New Year's Eve

Big family gathering today at Mom and Dad's. Lots of family, lots of food.

Big party tonight over at Carl and Sally's. I'm posting now while I remember what I've had, I'll post tomorrow with the rest of my food. Happy New Year!

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/31:

South Beach bar

1 banana

10 oz milk

10 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/31:

~10 oz salad w/ fat free red wine vinagrette

Ham (2 oz) and cheese (1 oz) on white bread w/ mustard

More veggies than I care to think about (probably about 10 oz)

half of a blood orange

40 oz water

40 oz coffee

1 cracker w/ cheeseball (~1/4 oz)

5 pretzel sticks

I go through the trouble of mentioning the cracker w/ cheeseball and pretzel sticks, not because it's important that I ate them, but it's important to point out that I passed up trays of cookies, sweets, and a really great ice cream pie. So, hey, I was pretty good!

Heading Out

I've decided to take off for northeast Ohio tonight rather than tomorrow morning. As such, I won't be checking tomorrow morning to see if I hit my goal. Oh, well. Regular weight update will be Monday, assuming we're back in town.

Uneventful day today. Not much to report. I live a boring life :)

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/30:

South Beach bar

8 oz milk

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch 12/30 (Long John Silver's):

6 oz fish

3 oz fries

1 oz hush puppies

3 oz cole slaw

9 oz salad w/ fat free italian (when I got home)

4 oz apple sauce (when I got home)

14 oz water

Dinner 12/30 (Country Kitchen):

A1 Sirloin sammich (5 oz sirloin)

8 oz salad (2 side salads) w/ bleu cheese on the side

1/2 c green beans

30 oz iced tea

I Miss My Wife

I miss my wife. For lots of reasons, of course. But this morning, I missed her because, since I've lived with her, I've never accidently overslept. I was almost late for work today, forget about working out. And I couldn't do it tonight, I've been spending the entire time trying to make gelato and biscotti for our gathering this weekend. The gelato is nearly done, the biscotti is giving me fits.

Diet Update

Breakfast :

1 slice (1/8 of a 12" pie) pizza w/ pepperoni and sausage

12 oz milk

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch (Wendy's):

Spicy chicken sammich

Spring mix sala w/ 2 tbsp vingarette

Mandarin orange cup

32 oz water

Dinner :

Gyro from Nazareth's

4 oz carrots w/ hummus from Nazareth's

9 oz salad w/ fat free Italian

14 oz water

I might have a biscotti and a glass of milk, just for quality assurance purposes...

Check-In with McConnell - 12/28

I had my check-in with McConnell today, and they were very pleased with how I managed over the Christmas weekend. No weight gain, which they told me was pretty impressive. They were happy with the way I did it (though they would have rather that I had exercised, d'oh!), since I didn't deny myself anything good, but rather had all the good stuff in reasonable amounts.

I'll be doing the bachelor thing for a few days, as Amy is going to spend the next few days with her mom. No bachelor food, though, I'm still trying to get to 200 by 12/31...

I hit the gym in the afternoon today, rather than first thing in the morning. Skipped strength training again, but rode the recumbent bike and walked the treadmill, both for a half hour.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/28:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

1 apple

16 oz milk

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/28 (Skyline):

2 Cheese Skyliners

Garden salad w/ low fat italian

4 oz pineapple

16 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/28:

4 oz pineapple

32 oz water

I exercised late, so I got an additional 22 oz water during my workout.

Dinner 12/28:

Beef stew over about 1 c egg noodles

9 oz salad w/ fat free italian

6 oz mixed veggies

14 oz water

I had a bag of popcorn tonight, and will have a glass of wine.

And a cookie. Damn...

2co's

We went out to 2co's tonight for entertainment, and I had 20 oz hot cider during the show.

And, my wife is an enabler. I'm going to have a piece of that low-fat, no-flour chocolate cake that my sister brought up on Christmas Eve. I don't really have a choice, she's twisting my arm...

Bad Amy...

:)

Back to the Routine

Pretty darned good news in the weight department, I thought. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised.

I hit the gym again this morning, this time with technological accoutrements. My parents gave me a heart rate monitor that straps to my chest and beams to a watch. Pretty cool, though I couldn't get it to work this morning. Amy and I will have to play with it tonight. Additionally, Amy gave me an iPod Nano, to which I've uploaded 5-6 albums. It helped make the workout go faster.

Speaking of the workout, I did 30 minutes each on the recumbent bike and treadmill. I'll probably do resistance training tomorrow, but then again, maybe I won't :)

I didn't take my lunch today, and since I grabbed lunch from the cafeteria, I did my rabbit impression again. Not quite as much as last time, but it was still a lot...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/27:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

1 largish apple (4-5 oz)

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch

Lunch 12/27:

16 oz salad and mixed veggies w/ fat-free italian

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/27:

2 oz cheeseball w/ 5 club crackers

Dinner 12/27:

Mac and cheese (~1 c cooked) w/ ham (~ 5 oz)

3 oz carrots

12 oz water

Weight Update

Weight as of 5 AM 12/27: 202.5

I'm declaring victory. You might notice that my last weight update was also 202.5, but considering that I just went through the Christmas holiday and didn't exercise all last week because of my back hurting, I think staying the same weight was a big victory.

Home from the Holidays

After a wonderful visit with Amy's family and friends, we're finally back home. More excellent food was consumed, more wonderful loot was swapped, and lots of games were played (though we won't talk about Jane's euchre mojo). Tomorrow I'll have to get back into the swing of things (sigh)...

Weight update tomorrow, if I remember.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/25:

South Beach bar

10 oz milk

10 oz water

Lunch 12/25:

2 oz ham

6 oz salad w/ low-fat raspberry vinagrette

3 oz mixed veggies

1/2 c cheesy potatoes

1/2 c chicken & dumplings

1/2 c green bean casserole

20 oz water

20 oz coffee

Afternoon Snack 12/25:

6 oz chex mix

1 cookie

1 apple

1 clementine

16 oz coffee

Dinner 12/25:

Ham (3 oz) and pepper jack (1 oz) on a small dinner roll w/ mustard

1/3 c cheesy potatoes

6 oz salad w/ ranch

1/2 c green bean casserole

3 oz mixed veggies

1 clementine

10 oz water

I had 2 glasses of white grenache before bed.

Breakfast 12/26:

2 slices cinnamon swirl toast w/ butter

10 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/26 (Der Dutchman, Walnut Creek, OH):

12 oz salad and mixed veg w/ honey mustard

bowl of ham and potato soup

4 oz mixed

12 oz water

I had a cookie before dinner.

Dinner 12/26:

4 oz meatloaf

6 oz salad w/ ranch

4 oz corn (~1/2 c)

28 oz water

I doubt I'll have wine tonight, as I've gotta get up early tomorrow.

Christmas Eve

T'was the day before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was stirring 'cause the family came to the house.

Eh, I lost my train of thought. You get the idea, though. Amy and I hosted my family for our family Christmas today. We were able to get everything ready before everyone showed up, which pleased the wife to no end. Copious quantities of nourishment were consumed, brightly wrapped gifts were exchanged, and fun was had by all. The nephews were, yet again, spoiled, so all is well.

Tonight, we're heading to visit Amy's folks, and we'll be coming back sometime on Monday. In the mean time [Happy|Merry|Joyous] [Holidays|Christmas|Chanukka|Festivus] to anyone who happens by my boring, sucky little blog.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/24:

South Beach bar

8 oz water

28 oz coffee

Morning Snack 12/24:

1 clementine

3 oz carrots

Lunch 12/24:

Beef stew (~3 oz beef, 2 oz carrots) over 2/3 c egg noodles

6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch

1/2 c corn

1 roll w/ 1 tbsp butter

14 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/24:

1 small slice of low-fat, no flour chocolate cake w/raspberry sauce

3 crackers w/ 1/5 oz cheese ball

36 oz coffee

Dinner 12/24:

Meatloaf (4 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on wheat toast w/ ketchup

6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch

14 oz water

Notice that I didn't eat any cookies today, just the cake :)

Tom's Day Off

I had the good fortune to be off work today. AOL gave it's employees both today and next Monday off. I would have slept late if it wasn't for our girls pounding at the door at 7:15A. Once Mom was gone, it seems it was time to get Dad up, too. Ah well.

Since I had the day off, I did a few chores in preparation for my family's arrival tomorrow. I also met Amy and her co-workers for lunch, gave blood, and read a bit of my CSS book (I'm trying to update my main site, but I'm having trouble with getting my CSS to work correctly across browsers. No real surprise, of course, since I've never taken the time to actually learn CSS, so I bought a book and am slowly making my way through it).

Other than that, Amy and I took a 20 minute walk tonight, my first exercise since I hurt my back. It's still a little sore, so I'm going to give it until after the holiday weekend.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/23:

1/4 c dry oatmeal w/ 1/3 c dried fruit and 1/4 c milk

8 oz water

14 oz coffee

Lunch 12/23 (El Vaquero):

Chicken Fajita Quesadilla

~3 tbsp refried beans

~1/4 c mexican rice

~2 oz "mexican salad"

24 oz water

I had 20 oz water and 14 oz Earl Grey tea after giving blood.

Dinner 12/23:

3 oz meatloaf

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian dressing

12 oz water

14 oz Earl Grey tea

Another Boring Day

Boring again today. Sorry...

Diet Update

Breakfast :

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

4 oz fresh pineapple

12 oz milk

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch :

Meatloaf (3 oz) and provalone (1 oz) on potato bread w/ ketchup

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian

4 oz applesauce

32 oz water

Dinner (Camille's Sidewalk Cafe:

House salad (~8-10 oz) w/ tomato bacon dressing

Quesadilla wrap

~10 corn chips w/ salsa

20 oz iced tea

11 oz red wine to cap off the day...

Check-In with McConnell - 12/21 - 90 Day Check-Up

I had my 90 day review with one of the dieticians at McConnell today. I dropped another pound per their scales, even though I was wearing heavier clothes and had been eating and drinking throughout the day (which is not the case normally). The big thing that was mentioned is that I'm still not eating enough. The dieticians are in a quandary, because on they see me losing weight "too fast," but on the other hand, I don't seem to be suffering any ill effects, and I'm very rarely hungry. So, they told me to feel free to add more food if I need to, but to not cut any further.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/21:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

Morning Snack 12/21:

2 clementines

Lunch 12/21:

Turkey (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on potato bread w/ mustard

6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/21:

5 club crackers with a little butter

3 oz pickles

28 oz water

Dinner 12/21:

4 oz meatloaf

12 oz mashed potatoes

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian

10 oz water

I had a glass of wine before bed.

Boring...

Boring post today. Sorry, I don't have anything interesting to say. Move along...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/20:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

12 oz milk

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

Morning Snack 12/20:

2 clementines

Lunch 12/20:

(Skyline)1 Chili cheese coney

4 oz salad w/ light ranch (from Skyline)

3 oz carrots

20 oz water

No snack, but I had 32 oz water between meals.

Dinner 12/20:

~6 oz chicken stir fry (chicken, onion, celery, mushrooms, soy and teriyaki)

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian dressing

1 c Lipton Rice Sides Sesame Chicken rice

3 La Choy mini egg rolls

28 oz water

Evening Snack 12/20:

5 club crackers w/ butter

11 oz wine

Weight Update

This weight update is a day late . Our scale is in the basement, and with as much as my back hurt, I didn't want to do stairs. It'll be late next week, too, as we'll be out of town next Monday.

Weight as of 6 AM 12/20: 202.5

Getting Old

I'm getting old. OK, I guess that was obvious, since I'm still drawing breath. But there are times when I think my body is aging faster than my mentality (my sister may well agree with that, of course).

Last night, while packing lunch, I accidently dropped the lid to my salad container between the oven and the counter, which required that we move said oven to retrieve the lid in question. In doing so, my back decided to take a vacation. Sometimes, it's a short term vacation, last night I think it decided to take extended leave. Today, I had problems walking, and my back has been singing the blues all day. I couldn't go to the gym this morning, and tonight I took a Tylenol with codeine.

Hopefully tomorrow things will be back to normal.

Diet Update

Breakfast :

1/4 c (dry) pinhead oats w/ 1/4 c milk and 1/3 c dried fruit

8 oz water

28 oz coffee

Morning Snack :

8 oz light yogurt

Lunch :

Turkey (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on potato bread w/ mustard

12 oz salad and mixed veggies w/ fat free italian

42 oz water

Dinner :

Turkey brat w/ mustard

3 oz sauted onions and red pepper

2/3 c Lipton Pasta Sides Tomato and Parmesan

28 oz water

2 clementines oz water

I had 8 oz water with my drugs...

Lazy Sunday

Another slow day in Helselville. Again, I was too lazy to hit the gym. Who knows how my weigh-in tomorrow will look...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/18:

1/4 c (dry) pinhead oats w/ 1/4 c milk and 1/3 c dried fruit

8 oz water

28 oz coffee

Lunch 12/18 (Ted's Montana Grill):

Spikebox Bison Burger (I left about 1/4 uneaten)

House Salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side (I left off the bacon and picked around the croutons)

1 c cream of tomato soup

1/2 c green beans

24 oz iced tea

Dinner 12/18 (leftovers):

2 slices pizza (10" pie) w/ pepperoni and sausage (from Papa John's)

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian

3 oz carrots

28 oz water

Again, I'll probably have a cup or so of tea, since it's cold out...

Bad Tom

I had every intention of going to the gym today. But I've been feeling kind of run down lately, so I decided not to go. Instead, Amy and I went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Now, I have never read these books, but to me, everything seemed sort of rushed. I could follow the story easily enough, but I kind of wonder what I've missed. I'll have to read the books at some point. Especially since I've just finished the fifth Harry Potter book.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/17:

1/4 c (dry) pinhead oats w/ 1/4 c milk and 1/3 c dried fruit

8 oz water

28 oz coffee

Lunch 12/17 (Winking Lizard):

Big House salad (~10-12 oz salad) w/ 2 tbsp basil balsamic vinagrette

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

1/2 c applesauce

30 oz iced tea

Dinner 12/17:

2 slices pizza (10" pie) w/ pepperoni and sausage (from Papa John's)

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian

3 oz carrots

28 oz water

I'll probably have a glass of tea at some point tonight, since it's cold.

Bald Man Tom - The Rabbit

I didn't have any lunch meat for a sammich today, so I opted for a salad from the cafeteria. I loaded a lid with lettuce and other assorted vegetation, and took it to be weighed. It came in at 1.35 POUNDS!!! For the math challenged, that's 21.6 ounces, I figure 2 oz of which was bleu cheese and dressing. I think I'm turning into a rabbit...

Diet Update

Breakfast :

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

4 oz pineapple

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch :

19 oz salad w/ 1 oz bleu cheese and 2 tbsp bleu cheese dressing

32 oz water

No snack today (didntja see how much salad I had?!), but I had 32 oz water between meals.

Dinner (Nazareth's):

1 gyro

~8 oz fries

14 oz water

No cookies for me tonight...

Slow Day

Not much to report today. I had an appointment for a blood draw today, so I didn't go to the gym today. In keeping with the dieticians orders, I bumped up my food a little, but I think I'm going to have to find something other than carrots. Too bad I'm not a big veggie fan...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/15:

1/4 c (dry) pinhead oats w/ 1/4 c milk and 1/3 c dried fruit

8 oz light yogurt

2 clementines

36 oz water

28 oz coffee

Lunch 12/15:

Roast beast (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on potato bread w/ mustard

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

28 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/15:

6 oz carrots

28 oz water

Dinner 12/15:

4 oz turkey kielbasa

6 oz salad a 6 oz carrots w/ fat free italian dressing

1 c Rice-a-Roni Pilaf

12 oz water

Evening Snack 12/15:

1 cookie

Check-In with McConnell - 12/14

I had my check-in with McConnell today. It went pretty well. The dietician told me that I'm not eating enough! She says that could be why my weight loss has levelled out a bit. Apparently, once you've established a routine, your metabolism will just sort of adjust and you won't keep losing weight. The dietician told me that by upping my caloric intake a little, that might jump start my metabolism again. OK, I'll give it a try.

I did my strength training today, as well as the recumbent bike, but I had to cut the treadmill short. I kind of over extended myself on the recumbent bike. Oops...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/14:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

2 clementines

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/14:

Roast beast (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on potato bread w/ mustard

6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/14:

3 oz carrots

32 oz water

Dinner 12/14:

Chicken (3 oz) and stuffing (1 c cooked) in creamy chicken sauce

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian

3 oz carrots

12 oz water

And I had a molassess cookie for dessert :)

Removing Temptation

I was able to get rid of some of my temptation today. I took a big plate of cookies, lovingly prepared by my lovely wife, to work today.

One of the things I love about my workplace is the cafeteria on premises. It's got a sammich bar, a grill, pizza, a daily special or two, a sizeable salad bar, a soup bar, drinks, fruit and more. So, even though I forgot my lunch, I was still able to get something good and good for me without leaving the building.

I did the same routine on the recumbent bike and treadmill as I did yesterday. I still feel pretty good, so I'll keep at it.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/13:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

4 oz grapes

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between meals

Lunch 12/13:

12 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing

4 oz pineapple

32 oz water

Dinner 12/13:

1.5 c spaghetti w/ 3 oz meatballs and home-made tomato sauce

6 oz salad, 3 oz mixed veg with fat free italian dressing

12 oz water

Cookie Counter

I've added a new section to the sidebar. How many cookies will I eat this holiday season? Who knows?! My wife, mom and sister made some pretty good cookies. In fact, I just had an oatmeal scotchie bar and washed it down with 12 oz water...

Up to Speed

Mostly back up to speed today at the gym. I did my normal resistance routine this morning, but since I hadn't done it in over a week, I didn't push the reps as high as I had previously. As for the recumbent bike, I used my normal resistance, but slowed things down by about 5 RPM for most of the 30 minutes. On the treadmill, I slowed my speed by about .3 MPH for the whole 30 minutes. My right knee was twinging a bit, and I didn't want to put too much stress on it. Things are fine now, though, so hopefully tomorrow I can do the same.

I've mostly decided to do the entire week on the recumbent bike and treadmill at the same settings that I did today. I felt like I had worked out at the end, but I didn't feel like I nearly killed myself like I normally do on "high intensity" days. My heart rate was still up at the top of my range like it should be so I know I got a good workout, but my muscles didn't ache for as long after the workout. This might be the regular exercise groove I've been looking for.

I need to remember to pack my water bottle! I used my workout bag for my weekend visit with Carl and Sally, and forgot to put my bottle back in the bag this morning. I was pretty parched by the end of my workout!

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/12:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

2 clementines

8 oz water

12 oz milk

20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between meals.

Lunch 12/12:

Roast beast (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on potato bread w/ mustard

6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

32 oz water

I had an afternoon tea, because I was cold...

Afternoon Snack 12/12:

3 oz carrots

32 oz water

Dinner 12/12:

6 oz salad w/ fat free italian dressing

3 oz cucumber

1 brat

1 c Pasta Roni Garlic and Butter

12 oz water

a little tiny sliver of cashew brittle (yum!)

Weight Update

Weight as of 5 AM 12/12: 206.5

Considering that I didn't push myself last week, I think I'm pretty happy.

Home Again

Back home today. Amy was out with the girlz, so I was on my own for lunch and dinner. My friend, Sally, provided breakfast for me (thanks Carl and Sally for lettingme crash at your place yet again).

Back to the gym tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll be back up to full speed.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/11:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

1 banana

12 oz coffee

Lunch 12/11 (Wendy's):

Spicy Chicken sammich

Spring Mix salad w/ fat free french dressing

Mandarin orange cup

20 oz iced tea

I had a large cup of coffee from Caribou before I got home.

Afternoon Snack 12/11:

3 oz carrots

Dinner 12/11:

1/2 prime rib sammich from Damon's (left over from Friday dinner)

6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing

3 oz carrots

24 oz water

I had a piece of buttered potato bread later in the evening, and another 24 oz water.

Facing Temptation

Saturday was cookie baking day. My mom and sister came down for an all-day cookie fest with Amy. So, I did the only sensible thing, considering all the temptation: I left. Yep, I left my wife with my own mother and sister. It's OK, they like her better than me, anyway.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/10:

1/4 c (dry) pinhead oats w/ 1/3 c raisins

8 oz water

28 oz coffee

I had another cup of coffee before lunch.

Lunch 12/10:

Sloppy joe sammich

6 oz salad w/ ranch dressing

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

28 oz water

I had 20 oz coffee on my drive.

Dinner 12/10:

~12 oz mixed veggies

9 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing

2 slices pizza (1 carnivore special, 1 supreme, from Marco's)

48 oz coffee

I had a few glasses of wine before bed.

Breaking a Sweat

I was able to do a full hour of exercising this morning, though my knees are pretty sore for the effort. I did 30 minutes on both the recumbent bike and treadmill, and on both, I started low and worked my way up as I as able to tolerate more resistance/speed. I finally broke a sweat, so I'll consider that an accomplishment.

Heading to northeast Ohio tomorrow, so my update may be pretty late.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/9:

South Beach bar

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

Morning Snack 12/9:

8 oz light yogurt

1 clementine

Lunch 12/9:

Roast beast (4 oz) and cheddar (2 oz) on white bread w/ 3 oz roasted red pepper(grilled, panini-style, mmmmmmmmm)

32 oz water

20 oz coffee

Dinner 12/9 (Damon's):

Side salad (~4 oz) w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side

1/2 c cole slaw

1/2 Prime Rib sammich

30 oz iced tea

Evening Snack 12/9:

glass of wine (Funky Llama Shiraz, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

Incremental Progress

Back at the gym today again. My knees still hurt, but I decided to try to exercise a little longer again this morning. I went 30 minutes on the recumbent bike at the same speed and resistance as yesterday, and 15 minutes of a slow walk on the treadmill before I decided to call it quits. I think I'll try to go a full hour tomorrow, take the weekend off and try back at full speed on Monday.

I found the pool today, too. I'll take my trunks to the gym sometime next week and check it out.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that the dietician suggested I change my weekly weigh-in here at home to first thing in the morning. Weight updates will now be on Monday mornings (assuming I remember to weigh myself before heading off to the gym).

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/8:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

3 oz grapes

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/8:

Roast beast (3 oz) and colby (1 oz) on multigrain bread w/ mustard

6 oz salad w/ fat free rasp vinagrette

3 oz celery

2 clementines

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/8:

3 oz celery

32 oz water

20 oz coffee

Dinner 12/8:

Shrimp teriyaki (~4 oz shrimp, 4 oz mixed veg) over ~1/2 c rice

6 oz salad w/2 tbsp ranch

3 oz celery

12 oz water

In all truth, I was bad last night. I had about 4 oz cheese while I was packing my lunch. Bad Tom...

Check-In with McConnell - 12/7

Had my weekly check-in with McConnell today. I talked with a new (to me) exercise physiologist about my recent experiences, and she suggested I try swimming or walking laps in the pool. May have to try that...

Also, as luck would have it, the aerobics instructor found me today. I told her that I may end up coming back sometime in the future, and she told me that she's going to be holding water aerobics classes starting in January. I told her to remind me closer to the time it's going to start, and I'll bring my trunks.

Oh yeah, the rest of my check-in went fine...

My knees only wanted to do 30 minutes on a very low setting on the recumbent, at a very slow speed. I didn't even try the treadmill today, but I probably will try tomorrow.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/7:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

2 clementines

12 oz milk

22 oz water

28 oz Earl Grey

Lunch 12/7:

6 oz salad w/ 3 oz beef and fat free rasp vinagrette

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/7:

3 oz carrots

32 oz water

14 oz Earl Grey

Dinner 12/7:

4 oz Butterball turkey kielbasa

1 c Near East olive oil and garlic couscous

6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch

3 oz carrots

1 clementine

12 oz water

I'll probably have a cup of tea, because it's freezing in here!

Recuperation...

My knees are still hurting from yesterday's fun aerobics class, so I skipped the gym. I've had bad knees for a while, but I'd hoped that all the exercise I've been getting would have helped the situation. Evidently not... However, I'll be back in the gym tomorrow. I'm not going to do the weight routine, but I'll ride the bike at a light resistance and a slow speed.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/6:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

2 clementines

12 oz milk

8 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/6:

2/3 c Lipton Pasta Sides, Stroganoff w/ 3 oz beef

6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette

3 oz carrots

2 clementines

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/6:

3 oz carrots

32 oz water

Dinner 12/6:

Fajita w/ ~4 o chicken, ~4 oz veggies and 1 oz cheese

2/3 c Lipton Sides Mexican Rice

6 oz salad, 3 oz carrots w/ 2 tbsp ranch

12 oz water

Aerobics Class: 1, Bald Man Tom: 0

So, I caved to the pressure of one of the little old ladies at the gym, and tried an aerobics class. Lets just say that it kicked my ass.

It should be noted that I have a rhythm neurosis. Now, I'm not the most dextrous, coordinated person in the world. Yes I'm a musician, but that musical talent doesn't extend to my extremities. I used to dance a lot, and Amy and I swing dance on occasion, but I'm nowhere near light on my feet. Nevertheless, I have this uncontrollable urge to make myself move in time to the rhythm of the music. The big problem is that, at least in this case, I couldn't physically keep up. After 40 minutes, I had to sit down because I thought I was going to puke. In fact, I was nauseous for about two hours, and my knees still hurt. I mean, they hurt! Like, I'm doing the "Fred G. Sanford Shuffle" around here...

I should mention that the little old lady didn't even TRY to keep up with the beat of the music, so she didn't get winded. Dammit...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/4:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

3 oz grapes

12 oz milk

30 oz water

20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch 12/4 (City Barbecue):

Pulled pork sammich (~6 oz pork)

~1/2 c cole slaw

~1/2 c green beans

24 oz iced tea

I had 14 oz Earl Grey tea back at the office (hey, I was cold!).

Dinner 12/4:

2/3 c Lipton Pasta Sides, Stroganoff w/ 3 oz beef

6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch

3 oz carrots

12 oz water

Weight Update

Weight as of 10 PM 12/4: 207.5

Football and Birthday

One of the things I really love about my in-laws is that they are all football people. All of them. Especially the women. So, whenever we go for a visit, I don't have to worry about watching stuff like The Hallmark Movie of the Week. If there's a football game on, it's on the TV.

Tomorrow will be Amy's grandma's 85th birthday. There was a surprise lunch at the Hometown Buffet, with as many of her family as I've seen at any one single time. Happy birthday, Grace!

Weight update later tonight...

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/3:

• 1/4 c (uncooked) pinhead oats
• 1/3 c dried, mixed fruit
• 12 oz Earl Grey tea
• 12 oz milk
• 8 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/3 (Dutch Valley Restaurant, Sugarcreek, OH):

• 12 oz salad w/
• bowl beef vegetable soup
• 3 oz mixed fruit
• dinner roll w/ 1 tbsp butter
• 12 oz water

Dinner 12/3:

• Sloppy joe sammich w/ cheese
• 12 oz salad
• 20 oz water

Breakfast 12/4:

• South Beach bar
• 1 clementine
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 10 oz milk
• 10 oz water
• 12 oz coffee

Lunch 12/4 (Hometown Buffet):

• 16 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• 2 oz turkey
• 2 oz seafood (fish and shrimp)
• 1/3 c corn bread stuffing
• 1/3 c cheesy potatoes
• 4 oz green beans
• 6 oz mixed fruit
• 36 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Dinner 12/4:

• bowl tomato bisque
• grilled cheese sammich
• 3oz carrots
• 20 oz water

High-Falutin' Technology Update!

By popular demand (OK, my friend Ken suggested I do it), I've created feeds for the site, an Atom feed and a RSS. If you're a feed-type person, you can find links to the feed to the right. I have now officially joined the 21st century.

No exercise today. I woke up with soreness in my middle back, so I slept in. Still not feeling all that great, though it's nowhere near as tight as it was this morning...

No update tomorrow, as Amy and I are heading to Massillon.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/2:

• South Beach bar
• 1 clementine
• 1.5 oz red grapes
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 8 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/2:

• 6 oz salad w/ 2 oz turkey and rasp. vinagrette
• 3 oz carrots
• 3 oz grapes
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/2:

• 3 oz carrots
• 20 oz coffee
• 8 oz water

Dinner 12/2 (Bravo):

• Chicken Milanese Pomodoro (I only ate about 1/2 the pasta, they gave me waaaaaay too much...)
• Small Bravo Chopped Salad
• 16 oz peach iced tea

In Case There Is Any Confusion...

In case there's confusion, yes, this blog is ONLY about my dieting and exercising. There's nothing more. I told you it would suck (see the description above).

Not much happening today. I'm getting pretty tired from getting up at 5AM every day, so I'll probably nod off early tonight.

Did my moderate intensity workout on the recumbent bike and treadmill this morning, for the record.

Diet Update

Breakfast 12/1:

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementines
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 12/1:

• Turkey (3 oz) and colby (1 oz) on multigrain bread w/ mustard
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz carrots
• 2 clementines
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 12/1:

• 3 oz celery
• 32 oz water

Dinner 12/1:

• 4 oz chicken
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free italian dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 2/3 c Rice-A-Roni Pilaf
• 12 oz water

Check-In with McConnell - 11/30

Another check-in with McConnell, and another surprise. Yet again, no weight loss. OK, so I lost a half pound. It's not making a lot of sense, since my Sunday night weight keeps dropping. There are two things that I can think have changed: 1) I'm drinking wine before I go to bed, which I wasn't doing for a long time, and 2) I've eased up on the intensity of two of my workouts. So, I'm going to back off the wine this week, and see if things improve.

Speaking of workouts, I did my regular resistance workout this morning, plus the higher intensity workouts on both the recumbent bike and treadmill.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/30:

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementines
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/30:

• Spicy Chicken sammich
• Spring Mix salad w/ reduced fat ranch dressing
• 4 oz mandarin oranges
• 16 oz iced tea

Afternoon Snack 11/30:

• 3 oz green peppers
• 32 oz water

Dinner 11/30 (O'Charley's):

• 2 side salads w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• ~8 oz fish (I skipped the fries because I had the extra fish)
• 1/2 c cole slaw
• 16 oz water

As noted above, no wine until I'm sure it's not causing my weight irregularities...

Long Day

Long day at work today. Not hour-wise, work-wise. I worked through lunch, because I may be a little late tomorrow.

Medium intensity workout today, with 30 minutes each on the recumbent bike and treadmill. I had my heart rate up a little higher than I normally would on a light intensity day, but nowhere near as high as the high intensity days. Felt pretty good, I may stick with that...

Check-in day tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be back to good news.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/29:

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementines
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch 11/29:

• Turkey (3 oz) and colby (1 oz) sammich on multigrain bread w/ mustard
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz carrots
• 2 clementines
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/29:

• 3 oz carrots
• 20 oz coffee

Dinner 11/29:

• Shrimp (3 oz) & veggie (~6 oz) teriyaki over rice (~2/3 c cooked)
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free Italian dressing
• 5 mini shrimp egg rolls (La Choy), baked rather than fried
• 12 oz water

I may or may not have a glass of wine tonight...

Post-Thanksgiving Workout

Yup, there's nothing quite like the pleasant aroma of people sweating off their Thanksgiving excess to get you going in the morning.

Not.

Did my regular resistance training set this morning, plus 30 minutes each high intensity on the recumbent bike and treadmill. Got a bonus 30 minute walk around the neighborhood with my sweetie tonight.

Diet Update

Breakfast :

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementine oranges
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 8 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch :

• Ham (3 oz) and colby (1 oz) on multigrain bread w/mustard
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz carrots
• 2 clementine oranges
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack :

• 3 oz celery
• 32 oz water

Dinner :

• 5 oz steak
• 9 oz potato w/2 tbsp butter
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free Italian dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 12 oz water

Maybe a glass of wine tonight, maybe not...

Weight Update

Weight as of 10 PM 11/27: 209.0

I might just have to have a glass of wine...

Last Day Before the Grind

Today was the last day before returning to the rat race, so we spent it pretty quietly. Late morning surfing and watching TV, grocery shopping, a few miscellaneous odds and ends around the house. I managed about a 75 minute walk around the neighborhood, and I'm looking forward to getting back into the gym tomorrow.

Congrats to my friend, Piglet, on her own start down the weight loss trail. We've been talking about my progress and success, and I've been giving her some tips, and this week she decided to see if the things that I've been learning will work for her. She had a good week, and is excited about keeping going next week. I'm very proud of her.

Tonight is weigh-in night. We'll see how I fared with the holiday and lack of exercise.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/27:

• Oatmeal (1/4 c dry) w/ 1/3 c dried fruit
• 24 oz coffee
• 8 oz water

Lunch 11/27 (Panera):

• 1/2 Chicken Bacon Dijon Panini (~2 oz meat, 1 oz swiss cheese)
• 1/2 order Classic Cafe salad (~4 oz veggies)
• small fruit cup (~4 oz fruit)
• 12 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/27:

• 6 oz carrots
• 24 oz water

Dinner 11/27:

• 1 brat (~2 oz)
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free Italian dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 2/3 c Pasta Roni Angel Hair w/ Parmesan
• 24 oz water

Internet Fix and Heading Home

Ah, the internet. What would I do without it? I was jonesing for it all day Thursday, so when I had the opportunity to spend the day online on Friday, I took advantage. I went to the nearest Starbucks and plugged in. I thought it was free connectivity, but then I should remember that nothing in life is free. They have TMobile access, so I signed up for an account and spent the morning browsing (and updating my blog as you're already aware). After lunch, I went back. Heck, I spent $10 for the connection, I wanted to get my browsing in!

Friday night was Boyz Nite at Kirk's. Usually, it's a time of rebellious, testosterone-laden debauchery, but this year it was almost, well, civil. I mean, no $2 "companions," no rum-soaked stogies, no police called... I think we're getting old. Heck, I know I'm getting old when I spent the night drinking water and eating veggies...

But, there's nothing quite like home. We paid a visit to my parents on Saturday afternoon, then returned home. The kitties are still running around like idiots being all cute now that we're home, but otherwise they're none the worse for wear.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/25:

• South Beach bar
• apple
• 20 0z coffee
• 10 oz water

Morning Snack 11/25:

• 10 oz milk
• apple

20 oz coffee whilst at Starbucks getting my morning internet fix.

Lunch 11/25 (Cracker Barrel):

• House Salad (~5 oz, I had them leave off the croutons and bacon bits) w/ fat free italian dressing
• ~4 oz fish
• ~6 oz fries
• 1/2 c cole slaw
• 1/2 c green beans
• 15 oz water

12 oz coffee whilst at Starbucks getting my afternoon internet fix.

Dinner 11/25:

• 2 side salads (both mine and Amy's) w/ italian dressing
• chicken sammich
• 10 oz water

Boyz Nite Munching 11/25:

• 48 oz water
• ~12 oz mixed veggies

Breakfast 11/26:

• South Beach bar
• 10 oz waater
• 10 oz milk
• 10 oz coffee

Lunch 11/26:

• Grilled ham (2 oz) and cheese (2 oz) sammich
• Big bowl of beef veggie soup
• 1/2 c peach sorbet
• 1 pumpkin bar
• 24 oz water
• 10 oz coffee

Dinner 11/26 (Bob Evans):

• 5 c salad (special order, I had to beg for it)
• Bacon cheeseburger
• 1/2 c apple sauce
• 24 oz iced tea

I may have a cup of wine tonight, but I haven't decided yet...

Check-In with McConnell - 11/23 and Thanksgiving

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. For the first time, I didn't record a loss in weight at my check-in with McConnell. But, I didn't gain, either, so I'm not upset in the slightest. I still feel very good about my progress (according to their scales, I've lost 22 pounds since I started, somewhere around eight weeks ago). Of course, the first gain may come next week, what with yesterday being Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving was spent with Amy's family back in Massillon. As always, food was delicious and plentiful, though I did my best to eat well. We played cards much of the afternoon, and I played crosswords and sudokus while the family gabbed along before dinner.

I got my higher intensity workout in on Wednesday, but skipped yesterday, and will probably skip today, too. It's just too darned cold to go out for long.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/23:

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementine oranges
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Oops! I forgot to eat lunch! I had two clementines and 24 oz water when I got home, but completely forgot about food until Amy came home at 4PM! So, I had 3 oz carrots during the drive toward Massillon.

Dinner 11/23 (Pizza Hut):

• 12-16 oz salad and mixed veggies w/ranch and thousand island dressing
• 3 slices pizza (12"), pepperoni & sausage
• 16 oz iced tea

I had 10 oz water before bed.

Breakfast 11/24:

• South Beach bar
• 3 oz red grape
• 20 oz coffee
• 12 oz milk
• 10 oz water

Lunch 11/24:

• 5 oz salad w/1 tbsp ranch dressing
• ~8 oz mixed veggies (the veggie plate was parked next to me, and I ate the whole thing!)
• 4 oz turkey
• 1/3 c stuffing
• 1/3 c noodles
• 24 oz water
• 15 oz coffee

Lunch 11/24:

• 1 apple

Dinner 11/24:

• 5 oz salad w/1 tbsp italian dressing
• 4 oz turkey w/1 tbsp gravy
• 2/3 c stuffing
• 24 oz water
• 1 small slice of apple pie (1/16 of a 10" pie)

Gearing Up

Nothing special today. Gearing up for the long weekend. I probably won't be able to update the blog often, as I won't have access to high-speed connectivity, but I'll update when I can.

Did my regular resistance training today, plus 30 minutes each lower intensity treadmill and recumbent bike. Tomorrow is check-in day at McConnell. Here's hoping it continues to go well...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/22:

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementine oranges
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch 11/22 (Wendy's):

• Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
• Sprint Mix salad w/ low-fat honey mustard dressing (~2tbsp)
• 4 oz mandarin oranges
• 16 oz iced tea
• 20 oz coffee (once I got back, I grabbed some Starbucks from the cafeteria)

Afternoon Snack 11/22:

• 3 oz carrots

Dinner 11/22:

• 9 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing
• ~4 oz meatballs
• ~1-1/3 c Pasta Roni Angel Hair Pasta w/ Parmesan Cheese
• 12 oz water

Reflection

Back to working out today. Since I lifted weights last night, I didn't do my routine this morning, but I got in a full hour of the "high intensity" exercise, 30 minutes each on the treadmill and recumbent bike.

Reflecting back over the last two months, this has really been a positive experience. If you've been watching, you can see that I eat a lot, which was one of my biggest fears when I started. I was really worried that I'd be hungry all the time. But, fortunately, it seems like I'm almost never hungry, and I'm losing weight pretty quickly. My immediate plan is to be at 200 or below by Christmas, and it's honestly looking like I might actually make that goal. True, I have Thanksgiving between now and then, and Christmas and New Years are two traditional pig-out fests. But, I really believe that, for the first time, I know how to enjoy myself with respect to food without doing horrible things to my system. And that's a good thing.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/21:

• South Beach bar
• 2 clementine oranges
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/21:

• Ham (3 oz) & colby (1 oz) on wheat w/ mustard
• 3 oz celery
• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 2 clementine oranges
• 32 oz water

Dinner 11/21:

• 3 oz carrots

Afternoon Snack 11/21:

• Ham (3 oz) & provalone (1.5 oz) on wheat (toasted)
• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing
• 1.5 c Campbell's Tomato soup
• 12 oz water

Weight Update

Weight as of 10 PM 11/20: 210.5

Uneventful

Pretty uneventful day today, but travel days pretty much are. Got in a full resistance routine on the Bowflex tonight, plus an hour-long easy pace walk with Amy, before going out for dinner and a movie. It's weigh-in night tonight, stay tuned...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/20:

• South Beach bar
• 10 oz water
• 30 oz coffee

Lunch 11/20 (Wendy's):

• Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe
• Spring Mix salad w/ fat free honey mustard dressing
• ~ 1/2 order small fries
• 4 oz mandarin oranges
• 16 oz iced tea

Afternoon Snack 11/20:

• 2 clementine oranges (what the heck, they're small)
• 3 oz mixed veggies

Dinner 11/20 (Max & Erma's):

• 6 oz Bacon & Bleu burger
• Small tossed salad (~4 oz) w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• ~1/2 c cole slaw
• 10 oz water

Evening Beverage 11/20:

• 5.5 oz red wine

Overindulgence

Well, another year, another Buckeye win over "That Team Up North". It was a real nail biter, coming right down to the end. It honestly looked like the Bucks were going to blow things, with several near disasters on punt returns and a turnover or two, but in the end, they put together two impressive drives and a few excellent defensive stands.

Our friends, Carl and Sally, hosted a bash with lots of good food, and Carl and I went out later in the evening with some friends. The bash featured lots of good foods, some of which was better for me than others. I made pretty good choices earlier on, but then I caved in to my baser instincts and munched on the tastier things. I was a lot better at dinner, though I should probably only have had one slice of pizza. But overall, I think I did pretty well. I'm not unhappy.

Another diet update tonight, and then my weekly weigh in. Not sure about the success this week, but we'll see. I might try to get some exercise in today, since it'll be a short week, and I'm not sure how much exercise I'll be able to get over the long weekend (Amy and I won't be at home, which always complicates the exercise options).

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/19:

• South Beach bar
• apple
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 8 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/19:

• 12 oz salad w/ fat free italian dressing
• 6 oz mixed veggies
• 10 tortilla chips w/ salsa

Afternoon Snack 11/19:

• ~3 slices bread
• ~15 tortilla chips w/ salsa
• 1 oz slice provolone
• more veggies
• 48 oz water

Dinner 11/19:

• 2 slices pizza (from Marcos: 1 supreme, 1 meat-i-tarian)
• 6 oz salad
• 3 oz veggies
• 20 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Evening Snack 11/19:

• more mixed veggies
• 20 oz water

Late-Night Indulgence 11/19:

• 15 oz wine (Funky Llama Malbec, and "Cab Franc Of The Gods")

MEATLOAF!!!

I love meatloaf. Truly. It's one of my all-time favorite foods. If you put a big hunk of steak (rib-eye, cooked medium with just the right seasonings <drool>) right next to a big hunk of meatloaf, it'd be a toss up which I'd devour. Now, I don't like just any meatloaf. It's gotta be made in a particular way, with particular seasonings and ingredients. But when it's made right, it's hard for me to resist.

As you can imagine, it's hard for me to find a decent meatloaf, given that I have such stringent requirements for what should (and shouldn't) go into it. One of the places that used to have at least passable meatloaf was Max & Erma's, but in a completely brain-dead move, they got rid of it. I've pestered them, but they're not planning on bringing it back. But I've found a new source! Winking Lizard had meatloaf as today's lunch special, and IT WAS GOOD! I need to write to them to encourage them to put it on their regular menu...

Regular set of resistance exercises, plus higher intensity treadmill and recumbent bike workouts this morning. Had leftovers from last nights foray to Old Bag of Nails, still pretty good reheated.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/18:

• South Beach bar
• banana
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 8 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 14 oz coffee

Lunch 11/18 (Winking Lizard):

• Open-face meatloaf sammich
• 6 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• 3 oz cole slaw
• 3 oz apple sauce
• 30 oz iced tea

Dinner 11/18:

• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing
• 6 oz fried fish
• 3 oz french fries
• 12 oz milk

Old Bag o' Nails

I love Bag o' Nails. Probably more than I should. They have the absolute best fish and chips I've ever had.

Today was another "low intensity workout" day. I got in 30 minutes each on the recumbent bike and treadmill, but kept my heart rate between 125 and 140. It felt a little more comfortable today than Tuesday, so maybe there is something to this yet...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/17:

• South Beach bar
• banana
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch

Lunch 11/17:

• Ham (3 oz) & colby (1 oz) on wheat w/ mustard
• 3 oz carrots
• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 4 oz pineapple (fresh, yum)
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/17:

• 3 oz celery

Dinner 11/17:

• 10 oz salad
• 3 oz cole slaw
• 6 oz fried fish
• 6 oz fries
• 30 oz water

Check-In with McConnell - 11/16

More success today. I've exceeded 20 lbs lost since I started at McConnell. As you can imagine, I'm estatic. The dietician gave me a sideways glance when she took my weight, because I had dropped about 3 lbs from last week, but she read my food chart and so knew that I had been eating everything that I should be.

I got a new type of food chart from McConnell. Normally, I would have to break apart each piece of a meal into separate lines according to the type of food. For example, for the Bacon & Bleu burger I had yesterday, I would do something like this:

• burger (~5 oz) - 5 meat
• bacon (~1 oz) - 1 meat
• burger bun - 2 grain
• bleu cheese (~2 oz) - 2 dairy
• onion and lettuce (~1 oz) - 1 veg

Now, I can just list that I had a burger, plus the ingredients, kinda like what I do here on the blog. Much more user-friendly, IMHO. There's still a place at the bottom where I count up the number of servings of each type of food for the day, so it's still giving me all the helpful information I'll need.

Did my regular resistance training today, plus full intensity on both the treadmill and recumbent bike.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/16:

• South Beach bar
• banana
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 14 oz coffee

Lunch 11/16:

• Ham (3 oz) and colby (1 oz) on wheat bread w/ mustard
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz carrots
• 1 apple
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/16:

• 3 oz celery

Dinner 11/16:

• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz green pepper
• 3 oz turkey kielbasa
• ~1 cup Lipton Pasta Sides, Stroganoff
• 1/2 c sugar-free Jell-O
• 10 oz water

Lower Intensity Workout

Today was my first real stab at "lower intensity" exercising. I still got my usual 30 minutes on both the treadmill and recumbent bike, but it hardly felt like I was doing any work. I checked my pulse at regular intervals, and I was keeping it at the lower end of my exercise range, just like I'm supposed to do. It just didn't feel like I did anything. I'll keep at it, though, hopefully I'll become more accustomed to it

Tomorrow is check-in day with McConnell. I'm hoping to get to the 20 lb. loss mark tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/15:

• South Beach bar
• banana
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/15:

• Bacon & Bleu burger (~6 oz meat total, 2 oz bleu cheese)
• 4 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• ~1/2 c cole slaw
• 20 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/15:

• 20 oz coffee
• 3 oz carrots

Dinner 11/15:

• General Tso's chicken (about 4 oz chicken)
• ~1/2 cup (cooked) white rice
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz celery
• 12 oz OJ
• 10 oz water

Notch One Up!

I bought a new belt about two months ago, shortly before I began with McConnell. When I bought the belt, I had to use the outer-most notch to fit my belly. Today, I made it all the way in to the fourth one. I'm pretty happy :)

Did my regular resistance training today, plus 30 minutes on both the treadmill and recumbent bike. Tomorrow I try a lower intensity workout on both the treadmill and bike. We'll see how that goes.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/14:

• South Beach bar
• apple
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/14:

• Ham (3 oz) and colby (1 oz) on oatmeal bread w/ mustard
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 3 oz celery
• 1 apple
• 32 oz water
• 14 oz tea

Afternoon Snack 11/14:

• 3 oz carrots
• 32 oz water

Dinner 11/14:

• General Tso's chicken (about 5 oz chicken)
• ~1/2 cup (cooked) white rice
• 6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette
• 20 oz water

Weight Update

Weight as of 9:30 PM 11/13: 213.0

Extra Exercise

Another reasonably successful day today. I got not one, but two one hour walks in today. The first I got before Amy's mom and sister dropped in for a visit, the second I took because I was stumpedwith some work and needed to clear my head.

Weigh update coming later tonight. Hopefully it'll be more good news...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/13:

• South Beach bar
• banana
• 12 oz milk

Lunch 11/13:

• Turkey (4 oz) and baby swiss (1 oz) on oatmeal bread w/mustard
• 6 oz salad w/2 tbsp Italian dressing
• 3 oz celery
• 12 oz water

I had 24 oz coffee in the afternoon while working.

Dinner 11/13:

• Spaghetti w/ tomato sauce, 4 meatballs (~4 oz)
• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp Italian dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 1 piece garlic bread
• 4 oz apple sauce
• 36 oz water

Much Better

Feeling much better today. I didn't go to the gym, but Amy and I got in a good 90 minute walk while geocaching and I was able to get in my resistance training on my Bowflex, so I did pretty well today in the exercise department.

I also feel that I did better in my food selection today. Again, I think it's easier when I'm at home, I can almost always make better choices when I'm here, because I can keep the appropriate things on hand.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/12:

• South Beach bar
• 12 oz milk
• 8 oz water

Morning Snack 11/12:

• 3 oz carrots
• 3 oz celery

Lunch 11/12:

• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp Italian dressing
• turkey (3 oz) and baby swiss (1 oz) on oatmeal bread w/mustard
• 1 apple
• 36 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/12:

• 3 oz celery
• 30 oz coffee

Dinner 11/12:

• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp Italian dressing
• 4 oz celery
• 1 chicken fajita (4 oz chicken, 2 oz pepper and onion, a splash of cheese
• ~1 cup Lipton Teriyaki Rice
• 36 oz water

My Wife....

... is making me into a lush :) Add about 11oz red wine to my diet update.

Still Not Feeling Well

Still not feeling well this morning, so I slept in. I did go to work, though, and I'm feeling better this evening. I'll go to the gym tomorrow and Sunday to make up for the time missed.

I think I need to get back into the habit of eating at home or packing my own lunches again. I eat a lot better when I do. I try to make good choices when I'm out, but sometimes it's hard to make do. Like today. Two meals out, and I am short of veggies, and I think a little high in the fats.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/11:

• South Beach bar
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 1 apple
• 12 oz milk
• 40 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/11 (Wendy's):

• Spring Mix salad w/ fat free honey mustard dressing
• Spicy chicken sammich
• Mandarin oranges
• 16 oz iced tea

Lunch 11/11 (Johnny Buccelli's):

• Large dinner salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• Cup of chicken and corn chowder
• 4" Buffalo Chicken sub
• 16 oz iced tea

Don't Believe Everything You Read

I'm doing the "bachelor thing" tonight, Amy is going out with her friends. So, Amy left out a brat for me from Monday, and I decided to have some mac and cheese, since I don't make it very often. Trying to be conscious of my portion sizes, I read the box for the macaroni (I make mine from scratch), and it said that 1 serving of macaroni is 2 oz. OK, so I weighed it out, and made my dinner. HOLY CRAP!!! That made a LOT of pasta! Yeah, I ate it all, but I won't make that mistake again. Next time, I'll make half that amount.

Not feeling well today, so I didn't go to the gym, and stayed home from work, though I did work remotely (actually, for longer than I normally do when I'm in the office). I had intended to cut back on what I ate today, but the mac and cheese kinda put things out of control a little.

But, boy, was it good.

Oh, yeah. Wheat macaroni makes pretty good mac and cheese.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/10:

• South Beach bar
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 12 oz milk
• 8 oz water
• 24 oz Earl Grey tea

Morning Snack 11/10:

• 1 apple

Lunch 11/10:

• 6 oz salad w/2 tbsp Italian dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 12 oz Earl Grey tea

Afternoon Snack 11/10:

• 3 oz celery
• 24 oz water

Dinner 11/10:

• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp Italian dressing
• Honeysuckle turkey brat
• ~1.5 cups mac and cheese (I told you it made a lot!)
• 4 oz Mott's apple sauce
• 24 oz water

I doubt I'll have wine tonight, but I'll probably have another cup of tea tonight, though it'll probably be chamomile or Safari Sunset.

Check-In with McConnell - 11/9

Had my check-in with McConnell today. I have "officially" lost about 6 lbs since my last checkup two weeks ago. The dietician was very pleased with my progress, and just told me to "keep doing what you're doing." In chatting with the exercise physiologist, she told me that I should begin varying the intensity of my workouts. So, twice a week, I'll try to deliberately drop the intensity, to keep my heart rate at the bottom end of the range they've set for me (around 135 or so). She also suggested that I get a heart monitor, so I'll be on the lookout for one in the next few weeks or so.

Did my resistance training today (going to set up an appointment to get that adjusted at some point). Got in 30 minutes each on the recumbent bike and treadmill. Heart rate was pretty high for both. Tomorrow, I'll try to back off a bit...

Left work early, I finally caved to this unwell feeling. I'm going to bed early tonight, hopefully I'll feel better...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/9:

• South Beach bar
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 1 apple
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch 11/9 (Las Margaritas):

• ~4 oz salad w/1 tbsp ranch dressing
• steak fajitas (lunch order), about 2/3 of the steak and all of the veggies
• a few bites of refried beans
• a few bites of mexican rice
• 20 oz water

Dinner 11/9:

• 3 oz pork chop
• ~1 cup Pasta-Roni Garlic & Butter pasta side
• 6 oz salad w/2 tbsp ranch dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 3 oz grapes
• 36 oz water

Rough Morning

Rough morning today. I'm not sure why, but I woke up pretty sore this morning, and I wasn't able to work out all the kinks before I started my workout this morning. I did my usual 30 min on the recumbent bike and 30 min on the treadmill, but it was a lot more difficult this morning than usual. I'm worried that I'm coming down with something, I really don't feel the greatest.

Tomorrow is check-in day. Here's hoping that they're happy with my progress...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/8:

• South Beach bar
• 8 oz light yogurt
• 1 apple
• 12 oz milk
• 30 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

I had 32 oz water between breakfast and lunch.

Lunch 11/8:

• Turkey (3 oz) and baby swiss (1 oz) on oatmeal bread w/ mustard
• 4 oz carrots
• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp raspberry vinagrette dressing
• 1 apple
• 32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 11/8:

• 4 oz celery

Dinner 11/8:

• 8 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing
• 4 oz carrots
• 3 oz chicken breast
• 1 c teriyaki rice
• 1 piece garlic toast
• 12 oz cider

I'll probably have a glass of wine tonight.