CRANKING THINGS UP

Weight loss is not mysterious. However any program is packaged it comes down to a simple principle - you burn more calories than you take in. Whether you do that using the latest "scientific" diet, by drinking a shake at midday, swearing off carbs or having nasty meals delivered to your door, it's the same bottom line.

Both aspects need attention - diet and exercise.

On the exercise side of things, this not only needs to be sustained but it must also be challenging to some degree. I've come a long way from the time when I started activity by walking a mile a day, but I admit it has become comfortable to settle.

So last week I started running a shorter distance - 5 miles instead of 6 - while focusing on the speed of the run. Now I'm no sprinter, but on one of my five runs last week I established a time that I will be working on beating this week. So I'm pushing myself which makes running hard work, but satisfying.

Keep challenging yourself. Don't settle.

I'M BAACK

I'm sitting watching the opening episode of the new season of The Biggest Loser. The combined weights of some of these teams is pretty amazing. But as I look at the numbers, I recall that Gill and I weighed a combined total of over 600lbs something like six years ago.

Her amazing weight loss achievement is often lost in the fact that I pulled a considerably larger number and now work for Weight Watchers, but she has done incredibly well.

Weight loss is not a mysterioust skill. With the right approach, you can do it in a thousand different ways. With some programs it's down to weird eating ideas, while others try to baffle you with science.

Losing weight comes down to three simple skills -

1. Eat well
2. Be active
3. Repeat

I am totally sold on Weight Watchers because it provides a framework to not only follow those three simple principles, but to live with them and maintain weight loss.

The new PointsPlus program is a proven winner. So if you're not on board yet, come see me at a local WW center - very soon!

HALLOWEEN CANDY

Here's the list - reader beware!

HALLOWEEN CANDY # OF ITEMS POINT VALUE
3 Musketeers, 2 fun size bars 3 1/2
1000 Grand, 2 mini bars 4 1/2
Abazaba, mini, Each 1
ABC Fruit Chomps, 7 pieces 3
ANDES Creme de Menth Thin Mint , 8 pieces 5 1/2
Animal Crackers, 11 crackers 3
Almond Joy, 2 snack size bars 4
America1s Original Bubble Gum, 4 pieces 1 1/2
Atomic Fireballs, Each 1
Baby Ruth, 2 fun size bars 4
Big Hunk, mini, Each 1
Bit-O-Honey, 6 pieces 4
Blow Pops, Each 1.5
Bubble Gum, super, 2 pieces 1
Butterfinger, 2 fun size bars 4
Butternut Mini Bar, .75 oz 2
Candy Corn, 22 pieces 3
Caramello, 2 snack size bars 4
Crispy Caramel Fudge Bar, snack size, Each bar 2
Caramel & Peanut Butter Crispy Bars, snack size, 2
Chocolate Toffee Crisp Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Double Bubble Gum, 2 pieces 1
Heath Bar, 5 snack size bars 6
Hershey's Bar (plain), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey's (almonds), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey Kisses, 8 pieces 5
Hershey Kisses or Hugs, 3 pieces 2
Hershey Miniatures, 5 pieces 5
Hershey Tastations (any flavor), 3 pieces 1
Hershey Sweet Escapes 2
Hi C Juice Fillers, bag (5 candies) 2
Hot Tamales, Each snack box 1
Jolly Rancher, 3 pieces 1
Jolly Rancher Mini Stix, Each 1
Kit Kat, 3 (2 pc) snack bars 6
Kit Kat, Each mini 2
Lemonheads, Each box 2
Life Saver Five Flavor Candy, 4 1.5
Life Saver Gummi Savers, 2 rolls 2.5
Life Saver Pops, Each 1
M & M (plain), Each fun size pack 2
M & M (peanut), Each fun size pack 2
M & M Crispy, Each pkg 5
Mars, 2 fun size bars 4
Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, 6 pieces 3.5
Maynards Wine Gums, 1 roll (44 g), 3
Mike & Ikes, Each snack pkg 1
Milk Duds, 4 fun size boxes 4
Milky Way, 2 fun size bars 4
Milky Way Lite, minis, 5 pieces 3
Milky Way Lite, regular bar 3.5
Mounds, 2 snack size bars 4
Necco Wafers, Each roll 1
Nerds, Each box 1
Nestles PB Mallow, Each 3.5
Nestles Baby Ruth, Each 4.5
Nestle Crunch Fun Size, 4 bars 5
Now & Later, 3 mini bars 3
O'Henry, 2 fun size bars 5
Peter Pan Peanut Butter Cups, 4 pieces 6
Pumpkin Pop, Each sucker 1
Raisinettes, 3 snack size boxes 4
Red Hots, Each box 2
Reese's Crunchy Cookie Cups, 2 snacks 4
Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, 5 pieces 5
Reeses Peanut Butter Bites, 3 pkgs 5.5
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, 2 snack size 4
Reesesticks, 2 snack size 4
Skittles, small pack 3 pkgs 4
Skittles (regular), 2 packs 3
Smarties, 3 rolls 1
Smuckers Fruit Fillers, Each bag (5 candies) 2
Snackwells Nut Clusters, Each piece 1
Snickers, 2 fun size bars 4
Snickers, minis (4 pieces) or 2 fun size bars 4
Spree Candies, 8 pieces 1
Spree Twist, 2 rolls 1.5
Starburst, 3 fun size pkgs 4
Starburst Fruit Chews, 8 chews 3.5
Sugar Babies, 2 snack size pouches 4.5
Sugar Daddy Pops, 3 3.5
Sweethearts (Necco), Each (1 1/8 oz box) 2.5
Sweet Tarts, 2 rolls 1
Tootsie Hot Chocolate Pops, Each 1.5
Three Muskateers, 2 fun size 4
Tootsie Roll, 2 snack bars 2
Tootsie Roll Midgees, 6 pieces 3.5
Tootsie Roll Midgees - small, 11 pieces 2
Tootsie Roll Pop, Each pop 1
Triple Chocolate Wafer Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Twix, (mini size) Each 1
Twix, Each snack size bar 2
Twix, Regular Size, Each (2) pack 7
Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel Cherry Candy, 3 pieces 2.5
Twizzlers Strawbery Twists, 4 twists 2.5
Werther's Original, 3 pieces 1
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, 2 snack size pouches 5
Wonka Nerds Gumballs, Each 1
Wonka Shock Tarts Gumball, Each 1
Wrigleys Chewing Gum, 5 pieces 1
York Peppermint Patties, 3 patties 3

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.