Routine is Good

I find it interesting that after roughly five days of eating like my old self, it's so easy to revert back to the twig and berry diet. Perhaps I'm just eating less when I'm eating the bad stuff. Who knows/cares? What I do know is that I dropped a pound and easily ate enough to feel full, yet I didn't use my entire point allotment.

The foot, while improving, is still jacked up. I felt like Snoop Dogg this morning as I slowly bent out of my car and pimp walked to the office door at rate of just under 1/2 mph. The steroidal anti-inflammatories conjure up the Charlie Sheen in me. I don't think I slept a wink last night, and I sported the reddest face, truly lobster-red, at the office this morning.

Oh how I desperately want to weigh <217.0. Been flirting with it for a week.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
Vita-top - 2

Lunch:
curried tuna - 6
baked cheetos - 5
Fiber One bar - 4

Snack:
apple
trail mix - 10

Dinner:
fish - 5
shrimp - 7
broccoli slaw - 1
blueberry crisp - 3
asparagus

43/49

I Love Meatloaf

Opted for the Comfort meatloaf last night, and it did not disappoint. Shared a great evening with some close friends to close out my birthday week. Understandably, there's a huge blip on the weight loss graph today, but I'm not too worried about it. The weight just dripped off after my previous birthday dinner celebration, and I fully expect the same to happen this week. I'm so ready to keep a steady track beneath the blue line.

My bum foot is rebounding nicely, and I'm inclined to believe my mother's theory that it was bursitis as opposed to a stress fracture. Looking forward to a couple gym trips this week, followed by an epic bike ride next weekend.

This ends an interesting week that saw me work only two days and suffer an injury. It'll be nice to return to work, knock the dust off my desk, and fall back in line with my old eating routine. This should benefit the blog as well, as I transition from luscious feasts to boring hamster food. Complaints of trail mix malaise and apple reviews are most assuredly better reading than what I've put out this past week. I suffer so you, my two trusty readers, can have a brief chuckle or spark of inspiration over your morning Fiber One.

Food Log:

Lunch:
curried tuna - 6
baked cheetos - 5
cupcake - 8
1c milk 2

Dinner:
2x chix sausage - 6
2x sweet potato fries - 10
cupcake - 8
1c milk - 2

47/49

What a Comeback!

I probably won't have time to write an entry after dinner tonight, so I'm sliding on in now. Somehow, I've reached a new low weight. Those cupcakes are magical! Anyway, this has me feeling pretty good about going out tonight and just enjoying myself without overthinking things.

Here's what I've had today, and anticipate having tonight:

Food Log:

Breakfast:
cheerios w/ milk - 5

Lunch:
leftover seafood and pasta - 8?
cupcake - 8?

Dinner (courtesy Comfort):
trout filet w/ maple butter - 10?
side of scalloped taters - 16?
side of greens or mac n cheese - 4? or 16?

Going Down in Flames

Things may get out of hand here. Look, I strategically took leave from work on my birthday in part to exercise and offset some of the birthday weight gain. My best intentions were sabotaged! Not only is my injured foot preventing me from exercising, the steroidal anti-inflammatory medication is going to pack the weight on. My hungr is growing out of control, water retention will be at an all time high, I'm going to have a Barry Bonds moon-head! Age and aging are cruel beotches.

My parents hosted Kristy and I for a joint birthday meal tonight. As usual, the food was just lovely. My mother has a talent for preparing healthy food, and advertised it as such. However, she pulled a bit of a bait 'n switch. In addition to the advertised seafood with wheat pasta, she snuck in a cheese fondue appetizer and some out of this world coconut cupcakes. Pffft, it was great, especially considering my juice-head appetite. Had just a great time with them tonight, eating, joking, reminiscing by the fire.

Food Log:

Lunch:
curried tuna - 6
baked Lays - 4
Fiber 1 bar - 4

Snack:
2x apples
carrots
trail mix - 10

Dinner:
cheese fondue w/ veggies and bread
cheese spread and crackers
mussels, shrimp, scallops over wheat angel hair
bread
salad
1 cupcake
some wine

No idea on the points.

Speed Bump and Broken Feet

Well, I saw that one coming. Huge weight gain after my delicious birthday feast. Here's to working it off. It'd be a heckuva lot easier if I hadn't injured my right foot, though. After working out Monday night in my Hokie-colored AirMax90s, I haven't been able to put weight on my foot. I finally limped into a Patient First and I may have a stress fracture. Stoopid shoes. To quote my old friend Daynon, "You've been hurt since I've known you".

Food Log:

Breakfast:
sausage, egg, and potato bowl - 6

Lunch:
turkey sandwich thin - 5
leftover cheesecake - 18

Snack:
apple

Dinner:
parmesan artichoke dip - 2
quinoa - 6
grilled chix - 3
baked Lays - 4
Ice cream bar - 3
cottage cheese -2

Forgot to log my workout from yesterday:
biceps and tricepts

Buuuurp

Food Log:

Lunch:
chix burger on Sandwich Thin - 5
baked Lays - 4
birthday cake - 8
milk - 2

Dinner:
bacon-wrapped filet
grilled shrimp
lobster queso dip
loaded baked potato
cheesecake

Frozen Tundra, Mighty Plateau

Tonight begins the 5 day debauchery that is my birthday. Food, drink, and good times. I've taken the next two days off for a couple reasons.

1. Sleep in. I love sleeping in.

2. Time to work out, and take long bike rides. This will offset some of my calorie intake.

3. Chair shopping. Yeah, sounds weird, but I received a nice bonus for my 10 year work anniversary. Thinking about treating myself with a Throne of Rohrer, leather chair.

Here's the rundown:

Breakfast:

Jimmy Dean turkey sausage egg and cheese muffin - 6

Lunch:
chix cacciatore - 7
baked Lays - 4
Fiber One bar - 4

Snack:
Cliff Bar - 6

Dinner:
chix cacciatore (the leftovers won't end) - 7
birthday bourbon - countless points


I might as well mention this here. I'm glossing over my points over the next week. It's gonna be rough. What will be interesting is to see if I can rebound from my weight plateau or gain.

Here's how I know who is still reading this crap. If you've read this, I need a pep talk. This week will be rough on morale, and I need your help. Leave me a comment.

Get the Poison Out

As I was perusing my RSS feeds, I came across an interesting article that contained tips on losing weight and keeping it off. I was shocked, SHOCKED that the guy used some of the same methods as me. Tell everyone? Make it extreme? "Why, you're crazy Matt!" "How will you ever succeed?" Seems like my bulbous, sparsely haired noggin ain't just a hat rack, folks. Check it out:

http://lifehacker.com/5726897/guilt-shame-and-weight-loss

So, as I mentioned in various posts last week, I missed three workouts. Two due to pure laziness, one due to frigid temperatures. It's interesting that going just a week without exercise can have a noticeable effect on appetite and overall disposition. You see, by cancelling my Sunday bike ride, I was blessed with the ability to hunker down by the fire and watch football all day. Sounds great, eh? Well, all that free time and lack of productivity produced in me a general sense of malaise. "Maybe I'll eat something. That'll make me feel good". "Maybe I'll have a nip or two of bourbon. I've got the points". Next thing you know I'm constantly hungry and feeling worthless. After exercising, endorphins just seem to fill a void. Instead of searching for a feeling within myself, I'm overcome by a sense of accomplishment and generally feel great. It's like I've leached out the poison.

So that brings me to today. I would call today a banner day in the 3 month "epic struggle to lose weight". I feel like I pigged out at lunch. Ate a mid-afternoon snack when I could have gone without, leaving a modest, but fulfilling amount of points to spend on dinner. And prior to dinner, I got the poison out. Crucial 30 minutes Monster-Energy-Drink-infused spin session on the elliptical. I followed that with a gorilla juice-head bicep and triceps workout. I must say I'm feeling glorious today. It's been about a week since I've felt this good, and it's no coincidence that's the last time I worked out.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
yogurt - 2
South Beach bar - 4

Lunch:
cottage cheese - 2
Smart Ones lasagna - 7
baked Lays - 4
Fiber One bar - 4

Snack:
trail mix - 10

Dinner:
double chix burger w/ guac - 9
sweet potato fries - 5
veggies with parmesan-artichoke dip - 2

49/49

Workout:
see above

Lazy

Had a bike ride scheduled for today, but I blew it off. That's three straight workouts I've blown off this week. Sad. Here's to a birthday week packed to the hilt with exercise and non-diet food. Speaking of which, how can I possibly pull this week off? Birthday dinner with my wife Wednesday, birthday dinner and drinks with friends Saturday, and a birthday meal with the parents scheduled some time in between. I'll be lucky keep a flat weight curve this week.

I was pretty hungry today, and I'm eager to get back to my work day routines. Here's the day's tally:

Food Log:

Breakfast:
yogurt - 2
South Beach bar - 4
muffin top - 2

Lunch:
1/2 pound shrimp - 2
baked Lays - 4
cake - 4
1c milk - 2

Snack:
apple - free
popcorn - 7
bourbon (c'mon, playoff football) - 9

Dinner:
turkey sandwich on Sandwich Thins - 4
cheezits - 4
butternut squash soup - 2

47/49

Pizza Bloat

Understandably, I put on a bit of weight over the last day. Pizza, cake, beer will do that. I was actually surprised how small a bump it was, though. Of more concern was my appetite and cravings today, both of which I'll owe to the previous night's decisions. The simple idea of eating more than I should became less blasphemous, and therefore more possible. I still ate my allotted points, but this is why I'm strict. I can see myself slipping quickly.

Food Log:

Lunch:
PBJ sandwich thin - 6
baked Lays - 4
cake - 4
2c milk - 6

Dinner:
4oz shrimp - 2
2 fish tacos - 10
1/2c black beans - 3
bourbon - 12

47/49

Bring on the Birthday Celebrations

It's late, so this is short. Plan was to watch an 80's cover band for Kristy's birthday celebration. That would have allowed me to eat a salad for dinner at the restaurant adjacent to the venue. Unfortunately, the show was sold out, so we hosted a small gathering and ordered pizza. It resulted in a points explosion! Read on for details. Needless to say I'll be riding my bicycle all around Richmond this weekend.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
yogurt - 3pts
South Beach Bar - 4pts
blueberries - free

Lunch:
Chicken sausage sandwich - 6pts
baked Cheetos - 5pts
Fiber One bar - 4pts

Snack:
2 apples

Dinner:
3 pieces thin crust pizza - 21pts
2 breadsticks - 7pts
1 slice cake - 4pts
beer - 18pts

72/49

Ground Hog Day

Seems like I eat the same breakfast, the same lunch, and the same snack every day. The food is not bad, per se, but it's gotten stale. Maybe it's more than just the food, but the routine. Breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 11:30, snack at 2:00, workout snack at 4:30 every day. Speaking of workouts, I bailed again today. If the routine and food is getting old after 17 days, what will day 50 feel like? I shudder to think.

Here are a couple bits of good news. Firstly, I dropped nearly pound at this mornings weigh-in, and I have reason to believe the weight loss with continue tomorrow. Reaching sub-220 will be a bit of a victory. Secondly, I found myself without appetite mid afternoon. I had to consciously decide to eat an apple at 2:00 and trail mix at 3:00. This is a good sign that my stomach is shrinking, and the current volume of food is sufficient.

I'm possibly experiencing something I remember from a low-carb diet from around 2005. After your body aligns with the diet and chemistry, you stop lusting after certain foods. Now here's what's interesting. That in itself should be considered a victory. It'll be easy from here! However, it feels more depressing than anything. I used to derive such joy from food. The anticipation, the craving, and finally the hit! as you swallow your first bite. Sounds eerily like a drug addiction. But when these things cease to provide anticipation and joy, it's almost like a bit of yourself has been removed. Time to find that joy and anticipation elsewhere, I suppose.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
yogurt - 3pts
South Beach bar - 4pts

Lunch:
Trader Joe's chix burger on Sandwich Thin - 5pts
Baked Lays - 4pts
Fiber 1 bar - 4pts

Snack:
Honey Crisp apple (disappointing. where's my Pink Lady?)
trail mix - 10pts

Dinner:
chicken sausage sandwich - 6pts (oh my, this is a steal!)
french fries - 4pts
bourbon - 3pts
ipa beer - 5pts

48/49

Cruise Control

Not much to report today. Was darn hungry earlier in the day. Ate more earlier in the day and had a smaller dinner. Pretty hungry right now. Weight plateaued, but I have a feeling we'll see another droppage tomorrow. Just a hunch.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
bagelful - 5pts
vitatop (vitamin top) - 2pts

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine chix, broccoli, pasta - 8pts
baked Cheetos - 5pts
Fiber One bar - 4pts

Snack:
trail mix - 10pts

Dinner:
Chicken cacciatore (hitting the leftovers hard! glad they're tasty) - 8pts
<1 serving quinoa - 4pts
double bourbon - 3pts

49/49

Blew off my workout until tomorrow. Feeling a bit lazy today.

Can You Lose Weight and Still Enjoy Life?

I suppose if I was starring in the Biggest Loser, my motivation, in the form of big bucks, would be crystalline. Being sequestered in a group home with that amazon Jillian yelling at me would probably keep me focused. But what if I just wanted to lose some weight to prove I could do it? If I knew it would take a span of 90 days or more, encompass two birthdays, Valentine's Day, and various other good reasons to eat poorly (Super Bowl?), would I get disheartened, lose traction and give up? What if I wanted to dabble in weekly social activities like *cornhole tournaments where beer drinking can be prolific? Should life as we know it be put on hold for those 90 days? Will this mean that after the goal is met, and life returns to normal, so does the weight? Or do I find a way to realize both weight loss and life's normal activities that involve rich foods and alcohol? Most assuredly this is the secret to maintaining a goal weight. But how does one find balance when one's nature is to indulge, perhaps overly so, in life's finer things?

How do I find joy in moderation? I'd like to think there's satisfaction in the very act of maintaining balance, consistently, over time. However, I fear that this pales in comparison to the confectionery chemistry that goes on when I eat a big, fat, moist piece of german chocolate cake.

Yeah, I started my cornhole league tonight, and the pitchers flowed. The beer was enjoyed in moderation, but the sad thing is, like pool, performance is directly proportional to the amount of pops one has.

Also, was gifted with a new low weight this morning. That'll keep me chugging.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
South Beach bar - 4pts
yogurt - 3pts

Snack:
apple

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine pasta - 6pts
baked Lays chips - 4pts
Fiber One bar - 4pts

Snack:
almonds x 2 - 6pts

Dinner:
Chicken cattiatore - 8pts
1 1/3 c quinoa - 8pts

Social Libations:
2 pints non-lite beer - 10pts

51/49

*Cornhole (bean bag toss, baggo or bags) is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing cornhole bags (cotton duck bags filled with feed corn) at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. (snagged from wikipedia)

Time to Panic?

***This post has been self-edited.***

Look, I knew I'd probably gain a bit of weight after my salty, fatty meal from yesterday. That would have been okay, but if you look at the plot on the right, there may be cause for concern. After sprinting out of the gate with exceptional weight loss, we now find my current weight loss lagging behind the curve. It's time to focus on my cardio; put it ahead of weight lifting. And that is what is so frustrating about my gym experience this evening. I just decided on a whim to lift weights prior to using the elliptical machine. My workout started at 6:00, and for the next hour, the place was virtually empty. After my weight training, I spent the next 10 minutes stretching and working my core. About 3 minutes before I was done, the friggin Brady Bunch walked into the gym and took every cardio machine available. Parents, grandfather, even kids that had to be around 10 years old (there are signs everywhere that specify the minimum age to be 18). No cardio today, but I'm confident my weight will be considerable lower tomorrow.


Food Log:

Breakfast:
South Beach bar - 4pts
Yogurt - 3pts

Lunch:
chicken and pasta Lean Cuisine - 7pts
trail mix - 10 pts

Snack:
chocolate frosted almonds - 3pts
Cliff Bar - 7pts

Dinner:
Chicken Cacciatore with pasta - 13pts

Workout:
chest, back, shoulders

47/49

What's the Best Way to Schedule Gluttony?

Well, my buddy Mark hosted for the Bears playoff game. One thing I admire about Mark is his proficiency with a meat smoker. There's a group of us that smoke meats, and it's fun to test recipes on each other. The thing about Mark is, he takes smoking to new levels. Whereas I will smoke the main course (be it ribs, pork shoulder, a turkey) and just adlib the sides, Mark does things a little differently. Take today. Our menu consisted of smoked pork spare ribs (memphis style), smoked baked beans, and smoked macaroni and cheese. If he ever felt like preparing a salad, I think he'd figure away to smoke that too.

Needless to say this is all leading up to meal that causes the Weight Watchers algorithm to spit out SYNTAX ERROR. So I knew I was going to eat some fatty food, and I was prepared to earn it with a 26 mile bike ride. Now, here's the dilemma. Does one eat this rich lunch first, then burn the calories with a late afternoon ride? Or is it a better plan to ride first, build the appetite, then indulge? The first scenario presents a risk that, with a full belly and football on the tube, the bike ride may never happen. However, the second scenario assures that your appetite will not only be stoked, but will also reach an irrational magnitude. I chose the second scenario, and it's true. I fixed one, large plate of food. It was just glorious, but it was also too much. My mind tells me to fix the same size portions I'm accustomed to eating, but my stomach has been weened off large servings. Of course I ate it all. You just don't waste food of that caliber. Felt a little guilty, though.

Note: I was glad to see a bit of weight loss. It'll be interesting to see my weight tomorrow morning after today's meals.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
2c Cinnamon Blast Cheerios w/ skim milk: 8pts

Snack:
Cliff Bar: 7pts
Apple
Banana

Lunch:
3 spare ribs: 24pts
1/2c beans: 5pts
1 massive cube of mac n cheese:: 14pts

Snack:
carrots

Dinner:
Trader Joe's chicken burger: 6pts
1/2 serving quinoa: 3pts
1 serving leftover hash browns: 1pt

Exercise:
26.3 mile bike ride in roughly 1 hour 45 minutes: 12pts?

68/61

We've Reached the Grind

It hit me today that I'd better be prepared for a long, tough journey. Gaining those two pounds a couple days ago has left me searching for traction, and today's events didn't help. I spent the morning and afternoon moving my wife's grandfather in with his daughter. It included all of your normal moving activities: incessant lifting, maneuvering, planning, walking, screw-drivering, etc. No one enjoys these activities, but at least at the end of the day, you can enjoy free pizza, or some other fattening comfort food (5 Guys double burger with a side of fried mac n cheese, chased w/ a piece of cheesecake? oh lawd!). But no. I was left w/ my crappy Chik Fil A grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad. First of all, I will pay anyone $10, nay $100!, who can provide me a delicious fast-food, grilled chicken sandwich. Secondly, I was forced to consume this boring food while staring at others devouring their fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries. The smell of a Chik Fil A fried chicken breast is unique, overpowering, and wonderful. It's like the smell of pure MSG; my nose experiencing umami for the first time. This was a tough day. Pile on with the fact that my back in destroyed, and we've got a pretty decent pity party going on here.

All of this strife will disappear with another run of 3-4 days of consistent weight loss. I pray it's possible.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
1.5c Cinnamon Burst Cheerios w/ 1c skim milk - 7pts

Snack:
banana - free

Lunch:
Chik Fil A grilled chicken sandwich on wheat - 6pts
side salad w/ fat free dressing and croutons - 3pts

Snack:
apple - free
trail mix - 10pts

Dinner:
chicken marsala - 8pts
brown rice - 4pts
sweet potato - 5pts
2 glasses white wine - 8pts

51/49

Workout:
all day moving; ought to be worth something

Statistical Outlier

Look at the graph and the weights on the right column. Huge gain yesterday. We'll chalk that one up to high sodium gumbo from the night before.

I'm flippin tired tonight, so this will be brief. I portioned more points for afternoon snacks and it seemed to work. That being said, by the time I arrived home for a later dinner after celebrating a birthday, I was absolutely famished. Still hungry with a headache, presently. That could be my sleep deficit, though.

Here's the box score:

Breakfast:
South Beach bar: 4pts
yogurt: 3pts

Lunch:
Spaghetti Lean Cuisine: 7pts
trail mix: 10pts
chocolate dusted almonds: 3pts

Snack:
apple: free
Fiber 1 bar: 4pts
birthday cocktails (2 bourbons): 6pts

Dinner;
6oz of chicken on salad + dressing + parmesan: 5pts
1 can tuna: 1pts
pretzels: 3pts
fudge: 3pts

49/49

Striving for Balance

So despite the colossal meal from last night, I still lost nearly half a pound. The beauty of protein! All that's great, but I'm noticing a troubling pattern. The temptation to skimp on lunch to support a larger dinner is resulting in some unwanted side effects. Simply put, I'm voraciously hungry around mid-afternoon, wimpy in the gym, then overstuffed after dinner. Easy solution, right? Eat more during the day. My theory is, subconsciously I'm hoarding my points to keep from going to bed hungry. Knowing how the body craves fuel after a crucial workout, I'm ensuring that I don't starve at night. In the process, some workouts have been sabotaged by lack of fuel. A healthy balance must be found. My goal is to allocate an additional 3-5 points to each afternoon.

Today was the toughest of the bunch. My Lean Cuisine was comically horrific. Do yourselves a favor and burn any Glazed Chicken meals you have wasting space in your freezer. It lacked any flavor, the "glaze" was more than likely water+cornstarch+food coloring, and it just wasn't enough. Couple that with the fact that I had to sit through a meeting for which a dozen Papa John pizzas was ordered, and let's just say my afternoon was torturous. Thankfully I was able to lean on my buddy Stevo for some moral support and advice on almonds vs. raisins for a snack. Four 16oz bottles of water helped slightly, as well. It can only get better from here.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
South Beach bar - 4pts
Yogurt - 3pts

Lunch:
Watered Chicken Lean Cuisine - 5pts
Pretzels - 5pts
Fiber 1 bar -4pts

Snack(s):
Banana - free
Almonds - 3pts
Cliff bar - 7pts
(I eat these an hour or two before workouts)

Dinner:
2c Ted's Gumbo - 10pts
2 cans tuna w/ mayo - 3pts
1 sandwich thin - 2pts
2 servings hashbrowns - 2

48/49

Worked biceps and triceps, core, and spent 15 minutes on the elliptical.

Side note - Do yourself a favor and check out "Three Legged Workhorse" by This Will Destroy You if you're into post-rock instrumental.

As I Lay Digesting

I'm going to pull my best Faulkneresque stream of consciousness tonight and give you the run down in a few run on sentences. This was as repeat of a day last week, and the Subway 6 incher had a chance at redemption. I took more time to craft this sandwich and the result did not disappoint. Six inch turkey on wheat, with processed american cheese, **lite mayo**, and a farm's worth of vegetables on top. Interestingly, this was the same conservative, healthy meal I've had for the last week and a half, but the effect on my body was quite different. Two hours after lunch, I was over taken by a hunger to intense and irrational, it reminded me of the times I have consumed half a large pizza, only to be starving an hour later. It had all the signs of a sugar crash, but none of the setup. Confusing as it was, I decided to to combat this hunger with the Great Red Pear. Juicy, soft, and sweet, this pear outperformed the asian pear of a week ago, but was no match for my hunger pains. Only thing left to do was drink a couple liters of water. That actually seemed to do the trick. For dinner, my wife had the brilliant idea of serving breakfast. This meal stumped me, because in the end, I ate what appeared to be a full size frittata, a full plate of hash browns, and three sausage links. I actually reached the point of being uncomfortably full, and frankly was sick of eating. Those egg beaters and turkey sausage must be made of splenda, ice chips, and puffs of air. All told, dinner amounted to 16 points! Inconceivable. What does a man do with a full belly and 11 remaining points? Why, he drinks bourbon, of course!

Food Log:

Breakfast:
-South Beach bar - 4pts
-yogurt - 3pts

Lunch:
-6 inch sub - 9pts
-pretzels - 3pts
-Fiber 1 bar - 4pts

Dinner:
-5 egg omelette with mushrooms, peppers, onions, turkey sausage bits - 9pts
-3 turkey sausage links - 3pts
-4 servings hashbrowns - 4pts
(literally two full plates of food)

Dessert:
-1.5 double bourbons (sounds better than 3 single bourbons)- 9pts

48/49

Omnipresent Hunger

I went to bed hungry last night, and when my wife got home from the D.C. Sarah McLachlan concert around 2AM, I was hungry. When I woke up I was hungry. Seems I've found a way to deal with hunger. Ignore it, or drink water.

It was nice to see a drop in weight again, and I think I owe it to the constant workouts. Because I didn't lift weights yesterday, I worked my chest and back today and was rewarded with a scrumptious dinner you'll read about below. Lean beef is the shizzle.

Pat: Let me address my Mike Leach reference. He used to coach the Texas Tech football team, and was characterized as a mad genius of sorts. He was able to take average athletes, insert them into his unorthodox offensive system, and score 40+ points a game. The thing is, he didn't fit the mold of a football coach. He never played, and if you just met him, he'd seem to fit well in a university computer lab or used car lot. Kudos to your weight loss as well, Mom.

Food log:

Breakfast:
banana - free

Lunch:
Trader Joe's Curried tuna on a hamburger bun (Trader Joe's and Fiber 1 should sponsor this blog)- 11pts
pretzels - 3pts
cous cous - 6pts

Snack:
Cliff Bar (sponsor?) - 7pts
1c skim milk - 3pts

Dinner:
7oz beef filet topped with horseradish - 11pts
asparagus w/ parmesan - 1pt
sweet potato w/ lite sour cream - 6pts

48/49

**edit** I ate some fudge: 51/49

Weight Gain and Pears

Welp, I packed on the weight Sunday. It was inevitable, but I don't feel it's a setback. It's actually surprising the weight dripped off so many days in a row.

An interesting thing happened to me in the gym this evening. On the docket was 30 minutes of elliptical, chest and back. However, regardless of the Cliff Bar and Monster energy drink I consumed prior, a deafening hunger overtook me while elliptical-(ing?). In cycling parlance, it's called a "bonk". I didn't think I could finish the elliptical workout, much less pump iron. It appears as though I'm consuming just enough calories to exist in a sedentary lifestyle. The weight training was dropped, and I couldn't prepare dinner fast enough.

Just a bit about pears. Growing up, my mother fed me apples, but rarely if ever pears. Well, my cosmopolitan wife picked up a variety of pears from the local market, and one accompanied me to work. After eating that asian pear, I just felt confused. What the heck is this fruit? It's like the Mike Leach of the Pyrina sub-tribe. Gritty, somewhat sophisticated, a tad aloof, and just a bit off. It resembles an apple, but it's clearly different. I'll give them a second chance, but it's hard to top my Pink Lady, the Nick Saban of apples.

Food Log:

Breakfast:
yogurt: 3pts
South Beach bar: 4pts

Lunch:
chicken burger: 5pts
pretzels: 3pts
Fiber 1 bar: 4pts

Snack:
orange: free
Mike Leach: free
Cliff Bar: 7pts

Dinner:
chicken burger (addicted?) with guac: 7pts
sweet potato fries: 8pts
caesar salad: 2pts
2 pieces of fudge: 3pts

47/49

Still Losing

Just a note to clarify my system. The weight you see on the right is recorded first thing in the morning. The events recalled happen the same day. Maybe you noticed that I didn't increment the day on the right today, but that's because my initial weight of 227.0 occurred on day zero. Makes graphing the progress easier to think of it that way.

Anyway, I was surprised to see a weight loss this morning considering the rich food of the day before. Those bike rides are crucial. It feels as though I've eaten a ton today. Various feedings throughout the day, and I'm literally full now. Check out this spread:

Breakfast:
Fiber 1 bar: 4pts

Lunch:
1/4 cup green bean casserole: 2pts
1/2 cup baked mac n cheese: 5pts
salad with blue cheese, walnuts, oil and vinegar: 7pts

Snack:
banana: free
20 pretzels: 3pts

Dinner:
chicken caesar salad: 6pts
lime chicken burger with guac: 6pts
2 servings sweet potato fries: 8pts

44/49pts....Considering the way I feel, my point calculations must be grossly inaccurate. Therefore, I'll probably not use my remaining 5pts.

By the way, the Trader Joe's lime chicken burgers are the shizzle.

Busy Day

It's late, so I'll give a bulletized list of the days events:

-moved my Mother In Law's bedroom furniture

-cycled 28 miles w/ Pops (32F, 15mph wind); barely escaped w/ my ears and toes intact 

-laughed as Pops was a victim of snot-rocket friendly fire on the aforementioned bike ride

-ate sparingly leading up to dinner

-ate a very rich dinner at Hanover Tavern; sadly, still hungry afterwards

-watched Nunsense at the Barksdale Theater in Hanover

Food Log:

Breakfast:

banana - free

Lunch:

ham sandwich - 7pts

pretzels - 3pts

Pre-ride snack:

Cliff Bar - 7pts

In-ride snack:

Gu - 3pts

Post-ride snack:

4 handfuls blueberries

1 banana

Dinner:

2 pieces bread - 3pts

salad w/ oil and vinegar - 3pts

8oz beef filet - 12pts

sauces - 2pts

blue cheese mashed taters - 6pts

glass wine - 8pts

glass bourbon - 6pts

chocolate pecan pie - 18pts

78/59 (gave myself 10pts for the bike ride; probably conservative)

Comfortable

Short one tonight. I felt pretty good all day, not too hungry. Drank a bunch of water and ate a couple apples. My goal for the day was to save enough points to enjoy some bourbon after dinner. Here's the breakdown:

Breakfast:
1 cup yogurt: 3pts (different brand, expensive)
1 south beach bar: 4 pts

Lunch:
Weight Watchers Sweet and Sour Chicken: 8pts
20 pretzels: 3pts
1 Fiber One bar: 4pts

Dinner:
pasta w/ chicken: 10pts
1 sweet potato: 5pts

Sweet, sweet dessert:
2 double bourbons on the rocks: 12pts

49/49

I'm excited about tomorrow. Planning an epic bike ride with Pops that will bank me enough points to enjoy a bloody steak at Hanover Tavern.

Cheers!

Volume Versus Taste

I left my last portion of leftover gumbo on the kitchen counter this morning, so I was lunchless and confronted with my first fast food challenge. After scanning the online Subway nutritional information, the plan was to get a 6" roast beef on wheat. My normal grinder is loaded with mayo and oil, but the goal was to keep this thing somewhat healthy. The thing is, that 6 incher looked so damn tiny when the prepper was assembling it. Perhaps my decision was rash, but I decided to overload that thing with virtually every vegetable and non-fat sauce available: lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, sweet peppers, brown mustard, vinegar, and a garnish of oregano. What was once a flimsy, pathetic finger sandwich became an overstuffed monster of a salad with a little meat, cheese, and bread smooshed on the side. It reminded me of Chris Farley singing "Fat Guy in a Little Coat".

Well, the sandwich tasted like healthy ass. Normally, I would never construct a sandwich like this. The bold, contrasting flavors of the peppers, olives, and mustard lacked the  rich base of mayo and oil to take the edge off. But I didn't care. In these dire times, volume trumps taste. Just fill me up, dammit.

Thankfully my lovely wife fixed a real gem of a meal after my workout that both filled my belly and managed to taste great. Details below.

Breakfast:
1 bagel-ful (think bagel-cannoli filled with cream cheese...mmm cannoli) - 5pts

Lunch:
Subway Frankensub with provolone - 11pts
20 pretzels - 3pts
Fiber One bar - 4 pts

Pre-workout Snack:
Cliff Bar (Peanut toffee buzz{caffeine}, pure genius!) - 7pts

Dinner:
4oz Chicken breast + leg + thigh + wing - 14pts
1cup cous cous with mushrooms, onions, and feta - 6pts
aparagus - free

50/49 pts

Workout:
30 minutes on the elliptical - God bless that machine. It tells me I burn 400 calories in 30 minutes. Liar.
45 minutes working biceps, triceps, and core

Don't do drugs, kids, and eat your fruit.

Not much to talk about today. I tried an apple for a snack before lunch, and it reminded me of this old Thunder Cats episode. One of the various single-episode villains was exerting control over Tygra by feeding his addiction to this mystical fruit. Every time he bit into a *succulent piece he moaned, slurped, and became a pushover. I'm pretty sure the moral of that episode had to do with the perils of either drugs or sin. That or they were attempting to get kids to eat their fruits and vegetable by making them believe a buzz was in store. Anyway, this apple was fantastic. Crisp and sweet. I may continue to dabble in fruits.

Food Log:

Breakfast:

1 cup yogurt - 1pt

1 pack almonds - 3pts

Lunch:

apple - free

1.5 servings of leftover gumbo (genius) - 21pts

1 apple fruit bar - 3pts

Dinner:

1 bee(Kirin Ichiban) - 3pts

1/2 serving edamame - 2pts

1 california roll - 6pts

4 pieces yellow tail sushi - 3pts

Total: 42/49 pts

I was pretty hungry today. It was the first time the lingering holiday leftovers in the break room were remotely tempting. Drinking water has gotten boring, I've got a headache, and I gained a 1/2 pound. The third day has kinda sucked. No workouts the last two days, so that means Thursday and Friday nights will have be getting all **gorilla juice-head in the gym.

*"Would you describe this piece as more savory or succulent?" - Charlie Kelly

**Season 2, Episode 1: Going South, "Jersey Shore", MTV, Snooki, 2010.

Perhaps Self-flagellation?

Well, I'm down 2.4 pounds after a single day of diet and exercise. These first few days tend to produce large droppages, and you won't hear me complaining. While initially it's quite motivational, it tends to hurt later in the week when the measuring stick has been forged, but the weight plateaus.

As far as last night goes, after pumping iron for about 50 minutes, I eagerly awaited my bowl game. That stinker of a football game was only made tolerable by the presence of my father, wife, and trusty neighbor, who just happened to whip up the best damn pot of healthy gumbo I've ever had. Two servings with two cups of rice, and I only used 28 of my 34ish remaining weight watchers points. I must add, that while a couple ice cold, alcoholic libations would have made the game-stress more tolerable, it sure was nice not to be tempted to hurl food or empty beer bottles at the tv in a fit of rage. No calorie-guilt, either.

Moving on...

Thanks for the all the comments. It feels funny to pompously trumpet my own boring news to a group of people and ask that they humor me. But I must say, the comments have made it fun and do indeed motivate. Let me address a couple:

-Allison: you are my inspiration. Please keep the pom poms going.

-Adam: new clothes will not motivate. Considering I updated my wardrobe just prior to my month-long binge, I'm  motivated to fit into my old-new clothes. Speaking of the whole pig: you know me well.

-Stacey: while your fanaticism intimidates me, you clearly know your stuff. Please call every evening at 6:30 to shout me through my workouts.

Todays rundown:

Breakfast:
1 cup yogurt: 1 WW point
1 pack almonds: 3 WW points

Lunch:
1 microwave lunch: 6 WW points
1 fiber one bar: 4 WW points

Dinner:
sweet potato: 5 WW points
salad: 2 WW points
chicken + pasta: 13 WW points

Total: 34/49 points (this system can't be right; I'm stuffed)

Notes: pretty light-headed this afternoon/evening. Didn't feel like eating my grapefruit snack.

One last thing: I nearly forgot to put story to this entry's title. While frantically preparing my dinner, I attempted a maneuver I've pulled off countless times. Perhaps it was the low-blood-sugar-shakes, perhaps it was the food, or maybe it was the fact that my meat cleaver has a freshly ground edge. But this is the last time I lick sweet potato from the edge of a sharp blade. After waiting hours to eat, I was forced to lay on the couch while applying direct pressure to my lacerated tongue. That is one diet method I had never considered.

Day 1 - Humiliation, momentum, and college football

Well, my holiday vacation is over. A glorious stretch of 12 days without work, surrounded by sugary confections. I probably started my vacation at the obscene weight of 222lbs. Knowing that my work attire was already stretching at the seams, I attempted to thwart additional holiday weight gain by working out at the gym, hiking, and cycling. Heck, I might even cut a few pounds after it was all said and done.

Silly, silly, naive Me. When I weighed in this morning, I was shocked to see 227 staring me down. Changing the scale batteries didn't change that fact that I've become round. This blog is an ploy to keep me motivated over the coming weeks; to put down those gooey chocolate-caramel brownies my coworker seems to bring in monthly. As readers, I need your encouragement, your trash-talking, really any indication that I'm being monitored. I must see this through to the end. The requirement is 200lbs by April 1, but because 30 in 90 sounds better, my goal will be 197.

That brings me to this evening. Resuming work after a long hiatus simply stinks. However, it allows me to align all of my new routines, and hopefully the hardships associated with adjusting to early waking, dress clothes, commuting, dieting and exercise can be lumped together. Maybe this will lessen the magnitude of the dull ache of my empty stomach. Speaking of my empty stomach, this is what I've eaten today:

*1 serving Fiber One yogurt: 1 WW point
*1 serving almonds: 3 WW points
*1 Healthy Choice Thai surprise: 7 WW points
*1 Fiber One bar: 4 WW points
*A grapefruit

Now, I'm allowed 49 points at my weight, and that leaves 34 points for dinner. A lot, you say? Of course, the first day of my diet occurs on the same day my Virginia Tech Hokies wage turf war against the Stanford Trees. How does one watch a stressful football game without consuming a bag of chips and case of beer? I dunno, but I'm going to try.

My goal is to post a daily weight and food menu. Perhaps I'll add a weight loss graph for you stat junkies. I'll also log my exercise sessions, as I've vowed to lift weights three times a week and cycle once a week.

- Thanks for your time -