I just wanted to start this of with a little bit of an update on my diet, I haven't really been gaining any weight, but I also haven't been losing any, so I thought I would adjust it back to the original slow carb diet that I had so much success with in the past. I am only on the 2nd day of it really, but I know it can work, and I just know I need to stick with it for a while. I also think that I will take it easy on cheat days, where as I used to just go nuts til I almost puked. I know I will still crave sweets, but I got through it for quite a long time successfully before, I also know that my exercise level will be much higher than it was when I went off the diet last time.
I would really love to reach my goal of being down to 300 lbs by the end of the year, I know thats a lot of weight to drop, but I really think I can do it. I just need to try harder, and really focus myself on the goal. I went to Chipotle today for dinner, which I think will be my go to restaurant for dinner if I need to go out, its not too pricey. I get a burrito bowl with no rice, a scoop of each beans, carnitas, medium salsa and corn salsa, sour cream, cheese, and guacamole. It tastes amazing every time I have it.
I am reluctant to say that I just completely forgot to take any pictures of the food I cooked this week. I will really try to take better pictures next time.
To start things off this week, I made another batch of the over roasted sweet corn that I had mentioned last week. I was lucky to get the corn on a great sale at the local grocery store, this time I inspected it at the store, and actually shucked it in the store, so I didn't have to worry about the mess at home. They have bins to put the husks into next to the corn for a reason. This corn turned out a little bit better, and I gave it a squeeze of lime along with a little bit of cilantro.
To go with the corn I made some cuban style black beans in the slow cooker with smoked ham hocks which go a long way to adding salt and smoky flavor to the beans, along with the seasonings of cumin and oregano. I have made this same recipe of black beans before, and I really can't think of a way to make the recipe any better, you win this round America's Test Kitchen! *shakes fist*
The last thing I made this week was some marinated chicken breasts to go on top of salads. I like buying the marinated chicken breasts from the meat department at the grocery store, this week they happened to be on sale. I was going to marinate my own, which I will have to do some time, just so I know how to do it.
Showing posts with label 4 hour body. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 hour body. Show all posts
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Year End Wrap-up
This is just a wrap up of my year, a year in review for my life. I guess this post is quite self indulgent, but I feel like writing it anyway, oh well.
My year started the way the previous 2 had been, working 2 jobs, not really making that much money, but just trudging along anyway. I liked my jobs, but they were not things I would be doing forever, for one reason or another. both had been great for me in different ways, but I was growing restless with them.
It has been a year of change for me, but that change didn't really begin until I finally found a diet plan to stick with I started my diet at the end of June of this year, following an adjusted version of the slow carb diet found in The 4 Hour body by Tim Ferriss, the main difference is that I am not paying $100+ for supplements each month, I am ok with slower weight loss, I didn't think it would be a quick thing at all. The longer it takes me, the more it will help me in my mind, well to a certain extent. As of the writing of this entry I have lost 76.6 lbs in total, which is 18.11% of my previous total weight. I am approximately 4/5 the man I once was, my goal is to lose a little over 40% of my previous body weight, which would be my biggest accomplishment of my life. I am 44% of the way to my overall weight loss goal, and it has only been about 6 months in doing so. I have not had a single week where I gained weight, there have been weeks where i was disappointed how little I had lost, but no relapses to discourage me. I look forward to continuing this trend in 2012.
My life has also changed a bit in that I have a full time job, and that I am living in a new city. I decided I did not want to live the rest of my life working 2 part time jobs, not making all that much money. I was not exactly happy with how everything was going there either. I began job searching in late July, but really didn't find much other than sales and other solicitation type jobs. I am much more comfortable in a customer service position, as it is pretty much all I have done with my working life.
I asked if my friends new of any jobs that I would be good at, and a friend of mine, Matt Lemon, told me there were openings in the area he used to be in. I applied, and the rest, as they say, is history. I am now working as a customer service representative for HumanaOne insurance. I enjoy the job, I genuinely enjoy helping people, and I actually make nearly double what I had been making previously.
I have already been making friends in the Green Bay area, and am genuinely happy with my life I have there. I look forward to see what 2012 will bring in my life.
Happy Holidays to all!
My year started the way the previous 2 had been, working 2 jobs, not really making that much money, but just trudging along anyway. I liked my jobs, but they were not things I would be doing forever, for one reason or another. both had been great for me in different ways, but I was growing restless with them.
It has been a year of change for me, but that change didn't really begin until I finally found a diet plan to stick with I started my diet at the end of June of this year, following an adjusted version of the slow carb diet found in The 4 Hour body by Tim Ferriss, the main difference is that I am not paying $100+ for supplements each month, I am ok with slower weight loss, I didn't think it would be a quick thing at all. The longer it takes me, the more it will help me in my mind, well to a certain extent. As of the writing of this entry I have lost 76.6 lbs in total, which is 18.11% of my previous total weight. I am approximately 4/5 the man I once was, my goal is to lose a little over 40% of my previous body weight, which would be my biggest accomplishment of my life. I am 44% of the way to my overall weight loss goal, and it has only been about 6 months in doing so. I have not had a single week where I gained weight, there have been weeks where i was disappointed how little I had lost, but no relapses to discourage me. I look forward to continuing this trend in 2012.
My life has also changed a bit in that I have a full time job, and that I am living in a new city. I decided I did not want to live the rest of my life working 2 part time jobs, not making all that much money. I was not exactly happy with how everything was going there either. I began job searching in late July, but really didn't find much other than sales and other solicitation type jobs. I am much more comfortable in a customer service position, as it is pretty much all I have done with my working life.
I asked if my friends new of any jobs that I would be good at, and a friend of mine, Matt Lemon, told me there were openings in the area he used to be in. I applied, and the rest, as they say, is history. I am now working as a customer service representative for HumanaOne insurance. I enjoy the job, I genuinely enjoy helping people, and I actually make nearly double what I had been making previously.
I have already been making friends in the Green Bay area, and am genuinely happy with my life I have there. I look forward to see what 2012 will bring in my life.
Happy Holidays to all!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Diet Log Weeks 16 and 17
I have just not really felt like logging these past few weeks, but I guess I should don't have to go into too much detail, just give the stats if I have nothing new to add to these entries. Without further ado the stats for the last 2 weeks:
weight lost: 2.8 + 2.2 = 5 lbs lost in total.
weight loss total: 59 lbs lost in total
inches lost: 2 +0= 2 inches lost
Total inches lost: 31.5 inches lost
I have lost 13.95% of my original body weight.
I am 38.6% of the way to my weight loss goal.
The 5 lbs I have lost has me at 5.88% of the way to my weight loss bet.
All in all is have been a good two weeks. I need to just stay the course and keep working harder and harder.
weight lost: 2.8 + 2.2 = 5 lbs lost in total.
weight loss total: 59 lbs lost in total
inches lost: 2 +0= 2 inches lost
Total inches lost: 31.5 inches lost
I have lost 13.95% of my original body weight.
I am 38.6% of the way to my weight loss goal.
The 5 lbs I have lost has me at 5.88% of the way to my weight loss bet.
All in all is have been a good two weeks. I need to just stay the course and keep working harder and harder.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Diet log Week #15
Well I have started using my kettlebell, as well as some new kinds of crunches. I need to work those all in on a regular basis, not just once or twice a week. I would like to do them every other day and walk/jog every day on top of that.
My entry this week will be pretty short.
I lost 3 lbs this week
Up to a total of 54 lbs lost
I am now up to 35.34% of my target weight loss.
I post these diet logs on twitter just Like I post them on Facebook. One of my followers had mentioned that she also wanted to lose weight. We made a "bet" to see who could lose 23% body weight the fastest. So this will be a number going forward from this most recent weigh in. I need to lost 85 lbs to lose 23% of my current body weight. I think it really is just a way of pushing each other to keep working hard, not really a bet. There is nothing actually on the line. We both just want to live healthier. I will update this regularly as well as all of the other numbers.
That is all for this week.
My entry this week will be pretty short.
I lost 3 lbs this week
Up to a total of 54 lbs lost
I am now up to 35.34% of my target weight loss.
I post these diet logs on twitter just Like I post them on Facebook. One of my followers had mentioned that she also wanted to lose weight. We made a "bet" to see who could lose 23% body weight the fastest. So this will be a number going forward from this most recent weigh in. I need to lost 85 lbs to lose 23% of my current body weight. I think it really is just a way of pushing each other to keep working hard, not really a bet. There is nothing actually on the line. We both just want to live healthier. I will update this regularly as well as all of the other numbers.
That is all for this week.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Diet Log Week #12
Even though I said I was going to exercise more last week, I didn't. It was still a good week numbers-wise but it should have been better. This week I have already worked out as much as last week with a walk on saturday night, and a jog on Sunday ngiht, and I will be going out pretty soon here tonight. I can run much longer distances than I used to be able to, but I would like to be even better. I am still terrible at running, but less terrible than before.
I have been getting into a groove when it comes to making food. I have made chili for the 2nd time this summer/fall already, its just so good, and it works so well with my diet. I have also been having marinated chicken breasts on top of salads pretty regularly. I mad a turkey meatloaf with some steamed veggies to enjoy as well. I might need to make some adjustments if these things get old. I can always switch to tuna salads as well, but might want to do that at home and not at work, for fear of stinky tuna breath.
The numbers for this past week:
Net weight lost this week: 3.4 lbs
Total weight lost to date: 48.2 lbs
Inches lost this week: 0
Total inches lost: 29.5 inches
Percent of target weight loss: 31.5%
Percent of bodyweight lost: 11.4%
I am over 30% of the way to my goal number for weight loss, which is just a percentage, I would like to be over a third of the way there by the end of this week. I have lost over 10% of my total bodyweight, and I am just getting started with this. These amazing numbers just continue to encourage me to keep going and push harder.
I have been getting into a groove when it comes to making food. I have made chili for the 2nd time this summer/fall already, its just so good, and it works so well with my diet. I have also been having marinated chicken breasts on top of salads pretty regularly. I mad a turkey meatloaf with some steamed veggies to enjoy as well. I might need to make some adjustments if these things get old. I can always switch to tuna salads as well, but might want to do that at home and not at work, for fear of stinky tuna breath.
The numbers for this past week:
Net weight lost this week: 3.4 lbs
Total weight lost to date: 48.2 lbs
Inches lost this week: 0
Total inches lost: 29.5 inches
Percent of target weight loss: 31.5%
Percent of bodyweight lost: 11.4%
I am over 30% of the way to my goal number for weight loss, which is just a percentage, I would like to be over a third of the way there by the end of this week. I have lost over 10% of my total bodyweight, and I am just getting started with this. These amazing numbers just continue to encourage me to keep going and push harder.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Diet Log Week #11
Another week in the books with another good number on my weight loss. I had been exhausted all week, because of getting up early for work every day, so I didn't exercise as much as I should have. I will do more this week, I might join the gym at work, we will see about that.
Something I had learned in The 4 Hour Body that I had not yet really had a chance to use, making yourself be cold can help burn fat because your body is forced to produce more heat than it otherwise could. This can be done by taking cold showers regularly, which I really don't like, or you could take walks outside in the cold in nothing but a tshirt and shorts, which I can and will be doing.
Lets get down to the numbers for this week:
Net weight lost this week: 4.6lbs
Net Inches lost this week: 1 inch
Total weight lost to date: 44.8lbs
Total inches lost to date: 28.5 inches
I am now up to 29.3% of my goal weight loss.
I have lost 10.6% of my total weight.
Something I had learned in The 4 Hour Body that I had not yet really had a chance to use, making yourself be cold can help burn fat because your body is forced to produce more heat than it otherwise could. This can be done by taking cold showers regularly, which I really don't like, or you could take walks outside in the cold in nothing but a tshirt and shorts, which I can and will be doing.
Lets get down to the numbers for this week:
Net weight lost this week: 4.6lbs
Net Inches lost this week: 1 inch
Total weight lost to date: 44.8lbs
Total inches lost to date: 28.5 inches
I am now up to 29.3% of my goal weight loss.
I have lost 10.6% of my total weight.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Diet Log Weeks #9 and 10
Well I am finally able and willing to sit down and write all of this stuff down. This will be a pretty short and sweet entry that will have the data from 2 weeks.
2 weeks ago, it was a stressful week that involved me driving over to Green Bay and back in one day, which cant be good for trying to burn calories. I had also cheated and had a dilly bar, this was not in a normal situation, it was a gong away party in my honor at work, and everyone brought sweet treats, I felt that I had to have something.
Numbers for week 9:
Net weight lost: 3
Net inches lost: 1 inch
Total Weight lost: 37.4
Total inches lost: 24.5
This past week had been stressful, but it also contained a lot of physical activity. I had cut my cable and internet off early so I had very little to do in the evenings, other than going for a walk. I also managed to load and unload all of the things that I own into and out of a U-haul within the same day. I have been physically tired since then. I still have some unpacking to do, and I need to find a new outdoor walking route here.
Even though I moved me cheat day up to Saturday from Sunday, I was able to have a pretty good week. Without much ado, here are the results from this past week:
Net weight lost: 2.8 lbs
Net inches lost: 3 inches
Total weight lost: 40.2 lbs
Total inches lost: 27.5 inches
Net Percentages:
Net percentage of my goal weight lost: 23.26%
Net percentage of my total weight lost: 9.5%
I will be over 25% of my goal weight lost, and over 10% of my body weight lost.
2 weeks ago, it was a stressful week that involved me driving over to Green Bay and back in one day, which cant be good for trying to burn calories. I had also cheated and had a dilly bar, this was not in a normal situation, it was a gong away party in my honor at work, and everyone brought sweet treats, I felt that I had to have something.
Numbers for week 9:
Net weight lost: 3
Net inches lost: 1 inch
Total Weight lost: 37.4
Total inches lost: 24.5
This past week had been stressful, but it also contained a lot of physical activity. I had cut my cable and internet off early so I had very little to do in the evenings, other than going for a walk. I also managed to load and unload all of the things that I own into and out of a U-haul within the same day. I have been physically tired since then. I still have some unpacking to do, and I need to find a new outdoor walking route here.
Even though I moved me cheat day up to Saturday from Sunday, I was able to have a pretty good week. Without much ado, here are the results from this past week:
Net weight lost: 2.8 lbs
Net inches lost: 3 inches
Total weight lost: 40.2 lbs
Total inches lost: 27.5 inches
Net Percentages:
Net percentage of my goal weight lost: 23.26%
Net percentage of my total weight lost: 9.5%
I will be over 25% of my goal weight lost, and over 10% of my body weight lost.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Diet Log Week #8
It has been a good week. I was already down in weight on Wednesday. I had a good walk/jog on Friday night. I jogged to the gym, lifted weights, and jogged back on Saturday night, which was exhausting but I am very glad I did it. I will do that any day that I have enough time to, it really helps me feel like I have accomplished something, and that was after a long day of delivering groceries at work.
I am definitely a little bit sore today from some intense weight lifting that I did. I plan to at least go for a walk today during my cheat day just to get myself moving some, which is always a good idea. We will see how it goes later on.
Like I said, this was a very good week, and with my work schedule coming up this week, I should be able to exercise more, and potentially walk to the gym an back a few times with my open schedule, which would be awesome. I will report back on how that went next week.
This week's results:
Weight loss this week: 5.4 lbs
Inches lost this week: 2.5
Total Weight lost: 34.4 lbs
Total inches lost: 23.5
After this very successful week, I am up to 19.9% of my goal weight loss number, I was hoping it would be an even 20%, but 19.9% is still a damn good number. I have also lost over 8% of my total bodyweight since I started. This is good, but I still have a long way to go. I need to stay the course, and keep working out hard when I can. Thank you for all of your continued support!
I am definitely a little bit sore today from some intense weight lifting that I did. I plan to at least go for a walk today during my cheat day just to get myself moving some, which is always a good idea. We will see how it goes later on.
Like I said, this was a very good week, and with my work schedule coming up this week, I should be able to exercise more, and potentially walk to the gym an back a few times with my open schedule, which would be awesome. I will report back on how that went next week.
This week's results:
Weight loss this week: 5.4 lbs
Inches lost this week: 2.5
Total Weight lost: 34.4 lbs
Total inches lost: 23.5
After this very successful week, I am up to 19.9% of my goal weight loss number, I was hoping it would be an even 20%, but 19.9% is still a damn good number. I have also lost over 8% of my total bodyweight since I started. This is good, but I still have a long way to go. I need to stay the course, and keep working out hard when I can. Thank you for all of your continued support!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Diet Log Week #7
Well all week long I had been worried I would have a week where I gained weight. One of the main reasons I think was that I didn't do any sort of exercises on my cheat day. As I am writing this on my next cheat day, I have already been doing a lot of wall presses and air squats. I think another reason that my weight had been up most of the week was because I had not been passing the food through, even though I eat usually around 150% of the daily recommended amount of fiber, toward the end of the week that cleared itself out. I have also been going through some sinus issues lately too, which can complicate things.
Once I have a regular daily work schedule, I will be able to exercise more regularly, which will only be beneficial for losing weight faster. I really look forward to that happening, I would like to be able to live a life of routine for once!
I went to the gym on Wednesday while my car was being worked on, it felt good. I went for a jog on Thursday night. I wish that I could have done something on Friday, but my schedule would not allow it. On Saturday night I walked about 2 miles to the gym, lifted weights for about and hour, and then about 2 miles back. By the end of that I was so worn out.
This was my worst week so far on the diet, but I made some progress, so I am still moving in the right direction. With my rough work schedule this week, I will have to put in extra work to make sure i get to the gym a few times, and walk a few other times this week.
This week's results:
Weight Loss this week: 2 Lbs
Total weight lost: 29 Lbs
Inches lost this week: 2.5 inches
Total inches lost: 21 inches
Like I said, I would have liked to have lost more than this, but at least it is positive progress.
Once I have a regular daily work schedule, I will be able to exercise more regularly, which will only be beneficial for losing weight faster. I really look forward to that happening, I would like to be able to live a life of routine for once!
I went to the gym on Wednesday while my car was being worked on, it felt good. I went for a jog on Thursday night. I wish that I could have done something on Friday, but my schedule would not allow it. On Saturday night I walked about 2 miles to the gym, lifted weights for about and hour, and then about 2 miles back. By the end of that I was so worn out.
This was my worst week so far on the diet, but I made some progress, so I am still moving in the right direction. With my rough work schedule this week, I will have to put in extra work to make sure i get to the gym a few times, and walk a few other times this week.
This week's results:
Weight Loss this week: 2 Lbs
Total weight lost: 29 Lbs
Inches lost this week: 2.5 inches
Total inches lost: 21 inches
Like I said, I would have liked to have lost more than this, but at least it is positive progress.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Diet Log Week #6
So it has been another great week on the diet, and I keep feeling good, and having energy to exercise. The cooking is second nature now, I do feel like mixing in something new every once in a while. I think in the winter I might go with soup and a salad a lot, or just a big bowl of chili, oh how I could go for some chili. I like seeing recipes on TV that I know will fit well into my diet.
I have been working on reducing the ratio of meat to vegetables, trying to get much more of the low calorie vegetables in and less of the meat. I know I need protein, but I don't need a ton of it. I really like veggies too. Where they are roasted or steamed they really help to fill me up while being very low in calories.
I am planning on starting to work with weights a little bit more, my biggest problem is that I would like to be outside as much as possible when exercising, but I don't have the money to buy any sort of weight set right now. I would actually like to buy a kettlebell, as that is one of the pieces of equipment suggested in The 4 Hour Body, it can allow you to work a lot of different muscles at once, but right now with a move on the horizon, buying one is not that feasible, so instead I will go to the gym and do some lifting, even if it is a few times a week it can help me build muscles, which will in turn help burn fat faster, which seems alright in my book. If anyone wants to buy me a Kettlebell I will gladly accept it :) The 30 lb one that I would like is only about $50
I have found myself having more stamina when running, which has helped me push myself to be out there longer. I am usually out running/jogging for at least an hour at a time. I like the fresh air, but I hate the humidity. My main rule is that I am not allowed to stop moving, keep walking forward. The new barrier to my running is that my shins start to get sore after about an hour, so I stop jogging and just keep walking.
My numbers for this week were very good:
Weight loss this week: 4.8 lbs
Inches lost this week: 2.5
Total weight lost: 27 lbs
Total Inches lost: 18.5
My weight loss goal is 172.8 lbs, which is a hefty number. that is more than an average person's weight, but I have crossed my first threshold. I have lost more than 25 lbs, and I am under 400lbs.
I have lost 15.625% of my goal weight loss in 6 weeks, which is pretty amazing. If I were to keep up this pace it would take me 39 weeks to reach my goal weight, but I am imagining it will slow down a little, although if I start adding some muscle the fat should come off faster. We will see how it goes, but I am in this for the long haul, and I am prepared for it to take over a year, this has been way too long in the making.
I would like to thank everyone for the support, it really helps push me to go harder and harder.
I have been working on reducing the ratio of meat to vegetables, trying to get much more of the low calorie vegetables in and less of the meat. I know I need protein, but I don't need a ton of it. I really like veggies too. Where they are roasted or steamed they really help to fill me up while being very low in calories.
I am planning on starting to work with weights a little bit more, my biggest problem is that I would like to be outside as much as possible when exercising, but I don't have the money to buy any sort of weight set right now. I would actually like to buy a kettlebell, as that is one of the pieces of equipment suggested in The 4 Hour Body, it can allow you to work a lot of different muscles at once, but right now with a move on the horizon, buying one is not that feasible, so instead I will go to the gym and do some lifting, even if it is a few times a week it can help me build muscles, which will in turn help burn fat faster, which seems alright in my book. If anyone wants to buy me a Kettlebell I will gladly accept it :) The 30 lb one that I would like is only about $50
I have found myself having more stamina when running, which has helped me push myself to be out there longer. I am usually out running/jogging for at least an hour at a time. I like the fresh air, but I hate the humidity. My main rule is that I am not allowed to stop moving, keep walking forward. The new barrier to my running is that my shins start to get sore after about an hour, so I stop jogging and just keep walking.
My numbers for this week were very good:
Weight loss this week: 4.8 lbs
Inches lost this week: 2.5
Total weight lost: 27 lbs
Total Inches lost: 18.5
My weight loss goal is 172.8 lbs, which is a hefty number. that is more than an average person's weight, but I have crossed my first threshold. I have lost more than 25 lbs, and I am under 400lbs.
I have lost 15.625% of my goal weight loss in 6 weeks, which is pretty amazing. If I were to keep up this pace it would take me 39 weeks to reach my goal weight, but I am imagining it will slow down a little, although if I start adding some muscle the fat should come off faster. We will see how it goes, but I am in this for the long haul, and I am prepared for it to take over a year, this has been way too long in the making.
I would like to thank everyone for the support, it really helps push me to go harder and harder.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Diet Log Week #5
This week I really did not do all that much out of the ordinary, just my normal meals. I should have probably walked more or worked out more, but I was in need of a bit of relaxation.
I am still feeling good, and with each week sticking to the diet gets easier and easier. I really do need to start using the workouts that are included within the diet book. I plan on reading them tonight, or maybe tomorrow, and incorporating them as best I can.
I had a nice walk/jog tonight, it was luckily pretty nice out, and I was able to get out there in between the two different storms.
I just think I need to be concise with this diet log, I really don't have anything new to add to this week's log.
This week I lost 4 lbs, and I lost 2.5 total inches.
My running totals are 22.2 lbs lost, and 16 total inches lost.
I am still feeling good, and with each week sticking to the diet gets easier and easier. I really do need to start using the workouts that are included within the diet book. I plan on reading them tonight, or maybe tomorrow, and incorporating them as best I can.
I had a nice walk/jog tonight, it was luckily pretty nice out, and I was able to get out there in between the two different storms.
I just think I need to be concise with this diet log, I really don't have anything new to add to this week's log.
This week I lost 4 lbs, and I lost 2.5 total inches.
My running totals are 22.2 lbs lost, and 16 total inches lost.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Diet Log Week #4
For those who might be interested in the diet book I am using:
7/10/11
It is cheat day again!
I ordered pizza from Papa John's and it was glorious! I had some ice cream, and some cake, and some cookies. Of course i had some chocolate milk, which is like crack, I swear I have withdrawals! I actually didn't eat all of the junk food that I had purchased, I need to maybe bring that level down just a little bit, so I don't waste any of my money on food that I end up not eating.
I actually worked out on my cheat day, I went for a nice walk/jog. It was quite steamy out that evening, so I had to cut it a little short, and I actually came back inside to get some water, before stepping back out. It felt good to get a sweat in, with a better schedule of work I would go walking more often, but after working 10-12 hours in a single day, I am just too tired to do all that much usually. I usually do little things such as squats, or wall presses, which are supposedly very good to help the sugar get burned up faster, or something along those lines. I try to incorporate more and more of the little things mentioned in the book, the next this will be to do some of the workouts he mentions in the book. I am doing a good job of working things in gradually.
7/12/11
I grilled some hamburgers this evening, I am just going to be eating them without buns, and maybe even make them into lettuce wraps. The burgers were very good, along with some steamed broccoli and smashed cauliflower.
7/13/11
I went out to eat with my dad, brother, and cousin. We went to a Mexican restaurant, which I thought would work well with my diet, but not so much for this specific restaurant. I got some food that I could eat, but the portion was really small. I had to stop at a Chipotle on my drive home, which was fine because I had only had 2 meals that day previously. My stomach just felt empty when I was still in Chipotle range. It was very satisfying, but I did realize that Chipotle is not as great without the rice. That rice provides a ton of flavor, where as the rice at Burrachos is not that flavorful, and the other ingredients that they have that are flavorful.
7/15/11
I started eating a few forkfuls of sauerkraut before each meal, which had been mentioned in the book. I felt that I had not been digesting as fast as I should have. I thought adding some sauerkraut could help with that. It will definitely help wake you up in the morning, you can trust me on that!
7/16/11
I had a great walk in the evening, it was still very humid but I did some running and some walking, the only problem was that I could not do it for too long of a time, that humidity just made it feel like I was wearing a suit of sweat, yuck!
7/17/11
I overslept today, but I would guess that extra sleep would benefit me on my diet, so oh well it is not that bad of a problem to have on my one day off.
This week's results:
Weight loss: 7.4 lbs
Lost 1 inch from my waist
Lost 1 inch from each of my thighs
Total inches lost 3
My overall losses:
Weight lost: 18.2lbs
total Inches lost: 13.5
4 inches from my belly
2 inches from my waist
5.5 inches from my thighs
And an inch from each of my biceps
7/10/11
It is cheat day again!
I ordered pizza from Papa John's and it was glorious! I had some ice cream, and some cake, and some cookies. Of course i had some chocolate milk, which is like crack, I swear I have withdrawals! I actually didn't eat all of the junk food that I had purchased, I need to maybe bring that level down just a little bit, so I don't waste any of my money on food that I end up not eating.
I actually worked out on my cheat day, I went for a nice walk/jog. It was quite steamy out that evening, so I had to cut it a little short, and I actually came back inside to get some water, before stepping back out. It felt good to get a sweat in, with a better schedule of work I would go walking more often, but after working 10-12 hours in a single day, I am just too tired to do all that much usually. I usually do little things such as squats, or wall presses, which are supposedly very good to help the sugar get burned up faster, or something along those lines. I try to incorporate more and more of the little things mentioned in the book, the next this will be to do some of the workouts he mentions in the book. I am doing a good job of working things in gradually.
7/12/11
I grilled some hamburgers this evening, I am just going to be eating them without buns, and maybe even make them into lettuce wraps. The burgers were very good, along with some steamed broccoli and smashed cauliflower.
7/13/11
I went out to eat with my dad, brother, and cousin. We went to a Mexican restaurant, which I thought would work well with my diet, but not so much for this specific restaurant. I got some food that I could eat, but the portion was really small. I had to stop at a Chipotle on my drive home, which was fine because I had only had 2 meals that day previously. My stomach just felt empty when I was still in Chipotle range. It was very satisfying, but I did realize that Chipotle is not as great without the rice. That rice provides a ton of flavor, where as the rice at Burrachos is not that flavorful, and the other ingredients that they have that are flavorful.
7/15/11
I started eating a few forkfuls of sauerkraut before each meal, which had been mentioned in the book. I felt that I had not been digesting as fast as I should have. I thought adding some sauerkraut could help with that. It will definitely help wake you up in the morning, you can trust me on that!
7/16/11
I had a great walk in the evening, it was still very humid but I did some running and some walking, the only problem was that I could not do it for too long of a time, that humidity just made it feel like I was wearing a suit of sweat, yuck!
7/17/11
I overslept today, but I would guess that extra sleep would benefit me on my diet, so oh well it is not that bad of a problem to have on my one day off.
This week's results:
Weight loss: 7.4 lbs
Lost 1 inch from my waist
Lost 1 inch from each of my thighs
Total inches lost 3
My overall losses:
Weight lost: 18.2lbs
total Inches lost: 13.5
4 inches from my belly
2 inches from my waist
5.5 inches from my thighs
And an inch from each of my biceps
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Diet Log Week #3
7/3/11
My cheat day! I did a no-no for the diet, and I did not eat within an hour of waking up. I maybe have still been full of the carrots I ate the night before. For lunch I went out to Olive Garden, with a friend. I had the chicken and shrimp carbonara, I was a little disappointed that they didn't have the never ending pasta bowl. I did enjoy the pasta and the breadsticks, and some slightly sweetened peach iced tea. It was very good. I had not had pasta in quite a while.
I had some chocolate donut holes for dessert, and spent a lot of the afternoon just hanging out, not doing too much. For dinner I went to Sonic got a bacon double cheeseburger, onion rings, and a strawberry creamslush. The burger and the creamslush were amazing. The onion rings were disappointing, they were too darn heavy. I was thinking sonic had good onion rings, but I would have been much better off with fries or tator tots.
While watching some movies with a friend, I had some candy. I really was craving some milk duds, and I also had an almond toffee symphony bar, possibly my favorite candy bar. That was kind of my third meal. I had some root beer milk, but it was a disappointment, so I just dumped most of it out.
7/4/11
I have been using refried beans with my breakfast, they are much easier to eat than black beans, and i think the kind of go well with eggs too. I have about 1/3 of a can of refried beans with a handful of baby carrots and my 3 fried eggs. It has been working well so far, so I have not changed it.
For lunch I had what was left of my carnitas. I had been kind of sick of it, so I put the last of it off as long as I could. It got tired pretty fast, but I will try other slow cooked meats in the future. They work well with the diet.
For dinner I decided I would fire up the grill, and cook some meats that I had. I had some marinated chicken breasts, some pork chops, and a few steaks, all of which I had in the freezer, so I thawed them out overnight and all I did was put a little bit of grill seasoning on the steaks and pork chops. I left the chops on the grill and hoped that I could smoke them under the grill, they taste great, but did not get to be too smoky.
I made some smashed cauliflower and steamed some broccoli for my vegetables. I think the chicken will go more towards salads than being eaten with the veggies, having a salad once in a while gives my diet a good variety.
7/5/11
I had my usual breakfast, and also what I have been getting every Tuesday for lunch. A no rice double bean burrito bowl from Burrachos. It is really the only low carb option near the office, and I really just like it. I think maybe a chipotle burrito bowl would be better, but I guess I can't really complain can I?
7/9/11
I have been wondering why I have been up a few lbs all week, and I realized that my bathroom scale must have been on the bathroom mat just a tiny bit last week when i weighed myself, and that made it weigh me about 7 lbs or so light. I tested this over and over and as it turns out I may have only lost 5 lbs last week, which is still huge, the 12 seemed a bit ridiculous. I am going to figure out the amount that it was off by, and adjust my number accordingly.
So I can't get the number to be consistent at all, I am just going to scrap the weigh in from last week, I am cumulatively down 10 lbs right now though, and I will be more careful about the scale, I may just have to do it in the kitchen for the time being as well.
This makes everything make a bit more sense, I am not deterred. I actually went for the longest run/walk ever. It was an hour and 20 minutes in the sweaty humidity. I really was not tired when I came home, I was just too thirsty to go on, and I was getting really warm out there. It is something I need to do more often. I just wish my work schedule was not so rough this week. I work 4 late nights this week, and I have to wrok the next morning at my other job the morning after 3 times.
6/10/11
My official weigh in has me down 10.8 lbs total.
I lost 7 inches total this week, including 3 from my belly alone. I knew my clothes felt looser on me this week!
These numbers only have me more encouraged to keep up the good work.
I have lost 10.8 lbs total.
I have lost 10.5 inches total.
My cheat day! I did a no-no for the diet, and I did not eat within an hour of waking up. I maybe have still been full of the carrots I ate the night before. For lunch I went out to Olive Garden, with a friend. I had the chicken and shrimp carbonara, I was a little disappointed that they didn't have the never ending pasta bowl. I did enjoy the pasta and the breadsticks, and some slightly sweetened peach iced tea. It was very good. I had not had pasta in quite a while.
I had some chocolate donut holes for dessert, and spent a lot of the afternoon just hanging out, not doing too much. For dinner I went to Sonic got a bacon double cheeseburger, onion rings, and a strawberry creamslush. The burger and the creamslush were amazing. The onion rings were disappointing, they were too darn heavy. I was thinking sonic had good onion rings, but I would have been much better off with fries or tator tots.
While watching some movies with a friend, I had some candy. I really was craving some milk duds, and I also had an almond toffee symphony bar, possibly my favorite candy bar. That was kind of my third meal. I had some root beer milk, but it was a disappointment, so I just dumped most of it out.
7/4/11
I have been using refried beans with my breakfast, they are much easier to eat than black beans, and i think the kind of go well with eggs too. I have about 1/3 of a can of refried beans with a handful of baby carrots and my 3 fried eggs. It has been working well so far, so I have not changed it.
For lunch I had what was left of my carnitas. I had been kind of sick of it, so I put the last of it off as long as I could. It got tired pretty fast, but I will try other slow cooked meats in the future. They work well with the diet.
For dinner I decided I would fire up the grill, and cook some meats that I had. I had some marinated chicken breasts, some pork chops, and a few steaks, all of which I had in the freezer, so I thawed them out overnight and all I did was put a little bit of grill seasoning on the steaks and pork chops. I left the chops on the grill and hoped that I could smoke them under the grill, they taste great, but did not get to be too smoky.
I made some smashed cauliflower and steamed some broccoli for my vegetables. I think the chicken will go more towards salads than being eaten with the veggies, having a salad once in a while gives my diet a good variety.
7/5/11
I had my usual breakfast, and also what I have been getting every Tuesday for lunch. A no rice double bean burrito bowl from Burrachos. It is really the only low carb option near the office, and I really just like it. I think maybe a chipotle burrito bowl would be better, but I guess I can't really complain can I?
7/9/11
I have been wondering why I have been up a few lbs all week, and I realized that my bathroom scale must have been on the bathroom mat just a tiny bit last week when i weighed myself, and that made it weigh me about 7 lbs or so light. I tested this over and over and as it turns out I may have only lost 5 lbs last week, which is still huge, the 12 seemed a bit ridiculous. I am going to figure out the amount that it was off by, and adjust my number accordingly.
So I can't get the number to be consistent at all, I am just going to scrap the weigh in from last week, I am cumulatively down 10 lbs right now though, and I will be more careful about the scale, I may just have to do it in the kitchen for the time being as well.
This makes everything make a bit more sense, I am not deterred. I actually went for the longest run/walk ever. It was an hour and 20 minutes in the sweaty humidity. I really was not tired when I came home, I was just too thirsty to go on, and I was getting really warm out there. It is something I need to do more often. I just wish my work schedule was not so rough this week. I work 4 late nights this week, and I have to wrok the next morning at my other job the morning after 3 times.
6/10/11
My official weigh in has me down 10.8 lbs total.
I lost 7 inches total this week, including 3 from my belly alone. I knew my clothes felt looser on me this week!
These numbers only have me more encouraged to keep up the good work.
I have lost 10.8 lbs total.
I have lost 10.5 inches total.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Diet Log Week #1
6/16/11
I just thought I would put some of my thoughts and actions each week in a log, so my diet stuff does not clog up other posts, but is still given a fair amount of attention, because I really do think about these things a lot. Eventually the stuff that I am doing will no longer be novel and new, and I will be able to not think about the different things I will cook as much, but until then I will include them in here.
Well I had some leftover grilled marinated chicken from last week, which was paired with some roasted vegetables. I also have since made some delicious pork chops in a paprika tomato sauce, along with even more roasted vegetables.
I have had a salad that had some tuna and white beans on it. I didn't really like the white beans though. they are too mushy in texture, so I may just have to stick with black beans, or try some kidney beans or something. I realized that i could eat a big salad with a ton of tuna on it any time. I love tuna, I tried some of the seasoned tuna which was really good, and allows me to add even less salad dressing than i had been adding. I also have been tossing in some baby carrots and some cucumber slices which have been a good change of pace to the regular pile of lettuce.
Right now I am having my last grilled chicken breast on top of a salad. I am already looking ahead to what I will cook on the weekend, should the weather be nice, I might have to grill some steaks, and some more marinated chicken breasts. I will probably spend some more time roasting some more vegetables as well. I just really love the roasted garlic flavor on top of the cooked broccoli and cauliflower specifically. There is a little big of oil on them, but not too much where they feel heavy. I might even do a double batch of those, in 2 separate pans so that I won't have to cook them twice a week.
On this diet, you spend a lot of time thinking about what you will do for your cheat day. For those that don't know a cheat day is a day where I am supposed to eat a lot of carbs, and a lot of the foods that I otherwise would not be able to have on this diet. It helps to make sure that your cravings don't completely ruin your diet completely. I guess there is also some science behind it. Your body is not able to process all of the carbohydrates and fat that you eat on a binge day, and they leave your body as waste. I know this because the writer of this book actually measured his own waste, which was gross, and interesting to read.
So I have my game plan which will be my cheat day:
Fried eggs in the morning, I am supposed to still eat protein for breakfast
Grapefruit juice, which will help manage the glycemic load of what i am going to be eating
I have been craving chocolate milk, and some cake of some kind
For lunch I am going to go to culvers and get a double butter burger with cheese basket with fries
For dinner I am going to have some Thai noodles of some kind and some egg rolls
Some sort of ice cream, maybe cold stone, or DQ
I know this sounds like a gross amount of food, but its what it recommended by the book, so I don't know what else to do. This diet makes you think about what it is you want over the course of a week leading up to your cheat day, so you have a pretty good idea of what do buy that day. Sitting at the office, or at my other job, ideas will pop into my head, and I just need to make a list of what I am craving this week. Last week it was a chinese buffet, which I realized I could probably do on the diet, I have some pizza and some ice cream, and some chocolate donut holes.
I think this diet is really going to teach me to manage my temptations well. This diet is really making me utilize sunday as a day to cook food for the rest of the week as well. Planning is really important in this case, because I want to always have a few items available to myself to eat. I am already planning what I should buy tonight when i am done at work. More chicken, and some salad are the 2 top things. I will also look at what the price on some shrimp would be. I need to get some more broccoli and cauliflower for roasting as well.
6/17/11
My cheat day was fun, the night before it I had a dream about food, but only the bad kinds of foods. I definitely drooled on the pillow.
I had my normal high protein breakfast before delving into the depths of carbs. Oh how sweet carbs are, but of course also the cause of all of my problems. I like the idea of limiting all of my carbs into one day. It makes me plan ahead, and limit all of the things I eat to what I can consume in one day and not actually explode. Culvers was great for lunch, a double butter burger with fries so deliciously greasy. I had some Cold Stone, which is probably my favorite ice cream. I love Ben and Jerry's, but it makes me sick if I have too much, its too rich. Cold Stone is nice and creamy, and not that heavy. I love the cake batter ice cream. I like the peach iced tea ice cream, but I don't really know what to mix in with it, so its not that great of an offering from Cold Stone.
I had some chocolate milk with some cake, which was disappointing. The chocolate milk was amazing, and I had missed it, but the cake really somehow missed the spot. For dinner I had some Thai noodles with some eggrolls. It was a good dinner and some more carbs. I am glad that I got rid of any of the leftovers of my bad foods before the night was over, and I threw some stuff out rather forcing myself to finish all of it, which was some development in myself. I would usually, in the past, just binge on the sweets to finish them.
6/19/11
I spent a lot of the day cooking. I am liking more and more the fact that I can spend a few hours cooking on a sunday and have food for myself for the whole week. Having food ready to eat at home makes all of the other temptations much easier to resist. I made some chicken, some steak, some broccoli and some cauliflower. I might need to look into making some new sort of way of preparing vegetables, but its not a big deal. Maybe some curry vegetables for a change of pace.
6/21/11
I had my usual lunch from Burrachos today, and it really is filling. I was worried a burrito without rice would not be able to hold me over through the last 4-5 hours of work, but the fact that I get double beans really helps keep me full.
6/23/11
I got a new tape measure to take my measurements with because my old one was falling apart. If I were to compare my new measurements with my old ones I have lost 6 total inches from my body over the course of a week and a half, which is really good news. I still have not received my scale so I can't report on any weight loss at all, but I should be getting it today or tomorrow. I have felt like my clothes have been looser on me, which is a great feeling, but it might just be psychological. I am ok with tricking myself into thinking things are looser as long as I am feeling better.
Looking ahead to this weekend, I am making my first trip away from home while on the diet so it should be a different experience. I still have my cheat day to use so it won't be so hard to keep the good work up.
I just thought I would put some of my thoughts and actions each week in a log, so my diet stuff does not clog up other posts, but is still given a fair amount of attention, because I really do think about these things a lot. Eventually the stuff that I am doing will no longer be novel and new, and I will be able to not think about the different things I will cook as much, but until then I will include them in here.
Well I had some leftover grilled marinated chicken from last week, which was paired with some roasted vegetables. I also have since made some delicious pork chops in a paprika tomato sauce, along with even more roasted vegetables.
I have had a salad that had some tuna and white beans on it. I didn't really like the white beans though. they are too mushy in texture, so I may just have to stick with black beans, or try some kidney beans or something. I realized that i could eat a big salad with a ton of tuna on it any time. I love tuna, I tried some of the seasoned tuna which was really good, and allows me to add even less salad dressing than i had been adding. I also have been tossing in some baby carrots and some cucumber slices which have been a good change of pace to the regular pile of lettuce.
Right now I am having my last grilled chicken breast on top of a salad. I am already looking ahead to what I will cook on the weekend, should the weather be nice, I might have to grill some steaks, and some more marinated chicken breasts. I will probably spend some more time roasting some more vegetables as well. I just really love the roasted garlic flavor on top of the cooked broccoli and cauliflower specifically. There is a little big of oil on them, but not too much where they feel heavy. I might even do a double batch of those, in 2 separate pans so that I won't have to cook them twice a week.
On this diet, you spend a lot of time thinking about what you will do for your cheat day. For those that don't know a cheat day is a day where I am supposed to eat a lot of carbs, and a lot of the foods that I otherwise would not be able to have on this diet. It helps to make sure that your cravings don't completely ruin your diet completely. I guess there is also some science behind it. Your body is not able to process all of the carbohydrates and fat that you eat on a binge day, and they leave your body as waste. I know this because the writer of this book actually measured his own waste, which was gross, and interesting to read.
So I have my game plan which will be my cheat day:
Fried eggs in the morning, I am supposed to still eat protein for breakfast
Grapefruit juice, which will help manage the glycemic load of what i am going to be eating
I have been craving chocolate milk, and some cake of some kind
For lunch I am going to go to culvers and get a double butter burger with cheese basket with fries
For dinner I am going to have some Thai noodles of some kind and some egg rolls
Some sort of ice cream, maybe cold stone, or DQ
I know this sounds like a gross amount of food, but its what it recommended by the book, so I don't know what else to do. This diet makes you think about what it is you want over the course of a week leading up to your cheat day, so you have a pretty good idea of what do buy that day. Sitting at the office, or at my other job, ideas will pop into my head, and I just need to make a list of what I am craving this week. Last week it was a chinese buffet, which I realized I could probably do on the diet, I have some pizza and some ice cream, and some chocolate donut holes.
I think this diet is really going to teach me to manage my temptations well. This diet is really making me utilize sunday as a day to cook food for the rest of the week as well. Planning is really important in this case, because I want to always have a few items available to myself to eat. I am already planning what I should buy tonight when i am done at work. More chicken, and some salad are the 2 top things. I will also look at what the price on some shrimp would be. I need to get some more broccoli and cauliflower for roasting as well.
6/17/11
My cheat day was fun, the night before it I had a dream about food, but only the bad kinds of foods. I definitely drooled on the pillow.
I had my normal high protein breakfast before delving into the depths of carbs. Oh how sweet carbs are, but of course also the cause of all of my problems. I like the idea of limiting all of my carbs into one day. It makes me plan ahead, and limit all of the things I eat to what I can consume in one day and not actually explode. Culvers was great for lunch, a double butter burger with fries so deliciously greasy. I had some Cold Stone, which is probably my favorite ice cream. I love Ben and Jerry's, but it makes me sick if I have too much, its too rich. Cold Stone is nice and creamy, and not that heavy. I love the cake batter ice cream. I like the peach iced tea ice cream, but I don't really know what to mix in with it, so its not that great of an offering from Cold Stone.
I had some chocolate milk with some cake, which was disappointing. The chocolate milk was amazing, and I had missed it, but the cake really somehow missed the spot. For dinner I had some Thai noodles with some eggrolls. It was a good dinner and some more carbs. I am glad that I got rid of any of the leftovers of my bad foods before the night was over, and I threw some stuff out rather forcing myself to finish all of it, which was some development in myself. I would usually, in the past, just binge on the sweets to finish them.
6/19/11
I spent a lot of the day cooking. I am liking more and more the fact that I can spend a few hours cooking on a sunday and have food for myself for the whole week. Having food ready to eat at home makes all of the other temptations much easier to resist. I made some chicken, some steak, some broccoli and some cauliflower. I might need to look into making some new sort of way of preparing vegetables, but its not a big deal. Maybe some curry vegetables for a change of pace.
6/21/11
I had my usual lunch from Burrachos today, and it really is filling. I was worried a burrito without rice would not be able to hold me over through the last 4-5 hours of work, but the fact that I get double beans really helps keep me full.
6/23/11
I got a new tape measure to take my measurements with because my old one was falling apart. If I were to compare my new measurements with my old ones I have lost 6 total inches from my body over the course of a week and a half, which is really good news. I still have not received my scale so I can't report on any weight loss at all, but I should be getting it today or tomorrow. I have felt like my clothes have been looser on me, which is a great feeling, but it might just be psychological. I am ok with tricking myself into thinking things are looser as long as I am feeling better.
Looking ahead to this weekend, I am making my first trip away from home while on the diet so it should be a different experience. I still have my cheat day to use so it won't be so hard to keep the good work up.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
My New Diet Plan
I've always been weak willed when it comes to resisting foods. I have spent plenty of time thinking about where I have gone wrong in the past. I can name several of my food weaknesses.
Sweets are by far the worst food addiction that I have. I really need to work on eliminating sweets from my world. Actually I think carbs in general have always been a big comfort to me, but I really need to work on limiting what types of carbs I eat. Pop has never been an issue, I grew up without it really around, so I only have it on occasion, and I am most likely going to cut both regular and diet pops out of my diet completely. I can find an alternative, like something along the lines of crystal light, or unsweetened iced tea.
Fast food has been an issue because its just so convenient, and with my weak willedness I have given in from time to time and eaten fast food. Even if I am on my way home from work, I can talk myself into stopping for some fast food. I need to stop being lazy, and I need to be more concerned with what I am eating if I want to make a change in myself. This blog really helped me work through my depression a lot, and this is the next step of what I would like to change in myself.
I think I am also addicted to dairy products, from what I have been reading in the diet book, lactose is horrible for your insulin production, and skim milk causes a large insulin spike. I think that some dairy products are ok, but I listened to a podcast with the writer of this book on it, and he said if you had to cut one thing out of your diet he would recommend cutting skim milk out first.
I need to work on eating smaller amounts of food. The diet I am reading the book for is not about portion control, but I have not doubt that controlling my portions could be very helpful as well.
Well I am still currently reading my way through my diet book, but I would like to at the very least implement some changes right now.
I am going to need to try to cook more often, and maybe try to make some new types of things. I am always open to new ideas from people. I am trying to think of new ways to incorporate vegetables in my life, so that they don't get boring. I don't think I will be able to eat just raw vegetables every meal of every day. I already do oven roasted vegetables, which are good, but variety is always good. I am also looking for more ways to work beans and lentils into my diet. One of the lessons I have taken from the book so far, is that lean protein is the best way to stay full, as well as eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. I guess I shouldn't say eliminating, but limiting carbohydrates.
My breakfast will consist of some sort of veggie and bean mixture, right now its roasted onions, roasted red peppers, corn, and black beans. Most of those things I had as leftovers. I also mix in some turkey sausage of some kind, and some eggs. I like to make the vegetable mixture ahead of time, and then put it into daily sized containers. I think it will be pretty easy for me to cook one week's worth of this mixture on a Sunday and then eat it throughout the week. I am also planning on having a glass of grapefruit juice, which when combined with caffeine in tea is supposed to help burn fat in your body faster. I know it sounds like some sort of scam, but this book is deeply researched, and I trust the findings in it. Grapefruit juice tastes like ass...I just needed to share that.
Lunch and dinner are some meals that still need some more work on planning for me. I have been enjoying salads with some sort of lunch meat on it, and some sort of vinaigrette. I need to learn to make some new low fat meat dishes that don't require firing up the grill. I guess I can just cook on the foreman grill.
The diet actually plans in a cheat day every week. The logic is that if you can indulge in foods that would cause you to break the diet once a week, you will be much more likely to stay on the diet for longer. I think lots of people have a habit of being on a diet and then after only a few weeks or a month they cheat on the diet, and that causes them to throw in the towel, rather than continuing the diet after indulging.
I really have liked the book so far, it takes a very scientific and investigative look at dieting in general, as well as disproving some diet myths that are out there. I really like what I have learned and look forward to learning more from it. I will probably share more details as i work my way deeper into the book.
I have been looking through all of my cookbooks to find recipes that fit in well with this diet plan. I need to incorporate more beans and lentils into my diet. I have found some great curry lentil recipes in one of the books I have. I think just adding some chipotle sauce or chili garlic sauce will make just plain beans more delicious.
There is a bit of a learning curve with this diet. I actually need to eat more in volume to make up for all of the actual calories that I am cutting out. The writer of this book actually advises having 4 meals a day, if they are 60%-70% vegetables, that will still be quite low in calories. For breakfast just today, I ate 3 fried eggs, turkey sausage, and a whole can of green beans. I rinsed the green beans to remove some extra sodium. I am still feeling a bit hungry, but I will have some black beans with breakfast tomorrow, I did not have any on hand and had forgotten to buy some last night. The book recommends having at least 20 grams of protein with each meal, including at least 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up to keep your metabolism
Recipe Ideas:
Mashed white beans to take the place of mashed potatoes or other starches
Mashed cauliflower can serve the same purpose, and I thing both can be delicious
My normal chili recipe is all vegetables and chicken, I would just need to cut out the cheese and sour cream
Curried vegetables, with or without chicken, or with some beans
I could have a nice bean and tuna salad with some other vegetables mixed in, and some light dressing
In the summer grilled meats will be good to have, in the winter there might be more soups/stews
I am thinking that shrimp, and fish would be good to bring into the diet, lean protein is good stuff
For lunch today I am going to burrachos, and I will be having a burrito bowl with no rice, I will ask if I can have extra beans in there, I will either get chicken or carnitas(pork) I will get 2 different kinds of salsa in the bowl. The diet book also says that avocados are one of the few fruits that I can eat, along with tomatoes.
Another idea that I had was instead of having rice with Chinese food, I am going to put some raw shredded cabbage and carrots (cole slaw mix) underneath and use that to soak up the sauce. I am going to make some peanut chicken for dinner tonight, with a lot of broccoli in it and have it on top of the cabbage. I am also going to try this with some stir fry at a later time, its a sad thing that I can not include pineapple in my stir fry though.
I am sure that I will be sharing many more food ideas as I move on further with this diet, but I think that this a good start for me. I am always open to suggestions for new things to cook.
By the way I have not mentioned the name of the book have I?
The book is The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
If you have struggled with dieting like I have in the past, this book is a really great solution. I think that this book takes a unique approach to dieting, and really was helpful in understanding the reasoning behind the different restrictions and suggestions that the book makes. I have only this far read the dieting sections of the book. I am not sure if I will read any of the other sections, but I will have them available to me.
I would have written about my starting weight, but I don't have access to a scale that can measure my massive weight, and right now my budget does not really allow for me to go anywhere to get any kind of body analysis. I have take measurements of my different body parts as suggested in the book. The book recommended measuring both arms mid bicep(for some reason measuring the left one was much easier than measuring the right), it says the waist and around the navel(but that is not really my waist), around the hips at the widest point, and finally both legs mid thigh. If I mention losing inches from my measurements this is what I am referring to.
If anyone else out there has any experiences with this book, and would like to offer me some suggestions, please let me know.
If anyone wants to discuss dieting stuff with me let me know. I am always up for a good discussion.
PS: I have ordered a scale online, but it wont be here for like a week.
Sweets are by far the worst food addiction that I have. I really need to work on eliminating sweets from my world. Actually I think carbs in general have always been a big comfort to me, but I really need to work on limiting what types of carbs I eat. Pop has never been an issue, I grew up without it really around, so I only have it on occasion, and I am most likely going to cut both regular and diet pops out of my diet completely. I can find an alternative, like something along the lines of crystal light, or unsweetened iced tea.
Fast food has been an issue because its just so convenient, and with my weak willedness I have given in from time to time and eaten fast food. Even if I am on my way home from work, I can talk myself into stopping for some fast food. I need to stop being lazy, and I need to be more concerned with what I am eating if I want to make a change in myself. This blog really helped me work through my depression a lot, and this is the next step of what I would like to change in myself.
I think I am also addicted to dairy products, from what I have been reading in the diet book, lactose is horrible for your insulin production, and skim milk causes a large insulin spike. I think that some dairy products are ok, but I listened to a podcast with the writer of this book on it, and he said if you had to cut one thing out of your diet he would recommend cutting skim milk out first.
I need to work on eating smaller amounts of food. The diet I am reading the book for is not about portion control, but I have not doubt that controlling my portions could be very helpful as well.
Well I am still currently reading my way through my diet book, but I would like to at the very least implement some changes right now.
I am going to need to try to cook more often, and maybe try to make some new types of things. I am always open to new ideas from people. I am trying to think of new ways to incorporate vegetables in my life, so that they don't get boring. I don't think I will be able to eat just raw vegetables every meal of every day. I already do oven roasted vegetables, which are good, but variety is always good. I am also looking for more ways to work beans and lentils into my diet. One of the lessons I have taken from the book so far, is that lean protein is the best way to stay full, as well as eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. I guess I shouldn't say eliminating, but limiting carbohydrates.
My breakfast will consist of some sort of veggie and bean mixture, right now its roasted onions, roasted red peppers, corn, and black beans. Most of those things I had as leftovers. I also mix in some turkey sausage of some kind, and some eggs. I like to make the vegetable mixture ahead of time, and then put it into daily sized containers. I think it will be pretty easy for me to cook one week's worth of this mixture on a Sunday and then eat it throughout the week. I am also planning on having a glass of grapefruit juice, which when combined with caffeine in tea is supposed to help burn fat in your body faster. I know it sounds like some sort of scam, but this book is deeply researched, and I trust the findings in it. Grapefruit juice tastes like ass...I just needed to share that.
Lunch and dinner are some meals that still need some more work on planning for me. I have been enjoying salads with some sort of lunch meat on it, and some sort of vinaigrette. I need to learn to make some new low fat meat dishes that don't require firing up the grill. I guess I can just cook on the foreman grill.
The diet actually plans in a cheat day every week. The logic is that if you can indulge in foods that would cause you to break the diet once a week, you will be much more likely to stay on the diet for longer. I think lots of people have a habit of being on a diet and then after only a few weeks or a month they cheat on the diet, and that causes them to throw in the towel, rather than continuing the diet after indulging.
I really have liked the book so far, it takes a very scientific and investigative look at dieting in general, as well as disproving some diet myths that are out there. I really like what I have learned and look forward to learning more from it. I will probably share more details as i work my way deeper into the book.
I have been looking through all of my cookbooks to find recipes that fit in well with this diet plan. I need to incorporate more beans and lentils into my diet. I have found some great curry lentil recipes in one of the books I have. I think just adding some chipotle sauce or chili garlic sauce will make just plain beans more delicious.
There is a bit of a learning curve with this diet. I actually need to eat more in volume to make up for all of the actual calories that I am cutting out. The writer of this book actually advises having 4 meals a day, if they are 60%-70% vegetables, that will still be quite low in calories. For breakfast just today, I ate 3 fried eggs, turkey sausage, and a whole can of green beans. I rinsed the green beans to remove some extra sodium. I am still feeling a bit hungry, but I will have some black beans with breakfast tomorrow, I did not have any on hand and had forgotten to buy some last night. The book recommends having at least 20 grams of protein with each meal, including at least 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up to keep your metabolism
Recipe Ideas:
Mashed white beans to take the place of mashed potatoes or other starches
Mashed cauliflower can serve the same purpose, and I thing both can be delicious
My normal chili recipe is all vegetables and chicken, I would just need to cut out the cheese and sour cream
Curried vegetables, with or without chicken, or with some beans
I could have a nice bean and tuna salad with some other vegetables mixed in, and some light dressing
In the summer grilled meats will be good to have, in the winter there might be more soups/stews
I am thinking that shrimp, and fish would be good to bring into the diet, lean protein is good stuff
For lunch today I am going to burrachos, and I will be having a burrito bowl with no rice, I will ask if I can have extra beans in there, I will either get chicken or carnitas(pork) I will get 2 different kinds of salsa in the bowl. The diet book also says that avocados are one of the few fruits that I can eat, along with tomatoes.
Another idea that I had was instead of having rice with Chinese food, I am going to put some raw shredded cabbage and carrots (cole slaw mix) underneath and use that to soak up the sauce. I am going to make some peanut chicken for dinner tonight, with a lot of broccoli in it and have it on top of the cabbage. I am also going to try this with some stir fry at a later time, its a sad thing that I can not include pineapple in my stir fry though.
I am sure that I will be sharing many more food ideas as I move on further with this diet, but I think that this a good start for me. I am always open to suggestions for new things to cook.
By the way I have not mentioned the name of the book have I?
The book is The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
If you have struggled with dieting like I have in the past, this book is a really great solution. I think that this book takes a unique approach to dieting, and really was helpful in understanding the reasoning behind the different restrictions and suggestions that the book makes. I have only this far read the dieting sections of the book. I am not sure if I will read any of the other sections, but I will have them available to me.
I would have written about my starting weight, but I don't have access to a scale that can measure my massive weight, and right now my budget does not really allow for me to go anywhere to get any kind of body analysis. I have take measurements of my different body parts as suggested in the book. The book recommended measuring both arms mid bicep(for some reason measuring the left one was much easier than measuring the right), it says the waist and around the navel(but that is not really my waist), around the hips at the widest point, and finally both legs mid thigh. If I mention losing inches from my measurements this is what I am referring to.
If anyone else out there has any experiences with this book, and would like to offer me some suggestions, please let me know.
If anyone wants to discuss dieting stuff with me let me know. I am always up for a good discussion.
PS: I have ordered a scale online, but it wont be here for like a week.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Writey Mcwriterson
Yesterday when I got to work at the office, I went to sit down in my chair and I split my pants. Now these were not a new pair of pants, they had been worn down by my thunder thighs, I knew their structure had been weakened, but didn't think they would rip then. I had not ripped a pair of pants in a similar fashion(overuse) in quite a while. I guess its just time for the changing of the guard. Old Pants, I salute you!
I have started a new blog dedicated just to sports, It still needs to be refined, and I will probably adjust the layout, but its located here: http://weckpdsports.blogspot.com/
I will be writing there about as regularly as I do here, if not more regularly. The posts will probably be shorter, and will contain mostly just my thoughts on whats been going on in the world of sports. I am probably going to be explaining some of the advanced metrics that are used in baseball, that some people might not understand. I would love to have some back and forth discussing but that will take some time I am sure.
I have been a bigger guy for as long as I can remember, but now is the time for me to slim down some. I don't think I will ever be skinny, but I would love to just lose some weight. I have ordered a new diet book that I heard about on one of the many podcasts that I listen to. The book is called the 4 Hour Body. I have only heard some discussion about it. I think a lot of it will be based on eating healthier things at home. It has also been refer ed to as the slow carb diet. Not no carbs, but slow. I look forward to receiving it from Amazon sometime in the near future. A lot of the diet involves around having lots of filling lean protein, such as beans. It also encourages eating lots of vegetables.
I think at times this diet will be hard, but one of my biggest food problems is that I am just so addicted to sweets. I have a mouth full of sweet teeth. I need to find a way to not eat sweets, or at least give them a great reduction in my diet.
While waiting for the book, I have decided to start making some foods that are different, but will be very filling and healthy:
For Breakfast today I made black beans, sweet corn, spinach, onion, garlic, seasoning, and some scrambled eggs, it could have used a big more seasoning, maybe some taco seasoning even. I really feel very satisfied right now.
Tomorrow I am planning on making a lentil and vegetable soup. It will be lentils, onion, garlic, carrots, kale, leeks, jalapeno for a little heat, and celery. I will probably add some curry powder as well. I am kind of combining 3 different recipes as has been my MO(Modus Operandi), I just don't like following a single recipe. I like making things my own.
My ankle has been bothering me a lot lately, ever since I played tennis with my brother. I think it just gets painful when I stand on it for too long, but that isn't good because one of my jobs is me standing up all day! Oh well I have found ways to deal with it.
I have found myself reading more lately, than I had in the past. I think its something I always enjoyed doing, but would choose other things over it. Now that I have some time on my hands I am not just using it to watch TV as had been the case in the past. I have a few new books that I would like to read, with 2 more on the way, but I am currently reading a book from the library. I needed a change
Zombie. Spaceship. Wasteland. By Patton Oswalt- The first of the books that I bought myself for my birthday. Patton is one of my favorite comedians, he covers many great topics, and is just so intelligent. I liked the book, but I didn't love it. Its a bunch of unrelated essays that he wrote. Some of them were great, and others just didn't hit with me. If you are a fan of him I would recommend that you check it out, but otherwise its up to you.
Sleepwalk With Me. By Mike Birbiglia--I loved this book. Mike Birbiglia is one of my favorite comedians as well and I can just hear him saying the words as written in the book. You learn a lot about his life. There are so many good laughs in this book, and he even mentions doing a show at UW-Eau Claire, which I thought was cool. I would recommend that everyone check this book out. I stayed up way past my bed time reading it on a few occasions.
Ice Cream Recommendation: Maple Blondie, Hanah Teter's flavor from Ben and Jerry's. I love the maple flavors in this ice cream, the blondies inside are not that great, but maple ice cream and the maple carmel are both awesome. The blondies are not bad, just aren't as chewy as I had hoped. I needed to try something new.
Well I am going to wrap this up, I have been writing it on and off all day.
Peace out y'all.
I have started a new blog dedicated just to sports, It still needs to be refined, and I will probably adjust the layout, but its located here: http://weckpdsports.blogspot.com/
I will be writing there about as regularly as I do here, if not more regularly. The posts will probably be shorter, and will contain mostly just my thoughts on whats been going on in the world of sports. I am probably going to be explaining some of the advanced metrics that are used in baseball, that some people might not understand. I would love to have some back and forth discussing but that will take some time I am sure.
I have been a bigger guy for as long as I can remember, but now is the time for me to slim down some. I don't think I will ever be skinny, but I would love to just lose some weight. I have ordered a new diet book that I heard about on one of the many podcasts that I listen to. The book is called the 4 Hour Body. I have only heard some discussion about it. I think a lot of it will be based on eating healthier things at home. It has also been refer ed to as the slow carb diet. Not no carbs, but slow. I look forward to receiving it from Amazon sometime in the near future. A lot of the diet involves around having lots of filling lean protein, such as beans. It also encourages eating lots of vegetables.
I think at times this diet will be hard, but one of my biggest food problems is that I am just so addicted to sweets. I have a mouth full of sweet teeth. I need to find a way to not eat sweets, or at least give them a great reduction in my diet.
While waiting for the book, I have decided to start making some foods that are different, but will be very filling and healthy:
For Breakfast today I made black beans, sweet corn, spinach, onion, garlic, seasoning, and some scrambled eggs, it could have used a big more seasoning, maybe some taco seasoning even. I really feel very satisfied right now.
Tomorrow I am planning on making a lentil and vegetable soup. It will be lentils, onion, garlic, carrots, kale, leeks, jalapeno for a little heat, and celery. I will probably add some curry powder as well. I am kind of combining 3 different recipes as has been my MO(Modus Operandi), I just don't like following a single recipe. I like making things my own.
My ankle has been bothering me a lot lately, ever since I played tennis with my brother. I think it just gets painful when I stand on it for too long, but that isn't good because one of my jobs is me standing up all day! Oh well I have found ways to deal with it.
I have found myself reading more lately, than I had in the past. I think its something I always enjoyed doing, but would choose other things over it. Now that I have some time on my hands I am not just using it to watch TV as had been the case in the past. I have a few new books that I would like to read, with 2 more on the way, but I am currently reading a book from the library. I needed a change
Zombie. Spaceship. Wasteland. By Patton Oswalt- The first of the books that I bought myself for my birthday. Patton is one of my favorite comedians, he covers many great topics, and is just so intelligent. I liked the book, but I didn't love it. Its a bunch of unrelated essays that he wrote. Some of them were great, and others just didn't hit with me. If you are a fan of him I would recommend that you check it out, but otherwise its up to you.
Sleepwalk With Me. By Mike Birbiglia--I loved this book. Mike Birbiglia is one of my favorite comedians as well and I can just hear him saying the words as written in the book. You learn a lot about his life. There are so many good laughs in this book, and he even mentions doing a show at UW-Eau Claire, which I thought was cool. I would recommend that everyone check this book out. I stayed up way past my bed time reading it on a few occasions.
Ice Cream Recommendation: Maple Blondie, Hanah Teter's flavor from Ben and Jerry's. I love the maple flavors in this ice cream, the blondies inside are not that great, but maple ice cream and the maple carmel are both awesome. The blondies are not bad, just aren't as chewy as I had hoped. I needed to try something new.
Well I am going to wrap this up, I have been writing it on and off all day.
Peace out y'all.
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