Weigh-in: Week 46

Let this one be a quicky to be amended with pictures later on.  I am on my way to my favorite night of the year.  We spend it with my dear friends, aka my adopted family and it is always fabulous food, laughter and debating.  There won't likely be a weigh-in next Monday as we are out of town and I am not lugging the scale with me.  Look for the Week 47 weigh-in on Wednesday, January 2nd.

This week I posted a 0.2 lb gain and that leaves me at a 90.0 lb loss overall.  I am not all that happy about posting a gain, but when you are on a slow weight loss regimen it shouldn't be uncommon.  Sleep will not be a problem over this one.  I'll throw the pictures of the scale and the percentages at the amended post tomorrow.

Merry Christmas to all!
M

Weigh-in: Week 45

I've been bad this week.  I haven't posted anything in a while and tonight I got involved in something and didn't post until my cousin John asked me about it.  Thanks, John!  Life has been real busy and I have been on The Dreadmill a decent amount.  I did lose weight, though.  Not too bad I guess, huh?


A much better picture than last week shows me at 273 even.  That is a 45 week loss of 90.4 lbs.  The water percentage rose to 42.0% and body fat dropped to 42.0%.  We have achieved the nexus where water will soon exceed body fat. Pretty cool.

I can tell everyone right now that until the new year, my posts will be scarce.  I will put some things up here and there, but my hope is that I get back to a regular schedule after 1/1/13.

Thanks for swinging by, have a wonderful holiday season and I will see you next time.

M

Weigh-in: Week 44

I told ya, I told ya, I told ya.  I can just feel it. And everyone please save me the lecture that I could have enjoyed the benefits of exercise earlier had I just applied myself.  I wasn't ready.  But now I am exercising and I am enjoying the benefits of The Dreadmill.  It was a good week.

It's hard to see, but I had no time this morning to retake pictures of the scale.  That photo shows 274.6.  It represents a 3 lb. loss for the week and brings the total reduction to 88.8 lbs.  The water percentage rose to 41.6% and body fat dropped to 42.3%.  That is a 0.6% shift on both counts.  The crossover nexus where body fat is taking up less room than water is almost upon us.

So there you have it.  I hope to have a good run up to Christmas.  With any luck, I can be down to my 100 lbs. lost goal by my birthday on January 12th.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ avocado with garlic salt and pepper on whole grain toast
Lunch ~ chicken breast with roasted pepper and arugula with balsamic on a roll
Dinner ~ rotisserie chicken and roasted cauliflower w/onion and garlic in a Poupon mustard glaze
Exercise ~ I'll get in 2.3 miles on the dreadmill before bed tonight.

A.L.O.E. 12.09.12

Another week draws to a close.  Week 44 is all but behind us.  I could have had a baby in this time and taken four weeks to convalesce.  My uterus isn't up to the task though.  So instead, I have lost an adolescent, or the equivalent at least.  I hope that tomorrow I step away from the scale with even less under my belt.  A belt that needs to be replaced again, by the way.  Here is this week's A Little of Everything.

Easier Everyday 
Last week I wrote about how things were getting harder.  And overall, that is absolutely the case.  But something is getting easier.  The Dreadmill.  Nine days into December's quest for fifty miles before the new year, the treadmill, re-dubbed The Dreadmill, is getting easier.  I am almost, kinda sorta, looking forward to getting on it.  There is a feeling of accomplishment and pride that comes at the end of a walk/run.  About 85% walk and 15% run to this point.  Today I logged 2.3 miles in 45 minutes, with 5 minutes of that running at 4 MPH.  This month I have logged 16.7 miles on my way to fifty.  Right on pace.

Milestone

A small milestone went unmentioned yesterday and I wanted to crow a bit.  The post that I published yesterday, "What Is The Point?" was my 250th post of The Drive to 195.  It's mind boggling that I have put out 250 of these.  Even more mind boggling that a number of you have read each one.  I salute you, dedicated readers!  With 13,600 page views from from over 10 countries, I found something curious.  The most views come from the United States, of course, but, even with friends and relatives in the UK and a brother in Saudi Arabia, the second most views (464) have come from... Russia.   Huh?!

That's all for today!  I am very excited to weigh-in tomorrow.

Cya,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ I slept through a reasonable breakfast time today and got on The Dreadmill.
Lunch ~ Off to the shut yer Whole Foods Market and had a lunch prior to grocery shopping of chicken tikka masala over brown rice and a unsweetened orange beverage
Snack ~ two carrots and sun dried tomato hummus
Dinner ~ I tweaked my salmon cake recipe a tad and they were the best ever.  I think I may re-publish the revised recipe.  We ate them with some sauteed broccoli rabe.
Exercise ~ 2.3 miles in 45 minutes on The Dreadmill

What Is The Point?

Sometimes when you know a secret, but you can't pass that knowledge along, it is a little frustrating.  All too often, I speak to people who tell me about how many pounds they've lost and invariably the conversation turns to what they can't eat or they bemoan the loss of certain favorites.  "I'll treat myself when I hit goal.", I hear them say.  It is at this time that I want to lay some hard cruel facts on them, but instead, I offer encouragement and cheer them on.  Who am I to be a demotivator?  

It seems counter-intuitive to tell someone trying to better themselves that they are destined for failure. The bitter truth is that even if they hit their goal weight, old habits will kick back in and the pounds will return.  Even worse, it will come back and then some.  That is if, of course, you are like over 95% of the rest of the world.  We all think we are different.  Only 5% of us are right.

The reason I am taking my weight off ever-so-slowly is that I am changing habits.  I am developing trends that become second nature.  When you take an abstinence approach to weight loss it becomes about what you are removing from your routine, not about what you are including in new routines.  I get my rewards from finding new and nutritious ways of making good food.  That may not be what thrills you.  I more than get that.  But you do need to find what will float your boat along the way to sveltness.  If not, the same old things that made you overweight to begin with will be the same things you seek when you cross the "finish" line.  That line you are celebrating, it's not an end point.  It is the beginning of your next upswing.

So many of you will make a new year's resolution to take off some pounds in 2013.  We could ask ourselves, "What's the point here?"  Do I want to make a sprint to a point on the scale or do I want to live life as a person making intelligent choices on an ongoing basis?  You know the answer already.  The real question then becomes "Am I willing to take the necessary time to make long-lasting changes?"  It's a commitment that is so very hard to make.  Don't lie to yourself when you commit.  Do it right or wait until you are ready to.  I've spent 35 years lying to myself with half-hearted attempts and paying dearly.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Panera Power Breakfast Sandwich and decaf
Lunch ~ Tomato soup and one slice of bread with reduced fat peanut butter
Dinner ~ Drinks with old friends, a Burger King plain burger on the drive home and some brown rice with parsley, Earth Balance Spread and canellini beans when I got home.
Exercise ~ 45 minutes on the treadmill and about 2.25 miles

W.I.M.H.W. 12.05.12

I'm a day late, so we will call this one What's In My Head this Week.  It's been a busy one and an everyday exercise routine eats up a good chunk of time, so it becomes increasingly harder to blog.  But I will find a way to get it done.  Let's jump into it.  Times a wastin'.




Sometimes You Just Know
I am a tactile, show me kinda guy, as if I were from Missouri.  I like to see proof, or at least some support of evidence before I make a determination.  Perhaps that is why I am not very religious.  With this weight loss thing though, I seem to have a sixth sense for the weeks where I am losing weight and those in which I am not.  This week, for instance, I am feeling quite optimistic about my Monday weigh-in.  Do I feel lighter?  No.  In weeks where I have gained some weight, do I feel heavier?  Do my clothes fit any differently? No.  I just know.  I can't explain it.  I just do.  My wife has an uncanny sense when it comes to her body.  She is extremely in touch with what's going on.  For the most part, I have no clue what is going on inside of me.  If Tab eats something healthy and nutritious invariably she says she feels a certain way afterward, whether it is more energetic or more alert.  And no...she doesn't use caffeine or much in the way of sugar.  Weight loss for me is something I just know.  Makes no sense to me, but it I feel good when I have these weeks.  I have a general feeling of well being in knowing that it is a week of solid progress.  There is a certainty that positive (negative?) movement will be shown on the scale.  We will once again test this theory come Monday.

Iran?  No I Ran.
How many "I ran" references can we put in this?  There's that Flock of Seagulls song, the country Iran and one other really good one.  I RAN.  I actually ran.  Yeah.  ME!  It wasn't much, but I ran.  Maybe it was more of a jog and it was only for two minute bursts, but dammit, I ran.  Ten short months ago the thought of me even walking briskly, let alone running, was totally absurd to me.  Yet this week on the treadmill, I pushed the bounds of my comfort and decided to try it.  I first jumped the speed up to 3.5 miles per hour and then to 4.  I sustained running for 2 minute intervals, several times during my walking at what I guess was an average speed of 3.8 MPH.  This wouldn't be a big deal to most of you.  To me, it is huge.  I'm a guy who once had a 72 inch waistline.  I guess that was huge too.  My arm may break from the self back patting.  Did I mention that I ran?

That's all for now.  Cya next time,
M

What I ate and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ on the run with an Egg McMuffin and decaf
Lunch ~ a chicken sandwich w/roast red peppers, and balsamic
Dinner ~ becoming a fav in our house, pan seared tilapia over kale and canellini beans
Exercise ~ 45 minutes on the treadmill and 2.25 miles.  oh...and I ran

This Week In Food: "Pumpkin" Mushroom Risotto

Way back in the early days of The Drive to 195, I wrote of the things that I found indispensable.  One such thing was Cooking Light Magazine.  Their recipes are almost always fabulous and are available online at www.myrecipes.com.  I subscribe to the print version of the magazine and sometimes give out subscriptions to my weight-conscious friends as gifts.  Cooking Light gets most of the credit for this recipe.  I have made changes however to suit my tastes and my wife's non-meat-eating lifestyle.  She got no ham and I used vegetable stock.  You can feel free to use low sodium chicken stock.

Another oft written-of affinity is kabocha squash, also called Japanese pumpkin.  I find it regularly at my grocer and it is one of the so-called 'super foods', extremely high in nutrition, low in calories and packed with flavor.  I subbed kabocha in the Cooking Light recipe that called for canned pumpkin.  I would much rather use a fresh veg, than what amounts to pie filling in my supper.  It's inexpensive and easy to prepare, but if you are in a pinch, go ahead and use the canned.  Another recipe substitute was using speck, a smoked ham, in place of pancetta, unsmoked Italian bacon.  The speck was readily available at the grocery and had MUCH less fat and calories than the pancetta.  In fact, it cut the fat by about 75% and the overall calories by around 15%. The speck added a nice salty, smokey note to the dish.  I'll use it get my bacon fix in future concoctions.

This all came together in about an hour and if you want to make risotto, you have to be willing to spend a good 30-35 minutes, or so, in front of the stove stirring.  It's worth the effort.  This was a great meal for a cold winter's evening and paired well with the winter lettuce and pear salad, which I will link below.  I hope you enjoy my spin on Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto.

Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto

serves 4
352 calories, 7.5g fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed Kabocha squash (instructions below).  You can also try butternut squash or canned pumpkin puree.
• 28 oz. no salt added vegetable stock
• 2 Tbs pignoli nuts (pine nuts).  You can also sub chopped walnuts.
• 2 Tbs diced speck (such as Citterio Cubetti Speck)
• 1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups shiitake mushroom caps (you might also try thin sliced crimini mushroom caps)
• 1.5 cups of sweet onion (1/4" dice)
• 1.5 Tbs garlic minced
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs mascarpone cheese
• 3 Tbs scallion (thin sliced, green portion only)
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Method

• Peel and dice about 1/4 of a kabocha squash into about 1" pieces and microwave for 5 minutes on high.  Mash with a potato masher or electric beater until smooth.  Set aside.
• Bring vegetable stock to a simmer can keep hot on a back burner, ready to ladle into the rissoto.
• In a large skillet, toast pine nuts and set aside.  Careful!  These will burn quick and don't take long.
• Cook the speck for about 3 minutes on medium high heat.
• Add the olive oil and cook the onions, mushrooms and garlic, stirring frequently until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine and cook until most of the liquid is gone.
• Add the rice and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring constantly to well coat the rice.
• Add salt
• Using about 3/4 cup of stock at a time, add to the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed.  Repeat this until the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.  You should have creamy rice at this point.  About 25 minutes.  If you need more liquid, add small amounts of hot water until the rice is the desired doneness.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the kabocha, mascarpone, scallions and ground pepper.  Blend well.
• Adjust seasoning and sprinkle with the pignoli.
• Serve with a Pear and Winter Lettuce Salad, recipe HERE

Risotto may seem intimidating, but it's not hard if you are attentive and stir constantly.  You are a slave to the stove for about 35 minutes, so plan accordingly.  Also, I found that the dish needed a little more salt, but you can adjust to your own needs and tastes. Enjoy!

Cya Wednesday,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ 2 poached eggs with multi-grain toast and speck

Lunch ~ Grilled chicken sandwich

Dinner ~ Brussels sprout and fennel vichyssoise and some mashed kabocha on the side.  Three super foods in one meal!  

Exercise ~ 45 minutes on the treadmill and about 2.2 miles

Weigh-in: Week 43

I've paused my Tivo during Monday Night Football to not only build up some commercial bypass time, but to bring you this week's weigh-in results.  I've had a decent week and got moving again, so I am feeling upbeat, even with minimal weight loss progress made in the last seven days.

The numbers are screwy again this week.  Weight is down, body fat is up slightly and water percentages are off.  I'm befuddled, but I am not losing sleep over .1% of anything.  This week I weighed in at 277.6 lbs. That is a 0.8 lb. loss from last week and a total, thus far, of  85.8 lbs.  Body fat rose slightly to 42.9% and water dropped to 41.0%.  I guess we can call the week a wash, but I got back on the horse, or shall I say treadmill, so I am feeling good about myself.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ A mix of two cereals w/banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ Lunch with my friend Doug at Minado in Morris Plains.  This sushi buffet is what I call a smorgasbordasm.  I compensated with a light dinner.
Dinner ~ A nice salad with four kinds of beans, roasted red peppers and some toasted pumpkin seeds, tossed with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Exercise ~ I will do 45 minutes and about 2 miles on the treadmill before bed.

A.L.O.E. 12.2.12

Hey there, you.  How ya been?  I've been keeping busy.  So much so that I sit here at 11:48 EST doing my thing here.  I'm pooped to say the least but I've been remiss in posting these last few days.  I need to stay in touch with you folks and keep you up on my goings on.  And now I bring you A Little Of Everything.

I.O.U.
This whole weekend I have been telling myself that I need to knock out a few blog entries, but knocking them out isn't fair to anyone who takes the time to visit me here.  You deserve better.  So, please accept my I.O.U. for one general post (it's about 1/3 written) and one food post.  Laura P. in CT, your risotto recipe is forthcoming.

It's Getting Hard
This falls more under the more heady stuff of Wednesday's, but here goes.  Lately I have been struggling.  I'm finding hard not to snack on garbage, my car is wanting to drive through any drive-through it passes (I haven't succumbed) and my desire for larger portions is getting stronger.  I am trying to combat that with more veggies.  Just tonight I had three helpings of braised cabbage.  I'm still committed to this.  It's that the damned devil on my shoulder is out of retirement.  Not too many worries there.  It is just getting harder is all... especially around the holidays.

My Gift to Me
December being the holiday season, we should receive gifts, right?  Well I have a weird one for myself.  I decided earlier this week that I would give myself something I really don't like all that much.  The gift of exercise.  My brutal honesty in the blog hasn't gone unnoticed by certain readers and I owe it to myself to get moving.  So after a very heartfelt inquiry at my reunion as to my constant "None" in the exercise log, I decided to make December the month I do at least 50 miles in 31 days.  I plan to walk daily, but I know from past experience that promising such is a tricky proposition.  So far in December I'm clean.  Two days in, and I have done two sessions of 45 minutes and a little over two miles in each.  Thanks, Bill, Marcelle and Chuck for your encouragement.  I'm on it.  And yes, I have been fairly miserable each of those 90 minutes thus far.

Cya Monday for weigh-in,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Poached eggs, crispy speck and whole grain toast cubes, all mixed up.  Decaf 
Lunch ~ Tuna melt with tuna salad, multi-grain bread and vegan non-dairy cheese
Dinner ~ Braised cabbage and apples with chicken apple sausages and an O'Doule's
Exercise ~ 45 minutes and 2+ miles on the treamill

W.I.M.H.W. 11.28.12

It seems like time is slipping away so fast and what had set out to be a long term project with plenty of breathing room is almost half-way through.  It's already the 43rd week and time for another braindump to discuss What's In My Head this Wednesday.



Perspective
I got an email on Monday that a colleague had passed away.  All of the typical cliche things run through your mind when you get news such as this.  "He was so young!" (54 in this case), "We just played golf together back in the summer and he was fine!", and "You can't take your health for granted."  These are all true, but they seem like reflex and we do actually take them for granted.  Randy was a fairly young man and his exit from my current company created the opening for me to join my firm five years ago.  He was diagnosed back in mid-October with Stage IV melanoma...just weeks ago.  It took him that quick.  The truth is that he didn't keep on eye on his health and this was brewing for a while.  This gives even more import my task at hand.  I've never had issues with physical disease, butI need to get in shape and not take my historic sense of wellness as a given.  It is a proactive process.  On Thursday I will go say goodbye to Randy.  In life we weren't close, just friendly associates that crossed paths on occasion, but his death is helping me in a way he could have, should have, helped himself.  He has given me valuable lesson learned to stay on top of things.  Thanks, R².

WTG Mom!
My mother has caught the weight loss bug in recent months as well.  She even brought herself into the new millennium this last year and is using a computer.  Mostly to read my blog I think, but perhaps she checks email intermittently.  She tells me these pages help her in her own fight against fat.  Mom bounced up and down the scale over the years and 2012 has been a big step in the right direction.  Congrats, Mom!  I'm proud of you for making better choices and sticking with it.

Not a Bad Snack!

First off, save the admonitions about eating these sorts of things.  I do my thing and it works for me.  The whole point of this process is not only for me to get healthier, but to provide a blueprint for others that is easy, livable and effective.  That means staying as close to the mainstream as possible within certain parameters.  People don't want to hear "Eat milk thistle rice paste extract flavored with goat's butt root."  They'd rather stay fat.  I know I would.  What some might see as junk (ie. Splenda), I view as an acceptable tool in aiding my weight loss.  The other day while checking out with my large cart of vegetation at the Shoprite, I noticed an end cap stocked with Quaker Banana Nut Bread Soft Baked Bars.  If something looks tasty to me, I inevitably pick it up and look at the nutritional values.  More often then not, I put it back down because the numbers or ingredients scare me off.  These I put in my cart.  The bars are filling, delicious and have 140 calories, 6g protein and 5g of fiber.  I normally eschew corn syrup, but it is very far down the list of ingredients.  I'd definitely buy these again.  Hopefully, that stockpile wasn't there as a closeout.

Cya Thursday for an easy delicious risotto for fall,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ A grilled chicken and roasted pepper w/balsamic sandwich
Snack ~ The aforementioned banana nut bar
Dinner ~ Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto and a simple pear and bitter greens salad (both pictured here). Recipes tomorrow.
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 42

If you have read my previous post you already know that the weekend was a tad off the rails.  That is not to say I am derailed.  Far from it.  But I wasn't happy with my performance at both the reunion and the wedding.  End result:  I gained weight over the holiday week.

As you can see my scale indeed does hate me and made me want to cry this morning when I saw a 1.8 lb. gain.  Okay.  I don't cry that easy, but it's not good.  It is time to dig in and get back on the horse.  I'll be ever vigilant moving forward to get to goal on, or ahead of schedule.  My water weight percentage rose 0.1% this week and my body fat actually lowered 0.1%, down to 42.8%.  Weight up, fat down.  Something is screwy when I look at these numbers.  Let's see what next week brings.

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ A turkey sandwich on whole grain bread and leftover roasted veggies
Dinner ~ A Boca burger on whole grain bread and some homemade turkey soup
Evening ~ Decaf tea w/fat free half and half
Exercise ~ none

A.L.O.E. 11.25.12

Time to recap the holiday weekend that was a minefield for me and my resolve.  Trying to navigate Thanksgiving, a class reunion and a wedding were a lot on my plate, both figuratively and literally.  I'll give you my rundown of the events from a TDT195 perspective and try to be as objective as possible.

Report Card 
Let's look at the weekend like I was taking three courses in school and break it down and grade it individually.  First let's start with Thanksgiving.  Preparation was an A.  I had everything planned out for success.  Patting myself on the back for that one.  Execution of what I consumed would have to be a B-.  My portions were not optimal, and I had a decent amount of wine.  Overall assessment would be a B.

My reunion was a blast.  I had a great time visiting with old friends and even got to sing with the band for a couple of songs.  I always have two downfalls at these kind of events... hors d'oeuvres and alcohol.  I over-indulged on both counts.  I was mindful when I hit the buffet and I am sure that having the feeling that eyes were upon me was helpful.  Overall I would give myself a C for this event.  Too many cocktails and, while there wasn't an absurd amount of hors d'oeuvres, they weren't really necessary.

Tab and I were invited guests and sang at the wedding of two dear friends on Saturday.  The day went pretty much like the reunion did.  Too much to drink (not from an inebriative sense, but a caloric one) and too much to eat.  I would give myself a flat out F on the wedding this weekend.  I had a great time and Gordon and Jen threw a great party, but I just plain overdid it.  Once I have a few drinks, reasoning goes out the window.  That's how I ended up eating cake and having two cups of coffee with Bailey's to finish the affair.  Not good.

So I guess my weekend averages out to a grade of  C-, or even a D+.  I'm pretty disappointed in my performance.  I will say that it felt good putting on a suit and being seen by people.  Especially those that know what I have been doing.  There was a great deal of compliments and acknowledgement for the effort so far and for my appearance.  That felt good.  But honestly, I felt like I not only let myself down, but those who root for me or look to these pages for motivation for their own efforts.  No time to dwell on it, though.  Time to get back on the horse and start slimming again.  I know the scale will not be kind for weigh-in 42.

Cya then,
M

Thanksgiving Post Game

I give thanks in these pages quite often, so I won't bore you with all of the things I am thankful for.  You can turn to your Facebook page for all of those folks that whine 364 days of the year, only to become magically introspective once annually in November.  Then, within hours, they rush out the next day to trample each other, looking for more stuff to be grateful for.  Yesterday I was just happy to not do too much damage and give a nice, "healthier" meal to my family.  I put that in quotes because we all over-indulge and that's not exactly prudent, but I was at least mindful to provide better choices for the gorging.  Pictured left, is my first plate of food from yesterday's festivities.

It's a lot of work cooking for seven people.  I will say that with less fattening dishes the load was lighter.  Healthier food means simpler food and my day was made easier as a result.  This is the first year in the last eleven that I didn't fry my turkey or make two, one fried and one roasted.  I made no elaborate appetizer and/or soup course and gone were the traditional Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  Just the basics this year.  Below is a list of menu items from our table yesterday.

When my guests arrived, we snacked on some shrimp cocktail platters from Costco.  Dinner commenced a little under two hours later with salad dressed in homemade balsamic pesto vinaigrette, roasted turkey, a very light, but damn tasty gravy, mashed potatoes and celery root, roasted carrots, white sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, onions and garlic cloves.  There was my Thanksgiving Dirty Rice, a whole grain loaf of bread and my sister brought a small batch of Mom's stuffing for those that love it so.  I tasted a mere forkful to help her with the seasoning, but other than that, I steered clear.  The same holds true for an ancient can of cranberry jelly which was lurking in the cupboard.  I literally just had a taste.

So, now I have sent the metabolically offensive items home with Sis and I am left with a decent amount of leftovers.  Today it's time to get creative and see how I can re-purpose them.  Here is my breakfast.  This is a turkey hash with roasted sweet potatoes, onions and carrots, topped with a perfectly poached egg and whole grain toast.  Mmmm mmmmm good!


Tonight is Round 2 of the dietary obstacle course, my thirtieth high school reunion.  I'll check back in tomorrow and let you know how it went.

Cya then,
M

This Week in Food: Healthier Mashed Potatoes

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes?  I adore them and can't imagine a Thanksgiving without them.  I usually load up on the stuffing and the potatoes and just have a little of everything else.  When I think that a 2/3 cup serving of mashed has 183 calories and 9.1g fat (5.7 saturated fat), I know there has to be a better way.  What I came up with not only cuts the calories down to 109 for the same 2/3 cup serving, but knocks the fat down to 2.6g fat, only 0.7 of which is saturated.  One secret to great mashed potatoes is a potato ricer.  It makes them fluffy, light and much easier to fold in your buttery spread and half and half.  I know you have already done your shopping for tomorrow, so give these a try sometime soon, won't you?  I know you'll be happy with the results.

Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root
serves 15

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" chunks
• 2 lbs. Celery root, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 1 cup of fat free half and half (try using Skim Plus brand or any that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Original Whipped Buttery Spread
• 2 Tbs, plus 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Method

• In a large pot, place your potatoes and celery root and cover with cold water and 2 Tbs salt.  Most of the salt will go down the drain with the water.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
• While your potatoes cook, heat your remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan until the spread melts.  Do not boil.
• Once the potato mixture is cooked, completely drain and return to the pot and heat over medium flame to cook off excess moisture (about 1-2 minutes)
• Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes into a large serving vessel.
• Blend in the half and half mixture and adjust seasoning.

You can use a mixer or potato masher, but I find the ricer was a great small investment and is one of the few unitaskers in my kitchen.  Some people like lumpy mashed potatoes   If you are one of them, don't bother with the ricer.

I hope this dish finds its way to your table sometime soon.  Enjoy your holidays, folks.

All the best,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Western omelet, no cheese and wheat toast
Lunch ~ If you want to call it lunch, I picked while at Costco from the freebies
Dinner ~ TBD, but likely whole grain pasta and marinara
Exercise ~ None

This Week in Food: Thanksgiving Dirty Rice

I was hoping to capture the feeling of one of my most favorite foods.  My Mom's Thanksgiving stuffing is one of, if not my most favorite of dishes. Mom is a great cook at this sits up there with her lasagna at the top on my death row foods.  No worries, though.  My homicidal tendencies have been absent for what seems like weeks.

What I wanted to achieve was the flavor of the cooked celery and onions, combined with chicken stock, sausage, sage and bread, all baked into a moist dense flavor explosion.  I realized after several attempts that the bread was essential to that dish and that I wasn't going to recreate something with the same feel as that 250 calorie comfort food side dish.  I had to settle, which is sometimes the case in my new lifestyle.  What I came up with resembled a cross between Mom's stuffing and a Cajun dirty rice, with rice and meat accented with spices and herbs.  I call it Thanksgiving Dirty Rice and, while I will mourn the loss of the traditional stuffing this Thanksgiving, I have a new fallback to rely on with 45% less calories (134 per serving) and half the fat (5g) per serving.

Thanksgiving Dirty Rice
serves 6 (scales easily)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Royal Select brand Royal Blend Rice with brown and red rices
• 1.5 cups no salt added or low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/4" dice
• 1/4 cup diced onion, 1/4" dice
• 1 cup Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles (a chicken apple sausage diced up would be great too)
• 3/4 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs Earth Balance Original Whipped Buttery Blend
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method
I use a rice cooker, but you can just combine all ingredients and cook to the manufacturer's instructions: Bring to a boil.  Cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, while adding in parsley.

Enjoy!

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Crisp Cinnamon Cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ German Style Pork Stew
Snack ~ Wasabi peas
Dinner ~ Sushi, out with The Wife
Exercise ~ None

Weigh-in: Week 41

 Hello and thanks for stopping by The Drive to 195 for our 41st weigh-in.  I did manage to lose some weight this week and if I can lose more by next Monday, it will be a testament to my newfound ethos.  Hopefully I can pull off navigating the rough road that lies ahead with the aplomb that will be required to get through not only Thanksgiving, but also a class reunion and a wedding in three successive days.

As I said, I did lose weight over the last week.  The scale showed 276.6 lbs., representing a 1.2 lb. loss for the week and  bringing the total to 86.8 lbs. since 2/6/12.  The water percentage rose to 41% and my body fat actually rose 0.2% to 42.9%  HUH?!  Sometimes it doesn't make sense to me.  This isn't an exact science I guess and I am happy to see the scale move.  Small wins are adding up and I am looking forward to getting over the 90 lb. mark and hitting the home stretch to 100.

Cya tomorrow for a Tuesday addition and my recipe for Thanksgiving Dirty Rice Stuffing,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ 1/2 a salmon cake sandwich and some pork stew
Afternoon ~ Some almonds and a Skinny Decaf Peppermint Mocha
Dinner ~ Corn soup, Chicken Pad Thai and a couple of Thai chicken wings
Exercise ~ None 

This Week in Food: German Style Pork Stew

I am playing catch up, yet again.  I seem either too busy or too in need of mindless do-nothing time.  All this week leading up to Thanksgiving, I will be publishing a few recipes that you could use for the big day.  I really don't expect many of you to actually use these, as our holidays are so steeped in tradition that even I get a tad hostile when people suggest that changes are made to the menu.  These days, I'm all about the change, though, so I'll be altering what goes on our table.  Gone will be the crescent rolls and much of the butter that was used too nonchalantly in the past.  Two new style recipes will be posted between now and Tuesday and will hopefully be enjoyed by the small group in my dining room this week.  They will be the Brown Rice Sage Stuffing and Celery Root Mashed Potatoes.

Tonight it's more about the anti-Thanksgiving dinner.  This would be a great recipe for this coming Saturday, when the mere thought of eating another bite of turkey makes you want to run screaming into the streets.  Let's call this German Style Pork Stew.  It's guiltless comfort food at it's best.  This one pot dish could be made in a slow cooker, but I like browning off the meat and deglazing the pot with beer to grab as much of that flavor-bomb fond that is left behind in the process.  It's ready in about two hours but there is only twenty minutes of active time.  To me, the pork takes on a flavor and texture reminiscent of a veal stew.  I don't eat, or condone eating veal anymore, but I will say that I like it.  Getting veal taste and texture from pork is an extra bonus, both flavor and budget-wise.  Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you German Style Pork Stew.

German Style Pork Stew
serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Boneless Sirloin Pork Roast (such as Kirkland brand), cut into 1" cubes
• 3 Tbs all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 12 oz. dark beer, such as O'Doul's Amber or Sam Adams Winter Lager
• 1 cup water
• 1 27 oz. can of sauerkraut, drained, but not rinsed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbs whole grain Dijon Mustard 
• 1 Tbs caraway seeds (optional)
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 Granny Smith Apples, skin on, cut into 1" cubes

Method

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse and completely dry your pork roast, then cut it into 1" cubes.
• Combine in a zip top bag, your pork cubes and flour through pepper, shaking to combine thoroughly.
• In a 5 quart or large dutch oven or large lidded pot, over medium-high heat, brown your pork in 3 batches, using 1 Tbs of EVOO for each.  Set pork aside.
• In the same pot, sweat your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic with the tsp of salt, until the onions are tender.  Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as you cook these.
• Turn the heat to high and add the beer and water.  Scrape up the brown bits at the bottom.  For a more pungent sauerkraut flavor, sub the water with the sauerkraut liquid
• Add your pork, sauerkraut, caraway, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and mustard to the covered pot, stir to combine and place in the oven for 1 hour.
• Gently stir in your potatoes and half the apples and cook for 10 minutes.
• Gently stir in your kabocha and remaining apples and cook for an additional 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven when the potatoes and fork tender.
• Remove the sprigs of herbs and bay leaves, adjust seasoning and gently stir to mix in whatever herbs came from the sprigs Rest uncovered for 10 minutes before serving.  

The sauce is a nice silky yellowish color and is naturally thickened from the reduced apples, flour from the pork and the kabocha.  This recipe is only around 335-345 calories per serving (depending on the beer), has 12.7g fat and 6.9g fiber.  Great numbers for such belly warming goodness.

Cya next time,
Mike

W.I.M.H.W. 11.13.12

I sit here alone with my thoughts whilst Tab is off getting her hairs did.  It's kind of quiet here at Casa Miguel.  The dogs have finally stopped whining and being barky idiots ( I do love my barky whiny idiots though).  Time for me to jot down a few thoughts about where my head is at and what's going on in my life.  Oops...there is the garage door.  Cue the barky idiots.  So much for quiet.

Re-Waisted and Wasted
Before the storms I dropped off a few pairs of pants at the tailor's to take in the waists.  The nice old Chinese lady told me it was going to be close, but she would try.  We don't want the pockets to meet in the back.  Since businesses were closed for the better part of a week around here, I finally got around to picking everything up.  Monday I wore a pair of the slacks that were taken in five inches.  The waist fit great.  Two things I wasn't counting on, though.  The pant legs were a little long and I was stepping on the cuffs all day.  Grrr... shoulda known.  This happened in the summer, too, and I forgot.  Not enough in my belly area to hold them up I guess.  The other thing I didn't think about was how low the crotch would ride.  I mean, I could have smuggled a dozen kittens in my pants, these things were so low.  How I did not realize this before I left the house I will never know.  As a result, I spent the day running around looking like MC Hammer.  That was a wasted $22 on alterations and cleaning.  Live and learn.

Thanksgiving Prep
I have been trying to make a healthier version of one of my most favorite foods of all time...Mom's stuffing.  The traditional stuffing in our house was cubed white bread with a breakfast sausage (usually Jones that comes in a log), onions, celery, poultry seasoning and copious amounts of chicken stock, then baked to make a moist, doughy mass of heaven.  I love this stuff!  Even that declaration is a gross understatement.  I won't be able to recreate the experience of this ultimate comfort food, but I would like to have something that doesn't pack 250 calories and about 10g fat per serving for a side dish.  And I would never eat just one servings worth.  I have been experimenting, but as of this date, nothing close enough.  I am shooting for half the fat and calories, while keeping the same flavor profiles.  This ain't gonna be easy.  Hopefully next week I will post some recipes for holiday alternatives to the stuffing, mashed taters and vegetable sides.  Be sure to tune in next Thursday.

That's all I have on my mind for this week. 

Cya Thursday for a great pork stew recipe,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/ 1/2 a banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ Starbuck's Protein Bistro Box and an iced Vanilla Skinny Decaf
Dinner ~ Turkey, stuffing rice experiment and mixed veggies (kale, carrots, onions, cauliflower, parsnips, chick peas, shiitake mushrooms and peas
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 40

Don't you all love it when you come here on a Monday and see that I lost weight?  I sure do!  I only wish that I could tickle you once again, but unfortunately, this is not one of those weeks.  For the fourth time in 40 weeks, I have gained a little.  Gee, that is 10% of the weigh-ins.  That isn't that good.  I guess if I say "  I'm batting .900, it's a much a much better spin, don'tcha think?

Really though, I managed to gain 0.2 lbs this week and that is never good.  But we soldier on.  The total loss thus far is 85.6 lbs.  Body fat percentage actually dropped a half a percentage point this week to 42.7%.  I wish I could report on water percentage, but the camera misfired and my old brain can't recall what it said.  I can only imagine it rose disproportionately, resulting in the gain.  Body fat down...I'll take it.

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ One egg and Canadian bacon on whole grain bread
Lunch ~ Starbuck's Protein Bistro Box and a Decaf Vanilla Skinny Latte
Dinner ~ Some rotisserie chicken and a bowl of home made minestrone
Exercise ~ none

A.L.O.E. 11.11.12

Hey, there.  How are you?  I do care, so don't say that.  I know that I can't hear you, but if you would like to give me the status update on your general well-being, leave a comment below.  I am late getting to this.  It was supposed to be posted yesterday, but there was a Giant game and I am so busy writing new material under my other pen name, J.K. Rowling.  Busy, busy, busy.  Let's move on to A Little Of Everything so I can get back to my glamorous, busy life.

Thanks, Stranger
I was at the Staples yesterday and the Winnie Cooper look-alike at checkout asked to see my credit card.  I like to pay cash usually, but because printer ink is so ridiculously expensive, it requires either a line of credit or gold bars.  I handed over my Capital One Visa that has a lovely picture of The Wife and I from our honeymoon.  "Wow!", Winnie exclaimed.  "What a nice picture of you both.  You look much different, though."  "Thanks.  That was seventy or eighty pounds ago," I said.  She then remarked "I can tell you've been working hard at it," as she made the obligatory one-fingered clockwise circular motion around her face and shoulders.  That just made my day.

On Yer Knees, Matey
I got a boatload of stuff done over the weekend.  Much of it required me being on my knees or belly, flat on the floor.  This is a position that was formerly not only uncomfortable, but embarrassing and had been long gone from my repertoire, especially since the night I proposed to my wife and, when trying to rise from one knee, wobbled like a Weeble that didn't get the memo and DID fall down.  Awkward!  Anyway, this weekend I managed to do some plumbing under the bathroom sink and install rubberized door sweeps on the exterior doors for draft remediation.  I am not to the point that I can just spring back up to my feet like a gymnast, but I can now get myself standing again without aid of something to hold on to and sounding like a yak in labor.  Plus, I can work pain-free right on the hard surface where before I needed a cadre of pillows to support my orca-like figure.  Add this to the "Yay Me!" list.

Pretty as a Picture

See this picture, here?  Of course, you do.  Okay.  Dumb question.  What is great about this photo is that it is my shopping cart from Saturday at the shut-yer-Whole Foods Market.  Just look at all those fruits and veggies.  There are tomatoes, basil, broccoli, cauliflower, baby spinach, kale, shiitake mushrooms, lemons, a red pepper, kabocha squash, some hemp milk (for The Wife), boxed stock, oatmeal, and I even bought a coconut.  Much of this was for my huge pot of minestrone I made Sunday, but there is plenty left for the rest of the week.  I get a kick out of checking out when usually I look at the folks around me offloading ice cream, cookies and Toasted Sugar Bombs cereal.  Another "Yay Me!"

Cya for the weigh-in later,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Flax Granola and almond milk
Lunch ~ a turkey sandwich w/tomato, avocado, one slice of pepper jack and lite mayo on whole grain bread
Dinner ~ 2 big bowls of minestrone
Exercise ~ none

Don't Let Disaster Strike Twice

This is about a week late in its timeliness, but the core points are always quite relevant.  We here on the east coast have been under quite a bit of duress these past few weeks.  Many have been without power for upwards of two weeks.   Some have been left without homes or the ones they do have are in ruins.  For those of us with aspirations of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle it is a great excuse to chuck in the towel and say "Screw it.  I want to eat anything and everything to soothe my pain."  No one will blame us if we drown our sorrows in week's worth of fast food and pizzas, right?  Well, probably not, but why let the trauma of what you couldn't control destroy what you can control?  

In times of stress, food and alcohol are means by which we try to rest our weary minds.  When what we have worked hard for is destroyed, or we are saddled with prolonged discomfort or inconvenience, the devil on our shoulder eggs us on to go 'all in' and ultimately make ourselves more miserable.  These are tests that are so hard to rise above.  More often than not, we fail.

If you are reading this, you likely follow this blog regularly and you may very well have your own demons you are striving to overcome.  It is to you I speak.  Please do not give up.  Stay the course and keep moving toward a healthier lifestyle.  Do not let the hurricanes or nor'easters of the world doubly win.  If you have already given in, get back on the horse.  You can hang on to your resolve and take great pride in the fact that you not only took control, but you won this round.  It won't be easy, I know, but don't we need something to feel good about these days?

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Egg McMuffin and decaf
Lunch ~ cream of scallion soup and baby bok choy and apple salad
Snack ~ some beef jerky
Dinner ~ pictured here is roasted monk fish with a lemony garlic sauce and a spring mix salad with an oil-free balsamic raisin dressing
Exercise ~ none to speak of, but I did a ton of walking today running errands and doing stuff around the house.

This Week in Food: 11.10.12

If necessity is the mother of invention, then perhaps hurricanes are the mother of recipes.  Okay.  So by the time Sandy ripped through my town it was technically a tropical depression, but technical accuracy didn't seem as poetic.  


The power goes out and you move a hundred dollars, or so, of meat, vegetables and other perishables to a cooler and throw whatever ice you have on it.  Then you wait.  After two or three days without power, you think, okay...it's time to play Iron Chef!  Battle: Use It or Lose It!  Your secret ingredients are those defrosting pieces of meat or the produce you spent a small fortune on just days ago.  I was in such a battle after Sandy did her business in NJ.  Hamburger patties were broken up and browned with marinara to go over pasta.  Eggs were hard boiled.  But what to do with all that thawed chicken breast and produce?  Today I bring you the answer in the form of Chicken a la Sandy.

To borrow from Rachael Ray, this is a 'stoup'.  Not quite thick enough to evoke a stew vibe, but more hearty than your typical soup.  Somewhere in the middle lies stoup.  With thawing chicken breasts, carrots, kabocha squash, celery and a cast of other healthy characters, I opted for the slow cooker on this one.  Yes, the power had come back by the time I threw this together, hoping for the best.  The sum of all these parts was pretty darned good, even if I do say so myself.  The numbers on it were also stellar.  Only 330 calories and 7.1g of fat per serving.  If you like, take out the potatoes and add wild rice for texture and a little more fiber.  I suggest a dash or four of hot sauce upon serving (Frank's is my sauce of choice).  I can totally see a bowl of this being set in front of me after a few hours of snow shoveling or perhaps a day on the slopes, if I were a skier that is.  Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I was so eager to dig in, I forgot to snap one.

Chicken a la Sandy

serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used crimini.  You can use button or whatever type you like)
• 2 cups sliced onion, 1/8" thick
• 2 cups sliced celery, 1/4" thick
• 1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4" half moons
• 2 cups sliced Yukon gold potato, cut into 1/4" wedges (feel free to leave on the peel if you like)
• 16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1" cubes
• 1 cup water
• 32 oz. no salt added chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (tie the rosemary and thyme together with butchers twine for easy retrieval)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2.5 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 3/4" cubes
• 2 Tbs. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 2 Tbs. all purpose flour
• 1 cup fat free half and half

Method

• Place all ingredients, mushrooms through bay leaves, in a crock pot set to high for 2.5 hours
• Add squash and cook an additional 30-40 minutes or until both the squash and potatoes are tender
• While your squash is cooking, place the buttery spread and flour in a skillet over medium heat and make a roux.  Slowly whisking until the flour and spread make a paste somewhere between the color of butter and peanut butter.
• Add the fat free half and half slowly, while whisking and bring to simmer until thickened.  Be sure to whisk this constantly and work out any lumps.
• Add the thickened mixture to the crock pot and stir in gently, so as not break your potatoes or squash apart.
• Once your vegetables are tender, remove the sprigs of herbs and bay leaves and enjoy your stoup.
• Serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread.  The creamy liquid is great for dunking.  Don't forget the hot sauce!

Cya next time,
M

What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal and almond milk
Lunch ~ A tuna and mango roll
Snack ~ beef jerky and a decaf with fat free half and half
Dinner ~ Salad w, balsamic vinaigrette, baked clams and whole grain pasta primavera.  2 glasses of cabernet
Exercise ~ none