Brett H Perkins – Murfreesboro, Tennessee

My thoughts… My experiences… My life.

  • -=brett=-

    Brett Perkins

  • Share

  • Posting Calendar

    May 2012
    S M T W T F S
    « Feb    
     12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    20212223242526
    2728293031  

  • Popular Categories

  • Who am I?

    I'm Brett... and this is me. :) Care to join?

    Oh... and I am nothing without my friends, so you should hit up their pages too. *look down*

  • Category Selector

Archive for the ‘Diet’ Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Busy Mind, Busy Life :: Finding Balance

Posted by bretthperkins on January 11, 2010

As I figured… I didn’t even make it a full week before skipping a day of posting (3 actually… last post was on Thursday). With that, I have decided that I am going forget about trying to post every day. I think that it was a bit overkill, anyway. While I am sure that there is nothing anyone would rather do than read my amazing and adventure filled life of cleaning, coding, and working… with some song and dance thrown in just to keep it exciting, I am going back to my old ways: Update whenever I can, when sometime monumental or otherwise “noteworthy” occurs. So… here I am:

Carolyn –

Carolyn is getting better, which is good news indeed. But it is different this time because Dad actually called us all to tell us that she was there. It is, of course, not her first stint in the hospital. She has been there many times before with various “smoking-related” health problems. She is a smoker and over the last few years, it has all caught up with her. Usually, Dad just takes her to the hospital, they stay for a bit, she gets better, and they come home. Dad usually doesn’t even call us (my siblings and I), as I suppose he feels like it is not that serious (Although, I would prefer he call, regardless of severity, but that is another entry). This time, though, he did call, which leads me to believe that these visits are becoming more serious… and I don’t handle loss and death very well. I will not remark on fortune thus far in life, for good luck’s sake… I will just leave it at my dislike for loss. Anywho… back to now: She is doing better, after a scary Saturday night… Dad told me this morning that she may be able to come home on Thursday. :) He asked me to help get the house ready for her, and to get some things together to occupy her time and mind because this time, coming home also means no more smoking. He is settled and convicted to making sure that Carolyn actually QUITS smoking. NOW. To this effort, I pledge my support unconditionally. And for all those that read this, and have any direct interaction to Carolyn’s life, I am asking for your commitment as well. There are several smokers in the family, and it may be very easy to say “Okay” if Carolyn asks for a cigarette, or even just a puff. Please honor Dad’s wishes and say no, and accept my sincerest gratitude in advance. For the other smokers in the family… I am asking you to reconsider the choice to continue. I am SO grateful that my Mom decided to quit year ago. There is no way of knowing how things would have turned out had she not, but my belief is that things are better. :) I do not want to see another person for whom I care suffer they way Carolyn is now, and I can probably safely bet that everyone else feels the same way. I feel myself getting close to my “Stop-Smoking” soap-box, so I digress. We all know the outcome. I just pray that informed decisions are made.

Moving onto other things:

Sharp-Blogger: Is WELL underway. I created the database over the weekend and began the creation of the Stored Procedures to retrieve and send data to the Database. For those reading this with limited knowledge of Database Design, think of a Stored Procedure as a “door” and the database as a building with many rooms. To get into a building’s room, you have to use a door. Data is stored in the various “rooms” and “doors” must be built to every room in order to enter or exit. Once this is done, I will be able to build the actual content code to accept and display data from the Website. :) My goal is to complete the stored procedure creation by the week’s end. Then, I will take the weekend to build the code layers and content logic. Once that is done, I will begin the website design. :) I am SUPER-EXCITED about this site, although I am detecting more complexity than I anticipated. Luckily, the world today has a wealth of information on the Internet… and I am able to look up how people solve their problems and incorporate their solutions. Of course, the plan is to also document my methods as well, so I can afford the next developer the same privilege as my predecessors.

The Audition: for “Nashville in Harmony” is tomorrow at 7:40 P.M. and I am REALLY excited about that too. Of course, with Sharp-Blogger, I doubted if I should continue with the plans to join this musical group. I juggled it in my mind, and I decided that I should. There is something dangerous about having a hobby, Sharp-Blogger, that consumes too much time. I could potentially burn-out and/or lose interest… which puts the project at risk. This group will give me the time away from Sharp-Blogger that I anticipate I will need. Plus, I like to sing, and am very rewarded by that, as well as writing programs… so it is a win-win!

Balance: Like I said in the last paragraph, I just have to really make sure that I am keeping my ADHD-like mind hopping. So bouncing between movies with friend, Sharp-Blogger, Work, and Singing, I should be OK to NOT burn out. Just gotta keep the cycle going… and get BACK to the Gym!! :)

And, that is about all that is on my mind. Work continues to be a wash, so I keep learning and doing what I can. Maybe soon, I will be given more to do here, not that I am complaining.

-=brett=-

Posted in Diet, Family, Friends, Health, Technology, Thought, Work | Leave a Comment »

My Diet :: What Works for Me

Posted by bretthperkins on December 29, 2009

Several people have asked what I am doing to lose the weight, so here it is:

Keep in mind that some of this may be as drastic a change for you as it was for me, so plan to phase it in over a few weeks if you start.  Also, this is what is working for ME… everyone is different, but this diet for me has had consistent results since October of about 3 lbs per week.  I STRONGLY recommend against trying to lose more than that per week without consulting your doctor.  Also don’t be afraid to play around to find what works for YOU…  we’re all different.

1)  Eliminate ALL soda (even diet)
2)  Drink ONLY water or Crystal Light.  Tea and Coffee are good in moderation, and only sweeten with Splenda.
3)  Eliminate 80% of your meats.  Replace with veggie burgers stuff and soy meats.
4)  Stay away from Hamburger and Chicken.  Try to stick with lighter meats like Turkey.
5)  NO FAST FOOD!!!  If you have fast food, research what is out there first.  There are good alternatives out there and most places have nutritional information available on their websites.
6)  Eat lots of grains and foods with Omega 3.
7)  Take a daily multi-vitamin AND a vitamin B complex.  (The B complex aids in boosting metabolism)  This might be too much vitamin B, but its water soluble and your body won’t be hurt by it…  the B in the multi-vitamins is not as complete as the complex.
8)  I am taking a diet supplement named Lipo 6.  I think it helps… but who knows! lol
9)  Don’t eat past 8 PM.
10)  Eat ALL of your meals, and snacks.  You should be eating at least every 3-4 hours.  This keeps your metabolism going.
11)  Know yourself.  You, like I, have vices.  Cater your diet to them.  You will never stick to anything if you completely stop eating the foods you enjoy!
12)  Drink Water… Often.  Like 100 oz. per day.  Keep a bottle with you and refill it often.
13)  Work out about 40 minutes 3 times a week.  Nothing strenuous.  Just get your heart going a bit (140-160 beats per minute) and sweat some.
14)  No WHITE bread.  Eat whole grain.  I recommend the purple “Healthy Life” bread.  You can find it at Walmart.
15)  Keep healthy snacks around you…  and allow yourself to munch.  (Apples, kashi granola, celery, etc)
16)  Have a “cheat day” where you can eat anything that you want… just keep the portions on the small side.
17)  Drink lots of water…  did I say that already?
18)  No fatty cheese.  Get no-fat or low-fat cheese.
19)  No processed snacks.  They are empty calories with no nutritional value-add to your diet.
20)  Take the stairs and park far away.  Don’t be lazy! :)   (OK, I’ll admit, its too cold to walk far to get to work… guilty of parking close!)
21)  Stick to it!!!  Just remember why you are doing this!!!  And on the days where you really don’t feel like going to the gym, or working out at home, just tell yourself to do it for 10 minutes.  Odds are, you will go longer.  :)
22)  If healthy foods are not available, switch to plan ‘B’:  Portion Control.
23)  Lastly, drink LOTS of water.   H-2-Oh My Goodness you will feel great because you are hydrated!!

That is what I do.  My typical day:

  • Breakfast (7:00 AM) :  Kashi Cereal or waffles (1 serving) and some turkey sausage (1 serving).  2 Eggs can replace the sausage.
  • Coffee between breakfast and lunch.  2 cups.  Approx 20 oz.
  • By now, I have probably already had about 40 oz. of water.
  • Lunch (12:00 PM) :  Light meat sandwich on wheat or soup.  Nothing too crazy.
  • Snack (3:00 PM) : Granola Bar.
  • Up to about 70 oz. of water by now.-
  • Dinner ( 6:00ish): Veggie ‘chicken’ and brocolli/cheese… or some kinda lean pasta dish.  Sometimes I will have some more soup or 2 ham/cheese sandwiches.
  • I drink Crystal Light at night.

That is about it.  Cater it to you, and hit google to see what other people are doing.  I have read a TON of stuff that has worked for others.

-=Brett=-

Posted in Diet, Friends, Health | Leave a Comment »

Moving on…

Posted by bretthperkins on November 9, 2009

Its been two weeks since I decided to finally change my life… and so far, I have to say that I am quite proud of myself.  In a few more weeks, I’ll see where I am, but if the trend continues, and I suspect that it will, I will be right on course.  I just have to keep myself both motivated and disciplined.  I’ll do it!  Moving on…

I am going through a bit of an internal crisis…  Its nothing really personal, just kind of… i don’t know.  I can’t really explain it.  I know that it originates with work.  I walk into work wondering what happened.  Even on the shittiest days at Walmart, I was still happy, somewhat, to be there.  I never really “loathed” it there.  Where I am now, though… I honestly loathe.  I walk in to this repugnant odor of disorganization, miscommunication, dread, and despair.  No one wants to be there… and no one wants to care.  Its unlike anything that I have ever felt or experienced.  It goes far beyond just the “growing pains” being felt by our group and this part of the company.  There is more.  Something darker, something calculated; designed.  I don’t want any part of it.  Unfortunately, I have never really worked in this kind of atmosphere, so I have no good frame of reference, but if this is any indication of the “corporate world” then I say no thanks.  I am not, however, going to give up that easily.  I have never really been one to make impulsive decisions…  Hell, I plan doing laundry!!  So what I am going to do is find another place to try to further my career.  That being said, I recognize that there may be a potential for strong success at my current job, which introduces much doubt in the decision to leave.  I just don’t know.  Its the classic “Damned if I don’t, Damned if I do” scenario.  The good news is that I have learned and experienced SO much that I know that my next job will be a piece of cake! :)   Ah… cake…  Moving on…

Another layer to my increasing discomfort for my career choice is my other talent.  I grew up singing.  That is something at which I really excelled; I miss it tremendously.  I have, increasingly, begun singing again.  And I want to make that a permanent place in my life.  Granted, it already is… but I want it to have a place and an outlet that goes beyond the shower or the car…  or Wii’s American Idol Karaoke Revolution in the Living Room.  It is somewhat of a passion for me and a part of me that I have neglected for so long that it is slamming at me from the inside with a sledge hammer.  I just want to sing…  and sing alot! :)   Moving on…

So here I am.  Still in a fog.  Still walking around on some kind of involuntary auto-pilot.  Sometimes I feel like I am not even me.  Like someone else is driving, and I am just the transportation.  The motivation to act, to drive, to get up in the morning for work is not my own.  With one exception:  When I go to the gym, that is me.  I feel like me!!  I look in the mirror and I smile.  I am so proud that, for once in my life, I am really doing something for me – something with meaning.  It makes me incredibly happy.  That is really all I want from life.  Just to be happy.  I have all the reasons in the world to be happy!  A great family, amazing friends, an education, and a path in life, yet here I am.  Not really all that happy.  I am getting there, yes… and I believe that all of my inner turmoil is just my soul’s way of telling me that it is time to begin striving for my happiness.  And I shall.  I have to keep it up, make the changes, and really focus on who I want to be.  I have to let go to all that has me down and begin the process of… Moving on…

-=brett=-

Posted in Diet, Family, Friends, Health, Work | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »
 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 70 other followers