A great thing about keeping a blog is that it will hold you accountable. If you write something in it, unless you want to show thousands of people that your word means nothing, you must follow through.

At the start of 2016, I wrote about how I had let my eating habits spiral a bit out of control. With my fondness for delicious Southern cooking coupled with the holiday food binge I went on in Spokane, I was not looking my best. Frankly, I was looking really chubby!

In December I was looking plump.

With a wedding and a Cancun honeymoon only five months away, I knew I had to make some changes. In order to ensure that I would look respectable for the big events, I wrote my intentions out in that blog post I penned in early January. It helped me reach my goal.

Unfortunately I take too many selfies and not enough full body shots. On the left it is me in December and on the right it is me in March.

Between January and April (I am no longer dieting) I lost 30 pounds. It was a slow process as I only would lose typically 1-2 pounds per week but it certainly added up after a few months. I didn’t go on any special diet. I didn’t count calories. I didn’t consult an expert. In fact, most people would probably say that what I did was backwards and unhealthy. However, I did what made sense to me and what I knew would work.

This contrast shows how fat I really was!

Ready to hear about the Brent Diet?

During the work week I clamped down. Without any modifications, I ate the exact same thing each and every day. For breakfast I would have half of a peanut butter sandwich. For lunch I would enjoy a whole peanut butter sandwich and a banana. For dinner I would have a Celeste personal pizza, a few carrots, and either a cup of applesauce or another banana. I know what you are thinking…he ate pizza Sunday through Thursday and lost weight?! Darn right I did!

I took this photo in March of one of my dinners. I ate this every night for the first three plus months of the year.

When the weekend rolled around, I had my cheat days. Sidney would make me buttered noodles on Friday night and then we would typically go out to eat on Saturday night. I would then usually splurge on the scrumptious Sunday midday meal that the Mathis family usually has. When Sunday night came around it was back to pizza, carrots, and applesauce.

Gee, it kind of sounds like I was eating horribly, huh? Well, most likely I was. But it was a significant cut down from what I was eating before. I also did a couple other things that probably contributed to my weight loss…

First, I increased the intensity of my workout regimen just a bit. Even though I was still working out five times a week during my heavy days, I wasn’t pushing myself as hard as I could. I picked up the pace once January hit.

The photo on the left was me right when I returned to Myrtle Beach after the holidays. The photo on the right is me in April.

Secondly, I completely stopped eating between meals. I also cut out sweets entirely. With desserts, candy, and chips out of the picture I was able to slim down.

I weighed in once a week. Visualizing that date with the scale each Friday after work helped motivate me to stick with the program. Like I said, the process was slow. Some weeks I wouldn’t even lose ONE pound. But I held on and tried to look at the bigger picture.

Like I said, I am no longer dieting. A couple of my loved ones asked that I stop losing weight. I am back to eating ice cream and enjoying balanced dinners. However, I am making sure not to lose complete control. I still weigh myself on a weekly basis and after four weeks of eating normally again, I am still 27 pounds down from January.

It was a long process to slim down but I am now back to eating ice cream!

So until I come close to approaching 200 pounds again, I am not going to eat a personal pan pizza for a while. When our wedding week arrives in a little under two weeks, I will be able to say that I accomplished my goal. Don’t Blink.

Recently I stumbled upon a pretty cool graphic. Well, I actually didn’t stumble upon it, my brother sent it to a group message I am included in (he would be so angry if I didn’t give him credit). The image he sent is a ranking of various types of french fries. It is a well-done graphic with fun illustrations and descriptions.

This list ranking french fries is pretty cool.

I like french fries but I am not obsessed with them like my fiancé is. Sidney seriously lists french fries as her favorite food. So although she might be better suited to address this list, I decided I would steal a possible blog takeover topic from her and weigh in on it myself.

Sidney loves french fries, especially fries from Five Guys.

So, before I rip the graphic for two main reasons, let me again heap praise on it. Like I said, I love the aesthetic appeal (nothing is more beautiful than french fries, right?) of the image and I appreciate the depth it goes into. I found it cute how the illustrator included smiley fries and I like the noted distinction between some of the closely related fries such as Belgian, steak cut, and chips. I also agree that waffle fries and garlic fries each deserve a spot in the top five.

Although not in my top five, I do enjoy curly fries. Sidney and I enjoyed these during the Fourth of July in Walla Walla at Pioneer Park.

However, the first issue I have is a type of fry that not only didn’t make the top five but didn’t even crack the list! Where is any mention of spicy fries?! Hello?!? How could such a glaring mistake be made? Nothing is better than eating a burger with a large side of fries that pack a punch. Not only do spicy fries add great flavor, they also look great on a plate. There is just something visually satisfying about crispy orange-toned fries covered in seasonings resting on a white porcelain plate backdrop. Major snub for sure.

My second issue winds me up even more than the omission of spicy fries. Riddle me this: How are TATER TOTS included on a ranking of the best styles of french fries?

Tater tots are in no way, shape, or form a valid excuse for french fries. Could you imagine if you were at a restaurant and you ordered fries and they brought you out tater tots? I realize that tater tots share a common ingredient with french fries but I don’t see how that puts them into the same class. Pizza and nachos both use cheese as their main ingredient but a pizza isn’t a plate of nachos and a plate of nachos isn’t a pizza. You know that ridiculous question people always debate….is a hot dog a sandwich? The answer is obviously NO but even that inquiry deserves more consideration than if a tater tot is a fry.

Probably worst of all is where tater tots land on the list. There is no way you can tell me that a side item that doesn’t even belong on the list in the first place is given the bronze medal. To put tater tots ahead of 18 other legitimate versions of french fries is an insult. That #3 ranking needs to be rescinded immediately.

At a restaurant in Spokane called Selkirk, they make snow capped fries. It is a favorite of Sidney and I.

Tater tots…really? Does anyone out there actually agree with its inclusion on the list? If so, I would like to hear from you. Additionally, if you have any thoughts on this list in general don’t be afraid to sound off. Sidney, if you are reading this I am sure you are craving something right about now. Don’t Blink.

While I sometimes might hang on to old documents and cards too long, the same can’t be said for food. Since the time I moved out of my parents’ house, I have been religious about throwing out items in my refrigerator past the “best by” or “use by” date. Just the notion of rotten milk or moldy bread was enough for me to dispose of food no questions asked.

As I have lived ten years as a bachelor, I naturally threw out lots of unconsumed food. Although I do have an appetite and eat more than I should, it still takes me longer to eat a large pack of muffins than it would a family. Thus, it became habit for me to “donate” recently expired goods to the landfill.

Like I said, I took the “best by” labels very seriously. Half eaten bags of carrots, practically full gallons of milk, bunches of bananas, barely used taco shells, and items from the bakery were all put out of their misery by me the second they reached their expiration. Sadly, I frequently used to even toss food a day or two away from its “use by” date.

I recently read a very informative and in depth article on how these “best by” dates are pretty much myth. It turns out that these tags aren’t even federally mandated, it is just merely an ESTIMATE from the manufacturer on when the item will be at optimal freshness. In other words, the date on the package is NOT a warning of when the food will go bad.

The article explained that this is a harmful issue because it takes a big toll on the environment. Valuable land and water is used up to produce food that goes wasted. Furthermore, the carbon footprint associated with wasted food worldwide is more than 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

So while I do care about the environment and while I do find that carbon dioxide number alarming, I am more appalled at my own personal waste of food AND money.

Think of it this way: I eat sandwiches for lunch and I often throw half-eaten loaves out at the end of the week just because of the “best by” date. I have purchased a $4 loaf of bread pretty much weekly over the past ten years. Since I throw away half of the product at the end of the week, that means I waste about $2. If I multiply 2 (the dollar amount) by 10 (the number of years) by 52 (number of weeks in a year) I arrive at a waste of $1,040. Mind you, this is just bread and doesn’t begin to cover all the other food I have liberally disposed of over the past decade.

To be honest, I will probably still err on the side of throwing out food well before it starts to go bad. However, I will do my best to not have such a heavy hand moving forward. Food doesn’t become poisoned the second it reaches a “use by” date. I need to take this for fact, stretch my dollar, and help the environment at the same time. Don’t Blink.

Happy May 19th Day to you! Here we go with the Thursday Countdown…

Perfect Wedding Gift – This past weekend, Sidney and I received a pretty awesome wedding gift. Her parents have a great relationship with their next door neighbors and they are close to Sidney as well. Last Saturday, Sid was visiting with her parents at their house. She called me over saying that the neighbors had a wedding gift for us to open. I arrived and we went next door. The nice neighbors gave us a gift bag that had a gas can in it. After taking the container out and examining it, their garage door opened up and there was a lawn mower waiting for us! What a generous gift and what a fun way to give it. Thanks Sue and Jerry!!

Take a look at our brand new lawn mower.

Two Years of Timehop – On this date two years ago, I wrote about how I downloaded Timehop. Eventually I would write a whole post about the app. Today though I must call it out for being wrong. Under the two year banner for May 19, it has a photo of me with my neice. Nevermind the fact that I took this photo last July. The most glaring error of all is that Mikalya wasn’t even alive two years ago. I am still a Timehop fan but it sometimes has inaccurate information. 

This DID NOT happen two years ago. An embarrassing error for Timehop.

“Money Monster” – On Friday night, Sidney and I went to the theater to watch “Money Monster.” The movie stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Clooney is an over-the-top money analyst television star and Roberts is his director. A disturbed man who had his savings depleted by bad advice given by Clooney on the show, takes the television host hostage during the live program. Sidney really enjoyed the film and gave it two thumbs up. I thought it was good but I didn’t necessailry like the villain (the person who took Clooney hostage). I just never got that cold and sadistic vibe I like from deranged characters. However, it is an action packed film.

Revised NBA Finals Pick – A few weeks ago I stated I wanted a Golden State vs. Charlotte matchup in the NBA Finals. Well, since the Hornets didn’t even make it out of the first round I have known that I would need to make a revised pick. I am hoping we get to see the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors duke it out for the championship. Just with the amazing ride the Warriors went on this year I think it would be a shame to not seem them in the finals. However, it wouldn’t bother too much either if the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled the upset and represented the Western Conference. I am adamant about my pick on the other side though. Although it doesn’t look like it is going to happen, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals. Slim chance. Enjoy the basketball, folks.

Wedding Update #32 – Sidney had her bridal shower last weekend and in addition to the lawn mower we received some fabulous gifts. We met with the church last night to finalize our liturgy. Now, when it comes to St. Andrew (where we are getting married), we just have our meeting with the priest and the rehearsal to go before it is showtime. Also, earlier this week we narrowed our song choice for our first dance to three finalists. And, believe it or not, we just now decided on which one we will use! It is a special melody indeed. Only 23 days to go!

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I wish you all a great weekend. Unlike last week, I don’t have a big idea for what I will write about on Sunday but I promise I will provide you with something. Don’t Blink.