I probably cook up like bacon.

June 223.4----> July 222----> August 216.6

For the first full month of sticking to a calorie budget of 2200-2350 during the week, I lost about five and a half pounds, a significant increase over the previous month of 1.5 lbs (when I was limiting to 2,500 cal.) The new Tanita scale tells me I'm 36.8% body fat, which means:

1. I'm NOT just big boned
2. I probably cook up like bacon
3. If I were to lose 33% of my mass in fat, I'd weigh 144 lbs, which is....ridiculous.

About 33% body fat, I'd reckon...

Looking at the weight progression of the last three years above, I'm happy to say I have broken the pattern. Why have I always started gaining weight in August? My theory is that I have the most time to take day-long bike rides, which builds a huge hunger and capacity to eat. Before I changed my cyclometer to one that also measured calorie expenditure, I was probably packing in twice what I expended on ride days. Did riding help me stay fit and feel good and happy? Sure. Did it help me lose weight? Absolutely not.

Eat to ride, ride to eat and eat and eat.

My first belt as an adult lasted me through high school, college, and my first career change. In my late 20s, I had to get a new belt that was a little....larger. Now 41, I find my belt on the tightest notch and...my shorts are still drooping to my ass-crack. This week, a new belt.

My next belt: The "crazy fit massage slimming fat burning weight loss rejection of fat body sculpting belt"

I'm still not comfortable taking compliments because I look in the mirror and I don't look that different, maybe a little less bulbous, but still quite bulbous. One achievement this past month was the ability to do a negative pull-up, and all my muscles feel stronger, harder and slightly larger than ever before. The layer of lard over them, however, prevents my ego from running away in a vainglorious burst of self-love. 

I'm a bit surprised at the large size of this past month's loss. The plan going forward for this month is to stay the course. I'm starting to realize what "full but not stuffed" feels like, and I'm finding that going to sleep hungry is fine, as long as it's not TOO hungry.

Two midterm goals:

1. Focus on what 2,350 calories/day feels like, maybe test myself by weighing food but not counting and then guess before doing the math.
2. Get down to 200 lbs. Hopefully by February, when I'm usually at my fattest, I can be close to this.
3. Stick with the budget when I start teaching culinary/enter into some professional situations this fall.

Two long term goals:

1. Stop counting calories, know instinctively what 2,350 cal/day feel likes.
2. Get down to around 160 lbs, a "normal BMI"

As the winter arrives, there will be less summer-fruits (bye bye watermelon), less bike riding, more heavy, starchy foods on tap.  I assume keeping things the same will result in less weight loss month-to-month as my body adapts. Perhaps over the winter it will be time for another appointment with the nutritionist.

THE COUNT:2055
Didn't ride the bike due to feeling a bit worn out after going out with friends Saturday night, then needing to be PIC (Papa In Charge) on Monday. Did get weights in on Monday -- my successful negative pull ups have been in the "hammer" position. This day, I did my first successful negative in the the "pull up" position. Small increment, but it counts.

Slept very poorly due to kids being up at various points, though to be fair my wife got the brunt because she's more sensitive to it, and more effective in resolving it. I know lack of sleep effects hunger and control (hey, that's a good blog topic!) so I woke up extra determined to be on the budget ball today after 4 days of winging it. Other than a bit too much ice cream, I went to bed feeling the low level of hunger that means I'm comin' correct two nights of the weekend, including last night.

AM SNACK: 8:15am, iced green tea, 25 cal

AM SNACK: 10:30am, whole wheat goldfish crackers, half a homemade vanilla cookie, +/- 50 cal
Totally forgot to eat breakfast, too much going on in the morning, and once Edie's friend got dropped off, had to hustle.

LUNCH: 1pm, quarter pounder with cheese, fries, diet coke, 900 cal

PM SNACK: 3:15pm, baby carrots, 80 cal

DINNER: 7pm, whole wheat pasta with shrimp & eggplant, 7oz diet sprite, 1050 cal
Eggplant, onion and basil from the CSA bulked it up. Two tablespoons of olive oil and 40g of grated parm made it weighty. Salt, fresh garlic and dried oregano gave it a little pop.