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.

Christianity on The Survivor

In past seasons, various contestants on Survivor have announced they intend to play according to Christian principles, and either failed to do so, or didn't go very far in the game.  Hence, most people believe it's impossible for a Christian to win at the game of Survivor, which seems to require a lot of promise-breaking, blind-siding, and betrayal.

This season is different.  Two very prominent Christians are still very much in the game -- Matt and Mike.  It's all possible because of a new plot to the game - Redemption Island.  When contestants are voted off, they are not sent home immediately, but to Redemption Island, where they can keep themselves in the game by winning a duel.  Of course, the concept of Redemption is very Christian.

Matt, a member of the Omatepe tribe, was the first person to be voted out at Tribal Council and sent to Redemption Island.  After winning 6 duels, he was brought back to join the merged tribes.  Matt struggled with the choices he had -- of remaining loyal to the tribe who voted him out or seeking new alliances.  He did resist the temptation to join with the outnumbered Zapatera tribe, but did take steps to ally with Andrea to fool Rob into thinking they were on his side until the opportunity came up to eliminate Rob.  Matt then had a bout of conscience, and went and confessed to Rob what he had done.  I suppose many ridiculed him for doing that, calling it stupid.  But it was the right Christian thing to do.  Matt was promptly voted out and sent back to Redemption Island.

Mike is an Iraqi vet, and while I did not agree with his decision to help eliminate Russell, it wasn't a blind-side or a broken promise, and certainly not a betrayal.  He did what he thought was best for his tribe.  The fault in it was that Zapatera intentionally threw the immunity challenge so they could eliminate Russell.

Of course Mike was next to go after Matt as he was the biggest threat to Rob among the remaining Zapatera tribe members.

So now we've had Mike and Matt at Redemption Island.  Matt has not been silent about his struggle to deal with God's will concerning him.  At times he was ready to give up, then recommitted to God that he would stay as long as God wanted him in the game.  He left it in God's hands, willing to accept His will, but put forth his full effort in the contests, which now involved more than one person, with the loser being the one sent to the Jury.  Mike and Matt have remained in the game for 3 contests now, but this last contest is the one that was truly remarkable.

Matt's Christianity had its effect on Julie, who when eliminated by Matt and Mike, promised that she was going to find a Church when she got home and go regularly.  Matt's actions, however, far surpassed that.

The contest was between four of them -- Matt, Mike, Ralph, and Steve.  3 would remain alive, and the loser sent home.  But the first one finished got a special prize -- a visit from a family member of friend.  After being out thee so many days, that can be a real morale booster.  They all had someone waiting in the wings, and they knew who their family/friend was because they had previously seen short video greetings from them.

Mike won the contest, and so he had a choice.  Enjoy the afternoon with his mother, give the prize to Matt and Ralph who remained alive in the game, or give it to the 6 Omatepe tribe members in the grandstand.  Mike felt that God wanted him to follow the 2nd great commandment, to love his neighbor as himself, but he in fact followed the more explicit, love your enemies, do good to them with despitefully use you and persecute you, and he gave the prize to the 6 Omatepe members.

Matt was in reverent awe, saying he didn't think he could have done that, but he was glad Mike did.  Ralph was angry.

Did it get any votes for Mike if he ends up in the final 3?  I don't have any doubt that is not the reason Mike did it -- he did it because he felt the Spirit of God telling him to be a Christian first and foremost.

For once, Survivor has selected Christian contestants that truly do live their Christian values - no matter what's at stake.