I ain't dear Abby-but

Howdy from the land of washed out gravel roads and rain frogs singing a song!!

Yep , we had more rain this weekend. Sunday morning it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock. The rain frogs are all happy and singing--more rain--more rain!Let er fall I ain't scared.

It is always thrilling to me when I check my little blog and see someone left me a comment. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.I never thought anyone much would read my writing.Over the weekend I had a comment that asked me a couple of questions.I thought about just answering the comment with a comment. Then after giving it some thought and asking for some advice from my technical advisor (Janet) I feel it might be better to write a post about it.

I am not going to duplicate the whole comment, you can go read the entire thing, but I want to address several points in the text.

First,Quiltblue says it is miraculous that I have lost so much weight with pure determination.It is and it isn't----yes I have lost a goodly amount of fat, I have a long ways to go yet. But I did not accomplish this thru pure determination. I do not think I have any more determination or will power than the next person. I think I am willing to walk down my fat loss road because to stay in the place I was in OR the place I am in now is worse than the effort to move down the road.Along with my will power or determination I had to have EDUCATION , PLANNING , and the SUPPORT of others. I read and re-read books and blogs that made sense to me, that fit my life style and that I felt "fitted" me.I planned , I wrote down goals ( achievable ), I had a short term goal(this month) and a longer term goal (maybe 6 months). All of my goals have been continuously developing and expanding.I had support of my wife and my kids and literally hundreds of weight loss bloggers that I have never meet but are in the same struggle I am in. Some of these folks I can relate to a great deal , some not so much, but all are important to my journey.

Quiltblue also made note of my "comedic side" and asks if it helps me in my ability to lose weight.No , not in my ability.Some folks say I'm funny , some folks say I'm weird, me I guess I try to see the humor in life. I think we all take ourselves way to seriously. I mean crap we are around for what 75 years and then we die. And the world keeps turning.I find humor as often as I can partly to deal with my demons, my way.Partly, I find that as a species Humans are just screwed up and funny to watch. No other animal eats themselves into morbid obesity just because "it feels good or I deserve it".

Quiltblue asks if I have any advise.

On 2-5-09 I started blogging and I said then that I would not give others advise, I don't think I am qualified.I will only tell you #1 each one of us has to find their own path #2 what path I chose and how it worked.

I started by luck----I came across WWW.mrlowbodyfat.com which lead me to Dr.Ellis' book Ultimate Diet Secrets Light. I read and re-read these. I also found www.ihavebones.com , www.theantijared.blog and dozens of others. All of these are success stories, all worth reading and important to me.I wrote down and still write down everything I eat and how many calories it has in it.I found the Caltrac devise that computes my calorie burn. So now I know both my intake and my output.

I started walking, then after several months started doing Body Weight Exercises. And I rushed it and hurt my back and hips.I then planned a better plan and started gradually getting stronger.

I weigh twice each day, I measured myself, I looked at myself naked from every angle and I was disgusted. I continue this self evaluation today.

I wrote down my goals. I had short term goals (this month) and longer term goals. But I did not have a goal of say to lose 100 pounds, because honestly I did not have that kind of confidence to start with. My small successes have fueled more goals and more successes.

I started blogging about my Journey , and thanks are due to Janet and Muata (from mrlowbodyfat) for getting me started. I has helped a bunch. I have learned a huge amount about myself and my relationship with food.

I have learned I am addicted to sugar, I deal with it.

I have learned I have control of my body, always did. I was not morbidly obese because of my genes, not because of grandma's cooking, not because I was lazy. It was because I took in more than put out. The Energy Equation is the Golden Rule.

Most important thing to me is----do I want to stay here as I am or move farther down the fat loss road?---I moving.Why? because I can , I have control, it is up to me not my wife not my doctor not anyone but me.

Well, this post is kinda long but I think it was worth saying. I hope this helps not only Quiltblue but anyone else reading it.If you are in my situation, please start your journey, it is worth the effort.You are worth the effort, I know , I am and if I am you are-----start today not tomorrow----tomorrow is the fat mans friend.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
The biggest trouble maker you'll ever have to deal with, watches you in the mirror every morning.