Diary Entry

It's getting harder and harder to watch television these days. If you're a FoodTV junkie, like me, you are subjected to no less than 20 or 30 snack food commercials per hour. And I like ALL of them. Gimme chips. Gimme cookies. Gimme some bizarrely flavored snack mix I've never heard of before.

It's habit eating, pure and simple. I'm firmly convinced that part of the new high-definition TV signal is a soundwave that activates the snacking center in the human brain. I think my TV may be mistuned, though, because I've noticed my cats trying to snack on fish food at times.

Sorry for the horrible joke. It's the hunger talking.

We've all heard that you don't TRULY crave something until you can't have it, and brother is that ever true for my beloved salt and vinegar potato chips. I'd buy a bag from Charles Chips or Lay's (never really liked the Pringles ones) and polish it off during the first quarter of a football game.

All is not lost, though. The trick, as ever, has been substitution. Granted, there just flat is NO substitute for the crunchy greasiness of a sack of chips, but a bag of light microwave popcorn liberally dosed with Cajun seasoning (see previous column) and some Molly McButter really hits the munchie monster in the nose.

I've also found myself (gasp!) watching less TV. Yes, it's true! Just about every night, the magic glowing box goes dark for an hour or so while I go out for my walk or just read for a while. The longer it stays off, the more calories I burn.

Think about it: how often during the week do you look at your signficant other and say, "What are we doing watching this?" How many times do you make a second pass through the channel guide because you honestly found nothing worth watching the first time through?

That's the perfect time to silence the box, put on your comfy shoes and head out for a walk! Maybe it's dark outside, or you just aren't up for walk. No worries! There are all sorts of inside exercises you can do. (HEY! This is a family column!) If you have motion troubles, there are isometrics or various stretching exercises.

Even if you don't want to exercise, find yourself a good book. Here's a big secret: not EVERY part of losing weight has to do with exercising or cutting down on your intake. Behavior modification is critical, too. Anything you can do to break up your old snack-laden routines is a good thing.

And now, let's take a look at some "brags" that have come in over the last couple of weeks. It's GREAT to see how many of you are following your own programs and making more healthful choices. I need you all to stay healthy ... I don't want my readership dying on me!

Brag, Brag, Brag

My husband and I are doing the Jorge Cruise program eight minutes in the morning and we are doing well. For the first four weeks he lost 7.5 pounds and I lost 9 pounds. We have a ways to go but keep up the good work!!! --Theresa Shrader

That's right on either side of that magic 2 pounds per week that most of the experts agree is a healthy weight loss pace. I've never heard of this Jorge Cruise, but it must be working for you. Keep it up!!!

You'll see me say this over and over: Don't let ANYone, except your doctor, talk you into a diet. If you try a diet you're not committed to, you're going to fail. Let's face it, folks, dieting is not fun. No matter how much we dress it up, most of us would rather be curled up in a corner with a sack of Fritos. We do it because we WANT to, and if you're not using a tool that fits your hand, you're going to put it down.

And speaking of that ...

Hi, my name is Keith and about three years ago I weighed 480 pounds. Then I won a bet where my lady friend had to let her hair go to its natural color, gray. I felt guilty when she did. So I said I would go to a Weight Watchers meeting with her.
This meeting was led by Mary Ann Benedetti, their top leader in the world. I liked her so I joined. I have lost 212 pounds by following the plan. Key items for me are walking, drinking a lot of water, and keeping a very accurate journal of what I eat.
Now the kicker to all this is I was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer, already at stage 3 and very serious. I have seen seven doctors during the past months and they have all said without the weight loss I would die.
I have finished six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and they will operate soon. They all feel I have a very good chance of beating the cancer but without the weight loss they would have shaken my hand and said goodbye.
I am now 67 years old and have been heavy all my life so if I can make the changes, anyone can. The thing is this program lets you eat good food you like and finds substitutes for your treats that are very good. It even allows you to splurge once in awhile and eat your comfort foods, without having to beat yourself over the head and feel so bad you just give up.
You never know when you are getting the chance to do something that down the road will help save your life. Needless to say, the quality of my life is greatly improved and even with cancer my outlook is very positive. I am going to be here to watch my six grandkids grow and prosper and that is priceless.
It does not have to be WW or any special program. It is what works for you and that you will stay with. Believe me, the results are worth it.

Whew. There's just not much to say to that one. Keith, you are an inspiration to all of us, whether we need to lose 20 pounds or 200. Keep us posted, huh?

I have lost 20 pounds in the past three weeks, down from 303 to 281. I have a long way to go but enjoy your articles. Keep up the good work! It's funny to hear that some of us have the same problems. --Mark W.

Here's a tip: complimenting the columnist is a GREAT way to get your letter printed.

Seriously, great job, Mark! I hope you're not doing anything too drastic. Your rate of loss should slow down a bit. However, the early weight comes off very easily. I remember my first 25 pounds came off pretty much by themselves.

Same problems? Brother, you hit the nail on the head. We in the Fellowship of the Fat share temptations, pitfalls, triumphs and tribulations. That's one reason I created this column. We hear plenty about diet "poster children" who've lost 200 pounds or so, or gone "from fat to flat" via some miracle method. We don't hear from the folks who lost 3pounds last week after fighting an uphill battle and want to shout to the world!

So, has any of this inspired you? Did you replace a fat food with a healthy one? Lose some weight? Discover a new way to cook an old recipe? Let me know. You may remain anonymous if you wish, or I'll use your name and you can brag to all your friends about your success!

Previous Stories:

• March 11, 2004: Excessive Celebration
• Feb. 26, 2004: Building A Healthful Pantry
• Feb. 12, 2004: Cleaning House
• Jan. 30, 2004: Diary Of A Fat Man