Food Thursday 05.31.12

I am sure everyone has that person at their barbecue who doesn't like mayonnaise or is worried that all the salads will spoil in summer heat and a plague will sweep across the land as a result.  I, for one, like mayo and I have never been all that concerned with the monster from Alien popping out of me because I ate some tainted tater salad.  The new and more health-minded me does however seek out alternatives to the goopy, creamy, non-complex carb loading that most picnics induce.  Which is why I recently revisited a recipe I came up with years ago to make it more 'fit friendly'.  That's what we're are all about here at TDT195, isn't it?  Eat yourself thinner, as I like to say.  Of course, all things in moderation but here is a macaroni salad recipe that is full of fiber, low in fat and 100% delicious.


Four Bean and Macaroni Salad
How do you make macaroni sound better and charge more for it?  Call it pasta.  Let's face it, no one would pay $15 a plate for macaroni, but call it pasta and it's all gourmet 'n stuff.  Well, I will stick with macaroni salad.  Unpretentious and tasty macaroni salad.  I haven't run the numbers on this dish, but it sticks with my philosophy of not making myself crazy over calories, as long as I know what the ingredients are.  Feel free to play with the balance of ingredients to your taste.  Add what you like.  Quartered artichoke hearts or cannellini beans might be nice additions.  Like the TV painter Bob Ross said, "It's your world.  You make it as you like."


Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. uncooked whole grain elbow macaroni, fusilli or any shape you like.  Use a good quality brand like Bionaturae.  It makes a difference.
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 15oz. can of three bean salad, drained.  I prefer Hanover Four Bean salad, but I found the Green Giant to be a good replacement.
• 1/2 15oz. can of chick peas, rinsed (chick peas not needed if using the Hanover Four Bean Salad)
• 1/2 cup sliced roasted sweet red peppers (rinsed if from a jar)
• 1 3.8oz. can sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 cup fresh basil thinly sliced

Method:

• Cook your macaroni to al dente, as per the brand's instructions.  
• Combine ingredients extra virgin olive oil through Dijon in a small jar or tightly sealed container.  Shake vigorously, until homogeneous or get a workout and whisk, whisk, whisk.
• Drain the pasta and combine all ingredients, while the macaroni is still hot, except the fresh basil
• Refrigerate (overnight is best), mix in fresh basil and serve

Cya tomorrow,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/banana, fresh berries, toasted almonds and skim milk
Lunch ~ Chicken Caesar salad w/o croutons
Dinner ~ Broiled salmon over carrots, broccoli and spinach
Exercise ~ I played 9 holes of pitch and and putt golf with my godson and best friend.  Man, I suck at golf anymore.

What's In My Head Wednesday 05.30.12

Welcome to WIMHW once again.  Other days we spend our time discussing food, nutrition and a multitude of other topics, but today is about feelings, ponderances and whatever the heck is on my mind.  It's free therapy for me and a chance to ask questions of my beloved readers.  So sit back and let me get on my virtual couch.  Here is what's in my head today.


Math For Dummies
I dug into the conundrum regarding my alleged water weight gain and just what my fancy scale measures.  I have to fall on my sword here and say that, too often, I have a tendency to overlook the obvious.  In my defense, some of my very smart daily readership didn't catch it either.  I was concerned that my water weight percentage kept creeping up and it was holding back my weight loss progress, keeping the scale from giving me more pleasing numbers each Monday.  I was also thinking that since the typical male my age has water weight in the 60% range that something wasn't quite right.  What wasn't right was my own logic!  If I am currently around 60% body fat, how can I be anything more than the 27%, or so, water weight which the scale indicates?  And, of course, the water weight percentage will go up and SHOULD go up each week I lose weight.  As the fat decreases, the water in my body gains 'market share' on the whole.  DUH!  That being said, I am still going to lay off the red meat and even chicken for a week or more to get more vegetables in me.  I will see if that can keep my progress healthy, steady and slightly more than the results I have seen for the last month.  I want to be eyeing 299, not minus 50.


Incredible?
It certainly didn't start this way.  My intent the blog was to find a mechanism for accountability, community and introspection in aiding my new-found desire for health.  As I have been writing my feelings, recipes and philosophies on weight loss and nutrition, I have been thinking more and more about how this could all be a book some day.  A number of you have told me this offline and I do enjoy writing.  At least then I would have editors catching the sometimes appalling amount of typos and other errors inherent in publishing your own stuff.  The question I have is one of credibility.  If anyone else were to have success dropping 168 pounds and keeping it off, I would have no doubt they would be deemed credible.  I have one difference though.  Since ten years ago I had a gastric bypass that took me out of the extreme danger zone, but not much else, does that make me less credible?  I know the truth.  Changing your life is hard work and it is obvious that bariatric surgery is not a magic bullet.  I consider at my starting point on this journey to be February 6, 2012, not April of 2001 when I was almost 500 pounds.  But the question of perception still exists.  Will people negate the credibility of someone in the diet/nutrition/healthy lifestyle arena due to the fact that they had internal alterations to that end in the past or will they embrace someone that took control, despite failure and made their life better?


Cya tomorrow for Food Thursday,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Let's call this the Egg Mikemuffin: 1 fried egg, Canadian bacon and sliced tomato on a whole grain sandwich round. 210 calories 7g fat.
Lunch ~ Caesar salad, no croutons
Afternoon ~ My office away from home: Starbucks.  One Grande decaf Mocha Lite Frappaccino
Dinner ~ TBD
Exercise ~ 30 minutes of walking on a beautiful afternoon.

Food For Thought

Last week the blog referenced an article I had read in a New Jersey business magazine which discussed the obesity epidemic in America.  There were several points made in those pages that I found very poignant and timely to my crusade.  There were also quotes from various people that I found to be pure male bovine manure.  One of the points I'd like to discuss here today was a statement that says, and I am paraphrasing, Americans seem to find it harder and harder to afford good quality, healthy foods, so they turn to cheap processed foods as the bulk of their diet.  What crap!


I hopefully don't scare away too much of my audience when I preach like this, but this one gets my proverbial goat.  A wise woman told me during the blog's infancy that she gets the most out of it when I am teaching something.  Well, get ready to be schooled, folks.  This is simple stuff that to even the most jaded eater should make sense.  If it doesn't make much sense to you, then you likely made an errant turn in the cyber-road and came to the wrong place.  I have to assume that you are here, because. A, You know me and want to follow my journey; B, You are interested in the subject matter or my story and I entertain you or, C, All of the above.  If it is D, None of the above, I wish you well and hasta la pasta.  This won't be fun from here on out.


Hopefully we can all agree that processed foods are, for the most part, not nutritious in the least.  They are usually packed with preservatives, coloring, sodium, sugar and fat and barely resemble the whole food building blocks they are suppose to replicate.  Fresh, homemade whole foods are what we are meant to eat.  I don't want to get into a debate about not eating white flour or meat or dairy or whose hands are in the government's pockets.  For the sake of argument, though, we will look at what the USDA says a healthy meal is and compare costs to the highly outsourced cooking regimen that so many Americans eat.  


Here is a chart illustrating roughly what a balanced diet would look like, keeping in mind that a typical female aged 19-50 would average around 2200 calories a day and the typical male up to 2600:

According to the monthly costs associated with the above portions, a family of four could eat frugally for $6.67 per meal on average, on a low-cost plan for $9.95, moderately for $12.38 and liberally for $14.43.  If you want me to do the math for you, that equates to a range of $600/mo. to $1300/mo. for that family of four.  I find it easier to break it down into small bites.  Granted, many of my readers live in more metropolitan areas where we might be toward the higher end of the range.  Once again, for argument's sake, let use $12 per meal.*

*Official USDA Food Plans Report: Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels, US Average, March 2012

Frozen waffles for breakfast sound good?  How much does it cost? Well, including syrup, butter, coffee for adults and OJ for the kids, $7.58 for 4 people.  Cost of MultiGrain Cheerios with banana, 2% milk and the coffee/juice...$6.49 for George, Jane, Judy and little Elroy.  By the way, I was generous with the servings of cereal.  No one eats the prescribed serving size.

Lunch I will leave alone, somewhat.  It's a whole blog unto itself and since I don't have kids and most generally eat the unbalanced slop at school, they are off limits for today.  Adults?  Not so easy there, folks.  Let's see if this resembles you.  McDonald's Big Mac "Value" Meal, for example.  I am out of the loop on these things, but let's say $5 ea., since Mr. Subway is waving his footlong all over my TV and he must be competing with the clown.  I'll assume you can get lunch out for $10 per couple.  Cost of a turkey and American cheese with tomato and lite mayo on whole wheat bread, plus a piece of fruit and even a bottled water: $5.23...FOR TWO!

Dinner for the American family on the go might be pizza or perhaps frozen fried chicken, with a side of mac 'n cheese and corn.  Either way, they both come in around 12-15 bucks in total.  Cost of a chicken dinner with fresh corn, broccoli and some potatoes? $11.36 for four people.

Let's compare, shall we?  I just laid out a quasi-healthy daily set of meals (You should make better choices, but I am trying to be realistic) that costs around $11.03 per meal for 4 people (I figured $5 each for Judy and Elroy's lunch at school.).  The cost of my family-on-the-go processed food meal was $13.69 per 4 person meal.  Which is healthier?  No contest.

The bottom line is that if people are using affordability as a reason to eat poorly, it is a lame excuse.  If you want to feed your family better AND save money, get back to your kitchen.  The meals mentioned can not only be made easily, but with leftovers.  The examples I showed were based on prices from local supermarkets, using very common products.  While I didn't have the time to do a nutritional analysis of each, I can tell you that in addition to much lower calories, fat and sodium, you could save $2912.70 per year while you feed your family better.  Could you think of a use for that money?  I recommend the TDT195 new clothes fund, but it's your money.  I just could use some of it...just sayin'.

Thanks for joining me on the ride, people.  I hope you get something out of it.

Cya tomorrow,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/skim milk, banana, strawberries, fresh blueberries and toasted pecans

Lunch ~ Left over broiled chicken, slaw and tomato/avocado salad

Snack ~ Carrots and homemade hummus

Dinner ~ Whole grain pasta with marinara and vegetarian meat crumbles

Exercise ~ I was hoping to walk after writing, but this took a long time to do today.  I owe myself an extra 20 minutes of walking tomorrow.

Weigh-in: Week 16

A little frustrated today.  I had high hopes for success on this morning's trip to the scale.  Yes there was progress, but not of the significance I looked forward to.  It's days like this that I have to remind myself that this is a lifestyle and not a diet.  One thing I did notice was that my water percentage went up, yet again.  This time .2% higher.  I have to look into my scale's specification to see exactly what it is measuring.  Noticing the trends is good.  It gives me a good idea as to the changes going on.  Knowing what the water percentage measurement is reading would be an important piece of information.  My scale tells me today that the percentage is 26.7%.  The typical male should be much higher from what little research I did.  I'll check back with you on this little tidbit.  

The weigh-in this morning shows me losing 1 lb. taking me down to 315.  Total loss thus far, 48.4 lbs.  Body fat today showed a .2% decrease to 59.9%.  This week I will be keeping my salt intake under control.  I never worry too much about my salt because I am not a fiend about it.  My blood pressure was around 92/60 a month ago.  I don't use that as a license to cozy up to the Morton's Salt girl, but I should cut down some to see if it helps with my water retention.  I have also had a decent amount of animal protein this last week and with that usually come the sodium.  Back to basics this week.  Starting Tuesday, much less meat, more veggies.


Cya Tuesday,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Brunch ~ Left over steak, sauteed shiitake mushrooms and one egg w/sprouted grain toast and a smear of Earth Balance Spread
Afternoon Snack ~ Kale chips
Dinner ~ Left over grilled chicken thighs and some four bean whole grain pasta salad
Dessert ~ 365 Fat Free Peach Yogurt.  Not good.  I saw it was $0.50 less than the Chobani and the savings weren't worth it.
Exercise ~ I made a trip to the Home Depot today to get some mulch, while on sale.  I picked up 12, 56.63 lb. bags.  Off the pallet and onto the cart.  Off the cart and into the car.  Out of the car and onto the driveway.  Total weight moved, 2038.68 lbs.  Exercise enough for one hot and humid day.

A.L.O.E. 05.27.12

Happy Memorial Day weekend to my American readers.  For those of you in other countries, this is a long weekend for us here in the U.S.  It will be nice to have Monday off and of course tomorrow is weigh-in day.  I do always look forward to weigh-in Mondays, but today is Sunday.  A.L.O.E. Sunday to be exact and that means A Little Of Everything; much like the menu I served up today.


A Day with Friends
What a great day today.  Despite the occasional rain, a day with friends is always good.  The wife and I remodeled the backyard last year and this was a christening of sorts.  We got to enjoy our new patio and fire pit, as well as the surrounding plant life.  This was also the first time I entertained since undertaking my quest for  fitness.  I wanted to serve a delicious meal that was not only healthy, but satisfying.  It was also a chance to showcase a number of the recipes I have featured here in the TDT195 pages.  In my humble opinion, all cylinders were firing today.


We started with my red pepper hummus and some raw veggies.  For a salty, crunchy fix we had Kale chips and the last of my Sweet Fire Sticks pickled carrots.  I wasn't overjoyed with results for the kale chips this go round, but my guests couldn't get enough.  Even my 10 year old godson was asking for more.  Dinner was one of the easiest executions of entertaining that I have ever pulled off.  My best friend Doug is always a huge help, but what really made it carefree was that all the salads were made ahead, including coleslaw (vegan for the wife), a whole grain 4 bean pasta salad loaded with flavor and fiber and a fresh tomato and avocado salad with my honey lime chipotle dressing.  Entrees were a duo of grilled meat with an organic grass-fed skirt steak with a herbaceous chimichurri sauce and chicken thighs with my Dijon glaze.  The interesting thing is that the favorite of mine was the inexpensive chicken rather than pricey steak.  Goes to show you that you can make really good food with humble ingredients. 


Almost off of these recipes can be found on Food Thursday entries from the last 2 months or so.  All in all there were a total of 5 recipes from the blog and one which I will feature this Thursday.  It was so satisfying knowing that I was giving my guests good and tasty food without loading them up on fat, sugar or preservatives.  


The Yard Kicked My Butt
In preparation for today's festivities, I needed to do the typical mowing, edging, scrubbing of lawn furniture, etc.  With the sun and humidity yesterday it totally kicked my ass.  I was drained.  Tab and I went out for dinner last night and I could barely keep my head up.  I went to bed last night at 11, which is early for me.  I would have gone even earlier, but I'm always afraid I will be wide awake too early the next day.  That might not be a bad thing if I didn't have 2 dogs that will wake Tab up early as well.  I am not sure how I used to do the yard work last year with 50 lbs. more on me.  I'm not there yet, but someday I hope that the work that I accomplished yesterday won't be as debilitating as it was.  Getting older will be easier with less of Mike dragging me down.


Hopeful
I feel good about this week's potential progress.  I stayed the course and aside from a little more volume today than the norm, I was on target with my meals during the last seven days.  I am looking forward to my Monday morning ritual, hopeful for the 50.


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/half a banana, fresh blueberries and toasted pecans.  Of the usual unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Lunch ~ Chicken and Turkey wrap w/tomato and lite mayo
Dinner ~ See above, plus one glass of Malbec
Exercise ~ Much time on my feet the last two days doing yard work, cooking and shopping

Dreaming Bigger: Part 2

It seems that this blog has quite a few philosophies.  Cook at home, listen to your own head when deciding what to eat and 'dream bigger', to name a few.  This is the second in the Dreaming Bigger series, where I explore the latter in listing things I see myself doing when I grow thinner.  Oxymoronic once again I guess...grow thinner.  But as I thin out, I am indeed growing.  I am becoming ever more self-aware, a touch more confident daily and increasingly educated about my body and how to treat it.  So as my belt shrinks, my world expands. 


Here are some more things I would see myself achieving and frequently envision Mike.2 doing.  At least once a day I run a movie in my head of one or more of these feats, both big and small.  I believe that visualization becomes actualization.  See it and be it.


Dreaming Bigger List

• Feel safe in a canoe, unafraid of it swamping or doing water wheelies from the fat guy in the rear
• Ski
• Sing the National Anthem at a sporting event, okay knowing that thousands of eyes are upon me
• Enter a crowded restaurant without having to plan my entrance and exit routes where I see the largest gaps between the diners
• Get a tattoo and know that it will be exactly where I put it for years to come.  I already have the design in my head to commemorate the successes documented here
• Kayak.  I have been worried that I would flip and sleep upside down with the fishes or that my legs would cramp up whilst inserted in the torture device
• Put the armchairs back at the end of my dining room table, where they belong
• Ride a bike without wondering if the tires are flat or having to extract the seat from my keister
• Once I have more established credibility, teach others to take control of their food addiction
• Get onto Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
• Walk into a business meeting with confidence, without being devalued due to my appearance

That should do for now.  Next Friday I will return to "How Did I Get Here?"  Have a great weekend, my friends.  


Cya Sunday,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 1 perfectly fried egg w/Canadian bacon on a multi-grain sandwich round
Lunch ~ 2 low fat hot dogs on a sprouted grain roll with some of my pickles on the side
Snack ~ Fat free Chobani peach yogurt
Dinner ~ Organic, lean chicken and ham sandwich w/tomato and lite mayo on a multi-grain sandwich round and some more pickles.  Then the wife brought me some chicken tortilla soup from Panera, minus the tortillas.
Exercise ~ I was a sloth today.  Lots of yard work on the horizon Saturday, weather permitting

Food Thursday 05.24.12

Perhaps you can tell that I was very pleased indeed with my pickles.  The three jars you see here were made last Sunday and turned out wonderful.  Today I will share the recipe.  Why?  Because it's Thursday and Thursday is all about the grub, Bub.  Say it with me, people...
 "If you want to lose weight and stay healthy, you need to make the majority of your meals at home."  You, there on the couch!  I couldn't hear you.


I got a weird notion on the weekend that I needed to pickle something.  Let Peter Piper keep his pickled peppers.  I had a large bag of carrots and thought that would be a good start.  But why stop there?  Get some cukes and cauliflower and celery and get picklin'.  Of course honesty is the main core of what we do here, so I have to give a special nod to Alton Brown who inspired the carrots.  He gave me the idea for the carrot sticks, but the riff is all moi.  This couldn't be easier and I hope you will try them out for your Memorial Day BBQ.


These pickled treats are a great way to get a daily serving or three of your veggies.  The first thing you will need is either spring latched jars or Ball jars.  I used the latter.  They were picked up at Walmart for around $11 a dozen.  They are only sold by the dozen, but if you don't use them all for pickling, you can always use them for storing your corn holder thingies, nails, left over soup or the spleen your kid had removed.  On with the recipes...


Mike's Sweet Fire Sticks
Ingredients:
8-10 carrots cut into 1/2" x 4" sticks
1/4-1/2 habanero pepper
1 cup water
1.5 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp mustard seeds
4-6 large fresh basil leaves


Method:
 These are meant to be eaten within 2-3 weeks of making and not sitting on a shelf for months at a time, so the traditional boiling of jars and lids for sterility isn't necessary.  Besides, sterility scares us dudes.  

1. Place the carrot sticks and the habanero pepper in the clean jar.  Please be careful handling the habanero and wash your hands thoroughly when done or wear gloves.
2. In a saucepan, bring the rest of the ingredients, except the basil to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, making sure the sugar and salt are all disolved.
3. Using a wide funnel, fill the carrot filled jar, almost to the top, with the pickling liquid.  Be sure to get the mustard seeds in there.
4. Place the basil leaves down between the carrots. I used a chop stick.
5. Fill the jar the rest of the way.
6. Allow to cool for several minutes before tightly sealing.
7. Leave in the refrigerator for two days.
8. Carefully drain off half the liquid and replace it with cold water.  
9. Remove and discard the habanero, using the same care as before.  Get it in your eye and it WILL hurt BAD.
10. These are ready to enjoy immediately.  After resealing tightly, turn the jar back and forth to mix the water with the remaining brine.  Keep up to 3 weeks, but I don't think they will last that long.

Pickle Spears
You can purchase "Gourmet Cucumbers" at your grocer.  You will recognize them because they are just long enough to resemble, well...pickles.  Quarter them into spears and place in the jar.  Use the same brine and method from above to make your pickles.  Instead of habaneros and basil use 4-5 cloves of garlic.  Everything else is the same as above.  Crunchy, slightly sweet and deeeelicious!


Gardiniera
Pronounced: "Jar-Din-Air-Ah".  This pickled salad can be found in any Italian specialty store and most grocers.  It is also a staple in Chicago on classics like Italian beef sandwiches.  Make it yourself!  It's easy!


To prepare your Gardiniera,  you will need to have about 2 cups of cauliflower florets, 1 stalk of celery, sliced into 1/4" cross sections and 1 cup of 1/4" carrot chips, cut on the bias.  Layer them in the jar making distinct lines of color.  Everything is the same as above including half a habanero and the basil, plus add 5 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of dried oregano.  Use the same process as the above recipes by refrigerating for 2 days, replacing half the brine with water and removing the habanero.  


*Don't worry if your garlic turns blue.  Mine did and I researched it; perfectly normal.


Cya tomorrow,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/banana, toasted pecans and unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Lunch ~ Finally the last of the mammoth turkey sandwich on pumpernickel and my pickled veggies from above 
Snack ~ After walking I felt kinda crashy.  Had a bottle of Zero Water and some beef jerky.
Dinner ~ 1 prepackaged chicken burger on a whole grain sandwich round, w/mustard and lite mayo and more of my pickles, of course!
Exercise ~ After beautifying myself with a haircut, 20 minutes of mall walking

What's In My Head Wednesday 05.23.12

It's the middle of the week here in humid and dank New Jersey.  Come to think of it, I guess it's the middle of the week everywhere else too.  But no matter where you are (Today I saw I had someone check in on the blog from Sri Lanka.  Wha?) today is all about what is on my tiny little mind.  A few snippets from all the coherence I can muster on this gray day.


Capacity on the Decline
Of course the amount of food I can put away is far less than before I had my bypass surgery, but as I put on weight over the years, I could eat far more than I thought possible post-op.  Lately though, I noticed I get fuller much quicker.  Tonight for instance, the wife was taking her turn making dinner and we were having whole grain pasta.  When asked how much I wanted, I said 4oz.  I knew a serving is supposed to be 2oz., so I am not sure why I said 4.  Sure enough, half way through I started to feel full.  Old habits sure do die hard.  I finished the whole plate.  I am feeling some shame over that.  I know better and I would like to think I have more control this far in.  The devil on my shoulder is rearing his ugly head once again.  The positive thing is that I know and acknowledge the fact now.  Smaller transgressions is progress I suppose.


Speak of the Devil
Speaking of the devil on my shoulder, one thing I have been aware of this week is a faint desire to eat more, drink more and just stray from the path in general.  It's typical of past patterns in my history.  I am creeping up on my own perceived milestone of minus 50 lbs.  Possibly it's the same defect that cause me to put weight on and pack it in in the face of success 7 years ago.  My new sense of defiance against the devil will carry me through this time.  Awareness makes it somewhat easier, but it still is a issue.  At least these days if I am overdoing things a bit, it is overdoing it on the healthy stuff and not crap.


In a Pickle
I mentioned this past Sunday that I made three batches of pickles.  Sweet 'n hot carrot sticks, mild sweet pickles and gardiniera, which is a staple on sandwiches on Chicago.  It is a combo of pickled carrots, celery and cauliflower.  I am thrilled with the results of my first attempt at this technique.  Tomorrow I will bring you the recipe for Mike's Sweet Fire Sticks.  They took all of 20 minutes to make and after 2 days in the fridge, these sweet and hot carrots have a wonderful basil undertone.  Make these for your Memorial Day spread.


Cya tomorrow for the recipe,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/banana, toasted pecans and unsweetened almond milk
Lunch ~ Grilled Salmon over greens w/balsamic vinaigrette on the side
Mid-Afternoon ~ Decaf and skim w/cinnamon and some dry roasted almonds
Dinner ~ Whole grain pasta with marinara, vegan 'meat' crumbles and a side salad
Exercise ~ I headed to the mall and squoze in a quick walk this afternoon 

Blessed Are the Children, For They Shall Inherit Your Girth

While waiting for a customer today, I glanced down at the coffee table to see the current edition of NJ Business Magazine.  On the cover was an article decrying the obesity epidemic in the US.  Being the now health-minded seeker   o' knowledge that I am, I picked it up and started reading as inconspicuously as I could...as inconspicuous as a 300+ lb. man sunken into a garage sale reject couch, feet practically pointing toward the sky, can be.  I didn't want to be the subject of whispers in their office, "Looks like a fat guy dropped from the sky and landed on our couch.  We'll never get him out of there.  And he was reading a magazine about obesity!  MWAHAHAHA!"  Okay.  So I exaggerate a tad.  But you get the idea.  I still want to blend in to the background sometimes.


It surprised me that a small business magazine would devote their precious space to such an article.  The information inside gave countless compelling facts about how widespread the issue is and it's only getting worse.  My surgeon, Dr Abkin, not Dr Bambam, was featured within.  He spoke of how diabetes is the major concern related to health and that 50% of the US will have diabetic symptoms by the year 2020.  Are you kidding me?  FIFTY PERCENT!


What struck me most in the short four pages were the statistics.  I've thrown some at you all before, but here are some staggering ones.  Before 1996 (Not that long ago, folks!), there were ZERO states that had an obesity rate over 20%.  If you are a regular reader, or just a smarty pants, you know that obesity is having a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30.  The Center for Disease Control reported in 2010 that ALL states have a rate of 20% or higher.  New Jersey shows a current obesity rate among adults of 32% ...and we are the 7th best in the country!


What I find very sad is the ever rising rate of obesity among children.  You may be aware that I do not have any of my own.  That won't stop me from being concerned for yours. I do love the little buggers...usually.  However, I won't claim to be an expert on them.  What I am an expert on is obesity, apathy and food addiction.  I was studying hard on those subjects for nearly forty years.  Studies show that children of active adults tend to be more active themselves.  Children whose parents eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins will do so themselves.  If you want your children to have any chance of avoiding ill health and obesity, you have to set a good example.  So please, exercise with your kids or on your own.  Encourage them to be active.  Hell, bribe them if you must.  Make meals a learning experience on good habits.  They aren't being taught good nutrition in school.  Unplug the damn PlayStation, Wii or Xbox when you go to work this summer and get your kids outside.  Their lives may depend on it.  If you think I am overstating it, look me up in ten years and tell me how they are doing.


Cya tomorrow,
M


Here is what I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ One fried egg, left over steak and sprouted grain toast
Lunch ~ Yet more of the mammoth turkey sandwich on pumpernickel
Dinner ~ Stir fried crispy tofu, cabbage, carrots, shiitakes, sprouts and other good stuff in a spicy sauce with brown rice.
Exercise ~ Mall walking

Weigh-in: Week 15

Interesting stuff today.  No.  I didn't make it to minus 50.  But I did have a considerable amount of body fat reduction, coupled with water retention.  My Escali digital scale is, as I have mentioned before, quite smart.  I am finding that this intelligence, which I did not avail myself of in the earlier stages of TDT195, would have come in handy.  It frankly doesn't change much of the physical realm, but the psychological side of me is encouraged by the data I have collected this week.  I wanted to lose more, but I am okay with the progress I posted.  Mostly because I know that I unburdened myself of some considerable body fat in the last seven days.

As you can see by the picture, I am now at 316 lbs., even.  This is a weekly loss of 1.6 lbs. and total loss of 47.6 lbs.  That makes just 2.6 lbs. more to go to the 50 that has been staring me down for the last month.  The weekly body fat percentage is currently at 60.1.  Last week being at 60.7, means a 0.6% decrease.  The part I find most interesting is that my water percentage went from 24.7% to 26.5%.  If I am holding 1.8% more water weight this week than last, then that equals 5.7 lbs. more fluid I am carting around today.  In a week that I shunned the baristas, beef jerky and O'Doul's, I might not be happy with just a 1.6 lb. loss, my efforts not necessarily commensurate with the results.  BUT, knowing it's extra water, not fat that is keeping my gravitational pull sucking me toward the earth's core, with my scale in between, I can cope.  Hey.  Whatever keeps you moving in the right direction.


Cya tomorrow,
M


What I ate and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 eggs, Canadian bacon and sliced tomato on a sprouted grain roll.  330 calories of filling goodness.
Lunch ~ Business lunch at the home of food bigger than your head:  Harold's Delicatessen, in Edison.  I ate about 1/5 of my mammoth turkey sandwich on pumpernickel and a cup of chicken rice soup.  Plus the indulgence of a diet cream soda.
Mid-afternoon ~ Decaf with skim, Splenda and cinnamon.
Dinner ~ A chopped salad of greens, peppers, carrots, celery, tomato and turkey, w/homemade vinaigrette
Dessert ~ Chobani fat free peach yogurt
Exercise ~ Shame, shame, shame on me.  None today.

A.L.O.E. 05.20.12

What a beautiful Sunday it was here in New Jersey today.  In fact, it was a beautiful weekend.  There was time spent with family, lots of time outside and very good food to nourish us.  So just like the variety of healthy fare I took in this weekend, here is a sampling of this-n-that.  A.L.O.E. Sunday, A Little Of Everything.




Get the Cooking Mojo Back
In preparation for the 100 day recap, I went back and looked at a number of entries that I hadn't seen since they were written.  One of the biggest things I took away from the experience was that I haven't been cooking as much as I did in the earlier part of the project.  Yes I cook, but the meals then seemed more special.  The pictures back then looked quite delicious and unique.  I am going to try to recapture that mojo I had in February and make my meals more interesting.


Tickled to Pickle

Last night we had a wonderful meal at my Aunt and Uncle's home that followed a fabulous day of touring gardens (lots of walking).  My Aunt H was so gracious to not only consult me on a menu, but also consider my vegan wife and made something for everyone.  All of the food was quite good and was in keeping with our principles.  In the salad she served were some quick pickled red onions.  A 'quickle' if you prefer.  It got me thinking that I needed to pickle some stuff.  In my fridge I had a five pound bag of carrots and my renewed desire to express my inner chef.  The picture you see here is the fruits, or veggies, as it were, of my labor.  We have habanero carrots, spicy gardiniera and plain old cukes.  They'll sit in the fridge for the next two days until I crack them open and see how I did.  If it works out, you'll find the recipe on Thursday.  Keep your fingers crossed!


Slacking Off
No surprise that the thing about losing weight is that my clothes seem to be hanging on me.  One of the things I didn't expect was that my slacks are getting too long.  The less belly I have to fill out the middle and the seat, the more the pants seem to hang.  Imagine an olde time (pronounced oldy timey) hoop skirt with the the inner wire structure removed.  The skirt would just drag on the floor without the framework that once held it up.  I am losing my big pants support structure.  Good for me...bad for my pants, as I now step on the pant legs and walk around with my hands in my pockets to hold them up.  Once I get to minus 50, I'll buy new slacks.  Will it be tomorrow?  Tune in and see.


Cya tomorrow for weigh-in #15,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/banana and unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Lunch ~ I found sprouted grain hot dog buns in my quest for a healthier dog.  I had 2 Hebrew Ntl. low fat dogs (40 calories ea.) with a bun, onions, pickle and mustard
Dinner ~ As you see here, I got my grill on tonight.  This is grass-fed organic flank steak marinated in teriyaki and grilled along with grilled asparagus and ginger teriyaki broccoli with mushrooms and onions
Exercise ~ A walk in the woods with Tab and my two babies, pictured above

Day 100* of The Drive To 195

Happy 100, fellow travelers.  It's is hard to believe that it has been 101 days since the Giants won the Superbowl.  That day is of significance, not because I am a big Giants fan, but because it was the last day I allowed myself to abuse my body and eat/drink with abandon.  That next day, February 6, 2012, what I abandoned was my old life.  I set my sights on a new way of gaining control.  I sought to create a program that was livable, based solely on my own knowledge of health and nutrition or my ability to gather new information and ask for help from anyone who wanted to come along for the ride.  


The basic premise of this blog is: If you do what you know in your own head to be right, the weight will come off.  Most everyone knows when they are doing something unhealthy.  Whether it is smoking, drinking to excess, eating the wrong foods, like fast food or fat and salt-laden snack foods or not getting the proper nutrients in your body, we all pretty much know.  Yes there are times when we are tricked into thinking what we are eating is nutritious, but for the most part, nature has armed us with enough smarts to know what to do.  Why are 40% of Americans obese?  We choose to be.  We choose to ignore our inner voice.  I simply chose to end that cycle for myself.  In combining the free exchange of ideas with an open confessional of sorts and the element of accountability that TDT195 offers, I believe I have created something special here.  Something you are all a part of.  So, my successes are yours as well.  You help me everyday, even if I don't know who you are.  I thank you with all my heart.


Here are some facts and figures from the first 100 days of the blog.  I doubt anyone will get as much of a kick out of this as I do, but today I indulge myself with this pat on the back, my cyber "Atta Boy!"


Weight Related Info

• On Day 1, February 6, 2012, I weighed in at 363.4 lbs.
• On May 14, 2012 I weighed in at 317.6 lbs..  A total, thus far, of 45.8 lbs (as of Monday 5/14) or 28.5% of my goal.
• So far, I have averaged 3.206 lbs. lost per week.
• As my goal is 195 lbs. by my 50th birthday, on January 12, 2014, I have 603 days left.
• In order to hit my target, I will need to lose 1.212 lbs. per week.  No problem.
• I have lost about 6 inches in my waist in the 100 days.
• I no longer need the aid of a C-PAP Flex machine to sleep.  We still keep it on for the soothing white noise though.

Blog Facts

• I have posted all but one day*.  Valentines Day was the "No Post Post".  I have since not allowed myself to miss a prescribed day of writing. 
• In the 99 posts, there have been 15 recipes.  I hope you have tried some.  They are pretty tasty.
• As of the time of this writing, the blog has had 6411 page views from all over the world.
• Readers of the blog have hailed from 10 countries, including, Canada, The UK, Germany, China, Latvia, Vietnam, South Korea and Russia
• The most read posts have been "My Wife Tried to Kill Me on 10/08/08" and "Size Does Matter", proving that sensationalism sells.
• No fewer than 12 people have contacted me to say how TDT195 has inspired them to pursue or continue in their own quest for a healthier lifestyle.  To know that this initiative is living up to its intended purpose of reaching beyond my own little world, means everything to me.
•  I just realized something writing these facts.  Since I decided to take Saturdays off two weeks ago, the 100th day was actually 2 days ago.  I forgot that the blog entries no longer coincide with the actual days.  HAHAHAHA..oops!

I am kicking myself for screwing up the dates, but it is what it is.  Nothing changes.  I am still loving my new lifestyle and it is working beyond what I could have imagined it to be.  I am grateful to each of you for taking your time to read, support me and make positive changes in your own lives.  I am in control over my food addiction like never before and I am looking forward to Day 200, when I can present even more amazing information as to the success of this project.

Have a great weekend!  I'll cya Sunday,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/strawberries, banana and unsweetened almond milk

Lunch ~ I gave into the hot dog's siren song and bought a pack of Hebrew Ntl. Low Fat Franks.  Only 40 calories each, with 1 gram of fat (I think).  I had 2 in a whole grain wrap with pickles, onions and mustard.  Out of a scale of 1-10, it was a 6.  Hot dog fix reasonably sated, with just 230 calories, 2g fat and 7g fiber.

Snack ~ Carrots and homemade red pepper hummus (see Food Thursday 05.03.12)

Dinner ~ TBD...likely sushi

Exercise ~ I had to come back and adjust this.  I didn't get out to walk as this post took a while.  Shame on me, as my wife says.

Food Thursday 05.17.12

Since I have started this quest for sveltness, I have pondered the old adage, "Treat your body as a temple."  So, I am trying.  The current shape that my body is in bears such a resemblance to the chubby smiling guy, I am pretty sure it is a Buddhist temple.  I am ever mindful of what I ingest and without preaching, I think you should to.  And that is what Food Thursday is about.  As I say each week, if you want to lose weight and stay healthy, you should make the majority of your meals at home.  Not from a box or bag, but from scratch with the best ingredients your money can buy. 


Today, a few things to enhance flavor and keep your palate interested.  This is of extreme importance to sticking with the program.  Keeping the flavor at optimum levels is essential to looking forward to, and enjoying, your healthy meals.  I generally use something spicy to kick things into high gear, as it can be done with minimal amounts of sodium, fat or additives.  The ingredients I am highlighting today are are always on hand in my house, ever ready to come off the bench to and hit one out of the park when the regular roster of ingredients falls just a tad short.


Dijon Mustard

I do adore mustard, especially Dijon.  I have tried several brands and my 'go to' is always Grey Poupon or as it was affectionately known in my home growing up, Poop.  Mustard, to me, is a freebie.  At only 5 calories per tablespoon and devoid of the dreaded High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) most ketchup and bbq sauces have, mustard adds a spicy and slightly vinegary note to sandwiches and salad dressings and makes a kick arse glaze on chicken or lean pork.  In salad dressings, mustard works not only as a zippy flavoring agent, it is a great emulsifier, keeping your dressings well blended while stored in the fridge.  


Here is a version of my family's "Poop Sauce", which makes a incredible addition to chicken breast or a grilled pork loin.  Use it liberally, as it will fall off somewhat on the grill, but the charred bits that make it to your plate are intoxicating.  Feel free to brush some on several times during the cooking process.  For each pound of meat use 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard.  Add 1 Tbs of reduced sodium soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 Tbs of chopped rosemary, preferably fresh.  Mix it all up and coat your meat of choice.  When grilling, make sure you use a clean, hot and well oiled grill, for best results.  This is a MUCH healthier alternative to sugary bbq sauces which usually contain HFCS and has minimal calories for maximum flavor.


Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
Chipotle peppers are smoked dried jalapenos.  Bobby Flay refers to them as being like spicy raisins.  In the adobo sauce, which is slightly vinegary, sweet, and tomatoey, these gems also give huge taste impact for minimum damage to your caloric intake.  While not my brand of choice, Goya can be found in just about any store and once open, will keep a long time in your fridge while tightly sealed in a container.  They say 2 Tbs is a serving, but I find you need much less.  A 2 Tbs serving is slightly high in sodium, but if you are only using 1/2 Tbs or so, you should be okay in the salt department.


I use the chipotles in my Spicy Chipotle-Lime salad dressing (see Cooking Thursday 03.22.12) and my simple chipotle mayo.  Take 1 tsp of finely diced chipotle, 1 tsp of the adobo sauce and add it to 2 Tbs of lite mayo.  Use the lite mayo and not the fat free (Helmann's has the light blue label).  The fat free stuff does nothing to fix your mayo jones and it is kind of nasty.  This spread is perfect on almost any sandwich or a burger.


Salsa

It has been said that salsa has become the #1 condiment in the USA.  I can find data to support any one of three claims to this crown, but all I know is it that it is another example of most bang for your caloric buck.  Be sure to buy a quality salsa such as the one to the right here.  Some of the cheaper brands will be much higher in sodium and preservatives.  I love to add it to the top of my breakfast burrito or just mix a tablespoon with one beaten egg and nuke for about 45 seconds in a custard cup that is about 4-5 inches in diameter.  Enjoy on a whole grain sandwich round for an zesty egg sandwich that comes in around 180 calories.


Keep it flavorful folks.  You'll crave unhealthy choices much less frequently.  Set yourself up for success.  Add some spice to your life!


Cya Friday for the Day 100 Recap,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:


Breakfast ~ 1 egg and 1 organic chicken apple sausage on a whole grain sandwich round.
Morning Snack ~ A friend gave me a ZonePerfect Dark Chocolate Almond bar.  Quite good!
Lunch ~ Lunch at a trade show buffet offered up a rubbery piece of chicken, limp Caesar salad and some decent marinated mushrooms.
Dinner ~ Boca Burger w/pickle, onion and  chipotle mayo on a whole grain sandwich round and an iced decaf with the last of my fat free half and half.
Exercise ~ On my feet much of the day at a trade show and a trip to Costco.

What's In My Head Wednesday 05.16.12

Greetings, all.  It's time for a quickie version of WIMHW.  Just a few things on my mind as we are mid week to the next weigh-in.  I say a quickie this evening because I have a gig with the wife.  We songbirds are warbling at a local bar/restaurant from 7-10.  So here is what's on my mind today...




Blood Update
I finally got access to my lab results online.  Kinda cool actually.  LabCorp has teamed with Microsoft Healthvault to let you view your test results online and have them available whenever you need them.  They are also in the process of archiving old results prior to 2011.  I went in today to check my numbers and my cholesterol overall number is 131 (under 200 is good).  HDL (the good stuff) is 45, with norms >39.  LDL (the bad stuff) is at 68 with norms being between 0 and 99.  Who the heck has 0?  My triglycerides were 89 out of a norm from 0-149.  Again, who the hell is at 0, a corpse?  Other than my Vitamin D issue that I mentioned last week, the only other blip is something called Creatinine, Serum, which has a norm of 0.76 to 1.27.  I was 0.75.  Just slightly on the wrong side toward that corpse-esque 0.  I would normally research what that last component was, but I'm a tad hurried today.  Please, forgive me.


Changes in Patterns
I was telling an associate today about my new lifestyle and how things were going.  He was very enthusiastic and told me he could tell this would take hold.  He made a very astute point.  Once you get into a rhythm and establish a new pattern, breaking the old one, things start to gel.  Creating a new routine is key.  I have to say that I certainly am in a rhythm these days.  It has become second nature.  Just as my daily writing is part of my everyday schtick, so are my eating habits.  Exercise is getting there.


Closing in on 100 Days
Friday will be day 100.  Instead of the normal "How Did I Get Here?" offering, I will be recapping some of the statistics, revelations, progress and accomplishments on the drive toward 195.  Pardon my indulgence in advance.  I have always been one for needing an "Atta boy!" pat on the back and I'll deliver this one myself.  I have earned it.  If I hit 50 lbs. down by Monday, expect pictures then.


Cya tomorrow,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 1 egg and 1 chicken apple sausage on a multi-grain sandwich round
Lunch ~ Mooshu basil roll and vegan pork fried brown rice
Mid-afternoon ~ Decaf with skim, Splenda and cinnamon
Dinner ~ Likely a salad at The Publick House, prior to the gig
Exercise ~ The better part of 4 hours on my feet singing tonight.  It is a workout, indeed.

Dreaming Bigger: Part 1

I have made mention in past blogs of things that I would like to do when I get healthier, slimmer and more active.  I have also espoused the principle; We should all dream bigger.  Revert back to your youthful, more naive, self and want more than your current reach can grasp.  In a recent comment, one reader asked, "Aren't there things that you are so excited to do, that you now dread?  Such good motivation!"  Good motivation, indeed, HBBC.




I was speaking with a colleague just yesterday and he was saying how sore he was from doing a "Tough Mudder" this past weekend.  I had heard of these 'mudders', but thought they were an Abbott and Costello routine or some kind of a triathlon.  I learned that they are more of a 13 mile obstacle course through the mud, developed by the British special forces, in which masochistic Americans now train, pay for and put themselves in situations that a normal person would prefer prison to, in order to test their mettle.  I thought, "No freaking way would run 13 miles through the mud, let alone swim through ice (called an 'Arctic Enema'), get electrocuted and run through fire!".  But it also got me to thinking that there are things I would like to do someday that would prove something to myself and celebrate the person I am becoming.  With that purpose in mind, we will be having a recurring theme, now and again, called Dreaming Bigger (Just in case you didn't see that obvious title above all this text.).  


In this feature I will list things that I, hopefully, will someday accomplish.  From the mundane to the extreme, this will serve as a Mike.2 bucket list.  I'd love for this to be interactive, hearing from the readers if they have participated in, or wanted to accomplish something similar to what I have on my list.  Let's get to it...


Dreaming Bigger List

1. Walk 18 holes of golf, carrying my own bag
2. Run in a 5k event
3. Travel throughout Europe, without fear of physical limitations
4. Skydive
5. Fit into and ride the more thrilling attractions at Six Flags and the like
6. Play on a softball team
7. Crack the code to being a successful host on Food Network, offering healthier, yet tasty fare
8. Dance, not only like no one is watching, but not give a fig if they are
9. Buy nice clothes that I know I can wear forever, knowing that my size is a constant
10. Play tennis once again...and be better than I was previously (Which wasn't all that great, but passable.)
11. Hike in the mountains and enjoy nature
12. Sleep comfortably in a bed, without constant tossing and turning from pressure pain

There is a dozen.  Every so often I will add a dozen or so more.  Most of these are in the 'mundane' category and aren't at all beyond the realm of possibility, with the possible exception of #7.  But I said possible exception.  Remember.  The idea here is to dream bigger!

Cya tomorrow for WIMHW,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Leftover 2 potato beet hash w/ one poached egg and sprouted grain toast

Lunch ~ A kitchen sink salad and tomato soup

Snack ~ Chobani fat free vanilla yogurt w/fresh strawberries and raspberries

Dinner ~ Boca Burger on a multi-grain sandwich round

Exercise ~ It's getting nice out.  I am going for a walk after dinner.

Weigh-in: Week 14

After a week of dining out a decent amount (4 times for dinners in 7 days), the scale yielded slightly this morning.  Weight loss reported this week was just that: weak.  Still, progress is progress and I am happy to be moving in the right direction.  14 weeks under my belt (pun intended) and I have gotten the hang of this new lifestyle.  This morning's weigh-in was exercise itself and somewhat resembled a step class.  While the weight was consistent, I kept getting different readings on my body fat and water percentages.  So back up and down on the scale it was, until I said, "Screw it."  No clue why, but I'll use the data I think is most accurate based on the weight I showed. Let's get to the numbers then, shall we?

The scale was repeatedly reading 317.6 lbs. this morning.  That is a slight loss of 1.4 lbs. for the week and 45.8 lbs., overall.  The body fat percentage shows a reduction of .4%, dropping to 60.7%.  I am now just 4.2 lbs. from hitting the 50 mark.  I don't plan on adjusting my meal habits much over the next week, but I do think I will make some changes to the non-essentials, like Starbucks, O'Doul's and snacks like beef jerky.  I can save myself around a 2500 calories worth over the course of the next 7 days.  Until now, I didn't realize how much those calories piled up.


Cya Tomorrow,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:


Breakfast ~ 2 scrambled eggs and 2 chicken apple sausages.
Lunch ~ Chicken Caesar salad, no croutons and only about 1.5 Tbs of dressing.
Dinner ~ Whole grain pasta with asparagus, roasted peppers, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts and grilled chicken breast.
Exercise ~ I will be getting out for a 20 minute walk between now and the start of the hockey game.  Then I shall sit my keester down and do nothing.

A.L.O.E. Mother's Day 05.13.12

Happy Mother's Day to all, especially to my Mom and all around good cook, Cathie.  While my mother may not be the healthiest cook around, she knows her way around the kitchen and helped shape the person that types on the subject, here today.  Plus, she is trying and succeeding in improving her own dietary habits.  Kudos, Mom.  This is Sunday, so it's A Little Of Everything.  Topics too short for my regular blog posts.


It Ain't  in My Blood
What isn't in my blood?  If you said excessive cholesterol, you are a winner.  I just got my blood workup back on Thursday evening and it was pretty much what I expected.  Some have called me a moron in the past.  You can call me, Oxymoron, because I continue to be the healthiest fat guy you know.  I have to get the specifics from the lab, but the overall cholesterol score is 131.  Doc Levy told me the HDL and LDL numbers and said they were good.  I didn't jot down the particulars, but I'll have them to you shortly.  Triglycerides were in check, vitamins were almost all good and other benchmarks they use to determine your health were A-okay.  The only ding was a low level of vitamin D.  The norm is between 30 and 45.  Mine was way down to 14.  The dairy I've cut out may have had something to do with that.  I'll be supplementing with some D capsules and have 1000 - 2000mg per day.  PS, My blood pressure last week was 92/62 or something in that vicinity.  Yay, me.


Cleaner Shirts
Your mother always taught you to put your napkin on your lap when you were growing up.  For my money, it should have been called a lapkin.  But I could never put one in my lap because, frankly, I ain't got no lap.  Which is why my laptop is misnomer in and of itself.  There is a large protrusion of belly and man-maries blocking the path food would take on it trip down to a napkin.  I've always tucked my napkin into my belt, so as not to seem like a cafone (gavone to some).  Since losing my 45 or so lbs., I seem to have cleaner shirts.  Food doesn't have as much of an impedance on the way down to the napkin as it used to.  That, and I can get closer to the table.  End result, fewer ruined shirts.  Now if I can just get a lap, so my pants don't get so messy.  ;)


Recovered Real Estate
I've recovered some coveted real estate in the last three months.  That would be in my waistline.  About a month ago, I was perusing belts online and was going to order a reversible black/brown model, 2 inches smaller than my, then, belt size.  It was a good thing that I didn't pull the trigger on that purchase, because I blew by that number and as of now, I am 6 inches smaller than my TDT195 starting waste size of 62.


Cya tomorrow for weigh-in #14,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:


Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/banana, strawberry, toasted nuts and unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Lunch ~ My take on an Italian sub, with lean organic turkey and ham, sweet pickled peppers, mixed greens and sweet pea shoots on a multi-grain wrap, w/red wine vinaigrette
Dinner ~ Tab and I went out for a Mother's Day meal.  I started with my favorite Tom Yum soup, and then enjoyed a Happy Family, which is a lightly sauced combo of beef, chicken, pork, scallops, shrimp and veggies.  Brown rice on the side.
Dessert ~ Fat free Choboni Peach Greek yogurt
Exercise ~ Aside from 45 minutes of walking around the supermarket, I was coming off 4 hours of basement/garage cleaning and 4 hours on my feet at our gig last night.  I needed a rest.