0 A piece of gum can add ten LBs.

A piece of gum can 
add ten pounds

Dear McCrabby,


Even the apple can put on weight, if it's extra

I've been looking for work since 2009.  I think my weight may be impacting my job-search.  Even if it isn't, I want to drop a few lbs.

I heard you lost some weight in the past year or two...   I've been trying to lose weight.  I lost six pounds in the first two days, and have gained two pounds in the past 12.  I'm losing my motivation but I want to lose 60 pounds.  I've lost four -- it seems like I have so far to go, and if I eat a cracker, I gain a pound.  What gives??  What motivation can you offer?

Motivated (or not??), in Mobile

---

Dear Mo Mo,


McCrabby hears you.  And let's look at the facts; you've lost four pounds in two weeks.  You've lost almost seven per cent of your goal.  If you can maintain that even half of that as an average, you'll lose it all in 13 more months.  And, while 13 months sounds like a long time, we all know how time flies.  You're on a pace to lose it in less than seven.


Oprah after weight loss, and then, what happened??

 McCrabby has been working on this weight-loss thing for 18 months (this time -- the third time), and has lost about 40 pounds.  While that's only about two pounds per month, the months go quickly, and there has been some time lost in ER visits (kidney stones), a physical move, and a few other trials, but we're still making progress..  Thirty eight more pounds to go to hit goal (18 to go to re-attain the loss of 2005).  This is McCrabby's last time; Mrs. McCrabby has lost a bunch, too, so when McCrabby finishes (sometime this summer), we'll share how much we have lost together -- it'll be pretty amazing.
 

There are some interesting things to consider about weight loss.  It takes about a 3500-calorie swing to gain or lose a pound.  We have to eat enough to maintain, and then if you add 3500 calories to that, you gain a pound (in theory -- sometimes, it seems a 100 calories add up to a pound).  So, if you take a look at some of the things we eat or do, it can have a big impact:

• McCrabby used to eat a Healthy Choice fudge bar (100 calories) most evenings, as a snack.  He quit when the realization hit that if he does that every day, adding to his regular eating, it will add more than  ten pounds a year to McCrabby (100 x 365 / 3500) 
• A stick of sugarless gum (5 calories - did you realize that??) chewed twice a day, can add 31 pounds before your 30th high school reunion (10 x 365 x 30 / 3500).
• Two daily tablespoons of catchup can add more than three pounds in a year
• One can of Coke per day can add more than 16 pounds in one year (what if you drink two, or three or four?)
• One piece of pecan pie, per week, can pack on 8 1/2 pounds this year
• One ounce of slivered almonds per day can bulk you up by 17 pounds per year
• One extra potato chip per day will add 20+ pounds in 20 years
• One can of light beer per day will net you ten pounds per year (50 % more for regular beer)
• One 8-oz serving of light-fruit yogurt per day can chunk you up by 24 pounds in a year
• One extra pat of unsalted butter per day, turns into 3.6 pounds by next year
• An hour of strenuous exercise (600 calories per hour) three times per week, will lose you 26+ pounds this year

Some of these facts were McCrabby eye-openers.  If you have some others you'd like to add, feel free to let us know.


Good luck on your resolutions, and if you're losing weight, congratulations.  You can do it.

__________________________________________________
McCrabby can be reached by email (mccrabby@humantransitions.com)

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