Update XX: A Darn Good Judge of My Financial Situation

[J-Mann]

I don't like saying people can't change.  I am proof they can.  I was  hopeless alcoholic, now I've been sober over 6 years.

But it took a *complete lifestyle change*.  Bushie seems unwilling to change his life... with his cheat days and his aversion to doing basic things like drinking water and taking a walk.

How many cheat days do you give yourself, Ray?

[angus]

It's tough.  Everyone has demons.  With Bushie it's carbohydrates and lipids and obesity.  Some people smoke or use too much heroin.  I don't have a sweet tooth or a fat problem or a heroin addiction, but I consume far too much caffeine, alcohol, and cholesterol.  Many years ago, I tried to have one alcohol-free day, one animal product-free day, and one coffee-free day each week.  I was doing fairly well with the alcohol and animal products, but coffee was harder to quit because it's everywhere.  After a while I stopped worrying about it.  Later, in my mid-40s, I noticed that my blood pressure was consistently high.  I've cut down on sodium and I limit myself to about 200 mg of caffeine per day, but alcohol and flesh are really hard to give up. 

Advisors and wellwishers from the internet aren't going to make much difference, I'm afraid.  Change must come from within.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Ah, the sight of Our Dear Friend, strolling through the aisles of Walmart, basket tucked under his arm, picking out only the freshest of fruits, vegetables and meats. Sounds like something right out of a Disney movie.

Strolling?  I have to assume Bushie uses the Wal-Karts.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not all of that is really easy on the stomach.

Yeah, it actually reads like a bad joke.

Clear soups can be good, incidentally. Can you get Miso in Oklahoma?

[WalterMitty]

I don't like saying people can't change.  I am proof they can.  I was  hopeless alcoholic, now I've been sober over 6 years.

But it took a *complete lifestyle change*.  Bushie seems unwilling to change his life... with his cheat days and his aversion to doing basic things like drinking water and taking a walk.

How many cheat days do you give yourself, Ray?

Zero, once I finally got sober.  I did try the only drinking on weekends thing for a while, that didn't work out too well.

[patrick1]

I don't like saying people can't change.  I am proof they can.  I was  hopeless alcoholic, now I've been sober over 6 years.

But it took a *complete lifestyle change*.  Bushie seems unwilling to change his life... with his cheat days and his aversion to doing basic things like drinking water and taking a walk.

How many cheat days do you give yourself, Ray?

Zero, once I finally got sober.  I did try the only drinking on weekends thing for a while, that didn't work out too well.

Good stuff Mitty.  And you, Angus and what so many have been saying for years are right in that it needs to be Jeff who has the commitment and drive to make changes.

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

The fact that I don't have it, yet, means I can stop the diabetes train before it crashes through the depot.

if Jeff welches on this new diet then next season should be called "All Aboard the Diabetes Train" or something

[Joe Republic]

Ah, the sight of Our Dear Friend, strolling through the aisles of Walmart, basket tucked under his arm, picking out only the freshest of fruits, vegetables and meats. Sounds like something right out of a Disney movie.

Strolling?  I have to assume Bushie uses the Wal-Karts.

And "basket tucked under arm" is another one.  I've been to Fatmart a bunch of times and have never seen anything as restrained as a basket.  Pile those carts high!

[King]

And you, Angus and what so many have been saying for years are right in that it needs to be Jeff who has the commitment and drive to make changes.

I disagree.  I mean, sure, if he had the commitment and drive it would solve itself and many here have lost weight that way.

However, unlike alcohol and drugs, if he was forced by someone else to exercise and eat right against his instinct I think he would improve just the same. Alcohol and drugs feel really good when you're doing them and then comes the hangover. It's hard to quit because you're chasing that old feeling. Bushie's no exercise crap diet lifestyle feels really bad all the time. He always has a headache and he's always sad and he's always sick. But it's all he's ever known so he's normalized it.

He's afraid to take the next step, but if he had a life coach/trainer to drag his ass out and forced him to change for a few weeks, the sky would open up and he'd finally see clearly for the first time.  It's more like potty training or teaching a baby bird to fly. No baby develops the drive or ambition to not sit in a diaper all day when it's all they've known. You have to force the issue a bit.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

It is midnight Saturday morning.  I have exactly 24 hours and ticking until my diet officially begins.

You keep saying "I will," over and over, just as you have for literally years. You can't and wont, Jeff. And even if you make some half-hearted attempt for a few days, you'll give up. It's not in your makeup to be successful. You're already making excuses, since you realize you have the body of a [morbidly obese] 80-year-old but are holding off on starting to make change until some arbitrary date hits.

Focus your energy on something you may actually be able to do: find a job and pray that it has health insurance that's worth a [Braums].

Let's give bushie a chance. He's committed to starting his diet 23 hours from now, let's not assume he will just automatically break that commitment. Sure, I get that his past track record is a disaster. But perhaps this time he's actually caring.

New to Update, aren't you?

One of the most interesting story arcs of the Update Saga is watching Bushie's most fervent supporters lose their faith in his ability to change (Lief, King, J-Mann, etc... there are many more). Someone should compile a list of posts where each poster finally had the turn of heart.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just walked down to the apartment laundry facility which is 1/4 mile from my door, put my clothes in the dryer, then walked back.  This is 1/2 mile in about 9-10 minutes.  I'll do another half mile in a couple or three hours.

[Keystone Phil]

I just walked down to the apartment laundry facility which is 1/4 mile from my door, put my clothes in the dryer, then walked back.  This is 1/2 mile in about 9-10 minutes.  I'll do another half mile in a couple or three hours.

...

I...

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I just walked down to the apartment laundry facility which is 1/4 mile from my door, put my clothes in the dryer, then walked back.  This is 1/2 mile in about 9-10 minutes.  I'll do another half mile in a couple or three hours.

You didn't drive?!

I just... I mean.... PROGRESS!!! 

[King]

When do you plan on eating your first vegetable of the day, Bushie?

[memphis]

Way to go, Bushie.

[Lief 🗽]

It is midnight Saturday morning.  I have exactly 24 hours and ticking until my diet officially begins.

You keep saying "I will," over and over, just as you have for literally years. You can't and wont, Jeff. And even if you make some half-hearted attempt for a few days, you'll give up. It's not in your makeup to be successful. You're already making excuses, since you realize you have the body of a [morbidly obese] 80-year-old but are holding off on starting to make change until some arbitrary date hits.

Focus your energy on something you may actually be able to do: find a job and pray that it has health insurance that's worth a [Braums].

Let's give bushie a chance. He's committed to starting his diet 23 hours from now, let's not assume he will just automatically break that commitment. Sure, I get that his past track record is a disaster. But perhaps this time he's actually caring.

New to Update, aren't you?

One of the most interesting story arcs of the Update Saga is watching Bushie's most fervent supporters lose their faith in his ability to change (Lief, King, J-Mann, etc... there are many more). Someone should compile a list of posts where each poster finally had the turn of heart.

Yes, this is something I've noticed re-watching old seasons to write my reviews. Even Al was genuinely supportive of Bushie in the first few seasons! A lot of people lost faith in season 8, when Bushie and his family tortured a puppy to death and Bushie went on a "new diet" that consisted of four sloppy joes for dinner.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'll be making the second walk down to the laundry facility in a few minutes.  I'll put in about 17-20 minutes of walking by the end of the day, plus the walking I do at Walmart.  It won't be a continuous 17-20 minutes, but it is better than sitting on my hind end all day.

[Joe Biden 2020]

When do you plan on eating your first vegetable of the day, Bushie?

Probably for supper and I'm thinking about getting some baby carrots like I was taking to work for my lunches mainly in December.

[Joe Republic]

Congratulations on achieving the same level of walking effort as a below average human on any given day!  👍

[Edu]

Incredible effort! Why don't you include all the times you walk to the bathroom to take a dump? It will surely add a few miles to that number. You'll be slim in no time.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just got back from that short walk.  Again, it's not a big walk, but it's definitely a good start and I don't think anyone would discount that.  I'll walk more tomorrow, but this time it will be a continuous walk without walking to the laundry room.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I just walked down to the apartment laundry facility which is 1/4 mile from my door, put my clothes in the dryer, then walked back.  This is 1/2 mile in about 9-10 minutes.  I'll do another half mile in a couple or three hours.

Again, it's not a big walk, but it's definitely a good start and I don't think anyone would discount that.

I'm pretty sure you're fudging the numbers but congratulations anyway

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just walked down to the apartment laundry facility which is 1/4 mile from my door, put my clothes in the dryer, then walked back.  This is 1/2 mile in about 9-10 minutes.  I'll do another half mile in a couple or three hours.

Again, it's not a big walk, but it's definitely a good start and I don't think anyone would discount that.

I'm pretty sure you're fudging the numbers but congratulations anyway

Thanks to my Endomondo app, I was able to track it both times.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Bushie go walk to downtown Tulsa and back. I walk to downtown Minneapolis and back quite frequently.

[J-Mann]

I just walked down to the apartment laundry facility which is 1/4 mile from my door, put my clothes in the dryer, then walked back.  This is 1/2 mile in about 9-10 minutes.  I'll do another half mile in a couple or three hours.

Again, it's not a big walk, but it's definitely a good start and I don't think anyone would discount that.

I'm pretty sure you're fudging the numbers but congratulations anyway

Nothing here is to be congratulated. I used to do that with Jeff -- recognize even the smallest of victories -- and it was always misinterpreted as a reason to kick back with a day off from exercise, or a Braum's meal, or a day of napping. One step forward, one step back ... always.

If he's able to keep up this level of activity for a month ... then pat him on the back. Until then, any congratulations will only be used days from now as a reason for a cheat day: "I'm doing everything right, you guys said so. And now I deserve a reward."