Body Mass Index Calculator

I found this interesting link on my friends Health Insurance website. It takes the normal body mass index calculator, and looks at it from a health insurnace company standpoint. I recommend anyone who is shopping for health insurance to also check this out before applying.

Body Mass Index Calculator for Insurance

Hope it motivates a few of you like it did me when I bought my health insurance!

Getting Health Insurance

I was surprised the other day when I went to try and buy Health Insurance. The agent suggested I fib a little on my weight because the rates the insurance company offers are based off some height and weight ratio charts.

This got me thinking to restart my weight loss efforts. Just in time for the Holidays! :(

Is a Sticker Motivation?

My first 5 lbs. I earned a book mark. When I lost 10% of my total body weight, I got a cool key chain that was shaped like the number "10"; My wife jokes that I cannot eat anything more than would fit through the key chain! Now that I have lost a total of 35 lbs., I have earned a sticker? Oh, I'm sorry, I have earned a "Gold Star Sticker" for having lost 35 lbs since starting 11 weeks ago.

Also, it is funny, when I first joined they gave me a thick booklet with menu ideas, charts, and various motivation ideas. Then week by week the booklets began to get thinner, and by the 11th week, I now get a slip of paper. Shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, I have paid more than the new person overall, and had more success. It reminds me of that cellular phone commercial where the new customers get the better phones than the existing customers. Isn't this a meritocracy, shouldn't those of us who have lost the most weight get the best stuff?

Obviously I am being a little sarcastic. But I have to admit that the thoughts have briefly crossed my mind.

"Someday" has arrived!

You know those old clothes in your closet? The ones that are too small to wear, but you can't throw out because they might fit "Someday? Well, someday has arrived;

My boxer/brief underwear now fit like regular boxers! My wife calls me "No-Butt Man". I like that pet name much better than "Cuddle-Bear". Even my shoes are too big! (Not really, but it seems like it) But something else *ehem* down...um, there, does seem bigger. Or more accurately, longer. *grin* that really makes all the missed cheese burgers, and diet food worth it!

What is My Secret?

My friends and family have been asking me, "What is my secret?" So I have decided to share examples of my meals, thoughts, and strategy.

The easiest way is just to break it down for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was calculating points religiously for the first 3 weeks, and I noticed that if I didn't calculate what I was eating BEFORE I actually ate it, I would end up going over on my points for that meal. Now, I will still calculate points on some new food, but many of the foods I eat, I now know the points and portions I have had before, so I can just eyeball it better. I still say to myself, "I want to stay under 10 points for this meal", and I remember what I have measured out before that was 10 points, and I will only eat only those things, in those amounts or less. Then, mentally, I cross off 10 points for that meal, even if I was satisfied that it was less, (like 7-8 points if I actually figured it out)

Sometimes, I will go back and write down what I eaten already, this is helpful if I have had something new that I need to remember the points value for. I visualize what I ate, portions, and kind of food, and then I add up the points on my paper diary.

I have some other basic rules. One, I try to stay under 10 points at every meal. Here is my reasoning. If I have 25-30 points to spend a day, no one meal should make up more than 1/3 of the total. Otherwise I get too hungry when I run out of points and still have hours left in the day. My second rule is to never skip a meal. When I used to eat a lot more, I could skip a meal without a problem. But I have noticed that when I eat only what I need to get me to the next meal, I cannot skip a meal. If I do, I get too hungry, and end up light headed, loosing energy and concentration, and getting irritated.

Another rule I have is if I do get too hungry, and feel like I can't make a good choice right then about food. I will drink an emergency slim fast (5 points) which takes the edge off the hunger. Then I can think rationally about food again, and I will still eat something healthy. The hardest thing is to make a good decision about what to eat when I am too hungry to think clearly.

My wife can tell if I have eaten or am hungry too. If I am cranky and short with her, she knows I need to eat something, and she will tell me. I love her!

Honestly, I was hungrier when I was eating crap all the time, before I started Weight Watchers. When I was going through fast food withdrawals, I was pretty much a crank too. But, now I don't crave the same types of food I once did (See StarBurtos Below) white corn on the Cobb, barbecued on the grill gets me salivating, and carrot stick leave me more satisfied than french fries ever did! Carrots are sweet! It is kind of like my taste buds have woken up to flavors that always seemed too bland to me before.

In fact, not that long ago, my wife and I decided to "go off the diet" for one meal, and have an In-And-Out Cheese Burger. We were both on the toilet for an hour! Our stomachs cramped up, we felt ill. At first we thought maybe something was wrong with the burger, but I am sure it is because our bodies are not used to that kind of food any more. The milk shake was worth it though!

259 Butt Naked in a Slight Breeze

I got on the scale this morning and I weighted 259. I was down to 259 a week ago, but was too hungry to keep my weight there. I ate too much food for the beech party, and our wedding anniversary, and I was back up to 264.

However, a few days later, with steady discipline of low calorie diet, and healthful foods, I am back down to 259 and feeling like I can maintain it.

I play mind games with myself I have noticed. I plan to make this my new high weight, and start chopping away at getting down to 255, my next intermediate goal. Also, I have yet to see the scale lower than 259, so I will know I am on the right track when I see it going down to 258, 257 etc...

I am a little obsessive. I weigh myself 4-5 times a day. Once when I first wake up, again after I shower and shave. When I get home I strip off all my clothes and weigh myself again, to see how much I gained from lunch, then I know how much I can eat for dinner. I like to weigh myself after dinner too to see if I stayed on target. Then I will get on the scale once more before bed.

Another obsessive tendency I have is to calculated how much weight I have to loose while standing in the shower. I write the number I am at, and subtract 3 from it or 7 from it and give myself a date I want to be at that weight. (Usually it is the next weight watchers weigh in) I visualize what I need to do to get there, and I imagine what I will look and feel like at that weight.

Status Update 264 lbs.

Well, since I lost the post about the fair, I will just say it went well. I think it was smart to eat before we went. They had fried snickers candy bars, fried twinkies, and various other junk food. But I held strong.

We had a lot of fun, we found a Lama named "Andy" that we took our picture with my son of the same name.

The other update/post that disappeared is my last weight watchers meeting. I lost 2 2/3 lbs. and got to 10 lbs total lost since weight watchers.


My weight now is a low 264, and I feel good about it! It is time to start adjusting my points to keep the weight loss going.

Going to the San Diego County Fair

Here is a test.
I am going to the San Diego County Fair which all the locals know as the Del Mar Fair. The fair is a lot of fun. There are rides, shopping, animals, horse shows, and FOOD.. Lots and lots of FOOD!

This will be a truly difficult test, I feel like I should eat first to prepare, but I don't know if that is the best strategy? Maybe, I should fast, because I know there will be things there to tempt me that will be difficult to avoid.

I have been being really good on this diet, and I know the Del Mar Fair will be a trial. my wife wrote down all the food we can eat, and hopefully stick to our points plan somewhat. I will let you know how we do.

One Week Down...

Well, we had weigh in at the weightwatchers meeting yesterday. And it went really good. I got a book mark for loosing my first 5 lbs. I lost 7 lbs. Total! I guess eating point works.

My wife 4 1/2 lbs. the first week. So, all in all, we are feeling really good.


Here is what I had to eat yesterday:

BREAKFAST: Choc. Slim Fast (3 points)
LUNCH: Lean cuisine (6 points) + Low Fat Yogurt (3 points)
SNACK: Choc. Slim Fast (3 points)
DINNER: 4 Slices Papa John Pizza -thin crust, garden vegetable (12 points)
For a grand total of 27 points spent yesterday.