My First Girlfriend Was Little Debbie

When I was a kid I was not generally THAT fat. I was always kind of chubby, but never really fat until about a year after having left my home. This was mostly due to the fact that I was eating many high sugar, high carb, and high fat foods in one sitting and consuming them in volumes that wouldn't be healthy for two people, let alone myself. I have been doing much of the raising of myself since the age of 13 with a host of supporters from several different angles. Here are some things they DON'T teach you growing up that would have changed my life had I known:

1) Go outside and be active
I was told to go play outside several times and quite honestly most times it was simply a way for adults to rid themselves of the burdens of being a parent for a small time and relax. I understand that. The part they never tell you about is that the activity your children and even us as adults get when being outside and active is more productive to a healthy lifestyle than even trying to work out at home.

2) Carbohydrates can make you FAT
When I was a kid, the food pyramid looked something like this:

Reality is that the meat and poultry section should be much closer to the bottom. I had a lot of bread and cereal and pasta as a kid and what happens when you don't burn those is that they turn directly into fat - JUST LIKE SUGAR AND FAT ALREADY DO. Higher lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products are more of what you need.

3) Healthy food can taste good
I was always served healthy food with the least amount of creativity possible. Peas slopped on a plate. Spinach in a soupy goop. Beans served from a can or in a sloppy soup of meat and sauce. It was never something that tasted great to me. Specifically, most vegetables had a raw flavor that wasn't that great and the texture of beans didn't sit well with meat to me.

                  TIPS:

• Corn is not a vegetable - it's a grain - put it with the breads (Ok they are but they fit better there)
• Potatoes are not a vegetable - they also belong with breads (See above about Corn)
• Do not mix beans with meat - season them and cheese them - much better
• Wrap certain veggies (asparagus, carrots, etc.) with bacon or another good protein
• Tomatoes are a great FRUIT
• Spinach is less potent raw but great for salads and rather yummy - do not cook it

4) It's okay to have food that is bad for you if you portion it correctly - BALANCE

Growing up I was always told that things like Little Debbie and Hostess would make me fat. In excess this is true. They will make you fat a lot quicker than healthier food, but the basic concept is still the same. If you do not over eat and you eat these in moderation you can still stay skinny, be healthy on the inside, and stay happy. My problem growing up is that I had ZERO clue as to what moderation meant. If I ate only one Little Debbie or Hostess snack per meal was that bad?

                WHAT IS MODERATION?

• The amount of weight a food will add to you is called a Calorie - that's why we count them
• Everyone burns a different amount of calories at rest and during activity
• The average person burns around 2,000 calories/day with their regular activities
• You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay under the limit - so if I only burn 1400 I can only eat 1400 unless I engage in extra activity to burn those extra calories - simple really
• Fat + Sugar + Carbs = Fat (so if you are trying to lose weight - try to lose these categories)
• A Zebra Cake (Little Debbie) is 330 Calories, 47 carbs, and 32 sugars - Just for the info, your daily average of 2000 Cals brings you to 1670, carbs to about 200, and sugars to about160. If I ate a whole box of these treats I have consumed most of my calories for the day, more carbs than I should for a day, and more sugars than I should for a day. I can have them - but do I really want them?

Just some thoughts I had about losing weight. By the way my wife and I are still on track and I am currently down about 14 pounds - give or take a few ounces.