Year 2, Day 334: The Harsh Wednesday Morning After

Daylight hurt this morning and unlike the poker game where there is little or no alcohol, this was an honest-to-goodness type of slow-going-tied-one-on-the-day after kind of morning. I was surprised that by 10 in the morning I had actually gotten into a groove with the help of lots and lots of coffee. The super yummy bread and peanut butter was a good pick-me-up treat, as it required very little preparation.

Breakfast
2.5 Slices of Small Jane's Bread
Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Coffee

Snack
Green Tea
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Sticks Beef Jerky

Lunch: Won Ton Kitchen
Chicken with Green Beans
House Special Egg Drop Soup
Tea

Dinner
Chicken Breast
String Beans with Ground Turkey

Strangely, I had poultry and green beans for lunch, and then came home and had it for dinner. Today I wanted to get back onto Green Tea, because of all its wonderful properties. Since the revelation of the Cuisinart coffee maker, I have stopped having tea in the morning, and instead having lots of yummy coffee. But I liked having tea in the morning and then coffee in the late morning when I get to work. Now I am trying to switch it around.

Year 2, Day 333: Night Out with the Boys

Tonight I was planning to go out with two friends of mine. The purpose, on a Tuesday? Was to discuss the short life of our good friend Ray Metz III, who died on September 11th, 2001. As we near the sixth anniversary (OK, it's not too near, but it is near-ing), none of us can really come to grips with the life that he—and his family—were robbed of, and how none of us have really had the kind of relationship with his surviving family that we wanted to. So this was just a get together to discuss it. (Pictured, Me, wearing a "Feed Me" T-shirt and Wick, who was at dinner tonight, and Ray Metz III. The third diner, Pete, was not pictured).

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

Lunch: Russo's ($5.01)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, broccoli slaw
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
1 Extra Smokey
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 Beef Jerky Stick
60 Pistachios

Dinner @ Capital Grille
3 Glasses Wine
Warm Spinach & Bacon Salad (1/2)
1 Shrimp
Calamari & Red Pepper
8 oz Steak
Mushrooms
Asparagus
3 Bites of Cheesecake with Strawberries

In four words, "I tied one on." Because of my diet, my disposition, and the fact that this was a Tuesday night in winter, this was all very surprising. Part of the reason can be simply laid at the feet of the Capital Grille's glass/stemware—most wine glasses hold 3 oz. but I wouldn't be surprised if they were pouring twice that. So if I can usually handle three glasses of wine—this was more like six (this is my estimation in the cool, headache-y light of morning). Another reason I suppose is that men don't really delve into emotional topics unless there's a little fermented grain or grape involved.

I had a great time, and it was great to be with old friends whatever the reason. I let myself go—I ate FRIED calamari, and cheesecake in the same night. Though I ordered the 20 oz steak, I ate less than half of it. I was both touched and pleased when I told the guys I was on the program and they abandoned their zeal for french fried potatoes and onion strings. Instead we got mushrooms and asparagus. YUMMY! There was a lot of food, and a lot of good times. Again, due to the alcohol consumption, I had some trouble getting up and going to the bathroom. I literally don't remember a time since COLLEGE that I had that feeling. Of course, by the time you KNOW you've had too much, it's too late to do anything but eat some cheesecake, have some decaf, a few more laughs, and get driven home. Next time we'll go out on on a Thursday or something.

Year 2, Day 332: And A Cookie To Go, Thanks!

Today we had a guest from corporate headquarters here in the local office. In the old days, this would have been a signal for me to go out and get donuts or bagels and cream cheese. I would have gotten a dozen of either, even though there are only six people in my office. As a result of having too many bagels/donuts I would have eaten at least two. And, I would have loved them. As it was, I took him out to lunch at Strip-T's, a place that sounds ribald but is really just an excellent sandwich & lunch place (It does raise eyebrows on the expense account, though). They are well know for their desserts, if not especially for their sheet cake. Since it is located exactly at the midpoint of where my old office was and my new office is, it has been in my rotation for nearly six years. And I must say that whenever I had lunch there, I was in the habit of 'bringing something back,' like a peanut butter cookie, or a slice of sheet cake. Another habit I fondly bid adieu to as I walked out of there today.

Breakfast
2 soft boiled eggs and one yolk
3 slices Turkey Bacon
2 (small) slices of Jane's bread
Coffee

Snack
1 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Fuji Apple
5 sticks beef jerky
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Strip T's
Chicken Kebab
over Greek Salad
(with Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of Greek)

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Bok Choy
String Beans with Ground Turkey

With dessert being so prevalent in my household, it's no wonder that GUMSERT didn't come around sooner. Of course GUMSERT, like its distant relative, NUTSERT, is the act of having that 'after dinner treat' that is comprised only of a few lonely sticks of chewing gum. While in reality it is not very satisfying, it is the modern way for those looking for their after-dinner sweet without their after dinner calories.

Year 2, Day 331: Workout Debacle

Due to Ruby's basketball game, I was going to go early to the gym. She had a game at 10:40. She usually plays on Saturdays, and this is the only Sunday on the schedule. I got to the gym at about 9:20, which is MUCH later than I wanted to get there. This was due in part because I made Ruby pancakes, because I am a softie trying to be a good father. Plus, I hate going to the gym. In my haste, I took Emily's keys instead of mine, but when I got to the gym I realized I had my own too. Now the pressure was really on because I had to get back by 10:30 so I could get Ruby to her basketball game at 10:40. Everything is very close together, so this timing was actually tight, but acceptable. The following is my account of that morning at the gym (more or less)

9:20 Sign up for machine at 9:30, Get on said machine
9:30 Do about a half mile; Am told I am on the wrong machine (they were right; I totally signed up for the wrong machine)
9:45 Sign up for a machine at 10AM. Another machine opens up, I hop on. Do another mile and half.
10:00-10:24 Run 3 Miles on Elliptical with Bad Handles but Smooth Action
10:25 Leave gym when I am kicked off for not signing up for the next half hour (which is forbidden anyway)
10:28 Call Emily who tells me Ruby is NOT going to basketball because she doesn't feel well (I think this is bull, but I'm not there). I tell Emily I will go back to the gym. I turn the car around and go back.
10:45-11:00 Do another two miles.
11:00-11:05 30 Ab crunches
11:15 Arrive home, both kids dressed, Emily decided to take Ruby to basketball but didn't have car keys, they leave and Magnolia and I go in and have a snack.

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

Snack
Popcorn
Almonds & Cashews

Lunch
Salad

Postworkout snack
6 oz. Plain Stonyfield Yogurt
super chunky peanut butter

Dinner
Flounder
Emily's cabbage

1 bite of sticky toffee pudding haagen-dazs

Sticky ... Toffee ... Pudding ... Three Delicious Words Mean Sweet Ice Cream Success
OAKLAND, Calif., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Sticky Toffee Pudding. The name alone makes you want to have a spoon in hand. That's how Judiaann Woo knew the famed British dessert had potential be the next hot trend in the world of ice cream indulgence. She entered Sticky Toffee Pudding into Food Network's SCOOP! contest to pick the next Haagen-Dazs(R) ice cream flavor. Her flavor inspiration really "stuck" with the judges and was selected to be sold as a limited-edition flavor in grocery stores and Haagen-Dazs shops nationwide, beginning Saturday, July 15th.

Haagen-Dazs and Food Network began the search for the next flavor craze last summer when they challenged ice cream lovers across the country to create their ultimate dessert fantasy. From Cannoli to Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle to Caramelized Figs and Walnuts, ice cream connoisseurs dreamed up the next Dulce de Leche, but in the end, honors went to a flavor with roots across the pond.

"Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British dessert that you can find in every restaurant and pub in London. Over the past year, I have seen it pop up on menus across New York City where I live," says Woo, a pastry chef, food writer and editor-in-chief of PastryScoop.com at The French Culinary Institute. "What molten chocolate cake was ten years ago and what Dulce de Leche was five years ago -- this year and next it's all about Sticky Toffee Pudding!"

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a wickedly delicious dessert consisting of a steamed brown sugar cake with a self-contained, decadent toffee sauce. As interpreted by Woo and Haagen-Dazs, the desserts' ice cream equivalent is made from a creamy vanilla ice cream base with chunks of moist, brown sugary cake with swirls of gooey toffee sauce.

Year 2, Day 330: What's A Conewich?

What to eat after a night of nuts? Not peanut butter, that's for sure. For solace, I turn to the usual breakfast. Following lunchtime I did grab a few nuts to get me by, but mostly it was a good day.

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

Lunch
Emily's Turkey Crumble
Lettuce Wraps

Snack
1 Fuji Apple
A few Nuts (!)

Dinner
Broiled Chicken
Cabbage Salad

The fill-it-yourself Conewich (www.conewich.com) is a cone-shaped piece of bread that comes in three sizes and nine flavors. For breakfast or dessert, consider blueberry or cinnamon-raisin. For dinner, think sundried tomato and basil or cheese and onion. The cone shape keeps even sloppy foods under control while leaving one hand free for tech activities.

The Conewich is made from a single strip of dough wound in a spiral around a form and then baked. The small end of the cone is closed so the food does not leak out, a distinct advantage over the 'wrap', pita and other similar concepts. The Conewich is easy to handle, quick to fill, and less costly to serve. The Conewich comes in 9 flavorful and nutritional varieties, in three sizes.

The Conewich is covered by a Utility Patent that relates to the process for making the Conewich whether by hand or machine as well as Design Patent that relates to the shape of the Conewich, both of which are owned by Conewich Enterprises Limited Partnership based in Las Vegas, NV. International Patents are pending. "Conewich" is a registered trademark of Conewich Enterprises.

Year 2, Day 329: Poker Nite 2007

Poker Day again and I am not able to go for a walk because of the frigid cold wave that has hit Boston. Tonight is slated to be in the single digits. So aside from not getting in my physical movement I have to be on the lookout for eating too much today because I am always consuming extra calories at the poker table. Naturally, I must do all I can to avoid nuts of any kind, since they make up the primary slice of caloric intake. Because I know we're going to have deli and eat popcorn, I must also ensure that I don't eat those, if not for diet than for variety's sake. I do sometimes long for the days when I would just eat anything, but even at my heaviest, I still would watch it on poker night. So though I probably don't need the level of special care (except where nuts are concerned), I still keep the proverbial night light on as I walk through the shadow of the valley of the card game's edible offerings.

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

Lunch: Tantawan
Salad
Tan Yan (Shrimp and Mushrooms in Spicy Chicken Broth)
Beef Salad
Chicken Red Curry

Snack
1 Fuji Apple
3 Beef Jerky Sticks

Poker/Dinner
~3 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
Pistachios
Almonds/Cashews
4 Roll Mops (Turkey, Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Swiss)
Pickles
Peppadews
Cole Slaw

I always think I'm saving my calories but I rarely spend them on anything but volume. I sometimes tell myself that 'I'm going to have dessert' or 'I'm going to have some bread' but I never do. I do eat a greater quantity of foods on poker night, and so I never feel that urge to 'reward myself' or 'give myself a treat' like I used to. Then people ask me "Are you going to have a..." (drink, roll, dessert) and I say "no." What I have come to understand fully now about my body chemistry (and I suspect most peoples) is that it is not just the thing you eat with its carbs and calories, but the fact that those things with lots of both make you hungrier than if you ate other stuff that was full of fiber, fat or protein, which satisfy you. I know the talented can mix it up, and the genetically lucky don't have to, but for me I am really best to skip most of that stuff.

Year 2, Day 328: A Little of Everything

Today I had a 9:30 off-site meeting that went until nearly 12:00pm. I was forced to dig into my bag and eat my jalapeno cheddar cheese right in the conference room, in front of everyone. If I've learned anything from the diet it's that your blood sugar waits for no man. And further, that no man will provide for you and your blood sugar if you don't. I realize that to avoid the ups and downs of the day it is crucial to keep said blood sugar level steady. Even though I tried in the meeting, I went careening off the ceiling later in the day.

Breakfast
2 Eggs
1. 5 Pieces of Jane's Bread
3 Slices of Ham

Snack
3 Sticks Beef Jerky
1 oz Orville Redenbacher Popcorn
50 Almonds
10 Cashews

Lunch: Russo's ($5.55)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, broccoli slaw
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Trout
Snow Peas
A bite of RIb Meat

Things I tried to feed to the kids but they fed me instead:

Strawberries (2)
Chocolate Chip Cookie (50% of 1)
Kashi Go Lean Crunch with Milk (2 Small Bites)

Tasting the Go Lean Crunch! of course, is like eating Cap'n Crunch with Crunchberries, only a little less bad for you overall and a lot more painful for your lower intestine (today's food writers say that America's processed food is greeted by our bodies as 'pre-digested'). As always when I taste something that's delightfully sugary (as opposed to overwhelmingly sugary like a raspberry filled chocolate cookie) it sort of makes something light up inside me like a winning slot machine. It's sometimes very difficult to get away from that exciting, addictive feeling that comes from only a few things in life: Sugar, Chocolate, Sex. As for sugar, it was never my weakness per se, but I do have to keep my distance, or else sugar will take out a restraining order on me. a

Year 2, Day 327: Detecto says "174"

Will wonders ever cease? For quite a while since my nephew's bar-mitzvah I was convinced I was getting out of control, but apparently that was not the case, at least from a weight-wise perspective. You know, the fact that I am not able to clearly tell whether I am up or down to me is quite fascinating, because if losing weight is so subtle, it means gaining weight is too. And that's why we all have so much trouble (that is, those of us who have trouble).

How did I get weighed in? When I called Dr. Parent's office again, they checked to see if were still 'in the computer,' and what do you know? Our records HAD been transferred, only not to the doctor that I thought. So I walked in to make an appointment with the new doctor, and promptly insisted I get weighed.

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

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

Lunch: Talk of the Town Diner
Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Omelet
4 Slices Bacon
Coffee

Dinner: Blue Ribbon BBQ
Burnt Ends
Brisket
Three Bean Salad
Asparagus

As today looked like the best of the day of the week (37 degrees) we all high-tailed it outside for a brisk walk. Most of us were sweating by the end of it. Instead of a salad, which was my plan, we all chose to go to a diner. It was a big day for salty meat, what with bacon for lunch, jerky for a snack and BBQ for dinner. Definitely makes for a very thirsty person.

Year 2, Day 326: Medical Woes

I have wanted to get weighed in for January, but I sensed since my Doctor had moved, I better make an appointment. As it is, it's time for my checkup and I am getting on in years so it seemed like a good idea. I needed to meet my new doctor and I didn't want to just stop by without knowing everything was OK. Turns out it was good that I called for an appointment. Apparently, they don't know who I am and they are not accepting any new patients. So I suppose my monthly check-ins before work are going to be a thing of the past, because those people near my office are no longer my medical representatives. Bummer. I had really wanted to get weighed in because sometimes I have totally lost my bearings about whether I am off the charts, cruising along or even losing weight. There are few other reputable scales around, so this means I will have to return to Dr. Parent, which means making an appointment and going to Norwood, which between you and me I have no idea where it is.

Breakfast
1.5 Slices of Jane's Bread
Super Chunky Peanut Butter

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

Lunch: Won Ton Kitchen
Chicken with Green Beans
House Special Egg Drop Soup

Dinner
Hamburger
Asparagus
Salad with Avocado

Today's other woes were that the school nurse found "nits" on Ruby, meaning that she has pre-lice. There was a big lice notice going around the school, and we got it. Emily told me this after I came out of a stressful meeting, and you know what? I just dove off the nut-diving board into the nut pool and went for a nut-swim, until I came out nutty.

Year 2, Day 325: A Little More Normal

Well it's been a few weeks of slippery sliding (especially where nuts are concerned) but today I made an honest-to-goodness effort to get back to will power. Even though my salad weighed in at a whopping $5.77, I couldn't finish it during my lunch sitting, so I brought it to my office to eat as a snack later. Unfortunately, I also spilled about half the remaining salad on the ground (and my floor is no place to eat from) so there was a calorie savings. I was no monk of food, but it was a nearly nut-free day (I had some peanut butter while preparing Emily's toast this morning).

Breakfast
2 Soft Boiled Eggs +1 Hard Yolk
1 Slice of Jane's Walnut/Whole Wheat Bread
1 small bite of peanut butter
Coffee

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

Russo's ($5.77)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner:
Tilapia
Fried Onions
Cauliflower

Some mornings I find it very difficult not to eat any more after I'm done with breakfast. It's especially hard when I make hard boiled eggs for Magnolia and she doesn't like the yellow part. I always end up eating at least one of her yolks. I figure it's not as bad as finishing Ruby's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, waffles with syrup, or pop-tart crusts, as I have done in the past, and for SOOOOOO long.

Year 2, Day 324: Chuck E. Cheese

Ruby and another kid who's a friend of Ruby's missed a party that was held at Chuck E. Cheese last year. They missed it because the party was during the middle of the day following an early release day. Neither parent could arrange either the pick up or drop off. We promised them that since they missed the party, we'd (I'd) take them there some day by themselves. It so happens that day was today. I made sure I went to the gym early in the day so I'd have extra energy and not be crabby. Adults at a Chuck E. Cheese are likely to have their last nerves on display and I did not want to be one of them. My plan was pretty good, except for the fact that the pizza they were bringing out every 10 minutes smelled FANTASTIC. I was glad we left when we did because it was starting to get to me. I did notice that they had a salad bar, though, for which I awarded them a lot of style points. The salad is probably atrocious, but it's nice that they offer an alternative.

Another word about Chuck E. Cheese: what's the big deal? When I was growing up, places like that were called "Game Rooms," by kids and "A Waste of Money" by parents. I think the only thing new is the bright lights. When I was growing up, the game rooms were dark, unrentable lots in a mall where lots of arcade games could be stored cheaply and children could be left while their parents were free to shop.

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

Lunch
Hamburger
Salad

Snack
6 oz. plain yogurt
4 tblespoons super chunky peanut butter
.5 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
6 tortilla chips with melted cheddar/montery jack cheese

Dinner
Breast of Chicken
Cauliflower

Did about seven miles on the elliptical, though I was thrown off one machine and had to finish on another. It is very difficult to keep your pace when you are switching from machine to machine. Some have different controls, and when they added television screens to the machines, they added the TV controls on the handles of some of them, making them annoying to avoid. Recently, the crowds have been such that in order to stay on a machine without getting into trouble, I reset the mileage. This is because there is a post 30 minute maximum when people are waiting, which I think is foolish, but probably necessary. As I from New York, I do what all New Yorkers do, which is take advantage of the situation with the knowledge that everyone will do it when they need to. Following that, I Did 3 sets of 10 reps of ab crunches, too. I am starting to like the downstairs gym, where all the strength training equipment is. I just have to get past the part where I get light-headed.

Year 2, Day 323: A New Bread in Town

Now when I make my acceptance speech I will have to thank Balthazar bread for getting me through. But we now eating Jane's bread and we're digging on it. It's just like anything new, it's different.

Breakfast
Jane's Bread with Butter
Lox
2.5 Scrambled Eggs
Coffee

Lunch
Broccoli Slaw, Cabbage, Romaine
Tuna, Feta, Balsamic Vinegar

Snack
1 Extra Smokey
~1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Coke Zero

Dinner
Rotisserie Chicken
String Beans & Snow Peas
Pickles

After Jane stays with us we always have lots of good stuff left over, but I went to Owen's Poultry Farm in Needham after Ruby's basketball game and picked up some eggs (determined to see whether they're 'better') and a rotisserie chicken. Both good, but not so much that I need to crow about it. Sorry for the bad pun.

Year 2, Day 322 Day of 100 Nuts

For God's sake I need an intervention. Today the nuts just got to me. There is a lot of stuff going on at work. I am very stressed out. I am staring at the nuts all day on my desk. And then hell, I just cracked. Wide open. Like a walnut.

Breakfast
2 Slices Balthazar Bread
Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Coffee

Snack
5 Sticks Beef Jerky
100 Nuts (45 Almonds, 35 Cashews, 20 Pistachios)

Lunch: Russo's ($5.61)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, broccoli slaw
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
A few pieces of steak and chicken with onions, peppers
snow peas, string beans
1.5 slices of Jane's Bread

My sister-in-law Jane came today and she made a bread of all whole grains and very low in sugar. It is absolutely fabulous. She made four loaves. It's quite a bit like the Balthazar bread, but can you believe it, I think they may use more sugar. In any case, it's made from walnuts (like that's all I need, more nuts) and other great things and it's very dense and filling. She baked four loaves and so we froze three and we'll go through them one at a time.

Year 2, Day 321: Breakfast Freak-Out

All of a sudden I started to freak out that my Breakfast is out of control. I looked at the calorie count of a banana (1 cup) and it was 200 Calories! And 51g of Carbs! I was like, "what am I doing?" I recalculated my breakfast and I started to realize that it was like 700 calories! I could be eating a Monster Thickburger for breakfast! After a few days, I calmed down enough to sharpen my pencil and do the calculations. Using a cup of both cereals and a full cup of soy milk it comes out to nearly 700 calories, but as I only use a half cup of each cereal, a half cup of blueberries and about 3/4 cup of soy milk, it was down below 600 and I could live with that. Which is a relief, because I don't know if I can go back to eating eggs.

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

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

Lunch Chan Shin Yuan
Fish with Vegetables
Moo Shi Pork

Dinner
Trout with Buttery Wine Sauce
Asparagus
Salad with Feta, Balsamic, Cabbage Olive Oil

==============================================================

McDonalds Fries to be Trans-Fat Free

McDonald's says they've found the right oil to make french fries healthier. A company spokesman says after years of testing, the fast-food giant has finally selected a trans-fat-free oil for its famous fries.

The company says the new oil is canola-based and includes a mix of corn and soy oils.

Company spokesman Walt Riker says the new oil has gotten good reviews in extensive testing, and is now being used in 1200 U.S. restaurants. No word when the new oil will be used in all of the company's 13,000-plus restaurants in the U.S. Mcdonald's and other restaurants will have to comply with a New York City ordinance that bans the use of artificial trans fats by July first.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Year 2, Day 320: No Chicken at Russo's

It happens once in a while that due to timing, or other factors, there is no chicken at the Russo's salad bar. Long time readers will appreciate that while rare, this sad turn of events gives me pause to reflect on my new attitude towards food. Years ago I would have abandoned salad plans and gotten something else, and probably something else very fattening. But now, recognizing what my father-in-law has been saying for years "Food is a biological requirement," I simply substitute tuna, and move on. It's funny to think that I've grown more mature as the result of a diet? It might actually be true.

Breakfast
Balthazar Bread
2 Soft Boiled Eggs
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Snack
50 Pistachios
4 Sticks Beef Jerky

Lunch: Russo's ($5.01)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
tuna, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Chicken Paprikash
Leeks
Broccoli

Dessert
Nuts (that I ate with Magnolia)

Starting to teeter back to a nut-frenzy. It comes in waves and it's difficult to control. I realize why most people don't have the same problem with nuts that I do. They ARE TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE! For Pete's sake, it's nearly five dollars for a bag of Almonds, whether you're buying the delicious Whole Foods variety, the delicious but less expensive Russo's variety, or the tasteless, cardboard-esque, good for nothing Trader Joe's nuts. Their expense keeps you from buying too many of them, and a result, you never quite have the same volume of nuts you'd have of say, Cheetos Extra Crrrrunchies. So they're self-limiting, unless you're me and you buy LOTS of them to keep around you all the time. This decision will need to be revisited.

Year 2, Day 319: Hardee's and The Monster Biscuit

'Monster' Reincarnated at Hardee's
Bad Boy of the Burger World is Reborn as New Monster Biscuit With Bacon and Sausage and Ham and Egg and Cheese

There's a brand new Monster on the loose at Hardee's, and this time it's looking to satisfy hearty appetites everywhere at breakfast. As a sequel to the brands' popular Monster Thickburger introduction in 2003, Hardee's today unveiled its latest creation -- the Monster Biscuit -- sandwiching virtually every delicious breakfast menu staple between a Hardee's signature Made-From-Scratch Biscuit. (790 Calories, 38g Carbs, 57g of Fat and 2300mg of Sodium [ouch]—Ed.)

The new Monster Biscuit is made using three half-strips of bacon (a little stingy on the bacon-Ed.), a sausage patty, four slices of shaved ham, a folded egg and two slices of cheese all on a Made-From-Scratch Biscuit.

"We found that a big part of the success of our Monster Thickburger a few years ago was the basic combination of meat and cheese...and more meat and more cheese," said Brad Haley, Hardee's executive vice president of marketing. "So, after trying various similar combinations for breakfast, the Monster Biscuit was born -- or perhaps 'transmogrified' is a more appropriate description of how it was created. Ironically, the version of the sandwich that sold the best in our consumer tests was the one that had everything on it -- bacon and ham and sausage and eggs and cheese. I guess anything less just doesn't cut it as a 'monster.'"

The new Monster Biscuit will be sold at participating Hardee's restaurants for $2.49 or at $3.89 for a small combo including hash rounds and a drink. Prices may vary.

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

Snack:
4 Beef Jerky Stick
1 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
10 Pistachios

Lunch: New Ginza
Broiled Salmon
Asparagus & Mushrooms
Miso Soup
Salad

Dinner
Trout
Bok Choy

Today was a big fish day. I do love fish even though I came to it very late in life. My brother ate McDonald's Fish Filets and restaurant lobster early but I was a hold out for a long time, though I did profess a love for the ketchupy-horseradishy shrimp cocktail in my teens. Both my kids loved to eat fish when they were pre-talking children but somehow their gaining the ability to speak and their rejection of all things fishy seem somehow to be related. Naturally, that's why fishsticks were born—get your kid to eat 'brain food' by covering it with something all kids love—deep fried batter coating! Emily briefly had a dalliance with feeding Ruby fishsticks but in the end I have concluded that if you have to deep fry something to get your kid to eat it you 1) aren't doing them any favors and 2) you'd be better off giving them a multivitamin. I assume that like Jazz music, a taste for fish is mostly acquired in young suburban third generation born Americans. So if there are any shrimp left in the ocean by Ruby's sweet 16, the shrimp cocktail will be on me.

Year 2, Day 318: I Have a Dream

A very strange coincidence meant that Ruby and I saw a movie on all three Monday holidays: Christmas, New Year's Day and now Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Today we saw "Flushed Away," which while not the most direct way to celebrate the holiday, was still nice because it was not insipid like nearly all of the other children's animated films. Still reeling from my discovery of the travesty of nutrition contained in movie popcorn, I am compelled to keep sneaking in Boston Lite Popcorn wherever I go to see a film. Today I brought a friend of Ruby's along too and they had a great time. Then after we went to a restaurant for lunch but there was an 30 minute wait so we vamoosed over to the local pizza joint. Ruby's friend wanted a cheeseburger and they didn't serve it on a soft roll but a sub roll and I felt bad because Ruby's friend had lost both of her front teeth. She was plucky, though, and got through half of it before concentrating on her juice and french fries.

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
2 Soft Boiled Eggs
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 crust of balthazar with Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Coffee

Movie Snack
~3 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Clementine

Lunch: Bill's
Undressed Greek Salad with Chicken
Some Cheese off of a slice of Pizza
1/2 of a chicken nugget

Mindlessly Eaten:
2 pieces of paprikash chicken
2 pieces of hamburger

Dinner: Legal Seafoods
3 oysters
2 shrimp
(cocktail sauce)
house salad, balsamic vinegar
dover sole
broccoli with cheese

dessert
2 bites of egg nog cheesecake
decaf coffee

At night the excitement continued and I went out to eat with my brother and a friend at Legal Seafoods. As always, there were more calories consumed than should be, and according to the book I'm reading, Mindless Eating, it's apparently a common thing that you eat more when you're having a good time and you want it to last. That doesn't say much for eating with friends, does it?

Year 2, Day 317: Will Work Out for Peanut Butter

Today I realized the only reason I really continue to exercise is that so I can eat peanut butter. And lots and lots of it. For the most part, I really keep off the stuff except on workout days. Occasionally I have it as breakfast but I can really get carried away with a spoon and a jar, which amazingly, is not much different how I used to be growing up and in college. Of all the foods that I ate in irresponsible quantities, Peanut butter is probably the only one that I still carry the same candle for now. Mostly, this is because I have discovered Teddies, which I often wax about here. Teddies has proven to me that I should speak to every parent in the world and convince them to throw away their JIF, Skippy (even if it is the "organic"), Peter Pan and other sugar-laden brands and embrace the one true Peanut Butter of all Peanut Butters, Teddie. With only two ingredients, peanuts and salt, it just doesn't get any better, unless you get the super chunky kind. And take a tip from me—you need to mix it up good in the beginning but if you eat it as frequently as we do here, you won't need to refrigerate it. Refrigerating peanut butter is like putting heating up ice cream—it really kills the whole experience of the texture and consistency.

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

snack
1 oz Popcorn/Smartfood

Lunch
Trio meats Blue Ribbon
Big Salad

Postworkout Snack
6 oz plain yogurt
4-5 tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut BUtter

Dinner
Brisket
Cauliflower
Broccoli

As I am nearing the end of my second year, I am very happy that I have gotten into a groove as far as exercise goes. Today, I went 6.5 miles 65 minutes which is not necessarily that great because I like to have gone seven miles, but sometimes the time allowed and the conditions mean you've got to get off the machine. I continue to contemplate other exercise machines, but for now it's going to be the elliptical. I'm only up to level five and it goes a lot higher. I haven't taken it through all the paces (urban, hill, etc.) so that's going to be tough too. Then there's that stair-stepper. Plus all the resistance and strength-training equipment. I'm working up to it, slowly. As anyone who knows me will tell you, two years to work up to it is not that slow for me.

Year 2, Day 316 Saturday with Pancakes

At a recent trip to the mall, I found myself wandering through the polished, perfume-y aisles of Williams-Sonoma. As I allowed my eyes to travel and rest on all the wonderful things, I started to fantasize about making the world's greatest pancakes, something I used to try to do with Ruby, but often failed to live up to my standards. This was mostly because I was using Aunt Jemima mix from a box and that I was using a crappy electric stove. Well I still have an electric stove but this particular day I was interested in the Williams-Sonoma offerings of pancakes mixes (and there were plenty). I remembered a dear friend, now deceased, who ran off with my waffle maker. Lost in reverie, I was approached by a helpful sales gal. I told her my goal and asked if she could advise me. She told me what the differences were but as she described the last product, Kodiak Cakes, she rang my bell. She said "they are made with whole grains." What? I didn't know you could make healthy style pancakes, I thought they were only composed of nutritionless white flour! Quickly I grabbed a box and I was on my way. In what has to be one of those 'the universe is sending you a message that you should make pancakes," Emily had purchased a double-stove-top grill, giving us that all important wide flat surface to make pancakes on. I've made them twice for the girls now and there have not been any leftovers.

Between you and me, they still need some work, but good maple syrup can make up for a lot of shortcomings.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee
(with Bear Naked Granola)

Snack
1 Kodiak Pancake (no syrup)
about 30G of Boston Lite Popcorn
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Olives

Lunch
Brisket, Chicken, Burnt Ends
Pickles
Salad with Feta

Dinner
Brisket
Broccoli
Carrots, Celery, Onions

Today I also piloted the "Bear Naked" granola, meaning that there were two foods with cutesy animal names in them in my diet. Though I have long-eschewed granola, this caught my eye because it was labeled 'low-sugar,' aka no taste whatsoever. I am sad to say that opening the bag and tasting it did not change my previous opinion, and Ruby's taste-test of it ended in her offering me her tongue, coated with low-sugar cereal, with the assumption that I would somehow wipe it off, which I refused to do. I will probably tried it again, but it's an acquired taste, no doubt.

Year 2, Day 315 Last Friday Off

By some quirk of a schedule, Emily had Fridays off in the first semester and a few weeks after. I have been lucky enough that I had the stored up time to take off some of them with her. Now she's going back to five day a week work and so will I. It's kind of depressing, and especially as it coincides with the winter actually arriving in New England. It also seems like it will be a long time before we have any significant time off together again. That's kind of sad, but not as sad as the fact that I don't have a remote starter for my car. Emily has one for hers, and I'm just so absolutely jealous. That's going to be the next generation's remote control (in the Northeast). People in California may not understand why you would need a remote starter. It's so you can start your car from your house so it's warm when you get in it. Of course, this prompts the typical question, if they can put a man on the moon, why can't they make it so your car is warm instantly?

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

Post workout snack
6 oz Stonyfield Yogurt (Plain)
4 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Lunch
Brisket, Burnt Ends and Pulled Chicken
Cabbage/Carrot/Feta & Balsamic Vinegar

Snack
30g of Boston Lite Popcorn
Coke Zero

Dinner
Shrimp a la Emily
String Beans
Salad

I did seven miles in 65 minutes, which seems to be about what I do now when I go to the gym. It's great to be able to go during the weekdays because nobody's there. It's nice to have the place to yourself. Sure, there's no one and nothing to look at except the TVs but there's no pressure and you don't have to worry about getting off the machine or getting on a machine or did you wipe the machine or did you turn off the TV or wipe the TV part of the machine or sign up in the wrong box or all the things that may be slightly aggravating to consider when it's really packed, like on Sunday afternoons when I am usually there. I have been setting it on level four or five, and I think I'm ready to go to the next level there, too. I probably need to start branching out, but look, it took me 40 years to go on a diet and START exercising so it may take me a while to find another machine that I like (and have enough coordination to do).