Back to Reality

The reality of the whole situation is that my back is a mess.  Hey there, weight-loss fans. Thanks for gracing these pages with your time.  I've been coping with severe back pain since last Saturday, so that has been consuming much of my head space.  I just got up from a chair last week and BOOM!  Pain.  There's been several trips to my chiropractor this week and I am getting some relief, but I'm far from 100%

The good news that being off my feet for much of the week has greatly improved the condition of my right knee.  I guess it just needed the rest. The not so great news is that tomorrow, Friday the 16th, I have my first solo gig at a local restaurant/bar.  I've never carried a whole night by myself before and singing with back pain, wasn't the way I wanted to start.  As my friend Linda told me, "Just say yes to drugs!"  That's a funny line, but I may just have to medicate, prior to leaving.

One might be inclined to blame my recent relapse and weight gain for the back issues.  The truth is that I have always had them, so I won't use that as the sole excuse.  But I can't ignore that I'd be in a much better place with my back pain if I didn't carry so much weight up front. To that end, I am still determined.

Speaking of my determination, I've been fairly solid since we last spoke. Aside from the one wine at dinner which I wrote about last week, no alcohol for this guy.  My meals have been sensible, not Spartan.  I'm enjoying my food.  Being on the couch and icing my back doesn't help in burning calories, but I'm happy that I am still steadfast in maintaining a lifestyle change.

There's plenty to write about these days and I hope to find time this weekend to spout off on a host of topics.  You all be well until the next time we meet.

Cya,
M

What I ate today:
Breakfast ~ On my way to "The Shaman", aka my chiropractor, I grabbed an eggwhite McMuffin and a coffee.
Lunch ~ Mom arrived from Maryland in need of sustenance.  I whipped up a quickie tuna salad, which we ate on 100 calorie sandwich thins and I had a bit of beef barley soup with mine.
Snack ~ I have been tossing down some homemade pickled cukes and carrots here and there.  Spicy crunchy deliciousness.  Mmmmmm...
Dinner ~ I enjoyed some pea soup and about 3 oz of flank steak, plus mixed veggies, a pile of cabbage and an O'Douls.  I brought half home for another meal.  I like getting a meal that I enjoy and only eating half. It makes my restaurant experience so much more fulfilling.  

Weekly Recap: Friday 05.09.14

Howdy, partners.  I am in a cowboy kinda mood I guess, because I just got back from dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse.  I can sum up the week pretty easy in a few sentences, then I will circle back around to tonight's vittles.

My week went very well.  My eating was on point every day and despite feeling a little "blue" about my current relationship status, I didn't seek to sooth the malaise with garbage. That was Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Then Friday came...

Today was stressful.  I will spare you the boring details, but come five o'clock, my friend Alex and I were scheduled to have dinner.  I broke my week-plus long abstinence from alcohol and enjoyed a long pour of Cabernet.  I've had fish or chicken most of this week and when I saw that the Longhorn had dinners under 500 calories that included steak, I said, "Okay.  Some red meat won't kill you, or even worse, derail you."  I am a little regretful about breaking the seal on my wine embargo, but it was a one off thing.  It will be a while before I tipple again.

Before I leave you, a big shout out to Bill and Fiona, who celebrate 27 years today and Tom and Sue, who mark 44 years of wedded bliss tomorrow.  Bravo, folks.  Love you all.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today:
Breakfast ~ Blueberry flax granola w/half a banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ Leftover turkey burger and roasted eggplant tossed with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and 1 oz. of whole wheat pasta.
Dinner ~ Caesar salad (no croutons, of course), asparagus, a 7oz. flat iron steak and my wine probably were about 700 calories in total. The day likely came in around 1700 calories, so all-in-all, not tragic.

"Comfort" Food?

Isn't is an interesting paradox that so-called comfort food makes us so uncomfortable? Usually when you sink into something you consider comfort food, you do so with gusto and inevitably overdo it, thus making you feel sluggish, sick, foggy-headed or any of dozens of symptoms.  Ironically, none of which are comforting or comfortable.

It's human nature to resort to the familiar in times of need. Much like someone who habitually goes back to an old discarded lover when they are feeling blue and alone.  They crave a reconnection to an ingrained recognizable guilty pleasure.  Inhibitions are cast aside and they relish the short-term pleasure, ignoring the imminent consequences.  You know you are going to regret it, yet you start a vicious cycle of self-loathing and misery. You dive in, head first, and do laps in the loony pool.  Can you say "drunk dialing?"  Well consider the fridge my cellphone and left over pizza my ex.  The theory is the same.  Let's do something that we will regret to make us feel better about ourselves.  Are you feeling the bugnuts, batshit craziness I'm layin' down here?

Somehow I (we) need to figure out a way to reprogram the wiring in our heads to seek out a roasted veg salad instead of pizza, creamy mashed cauliflower instead of mac and cheese, a piece of fruit instead of ice cream.  How about instead of bacon...well, don't be stupid.  There is no substitute for bacon, so screw that.  Just don't reach for it when you are vulnerable.  Loooves me some bacon!

Our heads are complicated and, too often, masochistic things, are they not?  Let's learn to identify our motivation and act with prudence when looking toward our taste buds to cure what ails our hearts.  Yeah, yeah. You are shaking your head saying "If it were only that easy."  Well, it ain't that easy, which is why I write this infernal blog.  If it were that easy, I'd be out in the world, thin, fit and climbing on a mountain or someone of the opposite sex.  Instead, I'm at the dining room table, typing away on my laptop.  We should give it a try just the same.  We might have less to seek comfort from if we did.

Be well, my friends.

Until the next time,
M

What I ate today:
Breakfast ~ Re-purposing lasts night's dinner, I had a turkey burger sliced crosswise, topped with perfectly fried eggs and roasted peppers.
Lunch ~ There was some homemade frozen brown rice jambalaya in the freezer, which I nuked.
Dinner ~ TBD, but likely a broiled fish and some veggies.

Three Day Recap: 05.05.14

Here's a quick rundown of my last three days, in which I think I did pretty darn good.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to celebrate the 50th birthday of my friend Gordon and the 50th of perhaps my oldest dear friend, Donna.  At these gatherings I managed to A: Not drink, B: Lay off fatty snacks and C: Avoid the cake.  At both parties, I did allow myself about 6 chips or pretzels with salsa or guac, I ate meats and veggies off the grill without benefit of buns, and steered clear of cheese on anything.  There was plenty of opportunity to indulge, but rather than see it as temptation, I really didn't want any of it.  There was no longing for the seven layer dip or macaroni salad.

Dessert did nothing for me.  I didn't feel deprived in the slightest.  The proper mindset is coming back to me and life is good.  All I want is to eat something healthy, or at the very least do no damage.


Today was no exception.  I ate well all day and this evening went to my poker league.  Poker nights are usually a opportunity to not only spend way too much money on food an drink, but it turns into almost a Bacchanalia of indulgence.  Tonight I ate at home.  At poker I enjoyed two O'Doul's non-alcoholic beers and that was it.  I wound up spending about a quarter of what I usually would and was alert and wide awake the whole evening.  Usually I am in a fog after a few drinks and a big meal.  I guess it showed in my playing, because out of three eleven-person tournies, I took a first and a second.

It seems like I am back strong.  Sure.  One day at a time.  I won't be doing a victory dance until I am done, but I am happy with this turnaround in mindset.

Cya next time,
Mike

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Coffee w/fat-free half and half and blueberry flax granola w/almond milk
Snack ~ A 100 calorie yogurt
Lunch ~ A fish taco, much like showed the other night
Snack ~ About 6 whole wheat pretzel sticks
Dinner ~ I cracked open the grill for the first time this season.  I grilled up eggplant, red peppers, asparagus and turkey burgers.  On my burger I had some home made guac made from the pico leftover from last week and some fresh avocado.

I Kneed You Now

More like, I need a new knee now. Okay.  That's an exaggeration.  For years I had no issues with my knees. Sure, the normal aches and pains that go along with aging, but nothing debilitating.  Recently I was in the kitchen and a lateral movement caused a sudden, sharp pain in my right knee. I really didn't think much of it.  A week later I was in a doctor's office having Lake Erie drained from my from the offending joint.  He back-filled it with cortisone.  The x-rays show typical arthritis for a fifty-year-old.  The doctor was surprised after I told him what I once weighed.  He was shocked that my knee was in as good a shape as it was.

Fast forward three weeks.  I still have pain and now an MRI is in order. Doc says that walking is out of the question for exercise.  This means I have a $1500 coat rack in my living room as the dreadmill is useless.  I will likely need some surgery to repair and hopefully four weeks after, I will be as good as new... or at least as good as previously owned and dealer certified. 

Cya next time,
Mike

What I ate today:
Breakfast ~ An egg sandwich on a 100 calorie bagel thin.
Lunch ~ Pressed for time I grabbed an hand full of almonds and a small bowl of cereal with almond milk.
Dinner ~ About 4 ounces of rotisserie chicken and a mountain of Brussels sprouts.  I sauteed up an entire 10 oz. package with various ingredients like one slice of bacon (crisp, grease drained off), onion, garlic, a teaspoon of maple syrup and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. The whole plate was around 400 calories and 14g fat.

How Did I Get Here? Part 19

So how ya been?  Yeah, me too.  Who's gonna listen, right?  Nice to see you back here and frankly, it's nice to be back.  A lot has transpired since our last visit.  Some positive, some not so much.  As planned, I turned fifty back in January. There were only two choices for that plan and since I am on this side of the grass, it's safe to say I made the wise one.  One plan that wasn't completed successfully was my goal of getting to 195 by that milestone birthday.  I guess you could say that I failed in epic fashion there.  Since we last met here, I have put back on a good deal of the weight I worked so hard to shed since I started this in February of 2012.  How much?  I don't know.  I can only guess, but not knowing, in my mind, will keep me from going off the deep end.  I want to see this through.  I want to be healthy, happy and an example of what you can do with the right tools.  Keeping my eye on where I am going is the important thing right now.

Why have I strayed from the wellness path so much?  Knowing myself as I do, I can honestly say that my food addiction will always look for reasons to sabotage and I will more often than not oblige.  So what were the excuses?  "Where's the dirt!?!", you cry.  Let's dip into how I got here some more in this, Episode 19 of my saga.  (If you are new here, go back and find the other 18 chapters.  There's some real gold there.)

Back in the early part of 2013 I started to write less and it felt like this blog became a job.  I had enjoyed it so much in the beginning, but it turned into a daily chore to find content that was meaningful.  I felt I couldn't be true to the core values of what I had built: be honest and share your experience.  The sharing was the issue.  And without the sharing there was no honesty.  For some time I had been unhappy in my marriage and in deference to my wife's privacy, I didn't use these pages as public shrink's couch.  That was increasingly harder to do as I found my resolve for fitness waning, so despite failed attempts to keep this blog up and many empty promises for future posts (I am truly sorry for that), I packed it in.

With the blog set aside, my eating habits and alcohol intake became my new hobby and exercise went out the window.  I am far from an alcoholic, but many, many empty calories have been consumed.  I knew my marriage was likely coming to end and, with that excuse, I drowned my sorrows in what was familiar and absurdly comfortable...crap crap and more crap.

Honestly, there is no dirt to be found here.  You won't find any insight into the private matters of my marriage on these pages, but I will simply sum it up in a few words.  We didn't work as a couple.  In October of 2013, days before our 5th wedding anniversary, we decided to separate and she is still to this day my dearest friend and I want nothing but the best for her.  I can't speak for her, but I think it's safe to say we are both happier now.  

Change is stressful and as I work my way through this process of divorce I know that I will want to abuse my body and mind as a coping mechanism.  That is precisely why I made the choice to return here and minimize further damage, which would be inevitable should I not.  I'm good at this and know what to do.  Doing it is always the hard part.  I may not be a perfect example of inspiration and resolve... just a perfect example of me.  I'm flawed.  Given that, I do not intend to make promises of what I will and won't do here.  

So what will this current TDT195 reboot look like?  Not sure really.  I will post when I am moved to and will share my experience as best I can now that the disclosure restrictions of my private life are more relaxed. I'm just a soon to be single fifty-year-old man hoping to better himself.  I'll do my best.  I say "do" my best not "try."  Like Yoda said, "Do. Or do not.  There is no try."

My plan is to work diligently at making positive changes and perhaps weigh in sometime in June, when damage done has been minimized.  I am not setting an end date for my goal, but my desire is for sooner, rather than later.  I'll post recipes here and there.  I'll try to maintain the lighthearted humor you've come to expect with my writing.  This is likely the least funny entry you'll read from here on out.  It almost seems like I should throw a joke in to lighten the mood, but today I am at a loss. This whole thing will be HARD.  I know it.  The future is kinda scary, but somehow I can't wait to get there.

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Flax cereal w/Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Lunch ~ Whilst shopping, I grabbed a 16 oz. drink at the juice bar made of carrot, celery, parsley and spinach.  I also had some seared tuna.
Snack ~ One banana
Dinner ~ Pictured here is a fish taco, with homemade pico de gallo, homemade pickled onions, avocado and a piece of panko crusted tilapia on a whole grain tortilla.  The taco and the baby kale salad are drizzled with a homemade cilantro lime dressing.  This plate came in at just over 400 calories.

Monday 10.14.13

I'll make this one of those PostIt Note sized entries.  I didn't weigh myself today. I've been having some issues lately that are getting in my head and veering me off course.  I'm getting myself straightened out and I'll be back on track sooner, rather than later.  I intimated last night that I might discuss it today, but I need to make the words right.  They aren't coming to me just yet.  Keep coming back and watch me overcome my food demons.  I'm still with this.  It's just a little more difficult these days.

I'll see y'all tomorrow,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Cereal and coffee
Lunch ~ A big bowl of homemade chicken soup
Dinner ~ I revised my turkey meatball recipe and I very much liked the results.  The added moisture which was formerly used to compensate for the 99% lean turkey was replaced with roasted eggplant.  It not only kept them more moist, but they were delicious.  Thanks for the idea, Rocco DiSpirito!  I had them with my own marinara sauce and some whole grain pasta.
Exercise ~ None. I hope to hit the gym tomorrow.  This was the first day I have had without and back/shoulder pain.

Sunday Perspective

Okay.  I've been AWOL for two days. There is a lot going on in my life and tonight is not the time to spill it all.  I need to gather my thoughts and I will speak about it, perhaps tomorrow.  I just wanted to check in and let everyone know I am still here and I am okay.  In the mean time, here is a picture of my pups to look at. Ain't they cute?

I'll definitely be back tomorrow.

M

Thursday Recap: 10.10.13

Greetings!  Thanks for swinging by.  I wish I had exciting stuff to tell you today, but it was fairly uneventful.  My eating was on point and I actually got in some unplanned exercise in the last two days. Last night I walked from Penn Station in NYC to Radio City Music Hall and back. That's 2.6 miles, round trip.  Today, I walked the mall after my haircut.  I look fabu, by the way.  That was 1.5 miles worth of walking.  The back is still troubling me, but I didn't let it get in my way.  I ordered an inversion table to hang from today.  Once I receive it, I will write a review.

Cya tomorrow,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Cereal and coffee
Lunch ~ Leftover whole wheat couscous jambalaya
Dinner ~ Grilled calamari w/a ginger sauce and a salmon mango roll
Exercise ~ 1.5 miles walked

What I ate yesterday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Lunch ~ A big bowl of chicken soup
Dinner ~ Grilled tuna and cabbage slaw
Exercise ~ 2.6 miles walked

Souper Food: Kabocha Soup Recipe

Last winter I went on and on about how much I was digging a newfound favorite, kabocha squash.  Some call it a "super food", as it is rich in beta carotene and other essential nutrients.  I just like it because it tastes good.  I'm pretty basic when it comes to things like this. Nutritious, yet unflavorful?  No thanks. Healthy AND tasty, to boot?  Get me a spoon.

Kabocha, also called Japanese pumpkin or buttercup squash in the market, to me is like a fruitier version of a butternut squash.  I get hints of cantaloupe both in the nose and on the palate, but I am a wine guy who overthinks these things.

The goal was to recreate a butternut squash soup served at Panera, but I had this kabocha staring at me on the counter.  They are interchangeable in this scenario, so kabocha it was.  I'd require a liquid, so vegetable broth was a good choice.  I would need richness. Now, most recipes would call for heavy cream, yet I opted for a mix of coconut milk and my old standby, fat free half and half.  The rest was easy.  I hope you will open your mind and try something new.  It will be fairly simple and well worth the effort.  Topping yours with either toasted pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds will add another layer of texture and flavor to the party.

HELPFUL TIP: Kabocha can be a chore to dismantle.  I found that if I pierced it with a knife and microwaved the whole squash for 4 minutes, it came apart MUCH easier.  A grapefruit spoon was used to scoop out the seeds and the flesh was easy to separate from the skin with a knife.

Enjoy!
M

Creamy Kabocha Soup
serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs Earth Balance Spread or butter, if you prefer
• 1 small sweet onion, such as a Vidalia, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp fresh
• 8 cups or 2 small diced kabocha squashes
• 6 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
• 6 oz. coconut milk
• 6 oz. fat free half and half
• 1 tsp of your favorite hot sauce.  I like Frank's Red Hot.
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Using a large enough pot for about 1 gallon of liquid, melt the butter spread and add in the rosemary and onions, cooking the onions until tender.  About 5 minutes.
2. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.  It may appear the there is curdling on top.  Don't worry.  It's fine.  
3. You may need to do this in batches.  Blend the ingredients until smooth.  ONLY FILL YOUR BLENDER 2/3 AT A TIME, BE SURE TO REMOVE THE CENTER CAP FROM YOUR BLENDER LID AND COVER WITH A TOWEL.  HOT LIQUIDS EXPAND AND CAN EXPLODE WHEN BLENDED.  SEE THIS VIDEO ~ Blender Blunder
4. You can reduce this more if you would like the soup thicker. Adjust seasoning and serve by topping with your choice of toasted nuts or pumpkins seeds.

Tuesday Recap: 10.08.13

Not much to tell today, other than there is one muscle in my upper back still giving me issues. I am going to have to work around it and exercise nonetheless.  I was feeling a bit stressed Tuesday and as a result, had myself a cocktail. SoCo rocks with a lime wedge.  This has been your full disclosure moment of the day, brought to you by emptycalories.com


Soup recipe for Wednesday, coming up next.  Someone please try it and let me know what you think.
M

Here is what I ate Tuesday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, coffee
Lunch ~ Chicken Caesar salad
Snack ~ Fiber One Lemon Bar
Dinner ~ Leftover whole wheat couscous jambalaya
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 89

It's been six days since the last trip to the scale and while it hasn't gone optimally, I am happy with my progress.  I say it hasn't gone optimally due to my back issues and lack of exercise.  I ate VERY well, but I actually miss going to the gym.  Makes me wonder who I am and what happened to the guy who hated exercise.  Then I remember my total distaste for The Dreadmill and I am immediately grounded back into my proper identity.

In the last six days I have managed to lose 2 lbs. even and 0.3% of my body fat.  Not too bad for a short and sedentary week.  I am not only including the picture of this week's scale, but last week's, which I forgot to post as promised.

Cya tomorrow,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, coffee
Lunch ~ An Amy's Vegetable Pizza.  Not bad, but not all that satisfying and there won't likely make a repeat purchase.
Dinner ~ A twist on my homemade jambalaya, I made it with whole wheat couscous.  An experiment that wasn't entirely successful.  It happens.  It's how we innovate and make progress.
Exercise ~ I had hoped to walk today and I wound up using heat and ice on it again today.

Sunday Recap: 10.06.13

It was a decent day on many fronts.  I woke early for a Sunday and made a good breakfast to start the day.  If you know me well, you know I love to play poker, so I trekked out to The Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA to play in a poker tournament.  Long story short on that is I made money.  That's always a good thing, making money doing what you love to do.

My back is feeling much better today.  Not 100%, but getting there.  I should be able to do some walking tomorrow.  Speaking of tomorrow, it's a weigh-in day.  I do believe I will see some progress.  How much? We'll see.

Cya then,
Mike

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal is a healthy, hot and hearty breakfast.  Coffee
Lunch ~ A salad at the casino with a smattering of a light dressing, some chicken, corn, edamame, peppers and spring mix.
Dinner ~ A repeat of last night's dinner.  Roasted Turkey and Wheat Berry salad, with kabocha soup
Exercise ~ None

Saturday Salad

This fine looking setting was my dinner this evening.  I wrote in a blog earlier this week that I really enjoyed Panera's Wheat Berry and Roasted Turkey Salad and, as it turns out, so did The Wife. She paired hers with their Butternut Squash Soup. Tonight I did my best to recreate that salad and do a riff on the soup.

The soup recipe will be published sometime soon, but for tonight, I'll throw a very easy oil-free dressing your way that really wowed my taste buds.  It was my way of recreating what Panera Bread had on their salad, a maple balsamic vinaigrette.  I am sure theirs was in no way similar in terms of ingredients, but the results of mine were delicious right out the gate.  I hope you try it and enjoy.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs REAL maple syrup
• 2 Tbs tahini
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper

Method

Either blend all ingredients until smooth or whisk until homogeneous.  I use my Magic Bullet.

Cya Sunday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Cereal w/almond milk and coffee
Lunch ~ I ate off of the buffet at Wegman's Supermarket.  I enjoyed some eggplant, tilapia and roasted chicken
Dinner ~ The above salad contained spring mix, aforementioned dressing, pistachios, wheat berries, a wee bit of Gorgonzola and roasted turkey breast.
Exercise ~ No formal exercise today, but I did discover I felt much better moving around than resting my back.  I was on my feet a great deal today.  I may walk tomorrow.  We will see how I feel.

Soapbox Alert! Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The wife showed me an article from a doctor's newsletter that she subscribes to about October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  In the article it raises some some very good points that I feel compelled to parrot here. Since most of my readership is women, this is a health issue that not only should concern each of us, but has, indeed, touched everyone at some point in our lives.  As a health topic, I think it has its place among these pages.

What does wearing pink or buying pink products do to further finding a cure for breast cancer?  Seeing NFL teams wearing pink or 5 Hour Energy selling its raspberry elixir in pink canisters is nothing more than big business capitalizing on our good intentions.  Okay, so a portion of sales may go to research, but if sales didn't increase to cover that percentage, these companies wouldn't get involved.  It's nothing more than a marketing campaign, not the corporate altruism it's couched as. The Susan G. Komen Foundation lists the likes of Tyson Foods as one of its corporate partners.  Avoiding factory-mass raised meats is one of the best things we can do to lower our risks of cancers.  KFC partnered with SGK to sell pink buckets of chicken.  REALLY?  Does anyone else see some incongruence here?  What's next?  Pink Marlboro Lights?

Shouldn't this be Breast Cancer PREVENTION Month?  Education about lifestyle changes should be the main focus.  Instead of spending your money on pink products you likely don't need, buy more veggies. Exercise more.  Swear off fast food, especially if it is wrapped in a pretty pink package that sports the iconic bow.  QUIT SMOKING! These are the things that should be highlighted in the month of October, not picking up chocolate-strawberry Kit Kats to save the boobies.

Rant over.  Thanks for listening.

Cya Staurday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Potato, egg and lean chicken sausage. Decaf coffee
Lunch ~ Homemade chicken soup
Mid-afternoon ~ Apple with a smattering of bleu cheese (not a great choice considering I was going out to dinner tonight)
Dinner ~ Today is our 5th anniversary and The Wife and I went out to dinner.  I did enjoy one cocktail (Hey! It's National Vodka Day!), grilled shrimp and cantaloupe salad, and sesame crusted tuna with a side of broccoli rabe and roasted peppers.  Oh yeah.  I ate a roll too.  Bad Mike!
Exercise ~ My lower back is better, but between my shoulder blades has been on fire today.  I hope I can get back to the gym on Monday.

Now Screening...

I awoke this morning to get myself ready to take some tests.  The Wife had signed me up to have some screenings done to test for plaque buildup, carotid artery blockages and abdominal aneurysms.  What a fun way to start the day!  I rushed out, so as not to be late, and got myself poked, squoze like a Tropicana orange and sonogramized.  I'll know in three weeks whether my fate is to stroke out or have my heart explode.  Not that it is either/or.  I am betting my life will be fairly boring in the medical trauma department, but it will be nice to have someone else offer their professional opinion as to such.

Tomorrow I think I will pontificate a bit about Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I seldom if ever stand on a soapbox here, but tomorrow I will. So if flying in the face of everyone wearing pink offends you, you may want to skip the Friday offering.

Cya then
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Fasting for my tests
Brunch as it were ~ A western omelet with whole grain toast, roasted veg and coffee.  They offered the roasted veg as an alternative to potatoes.  When the veggies came they seemed to be drenched in butter or oil.  What was the point?
Dinner ~ Homemade chicken soup from my left over rotisserie chicken. It was chock full of veggies like carrots, parsnips, bok choy, celery and kale.
Exercise ~ My lower back and also between my shoulder blades is a mess.  There won't be any exercise until at least Monday, I think.

Wednesday 10.2.13

I am racing a dead battery and an appointment, so I will be brief. Ate well.  Back in agony.  Had a good cigar with a friend and drank a beer.  Not much else to say.

More Thursday.

Cya then,
M






What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ Leftover Brussels sprouts salad
Dinner ~ Veggie burger w/cheese and ketchup.  Yes cheese. I indulged a little
After Dinner cigar w/beer
Exercise ~ None

Weigh-in: Week 88

Brief recap for those of you who didn't jump on board four weeks ago.  This morning, I weighed myself for the first time since May.  After May, I was a bit careless in following my own advice and reverted back to some old habits.  I guess in the simplest of terms, I relapsed. Knowing that I likely put on way more weight then I wanted to confront myself with, I opted to give it a full four weeks to undo as much of the damage as possible, trying not to throw myself into a "depressive-foregone-conclusion frame of mind."  I need to avoid at all costs, telling myself, "Fuck it.  I failed.  Give up."

Normally you would see a picture of the scale from this morning.  That picture does exist on my phone and will be posted later this week.  I am choosing not to post it today because I would like my readers to listen to my words and understand where my head is.  Pictures tend to draw the eye and the typical reader (myself included) would feel they heard the story's ending, why bother hearing the whole tale.

I mentioned in Sunday's post a rule of thumb that I thought might apply today.  Bonus points for those of you who read it and saw foreshadowing.  That rule of thumb is, "Weight goes on MUCH faster than it comes off."  Given that truism, I know that one month of VERY hard work and diligence might not right the wrongs which I inflicted upon myself all summer long.  Just know this, dear reader: I am totally determined to hit my goal weight, totally proud of what I have achieved to date, and totally in the right frame of mind to finish this sucker in grand style.  True success is measured by how you meet what lies ahead of you, not by letting the past cripple you.  I can't change the last three months.  I can change the rest of my life.

So where does that lead us?  To the scale, of course.  This morning after my trip to the bowl, a shave, some Q-Tipping, blowing my nose, clipping my nails. a hair cut, and a chemical peel (Okay, I am exaggerating.), I stepped atop the scale and saw that I am, indeed, heavier than I was back on May 7th.  To be exact, I am 4.8 lbs. heavier, torturing the scale at 266.4 lbs.  I think I heard a sigh of relief when I stepped off.  Body fat percentage was 39.9% and water 43.2%.  I did work my ass off in September, so much so that I do notice significant changes in my body.  It is very motivating.  I am okay with all of this.  I will build upon September and keep moving in the right direction from here forward.

Thanks for listening, not judging, and supporting me always.  It means the world to me.
Mike

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 eggs, one slice of whole grain toast and some pesto, jumbled up in a bowl.
Lunch ~ An Amy's Light and Lean Bowl.  Some sort of frozen tortilla fiesta thing.  Tasty and reasonably satisfying.
Dinner ~ See this?  I saw it pop across my screen this morning and realized I had the makings of it right here in the house.  "That's Dinner!" I said.  Roasted Brussels sprouts and apple salad.  This is a platter of four servings, enjoyed thoroughly for about 390 calories.
Exercise ~ None.  Still nursing a bad back.

Bad Day

It was just one of those days.  I've had a lot on my mind lately and I am just easily distracted.  Getting work done efficiently is a chore, so the day just dragged on, making me tired.  Food-wise I did just fine, but due to my returning back pain, there was no exercise.  The pain isn't nagging, it is sharp when I move a certain way.  I will be taking it easy for a few days.  I am afraid I didn't listen to my own advice last week and do just that: take it easy.

Tonight, for the first time since I was perhaps seventeen, I ran out of gas.  Fortunately, I was following a friend somewhere and had a helping hand to easily fix the result of stupidity.  Tuesday morning I step on the scale for the first time in months.  Will tomorrow be any better?

Cya then,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Egg White Delight McMuffin and coffee on the road.

Lunch ~ Protein Bistro Box and coffee

Dinner ~ Left over chili and minestrone

Exercise ~ none

2 Days Until Weigh-in

In case you didn't read the reboot post from about four weeks ago, I held off weighing myself until October 1st.  I know full well that I put on weight this summer. Probably a significant amount. Unfortunately, my personality is such that I can get easily discouraged and might pack it all in if faced with a setback. Knowing the score could trigger such event.  So I waited.

There are no, or shall I say few, rules with regard to this self-made program.  But one sure rule of thumb is this: Weight goes on far faster than it comes off.  I can only hope that this month of very hard work which I put into myself will undo whatever damage was done since June.  Either way, I can only move forward with positive action.  I cannot undo the past.

Today was a good day of hard work.  Two exercise sessions and healthy eating.  And so it will go, one day at a time, until I reach my goal. If that is by the previously ascribed deadline, great.  If not, the end goal is the same.  Health, happiness and educating others on well-being based on my experiences.  Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Cya Monday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ One egg, one slice of toast and a dollop of pesto all mixed up in a bowl.  Yum.
Lunch ~ One bowl of chili and a bowl of minestrone
Snack ~ One banana
Dinner ~ Some rotisserrie chicken and more minestrone
Exercise ~ Three miles of walking in the morning and a half hour workout late in the day.