Determined To Succeed

Sorry this blog is going to sound a bit scattered and cluttered. It’s just how I’m feeling today.

Back when I worked in the movie promotion “biz” I used to have piles on my desk at work because I never used to have much of a filing system. I used to place all my documents, etc. in one central stack (or a couple of stacks because one could easily topple) as my way of “knowing where everything is.” It was a scattered, distracted way of doing things, and this coming from a guy who always wanted (and still does want) to be successful. I always told myself “Oh, I’ll get to that later.” And the piles kept growing and me more distracted with them.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? What does that have to do with weight loss? Why tell you about that? Because I am so freaking distracted lately! I hate to say it but I am. Man! It’s like I have life ADD. For example, I could be throwing laundry in the washer but then I see a movie on TV and I start watching. Or I get started on something and then – poof – something grabs my attention on the internet. I could want to go workout but then I get sucked into the virtual world of which I spoke the other day.

And slowly I see my piles of stuff coming back – half-finished stacks of laundry or filed receipts or dust bunnies that need to be swept away. I feel like an old AM radio on which you just quite can’t get the station. The announcers are talking but the reception is all fuzzy with static.

Why do I have life ADD? Well, some of it is personal (I’ve been feeling distracted with thoughts of my mom, especially with Mother’s Day approaching followed closely by the one year anniversary of her death from pancreatic cancer) and some of it is professional (just trying to keep up with things I need to do and people I need to see to keep moving forward with this website and my writing).

I know I talk about the “Star Wars” movies a lot but there really is a quote in them for everything. In “The Empire Strikes Back” (which I can’t freaking believe is 30 years old already) Yoda is training Luke who has many questions because he’s anxious, young and very distracted. Yoda, in speaking about Luke, says “Always has this one looked away, to the future. Never his mind on where he was. Hmmm. What he was doing.”

Yoda’s right.

Sometimes distractions can be good – very good really – like planning trips and vacations to see family, or reconnecting with people to let them know you still care (even if it is 3 o’clock in the morning) or getting inspiration to write a weight loss blog even though you start the morning in a sleepy fog. It’s just the other distractions that are bad and those are what can keep you from your weight loss goal. This is what leads to me stress eating, binging and eating crap that’s no good for me. So today I will continue to be good with my eating (I am well on track to lose that pound by tomorrow) and stay focused.

It is easy to be lost. Lately I know exactly how that feels. But it’s OK. At the end of it all, underneath all those piles of goo that need to be filed is your focus, your goal. And you will get there.

Someone wise once said to me “ya know. If you clean off your desk and file things away you’d have more space to work.” And that is very true, even to this day. I need to focus on one thing at a time.

After all, these piles of crap won’t clear themselves away. Will they?

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Today’s blog is gonna be a fun two-parter – a “cliffhanger” of sorts, and I’m gonna have such fun writing it. Here we go…

Let’s take a trip in the way back machine to 1991. The biggest movie of the year was “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” The song “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams, from the film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” was the biggest song of the year (and coincidentally from the second-biggest film of the year) and Kentucky Fried Chicken announced it was officially changing its name to “KFC” because health-conscious consumers associated the word “fried” with “unhealthy” and “high cholesterol,” causing some of them to completely shun the “healthier” menu items available. The new title was designed to lure back customers with foods branded “better for you.”

Jump back to 2010. This same, seemingly more health-conscious restaurant chain, just a couple of weeks ago, introduced a “sandwich” that can only be described as ridiculous, at least, and reprehensible, at most. It’s called the “Double Down,” featuring (per the chain’s website) two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel’s Sauce. Again, using their words, it’s a product so meaty, there’s no room for a bun!

Ick!!!! You’ve gotta be kidding. This beast of a “sandwich” seems so disgusting, even in theory, I find it hard to believe any one would try it. But because I’m a curious sort I went to the KFC website and gathered the following nutritional information on this “thick and juicy” piece of crap-tastic “food:”

KFC Original Recipe® Double Down

• Serving Size (grams): 241
• Calories: 540
• Calories from fat: 290
• Total Fat (grams): 32
• Saturated Fat (grams): 10
• Trans Fat (grams): 0.5
• Cholesterol (mgs): 145
• Sodium (mgs): 1,380

KFC Grilled Double Down

• Serving Size (grams): 253
• Calories: 460
• Calories from fat: 210
• Total Fat (grams): 23
• Saturated Fat (grams): 9
• Trans Fat (grams): 0
• Cholesterol (mgs): 185
• Sodium (mgs): 1,430

As you can see, my friends, the supposedly “healthier” grilled version of this “sandwich” has more sodium and more cholesterol than its Original Recipe® counterpart. Now I grant you that’s probably because it is a slightly heavier sandwich overall (253 grams for the grilled versus 241 for Original Recipe®), but still!!!

Ah, but while KFC is undergoing it’s PR nightmare over its newest “creation,” let’s hop across the street to Wendy’s and check out some even more frightening “nutritional” information on its own monstrosity – the Triple “Baconator.” You remember that “burger,” right? Or has the thunder been stolen by the Colonel, whose probably rolling over in his grave at the thought his restaurants are serving this crap. Here is the list of ingredients for the Triple “Baconator:”

Baconator® Triple

3 – Ground Beef Hamburger Patties (seasoned with salt), 3 slices processed American Cheese, 9 (count ‘em, 9!) strips Applewood Smoked Bacon, Mayonnaise, “Ketchup” (actually Tomato Concentrate made in part with High Fructose Corn Syrup), Mustard, Dill Pickles (4), Onion (4 rings), Tomatoes, 1-2 slices, Lettuce and all served on a “Premium” Bun (I guess the regular bun just wasn’t up to the task they had to import premium buns). And if you though the sound of the ingredients was bad, get a load of the numbers – the actual amounts of calories, fat, sodium and more you’d put into your body having one of these things:

Wendy’s Triple “Baconator” (Get ready for this)

• Serving Size (grams): 424
• Calories: 1,350
• Calories from fat: 810
• Total Fat (grams): 90
• Saturated Fat (grams): 40
• Trans Fat (grams): 3.5
• Cholesterol (mgs): 320
• Sodium (mgs): 2,780

What does this mean? IT MEANS YOU COULD HAVE TWO KFC ORIGINAL RECIPE ® “DOUBLE DOWN” SANDWICHES FOR THE UNHEALTHY PRICE OF ONE WENDY’S TRIPLE “BACONATOR.”

Shocking, isn’t it? And people still wonder why our country’s population is growing by leaps and bounds (and not in a good way).

I went to my friends on Facebook and here’s what some of them had to say about the KFC “Double Down:”

Stacy W. “Even my teenage son, who will eat anything, thinks that thing looks nasty!”

Angelique B. “I thought it was an April Fool’s joke when it first came out. I can’t believe this is real.”

Michael L. “No need to waste the calories. One look and you can tell it’s poison. Yuk!”

Julia Lewis: “That is just plain gross. I will try just about any food once, but I don’t think I could even manage a bite of this abomination. Scratch that. I wouldn’t even let my dogs eat that.”

But with all that said, I’m gonna get one today. I’m gonna go to my local KFC, find out how many of them they sell in a day, buy one and photograph me trying it (and you wondered where the cliffhanger part was gonna come in). I am with you guys. This thing sound horrible, and you will find out tomorrow just how horrible as I “take one for the team.” But always remember a quote from “Star Wars,” this one from, appropriately enough, one of the crappy prequels – Episode 1.

Qui-Gon “There’s always a bigger fish.”

And with the Wendy’s Triple “Baconator” lurking out there under the PR radar, there is, indeed a bigger – and more deadly – fish.

You guys remember Joan Rivers? Before she started doing those abysmal, tragically bad red carpet “interviews” and looking like the Joker in the Batman movies she used to be a half-way decent stand-up comedienne. I remember her bits from the early-to-mid-80s and one of her signature lines was: “can we talk here?” It didn’t matter about what she would talk after delivering that line, it was simply the tag line itself that made you feel a part of the in-crowd and in on the joke – the way a good joke should be. You were her friend and she was talking to you.

Over the past few days my weight has crept back up into the 238’s and it’s kind of bumming me out. I know I will re-lose the weight, it’s just that I want to re-reach 225lbs so bad I can – wait for it – taste it (hell, at least I keep my sense of humor about it all). And being in the 238’s I can feel my clothes get that-much tighter which only means I need to get that-much more diligent both in the gym and with eating.

With the weekend gone I did far better yesterday than Friday through Sunday. I had fruit, cheese and coffee for breakfast, a small helping of chicken for lunch and a sandwich for dinner. I also worked out yesterday, choosing to do more cardio to get myself back into the routine of exercise. And, my friends, today will be no different. I am back on track and I feel it thanks to a couple of wonderful reminders – the clementine oranges I love so much and springtime daffodils.

I can hear you guys now. “What the heck is he smoking? Daffodils and oranges? Jeez. This weight loss thing has really affected his brain today.” Well, while I cannot attest to how much of my brain is actually used on a daily basis (I was quite the under-achiever in school) I can assure you my brain has not gone the way of Julius Ceasar. At least not just yet. Let me explain…

For me, there are three reasons why clementine oranges are the perfect snack. One, the easy-to-peel and wonderfully sweet orange provides you with something on which to chew especially when you want that sensation of really munching on something (as opposed to yogurt). Two, it’s full of wonderful juice which quenches thirst and provides something sweet to “drink” especially when they are chilled in the fridge. Three, it’s seedless and portable, so you can take it anywhere and not worry about eating it. Just peel one and pop it into your mouth. We do that with candy bars so why not fruit?

Daffodils herald springtime. They are a beautiful and fragrant flowers and these small flowers are sometimes called in French “tete-a-tete” daffodils, or “head-to-head” daffodils. Why? Because if you look at them, I mean really look at them, they look like they are having a conversation, one leaning over to the other asking “can we talk here?”

I feel that way when I sit to write this weight loss blog. I feel like I’m talking with you. Talking with you guys is absolutely wonderful and what I need on some days to keep myself motivated on this weight loss journey. And you have no idea how much our talks help me to get back on track, reminding me to eat those delicious clementines and make the decisions to put down the bad snacks and embrace the good ones (this time, I will NOT make a “Star Wars” light side/dark side of the Force reference. Well, THIS TIME anyway).

Even if you think I’m loopy you’ve all heard the expression “taking time to smell the roses,” right? Well, today, take the time and smell some of the spring flowers blooming right about now. They, too, serve as wonderful reminders that we are all in this together, especially when we need that little extra push – that spark of positive energy – to keep us going forward when we’re bummed out about a few extra pounds here and there that we know, after a bit of time and attention, will be gone.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who reads me regularly to know I love “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second film of the “real” “Star Wars” trilogy (the prequels really don’t count and suck anyway). Anywho, in “The Empire Strikes Back” Luke Skywalker is instructed by Yoda, the wise 900-yeasr-old Jedi master, who teaches the kid a thing or two about how to use the Force. Then, when a challenge arises, Luke looks to Yoda and says simply “Unlearn what you have learned.”

I always think about that phrase when dealing with weight loss. Over the three-and-a-half years it took to lose weight and the roughly year-and-a-half I have kept it off (for the most part) I have learned many things that I have used to not only get me through but also offer as advice nuggets (like Chicken McNuggets except better and healthier for you) to those looking for ways to lose weight. But yesterday I was that young Jedi Knight trying to unlearn and put to use the pearls of wisdom imparted to me by Jorge, the personal trainer I saw a couple of weeks ago. So I went to the gym yesterday and started my workout.

Before I begin I feel compelled to say to consult a doctor or personal trainer before attempting any of the exercises I describe in this blog, as they might be strenuous and not suitable for all to do.

One of the things I’ve learned is that cardio exercises, like the elliptical or a treadmill, burn calories but also burn oxygen. However the best way to burn fat is to incorporate weight training into a routine. So I started with shoulder shrugs. Taking a heavy 50-pound dumbbells into each hand I simply shrugged, imitating the “duh, I don’t know” movement we all do from time to time. Except this time I had weight resistance working out my shoulders and back at the same time.

I then switched out to a lighter weight (ten pounds) and did lifts. Placing one knee on a workout bench and anchoring myself with the hand of the same side I took the weight in the opposite hand and lifted it so that my elbow, which is supposed to do all the lifting, came to a 90-degree angle. Then, I slowly let the weight down swinging the dumbbell in front of me like the arm of a grandfather clock. I repeated that ten times then switched sides.

Immediately following that I did the “Superman,” and exercise where the person lays on the floor, arms extended, like Superman and lifts both the front end of their body and legs which works out the back muscles. Oh God, is this difficult but I did manage ten of these before moving on to the next thing, which were lunges.

This seemingly simple exercise, where the participant takes a giant step forward with one leg and stretches out the other behind, uses your leg muscles in ways that really make you feel it, and boy did I feel it. I did twenty of these in the gym. Jorge said to extend my leg so far I could see my toes in front of me when I stepped forward. Well, doing that makes it far more difficult but that also makes it work the legs better. Ouch, but good.

In-between each different exercise I hopped onto the treadmill and did a quick our minutes just to get my heart rate up, which is what Jorge said to do. So I did. It’s not what I’m used to since most of my exercises were cardio in nature but I did it. I kept going, moving from one thing to the next – weighted leg lifts, tummy crunches, weights, push-ups and more – in rapid succession so my body didn’t have time to adjust to the routine, burning more fat (I hope) in the process.

When I was done I sat in the steamroom (my favorite activity) and thought about not just the workout but HOW I worked out. I thought about how many more muscles I used and hoped it did me well in losing more weight and burning more fat. Most of all I thought about Yoda, wondering if he would stand there looking at his Jedi trainee with satisfaction or with disappointment as he did Luke when he tried to “unlearn what he had learned.”

But then I thought of something else Yoda said that can be applied to all of us trying to lose weight, keep it off and exercise as part of a new and better lifestyle. Yoda says “do or do not. There is no try.” And so we shall, doing what we can where we can and knowing something, anything, is better than doing nothing. And that doing something brings us one step closer to those weight loss goals and to being our own personal weight loss Jedi Knights.

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It is raining in southern New Jersey. A slow, steady rain that makes a day perfect for movie watching.

Going to the “show” as we called it was probably the top on the list of favorite things to do with my mom. On Sundays when I was a kid we’d get the Sunday paper, a couple of fresh sweet rolls from the bakery and her coffee and we’d read the paper. But while she read the news I’d flip to the entertainment/movie section to see what movies were going to open up that following Friday, read about the celebrities starring in them and see what the new posters looked like.

My mom started taking me to the movies when I was five years old. At least I think I was five because I knew I saw a couple of movies before “Star Wars” and I saw that when I was six. Hell, I not only went to the movies that young I saw crap no child should see. Stuff like “Jan Michael Vincent’s “White Line Fever,” and Diane Keaton’s and Richard Gere’s “Looking For Mr. Goodbar.” Those films were “Rated R” but my mom did something every parent should do…

…she told me “son, you know everything you see up there isn’t real.”

That simple sentence was all it took to take away the fear of horror flicks, the seeming brutality and reality of murder/thrillers and the danger of action movies. In other words, it was my mom wrapping me up in a security blanket of knowledge. That even though she surrendered me to the film for two hours she never stopped protecting me from what I saw on-screen. That was awesome and I will always love her for doing that.

But there was one time though that made me smile above all others going with my mom to the movies. It was summer of 1982, which was a decent year for films. We took the 6 Jeffrey Express bus downtown from Hyde Park and transferred to the 151 Sheridan and headed to Water Tower Place, Chicago’s signature downtown mall. Unlike most malls we’re used to this mall was built up (a necessity for any mall constructed in the middle of downtown Chicago). And nestled inside on the mezzanine level back by the Lord & Taylor and popcorn shop were the Water Tower Theaters (which, unfortunately, no longer exist).

That day I was so excited. We were going to see “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” for the up-teenth time. You see, it was no longer playing at the theater across the street from us (my beloved Hyde Park Theater) so we had to go downtown to see it. The film (tied with the newest “Star Trek” as the best “Trek” film ever) was amazing and was over all too soon. But my mom, my beautiful, sweet and wonderfully sneaky mom said “Hey. Wanna see E.T.?”

I was confused, but I took my mom’s hand as she quietly led us into the theater about to show E.T. I was so scared. We were being so bad sneaking into a “free-ture” (free feature) but I didn’t care. My mom was at that moment the coolest mom, ever, and she was sneaking me in to see the biggest movie of all-time (at least in the days before we knew what the hell an “Avatar” was).

We watched E.T. (and yes, I cried) and it was awesome. I was having such a great movie day with my mom. And afterward, as we left the theater we walked by the teenage ushers, who I was convinced were going to throw us both in jail and throw away the key. But they did nothing. They said nothing. Hell, I don’t think they even noticed – or cared. And if they did, who cares.

The most important thing in the world was that I was with my mom, the person to whom I owe my love of movies. And while I never will be able to repay the wonderful feeling of that special day 28 years ago (God, has it been that long already), I hope she knows how much I think of her every time I go to my local multiplex…

…or stay home on a rainy day, curled up on the couch, watching my favorite movies.

Those are the best days ever.

I will say it over and over…there’s a message in the “Star Wars” movies for and about everything, including weight loss.

In the (sub-standard) prequel films (Episodes I, II and III) Yoda, Obi Wan, Qui Gon and Mace Windu all talk about how this new upstart kid, Anakin, will bring balance to the Force. How he is supposed to help stop the Sith (the bad guys) and herald a new age of peaceful and benevolent order to the galaxy.

Oops.

While that prophecy misread did they (in Yoda speak – since Anakin does grow up to become Darth Vader), if you think about it there is and should be balance in our lives particularly as we struggle to achieve our weight loss goals.

Take yesterday for example. Even though it was raining, very windy and a generally blah day I had a great day. I had two successful meetings/talks, one of which was over lunch where I ate pretty well calorically (no more than about 900 calories for the whole she-bang). Then, I took my computer to the great Best Buy Geek Squad who helped me fix my on-going computer problem so that is now fixed. Lastly, I met with a great group of people last night and hopefully inspired them to lose weight.

However, my satellite TV went out (probably due to the wind/rain) and no one can come and fix it until Thursday. Bah. No Family Guy until then.

Over the weekend I struggled to be this “weekend food warrior” and ended up having way more (albeit delicious) food on Saturday than I wanted,  so I was much better Sunday and yesterday (and will be today, too).  Last week I was on a serious Coca-Cola binge but now I am on a serious water kick.

So you see, life has balance. It’s supposed to have balance. In the things we do and the things we eat. Everything a doctor tells you is true. A balanced diet is really the best way to eat. Not some whacked-out Taco Bell diet (who came up with that one).  If you eat badly one day it’s not a total weight loss journey failure. Just pick yourself up and get back on track the next day. That’s all. Bring your life back into balance. Have too many carbs? OK, balance it out with more proteins. You get the picture.

We are all human. I know I am and I make terrible food mistakes. I do. But I have learned along the way what at least most of my triggers are for food and how to disarm them. I know what my kryptonite foods are so I can make conscious choices about them. But I’ve brought my life into a wonderful new balance, one filled with knowledge, strength and determination.

That is what will make me continue to succeed on my weight loss journey and that is what will help you, too.  When you love yourself and know you are worth it you will have the keys to bring your lives into that same kind of new balance. And it is then you will be a weight loss success because then nothing will be in your way and your path will be in front of you unobstructed and clear.

And it is then we will all bring peace and order to our own individual galaxies.

Happy Tuesday, my friends. I think yesterday’s 6ABC interview went really well (and boy, am I happy I cleaned up a bit before they came).  Their producer, Dawn, and her camera guy were great and I had the opportunity to answer questions about my weight loss journey, why I started the website and how I hope to inspire people to begin or continue losing weight with it. It was cool.

I even got in my workout afterward, so I was thrilled.

After everything calmed down a bit yesterday my stomach was still uneasy, though. It took me a while to realize that it didn’t have as much to do with being nervous about the shoot yesterday as it did the sad feelings I was having over buying a box from the Container Store.

You see, in my efforts to clean up the place for 6ABC I had to file some papers away to make my office area look presentable (you always clean when company comes, don’t ya). Anyway, part of that involved not only shredding some of my mom’s papers I no longer needed (old bills since paid, old apartment leases, etc.) and finding a place to put some photos and all the sympathy cards I received from people. So I went to the Container Store.

I love shopping. Anyone who knows me knows that, and I love the Container Store. You can find stuff in there for anything. I found archival boxes (the kind used my the Library of Congress) for some important newspapers I am keeping (i.e. the newspapers announcing Obama’s election as president – soooo keeping those) but I had the toughest time finding a box I thought was suitable for my mom. I began to have a slight panic feeling in my stomach as I literally stood in the middle of the store, looked around and felt lost and hurt. I didn’t want to put the memories of my mother away. Place them in a box and shelve them. Not just yet.  I started to tear up.

Just then I looked to my left and saw a very nice simple (what I am sure was faux leather) box with a place on top for a photo. For cards and pictures and maybe an eventual letter or two it was perfect. I hurried and purchased it and went home, but I was still upset that this was happening. I know it’s all a normal part of things but it was time and I guess I wasn’t ready.

Over the course of Sunday it built up inside me, that crazy feeling I got to just eat everything. I am an emotional eater. Always have been. Add to that feeling of sadness the nervous feeling I had from yesterday’s shoot and I was a nervous wreck. So much so I wondered about actually stopping at an old friend’s for dinner. And not the good, real old friend kind. I mean the gauntlet – the little red-haired girl, the clown, the king or the colonel.

I drove around yesterday looking for that comfort, that old feeling of having it feel better at least for a bit. But it then hit me. I didn’t need them. I shouldn’t be turning to them. They suck as friends. Sure they have yummy things but that’s no good and they’d only leave me unhappier afterward. After that sigh of relief I thought about Chinese food (steamed chicken, not the fried rice kryptonite I wanted). Nah. I had to go to Wawa (the wonderful, clean and amazing East Coast answer to the kind of scummy-feeling 7-11 stores) to pick up a newspaper. Why not get a salad and some chili. That was it.

And that is exactly what I did for dinner.

I had actually calmed down enough to recognize what I was thinking about doing. That kind of stress/emotional eating is never good but I realized, even though I was feeling pretty blue, I still had choices and could make smarter ones. The chili was great and the Wawa salad perfect. I was happier with myself about not giving in to the temptations of McMeals, burgers, fries, fried chicken, fifteen-layer burritos – everything. Instead I calmed down, held control and ate pretty well.

As I settled in for the night on my couch I turned on Spike TV and there was, thank God, the perfect comfort food – Star Wars. I may have turned away some old friends last night but some I welcome into my home and into my life with open arms any day of the week. And that is all I needed to know that mom was still looking out for her little boy who needed some comforting.

Good morning, my friends. And what a chilly morning it is.

Living in southern New Jersey the temperatures here are a bit warmer than they are in Chicago (my awesome hometown). That is due to the more temperate weather conditions brought on by the ocean, as opposed to the frigid temperatures in the Midwest brought down from the arctic (think THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW but with now big weather cyclone of death).

Anyway, while no where near as cold here as it is at home it’s pretty nippy. The wind chill factor will make it feel like the high teens or early twenties today which is enough to make anyone think twice about braving the cold to get a workout in.

But I’m here to tell you not to let the cold stop you. Cold is one thing and being cold is another, but seeing that number on your electronic scale drop lower and lower is an amazing thing and brings you a warmth no matter what time of year.

Here we are in the throes of winter – the perfect time to kick your feet up, get a good book and cozy up on the couch staying warm. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is what we don’t want to do especially working out.

You’ve heard me say before, there’s a quote in the “Star Wars” movies for everything. This is no exception. In “The Empire Strikes Back,” Luke is preparing to face Darth Vader with only minimal training as a Jedi Knight. Obi Wan, his mentor and friend, warns Luke that while he can feel the Force he can’t control it, saying to Luke, ”This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force.”

He couldn’t be more right.

This is the time of year when we are not only tempted to stay indoors and keep warm but attend holiday parties and functions filled with the intoxicating smells of the tasty catered hors devours – delicious warm mini quiches, pasta buffets, sample platters, hoagies, pigs in blankets, bread and cheese trays, dips, chips, salsas and more.  My mouth’s watering just thinking and writing about it all.

No matter the temperature outside or the time of year and all the parties it brings, it’s up to each of us to control what we eat and to remain committed to exercise. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean we should slack off and wait until it’s warmer to get reacquainted with our exercise routines.

I’m human, just like you. I like watching a great flick on my couch and hunkering down all warm, but this weight loss journey is a constant thing we’re doing no matter how frightful the weather is outside our windows. There are consequences to what we eat and how much (or how little) we exercise. For me, eating better and exercising is a part of my every day if I want toget back to and stay at 225lbs.

And what continues to motivate me – the pride of my mom, friends and loved ones as well as my goal to have a 36-inch waist instead of the 58-inch waist I used to have – will help me live a hopefully long and healthier life so that I can enjoy, every now and then, the warmth of my couch and a cup of nice hot chocolate.

Until then, time to bundle up and head to the gym. That elliptical is waiting…