Week Six Day Three

So that's 48 days of taking pictures of what I eat and tracking calories and as of this morning the results are a -20 pounds with the caveat that there is little to no exercise and I take most Friday, Saturday and Sunday meals off from the 2,200 calories or less plan that Monday – Thursday are set up for.

I find that having prepared meal items make planning for breakfast and lunch easier and helps me avoid over-indulging. Counting each item as 100 calories and planning 1,500 calories for breakfast and lunch I know I can pull 15 of the prepared items together and have it ready to go in less than 5 minutes in the morning. The most work is dumping the salad mix into the cool whip container and tossing grape tomatoes on top, everything else is pre-measured like the cheetos or the teddy grahams, or container limited like the juice and V8 in the 10 oz bottles. I might save more money buying in bulk, but then I have more chances of over-measuring and just skipping because I don't have time to measure out fifteen baggies of food in the morning.

Yes, I am that lazy. I am not giving up any sweet sleeping time to go and plan out a breakfast and lunch menu.

As for motivation, this week I am focusing on the idea that it might be physically possible to be orally pleasured while driving my vehicle. You see the steering wheel to stomach gap was and continues to be very narrow. I can no longer steer with my belly but that wasn't out of the realm of possibility a few months ago. And putting the seat back further is out of the question as I already drive with my feet barely reaching the pedals, so losing weight makes the idea of an automotive rendezvous at least physically possible. How many people put that on the list of reasons to lose weight?

Otherwise, I'll run the measurements again tonight or tomorrow and I am also tracking my blood pressure again. I am not saying that the BP machine I am using is inaccurate, but according to my theoretically medically trained brother based on the last few measurements I should be dead already. I am racing with Jack Donaghy from "30 Rock" to see who can get to 300/200 first. That said, I am seeing small improvements over the last few days. Maybe that is a better motivation than the auto-erotic bj?

Whatever.

See the pictures at:

Mmm...Food

Facebook me and see nothing really.

Where I rank behind Hitler and Stalin in Lovability Rankings...

If you really want to be disturbed read my twitter nonsense.

Rambling Id

Have a good day and get back to work.

Week 5 Day 2

This is day one after the death of my father and while it is minimally affective on my daily life it leaves a big hole in the entirety of my life. Who can I call now to give me misinformation on the Twins and Vikings?

More proof that not eating helps you lose weight, I had about 1,300 calories yesterday including a smoothie of yogurt and soy milk for dinner. This morning's weight is -17 lbs from starting point. Monday was -12.5 so that is a one day drop of 4.5 without any significant exercise.

Eating is pretty boring these days. Funny how looking at calories makes your eyes bug out. A small box of raisins is 130 calories. Dried fruit that vaguely tastes like eating ants (don't ask how I know) and that's 1/15 of about what I can eat to lose weight and it seems like a rip off. You can get the no sugar added peaches for 25 calories and they are much more enjoyable. The sugar free Jell-o tastes like slightly watery regular Jell-o pudding, but it's between 60-120 calories less a serving. I don't mind slightly watery if it gets me to an occasional plate of spaghetti.

It's not so much about sacrifice and reward for me. I don't need the "if I lose this many pounds I'll reward myself with cheesecake" plan. For me it's all about the education. Like when I learned that crappy faux ice cream has more calories and less taste then real ice cream with 'less fat' or the fro-yo options. The vegetarian diet isn't built around less calories, in fact with the absence of meat there seems to be more calories to make up for protein deficiencies. Not eating meat takes more work than I am willing to add to my already full plate.

I got no plan and I got no idea of where or how. I am sticking with the healthe trim for another two months and after that I will continue to educate myself and plan ahead for eating. When I go out to dinner I do a little research and plan my meal out in advance, tricky, as some slow service restaurants are reluctant to share nutritional information. Other than that I am still in search of my motivation to add exercise as more than an occasional activity.

Keep on, keeping on.

Week 5 Day 1

A New Beginning…

I took last weekend off and am feeling the effects of a food related hang over this morning. My head aches and my stomach is queasy to say the least. Apparently a huge platter of nachos with extra jalapenos is not the best way to end a weekend off the wagon.

I feel terrible, literally on the verge of puking, and I couldn't be happier.

You see the proof is in the pudding, the sugar-free and only 60 calories a serving pudding. I have lived with the notion that eating what I want makes me happy. Well brother I can tell you that a weekend of eating what I want has made me miserable and I don't want to go back to that anymore.

It is clear that eating well is a choice and a lifestyle and that choosing to eat better foods isn't a burden. That those choices actually make every part of my day a little better, a little more energizes, a little less nauseous. Sure I still think about the "bad" food – it's impossible not to when the commercials run nonstop on TV – but the minutes of eating DQ ice cream or bacon infused tacos just aren't worth the costs of the rest of the day.

So I am going to spend the rest of today downing aspirins and eating celery sticks not because I have to, but I am doing it because I want to, I want to feel better physically.

All that said, soy ice cream sucks ass. I will go to low-carb, low-fat frozen yogurt and ice cream. Just saying.

Starting the week slightly worse for wear after the weekend of debauchery at -12.5 from start or +2.5 from where I was Friday morning.

Everything that goes in my mouth in full color.

You can also follow my random thoughts that on occasion touch on what I am eating and disturbingly when I am not making my regular trips to the restroom on Twitter.

My Twitter

Let's be careful out there.

Week 4 Day 4 Update

Just writing in with the new measurements. I hadn't realized that it was so long ago (6/30) when I did this before. Here are the changes from the last taping.

L-Ankle -0.25"
L-Thigh -0.75"
Hips -1.00"
Middle -0.25"
Chest +0.50"
L-Bicep -0.75"
L-Wrist -0.25
Neck -0.75"

What is up with that chest measurement? Maybe I am menstruating and my breasts are swollen? I did these measurements less than a half hour after dinner, maybe like swimming I needed to wait longer before diving in?

Week 4 Day 4

I reordered the Healthe Trim this morning so I shouldn't have a disruption in the go-go pills next week. Thanks to missed days here and there I have a few extra days on the full vitamin regimen until I switch over to a regular multivitamin.

Yesterday wasn't bad, wasn't great but it was not a bad day. Still holding at -15 lbs as of this morning and giving the calorie count under 2,000 yesterday and plans to keep it there for today I expect to move slightly below that tomorrow.

The Lean Cuisine frozen meals are a life-saver and a time-saver. Low calorie counts for main course dishes that easily allow for salads or steamed veggie add-ons. Still no great substitutes for ice cream or candy bars, damn it, but fruit cups, sugar free jell-o and gum are helping fight the junk food urges most of the time.

Listening to a radio show this morning where they mention that it takes 90 days for a new routine to become a habit. 90 days, and I am on 25 days so far with a long way to go. I haven't hit a rut yet, no feeling like I am sacrificing too much or giving up anything to eat. I know I have given up something when I see the Taco Bell commercial about some bacon on bacon burrito that I don't even want to imagine. Just typing about it is making me drool. Luckily, bringing my lunch in with me helps me avoid the temptations of driving around looking for lunch.

Dinner is easier and trickier too. I am enjoying the smaller meals earlier in the evening, but I am also keenly aware of all the food in the house and how quickly I could plow through 6 bags of 100 calorie cookies. Going to bed earlier tricks me out of being hungry past 9pm.

Feeling good and looking a little better. Only 65 more days until this becomes an old habit.

Week 4 Day 3

We are plowing through the days now. I can barely keep track of them as they fly by.

I can however keep track of the calories and the total poundage. Based on yesterday's 3100 plus calories I wasn't surprised to see a small tick back up on the scale this morning. I am making adjustments to today's meals accordingly.

That's the good side of weighing in every day and really tracking calories every day. You can relate the cause and effect more directly than you might with a once a week measuring system.

So the experiment with a vegetable based spaghetti dinner was a mixed bag. The shredded zucchini and squash was a good base. I over steamed it, just like I overcook noodles, and they were squishier than I would have liked. Still the taste wasn't all that different and given the calorie count difference it was really worthwhile.

The Veggie Mozzarella cheese slices were however very disappointing. They kind of taste like you think they should, but they did not melt at all like they advertised they would. The sauce was a mere 90 calories a half cup and the fresh veggies I added only enhanced the taste. I added sausage and a sort of meatball to the sauce that increased the calories about 100 per serving. If I used turkey-based meatballs it might have worked out slightly lower, but I can't get to eggplant. Those things look like the pods from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

Then I realized at some point the whole dish ends up being a tomato-based stew with lots of shredded veggies and some chunks of meat.

It was fun though I'll probably go back to the wheat noodles tonight.

Also, frozen yogurt was good on calories but I still feel bloated up the next morning which I am associating with lactose related issues and not the fact that I was eating it at way past 9pm.

Good times.

Week 4 Day 2

Getting to this a little late. Ran some errands this afternoon and so I am writing at the old computer.

Passed the 15 pound mark today. Very awesome.

Trying the zucchini and squash as pasta experiment tonight. Forgot I didn't have pasta sauce yesterday so I had to push it back a day. I am skeptical but 5 cups of this veggie pasta substitute has 100 calories. And a half a cup of wheat pasta has 420 calories...do I need to do the math.

There is also something called spaghetti squash that actually is supposed to look like spaghetti. I might try that too.

Other than my kitchen laboratory everything else is slowly coming together. The benefits of Healthe Trim seem to be undeniable and I will be buying more for the next cycle. In fact, I will probably buy the three back which gives me two a day each morning and one each afternoon for 60 days. Will be able to see if that helps with my energy levels when I am home later in the day and need to exercise.

Repeat those three words...NEED...TO...EXERCISE.

Week 4 Day 1

Staying strong. Usually by week four I would have given up and quit dieting. Well, this time two things are different. I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a month's worth of vitamins and unlike certain fat blocking pills that also help you lose weight mostly by giving you explosive diarrhea the Healthe Trim side effects so far are nothing except seemingly decreased appetite and a rising energy level. Also, this time I am not really dieting. I am choosing more carefully what I eat and tracking the calorie "cost" of those decisions. It just doesn't feel like a diet when you are eating prime rib and eating a Snickers with Almonds.

As of this morning the total down since W1D1 is 14.6 lbs. Still looking for close to 50 by W11D5, which is still possible, especially if I get that exercise in at least 4 days a week. I know the numbers are good, even better is grabbing that belt I haven't been wearing for a few years and being able to wear it comfortably for the last couple of days. It is funny the things that really matter. Now I am glad I didn't give away all the not really skinny but not big enough clothes I almost gave up.

Not to get too far ahead of myself though. I'll do measurements again tomorrow or Wednesday. I did clean the bathroom yesterday and that is a workout, kinda. I installed the shower cleaning system too, based on a recommendation, so I will see if that works better at keeping the ever present mold and mildew from growing out of control. Today, I will get the vacuum out and push that around for a while. See, if I can clean for twenty minutes at least four times a week I'll have both a neat and clean living space and fulfill my needed exercise requirements. That is what my business professor would refer to as win-win.

Groceries were a little expensive this week. The shower system and a bottle of wine were unusual expenses, but I am also hoping the lunch savings of $10-$12 a day helps off-set that cost. There isn't as much savings in fresh fruit and vegetables as I hoped and there is the added pressure of eating the stuff before it goes bad that doesn't exist for frozen foods. Tonight is the night for Super Pasta Primavera with lots of veggies in the sauce and the veggie pasta experiment.

Results to be posted tomorrow.

Week 3 Day 7

I am not going to jinks myself by saying that so far this has been the most awesomest experience I have ever had in attempting to eat in a more conscious manner.

The pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/crobin11/ and the counting of calories has been more like a game then an intentional attempt to self improve myself, as opposed to self improving someone else. Figuring out foods and looking at calorie counts, not to mention the taking of pictures.

I find myself thinking, this photo needs better balance, warmer tones, softer lighting. I reference to them with words like composition, clarity and consistence. I am looking into getting an NEA grant to support the photostream.

"It's not about eating what you like, It's about liking what you eat."

That's the mantra. I find it easy to eat just about anything. No qualms about trying salads, soy foods, rice foods and looking into trying new ways to make my favorite pasta dishes without pasta. I will be trying that tomorrow. I bought zucchini and squash to shred up and steam for a base for tomato sauce and a little bit of sausage and meatballs. I even have soy mozzarella cheese to put on top.

I am also disappointed by the lie that is soy. When you read the fine print on the vegetarian diet plan, they warn you that they are not a weight lose plan. No crap! The soy ice cream is 840 calories. I can get the low-fat fro-yo from Ben and Jerry's for 480 calories. I may have to abandon the non-dairy, or less dairy portion of this eating plan and live with being phlegmy and other lactose related symptoms.

Actually lost a little again today, but I wll wait until tomorrow to give you the total lost since W1D1. I am beginning to turn around on Healthe Trim and may have to buy more next week. Definitely not getting the vitamins though.

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th and you're psyched to get back to work tomorrow!

Week 3 Day 6

So I really enjoyed my day off from work.

Ate about 3155 of deliciousness and some not so deliciousness, but still enjoyed the whole day.

I probably don't notice this as much during the week because my meals fall right into schedule, but on days off I really am aware of how hungry I get between 3-6 pm. I had a good breakfast yesterday, it was late around 11:30, and I was really hungry by 3pm. Ate poorly for a skippable lunch of a pint of faux ice cream. Still felt hungry for a while.

So I play World of Warcraft, an online role-playing game, and it distracts me from the hunger. By 6:30 I am not hungry at all and if not going out for a late dinner I could have skipped and gone straight to bed. I really think the idea that people sit around all day playing video games is making them fat is not true.

Seriously, other than water runs and the inevitable bathroom breaks I don't like to eat and mess around with WoW or other games. Whether I'm so focused on my play or I just don't want to break away I just don't like to stop and make a meal while playing. Of course it can lead to doing a quickie meal of a pint of ice cream, but it also leads to a few nights of going to bed without even thinking of eating dinner.

Nope, playing video games does not make you fat. Eating a box of cookies while playing video games and guzzling sodas will make you fat. Don't hate the game, hate the player.

Late meal + huge meal = bad morning weigh in. I'll let you know when I go below the latest low point. We are heading into lows not seen in the last 5 years though. With luck (and the damnable exercise) we might get to lows not seen since 2000, then we can party like it's 1999!

Week 3 Day 5

Typing directly to the blog today. I usually type these in Word then upload them so I get instant spellcheck. Just warning you in advance.

Not a bad day yesterday, down about half a pound and had dinner around 10pm so that was really good.

Not much else to say about that. I have today off so the whole day at home today. I'm going to do some cleaning and shopping. Seems when you eat more fresh foods you have to go the store more often and purchase less so you can eat without worrying about it going bad. Just saying, I never have to worry about a Milky Way bar going bad.

Otherwise, the challenge of eating on my own during the lesser eating holiday of July 4th shouldn't be too bad. I don't have any plans for BBQ anyways. Just going out to the same restaurants as last week. Well, maybe not IHOP but Applebees, and I know what I am getting into there.

So enjoy your holiday and stay safe. Remember the opposable thumb is all that separates us from the animals so don't blow them off.

Week 3 Day 4

What a great week so far. This being the first week of really trying to eat less, both quantity and calorie wise, it's been easier than I thought.

Now it might have been cheating a little, but I have the smoothie for dinner last night and have a dramatic 1.6 lb drop when I weighed this morning. Not that it confirms my suspicions that one reason people see dramatic weight loss early on in a diet plan is simply because they have less total food weight processing through their body, but there is just not a lot of bulk in the meal I ate so there is less bulk on the scale the next morning.

Also explains how people on those crazy cabbage soup diets lose ten pounds in a week. It's all weight from having the colon emptied out.

Feeling very energized in the morning, but still dragging by the time I get home at night. Trying to add more movement to my regular daily activities just to add any exercise I can.

The food diary is still going strong, I occasionally forget to picture meals when eating at restaurants but that is only because I am so excited to be eating something besides pasta I made or sandwiches.

Exploring more of the vegetarian foods with the veggie cheese slices and the rice dream and soy ice cream. I like those and even though the calorie differences aren't dramatic I do feel better after eating a pint of soy ice cream then I do after regular ice cream.

And I think I am going to go ahead and order another month of the Healthe Trim thermo-energy pills. I don't think the multi-vitamins are necessary and it's a ton of pill swallowing, so I'll peel those down and replace them with the mega-man multi-vitamin from GNC.

Other than that I still need to get the exercise on track and maybe this weekend with the holiday I can work in more work-outs.

Week 3 Day 3

Seventeen days of tracking and following and marking and the results? Down eleven pounds so far and feeling pretty good.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090701/ap_on_he_me/us_med_obesity_rankings

Just read the above story and that writer is a genius. No idea how well researched but the opening paragraph with "ominous tide is rolling toward…Alabama" is awesome.

And now that smoking is all but completely illegal across the country I fully expect the drums to start beating for the attack on fatties. This article whines about the rising medical costs related to the care of obese people. Though it fails to mention that fat people die younger and so spend much less time draining Medicare and Social Security than those granola eating old people.

Even though the research regarding health problems and obesity seem more realistic than the dangers of second hand smoke from cigarettes, it still sounds more like propaganda than real research. They probably got the 'global warming' nerds in to draw baseless conclusions from a shallow fact pool.

Georgia ranks 3^rd in obese children. Third? Come on parents! Just start feeding them straight lard mixed with sugar. My own informal research does agree that kids are much fatter today than they were thirty years ago. Maybe parents hope by making their kids morbidly obese they will be less likely to be targeted by child molesters? Hook up the TV or video game's power supply to the exercise bike or the treadmill! At the very least they can get fat while reading books then.

Most depressing is that Colorado is the least obese state. No idea why, it just is depressing.

http://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/

For the other side of the debate is the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. Maybe the saddest name for an organization ever and the acronym sounds like a fat person trying to get up out of a chair. They have a book advertised "Healthy At Every Size" and it is written by Linda Bacon…BACON? Ouch.

They are on myspace and while they don't really have marches per se, they do occasionally have sit-ins. And when NAAFA sits in they REALLY fill up a space.

I am definitely having more fun this week than last. Probably more to do with our Friday holiday for Independence Day. I even enjoy getting up a little earlier to make breakfast and lunch for work. The calorie counting has become a game of doing math in my head and the frozen dinner with add-ons at night is making the evenings less stressful.

Refer to http://crobin11.blogspot.com/2009/06/finishing-week-one.html to see the uncanny self-portrait used for measurements.

I got a new and improved measuring tape so these should be more accurate going forward but here are the supposed changes a week and a half later:

Left Ankle: -0.5"

Left Thigh: -1.0"

Hips: -0.5"

Middle: -2.0"

Chest: -2.0"

Neck: -0.5"

Left Bicep: -0.25" (done in a curl flex position)

Left Wrist: 0"

It makes sense that the most change would happen where I am carrying the most weight, but between first measure and this is only 3.4 pounds difference so I am dubious about the total accuracy. That and the loss of thigh makes me a little worried that muscle atrophy is playing a part in total lost weight so far too.

We'll see how the rest of the week goes. I'll be using part of the vacation to clean my apartment for the first time in a year and a half. No, not that it hasn't been cleaned, I just paid someone else to do it for a long time. Housework does count as exercise, right?