Friday, May 29, 2009

Summer Time Sweat

Howdy from the land of Mocking Birds and Dewberries!

Well summer is here, hot, humid and plenty of sunshine.

I am really grateful for a lot of things, like having a lovely wife to keep me straight and some plenty fine kids to let me know how smart I am---LOL.

I'm also glad I get to sweat in the summer time while I walk and talk and do my Turbulence Exercises.Yep, I really mean it. I am getting to where I enjoy working up a good sweat.Used to not be that away--because when I was sweating a lot of times I was in pain. Not so much any more. Now I still hurt some--especially them knees, but it is a lot less and subsides a lot quicker.

Another thing I'm glad of , is the fact that I enjoy this part of my fat loss journey.I am glad that I have gotten as far as I have and I can see ,first hand the rewards of continuing the trip----sweat is good.

I end the month , this morning at 229.0 pounds of joy. That is up a little from last Friday, but the big dip I had last week was mostly fluid.However, I still managed to lose around 4.8 pounds this month and that my friends is a good deal.----as a man once told me---that is better than snuff, sweeter than taters and ain't half as dusty.

I am setting my goal for the month of June at 225. I am going to continue to target eating around my RMR for calories and continuing my summer time sweating. I plan on bumping up my reps on my body weight exercises and adding some more weight to my vest.

Guess I better go, I can hear the Full Pak Trak calling.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Nobody ever drowned in their own sweat.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

My Red Wagon

Howdy from the land of paver patios and wet back shacks!

Yep the patio and my wet back shack is coming right along, almost time for a party.

I was walking and listening to music on the treadmill last night and had a thought.

I have said before each of us has to find their own way to travel down the fat loss highway.My method is mine.

Now I can pull my Red Wagon anyway I want , because it's mine. And praise the good Lord above that I decided to start pulling the damn thing in the right direction. I could have just as easily left it parked where it was and rolled over and croaked.

All of us have a Red Wagon and we have to decide which direction to pull it. There ain't no government bailout coming to the rescue. There ain't gonna be a magic pill,powder,juice,cream or book.But we all have the power to get our Red Wagon going in the right direction.

Now,if yer OK with being fat,soft,cramped in a car,limited on clothes,missing the water slide,tired of going to the doctor then pull yer Red Wagon anyway you want.BUT, (there is always a but) if you are tired of these things like I was then pull yer Red Wagon a different direction. I beg ya, do it, start it, it is a good thing---it is worth it.

Do you know why it is worth it to me?? Crap , this is an easy answer, come on!! Because I am worth it! And so are you.

I don't really care if ya need to lose fat, muscle up,quit smoking,drinking or what ever to improve your life ---the effort is worth it because we are all worth it.

Come travel with me along the fat loss highway.We can read the road signs together.

Pearl of Wisdom form the mind of WEL
Everyone to their own tastes, said the lady when she kissed the pig.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Look Janet No Hands!

Howdy from the land of sticker burs and doodle bugs.

On Thursday of last week I got home and did my chores. I ate a little supper and sat on the patio , admiring me and Janet's handiwork.It is looking good out back.

When it came time to walk on the treadmill and do my Turbulence exercises, I got my iPod and went at it.Now a year ago when I started this journey one thing that really concerned me was my lack of balance. I could not walk on the treadmill without holding the hand rails. If I turned lose I would lose my balance.I don't have this problem when walking down the street----and yes I can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Well I have been working on walking on the treadmill and using no hands to balance myself for some time.And SLOWING I have been improving.

Thursday I walked the whole 30 minutes hands free! I think it is harder to walk while swinging my hands than just holding on the rails and I know I have to concentrate more on what I am doing. But I can see some improvement none the less.

So, as you can see the Fat Loss Journey is not only about losing flab, it is also about gaining muscle and confidence and balance---hell who knows I may take up the trapeze one day!

Oh and Friday morning I weighed in at 227.4.that ciphers up to 77.6 pounds of lard gone.Good damn thing I couldn't pour it down the drain, it would be stopped up now.

If ya think you can't start a journey, you can, I started one. Stay with me while I continue down the fat loss highway.One step at a time, one Pound at a time.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
To Quote John Wayne---Life is tough, it is really tough if you're stupid.

Friday, May 22, 2009

So I'm a Little Slow

Howdy from the land of prickly pear and honeysuckle!

Well I guess I'm just a little slow sometimes. Yep, I know that may surprise ya but I am.

I was looking at my day book and my fat loss vs. my energy equation stats and it hit me---if I target eating enough calories for my RMR each day , then all my Active calories burned will be fat lose.Duh!!

Basically that is what I have been doing for months.Like yesterday I burned 3365 total calories with 1284 being active calories burned.This equates to a RMR of 2081 calories.My average calorie intake this week is running 2100 so that is being burned by my RMR. If I can cipher right that means I was deficit 1284 calories yesterday and that is good for my journey.

Now ,if anyone is wondering if this is sustainable for me the answer is no. Let me explain---I don't think I could cut this much calories every day for weeks/months. I look for weekly/monthly averages. When I began to feel deprived or run down I just relax and eat a little more or do a little less for a day or two. Then I ease back down into my target for several days.

This way being calorie deficient is not a constant drain on me and I still burn some fat.So far it is working. I know at some point I will need to gradually taper off to a balance point, but for me that is still down the road.

Just think someday I'll be sitting here talking about maintaining my weight---someday!

Well I got to run--well walk anyway--I got to go Full Pak Trakin and I can hear an apple calling when I finish.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Gnaw on your problems like a dog with a bone, pretty soon it's all chewed up.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Free vs. Commercial

Howdy from the land of BBQ brisket and venison sausage!

In reading the blogs I frequent I came across a post on Muata's site from a fella named Israel. Now Israel has a blog also named,www.fatmanunleashed.com , check it out.Israel posted a clip on there about Hating Fat People---no no no , not hating -as in round them up and drowned them ---but---they remind me of myself kinda thing.

Anyway, after he posted this article and it was featured on Muata's there was a lot of comments about it. Some thought it was a great post, some thought is was not. Some thought Israel's site is just a commercial enterprise and he is not interested in losing his fat but in keeping the public buying from him.Well , I went and looked at his site and it is worth checking out, and I did not buy anything.

Two things I know for certain , that my fat loss journey has taught me,#1 there is every kinda scam /successful plan imaginable out there and #2 just as in wildlife management ---there are no "secrets" to this fat loss----someone will tell ya everything ya need to know for free.Don't get me wrong there are people selling their story, their advice,their book and the expertise but you can get all the information they have for free.

BUT---damn there is always a BUT
Some people won't believe ya if ya don't charge them.Just like some people have to pay for a gym membership in order to work out. Hell if that is what you want , go for it. My point is whether your get your butt (see I told ya there is always a but)in gear for free or you pay for it, you are better off because it is in gear. I know I am.

We can argue over the little crap until we are blue in the face, it does not matter.

Now I am all for someone making a few chips (or a lot) off of their success. If they can look their self in the face and live with what they are doing OK.I am also OK with someone like Tony that has a huge success story saying he will never ever make a dime off of his story. Ok

My whole point is , I got the same message from Tony , Israel and Muata----LOSE FAT IS GOOD, they all told me --BILL LOSE FAT----we have the technology.And I did not have to pay for it, could have but I didn't.

Which way should you go----free vs. commercial----hell don't ask me , ask yourself, that's the person that has to live with the decision.But don't preach to me about your decision being better than mine.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
No one is more pious than a reformed whore.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Little things count!

Howdy from the world wide headquarters of Fat Loss Digest!!

Today is Wednesday and it is warm and breezy.I have a couple of good items to report on---small ones but they are impressing me.

Last week while on the web, I found two items that I wanted to try in my walking and calorie burning practice sessions.

One is a thing called Headsweats. These are Bennie looking caps made of CoolMax material that is suppose to soak up the sweat on your head and keep it out of your eyes. Since this is a big problem with yours truly I gave them a try.I got two of the Bennie caps (one size fits all)in chili pepper and one in lighting bolt print---yep, stop laughing cause I damn sure did.Janet told me 2 years ago I would not be caught dead in them, she is right.I also got a cap in Cool Max material.I wore the cap Monday and Tuesday and I wore the Bennie and cap today.

The damn thing works, the only sweat in my eyes came from around my eyes themselves. And I want you to know my head sweats BAAAD.

The second item I found surfing was socks made by Feetures. These are a blend of Merino wool and bamboo--yep bamboo. It seems if you can keep the panda bears from eating all the bamboo you can make socks with it and they wick moisture away from your feet faster than shit going thru a goose.

Well I got a couple of pairs and wore them all day yesterday and today. First they are the most comfortable sock I have ever had on , lots of cushion and they will not slip on your feet.Also, my feet stay dry even after my 2 1/2 mile Full Pak Trac. Usually I have to wash my feet and dry them and change socks after my noon walk because my socks are soaked.

I guess it IS the small things in life that really matter.

Come travel with me, I am moving more, staying calorie deficient more and enjoying some small stuff.

See ya down the road

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Everyone should burp and fart more---if ya did there would be a lot less cancer in the world, that stuff needs to get out.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Everyone loves a fat man

Howdy from the land of cheap bourbon whiskey and pearl snap shirts.

Well not really cheap bourbon whiskey I only drink Crown but you get the drift!!

For a long time I remember hearing the expression that Everyone Loves a Fat Man.I guessed this was because most of us fat men were funny and jovial and generally fun to be around. I think I was fun to be around--if I wasn't bitching or moaning. The point is I was always making some kinda joke or coming up with a "pearl of wisdom".

I remember telling people"if everyone in the world was a big as me--well we would all be closer together".What a load of crap! In reality I would joke about my weight in an effort to hide my embrassment about it. For decades I would not wear a pull over shirt because they showed all the flab I had.

Now don't get me wrong I am not a modest person but that don't mean I felt good about my size or my shape. It does not mean I was not offended by people making comments about my fat or about me not being able to do anything.I would steer clear of doing things because "I don't like to" when really it was too hard or just not worth it.

It is really sad to think of how little I cared about myself years ago or how little confidence I had.Outwardly I think it did not show too much.But hey, the past is past, now looking ahead, I can see a whole hell of a lot better things down the road.

Just this weekend I got me a cap and a Headsweat bennie to wear walking , to keep the sweat out of my eyes.My darling wife said'You are really changing--2 years ago you would have never worn anything like that> she is mighty right!!

If you think you ought to start this type journey--you probably should.If you think You can't --you are wrong you can.It is worth it and you know it down deep. Come travel with me, I feel like I got this trip by the ass on a down hill drag.

oh yea, I got a new saying----if everyone would lose as much fat as me, there would be a lot more room in the world!!

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Everyone loves a fat man--except the Fat Man.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Hathcock

Greetings from the land of Hoppy Dog and Leroy.

In reading Muata's site-www.mrlowbodyfat.com & Tony's -www.theantijared.blogspot.com I keep seeing questions from people on "how can I do this?" "what should I eat?" "tell me what exercises to do".

But in reading all around the web and looking at what 100s of people are doing to be successful losing fat it is evident that they all have one common factor. No they don't all eat cauliflower or they have not all quit eating meat, sugar,bread,cheese or even Snickers Bars. They have all reduced the number of calories they eat AND/OR increased the number of calories they burn.**the Energy Equation**

The point I am making is there is a PLAN for everyone, it is called **eat less move more**

What I stuff in my pie whole is not as important to anyone else as it is to me.I have to find my way in this journey.If I didn't find a way to travel this journey and what will work for me I would be doomed for failure.I don't want to abandon my whole life history for the rest of my life.I want to eat a piece of Aunt Annie Pearl pound cake once in a while, I want to eat Janet's sour dough bread and her one and only world famous tea cakes AND I can while continuing to lose fat IF I realize how much I eat and how much I burn---and most importantly for me---WHY.

Yes I said WHY.One thing I keep learning is "why" I eat some things.A lot of the time I am not hungry but there is a trigger. Last night we watched the season final of LOST---crap I love/hate that damn show. The whole plot is a Dick Cheney/Nancy Palosi plot to rule the world--LOL. But because I watched to boob tube for 2 hours(much longer than normal) I was craving some popcorn.WHY-I was bored. Well I popped the corn and timed my nibbling to last until the end of the show.

The point of all this rambling is, we all have to find our way in our fat loss journey.What works for me may not work for you.What I try once may not work for me and I may have to try again and again.For now, I have found a path that is working.While some people around here may not agree with my path it seems to be leading me in the direction I want.

I will leave you with a quote from a book about Gunnery Sargent Carlos Hathcock--Marine Sniper

"It is not the critic that count, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better.the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.Whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood.Who strives valiantly,who errs and comes up short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who,if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievements and who if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Read above again!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Wednesday Record

Howdy from the land of cornbread and stewed prunes.

Hells bells , I am having a good week.It is getting hot and the patio project is coming right along.My neighbor gave Janet some fresh green beans and some field corn, she cooked it up for supper last night. Fresh food is really good, tastes so much different from the stuff in the store.

It is amazing how little TV I watch now compared to a year ago. Last night we got home and I changed clothes, went and laid some pavers on the patio,cut some pavers for the angles. By the time I got through it was 8:15 and I watched 30-45 minutes of TV and put on my shoes and did my 30 minutes of treadmill and then my Turbulence Exercises.I then took a shower and hit the rack, read for 10-15 minutes before my old mind blanked out.

I stepped on the scale this morning----229.6!Hot damn! 75.4 pounds of melted fat gone gone gone!!

Travel with me down the road, every pound lost is a record!!

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Nature gave all of us something to land on, sooner or latter we all fall flat on it.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Political Correctness

Howdy from the land of green grass and fire ants.

Today is Monday and we had a real nice Mother Days yesterday.

On Saturday I had a one day goal to burn 3600 calories and I did not quite make it. I pooped out and burned 3505 calories for the day. Not bad but a little short.

Well it is great that it is Monday and I have a new week to burn some lard.I plan on cutting calories fairly hard the rest of the month. With summer coming on pretty quick I am trying to get in shape for a speedo---LOL

See ya on the fat loss highway.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Political Correctness is like trying to tell someone there is actually a way to pick a turd up by the clean end.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Fat Burning in High Gear

Howdy from the land of milk and honey---and raw carrots and grapes too.

Well today is Friday and the wind is blowing. I had a real good Full Pak Trac walk at lunch with the Formosa Lunch Track Team.Andy, the baddest cat in the land , was running as usual.

I got me a short range goal for tomorrow---tomorrow only--burn up 3600 calories.
I am continuing to work on my yard project and I am gonna really move thru space with intensity. I am adding on to the patio and will be carrying plenty of pavers and bending over a bunch.Yea man I can't wait.Like an old boss I had one time always said---if ya can't get it, ya can't stay.

Sunday is mothers day , so I'll be cooking up lunch for my mother and Janet.I might get in a little work too.

See ya next week, been kind to someone, they deserve it.

Pearl of Wisdom form the mind of WEL
When asked "how's the world treating you" I always answer---"the world ain't TREATING me, I pay for everything I get"

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Man whatacompliment!!

Ever day when I go walk at lunch, with my Full Pak Trac, there are several people walking and running. Over the months everyone of them have been very supportive and encouraging to me. None are more encouraging than Andy. He is a runner, built like a gazelle. He runs so effortlessly I don't even hear him come up behind me.

Today Andy gave me a nice compliment when he passed me. After I got back I sent him an email thanking him for all his encouragement. Andy sent me back the nicest compliment in return. He wanted me to know the lunch crowd on the track were all inspired by my journey and I encouraged them to continue walking and running when they did not feel like it.

Hot damn!! I can not tell you how much this short note means to me.I have had numerous people in my life that had a lot of influence on how I turned out. I never really let most of them know that they had a great effect on me.What a shame.

It is like the ripples you make when you throw a rock into the pond. You can throw in it one side and the ripples will spread and finally reach the other side.You just never know how much we effect others.

I should spend more time letting people know when their ripples have a positive effect.

Thanks Andy & and to all the Lunch Track Team.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
It is better to give someone an award for their good deeds now, than after they are dead.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Brutally Honest Soap Box

I have made a solid goal for May--get below 228 pounds of wonderfully positive Muscle (at least more muscle than a year ago).

But I am going to break one of my rules today, I am going to get up on my soap box. Now I said early in my blog career that I would only write about what works for me and not what someone else should do ---but hell it is my blog so I can deviate some if I want to.

Now 99.9% of the people that know about my Fat Loss Journey have been wonderful and supportive and I thank all of you. But one has been a toot( that is a nice way of saying a hemorrhoid).

Now I have one person that is negative about my journey and their ability to loss some fat. The bad part is they don't direct the negative comments directly to me , but I over hear them.Comments like"I can never lose weight""he will gain everything back" "life is too short to sacrifice all the time" are beginning to piss me off. So, in an effort to get away from being pissed off I am going to get on my soap box and vent and get it over with.

SOAP BOX-

If you want to make a change for the better, do it.It is kinda like shooting doves, when there are 100s of doves flying around ya and you are trying to hit em all--you miss. You got to shoot one at a time. It is the same with losing 10-20-50-100 pounds of fat, you have to lose one at a time.Make 1 good decision, 1 good choice,1 good effort---then make another, look in front not behind.

BUT, if you want to go thru life eating what you think is good because you "deserve it" or you want it "now because life is short" then quit your bitching. The rest of us don't to be drug back down in the land of "I can't move without hurting".

I am of the opinion the hard part about being morbidly obese is not falling down dead from a heart attack--that is the easy part. The hard part is falling down with a heart attack and someone screaming"Oh God help him" and some well meaning medico shocking your ass and you waking up with steel wires in your sternum. Or having a stroke and living for years and years in a bed with someone having to come wipe your ass because you can't. If that is what you want then hell go for it--BUT quit your bitching.

Years ago , I heard of a medical study where hundreds of terminally ill patients were interviewed.Not one said they wanted one more day to work for the company, not one said they wanted one more taco, one more bowl of ice cream---they all said they wanted one more day with their family,their friends or their God.

We all make choices in this life, some sooner than others, but rest assured, you WILL pay for every choice you make , just like me.

END of SOAP BOX

I feel so much better now.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Making a decision is like pulling off a band aid, just jerk.

Monday, May 4, 2009

The Blog and the mirror

I spoke before about this blog being a great tool for keeping me honest and I thought about that over the weekend.

I am beginning to realize how much the blog is like a mirror. When I look in the mirror there is no one there that I can lie to.The face in the mirror knows the truth. The face in the mirror is not impressed with some bullshit story about how hard I worked or how little I ate. He is not swayed by the fact that by eating broccoli I offset the 6 glazed doughnuts.

The face in the mirror does not care if I worked hard or what I ate, the face in the mirror knows if I am telling the truth or lying.What he does with this knowledge means the difference between learning from my education and remaining where I am at.

Albert Einstein is quoted as "INSANITY--doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Now that cat must have been pretty smart!!If the truth was know I bet he was a cowboy.

So, to me this blog is like the mirror in that I could type in any bullshit story I want and few would know the difference--me being one of the few.

I think the person who reads my posts the most often is me.I have been going back and reading what I wrote just to see what I was thinking(reflecting I guess).You know from reading what I wrote as little as 3 months ago I can tell when I was down and when I was thrilled---why?--because I know the truth.

I would encourage anyone starting a trip like mine to start a blog about the journey.It has done wonders for me.

Pearl of Wisdom from the mind of WEL
Be careful what toes you step on in life, ya never know when they will be connected to an ass you have to kiss someday.