Do Calories Really Count While I'm On Vacation?

I haven't weighed myself since I got back from vacation.  Frankly, I'm scared.  In the next short while I'll post all of the delicious fare I sampled while gone from home.  Honestly, it was a lot...and I'm not including all the junk snacks during the actual driving part of things.  Five thousand miles is a lot of beef jerky.

On one of our stops, someone said that while you are on vacation you are young, skinny, and rich, but once you return home you relapse and become old, fat, and poor again.  Yep.  I'm getting there.

However, despite my weight negligence, I have walked in the mornings semi-regularly since returning. I even exercised while I was on vacation.  The National Mall in DC kind of forces that on you.  So do several other sites that I will rehash at a later date.

And the Results...

Yes, this morning, after going 32 complete days without bacon crossing my lips (or even coming near them), I added real bacon bits (not imitation ones) to my awesome breakfast burritos, which also included scrambled eggs, diced green peppers and tomatoes, queso, and hot sauce.

And the result of my bacon fast, you ask?  Well, to be honest, I don't weigh any less, I don't feel my different, and I still like it.  Therefore, this experiment proves that not consuming bacon does nothing to improve my personal health.  Yes, I realize that I am excluding all alternative explanations, but that's how I choose to interpret the results of my study.  And as the author, researcher, and participant of this study, it's my prerogative.  Long live bacon!

P.S.  Country style BBQ ribs (with a home-made self-invented rub) for dinner tonight!

Almost There

Well, I'm still holding out.  No bacon has crossed these lips for 26 days.  Even the free thick-cut, peppered samples at Costco were no temptation for my iron will.  Next Monday doesn't seem so far away.  Suggestions on celebrations?

Bacon Update

No, I haven't lost my bacon bet yet...although it's not really even a bet.  And no, I haven't lost any weight either.  I have exercised four days between the inception of this ridiculous idea and now, but nothing has happened.  I blame this on my comprehensive exams.  But now that those are over with, I won't need as much comfort steak of pastrami.  Heh heh.

Some people call me masochistic since I've done this to myself, especially when I post and share baconic images on Facebook and such.  To them I say," Ain't no thang."

Well, I really don't say that...ever...but the sentiment is the same.  I am strong.  I can resist.  Just like I can let go of carbonation for months at a time without withdrawal.   So, why don't I just give them all up and starve myself skinny?  Point: I enjoy these foods that aren't good for me.  I still feel healthy enough to do what I need to do.

Besides, fat people make the world jolly.

Oh, don't worry.  I'm still gonna see this thing through.  It's become a matter of pride now.  That, and I'm still watching what I eat.   For example, to not be so fat (gratuitous mention of blog subtitle), I only ate one steak fajita (with mostly onions and red peppers) on each of the past three nights: the initial cooking, and two leftover opportunities.   I also let the kids scarf the leftover pizza.  Take that.

Bacon Fast

There is no excuse for my lack of posting, so deal with it.

I am going to boldly go where no man in his right mind has gone before.  No, you Star Trek nerds, I’m not following James T. Kirk anywhere.  Remember, if it’s on this blog, it pertains to my belly.  Duh.

I really don’t know how this evil started, but a week or two ago Amy asked if I could go without bacon for a month.  Context: I’m not sure, but I think we were either talking about our giving up carbonation from January until the end of the school year, or perhaps I was salivating over the new Carl’s Jr. Super Bacon Burger.  By the way, they are highly overrated.  They contain the same floppy, soft bacon they always do—nothing super about it, just more of it.  Usually, that’s a good thing, but after eating it I felt like I got hosed.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I answered Amy that I probably could but I wouldn’t want to.  Zac, overhearing said, “That’s stupid.  Why would anyone ever want to?”  (I’ve trained the man cub well.)  And that was the end of the discussion.

Last week, after the last hurrah of the school year, Amy started walking in the mornings again.  Not wanting to be a bigger slacker than I already am, saw that I had a little extra time on my hands (not much), so I started up on the Wii Fit again.  Now, this is the sorry part.  Since last summer, I have not exercised on the Wii more than two times per week (in most cases none) until this week.  I went thrice into the basement to get my rhythmic boxing and step aerobics on.  Add to that some baseball practice and hiking around Maple Lake with the scouts and across town with the stake youth for an activity, and I’ve had a fairly active week.

Yesterday, I weighed in and found that I was back down to 291.  I’m not going to tell you where I’ve been, but let’s just say that I didn’t cross the barrier that must not be named…or really even came too close, if you know what I mean.

After that weigh-in I went to my classroom (Yes, I know I just left it.) to study in its eerie solitude (Let’s just say it could make a good setting for a zombie movie.) for my upcoming comprehensive exams, of which I am mortally terrified.  (I’d rather face the zombies with nothing more than a #2 pencil.)

WARNING: TANGENT OVERLOAD.  THIS BLOG POST WILL DESTRUCT IF ANY MORE TANGENTS ARE UNLEASHED!

Okay, so the point is…somehow I convince myself that I would give up bacon for a month starting today, Sunday, June 2, 2013.  Not even bacon bits sprinkled on top of maple donuts.

Hurl all the insults you want, but somehow my overloaded circuits have convince myself that it will be “good” for me.  It’s become a matter of pride now.  I don’t think there is any prize.  Truth be told, if the dudes from Epic Meal Time ever found out, they would probably demand that I hand over my man card.  Tough.  All I know is that my burger on July 4^th will be loaded with premium smoked pork product—thick sliced.  Plus, there are other manly meat dishes to satisfy my carnivorous cravings.

My hypothesis: I will lose weight, but not due to lack of bacon consumption.  Rather, I will also be test-free and have time to exercise more than normal.

If any of you have any wagers, or encouragement, or advise, please leave them in the comments below.  But remember, if you can’t say anything nice….

Super Slacker!

So, the name of the game at my house is superheroes, if you ask Sam.  The Caped Crusader being his hero of choice right now.  However, I have not, nor ever will I, run around in tights and a cape.  (That image just made quite a few of you lose your appetites for the next three months.)  In fact, its been the opposite.  Outside of throwing batting practice to Zac's team and one night of flag football, I haven't done much of anything active lately.

All I have to say is that doctoral programs are not good for one's weight or blood pressure or much of anything else health-related.

I probably wouldn't even be posting today, but I figured that I hadn't done any posting since March.  That's not a good sign either.  I will say, though, that I gave up carbonation (again) until the end of the school year.  That started around the date of my last post, and I have kept it up.

Zac wants me to help him earn his Athlete activity pin in Webelos.  I'm not exactly the best role model for fitness, cape or no cape.  So, I'll try to do better.

P.S.  I found this picture on this blog: http://paulbentley.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/is-it-a-bird-is-it-a-plane-no-its-super-morbidly-obese-man-woman/

Sheer Will Power

With a dollar in my pocket, standing in front of the Coke machine, I made a conscious decision to NOT purchase a refreshing beverage or a bag of fried jalapeno and cheddar flavored fat.   I also passed on the pie.

How's that for will power?