Diary Entry

To those dozens of you who have written and inquired, I am STILL flirting with the 100-pound barrier. A trip to Minneapolis for job training, during which I was forced against my will to visit an Irish bar and host a beef-intensive cookout, set me back a little bit. Then there was a spate of minor household disasters/chores that kept me away from the gym for two weeks.

But this week, I'm back on the horse and confidence is very high that my progress will resume.

It's amazing how much just a two-week layoff will take out of you, though. Monday evening, after my first upper-body workout in two weeks, I was almost as sore as I was 'way back when I first started lifting weights. But it felt good. And the metabolic benefits began almost immediately! Once again, I get hungry a couple of hours after eating (I eat fruit) and have far more energy than people my size are known for having. It's great to be back!

It's Not My Fault

I read a story off the health section of this very site this week that researchers had identified a taste sensor on the tongue that responded to the presence of fat. The researchers said that deactivating the gene linked to the sensor could "turn off" cravings for dietary fat.

That in itself is great news, but we large folks are known for our capacity for rationalization. How many times have you, or someone you know, quipped, "I can't help being fat, it's in my genes."

Now, simmer down, I'm not for a moment trying to say that some people aren't more genetically predisposed to being fat than others. It would be silly to think otherwise. But what I am saying is that we are intelligent creatures, possessed of free will. The fact that we are capable of learning about things like genetic predispositions and fat-seeking taste buds makes them ineffective as excuses for gluttony.

I'll make myself a case in point. Addiction is fairly well acknowledged to have a strong hereditary component, and it runs rife in my family, be it cigarettes, booze or whatever. My addiction is food. I have used it for comfort, for refuge, and for every other reason that addicts turn to their substance of choice. And yet, I've lost almost 100 pounds. Why? Because I am conscious of the addiction and fight it every single day. There are times that it takes every ounce of my willpower, and there are times that I fail, but I don't give up the fight.

Blaming genetics for being overweight is a cop-out. If you are smart enough to plan what you want to watch on television, you are smart enough to plan what you're going to eat for the week. I know this sounds harsh, but sometimes it takes a glass of cold water to the face to wake us up. The 470 pounds I saw looking at me when I started this journey was mine, and hopefully today's column will serve that purpose for a few of you.

Got a question? Comment? Brag? Drop me a line, anytime!