Yesterday, I was reflecting on my diet success this year, and it all got put into perspective. A friend of mine announced her pregnancy on Christmas day, and posted a Facebook Status complaining about having gained "3 pounds over Christmas." I shrugged, and pulled up my spreadsheet . . . and discovered that I'm up 4.5 pounds in December. (Although only 2 pounds since Christmas Eve)
Overall, I'm grateful, but the Holiday Season (As expected), has been pretty rough on the diet. I thought I'd share all the numbers, though.
My official first day of the diet was May 15, when my scale showed me at 277 pounds. My last "pre-diet" doctor's visit earlier in the week, his scale showed 278. I've since found out that my peak weight a few weeks earlier had been 282.
My lowest weight since the diet started was the morning before we celebrated my wife's birthday -- when I weighed 231.0 As much as it pains me to say it, I gained 10 pounds over the holidays. I peaked at 241 pounds on December 28, which is the morning after my wedding anniversary.
The good news is I'm already down two pounds since my peak.
So . . . on to the New Year! As we've done in the past, we're going back to phase 1 of the diet starting on January 2. The menu planning has started, but for the first two weeks of the year, there will be no fruit, no bread, no pasta and no "goodies" of any kind. We've done this 3 times before, and while it's not a lot of fun, the weight loss can be significant.
Should you wish to join us on this weight-loss plan, we're following The South Beach Diet: www.southbeachdiet.com
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Small Victories
It's almost Christmas, and I'm celebrating the small victories. Yesterday was our December "Snack Day" at work, with a table loaded down with goodies like brownies, and cheesecake and what my grandmother used to call "Buckeyes" -- a scoop of peanut butter filling dipped in chocolate. These are a personal weakness, along with the doughnuts someone brought in first thing in the morning.
But, through willpower, three chances to walk a mile during the day and a schedule that included about 3 1/2 hours of meetings (OK, I'll admit it, not being able to just get up and walk to the food table was a huge help), I managed to make it through yesterday without gaining any weight at all.
In fact, as the Christmas Munchie season draws to a close, I'm a mere 3 pounds heavier than I was the morning of my wife's birthday, November 10. We have a few celebrations left this month -- my wedding anniversary is December 27 and we're going out to dinner. The only two places left in the running are both Italian places, so not diet approved.
I expect that we'll slip back into our "Phase I" diet in early January, and try to get rid of the holiday pounds and then some.
Until then, Merry Christmas to you all -- and to steal a line from the Food Network: Seasons Eatings!
But, through willpower, three chances to walk a mile during the day and a schedule that included about 3 1/2 hours of meetings (OK, I'll admit it, not being able to just get up and walk to the food table was a huge help), I managed to make it through yesterday without gaining any weight at all.
In fact, as the Christmas Munchie season draws to a close, I'm a mere 3 pounds heavier than I was the morning of my wife's birthday, November 10. We have a few celebrations left this month -- my wedding anniversary is December 27 and we're going out to dinner. The only two places left in the running are both Italian places, so not diet approved.
I expect that we'll slip back into our "Phase I" diet in early January, and try to get rid of the holiday pounds and then some.
Until then, Merry Christmas to you all -- and to steal a line from the Food Network: Seasons Eatings!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Good, good cholesterol
Today was my final follow-up with my doctor for the year. Last weekend, bright and early, I slipped into the lab to be poked so they could measure my cholesterol levels again, and today I left the office 90 minutes early to visit with my sons' pediatrician and then my doctor. The boys are healthy, and remarkably enough, so am I.
I felt going in, that my results would be a bit disappointing, but on the scale in the doctor's office I was 6 pounds lighter than I had been at my October visit. I pointed out that since we had last talked, I've had four family birthdays, and three Thanksgiving meals. He pointed out that it's normal to "plateau" in weight loss and that after my body adjusts to the new weight, the weight loss will begin again.
The big news was my cholesterol counts. LDL, the "bad cholesterol" that normal people worry about has never been a real problem for me. Last May, when I started this odyssey, my LDL level was 126, which is right at the top of the "Near Optimal" range. Today it's 100, which is the border between "Near Optimal" and "Optimal". The big concern with me was always the HDL, or "good cholesterol." The doctors want this number to be above 40, and last May mine was 26. Today it was 41.
Treatment for this issue was (of course) to lose weight and get in better physical condition . . . but also I am taking 4000 mg a day of Fish Oil (for the Omega-3 acids) and 2000 mg a day of Niacin.
Blood chemistry aside, the doctor was also pleased with my explanation of the menu we're using . . . lots of fruit and vegetables and lean meats and fish.
So, on to the end of the year, with two more birthdays, Christmas and my wedding anniversary.
I felt going in, that my results would be a bit disappointing, but on the scale in the doctor's office I was 6 pounds lighter than I had been at my October visit. I pointed out that since we had last talked, I've had four family birthdays, and three Thanksgiving meals. He pointed out that it's normal to "plateau" in weight loss and that after my body adjusts to the new weight, the weight loss will begin again.
The big news was my cholesterol counts. LDL, the "bad cholesterol" that normal people worry about has never been a real problem for me. Last May, when I started this odyssey, my LDL level was 126, which is right at the top of the "Near Optimal" range. Today it's 100, which is the border between "Near Optimal" and "Optimal". The big concern with me was always the HDL, or "good cholesterol." The doctors want this number to be above 40, and last May mine was 26. Today it was 41.
Treatment for this issue was (of course) to lose weight and get in better physical condition . . . but also I am taking 4000 mg a day of Fish Oil (for the Omega-3 acids) and 2000 mg a day of Niacin.
Blood chemistry aside, the doctor was also pleased with my explanation of the menu we're using . . . lots of fruit and vegetables and lean meats and fish.
So, on to the end of the year, with two more birthdays, Christmas and my wedding anniversary.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Holiday eating
We're trying to be only moderately strict on the diet with the holidays. But we are bending a little. Yesterday, I joined my wife for lunch at a local Italian restaurant.
While it is possible to make healthy, low-carb Italian food . . . I do not approve of the practice. :-) I had an order of beef ravioli in meat sauce. And bread. :-) And cheesecake for dessert.
Of course, there's a price to pay for such indulgences: We've HIGHLY limited carbs for the last few days.
This evening we'll have roasted turkey breast, and the boys will have full servings of mashed potatoes. I'll take much smaller servings of the carbs. Yes, as my Facebook followers know, there's fresh-made bread to eat with the turkey. But we're being good with all of our other meals, and taking a pass on the snacks today.
My peak of weight loss was just before our "Early Thanksgiving" dinner with my parents last Saturday, at 47 pounds of weight-loss. I've added about 3 pounds since then, and hope to hold the weight gain to no more than another 2 or 3 pounds over the long weekend.
Wish me luck. This is the heart of holiday eating season -- three thanksgiving meals, followed by a Christmas party on the 2nd, birthday party on the 3rd and another birthday party two weeks later. Whew!
While it is possible to make healthy, low-carb Italian food . . . I do not approve of the practice. :-) I had an order of beef ravioli in meat sauce. And bread. :-) And cheesecake for dessert.
Of course, there's a price to pay for such indulgences: We've HIGHLY limited carbs for the last few days.
This evening we'll have roasted turkey breast, and the boys will have full servings of mashed potatoes. I'll take much smaller servings of the carbs. Yes, as my Facebook followers know, there's fresh-made bread to eat with the turkey. But we're being good with all of our other meals, and taking a pass on the snacks today.
My peak of weight loss was just before our "Early Thanksgiving" dinner with my parents last Saturday, at 47 pounds of weight-loss. I've added about 3 pounds since then, and hope to hold the weight gain to no more than another 2 or 3 pounds over the long weekend.
Wish me luck. This is the heart of holiday eating season -- three thanksgiving meals, followed by a Christmas party on the 2nd, birthday party on the 3rd and another birthday party two weeks later. Whew!
Monday, November 14, 2011
180 Day Reflection
OK, for you purists, I am a couple of days late. Monday November 14 is actually 182 days. But on my ACTUAL 180th day, I was out the door early to volunteer with my son's Cub Scout Pack, so humor me.
After six months on the South Beach Diet, I've lost just over 40 pounds. Disclaimer: we had a big weekend, with a winery trip and several restaurant meals, followed by birthday cake last night. Last week I peaked at 47 pounds of weight loss. I fully expect to reach 50 pounds of loss in the next few weeks, before Thanksgiving bulks me back up.
I have a couple of observations about the process thus far. First, even though the South Beach Diet makes a big big deal about "good carbs" and "bad carbs" and (starting today for 12 days) "no carbs at all" -- what seems to me to be the most important thing is portion control. Last night I had a nice cut of beef loin. A year ago I would have had 8 or 12 ounces, wrapped in bacon. Last night, 4 ounces plain. A year ago, there would have been a cup of rice or a full sized baked potato on my plate. Last night, no starch at all. A year ago, a couple of servings of veggies. Last night, a half cup of black beans. A year ago, no salad. Last night, 4 ounces of lettuce with a few garnishes.
Second, unlike every other attempt I've made at losing weight over the years, this one -- once you're off of "Phase 1" -- is pretty flexible about those "oops" moments. When we're on phase 2, we expect to lose a pound or two a week. . . and I've noticed that a restaurant meal, or a "bribery visit" to Dairy Queen, fits into that plan pretty well. As long as we only blow it once a week or so, we still lose a pound.
Third, snacking is very important, as is proper hydration.
Fourth, exercise seems to be less important than I originally thought, although still very important.
Finally, having my wife on the diet with me has been a key to its success, even though I've lost a lot more weight than she has. (On the downside for me, it's a reminder that when I've lost another 40 or 50 pounds, I'll be just as overweight then as she was when she started.)
On to 50 pounds!
After six months on the South Beach Diet, I've lost just over 40 pounds. Disclaimer: we had a big weekend, with a winery trip and several restaurant meals, followed by birthday cake last night. Last week I peaked at 47 pounds of weight loss. I fully expect to reach 50 pounds of loss in the next few weeks, before Thanksgiving bulks me back up.
I have a couple of observations about the process thus far. First, even though the South Beach Diet makes a big big deal about "good carbs" and "bad carbs" and (starting today for 12 days) "no carbs at all" -- what seems to me to be the most important thing is portion control. Last night I had a nice cut of beef loin. A year ago I would have had 8 or 12 ounces, wrapped in bacon. Last night, 4 ounces plain. A year ago, there would have been a cup of rice or a full sized baked potato on my plate. Last night, no starch at all. A year ago, a couple of servings of veggies. Last night, a half cup of black beans. A year ago, no salad. Last night, 4 ounces of lettuce with a few garnishes.
Second, unlike every other attempt I've made at losing weight over the years, this one -- once you're off of "Phase 1" -- is pretty flexible about those "oops" moments. When we're on phase 2, we expect to lose a pound or two a week. . . and I've noticed that a restaurant meal, or a "bribery visit" to Dairy Queen, fits into that plan pretty well. As long as we only blow it once a week or so, we still lose a pound.
Third, snacking is very important, as is proper hydration.
Fourth, exercise seems to be less important than I originally thought, although still very important.
Finally, having my wife on the diet with me has been a key to its success, even though I've lost a lot more weight than she has. (On the downside for me, it's a reminder that when I've lost another 40 or 50 pounds, I'll be just as overweight then as she was when she started.)
On to 50 pounds!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Of wardrobes . . . and malfunctions
Yesterday was my wife's birthday and today is a State Holiday. So . . . my parents helpfully picked up the boys from school yesterday. They kept them overnight and today for us while we went away to celebrate. Enter wardrobe malfunction #1. In July, I purchased a new pair of swim trunks. On July 2, when I bought them, I was wearing a 45 inch waist. Today a 40. Luckily this fact was remembered BEFORE I jumped into a swimming pool wearing a swimsuit that was 5 inches too big. So as of yesterday evening, I have a new speedo. Here's a picture. :-)
I didn't know speedo made baggy shorts style swim trunks, but I'm glad they do.
The second wardrobe malfunction of the weekend was that in my haste to pack on Thursday afternoon, I grabbed KAREN'S winter coat, and not mine. So I spent my day Friday shivering in a navy blue sports coat.
Even with the wardrobe issues, it was a fun weekend.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Maintaining
From 24th October (my dad's birthday) through the 17th of February (my birthday), our calendar is blessed with 7 birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day and a couple of important wedding anniversaries, not to mention several 3-day-weekends which give mid-winter opportunities for a quick getaway.
I can tell that this is going to be a rough time for the diet, so we're working hard. Yesterday, I hit a new peak with 45.5 pounds of total weight loss. However, we celebrated the end of a stressful week and some good behavior at school with dinner out (and bad restaurant behavior from the very boys who'd been good at school).
With the exception of an occasional break like last night, we're pretty faithfully sticking with Phase II of the South Beach Diet, which limits Carbohydrates to "good carbs" of whole-wheat and only one or two servings a day, and pretty strictly limits portion sizes.
For example yesterday's pre-dinner menu.
Breakfast: one slice of whole wheat toast and 4 oz skim milk + a very large cup of hot tea.
Mid-morning snack: one ounce baby carrots
Lunch: one slice very lean smoked ham on whole wheat with a slice of low fat cheese and spinach.
Afternoon snack: one ounce mixed nuts.
We are planning dinner out next Thursday for my wife's birthday (just the two of us!) and my goal is to lose another 1.5 pounds from yesterday morning before then.
That would put me under 230 pounds for the first time since about 1998.
For those keeping score, my peak weight was 278 and my long term goal is to be under 200 pounds.
I can tell that this is going to be a rough time for the diet, so we're working hard. Yesterday, I hit a new peak with 45.5 pounds of total weight loss. However, we celebrated the end of a stressful week and some good behavior at school with dinner out (and bad restaurant behavior from the very boys who'd been good at school).
With the exception of an occasional break like last night, we're pretty faithfully sticking with Phase II of the South Beach Diet, which limits Carbohydrates to "good carbs" of whole-wheat and only one or two servings a day, and pretty strictly limits portion sizes.
For example yesterday's pre-dinner menu.
Breakfast: one slice of whole wheat toast and 4 oz skim milk + a very large cup of hot tea.
Mid-morning snack: one ounce baby carrots
Lunch: one slice very lean smoked ham on whole wheat with a slice of low fat cheese and spinach.
Afternoon snack: one ounce mixed nuts.
We are planning dinner out next Thursday for my wife's birthday (just the two of us!) and my goal is to lose another 1.5 pounds from yesterday morning before then.
That would put me under 230 pounds for the first time since about 1998.
For those keeping score, my peak weight was 278 and my long term goal is to be under 200 pounds.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Off the Wagon -- Thud
A little less than 3 weeks ago, we restarted Phase I, to try to get off of a "plateau" in our weight loss. It worked like a champ. In the first 10 days on Phase I, I dropped from 239 to 232 pounds. Ahh, but then the flip side of the coin. In a period of just 4 days . . . I experienced the dreaded "Snack Day" at work, a visit from my in-laws and a birthday party at "The Pizza Machine." I tried to be healthy on snack day (I took grapes), and for the in-laws we had low-carb options at lunch, and dinner was pretty healthy too (chili with ground turkey replacing the ground beef, and more beans than meat). And apparently "Pizza Machine" was a euphemism for "Eating Machine" -- which was ME. At the end of our extended weekend of Gluttony -- I was back up to 236.
I've mostly behaved this week, and I'm now back down to 233. We'll see what this weekend does to me. . .
I've mostly behaved this week, and I'm now back down to 233. We'll see what this weekend does to me. . .
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Back to Phase I
We're now a week into our third try on Phase I of the South Beach Diet. As a refresher, this phase is the most restrictive. We are not allowed to eat any carbohydrates and are limited to very low fat items. So the question is: "What CAN you eat?" Well, here's an example.
This is my lunch today. A spinach salad, carefully measured: 1.5 ounces of Spinach (about a cup); one ounce of baked ham, shredded; a teaspoon of diced raw shallot; a teaspoon of diced roasted red pepper from a jar; a half a teaspoon of shredded low fat Swiss cheese; a half teaspoon of low fat Newman's Own Raspberry Vinaigrette and a half ounce of unsalted mixed nuts for crunch. (Planters has a new "Nut-trition" line: http://www.planters.com/varieties/nutrition.aspx -- although it's not shown on the website today, they have a "South Beach Mix")
Is it working? You bet. As of this morning, I've lost five and a half pounds since last Sunday morning. (Although I've "cheated" 2 times -- once with crackers and cheese, twice with Dairy Queen, which we used to bribe boys into good behavior.)
Another week and we can introduce carbs back on Phase two.
On the downside -- the 40-inch waist-size jeans I bought last weekend -- they keep falling down.
Is it working? You bet. As of this morning, I've lost five and a half pounds since last Sunday morning. (Although I've "cheated" 2 times -- once with crackers and cheese, twice with Dairy Queen, which we used to bribe boys into good behavior.)
Another week and we can introduce carbs back on Phase two.
On the downside -- the 40-inch waist-size jeans I bought last weekend -- they keep falling down.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
More zeros
Labor day weekend, I blogged about about the power of zero. On that occasion the "zero" in question was 240.0, my weight. I've not gone back up to that point, but I have hit a slight plateau in the weight loss, bouncing back and forth between 236 and 238 pounds. The 40 I want to talk about today is a different, but related milestone.
We went shopping after lunch. For the first time since about 1997, I purchased two pairs of pants with 40 inch waist. For comparison, the jeans I bought last January were a 48 inch waist. I didn't buy any shirts or jackets today, but discovered I am now able to get into a size 46 regular suit coat. (That's down from a size 52)
However, we've decided we're tired of being stuck at the weight where we are . . . so starting tomorrow morning, we're moving back to Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. This is the most restrictive phase of the diet, being very lowfat, and totally eliminating carbs. We'll stay on this phase for two weeks, and see how it goes. Last time we did this I lost about 12 pounds in those two weeks.
We went shopping after lunch. For the first time since about 1997, I purchased two pairs of pants with 40 inch waist. For comparison, the jeans I bought last January were a 48 inch waist. I didn't buy any shirts or jackets today, but discovered I am now able to get into a size 46 regular suit coat. (That's down from a size 52)
However, we've decided we're tired of being stuck at the weight where we are . . . so starting tomorrow morning, we're moving back to Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. This is the most restrictive phase of the diet, being very lowfat, and totally eliminating carbs. We'll stay on this phase for two weeks, and see how it goes. Last time we did this I lost about 12 pounds in those two weeks.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Talking Turkey
OK, I'm sure that occasionally I type things in this blog that cause other home cooks to shake their heads and say "Duh!" -- and this is probably one of those posts.
The boys have been asking for Tacos again, and I'm sort of stuck at a plateau of just less than 40 pounds of weight loss. . .so whole wheat tortillas and I used Ground Turkey for the meat. We had tried ground turkey for something once before, years ago (I think I made either turkey meatloaf or turkeyburgers) and it was awful. But tonight it worked out very well.
And on the side black beans, and fresh veggies for the tacos, and fat free cheese and low fat sour cream.
Friday night we're going to try Turkey Kielbasa. I'll let you know how it goes.
The boys have been asking for Tacos again, and I'm sort of stuck at a plateau of just less than 40 pounds of weight loss. . .so whole wheat tortillas and I used Ground Turkey for the meat. We had tried ground turkey for something once before, years ago (I think I made either turkey meatloaf or turkeyburgers) and it was awful. But tonight it worked out very well.
And on the side black beans, and fresh veggies for the tacos, and fat free cheese and low fat sour cream.
Friday night we're going to try Turkey Kielbasa. I'll let you know how it goes.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
What does 38 pounds look like?
As of this morning, I've lost a total of 38 pounds since I started this process on May 15. In the past I've commented on feeling like a kid playing "Dress up" wearing my older clothes. Today, I thought it would be fun to show off a little bit. So, here are a few pictures of me modeling a pair of dress pants I purchased in the Spring of 2010. These were custom tailored by Men's Wearhouse, and I assure you, they fit when I brought them home.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The power of zero
Milestones are always fun, and Sunday morning, I hit another one. Our month of August had been a bit rough on the diet, but we've been able to really crack down the last week of August and in September so far.
Sunday morning, I reached 240.0 pounds on the scale. I'm lighter than I've been in several years now, and it feels wonderful.
Continuing to add a little variety to the diet with recipes from Hungry Girl on the food network (www.hungrygirl.com). Yesterday lunch was her grilled cheese with roasted red peppers.
As things cool off this fall, I'm expecting to pick up the exercises routine a bit more and hoping to see 235 pretty soon, and 230 on the horizon.
Have a good Labor Day, everyone.
Sunday morning, I reached 240.0 pounds on the scale. I'm lighter than I've been in several years now, and it feels wonderful.
Continuing to add a little variety to the diet with recipes from Hungry Girl on the food network (www.hungrygirl.com). Yesterday lunch was her grilled cheese with roasted red peppers.
As things cool off this fall, I'm expecting to pick up the exercises routine a bit more and hoping to see 235 pretty soon, and 230 on the horizon.
Have a good Labor Day, everyone.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
New choices
As much as I enjoyed cooking new foods the first couple of months on the new diet plan, I have to admit we'd fallen into a rut. The same few dishes over and over.
Well the blogosphere and Food Network have saved us. A few weeks ago a Twitter #FollowFriday post (where Twitter members suggest others to follow) sent me to Hungry Girl. Then I discovered she was more than just a blog and tweeter . . . she had a show on Food Network. We added it to the DVR and so far so good.
As witness tonight's dinner:http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/big-sandwiches-grilled-fuji-n-chick-wich-recipe
We're making an effort to get strict with the diet again, and it's working. I've lost almost 3 pounds this week . . . that's a pound a day.
Well the blogosphere and Food Network have saved us. A few weeks ago a Twitter #FollowFriday post (where Twitter members suggest others to follow) sent me to Hungry Girl. Then I discovered she was more than just a blog and tweeter . . . she had a show on Food Network. We added it to the DVR and so far so good.
As witness tonight's dinner:http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/big-sandwiches-grilled-fuji-n-chick-wich-recipe
We're making an effort to get strict with the diet again, and it's working. I've lost almost 3 pounds this week . . . that's a pound a day.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Falling off the wagon.
Garrison Keillor famously starts each of his monologues with "It's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegone, my hometown." I'm starting to hope for a quiet week. Beginning August 11 we've dealt with (and this is in chronological order, not order of importance): 1) The Illinois State Fair 2) Five-year-old Joshua's throat surgery 3) installation of a project at work that I've been working on since October 4) The start of School 5) A quick trip to Southern Illinois for a family funeral and 6) a weekend of implementing a SECOND project at work.
All of these things resulted in meals that were . . . not so good for the diet. (It's hard to eat a healthy salad when you leave the office at 3 and have to be 4 hours south at 7.) We've been rewarding the boys for good behavior with Dairy Queen, and last Saturday my "lunch" came at quarter 'til 3, and was (gulp) from Burger King.
So, the completely expected results. . . since August 13 I have gained 4 pounds. But we're turning things around. Last night's dinner (and today's lunch) was fish quesadillas.
Fish Quesadillas
4 Oz White Fish (used Ocean Perch this time)
2 whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1/4 cup low fat cheese
1 roasted red bell pepper
1/2 Tablespoon low fat Sour Cream
1/4 Tablespoon salsa
1/2 lemon
The fish was sauteed, with salt, pepper and the juice from the half lemon, then shredded
Lay the fish, pepper and cheese on a tortilla and top with another.
This could be finished in the oven or a skillet, but we have a quesadilla press
Garnish with sour cream and salsa
Recipe makes 1. I made four last night and we ate 1 each. The others are lunch today
All of these things resulted in meals that were . . . not so good for the diet. (It's hard to eat a healthy salad when you leave the office at 3 and have to be 4 hours south at 7.) We've been rewarding the boys for good behavior with Dairy Queen, and last Saturday my "lunch" came at quarter 'til 3, and was (gulp) from Burger King.
So, the completely expected results. . . since August 13 I have gained 4 pounds. But we're turning things around. Last night's dinner (and today's lunch) was fish quesadillas.
Fish Quesadillas
4 Oz White Fish (used Ocean Perch this time)
2 whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1/4 cup low fat cheese
1 roasted red bell pepper
1/2 Tablespoon low fat Sour Cream
1/4 Tablespoon salsa
1/2 lemon
The fish was sauteed, with salt, pepper and the juice from the half lemon, then shredded
Lay the fish, pepper and cheese on a tortilla and top with another.
This could be finished in the oven or a skillet, but we have a quesadilla press
Garnish with sour cream and salsa
Recipe makes 1. I made four last night and we ate 1 each. The others are lunch today
Friday, August 5, 2011
Around the World in . . .
OK, we haven't really travelled since we started the diet, but my own "equator" has shrunk considerably in the last 80 days since we started. Jule's Verne's story of Phineas Fogg does not dwell excessively on how Fogg dined, but since this blog is intended to discuss our weight loss, I'm going to.
We're back on "phase 2" of the diet, and it shows. "Phase 1" spoils the dieter with a steady progression down the dial . . . a pound or sometimes even two pounds every day. The current phase allows limited intake of carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables that are high in natural sugars. So as a consequence, we expect to loose a pound or two a week.
We're doing OK on will power this time around, although we've bent a little bit. (The boys wanted -- and got -- a package of chocolate chip cookies as their reward for good behavior at the library and park last weekend, and Karen and I have each given in to temptation a time or two.)
Yesterday's menu for the dieters seems to be about normal for phase 2:
Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with coffee or tea (my wife drinks coffee, I don't)
Morning Snack: One ounce of cheddar cheese on five whole wheat crackers
Lunch: 4 ounces of mixed greens in a salad with shredded ham and light dressing with a diet coke.
Afternoon Snack: One ounce of roasted peanuts
Dinner: 3 ounces of boneless sirloin sliced into thin strips and stir fried with mushrooms, shallots and zucchini, seasoned with garlic and ginger and a little bit of soy sauce, with iced tea.
Evening snack: Cheese and crackers again -- pantry's a bit low before our shopping trip tonight.
Today's lunch will be a 3 ounce portion of the sirloin, with cheese and onions on bread. I pan fried thin cut steaks last night in the wok while I was slicing the meat and veggies for the stir fry, and they are ready to go as sandwiches this morning.
I have to report, that other than an occasional craving for forbidden foods, the diet has gone a lot easier than I had expected or hoped.
As of 80 days I am down 33 pounds and Karen has lost 25.
We're back on "phase 2" of the diet, and it shows. "Phase 1" spoils the dieter with a steady progression down the dial . . . a pound or sometimes even two pounds every day. The current phase allows limited intake of carbohydrates and fruits and vegetables that are high in natural sugars. So as a consequence, we expect to loose a pound or two a week.
We're doing OK on will power this time around, although we've bent a little bit. (The boys wanted -- and got -- a package of chocolate chip cookies as their reward for good behavior at the library and park last weekend, and Karen and I have each given in to temptation a time or two.)
Yesterday's menu for the dieters seems to be about normal for phase 2:
Breakfast: Whole wheat toast with coffee or tea (my wife drinks coffee, I don't)
Morning Snack: One ounce of cheddar cheese on five whole wheat crackers
Lunch: 4 ounces of mixed greens in a salad with shredded ham and light dressing with a diet coke.
Afternoon Snack: One ounce of roasted peanuts
Dinner: 3 ounces of boneless sirloin sliced into thin strips and stir fried with mushrooms, shallots and zucchini, seasoned with garlic and ginger and a little bit of soy sauce, with iced tea.
Evening snack: Cheese and crackers again -- pantry's a bit low before our shopping trip tonight.
Today's lunch will be a 3 ounce portion of the sirloin, with cheese and onions on bread. I pan fried thin cut steaks last night in the wok while I was slicing the meat and veggies for the stir fry, and they are ready to go as sandwiches this morning.
I have to report, that other than an occasional craving for forbidden foods, the diet has gone a lot easier than I had expected or hoped.
As of 80 days I am down 33 pounds and Karen has lost 25.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Phase 2,again
We are "officially" ending our two weeks "Phase 1" tomorrow. The quotes are all to signify that we didn't do so well on phase 1 this third attempt. Phase 1, for those who don't know the South Beach Diet forbids all carbs and fruit, and many vegetables. The idea is a two week stretch on low-sugar, low carb diet to end cravings for sugar and carbs.
Part of our problem this time around was that the decision to return to phase 1 was made suddenly, in haste, and we already had bought groceries as if we were on phase 2. My wife as done better on Phase 1 this time around than I have, with just one or two servings of carbs in the last two weeks (although she's been eating grapes! -- naughty, naughty). I, on the other hand, have had only two or three days where I have NOT had a serving of carbs. (One slice of whole wheat toast for breakfast, or a pita at lunch or even a tiny bit of pasta.)
Having confessed that, I'll point out that since we returned from our most recent vacation, we have each lost 8 pounds, so we seem to be doing pretty well.
If you're keeping score, today was day 75 of the diet, and I've lost exactly 30 pounds, and Karen has lost just a bit over 25 pounds. Vacations pretty much killed the month of July, and I've just caught back up to what I weighed July 2.
Hoping that the month of August is better for the diet, but not displeased with our progress thus far.
Part of our problem this time around was that the decision to return to phase 1 was made suddenly, in haste, and we already had bought groceries as if we were on phase 2. My wife as done better on Phase 1 this time around than I have, with just one or two servings of carbs in the last two weeks (although she's been eating grapes! -- naughty, naughty). I, on the other hand, have had only two or three days where I have NOT had a serving of carbs. (One slice of whole wheat toast for breakfast, or a pita at lunch or even a tiny bit of pasta.)
Having confessed that, I'll point out that since we returned from our most recent vacation, we have each lost 8 pounds, so we seem to be doing pretty well.
If you're keeping score, today was day 75 of the diet, and I've lost exactly 30 pounds, and Karen has lost just a bit over 25 pounds. Vacations pretty much killed the month of July, and I've just caught back up to what I weighed July 2.
Hoping that the month of August is better for the diet, but not displeased with our progress thus far.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Food Choices
This evening marks the end of the first weekend since June when all four of us are home. No vacations, no planning for vacations. So we got to actually plan our meals without worrying about what would spoil if we didn't use it before leaving on vacation.
Theoretically, we're back on phase one of the South Beach Diet (which forbids all carbs, all fruits and some vegetables -- corn and carrots, too much natural sugar in them). In practice, I've had at least one serving of carbs every day this week, mostly leftovers from when we were on phase 2.
I was thinking as I was cooking this evening about how easy some of our food changes have been. Dinner tonight was a mix of items from previous meals (uncooked, not leftovers) and fresh vegetables either harvested from our garden yesterday (yay!) or purchased after church today. This wasn't a meal with lots of advanced planning, so as I cruised through the pantry, freezer and fridge looking for things to cook it struck me how different were their contents from just the first part of Spring.
Tonight's dinner actually was two courses for Karen and I -- because I wanted to experiment a little and I'd rather mess up an appetizer than an entree. For an ap, we had a slice of fresh zucchini sauteed until it was just caramelized on both sides, with a single slice of mushroom, similarly sauteed -- both were seasoned with a little fresh pepper, some salt and a tiny bit of rosemary. The zuke went down on a bed of fresh spinach, with the 'shroom on top. On top of the stack I put two quick seared shrimp, with a little bit of McCormick's "Montreal Steak" seasoning. The shrimp was sadly overcooked. (Way, way overcooked) Otherwise the dish worked very well. Our entree was the rest of the shrimp, stir fried (happily NOT overcooked), with a fresh veggie hash made from diced zucchini, diced mushroom, julienned green pepper, minced shallot and minced garlic, seasoned with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Because I've become one of THOSE parents, the boys had mac and cheese with leftover beef.
But twice today, the kids have eaten what we ate, without even noticing the change.
Specifically, breakfast was entirely substitute foods, and they didn't bat an eye. Breakfast was pancakes, bacon and milk for them, with coffee for Karen and hot tea for me (I can't stand coffee). What makes breakfast different, was that it was turkey bacon and whole wheat pancakes. (The boys got 2% milk, mine was skim)
Snack later tonight will be grapes for Joshua and the adults. Picky John will probably have whole wheat crackers (much healthier, and he hasn't noticed the difference) with a little Colby-jack cheese on them.
I'm really enjoying the change in the way that I cook, and the new ingredients and seasonings in the kitchen.
For those keeping score, Karen has now reached a total weight loss of 23 pounds -- her best so far, and I'm at 28 pounds, which is still 3 pounds more than when the vacations started.
Theoretically, we're back on phase one of the South Beach Diet (which forbids all carbs, all fruits and some vegetables -- corn and carrots, too much natural sugar in them). In practice, I've had at least one serving of carbs every day this week, mostly leftovers from when we were on phase 2.
I was thinking as I was cooking this evening about how easy some of our food changes have been. Dinner tonight was a mix of items from previous meals (uncooked, not leftovers) and fresh vegetables either harvested from our garden yesterday (yay!) or purchased after church today. This wasn't a meal with lots of advanced planning, so as I cruised through the pantry, freezer and fridge looking for things to cook it struck me how different were their contents from just the first part of Spring.
Tonight's dinner actually was two courses for Karen and I -- because I wanted to experiment a little and I'd rather mess up an appetizer than an entree. For an ap, we had a slice of fresh zucchini sauteed until it was just caramelized on both sides, with a single slice of mushroom, similarly sauteed -- both were seasoned with a little fresh pepper, some salt and a tiny bit of rosemary. The zuke went down on a bed of fresh spinach, with the 'shroom on top. On top of the stack I put two quick seared shrimp, with a little bit of McCormick's "Montreal Steak" seasoning. The shrimp was sadly overcooked. (Way, way overcooked) Otherwise the dish worked very well. Our entree was the rest of the shrimp, stir fried (happily NOT overcooked), with a fresh veggie hash made from diced zucchini, diced mushroom, julienned green pepper, minced shallot and minced garlic, seasoned with a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Because I've become one of THOSE parents, the boys had mac and cheese with leftover beef.
But twice today, the kids have eaten what we ate, without even noticing the change.
Specifically, breakfast was entirely substitute foods, and they didn't bat an eye. Breakfast was pancakes, bacon and milk for them, with coffee for Karen and hot tea for me (I can't stand coffee). What makes breakfast different, was that it was turkey bacon and whole wheat pancakes. (The boys got 2% milk, mine was skim)
Snack later tonight will be grapes for Joshua and the adults. Picky John will probably have whole wheat crackers (much healthier, and he hasn't noticed the difference) with a little Colby-jack cheese on them.
I'm really enjoying the change in the way that I cook, and the new ingredients and seasonings in the kitchen.
For those keeping score, Karen has now reached a total weight loss of 23 pounds -- her best so far, and I'm at 28 pounds, which is still 3 pounds more than when the vacations started.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Back to Phase 1.
It seems diets and vacations don't mix well. On July 2, my sons went to my in-laws for a week, and at the end of that week my wife and I took our first vacation of the summer -- four days in Southern Illinois wine country. Then it was back in the office for four days and then four days in St. Louis for a family reunion.
My peak of weight loss was the morning the boys left, July 2, when I was down 31 pounds. I've discovered my weight loss is a fragile thing, and when we returned from St. Louis, I was back to the point where I'd lost 22 pounds. So we're moving back to phase 1 of the diet. (NO CARBS) We're not actually on phase 1 yet, because I'm too cheap to throw out the various breads that we have, but we ARE being really strict about portion control.
And it has helped. . . I've lost a pound a day since returning from St. Louis, and I'm back to 25 pounds total weight lost. Karen is also catching up to me . . . her peak weight lost was 22 pounds, and she's back down to 21 pounds lost.
Can't wait for the heat wave to break so we can get some outdoor exercise.
My peak of weight loss was the morning the boys left, July 2, when I was down 31 pounds. I've discovered my weight loss is a fragile thing, and when we returned from St. Louis, I was back to the point where I'd lost 22 pounds. So we're moving back to phase 1 of the diet. (NO CARBS) We're not actually on phase 1 yet, because I'm too cheap to throw out the various breads that we have, but we ARE being really strict about portion control.
And it has helped. . . I've lost a pound a day since returning from St. Louis, and I'm back to 25 pounds total weight lost. Karen is also catching up to me . . . her peak weight lost was 22 pounds, and she's back down to 21 pounds lost.
Can't wait for the heat wave to break so we can get some outdoor exercise.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Visit with the Doctor
Today was my 2 month follow up with the doctor. I've lost 26 pounds by his scale, since May 7.
The more important numbers are my cholesterol numbers . . . which were all lower. Totally cholesterol was dramatically down (151 to 115 mg/DL) but . . . my "Good" cholesterol, the LDL was also down. So I'm starting a prescription to try and bring it up. My LDL went from 86, which is low, to 78, which is lower.
And we're going back to Phase 1 of the diet after a big weekend next weekend.
I'll blog more later.
The more important numbers are my cholesterol numbers . . . which were all lower. Totally cholesterol was dramatically down (151 to 115 mg/DL) but . . . my "Good" cholesterol, the LDL was also down. So I'm starting a prescription to try and bring it up. My LDL went from 86, which is low, to 78, which is lower.
And we're going back to Phase 1 of the diet after a big weekend next weekend.
I'll blog more later.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Size Matters
One of the most fun things with a serious diet plan like mine is the need to buy . . . new clothes. Because I'm not done losing weight, I'm not buying too much yet. But, the boys are with their grandparents for the week, so the opportunity to shop without playing hide 'n' seek all over the store was too much to let pass.
I went first to the store where I purchased most of my professional clothing (Men's Wearhouse -- maybe if I give them a plug, they'll give me a discount), and had them retake my measurements. Then to another store to pick up a couple of pairs of shorts and a pair of casual slacks for work. And, because I'm going to need them in a week or so, new swim trunks. (The very thought of jumping into the water in swim trunks that fit comfortably 30 pounds ago was enough to make what's left of my hair stand straight on end)
So for the the record: 15 months ago, my suit coat size was 52. Today 48. My waist before was a 48, and today a 45 (although the shorts I bought were a 42, with an adjustable waistband). Surprisingly, even my collar size shrank an inch from 19.5 to 18.5 (which means my next dress shirts will fit better. . . no one sells a 19.5 inch collar with sleeves short enough for me -- 33 inches).
Men's clothes sized by letters were fun too . . . what had been XXL is now XL. Another 10 pounds and I'll be able to sneak into "L" on some things.
Another shopping trip will be coming in 6-8 weeks. The two pairs of jeans I have are so large now that they appear to be pleated when I tighten my belt enough to keep them from falling off.
I have two old garments that I've saved, that are mocking me. My long range goal is to fit into both of them. The first is a very nice (if somewhat dated) Hart Schaffner Marx suit that I wore to a job interview in 1996. It's still a couple sizes too small. The second is the tooled leather belt I purchased at Philmont Scout Ranch as an adult leader in 1995. It's a size 40 -- so 5 more inches to go.
I went first to the store where I purchased most of my professional clothing (Men's Wearhouse -- maybe if I give them a plug, they'll give me a discount), and had them retake my measurements. Then to another store to pick up a couple of pairs of shorts and a pair of casual slacks for work. And, because I'm going to need them in a week or so, new swim trunks. (The very thought of jumping into the water in swim trunks that fit comfortably 30 pounds ago was enough to make what's left of my hair stand straight on end)
So for the the record: 15 months ago, my suit coat size was 52. Today 48. My waist before was a 48, and today a 45 (although the shorts I bought were a 42, with an adjustable waistband). Surprisingly, even my collar size shrank an inch from 19.5 to 18.5 (which means my next dress shirts will fit better. . . no one sells a 19.5 inch collar with sleeves short enough for me -- 33 inches).
Men's clothes sized by letters were fun too . . . what had been XXL is now XL. Another 10 pounds and I'll be able to sneak into "L" on some things.
Another shopping trip will be coming in 6-8 weeks. The two pairs of jeans I have are so large now that they appear to be pleated when I tighten my belt enough to keep them from falling off.
I have two old garments that I've saved, that are mocking me. My long range goal is to fit into both of them. The first is a very nice (if somewhat dated) Hart Schaffner Marx suit that I wore to a job interview in 1996. It's still a couple sizes too small. The second is the tooled leather belt I purchased at Philmont Scout Ranch as an adult leader in 1995. It's a size 40 -- so 5 more inches to go.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
On healthcare costs
Forgive me as a venture into politics, just slightly.
A few weeks ago, a political columnist and blogger whom I read daily (grrrr, and I can't remember which one) had a throw-away line in a blog post, in which they said "Doctors and insurance companies have no business attempting to regulate health-care costs." This is, of course, patently ridiculous. Both the health care field AND insurance companies have a great opportunity, and obligation to do just that. Two examples to prove my point.
First, and most obviously, the diet that I'm on and the lifestyle changes I'm making. My doctor did not say "You should lose weight so your clothes will fit better" or "You should lose weight so your office chair will creak less when you sit in it" Although both those things are true. What he actually said was "If you don't lose weight, your knees and ankles will get worse and worse. But that probably won't matter after the heart attack you're going to have, unless the high blood pressure causes a stroke first" (OK, so I'm consolidating what he really said) The point is, taking the somewhat unpleasant action of limiting the foods I consume, and exercising when I'd rather be reading or playing with the kids is MUCH cheaper than an MRI, or an EKG or all the other acronyms that the doctors use.
Similarly, a flashback 7 years to when my wife was expecting our first son. I was intrigued to discover that our insurance company would pay 100% of the costs for a car seat, up to a huge sum of money (I think it might have been $100 -- it was more expensive than the best car seat I could find). But they would only pay for the car seat, if we'd provide proof that we had attended at least 3 parenting classes and a prepared childbirth class, and that my wife had seen her doctor for at least 4 prenatal visits. Although the people at Blue Cross/Blue Shield are nice folks, and I'm sure one on one they would have a great deal of empathy for a family with a small child . . . the fact is that the insurance company doesn't REALLY care about us. The reason they did these things is because their actuaries had said "If you pay $100 for car seats, you'll save an average of $110/per policy on auto accident claims". And "If you pay for prenatal care, you'll save $1.25 in claims for every dollar that you pay."
In this way, both the medical profession and the insurance industry do, indeed, save all of us lots of money over time.
Since this is supposed to be a diet blog, I'll take a minute to announce that as of 6/30, which is day 47 of the diet, I'm down 29 and a half pounds.
A few weeks ago, a political columnist and blogger whom I read daily (grrrr, and I can't remember which one) had a throw-away line in a blog post, in which they said "Doctors and insurance companies have no business attempting to regulate health-care costs." This is, of course, patently ridiculous. Both the health care field AND insurance companies have a great opportunity, and obligation to do just that. Two examples to prove my point.
First, and most obviously, the diet that I'm on and the lifestyle changes I'm making. My doctor did not say "You should lose weight so your clothes will fit better" or "You should lose weight so your office chair will creak less when you sit in it" Although both those things are true. What he actually said was "If you don't lose weight, your knees and ankles will get worse and worse. But that probably won't matter after the heart attack you're going to have, unless the high blood pressure causes a stroke first" (OK, so I'm consolidating what he really said) The point is, taking the somewhat unpleasant action of limiting the foods I consume, and exercising when I'd rather be reading or playing with the kids is MUCH cheaper than an MRI, or an EKG or all the other acronyms that the doctors use.
Similarly, a flashback 7 years to when my wife was expecting our first son. I was intrigued to discover that our insurance company would pay 100% of the costs for a car seat, up to a huge sum of money (I think it might have been $100 -- it was more expensive than the best car seat I could find). But they would only pay for the car seat, if we'd provide proof that we had attended at least 3 parenting classes and a prepared childbirth class, and that my wife had seen her doctor for at least 4 prenatal visits. Although the people at Blue Cross/Blue Shield are nice folks, and I'm sure one on one they would have a great deal of empathy for a family with a small child . . . the fact is that the insurance company doesn't REALLY care about us. The reason they did these things is because their actuaries had said "If you pay $100 for car seats, you'll save an average of $110/per policy on auto accident claims". And "If you pay for prenatal care, you'll save $1.25 in claims for every dollar that you pay."
In this way, both the medical profession and the insurance industry do, indeed, save all of us lots of money over time.
Since this is supposed to be a diet blog, I'll take a minute to announce that as of 6/30, which is day 47 of the diet, I'm down 29 and a half pounds.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Good Morning!
Today's post is brought to you by Patrick's wife-Karen. Patrick is on his way to work right now, so I am filling in as today's blogger. On Thursday, Patrick weighed in 25 pounds less than he did when he started this diet, and I was down 17 pounds.
Well...today is a different story. Patrick was down 27.5 pounds over the weekend, and I was still down at 17 pounds. However, Patrick's lack of willpower got the better of him over the weekend, and this morning he weighed in at 251, which is 26 pounds lost. I, on the other hand, weighed in at 165, which is 20 pounds lost since this diet began.
I am pleased with my weight loss, and I am still pleased with Patrick's as well. He stated that his next goal is 30 pounds lost by his doctor's appointment on July 11th. My next goal (don't know how feasible) is to be 140 pounds by Labor Day. This is the weight that I was BEFORE having my 2 sons, who are now 5 1/2 & 6 1/2 years old.
Well...today is a different story. Patrick was down 27.5 pounds over the weekend, and I was still down at 17 pounds. However, Patrick's lack of willpower got the better of him over the weekend, and this morning he weighed in at 251, which is 26 pounds lost. I, on the other hand, weighed in at 165, which is 20 pounds lost since this diet began.
I am pleased with my weight loss, and I am still pleased with Patrick's as well. He stated that his next goal is 30 pounds lost by his doctor's appointment on July 11th. My next goal (don't know how feasible) is to be 140 pounds by Labor Day. This is the weight that I was BEFORE having my 2 sons, who are now 5 1/2 & 6 1/2 years old.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Milestones
Finally getting back to the swing of phase 1, and it shows.
As of this morning, I'm 25 pounds lighter than 40 days ago (which is when I started this grand adventure).
Dinner last night was a spinach salad with a home-made mustard vinaigrette (My wife made the salad and the dressing). And the entree was a shrimp and zucchini stir-fry, with just enough fresh lemon juice over it to really make the flavors pop. (This is the sort of meal that we'll continue to eat after the diet is over -- except maybe with a little rice)
After dinner, we went grocery shopping. That's the downside of this diet. We have food for about 7 days for all four of us, and the take was about $25 more than our usual pre-diet grocery bill.
That said, it IS a lot of fun pushing a cart full of fresh vegetables and seafood and raw meat through aisles filled with shoppers whose carts are laden with frozen dinners similar things.
On to 30 pounds!
As of this morning, I'm 25 pounds lighter than 40 days ago (which is when I started this grand adventure).
Dinner last night was a spinach salad with a home-made mustard vinaigrette (My wife made the salad and the dressing). And the entree was a shrimp and zucchini stir-fry, with just enough fresh lemon juice over it to really make the flavors pop. (This is the sort of meal that we'll continue to eat after the diet is over -- except maybe with a little rice)
After dinner, we went grocery shopping. That's the downside of this diet. We have food for about 7 days for all four of us, and the take was about $25 more than our usual pre-diet grocery bill.
That said, it IS a lot of fun pushing a cart full of fresh vegetables and seafood and raw meat through aisles filled with shoppers whose carts are laden with frozen dinners similar things.
On to 30 pounds!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Back to Square (or at least phase) One
Two big events happened over the weekend. My wife's cousin got married in southern Illinois, and my brother had his annual Father's Day cookout. We semi-behaved, but between a wedding banquet and a cookout, I put on two pounds, and Karen put on a little less than a pound. So . . . back to Phase 1 we go.
Since Monday morning we've been totally free of carbs and even veggies with a high sugar content.
And Phase 1 works, as advertised. . . Monday morning, I was at a total weight loss of 19 pounds. By Wednesday morning, the total was 23 pounds. Karen has gone from 13.8 pounds lost to 16 pounds lost since Monday.
We'll continue carb free until 4th of July weekend. (Gotta get ready for the next cookout!)
Since Monday morning we've been totally free of carbs and even veggies with a high sugar content.
And Phase 1 works, as advertised. . . Monday morning, I was at a total weight loss of 19 pounds. By Wednesday morning, the total was 23 pounds. Karen has gone from 13.8 pounds lost to 16 pounds lost since Monday.
We'll continue carb free until 4th of July weekend. (Gotta get ready for the next cookout!)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Breaking through
Ten days ago, I blogged about "The Elusive 20" the wall at 20 pounds that I could not seem to break through.
It appears that I've done so, and I'm starting to move again. As of this morning, day 34 of the diet, I'm at 22 pounds lost -- the lowest weight I've been in years.
However, my lovely bride has hit a similar wall, at 15 pounds. She had a chance yesterday to speak to our doctor about the diet while seeing him for something unrelated, and he's said once we have been on Phase 2 for two weeks (which is to say, June 12), we can switch back to the more strict "No Carb" routine of Phase 1 for no more than two weeks and no less than a week. We are considering doing so, to jump-start her weight loss.
It appears that I've done so, and I'm starting to move again. As of this morning, day 34 of the diet, I'm at 22 pounds lost -- the lowest weight I've been in years.
However, my lovely bride has hit a similar wall, at 15 pounds. She had a chance yesterday to speak to our doctor about the diet while seeing him for something unrelated, and he's said once we have been on Phase 2 for two weeks (which is to say, June 12), we can switch back to the more strict "No Carb" routine of Phase 1 for no more than two weeks and no less than a week. We are considering doing so, to jump-start her weight loss.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Thirty-one day reflections
Yesterday marked 31 days on the South Beach Diet, and overall I think it's been a very positive experience. My peak weight loss happens to have been the last day, when I ended 21 pounds lighter than when I started. However, I first hit 20 pounds of weight loss 10 days ago. Then again 7 days ago. Last weekend, I "slipped" a little, but got back to 20 pounds down yesterday.
Hopefully I've broken through that plateau -- although I have a wedding (and reception) to go to this weekend, so we'll see.
Overall the experience has been very positive -- not just the adding holes to my belt loops and not being able to wear my jeans anymore, but also the change in energy levels, blood pressure and the reduction in overall aches and pains. And of course, the side benefits in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen last night at 9 to get the boys their bedtime snack and could still smell the rosemary that had gone over the veggies at dinner.
Hopefully I've broken through that plateau -- although I have a wedding (and reception) to go to this weekend, so we'll see.
Overall the experience has been very positive -- not just the adding holes to my belt loops and not being able to wear my jeans anymore, but also the change in energy levels, blood pressure and the reduction in overall aches and pains. And of course, the side benefits in the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen last night at 9 to get the boys their bedtime snack and could still smell the rosemary that had gone over the veggies at dinner.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Side benefits
I promised this blog would MOSTLY focus on the food, but I wanted to spend a few minutes on the most important single side benefit, and a few slightly more fun benefits.
If you scroll back to my very first entry in this blog "In which we begin" from May 16, you'll see that the previous week at my doctor's visit, my blood pressure had been 146/75. This caused the doctor to assume his "lecture pose" and commence to lecturing me. Specifically, this was the reason behind the weight loss (well, that and cholesterol issues). So . . . Since Sunday May 15, I've been taking my blood pressure every night. As yet my fancy BP machine hasn't been calibrated against the doctor's, but the trend is good. The first night I took a reading was 135/72. The high was 146/92 on May 19, but most of the time it's down in the low 120 or high 110 range. Tonight's was 119/75. I'm pretty pleased with the improvement.
The second benefit has been in my still pretty minimal exercise routine. I've been walking at work, both on my lunch break and by sneakily scheduling meetings as far as possible from my desk. This morning and later in the day, I had two meetings in the far southeast corner of our complex -- eight tenths of a mile from my desk. Between the two meetings and a walk at lunchtime, I walked over 5 miles. I can now walk a mile in 12 minutes, with my laptop and briefcase, without either getting out of breath or sweating noticeably.
The third, and most fun, is that my wardrobe is going to need some adjustment soon. My most recent round of dress clothes came from Men's Wearhouse -- which luckily for me has guaranteed tailoring. Their website says "We guarantee if we have altered a seam once, you will never have to pay to have it altered again, within the limitations of the original garment, should you gain a few pounds or lose weight" I'm planning to hold them to that. But shirts and some of my older work clothes (and all of my jeans) will need replacing eventually. Karen still has "skinny clothes" so she's enjoying fitting back into favorite old outfits. (She recently wore the dress she bought for our first "Really Important Date" back in 2001). I'm impressed.
If you scroll back to my very first entry in this blog "In which we begin" from May 16, you'll see that the previous week at my doctor's visit, my blood pressure had been 146/75. This caused the doctor to assume his "lecture pose" and commence to lecturing me. Specifically, this was the reason behind the weight loss (well, that and cholesterol issues). So . . . Since Sunday May 15, I've been taking my blood pressure every night. As yet my fancy BP machine hasn't been calibrated against the doctor's, but the trend is good. The first night I took a reading was 135/72. The high was 146/92 on May 19, but most of the time it's down in the low 120 or high 110 range. Tonight's was 119/75. I'm pretty pleased with the improvement.
The second benefit has been in my still pretty minimal exercise routine. I've been walking at work, both on my lunch break and by sneakily scheduling meetings as far as possible from my desk. This morning and later in the day, I had two meetings in the far southeast corner of our complex -- eight tenths of a mile from my desk. Between the two meetings and a walk at lunchtime, I walked over 5 miles. I can now walk a mile in 12 minutes, with my laptop and briefcase, without either getting out of breath or sweating noticeably.
The third, and most fun, is that my wardrobe is going to need some adjustment soon. My most recent round of dress clothes came from Men's Wearhouse -- which luckily for me has guaranteed tailoring. Their website says "We guarantee if we have altered a seam once, you will never have to pay to have it altered again, within the limitations of the original garment, should you gain a few pounds or lose weight" I'm planning to hold them to that. But shirts and some of my older work clothes (and all of my jeans) will need replacing eventually. Karen still has "skinny clothes" so she's enjoying fitting back into favorite old outfits. (She recently wore the dress she bought for our first "Really Important Date" back in 2001). I'm impressed.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The elusive 20
My timing was impeccable. We started the South Beach Diet on May 15, which means that we moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2, and started adding carbs back to our diet, on Memorial Day weekend.
I lost 18 pounds in phase 1, and added back two of those pounds over the holiday weekend. No problem, we also added some new excercise and after the hoiday we cut back on the "splurging" and so on June 4, I just touched my first goal weight, 20 pounds lost. Of course that was a weekend, when we were travelling (more impeccable timing) and so between Saturday morning and Monday morning -- I gained 2 pounds again. But progress is being made, as of this morning, I'm holding at 19 pounds lost.
Today's challenge is the corporate cafeteria -- I have a free lunch coupon.
The diet is wearing on the kids a little bit, at times. They would like to eat out more often than we do -- the younger one, especially, is a fan of the local Chinese buffet. We just don't have the willpower for that yet. They are pretty happy about meals like last night. Karen and I had scallops and broccoli and mushrooms. The boys would have not eaten any of that, so we didn't even try. They had chicken nuggets.
But tonight they'll be eating with us again -- baked chicken and a veggie (one of the boys likes corn on the cob, so I'm thinking that's what it will be), and some whole wheat pasta.
Anyway, I'm hoping that if I get to the elusive 20 pounds lost, I'll be able to hold that weight for awhile.
But the next goal is coming. I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor on July 11. I am hoping that before that, I'm down 25 pounds.
I lost 18 pounds in phase 1, and added back two of those pounds over the holiday weekend. No problem, we also added some new excercise and after the hoiday we cut back on the "splurging" and so on June 4, I just touched my first goal weight, 20 pounds lost. Of course that was a weekend, when we were travelling (more impeccable timing) and so between Saturday morning and Monday morning -- I gained 2 pounds again. But progress is being made, as of this morning, I'm holding at 19 pounds lost.
Today's challenge is the corporate cafeteria -- I have a free lunch coupon.
The diet is wearing on the kids a little bit, at times. They would like to eat out more often than we do -- the younger one, especially, is a fan of the local Chinese buffet. We just don't have the willpower for that yet. They are pretty happy about meals like last night. Karen and I had scallops and broccoli and mushrooms. The boys would have not eaten any of that, so we didn't even try. They had chicken nuggets.
But tonight they'll be eating with us again -- baked chicken and a veggie (one of the boys likes corn on the cob, so I'm thinking that's what it will be), and some whole wheat pasta.
Anyway, I'm hoping that if I get to the elusive 20 pounds lost, I'll be able to hold that weight for awhile.
But the next goal is coming. I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor on July 11. I am hoping that before that, I'm down 25 pounds.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Physical Activity
Yesterday, we finally got a weekend day where we were both 1) home and 2) blessed with good weather. So, we planted a 15 by 6 foot garden, with peas (very late to be planting, not sure what will grow), sweet corn, carrots and zucchini. Took about 4 hours total to work the ground, including the mid-morning decision to go rent a tiller. We were both sore by the end of the day, but felt better today.
So . . . stepping up the activity a notch. There is a measured indoor walking track at my current client's facility. 8 tenths of a mile each way from my building to the far end of the complex. So I walked just over a mile and half at work today. Then after dinner I went around the block twice and the next block over once, chasing little boys on bikes. Probably 2 miles or less.
And to top it all off, this evening after the boys went to bed, I resumed push ups and sit ups. When I was 17, the wrestling coach expected us to do sets of "Twenty-five, twenty-five" which was 25 push ups and 25 sit ups in 60 seconds. We did no less than 8 of them each practice and some times as many as 16 sets. Wonder if he'd be proud of me doing 5 and 5 tonight. :-) Well, I'll work my way up.
As icing on the cake (so to speak -- both icing and cake are off limits) -- my wife also did 5 push ups and 5 sit ups.
So . . . stepping up the activity a notch. There is a measured indoor walking track at my current client's facility. 8 tenths of a mile each way from my building to the far end of the complex. So I walked just over a mile and half at work today. Then after dinner I went around the block twice and the next block over once, chasing little boys on bikes. Probably 2 miles or less.
And to top it all off, this evening after the boys went to bed, I resumed push ups and sit ups. When I was 17, the wrestling coach expected us to do sets of "Twenty-five, twenty-five" which was 25 push ups and 25 sit ups in 60 seconds. We did no less than 8 of them each practice and some times as many as 16 sets. Wonder if he'd be proud of me doing 5 and 5 tonight. :-) Well, I'll work my way up.
As icing on the cake (so to speak -- both icing and cake are off limits) -- my wife also did 5 push ups and 5 sit ups.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Phase II
We have completed Phase I of the South Beach diet, as of yesterday, and the results were beyond my wildest expectations.
I lost a total of 18 pounds over the two weeks, and my wife lost 15. We celebrated briefly by "splurging" at first a cookout at my parents and then a pot luck at church.
This morning, we began re-introducting limited carbohydrates to our diet. Breakfast this morning was whole wheat pancakes (interestingly, my kids didn't notice the difference), with fresh fruit in lieu of syrup. We had strawberries, blueberries and bananas.
I have never avoided fresh fruit, but never really sought it out either, with one exception. In the early 80's on a backpacking trip, when all the food was freeze-dried, I began craving a fresh apple. The craving lasted for days, until I finally had the opportunity to give in to it at the end of our trek. This fruit was almost as good as that was.
The boys have been asking for tacos for dinner for the better part of a week, so that's what we are doing tonight. One small change, though, for the dieters. Tortillias, even corn or whole wheat, are still off-limits in Phase II of the South Beach diet. Whole wheat pitas are accaptable though, so now I'm apparently now a "Middle-Eastern/Mexican Fusion" cook. I'll let you know how it works.
I lost a total of 18 pounds over the two weeks, and my wife lost 15. We celebrated briefly by "splurging" at first a cookout at my parents and then a pot luck at church.
This morning, we began re-introducting limited carbohydrates to our diet. Breakfast this morning was whole wheat pancakes (interestingly, my kids didn't notice the difference), with fresh fruit in lieu of syrup. We had strawberries, blueberries and bananas.
I have never avoided fresh fruit, but never really sought it out either, with one exception. In the early 80's on a backpacking trip, when all the food was freeze-dried, I began craving a fresh apple. The craving lasted for days, until I finally had the opportunity to give in to it at the end of our trek. This fruit was almost as good as that was.
The boys have been asking for tacos for dinner for the better part of a week, so that's what we are doing tonight. One small change, though, for the dieters. Tortillias, even corn or whole wheat, are still off-limits in Phase II of the South Beach diet. Whole wheat pitas are accaptable though, so now I'm apparently now a "Middle-Eastern/Mexican Fusion" cook. I'll let you know how it works.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Milestones
Had two significant milestones yesterday. First, I've now lost 15 pounds on the South Beach Diet. The second was much more fun. Yesterday, for the first time, someone at work looked at me and said "Are you losing weight?".
To quote Phinneas Fletcher: "Yes, yes I am"
We are doing a little advance planning . . . carbohydrates start coming back into the diet on Sunday. It's a little like putting together a Christmas List for Santa: "I want brown rice. No, whole wheat bread. . . or new potatoes. Can we get fruit?" We're having a lot of fun with that.
I'm hoping to reach 20 pounds off by the weekend, and then in Phase 2 of the diet we're expected to lose a pound or two per week.
To quote Phinneas Fletcher: "Yes, yes I am"
We are doing a little advance planning . . . carbohydrates start coming back into the diet on Sunday. It's a little like putting together a Christmas List for Santa: "I want brown rice. No, whole wheat bread. . . or new potatoes. Can we get fruit?" We're having a lot of fun with that.
I'm hoping to reach 20 pounds off by the weekend, and then in Phase 2 of the diet we're expected to lose a pound or two per week.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
First Week Totals
In those makeover shows, they call it "The Reveal" -- and this one will be at the bottom of the post.
For now the diet is going well. I've been surprised at the relative lack of hunger -- although we ARE taking care to eat ALL of the portions allowed, and having our snacks on time. (Not so much on the weekend -- no one's snacked today, but we will tomorrow)
Temptation generally comes in the form of the "under four feet tall" set, who teamed up on us leaving church with one wanting McDonald's and one wanting the local Chinese buffet. Self-control won out, with the boys getting leftover cheese pizza for lunch. I had a salad and Karen had roasted eggplant.
Dinner tonight is slightly dangerous territory -- for the first time in over a week, we're going to try beef. We have a very lean cut of skirt steak, already sliced for stir-fry. It's going to get marinated in a little balsamic vinegar, with some fresh oregano and garlic. Then we'll stir fry it with some fresh asparagus from the farmer's market (also where the oregano came from)
Finally, the big reveal -- in the first 7 days of the diet, here are our weight loss totals
Patrick -- 12 pounds
Karen -- 9.8 pounds
For now the diet is going well. I've been surprised at the relative lack of hunger -- although we ARE taking care to eat ALL of the portions allowed, and having our snacks on time. (Not so much on the weekend -- no one's snacked today, but we will tomorrow)
Temptation generally comes in the form of the "under four feet tall" set, who teamed up on us leaving church with one wanting McDonald's and one wanting the local Chinese buffet. Self-control won out, with the boys getting leftover cheese pizza for lunch. I had a salad and Karen had roasted eggplant.
Dinner tonight is slightly dangerous territory -- for the first time in over a week, we're going to try beef. We have a very lean cut of skirt steak, already sliced for stir-fry. It's going to get marinated in a little balsamic vinegar, with some fresh oregano and garlic. Then we'll stir fry it with some fresh asparagus from the farmer's market (also where the oregano came from)
Finally, the big reveal -- in the first 7 days of the diet, here are our weight loss totals
Patrick -- 12 pounds
Karen -- 9.8 pounds
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Excercise on Phase one of the diet.
Friday night, my boys stayed with my parents. As a good 40-something, I took the opportunity to 1. Go shopping for groceries and garden stuff with my wife 2. clean up the home office some and 3. spend my morning planting flowers.
Planting these was a lot more difficult than it actually looks, because we left the underlying layer of gravel in place when we added the mulch last year, and under the gravel is a layer of burlap to keep the weeds down (although it's at least 10 years old and doesn't do a very good job).
Doing this level of exercise (about 3 hours work) in the hot sun with no carbs . . . well let's just say you can get a little light headed. We took a little over an hour at lunchtime to relax and recover, and we put off the vegetable seeds we've purchased for another day.
I did manage to cut the grass after we finished the flowers, but within an hour of when I finished that, everyone in the house except me was asleep. I lasted until about 9:30 before I dozed off in my chair (good thing I was recording the NASCAR race).
Looking forward to tomorrow, when I'll have an official weight loss total for the first week, and of course we'll be halfway to adding back a few carbs.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
But what about drinking.
I know, for two days I've blathered on about eating and blood chemistry and tendons and whatnot.
You're probably wondering, "what do these people drink all day?" And if you're not, just humor me.
Since I was a boy I've ALWAYS consumed a lot of water. 20 years ago I had way too much soda and a minor health problem in 1991 got me to slow down my rate of consumption of that. . .
So, before my doctor's visit last week, a normal day would see me drinking a diet coke in the car on the way to work (mostly for the caffeine), another at lunch and iced tea with my wife. In between I'd consume all of a 1 liter bottle of water at work, and frequently at least another half liter at home between dinner and bed. My wife and I drink, and are partial to Illinois wines, but we don't have a lot of alcohol. In fact, when the doctor told me last Wednesday to cut down on alcohol, I laughed. When he asked what was funny, I said "I had a cocktail 5 weeks ago, and haven't had any since. About three weeks before that, I split a bottle of wine with my wife -- because it was a Thursday and we had Italian (like you need a reason for wine from Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda IL). Before that, Champagne on Valentine's day. I also enjoy both Scotch and Bourbon, but if a bottle doesn't last a year, something's wrong. So not really cutting down on the alcohol - except none for the first two weeks of the South Beach diet.
I did, however, cut down on the caffeine. New routine is a glass of skim milk with breakfast (which is no longer eaten in pastry form in the car), and a large travel mug of tea in the car. (Hey, the doc said cut down, not eliminate!) Lunch has become caffeine free diet coke. Dinner is still the same iced tea, but when we use up this stock of teabags, we're considering switching to decaf.
Still drinking a liter and a half or two liters of water a day.
I was expecting the lack of caffeine to be a problem, but so far -- so good.
You're probably wondering, "what do these people drink all day?" And if you're not, just humor me.
Since I was a boy I've ALWAYS consumed a lot of water. 20 years ago I had way too much soda and a minor health problem in 1991 got me to slow down my rate of consumption of that. . .
So, before my doctor's visit last week, a normal day would see me drinking a diet coke in the car on the way to work (mostly for the caffeine), another at lunch and iced tea with my wife. In between I'd consume all of a 1 liter bottle of water at work, and frequently at least another half liter at home between dinner and bed. My wife and I drink, and are partial to Illinois wines, but we don't have a lot of alcohol. In fact, when the doctor told me last Wednesday to cut down on alcohol, I laughed. When he asked what was funny, I said "I had a cocktail 5 weeks ago, and haven't had any since. About three weeks before that, I split a bottle of wine with my wife -- because it was a Thursday and we had Italian (like you need a reason for wine from Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda IL). Before that, Champagne on Valentine's day. I also enjoy both Scotch and Bourbon, but if a bottle doesn't last a year, something's wrong. So not really cutting down on the alcohol - except none for the first two weeks of the South Beach diet.
I did, however, cut down on the caffeine. New routine is a glass of skim milk with breakfast (which is no longer eaten in pastry form in the car), and a large travel mug of tea in the car. (Hey, the doc said cut down, not eliminate!) Lunch has become caffeine free diet coke. Dinner is still the same iced tea, but when we use up this stock of teabags, we're considering switching to decaf.
Still drinking a liter and a half or two liters of water a day.
I was expecting the lack of caffeine to be a problem, but so far -- so good.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Progress
At the risk of sounding like a participant in an infomercial . . .
The diet seems to be really working well. I'm averaging more than 2.5 pounds a day at this phase. (Not that I expect this to continue, but it's nice). I'm also thinking that by the weekend, I'm going to have to punch another hole in a couple of belts.
Food tip of the day (actually a couple of tips, all related):
1. They MEAN it when they say to use eggplant as soon as you get it home. Sunday afternoon, we bought a beautiful, firm eggplant, but also fresh fish. We decided to hold the eggplant until Tuesday night and eat the fish first . . . and the eggplant was already starting to get soft when I peeled and roasted it last night.
2. Eggplant can cook faster than the recipe says - the instructions from a Food Network recipe said 30 minutes at 450. My oven runs hot, so I started at 425. And 15 minutes in, the eggplant was done (and almost overdone in some places)
3. Seasoning matters. Before last night I had never cooked eggplant except by dredging in flour and deep frying (pretty good, but not allowed on the diet). So last night's got a drizzle of olive oil, a coating of rosemary, minced garlic, fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Even overdone it was wonderful. Since there were only two of us eating eggplant last night, there's a half an eggplant left. I was planning to dice and saute it, but I've been requested (ordered?) to do the same thing as last night.
Today could be interesting: the last few days I have eaten alone at my desk, but it's likely today that I'll eat lunch with a former colleague. Be interesting to see if he comments on my salad -- crab meat mixed with spinach greens, celery, carrots and a homemade dressing (3 parts olive oil, one part balsamic vinegar, black pepper and a little lemon zest). Last week when we met for lunch I was eating leftover pasta. . .
The diet seems to be really working well. I'm averaging more than 2.5 pounds a day at this phase. (Not that I expect this to continue, but it's nice). I'm also thinking that by the weekend, I'm going to have to punch another hole in a couple of belts.
Food tip of the day (actually a couple of tips, all related):
1. They MEAN it when they say to use eggplant as soon as you get it home. Sunday afternoon, we bought a beautiful, firm eggplant, but also fresh fish. We decided to hold the eggplant until Tuesday night and eat the fish first . . . and the eggplant was already starting to get soft when I peeled and roasted it last night.
2. Eggplant can cook faster than the recipe says - the instructions from a Food Network recipe said 30 minutes at 450. My oven runs hot, so I started at 425. And 15 minutes in, the eggplant was done (and almost overdone in some places)
3. Seasoning matters. Before last night I had never cooked eggplant except by dredging in flour and deep frying (pretty good, but not allowed on the diet). So last night's got a drizzle of olive oil, a coating of rosemary, minced garlic, fresh cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Even overdone it was wonderful. Since there were only two of us eating eggplant last night, there's a half an eggplant left. I was planning to dice and saute it, but I've been requested (ordered?) to do the same thing as last night.
Today could be interesting: the last few days I have eaten alone at my desk, but it's likely today that I'll eat lunch with a former colleague. Be interesting to see if he comments on my salad -- crab meat mixed with spinach greens, celery, carrots and a homemade dressing (3 parts olive oil, one part balsamic vinegar, black pepper and a little lemon zest). Last week when we met for lunch I was eating leftover pasta. . .
Monday, May 16, 2011
In which we begin
Last fall, at age 41, I hit a milestone I never thought I'd hit (and never hoped to hit). After too many years of fast food, snacks with the kids and sitting at a desk, I reached a weight of 100 pounds more than I weighed when I was a High School Wrestler.
An attempt to start an exercise program and lose some weight last August resulted in a progressively worse case of bursitis (an inflammation of the sacs the keep tendon and bone from rubbing against each other) in both ankles and my left knee. Knowing my sense of humor, I'm sure you'll all recognize I was pleased to find out that the specific version I have is called Infrapatellar Bursitis, or "Clergyman's Knee". The name comes from the old pastors who knelt on the hard floor of their church to pray. Although in my case, the causes were tight tendons due to a lack of exercise and being kicked in a swimming pool last fall by my then-4-year-old son. I limped through the autumn and early winter, finding it progressively more difficult to walk, until I finally saw the doctor in January. He gave me some exercises to do, which helped tremendously.
A second attempt to begin walking this spring ended with a mild sprain in my left ankle while I was getting ready for a business trip to Chicago. By the end of a week walking on sidewalk , I could only wear one of the pairs of shoes I had with me, and only barely that one. Three weeks of rest and ice got me back to walking normally, but didn't help with the weight loss.
The final straw was my annual physical last week. Among other issues, the doctor noted that my HDL (good cholesterol) level was borderline low. (Mine was 46 mg/dL, below 40 the doctors start to get overly concerned, they'd prefer above 60.) And for the third visit to my doctor's office in a row, my blood pressure was just a trifle high (142/75 for the nurse and 146/75 for the doctor).
So we've made the following changes (so far) to my lifestyle - the doctor won't let me call it a diet. . .
Starting Sunday the 15th of May, my wife and I are on the South Beach diet. Today is day two of phase one. We're allowed no carbohydrates, and are being very lowfat. We're sticking to the book on this.
Today's menu, as a sample:
Breakfast - One egg omlet with mushrooms and low-fat cheese. Karen had coffee and I had Irish Breakfast tea and a glass of skim milk.
Morning snack - one ounce of almonds. (Karen skipped her snack)
Lunch for Patrick - two turkey roll-ups (one slice lowfat turkey wrapped around a strip of cucumber, green pepper and a green onion, all wrapped up in a romaine lettuce leaf.) I had a caffeine free diet coke with my lunch (South Beach allows caffeine, but my doc wants me to cut down).
Lunch for Karen - A Caesar salad (without dressing) and a glass of water.
Afternoon snack - Patrick - one ounce of carrots. Karen - one ounce of almonds.
Dinner - steamed salmon (4 ounces each) with ginger, lemon juice and black pepper, plus lima beans. Dessert was 2 ounces of plain yogurt with an ounce of mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts and pecans), with iced tea.
Evening snack -- cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery with lowfat sour cream, and a glass of skim milk.
If the food wasn't enough, I'm also taking 4000 mg per day of fish oil in a supplement to try and build up the HDL cholesterol.
Finally, at the end of each day, I'm using the brand new home blood pressure monitor the doctor ordered me to buy. Either it needs calibrated, or I'm better off when I don't sit in a lobby waiting for my BP to be taken, because last night's reading was 136/75 (which puts me back down into the "Prehypertension" stage). In order to mock me, Karen takes her blood pressure too: last night's was 113/69.
The doctor would like for me to lose 15-20 pounds BEFORE we start talking about exercise, other than the stretching and isometrics that I'm doing for the bursitis.
I promise, future installments of this blog will focus less on my tendons and blood pressure and more on the food.
By the way, the authors of the South Beach Diet book are right, hunger pangs are minimal and we actually have seen a small weight loss in the first 24 hours. I'll post a total after the first 7 days.
An attempt to start an exercise program and lose some weight last August resulted in a progressively worse case of bursitis (an inflammation of the sacs the keep tendon and bone from rubbing against each other) in both ankles and my left knee. Knowing my sense of humor, I'm sure you'll all recognize I was pleased to find out that the specific version I have is called Infrapatellar Bursitis, or "Clergyman's Knee". The name comes from the old pastors who knelt on the hard floor of their church to pray. Although in my case, the causes were tight tendons due to a lack of exercise and being kicked in a swimming pool last fall by my then-4-year-old son. I limped through the autumn and early winter, finding it progressively more difficult to walk, until I finally saw the doctor in January. He gave me some exercises to do, which helped tremendously.
A second attempt to begin walking this spring ended with a mild sprain in my left ankle while I was getting ready for a business trip to Chicago. By the end of a week walking on sidewalk , I could only wear one of the pairs of shoes I had with me, and only barely that one. Three weeks of rest and ice got me back to walking normally, but didn't help with the weight loss.
The final straw was my annual physical last week. Among other issues, the doctor noted that my HDL (good cholesterol) level was borderline low. (Mine was 46 mg/dL, below 40 the doctors start to get overly concerned, they'd prefer above 60.) And for the third visit to my doctor's office in a row, my blood pressure was just a trifle high (142/75 for the nurse and 146/75 for the doctor).
So we've made the following changes (so far) to my lifestyle - the doctor won't let me call it a diet. . .
Starting Sunday the 15th of May, my wife and I are on the South Beach diet. Today is day two of phase one. We're allowed no carbohydrates, and are being very lowfat. We're sticking to the book on this.
Today's menu, as a sample:
Breakfast - One egg omlet with mushrooms and low-fat cheese. Karen had coffee and I had Irish Breakfast tea and a glass of skim milk.
Morning snack - one ounce of almonds. (Karen skipped her snack)
Lunch for Patrick - two turkey roll-ups (one slice lowfat turkey wrapped around a strip of cucumber, green pepper and a green onion, all wrapped up in a romaine lettuce leaf.) I had a caffeine free diet coke with my lunch (South Beach allows caffeine, but my doc wants me to cut down).
Lunch for Karen - A Caesar salad (without dressing) and a glass of water.
Afternoon snack - Patrick - one ounce of carrots. Karen - one ounce of almonds.
Dinner - steamed salmon (4 ounces each) with ginger, lemon juice and black pepper, plus lima beans. Dessert was 2 ounces of plain yogurt with an ounce of mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts and pecans), with iced tea.
Evening snack -- cherry tomatoes, cucumber, celery with lowfat sour cream, and a glass of skim milk.
If the food wasn't enough, I'm also taking 4000 mg per day of fish oil in a supplement to try and build up the HDL cholesterol.
Finally, at the end of each day, I'm using the brand new home blood pressure monitor the doctor ordered me to buy. Either it needs calibrated, or I'm better off when I don't sit in a lobby waiting for my BP to be taken, because last night's reading was 136/75 (which puts me back down into the "Prehypertension" stage). In order to mock me, Karen takes her blood pressure too: last night's was 113/69.
The doctor would like for me to lose 15-20 pounds BEFORE we start talking about exercise, other than the stretching and isometrics that I'm doing for the bursitis.
I promise, future installments of this blog will focus less on my tendons and blood pressure and more on the food.
By the way, the authors of the South Beach Diet book are right, hunger pangs are minimal and we actually have seen a small weight loss in the first 24 hours. I'll post a total after the first 7 days.
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