So, I decide to get all dedicated and stuff on this losing weight thing, and the forces of the world conspire against me. Just finding the time to do these entries is difficult. So to do the update for Tuesday, 3/28:
Weight: 281.6 lbs.
Change from previous day: down 1.6 lbs.
Overall change from baseline: down 1.6 lbs.
Pounds to go to reach my goal: 41.6 lbs.
I know I never formally announced my goal weight. Given the scale controversy, I don't know how likely it is I'll be able to attain my goal within any reasonable amount of time, but my goal weight is 240 lbs.
3/28 was not entirely a bad day. Food-wise, I did pretty well. For breakfast, I had my oatmeal (150 cal) and my breakfast drink (220 cal). In the middle of the morning, I had approximately 1 oz of Reduced Fat Wheat Thins (approx 140 cal). Lunch consisted of Campbells Chunky Beef with Garden Veggies soup (approx 240 cal) and a Lean Pocket (280 cal), finished with 4 Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies (approx 310 cal). I had another handful of Wheat Thins (140 cal) in the middle of the afternoon, and was all ready to eat a Lean Cuisine or something similar when I arrived home. Unfortunately, here's where the gods of chance and annoyance crashed the party. I had taken my truck to the dealer to have some work done on it. Unfortunately, the estimate to fix everything that was wrong came to $1900! So that delayed me in getting home and put me on major tilt. For any non-poker players who wonder about that, "tilt" is basically when you are totally bent out of shape and freak out. So I finally get home (almost bought a brand new Nissan Pathfinder on the spot, but that's another story) after fighting traffic thru the rain, only to find out that the lovely gf had an absolutely crappy day at work and that she was on uber-tilt as well. The easiest way to calm her down is to feed her, preferably at a nice restaurant. So we picked an Indian place here in San Diego, figuring that a curry dish with veggies and chicken breast wouldn't do too much damage. So after trying to find a parking space for a half hour, we gave up and stopped at a...wait for it...Chinese Buffet!!!! Evil! Especially because I'm a whore for Chinese food in general, and noodles/pasta in particular! All you can eat lo mein, rice, won tons, etc.? Holy crap! I'd conservatively estimate the meal did 2000 cal of damage, for a total consumption of approximately 3500 calories. Oy!
Well, maybe my physical activity would make up the difference. Not really. Not having a vehicle, I stayed at my desk. Given the rain, I didn't golf or go walking at lunch, either. So rough calculations give me a total calories burned for the day of approx. 2500. As expected, this did have a bad effect on the weight, but I'll save those details for the next post. On that topic, I am trying to figure out how I want to format all of this info. I'll be playing around with structure and content in future posts, but for now I'm beat and need to sleep.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
3/27/06 - not the start I was hoping for
So we begin. I set about taking all of the baseline measurements, only to realize that my scale, which is many years old and has lived in many different houses and apartments, has decided to not function properly. So, a new scale is in order. I got one of the nice Health-o-Meter digital ones like my sister has. Not quite as fancy, but plenty effective. This does throw things a little out of whack, because I always weigh myself first thing in the morning, before I consume anything. Today's baseline was actually taken around 8 p.m. Maybe that will artificially inflate the base and make it seem as though I'm losing more than. The extreme downside is that I realize just how much my old mechanical scale had malfunctioned...my weight is up by more than 15 pounds!! Of course this is in line with the difference I noted over Christmas, when I weighed myself on my sister's scale. Oh well. Baseline measurements:
Weight - 283.2 lbs.
Waist - 43.5 inches
Gut - 47.0 inches
Chest - 49.0 inches
Bicep - 17.0 inches
Now, besides the scale, the other part of the day that was not ideal was I had to be on the road, early. So no chance to get my breakfast or lunch put together, so I eat on the road. This is one of my biggest problems. If I'm going out on the road later in the morning or early afternoon, I typically can put together at least my usual breakfast of a Carnation instant breakfast drink wtih skim milk, and a packet of instant oatmeal. I drink the drink on the way into the office, and eat the oatmeal when I get there. That gives me a good mix of vitamins, protein, fiber, and all that fun stuff for around 350 calories. Not so the case today. In a hurry and, probably due to the impending diet program, jonesing for something hot and cooked. Lunch was a little better. The upside of today is it kept me from snacking, which is one of my major downfalls. Anyway, here's my meal recap:
Mini box of Fruit Loops - 120 cal, 1g fat, 28g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein
Sausage McMuffin - 450 cal, 26g fat, 31g carbs, 2g fiber, 20g protein
Souplantation - 1070 cal, 35g fat, 123g carbs, 10g fiber, 40g protein
Butterfinger Bar - 270 cal, 11g fat, 44g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g protein
Whole Foods Cashew Chicken - 440 cal, 12g fat, 63g carbs, 1g fiber, 20g protein
2 Samoas Girl Scout Cookies - 150 cal, 8g fat, 19g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein
A grand total of 2230 cal, 93g fat, 308g carbs, 16g fiber, 86g protein (**update - I corrected my math. I can only add when I'm drunk, not just tired!). All of the caloric information was either taken directly from the package (where possible) or from a phenomenal website food/calorie database, Calorie King. This website is amazing. Want to check out how bad the stuff is at Taco Johns or Chick-Fil-A? They've got it. If you're looking at something that is at least a regional chain, odds are it's probably listed in there. This site also had information on general food types (breads and cereal, juices, milk and cheese, vegetables, meat, candy and snacks, etc. If it's sold at a grocery store, or a deli, or a 7-11, it's probably in the database. Anyway, there's that shameless plug.
Physical activity is another story. During the majority of the day, I was driving or sitting in a meeting. I had some minor home improvement stuff to do at home before the gf came home, so I did that instead of going to the gym. I used a pretty slick "how many calories did I burn?" calculator that I found on HealthStatus.com. Total calories burned today, a little over 3000. All things being equal, not a bad start. Adding the extra pounds just because of a new scale sucks, but it is what it is. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to pack a lunch and avoid the fast food. Wish me luck.
Weight - 283.2 lbs.
Waist - 43.5 inches
Gut - 47.0 inches
Chest - 49.0 inches
Bicep - 17.0 inches
Now, besides the scale, the other part of the day that was not ideal was I had to be on the road, early. So no chance to get my breakfast or lunch put together, so I eat on the road. This is one of my biggest problems. If I'm going out on the road later in the morning or early afternoon, I typically can put together at least my usual breakfast of a Carnation instant breakfast drink wtih skim milk, and a packet of instant oatmeal. I drink the drink on the way into the office, and eat the oatmeal when I get there. That gives me a good mix of vitamins, protein, fiber, and all that fun stuff for around 350 calories. Not so the case today. In a hurry and, probably due to the impending diet program, jonesing for something hot and cooked. Lunch was a little better. The upside of today is it kept me from snacking, which is one of my major downfalls. Anyway, here's my meal recap:
Mini box of Fruit Loops - 120 cal, 1g fat, 28g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein
Sausage McMuffin - 450 cal, 26g fat, 31g carbs, 2g fiber, 20g protein
Souplantation - 1070 cal, 35g fat, 123g carbs, 10g fiber, 40g protein
Butterfinger Bar - 270 cal, 11g fat, 44g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g protein
Whole Foods Cashew Chicken - 440 cal, 12g fat, 63g carbs, 1g fiber, 20g protein
2 Samoas Girl Scout Cookies - 150 cal, 8g fat, 19g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein
A grand total of 2230 cal, 93g fat, 308g carbs, 16g fiber, 86g protein (**update - I corrected my math. I can only add when I'm drunk, not just tired!). All of the caloric information was either taken directly from the package (where possible) or from a phenomenal website food/calorie database, Calorie King. This website is amazing. Want to check out how bad the stuff is at Taco Johns or Chick-Fil-A? They've got it. If you're looking at something that is at least a regional chain, odds are it's probably listed in there. This site also had information on general food types (breads and cereal, juices, milk and cheese, vegetables, meat, candy and snacks, etc. If it's sold at a grocery store, or a deli, or a 7-11, it's probably in the database. Anyway, there's that shameless plug.
Physical activity is another story. During the majority of the day, I was driving or sitting in a meeting. I had some minor home improvement stuff to do at home before the gf came home, so I did that instead of going to the gym. I used a pretty slick "how many calories did I burn?" calculator that I found on HealthStatus.com. Total calories burned today, a little over 3000. All things being equal, not a bad start. Adding the extra pounds just because of a new scale sucks, but it is what it is. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to pack a lunch and avoid the fast food. Wish me luck.
Friday, March 24, 2006
So here's what I'm thinking
Here's the story of me and my fatness. First of all, I am a big guy. I'm 6'3", and I actually am big boned (apologies to Cartman). The downside was that I always ate. Lots. That's been my problem, and I figured if I'm going to actually stick with some sort of weight loss plan, making it public (or at least as public as the inevitable 2 or 3 people that will read this) was the best thing to do. My goal is to daily post what I ate and drank, and what physical activities I engaged in. I intend to formally start on Monday, 3/27, and see what kind of progress I make by my 35th birthday, on 4/12.
I was in pretty good shape in college. I ate, drank, and smoked whatever I wanted. Being young certainly helped, but I lived several miles off campus at UC Santa Barbara. Every day would turn into a 5 mile jungle warfare mountain bike adventure to get to class. Me and a buddy would show up for class bleeding, muddy, and with ripped clothes. Life was good. Being that far off campus and having a rather spread out campus to work from, I rarely went home between classes. I'd walk or ride around campus and Isla Vista (the most drunken, most densely packed 1/2 square mile west of the Mississippi River). The part time job I held was doing sales for a window tint company. I'd drive to my territory, park the car, and walk around for several hours. Finally, the condo we lived in was situated adjacent to a several square mile open space area between our development and the ocean. It was a great place to ride mountain bikes or run. Most mornings I'd get out for a mile or two, and if the weather was warm enough, I'd run a couple of miles out to the beach, and then dive into the ocean for some body surfing. After that, I'd walk back up to the top of the bluff (if you've seen the Ugly Kid Joe video for "I Hate Everything About You", that was filmed less than a mile south/east of my bluff, so you have an idea of what it looks like), and run home.
Graduating and getting an office job wasn't the best thing. I mean it was from a financial perspective, but sitting at a desk for 8-plus hours a day didn't help keep the metabolism moving. That and the inevitable office potlucks conspired to add to my midsection. I did what I could, but it was becoming a battle. Moving to Newport Beach/Costa Mesa helped. It was a 10 minute bike ride downhill from my apartment to 36th Street beach in Newport (just up the beach from Dennis Rodman's house). In those days, I'd wake up around 4:30 and walk across the street to 24 Hour Fitness. I'd work out on cardio and abs for around an hour, and then get ready for work. After work, I'd haul ass home, change into my swim suit, and hop on the bike to ride to the beach. I'd get in and body surf until the green flash at sunset hit. If you've never been in the Pacific when the sun drops below the horizon, you've missed out. It's really a Zen moment, you are one with the world. Anyway, I'd hop back on the bike, ride back up the hill, shower off, change clothes, and go back to the gym to lift weights for an hour.
Getting a commuter job started off looking as though it would be bad, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As before, I'd wake up early, but the 24 Hour Fitness in Aliso Viejo kind of sucked. As such, I'd run for a mile or two, shower and get dressed, and then drive the hour-plus into Los Angeles. At first, I wasn't working out in the evening at all. After an hour and a half of slogging thru LA rush hour, the last thing I wanted to do was go back out after getting home. So I found a really nice 24 Hour Fitness about 15 minutes away from the office and started working out there after work. I'd go for about an hour to an hour and a half with cardio and weights, and get home not much later than I would have at rush hour.
Moving to San Diego and moving in with the gf has proven to be the biggest obstacle (my ever increasing age notwithstanding) to keeping the weight off. Well, she can't take all the blame. I still eat bad food and much more of it than I should. But my workout schedule has been seriously compromised. We've now got a dog. I used to run in the morning, but if I go out in the morning without taking the dog, she gets upset and poops in the living room. Fine, I'll take her out for a run. Unfortunately, she's kind of ADD and will chase rabbits only to come to a dead stop to sniff something. And I can't take her out too early, because she has to hold it the whole day. She can, and she hasn't had any accidents from that, but we don't want to push it. So I wind up with limited time in the morning to get any kind of physical activity in before the half hour drive to work. So that leaves the evening. On nights the gf teaches, I am able to stop at the gym on the way home from work, and get some physical activity in. On the nights she doesn't teach, I need to come home so we can have dinner and spend time together. And make no mistake, I'm not complaining about spending time with the gf. It's just frustrating to not be getting the physical activity in that I used to. There's also a driving range near my office. I try to get there on my lunch break whenever possible. Unfortunately, that hasn't been too often since the beginning of the year. Between the weather and being on the road, I haven't been to the driving range more than a couple of times this year.
So here's my plan. Starting Monday I'm going to measure my baselines (weight, waist, etc.) and post them. Then, I'll post on what my food intake was and my physical activity was for the day. My thought is that if I have to put it out here for everybody to see, maybe that will help me to stick with it. Wish me luck.
I was in pretty good shape in college. I ate, drank, and smoked whatever I wanted. Being young certainly helped, but I lived several miles off campus at UC Santa Barbara. Every day would turn into a 5 mile jungle warfare mountain bike adventure to get to class. Me and a buddy would show up for class bleeding, muddy, and with ripped clothes. Life was good. Being that far off campus and having a rather spread out campus to work from, I rarely went home between classes. I'd walk or ride around campus and Isla Vista (the most drunken, most densely packed 1/2 square mile west of the Mississippi River). The part time job I held was doing sales for a window tint company. I'd drive to my territory, park the car, and walk around for several hours. Finally, the condo we lived in was situated adjacent to a several square mile open space area between our development and the ocean. It was a great place to ride mountain bikes or run. Most mornings I'd get out for a mile or two, and if the weather was warm enough, I'd run a couple of miles out to the beach, and then dive into the ocean for some body surfing. After that, I'd walk back up to the top of the bluff (if you've seen the Ugly Kid Joe video for "I Hate Everything About You", that was filmed less than a mile south/east of my bluff, so you have an idea of what it looks like), and run home.
Graduating and getting an office job wasn't the best thing. I mean it was from a financial perspective, but sitting at a desk for 8-plus hours a day didn't help keep the metabolism moving. That and the inevitable office potlucks conspired to add to my midsection. I did what I could, but it was becoming a battle. Moving to Newport Beach/Costa Mesa helped. It was a 10 minute bike ride downhill from my apartment to 36th Street beach in Newport (just up the beach from Dennis Rodman's house). In those days, I'd wake up around 4:30 and walk across the street to 24 Hour Fitness. I'd work out on cardio and abs for around an hour, and then get ready for work. After work, I'd haul ass home, change into my swim suit, and hop on the bike to ride to the beach. I'd get in and body surf until the green flash at sunset hit. If you've never been in the Pacific when the sun drops below the horizon, you've missed out. It's really a Zen moment, you are one with the world. Anyway, I'd hop back on the bike, ride back up the hill, shower off, change clothes, and go back to the gym to lift weights for an hour.
Getting a commuter job started off looking as though it would be bad, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As before, I'd wake up early, but the 24 Hour Fitness in Aliso Viejo kind of sucked. As such, I'd run for a mile or two, shower and get dressed, and then drive the hour-plus into Los Angeles. At first, I wasn't working out in the evening at all. After an hour and a half of slogging thru LA rush hour, the last thing I wanted to do was go back out after getting home. So I found a really nice 24 Hour Fitness about 15 minutes away from the office and started working out there after work. I'd go for about an hour to an hour and a half with cardio and weights, and get home not much later than I would have at rush hour.
Moving to San Diego and moving in with the gf has proven to be the biggest obstacle (my ever increasing age notwithstanding) to keeping the weight off. Well, she can't take all the blame. I still eat bad food and much more of it than I should. But my workout schedule has been seriously compromised. We've now got a dog. I used to run in the morning, but if I go out in the morning without taking the dog, she gets upset and poops in the living room. Fine, I'll take her out for a run. Unfortunately, she's kind of ADD and will chase rabbits only to come to a dead stop to sniff something. And I can't take her out too early, because she has to hold it the whole day. She can, and she hasn't had any accidents from that, but we don't want to push it. So I wind up with limited time in the morning to get any kind of physical activity in before the half hour drive to work. So that leaves the evening. On nights the gf teaches, I am able to stop at the gym on the way home from work, and get some physical activity in. On the nights she doesn't teach, I need to come home so we can have dinner and spend time together. And make no mistake, I'm not complaining about spending time with the gf. It's just frustrating to not be getting the physical activity in that I used to. There's also a driving range near my office. I try to get there on my lunch break whenever possible. Unfortunately, that hasn't been too often since the beginning of the year. Between the weather and being on the road, I haven't been to the driving range more than a couple of times this year.
So here's my plan. Starting Monday I'm going to measure my baselines (weight, waist, etc.) and post them. Then, I'll post on what my food intake was and my physical activity was for the day. My thought is that if I have to put it out here for everybody to see, maybe that will help me to stick with it. Wish me luck.
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