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'!