Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpZYwPRN6JM

I thank you very much for your comment… I’ve been eating vegan for the last three days and feel better than I have in years. I know that American meat is definitely to be avoided… this is the first time I’ve successfully avoided the dairy as well.

Your comment is extremely encouraging… and makes me want to visit Europre all the more!

Blessings!

Please comment more often!

Trev, thanks for the encouragement. Both times when I took the weight off before, I had constant snacks. (actually when I put it on, I did too, but those were snacks of a different kind!).

The last few days I kept fresh fruit and organic trail mix by my PC at all times… It’s helping.

==

Not quite. We do have McDonald’s and the like over here in the Netherlands (where not, indeed?), but the European Union, Japan, Australia and probably the Middle East as well, has banned American meat and dairy products for a very good reason. These foods contain growth hormones which have been proven harmful to both human and animal health. Think steroids. Not only the cows get fat.

I hope you don’t mind me being frank, but everytime I see, hear or read yet another overweight American blaming it (partially) on her/himself, I feel profoundly sorry. Like you, I’m a “computergeek” since 1996. I love computer graphics and spend a vast amount of time behind the computer. I’m not overweight.

I have a story to tell Americans find hard to believe, yet it is true. I visited the USA in 1982. At that time I weighed 59 kilo’s. I’m 1.73m, so that’s almost underweight. During my 4 months stay, I hiked quite a lot in these beautiful national parks of yours.
I avoided fast food. And yet, at the end of these 4 months I had gained 6 kilo’s, something I had not been able to do in Europe. It was fat, not muscle, since I already was a well-trained athlete.

I can easily spend a week or three in Belgium eating huge portions of those delicious Belgian fries, attempt to complete my list of trying out all the Belgians beer brands (600+) and eating Belgian chocolates, doing little more than chatting with friends, attending Mass and strolling through museums and not gain an ounce. So why does American food make me fat and Belgian food doesn’t?

It’s not to put you down. I sincerely hope and pray that you will reach your goal. But you might want to take a look at the hormones you’re eating rather than the fats and the sugars.
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/rbgh_hormo.cfm

Sorry for barging in this way. I read your blog from time to time and I enjoy it very much. But I just can’t keep my mouth shut about something that is perhaps not your fault or failing in the first place. Hope you don’t mind. Greetings and prayers from the Netherlands.

Margreet

Ya, sorry I just focused on the one aspect of your post and not the other.

BTW – I’m with julie on the multiple, small meals a day.

The best program I’ve ever found, though everyone’s different and it may not be right for you, is Bill Phillip’s “Body for Life JOURNAL.” It’s a workbook, and it does require a fairly big commitment, but what I like about it is that besides focusing on yourself, it also encourages you in the daily plan to record moments of encouraging/reaching-out to others in a selfless way. Plus I just think it works.

It’s great to hear you’re looking to be healthier. It’s amazing how much better one’s quality of life is when the body’s healthy.

I’m actually very interested in hearing about food a la Julie… Want to email me?

I used to play racquetball regularly with a friend in Ohio, down here, no… that would be great, though.

Should be fun to do with work-mates, especially if you can get a workout buddy out of the deal.

My grandfather still plays raquetball regularly. If your knees are in okay shape, it’s hella fun.