Lost 14 Pounds So Far

I went to the gym today and got a real nice workout.  On top of the diet, adding some weekly exercise should help get me some results...  I hope.  Anyway, I weighed myself and was very happy to see that I've lost 14 lbs.  Just another 46 left to go.

A Breakfast Reflection

I went to Curran's for breakfast with my 93 year old grandmother on Sunday morning.  She's the immortal athlete that's going to be standing around like a bronze statue through time; she'll probably out live us all... Anyway, she had a significantly larger meal than I did.  This is a first in the history between us.

I looked at the menu.  I thought about calories and fat for about 2.5 seconds.  But then I thought more along the lines of the fact that it was snowing outside, I want to go home, and I don't even like the act of eating anymore.

Up until last fall I was all about eating whatever I want, wherever I want, whenever I want.  Slight problem with that philosophy is you get fat, feel like shit, and women won't want to date you for the fore mentioned reasons. I could also say that there was a bit of change in lifestyle due to neccessity.  My last job had me so busy during the final months of my contract, that I simply just stopped going out for lunch.  I had clementines at my desk for breakfast, and a sandwhich for lunch.

Fast forward to present day.  Thanks to my crucible mind-set, I don't like eating anymore.  Therefore perusing Curran's menu lead me to the side orders.  Grapefruit and oatmeal will now be my breakfast.

Breakfast was served and I ate my food... sorta.  I finished the grapefruit and about a third of my oatmeal.

Sorry, I just don't feel like eating.

Why did we even bother going out to eat?  I could have had this at home.

Later in the afternoon I ate a ham and cheese sandwich, with a few handfuls of peanuts here and there.  My visiting mother was kind enough to cook an outstanding dinner of three cheese tortolinni with a garlic spinach sauce.  Too bad, I was barely able to eat half of it.  Perhaps it would make a good lunch the next day?

I did wind up eating a little more later on.  I was drafted to be taxi driver for my friends Jeff and Connie for a trip to Good Sports.  There were about 4 bites left of her cheeseburger that she didn't finish.  I ate what was left of the burger, which wasn't much.

Emerging From The Crucible

Considering what I have been going through, I'm surprised that I was able to tighten my belt a notch yet again.  I was hospitalized for nearly 5 days last week in what was the worst week in my life as an adult.

While in the hospital, I was served 3 squares a day or crap that resembled public school lunch.  Simply due to the fact that I refused to eat most of my food, I lost weight.  Since my release, my appetite hasn't returned.  It's a strange thing to think about, but I haven't been able to finish a meal, except once, in 7 days.  The one exception was a late night breakfast at the Uptown Diner after an evening of carousing.  Unfortunately, I wound up throwing it all up 5 hours later, so it doesn't really count as a successful completion.

Putting all that heinous crap aside for a minute; I do feel lighter and more nimble.  Let's see where this weight loss thing takes me.  One thing is for certain at this point.  I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.  All's I know is when I'm supposed to eat.

Set-back Gets Worse

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to contain my appetite through out the night.  My friends were present and stuffing their faces, and they were boozing as well.  I'm so incredibly disappointed and upset with myself right now.

Sci-fi Saturday night-time snacking: On top of the previous posting's consumption
- 2 handfuls of dark chocolate acai blueberry / raisin things
- 1 serving of summer sausage
- 2 small vodka mixed with pomegranate cocktails

Kip had used his double-talk lawyer speak (peer pressure) to convince me that it was okay to drink (he was drinking the same thing) because I had only promised myself I wouldn't have a drink for two weeks.  He kept asking me if I had promised myself or the girl.  Nope, I had promised myself... Great, so I can't even keep promises to myself... Fuck'n hell man.  

Fortunately, Kip and Jeff were able to eat the rest of the pizza for me.  Somehow, Jeff ate quarter of the pizza, whole bag of chips, and still managed to chug down a six-pack.  


Skinny people... Bastards...  Excuse me, I'm going to go eat a bowl of cardboard now.

A Slight Set-back

Saturday 02/12: I think I've managed to keep my caloric intake around 2000 calories or less, but I definitely lost out in the fat intake category.  Thanks to Sci-fi Saturday, I wound up eating some frozen pizza.  My buddy Jeff was kind enough to eat a flat bread sandwich in the car, in front of my face, while I was driving us back to my house.

Breakfast: at home ~ 9:00am
- 1 piece of peanut butter toast
- 1 celery stalk


Lunch: at home ~ 2:30pm
- 1 Baja bean and cheese burrito nuked: I burned my tongue real bad on the first bite.


Dinner: at home ~ 5:30pm
- 3 slices of Digiornos Supreme pizza - This is the part where I have my set-back. :(

Only 340 calories per serving!  Only 6 servings in a pizza... Yikes!

Friday 02/11

Friday 02/11: Fifth day of dieting.  There was a break in the squirrel diet today.  I went with Jill to Origami for dinner.  This was the first time I ate out since starting the diet.  Origami is a sushi house with an excellent reputation.  We both agreed that we had the best sushi dining experience in our lives.

Breakfast: at home ~6:30am
- 1 LARGE bowl of Fiber 1 raisin bran (cardboard)

Snack: at work ~10:00am
- 2 handfuls of roasted almonds

After a while these taste like tree bark.

Lunch: at work ~11:30am
- Pan fried chicken breast with sauteed vegetables brought from home and then nuked

Snack: at work ~5:30pm
- 1 Granny Smith apple

Dinner: at Origami ~7:00pm
- Pickled vegetables, Miso soup, chicken skewer, Sari Roll, NY NY Roll

The best Miso Soup I've ever had in my life.

Pickled; flavorful yet not the least bit salty.

NY NY Roll on the left and Sari Roll on the right: delicious!

Thursday 02/10

Thursday 02/10: Fourth day of dieting.  I got my hours for eating a little goofy, I think.  I'm looking forward to the GF's guidance for grocery shopping this weekend.  My diet this week resembles that of a squirrel and it's starting to annoy me.

Breakfast: at home ~6:30am
- 1 LARGE bowl of Fiber 1 raisin bran (cardboard)


Snack: working from home ~10:00am
- 3 handfuls of peanuts
- 2 clementines


Lunch: at work ~2:00pm

- 3 clementines
- 2 handfuls of roasted almonds


Snack: at work ~4:30pm
- 1 Cub Foods peanut butter granola bar (2 come in the package, counts as 1)


Dinner: at home ~7:00pm
- Pan fried chicken breast with sauteed vegetables.
(2 bell peppers, green onions, 1 squash)

It was actually quite good.  Only took about a half hour to make.

Wednesday 02/09:

Wednesday 02/09: Third day of dieting.  It's also my second day in a row of after work meetings.  That means I won't have time to cook a proper dinner... damn it.

Breakfast: at home ~6:30am
- 1 bowl of Fiber 1 raisin bran (cardboard)


Snack: at work ~9:30-11:00am
- 2 hand fulls of roasted almonds
- 2 clementines


Lunch: at work ~12:30pm

- 2 bars (single package / 1 serving) Cub Foods granola peanut butter bar (more cardboard)
- 2 hand fulls of roasted almonds


Snack: at work ~3:45pm
- 2 clementines
- 2 handful of roasted almonds


Dinner: at home ~ 6:00pm
- 2 Baja bean and cheese burrito (nuked)
- 4 slices (1 serving) summer sausage

Tuesday 02/08

Tuesday 02/08: Second day of dieting; I had a meeting in the evening so this was going to be complicated.  Just what I was afraid of.  Also, as of now, I have decided that I will not be counting coffee and diet soda.  The caloric intake from those is negligible.  Sorry GF, I don't wanna hear it.

Breakfast: at home ~6:30am
- 1 bowl of Fiber 1 raisin bran (cardboard)


Snack: at work ~10:00am
- 1 Cub Foods blueberry snack bar (woops, too sugary)
- 2 clementines


Lunch: at work ~11:30am

- Left over chicken peanut stir-fry from yesterday


Snack: at home ~5:00pm
- 2 clementines
- 2 handful of peanuts


Dinner: at home
- 1 Baja bean and cheese burrito (nuked)

Monday 02/07

Monday 02/07: I went to the store to get the food I'll be eating, so my diet isn't quite in place yet.

Breakfast: at work ~8:30am
- 3 clementines
- 6 cups of coffee (3 mugs but hot damn!!)


Lunch: at work ~12:30pm

- Texas Longhorn sandwich from Milios
- 1 small bag of Lay's Sour Cream & Onion


Snack: at home ~5:30pm
- 2 bars of Lynn Riskedal's granola, cardboard tasting squares

They're actually not that bad.

Dinner: at home ~7:30pm

- Peanut chicken stir-fry: 
(1 chicken breast, 2 bell peppers, 1 squash, 1 cup peanuts, 3 table spoons peanut butter, 2 jalapenos, green onions)

Fresh Ingredients

Cooking in the wok.

Dinner is served; no rice on purpose.

Getting Started

Good evening, this is my first posting for the Fat and Fickle blog.  My girl friend has decried that I am to lose weight.  She tells me that eating this thing called breakfast is going to help me get there.  So that's what I've started doing before going into work.  Additionally, I am to cut alcohol out of my diet... At least mostly.  Apparently booze is packed full of empty calories; imagine that.

I have been directed to write down what I eat... (sigh)  Well if I must, then that's what I'll do.  A little challenge to myself; I've taken pictures of some of the food I've been eating as proof of my legitimate efforts to make good on my part.  Actually it's all my part, what the hell am I talking about?  It's not as if anybody else is forcing me to live the lifestyle I've been living.

I'm going to post up everything I eat--assuming I remember--and maybe this will help keep things under control.  Right... Let's go.