Point Break

I've been doing Weight Watchers (for Men) since July. I've lost 20lbs. The last 15 have come off even without much activity on my part. This lack of activity is not from trying. Trust me. I tried skipping rope. I tried going at my heavy bag. But this blasted walking pneumonia has taken me down a few pegs.To tell the truth, in many ways, it has humbled me. I don't like admitting it, that's for sure.

I've learned that, no, I cannot do it all. I've learned that I must rely on others when attempting to do something. I've learned that I must accept the generosity of others when they are trying to help. And this has been hard.

I've also learned that I eat a lot of crap sometimes. I went to Pizza Ranch last week to celebrate my kiddos' birthdays (they're born right next to each other three years apart). Last week I had a max of 66 points for the day and 49 wiggle room points. I knew I was going to Pizza Ranch that night so I did my best to conserve points. But I still went over the top and hit 90 points that night, being left with 27 wiggle room points. I looked through what I ate. Did I really need that second piece of fried chicken goodness? Did I need to eat a second Bronco Pizza slice?

Where did my control go? I do great that day, even turning down a slice of warm apple crumble with vanilla ice cream at my classis (regional governing body CRC's in this area) meeting on Tuesday so I could go to Pizza Ranch that night.

The rest of the week wasn't any better. Too much cake. Too much ice cream. Not enough rest to get over my walking pneumonia. Yet, God has been good to me. Smiling down on me and allowing me to break through the weight limit when I got below 310. Okay, so it's 309.8 but still. It's better than what I was worried it would be.

So, this week, I begin with new vigor. I am recharged to keep at it. Now, I just gotta do it. I need to place my own pride to the side and keep moving forward. I'm even trying to not emphasize the "For Men" part. But it's hard. It's like carrying around a murse. Of course, I call it a satchel. It's a satchel until you put chap stick in it.

In my own spiritual health, I'm trying to do my best with putting aside me pride. And it's hard. I know I need to place my self second before God, to humble myself before him and admit that I can't do it all myself. That is hard to do when you're someone who is used to plowing forward on your own and doing it by yourself.

Next week is communion at church. We'll be taking the Lord's Supper. I'm spending this week reflecting on that. And the question that came up for me this week too is how many points is communion anyway? I've decided that it's 0 points for the grace we have in Jesus and also listed as a power food because it fuels us to go forward.

Magical mystery tour of gaurdians of the fridge

I think someone's been guarding my fridge or something. I mean, seriously, I just can't seem to get into it as of late. I mean, I open the fridge but then I don't see what I think I wanted to see or something like that and I shut the door. Then, I just walk away.

When I felt the urge to snack, I'd open the fridge. Not see anything I liked. Then checked the freezer. If I still didn't find anything I liked, I then checked the cupboards. If it turned up zilch back to the fridge and the frightening cycle begins.

Yet, it's almost as if I have some magical mystery guardians or something around the house or something. I'm just not getting past certain points. I just don't get it.

I can almost imagine some gigantic viking named Sven or something standing in my way like the angel did for Balaam. Or Gandalf standing in the way saying "You shall not pass!" Don't know what it is, but it's like I'm just not getting there or something.

And then, when I go to the store, it's like there's some gaurdian there as well, blocking me from buying these sweets or really really really good types of food. And if I do throw something in my cart, it's like woosh and it's out again. I can just imagine some mean looking guy with a sword and sash or something just walking around smacking the bad food from my cart and hand (He wasn't around yesterday when I bought the apple fritters. He and Sven went out for coffee or something I think, but hey, even magical mystery guardians need a coffee break here and there, I'm tough work for them, poor guys). I don't know if I have a name or not for the guy in the supermarket that's been stalking me lately but he doesn't look all too pretty.

Yeah, that's him.

Of course, it could also be the fact that I'm starting to get a hang of this whole points system from Weight Watchers (for men). It could be the fact that I'm starting to figure out how to eat right...or it could be Sven and Mr. Not-so-nice-eyes.

What about you? Do you have some magical mystery guardians??

Rediscovering

Dude. I'm rediscovering the awesomeness of an apple. Weird huh? I know. But they're all like crunchy and then sweet and portable. I mean.. dude, it's actually good. When did fruit start tasting so good? Maybe it's the fact that they're worth 0 points on Weight Watchers (For men, gotta emphasize it's the "Weight Watchers for Men" version 'cause I'm still a dude and all that). It's the weirdest thing.

Now, I'm on my own strange journey (no, not one the Grateful Dead would sing about) of doing this. I did it on my own in my own weird way and lost weight. But now, now I need to admit I need help. And help so far has been tasting good. Beef Jerky's been 3 points for an ounce of it.. which is roughly what a regular slim jim is or Jack Links. Still trying to figure out how much burgers are that I make on the grill.

One of the biggest things I've been noticing about me is that I'm constantly checking how many points something is on my phone app (by the way, squirrel and beaver are both 1 point. Caribou bone marrow is 22, go figure). Now, this is where I'm going to Jesus Juke myself. I need to spend just as much energy on my spiritual health as well. (ohhh.. that hurt just typing it).

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Joshua 1:8

Ouch.. okay.. yeah...I gotcha. If you thought counting points on Weight Watches was hard. Try to read through 1 & 2 Chronicles and Leviticus.

It's hard. It's tough to do. Then I recently read this

"Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8

Wonder how many points that'll be?

So much more in there to rediscover. And it'll be hard. Hard to try to rediscover good things. Hard sometimes to rediscover the sweetness of God's word. But taste and see. And don't be afraid.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

What might you rediscover?

Points to ponder

I gave up. I decided I needed help. A year ago, I was under my goal weight and was joyfully trying to figure out my new goal weight. I was under 300lbs for the first time in 10 years! Then we moved to South Dakota where the main recipe in a lot of the food here is a pinch of awesome. You want good farm cookin where the steak you're chowin down on just mooed three days ago, come to South Dakota.

Then it happened. Slowly at first. It crept up on me. First I noticed my collar was getting a bit to tight when I tied my tie. Then I noticed my pants were starting to hurt a little bit if I sat down too long (and that's at the natural waist line, none of this over/under stuff for me). I queitly one day snuck out and bought a cheap pair of jeans that were a size bigger. No one had to know. Not even me. Then I had to get a larger dress shirt and that's when it hurt.

And so, I began the ever spiral of self pitty and Pillsbury Chocolate icing. A number of stressful life factors came in as well. But still, I used the icing to smooth over the cracks of pain. I began hitting the gym more and harder. I was feeling more fit. I was feeling better. I was still hovering around 330 though. And I couldn't get it below 328.

Finally, as a birthday present, I was given a three month membership to Weight Watchers. That girly thing? Where Jennifer Hudson and others advertise how it's helped them. I'm all in but the only girlish figure I want is my wife standing next to me. No, no no, they have Weight Watchers for men. So, is this like where you can eat more meat and less veggies? Nope. But it does have a cool iPhone app.

On Sunday, we had cake. My first thought: How many points. Yeah. that's right. I didn't think of anything else. Not the fact that it was in celebration of 70 years of marriage for a couple in our church, not that, the points.

I'm also realizing I'm stingy too. I'm eating more fruits not because they're good for me. No. Because they're 0 points. ya. Nada, zippo. So, if I want to eat ice cream at night and it's 2 in the afternoon. I save my points by munching on an apple.

But at the same time it's like "but I like a ton of mayo on my burgers." Nope. 9 points for 3 tablespoons of that stuff.

So, I'm not eating exactly what i want but I know I can have some burgers and ice cream. Still figuring out these points. I also read a post this morning on Robshep.com about the same thing. So I'm not the only dude trying to figure all this out.

So, I'll ask the same questions he did: Have you ever done weight watchers? Have you lost weight? What'd you think of it?