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.

Back to the Routine

Ahhhh! It felt very good to get back to the gym today. Did my regular resistance training today. I think by Wednesday, I'll be ready to add weight to a few of the exercises, if not all. Also, I think I'm going to ask the exercise physiologist to help me change my routine. I mean, it's working, but I think I'm ready for a little bigger challenge. Also got in 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the recumbent bike. I need to watch myself, particularly on the recumbent bike. Today I got my heart rate up just a little high, like over 170 (for reference, I'm supposed to keep it in the 135-155 range). When I realized what I was doing, I backed off and got my heart rate back down where it belonged, but I need to be more careful in the future. I figure that they gave me a max heart rate for a reason...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/7:

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

Lunch 11/7:

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

Afternoon Snack 11/7:

• 4 oz celery

Afternoon Snack 11/7:

• Honeysuckle turkey brat
• ~1 cup Pasta-roni Shells & White Cheddar
• 6 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp italian dressing
• 4 oz carrots
• 12 oz cider
• ~1/2 cup strawberry sorbet

I'll have a glass of wine tonight.

Weight Update

Weight as of 10 PM 11/6: 215.0

Gonna go have a glass of wine to celebrate :)

Oh, and I had 24 oz water earlier in the evening that I hadn't recorded.

Bad Tom

Well, we're back home from visiting the nephews. Ez got loads of loot, and fun was had by all. Well, we're not sure about Kenton, he was pretty cranky :)

More lack of exercise this weekend, and I don't think I ate the best on Saturday. I did somewhat better today, but I may still have eaten too much. But, tomorrow I go back to the gym, and now that I'm home, it'll be easier to eat like I should.

Tonight is weigh-in night. I only hope that I didn't gain too much...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/5 (Scrambler's):

• ~6 oz hash browns
• ~6 oz fresh mixed fruit
• 1 rasher bacon (stolen from my lovely wife)
• 8 oz milk
• 16 oz water
• 16 oz coffee

Breakfast was at a weird time, and my sister had planned an early dinner, so we skipped lunch.

Dinner 11/5:

• 9 oz salad w/ fat-free italian dressing
• ~ 1-1/2 c spaghetti w/ 6 meatballs (smallish) and tomato sauce
• 2 small pieces of garlic bread, 2 small pieces spicy pepper bread
• 12 oz water

After Dinner Snacking 11/5:

• 44 oz water
• chips and cheezy poofs (lost track of how much)

Breakfast 11/6:

• ham (2 oz) and cheese (2 oz) on a toasted bagel
• 8 oz OJ
• 8 oz water
• 16 oz coffee

Lunch 11/6:

• Meatball sub sammich (3 smallish meatballs, tomato sauce)
• ~6 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing
• 3 oz carrots
• 6 oz celery
• 16 oz water

Dinner 11/6 (Minuteman Pizza):

• 7" pizza (thin crust) w/pepperoni and sausage
• 9 oz salad w/ italian dressing
• 4 oz celery
• 24 oz water
• 16 oz coffee

Home Again

After a long, long day of travel, I'm home, only to turn around and head out again. I finally landed about 20 to 8P last night, Amy took me out for dinner, I came home and crashed. That's pretty much it. Today, we're heading down to visit my nephew, it's his fifth birthday Monday, we're having a party for him this weekend.

Still no exercise. Bad Tom.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/4:

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

Lunch 11/4 (McDonalds):

• Bacon Ranch salad (no meat, no dressing)
• Fruit and Walnut salad (no dip, no walnuts)
• 16 oz lemonade

Breakfast 11/4 (On The Border):

• House Salad w/honey mustard dressing on the side
• steak and chicken fajitas (about 3/4 of the order)
• about 1/4 c rice
• about 1/4 c refried beans
• 10-12 corn tortillas w/ salsa
• 30 oz water

Palo Alto - Day 2

Another successful day on the customer site. At least, it felt like it. We won't know for sure until we hear back from them, but it sure felt good.

I don't think I made the best food choices today, but I don't think they were bad. Actually, I think I made OK choices, but the quantity got a little out of hand at dinner. I didn't go way overboard, but I do think I had a little more than I should have. Still no exercise, though I think I'm going to try to get some tomorrow after I get home, assuming I feel well enough (I've been trying to fight off a cold for the last 3-4 days).

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/3:

• South Beach bar
• 3 oz hash browns
• 1 oz each sausage and bacon
• 3 oz mixed fruit
• 6 oz yogurt
• 16 oz water
• 28 oz coffee

Lunch 11/3:

• 8 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• 8 oz light yogurt
• banana
• 16 oz water
• 8 oz coffee

Afternoon 11/3:

• 16 oz coffee

Dinner 11/3:

• 8 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing
• 8 oz skirt steak
• 3 oz green beans
• 6 oz mashed potatoes
• 12 oz beer (dunno what kind, it was ordered for me and I couldn't hear what my host told me it was, but it wasn't a big name beer, and it was pretty darned good)
• 12 oz water

Palo Alto - Day 1

The day is done, and I'm ready to trundle off to bed. A pretty good day out here. Very successful from a business perspective, and moderately successful one from a health point of view. No, I never did figure out how to get my exercise in, I'm just going to bag that until I get home. But I think I made reasonably good food choices today, given all the temptations. I broke at breakfast a little, but I didn't lose myself completely. Lunch and dinner were much better.

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/2:

• South Beach bar
• 3 oz hash browns
• 1 oz each sausage and bacon
• 3 oz mixed fruit
• 6 oz yogurt
• banana
• 24 oz water
• 20 oz coffee

Lunch 11/2:

• 8 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side
• 8 oz light yogurt
• banana
• 16 oz water
• 16 oz coffee

Dinner 11/2:

• 4 oz salad w/ balsamic vinagrette
• 4 oz mahi mahi
• 3 oz mashed potatoes
• 20 oz water
• 5.5 oz pinot noir
• double espresso

"Fitness Center"

I'm not sure what I was expecting a fitness center at a hotel to be, but the one at this hotel certainly isn't it. There was one treadmill, which was already in use at 6AM, and a rack of dumbells. Oh, well, it looks like I'll have some catching up to do when I get home. And it means that I can get some sleep tomorrow morning.

Got my normal non-resistance workout in on Tuesday, which is 30 minutes each on the recumbent bike and treadmill.

The flight out was pretty uneventful, except for some really spectacular turbulence coming into Chicago, and a faulty lavatory that kept us from leaving Chicago on time. I eschewed all plane food, as I had planned ahead and brought some veggies to munch on. Dunno what I'm going to do for the flight back, but I'm sure I'll figure something out. I'll also need to find something to read, as I already finished the book I was planning on reading over the course of the trip. Oops. Poor planning on my part...

Diet Update

Breakfast 11/1:

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

Lunch 11/1 (Quizno's):

• Cabo Chicken sub (4")
• 2 side salads (about 4 oz total) with honey mustard on the side
• 20 oz iced tea
• 32 oz water

Dinner 11/1:

• 6 oz salad
• Ham (2 oz) and baby swiss (1 oz) on multigrain bread w/mustard
• apple

In-Flight Snacking:

• 6 oz mixed veggies