Taxes and "Affordable Care"

It's been a great week as far as the diet is concerned.  Probably the best week I've had since the challenge began.   I'm down 9 pounds with only about 6 to go.  I've been consistently below 1200 calories a day, mostly salads, and I haven't eaten anything after 6 pm all week.  I've also put in some pretty good cardio workouts all week as well.   Today though I was starting to feel a little weak and shaky so for dinner I had a small steak in place of the salad as well as a little bit of popcorn and licorice (not together) for a snack:)  .

Tomorrow I get to warm up a little bit.   I'm taking some oxygen concentrators down to the valley for repair so Ryan (my 13yo) and I are going to take the bikes and climb South Mountain a couple of times.  The forecast is calling for a 79 degree day and I can't wait.  My skinny white legs are looking forward to a little bit of sunshine.

On a whole different note, today while I was at the hospital I saw a couple of Medtronic reps bringing in some equipment.  One of the items was something to do with Abdominal cauterization (or something like that).  I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with companies like Medtronic (if you have ever used a Tens unit or Muscle Stim, these are just small examples of what they make) and Stryker (mostly hospital beds).   I'm sure even fewer are familiar with the excise tax placed upon these companies this year.  Starting in 2013, as a way to help pay for the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) there is a 2.3% tax on all medical devices.   I can't help but believe that Congress hit those with the smallest lobby the hardest.    Who's gonna pay for this tax?  You and I, the hospitals, the caregivers.  Who suffers?  Well everyone.  The consumer is gonna pay in the end, but even worse, both Medtronic and Stryker have already starting laying off employees.  Medtronic laid off 1000 workers in 2012 and is looking to lay off 500 more and Stryker is looking to lay off about 1050 employees.  This is just 2 of many large companies who are having to make some tough decisions in the wake of the affordable care act.   This is just the beginning.  How many of you pay for your insurance out of pocket?  I bet your rates went up already didn't they?   Last year we paid 648.00 month for our family insurance.  That's with a 7500.00 deductible!!!   As of 2013, we now pay 748.00!!!   $748.00 frigging dollars on top of a $7500.00 deductible.  

I realize many of you are probably on board with the Affordable Care Act.  I think there are parts of it that are good.  Being able to keep your kids on your insurance plan longer is good.  Other than that though, the plan is flawed big time.  There is nothing in the law to keep insurance plans from gouging those of us that currently pay for our own insurance.  Of course they are going to try and screw us, they are going to try and make all money they can before the entire Care Act goes into effect.  They need to find a better way to pay for the plan.  Think it's gonna work out good?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,In Canada, it's nothing to wait 5-6 months for and MRI.   How long do we have to wait here?  Maybe a couple of weeks at the most.

Being the powerful nation that we are, I do believe we all deserve the best healthcare possible.  I just don't think this is the way to go about it.  Take attorneys, politicians, and money hungry caregivers out of the picture and I think we could all agree on a way to care for those that can't afford it.  Taxes, taxes, and more taxes is not the way to go about it.  Small companies are going to take a beating.   It's just not feasible to take this many hits and keep your head above water.  

And now the sequester...............well it's about time the government is pressed hard to make some cuts.  I hear poor VP Biden is going back to taking the train back to his home state instead of flying on military aircraft.   The hardworking middle class has been taking hits for years now.  Cuts in pay, increased payroll taxes, layoffs.............how about congress take a decrease in pay, take away all the benefits they enjoy,  I'm all  for kicking some ass in Afghanistan, but they seem to be so ungrateful, I say screw em, bring our guys home and put them to work here instead of blowing money on a country that can't stand us.  Let's help the countries that actually like us.  

I'm sure I don't know nor understand the big picture, but I think we would all be pissed beyond belief if we actually knew where our tax dollars went.  Wouldn't you love to see a detailed spreadsheet of how each politician spends money?

Ok, I'm getting off of my high horse.  Gonna go get my bike ready for tomorrow.  I'm thinking I'm even going to treat my son to Red Lobster after our ride.  Looking forward to some down time.

Have a super day.   

Have the tissue ready. This is Awesome!!

Don't Wait to Make a Difference

Take the time to watch this short TED video.  Don't wait to make a difference.

Don't wait to make a difference

Sizzlean

Sizzlean has broke 12%!  Very very impressive.  Someday Skinny is right on his tail and I'm guessing by this Sunday she too will break the 12% mark.

Toots! Good Job, it was great to see your number come across.  Keep it up.    CantW82Bskinny you best be hitting the cardio!!  I know how hard you work so keep kicking some butt!!

Sizzlean, this is what I think of when I see your numbers:  :)

Just messing with ya!   But to everyone else out there struggling with a few pounds, Sizzlean didn't have much  to lose, but yet he's kicking most of our butts.  He's a truck driver for most of the day while the sun is up.  I get his weigh in numbers at about 4 am in the morning so the guy has to be exhausted by days end.   I say this because, if he can find the determination to beat the snacking while sitting in a truck all day, most of us should be able to do the same.  

I don't have permission to post any pictures so I decided to use an example off the internet.   Sizzlean was home for Christmas and maybe had somewhat of a gut, he attempted to do the first day of Insanity and pretty much died.  He was more out of shape then he typically is and I could see that he was frustrated with himself.   When he left, he was definitely determined to lose the extra poundage.  I had no idea he would be this successful.  In fact I just sent him a text today telling him I was going to send him a gift card to Domino's.  

As I mentioned before, I don't have permission to post any pics on this blog, nor do I think he will ever give me permission (his wife would kill me), so I decided to pull a similar picture off the internet and use it as a comparison.  This is NOT Sizzlean (If it were, I'd be dead right now because his wife would have already beat me to death). 

I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for posting a picture of a guy without a shirt but this is the only way I knew to give an example of how well Sizzlean is doing.  It's quite impressive.   What I wouldn't do to have a six pack, heck I would appreciate a two pack, but for now I've still got a one-pack and it's a bit on the squishy side.  But I'm determined to beat this weight thing.

Yesterday was a good workout day.   I did an hour of weights in the morning, then Ryan (my 13yo) and I did and hour on the trainer.  I'm determined to break at least 8%.  Today I plan on a similar workout, today will be Bi's and Back plus an hour on the spinning bike (ugh, an hour of pedaling and going no where, it's brutal!!)

Hope you all have a super day.

Romans 5

Came across this, this morning. Gonna paraphrase a little.

"Through Him we have obtained access by faith into His grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God. We rejoice in our afflictions because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope does not dissapoint because God's love has been poured out into our hearts"
Romans 5: 1-5

To me, this is life described in one paragraph. Through it's ups and downs, over its mountains, through the valleys, we endure life's challenges, and in the end we grow in character and in faith. Again, it's all about moving forward. Believing in the Greater Good, and putting our faith in someone, someone so powerful that we cannot even come close to comprehending the power of His spirit.

Have a super day.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Motivation

It's nothing for me to become a bit emotional when watching an athlete perform at his or her best.  I'm moved to see someone who has given all they have in practice give it their all on the field, in the gym, or on the mat. 

I think athletics can teach us so much about everyday life.  Typically you get what you give, meaning if you bust your ass in practice youre going to perform well when it's time for competition.  The same goes for life.  If you give it all you've got, I can almost guarantee that the rewards are going to be exceptional. 

During the olympics, it's typical of me to have tears in my eyes (yes, I'm a softy) when watching gymnastics, figure skating (yes I said figure skating), and wrestling.   For some reason, these sports are the epitome of someone sacrificing everything they have for a few moments in time to be their best.  

This past week, I watched a documentary called "First Position".  It's a film that followed several young ballet dancers striving to win at I guess one of the biggest competitions called "The Grand Prix".  Now I'm not a ballet fan, but to see what these kids put into their art was nothing short of amazing.  Their ability to move like most of us couldn't do on our best day, their willingness to dance through injury and pain in order to reach the pinnacle of their young careers, is just amazing.   While the majority of kids are at home playing xbox, these kids spend every waking hour perfecting their routines. 

The same goes for wrestlers, fighters, gymnasts, and skaters (and every other sport you can think of ).   At the end of the day, the podium usually represents those that have worked the hardest, those that have put in the most hours and those that have sacrificed the most.   These are typically young people that have set goals at a very young age to be the very best.  

I've got a few songs on my Ipod that I'm going to post here that remind me of all the work these athletes put in. 

Unless your and 80's kid, you will likely not know a few of these.  This first one is from my favorite movie of all time, VisionQuest.   A wrestler coming of age, shooting for a state championship, and yes of course falling for a hot chick. 

You have to let this one play for a few seconds before the actual song gets going. 

Lunatic Fringe

Does your son have a love for baseball; I love this video:

The Grind

This one I love because of John Orozco of the US Gymnastics Team.  What a story!!  Coming from the Bronx, this kid stepped up and made something of himself.  Win or lose, you have no doubts this kid will be successful.

The Fighter

This one I love because it's all about putting in your time, not looking at the past, but moving forward.

My Time

And of course, where would you be without a little Rocky music.

Burning Heart

I don't have this next one on my Ipod, but if I can find it, I'm going to put in on there asap.  Pretty cool music.  (a few cuss words, thank you Al Pacino)
Motivation


Have a super week this week.  If your part of the weight loss challenge and your having trouble staying motivated, make this week a new start.  Visualize yourself reaching those goals.  Baby steps people!  Believe me, I fail with my diet all the time, but I'm determined to be in the top 5 of this thing.   Dig deep people and commit to a plan.  Move forward!!!

Weekend for Women

This weekend was quite the weekend for women's sports.  Ronda Rousey became the first UFC women's champion and Danica Patrick became the first female to lead the Daytona 500.  Pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

Both women are proof that through a ton of hard work, commitment, and heart, you can be at the top of your game no matter the challenges you may face.

I think both of them probably help set record ratings for both Nascar and UFC.  

Found a cool sight in support of women's athletics and endeavors.  Check out www.shejumps.org

Current Standings

Challenger	Percent Lost
Someday Skinny	11.98%
Sizzlean (Fit Quest)	11.80%
Andibean	7.13%
Cant W82Bskinny	6.82%
Lotto Thighs	5.71%
leelee	4.97%
1 Twenty 5	4.86%
Solid (Fit Quest)	4.84%
Pecas	4.82%
Losing My Rolls	4.65%
Runnin Lots	4.52%
Fat Loser	4.49%
"E" Word	4.43%
NoButtButGottaGut	4.39%
Chubby143 (Fab 4)	4.33%
Toots	4.10%
Scale Crusher	4.09%
Chubby Buns	3.65%
Slim	3.45%
Pedaldork	3.31%
Sexy Mamma 4 2013 (Thin It To Win It)	2.99%
Thin2Win	2.88%
Tire B Gone	2.57%
Brown Eyez	2.50%
IWillBThin	2.11%
MuffinTop (Thin It To Win It)	2.11%
Bikini Bound	1.95%
Bub-a-Chub  (Fab 4)	1.77%
TinyFannyGranny  (NoMoJunkNDaTrunk)	1.07%
RajunCajun (NoMoJunkNDaTrunk)	1.04%
Walk it Off
Busy Mamma
Chihuahua Mom
Sexy60
BB
Big Daddy
Big Mamma
Captain America (Fab 4)
Potato Smuggler (Fab4)
Hot Momma  (Getting Skinny)
Mybuttisbig   (Getting Skinny)
Poacher
Snicker Britches
AprilPilotGirl
Big Poppa D
MeeMaw
Mid-Life-Crisis
AgustusSpartacus (NoMoJunkNDaTrunk)
Pretty lady
Hot Lips

McDonalds Coffee Case

Woman sues McDonalds for millions after spilling hot coffee on her lap and wins!!

If you're like me you instantly thought this was just insane.  You thought is was just another typical crazy judgement by some crazy jury who believed some woman deserves millions for simply spilling a cup of coffee in her lap while driving.

I'm guessing that the majority of Americans who saw this story, instantly had their own opinions about the story.  Do you believe in the power of the media?   

My wife and I watched the documentary "Hot Coffee" this morning.   I feel like such a hypocritical fool. 
Were you like me and thought the following:
"The lady was middle aged just wanting millions for something stupid"
"The lady was driving while holding a cup of coffee between her legs"
"Just another frivolous lawsuit"

Well I thought all of the above........................and I was wrong beyond belief. 

The lady was 81 years old, she wasn't driving, and originally all she wanted was her doctors bills paid for.   McDonalds offered her 800.00 bucks!!

I'm only going to post one picture because the others are rather graphic, but I will post the links to the other pics.   Now imagine this is your grandmother, a parent, or even worse, a child.  How would you feel then.

The documentary is a very interesting film regarding tort reform and corporate influence on the legal system.  There's got to be away to justify lawsuits/awards for citizens that suffer irrepairable damage yet also be able to keep out the pathetic self serving, sue happy people that want only to sue for reasons that don't even come close to justifying any time in court. 

The jury award Ms. Liebeck 2.7 million dollars.  In the end, after appeals, she left with an undisclosed amount of less than $600,000.  

I'm not a big fan of attorneys but this is a pretty informative site.

http://www.bruchez.com/faqs/2012/10/facts-you-did-not-know-about-mcdonalds-coffee-case/ 

Do we ever know the entire story?



Greed!!

Be Greedy Long Enough and You Will Be Humbled!! Money, Money, Money!    It's companies like this that make the rest of us look bad. February 21, 2013

Scooter Store Raided!

Federal agents raid Texas headquarters, tell employees to go home.

Federal and state agents armed with search warrants on Wednesday swarmed the New Braunfels headquarters of The Scooter Store, one of the nation's largest suppliers of power wheelchairs and scooters.  Statement says investigators think the company committed Medicare fraud. The company’s commercials, still running on CNN during the channel's report of the raid, offers to help people get a scooter and deal with Medicare and Medicaid. Authorities wouldn't comment on the reason for the raid, but a source familiar with the investigation said officials were looking for details of how The Scooter Store bills for its equipment.  Investigators want to know whether the store pressured doctors to prescribe the scooters for people who might not need them or overcharged Medicare for the chairs.   Employees were told to leave Wednesday during the investigation and handed a document with FBI contact information.  “I’ve been with the company for 10 years. So, it’s a roller coaster. This is not the first time. I pray that everybody is OK and that they find employment,” said an unnamed employee. The Scooter Store recently has drawn scrutiny for receiving millions in Medicare overpayments from 2009 to 2011.  They repaid $19.5 million of over $108 million in identified overpayments, raising questions by lawmakers. Earlier this month, the company underwent another round of layoffs. That came after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said reimbursements for power chairs, scooters and other equipment will be sharply lower starting July 1. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50141453n I

Cancer drug causes cancer?

Doesn't this kind of stuff just blow your mind.................then again maybe not.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/23/shocking-revelation-this-cancer-drug-causes-cancer.aspx

I love when this little guy wants to cuddle. He's such a little lover.

Like the black eye:).
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

I didn't go into the office today (long story), but I'll post the most recent weights tomorrow when I get to work.  It's gonna be a close one between Someday and Sizzlean.

Good day on the mats.

A few days ago,  I mentioned that I do better when I write down my workouts a week ahead of time.  This way, I know exactly what I'm going to do when I get to the gym.   Well so far this week, I have completely failed with regards to that plan.  Monday's workout consisted of a 2 hour bike ride instead of going to the gym.  Yesterday, the plan was to do some bag work, then do chest and tri's.    Jay happened to get there at the same time I did so we thought we would spar a little with the boxing gloves.  A short sparring session turned into almost two hours of boxing and wrestling.  

I've been working hard on my left jab and right hook so I was hoping to see some improvement with my boxing.  I felt much better than last time, but Jay still probably landed 75% more punches than I did.  My face has all the marks to prove it.  He's a good teacher and thankfully, most of the time he's pretty patient.  I do have to say, that when I do land a good punch, he gets this look in his eye like "oh you want to play that way do ya", and honestly, that scares the crap out of me.

 I know I would improve greatly if only I would relax.  At the beginning of every round I can feel my heart rate climb like crazy even before any punches are thrown.   Getting hit is just part of it, but honestly, it really sucks sometimes.  It's frustrating when I know I'm better then the level I'm actually performing at.  It's just going to take more time with the gloves on.  I do have to give myself kuddos though.......I finally gave Jay a bloody nose before he bloodied mine. Stupid I know, but I was pretty proud.

We then moved on to grappling.  If you don't know, grappling involves the fingerless gloves they use in UFC fights.  There's very little padding and they hurt a lot more when you get hit.  For the most part, we usually work mostly on wrestling and submission holds and throw very few punches, and even when we do hit, we don't usually hit hard.  Yesterday was no exception, but we wrestled for at least an hour, got a few cheap shots in, and had plenty of laughs.  It's pretty much a 41 year old and 50 year old trying to prove they aren't really old yet.  By the time we were done, I had one black eye, a bloody lip, and a bruised forehead.  Pretty pathetic huh?:)  As bad as it looked, I knew it was going to feel a lot worse later.  

By evening time, I was so unbelievably sore.  As soon as my wife saw me, she said, "oh my gosh what happened to you" and after an hour of sitting on the couch, ugh! I hurt all over.  Getting up was an entirely trying and painful task.  This was nothing compared to what the following morning would hold...........................

This morning, the eye was black, part of the lip is black and blue, and the normally simple feat of washing my hair was unbelievably painful.  My shoulders had no intent of being lifted high enough to complete the task.  If it didn't hurt so bad, it would have been funny as heck.  I had to bend my head down and meet my hands half way:).  

All of this, and believe it or not, I can't wait to do it again.

Ronan

This one will yank hard on the heart strings.  Not sure how many of you have kept up with Ronan's blog.  I haven't read it in quite a while but tonight I came up this.

I have a 3 year old little boy and I can't imagine a single day without him.  Childhood cancers affect people all around us.  It's a reminder to all of us at how fragile and short life can be.

I didn't take the time to read much of the blog but scrolled through it.  This story was nothing short of awesome.

Then I found the live Stand Up for Cancer Video on You Tube.  Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvN7BOAQn9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoRa1yreGQo

I warn you.  Have the tissue ready.

If you have a chance take a look around Ronan's site.  What a beautiful little boy!

Biggest Losers Slacking Off

Just finished watching tonight's episode of The Biggest Loser.  I'm usually fairly motivated after watching each week,  but tonight I wasn't really motivated by any of the contestants.  Instead, I was more challenged by the trainers.  Jillian, I think, was super impressive tonight.  She lost her cool, but only because she was tired of mediocrity.  She wanted more than anyone was willing to give.  Isn't that what you would want from a trainer?  Not someone that listens and accepts all your excuses, but someone who calls you out every time you try and BS your way out of something.

I frustrate myself with all my excuses.  "oh I'll only do 2 sets instead of 3", "I'll double up my workout tomorrow", etc.  I can call my own bluff most of the time, but why do I even go there?  Why do I question or  talk myself out of half assing something when I know I need to be giving it 100%?   Shouldn't the desire to give it all we've got at every moment, just be something that we naturally do or at least strive to do?

Last week was one of my best "work out weeks" that I've had.   The difference maker.......I wrote down my workouts a week in advance.   I knew exactly what exercises and how many of each I was going to do before I even stepped foot in the gym.   It made all the difference in the world.   This week I'll repeat the same workouts, then change some things around for next week.  

With this big storm coming in, I decided to go for a ride today rather than go to the gym.  My goal was to get   in anything between 30-50 miles.   Guess what I got.............30 miles. :)    My legs were shot and I'm super tired tonight, but I gotta say, it felt great to be outside.  Tomorrow I'll go back to working out in gym.  I am going to put in a little more time on the cardio though.  

I won't lie, this dieting thing is definitely harder this year.  I'm eating better than I have in a long time, but the pounds just aren't coming off.  I'm not naive though as to why I'm having a harder time.  I'm not snacking a lot, but I think I'm snacking enough to keep my calorie intake higher that what I'm burning off.   My wife has expressed her frustrations as well.   She too is having a harder time than usual dropping the pounds,  but like me, she is eating better than she has in a long time.  I think her problem is not the dieting, but  the ability to squeeze in enough time to get some good cardio workouts in.  She has genetics on her side, so I know that once she gets in her 'workout groove', the pounds will start to drop off.  

As I've said a million times, I think one of the most effective changes you can make is not eating after 6pm in the evening.  I realize that can be tough to do, especially when you have a family, but I do believe that going to bed on an empty stomach makes a world of difference.  Try it for 2 weeks while keeping your daily calories in check, and I can promise you will lose weight.

So did everyone have a good weekend?   I was on call and ended up getting called out more the first 12 hours then I did all weekend.   The best part of my weekend had to be watching my 10 year old (Coby) practice baseball with a bunch of 13-14 year olds.   He was invited by the coach to practice and at first he was pretty hesitant to even show up.   He turned down a day of snowboarding and going over to a friends house so I was already impressed with his intentions.  After the first hour of practice he tells me, "Dad I'm glad I came".   The older boys were great with him.   His nickname ended up being "the little one".   These kids were good, very good for 13 year olds.   I was very impressed both with the kids and with the coach.  Everyone was very supportive and I couldn't have asked for a better experience for my son.  I'm sure hoping he will have more opportunities like this before little league gets going.

Well it's getting late, so I'm going to call it a night.

Have a great Friday!!

So, it's 1am in the morning and I can't sleep. I crashed early (8:30) and I think this is the result of going to bed before 10. For a while I just laid there, hoping to fall back asleep, but it just wasn't going to happen. You start thinking about things, those things become bigger things and before you know it, you have created a todo list so big in your head that the day ahead already feels overwhelming.

I'm sore from a weeks worth of good workouts. My diet was great until this evening when we decide to splurge on pizza. I'm learning that I really do feel better with just the fruits and vegetables. Not only do I feel bad emotionally for straying from my goals, the pizza just seemed to make me feel like crap. I will have no problem going back to my diet tomorrow.

I weighed in again at 175. I won't lie, I'm very frustrated with the fact that I haven't hit 170 yet. Heck I haven't hit 173 yet! I have a couple of reasons in my head as to why, even though I've done very well with my diet, I haven't lost any weight this past week. 1st is the lack of cardio work that I haven't done. I've been hitting the weights like crazy, but the cardio has sort of taken a back seat. And 2nd, calories really do count. I can eat salads and fruits all day long, but I also have to remind myself that the dozens of mints, lifesavers,etc that I throw in my mouth everyday start to add up.

Minus how I felt after eating the pizza this evening (does it count that it was a veggie), I feel really good. I've got a long way to go, but I feel better then I have felt in a long time.

Anyway, this post wasn't supposed to be about my diet and workout. It's about the reason I'm sitting here typing this on my phone at 1:20 am in the morning.

Worry. I'm so friggin sick of the word "worry". It serves no dang benefit to any of us. This is how it starts:
I awaken, maybe because I hear one of our stupid cats outside the door, or I hear the dogs barking. On a normal night, I just go back to sleep; but on rare nights like this, one thought leads to a million others. First I think, "did I create that invoice that I promised to send the patient", then it proceeds to build, "how am I going to arrange the on call schedule so that it works for everyone", then "did I run all the reports that our compliance agency is going to want to see", then "I need to create some new education courses for my staff" then, "holy crap, little league starts in a month, I have 3 classes to take, and I still need to get everything else done", then, then, then.

It just continues to build until I say "screw it" then I get up, grab a book, a glass of wine, and hope to God that I go back to sleep soon. I'm on call this weekend so I don't want to start the weekend off already tired.

The Bible says "I tell you not to worry about everyday life" (matt 6:25).

My motto for 2013 has been to "Give it all to HIM". Why then do I stress about things, simple things?

Wanna know why? Because I try to handle them alone!!! That's not what God wants. He's waiting right there to help out, all you have to do is Give IT ALL TO HIM!. It all works out when you do. The stress ends up being a complete waste of time.

Pardon the way I put this, but God knows His shit! You can bust your butt all day long, day in and day out, trying to do it all on your own, and God will sit back and allow you to do it, but until you ask for help, and I mean honest to honest, praying on your knees for help, He's gonna sit back and let you bang your head against the wall.

It's like helping my kids with their homework. Ill let them struggle and stuggle until I know they are at their wits end, then Ill finally help if they ask. If I choose to help before they ask, then they have learned nothing from the task.

As I sit here writing this, I realize that all my initial worries, that lead up to me being awake at this time of morning are all for nothing. The invoice will wait, the on call schedule will be fine, little league isn't here yet, and I have 8 months to finish my classes. The reports I need to finish will be completed.

Although its a daily struggle and I often learn the hard way, I will continue to Give it all to Him and know that all will be fine. I have learned that a even the smallest amount of Faith can make amazing things happen (I've got some great examples that I'll share later).

As I sit here now, I remember about 10 years ago I would be up all night worried about what would later be diagnosed as a hot nodule on my thryoid. It was one of the worst periods of my life (only because at the time nobody knew what was wrong). It would create panic attacks, tachycardia, pounding heart beats, etc, it was miserable.

My point is, I'm sitting here now, and as far as I know, I'm as healthy as can be. I believe we go through times like that so that we can remember to cherish what we have. To hold tightly to the good things, to the blessings we have all around us. We are all blessed with so much yet we so easily forget to be thankful until things go bad.

So as you move forward this Friday, cherish it. Cherish those kids, cherish your job, cherish all that you have.

It's 1:45 now. I'm going to bed:). Have a super day.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Sizzlean breaks 10.

I'm working of a few different posts, but had to post this real quick.  I just saw the most recent picture of Sizzlean...................Holy Crap!!  Ripped!!  

I'm thinking he's actually in a North Dakota concentration camp.   Dude, I'm going to send you a few Top Sirloins and maybe some cookies.   EAT SOMETHING!!!

A Shout Out to Mydietitian.

Typically I ask permission before posting any emails that I receive, but I'm hoping Someday Skinny won't mind if I share this one.  It's a great shout out to the MyDietitian program and is evidence of how much fun and easy dieting can be if you get involved.

I've deleted her weight goal just to keep people wondering:)   I've kept Rick's name (works with Mydietitian) in the email as he has been really great to work with and I don't think he would mind having his name out there (just  google it, it comes up all over anyways) :)

Wow!! Awesome! That is flattering and definitely very motivating!! Thanks for all the opportunities you're giving me! I'm on board for whatever I can be involved with, especially if it promotes AOM/MyDietitian!  This has been a great week for me and I'm hoping to be to xxx within a few months. Let Rick know I'm working hard to get there and I have some pretty ghastly before pictures to work with this year, but it's the after ones I'm working toward and excited about! :) People have already started commented on how quickly I've been able to lose the weight since having Remi and as much of a compliment as it is, all I want to tell them is, "Oh just wait 'till you see me this summer!!" And I had her in October and didn't even really start to lose anything (beyond the initial water weight that comes off) until the Challenge started in January! Just since using mydietitian (which has been what? A week?) I've lost 5 pounds!! For some people, that's all they need to lose! And I did it in a week! (I know that's not exactly what's recommended for healthy weight loss but Ashlee (my dietitian) is working with me to help make some healthy changes to my already drastically improved diet! I just need to eat more now...what?? Never thought I'd say that while trying to lose weight! :)
I'm sure that had I had this tool while I was pregnant, I wouldn't have gained so much weight. I gained about 25 lbs in the first seven months of my pregnancy and 30 in the last two! I got extremely lazy with counting my calories and didn't pay attention to whether I was having my first bowl of ice cream or my third. This is SO easy, I would've had NO excuse! All you do is take a picture!!

Anyway, off the soapbox. I'll keep letting ya know how things are going. I got the HR monitor yesterday and I'm excited to bust it out today!

Thanks again for everything!!!

So, there ya go.  It's a pretty cool program.  If you can manage the $2.30 a day, then I think it is absolutely worth it.    

My Dietitian.com Promo Code

We just got our corporate code for any of you to use at mydietitian.com.   The code is only good for the Premium Plan, but I do believe this is the best plan they offer.   It comes out to only $2.30 a day.   If you're like me, you can easily save that by cutting out one coffee a day:).   The promo code that you will use is "oxymed"  (minus the quotations of course).

I just got word tonight that the program is guaranteed.  They will guarantee that you will lose 7% of your body weight in 4 months.  If you don't they will refund 100% of your money.  

If you're not convinced, at least check out their website at www.mydietitian.com.    It's a no brainer!!  You have nothing to lose.   

Fab 4? Where are ya?

What happened to the Fab 4?   Looks more like the Fab 2.

Someday hits 10!

And Someday Skinny breaks the 10% mark.  Awesome Job!!!!

Write out your workout

"Someday Skinny" won not only a heart rate monitor, but also won the 3 month trial at "mydietitian.com.

I got this email from her the other day.

So I just signed up with My Dietitian and I'm SUPER excited!!  I've been using MyFitnessPal, which is a similar app but you have to manually put in each food you eat.  I'm so excited that you can just take a picture of your food and then an actual professional will work with you to help improve your habits!  I already have several people in mind that I know could benefit from it and will most definitely be recommending it to them once I get the hang of it. Thank you, thank you!!  I'm so excited, I'll let you know how it goes.  Please also send my thanks to Rick!  I'm thinking I should easily be able to reach my weight loss goals with this tool! (Is that an unfair advantage in the competition? :))

I'm waiting for our corporate discount with My Dietitian.  As soon as I get it, it will give any and all of you a discounted rate for any of their programs.  Ya just gotta ask:)

 On a separate note, I've got to give a shout out to all the young people at the gym.  It was impressive to see a bunch of them working out today.   A few of them were my students back in my teaching days (If any of them are your kids, I apologize now if I ruined them academically).  I'm just waiting for one of them to ask if I want to spar with them,  I'm sure they are just aching to get some good shots in.  

Last night I took the time to sit down and write down my workouts for the week.  Today was Chest and Tri's, tomorrow will be Back and Bi's, and Wednesday will be legs.    I've got a bad habit of just showing up, doing my cardio, then fumbling around trying to decide what exercises I'm going to do.   By writing out my program early, it made for such a better workout.   I did four exercises for each body part, then did an ab workout along with some cardio and bagwork.   For each exercise I did four sets with each set adding more weight.   So for example, for chest I did Flat Bench Press, Dumbell Press, Machine Press, and Incline Barbell Press.   4 sets of each exercise.   Then I moved on to the Triceps.   Lying Tricep Press, Tricep Extensions, Bent Dumbell Extensions.   Again, 4 Sets of each.  My first set is usually at a weight where I can easily get 10-12 reps.  Then for the second set, I add enough weight where I can get 8-10 reps, then more weight for 6-8 reps and so on.

Try writing out your workout for the week.  Be creative and mix it up. If you don't it will get boring real quick.   Set some daily goals, be realistic and do your best to reach them.

Best of luck.

Commit!!! To Be Healthy

It's weird, this year we've had more people stay involved with the challenge for a longer period of time, but it's also the quietest group  we have had.  Typically when I do some sort of giveaway, I'll get a minimum of 10 emails.  This year, I bet I haven't had 10 emails after 3 giveaways.    Which brings me to this..............It's FREE STUFF!!! Free tools to help you stay motivated.  Are people too shy to send something?  Do they think someone else already won?    Last year I gave away 3 Heart Rate Monitors, 15 different videos, and 2 gym memberships.  

I spoke with a patient last week about getting started with a wellness program.  I told him I would pay for both a trainer and a nutritionist for 2 months.  Not only that, I offered to pay for the same program for his wife as well.   I can't go into detail about his diagnosis, but they turned the offer down.   As I am with the free giveaways, I'm baffled that they didn't go for the offer.   Free tools to help someone improve their health and very few people jump at the chance.

In doing this challenge year after year, I've come to admire the work that people  put  into it.  Losing weight, dieting, working out............it's not an easy thing to keep up.  We all have busy lives, we all have our excuses.  Ya know what........that's what they are, they are excuses.   You have ONE LIFE!   I'm sorry but you don't get a second one.  It's your responsibility to take care of this one.   I look at people who have knee problems, back problems, etc..........Hellooooo!!!!    I think most of us know that if we were in shape and lost some extra pounds our bodies would most likely feel better.  It's pure laziness, if your health is not a priority, well your health is just going to continue to diminish.    Believe me, I can come up with the best excuses not to exercise, or the common quote "I'll start tomorrow".  

When the doctor comes out and say's "you have type I diabetes", "you have had a small heart attack", guess what.............starting tomorrow isn't going to cut it any longer.  

Got kids or grandkids?????  If you're too selfish to take care of yourself for you,  then do it for them.  Grandkids need grandpas to take them fishing.  Grandkids need grandmas to teach them how to cook or sew.  

It's not rocket science and you don't have to starve yourself.  It's just a matter of making better food choices.    The patient I mentioned earlier...........guess what he had on the tv tray next to his recliner...........two boxes of cookies............Ugh!!!!  I want to help him so bad, but until someone wants help, it's pretty much out of my hands.   It can be very frustrating at times.  

So c'mon people.  Step it up.   Make the decision to be healthier.  Write out a plan.  Read it and adjust it daily.    

Dr. Ben Carson

I don't know if any of you have ever read the book or have seen the movie called "Gifted Hands".  I read the book in college and just recently watched the movie.   It's the story of a young black child who grew up dirt poor with a mom who was unable to read.   Through the grace of God and the discipline of his mother, he grew up to be one of the most talented pediatric neurosurgeons in the country.

This video was sent to me today by a good friend.  The video is 27 minutes long, but if you can take the time to watch and listen, it's pretty impressive.   I've also posted the link to a much shorter conversation (only 2 minutes) that is very insightful.

Here's the long one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83IiLN_EaF4


Here's the short one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuYmhJUeoBE

Hoodie Logo

Ok, I think I sort of referred to the wrong person in the last post.  It's Someday Skinny's emails (or parts of) that I'll be sharing later.   Hey Can'tW8, did you send me something? Because I feel like you did, but I can't find it.   Let me know.  Sorry about the mess up.

Real quick before I head over to the midschool.  Here's the logo on the hoodies.

And then this is on the bottom of the shirt on the back:

Phillipians 3:13-14

My Favorite translation is this:

¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^[d] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Want more sleep!!

Is it really Monday already??    I was planning all weekend to be ready to hit the ground running today, but it's just not going to happen.  After doing some work for my nutrition class, I finally got to bed around 11pm.  Then at about 2:45, Whiteriver hospital calls for some oxygen.  Now even though I'm not on call, I've got to get up to call my driver, my poor driver.   As tired as I was, I thought I would  easily go back to sleep.  Uhhh, that just didn't happen.   I laid there and like many nights before, I just watched the minute hand on my watch move slowly around.  I think I finally fell back asleep around 4:30 only to hear my alarm go off at 5:15.  

I typically don't care too much about being tired, but I've got a busy morning today.  I've got a patient coming in at 8am then I have to be at the Blue Ridge Mid School at 9am to judge the Science projects.  So if any of you have kids in the 6th grade and they completed a science project, I can still be bought if you hurry:) .

All I know right now though, is my butt is dragging already.  I would really love to go back to bed.  I could really use a few more hours of sleep.  I just don't see that happening right now.

This is going to be a short post, but I promise I'll write more later as well as get this weekends numbers posted.   I've got a few things to share that Can'tW82BSkinny has sent me.   Hopefully some of it will help motivate others in striving for their goals.

Speaking of goals, I've got a few more (well sort of) that I'll share a little later.  I'm so darn busy right now that I should have a ton to write about,  but the battle lies in just finding the time to sit down to write it.

I've got to go finish getting ready.  Going to be a long morning.  The coffee sure doesn't seem to be kicking in    yet.

Oh ya, I'll also post the new logo we just printed on our new hoodies,  they turned out pretty cool.

Have a great morning.  Will post again later, pending that I am still awake. :)

Dad Time

Sometimes being a dad can be a real bummer of a job.  Today was parent-teacher conferences.  I had to work, but my wife went to both of them (she's much better at these things than I am).   My 10 year old, is doing fine, at least as far as school is concerned.  Sometimes he can be a little too much laid back and carefree, but as far as grades are concerned, he's typically a straight A kid.

So is my 13 year old.................well he used to be.   8th grade has proven to be much more difficult then he was expecting.   Both of my older boys go to Mountain Christian School which is located over across from Show Low Lake.  You may have your own opinion about private schools, but it's a choice we've made to send them there and so far we have no regrets what so ever.  (and to quickly squish the "only rich kids can afford to go to private schools" opinion) The majority of students at the school (including mine) can go because of Arizona Tuition Tax credit.   If you're frustrated with the public school system, I would highly recommend looking into it.  There are kids from every denomination there as well, so don't let that hold you back, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, etc, they're all a part of a great little school.

Anyway, back to my 13 year old.   For those of you that have already been through the teenage years with your kids, I'm sure this is old news for you and I'm sure you will have your own opinions on how to deal with them.   I've always wanted my boys to show leadership when it comes to decision making and right now, Ryan (my 13yo) doesn't seem to be showing much leadership.  He's got a C in two classes (I don't expect straight A's but I do expect effort).   From the sounds of it, he's being more of a follower in class than a leader.  So like every modern day parent, we decided to ground him from his X-Box.

Do you ever remember being grounded from the Atari?  Heck no, because we rarely played them.  We played outside.   My grades didn't suck as a kid because I was playing video games, they sucked because I would rather be outside riding my bike then indoors doing homework.  

I walked into my sons room this morning and I thought to myself.....my parents never would have allowed my room to look like this.   For one, there's a tv in there, that definitely wasn't happening when I was a kid.  We had 2 tv's, one in the living room and one in my parents room, not in our wildest dreams did we ever have a tv in our bedrooms.    Growing up, we had one clothes hamper and that's where the dirty clothes were, not on our bedroom floor.   We made our beds before school, not once on the weekends.    I could go on and on, but all I'm doing is making myself look like a poor example of a parent.

My kids are for the most part, really good kids.  Ryan has one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen.  He's great with the elderly and is always looking to help out a neighbor.  I guess as a dad, I just want to see more responsibility.  I know my boys are capable of more and I know that it's my responsibility to teach it to them.  

I'm sure I've whined and cried about the way I was brought up.  My brother and I had to work in my dad's garage every Saturday morning from the time we were little (and no I'm not saying we had to walk there both ways  up hill in the snow).   Of course, now that I'm older I appreciate the work ethic my dad taught me, but there are a million things I would have changed as well.   I would have loved to have a dad that I could have talked to, a dad that let me know that losing was ok, a dad who was open minded, needless to say, my dad and I weren't close.  I don't want that kind of distance between me and my boys.  I want to play a big role in their lives but I want to do it right (of course I'm assuming most dad's want the same).  

I want to teach them responsibility and respect, but I also don't want them to feel alienated from me.   I've got a lot of work to do on becoming a better dad as well as a better husband (another subject for another time).   I've got to start spending more quality time with my boys.

I see it happen to parents and their kids all the time.  Once they hit their teenage years, they start hanging with their friends more and more and with their parents less and less.  I know the friend thing is inevitable, but I'm going to do what I can to grow my relationship with them.  More talks, more alone time, more listening.  

Back to Ryan................He went to bed early tonight and watching him sleep just makes me want to improves on our time together.   Like I said; he's a great kid but I think he needs more dad time.   So for now,  no X-Box but more dad time.   We'll see if that helps bring the grades up.  

numbers numbers numbers

Just a few numbers from the foods I used to grab when in a hurry.

Taco Bell:
Cruncy Taco:  170 calories, 10 g. fat,  90 calories from fat
Chicken Quesadilla:  480 calories, 27 g fat, 240 calories from fat.
Mexican Pizza:  540 calories, 31 g. fat,  270 calories from fat

McDonalds
Quarter Pounder with Cheese:  520 calories, 26g fat,  240 calories from fat
Chicken McNuggets (10pc):  470 calories, 30g fat, 270 calories from fat
Large Fry:  500 calories,  25g fat, 220 calories from fat

Burger King
Whopper: 630 calories, 35g fat
Whopper Jr.  340 calories 19g fat
Chicken Apple Cranberry Salad (w/ Grilled Chicken)  560 calories, 30g fat


A few healthy choices:

Medium Apple:  95 calories  0 fat
Medium Banana:  105 calories  0 fat

Grilled Chicken Breast (no bun) from Wendy's:  130 calories,  2g fat

Get Back on Track

So...... the top 5 challengers list hasn't changed in almost a week.  C'mon people let's step it up a little.  Did Super Bowl Sunday knock some of you down a few notches?    Just gotta throw this out there, Sizzlean, who has been at the top of the list for quite some time now, is a truck driver living on Smoothies.   All I know is that if drove a truck all day, losing weight would be an even bigger battle.    Get back on track people!!!   CantW82BSkinny and Someday Skinny, I'm expecting you to take over the leader board soon.  Andibean, let's hear some news, how's it going out there?    

Just wanted to throw in a before and after picture for a little motivation.   I'm sort of blown away at how easy eating only fruits and veggies has been.  I don't even crave anything.  I'm a little anxious to see if I lose any weight by Friday.  I missed the gym yesterday, but have every intention on making it today.

My wife and I watched "Hungry for Change" last night.  It's another documentary about the importance of eating good foods and the marketing that goes into all of the processed foods we eat.   If anything, it's a good motivator for wanting to eating better.  If anyone wants a copy, shoot me an email and I'll have one sent to you.  Use all the strategies that you can to help you stay on track.   Watching these films really help.  Unless you have the time to google everything, they are a really good source of information on the benefits of eating healthy and the hidden agendas of the industrialized food market.   "Hungry for Change" and "Food Inc" are my two favorites.  Give them a try.  

No clue as the what to title this.

Ugh, fighting a cold today.  I knew it was going to catch me sooner or later.  My entire family has been dealing with it, but I've been lucky until now.  My head feels like it's in a vice and no amount of tylenol is going to work.   I'm thinking maybe my grandma's old whiskey and honey concoction.  Not sure the patients would be too happy with whiskey on the breath though:).

Well, day one of only fruits and veggies went extremely well.  I actually didn't crave anything at all.  Today I brought a variety of stuff.  Grapes, red peppers, celery, carrots, and an apple.   I think I'm going to run down to the health food store for lunch and grab some tomato soup.  It's actually really good and doesn't contain a million milligrams of sodium.

I spent about 2 hours last night studying for my nutrition class.  So far, most of it is review with the exception of a few things.  Cellular structure, the way things move in and out of the cell, all that good stuff.  It brings back nightmares of college though.   I remember one semester I had, human physiology, parasitology, and biochemistry all on the same day.  It was brutal.  I loved the physiology class, and biochem wasn't too bad (the only thing I remember from that class is the Krebs Cycle), but parasitology was torture.   What did I learn from parasitology........cook your meat!!!:)   The amount of parasites in the different types of fish is crazy.   I also learned about the one that enters the skin through the feet (people who used to have outhouses were the biggest victims), we saw pictures of people pulling these things out not by the inch, but by the foot (no pun intended).  Completely gross.  Or the one that you can see cruise through a persons eyeball.  Ya, like I said, cook your meat, and wear shoes to the outhouse:) .

I mentioned the other day how much I jump around subjects.  Just look at the paragraph above.  I started talking about my nutrition, then my college classes, then parasites:).    Cmon ya gotta keep up.    Brings to mind another class I had..........technical writing.   As you can see, I didn't learn a damn thing:).    

Oh, guess what I learned yesterday.  Did you know that when a company submits information to the FDA, such as a study to prove their product is safe or something of the sort.   All the FDA does is evaluate the study.  They do NO study of their own.    So basically when Pepsi introduces their study that the plastic in bottled water is safe, it's their own study!!  HELLO!!! McFly!!!!!!  Of course they're going to say it's safe!!

I was watching an old congressional meeting yesterday where John Kerry is just ripping into the head of the FDA.   Now I'm not a Kerry fan, but I gotta say, he definitely had the public's interest at heart.     All I can say, is that you can be as naive as you want, but even it's for the sake of supporting your local economy, if you have a farmers market or access to one, support it.   I'm sure most of you aren't as pathetically interested in doing the research like I am (I know I need to get a life), but every time we buy all this crap food, we're just saying, "ya it's ok, I'm too tired to give a crap what you put in my food, heck everyone else is eating it".   Buy FRESH!!!

When people eat good, you never hear them say, "dang I miss the day's where I ate like crap and felt even crappier".   It's a given, when you exercise and eat nutritionally dense foods, you are going to feel better.   As        
I've said a million times, it has to become a lifestyle.  Eating is a habit, most of us all love to do it, but typically we would be just as happy with a bunch of grapes as we would a snickers bar.  Sure, it's ok to get that sugar rush every once in while, but for the most part, make an effort to choose healthier foods.   It's funny, I'm not a big apple fan, but if I slice it, I seem to enjoy it more.  How dumb is that?   Whatever works though.

Ok, time to get to work.  Gonna go find some tylenol.  Have a super day.

Ugh!

Ever have one of those days where you've got nothing? No energy to work, no energy to focus, no energy to think? Today seems to be one of those days. I came to the gym, rode the bike for half an hour then did some weights, and now I'm just laying on the wrestling mats listening to my ipod. Days like this are so frustrating. They make no sense. I've got a ton to do and really feel like doing nothing (as I am doing right now).

Trying to dig deep and get my ass motivated, but so far I'm coming up empty. Going to go and put the gloves on and take my frustrations out on the bag (at least it doesn't hit back).

Sorry so blah today. Will work on it. :).


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Gatorade Removes Controversial Ingredient

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-25/sports/chi-pepsico-to-take-controversial-ingredient-out-of-gatorade-20130125_1_bvo-sarah-kavanagh-gatorade

“If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny.”

Thomas Jefferson

Who do we trust?

I don't even plan on weighing in for at least a few days.  The Super Bowl is always a pathetic motivator to stray from one's efforts of eating well.  My wife is an amazing cook and believe me we had plenty of food to keep us full throughout the game.   We had a couple of friends over and of course they too brought over some "not so healthy" snacks.   I'm thinking that by the end of the game, I had likely consumed more calories then I had all week long.  I'm sure this is going to delay my last weeks goal of 170, but I'm determined to get back on track. 

This week is going to be a good week.  My wife and I have agreed to eat only fresh fruits and vegetables.  No animal products what so ever.  I'm doing this for several reasons, but for now, to keep from sounding too much like a quack, I'm going to refrain from explaining too much.   

I worked part of Saturday and on one of my monitors at work I put on a few dietary documentaries.  If you ever want some motivation to eat better, just watch a few of these.  The facts are there people, the food we eat, is mostly crap.

It's a no brainer that cancer rates have skyrocketed over the last century. Check out these facts.If you knew for a fact that the ingredients in the food you were feeding your kids, contributed to possible cancer risks, would you feed it to them?      This is something I've been battling with.  I look in our pantry and see all the "crap" food that not only myself and my wife eat, but my kids do as well.   Again, another question of "why".   On one of the documentaries, it show's a guy smoking and he says "well you've got to die of something".   I'm sure that to most of you, this statement is absurd, but, when you consider all the poor food choices we make, aren't most of us saying the same thing?

It's a scary thing to deal with.  The more educate yourself, the more you question things.  What do you believe, who do you trust?   How much do you trust medical literature, how much do you trust the government organizations whose job it is to keep you safe?   I don't want to sound like some conspiracy theorist, but like I said, the more you try to educate yourself, the more you really question.    I guess all I can really say, is do the research, keep an open mind, and don't be naive to the possible or impossible. 



Note: When I go back and read what I write, I'm amazed at how much I never stay on topic. :)   Sorry.  It's the way my mind works. 







 

Moby Dick

This morning I got one of the best responses to my question :  According to a recent study, 42% of Americans are doomed to become obese by 2030.  Why???

It was definitely not the response I was expecting, but something that really made me think, on so many different levels.  

Before I post the link to the response, I wanted to say a few things.  Newell has become one of my best friends over the years.  His family has been through so much.  My heart goes out to him not only as a friend, but a father.   I can give him all the advice in the world, but until one goes through what he has and is going through, I'm not sure anyone can really relate.  You can talk about Faith all day long, but when your child is diagnosed with such a horrible disease, this is when true Faith is really put to the test.  I knew nothing of Mitochondrial disease until I learned that 3 of Newell's kids were diagnosed with it.  I could never really relate what these kids go through until Newell asked me to participate in an upcoming project he's putting together.  Since I don't have permission yet to discuss it, I'll just skim the basics.   It will involve some of us on our bikes, going all out until we hit our lactate threshold.    It wasn't until I was asked to help that I realized this is what these kids feel with just very little exertion.  While I complain about "feeling" old, these kids feel it daily.  Some are worse than others, but I just can't imagine it.   As most child diseases are, this too is very underfunded and understudied.  It leaves many of the parents doing their own research while costing an astronomical amount for treatments that have been unproven.  

Anyway, instead of posting his response here, I'm just going to post a link to his blog.  Please take some time to read.  And if all you can do is keep him and his family in your prayers, please do so.  

http://www.ndbelnap.com/2013/02/today-i-will-eat-moby-dick.html

Why?

Just saw this:
According to a recent study, 42% of Americans are doomed to become obese by 2030

I would love to hear your views as to why we, as a country are becoming fatter.

Email me, comment, let's hear it.

10 Best Weight Loss Blogs

Here's a cool sight that I hope you guys will enjoy.  Some very impressive stories!!!

http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/10-weight-loss-bloggers-you-should-follow