Dos and Donuts

214.4--->213.4--->212.8
Well, it's not a dramatic loss but it's the right direction. With the onset of fall's cold weather, the eating holidays, the dietary fall out from the hurricane, and my weekend slip into a major junk food haze that made me sick, it easily could have gone the other way. So I'm happy. Looking at the chart above, the fall is when I tend to go on dramatic upswings from the low 220s to the low 230s, so huzzah to me.

On a diet of raw steak and bullwhips, Mr. Danforth-Jones regrew the mustache and arm-pit hair he lost in bet gone wrong.

The fat percentage function on my Tanita scale is a bit more disconcerting. From August 1st to Dec 1st I've lost 1.75% of my entire body weight, but according to the scale, I have lost only .2% of my body fat (going from 36.8% to 36.6%.) If those two percents are correct, then I should be at 11.4% body fat, not 36+%. My muscles are definitely larger and stronger by visual and resistance measure, so.....nonsensical.

Still can't do a pull-up, but getting a little closer bit by bit. I can now do four sets of 5-second hang time in the up position, can do a a pull-up or two if I jump into position, and at the bottom standing still, can nudge myself up a few inches.

Some thoughts and goals for the month of December:

1. Increase my vegetable and fruit consumption. Momma salad every day AND at least one significant vegetable side dish ideally. Perhaps add one piece of fruit to every breakfast (other than the smoothie.) I have boring fruit tastes -- apples and bananas are all fine and good, maybe I should invest in getting used to grapes, pears, oranges, and something else.
2. Start juicing weekly. A birdie in a tree told me I'm getting a masticating juicer for Hanukkah. Not sure how I'm going to fit vegetable/fruit juice into my diet, perhaps as a snack or as a breakfast? Either way, it's a good way to get more fruit/veg nutrients into my diet in an interesting way, which will crowd out other less helpful calories.
3. Increase pull-up intensity. Increase hang time in the up-position, focus more on pulling from the bottom position, maybe even increase the weight or reps of back-muscle lifts.

And some donuts (spell check fixed "don'ts", but some how appropriate):

1. No need for another week-end slip into cheesecakes, pints of ice cream and multiple fast-food meals. It was fun to visit, but it wrecked my system for almost an entire week (and probably negated a pound or so I could have lost this past month). It was worth doing to underline the fact that it takes less than 48 hours of old-eating habits to send my body into sickness.
2. I've been over-shooting my max calorie consumption of 2350 by several hundred calories for almost the entire last month. Let's try to pull that back by adding more bulky veg to help with satiety. If I can do it over the next 3 or 4 months, the spring and summer will be a breeze.
3. Sugar addiction is kicking my ass. Needs to be freshly addressed. Researching the idea of the Glycemic Index for next week's entry.

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Rufus a.k.a. Rufusina a.k.a. Stupidcat

Ugg. I just put my cat to sleep at the vet's office today. Ate a falafel in his honor. Wouldn't it be nice if when people we love died, instead of drowning our sorrow and mourning in months of over-eating, we could just eat a falafel then hug your kids.

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At long last! A Phun Quizz! After such a boring, serious session of belly-button gazing, some mad jokes are in order. Leave your own answers in the comments, winner gets a prize of that smug feeling of knowing you're right!

This man:

1. tempts you to take his Big Gulp from his cold, dead hands.
2. is Amurika!
3. fights for his rights to party. With prop foods.
4. is large and in charge.

Sam Jackson:

1. encapsulated how I felt when I retrieved my bike from it's thief.
2. carefully balances talent and verve with the worst African-American stereotypes.
3. will smite thee with vengeful wrath.
4. has had it with those snakes on that plane.

Thanksgiving:

1. is about love and family
2. is about food
3. is about television
4. de be do be do be doo doo, da-da-da-da (boo be doo be do bee!)

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WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2550
A decent eating week, probably due to knowing it was the week for a weigh-in, he he. Monday and Tuesday I was able to avoid sugary snacks, but when I had some non-diet soda at school on Wednesday, the full pull of sugar addiction was felt.
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MONDAY COUNT: 2440
Digestive track still feels a little compromised, but a lot better than when I was recovering from a bad weekend of eating last Monday. A little tired but got through the weights this morning, right wrist still a little ouchy when twisted but getting better.

Through doubling down on diet soda and keeping my jaw busy with a big bowl of air-popped popcorn, I was able to avoid sugar. Hmmm, can I do it again tomorrow?

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:15am, steel cut oatmeal with a little butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt, 375 cal

PM SNACK: 1pm, momma salad, 100 cal

LUNCH: 2pm, sardine & avocado on whole wheat toast, multigrain tortilla chips, steamed string beans, 7oz diet coke, 700 cal

DINNER: 7pm, whole wheat pasta and beef meatballs in homemade sauce with parm and spinach, 14oz diet sprite, 1000 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8:45pm, air popped popcorn, 7oz diet sprite, 240 cal

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TUESDAY COUNT: 2475
Slightly sore arms from from yesterday's weights, from the additional hang time in pursuit of the ever elusive pull-up. Struggled in the evening to not eat chocolate, made it through with a little extra

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, kolon bloe with whole milk, 300 cal

LUNCH: 3pm, almond butter & grape jelly on whole wheat bread, momma salad, 7oz diet coke, 1000 cal

DINNER: 8pm, chickpeas & spinach in sauce, 1 roti, 1 potato samosa, roasted broccoli, 7oz diet sprite, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm, mulitgrain tortilla chips & jarred salsa, 350 cal

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WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2600

School, soda sent me spinnin', Sugar. Ugg.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 9am, smoothie, 375 cal

LUNCH: noon, broiled sole with butter, quinoa, steamed string beans, momma salad, 7oz diet coke, 800 cal

SCHOOL DINNER: 7pm, meatballs, fresh pasta, caci e pepe, fried shrimp, 12oz root beer, +/- 9000 cal

EVENING SNACK: 10pm, multigrain chips & salsa, chocolate chips & peanuts. 7oz diet sprite, +/- 500 cal

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THURSDAY COUNT: 2600

Well, today was going to be the first juicing of the new regime, but the kale killed the centrifugal machine. Oh well, looks like I'm gonna invest in a superior masticating model.

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 10:30am, steel cut oatmeal, 375 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, vegetarian dim sum, +/-800 cal

PM SNACK: 5pm, momma salad & pickle, 100 cal

DINNER: 6pm, chicken sausage, cous cous, roasted brussel sprouts, 7oz diet coke, 900 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, peanuts & chocolate chips, 400 cal

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FRIDAY COUNT: 2625

Reasonable eating day, though went off the reservation a little bit due to picking up dinner for the kids while the wifey went out and I had the sugar call out to me....

AM SNACK: 7:45am, iced green tea, 25 cal

BREAKFAST: 9:45am, kolon bloe with whole milk, 300 cal

LUNCH: 1pm, grilled chicken breast fillet, roasted broccoli & mushroom, baked potato and butter, 12 oz diet coke, 900 cal
Two things about this meal:

1. I baked two large potatoes, as that was always my standard baked potato portion. But since I was weighing and calculating calories, I found that if I were to eat both potatoes (and attendant butter), this would have been close to a 1400 cal meal, which is...ridiculous. And it was just as satisfying with one potato. Some habits die easy
2. Properly made grilled chicken, made with right brief time over high temp, is juicy and delicious. So much grilled chicken breast served has not been just off the grill under a minute ago, which is really the only way it's really delicious....

DINNER: 6pm, 2 slices streetza, green salad, french fries, 14 oz diet coke, +/- 900 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, small cup of ice cream, chocolate chips & peanuts, +/- 500 cal