Year 2: Day 1— And Away We Go....

People almost NEVER ask me for advice. Though the diet, and the blog are often topics of conversation, except with a chosen few people (you know who you are) no one really wants advice on how to eat, or to tell me what they snack on, or understand what I've come to learn. I'm only one guy, and I only have my own experience to guide me. I'm not Bob Green and most of the people I speak with are not Oprahs-in-waiting. But I digress. I thought for my first day of the new year's diet blog, I would write what I have found most valuable in the year behind me.

1. Drink lots of water.
2. Don't EVER skip meals
3. Plan on snacking
4. Make Breakfast Big—500 calories OK.
5. Don't cheat yourself; Don't cheat ON yourself.

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Rye Bread
4 Slices Ham
3 oz. Jalapeno 50% Cheddar
Tea

Snack(z)
1/4 of a Banana
1/2 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.72)
Red Leaf, Red Onion, Red Peppers
Chick Peas, Olives, Feta
Celery/Mesclun Mix
Tuna (they were out of Chicken)

Dinner
Black Angus Burgers
Sauteed Onions and Peppers
Pickle-sickles

Dessert
2 Bites of a Coconut
6 Squares of Burdick's Chocolate

When I got to Russo's today, I noted that they had no chicken in the salad bar. When I looked over at the grill, it was covered with raw chicken. This was at 12:00pm—just starting to grill the chicken! That's some bad planning on their part. I was forced to eat tuna, and compensated by getting a way bigger salad than normal. Also, tonight I tried Burdick's chocolate bar the dark kind that's sugar free. I had six squares (10 is a serving). I must say, that unlike any other dark chocolate I can remember having, I wanted MORE. So Aileen was right, it is incredible. But I'm not sure I want to work it into my routine every night. She sent a milk chocolate bar with Almonds I've yet to try, too. If you're not on a diet, I suggest you check them out: http://www.burdickchocolate.com/

Day 365: One Year—Detecto Says "188"

It seems really unbelievable that I have finally made it to one year on the South Beach Diet. From my first post (http://sobediet.blogspot.com/2005/02/first-day.html) I wondered, "will I make it?" Even more incredible than staying on the diet for a year is that I have managed to lose 38 pounds. When I started, I weighed in at 226 lbs—a pre-diabetes, pre-heart attack victim waiting to happen.

Still more incredible, is that even though I am slimmer, I have managed to keep my rather pear-like shape. Lest people think I cannot enjoy my success, let me put you at ease. I am quite proud of myself—which I confess is not a feeling I had very often prior to this project. I am proud that I set out to do something and did it. I am proud that I wrote every day for a year, something I love to do; and that in doing both, I either entertained people or inspired them, or both. Also, that for a few months I gave blog-spammers a joyful place to call home.

When I saw the scale this morning, I literally couldn't believe it. I know that I had been eating less, but when Emily asked me the other day what I thought I weighed, I guessed that I might have put on a pound. I had been sick, and really, I couldn't gauge my own weight anymore. But 188 was shocking. I still want to get to 185, though it looks like it might not be as hard as I thought it was going to be.


Breakfast
1 Cup Kashi (with a little sprinkle of Ezekiel 4.7)
3/4 unsweetened soy milk
a few strawberries
Tea

Snack
Coffee (half decaf)
1 Joy Stick
1 Cheese Stick

Lunch: The Stockyard
Sirloin Tips on Caesar Salad (this description is totally misleading)

Dinner
Trout
String Beans and Leeks a la Emily
a few pieces of dried fruit (feeding to Magnolia)
a few chick peas (emily made 'em).

Emily keeps asking what I would want to do to celebrate. Whether I want to eat some 'special food.' I realize that what I want- what my 'fantasy' is—— is to eat A LOT of food. I know it doesn't feel good, but I do miss the sensation of it. The very "Caligula of Eating" that I used to me. I don't really feel like any specific foods are off limits. Over my year I ate rolls, I ate a few bites of pizza, I ate some dessert, I ate a few french fries, a few deep-fried things and the occasional white sugary treat. I don't feel like it's necessarily a treat to have them, any more than I feel like having a cigarette now would be a 'treat.' It was poison then and it's poison now, but now I've learned to live without it. It's not that I have a uncharitable position toward the whole thing, it's just that I like feeling good, having energy, and buying new pants. Well not the last thing so much.

Lastly, as I did when I hit my first goal, I have to thank the trifecta of women who helped me to my goal— Dr. Parent (who might be giving me the swerve) who started it all; Emily, my wife who cooked up a storm and saved me, and my Mother, the constant (and sometimes lone) blog commenter who supported me throughout with love and Balthazar bread.

And of course, you, if you're reading this now, thanks. It helps so much to have an audience, you wouldn't believe it.

Day 364: Birthday Party

Today was my niece's birthday party. She was actually born on a day that passed by several weeks ago, but it couldn't the real day would have fallen on Super Bowl Sunday, so it was moved to the week after, but that was doomed by an immense, two-foot snowfall. So it was rescheduled to today. It was a bowling party, and its start time (1:00pm) made me think there wouldn't be any temptations there, but I was wrong. At the last minute, there was a decision to provide chicken fingers and french fries and don't you know that I had four chicken fingers (and one french fry). Sometimes, there isn't much you can do but go with the flow. On the plus side, I was able to avoid all Teddy Grahams, Starbursts, Birthday Cake and Chocolate and Vanilla ice creams that were both present and available.


Breakfast
3 Eggs, Over Broken
2.5 strips Louis Rich Turkey Bacon
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Bites of Banana

Lunch
Robert's Tuna Salad Open faced on Balthazar Multi-Grain Bread
Pickles

Party-Snack, Etc.
4 Chicken Fingers
1 French Fry
Diet Coke
1/4 Cup Almonds, Cashews

Dinner
Emily's Kick-Ass Turkey Crumble in Lettuce Wraps
Broccoli

Of course, it's nearing the end of February and the first year of the diet, so my mind is on Detecto. Though I had a spell of a cold and went several days without snacking, I'm not sure what the scale has in store for me. Depending on the commute, I'll either get there tomorrow or Tuesday for weigh in.

Day 363: To the Gym...and Beyond

Actually, the title of this post should be call "no workouts on the Sabbath," because I find when I go to the gym on Saturday, I always have my choice of machines, and there is never anybody waiting for me. I did 4.25 miles on the elliptical, and then I finished the fifth mile out on the track. It's always amazing to me how the fourth mile is so much easier than the second one, which seems to roll by so sloooowly.

Breakfast on the Threes
3 Eggs, Over Broken
3 Strips Applegate Turkey Bacon
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch
Salad, with Feta and Cabbage
Breast of Chicken
Pickles
Coke Zero

Etc.
A bite of french toast

Dinner
Robert's Peppery Chicken
Onions, Cabbage and Peppers

Emily and I briefly discussed the milestone of one year on the diet. She asked what we should do to celebrate. Would it be dinner out? Desserts? Pizza? It was good fodder to think about; on the same level of considering what you would do if you win the lottery (I didn't, thanks eight guys in Nebraska). I will think on it some more.

Day 362: More No-Snacking

Except for the news in the title, there wasn't much to report today. I had planned to have lunch downtown with a friend, but something came up on his side at the last minute, so it got canceled. I had eaten light in preparation so when it came time for lunch it was a whopping big salad—breaking the standard ranks by about a dollar. Then, I thought I wouldn't eat it, but I did, which reminds me (and all who read this) that if you're like me, you're likely to eat everything on your plate. SO DON'T PUT IT ON YOUR PLATE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT IT.

Breakfast
2 Small slices Balthazar multi-grain bread
4 slices of ham
2.5 oz. 50% jalapeno cheddar
tea

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)

Lunch: Russo's ($5.72)
Red Leaf, Red Onion, Red Peppers
Broccoli, Feta, Grilled Chicken

Dinner: Bernard's
Spare Ribs
Emily's Leeks
Broccoli
Shrimp
Chilean Sea Bass
Salad

Whenever Emily's sister and her family are over, there is always a LOT more vegetables, and often salad, on the table than at any other time. Tonight was no exception. How many other families do you know that have an entree portion of salad in addition to a Chinese take-out meal? Though I know Ribs and such are not 'proper' SoBe food, I indulged anyway, and I LOVED IT.

Day 361: Appetite Back

Fortunately for me, my sinus-cold is gone and I feel somewhat better. Unfortunately, it means that my appetite has returned. I was really looking forward to not snacking anymore; I thought it was the new me. Now I realize I was just sick. This also led me to the dentist with incredible tooth sensitivity; apparently, sinus issues are directly related to the 'upper molars'. The dentist x-rayed me, and joyfully, sent me home with now work.

Breakfast
2 Small slices Balthazar multi-grain bread
4 slices of ham
2.5 oz. 50% jalapeno cheddar
tea

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)
1 Pear
1/2 oz. Popcorn

Lunch:Anna's
Grilled Chicken Quesadilla
Guacamole, Salsa, Hot Sauce
Broccoli, Red Beans

Dinner
Emily's Trout Fish Fry (Sauteed)
Bok Choy
Sauteed Cabbage
Salad

On the way back from the dentist I had to quickly get something to eat; Anna's caught my eye. Though it is rare that I make a decision to eat some bread, sometimes it's just the right decision. Anna's, it must be said, is the greatest at what they do; the food is incredible, fresh, and cheap. The store on Harvard Ave doubled in size (they literally opened a mirror-image store next to the existing one, with an identical counter and room full of seats) and so the line moves quickly. If they don't have the best quesadillas in Boston, then I just don't know what. I know people who live closer to Mexico will balk, but it was worth eating the white-quesadilla wrapper for.

Day 360: The Whole Circle

Today a brisk, albeit slightly shorter walk. We brought the newest member of the gang on the walk, and in deference to both him, the temperature and time concerns, we cut it short (minus seven minutes). I was super hungry for the rest of the day.

Breakfast
2 Small slices Balthazar multi-grain bread
4 slices of ham
2.5 oz. 50% jalapeno cheddar
tea

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
2 Tblsps Super Chunky Peanut Butter
1/2 pak Splenda

Lunch: Christos
Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken
Red Wine Vinegar & Oil

Dinner
Emily's Kick-Ass Fishamajig
Stir Fry Bok Choy

Emily is a great cook but every once in a while something that's even better than the Elephant Walk (the standard for Pan-Asian fare). Tonight, it was her first ever fish-stir-fry and it was incredible. She later asked "are we eating too much?" It's a good question. Dinner really should be the SMALLEST meal of the day, with breakfast being the LARGEST (if you must put them in those categories). Lastly, I noted that a half pak of Splenda is TOO sweet for me. I must remember to cut it down some.

Day 359: Fresca is Wood

I just want to repeat for those who missed yesterday's blog: Fresca is made of Wood, or wood by-products. If you remember the cry "Soylent Green is People" you'll recognize the siren call for this generation. Don't forget it, in case anyone asks you. Fresca is made of "Glycerol ester of wood rosin" aka WOOD, aka TREE. If you must pick a diet soda, please, please don't pick one made of things you can't identify.

Breakfast
2 Small slices Balthazar multi-grain bread
4 slices of ham
2.5 oz. 50% jalapeno cheddar
tea

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)

Lunch: Demos
Ham, Onion, Feta Omelet
Salad with Feta

Dinner
Emily's Stir-Fry Chicken with Black Sesame Seeds and Leeks
Salad with Feta

Today I amazingly had NO snacks—not one in the morning or in the afternoon. I was hungry around 5pm (as I have been usually) and I went into the kitchen for a yogurt, but at the last minute decided that if I am going to arrive at my goal weight of 185 I must feel the hunger. I settled for water for a snack, and then got home to have dinner. I have been fighting the urge to eat something after dinner lately—and I realized that chocolate was NOT the way to go, perfect as it might be. I abolished the chocolate, and we'll see how it goes.

Day 358: President's Day with Fresca

Ruby has no school, and the cold cuts are still good. Since I have some extra time in the AM, I treat myself to another omelet. A definite casualty of having such a tight morning schedule is the inability to really 'make' any kind of breakfast for myself, but I can't complain since I love the Balthazar bread and cheese, even though it's very boring to read about.

Breakfast
3 Egg, Pastrami and Corned Beef Omelet
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese
Tea

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)
1 bite of Balthazar bread
1 can Fresca
1/2 Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($4.38)
Red Leaf, Red peppers, Red Onions
Feta, Chicken, Chick Peas
Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner
Ground Pork and Peppers
Lettuce Wraps

Interlude:
1 Square Tanzania Chocolate

I realize too late after I eat my third square of chocolate in as many days that I should just STOP eating chocolate. Sure, one square is only 50 calories and has a good dietary fiber to carbs ratio, but the fact is that on a diet, every 50 calories count, and I have no business squandering 50 of them at the end of the night.

I continue to fail to arouse anyone's ire regarding the contents of Fresca. Just yesterday there was an article in the NY Times about people who are fanatics for TAB. I thought I was a fanatic for Fresca, but today I had one and it was just BAD. It tasted bad and made me feel bad. Anyone want to know why? IT CONTAINS WOOD. Because you're still not moved to anger, I have provided the list of ingredients below. See if you can count how many things you shouldn't put in your body:

Water, Citric Acid, Concentrated Grapefruit Juice, Potassium Citrate,
Potassium Benzoate and EDTA (to protect taste) Aspartame, Acesulfame
potassium, acacia, natural flavors, glycerol ester of wood rosin,
brominated vegetable oil, carob bean gum

Day 357: Back to the Gym

I did get to the gym today, where I was jockeying for pole position with an overweight, pushy woman from the parking lot to the sign up board. She looked to be out of the running when she forgot her pass, but I ultimately was a two-time loser when I stopped to rent a towel (bleachy smelling things for a dollar. Note: not available on the Sabbath) and she pulled ahead. Aside from getting to the signup board first, she took the last signup spot for the elliptical machine. Due to a brain malfunction on my part, I signed up for the wrong machine. Without a machine, I spent the first 15 minutes on the treadmill. Then, I thought it was my turn, but sadly turned away by a Russian man who had to point out the folly of my ways. I did another half hour on the treadmill. I can't tell you how many miles I went because of my lack experience, I continued to pull of the emergency button, stopping the treadmill and resetting all the numbers. This happened three times. On the fourth time, just minutes before my time on the elliptical was called for, I just gave up and waited. I only had the appetite for 1 mile on the elliptical and then I did a half mile on the track. It was a disjointed triathlon, but it was a fitting return.

Breakfast
Pastrami and Eggs
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Few pieces of honeydew melon

Lunch
Corned Beef and Turkey
Pickles, Sour Tomatoes and Peppers
Cole Slaw
Coke Zero

Dinner
Caesar Salad (undressed)
6 oz. Breast of Chicken
Spinach, Tomatoes, Onions and Feta
Chicken and Arugala

Interlude:
1 Small Square Tanzania Dark Chocolate

Though there wasn't a lot of eating today, but what there was felt rich and heavy. Dinner was at a place called Macaroni Grille, which you would think from the crowds was the last civilized operation that was offering dinner in Massachusetts. It was basically another version of Bertucci's, but the food wasn't as reliable, and there was no dough to play with. The dark chocolate was better on day two. Aileen is promising a Burdick's bar that will knock my socks off.

Day 356:Saturday

Another weekend and I'm hoping to get to the gym again. In addition to the Balthazar bread, my mother has brought cured meats (Corned Beef and Pastrami). They prove to be irresistible every day.

Breakfast
Pastrami, Eggs and Onions
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Snack(s)
1 Slice Balthazar Multi-Grain Bread (with butter)
1/4 cup Almonds/Cashews

Lunch:
Bacon Cheeseburger with Onions (no bun)
Salad
1 Buffalo Chicken Tender

Interlude:
1 Small Square Tanzania Dark Chocolate
Coke Zero

Dinner
Salmon a la Emily
Spinach with Garlic and Olive Oil

Very small portion of salmon for dinner. I had eaten a lot in the day and fortunately I didn't continue the trend. In the afternoon there was a trip to Whole Foods where I bought a chocolate bar called "Tanzania," based on its low carbs and low sugars listed on the label. As per my previous experiences, it wasn't really for me. I guess I'm both interested and worried that if I find a dark chocolate I love I won't be able to have a casual relationship with it.

Day 355: 10 Days to Go

Today was actually a big eating day. I didn't think it would be, since I was sick and just not feeling like I had a lot of appetite. I knew it might be a hard day when I realized we had run out of Balthazar bread. Quelle desperation! However, I knew my Mom was coming with a shopping bag full! You've got to admire that woman, she is truly supportive.

Breakfast
1 Whole Wheat English Muffin
1 slice Ham
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
Medium Dunkin Donuts Coffee (half Decaf)
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
2 Tblspns Peanut Butter

Lunch: Sushi 21
1 Gyoza
2 Steamed Shumai
1 Miso Soup
Salad
Sliced Sirloin Steak

Dinner
Emily's Asian Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps
2 Glasses Yellow Tail Cabernet Merlot

And once again, Emily makes an incredible dinner, which is as good if not better than most restaurants. When I was the cook of the house, she used to analyze the meal and then come out with a price, such as "I would pay 7.99 for this in a restaurant." And now the shoe's on the other foot, as it is I playing the Phantom Gourmet. But the truth is, she's a much better cook than I. I was only a master of the 'low arts' of Grilled Cheese, Hamburger, Eggs and the occasional Caesar salad from scratch. But all of those things seems so 90s right now.

Day 354: Not Sick Again!

Unbelievably, I feel as though I am coming down with another cold. This is a drag for so many reasons, but mostly because it has been a winter season where my family could simply not shake their sickness, as it continued to shape-shift from one form to another. I am on the Emergen-C and Airborne in my attempts to stave it off.

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Rye Bread
4 Slices of Ham
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
1 Medium Dunkin Donuts Coffee (Half Decaf)
6 oz. Plain Yogurt (with Splenda)

Lunch: Chinese
Beef with Broccoli
Buddah's Delight
Chicken with Spicy Green Beans
House Special Egg Drop Soup (with Chicken, Tofu, Shrimp)

Dinner
Catfish
Junior Bok Choy a la Emily

As I was having my yogurt around 5:00 I was thinking, "why did I write 'I don't have a second snack?'" It's like a curse when you write those things down. SoI have one, only it was only my first snack, since I didn't have anything in the morning. I also tried out the yogurt without the peanut butter. It's really quite good, and you know, and I didn't consider myself a Splenda fan—I am certain that we will learn in the future that consumption is tied to increases in all kinds of terrible diseases—but for now I am enjoying the taste. Two days ago I had a diet coke with Splenda—it actually tastes better then regular diet coke with aspartame or whatever they put in it. There's still nothing like Fresca, which contains wood, which no one but me seems to care about.

Day 353: Wednesday

Went for a walk today, trying to take advantage of the 40 degree weather. Though it was just me and another Domaniac (and we are the slowest) it actually was quite a workout because the Charles River path was UNclear that it required a constant high-stepping and, well...hiking. We were both sweating by the end of it, which is always a good sign.

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Rye Bread
4 Slices of Ham
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
12 oz. Coffee (Half Decaf)
1 Small Granny Smith Apple

Lunch: Christos
Greek Salad with Chicken
Feta, Oil & Vinegar

Dinner
Emily's Thai Fusion Chicken
and Pea Tendrils
A Bit of Rob's Red Beans
2 Bites of a Healthy Choice Chok'lit pop

It's been really amazing to me that I have not been hungry during the second snack period of the day. This has traditionally been the time, for as long as I can remember, that I would be drinking caffeinated beverages or eating chocolate candy. During periods where I was trying to be 'good' (all dieters refer to periods where they were or are 'trying to be good') I would eat Boston Lite Popcorn or Pretzels (which we all now is a joke). But I would always, always, be eating between 2pm and 6pm.
During my heaviest periods, I would often eat so much during that period that I was not hungry for dinner when I got home, which viewed in retrospect, is kind of sad. Even sadder is that I would often eat when I got home, even if not hungry. A friend of Emily's used to say "when you smell and see the food, you get hungry," and that's the truth.

So for most of the days this week (yesterday being an exception) I have not had a second snack. It's good in general because it also means that I am nearly nut-free, which is good, because any good diet calls for variety, and when you're on a nut-a-thon, it's really hard to break the rut.

Day 352: Valentine's Day

Well, despite my desire, I did not have any chocolate today. Though no one should despair, I did get a few valentines. I am gladdened at the thought that I might get in a few walks this week as the temperature nears 50 degrees here. This is a relief because this weekend the JCC was closed on Sunday due to the snowstorm. I am hoping to keep myself light through times of reduced exercise by eating less, and certainly I have made it through many of the days with only one snack. Today, I experimented with popcorn, which in individual bags weighs half of one ounce and contain only 10 grams of carbs (which is less than any other delicious snack).

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Rye Bread
4 Slices of Ham
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
1 Small Granny Smith Apple
1/2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch
Turkey Tips, Cherry Peppers on Mesclun Greens

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Emily's Bok Choy
1/2 Cheese Stick (was feeding it to Magnolia)

After dinner I did spend some time longingly caressing a bag of chocolate hearts I had procured from Whole Foods. Even though the calories were negligible, I opted out, but I was determined to have some chocolate, maybe at the one year celebration party! Just kidding.

Day 351: After Blizzard, Before Chocolate (...Valentine's) Day

Amazingly, I did not eat a second snack again today, though I had one planned, and at 3:30, my 'snack alarm' went off. Sadly, I was not hungry. 4:00pm, nope, 4:30, and today I left at 5pm, so no second snack. What is happening? I may just have found the perfect lunch for me—it's not too much, not too bad for me, not too filling, but just enough to see me through to dinner (as long as dinner as at 5:59PM on the nose). Dinner was a cacophony because I was with the kids while Emily went out with a friend.

Breakfast
1 Slice of Balthazar Multigrain Bread
4 slices of Ham
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Snack
1 mealy Apple
1 medium cup Dunkin Donuts (half decaf)

Lunch: Russo's Salad ($4.42)
Red leaf lettuce, red peppers, red onions
feta, grilled chicken, artichoke
olives, broccoli

Dinner
Ham and Cheese Omelet
Emily's Chinese Cabbage Stir-fry
4 baby carrots
A few pieces of cheeseburger, hot dog

For Chocolate Lovers!

It is that time again and don't think that I didn't get Ruby something special AND chocolate. Though it was hard to pass up the Barbie/Disney/Dora/Bratz chocolate sets at CVS, I went a little deeper and got a special chocolate hearts from Whole Foods. Coincidentally, I got an email today that implored me to share with you all the fact that we can save the rainforests, defy big corporate (M&M/Mars, Hershey's and Nestles) who employ slave labor AND feed our chocolate fix at the same time by locating and purchasing Fair Trade Chocolate (http://store.gxonlinestore.org/chocolate.html).

From their email:
"The chocolate to look for is organic and 'Fair Trade' -- and bears labels certifying both. The organic label verifies that the cacao was farmed in an environmentally sustainable way, while the Fair Trade label guarantees that farmers were paid a minimum price for their product. Without Fair Trade guarantees, small cacao growers are at the mercy of the market. When world cacao prices dip too low, as they have these past 10 years, growers can't make a living wage. Not only is that unacceptable from a human rights perspective, it also increases the likelihood that they'll shift their land to more profitable -- and destructive -- uses, such as cattle ranching."

Since being on South Beach, I've realized that dark chocolate is the way to go. The only problem is, I'm afraid if I go there I won't go back. The truth is, dark chocolate to me, while very delicious, is still a bit off-putting. Maybe I haven't found the right dark chocolate yet? Not that I couldn't eat my weight of it, just that having grown up on Slave Labor Ivory Coast chocolate, it's hard to move forward in a responsible direction where chocolate is concerned. I realize that Dark Chocolate has all the antioxidants and other health benefits while the crap we grew up on features mostly cheap ingredients like sugar and milk and not very much of the good stuff. I think tomorrow I might just have a little dark square (if my valentine gives me one)...

Day 350: Blizzard

We were ready. Went shopping, got the sterno, new construction paper and play-doh, milk, bread, we were not going to have to go out at all today. Of course the only downside to that is that you're near the food all day. This makes it quite a bit more difficult to avoid over-eating, and just from looking at the list, I can tell that it was one of my biggest eating days in quite a while, even if it's nowhere the kind of 'big eating day' I had as little as two years ago. Back then, though I am ashamed to admit it now, it was not uncommon for me to have eaten such a big meal that I would come home in equal parts discomfort and shame. Now the only time I really feel any kind of shame is when I know I could have made it through some feeling of hunger without snacking but I did, and this is not the same kind of shame as before, but a "I will not make my goal if I cheat myself" kind of thing.

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Multi-Grain
4 Slices of Ham
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch
Tuna Salad on
Romaine, Cabbage, Onions
with Feta
3 Melba Toast (Whole Grain)
5 Doritos (Ruby fed them to me, but I ate them)

Snack
6 oz plain yogurt
Super Chunky Peanut butter
1/2 splenda

Dinner
Cheeseburger (93% Sirloin)
Emily's Celery/ Broccoli Stir Fry
Bok Choy
Pickles

For those of you who have commented on the unpleasantness of the plain yogurt-peanut butter combination, I tried something today that I think changes everything. By adding 1/2 pack of Splenda, it made it a totally fantastic dish. In fact, the Splenda might make the peanut butter unnecessary. I am not an advocate of people adding Splenda to things (because it's a chemical that has not stood the test of time on people's bodies and it's poppycock that it's made from sugar and/or natural) but I have to say, it really does a lot to completely eliminate the sour yogurt flavor. When you look at the difference between plain yogurt carbs and fruit flavored yogurt, the fruit/flavored yogurts are almost DOUBLE. So I really need to save those carbs. Now, the Doritos on the other hand....

Day 349: Day of Three Yogurts

This is actually a misleading headline, but "Day of Two Yogurts" didn't sound that good. I'm not sure why I even wanted to title this entry that, but it stuck with me all day, so I just thought I'd go with it. Today I tried to get back on the horse of my old breakfast—longtime blog readers will surely recognize it—but somehow it just didn't sit right with me. Aside form that, Magnolia 'got sick'. This is in quotes because she didn't have the stomach virus, but did use the same mechanical function to rid herself of....well you get the idea. Not sure what it was about the one two punch of less-than-ideal-sitting breakfast and having your daughter get sick on you, but I wasn't much in the mood for lunch. Then around 5:00pm we determined Ruby had to go to the emergency room with an ear infection. How bout that? I buried the lede.

Breakfast
Two Eggs Over Easy
2.5 Strips Turkey Bacon
2 oz. 50 % Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch
Plain Yogurt
2 Tblspns Super Chunky Peanut Butter
1/4 Kashi Go Lean

Snack/Dinner
Chicken Soup
2 oz Columbo Lite Blueberry Yogurt

So the rest of the story is that Ruby and I took off for the 'urgent care center' (someone in marketing came up with that, so much more attractive than 'emergency room'). Of course when we got there she was immediately hungry so we went in search of the ubiquitous hospital vending machines. She wanted pretzels and orange juice (doesn't that just say 'recovery snack' to a kid?) and I noted they had yogurt, and figured this was my one chance of getting any dinner. There were no spoons, but I managed to score one from the "urgent care' staff. Ruby liked my yogurt better than her pretzels, so there that went. When I got home and got the prescription filled, it was 10:00pm. I wasn't going to eat anything, but I had a little chicken soup and then Emily and started to prepare for the coming storm.

Day 348: Fughetaboutit

Very little to report today. I am still not myself, but unfortunately, I am still not someone else either. Certainly falling behind in my fitness regime due to sickness. Looking forward to work out this weekend, and maybe some aerobic snow-shoveling.

Break-fast
1 Slice Balthazar Multi-Grain bread
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Snack
1 Fuji Apple (it was a little plain)
1 Dunkin Donuts Medium Black Coffee (Half decaf)
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsps Peanut butter
1/4 cup Kashi Puffs

Lunch: Christos Salad

Dinner
Shrimp and Bok Choy a la Emily
Clams

I am noticing that since illness I have been quite low on the nuts (excepting peanut butter). This is good—for a long time I was on crash-nut-course that I couldn't swerve off of. Not sure if it's the lingering feelings of illness or what but I have not had more than a handful of nuts in quite some time, and I was reading in the SoBe book that they are 'dietbusters' if you don't watch out. But then so are Doritos.

Day 347: The Truth About Balthazar Bread

Aileen (my original SoBe partner) is on South Beach again and we were emailing about Balthazar bread and she asked me if it had white flour in it. I thought I had determined that, but with my advanced age, I couldn't remember. Well, wouldn't you know it, she called up not one but two bakers at Balthazar till she wrung the truth about the bread from them. There is NO WHITE FLOUR in the Rye or Multi-Grain bread; however the raisin bread and regular bread is made with white flour. A big sigh—if I had to give that up, it could have really set me back. For those travelling to NY (http://www.balthazarny.com/home.html) or NJ, I highly recommend a visit for some bread (the cookies are good too).

Breafkast
1 Slice Balthazar Rye
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Slices of Ham

Snack
1 Gala Apple (it was a little mealy)
Coffee
1 oz. Peanuts
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsps Super Chunky Peanut butter
1/4 cup Kashi Puffs

Lunch
Feta Omlette
Greek Salad
A Tiny Nib of a Pita Bread

Dinner
Stir-Fry Beef
String Beans

Today was definitely a more 'old me' day. Did I say I went for a walk on Tuesday? It was bitter cold but I did it anyway, because our fastest Domania walker was up for it. We had both been sort of 'winterized'- meaning stuck inside, not exercising, getting pasty and heavier, and not liking it. I realize that any kind of movement at all is vital to making me feel better, if not keeping the weight off. I did think about chocolate a lot today. It was just that kind of day.

Day 346: One Snack

Amazingly, I ate in such a way that I was not even hungry for the second snack that I had prepared. It was sitting on my desk. I thought, "It's 4:00pm, I better eat my snack now." But I wasn't hungry. Then it was 4:30, then 5:00pm. Still, not interested. By the time I got home I was hungry and had a few nuts. But I was amazed to note that either I am changing, or still sick (hoping it's the former).

Breakfast
1 Slice of Balthazar Rye Bread
2 oz. Jalapeno Cheese
2 Slices of Ham

Snack
1 Cameo Apple
About 2 oz. Almonds/Cashews

Lunch: Russo's ($4.42)
Salad (no broccoli)

Dinner
Breast of Chicken
Emily's Stir-Fry Cabbage with Carrots

Still love to eat, but I'm definitely not at my former "voraciousness."

Day 345: 20 Days To One

Gamely shuffling my way to work, I can only hope that my illness does, in fact, help me shed a few pounds. I realize that even if it were not for the weight loss, this year was about bringing me to a healthy state. To vanquish most fear and anxiety, to have more energy, to feel that, in the words of Sammy Davis, Jr. "Yes I Can" (If Frank Sinatra says its OK)*. Though I am not yet at my goal state, I know that I can get there when I'm ready to put my foot on the petal. Today was about getting back to normal. I was a little less hungry during the morning, leading me to hope that I will always be not that hungry. I remain above all, a foolish optimist.

Breakfast
1 Large Slice of Balthazar Rye
5 Very thin slices of Virginia Ham
Tea

Snack
Tea
6 oz. Vanilla Yogurt
1 Braeburn Apple

Lunch
Three Poached Eggs
1 Slice Wheat (but probably not real Wheat) Toast
1 Ham Steak
A few potato crisps

Dinner
Tilapia a la Em
Sauteed Onions

Still not back at speed, I allow myself both a vanilla yogurt (twice the carbs of plain yogurt) and an apple. I skipped the honey in my tea and privately nurse the concern that I will become addicted to sugar. I also allowed myself the tiny crispy parts of a potato side dish (that I didn't order) but came with my poached eggs. If the eggs had been harder cooked, I could have skipped the toast, but their condition necessitated me eating the toast. Definitely not REAL wheat toast, you can just tell, when it tastes like wonder bread. For years I thought I was doing myself a solid by ordering wheat toast at diners and restaurants, but for the most part what they serve is 'shambolic.'**

* paranthetical quote from "This is Spinal Tap."
** Simon Cowell, American Idol.

Day 344: Back to Work

Not exactly 100%, I know it's time to get back to work. I have used up good will slack in work and sick time in the last two weeks of my family's illness and funeral travel. Feeling that I am not contagious, I set off for work. It takes some doing, and except for a wrong-headed moment where I volunteered to get a co-worker's lunch (I had to wait a bit and a sub shop is not exactly where you want to wait when you're queasy) the day went fairly well. I started to get light-headed around 4:00pm and I knew I had to get home.

Breakfast
1 Slice Whole Foods White Bread, Plain
Tea with Honey

Snack
2 Small Slices Challah
Unsweetened Apple Sauce

Lunch
Banana
Vanilla Yogurt

Dinner
Breast of Chicken
1 Whole Wheat English Muffin

I really wanted to eat a lot today. Nearly everyone who knew I was sick said "but you'll be glad to lose the weight." I thought this was a sort of gallows humor I am glad people feel comfortable enough with me to suggest, and in fact, it's true. I'll always remember how I had my gall bladder out in 2003 and lost about 10 lbs. Then, instead of going with that, I decided it was time to spend two years eating every fried thing I could get my hands on. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Day 343: Recovery Zone

Feeling a little better today, I was able to eat a whole piece of white toast and a cup of tea with honey. While worried that I'm skeeballing off South Beach, I realize I have to try and do what feels right.

Breakfast
1 Slice White Toast
Tea with Honey

Lunch
75% Banana
1 Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1 Slice of Balthazar Rye Toast

Dinner
1 Soft-Boiled Egg
1 Slice Balthazar Rye Toast

Not out of the woods yet, but so far I'm thinking that I'll go to work tomorrow.

Day 342: Full-Blown Virus

There seems to be some kind of stomach virus that is making its way through the region. Our pediatrician said they had seen over 200 kids throwing up since Christmas. Ruby got it, Emily got it, and I thought I missed it, but I got a somewhat mild version. Usually it causes people to need to use the toilet in two ways (A) kneeling and (B) sitting. Mine was more of the B type.

Tea
1/2 slice of White Toast

There was literally no eating today; very little time out of bed.

Day 341: Poker Game

As long time readers know, the day of a poker game is a day to be very cautious with the calories. Though I was quite irresponsible in the old days, I did get to a point where I was only having a plain chicken caesar salad for dinner with no dressing—though it was small consolation given that I was also drinking a beer, a coke, sweet and crunchy nuts, funyuns, fritos, bonbell cheeses, doritos 3-Ds, chili cheese fries and yes, the occasional choco taco. Even back then I started to have salad for lunch too, as if somewhere in that thick head of mine (made thick from obviously being layered with white sugar and flour) I knew that I was this close (holds thumb and forefinger less than half an inch away from each other) from that first heart attack. These days, I am still eating the salad on poker day. Also, I try to avoid any nuts as a concession to eating more than the alloted amount later in the evening. I'm also allowing that a fair amount of calories come after 7:30, which according to Oprah and everyone who knows anything about anything is a no-no.

Breakfast
1 Large Slice, Balthazar Bread
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 slices of ham
Tea

Snack:
1 Braeburn Apple
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
2 Tbsps Peanut Butter

Lunch: Russo's Salad
Red Leaf, Red Onions, Red Peppers
Chicken, Feta
Onions, Artichokes, Squash, Olives
Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Poker Snack:
Olives
Cashews/Almonds
1 Cup Spoiled Popcorn

Dinner: Mandarin Taste

Boneless Spareribs
Szechwan Beef
Chicken with Broccoli
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Lots of Chinese food tonight, though since I got to order it, I made sure this was little that was SoBe friendly. I had to give up on the appetizers, because everybody wanted fried things, even though everyone acknowledged that they didn't need them. they did go fast, so at least people were being honest. It is hard to eat Chinese food without rice, but somethings you just have to accept. I bought a bag of Boston Lite popcorn but it had 'turned'—though I ate it anyway, desperate as I was for a salty snack. I also had the tiniest crumb of piece of cheesecake I got for my brother as a special birthday dessert. Naturally, there was also pie.

Day 340: Thursdays

On Thursdays in my old life, I used to have a ritual. I would get up extra early (before kids that was 7ish) and get on a train to the South End of Boston where I would meet my brother. From there we would go to the South End's greatest breakfast hole, Charlies Sandwich Shoppe. Almost every Thursday we would have the same breakfast. For each of us, Two "dropped" eggs on their world-famous turkey hash, with melted cheese over it. In addition, we would sometimes get blueberry pancakes (with butter and syrup). Always coffee, and for me, orange juice and LOTS of water. After about 40 minutes of forking it in, I would take his car, drop him off at work at the Boston ad agency, and then I'd drive to Cambridge where I would work, eat lunch (amazingly) and then, at 6pm, retrieve him in Boston, where we'd drive to our card game. If you've just joined the blog, or can't remember, the card game was a night full of anti-South Beach foods at volumes that no normal person should consume. When i think how I did that every week for a year or two, it's no wonder I was 40 lbs overweight. Additionally, Friday mornings always found me SUPER tired from staying up late and consuming empty white carbs. Often Friday mornings would see me catching the 'hair of the dog', either at McDonald's or a Lemon Pie. It's really amazing that I'm still alive, when you think about it.

Breakfast
1 Large Slice, Balthazar Bread
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 slices of ham
Tea

Snack
20 Almonds
1 Cheese Stick
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
2 Tblspns Peanut Butter

Lunch: Christos
Greek Salad with Chicken
Oil & Vinegar Dressing

Dinner
Steak Tips
Green Beans
Pickles

Another Domaniac and I went for a VERY brisk walk today, which was good, because I need it, and this was looking to be the only good day of the week. Though it was cold, there were a few warm spots. It was an interesting Groundhog Day, because I could never understand why they care about 'predicting' whether there will be more winter or not. There's always more winter in New England, and it rarely ends on March 22nd, when it's supposed to. All of the warm days this winter have frustrated my friends who are skiers, and greatly alarmed me, but I have been glad to take advantage of it. Today's CNN article about Groundhog day seemed to support my point, when they wrote "The National Environmental Trust said it's groundhog-suit-wearing human 'will ignore his shadow and will instead rely on global warming evidence to forecast an early spring.'"

Day 339: Detecto Says "193"

Though it's only been two weeks (or so) since my last weigh in, I wanted to keep on a regular first-of-the-month weigh-in. I must confess to you: I don't like getting on the scale any more than you do. But I feel I must do it because I have a goal (to get to 186 lbs) and it's the only way I can know whether I'm progressing or not. Sure, it helps to throw out pants. Sure it's good to have to dispose of belts. But a life-change is about the numbers: carbs, grams of fats, calories and weight in pounds. I actually went to the doctor regarding an arm-tingling I've been having. I think it's a pinched nerve. Anyway, by the time I got weighed in it was 4:00pm, I was wearing my jeans, and I had just had my yogurt. Not only that, but I had just come from a weekend of Shiva-sitting, so I was pretty happy with 193.

Breakfast
1 Slice of Multi-Grain Balthazar Bread
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Light Cheddar
Tea

Snack-um
20 Almonds
1 Cheese Stick
Coffee (half decaf)
6 oz. Plain Yogurt
Peanut Butter
1/4 Kashi Go Lean Cereal

Lunch: Russo's Salad
Red Leaf, Red Onions, Red Peppers
Chicken, Feta
Onions, Artichokes, Squash, Olives
Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Broccoli
Pickles
(a few bites of Ruby's cheeseburger)

The Salad Bar continues to be a place where numbers count. The bar at Russo's is $3.99/lb. So I figure that a pound and half of salad ($5.50) is about the right amount, even though you might think that sounds like an enormous amount of salad. Certainly it's possible to create a calorie rich, unhealthy salad, if you load it up with bad fats and fried things, and that heap on creamy dressings. But if you keep your ingredients on the wholesome side, you should be able to eat a lot of salad. Lately, I had been going over $6.00. Naturally I was starting to get worried—"Am I bingeing at lunch?" You don't want to pull a muscle carrying your salad. Today my salad weighed in at $4.34—a new 'low' record. It actually was quite satisfying. I made a conscious effort to take less things, as taking 'seconds' is always the hardest thing for me to resist. Incidentally, the same salad at Whole Foods would have cost $13.00, but it would have been organic.

Day 338: 1 Short Month to Go

Amazingly, I am just one short month (February) from having made my lifestyle change for a year. Though there are still struggles, mostly with volume (see: "Seconds") but mostly I have incorporated the "South Beach" diet into my daily thoughts and beings. However, I am still learning things. For instance, I was avoiding popcorn, but today, hungry and in the car broke into a bag I brought for Ruby that she wasn't interested in. I noted that one serving (a bag) is 60 Calories with 10gs of Carbs—less than a serving of toast (or Kashi, for that matter). I resolved to make it part of my diet from this point on, which is good, because I'm always looking for ways to avoid nuts.

Breakfast
1 Cup of Kashi Whole Grain Puffs
1/2 Cup of Unsweetened Soy Milk
Tea

Snack
1 small orange
15 Almonds
1 Joy Stick
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 Cup Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch
Roll Mops: Ham, Muenster, Mustard
1 Heart of Romaine
Pickles

Dinner
Balsamic Chicken a la Robert
Broccoli

Today I had to stay home from work for the fifth time in two weeks, which not only makes me greatly uncomfortable but puts me way behind in all the work I have to do. Emily came down with whatever Ruby had last week and it surely was not pleasant. As one of my fill-in duties, I had to bring her to her "jazz-funk dance" class at the JCC; and so of course, it made sense for me to work out, since the poor weather and impossibility of parking anywhere near the facility made pick up and drop off more complicated. So I did get a 35 minute, 3 mile work out on the ellipse in today, which was good, because I was fretting about going to weigh in without any kind of exercise. For the third time in a row I stopped by the "fitness office" to see a consultant, but no one was on duty. Naturally, I will continue to try and get someone so I can achieve 2007's goals of rock hard abs.