Day 25 - May 28, 2013

Weight:             245 lbs.
Body Fat %:     33.5%
Composition:    82 lbs fat  / 163 lbs. lean body mass
H20 %:            47.5%  (116 lbs )


The scale was not my friend today, but probably a good blast of truth and common sense.  Back on the grind without too much damage done.

I lifted weight for the first time since I started today.  It went fine, no DOMS so far.

Breakfast was a smoothie again.  There's a heart-healthy serving of cooked oatmeal in this smoothie.  I'm not sure how I felt about that.  Could use a little sweetening, but I don's want to add any artificial sweetener. Maybe I'll add honey next time.

Lunch was leftover wings from Buffalo Wild Wings with the celery and carrot sticks that came with them.  Instead of the blue cheese dressing, I dipped in hummus.   Dinner was reliable jambalaya and brown rice again.  Dessert was an orange and nuts.


Breakfast:
1 serving "Ultimate Power Smoothie": milk, yogurt, oatmeal, peanut butter, and whey
16 oz water

 Mid-morning Meal:
1 serving Abs Diet Ultimate Power Smoothie: milk, yogurt, oatmeal, peanut butter, and whey

Lunch:
4 leftover BWW paresan garlic wings
leftover celery and carrot sticks w/ hummus
16 oz water

Post-workout meal:
12 oz. chocolate milk

Dinner:
1 laddle brown rice
2.5 laddles jambalaya
16 oz water w/ lemon juice

Dessert:
1 large (unripe) orange
15 almonds
32 oz. water

we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...

Day 16 - May 19, 2013

Weight: 246 lbs


After yesterday's diversions, there was not much damage at the scale. Since I started a lifestyle change, I haven't had cravings for sweets.  I've always had craving for sweets, as long as I can remember.  Now when I get a craving, it's for bread really (pizza, pancakes, hamburger bun with a hamburger in it).  Come to think of it, I've always loved white bread, since I was kid.  My aunts told me that my father used to love white bread too.  Perhaps, it's a genetic hand me down.  Anyway, I did some internet reading on artificial sweeteners (just simple Google).  There is anecdotal evidence that suggests that artificial sweetener may cause an increased desire for sweet food items.   I have passed on the artificially sweetened drinks (water, please!)  I haven't craved sweet desserts at all.

For breakfast I made everyone a chorizo and spinach omelet.  For lunch I got lazy, and decided to eat out instead of prepare a meal.  I though falafel sounded good, it's just chick peas.  So, I went to a nearby Mediterranean restaurant I had never tried (Parsley).  They didn't seem to have falafel by itself, so I order the falafel bowl, which include 6 falafels, a layer of Mediterranean rice and a layer of salad.  I wasn't too sure about the rice.  I asked the woman behind the counter about the rice, but she wasn't too knowledgeable about what type of rice it was.  It was yellow and she just described it as Mediterranean rice.  I think she squirted some tzatziki on everything at the end.

My theory is that you can get away with eating half of any meal that's served to you in a restaurant and still be full.  So I ate half the falafel, but finished off the rice and salad because they wouldn't age well in the fridge.  For dinner I ate my leftover falafel and remaining chicken thigh (leftover from earlier in the week) with half a bag of microwaveable mixed veggies. Dessert was the remaining strawberries that my son didn't eat that day, plus a few baby carrots.    Not a bad day.

No gym today.



Breakfast:
Chorizo, spinach and onion omelet
16 oz water

Lunch:
Falafel Bowl: 4 falafel on top of "Mediterranean rice" and Mediterranean salad
16 oz water

Dinner:
Leftover falafels (2)
Leftover chicken thigh
1/2 bag of microwaved frozen green beans
16 oz of water

Dessert:
 4 unripe strawberries
2 handfuls of baby carrots
16 oz of water

we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...

Day 13 - May 16, 2013

Weight: 246.8 lbs

Finally saw some progress on the scale again.  Now moving in the right direction. Chorizo is powerful stuff, it can easily overpower everything else.  Got a good balance with spinach and onion along with the chorizo and egg.  Lunch was the remainder of the grilled shrimp from a few nights ago and the cauliflower mock mashed potatoes. Had a lovely, if garlicky, lunch. I kept dinner pretty simple, chicken thighs from yesterday and some frozen mixed vegetables.  Mango for dessert was nice and ripe.


Last night, I added a fish oil (Omega-3) capsule and half a daily multi-vitamin (2 tablets daily, but I only take 1 since I think I'm getting a lot of vitamins and minerals from my diet and I don't want to overdue it.)



Breakfast:
Spinach, chorizo and onion omelet
16 oz water w/ lemon juice
16 oz water


Lunch:
Leftovers:  grilled shrimps and cauliflower "mock" mash potatoes (and a few apples slices my son didn't finish in his lunch.)
Handful of almonds
16 oz water
16 oz water with a few bits of apple (a failed experiment)


Dinner:
Grilled chicken thigh
1/2 bag of microwaved frozen mixed vegetables
16 oz water w/ lemon juice
16 oz water


Dessert:
1 mango
16 oz water

we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...

Day 12 - May 15, 2003

Weight: 248 lbs.

Looking down at the scale this morning was very frustrating.  The scale was still moving in the wrong direction.  It's more infuriating that  I have also worked out both of the last two days (which means I burned more calories than any of the days that the scale moved in the correct direction. These are the type of things that usually drive me to give up and console myself with a pizza (or at least half of one.) 

Breakfast was leftover dinner bits from the other night, plus 2 eggs (for even more protein).  Lunch was also mostly leftover from the fridge.  I'm experimenting with shakes/smoothies.  Getting the proportions and taste right are the tough parts.  For dinner I grilled a package of chicken thighs, so there's chicken for dishes for the rest of the week.  Shredded chicken can be added to salads or just about any dish.  The thighs can also be eaten as they are.

So today is the third day at the gym.  It's very hot outside and only going to get hotter.  It was 102 yesterday.  So, I need somewhere to take my son in the afternoon, but its too hot out to go to the park.  So I take him to the gym (free childcare included).  While I'm there, I figure I might as well get a workout in (otherwise people look at you funny).  My gym has a cardio theatre where you can watch movies while doing your cardio.  So the last two days I watched the last hour of Forrest Gump and Big while walking and bicycling.

I wonder if it's possible that I'm not getting enough calories, so my body is holding tight to what it has.  I'm thinking of adding a few smoothies  to my daily menu.   I noticed in previous diets that when I've fallen off the wagon, I lose weight and look leaner for the next few days, perhaps my body responding to an end of scarcity. Still trying to figure it all out.


Breakfast:
Leftover bits of steak and shrimp from a couple days ago
2 eggs.
16 oz water


Lunch:
Leftover Tuscan white bean soup
smoothie - plain yogurt, honey, 1/3 banana, 3 strawberries, tbsp of crunchy peanut butter


Dinner:
chicken thigh
ear of corn
16 oz water w/ lemon juice
16 oz water


Dessert:
1 mango

we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...

Day 11 - May 14, 2013

Weight: 247.4 lbs.
 
 
The scale has been stalled or moving in the wrong direction the last few days, even though I worked out (boxing) yesterday.  What's going on?  Anyway, I had an omelet with chorizo this morning.  I originally meant to add spinach.  That would have been even better.  Something to think about for tomorrow.

I wanted to keep the GI Load low for breakfast, but I was still hungry, so I ate fruit (mango).  Preferably I'll replace it with a vegetable tomorrow.  I've run out of animal proteins in the house.  I boiled a couple eggs and diced them.  I added them to my salad.  The salad could have used a little bacon for flavoring.  I've been avoiding bacon because of the nitrates.  Dinner was more trying to clean-out the fridge of leftovers, mostly soup.  Dessert was a quick apple.

Went to the gym again today.  Hope it shows on the scale tomorrow.  I'm really sore from Monday's boxing workout.  Instructor decided to skip the warm-up.  At my age that's muscular suicide.  I've been paying the price with DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.)  My pectorals are sore and swollen, and my arms don't have a full range of motion.  I imagine it's similar to what it must feel like immediately after breast augmentation surgery.


Breakfast:
2 egg omelet with chorizo, onion and cheese
1 mango.
16 oz. water w/lime juice
16 oz water

Lunch:
Romaine salad w/ 1.5 diced boiled eggs, homemade blue cheese dressing, blue cheese, and a few croutons.

Dinner:
1 bowl Tuscan white bean soup
1 bowl Roasted tomato soup
no room for water
 
Dessert:
1 apple (peeled)

 we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...

Day 6 - May 9, 2013

Weight: 248 lbs

Today did not start well.  The scale put me a pound up.  I know these things fluctuate, but I know I ate less yesterday than on any given day before I started, yet the scale moved in the wrong direction.  By far the most frustrating part of dieting or eating healthy.  It has been the cause of many a fast food-junk food binge and relapse in the past.  This time I'm taking it all in stride.  I was up late night and ate some banana late as well.  I don't know the true cause of the scale moving in the wrong direction, but I'm not going to worry about it.  Perhaps, I'll have some breakfast sausage or have a smoothie (made with Almond milk instead of the Moo stuff) tomorrow for variety.

Breakfast was surprisingly enough eggs again.  Lunch was leftovers.  Non sequitur: it's getting hot in Vegas.

The white bean soup for dinner was tasty.  I strongly suggest using a blender or food processor, not an immersion blender for better consistency.   I think I could use a break from chicken.  Tomorrow = steak.


Breakfast:
2 boiled eggs
Yogurt (2 tbsp left over from feeding my son)
1 Tangelo


Lunch:
1.5 cups Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (leftover)
1 El Pollo Loco drumstick
16 oz water w/ lime juice

Dinner:
Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup (recipe from Food Network)
1 El Pollo Loco thigh
16 oz water w/ lime juice
16 oz water


Dessert:
1 pair
1 banana
16 oz. water

we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...

Day 5 - May 8, 2013

Weight: 247 lbs


Scale still showing progress.  I also noticed that I haven't had any milk since I started.  I don't know if that's purely coincidence or not.  I have had plenty of dairy (cheese, cream, butter).  It's something I'll keep in the back of my mind.  Heck, why mess up a good thing.  I'm not intentionally throwing milk in the equation until the weight loss slow down on it's own, just in case.

Perhaps I shouldn't start the day off with garlic.  Sorry anyone that had to talk with me this morning.  Lunch went well, I shredded the remaining chicken (thigh, plus carcass remnants) from the rotisserie chicken that had been part of 4 previous meals this week.  Dinner, consisted of chicken from El Pollo Loco and the leftover soup from last night.  Very tasty.  Had to run out to the grocery store to get some fruit for dessert.

Thought: I noticed that I can only drink a single 16 oz glass of water, but if I add lemon or lime to the water I can consume twice as much.



Breakfast:
2 egg omelet with a garlic, onion, and spinach.  Sprinkle a few pinches of shredded cheddar on top.
16 oz. water


Lunch:
Romaine salad w/ shredded chicken, sprinkle of blue cheese, a few pecans, a hand full of croutons, 1/2 diced apple and homemade blue cheese dressing
16 oz. water

Dinner:
Broccoli cheese soup (leftover)
1 chicken thigh from El Pollo Loco
16 oz water

Dessert:
Apple (peeled)
1/4 cantaloupe
16 oz. water with lime juice
16 oz water

we'll see what the scale says tomorrow ...