Derailed

2.5 weeks of staying the course...and then a crash.

Normally there would have been a post on Monday listing my results and thoughts. Over the last 4 days, I have fallen off the diet/exercise wagon. I haven't completely fallen off, but here's a short list of major diet violations (not counting Thanksgiving dinner which was my cheat meal):

1. Friday night: frozen yogurt
   
2. Saturday night: dinner- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, onion rings, and dessert
3. Monday night: Slice of pizza very late at night

My exercise habits over the last week, or lack thereof, is even worse. I do have the excuse that I hurt my back playing football on Friday (something I'll post about separately). I was not able to play basketball Monday due to my injury and I'll have to skip tomorrow because of an important work meeting. But I have not had a cardio session on the elliptical in a week.

The problem with many people who undertake weight-loss efforts is that they quit within a short period of time. You find yourself making excuses for a lapse here, a lapse there. And then you continue to lapse until you're back in your old diet/exercise habits. This is often followed by a combination of guilt and the thought "well I'll get back on the diet/exercise wagon...soon..."

I cannot and will not let this setback compel me into quitting. Life is short and I want to improve my health and appearance. So far today I have eaten clean and I will eat a clean dinner. I will continue to eat clean and commence exercising by no later than Friday. My balky back should be healed or close enough by then to allow me to do cardio and hopefully basketball.

Week 2 weigh-in, results

Starting weight: 230 lbs
Previous weight: 226 lbs
Current weight: 223 lbs

I was surprised to be down 3 lbs when I weighed myself in today. I have not lifted in a week and a half due to a hectic schedule that's prevented me from starting my evenings until it's too late. Also, I went to Atlantic City this past weekend and had a cheat meal on Saturday night.

On the plus side, I kept up with my cardio schedule Monday-Thursday. Even while in Atlantic City, I took a brisk walk outside for at least an hour on Saturday. I ate clean Monday through Friday afternoon. I ate dinner Friday night at PF Changs but managed to stick with lettuce wraps and a salad. I did have a dessert of dark chocolate, however. I felt ok about it since it's not as unhealthy as the other options and dark chocolate does possess some health benefits. The portion wasn't overwhelming either unlike the rest of their ginormous desserts.

Saturday I only ate two meals. My first meal consisted of bbq pulled turkey, beans, and cole slaw. Not bad. But the calories I saved were more than spent at dinner at The Palm. I indulged in prime rib, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad, bread, and ahi tuna. I did manage to resist having too much of the bread and mashed potatoes (compared to what I used to do) and ate plenty of broccoli/salad. But I gave in and had dessert too- a flourless chocolate cake with berries and vanilla ice cream. I've eaten two cheat meals over two weeks so I don't feel bad.

After returning home Sunday, I went back to eating clean and I've eaten clean today. I do need to step my game up if I want to reach my goals. There has been noticeable progress, however. I have not had any major foot pain from my plantar faciitis or the bone spur in the back of my right heel. Also, my girlfriend has noticed that I've gotten a little smaller in my gut. So I am making progress.

14 more weeks until I'm 30.

Rave: Kashi Go-Lean Crunch with blueberries

I just noticed that I haven't written anything positive on my blog yet. Losing weight isn't all doom and gloom unless you make it out to be.

Although I find dieting to be easier than exercising, there are many people who don't feel this way. Some of us tend to gravitate to unhealthy options, especially at certain meals. Growing up, I used to eat unhealthy sugary cereals. I don't care for oatmeal, which probably isn't good since it's one of the healthier things you can eat (healthier versions, that is). Sometimes I'd eat Cherrios but that was as healthy as it got for me.

I think I discovered Kashi's Go-Lean cereal several years ago through my sister, although I really don't remember. There's two versions: Go-Lean and Go-Lean Crunch. Both have higher protein than normal cereals, which is good. Kashi's Go-Lean is a little on the bland side, but ok. Kashi's Go-Lean Crunch is naturally sweetened and much healthier than any processed sugary cereal. I like to top it off with fresh blueberries to add even more flavor and nutritional value to it.

Oh, and I don't have milk in my cereal. Many people find it strange, but I think it's strange that people would make their cereal soggy. However, I do drink skim chocolate milk in a separate glass as I eat my cereal. Chocolate milk is something for me to rave about on another post.

Rant: 'Tis the season

'Tis the season to get fat. Thanksgiving and religious holidays will hinder anyone's attempts to diet. Winter is a time of comfort food. Even the animals fatten up before they go hibernate.

Almost all my cheat meals for the rest of the year are planned out. Three holidays that will end up being cheat meals for me will be Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and New Year's. My office's holiday party will be another cheat meal too. Hell, even Christmas will be a cheat meal as it's commonly referred to as "Chinese food and movie day" in my family.

I used my cheat meal of this week last night while tailgating during the Eagles-Redskins game. I say during because we got there late and never even went into the damn stadium. But that's a whole other story. I ate chips and guacamole, cookies, and turkey burgers. I even drank a little Diet Coke, although that was due to lack of options and the fact I was thirsty.

Do I feel bad about this? Nope. I'm going to eat clean over the next 9 days until Thanksgiving. But I won't gorge myself on Thanksgiving. I'm planning on working out that morning and trying to limit carbs while still enjoying the holiday food.

Week 1 weigh-in, results

I think I'll post this each Monday with thoughts about how I did. As for my results:

Starting weight: 230 lbs
Current weight: 226 lbs

Despite losing 4 lbs, I'm not too pleased about how I did for the week. The one thing I did fairly well was my diet. I ate clean all week, which is good. I didn't take a legitimate cheat meal but I had some chips with my rotisserie chicken last night. The one diet issue I need to work on is being consistent every day with the timing of when and how much I eat. I missed my 5th meal a couple times. I had my 6th meal several times closer to 7 pm and last night ate it even later.

Where I was really not consistent was with my exercise routine. I only lifted weights once, which is absolutely terrible. I wasn't focused or driven enough to make it to the gym. I did have obstacles that bogged me down especially on Wednesday. Thursday, I started getting sick with sinus infection symptoms and there was no way I could lift. Friday, I did play basketball for 1.5 hours after waking up which was good. But I didn't work out Saturday and that was simply my own fault.

So there has been some success but plenty of room for improvement. I've started Week 2 off well by doing my early AM cardio and I have basketball coming up in about 3.5 hours. Tomorrow will be a challenge for me. I am going to the Eagles-Redskins game tonight and that will keep me up late. I did prepare for this by taking off a couple hours early tomorrow morning so I can get a decent amount of sleep. My goal is to be asleep by 2 am and working out at my office by 10 am. Then I'll lift after work. Perhaps I'll sleep better if the Redskins win tonight. One can only hope.

Although it has only been one week, I do notice some small changes. I have a little more energy. I notice this especially after my early morning cardio. I generally feel a little better too. There's less aches and pains, particularly in my ankles and feet. I think my body had to go through some withdrawal from eating so much crappy food. I'm not feeling huge sugar/insulin highs followed by lows after I eat.

Only 15 more weeks until I'm 30. Oy.

My diet plan

I don't even like calling this my "diet plan." When I think of the term diet, I think of fads, eliminating carbs, and eating less. While going through this process, the change to my diet doesn't involve any of these things. Eating clean and consuming less calories is something I need to do not just for the next 4 months but as an overall lifestyle change.

Eating clean doesn't have to equal suffering. I still eat food I enjoy but in a much smarter manner. Will I miss eating sweets, unhealthy food, and going out to eat? Of course. But I don't eliminate that 100%. Part of my diet includes one cheat meal per week. Over the course of that meal, I can eat anything I want to. I try to target my cheat meal at lunch so that I can burn the extra calories throughout the day. But if for example I take my girlfriend out to dinner and it's my cheat meal, I'm not going to feel guilty if I indulge. Cheat meals are good for my metabolism and for my general sanity.

My diet plan involves eating 6 meals and drinking a gallon of water every day. I also eat a few slices of deli turkey after my evening workout. Here's a breakdown of what I consume each meal:

1. After my AM workout- Protein smoothie. I make my own smoothies using various frozen fruit, whey protein, no sugar-added cranberry juice and Dannon carb control yogurt. Prepackaged smoothies are usually filled with sugar, although the Naked protein-zone smoothie isn't as bad as others. Places like Robeks, Smoothie King, etc load their smoothies with sugar. Fat free sorbet and guava juice does not equal healthy. Occasionally, I will eat a banana before my AM workout if I need something in my system right away.
   
2. Around 10:00- Go-lean Crunch cereal topped with blueberries, chocolate milk, and either Smart Bacon or Morningstar vegetarian sausage. I keep a kosher style diet and do not eat pork. No, turkey bacon DOES have pork in it (I get asked this all the time). Soy bacon and sausage is lower in fat, lower in cholesterol, and tastes amazing (the sausage especially).
3. Around 11:00- Yogurt and a banana. This is just a light snack. Occasionally I'll mix in another fruit. Kiwi is a particular favorite as it's delicious and filled with fiber. I eat the skin which is surprisingly good.
4. After my midday workout- Empire skinless turkey sandwich on Men's Bread with lettuce and sun-dried tomato spread, carrots and hummus, and a Kashi protein bar. The Men's Bread can be found at Wegmans and Whole Foods. To be honest, it's not great tasting as it's filled with whole grains, flax seed, and other nutrients you won't find in other bread (There's even a woman's version of it too). Sometimes I will microwave and add soy-bacon to make it a club sandwich. I do vary my sandwiches to tuna fish or turkey pastrami so I don't get bored. Many deli meats have sugars added to them for flavor and I avoid those. I also make turkey chili or a chicken sausage bean stew for lunches every few weeks too.
   
5. Around 4:00 to 4:30- Health Valley soup (I get the ones with no salt added) and an apple with peanut butter. Sometimes I will treat myself to something sweet such as sugar-free Jello or one of the 100 calorie packs (like Chips Ahoy, Oreos, etc). This is the last time I consume carbs for the day.
6. Around 6:00 to 6:30- I eat a protein based meal. This can be skinless rotisserie chicken, turkey burgers, fish, etc. I don't have it with any sides.

Results - 11/8/10

I feel like posting my diet and exercise results is both helpful and boring. Writing things down is good as it gives me a sense of accomplishment. However, if I post about it every day, I'll literally be repeating myself most of the time. Perhaps I'll post every 3 days about my results? I also think Monday will be a good day for me to weigh myself each week. I haven't made up my mind on any of this so we'll see.

I do want to post about my first day trying to get back in the swing of things. The diet part was easy and it always has been for me in the past. The major adjustments are consistently eating clean, cutting out carbs after 4:30, and eating nothing late in the evening beyond a light snack of a few deli turkey slices as needed. I also break up my meals from 3 or 4 to 6 per day.

Yesterday I ate 6 clean meals and actually did not have any turkey later in the evening. I was never hungry at any point. I can feel a small difference in my blood sugar levels too.

I don't find going to the gym difficult or intimidating and I don't lack motivation to exercise. My toughest obstacle will be how my body responds. Getting back in shape is a long, painful process. I will be sore from lifting and exhausted from cardio. Being overweight has caused a lot of things to hurt- notably my lower back, knees, ankles, and feet. Exercise aggravates those aches and pains but it's really the weight that's doing it. As I lose weight, I hope that this will get better and allow me to push even harder.

Yesterday I worked out 3 times. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine early in the morning, played basketball for 45 minutes midday, and I lifted in the evening (targeting chest/triceps). I didn't overexert myself in any activity due to necessity more than trying to be conservative.