A Good First Month

Thoughts for today
Well, did my daily weigh in on this last day of the month and ended the first month of this journey having lost a nice round 15 pounds! This is more than I have ever lost in a month, and I have to attribute some of it to the blogging. I think knowing that I'll be on here every night detailing what I ate for the day and talking about it with my blogger friends makes it easier not to eat 5-6 slices of pizza, even though I want to sometimes.  Not to say I haven't overeaten sometimes, I have. But I've been honest about it, talked to you guys on here, and then tended to get back on track, whereas in the past, I would have used one of the overeating days as an excuse to just say "Ah Screw it!"

I still have a long way to go, but I think I'm going to actually get there this time.

Exercise
Playing in the snow again, walking around the neighborhood, pushing the sled up and down hills. Also, burned about 75 cals on Wii Fit.

Breakfast
100 calorie "alternative" bagel from Publix with a little bit of cream cheese. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Chinese takeout. Chicken with Garlic sauce, steamed rice, won ton soup. Reasonable portions of all. Our son had the sesame chicken (fried) and I grabbed just a few pieces, enough to get a taste 2 glasses of water.

Dinner
Leftover chili from yesterday with 8-10 fat free Saltines. Glass of water.

Snacks
15-20 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. A few (maybe 3-4) BBQ Chips, handful of Special K with Chocolatey Delight.

Snow in the South

Thoughts for today
This is a pretty busy weekend and we're also trying to take a little advantage of the snow we so rarely get around here, so I'm keeping the entry short today and it'll probably be a few days before I get caught up with my fellow weight loss bloggers updates. I do like to make the daily entry though, even if minimal, because I feel it keeps my mindset in the right place. And thanks to all who have been dropping by my blog, I always enjoy coming home from work and reading your entries!

Exercise
Playing in the snow, dragging a sled around the neighborhood.

Breakfast
100 calorie "alternative" bagel from Publix with a little bit of cream cheese and 2 slices of turkey bacon. I'm not sure what the "alternative" meant, it looked and tasted like a bagel. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
The wife made a big pot of chili with Laura's 96% lean ground beef and I had a decent sized bowl with about 8-10 fat free saltines. It was excellent, especially on a cold snowy winter day. 2-3 glasses of water.

Dinner
Leftover chili from lunch, I have a feeling this chili will make its way into tomorrow's blog as well. Glass of water.

Snacks
12-15 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. Air popped popcorn with parmesan garlic seasoning and a little Smart Balance spray. Fresh cantaloupe. A Fuji apple.

Broke The Plateau!

Thoughts for today
Thanks again to my blogger friend 266 for yesterday's award. It was a nice way to spend time recognizing all the good things in my life. I think we often tend to get so focused on the more problematic, stressful things in life and don't think enough about all the good things. I have another good thing to add. In the midst of the snow and new blogging friends I've made as a result of the award, I forgot to mention I finally got past the 180 plateau I'd been fighting for over a week. Clocked in at 178.5 this morning, which makes for 14 pounds lost since I started this blog on New Years Day, and I think I owe at least a few of those pounds to the fun I've had talking to and getting tips and support from fellow bloggers.

Exrecise
None yet.

Breakfast
Active Lifestyle Oats and Chocolate fiber bar. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Slid my way home early today on icy roads, but eventually made it safel y and when I got there the wife was making a great lunch of sauteed mahi mahi with olives, onion, and salsa topping and couscous. Several glasses of water.

Dinner
Since I ate a bit too much of that great lunch, dinner was a nice bowl of Raisin Bran.

Snacks
10-12 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. Air popped popcorn with parmesan garlic seasoning and a little Smart Balance spray.

Happy 101 - Thank You!

Thoughts for today

My blogger friend 266 was so kind to award me the the Happy 101 award today, and I really appreciate it! It encourages me to keep blogging every day, even though there are days it's hard to find the time. Terms of the award are to blog about 10 things that make you happy and then pass the award onto 10 other bloggers. I am going to postpone coming up with 10 people to pass to until I've been blogging a bit longer, but here's 10 things that make me happy, besides blogging about my weight loss journey and meeting so many great supportive people:

1.  Having a great wife whose friendship and companionship I cannot imagine life without and who after 15+ years still lights up the room for me every time I see her.
2. Our kids and family. They drive me insane at times, but I wouldn't trade em' for anyone.
3. Eating the foods I love (in healthy quantities as of this blog's beginnining on New Years Day 2010) and discovering unique regional restaurants in the places we visit.
4. My dogs and cats.
5. The Tennessee Titans. Going to the games and making an absolute idiot of myself with 70,000 others.
6. Listening to all kinds of different great music from different eras.
7. Summer BBQ's with friends.
8. Watching favorite TV shows such Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Arrested Devlopment, Eastbound and Down, and old episodes of the Twilight Zone.
9. Hiking and camping.
10. Having a career in a field that I never would have pictured myself in when I was growing up, and a job that is generally enjoyable, not overly stressful, and provides for my family.

Exercise
Some Wii Fit after this posting.

Breakfast
1 Fuji apple.

Lunch
Calypso Cafe 1/4 chicken white with Carribean jerk sauce, bean and corn salad, and greens. 2nd day in a row going to Calypso and loved it both times!

Dinner
I cooked what has become one of my wife's favorites, Greek Pizza from WW's "Cook It Quick" book. It's pizza with no tomato sauce and mozzarella, but is still really good if you like feta and onions and green peppers and olives. Bottle of Michelob Ultra Lite.

Snacks
10-12 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. Active Lifestyle Oats and Chocolate fiber bar.

Rationalizations

Thoughts for today
I feel I ate too much for dinner, but here's my rationalizations. The wife thought we needed to order three orders of sushi rolls, then when they came she ate only a couple of each of roll and announced she was full, leaving me this massive pile to mow through. Sushi doesn't really make for good take home leftovers and isn't cheap, so I ate until only 1 Yum Yum roll was left. These, of course, are the kind of thought processes that got me to the point where I needed to lose weight, so it really just amounts to a bunch of BS on my part. Off to the Wii Fit!

Exercise
Walked with a friend at work. Proably only 1/2 mile, but hey it was cold!

Breakfast
None, forgot again. I need to stop forgetting, breaksfast gets the metabolism going.

Lunch
Calypso Cafe 1/4 chicken white with Carribean jerk sauce, St. Lucian Rice (ate only 1/2), and small salad with vinegarette.

Dinner
Miso soup and a small serving of steamed white rice. Sushi - about 6 Philadephia rolls, 4 Yum Yum rolls (fried, bad, bad) , and 4 California rolls Small side serving of white rice.

Snacks
10-12 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins with a slice of reduced sodium Boar's Head ham. Active Lifestyle Oats and Chocolate fiber bar.

Corporate Wellness

Thoughts for today.
Today I signed up for my company's "corporate wellness" program.  They assign you a pedometer and the more you walk, the more dollars you earn to spend at places like Best Buy. Pedometer should be here in about a week. Hopefully, this will be part of the process that kick starts me into getting off of this plateau for good. Anyone else done one of these before?

Exercise
None yet, maybe some Wii Fit soon.

Breakfast
None, I just forgot.

Lunch
Chik-a-Fila sandwich on wheat with the picke slices. No other condiments, no fries. Very good sandwich. Glass of water.

Dinner
Made some oven baked boneless chicken breast coated with Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour. Sides were Birds Eye Steamfresh baby peas and mushrooms and some leftover brown rice from P.F. Chang my wife had yesterday.Bottle of Michelob Ultra Light. It was a very good meal and as I write this I want to go back for seconds of everything, but I won't.

Snacks
1 Fuji apple.

Still the Same

Thoughts for today
Still at the same plateau weight as I've been for a week - 180 lb. But given this past weekend's eating was really unhealthy, I'll take it!

Exercise
None.

Breakfast
1 large Fuji apple. Fuji apples are great!

Lunch
Mineo's for a slice of pizza and a salad with vinegarette dressing. Both were excellent. Didn't eat the croutons. Glass of water.
Dinner
Cooked up some whole wheat spaghetti with a mix of Hunts and Paul Newman tomato sauce and a wheat pita toasted with Smart Balance spray, garlic powder, and chopped onion. 2-3 glasses of water.

Snacks
Cascadian Farms chocolate almond fiber bar. 10-12 Reduced Fat Triscuits with a slice of Reduced sodium Boar's Head ham. Skinny Cow vanilla ice cream cone.

Off the Wagon for a Day

Thoughts for today
This was not an eat to win day - period.  The wife and I took off this morning just to get away from things for a nght and ended up in Decatur, AL. Something we love to do is try unique regional dishes when we travel, and I didn't want to forgo that. I had no desire to go to great bbq and seafood places and eat grilled chicken salads, so I just decided to try to keep the portions of the good stuff somewhat under control. I guess I succeeded to some degree because I don't have that sick bloated tired feeling I used to get when I ate every bit of what was served.  Heading home tomorrow and will try to post again tomorrow night and catch up with the posts of my blogger friends. Take care all.

Exercise
None.

Breakfast
Kashi GoLean Crunch with 1% milk. 1 cup of black coffee.

Lunch
Big Bob Gibson  Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. The wife and I shared a ribs and brisket combo with bbq beans and side salad with italian dressing. Brisket was excellent and these were the best ribs I've had in a long, long time. The place has won many awards and rightfully so. Maybe this kind of commentary has no place on a weight loss blog, but I highly recommend the place to anyone who finds themselves anywhere near this part of Alabama. About the only props I can give myself are for drinking Diet Pepsi, not eating any of the rolls, and actually leaving a rib and a few pieces of brisket on the table, but these were fairly minor gestures on my part.

Dinner
McCollum Seafood in Decatur, Alabama, another local favorte and the meal was excellent. Wife ordered baked whitefish and I ordered fried catfish. We split the fish dishes but didn't finish either, again a minor gesture on my part, but better than I would have done in the past. Ate half the baked potato with a little bit of margarine and sour cream and about 1 1/2 hot hush puppies. Threw down another Diet Pepsi for good measure.

Snacks
About 15 natural almonds

Do Coffee and Ultra Lite beer count as water?

Thoughts for today
I never get anywhere close to getting in the 8 recommended glasses of water a day, even though I try. But I always have my 2-3 cups of black coffee in the morning and a lot of times a Michelob Ultra Lite or two with dinner. So can I count the coffees and beers as waters?

Exercise
None yet, but maybe some Wii fit soon.

Breakfast
Nature's Own multi-grain english muffin. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Thai food. Ginger chicken. Only ate 1/2 portions of the steamed rice and spring roll.Glass of water. Excellent lunch.


Dinner
I marinated some steaks in Johnny's Fleeman's marinade and grilled em' up. Ate about a 6 oz steak. Threw a Bird's Eye steamer bag of baby peas and mushrooms in the microwave, along with Near East rice pilaf. 2 bottles of Michelob Ultra Lite. Very good dinner and I definitely could have gone back for seconds, but didn't.

Snacks
Cascadian Farms fiber chocolate almonds granola bar. 7-8 Reduced Fat Triscuits. 8-10 Baked Tostito corn chips with Herdez salsa.

Still Trying to Hop off this Plateau!

Thoughts for today
Thanks blogger friends for the support on being at a plateau. Plateaus really do suck, and it makes me want to lose the steam that helped me lose 10+ lbs in a hurry. But this difference between this time and other times is I'm commited to keeping up with the blog this time around, and I think that will help get me past it this time.
Exercise
None.

Breakfast
Fiber One oats and chocolate bar. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Chicken Platter at a Greek place with rice and salad with vinegarette. Ate only half the rice. Very good lunch. Glass of water.


Dinner
Wife found a recipe for baked buffalo wings.I ate six and they were actually quite good. She also made a side of Lipton Onion oven cooked red potatoes, which were excellent. I did go back for of few seconds of the taters. Bad, bad, bad. Bottle of Michelob Ultra Lite.

Snacks
Cascadian Farms fiber chocolate almonds granola bar. 7-8 Reduced Fat Triscuits.

180 - The Wall

Thoughts for today
For the couple weeks after I started this on New Years, it seemed like I was losing weight every day, but I pretty much have stayed at the same spot - 180 lb - for about 4 or 5 days now. So I'm sort of just breaking even, which I guess is better than gaining. 180 is one of those plateaus I typically have trouble getting off, but it will come in time.

Exercise
None

Breakfast
Braeburn apple. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Cajun place at the food court. Bourbon chicken and fried rice. Not the healthiest probably, but portions were not too large. Glass of water.


Dinner
Split a single order of shrimp fajitas with the wife. Didn't eat the tortilla shells, guacamole, or sour cream, and limited myself to maybe 7-8 corn chips with salsa. Bottle of Michelob Ultra Lite.

Snacks
Cascadian Farms fiber chocolate almonds granola bar. 3-4 figs. Just a few chocolate covered peanuts (Goobers).

I Eat What I Wanna Eat

Thoughts for today
I think I'm gonna fluctuate UP when I weigh tommorrow morning. I haven't eaten that well the past few days and....I don't know...I just feel a little fatter. But I'm not that worried about it, I told myself from the beginning that I was going to lose this weight by eating the foods I've always loved, just in lesser portions. Because if I try to do it by eating one Lean Cuisine after another or something, yeah I'll lose weight for a while, but eventually would end up giving up the whole thing.

Exercise
About 15 minutes of Wii Fit so far, doing some more after this post.

Breakfast
Wheat pita toasted with a little bit of Country Crock. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Takeout from Jersey Mike's. Maybe wasn't a good idea, but it was GOOD. Regular size Roast beef and Provolone on wheat with tomato, lettuce, onion, banana pepper, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices. Had I been doing WW, this would have been 15 points. At least I didn't have chips and soda. Glass of water.


Dinner
Needing something lighter for dinner after the high calorie lunch, my wife made lowfat ham and swiss quesadillas on wheat tortillas. Had 3 of them with about 8-10 tortilla chips she baked up, with Herdez salsa. Glass of water.

Snacks
Cascadian Farms Peanut Butter chip granola bar. 3-4 figs. Frozen Nestle Delicias Coconut bar.

How Often To Weigh

Thoughts for today
Can't think of much today, so how about the topic of how often to weigh. I know there are all kinds of schools of thought on this, but I like knowing every day. Supposedly, you are at your lightest when you first wake up, so I do it then. My wife thinks I'm crazy for doing this because of all the fluctation you see that way, but I personally couldn't stand to wait a week or two or whatever before I knew. That's about it for tonight..

Exercise
About 45 minutes of Wii Fit, burned over 100 calories!

Breakfast
Wheat pita toasted with a little bit of Smart Balance spray.

Lunch
Went to Calypso with the wife and a friend from work. Had the 1/4 chicken (white) with Carribean jerk sauce, Bean and Corn salad, and 1/2 the portion of spiced sweet potatoes. Most excellent lunch. Glass of water.


Dinner
2 slices of Papa Murphy's (take and bake) thin crust pizza with onions, black olives, green peppers, and mushrooms.

Snacks
6 natural almonds. A few Goobers (choclate covered peanuts) out of the freezer.

Thanks Blogger Friends!

Thoughts for today
Not much to enter today, mostly watched the football playoff games. But I am happy to report that I've dropped over 10 lbs since starting this on New Years Day. I've enjoyed the food I'm eating, and I haven't been going around hungry all the time. The tips, comments, and support I've been getting from blogger friends have made this a more fun process than times past and I think that y'all are part of the reason I've been doing well so far. So a big THANKS, and keep on bloggin!

Exercise
None. Gotta get back on this.

Breakfast
Bowl of Kashi GoLean Crunch.

Lunch
Baked boneless chicken breast (1) with Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour. Not quite as good as fried, but almost. Sides of corn, green beans, and salad with balsamic vinegar. Glass of water.


Dinner
Went to Captain D's and had seasoned grilled tilapia. Ate the whole portion of tilapia but only half the rice, Sides of baked potato with just a little sour cream/margarine and green beans. Diet Coke.

Snacks
Nestle Delicias Coconut bar. Pretty good for lowfat stuff.

Dang Kids

Thoughts for today
Our kids are grown, but visit a lot on weekends. This visit included baking fresh chocolate chip cookies and a big steaming hot New York style pizza. This is not the kind of food I'm normally confronted with at home since starting the weight loss thing, and I felt that yearning coming back to just eat 2-3 slices and wolf a bunch of cookies. I managed to grab just a little bite of each and stop, but definitely wanted plenty more. At least for starters, I have tried for the most part to avoid foods like these that fall into the "you can't eat just one" category, but I'll eventually eat that stuff again too, just in the right portions.

Exercise
None.

Breakfast
Toasted wheat pita bread with a little bit of Smart Balance spray butter. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Made a turkey and ham wrap with lettuce, green pepper,and sprcy mustard with about 8-10 Triscuits, and a little bit of couscous.

Dinner
About 1/2 a portion of last night's Chicken and Garlic combo with steamed white rice. Glass of water.

Snacks
A handful or two of Golden Grahams.Hot air popped popcorn with a little bit of Smart Balance spray butter and parmesan garlic popcorn seasoning.

Stress Eating

Thoughts for today
I've always kind of known in the back of my head that I was a stress eater, but it really hit home today. Things got a little hectic and stressful around the house earlier this evening, no big deal, happens with everyone sometimes. But I noticed myself head straight for the pantry for snacks in the midst of it all. I wasn't hungry at all and I wasn't craving anything in particular, instinct just guided me there. I guess because I've been doing all this blogging in the last two weeks, I was able to realize in a more conscious way than ever before that I was in the act of stress eating.  I ended up having only a couple Tostitos and quit the snacking. 

I don't think there's any brilliant lesson here, but I think as a result of this little experience, I'll be more aware from now when I'm eating for the wrong reason or for no reason at all.

Exercise
None.

Breakfast
Toasted wheat pita bread with a little bit of County Crock. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Logan's Roadhouse. 6 oz. Sirloin Steak, Baked Potato with just a little butter and sour cream, salad with balsamic vinegarette dressing. First red meat I've had all year I think and I loved it.

Dinner
Chinese takeout. Chicken and Garlic, steamed white rice, and a few won tons from the soup. Portions all fit neatly in their little section of my pentitentiary tray.

Snacks
8-10 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. A few wheat pretzel sticks.

Illness Be Gone!

Thoughts for today Between the TheraFlu, Mucinex-D, antibiotics from the doctor, and lots of glasses of water, it finally feels like I'm coming out of this. I've noticed that some other fellow bloggers who started the weight loss thing hot and heavy on New Years Day are feeling also sick this week. I know this sounds silly, but I wonder if it's our bodies temporary reaction to all the exercise and the lack of feeding it the junk it's used to getting from us. Ahh, maybe it's just cause it's been so friggin' cold everywhere.
Exercise
Going to do a little Wii Fit after posting this, but not gonna push it.

Breakfast
Bowl of Honey Crisp Medley With Strawberries cereal with 1% milk. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
A Chik-A-Fila sandwich on wheat. No fries. Lots of water.


Dinner
The wife made a very good meal. Baked/seasoned chicken legs (2) with lemon and low sodium soy sauce; greens with onions, garlic and lemon juice; couscous seasoned with onions and mushrooms and parmesan cheese. Lots of water.

Snacks
8-10 Reduced Fat Wheat Thins.

Wanna Lose Some Weight while I'm Stuck With this Cold

Thoughts for today
Didn;'t feel that well today either, so a light day of eating.  Hopefully will feel better tomorrow, but I still think I deserve to lose at least a pound out of this cold! Thanks to you guys who sent good thoughts and ideas about feeling better. 

Last night, our son had a big pepperoni pizza from my favorite mom and pop Italian deli, and I did sneak a peek at it but didn't dive in like I normally would. A large part of why I didn't was because I was sick, but in the old days ( 2 weeks ago) I would have eaten a piece just because it was there. Eating when I'm not hungry just because something is there a habit I'm really committed to drop, and I think it has a lot to do with why I gain weight.

Exercise
None.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean cereal with 1% milk. Pretty good.

Lunch
Can of Progresso Vegaetable Noodle soup.


Dinner
Went to Sakura for Curry Chicken and steamed white rice. With not feeling well today, I don't think I even ate my usual 1/2 portions.

Snacks
Cascadian Farm's peanut butter chip granola bar. A few whole wheat pretzel thins.

Short Entry - Not Feeling Well

Thoughts for today
Haven't felt too well today, been hitting the DayQuil and Mucinex-D and haven't been too hungry, maybe I can drop a pound or two out of this illness deal.

Exercise
Probably none.

Breakfast
An orange and 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Large hot and sour soup (no crunchy noodles) to try to knock out feeling sick.

Dinner
Decided to try making a turkey wrap (3 slices), lettuce, sliced tomato, spicy mustard and a little feta sprinked in there. In my opinion, it came out as good as Subway or Jersey Mike's.

Snacks
Cascadian Farm's peanut butter chip granola bar. A few whole wheat pretzel thins.

Greek week?

Thoughts for today
Last week it seemed like I had nothing but Asian food. Today is Monday and I have already had Greek dishes for lunch and dinner. Ah well, I know it's probably too much sodium, but as long as I manage to keep losing weight or at least break even.

Exercise
Plan to do some Wii Fit after posting this blog entry.

Breakfast
2 leftover Fiber One banana nut muffins from yesterday with a little bit of Smart Balance sprayed on top. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Went to Sam's for Greek chicken Salad with feta and balsamic vinegar. Glass of water.

Dinner
I actually cooked dinner tonight and it got a thumbs up from the wife. I'm not doing WW, but we really like their "Cook It Quick" book because it's easy to make meals from and we don't usually feel like making elaborate meals on work nights. I was hesitant at first about pizza with no tomato sauce and mozzarella, but I have to admit it was really good. We give it an 8.5 out of 10! Probably ate a little too much of it, but not too overboard. Bottle of Michelob Ultra Lite.

Snacks
Cascadian Farm's peanut butter granola bar. A few whole wheat pretzel thins.

Impossible to Eat Out?

Thoughts for today
Some bloggers I've been corresponding with have talked about how it's almost impossible to eat out and eat healthy and a lot of times that can be true. 75% of the U.S. population is overweight and we are a "super-size" culture so it really can be tough. I have been doing the thing where you half the portion served at restaurants and it's been working out pretty well so far. I still get to eat things I love and don't go around hungry....much.....

Exercise
Plan to do some Wii Fit after posting this blog entry.

Breakfast
Cooked up a pan of Fiber One banana nut muffins and had 2, they are actually pretty good. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Leftovers from last night's chili with 96% Lean ground beef. Added 8-10 fat free Saltines to a decent sized bowl. Glass of water.

Dinner
Went to Captain D's and had seasoned grilled tilapia. Ate the whole portion of fish but only half the rice and baked potato with sour cream/margarine. Side salad with fat free italian dressing. Diet Coke.

Snacks
Large Braeburn apple.

Enjoying It While It Lasts

Stats
Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 186, Weight Lost: 6.5, Left to lose: 26.

Thoughts for today
I am happy with the weight loss I've had since starting on New Years Day. It's been surprisingly easier than I thought it would be to eat much smaller portions of the food I love and to stop eating candy bars and ice cream late at night. I still see all those candy bars in the freezer when I go in there for stuff, but I haven't felt the urge...yet. I know there will come a point when I "hit a wall" and the rapid weight loss stops, and it will become harder to stick with what I'm doing. But I'm enjoying the easy phase it while it lasts!

Exercise
About 30 minutes of Wii Fit. I'm not sure how much practicing my golf swing can really be burning calories but it says I am.

Breakfast
Wife whipped up a omelet with 1 egg and 1-egg white with sliced portabello mushroom, grilled onion, and a sprinkling of low fat mozzarella cheese. 2 cups of black coffee. Glass of orange juice.

Lunch
Leftover half of last night's dinner combo from Sakura. Chicken and Broccoli with steamed rice and half a spring roll. Glass of water.

Dinner
Wife made a excellent pot of chili with 96% Lean ground beef. Added 8-10 fat free Saltines to a decent sized bowl. Had a small piece of low fat yellow cake with chocolate pudding frosting right out of the oven. Bottle of Michelob Ultra Lite.

Snacks
Large Braeburn apple. 10 or so Reduced Fat Wheat Thins.

Not a Bad First Week

Stats
Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 187.5, Weight Lost: 5, Left to lose: 27

Thoughts for today
Well down 5 lbs from New Years Day and I'm enjoying the interaction with that comes with blogging. I feel like if I keep up with the blogging every day, I'll stay on the path to my goal. Not a bad first week.

Exercise
About 30 minutes of Wii Fit. Getting pretty good at the driving range.

Breakfast
Chocolate and Oats Fiber One bar. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Thai food at Jasmine with a friend from work. Ginger chicken with steamed rice and spring roll and a cup of soup with chicken broth and rice. Did the usual halving the portions, even the spring roll. Well I ate maybe 3/4 of the ginger chicken, but I don't think it's too bad. Glass of water.

Dinner
Wouldn't you know you it a few hours after eating Thai, my wife decided she wanted to go for Japanese. I didn't mind, especially since it's one of our favorite places, Sakura. Had the Chicken and Broccoli with steamed rice and spring roll and halved the portions. Hot green tea, no sweeteners.

Snacks
Drinking a Michelob Ultra Lite or two as I blog.

Pizza Envy

Stats
Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 187.5, Weight Lost: 5, Left to lose: 27

Thoughts for today
Went to lunch today with some of the guys from work to a great pizza and wings place, and ordered a grilled chicken salad. It turned out to be very good, but I have to admit when the waitress brought the other guys hot plates of steaming New York style slices, my salad suddenly didn't look quite as good in comparison. Of course getting teased a little by the guys for ordering salad didn't help either. This is going to be one of the challenges of doing this for the long haul. We go to lunch 2-3 times a week, and I refuse to become one of those people who tries to dictate where everyone else eats just because I'm trying to lose weight, so there will be more days ahead where I have to pass on pizza. But I won't pass on the days when I really crave pizza or whatever the food may be, because I feel strongly that blocking out all the good rich fatty foods that I enjoy is unrealistic if I want to make a long term change as opposed to the cycle of dropping some pounds and then putting them back on.

Exercise
About 30 minutes of Wii Fit.

Breakfast
3 pancakes (Fiber One) with about 1-2 spoonfuls of lite pancake syrup (Publix brand) on each pancake and 2 strips of bacon. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Salad with grilled marinated chicken at Mineo's. Glass of water.

Dinner
Wife discovered another good low fat recipe, butternut squash pasta. She also baked an excellent low fat yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and I had a small piece. Salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Bottle of Michelob Ultra lite.

Snacks
Small handful of almonds and a few Wheat Thins. Cup of hot chocolate with a marshmallow.

Liking the Wii Fit

Stats
Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 188, Weight Lost: 4.5, Left to lose: 28

Thoughts for today
We just started using the Wii Fit the other day and I think I'm really going to like using it as part of the exercise regimen. Jogged almost 2 miles before dinner and didn't have to get out in the freezing 20-something degree weather. I like how it tells how many calories were burned for each exercise you do. The ski jumping is fun too.

Breakfast
A Large Fuji apple. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Chinese food at a place called China Panda I had never been to before. One of those small counter top places, but excellent freshly made food. Halved the portion Chicken with Garlic lunch combo with white rice. Cup of hot and sour soup. Glass of water.

Dinner
Leftover's from last night's great recipe my wife made. Low fat baked Ziti with lean ground beef and Parmesan cheese. Salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Glass of water.

Snacks
Small handful of roasted pumpkin seeds on the way home. Hot air popcorn with a little Smart Balance spray butter stuff and some Parmesan and Garlic popcorn seasoning sprinkled on top.
A pack of under 100 calorie Pringles Baked Wheat Stix.

Resisting Seconds and Thirds

Stats
Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 189, Weight Lost: 3.5, Left to lose: 29
Thoughts for today
Made it out of the 190s today, the next few days will prove if I'm really out or it's just water weight or something. Here's one of the challenges to doing this over the long haul for me..my wife made a great lowfat baked ziti tonight and I easily could have eaten 3 portions of it instead of the perfectly good sized serving that fit into its square of my penitentiary-style tray. I enjoy eating great food, what can I say. But I managed not to go back for seconds and sure enough I don't feel hungry now. Also, I have noticed myself slowly feeling more energetic since I started this on Jan 1, and I think a lot of it has to do with not piling on the food.

Breakfast
A Large Fuji apple. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Chik-A-Fila sandwich on wheat and 1/2 order of the waffle fries that came with the combo. Glass of water.

Dinner
The wife found a great recipe for lowfat baked Ziti with lean ground beef and parmesan cheese. I liked it as well as I do lasagna and can't wait for leftovers tomorrow. Salad with balsamic vinagarette dressing. 2 bottles of Michelob Ultra lite.

Snacks
Small handful of roasted pumpkin seeds on the way home.

Penitentiary Style Trays

Stats

Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 189.5, Weight Lost: 3, Left to lose: 29.5

Thoughts for today

We bought the Wii Fit in November and finally plan to break it out tonight. The hope is that it will be easier to stick to a routine on that as opposed to going to the gym. On the eating front, I have started using those penitentiary looking trays or even the kiddie cartoony looking trays to make sure my portions aren't too big.

Breakfast

1 very large Fuji apple. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch

Went for sushi with a co-worker friend at Fuji. 6 Eel/cucumber rolls and 6 salmon rolls and miso soup. Passed the salad with fatty ginger dressing on to my friend and he wolfed it. Glass of water.

Dinner

Leftover Chinese food from yesterday (chicken and broccoli, steamed rice, and hot and sour soup). Yes, I love Asian food. Bottle of Michelob Ultra Lite.

Snacks

Handful of roasted pumpkin seeds on the way home.

Down to 190

Stats
Starting Weight: 192.5, Goal Weight: 160, Current Weight: 190, Weight Lost: 2.5, Left to lose: 30

Thoughts for today
Dropped down to 190 today, it always seems like the pounds start falling quickly when I first start dieting. I'll take it. It's 9:30PM and I'm not hungry, but I just walked through the kitchen and felt that urge to grab a frozen candy bar or some ice cream. I managed not to though. Tommorow's my first day back to work since diet began, and that's when things get more difficult because I start eating lunches with co-workers again and having to see all the good fatty stuff I know they'll be eating.

Breakfast
3 pancakes (Fiber One) with about 1-2 spoonfuls of lite pancake syrup (Publix brand) on each pancake. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Went out for Chinese food, but not buffet. Chicken and Broccoli lunch combo with white rice. Instead of eating all the food in the styrofoam container as I normally would, took a chopstick and divided it down the middle and only ate everything on the right side of the line. Also hot and sour soup (about 2 cups). Glass of water.

Dinner
Grilled chicken breast (bone-in) on the Foreman grill with BBQ sauce (Pat's Ho-Made ). Scoop of homemade mashed potatoes. Serving of Garlic Baby Peas and Mushrooms (Bird's Eye) . Bottle of Michelob Ultra lite.

Snacks
Hot air popcorn with enough Smart Balance spray to make it look buttery, but not too much with some Parmesan and Garlic popcorn seasoning sprinkled on top.

Down 1.5 lb from yesterday...maybe

Thoughts for Today
Weighed in at 191, down from 192.5 yesterday morning. I don't truly believe I lost 1.5 lbs in 24 hours, but we'll see what the scale says tomorrow. Today, I have had to fight the urge to graze on candy bars and the like leftover from Christmas, but have managed to win that battle so far. Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast
Bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch with 1% milk. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
Ruby Tuesday's salad bar (only the vegetables, none of the pasta) with balsamic vinegar and a pack of Saltine crackers. 2 glasses of water.

Dinner
Leftovers from last night..a good sized bowl of whole grain spaghetti (Heartland) with tomato sauce (Hunts) with canned mushrooms and onions grilled in olive oil in the sauce. Two slices of 12 grain bread garlic toast lightly buttered with County Crock Light.

Snacks
A few handfuls of movie popcorn at Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeekel. A cup of Vegetable and Noodle Soup (Progresso Light)

New Years Day 2010 - Weight Loss Begins

My name is Matt. Today begins this blog and my goal to lose 30 pounds. Weighed in this morning at 192.5.

Thoughts for today
I have lost lots of weight several times in the past, and each time I felt great and full of energy and ended up not even missing the big helpings of junk food. But inevitably I slip up at some point, pile on the weight again, and get pissed with myself for letting it happen. Then one day I finally get disgusted enough with not being able to fit into most of my clothes, and I go at the weight loss thing with a vengeance again and the cycle continues...

My hope this time around is that the discipline required to update the blog will keep me from slipping up anymore and I'll keep the pounds off for good this time. Here's what I ate today, will weigh again tomorrow morning:

Breakfast -Traditional New Years Day Good Luck Meal
Sensible portion of black-eyed peas, greens, ham hocks, and a scrambled egg for good measure. 2 cups of black coffee.

Lunch
One can of albacore chunk white tuna (Bumble Bee) on two slices of 12 grain bread (Arnold) with some vinegar. No mayo. A cup of chicken noodle soup (Campbell's). Glass of water.

Dinner
A good sized bowl of whole grain spaghetti (Heartland) with tomato sauce (Hunts). Mixed canned mushrooms and onions grilled in olive oil in the sauce. A slice of 12 grain bread garlic toast lightly buttered with County Crock Light. Glass of 1% milk.