The Weight

When I was growing up I was super skinny. As a child I looked like I was malnourished. I could eat and eat whatever I wanted and never gain an ounce. All through my teens I would liberally be called underweight. My metabolism was so high that it just didn’t matter what I consumed. Unfortunately this led to just a shit load of bad eating habits. Habits that have been very difficult to break as the years have gone on.

As I got older and my metabolism slowed I started to gain weight. At first this was a good thing as I needed some pounds. I often joke that I was at my ideal weight for like ten minutes in 1993. When I was playing softball and being somewhat active in my twenties it wasn’t that big of a deal. Sure, I ate like shit and drank many a nights away but I was always doing something so, the weight gain I did have was gradual.

As I hit my thirties I started to slow down and I kept on eating and drinking whatever the hell I wanted. I had and still have a food addiction. There are worse things to be addicted to but pizza, burgers, fried rice, a good steak burrito, pasta I was and still am in love with the most fating foods on this planet. I got married and Joyce tried to get me to eat healthier. At dinner I would, but man at lunch when I was unsupervised I just went hog wild. Because of this as I got older I put on even more weight eventually hitting the dreaded two hundred pound level, something I swore I would never cross.

From there it only got worse. I started running at some point and that helped stem the tide a tad. I justified to myself that as long as I ran I could still eat like a pig and it would be fine. I wasn’t losing any weight but I wasn’t gaining any so, I thought it was all good. Then I had to have my appendix removed in June. Because of this I could not run for awhile. A month turned into two which turned into three.

Why I stopped running I don’t know, but I did. I also just kept on drinking Miller High Life and eating any crappy food I wanted. I was feeling very unhealthy and was afraid to step on a scale. I needed something to wake me up. One day I was looking at some old photos. One was from a camping trip a number of years ago. In it I looked so much lighter and happier that I burned the image into my head. I wanted to look and feel that way again. Then I went to Vancouver and stayed in a hotel. I got a look at my gut in a very unflattering mirror in the Hyatt bathroom and that was the last straw.

I got back from Canada and I made a pledge I was going to get back to a healthier weight. I looked into all the diet fads and weight watchers and all that stuff. But, I know me. I know I need to do things my own way. Nothing against any of those programs and diets, as I am sure they worked for many people. But me personally I needed to do things my own way.

So far I have lost twenty pounds. That has gotten me under two balloons for the first time in awhile. I feel so much better now than when I did three months ago. I would like to drop another ten to fifteen and then maintain that weight. Here is how I did it. Now, this worked for me, I am not saying it will work for everyone.

First, you have to be prepared to make a lifestyle change. I have found that fad diets do not work. Sure, you might lose the weight at first but it is much more difficult to keep it off once you go off of it. I downloaded an app on my IPhone called Lose It. In there I set up some goals. It then sets up a plan directing you to how many calories you can eat per day. The key is you have to add everything you eat into the app. If you cheat it won’t work. So now before I eat any meal I figure out how many calories are in each piece of food. It’s nice in that if you eat something from a store you can simply scan the bar code and it will add it in there for you. You can also add any exercises you do in a given day. The more you exercise the more you can eat.

I cannot stress this enough. It is basic common sense but I feel it needs to be said. You will not lose weight and keep it off if you just exercise or if you just diet. You need to do both. It is simple math. You need to burn 3500 calories to lose one pound. So, unless you want to completely starve yourself (and what fun is that) you will have to get off the couch and start exercising. I like running. Some people like hitting an elliptical or taking a spin class. The point is do something. Another piece of advice start slow and work your way up. Going from 0 to 60 is a guarantee you will get injured (in particular if you are like me and over 40.) Walk around your block then walk two blocks and then go from there. Doing something is better than sitting on your ass.

Okay, like I said I like food. So, I had to find some way for me to keep enjoying what I am eating, which means one thing portion control. Before, I would eat and keep on eating. Now, if I have a taste for a hamburger I get one but a small one. I don’t get the fries and coke that usually comes with it. I read that if you eat five small meals a day instead of three big ones it is much easier. So now I eat breakfast when I get to work. Usually a bowl of cereal (sorry Fruity Pebbles is out, try good old Cheerios or something low in calories) with sadly skim milk, which I used to hate but is growing on me. I knew lunch would be the most difficult challenge as I stated that was the meal I usually ate the worst of the worst fast food. I have to get out of the office for a half hour. I get stir crazy if I don’t get to see natural light and brown bagging it while it may be a money saver and calorie reducer is just not an option.

I have checked every single fast food establishment’s website to find the best combo and keep that meal in the 400-450 range. It is still my largest meal of the day but it beats the caloric intake I used to have. Like if I hit Culver’s (one of my guilty pleasures) I will get a single butter burger no cheese with a side of green beans. At first I would think that is not going to fill me but you will be surprised how quickly you will get full once you put your mind to not overeating. I have found I am much less likely to cheat if I can still enjoy the foods I want.

I then have a snack of some sort at around two. This depends on how much I have or plan to exercise that day. I usually get my sweet fix on by simply eating some fruit. Again stating the obvious but besides being good for you it tastes good. A big bowl of pineapple chunks has taken over my cravings for Twizzlers. Dinner usually consists of a Lean Cuisine. I have become a Lean Cuisine sommelier. They are relatively inexpensive (especially if you can get them on sale) and now find that they usually fill me. Some taste better than others but it is all personal preference. Then at eight I have one last snack. What I eat here is usually dictated by how many calories I have left in my day. I love popcorn. I have an air popper and if you don’t add all the butter and salt popcorn can be surprisingly healthy and low in calories. Plus you can eat a lot of it so it will fill you.

Lastly, on Sunday I reward myself. I eat just like I used to on Sundays. If I want a Fasanos Pizza I order one. If I want a Dukes Beef I wait until Sunday. I would not have made it this far without that reward day. Sure, I might have the lost the weight quicker but, this is not a race. I wanted to lose the weight didn’t matter how long it took.

The results so far are good. I look and feel better than I have in years. I now weigh less than I have in a long time. My clothes are starting to look big on me so, I may have to get some new stuff. I still have my gut, and my ultimate goal is to rid myself of it completely. I have started working with weights at the gym to alternate with my running and slowly but surely I can start to see some results. I am not there yet, but it feels good knowing I am on the right path after a lot of years of abuse.

The Fields Parties

Back in my Kmart days there was a time each year that I looked forward to more than most. It was the 4^th of July and the reason I looked forward to our nation’s birthday was simply the Jim Fields parties. I have so many great memories of those galas, some of which I can actually remember. It is difficult to try to summarize those bashes. In a way you kind of just had to be there to experience it. But, I will try.

The parties were usually the night before the 4^th. The ritual included staying up all night consuming all sorts of booze and then without sleeping head to the golf course to be the first ones on and golfing eighteen holes while you were half in the bag. I did this more times than I can remember. The front nine you are golfing on adrenaline so you breeze through it. However, the back nine is usually a problem, but more on that later.

At the party itself, there would be music blaring in the garage and Jim would have his big screen setup in his living room showing flicks the whole time. He had a surround sound setup and it was almost like sitting in a movie theater. In the backyard the horseshoe pit would be set up and the grill would be loaded with food. Most years there would be a contest to see how many hot dogs Mr. White would consume.

Then there was the booze. One year in particular a store manager, Vic made some jungle juice. If you have never had the pleasure I don’t know if you should feel lucky or not. He made it in a twenty gallon Rubbermaid garbage can and it was stirred with a nine iron. I don’t know the exact ingredients but I can tell you it had a copious amount of grain alcohol. There was also a ton of watermelon, pineapple and cantaloupe cubes floating near the top of it. I didn’t have one glass of the mixture. But, I ate a lot of that fruit. That would be a mistake.

To put it simply I blacked out. I was out of my mind drunk. That year for whatever reason I was the first name called to tee off on the first hole out of our entire group. So everyone at River Oaks (where we usually golfed) had their eyes on me. I could barely stand straight let alone swing a golf club. I don’t like all eyes on me when I am teeing off sober let alone drunk off my ass. I tried to put on a brave front like everything was cool. However, my charade was soon discovered. I got to the tee box and that is when the trouble started. I was so wobbly and my motor skills were so shot that I simply could not place the ball onto the wooden tee. Instead of sympathy I got mocking and laughter which I totally deserved and would have done to any of my friends as well.

The rest of that day is a blur. Like I said the first nine most years were fine. But that back nine once the sun comes out and starts baking you is a whole other story. At a certain point you just want it to end. You are more trying to survive then golf. There was a hole on the back nine with a fence to your left as you teed off. I hit my ball and of course it goes in the woods. I line up another one same result. I don’t know why I didn’t just throw a ball on the course and take a penalty but at a certain point it was a matter of pride. I lost about six balls to the woods before I finally got one on the fairway.

The ride home was usually agony. With all the damage you have done and with a severe lack of sleep your body tends to just revolt. The short straw usually drove home and it was not fun. Every bodily extinct you have is to shut your eyes and sleep. As bad as I had it I never had it as bad as my friend Rob had it one year.

After going through all the drinking and golfing Rob was a mere mile or so from home and sleeping. However it was at this point when his car caught on fire. He pulled into the State Road plaza borrowed a fire extinguisher from a local merchant and then had to deal with the tow truck and all the rest while running on less then fumes. When he finally got home he slept for 26 hours. My favorite story is he got up and was mad thinking he only slept two hours. His mom then informed him that no he had lost an entire day.

One other little secret is that until later in life none of us were yet of the legal drinking age when these parties took place. Let’s put this in context though. It was the late 80’s. Things were much different. There wasn’t the mass hysteria there is today of protecting kids from any and all things fun and dangerous. I am not saying it was kosher for the adults we knew at the time to be providing us with booze. But, we all stayed in one place we policed ourselves and no one drove under in the influence. We had fun and if someone was over served we took care of the situation.

I have so many other memories from those days. The time Wally somehow while “dancing” was able to knee himself in the eye. Another Wally moment where he pulled out a camera and some dude we have no clue to this day who he was pulls a gun out and tells him to put the camera away. The time I was able to talk a certain K Mart girl into playing strip poker. (I won’t go into any more details then that.) I am sure I am missing a number of other great stories and memories but to be perfectly honest most years I was sober for about the first ten minutes I walked in the door and it was all downhill from there. Like most of my youth adventures at my time at Moraine and Kmart I look back with fondness and just a bit of amazement at what we did.

Nick's Top 10 Vocalists

Awhile back I did a list of my favorite guitarists, bass players and drummers. I had every intention of including my top ten vocalists as well but never got around to it. Eventually it got to the point I completely forgot about it. Well, here at long last is my list. Again, these are my picks and no one has to agree or disagree with it. As they say live and let live.

10. Warren Zevon – I know most would say he doesn’t have a great singing voice. I think that should be amended to he doesn’t have a traditional voice. I prefer singing that is a tad rough around the edges. I find something beautiful in that. Zevon, was downright heroic in death and made some of the saddest yet inspiring music ever right before he died. Still, even before that I was a fan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5puAN1PGQw

9. Bob Dylan – Of all the names on this list I expect to get the most shit for including Dylan. And I admit his is a very unconventional voice that you have to kind of grow to love. Most will say he was a great song writer but can’t sing. To that I call bullshit. Again, the guy isn’t going to win America Idol but the uniqueness in his singing is what I cling to. And trust me after awhile you start to crave it. So go and listen to Mariah Carey and her perfect octave. I will take Bob any day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwSZvHqf9qM&ob=av3e

8. Bruce Springsteen – I get why a lot of people have given up on Bruce. I mean for the last 25 years for the most part he has put out mostly shit. But, there was a time back in the late 70’s and early 80’s that Springsteen was making some of the best music in rock and roll with lyrics that were poetry. I love the New Jersey accent that he can’t hide in his singing. At one time a true craftsman that eventually sold out and made Born in the USA. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y4JfkZ5mJs&feature=related

7. Chrissie Hynde – To me she is the best female vocalist of them all. There is something seductive in her singing that always hits me in the chest. Again not a classically trained singer but her voice while different also produces in my mind at least a wonderful sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtwX0hMVrIo&feature=related

6. Roger Daltrey – Now talk about a set of pipes. Daltrey just like the rest of the members of the greatest band of all time was the perfect fit. His voice was meant to sing along with Pete’s wind milling, Keith’s mania, and John’s precession. Even as he approaches 70 he still can belt them out. I don’t think I will get much of an argument here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJtbICbfjno&feature=related

5. Roy Orbison – Maybe the prettiest voice in rock and roll history. There are certain people put on this earth with a god given talent to sing and Roy was one of them. His voice was pure magic. He was a country and rock mix vocalist that turned his words into a pure delight. Sadly just as he was enjoying a resurgence he passed away suddenly. But he left behind a great legacy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geLAbyOTaZA&feature=related

4. Levon Helm – There are certain people I could listen to sing anything and be sated. Helm is one of them. I didn’t get into the Band until way later on in life. The one thing I was struck by immediately was the drummer whose voice was so unique and so powerful. No one sounds like Levon Helm. He lost his voice a number of years ago but is now back and he is as good as ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VShpcqd3zE

3. Neil Young – Now here comes a nuking. The thing is there is no middle ground with Neil Young. You either unabashedly love him and his voice or it is nails on a chalkboard to you. Count me in the love group. To me his voice is so different than anyone else’s and just off enough that it is one of the greatest of all time. Neil Young maybe has given more joy from his music then other single performer. A true music god and for those that don’t get him, I feel sorry for you. You’re missing out on beauty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVi0UvFu8Yo

2. Freddie Mercury – Freddie makes this list for two reasons. One he could flat out sing. The other, he may have been the best front man in rock and roll history. He was a true showman whose stage presence was simply mesmerizing. When he was up there you did not and could not look away. I’m not sure anyone commanded a show like he did. Sadly, I never got the chance to watch him live as he was taken away way too young. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXOOwNS2qk0

1. Van Morrison – Simply put Van Morrison could sing the phone book and I would pay to listen. If you haven’t at least once in your life made out to Moondance then you haven’t lived. I simply cannot put into words just how amazing I feel Van Morrison’s singing ability is, so I won’t even try. Just go YouTube him right now and you will be in a good mood in five minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpPSBzGEklE

Honorable Mention: Al Green, Bon Scott, Paul Carrick, Joe Cocker, Jeff Lynne, Corey Glover, Robert Plant, David Byrne, Stevie Wonder.