13,000 calories a day

     Did that headline grab your attention? It sure did spark my interest yesterday, so I watched a program on The Learning Channel.

     The show was about four super-obese people, including one man who eats more than 13,000 calories in a day.

     It was an incredible program to watch, and I was really interested in the medical information behind these people and their addiction to food.

     What the show did do for me is make me think about a couple of things that relate to my life specifically.

     First, one of the biggest points made was that the individuals had no idea what they ate in a day. All of their estimations were half of what they were really consuming.

     They actually gathered the exact amount of food each ate in a day and then presented it to them.

     All of them acted like it was impossible that they had, in fact, eaten all that food.

     The doctor said either they were embarrassed or they really did not remember eating everything (almost an unconscious eating of food).

     For me, I plan on writing everything down, food journaling. That's one of the reasons I am thinking about joining Weight Watchers.

     It should be easy to write all of my food down because I plan on planning out my week's menu on Sundays.

     With that, I will only need to add if I ate something extra or subtract if I didn't eat something.

     The second observation made on the show was related to color. As they gathered all the food each person ate in a day, you noticed immediately how bland the color was.

     Everything was beige and brown and boring. So, definitely bringing color into your diet means that you are including fruits and vegetables.

     Finally, because of the severity of their obesity, three of the four people could not exercise. Both of the men lived in their beds.

     I have not been exercising as I should. I am starting soon, Feb. 12, on a regular schedule.

     One of the things that this show really drove home on a personal level to me is that I have "dieted" all my adult life.

     I have lost weight always to gain it back and more. That's the slippery slope. That's where at some point people just give up.

     I am not giving up. I am going to figure this out once and for all.

     And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.