Happy October everyone! I’d like to get this new month rolling by hitting a few positive, and – I hope – encouraging, notes.

Your Visits Here Really do Count!

First, this blog is on track for a record-setting year. Yay! Woohoo! We have already sailed past 100,000 views and will soon break new ground. You, friends, can help with this by doing (please and thankyou) the following two things:

1. Visit derekmaul.blog every day (that alone would be huge).
2. Share with others and encourage your friends to read too.

This may sound superficial or unimportant, but the truth is your frequent “clicks” “likes” and “shares” absolutely will make the difference between my next new work being accepted or rejected by an important publisher. So if you believe my voice is worth getting out there then you know what to do!

My weight graph goes the other way!

January 1st, after a couple of years of inconsistency, I decided to get back to my preferred and most comfortable weight. And the right weight for absolutely anyone, I believe, is simply where that individual feels comfortable and healthy.

One of the things holding me back was cooking (and, of course, eating!). I absolutely love great food! But this time I was serious and what I discovered was – for me – a game-changer.

Three things: portion-control, reduced starch, and cut bread by half (or more).

This way I still cook everything I love and enjoy, but simply prepare and serve less. Half-sandwich at lunch; same amount of meat. Burgers in sliders instead of buns. Half baked potato. Half serving of rice. No bread (rolls etc.) with dinner. No dessert – or just a taste. You get the idea.

One more thing: Rebekah and I do not eat out often. So when we do we pretty much give ourselves a free pass. That means bread on the side and generally not holding back!

By putting the emphasis on quality, great flavor, and things like fresh vegetables we are actually eating better food and not wasting our calories. Granted, I uber-love bread and that was hard, but after a few weeks both my eyes and my stomach adjusted to the extent that I am now absolutely content.

The result – and this is why I waited – is a return to 170-pounds. Drumroll, balloons, thank you! I had briefly clocked 190 August of 2016 and was consistently 185-ish at the end of last year (2018).

Now I feel deliciously comfortable in my own skin. My plan now is to – eventually – settle around 168 (there is always a plus-or-minus two-pound fluctuation). Then I can decide on what size pants to buy!

Some of the Food:

So, yes, you knew this was going to end up with some food photos! The past week has been very good when it comes to what I have been serving. I only regret that I prepared three amazing meals without remembering to take pictures.

Oh well, you get the idea. And the idea – just to reiterate – is that it is not necessary to compromise when it comes to what we love to eat. We just have to be reasonable, watch the portions, and back off on the starch.

Happy eating, and abundant good health to all – DEREK

filet mignon

mushroom-swiss slider with small portion of fries

family-favorite “skillet dinner”

“fisherman’s casserole” at Farm Table

omelet and grits at First Watch

“must have” great coffee