I titled my last blog post "The Lost Month" and suggested that I had considered calling it the "Lost Summer." Since that post on August 5 was my only post for the month, maybe I should have.
Anyway, I started the month of August a half pound lighter than my one year anniversary of the diet on May 15, and ended August a pound heavier than that.
Proof we'd slipped into all sorts of bad habits was abounding. . . so the last week of August and the very first few days of September, we celebrated our return to being serious about the South Beach Diet by finishing off all of the carbohydrates in the house.
We returned to Phase I of the diet (basically eat only meat and vegetables) on Tuesday morning the 4th of September, and it's worked as advertised once again. As of this morning, I'm 215.8 pounds, which is down about 5 pounds from last weekend, down 5.2 pounds from "Day 1" of the second year of the diet and down 66.2 pounds from where I started in May 2011.
We're still not going to be as strict as we were last year, but we ARE still dieting. (For example, the boys have asked for Papa John's Pizza for tonight, as a reward for good behavior the first two weeks of school, so we're relenting and ordering.)
Here's a product plug, for those who've stuck with me. . .
We stumbled upon Jennie-O's "Turkey Ham" a few weeks ago and tried it. The boys not only didn't realize it wasn't the genuine article, but Joshua (my pickiest eater) actually asked during the meal if we could "have this again soon." It comes in about a 2.25 pound block and we roast it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees and carve at the table like you would a normal ham.
A 58 gram slice is a proper serving, and 4.5 grams of fat with 2 grams of carbs. Works great for the diet.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
The lost month
Or maybe I should title this "The Lost Summer." As I type, I have the spreadsheet on which I track our progress. On May 15, 2012, I reset the "Original weight" to my current weight of that day, the one year anniversary of the start of this little odyssey. . . Now, 82 days later, the "Total Weight Lost" is a mocking "-0.5"
Since May 15, my peak of weight loss (reached twice - June 4 and again June 25) has been 4.5 pounds. On July 1, I was actually down 1.6 pounds.
I'm consoled, however, by two facts: 1. my worst day this summer was July 25, when I was actually UP 3 pounds from May 15 and 2. Looking back last summer, I actually gained 9 pounds in July, so this summer's been a breeze comparatively.
Now, we're into August, and dealing with Vacation Bible School for the boys the next three evenings, and the Illinois State Fair starting Thursday. We're going to try to behave (I bought groceries through Thursday yesterday afternoon, and the only really bad behavior I anticipate is the pizza-and-chocolate-chip-cookies combo my younger son chose for Wednesday night. It's a product I've never seen, DiGiorno pizza with 12 chocolate chip cookies. Apparently you throw the cookies in the oven as you take the pizza out. Doesn't look promising for the scale on Thursday morning).
We're looking forward to the start of school for the boys in 3 weeks as a chance to get back onto a more regular schedule and get started back down the dial.
Since May 15, my peak of weight loss (reached twice - June 4 and again June 25) has been 4.5 pounds. On July 1, I was actually down 1.6 pounds.
I'm consoled, however, by two facts: 1. my worst day this summer was July 25, when I was actually UP 3 pounds from May 15 and 2. Looking back last summer, I actually gained 9 pounds in July, so this summer's been a breeze comparatively.
Now, we're into August, and dealing with Vacation Bible School for the boys the next three evenings, and the Illinois State Fair starting Thursday. We're going to try to behave (I bought groceries through Thursday yesterday afternoon, and the only really bad behavior I anticipate is the pizza-and-chocolate-chip-cookies combo my younger son chose for Wednesday night. It's a product I've never seen, DiGiorno pizza with 12 chocolate chip cookies. Apparently you throw the cookies in the oven as you take the pizza out. Doesn't look promising for the scale on Thursday morning).
We're looking forward to the start of school for the boys in 3 weeks as a chance to get back onto a more regular schedule and get started back down the dial.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Steady . . .
Every authority with which I'm familiar warns that major weight loss is a lifestyle change, and that at some point your progress will slow.
I think we've reached that point. This morning was my lowest weight since we started this process (218.6), but . . . it's only about a half pound less than I was a week ago. On the plus side, I've lost a half pound in a week that saw a couple of restaurant meals and a week that was so hot outdoors that my exercise was limited.
The next few weeks will be a bit of a challenge - Saturday is my 25th High School class reunion. I'm planning to eat, drink and make merry, with no regard for my weight. The Saturday after that is a 70th reunion for the Scout Troop I used to lead. I've been on the committee that's been planing this event for the last six months, and I have to say, the banquet looks excellent.
The full week after THAT reunion, the boys will be with my in-laws. We're not travelling this year, but we will take the opportunity to do some things we normally can't do, like eat out at restaurants that don't have crayons and paper place mats.
So . . . for the rest of July, being steady on my weight seems like a pretty good goal.
I think we've reached that point. This morning was my lowest weight since we started this process (218.6), but . . . it's only about a half pound less than I was a week ago. On the plus side, I've lost a half pound in a week that saw a couple of restaurant meals and a week that was so hot outdoors that my exercise was limited.
The next few weeks will be a bit of a challenge - Saturday is my 25th High School class reunion. I'm planning to eat, drink and make merry, with no regard for my weight. The Saturday after that is a 70th reunion for the Scout Troop I used to lead. I've been on the committee that's been planing this event for the last six months, and I have to say, the banquet looks excellent.
The full week after THAT reunion, the boys will be with my in-laws. We're not travelling this year, but we will take the opportunity to do some things we normally can't do, like eat out at restaurants that don't have crayons and paper place mats.
So . . . for the rest of July, being steady on my weight seems like a pretty good goal.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Updates
Sharing with Man's Best Friend. The first picture below is our 10 year old Boston Terrier, Lucy. A few weeks ago, Lucy developed a bit of a limp, so we took her to the vet. She was diagnosed as being overweight and out of shape! (Sound Familiar?) So she's had her diet changed up, and she was curious about all the pictures Karen and I were taking so she came to see what was going on . . . and I couldn't resist taking her picture.
I'm a little rough around the edges after working in the garden on the 4th of July, but I wanted a self picture at 219 pounds. The belt I'm wearing is a 32 inch belt that I bought in New Mexico in 1984.
This is my lovely wife after losing 31 pounds. We're both still losing weight.
For comparison, here's Karen at her peak weight in April 2011
We're pretty pleased with our progress, even if it has slowed some since the beginning of the diet.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Back on Track
We had a good week, diet wise. Both my wife and I lost significant amounts of weight this week, sticking strictly on our Phase II of the South Beach Diet until the weekend. Monday morning I was still on my "food hangover" from the weekend and had slipped back up to 223.5 pounds. By Saturday morning, I was hitting my lowest weight since the mid-1990's at 218.4.
We indulged yesterday at my nephew's birthday party (who can say no to Cake and Ice Cream with 3 year olds?), but overall behaved very well.
This weekend, we're sampling the bounty from our garden. Last night's dinner was a ginger-garlic pork stir-fry with fresh summer squash and zucchini from our garden. The squash and zucchini made an appearance this morning in a "Garden omlette" (one egg each for each of us, along with a quarter cup of the garden veggies and a single strip of turkey bacon cooked and crumbled into the veggies).
Ahh, but lunch. . . for lunch I got creative (actually it was all Karen's idea) and made a summer squash soup. Here's the recipie as done, and what I plan to do next time.
First version - the reality:
Two cups diced summer squash, plus a quarter cup of thinly sliced rounds of zucchini.
(The squash needs to be rough diced so all the pieces are close in size, so they all cook the same)
Olive oil
2 cups chicken stock (vegatable stock would work better, but I didn't have any)
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil (a purist would call for fresh leaves, I have dried)
1 tablespoon sour cream
Gently sweat the summer squash with a pinch of kosher salt in a half tablespoon of olive oil until soft (3-4 minutes)
Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then cut the heat to low. Simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, saute the rounds of zucchini until soft and slightly carmelized. (If you don't want to brown them, sweat them at a lower heat instead)
Reserve six of the zuchhini rounds for garnish and add the rest to the soup.
Move the soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with three rounds of zucchini and a half tablespoon of sour cream per bowl. Sprinkle half of the basil over each bowl as an addional garnish.
Second version -- what I'll do next time.
The flavor was good, but the soup was too thin, and there were bits of zucchini peel floating in it, which were quite a distraction. So, for next time:
3 cups of diced summer squash, plus six thin rounds of zuchini for garnish and a half cup of peeled and diced zucchini.
Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/4 cup whole or 2% milk
Prepare as before, sweating the diced peeled zuchini with the summer squash.
The soup should be fairly thick, and pale yellow.
Next time I plan to prepare it the day before and serve cold, adding the milk as needed to thin it right before serving.
We indulged yesterday at my nephew's birthday party (who can say no to Cake and Ice Cream with 3 year olds?), but overall behaved very well.
This weekend, we're sampling the bounty from our garden. Last night's dinner was a ginger-garlic pork stir-fry with fresh summer squash and zucchini from our garden. The squash and zucchini made an appearance this morning in a "Garden omlette" (one egg each for each of us, along with a quarter cup of the garden veggies and a single strip of turkey bacon cooked and crumbled into the veggies).
Ahh, but lunch. . . for lunch I got creative (actually it was all Karen's idea) and made a summer squash soup. Here's the recipie as done, and what I plan to do next time.
First version - the reality:
Two cups diced summer squash, plus a quarter cup of thinly sliced rounds of zucchini.
(The squash needs to be rough diced so all the pieces are close in size, so they all cook the same)
Olive oil
2 cups chicken stock (vegatable stock would work better, but I didn't have any)
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil (a purist would call for fresh leaves, I have dried)
1 tablespoon sour cream
Gently sweat the summer squash with a pinch of kosher salt in a half tablespoon of olive oil until soft (3-4 minutes)
Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then cut the heat to low. Simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, saute the rounds of zucchini until soft and slightly carmelized. (If you don't want to brown them, sweat them at a lower heat instead)
Reserve six of the zuchhini rounds for garnish and add the rest to the soup.
Move the soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with three rounds of zucchini and a half tablespoon of sour cream per bowl. Sprinkle half of the basil over each bowl as an addional garnish.
Second version -- what I'll do next time.
The flavor was good, but the soup was too thin, and there were bits of zucchini peel floating in it, which were quite a distraction. So, for next time:
3 cups of diced summer squash, plus six thin rounds of zuchini for garnish and a half cup of peeled and diced zucchini.
Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt
Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/4 cup whole or 2% milk
Prepare as before, sweating the diced peeled zuchini with the summer squash.
The soup should be fairly thick, and pale yellow.
Next time I plan to prepare it the day before and serve cold, adding the milk as needed to thin it right before serving.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Payin' the price
Last week was a pretty good week. My older son and I attended 3 days of Cub Scout Day Camp, and I managed to keep the weight stable through that. I slid through a snack day at work without causing too much distress. (Up two tenths of a pound, the smallest increment my scale will measure)
Then, came Friday. We spent a weekend in Southern Illinois visiting family. We had long ago decided that we wouldn't burden others with our dietary choices, but would instead try to fit our diets into their food framework. Ha!
Friday night was McDonald's in the car. They have some healthy foods, but the only South Beach compliant items on their menu are salads, which you can't eat while driving.
Saturday morning was reasonably healthy, but Saturday Lunch was with my boys, my father-in-law and brother-in-law at Buffalo Wild Wings. Again, there ARE a few items on their menu that fit the lean meat, low carb lifestyle that I'm supposed to be following. And my entree was one such (a grilled chicken wrap). But adding the giant basket of fried stuff that our table shared probably ruined any hope I had of staying healthy.
Dinner Saturday night was the sort of meal that was "almost" compliant (my father-in-law grilled)
Late Saturday night a few of us went to a Mexican restaurant late and had appetizers and desserts. Ouch.
Sunday breakfast, by request, I was very, very bad. I made homemade biscuits and gravy for my in-laws, and it was so good that I had two servings. With real pork sausage and not the turkey stuff I use at home. With real butter in the gravy, not light oil of some kind. (At least I held myself to 2% milk instead of whole or cream).
We skipped lunch, but dinner was Fried Chicken and a slice of pie.
Not only am I up several pounds this morning, but I spent a big chunk of the night being sick to my stomach. :-(
Serves me right.
On to the new week!
Then, came Friday. We spent a weekend in Southern Illinois visiting family. We had long ago decided that we wouldn't burden others with our dietary choices, but would instead try to fit our diets into their food framework. Ha!
Friday night was McDonald's in the car. They have some healthy foods, but the only South Beach compliant items on their menu are salads, which you can't eat while driving.
Saturday morning was reasonably healthy, but Saturday Lunch was with my boys, my father-in-law and brother-in-law at Buffalo Wild Wings. Again, there ARE a few items on their menu that fit the lean meat, low carb lifestyle that I'm supposed to be following. And my entree was one such (a grilled chicken wrap). But adding the giant basket of fried stuff that our table shared probably ruined any hope I had of staying healthy.
Dinner Saturday night was the sort of meal that was "almost" compliant (my father-in-law grilled)
Late Saturday night a few of us went to a Mexican restaurant late and had appetizers and desserts. Ouch.
Sunday breakfast, by request, I was very, very bad. I made homemade biscuits and gravy for my in-laws, and it was so good that I had two servings. With real pork sausage and not the turkey stuff I use at home. With real butter in the gravy, not light oil of some kind. (At least I held myself to 2% milk instead of whole or cream).
We skipped lunch, but dinner was Fried Chicken and a slice of pie.
Not only am I up several pounds this morning, but I spent a big chunk of the night being sick to my stomach. :-(
Serves me right.
On to the new week!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
When all the numbers changed.
Back on January 21, I blogged about my bathroom scale. (See - http://atrickleofrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-many-angels-can-dance-on-head-of.html)
One of the things we'd noticed was that my weight always was either an even pound or a half pound. . . 225.0 or 225.5 - and my wife's weight was always an even tenth of a pound 162.2 162.4 162.6 etc.
I wondered where the point was where the scale switched from rounding to the half pound and started rounding to the 5th of a pound. Well now I know.
My weight Thursday morning was 220.5, and Friday was 220.0. This morning . . .219.6.
So, for any weight under 220, the scale rounds to the nearest even tenth of a pound. Pretty cool.
On a side note, this morning's weight for Karen was 164.4, which is her lowest weight since the birth of our children. (Although, she emphasized, she is NOT to her pre-pregnancy weight yet)
We're easing back into Phase 2 this morning, so wish us luck. On Phase one for the last week we've experienced about a half pound to a pound of weight loss per day. Once we slip to phase 2, we typically look for a pound a week.
One of the things we'd noticed was that my weight always was either an even pound or a half pound. . . 225.0 or 225.5 - and my wife's weight was always an even tenth of a pound 162.2 162.4 162.6 etc.
I wondered where the point was where the scale switched from rounding to the half pound and started rounding to the 5th of a pound. Well now I know.
My weight Thursday morning was 220.5, and Friday was 220.0. This morning . . .219.6.
So, for any weight under 220, the scale rounds to the nearest even tenth of a pound. Pretty cool.
On a side note, this morning's weight for Karen was 164.4, which is her lowest weight since the birth of our children. (Although, she emphasized, she is NOT to her pre-pregnancy weight yet)
We're easing back into Phase 2 this morning, so wish us luck. On Phase one for the last week we've experienced about a half pound to a pound of weight loss per day. Once we slip to phase 2, we typically look for a pound a week.
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