Weigh-in:Week 38

 Hello.  Miss me?  I am sorry, but I have been remiss in posting these past few days.  I would like to blame it on the storm, but ultimately, I should've made time.  I'll double up along the way to make up for the two missing posts.  Easily done since I had them all planned out (a rarity).  Let's get to the week in weight loss, shall we?



Not a thrilling week, but I have my own self to blame.  I'll post why in another entry.  This week I came in at a slightly lighter 279.6 lbs.  That is a 1 lb. loss and a total reduction of 83.8 lbs. since February 6th and it was goodbye to the 280s.  Body fat percentage dropped 0.1% to 43.3 and the water percentage rose 0.1% to 40.7.  Not stellar numbers, but a loss, none the less.

Cya next time and thanks for stopping by,
M

What I ate yesterday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 eggs and whole grain toast
Lunch ~ Tuna on whole wheat and soup
Dinner ~ I honestly can't remember.  That's troubling...wait!  I had the tuna for dinner.  What the heck was lunch?  Sheesh...
Exercise ~ none other than fixing a tarp in driving winds and carry blocks to hold said tarp in place

This Week In Food: 10.26.12

You might possibly have noticed that the byline above is new.  Too often, I am late posting, so we've moved to something less time sensitive.  Behold!  I hereby inaugurate "This Week In Food!" 

A quick glance at my food logs will tell you that I eat a fair amount of eggs.  Perhaps, too many by some people's opinions, but I am okay with it.  I am of the school that says that dietary cholesterol has less effect on the LDL levels than previously thought.  You can do your own research and consult your own doctor.  I don't enjoy egg white omelets and pretty much want to smack people who order them.  If it doesn't taste good, I'm out.  Yolks taste good.  My overall cholesterol numbers are consistently between 113 and 132, so obviously there is less of a need for me to fret over a few eggs.

Here is a simple recipe that is great to prepare ahead for brunch, dinner or, as I do, for several meals ready in a jiff via leftovers.  It's called a frittata, or as The Wife says, "free tatas".  As much a fan as I am of tatas, this has nothing to do with breasts.  It's all about the huevos.  A frittata is an Italian omelet, not folded as a French omelet or rolled as an American omelet, but it is mixed together and baked.  Think of it as a quiche that didn't go to prep school.  This vegetable omelet is perfect served at room temperature or hot, right out of the skillet.  Its numbers are surprisingly good for something so satisfying and tasty.  Just 154 calories, 9.4g fat, 10.6g protein, 6.2g of carbs and even a gram of fiber for good measure.  Add into the mix that you can serve 6 people for about $1.10 each, plus, perhaps, a small side salad and some toast and you have an inexpensive, fast and easy meal in your bag of tricks.

Vegetable Frittata
Serves 6

Ingredients
8 large eggs

1/4 cup fat free half and half

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper

3 tsp EVOO, used 1 tsp at a time

6 oz. crimini mushrooms (baby portabellas), sliced

1/2 red bell pepper cut into 1/8" strips

1/2 a medium sweet onion sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and sliced into 1/8" pieces

1/2 tsp salt

1 oz. parmigianno reggiano cheese, grated

Method

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Beat eggs, half and half and pinches of salt and pepper until well combined and set aside.
• Season your potato slices with 1/2 tsp of salt and set aside.
• In an oven safe, non-stick, 10" skillet, over medium-high heat,  add 1 tsp of EVOO and saute your mushrooms, peppers and onions, until the onions start to caramelize.
• Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant (about 45 seconds to a minute).
• Remove the mushroom mixture and set aside.
• Add another tsp of EVOO to your pan and cook your potatoes until lightly browned on each side.  Set aside.
• Carefully wipe out your pan with a paper towel and return to Medium-low heat.
• Stir your eggs into the pan with a heat safe spatula until the eggs just start to form curds.
• Add in your mushroom mixture and the potatoes and stir until well distributed.
• Immediately place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are fully set.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese and return to the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Gently remove from the pan and rest for 5 minutes and either serve hot with a side salad, or hold at room temperature for up to 2 hours for serving at room temperature.

Feel free to mix up the veggies with anything you like or add some lean ham to the mix.  Want spinach?  Add some.  Broccoli?  Feel free!  This basic framework can be a canvas to make whatever frittata you like.  Buon Appetito!

Cya,

M

What I ate Thursday and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Regrettably, nothing.

Lunch ~ Manhattan clam chowder and salmon over a grilled vegetable salad.

Dinner ~ Veggie burger, w/homemade guacamole on a whole grain bun and spicy, oven baked sweet potato fries (recipe next week)

Exercise ~ none

W.I.M.H.W. 10.24.12

Hello, peeps.  I'll keep this kind of brief tonight, because here it is 10:15 and I still have some work to do before a busy day on the road tomorrow.  It's midweek again and that means it is time to see What's In My Head this Wednesday.

Fail To Plan...
And you plan to fail, is what they say.  True.  True.  True.  These past few weeks I have felt a touch overwhelmed with my whole meal planning and preparation process.  Hold that thought.  I know you can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but why don't you ever hear anyone say "You know what?  I am just so comfortably whelmed right now."  Okay.  Back to the point.  We all know how much I preach about cooking and eating at home.  I've been guilty of a good deal of hypocrisy in October.  We seem to be eating out a great deal and often it is because I didn't take time out to not only plan my menus for the week, but to purchase for them.  Frankly, sometimes I just want someone to cook for me and not have the burden of being the meal giver.  I need to get back on track in that department.  Perhaps next week I can be comfortably whelmed with my home-cooked meals.

Upcoming Topics 
I think I need to do a piece on how we set goals for ourselves.  I have come to a epiphany as of late that everyone has the wrong idea of what it means to lose weight.  When I say everyone, I literally mean everyone.  I love hearing from people that say they have been following the blog and that their weight is down.  Unfortunately, they focus on the weight loss, itself and not the lifestyle changes that will carry them long term.  Even of they hit their number, they will be screwed once they realize their efforts were all about deprivation and not a new way of thinking.  I think that will be in Friday's entry.  Stay tuned...

Book Stuff
I'm trying to piece in my mind what I would like to convey to a reader, should this blog become a book someday.  I made a breakthrough with a concept, just yesterday and I would like to share it.  I think what I do here is mostly pass along what I consider to be common sense ideas about what it means to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle from a food perspective.  A good part of book could be dedicated to rules of thumb that I use to go along with the "common sense" theories I espouse.  For instance, I don't make myself crazy over exact calories, but I do like to have a idea of where I am in the course of a day.  I find it helpful to think of each piece of bread as 100 calories, an egg as 70 calories, my cereal at 250 calories, etc.  That is just one of my rules of thumb that carry me through the day.  I think that these rules would useful to anyone trying to get trimmer.

So much for brief.  Cya Thursday for my frittata recipe,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Amy's Tofu Scrambler hot-pocket like thingy
Lunch ~ I was not hungry or feeling well and I grabbed a Fiber One bar to just have something.
Snack ~ Skinny Vanilla Latte and some almonds
Dinner ~ I had a lovely dinner out with the wife and my god-daughter to celebrate her 20th birthday.  I had the Jalapeno Lime Shrimp which I just saw had only 300 calories and an ASSLOAD of sodium.  WOW. Almost 3000 mg!  I also enjoyed an O'Doul's
Exercise ~ none 

Weigh-in: Week 37

37 trips to the scale and I am pretty satisfied with how things are going.  The scale moved a little lower once again this week.  We are almost out of the 280s and turning back the clock, a few pounds at a time.  Here are the numbers for the week.

Pardon the dog hair on the scale.  That says 280.6 lbs. which represents a total weight-loss of 82.8 lbs.a and a one week drop of 1.4 lbs.  Body fat dropped to 43.4% (a weekly difference of 0.3%) and water rose 0.2%, to 40.6%.

Have yourselves a great week.  I'll see you on Wednesday.
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ A slice of leftover frittata and toast.
Lunch ~ A salad with spring mix, chick peas, carrots, anchovies and fat free feta, in a lemony vinaigrette.
Snack ~ A Fiber One bar
Dinner ~ Tilapia over kale and canellini beans.
Exercise ~ None

A.L.O.E. 10.21.12

Okay.  The title above is misleading.  The 21st was yesterday and I am writing this on Monday.  So, just pretend for me that it is Sunday again.  That's a good deal, right?  I just whisked you back to the weekend.  If I write like this is still the weekend, go along with it.  Rather than dwell on the past though, let's get into A Little Of Everything.


2X in a Booth
Dinner tonight was satisfying on so many levels.  Just like I didn't feel like sitting down and writing this Sunday night, I didn't feel like cooking either.  So, off to the diner we went.  Satisfaction #1:  I drove there in my Giants hoodie sweatshirt that I hadn't worn in around eight or nine years.  My ROOMY 2X hoodie sweatshirt, that is.  Satisfaction #2: When the hostess asked The Wife if we wanted a table or booth, she turned around to me and said "Is a booth okay?" "A booth would be fine.", I replied gleefully.  I stepped up to that booth with lingering doubts, but I slid into that puppy like it was made for me.  Lots of room to spare.  So I was 2X satisfied in my 2X hoodie sweatshirt.  Dinner didn't suck either.

Gobbler
No.  This isn't a nod to our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  It's a cry of dismay.  I was on my way to a customer this past week and looked in the mirror to check the job I did shaving.  I was happy to that see I managed a close enough shave, without missed whiskers.  Then I gazed down a bit, lower on my neck.  What the heck is that?  Lose skin?  Heeeeelll no!  As I am losing weight I am getting a gobbler.  Maybe it was the lighting in the car, or shadows playing a trick on me, but I am terrified to think that I might have a skin scarf around my neck when all is said and done.  I better not have to use a pair of tongs to hold the skin out when I shave after 195.

More Neck News
It's been a week now since I noticed a lack of neck pain.  For a while it has gotten progressively better, but this last week, I noticed nothing in the way of discomfort.  It's been so long since I have been without this pain in the neck, I almost forgot what it was like to move freely without fear of agony.  Keeping my fingers crossed that this is a thing of the past.

Cya later,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pictured here, a frittata made with red pepper, onion, potato, portobello mushrooms and garlic. Recipe this Thursday.
Lunch ~ Salad with beans and tuna, in a red wine vinaigrette
Dinner ~ Shrimp in creole sauce, over rice.
Exercise ~ none

Sleep vs.Obesity

I read a very interesting and insightful article the other night with regard to how our sleep, or lack thereof, can affect obesity and diabetes.  A recent study by the Annals of Internal Medicine (Stop snickering.  There are two Ns in Annals.) looked into just how sleep deprivation can influence our disposition to weight gain.  What the research found was that too little sleep interferes with how our bodies respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates appetite and metabolism.

The study took healthy men and women and limited their sleep to 4.5 hours per night over 4 days.  The experiment found that fat cells were 30% less sensitive to insulin as a result.  These facts lead me to reexamine how my obesity and sleep apnea were so intertwined.  It wasn't as simple as I previously thought.

After over 200 posts, I honestly can't recall how much I have documented the gruesome details of my battle with sleep apnea.  There was a point in my life when I was so sleep deprived that I was often delusional and a danger to myself and others.  I attributed that condition to my obesity and those conclusions were only reinforced by my absence of symptoms with great weight loss.  What I apparently missed was another vital piece of the equation as to how my apnea fed my obesity, not just the other way around.

During the years where my sleep issues were at their worst, my weight skyrocketed exponentially.  I always assumed that external influences such as my father's illness for one, led to overeating.  I have no doubt that my environment was one of many causes of my food addiction, but with this new information, I can see that the rapid move from mid 300s to high 400s over turn of the century was fueled, in part, by a vicious cycle in which one condition fed the other, thereby causing me to feed myself.

Another conclusion from the study was the increased potential for diabetes from sleep deprivation.  Fortunately for me, I dodged that bullet in those dark days.

If you, or someone you know, has issues with snoring excessively or halted breathing during their sleep, please get a sleep study.  Treatment can possibly save a life and be an effective tool in losing weight.  The findings from my studies positively impacted my life in more ways than I can count.  These days, my CPAP machine still helps my wife and I fall asleep, but not in the way it was intended.  I no longer wear it to help me breathe.  My weight loss has made that a non-issue.  It provides some white-noise in which The Wife and I have gotten so accustomed to over the years.  Its familiar "shooshing" sound ferries us off to dreamland nightly.  

Cya Sunday,
M

What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ one egg on whole grain toast
Lunch ~ whole grain pasta w/marinara sauce
Dinner ~ a kitchen sink salad w/tuna, beans, pignoli, onion and homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Exercise ~ none

Food Thursday: 10.18.12

We seem to go through a fair amount of avocados in our house.  Not only do we find them tasty, but they are nutritious to boot.  We like that here.  Get the most bang for your buck in the calorie department.  Half of a medium avocado is about 140 calories and, while it does have 13g of fat, little of it is saturated.  Like everything else, use moderation.


Avocados have been said to have a positive influence on your HDL, the good cholesterol.  If you are like me and have trouble remembering which cholesterol is the good one, think H for healthy.  L could stand for...well...I don't know.  Maybe Loser.  For something so creamy, you wouldn't expect much fiber, but each serving of one half fruit (yes, they are a fruit) has 2g of fiber.  

Avocados are a climacteric fruit, meaning they ripen off the tree.  Can you name another climacteric fruit?  That's right.  Well done.  The banana.  It's hard to find ready to eat, perfect specimens in the store, but look for the darker green to black ones that have a slight "give" when pressed.  If you aren't going to use them in the next 24-36 hours, buy a brighter green one and either leave it on the counter until ripe or place it in a paper bag.  This will speed the process.  It would seem you have a small window for perfection, so keep an eye on them.  If you are using half, leave the pit in and squeeze some lime over it to deter browning in the fridge.  Don't wait long though.  These don't last.

I use avocados in sandwiches, salads, omelets or just by themselves with some sea salt and a spoon.  Oh yeah.  Don't forget guacamole.  Which is the inspiration for this recipe: a deconstructed guacamole.  Today I impart you with my latest favorite sandwich.  I wish I had a picture for you, but I devour them too quickly to get in a photo shoot.  Here is a simple, quick recipe for my A.L.T. Sandwich.  Gone is the bacon in favor of a healthier fat... our buddy, the avocado.

A.L.T. Sandwich

Ingredients
1/3 of a Haas Avocado sliced thin (click HERE to learn how to slice an avocado)
2 toasted slices whole grain bread, such as Pepperidge Farm 9 Grain Natural Whole Grain Bread
1 thin slice of onion (preferably red onion or Vidalia)
1/3 medium tomato, sliced thin
1/4 cup of spring mix lettuce or any lettuce of your preference
1 lime wedge
1 pinch (1/8 tsp) of sea salt (I like Maldon flakes.  They are large and crunchy, adding both flavor and texture)

Method

Do I really need to tell you how to assemble a sandwich?  Nah.  I will say that if you find this too messy to eat, make it open faced.  Once you have layered on your ingredients, just squeeze the lime and sprinkle your salt.

Nutritional Data:
310 calories
12.6g fat (2.5 saturated) 
12.7g protein
49g carbohydrates
14g of fiber
548mg sodium

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Grape-Nuts cereal w/toasted almonds, banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ A.L.T. sandwich
Snack ~ a cup of cream corn soup (no dairy in this)
Dinner ~ some 4-bean salad, a veggie burger on an english muffin w/chipotle mayo, about a dozen shoe-string sweet potato fries and pickle
Night out ~ 3, 71 calorie Kaliber non-alcoholic beers.
Exercise ~ none

W.I.M.H.W. 10.17.12

It was nice to have my first Tuesday off.  As you likely know, I removed Tuesdays from my writing schedule and I have to say, I enjoyed just relaxing last night after a walk around the lake and dinner out.  Tonight it is back to the business at hand.  It's the middle of the week and time once again for What's In My Head Wednesday.


Healthy as a Horse
Hot, then cold.  Hot, then cold.  The temperatures have been back and forth quite a bit over the last month.  There was a time when I would almost always get an ear infection when the weather turned like this.  At the very least, a sore throat would accompany Indian Summer or a quick move into winter.  These days, I feel quite strong.  I am sure that my improved lifestyle has a great deal to do with it.  The garbage I used to put into my body would only make it more susceptible to illnesses.  Now I am giving myself proper defense via my balanced diet.  Add another benefit added to the long list why I am doing this.

What a Waist
It would seem that the clothes I bought recently are fast becoming loose.  For instance, the size 54 jeans I started wearing just a month, or so, are now pretty roomy.  When I first got them, they were on the snug side.  The hardest thing today is keeping myself properly attired for work.  Also, with entertaining gigs and my thirtieth class reunion on the horizon, I have to think about some nicer casual outfits.  I think it is time for a trip to the Walmart to see if I can look sharp on the cheap.

Sitting Isn't the Same
This may sound strange, but who stole my cushion?  Not a pillow or a pad, but MY cushion?  Lately when I am in the car or on the couch, the reduced amount of padding in my keister makes me a tad unsettled.  I'm not saying that I now have a bony ass... far from it.  But there is certainly a noticeable change in my comfort level.  I guess as my glutious maximous becomes my glutious minimous it will be even more discernible.  The other day I was driving along, sure that I had left something on the seat beneath me.  When I checked, there was nothing there.  At least I know that when I hit 195, I won't be a male version of J Lo or whoever else is known for having extra junk in the trunk these days.

Cya Thursday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ A 2 egg omelet w/mushrooms, onions and tomato
Lunch ~ An ALT sandwich.  Avocado, Lettuce and Tomato with a squeeze of lime, some sea salt and onion on whole grain toast.
Snack ~ A Fiber One bar
Dinner ~ Seen here is butternut squash and crispy tofu in a Thai green curry sauce over rice.  Also, a little broccoli.
Exercise ~ 30 minutes on the treadmill

Weigh-in: Week 36

 Well, it's official.  I have lost over 80 lbs.  Yes, yes. Thanks very much. Commence bathing me in adulation.  (I now sit being bathed...)  Enough basking for now.  Thanks for the ego stroking.  Here are the numbers for week 36.




I'm now down to 282.0 lbs.  That's a 3.0 lb. weekly loss and a total of 81.4 lbs shed.  I think, although I can't be certain, this is the least I have weighed since the late 1980's.  If only I looked into the mirror and saw that 26 year old brown-haired dude staring back.  Well, at least I have lost the cheesy, used car salesman mustache.  

My water and body fat percentages are almost at their nexus.  I think the water should exceed the body fat sometime soon.  The water percentage this week rose to 40.4 % and body fat dropped to 43.7%.  

It would appear that "Vegtober" is working for me.   Perhaps I will keep it up until Thanksgiving.  We'll see what November brings.

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ one egg and whole grain toast
Lunch ~ Amy's Samosa and a big ass bowl of miestrone
Afternoon snack ~ Fiber One bar
Dinner ~ I split mussels with Lindsey and The Wife, had a salad, some bread and broiled seafood over whole wheat spaghetti.  Skinny Cinnamon Dolce.
Exercise ~ none 

A.L.O.E. 10.14.12

It's been a pretty relaxing weekend.  Tab and I were treated to a lovely dinner with the parents of two dogs we fostered last year.  It was to celebrate their one year anniversary.  Nice people, great food and interesting conversation.  It doesn't get better than that. Right?  Well, not until the weekend brings you a Giant win over the supposed "Best Team in Football."  That's a good way to cap off the weekend.  Oh.  That and a big pot of minestrone on the stove.  Let's get into A Little Of Everything.

Vitamin D
Ask anyone how to get more Vitamin D in their diet and 90% of people have been programmed to give the answer, drink milk.  That may not be a formal study, but I'm sure it's up there close to 90.  There are plenty of ways other than dairy to get in the Recommended Daily Allowance.  I, for one, am supposed to be supplementing with Vitamin D.  My bloodwork a few months back showed a deficiency.  Vitamin D is what aids in the absorption of calcium into the system.  Given the surgery I had ten years ago already made calcium an issue for me, not getting enough D is potentially a problem.  Why do I mention this?  Because last night I read an article from Men's Fitness about foods that are a good source of Vitamin D.  I thought I would lay out some ways other than dairy for you all to get in your RDA of D.  

• Sun is a great source.  Just by being out in the sun, your body converts it into Vitamin D.  Be sure to take all of the proper precautions for your skin, but get outside.  Soak in some rays.
• Three ounces of tuna can provide 40% of your daily value needed.  Limit tuna to once a week due to mercury concerns, but both tuna and wild salmon are great in this D-partment.  I like turning out a can of solid white tuna into a salad with a red wine vinaigrette.
• Eggs and shiitake mushrooms are both good sources, so why not knock out about 16% of your requirements with a two-egg mushroom omelet?  

Of course, supplements are another way to go, but getting these things through nature, rather than a processed source seems to make more sense to me.  Either way, give your bones a break and get more D.  Wait... perhaps, that was a poor choice of words.

A Little Confession
Okay.  I swore off alcohol for the month.  When we went out to dinner on Saturday and our gracious hosts asked my preference for which type of wine to bring to the BYOB restaurant, I replied that I wasn't drinking wine these days.  Good for me.  Yet, when we sat down and I saw what looked like an interesting bottle of white, I caved and said I would have just a little sip.  And literally a sip was all I had... until the entrees came.  Then it was just another sip.  Truth be told, I drank what probably amounted to about a third of a glass of wine.  I savored every delicious drop.  Do I feel guilty?  Nope.  But, I did feel the need to come clean here in the TDT195 confessional.  

Picture Imperfect
While my reflection in a window might be more palatable to me these days, I still cringe when I see photos of myself.  I have never felt that I was very photogenic to begin with, but I still dread seeing images of myself of Facebook, or anywhere else for that matter.  I spent a little time this weekend de-tagging myself from a shots from last week's Octoberfest party.  What I tend to see is an obese man who is looking quite old these days.  There's no pity party here and please do not post messages about how great I look or how handsome I am.  This isn't a fishing expedition.  Just an observation on my part.  Nothing more.  I suppose someday there might come a time when I can look at myself with a feeling of accomplishment and pride.  I just ain't there yet.

Cya for weigh-in on Monday night,
M

What I ate Sunday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Flax Granola w/banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ avocado, sliced onion and lettuce on whole grain toast w/lime juice and sea salt was a VERY tasty concoction on my part
Snack ~ a Fiber One bar
Dinner ~ two big bowls of my homemade minestrone with some grated cheese on top
Exercise ~ none

Well That Was Fun

Interestingly enough, the original idea for this blog was for it to have a significant amount of space devoted to a diary.  I was going to document the day-to-day life of a shrinking man and his addiction.  Then I realized something.  My life ain't all that interesting and if I wouldn't find it worth reading, who else would?  
Luckily, other content found its way in to fill the space.  But some things might be worth writing about and if nothing else, I get to reflect via putting it out into the universe.  So today is a "Dear diary," kind of day.

The last two weeks have been extremely stressful.  I have already written about Tab's trip to the hospital and, while she is feeling much better, we haven't gotten to the root of her issues.  Her blood work all looks good and she seems satisfied.  Also, last week I came across some issues at work that related to customer returns.  Returns of great size impact my income.  You want to stress me out?   Money is a quick way to do it.  I'm over that now and there were some valuable lessons learned.

This week brought on a whole new load of stress and in deference to the parties concerned, I won't go into details.  I'll just say that it is ultimately up each of us to convey the image by which we'd like to be perceived.  If others have a misconception of where you are coming from or what you are about, it isn't their issue as much as it is yours.  A great life lesson that I learned twenty years ago is that perception is more important than reality in relationships of any kind.  The other person's reality is based on their perception.  You can only control the input they process to reach conclusions.  Once you realize that, you are miles ahead in building strong bonds.  Be thoughtful with your words and actions.  They write the script of the life others view.  As much as we might say it doesn't matter what others think... it does.

At some point I have to wonder how my appearance impacts the perception of how the world interacts with me.  I've written a lot about perceptions of ability and how others see my self-worth, but I don't think I have given much thought to any possibility that my weight could color how others see my intent or character.  I will be looking closely at this in upcoming months as I grow thinner.  I want to be seen as not only a positive force, but as someone who believes they are. 

There has been a great deal of effort put into my body in the last eight months.  I guess it is time to put some effort into the real me on the inside and how I am truly seen in the world.  I don't fault others for what I may see as misconceptions.  Truth is, they may actually have some shred of insight into something I have been missing.  The fault lies with me for not making myself be seen in the way I would like to be.  There is an upside to the tribulations I have encountered this week.  There were some valuable lessons learned without too much cost in the grand scheme of things.  Just a little sleep and some worry.  Perhaps, a few fences to mend.  Now I start fresh with it all behind me and an expanded scope of what Mike.2 will be like when he reaches actuality.

Cya Sunday,
M

What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ a Starbucks' Protein Bistro Box and Skinny Vanilla Latte
Lunch ~ Tuna on whole grain bread
Snack ~ Fiber One Oats and Chocolate bar
Dinner ~ I split a tri-colored with Tab and had seafood over whole wheat spaghetti w/spicy marinara.  I mostly at e the seafood.
Exercise ~ none

Food Thursday: 10.11.12

My thoughts are all about vegetables this month since I am on the meat wagon.  Or is that 'off the wagon'.  Well I am on the wagon for alcohol, so I guess the same is true for the meat.  I'm getting confused.  I need a brain colonic I suppose.  Let's take a look at what I'll be cooking with in this fall.

I do loves me my veggies and in the fall months a whole new pallet comes around in the markets.  Sure.  Much of this stuff is available year round, but the fresh local stuff is a cut above and will certainly elevate your plate to new heights.  Here are a few items that I will be using more of and loving every biteful in these cooler temps.

Do you know my friend, parsnip?  If not, you should.  Parsnips totally rock.  I also just found out recently that they are also called parsley root.  Parsnips may look like carrots, but taste nothing like them.  To me, they are reminiscent of celery root.  If you haven't met my friend celery root, you should.  But that is another entry.  I feel parsnips are best when roasted.  They get like candy.  So sweet and caramelized, I could eat them by the bushel.  To roast them, simply cut them into as identical bite-sized pieces as possible and place them in a zip-top bag with some olive oil, garlic salt and pepper.  Roast them in a 450 degree oven for 40 minutes or so, or until they are golden brown and delicious.  Be sure to turn them occasionally.   Dark brown good. Black, baaad.  These are on every holiday table for me.  They are that good.

Sweet potatoes are a staple in our household.  We tend to eat more of them in the fall however.  I guess orange food is meant for autumn.  Except for oranges.  And Carrots.  I mean oranges are more summer.  Okay.  Forget the orange thing.  I have to work that theory out yet.  Growing up I never liked these things.  But as I got older, just like Brussels sprouts and asparagus, I learned to love them.  Tab is also a sweet tater freak, so early on in our relationship we ate tons of them.  You can roast them just like the parsnips, or a simple tasty method is to just steam 3/4" cubes until tender and toss with a TINY bit of EVOO, garlic salt and pepper.  These are so much better than white potatoes (which I also love), due to their lower glycemic index.  Oh.  By the way?  These are NOT yams.  In this country we may call them yams, but yams they ain't.  Yams aren't really indigenous to North America, mostly on the African continent.  What you can call them is deeeelicious.

Squashes are also of a sweeter taste, so I guess there is a theme here.  I so enjoy butternut, acorn and kabocha.  I wrote a lot about kabocha in the early months of this blog and I think it is time to get back into the kabocha state of mind.  All three of these yellow/orange squashes roast up the same way the previous paragraphs describe, and steaming also does justice to them.  And yes.  You guessed it.  EVOO also fits into the pattern, but perhaps a smattering of maple syrup, buttery spread and cayenne over the top is more your thing. They are all easy to prepare and go well with most meat dishes or simply on their own.

The veggies I write of here are just a few of my favorites.  Maybe it is my child-like sensibility that likes the sweeter things in life.  And that is a great point to make.  Get your kids to like these.  How better to get kids to eat vegetables than to have them taste like candy?  Try several attempts if the first few times do not succeed.  Studies show that it can take the human palate 12-15 times to learn to like something new and with the nutrients these things pack in, it is worth the time to have them in your family's mealtime rotation.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Nature's Path Peanut Butter granola isn't all that peanut buttery, but it was good with bananas and almond milk.  If Elvis were alive today, and maybe he is, he'd love this breakfast.
Lunch ~ A Greek salad that was overly dressed.  No worries though.  I didn't eat much of the salad itself.  The accoutrements were more than enough and very good on their own.  Olives, stuffed grape leaves, anchovies and a couple wedges of pita made for a great lunch.
Dinner ~ 3 oz. of whole grain pasta with a diced up veggie burger, white beans and marinara.  Not one of my better ideas, but not terrible either.
Exercise ~ none

W.I.M.H.W. 10.10.12

This is sort of  non-post post.  Wednesday is about where my head is at and or the last few days it hasn't been too good.  I have some heavy duty stuff going on at work and it is hard to stay focused on anything but that.  So I leave you with an apology for the missing content and if you started at this spot, move on to Food Thursday.  There will definitely be something there for you.

Cya,
M

Down to Five

A few months ago I dropped Saturdays from my blogging routine in order to give myself some more free time and take a single day break from writing.  I was on the fence back then about perhaps giving up Tuesdays as well.  While I really could have used the free time, I kept Tuesday alive because I wanted to maintain my writing momentum and keep the readership from wondering which days to expect a post.  Now that I seem to have established a core of repeat readers that aren't the occasional, but very, very welcome visitors, I have decided to step away from the Tuesday blogs as well.

I may still post a Tuesday offering here or there, but at least until January, I am lightening the load, giving my die hard visitors a break from me.  Hopefully I will use the time wisely, but you know about the best laid plans.  They often do not to come to fruition as life or complacency gets in the way.

I value each and every one of you and, not only appreciate your support, but thrive on it.  Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you on Wednesday for my WIMHW post.

Cya,
M

What I ate Tuesday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs and a Starbuck's Skinny Mocha
Lunch ~ Vegetable maki roll from Whole Foods
Dinner ~ Tilapia over kale and white beans
Late night ~ Decaf tea with fat free half n half

Weigh in: Week 35

Down and dirty this week.  Right down to business.  I've had a very long day and it's starts all again tomorrow.  Just a reminder though  to anyone who hasn't entered into the "When Will Mike Lose 100?" contest for a free Magic Bullet.  Go to the post for 9/25 and put in your best guess.  The contest closes at midnight on 10/15.  Only 5 or 6 entries so far, so your chances are good!

This week I shed a whole ...wait for it... whopping... 0.2 lbs.!  Really?  My one day of exemption totally screwed me I guess, but the the rest of the month will totally rock.  I know it will.  Total weight loss so far is 77.6 lbs.  My water percentage was at 39.7 for the week rising slightly.  Actually, it rose 0.2%  There seems to be a theme running here.  Body fat remained unchanged at 44.9%.

Cya tomorrow,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ a Cliff Bar in the car en route to a meeting
Lunch ~ business lunch at the diner.  Bean soup and salmon Caesar salad
Dinner ~ business dinner consisted of mussels, scallops and shimp (shared 3 ways) and tuna w/carrots and snow peas.  Oh.  And a side salad.  No bread, no wine.  Yay me
Exercise ~ none

A.L.O.E. 10.07.12

Welcome back, weight loss fans.  Another week in the books and here I sit on the couch, grinding out another Sunday entry of this 'n that.  A Little Of Everything Sunday, comin' at ya.

Octoberfest Recap
If you have been following along with the blog at all, you know that I have gone vegetarian for this month.  Ovo-lacto-pescatarian to be more exact.  A dry ovo-lacto-pescatarian to be more exact.  No meat or alcohol, but some eggs, fish and a small amount of dairy.  Yesterday was my ONE day this month that I allowed myself to stray.  How did I do?  Well, let's take a look at what I downed.  TOO MUCH!  Keep in mind  I was at this party for around 7.5 hours and this basically covered two meals, but call a spade a spade.  It was too much.  Along with 5 beers over that time, I had about 18 Little Neck clams, 1 piece of my Dijon rosemary chicken, 1 slice of pepperoni bread, a cup of venison chili, a few slices of venison sausage, a small taste of chicken pot pie casserole and about 1/3 of a burger patty (no roll).  All-in-all too much.  Take away the casserole and the pepperoni bread and beer and I would have been okay with saying this was a good TDT195 day.  As it was, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I was back on the right path today.

Surprise Test
I got a text from my niece last night asking us to join them for best friend Doug's last minute birthday party.  On the menu?  Fondue and salad.  WHAT?  That's a scary test for me.  Not as bad as it might seem.  "Fondue" refers to the pot or method, not necessarily cheese.  And this wasn't a cheese fondue.  Fondue can be a pot of hot oil used to cook small tidbits of food, such as beef, chicken, vegetables, etc.  Today there were all of those available as well as tofu, shrimp and mushrooms.  I opted for everything but the meats and was sure to blot my freshly cooked morsels on my napkin, prior to devouring them.  Before to the feast and during the game, I passed on the beer offered and chose water, ate about 6 tortilla chips with either salsa or guacamole and about 6 multi-grain crackers.  I give myself an A- for today.  Once again, this was in place of 2 meals.  Oops!  I forgot dessert.  Doug was nice enough to make a special slushy for me comprising of frozen strawberries and blueberries.  Thanks, Doug!

Teen Angst
There was a piece in local papers and on the news this week about one of my town's two high schools' cafeteria.  Parsippany Hills High School students held a protest of their cafeteria on Friday by brown-bagging their lunch instead of purchasing the fare provided by the school's lunchroom vendor.  Why?  Cue the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  What does Mrs. O. have to do with this?  Her "Let's Move" initiative calls for more veggies and less protein and bread.  That movement (no pun intended) prompted new laws governing school lunch content and funding.  The revised menus in the school, as part of new federal laws, have fewer calories, more vegetables and, as a result, the students find them less filling.  They want their bigger meals back.  A turkey sandwich now has 1/3 less meat and 1/3 less bread than before, but the meals still come in at around 800 calories.  What will come of this if the protest continues?  Layoffs of cafeteria personnel is my guess.  Little more.  Hopefully the meals the kids bring with them aren't bags of crap that will undo what this one decent federal law tries to achieve.  From TDT195 News, I'm Mike Accardi reporting.

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Grape-Nuts Cereal w/craisins and almond milk
Lunch/Dinner ~ See above
Snacking on the couch at night ~ My hot and sweet carrot pickles.  YUM!
Exercise ~ None

Why Today?

I am heading up to partake in one of my friend Ray's Octoberfest parties that occur weekly at his lake house in Connecticut.  As I have mentioned several times, I will be making a one day exception to the no meat/no alcohol rule for October.  I am very much looking forward to partaking of the grilled meats, chili, sausages and the six pack of Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest beer I picked up.  When I step back and look at it, I have to wonder why?  To paraphrase my Jewish friends at Passover, "How is this day different from all other days?"

I've been giving great thought to how Thanksgiving will be spent this year.  I am looking to come up healthier recipes to replace the normal deep fried turkey, Mom's stuffing (perhaps my favorite food on the planet), buttery mashed potatoes, etc.  There will be no substitute for Pillsbury crescent rolls I butter up and thrown down my pie hole like a death row glutton.  How does that Thursday, now just six weeks away, differ from today in terms of gustatorial debauchery?  I am not looking to gorge myself later today when I hit the deck at Ray's, but I have been reeeeaally looking forward to the food.  I know for one thing, Thanksgiving means enough leftovers to feed the Duggar clan for a week.  I guess there is one big difference.  Perhaps another reason is that Thanksgiving has turned more into being about the food than about family and giving thanks.  Today was designed to be about the food and drink.

I'm not sure I will rectify this quandary before before hitting celebration at Ray's, but I will be giving it some more serious thought on the scenic drive up there.  Hopefully that reflection will cause me to tread lighter on the buffet.  Perhaps I will bring a cigar or two to occupy my hands and mouth, rather than lifting a kielbasa off the food table.  The cigar is certainly more attractive than walking around waving a pigsicle between my fingers.  I'll let you know on Sunday how I did.

Cya then,
M

What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ sushi with my best friend Doug, to celebrate his birthday. Oh...and some tom yum soup and a fortune cookie
Dinner ~ whole grain pasta w/marinara, veggie 'meat' crumbles and some parmigiano cheese
Snack ~ fresh mango on the couch with The Wife
Exercise ~ none

Food Thursday: 10.04.12

First off, a very happy anniversary to my lovely wife Tabitha.  It's hard to believe it has been four years.  Now with the public declarations and mushy stuff out of the way, we can get to the business at hand...good eats.  I made a batch of minestrone last week to kick of what I think of as soup season and it was pretty darned tasty.  It's a mixture of a few recipes I have tried and I think you will find it simple, nutritious and just plain good.  The key is putting in the ingredients at the right times, so that the vegetables have a nice toothsome quality.  I use vegetable stock so that The Vegan Wife will eat it, but low sodium chicken stock would be great too.  Add some pasta shells or cavetappi and you've got pasta fagioli.  Mangiare e buon appetito!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 1 cup carrots, cut into irregular 1/2" pieces, for that rustic look
• 1 cup celery, 1/4" slices
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 4 cups good quality canned diced tomatoes, liquid included
• 5 cups veg stock
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato, diced (about 1-1.5 cups)
• 1 medium zucchini cut into 1/4" half moons
• 1/2  15 oz. can each of red beans, cannelini beans and chick peas (all rinsed)
• 2 cups, packed, baby spinach (or, for extra nutrition, sub thin ribbons of kale)
• 8-10 basil leaves, sliced thin
• 1 salt to taste

Method

• In a stock pot, over medium heat, heat your oil until shimmering and add the onions, carrots and celery, cooking until the onions are tender. (about 5-7 minutes)
• Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
• Add tomato paste through black pepper, stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add your tomatoes, stock and potatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. (uncovered)
• Add the zucchini and beans, stir gently so as to not break your beans, then cook for an additional 7 minutes.
• Gently stir in your spinach and basil
• Salt to taste. (I generally salt before I put in the potatoes, but not knowing how salty your stock will be, I instruct you to salt at the end.)

This is great with some whole grain crusty bread and grated parmigiano cheese on top.  Keep in mind, it is perfectly okay to add or subtract whatever veggies you prefer.  If you don't like chick peas?  Leave them out or sub another bean.  This is just a basic framework for you to experiment and have fun, while making simple good nutritious food.  Feel free to involved the kids.  There is no better way to get them to eat vegetables than to have them cook something themselves.

Cya next time,

M

What I ate Thursday and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Amy's Samosa wrap

Lunch ~ Boca burger w/pickles, lite mayo, organic ketchup and tomato

Dinner ~ Out with The Wife for our anniversary, I have a small salad and seafood fra diavolo over pasta.

Exercise ~ none

W.I.M.H.W. 10.03.12

Welcome to the midweek brain dump of things that are in my scary large cranium.  The Wife tells me I have a big noggin.  I think she is just doesn't recognize how much it takes to harness all this brain power.  I hope that when I lose all of my weight I don't look like a bobble-head or Bratz doll.  Here is What's In My Head this Wednesday.

Lighten Up Francis
Yes.  My middle name is Francis, but this isn't about me.  The woman I speak of isn't even named Frances.  I would like Jennifer Livingston of WKBT in Wisconsin to lighten up.  She is a news anchor at Channel 8 News and recently received an email which called her out for being fat and setting a bad example for youth by being an obese public figure.  This email was done privately, to her alone, and while not very kind, used no name calling and was just plain insensitive.  Ms. Livingston took over 4 minutes of her station's time to call out this so-called "bully" and used this upsetting email as a platform to decry bullies everywhere.  Who was bullied?  The definition of bully I found is as follows: A person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.  This guy holds no power over her and is not trying to intimidate her.  I'm sorry, folks.  Insulting or telling someone your opinion of them does not constitute bullying.  As an obese person myself, I can say that what the emailer stated wasn't totally off the mark.  It wasn't constructive and it was hurtful.  Does her being an obese public figure set a bad example?  Maybe.  Bullying?  No.  Lighten up, Jennifer.
View the video here and let me now what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOpqd0rQSo

Three Cheers For The Losers
I hear from you folks frequently about weight you have lost and how some of you have been inspired to do so from my efforts.  If that doesn't warm one's cockles, what would?  I love hearing that.  So I would like to shout out to Megan, Sharon and Bill for their efforts and successes in improving their lives.  The ladies let me know that TDT195 helped helped spur them on.  I can't speak for Mr. Bill.  I don't know if it was the blog that motivated him, but I am proud of him all the same.  Also, kudos to Steve for his 45 lbs. lost this summer.  You all inspire me to keep going.

Yesterday, But Today
I got slammed with issues and as a result, yesterday's blog post went up at around 4:30 PM today.  If you haven't read it, please do.  It gives some insight into addictions.  My insights mind you and I am not a trained professional, but I think my thoughts are on the money.  Why not give it a read?

Cya tomorrow for a minestrone recipe,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs w/onion and tomato
Lunch ~ a Boca Burger w/tomato, lettuce, lite mayo, ketchup and pickle on a whole grain deli flat
Dinner ~ African Stew is one of my favorites.  Admittedly, this wasn't the best batch ever, but it was pretty good and a nutritional powerhouse.  It is sweet potatoes, brown rice, kale and chick peas in a sauce made with veg broth and peanut butter, among other things.
Exercise ~ If I can get my PC working properly, I will get on the treadmill.  but mark me for none, given the likelihood of that.

Perceptions and Misconceptions

We all have our own mishegas.  Little  idiosyncrasies that cause us to overeat, smoke, shop, drink too much, gamble or even do drugs.  What is interesting to me is that so many people have their own universal truths that they see as empirical about addiction.  I espouse many of mine right here in these pages.  The fact remains, however, that each of us has our own truths unique to ourselves.  What causes Mike to be a food addict is based on an amalgam of his life experiences and are totally different than what causes Betty to gamble her paycheck away each week.

The same holds true for what motivates us to break the cycle.  I haven't ever totally explained my reasoning for making changes in my life and, perhaps, some day I will, but for now, it's too personal.  What amazes me is that too many people have an idea in their head as to what will fix everyone else.  "It worked for me, it should work for everyone!"  Ummmm... no.  Let me give an example.  

I had lunch the other day with my adopted family.  I call them my adopted family because not only are we very much alike, but I love their humor, commitment to each other and their craziness (and I say that in a good way).  We always enjoy each other's company and laugh our butts off when sitting around the table.  The sense that we are like family was driven home to me by the fact that five of them, from three different households, showed up to have lunch with me on a weekday and spend time.  There was no special occasion other than the fact that I was coming for lunch.   That is very moving to me.

The father of my adopted family was telling of his theories of how to break addictions and what will undoubtedly make anyone realize that they need to adopt change.  For ease of storytelling, let's call him Ed.  Ed was saying that once someone realizes that their behaviors are going to kill them, their survival instincts will kick in and make them stop, just like showing a diseased lung to a smoker or a ravaged liver to a drinker.  Ed was in Vietnam and saw some atrocious things that he, and many like him, never speak of.  Those atrocities were inflicted by those that were nicknamed "Charlie." (The VC, or Viet Cong in military speak is "Victor/Charlie"  Why they didn't call them Victor, I have no clue.)  Ed wanted to quit smoking after being scared shitless and hacking up black bile in a coughing fit one day.  He knew he was killing himself.  From then on, he thought of his cigarettes as Charlie and told himself  "I won't let Charlie kill me!" each time he craved a smoke.  That mindset served him well in Vietnam and would be used save him in the battle against tobacco.  I thought it was a great way for Ed to give a face to the devil on his shoulder and kick the habit all those years ago.

What I tried to explain to Ed was two-fold.  Just as his unique experiences let him beat nicotine, someone else's unique history could just as easily prevent them from doing so.  When an addict is so engulfed in his or her addiction, sometimes they don't care if they live or die.  They just seek their next fix.  Knowing it could kill them doesn't matter.  Unless they can visualize something better as an alternative to death, they will choose the addiction every time.  That is why I encourage everyone to see and be what things can be like when they cut lose from their damaging habits.  Too many people can't see past their next, pizza/cigarette/high/wager to understand what life could be like without it.  Visualization of something that positively takes hold of you and believing it is attainable is key.  There has to realistic hope for a better life.

Secondly, (I have said this before here, so forgive me) that while I do not diminish anyone's addictions, food is a totally different animal.  We can all do without any other addictive behavior, but going cold turkey on eating, just makes you one very cold turkey.  You have to eat no matter what.  Steer clear of the vodka and Marlboros and you can physically survive.  So the rationale used in putting down the butts, booze and bong just doesn't apply.

Find what moves you to want something better.  It won't be what moves Ed or Betty, but you are the most import piece of your equation.  Visualize how good life can be and work toward it.  If things can be broken down into a simplified equation, that would be it.  Unfortunately, things aren't ever that simple and there are no universal truths other than in your own personal universe.

Cya later,
M

What I ate Tuesday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ a Cliff Mojo bar en route to an all day meeting
Lunch ~ an Indian samosa wrap
Snack ~ some almonds and a grande Mocha Lite Frappaccino
Dinner ~ seared ahi appetizer and wood-fired salmon with mango salsa, steamed asparagus and broccoli
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 34

Well, this weigh-in will serve as a benchmark for the upcoming "reboot" month.  The weight loss this past week was consistent with the typical losses in the last two months.  Hence the reversion back to month one tactics.  Let's look at the numbers for the 34th weigh-in.

The scale settled in on 286.0 lbs. this week.  That is a whopping 1 lb. loss for the week and a total of 77.4 lbs.  The body fat percentage dropped but a mere 0.1% to 44.9 and the water held steady at 39.5%    

If you would like to know more about my October plans, I recommend that you check out the previous blog entry for details.

Cya Tuesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Basic 4 cereal, half a banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ A wonderful lunch and the home of some friends.  I had one slice each of a red pepper and a zucchini frittata, some salads and some sauteed broccoli rabe
Dinner ~ Tuna sandwich and vegetable soup at Panera
Exercise ~ 2.8 miles around the lake

A.L.O.E. 09.30.12

The month of September flew by, didn't it?  October first will bring more of a chill to the air and a color-splash throughout the landscape.  It is truly is my favorite time of year.  Except leaf duties, of course.  I hate raking leaves with every fiber of my being.  If it weren't for that, it could be autumn all year long as far as I am concerned.  The season is also bringing some revisions to my program.  Just for the month of October, mind you.  Below I will list a few of the details on this A Little Of Everything Sunday.

Reboot
When using my laptop, I seldom shut it down.  I close the lid and when I open it I go back about my business as before.  That is, of course, until I see things start to slow down a bit.  The programs running are the same and they chug along and run through their scripts, but it would seem with less urgency.  My drive to 195 has gotten a bit like my laptop.  It is supposed to be a slow process, but over the past couple of months I would have liked to have seen a tad more.  So, it's time to reboot.  Go back to the start and begin anew.  As of October first, I will be getting back to the same routine I had in February.  During that month I stayed away from meat and alcohol in order to give myself the best head start possible.  I did allow fish once or twice per week and in October I will do the same.  This will also give me a boost, both mentally and weight-wise, heading into the most treacherous of seasons, the holidays. (DUM, DUM, DUUUUMMMM.  Cue scary music here.)

Bread Again
I am also swearing off white flour in the month of October.  Breads, pastas, pretzels and such have become more than the every so often exceptions that they were meant to be in TDT195.  Whole grains only for me this month.  White flour is practically legalized crack and as the ads told us, crack is whack, yo.  Sigh...I've never been able to pull off that ghetto thing too well.

It's Not Easy Being Uncheesey
I limited dairy as well in the opening stages of this project.  In the last few months, I have seen cheese become too prevalent in my food logs, so I will try to limit that as well.  I'll still have the small amount of parmigiano on my pasta or in a soup or salad, but no slices of anything in my sandwiches and omelets.  My only dairy will come in the form of my fat free half and half for my decaf.

One Day
There is one day when these rules will not apply.  My friend Ray hosts an annual block of parties in each of the weekends of October.  This coming Saturday I will drive up to his lake house in Connecticut and I will enjoy a few beers, some meat off the grill and perhaps white flour here or there.  Then on Sunday it is back to the vegetarian life until November first.  Beef jerky, you will be missed.

Cya for Weigh-in on Monday Night,
Mike

What I ate on Sunday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Basic 4 cereal and almond milk
Lunch ~ Turkey, ultra-thin sliced cheddar, roasted peppers and lite chipotle mayo on whole grain bread
Dinner ~ Turkey chili on whole grain elbows w/lite sour cream and hot sauce.
Exercise ~ none