Yesterday I shared some of the challenges that life's realities bring when one is trying to stick to a new habit or routine. Last night's "reality" was that it was Yvonne and my 26th anniversary. We had long planned to use our gift card to Summit House on this day since we got it six months ago (Yvonne's splint had a lot to say about this). Well, we did it! And it was fun! Did we stick to any sort of "plan"? No way!
Today it was back to the grindstone, head down, plow straight ahead. And it went pretty well... Except I totally blew my meal spacing and had a six-hour period between meals! I had breakfast at my regular time of about 7:30, then did not eat anything until about 1:30. This is not how to keep one's metabolism working.
Aside from hat it was just about all good. We had a 3.3 mile run, healthy food, except for the much needed comfort of a "few" french fries with our grilled chicken kabobs for dinner. Our "added" stress to life these past few weeks sure has a strong pull for comfort food.
I struggled a bit, then relented to the fresh, hot, crispy strips of potato. What I have done in the past, when I have made good choices and lost weight, was to look at my diet and exercise plan as a sprint to a finish line that I could see, rather than as a day to day journey; One which I will travel the rest of my life. Yes, I want to be down to 213 lbs for Jenn's wedding, and 210 for the cruise. I want this real bad. But more than that, I want to be down to 187 one year from today. And I think that my best path to that end is to keep making good choices every day, even if that means I will break from "perfection" once or twice a week.
I need to remember that I am in this thing for life, not just for a month, or two. When needed, I can go ahead and make a "questionable" choice; It's sure better than snapping and heading for Coldstone or Claim Jumper for a chocolate chip calzone.
Today's fare:
Eggs and Coaches Oats, coffee
Chicken sausage, one slice whole wheat bread
One Low-fat yogurt
Chicken kabob, grilled veggies, at least one french fry :)
Fruit smoothie
Tomorrow will be another day for good choices and to continue building a healthier lifestyle.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Realities - Part 2
Yesterday, Yvonne wrote about Realities and how they can disrupt our best laid plans. In her blog she wrote about how our plans for running this weekend were foiled by life's circumstances. Much of the same can be said about my dieting. Life just dictated differently. And I'm Ok with that. I'm in this thing for the long run.
I think of my "work in progress" like someone building a home or some other large building. What I hit this weekend was a small snag in the journey toward a lifetime of health and fitness. This weekend's hiccups were the inspector not showing up for two days, or some materials not delivered when hoped for, or it rained on the day we wanted to pour concrete. Just small bumps in the road on a long journey.
Actually, I didn't eat so bad this weekend. The highlight of our weekend's dining was a party hosted by Eduardo Posada of Posada Catering. The paella was unbelievable! This being said, my choices weren't too bad. Only Sunday evening, when dinner was purchased on the road at 10:30 PM, and a 1 AM call for sugary snacks and salty-crunchy things to keep us awake needed to be answered, did I know that I could have done better. Still, I didn't do too bad this weekend.
Monday, on the other hand, was all screwed up. Waking up at 6:30 after two hours sleep, not feeling too good, only to eat a yogurt at 10:30 AM was not how I wished for the day to begin. Then came our exhausted selves (Yvonne and me) choosing at 6:30 PM to go out to Red Robin for a burger and fries, rather that attempting to cook something. The bright part was going to bed before ten o'clock and getting over eight hours sleep for the first time in weeks!
Realities. Yup, we all have to face them. Like tonight, it is our 26th anniversary and we are going to Summit House for dinner! Yes, it is our anniversary and all bets are off! Realities :)
ps. For those who care, I did weigh in on Thursday morning at 237, a full pound down from Saturday's 238. Progress...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Carl's or Daphne's...
Wednesday was just about a perfect day for my new eating and exercise habits... if we use the Hebrew calendar. I got up at a good time in the morning, ate a good breakfast, and went to work. At work I stuck to my game plan and ate exactly as I had planned. On top of my successful choices, I made a very successful choice by not partaking in Carl's Jr. when I went there to pick up food for the other two guys I worked with. To top it off, I ran my 3.5 miles this afternoon too!
According to Hebrew customs, a day ends and a new day begins at sundown. If we apply that rule for today, Thursday begins once the sun goes down on Wednesday evening. I had a hiccup in my plan this evening, after sundown. Both Yvonne and I are going through some stress having to do with our daughter's upcoming wedding. Today we heard some very tough news, and were in no mood to cook. We needed a break. After checking the coupon situation we decided to visit Daphne's for dinner. The sun was setting in the west as we drove downtown.
We have only eaten at Daphne's once before, and we really enjoyed it. Tonight was no different. I did have a chicken gyro type thing that was pretty good and not an unhealthy choice by any means. I drank Diet Pepsi, which I don't like, so not a terrible choice either. Did I mention the fries??? Oh they were good. Cooked to a crispy perfection, with just a little crunch to bite into and relieve a little stress. Did I mention that they were good?
Do I regret breaking off from the planned menu? No, not really. I have to come to the understanding that I am not going to work myself down to 185 lbs before the cruise. I probably will have a difficult time reaching that number by the New Years. A few years ago I would have become very discouraged by something as small as eating a small order of french fries. This time around I am trying to create a permanent healthy lifestyle, which allows some wiggle room for the occasional treat. Today I took that liberty. Tomorrow I probably will not. If I can remember that Rome was not built in a day, I can keep myself moving forward with consistant progress every weeek.
According to Hebrew customs, a day ends and a new day begins at sundown. If we apply that rule for today, Thursday begins once the sun goes down on Wednesday evening. I had a hiccup in my plan this evening, after sundown. Both Yvonne and I are going through some stress having to do with our daughter's upcoming wedding. Today we heard some very tough news, and were in no mood to cook. We needed a break. After checking the coupon situation we decided to visit Daphne's for dinner. The sun was setting in the west as we drove downtown.
We have only eaten at Daphne's once before, and we really enjoyed it. Tonight was no different. I did have a chicken gyro type thing that was pretty good and not an unhealthy choice by any means. I drank Diet Pepsi, which I don't like, so not a terrible choice either. Did I mention the fries??? Oh they were good. Cooked to a crispy perfection, with just a little crunch to bite into and relieve a little stress. Did I mention that they were good?
Do I regret breaking off from the planned menu? No, not really. I have to come to the understanding that I am not going to work myself down to 185 lbs before the cruise. I probably will have a difficult time reaching that number by the New Years. A few years ago I would have become very discouraged by something as small as eating a small order of french fries. This time around I am trying to create a permanent healthy lifestyle, which allows some wiggle room for the occasional treat. Today I took that liberty. Tomorrow I probably will not. If I can remember that Rome was not built in a day, I can keep myself moving forward with consistant progress every weeek.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I signed off last night at 11:06, tired, and acting like it. As I walk into the bedroom Yvonne says to me: "OK, the alarm is set for 5:45."
"5:45!"
"That's only six and a half hours from right now!" I thought. So, with complete clarity of mind I announced, "I'm sleeping in to 6:30, lets reset the alarm." "That's your left-brain speaking Mike" were the words of wisdom coming from my wife, into my right brain, causing me to begin to think rationally, as my head crashes upon my memory-foam pillow.
I didn't want to get up at 5:45 to work out this morning. I only slept about five hours the previous night, and wanted to get as much sleep as I could. That was the left-brain's idea. That was the emotional response. That was not the plan. That was not what was decided when I was planning out the week, rested, alert, and nowhere near grumpy.
At 5:45 the alarm sounded. Yvonne sprung out of bed and I soon followed. It really wasn't that bad. By 6:30 I was near completion of my upper body workout. I thought to myself, that it was a good thing to get up and work out as planned. As I headed toward the shower Yvonne said something like: "There, you got up and did it. Much better than having to start your workout at 5:30 tonight." As usual, she was right.
It's not always easy to stay on the plan. I did vary away tonight from my diet. I was very hungry and had two very small pieces of left-over thin-crust pizza. I haven't been eating enough carbs, so I had some. Not the perfect choice, but it could have been worse. The positive is that I am exercising every day. I am eating six, smaller meals each day. And, my snacking is down to almost nothing - the remnant of nuts in the kitchen cabinets are gone.
Today's menu:
Scrambled eggs and Coaches Oats
Myoplex-lite nutrition bar
Small tuna sandwich
Low-fat yogurt
Barbecued chicken breast, potatoes (cooked on grill)
Pizza (as mentioned above)
Berry smoothie
Not bad... Actually, pretty good.
"5:45!"
"That's only six and a half hours from right now!" I thought. So, with complete clarity of mind I announced, "I'm sleeping in to 6:30, lets reset the alarm." "That's your left-brain speaking Mike" were the words of wisdom coming from my wife, into my right brain, causing me to begin to think rationally, as my head crashes upon my memory-foam pillow.
I didn't want to get up at 5:45 to work out this morning. I only slept about five hours the previous night, and wanted to get as much sleep as I could. That was the left-brain's idea. That was the emotional response. That was not the plan. That was not what was decided when I was planning out the week, rested, alert, and nowhere near grumpy.
At 5:45 the alarm sounded. Yvonne sprung out of bed and I soon followed. It really wasn't that bad. By 6:30 I was near completion of my upper body workout. I thought to myself, that it was a good thing to get up and work out as planned. As I headed toward the shower Yvonne said something like: "There, you got up and did it. Much better than having to start your workout at 5:30 tonight." As usual, she was right.
It's not always easy to stay on the plan. I did vary away tonight from my diet. I was very hungry and had two very small pieces of left-over thin-crust pizza. I haven't been eating enough carbs, so I had some. Not the perfect choice, but it could have been worse. The positive is that I am exercising every day. I am eating six, smaller meals each day. And, my snacking is down to almost nothing - the remnant of nuts in the kitchen cabinets are gone.
Today's menu:
Scrambled eggs and Coaches Oats
Myoplex-lite nutrition bar
Small tuna sandwich
Low-fat yogurt
Barbecued chicken breast, potatoes (cooked on grill)
Pizza (as mentioned above)
Berry smoothie
Not bad... Actually, pretty good.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Post # 14
This post is my fourteenth entry as I travel the path towards a healthier lifestyle that includes, among other things, better eating and exercise habits. Nonetheless, this fourteenth entry will be the shortest of my entries because I am pretty tired. I awoke at 5:30 am this morning after staying up until midnight last night waiting for my daughter to come home from the Bay Area. Also, I ran 3.5 miles today!
My dieting was pretty good today, I had:
Yes, eggs and oats
Yogurt
Small turkey sandwich
Yogurt
Roasted chicken, tomato soup, five Ritz crackers
Berry smoothie
I drank 2 cups of coffee this morning, and two glasses of ice tea this afternoon. Yay caffeine!
It's 11:06. I'm going to bed.
Mike
My dieting was pretty good today, I had:
Yes, eggs and oats
Yogurt
Small turkey sandwich
Yogurt
Roasted chicken, tomato soup, five Ritz crackers
Berry smoothie
I drank 2 cups of coffee this morning, and two glasses of ice tea this afternoon. Yay caffeine!
It's 11:06. I'm going to bed.
Mike
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday Evening
It's about 7 pm Sunday evening and I am winding down from a tiring weekend. The tiring part is probably due to starting the weekend off at 5:45 Saturday morning for a 3.5 mile run, which went well! The diet part of my "Downsizing For Life" healthy habits went pretty well. Yvonne and I chose to start our "free" time last night by dining at Red Lobster. We shared a combo meal that featured lobster tail, scallops, and shrimp. That was a pretty good choice. Unfortunately, the four cheese biscuits that I had might have been one too many :)
The big weigh-in went well, with the scale reading 238 lbs, down 2 pounds from last week, and down a total of 6.5 pounds for two weeks. If I continue on a pace of dropping 2 lbs. week I will be down to 214 for Jenn's wedding and 210 for the cruise- exactly my goal. This week I am hoping to see it down to 235 this coming Saturday- wish me luck!
Mike
The big weigh-in went well, with the scale reading 238 lbs, down 2 pounds from last week, and down a total of 6.5 pounds for two weeks. If I continue on a pace of dropping 2 lbs. week I will be down to 214 for Jenn's wedding and 210 for the cruise- exactly my goal. This week I am hoping to see it down to 235 this coming Saturday- wish me luck!
Mike
Friday, June 11, 2010
I had a friend, Patti, who completely transformed her body in the period of about a year or so. I learned long ago to never ask a woman her weight or her age. I didn't know the "numbers" about Patti and was wise enough not to ask. My best guess was that the was around 37 years old, and that she lost about 50 lbs.
What I really liked about Patti's strategy is that she gave herself some time each week to eat whatever she wanted. She called it "the weekend." I remember at that time I was working hard to transform my own body. One Friday or Saturday night I asked her something about "free" meals. She replied something like: "It's the weekend, I diet during the week." I like her plan. I do seem to remember her enjoying her freedom one Friday night at Mimi's while I nibbled on vegetables and lean protein...
Unfortunately for me though, I don't think Patti's plan would work for me. So, once again on a Friday night, at Claim Jumper, I ordered the Tortilla Chicken soup. It was great! I really enjoyed it, and specifically enjoyed the healthy benefits too. So, I made good choices today. I got up at 5:50 to work out. I call it a successful day, capping off a successful week.
Friday menu:
Eggs and oats again
Yogurt (low fat)
Turkey sandwich on whole wheat sandwich rounds
Tortilla soup
Fruit smoothie
Yes, I ate only five times todat. Maybe I will eat seven times tomorrow!
Mike
What I really liked about Patti's strategy is that she gave herself some time each week to eat whatever she wanted. She called it "the weekend." I remember at that time I was working hard to transform my own body. One Friday or Saturday night I asked her something about "free" meals. She replied something like: "It's the weekend, I diet during the week." I like her plan. I do seem to remember her enjoying her freedom one Friday night at Mimi's while I nibbled on vegetables and lean protein...
Unfortunately for me though, I don't think Patti's plan would work for me. So, once again on a Friday night, at Claim Jumper, I ordered the Tortilla Chicken soup. It was great! I really enjoyed it, and specifically enjoyed the healthy benefits too. So, I made good choices today. I got up at 5:50 to work out. I call it a successful day, capping off a successful week.
Friday menu:
Eggs and oats again
Yogurt (low fat)
Turkey sandwich on whole wheat sandwich rounds
Tortilla soup
Fruit smoothie
Yes, I ate only five times todat. Maybe I will eat seven times tomorrow!
Mike
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Feeling Pretty Good
OK, today was another good day of exercise and great choices.
This morning I was pretty rushed, which left no time or room for bad choices. In contrast, the afternoon was very different. Yvonne had a 1:30 appointment to get her braces on (yay) that left me at home with no adult supervision for nearly two hours. Surprisingly, I did alright!
A little later, we both got suited up for our 3 mile run and left for it at about 5:15. As we reached the 1.5 mile mark Yvonne suggested that we go a little further. I spotted some palm trees down the trail and said "if we run to them we will do about 3.5 miles today." So, we did. My run was great! I had great stamina and nearly no complaining from my (formerly) injured leg. Success! Later, both Yvonne and I went to Ralph's and the chocolate was calling us. Then the cheddar cheese Ruffles were! I had a moment of weakness, but didn't really want to use my "free day" on a Thursday evening after dinner.
Here is what I consumed today:
Eggs (2 eggs and 1 egg white) and Coaches Oats
Myoplex-lite bar
Turkey sand and piece of chicken-apple sausage
Low-fat low-carb yogurt
Grilled chicken, tortilla (2), salad
Frozen berry shake
My thoughts are this: I did really well with my food intake, except that I probably should have had only 1 tortilla. But, I was really hungry and had just finished a 3.5 mile run about 35 minutes before then, so I won't be too hard on myself.
I have one more day, then the weekend comes. Saturday weigh-in is less than 36 hours away. I am actually looking forward to see how this new plan is working.
Mike
This morning I was pretty rushed, which left no time or room for bad choices. In contrast, the afternoon was very different. Yvonne had a 1:30 appointment to get her braces on (yay) that left me at home with no adult supervision for nearly two hours. Surprisingly, I did alright!
A little later, we both got suited up for our 3 mile run and left for it at about 5:15. As we reached the 1.5 mile mark Yvonne suggested that we go a little further. I spotted some palm trees down the trail and said "if we run to them we will do about 3.5 miles today." So, we did. My run was great! I had great stamina and nearly no complaining from my (formerly) injured leg. Success! Later, both Yvonne and I went to Ralph's and the chocolate was calling us. Then the cheddar cheese Ruffles were! I had a moment of weakness, but didn't really want to use my "free day" on a Thursday evening after dinner.
Here is what I consumed today:
Eggs (2 eggs and 1 egg white) and Coaches Oats
Myoplex-lite bar
Turkey sand and piece of chicken-apple sausage
Low-fat low-carb yogurt
Grilled chicken, tortilla (2), salad
Frozen berry shake
- I also had 2 cups of coffee with a little cream, and about half of one of those Sugar-in-the-Raw things for each cup.
My thoughts are this: I did really well with my food intake, except that I probably should have had only 1 tortilla. But, I was really hungry and had just finished a 3.5 mile run about 35 minutes before then, so I won't be too hard on myself.
I have one more day, then the weekend comes. Saturday weigh-in is less than 36 hours away. I am actually looking forward to see how this new plan is working.
Mike
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Not perfect, but still very good.
Once again, a full day of work keeps temptation at bay! It is really nice to have only what I brought with me to eat while I was working today. On the flip side of that, the car started acting up (again) on my way home. So, after a short trip to the mechanics (1 1/2 hours), and $168.00 electronically transferred from my bank account into his, I was a bit stressed and really wanted to dig into the chips and salsa that were calling my name. Thankfully, I chose to munch on a couple handfuls of peanuts while I waited for dinner to finish- it was a better choice.
Probably a better way to cope with stress than to eat is to exercise. At about 7:00 tonight Yvonne asked me if I wanted to go for a walk, which was just what the doctor ordered. Taking a stroll with the one person I love more than any other does me a world of good. We got to talk about our day, burn a few calories, and enjoy the nice neighborhood that we live in. Thanks Yvonne!
I did well again today with my choices of what I ate:
Eggs & oats
Protein shake & banana
Small turkey sandwich (followed by three handfuls of peanuts)
Perfectly roasted chicken, grilled pineapple, grilled bell peppers
Fruit smoothie
- Oh yah, I did have about a half of a protein shake right after my 6 am workout.
I have two more days to go before my Saturday weigh in!
Mike
Probably a better way to cope with stress than to eat is to exercise. At about 7:00 tonight Yvonne asked me if I wanted to go for a walk, which was just what the doctor ordered. Taking a stroll with the one person I love more than any other does me a world of good. We got to talk about our day, burn a few calories, and enjoy the nice neighborhood that we live in. Thanks Yvonne!
I did well again today with my choices of what I ate:
Eggs & oats
Protein shake & banana
Small turkey sandwich (followed by three handfuls of peanuts)
Perfectly roasted chicken, grilled pineapple, grilled bell peppers
Fruit smoothie
- Oh yah, I did have about a half of a protein shake right after my 6 am workout.
I have two more days to go before my Saturday weigh in!
Mike
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
A Good Day
Do you know those kind of days where nothing really goes as planned? Today was one of those days for me. I had the entire day to read in the AM, write in my other blog (the one about relationships, feelings & life's struggles), do the entire week's reading for my ethics class, vote, and go for a run with Yvonne. Well, I did run and vote...
Some days I can get discouraged much easier than others. Today was one of those days. Business stress, stress with children, and more business stress set me back at least a couple of hours by 2 PM; not a good plan when one wants to conquer five chapters of our ethics text. I did run, and my leg that I hurt a bit yesterday did OK. I took it easy and slowed for short walk breaks whenever I felt anything funny down there.
The biggest challenge for me was when Alyssa and I went to the store for some milk and a couple other things. Both Yvonne and I were a bit stressed today, and I found myself in the chocolate aisle looking for something to bring hoe for the both of us. Thankfully I snapped out of it, came to my senses and headed right for the cash register! Success!
Today's fare:
Eggs and Coaches Oats
Low-fat yogurt
Green salad with chicken and corn salsa
Low-fat yogurt
Chicken-apple sausage, orange bell pepper, fiesta salad
Fruit smoothie (frozen fruit, non-fat milk, protein powder, Greek yogurt)
... Also, I did have about a dozen cashews between my yogurt and salad.
I have three more days between now and my next weigh in. I am a little bit anxious about it...
Monday, June 7, 2010
"Monday Monday..."
OK, it wasn't that bad. I did wake up a little before six to do my lower body workout, but I felt a slight strain in my right leg. Yes, the leg that has been troubling me for two months. I believe a grrrrrrrr is in order.
On the nutrition side of things I did pretty well:
Eggs and Coaches Oats
Yogurt
Myoplex-lite bar
Protein shake, half peanut butter sand (with natural peanut butter)
Green salad with grilled chicken breast, egg, tomato (yes, dressing)
Fruit smoothie with protein powder.
I went for a 25 min walk to the park with Yvonne this evening to look at the Jacaranda's in bloom. I'm glad we took the effort, for the exercise and for the beauty of the trees. After seven days I am really enjoying my new lifestyle, and feel really good about my developing habits. So far, so good!
I am looking forward to tomorrow; I get to run!
Mike
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday Success!
Typically, when I am eating well Sundays are the days when I choose to have the most freedom to eat what I want. Well, today I did just that, and I am pretty satisfied with what I ate. Since I had the cookie, burger (well, half of it), and some fries last night, I chose that Saturday would be my "free" day rather than my typical choice of Sunday.
I skipped the doughnuts at church, had a very healthy lunch (out), and skipped dessert tonight too. I made all these healthy choices, not because I had to, but because I wanted to; and I have no regrets. Today's menu:
Protein shake
Fruit smoothie (1 cup frozen fruit, protein powder, skim milk)
Half turkey sandwich and tomato basil soup
Myoplex-lite nutrition bar (mmmm... chocolate....)
Roasted chicken breast, salad, watermelon, one small flour tortilla
Fruit smoothie
(Oh, I had a little popcorn too)
Probably the best "diet" Sunday on record for me! My splurge day/meal yesterday was plenty to get me through this weekend.
Last week was a five day week for me to eat well. This week I am faced with seven days to eat well, exercise and achieve the successful results I desire. I am looking forward to tomorrow morning's 6 am workout and the rest of the week that follows.
Until Monday,
Mike
I skipped the doughnuts at church, had a very healthy lunch (out), and skipped dessert tonight too. I made all these healthy choices, not because I had to, but because I wanted to; and I have no regrets. Today's menu:
Protein shake
Fruit smoothie (1 cup frozen fruit, protein powder, skim milk)
Half turkey sandwich and tomato basil soup
Myoplex-lite nutrition bar (mmmm... chocolate....)
Roasted chicken breast, salad, watermelon, one small flour tortilla
Fruit smoothie
(Oh, I had a little popcorn too)
Probably the best "diet" Sunday on record for me! My splurge day/meal yesterday was plenty to get me through this weekend.
Last week was a five day week for me to eat well. This week I am faced with seven days to eat well, exercise and achieve the successful results I desire. I am looking forward to tomorrow morning's 6 am workout and the rest of the week that follows.
Until Monday,
Mike
Saturday, June 5, 2010
A Greaty Start!
Alright! Week one, albeit a short one, is complete. The day began at 7:00 am with a run from the Fullerton Courthouse to Laguna Lake and back. I did really well, had a good pace, and best of all did not feel much of any pain in my right thigh! I ran/walked the 5.1 miles in about an hour and ten minutes. I felt very accomplished with my run today.
Weigh-in this morning was a bonus as well. I stepped on the scale, looked down, and saw an even 240 lbs. on the digital display. That is a total of 4 1/2 lbs. lost since Tuesday Am! Yvonne and I did celebrate my great start by sharing a couple of cookies this afternoon, and a burger with a few fries at dinner- that is my "cheat meal" for the week, which at times will be a "cheat day", which have reasons and an actual strategy that will be explained at a later time.
Tomorrow starts a new week! I am looking forward to my efforts and seeing the results that follow them. That's all!
Mike
Weigh-in this morning was a bonus as well. I stepped on the scale, looked down, and saw an even 240 lbs. on the digital display. That is a total of 4 1/2 lbs. lost since Tuesday Am! Yvonne and I did celebrate my great start by sharing a couple of cookies this afternoon, and a burger with a few fries at dinner- that is my "cheat meal" for the week, which at times will be a "cheat day", which have reasons and an actual strategy that will be explained at a later time.
Tomorrow starts a new week! I am looking forward to my efforts and seeing the results that follow them. That's all!
Mike
Friday, June 4, 2010
Success In the Evening!
Yesterday I wrote about our usual Friday night treat of having dinner at Claim Jumper, and that I might be facing a dilemma tonight come dinner time. Looking back on our evening now it actually wasn't that hard of a thing to manage.
I had success today, beginning with my AM workout; I am working myself into shape for a full 45 minute workout with weights, and did work out for 30 minutes today. I followed that up with some eggs and Coaches oats; yogurt; tuna on one of those little round pita like things, and a small piece of chicken sausage; followed by another low-fat yogurt around 3:30. Then came the challenge...
Yvonne needed very little effort to get me out the door and on the road to Claim Jumper this evening. We arrived there early, around 5:30, and had nowhere to sit in the bar/lounge area. So, we took a booth in the regular restaurant area and opened our menus. One good/bad thing Claim Jumper now has is a nutrition guide on each of its tables. Yvonne scoured it and found that the bowl of chicken tortilla soup only has something like 210 calories! We both ordered that, and I asked for their whole wheat bread instead of that garlic cheese toast that doesn't taste good anyway :) Success!
To follow up the temptations of Claim Jumper's menu we found ourselves at the Brea Summer Fest tonight. Pat Benatar was playing, and as we waited for the concert to begin we found ourselves surrounded by every good tasting carnival type food known to mankind. Burgers, ribs, dogs, brats, funnel cakes, cookies, ice cream, fried twinkies, bbq tri-tip, beer, chlil cheese fries, warm chocolate chip cookie a la mode... you get the picture. Well, I was there for three hours and I ate nothing! I did it! Success!!
I kind of feel like Galadriel from the movie The Fellowship of the Ring when she didn't take the ring. I passed the test too! And, on top of it all I got to see Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo play tonight.Weigh in tomorrow...
Mike
I had success today, beginning with my AM workout; I am working myself into shape for a full 45 minute workout with weights, and did work out for 30 minutes today. I followed that up with some eggs and Coaches oats; yogurt; tuna on one of those little round pita like things, and a small piece of chicken sausage; followed by another low-fat yogurt around 3:30. Then came the challenge...
Yvonne needed very little effort to get me out the door and on the road to Claim Jumper this evening. We arrived there early, around 5:30, and had nowhere to sit in the bar/lounge area. So, we took a booth in the regular restaurant area and opened our menus. One good/bad thing Claim Jumper now has is a nutrition guide on each of its tables. Yvonne scoured it and found that the bowl of chicken tortilla soup only has something like 210 calories! We both ordered that, and I asked for their whole wheat bread instead of that garlic cheese toast that doesn't taste good anyway :) Success!
To follow up the temptations of Claim Jumper's menu we found ourselves at the Brea Summer Fest tonight. Pat Benatar was playing, and as we waited for the concert to begin we found ourselves surrounded by every good tasting carnival type food known to mankind. Burgers, ribs, dogs, brats, funnel cakes, cookies, ice cream, fried twinkies, bbq tri-tip, beer, chlil cheese fries, warm chocolate chip cookie a la mode... you get the picture. Well, I was there for three hours and I ate nothing! I did it! Success!!
I kind of feel like Galadriel from the movie The Fellowship of the Ring when she didn't take the ring. I passed the test too! And, on top of it all I got to see Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo play tonight.Weigh in tomorrow...
Mike
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A Little Bit Easier
Okay, the third day of Downsizing For Life went pretty well. The part about being at work that facilitated my efforts on Tuesday worked just as well today. I stuck to six small meals (two of which were low-fat yogurt) and did pretty well. I did cheat a little and had six cashews somewhere between meal three and four, but since I worked today and ran this evening I wasn't too worried about it.
The highlight of my healthy day today was the three mile run with my wife on a nice trail in Fullerton, followed by a nice dinner salad featuring romaine, tomato, chicken breast, and egg. Tomorrow is Friday and we usually celebrate the week by going out to Claim Jumper for cheap appetizers during Happy Hour. My first real challenge... what to do??? I weigh in Saturday morning, so I'd better be smart.
The alarm rings in 7 1/2 hours, calling me to my workout, so I'm off to bed. Have a great day!
Mike
The highlight of my healthy day today was the three mile run with my wife on a nice trail in Fullerton, followed by a nice dinner salad featuring romaine, tomato, chicken breast, and egg. Tomorrow is Friday and we usually celebrate the week by going out to Claim Jumper for cheap appetizers during Happy Hour. My first real challenge... what to do??? I weigh in Saturday morning, so I'd better be smart.
The alarm rings in 7 1/2 hours, calling me to my workout, so I'm off to bed. Have a great day!
Mike
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Day Two, A Little More Challenging.
So, yesterday was an easy day to do this thing. I spent most of the day at work with only the food I brought with me. Today was different. I finished my job and was home shortly after 11:00 am. My wife had to run an errand, so I was home alone, with that king-sized Kit Kat in the fridge, and that dark chocolate staring right at me. One bite was all that I wanted, really, just a taste... Well, I made it through that trial and then had the challenge of eating within my bounds at the band banquet tonight.
The banquet menu featured boneless, skinless chicken breast (yay). In addition to the chicken I had some Caesar Salad with minimal dressing, some fruit salad, a small portion of pulled pork, and a few bites of mashed potatoes. I sat across from an Asian man named Charles, who is about my height, about five years older than me, and about sixty pounds lighter than I am. I noticed his plate was piled about 50% higher than mine. After we both had finished he looked at me and asked "ready for seconds?" I declined the offer to join him in more catered culinary delight and then bemoaned the fact that he has a good metabolism. He returned with his second plate as large as my first and ONLY plate! Nobody said life was going to be fair. Oh, did I mention there was cake???
Well, day two was a success from my vantage point. I arose thirty minutes earlier than my usual to do some resistance training and survived the grand temptation of the buffet and dessert! Not an absolutely perfect day, buy still an "A".
The banquet menu featured boneless, skinless chicken breast (yay). In addition to the chicken I had some Caesar Salad with minimal dressing, some fruit salad, a small portion of pulled pork, and a few bites of mashed potatoes. I sat across from an Asian man named Charles, who is about my height, about five years older than me, and about sixty pounds lighter than I am. I noticed his plate was piled about 50% higher than mine. After we both had finished he looked at me and asked "ready for seconds?" I declined the offer to join him in more catered culinary delight and then bemoaned the fact that he has a good metabolism. He returned with his second plate as large as my first and ONLY plate! Nobody said life was going to be fair. Oh, did I mention there was cake???
Well, day two was a success from my vantage point. I arose thirty minutes earlier than my usual to do some resistance training and survived the grand temptation of the buffet and dessert! Not an absolutely perfect day, buy still an "A".
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Day One... Done
OK, so I did it. I got through my first day! And, it wasn't that bad. The day itself was a pretty good day. I gashed my thumb at work, ran/walked 3 1/2 miles this evening, and stuck to my menu. I think it is a good strategy for one trying to eat well to plan out his or her meals ahead of time. I did this last night, for today's plan, and now need to do the same for tomorrow. I would prefer to plan out a week at a time, which I will do over the next few days.
So the menu today was:
Yesterday I said that I would be stepping on the scale today and that I would share that on this blog. Well, I did "man up" and weighed myself. 244.5 lbs. is what the scale said. So here I go, on the way to 214 by September 4th-which happens to be my daughter's wedding day. I plan on "weighing in" on Saturdays, though the temptation is to step on the scale six times per day.
Tomorrow is day two! I am looking forward to building on my efforts from today.
See you then!
So the menu today was:
- Eggs and Coaches Oats for breakfast
- Low fat yogurt
- Turkey sand on whole-wheat sandwich thins
- Yogurt (again)
- Green salad (with Romaine lettuce) with chicken
- Berry smoothie (frozen berries, non-fat milk, protein powder)
Yesterday I said that I would be stepping on the scale today and that I would share that on this blog. Well, I did "man up" and weighed myself. 244.5 lbs. is what the scale said. So here I go, on the way to 214 by September 4th-which happens to be my daughter's wedding day. I plan on "weighing in" on Saturdays, though the temptation is to step on the scale six times per day.
Tomorrow is day two! I am looking forward to building on my efforts from today.
See you then!
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