My Clothes Don’t Fit

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Steve Picray

I haven’t written about my weight (even in passing) since July.  I started eating right (High Fat Low Carbohydrate) in June, and I lost 15 pounds in about 3 weeks.  Then in late July I “fell off the wagon” (so to speak), and started eating carbohydrates again.  My weight crept slowly back up to my high point on January 29th of 298 pounds.  That sounds like a lot, and people are always surprised when I tell them that, but I’ve always had a big frame.

The insurance tables state that for someone of my height (5’ 9”) I should be between 155-176 pounds.  I haven’t weighed under 176 since junior high.  In high school I ran track, cross country, and played varsity football.  I was in the best shape of my life, and I wasn’t “fat.”  I weighed between 180-190.  If we ignore the Met life tables and move the more modern convention of measuring the “Body Mass Index” (or BMI), then my weight should be less than 169 pounds.  I think those numbers are ridiculous, and I refuse to aim at them.

Earlier I said “fell off the wagon” because I truly feel that dealing with overeating carbohydrates/sugar is an addiction that must be broken just like an addiction to alcohol or narcotics.  Carbohydrates are a natural substance that I take into my body because I enjoy the chemical reaction that they produce (the taste).  That sounds a lot like alcohol or drugs.  The only difference is that with an alcoholic, they can avoid going to bars and places where alcohol is served. They can steadfastly refuse to drink at all, and that’s a line they can draw and not cross if they stand firm.  However, I cannot do the same with carbohydrates. One does not need alcohol or illicit drugs to live, but one will not live long without food.

I am surrounded by people eating candy, cupcakes, chocolate, Girl Scout cookies, donuts, French toast, and a host of other things that cannot cross my lips if I am to get down to a healthy weight and stay there.  I got as close as I ever hope to get to crossing the “300 pound mark,” because if I weighed over 300lbs, well THEN I would be well and truly fat! As if 300 pounds is significantly fatter than 295 pounds, right?

I was in the 290’s for December and January, and knew I needed to make the change, but on January 29th (as I said), I weighed in and saw that I hit 298. I was just a few points away from true obesity (in my mind).  I decided that there was no more time to lose: I must change now!

I immediately got rid of all the carbohydrates in my diet that I could.  I started eating bacon, ham, sausage, and eggs for breakfast, salad and some kind of meat for lunch, and then green beans and some other kind of meat for supper.  The only “cheating” I’ve done since January 29th is popcorn: from the jar, cooked in the microwave and doused with butter and salt.  I figure it adds fiber to my diet, and less than 20 carbs, it doesn’t do much harm.  I’ve had no chocolate, no refined sugar, and the smallest portion of flour (usually found in the breading on some of the meats that I’ve had to buy from the hospital cafeteria).

I weigh myself every day, and I often get discouraged that the pounds aren’t melting off like butter on a hot day. But I keep telling myself that the pounds ARE melting off.  They’re melting off like butter in Canada.  This morning I was down to 286, so I’ve lost 12 pounds so far, and I figure that if I lose 2 pounds a week, I will get down to 210 pounds by Missouri hunting season in November. That is how much I weighed when I got married, and I would be happy with that.  Meanwhile, I keep plodding along, suffering through with my steak, pork chops, fresh green salads, and loads and loads of bacon.  The pull of sugar is getting less the longer I abstain.

I hope to eat sweets again (in small quantities) when I get closer to my target weight, but never again will I eat sugar, bread, and potatoes every day.  I titled this post “My Clothes Don’t Fit” because they are too tight.  It is my hope and prayer, that at some point later on this year I will be able to type the same title but with a different meaning: because I have lost so much weight that my clothes are too big.

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Men’s Restrooms

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Steve Picray

 I’ve been in several restrooms over the past month, and I have observed a few things that left me scratching my head. I have observed men who go into a bathroom where there are urinals open, and they go into a stall to stand and urinate.  A few times, I have walked into a stall right after someone came out, only to find urine all over the seat. 

Question 1:  Why do men use the stall to stand and urinate when there are urinals open? 

Question 2: Why do these men urinate into the toilet without lifting the seat?  Laziness?  Fear of germs?  Plain old inconsideration?

Question 3: Which is worse, ladies: when men don’t put the seat down, or when they don’t lift the seat and urinate all over it? 

These are the questions I ask myself when I’m forced to be awake at 3am.

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I am a Conservative

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Steve Picray

just_say_no_to_republicans_and_democratsI am a political conservative.  I believe that people should be able to enjoy the fruits of their own labors, and distribute their resources however they wish.  I believe in the sanctity of life from conception to the grave.  I believe that the primary responsibility for educating our youth lies with their parents, not the public school system.  I believe in the right to protect myself, my family, and those weaker than I with force, deadly if need be.  I believe in the right of every person in our country to believe whatever they want so long as it does not infringe on the rights of others.  I believe that there is a movement in our country right now to tolerate every single act and belief except the judeo-christian beliefs upon which our country was founded. I believe that our country is under attack both from outside and from within.

All of that being said, I believe that neither political party represents my beliefs. The Democrat Party is primarily made up of liberals who do not hold the same positions as I. They do not stand for the right of the child in the womb to live. They believe that the government knows better than anybody how best to spend each citizen’s money. I have no idea why they believe this since our government has shown that they are fiscally incompetent. The Republican Party is almost as bad.  I have been a Republican since I first registered to vote.  I have voted for the Republican Party candidate in every election since; not because they were the best candidate, but because they were not as bad as the Democrat candidate. George W. Bush had eight years to fix our country’s economy.  While he did do some good things, overall he and the Republican controlled Congress spent our money like, well, Democrats.

When it came time for Bush to step down in 2008, who did the Republicans choose to replace him?  John McCain.  The guy who wasn’t as good as Bush in 2000.  And even more liberal than Bush. There was no big shock when he didn’t win.  And so the people have endured four years of Obama (after enduring eight years of Clinton and eight years of Bush).  Who did the Republicans choose to beat Obama?  Mitt Romney.  The guy who wasn’t as good as John McCain in 2008.  And even more liberal than McCain.  I’m beginning to wonder who the Republicans are going to put forth in 2016:  Hillary Clinton?

I feel severely disenfranchised. It seems as if my vote doesn’t count. As such, I am sorely tempted to withdraw from the Republican Party.  I’m holding off for now, but this is the closest I’ve ever come to NOT identifying myself as a Republican. The GOP seems to be firmly in the hands of  the “Moderates” with the Republican controlled House giving in to everything the Democrats ask for. People like Karl Rove make me cringe for the future of the GOP.  I heard that Rand Paul is going to give the “Tea Party Response” to the State of the Union address AFTER the Republican response.   I sincerely wish that someone would actually initiate the process of starting a new party. I think “Tea Party” and “Constitution Party” both sound good.  Whatever happens, I am not donating any more money or votes to candidates who support abortion, gun control, higher taxes, and bigger government.

When it comes down to it, this world is not my home, and Jesus is my King.  I need to keep this in mind as I tackle the issues of the day every day. I will fight against the forces of darkness and oppression, praying that God will continue toallow the Gospel to be spread in peace.   Here I stand, I can do no other.

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Gay Scout Leaders? Bad Idea

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Steve Picray

imagesI read this story today that says the Boy Scouts of America are considering allowing gay scout leaders. This is a phenomenally bad idea, and I’ll tell you why.

First of all, let me say that I know people who are gay. They are not monsters. They are no different than any of the rest of us. They are sinners, just like me and you. According to my literal interpretation of the Bible (sorry Matthew Vines), homosexual behavior is a sin. According to God, sin is sin. Is homosexuality any worse of a sin than adultery? No. So we should view people who practice homosexuality the same as we view adulterers and anybody who has sex outside of marriage. Because that’s what it is: outside of marriage. Marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman. To speak of “same-sex marriage” is as incomprehensible as “walking fish” or “tapdancing fern.” These are logical impossibilities. Can two men or two women live in a consensual, exclusive, long-term relationship? Yes. Is it marriage? Nope.

All that being said, I understand the ire of gay people who bristle at the rule that there can be no gay scout leaders. I am a male nurse, and that means I frequently encounter people (mostly women) who don’t want me as their nurse because I am a man. Being a man doesn’t mean that I am some kind of lecherous beast who can’t keep my eyes and hands off women, no matter the circumstance. Obviously it doesn’t mean that, but some women act that way.

Even so, there have been times when I felt uncomfortable performing certain services for certain female patients, because they were extremely physically attractive. There have even been a few times when I asked to not take care of a particularly attractive woman because I felt uncomfortable. Would I have been completely professional? I would like to think so. Did I know better than to put myself in that situation? Absolutely.

I am a heterosexual male. I would not be comfortable taking a group of girls aged 13-17 on an overnight camping trip. As a matter of fact, if asked to do so (alone, with no other adults), I would flat-out refuse. Again, would anything untoward happen? I would like to think not, but the Bible is very clear that we should avoid even the appearance of evil, and we should not willingly place ourselves in situations that would make it easier to fall prey to temptation.

That is the main reason why I believe the Boy Scouts of America should not allow gay scout leaders. Men who are attracted to other men should not take a group of young men into the woods camping in the same way that men who are attracted to women should not take a group of young women into the woods.

If you have a 16 year old daughter, and she told you that her 34 year old male science teacher wanted to take her and five other girls from his class on an overnight astronomy trip where they would be alone, what would you say? That’s what you should say if a gay scout leader wants to take your 16 year old son on a camping trip, and for the same reason. Not because they are monsters but because they are human, and subject to the same temptations as the rest of us.

Posted in Current Events | 2 Comments