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May 31, 2006
Day 144
Weighing in on weighing in
What I ate today
Breakfast (9 a.m.)
2 servings of low fat oatmeal
Calories: 200
Fat: 2 grams
Lunch (noonish)
2 cans of tuna
2 slices of bread
4 servings of fat free mayo
1 serving of cottage cheese
Calories: 570
Fat: 9.5 grams (the cottage cheese wasn’t lowfat, a shopping mistake I shouldn’t have made.)
Dinner (5 p.m.)
1 Subway footlong club
Calories: 640
Fat: 12 grams
Snack (7 p.m.)
1 can of some sort of soup
Calories: 180
Fat: 2 grams
Total calories: 1,590
Total fat: 25.5 grams
Exercise: Started to do upper body, got some back done. However, I got paranoid about someone getting on my elliptical machine at the end of my workout, so I hopped on it and went for 40 minutes, burned 700 calories. I will finish the upper body workout Wednesday.
So my weight today was 280.8. Not bad, I suppose. It’s a two pound drop from last week. However, a reader comment made me think about this a little bit more:
From: Htom
Your weight is going to change during the day (and night) as long as you're alive. You're going to sweat, exhale moisture, drink, eat.
The best way to deal with these swings is math. Try www.physicsdiet.com; here's a sample page (not mine, I haven't entered the data yet), scroll down to the charts and notice how the green dots (scale readings) bounce up and down, while the smoothed average keeps falling: http://www.physicsdiet.com/Public.aspx?u=matt
All right, so let’s tall about this. Htom is absolutely correct. Your weight will fluctuate, sometimes violently, throughout the day. That is why I wouldn’t recommend weighing in every day. This website he gives is very detailed, and kind of goes hand-in-hand with the Hacker’s diet, which has been suggested to me several times and looks to be of sound reasoning.
The physics diet site relies on numbers and average losses to more accurately determine the success of your diet. It accounts for the fluctuations and features very pretty charts. It almost seems too perfect … like they are trying to take over the world. Hmmmm.
If you are looking for some very good insight on losing weight, I would suggest both the physics diet and the hackers diet. However, I haven’t yet been able to work up the energy to really read the sites.
As for me, I do have my own semi-daily weigh-in plan going, and I am pretty happy with it. I don’t necessarily weight myself every day in order to get an accurate reading of my progress. I try, at least, to take it week by week and I also take into account whatever variables may go into the daily reading.
One thing daily weigh-ins tells me, though, is how the previous day went. If I can take into account the variables (what time I am weighing in, what I ate that day, how much water I’ve drank to that point, how bad I need to pee or poop …) I can figure out if the previous day was good or bad. If it was good, I reflect on what I ate that day and store that information in my mind. Case in point: One day last week the variables combined with poor eating choices made me gain three pounds one day. After I weighed in and worked out, I went to the coffee shop and had two plain bagels with plain cream cheese for lunch. The rest of the day I stuck with the diet. The next day I went back and was four pounds lighter, a full pound less than the original weight before the gain. So after that workout I had two more bagels for lunch and I lost more weight the next day. Does that mean bagels are good for me? No. It means that plain bagels with plain cream cheese won’t kill the momentum if handled correctly. You can’t say that about a stuffed-crust pizza.
The other main reason I weigh myself every day is entertainment. When I weigh in, I do it two times. The first time is right before I work out. The second time (which is the reading I use to determine weight loss) is right after I work out. I kind of like the fact that you can lose up to two pounds during a workout. Yeah, I know it is water weight, but still it makes you feel good and can give you a nice motivational edge.
But that doesn’t answer why I don’t just weigh in once after the workout. Why put myself through the charade of weighing in before the workout when I know that number isn’t going to be recorded? Well, that weigh in gives me something to think about while I am working out. It actually makes the workout go faster and makes it less likely that I will just give up out of boredom. Also, there is a certain amount of motivation that comes from seeing how much you can lose during the workout. So today, before the workout, I was at 282, a half-pound drop from the last post-workout weigh in. So the tone of today’s workout was happy and joyous. I knew that I had probably lost about a pound and a half in actuality.
So throughout the workout, my mind was concentrated, using 282 as the start, on figuring out how much weight I could actually lose in the next week. I figure that I could probably get down to 275 in the final push before I go home. I also set a mini-goal of getting under 280 by the end of Thursday’s workout.
So that’s how my mind works during weig-ins. And that is why I do it every time I go to the gym. And I feel comfortable with that because I understand the swings.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:23 AM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2006
Day 143
New old pitcures are here. See me in my fat-tastic glory!
Before I forget to mention it, Friday I weighed in just under 283. Apparently, I lost three pounds in 24 hours. Variables, man. Variables. Thats why you shouldn't weigh in every day.
Intake of about 1,400 calories today, but that is kind of a guess. I am wallowing in defeat right now because the Pistons are now down 3-1 to the Heat in the NBA playoffs. That's not good, but I won't get into it too much. Let's just say that I am very, very disapointed in my boys right now.
Anyway, the weekend was boring, but overall healthy. I can't remember any major screw up that should keep tomorrow's weigh in from being successful. But the last time I thought that I gained three pounds, so I don't know what that tells me.
Anyway, I am working on another project right now, so unfortunately we keep this short tonight. Basically, this week you can look forward to my review of all the diets I have ever tried.
Also, there will be new pictures at some point. So look forward to that.
Oh, Saturday night I looked at some of my friend Kristen's online photos. She has a few of me at my heviest. I have posted them below this entry, both for humor and amazement.
Looking at those photos made me feel kind of bad about myself. I mean, I am happy that I have lost this weight, but I can't believe I got that heavy. Now, though I still consider myself fat, I am like a whole different person. I have lost an entire anorexic girl. And now I am a different kind of fat. I'm a "Hey he's kinda big" fat instead of a "hey look at that fat guy" fat. That's a big difference.
Anyway, gotta jet. So enjoy those pics.
Posted by west at 01:16 AM | Comments (0)
The most recent picture
This photo was taken just after Christmas 2005, about a week before the diet began. I look happy here, but I am crying inside.
Posted by west at 01:13 AM | Comments (0)
Black people love me
That's Jill and my black friend. He is very happy to have his photo taken with me. I can tell. We've known each other for years. By the way, notice my Livestrong bracelet. That's to kick cancer's ass!
Posted by west at 01:11 AM | Comments (0)
Look at the size of that man's fatbag!
I was that fat two years ago. Amazing, isn't it? Amazing.
Posted by west at 01:10 AM | Comments (0)
Dan and Guy
That's Guy, he's my friend.
Posted by west at 01:08 AM | Comments (0)
I rock
Am I drunk here? Nope, just grooving.
Posted by west at 01:06 AM | Comments (0)
Lovin'
This is me making out with a cute girl. Unfortunately, this girl is Martha, my friend Guy's girlfriend. Also unfortunate is the fact that this is as far as I got.
Posted by west at 01:04 AM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2006
Day 140
I suck at losing weight and picking up chicks
So I went to work out today, and climbed on the scale to a 286.6 reading. Thats two pounds more than the last weigh-in. (After the workout, the scale said 285.6. Monday, post workout, the scale said 283.6). So what gives? Well, variables for one, but also the fact that I had a pretty bad day on Tuesday and a so-so day on Wednesday.
So that was a big wake up call. At this point, I am confronted with the posisbility of going back home at 290, which would not make me happy. At the same time, with exactly two weeks left to get to the 270 pound mark, it is looking very unlikely that that will happen.
So my options are this: Be happy with simply being under 290 when I go home and then get back over 290 during the trip. Or get as close to 270 as possible (275 is reasonable, right?). That is a 15 pound swing that could make a big difference in my plans. While I don't think there is much difference between 280 and 270, I definitely believe there is a difference between 270 and 290. A big one. I think for a man of my weight, 20 pounds makes a difference. However, when I began, I think it took 50 pounds for people to really notice. So that is progress.
But anyway, I am hoping to get to the gym every day (excluding Sundays, the gym is closed on Sundays)for the next two weeks. We'll see how that goes, but there is no reason not to do it. None. I am no longer busy and my afternoons are totally free and boring.
Now, while I was at the gym today, I realized that my confidence is not where it needs to be. So I am working out, doing some biceps, getting huge. And, since my elliptical was taken, I was thinking about getting on the treadmill for the first time ever. So, like clockwork, as soon as I start thinking about it, someone walks in and gets on the treadmill.
So I get a little bit pissed off. But then I get a look at the person on the machine. A woman, 25-33, blonde cute face, thin, no ring, tight shirt, volleyball shorts. Also, if I may be frank, she had a certain endowment that men find pleasing.
So I am kind of stunned by this, because I didn't think this woman existed in this town. She must have been passing through and just decided she needed a workout.
Anyway, I get on the other elliptical and this girl is on the treadmill directly behind me. The entire half hour, I am catching glimpses of her in the mirror, thinking of opening lines. I decide my opener would be "Hi, I'm Dan." Pretty simple, I think. So once I get off the elliptical, I can't get up the nerve to talk to her. Now, my workout was done at that point. I was ready to go home and have lunch. Instead, I walked around, got about five drinks from the water fountain and even did two sets of leg presses, all while trying to get the nerve up to talk to this girl. I couldn't fucking do it. I could not get it into my head that she might not hate me.
After a few minutes two of the womens basketball players I cover come into the gym and we start talking. Now, dream girl is about seven feet away from us. I mention that I am 26 and single (it didn't come up in conversation, I was just trying to give her some information about myself, in case she was listening. I think I even mentioned my height and the fact that I didn't have a receding hairline.)
Finally, I give up. I go down to the locker room and get my bag. Then, I get this adrenaline rush. I say to myself "Fuck this, go up and talk to her you fucking pussy." So I go back up to the weight room. I am determined to talk to this girl. She is just standing there, not working out, just taking a rest. Perfect opportunity. I go and stand about three feet beside her. She sees me. I know it. I turn aroud, she isn't facing my direction. I shit my pants. I leave with my tail between my legs.
Now what the fuck is that? What is my freaking problem? Seriously, did that happen? Yes it did. Holy shit I am such a douche. But my confidence, at least sober, isn't where it should be right now. Damn!
So I went home and ate lunch and forgot about the whole thing. Maybe I'll see her again tomorrow.
But probably not.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:32 AM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2006
Day 139
Announcing my resignation
Ok first thing: I took in about 1,500 calories today, so it was a pretty good day. I could have spread it out a little bit better, but what are ya gonna do?
I came to a decision tonight about this blog. It had to end sometime, right? I mean, how many times could I possibly rehash the same shit over and over: Yes, I feel good about what I've done. Yes, I believe it is all about calorie intake. Yes, I believe that anyone can lose weight if they truly want to. Yes, I am doing this to try to meet girls. Yes, I am still looking for a new job. Yes, I still want to get down to 240 at some point in the future.
These things have all been covered.
This blog isn't the smash broadway musucal Cats. It's not gonna run for 30 years. So I have decided that the final entry will appear on Friday, June 9.
Why Friday, June 9 you ask? Well, that is the day I leave for home. I began this whole thing two days after I returned from my last trip home. That was the trip where my brother told my mom he was worried about me because I had gotten so big. That is my brother, who moved back in with my parents at the age of 31 and barely has a high school diploma, worrying about me. That was some motivation right there.
Anyway, it makes sense to end there, because this period of time is sandwiched between the times that I get to see the people I really care about. And it is only their reactions that I am really interested in (and hot girls at the bar, but they don't know me yet). So as I left them in early January as a full-fledged Super Chunk, I return much less chunky and with some real promise in my battle to get down to a reasonable weight.
So between now and then, that's two weeks from tomorrow by the way, there will be regular updates as I try to get down to 270 by my trip.
I am, however, toying with the idea of turning 210west.com (the main page) into my personal blog. It wouldn't be updated every day, but it would be a nice continuation of this project. There would also be weight loss updates from time to time. That is, if I decide to do it.
So anyway, just wanted to let you guys know that.
I'm out.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:52 AM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2006
Day 138
Back in the gym
Ther wasn't a whole lot that went on today, so let's go back to Monday.
Finally, I got in the gym. I had a pretty sweet workout, too. I did the basic upper body work and got on the elliptical for about 33 minutes and burned 600 calories. After the workout, I weighed in at 283.6 pounds, about 1.5 pounds less than last week.
So that means that I got through the workoutless week losing more than a pound. I can be happy with that. A little over two weeks remain until I go back home and I have just over 13 pounds to lose. So this will be an interesting time for me. Will I buck up and get it done? Or will I be happy losing just a few more pounds and going home around 275 or 280? That's going to be interesting.
I'm not sure what the consequences for going home at 277 would be as opposed to 270. Would those seven pounds really make a big difference? I doubt they would. But then, wouldn't there be a certain amount of pride in being able to tell people I lost 100 pounds since they last saw me? Sure 93 would be impressive, but 100 is a sweet, sweet number.
Finally, though, I am almost looking forward to a plane ride. Usually around this time I would be worried that the seatbelt might not fit (I've had some close calls before). But now, I'm pretty sure I'll be comfortable enough. Also, there is a good chance I won't spill over onto the guy sitting next to me. That's always good. I always felt sorry for the people who had to sit next to me on a plane. I mean, I wouldn't want to sit next to a guy my size. Actually, I still wouldn't want to sit next to a guy my size.
But while that poor sucker next to me on this trip is cursing me out in his head, he won't have any clue how bad it really could have been.
Posted by Dan Nied at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)
May 22, 2006
Day 136
Settling in
What I ate today (Fuck, what did I eat today? My memory is shit. Ok, best guess.)
Breakfast (10 a.m.)
1 Healthy Choice smoked sausage
2 slices of bread
Calories: 370
Fat: 9.75 grams
Lunch (1 p.m.)
1 bag of beef jerky
Calories: 280
Fat: 1.75 grams
Snack (4 p.m.)
4 slices of turkey
2 slices of bread
Calories: 230
Fat: 6 grams
Dinner (9 p.m.)
1 Subway club wrap
1 Special K cereal bar
Calories: 320
Fat: 7 grams
Total Calories: 1,200
Total fat: 24.5 grams
Exercise: I went to something called the Overland Trail that runs across the river here. There wasn’t much of a trail, but I did wander around for an hour trying to find it.
First of all, I have to give it up to my DEEEEETROITTT PISTONS. Now, as a Pistons fan, I should not be all giddy that they had to go to seven games to beat Cleveland, but I feel like they dodged a big time bullet there. Also, it was good to see the Pistons play the way they are supposed to in the playoffs. They shut down LeBron James in the second half and none of the other Cavs could hit a shot. So I am happy for right now, at least until Miami comes into Detroit Tuesday.
Anyway, I did not work out one time last week. Can you believe that? Not one time! Wow, I am ashamed of that. Granted, it was my busiest week of the year, but that is no excuse. I hate to say anything about the always-present tomorrow, but tomorrow is when I get back on that horse.
The weekend was pretty good, I suppose. I went out Friday night and even met a girl. (However, I am pretty sure that I blew it at the bar. When I get too many beers inside my stomach, I don’t talk so well to ladies. I called her Sunday. We’ll see if she calls back. Though, I am not expecting her to. I know, I know, it sounds like I am being very pessimistic, but I am just looking at it logically. But the point is, she was very cute and wasn’t repulsed by my fatty tissue. You know why? Because there isn’t as much fatty tissue as there used to be. That’s called progress.)
Saturday I went to the Colorado state track meet in Denver. Good times all around, I suppose. I also had to drive a seven-foot basketball player to the airport afterwards. So I brought him to the track meet with me and made him hold my camera. I bring this up only to say that walking around with a guy who is 7 feet tall is very amusing. All day people were staring at him and wondering way too loudly if he played for the Nuggets. Quick note: he doesn’t.
Then Sunday I watched my Pistons and worked. Eating-wise, I was pretty good this weekend, outside of the trip to the bar Friday night. On the way to Denver, my giant passenger got hungry and made me stop at Wendy’s. He got the classic triple. I got the black forest ham and swiss frescatta sandwich. Now, there is a lot of mayo on that. I didn’t really know that going in. I enjoyed it and I didn’t stray from the diet the rest of the day.
Earlier today I also realized something. Since the 100th day, I have kind of loosened the strings on the eating. I tended to feel guilty about those days, but now I see that I am not really doing anything wrong. See, the lifestyle has changed dramatically from what it was. Now, when I go to restaurants (not very often) I automatically look for salads with dressing on the side. If I go to the coffee shop, I limit myself to one plain bagel where it used to be three parmesan bagels.
You know how I always wondered how I would adjust after the 100 days and the 100 pounds were over. Well, I’m doing it. This is how it is going to be. I am still burning more calories than I am taking in and I am actually very happy eating like this. Right now, the only frustrating thing is that I went to this pace before the 100 pounds were off.
And I know that this sounds like rationalization. But really it’s not. It was imperative for me to find a happy medium between the hardcore diet and where I was five months ago. I wasn’t going to have 1,200 calories per day forever. And I couldn’t really afford to have 4,000 a day either. So I am cool with that. I now know what life will probably be like on the underside of 270. However, I need to wait until I get under 270 to truly enjoy it. So I was definitely happy to eat only 1,200 calories today and get in a little bit of exercise.
Posted by Dan Nied at 02:18 AM | Comments (0)
May 19, 2006
Day 133
Cosider your questions and comments answered
I’m not sure how totally lame it is that any decently written movie can turn me into a reflective bastard.
At the same time, I’m pretty sure it is really lame that whenever this happens (By the way, I just got done watching She’s the One on HBO and yeah, I am in one of those moods.) I immediately start listening to lame hippie music. So here I am, basking in the melancholy of a well-written dramedy that was made 10 years ago and starred Ed Burns and I am listening to the Dave Matthews Band cover of Long Black Veil. Up next is #41, then Granny, then Pig, then Lie in our Graves. And if I am not done with this post by that point, I will probably go to Two Step, Grace is Gone and then whatever sad bastard songs the Dave Matthews Band has come up with.
Even in inspired times I am hopelessly uncool. I’m not even asking for good taste in music, I am asking for current taste in music. It is all I can do to not pull out Blues Traveler’s Save His Soul and think about all the girls that rejected me in high school.
So anyway, sad bastard Dave Matthews music is the soundtrack for this post, which promises to be incredibly long.
Why? Well, I am answering questions and comments today. Before I have even written a single answer, the word total on this is 1,400.
So let’s not waste any more time.
From: Bryce
You should cut coupons. Seriously. I've become a bit of a coupon addict in the past few months. You'd be amazed at how much money you can save when buying groceries. I know this doesn't sound like a Dan Nied type of activity since it requires some forethought and organization.
Buy a Sunday paper and look through all the coupons for things you eat or might be interested in eating. Then, get a sale paper for the grocery store you shop at. The local Wal-Mart I believe.
Try to find some items that are on sale and that you have a coupon for. This will maximize your savings. At my local grocer (Giant Eagle) they do what is called the "Super Double". This is when they take your coupons up to a $1.00 and double the value of it. I actually get things for free quite often. Last time I went to the store my bill went from $88 to $59 after the coupons where scanned. Anyway, just an idea to save some money. It really doesn't take that much effort, just a little planning.
No, cutting coupons is certainly not a “Dan Nied type of activity” And thanks, Bryce for insulting me while reading my blog. That makes me feel good about the friends I’ve picked for myself. In actuality though, you prick, that sounds like a good idea. However, the reason I don’t cut coupons is because I live in this town. I’m not saying there aren’t any available coupons for Wal-Mart, I just haven’t seen them. When I move closer to civilization, I will certainly look into the idea. Wal-Mart does not advertise in our paper because they don’t care about local businesses. In fact, it seems like their main goal is to destroy local businesses. (Quick story here: From what I am told, before I got here, our paper busted Wal-Mart for a very devious act. Apparently, they putting up a toy donation box outside their store one Christmas. So while people were shopping, they would buy these cheap toys for poor kids and donate them on the way out. Well, apparently, once the people donated their toy and left the parking lot, Wal-Mart employees would put the toys back on the shelves so they could be sold again. Now, this is just hearsay, but I believe it.)
From: John
Dan why did Heritage Newspapers fire you? Perhaps you could tell us some of those insightful anecdotes next? Your career roller coaster will perhaps help us understand why you are you are here today.
Heritage Newspapers didn’t really fire me. Technically, they laid me off. What happened was this: It was my first job out of college and I worked for 10 months total for two of their newspapers. First, I worked in the news department of a paper in Dearborn, Mich.
Then, since I really wanted to be a sportswriter, I took a pay cut to get that job at a smaller paper they owned. About seven months into that second gig, the president of the company came down to visit and tell us that they were eliminating the editorial sections and turning the paper into a shopper, which means it is nothing but adds.
They kept the staff photographer for some reason. Then there were three of us in editorial. The other two were the editor and a staff reporter. The editor moved to another paper as the business editor, I believe. The staff writer took a similar position at the same paper the editor was reassigned to. They told me that they didn’t have any sports openings at any other paper, gave me two weeks severance, some unemployment forms and a pat on the back.
Apparently they had forgotten that I was a pretty decent news reporter for the company for about three months. It doesn’t matter, though. In the exit meeting, I left with a great big smile on my face. I was still a cocky youngster and thought I would find a better job very quickly. However, I can’t say I blamed them for letting me go. I might have been a decent writer and I may have done a pretty good job for them, but I was arrogant and had a bad attitude. I resented the fact that I had to start at a weekly paper and work my way up. I spoke my mind at the wrong times and to the wrong people. If I was them, I would have let me go, too.
Unfortunately, that layoff led to a year of temp work and freelance jobs. It was the worst time of my life, I can safely say. It was a harsh slap in the face for a guy less than a year removed from being a star on his college newspaper.
Not to make this story longer, but I have to mention this. No matter how much I complain about my current job, I have to say that I am incredibly grateful for this situation I am in. Two years ago I was about as close to depressed as I could get, and now I at least have some sort of stability. So I am appreciative. About a month after I began here, my publisher invited me to his house for Thanksgiving dinner. Before dinner everyone at the table said what they were thankful for. I swear to God I said: “I am thankful for this paper and the people here who gave me the opportunity to work again.”
I wasn’t even sucking up, either.
From: Cara
My very wonderful friend Jennifer Klein recommended that I check your blog out, so I've been following it pretty steadily for the past two and a half months. Very inspirational- hell, it has even convinced me to make quite a few changes.
My older sister, who lost 85 lbs, said that the most difficult part of losing weight was changing her self perception - altering your mindset and insecurities to realize you are no longer "the fat kid." Sounds like you are already on your way to changing your perspective.
Congrats on the progress thus far and keep it up!
Thanks Cara. I hope I can at least entertain you every day. Thanks also to Jenn Klein for spreading word of mouth. I still feel like the fat kid, by the way, but at 286, I still kinda am.
From: John
Hey Dan,
Good job so far but what you’re doing is still NOT healthy. Sunshine and I watched Oprah and then a program on discovery health about a doctor who wrote a book called "YOU: The Owner's Manual" By Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz
It tells you how to live a better life and how to grow old in a healthy way. The first step is eating right. If you have Discovery health look for the show called the same as the books title. We watched it and have decided to completely change our eating habits. It was scary what these processed foods do to your insides. They had graphic examples of organs healthy and not healthy side by side. The basic concept is this: minimum 30 minutes of walking every day, 60 minutes of sweating every week, and 30 minutes of weight training. On top of that do NOT eat food if it has these things in the top 5 ingredients:
Partially Hydroganiated Oils, Enriched Flour or anything enriched, High Frutcose Corn Syrup, Salt, Sugar
You should STAY away from these as much as possible. I can tell you more if you are interested but you will be amazed at the bad ingredients in everything you are eating. Just take a look at your bread. Mine had all of them in the top 5! Buy the book Dan it's like 10 bucks and good luck. Love ya dude.!
John, it’s called culture of fear. Get off of it. Maybe what you should do is throw away all the food in your house and get a 100-gallon barrel of plain oatmeal, a measuring cup and a kettle. Just eat that every day for the rest of your life. Then, when you and Sunshine are 130 years old and we are all dead and gone, you can sit there on your front porch and say “I’m glad we listened to Oprah.”
From: Michelle
What about trying Weight Watchers? It truly works, and it's not so much a diet as a change of habits. You wouldn't have to actually go to the meetings (although you COULD end up meeting girls there), but read up on how to figure the points and aim for a set number every day. You can eat anything you want, as long as you stay within your point range. It isn't rocket science - the internet is really helpful with the point thing.
Good suggestion, but probably not for me. Just like Bryce’s South Beach Diet suggestion, it is certainly worth a look. But at this point, I will stick with the diet on which I lost 85 pounds. Still, Weight Watchers has done some great things to help people and certainly their results should not be taken lightly. But in the end, all these diets involve simply cutting calories.
From: Eric Berlin
Re: Bulemia
Dan - You should seriously see a doctor ASAP, man, from what I understand the area you're getting into can be quite dangerous.
From: Vicki
Dan, keep them fingers away from your throat - your teeth will lose the enamel and then the new skinny you won’t be able to smile at the girls cause they will look shit. Keep up with the weightloss and leave bulemia behind you.
True, true. The fingers haven’t gone to the throat in a long time. I like my teeth too much.
From: Some dude
I lose weight quickly too. I don't think it's a big deal, the heavier you are, the quicker it falls. It will slow down the lighter you get. I say 'nay' on the whole bulimic thing I'd rather be fat than dead...but hey, that's just me
From: Jake
I'd rather be dead than fat.
Jake always has to get his comment in. He hates fat people. Anyway, I totally agree. A lot of people are incredibly impressed with how fast I can lose weight. I’ve actually had 130 pound women get jealous of me. But you know what? I had 85 pounds to lose. And you know what? I still have 45 more to lose. According to the online calorie per day calculater, which can be found Here , I still burn 3,935 calories per day. Meanwhile, a 26-year old woman at 5 foot 6 and 140 pounds who is moderately active burns 2,144 calories per day. So if we both go on a 1,200 calorie per day diet, I will lose weight much more quickly. Why? Because I can. That is about the only advantage life gives fat people.
From: Liz
I want at least five entries a week. Come on, I look forward to them!
Ok, ok. You can have your five entries per week Liz. The three posts per week idea was a little crazy. Basically, I just wanted more freedom in the blog. I didn’t want to feel like I had to post something even if there was nothing to post. I don’t feel that way now
By the way, Dave Matthews and John Popper doing John Lennon’s Imagine is on right now. I may actually pause to belt this one out with the boys. --- Ok, done. Wait, somehow I inadvertently downloaded the Who’s the Boss theme song. While I am a little surprised by that, I can’t say I’m not singing along.
From: Christina
I am currently on diet, and it makes me angry all the time. Also, I went to Divine Child 92-96, I'm sorry I don't remember you.
I am sorry you don’t remember me either. I need a last name here, feel free to email it to me: nieddan@yahoo.com. By the way, I checked out your blog and I like it. Just wanted to let you know.
From: Victor Plenty
Congratulations, Dan! I find it fascinating that your 100 day journey ended so precisely on the target you set for it. You spent months thinking about the number 300, and you got exactly the number 300.
Of course, the target you were thinking about more often than any other was not actually the target you really wanted. This happens to people all the time. To your credit, instead of giving in to disappointment as so many people do, you made an extra effort to hit your readjusted target, and got the results you had truly hoped to see.
Thanks for the good words, Victor. The even numbers were not lost on me, either. It was kind of creepy. But for the record, the final tally was 299.2 on Day 100. But still, that was eerie. I guess 70 pounds in 100 days wasn’t too much to ask.
From: Chantal Stone
As long as you write about it, Dan, we're going to read about it. Keep up the great work!
Chantal, I hope you make the transition from Blog Critics to the actual blog. I hope a lot of the BC readers do.
From: Christina
Hey, some of my favorite people are from Bumfuck Neb. and I love Middle of Nowhere Colo. Seriously, as someone who is forced to spend sometimes a month a year working in farm country in Nebraska, its not that bad. Well, you can mostly get by if you are willing to "appear" to take the strait and narrow. It sucks that one has to do this, but for centuries that has been the strategy of the outsider. I don't think I would want to live there year round, but the people once they get over you being a stranger, are some of the nicest folks. Still, I agree that the politics, priorities, and dental work can be a bit messed up. I love a lot of places in Colorado. Have you ever been to Cortez? The state after my heart is New Mexico. I have to say that although there are crazy people in the West, some towns are full of libertarians, and in these places I get a freeing sense of live and let live.
Here you are again DC alum. Good to hear from you again. Yes, small town America can be charming in small doses, even up to a month. However, live here for 18 months and see if you can find your soul at the end. Granted, I can’t say whether my problems lie in small towns in general or just with this specific one. However, something is not right in this place. Something, in fact, is very wrong. Luckily for me, I’m not going to church on Wednesday’s quite yet, so I don’t think this place is rubbing off on me too much.
As for your other questions, no, I have never been to Cortez, I think it is on the other side of the state. Also, some of my favorite people live here, too. I have few problems with the people I interact with on a daily basis. It’s the peripherals that make my skin crawl. I actually feel less safe in this town than I do walking in downtown Detroit. When I was a kid, we never locked our front door. Now that I live here, I am quite seriously afraid that a meth-mouthed crazy will randomly charge into my apartment and bite my eyeball out.
But then, maybe I am just paranoid.
Posted by Dan Nied at 02:01 AM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2006
Day 132
Look who's under 290
I really have to apologize here. I've been kind of lazy with the posts this week. Work is freaking crazy right now. It always gets a little bit nuts towards the end of the school year.
The good news is that all high school sports in Colorado end Saturday. That means my summer vacation can officially begin on Sunday.
All right, as for the diet, things are ok. Could be better, could be worse.
I weighed in on Tuesday to the tune of 286 (before working out, 285 after.) That is phenomenal. So we are happy with that, no doubt. However, there has been a real problem getting to the gym this week. I managed to slip in 20 minutes of elliptical on Tuesday, but had a work engagement pull me away prematurely.
So I can go one of three ways on this. First, I can give up lifting altogether. Second, I can resume normal working out as soon as possible. Third, I can ratchet up the workouts for the next three weeks and become a stud in the process.
I should go for No. 3. I will probably go for No. 2. However, these things have a way of making me do whatever is hardest, so I may end up going to No. 3. By the way, the website that will provide you with a full body workout (for free) is www.fitrex.com. Just looking at the workout scares me. That is my option No. 3. That workout would probably give me the best chance of actually getting into shape, but it would also take three hours a day to do. I am still contemplating it.
I did something kind of crazy today. I got two sandwiches from Subway. That, of course, goes against my goal of only getting wraps. I got a foot long and a six inch. I ate the three six inches at three separate times. So it wasn't all that bad. All told, it came to about 1,000 calories for the three of them. And all told, I had about 1,600 calories today.
Really people, I am telling you this as proven fact. It does not matter what you eat. if you want to lose weight, it is all about calorie intake. And if I want to eat three foot long Subway sandwiches per day ...
Break for a sex scene on skinemax. Ooh this one is called "The Sex Spa." This is a good scene, The music is in the background. The music in the forefront just mucks it all up. It is such a hack move by the director. You hired the actors to pretend like they are screwing on camera, let them do it. By the way, how can I get into the business of writing softcore porno movies?
BACK ... then I will have three foot long Subway sandwiches per day. And you know what? It will be good for me because I burn more calories per day than the three sandwiches will put in me. If I want chocolate, then I can have chocolate as long as it is less calories than I burn.
I've said it before and I will say it now. Most of this is about portion size. Everyone gave me advice on what to eat when I began. But no one ever really said how much I should eat. Everyone has their own way of losing weight, I guess. And I really enjoy hearing people's suggestions of what is good and what isn't good. But at the end of the day, I kind of like sticking to the plan I used to lose 84 pounds in 130 days.
Now, why did I get all militant and angry there? I don't really know.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:35 AM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2006
Day 130
A question about sexual relations and my role in them
What I ate today
Breakfast (9 a.m.)
3 chicken breasts
Calories: 300
Fat: 3 grams
Lunch (12 p.m.)
2 weight watchers dinners
Calories: 490
Fat: 7 grams
Snack (4 p.m.)
1 blueberry bagel with plain cream cheese
Calories: 400?
Fat: ??
Dinner (7 p.m.)
1 Subway club wrap
Calories: 230
Fat: 6 grams
Total Calories: 1,420
Total fat: More than 16 grams
Exercise: None. At this point I am just not exercising to piss Cameron off. No, actually Cameron can feel validated today. I totally talked myself out of it. (By the way, Cam, you ride me hard and I really appreciate it. Keep it coming). But, in place of working out, I did manage to spend two hours making photocopies of my articles for my portfolio. It’s the first step in getting a new job! I am pumped. But, since I didn’t work out today, that means I didn’t weigh in. Official weigh will come tomorrow. It should be really interesting. Am I actually under 290? Or did I gain five pounds over the weekend? Who knows.
You know, I think some people might be having a little too much fun with the comments section. But I like that. Here is one I just received:
From: “Joey Freshwater”
You mentioned that you want to lose weight to meet women and I assume sleep with them...assuming you are straight. Are you sexually active? I mean with others...not counting jerking off. My question is when you were fat and having sex I assume it was with fat chicks...will you continue nailing fat chicks and describe the biggest one you hooked (nailed)...if you did do a Fatty.
I personally still like banging fat chicks even though I've lost a few hundred pounds.
Now, this was probably sent to get laughs, but since I am always open to talking about sex, I’ll answer as best I can. It has been awhile since I had sex. The reason is a combination of high fatness and a lack of options here in Colorado. Of the girls I have had relations with, some were big, some were not big. I have never had relations with a girl under 5 foot 7, to my knowledge. Almost every girl that I’ve dated has been a non-fatty. My ex girlfriend (who reads this) was pretty hot, actually. She was hot enough that people were surprised she was with me.
As for the second part of the question: I will have relations with whoever I deem worthy of having relations with. I don’t really know how that will develop. I am probably at a time in my life when hooking up just for the sake of hooking up isn’t very fun anymore. But then, that last sentence was a gigantic fucking lie. I’ve been out of the game long enough, though, that I don’t really know what I’ll do when the opportunity for hooking up comes. It will be a combination of a lot of things. I wouldn’t mind actually having a verbal connection with a woman, rather than a physical one. And see, this losing weight thing may or may not help the physical connections, but I know it will help the verbal connections (i.e. a girl I think is attractive will be more inclined to get to know me if I am less fat.) But I don’t think my taste in women will change at all. It hasn’t yet. I just think I’ll be more confident.
That was probably too much time, space and information to devote to that question. Sorry.
So let’s look at today’s menu, shall we? I still haven’t gone shopping, so I had to buy food and eat chicken for breakfast. The Subway wraps are really good and, surprisingly, I wasn’t craving more when I finished it tonight. I had an impromptu stop for a blueberry bagel in the afternoon. I don’t know the calories in those things, but as long as it wasn’t 2,000 I’ll be ok with the day. After all, it was probably better to eat that than nothing at all.
So, other than not working out, Day 1 of the newest 26-day plan was pretty good.
By the way, there is a full mailbag entry coming sometime this week. Hopefully Wednesday. So keep a look out for that.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:23 AM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2006
Day 129
Getting back to basics
Alright peeps, what’s goin on?
Tough weekend for ‘ol Danny boy here. I had a bit of a road trip (4 hour drive) for a baseball tournament. The tournament kinda sucked and the trip basically took me from Shittown, USA to Shittown Heights, USA. Colorado has some sort of racket going with the rest of the nation. Everyone thinks this entire state is one big ski resort. Well, from what I’ve seen, 85 percent of this state is poor towns with one blinking yellow light and a main street filled with nothing but fast food restaurants.
THERE IS NOTHING IN MIDDLE AMERICA! There is nothing here, yet these are the people who are most worried about terrorism. I don’t really get that. These are the people who reelected Bush because they thought he could do a better job protecting the country. But there is absolutely no chance that a terrorist attack would ever hit one of these shitty towns. For one, they already fucking look like they’ve been hit by terrorists. For another, no one outside of Colorado, let alone outside of the United States, has ever heard of these towns. And yes, I realize that we all live in the same country and a massive terrorist attack on New York or Washington DC would be devastating to all of us. But in the tiny town of Bumfuck, Neb. shouldn’t the primary political concern be in the protection of the small farmers, or at least the installation of a public dental program that would stop these people from losing their teeth at 25?
Sorry to preach here, but that’s just how I feel.
Whew. Got that out of the way. Ok now, there is some serious business to get out of the way. But first, we’ll start with a comment that Jacob left me:
From: Jacob
Cameron's right, you lazy humanized jabba. Quit talking yourself out of this. We do all have jobs and most of us find time to get to the gym. You're not 22 anymore when you can just lay around, eat whatever you want and be a cool 3 bills without gaining weight. Those glory days are over. And the whole "to protect against malicious comments" delay in posting these comments is effing lame man ... effing lame.
Ok. Cameron and Jacob like to leave posts like this. I am perfectly fine with that. However, he must be refuted: Last week I went to the gym five straight days. And I also worked 50 hours without a day off. However, I did skip out on Thursday and Friday because of a heavy workload. I think that’s ok. What bothers me is that I’ve talked myself out of working out on Thursday and Friday a lot recently. That’s a problem. I don’t like taking four days off between workouts.
Also, the “malicious intent” screening is put up there by Moveable Type, which is what I use to post. For purposes of this blog, it has nothing to do with malicious intent. You can call me a child molester and I will still approve the comment. But that is turned on to protect against spam comments, with which we had a very large problem on the main page of 210west.com. I just deleted 60 spam comments that were left over the weekend on the blog. So things have to be weeded out.
There is one more comment I want to get to before I actually get to my point today.
From: Keslea
Hey my name is Kelsea and I am 13 I wish I could lose 20 pounds or so but I can’t. I am being invited to a pool party in 6 days and I wanna lose 10 pounds at least by then!!!
Well, assuming this comment is on the up and up, it is good to see I am reaching the kids with this. Although, I am a little troubled by this whole teenage self-image thing, especially when this comment was left on Day 112, the bulemia entry. Kelsea, you won’t lose 10 pounds in six days. It’s just not going to happen. But you can get a good start on losing 20 pounds if you eat right in the next six days. Also, exercise more. That’s the key. When I was around 13, I lost 16 pounds in a pretty short amount of time. It’s not hard to do. And whatever you do, please don't make yourself throw up. It's not fun. It doesn't taste very good coming up and your eyes are all red afterwards. Those are only the short term effects. In the long term, your stomach goes to shit and you lose your teeth (like the people in Bumfuck, Neb.) No matter how thin you are, no guy wants a girl with no teeth who throws up all the time. Trust me.
All right. Now we can get down to business. The newest goal date is June 9, the day I go home for 10 days. That is 26 days away. The last time I weighed in, I was a shade under 290. So, let’s use 290 as the starting weight. Obviously, the goal weight is and has always been 270. If subtraction isn’t your strong suit, 270 is 20 pounds away.
So that’s the idea: 20 pounds in 26 days. It is an uphill task, but doable. Here’s my plan: I gotta get back to basics. I need to rekindle the original plan of 1,200-1,500 calories per day without cheating. I need to go grocery shopping regularly and I need to work out every chance I get. What’s more, Subway sandwiches are out for the next 26 days. Subway wraps are in, though only in a reasonable amount. (By the way, I found out Friday that Subway Girl quit. She is now just Girl). Hopefully, I won’t be going to Subway five times a week anymore. That should help me limit sodium and calories. Meanwhile, a bigger emphasis will be placed on salads, grilled chicken and eating five times per day. In short, I will do what I should have been doing all along.
See, the key here is motivation. After the 100 days, I couldn’t really find the required motivation. Yes, I stayed on the diet, but I strayed enough to limit my weight loss to only 10 pounds in a month. I’ll be the first to admit that those 10 pounds were more a result of carry-over momentum from the 100 days than my actually trying. Yes, I still worked out and I still ate pretty well, but it wasn’t in the same way as before. To an extent, it was also a product of a lifestyle change. But there wasn’t a ferocity in my intentions. The final goal wasn’t totally in sight. Now I can challenge myself again. 20 pounds in 26 days. It should be interesting.
Posted by Dan Nied at 03:01 AM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2006
Day 125
A blog entry about nothing
I am neither excited nor disapointed in anything right now. It's kind of a strange feeling. I think most of us rely on those emotions and feel lost when nothing comes.
Basically, I lost another pound today, down to just under 291 (Previously I bottomed out at 291.4, then went up to about 292.5 and now I am down to 290.8. But that's probably all water weight anyhow.). I worked out for 40 minutes on the elliptical, too.
There is nothing for me to be disapointed in. But I can't really get excited about things either. I am looking at June 9, the day I head back home, and I really would like to be 270. So that is just under a month away and I am not really sure I can lose 20 pounds in that time. Yeah, so what if I head back between 275 and 280? Certainly that would be pretty good. Honestly, that wouldn't make much of a difference to me. At my weight, five or 10 pounds really don't make a difference.
I am thinking about drastically changing the workout plan. Shep, the baseball coach here who turned up briefly in earlier posts as kind of a consultant, tipped me off to a website that will tailor a workout for you based on size and need. However, that workout is much more thorough than the one I am doing now. It makes sure that every muscle in the body gets some action at least twice a week. Right now, I am basically focusing on arms, chest and back. I'm not even thinking about lower body.
On one hand, taking on this new workout would mean at least two hours in the gym three times per week, and that is without cardio. On off days I would have to do cardio, which would certainly take some self-motivation.
But on the other hand, I am about to embark on a summer filled with nothing to do. My plan is to find a new job, work a few hours a day and then pretty much do nothing. So what would it hurt to fill in that nothing time with a solid workout? You know, it might be nice to actually have a good body for once in my life. I've been embarrassed to take my shirt off since I was five. I went to Cancun for spring break in college and went swimming two times in a week (And made it to the ocean only once, on the last day. Also, there are rumors that my friends and I spent that week smoking the finest ounce of Mexican weed $50 can buy. That was kind of during my month-long stoner phase in college. Six years later, I haven’t really touched the stuff since.)
But anyway, picking up the workout might be really good. But I worry that I don’t know what I am getting myself into here. If I become super healthy guy, does that mean I can never go back to being a fat slob? I mean, I don’t want to be a fat slob anymore, but I also don’t want to paint myself into a corner here. Dilemmas, man.
So anyway, that sums the day up. I'm not really pumped about anything, but I have no reason to be upset. I'm kind of in a happy medium, which is not really happy at all.
I think I am going to go cut myself to make sure I can still feel pain.
And sorry if that offended all you cutters out there.
Posted by west at 02:42 AM | Comments (0)
May 10, 2006
Day 124
Some thoughts about working out
I’d say today was pretty good. Though I am too lazy to do the food journal. I know, I know. I need to get back into the habit of doing that.
In some ways, I still fear I am self-destructing. I can’t seem to make it a day without Subway and the same goes for diet pop and one helping of too many calories from something in the house.
Right now I am a man without urgency. Even my workout today had no urgency. I decided early on that I would just lift today, along with a quick elliptical warmup. I got my 10 minutes in on the elliptical, but got distracted three times during lifting and left without doing shoulders. Yes, I know that one day missing shoulders isn’t the end of the world, but shouldn’t I be taking workouts more seriously?
But on the bright side, I did get back to the gym for the third day in a row. Wednesday will be a hard elliptical day and then back to lifting Thursday and, hopefully, more elliptical Friday. I would be pretty fucking stoked if I made it to the gym six days this week. I guess that would show some commitment.
Still, working out is kind of becoming a burden. I want the results of cardio and lifting, but I don’t really want to do it. It feels almost like high school football practice. You always dread it during the day, don’t really wanna go. But you go anyway because you know you have to or you won’t be on the team (in this case, being on the team means looking good). But while you are there, you are always wondering how long is left before you can go home.
Sometimes I look at the overly ripped guys at the gym and wonder what their mindset is. Certainly few, if any, of these guys are lifting for any practical reason. It’s not like this is the western capital of the body building world or anything. They don’t have any seasons to get ready for. Basically, as far as I can tell, these guys just want to be ripped. So do they look forward to working out every day? Is it fun for them to isolate certain areas of the body? Do they get sort of a natural high from working out? Do they go home and beat off while rubbing their triceps?
I’m sure they do. But I have to believe that somewhere there is a muscular guy who doesn’t like working out all that much.
But you know what? it has to be done, so I do it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it. Actually a lot of it is used as social time. With a town this small, you are guaranteed to see at least one person you know every time you leave the house. And, since the gym is built into the community college basketball arena, I know pretty much everyone there. I think they might even like me a little bit. So that’s good. Also, with the community college setup (the coaching offices are literally right next to the leg press machine) working out is good for my job, too. I have gotten a few scoops while ellipticising.
But my main problem right now isn’t the will to work out. It’s the will to go shopping. I have become scared of the grocery bills, which can easily top $70 for about a week and a half of food. See, my convoluted logic tells me that I would rather spend more money over the long haul, but in smaller doses (i.e. Subway) than spend a big chunk of cash all at once. Anyone else think I should rectify that line of thinking? I need to go grocery shopping in the worst way. I think part of the current eating problems I am facing is that there are no options in the house. Obviously, that must change.
Alright, that’s about it for today. Just a note, the Blog Critics people finally got fed up with my shit and told me to reduce my postings to them to once a week. That will probably cut out a few thousand daily readers from this blog. But then, I am the guy that pushed a 100 day experiment into a 124 day marathon with no end in sight. So I should have seen that coming.
But that means that I will need more comments from the site in order to make me feel good about myself. So come on, be an enabler.
Posted by Dan Nied at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2006
Day 123
A weekend of questioning
Sorry I left you guys in the dark Monday. A big story broke Sunday night and I had to bump the blog entry to actually do work that I get paid for.
Unfortunately, that story has also taken up most of my Monday, so this might get kind of short.
For the record: I had kind of a bad weekend, eating-wise. there were not major fuck ups, but I didn't exactly follow the diet. Sunday I sort of had to sit down and remind myself of the reasons I started this in the first place. It wasn't to get below 300 pounds, it was to get to 270. Since I still haven't done that, I can't relax now.
But even with some relatively bad eating over the weekend, I managed to get to the gym for a long-overdue workout Sunday. Afterwards, I weighed in at 291.4 pounds. So I at least ate smart enough to lose a little bit of weight.
And while 291 (we'll round down) is a good spot to be in right now, I couldn't help but think that it was a full three weeks after my trip to Colorado Springs. I was 300 on the dot for that trip, so in three weeks I've lost nine pounds. While typing that out, I feel pretty good about it. But then, when I really think about it, I should be so much lower than 291. Sure an average of three pounds per week is pretty fucking good, but I know that if I had actually been devoted for each of those 21 days, I would probably be down to at least 285 right now, with 270 just a good two weeks away.
See, you have to realize that I am taking off weight at an astonishing pace right now. I don't know why that is, but the scale is dropping like a rock on days when I eat the way I should.
So I took some time to question my commitment to sparklemotion (sorry for the random, vague Donnie Darko quote. It had to be done) and this diet. Over the weekend, I actually had to ask myself if I was going to be able to lose the rest of the weight. I was continuously hungry, and not for Subway either. I wanted burgers and sausage and chocolate and fried ice cream from Chi Chis. I didn't have any of those things, but I would have been happy if I could.
While I wasn't freaking out about it, something about these cravings felt dangerous, almost like giving in would be the beginning of the end. That's when I realized that I had become too lax on this quest. Once I hit 299 and the 100 days were up, I kind of declared it a success and subconsciously decided that everything else was gravy (metaphorically).
So where do I stand right now? I am a little more stable, I suppose. Cravings are there, but then, they will always be there. Monday I ate a fair amount, didn't really take the time to count calories, but I was probably somewhere in the 1,700-2,000 range. I also went to the gym and got on the elliptical for 30 minutes.
I guess we'll have to see if my commitment can be regenerated, or if I am simply going to trudge through the rest of this simply looking forward to the first guilt-free binge at 270 pounds, which will actually not be guilt-free at all.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:46 AM | Comments (0)
May 05, 2006
Day 119
Google eyed
So I did a little bit of Google searching today.
Like most everyone, I search my name from time to time.
I am proud to say that my articles are the first to come up in the “Dan Nied” Google search. Apparently, there is a horologist by the name of Dan Nied, also a watchmaker (which may be the same thing as a horologist, I don’t really know). Dan Nied has been quoted in the New York Times (It certainly wasn’t me, Dan Nied the writer. It must have been the watchmaker or horologist. I didn’t read it.)
There is a Nied Corporation in Marshall, Mich. I should have looked for a job there when I was out of work for a year. Just to let you know, Dan Nied is the CEO of the Nied Corporation.
Quick update: Apparently horology and watch stuff are the same thing. I didn’t know that.
Apparently Dan Nied is also the director of some sort of school, but I think that’s the watchmaking school or something, so that must be the same guy.
There is also a Myspace page from a surgeon named Dan in Michigan who is better looking than me and has hot chicks posting the words “Dan Nied” on his page. I am thinking about sending him a cease and desist order.
Dan Nied is also a pastor at Grace Family Church in Belvidere, Ind.
And a little league baseball coach and an undergrad at Kansas University.
But you don’t care about those Dan Nieds. You only care about this Dan Nied.
Right?
So let’s go over what I’ve found out about myself from Google.
Apparently, this blog is being syndicated to every kind of website not willing to pay for content. I have no problem with this, I am kind of flattered (though I don’t think it takes that much talent to get other sites to pick up your stuff.).
Let’s see, there are at least five different diet sites that feature entries from the 100 days blog. There is also a pro-Wyoming site that has a direct link to the Blog Critics articles in which I mention my trip to the least populates state in the union that also gave us the great Dick Cheney.
This one is my favorite: a site devoted to stomach pains. But don’t forget about the site devoted to elliptical trainers.
You know how companies will send free shit to celebrities who mention their products on talk shows? Well, apparently I haven’t reached that status yet. I’ll have to start saying that I work out only on Lifevalue Elliptical Systems, the smoothest workout you can handle.
Of course there has been only one regular product placement in this blog. Of course I am talking about those greedy motherfuckers at Subway. Hey Subway, do you know how much free publicity I’m giving you here? How bout throwing a sandwich my way once in a while you stingy fucks!
Anyway, I bring this all up because 1) I really don’t have much else to talk about today. 2) I found an article I did in 2003 about a guy, Tony Trupiano, who lost 200 pounds in 16 months He used a drug called Leptoprin to get there And, while I am happy to say that I am Leptoprin free to date, I will also say that any bit of inspiration my fellow chunkies can use is good. So if you want to read the article, I’ve posted it below.
Apparently, Trupiano is running for congress now, so I may get a cease and desist order of my own if this is copyright infringement. However, I DID write the story. These are my words and I certainly am not making any money off them. So I guess I am free with the legal stuff.
Also, Tony Trupiano has a website, www.tonysweightloss.com which, oddly enough, has a weight loss diary. I didn’t find that out until two minutes ago. So take what you will from this guy. People seem to be inspired by him.
By the way, this was published in the Dearborn Press and Guide on Feb 9, 2003. I wouldn’t want those motherfuckers at Heritage Newspapers, the parent company based in Southgate, Mich. (Yeah, the ones that fired my ass. Fuck you.) getting all mad at me for using an article I wrote for their shitty, poorly-run company.
Trupiano inspires by example By Dan Nied, Staff Writer
"Tony,
…I have done pig hormone injections, ear staples, 500 calories a day and a stomach staple. Didn’t work on me at all. At most, I lost 35 lbs."
- Anonymous e-mail to Tony Trupiano
"I’m a pied piper, I’m a leader. I’m not afraid to say that. It’s not an ego thing."
- Tony Trupiano
It’s not the public relations degree from Alma College that makes Tony Trupiano a leader. It’s not that he has hosted a syndicated radio show for much of his life that makes him a Pied Piper, mildly identifiable by voice, yes, but not a pied piper.
It’s not his job as a media consultant.
The reason Trupiano receives over 1,000 emails every day from people looking for inspiration to lose weight is because he found the inspiration himself.
Sixteen months ago, Trupiano weighed 450 pounds. He’s lost 204 pounds and his goal weight of 180 is only 70 pounds away.
"I’m blessed, I’m blessed," Trupiano said from his Dearborn Heights home. "I was able to do it. I have tried every conceivable diet program in the world to nothing but failure. This weight loss has been a blessing. I no longer see food as something I need to fear. When you come to the realization that you don’t have to fear the donut, that’s empowering."
"Tony,
… It seems as though every time I decide that I am going on a diet, someone has to treat the office to a donut or cake. Today they brought in my favorite, cheesecake! It's just sitting there on the table for anyone to go for it. I am trying so hard to be good. I am going to hang on for as long as I can."
- Email
Trupiano has heard the struggles before. Actually he hears it about 1,000 times a day from obese people looking for that extra guidance. They want him to provide the cure for their problems
It’s how he shares his story, how he guides people looking for the cure to obesity.
Trupiano answers every single one.
"A lot of people don’t ask for a response and I just respond very quickly," Trupiano says. "Those that require a more thoughtful response, I save and in the evenings, I’ll spend a little more time answering those emails. I try to make them as personalized as possible because I realize that these people are in desperate need of help and I have to take it seriously"
The ones that take longer, they are horror stories of obesity and fear that life will be lived in lethargy and incapacitation. They turn to him because it is a fear that Trupiano has lived through.
His weight loss is documented on thetonyshow.com in what he calls a "typo-ridden diary". The site has made him a beacon in the eyes of people who feel helpless.
"Tony,
You are very brave to share your honest thoughts, feelings, results triumphs and standstills. The entries where you celebrate the fact that you haven’t gained back any weight are the ones that mean the most to me."
- Email
Trupiano has made himself into somewhat of self-help guru.
The Tony Trupiano Radio Show, which was taken off the air last year but should return in March on the Michigan Talk Radio Network, also dealt with issues of self-betterment.
In January, Trupiano released his second book, The Emancipation of Thomas J. Everyman. He says it is a response to all the advice people have solicited from him.
It is the first in a five part series that will trace the life of Thomas J. Everyman into common situations that people find themselves in. The subtitle of Emancipation is "10 steps to Discovering Your Personal Power". The book is about controlling one’s life and living as well as possible.
Trupiano is currently working on the other four installments of the series.
But he doesn’t expect the series to bring him and money or fame.
"This is not lucrative," Trupiano said. "Sometimes you just write a book because you have something to say that you think people can benefit from."
"Tony,
Your words cut to the heart and helped me realize I just can’t avoid my health any longer. Nobody knows what it’s like to be obese unless they’ve been obese."
- Email
He likes being someone that people look up to, and losing the weight gave people a reason to look up to Trupiano.
"I’d like to think that at some level I’m a mentor," he says. "I like being accessible."
Tony Trupiano is a bit of a mentor, someone who has walked the path of the people he guides now. A pied piper. He’s also someone that people look up to.
"What I say to people resonates with them in a non-threatening way," he said. "I know I’m not always right, but I always try to answer honestly."
And that’s what makes him a leader.
Posted by west at 03:35 AM | Comments (0)
May 04, 2006
Day 118
Lots of talk about stuff that has to do with losing weight and stuff
I don’t know that there is much to talk about today. It was a decent day, got a good workout in. However, I did fall back into the Subway/diet dinners trap again. Oh well, what are you gonna do? I just gotta go shopping tomorrow. That usually stops the outside food intake for awhile.
You know, it’s pretty amazing to me how far I have come in such a little amount of time. I don’t think I’ve reached lifestyle chance status yet, but certainly I have taken some huge steps towards it. My confidence is steadily growing in almost every personal respect. I am constantly rubbing my arms to feel the bran new muscle mass developing. (Though there is still a long way to go in the toning department).
You know, when I started this, it seemed like I was so far away from this point. Maybe I was in regards to weight. After all, I’ve lost 77 pounds so far. That’s not exactly a walk in the park. But as far as time goes, I wasn’t far away at all. Here I am only three and a half months after I began, and my old self is in the past. Although, considering that I thought I could lose 100 pounds in 100 days, I was obviously counting on a dramatic change.
But to actually have it happen is kind of astonishing. I’ve never gone through anything like this before. There has never been any sort of complete makeover in any aspect of my life. It is almost like the transition from high school to college. I am moving into a different stage of my life, and that is kind of cool.
I don’t know if this diet sheds any light on who I am or what I can do. I kind of just think that I got sick of being fat. But still, it shows me that things change if you try hard enough. But I also think that it is much easier to make changes within yourself than it is to get another job or find a new girlfriend. In those instances you have to convince other people of your value. In this, I only had to convince myself that I was worthy of spending my late 20s as a healthy, attractive man.
I made the mistake of thinking that if I lost weight, all my other problems would magically take care of themselves. That’s not true at all, though. Nothing else has taken care of itself, but that’s ok. What I know is that I will have a better chance with the next dream girl I see. I will look better at my next job interview, and I won’t feel uncomfortable in public places. And that all adds up to increasing my chances of a better life in the near future.
There’s not really a point here, at least not one that I had in mind. It’s just nice to know that things can change, even if you think your situation is hopeless. Even if you’ve slapped a label on yourself, as I did with the word “fat”, you can scratch out the letters on that label and replace them with whatever you want. Maybe that sounds like hokey inspirational bullshit, but it’s true.
So deal with it.
Posted by Dan Nied at 01:58 AM | Comments (0)
May 03, 2006
Day 117
Examining the day
What I ate today
Breakfast (9:30 a.m.)
2 slices of multi grain bread
1 can of tuna
2 servings of fat free mayo
Calories: 270
Fat: 2.5 grams
Lunch (12 p.m.)
2 weight watchers dinners (macaroni and cheese and some sort of lasagna thing)
Calories: 510
Fat: 6.5 grams
Dinner (6 p.m.)
1 Subway chicken teriyaki sub
Calories: 740 (wow, didn’t think it was that high)
Fat: 10 grams
Snack (9:30 p.m.)
2 chicken filets
Calories: 200
Fat: 2 grams
Total Calories: 1,720
Total fat: 21 grams
Exercise: None. Well, I did walk around at a track meet for three hours. So I guess I burned some calories doing that.
So let’s examine today’s menu. I ran out of oatmeal, so I had to have tuna for breakfast. I like tuna, so we’re good there.
When I had some sort of weird craving at lunch, I decided to get some weight watchers dinners. Now, am I condoning having two of those in one sitting? No. However, I am not upset with the results at all. Out of Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Smart Ones (the weight watchers dinners), Smart Ones seems to be lowest in calories and fat. So that’s good. Plus the lasagna bolognese is pretty good. Combined, the two dinners came to 510 calories and 6.5 grams of fat. Not bad for a meal.
For dinner, I went to Subway again. Four days in a row. I swear it is addictive. I am having a hard time shaking it because it is the one thing I regularly convince myself of doing every day. However, I think Subway has definitely retarded the weight loss process in a way. Since I get a footlong with extra pickles and olives, I have to think that there is a mountain of sodium in those sandwiches. Sodium, as we know, retains water. I did a decent job of staying away from Subway last week, and I lost a lot of weight (if you’ll remember, I got scared.) I think it was that loss of sodium on a regular basis. Just a hunch. However, let me also say again that this weight loss wouldn’t have been possible without Subway. So I guess it’s a give and take. But I probably have overdone it. I think it best if I stay away for a few days. That might be easier on my bank account, too.
Then I had some old fashioned protein for a nighttime snack. I think I did ok today. However, there are some things I did wrong.
First, Subway and diet dinners should never happen on the same day. The idea behind those things is to quench an urge for something fatty. They both do very well in their quest. However, the reality of the situation is that they tend to be higher in calories and fat than I would like. So they need to be rationed. That means I can’t do both on the same day. And preferably, neither one should happen more than once a week (except Subway, which should happen no more than twice a week.).
Also, if you’ll notice the times, I went six hours between lunch and dinner. That’s no good. But you know, that will happen sometimes. However, in recent days I have been eating about three times a day, often with large breaks in between. I attribute this to the fact that the fridge contains nothing but spoiled vegetables.
That, however, brings us to a new problem. I spent money on these vegetables, but I didn’t eat them. This has happened before. After I go shopping I tend to eat the good thing first (deli meat, cereal, cereal bars, fruit). Then I eat Subway for a few days and then the salad stuff goes bad and I end up wasting money. So, what I fucking need to make a habit of is eating salads while the lettuce is still green. I can’t stress that enough.
See, I bring you these problems as an answer to a problem that is clear to me. I am taking this diet less and less seriously. I understand my own psyche: Success gives me an excuse to go back to bad habits. It is a terrible way to think and I need to extinguish it as quickly as possible. I can already see the path back to eating shitty. It isn’t pretty. The words “lifestyle change” will now be dispersed randomly into each blog entry because I have to constantly remind myself that I’m in this for the long haul.
Can’t go back. Must not go back. Won’t go back.
Lifestyle change.
By the way, I want to clarify what I said last week about posting only three times per week. I think I am going to change that. Let’s do this. I will definitely post Monday, Wednesday and Friday and will more than likely post Tuesday and Thursday. However, if I think there is nothing new that I can add during one of the Tuesday/Thursday posts, I probably won’t. But I will also do my best to at least post a food journal those days. Those, however, will not be posted to blogcritics.
Posted by west at 01:24 AM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2006
Day 115
Extreme weight loss sucks sometimes
Hey everyone. It is extremely late and I gotta get to bed. A rash of phone calls from long lost friends that are not named Ian (I'm a stupid motherfucker who doesn't tell his best friends when my first child is born) Ryde. (I will explain that reference sometime this week.) So because of the late hour, this is going to be short.
Because of my irrational fear that I was losing weight too quickly, I decided to relax a bit this weekend. Saturday I basically got drunk while watching the NFL draft. I know, I said I never drink alone, but something inside me made me want to get hammered on Saturday afternoon. It's been a long while since I had a good afternoon buzz and I think that every once in awhile you need that.
Moderation is a topic I need to discuss at length sometime this week. Not surprisingly, my weekend relaxation led to some serious stomach pains. Apparently I am still too fucking dumb to avoid them. I really need to smarten up. Right now, I am really afraid of what will happen when I get down to 270. I went from one extreme (uncontrollable binging) to another (eating nearly nothing at all) overnight. Once I hit 270, I won't have to eat 1,500 calories per day. But I obviously can't go back to eating like I did before. So how do I find the happy medium? Goddammit this is some hard shit. I have no clue what foods to add to my diet once this is all done. I need to take a long walk around evil Wal-Mart and figure out what would be good and what would be bad.
Lifestyle change. That's what this is. I have to remember that I am no longer the almost-morbidly-obese fat turd I was when I started this. I have to turn myself into the guy that doesn't look forward to eating a whole pizza every night.
How is it possible that the transition phase of this diet is actually going to be harder than the diet itself? It does seem like this diet mirrors the Iraq war in that sense. The insurgents are rumbling in my stomach and mind, fighting to return things to the way they were before.
I need to send more troops, but I don't really know how to apply that metaphor. I can't pull out now. I must stay the course and continue gathering intelligence that will help my army topple the guerilla warriors ambushing my insides.
Damn. I just when I thought the end was near, another problem shows itself. Fucking weight loss. You suck.
Posted by Dan Nied at 03:41 AM | Comments (0)