What a great time with my college friends last night. I'm getting better at managing things when entertaining and being able to spend quality time with my guests and still provide a fun evening with good food. There were old stories, new insights into our lives and tons of laughter to remind me why I drew close to these individuals so many years ago.
The food seemed to hit the mark. Once everyone hit the buffet table, a hush came over the small crowd while people enjoyed their plates. The hummus and the chicken seemed to be the standouts of the evening. Not everyone tried the watermelon salad, but one review was "This is bangin!"
I have to go out and take inventory of all the beer left behind, but I am sure I'm fully stocked until the next gathering. Other than that, we're pretty much cleaned up and I am left with a very clean house and well manicured backyard in which to relax.
As for my food intake, I enjoyed two beers and a scotch by the fire pit. I sampled everything there was to offer and didn't over do it too much. I'm pretty sure that the fifteen, or so, hours I put in preparing the festivities burned considerable calories. I'm thinking the worst case scenario is a draw in burned versus consumed. We'll see what shakes out on Monday.
Cya,
M
What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 1 Egg McMuffin and a decaf
Lunch ~ A chicken sandwich on a multi-grain roll w/buffalo sauce and cucumber
Dinner ~ hummus w/pretzels/carrots and multi-grain chips, watermelon salad, whole grain pasta and bean salad, Dijon rosemary chicken, steak, green salad and the above mentioned beverages. Oh. And I tasted Diane's delicious trifle. About a quarter cup's worth.
Exercise ~ 7 hours of prep work for the party, both in the kitchen and outside
To say that I am tired right now would be an understatement. Tomorrow I will be hosting about a dozen college friends, some of which I haven't seen in over twenty five years. As you know, entertaining is something I love to do, yet it is a quite a chore. Today I got the backyard in shape. That meant trimming bushes, lugging and throwing down over twenty 56 lb. bags of mulch, giving the grill a thorough cleaning inside and out, cleaned off the patio, swept up and mowed the lawn. Today is supposed to be about the food though. Let's get to it, now that the backyard looks fabulous.
This may all sound familiar. I know and I am sorry. The fatigue is keeping me from getting too creative here tonight. I'll use this space as my checklist for the menu tomorrow night. I've served all these dishes before, but my audience is new and I hope they like the healthy spin I put on the food I find delicious. Here is the menu for the party. I have yet to start any of this Friday is going to be another marathon.
Appetizers
crudites and homemade red pepper hummus
watermelon and pesto salad w/fat free feta
home brewed decaf mint iced tea
Dinner
skirt steak
grilled chicken thighs w/Dijon and rosemary
four bean and whole grain pasta salad
green tossed salad w/balsamic and basil dressing
I hope everyone enjoys the meal and doesn't see it as diet food. Thanks for letting me thinly disguise my 'to do' list as a blog post.
Cya next time,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean cereal w/fresh blueberries, banana, toasted pecans and almond milk
Lunch ~ A fried egg and lean ham sandwich on a whole grain pita and some leftover spinach and cannelini beans
Afternoon snack ~ one pluot
Dinner ~ 6oz. of steak, some pickles, brown rice and a well deserved pint of black and tan
Exercise ~ 8 hours in the yard and sun has me covered for a few days
It's quiet and I am alone with my thoughts. Pity to waste such a golden opportunity to dash off witticisms and insights as to the life of the Incredible Shrinking Man, but I'm sitting here looking at the puppies going "Quick. Give me some blog material!" Little buggers are all closed mouthed for a change. Very well then. Let's see what I can come up with on my own.
Another One Bites the Dust
What bit the dust? An item from my Dream Bigger list bit the dust! Yay me! I rolled out to the local Walmart in search of a patio umbrella. Here it is the middle of August and they tell me it's out of season. But if you want a Halloween costume, it's in aisle #5. Should I come back in two weeks for my Christmas decorations? Being the good planet friendly bloke I am, I strolled over to the Men's section as to not waste the gas. I managed to walk out with two very nice shirts ($18 each) and a 4-pack of underwear (dashing boxer briefs in gray and black for the curious). Last week I also picked up a moisture wicking workout shirt. So, there is now a check mark next to the line that says: "Buy clothes off the rack at stores like Target and Walmart."
Who Are You When I'm Not Lookin'?
The above is the title line from a decent song by Blake Shelton and it kind of applies to we closet eaters. I used to be one and there are still pangs of it from time to time. In the car mostly, but I would be MUCH more inclined to indulge anytime judgmental eyes weren't prying. I saw a post on Facebook today that made me remember those days. It said: "What you eat in private, you wear in public." I wish I would have written that line, because it is so on the mark with my former life. Much of the weight I've shed was put on in private moments when I thought no one could see. Why doesn't that occur to you when you are ordering a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (hold the ketchup and add Mac Sauce) and fries which will be there for the world to stare at, long after the greasy bag of garbage is stealthily disposed of. Keep this in mind next time you want to 'treat' yourself saying, "Who'll know?"
Your Face Was Huge!
The Wife told me last night that she sees an amazing difference in my face. She was zipping through some old photos on the PC and noticed how different I look now. "I can actually see cheek bones now and your face is sooo much thinner. I never really noticed it before, but your face was HUGE!" It's nice to have a more normal face these days I suppose. Anyone else might be hurt by the observation, but I know that a little less than four years ago, she married that huge-faced guy. I wonder if she will notice how gray I've gotten, too. Shhhhh...
Cya,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal w/toasted pecans, fresh blueberries, banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ Tuna salad on whole grain Italian bread
Snack ~ I polished off the last crumbs of tortilla chips from the poker night. My best guess is they were around 120 calories worth of junk food. Not good, but I won't lose sleep over it.
Dinner ~ Chickpea and Watercress soup with a small filet of pan seared tilapia
Exercise ~ I am going to try to get on the treadmill before bed. I know, Yoda, there is no try, only do.
When a decision was made to take the plunge and go the gym, I was determined that I would always check my ego at the door each time I worked out. It's not an easy thing for me to do. There are years of self-consciousness to undo, or at least push down inside of me.
The last three weeks haven't been overwhelmingly anxiety-ridden where workouts are concerned. Although, the first day was a little stressful. I had on some cotton gym shorts and a golf shirt. Nothing fancy, but I was comfortable. I was told to do some warm-ups, the first of which was to jog down about forty feet, while pumping my knees toward my chest. Not much of a problem. Then I had to jog down while kicking myself in the butt with my heels. Problem. Oh my God! Did you hear that? No. It wasn't a sonic boom from Mike running lightning fast. It was his backfat and gut slapping against his ample frame. There was an echoing around that open space reminiscent of a fourth of July fireworks finale. It was then I realized this ego thing would be much harder than I expected. Mortified, I sought out an immediate solution before my next session.
I obtained some more appropriate undergarments to hold everything in place. That purchase was a pride swallowing exercise, in and of itself. But the objective was met and everything would be secured and silenced for the next session. After all, fitness above dignity.
Fast forward twenty-one days to this week. It's time to set my pride aside even more. Until now, I was undergoing private workouts, albeit in the open gym, but the focus was on me. My one-on-one fundamentals sessions are over and it's time to jump into the regular Crossfit classes. These have a variety of people with a wide age range and levels of fitness. I've seen women in their late fifties and guys in their twenties, all in one class. Even with varying levels of fitness in these classes, I will clearly be the most hampered from doing the exercises in the same fashion as the others. I will be tasked with scaled down versions for most of the maneuvers.
The plan is to attend two classes per week from here on. I suspect that each time I cross the threshold, there will be less baggage to leave on the outside. I'll become more proficient and fit with every visit...or at least that is the plan. I have to admit though, this Thursday, I'll be a little...no...a lot stressed about how I will appear to the others. Will I slow them down? Will I be a distraction? The instructors assure me I won't be. At least I know one thing. The thumping beat will be from the music on the P.A., not the percussive noises of M.A. Talk about trying to look on the bright side.
Cya tomorrow,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ One egg with salsa on a whole grain deli flat
Lunch ~ Tom Yum soup w/chicken and two maki rolls
Dinner ~ A lean ham and low fat provolone sandwich on whole grain Italian bread and sauteed spinach w/garlic and cannelini beans
Exercise ~ 20 minutes of dog walking
It's been an interesting August. Over the course of the first three weeks I lost a net total of only one pound. I was starting to get down on myself a bit. I try to tell myself that I know the right path and to stay with it. So I soldiered on and, aside from a few allowances I made for myself this week, I did what I know to be right.
Patience is the name of the game when you are changing your lifestyle attempting to lose a large amount of weight slowly. This week, my patience has paid off. As you see to the right, I now weigh 292.6 lbs. That is a weekly reduction of a whopping 4.6 lbs. I'd take a bow, but I am whooped from my workout earlier this evening. The body fat percentage has dropped another .8% to 46.6% and water percentage has risen to 38.3%.
My body feels good and now my head has been given the ego injection it was much in need of. I look forward a good week. And it's a short work week for me. There will be a decent amount of work around the yard so that I can host a party on my patio this Friday. I look forward to cooking tasty, yet healthy food for my old college friends.
Have a great week, folks. I know I will.
Cya tomorrow,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal w/banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ Rotisserie chicken w/asparagus and brown rice
Snack ~ Decaf Mocha Lite Frappaccino and some almonds
Dinner ~ Whole grain pasta with marinara sauce and a side salad w/homemade basil vinaigrette
Exercise ~ 50 minutes of Crossfit
I was just sitting on the couch with The Wife watching TV and realized I hadn't done tonight's post. I guess there isn't much to say today, but I have a couple of things to jot down. So tonight, it will be just A very Little Of Everything.
I ♥ NY
I had the great pleasure of visiting the new Yankee Stadium yesterday with my brother. He is a Red Sox fan and I, a Yankees fan. There's no accounting for taste, I know. Unfortunately, the Yanks didn't come through for me, but what did come through was the city itself. In New York City, all food items carry the caloric data right on the menu. No matter how insignificant, there it is for all to see. It was a very pleasant surprise. I decided before arriving at the park that I was gong to enjoy the ballpark experience I recall, with a hot dog and a beer. I was happy to see that a sixteen ounce Miller Genuine Draft is only 148 calories and the hot dog only 350. So for what amounted to roughly the same intake I'd have for my regular lunch, I could deviate from my healthy path and indulge with just a little guilt. The Cracker Jacks and peanuts were tempting, but having those numbers stare you in the face along with the $5.75 price, made it easy to just enjoy the great weather and very cool day with my bro. For the record, Cracker Jacks were 420 calories and the peanuts blew me away with 1020. Yikes!
Taking it in Stride
While in the Bronx yesterday, I did a decent amount of walking. I used to dread these types of outings due to the fatigue brought on by the walking. Yesterday, we parked about 4 blocks from the gate and I was able to stride quite purposefully and steadily the whole way to both the stadium and back to the car. No panting, no discomfort. Just a great feeling of well being and accomplishment. I almost felt like I could have jogged. Almost. I am not there yet, but soon enough.
Cya for weigh-in on Monday,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 2 eggs, roasted peppers and vegan mozz on a whole grain tortilla wrap
Lunch ~ Tuna salad on a whole grain pita
Snack ~ A handful of smoked almonds and an iced decaf
Dinner ~ Lemon orzo chicken soup and a half smoked turkey sandwich
Exercise ~ About an hour of yard work
The aftermath of a six hour poker marathon surrounds me as I write. Tables and chairs that need to be broken down, an army of beer bottles to be dispatched to the recycling bin and chips that need a safe home away from my mindless old habits. It's not the poker chips that are at issue. I handle them purposefully and with care. It's tortilla chips that I have little control over. Pretzels and Smokehouse Almonds should fear for their lives as well.
I've always enjoyed entertaining, and with Brother Bill coming up for a weekend, I planned a Texas Holdem tourney at the house. Sixteen contestants would battle it out for the prize money. For those who don't make their way to the top and fall to the wayside, they should be taken care of by their host until more action is available. I was sure to provide some healthy choices for snacking, such as carrots and hummus, nuts and slightly less offensive whole grain chips. I put thought into the dip by buying a lower fat version of the french onion my brother likes. For those that feel they need something more, a bag of Tostitos and pretzels. Of course guests bring their own crunchy morsels to add to the minefield.
Since I didn't finish in the money in either of the two contests played out last night, I found myself with idle hands and an we know who's playground they are. It's the devil on my shoulder's playground. I found myself slipping into old bad habits by grabbing a few pretzels and dipping them into creamy onion dip. I threw back a few tortilla chips and handfuls of salted smokey almonds. I also talked myself into two of the beers that were calling to me from the cooler. Alcohol always seems to grease the skids when backsliding into the caloric wasteland. I probably downed around seven hundred, or more, empty calories with my thoughtless scavenging last evening. The leftover treats need to be hidden away or given away before more damage is done. I am not happy, nor proud, of my missteps perpetrated here on my home turf. This is supposed to be my safest place. Instead, I scattered temptation about and we'll find out Monday what the price paid will be.
Cya on Sunday,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ An Egg McMuffin on the road, w/a large decaf
Lunch ~ We ordered in at my business meeting. I ordered broiled salmon over a lightly dressed arugula salad and ate 1/3 of a slice of veggie pizza
Dinner ~ Veggie lasagna
Snacks ~ All of the crap you see above
Exercise ~ none
