Fat Boy on a Diet, Don't try it.

I have no idea why I remember this, but one of the first insults about my weight that I can remember came on the bus in third or fourth grade.  Oddly enough, from another fat kid trying to assert his alpha male status.  I remember walking past him and him saying “Fat boy on a diet, don’t try it.”  He then proceeded to chant it over and over.  His attempt at alpha superiority failed.  I have always been one to not really care what others have thought.  Not then, not now.  That might be why this endeavor his happening at twenty-four instead of twelve, or maybe sixteen.

I think the reason I remember the insult is that it was so absurd.  Not only in that the statement made no sense to begin with, but that it was coming from someone who was actually fatter than I was.  But what I came to realize in learning about the ins and outs of fitness is that it is actually kind of true, in a strange way.  I had tried diets in college and they didn’t work.  Then I had a period where I didn’t diet.  I just ate healthier food and went to the gym.  I would still have wings with my friends on Tuesdays.  I still went out drinking.  But for the most part I ate healthy alternatives to the normal junk I ate.  And I worked out.  I went from 297 pounds to 235 pounds in about 5 months.  Then I fell off the horse.  But I learned something there that was echoed in a lot of more modern weight loss books.  Diets don’t work.  As a fat man, I can say with some confidence, that humans tend to eat because it brings comfort to them.  That is why some of the fattiest foods are called comfort foods.  They assure our body that things are okay.  Diets, not all but a lot, force us into a regiment of ignoring anything moderately unhealthy and to fail is punishable by death.  The regime of dieting does not allow for slip ups.  So what happens when we do slip up (because we will)?  Then you feel ashamed.  And what happens when you feel ashamed?  You look to food for comfort.  Dieting enables a shame spiral of ice cream and pizza and beer (or scotch, in my case).  What we need to understand is that chicken wings and pizza are not the devil, they just aren’t the cornerstone of a healthy life style.  I was able to lose sixty pounds pretty quickly.  So here we go again.

The reason for this blog?  Well, primarily, I read a hint that you should keep a journal of everything you eat.  It will force you to look at what you are about to eat and decide if you really want it or if it is just a passing impulse.  Once I heard journal, as a twenty-first century nerd, I though of the world of the blogosphere.  This is my journey on the road to go from 260 (where I am now) to around 180 (what I feel is a good weight for my build) using a combination of healthy eating, some walking, and a Wii Fit.  The primary bulk of this blog will be to talk about what I’ve been eating.  I’ll post what I’ve been eating on this journey and if it is applicable, I’ll post a recipe for anyone who might stumble upon this.  I’ll also do posts like this from time to time, about health and life and geek-dom.  Anyway, if you find this, and you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me (bmartin.blog@gmail.com) or post comments.  Just keep in mind, I am sarcastic and bitter and will heckle back at any hecklers.