I separated about 15 people this week. Friday was the busiest I've been in while; I had 4 appointments. Some of the people that stood out in my mind are what I'm writing about today.
First, and most memorable, is the master chief petty officer from Friday. Anytime I see a master chief, I have one of 2 expectation: They are either very laid back or they are very formal. Most of them are of the laid back variety, and Friday's visitor certainly fit that mold. This particular sailor only had about 22 years in the navy. That may seem like a long time, but the fact is, the most Senior position for enlisted men in the navy is E9- Master Chief Petty Officer- and most of them have been in the navy for well past 20 years when they retire. Heck, most master chiefs stay in for the whole 30 years. This guy was ready to go. He was friendly, accommodating and very likable. I asked him if he had aspirations of being a Command Master Chief, to which he replied with an emphatic, "No." He told me he didn't like shaking hands and kissing babies (not a politician), and he was too much of a 'tell it like it is' kind of guy. This is the kind of mentor that I wish I'd had in my time in the navy- demanding, but fair and a no-nonsense leadership style. The old fashioned "work hard and play hard" kind of chief. Of course, everything I hear form my customers is subjective, in that I haven't read their evaluations, nor can I confirm what they tell me, but after so many years of being around sailors, you get to know different types of folks and can usually spot BS from a long way off.
I had to do a medical separation for a sailor this week, too. This was a young sailor who'd had a tough time. He had some mental issues. I know this because he told me. I read the information given to me in these circumstances, because, let's face it, I have a normal curiosity and want to know why people are being separated. However, this person's information was minimal, so I had no idea why he was being medically retired, just that he was getting out and would be getting a retirement check. He had no problem telling me that he suffered some sort of mental breakdown, so I simply nodded at the appropriate moments and listened to what he had to say. He was simply a mess (this is my opinion). While he seemed to be functional, he seemed to want to embellish everything he said. We've all been around that type of person... always building on the story. At first, this person starts out by saying he did 'x' and before you know it, he's the best at 'x' and people from other commands are coming to him to help them with their 'x' and the whole community couldn't function without his 'x.' After about 1 minute of this, I realized this was just a sad little guy with not much self esteem. And a very long, tough life ahead of him. The one thing that stuck out for me about him was his claim that he was a wrestler in the 150lb class (in high school), but needed to get into the 200lb class, and did so by eating steak, bought for the team by the coach. Yet he made 200lbs without being fat- he was in shape. He didn't give me a time frame, but I know that in my entire 4 years of high school, I only gained about 20lbs (OK, 30). Oh, and he lost 20lbs in 2 weeks (to make another weight class, I guess). Like I said, this type of person deserves a little sympathy, not disdain, so keep that in mind.
I also separated a guy that had simply decided to get out after being in the navy for 9 years. He wasn't bitter or angry at all, he just wanted a change. I say good for him.
I have to do 2 appointments with many of the sailors I talk to. The first is to give them a working copy of the DD214 they can fax to the reserve community. The second is to provide them a finished DD214. This is the process for Perform to Serve, PTS, separations. Big navy wants the manning numbers at a certain level, so a bunch of sailors are being shown the door, so to speak. "Thanks for your service, but we simply don't need you anymore." It's hard to believe the military is handing out pink slips, but it is the reality. The up side of the process is that the sailors that have 6 years or more can get some separation pay. Simply put, they either get half or full separation pay. In order to get full separation, the sailor has to have passed their last rating exam, be recommended for retention on the latest eval (I know, recommended for retention, yet being shown the door? Go figure), and they have to re-enlist in the reserves. If they don't do these few things, they only get half the money. As an example, assume the sailor has exactly 6years when he gets out. The formula is total number of months served (72) x base pay ($2662/ mo for E5 this year) x .10 (10%). In our example this comes out to $19,166.40, or $9,583.20 (5%) if they don't meet all the requirements for full sep pay. Using the same formula, an E6 with 14 years would end up getting $58,732.80 or $29,366.40, respectively. While that may sound like a pretty good deal, and in many ways it is, these people aren't problem sailors. Most of them are stellar performers, great leaders and have a wealth of experience that the navy is going to be without. Most of these sailor, especially the ones with 14 years of service, are in career mode. They've given up a lot over the years for the country. They've missed birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, graduations, funerals and countless other memories. I hate that they aren't being given the opportunity to finish their career, since they were committed to doing exactly that. Too bad the navy has to let them go. On the other hand, I have to commend the sailors for not being angry, especially at me. Seriously, though, I'm sure most of them have already been through their angry stage by the time they get to my desk, and they are largely OK with where they are, and where they're headed. Also, a large number of them have already landed a pretty good job. Most of them a better job than mine. Which makes me question my own decisions throughout my career.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
23 Years ago today...
I was a 23 year old young man with aspirations of being something more. It was January 23, 1989. I had spent the night in a cheap motel, under the watchful eyes of the MEPS folks. MEPS is military speak for Military Entrance Processing Station. It's the last civilian thing you get to see before being sent off to basic training (Boot Camp). The night before, I could barely sleep. I was excited and scared. I had already shaved my moustache off but my hair was long and bushy. I resembled Carrot Top before anyone had ever heard of him, and many, MANY years before the steroided version of him came along. I had a wife at the time, and a 1 year old son, whom I already missed after only a few hours (I missed my wife, too- a little). I tried to get some sleep, but it was hard. The excitement and fear kept me awake for a good portion of the night, and the noise from fellow travellers didn't help much.
Morning came, much too early, and it sounded like the loudest telephone in the history of telephones. The rooms were all set to automatically call for the morning round-up. I got up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, found some breakfast and was ready to go. It didn't take long for us to get herded into the bus to take us all to the processing station for the second time. The first time for most of us was when we were getting our physical done for entry into the navy. In my case, it was 2 months prior, and it was also the time I got to pick my job. At least I knew what I was joining for, and I was excited about learning electronics. Of course, the first thing I had to do was get through 9 weeks of boot camp...
At the MEPS center that morning, we all went into the building and took care of a few last minute things. Mostly, we all just waited around for our time to leave. That time came soon enough. It was shortly after we were sworn in for the second time. Most people don't realize that there are 2 times a new recruit swears in: the first is when he or she is done with the physical and has chosen a field, and the second right before heading off to boot camp. As an E3 ( I had enough college credits to join the navy as an E3 as opposed to E1), I was the senior guy for our group of 10 or so recruits, so the person in charge gave me everyones records and told me to give them to the person incharge once we got to San Diego- this was 1989 and there were three boot camps: San Diego, Orlando (where all the females went) and Chicago. It was winter time and I was lucky enough to get to go to San Diego, for wich I received a lot of grief from the poor souls that got stuck in Chicago. In January. Haha. Suckers...
It was an uneventful trip for us in the plane. My only luggage was my toothbrush and the clothes I was wearing. My recruiteer was (the exception, and not the rule) one that made sure I was mentally prepared, and he told me much of what to expect, though not everything was exactly as he described it. He was right in telling me to leave everything at home. Some people show up with luggage, several days worth of clothes, etc, only to find out their recruiters were full of sh... not quite true stuff. I knew it was going to suck, I also knew not to bring stuff I was not going to be allowed to use for God knows how long. Once we landed in San Diego, life as we knew it suddenly seemed like a different time.
We were grabbed up as soon as we got off the plane by the good folks at RTC/NTC San Diego. That's Recruit Training Center/ Navy Training Center San Diego, for those who don't speak military. Nobody shouted at us yet, so I was a little surprised. We were put onto a bus, where the driver, dressed in dungarees- the precursor to the navy utility working uniform, which was the precursor to their current cammo style of woking uniform- told us to have a seat. that from this point forward everything we said was to be preceeded and followed by "Sir." Still, no one had yelled at us, althought he bus driver was stern and impersonal. Once we got to the facility, a short ride form the airport, we got off the us and lined up at which point we were pointed toward a bank of pay phones and told to "call home and let your loved ones know you're here, you're safe and you will call them again as soon as you can."
From this point on, everything-EVERYTHING- was structured. We got in line to get our hair cut, we got in line to get our uniforms issued to us, we stood in line for chow. It was during this time that we began to break the molds of our civilian lives and to learn how to be sailors. We were conitinually told to "get your hands out of your pockets!" Funny thing about not having your hands in your pockets is you realize that the muscles in your shoulders have atrophied and there is some discomfort in your arms hanging at your sides for a couple of days. Give it a try: let your arms hang at your sides; no pockets, no hands on hips. We were herded through paperwork, medical (yes, more medical stuff), uniforms, chow and finally a couple of hours of sleep. By now it's sometime after midnight and we've all been up for about 20+ hours. We've had our heads shaved and we're all tired, scared and lonely. We can't really talk to each other, so it's too early to try making friends.
This was day one. It's funny how many details you can remember, even after 23 years. It was a long day, to be sure, but utterly important in the development of a sailor. From day one we learned to pay attention to the little details. As a matter of fact, if there is one thing I would say about basic training, it's that everything comes down to "Attention to Detail."
***I realized after I posted this that the date said 24 January. I wrote it on the 23rd.
Morning came, much too early, and it sounded like the loudest telephone in the history of telephones. The rooms were all set to automatically call for the morning round-up. I got up, washed my face and brushed my teeth, found some breakfast and was ready to go. It didn't take long for us to get herded into the bus to take us all to the processing station for the second time. The first time for most of us was when we were getting our physical done for entry into the navy. In my case, it was 2 months prior, and it was also the time I got to pick my job. At least I knew what I was joining for, and I was excited about learning electronics. Of course, the first thing I had to do was get through 9 weeks of boot camp...
At the MEPS center that morning, we all went into the building and took care of a few last minute things. Mostly, we all just waited around for our time to leave. That time came soon enough. It was shortly after we were sworn in for the second time. Most people don't realize that there are 2 times a new recruit swears in: the first is when he or she is done with the physical and has chosen a field, and the second right before heading off to boot camp. As an E3 ( I had enough college credits to join the navy as an E3 as opposed to E1), I was the senior guy for our group of 10 or so recruits, so the person in charge gave me everyones records and told me to give them to the person incharge once we got to San Diego- this was 1989 and there were three boot camps: San Diego, Orlando (where all the females went) and Chicago. It was winter time and I was lucky enough to get to go to San Diego, for wich I received a lot of grief from the poor souls that got stuck in Chicago. In January. Haha. Suckers...
It was an uneventful trip for us in the plane. My only luggage was my toothbrush and the clothes I was wearing. My recruiteer was (the exception, and not the rule) one that made sure I was mentally prepared, and he told me much of what to expect, though not everything was exactly as he described it. He was right in telling me to leave everything at home. Some people show up with luggage, several days worth of clothes, etc, only to find out their recruiters were full of sh... not quite true stuff. I knew it was going to suck, I also knew not to bring stuff I was not going to be allowed to use for God knows how long. Once we landed in San Diego, life as we knew it suddenly seemed like a different time.
We were grabbed up as soon as we got off the plane by the good folks at RTC/NTC San Diego. That's Recruit Training Center/ Navy Training Center San Diego, for those who don't speak military. Nobody shouted at us yet, so I was a little surprised. We were put onto a bus, where the driver, dressed in dungarees- the precursor to the navy utility working uniform, which was the precursor to their current cammo style of woking uniform- told us to have a seat. that from this point forward everything we said was to be preceeded and followed by "Sir." Still, no one had yelled at us, althought he bus driver was stern and impersonal. Once we got to the facility, a short ride form the airport, we got off the us and lined up at which point we were pointed toward a bank of pay phones and told to "call home and let your loved ones know you're here, you're safe and you will call them again as soon as you can."
From this point on, everything-EVERYTHING- was structured. We got in line to get our hair cut, we got in line to get our uniforms issued to us, we stood in line for chow. It was during this time that we began to break the molds of our civilian lives and to learn how to be sailors. We were conitinually told to "get your hands out of your pockets!" Funny thing about not having your hands in your pockets is you realize that the muscles in your shoulders have atrophied and there is some discomfort in your arms hanging at your sides for a couple of days. Give it a try: let your arms hang at your sides; no pockets, no hands on hips. We were herded through paperwork, medical (yes, more medical stuff), uniforms, chow and finally a couple of hours of sleep. By now it's sometime after midnight and we've all been up for about 20+ hours. We've had our heads shaved and we're all tired, scared and lonely. We can't really talk to each other, so it's too early to try making friends.
This was day one. It's funny how many details you can remember, even after 23 years. It was a long day, to be sure, but utterly important in the development of a sailor. From day one we learned to pay attention to the little details. As a matter of fact, if there is one thing I would say about basic training, it's that everything comes down to "Attention to Detail."
***I realized after I posted this that the date said 24 January. I wrote it on the 23rd.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Retirees and the DD214
Well, it's Friday and another week has come and gone in the exciting world of... OK, let's be real. My job isn't all that exciting. It does, however, give me the opportunity to talk to a lot of interesting people. This week I've had a number of interesting folks come across my desk. Not literally, mind you. If people are actually coming across my desk, I need to take a look at how I am treating them.
First, there's the ET1 that decided to get out of the navy a few months early (about 10 years into his career). When I got the initial paperwork, it seemed to me that the member was on the fast track to making chief. I wondered why he was calling it quits. He's a stellar performer with a lot of qualifications in the submarine community. His skills are easily transferable to civilian life, so maybe he got a job offer that he simply couldn't pass up. Whatever the case may be, it's too bad he's getting out. The navy still needs good leadership. Well, as it turns out, this guy has actually 'been there, done that.' He worked at Camp David- yes, that one- as one of the equipment technicians. His networking skills landed him a position with the Secret Service! Very cool. So, even though he's going to be travelling a lot in his new career, he'll be living the dream, as they say.
Also this week, I had an ADSEP. That's Administrative Separation, usually a bad thing. And in this young woman's case, it was. She seemingly could not stay out of trouble. She was a Master-at-Arms, or MA. The MA rating is the navy's version of military police. It used to be a rating that you had to request to transfer to once you had a few years experience in the service. Very few people could simply join the navy as a Master-at-Arms, and the ones that did were usually policemen on the outside before they joined. This practice ensured the navy that the people that carry guns and had arrest authority were mature, responsible people, and not an 18 year old fresh out of high school. I see the wisdom in this. Well, shortly after the 9-11 tragedy, the navy had a great need for fresh MAs, so they opened the rate up to everyone. Basically, you could be a 19 year old cop, in a foreign country with a ton of responsibility, and not necessarily a lot of mentorship. In the case of this young woman, that seems like what happened. Here you have a relatively smart young person, without much life experience, in a foreign country where the drinking age is 18. Well, since she really didn't know her own limitations, she probably didn't have a clue she was headed down the wrong path. I'm certain she was given the opportunity to fix her shortcomings. Perhaps she didn't think there was anything wrong with her. Too bad. Now she has been eradicated from the ranks and is going to lose a considerable amount of her benefits. Of course, I'm speculating as to the reason for her troubles. It may not have had anything to do with alcohol, but what little paperwork I had indicated that booze was a likely accomplice to her problems. For what it's worth, I hope she doesn't continue her destructive behavior outside the navy.
I got the opportunity to talk to a couple of retiring sailors, too. One was a chief (E7) and had about 12 years of sea time! 12 years out of 20 he was on board a ship. I have to say, that's a lot of time away from your family! There's quite a bit of dedication involved in a career like that. Sure, out of that 12 years, he may have only done five or six deployments, but to be perfectly honest, shipboard life is tough, even when you're in port, tied to the pier. Watches, qualifications, duty sections, fire drills, training, dry-dock (or 'yard') periods and the work-up cycle all make for many hours of overtime, even when you're technically 'at home.'
On Friday, I had the opportunity to talk to a PO2 (E5) that was retiring after 20 years. She was one of a dying breed. You see, for years and years the navy allowed E5s to retire at 20 years with full retirement benefits. Well, around 2004ish, they changed their high year tenure rules. Now an E5 that doesn't make E6 within 14 years has to get out at 14 years- no retirement. The E5s that were already E5s by the time the new rule took effect were grand-fathered in, so they wouldn't be processed out. Those folks are becoming less and less common. To be honest, most people make First Class (PO1 or E6) prior to hitting the 14 year mark, but there are a few that don't make it, and even fewer that are going to make it all the way to retirement. This particular sailor was very excited to be leaving the service. She loved the navy, as we all do, but she was ready to leave... I guess her final command wasn't very good to her. She was one of the most well-prepared people I've had the opportunity to sit with through this process. She had all her paperwork with her and properly filled out. She already knew most of the information and even had her household goods shipment in the process. This certainly makes my job a lot easier, I only had to answer a couple of questions for her. I enjoy people like her. I get to spend more time on a personal level with them, instead of being the federal employee automaton most people envision when I tell them what I do for a living.
First, there's the ET1 that decided to get out of the navy a few months early (about 10 years into his career). When I got the initial paperwork, it seemed to me that the member was on the fast track to making chief. I wondered why he was calling it quits. He's a stellar performer with a lot of qualifications in the submarine community. His skills are easily transferable to civilian life, so maybe he got a job offer that he simply couldn't pass up. Whatever the case may be, it's too bad he's getting out. The navy still needs good leadership. Well, as it turns out, this guy has actually 'been there, done that.' He worked at Camp David- yes, that one- as one of the equipment technicians. His networking skills landed him a position with the Secret Service! Very cool. So, even though he's going to be travelling a lot in his new career, he'll be living the dream, as they say.
Also this week, I had an ADSEP. That's Administrative Separation, usually a bad thing. And in this young woman's case, it was. She seemingly could not stay out of trouble. She was a Master-at-Arms, or MA. The MA rating is the navy's version of military police. It used to be a rating that you had to request to transfer to once you had a few years experience in the service. Very few people could simply join the navy as a Master-at-Arms, and the ones that did were usually policemen on the outside before they joined. This practice ensured the navy that the people that carry guns and had arrest authority were mature, responsible people, and not an 18 year old fresh out of high school. I see the wisdom in this. Well, shortly after the 9-11 tragedy, the navy had a great need for fresh MAs, so they opened the rate up to everyone. Basically, you could be a 19 year old cop, in a foreign country with a ton of responsibility, and not necessarily a lot of mentorship. In the case of this young woman, that seems like what happened. Here you have a relatively smart young person, without much life experience, in a foreign country where the drinking age is 18. Well, since she really didn't know her own limitations, she probably didn't have a clue she was headed down the wrong path. I'm certain she was given the opportunity to fix her shortcomings. Perhaps she didn't think there was anything wrong with her. Too bad. Now she has been eradicated from the ranks and is going to lose a considerable amount of her benefits. Of course, I'm speculating as to the reason for her troubles. It may not have had anything to do with alcohol, but what little paperwork I had indicated that booze was a likely accomplice to her problems. For what it's worth, I hope she doesn't continue her destructive behavior outside the navy.
I got the opportunity to talk to a couple of retiring sailors, too. One was a chief (E7) and had about 12 years of sea time! 12 years out of 20 he was on board a ship. I have to say, that's a lot of time away from your family! There's quite a bit of dedication involved in a career like that. Sure, out of that 12 years, he may have only done five or six deployments, but to be perfectly honest, shipboard life is tough, even when you're in port, tied to the pier. Watches, qualifications, duty sections, fire drills, training, dry-dock (or 'yard') periods and the work-up cycle all make for many hours of overtime, even when you're technically 'at home.'
On Friday, I had the opportunity to talk to a PO2 (E5) that was retiring after 20 years. She was one of a dying breed. You see, for years and years the navy allowed E5s to retire at 20 years with full retirement benefits. Well, around 2004ish, they changed their high year tenure rules. Now an E5 that doesn't make E6 within 14 years has to get out at 14 years- no retirement. The E5s that were already E5s by the time the new rule took effect were grand-fathered in, so they wouldn't be processed out. Those folks are becoming less and less common. To be honest, most people make First Class (PO1 or E6) prior to hitting the 14 year mark, but there are a few that don't make it, and even fewer that are going to make it all the way to retirement. This particular sailor was very excited to be leaving the service. She loved the navy, as we all do, but she was ready to leave... I guess her final command wasn't very good to her. She was one of the most well-prepared people I've had the opportunity to sit with through this process. She had all her paperwork with her and properly filled out. She already knew most of the information and even had her household goods shipment in the process. This certainly makes my job a lot easier, I only had to answer a couple of questions for her. I enjoy people like her. I get to spend more time on a personal level with them, instead of being the federal employee automaton most people envision when I tell them what I do for a living.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
1 Week Down
Well, after a week of eating right and exercising, I've managed to lose a whopping 2 pounds...
I have to admit, that's more than a little discouraging. I think I know why, though. First, when I say 'eating right' I am really only talking about quantity. I worry less about what I am eating as I do about the calorie count. Once I get used to eating less, I'll adjust my intake to be a little healthier. Actually, I eat pretty healthy already, though I realize there is room for improvement (less sodium, more lean protein, etc).
Historically, once I cut the sweets from my diet, and the cravings go away, after about three or four days, the rest is fairly easy. I haven't had any sweets since January 2, so I no longer crave them at this point. However, I still eat an egg almost every morning. I make myself an egg wrap, using a tortilla (yes, the kind made with lard and flour, found in any grocery store- about 120 calories each), a serving of egg whites (which I buy in a pint size carton), and one medium sized egg. I tried to use just egg whites, but the consistency of the omelette doesn't hold up too well; it falls apart while I'm trying to flip it. So one egg at about 100 calories added to a serving of egg whites at a whopping 25 calories, plus some sea salt (ahh, the evil part of my breakfast), salsa and onion powder, a 1/4 cup of cheese. The whole thing weighs in at a tremendous 300-ish calories. I also, and drink a pot of coffee (way too much, according to some) -14 calories total, without cream or sugar, and take some vitamins and supplements each day. Total: 359 calories.
When I go to work, I take with me a few talismans to use against the mid-morning hunger monster. I pack my bag with some yogurt (2 @ 80 calories each), an apple, a banana and some carrots. I also make myself a sandwich. So my 'healthy diet' is riddled with some things many fitness experts might frown on: bread (2 slices at 120calories total), lunch meat, whose sodium content is pretty high (can't think of an appropriate simile at the moment), and cheese (a meal without cheese is like a day without sunshine- there's your simile). Still, my sandwich fills my belly and prevents me from buying fast food or chips from the vending machine, so it's a win for me. I spread my snacking out throughout the day, sometimes eating my apple or carrots on the ride home.
Tho whole point is, I try to be proactive in this diet thing. Truthfully, I'm not 'dieting' so much as I'm changing the way I eat. Watching tv in the evening is a challenge, as I'm used to munching on chips or whatever, and washing it down with soda (although I've been drinking diet soda for years, so no calories, per se, but a separate issue with the aspartame in it, which I'd like to discuss at another time). Point is, I have to find a way to occupy both my mind and my hands so I am not so tempted to fill them with comfort foods. Luckily, I have a smart phone and some pretty cool games to play- sorry 'Angry Birds' fans, I'd rather play sudoku.
You see, I'm actually eating several times a day, but just directing my intake toward more wholesome foods. Dinner is probably the least healthy thing I eat. I've been trying to stick with Lean Cuisine type dinners. They are tasty... OK, they taste good enough. Still, the sodium content is pretty high in any manufactured food: soup being the worst offender (probably), followed by everything else. Still, a 300 calorie dinner, combined with a small, steamed bag of veggies is usually enough to get me throught the evening. If Istill need something to munch on, there are a few choices on the market these days: Special K chips are my current choice (120 calories for a serving of 27 chips), which, after not having sweets or fat or bad carbs all week, are simply delicious!
All these food choices are not the best available. I know this. I will eventually take a look at how I cook foods, I'll learn to make some different meats and fresh vegetables and I'll probably find a more holistic approach to eating- Eventually. For now, I'm happy to be losing a few pounds. I'm even more happy that I'm not starving to death, which is why most diets fail.
Losing weight is really much simpler than most people realize. Once you cut out the industry's attempts to sell you the latest diet, you'll see the simplicity of it. What the fitness industry does not tell you is that you can lose weight by simply eating less calories than you burn each and every day. That's the secret. The truth is, you could eat Twinkies every day (I prefer the Little Debbie snack cake diet, personally), and as long as your body burns more calories than the Twinkies you eat, you'll lose weight. You'll be increasingly unhealthy if you eat only sweets, but the concept is the same: burn more calories than you consume. Twinkies, by the way, each have about 150 calories. The problem is that one is never enough!
My daily allownce of calories, according to the program I set up previously, using myfitnesspal.com is 1730. This amount will allow me to lose about 2lbs oer week. If I exercise, I get more calories. So, if I run 3 or 4 miles that day, I get a considerable amount of additional calories. This might allow me to eat a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich as a treat once in a while without moving backwards.
For what it's worth, this is the exact opposite of my approach to paying off the bills: Spend less than you make.
I have to admit, that's more than a little discouraging. I think I know why, though. First, when I say 'eating right' I am really only talking about quantity. I worry less about what I am eating as I do about the calorie count. Once I get used to eating less, I'll adjust my intake to be a little healthier. Actually, I eat pretty healthy already, though I realize there is room for improvement (less sodium, more lean protein, etc).
Historically, once I cut the sweets from my diet, and the cravings go away, after about three or four days, the rest is fairly easy. I haven't had any sweets since January 2, so I no longer crave them at this point. However, I still eat an egg almost every morning. I make myself an egg wrap, using a tortilla (yes, the kind made with lard and flour, found in any grocery store- about 120 calories each), a serving of egg whites (which I buy in a pint size carton), and one medium sized egg. I tried to use just egg whites, but the consistency of the omelette doesn't hold up too well; it falls apart while I'm trying to flip it. So one egg at about 100 calories added to a serving of egg whites at a whopping 25 calories, plus some sea salt (ahh, the evil part of my breakfast), salsa and onion powder, a 1/4 cup of cheese. The whole thing weighs in at a tremendous 300-ish calories. I also, and drink a pot of coffee (way too much, according to some) -14 calories total, without cream or sugar, and take some vitamins and supplements each day. Total: 359 calories.
When I go to work, I take with me a few talismans to use against the mid-morning hunger monster. I pack my bag with some yogurt (2 @ 80 calories each), an apple, a banana and some carrots. I also make myself a sandwich. So my 'healthy diet' is riddled with some things many fitness experts might frown on: bread (2 slices at 120calories total), lunch meat, whose sodium content is pretty high (can't think of an appropriate simile at the moment), and cheese (a meal without cheese is like a day without sunshine- there's your simile). Still, my sandwich fills my belly and prevents me from buying fast food or chips from the vending machine, so it's a win for me. I spread my snacking out throughout the day, sometimes eating my apple or carrots on the ride home.
Tho whole point is, I try to be proactive in this diet thing. Truthfully, I'm not 'dieting' so much as I'm changing the way I eat. Watching tv in the evening is a challenge, as I'm used to munching on chips or whatever, and washing it down with soda (although I've been drinking diet soda for years, so no calories, per se, but a separate issue with the aspartame in it, which I'd like to discuss at another time). Point is, I have to find a way to occupy both my mind and my hands so I am not so tempted to fill them with comfort foods. Luckily, I have a smart phone and some pretty cool games to play- sorry 'Angry Birds' fans, I'd rather play sudoku.
You see, I'm actually eating several times a day, but just directing my intake toward more wholesome foods. Dinner is probably the least healthy thing I eat. I've been trying to stick with Lean Cuisine type dinners. They are tasty... OK, they taste good enough. Still, the sodium content is pretty high in any manufactured food: soup being the worst offender (probably), followed by everything else. Still, a 300 calorie dinner, combined with a small, steamed bag of veggies is usually enough to get me throught the evening. If Istill need something to munch on, there are a few choices on the market these days: Special K chips are my current choice (120 calories for a serving of 27 chips), which, after not having sweets or fat or bad carbs all week, are simply delicious!
All these food choices are not the best available. I know this. I will eventually take a look at how I cook foods, I'll learn to make some different meats and fresh vegetables and I'll probably find a more holistic approach to eating- Eventually. For now, I'm happy to be losing a few pounds. I'm even more happy that I'm not starving to death, which is why most diets fail.
Losing weight is really much simpler than most people realize. Once you cut out the industry's attempts to sell you the latest diet, you'll see the simplicity of it. What the fitness industry does not tell you is that you can lose weight by simply eating less calories than you burn each and every day. That's the secret. The truth is, you could eat Twinkies every day (I prefer the Little Debbie snack cake diet, personally), and as long as your body burns more calories than the Twinkies you eat, you'll lose weight. You'll be increasingly unhealthy if you eat only sweets, but the concept is the same: burn more calories than you consume. Twinkies, by the way, each have about 150 calories. The problem is that one is never enough!
My daily allownce of calories, according to the program I set up previously, using myfitnesspal.com is 1730. This amount will allow me to lose about 2lbs oer week. If I exercise, I get more calories. So, if I run 3 or 4 miles that day, I get a considerable amount of additional calories. This might allow me to eat a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich as a treat once in a while without moving backwards.
For what it's worth, this is the exact opposite of my approach to paying off the bills: Spend less than you make.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Keeping track of my New Year's Resolutions
We all know that these resolutions are usually doomed to failure, so this year, I've decided to put myself on the hot seat and make my resolutions stick- or, at the very least, allow myself to be held accountable. My resolutions are fairly basic. I haven't smoked in several years, and I quit drinking more than 20 years ago, so what else could I possibly need to change? Believe it or not, I have a couple things I don't really like very much about myself.
1) I have to make myself more impressive to potential employers. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to have a job and I like what I am doing, for the most part. Simply put, I don't feel like this is where I should be at this stage of my life. Sort of an, "Is this as good as it gets?" feeling (thanks, Jack Nicholson).
So what am I doing to change this? First off, I bought the book "What Color is Your Parachute." Second, and more importantly, I'm reading the book and doing to exercises in it to determine where my true passion lies, hopefully leading me to a much fuller career. Third, I'm being more proactive in my current job; I actually ask my customers to say nice stuff about me in our online survey, I network with many of them and ask about their future plans. Finally, I'm trying to step outside of my comfort zone in my job, continuing to learn what I can and improve the whole process in the separations division.
2) Lose weight. This is probably the single most failed resolution in the world. Why? Because it isn't specific enough. I look at myself in the mirror and I do not like what I see. I've let myself gain too much weight over the holidays and now it's time to get rid of the pounds. In light of this, let me say that I want to lose 30 pounds. This year.
Losing weight is easy. I can lose 5 pounds fairly quickly. The problem is that I seem to be losing the same 5 pounds every few months! Gaining the weight back comes even easier than losing it. How can I break this cycle? Well, having a support system is a good start. I'm not talking about someone that's going to nag me into losing weight. That'll never work. I'm talking about having a partner who's as invested as I am in this endeavor. The main thing I have to do is watch what I eat. No more eating just to be eating. That's foolishness for a man of my age. When I was a kid, and even as a young adult, I could eat anything and never gain weight. I miss those days! However, I have to be more mature about it. I simply can't eat the way I did when I was younger. I use this program to monitor what I eat:
myfitnesspal
It's a simple program and I even have it on my smart phone. Exercise is an important part of weight control as well. Having a program that involves other people makes it more of a team function, and not just a 'me against the world' challenge.
3) Pay off at least one large bill this year. I'm not nearly as bad off as some are, but there's a lot of room for improvement in this area. We- my wife and I- really only have 4 big bills, outside of our house and the regular stuff (insurance, utilities, etc, don't factor in this). This is a much more personal matter, but I don't mind sharing the fact that it's TIME to get started on this. This has been very important to me for a few years now and I've decided that this is the year we are going to get the ball rolling (it's also the year I was able to get my wife committed to the idea as well- can't do it without her).
I've been a fan of Dave Ramsey for a long time. His ideals are well-founded and make a lot of sense. Dave's philosophy about being debt free isn't unique, nor is it the only way to accomplish this goal, but I find it to be the simplest method for becoming debt free, and the method I plan on using.
These are my 2012 goals. Not overwhelming enough to be burdensome, but challenging enough to keep me on my toes. Here's to a successful 2012!!!!!!!
1) I have to make myself more impressive to potential employers. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to have a job and I like what I am doing, for the most part. Simply put, I don't feel like this is where I should be at this stage of my life. Sort of an, "Is this as good as it gets?" feeling (thanks, Jack Nicholson).
So what am I doing to change this? First off, I bought the book "What Color is Your Parachute." Second, and more importantly, I'm reading the book and doing to exercises in it to determine where my true passion lies, hopefully leading me to a much fuller career. Third, I'm being more proactive in my current job; I actually ask my customers to say nice stuff about me in our online survey, I network with many of them and ask about their future plans. Finally, I'm trying to step outside of my comfort zone in my job, continuing to learn what I can and improve the whole process in the separations division.
2) Lose weight. This is probably the single most failed resolution in the world. Why? Because it isn't specific enough. I look at myself in the mirror and I do not like what I see. I've let myself gain too much weight over the holidays and now it's time to get rid of the pounds. In light of this, let me say that I want to lose 30 pounds. This year.
Losing weight is easy. I can lose 5 pounds fairly quickly. The problem is that I seem to be losing the same 5 pounds every few months! Gaining the weight back comes even easier than losing it. How can I break this cycle? Well, having a support system is a good start. I'm not talking about someone that's going to nag me into losing weight. That'll never work. I'm talking about having a partner who's as invested as I am in this endeavor. The main thing I have to do is watch what I eat. No more eating just to be eating. That's foolishness for a man of my age. When I was a kid, and even as a young adult, I could eat anything and never gain weight. I miss those days! However, I have to be more mature about it. I simply can't eat the way I did when I was younger. I use this program to monitor what I eat:
myfitnesspal
It's a simple program and I even have it on my smart phone. Exercise is an important part of weight control as well. Having a program that involves other people makes it more of a team function, and not just a 'me against the world' challenge.
3) Pay off at least one large bill this year. I'm not nearly as bad off as some are, but there's a lot of room for improvement in this area. We- my wife and I- really only have 4 big bills, outside of our house and the regular stuff (insurance, utilities, etc, don't factor in this). This is a much more personal matter, but I don't mind sharing the fact that it's TIME to get started on this. This has been very important to me for a few years now and I've decided that this is the year we are going to get the ball rolling (it's also the year I was able to get my wife committed to the idea as well- can't do it without her).
I've been a fan of Dave Ramsey for a long time. His ideals are well-founded and make a lot of sense. Dave's philosophy about being debt free isn't unique, nor is it the only way to accomplish this goal, but I find it to be the simplest method for becoming debt free, and the method I plan on using.
These are my 2012 goals. Not overwhelming enough to be burdensome, but challenging enough to keep me on my toes. Here's to a successful 2012!!!!!!!
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