Guest Commentary | The only way to lose weight is to get religious

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

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2024 is here and congratulations – you are here to celebrate!

This is the time of the year when people are making New Year’s resolutions. Typically, the most common is to lose a few pounds.

I suspect you want to lose a couple of pounds. Maybe you need to lose a lot of pounds. Many of us do. From September 1 through December, 27 I gained 15 pounds. I know, that’s really bad. I wasn’t bad for four months but I had a few good spells of being bad. On September 1st, I weighed 198 pounds. Then on December 27th, I weighed 213 pounds.

My trend started when I had my colonoscopy. My doctor didn’t want me to eat any salads and a number of other healthy foods in preparation for my procedure. I had some very happy meals and gained almost two pounds leading up to my test. A couple of family get togethers, a vacation, Thanksgiving and Christmas added up to 15 pounds. Let me tell you, I can tell the difference when I put my shoes on. Also, developing plantar fasciitis and a sore foot didn’t help matters either. Many Americans deal with this occasional foot issue. During flare ups it really hurts to walk.

The only way I’ll be able to shed the pounds is to get real religious on my eating. We gain weight by eating too much and we lose weight when we cut back the portions and eat much less. A lot of our eating is habit. We think we have to be eating all the time. Winter months are tough because on cold dreary days and nights we hibernate in front of the TV and think we have to have food going into our mouths.

Consider sane proportional eating. Eat three small meals a day. Women can typically lose weight if they keep the calories to 1200 a day. If you are active then maybe 1400. Aim for three four hundred calorie meals. Men typically can lose on about 1700 calories a day. This gives you three meals at just under 600 per meal. Keep in mind that often, food has more calories than we think.

Another option is to graze all day. A fitness trainer friend says he eats six times a day, but it’s only about 300 calories at a time. The upside to this plan is you are always looking forward to your next little meal. If you like to eat all the time this may be your best plan.

Any activity that you can employ will also help. Winter months are tough so you have to be creative. Walk in place. Clean your house. Do setups while watching television. Do some toe touches, pushups, squats and anything that will get your heart rate up. Gym memberships soar at this time of the year. If you have time to go to the gym it might help you get through the winter. Mentally, it might help you to get out of the house.

I’m with you on this. My hope is to lose one pound a week. Maybe by Easter I’ll be back to where I want to be. Drop me a note at GlennMollette.com or gmollette@aol.com and let me know how you are doing and I’ll post more later if I have been able to shed my extra pounds. Good luck!

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He is the author of 13 books including Uncommom Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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The agony of defeat; buzzer-beater sinks Spartans at the Classic

BLOOMINGTON - SJO's Luke Landrus reacts after El Paso-Gridley's Chancesaye Maxon, Jr.'s last second three-pointer goes through the net in hit team's State Farm Classic finale on Saturday. Up by two and with less than two seconds on the game clock, St. Joseph-Ogden lost the back-and-forth game by one point when the 20-footer was good just before the buzzer, 49-48. More photos coming after the new year.

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300 new Illinois laws set to begin on January 1

by Terri Dee
Illinois News Connection

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CHICAGO - At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, Illinoisans will see more than 300 new laws take effect - with changes that impact the state's healthcare, public safety and employment sectors.

Photo: Tim Zänkert/Unsplash

The Paid Leave for All Workers Act will require most employers to provide their workers with at least 40 hours of annual paid leave. And minimum wages will increase from $13 to $14 per hour.

Illinois Legal Aid Online offers online support for some of the state's underserved residents. Executive Director Teri Ross said she understands many will want to know how the new laws affect them.

"We take the legislation, which is often difficult to read and somewhat opaque, and we translate that into a plain language explanation," said Ross, "and in some cases, into some tools that people can use to assert their rights and to understand their rights."

Under a new Telehealth Services law, Illinois mental-health and substance-use patients will continue to receive telehealth coverage for treatment.

And a patient's medical care cannot be delayed while a hospital staffer verifies their payment method or insurance status.

Ross said hospitals will also be required to screen uninsured or underinsured patients for public financial assistance eligibility before their bill is sent to collections.

Another new law on the books has stirred up concerns about immigrants applying for jobs in public safety.

It allows a person who is not a citizen - but is legally authorized to work in the U.S. - to apply to become an Illinois police officer.

Ross said low numbers on police forces are due to veteran officers retiring and a lack of new applicants - and claimed policing overall needs to change.

"One of the problems that we have, in our society generally," said Ross, "is that law enforcement has been focused on communities of color, and is often not made up of people who are of color."

Applicants who are non-citizens and possess a green card that allows them to live and work in the U.S. must be authorized under federal law to obtain, carry, purchase or otherwise possess a firearm.

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