Happy Friday friends! It's been another cold-cold week here on the East Coast, so, if you live in a state where icicles aren't hanging from every nook and crook of your life, then stop reading this right now! GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THAT SUNSHINE! (wink) All kidding aside, this week has been a great one for me. I'm busy creating a new look for a PowerPoint program I'm soon to be using in a few lectures for TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) this coming Spring, as well as adding my two-cents to "Man In The Mirror," a memoir I'm writing with co-author Patricia Garber, which is coming together real well. And best of the best, I'm excited to share this blog with you about some wonderful questions sent to me last week. The question of eating right on a budget, and how faith helped me get back to a healthy life style, has opened up a great opportunity for conversation. I'm thrilled to share what I've experienced and encourage you to add your comments as well. Share your stories and feelings with me. I'd love to chat with you. Also if you would like to email me a question for my next "Weigh In With Dan," you can do so at druff6@hotmail.com.
(All questions are listed on a first name basis only, unless asked to be anonymous.)
You can also reached me on Facebook. Peace everybody! Have a great weekend. Dan
---------------Weighing In--------------------
Q.) Stan: How can I eat healthy when on a tight budget? I work on the road and the dollar-menu is easier and cheaper. I know it's not healthy or good for me, but again, I'm on a budget.
A.) I totally understand, Buddy, and I thank you for such a great question. I get the whole dollar-menu dilemma, as I used to live in the drive-thru line. I knew all the number specials for each burger house, and could decide if I wanted the "Big this-or-that" or "the-super- blah-blah-blah" ahead of time. Though these places seem like a dollar saver, over time, they can drain your account just as fast as eating in a sit down restaurant.
(All questions are listed on a first name basis only, unless asked to be anonymous.)
You can also reached me on Facebook. Peace everybody! Have a great weekend. Dan
---------------Weighing In--------------------
Q.) Stan: How can I eat healthy when on a tight budget? I work on the road and the dollar-menu is easier and cheaper. I know it's not healthy or good for me, but again, I'm on a budget.
A.) I totally understand, Buddy, and I thank you for such a great question. I get the whole dollar-menu dilemma, as I used to live in the drive-thru line. I knew all the number specials for each burger house, and could decide if I wanted the "Big this-or-that" or "the-super- blah-blah-blah" ahead of time. Though these places seem like a dollar saver, over time, they can drain your account just as fast as eating in a sit down restaurant.
For instance, you may spend 5
bucks in a drive through, purchasing a burger, fry, soda, and a pie or
whatever. But if you take that same five bucks and buy, say, some Ground Turkey,
how many burgers patties will it make? More than one, I assure you. Sure you won't have pennies left over for the fries, the soda, and pie, but they aren't good for you anyway.
A while back, I bought a 10 pound Turkey, and once cooked that turkey made for several healthy salads, a wonderful Crockpot full of soup, leftover turkey sandwiches and not to mention a wonderfully moist Turkey dinner. Ten dollars made a tone of food, for several days!
A while back, I bought a 10 pound Turkey, and once cooked that turkey made for several healthy salads, a wonderful Crockpot full of soup, leftover turkey sandwiches and not to mention a wonderfully moist Turkey dinner. Ten dollars made a tone of food, for several days!
If you have a cooler at home Stan,
pack it for the road, and stay away from the drive-thru. Buy fresh fruits and make a sandwich. Get a
pound of lean low sodium turkey breast or ham, wheat bread, and grab a jar of
pickles. It's a popular myth that eating
healthy costs more, but I disagree. It will
cost you more, and I don't just mean in your pocket, if you rely on boxed meals
which contain chemicals not meant for your body. Trust me; a large pack of
chicken breasts for 10-12 dollars can go a long way. It's really not hard Stan,
it just takes some pre planning.
It really boils down to a question I will ask you, Stan: How bad do YOU want it?
It really boils down to a question I will ask you, Stan: How bad do YOU want it?
PEACE
Dan
Q.) Sharon: How much has your faith helped on your journey, and how has this transformation changed you, as a man?
A.) Wow! Great question and I thank you for asking, Sharon. I usually try to stay away from debatable subjects like politics, religion and so forth, but since you've asked me, I will be honest and truthful.
Q.) Sharon: How much has your faith helped on your journey, and how has this transformation changed you, as a man?
A.) Wow! Great question and I thank you for asking, Sharon. I usually try to stay away from debatable subjects like politics, religion and so forth, but since you've asked me, I will be honest and truthful.
There is no question that I am
only alive today because I had help from above. I am thankful everyday for my life
and the chance to live again. There was a time, not so long ago, when I had
lost my faith. I was angry with God. I blamed him for letting me fall into a sad
dark-state, and I cursed him for not helping me get out, though I had not even
asked him for his help but rather expected him to do his "job". He
was God after all, wasn't he? Why should I ask him, he knew what he
"had" to do! This was how I
thought back then, in a very selfish me-me-me sort of way.
It didn't work--big surprise.
I believe God, though supporting me without me knowing it, was also waiting for me to finally ASK, and one day, I woke and realized that I couldn't do it alone. I didn't just ask, I begged that same God I'd been so angry with for help, and well, here I am: 350 pounds lighter and living a life I would never have dreamed possible.
People have asked if I regret that part of my life, when I was angry, sad, and unhealthy. I'll admit, in the first year of my recovery, I'd answer YES. I felt that I'd lost all those years of my life for no real good reason and I was now angry with myself. But another year went by in my journey, which is now on its 2 1/2 year mark, and I say NO WAY!
I'm thankful that I lived that 625 pound life. It helped bring me closer to God and it made me the man I am today. Living that life taught me how beautiful life really can be. It taught me to believe in myself, and know that we have the potential to do anything we want, if we put effort and desire into it. It taught me to love others more than myself and to see God's beauty all around me. It taught me that we all have purpose and value and that faith truly does work when you apply it.
I cannot fully express--though I try--how
grateful I am to God for all the wonderful things he's brought into my life. How
much has faith helped me? To this day, it guides me through every moment of every day. I
believe He has more for me still, accomplishments of His choosing, and I cannot wait. He has
placed the right people and the right opportunities into my life and only good things are yet to come.
How do I know this, Sharon? Because
I have FAITH (wink).
PEACE
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