I’ve been fat for a really long time. As an adult I’ve bounced around between 220-250 pounds. My weight fluctuation usually follows a pattern of –
1. Do something strenuous that leaves me gasping for air (shovel the diveway, help a friend move, play a game of kickball, run a half block).
2. Decide to weigh myself after anybody who saw me do the strenuous activity asks if I’m okay and comments how my entire head turned purple during said strenuous activity.
3. Realize that I’m really fat and start working out / dieting. Drop 25 – 30 pounds.
4. Slowly gain weight back, go back to step one.
This cycle usually repeats itself every year or so but the cycle was broken when my bathroom scale died and I didn’t bother getting a new one. We all know ignoring a problem makes the problem go away and as long as I can still tie my own shoes I figured I’m fine. Then I got arrested.
One of the many things they didn’t tell me during the booking process is that at one point I stood on a scale. There was no scale to be seen so I guess it was some cleverly hidden floor thing that weighed me while I got my mugshot. Why don’t they tell you? Were too many self conscious fat people holding up the line by asking to take their pants and shirt off to make sure that the scale gets an accurate reading? Whatever the reason, I found out when my weight was listed on the bracelet they gave me.
268 pounds.
Holy shit that’s the fattest I’ve ever been. That’s weird, though. I don’t think I look that different. Check it out –
Maybe it's all beard weight.
That doesn’t look much different than when I was 30 pounds lighter. The jail scale’s gotta be off or something. That’s it. Probably wasn’t calibrated right.
Wait. What happens if I tilt the angle a bit and move my chin down a little?
Holy shit! Kevin Spacey's gonna make me eat until I die!
AAAAHHH!
Alright. I think it might be time to go back on a diet and start exercising. Dieting’s never easy for me. I eat like a pig. Here’s some of the biggest reasons for why I look like the mom from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
Peanut Butter
I actually buy Roundy's Peanut Butter because I'm poor but they don't have any images on google image search so here you go.
I fucking love eating peanut butter so much. The amount of peanut butter I put on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is pretty disgusting. I’ve used up to a fifth of a jar on a sandwich and I usually make two sandwiches or more. One time I made a hotdog and wondered what it would taste like if I spread peanut butter on the bun. I didn’t follow through with it but the fact that I even thought about it is a little disturbing. Sometimes I take flour tortillas (the giant Chipotle burrito sized ones) and just make a peanut butter and jelly burrito.
Snack Cakes
"Do you eat the icing first or the cake first?" I shove the whole thing in my mouth when nobody's looking and cry.
The picture is of a Hostess cupcake but I’ll eat any brand. Dolly Madison, Mrs. Freshly’s, Entenmann’s, whatever. I’ll take whatever the gas station is selling. I’ll get a package of these anytime I stop at a gas station for any reason. If I’m at a grocery store I’ll get the 12 pack and pretend like they’re for the whole family but Jena and Jared are usually lucky if they get two snack cakes a piece before I have devoured them all. I don’t even bother trying to blame somebody else for eating them all. Whatever. I’m fat. Consider yourself lucky you got two.
Beer
This has become less of an issue recently as I’m finding that I can’t really handle my beer as well the next day (beer shits. I might have a mild gluten allergy or something) but a six pack of beer will cost you 1000-1300 calories, depending on how tasty the beer is (tastier = more calories).
Those are the three main things I need to cut out (I’m aware that I have to eat healthier in general, but these are the main three accomplices to my mantits). My ultimate goal is to not have a Kevin Smith experience when I board a plane in April. Fingers crossed!
You need to change from burning sugars and muscle to burning fat. You do this by changing your diet (not go on a diet), and do moderate exercise. Your diet needs to be reasonably in calories (don’t under eat or you’ll just lose muscle weight and keep your fat), low in fat calories (so your body starts burning your reserves) but still about 20% fat, low in sugars (this is so important), high in fiber, vitamins, proteins.
Then drink lots of water, lots of water and then lots of water. Water tells your body you are not starving. Water tells your body its OK to lose fat. No water = keep fat. No water + exercise = lose muscle + keep fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat. by losing muscle and keeping fat, you ultimately gain more weight (welcome to what about 80% of dieters do). There is no short-cut here. Find some other way to entertain yourself other than eating. There are benefits to having a wife around. Burn calories rather than eat them 🙂
I lost 70 lbs a long time ago by using the weight-watchers system. I kept it off for a long time (13 years). I recently put some back on after a lot of personal issues. Now I’m losing it again not by dieting but by changing how I eat from now on and drinking a crap-load of water.
Remember, water is just really, really, really, really light beer.
Good luck 🙂
Don’t worry too much about it; cyclical patterns like this, is what a good portion of the American population will go through – including myself a few years back. I’m sure you will find a routine, that works for you, and run with it:)) Good luck and I look forward to sharing more with you:))
I like how all the brands of ‘cupcake’ style snack cakes are exactly the same in appearance: the flat canvas of choco-yum and a single loopy white decorative spoo across it. That sort of imitation that would be super-lawsuit fodder for anything else, yet cupcakes are immune.
Also, working against your diet goals, peanut butter and chicken is awesome! Think like Thai peanut sauce yummy. mix in some soy sauce to dial it less sweet, and more savory.
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