Typing out the Thanksgiving Message

There’s a thousand reasons and theories behind my stature. I’ve heard it’s the carbs. I’ve heard it’s the red meat (although that’s very limited thanks to the Mrs.). It’s high-fructose corn-syrup. It’s processed foods. It’s yatta yatta yatta. Bottom line: It’s me, it’s me, and it’s me. Much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I’ve got a theory (it’s not rabbits)… but let me digress.

I’ve tried low carb. It worked well. I lost weight. I put it back on when I reintroduced carbs. I lather, rinsed, repeated, and gained and lost weight in true yo-yo style. Of course, I believe I did this with style and grace— more of a Yo Yo Ma style. I will not give up carbs. I love pasta. I love bread. My favorite meal in this world is Paglia e Fieno. For crying out loud, I bake bread and cakes every day. I’m not giving up carbs. Period.

I’ve pretty much already cut out soda… but on late nights at the bakery, Yeni and I have been known to do the Diet Dew. Hard. Like crazy hard. When I drink soda, I don’t gain more weight. When I stop drinking soda, I don’t lose more weight. I cut out soda simply because I’m not a big fan of soda.

I don’t eat that much red meat. At the most, once a week. Normally, once every two weeks. Although, if it were my choice, I’d eat a steak twice a day, every day. At the Peter Luger Steak House. My wife doesn’t eat red meat and therefore we don’t buy red meat. When I eat red meat, it’s only because we’ve gone out to eat.

In the past, I’ve tried Atkins. South Beach. The 40/30/30. The “eat what fits in your hand” diet. Vegetarian (longest week of my life). Here’s my belief (props to Kevin Smith^[1]): These aren’t diets; they’re lifestyles. If you’re living in the Atkins/No carb lifestyle, go for it. Not me brother. I’m not giving up carbs. I’ve been to Italy. I’ve seen smoking hot, thin Italian women and thin Italian men eating pasta and drinking wine. Then smoking. Smoking’s out for me, but just saying. Again, to be perfectly clear, I am saying “no” to no/low carbs. It’s simply not my lifestyle.

Last night it hit me. Literally and figuratively. Yeni and I left the bakery after a long day— we were starving. Long day plus not eating properly left us BEYOND hungry. A hungry Fred is a dangerous Fred. Fred must eat. When the boiler needs food, it overcompensates. We went to Las Margaritas and I gorged. Yeni did as well, but she’s so petite that her gorging is just adorable. We ate WAY too much and paid the price. After dealing the heartburn pills, the fullness, the crankiness, we woke up to the increased poundage.

It’s my fault. 100% my fault — not Las Margarita’s. Not Yeni’s. Mine. All mine. I’ve gone to Las Margaritas and not devoured food like a madman. I’ve gone before and left food on the plate. So why was last night different?

Yeni and I left the bakery after a long day— we were starving.

There you have it. The key my friends, at least my new theory… “a starving Fred makes bad choices.” My new philosophy: one bite at a time. So far I’m 10 hours into it. It’s going great. But of course, 10 hours is nothing.

This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle, and with any lifestyle, one must fully commit.

My choices last night kept me from enjoying anything post-dinner. My fullness prevented me from exercising. I didn’t sleep well. I didn’t feel well. Again, it’s my fault.

With my new “one-bite-at-a-time” attitude I will be eating all day long. When I’m hungry, I eat — immediately. But the portion is literally, a bite; a big bite, but a bite nonetheless.

With luck and perseverance, I’m confident this lifestyle change will allow me to actualize my goal of losing a tremendous amount of weight. Of course, only time and Yo Yo Ma will tell.

Footnotes

^[1] If you haven’t seen Dogma, please watch it. Great movie. Kevin Smith is simply one of the best screenwriters of our time. Anyway, Rufus (Chris Rock) plummets from the sky and starts jibber jabbering with Jay, Silent Bob, etc. when asks why having beliefs isn’t a good idea. Rufus states, “I think it’s better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can’t generate. Life becomes stagnant.“

Gainesville Wedding Cakes and More

In case you haven’t realized, Yeni and I have opened a bakery in Gainesville, FL. We’ve named it Dream Day Cakes and, well, you MUST COME BY! First, let me tell you a little story.

Once upon a time, in the land of North Central Florida, there lived a boy named Fred Posner. Fred, a large, rotund, bald boy, loved eating, riding motorcycles, and living la vida loca. Not so much listening to La Vida Loca but actually living it. One day, while attending a wedding in Southern Michigan, Fred spotted a princess– a small, petite brown eyed princess. “One day she will be mine,” Fred thought to himself as he danced the sprinkler with other wedding guests. (Ironically, dancing the sprinkler at a wedding usually works to repel a princess)

After devouring the wedding cake, and drinking many alcoholic beverages, Fred summoned the strength to approach his princess and talk with her. He failed. Words were not his friend, but this was ok. English was not the princess’ friend, and it would take many years for the gods to make the star crossed lovers find their path. Six years to be exact.

Six years later, while not attending a wedding (or eating wedding cake)… Fred takes his stallion (a green Harley Davidson) and rides to the princess. The princess joins Fred and they ride off to the sunset, the petite princess secured behind the wall of a prince.

After getting married and returning to Gainesville, the princess decides it’s time to follow another dream and starts baking cakes. Her cakes are fantastic. Fred actually is moved to eat cake over cannoli. It’s a sign from the gods.

Fast Forward to now and you have…. Dream Day Cakes. A family owned cake bakery in Gainesville, FL proudly serving Ocala, Gainesville, High Springs, Lake City, and all of North Central Florida. From Wedding Cakes to custom sculpted masterpieces, Cakes do come true at Dream Day Cakes.

Visit us at http://www.dreamdaycakes.com.

Makes it harder to lose weight– but it’s gooooooood.

It must be the Corn Syrup

I’ve been saying this for years… and so has many other people. Lot’s of times, friends just said it was a conspiracy theory or some BS thought… but now scientists from Princeton University have conducted research on High Fructose Corn Syrup. The results? Increased weight gain with High Fructose Corn Syrup versus Sugar. Calorie intake was the same, but High Fructose Corn Syrup caused increased weight gain.

A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

by Hilary Parker

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

“Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests,” said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

In results published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

The first study showed that male rats given water sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup in addition to a standard diet of rat chow gained much more weight than male rats that received water sweetened with table sugar, or sucrose, in conjunction with the standard diet. The concentration of sugar in the sucrose solution was the same as is found in some commercial soft drinks, while the high-fructose corn syrup solution was half as concentrated as most sodas.

The second experiment — the first long-term study of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption on obesity in lab animals — monitored weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels in rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup over a period of six months. Compared to animals eating only rat chow, rats on a diet rich in high-fructose corn syrup showed characteristic signs of a dangerous condition known in humans as the metabolic syndrome, including abnormal weight gain, significant increases in circulating triglycerides and augmented fat deposition, especially visceral fat around the belly. Male rats in particular ballooned in size: Animals with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. In humans, this would be equivalent to a 200-pound man gaining 96 pounds.

“These rats aren’t just getting fat; they’re demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides,” said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. “In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes.” In addition to Hoebel and Bocarsly, the research team included Princeton undergraduate Elyse Powell and visiting research associate Nicole Avena, who was affiliated with Rockefeller University during the study and is now on the faculty at the University of Florida. The Princeton researchers note that they do not know yet why high-fructose corn syrup fed to rats in their study generated more triglycerides, and more body fat that resulted in obesity.

High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there at least two clear differences between them. First, sucrose is composed of equal amounts of the two simple sugars — it is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose — but the typical high-fructose corn syrup used in this study features a slightly imbalanced ratio, containing 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for high-fructose corn syrup, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, ready for absorption and utilization. In contrast, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized.

This creates a fascinating puzzle. The rats in the Princeton study became obese by drinking high-fructose corn syrup, but not by drinking sucrose. The critical differences in appetite, metabolism and gene expression that underlie this phenomenon are yet to be discovered, but may relate to the fact that excess fructose is being metabolized to produce fat, while glucose is largely being processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.

In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year.

“Our findings lend support to the theory that the excessive consumption of high-fructose corn syrup found in many beverages may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic,” Avena said.

The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.

In the future, the team intends to explore how the animals respond to the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in conjunction with a high-fat diet — the equivalent of a typical fast-food meal containing a hamburger, fries and soda — and whether excessive high-fructose corn syrup consumption contributes to the diseases associated with obesity. Another step will be to study how fructose affects brain function in the control of appetite.

The research was supported by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Jaxon's with Fred

Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant is a South Florida landmark. Located on US1 in Dania Beach, Jaxson’s has served actors, governors, and even presidents.

Ice Cream is “home made” right there in the restaurant so flavors change routinely and the taste is always fresh. Scoops are huge. Enormous. And very, very good.

If you’re trying to prove your manhood, get the Jaxson’s Sr. Sampler: 5 scoops of ice cream (any flavor) and 5 “sidecars” of toppings. And, if you’re with a large group of big eaters, order the Kitchen Sink. What’s in it? Who knows! It’s a huge container of whatever the staff feel like giving you; a great way to initiate yourself.

The atmosphere is awesome. Servers dress in red and white striped uniforms and there must be at least 2000 license plates, pictures, and antiques thrown around the walls. The seating areas are packed together and Jaxson’s is always busy– so your server will definitely be running around like mad. That being said, the turn-around time from order to serving will amaze you.

If you’re not in the mood for ice cream, you can always order dinner (the hamburgers are really good) and there’s always complimentary pop-corn to munch on while you’re looking over the menu.

4 Boilers
A Fat Freddy Favorite
Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor
Eat-In or Take-Out
128 S Federal Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 923-4445

I miss my friend.

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends And in no random order…

qxork.com

So, you ever give out an email address and the person questions the spelling, asks you to repeat the work, or just in someway makes it a non-pleasurable experience? Of course you have… Well, after explaining that it was “m like mary” and “2 r’s in Forrest” for the last time, I decided to get a really small domain with letters that don’t sound like other letters (ie no m, n, c, d, e, t, etc.).

Since there weren’t many 3 or 4 letter domains to be found, the new domain is… q x o r k. “Hi, I’m Fred. Send it to Fred at q x o r k dot com.” Yes, it doesn’t pronounce. Yes it doesn’t mean anything… but also… Yes, it’s easy to say clearly on the first time. There’s not much to the site… think of it as a Fred Posner gateway if you will… with links to my sites and contact information. Check it out at www.qxork.com.

INS

Ah, nothing brings a sense of wonder to me than the effectiveness of our Federal Government. Yeni and I arrived at the immigration center for our Interview, and promptly made our way to the waiting room. After an hour and half wait for our “scheduled” interview (I couldn’t help think how great it won’t be if health care is run by the Feds), we were met by the officer, sworn, and interviewed.

I have to say, it started out pretty aggressively with us being question on why Yeni didn’t move to Florida (which I kind of found sexist, but anyway…) and questioning me with topics such as Yeni’s parent’s names, etc. Again, I would describe the tone as pretty aggressive. Then the questioning started centering around my business activities and I said something about the person working as a 10-99 vs a W2. The officer asked me what a 10-99 was and I kind of started to lose it. I was stating (in my Fred way) that a 10-99 was a basic tax form that anyone should now, let alone a government employee questioning me about business, when I received a “little” kick. Yes, Yeni gave me a subtle little kick and I calmed down a little.

Well, I think the fact that Yeni kicked me and I calmed down kind of proved that we were really husband and wife… or at least I have to say the interview went completely different. All the aggression was gone and long story short… everything is very good.

Cedar Point

My next tattoo

Yeni’s parents came in last Friday and on Sunday (before Labor Day), we joined a great friend from college and headed to Cedar Point. I had never been there and truly looked forward to riding some roller coasters with the wife and in-laws. The crowds were a little large (being labor day weekend and all), but the park was nice. Clearly it’s no Disney, but there’s lots of roller coasters including some very tall and very fast rides.

As we waited in line for the Millennium Force, I became excited. This roller coaster dwarfs others. Besides speeds of 93 mph, 80 degree angles, and a 310 foot climb, the coaster just simple looks amazing. An hour later, we got to the coaster, I sat down, and low and behold… not going to happen. The seat belt simply wouldn’t close. The staff came by during the check, asked me to leave, and I did the walk of shame out.

In hind sight, reading the “exceptional size” notice of Cedar Point may have made the day better. Since I’m a 42″ waist, over 225 pounds, and have a decent sized chest (> 52″), looks like I won’t be going back there for some time. The weight will come down, but not sure how to handle the chest… anyway…

Traveling Man

The Fred Posner America Gives Back Tour is coming your way… with stops in Orlando, New Jersey, Phoenix, and many areas in-between. Come one, come all… details and photos of upcoming travel to follow.

Baby Forrest and Thin Fred

Ah… getting older. I’ve noticed that as I have aged, the hair line recedes and the gut expands. Not truly the look I dreamed about as I pictured myself approaching forty, but the look I’ve achieved nonetheless. Speaking of forty…

Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at Forty” remains one of my all time favorite songs. I don’t know why, but for more than 20 years I just have simply loved that song. The thought of now being closer to 40 than 30 brings a different appreciation of the song… and well… just is simply an odd feeling. Anyway, as usual I digress…

So, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve well… I’ve become more rotund. I’ve posted and written about it many times. Hell, I even have a website called Fat Freddy Says. But the reality remains, that I’m bigger than I want to be and it’s not my coat that makes me look fat. The other month, Yeni and I bought a membership to the gym down the road. We had been going to the Y, but driving downtown, parking in the winter, loud kids, and crowded conditions just made us not as motivated to work out as we had hoped. So, we checked out a new gym, liked it (it was even cheaper), and joined.

To make a long story longer… I’m on the treadmill the other night and happened to pick one that faced a mirror. The whole time I’m walking I’m staring at my reflection. It could have been that I had eaten too much for dinner, or maybe it was just watching myself for 30 minutes, but right then and there I became very motivated to drop some weight.

I’d love to get back to the ol’ glory days about 2 or 3 years after high school when I was running a few miles everyday, had such low body fat that I sank, and was hitting the weights 4 times a week. But, I’m also very realistic and know that in my current state, if I push to hard, I’ll only end up hurting myself and delaying my ability to work out. Ah, the realities of getting older… So, instead… it will be slow and steady for Fat Freddy.

And in other news…

• Bought a Mac Mini (man I love that thing)
• Posted an article on VoIP Tech Chat in the style of Billy Mays
• Will be taking a road trip down to Orlando and back (3 days, 2k miles, 1 wife )
• Dusted off my old IBM laptop and brought new life into it with linux (ubuntu)

And that’s pretty much all I have to say about that.

The 2008 Mother of May Weekend has come and gone — with only pictures and memories remaining.

I’ve posted the pictures on my picasa page, located here:

• http://picasaweb.google.com/fatfreddysays/MotherSDay2008

I think some of the photos of Grandma, Yeni, Mom, and my sister are the best. I love the one of my sister at the computer and of some of the ones of Yeni really came out nice in black and white.

Day 3 of eating “right” and I think the fiber is starting to get to me… but that’s a story for another day.

[start digression]

I don’t usually start a review with the quick one-liner, and I usually don’t wait 2 years to write a review. But then again, Brooklyn’s Peter Luger Steak House is not your usual steak house. And why did I ever wait 2 years to write a review about the best steak I ever ate? It all begins with my very good friend Ricardo Barrenechea.

Raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ricardo took pride in steak. Constantly, Ricardo would tell me that until I’ve eaten a steak from Buenos Aries, I simply had not eaten a steak. Argentina does have the highest per capita meat consumption in the world, and since we lived on opposite ends of the earth, I simply did not argue.

Due to the great distance between us, Ricardo and I would only get to see each other (on average) once a year. When we did get together, we ate, drank, and just enjoyed life. He’s perhaps the only person to ever destroy me in an eating contest. It’s true. At a Morton’s, Ricardo downed a Fat Freddy Special (the porterhouse for two for one) before I was halfway finished, and simply stated, “the steak in my country is much better.” I figured that if someone could out eat me, on an excellent steak, then I must concede and believe that the steak from Argentina would be nothing short of amazing.

I never brought up the subject again; until New Year’s Eve 2007, when I enjoyed the greatest steak of my life at the Peter Luger Steak House. I told Ricardo about my meal, and my honest belief that Peter Luger would make him rethink his beliefs on American steak. He received the news well, and we looked forward to a future visit. I told him after the meal, I’d write the review.

The visit will never happen. Ricardo’s life was cut short and I never found the motivation to write this review. But, time heals wounds, and until I can travel to Argentina and test my friend’s beliefs, I will continue to believe that I have already eaten the best steak a man can eat.

[end digression]

Table Service

I visited Peter Luger’s on New Year’s Eve with a party of eight. The service we received was nothing short of excellent. Our waiter, who greeted us with “How many steaks are here?,” was personable, friendly, and extremely attentive. When a glass would become low, a new one would arrive. Bread was replenished without having to run out, and at all times we knew that we were being looked after. The wait staff are consummate professionals, and set the bar for how one should be treated at a restaurant.

The Peter Luger Porterhouse

When you order a steak from Peter Luger’s, go for the porterhouse. Butchered and marbled perfectly, the porterhouse arrives incredibly tender and in need of only one addition — bacon. You must, I repeat, you MUST order a side of bacon. It’s just fantastic.

For sides, our party enjoyed potatoes, creamed spinach, bacon, and bread. There were no complaints. There also wasn’t a tremendous amount of talking. You know how when something is really good, the table quiets down a little while people just enjoy the meal? That is Peter Luger’s.

Visa, Amex, MasterCard walks. Cash Talks.

Peter Luger’s accepts cash and their own Peter Luger card. Do not make the mistake of trying to pay with a credit card. When you visit, bring cash; and bring a good amount. A meal at Peter Luger Steak House is not cheap — if you’re going to drink, think $75.00 or more per person.

If the price scares you, ask yourself one question: How much would you pay for the best steak you will ever eat?

5 Boilers
A Fat Freddy Favorite

PETER LUGER STEAK HOUSE

Eat-in
178 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 387-7400
http://www.peterlugers.com

Great Thai Food

Well, about 10 years later, after immense pressure from Fat Freddy’s parents, I headed to Sukhothai for a family dinner. I figured that if my grandmothers liked this restaurant, there would have to be at least something for me to eat. (Plus, Pop offered Cannoli’s if I couldn’t find something to eat)

And with that set-up, I introduce Sukhothai– a fantastic Thai place in the heart of Fort Lauderdale.

First, you notice the atmosphere: Classy without Fancy. Waiters dress black tie, but (appealing to the Fort Lauderdale crowd) casual dress fits in fine. Jeans are a-ok, but you may want to second-guess wearing shorts. While you glance over the menu, sample one of the red wines. By the glass pricing is definitely a little on the high end, but the wine will get no complaints.

The menu is several pages and the staff is more than happy to explain, in detail, each dish you question. I have never gone wrong with their Pad Thai or similar dishes– shrimp, beef, and/or chicken awesomely mixed in and served over a bed of pan-fried noodles.

With a range of traditional Thai dishes to local variations, you’ll definitely find something that will appeal to you. You also may wish to start with an appetizer, for example the Chicken Satay. Served on little open flame grills, this dish tastes great and even entertains.

Pricing, excepting alcohol, is on the inexpensive side. Most entrées are anywhere from 8 – 12 dollars (and are very filling).

Don’t be concerned about spice… Unless you request otherwise, dishes are prepared very mildly. If you like to sweat while you eat (like Fat Freddy), have the kitchen pump up the volume to super hot. Very, very good.

4 Boilers

Sukhothai
Eat-In
1930 East Sunrise Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
(954) 764-0148

I lucked out with a great gift this year (from Martin) which was home delivery of pre-made low-carb meals. The first week’s worth arrived today and the first meal starts tomorrow. I’m on the 20g of carb or less per day so we’ll see how it goes.

Last time, the goal was 0 carbs / day, so hopefully the 20 ceiling will still be effective.

I’ve modified it slightly…

2 ounces Bourbon
1-2 ounces Lemon Juice
Splash of Lime Juice
Splenda to taste
Shake well, server over ice, and smile.

Well, if I’m not at rock bottom now, then the next step is diabetes or a feart attack. So, let’s try to avert that and stop eating canoli’s like they’re going out of style.

I’m going to try to start moving my fat ass and burning some calories the old fashioned way… by exercising and eating less.

Anyway… here’s to nothing!

Well, it’s hard to believe that in 2000 I was much thinner and had a full head of hair. I can’t control the receding hairline, I can’t control that my facial hair is going grey. But I can control the fact that I’m more Fat Bastard than Dr. Evil.

It wasn’t joining the 48 ounce club at Shula’s on Sunday… It wasn’t pizza and ice cream last night… It took an actual dream that’s made me make my need for weight loss more of a priority. When you dream that you’re too fat, you know you’re too fat.

So, the next time you hear me yelling that it’s cannoli time or see me devouring more food than what a man should eat, kindly remind me that it’s not my jacket making me look fat.