Day 153 Limited Indulgence and My Fallen Brother

Day 153

Limited Indulgence and My Fallen Brother

I decided to start my Saturday with a homemade breakfast sandwich. I had a broadcast to do at Wal-Mart from 9am to 1pm, and I didn't want to deal with grabbing something there like many times before. Remember the inappropriate talker guy? The stranger who showed his complete absence of social skills and human decency when he spotted a very large man (me) sitting in the middle of the store eating a Rice Krispy treat for breakfast and said “You gonna sit there all day and eat those?” That guy would have to think of something else to say today, because I set the alarm a little earlier to enjoy breakfast before the broadcast. I had two large eggs (70 calories each; 140), prepared on non-stick without any added calories, fried hard with a half slice of American cheese (30 calories), and mushrooms (30 calories) folded over like an omelet on toasted lite sourdough (-2slices-Wonder Lite-40 calories a slice; 80). I used a very thin spread of Miracle Whip (a fraction of the calories of real Mayo—15 calories) and this very filling and scrumptious start weighed in at 295 calories. Considering that I'm normally somewhere between six and eight hundred calories by 1pm, this was good, because it allowed me a little room for some candy!

I may have survived Halloween without a mini-snicker meltdown, but hey, I'm only human! It's Valentines Day, so instead of opting for 75 to 100 calorie pieces of chocolate, I decided on a serving of Peanut M&M's for 220. It was enough to satisfy the chocolate requirement of the day, without wasting too many calories on actual chocolates. I can remember consuming an entire box of chocolate covered cherries many times, and if it's Turtles? Look out! I've had those until I was ashamed to admit how many. I'm very careful how much I use the excuse “It's (insert special occasion here) Day!” I can't recall all of the “special days” I've allowed to completely derail me before. I always have a plan for days like today. Valentines Day, in relation to my calorie limit, isn't that big of a deal. I planned to have some sort of candy today, I made room for it, enjoyed it, and I'm happy!

As I near an all-time personal weight loss record, I've found that it's impossible to run into people that know me without them mentioning the big difference in my appearance. It happened no less than five times today during my broadcast, and these interactions with people that have known me at my largest, is a super motivator for continued resolve and complete success. If you're starting on your journey now, just maintain an honest and consistent effort long enough to start having these experiences, because they can really catapult you into a zone where nothing can shake you, they certainly have for me.

On Day 106, I wrote about doing things to improve my emotional health. More specifically, I talked about re-connecting with my father and someday meeting my older and younger half brothers. The line of communication established between my dad and me has been a real blessing. Reaching and connecting with my half-brothers has proven to be a challenge. And yesterday my dad gave me some grim news about Daniel, the oldest. He has been stricken with aortic dissection. This is the same tragedy that happened to John Ritter. According to my research, aortic dissection is a break in the main artery that carries blood from the heart. The lining of the aorta tears, separating, or dissecting the middle layer of the vessel wall from the still intact outer layer. A few things can lead to this fatal condition, including a connective tissue disorder caused by a birth defect, but the leading cause of this tragedy is prolonged untreated high blood pressure. I don't know if high blood pressure contributed to my brother Daniel's condition. My cousin Lisa just called and told me that the doctors have confirmed that Daniel couldn't survive at this point without the machines in the intensive care unit. She told me the family has requested the machines be turned off at 10am tomorrow morning. My prayers are for Daniel, his fiancée, my Dad, and all of the family members who loved him everywhere and for those that have been gathered by his side in that Huntsville hospital. I really wish I could be there for them. Again, I can't say that high blood pressure contributed to this horrible situation, I don't know. But since high blood pressure is the leading cause of the condition, it would be well advised to get your blood pressure checked, if it's high, get it treated and under control now. If you already take medication for high blood pressure, like me, then never miss a day. If you'll remember from the first days of this blog, high blood pressure and it's long term effects was the main focus of my doctors wake up call to me. They call it the “silent killer.” Get yours checked and treated if needed. Rest in peace brother.

We're getting ready for a photo shoot around the house. Last weekend my goal was to post some pictures and the racquetball video on the web, well I ended up accomplishing one of those things. I'm still trying to figure out the best place to put the “before” and “in progress” pictures and I'll figure that out tomorrow.

I allowed the afternoon to slip by without getting into the YMCA. Courtney had her sister drop her off for a solo effort where she logged four miles. Then she joined me for my really cold walk tonight at the Hutchins Trail. I intended on a 5K minimum, but we both agreed a brisk two miles out there with the temperature in the 20's F was still a good effort. Maybe not our best, but we were numb from the cold! Courtney logged six miles today! I couldn't be more proud of her commitment. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean