A Little Easier

So yesterday I weighed in at 288.1 lbs.  That's the lowest poundage since April of this year.  Days where I feel like I'm starving are a little more bearable, though.  I find that I'm not craving chocolate (as much) or empty sugar calories either.  It's a little easier to walk by the free chips and salsa without gorging myself just because they're free and in my face.  It's a little easier to get up and exercise, although I still don't like the getting-up part.  I guess that's progress.  And for the math geeks out there that must have quantifiable data...since Amy and I have started our wellness challenge, I have lost (and kept off) 10 pounds.  That's 3.3% or 1/29.8 of my total body weight.  Not bad for a fat guy.

Anybody have any favorite snacks they could recommend?  I getting a little tired with what I'm doing.

Sickness and Health (and a Preview)

I’m not sure exactly how this post will flow (ignore supposed transitions) since I’m going to double post it—both on Joe Average Writer and here on Fatty’s Blubber Blog. The rare few who frequent both sites don’t need to bother with reading it twice. But I guess those of you who are anal enough to do it…can…I guess. I’d just recommend another hobby…or therapy.

Back from the tangent now: yesterday I came back from being on the sick wagon. No, I didn’t stuff myself with too much turkey or stuffing or pie (mmm…pie) or any birthday treats. Believe me, or not, I’ve held my eating in check at the start of this birthday/holiday season. More on that in a moment.

Last Friday night, Sariah got sick in the bathtub. Gross, I know. Then around one in the freakin’ a.m. Zac wakes me up, and says, “Dad, I barfed. Could you help me clean it up?” Give him credit—he wasn’t covered in puke. He even made sure he made it to the bathroom. However, he didn’t quite make it to the porcelain. An explosion of not-so-well-chewed bean with bacon soup covered the entire bathroom floor. The backsplash made it halfway up the tub and cabinets, behind the toilet and up the far wall at least six inches. How he escaped the blast zone without any on him, I’ll never know. And he was too asleep to register anything.

Two nights later Amy and Brooklyn both tossed their cookies (on Amy’s b-day, even), and my stomach started having issues. I must point out here that I never bowed to the porcelain god, but I still offered tribute, if you know what I mean. Needless to say, I am tired of cleaning up chunks of chicken and pineapple and cheese (and bile). And I am tired of not getting much done.

So, to remedy that period of barfiness, and to celebrate my (relative) health, Amy and I have finished the initial version of our independent study course revision, I have turned in the last of my (also pukey) stats homework, and I have been able to do some planning for when my student teacher jumps ship next week. One thing I have not done is work on my NaNoWriMo novel. Yes, say it. I’m bad.

Now, back to Thanksgiving and birthdays and food and such. This year, for the month of December, I am going to post a picture and recipe of “Food That Makes Me Happy.” Yes, you smart-aleck, that could include most, if not all foods. Yes, the title also sounds a little childish, but do you know what? I don’t care. This time of year is one for reliving those cherished childhood memories of Christmas, those indelible moments that will never vanish no matter how hard we try to erase them…oh, I mean, those moments that will bring us joy throughout our whole lives. Now that I’ve cheesed it up enough for you (more, fresh Parmesan or cracked pepper, sir?), here’s a taste of what is to come, because Thanksgiving makes me happy. In fact, it’s my favorite holiday, I think, but I’ll write about that another time. For now, enjoy the picture. I’m not going to give a recipe today. That’s for December.  Just don't lick the screen.  That's gross.

This delectable plate, by the way, includes turkey of both the light and dark variety, real mashed potatoes, yams, sausage and apple stuffing, homemade bread, cranberry sauce, pond scum, gravy, carrots, sweet pickles, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, and black olives. Pie was later.

P.S. I lost six pounds, too.

This Just In...

All the poundage I put on immediately before Thanksgiving seems to have fallen off. I was pretty discouraged when my scale told me I had packed on an additional 4 lbs. over the holiday. I though I was managing my intake fairly well. I only had one plate for dinner. No, I'm not going to discuss how it was stacked, but those of you who have seen my mad plate-stacking skills might get a good idea. Then I only had two slivers of pie for dessert. I even exercised that morning by playing football with a group of guys for a couple of hours. The pictures of the bruise on my shin are too disturbing to post. Let's just say that I couldn't kneel until last night (and it still hurts to do so) because it had swollen so much. The dimensions (today) run about 10 or 11 inches long and about 6 inches wide. See what happens when I try to exercise.

So, it's back to the oatmeal. I've thrown away or given away all my candy and cake and pie and stuff. I've turned down brownies, cinnamon rolls, and other temptations. I did, however, kill a six pack of liquid poison over the course of a week.

For those who are watching my numbers (and laughing), I'm back to 280. Good news: there are no more leftovers. Bad news: there are no more leftovers.