Monthly Weigh In

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206.8-->209.8-->206.8

This path month I headed my own advice and double-downed on restricting sweets during the week, accurately monitoring my calorie intake, and allowing myself to be hungry as long as it felt in control. A few times it became a little too much to handle and I just had to eat to get straight, but I'm now much more conscious of it -- this is something that'll take time to refine and work on and hopefully eventually eliminate. I'm creating a "user's manual" for my own individual body, something I suspect many people wish they had but look for easy answer to a highly personalized, nuanced question. 

I think that search underlies crazy stuff like the "paleo" diet, which supposes that before modern culture, whatever food was available was some how the "correct" diet suited perfectly to our systems. Of course that's ridiculous -- humans have dominated the world not because they are suited to it, but because a) they were able to adapt to whatever was available and b) they were able to adapt the world itself to it's own "modern" needs and wants.

Outside the limited scope of this blog, things are going really well in my professional & personal life, and seeing my kids unfold into the people they will be is indescribable. Undoubtedly the strength and gratitude being generated from this side of things helps me embrace and manage a little bit of daily hunger. (But only a little bit, the siren song of eating disorder is not audible yet, but I hear it follows a similar melody.)

I'm just going to keep doing what I did this past month, and refine it. The weigh-in today did give me a pause of satisfaction, but this is only the tentative first step in another year (or several years) to get to an maintain a healthier weight. As the weather gets colder and the bike riding becomes secondary, going to pick up some weekly weight lifting again. As the heavier fall food comes back, just be vigilant in proportion and keep the fun stuff to the weekend....

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WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2746

A little higher than I would like, but still over all a good eating week.

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MONDAY COUNT: 2800

SLEPT: 11pm-7am, 8 hrs
Recently got pringles single-serve cans for the kids, had one in hunger, did NOTHING to blunt hunger, should have known better. Think I was unusually hungry today because I actually ate relatively conservatively on Sunday, a day I've habitually ate too much but am getting better.

AM SNACK: 7:30 am, iced black chai tea
Mixing it up, tasted really yummy.

BREAKFAST: 9:30am, Fage with almonds, honey, vanilla +/- 450 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 1:30pm, sardine & avocado on whole wheat toast, chicken soup, momma salad, 740 cal

HUNGER SNACK: 6:15pm, kind bar, 200 cal, 9/10

DINNER: 7pm, mahi mahi, roasted asparagus, poppa salad, 650 cal

HUNGER SNACK: 7:30pm, pringles can, peanut butter & chocolate syrup, +/- 600 cal, hunger 9/10
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BIKE CREDIT: 725 cal
TUESDAY COUNT: 3325

SLEPT: 8pm-5:30am, 9.5hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45 am,  iced black chai tea

BREAKFAST: 9:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10:45am, Steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

BIKE SNACK: 12:30pm, homemade granola bar, 430 cal

LUNCH: 2:15pm, chicken meatballs, steamed string beans,mushroom curry, pickles, 640 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, pringles, 290 cal

DINNER: 7pm, French Bread Pizzas,  poppa salad with dressing, 1080 cal

HUNGER SNACK: 8pm, kind bar, 2 kid granola bars, nutella, pirate booty, 1000 cal, 8/10
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WEDNESDAY COUNT:2665

SLEPT: 9:30pm-6am, 8.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced black chai tea

BREAKFAST: 8am, Fage yogurt with honey, vanilla, almonds, 450 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:45am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 2pm, grilled shrimp mushrooms, poppa salad, 630cal

PM SNACK: 3pm, momma salad, 100 cal

HOLIDY SNACK: 5pm, half a pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese and a lot of salmon, +/- 400 cal

DINNER: 8pm, burrito, diet coke, +/- 925 cal
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THURSDAY COUNT: 2730

SLEPT: 10:30pm-6am, 7.5 hours

AM SNACK: 6:15am, iced black chai tea

BREAKFAST: 9:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11am, fruit smoothie, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:15pm, beef patty, poppa salad with dressing, pickles, 620 cal

PM SNACK: 3:30pm, momma salad, 100 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, fancy pizza, salad, water, +/- 1000 cal

HUNGER SNACK: 8:30pm, ice cream, +/- 400 cal
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BIKE CREDIT: 2330
FRIDAY COUNT: 2210

SLEPT: 9:30pm-1:30am, 4 hours

AM SNACK: 1:1:45am, iced green tea

BREAKFAST 1: 2:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 150mg caffeine, 160 cal

BIKE SNACK 1: 4:45am, homemade granola bar, 330 cal

BIKE SNACK 2: 6am, 3 donuts, 150mg caffeine, 890 cal

BIKE SNACK 3: 9am, homemade granola bar, 330 cal

BIKE SNACK 4: 10am,  homemade granola bar, 150mg caffeine, 330 cal

BIKE SNACK 5: 11:15am, digestive biscuits, 520 cal

BIKE SNACK 6: 12:45, chips, Gatorade, 540 cal

BIKE SNACK 7: 2:15pm, burger, onion ring, diet coke, 640cal

DINNER: 5:30pm, hotdog, ice cream. +/- 800 cal