Happy Blogger Award... Mine and Yours

I got a Happy Blogger Award from two people! Thanks Hallie and Paula Rodriguez!!! Normally I don’t tend to follow directions well for awards but who doesn’t want to list ten things that make them happy…

1) GOD: I love the Lord and am and active Roman Catholic. The love of God gives me life.

2) CARTOONING: as an artist my ability to create (and enjoy others) art. Creativity and the act of creation from computer artwork to drawing, painting, sculpting, and even making a teddy bear. I love Art both in it’s creation and enjoyment.

3) COMPUTERS: The internet can find you any information your interested in, aid you to create, and connect you to others. While I’m a bit techno-challenged I still think computers are incredible (At least when I can figure out how to use them)

4) BLOGS: People have some interesting things to share. People that inspire or make me think. I can find a blog with someone who has such a passion on nearly any subject.

5) COMMENTERS: people who comment on my blog energize me. It’s nice to know your not alone sometimes. Moreover they may offer some new insight.

6) BOOKS: I’m a certified bookworm. I love to read

7) LEARNING: more geekyness I honestly like studying things.

8) MUSIC: I don’t tend to listen to a lot of contemporary music but I adore the B-52’s, swing music, classical (except piano)

9) UNIQUE THINGS: a fedora hat, 100 year old rosary, a wind up pocket watch, an old zippo lighter from the navy. Some things just feel more “real” they have weight and style, they don’t need to be old and valuable (cash wise) but for me older things seem to have more substance. Maybe the world is better for having 29 cent bic pens but I also think it’s worse for almost abandoning fountain pens.

10) CHINESE FOOD! There are too many things to list to be grateful and happy about… like I’ve always wanted a Jeep. Or the cute factor of baby animals, or miniature wargames… Let me just say if heaven is proper it has all you can eat Chinese food buffets. Anyone who has paid any attention at all to this blog knows that Chinese food gets one of the top ten reserved.

This is the part I loathe and part of the reason I don’t normally do the directions with the awards. I have to list ten blogs. When I forget to add or run out of my ten choices someone (many folks rightly deserving of aknowledgement too) they get their feelings hurt. Moreover I can’t figure out how to hot link to peoples blogs yet either. But here is a few blogs that make me happy… for perseverance, accomplishments, style, for their support. Again, I have dozens of blogs I check out… I could spend years writing to everyone… yet here are a few bloggers.

1) Rettakat
2) cmoursler
3) bubbly
4) ant girl
5) arielcircleofnine
6) wildfluffysheep
7) friend of the bear
8) jo
9) chubby chick
10) Bonnie
11)???

I’m not trying to be flippant here I have to put in a number 11 for so many others in the blog world I’ve missed. To all of you who have commented, shared your stories and struggles as well as have inspired me by your victories. If I just lost a pound for every person on my blog roll and those ones I also follow that are not on my own lists… I haven't even mentioned Guys like Sean Anderson and the Anti-jared who’ve lost tons of weight I didn’t even put on the award list… well a pound for each person here and I would be back to my original birth weight of 6 pounds and four ounces!

At Foolsfitness we like awards, but the real rewards are in sharing the journey with all of you!- Alan

Fools Fitness Plan Gets Celebrity Endorsement!

Fools Fitness has another award… But lets talk about celebrity endorsement first!!! Is it George Foremen? Oprah Winfrey? Lets just say that this individual “is smarter than the average bear” who endorses Foolsfitness!!! Ok, George, Oprah, or even Yogi Bear did *not* endorse Fools Fitness… But our Blog is *certified* as "Low Calorie".

Where has Alan been? Why does he talk in third person? What can he say except fame is rushing into his ego with carb tripper blogspot offering the “Beautiful Blogger Award” also and award forgot to be posted (Sorry) was for “Superior Scribbler Award” pretty far back from another blogger. What can be said except at Foolsfitness it’s the kind of place where people are busy taking aerobic classes in "Running with Scissors" and extreme strength training coloring outside the lines in "Extreme Coloring Tae Bo". Those Crayons make mighty fine hand weights.

Believe it or not I’m still trying to rearrange the house and clean the place out. Unfortunately that means closing the computer and home office as I move things around. I haven’t been on line for over a week. On the plus side I’ve found four dollars in change behind the cushions of my futon, as well as a few perfectly aged Cheerios. My goal is to get the office functional and it’s been a workout far beyond the gym. I totally under estimated the seriousness and volume of the mess. I’m maybe about two thirds done. I’m thinking the less clutter will transfer to my ability to focus on fitness as well.

I’m in that strange zone where I have just enough success to get arrogant and loose focus. It’s an odd place where most all my clothes are too big except the new ones which seem a bit too small. I’m in a place where I can get up from the Chinese food buffet after a plate… yet an hour later scarf down pizza that throws off the disciplined choices. I think spring will help when it comes and I can get out more… but that’s also an excuse. I need to deal with the now… where ever and what ever place the now may be weather or stress wise.

So back to the Foolsfitness basics. Awareness of portions, Mindful of my nutritional needs, Power of the plate and in what I put on it or take off it. And of course learning that I should hang up my clothes and throw away two year old junk mail.

At Foolsfitness it’s easy to make money and get a great workout at the same time… just clean under the cushions in your chairs… but don’t eat the old Cheerios you find.

Still digging a Tunnel

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The 2nd week of tunneling is under way and I have now found my cat. I had to empty the fridge totally including my mustard that was a year past date… the only survivors there was a few cans of tuna. One of my New Years Resolutions was to find my house under all the rubble. This is no human undertaking as I have found junk mail from 2005. I’ve debated if it may in fact be easier to just move than clean and reorganize my little studio apartment. Being a bachelor I’m not exactly domesticated. Moreover my unwillingness to let go of my library of books and art supplies doesn’t help when I live in a place that is so small it doesn’t even have a closet. The Apartment won’t even get a normal address, it’s actually filed as “Apartment Zero” at city hall.
　
I’ve eaten one of the cans of soup that was dated a year past date and am considering eating the other as now there is pretty much nothing left. Sadly I had to part with peanut butter that was 6 months past expiration... But it didn’t matter as all the bread was rock hard in the fridge too. Maybe one way to loose weight is just to not have any food in the house? I’ve still got a stash of granola bars and beef jerky as I press on the dig. I think I need one of those miners lamps. Plus at work there is always someone willing to part with a donut.
　
A lot of our blogs focus on Diet and Fitness but I don’t think it stops at what we eat and how much we move. It is a transformation or evolution into something different. I struggle with the idea that if we change does that mean that the now is some how less, that we are less valuable now. The idea I’ve been mulling over is it’s not a value quantification to a person by some weight number be it 70 pounds or 1000, but it’s just a striving to be a bit more physically healthy as we makes changes.
　
I currently have three décor themes fighting within my home, well four if you can call the Odd couple’s Oscar mess a theme. Originally as a vagabond my apartment was modeled in let me say… early American thrift shop. Then I went to a safari theme. Then at the advise of a friend who said my house looked like a cave I decided to envision that Cindy Lopper and a bunch of clowns did a Martha Steward makeover. Now I’m trying to regain the Safari theme of my tree house. Currently I guess it would be clowns and Oscar from the Odd Couple on Safari.
　
That’s the thing about life. To really live, you need a vision of where you want to tunnel to, but not stop there as you dig and keep on digging. I just put up an old world style fictional map on my wall. It reminds me that I am to take an active role in trying to be a creator of my world. Well technically it’s God’s world but he lets us do a lot with it if we are willing.
　
At Foolsfitness we want to know if you can dig it? -Alan

Hunger JedI and DVD Give-a-way

Time to announce the next winner of a DVD, but first I’d like to talk about hunger. People who have struggled with weight realize the incredible pull of being hungry. Lately I’ve been thinking that if it’s possible to channel that hunger it could wield incredible power. There is a far difference from a hungry lion to a grazing cow. Maybe I’ve got to remind myself that being a little hungry might just be actually a good thing.

Think of the reverse of the idea. Have you ever seen an animal (or a person) who stuffed themselves to the point they could barely move… then they likely took a lay down to sleep and digest. There is definitely an allure in that sedation. Yet with hunger there is a drive, a fire. I’m not talking starving hunger but an edge might just give one an edge.

Hungry people are pioneers. People like the Wright brothers who hungered for flight. Tesla and Franklin who hungered to harness electricity.

I think it keeps coming down to the core questions… Is it enough to be sedated and settle. It’s easier. The other option is to constantly ride that hunger into life with fire filled eyes thrashing into adventure both exciting and terrifying… or be comfortable. I’ve heard many people lately say they were bored. I don’t think life is boring. Settling is boring. Being too comfortable is boring. You could sleep your whole life away and miss it all.

I’m learning that mantra “that hunger you feel isn’t for food.” Sure food can sedate it but in the end just like any other “drug” it isn’t going to fix it… actually in the end it creates it’s own problems. Yet it’s a hard lesson… It’s a very seductive temptress. Who doesn’t want easy right? The diet and fitness machine gizmo industry practically thrives on selling the “easy” illusion or delusion (Notice I avoided the word solution… because that takes hunger!)

So as with most my year end review… up and down a bit but April to end of year 31 pounds lost… from 343 to currently 311.75!!! The holidays were a challenge, and so is stress. This year the goals are to stay hungry. Sedating the hunger isn’t totally helpful. I’m not talking starvation here but I think actually for years I’ve been starved of a full life. I think I'm starting to loose that glazed donut eye gaze. I like the eyes of hungry better. Just look at the deer in the head lights starting weight picture on the right I put up!
　
I’m learning the ways of the hunger force to become a Jedi and stand against the dark lords of gluttony, sedation, and settling. 31 pounds so far might just say the force is with me… but I am not a hunger Jedi *yet*. But after all the ups and downs I held the line of gaining only 1.25 pounds in the 3 months of holidays from October first. I was iron through Halloween, but that stuffing at thanksgiving found a chink in my armor and then the Chinese food flooded in!!! Still, holding weight off for months is good. Now on to getting more off.
　
I’m very proud of the “Fools Fitness Fellowship” group I started at my church. They have learned a lot and fought the good fight during the holidays as well as have raised over $120 for the church general funds. For our last events we bowled and proudly walked the mall, we now are more aware and mindful of our food choices. I’ve officially “retired” as leader, but it looks like we might keep going more informally and do more bowling and even belly dancing. (Well I might pass on the last one) Since April I’ve swam, bicycled, and Volleyballed my way to being more active.
　
The random drawing for my other Christmas give-a-way DVD goes to “Chubby Chick” chosen at random. I’m really happy she won because she was one of the first blogs I started to read as I began my transformation… she and a couple of others inspired me to blog. Her gotta loose 200 pounds blog reminds me to keep on going and keep on fighting. Let me say if your thinking about blogging, it’s help me process stuff, keep on track a bit better, stay motivated and supported, as well as have fun and be a part of a community of real people who know what it’s like to struggle with weight.
　
And remember that Foolsfitness always says “Don’t give into the cookies… they lead to the dark side!!! Stay a hungry Jedi, it makes you powerful“- Alan

My Chimichanga Diet!

Before my *Amazing* new diet plan, it's time to give away a DVD! Loretta (Rettakat), from Loretta's Journey has won the first DVD choice for her art in my Christmas give-a-way… after she chooses I will randomly pick the other person to choose from the one of the other two DVD’s in the reply sections from the post start until Christmas eve night.
　
I ended the year on a bang… unfortunately it was a buffet fest bang. I’ve gained a lot. I haven’t recorded it yet but will reluctantly step on that scale (I haven’t in a while) to officially record a wild gain at the beginning of the year. I think there is a few others out there that didn’t quite point the scales in the direction they would have liked. Hey, honestly I could have passed on a lot of that food… and I take responsibility for it. I can come up with all sorts of cool excuses, I could easily make it complex… but it is simple, I forgot about my chimichangas.
　
When I was “On” I had a simple plan, about 1500 calories a day… divided into several small meals. Moving, nothing complex for exercise, just actively doing something. Chinese food was on Mondays. Believe it or not my basic diet really was based loosely around chimichangas. Some boca burgers, and granola bars… trying to maintain a balance between carbs, fat, and protien… no weird radial stuff. I was trying to work in more veggies. Then I got cocky and arrogant. Look at the fitness genius and legend! I lost focus, forgot to keep track of what I was eating. I always forget I’m not bullet proof! Missed exercise opportunities. The simple plan worked… until I forgot the simple, to watch what I eat and move… How rocket science is that? Why is it so hard for myself and so many to get it? Somehow I started making it complex with excuses.
　
I partly started the blog to enjoy poking fun about how those diet gurus, pill pushers, and fitness machine maniacs make it so complex. and naturally build my own fitness empire as another small step to world domination too! I can’t help but feel most of those guys have those complex gimmicks for the single purpose of preying on people for their money. A monastic like myself should remember that essence isn’t complex. Somehow I temporarily forgot my own message. *Stay mindful, be aware, actively choose, just remember I have the power of the plate in how much I put on it or remove from it.* The Simple is not the complex.
　
I got some more chimichangas tonight and had one for dinner… Simple… call me the Jared of chimichangas, but somehow they are the keystone of this fitness journey.
　
At Foolsfitness it’s all about the Chimichangas!- Alan

I Could Not Inhale Air, but I was Happy!

Merry Christmas everyone! I have these shorts I keep on my bathroom door as a reminder of where I want to go in my resizing journey. Sometimes they come in handy when I want to gorge myself I just look at them, or even slip them on. At the beginning of the journey they would barely go up over my backside. Well the other day I sort of cheated and decided to see if I could buckle them up “under” the belly. I can officially say I got into those shorts before the end of the year!!!
　
Now there is some important information I’ve come across that I assume somehow that some chicks already know as I have seen some pretty tight jeans in my day on some ladies, but I’d like to pass along what I’ve picked up so far…
　
1) Keep that button on the waistband pointed away from people at all times. If it ever lets go under that kind of pressure someone loosing an eye is pretty much a given. Lets just say that I’m now thinking about getting a new television.
　
2) Never bend down. I’m not sure if there is a trick to sitting somehow in ultra tight garments… I think it involves some advanced breathing technique used by ancient dieters from Egypt who were expert exhalers. Enjoy lots of air before snapping them up, because inhaling just isn’t a good idea when if you are like me and trying to fit into pants 8 inches too small. I’m pretty sure that inhaling after buttoning them up wasn’t even an option.
　
3) As I mentioned about the inability of breathing. You’ve got a minute or so before you pass out… and those shorts if they are like mine are really hard (maybe even harder) to UNbutton so you might want a pair of scissors handy in reach to do some jaws of life can opener trick before you loose all feeling and hit the floor.
　
Ironically almost every family I know has somehow taken me out for Chinese food over the holidays. (Like I can say no anyway!) and eating under stress, and eating junk, and just eating everything in sight… lets say the new year will start a new weigh in with a sight reset. (Okay… major reset) BUT I FIT INTO THOSE SHORTS!!! (Kind-of…)
　
About the picture… I actually got elf pants given to me as a gift and they fit my Beenie baby sized Eeyore perfectly. I however have some work to do before they will fit me… or for that matter even remotely functioning in those shorts on my bathroom door either.
　
I’m still trying to take care of Christmas here, I haven’t forgot picking names for the DVD’s. I’m just trying to iron out those last holiday wrinkles and tie up those last few loose ends first.
　
A Foolsfitness Merry Christmas to all… and a Foolsfitness warning: “If your waist is eight inches more than the pants… you may not want to try it.” - Alan

Attacked by Elves

Isn’t he adorable! My little elf was an early Christmas gift given to me by someone even more precious… thank you Elaine! There is a local doll company here called “Annalee dolls“. I've got a huge soft spot for cute teddy bears or little stuffed animals! I haven‘t even got my own Christmas shopping barely started and no decorations up… although I‘ve at least helped others do theirs, and it was nice spending time with them. Plus they got me Chinese food!!!
　
Sorry I haven’t posted as the norm. I’m being overwhelmed by life. I had to fill in for a service last minute for a pastor who is sick, I now have two classes I’m teaching, A couple of art projects going, inspecting (and repairing) my car, writing a newsletter article, and I’m trying to design a game that is similar to a miniature wargame and uses cards that isn’t about violence but in making Christian disciples that would draw the interest the youth of the church enough to play it while making it also useful for teaching about the Christian faith. (yeah that’s a big challenge but I‘ve got to find a way to reach out to them.) It short I’ve been flat out… burning the candle at both ends and it’s taken it’s toll. But after the first of the year it should mellow out a bit.
　
Plus loosing family and friends around this time of year… including two friends this year… it’s just a lot. I’ve had to cancel Christmas trip and skip appointments due to double booking the time in error. I sort of need to break myself into three when all I want to do is hide in my house. I don’t think I was really anywhere near 100 percent before all this to start with. There is even so much ice in my driveway that cars in park with the emergency brake on can slide down the hill. To top it off I cracked a piece of stained glass in an orniment I was making that took me hours… just as I was doing the last bit of solder. (Sorry, enough whining… here’s the facts about fitness)
　
As far as diet and exercise go, well I’m falling apart. I’m not putting any energy into watching what I eat… then stress eating and being loose on the go. Skipping workouts… gaining weight. I’ve got to refocus and get some priorities in line… if I can’t keep me together I can’t serve others well for long.
　
I guess this time is more emergency all hands on deck and just hang on. A new pastor comes in January, and I finish teaching two classes. Perhaps after all the storm I can really dwell on how I over commit and stress eat as well as not take time to focus and make priorities to my own health and well being. I feel like over the last two months I’ve gotten fitness demoralized. I even missed volleyball last night.
　
Don’t forget any reply before Dec 25th gets a chance at a dvd to be given away after Christmas. (see the post below this one for detials)
　
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. Maybe I can get some more interesting reading/ Artwork up before the big day… but no promises I may not be able to do at the moment.
　
At Foolsfitness we love the Lord Jesus Christ… however sometimes there feels like a bit of an evil buzz around the holiday time of Christmas almost if it‘s some kind of cover up conspiracy to try to hide the message of God‘s love for us. -Alan