Oops, My Bad

When I reported my weight on Tuesday, I stated that it was 305, it was actually 304. I was just so excited to have actually lost the little weight that I did that I rushed through the post and subtracted 3 pounds from the beginning weight.

I still haven't been eating out on a regular basis, especially during the week. There has been a great deal of diligence in taking my lunch to work and eating leftovers for dinner. Tonight I will prepare some beans and rice to take for a while (I like beans and rice because they are low-fat, low-calorie, and cheap). At my day job, I often ask how little lunch costs. When the cost rises above $0.50, there is usually a gasp and a question of my sanity for spending so much.

Such is the frugal life.

I will have another recipe for you by Sunday posted on here, thanks for all the questions.

Have a GREAT day!

That's More Like It

Since yesterday was a holiday (Martin Luther King Jr birthday), I was not able to weigh at my day job. I was pleasantly surprised when I weighed this morning and the scale read 305. That's 4 pounds in two weeks. At this pace it will be the 100 pounds that I have set as my goal.

It helps that when I ate out this weekend, it was two bean burritos from Taco Bell and a few slices of Papa Johns pizza (that lasted 3 meals for me and 1 meal for my wife). It also helps with the budget.

It was nice that I was able to take our dog out for a walk (she loves walks, the longer the better) yesterday afternoon since I was off. I won't be able to this week since I don't get home until after dark (and the dog is blind).

Have a GREAT day!

Let The Games Begin

I drove from my day job on lunch hour to weigh in for the Biggest Loser contest at our local Home Depot. I was mildly surprised to see that this scale was not on the same calibration as the one at my day job. I weighed in at 301 pounds, which is six pound lighter than what I weighed on Monday. I seriously doubt that I would have lost six pounds in two days. I will still use the weight from Monday (although for the Biggest Loser contest, I have to stick with Home Depot's "official" scale.

Still no eating out, but I took the last of the black-eyed peas (along with a cup of rice) for lunch and we ate spaghetti leftovers for supper. My wife and I used to almost never eat leftovers for supper: in fact, we used to eat out for nearly every evening that I wasn't working at Home Depot or she didn't have a work activity. I know that eating out ruined my waistline as well as ran up my credit cards to unbelievable heights (you can read about that here).

I will be riding the bike for 15 minutes as soon as I get home this evening.

Have a GREAT day!

Renewal

Yesterday was a much better day. Supper was homemade stir fry and not as much butter or oil was used (plus I made smaller portions), so the meal was not as full of calories as it could have been. Plus...

...the bike was ridden for 14 minutes (yes, I know, it doesn't seem like much). My goal is to add a minute a day that I ride until I am up to 30 minutes (and it will qualify as aerobic activity). Once that point is reached, I will as a minute for every week, so that by end of summer I will be up to one hour of riding. The great thing about the exercise bike is that you can manually enter resistance and it has a heart rate function that will ensure that you are staying within the aerobic target zone.

I am also stoked because I get to weigh in at Home Depot for the beginning of our own Biggest Loser contest. This will give me a little "extra" incentive to succeed. Of course I appreciate all the support that you send me as well.

Have a GREAT day!

At Least it is Progress

When I came into work at my full-time job, I immediately stopped by the fitness center and weighed. I was disappointed, but not surprised that I had lost one pound.

It is a start.

There are several reasons why I did not lose more:

* I only exercised four days (Monday through Thursday). It got more difficult as the weekend came, but I will do better this week.

* I ate lunch out one day instead of just what I brought. My trainer treated, and it was more calorie and fat-wise than I normally eat for lunch.

* I fixed dinner for my in laws last night (spaghetti and home-made rolls). I usually tend to eat a lot when that meal is prepared.

* There was a bit of stress when the pipes froze in the bathroom and the kitchen. I tend to overeat when I am stressed.

Thanks for all of your support and here's to a GREAT week!

Recipe Under 300 Calories

Okay, I promised a low-calorie recipe and here is one that I ran across:

This is a hearty chicken stew which is excellent on a winter day (and here in the Midwest it dropped below zero last night)

Ingredients:
* 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 chopped onion
* 4 carrots, also chopped
* 1 small can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 small can condensed cream of chicken soup
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) dried sage
* 1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
* 1 clove garlic

Directions:
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Saute the chicken in the oil. Add the chopped onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the carrots and the celery and saute briefly.

Add the cream of chicken soup, the cream of mushroom soup, broth, sage and garlic. Salt and pepper as desired. Do not add the tomatoes yet as they slow the cooking time. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered. Serve over hot cooked rice if you like.

This recipe has just 200 calories per serving without the rice.

Brrrrrrrr

Here in the Midwest, the weather has been a bit on the cool side lately. Last night we had a bit of snow that closed all of the schools in the St. Louis, Missouri area, but I still had work. It isn't bad if you plan ahead and take your time.

It is certainly good weather to ride the exercise bicycle which I have been doing faithfully for the week. I got on for thirteen (13) minutes last night and tonight will be fourteen (14). It doesn't seem like much, but it has certainly been a while since there has been regular exercise done and I don't want to overdo it. Another nice thing about the snow is that I got a bit of a workout this morning shoveling the snow off the driveway. (I always wondered why one would park in a "drive"way and drive on a "park"way.)

I have kept good eating habits since I am having lunch of black-eyed peas (cornbread too, if there is enough time to prepare it). My beautiful wife and I did go out to eat (our one time this month) at an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant, but thank goodness that sushi is low calorie).

Thanks for your emails and have a great day!

On Track

The first thing that was done was the the exercise bike was ridden for eleven minutes as soon as I walked into the house. Supper wasn't eaten until after the exercise had been done. Going incrementally more time will ensure that there isn't too much strain or any pulled muscles.

Tonight will be twelve minutes.

Lunch this week will be black-eyed peas and cornbread muffins (no butter). This is a good low-calorie meal that I rarely tire of. Not only is the lunch tasty, but it is inexpensive (cheap) as well. Lunch will run me less than $0.50 each day (others were spending $5.00+ for their lunch).

Thank you for all of your support, and I should have a recipe for you by the end of the week.

Have a great day!

OMG

Scales don't lie....unfortunately.

I stepped on the scale at my day job this morning and was shocked at what I saw. The expectation was that it would probably be a few pounds up from where it was a month ago at 292. It was a 308. I have never weighed that much in my entire life. Ever.

Before even fixing dinner tonight, the first thing is to ride the bicycle for 11 minutes. Breakfast was three banana nut muffins and about 8 oz. of orange juice. There was enough time to prepare my inexpensive lunch for the entire week. I prepared a pound of dried black-eyed peas which were divided into 7 containers that I can easily take to work. They are low-fat and fairly low-calorie (I will have to dig out my nutrition book for values). It also means that I can sleep a little later this week since lunch is already covered.

I am excited because at my second job (Home Depot) we have the annual Biggest Loser contest beginning this week. I will participate and with the help from my friends there, reaching the goal of 100 pounds by New Year's Eve (208) will certainly be attainable. I will post recipes on here as they are found/submitted.

Stay tuned.

First Saturday of the New Year

Wow. It is 2010 already. I am excited for what this new year will bring. I, unfortunately, have been an overweight (technically, obese) man who has done little or nothing for a while about his weight. This is a New Year and I will do better. There are several things that I will do to help lose the weight. I have a goal of 100 pounds lost by the end of the year. I won't get an official weight until Monday (at my weekday job, they have a medical scale), but you will be informed. Here are the things that will be done to ensure weight loss.

Drink less soda - Typically there are 2-3 Diet sodas consumed per day. For weight and financial reasons, that will be cut to one. Water is good for you and it costs nothing. 'Nuff said.

Limit eating out - There is more control when food is cooked at home. It typically has less fat and calories. There also is the opportunity for leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day.

Exercise - There is a very nice, very expensive exercise bike in the basement. Since I am out of shape, there will be a gradual build up in continuous time. January 1st it was used for ten minutes straight. Today (after work) it will be used for 11. I didn't get fat overnight, and I won't lose the weight in one day either.

Get Encouragement - This is where you come in. I welcome low calorie/low fat recipes, ideas for weight loss, encouragement when there is slack on my part. Together we can do this. As the Beatles sang in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band "I get by with a little help from my friends"

Here is to a GREAT New Year!