Sea Legs

About a year ago I ventured into the ocean of Weight Control, and did quite well.  I got down into the upper 180’s, but then got content and allowed my old dietary habits to be resurrected, and here I am today – plump and desperate.  It didn’t seem all that tough to get into a rhythm of eating well, staying active and seeing some results.

This is not true one year later.  I am finding it very difficult to return to the patterns of a year ago.  I know what I need to do, but my well-trained appetites are not easily domesticated.  And so you know why I’ve had little to share for the last few weeks.

Slowly, I’m trying to get my “sea legs” as I head back out to the ocean of Weight Control.  The activity factor is not too tough.  I like to do racquetball, walk, etc.  The schedule factor is a little trickier in that regard.  The real struggle is the awkward moment in which I want “just a little something” to curb my hunger.  Funny how iced fudge brownies seem so much more appealing than a rice cake.

One thing I’m pretty sure of – eating less is not an option.  I will not go through the continual agony of being hungry, because this urge will NEVER subside.  I have been hungry since I was weaned.  I must learn what to eat when I am hungry.

Last year’s strategy of laying off the carbs (especially white bread, chips, crackers, etc.) and watching the fatty stuff worked very well for me.  I just try to eat healthy and lean.  A lot more fresh fruit (even though most fruit is carb-heavy, the fiber seems to be a good trade off for me), fresh veggies, and lean protein.  I don’t get too wound up about fat if it is natural (in meat, eggs, cheese, my waistline, and the like).

I am getting hungrier as I type this.  Got any great recipes that won’t push me farther out to sea (like a whale being de-beached)?

Holding Steady

The title refers not only to my weight, but to my hand wrapped around a gyro yesterday for lunch.  I never flinched.  I never backed down.  I ate the whole thing.  No “plop, plop, fizz, fizz” was required afterward either (obscure 70’s reference).  Did I mention that fries came with it?  Did I mention that I ate them all?  Did I have to mention either of those things?

As penance for my indulgence I played some racquetball last night.  I also had oatmeal with raisins and whole wheat toast for breakfast.  Supper was too random to mention.

Though it seems I am not totally serious about this weight control business, I have taken some important steps which will help you too.

• No snack-type foods in the house.  I have made a concerted effort to buy no more chips, cookies or other foods that are too easily snatched up as I pop in the door.  If I have to prepare my food, I will be more selective.  At least, this is the theory.
• Have a friend to snatch the Twinkies from your chubby little hand.  Since Jana and I are in this together, we are able to rebuke and instruct one another in love.  It also helps to have children still living at home who will be ruthless in making comments about your body type.  The problem is that they don’t use compassionate, medically-sensitive terms.
• Plan exercise that you (at least partially) enjoy.  Few things aggravate me as much as tedious exercise – treadmills, stair-climbing machines, stationary bikes, etc.  These were used as torture devices by history’s most ruthless tyrants.  If you are going to walk, do it outside or at a mall.  If you are going to climb steps, go to a football stadium or high-rise.  If you are going to ride a bike. . .   ride a bike.  There is one exception.  Using a Wii is acceptable.

What other chunks of advice can you share?  Let me know and we’ll post them on the main page.

Bon appetit!

New Way to Beat the Blob

Today’s USA Today featured an article on a woman entrepreneur who turned her own battle of the bulge into a profitable venture.  It’s a great story and it actually might be something some of you want to drop a few bucks to try.  Go to the story at USA Today.  Her website is here.

I honored my planned menu last night.  I also played racquetball for about 90 minutes morning as I planned.  Had a Kashi bar and some Gatorade before/during my games.  No breakfast afterwards.

Lunch was a large can of minestrone soup and 2 pieces of whole grain toast.  Supper was grilled chicken, grilled potatoes and a salad.  Oh yes, I weighed in at 201 this morning.  The scale didn’t realize I’d step on it at first.  Thought it was a feather.

Mercy

I had mercy on the bathroom scale this morning.  Tomorrow I will unleash the full fury of my mass upon it.  I am confident that today’s restraint will always be rewarded by tomorrow’s scale reading.

Because it is Sunday, as is my custom, I left the house at about 6:15 and didn’t have anything to eat until the coffee/donut time at church.  I made some hot tea in my office, then meandered downstairs to the place where the donuts live.  I ate half of a glazed donut and two of those bite-sized (who determines “bite-sized” anyway?) powdered donuts.  Then, lest I become permanently attached to the donut tray, I returned to my office to fill up on the banana I had on my desk.

For lunch Jana and Charles made spaghetti and fresh dinner rolls.  Before the meal I nibbled on some celery with some peanut butter.  By “some” peanut butter I mean no more than can be comfortably nestled in the groove of the celery stalk.  I then had a modest helping of spaghetti and two dinner rolls.  And then I had another dinner roll which I labeled “dessert” to quench my guilt.

Before the evening church service I had an apple.  After the evening church service I had another dinner roll as an appetizer, a piece of whole grain bread and butter (can you tell bread is my weakness?), a big bowl of cabbage and turkey soup, and a Yoplait Strawberry Smoothie (fat free and 90 calories).  I am sufficiently full now and plan on no more indulgences.

Tomorrow morning I plan to step up my activity.  Racquetball in the early morning for 90 minutes or so will re-engage me in my exercise routine.  This is a drastic improvement over yesterday’s physical activity level.  I never left home yesterday, venturing only as far as the mailbox two times.  I did, however, go up and down the basement steps a multitude of times, never stopping in the middle of my journey either up or down the staircase.

C’mon blobbers!  Tell me your story!

Withdrawal

The scale whispered “203.2” this morning.  Considering my gluttonous escapade from the previous evening, this was a generous message.

I have been more sensible today.  A bowl of 5-grain oatmeal with honey this morning and a piece of whole grain toast.  For lunch turkey and provolone on one piece of whole grain bread and some baked french fries (my sons couldn’t eat them all and I have never retired from my garbage-disposal-dad role).

It is 5:30 p.m. and I have not yet eaten supper.  I pledge to eat a banana, some salad, possibly some cabbage and turkey soup.  If I stray from this intended path, I will come clean tomorrow.

My goal:  male candidate for the 2009 SI Swimsuit Edition.

Withering Away

With great trepidation I stepped onto the scale in our bedroom this morning.  And what to my wondering eyes did appear, but the number 202 looking back at me.  A two-pound loss since yesterday?  Don’t get excited.  I’ve seen this fluctuation before.  I could go for week on a banana-celery-diet Pepsi regimen and gain 12 pounds.

Today I had no breakfast.  A perfect excuse for violating every dietary rule for the remaining hours of the day.  I had a piece and a half of lasagna for lunch with a salad.  A few pieces of chocolate throughout the afternoon (a few meaning anywhere from 2 to 27).  And tonight our family raided a local Mexican restaurant which we frequently frequent.  It was an obligatory visit.  I got a gift certificate for Christmas to the place.  What could I do?  Eat.

I had what I always have there – chicken fajitas.  They were, as always, amazing.  Had chips, salsa and cheese dip too.  No dessert.

Due to the random nature of the universe, I’ll probably drop 3 pounds by morning.  Either way, my stomach is happy.  The scale may not be so lucky.

363 to Go

Didn’t do too badly today.  A Kashi bar and some Gatorade (before and while I was playing racquetball this morning) followed by oatmeal with cranberries and hot tea.

For lunch, a piece of whole grain bread, bowl of ground turkey and cabbage soup, some grapes and a small brownie.

Supper was lasagna, salad (cheese and dressing included – you gotta live), bread and butter, a glass of skim milk and another small brownie.

I intended to weigh this morning on the super-official scale at the racquetball club, but forgot.  Saved the scale some misery.  I’ll weigh here at home first thing in the morning.

Feel free to share some exercise tips.  Here’s one:

• Please read this blog and type some comments.  According to the calorie burning chart linked at the right, even sitting and doing nothing burns 85 calories per hour.  Imagine the fat dripping off of you as you type furiously your inmost thoughts for all the world to see.

See you on the runway!

Old Habits Die Hard

This morning I had oatmeal with cranberries, but yesterday was not quite so controlled.

We were visiting friends over the holidays, so that was obviously a culinary train wreck (in calories, sodium and fat grams only, not in taste or sheer delight).  Breakfast yesterday was a marvelous egg casserole with cheese and ham, but also onions and peppers.

Since we were traveling home later, we stopped at Braum’s for lunch.  I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich without mayo.  I honestly didn’t realize it had cheese and bacon on it too.  I didn’t want to waste food or money, neither risk offending the Braum’s chef, so I ate it. . .  all of it. . . and licked the cheese off of the foil wrapper.  Chalk one up for restraint – no fries.  Well, I had 3 fries.

Last night a bowl of chili with fat-free cheese and some crackers, and a healthy (?) bowl of peach cobbler.  Jana made it so I could not offend her either.  I don’t need her and the Braum’s chef in an alliance against me.  I also “borrowed” a piece and a half of pizza from my sons.  I had to ascend and descend the steps to get it, so I figure I offset the impact.

The great thing is that we so completely devoured every remnant of snack, cookie, candy, etc. from Christmas that there is little left in the house to tempt me/us.  And, of course, we will not restock such demon-food.

Weighed 204 this morning.  A moral victory.

Hello Fellow Blobbers!

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