Week 11 – Cruise Phase

In the report we add a delightful new breakfast offering and enjoy a nice steak for the first time in a while.  I also have a big day at the scales.

Monday, September 26, Day 71

Breakfast – Miniature egg and sausage frittatas, theses were prepared in a muffin pan so they were pretty small.  I think I had 4 of them with a cup of coffee

Lunch – A few thin slices of left over pot roast and 2 fish fillets with a yogurt

Dinner – Pork chops and yogurt for dessert

I exercised this morning.  Not a whole lot but some “floor exercises” and I walked about 1.5 miles.  I’m not setting any records here but trying to ease back into an early morning workout routine.  The power is in the gradual here… and the amped up intensity over time.  I’ll literally walk before I run on this front.

My scale is in my basement bathroom.  I moved it here so it would be easy to weigh when I’m working out but not so easy as to prompt me to weigh every day.  Knowing that I’ve been breaking the diet lately, I elected not to weigh this morning.  I’ll have to step on before long, but would prefer to see some positive results so I’ll probably wait until later in the week after I’ve had a couple more ‘good’ days.

That said, it’s not like I’ve packed on any weight, instead it’s more like I’ve maintained.  That’s not bad because the end goal once I’ve dropped all my weight is to maintain.  However, I’m still in the dropping phase so maintaining is not currently an exciting outcome.  Hopefully the workouts will nudge me in the right direction.

Tuesday, September 27, Day 72

Breakfast – Dukan pancake with 2 left over mini frittatas from yesterday and coffee

Lunch – Tuna fish lettuce wraps with tomatoes and red onion, and a yogurt

Dinner – We had left over Minestrone soup from Sunday and a yogurt

I missed my workout this morning but that wasn’t entirely unexpected.  Monday nights I record my football podcast and when I stay up to edit and post it, it makes for a long night.  I guess it was 1am before I was in bed last night so a 5am workout was not in the cards.

Wednesday, September 28, Day 73

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, 5 mini frittatas and coffee

Lunch – 2 hamburger patties and a small piece of salmon, yogurt

Dinner – 2 Pork chops, yogurt

It’s unofficial because I’ve avoided the scales for the last several days but I ‘feel’ like I may have gain some weight late last week and over the weekend and today it ‘feels’ like I’ve dropped it.  In all likelihood it’s water weight as retaining a pound of water has to be easier than adding a pound of fat.  And even though I’ve strayed from the diet last week, I did so only mildly and even then while still following some key principles – BBQ but no bread or desserts; chicken parm but no pasta, cocktails….. well, ok Coke mixers.  But the broader point remains.  It’s much more likely that I retained water than added fat but even that only lasted a couple days.  I’ll have to revisit the scale to see the true story.

Thursday, September 29, Day 74

Breakfast – 4 or 5 mini frittatas and coffee

Lunch – Salmon and unsweet tea

Dinner – Salad, Filet with a small serving of green beans…. And a couple cocktails

I traveled out of town for business this morning, and early trip to the airport so breakfast was in the car.  We stopped for lunch prior to our meetings and I skipped the BBQ sandwiches, fries, and nachos – which all looked great – in favor of a boring but compliant salmon filet.

Dinner was good but something of a disappointment.  Ever since starting this diet, well, really the diet has nothing to do with it.  I love a really good steak and dinner out on the company dime at a Texas restaurant with a prime steak menu was a dream.  Now don’t get me wrong, the steak was good but it was over cooked for my taste and kinda fell flat relative to my expectations.

I also had 2 cocktails with dinner and another at a bar we wandered into after dinner hoping to catch a little football on TV.  Nothing rowdy but 3 Coke mixers added significantly to an otherwise low carb count.

Friday, September 30, Day 75

Breakfast – Omelet and coffee

Lunch – Protein shake

Dinner – Chicken fingers

Traveled home today and one thing is for certain.  Carbs dominate airport cuisine but once you’re on the plane, there are almost no food options… ironically though, they are all carb heavy too.  Not to worry, I scored a free breakfast at the hotel and enjoyed a piping hot omelet which allowed me to avoid the fast food breakfast sandwiches.

The timing of my travels limited my opportunity for lunch but that was fine.  It really is true that protein sits in your stomach longer so I never really felt hungry until much later in the day.

Dinner was a treat.  My wife – have I mentioned how awesome and supporting she’s being? – found another great recipe from the Dukan book and made oat meal breaded chicken fingers.  It’s the same oat meal that Dukan recommends just used as breading for the chicken rather than as pancake mix.  She added some pepper for flavor and it was great.  They were also baked so the calorie, fat, and carb count next to a standard order from Zaxby’s had to be miniscule but the taste and flavor was not off by nearly so much.  Score another keeper recipe.

Saturday, October 1, Day 76

Breakfast – protein shake and yogurt

Lunch – Protein “milkshake”; 3 turkey burger patties

Dinner – Bean-less Chili

I wandered down to the basement this morning for a weigh-in for the week.  I was a little concerned as I’ve only managed to hold steady for 2 weeks and I know those cocktails might surface for revenge.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I’d dropped another 3 whole pounds.  That put me at 235 with 20.5 total pounds lost so far.  235 is a weight I’ve not seen in a long time and passing 20 represented a huge milestone… 20 freak’n pounds.

For all the self-doubt that had crept in – I’ll be the first to admit that I’m human – and second guessing around my ability to sustain this thing, seeing 3 full pounds drop was a rewarding site.  That it came on the heels of a business trip in which I made wise decisions in the face of easy opportunity for bad decisions only serves to reinforce that I’m doing well.

I promised my wife a trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant once I’d lost 25 pounds.  That felt like a long way off just last week, but now it seems very doable.  I look forward to the reward… and the reward.

Sunday, October 2, Day 77

Breakfast – Omelet and coffee

Lunch – Protein shake, diet Dr. Pepper in the later afternoon

Dinner – Steak and Shrimp

Photo By: sheliaz143

Week 10 – Cruise Phase

In this report we discuss the perils of company dinners and certain restaurant selections and about being in control even while veering from the plan.

 Monday, September 19, Day 64

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Chicken salad and yogurt

Dinner – Grilled chicken and fish – a true protein platter

Tuesday, September 20, Day 65

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee… this one came with a little surprise.  My wife – have a shared how great she is – cooked up a couple turkey sausage patties and wrapped them in the pancake.  Now that was a nice little extra.

Lunch – grilled chicken

Dinner – Sirloin and yogurt

I woke up a little early this morning and did some *very mild* pushups, sit-ups, and stretches.  It was a first step which I hope propels me to a more involved morning routine.

Wednesday, September 21, Day 66

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Sandwich meat rolled up with a peppery yogurt based spread.  Different but good.  Yogurt.

Dinner – Danger Will Robinson… tonight we had a company meeting at Maggiano’s Italian Restaurant.  I think just stepping in the door comes with a 50 carb minimum.  However, I think I managed to do pretty well.  I skipped the appetizers and once seated I avoided the bread.  The salad was an no brainer and very good.  The entrées were served family style and consisted of 3 pasta dishes and chicken parm.  To eat dinner was to not avoid carbs.  However, I avoided the penne with sause and the alfredo altogether.  The 3^rd pasta dish had beef and sausage with grilled peppers and pasta.  I basically picked around the pasta and then had 1 piece of chicken parm – which was about 1/3 the size of an entrée portion.  I skipped the desserts which were tiramisu and an apple crisp topped with ice cream that looked and smelled phenomenal.  I’m kinda keeping a list of treats I want to have once I’ve lost my weight and this desert currently tops the list.  I did have 2.5 Michelob Ultras which have between 2-3 carbs each. 

I guess it would be easy to look at my dinner and say that I wandered off course and at some level you’d be right.  Or you could consider that eating is an enjoyable part of life and that I demonstrated good times could be had without the expense of a huge carb or calorie burden.  I easily could have packed on 1000+ calories to my meal without much effort.  That I didn’t was a win for the long term.

Thursday, September 22, Day 67

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee – the sausage wrap special again.

Lunch – Tuna Salad and yogurt

Dinner – 4 hamburger patties.  Man, I was hungry and those patties hot off the grill were great.

I woke up early again this morning and did some more push-ups, sit-ups and stretches.  Let’s just call this 8-10 minute routine my “floor exercises”.  I also hit the weights every so lightly and walked a 1+ miles on the treadmill.  I’m calling it a victory even if the full enterprise barely broke a sweat.  This is something I need to build upon.

We had another office meetings – last night’s was only a preview to the managers.  We served refreshments and I must have exhausted my will power last night.  We had frozen yogurt and toppings.  The yogurt was from a local company and packaged so I may have had more than (or less) than if left to my own devices.  I did add some chocolate and white chocolate chips – I couldn’t help it. 

So yeah, I broke the rules but I felt in control while doing it.  I probably can’t explain that as well as I’d like to but imagine seeing Lance Armstrong eating an ice cream.  I don’t know Lance from Adam but I’m pretty sure he’s not a big ice cream eater so if he’s slurping a double dip cone then dude’s probably just enjoying a rare treat within the context of his control rather than cratering into an 18 month ice cream bender.  Right?  So while I’m no Lance Armstrong, I’m relatively certain I’m not cratering my diet by enjoying 1 cup of frozen yogurt. 

The applied use of moderation may be better, if less vivid, descriptor but I hope you get the point.  I’m only 64 days into this endeavor so I need to be careful assuming I’ve reprogramed my entirety of my eating habits, but I do feel in more control of my decisions than I have at any previous time that I can recall.

Friday, September 23, Day 68

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake

Lunch – 2 left over hamburger patties and yogurt

Dinner – Grilled sirloin

Saturday, September 24, Day 69

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake

Lunch – Barbeque brisket with BBQ sauce that probably contained more sugar than I’d care to admit.  I have 2 large portions of brisket but did try to somewhat limit the sauce.

Dinner – More brisket.  This was another game day weekend so there were tons of food temptations.  This week this list included breads, chips, chili with beans, nachos, and fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies.  That I limited my carbs to a few cocktails mixed with Sprite was not a total loss but not a tribute to my resolve either.

Sunday, September 25, Day 70

Breakfast – yogurt and coffee

Lunch – Pot roast – prepared according to a Dukan recipe by my loving wife

Dinner – Minestrone soup without the pasta

I’m feeling stagnant in my weight loss.  This is mostly attributable to my recent transgressions and my limited exercise – though I’m starting to work on this.  I’m eager for my weight loss to cross 20 pounds and continue upward.  I need to redouble my resolve.

Photo By: Lynne’s Lens

Week 9 – Cruise Phase

In this report we skim week 9 and share about my progress being noticed.   I also discuss how hard, or easy I’m finding this plan.

Monday, September 12, Day 57

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Grilled chicken and yogurt

Dinner –Sirlion, yogurt

Tuesday, September 13, Day 58

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Grilled chicken, yogurt

Dinner – Hamburger patties

Wednesday, September 14, Day 59

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Hamburger patty and grilled chicken, yogurt

Dinner –Stuffed peppers and yogurt

It happened today.  The moment every dieter secretly awaits.  The confirmation and external reinforcement that brings a smile to your face – the moment when someone comments, “you look like you’ve lost some weight”.  Why yes, thank you I have.

Hey we’re human ok.  I’ve been able to tell for weeks because I’m the one no longer stuffing my fat into tight clothes and my wife has been noticing for weeks because her arms go all the way around, but a random co-worker noticing enough of a difference to say it out loud.  Yeah, that’s cool.

Thursday, September 15, Day 60

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Sliced turkey and yogurt

Dinner –Grilled turkey patties, protein shake

I’ve not been on the scales for about a week.  I’m very curious how I’m doing.  I overslept this morning so I skipped it.  I’ll have to step on pretty soon.

Today’s dress shirt really demonstrated my progress.  It was a shirt that was tight a couple weeks ago.  It was out of the rotation.  But today it was loose and the sleeves were nearly too long.  With less fat around my shoulders and chest, the shirt draped more which allowed the sleeves to hang lower.

Yep, I’m looking forward to the scale test.

Friday, September 16, Day 61

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee… I’ve made quite a routine of this breakfast.  My wife is awesome and makes several pancakes to last the week.  I gently reheat and eat it while driving to the office.  It’s fast, good, and holds me to lunch.  Repetition really is a key to success in any endeavor.  Chose a positive action and then wash rinse repeat.  That’s what I’ve been doing.

Lunch – Salmon and yogurt

Dinner –

I braved the scale again today and I’ve dropped another 1.5 pounds.  That puts me at 17.5 for the diet which is better than 8 pounds per month.  That’s a nice clip and something I’d be very pleased to sustain.

No kidding, this diet is easy once you get on a routine and have some support – I could not do this without my wife being on board and helping to prepare meals that agree with the program.  I’ve even waivered with instances of blatant violations and lapses of rigor wherein I don’t follow so strictly the every other day as a protein only day design.  But I’m still dropping weight.  Heck, I’m not even exercising like I should be.  That’ll provide a turbo change once I get with it.

Saturday, September 17, Day 62

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Meatballs in marinara sauce… this was kind of a trap.  I arrived in Tuscaloosa and the couple we share a condo with – long time great friends like these are something everyone should be fortunate enough to have – were enjoying meatball subs and made plenty extra knowing I was arriving.  I eagerly joined in and skipped the bread electing to ditch the carbs and had 2 large bowls of meatballs and sauce.  Later I checked the packaging for both items and realized they included carbs.  Not huge amounts but I probably had 15-20 net carbs, a low number by comparison but more than I had planned.   Carbs are sneaky so this served as a reminder to check the labels but on the plus side, I enjoyed a nice hot meal and made a simple decision – hold the white bread hoagie roll – thereby saving me tons of extra carbs at no expense to the quality of the meal

This being a game day Saturday in Tuscaloosa, I enjoyed a couple cocktails mixed with diet Sprite – just not the same – and a cocktail at the game mixed in regular Sprint.  I think I was more spiked by the sugar than my smuggled spiking ingredient.

Dinner – We played a night game so it was late when we returned.  I fell asleep watching the late game – it was honest sleep as I probably had 3 cocktails over 8 hours.  That ended up being ok because everyone else enjoyed chili nachos.  High in carbs and calories.

Sunday, September 18, Day 63

Breakfast – Yogurt and Dukan pancake

Lunch – Grilled chicken patties

Dinner – Beanless Chili

Earlier in the week my wife made carb free soup by only excluding a couple minor ingredients.  This was great as I didn’t think soup would make my list.  She then mentioned that chili would be ok with no beans.  This was awesome news as I love my wife’s chili.  Further, as evidence to the awesome-ness of my wife, she read my excitement and made chili a couple days later, but on top of that, she’s probably studied more of the Dukan book than I have ( I read the whole thing, she’s studying recipes) and is fully supportive of my efforts.  That’s great because I would not be here without her.

Photo By: programmerman

Week 8 – Cruise Phase

In this report we discuss my loose fitting pants, another trip to the scales, and a new super low carb yogurt is discovered.  I also take a football road trip and trip up my program.

Monday, September 5, Day 50

Breakfast – Protein Shake

Lunch – 2 grilled turkey burgers, yogurt

Dinner – Grilled chicken and grilled fish

We had storms blow through the area in the afternoon so we hung out in the basement watching the weather channel.  That was a layer of boredom I’ve not had in a while and I found myself looking into the basement fridge for something to snack on.  Fortunately nothing was there, but it does demonstrate the connection between eating and boredom, or eating only to pass the time.

Tuesday, September 6, Day 51

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Salmon salad and yogurt

Dinner – Meat loaf, green beans and yogurt for dessert.  I had water to drink… I’m not really listing that but I’m drinking it with every meal and throughout the days.

Today I was nearly convinced that my dry cleaner mixed up my pants.  I was wearing a pair that I wore last week, but they fit so much more loosely.  I could easily slide my hand within the waistline whereas before the pants presented a snug fit around the middle.  Not that I need my hands in my pants, but the room and looser fit is nice.

Wednesday, September 7, Day 52

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, coffee

Lunch – Yogurt, I forgot to pack a more meaningful lunch so that was it.

Dinner – Omelet with onions and peppers

Thursday, September 8, Day 53

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake, Protein Shake, coffee

Lunch – Chicken salad, yogurt

Dinner – 3 grilled turkey burgers, protein milkshake

Stepped on the scales again this morning and I dropped about half pound.  That puts me at 16 overall.  It feels like I’m on a plateau.  The weight is still coming off but oh so slowing.  The funny thing is that I’m feeling better and better and my clothes are fitting more loosely.  Interesting how that happens without much weight dropping.

I’m confident that exercising will move me along.  The accident was a reason for the first couple weeks, but it’s now only an excuse.

Friday, September 9, Day 54

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Chicken salad, yogurt

Dinner – Leftover meatloaf

I’ve been eating a lot of yogurt lately and you’d be right to question such a habit as part of a low carb diet.  Recently I commented about a low carb yogurt that was pretty good.  Well, not long ago my wife found a new brand of low carb yogurt called “Carb Masters”.  They are a Kroger store brand product and they are incredibly good.  I’d prefer these if I weren’t on this diet.

Saturday, September 10, Day 55

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake

Lunch – none

Dinner – Brisket with grilled peppers and onions with a small side salad.  Now, this was really a modified version of a Philly steak sandwich which I ate without the bread.  It was pretty good but a small serving.

And so it seemed like I was pretty good today food wise, and indeed I was, until….  So in the spirit of full disclosure, I left Atlanta this morning for State College, PA to see my beloved Tide battle it out with Penn State.  It was a college football fan’s dream trip and I knew I’d break the rules on this trip… and I did.

While I was mostly very good at dinner – the burgers and fries looked great and I stayed away.  However, we had dinner at a brewpub my buddy had researched.  The high ratings and recommendations were warranted as the local brews were great…. Even if carb loaded.

We then decided to hit the local bar scene and after a couple brews, I switched to mixed drinks and Jack and Coke is my regular order.  After a couple of these I couldn’t tell if I was under the influence of the Jack or all the carbs, or if I was simply high on life because the day was a wonderful treat – one of my favorite college football adventures and that’s no small designation given my record.

Sunday, September 11, Day 56

Breakfast – Cinnamon Twist and 2 breakfast burritos

Lunch – none

Dinner –Grilled chicken

Was today’s breakfast really today’s breakfast or last night’s late night snack?  Well, staying up for 24+ hours cause days to run together and the adult beverages played no small role in a forcing another lapse but recognition is valuable too.  I’ll need to buckle down this week to get back on track, but this should not be a problem as I’m enjoying my progress to much to give in now.

Photo By:

Week 7 – Cruise Phase

In this report we talk about the start of the college football season and the inevitable impact on my program.

Monday, August 29, Day 43

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Chicken salad

Dinner – Grilled sirloin

Tuesday, August 30, Day 44

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Grilled fish

Dinner – Stuffed bell peppers.  Great entre in my wife’s repertoire and Dukan friendly when she doesn’t use rice to augment the stuffing.  This is something I could eat 2-3 times a week but it’s a little more effort intensive so I’m not complaining.

Wednesday, August 31, Day 45

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Chicken salad

Dinner – Omelet

Wife and daughter left town today… getting a head start on Tuscaloosa to enjoy some pool time, so I decided to make an omelet rather than reheat left overs.  Not as good as my wife’s but not bad.

I’m also realizing that I’m not following the strict every other day being protein only.  I’m not eating bad stuff but I’m violating the spirit of the diet.  I’ll need to tighten this up.

Thursday, September 1, Day 46

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Grilled Chicken

Dinner – Hamburger patty

I weighed this morning but only dropped about half a pound.  It’s still progress but very slow.  I’m eager for a good 2-3 pound drop in an upcoming weigh in.  I’m sure it’s out there.  But for now I’m hovering around 15 pounds with is nice, but I have my eyes set on 20 at this point.

Friday, September 2, Day 47

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Yogurt

Dinner – Omelet

I worked from home today… first time since my accident recovery week and the first time I’ve done so for no real reason in a long time, several months any ways.  Typically this would end up being a snack fest with multiple refrigerator raids.  The more I ‘program’ myself to follow this diet, the more I’m able to avoid such violations.

At the end of the day, I also drove 3+ hours to Tuscaloosa for the opening football weekend.  A long lonely car ride would also be another poor eating pitfall.  Again, mistakes averted.

Saturday, September 3, Day 48

Breakfast – Scrambled eggs and coffee

Lunch – 4 hamburger patties… they were small and I was hungry

Dinner – pot roast… everyone else enjoyed the potatoes and carrots.  I stuck with the roast.

A key item to point out here is that this was our first college football game of the season.  I usually have one huge soft drink per game, mostly for the souvenir cup… and sometimes for the mixing.  And always as we’re lounging in the condo watching football all day we’re snacking nonstop and I’m enjoying more than one cocktail.  All of this was avoided which was nice in that it saved money but it also saved countless empty calories.  Now, I’m realistic enough to realize that I’m subject to breaking the rules during a football weekend, or more than one, this fall, but everyone not toting a violation is gained ground.

Sunday, September 4, Day 49

Breakfast – Coffee, 2 small omelets and bacon

Lunch – Nonfat latte

Dinner – Grilled chicken

We had breakfast at a favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa.  We heard that they had a good breakfast buffet so that pretty much sealed the deal.  It was ok, nothing special.  But I realized that made to order waffles are really one of my favorites when it comes to breakfast buffets.  Needless to say not having the waffle was why I decided to visit the omelet station twice.  The bacon – and omelets – were all more greasy than I’m currently used to.  I think that contributed to me essentially skipping lunch.  At the same time, I had tons of protein at the late breakfast so I never felt hungry.

Photo By: Thomas Hawk

Week 6 – Cruise Phase

In this report we un-retire some pants and close in on another milestone on the scales.  I also share my larger objectives and goals, and someone takes notice of my progress.

 Monday, August 22, Day 36

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Yogurt… light lunch due to poor planning by me this morning.

Dinner – baked chicken and protein shake

 Tuesday, August 23, Day 37

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Baked chicken left overs, sliced tomato, yogurt

Dinner – Omelet, Dukan Pancake, Protein shake

Last night I pulled out a pair of pants from a separate rack in our closet.  This is my ‘maybe’ stack.  As I’ve put on weight I’ve had to buy new clothes and at various stages I’ve had to ‘let go’ of my older clothes to make room for the bigger, er, newer ones.  Every time I’ve cleaned out, I’ve kept a few pairs of pants… just in case.  Well, this morning I pulled on one of those pants and they fit well.   Now, we’re not yet talking skinny jeans, but its more tangible progress.

Wednesday, August 24, Day 38

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, milk, coffee

Lunch – Baked fish – salmon and cod, yogurt

Dinner – 2 grilled chicken breasts, protein shake

I dared to tempt the scales again today.  You’ll recall my disappointment last Thursday to have only lost a pound and then my transgressions over the weekend so I was a little anxious this morning.  And according to my scale, the world is not coming to an end.  I dropped another 2 pounds putting me at 14.5 for the experience thus far.  I’m wearing another formerly ‘snug’ pair of pants that now fit real well and my dress shirt – which used to be one of the few that fit well – is a little too billowy for my tastes.  I may have to pull out some shirts previously set aside.

One point even on top of my progress to date that has me excited is that I’m currently doing this with very limited exercise.  I’ll continue to blame the accident (and to the extent that it disrupted my schedule, ok), but more than anything I’ve gotten used to the extra hour of sleep in the morning.  Once I resume even modest workouts, I should see my progress improve.

So make note if you’re still on the fence.  I’ve dropped nearly 15 pounds with diet adjustments that are easier than you might expect and very little exercise.  Once the diet becomes routine – and it does pretty quickly – it’s like losing weight doing nothing.  Really.

 Thursday, August 25, Day 39

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Grilled chicken salad

Dinner – Stuffed bell peppers and yogurt for desert.  The stuffed peppers are awesome and my wife is making them with lean hamburger rather than a mix of hamburger and rice.  This makes it Dukan friends and they taste fantastic.  I marveled that if I could eat stuffed peppers and omelets at will that I’d never feel like I was dieting or limiting my food options.  That’s a key to this program – or any program for that matter – finding a routine and friendly food options that allow you to enjoy without the indulge.

 It’s the little daily affirmations I’m cataloging here that motivate me day over day.  I wonder as you read them in rapid succession if they don’t seem overly redundant.   In some ways I’m sure they do – my work days and routine is fairly repetitive at times and the metrics at hand are very similar.  At the same time, it is the daily reinforcement that makes this journey so rewarding.

So in that light… this morning I pulled out pants and a shirt that have been on hold for months.  I even found pants that are 1 and 2 additional sizes less than the 1 size reduction I’m starting to wear with ease.  I may try those on this weekend just to see how close or far I am.

Also this morning my wife commented that she can tell I’m losing weight because there’s less of me to hug.  That’s certainly rewarding to hear we as well.

Football season is just around the corner and with all the games we attend and impromptu parties or get togethers than ensue, I’ll have to be extra careful with what I’m eating.  I’m sure there will be more transgressions but I also feel like I have enough progress and experience under my belt to make my way.  I’m really looking forward to hitting my target by the end of the year.

But what exactly are my targets?  I don’t think I’ve mentioned this much other than to indicate my starting weight on day 1.  So let’s spend a minute on this.

My starting weight was about 255.  I say about because I had been hovering around this weight for several weeks.  I’d have a “heavy” day and spike to hear 260 and then a lighter day around 252 or so.  Using 255 was reasonable, if not conservative, and it’s an easy number for the math.

My last official weigh had me a shade over 240, so I’m calling it a 14.5lb loss thus far.  I don’t have a digital scale so the numbers are not precise but I’m being as honest to the process as my eyesight will allow.

Losing 50lbs just sounds huge (and awesome) so getting down to 205 would be significant win.  I’ve not been that lite in maybe 10 years and it was short lived even at that time.    So, clearly this would be an unquestioned win.

But I remember weighing 205 and thinking I was fat.  Part of that is complex because I’ve always been on the heavy side, and part of it is based on fact, I perhaps was not really fat but I was not thin or lean either.  So with this in mind, I have a secondary target of 195.  Getting under 2 bills would be monumental for me and something I frankly never expected to achieve.  And while I’m not calling it done yet, I feel in control of a process that could yield such a result and that alone feels very nice.

So there you have it, lots more words today but hopefully some good insights on my journey… one that sees me 29% accomplished towards the 205 target (50lbs to lose) and 24% accomplished towards my secondary target of 195 (60lbs to lose).  Cool.

Friday, August 26, Day 40

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – chicken salad and yogurt

Dinner – 2 grilled chicken breasts

Yep, another day and another shirt I’ve NEVER been able to wear because it was cut different than the label – see my previous entry on pet peaves.  Losing weight has opened up lots of “new” clothing options tucked away in my closet.

Saturday, August 27, Day 41

Breakfast –Coffee

Lunch – grilled fish

Dinner – Grilled chicken

Sunday, August 28, Day 42

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Yogurt

Dinner – Grilled chicken

Photo By: Solaria

Week 5 – Cruise Phase

In this report we expand the menu and achieve the smallest hole in my belt.  I also report another transgression, but one probably worth it considering the context.

Monday, August 15, Day 29

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, protein shake, coffee

Lunch – Roast beef roll-ups

Dinner – stuffed peppers – stuffed with seasoned hamburger, chopped zucchini, and a tiny amount of cheese covered in tomato sauce.  These were great and didn’t at all feel like ‘diet’ food.  That’s one of the lessens I’m learning on this program.  Making changes to our consumption patterns can have a visible impact.  But taking the big step back from our preexisting patterns through the Attack and Cruise phases really help to highlight the food decisions we make daily and often take for granted.  It points a spot light on opportunities to improve.

I slept in this morning after falling asleep late with a pain pill… or so that’s my excuse.  Otherwise I would have weighed in this morning.  I’m optimistic that I would have been over the 12lb mark since I only lacked ½ a pound.  But I’m really confident that I’ll be over it and the next milestone within a few short days.  That’s just how confident I am that this thing is working.

My clothes continue to fit better.  Today I easily achieved the smallest hole on my belt, and the pants were a pair I’ve not worn in a while.  I’m actually looking forward to pulling our more semi-retired pants and shirts to expand my wardrobe whereas a couple months ago I felt like I was running out of clothes that fit.

And while standing shirtless in front of the mirror, I generally still look like a ‘before’ photo, I can tell that I’m making headway, which is encouraging for the long run.

Tuesday, August 16, Day 30

Breakfast – Dukan pancake… hey, I like these things.  I can see eating these as regular pancake in the future… add in some blueberries…. Ok, that’ll be a while but I’m really trying to say that I had low expectations for these things and they’re actually pretty good.  I also had a small protein shake and coffee

Lunch – Grilled chicken, yogurt

Dinner – Grill pork tenderloin, yogurt

I know I’m sounding like a broken record here, but I’m very pleased with results in this one area and really want to underscore the value of the incremental progress I’m experiencing.  I hope this might serve as motivation for you as well. 

So here goes… smallest hole on the belt achieved this morning and as I pulled the belt it didn’t ‘just barely’ make the hole, I passed it looking for another hole.  Walking around the house and office this morning I’m pulling on my pants.  Not that there’s a real risk of them falling, but because they are drooping a little.  When I consider I’m using a belt hole that would have cut off circulation 5 weeks ago, that’s pretty cool.

Along the same lines, I’ll share a pet peeve of mine.  Shirts sizes are not all the same.  Even when I buy shirts from the same company and from their very same product line invariably they will fit different.  And so was the case two months ago when I bought 4 dress shirts on sale.  Two fit very well and two were too snug for a comfortable fit.  However, this morning, one of the snug shirts fit nicely.   Hey, this is tangible and material progress and I’m pleased and motivated as a result.

Wednesday, August 17, Day 31

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Chopped Salad – our work team went to lunch today at California Pizza kitchen… typically that would be a prime opportunity to wolf down a full pizza, but taking pause for a better food options is paying off and had zero impact on the enjoyment of the meal and company.

Dinner – Omelet

Thursday, August 18, Day 32

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and coffee

Lunch – Leftover pork tenderloin medallions

Dinner – Hamburger patty, protein shake and yogurt

So a little disappointed this morning.  I stepped on the scales for the first time in several days.  I’ve been feeling lighter and my clothes have been fitting better so I was looking forward to some tangible confirmation on the same, and so this morning I had dropped… 1 pound.  I was hoping for 3 and expecting 2 but only 1.  That puts me at 12.5 overall which is not bad but I was hoping for more.  I need to start exercising more to help push forward.

Friday, August 19, Day 33

Breakfast – Protein Shake

Lunch – Chicken Salad

Dinner – 2 Hamburger patties

Saturday, August 20, Day 34

Normally I start with the menu and then layer in the commentary.  Well, let’s just call today an exemption from the diet.  We drove from Atlanta to Mobile last night to throw a birthday party for our 1 year old daughter today… and while she was not of an age to appreciate the festivities, let’s just say that dad more than covered for her.

Breakfast – Protein bar

Lunch – The picnic table was covered with carbs – pasta salad, chips, cakes, fried chicken, soft drinks, etc.  There really was nothing that would have satisfied the diet.  That’s not an attempt to make an excuse.  I could have held my ground but I didn’t.  I enjoyed 4-5 chicken fingers with water… and one healthy piece of cake.  I was probably technically ok before the cake but I jumped into the violation with both feet and loved.  I think I promptly fell into a sugar coma and napped for about 3 hours.

Dinner – Here I was pretty good.  We went to a seafood restaurant on the causeway and I enjoyed a dinner of blackened mahi mahi.  The sides were limited… it came with fried and hush puppies.  I had only 2 fries and no hush puppies so that wasn’t so bad.  The killer was the second piece of cake when we returned to our friend’s house. 

But I’m not overly disappointed.  I’ve proven I can stand up to temptations even though I allowed myself a pass on this special day.  Now I just need to get back on track.  Here’s to it.

Sunday, August 21, Day 35

Breakfast – Protein bar and coffee

Lunch – Grilled chicken salad, protein bar and yogurt for an afternoon snack

Dinner – scrambled eggs with red peppers

Riding in the car all day is an easy way to eat very well or very poorly.  While riding the highways there’s no chance to introduce new food (or easy way to manage the grazing).  The key is limiting options at hand or those introduced at stops.  Fortunately I was good here because I need a couple good days to make up for the cake!

When we finally made it home – car rides are longer with infants, it’s the law – my task was to unload the car.  Not an unusual task given all the suitcases and packages, but today was a little different.  Normally after lugging bags up 2 flights of stairs and often multiple trips I’m winded and sometimes embarrassingly so.  But today, not at all.  I of course attribute this to the weight loss as I’ve not been working out at all.  I expected to be winded because of the lack of exercise but it just was not the case.  Another positive sign.

Photo By: visup

Week 4 – Cruise Phase

In this report I share another weigh in and the perils of dieting while traveling for work.  I also achieve a milestone of sorts in my recovery from injury.

Monday, August 8, Day 22

Breakfast – Yogurt, Protein shake and coffee

Lunch – 2 hamburger patties

Dinner – grilled fish, protein shake and yogurt

Tried the scales again and dropped 2 pounds.  Was pleased to see this after the discipline or pure restraint I showed over the weekend, and all last week recovering from my accident for that matter.  That puts me at 9.5 pounds total so far and I’m really feeling it.  Granted, I’ve missed my exercises the last week and I’ll be slow getting back to speed, but generally I am feeling better and my clothes are beginning to fit better – I found a new/old belt hole and my 2x T-shirts are draping more rather than simply covering an expanding waistline.

I’m really looking forward to getting into double digits.  I know I have a larger end game goal but it’s the incremental progress that keeps me going… 10 is really the first such milestone.  It’s a big one, but it’s indicative of this being a series whereas 2 or 5lbs is more skipping meals during a busy work week.  The next milestones are smaller and more representative of incremental progress – 12, 15 and 20 are next up.  Here’s to more steady progress. 

Tuesday, August 9, Day 23

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, coffee

Lunch – hamburger patty

Dinner – grilled chicken

Wednesday, August 10, Day 24

Breakfast – Dukan pancake

Lunch – Small salad

Dinner – Chopper salad

This morning I left out for a 2 day business trip.  It was a drivable distance so no airports, thank goodness.   I used to travel 4-5 days a week for 13+ years and airports were a part of my normal process.   Now I dislike airports unless a sunny vacation destination is on the other end of my first class seat… which is to say I mostly very much dislike airports.

More to the point, the 2 day business trip is another potential pitfall in my diet.  I have 2 working lunches complete with the typical deli sandwich catering and 1 business dinner to navigate.

I ordered the lunch today to I made sure to order a salad.  It was a serviceable lunch but the sandwiches, chips, and cookies all looked good.  But I held my ground.

Dinner was a funny contrast.  All the ‘bad’ menu items sounded great!  But I elected to go with a chopped salad.  A decent choice, given the alternatives, but perhaps ranking with the cupcake as one of my worst meal selections.  The salad had dried fruits and corn and almonds, and other items forbade during this portion of the Dukan program.  I even indulged in a croton.  However, it was still a freak’n salad, so I’m not going to feel too bad for straying here all things considered.

Thursday, August 11, Day 25

Breakfast – No breakfast.  This was a timing issue but also a bad selection.  Meals should not be skipped.

Lunch – Small salad

Dinner – Grilled chicken salad and unsweet tea.

The lunches today were catered by Panera, so I know they were really good… and the assorted cookie platter looked marvelous.  I know that normally I would have tried to “sample” one of each variety over the course of lunch and the afternoon meetings.  Even as we were packing to leave and so many cookies remained, I would have snagged a couple for the 3 hour drive ahead of me.  That I had NONE, was a notch in my diet discipline post.

The dinner was a roadway stop and again the menu items I would have normally considered all sounded good but their siren song did not lure me from my course.  However, 4 straight meals of salad must be some sort of personal record.

Friday, August 12, Day 26

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – low fat Chicken salad – my wife makes this stuff and it’s the best.   It is low fat and not the gloppy mayo laden crap you’re probably envisioning.

Dinner – Grilled sirloin and hamburger patty, yogurt and protein shake

Saturday, August 13, Day 27

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake, coffee

Lunch – Omelet, protein shake, yogurt

Dinner – Roasted chicken, green beans and a protein shake and yogurt for ‘dessert’.

I worked in the yard today which was nice.  It’s something I enjoy and the yard certainly needed it.  It was also the first real physical chore I’ve undertake since the accident and I held up pretty well.  The heat and effort was exhausting as I was out of shape even compared to my normal condition and I’m sure to pay for the effort tomorrow, but the yard looks better and I can count this as a positive milestone in my recovery.

I also weighed today – before the yard work so we’re not simply reporting water or sweat loss.  I dropped another 2 pounds which brings my total to 11.5 pounds.  Above 10 and on the cusp of 12, my  first 2 ‘milestone’ weights if you recall from a previous entry. 

So far, this diet is working very well.  It is easier than I expected and it has really caused me to realize just how prevalent carbs as a part of our daily diets.  I bet the normal person consumes between 50 and 75% of their calories via carbs without even realizing it.  I’m convinced that people counting fat grams are chasing the wrong culprit.  Even my wife – who is a shrewd label reader – commented that she rarely read the carb contents until I started the program and has been amazed at the high carb counts in nearly every food item on the shelf.

As for me, I’m really encouraged with my progress and look forward to it continuing.  As I continue to recover from my accident, my physical activity will increase which should help me improve or at least maintain my current rate which seems to be hovering around 2-3 pounds per week.  That’s a really good clip and will have me arriving at my target weight before the holiday season – even if that rate slows a bit.  That’s encouraging as I can anticipate the folks I only see a couple times a year greeting a “new me”, and heck, the way we all lament how time goes by so fast, steady weight loss will pile up just as quickly.  

Sunday, August 14, Day 28

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake

Lunch – 2 slices roast beef, protein smoothie (protein mix, yogurt, milk, ice blended)

Dinner – Grilled chicken and fish

Photo By:

Week 3 – Cruise Phase

In this report I chronicle my first true transgression and my bravery in the face of an all day food-fest.

Monday, August 1, Day 15

Breakfast – Protein shake and a Dukan pancake

Lunch – Yogurt

Dinner – Hamburger patties and grilled chicken….. cupcake

I spent most of today on pain meds and sleeping.  I had very little physical activity but also little food too.  I did break down and allow myself the very last of the cupcakes.  This was my first true and egregious diet plan violation.  Not bad that it came 15 days in but entirely not worth it.  Perhaps that will help me the next time I’m faced with a similar challenge.

Tuesday, August 2, Day 16

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Omelet

Dinner – Grilled chicken

Worked from home today, a full day.  Soreness flared up late in the day and exercise was out of the question but not letting those things allow me to reach out for the comfort foods… though I will say that my wife’s newly uncovered skills at omelet making may be the best thing to come from this accident.

Wednesday, August 3, Day 17

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Omelet

Dinner – hamburger patties

Thursday, August 4, Day 18

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Omelet – and no, I’ve not even close to getting tired of these things!

Dinner – grilled pork tenderloins, very nice variation

Friday, August 5, Day 19

Breakfast – Protein shake and yogurt

Lunch – grilled fish and a couple left over pork tenderloin medallions

Dinner – hamburger patties and chicken breast, yogurt – I’m starting to call the yogurt cups my “dessert”.  I guess it’s mostly behavioral but I’ve always felt a sweet tooth following a meal and so many cartons of ice cream later I’m 50lbs over what I’d like to weigh.  So if branding a low cal, fat free, tiny yogurt cup as dessert works, then I’m on board.

Saturday, August 6, Day 20

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Sandwich meats with cream cheese (low fat) and peppers… sounds weird but my wife rolled them into a lunch meat burrito-like item and they tasted pretty good.  They look like something you’d see at a wedding reception serving table but they were good.

Dinner – yogurt and a protein bar, the protein bar had more carbs than I would have liked, but I considered it a reward for the restraint demonstrated during the day…..

Today was one of the hardest or most tempting days I’ve faced.  It was our annual fantasy football draft.  There’s 6 of us, friends from college, and we’ve been doing this for years.  Now it’s more about the hanging out than the football and it’s really the 1 time a year some of us are able to get together.  Anyway, you can envision the bad food feast than ensues – pizza, chips, cookies, popcorn, moon pies, beer, soft drinks and whatever else comes to mind.  I did my best to just ignore the food – the hot pizza and double cream mint Oreos were the hardest – and sipped diet soft drinks all day.  Dukan allows zero calorie soft drinks but I typically don’t drink them anyway.   However, looking for something to call a ‘treat’, I downed about 6 glasses of ½ Coke Zero and ½ Sprite Zero.  They we about as good as any diet drink I’ve ever had given the circumstances but they helped me stay more course. 

With that temptation-fest successfully under my belt, I’m thinking I might just be able to pull this off.

Sunday, August 7, Day 21

Breakfast – yogurt, coffee

Lunch – none

Dinner – Grilled chicken and Salmon over a bed of mixed greens sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and vinaigrette.  Protein shake and yogurt. 

Spent 5-6 hours in the  car today… another opportunity for munching on bad food but no way I let car boredom derail my good behavior from yesterday.  Jokingly – but only a little – I told my wife that the “scales had better reward my efforts!”

Photo By: Marco

Week 2 – Cruise Phase

In this report I share the results of my first 2 weigh ins and continued adaption to the new diet.  My clothes start to fit better and I try the Dukan Pancake.  I also survive my first motorcycle wreck so that’s not nothing.

Monday, July 25, Day 8 – Judgment Day

Breakfast – Protein shake and Greek Yogurt, coffee

Lunch – 2 turkey burger patties and water

Dinner – grilled chicken salad – and it was great.  I’ve never been a big salad fan.  I’ll tolerate them and include them in my diet as a nod towards eating healthy.  This salad was certainly not fancy but it was a welcome variant to the protein only diet.  After dinner I had a protein shake as a sort of pseudo desert.  I think I’ll look for my next canister of protein shake in chocolate to further fuel the illusion.

So this morning I stepped on the scales for the first time in about 10 days.  That’s a couple days before starting the diet but it includes all the previous 7 days on the diet.  This is the step I starting to kinda dread because I’ve been feeling better but I wanted – or felt I needed – the scale to validate.  If it reported less than I hoped, would it impact my motivation and resolve?  Admittedly, that’s kinda tweaked thinking given the other benefits I’m experiencing but I am trying to lose weight after all and the scale is the surest measure.

So what was the result?  I dropped right at 5lbs since my last weigh in.  It’s probably a little more but I only have a dial scale and not a fancy digital that reports to the 10^th of a pound.  So I’d rather err on the side of being conservative.

And that actually seems about right.  I’ve only lost enough weight that I can tell a slight difference so this is no great transformative event just yet, but there has been progress, enough measureable progress to feel rewarded for my efforts and ready to keep going.

Now, I’d certainly hope to maintain this pace, but I don’t expect that to be the case.  Early returns in any diet are likely going to be above average, but if I can whittle off 2-3 pounds a week from here, the passage of time (which will happen anyway)will tell the greater tale. 

Here’s to it.

Tuesday, July 26, Day 9

Breakfast – Protein shake, running late again.

Lunch – Mixed protein delight… or empty the fridge special – grilled chicken with leftover turkey burgers and hamburgers.  Yogurt and water

Dinner – grilled fish and shrimp and ½ a serving of Greek yogurt.  The fish and shrimp were a welcome variant. 

No scales to today.  I figure I’ll give it a couple days before  stepping on again.

Wednesday, July 27, Day 10

Breakfast – Protein shake… running late again this morning.  I need to work on that.

Lunch – Homemade chicken salad (diet style) with tomatoes

Dinner – Kabobs with beef tips, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers grilled to perfection.  This was a nice variant from my typical fare thus far.

Even though I was running late, I did manage to pull a pair of pants back into the rotation this morning.  I probably haven’t worn these in about 2 months and I don’t recall them fitting so well.  I achieved a new – or old depending upon perspective – belt hole this morning too.  Side stepped the scales again, but the other factors continue to report well.

Thursday, July 28, Day 11

Breakfast – Protein shake

Lunch – Left over kabobs

Dinner – Grilled fish

At dinner my wife also prepared a “Dukan Pancake”.   He does recommend or allow a specific type of oat brand and offers a recipe for a pancake.  I’ve not been having this from the start but it was a nice add this evening.

Friday, July 29, Day 12

Breakfast – Omelet, 1 full egg with 2 whites made with turkey sausage, onions, red peppers and spinach.  My wife made this one and it was great.

Lunch – n/a….

Dinner – Protein Bar…

I knew adding the veggies to the omelet would make a difference, but wow was this great.

Today I stepped on the scales again and was down another 2 pounds – 7 overall.  It felt good to see 7 pounds dropped in only 11 days – I weighed first thing in the morning.

So no lunch and a flimsy dinner, what’s up with that?  Well, today I took off work for my annual birthday motorcycle ride and 300 miles into a long ride I wrecked and had to be taken to the hospital.  I was extremely lucky in that I only suffered some minor road rash and 2 cracked/bruised ribs (xrays were inconclusive).  Don’t get me wrong, the ribs hurt like the dickens but it could have been much worse.  I was carried to a hospital and given an IV – not sure of its carb count.  It was very late by the time my wife arrived - I wrecked hours from home even taking the most direct route and I was thankful for the leftover protein bar even if the carb count was higher than I was wanting – probabably had about 12 grams.  But at the time, it was just what I needed because it had been a long day and I was grateful.

Something funny though happened through the event and it tied directly back to Dukan’s book.  Comfort food is called that for a reason.  We reach for it in times of discomfort because it makes us feel good.  It can also make us fat which points out a very specific and dangerous way in which we relate to food. 

I wanted an ice cold Coke.  Even while lying on the asphalt and in the ambulance and in the ER, my mouth watered for a Coke, as if it would ease the pain.  I was dehydrated so it would have been a bad choice anyways, but seeing as how I rarely crave a Coke, it demonstrated to me that I was reaching for comfort more than nourishment.  Knowing that and recalling reading about it probably helped me avoid making the easy and lazy decision.  How I’ll hold up in the face of painful days ahead, we’ll see.

Saturday, July 30, Day 13

Brunch – Another wonderful omelet from my wife.  Yeah, I’ve technically broken the 1 day all protein, 1 day protein and veggies, but I’m ok with it. First, Dukan says a 1:1 rotation is as effective as 3:3 or 5:5, so if I skew a little, oh well.  Second, I’m reaching for a perfectly made mostly egg white omelet with spinach and peppers for comfort rather than a honking slice of chocolate cake, so yeah, I can live with that decision in the face of my newly minted situation.  

Dinner – grilled chicken, small salad, and grilled cucumber slices.

My father came to town, actually he went to the scene of the accident to collect my bike and carried it to a local dealership.  Sure, the Insurance company would have handled that, but it was nice to have the help and it was good to see him.  We enjoyed the dinner but I was a lousy host.  Every move hurts and I had slept most of the day thanks to pain pills and muscle relaxers.

But was perhaps most impressive for me was avoiding the cupcakes.  My wife picked up birthday cupcakes and I would have had 1 or 2 under “normal” circumstances.  But tonight I sat right in front of those treasures and didn’t take a single bite.  Impressive if you know me.  Now, get those things out of my house because next time I may not be so good.

Sunday, July 31, Day 14

Breakfast – Another glorious omelet and a protein shake.  Look, when I make omelets they taste good but you can taste the “how quickly can I prepare this so that I can sit down and watch TV”.  When my wife makes them, you can taste the “love”.  She’s special and I appreciate her taking care of me and helping me manage this diet.  After all, cutting back on my carbs is impacting what she prepares for meals.

Lunch – sleep… the muscle relaxers are great for putting me down.

Dinner – Grilled fish and steak.  This was the wonderful dinner my wife had planned for Friday night, but I wrecked those plans… bad pun unintended.

Photo By: Dan