Balance In All Things Pt 2

The of last couple of weeks have brought with them a series of ups and downs.

I'd developed the habit of weighing myself every morning upon waking, which I began doing about 60 days into this adventure. I did this in large due to info that I'd gleaned from several studies involving people in extreme weight-loss situations. I ignored the conflicting data that suggested doing this wasn't the most healthy practice, and proceeded to bind my perception of my success primarily to the readout on the scale each day.

The trouble with this is that I'd begun to ignore the other physical data that continued to show progress, even when the numbers on the scale seemed to contradict it. A wave of discouragement began to build, and it eventually crashed over me in a way that I wasn't quite prepared to deal with.

I missed a workout here and there, but never stopped. I didn't count calories or macros - even ate some sweets, and had meals after my 5 pm cutoff.  For a period of almost a week I didn't exercise the discipline that has gotten me all of the positive results I've gotten thus far.

I didn't gain any weight.  But I didn't lose any that week, either.  But the most significant thing that happened?

I felt like CRAP.

Physically, my energy level dropped, some of the food cravings I'd eradicated began to return, and my quality of sleep deteriorated. Mentally, I let a lot of nonsense that otherwise wouldn't stress me out really get to me, and I got down on myself for letting it all  happen in the first place.

I never lost sight of the underlying reasons for which I started this journey. And I began to realize that, despite not strictly adhering to the plan that I had in place,  I still made fitness gains during that low point because of the work I'd put in beforehand.

And so, on Monday, I got right back on track. I also made a promise to myself - no more daily weight checks. In fact, I won't step back on the bathroom scale until January 25th, which would signify 4 months in.

Sometimes you've just got to stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and get over yourself.

It's important.

Balance in all things

Been struggling with something that I haven't dealt with during this journey, in the form of 'outside noise' attempting to derail my fitness efforts.

I won't delve into the specifics, but I will say this; your goals are your own. No matter how close to someone you may be, their interests relative to your goals may not be in your own best interests. And that's OK.

What's not OK is to use that conflict as an excuse to not achieve whatever success you design.

The next few days will be about re-dedication, refocusing, and remaining committed in the face of adversity.

I dream of Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burrito Time!  I was barely able to wrap this sucker, but I got'er done.

Normally I'm all about making my own homemade salsas and sauces for this type of thing, but there were distractions this morning...

For a few months I've seen a pig wandering around our property. I've only caught glimpses of it, as it seems to always spook quite easily. I've been convinced that it's a feral pig, as we do have those pop up on occasion in this area of the county.

I've seen it in the game trails in the eastern field; seen it rooting around in the table scraps the neighbors across the way throw out; I've smelled the darn thing in the wind on my walks (we used to raise pigs, so I've a nose for that sorta thing).  But until now I've only seen it on the periphery, or at a distance of no less than 50 ft.

Until this morning.

My wife yelled at me as I was readying go head out for my morning cardio session - seems Wilbur (I couldn't help myself) was in the back yard.  She'd yelled to scare him away, and he responded by wagging his tail and coming to the kitchen window.  Turns out Wilbur is of the pot-bellied variety, quite tame, and very, very friendly.  He accompanied me on the first 1/2 of my morning power walk, but got distracted by another neighbor's garbage can and soon left me to complete my routine alone.

Everyone was quite excited, from my wife to my youngest (who was disappointed that it wasn't a dog as she'd originally thought - gotta love the 1 year old mind). My wife mainly because she wanted to get a pic of me power walking with a pot-bellied pig wagging it's tail and following behind me.

Anyways...

So a co-worker mentioned her love of breakfast burritos yesterday. It made me have a dream last night that I ate one. I took Wilbur's porky presence as a sign that it was my destiny...  Though to be fair, I made mine with turkey sausage.

You got lucky today, Wilbur.

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Breakfast Burrito


1 100% Whole Wheat wrap (8 inch)
1 egg
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup bell pepper (chopped)
1 cayenne pepper (seeds removed, thinly sliced)
1 cup spinach (fresh)
1/8 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 turkey sausage patty (cooked, chopped)
1 teaspoon low-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon taco sauce

I did my microwave eggs, and threw the chopped veggies and sausage in with a bit of salt and pepper, stirring about half-way through the cooking cycle (1 min 30 sec).  I heated the wrap for about 15 seconds, then laid down the spinach, then the eggs, then the cheese, and finally the sour cream and taco sauce.

It may not be my old full-fat, carb-loaded fare, but it hit the spot and satisfied that craving.

Carb cycling (continued)

Saturday is finally here! Even with me taking Wednesday off, this was still a long, tough week.

I did a 3-day stretch of taking in higher carbs (80-90 grams) instead of my previous plan of no more than 2 days. The primary motivation for doing it? In all honesty, I just felt famished after meal 2 yesterday, so I took in an extra 40 grams of carbs than what I'd allotted for that portion of my eating plan.

Mentally it was both good and bad; good in the sense that the extra carbs were super-clean (high fiber, low-calorie, nutrient dense), and that they went in early enough in the day for me to know that they were used and likely not just stored as fat. But it was bad in the sense that, despite the fact that they were good carbs, I didn't exercise the discipline to stick with the program I'd meticulously outlined.

I gained a bit after the last high-carb cycle but, surprisingly, didn't this time - still at 258, the new low weight I'd achieved Wednesday at the end of my low-carb cycle. That is hella encouraging, and leaves me with a sense of optimism that, at this Wednesday's weigh-in, I'll see a new low number blinking up at me from the scale.

About to put the rubber to the road and get in some cardio. Lots of stuff going on this weekend - polishing off the Christmas shopping, I want to build a new spice rack for the kitchen, I'd like to surprise the kids and wife with a little to holiday-themed distraction. In between all that I need to find the time to do some meal prep as well.

Meanwhile, my butt, hamstrings and quads are still sore as heck from Thursday's leg workout. Good times, indeed.

Southwest scramble and apple-cinnamon oatmeal

Breakfast came about 4 hours later than normal as I spent some q.t. with my cuties before my morning workout. As I'm likely only going to get 4 meals in today, breakfast was a bit bigger than normal in order to hit my desired macros.

Whew - just the total weight of this meal is about twice as heavy as I normally do these days...  I may need a nap after that.

[Note: No, those aren't happy pills - just my daily doses of Glucosamine, B-12 and Vitamin C]
________________

Southwest scramble

1 egg, beaten
1 oz pulled pork
1/3 cup black beans
1 tablespoon fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 large jalepeno pepper, fine dice
1 small clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper - cook until onions just begin to become translucent.  Stir in garlic and jalapeno - cook until fragrant (1 min) then add the pork and beans.  Once heated through (1 1/2 - 2 min) add the eggs and season with salt and pepper.  Swirl pan to make sure the eggs run throughout rest of the mixture - when the eggs begin to set, sprinkle the cottage cheese curds across top.  After another minute, use a spatula to lightly scramble until eggs are set through. Serve immediately.
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Apple-cinnamon oatmeal

1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp honey
1/8 cup raisins
1/2 Granny Smith apple, diced

Heat milk over medium high heat, being careful not to scald.  When it begins to steam, stir in the rest of the ingredients and reduce heat to medium, continuing to stir occasionally for another 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and allow oatmeal to cook to desired consistently (for me that was another 4 minutes or so).  Serve immediately.

New Low - 72 lbs in 80 days

Happy Hump Day!  I weighed in this morning at 258 lbs ☺

Psychologically, getting here from 270 lbs was easily the most challenging stretch that I've traversed during this weight-loss journey. I actually stepped off and back on the scale a few times, just to be certain that I'd really broken through to my next target level.

As silly as it sounds - particularly when considering how my results thus far have been better-than-expected - I'd been discouraged by the slowing rate of weight loss over the last several weeks.

Despite the increases in muscle mass and the loss of inches (if this continues, I'll have to buy a completely new wardrobe by the springtime!), the numbers on the scale damn near wrecked me. Despite the science that forecast - almost to the pound - the plateau that I was likely reach when my body-mass index reached a certain level, seeing my weight fluctuate from 262 lbs to 266 lbs for close to two weeks was maddening, and something that I struggled mightily to accept.

I'm off from work today so that I can attend my son's class Christmas party. Outside of the 2 hours or so that'll take, I'm hoping to get in some yoga and a few freshly made meals, as opposed to the stuff already in the fridge from this week's meal prep efforts.

13 lbs in 20 days is, in hindsight, just as profound as the 30 lbs I lost in the first 20 days to begin my journey. I do hope that I can draw strength and encouragement from this period of time as I move forward; sometimes it's important to step back and see how far you've come, instead of fretting over how far you've yet to travel in order to reach your destination.

Freaky Frittata

My last meal was at 5 pm yesterday, and I didn't break that fast until after 11 am this morning. The bed felt too good so I slept later than normal (even for a weekend) and I'm resigned to always exercise on an empty stomach. I pushed it extra hard during this morning's 30-min cardio session, and by the time I got into the kitchen I was more or less starving.

I'd shredded some extra cabbage for wraps the other day and had a fair bit left over that hadn't made it into my meal preps. Same for some steamed green beans. I was craving something slightly spicy, too, in addition to feeling compelled to clear out some containers from the fridge.

That's when things got weird.

Starvin' Marvin Omelette

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup cabbage (shredded)

1/3 cup onion (julienne)

1/3 cup green bell pepper (julienne)

1 cayenne pepper (minced)

1 medium clove garlic (minced)

1 cup lightly steamed green beans (1/2 inch pieces)

1 turkey sausage patty (1.2 oz total, medium dice)

1/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp sunflower seed oil

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, onions and bell pepper, and half the salt and pepper - saute for 3-4 minutes, until cabbage wilts slightly but is still very crisp.  Add green beans, sausage, garlic and cayenne - continue cooking for 1 more minute, then add eggs and rest of seasoning. Using a spatula, lift edges of cooked edges and swirl pan to allow runny portion of eggs to make contact with the bottom and edges and cook through.  Once bottom and edges are set, sprinkle on feta, turn heat down to medium low and cover with a lid or a plate - this should allow the top to cook and slightly melt the cheese.  After another 2 minutes remove from heat, plate and serve.

Carb cycling?

So I've been studying a fair amount of literature on carb cycling as a more effective (at least, as it relates to muscle-sparing) method to reap the benefits of carb reduction than a traditional low carbohydrate diet. I adopted a 3-4 day low carb stretch, followed by no more than 2 days of ingesting higher carbs.  I try to time the lowest of the low carb days with periods of either low or no weight training, and try to sync the highest of the high carb days with my more intense training sessions.

I've taken the last 2 days off from weight training due to my quads not being back to 100% between workouts, so today is back on the reduction portion of the cycle.  You definitely gain some water weight back on the high carb days, so I'll be hitting it hard to dry out a bit and get the numbers on the scale moving back in the right direction.  That being said, I can see the difference in the look of my muscles, which validates at least a portion of the science behind this plan.

In the kitchen, one thing that I've done recently is to search for and prepare lower-carb versions of a few of my favorite recipes. One that I believe will be a keeper is cauliflower crust pizza.

This one is the 2nd I've made this week, and was much simpler version topping-wise than the first. It also has a bite taken out of it, but snapping a photo was an afterthought to the desire to munch. It's also straight from the fridge, which I believe is an improvement to this style of pie versus straight from the oven.

Cauliflower Pizza

2 cups cauliflower
2/3 cup mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbs honey
1/4 cup water
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flake

Process cauliflower in food processor into fine granules.  Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Heat on high for 4-5 minutes; uncover and allow to cool, then wring out as much liquid from it as possible.

Once cooled, combine 1/3 cup mozzarella, the Parmesan, egg, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Mix well, then spread evenly in a 1/4 inch layer over a parchment lined baking sheet.  Lightly spray the top with vegetable oil and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce with the rest of the herbs, spices and seasonings, as well as the vinegar, honey and the water. Simmer over medium heat for at least 20 minutes, reducing the sauce slightly and allowing the flavors to come together.

[Note: I prefer to cook everything in the order shown and let the crust cool a bit while the sauce is cooking. However, if time is an issue you can start the sauce first so that it's ready by the time the crust is finished.]

When the components are ready, slather the top of the crust with as much or as little sauce as you'd like and top with the rest of the mozzarella and your toppings of choice.  The first time I added about 10 turkey pepperoni, 1/3 cup each of sliced white onion and green bell pepper, and about 1/4 cup each of sliced black olive and sauteed mushroom.  It was nice, but had WAY too much in the way of toppings - my priority with that meal was more about nutrient intake than it was about satisfying that itch.

The attempt shown in the pic above was better, as it was solely about the mouth-feel and flavors that I associate with good pizza as a comfort food. On that day I'd already had plenty of fresh veggies leading up to dinner, so I made this attempt all about the 'nom'.

Time to hit the road and get some cardio in, then a short workout before Santa pics for the kids and maybe a bit of Christmas shopping. The cold weather makes me think that a big pot of soup may be in order; if so, expect pics and/or recipes to follow shortly.

Mid-week report Pt. 2

And we're back.

Just because that last post felt pretty empty, here's yesterday's eating and exercise program.

Wake up 5:15 am

Drink 8 oz water

30 minute walk (1.5 miles)

Drink 'concoction' (2 tbs raw ACV, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 12 oz water)

Morning workout
  100 push ups (3 sets)
  75 Hindu squats
  100 side bends
  100 trunk twists
  120 arm circles

Meal 1
  Overnight oatmeal (1/3 cup dry) with 1 1/2 tbs Greek yogurt, 10 g raisins, 1/2 cup whole milk
  1 turkey sausage patty
  16 oz water

Begin drinking 33 oz water

Meal 2
  2 tbs hummus
  1 seed & nut crisp
  1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
  Supplements: 500 mg each Glucosamine Sulfate, Vitamin C; 50 mg B12

Treadmill (12 min @ 3.5 mph)

Meal 3
  2.5 oz baked chicken
  2.5 oz roasted broccoli
  1/4 baked sweet potato

Treadmill (12 min @ 3.5 mph)

Finish drinking 33 oz water

Meal 4
  2.5 oz baked chicken
  2.5 oz roasted broccoli
  1/4 baked sweet potato
  16 oz water

Treadmill (12 min @ 3.5 mph)

Meal 5
  Protein Shake (25 g protein powder, 8 oz water)

16 oz water

Nighttime workout (Shoulder day)
  Warm-up (dumbbell shoulder press x 30)
  Shoulder press (4 drop sets - 18, 15, 12, 10)
  Lateral shoulder raises (4 sets - 20, 18, 15, 12)
  Front shoulder raises  (3 sets - 20, 18, 16)
  Upright rows + shoulder shrugs (3 super sets - 20+20, 18+20, 16+18)
  Bent over shoulder raises (3 sets - 18, 16, 14)

16 oz water

Mid-week report

So the carb reduction, coupled with hitting the treadmill with increased intensity during breaks at work, appears to have helped me transcend the weight loss plateau that I'd hit for the last week or so.  Down to 262 as of this morning. Struggling a bit with my energy level, but that's to be expected for the first 3-5 days or so.

Speaking of the treadmill - headed that way now.  Grind on... Grind on.

Office Christmas Party & Carb Reduction

The office Christmas Party was yesterday evening/last night.  I work about an hour and twenty minutes from home, so it wasn't practical logistically for my wife to attend.  That means that I was among only a handful flying solo.

There was a wide assortment of beer and wine; an amazing catered array of appetizers, tapas and deserts; and a lot of hard liquor not supplied by my employer that found its way around the room.

I not only managed to stay on track as it pertains to eating, but not so much as a drop of alcohol touched my lips.  It wasn't easy, but I stayed true to the promises that I've made to myself.  An added bonus is that I entered a drawing for and won a $250 gift card to any Marriott hotel, good for a room, dining, and time at the spa.

Today is day 69; tomorrow will see me doing a further carb reduction by eliminating a few items - namely the whole wheat bagels that I sometimes have for breakfast and the multi-grain bread that I sometimes use for toast and sandwiches.  I'll be increasing my intake of fiber-rich veggies to compensate for what I'll be losing nutrient-wise, and I'll also be focusing on doing more salad-based meal prep in order to cut back a bit on the brown rice I've been using as a healthy carb source.

I plan on fully committing to this change for at least the next 21-31 days, and will be more closely monitoring my macro-nutrient ratios throughout.  That'll help ensure that I'm hitting my daily minimums and help me accurately calculate which food rations are more effective respective to my current body mass composition.

I'm relatively low-carb by most standards as it is, so this will be real challenge.  I'll still use a whole grain wrap here and there, and will still have oatmeal occasionally as well.  Overall, though, I'd like to keep my daily intake under 75 grams for the duration.

One thing I'm also going to try to accomplish during this stretch is to get a solid 7 hours of sleep each night. I expect that will prove to be harder than any of the food-based challenges, but if I can do that I expect that it'll be a very productive December as far as my fitness goals are concerned.

See ya on the other side of 70 days.

Slow and Steady

Down to 267 as of this morning.

I'd been stuck on 271 since last Thursday, and had begun to feel just a wee bit discouraged.  I've been crushing my workouts, and can both see and feel the effects...  So there's a good chance that increases in muscle mass might have negated the effect of fat loss as far as my unchanged body weight went.  I also could tell that my clothes were fitting ever looser, particularly around the waist.

Very plainly, you see, I had at a minimum of two solid reasons to not get bent about the numbers on the scale stubbornly remaining the same. But it still got to me, despite all the evidence suggesting that it should not.

So, over the last couple of days, I made a few tweaks to my diet.  And, based on the results, that was just the boost that my body needed.

I bumped up the protein level across my first two meals, then went meatless for the rest of each day by eating a modestly-sized salad with boiled egg (and homemade Caesar dressing - yum!) for both my third and fourth meals. I also increased my water intake by an additional 32 oz or so, and tried to squeeze in a few extra moments on the treadmill during the workday. To put it simply, I wasn't going to settle for anything less than a drop in weight; the extra water and workouts were a bit of insurance, if you will.

My fifth and final meal of the day - a protein shake at 5 pm- remained the same; it, in particular, continues to serve me well and, in hindsight, has been among the most effective dietary adjustments I've made thus far.

Bear in mind, these were primarily short-term adjustments. I've already prepped tomorrow's meals; four and five consist of Italian chicken sausage, brown rice and sauteed spinach. I may go back to my normal protein intake levels for meals one and two, but I will try to stick with the extra water.

My thinking is that, haven gotten past that sticking point, I won't have to revert back to meatless mid-days for now. That being said, it's nice to have that trick in my back pocket to whip out as needed when my metabolism needs a kick in the rear.

It's been a long week. I haven't been sleeping as well or for as long as I likely need to.  Here's hoping that this weekend will bring with it continued progress... As well as some extra rest.