Day 245—Another Sunday

Another day and another trip to the gym. This is one of the few back-to-back trips to the gym that I've had. Unlike Saturday, when it was kind of empty, when I got to the gym this AM all the elliptical machines are busy so I have to sign up for a machine and go kill time on another machine. I get on the treadmill and I do 1.25 miles which takes me nearly 20 minutes—much longer than it takes on the elliptical. On the half hour, one of the machines frees up and I jump on and go two more miles...at first I didn't think I was going to make it. But as usual, after a while, it just becomes routine.

Breakfast #1
1 Egg
1 oz Cheese

Breakfast #2
2 Eggs Over Easy
Three Strips Jennie-O
1 oz Cracker Barrel

Lunch
2 Slices When Pigs Fly 6 Grain and Pumpkin Seed
Super-Chunky Peanut Butter
1 Braeburn Apple (Yummy!)

Snack
1/4 cup Almonds/Cashews
6 oz. Lite Blueberry Yoplait Yogurt

Dinner
93% Ground Sirloin Burger
1 Peppadew
Pickles
Greek Salad

After watching "Hamburger America" I realize that the fat content alone does not make a burger. However, you shouldn't cook it so it's grey and flavorless, which I do. But that's why I keep well-stocked with green Tabasco sauce.

Day 244: Carpet Cleaners LOVE My Blog

As a marketing director, I have long studied what kind of traditional and non-traditional 'synergies' exist between disparate capitalist entities so that I might unite them in the service of higher profits. Nothing is more satisfying to me then to discover one of these connections. Less sweet, but always exciting is when one is discovered for you. Clearly, the Carpet Cleaners of the Internet have discovered my blog—and clearly—they love it. Nearly every day there is a new posting. For a while there, I hardly keep up with them, I was deleting them so rapidly. They all feature the same exact language, and they are sweet to note, "I am glad I stopped by even though its not a perfect match." You know, it makes sense because most carpet people I know are mordantly obese, so maybe they are looking for pointers on how to lose weight. They could start by jettisoning the dunkin donuts steakwich in the AM.

Breakfast
2 Eggs
4 strips Turkey Bacon
2 oz cheese

Snack
1/4 cups almonds/cashews
4 spoonfuls lowfat banilla yogurt
1 cameo apple

Lunch
Chili
6 Melba Toast Rounds
Cheddar Cheese

Dinner
Steak Tips
Broccoli
Peppadews

I did get to the gym today, but iPod problems kept me slightly off balance. First, I could not unravel the earphones (a $19.95 Sony clipon pair). Then, it appeared that the iPod was out of battery—I got the dreaded dead battery icon, along with the message "Your iPod has run out of battery. Please plug it into an external power source." I knew this was balderdash, but of course my worst fears were confirmed when I heard the music the gym was playing—mindless, wordless, technobeat. Sometimes there's popular music, and sometimes there's not. Today, when my music source was iffy, it was not. Knowing I had little choice, I endeavored to keep elliptical-ing while simultaneously fumfering to get the iPod to restart and reveal the battery power I knew it had. After a while I was successful, and I got back to business. But it was a struggle. I think it took me twice as long to run half as long, but it's a sweat, right?

Day 243: It's Really Going to Be Winter

Got to go for a walk today, but it wasn't too fast, barely broke a sweat. This could also be on account of it was 34 degrees. Brrrr. Need gloves to swing my arms and work off the calories.

Breakfast
1.5 Slice of Harvest Bread
Cheddar Cheese
Tea

Snack
12 oz coffee (half decaf)
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
50 pistachios
1 Cameo apple
6 oz yoplait lite yogurt (raspberry)

Lunch
Rollmops: Ham, Cheese Mustard
Bubbies Pickles
Olives

Dinner
Blue Ribbon Ribs
Pulled Pork
Sauteed Cabbage

I'm feeling heavier in general. Not sure whether this is winter setting in and wearing more layers or actually creeping back up the scale. Planning a Detecto encounter this week, so we'll see.

Day 242: I Read the News Today, Oh Boy

This morning I woke up to see that I was featured in the local newspaper:

http://www2.townonline.com/needham/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=354305

Later in the morning the local TV channel wanted to talk to me. So for 48 hours, I was a local media celebrity. Ultimately, it didn't change a thing. But it was very exciting for a while. Now it's back to the hard work of trying to find a compromise with the town and the developers. At times like this, it's hard not to dive into a binful of chocolate.

Breakfast
2 Small Slices When Pigs Fly Harvest Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
1/4 Amonds/Cashews
30 Pistachios
1 Cameo Apple

Lunch
Rollmops: Ham, Cheese & Mustard
Romaine Hearts
Olives

Dinner
Chicken with Snowpeas

Emily deserves five stars for the dinner she made tonight, though as a student of Chinese cooking, she was clearly disappointed in the way it came out. I thought "if this is what it tastes like at 40% deliciousness, I'm not sure I could take any more." I was a member of the CWC (Clean Wok Club). I practically licked it clean. It was yummy, though I think that the Oyster sauce—aka Sugar—is what made it so yummy.

Day 241—Q: How Do You Find Your Place in This World?

A: Look for it.

I'm not sure how my whole neighborhood thing is going to play out, but after yesterday, when all of my neighbors appeared on the unbelievably minor Needham TV access channel there has been a lot of 'traction' about the whole story of a luxury apartment 5 times the size of my neighborhood going up behind my house. To the degree that a single 25-Watt bulb can be called 'a spotlight' we are in the spotlight, and it feels very exciting to be part of the local political machine, even if I'm the part that gets chewed up and spit out. I haven't yet seen myself on TV but as Emily noted "it's probably good that you lost that weight."


Breakfast
2 Eggs over Easy
2 strips turkey bacon
2 oz cheddar cheese
Tea

Snack
50% of 1/2 of a whole-wheat english muffin with peanut butter
1/4 cup almonds/cashews+8 almonds
2 apricots
1 Apple (Cameo?)

Lunch
Tuna salad over greens, olives, tomatoes, balsamic dressing

Dinner
Chicken Breast a la Emily
Snap Peas
Smidgen of Pulled Pork & 1 Rib from Blue Ribbon

Today was also Ruby's first public school Parent-teach conference. Everything went well, and they said she is "well-liked", which is not like being "a man of respect" or "a friend of ours" but still worth noting.

240: More Evidence South Beach Diet Newsletter Writers are Stalking Me Part One

From yesterday's South Beach Diet Newsletter: Common Sleep Concern
Do you snore loudly? Are you tired during the day even after a full night's sleep? You may be suffering from sleep apnea, a dangerous condition that can cause your breathing to stop while you sleep. The good news is that The South Beach Diet™ can help.

In the most common form of sleep apnea (known as obstructive sleep apnea), the muscles in your larynx collapse, preventing the flow of air to the lungs. The brain, recognizing a decrease of oxygen in the blood, sends a signal to the body to arouse you from sleep in order to take a breath.

In addition to preventing a good night's sleep for you and your spouse, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and an increased chance of heart failure or stroke. If you suffer from sleep apnea, you may find yourself unable to stay awake at work, while watching TV, or even while driving.

Men over the age of 40 (Like Me-Ed.) are most commonly affected by sleep apnea, but overweight or obese people are also at a higher risk of developing the condition. (That's two strikes—Ed.) Excess weight, especially around the neck, can obstruct the breathing passages. Losing weight on The South Beach Diet™ may relieve the obstruction, lessen snoring, and help you to breathe easier. (It's all true, see "Sweet Puffs of Air", Ibid)

Sleep apnea should not be taken lightly. Consult your doctor if you believe you suffer from the condition and weight loss is not helping. Your doctor can recommend alternative treatments

Breakfast
1 Big and 1 tiny Slice of When Pigs Fly Harvest Bread
with Australian Cheddar
Tea

Snack
1/4 cup Almonds/Cashews
8 Dried, Turkish-Style Apricots
12 oz Coffee (half decaf)
1 Apple (I thought it was a Jonagold but it said "Cameo" on it. See below for more details)

Lunch: Chinese
1 Pizza-Shaped Slice of Scallion Pancake
Hot & Sour Soup
Shredded Pork, Cabbage and Peppers
"Peppered" Chicken

Dinner
93% Chopped Sirloin
Broccoli
Peppadews
Pickles

So I have a fear about picking out apples because I love apples but if you're like me and you're used to the crappy supermarket apples, and you know the experience of eating an apple off a tree, you are always hesitant to pick out apples because of the dread fear that they will be brown, soft, mealy or powdery when you bite into them, causing you to have to go "off" apples until you disgust recedes. To avoid this, I started buying apples at Whole Foods, but even though I'm paying twice as much, I wasn't any happier. So I start going to Russo's for apples but they have so many kinds that I always freak out that I'm going accidentally buy just-out-of-season apples that sit next to something that is just in, crisp and delicious. Whatever I got was yummy, and I think it was a Cameo because the label said so. But the label also said "geewhizfruit.com" and so I went there and Cameo is not one of the varieties they sell. Meaning it could have been a Gala or Pink Lady, or they just haven't updated their Web site. Amazingly, in looking around for the apple of my eye, I did find the nutrition "label" for apples, so I've included it here.

239: Way Too Much Information

Don't worry about the title, there's nothing distressing in the blog today, I just thought it was a funny title. I've been thinking about changing up my eating. I realize I'm just going from Joy Stick to Yogurt and back again. Then from apples to cheese, you get the picture. Maybe just add more exercise. I'm thinking out loud, OK? It's just what I do. It's like saying "Note to self," only less annoying, because you don't have to read it if you don't want to. Looks like rain is going to keep me from a lot of walks this week, but I am looking forward to Halloween for the first time as a source of exercise (and candy, natch).

Breakfast
2 Slices When Pigs Fly Harvest Bread
Peanut Butter
1/4 Apple (Fuji)
Tea

Snack
12 oz coffee (half decaf)
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
12 turkish apricots (that's over the limit)
1 Fuji apple

Lunch
Beef K-Bab
Greek Salad

Dinner
Chicken Breast with Sauteed Cabbage
Peppadews

Emily and I just watched a show called "Hamburger America" (http://www.hamburgeramerica.com/). It was basically food porn. We just ooed and ahhed as we watched big beef burgers on buns, served with peanut butter, a whole stick of butter, and a seven-inch bun and LOTS of fries. We were literally salivating on the carpet. Of all the places they showed, only two were in the Northeast (Meriden and New Haven, CT). Emily and I were interested in the one in CT that 'steams' the burgers. We made a note to detour there on a trip home if we ever buy can both buy a map AND keep it in teh car. The owner, won us over when he said that he 'skipped the buns and lost 17 pounds.'

238: What Makes a Hero?

Although being on a diet makes me think of a hero like those also known as sub, grinder or hoagie, my rumination of the day was not about the edible type. An amazing by-product of exercise is how, when you can tune out the 30-minute Sudanese infomercials and the heavy mouth-breathers, and the smell of medicinal men's soap, you can really examine the so called 'four corners of your mind.' Frequently, during exercise I am thinking about my friend Ray, who long-time readers already know, died in the World Trade Center, building two, on September 11, 2001. I thought about him especially when I heard the song "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits (with Sting), who was one of his fave bands (though he liked Van Halen better). I had to just consider the thought for a minute of "what is a hero?" I know the obvious answer is someone who performs a heroic act. But I think there is another element to heroism. It's when what you stand for is so good, so clear and so right, and so absolutely demonstrable, that it makes an impression on everyone who meets you. And that was Ray. He was all about doing his homework, cleaning up, standing up for the little guy, doing what was right, and telling the truth. This isn't to say he didn't act badly sometimes, but whenever you thought "what would Ray do," you would know that he would do the right thing. In that way, I think he continues to influence me to this day. It's also why (besides the obvious loss to his family) I was so sad to lose him. Though we did not see each other often, he was like a moral compass in this world full of distressed and lost souls, among whose numbers I count myself. But at least I got two quarts of peppadews.

Brefest
Three Eggs, Over Easy
2 Strips Turkey Bacon
2 oz. Cracker Barrel Yellow Cheese
Tea

Shnack-en
Nuts
~6 oz lite yogurt (I shared most of two yogurts with Magnolia)

Lunch
Cheese from 1/2 slice of Pizza
Olives

Dinner
Steak Tips
Peppadews
Greek Salad

For the second day Emily let me sleep late and as a results of a later breakfast I am having a smaller lunch. For the first time in two weeks I got to the gym and did 40 minutes and 3.5 miles. I thought it would be a lot harder as it usually is when I miss a week. Surprisingly, it just takes a while to warm up and get into it—then it's pretty easy (if not occasionally boring).

237: Better Get Back to the Gym

Saturday after the poker game can be brutal, because many times I can't get to sleep before 3AM. This sounds horrifying to people, especially if you have kids who will awaken you at 7AM (which is what happened). At those moments I am praying for the day when Ruby will silently sneak downstairs, trying not to wake me or her sister, so she can watch her TV shows and eat all the sugar cereal (even if it is whole-wheat). This day was no different and as a result of being tired, it makes it harder to avoid mindless snacking and even harder to remember what kind of mindless snacking you did.

Breakfast (approx 10:30am)
Whole Wheat English Muffin
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
Cracker barrel cheese stick
Olives
Peppadews

Lunch
Salad with Grilled Chicken

Dinner
Steak tips
Peppadews
Greek Salad

My sister in law procured for me a massive, two-quart bag of peppadews. It was one of those fantastic gifts that beside being something I wanted had an air of serendipity to it—I had been to Whole Foods prior to the game and they were SOLD OUT of peppadews. They sell them in the jar (not fresh) but I forgot to check that aisle, and left peppadew-less.

Day 236: A Poker Game

Of course even when I was eating at my worst, and poker games were an excuse for carb-loading sugar shocks, I still always tried to watch what I ate. This usually meant a salad for lunch; and a salad at the game with no dressing. However, since I would engage in ritual shameless overeating (and it was fun) these few conceits really didn't matter much. These days I know I should have a protein breakfast (as opposed to carbs) and avoid all nut-snacks, since they are obviously the easiest snack to consume at the card game. I also make sure I have salad for lunch (though today I didn't), and basically try to keep the diet intact.

Breakfast
2 Strips Turkey Bacon
2 Eggs Scrambled
Tea

Snack
12 Turkish Apricots
12 oz. Coffee (half decaf)
1 Fuji apple

Lunch
Miso Soup
Japanese Salad
Sashimi: Octopus, Yellowtail, Tuna, Salmon

Poker Game/Dinner/Snack:
Salami Slices
1 Cracker Barrel Cheese Stick
Olives
Pickles
Peppadews
Deli Meats: Corned Beef (4 Slices) Roast Beef (1 Slice) Turkey 2 Slices
3 Slices Muenster cheese
Half Sour Pickles
~1 cup Almonds/Cashews
Cole Slaw

In general, the poker game has felt the effects of SoBe—we went from consuming fully three bags of chips (Doritos 3-Ds, Fritos and Funyons) plus cheese, plus dinner, plus dessert, PLUS all those sugary drinks (like Snapple) AND Beer to a more carb free lifestyle. There's maybe one six-pack of beer; we mostly drink water and diet sodas. We only opened up one bag of chips tonight and it went unfinished. The entire poker game did, as you would expect, devoured all the nut mix I brought. Sigh. I tell you, people love nuts. No matter where I go traveling, people are wanting to eat them all up. That is why I have had to take to hiding them. But that's for another blog entry. For the record, I won about twenty bucks.

235: Wake Me When November Comes

It is increasingly obvious to me that everyone feels a certain shock and denial regarding the oncoming of this particular fall and winter. Mostly it can be seen by people who refuse to dress warmly enough, and those who are still trying to keep up their summer activities (is there one more beach weekend?).

Breakfast
2 Slices Harvest Grain Bread
Cheddar Cheese
Tea

Snack
Dunkin Donuts Coffee (black, half decaf)
Slightly less than 1/4 almond cashews
California slab apricots

Lunch
Beef K-bab
Greek Salad

Dinner
Rainbow Trout with Leeks
Broccoli

Tomorrow is another poker game.

Day 234: Walk For Hunger

The best thing I can say about this day is that was much less hard than I anticipated it would be. You know how sometimes you think you're going to have to really LEAN on a door to push it open, or pull hard, but it comes easily on the very first try? That was today. At every point I thought there would be difficulty, there was ease. Ruby woke up on her own (which she never does on a school day); she ate breakfast; got dressed by herself, and when I was going to get her into the car (we thought she could skip the bus on account of she wasn't 100% percent) I saw a beloved neighbor who offered to take Ruby. So I got to work at 8:45, which is an unheard of time—I haven't gotten to work that early since I had to meet a certain very snooty graphic designer who 'consulted' for domania and could only meet at 8:30AM on Fridays. Oh, how I hated that! To make matters worse, back then I played poker every Thursday and Friday mornings were not a super-good time for me to focus on detail projects. Of course, anyone could make an argument that no time is good for me to do that.

Breakfast
2 Slices of Zabar's Multi-grain bread
Slices of cheddar
10% of a Fuji Apple (the rest was Ruby's snack; she didn't eat it).
Tea

Snack
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
8-12 California slab apricots
6 oz Blueberry yoplait lite yogurt

Lunch
Greek Salad with Chicken

Dinner
Chicken Deluxe
Asian String Beans

Post-Dinner Experiment
Guava slices

It was a beautiful day for the middle of October, and the D.G. actually got to go out walking at lunch today. It was nearly perfect except that I wore two layers which I had to doff prior to the end of the walk. Of special note was a woman walking her dog who called us 'assholes' because I assume she thought we didn't get out of her way fast enough, or at all. Following a walk, some or most of us will go to Christos Seven Star pizza, an unremarkable sub shop in all respects except for its first-in-class poison tuna, which has sickened more than a few Domaniacs. Being that it is one of the two closest places to get hot food, it often is the last resort due to time limitations. Today I got the Greek salad and noticed that its mammoth size—it wouldn't be out of place on a Costco shelf—really makes it a poor choice for a dieter. It's almost as if they know they aren't very good so they try to make up in quantity what they lack in quality. It's really more like two salads, and yet I finish it every time. As we get into this period of cold and more indoors, I really will have to watch what I eat—and the volume of what I eat.

233: Get Nutty, Snack on Nuts

From "The South Beach Newsletter" : Fall is a season of cooler weather, changing leaves, and bountiful nuts. That's right, most tree nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, and pistachios) are harvested during the fall months. This means that now is the perfect time to rediscover the joy of these nutritional powerhouses.

What's in a nut? These satisfying snacks are low in cholesterol and saturated fat and high in healthy monounsaturated fat, protein, and a variety of essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid and niacin. Numerous studies suggest that nuts may be effective in preventing heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

Nuts can be eaten raw (fresh from the shell) or roasted, and can be used in cooking. Keep unshelled nuts in a cool place for up to a year. Shelled nuts can turn rancid more quickly and often require refrigeration or freezing. And remember that while nuts are good for you, their high fat content makes them potential diet busters. Keep your intake to the portion sizes recommended on The South Beach Diet™ (for instance, 15 walnuts, almonds, or pecans, or 30 pistachios at a time).

Breakfast
2 Slices Zabar's Multi-grain bread
Cheddar Cheese, to top
Tea

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)
1/3 clementine
1/4 almonds & cashews

Lunch
Thai Beef Salad
Thai Chicken Salad
Brown Rice

Dinner
90 Hamburger
Cabbage Slaw
Pickles
Peppadews
Broccoli

This morning I was getting Ruby ready for school when I noticed, with some alarm, that it looked like she had two black eyes. When I asked her what happened, she answered "I got a mosquito bite", without missing a beat. For a moment, I actually believed her. Then I wizened up and got her to the doctor. It looks like like she might have conjunctivitis—we'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I am trying to cut down on the nuts, and I discovered having cheese on toast might be a way to do that. It's really substituting one fat for the other, but it's something.

Plus, if I don't get some physical exercise I am going to turn into Jabba the hut.

Day 232: Back to Life, Back to Reality

After a weekend of G-d knows what, I am determined to get back to work after missing two days; getting back to physical activity after being still; and getting back to watching what I'm eating after a weekend of eating pound cake and rugelach. I decide to try and phase one it. I succeed for today—except for dinner.

Breakfast
2 Eggs, Over Hard
Melted with Cheddar Cheese

Lunch
Popeye Salad (From Strip T-s)
Spinach, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Poached Chicken
Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
Coke Zero

Snacks
1/4 cup Almonds, Cashews
1 Fuji Apple

Dinner
Breast of Chicken
Broccoli

Post-Dinner Grazing
1/4 cup Almonds/Cashews
~5 California Apricot Slabs

Amazingly, I order Chicken Breast "with rice and beans" at dinner. I ask if it can be "more beans than rice." Emily suggests I get no rice at all. The waiter comes back after our order to say that 'it is how it is," meaning we'll take what we get. Fine, I think, I don't care how much rice vs. beans I'm going to get. I've gotten to used to ignoring food. When the food comes, it's six beans and a plate of rice. I bring this to the attention of our waiter who says "it's premixed." Really, I was at a loss for words. I ate one french fry of Ruby's but managed to skip the ice cream place next door when we went for dessert. (It was JP Licks, not Cold Stone, for those who were wondering). When I got home, I was still hungry. So, again with the nuts.

Day 231: The Long Journey Home

This was Magnolia's actual birthday (there was no cake). If there's anything as bad for dieters as parties, it's traveling. Aside from the restriction on physical activity, there's little to do but eat. Plus lately, there's been at least one stop at McDonald's.

Breakfast
2 Slices of Zabar's Multigrain Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
A ton of nuts
clementine

Lunch
4-day old, and most likely, improperly stored tuna
3-day old cold brisket
Jarlsberg

Dinner
Steak Tips a la Robert
Broccoli
Peppadews

The big advantage of this particular car trip was that I was TOTALLY CARSICK on the way home. It could have been from the tuna (see description, above).

Day 230: Magnolia's One (with the World)

Well of course the thing about a party is that there is a lot of delicious food. Also, there is no 'set' meal time, people are constantly grazing. This can be a problem for people watching their intake and never more so than the host is also one of the KITCHEN HELP. So there's a good bit of tasting, noshing, ripping and such. So really, the whole thing's a blur, and there's a slice of ice cream cake on top of it all. But how many times will my daughter be one? Just once. How many times will she sleep through the incantation of happy birthday? Possibly several. But all in all, it was a good day.

Breakfast
2 Slices of Zabar's Multi-Grain Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
Cheese Stick

Lunch-Dinner-Party
Cheeses of many varieties
Olives
Spicy Pickles
Peppadews
~8 Meatballs
1 Piece Flanken
2 Chicken Breasts
Cabbage Salad
Slice of Birthday Cake (with a sliver of Snickers bar on top).

When you think about all the above as TWO meals, it probably isn't so bad. But it did seem at the time like an endless parade of food. However, as Emily's sister said in the beginning of the day "It's a SoBe friendly birthday spread." And why shouldn't it be? We did have crackers and cake, for the non-participants. The rest of us were able to nosh in SoBe safety.

Day 229: Atonement. Check. Party Planning. Check

When you have a new beginning, you should be careful! I choose to throw caution to the wind and start the morning with a few nuts. As the day goes on, I have consumed more than my combined daughters' weight in nuts, and so the new year is very much like the old year. But at least there's no rugelach or challah.

Breakfast 6 oz lite yogurt
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
1 c. strawberries
tea

Snack
Nuts-a-plenty
2 cheese sticks
.5 fuji apple
a few olives
2 coke zero(s)

Lunch
Greek Salad

Dinner
Chicken Soup (Celery, Carrot, Onion)
Salad

unintentional eating (but it counts)
1. bite of Magnolia's Challah french toast
2. a bite of a pletzel from Zabar's
3. a few noodles of shells and cheese

Dessert
3 Dried apricots

What is not revealed here is that I a make the dinner with Emily's sister, and so was eating every part of it along the way. Chicken, carrots, celery, the whole bit. I was heavily craving dessert, but I willed it away.

Day 228: Day of Atonement

SoBe Journal:

Breakfast

1 small slice pound cake,
1 dixie cup orange juice

tuna salad
egg salad
6 potatoes (fried in schmaltz)
1 dab of whitefish
cheddar cheese

2 rugaleach
1 small slice of chocolate bobka

Today was sort of different from every other fast that I've done on Yom Kippur. Today, I noticed that not eating was not the problem. I was not hungry. I did not want for food. I was a bit light-headed from not eating; possibly from not having any caffeine. But I was not hungry. My usual 3pm headache came and went; I did not medicate for it. It was an because I thought I wasn't going to get a chance to go to temple (Schul) as I try to do every year for a few hours. At the last minute though, I decided that Ruby and I would join Mag & Em in the trip in the rain to NYC and we arrived in time for family services there. My brother-in-law and I decided to stay at the temple, so we were there until the service ended (7pm).

If you're not Jewish, and you've never stayed until the bitter end of a Yom Kippur service, then you haven't fully experienced the pain of standing for 30 minutes when you haven't eaten for 25 hours; for being surrounded by people with 'yom kippur breath'; by feeling that you might keel over because the prayer book you're holding weighs the same as a building. You really go to do a different place. It's amazing how the Rabbi, etc. at the pulpit can keep going. It's like watching a grueling sports event. They just come up with the goods.

Day 227: Yom Kippur

Typically a night, and a day, spent in earnest thought and consideration for the year past, and the sins within it. Always a difficult time for me, and often one that finds me consulting the books or considering a nearby body of water. Tonight though, it was just the four of us at home, trying to figure out how to pack for a few days in New York for Magnolia's one year old birthday party. Often, there is a festive meal to say goodbye to the old year, a meat meal, but tonight there was sort of a catch-as-catch can meal comprised of frozen chicken soup (I made it a week ago for Rosh Hashanah); prepared-food brisket, and some frijoles. For Ruby, there was buttery angel-hair pasta and chicken soup, both of which she consumed with gusto that made me proud to have been the creator of both the dishes and the girl (well 50%). I wonder if having her buy lunch at school will make her appreciate the food we make it home more (Friday's lunch is French Toast sticks with maple syrup). For me, there was challah, apples and honey, a sip of wine and two coins of chocolate was going out sinning big, because next year is going to be a slimming one.

Breakfast
1 slice Harvest Bread, When Pigs Fly
Peanut Butter
3 Slices Ham
Tea

Snack
2 Dragon Sticks
8 Dried Apricots
1 Fuji Apple
12 oz Coffee (half decaf)

Lunch
Artisan Salad: Red Leaf, Ham, Grilled Chicken, Cheddar, Olives

Dinner
Brisket
Chicken Soup
Frijoles
~2 slices challah
~2 slices apple with honey
2 chocolate coins

Tomorrow will obviously be a 'light' day for the blog; there will be only one meal on it (the break-fast). I will be joining my brother and his family and friends in Marblehead (if the rain doesn't wipe the Massachusetts coast away by then) for a breakfast, for which I have secured $40 in baked goods (they're price gougers during this season). By then, I may be lighter of the soul, but heavier by at least one rugeleach.

Day 226: Detecto Says "196"....Yawn.

Today was my 13th wedding anniversary. It really is amazing to be married 13 years—it seems like a lot of years, but in fact it sped by like a bullet. This has been a year of many landmark ages. My dad turned 70, I turned 40, my daughters turned 5 and 1, and my wife will be 40 in November. Aside from the damage done to my ears by the iPod, I think I'm in the best shape of my life. The terrific non-stop rainfall continues to depress New England, and today I seemed to be on the receiving end of a lot of unintentional carbs. But since I got weighed in this morning (and on scale #2, not #4) I realized that if I can maintain this weight for a few more months (it's been three months give or take) than I can definitely get down to 185 if I really concentrate. Though heading into the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's zone, I'll be happy to get out of this year at the same weight.

Breakfast
Mastmacher Bread (the last slice)
Peanut Butter
3 slices ham
Tea

Snack
Coffee (12 oz, half decaf)
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
8 dried apricots
1 granny smith apple

Lunch (Chinese)
Wonton Soup (with wontons)
Beef with Celery (Very SoBe)
Schezuan Chicken (Not Very SoBe)

Dinner
Chicken Livers (dredged in flour)
Sauteed Spinach

We determined that since we're having a birthday party for Magnolia in NY this weekend, taking ourselves out for dinner was an unnecessary extravagance. As a result, we stayed home to eat 'what was in the fridge.' For lunch I unknowingly ordered something that was deep fried and in a gloopy sauce; for dinner I actually knowingly ate something with white flour. All I could do was think "tomorrow I'm going to eat more vegetables."

Day 225: Columbus Day

Today it was raining, and everybody everywhere (that I could make out) was getting tired and grumpy. So there was no walk, and very little energy. A lot of stuff was closed, and it's actually very infrequent that I ever work on Columbus Day, because I usually take the day off to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my wife (though this year it's actually on Tuesday, which is tomorrow, if you're reading this on Monday). A bright spot was when Ruby & Emily came to visit. Ruby really only had eyes for the Peanut M & Ms that were on my desk (they came from Angie's List, I didn't buy them)!.

Breakfast
Mastemacher Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
Coffee (12 oz, Half Decaf)
1/4 cup Almonds/Cashews
8 Dried Apricots
1 Granny Smith Apple

Lunch
Ham & Cheese Rollmops
1 Heart Romaine
Olives

Dinner
Rainbow Trout a la Emily
Green Beans with Melted Cheese

Again, I apologize to readers who are tired of me having the same breakfast every day. It is so hard to be inventive, from a diet perspective. I tried to have a glass of wine with dinner but it was week-old and cold (and red) and didn't hold up very well. What can I expect though, when the cork was gone missing. I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you about my damaged hearing (iPod) and the email from my ex-Ed Humor friend (Derek). More on that tomorrow.

Day 224: Wick and Lennon's Birthday(s) Today

There is much to be said about ridding the American diet of its white flour and white sugar. First of all, the baking industry would be finished. There are very few successes of delicious desserts minus the 'whites.' No matter how the Whole Foods industry tries, for the most part they're always coming up with a "frookie"— a cookie that substitutes white grape juice for white sugar. The truth is that these products just aren't as good as their whited-up counterparts. Now they can make delicious desserts without high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils, and they should, but I'm getting off my point, which is that dessert is such a big part of American life. And never is it a bigger part of any part of American life than a birthday. Emily and I (& kinder) went to see one of our oldest and dearest friends to celebrate his birthday. They provided the food from Boston Market (read: hidden carbs) and a cake that was sized for 20 people. I had a tiny slice, Ruby had some, Magnolia is not of cake eating age and we'll just say that other folks had some cake too. It was delicious, as all temptations are. We asked that it be taken out of the room.

Breakfast
3.5 strips Turkey Bacon
Terribly Failed Eggs Over
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Lunch
White Meat Chicken
Meatloaf (made probably with about 30% white breadcrumbs and sugar, by my guess)
Vegetables (Broc, Carrots, Zucchini)
Creamed Spinach
Dessert: Cake (Devils Food with White Frosting)

Snack
1 Cheese Stick
1 oz. salted peanuts

Dinner
Steak Tips
Double Greek Salad (I ate Emily's portion, too)

Just glad I got to the gym yesterday. Hopefully the rain will hold out and I'll be able to get some walks in. Also, I noticed at the JCC they were offering a "free consultation with a fitness trainer." I must get on that—I wonder if it's promotional? I'm sure you have to sign up for 10 sessions or something. But I am looking forward to the next level in my fitness training. Looking at all the old pictures really keeps me motivated. But resisting cake will always be hard.

Day 223: Crying on the Treadmill

I must keep reminding myself not to program songs that will elicit emotional responses when doing a workout. During the workout, you are trying to be focused on your activity; to clear your mind. Really, the only thing entering your headspace is the music you're playing (or if you're at the JCC today, a 45 minute Billy Blanks infomercial). There are a few songs (rockers, not ballads) that if you're in that mode can really kill you. Today the song "Wonderful" by the band Everclear did it. The reason it's on there is because my niece has been dying for some good work out music so I've been combing through my archives to see if there's any recent rock and roll (because basically, kids hate old music like they hate black and white movies) that she might like. I made a playlist for her and copied it to my iPod to give it a spin. "Wonderful" is a song about divorce, from a broken hearted kid's perspective. Though I am from a divorced household, what really got me was the line "Promises mean everything when you're little and the world is so big", which not only makes me think about my own childhood, but of how I'm raising my children, whether I'm doing a good job, providing a strong, honest, loving example of how a person should be. That whole topic could make you disappear down an emotional swirly-drain from which you might never recover. Aside from that, everyone knows that visibly sobbing on a piece of exercise equipment is a no-no. I switched to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" and shined it on.

Breakfast
2 Eggs (you can guess at the treatment)
3 Strips Turkey Bacon
2 oz. 50% lite Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
Coffee
30 nearly rancid jumbo cashews (that's what I get for leaving them in the car)
1 Fuji apple
2 bites of a cheese stick fed to Magnolia (by now she can eat a whole one)

Lunch
1 Dark meat turkey burger
leeks a la emily

Dinner
Greek salad with Tuna

The above writing should not make one think that I did have a good workout. It was a good one, because I made 5 miles—a new record for me. In all fairness, it was 4+ miles on the elliptical and about a mile on the treadmill (as I was waiting). I also did a bit on the stairmaster—it's not for me. I wasn't sure I was even going to make it to three miles, but the great thing about going fast is you cover a lot more distance more quickly. So after a while of thinking "I can't go on" I made it much farther than I thought I could. So let that be a lesson to all of you.

Day 222: The Notorious C.A.B.B.A.G.E.

I kid you not, this was the headline from today's South Beach Email: "Ending Embarrassing Gas."

Then it went on to say: "Some people experience an increase in gas when starting a new diet. While not a symptom of any serious condition, gas can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Here are a few ways to cut down on gas:
• Reduce sugar alcohol intake. One of the unfortunate side effects of sugar alcohol consumption is excessive gas production. Since sugar alcohols are found in a variety of sugar-free foods, it's very likely that they are the cause of your troubles. •
• Reduce gas-producing foods. If time doesn't correct the problem, you may need to identify and reduce problem foods. Beans, cauliflower, and cabbage are notorious gas producers. Try cutting back on the number of daily servings of each of these foods.
There's more, but we can only use up so much space today. Amazingly, I had cabbage for dinner.

Breakfast
1 Slice Mastmacher Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
1 Medium Dunkin Donuts coffee
1 joy stick
2 oz salted peanuts
8 dried apricots
6 oz lite yogurt
~30 Cashews

Lunch
Steamed Lemon Chicken with Broccoli
Beef with Peppers in Black Bean Sauce

Dinner
Schezuan Shrimp with Cabbage

Because I went for a brisk Domania walk today, I felt I could have a few more things to eat today. That probably isn't helping my desire my weight loss, but it's not hurting either. On the way home I picked up a massive container of cashews from Marty's liquors and THEY WERE AWFUL. For some reason, mostly hunger, and being trapped in the car, I kept eating them. That was sad. I've learned my lesson. Only Whole Foods cashews from now on.

Day 221: Raising Cain and Abel Eaters

Very often dinner, and blog-writing time is the time I think about how I could eat more vegetables. Right now it's amazing that Magnolia will eat nearly anything (which if you've ever had to feed a one year old, you know is rare). I think to myself "she'll learn to eat as we eat now—low carbs, high protein, vegetables." Meanwhile, Ruby grew up with both of us eating the old way, which resonates strongly with the 'big six' children's entrees: spaghetti and red sauce; hot dogs; hamburgers; chicken nuggets, pizza and mac and cheese. (You can add grilled cheese if you're spoiling for a fight). Maybe five years or so of eating with fish and vegetable eaters might eventually have an effect. We can only hope.

Breakfast
1 Slice Mastmacher Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea

Snack
1 oz Peanuts
8 Apricots

Lunch
Shredded Pork
Sliced Celery, Cabbage and Peppers

Dinner
Steak Tips
String Beans
Sauteed Onions and Peppers

Thursdays are most often a relief. Sure, everyone says Wednesday is 'hump day' but on Thursday you can really see the weekend in sharp focus. It isn't that I have any plans for the weekend, it's just that as Americans, we're trained to work for the weekend. And I for one, am lucky that I love to be with my family.

220: The Day After The Beginning

Today I went for my first solo Domania walk. No one was available to go with, but I could not stand another week without at least two walks in it, so I went. Made pretty good time, 40 minutes, which is a little slower than our fastest timed speed (37 minutes). I felt good, full of determination. Years ago, I never would have gone by myself. I'm not sure that I'll ever love exercise like some people, but I can tell that I have a place for it that I never ever had before. I can truly say that I have changed in this way. If I can do it, ANYONE can do it.

Breakfast
1 Slice Mastemacher Bread
Peanut Butter
Tea
20% 1 Fuji Apple

Snack
1 Fuji Apple
6 Dried Apricots
2 oz Salted Peanuts
1 Dragon stick
2 Baby Bell Cheeses

Lunch
Salad from Russo's
(Ham, Chicken, Red Leaf, Green Leaf, Tomatoes, Carrots, Oil & Vinegar)

Dinner
Breast of Chicken a la Em
Broccoli and Cauliflower

So much going on—I have several projects going on and so when I come home it's dinner, bath, bed and then on to work! For this reason I am staying up way too late and not getting enough sleep. This is a bad thing. At least of the projects involves looking at old video tapes of me and the kids—I was really, really heavy back then. It's quite sad. I want to apologize to the people in my life "sorry I was so heavy, I didn't know, I didn't care, I couldn't acknowledge." You really don't know, but it was SO OBVIOUS. I think I'll look at these films every so often, just so I don't forget.

Day 219: Rosh Hashana-"Today is the beginning of the world."

If you are given to emotional responses to the occasional heartfelt religious sentiment as I am, Rosh Hashanah can be a difficult time. However, its message of rebirth, reinvention and redemption is powerful, and it's one of the reasons that even the least religious Jews pay attention during this time of the year. Aside from the new year, there is talk of God writing in the "good book" and the "bad book" for the coming year. It's always difficult to gauge where you're going to land, but it's always much easier to look back and see which one you were in retrospect. I have much to do, improve and change about myself and consequently, I spend time at the river with loaves of bread, tossing in sins and contemplating how to do better. At the very least, in terms of food, appetite, and physical exercise, I have come a long way, and that feels good. But I have far to go to get to my next goal weight, and to make the lifestyle permanent. When I'm done with my physical body, there is a whole host of things to work on in the mind.

Breakfast
2 Eggs O'er
3 strips turkey bacon
Tea

Snack
1/4 cup almonds/cashews
grapes
coffee (1/2 decaf)

Lunch
Greek salad with Grilled Chicken

Post Schul Snack
6 oz 'lite' yogurt
Cheese
More nuts
1 slice ham
more grapes

Dinner
Flounder Stir-Fry a la Em
with Baby Bok Choy
Salad with Cabbage, Feta & Broccoli
Bites of a Hot Dog Ruby Didn't Eat

This morning I started my 'new year' by having a phase one breakfast. Then a pretty good lunch, but going to Schul (temple) and coming home made me hungry, and because Emily was interviewing a babysitter, we didn't get to eat until later, and I started combing through the fridge. Nothing un-SoBe, but with me the volume is an issue. I didn't finish my dinner or salad for once, and that certainly reflects eating a bunch of other stuff late. I still need to get back to regular walking tomorrow—these past days have been a little disruptive, from a schedule perspective.

Day 218: Happy 5766

There are a lot of days that are filled with bad energy, karma, what have you. Sometimes, when they arrive so that they overlap important days, like the 'new year's eve' for Jews, you could get suspicious. Fortunately for me, this day went pretty well (check back with me in a year). I didn't win the lottery or anything, but it was just a day that my coat didn't get caught on the drawer-pull, I wasn't late for work, the bus came on time, I had money for stuff I was on line for, and I remembered things in time to do something about it. Today I had Chinese for lunch and the fortune said "When you're finished changing, you're finished." I thought that was apt. It also said my lucky numbers were 7, 12, 28, 35 and 61. So take that for what it's worth.

Breakfast
40% of 1 Fuji Apple
Peanut Butter
1 Cheese Stick

Snack
4 Dried Apricots
1/5th Cup almonds/cashews
1 dragon stick
12 oz coffee (half decaf)

Lunch
Egg drop soup
Beef with Broccoli
Boneless spare ribs

Dinner
Apples with Honey (for Rosh Hashanah)
Challah
Goat & cheddar Cheese
Chicken Soup
Brisket
Asparagus
Noodle Kugel
2 Glasses Wine
Raspberry Rugelach
Marble Spongecake

So it was the Jewish new year and I got together with my friends for whom celebrating at least one of the Jewish holidays has become a tradition. We are getting it down to a science. I must say that both Emily and I ate more than usual, though I did not feel 'stuffed'—only that I ate my fill and was done. It's good to do that once in a while—especially if you get a two mile walk in the next day. I allowed myself to eat pretty much anything I wanted, though I clearly took as small a piece of kugel as I could, and tried to contain myself around the desserts.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of the year—and then Yom Kippur, the fasting day of atonement. That will be good for me. I promise.

Day 217: Back on the Horsey

With New Year's right around the corner I must not give up. I must be strong. And in the words of Antonio Banderas (as Puss in Boots in "Shrek 2"): "No matter what happens, I must not cry."

Breakfast
1 Slice Mastemacher Bread
Peanut Butter
3 oz Cheese

Snack
Nuts
1/4 of a whole wheat bagel with butter (made for Magnolia)

Lunch
Tuna over Cabbage, Lettuce Salad
1 Slice Ham

Dinner
1 scoop of ham salad, 1 scoop of cole slaw
1 Hot Dog
1 Hamburger
Grilled Zucchini, Peppers
Peppadews
Pickles

1 Morsel of Brownie Cheesecake

We had an all-neighbor dinner, where everyone brought something. This was amazing, if only because there were six adults and eight kids (not everyone practicing zero population growth!). It was also amazing that all the kids actually ate dinner, since they spent most of the time running, jumping and hurling themselves at each other. After all that food the dessert was brought out. I allowed myself a little something, since I did get back to the gym with my renewed membership—and commitment. It was really hard, but I did it. I must meet the fitness trainer, and start doing something other than the elliptical.

216: Sick

Only a quickie tonight–something I ate? made me feel quite queasy during the dinner hour—so I skipped all foods after dinner (excepting four rolaids, which, naturally contain sucrose—bastards). I did quaff a half a ginger ale, which helped quite a bit. It was a last resort.

Breakfast
Muenster Cheese Omelet
2.5 Strips of Turkey Bacon
Tea

Snack
1/4 cup o nuts
3 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar Lite
4 slices of Jambon
1 Coke Zero
1 Tsp Peanut Butter

Lunch
1 Fresh Roll
1 Beef Teriyaki Stick
Chicken, Broccoli, Ginger & Scallions

Not sure what made me feel bad, but it's just as well, because I had eaten quite a bit during the day (though we went to the town fair and I managed to avoid any trouble there). Bought a new pair of workout shoes, aka sneakers, because Emily's sister accidentally hot-fingered mine, mistaking them for her husbands. Saturday came and I knew I couldn't go into the JCC with Merrells on, so off to Model's I went.