Well, I survived the Christmas party. The food was okay for me (salad, soup, chicken, veggies). Only the dessert was a no-no, so I took a bite, played with it for a bit, and left it on my plate. Dancing with my wife was fun! Lots of good exercise (if you do more than simply shuffle your feet). As Caroline reported, I was out there quite a bit, and seemed to have enough energy to keep up. By the way, did you ever notice those dudes who have absolutely no rhythm? I tried once, and couldn't get my body to miss the beat like they can. Don't get me wrong, I won't win "So You Think You Can Dance" or anything, but being that far off the beat is tough!
Parties are also traditionally over-populated with alcohol. Not for me. As George Costanza once said in an episode of Seinfeld, "There's no way wine is better than Pepsi". I stuck to Pepsi (Diet), and water.
Today was another challenge. An out-of-town business meeting. In preparation for the likelihood of eating too much, I started the day by shovelling the snow off my driveway. Not really my choice, but I'll take credit for it. On the flight, I made sure to skip the breakfast which was undoubtedly some fatty danish or something. In fact, I wouldn't even look at it. Okay, so I fell asleep, kill me!
At the meeting, I had a glass of juice and a low-fat muffin (made out of low-fat cardboard) while I listened to the speaker. At lunch, we were taken into the main dining room, and let loose to attack the buffet. Yes, an all-you-can-eat buffet! This was my chance to shine...
I took a salad plate and dug into the salad side of the buffet, filling quite a bit of my plate. Then I went to the veggie section, and loaded up some more. By the time I got to the fattening part, there was very little room on my plate. You see, I used my salad plate for my entire meal. There were huge dinner plates as well, but I figured if my plate filled up, I would trick myself into feeling satisfied with the amount of food I had. Brains AND good looks. Now, there's a winning combination!
When it came to dessert (and I LOVE desserts!), there was an entire table filled with cakes, pudding, tarts, cookies, etc. I found the section with rich, fattening, chocolate sauce and fruit for dipping into it. Yes, you guessed it, I loaded up on the fruit and skipped the sauce. I did, however, treat myself to a single cookie as well.
On the flight home, they served a boxed meal that contained a bun sandwich, cheese, and a cookie. I took the ham out of the bun, and wrapped it around the cheese and ate that (one of my rules is that EVERY sandwich has cheese). Then I put the cookie into my pocket to bring home for one of my boys.
All in all, a pretty good trip. Tomorrow I head out again, so we'll see how creative I can be with room service....
Day 17
Current Weight: 198
Weight Lost To Date: 8
The scale is still my friend. I don't expect much, but the fact that it's still slowly displaying lower numbers is very comforting. I'm sure I'll hit some plateaus, and even some hills, but I think I'm on the right track.
For those of you kind enough to leave your thoughts/comments/advice, I thank you! It really does make a difference. For those that haven't, it's really quite simple. Just click the "comments" link at the end of the blog entry you want to comment on, and type your message in the edit box. Then, unless you have a Google Account, simply select the radio button beside "nickname" and give yourself a name (although your parents might be sad if you don't use your real one, since they gave it to you and I'm sure they thought very deeply about it). If you're really shy, just click the "anonymous" option. This would also work if your real name happens to be "anonymous", but then I'll have to take back the part I wrote about your parents thinking deeply about naming you. Then post it. It's that simple.
Don
Monday, December 3, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Day 15
I've shared this blog with a few people, and woohoo, I've got my first and second comments (thanks Caroline and BC)! I hope you (and others) return often and comment as much as you'd like. I'll certainly try eating more veggies, and making the hamburger recipe as you suggested.
Today I ate lunch at Boston Pizza with my boys. I could eat just about anything on the menu and enjoy it. This is my kinda restaurant! But, we've got to stick to the program and think healthy thoughts, so I ended up with a salad. Now, I've got to admit, this was a really good, really filling salad! My philosophy is that if you're making the switch from fettucini to salad, you should be able to put some fun stuff in it. Remember, even though the dressing and fixin's likely have their share of calories, it's still a much healthier choice. I done good!
Last night's dinner was the "Festive Special" at Swiss Chalet. I substituted fries for a baked potato, gave my chicken skin to one of my boys, and passed on the Lindor chocolates for dessert. Getting smarter...
Day 15
Current Weight: 198.5
Weight Lost To Date: 7.5
I'm not setting any weight loss records here, and certainly am not expecting to. In fact, I'm happy to see the numbers changing at all. Even half a pound is very much appreciated and encouraging. It's starting to make a bit of a difference. The belt is a little looser. The energy level is increasing. Small but important changes.
Tonight I'm off to a Christmas party. The meal will be a challenge, as I won't be able to control what it is. But whatever extra calories I intake, I hope to burn off on the dance floor. Look at those Happy Feet!
Don
Today I ate lunch at Boston Pizza with my boys. I could eat just about anything on the menu and enjoy it. This is my kinda restaurant! But, we've got to stick to the program and think healthy thoughts, so I ended up with a salad. Now, I've got to admit, this was a really good, really filling salad! My philosophy is that if you're making the switch from fettucini to salad, you should be able to put some fun stuff in it. Remember, even though the dressing and fixin's likely have their share of calories, it's still a much healthier choice. I done good!
Last night's dinner was the "Festive Special" at Swiss Chalet. I substituted fries for a baked potato, gave my chicken skin to one of my boys, and passed on the Lindor chocolates for dessert. Getting smarter...
Day 15
Current Weight: 198.5
Weight Lost To Date: 7.5
I'm not setting any weight loss records here, and certainly am not expecting to. In fact, I'm happy to see the numbers changing at all. Even half a pound is very much appreciated and encouraging. It's starting to make a bit of a difference. The belt is a little looser. The energy level is increasing. Small but important changes.
Tonight I'm off to a Christmas party. The meal will be a challenge, as I won't be able to control what it is. But whatever extra calories I intake, I hope to burn off on the dance floor. Look at those Happy Feet!
Don
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Day 13
My office building is blessed with a decent exercise facility (which I pay to use anyway), so I thought it might be a good idea to see what it looks like from the inside. I took my workout clothes to the change room and psyched myself up. When I went to enter the room, my access card wouldn't work. I checked with the administrator and she told me they had problems with card access....(wait for it)....back in March! BUSTED! She very quickly realized that I hadn't been in the facility for a while. Luckily she welcomed me back and was just happy I was making the effort.
The exercise facility also has a room for group classes. My friend and colleague, Caroline, is a certified yoga instructor (mmmmmm, yogurt!) and maybe some day I'll be ready to sit in on one of her classes (or should I say "lotus" in on one of her classes). For now, I'll stick to (hopefully not literally) the bikes, treadmill, elliptical, and the occasional Nautilus machine. Caroline books time in my calendar to catch up on my reading, so I take documents and other materials with me. It helps pass the time, gets work done, and removes another excuse for why I can't afford the time to work out. A word of advice..... If you plan to read a document while using the elliptical, print it out a few font sizes bigger. Those suckers are bouncy!
Day 13
Current Weight: 199
Weight Lost To Date: 7
Woohoo! I can now say I weigh "one hundred and something". I'm on the good side of 200, and plan to stay that way. When the 100 days is over, I plan to continue to check my weight on at least a monthly basis. I've vowed to NEVER come close to that 200 pounds again. Of course, plans are just an expression of desire, so we'll see how that plan holds up when put into action. Stay tuned...
Don
The exercise facility also has a room for group classes. My friend and colleague, Caroline, is a certified yoga instructor (mmmmmm, yogurt!) and maybe some day I'll be ready to sit in on one of her classes (or should I say "lotus" in on one of her classes). For now, I'll stick to (hopefully not literally) the bikes, treadmill, elliptical, and the occasional Nautilus machine. Caroline books time in my calendar to catch up on my reading, so I take documents and other materials with me. It helps pass the time, gets work done, and removes another excuse for why I can't afford the time to work out. A word of advice..... If you plan to read a document while using the elliptical, print it out a few font sizes bigger. Those suckers are bouncy!
Day 13
Current Weight: 199
Weight Lost To Date: 7
Woohoo! I can now say I weigh "one hundred and something". I'm on the good side of 200, and plan to stay that way. When the 100 days is over, I plan to continue to check my weight on at least a monthly basis. I've vowed to NEVER come close to that 200 pounds again. Of course, plans are just an expression of desire, so we'll see how that plan holds up when put into action. Stay tuned...
Don
Day 10
Today is a big day! Day 10 means we're (...[calculating]...) 10% through the full 100 days (see, I told you that using 100 days would make the math easier). The weight's not pouring off, but I'm doing okay. We all know that the 'gods of weight loss' always smile on you in the beginning before ripping your heart out towards the end. We've still got a long way to go.
Day 10
Current Weight: 200
Weight Lost To Date: 6
We're just about to cross the magic 200 mark! Take a good look at that "2", because we hope to NEVER see it again (except at 192, 182, .... you know what I meant)!
Don
Day 10
Current Weight: 200
Weight Lost To Date: 6
We're just about to cross the magic 200 mark! Take a good look at that "2", because we hope to NEVER see it again (except at 192, 182, .... you know what I meant)!
Don
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Day 7
Has it been a week already? Man, I'd better get moving! Speaking of which, I work on the 8th floor of an office building and today started (occasionally) using the stairs instead of the elevator. Walking up 8 flights (since it goes from 'G' to '2', you might say it's only 7 flights, but the first flight is bigger, so I'm rounding UP), is actually quite taxing. I walk up and then try and note where my breathing starts sounding like I'm trying to huff and puff and blow the little pigs' house down. The sad part is that it tends to happen about floor number 3. By the time I get to 8 I'm ready for a short nap and a respirator.
Day 7
Current Weight: 201.5
Weight Lost To Date: 4.5
I'm not experiencing the dramatic drop that I had hoped for. By the end of the first week I hoped to be rounding the 20-pound mark, but 4.5 is a start.
Don
Day 7
Current Weight: 201.5
Weight Lost To Date: 4.5
I'm not experiencing the dramatic drop that I had hoped for. By the end of the first week I hoped to be rounding the 20-pound mark, but 4.5 is a start.
Don
Day 3
Okay, I'm starting to cook now! Actually, I'm not cooking as much any more, but you know what I meant. Meals need to change...habits need to change. I really LIKE to eat! I don't have a very sophisticated palette, but I enjoy the taste of food. I know there's good tasting alternatives that are better for me, and I just have to find them. I can handle fruits and diet pop, but please don't make me eat a ton of veggies and rice cakes that taste like cardboard. Yuck!
Day 3
Current Weight: 203.5
Weight Lost To Date: 2.5
By the way, my bathroom scale works in half-pounds, so you won't see 9 decimal places of accuracy, but half a pound is an accomplishment and I want credit for it!
Don
Day 3
Current Weight: 203.5
Weight Lost To Date: 2.5
By the way, my bathroom scale works in half-pounds, so you won't see 9 decimal places of accuracy, but half a pound is an accomplishment and I want credit for it!
Don
Day 0
Okay, it's time to get this fitness show on the road! (Actually, if you want to be really picky, I started several days ago, on Nov 16 2007, but I kept an accurate record of the details and I'll post a few days of them until I catch up).
Step on the scale....Hey! Where did the scale go?...Hold your stomach in so you can actually see the scale...Wait for the scale to get over the shock....Drumroll please....
Day 0
Current Weight: 206
Weight Lost To Date: 0
Yes, if you read my Welcome post you already know that 206 was my starting weight, but you could at least fake being surprised! Every time I post my weight I'll use the above format, so you can skip all this wordy nonsense and jump right to the details. It doesn't look very impressive yet, but once the number starts changing, you'll barely be able to contain yourselves!
Don
Step on the scale....Hey! Where did the scale go?...Hold your stomach in so you can actually see the scale...Wait for the scale to get over the shock....Drumroll please....
Day 0
Current Weight: 206
Weight Lost To Date: 0
Yes, if you read my Welcome post you already know that 206 was my starting weight, but you could at least fake being surprised! Every time I post my weight I'll use the above format, so you can skip all this wordy nonsense and jump right to the details. It doesn't look very impressive yet, but once the number starts changing, you'll barely be able to contain yourselves!
Don
Welcome!
Welcome to "100 Days To Fitness"! This blog is intended to map out my progress as I spend 100 days of diet and exercise in order to improve my health and overall fitness. (Really, it's just a public humiliation to ensure I don't cheat or chicken out!)
I'm not going to kid myself and tell you that I'll be the perfect dieter. I don't know enough about diet and nutrition to be an expert on the subject, so I'll make lots of dumb mistakes on my journey. But I'm going to plod along anyway.
The goal of 'health and fitness' is too fuzzy to attain, so I'm measuring my progress in the old fashioned way...with my bathroom scale. While weight isn't the perfect measure of fitness, I'm pretty convinced that if I drop a few pounds I'll feel better and be healthier than if I gained a few pounds.
A bit about my goals....
I'd like to be about 175lbs, so that translates into 31 pounds of weight loss (since I started at 206 and haven't forgotten my basic math skills). That should take me down a few inches on my waist as well, so that'll work. The blog is called "100 Days To Fitness" because I plan to reach my goal weight in 100 days. That's the tricky part! I don't know how long it will actually take me, but I figured if I said I would diet and exercise until I lost 31 pounds, it would take the pressure off of me and I might be a year or two (or three) before I finally made it or simply gave up. Besides, calling the blog "An Indeterminate Number Of Days To Fitness" just sounds dumb. 100 days is a good number and makes calculating percentages REALLY easy! :-)
Since weight will be my prime measurement, calorie intake will be a major focus. I'll update you on other things as well, like the sudden appearance of my toes when I look down. I won't be counting every calorie (I can't count that high!), but I'll certainly substitute low-cal snacks for my typical 'bucket of lard' munchies. Again, I know it's not the only or best method, but it's simple enough and there is a wonderful simplicity to the 'calories consumed - calories burned' methodology. Exercise will also sneak its way into the program, so be prepared for lengthy stories of how I set a new 'personal best' on the treadmill. The first such personal best will begin with me actually standing on one.
I'm sharing this journey with whoever wants to follow it ("Hi Mom!"). I'm not sure what point there would be in me writing all this stuff and not sharing it....I already know how I'm doing. Please feel free to post your comments, words of encouragement, low-cal recipes, or lottery winning numbers. I'll try and keep this blog active, so return often.
Wish me luck!
Don
I'm not going to kid myself and tell you that I'll be the perfect dieter. I don't know enough about diet and nutrition to be an expert on the subject, so I'll make lots of dumb mistakes on my journey. But I'm going to plod along anyway.
The goal of 'health and fitness' is too fuzzy to attain, so I'm measuring my progress in the old fashioned way...with my bathroom scale. While weight isn't the perfect measure of fitness, I'm pretty convinced that if I drop a few pounds I'll feel better and be healthier than if I gained a few pounds.
A bit about my goals....
I'd like to be about 175lbs, so that translates into 31 pounds of weight loss (since I started at 206 and haven't forgotten my basic math skills). That should take me down a few inches on my waist as well, so that'll work. The blog is called "100 Days To Fitness" because I plan to reach my goal weight in 100 days. That's the tricky part! I don't know how long it will actually take me, but I figured if I said I would diet and exercise until I lost 31 pounds, it would take the pressure off of me and I might be a year or two (or three) before I finally made it or simply gave up. Besides, calling the blog "An Indeterminate Number Of Days To Fitness" just sounds dumb. 100 days is a good number and makes calculating percentages REALLY easy! :-)
Since weight will be my prime measurement, calorie intake will be a major focus. I'll update you on other things as well, like the sudden appearance of my toes when I look down. I won't be counting every calorie (I can't count that high!), but I'll certainly substitute low-cal snacks for my typical 'bucket of lard' munchies. Again, I know it's not the only or best method, but it's simple enough and there is a wonderful simplicity to the 'calories consumed - calories burned' methodology. Exercise will also sneak its way into the program, so be prepared for lengthy stories of how I set a new 'personal best' on the treadmill. The first such personal best will begin with me actually standing on one.
I'm sharing this journey with whoever wants to follow it ("Hi Mom!"). I'm not sure what point there would be in me writing all this stuff and not sharing it....I already know how I'm doing. Please feel free to post your comments, words of encouragement, low-cal recipes, or lottery winning numbers. I'll try and keep this blog active, so return often.
Wish me luck!
Don
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