January 31, 2012: Post 31, Day 31

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Today's Weight:        204.6 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    205.2 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 0.6 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

I am not pleased with the charts - I want to lower the trajectory of my trendlines. Time to focus a little more.

Daily Comment

Thinking today about how important it is to feel grateful, and to express your gratitude. This is something I do, to the best of my ability, and as close to real-time as I can (both acknowledging feelings of gratitude and expressing it).

Food Log

Breakfast

Chocolate egg cream protein shake (vanilla whey protein powder (w/36g of whey protein) plus cocoa, 2 eggs, almond milk, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

Smoked turkey breast and bacon with Spring Mix greens, red cabbage, red kidney beans and balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner

Grass-fed beef burger with salsa, with Rajma Masala (red bean curry) and broccoli.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   18 oz,   Water: 104+ oz.

January 30, 2012: Post 30, Day 30 - Fast Day

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Today's Weight:        205.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    202.4 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         + 2.8 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

The expected weight gain happened. Now I have to hunker down a bit, starting with today's fast, which fell 5 hours short of the 24-hour mark, but still a good start to what I hope will be a short period of weight loss.

Daily Comment

Feeling a little post-birthday let-down, mainly because the day was so damn good.

Food Log

Again, no pictures. Sorry.

Breakfast

Skipped.

Lunch
Skipped.

Dinner

3 eggs, scrambled with chipotle sauce. Celery and baby carrots with homemade mayonnaise. 


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   20 oz,   Water: 64+ oz.

January 29, 2012: Post 29, Day 29 - Birthday, Cheat Day

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Today's Weight:        202.4 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    200.4 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         + 2.0 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

Looking at the charts, this definitely should have been a fast day, but it is my birthday, so screw it. I will gain weight today, and still be happy!

Daily Comment

Celebrated the day by sleeping late, answering all the 'Happy Birthday' posts on my Facebook wall, getting my free Grand Slam at Denny's, and enjoying (and playing) music at the Bridge Street Tavern. Lots of great musicians around to share my fun.


At many points in the day, I had to reflect on how lucky I am, and think about all the things I am grateful for. 


I think I am very fortunate. I know I am very grateful.


Then, the first significant snowfall of the winter started. I went home, feasted on chocolate and more chocolate, and a shot of Jameson's. Great start to another year.

Food Log

No photos today.

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
Got my free Grand Slam at Denny's. Subbed whole wheat pancakes, added an egg, and also had a glass of grapefruit juice (to take vitamins with) along with my coffee.

Dinner

Bacon cheeseburger and fries at Bridge Street Tavern. Preceding hearing some great music and playing

Snack

At various (different) times, late at night, I had: A bowl of Ezekiel Sprouted Grains Golden Flax cereal with blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin; 3 kinds of dark chocolate: with orange, with raspberry, and with all kinds of mixed-in stuff; a bowl of soup-like lentil curry; and a shot of Jameson's. Very late.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   30 oz,   Water: 100+ oz.

January 28, 2012: Post 28, Day 28 - Measurement Day, Cheat Day

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Today's Weight:        200.4 lbs
Yesterday's Weight:    202.0 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 1.6 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

                    Last week     This week     Gain/Loss

  Weight:     200.2  lbs    200.0  lbs    - 0.2  lbs
  Chest:       39.00 "       39.00 "      - 0.00 in
  Waist:       37.00 "       37.00 "      - 0.00 "
  Hips:        37.00 "       37.00 "      - 0.00 "
  Total in:   113.00 "      113.00 "      - 0.00 "
  % Body Fat:  16.9  %       16.9  %      - 0.0  %

This is a chart of my weekly weight since 12/31/2011.First quarter.

This is a weekly chart of inches lost (sum of chest, waist, hips) since 12/31/2011. First quarter.

I can't be happy with the trend-line of my weight - I look for it to be flat to down, never up. But so it goes. This weekend won't help, as I am allowing myself a rare (and, so far, unique) 2 cheat-days-in-a-row, due to my birthday falling on a Sunday. I will fast on Monday and consider what I need to do to move my weight in the right direction.

Daily Commentary

Today, I am just celebrating the day. Tomorrow, the same. And so it goes.

Food Log

Breakfast

Big late breakfast: Ezekiel Sprouted Grains Golden Flax cereal with blueberries, almond milk and stevia. Spinach and eggs with quinoa. Coffee.

Lunch

Whole wheat farfalle and peas with garlic olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Dinner

Trail mix with extra dark-chocolate raisins and brownies. 

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:  30 oz,   Water:  104+ oz. 

January 27, 2012: Post 27, Day 27

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Today's Weight:        202.0 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    202.8 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 0.8 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

Looking to get back to the low end of my weight.  Getting there...

Daily Comment

Yesterday I wrote about a singer who impressed me purely with her vocal quality. Last night, after I wrote that, I was treated to an example of singers (both established and successful - locally) who I responded to in an opposite way. 


One was a 'converted' karaoke singer. Her voice is good (not great), but when she performs, she brings a music stand and a book of song lyrics with her. Her band performs the music behind her 'just like the record.' In other words, she is performing karaoke with a live band. Because she is addicted to reading lyrics (I think that by now, she knows them and doesn't really need to read them) her performance is, to me, flat and unconvincing. I can't even imagine how someone who has one eye on a lyric sheet can give a song any depth. She has asked me to join her group a few times, and I have declined. But she has a product that sells well locally. More power to her.


Last night I played behind the other singer I'm talking about. I like the fact that she comes out 'to jam' with the guys, and she is sweet and attractive and a good performer. I have never heard her sing with her own band - and would guess she's much more comfortable in that environment, and possibly gives good vocal performances, but the other times I have heard her, she did not sing well. She is pitchy - I think she gets lost when she is backed by musicians who don't perform her songs the way she is used to, and can't find the key to the song. So she sings out of tune. But her band also gets plenty of gigs.


I want a singer who hits all the notes, in both pitch and emotion.

Food Log

Breakfast
Chocolate egg cream protein shake (vanilla whey protein powder (w/36g of whey protein) plus cocoa, 2 eggs, almond milk, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

Roast turkey breast with Spring Mix greens, Red kidney beans, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette. 

Dinner

Grass-fed beef burger with salsa, and Dal Tadka (lentil curry) with peas. 

Snack

Roast turkey with whole-seed Dijon mustard and baby carrots, celery, and homemade mayonnaise.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   30 oz,   Water: 96+ oz.

January 26, 2012: Post 26, Day 26

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Today's Weight:        202.8 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    204.2 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 1.4 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

Not being concerned about my daily weight changes does not mean not paying attention. It is by paying attention to my eating, and how it affects my weight and, more importantly, my feelings and appearance, that have been able to lose weight when I needed to. Right now, I'm feeling that need again. I'm coming up on a 'partying' weekend.

Daily Comment

I heard a singer at last Sunday's jam at Bridge Street Tavern who made a very good impression on me with her big, non-pitchy voice. The quality is, sadly, untypical of most of the female singers I have heard around here - not that there are any lack of good singers, but good, big-voice singers? Not so much.

Anyway, she and her guitar-playing boyfriend heard me play at the jam, and I guess they liked what they heard, so asked if I was available, and I gave them my card. 


Last night, I got a call from a drummer I have also jammed with at Bridge St. and other venues from time to time, and he wanted to know if I was interested in getting together with him, a guitarist and the guitarist's girlfriend. Yes, it turned out to be the same two I had met at Bridge St (the drummer had no idea I had heard them). Very exciting how these things come together.

Food Log

Breakfast
Chocolate egg cream protein shake (vanilla whey protein powder (w/36g of whey protein) plus cocoa, an egg, almond milk, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

At Star North Mongolian Grill and Buffet: Shrimp, Beef, peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cabbage, broccoli w/hot and spicy sauce. Not shown: Salad w/lettuce, tomato, 3-bean salad, ranch dressing and chicken and broccoli.

Dinner

Salmon burger with homemade mayonnaise, and a salad of Spring Mix greens, black beans, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette. 

Snack

Baby carrots, celery, and homemade mayonnaise.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   22 oz,   Water: 96+ oz.

January 25, 2012: Post 25, Day 25 - Fast Day

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Today's Weight:        204.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    204.8 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 0.6 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

So we have a weight trend I need to reverse, starting today. Luckily, as I pointed out yesterday when the trend (do to recent eating) showed itself.

Daily Comment

The reason diets don't work is that they aren't sustainable. And, when they're not sustained, any success is reversed. This, by the way, is irrespective of exercise habits.

A recent article in the NY TImes pointed out, in a very discouraging way, the mechanisms of diet failure, and how they are rooted in changes in body function after a person becomes fat. Which is to say, getting fat makes a permanent change in how your body works, including hormonal balancee and efficiency and fat cell metabolism. This means that, if you changed your eating pattern (diet) to lose weight (and there is no other way, given that exercise is not, by itself, effective), as soon as you stop eating in the way that helped you lose weight, you will gain weight. If you revert to the way you ate that got you fat in the first place, the weight you lost comes back quickly, and then some. It would seem that, once you've put yourself in a situation where you want to lose weight, you are in that situation forever. The cost of holding on to your gains is, it turns out, eternal vigilance.


Since I may be experiencing this, it is time to un-relax on the diet front.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Skipped.


Dinner

Appetizer: Genoa Salami (not shown). Main: Chicken with feta cheese and spinach sausage with whole grain Dijon Mustard and cauliflower with Gongora Dal (lentil curry). 

Snack

Genoa salami, baby carrots and whole seed Dijon mustard.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   30 oz,   Water: 128+ oz.

January 24, 2012: Post 24, Day 24

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Today's Weight:        204.8 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    203.2 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         + 1.6 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

Here I am, at the highest weight of 2012. Sigh. I ate too much yesterday - and I knew it even getting out of bed this morning.


That didn't stop me from doing the same thing today, though. I don't know why, but beginning in the afternoon yesterday and today, I developed a huge appetite. Recent readings suggest that there were a few hormones (like ghrelin) out of whack, causing this hunger - but why that is the case, I don't know. And I haven't been effective at fighting it off.


And so, two fails. First a package of orange peanut butter and cracker "sandwiches," then later, a full-blown cheat with a bowl of cereal and berries - a cheat day staple.


It's a good thing tomorrow's a fast day.

Daily Comment

Band rehearsal was called off today. This always puts me in a bad frame of mind. I miss it so.

Food Log

Breakfast
Chocolate egg cream protein shake (vanilla whey protein powder (w/36g of whey protein) plus cocoa, an egg, almond milk, cinnamon and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

Roast turkey breast, Spring Mix greens, black beans, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack

Peanut butter crackers.



Dinner

Chicken with feta cheese and spinach sausage, and Dal Tadka (lintil curry) with cauliflower.

Snack

Ezekiel Sprouted Grains Golden Flax cereal with blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin blend. Later, baby carrots.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   24 oz,   Water: 96+ oz.

January 23, 2012: Post 23, Day 23

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Today's Weight:        203.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    199.2 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         + 4.0 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

Another surprise! This would be a big weight gain if it came after a cheat day, but after a fast day, it is a little difficult to understand. I think the weight loss yesterday was from being a little dehydrated (I drank a minimal amount of water on cheat day). Today, I am full of it. Water, that is. I woke up feeling it, and was not surprised by the scale weight. Things will balance out over the next few days, I'm sure.


Also, for whatever reason, I was hungry all day today, especially in the late afternoon to evening, and ate according to my hunger.

Daily Comment

I have nothing much to say about anything today, so this is my comment.

Food Log

Breakfast

Spinach, black beans and eggs with Chipotle Tabasco sauce and salsa.

Lunch

Roast turkey breast, Spring Mix greens, black beans, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack

Celery, baby carrots and homemade mayonnaise.



Dinner

Chili (grass-fed beef, red beans, tomatoes, spice) and steamed broccoli. After, finished off the rest of the chili.

Snack

Celery, roast turkey, and whole seed Dijon mustard.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   30 oz,   Water: 132+ oz.

January 22, 2012: Post 22, Day 22 - Fast Day

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Today's Weight:        199.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    200.0 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 0.8 lbs

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - first quarter.

Daily weight from December 31, 2011 - year 2012.

Surprise! Losing weight on a cheat day. We'll see what happens after fasting today.

Daily Comment

I just have to mention that there are only 1,132 days left until I retire. But who's counting? (Me).

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Skipped.


Dinner

Tuna salad with celery, onions and homemade mayonnaise and Spring mix greens, black beans, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack

Celery, baby carrots and homemade mayonnaise.


Liquid Intake

    Coffee:   30 oz,   Water: 132+ oz.