Wow I was really distracted today. My mind seemed to keep wandering and I caught myself staring into space a lot. Don't know what that's about. I did weight lift today and had fun. I'm definitely losing some strength. That's to be expected initially with a calorie restriction and lower carbs. I'm not necessarily doing that on purpose but it is what's happening. I feel like I have been on a very long bulk :) now its time to cut down. I had a lot of cravings today but managed to stick 2 plan. I did have burger and fries at Denny's without the bun... Not bad bit not the healthiest either. That part of making something a lifestyle though...oh and I must have dropped some weight already. I fit in a smaller pair of pants! Will weigh in on Monday for my monthly weigh in.
Food for today:
Meal 1: small potato, orange pepper and an egg cooked in olive oil.
Meal 2: more buffalo tenders from yesterday, small sweet potato and mixed greens. Iced tea w/o sugar of course.
Meal 3: hamburger, 2 bacon, egg and French fries.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to do a 5 k for NAMI. We will see.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Day 4-Power of positive thinking
Today felt a lot better in regards to my moods and my thoughts. I think that I was starting to get into another funk because life has been rather odd this past month. Today felt like the fog was starting to slowly lift. I didn't feel as run down today but I also had some caffine which probably helped. I've been reading this book about how thinking about God and thinking positively effects the mind on a neurological level. This has got me working hard to practice what I preach and work on being more mindful. My thoughts are slowly becoming more positive which is a bit step in overall wellness. It also makes healthy eating easier. I'm enjoying spending time alone or with Nana dog contemplating positive aspects of the universe. The universe has also started to send me some fun people to talk to and hang around which I believe is a direct result of positive thinking.
It took me a while to get hungry today. I didn't eat til fairly late. My friend and I went to water aerobics and worked out with many elders. It was actually a lot of fun and my heart rate went way up. You can totally use the water to get a great workout. The trainer was nice too so that was definately a plus.
Here's the food for today:
Meal 1: small package almonds
Meal 2: buffalo chicken (skinless tenders with some olive oil and tabasco buffalo sauce), mixed greens and a sweet potato. Iced tea no sugar.
Meal 3: Key lime larabar. Iced tea no sugar.
Meal 4: eggs, potatoes and a red pepper cooked in olive oil with salsa. A banana.
It took me a while to get hungry today. I didn't eat til fairly late. My friend and I went to water aerobics and worked out with many elders. It was actually a lot of fun and my heart rate went way up. You can totally use the water to get a great workout. The trainer was nice too so that was definately a plus.
Here's the food for today:
Meal 1: small package almonds
Meal 2: buffalo chicken (skinless tenders with some olive oil and tabasco buffalo sauce), mixed greens and a sweet potato. Iced tea no sugar.
Meal 3: Key lime larabar. Iced tea no sugar.
Meal 4: eggs, potatoes and a red pepper cooked in olive oil with salsa. A banana.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Day 3-and the cravings begin
Today was a very odd day. I had this looming sense of anxiety all day and couldn't quite place it. Life has been rather hectic lately so that could be a part of it. I find myself having a hard time getting motivated to carry on with my daily tasks. This weird feeling of anxiety usually happens when I follow a food plan like this but there is usually also a trigger. I think part of it is that my cravings are here in full swing at day 3. I really wanted to eat a lemon bar or brownie at the coffee shop but had to tell myself no. I was also tired so that didn't help the situation. Luckily I was also with friends who get what i'm going through so that helped.
Today was a strange day with food. I was on some sort of weird omelette kick. Guess my body needed something that they had. Here's the meals
Meal 1: Vegetable omelette with hash browns and fruit
Meal 2: hamburger patty, sweet potato, broccoli and salsa.
Meal 3: Vegetable and ham omelette and grapes
I'm going to try to hit the sack early today. I'm glad that this day is done and hope tomorrow is a bit better. Everyone seemed so on edge today, myself included. Time to get nana and rest. Here's a picture of her. She's a great dog.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Day 2 down...lessons learned
Today was a chill day but I'm going to end up being up late. Smoked some hookah which was probably unwise while making so many diet shifts. My dog was really calm and nice today. I've been calmer too which she seems to reflect. I'm taking note. The universe seems to be sending me new opportunities as I make shifts in my life. I also realize I need to buy more food to cook at home when I get paid fri. Eating out makes making healthy choices difficult though not impossible.
Zami and I worked out today. 1hr and a half of weights. We did a lot of cable work. I did another 30 min in the pool. Did high knees, jumps and stretches. I woke up with the aches so it was hard to get motivated. I'm glad I did. My muscles always seem to ache with these diet changes. I also have a low grade headache.
Onto the food:
Meal 1:small pack almonds per workout.
Meal 2: eggs with uncured bfast sausage and peppers.
Meal 3: grass fed patty, small sweet potato and broccoli.
Meal 4: pistachios, grapes and tea
Meal 5: steak, veggies, roasted potatoes and a couple buffalo wings.
I noticed I felt really hungry today. Let's see what happens with my hunger levels as time goes on.
Zami and I worked out today. 1hr and a half of weights. We did a lot of cable work. I did another 30 min in the pool. Did high knees, jumps and stretches. I woke up with the aches so it was hard to get motivated. I'm glad I did. My muscles always seem to ache with these diet changes. I also have a low grade headache.
Onto the food:
Meal 1:small pack almonds per workout.
Meal 2: eggs with uncured bfast sausage and peppers.
Meal 3: grass fed patty, small sweet potato and broccoli.
Meal 4: pistachios, grapes and tea
Meal 5: steak, veggies, roasted potatoes and a couple buffalo wings.
I noticed I felt really hungry today. Let's see what happens with my hunger levels as time goes on.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Day One Down...Feeling Tired
It's the end of day one and I'm feeling tired. This day one has not been much different from any other first day where my body begins to detox. I keep asking myself why I chose to go back to eating sugar, gluten containing grains and milk (my worst allergen). At the same time, I recognize that there is no point in beating myself up about it. So far, I have a headache and am feeling some anxiety. I'm also very tired. All normal things for me when I start eating this way again. I know that in about 2-3 weeks my body will adapt and I will start to feel better.
Here's the food for today:
1st meal was a mixed green salad with uncured genoa salami and applegate farms turkey breast. It also had some spicy carrots and olives. Also an apple
2nd meal was a small yam, a grassfed burger patty and some broccoli with salsa.
3rd meal was a small pack of almonds
4th meal was from a mexican fast good place in town because I was in a hurry. Had a couple eggs, bacon and potatoes with green tomatillo and avocado salsa.
Thoughts for today. I'm realizing how blessed I am. It's been a rough couple of weeks in my personal life and I feel like I purged some yucky energy from my life and my body. This allowed other people and positive energy to enter back in. I'm really happy that one of my best buds, Zami decided to do this with me. I'm also greatful for my friend ari who helps keep me emotionally on track when I start to lose it a bit. I'm really a lucky man to have such good buds. I'm also surrounded by great folks at work and in life. I was glad to go to an OA meeting tonight and hang out with some people from there after the meeting.
I'm going to work on trying to stay more positive. I feel like I need to make an effort to say nice things and be more positive in my day to day interaction with others. So that and meditating more are my two goals. Life is going to start to slow down in the next couple of weeks and so I feel like I need to not try and plan every free moment of my life. A part of staying positive is also doing things one enjoys. I have hobbies and things that I like to do that take up time and I need to remember that.
Off to get a lot of sleep so Zami and I can kill it in the gym.
Here's the food for today:
1st meal was a mixed green salad with uncured genoa salami and applegate farms turkey breast. It also had some spicy carrots and olives. Also an apple
2nd meal was a small yam, a grassfed burger patty and some broccoli with salsa.
3rd meal was a small pack of almonds
4th meal was from a mexican fast good place in town because I was in a hurry. Had a couple eggs, bacon and potatoes with green tomatillo and avocado salsa.
Thoughts for today. I'm realizing how blessed I am. It's been a rough couple of weeks in my personal life and I feel like I purged some yucky energy from my life and my body. This allowed other people and positive energy to enter back in. I'm really happy that one of my best buds, Zami decided to do this with me. I'm also greatful for my friend ari who helps keep me emotionally on track when I start to lose it a bit. I'm really a lucky man to have such good buds. I'm also surrounded by great folks at work and in life. I was glad to go to an OA meeting tonight and hang out with some people from there after the meeting.
I'm going to work on trying to stay more positive. I feel like I need to make an effort to say nice things and be more positive in my day to day interaction with others. So that and meditating more are my two goals. Life is going to start to slow down in the next couple of weeks and so I feel like I need to not try and plan every free moment of my life. A part of staying positive is also doing things one enjoys. I have hobbies and things that I like to do that take up time and I need to remember that.
Off to get a lot of sleep so Zami and I can kill it in the gym.
Here is a picture of Zami and I making fun of our street fair food a couple days ago..
Sunday, March 25, 2012
THE DETAILS OF "THE PLAN"
Food is a tricky thing for me. It has always been this way. There are many foods that trigger me to have the desire to binge or strongly overeat. We don't need to get into the science of it, because it just is. I have had several different people who are doctors and/or who have studied nutrition tell em that many foods have a stronger effect on me because I am overweight. I understand the logic and science behind it and tend to agree. This post is going to focus on what foods I will be eating. You can assume that if it is not listed here, I am trying hard not to eat it. Partly, those foods are being excluded because they effect my health (sometimes literally) and partly because I want to stick my head in a huge vat of them when I eat just one. Professionals have been consulted and all is good. Unless something happens over the course of the year my food plan will stay the same. The workout and supplements that I post here will probably change as time goes on. I'm lucky in that I do enjoy working out and being active. Not all people who are fat (I use that world freely) are lazy or unfit. I can do a hell of a lot at this weight that some people much smaller than me can. that's because I have always enjoyed moving around and exercising...i just "enjoyed" food far too much. Ok onto the details...
Food Plan:
Once again, this is a list of stuff I will eat. Better to focus on what one "can or will do" than the opposite.
FOODS:
*All animal proteins including cured meats (yes they have a small, tiny, little bit of sugar), fish etc. I will also try to eat leaner cuts of meat when possible because I tend to feel better when I do this. Eggs too.
*All fruits, including dried fruits (no sugar added) and vegetables including starches and root vegetables. Yes white potatoes too. And yes avocados!
*Nuts and Nut butters (no sugar added)
*Occasional soy based products such as tofu.
*All oils with a focus on olive oil. Butter is cool too. So is animal fat.
*Spices of all sorts are great. So is anything canned or bottled as long as it has this stuff in it and nothing else.
*A small amount of wine used in cooking various dishes and sauces. A small (like 5th or greater) amount of sugar as an ingredient in something. Let's see how this one works out in the long run.
DRINKS:
Juice that is natural and not from concentrate with no added sugar
A LOT of water (I live in the dessert)
Tea and Coffee with nothing added to it
SUPPLEMENTS:
This is what I currently take
2000 IU vit D
Whole foods multi
2000mg glucosamine (knee problems)
Fish oil capsule
100mg 5htp at night (great for sleep and depression)
That's it. There is no weighing or measuring. There is no counting calories, macro nutrients etc. There are no specified number of meals or meal times. I simply eat when hungry and stop when I feel satisfied. The only issue in regards to weight loss is one that I mentioned in the first post. I can potentially eat a lot without feeling satisfied. Though these foods tend to have a satiating effect on me so we will see.This is about overall wellness and I can say that the months I have been able to eat this way, I have felt so much better emotionally and spiritually as well. That's what's truely important to me.
And here is my general workout plan:
Weight lifting 3-4 times per week. If folks want i will elaborate on this in another post.
Water aerobic activity 3-6 times per week
Daily stretching activities
Dancing and other fun stuff whenever possible.
More to come tomorrow. Phew I'm a bit nervous but I know I can do it!
Food Plan:
Once again, this is a list of stuff I will eat. Better to focus on what one "can or will do" than the opposite.
FOODS:
*All animal proteins including cured meats (yes they have a small, tiny, little bit of sugar), fish etc. I will also try to eat leaner cuts of meat when possible because I tend to feel better when I do this. Eggs too.
*All fruits, including dried fruits (no sugar added) and vegetables including starches and root vegetables. Yes white potatoes too. And yes avocados!
*Nuts and Nut butters (no sugar added)
*Occasional soy based products such as tofu.
*All oils with a focus on olive oil. Butter is cool too. So is animal fat.
*Spices of all sorts are great. So is anything canned or bottled as long as it has this stuff in it and nothing else.
*A small amount of wine used in cooking various dishes and sauces. A small (like 5th or greater) amount of sugar as an ingredient in something. Let's see how this one works out in the long run.
DRINKS:
Juice that is natural and not from concentrate with no added sugar
A LOT of water (I live in the dessert)
Tea and Coffee with nothing added to it
SUPPLEMENTS:
This is what I currently take
2000 IU vit D
Whole foods multi
2000mg glucosamine (knee problems)
Fish oil capsule
100mg 5htp at night (great for sleep and depression)
That's it. There is no weighing or measuring. There is no counting calories, macro nutrients etc. There are no specified number of meals or meal times. I simply eat when hungry and stop when I feel satisfied. The only issue in regards to weight loss is one that I mentioned in the first post. I can potentially eat a lot without feeling satisfied. Though these foods tend to have a satiating effect on me so we will see.This is about overall wellness and I can say that the months I have been able to eat this way, I have felt so much better emotionally and spiritually as well. That's what's truely important to me.
And here is my general workout plan:
Weight lifting 3-4 times per week. If folks want i will elaborate on this in another post.
Water aerobic activity 3-6 times per week
Daily stretching activities
Dancing and other fun stuff whenever possible.
More to come tomorrow. Phew I'm a bit nervous but I know I can do it!
SO JOE...WHAT'S THIS BLOG ABOUT ANYWAY?
WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG?
I started this blog to publically document a commitment that I have made to myself. That commitment is to get as healthy as possible over the next 356 days (you can see the countdown on the homepage). I have done a great deal of work on myself spiritually, mentally and emotionally. I have also made some improvements physically. Now, I hope to bring all four of those aspects together and focus especially on changing my relationship with food. I've probably done enough research, personal experiementation and seen enough "health and wellness" professionals to least several life times. This blog is going to document me doing what I have learned works for me. It is in no, way shape or form intended to say what is right for someone else. Why document it in a blog? Because I would love to have your support and feedback as I document my journey. I will post a blog every night unless I have absolutely no access to internet. My secondary goal for this blog is for folks to find something useful for their own lives. Therefore please help keep things positive. This is not a space to debate nutrition and fitness. I welcome raw emotions about body image, relationships withe food etc. Also we will not be arguing the validity of eating disorders vs. will power on this blog. Thank you!
WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
I'm going to give you the cliff notes here. There will be more of my story as time goes on. Long story short, I have been overweight or morbidly obese most of my life. There was a short time when I was a little kid that I was a "normal weight". So yeah...food has been my friend, crutch, addiction and self-abuse tool for many years. I'm a compulsive overeater. I used to binge a lot and didn't realize it. Then I learned about eating disorders in graduate school (I am an LMSW) and knew I had one. I've been on every single diet you could possibly imagine. I've lost and gained several hundred pounds over my 30 years on this planet. I have eaten for every possible emotion, event and circumstance that comes to mind. With that said, I have made a lot of progress over the past 2 years. I began eating disorder treatement approximately 2 years ago at 5'5" and 325lbs (not my heaviest but close). The nutritionist had me doing intuitive eating. I lost and maintained at 295. I joined Overeaters Anonymous in October of 2010. Since then I have gotten down to 275 and have generally stayed there. Maintaining is better than gaining and losing. I have also been weight lifting on and off for many years now. I have been consistent for the past year and a half. I also do different cardio-vascular activities.
WHY OVEREATER'S ANONYMOUS (OA)?
The simple answer is that I needed to find a group of people who were spiritual who could understand what the hell I was going through. OA provided me with that and the 12 steps which have brought about great spiritual and emotional healing. I've been blessed with meeting great people and finding a place that can help me stay grounded. There are tools to use there. I no longer feel isolated and different. I've learned to love myself and my body more...
I have been "abstinent" on and off in OA. Currently I am going on well over 90 days. I have it written on a calendar somewhere when I will hit my 6mo. While OA does have a specific definition on abstinence (go to www.oa.org) there are differing ideas on this. My sponsor and I have agreed on no binging and no compulsive over eating. The specific foods are not part of this for me and it will continue to be that way FOR ME. Other folks mileage may vary. This is not designed for "Weight loss" but rather to stop engaging in compulsive food behaviors. Part of my problem is my body is used to taking in a lot of food because it is what I have done for years...so this alone makes it hard to lose weight. OA has tools, one of them is a food plan and I will share mine with you in this blog's second post.
WHERE CAN I FIND YOUR BODY STATS, LIFTING STATS, MEASUREMENTS ETC.?
There is a link to my bodyspace profile on bodybuilding.com on the homepage. Please feel free to click and view it if you so wish. I will talk about my weight from time to time but it will not be the focus of this blog. I may also post pictures from time to time here. The bulk of this blog will be narritive documenting a journey.
SO WHAT'S THE PLAN JOE?
This blog's second post will be more specific in regards to food and exercise. The plan is to adhere to my food and exercise goals as much as possible, one day at a time, without expecting perfection. You will see a lot on this blog about 12 steps, spirituality, mindfulness, tools, friends, family, pets and emotions. They are all part of the plan too...and so are you :D
I started this blog to publically document a commitment that I have made to myself. That commitment is to get as healthy as possible over the next 356 days (you can see the countdown on the homepage). I have done a great deal of work on myself spiritually, mentally and emotionally. I have also made some improvements physically. Now, I hope to bring all four of those aspects together and focus especially on changing my relationship with food. I've probably done enough research, personal experiementation and seen enough "health and wellness" professionals to least several life times. This blog is going to document me doing what I have learned works for me. It is in no, way shape or form intended to say what is right for someone else. Why document it in a blog? Because I would love to have your support and feedback as I document my journey. I will post a blog every night unless I have absolutely no access to internet. My secondary goal for this blog is for folks to find something useful for their own lives. Therefore please help keep things positive. This is not a space to debate nutrition and fitness. I welcome raw emotions about body image, relationships withe food etc. Also we will not be arguing the validity of eating disorders vs. will power on this blog. Thank you!
WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
I'm going to give you the cliff notes here. There will be more of my story as time goes on. Long story short, I have been overweight or morbidly obese most of my life. There was a short time when I was a little kid that I was a "normal weight". So yeah...food has been my friend, crutch, addiction and self-abuse tool for many years. I'm a compulsive overeater. I used to binge a lot and didn't realize it. Then I learned about eating disorders in graduate school (I am an LMSW) and knew I had one. I've been on every single diet you could possibly imagine. I've lost and gained several hundred pounds over my 30 years on this planet. I have eaten for every possible emotion, event and circumstance that comes to mind. With that said, I have made a lot of progress over the past 2 years. I began eating disorder treatement approximately 2 years ago at 5'5" and 325lbs (not my heaviest but close). The nutritionist had me doing intuitive eating. I lost and maintained at 295. I joined Overeaters Anonymous in October of 2010. Since then I have gotten down to 275 and have generally stayed there. Maintaining is better than gaining and losing. I have also been weight lifting on and off for many years now. I have been consistent for the past year and a half. I also do different cardio-vascular activities.
WHY OVEREATER'S ANONYMOUS (OA)?
The simple answer is that I needed to find a group of people who were spiritual who could understand what the hell I was going through. OA provided me with that and the 12 steps which have brought about great spiritual and emotional healing. I've been blessed with meeting great people and finding a place that can help me stay grounded. There are tools to use there. I no longer feel isolated and different. I've learned to love myself and my body more...
I have been "abstinent" on and off in OA. Currently I am going on well over 90 days. I have it written on a calendar somewhere when I will hit my 6mo. While OA does have a specific definition on abstinence (go to www.oa.org) there are differing ideas on this. My sponsor and I have agreed on no binging and no compulsive over eating. The specific foods are not part of this for me and it will continue to be that way FOR ME. Other folks mileage may vary. This is not designed for "Weight loss" but rather to stop engaging in compulsive food behaviors. Part of my problem is my body is used to taking in a lot of food because it is what I have done for years...so this alone makes it hard to lose weight. OA has tools, one of them is a food plan and I will share mine with you in this blog's second post.
WHERE CAN I FIND YOUR BODY STATS, LIFTING STATS, MEASUREMENTS ETC.?
There is a link to my bodyspace profile on bodybuilding.com on the homepage. Please feel free to click and view it if you so wish. I will talk about my weight from time to time but it will not be the focus of this blog. I may also post pictures from time to time here. The bulk of this blog will be narritive documenting a journey.
SO WHAT'S THE PLAN JOE?
This blog's second post will be more specific in regards to food and exercise. The plan is to adhere to my food and exercise goals as much as possible, one day at a time, without expecting perfection. You will see a lot on this blog about 12 steps, spirituality, mindfulness, tools, friends, family, pets and emotions. They are all part of the plan too...and so are you :D
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