, too. How do I know this? Because I have faith in her. I have faith in the words she wrote me. The words on the page helping to keep her focused on her goal. The words that all started from feelings in her heart…

…and from her own blank page.

I am sitting at my computer so happy I could shout. My best friend, Mike, and his wife had a bouncing baby boy last night and I’m beside myself with joy for them! So a huge shout out to them today.

And while it may not be a Chicago-like blizzard we’re getting socked with snow here in southern New Jersey pretty hard. It’s pretty cool, though, actually. At least I think so. I was getting reports yesterday on Twitter and Facebook of “runs” at the stores for the usual stuff – milk, bread, survival supplies. Bah. Like this stuff won’t melt…

…oh well. People, it ain’t “THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW” so chill.

Heh, chill. I kill me sometimes.

It’s funny, though. When I got the news about Mike I was so happy I just wanted to eat something. Is that weird? Maybe it was my adrenaline going full-tilt as I got the news from our friend, Sue, but my first instinct was to grab a bite. Hmmmm…..I totally admit to having a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter and jelly, too after hearing the news about Mike’s baby.

Also last night I was watching a movie I had never seen before, “Unforgiven.” It’s a pretty great flick. I know, I know. I’m a little behind the times but I was never big into westerns as a film genre. As I watched this great flick (as I try to see all Best Picture Oscar winners when I can) I found myself munchy again. This time I ate on the last of the Clementine oranges I had in my fridge.

Man, I am so glad I didn’t have really bad snacks in the house. Watching the snow fall outside all hunkered down on the couch watching movies, as well as hearing great news about friends, made for some pretty strong snack cravings.

But I am at 232.3 today which is awesome. I am continuing to trend downward in my weight and it seems that “Bill Power” is working (ok, I know it was cheesy but I use the name when I can). Like I’ve always said seeing that lower number on my scale is better than gorging myself on Milky Ways, ice-cream (although I get a taste for that, too, when it snows for some reason), chocolate cake and more. And I am more than happy I cleaned out my supply of cold and tasty oranges as I watched my western “shoot-’em-up” thinking of being a new “uncle” and of wintry songs…

…let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.

However, I find it interesting to think about what seems to trigger “snack attacks.” Just something I am thinking about on this Saturday. So whether you’re getting ready for a weekend out and about or, if you live in the east like I do, staying inside because of the snow storm, be mindful of snacking. Even grabbing a soda is a snack (although that would be great too right about now. See, I am not immune to it, either).

But I am just trying to be good, watch what I eat, exercise and get back down to the sweetest snack of all…

…my goal weight realized.

Good Tuesday morning and welcome back! It was so awesome waking up this morning and seeing how many new visitors and friends checked out the website. Thank you, all. I really do hope everyone (new and frequent visitors alike) keeps coming back and finds this website a place to “hang out” and turn to when a dose of weight loss inspiration is needed because I am right there with you. I need that, too. Today I am down to 235.7 which is awesome as I am back to fighting the “Battle of the Final Ten” (the last ten pounds before I re-hit my goal weight of 225).

I swear it’s a struggle sometimes and it doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. Food is top-most on my mind. And how bad does that sound? I feel and sound like a junkie. Like yesterday, I was out and about and had the biggest taste for a Twinkie (I really have to watch myself with those). I even had a strange dream about being in some strange place (I knew it was strange because I NEEDED a taste of home) and went to the thing that reminded me of home most at that moment – a bakery. I asked for two cream cheese- and fruit-filled danishes, but they had the hardest time filling my order…

And why would a bakery have a hard time filling an order for something I saw in its display cases before I ordered it? Because it was the feelings surrounding it. I wanted a taste of home. I wanted to feel that comfort of foods from my childhood. Lately I’ve been missing my mom more and more and we used to go to the bakery every Sunday morning for sweet rolls and danishes to eat while reading the Sunday paper together. That’s been sticking in my head, fueling my taste for sweets – like Twinkies, Cinnabons and doughnuts.

But I mentioned the other day in my blog that sometimes we don’t need those foods, we just need friends and support around us to keep us happy and keep us going. I guess this was no exception even if it was just a dream. So I’m glad I recognized that “need” and resisted the urge to hunt down Twinkies (which you kind of have to do in the land of Tastycakes) and instead opted instead for a couple of clementine oranges.

Man, but what a whacked-out dream it was. It even made me wake up with a song in my head – the theme song from the 70s TV show “Welcome Back Kotter.” You remember the lyrics, don’t ya?

“Welcome back. Your dreams were your ticket out. Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about…”

Ugh! I’m gonna’ have to Google the thing just to get it out of my head. However, it’s ironic that song came to mind. The lyrics written by John Sebastian talk about friendship and how when people’s dreams seem lost it’s friends that can turn that around. That’s what you guys do for me every day. You all really do help keep me going, too, ya’ know. And I hope I do the same for you.

So I am waking up a bit stronger today and will be able to resist what foods are thrown my way. Whether they’re from the “gauntlet” (which is what I call that stretch of road that has all the fast food joints on it, one right after the other) or from the snack section of the grocery store I will keep you guys and this song on my mind because I want to sing that theme song and be able to apply it to my life, too. And while weight is no laughing matter I do want to look back to that same old place of having all that weight on me and know that with help and support I had a ticket out of it all to find my way here. As you all will. We will help each other. It’s a promise.

And I will apologize now you have the song stuck in your head all day, too.

Hey there, my friends. How is everyone on this Monday morning? Well, I hope. You must be asking yourself “Why is he so chipper?” Well, I just got back from working out and an egg and cheese wrap for breakfast. It was tasty and a good protein way to start my day. I have found that working out in the morning helps increase my activity during the day (and yes, gets it out of the way). As of today I am also within three pounds of re-reaching my goal weight of 225lbs and I am so happy.

But that is not why I am writing today.

I am writing to everyone today to let you guys know about a bit of holiday healing I did over the weekend. And it was all due to the snow that fell in the east on Saturday afternoon/evening. As I sat in the late afternoon watching the sky turn a beautiful, muted blue the snow was coming down in huge flakes. Neighbors of mine came out and were catching the flakes on their tongues. A neighbor dog ran and played (before it got a bit too cold). It was beautiful and just what I needed to help begin snapping the holiday funk I’ve been in.

Most of you know I lost my mom almost six months ago. When you lose someone time loses meaning. It has no definition. One minute it feels like an eternity has passed, the next minute it feels like yesterday. I have the coincidence of four major events in a row – Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas and my mom’s birthday – one right after the other. And during this time of year there is nothing like the sound of my mom’s voice saying “happy birthday, son” or just shootin’ the bull during the holiday season when the weather outside turns frightful.

The snow on Saturday helped me to “feel” the holidays for the first time this year. It reminded me to enjoy the season and its beauty. Like many people, there are days when all I want to do is hide. Crawl away and let the world pass by, like a train at the station. I don’t want to follow through the day’s routines, and I certainly don’t want to exercise or even deal with people. There are sooooooo many times when my couch comes a callin’ and it’s an irresistible call – especially when some good distracting TV is on.

My mom’s passing has been hard, as it is for all those who lose loved ones and have to “celebrate” the first holiday season, birthday, anniversary, etc. without them. I do my best to not let that funk get me down but it does. I am human. And when I get funky I tend to eat. But something happened last weekend. I didn’t overeat. I thought about not letting cancer beat me and my mom twice and I didn’t order Chinese food. I went to exercise yesterday morning.

I know that this is hard some days. Believe me, exercising and cutting back on certain foods is the pits especially when you’re blue. But know in your hearts you have come such a long way and you have done so well for yourself. I hope to keep that covenant to you, too, and stay as true as humanly possible to my weight loss journey as well.

So, my friends, take some of my strength today. Take some of those endorphins (or however you spell it) and energy that I mustered from working out today and use it to help you power through today. We are all in this together, even if you are also dealing with hurt and pain this holiday season. And if you need a word of encouragement I am here, too. Just drop me a line through this website.

No matter what, just know you are all amazing and like all of us on this weight loss journey, it’s OK to have the batteries run low every now and then.