How I Lost Weight

Before I begin my rant, I just want to warn that weight loss in itself shouldn't be a goal. It is better to adjust your goals to become more healthy - weight loss simply is a side effect of healthier living.

I was starting to get pretty out of shape round about 2 years ago. As a result I was about 15lbs overweight. In order to try to get back to a healthier lifestyle, I started to run 2 miles 3 times a week to see if I could get back in shape and lose some pounds. I also cut out my intake of soft drinks and sweets. This used to work wonders back when I was a teenager and even into my 20s. Exercise and better eating. A great starter combination toward healthier living.

But somehow, now in my 30s, the running sans-pop lifestyle didn't seem to do the trick. Net weight loss... zero. So now what? Well, it so happens my wife was put on a restrictive diet by her doctor due to allergy complications at around the same time. In support of her, I followed the same eating instructions. Lo and behold, it worked. I lost the 15lbs.

So what was the difference in what I ate before and what I now eat?

I'd say the biggest difference is in the amount of rice. I used to eat roughly a cup of rice per meal. It's now down to a quarter cup. To put that in perspective, it's about 3 spoonfuls. Yep. 3. The amount of meats I eat seems to have doubled. Roughly 6 - 8oz. That's about the size of a steak or two chicken legs. Lastly, way way way more veggies than I've ever eaten. Sorry, no dressing.

The first 10 days or so made me feel hungry all the time. Strangely though, I didn't feel tired or lacking in energy. I still played hockey on a regular basis and wasn't worse for wear. After the 10 days, I got used to the new amount I was eating. Seems my stomach must've shrunk cuz now I felt full way more quickly than before.

One last notable thing. I vary the foods from meal to meal to make sure I get an assortment of nutrients. I also take a multi-vitamin supplement.

At the end of the day, it still boils down to exercise and better eating habits. So much has changed, yet so much has stayed the same.

Caring for the Elderly

As the baby-boomer population ages, caring for the elderly becomes a more useful skill to have. I don't profess to be an expert on this but I read a great article about this very topic. The author summarizes the basic parts of providing care for the elderly to be:

• Provide a home
• Offer legal help and support
• Help with financial responsibilities
• Arrange resident nursing care
• Deal with mental health and medical issues related to aging such as dementia, Alzheimer's, etc.
• Meet their socialization needs
• Help the elderly make decisions, including those about dying, i.e. living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc.

This is a useful list but I think I'd like to add one more thing - quality of life. Now for the most part, we're talking about caring for a loved-one. For these dear people, surely we would want to provide them the most dignified and fun environment to live in spite of their challenges. This means providing an environment that not only provides food and medical care, but also an element of relationships and recreational activities.

Booze, Smokes, and Dope

There's one thing in common between booze, smokes and dope - rehabilitation services. It's obvious, these things are addictive, not to mention expensive and unhealthy. My recommendation for youth... just steer clear of using these things, if at all possible.

If you're already hooked... hmm... not sure what you can do. Anyone have any experience with this that they can offer?