How Us Dutch People Stay Slim Except When We Live In America

A few days ago on one of my other blogs I lamented about how my Dutch genetics cause me to be able to gain weight with little effort.

A Dutch dike fixer, calling him or herself "Slow Leak," pointed me to an article about why the Dutch stay so slim, titled "How the Dutch Stay Slim."

You can read the article to learn the 8 secrets nutritionist Mandy Dunlop believes help the Dutch win the battle of the bulge.

I pretty much do the 8 Dutch secrets, for the most part. Yet I still way too easily gain weight. I think this may be because I am in America, not in Holland.

I thought the comments that this article generated were amusing and made some interesting observations, like the first one, with a reference to Wal-Mart....

JSK posted: 2011-08-29 15:58:14

As someone who has spend ample time is both the us and the netherlands, i have some observations. I do not think dutch people are particularily slim but they weigh less than americans *on average* plus there is a lot less variation between people (that is: dutch people are more average in general). So if i walk around on a american college campus there are more slim people (esp. women) than on a campus in the netherlands. However, in the american Walmart you see huge people the size of which you would very rarely observe in the Netherlands. 

Why the average American weight is higher than the Dutch average, has to do with food and lifestyle, but not in the flattering way most people in the Netherlands think. Americans drive and eat more, but the reason is that automobiles are far more affordable and American food is a lot tastier (the supermarket freezer pizza of the brand "Digorno" is superior to Dutch restaurant pizza, for example). Place a dutch person in the U.S. and he'll gain 10 kilograms in no time (i'm speaking from experience).

buitenlander posted: 2011-08-09 11:28:12

are you joking? Dutch and slim are two words that should not be put together in one sentence... :)

barbara posted: 2011-08-10 09:19:11

My Dutch husband is slim, rides his bike 2 hours a day, eats bread and cheese for breakfast and lunch, and large amount of potatoes for dinner. All of my Dutch relatives and friends are slim, and I credit this to their bike riding and a moderate amount of food. Some may disagree; I am stating what I know as fact, not a global statement that ALL Dutch people are a certain way. But while living in Holland for ten years I saw more slim than fat people. When I left in 2006, I noticed some were gaining weight, but also were biking less and eating more fast foods or in restaurants.

the thinker posted: 2011-08-10 09:50:14

I think its genetics - Dutch people are tall and have lean muscles. They are not that predisposed to be fat the same way they are not predisposed to be well build. You can hardly see a really well build Dutchman as they have small bones and chests.

CW posted: 2011-08-10 11:22:29

I gained 10 kilos after I moved to Holland, eating a Dutch diet and cycling. Let's face it, tall skinny Dutch people marry tall skinny Dutch people and have tall skinny Dutch kids! It's in the DNA. 

are posted: 2011-08-10 13:43:28

This entire thing is hilarious. The Dutch are getting fatter by the day, and the problem is so huge (no pun intended) that it has entered Parliamentary discussions. I am sometimes astounded at how fat some of the women are -- easily as fat as my fellow Americans in the US. And I am equally frustrated by the fact that there are so few Dutch women who are actually thin. The vast majority are overweight to some extent, even if not obese. 

And if you read the recipes in the Allerhande, which guides so many Dutch family meals, it's easy to see why. VERY low nutritional value, VERY high fat content, and generally about 1000 calories PER MEAL. Nutrition is an unknown in the Netherlands, and it's not getting better - it's getting worse. Fat pigs.

ustanother posted: 2011-08-10 15:41:42

This article is a big joke! 
Dutch eat no fruit and no vegetables. They eat the same sandwich every day, with butter, cheese and surrogate of ham. How can you call this healthy. Then the funny part is that according to the article one thing that helps is the fact that they drink black coffee instead of milk and coffee...but then at every meal they drink milk instead of water!!! Come on!

Laura posted: 2011-08-11 11:29:40

Well written article but I beg to differ. I don't think the Dutch are paricularly slim! In fact, kind of the opposite. Lot's of tummy hidden behind the large shirts and sweaters, and the ever expandable leggings, hmm. My obersvation is this: they eat on the run, snack quite a bit - even which biking, and their market baskets are often filled with typical junk food. I am not sure if I would follow your suggestions for a healthy diet. Too much dairy and too much caffeine are the red flags for me.

Dear Diet I've Got To Stop Cheating On You

On Facebook there has been an epidemic of Facebookers posting inspirational or amusing or pointless graphic messages lately. I thought this "Dear Diet" one was of the amusing sort.

Jenny Craig Spokeswoman Carrie Fisher Has Lost 50 Pounds

That is Princess Leia, also known as Carrie Fisher, with her ex-boyfriend, Jabba the Hut. This relationship did not last too long.

Jabba the Hut was morbidly obese. I don't know if Carrie Fisher picked up bad eating habits from Jabba, but in the decades following their break-up in the 1970s, Carrie Fisher put on a lot of weight.

Currently Carrie Fisher is celebrating losing a lot of weight. She has lost 50 pounds on the Jenny Craig weight-loss plan.

Carrie Fisher took over the Jenny Craig celebrity spokeswoman role last year. Previous Jenny Craig weight-loss spokeswomen have been Valerie Bertinelli and Kirstie Alley.

I do not remember if Kirstie Alley's Fat Actress TV show aired before or after she was the Jenny Craig celebrity spokeswoman.

The last time I saw Carrie Fisher on TV was when her step-mother, Elizabeth Taylor, died. Carrie looked like she'd lost a lot of weight at that point in time.

I don't believe Carrie Fisher is going to be sporting her Princess Leia attire. She is quoted as saying, "I'm not going to wear a lot of sleeveless things. I think after 50, there's a law."

Losing Custody Because Your Kid is Obese

An obesity expert at the Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. David Ludwig, co-wrote, with Lindsey Murtagh, she being a lawyer and researcher at Harvard's School of Public Health, an article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In that article the authors opined that parents of severely obese children should lose their custody rights due to not controlling the weight of their children.

Dr. Ludwig wrote, “In severe instances of childhood obesity, removal from the home may be justifiable because of imminent health risks and the parents’ chronic failure to address medical problems. State intervention may serve the best interests of many children with life-threatening obesity, comprising the only realistic way to control harmful behaviors.”

Taking away someone's fat kids seems a bit harsh to me. I can see where some sort of Child Protective Services intervention might be a good thing. An intervention where the parents are shown how to properly feed their kids.

But, there are already cases of kids being put in foster care due to being obese. Dr. Ludvig gave an example of a girl treated in at Boston Children's Hospital. A 3 year old girl already weighing 90 pounds was brought to the hospital for treatment. By the age of 12 the girl weighed more than 400 pounds, with high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. The state took the girl away from the parents and put her in foster care where she was put on a diet, losing 130 pounds.

Other kids in other states have  been taken from their parents due to being obese. A mom in South Carolina lost custody of her 14 year old boy who weighed 555 pounds. There have been cases in Texas, New York, New Mexico and California where obesity has been cited as the reason for parental loss of custody.

Childhood obesity in America is nearing a crisis level. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (The CDC) reports that over 12 million American kids are currently obese. With 2 million American kids at a morbidly obese level.

The Manorexia Epidemic

Anorexia and its association with teenage girls has been around for decades. In recent years a variant of Anorexia has emerged that is being referred to as Manorexia.

More and more men apparently are feeling pressure to develop what they believe to be the perfect body.

With that particular body image affected by males they see in the media, particularly what is perceived as the perfect body shape as portrayed by male models.

Many men have developed an obsession with getting rid of body fat and developing a six pack in their abdominal zone.

Many of those affected with Manorexia obsessively exercise every day of the week, in addition to consuming a reduced calorie level.

The National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders claims "eating disorders have reached epidemic levels in America, affecting up to 10 million women and 1 million men."

Watch the YouTube video below about a male model's descent into Manorexia....

Playing Outside is Good for Kids

I was walking in Veterans Park in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, June 12 of 2011, when I saw the sign above in the Xeriscape Garden. I thought bore some appropo information pertinent to my DurangObesity  Blog.

That pertinent info being that....

Studies show that kids who play outside:

1. Are healthier physically and mentally.
2. Do better in school.
3. Have higher self-esteem.
4. Have good self-discipline.
5. Feel more capable and confident.
6. Are good problem-solvers.
7. Are more cooperative with others.
8. Are more creative.
9. Feel connected to nature.
10. Are tomorrow's conservation leaders.
    

Well, I am a kid at heart, who spends a lot of time outdoors. I had no idea, til I read this sign today, that this is why I'm healthy physically and mentally, why I have high self-esteem and self-discipline. Why I'm fairly confident and good at solving problems. That being outdoors a lot is what helps me be so cooperative with others. And why I am so creative. I did suspect that being outdoors a lot is what makes me feel connected to nature.

Getting In A Comprosing Position Thanks To Someone Anonymous

I was a little surprised this morning to learn from someone Anonymous that someone Anonymous not only reads my DurangObesity Blog, they actually remembered what they read.

Below is the comment made by someone Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 17: Do...":

Congratulations. I believe you promised pictorial evidence of a yoga position which was gut-blocked a few months ago. Well?

Did I make such a promise? I don't recollect. I have a really bad memory at times.

It is not an easy thing to do, to take a picture of oneself in a compromising position. But, I do like to keep promises...

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 17: Down to 179

Last Saturday I was stuck at 185. My goal for today was 183. I did 4 pounds better than that, shrinking to 1 pound less than my 180 pound goal.

In other words, my New Year's Weight Loss Resolution is now resolved.

If past experience is any predictor, I will continue to shrink, due the fact that the factors that have caused the shrinkage are not going to change all that fast.

I'll continue getting a lot of exercise. I'm not going to suddenly start going to restaurant buffets. Or putting melted butter on my air popped popcorn.

Now that I have shrunk to my desired level of shrinkage I am resolved not to let stress and aggravation cause me to forget about watching what I eat.

I have to say, this current bout of shrinkage went on way longer than I had planned. I figured by March I'd be done with it. I'd grown real tired of these Saturday morning weigh-ins. And then blogging about it.

Police Women From Around the World & America

No comment.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 16: Down 2 to 185

I think for the first time during these months of trying to shrink to 180 pounds, I met my goal for the weekly Saturday weigh-in.

I got down to last week's 185 pounds goal.

I am getting a bit bored with this weekly weigh-in thing.

Maybe I should just decide that 185 is my ideal weight and call a stop to this.

The lowest weight I have shrunk to in my adult, post-30s years, is 168.5.

In April of 2006, five years ago, I'd returned from a visit to the Pacific Northwest feeling very aggravated about how aggravating that visit had been. To put my mind in a better place I went on an extremely vigorous bike ride, pretty much every day. Soon I was shrinking.

That bout of shrinkage continued until July of 2008, when I shrunk to the aforementioned 168.5.

In July of 2008 I was back in the Pacific Northwest. For a month. And again it was very aggravating. More so than the 2006 visit.

In August of 2008 I returned back to my safe place, but did not react to being aggravated like I had in 2006.

My mom and dad visited the first week of 2009. They wanted to go to a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. I had not been to Sweet Tomatoes before.

From 2006 til 2009 I very rarely ate in restaurants. Eating out a lot is a surefire way to weigh more.

After my mom and dad's visit I found myself re-visiting Sweet Tomatoes many times. And returning to my favorite Indian buffet, Tandoor, for the first time in a long time, with many follow-up visits. I discovered Zorro's Buffet. I had Riscky's BBQ all you can eat ribs. Twice. I discovered Town Talk, which had me suddenly having a steady supply of real good cheese.

By the time the New Year of 2011 showed up I had bloated up to 217 pounds. 48.5 pounds heavier than my July of 2008 low of 168.5.

Appalling.

I guess I am still aiming to shrink to 180. Let's make next Saturday's goal 183.

The American Cat & Dog Obesity Epidemic

All my siblings, but one, has at least one dog. Half my sibling's dogs have issues with being overweight, ordered by their vets to lose weight.

I got in trouble in 2008 for feeding one of my sibling's slightly chubby poodles a McDonald's cheeseburger. That poodle, his name is Max, loves McDonald's cheeseburgers. Max is not obese, just a bit overweight.

Also in 2008 the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) issued a report that reported that 44% of dogs and 57% of cats were either overweight or obese or both.

With this shocking revelation regarding all the fat cats, cat people apparently put their cats on diets, because the 2011 APOP report reports that now 55% of dogs are fat with 53% of cats being fat cats.

I'm guessing there is some statistical wiggle room in these statistics.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 15: Down to 187

Well, another Saturday weigh-in and again I did not hit my target of 185. But, unlike last Saturday, when I'd gained a pound, this week I am down a pound, 2 above my 185 goal.

Even though I'm not lighter, I do seem to be shrinking.

I can now easily do the Yoga Plough Position. About 2 months ago I was shocked to discover I could no longer get into that particular Yoga position, something that previously had always been easy for me.

I can tell I am lighter and stronger when I go hill hiking. I've been zipping up steep hills with ease. And not getting at all winded by the effort.

Most days in the past 2 weeks I've gotten in 2 swimming sessions.

So, I've got 7 pounds to go to get to my 180 goal, that, at the start of 2011, I thought I'd easily get to within a couple months.

During this current bout of shrinkage it has become real clear to me that the older you get the more difficult it is to melt away excess adipose tissue.

I guess the goal for this week will be the same as last week. To shrink to 185 by next Saturday.

Obamacare Health Care Reform's Restaurant Calorie Content Mandate

I did not know, til I read it this morning, that the health care reform known as Obamacare, signed into law in March of 2010, mandates that restaurants with 20 or more locations and vending machines with more than 13 locations, reveal the caloric content of the food they are making available to the calorie clueless public.

This part of Obamacare is part of the "community health" umbrella of the health care reforms.

It's not just restaurants and vending machines that will be required to post caloric content. Grocery stores, coffee houses and bakeries will also have to abide by this new law if they have 20 or more locations.

McDonald's has long had calorie/nutrition information available for the asking.

Nutrition information is already on most of the food products you can buy in a grocery store. That's been the case for a long time.

A lot of restaurants already point out the healthy options on their menus.

The Food and Drug Administration estimates this new law will impact around 280,000 of America's 600,000 restaurants.

Which means more than half of the restaurants will still be able to serve the public steak and bacon without revealing the fat content.

Some food purveyors have been getting exemptions to the new law. The movie theater industry got an exclusion by claiming they don't serve full meals. So, movie theaters will not be forced to reveal that that large bag of buttered popcorn they are selling you has 58 grams of fat and 1,050 calories.

I really don't think making nutritional information available in some food purveyor's establishments is going to alter eater's eating patterns.

I know a lot of people are a bit dumb when it comes to what they eat.

But, really, most obese people know what is making them fat.

Why does the government not be even more intrusive? How about a law mandating that you have to get a license to purchase certain types of food? You go in for a checkup, the checkupper determines you are not over weight, issuing you an All Clear To Eat card, that you must swipe into some sort of card reader before you are allowed to buy a 540 calorie Big Mac.

Makes sense to me.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 14: Up a Pound to 188

This week my gut zone shrunk to less than 32 inches.

Yet on this Saturday's weekly weigh-in I weigh a pound more than last Saturday.

I think I may be losing fat and adding muscle, hence shrinking, yet weighing more.

Such are the conundrums and vicissitudes of losing weight.

The key is to stay steady and the shrinkage will continue. Or so it seems.

Lately I've been getting in 2 swim sessions a day. Once in the early morning. Then again in the afternoon.

My goal for next Saturday is the same one as last week's goal. 185.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 13: Down to 187

Well, this week's shrinkage goal was to melt down to 185.

I missed that goal by 2 pounds at this week's Saturday weigh-in.

At 187 I have now shrunk 30 pounds since my body recession began.

Due to nice weather I amped up the exercise this week with longer swimming and hill hiking bouts.

I have also been under some personal stress this week which is always good for burning calories.

I've amped up the fruit and vegetable consumption, along with lean protein products.

My gut zone has now shrunk to just over 32 inches. At its biggest my beer belly topped out at 37 inches.

The less fat one has to lose the more difficult it is to melt it off. So, I'm going to be real conservative with this week's goal, making it only to shrink 2 pounds to 185, the same goal I had last week.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 12: Down to 189

My shrinkage goal this week was to melt down to 186.

I missed my 186 goal by 3 pounds, with this morning's weekly Saturday weigh-in looking to be around 189.

Even though the shrinkage as measured by the scale is not what I hoped it would be, the shrinkage that is measured in other ways is working just fine.

As in I'm looking skinnier.

And I can now easily flip myself over into the Plough Yoga position.

I went swimming every morning this week. And went hiking every day.

This week's goal is 185. I suspect I will not reach my shrinkage goal for the week. But, I'll have fun trying.

Going to Church Can Make You Fat

Well, I learned today why the people who live in my current location in the Buckle of the Bible Belt are so noticeably fatter than the people I see when I visit my former location, that being the Seattle area.

The Dallas/Fort Worth Buckle of the Bible Belt zone has one of America's highest per capita number of churches and church goers.

Seattle and its environs has one of America's lowest per capita number churches and church goers.

In a study conducted by the Northwestern University School of Medicine around 2,500 men and women over 18 were tracked; filtered by age, sex, education, income and body mass index.

And if they were churchgoers or not.

The study found that regular church goers are 50% more likely to be obese by middle age.

The researchers offer no theory as to why church goers are 50% more likely go have a weight problem than non-church goers.

I'm thinking an 11th Commandment may need to be added to the original 10.

Thou shall not Overeat or covet your neighbor's donut.

The Christian God does opine, via the Bible, regarding gluttony. Gluttony is a fancy way to say "overeat."

Proverbs 23:20-21 warns, “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”

Proverbs 28:7 declares, “He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.” 

Proverbs 23:2 proclaims, “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

That seems a tad drastic, putting a knife to your throat if you are an over eater.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 11: Still Above 190

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My goal had been to crack the 190 barrier and get to 186 this week.

Instead I held steady at 191.

No shrinkage, weight-wise, but I can tell I am more leaned out.

And this week I was able to get into the Yoga Plough position, something I was shocked to learn I could no longer do, about a month ago.

The Plough position had been easy for me to do, right from the start of learning Yoga.

It was a much bigger wake up call than a number on a scale to find that my gut zone had so greatly grown that it had impeded my ability to do a simple Yoga position.

This week I went swimming every morning. I think swimming in cold water and the resulting shivering must be a great calorie burner. And great exercise.

I managed to get a real bad case of fire ant stings on my forearms this week. I do not know if being burned by fire ants impedes weight loss.

This week my goal is the same as last week's. To shrink to 186. This shrinking process has gone on way longer than I thought it would when the New Year started. Previously losing weight has been real easy for me.

Not so much this time.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 10: Up to 191

Last week I was 10 pounds from my 180 goal. On this Saturday's weekly weigh-in I am 11 pounds from the goal.

I don't think I actually gained weight this week.

What actually happened is this morning I forgot it was the day to measure my shrinkage. I usually take that measurement before I have breakfast.

Today I got on the scale after lunch.

I am guessing if I had gotten on the scale this morning before breakfast I likely weighed under 190.

In addition to lunch I drank a lot of water whilst hiking before lunch. So, I'm thinking I'm currently carrying some water weight.

I went swimming every morning this week, but one. On two of those mornings I stayed too long in the cold water. This resulted in about an hour of extreme shivering on those two days I stayed too long in the pool.

I think shivering likely burns a lot of calories. It is quite a workout for the muscle system, doing all that twitching trying to get warm.

This week my goal is to shrink to 186. And try to remember to measure the shrinkage next Saturday morning.

Get Fat in Las Vegas with the Buffet of Buffets All Day Pass

My sister went to Las Vegas for 5 days for her happy 30th birthday.

On her birthday my sister and brother-in-law got Buffet of Buffets All Day Passes.

The All Day Buffet Pass lets you visit 8 different buffets as often as you want during a 24 hour period.

However, no buffet is open 24 hours a day. All but one of the 8 closes by 10pm, with that exception closing at 9pm.

The All Day Buffet Pass costs $49.99 per person, $44.99 if you are a Total Rewards member, whatever that is.

At 8 casino hotels the All Day Buffet Pass is included with your hotel package, if you book 2 nights. Those 8 casinos are Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, Ballys, Harrahs, Flamingo, Rio and Imperial Palace.

The buffets that you can pig out at with your All Day Buffet Pass are Lago Buffet at Caesars Palace, Le Village Buffet at Paris, Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood, Flavors Buffet at Harrahs, Paradise Garden Buffet at Flamingo, Carnival World Buffet at The Rio, Village Seafood Buffet also at The Rio and Emperor's Buffet at Imperial Palace.

Of the 8 buffets the only one I've had the pleasure of overeating at is the Carnival World Buffet at The Rio. The Carnival World Buffet is enormous. It is like a collection of buffets of various cuisines.

I really don't think I'd get $49.99 worth of eating pleasure with this All Day Buffet Pass deal.

My feeding pattern, when in Vegas, is an early morning breakfast buffet, followed by a late afternoon lunch buffet, sometimes followed by a late night feeding. Like I remember one time leaving the Crazy Girls show at The Riviera and having a steak & lobster late night special.

But, I think for anyone wanting to quickly gain weight, a week in Las Vegas, and getting an All Day Buffet Pass each day of your visit, would help with the weight gaining.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 9: Slight Shrinkage

This week's Saturday weigh-in saw very very slight shrinkage from the previous week's weigh-in. The pointer may be pointing to a point slightly under 190.

I had an unexpected buffet incident this week which may account for some of the slowed shrinkage.

I went to the Tandoor lunch buffet in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday. It is easy to eat nutritiously at an Indian buffet. It is also easy to over eat.

I went swimming every morning this week. I would have thought that would have brought on some shrinkage, in addition to the shrinkage one normally gets from swimming in very cold water.

This week I will try and amp up my shrinkage efforts. And I will resist any temptation that tries to lure me to a buffet.

I am now into my third month of shrinking in my own personal body recession. When I started shrinking I thought the recession would be over by now. But, shrinking is taking longer than when I did my shrinking in my younger days.

The Obesity Epidemic Requires Bigger Ambulances With Winches

The lovely wedding photo reminded me of something I read this morning.

As the obesity epidemic keeps growing larger, ambulances have also had to grow.

For example, Medstar, which provides ambulance service to 15 Tarrant County cities in Texas, is replacing its Ford chassis with a stouter Chevy chassis.

The new ambulances can carry an extra 800 pounds.

As people have become wider and heavier stretchers have also had to stretch. Strap extenders, like those used on obese people on airplanes, are used on stretchers, when the need arises.

Strong winches have also been added to several of Medstar's ambulances in order to get the Big People in and out of the ambulance.

How do the EMT's get the Big Person on the stretcher, I can't help but wonder?

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 8: Down to 190

At this week's weigh-in I am finally down to my Super Bowl February 6 goal of 190 pounds.

The fat is noticeably melting from my gut zone.

The shrinkage has amped up due to amped up physical activity. As in the temperature has warmed up enough that I have been going for a long bout in the pool every morning.

I'm feeling rather good about being only 10 pounds away from my 180 pound ultimate goal.

Losing A Lot Of Weight To Get Ready For My Movie Nude Scene

In the photo that is Christian Bale in a movie called The Mechanic. I don't know why Bale's character in this movie, Trevor Reznik, had to be so thin.

To play this character Bale starved himself for 4 months, with a daily diet consisting of one cup of coffee and either an apple or a can of tuna, for a whopping daily calorie intake of around 275. Bale lost 62 pounds, shrinking to only 120 pounds.

I believe this movie part came after Christian Bale got himself all buffed for American Psycho.

After The Mechanic Christian Bale re-gained his lost weight and re-buffed himself.

And then Christian Bale put his body through this ridiculousness again for the part of  a crack addict named Dicky Eklund in a movie called The Fighter. This time Bale's extreme weight loss role has him being a likely Oscar nominee for Best Support Actor in the 2011 Academy Awards.

Matt Damon is another actor who lost a lot of weight for a movie role. Damon played a drug addicted soldier in a 1996 movie called Courage Under Fire. Damon lost 40 pounds in 100 days through diet and heavy duty exercise. Damon had to take medication for years due to the damage done to his adrenal gland.

And then you have the actresses who have starved themselves for a part.

Natalie Portman is also an Oscar contender this year for her role in Black Swan. She lost 20 pounds from her already skinny body to play a ballerina under a lot of pressure.

For her part in Dream Girls Beyonce shrunk 20 pounds by drinking nothing but lemon juice and maple syrup.

To play the role of Winnie Mandela, Jennifer Hudson shrunk 56 pounds from her plus-sized body. Jennifer continued shrinking after filming ended, eventually losing a total of 80 pounds. And I must say, Jennifer Hudson is looking good in her newly shrunk body.

For her part in Jennifer's Body, Megan Fox simply stopped eating til she dropped 10 pounds.

Some actors have gone the other direction for a movie. I remember Sylvester Stallone going from being a muscle man to a cop with a gut in a move the name of which I don't remember. Robert De Niro put on a lot of pounds playing boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, going from 145 to 215 pounds.

Matt Damon put on a lot of weight for his role in The Informant. I don't know if this damaged his adrenal glands.

I think it'd be a lot of fun to be a movie star. But, I really don't think I'd be so desperate to be on the big screen that I'd make myself either ultra-skinny or ultra-fat. I would probably make sure I was in really good shape, though, if the part called for a nude scene.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 7: Down to 195

The goal had been to get to 190 by February 6, Super Bowl Sunday. I missed that goal by 7 pounds.

And then by last Saturday's weigh-in I'd added 5 more pounds, putting me back over 200 at 202.

I blamed this reversal of shrinking on the weather, because sub-zero temperatures, ice and snow kept me from my regular calorie burning activities.

I have now reversed my reversal and have shrunk to the new low of 195.

I believe the shrinkage has been due to the return of warm temperatures, temperatures so warm that the past 3 days I have been able to go swimming, in addition to strenuous hill hiking.

The shrinkage has been enough that I have gotten way closer to being able to get into the Yoga Reverse Plough position that I whined about recently regarding being shocked to find I could not manage this simple Yoga pose that had always, previously, been real easy for me.

We'll see next Saturday if I've managed to finally get to my Super Bowl Sunday goal of 190.

Does a Flab Tax Make Sense?

The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development published a report which raised concerns regarding the rising obesity rates in developing nations that are adopting the western lifestyle.

The report suggests these nations should amp up their efforts in fighting obesity by promoting healthier lifestyles, imposing stringent regulations on food labels, restricting food advertising and levying taxes and subsidies to improve diets.

Methinks what is a good idea for the developing nations is a good idea for the developed nations that have already adopted the western lifestyle that leads. all too often, to obesity.

Some have proposed a Flab Tax.

I have no idea how that would work. Levy a 10% surcharge on Twinkies?

A letter in a recent edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it being a newspaper in one of the most obese states in one of the developed nations, Texas, brought suggested that flab be taxed....

Flab tax

Seems to me there's a better tax target than cigarettes, one that's quite deadly. The news agency AFP reports that more than half a billion men and women worldwide are clinically obese, according to joint research from Imperial College London, Harvard and the World Health Organization. Texas certainly has its share of the lard. I call on the Legislature to fast-track real "emergency" legislation. Expand "sin" taxes. Tax flab.

-- David House, North Richland Hills, Texas, United States

One area where I can see it might make sense to add a Flab Tax is flying. It does not seem fair, to me, that a person who weighs 600 pounds pays the same price to fly as a person who weighs 100 pounds. It takes a lot more fuel to fly 600 pounds than 100.

Maybe it makes sense to add a Flab Tax in restaurants on some menu items. Like a surcharge on French Fries.

What makes more sense is for people everywhere to learn to eat right and not get fat. Unless one wants to be fat and is happy being flabby. Taxing flab? Just sounds real complicated to me.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 6: Back Over 200

My goal had been to get to 190 by Super Bowl Sunday. I only made it to 197.

It was a weather related woe which halted the shrinkage.

The weather related woe continued this week, with even more weight gain. I am no 12 pounds above my Super Bowl Goal.

Which is 22 pounds from my ultimate goal of 180.

This has been a rough week with record breaking low temperatures in the sub-zero range.

Only yesterday was I able to get in some hill hiking.

It was a very demoralizing week.

A week in which I learned my expanded gut zone now prohibits me from being able to easily do the Reverse Plough Yoga Position. Which is something that, previous to this week, has always been extremely easy for me.

Well, today it is supposed to get in the 60s. Tomorrow even warmer. So, I think I will get my shrinkage back on track after this 2 week debacle.

The Shocking Reversal of My Yoga Reverse Plough Position

My 2011 New Years Resolution to shrink back to 180 pounds has taken about a 2 week hit due to bad weather putting an end, for the most part, to outdoor calorie burning activity, like hiking.

Today I was hit with a shocker.

I can not do the Reverse Plough Yoga Position.

My gut gets in the way.

Confirming that this episode of weight gain has primarily centered on my center.

Two years ago wrapping a tape measure around my mid-section added up to 29 inches. I just measured my mid-section, post-lunch, to find it ballooned to 37 inches.

But, not being able to do the Reverse Plough. This is a shocking wake-up.

I first learned Yoga when I was in college. I got a Yoga book, learned the positions. And watched a Yoga Show on PBS. I forget the name of the PBS Yoga Show.

The first time I saw a photo of the Reverse Plough Position I thought that looks awful weird and difficult to do. I followed the instructions to slowly lift my legs off the floor and over my head. It was easy.

The Reverse Plough has always been easy for me.

Until today.

I was able to get my legs over my head, but getting them any further was a real strain. And then my ballooned gut stopped my legs from going any further.

Well. I am motivated now. This gut phenomenon has got to go. And go fast.

When I am once more able to successfully manage the Reverse Plough Yoga Position I'll take a picture of myself doing so. And blog it. I'm not going to take a picture of myself currently attempting the Reverse Plough Position. That is a picture I don't want to see.

Monday Morning Bloating From 3,400 Pizza Calories Consumed During the Super Bowl

Super Bowl Week was a disaster for ongoing attempt to shrink to 180 pounds.

The empty Pizza Box is evidence left from the disaster.

For almost 5 days I was Ice and Snowbound. I was finally able to get outside without slipping and sliding on Saturday.

5 days of sloth not only stopped my shrinkage, it reversed it, with a one pound weight gain on my weekly Saturday weigh-in.

And then came the Super Bowl.

I found myself eating Pizza. A Supreme Pizza from Wal-Mart of the take it home and bake it yourself sort.

Along with the Pizza I had Pomegranate Juice.

And then after the Pizza was all gone I had something called Hippie Chips, with Hippie Chips being Baked Potato Chips with Hemp & White Cheddar.

In other words I had a carbo loading calorie Pig Out yesterday.

I think the Nutrition Facts info is new on the Wal-Mart pizza box. I know I had not noticed it before. I think the take home and bake pizza has been re-classified as no longer a taxable food item, maybe, and now requires the Nutrition Facts.

Anyway, I was appalled this morning to read the Nutrition Facts to learn I'd consumed 3,400 Pizza Calories yesterday. Of those 1,360 calories were due to the 170 grams of Pizza Fat I ate. 1,280 calories came from 320 grams of Pizza Carbos. And there was the 600 calories coming from 150 grams of Pizza Protein.

I feel like a bloated fat pig this morning.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 5: Gained a Pound

The Super Bowl is tomorrow. My weight goal for the Super Bowl was to be down to 190 on my way to the ultimate goal of 180.

I did not make it to 190 for this week's Saturday Weigh-In.

I seem to have gained a pound. It looked to me that the pointer stopped around the 197 pound mark today.

My excuse for gaining weight instead of shrinking is the same thing that has plagued the week leading up to the Super Bowl, since I am stuck in the same predicament the Super Bowl is stuck in.

That predicament is both me and the Super Bowl both sit in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

I was snowbound starting Tuesday. On Wednesday I woke to a Rolling Blackout. By Thursday I was running low on protein products for the Atkins type diet mode I had been on. On Friday the roads had cleared of ice enough that I was able to get to a grocery store.

I have been unable to get my regular amount of heavy duty calorie burning outdoor exercise. No hiking, no swimming.

I forgot to mention that yesterday a water main malfunction had me without water for several hours.

So, this has been an annoyingly stressful week for me and a lot of other people in North Texas, including a lot of people who had big hopes of the Super Bowl being a big boon for North Texas.

The big boon has turned in to a big bust. Just like my ongoing shrinking did this week.

More snow is predicted to arrive on the day of the Super Bowl. I currently do not know when I am going to return to my regular activity level.

So, for this week my Weight Loss goal is to simply not gain any, and to stay steady at 197.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 4: Down to 196 A Week Before the Super Bowl

I missed my goal of 195 by one pound this week. I now have one week to get to my Super Bowl goal of 190.

Shrinking is seeming slower this time from the last time I went in to shrinking mode.

This seems odd to me, due to the fact that I believe I am being way more active than I was the last time I did some major shrinkage.

Maybe the shrinkage slowdown is age-related. I believe I have read before that the older you get the more difficult it is to lose weight.

I continued with the high protein, extremely low carbohydrate mode of calorie consumption this week. I will continue with the modified Atkins Diet routine this week. And probably the week following that.

I may run into some trouble this week if I find myself invited to and going to a Super Bowl Party, which may happen, what with my current place of residence being just a few miles from where the Super Bowl location in the Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

My Favorite Fatling, Fat Bastard, Leader of the New American Fat Acceptance Movement with a Great Fattitude

That is my funny new friend, Fat Bastard, you are looking at.

Fat Bastard commented on a blog I wrote a couple weeks ago, titled "Observing The Amazing Struggles of the Amazingly Obese."

In that blogging I mentioned a horrendous incident that took place in a McDonald's, where a morbidly obese former acquaintance of mine nearly destroyed a McDonald's trying to sit on a stool.

Fat Bastard had the following to say about that particular morbidly obese person's attempt to get on a stool...

"Nothing does my clogged heart more good than a good story about fattitude. The fatling you describe is a real heroine.

McDonalds is becoming less and less fat friendly. They should have lift chairs so that fatling will not have exert themselves standing and sitting."

Fat Bastard has a blog or two. One of Fat Bastard's blogs is called BIGGER FATTER BLOG.

About himself Fat Bastard wrote...

"I'm Fat Bastard. I am the de facto leader of the New American Fat Acceptance Movement (NAFAM) and NIFAM which is the New International Fat Acceptance Movement. Like the name implies, I am a fat bastard. I promote, food, hedonism, pleasure, sloth, lust and gluttony."

And then there is Fat Bastard's credo at the top of his blog...

"THIS IS THE NEXT PHASE IN FAT ACCEPTANCE. THE DAYS OF JUSTIFYING OUR FATNESS BY LYING AND SAYING WE HAVE A MYSTERIOUS GENETIC OR METABOLIC DISORDER ARE OVER. WE NOW FREELY ADMIT TO AND EMBRACE WHAT THE FAT HATERS WOULD CALL GLUTTONY. WE FATLINGS ARE NO LONGER APOLOGISTS FOR OUR SIZE NOR OUR GREEDY GLUTTONY. WE ARE FAT BECAUSE WE EAT HUGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD AND WE LIKE IT. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT GET USED TO IT BECAUSE FAT PEOPLE ARE NOW THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY."

I had never read the term "Fatling" before. I like this word and plan on adding it to my vocabulary immediately. If not sooner. I also like Fat Bastard's "fattitude" word. Used in a sentence. You've got a bad fattitude for a fatling. Or one might have a good fattitude for a fatling.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 3: Down to 199 By Cutting Carbs

Well, I did not get to my goal of 198 this week. But, I am under 200 and only 9 pounds from my Super Bowl goal of 190.

Since I started shrinking a few days before the start of the New Year I have lost 18 pounds.

This week losing weight was hampered by bad weather rendering doing heavy duty hill hiking not possible.

To amp up the fat burning I've gone into a Modified Atkins Diet mode. As in extremely low amount of carbohydrates and an increase in protein.

I'm not a dessert fan and have absolutely no sweet tooth. So, it is pretty easy to cut down the carbs, as in no bread, no sugary fruits, like bananas. And no milk.

I don't know why more people don't use the high protein/low carb method of losing weight. It's not like being on a diet.

And unlike those miserable diets where the caloric intake is cut way back and you don't feel or look good, with the high protein/low carb way of eating you feel real good, full of energy. And you look healthy, instead of that gaunt, sick look some people develop when they lose weight.

Next Saturday's goal is 195.

Amazon No Longer Offers Do-It-Yourself Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Kits

Amazon, the humongous online retailer, had been selling a do it yourself laparoscopic gastric bypass kit.

Yes, where you, the morbidly obese person perform surgery on your own stomach.

That is a picture of the do-it-yourself kit. As you can see, below the kit is a message telling you the item is currently not available.

Though the gastric bypass kit was touted as a do-it-yourself deal, the actual seller of the product that had been listed on Amazon, that being the medical retailer, Med Plus, Inc. operating out of New Jersey, communicated, via a company officer, that the do-it-yourself kit is intended for medical workers only.

I've no idea what is meant by "medical workers." Janitor who works in a hospital? Nurse? Doctor's secretary?

I've only know a couple morbidly obese people. One of them was unable to put on her shoes herself, so, obviously, do-it-yourself surgery was out of the question.

Methinks Amazon needs to pay closer attention to what is being sold on its website.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution End of Week Two: Under 202 After a Week of Monosodium Glutamate Poisoning

Well, my goal this week was to get under 200 pounds by Saturday, January 15. I missed the goal by about 1 and 1/2 pounds.

I've now lost around 15 pounds since I started shrinking a few days before the New Year.

I went into Atkins mode this week, which created a problem when I bought a big bag of beef jerky.

The package said the jerky was "All Natural."

A few hours after sampling the "All Natural" beef jerky I got a headache and felt pressure in my head.

At first I attributed this to the effects of being on the Atkins Diet.

But, by Day Three of feeling headachy and sort of kicked in the gut, I remembered how I react to Monosodium Glutamate.

I then read the ingredients on the beef jerky package. Previously I'd only looked at the ingredients til I saw Papaya Extract on the list. Papaya Extract seemed to confirm this really was "All Natural" beef jerky.

But, on Day Three of feeling miserable I looked at the beef jerky ingredients again and was appalled to see Monosodium Glutamate on the list.

It was at least 24 hours more of not feeling right til the Monosodium Glutamate symptoms completely abated and I started feeling like my good-feeling self again.

I suspect the Monosodium Glutamate poisoning had a deleterious effect on my weight loss attempt. Feeling not so good caused a cutback on my activity level, for one thing.

I think I am still on target to get to 190 pounds by the Super Bowl. That's about 23 days from now.

My goal for next Saturday is to get down to 198.

See you there!

Kelly Osbourne Loses 50 Pounds Avoiding Pie & Mash While Worrying About Turning Into a Kirstie Alley Yo-Yo Dieter

When Kelly Osbourne showed up on ABC's Dancing   with the Stars I did not expect her to last long. Or be cute and likable.

I was wrong. Kelly was very cute and extremely likable and quickly became a fan favorite as we watched her confidence grow as her dancing got better.

And, as she got into shape.

And lose weight.

After the Dancing with the Stars was over Kelly continued to lose weight and work out. Eventually losing an amazing 50 pounds from that little body of hers.

Kelly was pleased to win Fitness Magazine's Best Celebrity Body 2010 Award. But, this type attention makes Kelly a bit nervous, putting pressure on her to keep the weight off. Apparently Kelly is afraid of becoming a public spectacle like Kirstie Alley with her weight yo-yoing up and down.

Kelly told the UK version of OK Magazine, "Half of me thinks that's so cool and the other half thinks that I really have to keep this up because if I gain a pound now everyone's going to Kirstie Alley me. There's that pressure to keep it off. But what happens if there's a few months when I want to eat pie and mash every day? I'll be crucified!"

I know what pie is. But what is mash?

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Day 11: Down to 206

On Day 11 of  my current Shrinkage Program I am down to 206. That is an 11 pound shrinkage from the start of the program. 26 pounds to go to the goal of 180.

And 16 pounds to go to reach my Super Bowl goal of 190.

I have grown weary of taking a photo each morning of the daily weigh-in.

I have decided once a week will suffice for the duration.

So, from now on, Saturday's will be my Weigh-In Day. As in, next Saturday will be, "2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 2: Hopefully Down to 199."

It will actually be more than 2 weeks, because I started doing the losing weight thing 3 or 4 days before the start of the New Year.

Calories Burned Per Hour By Various Popular Activities

Every little bit of extra activity you add to your already active lifestyle, burns calories. One flight of stairs, over average, depending on how big you are and how fast you climb them, will burn 15 calories.

If you watch too much TV, sitting way too long, make yourself get up from the sitting position at least every 10 minutes.

When you go to the grocery store, don't look for the parking spot closest to the entry. Park as far away from the entry as possible. Unless you are in a hurry.

And, if you are in a hurry, walk fast.

With just a little focus you can find all sorts of ways to burn more calories and fat during the course of a day. After awhile it will become second nature.

The heavier you are, the more calories it takes to move you, the lighter you are, the fewer calories it takes to move you.

Below is a chart giving you an idea of how many calories are burned per hour via various popular activities.

Now. Get moving. 

Activity (1 hour)	130lbs	155lbs	190lbs
Aerobics, general Aerobics, high impact Aerobics, low impact Archery (nonhunting) Automobile repair Backpacking, general Badminton, competitive Badminton, social, general Basketball, game Basketball, nongame, general Basketball, officiating Basketball, shooting baskets Basketball, wheelchair Bicycling, <10mph, leisure Bicycling, >20mph, racing Bicycling, 10-11.9mph, light Bicycling, 12-13.9mph, moderate Bicycling, 14-15.9mph, vigorous Bicycling, 16-19mph, very fast, racing Bicycling, BMX or mountain Bicycling, stationary, general Bicycling, stationary, light Bicycling, stationary, moderate Bicycling, stationary, very light Bicycling, stationary, very vigorous Bicycling, stationary, vigorous Billiards Bowling Boxing, in ring, general Boxing, punching bag Boxing, sparring Broomball Calisthenics, home, vigorous Calisthenics, home, light/moderate Canoeing, on camping trip Canoeing, rowing, >6 mph, vigorous Canoeing, rowing, crewing, competition Canoeing, rowing, light Canoeing, rowing, moderate Carpentry, general Carrying heavy loads, such as bricks Child care: sitting/kneeling-dressing Child care: standing-dressing, feeding Circuit training, general Cleaning, heavy, vigorous Cleaning, house, general Cleaning, light, moderate Coaching: football, soccer, basketball Construction, outside, remodeling Cooking or food preparation Cricket (batting, bowling) Croquet Curling Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern Dancing, ballroom, fast Dancing, ballroom, slow Dancing, general Darts, wall or lawn Diving, springboard or platform Electrical work, plumbing Farming, baling hay, cleaning barn Farming, milking by hand Farming, shoveling grain Fencing Fishing from boat, sitting Fishing from river bank, standing Fishing in stream, in waders Fishing, general Fishing, ice, sitting Football or baseball, playing catch Football, competitive Football, touch, flag, general Frisbee playing, general Frisbee, ultimate Gardening, general Golf, carrying clubs Golf, general Golf, miniature or driving range Golf, pulling clubs Golf, using power cart Gymnastics, general Hacky sack Handball, general Handball, team Health club exercise, general Hiking, cross country Hockey, field Hockey, ice Horse grooming Horse racing, galloping Horseback riding, general Horseback riding, trotting Horseback riding, walking Hunting, general Jai alai Jogging, general Judo, karate, kick boxing, tae kwan do Kayaking Kickball Lacrosse Marching band, playing instrument Marching, rapidly, military Moto-cross Moving furniture, household Moving household items-upstairs Moving household items-carrying Mowing lawn, general Mowing lawn, riding mower Music playing, cello, flute, horn Music playing, drums Music playing, guitar, classical (sitting) Music playing, guitar, rock/roll (stand) Music playing, piano, organ, violin Paddleboat Painting, papering, plastering, scraping Polo Pushing or pulling stroller with child Race walking Racquetball, casual, general Racquetball, competitive Raking lawn Rock climbing, ascending rock Rock climbing, rapelling Rope jumping, fast Rope jumping, moderate, general Rope jumping, slow Rowing, stationary, light Rowing, stationary, moderate Rowing, stationary, very vigorous Rowing, stationary, vigorous Rugby Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) Running, 10.9 mph (5.5 min mile) Running, 5 mph (12 min mile) Running, 5.2 mph (11.5 min mile) Running, 6 mph (10 min mile) Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile) Running, 7 mph (8.5 min mile) Running, 7.5mph (8 min mile) Running, 8 mph (7.5 min mile) Running, 8.6 mph (7 min mile) Running, 9 mph (6.5 min mile) Running, cross country Running, general Running, in place Running, on a track, team practice Running, stairs, up Running, training, pushing wheelchair Running, wheeling, general Sailing, windsurfing, general Sailing, in competition Scrubbing floors, on hands and knees Shoveling snow, by hand Shuffleboard, lawn bowling Sitting-playing with child(ren)-light Skateboarding Skating, ice, 9 mph or less Skating, ice, general Skating, ice, rapidly, > 9 mph Skating, ice, speed, competitive Skating, roller Ski jumping (climb up carrying skis) Ski machine, general Skiing, cross-country, racing Skiing, cross-country, moderate Skiing, cross-country, slow or light Skiing, cross-country, uphill, max Skiing, cross-country, vigorous Skiing, downhill, light Skiing, downhill, moderate Skiing, downhill, vigorous , racing Skiing, snow, general Skiing, water Ski-mobiling, water Skin diving, scuba diving, general Sledding, bobsledding, luge Snorkeling Snow shoeing Snowmobiling Soccer, casual, general Soccer, competitive Softball or baseball, fast or slow pitch Softball, officiating Squash Stair-treadmill ergometer, general Standing-packing/unpacking boxes Stretching, hatha yoga Surfing, body or board Sweeping garage, sidewalk Swimming laps- fast-vigorous Swimming laps, freestyle-light Swimming, backstroke, general Swimming, breaststroke, general Swimming, butterfly, general Swimming, leisurely, general Swimming, sidestroke, general Swimming, sychronized Swimming, treading water, vigorous Swimming, treading water, moderate Table tennis, ping pong Tai chi Teaching aerobics class Tennis, doubles Tennis, general Tennis, singles Unicycling Volleyball, beach Volleyball, competitive, in gymnasium Volleyball, noncompetitive Walk/run-playing with child-moderate Walk/run-playing with child-vigorous Walking, 2.0 mph, slow pace Walking, 3.0 mph, mod. pace Walking, 3.5 mph, uphill Walking, 4.0 mph, very brisk pace Walking, carrying infant or 15-lb load Walking, grass track Walking, upstairs Walking, using crutches Wallyball, general Water aerobics, water calisthenics Water polo Water volleyball Weight lifting/body building, vigorous Weight lifting, light or moderate Whitewater rafting/kayaking/canoeing	354 413 295 207 177 413 413 266 472 354 413 266 384 236 944 354 472 590 708 502 295 325 413 177 738 620 148 177 708 354 531 413 472 266 236 708 708 177 413 207 472 177 207 472 266 207 148 236 325 148 295 148 236 354 325 177 266 148 177 207 472 177 325 354 148 207 354 236 118 148 531 472 177 207 295 325 236 177 295 207 236 236 708 472 325 354 472 472 354 472 236 384 148 295 708 413 590 295 413 472 236 384 236 354 531 413 325 148 118 236 118 177 148 236 266 472 148 384 413 590 236 649 472 708 590 472 561 413 708 502 590 944 1062 472 531 590 649 679 738 797 826 885 531 472 472 590 885 472 177 177 295 325 354 177 148 295 325 413 531 885 413 413 561 826 472 413 974 531 295 354 472 413 354 413 413 413 295 472 207 413 590 295 354 708 354 207 236 177 236 590 472 472 590 649 354 472 472 590 236 236 236 354 354 413 472 295 472 236 177 236 295 148 207 354 236 207 295 472 236 413 236 590 177 354 177 295	422 493 352 246 211 493 493 317 563 422 493 317 457 281 1126 422 563 704 844 598 352 387 493 211 880 739 176 211 844 422 633 493 563 317 281 844 844 211 493 246 563 211 246 563 317 246 176 281 387 176 352 176 281 422 387 211 317 176 211 246 563 211 387 422 176 246 422 281 141 176 633 563 211 246 352 387 281 211 352 246 281 281 844 563 387 422 563 563 422 563 281 457 176 352 844 493 704 352 493 563 281 457 281 422 633 493 387 176 141 281 141 211 176 281 317 563 176 457 493 704 281 774 563 844 704 563 669 493 844 598 704 1126 1267 563 633 704 774 809 880 950 985 1056 633 563 563 704 1056 563 211 211 352 387 422 211 176 352 387 493 633 1056 493 493 669 985 563 493 1161 633 352 422 563 493 422 493 493 493 352 563 246 493 704 352 422 844 422 246 281 211 281 704 563 563 704 774 422 563 563 704 281 281 281 422 422 493 563 352 563 281 211 281 352 176 246 422 281 246 352 563 281 493 281 704 211 422 211 352	518 604 431 302 259 604 604 388 690 518 604 388 561 345 1380 518 690 863 1035 733 431 474 604 259 1078 906 216 259 1035 518 776 604 690 388 345 1035 1035 259 604 302 690 259 302 690 388 302 216 345 474 216 431 216 345 518 474 259 388 216 259 302 690 259 474 518 216 302 518 345 173 216 776 690 259 302 431 474 345 259 431 302 345 345 1035 690 474 518 690 690 518 690 345 561 216 431 1035 604 863 431 604 690 345 561 345 518 776 604 474 216 173 345 173 259 216 345 388 690 216 561 604 863 345 949 690 1035 863 690 819 604 1035 733 863 1380 1553 690 776 863 949 992 1078 1165 1208 1294 776 690 690 863 1294 690 259 259 431 474 518 259 216 431 474 604 776 1294 604 604 819 1208 690 604 1423 776 431 518 690 604 518 604 604 604 431 690 302 604 863 431 518 1035 518 302 345 259 345 863 690 690 863 949 518 690 690 863 345 345 345 518 518 604 690 431 690 345 259 345 431 216 302 518 345 302 431 690 345 604 345 863 259 518 259 431

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Day 10: Down to 208 Past the Diet Plateau

Well, my good night's rest was interrupted by multiple liquid voidings which had me assuming I was losing the accumulated water weight acquired during the first Diet Plateau of my current New Year's Resolution to shrink to 180.

I do not know if I am on target, or not, to get to 190 by the time of my scheduled Super Bowl Party of February 6. That is 18 pounds from now.

My current Super Bowl Party Plan is it will be Mexican themed. I don't know if that means tequila will be in the house, or not.

I did my regular weight/yoga routine this morning prior to my regular breakfast. I am currently scheduled to go hill hiking around noon, prior to lunch. Which will be something made from tuna today.

Zumba Dancing To Lose Weight & Get in Shape With the Wild Woman of Woolley

A few days ago the Wild Woman of Woolley, Betty Jo Bouvier, informed me she was going to be doing Zumba in the evening.

I won't tell you which of the backsides in the picture is Betty Jo doing her Zumba dancing.

I had no idea what Zumba was when Betty Jo mentioned it, though the name seemed familiar.

Now I have learned that Zumba is a world-wide phenomenon, and has become the world's largest and most successful dance/fitness program. More than 10 million people are taking Zumba classes at over 90,000 locations in over 110 countries.

Including the State of Washington in the country known as the United States of America. Which is where Betty Jo is doing Zumba.

Zumba started out in the town of Cali in the country known as Columbia. I believe Columbia is the country where Shakira comes from. Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" song is my favorite dancing song.

I wonder if Betty Jo has Zumba-ed to Shakira yet, with her hips not lying?

Zumba uses very energetic international music, choreographed with addictive, contagious dance steps to create a big "fitness party."

Betty Jo told me her first Zumba experience left her feeling a bit uncoordinated. Which surprised me, because Betty Jo has always moved with such gracefulness.

Below is a YouTube video of a Zumba Fitness Party. A short way in, Shakira starts singing about hips not lying. I think I want to join in.....

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Day 9: Still at 211

Day 9 of my New Year's Resolution to shrink to 180 is still stalled at a Diet Plateau, albeit slightly shrunk from yesterday.

My goal of hitting 190 by the time of my February 6 Super Bowl Party appears in jeopardy.

I need to make an adjustment to the program to amp up the shrinkage.

Maybe I should join a Zumba Fitness Club. This seems to be the trendy thing to do. And it looks sort of fun.

This morning I did my regular weight/yoga routine followed by a shrunken breakfast of pineapple, a grapefruit, Gorgonzola, 3 cloves of garlic, stalk of celery and glass of skim milk.

I will be doing some hill hiking late this afternoon. At least that is my current plan. But, my plans seem to often get altered.