Day Twentyeight: Cake Crumbs

It was 40 degrees in Chaumont this morning with a sky that looked like the promise of Sunshine. But, at 9:40 it's overcast. I just took this photo after eating a slice of pizza and a piece of birthday cake for breakfast. Egads! It may sound like I eat poorly, but I don't. This morning was unusual. I rarely eat pizza or cake. In fact, I have probably had less than 18 slices of pizza in the past three years. When I do it eat I usually eat one or two slices. RARELY will I eat a third. For me to get excited about pizza I need one without tomato sauce & pepperoni. I like garlic, cheese, chicken, broccolli on a pizza. I have only had that kind maybe three times in thie past three years. You see, three years ago on January first I tipped the scales at 200 pounds. The most I have ever weighed. That was unacceptable. For one thing I was ready to buy larger sized pants. Forget it. Fifteen years ago I weighed about 160 pounds. So, it's taken me a few years to reach 200 lbs. Thus, I determined to take a slow motion approach to weight loss. No real diet, no exercise. I just decided to eat less and cut out some foods. January first 2007 I began.

The toughest thing was quitting drinking beer. I do like beer, especially Labatt Blue. I quit ice cream, my all time favorite food. I used to buy it and eat it by the pint, three times a week. People ask me if I miss it. Well, I don't. I have eaten so much of it in my life that I just don't miss it. I say I quit it, but I have eaten small amounts of it a few times in the opast three years. But NEVER have I eaten a whole pint in one sitting since then.
The same with beer. I used to drink it every day. Two, three, four, or more. I love the stuff. On holidays and special occassions I'll have a few beers or some wine, but it's not every day. I also quit ALL fast food. As a photographer driving a thousand miles a week all over God's creation it was really easy to stop at the drive through windows and dine on dollar menu items. It's fast, cheap, and I can keep going to my destination, eating & driving, staying on time for my appointments. There were few times at first when I had to exercise some serious will power, but I have stayed away from it. Now, there have been two times in the past three years I have eaten fast food. Once was to try out a new sandwich that Wendy's was advertising. I did not crave it, I was just curious about it. The second time was on a raod trip with my Better Half and we stopped and got a burger and shake at a little place in PA. That's it. I simpy will not go to those places.

Finally, I also kept (and continue to keep) a box of Honey Nut Cheerios in the car to snack on. Those things are good! I was surprised when I bought them for the first time. Oh, one more thing, I also began eating less of the normal, everyday food s that I always ate. For example, when I grilled hamburgers I always would eat two of them. Now I eat one. I always want a second one, but I don't. With one exception: When we have a party or I am at a party. Those situations I indulge a more, but still not the way I used to. Anyway, I dropped weight little by little and over the course of twelve months lost 20 pounds. Over the next year I lost 15 more. Now three years later I am staying right around 160 pounds. During the 2009 Christmas season I was eating and drinking more than normal, but held it pretty steady at 165. You know that cake I ate this morning? Compared to the old days it was a small piece. I also left behind a lot of frosting which made for an interesting photograph.