Back from Vacation

Well, I got back from vacation and had a great time.

I ate too much, though. Oh well.

Fat Friday: Why We All Should Lose Weight

This week's Fat Friday consists mostly of more stories about why we need to lose weight and get rid of fat. We've also got stories about a death row inmate who claims he's too heavy to be executed, the controversy over obese passengers on airlines, and a list of restaurants that may be making your kids fat.

It seems like the news media is really in a frenzy over the evils of being overweight, and I have to say that the continuing FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) campaign doesn't do much to increase my motivation to lose weight. Now that I've reached the point of saturation with all this negative news, I find myself just not caring all that much.

Here's this week's round up:

• Excess Fat Around Your Heart May Be Dangerous - Researchers are finding that excess fat around your heart may give you a higher risk for heart attack than having a high BMI. (AJC.com)
  
  
• Death Row Inmate Argues He Is Too Fat to Be Executed - An Ohio man is arguing that because he is so fat, he is too heavy to be humanely executed. (AFP)
  
  
• There Are Few Old Fat People - It seems there are fat people and there are old people, but there are few old fat people. (The Methuselah Foundation)
  
  
• Flying Fat - Airlines do not have a standard policy as to whether or not obese passengers should have to pay for a second seat when flying. As a result, there is considerable controversy -- and lawsuits -- from both the overweight passengers, and the normal-weighted folks who sit next to them. (Wired Blog Network)
  
  
• Which Restaurants Are Making Your Kids Fat? - It seems that some restaurants out there are putting together kids' meals upwards of 900 calories. This article offers a scary look at some of the worst offenders. (The Consumerist)
  
  
• All Americans Will Be Fat By 2048 - According to a new study, if the trend of the past thirty years continues, every American adult will be overweight. (WOAI.com)
  

Weigh In - Week 68

I am doing my weekly weigh-in a day early this week for two reasons: 1) I happened to notice good results on the scale this morning, and 2) I'm going camping this weekend and tomorrow I might be too busy packing to remember to weigh myself.

So this week's results are pretty good. I finally broke the 240's this morning, with my weight coming in at 239.2 lbs. That's down 2.2 lbs, which is I guess pretty good progress.

Of course, knowing I'm going camping this weekend, I probably won't be able to hold onto this loss for very long.

As far as my camping trip goes, I'm going to make an effort not to eat the entire world while I am there, but I'm also not going to deprive myself. Part of what goes into making weight loss permanent is realizing there will times where I'm going to eat more than others.

Hopefully, I'll get some extra exercise and the damage won't be too bad.

Crazy Days

Well I haven't posted up in a few days because things have been crazy. A work crew has been digging up the back alley behind our house because of a plumbing problem. Yesterday, I had to take one of our pets on an emergency run to an exotic pet veterinarian almost an hour away.

Nothing that gets your adrenaline pumping like driving like a maniac to get a seriously sick pet to a vet in an emergency situation.

Yesterday, because of the veterinary emergency, I missed lunch. As a result, I had extra calories available and had two slices of pizza for dinner, and some popcorn afterwards.

The news on the scale was good, though. I'm just .2 lbs higher than my lowest recent weight, so it's all good.

Of course it will be all bad on Monday, because we are going camping with friends this weekend, and it is their daughter's birthday.

Fat Friday: Donuts on a Diet

In this week's roundup, donuts are now on a diet, parents make their kids fat, while scientists are busy trying to invent new pills and hamburgers to make us healthy. We also learn about a new memoir of a woman's experiences as a fat teenager.

• Dunkin' Donuts on a Diet - It seems the folks at Dunkin' Donuts are trying to put their menu on a diet. Starting next month, they are going to be rolling out some healthier options, including an egg-white flatbread sandwich that rolls in under 300 calories. (The Business Journal)
  
  I don't know about everyone else, but the idea sounds really unappealing. If I want something healthy, a donut store is not the place I'm going to go. If I want a donut, then it's a different story. There are times, I think, when people don't want healthier choices.
  
  
• Neglectful Parenting Makes Kids Fat - According to this writer, it's the parents who are at fault for their obese children. (The Dallas Morning News)
  
  
• Should Trans Fats be Banned? - Now that California has banned trans fats in restaurant and bakery foods, the debate about extending the ban is moving to Oklahoma City. (NewsOK.com)
  
  
• Pills Can Help Burn Off Fat - Scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have discovered two drugs that imitate the effects of exercise. Could it be that one day, instead of exercising, we'll be able to pop a pill? (Financial Times)
  
  
• My Summers at Fat Camp - NPR interviews the author of Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp, a memoir about one woman's life as a chubby teenager. (NPR)
  
  
• Burger Alchemy - Scientists are working on cooking up a healthy hamburger by replacing the bad saturated fats in ground beef with heart-healthy unsaturated fats. (The Washington Post)
  
  Shouldn't this be called a Frankenburger?
  

Weigh In - Week 67

Last weekend, I exercised my brains out and thought that as a result I could eat a little more food. I didn't completely pig out; I was careful and I counted my calories. I made sure I ate less than what I burned off in exercise. Unfortunately, the exercise backfired, and instead of losing weight (or even staying steady) I gained almost three pounds over the weekend.

So the truth is, I haven't felt much like dieting or exercising this week. So much of the time I feel like my weight loss is completely out of my control. There doesn't seem to be a logical connection between what I eat, how much I exercise, and what ultimately shows up on the scale.

My weight is down from where I was on Monday, but up from last week's weigh in by one pound.

Today's weight: 241.4 lbs.