%#*@ Wendy's...

Wendy's has officially ended up on my crap list. I'll still go there for meals, but it has gotten less enjoyable. They got rid of their Spring Mix salad, and replaced it with more salads with meat on them. I personally prefer to have a veggie-only salad and complement that with a burger (or in today's case, a spicy chicken sammich). Now, my only option is to get three (yes, count 'em, three) side salads, which are the only salads without meat.

%#*@ Wendy's...

On an unrelated note, I met with the EP today and got some good exercises to do for my knees, back and abs. Now I need to go out and get an exercise ball...

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/16:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Apple	Fruit: 1
62 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/16 (%#*@ Wendy's):
Food	Category: Servings
Spicy chicken sammich	Protein: 4 Dairy: 1 Fats: 1 Grains: 2
3 side salads (~9 oz) w/ fat free french	Veggies: 3
32 oz iced tea	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/16:
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Dinner 2/16:
Food	Category: Servings
Ham	Protein: 4
4 oz celery	Veggies: 1
Mac & cheese	Grains: 2 Dairy: 1 Fats: 1
12 oz water	n/a

Totals for 2/16:
Category	Servings
Grains	6
Veggies	5
Fruits	2
Protein	8
Dairy	3
Fats	2
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/16:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength / Flexibility	30 min with EP
Aerobic	Water Aerobics: 60 min Treadmill: 30 min

Check-In With McConnell - 2/15

Considering my lack of exercise this week, today's check-in went pretty well. The dieticians continue to be pleased with what I'm eating, though the exercise physiologist would rather that I exercise more. Tomrrow is water aerobics day, and I'm meeting with an EP for exercises for my back and knees.

On another note, I tried a different program on the recumbent bike. I'm going to need to work up to a half-hour on it, but if I can do it, it'll be one heck of a workout...

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/15:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Banana	Fruit: 1
62 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/15:
Food	Category: Servings
18 oz salad w/ .5 oz feta and 2 tbsp fat free italian	Veggies: 6 Fats: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/15:
Food	Category: Servings
Banana	Fruits: 1
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
14 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner 2/15 (Damon's):
Food	Category: Servings
Half rack of ribs	Protein: 6 Other: 2
10 oz salad w/ ranch on the side	Veggies: 3 Fats: 1
Baked potato w/ cheese and sour cream	Grains: 3 Fats: 1 Dairy: 1
Roll	Grains: 1
12 oz water	n/a

Totals for 2/15:
Category	Servings
Grains	6
Veggies	10
Fruits	2
Protein	6
Dairy	3
Fats	2
Extra	2

Exercise for 2/15:
Type	Duration/Sets
Aerobic	Treadmill: 30 min Recumbent bike: 15 min

V-Day

V-Day, so I splurged a bit. Not much, but every once in a while, I just have to have something special with the Sweetie :)

Another day with no exercise. My knee still isn't feeling quite right. I'm going tomorrow regardless, because I have my check-in, but if it's still not feeling good, I won't go the full distance.

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/14:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Banana	Fruit: 1
52 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/14:
Food	Category: Servings
Roast beast (3 oz) and swiss (1 oz) on white w/ mustard	Protein: 3 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz celery	Veggies: 1
Banana	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/14:
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz celery	Veggies: 1
20 oz coffee

Dinner 2/14:
Food	Category: Servings
Chicken teriyaki stir fry	Protein: 3 Veggies: 3 Grains: 2 Fats: 1 Extra: 1
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
24 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/14:
Food	Category: Servings
Strawberries and pretzels w/ chocolate fondue	Fruits: 1 Grains: 2 Extra: 1

Totals for 2/14:
Category	Servings
Grains	8
Veggies	9
Fruits	3
Protein	6
Dairy	2
Fats	1
Extra	2

Weight Update

Weight as of 6 AM 2/14: 198.5

Sore (again...)

I don't know how my body got so much older than my physical age. Last night, I bent down to pet a cat, and my right knee just exploded, and my right groin muscle tweaked. Today, both still hurt, and I've been on Tylenol all day. Bummer...

Diet Update

Breakfast :
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
4 oz pineapple	Fruit: 1
40 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch :
Food	Category: Servings
Roast beast (3 oz) and swiss (1 oz) on white w/ mustard	Protein: 3 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
4 oz applesauce	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack :
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
20 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner (Antonio's):
Food	Category: Servings
Lasagna	Grains: 1 Protein: 1 Veggies: 1 Dairy: 1
1/2 of a 7" pepperoni pizza	Grains: 2 Protein 1 Dairy: 1
10 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side	Veggies: 3 Dairy: 1 Fats: 1
24 oz lemonade	n/a

Totals for :
Category	Servings
Grains	7
Veggies	7
Fruits	2
Protein	5
Dairy	5
Fats	1
Extra	0

Exercise for :
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Fun and Frustration

Lots of fun at the dance last night. The event keeps getting better attendance every year. This year, there was barely enough room on the floor to dance! But still, we had fun.

Frustrating day today. I ran the spyware scanner that's built into my browser and found that I had a keystroke logger somewhere on my drive. I removed it and set about changing all my passwords, but I already forgot the one on my router. So, I tried to reset the defaults on it, but the reset button isn't working. Gah!

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/12:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz water	n/a
24 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/12:
Food	Category: Servings
Turkey kielbasa (3.5 oz)	Protein: 3.5
6 oz sauteed veggies	Veggies: 2
4 oz pineapple	Fruit: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/12:
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1

Dinner 2/12:
Food	Category: Servings
1/2 pizza (12" pie) w/ sausage	Grains: 4 Dairy: 2 Protein: 1 Fats: 1
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
4 oz applesauce	Fruits: 1
12 oz water	n/a

Totals for 2/12:
Category	Servings
Grains	6
Veggies	5
Fruits	2
Protein	4.5
Dairy	2
Fats	1
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/12:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Dancin'

No formal exercise today, but Amy and I are going dancing for V-day. Otterbein College has a "Evening of Music and Romance" program tonight, and patrons are invited to dance along with the school's swing band. It's a lot of fun, we've been there several times in the past.

On a completely unrelated note, you have to love a free meal. We went out to one of our faves tonight, Texas Roadhouse, and they got both our steaks slightly overdone. We were happily consuming them when a manager came over and asked us how our meals were. We told her that the food was good, but a little overdone, and showed her the insides of our steaks. She kindly comped us our whole meal! Now that means I have to take Amy out for V-day again... :)

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/11:
Food	Category: Servings
Potato flip	Grains: 4 Dairy: 1 Protein: 1
8 oz water	n/a
24 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/11:
Food	Category: Servings
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
4 oz applesauce	Fruit: 1
24 oz water	n/a

I had another 24 oz coffee during the afternoon.

Dinner 2/11 (Texas Roadhouse):
Food	Category: Servings
9 oz ribeye (yum)	Protein: 9
9 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side	Veggies: 3 Fats: 1
Baked potato, loaded	Grains: 4 Dairy: 1 Fats: 1
40 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/11:
Food	Category: Servings
6 oz fruit	Fruit: 2

Totals for 2/11:
Category	Servings
Grains	8
Veggies	6
Fruits	3
Protein	10
Dairy	2
Fats	2
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/11:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none (but I'm going dancing tonight)

More Alarm Trouble

Well, my alarm again malfunctioned, but I had the presence of mind to check the time when it went off for the first time*, so I actually got to the gym today. I had to cut things a little short, because my knee wasn't happy (again). Sigh...

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/10:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Banana	Fruit: 1
62 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Morning Snack 2/10:
Food	Category: Servings
Banana	Fruit: 1

Lunch 2/10 (Gyro Shop and Main Menu Grille):
Food	Category: Servings
"Jumbo" gyro	Protein: 3 Fats: 1 Grains: 1
3 oz fries	Grains: 1 Fats: 1
15 oz salad w/ chunky bleu cheese dressing	Veggies: 5 Fats: 1 Dairy: 1
24 oz iced tea	n/a

I had 32 oz water between lunch and dinner.

Afternoon Snack 2/10:
Food	Category: Servings
1/2 c strawberry sorbet (my sweetie got it for me 'cause I was having a bad day)	Fruit: 1

Dinner 2/10 (Red Robin):
Food	Category: Servings
Bleu cheese burger	Grains: 2 Protein: 6 Dairy: 1
3 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing on the side	Veggies: 1 Fats: 1
3 oz fries	Grains: 1
30 oz iced tea	n/a

Totals for 2/10:
Category	Servings
Grains	7
Veggies	6
Fruits	2
Protein	9
Dairy	3
Fats	3
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/10:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	Recumbent bike: 20 min Treadmill: 30 min

* You'd probably have liked to be a fly on the wall watching me check the time. I'm terribly nearsighted, and for whatever reason, it doesn't occur to me at that god-awful hour of the morning that the clock can be moved, so I skootch up to the top of the bed and put my entire face into the clock on my bedstand to read it. Pretty darned funny, actually...

Tired

I'm just tired all the time. I even got my blood pressure meds lowered, I thought that would help, but no joy. I skipped working out this morning, electing to get the extra hour and a half of sleep. I'll make up for it Saturday when Amy and I go dancing...

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/9:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Banana	Fruit: 1
40 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/9:
Food	Category: Servings
Roast beast (3 oz) and swiss (1 oz) on white w/ mustard	Protein: 3 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
Banana	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/9:
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
20 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner 2/9:
Food	Category: Servings
Beef stew over 2/3 c noodles	Grains: 2 Protein: 6 Fats: 2
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
12 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/10:
Food	Category: Servings
5 oz Chex mix	Grains: 2

Totals for 2/9:
Category	Servings
Grains	8
Veggies	7
Fruits	2
Protein	9
Dairy	2
Fats	2
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/9:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Check-In With McConnell - 2/8

Back up to full speed with my exercise this morning. The knee felt pretty good, so I just kind of let go. I didn't push too hard, and it still feels pretty good. Tomorrow will be an easy day for it (water aerobics), so if things are good by Friday, I think I'll declare the knee healed (for now).

My check-in went well. I dropped two pounds on their scale. I'm getting very near the 200 lb mark on their scale. Another good week or two, and I should be there.

Diet Update

Breakfast :
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Apple	Fruit: 1
62 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch :
Food	Category: Servings
Turkey, bacon (4 oz) and american (1 oz) on ciabatta w/ mustard	Protein: 4 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
12 oz salad w/ fat free french	Veggies: 4
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack :
Food	Category: Servings
Banana	Fruits: 1
14 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner (Damon's):
Food	Category: Servings
Prime rib sammich	Grains: 3 Protein: 6 Dairy: 1
8 oz salad w/ bleu cheese on the side	Veggies: 2 Fats: 1
1 roll	Grains: 1
6 oz fries	Grains: 2
24 oz water	n/a

Totals for :
Category	Servings
Grains	10
Veggies	6
Fruits	2
Protein	10
Dairy	3
Fats	1
Extra	0

Exercise for :
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	Recumbent Bike: 30 min Treadmill: 30 min

Back to the Gym

Well, the alarm did it's thing this morning, and I got going without incident. My knee has been twinging lately, so I took it easy-ish, and cut off my treadmill work a little short.

Check-in with McConnell tomorrow...

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/7:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Tangelo	Fruit: 1
60 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

I had 14 oz tea between meals.

Lunch 2/7:
Food	Category: Servings
Roast beast (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on white w/ mustard	Protein: 3 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
Apple	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/7:
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
20 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner 2/7:
Food	Category: Servings
Sausage & cheese ravioli (15) w/ tomato sauce	Grains: 2 Protein: 2 Dairy: 1 Veggies: 1
8 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
1 slice garlic bread	Grains: 1 Fats: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Totals for 2/7:
Category	Servings
Grains	7
Veggies	7
Fruits	2
Protein	5
Dairy	3
Fats	1
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/7:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	Recumbent bike: 30 min Treadmill: 20 min

Weight Update

Weight as of 5:30 AM 2/7: 200.0

Hmmmm....

%&*#

I think I really need to figure out my clock. My clock has two alarms, so I don't use a snooze like my wife. However, today only one of them went off, so I missed going to the gym. I'm not sure what happened, but it discombobulated me enough that I forgot to weigh in this morning. Looks like I'll do that tomorrow.

Diet Update

Breakfast :
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
Tangelo	Fruit: 1
40 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch :
Food	Category: Servings
Chicken soup (4 oz chicken, 9 oz veggies, 2 c chicken broth)	Protein: 4 Veggies: 3
2 slices toast w/ 1 tbsp butter	Grains: 2 Fats: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack :
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1

Dinner :
Food	Category: Servings
1 turkey brat (~3 oz) w/ mustard	Protein: 3
2/3 c Lipton Rice Sides, Chicken	Grains: 2
4 oz applesauce	Fruits: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack :
Food	Category: Servings
3 os carrots	Veggies: 1
12 oz water	n/a

Totals for :
Category	Servings
Grains	6
Veggies	5
Fruits	2
Protein	7
Dairy	1
Fats	1
Extra	0

Exercise for :
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Commercial Commentary

Missed the first several commercials (OK, I didn't miss so much as I hadn't thought to document my thoughts on the them til now). But, here are my thoughts on the commercials as I'm watching them.

Hey, I have a blog, I have a divine right to post whatever drivel I want :)

Burger King - ~6:30

Sweet mother of pearl! These things keep getting freakier every time they produce another one. I'm not going to BK any time soon...

Sierra Mist - ~6:40

Sheesh. Looks like no Sierra Mist, either.

Bud Light - ~6:40 (The Magic Fridge)

I had thought I had seen this commercial before, then came the "Magic Fridge" bit, which was quite amusing.

Toyota - ~6:45

Blah. Not insipid, just not terribly inspiring.

FedEx - ~6:45

Funny! First one I laughed out loud.

Bud Light - ~6:45 (Hikers and the Bear)

Eh, not as good as the Magic Fridge.

V for Vendetta - ~6:50

Natalie Portman looks odd without hair.

Diet Pepsi - 6:50 (Diddy)

I am so not the target demographic...

Aleve - ~7:00

Leonard Nimoy. My, how you've fallen...

Ameriquest - ~7:00

THAT was funny! Yeah, you could see that coming a mile away, but I still laughed out loud.

Bud Light - ~7:00 (Cleaning the Gutters)

Eh. Nothing more to say than that, I suppose...

Diet Pepsi - ~7:05 (Jackie Chan)

First one for the night that I've seen before.

Cars - ~7:05

Trying not to get my hopes up. Very much looking forward to it...

SBC - ~7:05

Another one I've seen before. Shameful.

Budweiser - ~7:10 (Streaker)

Crappy beer, funny commercials. What's the deal?

Mobile ESPN - ~7:10

Not my cup of chicken broth.

careerbuilder.com - ~7:15 (Declining Profits)

Yeah, their service didn't do much for me when I was looking for a job, either. Dunno why I'd expect more from their commercials.

Cadillac Escalade - ~7:15

Nope. Didn't do it for me

M:I:3 - ~7:20

Yeah, I'll probably see it. I'm a sucker for explosions.

Dove Self Esteem Fund (www.campaignforrealbeauty.com) - ~7:20

I'll have to defer to my wife for commentary on this one. I'm not exactly the target of that ad.

Disney's The Shaggy Dog - ~7:25

Kill me now.

Ford Escape Hybrid - ~7:25

I'm a sucker for Kermit. What's not to like? Oh, yeah. The vehicle.

Michelob Ultra Amber - ~7:25

My favorite of the beer commercials so far.

GoDaddy.com - ~7:35

Why? Really, just plain why?

Poseidon - ~7:40

Dunno. It didn't convince me that I absolutely have to see it.

Gillette Fusion - ~7:40

Why waste this much money on a commercial you've already shown? And anyway, does anyone really need five blades on their razor?

Overstock.com - ~7:40

Again, I'm not exactly the target market here.

Disneyworld - ~7:45

What? They've been showing this one for a year or two...

Sprint - ~7:55

That's just plain bad.

Nationwide - ~7:55 (Proposal)

I've enjoyed the "Life Comes At You Fast" series. Not as good as some of the other ones, but pretty good, nonetheless.

Disneyworld - ~8:25 (Players Practice Their Lines)

I missed this one earlier. It's better than the other Disneyworld one. Not saying much...

Ameriquest - ~8:30 (Turbulence)

Another funny one from Ameriquest. Unfortunately, it also doesn't have anything to do with their product(s).

Motorola Pebl - ~8:30

No. Just no.

Sharpie - ~8:30

Nothing special.

Budweiser - ~8:40 (Colt and the Wagon)

Amy says it has cuteness factor.

Nationwide - ~8:40 (Fabio Shampoo)

I think I'd seen that one before, I but I love the series. Again, nothing to do with products or services, but funny nonetheless.

NFL Mobile - ~8:40

Kind a witty. Kinda...

Hummer - ~8:50 (Love Is Strange)

Different, kinda clever. Nothing to do with Hummers, though.

PS - ~8:40

Hmmm.... no.

careerbuilder.com - 8:55 (Monkeys and Jackasses)

Not at all good.

Taco Bell - ~8:55

Does anyone know if those things are any good? The commercial sure isn't.

Slimfast Optima - ~8:55

I'll stick with my current plan, thank you...

Gillette Fusion - ~9:00

Repeat. Boring...

The World's Fastest Indian - ~9:00

You know, I like Anthony Hopkins. Might be worth watching, just because of him.

Toyota Tacoma - ~9:00

You can't be serious...

Sprint - ~9:15

Another very dumb commercial from Sprint.

Arbys - ~9:15 (Fishnet Stockings)

Not exactly what I would have been thinking if Amy was wearing fishnets :)

Ford Trucks - ~9:15

Well, if I wanted a Ford truck, I would at least know what one looks like.

Hometown Buffet -

They just wasted $2.5 million on an old commercial. Too bad...

Degree Deodorant - ~9:20

Not really terribly interesting, though I know what the product is. I guess that's something..

Emerald Nuts - ~9:20

What the hell was that?!

Fidelity Investments - ~9:20

Another older commercial for $2.5 million.

Budweiser - ~9:30 (Stadium Pours a Beer)

Interesting commercial. Crappy beer.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - ~9:30

Yeah, I'll see this one, too.

MasterCard - ~9:30

Go MacGuyver! Glad you lost he mullet. SG1 has been good for you :)

Mobile ESPN - ~9:35

Shorter version of the earlier ad.

Honda Ridgeline - ~9:35

Didn't do anything for me.

The Beer Institute (herestobeer.com)- ~9:35 (Cheers in Many Languages)

OK. People like drinking beer, and are very polite about it. Not usually here in the States, but I can get behind that.

World Baseball Classic - ~9:40

Yeah, I'll probably catch it if I can.

GoDaddy.com - ~9:40

Repeat...

Nationwide - ~9:40 (Swing)

Another in the "Life Comes At You Fast" series. Not my favorite.

Running Scared - ~9:55

I think I'll pass.

Outback - ~9:55

Eh. Not really...

Westin Hotels - ~9:55

Nothing special here.

All in all, not a lot to write home about with respect to the commercials. Oh, well.

Oh, and congrats to all the Steelers fans that your team won that game thingy.

Super Bowl (of Chili)

It's Super Sunday. Yep. Super. Chili. Chex mix. And all those commercials. Some will be brilliant, some will be a waste of $2.5 million. I can't wait.

Oh yeah, I think there's a game or something, too.

Weight update tomorrow morning...

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/5:
Food	Category: Servings
1/4 c (dry) pinhead oats with 1/3 c dried fruit	Grains: 1 Fruits: 1
8 oz water	n/a
24 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/5:
Food	Category: Servings
Grilled mozzarella sammich	Grains: 2 Dairy: 1
Tomato soup (~10 oz)	Veggies: 1
6 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 2
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
4 oz applesauce	Fruits: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Dinner 2/5:
Food	Category: Servings
2 bowls chili (~20 oz chili) w/ fat free sour cream and low fat cheese	Veggies: 2 Protein: 6 Dairy: 2
9 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 3
3 oz celery	Veggies: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/5:
Food	Category: Servings
Chex Mix (~5 oz)	Grains: 2
Popcorn (1/2 bag)	Grains: 2

Totals for 2/5:
Category	Servings
Grains	7
Veggies	9
Fruits	2
Protein	6
Dairy	3
Fats	0
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/5:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Floppy Day

Today was a totally floppy day. I slept late, and have only gotten out of my jammies long enough to take a shower. Can't beat a full day doing nothing but playing on the old computer :)

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/4:
Food	Category: Servings
Potato flip w/ bacon and mozz	Grains: 4 Protein: 1 Dairy: 1 Fats: 1
24 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/4:
Food	Category: Servings
9 oz salad w/ 3 oz roast beast, 1 oz cheese and 1 tbsp ranch	Veggies: 3 Dairy: 1 Protein: 3 Fats: 1
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
4 oz applesauce	Fruit: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/4:
Food	Category: Servings
3 oz carrots	1 veggie
24 oz water	n/a
24 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner 2/4:
Food	Category: Servings
1/2 12" pizza w/ pepperoni and onions	Grains: 4 Protein: 1 Dairy: 2 Fats: 2
9 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 3
24 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/4:
Food	Category: Servings
2 slices toast w/ 1 tbsp butter	Grains: 2 Fats: 1

Totals for 2/4:
Category	Servings
Grains	10
Veggies	8
Fruits	2
Protein	5
Dairy	4
Fats	4
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/4:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Boring Day

I've been feeling pretty wiped out all week, so I slept in this morning and didn't exercise. I also left work early due to a headache I've had the last few days. Tonight, we're heading to 2co's with some friends, so there may be a beverage or snack to update with later tonight.

Diet Update

Breakfast :
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
banana	Fruit: 1
40 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Morning Snack 2/3:
Food	Category: Servings
banana	Fruit: 1
14 oz tea	n/a

Lunch 2/3 (Wendy's):
Food	Category: Servings
1/4 lb single burger w/ cheese	Protein: 4 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
Spring Mix salad w/ fat free french	Veggies: 3
20 oz iced tea	n/a

Dinner 2/3:
Food	Category: Servings
Chicken stroganoff over 1-1/3 c noodles	Protein: 4 Fats: 2 Grains: 4
12 oz veggies w/ 1 tbsp fat free italian	Veggies: 4
24 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/3:
Food	Category: Servings
1/2 bag popcorn	Grains: 1

Totals for 2/3:
Category	Servings
Grains	9
Veggies	6
Fruits	2
Protein	8
Dairy	2
Fats	2
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/3:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	none

Confession

I confess. Though I try to be disciplined and not peek at the scale during the week, I've been weak since Monday morning. Today, I was back down near where I was last week. I'm thinking that my choices on Sunday caused an abberant weight. I'm somewhat relieved :)

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/2:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
banana	Fruit: 1
40 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Morning Snack 2/2:
Food	Category: Servings
banana	Fruit: 1

Lunch 2/2:
Food	Category: Servings
18 oz salad w/ 2 oz bleu cheese and 2 tbsp bleu cheese dressing	Veggies: 6 Dairy: 2 Fats: 2
4 oz fresh pineapple	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a

I had 14 oz coffee during the afternoon

Dinner 2/2:
Food	Category: Servings
4 oz pork chop	Protein: 4
2/3 c rice w/ 3 oz sauteed veggies	Grains: 2 Veggies: 1
12 oz water	n/a

Evening Snack 2/2:
Food	Category: Servings
1 mini bag of popcorn	Grains: 1

Totals for 2/2:
Category	Servings
Grains	5
Veggies	7
Fruits	3
Protein	4
Dairy	3
Fats	2
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/2:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	None
Aerobic	Water Aerobics: 45 min

Holy Crap!

Four posts in one day! :P

On the Nature of Categories and Servings

It occurs to me that you probably have no idea what those categories and servings are all about. Let me explain. McConnell has told me that I should follow a roughly 2000 calorie, well balanced diet. They've broken my diet into seven categories:

• Grains: Pasta, bread, potato, rice, winter squash, corn, etc. Basically, things that are starchy, including starchy veggies.

• Veggies: Lettuce, carrots, summer squash, tomatoes, etc. Basically any veggie that isn't high in starch.
• Fruits: I think you know what a fruit is.
• Protein: Primarily meats and legumes. Eggs, too, except I don't eat eggs :P
• Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
• Fats: Fats by themselves (e.g. butter), fats from food (e.g. cheese soup), fats from food preparation (e.g. fried foods)
• Extra: Anything that doesn't easily fit into the above categories.

They've asked me to have the following quantities of each category each day:

Category	Servings
Grains	7
Veggies	5
Fruits	4
Protein	8
Dairy	3
Fats	4
Extra	1

They told me to eat as many veggies as I feel I can stomach, so I'm nearly always over 5, and I have some wiggle room with the others, they told me that with the exception of fats and extras, I can trade one or two of one category for another from time to time.

There you have the categories. "What is a serving?" you might well ask. Well, they gave me some rough guidelines:

• Grains: 3 oz potato, 2 oz starchy veggie, 1/3 c pasta or rice
• Veggies: 3 oz of whatever
• Fruit: 3 oz of whatever
• Protein: 1 oz of whatever
• Dairy: 8 oz milk, 1 oz cheese
• Fats: 1 tbsp butter or margarine, 1 tbsp non-low fat dressing
• Extra: Use my best judgement

When I'm not sure if I've calculated my servings correctly, I ask my dietician.

Oh, and the dieticians told me to up my food intake at one point when I was losing weight too fast. My weight loss has slowed quite a bit, so I think I'm on the right track.

A Daily Conversation

And now, for your edification, I present this discussion that I have with myself every weekday morning.

<Sound of alarm going off>

Huh?! Wuzzat?

Will you please shut that damned thing off? I'm trying to sleep here!

Oh yeah, right! <Directs my hand to turn off the alarm> So, we ready to go? Time to get some exercise!

What kind of masochist are you? It's a quarter to five! We've got fifteen minutes til the second alarm goes off. Then we'll talk...

Oh, yeah, right. OK then, back to sleep...

<zzzzzzz>

<zzzzzzz>

<zzzzzzz>

<Sound of alarm going off>

Huh?! Wuzzat?

Oh, for the love of... Will you turn that damned thing off already? How am I supposed to sleep?!

Oh yeah, right! <Directs my hand to turn off the alarm> OK, time to go now, that was the second alarm. It's five, it's time to get moving! There's exercising to do. Woo-hoo!

Dude, I hate to exercise. I'm not goin'

No way! I love to exercise. Let's go!

No. I'm comfy, I'm warm, I'm tired, the cat is on my feet. I'm staying put.

Sissy...

Bite me...

Come on, you know I feel great after a good, healthy workout.

What?! I'm worn out! Exhausted! Sometimes I can't catch my breath!

Yeah, and that lasts for about five minutes, then I feel great!

I'm always frickin' sore.

Only when I overdo it. Most often, I'm only sore for a few minutes, then I feel fine.

I'm tired.

Yeah, but I always feel wide awake afterward.

Then why do I drink all that coffee.

... I like the taste ...

Yeah, but I really drink it because I'm too tired to make it through the day.

Bullcrap!

Dude, I only get about five hours of sleep a night! I'm always tired! That extra hour helps a lot.

Wellllll.....

Gotcha.

You can't deny I feel better overall, though.

I'll give you that.

Besides, when else am I supposed to work out? Not after work...

No way! I've been there that late. It's a zoo.

Then this is really the best time to go.

Fine. You go then. I'm staying.

Ummmm.... We're the same person, doofus. If I go, you're going.

Nope. Guess we're staying, then.

Look. Why did we even start this whole thing in the first place?

The doctor told me to lose 30 pounds.

Yeah, but I've blown off doctor's orders before. What's the real reason?

I love my wife. I want to be around with her for a long time.

That's right. And we're going through all this crap to help that become a reality.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Don't "yeah, yeah, yeah" me! I'm 36 years old and have never been in good shape. Never! I'm getting to old to be starting. Dad was only 41 when he had his heart attack! Is that what I really want?

Noooo.....

There. It's settled.

Yeah...

Let's go, then.

Tomorrow.

And then the whole arguement starts all over again. At some point, one side will get sick of listening to the other and a decision will be made.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled lives.

Check-In With McConnell - 2/1

The check-in wth McConnell went as well as could be expected. A slight weight gain over last week, but all things considered, with what I ate and with as little exercise as I got, things were pretty good.

New format today. I've been having problems (for whatever reason) keeping track of the portions I've been eating. So, I'm going to start keeping track here. Heck, I'm going to have to do this myself once I'm done with McConnell anyway, I may as well make the switch now. I'm also adding a table to keep track of my exercise, hopefully that'll keep me more accountable.

Diet Update

Breakfast 2/1:
Food	Category: Servings
South Beach bar	Grains: 2
8 oz light yogurt	Dairy: 1
banana	Fruit: 1
62 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Lunch 2/1:
Food	Category: Servings
Ham (3 oz) and swiss (1 oz) on white w/ mustard	Protein: 3 Dairy: 1 Grains: 2
12 oz salad w/o dressing	Veggies: 4
3 oz carrots	Veggies: 1
tangelo	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a

Afternoon Snack 2/1:
Food	Category: Servings
4 oz fresh pineapple	Fruit: 1
32 oz water	n/a
20 oz coffee	n/a

Dinner 2/1 (Max & Erma's):
Food	Category: Servings
2 salads (~12 oz total) w/ bleu cheese on the side	Veggies: 4 Fats: 1
Fish (~6 oz)	Protein: 6
Fries (~6 oz)	Grains: 2 Fats: 1
Cole slaw, ~1/2 c	Veggies: 1 Fats: 1
Breadstick	Grains: 1
24 oz water	n/a

Totals for 2/1:
Category	Servings
Grains	7
Veggies	10
Fruits	3
Protein	9
Dairy	2.5
Fats	3
Extra	0

Exercise for 2/1:
Type	Duration/Sets
Strength	none
Aerobic	Recumbent Bike: 30 min Treadmill: 15 min

Not Much (ho hum....)

Not much to report on today. I'm considering a new format for my blog entries, more to come soon...

Check-in with McConnell tomorrow...

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/31:

South Beach bar

4 oz fresh pineapple (mmmmmm)

12 oz milk

62 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 1/31:

16 oz salad w/ fat free ranch and 1 oz mozz cheese

32 oz water

Afternoon Snack 1/31:

12 oz salad w/ fat free italian

1 banana

Dinner 1/31:

Chicken fajitas (4 oz chicken, 3 oz veg, 1 oz cheese, 1-1/2 tortillas)

1 c Lipton Rice Sides Spanish Rice

12 oz water

Reflection

I've gone through my food choices for the past week, and I've decided that I didn't do any one thing poorly, I just indulged too often. Monday I had a big dinner, Wednesday I had a big lunch, Friday I had a largish dinner with little vegetation, and Sunday I ate too much pizza. One or two of those would have been OK, but put all of them together, and it adds up to a bad week.

On a thoroughly non-related note, I finally got around to updating my main site. There's work to be done, but drop by and have a look, and let me know what you think.

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/30:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

tangelo

12 oz milk

62 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 1/30:

Ham (3 oz) and swiss (1 oz) on bread w/ mustard

8 oz salad w/o dressing

4 oz celery

apple

32 oz water

I had a cup of coffee between lunch and dinner.

Dinner 1/30:

Shrimp teriyaki stir fry (4 oz shrimp, 3 oz veggies)

6 oz carrots

1-1/2 c rice noodles

20 oz water

Weight Update

Weight as of 5 AM 1/30: 201.0

I could make lots of excuses, but there wouldn't be any good ones. I know I didn't get as much exercise as I should last week, but I didn't realize it would have this dramatic effect. Also, I'll need to review what I ate. I thought I maintained control, but maybe I was deluding myself...

Massillon Weekend

No update yesterday, Amy and I went to Massillon for her sister's birthday this weekend.

I had a pretty bad week last week with regards to excercise. I made up for that on Saturday. We went geocaching on Saturday and walked for about 4 hours. OK, Amy and her mom walked about 3-1/2 hours, I finished the last two miles in 30 minutes to get the car. All in all, I went about 8 miles (we weren't really trying to make good time until the very end).

Weigh in tomorrow morning, though with a heavy dinner tonight, it might not be a good one...

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/28:

"Potato flip" (~10 oz potato, 1 oz cheese)

12 oz milk

8 oz water

24 oz coffee

I had 20 oz coffee on my drive to Massillon.

Lunch 1/28:

~1-1/2 c cheeseburger soup

6 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry walnut vinagrette

6 oz mixed veggies

20 oz water

I had about 12 oz water in the afternoon.

Dinner 1/28:

Sloppy joe sammich (~4 oz sloppy joe)

~18 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp italian dressing

1 clementine

20 oz water

I had 2 beers (Dortumunder Gold) before bed.

Breakfast 1/29:

8 oz light yogurt

10 oz milk

10 oz water

30 oz coffee

Lunch 1/29:

1 chicken pocket (~2 oz chicken w/ cream cheese and ranch dressing in a croissant)

2 oz extra chicken

12 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp italian dressing

~1/3 c Lipton pasta side (chicken)

~1/3 c baked corn

20 oz water

Afternoon Snack 1/29:

1 small slice red cake

30 oz coffee

a few potato chips

1 clementine

Dinner 1/29:

7" pizza w/ sausage and pepperoni

8 oz salad w/ fat free italian

4 oz carrots w/ 1 oz hummus

12 oz water

I'll probably have some wine before bed.

Bad Habit

Somewhere along the line, I have learned a bad habit. I learned how to turn off my alarm while sleeping. It's actually kind of hard, because the button is very small, but this morning, I managed to turn off both alarms without waking up. It wasn't until Amy's alarm went off over an hour later that I finally woke up, far too late to work out.

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/27:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

apple

12 oz milk

40 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 1/27:

22 oz salad w/ bleu cheese dressing

1/2 turkey and bacon on ciabatta bread

5 oz grapes

20 oz coffee

Dinner 1/27 (Fujiyama's):

3 oz salad w/ ginger dressing

1 c soup (whatever kind of soup they serve, it's just broth and mushrooms)

6 oz chicken and filet mignon

3 oz veggies

1 c rice

30 oz iced tea

I Need To Weigh My Food!

I think I need to weigh my food more often. I had decided to have some fries tonight with my gyro from Nazareth's, something I usually don't do. I decided to have 6 oz and pitch whatever was left. However, the entire order was only 5 oz! Woo-hoo for me!

In other news, I had planned on doing water aerobics today. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my swim trunks last night when I was packing, and they weren't at the lost and found at the gym. Bummer. Looks like I'll need a new suit. On the plus side, my calves and butt won't hurt tomorrow...

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/26:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

banana

12 oz milk

62 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 1/26:

Ham (3 oz) and swiss (1 oz) on potato bread w/ mustard

16 oz salad w/o dressing

apple

32 oz water

Dinner 1/26:

Gyro (from Nazareth)

Fries (from Nazareth, 5 oz)

1 oz hummus w/ 1 pita and 6 oz carrots

24 oz water

Evening Snack 1/26:

Compromise

I'm a stress eater. Well, I'm a "pissed off eater," too. I've mostly conquered that since September, but today was just one of those days that I was heartily pissed off. So I compromised with myself. What I really wanted was 4 Skyliners and all the chili-cheese fries I could stuff in my face, plus another Skyliner or two and a gallon of beer to wash it down. Six months ago, I might just have done that. So, all things considered, I thought I did pretty well with my lunch :)

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/25:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

40 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 1/25 (Skyline):

2 Skyliners

2 Garden salads (about 12 oz) w/ honey french dressing

40 oz iced tea

I had 32 oz water and 20 oz coffee before dinner.

Dinner 1/25:

Sausage and cheese ravioli w/ homemade tomato sauce (~8-10 oz ravioli)

9 oz lettuce

4 oz green beans

12 oz water

I had a half of a mini bag of popcorn for a snack, plus some wine.

Change in Routine

Not much happening today. I returned to the gym and tried to outfox those people who hog the treadmills when I'm ready to use one. Typically, I'll ride the recumbent bike for 30 minutes, then switch to a treadmill. Problem is that lately, all the treadmills are pretty much taken by time I get off the bike, which noone except me is riding. So, today I decided to use the treadmill first. Of course, today all except one was in use first thing! And, by time I finished my walk, there was only one bike open. Grrrrr.....

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/24:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

banana

12 oz milk

62 oz water

20 oz coffee

I had a cup of tea this morning, since I was cold...

Lunch 1/24 (Wendy's):

Spicy Chicken sammich

Spring Mix salad w/ fat free french

Mandarin orange cup

20 oz iced tea

Dinner 1/24:

Turkey brat (~ 3 oz) w/ mustard

12 oz salad w/o dressing

1-1/3 c (cooked) Pasta Roni Angel Hair w/ Parmesan Cheese

12 oz water

Celebrations and Goals

Yeah, I celebrated. And, I had a salad at one of my favorite restaurants. But I also had a steak! OK, it was a small one, about half the size I would have had before I started on this dietary oddessy. All in all, I think I did just fine.

So, breaking 200 for the first time in five years has gotten me thinking about what's ahead. Where should I stop losing? Should I set goals along the way? Once I'm done losing, how should I proceed?

For the first question, I Googled and found a BMI calculator with helpful tables and other information. According to the information here, I should weigh less than 174 (I'm 5' 10"). Wow, it's been a long time since I weighed that little! I'm not even sure if I can safely get down that low at my advanced age :) And, 174 is the top of my range, it would be great to actually be comfortably below the top. So, if I take the first two questions together, here's what I'm coming up with:

• First goal: 185
• Second goal: 173
• Third goal: 165(!)

I think that the first goal represents a weight which I can reasonably reach and maintain. I think it'd keep my doctor off my back, assuming my body recovers from whatever is happening to my liver. If I get here and can go no lower, but I maintain that weight, I think I'd be happy. The second goal is the top of the range per the BMI. I don't know if I can get there, but I'll do what I safely can to reach it. If I get that far down and my doctor tells me that I should be heavier, or if I get there and find that it's so much of a struggle that I'm not enjoying life, I'll revert to the first goal. The third goal is well within my "normal" range, per BMI. I have serious doubts whether I can hit that, and even more serious doubts about whether I can maintain that weight long-term. But, a guy can dream, and if I can do it and still be healthy and active without feeling like I'm killing myself trying to maintain it, well then, so much the better.

Which leaves the third question unanswered. I'll have a lot of thinking to do, and I'll need to ask some questions of the kind folks at McConnell before my subscription runs out. But enough thinking for one day... :)

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/23:

South Beach bar

8 oz light yogurt

banana

40 oz water

20 oz coffee

Lunch 1/23:

Ham and hard salami (3 oz) and colby jack (1 oz) on white w/ mustard

8 oz lettuce w/o dressing

4 oz carrots

banana

32 oz water

Dinner 1/23 (Damon's):

8 oz charbroiled prime rib

6 oz salad w/ parmesan peppercorn on the side

10 oz baked potato w/ ~1/2 tbsp butter and ~1/2 tbsp sour cream

1 roll

30 oz iced tea

~1/2 c strawberry sorbet (from Graeter's)

Weight Update

Weight as of 6:30 AM 1/16: 198.0

Woo-hoo! I broke 200! Time to celebrate! I'm gonna go to my favorite restaurant and have ... errr... I'm gonna have.... ummmm.... a salad...

Damned diet

Back Home

Homeward bound today after a great visit with Carl and Sally. Once home, nothing to do but sit around watching football (Amy's idea) and allowing Amy to make me a great dinner. Can't beat it. Life is good :)

Not going to the gym tomorrow, I have a doctor appointment early. If it's not cold or rainy, I may walk tomorrow evening.

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/22:

South Beach bar

10 oz water

30 oz coffee

Lunch 1/22 (Wendy's):

Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe

Spring Mix salad w/ fat free french

Mandarin orange cup

20 oz iced tea

I stopped for a cup of Starbucks on the way home (Verona, OK, but not my favorite).

Afternoon Snack 1/22:

3 oz carrots

Dinner 1/22:

6 oz round eye steak

1 c (cooked) rice w/ beef gravy

12 oz salad w/o dressing

12 oz water

Fighting the Losing Fight

I'm up in NE OH again for the evening, visiting friends. Ordinarily, that means an evening of pizza and cheesy bread, but for this soldier waging his personal war against his cholestorol-laden butt, it meant lots of veggies and only a little pizza. Ah, war is hell...

Diet Update

Breakfast 1/21:

"Potato flip" (9 oz potato, 1 oz bacon and cheese)

8 oz water

24 oz coffee

Lunch 1/21:

Hard salami (2 oz) and provolone (1 oz) on white bread w/ mustard

12 oz salad w/ fat free raspberry vinagrette

apple

12 oz water

I had 20 oz coffee on the way to NE OH.

Dinner 1/21:

2 slices pizza (about 1/4 of a 12" pie, with 1 slice pepperoni, on slice carnivore special)

12 oz salad w/ 2 tbsp ranch dressing

6 oz carrots

apple

20 oz coffee

40 oz water

I had some wine with my hosts in the evening before bed.