So, three days into the diet, I manage to come down with some kind of flu bug. The good news is that on the fourth day of the program, I was down 5.5 pounds. The bad news is that today, I have gained 1 pound back. Let's face it, when you're sick, you want comfort foods. However, I've tried to make them helpful, healthy and useful comfort foods, but I can't say I've stuck to the prescribed diet. Nor can I say that they have all been helpful, healthy or useful - but they have certainly been comforting!
What I did focus on was portion control. That is a major element any lifestyle change. The method prescribed by the Somoma diet is to use a 7 inch plate at breakfast, and a 9 inch plate during lunch and dinner. The goal is to eat more salad or vegetables than any other part of the portion. Pizza, even covered with green peppers, onions and tomato sauce, does not count.
So, even though I ate comfort foods, I have only given back 1 pound. The other trick is not to snack on unhealthy foods. Oranges and almonds are my snack of choice.
I will admit some weakness yesterday. My wife foolishly left me alone with four, homemade chocolate chip cookies. This was an error. But, it was only four, it could have been worse.
Going to bed earlier also helps. Foremost, I feel less stressed and more rested the next day. But, it stops that fourth or fifth meal of the day from happening, saving a lot of calories. Trust me, you will not starve to death overnight.
I'll spend the weekend trying to kick this flu, hoping to get back into the pool soon. I'm going to try to work out with the Kettle Bells today. For more info on those, check out this website: http://www.tacticalathlete.com/ My buddy, Jeff Martone and his wife Maureen will show you some amazing ways to get in shape and stay there. Jeff has shown me the basics of Kettle Bells - he is truly one of the best around. Jeff does strength training and other types of training for law enforcement and military types around the country.
I had mentioned that I was going to try to do some yoga for strengthening and stretching. I received some encouragement from my cousins, Heidi and Heather. I really appreciated their thoughts. I'll leave you with one that perplexed me, and made me wonder about Heather just a little: you can multi-task by doing some yoga stretches while brushing your teeth.
I'll leave you to ponder that.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Day 2 - Early Success
Day 2 started off with a strong, early success. I lost 2.5 pounds and am down to 245.5 - only 55.5 to go.
Last night's dinner was fantastic. We had pork tenderloin, seasoned with a South-American blend of seasoning, accompanied by quinoa - which is an ancient grain credited to the Incas. The quinoa was lightly seasoned and had a robust, almost nutty flavor that complimented the pork. For a vegetable, we had yellow squash roasted in a basting of garlic, shallot, rosemary and extra virgin olive oil. I have never been a fan of squash, in general. However, I took back 51 years of complaining about it last night - I ate it all and wanted more.
The dinner recipe is from the first day of Wave II of the Sonoma Diet and can be found in that book.
Lunch, yesterday, was also very good - black bean soup and a spinach vinaigrette.
The reason I like this particular eating plan is that the recipes taste as if you are eating out at a five star restaurant. This gives you the treat of new food tastes, as well as imparting real pleasure into the meal. We had a nice glass of wine with the meal, also part of the program, which added to the overall ambiance.
Going shopping for the fresh ingredients is also a part of the fun experience. In fact, the whole ritual makes the meal special, and helps me keep on the diet. I must also add that Karen is an outstanding cook, so God bless the hands that made the food.
For exercise, I swam for about twenty minutes. That doesn't sound like much, but I'm in such lousy shape that it was not easy for me. I raised my heart-rate for twenty minutes, and I could feel the laps taxing my muscles. I'm generally swim freestyle at a moderate pace, and I mix in some back stroke and some breaststroke. I'm working on technique, stretching my stroke, and moving through the water as efficiently as possible. I'm not ready yet for butterfly - but who is?
I also stayed away from the television all day yesterday, until just before bed. I was a lot more productive with my time. Karen and I went shopping together. My son and I worked on the bonus room, and I helped Karen get a lot of things put away in the attic, which made the house neater and more organized. Having those tasks behind me made me feel less stressed, as well. I also took the time to work on two projects for friends. These had been hanging over my head for some time. Getting them done also lowered my stress level.
So, all in all, a very positive first day.
Last night's dinner was fantastic. We had pork tenderloin, seasoned with a South-American blend of seasoning, accompanied by quinoa - which is an ancient grain credited to the Incas. The quinoa was lightly seasoned and had a robust, almost nutty flavor that complimented the pork. For a vegetable, we had yellow squash roasted in a basting of garlic, shallot, rosemary and extra virgin olive oil. I have never been a fan of squash, in general. However, I took back 51 years of complaining about it last night - I ate it all and wanted more.
The dinner recipe is from the first day of Wave II of the Sonoma Diet and can be found in that book.
Lunch, yesterday, was also very good - black bean soup and a spinach vinaigrette.
The reason I like this particular eating plan is that the recipes taste as if you are eating out at a five star restaurant. This gives you the treat of new food tastes, as well as imparting real pleasure into the meal. We had a nice glass of wine with the meal, also part of the program, which added to the overall ambiance.
Going shopping for the fresh ingredients is also a part of the fun experience. In fact, the whole ritual makes the meal special, and helps me keep on the diet. I must also add that Karen is an outstanding cook, so God bless the hands that made the food.
For exercise, I swam for about twenty minutes. That doesn't sound like much, but I'm in such lousy shape that it was not easy for me. I raised my heart-rate for twenty minutes, and I could feel the laps taxing my muscles. I'm generally swim freestyle at a moderate pace, and I mix in some back stroke and some breaststroke. I'm working on technique, stretching my stroke, and moving through the water as efficiently as possible. I'm not ready yet for butterfly - but who is?
I also stayed away from the television all day yesterday, until just before bed. I was a lot more productive with my time. Karen and I went shopping together. My son and I worked on the bonus room, and I helped Karen get a lot of things put away in the attic, which made the house neater and more organized. Having those tasks behind me made me feel less stressed, as well. I also took the time to work on two projects for friends. These had been hanging over my head for some time. Getting them done also lowered my stress level.
So, all in all, a very positive first day.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day 1 - the Kick Off
It's Sunday, March 6, around 10:20 a.m. I spent much of last night and this morning talking to Karen about how to finally make a change in my life that would stick. I'm 51 years old, weigh 248 lbs. I sleep with a breathing machine because I have sleep apnea. I also use a mouth guard because I grind my teeth. I have Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and my cholesterol is a little high (the bad stuff, the good stuff is apparently a little low). I also take daily antacid pills because of acid reflux.
I've not been a good steward with my life and health. That's obvious.
So, I've set some goals, and we (my family and I) have decided to adopt a new lifestyle that will change the way we eat and the way we invest our time. I've recorded my body measurements and my weight. I've set an ambitious goal of losing 3 pounds per week.
We've adopted the Sonoma Diet as the best choice for us - we've experimented with this before with some success. It is a Mediterranean style diet developed to maximize nutrition and healthy eating. We're eliminating or secluding all white flours, sugar, candy, etc. Since we've used the diet before and are familiar with it, we are starting in what is known as Wave II - which includes certain fruits and a glass of wine with dinner.
The meals emphasize fresh foods and outstanding recipes - I mean, truly, they taste like meals you would get in a fine restaurant. Also, the program is a boon to family living. It celebrates the preparation of the meal and eating with your family - sitting around the table enjoying the experience of dining together. This has great benefits including closer relationships with each other, relaxing and reducing stress, and slowing down the consumption process which aids in weight loss. It helps you enjoy learning a new lifestyle.
Let's face it, today, most Americans are overweight and eat badly. We over eat and rush through our days. I am trying to change that in my home. I want to enjoy today with my family. I want to eat better and live better so I can be around longer to be with them.
I think that maybe we live the way we do to fill the emptiness of our lifestyle. In our effort to "have it all and have it now" we enslave ourselves to a dream painted by the media. We don't even question or examine whether or not the lifestyle makes us happy or fulfills us. Instead, we set out at a young age, blithely and blindly, in the quest to acquire things. Along the way, we become indentured servants, promising to spend our days and hours working to pay for the things we want.
I believe that at some point we find that this is an empty and vain pursuit. I know I have. After three decades, I am in enough debt that I'll spend the next decade working it off. By leveraging the American Dream, I have enslaved myself to it. This creates an enormous amount of stress. So, this part of our lives has to change.
The lifestyle I hope to develop will focus on different values: God, home, family, friends, community - a relational based lifestyle, not an acquisition based lifestyle.
Additionally, I have developed a work out plan. Swimming will be my sport of choice for my main workouts. I was a competitive swimmer growing up, so I have the basic skills. Additionally, it is much easier on the joints and feet. Plus, frankly, I hate running. I run like a rock. I tried a couple of triathalons when I was younger and more foolish. After getting passed in the run by a little old man who encouraged me to keep trying as he patted my shoulder and left me in the dust, I gave up on running.
In addition to the swimming, which I will do three to four times a week, with the goal of building up to hour long strenuous workouts in about three months, I will also do some strength training using kettle-bells, pull-ups, dips, push-ups and crunches, stretch, and play some competitive sports for fun and fitness. For example, I like to jump into pick-up basketball games at the gym. I can also spend time with my son playing ball in the driveway.
The kettle-bells are a little bit of a specialty. I am fortunate to have a good friend, Jeff Martone, who travels around the country training people on how to effectively work out on kettle bells. He has some great videos on his website. He also has a certification program for trainers. After I gain in skill with the kettle-bells, I hope to go through the certification course myself.
The final goal is 190 pounds in 18 weeks. But, I also want to dramatically improve my fitness levels and build lean, useful muscle, as well as improving flexibility. Not only that, I want to break free from medications, get the Type II diabetes and high blood pressure under control, and figure out how to reduce stress and anxiety in my life.
I'm going to blog the process and results, everyday. I hope that people will join in with me. I'd love to do this with a few others who will support and inspire each other. But, I'm doing it no matter what. Also, I'd love to talk about the process, discuss the results and refine it all. Finally, it's great to have people who will encourage you along the way.
So, welcome to the adventure. I look forward to hearing from you.
I've not been a good steward with my life and health. That's obvious.
So, I've set some goals, and we (my family and I) have decided to adopt a new lifestyle that will change the way we eat and the way we invest our time. I've recorded my body measurements and my weight. I've set an ambitious goal of losing 3 pounds per week.
We've adopted the Sonoma Diet as the best choice for us - we've experimented with this before with some success. It is a Mediterranean style diet developed to maximize nutrition and healthy eating. We're eliminating or secluding all white flours, sugar, candy, etc. Since we've used the diet before and are familiar with it, we are starting in what is known as Wave II - which includes certain fruits and a glass of wine with dinner.
The meals emphasize fresh foods and outstanding recipes - I mean, truly, they taste like meals you would get in a fine restaurant. Also, the program is a boon to family living. It celebrates the preparation of the meal and eating with your family - sitting around the table enjoying the experience of dining together. This has great benefits including closer relationships with each other, relaxing and reducing stress, and slowing down the consumption process which aids in weight loss. It helps you enjoy learning a new lifestyle.
Let's face it, today, most Americans are overweight and eat badly. We over eat and rush through our days. I am trying to change that in my home. I want to enjoy today with my family. I want to eat better and live better so I can be around longer to be with them.
I think that maybe we live the way we do to fill the emptiness of our lifestyle. In our effort to "have it all and have it now" we enslave ourselves to a dream painted by the media. We don't even question or examine whether or not the lifestyle makes us happy or fulfills us. Instead, we set out at a young age, blithely and blindly, in the quest to acquire things. Along the way, we become indentured servants, promising to spend our days and hours working to pay for the things we want.
I believe that at some point we find that this is an empty and vain pursuit. I know I have. After three decades, I am in enough debt that I'll spend the next decade working it off. By leveraging the American Dream, I have enslaved myself to it. This creates an enormous amount of stress. So, this part of our lives has to change.
The lifestyle I hope to develop will focus on different values: God, home, family, friends, community - a relational based lifestyle, not an acquisition based lifestyle.
Additionally, I have developed a work out plan. Swimming will be my sport of choice for my main workouts. I was a competitive swimmer growing up, so I have the basic skills. Additionally, it is much easier on the joints and feet. Plus, frankly, I hate running. I run like a rock. I tried a couple of triathalons when I was younger and more foolish. After getting passed in the run by a little old man who encouraged me to keep trying as he patted my shoulder and left me in the dust, I gave up on running.
In addition to the swimming, which I will do three to four times a week, with the goal of building up to hour long strenuous workouts in about three months, I will also do some strength training using kettle-bells, pull-ups, dips, push-ups and crunches, stretch, and play some competitive sports for fun and fitness. For example, I like to jump into pick-up basketball games at the gym. I can also spend time with my son playing ball in the driveway.
The kettle-bells are a little bit of a specialty. I am fortunate to have a good friend, Jeff Martone, who travels around the country training people on how to effectively work out on kettle bells. He has some great videos on his website. He also has a certification program for trainers. After I gain in skill with the kettle-bells, I hope to go through the certification course myself.
The final goal is 190 pounds in 18 weeks. But, I also want to dramatically improve my fitness levels and build lean, useful muscle, as well as improving flexibility. Not only that, I want to break free from medications, get the Type II diabetes and high blood pressure under control, and figure out how to reduce stress and anxiety in my life.
I'm going to blog the process and results, everyday. I hope that people will join in with me. I'd love to do this with a few others who will support and inspire each other. But, I'm doing it no matter what. Also, I'd love to talk about the process, discuss the results and refine it all. Finally, it's great to have people who will encourage you along the way.
So, welcome to the adventure. I look forward to hearing from you.
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