Year 3, Day 31: The Birthday Bash

Planning a party can make anyone anxious, but I am a super-neurotic, as anyone who who has planned a party with me can tell (ask Jill, if you don't believe me). We spent most of the day just coming and going. My brother and his family and mine all packed into the house and it was lot like a black and white comedy movie where people bump into each other and don't know what the other one is doing. We were all kind of excited about the big bash, which started at 5pm at the Great Neck Inn. David's family were staying at the hotel and I met him there and we made sure everything was a go, since there was audio and video sections of the party.

Breakfast
2 slices of Balthazar Multi-Grain (non-pan loaf) bread
Super chunky peanut butter
coffee

Lunch: Kensington Deli
Turkey roll-mops with pickle and mustard
cole slaw
Popcorn
Cashews & Almonds

Dinner/Party:
1 coconut chicken
1 filet mignon on toast
1 beef teriyaki
3 warm spinach salads
fillet mignon
3 chicken nuggets
string beans
a little sorbet
1 bite of coconut cake (from Balthazar)

When you're at a party it can be very tough to watch what you're eating, but when you're the host, fugetabout it. I didn't eat too many of the passed Hors D'oerves because even though I picked them (with my Mom) I figured I needed to watch my calories. I didn't have any liquor either. However, I did mow on the three spinach salads with warm bacon dressing (yummy) and even though I ordered salmon, I really got it for Emily because she ordered filet mignon and she didn't want it, and I really don't like salmon. Also, trying to get Magnolia to eat I was forced to eat chicken nuggets, and for the second time in two days, found them really quite appealing. Though we asked for ice cream, we got a weird sorbet concoction and then I got my Mom's favorite cake from Balthazar, but only got one, which the staff of the GNI tried in vain to cut into 70 pieces (they failed). Only half way through the biggest eating weekend except for Thanksgiving and I was already losing the battle (but having a good time).

Year 3, Day 30: Headed South to NY/Mom's Birthday

Happy Birthday Mom. Of course, by the time I am posting this it is well over a month past your birthday, but I think I made my feelings clear. Big, big weekend. Going out to dinner for my mom's birthday tonight (Friday); Big party for her birthday (tomorrow); Passover dinners with the whole family (Sunday); Passover dinner with Emily's family (Monday); back to work and need a vacation (following week).

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch/Snack/on the road
1 hard boiled egg
a lot of popcorn
1 fuji apple
tamari almonds
cashews/almonds
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheddar

Dinner: Kama
Sashimi platter
Mesclun salad
1 french fry
1 chicken nugget
1 bite of haagen-dazs yogurt.

I have not yet mastered the art of being on the road and eating great just yet, it remains a work-in-progress, just like that movie Groundhog Day. We ate dinner at a fantastic sushi restaurant in Great Neck, where naturally the most interesting thing to me was the chicken nuggets and french fries they served (they were really yummy!). Of all things, my kids love Japanese restaurants because they love rice; udon noodles; edamame, and steak or chicken yakitori. And actually, that's a lot better than them loving Italian food (which I also love).

Year 3, Day 29: Detecto Says "174"

I've got to tell you, that weighing in at 178 a month ago was a terrible blow, especially since it was my three-year mark. I really wanted to say I had lost OVER 50 lbs, but I couldn't. That's just how it goes. But I prevailed and lo and behold, I am back to 174. It just takes a bit of seriousness. You can't eat all of your kid's cast-offs and lose weight. You can't eat anything you want and maintain your weight. Well you can't if you have my metabolism, anyway. I suppose if I'm lucky, I will be ping-ponging between 174 and 178 for the rest of my life.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
80 tamari almonds
4 sticks beef jerky
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Russo's ($4.90)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner:
9 Pieces Sashimi
Double Salad

Dessert
12 squares almond-chocolate
2 strawberries

Good intentions don't equal healthy choices by Monnica Reinagel from nutritiondata.com

A number of different reports on Americans' dietary habits and preferences were in the news this week, all pointing to the same trend: Although we consumers say we want to eat healthy, there seems to be a significant disconnect between our attitudes and our actions. A report titled "Attitudes to Food: Weight and Diet" indicates that while consumers believe it's important to eat a healthy diet, they continue with unhealthy habits.  The majority of consumers surveyed considered saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt, and added sugar to be harmful, for example. Yet we eat more fat and calories than ever before--and have the expanding waistlines to prove it. 

Why? Because, consumers say, unhealthy and fattening foods continue to be cheaper, quicker, and more available--not to mention tastier.  It's tempting to shift the blame and responsibility for our unhealthy eating habits to the food and restaurant industry. But is this really fair? A study commissioned by the restaurant industry reported that consumers were frustrated by the lack of healthy choices on restaurant menus.  Yet restaurant managers insist that when they add low-fat, low-calorie, or other healthy alternatives to the menu, customers continue to order the same fat- and calorie-laden dishes that were on the menu to begin with. The broccoli spoils in the walk-in cooler while the French fries continue to flow out the kitchen doors.

Adding menu items that no one orders spells financial hardship for restaurants, which run on impossibly tight profit margins.  So you can hardly blame restaurant owners for thinking twice before revamping their menus.  A survey of menu developers and marketing executives for the country's leading casual-dining restaurants (published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine) reveals that the most important considerations for choosing what's on the menu are sales and profits.  Food safety is a distant second, followed by consumer demand and labor issues.   Health and nutrition were listed as a consideration by less than a quarter of respondents.

Although efforts are underway to legislate healthier menus with trans fat bans and other initiatives (which I discussed in a recent issue of the ND newsletter), many people find this type of government interference in private industry (and personal choice) troubling. The way I see it, healthier food won't be a priority for the restaurant industry until we as consumers make it profitable. 

Ironically (but perhaps not surprisingly), those who say they are most concerned with nutrition also eat out the least. Is it because there are so few nutritious options on the menu? Perhaps if we frequent restaurants and support chefs who make it a priority to offer great-tasting, nutritious food, they'll get the message that healthier menus can be profitable...and we'll have more to choose from.

Year 3, Day 28: The Breakfast Rut Continues

I don't know how to tell you this, because if you're reading this you already know- I'm in a breakfast rut. I can't and don't want to change. I love it and I can eat it every day. I have calculated the calories and I enjoy the ritual of cutting the fruit, measuring the cereal. Not to mention the old sentimental favorites of letting the cereal get soggy in the bowl. It's really hard to breakaway. All suggestions for alternatives are welcomed.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($4.90)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
40 Tamari Almonds
1 Fuji Apple

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Cauliflower
A wee bit of Chun King Pork


From the South Beach Diet Newsletter: Grocery Shopping Secrets

If you're following the South Beach Diet®, you're shopping for lots of fresh, nutritious foods. To get through the grocery store in a timely fashion, stick to the perimeter of the store — it's where you'll find fresh dairy, produce, meat, poultry, and fish. Most of the aisles in between have packaged goods, such as crackers, cookies, canned soups and vegetables, juices, etc. For more specific information on getting through the grocery store, check out our handy tips, below. (Unless noted, you can enjoy the following items on every Phase of The South Beach Diet™.) .

Produce. Load your cart with a variety of fresh, nutrient-dense, fiber-rich vegetables, like spinach, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots (Phase 2), and peppers. Beginning in Phase 2, stock up on fresh fruits, too, including apples, oranges, mangoes, pomegranates, melons, and berries.

Dairy. There are many items to choose from in the dairy aisle. For instance, eggs, part-skim ricotta cheese, and low-fat cheese are all considered excellent lean protein choices on the South Beach Diet®. Low-fat and fat-free milk count toward your daily dairy requirement (two servings per day on Phase 1; up to three per day thereafter), as do low-fat and nonfat plain yogurt and artificially sweetened low-fat and fat-free yogurt (beginning on Phase 2). You can also find unsweetened or artificially sweetened soy milk (choose only those containing 4 grams of fat or less per 8-ounce serving) in the dairy aisle.

Meats/Fish/Poultry. Focus your attention on lean cuts of beef and poultry, which include eye of round, ground beef (sirloin, lean, and extra-lean), tenderloin, top loin, and top round, as well as turkey and chicken breast, pork loin and pork tenderloin. Fish and shellfish are also good choices. Get to know your fishmonger — you should aim to eat fish four times a week. (Limit consumption of types of fish that contain high levels of methylmercury, including shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.)

Frozen Foods. The frozen aisle offers quick-to-cook vegetables — perfect if you're up against the clock. You can also find soy-based meat alternatives in the freezer section. Look for those that contain less than 6 grams of fat per 2- to 3-ounce servings. If you have a sweet tooth, try frozen fudge bars with no added sugar.

Miscellaneous. Other foods to seek out from the middle of the store: nuts (avoid honey-roasted or sweetened varieties), canned light tuna fish, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar-free gelatin, vegetable juice cocktail or tomato juice, sugar-free diet sodas, and sugar-free drink mixes. Beginning in Phase 2, you can also stock up on whole-grain breads and crackers, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and low-sugar, high-fiber whole-grain cereals.

Year 3, Day 27: The Next Deadline

Is a party for my Mom's 70th- can you believe it? There are hundred little details, of which I am forgetting all of from a day-to-day basis. I am making a film, and it requires a lot of time and concentration. I couldn't write about it before, but by the time you read this, the party will be over and it won't be a secret.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
Five Pieces Beef Jerky
1 Fuji Apple
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Crown Kitchen
Chicken KeBab Salad (no feta)


Dinner: Chang Shin Yuan
Boneless Spareribs
Chun King Pork
Shredded Pork with STring Beans
Beef with Broccoli
Shrimp with Asparagus

Just two of us today, but a VERY Fast walk. Totally sweat-inducing. Got Crown Kitchen again, but they totally bungled the order- no feta on my Chicken Kebab with Feta. I mean, "what's the point?' I like to support my local shops, but I have to, reluctantly, strike them from the list. In alternative eating news, I pioneered the "Chang Shin Yuan" movement at home. I tried to get things my kids would like (Ruby likes steak & broccoli and magnolia likes shrimp & asparagus) but they were both abject failures and got the thumbs down from Emily, even though she liked the shredded pork with string beans and boneless spareribs. She didn't like the chun king pork because it was too spicy. Lessons learned.

Year 3, Day 26: Late Nite for Restaurant Z

The Zen of Dieting. I keep thinking about how the Russo's salad bar reminds me of life. If you get there early, you get what you want, but if you show up late, you've got to elbow your way just to STAY IN LINE. People will cut you off for a white, gristle-y piece of chicken. They'll cut the line. You've got to appreciate the good things (delicious, pitted olives of all varieties) when you've got them- you never know when they're going to be replaced by an unappealing alternative (like cheap, sliced black olives). You've got to relish the moment (like broccoli slaw) that comes like an apparition, and then is gone just as quickly. You've got to grit your teeth against the days you make do without chicken because you timed it wrong, and she was just coming by to refill as you sealed your salad with the ill-fitting plastic lid. You have to comfort yourself when their is NO chicken container; and you have to make due with tuna. You have to hide your pity for those people who load up their salads with the three c-s—corn, croutons and carbs (in the form of peas, chick peas or water chestnuts). You have to hide your contempt for those who practice less than chivalrous salad bar behavior, like trying to cut the wrong-way line by faking the 'just needed some dressing' ploy. It's really a microcosm, and endlessly fascinating, just in case you were wondering how I could make a go of it after so long and so many salads.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($4.50)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
4 Pieces Beef Jerky
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Dinner
Steak, Onions & Asparagus
Salad
a few stray nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)

WIth lots of projects to do, I stayed up late to finish a music-project for a friend's fledgling new restaurant. Hope they like it! It was a third night of being up late, and as a result, I had a less that 100% appetite. Yay for sleep depravation!

Year 3, Day 25: Is It Really A Wonder?

You know, I have always considered myself a marketing guy, and I always appreciate shameless marketing, no matter what. But in my old age I have grown more sensitive to the misleading marketing tactics being used to market shitty products to kids. And Wonder "Kids" (I'm surprised they didn't make it "kidz") really takes the cake. Here, they are taking a product, that for the most part really only appeals to kids anyway (that includes college students and arrested adults who act like kids) and pretending to make a new product that is specifically "For" kids. But if they were really making a product for kids, how about if they could just leave THE HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS out of them? Well they didn't. And to make it worse, they don't publish their complete nutritional information on their web site. Very misleading. They only publish the vitamins in their bread, not the ingredients.

Breakfast
Kashi (plus bear naked granola)
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch
Turkey, Chicken
Salad Feta Balsamic

Snackz
4 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
6 oz Vanilla Stonyfield Yogurt
Peanut Butter, to taste

Dinner
Turkey Crumble
Lettuce Leaves

Another trip to the gym, another 6.25 miles in 65 minutes, slowest in some time. It was a struggle, but I still managed to walk downstairs and do 80 ab crunches. I am starting to like the downstairs gym. I know I will get into the machines. I'm not sure that I'll ever really be into weight lifting. That reminds me of all the psychopaths from my high school. I am not so eager to relive those days.

Year 3, Day 24: What's in This Coffee!!!

A slow start to the day, and Emily, for the first time, made the coffee. But she used the wrong proportions and it was very weak and denied our usual caffeine dose, we both went crawling into the day like cave dwellers treat their reemergence to the surface. I took Ruby to the carnival (overheard heard to be 'the poorest carnival ever' by one father). It was a pretty small-potatoes affair, but for Ruby, who was recovering from a small bout of not feeling well the night before, it was just right. Because she wasn't feeling well, she skipped the normal temptations of popcorn, cookies and the like, and we focused on making bracelets, knocking over milk jugs and spinning wheels.

Breakfast
1 slice balthazar bread
2.5 hard boiled eggs
coffee (weak)

Lunch
Sliced Breast of Turkey
Salad, Romaine, Cabbage, Feta, Balsamic

Snack
1 Very Large PInk Lady Apple

Dinner
Turkey Crumble
Lettuce Leaves
1 hand full of popcorn
1 pistachio that got loose as I was transferring it to another bag

From www.slashfood.com

Guittard takes top honors in chocolate chip tasting

In advance of Valentine's Day the good folks at the San Diego Union Tribune's food section conducted a tasting of chocolate chips earlier this week. Not being much of a baker, I'd opt for champagne truffles as way to express affection through chocolate rather than chocolate chips.

But let's get back to the paper's survey. The eight panelists sampled the chips in cookies and out of hand, one of my favorite ways to, ahem, "test" chocolate chips.

The chocolatey morsels were evaluated for flavor, texture and performance in a cookie. And the winner for best performance in a cookie (and overall winner) was Guittard Real Semisweet Chocolate Chips. I've never heard of Guittard but a quick Google search revealed that the E. Guittard is a purveyor of some mighty fine sounding gourmet chocolate bars, including Venezuelan Sur de Lago.

The runner-up in the tasting was an old-school classic: Nestle Toll House Semisweet Chocolate Morsels.

Year 3, Day 23: Sifting through the rubble and poker

Of course, the day after the disaster you are sifting the rubble, looking for meaning, and trying to understand what happened. Probably not doing either with the proper intensity, or really well. But when you can't die you have to live, so on goes the battle. The best thing is to just take a deep breath and move on. After all, in the words of my mother-in-law, "no one lost a leg." I always liked that saying. I thought it drew the line at a properly tragic and comic place. I'm not sure what the discussion where you determine what's just UNDER losing a leg is. I tried to keep things on track with the typical breakfast (see Breakfast Rut) and lunch. Continued to have a bit of a suppressed appetite. Having poker to look forward was a plus.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch
Russo's ($5.07)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
2 beef jerky
1 apple

Dinner/Poker/Snacks
almonds & cashews
pistachios
Boston Lite Popcorn

Chinese:
2 moo shi pork
man yan beef
string beans
kung pao chicken
Szechwan pork
boneless spareribs
beef teriyaki

A lot went kind of wrong though, en route to poker, showing me that this was a week of problemitization. (I know that's not a word, but it came up in a previous life as we brought it into work and it became the standard funny way to discuss things that went wrong). I left a lot of things I wanted to bring to the card game at home on my porch, and I was quite distracted all night. Is that why I lost at cards? At the end of the night we drove off and I had forgotten my keys and I had to go back. Did I mention I ate my weight in nuts? Yes well the world could be falling apart and some things don't change.

Year 3, Day 22: Disaster and the Day with No Jerky

Something bad happened at work today where everyone starts saying "how did this happen?" At best it was uncomfortable and at worst we were all felt physically sick, thus depriving me of my appetite, which was the only thing good that happened today. Just like all days, I got through it, but with far fewer snacks.

Breakfast
3 oz. Jane's Bread
Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Coffee
1 Blackberry

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Wonton Kitchen
House Special Egg Drop Soup
Spicy Chicken with String Beans

Dinner: Skipjack's
Mediterranean Salad
Spicy Salmontini

Emily wisely insisted that we play tennis after work. I didn't want to, but sometimes when things are f**ked up, there's no sense wallowing in it. We wanted to play tennis but we knew we had to eat something first—the days of eating AFTER tennis (when tennis happens at 7pm) were behind us. We agreed to meet at Skipjack's, where we ate very lightly. I had a SalmonTini—which is sushi in a Martini glass, for those who don't want the rice. Sushi restaurants have started to wrap sushi in dakon radish or cucumber—but the glass is just as good (and less filling). I weighed myself on a detecto, after dinner, at the Boston Sports Club—"173"—definitely a better way to end the day then it started. Definitely walked out of there with a spring in my step, even though I lost all the sets to Emily.

Year 3, Day 21: Ten Years of Not Smoking

Most people only know the approximate date of when they quit smoking but I know the exact date I had my last cigarette: March 21st, 1997. It was a Thursday night, and I played poker. I didn't just smoke one cigarette; I smoked a lot of them. That's just what we did. I know, it's shocking. Why did I quit? It's a long, long answer. Earlier that afternoon, my brother David and I had left our respective workplaces early so we could go shopping for stuff for the card game. The game had been going on for nearly eight years and we had started to get our stuff at BJ's Wholesale, where it was a lot cheaper to buy a case of snapple and bags of doritos and such. Because we played every Thursday, and we neither had the funds nor the storage space in our meager apartments to store lots and lots of stuff, we had to return frequently, which wasn' t that easy since the closest one was in Medford. On weeks in between BJ's runs, we had to make do with Star Market, and in this case, the Fenway Star Market, which is hands down the absolute yuckiest, dirtiest, Star Market around (though the Chestnut Hill one comes pretty close). For whatever reason I hadn't eaten that day or not much or I was hungry and so I took a SMOKED TURKEY CUBE from a the stand-up chef display at THE FENWAY STAR MARKET. I feel pretty certain in retrospect that this was the cause of my later in the evening bout with some of the worst 'worshiping the porcelain altar' and 'technicolor yawning' that it has ever been my displeasure to endure. When I think of how that turkey was not only sitting out, unrefrigerated, but probably handled by people who were just minutes earlier handling ever more disgusting bottles and cans rescued and retrieved from the gutters of Fenway Park my stomach can really start grumbling. Now I happen to have some experience with the bottle & can people at Fenway Star because for a short time over the summer of 1987 I worked there as a cashier. I only had limited hours and so I was often relegated to the bottle return, and often took large, nausea-inducing hefty bags filled with just such bottles and cans. A few bottles were interestingly from brands that had not been manufactured for years. But I digress.

Friday morning, March 22nd, 1997, I had taken the day off from work and I was going to get up, get a rent-a-car and pick up my friend John. We were headed down to NY to the Beatlefest and we were going to stop in Foxwoods on the way, as had been our tradition. However, I never made it to the rent-a-car place (I wonder if they're still holding it?) because my friend Andrea called and desperately needed to meet me somewhere. Since I had been getting sick (really sick, yes, like that) all morning, I thought I would meet her at Jera's juice, a juice bar in Coolidge Corner. I figured it would be a good shot of health-giving juice that would give me the strength to get my day back on track. Now in retrospect, it is ridiculous to think that someone who stayed up very very late (2AM) and then got sick all morning would still try to keep an aggressive plan to drive three hours, go to a Casino, and then press on to a huge hotel-wide flea market. That takes a lot of energy. Sick, young and foolish, I still I thought I could get it done.

I took the T the few blocks from Washington Square, resting my hot head on the cool metal T handrails. I got to Jera's and got my order in OK, but before it came I needed to step outside for some air. When I woke up, the world was upside down. The Brookline Booksmith sign was upside down. (The picture above is EXACTLY what I saw when I opened my eyes). It took me a while to realize I was literally in the street, with my head in the gutter. The ambulance came, and even though I was a fairly young guy with my friend Andrea nearby, they spoke to me like I was holding a gun on a baby in a crack den. "You on drugs? Did you take any drugs?" I assured them I had not. The people at Jera's were clinging to the wall. The EMS guys put me on the stretcher, and attached the oxygen mask. Naturally, this was my cue to do my Darth Vader imitation. Andrea came with me in the ambulance. She was TOTALLY freaked out, she had no idea I had been sick that morning, so my keeling over seemed totally out of the blue. When I got to the hospital I was diagnosed as dehydrated. The cure: lots of saline, which was very cold (kept with the stethescopes, I thought) and gave me the shivers. I told Andrea to call John and tell him what happened. I think he showed up at the hospital, and so did my brother, who drove me home.

I think this was just pre-cell phone, so I think Emily didn't find out till she got home.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Strawberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
1/2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
4 Sticks Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: V Majestic
1/4th Vietnamese Pancake with Chicken & Shrimp
Broccoli & Shrimp
Tea

Dinner
Cheeseburger with Onions & Peppers
Romaine, Cabbage, Feta & Balsamic

By the time I woke up on Saturday I had already gone over 24 hours without smoking. I remember asking the question "I wonder when I'll feel good enough to smoke again." Right around this time, Brookline, the town I lived in, had passed a town-wide ban on smoking in restaurants. That meant you were no longer going to be able to smoke before and after dinner, even at bars. On top of that, the state had raised the cigarette tax so a pack of cigarettes went from being $2.50 to $3.25. That was it, I thought. I am not going to pay a ton of money to the state so they can keep me outside to practice my legal vice. At that point, I resolved to see how long I could go without smoking a cigarette. It has been ten years today, and though I have had a mess of cigars, no cigarette has passed my lips. And that goes DOUBLE for smoked turkey cubes.

Year 3, Day 20 Bringing Down the Horse

It looked like nice weather, but when the Domania walking gang took to the streets, we were met with howling winds, uncleared sidewalks, dirty snow and angry drivers as we walked back and forth across busy Pleasant street on our first ever walk to Russo's. Yes, we took the plunge many of us only dreamed of. We calculated it at about 2.4 miles, which is only slighter longer than our usual walk. However, due to inclement conditions, we had to take California Street back, thereby making it the longest walk ever. To top it off, I was carrying my salad and three apples and the bag was likely to give tear if I didn't hold it just so. But it was a great walk and I was glad to be part of the team, though my ears were ringing for quite a while after we got to Russo's.

Breakfast
2 slices of jane's new bread
super chunky peanut butter
coffee

snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno cheddar
4 sticks beef jerky
1 fuji apple
2 cups boston lite popcorn

Lunch
russos's ($5.45)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms,
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Robert's Faithful Brisket
Cauliflower

I don't know if anyone ever had this experience when you have a rent-a-car (I had to get a loaner because my car needed service): I came out my office at the end of the day I realized my car wasn't in the parking lot. I came home, had dinner, and then drafted Ruby to come with me to get my car. I was thinking about what a nice car dealership it was, as they lent me a car for nothing. The man had said "oh, since you're having your 30,000 mile tune-up, you can have a loaner car at no cost." Then I realized the 30,000 mile tune up costs FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I could buy a NEW CAR for that! On the way there, I took Ruby to Ben & Jerry's and let her get any cone she wanted, which in this case was a fudge-laden, sprinkle-covered coffee chip ice cream cone (kid-size, natch). The counter help were impressed that she picked coffee, because most young'ens pick chocolate or vanilla. Because I am an enabler, I brought home a pint.

Year 3, Day 19: If it's Monday, It's NUTS

My extra-small salad made me feel like I could eat more snacks. The royal gala apple I had was so inferior that I tossed it after sadly eating half of it. I made my way for the popcorn, but an hour later I WAS STILL HUNGRY.

I reached for the nuts, and you know what happens. I even took some stale pistachios in the car. How sad is that?

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheddar
5 sticks beef jerky
8 almonds
30 pistachios
1/2 apple
2 cups boston lite popcorn

Russo's ($4.45)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner (Leftovers)
Chicken breast
green beans and string beans

From RunnersWorld.com Start Your Engine

Now that you've taken Metabolism 101, here are 10 easy ways to coax your body to burn more calories all day long.

1. Reach for green tea. Research shows that drinking 2 to 4 cups of green tea a day can significantly boost your metabolism. Unlike black tea, green tea contains a phytochemical called ECGC, which researchers believe can cause the body to waste calories as heat, thus speeding calorie burn.

Some supplement companies have tried to capitalize on this research by including green tea extract in their formulations of products such as multivitamins. But the jury is still out on whether these supplements contain enough of the right extracts to speed weight loss. For now, your best bet is to sip the real thing.

2. Spice things up. If you enjoy hot, spicy foods, take note: You can increase the amount of calories your body burns during digestion by adding hot peppers from the "capsaicin" family, such as jalapeno and serrano peppers, to your meals. The studies done on hot peppers and caloric burn show an effect with 2 to 3 grams of capsaicin, but I recommend sticking to a level of hotness you can comfortably tolerate. (Just remember to always use gloves when dicing hot peppers to avoid accidentally transferring their hot oil to your eyes or nose.)

3. Eat protein at every meal. Your digestive tract has to work harder to break down protein than it does to break down carbohydrate, which increases caloric burn during digestion. This doesn't mean you should switch to a high-protein diet, however, since runners need carbohydrates for muscle fuel. Instead, include some low-fat protein with every meal or snack to boost calorie burn. For example, if you usually snack on pretzels and sports drink, consider switching to pretzels with nonfat milk.

4. Eat fish and flax. New research shows that omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat found in fish and flax seeds, encourage your fat cells to send the "we're full" signal to your brain. This, in turn, causes the brain to send the signal to your metabolism to burn more calories. So consider switching from beef or chicken to fish as often as possible, and mix flax meal into your baked-goods recipes.

5. Switch to healthy fats. Researchers at Monash University in Australia found that switching from saturated fats (such as butter) to monounsaturated fats (such as olive or canola oil) increases caloric burn. In the study, participants were served the same breakfast a few weeks apart. One breakfast was cooked in butter; the other was cooked in olive oil. After eating the breakfast made with olive oil, the participants burned more fat and stored less fat than they did after eating the breakfast made with butter.

6. Consume more dairy products. During the past few years, researchers have uncovered a surprising connection between calcium and fat burning. The theory: Diets that include adequate calcium (1,000 to 1,300 milligrams per day) result in more weight loss than diets that include less calcium. It's thought that calcium plays a key role in regulating fat-cell metabolism and fat storage. In other words, when you eat enough calcium, your body prefers to break down and use fats. When you don't eat enough calcium, your body prefers to store fat.

More evidence suggests that eating foods high in calcium, such as low-fat dairy products, boosts metabolism better than taking calcium supplements. This may be because some other substance in food--possibly whey protein--is needed for calcium to do its job.

7. Eat regularly. Since the "feast-or-famine days" of our distant ancestors, our bodies have become hardwired to conserve calories when faced with a food shortage. So, when you skip meals, your body immediately slows your RMR. And when you skip meals on a regular basis, your RMR may remain permanently low. To keep this from happening, make sure you eat at least three meals a day--every day. And add some healthy snacks as well. Remember: Everytime you eat something, you add fuel to your metabolic fire.

8. Eat more. Now here's a tip you probably didn't expect, but chronic calorie restriction trains your body to survive on fewer calories. As you eat fewer and fewer calories, your body adapts by slowing your metabolism, at which point you'll never kiss those last 5 pounds good-bye.

The solution? Eat just a bit more--about 250 to 400 additional calories a day. This can help rev your engine and allow weight loss to take place.

9. Run harder. Sure, if you add more miles to your current running program, you'll burn more calories. That's the simple truth about running: The more miles you run, the more calories you burn. But let's say you don't want to run more miles. Fine, try varying your intensity instead.

Rather than running the same pace day after day, add bursts of faster running that last for 60 to 90 seconds. The added intensity will increase your caloric after-burn during the 24 hours after your workout as your body recovers from the added physical stress and restores muscle glycogen and protein.

10. Lift weights. If you aren't doing some form of strength training, it's time to start. The more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn all day long. And it only takes two workouts a week to make a difference. For a fun strength workout at home, try using a fitness ball--those large, air-filled balls that are all the rage in gyms these days.

Visit lizapplegate.com for more nutrition and fitness tips from Liz or for information on her new book Bounce Your Body Beautiful.

Year 3, Day 18: Skating

Had a weirdly timed workout today, around lunchtime, which is tough because I don't want to work out hungry and I usually want to eat when I'm done. So in this case I had my usual postworkoutsnack beforehand, and then had a regular snack after as lunch. It was a good workout, 7 miles in 59 minutes plus 70 ab crunches. I swear one day I will have rock hard abs. Though I feel certain that I'll have to a lot of the guy leaning on the thing with a weight and going from side-to-side in order to do it. You probably have no idea what I"m talking about, but when I read this years from now I'll know exactly what I mean.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee
1 piece of french toast (a small cube, the size of a sugar cube)

preworkoutsnack
6 oz yogurt
peanut butter
a few nuts

post workout lunch
1 slice balthazar bread
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheddar
1 hard boiled egg

at skating
popcorn

dinner
shrimp
string beans & snap peas
a little more popcorn

A winter tradition has been to take Ruby skating. It's a bit of an ordeal because you've got to get dressed for the cold and then get over there, and this time Ruby really really wanted to be independent. I'm glad I told her before the first time we ever went skating "Know what we're going to do here? Fall. A lot. That's what ice skaters do. they fall. A lot. Don't think you're not going to fall, because we are both going to fall. Then we're going to get up. and have popcorn and hot chocolate." And what do you know, that's exactly what happens. Every time. This time, Ruby wanted to go without me, and she did, several times around the rink. The rink at the Dedham VFW was not as good as the one in Wellesley (but did think it might be?) but they ARE open as a public ice skating rink year round. So they've got that going for them. Their commitment to snacks was way below poor though, as unlike Wellesley, they didn't have enough employees to dish out the snacks during breaks, resulting in long lines that had no place to go because there in addition to no counter help there was no line management. To add insult to injury, the popcorn was old and the hot chocolate was watery. Ruby didn't want either- she only wanted to get back on the ice. Which she did, until the hour was up.

Year 3, Day 17: The Dig Out

We knew that by the second we were getting ice-encased, so we drank all our coffee, watched all our spongebobs and endeavored to get dressed and get out. Emily and I both started shoveling at one point and we managed to clean off the front stairs and make a reasonable dent in the driveway. Every time it snows I'm asking myself "why do I have stairs? A nice ramp would do."

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
1 slice balathazar bread
peanut butter
2 oz 50 %jalapeno cheddar
2 sticks beef jerky

Lunch:
Romaine, Cabbage, Red & YEllow Peppers, Tuna
Feta, Balsamic, Pepperoncini

Dinner: Fuji Steak house
Soup
Salad
Sashimi Deluxe
a few bites of ruby's steak

Ruby and I lit out for the day in earnest at about 3pm. We had a few errands to do, but the first stop was getting her a slice of pizza at Papa Ginos. She ate it with such gusto it really was a pleasure. There is nothing worse than watching a kid pick at food he or she is not interested in. After that we continued on with her day but before the Steve Songs concert, I went to get a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. I got her a green sprinkled donut that was the usual vanilla-frosted with sprinkles but because it was SPD it was called "Manager's Special." The woman waiting on me could not understand my questioning—there seemed to be two variations and I couldn't tell the difference from the counter. The only english she could speak (I surmised) was the exact name of Dunkin Donuts products. We left, products in hand and went to the concert. After that we went to Japanese steak house (think Benihana) and amazingly, she ate a huge dinner steak, vegetables, plus udon noodles and rice. She was a good sport and tried the miso soup and the japanese salad dressing. Both were met with firm head shaking. I ordered the sashimi because my experience with Tempinakyi is that it uses a tremendous amount of butter and other unnecessary fats. I did get a few looks a the table, but it was just fine because the guy next to me made everyone crane their heads when he asked for a fork.

Year 3, Day 16: Snow Day

We woke up and there was not a flake in the sky or on the ground. So we all pressed on with our days. By three o'clock it was the type of weather that you are saying "holy sh#$% how did it get so bad so fast?" I have only a local ride home so I didn't fret much, but I did worry for folks who had to spend time on the highway. Note to self: never work anywhere where you have to drive more than fifteen minutes to work. (Longer on the train OK).

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
4 cups Boston Lite popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.41)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms,
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Turkey Crumble in Cabbage Leaves
1 Broasted Breast of Chicken
Asparagus

From The South Beach Newsletter: Keeping the Pounds Off While You Sleep

If you're eating the South Beach Diet® way and exercising regularly, you're already on the path toward a longer, healthier life. But there's another step you can take: getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. The National Sleep Foundation's 2007 Sleep in America poll reveals that 60 percent of American women aren't meeting their sleep needs. If you fall into this category, a lack of sleep may be affecting your ability to lose weight and keep it off.

According to recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and Lancet, sleep deprivation can negatively influence the stress hormone called cortisol. The result? If you aren't getting adequate sleep, you may find you're hungry even after eating a sufficient amount of food. In addition to affecting appetite control, sleep loss can also interfere with carbohydrate metabolism (the process of breaking down carbs). This leads to an increase in blood glucose (sugar) levels, causing insulin to be released, which can lead to weight gain and increased fat storage.

Fortunately, you can prevent these problems — and potentially jump-start weight loss or overcome a weight-loss stall — by taking the following precautions to help you get a good night's sleep:

Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex only — paying bills, watching TV, and other sleep-robbing activities should be conducted elsewhere.
Don't go to bed hungry. Enjoy a light snack, like a reduced-fat cheese stick or a slice of lean deli meat before bedtime.
Refrain from exercise three hours before bedtime since exercise releases the hormone epinephrine, which can make you more alert. But log some exercise time during the day, which may improve your ability to sleep.
Don't drink caffeine (a stimulant) within several hours of retiring to bed. Alcohol should also be avoided within hours of bedtime as it can cause early awakening. And, of course, if you still smoke, quit.
If you typically have trouble sleeping at night, avoid napping during the day.
If you've been trying to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing (take a bath, read a magazine, record your thoughts in a journal) until you feel sleepy.
Make sure your environment is conducive to sleeping (comfortable light, sound, and temperature).
Be consistent about the time you go to bed and what time you wake up each day — even on weekends!

Year 3, Day 15: Someone Stop Me

Into my third week and still feeling like I'm out of control. As I have written, I think this has a lot to do with having just way, way too much work to handle at work, and just way way too much personal stuff (projects) to handle at home. Don't even talk about the physical or emotional, it's tough going out there. I continue to live in a breakfast rut, and Emily and I continue to amaze each other in how long we can eat the same exact breakfast every single day, day after day. Do other people have this? Do other people long for variety? Or is it comfort in routine? I am interested in hearing people's opinions!

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno
4 sticks Beef Jerky
1 Braeburn APple

Lunch: Shin Chang Yuan
Boneless SPareribs
Chung King Pork
Shrimp & Snowpeas
Moo Shi Pork

Dinner: Sabra
1 bite of Falafel
1 bite of chicken schnitzel
greek salad
chicken kebab

dessert
1 chocolate chip cookie
15 chocolate chips

Date night disaster, at least from a gourmet perspective. Thinking of yummy Mediterranean dishes of our past, we decide to try Sabra in Newton Center. It's funny, but neither of us can ever remember ever going there to eat, but somehow we know it's not good because we've been coming to Newton Center for food ever since Jillz told us about Sweet Tomatoes in 2000. So that's seven years and we love falafel and we thought, "well, it's lasted this long." A possible bad omen is when Emily asked me "so who said this place was good" after we were seated. I had to remind her that we were there on a recon mission. The final outcome was that it was by no means bad, but it had all the charm of a Israeli TV dinner, and that's including the total lack of ambiance created by the wait staff who didn't wait on us and brought us room temperature water in chipped glasses. Sigh. We got home and Ruby had made chocolate chip cookies—you can read the rest.

Year 3, Day 14: Say "No" to High Fructose Corn Syrup

I go on about it, but here is the devastating breakdown of why we as Americans are finding it difficult to avoid consuming corn-as-sugar. The Cost of High Fructose Corn Syrup at the Accidental Hedonist. Sadly, I have also included the text of an article about "Passover Coke" and how the people who try it realize it tastes better, and it makes them sad to realize we have to drink the poor, poor substitute the rest of the year. A fascinating, if not sorrowful read.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
4 beef jerky sticks
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 cups boston lite popcorn

lunch; crown cafe
chicken kebab greek salad

assorted
1 cashew
4 strawberries
16 chocolate chips

dinner
5 oz cheddar burger
cauliflower
pickles
a little bit of chicken breast

From Off the Broiler Blog:

Kosher for Passover Coke: Its the Real Thing Baby
It’s that time of the year again folks — Passover season approaches, and with that comes the annual stocking of the KFP Coca-Cola, the “Real Thing”. I’ve resurrected and updated this post from last year so you can get the jump on it early. Both Coca-Cola of New York and Chicago have just started their production runs, so be vigilant!

- Jason

(Originally posted on March 25, 2006)

In April of 1985, the Coca-Cola company announced that it was re-formulating its flagship carbonated drink, which to the horror of Coke fans everywhere, included a switchover to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Soon, the rest of the soft drink industry followed suit, and the classic taste of cane sugar-based sodas became practically extinct. Today, only a few small boutique soft drink companies still make sodas with refined cane sugar (or sucrose, made from sugar beets) a costly ingredient when compared with HFCS — but true carbonated beverage connoisseurs know and can tell the difference, as corn syrup has a characteristically cloying sweetness when compared to refined sugar. For nostalgic Coca-Cola lovers, unless you live in a foreign country that classic taste is but a distant memory.

Every late March and early April, for the two to three weeks leading up to the celebration of the Jewish Passover holiday season in the United States, Coke fans living in major metropolitan areas with large Jewish populations get their Real Thing, if only for that brief fleeting period. According to Jewish law, nothing made with chametz (any of a number of proscribed cereals and grains, including corn) during passover may be consumed — so in order not to lose sales from observant Jews during that eight day period, a small number of Coca-Cola bottlers make a limited batch of the original Coke formulation, using refined sugar. Needless to say, stocks run out quickly and fans of Passover Coke have been known to travel many miles seeking out supermarkets with remaining caches.

Passover Coke products (and Passover Pepsi) in 2-Liter bottles can be distinguished by their yellow caps, inscribed either with just the “OU-P” symbol and/or the words Kosher L’Pesach in Hebrew. The canned variety is rare and is known to be produced only by a scant few bottling companies in the United States – if you can find any, be sure to snap it up.

Here’s the official word from the OU Passover Web Site:

Coca Cola will again be available with an OU-P for Pesach. Aside from the New York metropolitan area, Coke will be available in Boston, Baltimore-Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. This year, in New York, Coca Cola items will be made with an OU-P in 2 liter bottles and in cans. Other locations will have more limited Coke items made in different sizes. All these items, of course, require the OU-P symbol. Most of the bottling plants servicing these markets will designate the Passover Coke items with a distinctive yellow cap in addition to the OU-P symbol on the cap or shoulder of the bottle.

For more, go here.

Year 3, Day 13: Courtney and the Peanut Butter Sandwich

For nearly four years I worked with a guy named Courtney, who taught me a lot both about the world and about staying fit. Some I learned by his guidance, and some by his examples, which were all over the map. He was the original "get your exercise in anywhere" guy, always parking far from wherever we were going, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and agreeing to go on any chore that involved walking. I think he was as exasperating to me as I was to him with my slothful, sedentary ways. But we were both known to love a Dunkin Donuts coffee roll, though with constant activity and intramural activity (he was involved in every sport anywhere Sober leagues, whatever, he would join a ladies' league to play on a team) he did not have a problem burning it off. My bad influence on him during the last years we worked together was that we always ended up eating colossally large lunches, some of which we got for free (from clients of the newspaper) but more of which we paid for. In order to break from this tradition, he told me one morning when I got in at around 9:30 that he was now going to 'bring lunch every day.' I asked him what his inaugural lunch was. He had the classic—a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I congratulated him on his change of life. At 10:30am he was deep into the second half of his sandwich. At 12:00 we went to lunch as usual.

The reason I never forgot that story is that after I started the South Beach diet I recognized that his inability to refrain from eating the sandwich was an illustration of two things. One; if the food is there and you know it, you'll be tempted to eat it, so if you really don't want to give in to temptation, don't bring it into your house or office, especially if it's nuts or a nut byproduct. Two, the importance of snacking, grazing or eating throughout the day cannot be overestimated. You cannot stay on a diet that makes you feel deprived, and you cannot lose weight by starving yourself.

Breakfast
4 slices of Ham
2 slices balthazar bread
1 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter
coffee

snack
4 sticks beef jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno cheddar
1 fuji apple

lunch: new ginza
salad
soup
sashimi

dinner
6-day old brisket
edamame
pickles

I did pretty well overall today, though by the end of the night I feared my body was entering into a sodium crisis. Even though I always request 'light soy' sushi days are loaded with sodium, and as everyone knows, you need potassium to counter your sodium, and I had little in my diet today. The last few pickles and edamame made me feel like a raisin so I drank a tremendous amount of water to compensate, which is helpful for your body, but leads to an irritating familiarity with the path to the bathroom. Many have asked me about the sodium level I keep as a result of being on the program, and I tell you what I tell them: "I don't know."

Year 3, Day 12: Eat This, Not That

So you've been reading my blog, and maybe, just maybe, you feel like you've gotten smarter about what you're putting in your mouth. But have you really? The fast-food shops and marketers of the world are still out there, trying to trick you into buying and eating things that are less healthy than they appear to me. If you don't believe me, and you have a few minutes, go to this Web site: Eat This, Not That. I did well. How will you do?

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
30 Pistachios
3 cups Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.67)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, broccoli slaw
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Breast of Chicken
Bok Choy
Broccoli

I have to say I'm a big fan of the magazine called Men's Health. I don't read it much unless I'm in the airport or taking a train trip, but whenever I do I'm glad. It has a lot of very good information that's both interesting and actionable. It is funny, but not frivolous like its multitude of counterparts on the newsstand that live on only to show revealing pictures of women in various states of undress. Now there's nothing wrong with that, but I do like my health straight up.

Year 3, Day 11: Why You Can't Post

Some asinine #$%$S continues to spam-post to my blog if I allow anyone but registered blog users with comment verification and approval. He started a month ago and I put it on, then I took it off after a month, figuring he'd moved on to other blogs, but no, 43 posts showed up the day following. So it's back to that. I am complaining to google, but I'm not hoping for much there.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
1 oz 50% Jalapeno

Lunch
6 oz plain yogurt
5 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter

postworkout lunch/snack
1/2 fuji apple
1 joseph's net carb wrap (70 calories)
1 slice ham (50 calories)
1/4 cup cheese (70 calories)
30 nuts
diet coke

dinner
blue ribbon burnt ends
cabbage/romaine/feta salad
broccoli
pickles

I was not feeling up to scratch today, but I did do 7 miles on the elliptical but it took me 75 minutes to do it. Feeling lousy in the stomach, I skipped the ab crunches. When I came home and ate I felt a lot better.

Year 3, Day 10: Not Getting Hold of Myself

Year three continues to present challenges for me. I just having the hardest time getting a hold of myself and it could be because I have three or four big personal and professional projects going at once and it's likely to dissolve anyone's resolve. Of course, that's what quitters say, but I have been feeling less than stalwart and hoping that when all the projects are concluded I will rejoin my diet stamina.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
Lots and Lots of Nuts
3 cups popcorn

Lunch
Burnt Ends
Cabbage/Romaine/Onions/Feta
Balsamic Vinegar
Bubbie's PIckles

Dinner: Green Tea
Moo Shi Pork (2 Pancakes)
Beef with Black Bean Sauce
Green Pea Tendrils
1 piece yellowtail, tuna
Salt & Pepper Squid
2 glasses of wine

We had some friends over for dinner, in one of our very first friend and baby playdates. It worked out very well, but I did manage to eat way too much. There's a bit of a problem when there's sushi AND something else on the menu, because something genetic inside me compels me to eat all the sushi because I know it cannot be saved for another day. This is usually a problem ONLY when there's other food because I have usually eaten my allotment of calories from the other food, because honestly, only about 10% of all sushi is mouthwateringly good and the rest of it has all the joy of sliced ham. Good sliced ham, don't get me wrong- it's not like slimy old deli turkey (throat-clearing noise). It's just that as Sushi has become a staple in my diet I have found it much less exciting, yet its mere fragility makes me act irresponsibly. And then there's the deep-fried salt & pepper squid...

Year 3, Day 9: Tripping at the Finish Line

Like every other day this week, I resolved to have resolve. Like most days, I get very close to the end of the day and falter somewhat. Not sure if it's the time change, weather change, or simply forward motion of time that's got me down. But I'll tell you, it's keeping me at nut's door.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee(plus a bite of apple and a bite of egg salad and 1 strip turkey bacon)

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 Fuji Apple
5 Sticks Beef Jerky

Lunch: Osushi
Sashimi Platter
Soup
Salad

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Cabbage/Romaine/Feta Salad
String Beans
a bite of Blue Ribbon pork

Dessert
16 chocolate chips
a few cashews & almonds

From http://www.feelgoodfastfood.org/wordpress/

Fewer People are Dieting, says the NPD Group
March 4, 2007

In January, the NPD Group reported that dieting has reached an “all-time low” among American adults. NPD found that 60% of adults “would like to lose 20 pounds,” but interestingly, there are fewer Americans dieting than ever before. Furthermore, a greater percentage of Americans who are dieting are using their own diet plans, as opposed to those recommended by doctors.
I think this trend reflects the increasing importance of convenience to Americans, and Feel Good Fast Food can help address this problem.

The results suggest that Americans are quite aware that they need to lose weight, but they are less willing to diet because dieting is inconvenient; adults don’t want to give up the foods they are accustomed to eating. Similarly, the dieters who are adhering to their own diet plans instead of those of their doctors exhibit that they are not looking for the most effective diet, but the most convenient one. Americans need to lose weight without giving up the burgers and fries that they love, and Feel Good Fast Food can make this possible. Customers who value convenience over health will no longer have to choose against the latter.

Year 3, Day 8: It's Nut Very Good

Another year on the South Beach Diet and another day of 100 nuts. It is like the feeling of running fast downhill. You hope you don't hit a tree-root and go flying but ooop-- you did and now you're going ass over elbow into the nut-brush. It's really just hopeless some days.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
60 Pistachios
40 Almonds

Lunch: Chan Shin Yuan
Chung King Pork
Chicken with Spinach
Pork with String Beans
Beef Teriyaki

Dinner: The Met Bar
Greek Salad with Brick-Pressed Chicken; with Balsamic Vinegar
(a few bites of the bread basket: cran-raisin flatbread; corn bread; popover).

Once again, I can see by the review of my day's consumables that food higher in sugar leads one to eat more. You can argue all you like, but I can always see it in the black and white. It's something about resisting temptation makes it easier to resist temptation, but giving in makes it easier to keep on giving in. Look it up, you'll find it somewhere.

Year 3, Day 7: We Walk, No Matter What

We Walk in 10 degree weather. Perhaps fed up by a few weeks of cold and freezing weather, and perhaps not content to grow heavy and sedentary, the staff and I dressed up in layers and went out for a walk. I wanted to go for multiple reasons (one was that I did not get my extra trip to the gym) but mainly because I woke up with a backache for the first time in I don't know when and thought a good two mile walk would help work out the kinks, which in a way it did. Today also marked the triumphant return to Christos Seven-Star for a chicken greek salad for the first time in well over a year (Feb 23, 2006, to be exact). Sad to say, nothing much has changed; they continue to take 20 minutes to assemble a salad; they continue to present supermarket-bought parmesan cheese on their counter; and they continue to sell what would be at Russo's a nine dollar salad for $5.50.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Christos
Greek Salad with Chicken
Feta, Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner:
1 Joseph's Net Carb Wrap
5 Slices Ham
1 Egg & Cheese
Salsa
Green Beans

From foodfacts.info

Looks like California might be the first state to require the posting of nutritional data in fast food (and other chain) restaurants. A bill as been introduced in the California Senate by Sen. Carole Migden.

from the San Francisco Chronicle:

Migden, D-San Francisco, introduced legislation Tuesday that would require chain restaurants to post calorie counts for their food in plain view -- that is, on menus and menu boards. The legislation defines chains as restaurants that have five outlets in California, or have one in the state but at least 10 nationwide.

Citing the nation's high obesity rate -- 30 percent of adults over age 20 are obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics -- Migden argued that consumers should be allowed to make informed choices.
This won't be much trouble for the big chains (except Quizno's, since they won't tell anyone what's in their sandwiches), but it might be hard for the smaller chains that will have to spend the money on laboratory fees (to calculate the data) and signs. It might be more reasonable to limit the requirement to chains with 20+ locations. Just as important might be to require disclosure of those items that have trans fat or high fructose corn syrup.

Year 3, Day 6: True Love Never Runs Smooth

Again I am trying to stay true and on course. As usual, finding it challenging. Living in New England, with its frigid winter temperatures is really making reach me for the food (in all shapes and sizes).

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Sticks Beef Jerky
1 Fuji Apple
10 Almonds

Lunch: Russo's ($5.51)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms,
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

+2 slices toscano picante

Dinner
Shrimp & Snap Peas

Most of you know my feelings about cereal. I love cereal and have always loved cereal. The truth is, even some of the cereals you would consider 'the worst' are all about the same ~ 150 calories per serving, add about 30 for the 1/2 cup of lowfat milk. The real difference is whether the cereal is made with unnecessary stuff, like artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, BHA, BHT or partially hydrogenated oils. Of course most of the great kid cereals are made with sugar, and parents have to watch out for that. Yes, cereal companies use cartoons to sell sugar to kids, but in reality it's no different than companies using sex to sell products to adults. What gets me is how we've literally hit the skids when it comes to ideas. Now some folks might disagree with me, but when I saw the Eggo cereal, I really bummed out. Not that I wouldn't like it—especially in it's higher calorie (but lower carb) cinnamon maple version (made interestingly enough with cardamon)—but something about taking a product that was ALREADY a convenience food (the eggo waffle) and making it into an even more convenient food just hits me wrong. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it's a lot like when they make a movie out of a musical that was made out of a movie—you just ask, 'where are all the good ideas?" And the answer is 'they are killed because the heads of corporations just want to copy what is successful.' The truth is, I should have said something when Eggo waffle started crossing the line by making French Toast sticks—a clear violation of the Geneva convention. But now it's too late.

Year 3, Day 5: I Don't Like Mondays, Again

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but this march has continually roared but at the weirdest and most inconvenient times. Just when you're ready to break out the shorts, it got freezy, and this really could lead you to eat a lot of chocolate chips, for instance.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
4 sticks beef jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Russo's $6.01
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms,
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Turkey Crumble by Emily
Lettuce Leaves
a few hamburger bites
2 bites of a Joseph's Net Carb wrap with cheese (to entice magnolia to eat it)

I love Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas. They have the greatest marketing right on the package (but no web site). "No trans fats! 5 Net Carbs! Excellent Source of Omega-3s (a health benefit on which the jury is still out) are striped across the package. Yet, the name defies all of it's fans- it's like they had a marketing director but he/she quit prior to the naming and Web site creation. If you don't believe me, do a google search- you'll find lots of people talking about how good they are, but no one getting the name just right. And what kind of name has 9 words in it? Though it must be said they are everything a tortilla should be that a pita (and honestly most some tortillas) is not: they are pliant, and perfect for- well, wrapping things in. Since Magnolia loves cheese I thought she would dig what is really a grilled cheese sandwich but in a spherical roll-up that she could hold in one hand. Alas, I was wrong, but I did eat a lot of it trying to get her to eat it. Such is the burden of parenthood.

Year 3, Day 4: Sunday at the Gym Again

A very strange eating day. I realize how much of staying on a program—any program is knowing your day and how to plan for it. Today, Emily and I decided to pack up the kids to the mall at around 10:45AM. Of course, this meant that we arrived sometime around 12:00pm—there was already a horrific line snaking around the California Pizza Kitchen. We had a few real errands that Emily did while I stayed with the kids and the quickly emptyingout 'playspace.' 30 minutes later we were done with the errands but we knew we needed to eat. Hello food court!

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
1 cup blueberries/strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
coffee

1 small lick of muffin batter

Pre-mall snack
3 sticks beef jerky
handful of cashews and almonds
.5oz Boston Lite popcorn

Lunch @ Food Court
Sashimi Special (Yellowtail, Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel--ick)

Preworkout snack
1 stick beef jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno cheddar
handful of cashews and almonds
1 hard-boiled egg

Postworkout Snack
6 oz. plain yogurt
3 tablespoons superchunky peanut butter
2 crusts of balthazar bread

Dinner
Steak tips
asparagus
cauliflower

1 60% cocoa chocolate chip

I did skip a lot of bad stuff today; including the fact that Ruby and made banana-chocolate chip muffins. I knew better than to have any of them, though. Ruby liked them, but I realized I couldn't bring them to my office since nearly everybody there was disqualified from eating them; either they had given up chocolate for lent (2 people) were on a diet (1 person) or not in the office when the muffins were fresh (1 person). I brought them in anyway, and watched them grow mold. It was a very zen experience. Did the usual 7 miles in 65 minutes and 50 ab crunches too.

Year 3, Day 3: Get Out the Measuring Cup

Got out the ol' measuring cup again—from reading and rereading old blog posts I suspect my weight gain has more to do with sloppy habits than anything else. Truly, I have been eating all day most days, nuts, beef jerky, apples, not really being hungry or watching it. Got to get it back, and today was another attempt, though there was a LOT of popcorn. My brother, sister-in-law and niece came over and we all just sat around with the bag, eating it, till it was all gone.

Breakfast
Kashi

Lunch
3 Egg omelet with Salami
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Bok Choy

Snack
~2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
Diet Coke

Dinner
Soy-Ginger Pork Loin
Cabbage Romaine & Feta Salad (w/ Balsamic)
Asparagus
Cauliflower

Trying to make something happen in the strictness department and finding it very challenging. Don't have a lot to say- just that 178 hangs over my head, just enough to be annoying, but not enough to stop me from eating my weight in popcorn (on good days) or nuts (on those bad, bad days).

Year 3, Day 2: Inauspicious Beginnings

This morning I thought I would take Magnolia to school and go to the gym; Ah, not so fast Smith! She had a high fever and so we both stayed home and watched Little Bear, which you'll agree is quite a good show. She was probably fine, but sometimes you have to make that call. Gym trip cancelled, and the weather ruled out a walk; I thought it would be a back to the strictness day, but unfortunately, a smaller-than-usual Russo's salad meant that another nutastrophe laid awaiting. Additionally, I accidentally put sugar in my coffee when I thought it was Emily's. A bad omen.

Breakfast
2 small slices Iggy's 7-Grain Bread
2 soft boiled eggs (6 minutes is the perfect time)
Coffee

Snack
6 sticks beef jerky
100 Pistachios
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($4.58)
Romaine, Broccoli, Mushrooms,
Red Peppers, Onions, Feta, Chicken
Pepperocini, Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner:
Ginger-Honey-Soy Pork Loin
Cauliflower
Bok Choy

Really I always want to thank the readers, because if no one was the reading this, it would simply be me writing a diary online, and a waste of server space and HTML. But you are, and I thank you for that. In addition, the past year would not be possible without the following companies and products who also I want to thank:

Buffalo Bill's Beef Jerky— Has saved me at work. A go-to snack. Low in carbs, high in chewability. 35 calories each. Nearly guilt free, except for the red meat. Don't suggest turkey jerky.
Go Lean—The Kashi folks have made me love them with their low-fat, low-carb cereal. Could be lower in sugar, though.
Silk Soy Milk—Unsweetened soy milk is the greatest (of milk substitutes if you don't like rice milk).
Teddie Peanut Butter—Hands down the best peanut butter ever (unless you grind it yourself). Should be required for every parent to give their kid (unless they have a peanut allergy). ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE and DON'T FEED YOUR KID PETER PAN.
Balthazar Bread—When you've got it, flaunt it.
The Massachusetts Egg Layers Association—Incredible and edible? Yes and yes.
Tabasco Brand Jalapeno Sauce—Could not have given up ketchup without it.
Peet's coffee—When the coffee is very good, you don't miss the milk or the sugar. Though the bagel and cream cheese you notice.
Boston Lite Popcorn—Again, there is no better lite, natural product out there. If you've been subsisting on Con Agra products, please, please go out and try this. You'll be glad.
Dole Bananas— Not guilty of funding terror.
Coke Zero—Bad for you, but lovely.

Some Notable Folks I don't Want to Thank:
California Nut Manufacturers Association— Nuff said.
Chiquita Bananas— Funders of nefarious activity?
Driscoll—They present good looking fruit that shrivels and dies hours after getting it home.
Heinz Ketchup—Knock off the high fructose corn syrup, willya?

Year 3 Day 1: Starting All Over Again

I know the weighin at 178 is not objectively a bad thing, but from looking back at my posts, I realize I have been somewhat 'whooping it up' and even though I've been exercising more, a slight return to mindlessly eating Magnolia's toast-crusts and eating chocolate chips at night are not things I should keep doing. So here on day one, a return to a stricter paradigm; to eating only one snack between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner, and to really cool it on the nuts. Even though I went out to lunch today (Sushi 21) I know I've got to get back on track.

Breakfast
Kashi

Snack
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
1 Fuji Apple

Lunch: Sushi 21
Salad
Soup
Sashimi

Dinner: Pava
Salad of Arugula, Fennel & Prosciutto
Brick Pressed Octopus - fagioli piatella
Grass Fed Beef - gorgonzola dolce, fingerling potato

Of course it's somewhat ironic that day one of year three falls on 'date night' so Emily and I were honor-bound (and babysitter bound) to go out to dinner, though she did suggest playing tennis, neither of us had the desire to get dressed up in shorts to sweat when the weather was below freezing. We went to a new restaurant in Newton whose claim to fame seems to be that it is nearly indistinguishable from the nouvelle clothing store it shares its entrance with. Though I liked the food, its atmosphere was like that of an unfinished children's pottery studio with painted white walls and the total bill was outrageous. We shan't be going back.