Year 4, Day 99

Amaingly, the heat wave continued and I took myself to the gym. Though I did 40 minutes on the elliptical, and I started to feel not so great so I didn't push it on the weights and stuff.  If figured you're not supposed to push yourself when it's hot.  So I took myself  home to the air conditioning and had two or three lunch entrees.  Then, to the pool, and home for a high-carb and red meat dinner. No peanut butter today.

Breakfast

kashi go lean

heritage flakes

banana

strawberries

blueberries

soy milk

coffee

Lunch: 

Tuna and Salad

Plus two ribs from Whole Foods

and Chicken Thighs

Snack by the Pool

Grapes, Almonds

Dinner

Steak Tips

Corn

Blue Moon beer with Lemon

Year 4, Day 64: Kicked Off the Elliptical

Well, it's been three years and it finally happened. A posse of folks gathered behind me and observed that I was on minute 57:00 of my workout and wanted me to observe the sign that says "30 minutes if people are waiting."   I finished my minute and deplaned, when the guy on a nearby elliptical said "I wouldn't have handled that as well you did."  To which I responded, "well, I had the runner's high."  But what I should have said to the gang is-- the 30 minutes begins when people are waiting or not?  Maybe next time.  Anyway, I did about 6.5 miles and was surely to hit seven if not interrupted.   I did lots of weight stuff at the gym, and I'm looking to do more core-strengthening.   Two weeks till the reunion.  Jeez.

Breakfast

Kashi Go lean

Heritage Flakes

Banana

Strawberries

Blueberries

Soy Milk

Coffee

Postworkout Snack

6 oz Stonyfield Yogurt

Superchunky Peanut Butter

Lunch: The Met Bar @ Natick with Ruby

Greek Salad with chicken

a bite of Ruby's burger

a sip of her chocolate milkshake (delish)

a few fries with ketchup.

Dinner

Flank Steak on the grill a la Robert

Cauliflower

Big Green Salad

Extraneously eaten while preparing dinner or cleaning up

sponge cake slices

some 50% reduced cheddar jalapeno (yep, that again)

some tomato sauce with sausages

Sometimes I fear I'm eating more on gym days than I'm even working off.  Eating at the burger bar with Ruby was a great, great time. She loved her milkshake. When I asked her if it was good, she answered 'it's better than good, it's perfect!'  One of the few shiny parenting moments.  Listen, you've got to take them where you get them.

Year 3, Day 230: Spooky Walk

This morning the town of Needham and its children all get dressed up and meet on the town square, where they are divided into five groups that go through the town, store by store, to trick and treat and ask for (and get) lots of candy. Of course, some were better than others: The bowling alley were all dressed up like Pirates of Caribbean (and had the best candy). The bakery had fresh baked halloween cookies with icing (no cookie saw the inside of a trick or treat bag). Except for the part where your kid gets 10x the amount of candy he'll get on Halloween, the event was a great idea and a lot of fun. The weather was nice and a good, brisk walk was had by all. Ruby was an angel, and Magnolia was a cow. Am I biased? They were the cutest ones there, though I did love the baby dressed as a bee, and there were several impressive Red Sox tribute costumes.

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

Snack
Magnolia's Peanut Butter Bread

Postworkout Snack
Yogurt and More Peanut Butter

Lunch: Stone Hearth PIzza
Mixed Greens with Feta and Chicken

Dinner
Steak Tips
String Beans

Ate at the new pizza place in town. It's much better than the one near me. But the salad was nothing special. Went to the gym 7 miles in 6.5 minutes, 50 ab crunches, 20 squat thrusts

Year 3, Day 224: Whipped Butter Makes Good Neighbors

Though the day featured a more than average number of chocolate chip cookies (3) and some french toast with syrup (3); I managed to get a workout in, though it was only 4.5 miles in 40 minutes and 50 ab crunches. I had to hurry it up because I had to squire Ruby to soccer, and there's a bit of work involved in getting on the equipment (shin guards, etc.). Glad I'm not a hockey dad.

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

Lunch: Aquitaine Bis
Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Caramelized Onions
A few french fries

Snack
1 Honey Crisp Apple with Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Dinner
Beef & Broccoli
Chicken & Asparagus
Salad

Dessert
2 Chocolate Chip Cookies

I learn the secret of Ruby liking multi-grain bread is whipped butter. After carefully observing her eating absolutely ANYthing in a restaurant with whipped butter on it (bread sticks, the tablecloth), I realized I should buy some, even though it is ridiculously expensive compared it to its regular counterpart, considering the only added ingredient is non-edible air. Worked like a charm, though.

Year 3, Day 182, Back to the Grind (Pre Grind Edition)

Today was back to the gym. Seven miles in 65 minutes. 100 Ab crunches. Plus 40 Sit ups. Then, a lot of almonds and cashews. But what the hell, the 34s still fit. When the stress gets going, I start baking. Today it was banana cake with Toffee chips and pecans.

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

Lunch
Tuna/Salad

Other
Almonds
Cashews
1 Slice of Toscano Salami
1 Slice of Banana Toffee Cake

Dinner
Trout
Broccoli

Labor Day Fireworks
Popcorn
Glass of Wine

Tonight we went out to see "Labor Day Fireworks" whatever that is. Magnolia had a great time until the fireworks started---I immediately had to cart her out, crying hysterically to the nearby Star Market, where I endeavored to keep her occupied at every 'crack' of thunderous sounding roman candle explosions. There was a lot of improvised talk whenever there was a noise, "Is this bunny scared? Does he want some hamburger rolls?" A lot of not very imaginative patter was spawned from the unkempt shelves of a picked-over Star Market (Shaw's). Though Emily and Ruby and their friends could have gotten home on their own, Magnolia and I needed to stay in the market, so we just ended up shopping. I think she was no worse for the wear, but we learned our lesson.

Year 3, Day 153: Dessert Out of Control

In a another fit of baking on gym workout day (3 laps in pool, 6 miles on elliptical 100 ab crunches) I attempt to make a coffee cake. I am obsessed with making a coffee cake and I want it to taste exactly like the Boston Coffee Cake and the Sara Lee coffee cake and they are both really totally different, so I must keep trying. Fine crumb or yeasty layery thing? I remain afraid of yeast. I'll need a master class to take it on. Maybe Jane, my sister-in-law will teach me. At night I attempted a recipe from Gourmet magazine, which was quite nearly a total failure.

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

preworkout snack
1 big slice of coffee cake

lunch
tuna romaine, cabbage, feta

pool snacks
1 bag boston lite popcorn
hot grapes
1 oz peanuts

various snack
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheddar
10 Tamarind Almonds

dinner
two remainders of pizza slices (make at home, 8 inch)
caesar salad
chicken with cashews

dessert
funky chunky popcorn
more cake

Realizing I was going to have to go to surgery, I bought a $14 container of funky chunky popcorn, which aside from being a shameless copy of Dale & Thomas original, is fantastic and impossible to stop eating. I have successfully hidden it in the house, but unfortunately now it has gone stale, so what was a savings in calories was a waste of hard-earned dollars. But even the small bit I had was so so worth it.

Year 3, Day 148: Another Monday Off

Again, I took Monday off because the thought of a long day of travel followed by going back to work was just too much for me to bear. Of course, I tried to make the best of it, by having a slow workout, 4.5 miles in 65 minutes in the AM (after dropping Magnolia off) and then playing tennis with Emily. Playing a tie break and interrupted by the clock running out; Emily 6-3, 1-6 (10-10)

Breakfast
Kashi/Flax/Driscoll
Banana, Blueberries, Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
Burnt Ends
Salad

50 Tamari Almonds
1 Large Slice Banana cake

Dinner
Char
Cauliflower
Edimame
1 Horrible Boneless SParerib from Green Tea

Our girls love boneless spare ribs so sometimes we get some to supplement a dinner that's lacking. But after you've had Bernards, you can't hardly go anywhere else. And afterjavascript:void(0) tonight, we've determined that you certainly can't go to Green Tea. For boneless spareribs, anyway. Their Matrix maki is still right on the money.

Year 3, Day 95: Continuing my Search for Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

It may seem odd or even self-destructive that I yearn to perfect the art of making chocolate chip cookies. Not sure why I feel so compelled. Of course, I used to collect records and Beatles memorabilia so I suppose I have always had the element a detective or searcher in me. For about five years in the late 80s and 90s I was obsessed with making the perfect Caesar salad. Both these things have something in common—they have relatively few ingredients; there is little room to make them badly; it's like you're riding a razor-line to success with moats of failure on both sides. Last week I fell soundly into the moats with my cookies. I followed the Neiman-Marcus recipe and failed miserably. But I think I know why: I used "Frookie" brown sugar from Whole Foods; and perhaps unwisely, I used unbleached, whole wheat flour. This week I used the Silver Palate recipe with Domino light brown sugar and pastry flour. The results: 100% improved. I did however fail to chill the cookie dough or grease the cookie sheet, resulting in a tray full of non-delineated cookies that adhered cruelly, and somehow unpredictably crisp-ily to the cookie sheet.

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

Snack
Cookies

Lunch (at Carmen's)
My Salad
2 Hamburgers
1 Chocolate Chip Cookie

Post Workout Snack
6 oz. Stonyfield Plain Yogurt
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter

Dinner
Turkey Crumble (Robert & Emily combined)
Lettuce Leaves

Dessert
More Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the continued grip of the Chocolate Cookie disease.

Did a great workout today; 7 miles in 65 minutes; followed by 100 ab crunches and 20 squat thrusts. Saw bluestars, but did not seek professional help. Then I chased Ruby all over the soccer field. Later, I ate a lot of cookies. Overall, probably did not justify my caloric intake visa-vis cookies with my exercise. C'est la vie.

Year 3, Day 81: I Don't Want to Work Out

I kept thinking "I'm not going to work out today, I'm going to skip." I was sick, it was raining and Magnolia had a birthday party to attend in the morning, which is usually when I go. It was only the second birthday party she has attended, and it was the first kid's birthday party I ever attended that was a "Whole Foods" party. That is, there was no High Fructose Corn Syrup. There was only Apple Juice. There was an omelet plate and a turkey bacon plate. The cake was cheesecake with strawberries. Everybody was very very frookie. I must tell you, I found it overwhelmingly odd that these two things that belong together (kids and healthy food) were in fact, and at long last, together at a birthday party. I did end up eating a strip of turkey bacon and an egg that I plated for Magnolia, who, naturally, refused it so she could focus on climbing on another child's head while chasing a balloon sculpture that was bigger than her. Lots of kids were refusing to eat. I kept thinking- how would I plan MY Whole Foods party? I think I would focus more on foods kids normally eat (pretzels, cheese sticks, small fruit like grapes) and not so much on adult food (lox and bagels and pancakes) that were not really appealing to the kids or really toddler-friendly. The party apparently was supposed to be an 'outside party' but the dripping wet swing set told the tale. As for my workout, In the end, I ended up going at 3:30 and did 7.2 miles in 65 minutes. I didn't do any weight training.

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

Magnolia's party Snack
1 slice turkey bacon
1 egg

Lunch:
Salad
Brisket/Burnt Ends

Postworkout Snack
6 oz stonyfield yogurt
3-4 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter

Dinner
Steak Tips
Broccoli

Dessert
3 Chips

From the South Beach Newsletter: Chicken Fingers
What's for dinner? How about this fun, family inspired meal? It's sure to please diners of all ages!

Makes 4 servings (2 to 3 strips each)

Description
Try topping a mixed green salad with these tasty strips, or enjoy them with a South Beach Diet®-friendly condiment. If you can't find whole-wheat bread crumbs, make your own: Toast a slice of whole-wheat bread in a 300°F oven until dry, about 10 minutes. Pulse in food processor until fine crumbs form.

Ingredients
3 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions
1. Trim excess fat from chicken. Lay pieces on counter; cover with parchment or wax paper. Pound each piece to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Cut each piece into 3 equal strips.

2. Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper.

3. Working with one piece at a time, dip both sides of strip into egg mixture. Transfer to crumb mixture; pat both sides of chicken with crumbs. Set strips on a wire rack to air-dry.

4. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add strips and cook, 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.

Per serving:
275 calories
27 g protein
16 g carbohydrate
3 g fiber
11 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
157 mg cholesterol
205 mg sodium

Year 3, Day 67: A Hard Workout

Workout was hard today. Result of a lot of sugar I suspect. Found it hard to get in a groove. I was using a different machine. Aside from the 6.5 miles in 66.30 minutes, I did 80 ab crunches and 15 Squat Thrusts, that made me see blue stars and feel wobbly. Is that a good thing? On the plus side I got there early and so I was done by 10:30am.

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

Postworkout Snack
6 oz Stonyfield
3 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut butter

Lunch
Big, Big Salad
Breast of Chicken

Snack
.5 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
2 Slices of Cameo Apple

Dinner
Jalapeno Cheddar Burger
Cauliflower
Plus a few bites of corn, hot dog prepared for the kids

Dessert
1 oz Nuts
1/2 Bar Dark Spicy Aztec Chocolate Bar (Strange but Good)

I have gotten into a dark chocolate groove. Though its health benefits are not in dispute, the thought that I would go out to the shed, wrap my stomach in cellophane and eat all the chocolate I buy at one time is not very far off from reality. There is not too much I have trouble resisting in the dessert world, but dark chocolate is pretty hard to pass up, and worse when you start eating it. Tonight's experiment was weird enough that I could resist it, though.

Year 3, Day 63: I Force Magnolia to Eat a Banana

Magnolia has had a case of diarrhea that we have been trying to address over the past few days. There have been several fronts: electrolytes - through gatorade (though "ice rain" is the only kind without high-fructose corn syrup and artificial color that I could find) through pedialyte (though trotted out by pediatricians from coast to coast, is universally and consistently reviled by children) and its imitators (Gerber's liquilytes, which is the exactly the same as pedialyte). We've been watching the sodium, giving her a diet of dry, salty foods (crackers, rice, toast) and on the advice of our doctor, avoiding all dairy except yogurt. I had been trying to get her to eat a banana for a few days, but she refused. She has a long history of asking for a banana and then not eating it, so when it's just me, Magnolia and banana it's a tense situation. The doctor also suggested the banana might be the best thing for her, so I did what parents have done for generations when they need a kid to eat something- they cover it in sugar, and in this case, chocolate, more specifically, nutella. It worked like a charm.

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

Postworkout Snack
6 oz. Stonyfield Yogurt
3 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Lunch
4-day old turkey
Salad

Snack
Almonds & Cashews
A handful of butter microwave popcorn
.5 oz Boston Lite popcorn

Dinner
Robert's Turkey Crumble
Lettuce Leaves
Chicken Breast

Very rare mid-week workout. 6.5 miles in 65 minutes then 80 ab crunches. Feeling good about the washboard abs. Could take another year, if I keep up this blistering pace. I must seek professional help, but honestly, the trainers usually ignore me in favor of the younger and older folk. I keep telling myself to make an appointment but I never think about working out while I'm at work. Is that wrong?

Year 3, Day 49: "You've Lost Six Sizes"

Today with school vacation on and no help, I stayed home from work and Emily, Magnolia and I had a day together. We went to Kohl's. It might surprise some to know that I had never ever set foot in any Kohl's store, anywhere in the world before today. I didn't even know what they sold. I thought was just like women's shoes and plumbing supplies. They were having an enormous one-day sale so I had to take advantage of it. I really don't have any shorts, so I tried on some Dockers. Size 34. Emily only recently threw out the only pair of jean-shorts I owned which were GAP size 40. Neither of us could believe it, and so naturally I celebrated by having about 30 chocolate chips.

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

Postworkout Snack
6 oz Stonyfield Plain Yogurt
3-4 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Lunch: Maugus
Greek Salad
Chicken Shish-Ka-bob

Dinner:
Blue Ribbon BBQ Brisket
(plus a bite of burnt ends and a bite of a rib)
Salad (Romaine, Cabbage, Feta, Balsamic)

Dessert
33 Chocolate Chips
A bite of yellow mango

Maugus was terrible. Today I had gone to the gym in the AM and did 7 miles in 61 minutes at level six- got my heart rate up into the 140s. Then I did 80 ab crunches and I did 10 arm-lifts. Woooh that was a workout.

Year 3, Day 45: First Workout in Two Weeks

I was so glad to get to the gym today, and to see my old friend the elliptical. I realized how much I hate going to the gym, but I'm so glad I did it every time. If you can really just get past the part where you hate it, the rest (actually being there) is a breeze. I did my usual 7 miles in 65 minutes and then 60 ab crunches. I am getting ready to do more weight training, but as longtime readers know, I am very slow. Since I am astrologically a Cancer, it is said that I move sideways, and sometimes that has felt very true. What I know about myself is that I do not want to rush into anything that I cannot sustain. It has basically taken me three years where I can run seven miles consistently; it will probably take me the same until I get to the equivalent point at weight training.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
plus balthazar granola ('not a low calorie food')
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch
Chicken Breast
Cauliflower

Postworkout Snack
6 oz Stonyfield Yogurt
Peanut Butter

Dinner
Blue Ribbon BBQ Burnt Ends
Salad

The last time I was at Balthazar I bought practically one of everything, in addition to the multitudes of loaves of multi-grain pan shaped, pre-sliced loaves of bread. One thing I had to try was their granola. Though 'not a low calorie food' it is something I enjoy in my cereal, and sometimes, yogurt. As I was waiting on line I was asking myself, "why would a bakery make granola better than anyone else?" I could not come up with the answer, but I figured since everything else they do is pretty phenomenal, I might as well take a chance on the granola. It is good, but it's not as good as the Ikea granola. Can you believe that? I can't believe I even wrote that.

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 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 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 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 2, Day 338—Slippage

Always worried about slippatge, especially after a great weigh-in. The feeling that I can "add" or "treat" myself to something feels like slack in the leash, but I'm never sure that I'm interested in that slack, because as Courtney Wayshak used to ask "Where does it end?" Of course he was given to hyberbolic rantings, but he still had a point. I'm afraid mostly that if I live life off the leash I'll go to the dogs in a hurry.


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

Lunch
Breast of Chicken
Salad

Snack
1/2 apple
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
3 Tablespoons SCPB
2.5 Cups Boston Lite Popcorn

Dinner
Brisket
Carrots, Celery, Onions
More Salad

One of my favorite workouts today. I made it 8 miles, a new record, in just over about 68 minutes on level five. Then after that, I was able to get onto the ab cruncher and do my typical 30 reps. I got lucky because I arrived at 10:15am and signed for a 10:30am and 11:00am space on the elliptical, but the woman on the one I signed up for split halfway through her session, so I got a bonus 15 minutes.

Year 2, Day 296: The Night Before

Today's Sunday Times had at least three articles about Jews who celebrated Christmas. Futher, they had a lot of articles about whether it's OK to lie to your kids about Santa. I find it amazing that we are such deep, nazel-gazing times. Life isn't more complicated then it used to be, it's just there's so much more detail available and so quickly. It seems to me that we continue to deal with the same problems when you can get enough distance to examine it properly.

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

Snack
2 Sticks Beef Jerky
Almonds & Cashews

Lunch:
Romaine/Cabbage/Red Onion/Chicken/Feta Balsamic Vinegar

Postworkout Snack
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
4 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Dinner
Steak Tips
Broccoli

Dessert
Two Chocolate Chip Cookies

Had a good workout today, though it was after lunch and that's always more difficult for me. It was a return to the JCC but I didn't notice that the new lighting (they were closed on Friday to install) was any big deal. It was the all-Christmas workout. I listened to mostly collections of Christmas songs that I have collected throughout the years and it was quite nice. Nothing bad on the news and the place was pretty empty. When I returned home I thought Ruby and I would make chocolate chip cookies for Christmas Eve. After fruitlessly searching all morning on the Ineternet, I used the recipe on the Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip bag. Though I didn't find any good recipes, I did learn a few things from the Internet about making chocolate chip cookies. 1) Double the Vanilla. This was an incredible tip, and really made a difference. 2) Subtract a teaspoon of sugar from whatever the recipe calls for. Again, this turned out to be right on the money. 3) Add salt—chocolate loves salt. Again, true true true. One thing I did follow but I'm not sure if it made a difference was " Make sure the pan is room temperature and the cookies are cold." Can't tell if this helped, and not sure how I could have done it any differently. The cookie dough (my personal favorite thing) was absolutely delicious. We all ate chocolate chip cookies and listened to the all-Christmas radio station. Though I felt guilty for a cookie I figured what the hell, it's Christmas Eve and I worked out. So I ate another one.

Year 2, Day 294: 2nd to Last Friday Off of the Year

Today Emily and I went on a date, as nothing is happening at work (we all had the day off) and nothing is happening anywhere—except for "doorbusters" which is the offensive name for sales that start early with and are 'too good to miss.' Of all the days to have off, today was the day the JCC decided to redo their gym LIGHTING and so I was forced to go somewhere else for a workout. They had set up two alternatives—the YMCAs in Newton and Needham. I wasn't really that keen on going to either one of them but I had settled on the one in Needham because I knew how to get there and it was closer. Emily suggested I go to Wellbridge Athletic, which she joined to play tennis in April but the membership has been collecting dust (though still being paid). I took her guest pass and headed over there but they waved me in with a nod. They have all the most modern equipment in a sun-flooded room that was perfectly temperate. All the units have TV and there is an endless supply of free towels in two sizes (the JCC makes you pay $1). There were three different ellipse machines and just like Goldilocks I had to figure out which one was best for me. When I did, I realized it was going to be a much harder workout than I'm used to. It had a lower-arms setting and when I did I was VERY out of breath. I did do 60 minutes, but because I dropped my ipod, had to get rid of my gum, and accidentally hit 'end' instead of 'pause' I had to do it in three increments of 15, 38 and 7 minutes, respectively. I was huffing and puffing, and watching the clock intently, which is never a good sign. I have no idea how many miles I went because I didn't know how to work the contraption. After the workout I did three sets of 5 15-lb ab crunches on the ab-cruncher. I had to stop because I thought if I did any more the blue and pink stars around my head wouldn't go away. I met Emily and we went for a nice lunch and a movie.

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

Postworkout Snack
3 Tablespoons SC Peanut Butter
6 oz. Plain Yogurt

Lunch: The Met Bar
Greek Salad with Chicken

Movie Snack: Boston Lite Popcorn

Dinner:
Eva Chan's Spareribs
Eva Chan's String Beans and Cauliflower
Bok Choy

I don't know why, but the holidays have put me in a bad mood for some reason, even though I am enjoying them, have a lot of time off, haven't gained any weight that I know of and have gotten great gifts for my kids. Really, I have no reason to be bitter and mean and yet I am. Though it is rare that I would say anything bad about Russo's, I must say that the salad I had today at the Met Bar may have been the best salad I ever had. It was literally perfect. The lettuce, the amount of feta, the done-ness of the chicken, the red onion, it put all my best efforts to shame. I realized I was hack-of-a-salad-maker and these people were geniuses. We then went to the movies (we saw Borat) and I insisted on doing my thing, which is bringing the Boston Lite Popcorn in instead of buying it. Though most people do this for the savings, I do this to avoid the calories. Popcorn popped in coconut oil (like they do at movies) is as bad for you as you can make popcorn. It is delicious, though.

Then we had a surprise "almost last night of Chanukah" at our neighbor's house where I ate the world's best Chinese food. Crazy.