Photo by thingsarebetterwithaparrott / by NCND 2.0 CC

My neurologist told me to lose weight and I thought, “So, it has come to this, has it?” The last time a doctor told me to lose weight, I weighed about 350 pounds and was preparing to have my gallbladder removed. To make the day even more perfect, the neurologist’s nurse had weighed me on one of those old scales with big metal counterweights that slide left to right. I thought the digital revolution had rid us of those scales and the drawn out torture of watching the nurse politely start at a lower number and then slide, slide, slide, slide you up to a much bigger number.

I know people have various reactions to a doctor telling them they’re fat, but my first thought was, “Yeah, of course I need to lose weight.” Let us not forget the pant-splitting incident in January precipitated by the 50-pounds of headache weight gain (which I actually had forgotten until I was searching the archives for something else and found that entry). [...]

• Continue reading "Things never happen the same way twice"

A reader, who we shall call Susie Spouse, recently wrote me with this dilemma:

I currently weigh 330 pounds and my back and knees hurt almost all the time. I want more that anything to exercise and eat healthier…My husband is also a big man and I can not seem to get him interested in eating better or exercise. It seems harder without his support and I don’t know what to do… It seems like every time I bring it up he responds with “if you force this it will not work.”

I’m not married myself, so any advice I could give is speculative at best. But I figure I must have readers out there who are experts at manipulating their spouses. So, how can Susie Spouse get her husband on board with her healthier lifestyle? I know it’s a whole lot easier to make changes when you’ve got the support of the people who live with you.

• Continue reading "Help a reader out: How do you get a spouse to lose weight with you?"

Disclosure: I was given free access to the Workout Box training programs and was compensated for this review.

When I joined the YMCA a few years ago, the shiny workout machines scared me, the guys lifting weights intimidated me, and I still have no idea how to work a rowing machine. I ended up on the elliptical or the treadmill most nights, going nowhere literally and not making as much progress as I could have with a better training program.

Sometimes you just want a professional to tell you what to do. There are several ways you can get a training program together, either by hiring a certified trainer, buying a book, reading expert bloggers’ sites, or purchasing a plan from a web-based service like WorkoutBOX. I was asked to review the latter and decided to take them up on the opportunity. I’ve been craving a bit of variety in my program, but I don’t really want to hire a trainer, nor do I feel like I have the expertise to figure out a plan on my [...]

• Continue reading "Review: WorkoutBOX Training Programs Review"

I just wanted everyone to know that as of this second, Officer Krupke is on the MSNBC home page.

As I have mentioned, Krupke lost a bit of weight a few years ago, but it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It’s hard to get girls when you’re neutered.

Oh, and they also interviewed me and the awesome Jen Larsen. (Hey, publishing bigwigs! She has a book proposal! You should snatch it up!) You can read the article here.

• Continue reading "Officer Krupke is famous!"

I’ve lost weight this week even though I haven’t really been trying to (any more than I ever am). Weight loss used to be my biggest hobby, and now it’s something I do when I get around to it, like the laundry. It’s still on my mind, but sometimes the pounds pile up rather high before I can knock them off again, leading me to a life of weight maintenance instead of weight loss. My loss happened despite eating pizza two out of the last three days too. Go figure.

I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly I did so I can keep on doing it. All I can guess is that I’ve kept my self happily distracted the past week with work, TV, Internet surfing, and socializing. The socializing included pizza and cake though, so I don’t know how that figures in. I’ve felt happier and bouncier ever since the sun returned to Indiana. The secret to weight loss might be happiness. I know people tend to believe weight loss leads to happiness, but [...]

• Continue reading "If you’re happy and you know it, lose some weight"