Guess what the downfall of dieting is? It's not ice cream, although that is delicious. It's not baked goods, even though I'd love to eat a cake right now. Or an entire pie. It's freaking grazing. When things are portioned, ordered, and set out for me, I eat pretty well. When I leave a bag of jellybeans sitting on the table in front of me while mindlessly watching Unique Eats on the Cooking Channel about farm to table food and restaurants, bad things happen. Like grazing.
On a side note, school is draining. Looooong Monday.
Breakfast--About a quarter of a cup of cherry vanilla granola and an apricot-almond granola bar, courtesy of Carman's brand--It's Australian!
Lunch--Chicken Teriyaki with broccoli, peppers, onions, and snap peas. Not a bad lunch! I finished it off with a cup and a half of the dark chocolate kettle corn. Wunderbar.
Snack--Snickers! Like there was any doubt.
Snack #2--Dang it...I wanted a palmful of jellybeans. Then there weren't any cherry ones, so I kept pouring, and then there was a lot of the orange ones--waaaay too many for a good balance--so by the time I was done there was probably a quarter-cup of jellybeans in my belly.
Dinner--Chipotle! Buy one get one free Chipotle! Woohoo! I had a bowl with rice, black beans, barbacoa, lettuce, corn salsa, hot salsa, and one singular cup of coke. It was nice, although I have to admit for the calories I wish I had gotten a burrito instead of the coke. Live and learn.
Not a horrid day, but not great. I need to cut down on the random mindless jellybeaning and I'm out of Snickers, so that's good. Here's to Tuesday!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Day 49--Seven Weeks, _____ Pounds.
Well I wasn't going to make it easy for you to find out was I? Got to build up the suspense, something I learned from my incredibly apathetic and potentially stoned Oscar host, James Franco. I mean seriously...he looked so bored it was hard to watch, but watch I did. I also predicted 16 of the 24 awards correctly, which isn't bad considering I actually knew three of the other winners and marked the wrong bubbles. Oh well.
Got a great compliment at church today after I taught the combined youth class. Most of our kids and adults were at SoulLink this weekend, which was an amazing weekend where God definitely made Himself known. Me, Abby, and the 10 kids who didn't/couldn't go enjoyed a bizarre lesson from Numbers, a very underused book of the Bible. While leaving, one of the women at church that helps with the youth stopped me to say A) that she enjoyed my communion thoughts from last week (Bonus!) and B) that she noticed that I had lost a lot of weight. Huzzah!
As of this morning's weigh-in, I've lost over fifteen pounds (15.4 to be exact) in seven weeks, which is pretty amazing. I lost this much weight in about four months the last time I attempted this, so the speed in which its melted off has been humbling and motivating all at the same time.
That being said, I ate relatively badly today, so the fifteen might be back on!
Breakfast--Whole wheat toast, one slice, half peach preserves and half peanut butter. It was good, filling, and most importantly small because...
Lunch--We tried a new barbecue place. It's funny, because the two food types that REALLY suck in Houston are Mexican and barbecue--two you'd think would excel here in South Texas. And you'd be wrong. We've had some of the worst barbecue and some of the worst overall mexican food I've ever endured. Needless to say, we weren't expecting great things at our stop this afternoon (that I think was actually called Brisket BBQ) but it wasn't terrible. I had sausage, ribs, fries, and green beans and then Abby had brisket, turkey, corn and potato salad. The meats weren't bad, the sides were, and the sauce was unremarkable. It was also expensive. However, you can get a massive chopped turkey sandwich (and the turkey was great) for like five bucks, so we'll be going back now that we know what to order to watch calories and our pocketbooks.
Exercise--I ran/walked for twenty minutes and lifted weights. I couldn't get my heart rate down...and yes, I know that sounds counterintuitive. Exercising is like cooking--if you want fat to melt away, you need slow, constant heat. My HR got up when I started running and due to a clogged airway (Allergies! Yay!) I couldn't breathe regularly enough to get it down. It was a decent workout, but I think I helped cardio more than fat burn, and that isn't the goal right now.
Dinner--Subway! I had the footlong turkey with bacon, lettuce, jalapenos, cucumber, green pepper, black pepper, and then instead of chips I had two cookies. I wanted the cookies!
Dessert--Half a cup of jellybeans. We had an Oscar watching party and it didn't go as planned...at all. Couldn't get the TV to work, couldn't find a live feed on the internet...debacle. Luckily we went to the Toys' apartment and watched it there, but I mindlessly ate jellybeans the whole time. Thankfully, I measured out some beforehand so I couldn't go overboard!
Tomorrow starts a four-day week, so I can gear up for the extra rest coming my way!
Got a great compliment at church today after I taught the combined youth class. Most of our kids and adults were at SoulLink this weekend, which was an amazing weekend where God definitely made Himself known. Me, Abby, and the 10 kids who didn't/couldn't go enjoyed a bizarre lesson from Numbers, a very underused book of the Bible. While leaving, one of the women at church that helps with the youth stopped me to say A) that she enjoyed my communion thoughts from last week (Bonus!) and B) that she noticed that I had lost a lot of weight. Huzzah!
As of this morning's weigh-in, I've lost over fifteen pounds (15.4 to be exact) in seven weeks, which is pretty amazing. I lost this much weight in about four months the last time I attempted this, so the speed in which its melted off has been humbling and motivating all at the same time.
That being said, I ate relatively badly today, so the fifteen might be back on!
Breakfast--Whole wheat toast, one slice, half peach preserves and half peanut butter. It was good, filling, and most importantly small because...
Lunch--We tried a new barbecue place. It's funny, because the two food types that REALLY suck in Houston are Mexican and barbecue--two you'd think would excel here in South Texas. And you'd be wrong. We've had some of the worst barbecue and some of the worst overall mexican food I've ever endured. Needless to say, we weren't expecting great things at our stop this afternoon (that I think was actually called Brisket BBQ) but it wasn't terrible. I had sausage, ribs, fries, and green beans and then Abby had brisket, turkey, corn and potato salad. The meats weren't bad, the sides were, and the sauce was unremarkable. It was also expensive. However, you can get a massive chopped turkey sandwich (and the turkey was great) for like five bucks, so we'll be going back now that we know what to order to watch calories and our pocketbooks.
Exercise--I ran/walked for twenty minutes and lifted weights. I couldn't get my heart rate down...and yes, I know that sounds counterintuitive. Exercising is like cooking--if you want fat to melt away, you need slow, constant heat. My HR got up when I started running and due to a clogged airway (Allergies! Yay!) I couldn't breathe regularly enough to get it down. It was a decent workout, but I think I helped cardio more than fat burn, and that isn't the goal right now.
Dinner--Subway! I had the footlong turkey with bacon, lettuce, jalapenos, cucumber, green pepper, black pepper, and then instead of chips I had two cookies. I wanted the cookies!
Dessert--Half a cup of jellybeans. We had an Oscar watching party and it didn't go as planned...at all. Couldn't get the TV to work, couldn't find a live feed on the internet...debacle. Luckily we went to the Toys' apartment and watched it there, but I mindlessly ate jellybeans the whole time. Thankfully, I measured out some beforehand so I couldn't go overboard!
Tomorrow starts a four-day week, so I can gear up for the extra rest coming my way!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Day 48--Sleeping in messes with my schedule...
So I slept in until 10 am. 10! It was well-needed and much enjoyed. Abby had a Practice Management meeting this morning at some gawd-awful early hour and I regained consciousness long enough to tell her bye, and that was all she wrote. I can't remember the last time I slept in that late.
However, there was a big problem with sleeping in and eating breakfast that late. Breakfast at 10, lunch at around 3, and then dinner at 7 was a big shock to the system...I feel like I ate lead today, even if it was mostly healthy.
Sleeping in also means I didn't make it to the Farmers' Market, but I did run by Central Market, which was almost as good. More strawberries, some plums, blood oranges, and then some incredible dried fruit and granola bars--wonderful shopping experience.
Breakfast--A three-egg omelette with the leftover black beans and potatoes from our taco salad the other night. It was VERY dense, and very, very good.
Lunch--I made some vegetable latkes I found in my Whole Foods Cookbook that my sister, Jenna, got me for my birthday. They had potatoes, carrots, and zucchini and then I added some cayenne because I love me some spice. They definitely should have been a bit drier--there was a step left out or an ambiguity in the recipe--but they were pretty good, especially for 150 calories per massive pancake. I also had one of my plums to add some tartness and acid to the overall meal.
Dinner--Toastwich for dinner! All natural peanut butter, peach preserves, and two slices of whole wheat toast. It's not a good sign when that's the lightest thing I ate all day.
Dessert--Remember that Easter candy? Marshmallow bunny for the win! Abby ate one of the ears though...so it wasn't the full caloric load.
Altogether not a horrid day. I should have found time to work out, but I was too busy making a Twitter account. Shows where my priorities lie eh? Church tomorrow, Oscar party tomorrow night, and hopefully some exercise and vegetables in between!
Follow me @RevJakey34 if you feel so inclined!
However, there was a big problem with sleeping in and eating breakfast that late. Breakfast at 10, lunch at around 3, and then dinner at 7 was a big shock to the system...I feel like I ate lead today, even if it was mostly healthy.
Sleeping in also means I didn't make it to the Farmers' Market, but I did run by Central Market, which was almost as good. More strawberries, some plums, blood oranges, and then some incredible dried fruit and granola bars--wonderful shopping experience.
Breakfast--A three-egg omelette with the leftover black beans and potatoes from our taco salad the other night. It was VERY dense, and very, very good.
Lunch--I made some vegetable latkes I found in my Whole Foods Cookbook that my sister, Jenna, got me for my birthday. They had potatoes, carrots, and zucchini and then I added some cayenne because I love me some spice. They definitely should have been a bit drier--there was a step left out or an ambiguity in the recipe--but they were pretty good, especially for 150 calories per massive pancake. I also had one of my plums to add some tartness and acid to the overall meal.
Dinner--Toastwich for dinner! All natural peanut butter, peach preserves, and two slices of whole wheat toast. It's not a good sign when that's the lightest thing I ate all day.
Dessert--Remember that Easter candy? Marshmallow bunny for the win! Abby ate one of the ears though...so it wasn't the full caloric load.
Altogether not a horrid day. I should have found time to work out, but I was too busy making a Twitter account. Shows where my priorities lie eh? Church tomorrow, Oscar party tomorrow night, and hopefully some exercise and vegetables in between!
Follow me @RevJakey34 if you feel so inclined!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Day 47--Weekend FTW!
Weekends are just amazing. If it wasn't for the fact that Spring Break and then summer were waiting for me juuuuuust around the corner, I might explode. But I can do this! (And I realize how pathetic this all sounds. It's been a long year.)
Breakfast--In a play on Nathan MacDonald's wafflewich of goodness, I made myself a toastwich with some all-natural peanut butter and cherry jelly on whole wheat toast. It was really really good!
Lunch--When the menu says "Fettuccine Alfredo Carbonara" you know things have gotten out of control for lunch. When it says that AND its a school lunch, you know things are just plain wrong. One student reported that it was cakey...which is not a good descriptive term for anything other than cake, and certainly not for a creamy pasta. Because I don't like cheese/cream/milk/butter/etc., lunch was out of the question to start with, but it's nice to know I made the right call. I went to the nearby WalMart and got a thing of deli meat (200 calories), some focaccia bread (it was TERRIBLE), and fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries) that I topped off with a Snickers. Satisfying, healthy, and NOT fettuccine alfredo carbonara...win/win/win.
Dinner--Whole wheat rotini pasta with zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms as well as some andouille chicken sausage. I also had a piece of naan for some added fiber and goodness, and it was all delicious. It also reminded me that I badly need to purchase some more garlic...thankfully the Farmers' Market is tomorrow!
Dessert--The last of my birthday whoopie pies with a half a cup of raspberry sorbet. Good way to end a good day.
Hopefully tomorrow I can get some good organic ingredients and we can work out some to get my metabolism back on track. The kale, broccoli, and zucchini in the fridge can't hurt either!
Breakfast--In a play on Nathan MacDonald's wafflewich of goodness, I made myself a toastwich with some all-natural peanut butter and cherry jelly on whole wheat toast. It was really really good!
Lunch--When the menu says "Fettuccine Alfredo Carbonara" you know things have gotten out of control for lunch. When it says that AND its a school lunch, you know things are just plain wrong. One student reported that it was cakey...which is not a good descriptive term for anything other than cake, and certainly not for a creamy pasta. Because I don't like cheese/cream/milk/butter/etc., lunch was out of the question to start with, but it's nice to know I made the right call. I went to the nearby WalMart and got a thing of deli meat (200 calories), some focaccia bread (it was TERRIBLE), and fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries) that I topped off with a Snickers. Satisfying, healthy, and NOT fettuccine alfredo carbonara...win/win/win.
Dinner--Whole wheat rotini pasta with zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms as well as some andouille chicken sausage. I also had a piece of naan for some added fiber and goodness, and it was all delicious. It also reminded me that I badly need to purchase some more garlic...thankfully the Farmers' Market is tomorrow!
Dessert--The last of my birthday whoopie pies with a half a cup of raspberry sorbet. Good way to end a good day.
Hopefully tomorrow I can get some good organic ingredients and we can work out some to get my metabolism back on track. The kale, broccoli, and zucchini in the fridge can't hurt either!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Day 46--Easter Candy!!
My favorite holiday for candy is Easter. Halloween is fun, Christmas is unique, and I'm a big fan of chocolate so Valentines is passable, but Easter candy is just sublime. So you can imagine my childlike joy when I walked into Randall's this afternoon to be greeted by giant pastel displays. The only problem now? ITS TWO MONTHS UNTIL EASTER. My willpower will be tested...as evidenced by the marshmallow bunny and bag of jellybeans sitting next to me on the couch.
Breakfast--My final attempt at greek yogurt ended with exactly two bites. After holding down the bile, I threw it out and got my trusted cherry Yoplait...and it was delicious. Coupled with a half cup of cherry vanilla granola, it was a stellar breakfast.
Snack--Fiber One bar. Seriously, I know I eat them a lot, but they are so good and an amazing source of fiber. Eat them...eat them now.
Lunch--Chick fila chicken sandwich and barbecue chips, courtesy of the Campus Ministry Team. Not my first choice, but substantially healthier than pizza or Popeye's fried chicken, that's for sure.
Snack--Snickers bar. I'm becoming addicted to them...not good.
Dinner--Here's where things get a bit interesting. I haven't eaten enough vegetables at all recently, so I kept thinking what I could do to increase the intake. Salad is an obvious choice, but I've had some issues with feeling full, so a salad in itself wasn't going to cut it. Abby suggested taco salad the other night, but I didn't want to spend the money on ground turkey and ground beef just isn't that good for you. So my solution was to make taco salad...but I used potatoes instead of meat. I parboiled them, then smashed and "fried" them in a skillet along with some carrot chips and then followed the instructions on the taco seasoning. Combined with some black beans that I cooked with cilantro it made for a very tasty and very filling meal...one I will certainly be repeating in the future (although without the Hot taco seasoning...that was a bit much. Sorry Abby).
Dessert--While watching Perfect Couples (if you aren't watching it, you're making a mistake with your life) I had a cup and a half of chocolate covered kettle corn--140 calories. Booyah.
Here's to Friday, and more importantly, the weekend! I miss my Farmers' Market, and can't wait to go back!
Breakfast--My final attempt at greek yogurt ended with exactly two bites. After holding down the bile, I threw it out and got my trusted cherry Yoplait...and it was delicious. Coupled with a half cup of cherry vanilla granola, it was a stellar breakfast.
Snack--Fiber One bar. Seriously, I know I eat them a lot, but they are so good and an amazing source of fiber. Eat them...eat them now.
Lunch--Chick fila chicken sandwich and barbecue chips, courtesy of the Campus Ministry Team. Not my first choice, but substantially healthier than pizza or Popeye's fried chicken, that's for sure.
Snack--Snickers bar. I'm becoming addicted to them...not good.
Dinner--Here's where things get a bit interesting. I haven't eaten enough vegetables at all recently, so I kept thinking what I could do to increase the intake. Salad is an obvious choice, but I've had some issues with feeling full, so a salad in itself wasn't going to cut it. Abby suggested taco salad the other night, but I didn't want to spend the money on ground turkey and ground beef just isn't that good for you. So my solution was to make taco salad...but I used potatoes instead of meat. I parboiled them, then smashed and "fried" them in a skillet along with some carrot chips and then followed the instructions on the taco seasoning. Combined with some black beans that I cooked with cilantro it made for a very tasty and very filling meal...one I will certainly be repeating in the future (although without the Hot taco seasoning...that was a bit much. Sorry Abby).
Dessert--While watching Perfect Couples (if you aren't watching it, you're making a mistake with your life) I had a cup and a half of chocolate covered kettle corn--140 calories. Booyah.
Here's to Friday, and more importantly, the weekend! I miss my Farmers' Market, and can't wait to go back!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Day 45--Culinary Exhaustion
I woke up this morning and I haven't been this sore in FOREVER. I'm not sure if it was the impromptu basketball session yesterday morning or working out for the first time in a good long while or my apparently terrible night of sleep, but I felt like death. It's really hard to get moving in the mornings when you're sore, and its even harder to feel good about what you're eating when you don't feel good to start with.
I guess that's a complicated way of saying this isn't a great food day, but it wasn't terrible either. It was blah, which is about how I feel.
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal with dried cherries. That's right, I was too lazy to cut up strawberries.
Snack--Candy. Not the wisest choice (or even in the top 100) but it was really good and the sugar helped give me some energy to get through my freshmen classes. They're some of my favorite lessons, but today's subject was especially brutal. Someone should have informed the biblical authors that parts of the OT are painful and boring when it comes to teaching.
Lunch--Chicken, broccoli, steamed cauliflower, snow peas, and "vegetable fried rice." I don't even know what that means...but it didn't suck. Bonus! I ended it with a Snickers, which was delicious.
Dinner--Pei Wei, but not my usual. I had a bowl of the Thai Wonton Soup as well as Chicken Lettuce Wraps. It was all amazing...hit the spot, and no dessert necessary!
Today felt like Thursday, but it was Wednesday, and tomorrow IS Thursday but at school it'll behave like a Friday. Yay for screwed up calendars and Campus Ministry meetings...
I guess that's a complicated way of saying this isn't a great food day, but it wasn't terrible either. It was blah, which is about how I feel.
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal with dried cherries. That's right, I was too lazy to cut up strawberries.
Snack--Candy. Not the wisest choice (or even in the top 100) but it was really good and the sugar helped give me some energy to get through my freshmen classes. They're some of my favorite lessons, but today's subject was especially brutal. Someone should have informed the biblical authors that parts of the OT are painful and boring when it comes to teaching.
Lunch--Chicken, broccoli, steamed cauliflower, snow peas, and "vegetable fried rice." I don't even know what that means...but it didn't suck. Bonus! I ended it with a Snickers, which was delicious.
Dinner--Pei Wei, but not my usual. I had a bowl of the Thai Wonton Soup as well as Chicken Lettuce Wraps. It was all amazing...hit the spot, and no dessert necessary!
Today felt like Thursday, but it was Wednesday, and tomorrow IS Thursday but at school it'll behave like a Friday. Yay for screwed up calendars and Campus Ministry meetings...
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Day 44--What's in a Name?
Two random non-food related thoughts for today:
1) Watch Raising Hope. If you aren't, your Tuesdays aren't complete. Trust me on this...especially if you have a psychotic relative of any age.
2) Until we are content with ourselves and happy with what we are, we will never be happy with anyone else, including God. For some reason we take our insecurities and flaws, project them on others, then get mad when God doesn't make everyone in the world "normal." As Rob Bell says in his Nooma video "Name," what exactly is normal?! We define normal for ourselves...everyone else gets their own standards. I need to be happier with Jason and therefore happier with what God has richly blessed me with.
On to the food!
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola with sliced strawberries (starting to go bad...) and cherry yogurt. It was incredibly filling, but that didn't stop me from partaking of...
Snack--About a cup of the dark chocolate drizzled kettle corn. Seriously, its addicting.
Lunch--Two peanut butter and cherry jelly sandwiches on whole wheat sandwich thins, which are only 100 calories each instead of 100 for a single slice of bread. I also had some jalapeno chips (I wanted chips okay) and then water to wash it all down. I drank a LOT of water today...almost twice as much as I usually do. I'm not sure why either, but it felt good to be so hydrated.
Snack--Snickers bar. At 280 calories its a bit much, but the peanuts help fill me up.
Exercise--I ran for 15 minutes and then tried to lift weights, but the stupid machines were broken. Yay for Remington Park...
Dinner--Breakfast sandwiches. Three scrambled eggs, about a slice of bacon, and then three more of the sandwich thins. They were delicious and filling. I also attempted greek yogurt again, this time Chobani, and it was...eh. I've got a couple more because they were on sale and I'll probably eat them with granola, but I'm still not a fan. Too much...twang. I still like my Yoplait.
Dessert--Whole wheat toast with Nutella and strawberries. Just as good as it sounds!
My weight is still dropping, although I can't tell if its dehydration from my cold medication or actual weight loss. Exercising again will help, but as of this morning I'm down almost 15 pounds in less than two months and I've exercised like 10 times total. If I can ramp that up, who knows what I can do!
1) Watch Raising Hope. If you aren't, your Tuesdays aren't complete. Trust me on this...especially if you have a psychotic relative of any age.
2) Until we are content with ourselves and happy with what we are, we will never be happy with anyone else, including God. For some reason we take our insecurities and flaws, project them on others, then get mad when God doesn't make everyone in the world "normal." As Rob Bell says in his Nooma video "Name," what exactly is normal?! We define normal for ourselves...everyone else gets their own standards. I need to be happier with Jason and therefore happier with what God has richly blessed me with.
On to the food!
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola with sliced strawberries (starting to go bad...) and cherry yogurt. It was incredibly filling, but that didn't stop me from partaking of...
Snack--About a cup of the dark chocolate drizzled kettle corn. Seriously, its addicting.
Lunch--Two peanut butter and cherry jelly sandwiches on whole wheat sandwich thins, which are only 100 calories each instead of 100 for a single slice of bread. I also had some jalapeno chips (I wanted chips okay) and then water to wash it all down. I drank a LOT of water today...almost twice as much as I usually do. I'm not sure why either, but it felt good to be so hydrated.
Snack--Snickers bar. At 280 calories its a bit much, but the peanuts help fill me up.
Exercise--I ran for 15 minutes and then tried to lift weights, but the stupid machines were broken. Yay for Remington Park...
Dinner--Breakfast sandwiches. Three scrambled eggs, about a slice of bacon, and then three more of the sandwich thins. They were delicious and filling. I also attempted greek yogurt again, this time Chobani, and it was...eh. I've got a couple more because they were on sale and I'll probably eat them with granola, but I'm still not a fan. Too much...twang. I still like my Yoplait.
Dessert--Whole wheat toast with Nutella and strawberries. Just as good as it sounds!
My weight is still dropping, although I can't tell if its dehydration from my cold medication or actual weight loss. Exercising again will help, but as of this morning I'm down almost 15 pounds in less than two months and I've exercised like 10 times total. If I can ramp that up, who knows what I can do!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Day 43--BT!
Another Monday, another week of school, another horrendous week of lunch. Yay for that...
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with sliced strawberries. The strawberries did something to the consistency of the oatmeal...waaaaay too runny for my tastes. Gotta work on that in the morning.
Lunch--A Fiber One bar and an ounce of dark chocolate with a tablespoon of peanut butter. May sound like a weird lunch, and honestly it is, but I needed some sugar to get me through the day as well as some fiber to try to reset my system. Mission accomplished on both fronts.
Dinner--Whole wheat angel hair pasta with mushrooms, edamame, and some chopped up bacon. It not only helped clean out the fridge, it was incredibly delicious. I'm not entirely sure how healthy it was, but I'm also pretty sure I don't care.
Dessert--A mango. I LOVE fresh mango, and this one was super ripe and definitely hit the spot. It makes me wish I had bought more than two.
Tomorrow we begin the peanut butter and jelly crusades at school as I start making my own lunch to counteract the weirdness of our menu. Wish me luck and smaller weigh-ins!
Breakfast--Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with sliced strawberries. The strawberries did something to the consistency of the oatmeal...waaaaay too runny for my tastes. Gotta work on that in the morning.
Lunch--A Fiber One bar and an ounce of dark chocolate with a tablespoon of peanut butter. May sound like a weird lunch, and honestly it is, but I needed some sugar to get me through the day as well as some fiber to try to reset my system. Mission accomplished on both fronts.
Dinner--Whole wheat angel hair pasta with mushrooms, edamame, and some chopped up bacon. It not only helped clean out the fridge, it was incredibly delicious. I'm not entirely sure how healthy it was, but I'm also pretty sure I don't care.
Dessert--A mango. I LOVE fresh mango, and this one was super ripe and definitely hit the spot. It makes me wish I had bought more than two.
Tomorrow we begin the peanut butter and jelly crusades at school as I start making my own lunch to counteract the weirdness of our menu. Wish me luck and smaller weigh-ins!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Day 42--Answer to the Ultimate Question
If you don't get the title, either you aren't cool or I'm not cool. Guess which one is more likely?
The day after was not nearly as good as the actual birthday. 26 isn't a crushing number, but it definitely feels a bit strange...I'm on the downward slope to 30. Weirdness.
Some good news though! For the last two years I've been stubbornly holding on to pairs of 36x34 dress pants--a size I haven't been able to wear since my senior year of college--because I spent money on them and I didn't want to waste it. Well, today I got bored and tried a pair on...and they fit! Wonderfully! I lost a pant size!!
Unfortunately, my terrible eating habits of the celebratory weekend leaked into today as well. If I don't get back on the horse tomorrow, all may be lost.
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola with fresh sliced strawberries. It was incredible!
Lunch--Tortilla soup at Gringo's. Usually, the service is good and the food is excellent. Today, the food was excellent and the service was, well, awful. I'm not sure what happened, but it was bizarre all the way around.
Dinner--Pizza at Life Groups. I'm just going to say it--Domino's pizza is disgusting. If you like it, you have awful taste in food. I haven't had a good piece of Domino's since they sold it at my high school in 10th grade, and I'm sure that was crap too, but it was better than our normal lunch. Just nauseating. I had part of three pieces (and by part I mean the pepperoni and the ends of the crust) and then a cupcake that Amy Miller made with thin mints and mint icing.
More lunch disasters this week and I'll get to flex my creative muscles to overcome it. We also found chocolate drizzled kettle corn...its fantastic and not a caloric bomb. Success!
The day after was not nearly as good as the actual birthday. 26 isn't a crushing number, but it definitely feels a bit strange...I'm on the downward slope to 30. Weirdness.
Some good news though! For the last two years I've been stubbornly holding on to pairs of 36x34 dress pants--a size I haven't been able to wear since my senior year of college--because I spent money on them and I didn't want to waste it. Well, today I got bored and tried a pair on...and they fit! Wonderfully! I lost a pant size!!
Unfortunately, my terrible eating habits of the celebratory weekend leaked into today as well. If I don't get back on the horse tomorrow, all may be lost.
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola with fresh sliced strawberries. It was incredible!
Lunch--Tortilla soup at Gringo's. Usually, the service is good and the food is excellent. Today, the food was excellent and the service was, well, awful. I'm not sure what happened, but it was bizarre all the way around.
Dinner--Pizza at Life Groups. I'm just going to say it--Domino's pizza is disgusting. If you like it, you have awful taste in food. I haven't had a good piece of Domino's since they sold it at my high school in 10th grade, and I'm sure that was crap too, but it was better than our normal lunch. Just nauseating. I had part of three pieces (and by part I mean the pepperoni and the ends of the crust) and then a cupcake that Amy Miller made with thin mints and mint icing.
More lunch disasters this week and I'll get to flex my creative muscles to overcome it. We also found chocolate drizzled kettle corn...its fantastic and not a caloric bomb. Success!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Day 41--Diary of an Old White Teacher
Okay...so I'm not really old. But I'm older today than I was yesterday! Today was an excellent 26th birthday...the best one I've ever had, as 26th birthdays go. Probably the best one I ever will have, too. Lots of quality food, lots of quality time with family, and lots of well-wishing from good friends and family.
Breakfast--Fusion Taco baby! I LOVE Fusion Taco...although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I usually get the pita instead of the taco. Mine today had chorizo, sauteed peppers and onions (I believe its a poblano pepper), and roasted potatoes on top of the greatest pita bread I've ever had. I know my friends that have spent time in the Middle East will probably find fault, but for what I know, it's heavenly.
Snack--Greek yogurt. I have to admit (again...full disclosure) that it really sucked. I learned that the yogurt I've been eating is apparently "bad" for me (according to the guys at Men's Health) due to the high sugar content or some such rubbish. I'll take the extra sugar grams for actual taste, thank you very much.
Lunch--Chipotle! (This day is EXCELLENT food-wise...wait until dinner.) I had my usual--a bowl, with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fajita veggies, barbacoa, hot salsa, corn salsa, and lettuce. I also had, for the first time in two months, a Coca-Cola. It definitely made the meal, even with the unnecessary addition of calories. I missed it, even if I do like tea and water and all that fun stuff.
Dinner--I went to Central Market which, coupled with my Farmers' Market trip earlier today, led to this doozy of a meal: Scallops, seared in bacon drippings, with roasted broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes with jalapeno-bacon bits. I got some pork belly from the Farmers' Market and diced it up with a diced jalapeno, and then crumbled the whole mess on the mashed sweet potatoes. It was incredible, even if I'm biased because I made it all from scratch.
Dessert--I also got a TON of fresh strawberries from the Farmers' Market, so I sliced 3-4 up with some sugar, macerated them, then had one of the whoopie pies on top. An absolutely fantastic ending to an absolutely fantastic day of eating, even if my waistline will suffer for it tomorrow.
I can't think of a better day, regardless of the celebration, and I'm very glad I got to share it with my beautiful wife and her family. Thanks for everyone who reads this and who thought about me today--you're the best gift I could ask for!
Breakfast--Fusion Taco baby! I LOVE Fusion Taco...although, in the spirit of full disclosure, I usually get the pita instead of the taco. Mine today had chorizo, sauteed peppers and onions (I believe its a poblano pepper), and roasted potatoes on top of the greatest pita bread I've ever had. I know my friends that have spent time in the Middle East will probably find fault, but for what I know, it's heavenly.
Snack--Greek yogurt. I have to admit (again...full disclosure) that it really sucked. I learned that the yogurt I've been eating is apparently "bad" for me (according to the guys at Men's Health) due to the high sugar content or some such rubbish. I'll take the extra sugar grams for actual taste, thank you very much.
Lunch--Chipotle! (This day is EXCELLENT food-wise...wait until dinner.) I had my usual--a bowl, with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fajita veggies, barbacoa, hot salsa, corn salsa, and lettuce. I also had, for the first time in two months, a Coca-Cola. It definitely made the meal, even with the unnecessary addition of calories. I missed it, even if I do like tea and water and all that fun stuff.
Dinner--I went to Central Market which, coupled with my Farmers' Market trip earlier today, led to this doozy of a meal: Scallops, seared in bacon drippings, with roasted broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes with jalapeno-bacon bits. I got some pork belly from the Farmers' Market and diced it up with a diced jalapeno, and then crumbled the whole mess on the mashed sweet potatoes. It was incredible, even if I'm biased because I made it all from scratch.
Dessert--I also got a TON of fresh strawberries from the Farmers' Market, so I sliced 3-4 up with some sugar, macerated them, then had one of the whoopie pies on top. An absolutely fantastic ending to an absolutely fantastic day of eating, even if my waistline will suffer for it tomorrow.
I can't think of a better day, regardless of the celebration, and I'm very glad I got to share it with my beautiful wife and her family. Thanks for everyone who reads this and who thought about me today--you're the best gift I could ask for!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Day 40--Birthday Party!
I will readily admit that today's post, as well as tomorrow's, isn't going to be very, um, healthy. I turn the big 26 on the 19th, and I'll be celebrating the best way I know how: with good food. I'm going to be partaking of some quality grub tomorrow, made by my own hands, and I'm pretty pumped. Doesn't mean its going to be good for the waistline though.
Breakfast--1/2 cup of Cherry Vanilla granola with some dried cherries. I also had 4-5 small powdered donuts...because my birthday is tomorrow, I decided class today would be pretty laid back. I got donuts for my first period and Jolly Ranchers for the rest of the day...unfortunately, the kids didn't eat all the donuts, so I helped clean up the rest. Not so good.
Lunch--My beautiful wife brought me Chick fila for my birthday! Spicy chicken sandwich and fries, no lemonade to cut down on calories, and it was absolutely amazing. Best lunch all week!
Dinner--China Stix! This is probably my favorite restaurant in Houston, but Abby doesn't like it and has terrible luck every time we go. I had some pork dumplings, along with a chicken and vegetable rice bowl. I wish it was with brown rice, but this thing is so authentic, its not even an option. It was as good as I remembered...which is pretty darn good.
Dessert--I bought some mini whoopie pies to celebrate, so I had a couple (only 350 calories for both) with half a cup of raspeberry sorbet (only 150 calories). It was a lot of sugar, but for splurging it wasn't too bad.
Tomorrow I have a Dr. Pepper cooling down in the fridge...it will have been almost two months. I miss my carbonated friend. Happy Birthday to me!
Breakfast--1/2 cup of Cherry Vanilla granola with some dried cherries. I also had 4-5 small powdered donuts...because my birthday is tomorrow, I decided class today would be pretty laid back. I got donuts for my first period and Jolly Ranchers for the rest of the day...unfortunately, the kids didn't eat all the donuts, so I helped clean up the rest. Not so good.
Lunch--My beautiful wife brought me Chick fila for my birthday! Spicy chicken sandwich and fries, no lemonade to cut down on calories, and it was absolutely amazing. Best lunch all week!
Dinner--China Stix! This is probably my favorite restaurant in Houston, but Abby doesn't like it and has terrible luck every time we go. I had some pork dumplings, along with a chicken and vegetable rice bowl. I wish it was with brown rice, but this thing is so authentic, its not even an option. It was as good as I remembered...which is pretty darn good.
Dessert--I bought some mini whoopie pies to celebrate, so I had a couple (only 350 calories for both) with half a cup of raspeberry sorbet (only 150 calories). It was a lot of sugar, but for splurging it wasn't too bad.
Tomorrow I have a Dr. Pepper cooling down in the fridge...it will have been almost two months. I miss my carbonated friend. Happy Birthday to me!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Day 39--Falling Off the Horse
Warning: This was NOT a good food day. Or a good health day. Or a good teaching day. Really, I'm just going to go to sleep and act like Thursday never happened. Bleh.
Breakfast--Cherry yogurt. Yep. That's it. I ran so late today, I had time for yogurt. I suck.
Lunch--Chicken patty sandwich, which may or may not have actually been made of chicken, half a baked potato and some asparagus. The kicker comes that while talking to friends at lunch, I somehow ate FOUR chocolate chip cookies. Mindless eating is the devil.
Dinner--Jimmy Johns. Due to science olympiad practice, I didn't get home until 5:30, so no snack. Sandwiches sounded good, so I went with my usual along with some Food Should Taste Good jalapeno chips. I'm very stuffed...no dessert needed.
Short entry for a blah day. On a happier note, I was down below 234 this morning, so I'm approaching 15 pounds lost. I'm sure I did extreme damage today, but oh well...I'll try again tomorrow.
Breakfast--Cherry yogurt. Yep. That's it. I ran so late today, I had time for yogurt. I suck.
Lunch--Chicken patty sandwich, which may or may not have actually been made of chicken, half a baked potato and some asparagus. The kicker comes that while talking to friends at lunch, I somehow ate FOUR chocolate chip cookies. Mindless eating is the devil.
Dinner--Jimmy Johns. Due to science olympiad practice, I didn't get home until 5:30, so no snack. Sandwiches sounded good, so I went with my usual along with some Food Should Taste Good jalapeno chips. I'm very stuffed...no dessert needed.
Short entry for a blah day. On a happier note, I was down below 234 this morning, so I'm approaching 15 pounds lost. I'm sure I did extreme damage today, but oh well...I'll try again tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Day 38--I'm Not Getting Better...
I woke up this morning feeling like I had swallowed cotton balls. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't swallow, I could barely open my eyes--I was completely dried out. Stupid Houston weather. Thankfully, a shower and some hydration got me functioning enough to get to school, but I felt kinda icky all day. I hope I'm over it...and that I don't get the flu that is being passed around. Had more students and teachers out today!
Breakfast--Caught in the midst of my dryness attack, I ran out of time to make it to school reasonably early, so I went with cherry pomegranate yogurt and apple slices for breakfast. Sadly, not the weirdest meal I had all day.
Lunch--I'm not even sure what the lunch at school was today...I just know that I didn't feel like going down there just to be disappoint/eat peanut butter again. Lunch consisted of a Fiber One bar, some craisins, and 2 cups of kettle corn. Not the healthiest choice.
Dinner--I made some asian chicken stock (shout out to my sister, Jenna...she gave me an amazing Whole Foods Cookbook that gave me the idea/recipe) and then added chicken, asparagus, and broccoli to the soup. I topped mine with bean sprouts and edamame, and it was incredible. One bowl and I was stuffed, even with my sketchy eating habits today.
I really want to get healthy enough to work out again, but I don't know when that will happen. One of my students, Miriam, is going to make me cupcakes for my birthday on Friday, so whatever happens I know I'm going to have a calorie bomb then. And it will be totally worth it!
Breakfast--Caught in the midst of my dryness attack, I ran out of time to make it to school reasonably early, so I went with cherry pomegranate yogurt and apple slices for breakfast. Sadly, not the weirdest meal I had all day.
Lunch--I'm not even sure what the lunch at school was today...I just know that I didn't feel like going down there just to be disappoint/eat peanut butter again. Lunch consisted of a Fiber One bar, some craisins, and 2 cups of kettle corn. Not the healthiest choice.
Dinner--I made some asian chicken stock (shout out to my sister, Jenna...she gave me an amazing Whole Foods Cookbook that gave me the idea/recipe) and then added chicken, asparagus, and broccoli to the soup. I topped mine with bean sprouts and edamame, and it was incredible. One bowl and I was stuffed, even with my sketchy eating habits today.
I really want to get healthy enough to work out again, but I don't know when that will happen. One of my students, Miriam, is going to make me cupcakes for my birthday on Friday, so whatever happens I know I'm going to have a calorie bomb then. And it will be totally worth it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Day 37--The Letdown
With all of the pomp and circumstance of yesterday, today was a definite bummer at school. Everyone was back in normal clothes, no balloons, no candy, and to top it off, the flu is claiming victims left and right. Pray for my health...I don't need another bad illness!
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal with dried cherries and cherry yogurt. It was incredibly filling, even though I ate...
Snack--...A Fiber One bar. I wanted some sweetness and knew that lunch wasn't going to be great. Chapel today reminded me how lucky I am to even have food, but for the purposes of this blog, nutrition and eating right will take priority over my sense of blessedness. If that makes me sound ungrateful, I apologize--I really am grateful for all God has blessed me with, especially food-wise--but that just isn't the point of these posts.
Lunch--Peanut butter sandwich, about 200 calories worth of sweet potato corn chips, and a banana. It was a solid, if boring, lunch.
Dinner--We went to Whole Foods tonight to get some stuff for Abby's lunches as well as stock up on more naan, and so we decided to hit up the salad bar while there. I had some greens with green onions, mushrooms, cucumbers, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds, grated butternut squash, and a small portion of balsamic dressing. That, combined with a small (3x3 inch) poppy seed ciabatta loaf was less than five dollars. Score! It was also delicious, so double score! We'll definitely be doing that again, and hopefully soon.
No dessert, because I'm still a bit stopped up and sick, so I'm full from dinner. As we approach my birthday though, sweets will be incredibly tempting...and Dr. Pepper returns from hiatus on Saturday!
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal with dried cherries and cherry yogurt. It was incredibly filling, even though I ate...
Snack--...A Fiber One bar. I wanted some sweetness and knew that lunch wasn't going to be great. Chapel today reminded me how lucky I am to even have food, but for the purposes of this blog, nutrition and eating right will take priority over my sense of blessedness. If that makes me sound ungrateful, I apologize--I really am grateful for all God has blessed me with, especially food-wise--but that just isn't the point of these posts.
Lunch--Peanut butter sandwich, about 200 calories worth of sweet potato corn chips, and a banana. It was a solid, if boring, lunch.
Dinner--We went to Whole Foods tonight to get some stuff for Abby's lunches as well as stock up on more naan, and so we decided to hit up the salad bar while there. I had some greens with green onions, mushrooms, cucumbers, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds, grated butternut squash, and a small portion of balsamic dressing. That, combined with a small (3x3 inch) poppy seed ciabatta loaf was less than five dollars. Score! It was also delicious, so double score! We'll definitely be doing that again, and hopefully soon.
No dessert, because I'm still a bit stopped up and sick, so I'm full from dinner. As we approach my birthday though, sweets will be incredibly tempting...and Dr. Pepper returns from hiatus on Saturday!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Day 36--Valentines Day Edition
Well...I'm not better yet. The antibiotics are working, I think, but there's still some gunk in there and I'm still incredibly foggy most of the day. My students were completely brain dead today, and it didn't help that we did Romans 9 in my Acts class. Check it out sometime...its pretty dense.
Our Valentines Day was exceptionally lame--Abby is still studying for Boards/tests and I'm still under the weather, so we stayed in tonight and I watched all my DVR cooking shows from while we were gone. Amazingly, around this most auspicious of holidays, EVERYTHING was about chocolate. I can look, but I won't touch!
Breakfast--I was as out of it as you could possibly be this morning (and showed up to school ten minutes late...) so I went with the cherry vanilla granola, half a cup, and some dried cherries on top. I needed fast, and it obliged.
Snack--Fiber One bar around 9:30. I know the usual time is around 10 or 10:30, and that might even be the recommended time, but I'm in the middle of class then so I go earlier.
Lunch--Peanut butter sandwich and a banana. It was filling and honestly, I need some sweetness to help stem the tide of candy and whatnot that could come my way.
Dinner--Ah yes...dinner. I made panko-crusted oven fried chicken, oven fried potatoes, and peas. For the usual southern meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and peas, this was a pretty healthy and delicious alternative. I added barbecue rub and salt to the flour before I breaded and dunked, and it added just enough flavor to make them very good.
Dessert--Yep...no dessert! I'm full enough from dinner that I don't need sweets, as tempting as they might be. Score.
I'm thin enough my pants don't fit right anymore...and it feels great, even if it might hit me in the wallet when I need to reload my wardrobe. Completely worth it!
Our Valentines Day was exceptionally lame--Abby is still studying for Boards/tests and I'm still under the weather, so we stayed in tonight and I watched all my DVR cooking shows from while we were gone. Amazingly, around this most auspicious of holidays, EVERYTHING was about chocolate. I can look, but I won't touch!
Breakfast--I was as out of it as you could possibly be this morning (and showed up to school ten minutes late...) so I went with the cherry vanilla granola, half a cup, and some dried cherries on top. I needed fast, and it obliged.
Snack--Fiber One bar around 9:30. I know the usual time is around 10 or 10:30, and that might even be the recommended time, but I'm in the middle of class then so I go earlier.
Lunch--Peanut butter sandwich and a banana. It was filling and honestly, I need some sweetness to help stem the tide of candy and whatnot that could come my way.
Dinner--Ah yes...dinner. I made panko-crusted oven fried chicken, oven fried potatoes, and peas. For the usual southern meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and peas, this was a pretty healthy and delicious alternative. I added barbecue rub and salt to the flour before I breaded and dunked, and it added just enough flavor to make them very good.
Dessert--Yep...no dessert! I'm full enough from dinner that I don't need sweets, as tempting as they might be. Score.
I'm thin enough my pants don't fit right anymore...and it feels great, even if it might hit me in the wallet when I need to reload my wardrobe. Completely worth it!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Day 35--Home Again, Home Again
We returned home from Plano tonight, and I must admit, it was a great weekend. Got to see some old friends, got to see some new family, and most of all, got to see my sister gloriously happy with her future life. Between the laughs, the friends, and the food, it was all enough to almost make me forget that I'm still sick.
Almost.
Breakfast--Mom made bacon, biscuits, and eggs (like I said...home rocks) and I added an apple to make myself feel better. All in all, I had two small (like 1.5 inch diameter) biscuits and a piece and a half of bacon to go with two scrambled eggs and my apple. I did well.
Lunch--After church (home!) we went to Rockfish Cafe, where I indulged in some sweet peach tea (the best tea EVER) with blackened mahi-mahi, seasoned rice that I ate half of, fries I ate all of, and mixed vegetables that were limp and flavorless at best. However, the fries and mahi were EXCELLENT.
Dinner--Bowl of chocolate cheerios and blueberries. We thought we were in a rush for our plane, and it turns out it was delayed half an hour so we had plenty of time. Oh well. While waiting, we ran into our good friend Emily Holloman and got to have a great talk with her that we wouldn't have had if we were on time. God's little common graces!
Back to the grind tomorrow...here's to antibiotics and sleep!
Almost.
Breakfast--Mom made bacon, biscuits, and eggs (like I said...home rocks) and I added an apple to make myself feel better. All in all, I had two small (like 1.5 inch diameter) biscuits and a piece and a half of bacon to go with two scrambled eggs and my apple. I did well.
Lunch--After church (home!) we went to Rockfish Cafe, where I indulged in some sweet peach tea (the best tea EVER) with blackened mahi-mahi, seasoned rice that I ate half of, fries I ate all of, and mixed vegetables that were limp and flavorless at best. However, the fries and mahi were EXCELLENT.
Dinner--Bowl of chocolate cheerios and blueberries. We thought we were in a rush for our plane, and it turns out it was delayed half an hour so we had plenty of time. Oh well. While waiting, we ran into our good friend Emily Holloman and got to have a great talk with her that we wouldn't have had if we were on time. God's little common graces!
Back to the grind tomorrow...here's to antibiotics and sleep!
Day 34--Plano!
We got up early Saturday morning so that we could catch a flight to Dallas for my sister's wedding shower. I will not be in attendance (I've paid my dues there) but since Abby is a bridesmaid, she decided she should go. I'll get to hang out with my dad, so its going to be a good weekend all-around. I still have my sinus infection, although I feel much better today than I did yesterday. My sense of taste is also returning...bonus!
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal with dried cherries. We were in a hurry, and it was early for a Saturday.
Snack--3/4 cup Chocolate Cheerios. Those things are GOOD and its only 100 calories for the 3/4 cup! Winner!
Lunch--Chick fila, a favorite of my parents and my wife. Spicy chicken sandwich, large fruit cup, and water.
Snack--I tried to find Nutella--which we have, but I couldn't locate it--but resorted to more Cheerios. Like I said...good stuff.
Dinner--Roast, potatoes, and carrots with green beans and salad with homemade cherry balsamic dressing. I miss my mother's cooking...she's much better than me.
Dessert--We celebrated my birthday last night, so my mom made a chocolate meringue pie. I had a very small piece and only ate half of it (I was honestly still stuffed from dinner and still stuffy from the sinus stuff) but it was an incredible pie. The presents were pretty good too!
All in all, I feel better, but not working out and having junk consistently draining down my throat has made eating a chore and I feel like I'm gaining weight. I hope I heal quickly so I can get back on the horse and keep losing weight!
Breakfast--Cinnamon swirl oatmeal with dried cherries. We were in a hurry, and it was early for a Saturday.
Snack--3/4 cup Chocolate Cheerios. Those things are GOOD and its only 100 calories for the 3/4 cup! Winner!
Lunch--Chick fila, a favorite of my parents and my wife. Spicy chicken sandwich, large fruit cup, and water.
Snack--I tried to find Nutella--which we have, but I couldn't locate it--but resorted to more Cheerios. Like I said...good stuff.
Dinner--Roast, potatoes, and carrots with green beans and salad with homemade cherry balsamic dressing. I miss my mother's cooking...she's much better than me.
Dessert--We celebrated my birthday last night, so my mom made a chocolate meringue pie. I had a very small piece and only ate half of it (I was honestly still stuffed from dinner and still stuffy from the sinus stuff) but it was an incredible pie. The presents were pretty good too!
All in all, I feel better, but not working out and having junk consistently draining down my throat has made eating a chore and I feel like I'm gaining weight. I hope I heal quickly so I can get back on the horse and keep losing weight!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Day 33--Houston Killed My Immune System
When growing up, I NEVER got sick. If I did, it was usually a massive undertaking (chicken pox, flu, etc). For some reason, since moving to Houston, I get sick every two months now. I've been to the ER once in my life (stitches) and yet I got a kidney stone--in Houston. Sinus infections would hit me once a year in Abilene, and yet I think I'm on number three this year--in Houston. I feel like I have an air pump filling my head up like a balloon...this place might kill me, but its definitely killing my ability to eat healthy.
Breakfast--This would be the last time I felt good today, and I use the word "good" loosely. I had Cherry vanilla granola and cherry pomegranate yogurt. It seemed easier than messing with oatmeal or anything else in my weakened state.
Snack--Fiber One bar. Something with a little taste was important...my taste buds are slowly dying.
Lunch--I had planned on Red Bean Soup, except it wasn't what it usually is (again, NO CONSISTENCY) so I had tuna on salad again. Chef Tony, to his credit, made the teachers cupcakes for Valentines' Day, and since I felt like death, I indulged. I ended up satisfying my chocolate craving, just not in the way I expected.
Dinner--After a much needed nap to try to recover a bit, my beautiful wife went to get me Pei Wei. I needed something with flavor to fight through the fog, so I went for the Mandarin Kung Pao vegetables again. I could taste them (bonus) and it was filling enough that hopefully I won't need any sugar before bed.
We head to Plano tomorrow for Jenna's wedding shower, so updates might be a little bit scattered. For my loyal reader(s), I promise I'll make it up if there are lapses!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Day 32--Teddy Roosevelt?
Today's chapel (yep...chapel) featured none other than Theodore Roosevelt. Or an impersonator at least. Funny thing is, the man was actually really good. It was interesting, funny, referenced God numerous times...I approved. For some reason, we can't find anywhere but church, and yet He is all around...even in a RoughRiding president.
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola. I missed it. I also had cherry yogurt to complete the cherry-ness. I love cherries.
Mid-morning snack--Fiber One bar. I overate today. Advanced warning.
Lunch--We had a surprise (to me at least) campus ministry meeting today, so the fact I brought my lunch was kind of negated. I had quinoa with dried pomegranate craisins, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. I also had two pieces of pizza. At least I didn't get cookies...
Snack--Apples and caramel. Abby got home late, so I needed something to tide me over until dinner. It did the trick.
Dinner--Penne pasta with broccolini, zucchini, onion, yellow bell pepper and some garlic. It was incredible, and very colorful.
Dessert--I gave into my chocolate cravings. As I'm writing, there are flourless chocolate cookies baking in the oven. Now, I tinker with the recipe, messed with proportions, and I'm cooking them like cupcakes instead of cookies, so there's a good chance it won't matter and I won't get to taste them at all...but I gave in nonetheless.
It was a solid day...exercise tomorrow and some more controlled proportions and I should be back on track!
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola. I missed it. I also had cherry yogurt to complete the cherry-ness. I love cherries.
Mid-morning snack--Fiber One bar. I overate today. Advanced warning.
Lunch--We had a surprise (to me at least) campus ministry meeting today, so the fact I brought my lunch was kind of negated. I had quinoa with dried pomegranate craisins, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. I also had two pieces of pizza. At least I didn't get cookies...
Snack--Apples and caramel. Abby got home late, so I needed something to tide me over until dinner. It did the trick.
Dinner--Penne pasta with broccolini, zucchini, onion, yellow bell pepper and some garlic. It was incredible, and very colorful.
Dessert--I gave into my chocolate cravings. As I'm writing, there are flourless chocolate cookies baking in the oven. Now, I tinker with the recipe, messed with proportions, and I'm cooking them like cupcakes instead of cookies, so there's a good chance it won't matter and I won't get to taste them at all...but I gave in nonetheless.
It was a solid day...exercise tomorrow and some more controlled proportions and I should be back on track!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Day 31--A Month of Less Me
Well, the good news is that the weather is cool. I love me some cool weather. However, the bad news is that Houston drivers SUCK and no one can seem to handle the cold.
So...yippee for that.
I had a revelation today regarding my faith: Christianity makes WAY more sense in context. By that I mean, pulling the gospel out of the entire faith story (Genesis-Revelation and beyond) loses some of the meaning and impact. Studying David outside of the history of Israel makes about as much sense as studying one president and assuming you know everything about America. God is the god of eternity...not just our lives, and not just one era.
It also means a lot to me for my struggle to lose weight. Some days I just don't feel it...some days I just want chocolate. Lots and lots of gooey chocolate. And its really easy to get down on myself on those days because I feel weak, I feel unmotivated, and I feel like within a week I'll undo everything I've worked so hard for over the last month. But its a marathon, just like our faith. God made the world however-many years ago for Abraham, for David, for Paul, and for me. He probably made it for my kids, and my kids' kids, and so on. His Kingdom is a marathon...we just get to enjoy it while we're here.
Breakfast--High Fiber Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with dried cherries. Delicious!
Snack--Fiber One bar. Again, I'm craving the sweet stuff, so I went with that as opposed to something else. It did the trick quite nicely.
Lunch--Thai chile tuna on a bed of lettuce with carrots, cucumbers, and some crackers. It really hit the spot...just spicy and filling enough to satisfy without being a health disaster.
Dinner--Chick fila spicy chicken sandwich, roasted edamame, and an apple. The SCS was less than 500 calories, as is every entree at Chick fila, and then the edamame and apple seemed like a better alternative than fries. Although, I did have one of Abby's fries...they are really good.
Exercise--Fifteen minutes on the treadmill and some weights. My arms are starting to feel overworked...I think I need variety in my workouts. Suggestions?
Dessert--Cherry pomegranate yogurt before I hit the hay. I can withhold the chocolate cravings for one more day.
So...yippee for that.
I had a revelation today regarding my faith: Christianity makes WAY more sense in context. By that I mean, pulling the gospel out of the entire faith story (Genesis-Revelation and beyond) loses some of the meaning and impact. Studying David outside of the history of Israel makes about as much sense as studying one president and assuming you know everything about America. God is the god of eternity...not just our lives, and not just one era.
It also means a lot to me for my struggle to lose weight. Some days I just don't feel it...some days I just want chocolate. Lots and lots of gooey chocolate. And its really easy to get down on myself on those days because I feel weak, I feel unmotivated, and I feel like within a week I'll undo everything I've worked so hard for over the last month. But its a marathon, just like our faith. God made the world however-many years ago for Abraham, for David, for Paul, and for me. He probably made it for my kids, and my kids' kids, and so on. His Kingdom is a marathon...we just get to enjoy it while we're here.
Breakfast--High Fiber Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal with dried cherries. Delicious!
Snack--Fiber One bar. Again, I'm craving the sweet stuff, so I went with that as opposed to something else. It did the trick quite nicely.
Lunch--Thai chile tuna on a bed of lettuce with carrots, cucumbers, and some crackers. It really hit the spot...just spicy and filling enough to satisfy without being a health disaster.
Dinner--Chick fila spicy chicken sandwich, roasted edamame, and an apple. The SCS was less than 500 calories, as is every entree at Chick fila, and then the edamame and apple seemed like a better alternative than fries. Although, I did have one of Abby's fries...they are really good.
Exercise--Fifteen minutes on the treadmill and some weights. My arms are starting to feel overworked...I think I need variety in my workouts. Suggestions?
Dessert--Cherry pomegranate yogurt before I hit the hay. I can withhold the chocolate cravings for one more day.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Day 30--Longest. Day. Ever.
Today started oddly, at least for anyone who has ever known me. It was a very solid day, just...different.
Exercise--That's right; we're starting with exercise. Due to the food fiasco of yesterday, I just didn't feel good. So Abby and I got up at 5 am, trekked to the exercise facility, and went through a quick workout before school. Not a bad way to start/won't be happening often, if ever again.
Breakfast--Two scones and cherry pomegranate yogurt. It was an excellent way to refuel.
Snack--Cherry almond granola. I needed something sweet to munch on during the morning, since my clock was so screwed up, and the granola did the trick. It's good stuff...find it at Whole Foods.
Lunch--So apparently SAGE is just off a day. The soup I planned on eating yesterday appeared on the menu today, so I had two bowls of potato kale soup. It was actually very good and filling...as it should have been YESTERDAY.
Dinner--Beck's Prime. That place is officially TERRIBLE. We will not be going back...ever. I got a coupon in my email celebrating my birthday: buy one sandwich, get one free. Therefore we paid for one chicken sandwich, one order of fries, and two drinks...twenty dollars. It would have been thirty without the coupon. And the portions are waaaay too small for that price, the management has attitude...forget you Becks. I can get better food at cheaper prices pretty much anywhere. You lost our business.
Dessert--I made the ridiculous mistake of watching a Cooking Channel program on chocolate after a craptastic dinner, which really activated my sweet tooth...and yet I withstood the onslaught and didn't eat! Go me!
I also got fitted for my tuxedo for Jenna's wedding tonight. It felt GOOD to tell her I weighed 235...especially knowing I was knocking on the door of 250 a little over a month ago. Gotta keep it up, but progress has been excellent so far. Thank you again for everyone lifting me up by reading/praying/hoping along with us!
Exercise--That's right; we're starting with exercise. Due to the food fiasco of yesterday, I just didn't feel good. So Abby and I got up at 5 am, trekked to the exercise facility, and went through a quick workout before school. Not a bad way to start/won't be happening often, if ever again.
Breakfast--Two scones and cherry pomegranate yogurt. It was an excellent way to refuel.
Snack--Cherry almond granola. I needed something sweet to munch on during the morning, since my clock was so screwed up, and the granola did the trick. It's good stuff...find it at Whole Foods.
Lunch--So apparently SAGE is just off a day. The soup I planned on eating yesterday appeared on the menu today, so I had two bowls of potato kale soup. It was actually very good and filling...as it should have been YESTERDAY.
Dinner--Beck's Prime. That place is officially TERRIBLE. We will not be going back...ever. I got a coupon in my email celebrating my birthday: buy one sandwich, get one free. Therefore we paid for one chicken sandwich, one order of fries, and two drinks...twenty dollars. It would have been thirty without the coupon. And the portions are waaaay too small for that price, the management has attitude...forget you Becks. I can get better food at cheaper prices pretty much anywhere. You lost our business.
Dessert--I made the ridiculous mistake of watching a Cooking Channel program on chocolate after a craptastic dinner, which really activated my sweet tooth...and yet I withstood the onslaught and didn't eat! Go me!
I also got fitted for my tuxedo for Jenna's wedding tonight. It felt GOOD to tell her I weighed 235...especially knowing I was knocking on the door of 250 a little over a month ago. Gotta keep it up, but progress has been excellent so far. Thank you again for everyone lifting me up by reading/praying/hoping along with us!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Day 29--Grumble.
Okay, I know I've railed against this numerous times, but my school's lunch is going to be the single biggest obstacle in losing weight. It's not nutritious, it very rarely follows the menu online, and the word consistency doesn't fit. I can't tell what ingredients are going to be in what from one week to another. For instance, today was chicken piccata with potato kale soup. Or, in actuality, it was sloppy joes with tomato soup. NOT THE SAME THING WCS.
Because lunch was such a disaster, it screwed the rest of my day pretty solidly. On to the food.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Spice high fiber oatmeal and blueberry yogurt. It did its job and kept me very full most of the morning.
Mid-morning snack--However, that doesn't mean I didn't decide to fiber up for a snack. One Pink Lady apple, for the win.
Lunch--Broccoli and half a peanut butter sandwich. I really dislike SAGE.
Snack--2 cups of kettle corn. It was delicious.
Dinner--So, I attempted to make a healthy meal, but unfortunately it involved two things I've never made before. Roasted chicken with garlic, roasted vegetables that involved daikon (note: Daikon really sucks. REALLY REALLY SUCKS.), and some crimson lentils (those are...unique?) sounds great in theory, but it didn't work. The daikon wasn't good, the vegetables weren't good, the lentils were annoying, the chicken was partially perfectly cooked, partially overcooked. Really, I just sucked. Dinner fail.
Dessert--A Rome apple and a tablespoon or so of Nutella. I need to workout tonight...it will get my mind off food and help channel some of the energy I did get from my horrid food.
Mondays...what a drag.
Because lunch was such a disaster, it screwed the rest of my day pretty solidly. On to the food.
Breakfast--Cinnamon Spice high fiber oatmeal and blueberry yogurt. It did its job and kept me very full most of the morning.
Mid-morning snack--However, that doesn't mean I didn't decide to fiber up for a snack. One Pink Lady apple, for the win.
Lunch--Broccoli and half a peanut butter sandwich. I really dislike SAGE.
Snack--2 cups of kettle corn. It was delicious.
Dinner--So, I attempted to make a healthy meal, but unfortunately it involved two things I've never made before. Roasted chicken with garlic, roasted vegetables that involved daikon (note: Daikon really sucks. REALLY REALLY SUCKS.), and some crimson lentils (those are...unique?) sounds great in theory, but it didn't work. The daikon wasn't good, the vegetables weren't good, the lentils were annoying, the chicken was partially perfectly cooked, partially overcooked. Really, I just sucked. Dinner fail.
Dessert--A Rome apple and a tablespoon or so of Nutella. I need to workout tonight...it will get my mind off food and help channel some of the energy I did get from my horrid food.
Mondays...what a drag.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Day 28--Beard Be Gone!
In an effort to gain some motivation from my wife, I made a decision 28 days ago that I wasn't going to trim my beard until I had lost 10 pounds and kept it off. I've spent the last week flirting with the line, and then yesterday, BAM. Trimmed the junk out of it.
In reality, there were dual reasons for this particular ploy. First off, it looked so horrifically gnarly that I knew Abby would help me with my goal. Granted, she still made cupcakes, biscuits, and the like, but she also pushed me to exercise and has helped me walk the straight and narrow. She was more ready to see Grizzly Adams go away than I was, and I felt like a small hamster was stapled to my face. Secondly, I like to see progress. Because I am doing more maintenance than a massive overhaul, the steady decline in numbers is hard to see. I occasionally notice there's less of me around the middle, but for the most part its when I see people every 3 months that they notice (and its only been 4 weeks...haven't had that joy yet). But when I finally trimmed my beard...there was a new person underneath. I am not a considerably vain person, I don't do my hair, I usually forget to get haircuts, and obviously I let my weight go. However, I can't stop looking in the mirror...the person staring back at me hasn't existed in a long, long time and I think Abby and I both missed him.
Breakfast--Apple cinnamon scones, strawberry yogurt, and a banana. The scones are 140 calories a pop, so 3 scones + yogurt + banana = around 650 calories. That my seem like a lot, but I knew that lunch was going to consist of...
Lunch--Extreme pita. Booyah. A small Thai chicken with half a bag of Sun Chips and some blackberry tea was only ~425 calories total, and lots of fiber.
Snack--One ounce of dark chocolate with a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter. We went to Whole Foods after lunch and picked up some daikon, broccolini, Rome apples, Pink Lady apples, more kettle corn, some dark chocolate, and then Abby got granola, yogurt, and some frozen lunches. The chocolate will be going to school with me for a mid-afternoon pick me up.
Dinner--Leftover Pei Wei with some extra edamame thrown in. Still delicious, even the second time around.
Dessert--Apples and caramel and 1/2 cup mango sorbet.
Probably a high calorie day, but not too extreme for the overall goal. And I still have the man in the mirror to keep me going.
In reality, there were dual reasons for this particular ploy. First off, it looked so horrifically gnarly that I knew Abby would help me with my goal. Granted, she still made cupcakes, biscuits, and the like, but she also pushed me to exercise and has helped me walk the straight and narrow. She was more ready to see Grizzly Adams go away than I was, and I felt like a small hamster was stapled to my face. Secondly, I like to see progress. Because I am doing more maintenance than a massive overhaul, the steady decline in numbers is hard to see. I occasionally notice there's less of me around the middle, but for the most part its when I see people every 3 months that they notice (and its only been 4 weeks...haven't had that joy yet). But when I finally trimmed my beard...there was a new person underneath. I am not a considerably vain person, I don't do my hair, I usually forget to get haircuts, and obviously I let my weight go. However, I can't stop looking in the mirror...the person staring back at me hasn't existed in a long, long time and I think Abby and I both missed him.
Breakfast--Apple cinnamon scones, strawberry yogurt, and a banana. The scones are 140 calories a pop, so 3 scones + yogurt + banana = around 650 calories. That my seem like a lot, but I knew that lunch was going to consist of...
Lunch--Extreme pita. Booyah. A small Thai chicken with half a bag of Sun Chips and some blackberry tea was only ~425 calories total, and lots of fiber.
Snack--One ounce of dark chocolate with a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter. We went to Whole Foods after lunch and picked up some daikon, broccolini, Rome apples, Pink Lady apples, more kettle corn, some dark chocolate, and then Abby got granola, yogurt, and some frozen lunches. The chocolate will be going to school with me for a mid-afternoon pick me up.
Dinner--Leftover Pei Wei with some extra edamame thrown in. Still delicious, even the second time around.
Dessert--Apples and caramel and 1/2 cup mango sorbet.
Probably a high calorie day, but not too extreme for the overall goal. And I still have the man in the mirror to keep me going.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Day 27--Saturday, the Sequel
Not gonna lie...getting up when I wanted for two days in a row was spectacular. I feel rested, relaxed...and craving more Saturdays. Not a good sign for the rest of the school year. Abby studied most of the day, so I was left to myself where I could read, get some groceries, catch up on my ancient Roman history...a solid all-around day. Tomorrow I hope to hit up Central Market/Whole Foods for some better produce and then it will be an incredibly complete three day weekend.
Breakfast--We wavered between scones and oatmeal. Oatmeal won out. I went with my power-packed oatmeal again: dried cherries, almonds, honey peanut butter and a banana.
Lunch--Two pita pocket sandwiches with green bell pepper, broccoli slaw, and cajun turkey as well as some jalapeno chips and a blueberry yogurt. It was a solid, solid meal. Experimenting with bread options has helped out a lot, because I'm not stuck with whole wheat bread all the time. Pitas, naan, sandwich flats...as long as they are full of fiber, I'm down. Reading nutrition labels isn't that difficult.
Snack--Cherry pomegranate yogurt and a banana. Both products of the aforementioned grocery run.
Dinner--Abby, while studying, went to Escalantes with her old roommate Lindsey, so I had the opportunity to get my Pei Wei special: Mandarin Kung Pao vegetables, brown rice, and spring rolls. It was, again, delicious and, again, I only ate about half. It also left some room for...
Dessert--Cherry and mango crumble. The crumble was flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, less than a tablespoon of butter, and some oats. It was very VERY good, and its such an easy, flavorful, relatively cheap dessert. You can also just make one serving, so there isn't temptation to go back for more.
Tomorrow: Church, Extreme Pita, and fruit shopping? Sign me up!
Breakfast--We wavered between scones and oatmeal. Oatmeal won out. I went with my power-packed oatmeal again: dried cherries, almonds, honey peanut butter and a banana.
Lunch--Two pita pocket sandwiches with green bell pepper, broccoli slaw, and cajun turkey as well as some jalapeno chips and a blueberry yogurt. It was a solid, solid meal. Experimenting with bread options has helped out a lot, because I'm not stuck with whole wheat bread all the time. Pitas, naan, sandwich flats...as long as they are full of fiber, I'm down. Reading nutrition labels isn't that difficult.
Snack--Cherry pomegranate yogurt and a banana. Both products of the aforementioned grocery run.
Dinner--Abby, while studying, went to Escalantes with her old roommate Lindsey, so I had the opportunity to get my Pei Wei special: Mandarin Kung Pao vegetables, brown rice, and spring rolls. It was, again, delicious and, again, I only ate about half. It also left some room for...
Dessert--Cherry and mango crumble. The crumble was flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, less than a tablespoon of butter, and some oats. It was very VERY good, and its such an easy, flavorful, relatively cheap dessert. You can also just make one serving, so there isn't temptation to go back for more.
Tomorrow: Church, Extreme Pita, and fruit shopping? Sign me up!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Day 26--Snow Day, Only Without the Snow
The Houston weather forecasters are apparently wildly incompetent, but at least for today I don't mind it one bit. We got the day off from school because we were supposed to get hit with 2-5 inches of snow, but with the exception of bridges, overpasses, and the bottom step from our apartment, there is hardly any evidence of precipitation at all. So we got a day off from school without being penned in! I'm sure I'll complain in April when we lose our bad weather day, but for now I am thrilled. Sleeping in and eating real food is always a bonus.
Breakfast--Steel cut oats with banana slices, almonds, dried cherries from a local farm in Boerne, a half tablespoon of honey peanut butter and a cup of cherry pomegranate yogurt. It was delicious and incredibly filling, because three hours later I still felt like I had eaten an entire brick. Making it all the more impressive is that before lunch...
Exercise--I ran/walked for 16 minutes (still building endurance, and my knee is still janky) then lifted some weights and cooled down on the bike. Felt good.
Lunch--Thanks to my good friend Nathan MacDonald's blog, I had a craving for burritos today. Thanks to the bad weather predictions, it was safe to get out to go to Chipotle. I had a bowl with rice, black beans, fajita veggies, steak, corn salsa, hot salsa, and lettuce, along with two small corn tortillas on the side and an iced tea. I have to admit, I like drinking water a lot, but flavor is nice, too. It was warm and spicy--an excellent counter to the cold weather. Even though we didn't get the snow/sleet, Mother Nature brought the thunder temperature-wise.
Snack--An ounce and a half of dark chocolate with some all natural peanut butter spread on it. It was not only amazing (I LOVE Reese's...) but it was pretty filling too. I need more dark chocolate now!
Dinner--I sauteed some zucchini, broccoli, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and andouille sausage with some whole grain angel hair pasta. I love pastas, especially since garlic is such a fantastic flavor, so when we indulge with some we try to make sure its as healthy as possible. The whole grain pasta (400 calories for 4 ounces) and andouille chicken sausage (300 calories for two links) mean we can have a good Italian meal without the usual Italian calories.
Dessert--Against my better judgment, Abby made mini cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting. I popped a couple (so to be nice...of course...) and then followed it with a banana so I didn't feel like a complete failure. They were delicious, but will be the only two I eat.
It's great, because today felt like Saturday, but really, tomorrow is Saturday! The extra day of rest, exercise, and controlling my food (read: NOT being at the mercy of school) should help me shed some more poundage. Thanks again to everyone who reads this; any comments of encouragement will help motivate me in my quest to be healthier and lose some of my excess me!
Breakfast--Steel cut oats with banana slices, almonds, dried cherries from a local farm in Boerne, a half tablespoon of honey peanut butter and a cup of cherry pomegranate yogurt. It was delicious and incredibly filling, because three hours later I still felt like I had eaten an entire brick. Making it all the more impressive is that before lunch...
Exercise--I ran/walked for 16 minutes (still building endurance, and my knee is still janky) then lifted some weights and cooled down on the bike. Felt good.
Lunch--Thanks to my good friend Nathan MacDonald's blog, I had a craving for burritos today. Thanks to the bad weather predictions, it was safe to get out to go to Chipotle. I had a bowl with rice, black beans, fajita veggies, steak, corn salsa, hot salsa, and lettuce, along with two small corn tortillas on the side and an iced tea. I have to admit, I like drinking water a lot, but flavor is nice, too. It was warm and spicy--an excellent counter to the cold weather. Even though we didn't get the snow/sleet, Mother Nature brought the thunder temperature-wise.
Snack--An ounce and a half of dark chocolate with some all natural peanut butter spread on it. It was not only amazing (I LOVE Reese's...) but it was pretty filling too. I need more dark chocolate now!
Dinner--I sauteed some zucchini, broccoli, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, and andouille sausage with some whole grain angel hair pasta. I love pastas, especially since garlic is such a fantastic flavor, so when we indulge with some we try to make sure its as healthy as possible. The whole grain pasta (400 calories for 4 ounces) and andouille chicken sausage (300 calories for two links) mean we can have a good Italian meal without the usual Italian calories.
Dessert--Against my better judgment, Abby made mini cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting. I popped a couple (so to be nice...of course...) and then followed it with a banana so I didn't feel like a complete failure. They were delicious, but will be the only two I eat.
It's great, because today felt like Saturday, but really, tomorrow is Saturday! The extra day of rest, exercise, and controlling my food (read: NOT being at the mercy of school) should help me shed some more poundage. Thanks again to everyone who reads this; any comments of encouragement will help motivate me in my quest to be healthier and lose some of my excess me!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Day 25--Wintry Mix Edition
We're about to get destroyed by winter weather...BRING IT ON!!!
Breakfast--Apple Cinnamon oatmeal. That's right, variety is back.
Mid-morning Snack--Apple! It was amazing...I wish I had another one.
Lunch--Carrots and brown rice. Yep, that's it. I was planning on having brown rice and lentil soup, and then SAGE Dining decided to not make what was on their menu, and of course I didn't have a back up plan. It was...lame. I finished it off with a Snickers so I didn't feel useless (or tasteless).
Snack--Cherry yogurt and a banana. I ran by the store on the way home to stock up a bit before the wintry mix hit, thinking it was supposed to happen at 4 pm (its 9:30...still dry...) and I didn't want to get frozen out.
Dinner--Cajun turkey, broccoli slaw and cilantro on whole wheat naan and about 3/4 cup of edamame with my homemade spice mix. It was delicious.
Dessert--I attempted to make chocolate meringues, and for whatever reason, it didn't work AT ALL. I had to completely alter the recipe to try to salvage it somewhat. The results were iffy, but maybe will be good with some raspberry sorbet. Or I wasted good chocolate. One of the two.
Altogether not a horrid day, and even with the ice we plan to work out some tomorrow, so hopefully I can keep things going down. I've stagnated recently and I'm not a fan of that.
Breakfast--Apple Cinnamon oatmeal. That's right, variety is back.
Mid-morning Snack--Apple! It was amazing...I wish I had another one.
Lunch--Carrots and brown rice. Yep, that's it. I was planning on having brown rice and lentil soup, and then SAGE Dining decided to not make what was on their menu, and of course I didn't have a back up plan. It was...lame. I finished it off with a Snickers so I didn't feel useless (or tasteless).
Snack--Cherry yogurt and a banana. I ran by the store on the way home to stock up a bit before the wintry mix hit, thinking it was supposed to happen at 4 pm (its 9:30...still dry...) and I didn't want to get frozen out.
Dinner--Cajun turkey, broccoli slaw and cilantro on whole wheat naan and about 3/4 cup of edamame with my homemade spice mix. It was delicious.
Dessert--I attempted to make chocolate meringues, and for whatever reason, it didn't work AT ALL. I had to completely alter the recipe to try to salvage it somewhat. The results were iffy, but maybe will be good with some raspberry sorbet. Or I wasted good chocolate. One of the two.
Altogether not a horrid day, and even with the ice we plan to work out some tomorrow, so hopefully I can keep things going down. I've stagnated recently and I'm not a fan of that.
Snow Day
Note: This post is not food related. It's Jesus related. Sorry to disappoint/thrill.
I spent today with the incredible honor of teaching my juniors about Romans 5. After enlightening us on the concept of righteousness by faith opposed to the law or anything else, Paul explains that Abraham is the ultimate example of this phenomenon: a man, holy by worldly standards, who needs grace just like Hitler needed grace. In chapter 5, Paul explains why we need this righteousness. Contained within is one of the greatest phrases in the entire Good Book: "While we were still sinners..."
Christ died for us IN SPITE of what we are. He knew exactly what we are, what we can become, and what we've done. The part of this that boggles the mind is that, as humans, we are seemingly programmed to show disdain for those who wrong us. In fact, the exact example I used in class was "we don't give money to homeless people because we think they'll use it to get..."
Every class, without fail, said, "Drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes." We judge off stereotypes, expectations, and fears.
Fast forward to around 5:30 pm, when my lovely wife returned home from school. First words out of her mouth? "I think we should take some gloves to the homeless man sitting on the corner, and take him to a shelter." My first thought? "It's cold and potentially dangerous. This isn't a good idea." Second thought? "I'm potentially the worst Bible teacher EVER." He appeared to be very grateful for the gifts, and while he rejected the offer of the shelter, I think he'll be okay tonight.
I have the day off on Friday because of the snow I was so content to sit inside in the warmth and avoid. Apparently I'll need it to think about exactly what I'm doing with the grace Jesus has given me. Seems to me I can do a LOT more.
I spent today with the incredible honor of teaching my juniors about Romans 5. After enlightening us on the concept of righteousness by faith opposed to the law or anything else, Paul explains that Abraham is the ultimate example of this phenomenon: a man, holy by worldly standards, who needs grace just like Hitler needed grace. In chapter 5, Paul explains why we need this righteousness. Contained within is one of the greatest phrases in the entire Good Book: "While we were still sinners..."
Christ died for us IN SPITE of what we are. He knew exactly what we are, what we can become, and what we've done. The part of this that boggles the mind is that, as humans, we are seemingly programmed to show disdain for those who wrong us. In fact, the exact example I used in class was "we don't give money to homeless people because we think they'll use it to get..."
Every class, without fail, said, "Drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes." We judge off stereotypes, expectations, and fears.
Fast forward to around 5:30 pm, when my lovely wife returned home from school. First words out of her mouth? "I think we should take some gloves to the homeless man sitting on the corner, and take him to a shelter." My first thought? "It's cold and potentially dangerous. This isn't a good idea." Second thought? "I'm potentially the worst Bible teacher EVER." He appeared to be very grateful for the gifts, and while he rejected the offer of the shelter, I think he'll be okay tonight.
I have the day off on Friday because of the snow I was so content to sit inside in the warmth and avoid. Apparently I'll need it to think about exactly what I'm doing with the grace Jesus has given me. Seems to me I can do a LOT more.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Day 24--Rolling Power Outages?
So apparently the Texas energy coalition got together and decided to help save energy across the state by enacting rolling power outages at various times. There are two problems with this plan, which in itself wasn't flawed: They didn't tell anyone (ANYONE) it was going to happen, and sometimes the power didn't come back on (ask my parents). Needless to say, it made class interesting when 20 minutes in today the power went out and they weren't able to really communicate what was happening. Good times.
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola AND an apple. That's right...added some fruit. Booyah.
Lunch--Hot dogs and steamed cauliflower. Instead of eating two hot dogs (and therefore two hot dog buns) I just put two franks on one bun. Boom. I also had half of a PB sandwich because the other sides today were sketchy at best and I needed something to stick to my ribs. Passable lunch, but not great.
Dinner--Because we knew the weather would be disastrous today, I decided not to mess with getting dinner supplies after school. Instead, I planned ahead and yesterday I got some pinto beans for an incredible dinner. A quarter of an onion, four strips of bacon--diced, and 2 cups of pinto beans in some water/chicken stock and it sat in the slow cooker all day. It was delicious! We made some cornbread muffins to go with it, and I must confess, I am stuffed. Filling, cheap, and tasty...I'm a fan.
Dessert isn't necessary, but we went to bed at 9 pm last night and may have a repeat performance tonight. Something about freezing temperatures screams blankets and sleep.
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola AND an apple. That's right...added some fruit. Booyah.
Lunch--Hot dogs and steamed cauliflower. Instead of eating two hot dogs (and therefore two hot dog buns) I just put two franks on one bun. Boom. I also had half of a PB sandwich because the other sides today were sketchy at best and I needed something to stick to my ribs. Passable lunch, but not great.
Dinner--Because we knew the weather would be disastrous today, I decided not to mess with getting dinner supplies after school. Instead, I planned ahead and yesterday I got some pinto beans for an incredible dinner. A quarter of an onion, four strips of bacon--diced, and 2 cups of pinto beans in some water/chicken stock and it sat in the slow cooker all day. It was delicious! We made some cornbread muffins to go with it, and I must confess, I am stuffed. Filling, cheap, and tasty...I'm a fan.
Dessert isn't necessary, but we went to bed at 9 pm last night and may have a repeat performance tonight. Something about freezing temperatures screams blankets and sleep.
Day 23--22 Degree Edition
Well, it took until February, but winter decided to show his pale face in Houston finally. After a week of 75 degree (!) weather in Houston--in January--we finally hit below freezing this year. I'm weird in that I love cold temperatures. In fact, as it was plummeting yesterday, I stood outside and just inhaled the goodness (in retrospect, inhaling deeply in Houston is NEVER a good idea. I may die from that.) and felt my spirit lifted. Cold is good.
This morning it was 22 with a wind chill of 8, so all of us are moving pretty slowly. I even have some lazy students that refuse to come to school because its "too cold." Spoiled.
Breakfast--Once again, Cherry Vanilla granola. I just don't get up early enough to eat anything else. I should probably work on that...but it works for me.
Mid-morning snack--Fiber One bar. Trying to undo the damage of the Whataburger run.
Lunch--Green beans and a sweet potato, with some salad on the side. Usually this is my favorite lunch day, but the pork looked sketchy and a long discussion on the Trinitarian nature of God threw off my feng shui. Also, I exploded my sweet potato all over my shirt because it somehow popped like a grape. Stupid delicious potato.
Exercise--Ran for 15 minutes, lifted weights (I'm trying to make myself look fit by smoke and mirrors) and biked for a bit, then because it was so cold, we ran back to the apartment.
Dinner--Leftover spring rolls and Mandarin Kung Pao vegetables, with some blueberry yogurt just for kicks. I think I'm a fan of yogurt, which should be good as long as I behave and don't eat it all the time.
Dessert--Half of a brownie with Abby. It was good, and its no longer taunting me, sitting on the counter.
All in all, a good day I think. The scale didn't reflect that, but then again, I didn't drink as much water as I should have, so I think my equilibrium is thrown off. We'll see how I measure up on Thursday.
This morning it was 22 with a wind chill of 8, so all of us are moving pretty slowly. I even have some lazy students that refuse to come to school because its "too cold." Spoiled.
Breakfast--Once again, Cherry Vanilla granola. I just don't get up early enough to eat anything else. I should probably work on that...but it works for me.
Mid-morning snack--Fiber One bar. Trying to undo the damage of the Whataburger run.
Lunch--Green beans and a sweet potato, with some salad on the side. Usually this is my favorite lunch day, but the pork looked sketchy and a long discussion on the Trinitarian nature of God threw off my feng shui. Also, I exploded my sweet potato all over my shirt because it somehow popped like a grape. Stupid delicious potato.
Exercise--Ran for 15 minutes, lifted weights (I'm trying to make myself look fit by smoke and mirrors) and biked for a bit, then because it was so cold, we ran back to the apartment.
Dinner--Leftover spring rolls and Mandarin Kung Pao vegetables, with some blueberry yogurt just for kicks. I think I'm a fan of yogurt, which should be good as long as I behave and don't eat it all the time.
Dessert--Half of a brownie with Abby. It was good, and its no longer taunting me, sitting on the counter.
All in all, a good day I think. The scale didn't reflect that, but then again, I didn't drink as much water as I should have, so I think my equilibrium is thrown off. We'll see how I measure up on Thursday.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Day 22--Go Go Go Joseph
Yesterday night we had the honor and privilege of getting to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat put on by Dulles High School. It was amazing! The kids were very talented, the sets were gorgeous, and the music was catchy as usual. Abby and I were both very impressed with the entire thing.
After the show, we were able to go to Hobby Airport and pick up our friends, the Toys. They had spent a long weekend in Denver seeing her family and skiing (lucky!) and then we picked them up last night after they were delayed in Denver due to snow and in Houston due to fog. It was a long trip for them, but I'm glad we were able to help!
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola. As if you had to ask.
Lunch--"Orange chicken," which I put in quotes for a reason, snow peas and a salad. It wasn't great, wasn't bad, just...food.
Dinner--In lieu of a snack, Abby and I had an early dinner before the show (BIG MISTAKE) because she wasn't able to eat lunch at school due to an under qualified attending and some bad research. Chick fila yielded a Spicy Chicken sandwich, a fruit cup, and some lemonade. I still struggle with the no-soda thing, but lemonade makes it all better...for that meal.
Second Dinner--Yep. We had such a long break between dinner (5 pm) and going to sleep (Midnight) that I began to develop a wicked headache due to hunger. Unfortunately, since we were by the airport, and it was late, fast food was really our only option. For those that don't know, the area around Hobby is the picture-perfect definition of sketchy. Ergo, we went a littler farther away and got some Whataburger. My hamburger and fries certainly wasn't the healthiest choice, but I feel like its the least-healthy decision I've made since starting this, so I feel kinda good about that.
Because Monday was so bad, Tuesday will be a day of over-correction. Just warning you.
After the show, we were able to go to Hobby Airport and pick up our friends, the Toys. They had spent a long weekend in Denver seeing her family and skiing (lucky!) and then we picked them up last night after they were delayed in Denver due to snow and in Houston due to fog. It was a long trip for them, but I'm glad we were able to help!
Breakfast--Cherry Vanilla granola. As if you had to ask.
Lunch--"Orange chicken," which I put in quotes for a reason, snow peas and a salad. It wasn't great, wasn't bad, just...food.
Dinner--In lieu of a snack, Abby and I had an early dinner before the show (BIG MISTAKE) because she wasn't able to eat lunch at school due to an under qualified attending and some bad research. Chick fila yielded a Spicy Chicken sandwich, a fruit cup, and some lemonade. I still struggle with the no-soda thing, but lemonade makes it all better...for that meal.
Second Dinner--Yep. We had such a long break between dinner (5 pm) and going to sleep (Midnight) that I began to develop a wicked headache due to hunger. Unfortunately, since we were by the airport, and it was late, fast food was really our only option. For those that don't know, the area around Hobby is the picture-perfect definition of sketchy. Ergo, we went a littler farther away and got some Whataburger. My hamburger and fries certainly wasn't the healthiest choice, but I feel like its the least-healthy decision I've made since starting this, so I feel kinda good about that.
Because Monday was so bad, Tuesday will be a day of over-correction. Just warning you.
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