Where I have I been? Good question. The short answer is that I’ve been both on and off course.

I documented several days of being on the diet late last year but failed to post that progress – I’ll paste this below for the heck of it. And then as the holiday, and New Years, and…. first couple months of the year unfolded I strayed from both the diet AND the documentation. So with that being the case I need to re-orient my status and then I’ll summarize a couple lessons learned over this time frame.

First, off I’ve gained back some of what I lost. In the month of December I reached the max weight loss of 30.5 points. I went from a starting point of 255.5lbs to a weigh in of 225. After having relaxed my discipline the last couple months I found that 10 pounds made their way back to my mid section. So I’m now 235.

I look at it like this. I lost 30 pounds once so I just need to do it again. If I can hit 205, I’ll be pleased. And here we go.

I learned a couple lessons during this time. Sure, these may be construed as excuses but I’m choosing to view them as “glass is half full” interpretations.

What gets measured gets done - this is actually as straight forward as is gets. When I stopped logging my meals daily, I started to drift away from my disciplined diet. It literally happened like this. Several days passed and I knew I needed to log the meals. Expecting that those meals would be documented, I maintained my discipline but I simply never took the time to log the actions. Once I agreed with myself to take some time off for the holidays…. the disconnect started. Christmas meals became and excuse, then New Years, then an early trip to NOLA came with it’s own set of celebrations and excuses. Each of these were incremental. I was following the diet some days and not on others. Eventually the gap widened until I was eating pizzas, drinking soft drinks, and eating cookies, cakes, ice creams for desert… sometimes multiples at single meals. I literally drifted away from the plan step by step and though I don’t have weekly weigh ins to validate this, I’d swear that 5 of the 10 lbs took months to add and the second 5 took only a week or so as basked in my non compliance.

There is a long term solution - Depending on your level of optimism you’ll find that this perfectly agrees or disagrees with the final lines of the above point. On one hand a relaxed diet approach might add a couple pounds, but this can be managed. Stepping completely way from the plan packs on the pounds and becomes a path back up the scales. The Dukan Diet calls for a transition from the weigh loss phase to the maintenance plan. Instead of allowing my discipline to slowly drift away until it is gone, I should be able to turn up and down my discipline like its a volume switch. Allow treats in spots and buckle down at other times. For example, if I can reach a target weight of 205 and then long term maintain a weight in the 205 to 210 range, I’ll be able to enjoy a nice balance. Of course, first I need to get back on the plan in order to find my way to 205.

Add Workouts - I’m tired or writing about adding workouts to the mix so I’m sure you’re tired of reading about it. I mentioned adding it to the mix but it never happened. Hey, at the time I was dropping pounds so at some level it was easy to let slide, but that’s not sustainable. As of this writing (not posting) I’ve worked out 6 out of the last 8 days. Now let’s be clear, I’m not setting the world on fire but I’ve manage to add both cardio and weights to the mix. I’m focused on adding workouts to my schedule at this point and once this discipline is entrenched, we’ll ramp up the intensity. Thats an approach I think I’d like to spend more time writing about. I think it’s a nice fit with my overall approach to goal setting.

So with that, here goes. I’ve, metephorically, spent some time (perhaps too much time) at a road side attraction and the time has come for me to engage my journey. Here we go.

As promised, here’s all the notes I took late last year but never posted. Enjoy:

Fri Nov 25

- Omelet, coffee

- yogurt

- Grilled chicken

Sat Nov 26

- Omelet Sandwich, coffee

- BBQ

- BBQ

Yes, I had a sandwich today. The first sandwich I’ve had since July. It was a low carb selection from the Dukan book. It was a variant of the Dukan pancake using the oats that Dr. Dukan recommends. This recipe calls for the oats to be baked into a thin bread/wafer that is toasted and used like slices of bread. I thought it was very good and certainly a worthy option for the menu. I think we can be creative in rolling this out again in the future.

good rivalry weekend in college football so we enjoyed a lazy afternoon at home. We picked up some BBQ from a local favorite and grazed on it all afternoon and evening. Probably not the lowest fat option but mostly low carbs. I probably had more of the sauce than I should have given my plan to avoid carbs but oh well. I also had 2 Micelob Ultras which are 2.6 carb grabs each.

Sun Nov 27

- Omelet and coffee

- Protein milkshake

- Low carb burritos

The burritos were basically beef burrito fixings with the option for a lettuce wrap or low carb wrap. I elected for the wraps to better approximate the real thing. They were ok but very very thin which was kinda messy as I tend to over stuff the things. In all, it was a good dinner and demonstrated how a regular meal could be mixed up a little for a low carb effect.

Mon Nov 28

- Dukan pancake, fritatas, coffee

- no lunch

- fajita and margarita

I traveled for business today and upon finally arriving at my client’s location and engaging in my afternoon meetings lunch was not in the offing. After the day in the office I stopped by a local mexican restuarnt for s solo dinner. I was in Texas so the local hole in the wall Mexican joints can be pretty good. This one was ok but not as good as the place I visited during my last visit in October. I did yield a little to some chips but only a few. My larger transgression was the margarita but it too was only just ok. I guess that’s good as I was not tempted to have another. I justified my transgressions by claiming no lunch and the overall low calorie count for the day. I probably took in less calories – even with the carbs – than I burned during the day.

I also had a diet coke while watching MNF in the hotel room.

Tues Nov 29

- omlete and coffee

- no lunch

- Ceaser salad with Salmon and red wine

Again, meetings procluded lunch and I was actually good at dinner. The dressing on the Ceaser probably wasn’t the lowest calorie but I did request no crotons and avoided the array of apps ordered by my host.

I again had a diet coke in the hotel room.

Wed Nov 30

- omlete and coffee

- no lunch.. airline peanuts

- 3 Turkey patties and yogurt

Traveled home today to was in the air during lunch. I had 2 mini packets of peanuts rather than cookies or chips.

Thurs Dec 1

- Dukan pancake and fritatas with coffee

- 1 left over turkey patty and salmon fillet, with yogurt

- Turkey meat loaf. I’ve talked about my wife making low carb friendly meatloaf and this time she made it with ground turkey rather than ground beef for a little extra low cal flare. I found it to be very good and might not have even noticed had it not been announced.

Fri Dec 2

- Dukan pancake and fritatas with coffee

- Salmon fillet over a house salad – from a restuarant called Fish Bones

- Stuffed chicken with marinia sauce – chicken was stuffed with cheese and spinach and this was an great variant from the norm.

Stepped down to the scales this morning and was greatly rewarded for the effort. I dropped another 3 pounds since my last weigh in. This put me at 226 with 29.5 lbs lost from mid July. That is totally awesome. I can’t say how excited and pleased and proud I am to have made this much progress. Truely amazing. This is fantasitc motivation for the remaining progress to be made.

Recall my target is 205 with a stretch goal of 195. The first is a weight loss of 50 and the second is 60. That means I’m a whisper away from being half way to my stretch goal. Again, amazing and awesome.

Even better, as I was getting dressed I pulled my belt to a new hole. Now get this. Today I’m 3 holes into a belt that I could not wear when I started this.

I went to lunch with a co-worker today. I’ve traveled and had meals with this guy over the last couple of months so he knew I was on a diet. At first he was sensative to selecting a resturant that would accommodate my diet. An appreciated gesture and one that earlier in the process might have been an issue. But I was proud to be able to respond that we could go anywhere and that I’d be able to find something I could eat. In my mind that speaks to my progress not only with the diet but in my relationship with food. I did not need to coddle my diet because I knew I could make a good food decision wherever we ate just as easiliy as I could make a poor decision. And to prove the point, I enjoyed the conversation and visit and repreive from the office every bit as much as he did while having salmon, salad, and unsweet tea rather than fried shrimp, fries, and coke.

Sat Dec 3

- omelet and coffee

- spoon of peanut butter

- Grilled sirloin steak with roasted red pepper soup

Not much of a lunch but breakfast was late and the afternoon held promise of a large dinner. It did not disappoint. The roasted red pepper soup was a recipe my wife found and wanted to try. It was fantastic and a perfect compliment to the steak.

Yeah, it’s a day later but typing out 226 as my new weight still feels pretty cool. I’ve not hit this weight in way too many years. It feels good on many fronts to see it again.

Sun Dec 4

- eggs and coffee

- protein milkshake

- Tuna steak and 2 turkey burger patties, yogurt

I grilled the burgers and fish this evening and was very nervious grilling rare tuna steaks myself. Raw fish seems like something to be left to the experts. However, it was pretty good and because we bought a multi fillet bag, I’ll have another shot at it.

Mon Dec 5

- fritatas and coffee

- 2 turkey burger patties and 1 hamburger patty (leftovers from the night before), yogurt

- Milstrone soup

Tues Dec 6

- fritatas and coffee

- left over turkey meatloaf an tuna fish (no mayo)

Week 16 – Cruise Phase

In this report I get treated and tricked by Halloween.  What a horrible holiday, one that forces you to have massive amounts of candy in the house.

Monday, October 31, Day 106

Breakfast – eggs with peppers and spinach, coffee

Lunch – protein milkshake

Dinner – sirlion steak, salmon

This being Halloween, we had to have candy in the house.  I had 2 ‘fun’ sized candies.  I hope we have lots of visitors so we can dump this blessed wretched stuff.

Tuesday, November 1, Day 107

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and frittatas with coffee

Lunch – Grill Mahi Mahi

Dinner – 2 porkchops, yogurt and 3 pieces of Halloween candy

Wednesday, November 2, Day 108

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and frittatas with coffee

Lunch – left over chops with yogurt

Dinner – grilled sirloin, yogurt

2 Reeces cups, frozen from the night before, awesome stuff and huge violations

Thursday, November 3, Day 109

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and frittatas with coffee

Lunch – Broiled chicken

Dinner – 2 hamburger patties, yogurt

4 or 5 pieces of Halloween candy… just trying to get rid of the stuff.  Yeah right.

Friday, November 4, Day 110

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and frittatas with coffee

Lunch – 2 hamburger patties, yogurt

Dinner – Meatballs, with a small bowl of chili (no beans)… wife made food for the weekend trip and I sampled from the bounty.

Another 4 pieces of Halloween candy, I can’t help myself.  I promise to be good once they’re gone.  I also had a couple cocktails tonight and a couple handfuls of coco covered Almonds, wow, very good.

Also, you’ll notice that’s it’s been a while since I last stepped on the scale.  I know I’ve stepped backwards of late so I don’t want the scale to measure those transgressions nor do I want to have to write about it.  Suffice it so say, I’ll get this back on track and weigh in soon.

Saturday, November 5, Day 111

Breakfast – yogurt

Lunch – Chili… with beans and over corn chips

Dinner – More chili, without beans but still over corn chips… it’s the only American way to eat chili, right!?

I also had a couple cocktails during the day.  It was game day and they were spread across several hours, but still high in carb counts.

Sunday, November 6, Day 112

Breakfast – 3 Eggs over easy, tomato slices, yogurt, and coffee

Lunch – (late) BBQ pork

Dinner – Protein shake and yogurt

Week 15 – Cruise Phase

In this report we crunch some numbers related to my progress.  I also have several transgressions.  Who knew Cracker Barrel had a low carb menu?

Monday, October 24, Day 99

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and turkey sausages, coffee

Lunch – Left-over meatloaf, yogurt

Dinner – Pork chops, yogurt, protein shake

Tuesday, October 25, Day 100

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and turkey sausages, coffee

Lunch – Left over pork chops

Dinner – Roast with a Dukan gravy recipe, yogurt

I’ve been reading a site that is doing something very similar to what I’m doing here.   See here.  Today I read about his week 22 experience and at that point – on or about day 150 – he reached a total weight loss of 50 pounds.  That’s 1 pound lost for every 3 days on the programs, very impressive.  Using my numbers from my last reported weigh in on Friday, I’m running better than a pound every 4 days (3.9 days to be precise), so I’m not very far off his pace.

I think the performance gap is 2 fold, his tendency for exercise and mine for cocktails… and I’m mostly serious on that assessment.  My dietary transgressions are not measurably worse than his but he does invest significant time in his exercise routine.  A worthy cause and the results are obvious. 

Yet, an underlying message is very clear.  I’m dropping weight on a regular basis and feeling better every day with hardly any exercising.  I’m not advocating not exercising, it is something I need to do for my long term health.  But what I am saying is that I’m like a science experiment.  I’ve gone through streaks of intense exercise including some success with the P90X program.  During those times I did not materially alter my diet and while I felt better due to the exercise I was not really losing weight.  On this program when I unintentionally reverse the inputs – significant diet changes with little exercise, the weight starts to melt.

Clearly the optimal solution is to engage both – diet and exercise – and again I’ll comment that I intend to exercise more and I’ll mean it as earnestly as ever.  I’ll also know that I’m doing well, even if at a slower clip, and that I like where I’m headed.

Wednesday, October 26, Day 101

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake and frittatas, coffee

Lunch – Salmon over a bed of lettuce… chocolate bar

Dinner – Lean pot roast

 I stopped by a collegue’s desk for a work related conversation and it turns out she was selling chocolate bars as a fund rasier.  I ingored the bars for the duration of our conversation until the very end when she asked if I’d like to support her son’s band trip.  Hmm, in hind sight I should have left both the dollar and candy bar but I rather I left the dollar and took the candy bar.  It was good and gone scarily fast.  For kicks I checked the lable and was quite surprised.  The bar had 240 calories and “only” 24 grams of carbs.  Wow, that’s a pure chocolate bar (with almonds) and it has fewer calories and carbs than any number of granola bars in my pantry right now.  I was surprised to see that.  Now granted, the candy probably had lots more fat but my recent experiment proves – to me anyways – that carbs are a greater enemy than fat.

Thursday, October 27, Day 102

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, coffee

Lunch – Chopped salad from PF Changs – flat awful salad, yuck… I did eat the fortune cookie too

Dinner – Fajitas, and refried beans… yep, another violation

I worked late tonight because I’m taking Friday and Monday off work.  My wife decided to do take out as a result and she ordered from our favorite local Mexican joint.  Great food and the Fajitas we’re pretty low carb.  The refried beans with a little melted cheese looked too good to resist and a think they may have been the best refried beans I’ve ever eaten.

Friday, October 28, Day 103

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and fritattas with coffee

Lunch – 2 hamburger patties

Dinner – hamburger steak and green beans

 We left Atl this afternoon for a weekend trip to a mountain cabin with friends.  On the drive we stopped at a Cracker Barrel – not exactly a place I think of when I think low/no carbs.  However, much to my surprise they have a specific low carb menu – not low fat or low calerie (though there are parallels), but specifically low carb.  I think my meal had a net 4 carbs which is pretty good for a restaurant meal.  I’ll keep this in mind for future meals out.

 Late Friday night I had a couple cocktails with Sprite mixers…. and mixed nuts

Saturday, October 29, Day 104

Breakfast – 3 Buscuits and gravy, coffee

Lunch – hamburger patty, yogurt

Dinner – Taco salad – cocktails…

Yep, broke my diet today in a pretty big way.  At the cabin one of the ladies woke up extra early and made homemade scratch buscuits.  Oh wow, I knew I’d have a transgression at some point this weekend but I thought it would be smores by the campfire or a few extra cocktails.  But it turns out I broke ranks at the breakfast table, but who in their right mind can resist fresh hot homemade biscuits with homemade sausage gravy?  Not this guy.

 I was good for the rest of the day until dinner – except for a lone cocktail.  At dinner we had nacho salads and I jut could not resist having chips with mine.  Oh well, another transgression. I guess I’ve exhausted the reward dinner I’d earned for hitting the 25lb mark – even though I’ve not yet officially hit it yet.

Sunday, October 30, Day 105

Breakfast – 1 buscuit with gravry…. just helping with the left overs, right!?!

Lunch – Another Cracker Barrel stop and this time I ate from the low carb breakfast menu – 3 eggs with bacon and whole wheat toast, about 8 carbs per the menu – not bad when you consider that the average Americal eats around 300 carbs.  The bacon is not technically Dukan approved but it is carb free… its technically more Akins approved than Dukan

 Dinner – pot roast and green beans… from a local Atlanta favorite – OK Cafe – great good but probably a higher fat content… also a yogurt

Week 14 – Cruise Phase

In this report another business trip with all day meetings and all day food options.  I fall hard for a donut.

Monday, October 17, Day 92

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, frittatas and coffee

Lunch – Chicken salad and yogurt

Dinner – 2 Salmon fillets

Tuesday, October 18, Day 93

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, frittatas and coffee

Lunch – none

Dinner – 10 oz Fillet with green beans and a margarita

Left this morning for a business trip… 3 days of team dinners and catered lunches, some of the best pitfalls for those trying to manage their diets.

My flight landed on time but colleagues landed late so this limited my time for lunch prior to my client meetings.   One meal missed along with the attending risks.

Our team dinner was at a steak house of sorts so that was pretty easy.  I enjoyed a large fillet – still not quite perfectly prepared but still good – with green beans – the least offensive side item.   I did enjoy a margarita, so that was a violation – notice a theme in my violations?  I will note that it was not  a syrupy sweet and fruity drink but make no mistake, it was not Dukan approved.

Wednesday, October 19, Day 94

Breakfast – Trail mix and coffee

Lunch – Roast beef and sliced turkey from catered sandwiches; trail mix and diet coke

Dinner – Chicken and steak fajitas, without the tortilla

All day meetings… sweet rolls provided for breakfast with cookies and soft drinks available all day.  I snacked on trail mix in the morning and again in the afternoon.  Snacking is more habit in these types of meetings and while I was not able to break the habit, I did manage to make a better set of decisions.   However, when looking though the Dukan lense, I need to come clean.  The trail mix had 12 grams of carbs each and about 40 mg of sodium.  That’s a lot of carbs relative to what I’ve been eating and the high sodium will cause me to retain water over the next couple of days, which may impact my next weigh in.

Dinner was a Mexican restaurant, so the immediate pitfall was chips and salsa.  I avoided this and ordered a nice combo fajita.  I ate only the ‘contents’ without the tortilla wrap.  It was a reasonable compromise so I was pleased with my decisions.  I accompanied it with an unsweet tea so really no harm done outside the trail mix… and if that’s the worst thing I eat in a given day then I’m doing ok.

Thursday, October 20, Day 95

Breakfast – Donut and coffee…

Lunch – Small salad and diet coke

Dinner – none to speak of due to arriving home late from my flight

Day two of our all day meetings and the room was filled with the aroma of fresh doughnuts.  Ah, come on, really!?!  The grocery store sweet rolls were easy to skip but fresh doughnuts from the local renowned bakery was too much to avoid so I broke down and had one.  I wanted another and then another but stopped with one.

Lunch was pasta so I opted to have only the small salad and avoided the cookie platter too.

On the drive back to the airport we stopped at a local store one of our colleagues had visited on a previous trip.  This place made and sold beef jerky.  I know this can be a good low carb snack and it came highly recommended so I gave it a go and bought a 1lb bag.

Friday, October 21, Day 96

Breakfast – Two pieces of beef jerky, coffee – breakfast of champions… but I’ll explain

Lunch – none

Dinner – Meat loaf, yogurt and protein shake… I over did it in response to not having eaten all day.

Monday evening a realized my car was making a new sound… great.  I assumed it was a belt based on the squeaky sound and decided to take it to a shop for a quick repair… how long could this take?

Funny you ask… 2 repair shops, 3 phone calls, and 5+ hours in a smelly waiting room later my car is still not fixed but I’m getting a ride home and will let them keep the car over the weekend.  Why I didn’t request a ride home from the start is a dumb question in hindsight but the way it unfolded would have never suggested the delays.   Lesson learned 1, Dave 0.

When I arrived in Tuscaloosa I enjoyed a couple cocktails and beef jerky.  Stuff goes with anything!

Oh yeah, I’m forgetting the best part.  I weighed this morning and dropped 2.5 pounds.  I was surprised to see this given my recent travels and transgressions.  This puts me at 24.5 for the diet and only half a pound from our planned reward trip to our local favorite Mexican joint.  Awesome and easy, that’s how I’m describing this experience.

Saturday, October 22, Day 97

Breakfast – beef jerky

Lunch – BBQ

Dinner – BBQ

Yeah, a good protein based day.  Perfect for football watching.  I had a large… make that jumbo soft drink at the stadium and a cocktail later in the night, but mostly a good protein day.

Sunday, October 23, Day 98

Breakfast – 3 eggs, bacon (technically against the Dukan rules), and a slice of whole grain toast – a fair proxy for the Dukan pancake I’m thinking.

Lunch – Carb and Sugar Free Rock Star soda and a Cappuccino.   Yeah, I’m hopped up.  Too much beef jerky.

Dinner – Turkey patty and yogurt.

Driving back to Atlanta so ‘eating’ in the car.  I limited myself to drinks – as opposed to fast food – and I chose sugar free items.

Ok, enough with the beef jerky.  In quantities more than a couple pieces, I get a low grade heartburn and upset stomach.  Nothing bad but “jerky burps” are reason enough to be done.

Week 13 – Cruise Phase

In this report I survive 2 full day training sessions and a team dinner, along with a visit to the scales.  We also hit the ‘taste of town’ and find a new BBQ joint.

Monday, October 10, Day 85

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – Salmon fillets, yogurt

Dinner – Roast and a yogurt

A teammate came back from a week and London and brought everyone a piece of English chocolate.  Yes, it was spectacular and a program violation.  Oh well, it happens but it is also an exception over the last several weeks.

Tuesday, October 11, Day 86

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – Salad

Dinner – Minestrone soup and yogurt

All day training session today which means catered breakfast and lunch spreads.  The trainer also provided everyone with a personal bowl of candy.  Great!  I managed to do pretty well.  I avoided their breakfast as I’d already eaten and went with the salad rather than sandwiches.  I also managed to avoid the candy altogether.  I’ll take that as a win.

Wednesday, October 12, Day 87

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – Roast beef pulled from a deli sandwich, yogurt

Dinner – Fillet and a couple too many cocktails

Another all day training session which means another round of sandwiches, muffins, cookies, brownies, and soft drinks all endless and within easy reach.  I did pretty well again, eating roast beef from 2 half sandwiches and a small salad.

The team dinner was a challenge as well.  We went to a steakhouse so the entre was easy but the platter of hit apps looked like a smorgasbord of carbs – quesadillas, wings, calamari, crab fritters, breads, etc.  It all looked great but I did avoid them all.  I also skipped out on dessert but did have a couple cocktails.

Thursday, October 13, Day 88

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – grilled chicken, yogurt

Dinner – Porkchops, yogurt

I think the last week or so is catching up with me.  I’ve avoided the scales but I feel heavier.  I know I haven’t gained much, the train is still on the track, but the progress has stalled and I’ve probably added a point or two.  Hopefully it’s all water and will quickly pass.

Friday, October 14, Day 89

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – Turkey lunchmeat, leftover pork chop, yogurt

Dinner – Grilled chicken, yogurt

Saturday, October 15, Day 90

Breakfast – Dukan pancake

Lunch – Pork BBQ, Protein Milkshake – and fares from taste of Acworth – see more below

Dinner – Hamburger patty

With some hesitation I hit the scales again.  I’ve been having some hesitation because I’ve felt a little heavier and I know I’ve violated the program a couple times.  But I was pleased to find that I’d dropped another pound and a half.  Now, I wish it was twice that, but given how I’ve felt the last week I’m pleased to see a smaller number and a number that now puts me at 22 pounds lost from the start.

Today we went to a local ‘taste of town’ event in which all the local restaurants set up booths and allow you to sample small portions at decent prices.  It’s something we’ve wanted to do for the last several years but ironically this is the year we decided to give it a ride.  We only sampled from 3 places which was some discipline on all fronts.  We tried a new local BBQ place that is now our new local favorite.  We also tried a beef cabob from a place we’ve never seen, and finally a small beef tenderloin from a local place we’ve only visited for brunch – another great selection.

We avoided our favorite local Mexican restaurant – my treat for hitting 25 pounds in a couple weeks – several dessert focused places (which would have been must haves), beers which were handy and well-priced, and several other stands with good looking high calorie counts.  So in the end, we saw more good food than we ate which allowed us to save calories and dollars.

For the record, the BBQ was so good that we stopped by their permanent location to pick up more to enjoy that afternoon for lunch while watching some college football. 

Turned out to be a pretty good day.

Sunday, October 16, Day 91

Breakfast – Dukan Pancake, Omelet, protein shake

Lunch – Leftover BBQ… probably ¼ pound

Dinner – grilled chicken

Week 12 – Cruise Phase

In this report it’s more of same.   I think I’m either really hitting my stride or sliding into a rut.  I also talk about the perils of football weekends.

Monday, October 3, Day 78

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and coffee

Lunch – 2 small salmon fillets with about 5 shrimps left over from dinner the night before and a yogurt

Dinner – stuffed bell peppers and a yogurt

Tuesday, October 4, Day 79

Breakfast – Dukan pancake with 5 mini frittatas and coffee

Lunch – grilled salmon

Dinner – grilled chicken

A light workout this morning – some pushups, swimmer presses, curls, and 1.5 mile walk on the treadmill.  It wasn’t much but since I’ve obviously been struggling with the morning workout pattern and have generally been getting no exercise, it was a positive check mark.  I need to string a bunch of these together now…. Which is something I’ve said before.

Wednesday, October 5, Day 80

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – Hamburger patty

Dinner – Grilled chicken

Thursday, October 6, Day 81

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – Salmon

Dinner – Sirloin steak

Friday, October 7, Day 82

Breakfast – Dukan pancake, mini frittatas

Lunch – grilled chicken, yogurt

Dinner – hamburger patties, yogurt

Ate dinner in the car tonight while driving to Tuscaloosa.  Eating decent on the road takes some planning and for that I thank my wife!

Saturday, October 8, Day 83

Breakfast – Dukan pancake and yogurt

Lunch – BBQ ribs and a couple cocktails

Dinner – Smoked chicken and BBQ ribs, yogurt

Football weekends are challenges to my program.  I indulged in BBQ ribs and smoked chicken.  The ribs were a little higher in fat than the Dukan program calls for but I’ll take that over a slice of cake.  I did add sauce to the smoked chicken and that contains more sugar than I’d like to admit.  The cocktails and soft drink at the ball game didn’t help either.

Sunday, October 9, Day 84

Breakfast – Dukan pancake

Lunch – Latte, yogurt

Dinner – Minestrone soup

Two large bowls of soup.  The soup was carb free but I was stuffed after the second bowl… probably an indication of eating too much, but program compliant.

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.

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.