Night on the town

On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of going to Minneapolis to attend the service at Bethlehem Baptist Church downtown. Afterward, we went with the Thuls to True Thai and I had Masaman Curry. The Better Choice was that I stopped about half way through. I couldn't believe it because it was literally the best Curry I've ever eaten.

Memorial Day

Memorial day was rough too. We had a party with many of our closest friends, but I ate about 69 WW points for dinner. Too much. Anyway, I ate lightly in the morning and at noon and I did journal, so I guess that I did MTBC in that regard.

Gallowalking

I was doing some thinking today and I realized that the time in my life when I was healthiest was when I was running and lifting regularly. I have been lifting now, but not running. I decided to work back in slowly using the Gallowalking approach. I went for a whole 12 minutes tonight. :D

5/24-Rough Day

I started the day well. I ate my standard oatmeal for breakfast, and an egg sandwich and a banana for dinner. I skipped Sundae Sunday at church, knowing that we were going to have to go to two parties today. At the first, I had a bunch of "cinnamon tortillas" which were really pretty amazing. At the second, I had some enchiladas, 2 tacos, and 3 pieces of cake. That was worse. Oh well. I am going to bike over to the video store now, hopefully to burn off some cals.

Strong Lifts 5x5-Day 1

I have mentioned this program in the past. I am going to give it a concerted effort the next 3 months and see where I get. I will post periodic photos, so that others can see my progress too. The program looks as such--3 days a week alternating the following lifts:

Day 1
5x5 Squat
5x5 bench press
5x5 bent rows
3xfailure pushups
3x12 reverse crunches

Day 2
5x5 squat
5x5 overhead press
1x5 deadlift
3xfailure pullup/chinup
3x30 seconds prone bridges

I currently use a Smith rack, which is a program "no-no" but I hope to eventually make a homemade power rack, to increase my versatility.

Day 1:
5x5 bench=50 pounds
5x5 squat=50 pounds
5x5 rows=55 pounds
total pushups=30
total crunches=27

And away we go!

Recommittment

I was talking with a good friend of mine last night (yvralfredo) and he was asking what was keeping me from committing to get back on track with regard to weight loss. I don't know, but I am going to make a concerted effort over the next 3 months to see what sorts of changes I can make. I will talk about them here and post some occasional pics. Here is where I am starting from: 248.4 as of this morning. As you can see, it is much different than the person in the banner.

Real vs fake foods

Some interesting reading:

http://lifespotlight.com/health/2009/03/16/selling-ill-health-real-foods-fake-foods/

10 commandments of weight loss

1. Thou shalt eat actual meals-Society has been handed a bill of goods that we need to eat regularly throughout the day. If we actually ate fewer calories at meals, this may work, but most people who eat regularly throughout the day also eat normal size meals too.

2. Thou shalt get off thine posterior and move-Calorie restriction is an important variable in weight loss, but the most commonly cited variable in sustained weight loss was regular movement. You don't need to buy a membership to Gold's Gym, but throw on a pair of shoes and walk out your door. Walk to work; walk to the grocery store; just walk. Do a few pushups, situps, and squats regularly. Throw some dirt around in the back yard. Whatever gets you moving.

3. Thou shalt adopt a long term perspective-Don't quit when you only lose 2 pounds this week. You didn't gain it all in a week, you aren't going to lose it all in a week either. In fact, I would challenge you to drop your time goals and just focus on becoming a healthier person, not a lower number on the scale.

4. Thou shalt not live on overly processed diet foods, but also recognize that no food is inherently evil-Although they may seem easier, foods like Smart Ones, Lean Cuisine, and Snackwells are wholly unsatisfying and I suspect less healthy than the real foods that are found on the outside aisles of your store. If you can't pronounce the ingredients or if the list contains more than 5, choose something else.

5. Thou shalt not blame others, society, genetics or the media for your weight-You ate too much. I know, you are probably thinking "my metabolism is slower than all of my friends because that's how my family is." Perhaps it is, but you know what? That was the hand you were dealt. Deal with it. You get to eat less than someone else. You got fat because you ate more than your body needed. Rather than feeling bitter toward others, accept responsibility, do your job and eat less.

6. Thou shalt realize that you will not starve-Particularly if you live in the United States, you are not going to starve to death. If you have to wait a few hours until your next supersized order of curly fries, your family isn't going to find you dead in your recliner.

7. Thou shalt remember that life is about so much more than food-Food can be a joy. Indeed, I love to cook and I love the whole process of food. In fact, one might say that gourmet cooking is the only art form that engages all 5 senses. BUT, life is about more than food. Spend time with your family, read a book, meet your neighbors...turn off the TV.

8. Thou shalt seek the support of others-People often want to go it alone, particularly men. When they fail, there is no one to hold them accountable. There is also no one to help make it through the rough patches when you want to eat a side of beef. Also, if you go it alone and you do lose weight, but no one notices, you will be mad. As an additional thought here, learn to eat together with other people rather than on your way out of the Burger King parking lot.

9. Thou shalt remember that food is not an antidepressant, a pain reliever, or other medication-Food is fuel. It is not a band-aid, it doesn't fix the emotional issues going on in your life, and it can't heal all your hurts. It may make you feel better for a moment, but that feeling will pass. Learn to deal with your emotions--talk to someone (see the 8th commandment), go for a walk (2nd commandment) or pray.

10. Thou shalt Make the Better Choice-Life is full of them...choices that is. You can choose wisely or not. A single choice may not have a significant effect, but lots of them do. Become a person who chooses wisely, not foolishly.

Food Hangover

Yesterday was Easter. Breakfast was normal, but at church, they had donuts fresh out of the fat, which were awesome. At dinner, I made aligot, challah, and ham and a friend brought tenderloin stuffed with blue cheese. I clearly overdid it. I was left feeling completely wrung out this morning. Does anyone know the physiology behind a food hangover?

Easter

Today, we celebrate Easter. Easter is not about bunnies, Peeps, or chocolate. Easter is the remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, from the dead. He died for my sins and yours.

John 1:12--"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God."

My recommended better choice for today, if you are not a believer, is to examine the veracity of the scriptures and ask Jesus to be your Savior.

End of NoS posting experiment

Well, after 6 days on the NoS diet, I lost 3.8 pounds. I think I'll continue, but not post what I eat every day.

NoS Diet

This is my final day of posting, because it will have been one week.


AM weigh-in: 248.4


Breakfast: Oatmeal, of course.


Lunch: leftover beans and rice, green beans.

Dinner: a chicken breast, small potato with butter, and corn.

Tomorrow, I will report on my little experiment.

No S Diet-4/9/09

AM Weigh-in: 248.2

Breakfast: Standard Oatmeal.

Lunch: 2 slices Pizza Hut pan pizza and an apple. It's all I could get on my plate.

Dinner: Beans and Rice with ham, 2 slices wheat bread with butter.

NoS Diet- 4/8

AM Weigh in: 249.6





Breakfast: oatmeal.

Lunch: Leftover meatloaf, mashed potato/cauliflower, and a banana.

Dinner: Sirloin steak, baked potato, bread & butter.

NoS-April 7

Morning weight-250.8





Breakfast: Yep, oatmeal.

Lunch: 1 slice leftover meatloaf (even better today), mashed potatoes/cauliflower, apple. I also brought an orange, but I wasn't hungry for it.

Dinner: Grandfather soup, 3 slices of bread with olive oil, and milk.



At our small group last night, my good friend Gen made her "famous dump cake--with coconut" I assumed this would really put my resolve to the test, but I managed it nicely.

NoS-4/6

Monday is a NoS day. 3 meals--that's it.

Breakfast: Oatmeal, as always, my comfortable friend.
Lunch: Leftovers, which I ate joyfully, not bregrudgingly. A pork chop, an orange, and some mashed potatoes. I had to put some potatoes back because there were too many to fit on the plate--I guess that is the way of things. Alas, I am satisfied.
Dinner: 2 slices meatloaf, mashed potatoes, 1 glass skim milk. My lovely wife did up the meatloaf and the potatoes with the deceptively delicious way!

Morning weight: 252.2

NoS-4/5

I thought it might be interesting to document what I eat on NoS and report the results after a week. So here was Sunday the 5th.

AM weight: 252.6

Breakfast: 8x8 waffle with butter, brown sugar, and coconut.
Lunch: Large Pesto Cavatappi with parmesan chicken from Noodles & Co. After 2 kids didn't get what they wanted at Cold Stone Creamery, I also ended up with a kids size vanilla with chocolate chips--not what I would have ordered.
Dinner: Grilled lean pork chop, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a glass of milk.

*Meal 4: About 8:30, I had a couple of slices of leftover homemade pizza. Pretty good.

You can see, I still made some better choices, but was not completely restrictive in my eating on this S-day.

The NoSdiet

A friend of mine at church told me was starting this No S diet. I had never heard of it, so I asked him to tell me about it. He told me that it was no seconds or sweets except on Saturdays and Sundays. That's partially true. According to the website, the diet can be summarized in these 14 words:

No Sweets.
No Snacks.
No Seconds.
Except (sometimes) on days that start with S.

S days are Saturdays, Sundays and Special occasions.

This has also been called the "grandma diet" because it is how grandma ate and is much more intuitive than many weight loss plans. I am going to apply the principles learned in Weight Watchers and with Making the Better Choice to this. Let's see how she goes!

*Interestingly, see my 11/13/08 post, which I wrote before ever hearing of NoS.

Beck Diet Solution-Day 1

The Beck Diet Solution is a program designed to deal with some of the thoughts and behavior that accompany weight loss. On the first day, the reader is charged with creating a list of reasons for wanting to lose weight. Here is my list:
1. God commands that I honor him with my body and live a self-controlled life.
2. I'll have fewer aches and pains.
3. I'll have more energy.
4. I'll feel more confident.
5. My clothes will fit better.
6. I'll feel in control.
7. I'll be less self-critical.
8. I'll be happier with how I look.
9. I will have a better "testimony" with regard to my weight.
10. I will have improved health.
11. I'll model health to my children.