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.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
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.
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