What's in My Head Wednesday, 03/07/2012

Welcome to WIMHW for March 7, 2012.  Things that are filling my oversized skull today will be spewed forth here for all to read about.  Please don’t think by me saying I have an oversized skull that I am conceitedly boasting I am uber smart.  Not that at all.  It’s that my wife tells me I have considerably large noggin.

 One of the key aspects of The Drive to 195 is that by building a network of readers I have created a de facto group of sponsors in the style of a twelve step program.  A particular feature that I think is lacking in my model is that of experience.  Traditionally, sponsors are those that not only promote accountability and provide a sounding board, but also lend their experience to the person to whom they are mentoring.  What I ask of you folks out there in my cyber program is to share your experience.  I would especially love to hear from those of you who may have overcome some of your own demons or perhaps just some advice you feel is pertinent.  Ideally, that would be in the comments section below, but if you prefer to do it privately I’d still very much welcome your input.  For private comments, feel free to use my personal email address; accardim@optonline.net.  If you think that something you saw here was helpful, something you related to, you’d like to simply to tell me that I am full of sh*t or just give me a virtual pat on the back,  bring it on.  All opinions and inputs are welcome.

I’ve been wondering if some of my food choices might turn off the average reader.  I eat a great deal of beans, veggies, tofu and exotic cuisine that many people don’t get into.  I think I am fortunate to have a fairly broad palate.  I don’t plan on changing my meals to suit the blog, but do things like tofu, Thai or Indian food make my experience less ‘relatable’?  I am hoping to learn my audience and get a feel for what you get out of the posts.  For instance, tonight the wife made an Indian dish called ‘channa saag’ (spicy chick peas with spinach).  Would someone read that and say, “I wouldn’t eat the things that Mike is eating.” and be less inclined to come back?  Just something I have been pondering.

Lastly today, thanks to all who sent forth ideas for titles to Sunday’s mixed bag posts.  There were some great ideas sent in and I have decided on a title.  Each Sunday I will put up bits and pieces of shorter topics that wouldn’t fill out an entire blog post.  They can be shout-outs, tips and tricks that I have learned or anything at all I’d like to share.  Basically, a little of everything.  Hence the new title for the Sunday’s offering will be A.L.O.E (A Little Of Everything).

Thanks for swinging by today.

Cya tomorrow,
M

What I ate and how I exercised today:

Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/Almond Vanilla Silk and a fresh fruit salad of banana, blueberries and pink grapefruit

Lunch ~ Lunch with the Mrs. at Asia, one of our favorites. I enjoyed Tom Yum soup (spicy Thai soup with crispy veggies) w/chicken and a vegetarian maki roll.
Mid-afternoon treat ~ Iced, grande decaf Skinny Latte

Dinner ~ Spicy chickpeas with spinach, aka channa saag

Exercise ~ I got an iPhone courtesy of my best friend Doug.  I wanted music to walk with today.  It took me too damn long to set up my iTunes.  No walking today.

Time Flies When You Are Having None

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a month since I embarked on my new lifestyle.  If you are new here, no, it’s not about a middle-aged man who suddenly realizes his sexual preferences have changed…not that there’s anything wrong with that.  It was one month ago today that I started this blog about my food addiction and my goal to reach 195 healthy pounds by the time I reach fifty on 1/12/2014.  A lofty goal for someone who once tipped the scales at almost 500 lbs.

One whole month since I ate red meat, had alcohol, knowingly consumed caffeine (and you call yourself a barista, Consuelo), or ate any unhealthy food for that matter.  In the month since I started this project I have certainly been tempted to eat a burger or get a slice, grab a Snickers bar or something fried, perhaps have a real beer or a cabernet, always fleetingly asking myself, “Who’ll know?  The devil on my shoulder does live with me daily.   But always the answer comes back, “Once you cross that line and lie to people that read your blog, you can never go back.”, or “Is this moment of gluttony worth it?”  The answer invariably is, “No” or I tell myself, “Oh, yeah!  I don’t do that anymore.”

I’m a pretty lucky guy to have come to this realization that food was pretending to be my friend, when, in fact, it was killing me, ruining my chance for a truly happy life.  If you struggle with addiction, whatever your poison, ask yourself that last question, “Is it worth it?”  If you find the strength to be honest with yourself, the answer is always “No.”

One thing I have noticed is that the overall process of what to eat and how much to eat is truly becoming second nature.  The lifestyle is taking hold.  Remember, diets have a failure rate in the high 90% range.  A new lifestyle is what I am crafting.  And, honestly, I’m kinda diggin’ it.

Some highpoints of the last month to close out tonight’s post.  I traveled with a colleague last week and he drove.  His Volvo’s seatbelts were always an adversary of mine.  Always too small.  I’ve written of my humiliation with this scenario in the past.  Well, let me tell you that sucker was a tad snug, but it fit.  I could click it without feeling like a sausage that was tied off in the middle.  No feeling mortified that day in the dreaded Volvo.  Just me feeling, well, normal. 

Another highlight was my wife telling me that my pants were getting too big.  Thanks for noticing, honey.  I could list a few more, but one last one smile-inducing situation to mention.  I have had several people that do not know of my quest for fitness tell me that I look thinner.  They can see it in my face, or neck or wherever.  Hearing that is truly a gift.

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Raisin Bran w/ Vanilla Almond Silk

Lunch ~ Amy’s Southwest Black Bean Burrito w/1Tbs fat-free Greek yogurt (a la sour cream) and 2 Tbs salsa

Afternoon treat ~ Starbucks’ Skinny Decaf Mocha

Dinner  ~ 2 eggs, scrambled with roasted peppers and a HUGE mixed green salad with spinach, artichoke hearts, carrots, sprouts, cucumber, radishes and tomato in a red wine vinaigrette

Exercise ~ 1.75 miles at the mall

Week 4 Weigh-in

Today is Monday and that can only mean one thing.  Weigh-in day!  Once a week I weigh in and show you the results.  No BS.  Good or bad, it goes up here in the blog, keeping it real.  This last week has seen a good bit of walking, almost all my meals at home and not one bit of cheating…okay, if you were at the Whole Foods Market in Madison on Saturday you may have seen me stab a toothpick into a 5mm cube of aged cheddar that even a mouse would’ve thought chintzy, but that’s all.  I promise!

This morning, with the usual rituals on weigh-in day, I did all my bathroom pregame maneuvers, did a microdermabrasion and checked for bellybutton lint for the lightest load possible.  I stepped aboard Mr. Escali (We Italians are a very loyal lot.  I have an Italian scale.) and the results are pictured here.  340.8 lbs. as of this morning.  For those keeping score, that is 22.6 lbs in the first 4 weeks.  Am I happy with this week’s loss?  Sure, I am.  Did I want more?  Obese folks always want more.  In everything we do.  It’s the nature of the beast.  But I know I did my best and after 4 weeks I am just over 13% of goal.  That’s pretty cool, I’d say.

Cya tomorrow,
M

Here is what I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Raisin Bran w/Vanilla Almond Silk

Lunch ~ Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle veggie burger w/roasted pepper on a whole wheat sandwich thin.

Dinner ~ A huge mixed green salad with tuna, cannellini beans, sprouts, carrots, radishes and onion w/red wine vinaigrette.  Roasted kabocha, red pepper and tomato.  Note: If you think I am forcing myself to eat these salads for dietetic purposes, think again.  I LOVE this salad.  The tuna, white beans and onion taste so good with the red wine vinegar.

Exercise ~ I didn’t walk today.  Instead I opted for some house-cleaning before making dinner.  I’ll get in 7.7 miles before the week is out.  10% more than last week.

This & That Sunday

“This & That Sunday” is the working title of the Sunday theme.  One problem, though; I hate this name.  So I am calling on you folks to comment (here in the blog, please) and come up with a good title for this weekly segment.  It should be something that conveys that it is bits and pieces of info.  Basically several short topics in one day.  Let the comments begin!

Kabocha?  You betcha!

I know I have mentioned this before, but I love kabocha squash.  And likely you will, too.  It can also be found as Japanese pumpkin and buttercup squash.  Treat it as you would any other winter squash such as acorn, butternut, or spaghetti squashes.  Kabocha’s orange flesh is very sweet with a hint of canteloupiness.  Are you paying attention, Merriam-Webster?  I just invented a new word; canteloupiness.  Send the royalty checks to...

Kabocha is one of those oft-touted ‘superfoods’.  It is rich in beta carotene, with iron, vitamin C, potassium and smaller traces of calcium, folic acid and minute amounts of B vitamins. Yes, I know you have read this from me before, but I can’t get enough of this stuff.  Tonight we ate it in a green curry sauce over rice.  Tomorrow I’ll roast what I didn’t use tonight to further enhance its sweetness.  The Sofa King says it’s good, so you know it’s Sofa King good! (Say it fast enough and it’s kinda crass.  But funny! hehe)

I’m Walkin’ Here!

Someone asked me what I do to motivate myself other than the blog.  I had to ponder that for a bit because the blog has taken over a big part of my life and the emails and Facebook messages are a tremendous source of inspiration and motivation.  Today I realized that my daily walking is actually motivating. The walking isn’t motivating, per se, (to be honest it kinda sucks), but the feeling of accomplishment makes me want to do more.  I NEVER thought I would say that!  I want to see that scale move on Mondays and I know walking is going to help.  So maybe it’s the scale motivating me?  Who knows?  I’m just happy to be keeping up with it so far.

This past Sunday I set a goal for myself to walk 7 miles this week.  I came close enough to call this one a win.  Today I walked 1.8 miles at the mall, bringing the weekly total to 6.78 miles.  I cannot wait for the warmer weather.  Walking at the mall is sort of like that old O.J. Simpson commercial for Hertz car rentals.  The mall is an obstacle course of rude people, tiny Japanese ladies trying to push their  toothpicked teriyaki chicken, baby carriages and kids running amok with apathetic parents who I would like to smack.  See?  Just like O.J.  Except I’m a short, fat white guy, without a briefcase and I ain’t running or jumping over nothing.  By the end of my walks, I am so tired and my feet so heavy I’m lucky not to trip over some whiny kid’s blankie as he’s throwing a hissy fit on the mall floor.  Well, all that and I have yet to kill anyone.  But an apathetic parent with unruly kids might be my first victim.

Weigh-in #4 tomorrow.

Cya then,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ One egg, one Morningstar Farm’s Mushroom Lovers Veggie Burger (Not my fave. Won’t be buying them again.) on a 7-Grain English Muffin w/some sautéed mushrooms and onions

Lunch ~ Roasted fennel and tomato soup and one brown rice, shrimp California roll

Post-walk snack ~ One pink grapefruit

Dinner ~ Kabocha, baby!  In a green curry sauce with baked tofu, over rice
http://www.house-foods.com/tofu/Recipes_detail.aspx?id=186

Pardon Me Mr. Steinbeck

The best-laid plans of Mike and men often go awry.  That is the case with today’s blog.  The planned fourth installment of “How Did I Get Here?” will take a bit more writing time than I have today.  I guess you could say the plan was very well laid after all.

Instead, I’ll take some time to address something about the blog that, although no one has questioned, I thought might be of some paradox to the regular reader.  In my “Welcome” post, I spoke of the things that would be the tenets of my eating regimen.  One of those core principles was that I wasn’t going to count calories.  And that is absolutely the case.  I hear you ask, “Then why, Mike, do you list calories for many of the items you eat?”  Well, Grasshopper, it is fairly simple.  I do it for two reasons.  One reason is that I do want to be aware of what it is I take in and have a rough idea of what’s too much, but sometimes items can look like calorie-laden traps when, in fact, made correctly, they are healthy.  Last night’s gnocchi dinner was a good example.  That is why I list the caloric intake.  So I can explain to the readership that my choices are in keeping with the course I have plotted.

The second reason that I list calories at times is that many of you out in cyberspace are, in fact, on Weight Watchers or other programs and do keep track of your daily caloric intake.  If those folks would like to try some of what I am dining on, they can know what it is they are in for.

I am a believer that if I make the right choices between fruits/vegetables, proteins, fats, carbs, etc. that the calories will fall into place.  My best guess is that I have been taking in about 1200-1500 a day.  That’s just a guess, but I feel great and the weight is shedding.  Who could ask for more?

Cya tomorrow,

M

What I ate and how I exercised today:

Breakfast ~ Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Raisin Bran w/Rice Milk

Lunch ~ Mixed greens salad with cannellini beans, tuna and balsamic vinaigrette

Dinner ~ 3.5 oz. of broiled chicken breast with the piquillo pepper sauce, toasted sliced almonds and steamed broccoli with a touch of lemon and olive oil

Exercise ~ 1.3 miles around the lake with the wife

How Did I Get Here?: Part 3

How did I get here…and what’s with this hand basket?  We’ve already established a bad pattern that was borne out of growing up during the dawn of highly processed foods and my introduction to fine fattening cuisine at Echo Lake Country Club.  It was off to college without a clue on what I wanted to do with my life.  I did think about cooking school, but, instead, opted for a music education major.  Hell, I saw what my teachers did in high school.  I could do that.  I had talent.  Why the hell not?  Easy, right?  Nope. 

I was SO not into my then chosen career path.  I struggled with piano lessons.  Struggled is too kind a word.  My left hand and my right would bicker about which would play the right notes.  I was downright spastic when it came to playing the piano. How could I be a choral director without playing piano?  Everything else fell apart from there.  Rather than go to class and actually learn something in school, I hung out at the student center, ate junk food, played video games and shot pool.  Basically I waited for my friends/fraternity brothers to get done with their learnin’ so we could hang out and have some beers or go the cafeteria and eat high-calorie, high-fat slop.  I remember the name of the firm that had the cafeteria concession, The Freshie Company.  HA!  The food was anything but.  Because I commuted two of the three semesters I went to college, the days that weren’t spent eating at school with my chums were spent back at ELCC eating the high-class chow that would turn almost anyone’s blood into 10W40 viscosity Pennzoil. 

I left school in December of 1983 to pursue any endeavor that didn’t waste my time and money like being a professional slacker at Montclair did.  I got a real job as a headhunter and made decent money for a twenty-year-old.  Enough to get my own place and be an adult.  Living on my own, my diet basically consisted of Chinese food (I literally ate sweet and sour chicken with fried rice four to five nights a week for a year) or frozen Swanson dinners.  Lunch was always eaten out at the Menlo Mall since my office building was attached to it.  I seem to recall my weight growing to the area of 275 lbs. or so by September of 1988.  

The eighties was a time when I was trying to find myself.  Cliché I know, but I was, indeed, without a purpose.  Adrift without a rudder as it were.  I was bored, somewhat lonely and my recreation was watching TV and eating.  I was self-conscious of my body and my weight and didn’t really make solid attempts at wooing the opposite sex.  I was embarrassed by the way I looked, despite being told how ‘handsome’ I was time and again.  I wanted to be fit, but did nothing to that end.  The addiction to food had already taken hold and it had a firm grasp on me.  It wasn’t letting go. 

I do recall one year for Christmas my aunt and uncle gave me a check for a gym membership.  It was something like $300.  Back in the mid-eighties that was a fortune.  A $300 Christmas gift?!  The gesture melted my heart and to this day I am truly grateful that they would be so unselfish with their hard-earned money as to try and help me get myself on track.  On the second visit to the gym I had my first back injury.  I was in agony.  Unfortunately, I never went back.  I have always felt guilty about wasting the money they so generously gave me.  Sorry, H&C.  It would be many years before I could make a valid attempt to break free from food’s clutches.  The gesture was immense, but my need to feed was greater.

More on this subject tomorrow.

Cya then,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal with vanilla almond milk and fresh blueberries.  Fresh fruit salad with fresh blue berries and one whole grapefruit.

Lunch ~ A Chesapeake crab roll and a shrimp spring roll at Wegman’s

Afternoon snack ~ ½ of a Peanut Butter Chocolate protein bar.  While shopping today I was feeling like I could go off the rails a bit.  I grabbed this protein bar of 200 calories and decided to eat half.

Dinner ~ Today was the wife’s birthday.  She asked me to make a vegan sweet potato gnocchi recipe I had come across online.  I made it and a salad (pictured here). I thought it was just okay.  She LOVED it.  Mission accomplished, I guess.  My estimate is that the price of the meal for me was around 550-600 calories.  Pleasing the wife on her birthday…priceless.  Forget about it being vegan.  It was good.  Here's a link to the recipe:

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/02/20/sweet-potato-gnocchi-recipe

Exercise ~ I'm a bit pissed that I didn't plan my day better.  Work and cooking dinner coupled with writing this blog left me no time.  I'll be up early tomorrow morning walking and perhaps again in the afternoon.

I'm Down With B.P.M.C., Yeah You Know Me

Cooking Thursdays is a favorite of mine. It lets me write about something else that I am really passionate about. Hopefully, the info I am passing along is helpful to both those on a quest to be healthier and those who just like to cook. Last week I listed some things that I find indispensible in the kitchen. This week I would like to speak about something that I love to use as an ingredient and is not only healthy and delicious, but easy to find anywhere. 

It’s been said that one thing that sets the food of fine restaurants apart from most good home cooks is the use of fresh herbs. Fresh herbs add a brightness and taste component that elevates even the simplest of dishes. My exposure to what a leafy piece of goodness can do started with my dad. Being the good Italian that he was, he always grew tomatoes, zucchini, mint and basil in our backyard. The tomatoes usually wound up in salads and the zucchinis in ratatouille or some sort of zucchini bread.
The herbs are what bring back the fondest of memories. Often in our fridge and ALWAYS in my Grandma Accardi’s fridge was mint iced tea. She would brew Lipton tea with stalks of the mint from her garden and put it in emptied milk cartons in the fridge. There is nothing like it on a hot summer’s day and I still make it myself in the warmer months. Another great use for the mint is at the BBQ. In a mortar and pestle, mash a fresh tomato with 3 cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then use a bunch of fresh mint as a brush to baste the mixture on grilled chicken or beef. It is divine. The subtle minty notes coupled with the garlic and tomato are like no other sauce you can find. Some grilled chicken breast with this glazed on is worthy company.
Basil is one of my favorite things on the planet. My dad would slice that basil into ribbons (aka a chiffonade) and just sprinkle it over a dish of pasta. I love it over my hearty minestrone and also throw some fresh leaves in a salad, make pesto, or just with good fresh tomatoes, some balsamic and olive oil. If I had to give up basil, I would be one cranky bastard.

At the very least, always keep some fresh Italian parsley on hand. Put it in a glass of water in the back of the fridge and it will keep longer. Just put some chopped parsley over soups, stews or any hot dish and it will make your favorites sing even more. For Asian, Indian or Mexican dishes, the same holds true for Cilantro.

The bottom line is we need to eat good-tasting, healthy food to lose weight and keep us from getting bored with our eating. Fresh herbs with make you feel like you’ve had a 3-star chef prepare your meal and help you enjoy slimming down all the more. For an added flair, eat off of your good china in the dining room. We do.
Cya tomorrow,
M 
What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Amy’s burrito with 1 Tb fat-free Greek yogurt and salsa. A fresh fruit salad of pink grapefruit and blueberries.
Lunch ~ Un-Turkey pita pocket and a cup of vegetable broth
Mid-afternoon snack ~ Dark chocolate (70% cacao and higher) is tasty and full of antioxidants. One square of Endangered Species Dark Chocolate w/Cranberries & Almonds (available at Whole Foods) is just 50 calories. If you can’t stop at one, don’t eat this. I can. J
Dinner ~ Roasted Fennel and Tomato Soup with Chick Peas (link to recipe below) and 3 oz. of broiled salmon with piquillo pepper sauce (also linked below) and toasted sliced almonds. DELICIOUS!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-fennel-tomato-soup-50400000119704/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-portobellos-filled-with-wild-rice-almond-pilaf-and-piquillo-pepper-vinaigrette-recipe2/index.html (Use half the oil. It’s still great and you only drizzle a little. Eat this on anything you like. Even as a salad dressing.)

Exercise ~ 1.33 miles at the mall