Get behind me quick and easy fast food...

Woke up this morning with a plan to make a smoothie for breakfast, a bit of 2% milk, a bit of Fage 2% plain yogurt, some frozen berries, a tsp of honey and away I go. Pretty easy to pull off and tasty to boot.

Not happening. I open the fridge, no milk. I'm looking at the clock and I had set aside enough time to get up, shower, iron my work clothes and make a quick smoothie to take with me. I didn't plan on my plan not being doable. Ugh.

In the past I would have just said "no problem, I'll just stop at McD's" and I almost did that, my lazy old self said "Hey they have Oatmeal bowls with fresh fruit in them, that might work" and my new self said "You have no idea what they add to that or the nutritional value, look in the fridge again". So I looked.

Since I started this diet I have been making sure to load my fridge and counters up with fruit, I have discovered a friend in fruit. No fat, low calorie, high fiber fruit. The safe snack. I have been adding fruit to my breakfast, and my snack options and It has made a huge difference for me. One apple at mid day kills that urge to snack, that urge that had me eating chips, candy and let's just be honest, garbage. And not only was I eating those things, I was mindlessly eating those things, out of the bag, while I am distracted, either by work or entertainment. Eating fruit requires me to interact with my food, peel the orange, slice up the apple, remove pits from a cup full of cherries, what ever the fruit is I have to pay attention to it. No more mindless eating.

Back to my breakfast dilemma in progress, another quick glance and I saw enough fruit to possibly satisfy my morning hunger. I grabbed an apple, an orange and a cup of cherries. Total calories? 266 and Fiber? 10.5g. I decided not to bring the Greek yogurt and just go au naturale and tossed them in my back pack with my lunch (prepped the night before) and boogied to work.

I wasn't sure a few pieces of fruit was going to hold me till lunch. I didn't need to worry, not only was I fine I had tons of energy and knocked out 2 video editing projects before I knew it.

I was curious what McD's oatmeal bowls looked like nutritionally so I looked them up.

McDs Fruit and Maple Oatmeal Bowl: 290 Calories, 5g Fiber, 4.5g Fat, 32g Sugar and 5g Protein.
Ingredients: Oatmeal (Whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, food starch-modified, salt, natural flavor (plant source), barley malt extract, caramel color) Dices Apples, Cranberry Raisin blend and Cream.

McDs Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal: 290 Calories, 5g Fiber, 8g Fat, 21g Sugar and 6g Protein.
Ingredients: Banana Oatmeal (Whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, dried crushed banana, food starch-modified, natural flavor (wheat and botanical source), salt, spices.) Blueberries, Cream and Walnuts.

Not bad but I definitely get more fiber, less fat and no modified food starch and natural flavors when I make my food at home.

Moral of the story? Fruit is good and real change begins in the brain and the heart. I could have taken the lazy route and instead I took the right path aka "the road less traveled" and I plan am taking this path to its destination, my new health.

Menu for today:

Breakfast - Fruit! Apple, Orange and a cup of cherries Calories = 266, Fiber 10,5g

Snack - None I was not hungry

Lunch - Baked Potato and single serving of TFPD's Vegetarian Chili (sans the Bulgar, which I was out of, and the yogurt) with a 1/4 cup of grated white cheddar (which I know replaces the missing calories from the yogurt and Bulgar). Calories 378, Fiber 17

Snack - Peanut and Raisin Mix - Calories 244 and 4.5

Dinner - Vegetarian Tortilla Soup recipe serves 2, Calories 305 and Fiber 8g:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion

1-3 teaspoons hot paprika

1 32oz Vegetable Broth (I like Wolfgang Pucks Organic)

4 medium plum tomatoes

1 medium yellow summer squash

1 cup of asparagus

2 cups fresh spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or to taste)

 1tbs red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 corn tortillas

Heat 1.5tbs oil (reserve 1/2 a tbs) in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add paprika and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, squash, and asparagus; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in spinach; continue cooking until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes more.

While soup is cooking brush the tortillas with the reserved EVOO and place under a broiler until browned on both sides (tops 2 minutes).

Once soup is ready crumble the tortillas into the bowls, ladle the soup in as well bowls and top with fresh cilantro.

Total:

Calories = 1193
Fiber = 40

Weekend in a nutshell...

I am finally starting some yoga/Pilate's exercises today, I am going to go slow on this one so I don't short-circuit my desire to begin working out. I also added another Power-up to my SuperBetter routine called Lazy Exercise which, as I have said before, is right up my alley. It turns everyday activities into health choices. Going to the store? Park farther out in the lot than you normally do. Sitting around listening to music? Get up and dance. Sitting down or standing still? Get up and move :) Sounds a lot easier than reserving time in your day to go to a gym hence the name :)

I mentioned SuperBetter awhile back and I'll recommend it again. Turning activities I don't enjoy into a game makes my competitive self strive a little bit harder :).

The game is not just for weight loss the creator of the game came up with the idea after suffering TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) that left her in pain that eventually became depression. As a game designer she both made games for a living but also loved playing them. After a month of crushing depression and constant headaches her sister invited her to play a co-op game online. She joined her sister online and began playing. After a few weeks she noticed some thing had changed with her, even though she still suffered the headaches her depression had receded significantly. It made her TBI issues manageable.

So she began looking into the theory of game play and health and there were tons of studies showing that playing games, any games, was good for you. She began work on SuperBetter and here we are today. If you'd like to hear her thoughts on this (and I highly recommend this) check out her Ted talk from this year,

So weight loss for me is now partly a game :) and that is a good thing because I LOVE games and I love winning almost as much :)

Menu for the weekend:

Breakfast - PB&J Smoothie (I made this one up) Calories 405, Fiber 6g

Snack (if I'm hungry) - 1 Medium Orange Calories 69, Fiber 3g

Lunch - MIke's Bag Lunch (this will be a regular so I named it) 2 slices of Dave's Killer Bread 21 Grain, half a medium avocado, 1/3 English cucumber sliced and slice of thin cut deli ham. Calories 460, Fiber 14g
Snack - Pear Calories 100 , Fiber 5g

Dinner - TFPD Sesame Noodle and a Spinach salad (1cup wilted spinach, 1tsp sesame oil and 1tbs lemon juice) Calories 365, Fiber 14.5g

Total:
Calories = 1399
Fiber = 42.5

Sunday:

Breakfast - TFPD Polenta Scramble Calories 315, Fiber 6g

Snack - Pink Lady Apple Calories 130 , Fiber 5g

Lunch - MIke's Bag Lunch (this will be a regular so I named it) 2 slices of Dave's Killer Bread 21 Grain, half a medium avocado, 1/3 English cucumber sliced and slice of thin cut deli ham. Calories 460, Fiber 14g
Snack - 1 Medium Orange Calories 69, Fiber 3g

Dinner - Grilled chicken ,zucchini, polenta and 1/2 a serving of the Half hour Chili  (BBQ for the fam here is my version) 1 medium chicken breast no skin, dry BBQ rub, 1 large zucchini and one serving of polenta (I cut them into rectangles) 1/2tbs olive oil. Brush the veggie and the polenta with olive oil and place the works on the grill. Calories 564, Fiber 10.5g

Total:
Calories = 1540
Fiber = 38.5

Nearly Vegitarian

Nearly vegitarian, that is how I am describing my diet to my friends. I say nearly because the decision isn't based on some philisophical decision, or moral objection but purely as a way to "control" the pace of my weight loss. Less meat = a more consistent loss of weight.

Nearly vegitarian because when I make a sandwich I occasionally add a few very thin slices of ham or turkey. I'll be manning the BBQ this weekend for my family who has been begging for BBQ chicken, will I partake? Yes. Will it be what I used to do (overeat)? No. I'll have one chicken breast grilled no sauce just seasoning, grilled polenta and veggies to round out the plate. I may swap the polenta and just go with grilled fresh corn on the cob.

Any way you look at it I still love meat, I just understand that to get healthy meat needs to be the side dish, not the main course. So that is what I mean be nearly vegitarian :)

Menu for today:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean, 1 small banana, 1/2 cup of 2% milk Calories 345, Fiber 7g

Snack - Ants on a Log (I went slimmer today less peanut butter) 4 Stalks of celery, 1tbs of peanut butter and 1/4 cup of raisins. Calories 180, Fiber 4.5g

Lunch - TFPD's Sesame Noodle Salad 1cup of cherries and 1oz (about 10 chips) of Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips Calories 554, Fiber 15g

Snack - One Orange Calories 62, Fiber 3g

Dinner - TFPD's Half Hour Chili on a medium baked potato Calories 378, Fiber 17g

Total:
Calories = 1519
Fiber = 46.5


edit: I added baked potato to the dinner chili

Accountability, public and private :)

So I shared with my family a few weeks back my new direction and what it means to me. At first it was just so they could understand why Sunday morning breakfasts (which I always prepared for the family) was going to be significantly different moving forward. With Atkins it was all to easy to plan a big breakfast (so long as it wasn't waffles, french toast or pancakes) I'd make a frittata, omelette's, scrambled eggs, eggs over (what ever you wanted) and more eggs. I would include, breakfast sausage, bacon or whatever was available. It was easy (more or less) and I felt like I was "providing" for the family. In reality I was feeding them what I was eating, and now I think, not such a healthy solution for them.

Back to the accountability thing, I shared with my family, co-workers (who honestly see me more than my family does) and friends what my direction looks like, my goals and the one big goal I have set. We do a yearly walking, running, moving contest centered around creating teams who can log the most distance traveled. Everyone gets pedometers and it is a month of tracking. I've skipped out every year because walking hurts when you weight as much as I do. So my goal is by next July I will be on a team, contributing to a goal. No quitting, complaining or dodging.

I have a few friends I check in with a few times a week, letting them know how I'm doing also so I have group and individual accountability and encouragement.

I haven't been accountable to anyone in a long time, maybe its time I was :)

Menu:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean, 1 small banana, 1/2 cup of 2% milk Calories 345, Fiber 7g

Snack - 3 stalks of celery, 2tbs Peanut butter and 1/8 cup raisins (yes Ants on a Log) Calories 292 ,Fiber 6g

Lunch - Mikes Bag Lunch (this will be a regular so I named it) 2 slices of Daves Killer Bread 21 Grain, half a medium avacado, 1/3 english cucumber sliced and slice of thin cut deli ham. Calories 460, Fiber 14g

Snack - Red Cherries- Calories 104, Fiber 3.5g

Dinner - Asparagus Szcheuan Stir Fry - 1 cup asparagus, 2 cups brocolli, 1 cup snow peas, 1 cup celery chopped, 1 cup bok choy,  2tbs soy sauce, 2tbs mirin, 2 tbs sesame oil, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1tbs peanut butter and 1tbs red pepper flakes. Serves 2 Calories 231, Fiber 12.5

Total:
Calories = 1432
Fiber = 43g

Yes I Can :)

OK so back on July 19th I was talking about the weight I had lost and my goals. I had my weight at 428lbs. It has been exactly three weeks and I noticed in my updates I hadn't been posting my progress although I had posted my speculation on how much I was losing each week (about 2 to 3 pounds).

My weight today (exactly three weeks to the day) is 417lbs or better known as 11lbs down in three weeks or 3.66lbs a week. Not to shabby! I am actually quite pleased with this progress since I never seem hungry, I am eating what I like sans all the meat. I actually had pizza take out on Saturday all vegetarian (Spinach, roasted red peppers, onion, mushrooms, olives and green peppers) with light sauce and cheese. Two slices only thank you very much :) .

More later I'm off to a meeting.

Stress = Meh

Had a stress day yesterday, everything just seemed to pile on leaving me feel run down and with a huge headache. So I took the day off, no work, no computer just a bit of quiet time. I'm feeling better.

Stress has always been a trigger for me to "comfort food" over eat. Although I had more calories than my average of 1400 to 1500 a day (I added up my daily total intake and 2315 isn't horrible but it sure was a lot more than I wanted to see) they were at least healthy choice calories. High fiber bread, bananas, apple, veggie soup (leftover from dinner the night before) peanuts and raisins. So not a complete fail but I am still turned to food for comfort and not just hunger. That needs to stop.

Today although not stress free is at least headache free and so hi-ho hi-ho its back to work I go :P I've got a ton of video edits to complete before the week is out and taking yesterday off isn't making it any easier.

Here is my menu for today:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean, 1 small banana, 1/2 cup of 2% milk Calories 345, Fiber 7g

Snack - 1 medium pear Calories , Fiber 5g

Lunch - Mikes Bag Lunch (this will be a regular so I named it) 2 slices of Daves Killer Bread 21 Grain, half a medium avacado, 1/3 english cucumber sliced and slice of thin cut deli ham. Calories 460, Fiber 14g

Snack - Pink Lady Apple- Calories 100, Fiber 4g

Dinner - Left over Spicy Veggie soup Calories 253, Fiber 10g

Total
Calories = 1268
Fiber = 40g

Weekends are for...

...doing things. It's that simple, I'm trying to change the image I have of myself these last few years it's a "Buddha sitting on a throne image" with me camping the living room big, comfy chair, plugged into my computer. calling for my kids to bring me things. Being the "king" of the house is a comfy gig, to comfy in fact, which has resulted in my gut making me look like a ginormous pear.

So from now on I am going to do for myself, want water? Get it myself. Need the phone, get off my ass and get it myself. I am no longer to surround myself with my technology making it an exercise in earth moving to detach from my throne.

I'm not stupid enough to say I won't set up in the living room when I want to play or surf, I'm just saying I am going to limit that time, do for myself and get up and get moving.

I got out this weekend with the kids (wife works on Saturdays, for now at least) went and saw Batman:Dark Knight Rises which was awesome and oddly motivating. This movies foundations (if not the actual script) are based on one of my favorite Batman story arcs, The breaking of the Bat, where he meets something for the first time that is unbeatable. This immovable force is called Bane (nice use of a metaphor isn't it) who proceeds to undo everything Batman and Bruce Wayne have worked/lived for and eventually breaks his back and leaves him for dead.

That is the first half of the story, the second half is the renewal, healing of Bruce's body, mind and soul and his eventually return to Gotham city and the defeat of Bane.

After the movie I went home and spent some time chewing on the basic truths contained in the story. I compared the parallel anchors in the story of drive, self worth, desire and dedication. What is so different about my story I pondered. My "bane" was myself, created out of a low self worth, very little drive and little desire to really change. I am my own worst enemy.

Today is week three, my hump week so to speak, the hardest week for me whenever I try something new. By this time the newness has faded, I have either found my rhythm or discovered the rut (always my excuse to give up, I mean who wants to be in a rut). Hump week for me is normally where I quit things, typically because it requires to much work, actually any work, I told you I'm lazy.

Getting healthy again is a ton of work. I have to plan, prep and execute. There is no one else. It's all me, all the time. Actually that isn't fair. My wife executes the shopping aspect picking up the items I've added to the list. I found myself looking for ways to quick prep, and had to stop myself. No shortcuts, no easy path, that is what I said. Shortcuts are the devil Bobby Bouche...

So I planned out slightly more complex menu items, focusing on flavor and left overs that I can turn into lunches (of so a small shortcut, but a healthy one). Let me say, polenta is a pain in the butt to make, 20 to 30 minutes stirring a pot are they crazy? But it sure goes great with a bunch of veggies and is very satisfying.

Menu:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean, 1/2 cup 2% milk and 1 small banana Calories = 345 and Fiber =8g

Snack - TFPD Zesty Bean Dip and Chips (see earlier posts for link) Calories =210 and Fiber =4g

Lunch - Zesty Bean and Veggie Tostada. 1 LaTortilla Factory Multi grain wrap, 1/2 cup of the TFDP Zesty Bean mix, 1 cup of romaine, 1 cup of spinach, 1/8 cup jalapenos and 1/8 cup diced red onion and an apple Calories =420 and Fiber = 19g

Snack = Pink Lady Apple Calories =130 and Fiber = 5g

Dinner = TFPD Spicy Vegetable Soup and Polenta Calories = 323 and Fiber = 11g

Total:
Calories = 1428
Fiber = 47g