I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants.
~ A. Whitney Brown

I need to lose weight. At least 50 pounds. But, I am as unmotivated as I am fat. Old, fat, and unmotivated… not the most appealing combination of attributes.

I plugged in my age, weight, and activity level over at RealAge.com and they tell me that in order maintain my current weight and fuel my current activity level, I need to take in about 2892 calories a day. In order to lose 50 pounds? Well, according to them I need to reduce my caloric intake to 2487 calories a day, or increase my activity level.

They broke it down like this:

Caloric Breakdown
Fats	25%	69 grams	622 calories
Carbohydrates	60%	373 grams	1492 calories
Proteins	15%	93 grams	373 calories
Total:			2487 calories

Does anyone have any fun suggestions for food food to be part of a 2487 calorie diet?

Here is a recipe that looks good that I found on the same website:

Tangy and Cool Buttermilk and Avocado Smoothie
One cup of this fill-you-up smoothie will make only a 145-calorie dent in your diet. Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients
1 cup organic fat-free cottage cheese, such as Horizon brand

2 cups 1% low-fat buttermilk

1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 tablespoon organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand

4 ice cubes or 1/2 cup crushed ice

Preparation
Place the cottage cheese and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk in a blender. Cover and blend until fairly smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender; add the avocado. Cover and blend until fairly smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining buttermilk and the agave nectar; cover and blend 10 seconds. Add the ice; cover and blend until the smoothie is thick and the ice has melted.

Nutritional Information (per 1-cup serving; makes 4)
Calories: 145
Saturated fat: 1.5 grams
Unsaturated fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 15 grams
Protein: 11 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Calcium: 178 milligrams
Sodium: 342 milligrams
Magnesium: 7 milligram

My mother was diagnosed with diabetes this week. According the American Diabetes Association there are more than twenty million Americanw with the disease and than six million Americans who have it but do not realize it.