Clinton and Huckabee Join to Fight Childhood Obesity

Newsday.com: Former President Clinton announces initiative to combat childhood obesity

Former President Bill Clinton and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday announced the launch of a 10-year initiative to combat childhood obesity, calling it a national epidemic.

This is a great cause. We need to find ways to change our habits.

Weight Loss Status

To keep myself accountable about an end to my slothfulness I'd lay out the progress so far. I'm down almost 10 pounds, have avoided just food and over eating and have started a bit of exercise. I've also got into 5-6 smaller meals and that has helped. On the negative I'm not exercising enough and am sick of eggs (what else can I eat for breakfast when I'm low-carb). The adjustments I'm going to make include bringing in oatmeal but keeping out all the junky sugars. I will also keep out white breads and other junky carbs. So far, so good!

An End To My Slothfulness

Today (4/4/05) marks a dawning of a new era in my life. Today is the day I begin implementing the last 3 items on this list. Again further inspiration from

This is my first day at work in years where I'm not wearing jeans and it's not a special occasion. For diet and exercise I'd tried jogging but my legs cannot take it yet. Instead I'm going low carb and walking one half hour in the morning. The best part about low carb diets is I actually feel full and it means I cannot cheat by grabbing left over Easter candy. My beginning weight is 216 with the goal of getting down to 170. Feel free to keep me accountabole.

MSNBC - Filling Foods

MSNBC has an interesting article about foods that will fill you up. It's worth checking out but it doesn't look like Jelly Bellys made the cut.

Newman is Skinny

I was just channel surfing after watching a rarity (Eric Gagne blowing a save) and stopped at The Drew Carey Show for some reason. I noticed a familiar face (but a lot thinner) then heard the voice. It was Newman from Seinfeld. He's lost a bunch of weight. Good for Newman.

Dieting on Krispy Kreme?

CNN.com - Krispy Kreme plans low-sugar doughnut - Mar 12, 2004

Why not? It might turn out OK.

Atkins Dieters - Please Look

CNN.com - Report: Atkins advises cutback on meat - Jan. 19, 2004

It Still Comes Down to Burning More Calories Than You Take In

MSNBC - Low-carb options cause confusion

Let's be real careful out there in trying to lose weight. It used to be that if it was low-fat then we could double our intake. Well, that proved to be a real bad thing. This could lead to the same thing.

Good Info on Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

MayoClinic.com - Medical and health information for a healthier life from Mayo Clinic

To help us all with a very common New Year's Resolution.

Getting It Wrong

CBS News | Low-Carb Burgers To Hit The Grill | December 17, 2003 14:12:05

They are talking about removing the bun and just wrapping the burger with lettuce. In 'n Out Burger has been offering this for years. Where's the credit?

This is fine for Atkins folks but what these burger joints need to do is offer a burger that's grilled and comes on a whole wheat bun. They need to lower the overall calories and the bad carbs and keep the price low. If the fast food industry could do this maybe a new trend of better eating can be started.

Weight Loss/Control Tip

Last night I was inspired at "Chicken Pie Diner" (big homestyle servings) in Poway. If you've been reading Broken Masterpieces (BM) for a while you'll know that I've been on a big weight loss kick. Well, last night was a real challenge. Everything is pretty big with lots of calories. I was wondering how I'd get out without over eating. Before our food came I saw a man, who'd just finished his mean, put quite a bit in a "to-go" container. I noticed that this man was in pretty good shape and he'd just eaten the same food I ordered. When the waitress brought our food (here's the inspiration) I asked her to bring me a "to-go" container then immediately put half of my mashed potatoes and half my chicken pie (a bit messy) in the container, put it aside, then enjoyed a more reasonably sized meal. I'll eat the leftovers for breakfast in a little while .

Obesity is Focus of Health Conference

MSNBC reports on the focus of the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, obesity.

Is Obesity a Disease?

MSNBC.com has an article about whether obesity is a disease. It's a good question but no matter how it's answered, America is way too overweight and we need to lose weight. I'd like to see President Bush speak out on this issue. He's actually a great role model with the shape he's in. Insurance companies should find a way to get involved. The medical cost of being overweight will make our rates go even higher.

Come on America, let's get moving. Just start with something that is doable. Don't try running 5 miles when you are 50 pounds overweight. I use a recumbent bike which is easy on the back. Gotta get the heart beating. I started with just a few minutes but am up to 30 minutes about 5 times a week. Nuke sugar based or white flour junk. Get whole grain bread. Limit fast food to once a week and don't super size. It takes time to lose the extra appetite. It can be a bit painful for a few days. I have a big sweet tooth and satisfy it with diet soft drinks. If you stumble don't quit. Get back to the good habits at your next meal.

Obesity Top Health Problem in U.S., Agency Head Says

Reuters, via the Washington Post, has this report on the problem with obesity in this country. This problem will only contribute to more rising health care costs and more importantly, will deprive loved ones of longer lives. I'm still part of the problem as I'm still considered overweight but I'm no longer obese. Let's get on the President Bush bandwagon and get into shape. It's hard. Start slow. No matter what diet you follow, it needs to be permanent. Find something that can get you started. Work your way through the struggles and don't give up. If you stumble or fall then get right back up.

Extreme Obesity Is On The Rise

According to the Fox News report America just keeps getting bigger and bigger. This is truly a crisis that will cost a whole lot of money in the near future. I've heard of some insurance plans giving incentives for people to join health clubs. I think that's a turn in the right direction.

I've struggled with my weight all my life and at times have just given up. It finally came down to some quality of life issues. The bigger I've gotten, the grumpier I've become and the less energy I have for my family. Watching men at church 10-15 years older than me with tons of energy made me come to a decision. Do I want to be all slow and tired or do I want to have some real energy. I finally made the choice and backed it up with actions. It's been over five months now and it's been a drastic change in my life. Now, if I can do it, almost anyone else can. No matter how much weight I lose though, I can never go back. I'm like an alcoholic in terms of eating crap and being lazy. I've had to really fight off those tendencies lately, as I was under the weather for a few days.

Losing Weight

Since early May of this year I've decided to lose some weight. I've been overweight for about 10 years but finally decided to make a real attempt at weight loss. I first started by doing the Atkins diet. That got me off to a good start as I began to lose weight immediately. By June, I started to exercise on a recumbent bike (easy on the back). I started slowly but now am doing it 5-6 days per week for 30 minutes. I've also moved away from Atkins (I don't like many veggies) and went towards a low sugar, low enriched flower type diet. I still watch the carbs and only eat real wheat break or wheat tortillas, but I don't starve. In fact here's what I usually eat during the day: