Hello, friends. Welcome to the reboot of WGOM fitness.
I haven't contributed much content to this site and that's not because I haven't wanted to write. However, after several years, I found that I didn't really want to write about Twins baseball anymore. I found out that while I enjoyed Twins baseball, I didn't enjoy it enough to keep writing about it, especially when the team went south.
What I do want to write about is taking care of myself. The fact is, I've let myself go. My goal with this series is to document my journey towards a better physical condition. I am not a doctor, a dietician, or a fitness expert. I'm just a middle aged guy trying to avoid health problems by getting myself to a better weight and improving my fitness. None of what I write should be taken as advice, I am simply sharing my experiences, good or bad.
I want to tell my story for a couple of reasons. First, while I am motivated, I want to write for you as a way to keep me on track. But, second, if my story can encourage any of you to join me, then great. I want to have stuff to write about, so I will limit my Saturday post to about 500 words and I want to limit other days to about 200 words (it might be less!). I think I have plenty to say and I know that Twayn wants to write as well.
On July 25th, I weighed 284.5 pounds. I knew that I had to limit my calorie intake and I have never been on any sort of diet before, so I did some searching and found this 1800 calorie meal plan. You will note that this plan is not a low-carb plan, but rather I think it's pretty balanced. Because of my schedule, I need to have a meal plan that is easy, i.e., requires little preparation. I have found this to work for me. The plan calls for three 450 calorie meals and three 150 calorie snacks. I have found that 450 calories at a meal, while not a lot, does satisfy me, or at least I am satisfied a little after the meal. I have been hungry a few times, but I have gotten used to that amount of food and am generally not hungry. Last night, I ate my 450 calories and felt full.
I like this plan because it is easy and there are a few things to choose from for each meal. Generally, I have a toasted turkey sandwich for lunch and dinner along with a fruit, yogurt, and a vegetable at dinner. I think I will try to work in more vegetables as the plan is a little light there and they are pretty low calorie. For the last month, though, this has worked pretty well. I have also exercised, but I will discuss that later. Following this diet plan has been pretty successful so far.
Day 32
Weight: 267.7
Total Loss: 16.8
For years I went without eating breakfast, but I wouldn't think of doing that now. It's such a key meal for metabolism, but now I have another consideration - I can't take my morning meds on an empty stomach. My problem now is that I love eggs for breakfast, but I'm limited on how many whole eggs I can have in a week. So I got some liquid egg whites and two or three times a week I make an omelette with one whole egg and a couple of whites (or equivalent). No cheese, but sometimes I'll saute onion and peppers and toss them in for flavor. To keep the sodium down I don't use salt, I flavor it with Cholula. Add in some fruit and a slice of whole wheat toast and that will get me through the morning. When I don't have that I take a page from bS and make a bowl of oatmeal and toss in some chopped walnuts. If I'm running late and I'm really rushed I have a bowl of Shredded Wheat, but I find I need a mid-morning snack if that's all I have for breakfast Today, though, was a treat. The wife made a pot roast last night, so this morning I pulled out the big chef knife and chopped up some leftover beef, potatoes and carrots, sauted some onions and made an excellent roast beef hash. [homer_drool.jpg]
I totally agree with you -- I would never skip breakfast.
When at home, I always have a bowl of cereal and a glass of OJ. When in Omaha on business, I'll usually treat myself to hash browns/eggs/bacon or a toasted bagel and fruit slices.
On the salt front, one thing I've done is to skip adding salt & pepper to my Subway sandwich and instead get pepper and a shot of vinegar.
OJ is one of those things that seems healthier for you than it really is, thanks to years of marketing and advertising. I eschew fruit juices now because they have a ton of sugars and most are really high on the glycemic index. That tends to set off the insulin/cortisol roller coaster that keeps your blood sugar unstable all day. Insulin is the most powerful hormone you make for storing body fat, too, so there's that to consider. I watched my dad struggle with diabetes for a long time and that's something I want to avoid. I used to drink a lot of tomato juice, but there's so much sodium even in the low-sodium varieties that I just gave up on it. Still use it for cooking but not for drinking.
yar. I love cold, cold, oj and I love tomater juice, but what you said.
As long as you are consuming it in moderation and with Real Food, no biggie. But they have their down sides.
Grapefruit juice when I'm on an expense account 😉
Fully agree. I'll still have a little fruit juice sometimes because I enjoy it, but you're right, it's usually loaded with sugar as well as carbs.
I avoid OJ because it gives me heartburn.
Oh, I also make an occasional breakfast sandwich that's pretty tasty. I use a lightly toasted whole wheat English muffin with a little butter, heat up a couple of slices of Jones Dairy Farms Canadian bacon (about 300mg of sodium) and either an egg fried in olive oil Pam or a couple of scrambled egg whites. Some fresh cracked pepper is the finishing touch.
Had an egg white omelette at a Cancun hotel a while back - egg whites, spinach, and Gruyere cheese. Muy bien. Have repeated at home many times.
that sounds bueno.
for some reason, i've never been a fan of egg yolk. scrambled eggs are fine, but not in hard boiled or fried eggs, etc. in fact, i love plain egg whites, omelettes included. i figure that evens out at least one unhealthy habit.
I did the whole wheat English muffin & egg sandwich for supper last night, actually. I had some fresh tomato slices on it. It was great.
Generally, I have a toasted turkey sandwich for lunch
Another sandwich enthusiast!
I am leaving on a jet plane soon, so it will be a little while until I find a permanent home for the fitness post.
I'm blessed in that I got my grandfather's slim-ish body type, rather than my dad's over/under problem. When I was a freshman football player at the Alma Mater, the head coach instructed me to stuff myself at every meal and to take food with me out of the dining hall (I was a defensive tackle and weighed about 215 lbs, light even for D-III). I lost a ton of weight when I got hurt and ended my athletic career (bottoming out around 175-180 -- at which I was a scarecrow).
For the past 30 years, however, my weight has hovered in the 190-200 lb range. I like me some fatty foods, but I'm not obsessed, because I like just about everything. Since the Girl went vegan a couple of years ago, we have reduced the amount of dead animal in our family diet substantially, and I've learned to cook a half-dozen or so very tasty Indian dishes. Very filling, very tasty, full of vegetables. Veggies rule.
Considering your daily intake of beer, you may have the French paradox working in your favor, too. The French eat a lot of fatty stuff, but all the wine they drink seems to ameliorate the effects of the fatty foods somewhat, at least when it comes to incidence of athersclerosis. Still, the less saturated fat the better for the most part. I'm also finding a whole new taste for fruits and veggies. The more I eat, the more I want, and the less I crave refined carbs. Raw carbs from fruits and veggies is definitely the way to go.
Heh.
I'm actually a one-beer-per-day guy. It's rare when I have a second.
olive oil is my fat of choice. One of my regular rotation items is to toss rough-chopped potatoes and baby carrots in olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and a few other spices/herbs and roast 'em. I have completed substituted olive oil for ghee in indian dishes, and use olive oil when I make black or pinto beans.
also, and I'm serious about this, the Vitamix Rocks! I will eventually get my chicken adovada post done. In it, I extol the virtues of the Vitamix for making super-smooth chile colorado sauce. But I use it almost every day to make smoothies. Works for making juices too.
One of my regular rotation items is to toss rough-chopped potatoes and baby carrots in olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and a few other spices/herbs and roast 'em.
Damn, this sounds good.
It is, it is.
I scrub the potatoes, cut them into bite-sized chunks (large-ish, they will shrink in cooking) with skin on, then cover with water for a few minutes. That removes a bit of starch so that they don't stick together.
Dry well. Toss in at least half the volume of carrots, pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (I use extra virgin because I think it tastes better and I buy the not-super-expensive stuff at Costco). Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and garlic powder/granulated garlic. Then you can go several ways -- southwestern with a bit of chile powder and cumin; mediterranean with chopped fresh (go easy, fresh is powerful; or crumbled dried) rosemary and dried oregano. Or use your imagination.
toss well to coat, then pour onto a pre-heated roasting pan or jelly roll half-sheet (a stout cookie sheet that won't warp at high heat) and into a pre-heated HOT (450) oven. I use a silpat on my jelly roll pan for ease of cleanup, and I turn the convection feature on in my oven. Roast until done to your liking, stirring a couple of times along the way -- about 20-25 minutes.
I would emphasize fresh fruits and veggies. The frozen ones, at least when I've checked, tend to be high on sugar.
9 miles this AM on 12-week half marathon training regimen. We ramp down to 7 next week, then back up to 12, then ramp down prior to the race.
A little sore today, but use a bag of frozen peas on the knees/calves which seems to help to settle down swelling. I've heard others use a cold water bath for this - haven't tried myself.
Pre-long-run, a Tri-nutritionist I know said she gets up and eats 2 hrs prior to a long event/run. So I tried that this morning - set the alarm for 5 bells - ate 1/2 bagel w/ PB and a banana and went back to bed. Seemed to work.
NBBW was on a work trip and happened to end up at a Fab sushi joint in Norrisville, PA (or close).
The dude that runs the restaurant makes his own soy sauce (homebrew) - how cool is that??
I'm going to make my own. Watch this space for more details.
I'd also like to put a plug in not only counting calories and exercising but eating good food too. Stay away from processed food even if it is low in calories. Buy fruits and veggies from the farmers market. Get beef and poultry that isn't corn feed and produced on a factory farm.
I did about 12 miles on a mountain bike including a steep hill that I had to ride up 9 times as I was the bike steward at son's cross country meet.
This. I started reading labels as soon as I got out of the hospital and I was appalled. A low sodium diet and processed foods just do not mix.
This.
All there are some awesomely delicious things that are high in sodium. I'm looking at you, bacon, olives, and cheese.
Moderation and budgeting. We get uncured bacon which is lower sodium if not low sodium and nitrate free to boot. If I know I'm going to have bacon or cheese or popcorn or something else salty with a meal or snack, I just go lower on the salt in my other meals. Scrambled eggs/whites with a bowl of Shredded Wheat is close to a sodium free breakfast, so I can have a club sandwich with a few slices of bacon for lunch. If you budget your 2500 mg you don't have to live without, you just have to find a balance that works each day.
I played in a four-man sand volleyball tournament for about five hours straight, and then had a Mediterranean salad with chicken at Old Chicago. And a couple Long Island Iced Teas. I still weigh 193, same as this morning. And I'm sore.