Dinner out last night for date night - went to "The Daily Kitchen and Bar". Great food, not a great place if you're looking for audible conversation. At least not great for guy who has hearing issues.
Not a HUGE weight loss this week. I only lost half a pound. That's ok though. I think that all things considered (business travel, eating what was available to me, lack of exercise, lack of sleep) this was a positive week. Despite the challenges I still lost some weight and I am headed in the right direction.
I was at 162.5 a week ago and today I'm at 162. Not terrible.
I came across another great blog on wellness that is on the NY Times. This particular article is on eating before & after a workout. Interesting information especially as I consider what my Long-Haul life will look like post-diet. Chocolate milk, here I come.
Thought for the day: As hard as it was to hear at The Daily last night, their food was great. It was all really healthy stuff. I appreciated knowing that I was in a "great" restaurant and could order anything off the menu and it would be healthy food. What a novel idea and the place was packed. We waited for an hour just to get in. I love their tag line:
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” — Hippocrates
Friday, August 30, 2013
DAY 31
3 mile run
45 min. dog walk this morning (it wasn't so muggy this morning)
I know, I know, I know. This is the second (or third) post that I've missed. To be honest I'm beginning to feel like I'm running out of things to say. Yesterday I just didn't have anything to say. The blog is a journal (of sorts), but seriously, how many times can I write about what I ate last night or my workout, etc...
So, today was another busy day. I had an appointment which meant no lunch time workout or run. I got a run in at the end of the day but running or working out at the end of the day is so hard. I'm usually mentally spent and I feel like I'm still running on fumes from my time in Chicago earlier in the week. Ahhhhhhh which leads to what I've decided to write about today.
Sleep, we all do it. Some of us get a lot of it and some of us just don't get enough. That said, did you know that sleep loss can actually add to your weight gain? I know, that's what I said too. How is that possible? You're not doing anything except breathing, laying there like a big bump on an overturned log or you're snuggled up in your snuggie. The sleep loss/weight gain relationship has been studied for a long time. A few things have been noted: "Both adults and children are more likely to be overweight and obese the less they sleep at night. Scientists have also found that when people are allowed to sleep eight hours one night and then half that amount on another, they ended up eating more on the days when they’ve had less sleep. Another study showed that losing just a few hours of sleep a few nights in a row caused people to pack on an average of about two pounds." Weight Loss & Sleep Read Here
The research went on to show that subjects who were "walking dead" in the morning (having been kept up all night) evidently preferred food choices that were super high in calories like desserts, chocolate and potato chips. The sleepier they felt, the more they wanted the calorie-rich foods. Interesting, huh? I'm not a scientist, clinician or workout guru, but I personally can testify that when I don't sleep I am definitely more hungry the next morning. I generally feel like I could eat a horse.
Sleep has been definitely been lacking this week and I do have a tendency to stay up late during the week. I need to make sleep a part of my routine (although at this very moment it's close to 11pm but I will sleep in a little tomorrow).
Ok - Blog 31 done:
Night, Night Monkey
Quote for the day: "The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep." W.C. Fields
Ok, I know I've missed a few a days. I'm been swamped at work and traveled to the windy city yesterday and just got back today. I was too busy to even catch a few minutes in the gym at the hotel. It was a crazy, fast trip. I knew it was going to be that way so I intentionally focused my efforts on eating right. Thankfully this was a scenario where I did not have to go to client dinner kinds of things. I was on my own for food...which was a good thing. I started the morning (3am) with my usual coffee, yogurt, cereal and a banana. That got me through most of the morning and my two flights and some early morning meetings till about 1pm central time. Then I was able to grab lunch. I went to this place that was in "walking" distance from my hotel and grabbed a chicken sandwich and a side salad that was actually quite good. The remainder of the day was spent in meetings so there was no time for snacking opportunities. I will confess that I did have a Coke at the office because "there was no coffee." I couldn't believe it! I was dragging my arms like an ape and I needed some caffeine desperately (I also had some coke on the plane. Not whole cans though, they only give you those small plastic cups). Yesterday evening (after 9pm) when I got back to the hotel, the restaurant across the street was closed but the hotel has a menu. They didn't offer much and it wasn't super healthy (burgers, fries, etc...and I didn't want another salad or sandwich). I ended up going with a very small flat-bread white pizza with artichokes and some other healthy stuff on it and a low calorie Gatorade. So all in all it was relatively healthy trip. I snacked on almonds in the airport today and drank water - no caffeine today.
Of course this got me thinking about staying motivated and eating healthy when you're traveling on business (which a lot of my friends do). Here are some tips of mine that I try to follow.
Find out whether the hotel serves breakfast and what kind of options are available. Continental breakfast versus the full breakfast menu. At least this way you can choose cereals, yogurts, etc...like this morning. I was able to have essentially the same breakfast I have at home. Greek yogurt, cereal, some toast with peanut butter (small amount since it wasn't my PB2).
If you can't avoid the business lunch that you know is not going be offering a lot of healthy meals, then eat breakfast and do the best you can with less-healthy lunch choices. That's life sometimes. If you can grab some healthy snacks (i.e., low-fat snack bars to eat before lunch or before dinner) that helps too.
Dinner out: Stick with grilled chicken; that's a safe one. Shrimp is good or a good piece of fish. If you can get side salad and order the dressing on the side (so you can control the portion) that's a good one too. Wine or Beer? Limit yourself to one and drink lots of water.
This is obvious, but squeeze in a little exercise each day, even if it is just running up and down the hotel stairs for 10 minutes and doing 10 minutes of calisthenics in your room if the hotel does not have a gym.
Ok, I know this doesn't "look" all that great but it actually was a very good lunch. I was pleasantly surprised and I did the best I could with what was available.
Thought for the day:I'm bushed! Back in the saddle tomorrow with a workout in the gym. Looking forward to it after being cramped up in airports, planes, conference rooms and a hotel room.
Yesterday I worked out for two hours. I was essentially prepping for the cookout and our evening with friends (chocolate and beer) B&C. I ran 4 miles. It took an hour. I walked the dog for 30 minutes and then I hit the weights at the gym for half an hour. I racked up 14 additional points for the day so I felt really good about not worrying about what I was eating at the cookout. It was great, we had amazing BBQ provided by some good friends of ours that have their own side business and everyone brought healthy dishes which was unexpected but awesome. When our friends came over later in the evening I had "good" beer. I ended up purchasing one beer call "sublimely Self-Righteous". It had a winged demon on the bottle so I thought I'd give a shot. It was tasty. What I didn't realize is that it had almost 9% alcohol in it. Whew! Not good for someone who worked out for 2 hours that day and hadn't had alcohol in over a month. I had a headache this morning.
Headed to church and looking forward to enjoying this day of rest.
See you tomorrow.
Quote for the day:"I'm easy like Sunday morning" Lionel Richie
Getting ready to hit a 4 mile run
Dog walk - minutes
Amazing weather today
Wow, this great news! As I've said more than a few times this week "It's been a tough week." I thought that, if anything, I would have stayed at 164.5 but I actually lost 2 pounds this week. I'm not sure what happened to be honest. I think maybe it's because, despite the crazy week, I was paying attention. On the days that I wasn't in the gym I was still moving. I still got my walk with Sasha each morning (she is my walking buddy for sure) and I was doing push-ups and using my exercise bands during conf. calls or as a break during a busy day. I ate well, I didn't over eat. Despite my moment of giving in with the Animal Crackers, I still did ok. Each night I did go over my daily points (w/out additional workout points) but not by much and what I was eating was good stuff. Still lots of veggies and my snacks have been good stuff. Instead of that bowl of milk and chocolaty delight, I was opting for these new popsicles that are amazing. They're real fruit and come in a lot of different flavors. They have blueberry, strawberry, lemon and lime. There are other flavors, but so far these are my favs. They are called Outshine snack bars and on the "old school" ww plan they are only a point each. It also helps that my wife makes great meals that are healthy and she has been 100% behind me and supporting me this entire time. Having people get behind you and supporting you can really make the difference. When you're bummed out like I was this week it really helps having support that can encourage you and give you swift kick in the you know what when you need it.
Off to my 4 miler this morning.
That's 17g of "real" sugar from the fruit. Not high fructose corn syrup. These are so good that my 12 year old absolutely loves them. She actually chose these over her favorite ice cream.
Thank you love.
Thought for the morning:I've done a lot of complaining on this blog. I'm not a trainer or weight loss guru this is for the most part just a journal but I have done some complaining this week. Here is my quote for the day from Bob Harper from the Biggest Looser show - "Shut up and just DO it!"
DAY 24
Dog walk 30 minutes
Finally- gym 45 min.: worked the weights first then the sprints to do something different
It's been a tough week and weigh in is tomorrow. Eating right has been tough and I've missed the workouts multiple times this week. I'm not sure what weight in is going to be like. The eating hasn't been terrible but I could have been better. Outside of not working out and completely losing it on the box of Animal Crackers, I've done ok with my eating. Tomorrow I plan on either getting a run in or going to the gym. It depends on how I'm feeling.
In the weight loss battle, a clean diet will win every time. It's difficult to think that folks can just "run" off all the pasta, beer, etc. that they ate the night before and lose weight. There needs to be balance between both. If you don't eat right, it will undermine what you're trying to accomplish in the gym. That's why I've been bummed out this week that I didn't get a solid run in this week or get to the gym enough. Today when I was lifting I could really tell that I hadn't been working out like usual. I had energy but I was missing some fire in my arms. I'm beginning to realize that I'm also flat out grumpy when I'm not working out. Diet is the main factor that can help lower weight, exercise on the other hand allows the weight
that is lost to stay off. That's how I'm looking at it at least. I'm no expert but that seems to make simple sense right?
Ok, so weigh in is tomorrow and then we head to a cookout and then spend some time with friends later in the evening. I'm hoping I don't fall off the cliff.
Quote of the day: "I was never a natural athlete, but I paid my dues in sweat and concentration"
Recently I found some quotes by men that are way more knowledgeable than I am about healthy living. Word smith William Shakespeare said this: "our bodies are our gardens – our wills are our gardeners.” Ahhh, so profound. Budda said "To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear. Water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals." Huh? I got the first part but he lost me at "wet petals." I liked this guy's quote better: "Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” ~Doug Larson.
Isn't that the truth?! Man, put a plate of broccoli in front me along with a plate of tasty (I seriously just licked my lips) bacon and admittedly I'll choose the bacon. Here is another honest quote from Gregg Avedon, one of Men's Health Magazines cover models "Sure I've cheated (speaking of his eating habits). How would I know what good eating is if I'd never eaten badly?" That's an honest answer from a guy that is clearly getting it right with respect to health & fitness as a lifestyle. What's tough about my diet is that I feel rigid. I spiced up lunch yesterday by eating 5 oz of tuna, tomato, low fat cheese and lettuce on a thin bagel. It was great and my brain was like "oh, that's new. I like that." I made a good choice by creating some variety. A couple of things are happening this weekend. There's a cookout my wife and I are going to and then we're having some friends over to hang out and have desert. There is some anxiety about this weekend. I should not feel anxious about having a good time and spending time with friends. How do I make healthy choices and still enjoy good food (that might not be on the diet) on this long-haul living plan? I'm beginning to feel a little diet fatigue. I'm not giving up but I'm feeling it. I'm trying to remember as well that I'm not just dieting to lose the weight. I'm trying to change my behaviors for the long term. I can't just diet for the rest of my life. In a sense I'm re-training my stomach, my brain and my body to make better choices overall. I'm finding it hard to do that when I'm on a rigid plan counting everything.
A few things I'm thinking through:
Planning is going to be essential for the long-haul - I need to work on getting up early and take it seriously. When my day is packed (like today) it's the only time I can get my workouts in during the week. I may need to intentionally do workouts in the mornings again simply to manage the re-training of choices. I need to get a solid workout in on Saturday prior to the cookout and maybe even eat something prior to the cookout so that I don't over-eat.
Moderation will be key. As I have written before, instead of having that HUGE piece of cake, take a small piece of cake and don't regret it. I like chocolate & I also enjoy beer. I like "good" beer and "good" beer usually doesn't taste great when it's "lite". For example, there is a reason there is no such thing as a "Lite" Guinness. I have this goofy thing that I'm not touching beer till my birthday, but when I'm with friends or out on the town there is usually "good" beer. I think I might need to rethink this. Not for the sake of having a beer. That would be stupid. No, having a beer or a piece of cake might be essential to my "re-training".
Rigid is good for now but don't over do it. I'm on a diet for a reason. I need to loose some pounds for sure and to do that requires being rigid. If I eat the same thing a few days in a row that's probably ok. I guess what I'm trying to do is create balance, harmony, etc...
Find your balance
Thought for the day: "Happiness (or eating healthy in my case) is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."Thomas Merton
DAY 21
Walked Sasha 45 minutes
45 minutes in the gym, sprints and weights
I feel so much better when I've been able to exercise and work out. Today was a complete 180 degree turn from yesterday. The itchy bee stings have subsided and the endorphins are really kicking in today (probably because I worked out so hard in the gym). It feels good though which was good because today was super busy at work with lots of calls and conference calls. It was good to detox the stress levels with some time in the gym. I think stress is something we all deal with and for me dealing with stress (or the minor life hassles we all go through) comes in the form of running, working out or playing guitar. It's a healthy form of prevention.
You can check out this MensHealth article on controlling stress: Mens Health - Stress
I am not going to call this simple at all. Making a life change like this takes an incredible amount of energy (which I'm finding I'm at a loss for these days), motivation and time commitment. That's why we (Americans) struggle with our health. Here are some goofy and serous ideas for keeping up with it: intentionally leave your glasses at home when you go to the gym, that way you won't be distracted. Drink the last of that milk in the bottom of your cereal bowl. This s a good one: hold your fork in your non-dominant hand so you will eat slower. Ha! I might try that just for fun. This one is for real - eat breakfast. A survey of more than 2,000 people who lost an average of 67 pounds and kept the weight off for more than 5 years found that 78 percent ate breakfast 7 days a week. Now, I'm not all that certain about this one but in an effort to reduce your risk of cancer, drink red wine fromChile (I can live with that). Chilean cabernet sauvignon is 38 percent higher than French wine in flavonols, which are antioxidants that plunder cancer-causing free radicals. There are numerous other tips "here" if you want to see some more.
Gym - Done
(The tough guy look...not!)
The younger years
Thought for the day: "The doctor of the future will give no medicines, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the causes and prevention of disease."
Zero exercise today, super busy with work and I had an appointment today that went way longer than I expected. I did ok with my points but I went over. I didn't over do it but I did go over. The only thing that's been on my mind today has been the "itching" that these crazy bee stings have given me. For some reason they're driving me a little nuts tonight. More so than usual. Not sure why and my ankle is a little swollen.
On top of not exercising, my elderly next door neighbor whom I've helped a few times this past week baked me a homemade loaf of cheese bread. Ahhhhhhh I love cheese bread. Ok, here's a few things that derailed me a bit that I need to take notice of. 1) cheese bread...my sweet neighbor means well. I only had a slice but it's different than what I usually eat. It was something new. I might need to change up lunch for some variety. I'm thinking tuna fish for high protein. 2). The mass attack from the wasps have me down more annoyed than anything. 3.) Rain is such a downer. Skies are gray, it's nasty outside. I need to be prepared for that kind of stuff because rain is just a part of life but it's almost like button for me. It turns on this "tone" in my day. Hmm. Paying attention to these types of things are important for attaining the new normal.
I wish these were pics of injuries sustained due to working out hard. But it's just bee stings.
Left ankle is swollen enough that you can't really see my ankle bone. See that dot? That's the sting.
Thought for the Day:Busy life got in the way today. I could have gotten up early and done something but I didn't. I lacked motivation today. I've got to stay focused.
I gotta tell ya, (violin begins playing a long, drawn out note here) I'm not really feeling the blog today. Yesterday my exercise for the day was mowing the lawn. Front yard done. Backyard, mostly done until (cello begins here) I ran over a hole in the ground that was being used as housing for a swarm of wasps. They (add drums) were not happy when the spinning blade of death ran over the hole. 1.) ouch...what was that! 2.) Ouch...what the? 3.) Oh my gosh! 4.) Smacking the back of my head...ouch! 5.) yelling, jumping up & down 6.) and so on and so on and so on as I ran to the back door loudly yelling words I will not repeat on this blog. My daughter was standing in the kitchen thinking that the blade had carved my foot off or something. After "The Incident" I counted 15 stings on both legs from the knees to both my ankles. I'm fine. My throat never closed up and there was no drama but I am taking Zyrtec, Benedryl and I'm putting Benedryl cream on my stings. I'm a little drowsy today and itchy. Plus it's raining and I don't like that.
Today was my rest day so I had zero exercise which meant no extra points to enjoy during the day. It's been hard. For some reason last night I just wanted to eat. I wasn't starving. I just wanted to eat. Today was the same. When I'm bored especially on a rainy day like today I just want to sit around and eat. Thankfully my daughter and I got out of the house for a few hours which got me away from the pantry, but once we returned the urge to eat returned. I ate two natural strawberry and blueberry popsicles (which are awesome by the way) and they're only a point each on the "old school plan." This got me thinking about how once I hit my goal I'll be in maintenance mode, keeping the weight off and continuing on the path to good, healthy living. When you're in "diet" mode you're fighting a battle and you're motivated. Once the mission is completed you move into peace time. Things are great but without the "diet" motivating you, it's easy to lose focus and then before you know it you've gained a few extra pounds or for some people they end up right back where they were.
When armies go to war they also typically have an exit strategy to use once the war is won about how to maintain peace and order. So, I think I need an exit strategy. One that moves me off of the "diet" platform and into a maintenance platform. Going from one diet to another or dieting once a year (or every 6 months) will create fatigue and laziness will creep in. I need to begin thinking about this diet not as only reaching my goal weight but as a path to creating a new normal. If at some point I'm starving after lunch then that means I probably need to consider what is going into my lunch. This is cold war stuff - what's sabotaging my peace time? Probably need to make sure I'm busy too. That is one thing I do know about myself. When I'm bored I eat. This blog is great especially when I'm bored. I can write about not over eating...HA!!
So - the new normal. An exit strategy is what I need to think about as I'm on this path. Here's a hand full of ideas that I found on this site http://beta.active.com:
Weigh in regularly
Eat the same number of meals a day
Drink lots of water
Include fruits, vegetables, and/or lean protein in every meal
Follow a consistent exercise routine
Stay active and have fun like everyone did last night during the Anthem Moonlight ride.
Thought for the day: Its really tough to solve a weight issue without addressing the drivers underneath. Prepare for the Long-Haul.
YES! Lost a pound. Last week I got stuck at 165.5. I really think the weight lifting is paying off. I even ate out this week and still lost a pound. I hit my goals as well. I've been at this now for 4 weeks, (headed into my 5th week) and I've basically lost a pound a week which is what I was shooting for. It's funny, I've been taking these (humiliating) pictures of myself at each weigh in so that I can visibly see the changes. That's been really encouraging. This past week I put the dress pants on that I purchased over a month ago (when I had to go up a size which motivated this long-haul living stuff) and they were definitely looser around the waist. "Sigh"...this means I might have to buy more pants when I've hit my goal.
This upcoming week is going to be really busy. I'm slammed at work right now and I have a lot of appointments this week which will cost me my lunch time work out. This of course means I will have to get up "early" in order to put my time in and get some exercise. Rest day is tomorrow so I need to really think about eating tomorrow. I have found by keeping my food journal (which is how I track my points) that I am very much a creature of routine and habit. I pretty much eat the same stuff every day. Now, that's not just been in the past month. I've been "inconsistently" keeping the journal for a long, long time and I really do eat the same thing almost every day. It's yogurt, cereal and fruit in the morning and toast with PB2. For lunch it's always a turkey sandwich, lettuce, tomato and cucumbers with red grapes (replacing chips) for lunch and then dinner is where I pretty much have variety. I'm not much of a cook so my wife does all of the cooking. Dinners at my house are fabulous. She's a great cook and she always has a healthy dinner planned.
Food tip: So, we eat a lot of fruit. Summer time means fresh blueberries, mangos, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, etc...we've been experiencing pesky little nats lately. My wife has a trick for that. I call it the Vinegar Trap. Fill a vase with apple cider vinegar then take paper and roll it so it's sort of shaped like a cone. Stick it in the vase. The nats are attracted to the vinegar and the cone provides a little trap. Somehow they go in but they can't figure out how to get back out.
Thought for the day:Eat to live. As I was thinking about my food journal I realized that I'm changing the way I view food. It feeds my body so that I can stay in good health. It's not a crutch nor is it something to abuse. I'm no longer stuffing my face because I'm bored. I used to hate veggies; now I love veggies. My body is telling me it’s good for me and now I look forward to and enjoy better food.
DAY 17
50 minute walk with Sasha
4 mile run in 53 minutes
I run a lot. I like running; it's good for me and it's good cardio but it helps me clear my head. I had so much on my mind today that at one point as I was running it was like I had lost 5 minutes of my life. One minute I was on Libbie and the next minute I was on Grove Ave running by Cafe Caturra. Running clears my head, wipes the cob webs out and after a run I just feel like I have clarity. It's probably as much mental health as it is physical health. 4 miles is not uncommon in the summer but during the bitter winter season I'm generally in the gym and I cannot run for a straight hour on a treadmill. It's boring and I feel like a lab rat. I usually try to break it up between the treadmill and the elliptical. So I was thinking today (during my run) if one or the other is better. Clearly the elliptical is lower impact which is good for the knees and back but is there a difference?
The Internet machine says this: "the difference is in the way they make your body move. The fluid, gentle elliptical is better suited for light or medium-intensity workouts while a treadmill works for a high-intensity session." (Read more here: http://www.livestrong.com/article/180979-difference-between-treadmill-elliptical/#ixzz2cATXa26r). So there is a bit of a difference. Elliptical machines also have those nifty poles that help to work your upper body and if you go backwards in your stride you work completely different muscle groups than you would if you were going forward. So I guess it boils to numero uno...you and what you're looking for.
Tomorrow my work out will be in the yard. The grass needs to be cut before it starts raining this weekend and while it's not a jungle, it needs a good trim. Livestrong.com indicates that depending on how much you weigh and the type of work you do, you can actually burn 240 to 448 calories per hour doing work outside. Mowing the lawn with a power, push mower burns about 270 calories per hour. Not bad...
Hey everyone! Get your two piece suits on and let's go mow the lawn!
DAY 17
45 minute walk with the dog
1 hour in the gym
I did it!!! I got up early (6am). I had an appointment during lunch so there was no time for a lunch time work out like normal so I had to force myself to get up early and go to the gym. I just couldn't make a run today. My feet and legs were sore. I did sprints on the treadmill and then lifted weights again. There is such a different crowd in the mornings than at lunch. At lunch everyone is rushing through their routine so that they can get a good workout in, shower and then head back to the office or wherever they go. The morning crowd is still waking up while they run on the treadmill. I kid you not, I walked in one morning a long time ago and someone had a Starbucks coffee sitting in the cup holder on the treadmill while they were running....Yikes! What if they spilled it?!
6:00am
It was nice watching the sun come up over Monument Ave. It was a cool morning again so the dog had a spring in her step like yesterday. A few times she even tried to run. So, tonight was eat out night for the birthday girl. I had a pretty good day (eating wise) and with my exercise I had an additional 10 whopping WW points. Once I subtracted out the points I ate between breakfast and lunch, I ended up with a total of 26 points which is my normal daily WW points total. I had a lot of protein (for the weight lifting and muscle repair) today, some light carbs and veggies (tomatoes, romaine lettuce and fresh cucumbers from a friend's garden) and I got an afternoon snack in. I was looking forward to dinner and celebrating a wonderful person's birthday. I wish I could call her out.
We went to Mosaic Cafe in the West End. Great, great food here. If you've never been you should go; it's also a great date night spot. I really, really wanted a beer but I made a promise that I was not having a beer 'till my birthday...no real "dramatic" reason, only that it has a ton of calories, sugar, etc...I went with a Limeade instead which was really tasty. Mosaic offers healthy choices on their menu. They offer vegetarian dishes and what they call Fit 450 meals. I went with a meal that they created to take the place of their famous shrimp & grits (another of my favorites). These meals are low in fat, high in protein and less than 450 calories. I chose "Fit Curry-Quinoa & Shrimp" which has light coconut milk, sweet yellow curry, fresh lime, spinach, fresh veggies, grilled shrimp (3 oz) and thin cut toasted almonds on top. I was little worried about taste but wow it packed a whole lot of taste and I love curry; it had some heat to it too. It was delicious. We also ordered some mini-crab cakes of which I only partook of one and then there was a smoked Gouda dip of which I only had a few tastes of. I did catch myself wanting to keep eating the dip (I love dips) so I stopped. Thankfully as I said earlier I had plenty of points so I was in the clear. Here's the Menu:mosaic-cafe-dinner-menu.pdf
...and tomorrow I run 4 miles
Thought for the day:The early bird caught a healthy meal today. It's ok to eat out, it's ok to live a little, just make good choices....and live longer.
DAY 16
Dog Walk 45 minutes
Bike Ride - 1 hour / 10.88 miles per Map my run
Wow, what an amazing day. The weather was great and it reminded me of Autumn. I couldn't get hiking out of my mind. This past winter I was definitely looking forward to summer. I think I spent most of the winter complaining about the bitter cold (ask my wife). The cold around here this past winter was just down right bone chilling cold and by late November I was ready for Summer. Now, I'm really looking forward to Fall. It's my favorite time of year and I really enjoy being in the mountains during that time.
Crabtree Falls with my wife
So, today I decided to switch it up a bit and go on a bike ride during lunch. It was great! I road over 10 miles in an hour. Not a lot but my thighs sure did think it was. With the ride and the weather I just felt energized today. I road from where I live (the near West End of Richmond) down to VCU and back. There were times when it felt like I was in that old 80's movie with Kevin Bacon. I think it was called Quicksilver? I do enjoy cycling and there are health benefits to it as well. Cycling is a good way not only to lose weight but it's useful in maintaining your weight as well. It's good for decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease and it’s also a great low-impact mode of exercise for those with joint conditions or injuries to the legs or hips, which might keep them from being active.
I came across an article today that indicated eating fish can cut your risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Half. Here's the article:http://www.everydayhealth.com
Eat More Fish
Thought for the day:This is completely unrelated to health & fitness but super appropriate for anyone that spent their early years in the 70's like me (also spending time watching their parents take disco lessons at the local high school). I think we need to campaign for that band Maroon 5 to cover all of the Bee Gee's songs from the movie Saturday Night Fever.
Wait! You can burn calories by dancing so this is completely related to health and fitness.
DAY 15
30 minute walk with Sasha
1 Hour in the gym (sprints and weights)
Man, I torched my muscles today. Gonna hurt tomorrow. It was like I could feel my muscles burning fat even an hour later after the workout. Good stuff.
This Thursday we're going to dinner to celebrate "a" birthday. We're headed to a great restaurant that I've been to before and the food is great and the place itself is really cool. This means I've got to enforce self control again as I did this past Sunday. Thankfully, Sunday was a "win" and it's encouraged me to feel like I can do it again. It's gotten me thinking though about "eating out". When I first started this blog I mentioned a former co-worker's hubby that had a heart attack. I later learned that he ate lunch out at a local sports bar almost daily. Overall, Americans consume an average of 300 calories a day more than we did in 1985. That's nuts! That's a lot of calories extra per day. Eating out is something we do though with family, friends, celebrations, etc...it's not bad and I'm certainly NOT going to be the jerk who doesn't go out because I'm on a "diet" and make everyone else feel weird or uncomfortable. It's life so I will go out from time to time, it just means I have to make good choices. Here are some strategies I picked up on Mens Health.
Skip the regular menu choices and piece together your own custom-made meal. The article mentions Chili's as a good place to do this but you'll never find me there. Sorry Chili's fans.
Getting a sub? Skip the oil - if not you will face a whopping 120 calories per half ounce, and there's no telling how much of it will end up on your lunch. Ouch!!
Feeling "impulsive" when you're driving down Broad Street or Midlo. Tnpk in Richmond? There's a reason for that. A study published last year in Psychological Science discovered that the mere sight of a fast-food sign can make you feel rushed, which can lead to impulsive decisions and poor nutritional choices. "Kaa-reepy"
Stick to basic dishes you know and love and you'll come out ahead almost every time. The longer and more embellished the name of the food, the more fat, sugar, and sodium it contains.
Mickey "D"s - I think we've all seen "Super Size Me" at this point. If you haven't you should. 'Nuff said.
Cut it in half. I've seen folks on Weight Watchers do this and they suggest it. It's a little odd but you can ask the waiter/waitress to bring out a to-go box when they serve you your food. Cut your servings in half and put part of it in the box and take it home. Voila!!! Lunch or dinner the next day.
Don't go hungry - Nutrition doesn't mean squat when you're starving. Your stomach will take over. Eat a healthy snack before you head out or instead of getting that beer or glass of wine ask for a glass of milk. My step-dad does that and it makes total sense. Milk will fill you up and help you not over eat.
Allow yourself one little treat: Stick to one “extra” item: enjoy an appetizer or dessert or a glass of wine, not all three though.
A place I love to go is Panera Bread. The food is great and they list calories on their menu so you can make a healthy choice for yourself. Another good one is Jason's Deli and they offer vegetarian and gluten sensitive menus. They have a pretty good salad bar too. Those kinds of places work for me though because I'm a sucker for a really tasty sandwich. You'll have to figure out what works for you.
DAY 14
Dog walk - 30 minutes (humidity still a burden on the dog in the mornings. Pretty muggy)
Run - 4 miles
Admittedly I was anxious about yesterday. I was focused for sure on watching my WW points yesterday but since I worked hard on the property Saturday I did end up taking Sunday as my "rest" day. We had lunch at my Mom's yesterday. My cousin was in town along with my sister and my little nephew and I wasn't sure what my mom was fixing for lunch. We had pizza. I love pizza and for desert we had ...."chocolate" cake. I was immediately sweating bullets because I can definitely over eat pizza and you know how I feel about chocolate. I was good though, it took a lot of strength but I was able to have one slice of pizza and I filled my plate with salad. My slice of cake was super small and I had a cup of coffee to go with it so that it was a "fulfilling" moment with the cake. By the end of the night when I got home I was shocked to realize (after counting up all my points) that I actually came in under my daily points. I couldn't believe it! I had to pull a Greek yogurt out before going to bed in order to hit my 26 number. I was really happy because not only did I hit my goal I actually didn't feel super hungry during the day which means I'm creating solid and normal portion habits and it's filling me up. I'm NOT over eating anymore !!!!!! That's huge. Usually I have zero control and yesterday was a day of control. That is progress for sure. I can't tell you how huge that is. I was able overcome my urge to "dig in".
Supposedly, when you control your eating they say your stomach shrinks. I'm finding varying opinions on that. What seems to be true is that your stomach is pretty much set in size once you're an adult but it can get bigger or smaller by about a 1/4 of an inch. The issue isn't the size of your stomach but "hunger vs. appetite". Ok, kids here is your science lesson for the day: there are two hunger hormones - Leptin and Ghrelin (sounds like names from the movie Gremlins...remember that?!).
Leptin is made by fat cells and is responsible for decreasing your appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite, and also plays a role in body weight. Ghrelin is the culprit that tells your brain that you're starving or that instead of one slice of chocolate cake you should have FIVE or that you should eat the entire large pizza you just ordered. It basically sends the signal to your brain that you're hungry. That said, there's research that says it's a little more complex than that and that the other gremlin called Leptin appears to be the bigger player in our body's energy balance. Leptin tells your brain that you have plenty of fat to go around for everyone on the block in your body. So, what this means is that you regulate Leptin by reducing fatty food in your diet. Shocking! I know. When we eat, Leptin sends the signal "Hey, enough is enough. We're all good here." When we eat fatty food though the system starts to break down and doesn't work as well. A diet rich in "good" carbohydrates (like whole grains) or a diet high in protein can shut the Ghrelin up more effectively than a diet high in fat.
There is also some studies that indicate that if you're not sleeping well your body produces more Ghrelin for some reason which can lead to shoving a lot of fatty food in your mouth. Get some sleep!
Thought for the day: I can't believe I've been doing this for two weeks!
Yesterday was kind of a "rest" day even though I worked out on "The Property" with my wife rolling up a cow fence. It was hot...really hot. We were out there for at least two hours plus. The "Old School" WW plan say's that if I do some yard work for an hour I get 5 points. I don't think I worked hard enough to get 10 additional points yesterday but I think I received at least 8. I had to count Saturday as a rest day and stay within my 26 points because today we're having lunch at my Mom's house since my cousin is in town. That means food that's not particularly on the recent meal plan. So, there's planning involved. We're also going out to dinner for a certain someone's birthday this week so I need to plan for that as well. Planning means this - watch what I'm eating, watch the points and get some exercise in this week even if it means getting my sorry butt out of the bed early to do it.
Photo's of yesterday's work on "The Property".
(Really worked the shoulders and arms on this one)
A storm's a comin'
Thought for the day:Exercise doesn't have to be in the gym, pumping iron or on a long run. You can work with your Father-in-Law in a cow field and get a pretty darn good workout. Just be careful not to step on any barbed wire!
DAY 12
Dog Walk - 45 minutes
Rolling up a Cow fence with "F.I.L."
Ok - It happened. I gained a pound and a half. Of course I was really shooting for 163 this morning so I was a little disappointed. That's ok though. I will not allow this to lead to an avalanche. I'm now coming into my 3rd week of eating better and I've added a lot of exercise to my daily routine which had been a lot more...should I say "couchy"? I've also added weights so I'm willing to bet it was the weights that added that pound and a half not the "Fro Yo" from a couple of nights ago. Here's the other thing, I'm not going to let this get me down because I'm on the right track.
"Christopher Scott, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Southern Maine, began using an advanced method to estimate energy expenditure during exercise, his data indicated that weight training burns more calories than originally thought—up to 71 percent more." (menshealth.com-weight-training-accelerate-weight-loss). The other side to this is; as you burn the fat via weight training you will add muscle. Muscle does not weigh more than fat, but it does add volume. William R. Sukala, MS, CS noted in an article on the Weight Watchers website that "because a pound of muscle burns more fat than a pound of fat, even at rest, by
increasing your lean muscle tissue mass, you're helping your body burn more
calories." He also indicates that even if you have a small amount of weight to lose, you might see the number tick up on the scale. He notes "This is due to an increase in lean
body mass (muscle, bone, blood volume) and a decrease in body fat." So, what he's saying here is: don't freak out if the scale isn't budging, you will probably see a difference
in how your clothes fit." (read the full article here: Does muscle weigh more than fat?)
The other thing is this: pounds you loose in the first few weeks of losing weight are generally made up of
about half water, so after that point, people are often fooled into thinking they are reaching a
plateau or not losing any weight. What's really occurring is that your body is approaching a normal/slower
rate of weight loss. (Click here for the full article:Powering through plateaus)
So, today I'm not going to be in they gym or out on a run but, I will be baking in the sun with my wife and Father-in-Law rolling up an old cow fence....that's right, I said rolling up a cow fence. 4 hours worth. I'm bound to shed some pounds today. Thank you "F.I.L" (that's funny).
DAY 12
Walked Sasha for 30 minutes. It was so humid this morning you could cut the humidity with a knife.
4.36 Mile Run / Walk
Swim - got some swimming in last night. We took my daughter and her friend to the pool so I got some laps in.
When my daughter comes over she runs me ragged. In a good way of course. We're busy doing stuff and I tend to stay up later hanging out with her in the evenings watching 24. That said, I was beat this morning. We went to the pool last night and didn't leave till 8pm. We also hit this new frozen yogurt place called Goin' Bananas. I was good, I only got myself a small cup of natural, non-fat, "island" banana and loaded it up with fruit and a tablespoon of granola. It was good and I felt ok with that because while I didn't get a run in or go to the gym I did swim and pulled some workout moves in the office. Needless to say we didn't get home till late and I was tired and admittedly a little grumpy this morning. Not even my coffee could shake the rust off.
Grumpy
I ran 4.36 miles today. I had no idea. While I was running my mind was wandering all over the place & before I knew it I had gone off the path. I turned around and took a new path to get back onto my usual. Not a good day to all of a sudden run farther & even a little bit more than usual. It was hot as hades out there and the humidity was terrible. To be honest I ended up walking about 15 minutes worth of my run because the sun just beat me to death. I'm no longer grumpy that's for sure. Running always clears my head no matter what. I don't know why but for some reason I feel like after a run I just have a perspective that I didn't have before. It's kinda like when I first got glasses. When I put them on for the first time it was "Oh my gosh!" I had know idea my eyes had gotten that bad. Everything was sharp and clear.
So, my weigh in is tomorrow. I'm a little anxious but ready to keep moving forward with this no matter what.
DAY 11 Walked the Dog for 30 minutes (it was humid & she could only take but so much)
Ok, another "Long-Haul" day. Second day this week with no gym or run because of an appointment that I had to take during my lunch hour. I would have liked to have gotten up early and to put in my time but honestly I just can not do early mornings anymore. I'm a zombie lately in the mornings and really can't put words together until I've had a least two cups of java. I used to take pride in my 4:30am get up and go attitude but that was about a year ago + and for some reason I just can't seem to make it happen anymore. I don't want to blame it on age. That would be too easy and there are plenty of folks over the age of 40 who get up and make it happen. I used to be a morning person and that has changed all of a sudden. My focus today has been food. No extra points today so I had to stay within my 26. Hard to do when there are ribs cooking in the crock pot all day long and it's all I smell during the day. I almost gave in but chose not to since I was able to treat myself to a brownie last night. In addition to the gym yesterday we went to the pool after dinner so I gained about another 3 points. I literally had gained half of my daily points in extra points due to my work out and the pool and my morning walk with Sasha. So, I did not dip into the "Cheetos" this afternoon since I enjoyed that brownie last night.
Something I've started doing especially when I don't get a real work-out in during the day is push-ups and I had forgotten that I had some exercise bands that I purchased wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in the day. This way I get in some strength work.
Here are some tips I've been using if I can't get a workout in:
On a conference call (and you can close your door) - Do squats. Stand with your feet wider apart than your hips, toes facing forward, push your hips back to shift your body weight on your heels instead of your toes. Lean forward 45 degrees as you lower your hips to knee level. Keep your abs tight, wiggle your toes--your weight should be on your heels. Keep your knees above your ankles. Then as you come up, squeeze your butt to stand.
Can't look at the computer for another second: Try this: sit up straight in your chair and extend your right leg forward. Lift it off the chair and hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Makes the muscles in your upper leg start to shake like Elvis? Do the same thing with the other leg.
Remember elementary school? Again, if you're on a call and no one is around, get out of your chair, lean with your back against your wall, bend your legs as if you were sitting in a chair. Push your butt against the wall and make sure your legs and knees are together. If you want to get really crazy, extend one leg straight out. Trust me, you will feel the burn on this one.
Thought for the day: I feel better. I really do. I'm tired but I know I'll turn a corner here soon. It's the exercise and I'm not used to that. My head feels clear (endorphins) and I don't feel "as stressed" as I typically have lately. I've been able to shrug stuff off more easily. I "feel" healthy too and, yes, it feels good to put that pair of khaki's on today that haven't really fit well for awhile and today they felt good. Saturday is in two days, it's weigh in and having dropped 3 lbs in one week last week I'm eager to see what I've lost this week but I'm preparing myself not see that kind of drop again. If anything, I'm preparing my head to see that I might have actually gained a pound. It's possible, with the working out I've been doing. I'm hoping to see that I've shed a pound. That would be a healthy weight loss and it's my goal. I'm free tomorrow so I can get a run or work out in.
See you tomorrow!
Watching my points today
Saw this on my run earlier in the week. It's on their driveway...
DAY 10
Dog walk 45 min
Gym - 1 hour (30 minutes of interval sprints: walking at 4.0 for 2 minutes on a 2.0 incline and running at a 9.0 for 1 minute) The other half hour I lifted weights. Focus was on my back, shoulders, arms and core.
Man, I had some serious energy at the gym. Came out of nowhere but I welcomed it compared to yesterday. I'm allotted 26 points and I ended up only eating 22 yesterday. I'm not making that a habit. Sometimes I do that if my body is in a rut and I need to give it a jump start, but I really need to be eating my points and not going under. I was happy though that my need to munch and over eat seems to be diminishing. Today was a great day of staying on track and exercising.
So, let's talk about being 40 and over shall we. When I turned 40 I thought for sure I was going to notice my body doing an immediate downhill ski jump but it never came. I thought that being "over-the-hill" meant that I was destined to have some weird urge to go into debt and buy a Ferrari too but thank goodness that never came either. Now that I'm almost 43 I have started to notice some things. I've mentioned a few already so I won't bore you. There are certainly a huge host of issues that men over 40 face. Things like heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Then there is the fact that some of us when we hit 40 do go a little bonkers and show up after work with a brand new, cherry red convertible "Hi, honey, I'm home, don't you just love it?" Some of us feel the need to say "Hey guys, over here. I still got it." Alas, every age has a beauty of its own. That said, it's impossible for people between the ages of 40 and "pick a number" to act and have the performance of people who are in their 20s or 30s. Our brains don't work the same, things all of a sudden become harder. So, what now? If that's the case, then what do we do?
Flex - Something I've been doing a long time now (and admittedly I don't do it enough) is stretch. It works out the kinks it also encompasses building mobility and honing balance. Something I've noticed lately is I lose my balance sometimes. It's not bad or like I'm all of a sudden falling over but every so often it happens if I'm looking up or trying to do something. So, I need to work on that myself.
If it's not clear on my blog....Workout - Go to the Dr., get checked out and then find an exercise routine and stick with it. Split it up between stretching, cardio, strength and core.
Find your inner "Tony Stark" and "Bruce Wayne" and add super powered food to your diet. We're talking Broccoli, Blueberries, Bananas, Spinach, Sweet potatoes, Mushrooms, Salmon, Egg Whites, Whole Grains, Almonds, etc...here's a great list of 40 super powered foods. I should say too that when I was younger I hated all of that stuff. Nowadays I eat it not because it necessarily tastes awesome but because I know it's good. And for all that other stuff I do turn my nose up on I take a multi-vitamin. Check this website out for some great recipes www.skinnytaste.com
Get Mental - Take a break, smell the roses, read a book. You don't want to get a "Cold," get it???
"C" - Old (stole that from David Wilcox). I'm serious. Something I try to make happen in the fall (and generally it's late fall around early November) is head to the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have a spot up in dem der hills that I cherish. It's my personal retreat. It over looks the valley and the air is fresh. I go there to pray, spend time reading, journaling and if no one is around I yell. It feels good to just let it out.
Get a hobby - As I said a hobby is good. Focus on something you really enjoy. My Dad has taken up painting, I'm blogging and I also write my own music and my wife sings with me (she's way better than me). Sometimes we even get a gig here and there. It's fun. I'm no rock star but it's fun...playing guitar is like therapy for me (check out our page over to the right: "Falling Noble")
Get out of yourself - Focus on other people. No projects here, take care of yourself but maybe find someone to invest your life in, give yourself away a little bit. Your over 40...I'm betting you have a lot of experience you could share with someone younger than yourself. Find your inner Yoda.
So, that is a list of a few things I do that I find help me overcome my 40's...Actually let me re-state that. Not overcome, but "live" my 40's.
Selfie at Golds Gym
300+ Calories burned in 28+minutes
Sprints at 9.0 speed on the treadmill
The song I heard while I was sprinting (perfect timing)
