It's been a while...

Forgive the lack of posting...I'll be putting a lot up shortly...I'll give you 2 words why I've been so negligent on the the site stuff:

Andrew James


He's a 9 lb 3 oz, 22 inch baby boy that officially makes me a Dad and unofficially throws my schedule into instant disarray.

I hope you decide to keep reading the blog. I'll have plenty to say on my diet (weighing in tomorrow) and on being a new father...

Jeff

Update: Since people have complimented me on how I look in this photo, I guess we'll call it a progress photo for now.

Blog polling...

In search of ways to make this blog more appealing, I thought I would add a quick way for people to interact without the messiness of actually leaving me a comment...the blog poll!

Some context for this poll question: I think most people actually do notice odd smelling urine, but I was just on a website that stated that only 1/2 the asparagus eating population actually notices the odd smell. Apparently the other 1/2 a.) have genes that either prevent them from converting asparagus into this odd smelling liquid or b.) have genes that prevent this from actually smelling this odor when they are doing their business.

Either way, I'm curious to see if my very small blog audience actually ties into the 50% theory.

Answer away!


Update: If you want to read a better explanation of the asparagus / urine smell phenomenon, click here.

Are you thinking of joining Jenny Craig...

...or any of the other big weight loss programs? Wanting a side by side comparison on the costs of each program?

Here is an interesting article that discusses that exact topic.

As stated earlier, my personal inclination is to try the eat smarter and exercise routine first and to see where that lands me. I really don't believe in the programs where you buy all of the meals. Ask yourself these questions: Am I going to buy these pre-packaged meals for the rest of my life? If I stop buying these meals after I hit my goal weight, will I be able to make similar meals on my own to maintain my wieght? Perhaps the programs like Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem provide a game plan for people after they leave the program...I don't know, but they are out to make a profit. Making a profit means convincing people to stay on their program or risk putting the weight back on.

The Weight Watchers thing? I know it works for people and since it provides guidelines for healthy living, I don't really have a problem with it. I just don't like the idea of converting everything I eat into a points system and then adding up whether I won or lost that day. Perhaps if my weight plateaus in the future, I will need to watch things more closely, but for now the pounds are coming off simply by eating healthy, eating enough to not be hungry, and exercise...

Healthy Choices - 4/24

Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal (look at all that protein and fiber!)
L: Chipotle Glazed Chicken Salad from Baja Fresh
D: "Summer Salad" (Grilled Chicken, Baby Spinach, Walnuts, Strawberries, Blueberries, Crumbled "Reduced Fat" Blue Cheese)

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (11/2,14/8,16/10,14/5)
Abs: Crunch Machine (90/25, 105/15, 120/10)
Strength: Seated Press (75/20, 80/15, 85/10, 100/5)

Comments: Carolyn makes the dinner salad once in a while...so tasty in its own right that I don't need dressing. Highly recommend it if you're looking for something tasty and healthy. I decided not to wait and kicked the elliptical machine up 1 from 10/13/15 to 11/14/16. The burn definitely came back again. Also decided at the end of each strength machine I work on, I am going to kick the machine up 15 lbs over my heaviest weight and try to do a minimum of 5 reps. It is has been tough, but I know I need to start testing the muscles to get them to grow...

Healthy Choices - 4/23

Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal (Got myself another box of the stuff)
L: Tuna Salad from Bistro Sensations (Mall Food Court) (2 scoops of tuna salad, hard boiled egg, lettuce, olives, onions, carrots, balsamic dressing)
D: Pumpkin Gnocchi, Vodka Sauce, Peas (Leftovers again!)

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (10/2,13/8,15/15)
Abs: Crunch Machine (90/25, 105/15, 120/10)

Comments: Proud of myself for heading to a Food Court situation and sticking to something pretty healthy...My normal path would be towards the Chick-Fil-A and there tasty fried chicken nuggets and waffle fries...not today! One exercise note: I was on the elliptical machine today and did not have to work as hard at my current settings...My heart rate usually is in the mid to high 160's when I have the machine at the 15 setting and today it barely blipped into the low 160's...so I kept the machine at 15 through the rest of the workout rather than dial back down to 13 like I normally do...I'll go 1 or 2 more times at the current settings, but it might be time soon for a bump up again on the machine.

Weight Loss Excel Graph

Put together a little spreadsheet / chart to track my weight as well....finally figured out how to turn graph into a jpg image to load onto the blog...here is my progress in chart form.

If interested, leave a comment and I can email you a copy of the Excel file and instructions on how to convert an Excel chart to a picture (hint: I used PowerPoint to help with the conversion)

Update: Click on the graph and it blows up nice and big. Very easy to read!

Weigh In - Week 4

Did my ritual workout and weigh in on Monday night...

Another decent loss of 3 lbs! Bringing my total weight to picture on the right...(222 if the picture link ever gets lost)

Thoughts?

Looking back through my posts, I would say that I'm really putting in an honest effort. Bad food kept to a minimum and I'm looking for ways to increase the workout routine without hitting the gym. The sun is also finally deciding to come on out. The outdoor work, while not documented in my exercise, finally is helping out as well. You try pushing a lawn tractor that won't start around the yard!

So, for roughly the first month of this thing I'm doing, I've lost a grand total of 14 lbs! I'm pretty psyched to say the least...

Update: I liked the idea of putting up a road sign for my current weight and actually went back to previous posts to add road signs as well. Click on the "Weigh In Results" label to see how it looks as you scroll...I like the effect...

Healthy Choices - 4/22, 4/21, 4/20

Darn...3 days of missing posts...this is going to be tough to remember...

Friday 4/20

Food:

B: Kashi GoLean Crunch Cereal
L: Avocado Salad (1/2 Avocado with Crab / Clam Salad over Mixed Greens)
D: Leftover Chicken, Broccoli, Pasta from Sunday (Yum!)

Exercise:

3 Sets / 15 Reps of 10 lb Arm Curls
3 Sets / 15 Reps of 10 lb Arm Lifts

Saturday 4/21

Food:

B: Kashi GoLean Crunch Cereal
L: Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice, and some Chickpea Dish which name eludes me.
D: Carnitas Platter from Local Mexican Restaurant (Marinated Pork Shoulder, Beans / Rice, Vegetables, Tortillas & Salsa)

Exercise:

20 minutes of biking around the neighborhood

Sunday 4/22

B: Kashi GoLean Crunch Cereal
L: Grilled Cheese & Ham
D: Turkey Chops, Brown Rice, & Corn

Exercise:

3 Sets / 15 Reps of 10 lb Arm Curls
3 Sets / 15 Reps of 10 lb Arm Lifts

Comments: Well my breakfasts are boring, but I make up for it with everything else. Friday's lunch was on the company (my boss took us out). It was awesome and healthy too! The chicken and broccoli dish held up surprisingly well. Carolyn and I went to a local international fair put on by the high school. Opportunity to sample all sorts of international cuisine. I chose Indian, because it's soooo delicious. If you've never been to an Indian restaurant and not sure what to order, go with a Tandoori platter (Indian BBQ) or go with Chicken Tikka Masala. It can be spicy though, so let them know you want it mild if that bothers you. They basically take grilled chicken and smother it in a sauce which I describe as a spicy Indian version of Italian Vodka Sauce. And if you love pulled pork barbecue, I highly recommend a carnitas (pork) platter at a Mexican restaurant. Same cut of meat, but with awesome Mexican flavorings. Try getting carnitas at Baja Fresh and you will see what I mean. For exercise, I've been trying to fit in exercise routines at home to compliment the gym work. Now that the weather is getting better, I'm going to try to add some local biking to the mix.

On to tonight's weigh in...results will be in tomorrow at the latest...

Scales and tails

Actually, just scales...

I currently have a cheap-o dial scale (reasonable facsimile pictured left) in my bathroom...not really using it because I have to squint to make out what the reading is...

On the plus side, it is frequently low in its measurements...so when I do decide to step on to get a quick midweek reading, it makes me think I'm kicking ass...

On the negative side, I actually get on the gym scale for my Monday reading and, while I haven't gone in the wrong direction, I still lose a little steam when I see less than expected results...

The bottom line...I'm in the market for a new scale. I would like it to be accurate and easy to read (digital). After that, I'm somewhat torn. I've seen some pretty cool Tanita scales that record your readings as well as measure things like body fat %, body water %, Daily Caloric Intake, and Basal Metabolism Rate...Anyone out there care to chime in on what features are important in a scale? Which scale do you use and would you recommend it?

Healthy Choices - 4/19

Food:

B: Nature Valley Cinnamon Cereal w/ 1% Milk
L: Chipotle Glazed Chicken Salad from Baja Fresh (pic)
D: Pumpkin Gnocchi, Vodka Sauce, Peas

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (10/2,13/8,15/10,13/5)
Abs: Crunch Machine (90/25, 105/15, 120/10)
Strength: Seated Press (70/20, 75/15, 80/10)

Comments: First, I would like to give praise to the Baja Fresh salad above. I've included a pic and linked to the nutritional info for those interested. A few notes: I do not use the dressing at all because the salad is tasty enough on its own and I usually eat just one of the flautas (the fried bready things on either side of the salad) to cut the calories / fat down. I also choose not to eat the tortilla chips they serve as well (such discipline!). Highly recommend this meal. Wish I could link to the pumpkin gnocchi as well, but I can't recall the brand...found it at Whole Foods and it is tatsy and pretty good for you. Nothing really new to note on the exercise front...kicked the settings up 1 on the elliptical machine recently...woohoo!

Healthy Choices - 4/18

Food:

B: Nature Valley Cinnamon Cereal w/ 1% Milk
L: Garden Salad w/ Grilled Chicken
D: Bean & Meat Chili w/ White Rice

Exercise:

3 Sets / 15 Reps of 10 lb Arm Curls
3 Sets / 15 Reps of 10 lb Arm Lifts

Comments: Wanted to hit the gym today, but Carolyn wanted me home. Pregnant wife wins! So, I pulled out the dumbbells and knocked out some arm work before going to bed. Dinner was gift from neighbors who know Carolyn is in no state for serious cooking. Very good chili I must say...The salad was from Hooter's Restaurant...Went out with some male co-workers and took some guff for ordering the salad, but I realize it's not only about reconditioning me but also reconditioning them. This is probably more of a statement about guys. While women look to each other for support in diet and weight loss (Exhibit 1: All of the women-centric weight loss blogs out there!), guys are expected to eat the 1/2 lb cheeseburger or the plate of super-hot wings. Just another way to prove ourselves to each other. There is definitely a peer pressure among men to eat unhealthy (After all, a real man would eat whatever he wants and then just work it all off at the gym or during a pickup basketball game, right?). I tried that route and found it does not work...

To label or not to label...

...that is the question. Well actually not really...I am going to label things.

At first, my labeling was all over the map without any thought. Today I decided to clean that up a bit to make things easier for the audience and myself.

I've cut the labels down to 4 at this time:

• Healthy Choices - This is my (hopefully) daily blog post on my food and exercise of the previous day. Mainly for me to review what worked and what didn't. The posts also help keep me on track.
• Weigh In Results - I think this obvious. I personally like to read just the results posts from other sites at times and thought this would help others who just want the down and dirty on my progress.
• Progress Photos - I'll probably snap a few photos of myself as the weeks and months roll by. I know that people enjoy visuals as much as reading about things. If you would like to *see*the results, you can look here. I promise to keep all the photos within reasonable taste.
• Looking for Answers - Perhaps you like to comment, but most of my posts don't lend themselves to comments. These posts are where I'm specifically looking for your input. Share your thoughts to help me and others achieve our goals
• Tips and Tricks - For ideas that have been helping me that I think would help you too!
  

That's all for now. There will be more labels in the future. I think the label tool can be powerful if applied thoughtfully. Hopefully this helps everyone out.

Update: I've added a label page element on the right hand side for easy clicking. Enjoy!

Update2: I've added a label for this post. If I decide to add additional labels in the future, I'll make sure to define them here.

Healthy Choices - 4/17

Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: "Smoke Stack" sandwich (smoked turkey, cheese, lettuce, onion, mustard on roll)
D: TJ (Trader Joes) Chicken Chow Mein (split the dinner bag with my wife)

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (10/2,13/8,15/10,13/5)
Abs: None
Strength: Leg Press (100/15,105/10,110/10)
Leg Extension (60/15, 65/10, 70/10)
Leg Curl (75/20, 80/15, 85/10)

Comments: On the food side, I think it made sense to do the sandwich instead of the salad when I have plans to work out. I had a sense of fullness from lunch that I think helped my workout routine. I finished what I started the other day by doing a fuller leg workout this time. I may try to add in one more machine, but I think I have a nice leg routine built out here. I also bumped the elliptical machine up a notch. Dinner was OK...the bag said it was low in fat and had decent protein (chicken) and vegetables. To make sure I ended right, I had two oranges for dessert.

Snacky snacks...

In the beginning of my blog, I would write down every snack I had in addition to my 3 meals. Recently I have moved away from that, but that doesn't mean I am trying to keep bad practices out of prying eyes...I've decided only to note snacks that I feel are bad or questionable choices (i.e. Chocolate Raspberry Chip ice cream). If I'm snacking on something I feel is healthy, I don't necessarily feel the need to list it each time...or else these lists would go pretty long!

For the reading audience though, I thought I would share the snacks that I use to get me from meal to meal:

• Nuts - We actually had a number of cans at home that were going uneaten and I thought it made sense to bring to work for snacking during the day. Personal Favorite Here.
  
• Turkey Hill Diet Green Tea - I personally love this stuff. I usually don't like the taste of diet drinks due to the bad aftertaste, but this one doesn't have it. And everywhere I have read says Green Tea helps weight loss as well. I buy a 1/2 gallon at a grocery near work and drink during the work week.
• Trader Joe's - This place rocks as a specialty grocer. The stuff they sell is cheaper, tastes better, and usually is pretty good for you. I'll snack on trail mixes they sell with nuts and dried cranberries, blueberries, raspberries (forgot the name). They also started selling these sweet & spicy pecans...expensive but delicious!
• Whole Foods Markets - I think I'm starting to sound like a granola eating hippie here, but this place also has lots of food choices that are healthy too. I especially like the fruit options available. I recently purchased muscat grapes (pic above), which are the grapes used in Asti Spumante. Tasted just like it, but healthier. Awesome...
• Bananas, Apples, Oranges...I'm getting used to actually eating these rather than buying them and letting rot on my counter...

So there is some insight into my snacking habits...If I deviate, it will be noted in my daily log of eats...Also, if you out there wish to share a snack suggestion, I need all the help I can get (The list above is not that long...)

Until then...

Is there anybody out there?

Here's an odd post and odd question from a happily married guy...

Where are all the men at? Over the past few days, I've been interested in finding other blogs out there dealing with weight loss issues. And there are a lot of them out there...all by women! Not sure whether weight loss is something most guys do not feel comfortable putting out there or what.

Not there is anything wrong with that, but there are diet and exercise issues that are male specific as well. I would like to read up on perspectives from a guy's point of view as well.

I'll continue to look and if anyone can provide me some links to current blogs from a guy's point of view, please point me in that direction...

Thanks!

Healthy Choices - 4/16

Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: Chicken and Fennel Salad from Cosi
D: Leftover Chicken, Broccoli, Pasta from previous night

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (10/2,13/8,15/10,13/5)
Abs: Crunch Machine (85/25, 100/15, 115/10)
Strength: Leg Curl (75/20, 80/15, 85/10)
Leg Press (100/10)*

Comments: Food was good today...perhaps I need to eat more though. Had a little bit of a scare today on the leg press machine. After completing my 1st set, I started to feel a bit woozy like I was going to pass out. Incidentally, roughly a year ago I almost did pass out on the same machine. My last incident caused me to sit next to the machine on the floor and I felt like throwing up...this time I decided to just let me body cool down and end the workout there. I don't feel like I'm pushing myself too hard from a strength standpoint...perhaps I need more energy in my system before I workout.

Weigh In - Week 3

Well...I lost 5 lbs in week 1...I lost 5 lbs in week 2...will week 3 continue this trend?

Sadly no...Week 3's big total is a whopping 1 lb loss...

I think my body is figuring out the deal and adjusting accordingly...I've cut a lot of junk out of the diet and the first 2 weeks reflected that...

But the whole goal is to lose 1 lb per week...So 1 lb is just fine and dandy with me...

Onward!

Comments, comments, comments...

I never went through all of the settings for my blogger blog. When I did, I noticed that I had the comments turned off for non-Blogger folk. I guess I assumed the default option for Blogger would be to allow all comments...after all, isn't half the fun of running a blog to get feedback from the public? Why Blogger would answer no is beyond me...

At any rate, I hope you decide to leave a comment if you do stop by. Knowing that people are out there watching provides some encouragement to keep going on this journey.

Until then...

Healthy Choices - 4/15

Food:

B: Whole Grain Waffle w/ Raspberry Preserves & Butter, 1/2 Grapefruit
L: Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup & Leftover Bean / Meat Mixture from Tacos
D: Grilled Chicken & Broccoli over Whole Wheat Pasta w/ Asagio Cheese & EVOO

Exercise:

3 Sets / 15 Reps of 15 lb Arm Curls
3 Sets / 15 Reps of 15 lb Arm Lifts

Comments: Mixed day I guess...Waffles were whole grain, but they were waffles and butter / preserves aren't exactly healthy. Actually had plans on just having the soup for lunch, but then made wife some leftover tacos and didn't want to just throw the remaining mixture away. In my defense, it was definitely more refried bean than ground meat. The dinner I thought was pretty good all around. Cheese and oil are not the best, but it is olive oil and asagio cheese is better for you than some other cheeses...Enough leftovers for a meal tonight maybe...And I decided to try to work in some exercise at home...dusted off the dumbbells and put them to work. Definitely felt some burn in the arms which is good...I will try to work in this routine more often...

Extra Comment: Today is the official day when the baby was supposed to come, but the baby decided to show up a little late. We'll keep on waiting...

Three Week Reflection - Food

Today actually marks the 3 week anniversary since I started down my path to recovery. In those 3 weeks, I can say the following:

• I have had only 8 oz. of Regular Soda (and 8 oz. of Coke Zero)
• I have had only 1 instance of eating true fast food (on my first day no less). Since then, I have only visited quasi-fast food joints (Baja Fresh, Boston Market) and have only had salads at them.
• Baked goods...Haven't really had any cookies, cakes and the nibbles I have had were to be courteous at a party.
• Red Meat: Only on 3 occasions: Moe's Burrito, Carolyn made Tacos, and left over bean / meat mixture from Tacos
• Chocolate: I had that chocolate ice cream from Merrymead and a few instances of Chocolate Milk for Dessert (Hershey's Syrup and 1% Milk)
• Fried Foods: Except for the McD's on Day 1, I haven't eaten a fried food since.
• Alcohol: 4 pints over that one Saturday night out with friends
  

Overall, that's not a bad scorecard. Especially when you consider I was drinking coke, eating chocolate & cookies, and going to fast food restaurants (having a hamburger and fries) close to once a DAY.

And to be honest, it hasn't really been that much of a sacrifice. I haven't had cravings or been miserable (at least I think I haven't). Just being smart and paying attention has worked this far.

I think my desire to lose the weight is still very strong and enabling me to make the right choices...

If you're ever in Lansdale, PA...

Google has this new feature that lets you create custom maps. Started one for my favorite spots in my adopted hometown (actual hometown: Ronkonkoma, NY)

My Lansdale Google Map

If you ever get to Lansdale, these are the places to eat and drink at (among other things)...

Reaching out to the blogosphere...

Well...to jazz this site up a bit as well as try an make it a bit more interactive, I have started looking outward to other blogs...found an interesting one at that:

http://flipthisbody.blogspot.com/

Very well run and very well liked from what I can gather...

I decided to get in on a little game see who can lose the most by 7/22. I'm on the top of her list and I plan on staying there!

What do I look like?

For future...here is a pic of me taken in the middle of February. Not sure if the pic makes me look overweight or anything, but I thought it would be interesting to see what future pics eventually compare to.

For kicks I should scan and upload a pic from the last time I weighed in at my goal weight (when I was 21!). And for some real fun, I should scan a pic from when I was 18 and <140 lbs!!! Oh the days of a quick metabolism...

Healthy Choices - 4/14

Food:

B: Nature Valley Cinnamon Cereal
L: Bumble Bee Tuna Fillet (Soy & Ginger)
S: Small Ice Cream from Merrymead
D: 2 Slices of Broccoli Pizza (Palermos)

Exercise: None

Comments: Carolyn wanted to goto Merrymead for ice cream and I can't say no to a pregnant woman...so there you go. The ice cream was Chocolate Rasberry Chip and it was dee-licious! No exercise once again. I do have plans to go bicycle riding to get some sort of non-gym exercise, but the weather is not exactly helping out.

Healthy Choices - 4/13

Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: 2 Slices of Plain Pizza / 1 Cup of Reg Coke
D: Turkey & American on Whole Wheat w/ Spinach, Onion & Mayo

Exercise: None

Comments: First time I have had a reg soda in close to 3 weeks (and it didn't even taste great). The pizza was my only option for a business lunch I had to attend and at least I didn't choose one of the meat lover's options. Dinner was based on simplicity. I had plans to hit the gym, but Carolyn wanted me home ASAP w/ pregnancy issues...

Milestone Rewards

Been thinking about how I can reward myself for sticking to this program. I think I have come up with a fair list:

Milestone #1 226 6/4/07 "Nice" local golf outing (18 holes)
Milestone #2 216 8/13/07 Jets / Eagles Reg Season Game @ Meadowlands
Milestone #3 206 10/22/07 "Nice" dinner of my choosing (Probably Shanachie)
Milestone #4 196 12/31/07 Guilt Free Toy of my choosing up to $150
Milestone #5 186 3/10/08 Corrective Laser Eye Surgery (The big one!)

I was thinking of creating "aggressive goal" rewards (see previous post), but that just made things too complicated.

Ran the final goal reward by Carolyn and she initially seems on board with the idea, although she is thinking that I should roll any Xmas and Birthday gifts into this reward as well (i.e. ask relatives to provide cash that I would out towards this goal). Not necessarily against that idea, but what if I don't hit my goal? I guess I would take the $$$ and just go out any buy myself a consolation prize.

Healthy Choices - 4/12

Food:
B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: Chopped Salad w/ Chicken from Boston Market (No Dressing)
D: Triple Lindy Burrito from Moe's (Chicken/Steak, Rice, Black Beans, Cheese, Sour Cream, Onions) & Tortilla Chips w/ Tomatilla Salsa

Exercise:
Cardio: Elliptical Machine (10/2,12/8,14/10,12/5)
Abs: Crunch Machine (Same Reps)
Strength: Leg Curl (75/20, 80/15, 85/20)

Comments: Food was OK today. Obviously good on the B&L, but Carolyn really wanted Moe's for the D and it is difficult to walk out of there w/o eating somewhat poorly. I actually had plans to do just Chicken, but my usual order just rolls off the tongue...Overall though, I can't be too hard on myself...Oatmeal + Salad + Exercise = Lower guilt for eating a Moe's Burrito

Weight Training Links

Still looking for some help on the weight training end. I started thinking that perhaps there was a "Dummies Guide to" book out there to help me out...There is a guide to weight training that I will look to buy...there are also some free "Dummies" links that could help me out:

Working out with Resistance Machines
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1825.html

Busting the Great Myths of Fat Burning
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1827.html

Getting an Upper Back Workout
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-4051.html

Getting a Great Lower Body Workout
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-4053.html

There are others as well...but I don't want to link to everything...

Healthy Choices - 4/11

Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: Salad Bar from Superfresh (Lettuce, Asparagus, Peppers, Onions, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken)
D: 2 Large Beef Tacos (Light Sour Cream, Cheese, Onions, Refried Beans, Hard Shells, Taco Sauce)

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (2/10, 8/12, 10/14)
Abs: Crunch Machine (80/25, 95/15, 110/10)
Strength: Seated Press (70/20, 75/15, 80/10)

Comments: Salad Bar was obviously good for me and was incredibly cheap! I thought I would be dropping $5 - $7 dollars for a salad, but I ended up paying $2.67! Works for me. Dinner was the first time in over 2 weeks that I had red meat. Not a bad string. The exercise again needed to be truncated to get home on-time so that we could eat dinner and get to Abington Hospital for the orientation.

Healthy Choices - 4/10, 4/9, 4/8

I have to be more persistent in doing this on a daily basis. I have to really think about what I ate now:

Sunday (Easter) Food

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: Brunch @ Iron Hill: OJ, Fruit Cup, Muffin, Chef's Omelet (3 Eggs, Lump Crab, Asparagus, Onion, Cheese), Rye Lightly Buttered Toast, Roasted Potatoes
D: Grilled Turkey, Cheese, and Apple sandwich from Whole Foods

Exercise: None

Comments: Once again, it's tough to eat out and stay healthy...tried to toe the right path here and actually ate only a few roasted potato pieces and left one slice of rye on the table.

Monday Food

B: Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal w/ 1% Milk
L: Chipotle Glazed Chicken Salad from Baja Fresh
D: Chicken Cordon Bleu (Barber Frozen) and garlic pasta / vegetable Mix w/ Extra Peas (Frozen)

Monday Exercise

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (my normal machine was not available so I used different machine with different settings...20 minutes)
Abs: Crunch Machine (80/25, 115/15, 120/10)
Strength: Seated Press (75/20, 80/15, 85/10)

Comments: Food...I thought I did well again...The frozen veggie mix was very low in calories and fat calories (100/15) and we needed to get through the Cordon Bleus...they were tasty! Exercise...I needed to cut this short to get home on time for grocery shopping with Carolyn...but better than not going at all...

Tuesday Food:

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: Turkey, Ham, and Swiss on Rye (Onion/Lettuce/Mayo) w/ Water
D: Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup (Microwave Size) and 1/2 Grilled Turkey and Cheese

Tuesday Exercise: None

Comments: False Alarm with pregnancy had me home early, in the hospital for a few hours (Lunch sandwich was from hospital), and home again...To be honest, the whole experience really wiped me out and I took a 2 hour nap when we got back from the hospital...no desire for strenuous activity...Food choices pretty good considering the crazy nature of the day...

So that's it...3 days of food and exercise logging and I'm all caught up! Now I need to remember to do this tomorrow!

Weigh In - Week 2

I'm now 3 days late on the blogging...damn! Part of it is the somewhat hectic schedule with preparing for a baby. The other is that I'm trying to keep this journaling secret for now...perhaps I should let the world know...not ready to do that yet...

First, let's get to the good stuff...the Monday weigh in...(drum roll please)...

226! I lost another 5 lbs in week #2. Amazing stuff. The 5 lbs number lends some credence to my week #1 loss. Perhaps I didn't misread the scale at my doctor's office. At any rate, I've reached Milestone #1 a full 8 weeks early. This of course does not mean, I get the reward for reaching the milestone. I need to come in at or below 226 on June 4th to do that. Plus, I haven't even decided on my rewards for hitting my weights...I guess I need to come up with those quickly...

My rapid weight loss has me feeling pretty confident these days...I've added a new "aggressive goal" weight loss path that calls for me to lose 2 lbs per week with Milestone Date #3 being my goal weight and the last 2 periods being a maintain period instead of a weight loss period. Too aggressive?

So the overall goal is still 50 lbs in 50 weeks with an aggressive goal of 60 lbs in 30 weeks w/ 20 weeks of maintenance after that...Trust me, if I just end up weighing in at 186 by my next birthday, I will have achieved a ton...

Actually, I'll post the food and exercise next...this post is starting to get long...

Healthy Choices - 4/7, 4/6

Missed a day....let's recap 2...

Friday Food

B: Weight Control Oatmeal
L: Meal Replacement Shake from Gym (Slender Fender Bender)
D: Red Curry and Brown Rice from Nadia

Comments: Not too bad overall...the shake was rather large and definitely filled me up (If I remember, they add whey protein and some other fat burning additive). The Red Curry had vegetables and chicken and brown rice is a healthier carb choice. The curry sauce was delicious and probably bad for me...

Friday Exercise

Cardio: Normal routine
Abs: Normal routine
Strength: Leg Curl (same routine as last)

Comments: Couldn't work out after work today, so went over lunch. The strength routine suffered as I needed to get back to work...This was sort of a bonus workout...4 times this week!

Saturday Food

B: Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (Lot's of protein and fiber!)
L: 3 small slices of cheddar on crackers (Carolyn had out and offered) and Chicken Breast
D: Went to Italian Restaurant w/ Frickers: Piece of bread w/ butter, piece of bruschetta, salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette, crepes w/ chicken, spinach, herbs, cheeses (entree), Coors Light
S: Blue Dog night...3 beers at the BD

Comments: Well...I could have done better for dinner, but I could have done worse as well...there aren't many "healthy" options at Bella Cucina...and I feel a little bad about the 3 beers at the Blue Dog...Of course, when I got back, I got the munchies and had 2 spoonfuls of PB to feel better...The problem with a bar night is not only the alcohol consumed during, but the munchies after!

Saturday Exercise: None

Healthy Choices - 4/5

Food:

B: "Weight Control" Oatmeal
L: Spicy Sushi Rolls from Genaurdi's
D: Small Plate of Tortellini and Sauce / Peas
S: Few handfuls of berry trail mix

Comments: As a general note, I've brought in mixed nuts that I eat at work when hunger strikes. A handful here and a handful there. Also brought in TH Diet Green Tea to drink as well. They keep me away from the snack and soda machines. Moving on, I feel I had a good day again. The sushi rolls are mostly carb w/ white rice, but there is some raw fish in the mix. The dinner was chosen and prepared by Carolyn...

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (Same as last time)
Abs: Crunch Machine (Same as last time)
Strength: Seated Press (70/20, 75/15, 70/10)

Comments: Not sure why, but the seated press was *much* harder this time around. I thought I was ready to move the weight up a bit, but now I think I'll continue to work this a little more.

Healthy Choices - 4/4

Time for another post...I either read or heard somewhere that journaling your weight loss is a great way to keep momentum. And so far, I must agree. Getting on here once a day and spelling out what I ate and how I exercised does give me the motivation to do both of these things the right way...

Food:

B: Carnation Instant Breakfast (Last one!)
S: Apple
L: Spring Wheat Salad from Cosi (comes w/ Multigrain flat bread)
S: Fistful of mixed nuts
D: Freschetta Mini Pizza (Plain)

Comments: A Vegetarian Wednesday...Obviously a very good day w/ the exception of the mini pizza...but there was no pepperoni, it was small...and I had to eat it at some point...

Exercise:

Cardio: Elliptical Machine (9/2, 11/8, 13/10, 11/5)
Abs: Crunch Machine (80/25, 95/15, 110/10)
Strength: Leg Curl (70/20, 75/15, 80/10)
Strength: Leg Extension (70/10,70/10,70/10)

Comments: The cardio and abs routine is what I normally was doing when I was working out before. Want to add in a leg routine and decided to try these two machines. The extension machine is much, much harder on my muscles than the curls...

Healthy Choices 4/3

So what did I eat yesterday?

B: Carnation Instant Breakfast
L: Smokestack sandwich (mentioned previously)
D: 1 1/2 Tuna & Provolone sandwiches on multigrain bread
S: Few handfuls of berry trail mix (berrys and nuts)
S: Chocolate Milk 8 oz.

Comments: Sandwich heavy day. Tried to keep the mayo light with the tuna. Overall, not a bad day. What wasn't good? Dairy as usual with sugary milk to start and end the day and cheese on L and D. What was good? Lean meats...turkey and tuna. And dessert was just a little trail mix.

Exercise: None. Why? I got tied up for an hour at work and when I'm at work until 6PM, it totally saps my desire to go to the gym and start the ride home @ 7PM. I need to work on getting out before 5:30PM. That means wrapping up this post now...

Diet vs. Re-orientation

Perhaps I'm still high on my horse from my big 5 lbs. drop from yesterday, but I wanted to rant a bit about diets in general...

I keep seeing these ads for Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig that talk about eating all of the food you love and losing the weight. Congrats to the people that are successfully losing weight on those programs. But my question is: What happens when you reach your goal weight? Are you planning on subscribing to those meals for the rest of your life?

Those programs allow people to get away without thinking about how to eat properly. All they know is to eat a Jenny Craig breakfast, lunch, and dinner and trust that Jenny has figured out portion control, healthy choices for them. Then they hit their goal and go back to "normal food" and put some or all back on.

That's why I'm not necessarily reading any diet books or subscribing to a diet program. And that's why I'm setting my goal to lose 1 lb a week for 50 weeks. That way, I can find what works for me by just eating healthy and exercising. There are plenty of choices out there (especially these days) that you should be able to do well if you cut out the McDonalds, Cokes, Sweets, etc...

That's why I'm looking at this journey as more of a re-orientation of how I live instead of a diet to be done with once I've hit my goal...

Weigh In - Week 1

Only 49 more to go!

Well...I did surprisingly well in Week 1...too well...I checked in on the scales and I weighed in at 231! I thought I ate well last week since I started this, but not 5 lbs well...It got me wondering whether I read the scale right last week or whether it was just a wierd time (perhaps right after dinner or something).

At any rate, I'll take it with the caveat that I shouldn't expect anything near 5 lbs in future weeks...perhaps it was a real loss...I was eating so poorly prior to the start of this...a week of focused healthy eating choices could have had this effect.

On to the eating choices for today:

B: Carnation Instant Breakfast
S: Vitamin Water
L: Baja Fresh Chipotle Glazed Chicken Salad (w/o dressing or tortillas) and Unsweetened Tea
S: Baked Apple Chips
D: Leftovers from last night
S: Rest of the Blueberries from Sunday's breakfast

And today I restarted the exercise! I figured I should write down my routine as well to allow me to hone in on the right routine:

Cardio: 25 min on elliptical machine (9/2, 11/10, 13/10, 11/3)*
Abs: Ab Crunch Machine (85/20, 100/15, 115/10)*
Muscle: Seated Press (70/20, 75/15, 80/10)*

* For cardio, the numbers represent machine setting/#minutes
* For other machines, the numbers represent weight/#reps

Light on everything to start up again...I need to find a better muscle building routine...

Healthy Choices - 4/1

I supposed I could write up a bunch of horrible choices and wrap it up with a nice "April Fools Day" at the end...but then again, no one reads this but me. So here are the choices:

B: 3 Small Blueberry Pancakes w/ Rasberry Preserves & Butter, Melon, and 16 oz. OJ
L: 5 Triscuits, 5 pieces of cheese to cover said Triscuits and 3 oz. of canned salmon
D: Satay Noodles (Trader Joes), Curry Seasoned Chicken Breast, Steamed Peas
S: 8 oz. Chocolate Milk

Comments: Fruity breakfast (went w/ my wife's flow)...Lunch was ok...and dinner was very tasty although the TJ Noodles probably weren't the best for me...I'd make that dinner again though..

Well...I've decided to check my weight once a week starting tomorrow...Hopefully, we'll see a pound dropped...no worries either way...