Dr. Doug Pray - Fat And Happy?: Weight Loss Strategies for People Who Love to Eat

Copyright 2011, Dr. Doug Pray

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

ISBN: 978-1-937829-13-1

This book is dedicated to my mother, Nita Creekmore, who helped me from the start on my weight loss journey

And to my wife and partner, Jill, who continues to support and inspire me

A fter graduating high school I weighed over 300 pounds and addicted to junk food. I would have given anything to become thin and kick my food addiction, I just didnt know how and every time I tried I failed. I came across Dr. Prays book I Dont Go With Fat Boys, this book was a game changer for me. I identified so much with Dr. Pray and his struggles with his own food addiction that I felt like I was reading a story about my life. It was time for a new beginning for me and I decided to try the cleanse program and follow the healthy lifestyle Dr. Pray wrote about. I ended up losing 11 pounds during my initial 7 day cleanse. After following the lifestyle that Dr. Pray recommends I have been able to keep losing weight and keep it off, after two years of regular cleanses, chiropractic adjustments and healthy lifestyle choices I now weigh 175 pounds. As a pleasant surprise to me, the lifestyle changes that I have made have also gotten me off of a nasal steroid that helped me breathe for nearly 15 years and now without any medication I can breathe better than ever! Thanks to Dr. Pray I am a much more confident person and I am a better husband, father and friend who truly enjoys life to its fullest.

M any of you who read my first book, I Dont Go With Fat Boys -- Weight Loss for People Who Love to Eat, say how much you appreciate me sharing my story and what I have learned about the underlying causes of the unhealthy lifestyles that have created our overweight society. You say, after reading I Dont Go With Fat Boys, you better understand the why of your roller coaster weight struggle. Now you would like some practical how tos for successfully achieving and maintaining your weight goals and gaining health for yourselves.

I very much want you to know that I have struggled with weight my entire life, and this book comes from my personal search for answers to my own weight and health issues. I am one of you. I know exactly the struggles you experience. I am not one of those people who have always done it right.

Our youngest daughter, Melissa actually says she needs to go for a run when she feels stressed. Where does that come from? When I feel stressed, I say, I need to eat a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream. Reality is, most foods available today are unhealthy choices, and those foods are my natural inclination.

I have developed ways to help myself make better choices, but I do slip at times, and I have to work out answers for when I fail to stay with my plan. I have examined the mind and behaviors of a food junkie like myself, and created strategies for me, and those like me, who find making healthy food choices difficult.

My purpose in sharing this book with you is to encourage you, and let you know you are not alone in this battle. There are many of us who are seeking to stay the course toward weight loss and improved health. When we get off track, we experience feelings of failure and hopelessness. We come to believe we will never succeed, but that is not truth!

This book does not offer a perfect plan. In fact, I dont believe there is such a thing as a perfect plan. Truth is, there are simple strategies that can help us stay our course, and answers for when we slip off-track that will help get us back up and moving forward again.

Blessings Always,

Dr. Doug Pray

F or most of us, the hardest part of any change in eating habits is sticking with our new plan when life gets hectic. A diet plan that supplies prepackaged meals seems like an easy solution, but is ineffectual at producing lasting change. If we dont learn to make satisfying meals from healthy foods, we wont be able to maintain our weight loss once our diet is over. This book is all about making the right decisions when faced with difficult circumstances, such as meals out with friends or preparing a meal at the end of a particularly busy day. And when we slip, and we all do, we must put it in perspective and take steps to get ourselves back on track.

We all face the difficulties of a fast-paced lifestyle. Recently, I found myself in one such circumstance. My wife, Jill and I have a good friend who is a massage therapist. Once a month, she gives Jill and me a massage and then stays for dinner, which I usually have waiting when their session is finished. As I was leaving the office on this particular day, I realized that we had nothing at home to cook. I had less than an hour to pick up groceries, get home and have dinner ready. Between traffic and the distance to my home, I knew that if I stopped at the grocery store I wouldnt have time to prepare anything before the ladies were ready to eat. So I ran into a convenience store. I know what youre thinking, Really, Doug? You expect us to believe you found ingredients for a healthy dinner at a convenience store? It is true most foods in convenience stores have little or no nutritional value. Im certainly not suggesting you do your weekly shopping at the corner gas station. I tell you this to demonstrate that if you have a tight schedule and limited options you can still find a way to make a healthy meal that is delicious and filling.

While browsing the isles, I came across some cans of soup. I bought two cans of potato soup that had about 250 calories each. With the base for my evening meal secured, I raced home, emptied the soup into a pot and set it on the stove to heat. Now, I knew that canned soup was not going to give my wife and our friend the nutritional value, much less the taste they expected. I checked the freezer. I keep a variety of frozen vegetables in the freezer and in about five minutes I can add a very healthy component to a meal. I opened a bag of broccoli-carrot-cauliflower mix, and dropped the contents into the soup.

I let the soup simmer while I worked on what I think is an essential component to any meal, the presentation. Instead of grabbing mismatched bowls, I set the table with china and crystal glasses. I opened a bottle of red wine and set out the silverware and cloth napkins. Then, with the mood set, I checked on my soup. It was simmering and filling the kitchen with a delicious aroma. I remembered we had a few new potatoes in the pantry. I quickly washed the potatoes, sliced them, dropped them into a bowl of water, and popped it into the microwave. After a few minutes the potatoes were ready to add to my soup, which had started as a couple of cans from a convenience store and now was filling my home with the sensuous aroma of a delicious home cooked meal. I tasted the soup and realized it was a little bland, so I added some garlic salt and black pepper and let it continue to simmer while I cleaned up the kitchen.

In less than half an hour I had prepared dinner, set the table with a wonderful presentation, and cleaned up after myself. I wanted to finish off our meal with dessert. In the pantry, I found a can of sliced peaches and another of sliced pears. I opened both cans, rinsed off the syrup, and spooned the fruit into crystal bowls. I put the bowls of fruit into the refrigerator to chill, and checked on my soup. It was perfect. I spooned out generous helpings into our bowls. As the ladies entered, I poured them each a small glass of red wine and a glass of cold water. My wife and our friend were delighted with the soup. They complimented me on how delicious and hearty it was and how great everything looked. Both of them had second helpings and sipped their wine as I went to the kitchen to finish dessert. Taking the chilled fruit from the refrigerator, I lightly sprinkled it with sugar and cinnamon. Most people dont know that a heaping teaspoon of sugar has less than 25 calories. Cinnamon is a great source of iron, calcium, fiber and manganese. It has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and fight E. coli bacteria. Some studies have shown that the smell of cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. I like it because it tastes so good, and just a light dusting on fruit makes a delicious and simple dessert. The ladies were thrilled that I had taken the time to prepare such a wonderful meal and raved about my dessert.