HAVE YOU NOTICED IT IS DIET SEASON?

A friend of mine who lives in Pennsylvania has told me many times that the Monday after Thanksgiving each year is the beginning of hunting season (for deer).  Hunting season is a big deal in Pennsylvania and many other places around the country.  Just as sure as hunting season opens on that Monday in Pennsylvania....DIET SEASON opens around the entire country as soon as the odometer on the calendar switches from December 31 to January 1.

If you surf the internet, or read your emails, listen to the radio or watch any TV you will be inundated in videos, messages and commercials for diet plans, fitness clubs, and magic diet pills that promise weight loss with little or no effort.

A recognized diet plan can be effective, such as Weight Watchers.  A fitness club membership is always a good idea.  Although I have heard that it might be hard to find a parking spot in many fitness clubs in January.  Parking is usually less of a problem in February as people start to give less emphasis to their New Year's Resolutions.

The one thing that you must avoid are any of the 'magic' diet supplements that make big promises that they cannot possibly deliver.

For the third day in a row, I am going to reference the book written by Dr. Shaun Melarvie, The Diet Theory of Everything.  In his book, he does a great job of explaining these diet pills.  "There are so many different flavors of snake oil out there that it is difficult to find a place to start.  The easiest thing to say would be don't buy into this and don't take anything; but advertising is powerful, and people, on the whole, are trusting and therefore vulnerable."

Dr Melarvie used a sample newspaper ad for an unnamed diet supplement with a a 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE to make his point. 

The cost listed for the product was $39.99 for 60 capsules. The recommended dosing is one before each main meal. Assuming three main meals a day, sixty capsules would last twenty days. This leaves ten days to package and mail the empty container for a full refund (reportedly). This means taking the time and expense of repacking the empty bottle, stopping by the post office during business hours, standing in line, and finally getting it sent off at a cost of five dollars or so.  How many people do you think will do this? Not only will most people not do this for a refund of forty dollars, but there is also the emotional aspect of admitting failure at something that supposedly works for everyone except you.  Retailers such as these do not make their money from repeat customers. They make their money from first-time buyers.

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There is exactly one way to lose weight.  One must create calorie deficit where the calories utilized (burned) are greater than the calories consumed (eaten).  Create a deficit of 3500 calories and approximately one pound will be lost. Create a surplus of 3500 calories and approximately one pound will be gained. Sadly, there are no shortcuts.  Save your money, don't buy diet pills. 

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My 'menu' yesterday was not particularly good.  I was suffering with a toothache that disallowed me from chewing and/or eating hot foods.  A visit to the dentist today, Monday, should straighten me out (I hope)

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, January 3, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
tasteeos - Cereal, 8 cup	800	168	12	24	1,280	8
	800	168	12	24	1,280	8
L U N C H
S. Rosen's - 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 slice	300	57	3	15	570	9
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic, 3 oz	20	3	0	2	65	0
libby's - Sweet Corn, 0.88 cup	105	16	3	4	350	12
Libby's - Sweet Peas, 0.88 cup	123	21	1	7	525	11
Louis Kemp - Crab Delights Leg Style, 3 legs (85g)	70	11	0	6	430	1
	618	108	7	34	1,940	33
D I N N E R
Kraft - Macaroni & Cheese Spirals - Suggested Prep, 1 Cup	330	49	3	9	580	7
Delmonte - Fresh Cut - Sweet Corn Cream Style No Salt Added, 1.75 cup (125g)	210	49	2	4	35	25
	540	98	4	13	615	32
S N A C K S
S. Rosen's - 100% Whole Wheat Bread, 3 slice	300	57	3	15	570	9
tasteeos - Cereal, 5 cup	500	105	8	15	800	5
	800	162	11	30	1,370	14
Totals	2,758	536	33	100	5,205	86
Your Daily Goal	3,886	486	129	195	2,300	145
Remaining	1,128	-49	95	95	-2,905	58
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,956 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,141
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-185
Daily Total / Goal	93 / 30	1,956 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	960 / 210	19,843 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2758 calories

total calories (92 minutes elliptical) 2141 calories

total net calories 617 calories

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fitbit day 122

10401 steps
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THE RELATIVITY DIET

I purchased a book a month ago at the thrift store which appeared to be interesting.  This 2010 book is: THE RELATIVITY DIET: A Diet Theory of Everything by Shaun J. Melarvie, M.D.

This book caught my attention as this individuals journey from obesity to health somewhat mirrored my own.  In fact, his book reminded me a bit of my own blog.  Chapter One is titled 'A Brief History of my Obesity.'  The story that Melarvie related that really hit a chord with me was the day he talked about eating 'truffles, chocolate pastries, a plate of cream filled somethings, frosted sugar cookies, and quart of ice-cold skim milk because it's hard to imagine the one without the others.'  On this day, Melarvie estimated that he had consumed between eight and ten thousand calories. He continues...

Was I crazy hungry from not eating all day? No. Did I even miss supper? No. Why, then, did I do it? Obsessive compulsive behavior, food addiction - I couldn't say for sure. What I do know is that it was a pattern of eating with me - not being able to stop.

I could have written this passage. One year ago, I have estimated that I was eating between five and six thousand calories every day.  Melarvie in self-examining himself asks why did he eat so much. In the end, he says he does not know for sure... What he did know, and what I still know about myself is that sometimes, I am not able to stop. This is why when I buy bulk foods at the market, I only buy enough that day. Even now, after successfully losing more than 90 lbs - I know myself too well.  Sometimes, I cannot stop.  I am not cured of poor eating habits.  I have a long way to go. This should not minimize the massive improvements that I have made in my life - I am simply admitting - that I am not done.

The author of this book, Melarvie spent hundreds of pages getting way off on a tangent... He really got into the 'weeds'.  He spent time talking about molecular and the atomic structure of matter and even Quantum Theory. His point, which took a long time to get to was that things in the universe are not pre-determined. We chose our own destiny. We are not prisoners of our genetics.  We are not prisoners of bad luck. We are only prisoners of our own behavior.  Unlike a prisoner behind bars, we sit behind bars with the key to unlock the door and escape.

After expanding on this thoughts for hundreds of pages, the author was kind enough to summarize his DTOE (Diet Theory of Everything) and I would like to summarize his summary.  There is plenty of wisdom in these words.

BY THINKING AND ACTING POSITIVELY YOU INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF POSITIVE OUTCOMES. 

IT IS MUCH EASIER TO CONSUME 3500 CALORIES THAN IT IS TO LOSE IT. 

THE NATURAL TENDENCY IS TO UNDERESTIMATE THE DAILY CALORIE CONSUMPTION OF MACRONUTRIENTS. 

IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR FAMILY. 

THE NATURAL TENDENCY IS TO OVERESTIMATE THE CALORIC EXPENDITURE OF EXERCISE.

These five statements have much wisdom.  There was much more to this book.  As I said, during 300 pages in the middle of this 400 page book, the author veered way off course, although for me, I did find much of its discourse on the inner mechanisms of the universe to be extremely interesting.

In the coming days, and weeks, I expect to revisit these five tenets of the DTOE (Diet Theory of Everything) as they deserve further discussion.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, January 1, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Red Delicious - Medium Apple, 2 apple	160	44	0	0	0	34
Trader Joe's - Whole Grain Sliced Bread, 8 slice (43g)	720	152	4	24	1,600	16
	880	196	4	24	1,600	50
L U N C H
Doctor Kracker - Pumpkin Seed Cheddar Crisp Bread	800	104	36	32	1,200	0
	800	104	36	32	1,200	0
D I N N E R
ROBERTO - GRISSINI TORINESI (BREADSTICKS)	140	22	3	4	280	0
Broccoli - Broccoli, 1 cup	60	6	1	5	49	0
Deli Meat - Roast Beef (Deli), 3 oz	160	0	6	24	420	0
Shrimp - Raw, 10 medium	64	1	1	12	89	0
French Baguette	360	72	2	8	880	0
Swiss Cheese Fondue, 1 cup	480	4	36	36	1,600	0
	1,264	105	49	89	3,318	0
S N A C K S
Oreo - Chocolate Cookie With Creme Filling	140	21	7	1	90	13
	140	21	7	1	90	13
Totals	3,084	426	96	146	6,208	63
Your Daily Goal	7,661	957	255	384	2,300	287
Remaining	4,577	531	159	237	-3,907	224
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, January 1, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,257    11:15PM (December 31) - 12:45AM (Jan 1)
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,033    4:00PM-5:30PM
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,969    10:00PM-11:30PM
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-528
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	277 / 30	5,731 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	761 / 210	15,487 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3084 calories

total calories (276 minutes elliptical) 6259 calories

total net calories 3175 calorie defecit

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fitbit day 120

23663 steps

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I remember that more than 30 years ago, it was 1985, and I sat through three different movies at at least two different movie theaters on New Year's Day. I only know that the year was 1985 because one of the films, was DUNE, which had been released in late 1984. I recall hating that movie. I do not recall what the other two films might have been.   On this New Year's Day... I also pulled a 'hat trick' of sorts.  This one is just as ridiculous, although slightly more healthy.  I spent three separate sessions of 92 minutes on the elliptical machine. The first session was as the 'odometer' on the year turned over to 2016.  The second session was in the late afternoon.  The third session was after eating way too much delicious fondue for dinner.  The third session was from 10:00PM until 11:30PM.  This is further proof that the second tenet of the DTOE (Diet Theory of Everything) is true. It is far easier to consume 3500 calories than it is to lose it.  Sure, I already knew that. Every once in a while it is good to be reminded of it. Those that remember this, will be less likely to stuff their faces. On the other hand, every once in a while, even someone who is paying attention to what they are eating and logging their calories should allow themselves to eat with reckless abandon.  The trick is not to embrace that reckless abandon as a new lifestyle. 

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January 1st would have been an excellent day to start embracing a new lifestyle as it was the first day of the new year. It was also the first day of the rest of your life. The great thing about this is that today, too, is the first day of the rest of your life. And even if you are reading the blog post one week from now, one month from now or sometime next year - Today, right now, is still the first day of the rest of your life.  It's a perfect day to make the changes in your lifestyle which will lead to more happiness for you. In fact, I am guessing you are seeing a trend here - Any day is a good day to make the required changes in your life. There is never a bad day to make the decision to change your life. Although it will be significantly easier for your if you make the decision to change your life before you wake up one day in the ICU of your neighborhood hospital (ICU, intensive care unit).  I was lucky, when I made my decision on December 24, 2014 - I was not yet completely debilitated. In retrospect, it seems as if I was daring God to strike me down with illness. Thank you, God, for giving me enough time to 'see the light.' (no, not the light at the end of a long tunnel - that light is not a good one!)

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