I’ve posted about my health before. My pattern is to get excited about making positive changes, then fall off the wagon in a week or two or three, and then finally feel silly for being so enthusiastic and then so undisciplined, which tends to make me hesitant to blog about my health.
Yeah. So.
My health has never been any better than fair the entire time I’ve been blogging, and a lot of the time it’s been poor. 2009 was “a lot of the time,” and the start of 2010 finds me in the worst shape of my life, and by a fairly wide margin. I weighed in at 297 lbs. yesterday. So I was one single particularly undisciplined weekend from 300 lbs. Holy shit.
Now I don’t have any illusions about my body image. I’ve been way past “chunky” or “stout” or (insert your euphemism here) for quite some time. If you don’t know me, and you’re pointing me out in a group of people, you’re going to call me “the fat guy.”
But damn, am I going to get comfortable with weighing 300 lbs.? I just don’t think I am.
I’m giving pescetarianism a go for January. That’s a vegetarian diet plus seafood, so basically no mammals or birds. (I’m keeping eggs and dairy, neither of which are a particular problem for me, though I do need to watch cheese carefully.) It should do me a lot of good to drop the red meat, which I do have a hard time saying no to. And I threw poultry in because most of the ways I like it are bad for me too, and hey, I can do anything for 30 days, right? Heh.
I’ll evaluate at the end of the month. I know from past experience that I’ll miss the red meat less than I think once I adjust a bit. I’ll see how I do with chicken and turkey, which are, after all, just fine if prepared properly.
But for now, I’m embracing the novelty of it, and enjoying the exploration of things that fit. Campbell’s has a killer Healthy Request clam chowder, at 220 calories for the can. I had a delicious vegetarian Hoppin’ John with a few drops of Blair’s Sudden Death for lunch, which was a fair trough of flavorful and nutritious food for only 470 calories. I’m saying hello to some old friends, like low sodium V8 and bananas.
The smoking demon feels vanquished, though I’ll be on guard for flare-ups. All I’m going to do about exercise for the time being is carry my pedometer again, and get steps where I can. I’ll also see how that’s working for me at the end of the month.
I decided to blog about this again, essentially, for anyone who might be where I am (starting to try to do the right thing again after many failures). You’re not alone. And when you do finally succeed, it’s going to have to start with an effort like this, right?
I’ll check in with you on this topic again this time next month and let you know how it’s going.
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Bo, “husky” has always been my favorite description for being fat. I’ll try and help as much as possible. I want to drop the twenty pounds that I have gained since July 4th.
Let’s do it, dude. We’ll have to hold each other accountable on lunches out.
I struggle with it too, Bo. I need to drop 40 pounds and have for the last 3 years. Al Roker summed up the problem with food addiction best: “If you’re an alcoholic you can quit drinking, but you can’t quit eating.” I’m starting with cutting out alcohol. Here’s to getting healthier! 🙂
Cheryl: I actually meant to mention alcohol too, and then forgot. I’m not cutting it all the way out, but I am considering very carefully whether I really should have a beer when I get home from work, things like that. Even cutting out a single premium beer five times a week is cutting 1000 calories, you know?
Good luck to both of us.
Dude — anything you can do is worth the effort.
You won’t really regret not upsizing the burger order. You WILL regret it if that upsize means you can’t be there when your boys really need you.
Best of luck. I’m tackling the pounds that didn’t come off last year – though with 20 down, I’ve done better than I have in years – and I’ll be walking that path right along with you.
Happy new year!
I was just talking to David about how 7 weeks of being laid up from ER to surgery to recovery has me quite out of shape. Drastically, out of shape. I wish it weren’t 30 degrees outside, because I need to walk. Step aerobics are too far beyond my ability just yet.
kemtee: Guilt about whether a good father allows himself to be so unhealthy is indeed a powerful factor here. Good luck to you too, and happy new year!
‘seester: We’ll get us a lap or three at a mall when you’re up to it. They’ll be good and deserted, after all. 🙂
Focus. You already have it. That’s a good thing.
Anything I can do to help dude, let me know. Lord knows I need to drop more than a few lbs. Seems like I used to have more time to do so.
Does this mean you’ll be drinking Zima on Thursday night?
You can do it! I’m rejoining the healthy band wagon, too, because heaven knows I can stand to lose some pounds. Like you, I’m cutting back on my alcohol intake and wearing my pedometer.
‘seester – I wish it were just a tad warmer, too. A good walk would do a world of good right now!
Here’s to a healtier 2010!
cajunvegan: Thanks for the encouragement!
BamaDan: Thanks! Zima? I think not. ‘Sides, isn’t it gone now? I had a buddy who drank it back when it came out (’93 or so?). I tried one, and didn’t finish it. It tasted to me exactly like Fresca with an Alka-Seltzer in it. I liked the bottle, though.
azn8tive: We’ll all hook up for laps somewhere inside soon. Best of luck to both of us!
Well, Bo…looks like I’m climbing up on the wagon with you. I need to lose some weight and start some excercise. My start date is tomorrow. I will be cutting out all week-day alcohol (because yes, a glass of wine a night M-F adds up to an extra 700-900 calories a week) and paying attention. That’s what gets me…if I’m actually looking at what I’m eating, I make MUCH better choices.
There’s a free online tool http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/ that is really easy to use…
Good luck!
Marianne: I actually considered a weekday alcohol ban as well, and may yet do it, but as Alabama plays for the national title on Thursday, it’ll have to wait until the week of the 11th for further consideration. 🙂 Good luck to you too!
Go, Bo, go! I’ve been wrestling with weight issues for several years now. And before you say it, no, I don’t consider my self fat, but my weight has consistently increased about 2 lbs/year now for about 9-10 years now. See? In high school, I got to 192 lbs. Miserable. Lost 40 lbs. in 10th grade. Then, post divorce in 1992 I was at lowest ever. The Divorce Diet works every time. But, unfortunately, that particular diet is not an option.
My metabolism has changed and I hate it. I can honestly eat 1200 calories a day for days and exercise and lost zero, zip, nada. And my biggest weakness is evening “snacking” and adult beverages.
We dropped the snacking and adult beverages this week. Completely. We’ll just have to see what happens. If the scales even moves a few pounds it’ll be a tremendous boost to my morale.
Best of luck. I know you will do well. And as soon as the warms up a bit, you, Beth and I should get together at lunch a couple or 3 days during the week and go walking instead of eating!!
When it’s warmer and I am in a little better shape in a couple of months, that smaller, inner loop at Rainbow Mountain only takes about 45 minutes to do. Perfect for lunch.