Day 233 The Colonel And I Go Way Back

Day 233

The Colonel And I Go Way Back

I fell in love with the Colonel's secret blend of eleven herbs and spices when I was a very young child. While most kids would write letters to Santa, I would write letters to Colonel Sanders. We always had a bunch of family “get togethers,” and several people would always bring that familiar bucket full of the tastiest fried chicken in the world. Sometimes a bag or box of fried chicken would show up from the “other guys,” and it didn't take long to figure out the taste test winner. The Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket was always the first to be empty. I guess my love of KFC must have been what led me to fill out an application for employment at 15. You had to be 16 to get hired, but they didn't ask and I didn't tell. It was easy because I was over six foot tall and 250 pounds, plus you didn't have to show two forms of ID back then! And I really needed to have some spending money! I remember ordering some chicken and an application, then sitting down and eating while I filled it out. After I finished I realized that my application had grease stains all over, I was going to wash my hands and fill out another, but I thought nah, these grease stains let them know how much I love the product! I was immediately hired, grease stains and all. I was officially a Kentucky Fried Chicken Cook at 15 years of age. Although it was against policy, the manager allowed us to take home the leftover chicken every night. I was in finger lickin' heaven! I would brag to my friends, “I get paid to cook and then gorge on the worlds best fried chicken several times a week!” It's no wonder that my weight quickly started to shoot sky high, crossing the 300 pound mark at 16. When I started dating Irene at almost 16, we would have late night chicken feast all the time. And it wasn't just chicken. It was mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, the whole works. We would eat until we were sick. It's safe to say that I probably gained a hundred pounds eating mostly Kentucky Fried Chicken over the course of a year. Thank goodness radio came along and plucked me away from the Colonel forever. When I started this journey in September of 2008, KFC was one of the fast food places that I really avoided. I knew that I could navigate a calorie counting visit there, but I had a history with this place, so it was best to stay away. When Courtney suggested KFC for dinner last night, I had a twinge of fear, just a little. I did my best to maintain my fatherly composure and I decided that the new Kentucky Grilled might not be too bad. But I did worry a little. What if I couldn't handle the temptation? Given my history, how tragic a twist would that be? End it all right there in a blaze of biscuits and extra crispy! Maybe they were hiring! Our KFC in Ponca City features an all you can eat buffet, isn't that great? For the price of one normal meal, you can eat seven! Good thing it was day 232 and not Day 1, or worse, the very tough Day 60! We walked in very confident, straight to the counter, where the cashier asked with an assuming tone “two buffets?” I didn't mean to laugh out loud, but I did as I said “Uh, no, don't think we're doing the buffet.” We ordered two of the two piece Kentucky Grilled dinners with a breast and drumstick on each. I ordered potatoes without gravy, as did Courtney, and I chose the corn, Courtney the cole slaw. We also declined the biscuit, to which the cashier replied, “but it comes with the meal,” and I said “keep 'em.” I like their biscuits, sure. But it's a horrible calorie value we didn't want. The term “good choices” was paramount to us getting out of there with our calorie budgets in good condition. My meal came in at 460. Perfect! The grilled breast was 180, the grilled drumstick was 70, the potatoes without gravy was 100, and the whole kernel sweet corn was 110. Had I chose Original Recipe, and added the biscuit and the gravy, the meal would have been exactly 900 calories! Had I picked the mac and cheese instead of the corn, it would have been 970. Had I picked the green beans instead of the corn, my meal would have checked in at only 385 calories. It's all in our choices! By the way, the gravy on a small potatoes at KFC only adds 30 calories, could've done it, but I was being very cautious! Kudos to KFC for the great tasting low calorie grilled chicken and for also having printed nutrition pamphlets available in the dining room. I promise I haven't been paid a dime to say that!

I walked the trail yesterday for a pre weigh-in 5K. Not that it would really make any difference in my results, but it did in the way I felt! Once again I walked in the steady rain, and I loved it. After I finished the 5K, the clouds broke and the sun started shining again.

My “Lose To Win” weigh in showed another 20 pounds lost, bringing my LTW Challenge total to 34.2 pounds. I'm proud of that number, very nice. Our teammate and friend Brandon did extremely well too. I have to wait until the awards ceremony night to reveal just how well he did, but trust me it was amazing. The guy has worked so hard. He often times works out twice a day, he's determined to make this the last weight loss attempt of his life. He's armed with a completely different way of thinking about food and exercise. When I say he “get's it,” I mean he totally understands the mental part, the food part, and the exercise part. It's remarkable how our past behaviors are so similar. He's been there right along with me in the experience department. I've always been around 100 pounds heavier than Brandon. When the “Lose To Win” challenge started I was lighter than him for the first time. Now we're six tenths of a pound apart with him once again being the lighter. Now it's on Brandon! The Team prizes are significant amounts of money...$2000 for first, $1500 for second, and $1000 for third. The prizes are awarded based on percentage of body weight lost just like on the “Biggest Loser,” so really, who knows who will win? We'll all find out together on the 14th!

Today was a very rare 13 hour day in radio land. I still made sure I ate something every three hours, and when I arrived home at 7:30 this evening I realized Irene and Courtney had already had dinner, so I pan seared some talapia and had a whole can of green beans with a slice of melted white American cheese. I still have over 300 calories coming so I may have a grilled high fiber tortilla with some shaved ham.

Thank you for the wonderful comments left on yesterdays blog. Several people suggested I write a book, or simply convert this blog into a book. That would be a dream come true. Who knows, we'll see where this journey leads together.

I also received a very nice message from a professional motivational/inspirational speaker named Scott “Q” Marcus. He noticed that I had mentioned my desire to eventually become a full time weight loss speaker and he was kind enough to offer advice. What an incredibly nice thing to do. I can't wait to hear from him again.

Thank you for reading. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean