I feel it is time to explain the URL of this blog... chopped herring. Many of you may not know what it is or why a blog is named chopped herring.... I will explain.
First, my blog used to have the URL of my name. After a while, I figured this was probably not the smartest idea. There's always a chance that can get me into trouble one day. So, the task of gererating a new domain name fell upon Rachel, my fiance. After many, many suggestions, I chose Chopped Herring. Here are my reasons why:
First, "Chopped Herring" is a nice sounding phrase. It's the kind of phrase that Dave Barry would say is a good name for a rock band. It rolls right off the tongue.
Second, and this is very important, I LOVE CHOPPED HERRING! I really, really do. It's a wonderful combination of bottled herring, eggs, crackers, and other secret ingredients. If you've never had chopped herring, you really can't consider your existence on this planet a "life". You should get up right now, run to your nearest Jewish deli (or Jewish grandmother) and get some... don't worry... I'll wait.
So, while I've only given two reasons for the URL name, which is clearly not enough for a good grade on my TAAS exam, it will do.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Chopped Herring
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Dieting
I just lost about 50lbs.
I wasn't monstrously obese to begin with, but I was definitely carrying an extra small child around with me everywhere I went. He was fat, sweaty, and I'm glad to be rid of him. When I see people that I haven't seen in a few months, they often ask me how I lost the weight. I respond, "diet and exercise." I have learned that this is the opposite of what people want to hear. What they'd much prefer I say is, "I went to Target and bought this great tasting drink. It costs $0.35. You wake up the day after drinking it 50lbs lighter."
The usual response I get after saying "diet and exercise" is that it was very easy for me (and much easier than it would be for the person talking) because 1) I'm a man, 2) I'm young, 3) I'm lucky, 4) I live at a perfect longitude and latitude for weight loss, etc. Now, I'm not saying that some of those things may not have helped, but it says something when the person accusing you of such things is enjoying a HoHo.
Let me let you all in on a little secret. Being fat is easy... Being skinny is hard. Especially if you like food and laziness. If you are overweight and look really closely at your thinner friends, you'll probably notice that they eat far less than you, snack less than you, and are more active than you. This is not a coincidence.
So, now on to how you, too, can lose a lot of weight in a little time. (I lost my weight in a little under 4 months)
1) NO SNACKING! EVER! 3 meals a day is all you need. If you're really, really hungry just think that in a couple hours, you'll eat again. Drink a whole bunch of water and you'll feel much better.
2) No fried foods... No cheese! I love cheese! I love it a lot. I can eat a block of cheese in a sitting. I also like fried foods. In fact, fried cheese could be the greatest invention ever. The wheel is the only thing that comes close, and that's only because it gets you to the fried cheese faster. Also, cut down on the booze. I know that when you're dieting you want to drown your sorrows in a nice, cold beer, but that's just extra calories you'll have to burn off later (see #5 below).
3) Don't eat what's put in front of you. I eat out a lot. Far more than your average person. While I have a fiance who is a WONDERFUL cook, we like to enjoy other foods as well. When you go out for dinner, you often get a plate that could feed an entire African nation. DO NOT EAT ALL THAT FOOD! You have to get into the mindset that you are not paying for the food, but you're paying for a meal. Stop eating when you're not hungry anymore. You should stop WAY before you're actually full. You can always take the food home and it eat the next day. Also, when you go to a Mexican or Italian restaurant, ask them not to bring you chips or bread. Those are just carbs and fat. -- that means it makes you FAT!
4) Eat sensibly. Fat Flush, Atkins, low-carb, high-protein. These are all a huge waste of time for anyone but the publishing industry. The only way a person can lose weight and keep it off is to change their lifestyle. I've never met a person who did low carb and stayed that way forever. In order to keep the weight off, you have to change the way you eat and look at food -- forever. Instead of fad diets, you can eat sensibly. Eat smaller portions. Eat grilled instead of fried. All common sense things that can really work, but wont sell books.
5) Get your ass on a treadmill --- and I don't mean just once! You have to do it regularly. At least 3-4 times a week... 5-6 times would be much better. It doesn't necessarily have to be a treadmill. Any cardio workout will do... Dance, basketball, racquetball, elliptical trainer, etc. What's important is that you do it for at least 30-45 minutes per day, most days in the week, every week. Every time you're sitting on the couch flipping channels, bored out of your mind, get up and go for a walk or down to the gym.
I know this is not the kind of advice that make me rich (or make me friends), but it really is the best way to do it. I welcome your comments.
P.S. If you're interested in my latitude and longitude for weight loss purposes, I live at:
32° 47' 53" N
96° 47' 49" W
Monday, April 17, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Passover
Passover The Pain
Post comments with what you think of it!
