MAINTENANCE

Anyone can lose weight. They really can. It may not be all that easy depending on which road of deprivation you choose to follow, but if you can get your head in the game shedding pounds is no big deal.

Back in the mid-80's I made up my mind to get leaner and lost over 100lb in six months. My diet consisted of coffee for breakfast, instant noodles and fat free yogurt for lunch and a sensible portion of whatever was on the menu at home at dinner time. I finished every day off with another fat-free yogurt (always strawberry) in the evening.

And I lost a lot of weight.

However, since there was no way on earth I was going to exist on such meager meals for the rest of my life, the day came when I decided that was enough, started eating again and eventually welcomed back the 100lb and its friends.

Losing is one thing, but maintaining is quite another. That's why I love WW. I don't feel as if I'm on a diet or am being deprived. Sure, I make choices every day, but I'm enjoying good and tasty food and I can live with it.

So how can someone stay focused?

Here's my answer: Remember where you came from, why you decided to lose weight, what life was like when the scale struggled beneath your feet. Remember that things were only going to get worse as you got older. It's a trade-off every day and I will gladly give up some things to avoid everything I didn't like about weighing over 330lb.

Stay focused!

WHAT YOU WEARING?

Unlike a lot of the guys who hang out at my gym, I don't worry too much what I wear. An old t-shirt and a pair of shorts works for me. I'm definitely not spending good money to try to look good to people I don't know at a time of day when most of us are only half awake anyway.

However, since I'm there to run, I do not skimp when it comes to footwear. I run between 30 and 40 miles a week and certainly want the necessary comfort and support that good shoes give.

I used to buy cheap sneakers and wear them until they look disgusting, but since I started regular exercise I've been way more careful.

A couple of years ago it was recommended to me that I wear Asics and they have become a firm favorite. A recent article in Runners World magazine named Asics Gel 1150's as the best choice for footwear for runners and I got a pair a couple of days ago.

I get new sneakers every 350 to 400 miles as they're generally worn down somewhat by then and have definitely lost a lot of their absorption.

This afternoon was my first run with the new shoes and they are excellent. I thoroughly recommend Asics Gel 1150's.

BACK FROM A NIGHT OUT

We didn't go out for dinner yesterday for Valentine's day, for several reasons. One, that Sunday is already a busy day while Monday is my day off, so better to enjoy a relaxing meal on a day when you're already pretty relaxed yourself.

One other reason is that we generally protest the way restaurants exploit customers on February 14th by hiding the regular menus and offering a more limited selection at double the price. So we eat out the day before or the day after.

Eating out is intimidating to some people who are trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle, but there's no reason why it should be.

I ate well tonight, but still stayed on program. Here are a few keys -

1. I looked into the Points value of menu items before I left home.

2. I decided what I would be ordering and what I would be drinking way before entering The Curry Club.

3. I recognized that in addition to what remained of my daily Points allowance, I had up to 35 flexible Points for the week to play with.

4. I ate slowly and enjoyed the occasion.

5. I stopped eating when I had had enough and did not bring home the uneaten food.

6. I had an excellent meal with the woman I've spent 42 Valentine's Days with, ate a substantial amount of my flexible Points, but am still ending the day on program.

Planning is always the key.

I STAND CORRECTED!

Got this note on FaceBook this evening from a friend who is also a member of one of my Weight Watchers groups -
"what's the scoop-- no blog update on Where's the Fat guy since November:) We need your wisdom and thoughts!"
Of course she's right. There have been no updates. It got to be just another pressure for me to come up with something worth reading every day and so I let it go.

So here's the scoop. I will get back to this. I want to get back to this. But don't look for daily doses of Blackmorian wisdom - I'll write here as often as I can.

Went to the gym this afternoon and did five miles on the treadmill. That gives me a total of 26 miles for the week, which isn't bad given the fact that two days were spent shoveling snow rather than running.

I've decided to set myself a target for the year, just to help me stay focused and I set that at a total of 1,500 miles, which should be totally doable at 30 miles per week.

The problem is that while I did run most of the days I was in India last month, I didn't cover the distances that I would at home. So it's the middle of February and I'm behind schedule, but it should be easy enough to catch up at this stage.

I enjoy running some days.

I hate it others.

But it works - and pushing myself is a necessary part of the equation.

GREAT FALL SOUP RECIPE

PUMPKIN CURRY SOUP

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic finely chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 15oz can pure pumpkin
1 12oz can non-fat evaporated milk

METHOD
Spray a saucepan with PAM and cook the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and curry powder and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add broth and pumpkin. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in evaporated milk and transfer to belnder or food processor. Blend until smooth.


1 POINT per cup

BEWARE OF MOVIE POPCORN

THIS IS INCREDIBLE -

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100249578>1=31057

CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE

Kickin' Cranberry Sauce

12 oz bag cranberries
11 oz can Mandarin oranges in their own jc.
1 cup peeled, chopped apple
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 C granulated Splenda
1/4 C Almond Accents Original
1/4 C sugar
1/8 ts cinnamon


In a small dish, combine gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water, stir well and set aside.
Combine cranberries, Splenda and sugar with 1 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the gelatin until well combined.
Stir in the chopped apples and cinnamon. Refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
When chilled, stir well, then drain and chop the orange segments. Slightly crush the Almond Accents.

Stir both into the cranberry mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 12 servings of 1/4 cup 1POINT EACH