Ted Butler

OK, it's now been three weeks on my new diet, this Chef by Request is working... I've gone from 210 lbs to 202 lbs... and, I feel better than I've felt in years... literally years... could this eating regimin be a "time machine" as well? And, I'm never hungry, eating three meals and two snacks is keeping my insulin levels constant, I can't describe how much better that makes me feel... no peaks and valleys, no cravings, I don't even have to worry about what I'm going to eat or even make the food... and it's all fresh, chef prepared, delivered to my door every night whild I'm asleep...What has me really excited is that I'm only 3 lbs away from the goal/reward I set for myself 3 years ago... that being if and when I could ever get back to under 200lbs I'd reward myself with a new road bike... soon Ted, soon... one of the places that I feel this new "Ted" the most is on my bike, if anyone reading this rides at all, imagine strapping on a pack of 33 lbs and going out to ride your favorite hills... that's just what i've been dealing with, until now... what a difference this makes. And, I have more energy for work as well as play. Maybe I'm feeling good enough to go CrossFit! I'll keep you posted...

After hearing friends and family rave about the former "Zone Seattle" phenom, now called Chef by Request, I decided to take the plunge... they follow the 40/30/30 regimen... all of the meals are prepared fresh, using local ingredients and delivered to my door the day they're prepared... gourmet diet without any of the measuring/counting/cooking...

Why? Well, for me it was simple... as an almost 55 year old former "weekend warrior" and single parent the past few years have seen me go from my racing weight of 185 lbs to my "career" weight of 235 lbs... and it was sooo easy... all I did was eat the same way I had been eating for the past 30 years, minus all of the running, swimming, riding, working out, etc... and it happened so quickly... 4 years sitting behind a desk, running my business with the most exercise walking up the flight of stairs to my office and managing a group of loan officers... wow...

I've made some progress on my own, started working out again, a little running and really trying to modify my diet. It's taken effort but I've been able to shed 25 lbs since December... but... I've plateaued... for the past month to month and a half for what ever reason I can't get below 210... nor can I shed this little cushion seems to have found a permanent home squarely around my navel...

And I've tried other diets in the past... remember the Cabbage Soup diet? That was painful... then there was Atkins... 'what? you mean I can eat all the red meat I want?'... and it really seemed that it was just simple math, burn more than you take in... but... I've read Dr. Sear's book... and after discounting this "zone" thing as another "fad" I can not argue with the science behind the method. Hormones, insulin, icosionoids... evidently what we eat is even more important than how much we eat...

So, day one... my little cooler arrived at my doorstep, secured with a zip-lock, and inside I had:

Breakfast: Vegetable Baked Eggs with Fresh Fruit ( yum, yum, yum... this is much better than my usual 1 cup of plain oatmeal...)

Lunch: Steak and Mushroom Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette ( tasty and satisfying )

Snack: Marinated Three Bean Salad ( never was a snacker but this really helped me have a productive afternoon)

Dinner: Baked Salmon with Pesto Sauce, fresh Green Beans ( if this is what their chef here in Seattle is going to prepare for me on a regular basis... this is going to be wonderful...)

They say this way of eating will help one think better, preform better, look better and never be hungry between meals... sound good? I'm in...

Look for weekly updates, and in the meanwhile visit www.mychefbyrequest.com or call 877-878-5777 to see what all the excitement is about... Where? All over WA, Portland, OR and the Bay Area, SF, CA.

ciao for now,

ted

Can it get any better for the FHA HECM?

That is the question many in the mortgage industry, and many senior homeowners, are asking these days. After 20 years of near obscurity the FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage seems to be finally getting the due so well deserved. Not the first choice for advertising budgets spent by mortgage lenders looking to maximize return on marketing dollars, and slow to shed the mantle of derision brought about by abuse of reverse mortgages of days gone bye, perhaps the stars have finally aligned for the safest mortgage in America today.

We are at a unique period in time where the awareness of the Government version of the Reverse Mortgage is at it's highest. Combine that increased visibility with a dramatic decrease in financial stability and you find that environment for a "perfect storm" of sorts, but instead of a storm senior homeowners today are finding a safe port in these unsettling financial times.

Also contributing to the growth in the FHA HECM are the recent passing of the Home and Economic Security Act of 2008 which brought with it an increase in the FHA lending limit to $417,000.00 and the limiting of certain fees charged the borrower. And the current administration has leant this program a hand as well, the Stimulus Plan just signed by President Obama further raises the FHA lending limit to a new height of $625,500.00, great news for that select group of homeowners that have seen some of the most dramatic gains in home appreciation over the past few years. As well with gains in property tax that quite sadly has lead many in this situation to sell their beloved homes because with their limited income in retirement, even with planning, they simply find it difficult if not impossible to keep up.