Ab Normal's Rants and Randoms

Happy Birthday Trinity!

2009-02-23T09:40:00.002-07:00

Look who turned 5 this month! Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Grace!

2008-12-05T08:35:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday Grace!

Happy Birthday...even if you were a little grumpy this morning....We Love You!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-03T16:46:00.005-07:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween...or Happy Harvest Festival...whatever you would like to call it.

Boo! from Sleeping Beauty and Little Giraffe!

Life

2008-10-16T13:33:00.002-06:00

ABORTION
ADOPTION

8 Letters…change two letters…and save a life!

It recently struck me at just how close these two words are…alphabetically…

It struck me odd that these could be so close alphabetically, and yet polar opposites in definition.

One represents death.

One represents life.

Quick Update

2008-08-25T11:30:00.004-06:00

About a month ago, I decided to tweak my diet a bit to see if I could bust out of the weight loss stall I was in for long time. I decided to take my daily carb count even lower.

Over the weekend I achieved another pound to reach 208....82 pounds lost!

For "fun" I tried on a pair of size 34 jeans that I have had lying around for "motivation"...and THEY FIT! My wife said they did not look too tight...of course they are tighter than my current size 36....but I could move around in them, and kneel down and such without bursting any seams!
My wife does not like the specific cut of these cheap Costco jeans, so they will probably be labeled as "work around the house" jeans...and I am not quite ready to "commit" to size 34...not that I fear gaining, but I am pretty comfortable in size 36....after another 10 pounds or so gone, maybe size 36 will seem too big, and I will be ready to move down...

This VLC (very-low-carb) seems to work for me.

I currently work 4 10-hour shifts and do find myself hungry some days....but my work schedule limits some of the things I can do. I am not "dying" to eat...and it is nice to actually be hungry once in a while. Some days all I eat is eggs, meat, and diet soda....occasionally I will have cheese...but not regularly, and I eat the 0 carb cheddar or swiss when I do. My snack of choice is pork rinds...to help stave off hunger during the long 10-hour shift...

...some have said that sweeteners, even if artificial, trigger a desire for more sweets for them, but I do not have that reaction...at least not any more.

The longer I follow VLC way of eating, I find it is easier. I can sure tell when I have eaten leaner meats....but sometimes that is all we happen to have come eating time.

What has worked best for me and this 10-hour shift is the following:
This is my ideal menu, and I do not eat this menu every day, but as I progress, I think it will become my basic menu.

Breakfast:
2-3 fatty hamburger patties with little or no spices/flavorings (frozen, or fresh...no preference for me.)
I prepare these fresh in the morning, or the previous night and reheat them to simplify the morning routine. I eat these around 6-6:15AM and am not hungry until 11:30 or Noon.
Or...sometimes just a bunch of bacon...I love the stuff.

Lunch:
2-3 fatty hamburger patties...same as breakfast...prepared with the breakfast patties and reheated at work. I sometimes add some butter to add some more fat, and I enjoy the flavor.
I am not usually hungry again until dinnertime, 6-6:30PM.

Dinner:
What ever meat my wife has prepared or some leftover meats from previous meals. Most days it is a simple meal, as my wife works outside the home, and I just "punt" with whatever I find in the fridge. Food is just not a big deal to me any more.

For drinks, I drink water, or diet soda...depending on what strikes my fancy at the time. I drink some diet soda with Splenda, and some with aspartame. I still try and limit aspartame, but have not given it up completely yet.

I have 28 more pounds to go to reach my new goal. I have weighed 180 in my early 20s, but do not remember much about it...it was short-lived...so...we shall see.

God Bless

Ab

Slovakia!

2008-07-30T14:05:00.016-06:00

In June and a few days into July we went to Slovakia for a vacation and to see my wife's family that stayed behind after her family escaped Communism….oh so many years ago.

Here are the girls I love at the SLC airport for the start of our journey.

Here the girls are walking around the village of Myjava....if memory serves....

Grace is eating something delicious...

Here is Grace outside the cow barn at Teta Beta's...

Playing ping pong at a relative's house in the Czech Republic village of Jablonné.

The Family Four somewhere in Prague...

At and around Prague castle...

Here we are on the Charles Bridge

in Prague…

Prague scenes...

Back in Bratislava, Slovakia...the last pic is outside Bratislava Castle.

In a friend's backyard...

Bratislava Zoo and Dinosaur Exhibit...

Castle Devín, near Bratislava...

Along the Danube River, outside the walls of Castle Devin...the last one is a pic of a monument to the thousands of people that died trying to escape Communism by trying to cross the Danube in this area to escape to Austria.

Here is a pic of Trinity and Timea playing in an area my wife used to run around and play in when she was younger.

Here are some pictures from around Piešťany, Slovakia...

A tribute to the "Working Class"....please thank a Communist when you see one...

Here is a typical low-carb lunch/dinner that I enjoyed.

In the beautiful High Tatras…

And...throw in a quick excursion to Poland...

Back at the Slovakia/Poland Border...keep moving...keep moving...nothing to see here...

At family friend's house in the Tatry area...

Back in Myjava area...

This Rooster ride-on toy is one of the many items that she remembers playing with when she was young and now our girls get to fight over...oops...I mean ride...it.

Me working on Dedus'ko's (Grandpa's) laptop...

Thirsty Girls...

ahh...the memories...

Visiting my wife's cousin and family in Šaľa...

I was treated to some trap shooting! I said to Jaro..."Should I bring my passport?" To which he replied..."We have guns..we do not need passports!" Har Har

Meanwhile...back on the farm...

Noodle Making! Tractors! Nearby monuments!

Trenčín Castle

Beckov Castle ruins...

Parting shots from the final days of our visit...

The End

High School Musical 3 Set Pictures!

2008-05-30T17:11:00.003-06:00

I was given a couple of pictures that were allowed from our visit to the set of HSM3.
No stars in these...sorry.
Larger version can be copied from my photobucket page....

This is my daughter, niece, and nephew.

I hope you enjoy them.

Ab

Some of my favorite photos

2008-05-29T21:25:00.008-06:00

Here is a smattering of pictures I have taken that I enjoy....Have a blessed week!

Ab

High School Musical!

2008-05-19T11:51:00.009-06:00

As a guest of Marshall Moore, of the Utah Film Commission, I was able to treat my 9-year old niece to an amazing weekend!

We were given the privilege to watch a bit of the filming of High School Musical 3!
It is being filmed here in Salt Lake at East High School, which is not far from my house…
My 4-year old daughter went also, but she really did not know what was going on. She knows it was High School Musical, but does not understand that a movie was being made…and I must admit…as of this posting…I have NOT seem HSM 1 or 2…I may have to watch them now…we’ll see.

We arrived on set of High School Musical 3, not knowing what to expect at all.
The set is in the gymnasium and there are hundreds of extras being used!
We had the opportunity to be extras, but the 12+ hour day would not work for a 4-year old, or 9-year old.

My 9-year old niece was able to meet “Coach” Bolton…Troy’s dad…she loved it! Bart Johnson was very nice, talked to her for a bit and signed an autograph book!

She got to see all of the stars except Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel! They were not in any of the scenes being shot that day. They supposedly were on set somewhere, but we did not see them.

We actually did not get to see any real “acting,” because Saturday was all about shooting various basketball sequences. The actor that was supposed to “make the basket” never actually made a basket that day…I am sure that if he ever hit it after we left, the extras in the stands would have gone nuts just like any real basketball game audience would have…

The TV show “Extra” was filming interviews literally right next to us in the bleachers of the gym that was not being used in filming. My niece was able to watch the interview with Zac Efron, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman. Monique actually talked to my niece briefly while she was waiting for the interview to start. She was very nice, but said that she was not allowed to sign autographs…oh well…

The Extra! interviewer was Tanika Ray, she did not talk to us, but we did not know who she was at the time…I had to find out on the Internet just who she was…there were 2 or 3 cameramen working with her and a few other “support” people for her also. They were not rude in any way. The cameramen seemed nice…even when they needed us to make room for them to sit…

During the 4+ hours we were “on set,” my daughter got quite tired and took a nap in my lap…

I think my niece was on “information overload.” She was indeed tired and ready to go when we finally left. Marshall gave my niece a couple of souvenirs, like a “call sheet” for that day…so she would have PROOF to show her friends, since cameras were not allowed at all.

Marshall invited us back on Sunday, so we traipsed back to the set again. Sunday did not have as many extras. They were shooting some closer up scenes. We stayed about 3 hours on Sunday and to say that the kids enjoyed it would be an understatement. Marshall showed us around the school, and the kids were able to see Sharpay’s locker and other fun stuff!

Marshall was able to usher over a couple of the new stars of the show and they sat and chatted with the kids for a bit and signed autographs. Shawn Carter, and Matt Prokop were both very nice and the kids thought it was great! They also got to see Sharpay’s dog, apparently the dog belongs to the director, Kenny Ortega, and he’d brought the dog along on Sunday.

As we were leaving…making one last restroom stop before heading to the car…as luck would have it…Kenny Ortega stopped and talked to the kids as they waited in the hall! He signed autographs and said he has an Aunt with the same name as my daughter…

…then…before Kenny left….up walks Zac Efron! Both my niece and nephew were beside themselves!

Zac shook their hands and talked to them and signed autographs! It was great to see the look on their faces!

Thank You Marshall, and Tommy, of the Film Commission for arranging this for me! It was great!

And……Go see High School Musical 3…at a theater near you…in October or so…

Aspartame...

2008-05-08T15:34:00.004-06:00

This is just a quick update…

After 15 months of living a low carb lifestyle, I am still stuck at 78 pounds lost. The scale goes up 3 pounds, down 2, up 3 more, down 4…back to 212.

I am frustrated a little, but overall I am very happy with the weight loss success so far!

I have been reading about the “poison” called aspartame…and trying to draw some conclusions….some say it’s OK…others say it’s “poison.” I have decided to work on eliminating aspartame from my diet.

I have not totally given up aspartame yet, but I am working on it. My consumption level is DRASTICALLY reduced. I still have a regular Diet Coke now and then…but not 8 cans a day like I used to consume.

Diet Rite with Splenda is very good as well as Diet Coke with Splenda…but sometimes when I want a soda, there is no Splenda option….so….sometimes I have aspartame. I know one day, I will no longer have any, but for now…once in a while…I’ll have it.

I do not feel any different than when I would consume lots and lots of aspartame…so…I am not sure what to make of all the negative claims about it. I guess I will err on the side of caution…and work to stop consumption completely…but for now…take it slow.

My exercise still mainly consists of a 30-45 minute walk 3-5 times a week, and little else…unless you count projects around the house and chasing my daughters around…

Out of the mouths of babes….

Uno, Dos, Tres, Honko, Cinco….she can not say Quatro...

Have a God-filled day!

Projects, Projects...

2008-05-05T09:16:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the delay in updated blog posts. Several factors are involved with the delay, but mostly I have not had extra time to write anything.

Lately, along with normal everyday stuff raising 2 beautiful girls, there have been projects around the house that have taken a considerable amount of my time.

One of the first projects of the spring was to put together a playhouse from Costco for the girls.

The girls LOVE their new playhouse so it was worth the headache to put it together...

This was followed by our sewer line being replaced. Our wallet is now $3000.00 lighter! But, it is nice knowing that there are no problems "down under."

Next, we replaced our basement door. The old one had lots of glass, which was good letting light in, but not that secure. It also was not energy efficient at all. The new one is much more efficient.

And while these projects were going on…move the gate in the driveway, and extend the side fence. I do know how to dig holes...

God Bless you all!

Choose Life!

2008-02-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

Choose Life!

I warned you in one of my previous blogs that I would eventually discuss some serious material…..this is my attempt to explain how I feel regarding a complex issue…it is hard to fully express my feelings in words…but…I tried.

When I was a teenager in the late 70s/early 80s, I had not thought much about abortion. I remember discussing it with my younger brother, and we both were against it, except for cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

As males…who were we to say what a woman should or should not be allowed to do.

This was my basic feelings on the issue for a long time. I really did not think much about it.

When my wife was pregnant with our first child my perspective changed. I now Choose Life no matter what the circumstance!

Our church did a study on 40 Days of Purpose. My wife and I loved this study!

Pastor Rick Warren mentions in one of the studies that ALL babies are created with a purpose and that there are NO MISTAKES! If you ever are depressed or feel bad that your life is not what you think it should be, remember that YOU ARE NOT A MISTAKE! God LOVES you!

During my wife’s first pregnancy I did all the things that men are supposed to do now days. I went to several appointments, and got to hear our daughter’s heart beat and witness the first ultrasound pictures! We prayed and prayed for a healthy child! I remember one particular visit, late in the pregnancy, in which they were to monitor the baby…she was asleep…in the womb. The nurse used this thing that vibrated loudly and held it against my wife’s stomach. I will NEVER forget what happened. Our daughter JUMPED so hard that my wife nearly fell off the exam table!

Experiencing this sealed the deal with me...ALL unborn children are ALIVE and HAVE the Right to Life!!

NO EXCEPTIONS!

Regarding my previous way of thinking…

Pregnancy due to rape or incest:

It is not the precious child’s fault! The child is a wonderful and tremendous BLESSING that can help the victim overcome something horrible that happened to her! Think of the love children give their mothers! Even if the child is given up for adoption, this child will be a BLESSING!

Risk of life to the mother:

It strikes me that this is not that common now days. Medical advances that God has revealed to the doctors can help get a lot of high risk pregnancies to term. I also think that most mothers would give their own life if it meant that their child would survive! As a father, I know I would give mine, if it were to save the one’s I love!

I also used to support capital punishment or the “death penalty.”

I had always heard things that mention the “right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.”

I knew it was not in the Bill of Rights, and was wondering about this phrase.

I wanted to use this “right to life” phrase when people would question my Choose Life stance. This phrase is not doctrine from some church, but from the founding fathers of our country!

After some quick research I found that this phrase is found in the Declaration of Independence, which does not really mean we have these rights in the legal sense, but they were a part of the foundation of the United States of America. Our rights were established in the U.S. Constitution.

Here is the quote from the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

In my attempt to discover ways to explain my “Choose Life” attitude, I looked up the word “unalienable.”

I found this…“Not to be separated, given away, or taken away,” and “incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another.”

I think the authors of the Declaration of Independence chose the word ‘unalienable’ carefully and on purpose!

I cannot take this right to life away from anyone! They cannot give it to me even if they wanted to! The simple fact that we exist means that we have this right! It also means that no government can take this right away either. This led me to the revelation that the government should not be in the business of killing people…even evil, wretched criminals.

The reactive side of me wants to allow the death penalty, but since unborn children have this unalienable right to life, criminals and murderers also have this unalienable right even if they do deserve to die.

In the larger picture we all deserve to die, for the wages of sin is death. But since Jesus bore our burden, we can now have eternal life in Him.

So there you have it. Choose Life!

Also…Choose Eternal Life!

Out of the mouths of babes….

I am going to ‘orgazine’ my doll house….

She cannot say ‘organize.’

Livin' Large!

2008-01-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

I hope that God has blessed you this week!

I live in Salt Lake City, and let me say….I am tired of SNOW! I am looking forward to warmer days.

I don’t know the official snowfall totals this year, but I know I have had to shovel too many times.

I think I am down about a half a pound…so not much movement on the scales, but at least there is no upward movement!

I realized recently that all the clothes I buy are simply L (Large) in size. Praise God for helping me do this!
I used purchase XXL! I like to say now that “I am Living Large!” (…as opposed to “Living Xtra Xtra Large!)
The feeling is absolutely amazing! Sometimes things like buying clothes can be so depressing when you are struggling with your weight.
Another odd thing I did not expect…my ring size is now smaller. ..my wedding ring is loose…but not THAT loose…ha ha!
I may have to have it resized…if you can resize titanium…

When I go to bed tomorrow, it will be a full year…count them…365 days…since making the life changing decision to follow a low carb lifestyle. What an amazing BLESSING this approach to eating has been to my life.

I hope God richly blesses you this week! If you don’t know Him…let me know…and I will introduce you to Him.

When I get some time, I will be blogging on some much deeper issues. Sometimes I cannot express myself well enough.

So the deeper subjects will take some time to “get down on paper."

Out of the mouth of babes…

Popsible: She simply cannot say “Popsicle.”

Look at everything new with wonder and surprise….

Our little “E.T.”

Low-carb 1st Anniversary

2008-01-23T20:01:00.001-07:00

Well….it has been nearly a full year since I started living a low-carb lifestyle. February 1^st is my first anniversary!

God has blessed me so much this year. He has controlled my hunger, cravings, and temptations!

I have not gone “off-plan” this entire year and it seems now that I never will! This is way I choose to eat!

As of today, my weight loss total is 73 pounds! I have been annoyed/upset/depressed lately because I have been stuck on that 73 pounds for some time now. Jimmy Moore’s blogs and podcasts have helped remind me of what I have achieved and to focus on the incredibly positive results so far!

I have refocused and am beginning the Induction Phase of the Atkin’s plan to see if I attain even more loss!

There is a brave young man chronicling his low-carb progress using YouTube videos. His YouTube name is ShrinkingTonyG. Although I did not have as much weight to lose, I can certainly relate to some of the struggles and frustrations he is going through! Please watch his video entries and leave some encouraging comments for him!

For those of you wanting to shed 10 pounds or 200 pounds I highly encourage that you find some type of low-carb solution simply because it works! Read Jimmy’s blogs. The information he has about several low-carb options is fantastic!

God Bless!

I want to pass along a few “new words” that my 4 year old daughter has used in the last year or so. Some are quite interesting, so I think I will have one per blog.

Out of the mouths of babes….

Crocadator : a combination of crocodile and alligator. That one made us laugh out loud when she said it.

Here is a picture of the girl’s I love!

Random TV

2008-01-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hello again readers!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

In my last blog I mentioned asthma. I was taking a daily steroid inhalant….that simply killed my voice. I do not talk that much….but by the end of the day my voice was simply shot.

At the follow up doctor visit I mentioned it, and he wrote a new prescription for a pill instead of an inhaler. What a huge difference this has made for me!

So far, all is well and I have not had any wheezing of any kind for weeks! Praise God for the miracle of modern medicine!

Where were you on the night of January 16^th?
I was blogging away at the church I attend, waiting for AWANAs to end.

I could not think of anything really interesting to blog about so I thought I’d blog about TV…isn’t that SO EXCITING!

I watched most of the first episode of American Idol yesterday…..from Philadelphia! Hey…I’ve been there….seen the Liberty Bell…..sang in a choir at Liberty Square on the 4^th of July….ahhh….the memories…..

I think those going to Hollywood were pretty good…some of them were amazing!

The “freak show” contestants were…in a word…excruciating! I think Simon Cowell should do what he can to reduce some of that. I know that is part of the appeal of the entire show, but come on……I wonder how some of those folks even made it past the preliminary auditions to get in front of the real judges.

I missed the second show….since I am here at church…not in front of the TV.

The other show my wife and I like to watch is Prison Break…or as we call it…for no sane reason…Prison Bake.

We have to record this one, and watch after the young’uns go to sleep. As impossible as the show is, it is done very well. We are anxiously waiting for 24! I guess production will begin again when Keifer gets his behind out of jail.

Television viewing in our house is mainly kid friendly stuff. We have a 1 year old, and an almost 4 year old. Disney Channel is the most common channel at our house.

I have seen episodes of Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Cory in the House repeatedly...….so many times….but my daughter loves Hannah, and both the girls “dance” to the music…so it’s fun.

I must admit…I laugh out loud a few times watching the insanity that is…..Hannah Montana.

If it’s not the kid friendly channels….it is some kid friendly movie on DVD or VHS that we have seen ad nauseum.

I have to watch The Simpsons online…..during lunch break. Although this is arguably the best and funniest show on TV….it is just not suitable for the young ones. Too much sass mouth and such. Some people think that a lot of the Disney shows have too much sass mouth…..but I digress…

I almost forgot to mention another show we really like, but rarely watch for various reasons…..House.

Our TV seems to be stuck on Fox…ha ha! House is a GREAT show. My wife likes Dr. House’s snarky remarks….the Simon Cowell of doctors…..

We used to really like CSI: La$ Vega$ but have missed so many episodes, we have lost track of it. The Miami version of CSI is so pathetic…..we never even watched that lame show.

Until next time….

God Bless

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-19T19:49:00.001-07:00

Hello to all readers!

Thanks for browsing by!

Since Jimmy Moore mentioned I have a blog, I thought I had better get some current stuff out there!

First thing I would like to say is Merry Christmas to one and all! I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season! God loves YOU so much!

I also need to say a couple things to start this blog officially…..

I am by no means a preacher, but….Jesus died for YOU!

Salvation is a gift for you! Why not make it this year’s Christmas gift to yourself? All you have to do is accept the gift!

I worship and serve as a Deacon at a Baptist church, but the Great Commission is not to get people to attend Baptist churches. The Great Commission is to share Christ with others! If you are seeking a church to attend, here are the two most important guidelines to seek out….“Christ plus nothing for Salvation”, and “the Bible plus nothing for doctrine.”

My 73 pound (so far) weight loss is not my success at all! Without Christ I could do NOTHING! I turned my appetite over to Him and he continues to work in me!

Praise God for His Strength!

Lately, my focus has not been on my weight. I still maintain a low carb lifestyle, and always will, but God has tossed something in my life that needs some attention……Asthma.

After having wheezing episodes for about a month, I finally went to the doctor….after my wife’s insistence....
The doctor prescribed 3 days of oral steroids and an Albuterol inhaler. Things improved greatly, however some wheezing persisted, so I now have a steroid inhaler that I use morning and evening. I now use the Albuterol inhaler if a wheezing episode comes up. I have a follow up appointment early January for further evaluation.

Interesting….while typing this…I am listening to my iPod….and what song comes on…Oxygen…by the Christian group Avalon….Christ truly is my oxygen!

I have always loved this song…and now it has new meaning for me!

I am not sure if any of these new medications will affect my weight loss….we shall see…

I think I finally know the final goal I am aiming for. 180 pounds! I am currently now only 37 pounds away from reaching that goal!

Jimmy’s low carb forum has lots of great people at varying stages of weight loss. I love reading about their successes and seeing the before and after pictures! I even like reading the challenges that others face to see if I can learn something from them.

May God bless you all greatly!

Sorry that this rambles a bit….I will try to keep future posts a little more focused.

Waisting Away

2007-12-14T08:05:00.002-07:00

I have not updated here in a while. I am not sure that anyone reads my writings anyway....but here is something I wrote a bit ago. Jimmy Moore posted this in his blog. Thanks Jimmy! But I wanted to post it on my own blog as well...so I am finally doing that.

*****************
Waisting Away

Some of what I will be writing, I have never verbally expressed to anyone. I share them now in order to inspire or help others that may have the same thoughts or feelings.

First…….some background on me. I am 42 years old and am 6 foot 1 inch tall. I am the father of two beautiful daughters and I am the husband of one….yes I am in Utah…but have only one…..wonderful wife.

Weight issues and I are longtime acquaintances.

As a kid, I wore size “husky.”

In Jr. High I was a wrestler on the school team. I was on the low end of the “Heavyweight” division. So I was big even then. The biggest issue with wrestling in the Heavyweight division was that there was no maximum weight! So I had to wrestle some guys that outweighed me by maybe 100 pounds! After being squished a few times….I stopped wrestling after Jr. High.

I do not remember even trying to lose weight when I was still in school. I may have tried, but do not remember and was obviously not successful. I was simply a big guy.

At the ripe old age of 21, I was attending a tech school which was 5 days a week in the mornings. This left the afternoons and evenings available for work. At some point I decided to try and lose weight.

At this point I weighed 240 pounds, probably stretching my size 38 jeans to their breaking point….but you know….size 40 was simply too loose….ha ha

I had determined that I was going to lose weight and decided to eat only 1000 calories a day. That was my magic number. One summer day, I began riding my bike. I enjoyed riding the country roads of rural Idaho. Each ride turned out to be about 45 minutes and I was faithful that almost every weekday I was out riding.

With having to leave for school early in the morning, I would not eat breakfast since I wanted to sleep more than I wanted to eat.

I arrived home from school around 1PM each day and….back in days of the dinosaur….cable TV did not exist so the only thing on TV was General Hospital or some other lame soap opera. I would watch GH while I ate lunch and then would hop on my bike around 2PM for a ride. I would get back, shower and head off to work until 9PM or so. It never crossed my mind to turn off the TV and not watch anything while I ate lunch….and I hated GH.

For lunch each day I would have a very large salad. Lettuce, tomatoes and a can of tuna mixed in, with whatever dressing was available. I did not officially track calories, but my guess is that some days, I would have 800 and some days would be 1300 depending on what I put on the salad that day, averaging about 1000 calories a day.

I usually worked full days on weekends, and learned to limit my calories in other ways.

Diet Coke stock went up based on the sales of soda to me. When working Saturdays, I could easily drink 8-16 oz glass bottles…yes they used glass back then….this helped protect the soda during dinosaur attacks….and apparently plastic was not invented yet. I have the UPC # memorized from the cans of Diet Coke …496580…don’t believe me…..check a can for yourself. Back in the days I carried a briefcase, 496580 was my code to open it.

Diet Coke was (and still is) my answer when I want a sweet fix.

After 3 months of this extreme diet and exercise, I had lost 60 pounds! Yes….60 pounds in 3 months! I weighed an incredible 180 pounds! One of my most vivid memories while at a “thin” 180 pounds is a comment made by a friend that had not seen me in a while. Three of us were headed to a movie and the subject of my weight came up and one of them says…and I quote….”You look like a million bucks!” This was from a perpetually fit and thin friend…..all the girls swooned over him….at least that was my perception. He probably does not remember saying it, and I have not talked to him in years, but I was on cloud nine that someone noticed. I still felt I should lose even more weight but that did not happen.

The weather changed, and riding my bike was not as fun in the cold, and then “the holidays” came, and I began gaining the weight back.

Soon enough…..maybe 3 years later, I was back at 240, and thin was a mere memory.

Years passed and life rolled on.

I also discovered the fashion secret called “relaxed fit.”

As a Christian, I believed I would be a better witness if I was not overweight, and saw myself fail time and time again when trying to lose weight. God wanted me thin…..why was He not helping me? This was an excuse the devil used to stop me from sharing my faith. I was also shy. I am sure my weight did not help my shyness. I felt that everyone judged me based on the fact that I was overweight, even if they themselves were overweight, I felt totally inferior to those that were slim. Most likely people did not really care that I was overweight, and I was probably the only one concerned about it, but that was my mentality at the time. How can I share to a fit person that Christ is the answer! Look at how happy I am!…..When I am not happy at all….at least with myself.

My weight hovered around 235-240 for a very long time, and I only made half-hearted attempts to lose any weight.

I began working a very sedentary job answering phones all day, never leaving my cube. I was a telephone computer support guy in a call center. After 3 years of working in this sedentary environment, my weight peaked at 307 pounds!

I changed jobs and my weight dropped somewhat to around 280. I remained at 280 for a while, and then I met the woman that was to be my wife.

Once engaged, I focused on losing weight for the wedding day. Using Atkins and Hydoxycut, I lost 30 pounds and got down to 250 pounds for my wedding day. Hydroxycut was later deemed unsafe, so they stopped selling it with ephedrine in it. I felt great, but knew I could lose more. On the honeymoon, no restrictions in my diet were in place. And thereafter, I did not attempt to maintain the weight loss. I hoped the weight would not return but was not doing anything to prevent it from coming back…..so it did. Over the 5 years I have been married, I have yo-yo dieted to as low as 250 pounds, and usually hovered in the 280 pound range.

Here are some of my failed motivations that I have attempted to use:

High School reunion coming up: I am going to lose weight to “impress them.”

When my first daughter was born: I am going to lose weight “for her.”

When my second daughter was born: I am going to lose weight “for her.”

After they were both born: I am going to lose weight “for them.”

In February of 2007, I was bursting out of size 42 at a whopping 290 pounds. I had been asked to sing a solo at church.

The suits I have were too small to fit, and I was very uncomfortable in most of my clothes. I was so frustrated with myself that I had allowed myself to balloon up to 290. I did not sing at church and was convicted that I needed to do something about my weight once and for all. I prayed. I turned my appetite over to God. It was painfully obvious that I could not do this without His help. I had achieved various levels of success using a low carb diet plan in the past, so that was what I was going to do.

With God’s help I chose to follow a low carb lifestyle.

It has now been seven and a half months since changing my eating lifestyle, and I have lost a total of 66 pounds and am only 4 pounds away from my original goal!! My initial goal was to lose 70 pounds and get to 220 pounds, then I will reevaluate my weight and see if need to lose more. I also shaved my beard/goatee that my wife really likes. One of the rewards for reaching my first goal of 220 pounds will be allowing myself to grow the beard back. I HATE shaving, so this is a reward I look forward to! I will be setting additional 10 pound goals as necessary and eventually arrive at my final weight that I plan on maintaining for the rest of my life.

I have not “cheated” even once! Praise God! I have been tempted. We have had various levels of candy and other treats in the house as the various holidays have come and gone. After about 5 months, I have found that I am not really even tempted any more….at least by the stuff that used to tempt me. My temptations are the worst when I am tired, but God has seen me through all of them!

Now I did not actually “count” all the carbs that I would eat, but I know by reading the labels and such that my net carbohydrate intake is low…...20-30 grams per day.

I have removed ALL XXL sized clothing from my closet and have begun buying a few XL sizes to wear until my final weight goal is achieved. It is such a great feeling to donate the clothes that are too large!! It cannot be explained, but it feels GREAT! Now my once too small suits are actually too large!! I can live with that for now. Someday I may have them tailored to fit.

Over all, I feel fantastic! I have eaten at buffets and at other restaurants and NOT HAD A “CARB COMA” an hour later or so. I weigh myself EVERY morning and am not discouraged if my weight fluctuates upward by a few pounds. I have overcome MANY “plateaus,” and I am currently in one now that has lasted over 2 weeks! As they say…..this too shall pass.

My exercise has been minimal. 3 or 4 30 minute walks per week is what my schedule seems to allow so far. I am sure I will be exercising more as time permits, but this weight loss has been achieved with MINIMAL exercise.

TIPS for others:

PRAY for God’s guidance and assistance.

Reward your success with NON-FOOD related items.

NEVER EVER, EVER, GIVE UP!

When you are tempted, have a low carb treat of some kind. I like Atkins bars…especially one that is very similar to a Snickers bar called Endulge. There are also some DELICIOUS low carb ice cream treats that I love. With low carb treats, you get the sweet fix taken care of and there is no cheating involved….so maybe your total net carbs for the day are over 20….or even pushing 40 grams…..but you KNOW that you have NOT cheated and therefore there is NO GUILT….and there is no rationalizing to yourself about eating more carbs….since you already “cheated.” The feeling of successfully overcoming temptation is so much better than the guilt we heap upon ourselves if we “cheat.” Try it sometime.

Surprisingly Low Carb food….at least what I found to be surprising…that helped me:

Strawberries

Raspberries

Sunflower seeds

Whipped Cream…the real stuff made with real cream

Low carb restaurant menu items that helped me:

Taco salads (no chips, and do not eat the edible bowl…lettuce, meat, salsa, sour cream, guacamole…mmm!)

Steaks and other non-breaded and non-sauced meats of all sorts

Diet or unsweetened drinks

Cobb salads

Club salads

Low Carb tortilla shells…..these probably have the highest carb count per serving of the things I eat, but these low carb versions have only 4-7 net carbs per tortilla.

Global Warming

2007-02-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

I really do not get it. Growing up, we were warned of the "Coming Ice Age."

Before anyone claims I am some Right-Wing Conservative Nut Job Zombie….I have a couple of statements before I get to the questions I have. (Although I am a Right-Wing Conservative Nut Job….I am not a Zombie…..BRAINS…BRAINS…)

Statements:

1. I recycle….yes…..it's true….hard to believe a conservative would do such a thing.

2. I support common-sense conservation. If I can buy a light bulb that uses less energy…I am all over it! When convenient….I have used public transportation…GASP!

3. I support Mass-Transit…another GASP! Although…it should be self-supporting….and run by a private company outside of government.

4. I support the implementation of alternative energy sources…triple GASP! Put up all those wind turbines, and sun absorbing appliances…the more the merrier……but PLEASE….encourage..and let private industry do it…again…outside of government. Give us a good, reasonably priced product…and us lowly, uneducated masses are all over it….and yes Teddy K....even if your precious view is affected….they should be allowed to put up the wind powered energy producing devices in your neighborhood.

I could come up with more…but you get the idea…..now…having said all that….here is what pops into my wee little brain when (cough cough….suppressing gag reflex…) Al Gore or others of his ilk say the words "Global Warming"

Questions:

1. Is the US….the MOST emissions-regulated country in the world…really the biggest polluter of stuff they claim is causing Global Warming?
If the US were to stop ALL activity suspected to be the cause of Global Warming……would that be enough? Would the remaining countries on the globe still spew out enough emissions to negate any positive effect this would have?

I do not really know this answer….my perception is….not even close. I seem to remember years back that anti-pollution activists would complain that mostly the developing countries and countries that did not regulate emissions were the biggest problem.

2. IF….Global Warming is really a result of something we lowly humans have done, what makes us think we can stop or reverse the warming? If we have merely aggravated or sped up some natural process AND we are able to reverse this trend…and start a Global Cooling of some sort…..what makes us think we can stop the cooling process once it has started…..AND who determines what is the "perfect balance" that the temperature needs to be? ….and how do we hold it at the constant "perfect balance?"

OK….all you global scientists out there……enlighten me!

Taxes....in General

2007-02-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

General Taxes

The average tax payer has no idea how much they pay in taxes.
How do I tax thee? Let me count the ways!

Income Tax
Most tax payers do not recognize the tax bite taken from their paychecks. Unless you are self-employed, employers are mandated to withhold Federal and State taxes from your pay each payday. The average tax payer knows their typical take home pay and uses this number as how much they get paid each pay day, when in reality their take home could be much higher if there was no withholding.
No withholding would require each tax payer to fork over the dough on April 15th of each year instead of staggered over the year.

The government says:
We are doing the tax payer a favor by, in essence, establishing an automatic tax account to pay your taxes with! You wont have a big tax bill this way! And if you over pay us, well gladly refund the money! We are a gracious government, aren't we?
We are also protecting you in case you do not have the money saved to pay your tax bill come April.

What the government actually thinks:
If you do not pay us on time, we will add interest and late fees galore until we bankrupt you!
If I take these know-nothing tax payer's money in smaller chunks, no one will really complain. After all, $50 bucks doesn't sound nearly as bad as $1300 bucks! If Americans actually recognized how much they pay in taxes, there would be a REVOLT demanding some heads! We can't have an informed Republic! Lets hide, disguise, and misdirect all that we can! Let's call it a fee!....yea that's the ticket....no one will realize it is really a tax in disguise!

Reality says:
If I over pay, I just gave the government an interest-free loan of MY money!

End Result:
Joe Tax Payer is too busy working to pay taxes to think about how much he owes in taxes.

Solution:
Don't hide anything. Make taxes recognizable. Have the tax payer write a check each payday for their taxes.

Sales Tax:
Sales tax is the most fair and equal tax, except that some states/cities have them and others don't.
Some say it is not fair because Rich people can afford it, but the poor folk can not.
This tax is solely based on the amount spent, calculated by a percentage of the sale. It is the same rate for everyone. Rich, poor, it does not matter.the sales tax is what it is.
Some say that to help the poor; the sales tax on food should be eliminated.....and I tend to agree. This would instantly add 4-7% based on where you live to your food budget bottom line to buy more food, or pay other bills with! The issue would be what is considered food. Would it simply be the food staples like milk, eggs, butter, flour, sugar, etc....or would it include soda, candy, and potato chips?
Where do you draw that line of distinction?