Gleaning Facebook: Lifestyle Change

 I embarked on a new lifestyle a year ago with the help of Weight Watchers, combined with regular exercise I had already started spurred by my Fitbit obsession. I've eaten plenty but the ratio of fruits and veggies to fats and carbs is greatly changed. I have never been hungry and I have enjoyed occasional feasts and then returned to the new lifestyle the next day. This chart shows my progress toward a healthier weight. It has been VERY slow. But I didn't gain the weight quickly so I'm not losing it quickly. I cropped out the numbers because that ain't none of your business!

But the doc tells me that IF my cholesterol and BP numbers look as good next visit as they did last time he'll cut my meds in half! Ain't it a pretty slope?

I'll report again next April. At some point between now and then I should transition to a maintenance program.

Gleaning Facebook: Weight Watchers

Full disclosure: After one week of Weight Watchers Shiela is down 3.2 lbs. and after one week of being married to someone on Weight Watchers Terrell is down 3.5 lbs. Watch that slim fella in the upper left corner, that's gonna be me again!

Warren Lathem
Good luck! Maybe you can get some stimulus funds for this. :0

Lillian Shaw
Good job, Dad!

Terrell Shaw
<grin>
I tell you, those Republicans sure are proud of the stimulus now. Even though they called it socialism and worse a year ago, they now proudly pose with giant checks as the money is presented to their constituents.

Terrell Shaw
Lil, yo' Mama done good too!

Lillian Shaw
Good job, Mom!

Terrell Shaw
BTW, why "Blerrrrrrg"?

Lillian Shaw
I was writing a paper.

Terrell Shaw
Yikes! I misspelled my own wife's name! She is Sheila! Remember the rule: i before e except after c or when pronounced ay as in neighbor or weigh or when describing any gorgeous, brilliant, forgiving, woman to whom you are married.

Angela Flannigan McRee
great recovery!

Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
Impressive! Keep up the good work!

Gleaning Facebook: Lifestyle Change

 Today Sheila and I start the second year of the lifestyle change that has resulted in our combined loss of over 60 lbs, and combined gain of considerable mobility, breath, energy, and enthusiasm for the wonders of this little blue marble home we share with all our facebook friends.

Sheila has reached her little skinny goal and is maintaining her good-looking self. I've still got a ways to go.

Bob Doster If you are talking about good-looking, then YES you have a ways to go. I lost 40 lbs last year myself. And apart from the good-looking piece, I have all of the above.

Terrell Shaw <grin> Yes, Bob, in some respects, you and I definitely still have goals before us.

Alice Jeffries Keel Tell Sheila I said congratulations!!!!

Betty Smith Franklin I DO TOO!

Lyn Davis You both look wonderful! I'm glad you're feeling great too! Love you!

Nancy Johal Singh Great job!!!....I have to get back in shape once this pregnancy is over...

Jagdeep Singh Congratulations Mr. Shaw ... I had started January 1st last year and lost about 45 lbs that I had gained in previous 3 yrs. I had restored myself physically to my previous self by around mid last year and have been able to keep it off so far.

Terrell Shaw First: I'm Terrell, Jagdeep. Congrats on your weight loss! And Nancy, chasing two little Johal/Singhs around that house oughta get rid of a few pounds, but somehow it didn't seem to work that way for us.

Terrell Shaw Thanks Lyn & Betty & Alice!

Ruthie Langston Terry What did you do/change?

Terrell Shaw Eat less/Exercise more. 

Sheila went on Weight Watchers, and I sorta followed along.

Gleaning Facebook: New Lifestyle

OK, back to the diet. Reckon I can get back to the weight of the young guy above? I'm down 22.8 pounds currently. 18.2 pounds to go. It's gotten harder the last couple of weeks.

Kendra L Harris
OMG, LOVE the profi

le pic! That's the Mr. Shaw I remember!

Warren Lathem
Congratulations. Now if you could just lose the extra political weight you are carrying...Blessings to you.

Christie Hufstedler Boyd
That's funny Warren! Don't believe it's going to happen though. You hang on to your politics, Terrell, and I'll hang in there with you.

Jim Achmoody
How do you lose any weight--what's the secret?

Martin Penland Teem
I lost 50# in 2007. Unfortunately i have found it all.

Nancy Johal Singh
you look great and I know you could do it....plus you will probably get lots of exercise at the camp grounds...

Terrell Shaw
Thanks all for your support. I'm headed to camp for three days with a hundred plus fourth graders. I'll walk off lots of calories these three days, but unfortunately (?) they have great food in bottomless bowls at Nature's Classroom: I'll replace each calorie burned and then some probably! But calories don't count at camp. I'm just gonna try to be non-gluttonous. Then back on track when I return.
Marty, I've found lost weight many times over the years. This time I am DETERMINED that I am not on a diet, I am changing my lifestyle. I set goals, celebrate, but get back at it the next day. I will occasionally feast. But every feast will be balanced by a time of extra exercise, fasting or, at worst, a deficit of calories to match the increased calories of the feast.
That's the plan. And it continues as long as I do.

Jim Geist
Check out the O.A. website. OverEaters Anonymous. They say cut out sugar & flour....eat only three meal a day with no snacking (or 5-6 meals a day within your calorie count ex. 1800 calories). Good Luck!

Terrell Shaw
I'll check that out Jim. Thanks. BTW I'll have both my daughters up your way this summer. Brannon has been there for four years in Astoria, nannying (in NJ) and acting. Lillian graduates this weekend from Mercer U. in journalism and photography and heads to Queens to intern at the Museum of the Moving Image.

Jim Geist
I use to live at 34-09 41 St. Apt. 3C in Astoria...literally 3 blocks away from the Musuem of Moving Image. It is undergoing renovation now. I currently live in nothern NJ now.

Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
You are doing an admirable job, Mr. Shaw. Keep up the good attitude, it looks like it's paying off!

Terrell Shaw
Small world, huh Jim! My eldest used to live just around the block from MMI at Broadway and 46th.

Gleaning Facebook: Lifestyle Change

 Weight Loss Graph

I figure the more public I make my weight loss effort, the more humiliating failure will be, and the more likely natural competitiveness and vanity will spur me to stick to it. I realize that three pounds a week is probably more than I can expect from here on out, but it's a pretty good beginning.

I plan to ignore the diet on March 22 which is my birthday. I will not diet, but try to avoid gluttony May 12-16 when I will be at camp for three days, then celebrating Lillian's graduation from Mercer for a couple of days. Other than that I will keep my calories below 2300 per day and walk at least 2 miles 4-5 times a week. I will also walk briskly for 15 minutes of recess on dry days.

OK, I guess I'll reserve the right to one other day of cheating should a VERY special occasion arise before July 4.

I have pricked the finger with which I tap these keys, spit over my left shoulder, and repeated the unbreakable secret oath/mantra three times:

"I'll stick to the diet, and never tell any of the secrets; and if anybody does anything to any dieter in the band, whichever dieter is ordered to kill that person and his family must do it, and he mustn't eat and he mustn't sleep till he kills them and hacks a cross in their breasts, which is the sign of the diet. And nobody that don't belong to the diet can use that mark, and if he does he must be sued; and if he does it again he must be killed. And if anybody that belongs to the diet tells the secrets, he must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and the ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with blood and never mentioned again by the dieters, but have a curse put on it and be forgot forever."

Y'all remember: don't blab.

Elizabeth McGinnis Johnson Looks like you are losing it at a good pace. They say don't lose it too fast or it comes back that much faster.

Terrell Shaw Yeah, Sheila made me start eating my alloted calories. As something of an addictive, compulsive, impatient personality, I tend to get carried away at both extremes.

Ruth Baird Shaw Congratulations! It is good to see a man who listened to his wife! I am also impressed to see a man who shares in preparing meals.

Terrell Shaw Good morning, Mother! Yes, I listen to my wife and try to help with meals. As you will recall, I was born shortly after midnight on a Thursday. It was NOT last Thursday! 

Ruth Baird Shaw Smart man! And...as I remember you were the smartest little boy i had even seen for eleven year!!!!

Terrell Shaw Thanks a lot Mother!! Soooooo you are saying a smarter little boy was born in 1958? <grin> Who could that be?

Ruth Baird Shaw Ask Jessica! She even likes the tux David chose to wear to his wedding? So she probably thinks her Daddy iis smarter... BTW ...I could not be more proud of you if your were a Republican! <smile>

Sarah Fedchak In reference to your "camp" excursion in May, (I'm assuming you're referring to NC!), the staff trick to not gaining a million pounds while eating Johnny's food is to only get one serving. NO SECONDS. And since we worried about ORT, that one serving was normally not too huge anyway. (Please note that this plan does allow for full enjoyment of dessert, as well - especially our world-famous NC cookies). Hope that helps! 

Terrell Shaw I appreciate the advice, Sarah, but how does one manage his impulses at breakfast? I might do alright at dinner and supper, but you come to the dining hall, weakened by unaccustomed hiking up and down the Little River, lack of sleep (trying to keep 10-year-olds from destroying the camp for about ten hours), and the retarded Central Time Zone clock, and find there mounds of scrambled eggs, heaps of buttery grits, the crispy, sliced deliciousness of untold herds of swine, an avalanche of big, fluffy biscuits... Why did you bring this up? Now I may break down and head to IHOP or Waffle House for lunch today!!!

Terrell Shaw BTW Sarah, I hope D.J.'s recovery is going well. Give that boy my best.

Mary Clemones Stanley So proud of you! You will have to post a before and after picture to celebrate your success come July.

Gleaning Facebook: Dieting

 When you diet, you must, by definition, become even more obsessed with food than you were in the bad ol' days of your binges. An alcoholic can work at avoiding alcohol and the former smoker tries to keep his mind off the smokes. The recovering fatty has to spend more time planning meals.

He has to consider the fat, salt, fiber, carbs, sugars in each dish. He must count the calories (or points). Some of the best eating I've ever done has been on diets. Tonight, at 62, I cooked my first mess of fresh turnip greens! With a pilaf of brown rice; a pile of sauted onions, peppers, and mushrooms, a nice big hunk of broiled Mahi-Mahi, a wedge of lemon, a dollop of low cal oleo, and a few splashes of hot sauce... yum! See pic below.

Christie Hufstedler Boyd
This looks delish! We haven't had dinner yet and I can almost smell it!

Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
Table for two , please...

Tammie N Jamie Taylor
That sounds yummy!!! I love food like that!

Terrell Shaw
It was good, if I do say so myself. I'm ashamed to say, I had to call my Mama to ask how to cook the greens!

Tammie N Jamie Taylor
I love good greens!

Lynne Crothers Williams
Better late than never, Terry!

Tersi Bendiburg
So true, Terrell. I have to watch my proteins, sodium, and fats/oils for a while. Even olive oil! Do you know what it means to ask a Cuban to go easy on the olive oil?

Terrell Shaw
There was some EVOO in our meal tonight. 

Tersi Bendiburg
Liquid Gold! What can I tell you!

Joan Shaw Turrentine
I love what Warren named his weight-loss blog - Walking the Tiger. He commented that dieters have to walk their "tiger" every day. They can't just leave it caged as do those who are trying to tame other tigers.