Who is Jeremy Schoemaker and Why is He the Subject of This Post?

The answer to "Who is Jeremy Schoemaker?" is, he is the guy that became famous when he posted a picture of himself holding a check from Google for advertising revenue of $132,994.97 for one (1) month of clicks!!! This was from his ring-tones site that was getting upwards of 5000 visitors a day! He has a blog that teaches people how to make money online, and if you're interested in finding out more about Jeremy and his Shoemoney system for helping people make money online you can go here http://urlm.in/fxkx .

Now the answer to the second part of the question in the title is how it relates to the subject matter of this blog. Jeremy had a severe weight problem all of his life to the point where he had balooned up to 490lbs as an adult. He finally gave up trying to loose the excess baggage himself and elected to undergo gastric-bypass surgery that so many chronically overweight individuals are opting for these days. As you can see from the picture it worked because he is at "normal" weight now for his size. To be sure he is still a bit large, but in his defense he is a big, large-boned guy to begin with who can still pack the food away pretty good. I know that he can pack it away because I got an email from him relating how he consumed a couple of pounds of king crab legs in his hotel room between conferences at an all expenses paid seminar where he was a featured speaker. I guess he figured he was going to maximize the benefits of the gig and decided to load up on the crab legs. That's a lot of super-rich shellfish to be consuming for anybody; especially with all the melted butter that is usually used to embellish the already succulent flavor of those large crustaceans. Personally I think he should have restrained himself because he still is pretty heavy, and loading up with all that high cholesterol food is definitely not doing your heart health any favor.

What prompted me to write a post about Jeremy and his lifelong weight problem was a video interview with him that was sent to me via email. The interview was about his life story, from birth to his present day success as an internet marketing icon. Early in the interview he makes reference to his burgeoning weight problem as a young child. What did he attribute that propensity to? None other than his being a member in good standing of his maternal grandmother's "Clean your plate club"! How about that? He's pinning it all on the early brainwashing that he received as a child! That's right. He said from early on he and his siblings were encouraged to eat a lot in order  to grow and of course eat everything they put on their plates. His grandmother even had an honorary club for it, the aforementioned "Clean Your Plate Club". I'm assuming Jeremy was the outstanding member given his size. He said at age 13 he was already a 300+ pounder! Wow!

Now, I agree that we should eat what we put on our plates, but on the front end we should also exercise restraint and moderation, because if you load that plate up and you have to clean it up.... well, I think you can figure out what you are letting yourself in for, especially if you are a reader of these posts and my tips. Also if you are a reader of these tips you know there are strategies on the back end if your eyeballs do get too big and you get carried away and put enough food on your plate to feed yourself for a week.( Can you say "doggie bag"? )  In Tip #1 I make mention of this phenomenon that most of us have been exposed to growing up, and here it is, a guy with a lifelong track record of overeating saying that  the early indoctrination he received as a mere child was the genesis of his struggles. Now that, people, is what I think I can safely say is validation! So what do we take from this sad tale of an individual's losing battle with obesity that resulted in him having to opt for surgery as his only salvation? Do the surgery? Maybe. That might be your only answer if you are at the end of your rope, and of course you can somehow afford it. It is definitely an option with a track record of success. However, if you are not there yet then you need to find another way. The pages of this blog offer you another workable way to get your eating habits under control. These tips give you another way of looking at your approach to eating. In them there are alternative strategies to your previously locked-in, automatic behaviors that you feel you just have to keep doing. They give you an awareness, a mindfulness ( love that Zen reference ) to take charge of your eating practices. In the end, isn't that what it really comes down to anyway?
 Who is Jeremy Schoemaker....

Shocking Diabetes Prediction by the CDC

The CDC ( that's the Center for Disease Control,  for the uninitiated ) today, Friday October 22nd, has predicted that the number of adults with Type 2 diabetes could TRIPLE!!! ( emphasis mine ) from 1 in 10, the current level, to 1 in 3 by the year 2050. That's an astounding increase, but at the same time not a surprising one given the culture of overeating that exists in America, the land of plenty. The CDC says about 24 million adults currently have diabetes and most of them Type 2 diabetes which is linked strongly to poor diet and a lack of exercise. Type 2 is also known as Adult Onset Diabetes as distinguished from the unfortunate kids who have the disease as a result of heredity, like former Chicago Cubs 3rd basemen Ron Santo, who had to give himself insulin shots during games and have candy bars handy to counteract the swings in blood sugar from too high to too low so he could stay in the game. Those individuals are saddled with the disease through no fault of their own. On the other hand, for Type 2 diabetics the onus for acquiring the disease rests entirely on them for a life of overeating, poor eating choices, and not exercising. Think about that for a moment, these undisciplined people could have avoided this terrible disease simply by gaining control of their eating habits and getting a little exercise! That is what is astounding to me, anyway. It's the idea of bringing this on yourself when all you had to do was watch what and how you ate. If you think I'm overstating the case when I say that this is terrible disease try these stats on for size: in 2007 diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults under age 75, as well as foot and leg amputations not caused by injury. I don't know about you, but that's enough to put the fear in me. I love to eat but certainly not so much.as to bring that hell-on-earth down on myself! If that's not enough to get your food consumption under control then I don't know what is. I think people just turn a blind eye to it (do you see the irony of that?), and continue on their merry way, doing what they've always done because it's easier, and Oh so much fun feeding your face to your fat-laden heart's content. After all, it only happens to other people, not you, right? That's a convenient little stratagem we all have engaged in, isn't it? I mean, come on, we're special and bad stuff doesn't happen to us, right? Why? Just because we don't like thinking about anything bad happening to us, so ergo nothing bad will happen because we can't imagine it. I believe that is known as the fallacy of  Circular Definition or circular reasoning. The question is, are you guilty of this kind of fallacious thinking when it comes to justifying why you do what you do, not just when it comes to your eating habits, but anything for that matter? If you are then maybe you should take a long hard look at yourself and try to ascertain why. Why it is you do what you do.
 See Tip # 4

Do You DQ?

If you're wondering what DQ in the title of this post refers to, it is the marketing short-hand for that venerable  franchise that became famous by selling soft-serve ice cream. If you guessed Dairy Queen, then you get the prize. To be sure, I don't have a problem with "DQ" or their products. However, this latest post of mine is on the order of a rant, because last night during a commercial break for the NLCS baseball playoff game between the Phillies and the Giants or was it the NFL game between the Colts and the Redskins, it really does not matter which, because either way they are reaching a large viewing audience with these games. I don't begrudge them for doing that, but what I do have an issue with is the offering that they are promoting in these slots. You see, the great minds in the corporate ivory tower at DQ's HQ (catchy, eh?) decided some time ago that in order for them to grow the franchise they needed to get into the hot foods fast-food business also and to compete with the likes of  KFC, McDonald's, Wendy's, etc. to get a piece of that bottomless-pit  market. I don't blame them for that either, it's just this latest menu item they came up with and are now promoting. The entree is three or four breaded and fried chicken strips with a side of fries, and the kicker here that set me off on this tirade is what they pitch like it's a crowning flourish is...are you ready? TahhDaa... Texas Toast!!! Wow. Really?? Texas Toast? Man, that just makes me want to run out at the first chance I get and snag one of those babies. Chicken strips and an order of fries? Great, who doesn't like that. I know I do, and when it comes to good fried chicken, I crave the stuff. Then they couldn't find anything else to put with it to complete the package, so they had to heap on another helping of carbs to follow those fries. That is my problem with it. All they had to do is add a side of coleslaw to it. That's something that's good and good for you. Come on already! It's made with cabbage, a great green leafy vegetable that's loaded with nutrition, a natural fat burner food, and one that many fast food chains that offer fried foods include with their meals. Maybe that's just too obvious a selection, so they decided to pander to the penchant of American consumers to opt for carbohydrate laden meals. Again, that's just what we need, another "food" offering that contributes to the obesity pandemic in this country. If you are reading this, it's probably because you are concerned about a burgeoning weight problem of your own, and hopefully you have the good sense to stay away from such an unwise selection of this sort when you are making your food choices. That is where it starts, you know, with our daily choices of what we are going to put in our mouths to sustain ourselves. That's what we all need to get control of, and I don't think I have to tell you that this is clearly not a choice that you will not pay the price for in added girth. I hope this illustration leaves you the wiser, and that you will opt for your long term benefit, because remember, everything counts and, alas, adds up in unwanted pounds if we make the unwise choice.

I rate this latest menu offering from Dairy Queen a Double Dumb Food Choice because it doubles down on the carbs with the bread and fries and to be avoided by anyone serious about getting their weight under control.
Do You DQ?
See Tip #2

Natural Fat Burning Foods

There actually are natural fat burning foods, and incorporating as many of them as you can into your daily eating habits will go a long way towards helping you achieve your weight loss goals. A food that helps burn fat is one that burns more calories than the calorie content of the fat burning food itself. When that happens you are burning off stored fat. In large part these fat burning foods are plant foods, but there are others that facilitate the natural burning of fat from the body such as fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. These fatty fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids and they inhibit the production of Leptin, a hormone that slows metabolism. That is why I devoted a previous post recommending that you eat more fish. I also recommend that everyone take a good fish oil supplement to further enhance your ability to burn fat and also for the other benefical influences they provide such as improved brain function.

 Another natural fat burning food is low-fat dairy products because they contain protein and calcium, which together promote weight loss and increased muscle mass. Eating three servings of low-fat dairy a day will stave off both fat and the hunger you might be experiencing when you are trying to cut back on your intake of food.I have also recommended eating nuts as a low fat way to stave off hunger to hold yourself over till the next meal. That's because nuts are high in protein and also help burn more calories than they actually have. Walnuts are loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids, and we already touched on what they can do to help you burn fat. Another great natural fat burning food are raw almonds because they are high in magnesium a key element that helps your body regulate fat burning hormones. They are also a good source of protein, fiber and vitamin E, a proven antioxidant.

Not to be left out of a list of fat burning foods is the incredible edible egg. Eggs are loaded with protein, amino acids and vitamin B12 which breaks down fat into energy among its many other benefits. Eggs have gotten a bum rap over the years from so-called "nutrition experts" for their contribution to the build-up of cholesterol in the blood stream. Without getting into a lengthy discussion about the pros and cons of cholesterol, that questionable contribution has largely been debunked as junk science. Now the prevailing wisdom is that you are doing yourself a grave nutritional disservice if you exclude from your daily consumption at least one egg. That is the minimum daily recommendation to prevent  Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration a disease that will leave you blind in your old age. So eat your eggs!

The natural fat burning foods we've discussed so far are all in the protein family, and they take more energy to digest which aids in the burning of fat and also stabilize blood sugar levels. So you don't want to shy away from consuming protein when you are trying to lose weight, because protein is a building block of life and your body needs it to function properly. The other main group that comprises the major portion of the list of fat burning foods are fruits and vegetables especially those high in vitamin C. Now we know that citrus fruits are very high in vitamin C, but did you know that red bell peppers contain three times the vitamin C as that of an orange? The reason for that is the red color so any vegetable you choose that is reddish in color is rich in vitamin C and something called phyto-nutrients.Green leafy vegetables contain little caloric content and are so rich in fiber that you burn fat when you eat them due to the energy it takes to digest the fiber.

A list of fat burning foods would be incomplete without a discussion of berries which enough good things cannot be said about. Number 1, they are a virtual treasure trove of antioxidants which destroy free-radicals, those pesky little things coursing through our systems that contribute to aging and the overall deterioration of cellular function. Berries are good sources of fiber and vitamins which as we have already said aid in fat burning.

To sum up, you simply need to include more fruits, vegetables, nuts and low-fat dairy products and let's not forget fatty fish in your daily eating regimen as well, if you want to burn more fat and experience more health and vitality. Always keep in mind though that you need to eat everything in moderation, eg.you don't want to eat a barrel of low-fat yogurt everyday to gain its many benefits, because you'd end up being as round as a barrel, which, obviously would be self-defeating.
Natural Fat Burning Foods

Arby's Pastry Turnover Ad Rant

I've been seeing these television advertisements lately for Arby's, for the uninitiated that is a fast food chain here in the States whose unique selling proposition was a roast beef sandwich. They first came on the fast food scene back in the 1960's and they were all the rage because they used to slow roast a round of beef in a rotisserie that was placed right on the counter for everyone to marvel at. It was a meat lovers sight to behold, too! This beautiful large hunk of beef hanging and being supported by 3 large-link shiny chains, slowly turning and getting a deep dark caramelized crust was just too much to resist. All me and my meat-loving high school buddies could think of (well, almost all we could think of) was when we were going to get back there and feast on one of those sandwiches made with that rare roast beef. They served it on a sesame seed hamburger bun and you could embellish it if you liked with one of their three sauces: two barbecue style with one being hot and spicy, the other being a horseradish sauce that they called Horsey sauce. As I said, the meat was served rare and really didn't need any help, but those sauces were good especially the Horsey one and it made for a little variety. Then in the early 1970's everything changed because those pin-heads in the ivory tower at corporate decided to fix something that wasn't broke, at least in my estimation anyway. All of a sudden gone was the counter rotisserie, and they began serving this ersatz beef product that looked something akin to particle board. Sacre Bleu! I was absolutely incredulous at this drastic change, because the meat bore not even a remote resemblance to their late great offering. What a disappointment; needless to say I stopped spending my hard earned money at Arby's. Oh I've I tried them again in the past few years, because they have advertised on TV different sandwiches like a Reuben, which I love, but when I went in to get one they were pricey and a shadow of the good looking sandwich in the TV ads. Upshot being, I don't need to spend money on this either. So you probably gathered by now that I've written them off my retinue of fast food places I stop in from time to time.

Now in their new ads they come up with as a kicker this sorry looking turnover filled with chocolate that that they drizzle a swirl of more chocolate sauce, of all things, over the top. What a joke. Yeah, that's just what this fat over stuffed culture needs is another lard-ridden pastry to wash down a sorry excuse for an expensive sandwich. I can't imagine that appealing to anyone; at least someone who is being mindful of their weight and what they are putting in their system. So I guess the point of this rant is if you too have seen that ad, and it has piqued your interest as something you'd like to try, maybe you'd better think again if you are serious about losing the excess lbs!

 I rate this menu selection a Double Dumb Food Choice because it's a carbohydrate nightmare.
Arby's Pastry Turnover Ad Rant

See this Tip
And this one too...
This Tip applies as well

Weight Loss Tales from the Front

The other day I had lunch with my old boss from the mortgage company at a Fuddruckers hamburger restaurant. I am a big fan of this particular burger chain because they do a really good job on all aspects to provide a great product and overall enjoyable eating experience. I have not been in one for a while so I did not know that they had expanded their burger selection from 1/3 lb. all the way up to 1 lb! That's right One Full Pound. I can't imagine stuffing that much into my stomach, but people must do it all the time otherwise they would not have it up there on the menu. Now if you read my first post this is the same boss who is a serial over-eater that I talked about in that post. Well he has not changed his ways and is still as aggressive as ever when it comes to ordering up his victuals. He did not disappoint and stepped up to the plate with a 2/3rds of a pound burger selection from the menu, which he loads up with all the trimmings that they offer to put on top. Oh yeah, and how can a man fully savor his out-sized burger without a heap of  battered and fried onion rings on the side? When they called our number to pick up our order he asked the assistant manager type that handed us our trays if he could have a larger helping of mushrooms to the already sufficient amount ( in my humble estimation ) sitting on top of his burger. The guy questioned him saying "You want more?", and then begrudgingly gave him another dollop while trying to maintain some semblance of the "customer is always right" demeanor. It was clear though, the guy thought my former boss was taking advantage and being somewhat of a mooch, and that he was a little irritated even though he did his best to conceal it. Big Jon, that would be my former boss, had no problem annihilating this over-sized package of food that he had laid out for himself, plowing through it like it was all in a days work. He's a stocky guy with a Buddha belly who gives no indication of ever changing his gorging ways. He's a great and generous guy though, and I just wish he would wake up and realize what he's doing to his appearance and long-term health, for that matter.

As far as what I ordered, well I have to admit I succumbed to the ambiance of excess and stepped up to the 1/2 pound selection, even though I came to the realization about 15 years ago that a half-pound burger is too much for me to eat anymore. I did it because I don't frequent the place and did not want to short change myself on the experience. A 1/3rd pounder would be plenty when it comes to filling me up, but I just like to sink my teeth into a substantial amount of meat. So I indulged myself knowing that it will be a long time before I come back, and that I've been vigilant about not overeating on a daily basis so I could allow myself this excess. This goes back to what I said early-on about not having to deny yourself anything for ever. You can splurge once in awhile, because it's not what you do once in awhile it's what you do every day that makes the difference. REMEMBER THAT DICTUM! It is key to your success in weight loss or in any of life's undertakings, for that matter. I had gotten about half way through consuming that beauty when, sure enough, I was getting the cue from my stomach that I was getting full and should probably stop soon. I ignored it and blithely pressed on as if never having a clue. Ah, the bliss of ignorance, even if it was only pretend ignorance!

So, we had just started our feeding frenzy when my former boss decided his burger experience was not yet complete and got up to get something from one of the many self-serve counters they have to cater to your every whim, and when he came back he remarked somewhat amazed by the fact that one of the guys at the counter actually had the One Pound burger on his tray. He referred to him is that big guy, so, of course, I looked up to see who he was talking about and there were three guys with their backs to us still standing at the counter doctoring their selections. They all looked about the same size to me and not that big. So I said which one, to which he replied the one on the end to our left. I offered that he did not look that big, and my former boss replied that his stomach was huge just as the guy turned to move away from the counter and we got a look at his profile. I mean his whole profile! Here was a guy who was not that tall or big in stature with this bay window profundus protruding from the front of this body. He had to have a 60 inch waistline! It was truly enormous and for such an average sized guy. Now here was a guy who I'm sure could see how big his stomach had gotten, because he didn't look like he was blind to me, who was obviously resigned to the fact that this is just how big he had gotten and was going to keep eating in the lifelong fashion he had become accustomed to regardless of how he looked because that had become his standard operating procedure. After those three guys moved away from that counter then a couple of really huge guys bellied up to it with the emphasis on belly. These guys were well stuffed giants with huge waist lines with a girth that only Omar the Tent Maker could drape. Such is the kind of clientele a place like Fuddruckers attracts because they cater to such insatiable appetites with the gigantic portions that they offer on their menu. Man! I'd hate like hell to have to feed those guys, because it would break my bank not to mention my back. Their monthly food bill alone is probably like the debt of a small third world country! It would seem to me that would be incentive enough to cut back on your eating habits just to reduce your gargantuan food bill. I guess not though, because these guys seem to be resigned to it just like all the rest.

My point here with these Tales from the Front are to illustrate what you should not be doing, in case there was any doubt in your mind about my purpose here. You definitely do not want to emulate these poor souls. So if this illustration bears even a remote resemblance to you then maybe you should look at yourself in the mirror and take serious stock of yourself. Ask yourself why. "Why am I doing what I'm doing?". This is where any meaningful decision must start if you are ever going to get your daily eating habits reduced and under control.
Weight Loss Tales from the Front
See Tip # 1  

Lose Weight by Eating More Fish and Less Meat

Now don't get me wrong here, because I am not one of these goody-two-shoes nutrition "experts" who is anti-anything meat. There is nothing I love more than a tender juicy steak! For that matter any meat product is fine and dandy with me. Having issued that proviso though, it is a good idea to incorporate more seafood into your diet. Now I know there are some people who cannot tolerate even being in the presence of seafood. A guy who's mortgage shop I worked in was like that, and whenever I would bring some left over seafood to warm up in the micro wave for lunch I'd hear it from him immediately. I would try to minimize it by warming it on the lowest setting and for the shortest possible time. That didn't pass the smell test (so to speak) either; even if he was out of the office during lunch, when he'd come back an hour or so later he'd still catch it (no pun intended) and call me on it. I don't know what his problem was, but there was no fooling him. A problem it was though, for him anyway, because eating fish is the most healthy thing we can eat. The people who live on the island nation of Indonesia are plagued with the thyroid condition known as goiter. Why, and I know it's counter intuitive, because they do not eat any fish! How a people who are surrounded by water do not eat any fish is a mystery to me, but the key thing they are missing from their diet by neglecting to harvest natures bounty from the waters around them is iodine. Consequently most of them are walking around with these huge growths protruding from their throats. It's absolutely hideous, not to mention a needless shame.

We all should be eating fish at least three times a week especially if that fish is Salmon ( pronounced Samon, by the way. That is one of my pet pronunciation peeves when I have to hear these precise individuals pronounce the silent "L" in salmon, but again I digress, because I could go on and on about other pronunciation faux pas here. So relax. I'll spare you.) Salmon is loaded with good fatty acids in the form of Omega 3s which in our normal diets we don't get much. We get more of the Omega 6 fatty acids that we get from vegetable oil, which causes an imbalance in our systems and can create a host of health issues not the least of which is heart disease. The reason for eating fish is just the reduction in the animal fat that meat has and the propensity for that fat to accumulate and cause us to get fat and consequently overweight. I know it's not easy because you have to do a little planning in addition to choosing fish over meat when you're at a restaurant. Now I'm not talking about eating battered and fried fish here for the obvious reasons. The best way to eat fish is baked with olive oil or grilled so that you get the maximum health benefit from eating it.That said even eating fried fish is probably better than eating meat. Like everything else, you just have to make a conscious decision that you are going to incorporate more fish in your diet and then work out a plan how you can do this.