11 Month Mark!

Portion control and multiple meals that include better carbs and protein. This is the way I eat now.

I see myself backsliding when it comes to cheese. I have convinced myself sprinkling a little grated cheese over a bowl of soup or scrambled eggs is okay. Cheese has even found its way onto my hamburgers now more often than not.

One thing I have pushed at the gym is abdominal work. I am on the ab bench for about 10 minutes and the results are evident. (to me)

The next push is to include much more veggies and fruit along with whole grain breads and much more H20.

As it stands I have lost between 30 and 35 pounds in the 11 months and added a bit of muscle.

I'll only lose weight from here....... Never going back to size 42 waist. 38's fit a but tight but I am working on it.......

Checking In

My weight is stabilized around the -34 pound mark from the top in October of 2011. I am at the gym for 1/2 hour or so at least 5 days a week and my calorie count hovers in the 1,500 to 1,800 level each day.

I am about ready to rekindle the weight loss effort for the final push to get to my 50 pound goal in a year. With a home sale, moving and financial challenges at my feet the stress involved makes the effort that much more challenging.

Mid July

At the doctor's office yesterday the scale noted a full 10 pound loss from my last visit exactly 6 months ago. This is very good and a validation of my fitness and eating regimen.

My original goal was to lose 50 pounds within a year and that year ends in October. I am at 30 to 35 pounds at the moment and at the present pace I should make it.

I'm managing to stay in the 1,500 to 1,700 calories per day and working out at least 5 days per week.

I'll update as warranted.

Six Month Update

It's been six months since I began my weight loss effort. I no longer write down everything I eat, I don't have to. By logging everything for nearly four months I've learned how any calories are in my snacks and meals.

My weight loss total is in the 36 pound range. I still have 30 pounds to go but they will not come off fast. I am not trying for that. If I can shed the final 30 pounds by the end of summer I'd be very satisfied.

I have a niece getting married November 3 and I would like to be fit and trim for that occasion.

My wife and I attended a wedding in early March of this year and family members from her side were highly complimentary. Feedback is my only reward, it pushes me to work harder in the gym.

My gym workouts are a daily event. I average 6 days per week, average 30 to 40 minutes per session. I would do more but I get bored. I alter muscle groups pushing one day, pulling the next. My workouts are almost completely anaerobic. Some days I get peak heart rate some days not. My back, arms, chest and shoulders have never been stronger.

My diet includes more chicken, less red meat. More soups, more vegetables, berries and brown rice over white rice. Egg whites over whole eggs but occasionally I'll eat egg yokes.

When we visit our local steak house I now get the chicken salad and water and maybe a dinner roll.

My wife wanted to use a gift card at Outback Steakhouse last weekend. She craved a "Bloomin Onion", I sensed a setup and it was. I did not have the willpower not to help myself. Between three of us we killed it off. Cecelia and I split a hamburger for the entree. None of it was satisfying, the entire meal sucked.

I felt sick for hours after the meal. I can say definitively I'll never enjoy fatty fried appetizers or entrees ever again.

With warm to hot weather coming I'll be outside more, moving more. I'll report in once in awhile for an update.

1,500 calories or less per day with some exertion every day. That is my life now.

Follow Through

This morning the (normally) dreaded home scale reported back with some very positive news for the second straight day. Two and a half more pounds disappeared overnight.

I confess ignorance to workings of my metabolism and the inner workings of how the body burns calories. The only thing I have done differently in the past week is adding more fruit to the daily intake. At the gym I am spending time on the boxing speed bag but only a few minutes on that really.

No matter, I'll take it. If I can peel off another 5 pounds before March 1 I know my goal weight for June will certainly be attainable. Thank God the initial heavy lifting is over. Smooth sailing ahead all considered.

Breakthrough

As I carry on with the pursuit of a healthier and slimmer body I have modified my basic eating routine. Breakfast is now mostly fruit and non fat milk with less than a cup of Special K or Fiber One cereal.

Dinner now is centered more on vegetables. I stir fry asparagus, onion, squash and spinach together with just enough rice to coat the veggies.

The breakthrough referred to in the title has to do with a weight plateau break through. I've been stuck for more than two weeks in a one to two pound range but today the scale showed a full TWO pound drop.

My daily visits to the gym are not in vane. I knew this would come. My clothes are draping over me. I'm loving this challenge and the results!!

Carry On

Not logging meals is liberating. The daily log was good, it taught me calorie counts for most foods I encounter. It's easy now to quickly calculate what is about to go on  my plate and into my gut.

I've cut down on the protein shakes, I'm trying to determine if I have an allergy to Muscle Milk or whey protein. I hope not. The only for sure food reactions I have are to shrimp and strawberries. Raspberries and other berries are fine.

Calorie ingestion averages between 1,200 and 1,600 with fruit daily as well as meat protein in the form of chicken and turkey.

The gym is my friend, I visit there daily.

Weight loss is happening. I'm down another pound or so in the passed week.

My eating regimen is not a diet, this is the way I will live and eat the rest of my time on the planet.

Day 92, Checking In

I am no longer writing down every item I eat. I no longer have to because I now know the calorie counts of foods I consume. This experience has taught me a new discipline for what I put in my body.

For the past four days I have stayed between 1,100 and 1,500 calories a day. I ordered a cheese pizza for the family Saturday night and limited myself to one piece, it's all I wanted (350 cals). We had lunch out yesterday and I ordered a cheeseburger and ate it with little guilt. Fries came with it but I ate ONE. I have no taste for such fried foods.

The gym is a daily grind, that will never change.

I'll check back here when the urge hits me. I will definitely be posting weight loss totals when I hit significant goals.

No Takers

I started this effort 3 months ago and it is working but it is very hard to lose weight. The remaining weight I have to lose will take time to shed and I know what I have to do.

I hoped that when I began this blog project that I would find someone that would catch the weight loss and healthy eating bug. Of all the fat people I know no one took interest except my brother Frank who is very fit and does eat the right foods.

Ultimately weight loss is a personal choice and it is a personal journey but support is a huge part of any serious weight loss effort. I am thinking about joining Jillian Michaels system where support is built in to the program.

Thanks Frank for your support and comments. Whether I record this stuff or not you will always be there with a good word and I appreciate that.

*I will not delete the blog. The ultimate goal here is seeing how I look compared to the image on the right. With hard work and diligence I should be able to drop another 30 pounds by July. It will be tough!! Losing fat is harder than surviving life threatening illness or recovering from serious surgical operations. I can say that from experience.

Day 88

Last night Cecelia and I had dinner out at our favorite steak house. We were there to celebrate my mother's 76th birthday. We were able to share a 6 ounce prime sirloin plate. We took home more than half of the baked potato. I ordered a chicken dish off the appetizer menu and had a small dinner salad. We were satisfied and both walked out of the restaurant having consumed under 800calories each. Cecelia probably consumed less than 600 calories. We are proving to each other constantly that we don't need, or want big meals anymore. It is not good for us and sharing a plate when we dine out saves money!

The Scale Inched .....Down!!

Okay, my scale is not stupid anymore. It finally responded with positive feedback! I'll wait to see what the gym scale says. I have been stalled at this weight for the past 2 weeks despite my strict eating and exercising routine. Seeing a couple of pounds gone this morning is huge positive feedback.

5:30 Protein shake 150 calories.
6:00 One egg white/spinach/1 oz turkey chorizo/1/8 cup brown rice 100 calories. (part of wife's breakfast)
10:30 Special K cereal with raspberries/blackberries and low fat milk. 220 calories.
2:30 Turkey sandwich 270 calories.
6:00 Out to dinner for my mothers birthday dinner salad, 150 cals/ Dinner roll w/ butter 150 cals/ Chicken breast breaded, 6 ounces 350 calories a few bites of baked potato and about 5 french fries. 800 calories total for dinner.
9:00 one tablespoon peanut butter. 100 calories.

1,520 calories consumed today less 100 burned in an abbreviated workout = 1,420 net calories for the day.

Day 86, Good Advice

I was weighing in at the gym yesterday and bumped into one of the top trainers. Her name is Terry and she's a world class female bodybuilding competitor. Terry trained my wife for a month a few years ago and while I don't normally visit much with her I took the opportunity to ask for some advice. I mentioned I've stalled or "plateaued" even as I'm disciplined on the diet and religious about the gym.

She told me to quit weighing myself and only visit the scale twice a week, Wednesday and Sunday and right as I wake up. She told me her obese clients, those defined sporting a BMI of 40-50% are told to expect to lose no more than one pound per week. As a body builder her emphasis is more on weight training or anaerobic exercise.

Muscle cells weigh twice what fat cells do so the better measurement for her program is how your clothes fit and how you look, not what the scale says.

I want to weigh less, period so I'm contemplating, at least until I hit my goal weight, backing off heavier weights and moving strictly to light weights/rapid sets, speed bag, abs and walking towards a more aerobic point of view. Keeping in mind I have no real use of my knees for running or stair stepping and with no pool available true aerobic exercise is tough.

I have almost 8 pounds to go before my birthday near the end of this month and I need to shake things up...

5:30 Egg white (2)/spinach/turkey chorizo (1.5oz)/brown rice(1/8 cup) mixed in a pan = 150 calories.
9:00 1/2 turkey sandwich on one slice of whole wheat 150 calories.
11:00 4 oz roasted turkey 150 calories.
12:45 Protein shake, pre-gym workout 110 calories. (560)
2:30 2 tablespoons of peanut butter 190 calories.
6:00 Big salad w/Chicken/butter lettuce/cucumber/carrots/avocado and a light vinaigrette 400 calories.
9:00 1/2peanut butter sandwich w/ 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 1 slice of whole grain bread 200 calories.

1,350 calories less 300 calories burned in two (2) workouts at the gym today = 1,050 net calories today.

Day 85

This morning I started with a protein shake when I woke up at 5:15 followed by a small dish of egg whites/spinach/turkey chorizo and brown rice pinched from a larger dish I made for Cecelia's breakfast. The 150 calories from the shake and 130 calories (est.) in the egg dish brought my combined breakfast to just under 300 calories.

5:15 Protein shake 150 calories
6:30 egg dish described above 130 calories. (image below)
9:30 Bowl of Special K with Raspberries/Blackberries and low fat milk. 220 calories.
12:30 Muscle Milk Light protein shake 150 calories.
2:30 Turkey sandwich on Whole grain bread. Non fat mayo and one small tomato, 320 calories.
6:00 Leftover Chicken Meatball Soup w/fideo pasta and fresh spinach 200 calories + Green salad with cucumber/butter lettuce/avocado/carrots/red onion/cilantro and a low fat/low calorie vinaigrette 200 calories.
8:00 peanut butter, 1 tbsp on one piece of whole grain bread, 200 calories.

1,570 calories less 200 spent at the gym this afternoon = 1,370 net calories consumed today!

*I put in a good workout at the gym this afternoon. I sat in the dry sauna for 20 minutes before the workout to warm up. Feeling stronger and slimmer.

I know, it looks horrible but it really tasted pretty good and only held 130 calories.

Long Journey Ahead in 2012

I am eating less than 1,500 calories net every day for the past 84 days and have lost close to 30 pounds. I am definitely at a plateau and have been stuck here for a couple of weeks. This is not a deterrence to my overall effort at all. Eating fewer calories and making healthy calorie choices is better for my body. So I'll keep this routine and maintain the push at the gym. Eventually the weight will come off.
Documenting my meals is very important because I know if I eat something bad I have to report it, publicly. Without this format, at this point I am more likely to let myself slip and that would invite failure.

7:00 Protein shake 110 calories.
9:00 1/2 turkey sandwich, one slice of whole grain bread, 2 oz turkey breast/lettuce/tomato/non fat mayo 175 calories.
11:00 Other half of the sandwich 175 calories.
4:30 Soup. Home made chicken meatball/mushroom/fideo pasta/spinach in a NO sodium vegetable broth base.  200 calories maximum.
7:30 Bowl of Special K Cereal with blackberries and raspberries and low fat milk, 250 calories.
9:00 Two tablespoons of peanut butter 190 calories.

1,100 calories less 200 for the workout = 900 net calories for the day.