I'm still maintaining a respectable routine- I'm still riding my bike and alternating my workout at the gym. That's all good but eating has been an issue.

We had some friends over last Sunday. It was one of those times when we couldn't decide what to make for dinner and so we made two dinners. Yeah, I know, making two dinners for the same meal is rarely a good idea- except at the time it seems like a very good idea because you no longer have to decide- and there you go. So two dinners it was. Venison stew and chicken-chocolate-cashew chili, each served in a sourdough bread bowl.

We made so much of both that I've been eating it for lunch all week. That's one delicious carb-load of goodness every day. Mmm, venison, potatoes, carrots, and beans. Deliciously windy around Steve all week long, I'll tell you what.

But wait, that's not all. I was reading a JohnIsFit.com entry (you know, the one about hiding Oreos around the house) and thought I'd try and have some of the same kind of fun. So I went to Costco and picked up a box of Oreos and started stashing sleeves of what I now call "demon sweets" around the house. Harmless fun, right? WRONG! It seems that they're too easily found so in an effort to preserve some for myself, I stashed a couple of sleeves in my desk. Nobody looks in there, right? WRONG! I look in there. No longer do I have to worry about anyone else getting to them- as they are now in my belly. No food games for me.

Net result? Two additional pounds on the scale this morning. Not good. But you know what? I'm not bummed out about it at all. In fact, what I'm feeling is determination. This week I dipped my toe in the pool of wretched excess and waded out up to my knees in what could certainly have become my undoing. Now I'm back out again- a little damp from the experience but ready to move on and continue my trek towards good health and healthy living. Rock on...

Here's what I had in my smoothie this morning:

1/2 Banana
1S EAS Protein
1/2C Frozen Berry Mix
1/4C Kashi GoLean cereal
1C Raw Spinach
1oz Pomegranate Juice
Water

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I've been working on a plan to re-energize my weight loss efforts by focusing on the things that have worked so well for me in the past. My primary focus was food- what kinds, how much, and how often. Because I usually start out each day at the gym and follow it with a protein smoothie, I decided to look at options for making smoothie preparation easy and consistent.

I’ve been using my Magic Bullet for smoothies. It’s easy and convenient- mixes my smoothies right in mug and takes up very little space. It was cheap to buy. It’s also built that way. Pieces have been breaking off and it’s been leaking. In short, it was time to start looking for other options.

I recently had the opportunity to demo one of Blendtec’s Total Blenders and used it while preparing foods that make up regular diet. I put it through it’s paces and I have to tell you, I was impressed on several levels.

I should probably mention that I’m a guy- and I mean that in the most Neanderthal way possible. This caveman likes tools, tools with power, and this thing has lots of it. Spinning the blades is 13amp/1500 Watt motor putting out about 3 peak HP of mixing power. This thing can grind up just about anything- just check out the videos at willitblend.com.

I didn’t run a rake handle or my iPod through it but I ran plenty of ice, frozen fruit and berries through it when I was making smoothies. It had no trouble ripping through it at all- even when stuff was obviously pretty well frozen together before I pushed the smoothie button. That’s a lot more than I can say my Magic Bullet or my Waring. This thing is a beast.

It’s also a noisy beast. There is no mistaking this thing for any other appliance in the kitchen (sound-wise). Crank it up to level 10 and it roars. It's not wake-the-neighbors-loud, it's more a honey-would-you-mind-holding-that-thought-and-while-you're-at-it-hit-pause-on-the-Tivo kind of loud. The thing is, it doesn’t have to run very long to get the job done- so loud isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. My morning smoothie runs about 25 seconds and comes out perfectly. I don’t have to plunge, scrape, or put ingredients in the container in any particular order. The thing just works fast, it works well, and it does it every time.


It’s a versatile beast as well. I made some butternut squash soup with it that totally rocked. I just dropped in the ingredients, seasoning and some warm water, pushed the soup/sauce button and had hot soup in less than two minutes. The energy expended by the spinning blades is enough to heat the soup. It really was impressive. I also used the blender to make salsa and some other things I would have used a food processor for and found that it did a great job each and every time.

With all that power comes a warning; make sure you have the lid on securely before you hit the button. Slack on that and you’ll redecorate your kitchen. I made it a point to hold a kitchen towel on the lid for the first few seconds each time. No muss, no fuss.

All in all, I recommend it. The Blendtec blender is powerful and versatile- and was the most-used appliance in my kitchen.

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Image by sisterdimension via FlickrEmotionally, that is. I mean, come on, what else would I mean by "naked"? This site may be a freak show of sorts, but its not that kind of freak show.

It does make me think though. What kind of shape would I have to be in to feel comfortable appearing online in the nude. "Invisible" is my gut response (pun intended). I'm still a ways off od "beach shape" -unless we're referring to the ball.

I didn't become self-conscious about my weight until the "Great Camp Chair Collapse of 2007" or GCC '07 as I like to call it. I knew I was heavy but I never dwelt on it- I just waddled on through life meal to meal and snack to snack with little thought beyond the banalities of everyday existence. I had grown fat through complacency and set myself up for some serious pride-pain using zero effort. Conversely, it's taken quite a bit of effort to shrink myself below 1/8th-ton.

I've done my best to refrain from making the weight issue an emotional thing but you know what? It's impossible. Physically there have been noticeable differences beyond what I see on the scale. I'm wearing clothes I haven't been able to squeeze into for more than ten years. Who would have thought that slipping into some old 501's from the back of my closet would be an emotional event? It was.

Here's the thing, my weight increase over the years wasn't emotional at all. I gained weight, bought bigger clothes, and moved the old ones further back in my closet. Getting new stuff dampened any remorse at the loss of my old stuff. I wish I had felt a little differently about it at the time.

I remember, as a kid, outgrowing things before wearing them out. I wasn't overweight, I just grew. That's what kids typically do. I think I may have experienced a second childhood when I started packing on the pounds; only I didn't grow up, I grew out. My goal now is to never outgrow another piece of clothing. I'm not a kid anymore.

Image by Earthwatcher via FlickrThat's right, I'm a firm believer in keeping the schnoz to the grindstone.

Sticking to a goal and doing everything it takes to get it done, well, gets it done. I have to say though, that if dogged determination and continuous effort is the recipe for success, passion is the icing on the success cake.

Lame and confusing similes aside, kicking ass at losing weight or whatever my ambition happens to be is a lot more kick-ass if I'm passionate about it. Otherwise, it becomes a dull chore. I mean really, eating less and exercising more? Not really something a normal person gets jazzed about. Yet here I am, going on and on about it like it's the new porn or something. Saner folks in the room might wonder why.

It's the results, baby! Good and bad (results) are what excites me in this whole process.

I've come to know with relative certainty that what I've been doing and eating will ultimately move the scale one way or the other- or keep it the same. Five-hundred-plus days of personal change has taught me this. Every time I step on the scale or button my pants I receive confirmation of the effectiveness of what I've been doing or a reminder of what I should be doing. When the scale tips down I'm elated that my efforts have been effective; when it tips up, quick analysis and determination to turn things around. It's invigorating!

I had to become passionate about achieving my goals early- it's kept the day-to-day effort fresh and less chore-like. Every time I step on the scale that passion is renewed and my cake is getting a little more iced. My just desserts is almost ready (wow- that sounded a lot better in my head).

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Nothing gets a guy closer to what he wants than sticking to the effort required no matter how hard it gets. My row hasn't been entirely easy (I still maintain it's been entirely simple) but over time is been incredibly effective. The results I've experienced are the directb result of my having stuck to the effort-- even when appetite and distraction begged/demanded I do otherwise.

Way back when during my march towards better health, I quoted a quote made by Chief Dan George's character from the movie, "The Outlaw Josie Wales," that being, "Endeavor to perservere." At the time I originally heard him say it I thought it an insult, patronizing non-speak meant to placate a downtrodden people. While that may be the case, I can't help but admire and adopt the statement for myself.

The thing is, I created a fairly hopeless situation for myself over the years. I had blossomed- scratch that, ballooned into a creature of extraordinary dimension and upon realizing my predicament, saw little hope of a quick fix. Looking back, endeavoring to perservere is what has help me so far...

And is what I'm counting on to carry me through the completion of my goals and throughout the rest of my life.

So after a week of freezing my butt off at night and hiking hill and dale during the day, I'm out of the woods and back to civilization. It was an excellent trip chock-full of wilderness and wildlife fun, and most importantly, we all survived AND I dropped another two pounds!

To what do I owe the weight loss? Exercise and diet, of course. It's weird, I know, but the same things that work at home also work quite well out in the woods.

Exercise-wise, we spent each day hiking around the surrounding hills- usually about 3 - 5 miles and ate much the same as I do at home. We had modest meals (6) throughout the day, small quantities of tasty things meant to provide fuel for the days activities rather than become the focus of the trip. I snacked on gorp and fruit, and avoided the soda and breads. During hikes I would eat a Clif Bar to keep my energy up, always keeping a mental ballpark tally of calories consumed lodged in the back of my skull in an effort to avoid over-doing it.

But you know what? Over-doing it was never an issue. I think I was too distracted during the day and too tired at night to pig-out. I didn't want to and the cool thing is that I still don't (want to pig-out, that is).

So here's the deal, now that I'm back and elbow-deep in make-up work I'll need to really focus to retain the effects of the past week. No mindless munching on snacks- only fuel to maintain my energy. No 12-hour ass-plants at my desk without getting up to move around- frequent breaks to stretch and get the blood flowing. No calorie bingeing before bed time- just six evenly-spaced meals throughout the day.

I've made some decent progress over the past few weeks and am feeling pretty good about it all. My clothes are fitting better, which is cool because they're clothes I haven't been able to fit into in over a decade. Horribly out of fashion but hey, I heard that comfort never goes out of style.

I'm off to a camping trip- last one of the year. It's all of us guys, so it's a burp, scratch, and fart-fest while our better-halves are left to fend for themselves. They're looking pretty happy. I don't know why.

So, I hit my latest weight goal! Let's see if I don't manage a reversal with camp food. Thinking positive as always.

I'll Twitter if anything warrants it- hey, even if it doesn't. I mean it's Twitter, right?

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