Romney as a viable candidate / Progress on Weight Loss

I know Mitt Romney, who appears to be the current front runner since Huckabee and Trump said they will not run, will face a lot of hostility from a certain part of the public because he is Mormon and also because of Romneycare.  But if Glenn Beck can get a strong coalition of Mormons and non-Mormons as his viewing audience, then Romney should be able to face that challenge.

Regarding Romneycare -- folks, that's the rights the Constitution gives to the States, to adopt whatever programs they want to take care of their citizens. It's perfectly alright if MA wants a government-run health care program -- and they can raise whatever taxes or make whatever accommodations they feel necessary in order to pay for it.  If they cease to want it, they can elect politicians to repeal it.

But what's alright for the States to do is NOT alright for the Federal Government to do.  The FG has no Constitutional right whatsoever to impose a national health care plan.  None whatsoever.  That's what people just simply don't understand.

So I don't hold Romneycare at all against Romney -- he did what MA wanted him to do, and it was totally their Constitutional right to enact such a plan, as long as it didn't violate their own State Constitution, but that's for MA to work out.

Personal Goals


I am very pleased with my weight loss progress.  Since I last wrote, I have lost a total of 28 lbs, so am now carrying that much weight doing my 800 steps on M-W-F.  On T-Th-S I am still using the 10 lb weights to do upper body exercises during the 800 steps.  On May 9 I felt inspired to reduce my calorie budget to 1750 calories, and that is working out well.  With Spring here, finally, I'm working in the yard and the garden, in addition to my steps, so I'm more active than during the winter.

When I started on this current plan, I calculated my calorie budget for 150 lbs. at moderate activity, and that equaled 1903 calories.  Recently, I calculated my calorie budget for 124 lbs (the top of my "healthy weight") at moderate activity and I'm pleased to find out that it is 1820 calories.  I've found 1800 calories to be quite satisfying, so now I have the assurance that I can live quite well on my healthy weight calorie budget.

I have my sights set on my previous low of 184.2 lb.  As you can see from the following chart, I reached 184.2 twice in 2010 -- I didn't hit a plateau, I just simply stopped following my plan and went back to my old habits.  There's an interesting concept taught by Jesus in Luke chapter 11:

24When the ^aunclean spirit is gone out of a man, ^bhe walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, ^che saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

 25^aAnd when he cometh, he findeth it swept and ^bgarnished.

 26Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

I believe what Jesus is teaching us is that if we revert back to our old ways after once having overcome then, then our state is much worse than before.  I have found this to be very true.
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I'm very close to breaking through that barrier, and the test will be if I get stupid again and abandon a very successful plan or stick with it.  (Click to enlarge.)

I'm including the chart of my current plan to show the reality of a slow-paced weight loss, as it's a much slower weight loss than appears above, with many ups and downs.  I like to weigh daily, but some people can't handle these frequent ups and downs, so they should only weigh weekly.  It's all personal preference, do what works best for you.  (Click to enlarge)

NOTE:  May 19, I updated the current plan chart to include the first 2 short-term goals.