Are you really hungry?

Weight Watchers Online has a good tip that I have kept in mind since I have been involved with the program.

Tip of the Week: Studies have shown that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to let your brain know it's satisfied. Start with smaller portions and then wait 20 minutes before digging in for seconds. You may find that you're no longer hungry.

This has been a big one for me. I have learned that most of the times when I thought I was hungry, I really was not. Maybe I was more thirsty than hungry.

Weight Watchers emphasizes paying better attention to your body's signals. Knowing when you're hungry and when you're not is an important part of the battle against the bulge.

Focusing on phytonutrients

I've been researching phytonutrients as part of my quest to lighten up and get healthy. Phytonutrients, also known as pytochemicals, are organic components of plants thought to promote health. Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and teas are rich sources of phytonutrients. WebMD answers some frequently asked questions.
Cooking can lead to nutrient loss. The longer a food is exposed to heat, the greater the nutrient loss, according to the World's Healthiest Foods site. The USDA also has information on phytonutrients.

Thirty pounds down, twenty more to go

They don't call it Weight Watchers for nothing -- you are really expected to watch your weight. In fact, when you're on Weight Watchers Online, you weigh-in every week to track your progress.

My weight tracker started March 14, 2010. I had already begun losing weight on my own before I joined Weight Watchers, so at the time I put in 220 pounds. Trying to lose weight strictly on my own, I had lost about five pounds.

The cool thing about Weight Watchers Online is that the tracker calculates your average weekly weight change and even generates a chart. I really love this because it is reassuring to see that descending line. That does a lot for me psychologically.

My initial goal weight of 209 pounds was achieved April 4, 2010. From then on, I have consistently lost weight through the rest of the month, into to May, June, and now, July.

I have lost an average of 1.7 pounds a week. At this rate, I should reach my goal weight much quicker than I originally though I would.

Keeping track in California

Greetings from sunny southern California! I have been enjoying a few beautiful days (which I've been told the weather is like this all the time) in the Los Angeles area with SaveGasBurnFat.com creator Vinnie.

He has been kind enough to show me around, and offer a few tips in my continuing effort to lose that extra 50 pounds I had packed on. I now weight 198 pounds, so that means I have only about 15 pounds more to go. I feel like I'm coming around the home stretch, as the first 30 or so didn't seem that difficult. After all, I have never gone hungry this entire time. I have simply educated myself on eating properly. My body has rewarded me by slimming down. I've never felt better.

Just this morning we had a free hour, so we went over to the gym to squeeze in a workout. Now that I have my diet under control, thanks in large part to Weight Watchers Online, I am ready to focus on getting fit. By eating right and working out, I hope to lose even more weight. I have been consistently dropping about a pound or two each week. With an added workout routine, I expect those figures to double.

Today we did some arm exercises. Yesterday we worked on legs. After working with the weights, we hopped on the treadmill. I'm not in the greatest shape of my life, so I jogged for only a couple of minutes and walked the rest. Vinnie keeps himself in tip-top shape, so he easily jogged the entire time.

The time we spent in the gym both days only felt like a small sliver of the day. It's really not a huge commitment. Many people sit in front of a television for hours each day. Why not take just one of those hours and spend it in the gym? It's really worth it when you consider the benefits. I've started from scratch with working out after taking several years off, and I already feel great. I know I'll only feel better as I work toward my target weight.

As for the food here, it has all been exceptional. Just because I'm on vacation doesn't mean I have to fly off the handle when it comes to my diet plan. I have been able to find healthy options everywhere we've gone. My only deviation was a small one. I had to try the Artie Lange cupcake at Crumbs Bake Shop in Calabasas. Baba Booey has one, too. Vinnie and I split it and made sure to leave some on the table. After all, it was only meant to be dessert. We also each had a cup of Starbucks coffee to work on. Of course, we focus on the coffee and leave all of the add-ons out.

All in all, I have had a wonderful time here in California. If you'd like to check out some photos from my trip, go to my "California" album on Facebook.

Chipping away at weight loss

I was checking out my uncle Vinnie's latest blog post at his site, SaveGasBurnFat.com, and I realized that it is had been quite some time since I've last checked in on "The 50 pound guy" blog.

I have been plugging along with my diet. I'm now down to an even 200 pounds, which means I'm more than halfway to my goal of 180 pounds.

I feel like I've come a long way from my days of 230 pounds. Clothes are fitting a lot better. People are starting to notice a change. And I really feel great every day. I'm glad I decided to do this, and I'm looking forward to even better things in the days to come.

It's just a matter of having a plan and sticking to it. Sure, I want to fall off the wagon sometimes, but I know it will only set me back on my goal. I'm not overly strict. I'm simply realistic. I'm ticking away at about a pound or two a week. That way, it's not a dramatic change in my lifestyle. As I see it, I'm easing my way into a healthier, better life.

I've discovered that a little bit of change, when applied consistently to my everyday life, can make a whole lot of difference in the long run.

I feel like I cannot afford not to do this. When I'm at a grocery store and I'm trying to decide between cheap junk food and more expensive healthy food, it's a no-brainer. I guess it's a matter of paying now or paying later. I'd much rather front the additional few cents it takes to eat good food, especially if it means saving me from a hospital bed and those sky-high medical bills in the future. I don't take any prescription drugs now, and I don't plan to take any in the future. I guess when you look at it that way, it's sort of like a savings plan for myself.

Let's face it, the spare tire I used to carry around my waist didn't earn me any style points. And it certainly didn't do anything good for my health. As far as I see it, that flab was a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, I was going to have to pay the piper.

As we all figure out at some point, there is no free lunch.

Healthy food tastes better than junk food

In some strange way, I have come to notice that healthy foods now taste better than junk foods to me.

The other day I was eating at a restaurant and someone had an entire glass of Dr. Pepper that they decided they didn't want. Being from the school of thought that no food or drink should be wasted, I decided to take a few sips of the soda. I guess I just couldn't stand for the perfectly fine beverage go straight from the table to dishwasher.

It didn't take long for me to feel funny after having the drink. I suppose I have grown accustomed to drinking only water, milk, coffee and tea. I felt downright bad after drinking just a few sips of this soda.

It has been so weird lately. I don't find myself craving an afternoon run to the vending machine. I actually find myself eating fruits and vegetables...and enjoying the experience. I never thought I would consistently choose, say, an apple, over a handful of jelly beans.

I have noticed that a bag of jelly beans has sat untouched right next to my computer for going on two or three months now. In that time, I have gone straight for real fruit, rather than waste my time with whatever is in the candy.

When you buy fruits and vegetables, that is the one and only thing you get. When you buy junk food, you get a paragraph of stuff that you can't identify, and sometimes can't even pronounce. It doesn't take an expert to know which would be the wise choice.

Does 'Precious' have a problem?

"I woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and thought: 'I look like Precious'"

David Alan Grier's statement on a recent Adam Carolla Podcast caught my attention.

For those who may not know, Precious stars Gabourey Sidibe as Clareece "Precious" Jones, an overweight, illiterate African-American teen in Harlem. The actress has been nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Precious.

The critically-acclaimed movie has brewed a controversy over its star's weight.

Is big and beautiful a bad thing?

Well, I've come to find out that what people think looks good, or at least is tolerable, doesn't always mean it's healthy. Put another way, so many people are so used to seeing overweight and obese people that they have come to look past it. I know I have a tendency to do that.

Oh, there's a 300-pound person...maybe it will all work out for him and he'll become an NFL offensive lineman.

Go to the CDC's Body Mass Index Calculator to see for yourself. Take my starting weight when I proclaimed myself The 50 Pound Guy:

Height: 6 feet, 1 inches; Weight: 230 pounds...

"Your BMI is 30.3, indicating your weight is in the Obese category for adults of your height. For your height, a normal weight range would be from 140 to 189 pounds. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol."

What the hell? No, man, I'm "pleasantly plump!" Chicks dig guys with multiple chins, right?

If I was juiced up like a "Jersey Shore" guido, maybe I could justify the 230 pounds. Sure, I wouldn't mind playing middle linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, but I'm not in that kind of shape. Some fat guys like to wear T-shirts that read, "I'm in shape...round is a shape." That's the shape I was in, and it was getting worse.

Now that I weigh 213 pounds, I'm merely Overweight, according to the BMI.

Once I get down to 189 pounds, I will be in the Normal category.

What does all of this have to do with Precious? Who knows, I just needed a hook for this article.

Thanks for readin'!