I went form 175 to 225 in the three years since I moved to the city. I can't run on the pavement because I get shin splints. I also can't control my eating which I never had to do when I ran. I went from a 30 waist to you don't want to know and now I am getting scared. How big am I going to get?

http://atkins.com/howto/index.html

It's easy!

And after you lose the weight you want to lose, just phase into a whole food diet and exercise regularly.

I bought the Atkins book. Read it and followed it but it all fell apart when it came to preparing meals. I hate to admit it but I am that stereotypical male who doesn't like to cook. The one month it lasted I loved it. I had more energy, and it really did kill my hunger. But I lack the stick-to-it-ness. I started it with my girlfriend and when she went off it I did too.

Okay, I'll give Atkins another try. How do I stick to it this time? Any tricks for a non-cooking person?

I went form 175 to 225 in the three years since I moved to the city.

Move back to the country! Seriously. Sounds like stress is catching up to you and food is being used as comfort and compensation.

But I must confess the �easier said than done� factor (or more accurately the �physician, heal thyself� factor) for I�ve had just about enough of this crazy, crowded, obnoxious, over-stuff, over-sexed, over-indulgent, noisy, crass, commercialistic world. But maybe that�s just me. But I�ve been truly thinking lately about how nice it would be to get away from this western-style loony bin we call �modern living�. (Although I�m not anything like the typical, modern, have-wife-two-kids-and-one-mortgage person.)

Signs of stress are all around us. Weight is just one of the signs but by no means the only sign. But we suppose that we just have to put up with it because, gosh, we do have to make a living in this world. We do want nice things. We do want a nice girl to love us, and to do that we have to at least look like a competent provider. And for our own sense of self-worth we have a long list of �must-haves� that all, of course, require money.

So I�m sittin� here thinking, Darin. Is it really so crazy to believe that we can get off this mad merry-go-round and just enjoy life on our own terms?

quote:

Because of this, I say to you, Do not be anxious for your soul, what you eat and what you drink, nor for your body, what you put on. Is not the soul more than the food and the body than the clothing? Observe the birds of the heaven, that they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor do they gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Do you not rather excel them? But who of you by being anxious is able to add one cubit onto his stature? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not labor nor do they spin, but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these. If God so enrobes the grass of the field (which is today, and is thrown into a furnace tomorrow) will He not much rather you, little-faiths? Then do not be anxious, saying, What may we eat? Or, what may we drink? Or, what may clothe us? For after all these things the nations seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Then do not be anxious for tomorrow. For the morrow will be anxious of itself. Sufficient to each day is its own trouble.

Can that crap really be true? Is it possible we don�t need as much as we think we do and/or the things we think we need?

BTW, if there are any nearby recreational areas, try hiking or biking. (I prefer walking because it is slower by nature and gets one more down on the ground level and really in touch with the nitty gritty of it all.) And just eat lots of fresh veggies and a piece of chicken. How hard is that? Lunch today was a veggie bagel. Or order out for vegetable chop suey. Or do a stir fry. Granted, it makes one feel good to cut down on the carbs but I�ve been there/done that. It�s not easily sustainable. So splurge and have some rice once in a while but surely do not eat French fries.

And remember that someone said that it is more important what comes out of your mouth than what you put into it. Be at peace because you can be if you want it more than some other things. At least that�s what I keep telling myself.

There is no work in the country or I wouldn't have left. I am saving for a hermitage. My dream is to spend my days in prayer and study in the woods of Northern Michigan.

It takes money to do a legal hermitage. I could be homeless I guess like St Francis. That would take care of the weight problem too. Who am I kidding, any thought of roughing it went out the window when I got out of the Army. I want a nice little cozy cabin in the woods.

I am saving for a hermitage. My dream is to spend my days in prayer and study in the woods of Northern Michigan.

I don�t know if you�re joking or not, Darin, but I�m not totally averse to the idea. Michigan is a little cold in winter. Maybe Brother Phil already has some retreat real estate in Kansas that could be converted.

Who am I kidding, any thought of roughing it went out the window when I got out of the Army. I want a nice little cozy cabin in the woods.

Thanks for your service to the country, Darin.

And I don�t think this plan for a hermitage has been scuttled as of yet. I�m pretty sure that when Jesus said "Blessed are the poor" that he meant "Despite being poor, they are not further from the Kingdom than anyone else." I don�t think he meant "Be poor and live roughly and you gain special merit." I love Brother St. Francis, and I acknowledge that, for him, asceticism may have been called for, but I don�t think it�s required. In fact, I think by making a big show of roughing it that we might be headed in the wrong direction:

quote:

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

The Northern Michigan or Kansas hermitage will have DSL internet access, DVD players, X-Boxes, and (especially if in Kansas), Macintosh computers. But NO cell phones. Ahhh�blessed silence.

No, I wasn't joking, although I am laughing now. I already told my spiritual advisor and he approves. I wasn't planning on electricity. I don't want to be connected to anyone but God.

Who else is planning on a hermitage, Phil?

Darin said: No, I wasn't joking, although I am laughing now. I already told my spiritual advisor and he approves. I wasn't planning on electricity. I don't want to be connected to anyone but God.

Who else is planning on a hermitage, Phil?

Here's the definition of "hermitage" from Dictionary.com:

quote:

The habitation of a hermit or group of hermits.
A monastery or abbey.
A place where one can live in seclusion; a retreat.
The condition or way of life of a hermit.

If one is living by oneself (like I am) then one is already in a hermitage of sorts. It's not one that has been sanctified, certified, or licensed by men, but it will do in a pinch. Even married men or women can plan things so that they have a little time each day for just themselves. We tend to do this anyway, whether by cordoning ourselves off by sticking our nose in a book, playing a video game, exercising, or whatever. But except for those who meditate and prayer, it's doubtful we think about specifically bringing some sanctify and holiness to this time. But we know we need it � at least we know we need the time alone. But because so many in society are afraid of just the thing we need (silence), I'm not sure people take such good advantage of the time alone that they find or make.

And there are SO many people these days, whether living alone or not (but many who, indeed, are living alone) who stress over their aloneness (mea culpa times 10,000) rather than finding sanctity in it. Again, most people these days find silence to be threatening. It would probably be very helpful and healthy if we were to think of our lives, or even just a part of our days, as our own personal hermitage. Frankly, the thought of a more formalized hermitage with other monks and hermits (as in a religious order) doesn't appeal to me. I don't want to live as if in a fraternity. I don't want to be surrounded by a bunch of farting and belching men. However, I could conceive of a hermitage built with freedom and solitude in mind. Everyone would have their own little separate cottage off in a corner of the woods somewhere (some could house two or three people if that was their preferred arrangement). Then there would be community places where one could meet (chapels, library, rec halls, tennis courts, ponds, meadows, etc.) if one wanted to. How to pay for it all? Well, I�m still thinking about that.

I might also mention "Weight Watchers" as a good resource for weight loss. They seem to have a good support system as part of the process, and allow for a wider diversity of foods than Atkins. I have family members that lost weight and kept it off with WW. Worth checking into, I think.

Started Atkins and bought a bike. I'll let you know the results in a few months.

Good luck. Maybe you can find a support system of some kind on the atkins.com web site or a related forum.

Started Atkins and bought a bike. I'll let you know the results in a few months.

I accidentally sort of self-invented the Atkins diet several years ago while trying to sort out some food allergies. (I hadn�t heard of the Atkins diet at the time.). It�s quite possible that the Atkins diet is helpful and leaves one feeling better and with more energy simply because the diet tends to cut out (or at least down on) a lot of suspect foods including wheat and corn. And cutting down on starches and other carbohydrates has another pleasing effect.

Anyone (especially women) who have been given antibiotics might know how harmful these can be. Antibiotics are rather indiscriminately prescribed by doctors as a CYA catch-all. The problem with them though is that they often kill all the good bacteria in our bodies. When that happens the ever-present yeasts and molds around us (and in us) are free to grow unhindered. When these yeasts die they emit toxins. These yeast grow best on sugar and carbs. The worst die-off of these yeasts will happen at night when we have gone a long stretch without food. If one wakes up feeling hung over, bad, achy, depressed, or just run down, one will have a pretty good idea why this is so. The Atkins diet plus cutting out sugars (including the natural sugars of fruit) and carbs will likely make ANYONE feel like new again.

The problem with this or any other diet is that they are hard to keep, and I�m not talking in terms of will power. Think about how hard some people (and rightfully so) complain about second-hand smoke. Well, second hand junk food is no better. We�re surrounded by it. One almost can not have a friendship or any kind of relationship in this world without having to compromise one�s diet. And like an alcoholic on the wagon, it is somewhat serious when we fall off our diet wagons, even if just for one meal. But how to live in a world of on-the-go travel and entertainment and still be able to eat well?

Well, like I said. It�s difficult. Perhaps the best answer is to practice fasting in those situations where the only choice is to eat stuff that we know without a doubt isn�t good for us.

But that said, moderation in all things, Darin. One of the strange issues with an improved diet is that one will feel better and have more energy. One�s outlook (state of mind) is likely to improve as well. This burst of energy (and even optimism) can leave one at odds at times as to what to do with all that energy. Improving our health is a good thing but, basically, all our other problems remain and will likely be even more pronounced once we remove other problems and distractions. Of course, it could just be that I am THE WORLD�S MOST PATHETIC PERSON. These caveats and warnings hopefully won�t apply to you. But just in case they do�

Brad,
Your a funny guy. What qualifies one to the THE WORLD'S MOST PATHETIC PERSON. I live alone too in virtual hermitage. Problem is its only virtual. I try to live like a religious hermit with prayer and meditation extending into the many hours. As I do this I see my neighbors with live in hot girlfriends and their SUV's.

I know what they are doing is wrong but I still feel a little like a loser when I look at them. Its unfounded and I am sure you were joking but there is often truth in jest.

I actually was hoping for the energy boost. I want to help my priest evangelize, plus hold my full time job, plus teach Tai Chi part time.

Moderation? My mother has called me a fearless extremest since birth. It's in my nature to always give full hearted attention to whatever I do. I crash and burn alot and its not for everyone, but I would rather have a front wheel blowout going 120mph than play a driving simulation game.

It helps that I have a good sense of humor too.

Darin

Your a funny guy. What qualifies one to the THE WORLD'S MOST PATHETIC PERSON. I live alone too in virtual hermitage. Problem is its only virtual. I try to live like a religious hermit with prayer and meditation extending into the many hours. As I do this I see my neighbors with live in hot girlfriends and their SUV's.

I know what they are doing is wrong but I still feel a little like a loser when I look at them. Its unfounded and I am sure you were joking but there is often truth in jest.

NOT joking, Darin, although if someone wants to take that title away from me I�d be more than happy. But best of luck.

This isn�t going to help, but I�m obliged to say this anyway (with a side note that we hope and pray for all relationships everywhere to be loving and lasting relationships): Most of what you see looks good only from the outside. If you knew what things were really like with most people (live-in babes or otherwise), you wouldn�t be so quick to want the same. And I�m not discounting the joys of love, sex, or companionship. Men and women were made for such things. Too bad those who are in a position to have these things squander them so. But what we ALL are looking for is surely a ratification of who we are. We want the world to say "You�re all right!" And it can do that in any number of ways. It can do that by showering us with the essentials of being human (which includes live-in babes). Even better would be a hot babe in the back of an SUV. In California. On the beach. Surrounded by MTV cameras, volleyball nets, beer, fun, parties and lots and lots of good sex. Mmmmm.

I know I wouldn�t turn that down, whether it was technically "wrong" or not. But the fact is that all this is but an image. It is but an image even for the people who appear to be living that lifestyle. That is to say, it�s not particularly satisfying to them although it surely looks as if it should be. All this has more to do with artificial expectations than in-built needs. It is, so to say, all a bit of a fraud.

Our culture feeds us this image constantly, almost everywhere we look. TV. Movies. Advertisement. It�s even reinforced by the frothy light-headed stuff falling out of the mouths of many of our friends and co-workers. These aren�t bad people. They�re not even liars. They�re just unconsciously trying to reinforce the "standard" image that we�ve all been fed so as to keep up the illusion that they are "with it" too. I guran-damn-tee you that the surest and quickest way to become an outcast with your peers would be to poke a whole in this image, to go against this cultural norm, to show how shallow and false it is. People�s first reaction will be to dump on you so as to protect their own fantasy, especially if one was being a bit arrogant in the manner in which one was poking these holes. But if one did so in a more gentle and loving way, and with the intent of sincerely helping, then you shouldn�t be surprised if you were to hear a large, collective sigh of relief. Most people, believe it or not, are trapped in our culture, not set free by it. And this is particularly ironic considering that most of the slogans of this culture are founded on such sayings as "Just do it!" or "It�s all about me!" All those things may be effective at making money but they�re not effective at making one contented and peaceful.

Moderation? My mother has called me a fearless extremest since birth. It's in my nature to always give full hearted attention to whatever I do. I crash and burn alot and its not for everyone, but I would rather have a front wheel blowout going 120mph than play a driving simulation game.

That�s marvelous indeed that you truly have the ability to jump fully into life with so much energy. And you clearly seem to LOVE doing dangerous and difficult things. One of those things that is particularly difficult (and at least daring, if not dangerous) is to pursue life at the true extremes, the active and the prayerful. Good luck to you as you pursue both ends of this spectrum. And if you don�t push too hard, if your realize that God is the Executive Producer in the sky of this extreme sport called life, you�ll notice that there are always consolation prizes�and many time they are babes. Just try not to drown out His plan by being too willful, pushy, and impatient. Let yourself sprout naturally. The most daring thing we can ever do is to truly be ourselves. I'm the chicken sh*t who can prove it.

I re-weighed my self. I was just guessing at 225. I am actually 237lbs. Thats incentive.

Good luck with the weight loss regimen, Darin. May good health and lots of energy come to you! As for the babes, I'm afraid I haven't a clue as to whether being fat, skinny, or somewhere in between is the key to capturing their hearts. (Hopefully just one heart. I don't know why I used "hearts" in the plural. That would be getting a bit greedy, if you ask me.)

Believe it or not I am thinking poverty, chastity and obedience. But I want to be fit, dangit.

Believe it or not I am thinking poverty, chastity and obedience.

Okay, I'll cancel that Strip-o-gram.

But seriously, there have been a lot of really good and holy people who have taken a vow of poverty. I believe St. Francis (I highly recommend the biography, The Reluctant Saint), Thomas Merton and, oh, this fellow named Jesus have said a wise word or two about it. The gist of it seems to be that there's nothing particularly noble about being poor or dirty for its own sake. But when one stops fixating on material things, and gets out of the regular 9-to-5 grind, a whole new world opens up. That, I understand, is a place that is absolutely petrifying to most people (people such as me) who can't imagine living without modern conveniences and distractions. But I must confess that I live a celibate life at the moment, but not out of choice. Still, that counts, doesn't it? And, strangely enough, I'm very slowly drifting into poverty�or at least uncertainty combined with diminishing assets. Let me know how "obedience" goes. I'm not sure what that involves.

I am terrified of poverty. As you can see from my weight a few posts above I like my good food. I spent enough years in the Army to know I dont like to rough it.

I don't have a tv and just a few weeks ago had to buy this computer for work stuff. In 2000 I gave away everything but my Car. I kept my job but just totally divested of my "stuff". I only regret getting rid of my books and if I take poverty I will get rid of them again. But I sold everything and gave the proceeds to our local soup kitchen.

I've been chaste my whole life and obedience to who? The rule of the church that I already follow? Who did St Francis take orders from, just his conscience. That would be a hard taskmaster and he died at 42 I believe.

Well, Francis spend at least a couple years in turmoil and confusion before he figured out and/or was inspired to set on the course that he eventually did. I feel the same way in my life. I'm not doing what I should be doing and I'm sort of stuck in between. You seem to be ambivalent as well, Darin. I think this is when one has to pray heartily and to be as sensitively aware of the promptings of Divine Providence as one can be. You won't be lead to do anything you can't handle or that isn't right for you. But be patient. Be aware. Keep listening. Act when you feel moved to do so. But remember that authentic actions will tend to lead to peace, not turmoil and confusion. That doesn't mean that doing the right thing won't be hard or meet with difficulties. But if one is on the right path these difficulties are just details, non deal-breakers. So I'm told.

My spiritual advisor and I are planning of making the promises next Easter.

I am not ambivalent. I am knees-knocking scared. The more I defend it on the Catholic Answers website, the more I am sure this is what I am supposed to do though. I am also hoping to take some people with me, are you interested?

I am also hoping to take some people with me, are you interested?

How much would it cost (initial outlay)? How long? What kind of ongoing work were you thinking about getting involved with to pay for food, etc.? Does one have to be a Catholic? No electricity? Northern Michigan? Northern Michigan in winter? Please explain your techniques for cryogenic storage and revival. Seriously. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about your hopeful endeavor.

You have a great sense of humor. I would love to have you along. Lets move this over to the first forum, that way others can join in and hit us with ideas. I'll start a thread called New Order.

Its Christian Spirituality Issues.