Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Entry 12/30/2008

Weight: 232.5

Breakfast: Boiled egg, slice of whole wheat toast, coffee

Lunch: 7 oz of Turkey (Cooked a Turkey for home Christmas day and did not take to family gathering. It seems to be multiplying but I don't like to waste food so I'll keep eating it.. maybe it will be gone before next Christmas.) Cup of black beans. Diet Fresca

Snack: 10 black cherries, and half cup of walnuts.

Dinner: CiCi crustless pizza....sausage, pepperoni, cheese and sauce.....they cook the topping in a tin, and salad. Resisted the cinnamon rolls which I love....they bring them out hot, with butter and delicious glaze. Diet coke

Snack: little bit of popcorn made in my 5 yr. old granddaughter's popper she got for Christmas. It pops with a 100 watt light bulb. It works really well! In fact as well as I've ever seen. (Correction: My wife informs me that the Easy Bake Oven uses the light bulb. The popcorn popper is normal electric. Next time don't say you need a hundred watt light bulb while holding a box with "Popcorn Popper" on it!)

Exercise: None

Monday, December 29, 2008

Enttry 12/29/2008

Weight: 231.5 lbs. - a 1 lb loss from yesterday. However you need at least 4 days to show a trend and smooth out the natural variations in weight. It is easy to have a 1 lb. swing in weight in a day due entirely to hydration level. A day or two after a heavy workout with weights may show no weight loss or even a slight gain due to the increase in muscle, which weighs more than fat per volume. That's why you need to use measurements around your waist, buttocks, thighs, chest and biceps, along with weight measurement to determine your progress.

Breakfast: Fried egg in a little margarine and slice of honey wheat toast (we ran out of whole wheat). Four oz. of fat-free milk and Coffee with cream. I always take a fish oil capsule in the morning.

Lunch: Turkey again???? Yes 6 oz. and cup of steamed veggies.

Snack: 8 Black cherries and 5 walnuts

Dinner: Tequila Lime Chicken 2 breast, black beans salad and shredded cheese.

Snack: Candy and Cookie binge- 5 small tootsie rolls and 2 cookies. I'll be glad when these Christmas deserts are gone!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Entry 12/28/2008

Weight: 232.5 lbs.

Breakfast: Two poached eggs, slice of toast, and coffee with cream.

Lunch: 6 oz. turkey, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix with teaspoon of margarine and diet Fresca.

Dinner: Pulled Pork, green beans, cole slaw and one bite of lemon pie all from Dickie's BBQ. Diet Fresca to drink.

Exercise: Got my wife to walk with me around the block. She b-----d the whole way. Blew and mulch leaves in the front yard for 20 minutes.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Entry 12/27/2008

Weight: 232.5 lbs. 3.5 pounds less than yesterday. Mostly water loss I think plus the difference between pajamas and shorts. 16 oz. of water weighs a pound so if you are well hydrated when you weigh one day and dehydrated the next, it would be easy to vision a 2 lb swing from water alone.

Breakfast: poached egg, coffee with a little milk

Lunch: 6 oz. Turkey and steamed brocolli, cauliflower, carrot mix. Diet Fresca.

Snack: Handful of pecans

Dinner: 2 catfish fillets, red beans, salad. Diet coke

Snack: 5 grapes, handful of pecans

Exercise: Wife drug me to Target. When we go shopping she immediately tries to lose me. She keeps an eye out for me and when I get close to finding her she ducks behind something until I'm out of sight. I made two laps around the inside perimeter of the store and 20 to 30 trips between isles. I walked at a fast pace so I would get a decent workout while looking for her.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Entry 12/26/2008

Weight: 236 lbs. ok...time for the yo-yo to start down. I've got to get serious.

Breakfast: Poached egg, slice of whole wheat toast, coffee with cream.

Lunch: 6 oz Turkey, water

Lupper: cup of steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mixed, 6 oz. buttermilk

Dinner: Turkey sandwich, 6 oz. buttermilk

Exercise: Walked 2.23 miles, in 36 min 16 sec.,Avg speed 3.7 mph. Max speed 5.2 mph, Avg Heart Rate 104 beats per minute, Max Hr 127 bpm, calories 254. All measurements were made by my Garmin Forerunner 405. I wear it on my wrist. The wrist unit contains a GPS receiver and the Heart Rate monitor is a strap that goes around my chest. Their charting software shows a chart of several physical measures and a diagram of the course I cover. I can move the cursor along the chart and see where on the course the coresponding measuremen, such as heart rate, was made. This is the first serious exercise I've done in a month so I started out slow. In my younger days I probably would have gone to me max and put up with any soreness the next day. However as I age, I want to be careful and not injure any joints.

Todays high temperature was 81 degrees, a record for the area. Last week we had highs in the low 30's. That's DFW area weather. I'm much more motivated when I can workout outside. When it gets cooler next week I'll take it back into the gym. Now that Christmas is behind me maybe I can stay better motivated to workout at least 5 times a week. That is the only way I can manage my weight now that I'm older.

Entry 12/25/2008

Weight: You're kidding right? You don't expect me to weigh on Christmas Day do you? That would give you a base to see how bad I pig out today! I have promised myself that I will restore some self discipline tomorrow but today-forget about it!.

Breakfast: Boiled egg, toast, coffee.

Snack: 6 samples of cornbread dressing, 2 samples of deviled egg filling, 3 samples of giblet gravy

Lunch ( at my sister and brother-in-law's home): Turkey, mounds of creamed potatoes and cornbread dressing (all covered with lots of giblet gravy), cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole with jalapeno, Watergate salad, pecan pie, tea with 2 packages of equal(who am I kidding),glass of wine.

Snack: Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, handful of mixed nuts, some kid of desert made like a cheese ball with chocolate chips all over it with graham crackers. little bit of Bailey's.

Dinner: Duplicate of lunch without the broccoli casserole. I'm stuffed. Oh well, it was Jesus' birthday.

Exercise: Walked behind my granddaughter's electric Mustang at the park. She only knows one speed...fast.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Entry 12/24/2008

Weight: 234 Lbs.

Protein
Reducing your calorie intake below a certain level (approximately 1200 for a woman and 1800 for a man, calories per day) can actually be detrimental to your fat loss goal. This will signal to your body that you are starving. Your body’s response to this will be to lower your metabolic rate and switch from burning fat to burning muscle for energy. It’s your body’s natural reaction to hold on to its fat reserves if it thinks that you are starving. This is exactly the opposite too what we want to do. Muscle unlike fat actually burns calories, so preserving muscle is vital to fat loss. The key nutrient to building and preserving muscle is protein. Getting enough protein in your diet is important especially if you are training with weights. You should eat a small amount of protein at every meal along with some carbohydrates and essential fats. The protein helps you to feel full, so you are less likely to snack on processed foods.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Entry 12/23/2008

Weight: 232.5 The wife and I celebrated our 30 th Anniversary last night. Had a steak dinner with all the trimmings. We went to Texas Road House. They have barrels of peanuts everywhere and they are goooooood. I couldn't stop at a few. You throw the shells on the floor so there was nothing to impede my effort to eat half a barrell before being seated. If the steak had not been so tasty I would have compensated by leaving some for the dog and besides - I don't have a dog. It is not good to place one's self in such a situation when trying to lose weight.

Breakfast: Boiled egg, 2 slices whole wheat toast, coffee.

Lunch: 2 pieces fried fish, Cole slaw and diet Pepsi.

Snack: 4 homemade cookies and party mix.... hey it's Christmas holidays!

Dinner: 5 oz. Turkey, creamed spinach, green beans and water with lemon. If you read my past post, you see I eat this a lot. Turkey is excellent source of protien and it contains a lot of tryptophan - a precursor to serotonin, the chemical that helps you from getting depressed.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Entry 12/22/2008

Weight: 231 lbs.

Performing lighter weight with more repetitions (15-20 reps, 20-30 reps, or 20-50 reps) does not burn more fat or tone (simultaneous decrease of fat and increase muscle) better than a heaver weight with moderate repetitions (8-12 reps). For the average fit person, it requires 20 to 30 minutes of continuous aerobic activity with large muscle groups (e.g. Gluteus Maximus and Quadriceps) to burn even 50% fat; fat requires oxygen to burn. Performing a few extra repetitions on a weight training exercise is not significant enough to burn extra fat and may in effect burn less fat.

Breakfast: boiled egg, slice of toast and coffee with cream.

Snack: 2 homemade cookies given in a Tin as Christmas gift.

Lunch: 5 oz. Turkey breast, creamed spinach, green beans and water with lemon.

Dinner: 1000 peanuts (I didn't actually count them), 6 oz steak, sweet potato with butter and marshmallows, salad and tea. Anniversary dinner- on such a night you don't worry about calories.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Entry 12/20/2008

Regular exercise is associated with many health benefits. Increasing physical activity is safe for most people. However, some individuals should check with a physician before they become more physically active. Completion of this questionnaire is a first step when planning to increase the amount of physical activity in your life. Please read each question carefully and answer every question honestly:

Yes No 1) Has a physician ever diagnosed you with a heart condition and indicated you should restrict your physical activity?
Yes No 2) When you perform physical activity, do you feel pain in your chest?
Yes No 3) When you were not engaging in physical activity, have you experienced chest pain in the past month?
Yes No 4) Do you ever faint or get dizzy and lose your balance?
Yes No 5) Do you have an injury or orthopedic condition (such as a back, hip, or knee problem) that may worsen due to a change in your physical activity?
Yes No 6) Do you have high blood pressure or a heart condition in which a physician is currently prescribing a medication?
Yes No 7) Are you pregnant?
Yes No 8) Do you have insulin dependent diabetes?
Yes No 9) Are you 69 years of age or older and not used to being very active?
Yes No 10) Do you know of any other reason you should not exercise or increase your physical activity?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, talk with your doctor before you become more physically active. Tell your doctor your plan to exercise and to which questions you answer yes.

If you honestly answered no to all questions you can be reasonably certain you can safely increase your level of physical activity gradually.

If your health changes so you then answer yes to any of the above questions, seek guidance from a physician.

Weight: Didn't weigh today

Breakfast: Late breakfast, which is not good idea. Breakfast is most important meal. You need it to get your metabolism kick started for the day. Had the Protein Lover's breakfast at Poor Richards - four scrambled cheese eggs, sausage and sliced tomatoes. Nibbled on a biscuit with some gravy shared by my wife. She also gave me her leftover ham - about 3 oz. She thinks I'm too thin.

No lunch because of the late breakfast. Drove around all day looking at Assisted Living Homes for my mother. Trying to bring her here to Texas to live.

Dinner: Double cheeseburger and Caesar Salad from Wendy's, that wife brought home after getting her nails done. Not a good choice but it was fast. The Cowgirls played the Baltimore Ravens and I watched it. Wish I had gone out for a better meal!

Snack: Cup of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla that is on hand for the Granddaughters. Oh the temptations I deal with. Make that 2 cups.



Friday, December 19, 2008

Entry 12/19/2008

Be sure to read the basic of weight loss in the sidebar. Remember- do as I say, not as I do.

Fats and carbohydrates are usually the key targets when reducing calories; however it’s still important to have these in your diet, so when making reductions make sure that you reduce carbohydrates containing simple sugars such as glucose, maltose and sucrose. These are the ones you will find in sweets, cakes, biscuits, white breads and other processed foods. Eating this type of food will cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels which in turn causes insulin spikes. Excess insulin promotes fat storage and this is something you want to avoid. It’s important that when eating carbohydrates they are of the complex kind such as brown rice, root vegetables, whole meal pasta and oatmeal. This will prevent insulin spike and stabilize your blood sugar level.

Weight: 232 lbs. I've got to get back on my regular exercise program. I'm also going to schedule a doctor's appointment to have my thyroid checked. Even when I was exercising and eating correctly I didn't have the energy that I use to have in my younger days. It may be age related but I'm gonna get checked out.

Breakfast: Oatmeal, slice of toast and coffee.

Lunch: Long John Silver number 7 - 2 pieces of fried fish, cole slaw instead of fries, Diet Pepsi. It was quick that's why. A better bad choice.

Snack: 5 cookies with a Hershey's Kiss melted in the middle. I only ate them because chocolate is an antioxidant! A Christmas gift from an associate. His wife made the cookies. At least I didn't eat the whole tin.

Dinner: With my wonderful wife (she resds this blog) . Chili's hot wings and salad, iced tea. Then she drug me to Target and Wal-mart which I hate! Oh. well to keep the peace!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Entry 12/18/2008

Be sure to read the basic of weight loss in the sidebar. Remember- do as I say, not as I do.

Weight: 231 lbs. The Moo-llennium Crunch ice cream last night did me in.

Breakfast: Cup of All-bran with skim milk. Coffe with cream.

Lunch: Turkey breast 5 oz., green beans, creamed spinach and water with lemon. I love Boston Markets creamed spinach. I don't think I have ever had creamed spinach anywhere so I can't compare it to anyone's.

Snack: 5 cherries, 6 walnuts, Green tea

Dinner: Dijon-mushroom chicken breast, red beans, potatoes augraten (I don't recommend eating them and I usually don't)

Exercise: Squats, curls and overhead presses with dumbbell. Very minimal workout

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Entry 12/17/2008

Be sure to read the entire sidebar for the basics of weight loss.

Weight: 230.5 lbs.

Breakfast: Boiled egg, cup of All-bran, coffee

Lunch: "Casserole" I had for Dinner last night (see yesterday's post)

Dinner: Turkey sandwich with cheese, mayo and mustard. Light beer.

Snack: Bowl of Blue Bell Moo-llennium ice cream. Chunks of chocolate, caramel, walnuts and pecans. I love it! The wife sabotaged me on this one. She bought a pint the night before. I nibbled on some yesterday but I gave in to the temptation today and had more than I should. Actually it's my responsibility just like it's yours to resist such food. We can't really blame anyone else.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Entry 12/16/2008

Weight: 230.5 lbs. I've gained 6 lbs in the past 4 weeks. That is what lack of exercise will do. At 61 yrs. old, it is much more important for us to exercise since our metabolism slows down as we age. When we stop exercising several things happen. Muscles begin to atrophy (decrease in size). Less calories are burned so we can't get away with eating a few more calories than we should. Additional Endorphins, which help us stay in a good mood, are not made. This makes us susceptible to eating binges which have both a physical and psychological root.

Exercise: Curls and presses with dumbbell

Breakfast: 1 cup of All-Bran and a boiled egg.

Lunch: Stir fried vegetables in Canola oil, 6 ounce boneless chicken breast and one slice of whole wheat bread.

Dinner: Chicken breast, brocolli and brown rice in something like a caserole my wife made. I'll eat anything.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Entry 12/15/2008

Weight: I haven't weighed in a month. I have probably gained about 10 pounds since my lowest weight. Since the weather has turned cooler and the daylight hours shorter, I have fallen off my exercise routine. For me exercise is necessary to maintain the dietary discipline.

I'm not trying to pretend in this blog that I'm different than anyone else when it comes to the weight management struggle. I'm no different the majority of people trying to maintain healthy habits. I know what I should do, but I don't always do it. Each of us is responsible for our own efforts. So please do as I say and not as I do, if you want to be successful maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle.
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