Griffin Speaks

Put down the fried chicken or at least pull the skin off! There has been a lot of controversy over the new KFC advertisements that KFC chicken is healthy to eat. One critic said, " the chicken may be healthy to eat if people would pull the skin off before they ate it." He went further and said, "but how many people do you know go to KFC and pull the skin off the chicken before they eat it! I immediately thought about my best friend, C. Howie Hodges II. Howie and his beautiful wife, Elizabeth Jackson Hodges look like movie stars use to look when they had to be beautiful. Howie and Beth pull the skin off the chicken. In fact they eat right and exercise daily. They were my inspiration for weight lost.

Each time I visited my friends I was impressed with how well they have taken care of themselves over the years. They are both still turning heads. Well many of you know four years ago I lost fifty pounds and have managed to keep thirty off. I believe this entitles me to give advice about weight loss.

Obesity results in the death of 300000 people in America every year. Many people diet and fail, the key is to continue trying even when you fail. Eventually you will succeed. The reality is that 95% of people who lose weight gain the loss weight back with additional pounds.

There are many reasons why Americans have become heavier. Some of the reasons are: elevators, drive through windows, escalators, remote controls, e-mails, the decline in sidewalks in neighborhoods, the baggy clothes fashion and the buffet restaurants.

So here is the deal, if you want to look like my friends Howie and Beth this is what you need to do:
1.) Expect that you will fail, but don't give up! Eventually you will succeed!
2.) Eat anything that you enjoy. Just don't eat too much of it. When I lost fifty pounds I ate fried chicken every day with the skin still on it. I did not deny myself and therefore I didn't really feel that I was dieting!
3.) Weigh yourself as often as possible. I weigh myself daily. The pounds can slip on you quickly.
4.) You must have a daily exercise routine. My preference is "walking". I walk seven days a week. I use to walk eight miles a day, but now I walk four miles a day. When I want to lose additional pounds I increase my activity as well as decrease my calorie intake.
5.) Take the stairs, park farther from entrances; walk as often as possible at work instead of emailing or calling co-workers.
6.) Watch out for the fat intake. The fat that you eat is the fat that you wear. You can burn carbohydrates off quicker.
7.) Eat often! Some thin people that I know eat five small meals a day. They are never starved when they eat because they eat so often. This eliminates overeating.
Well there you have it; the Howie and Beth Diet created by me. It is the Thanksgiving season and I really want to thank my good friends Howie and Beth for being such great role models!

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by logging on to his web page at www.greggriffin.com