Woke up this morning at 5 a.m. and spent 45 minutes on the treadmill before weighing in. 241 lbs. That's 24 lbs lost in 3 weeks. That's nice and all, but it's only 4 lbs. since last week. That's after a few sessions on the treadmill and several hours of walking last weekend in Seattle. I don't know what gives.
Not much else to report. I'm still doing good. I still feel good. I miss eating though. But I'm determined to lose more weight in this coming week than I lost in this past week. Joe Cross in his documentary, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, lost an average of more than 1 lb each day over the duration of his fast (60 days). I need to be seeing losses similar to that if I want to make my goal of 55 lbs lost in 56 days. I've stepped up the walking, and I'm going to cut back on the high-carb juices. For example, I used a calorie counter program to see how many calories were in my breakfast juice this morning. 800. I know. I was blown away. 3 oranges, 1 grapefruit, 2 kiwi, 3 carrots, 1/2 of a beet, 6 prunes and a chunk of ginger came to 800 calories?! It's easy to see how fruit-based juices can lead to too many calories in the daily diet.
I'm watching Food, Inc. right now. I'm not sure whether I should turn it off and remain content to live in my blissful world of ignorance, or if I should keep watching.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Day Twenty-One
Day 21 is winding down. I'm sitting here listening to the kids chatter and drinking my juice. It's not a bad batch. It's been awhile since I posted a recipe, so here's what I'm drinking tonight:
Today's lunch juice didn't turn out so well. I don't know what I did, but my Breville got clogged up or something. It wasn't juice dripping from the spout, like usual, but rather a thick smoothie-like liquid. When I took the juicer apart, the basket walls were all coated and thick with pulp. I don't know what the deal was. I can only guess that it was the order in which I juiced the fruits and veggies. I used a kiwi in place of the lemon, but other than that, I didn't do anything I haven't done dozens of times prior. I wish I knew what the cause was so I could avoid it in the future. So, I had a smooth, thick, pulpy juice today. It wasn't very good.
I'm not losing weight as quickly as I'd expected or hoped to. I can only assume it's because I'm not drinking enough water. Last week I started working for a new code in a new building. It's more of an office environment, complete with a water cooler, which my last building did not have. I signed up, paid my dues, and I fully intend on drinking plenty. Plus, I only recently started walking again. I'm hoping that these few adjustments pay dividends next week, because I think I've only lost 3-4 lbs. this week. We'll find out tomorrow at weigh-in day.
It's been awhile since I've made a genuine breakfast juice. I normally just make a big batch of mostly veggie juice for lunch and drink for breakfast whatever doesn't fit in the bottle. But tomorrow, I think I'll make a batch of orange-mango-grapefruit-kiwi-ginger-beet-carrot juice to kick the day off right...
...after I weigh in, of course.
- 1/2 of a large beet
- 1 Fuji apple
- 1 large lemon
- 1 large carrot
- 3/4 of a English cucumber
- 3" wedge of green cabbage
- 7 prunes
- 3 stalks of celery
- 2 big hands full of spinach
- 1/4 sweet onion
- 6 leaves of Romaine lettuce
- 1" chunk of ginger
- 1 small tomato
Today's lunch juice didn't turn out so well. I don't know what I did, but my Breville got clogged up or something. It wasn't juice dripping from the spout, like usual, but rather a thick smoothie-like liquid. When I took the juicer apart, the basket walls were all coated and thick with pulp. I don't know what the deal was. I can only guess that it was the order in which I juiced the fruits and veggies. I used a kiwi in place of the lemon, but other than that, I didn't do anything I haven't done dozens of times prior. I wish I knew what the cause was so I could avoid it in the future. So, I had a smooth, thick, pulpy juice today. It wasn't very good.
I'm not losing weight as quickly as I'd expected or hoped to. I can only assume it's because I'm not drinking enough water. Last week I started working for a new code in a new building. It's more of an office environment, complete with a water cooler, which my last building did not have. I signed up, paid my dues, and I fully intend on drinking plenty. Plus, I only recently started walking again. I'm hoping that these few adjustments pay dividends next week, because I think I've only lost 3-4 lbs. this week. We'll find out tomorrow at weigh-in day.
It's been awhile since I've made a genuine breakfast juice. I normally just make a big batch of mostly veggie juice for lunch and drink for breakfast whatever doesn't fit in the bottle. But tomorrow, I think I'll make a batch of orange-mango-grapefruit-kiwi-ginger-beet-carrot juice to kick the day off right...
...after I weigh in, of course.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Day Nineteen
Whew! Just put in a solid hour on the treadmill. Feet, knees, ankles and toes are feeling fine. I'm going to try and walk at least three times each week for at least half an hour each time. I felt good tonight. Had energy to spare. I wanted to jog but where we put the treadmill the rafters are just inches above my head. I have to be careful.
Dinner with my parents went well on Saturday. They enjoyed the salmon, the garlic mashed potatoes and the sauteed green beans with summer squash. It all was very hard to resist but I made myself a large batch of juice and sat with them and drank my dinner as we conversed. I told them all about my juicing thus far. My mom said it was obvious to see that I've lost a bit of weight. She wanted to know how I was feeling and I told her that I feel fantastic. I have lots of energy. I was honest and told them both how much I missed food.
In fact, on Sunday I made another vegetable soup. I made it mainly for Tresa, but I admit I had some. It was good, too. Carrots, onions, celery, fennel, kale, garlic, peas, corn and beans. It was good to have something hot and filling. It'll be another week before I do it again. I always feel guilty afterwards. I know I shouldn't. Vegetable soup is about as healthy a dish as there ever was. Still, it's breaking the "rules." I just remind myself that I'd rather "break the rules" with something like vegan soup than with something like a double cheeseburger.
Most of my juices lately have had a beet thrown in. I really like the flavor it adds. Ironically, I'm not a fan of beets, whether cooked (hot or cold) or raw. But put them in a juice and I'm down with it. I also like cabbage in my juices. I've been experimenting, obviously. Since I've started, I don't think I've had the same juice twice. They've all had slight variations, each one different from the next. Sometimes, a jalapeno. Other times, fennel bulb. I throw in whatever I have, or whatever I think might make a good combo. I still try to limit the fruit to just one or two pieces per batch, and the rest are veggies. Spinach and chard have taken the place of kale for now, but I'll be stocking up on kale soon enough. Oh, and I juiced those lemon cucumbers I bought last week. I highly recommend them. Very mild and slightly sweet. They'd go great in a salad.
I went clothes shopping with Tresa yesterday. I wanted to buy a wool jacket in 2XL because it fit me. The XL didn't fit as well, but it will soon. I decided to buy the XL, knowing that I'm going to meet my goal. I left the tags on, just in case. Even if I get to my goal weight, I'm still 6'3" and I have long arms and wide shoulders. I may need the extra room that only a 2X can give. Then again, some of the bulk across my back may be fat and a smaller size will fit fine. Only time will tell. If I make my goal weight, it'll be the first time in 17 years that I've been that size.
Tresa's son (my future stepson) and I were flipping through his cub scout handbook tonight. There's a section in there about nutrition, meal planning, cooking, etc. He asked me if he could cook with me. I'll admit, that made me proud. I love to cook. I think I'm pretty darned good at it too. Sharing that love for cooking with him will allow us to connect on common ground. It'll be fun to work with him and let him plan a couple of meals, look up recipes, make a grocery list, evaluate the nutritional value of the meal and then cook it. I think kids should know that kind of thing.
I don't want any of my kids to make the mistakes with food that I have.
Dinner with my parents went well on Saturday. They enjoyed the salmon, the garlic mashed potatoes and the sauteed green beans with summer squash. It all was very hard to resist but I made myself a large batch of juice and sat with them and drank my dinner as we conversed. I told them all about my juicing thus far. My mom said it was obvious to see that I've lost a bit of weight. She wanted to know how I was feeling and I told her that I feel fantastic. I have lots of energy. I was honest and told them both how much I missed food.
In fact, on Sunday I made another vegetable soup. I made it mainly for Tresa, but I admit I had some. It was good, too. Carrots, onions, celery, fennel, kale, garlic, peas, corn and beans. It was good to have something hot and filling. It'll be another week before I do it again. I always feel guilty afterwards. I know I shouldn't. Vegetable soup is about as healthy a dish as there ever was. Still, it's breaking the "rules." I just remind myself that I'd rather "break the rules" with something like vegan soup than with something like a double cheeseburger.
Most of my juices lately have had a beet thrown in. I really like the flavor it adds. Ironically, I'm not a fan of beets, whether cooked (hot or cold) or raw. But put them in a juice and I'm down with it. I also like cabbage in my juices. I've been experimenting, obviously. Since I've started, I don't think I've had the same juice twice. They've all had slight variations, each one different from the next. Sometimes, a jalapeno. Other times, fennel bulb. I throw in whatever I have, or whatever I think might make a good combo. I still try to limit the fruit to just one or two pieces per batch, and the rest are veggies. Spinach and chard have taken the place of kale for now, but I'll be stocking up on kale soon enough. Oh, and I juiced those lemon cucumbers I bought last week. I highly recommend them. Very mild and slightly sweet. They'd go great in a salad.
I went clothes shopping with Tresa yesterday. I wanted to buy a wool jacket in 2XL because it fit me. The XL didn't fit as well, but it will soon. I decided to buy the XL, knowing that I'm going to meet my goal. I left the tags on, just in case. Even if I get to my goal weight, I'm still 6'3" and I have long arms and wide shoulders. I may need the extra room that only a 2X can give. Then again, some of the bulk across my back may be fat and a smaller size will fit fine. Only time will tell. If I make my goal weight, it'll be the first time in 17 years that I've been that size.
Tresa's son (my future stepson) and I were flipping through his cub scout handbook tonight. There's a section in there about nutrition, meal planning, cooking, etc. He asked me if he could cook with me. I'll admit, that made me proud. I love to cook. I think I'm pretty darned good at it too. Sharing that love for cooking with him will allow us to connect on common ground. It'll be fun to work with him and let him plan a couple of meals, look up recipes, make a grocery list, evaluate the nutritional value of the meal and then cook it. I think kids should know that kind of thing.
I don't want any of my kids to make the mistakes with food that I have.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Day Seventeen
My. Legs. Huuuurt. Tresa and I got up early this morning to spend the day in Seattle. Earlier she had stumbled across a self guided walking tour of downtown Seattle clocks and wanted us to do it. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I agreed. I'll bet we walked 4-5 miles total today. We started in the International District and ended up in Belltown, zig-zagging our way between 1st and 5th avenues on our scavenger hunt. I took photos of every clock for posterity. We event stumbled upon a few hundred Occupy Seattle protesters as we crossed Westlake Park. We had a great time and got in a lot of walking. We even let ourselves get sidetracked a few times (downtown Seattle - come on, who doesn't get sidetracked?) and shopped in a few of the small stores along the way.
We ended up at Pike Place Market, one of my favorite places in Seattle. I was there to get some fresh wild caught Coho salmon. Went to a different fish market and got it for a much better deal than last week. Also picked up some fresh green beans and summer squash. The salmon is marinading in dill, parsley, marjoram, basil, garlic, olive oil and lime. I'm about to par-boil the beans and prep the squash for sauteing. I'm also serving garlic mashed spuds. I won't be eating, but I will juice up a hearty batch of juice for dinner. Believe it or not, it's the first time Tresa and I have had my parents over for dinner. I hope it goes well.
Started the morning with yesterday's leftover juice. It was a great way to start the day. I really love juicing with beets and red cabbage. It makes a deep purple juice, unless of course you add it to the "mean green", in which case you get a lovely brown muddy water cocktail. I made up a juice to take with me on our trip through downtown. When Tresa stopped to get a hot coffee at Starbucks, I broke out my juice and had lunch. It did the trick. If my knees and feet could've held up, I had the energy to walk all afternoon. I felt really good today. I often found myself walking much faster than my lovely fiancee, which forced me to slow down.
Speaking of my fiancee, she's down 10 lbs. in two weeks. Woo hoo! I haven't been on a scale yet, but I'll bet I'm down another couple since Day Fifteen. Less than 40 days left. I can do this.
We ended up at Pike Place Market, one of my favorite places in Seattle. I was there to get some fresh wild caught Coho salmon. Went to a different fish market and got it for a much better deal than last week. Also picked up some fresh green beans and summer squash. The salmon is marinading in dill, parsley, marjoram, basil, garlic, olive oil and lime. I'm about to par-boil the beans and prep the squash for sauteing. I'm also serving garlic mashed spuds. I won't be eating, but I will juice up a hearty batch of juice for dinner. Believe it or not, it's the first time Tresa and I have had my parents over for dinner. I hope it goes well.
Started the morning with yesterday's leftover juice. It was a great way to start the day. I really love juicing with beets and red cabbage. It makes a deep purple juice, unless of course you add it to the "mean green", in which case you get a lovely brown muddy water cocktail. I made up a juice to take with me on our trip through downtown. When Tresa stopped to get a hot coffee at Starbucks, I broke out my juice and had lunch. It did the trick. If my knees and feet could've held up, I had the energy to walk all afternoon. I felt really good today. I often found myself walking much faster than my lovely fiancee, which forced me to slow down.
Speaking of my fiancee, she's down 10 lbs. in two weeks. Woo hoo! I haven't been on a scale yet, but I'll bet I'm down another couple since Day Fifteen. Less than 40 days left. I can do this.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Day Fifteen - PM
Note to self: don't skip juicing.
I haven't had fresh juice all day. I've had one 32-ounce bottle of Odwalla Superfood. Period. I still haven't made my dinner juice. I came home from work feeling run-down, cranky and famished, but I had to get dinner started for the kids. Then it was time to head off to Cub Scouts. I never had time to juice. And now, even though I know I need to drink my juice, it's 8 o'clock and I'm just not in the mood. I definitely feel "off", and I can only assume it's the result of not getting my "fix." I'm going to prep my produce tonight, so that I don't make the same mistake tomorrow.
There was another charity farmers' market today at work. I grabbed a grocery bag full of swiss chard, about a dozen medium tomatoes, a bulb of elephant garlic, two good-sized turnips (w/greens) and a few lemon cucumbers. Yes, lemon cucumbers. I had never seen them before. They're supposed to be sweeter and milder than an English slicing cucumber. I'm going to juice up one of them in my lunch juice for tomorrow. I also picked up two packages of lamb chops. Someone raises lambs on their farm and brought in some of the meat to sell. Don't worry; they were wrapped, frozen, and USDA stamped. Butchered by a professional. I've only eaten lamb once in my life. I'm anxious to cook these sometime in December.
Today I discovered that my new office building has showers in the restrooms. That can mean only one thing: there is an exercise room nearby. I have decided that I will make it my quest to find it tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, it's Friday and the start to another weekend. Plenty of opportunity to get out, get some fresh air, some sun (wait....this is Western Washington in autumn. Who am I kidding?) and maybe a little exercise. It's certainly the chance to get in several batches of fresh juice.
I haven't had fresh juice all day. I've had one 32-ounce bottle of Odwalla Superfood. Period. I still haven't made my dinner juice. I came home from work feeling run-down, cranky and famished, but I had to get dinner started for the kids. Then it was time to head off to Cub Scouts. I never had time to juice. And now, even though I know I need to drink my juice, it's 8 o'clock and I'm just not in the mood. I definitely feel "off", and I can only assume it's the result of not getting my "fix." I'm going to prep my produce tonight, so that I don't make the same mistake tomorrow.
There was another charity farmers' market today at work. I grabbed a grocery bag full of swiss chard, about a dozen medium tomatoes, a bulb of elephant garlic, two good-sized turnips (w/greens) and a few lemon cucumbers. Yes, lemon cucumbers. I had never seen them before. They're supposed to be sweeter and milder than an English slicing cucumber. I'm going to juice up one of them in my lunch juice for tomorrow. I also picked up two packages of lamb chops. Someone raises lambs on their farm and brought in some of the meat to sell. Don't worry; they were wrapped, frozen, and USDA stamped. Butchered by a professional. I've only eaten lamb once in my life. I'm anxious to cook these sometime in December.
Today I discovered that my new office building has showers in the restrooms. That can mean only one thing: there is an exercise room nearby. I have decided that I will make it my quest to find it tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, it's Friday and the start to another weekend. Plenty of opportunity to get out, get some fresh air, some sun (wait....this is Western Washington in autumn. Who am I kidding?) and maybe a little exercise. It's certainly the chance to get in several batches of fresh juice.
Day Fifteen - AM
Weighed 245 this morning. 20 lbs. down in 14 days.
I didn't prep my veggies last night and woke up late this morning. I'm not going to have fresh juice until dinner. Thankfully I bought the Odwalla. It's not great, but it'll do in a pinch. At least it has spirulina for protein and B12.
It's Cub Scouts night and a trip to the farmers' market but I'll post again tonight, if I can remember.
I didn't prep my veggies last night and woke up late this morning. I'm not going to have fresh juice until dinner. Thankfully I bought the Odwalla. It's not great, but it'll do in a pinch. At least it has spirulina for protein and B12.
It's Cub Scouts night and a trip to the farmers' market but I'll post again tonight, if I can remember.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Day Fourteen
Well, two weeks down. Six more to go. Weigh-in day tomorrow morning. I'm hoping for at least 6 lbs. lost this week. We'll have to see.
Nothing really exciting to report today. Made the kids a pepperoni pizza for dinner tonight and was able to resist stealing a slice. That was my big willpower moment of the day.
I've been thinking about what I'm going to do after this fast is over. What I mean is, what kind of "diet" am I going to put myself on? I've been reading a lot lately. Just so you know, I generally take everything I read with a grain of salt. These days, every so-called "expert" believes they have the secret to a healthful lifestyle. Some say to stay away from all cereals and grains. Some say that animal protein, including dairy and eggs, is proven to cause cancer. Others tell you that your blood type determines what foods you should and should not eat. Atkins. South Beach. Caveman. Vegan. Then there's the FDA and whatever gimmicky plan they're currently pushing on the American public. It doesn't help that, for every supposedly healthful eating lifestyle, there are physicians, scientists, nutritionists, etc. backing it up with research. I want to keep my weight down but I also want to enjoy eating. I want to make sure I'm getting a full spectrum of micronutrients, vitamins and enzymes in my diet, but I also want to occasionally eat like a pig. I want my gout to go away for good, but I also don't want to have to give up certain foods I love, like beer and shrimp. I want to eat lots of fish, but I don't have a ton of money. I'll continue doing my research. It's a simple enough concept, "eating right," but practicing it is an entirely different matter.
Damn those people who eat like pigs and never gain a pound.
Nothing really exciting to report today. Made the kids a pepperoni pizza for dinner tonight and was able to resist stealing a slice. That was my big willpower moment of the day.
I've been thinking about what I'm going to do after this fast is over. What I mean is, what kind of "diet" am I going to put myself on? I've been reading a lot lately. Just so you know, I generally take everything I read with a grain of salt. These days, every so-called "expert" believes they have the secret to a healthful lifestyle. Some say to stay away from all cereals and grains. Some say that animal protein, including dairy and eggs, is proven to cause cancer. Others tell you that your blood type determines what foods you should and should not eat. Atkins. South Beach. Caveman. Vegan. Then there's the FDA and whatever gimmicky plan they're currently pushing on the American public. It doesn't help that, for every supposedly healthful eating lifestyle, there are physicians, scientists, nutritionists, etc. backing it up with research. I want to keep my weight down but I also want to enjoy eating. I want to make sure I'm getting a full spectrum of micronutrients, vitamins and enzymes in my diet, but I also want to occasionally eat like a pig. I want my gout to go away for good, but I also don't want to have to give up certain foods I love, like beer and shrimp. I want to eat lots of fish, but I don't have a ton of money. I'll continue doing my research. It's a simple enough concept, "eating right," but practicing it is an entirely different matter.
Damn those people who eat like pigs and never gain a pound.
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