Year 2, Day 152: Biathalon

Though it was tough to return to work after a 48-hour marathon of unmedicated travel, things started looking up when Emily's tennis date cancelled and she invited me to sub in. This involves leaving work a tad early, but I got there by 5:30. She took the first set 6-0, but I came back to win the second set 7-6. We played outside, which was a first for us this season, as we had been playing indoors at the Wellbridge club down the road. The air was heavy and it was humid, but it was probably the best day to play this week, since it looks to break 100 (or at least feel like it) for the next few days in Boston and the Northeast. Yucch.

Breakfast
1.5 Cups Kashi Go Lean/Heritage Flakes
1 Small Banana
Blueberries
Unsweetened Soy Milk

Lunch: Russo's
Red leaf, red pepper, red onion
olives, feta, broccoli, chicken, balsamic vinegar

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
6 Rainer Cherries

Dinner
Chicken Cutlet
Cabbage Slaw (Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onion, Red Pepper, Almonds)

After tennis Emily and I usually go out for dinner but there wasn't time tonight so Emily split and I stayed to swim. I swam three laps today, which is my standard, but I am by no means yet "a swimmer" or someone who can swim three laps easily. I even tried to mix it up a little, but by the last half of the third lap I thought the lifeguard was going to have to rescue me because my legs had stopped working and I didn't think I could move my arms. It was hard, but very refreshing. Then I came home and ate a pound and a half of salad. The temptation for me is to eat A LOT right after exercise but I realize to gain the benefit of weight loss you have to limit yourself to a reasonable amount. This is always challenging, since I think I have perfected the art of eating a lot before my stomach knows it's full.

Year 2, Day 151: New York—A Nerve-Jangling Place

We woke up at 7:48 in our "fake house"(as Ruby called the hotel room) and we immediately went downstairs to the "Continental Breakfast." Has there ever been a phrase that has less specific meaning than that? The hotel, a Marriot Courtyard, was just finished with what was obvious a very long renovation. Their CB did not feature waffles or eggs, though both were advertised at the buffet with streaming banners. Ruby settled on a pre-fab bowl of Fruit Loops and a glass of orange juice and I got a black coffee and breakfast cereal and yogurt, obviously my breakfast of choice at CBs lately. So as not to dally, I made her bring her stuff up to the room so we could change and swim before the celebratory brunch. She happily traipsed upstairs and we watched cartoons while we got dressed. She called eating in her room 'room service' for the rest of the time and told Emily that she loved 'room service.'
We went swimming for about an hour in what had to be north Philadelphia's smallest, most chlorinated pool.

Continental Breakfast
4 oz. Dannon Blueberry Yogurt
1 box of Special K
Coffee Black

"Brunch"
Omelet with Spinach, Tomatoes and Feta
3 Strips Turkey Bacon
3 Strips of Regular Bacon
2 bites of a pancake with maple syrup
1 bite of french toast crust with maple syrup
1 bite of scrapple
coffee

On the Road
2 Joysticks

Airport/On the Plane
1 Diet Coke
1 oz. Salted Peanuts
Salad with Five Ingredients and Sugary Balsamic Dressing

Dinner
Chicken with scallion, peppers and onions in cabbage wraps

Dessert
4 butter popcorn jellybeans

After brunch we went swimming AGAIN, but this time at the complex where my great-grandparents live. This was a better, less chlorinated pool and it was outdoors, so I got to try and swim some laps. I was keenly aware of my absence of exercise and heavy eating schedule. I don't think I got what you call a workout, but I did get my heart rate up temporarily. Rendezvousing with my Mom, we tried a new route (the BQE) to get us from Staten Island to LaGuardia airport, with somewhat hair-raising results. We made it on time to get the 5:00 only it was delayed to 5:40. So Ruby and I had time to eat something, because we really hadn't eaten since 11:30AM (though I got her six Dunkin Munchkins and a Smoothie for the 2 hour car ride to the airport). I found a place in the airport lounge to get a salad and though they insisted I get five ingredients on it, I held them to four, though I took my eye off the ball long enough that they doused it with a sugary dressing. I figured that was dinner but when I got home Emily had made cabbage wraps, so how could I refuse? While waiting all that extra time, we were sort of forced to sit in the lounge and watch Beirut news video and study other passengers. The combination of the traffic and the security and the news and many, many sketchy-looking passengers was really unsettling. When we got on the plane nearly all the seats were taken and a baby wouldn't stop cr;ying. I remembered that if you're not steely, New York, in all its pushing, shoving, and 'target of the world' status can be a very nerve-jangling place.

The highlight of the flight was two boys in front of us, whose father had taken them on a day trip to New York to see the Yankees play. They were fully decked out in Yankees gear, which prompted me to tell Ruby to tell them that we were Red Sox fans, which she did. This set off a rather silly back and forth of whispering and furtive looking that lasted until we landed, when I asked him why they were dressed like that.

When I got home, aside from dinner, Emily said I deserved 4 butter popcorn jellybeans, which are my favorite, so I had those. I sure was glad to be home in lil' old Boston. I took a moment to appreciate that, and then I wondered when I was ever going to get to the gym again.

Year 2, Day 150: What You Won't Do For Love

I can't tell you when I became afraid of flying, but I think it must have been in the late 80s. In the early 80s my brother was a Terrapin at a University of Maryland I used to hop on the shuttle and go to Washington quite frequently. At the time my Mother also had reason to be in Washington and it was pretty inexpensive in both time and money, so it was no big deal. I felt like a Jet-setter and flying was very, very cool. Somewhere along the way I started not to like it so much, and by the late 90s I had stopped flying altogether. I don't think I got on a plane once between 1998 (when I went to Mexico for a family vacation) and 2004—when I had to fly to St. Louis to see a client. That year I also flew to New York and North Carolina, so it was a big year. Obviously, a lot had changed in that six years what with 9/11 and all, so I wasn't really any more at ease with the whole thing. I had realized on a trip to Las Vegas that no matter what prescription drug I took, my heart still felt like it was going to burst out of my body. With the help of a few doctors I realized that if I took an an adrenaline suppressant, it made the flying easier. However, I can't take those if I'm going to drive, or if I'm going to be chaperoning a child (especially mine). So it was with that in mind that I embarked on my first unmedicated trip in probably 20 years so Ruby could enjoy how cool flying really is.

I agreed to get her whatever she wanted as a 'plane snack.' She picked Hershey's kissables, which are VERY GOOD (I had two). At the advice of a friend, I asked the captain if Ruby could see the cockpit and they delighted in showing her around. She didn't get a pair of wings or a little plane as I think I did when I was a kid, but she was impressed just the same. She thought it was the 'bees knees' to be in a plane, and I kept my game face on. When we met my Mom in New York, Ruby kept singing the song "I'm Flying" from Peter Pan over and over again, in her very sweet, and nearly tone deaf way.

Breakfast
2 Slices of Balthazar Bread
3 Slices of Ham
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Tea

Plane Snack
1 oz. Salted Peanuts
1 Diet Coke
2 Hershey's Kissables

Lunch:
Breast of Chicken (with Skin)
"Health Slaw" (no Mayonnaise, but that's not really what makes it unhealthy to begin with)
Popcorn

Dinner: Stefano's
6 rings, Fried Calamari with Tomato Sauce
3 Glasses Merlot
Caesar Salad
House Salad
Tilapia with two Shrimp (and tomatoes)
Broccoli x 2

Dessert
2 Bites of Cheesecake
1 small slice of birthday cake

My Grandfather turned 95 today, or pretty near today, because there is some controversy over the date. But no matter, you've got to admit that to be 95 and to have your own place, to still be married to your wife of 75 years, to still play bridge, eat food, and eat birthday cake, that's quite an accomplishment. And he's still got it where it counts— he's not being fed, he's cracking jokes and having a good time (though I can't vouch for his bridge playing). My grandmother, also born around this time, turned 94. There were nearly 20 people in the dining room of Stefano's and it was that critical moment in our lives when the kids table (filled with 40 year olds and THEIR brood) was just not bigger than the adults tables (60 and over) but actually overwhelmed it completely. Of course, there were six kids under 13, and they were wreaking havoc and disturbing the path of the wait staff. I tried to stay on the program, but the bacchanalia (and three glasses of wine) got the best of me. Plus, the birthday cake, despite its absence of chocolate, was very, very good. A good time was had by all, though as usual with a three and a half hour dinner, many children were carried out in their pajamas and ready for sleep.

Year 2, Day 149—You Had a Last Day

Today was the last day for someone I've worked with for nearly six years. What's amazing is that we worked in close proximity for so long but really only got to know each other during the last year or so, and by the time we got to saying goodbye I realized how much I really liked her, and how alike I thought we were. We often discussed my diet. She was a runner who only recently discovered she could eat cheese because for years she had been terribly lactose intolerant. We shared a love for Russo's (but that really goes for everyone in the office) and we made frequent trips there together. I can't really convey her sense of humor and intelligence and tolerance in this blog post, but I can say that her leaving is just another candle snuffed out in the long emotional candelabra that is Domania for me. To celebrate we went for Sushi lunch (she does not eat meat) and then returned to the office for sheet cake and favorite war stories. Most of them worth telling had the effect on the newly-minted employees of describing 'talking pictures' to today's teenagers. But ah, the memories.

Breakfast
1 cup Kashi Go Lean/heritage flakes
Blueberries
Green Tea

Lunch: New Ginza
2 pieces each Salmon, Tuna, Whitefish, Crab and Octopus
Green Salad
Miso Soup

Snack
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheese

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Peppadews
Cabbage Salad (with Almonds/Feta)

It had been a hot day and not a great night of sleep for anyone. When I came home, I set about making dinner and my niece got on the cabbage salad. She made an enormous cabbage salad that we all thought would result in leftovers. As long as she was staying with us, we did not quite perfect the amount of 'wetness' to add to any given salad. For instance, we added feta tonight but not enough for flavor; just enough to absorb all the existing liquid which made the cabbage pieces crackle with tension as they rubbed together, instead of making a 'swishing' noise as they meet each other like two pillows in a pillow fight. We heard described that my sister-in-law knows a secret of adding water to cabbage salad to make it delicious, but we could not fathom how that might actually be accomplished. In the words of Elvis Costello, we were like 'a lost dog pondering a sign post.' We finished the salad, and there were no leftovers.

Year 2, Day 148: The KFC Bowls

Long time readers know that I am nearly obsessed with fast food, but I really couldn't believe it when I read about KFC Bowls. According to KFC, they are "'Freshly prepared' with layers of your KFC favorites: a generous serving of our creamy mashed potatoes, sweet kernel corn, bite size pieces of all-white meat crispy chicken, topped with our homestyle gravy and 3-cheese blend. All the KFC favorites you know and love served in a convenient easy-to-eat bowl!"

Now if I was not on a program, and if I were my old self, I'd be eating one of these every day. That's what's really so sad. Because each bowl contains 690 calories (270 from fat), or about 1/3rd of a whole day's calories, with 31 grams of fat (9 saturated) and a whopping 77 grams of Carbs. It also features 2110 mg sodium, or about your whole day's worth. In fairness, it does have 27 grams of protein.

I used to get the mashed potatoes and corn from Boston Chicken and mix them together, so I was already half-way there. I had to give that up when I went on a seven-year Boston Chicken embargo, but that's another story. The thought that you would add popcorn chicken (that's fried little pieces, not really described properly above), gravy AND cheese to that is really telling. How soon will the blender be introduced for a KFC Bowl Smoothie? (Don't forget that Fresca is made out of Wood).

More from the Louisville Courier-Journal: "We know our products are better for lunch when they're portable," said Scott Bergren, KFC executive vice president for marketing, in a statement. The bowls, priced at $3.99, have broad appeal and are targeted at "heavy fast-food users," said James O'Reilly, KFC vice president of national marketing.

Breakfast
3 Slices of Ham
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Green Tea

Lunch: Russo's ($4.82)
Red leaf, red onion, red pepper
feta, broccoli, chicken, balsamic vinegar

Dinner:
Shrimp
1 Meatball
2 slices steak
broccoli
peppadews

Dessert
10 Green & Purple M&Ms
1 Weight Watchers bar

My dessert consumption continues on into this day, when I am both driven to eat a weight watchers chocolate pop without even reading the nutritional ingredients panel and additionally I ate some very fresh green and purple M&Ms that I got for a present for a departing coworker. They came from a M&M reseller, and I must say, though it sounds odd, that they tasted "fresher" than regular M&Ms, as if maybe they sat around for less time? Not sure what it was, but we ordered six pounds of the mix (our company's logo colors) and it was just too tempting to resist.

Year 2, Day 147: Breakfast in Charlotte

The hotel tries to lure you into a glycemic coma by offering make your own Belgian waffles, crumb cakes, donuts and I kid you not, Grits Express. After looking at the scrambled eggs (too watery) I pick two hard boiled eggs and 2 sausage links. Then I grab a box of Whole-Wheat total, fresh blueberries and plain yogurt. I eat one hard boiled egg and realized that they've been boiled overnight. The sausages are not worth discussing, and I leave the rest over. For lunch we get salads, mine was over seven dollars ($7.29). Can you believe that, in Charlotte, a seven dollar salad? Also, it came with pasta AND croutons (and a cookie). I smelled the cookie for a half hour, then I put it in my laptop bag and brought it back to Boston, where it did not get eaten.

Breakfast
1 Hard boiled egg
1 sausage link
1 box of Total
1 cup blueberries
6 oz. plain yogurt

Snack
1/2 WHole Wheat Multi-Grain Bagel, Panera
Reduced Fat Cream Cheese Bagel

Lunch
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Plane Snack
1 oz. Peanuts

Dinner
Emily's Chicken Crumble,
Cabbage and Lettuce

I note in the corporate 'vending area' there is free water, but also a vending machine that features hamburgers (!) and a product called "Grits Express." (You can check out Quaker's "All About Grits" at http://www.quakeroats.com/qfb_OurBrands/BrandDetail.cfm?BrandID=21)
They also had this at the hotel. Does anyone know if this a popular dish? Emily, bless her heart, prepares my favorite low-cal meal for my return to rude, cold New England. I am happy to be back, to the routine, and to the tent-posts of a diet that looks crashed-up. I do not even want to face the weigh in next week. I really don't think I can't stand the heartbreak.

Year 2, Day 146: Dinner in Charlotte, NC

Today was a big day. Lots of stuff to do before I get on a plane, more than most, because I am infrequent traveler, and professional neurotic worrier. I also fret about whether or not to take my laptop, because it's very often an extremely heavy paperweight. Is there anything that really couldn't be accomplished with a legal pad? After all, I'm going to a corporate office, not some remote part of Siberia. As usual I end up overpacking, but it helps focus my attention away from the concern that I am going to perish in flight, with only a handful of cheap pretzels and half a soda at my disposal. Of course, this prompts me to ask 'why do they give you a flotation device under every seat but not a parachute?' Have we just given up on the thought that anyone could survive from a falling plane? Am I statistically more likely to survive on a plane-seat-pillow? I hope I never have to make this choice, but I am almost certain that I would rather jump than try to swim once the plane has crashed. Aside from the neurosis, doesn't this make sense?

Breakfast
1 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean/Heritage Flake
1 Cup Strawberries
1 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

Snack
12 oz. coffee (half decaf)
1 joystick

Lunch: Russo's $6.10
Red leaf, red onion, red onion
feta, broccoli, balsamic, tuna (no chicken today).

Dinner: Mac's BBQ in Charlotte, NC
1 Hush Puppy with Honey-Butter
2 Chicken Wings
1 Deviled Egg
Brisket
Ribs
Pulled Pork
Green Bean Salad
Cole Slaw
Baked Beans

Tastes of Dessert
Banana Pudding (with Nilla Wafers)
Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Tonight we went to a place called "Macs" in Charlotte. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with Apple computers and everything to do with motorcycles and barbecue food. We went here because I continued to tell my hosts that I would no longer be coming down to North Carolina, the home of the famous vinegary pulled pork unless I was to be taken to an official sawdust-on-the-floor, sweet-tea serving bbq joint. After much deliberation, Macs was chosen, though I think only after a much better restaurant, though apparently thought to be in a dangerous area (though this was never said or confirmed), was rejected. Even with the SoBe book in tow, I fell victim to 'hush puppies'—which to me where either Buster Brown shoes, or hot dogs wrapped in corn meal and put on a stick. These were corn meal fried into balls and served with honey-butter. What I love about the South, from what I was able to observe, was their absolute commitment to making anything healthy unhealthy, and making any unhealthy (like deep fried-corn meal) REALLY unhealthy, like slathering it not just with butter, but HONEY-butter. I can really get with that program. I promise you, a week down here and I would be back to 226 lbs, easily.

Year 2, Day 145: Last Night in Boston

I was originally going to take this Monday off, since the weekend spent hosting relatives and birthday parties is usually enough to take the literal wind out of one's sails. However, I am scheduled to fly to Charlotte on Tuesday and this means that I cannot miss more work. So it's back to class, back to books, back to giving those teachers dirty looks.

Breakfast
1 Cup Heritage Flakes
1 Cup Blueberries
1 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 Joy Stick
12 oz Coffee (half decaf)

Lunch: Russo's $5.56

Dinner:
Left over rotisserie turkey
peppadews
pickles
red leaf/green leaf salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Dessert
2 bites raspberry sorbet
2 nips

After days and days of big, calorie-laden, yummy and prepared dinner, Monday was a night of leftovers, a rather unspectacular send off to my next flight. I have been allowing dessert to creep into my life, which is both a natural outgrowth of allowing sugar into my life (because sugar demands you eat more of it and it's a hard habit to break) and because of my natural and well-described anxiety about having to leave home, lest of all getting on a plane to the South during the summer. Sheesh.

Year 2, Day 144: A Heartbreaking Loss of Staggering Tennis

On the fourth day in a row of tennis, I took on my sister-in-law. I led the entire set, breaking her early and staying out in front. However, when the chips were down she revved it up at took the set 7-5, after maybe 60 minutes of the hardest tennis I'd played all week, and that's no small feat. Demoralized at the staggering and heartbreaking loss, I could barely continue to play. Emily suffered a similar come-from-behind loss from her brother-in-law. We decided to start another set together, but after three games we realized we couldn't keep it together, either to refrain from laughing, or really to keep our arms over our heads. We went home.

Pre-Brunch Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
2 slices Ham
1 handful of almonds & cashews
Green Tea

Brunch: Aquitaine Bis
A few pieces of honeydew melon
Omelette Alsacienne with Mushrooms, Leeks & Boursin
Applewood Bacon
A few potatoes with caramelized onions, half of one slice of rye bread

Post Tennis
1/2 Chicken Burrito with Guacamole
a few bites of salad
the cheese from a half-slice of pizza
1 stick celery with peanut butter
diet coke

Dinner
93% Sirloin Burger
Green & Red Cabbage Salad (with Almonds)
Pickles
Peppadews

Dessert
4 tablespoons raspberry sorbet

I'll admit it: Having an unlimited amount of raspberry sorbet in the house is not good for me. Though I have been playing an unrivaled amount of tennis (and really, really sweating, and working hard), it does not allow me to eat whatever I want. I must remember to stay hungry, because this weekend, plus the week ahead (with a flight to Charlotte and Philadelphia) spells big trouble if I can't rein it in.

Year 2, Day 143: Birthday Party Rain

Last year I won Emily's heart by telling my brother that Ruby's birthday party was still "on" with great confidence even though it looked like rain. Today, a year later, when we try for the same party (a party outside, that is) the forecast is even more bleak, if only for the confidence with which the broadcasters deliver the weather report: RAIN. The night before, Ruby's best friend had HER birthday party, and it was nearly called on account of the typhoon watch. 15 girls were herded away from the mosquito-laden mini-golf course into the accompanying shed and given arts and crafts because they could not continue the party outside. Emily and I fretted all night about such a repeat occurrence happening with us. When I woke up this morning, it was literally a white out with FOG. A bad sign, I couldn't help thinking. As it turned out, the party's late call (12:30pm) was somewhat of a blessing, though we originally had wanted 11AM, but we changed it because Ruby's best friend's RAIN Date was today. So we made it 12:30 so the kids could properly party-hop. That didn't happen, and actually the rain held off just enough for the kids to enjoy the moonwalk, ice cream cake, pizza and cotton candy just dandily (though not in that order).

Breakfast
Omelet with Corned Beef, Pastrami & Onions
1 Slice of Balthazar Multi-Grain with Butter

Lunch/Party
2 Burritos: Chicken, Carnitas, Black Beans, Salsa Hot Sauce Guacamole
Cheese of 1 slice of Papa Gino's Pizza
Corn Chips & Guacamole
1 Slice of Birthday Cake with Frozen Snickers
Ass't Cheese Cubes

Dinner
Spicy Pork with Leeks
Hollow Green Stems
Salt & Pepper Calamari
1 Sour Pickle
1 slice corned beef

Dessert
2 Tablespoons of Raspberry Sorbet
1 Balthazar Chocolate Chip Cookie

In terms of the food, I was going to title this entry "hmm...what DID I eat today?" With so much food everywhere (and there was a lot) it was just impossible to either 1) stay on the diet or 2) watch what I ate. I think I did alright in terms of what was out there, but that is truly 'to damn with faint praise.' Amazingly, I did take my brother-in-law on in tennis today. It's not amazing that I played him, just that on a day of chaos that I was able to get away and play tennis. We played two sets, and he took the first one 6-1, but we were on serve in the second set (and I was feeling good) when a woman appeared at the sidelines. I gave her the high-chinned look, the universal gesture to mean "what do you want?" She said "the center has been closed for 10 minutes." My brother-in-law dutifully packed up and, reached by cell phone, dutifully went to pick up the Chinese food that seems to be the traditional 'after meal' of the big party day.

Year 2, Day 142: Birthday

Today was my birthday. 41 years old. Yikes. I decided not to weigh myself this week, as it promises to be an eat fest, and I don't need the aggravation. I am going to stick to the once-a-month weight in and not make myself crazy. That is a birthday present I will give to myself.

Breakfast
1 Cup Kashi Go Lean/Heritage Flakes
1 Small Banana with some blueberries
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
Tea

Lunch
Chicken Cutlets
Peppadews
Cauliflower
Avocado

Post Tennis Snack
4-5 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Wassa Crackers (Like Rye Vita but with less taste and more carboard-y)
3 large handfuls of almonds/cashews
1 joystick

Dinner
2 slices corned beef
2 slices pastrami
chicken breast
4 slices sashimi tuna
cole slaw
green salad
pickle
sour tomato

Dessert
1 bowl of raspberry sorbet

After-dinner drink
2 oz. knob creek whiskey

Because of the big party for Ruby tomorrow, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law drove in from New York and within minutes of their arrival we had lunch and headed out to the tennis courts. I lost my one set against Emily's sister, 6-4, and Emily and I played doubles against them and lost a the set 6-3. When we got back home we were all hungry and ate a lot of snacks (as you can see above). My mother also came up and brought with her the best food in the world (corned beef and pastrami from New York as well as a whole chicken). It's a throw-your-hands-up kind of night of eating, and I just surrendered and went with the flow. Tomorrow will be another whole kind of thing.

Year 2, Day 141: Tennis in the Afternoon

I woke up with a leg cramp this morning, which being superstitious, I took as a bad sign. In order to take proaction, I decided to eat a banana, as I know that a potassium deficiency can lead to leg cramps. While this may or may not be medically sound, I am firm believer in the 'if you believe it will make you feel better it probably will' school of thought. So I threw the banana embargo to the wind.

1 Cup Kashi Go Lean & Heritage Flakes
1 small banana
some blueberries
1 cup unsweetened soy milk

snack
1 joy stick
12 oz coffee (half decaf)

Lunch: Chin Yan Shuan
Pork with Cabbage and Peppers
Beef with Celery
Chicken with Spinach
1 Dumpling
Hot and Sour Soup

Dinner: Legal Sea Foods
3 Oysters on the Half Shell
Seafood Salad (Red Leaf, Vinaigrette, Mussels, Calimari, Shrimp, Provolone)
1/2 of 1.5 Lobster
Seaweed Salad
Snowpeas in Oyster Sauce

On the night before my actual birthday, Emily arranged a babysitter so we could go play tennis. Amazingly, we played two sets with the EXACT same score as last time we played, 6-2, and 7-5. Properly exercised, we hot-foot it over to Legal Seafoods (my pick for dinner) where I ordered lobster. Now I am not given to doing that frequently, but I figure there's a few times in life when a lack of restraint is called for. We split everything and it felt great for so many reasons. 1. We exercised. 2. I wasn't going to work the next day. 3. It was my birthday. 4. We actually got a seat at the bar (the wait for a table was 45 minutes). We got home and put the kids to bed and everything was great. So I guess you couldn't ask for a better birthday present than that.

Year 2, Day 140: I Renounce Chick Peas

I'm not sure why I thought chickpeas were OK and I suddenly started having them in my salad. I checked the book today and it looked like they rang in at about 20g of carbs per serving. That means I was basically having a slice of bread on top of my salad. It just reminds me of the Budweiser commercial where they celebrate the inventor of the Taco Salad. "A culinary creation that baffles the mind...a 12,000 calorie salad...some may ask 'is your taco salad healthy? Of course it is, it's a salad, isn't it?"

You can see the whole commercial here (it's pretty funny):
http://thetravisty.com/Cool_Commercials/mov/Real_Men_of_Genius_-_Giant_Taco_Salad_Inventor.htm

Breakfast
5 slices of Ham
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Green Tea

Snack
1 joystick
3 sticks celery with 2 tblspns whipped cream cheese

Lunch: Russo's ($4.98)
Red leaf, red pepper, red onion
chicken, feta, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar

Dinner:
Emily's Ground Chicken Crumble
Cabbage & Lettuce
2 oz. Cracker Barrel Cheddar
1 Bite of Hamburger

From Kentucky Fried Chicken's Web Site (http://www.kfc.com/about/pr/011402.htm)

Comfort Food Hits Peak Season
A new survey commissioned by KFC® finds that Americans are turning to the familiar tastes of comfort food to appease their palates during the winter months. Survey results confirm that seasonal factors and a stressful environment increase the likelihood that Americans will consume comfort food. In fact, seven out of ten people surveyed chose winter as the peak season for comfort food. Furthermore, studies suggest that comfort food satisfies certain emotional cravings and is a common way to cope with stress.

"People don't just eat when they're hungry but when they're tired, bored, stressed, anxious or lonely," explained Leblang. "Chances are, when it's Mom's meatloaf, a big bowl of mashed potatoes, a bucket of KFC fried chicken or a slice of homemade apple pie, there's a certain emotional hunger that gets satisfied, too - that's comfort food."

When asked about the emotional gratification of comfort foods, respondents ranked the following:

• Gives me a good feeling so I can carry on 50%
• Takes my mind off the problem 38%
• Reminds me of good times in the past 27 %
• Makes me feel safe 18%
• Reminds me of Mom 9%

Year 2, Day 139: More Work, Heat

Since there are still incredible strawberries trickling in, I feel that I need to eat them. You can tell them from the mediocre strawberries as they usually come unlabeled in a green cardboard or slightly wooden-looking basket. The Driscoll strawberries are OK, but they aren't real 'fresh-picked' strawberries.

Breakfast
1 Cup Kashi Go Lean/Heritage Flakes
1 Cup Strawberries/Blueberries
1 Cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

Snack
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1.5 Oz Boston Lite Popcorn
10 salted almonds

Lunch: Russo's ($4.94)
Red leaf, red onion, red pepper
feta, chick peas, broccoli, mushrooms
tuna, balsamic vinegar

Dinner:
Grey Sole
Bok Choy

Like my sister-in-law Amy, I have decided to forgo olive oil everywhere I can. I have switched off of it to make eggs, and I have been having my salads with straight balsamic vinegar. Though I can't always use her wonderful balsamic, I am happy to get rid of the olive oil. At 120 calories per teaspoon, it's in my best interest.

Year 2, Day 138: Back to Work

Show me a man who wants to come back to work after a week of vacation and I'll eat some more snickers ice cream cakes. You probably can't do it anyway, so stop bothering me. Most people I know don't even want to go back to work after the weekend, so I guess I'm better off than others.

Breakfast
1.5 Slices Balthazar Multi-Grain Bread
2.5 Soft-Boiled Eggs
Green Tea

Snack
Coffee (half decaf)
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 Joy Stick

Lunch: Russo's ($5.85)
Red Leaf, Red Onion, Red Pepper
Feta, Chicken, Chick Peas, Broccoli
Mushrooms

Dinner:
Salmon-Spinach-Feta Burger (Whole Foods)
Emmy's Kicked Up Leeks

Back to Russo's though my salad weight was a bit off. I did treat myself, which is generally a danger to the diet. Despite my protestations, Emily continues to make me Salmon for dinner. While I remain grateful for the fact that she even makes dinner, I must find another way to convey my lack of interest in this pink fish.

Year 2, Day 137: The Triathalon

Today I did five miles on the elliptical, three laps in the pool and played a two sets of tennis. My biggest day ever. I played with Emily and we split sets— 7-5 and 6-2. Usually 5:30pm (when I seem often to play tennis) is not my best time but I did feel good today. The great thing about exercise is how incredibly tired it makes you at the end of the night. Again, a reason that a change of life can lead you to empty out your medicine cabinet. Except for the night before you have to go back to work after a week off. For that, you still need the medicine cabinet.

Breakfast
1 cup Kashi Go Lean
1 cup Heritage Flakes
1 cup Blueberries
1 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

Lunch
2 Eggs Over Easy
3 Strips jennie-o turkey bacon
3 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Various pre and post exercise snacks
1/2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Joy stick
2 Celery Sticks with Cream Cheese

Dinner: The Met
3 Oysters
1.5 Shrimp (Cocktail)
1 small slice pumpernickel
1/2 piece corn bread
1/2 crispy whole fish
4 bites of a 'snickers' bar ("Snickers" Ice cream Sandwich caramel ice cream, roasted salted peanuts, caramel sauce, peanut bark)

I ate big today, and I guess I knew it would be a big day of both exercise and eating. In the final analysis I think I blunted any weight loss, but I was satisfied at the end of the day that whether I lost weight or not, I feel better, look better, and at least on the tennis court perform better. Emily complemented me on my 'fleetness of foot' and that I was able to eat some dessert, which proved I wasn't a rigid fascist of a dieter, though likely I have added five more pounds this week, meaning it's time again for phase one-ing it. However, the Met Bar at Chestnut Hill was simply YUMMY with a capital 'Y'. I tried so hard to be good, but we arrived there fresh off the tennis court and we had to eat the bread. In our effort to eat healthy, we ordered the fish, but it was fried (and filled with tiny little bones). If you go there, don't order the Whole Crispy Fish, but the sauces were wonderful. We were thinking about dessert and we did look at the menu. The sound of the Snickers Bar sounded sobe friendly, but it was actually a glorified Carvel flying saucer (which is not bad), more than a Snickers bar.

Year 2, Day 136: Back at Home

As it was a month ago when we started the project, the anxiety of emptying a lifeless house causes me to both eat irresponsibly and for comfort. Additionally, the thought of once again getting in the car with all my belongings and then some stimulates the craving to eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. We got in the car without a plan but on the way out we stopped at "It's Greek to Me" for 2 salads ($21.00) and a hot dog for Ruby. We also stopped at Balthazar, where I bought four madeleines for the kids. They scarfed them up and honked for more, and Emily and I had some trouble controlling ourselves too, because instead of flavorless crunchy cookies they tasted like incredibly sweet, soft, chewy brownies.

Breakfast
1 Fried Egg
1 Slice Vermont Whole Wheat Toast
Coffee

Lunch: It's Greek to Me
Greek Salad with Feta, Chicken,
Green Peppers, Tomatoes, Olives

On the Road Snack
1 bite of a Balthazar Madeleine
1 Joy Stick
About 4 oz. Popcorn, 1 oz of Boston Lite and the rest from a free Boy-Scout sponsored giveaway at the Connecticut rest station
Diet Coke
2 Yogurt Covered Raisins

Dinner
93% Sirloin Burger
Cabbage
Peppadews

Dessert
1 Glass of Zinfandel

Though I do not drink wine often, I do like it a great deal and I'm always trying to find ones that taste great. There was an EXP 1998 Syrah but it's "out of print" or whatever the wine equivalent is. It is hard to overstate the joys of returning to one's home (especially when you irresponsibly left the air conditioning on) but it's not hard to understand. Emily and I had both joy and relief and celebrated. Emily said that 'hamburgers and broccoli is the family's meal' and she's so right about that.

Year 2, Day 135: My 500th Day (Vacation Day Five)

Really today was an all out catastrophe as a dieter, but in another way a celebration of life. I had not made my pilgrimage to Balthazar yet, so I had to rely on Vermont Whole Wheat Bread from the supermarket at breakfast. It was pretty good, but it's all really just killing time till the Balthazar bread shows up. I played tennis with my brother-in-law today, and he walloped me in the first set, 6-1, but I was catching up with him in the second set, 3-3, when he retired due to an achy knee. The heat had been absolutely brutal and I couldn't fault him for quitting since he had a tournament the next day and he had volunteered to stay on the sunny side. Ordinarily it's customary to switch sides every two games, a tradition Emily and I often skip when we're playing. After about 90 minutes of muggy, shirt-sweating tennis, we jumped in the pool and it was about the most relaxing moment I had had the entire vacation. The water was warm, there weren't many people at the pool and we didn't have to be anywhere or do anything. Though we were situated on the top of a multi-unit urban complex, with planes overhead and landscape blotted in every direction with other tall buildings, it was a lovely, lovely moment.

Breakfast
2 Eggs plus 1 Yolk
2 Slices Wheat Bread (Non-Balthazar)
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Coffee

Lunch
Salad
Chicken Breast
Peppadews

Pre & Post Tennis Snack
Multi-Grain Tostitos
Cheddar Cheese
6 Utz Pretzels

Dinner
Sashimi
Farmer's Salad (Cucumbers, Scallions, Tomatoes, Olives)

Dessert
4 Tablespoons Killer Chocolate Ice cream, 1 Raspberry sorbet, 1 Vanilla

For my 500th day on the South Beach diet I definitely worked hard on the court, and in the pool (only swam two laps, but they were longer than usual because it was not strictly roped off and olympic length). Ordinarily ice cream for dessert doesn't beckon me but tonight it did and I answer its siren call with a gaping mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did it partly because of the anniversary (500 days), partly because it had been a long week of vacationing, partly because it was Ruby's birthday but mostly because it was there and I wanted it. And it was Jane's Ice Cream, so how can you go wrong?

Year 2, Day 134: Vacation, Day Four

Going to the dogs today. The day you have to pack up and get out of your vacation digs, no matter how crummy is always sort of a drag. Whether you loved it or not, the whole process of picking things and returning the place to the state in which 'you found it' is daunting if not unpleasant. Emily and I managed to get in about 45 minutes of tennis today, but our odd schedule and driving meant we ate often but not necessarily well. I certainly was off the charts today, so I'm glad I got some exercise, and I'm looking for more tennis tomorrow.

Breakfast
1 heel of a multi-grain bread with peanut butter
4 small slices of muti-grain bread with
2 soft-boiled eggs

Pre-Tennis Snack
3-4 oz. Cracker Barrel Cheddar
White Meat Breast of Chicken

On the court snack
1 Kashi Bar

Later that afternoon:
2 oz. Unsalted Cashews
1/2 Joystick


Dinner
Hamburger
Salad
Peppadews
Broccoli

After a long day of stopping starting and noshing, we landed in Englewood, NJ (where Emily's dad's house is), I set up the crib, got Ruby set up, unpacked, packed the fridge and then lit out for the supermarket of all things, where I found the roads absolutely packed because it was 5:40 in New Jersey. The supermarket was empty but I got the standard dinner for any family with kids my age: hamburger, Annie's shells and cheese and broccoli. The kids ate it up and just a few hours later they were in bed. But I have been staying up late lately, mostly because it's the only quiet time I get but also because in the house we were staying at I kept wondering "what's that noise?" Back in civilization, central air and proximity to 24 hour stores, and free of the mildewy smell of a rented house, I slept well.

Year 2, Day 133, Vacation, Day Three

Unexpected, and very hard rain descended on the region today, spoiling our blissful pool holiday. Forced to rejigger plans, we headed out to Emily's sister's house, a 20 minute ride that took us an hour because of misremembered signs and a some lapses of attention. By the time we go there, we had little real time to spend before Magnolia and I had to turn around and come back. She fell asleep in the car, but Ruby went on to see the world's largest kaleidoscope.

Breakfast
4 (very small) slices of multi-grain toast
2 eggs
1 tomato
Coffee

Snack
Cheese
A bite of cantaloupe, peach

Lunch
Lettuce, Cheddar Cheese and Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner
Chicken, Ribs
Salad
Pickles

Everyone converged at the rental house tonight including my father and his wife. No one drank any liquor, much to my chagrin, as I enjoy he occasional alcoholic beverage, but in the country there was none to be found but some Coronas that were in the fridge. We managed to fashion a second dinner out of the massive amount of barbecue from the night before, and added some various things. It has felt like a big eating vacation, and today there was little activity to warrant a calorie uptick.

Year 2, Day 132, Vacation Day Two

The good news is that we were not killed by Dick and Perry of "In Cold Blood" last night. Yes, that's a Woody Allen bit of shtick but he was right on the money. There are some folk who love the country. That's just not me. However, if I've learned anything through these past nearly 500 days, it's that I have the capacity to change. I used to be someone who didn't like to walk, or to exert myself. Who knows, maybe in the future I'll love the country. But my father once said to me, "When you move out of the city to be away from it all, your choice is really the ocean or the mountains." He always favored the ocean, but Eastern Long Island was not working for him, so he went to the mountains. Eastern Long Island didn't work for me either, but the mountains aren't really giving it a run for its money. I liked the Vineyard (and Truro, Wellfleet and Provincetown) when I spent time there. I like when you get lost you eventually hit the ocean. I like the flatlands. I like it where you can make cell phone calls. Am I wrong to want providers to ruin our natural and wondrous landscapes so I can make cell phone calls?

Breakfast
A few small slices of multi-grain bread
nearly two soft-boiled eggs
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheddar
Green tea

Snack
3 handfuls of almonds/cashews


Lunch
Hamburger with Onion
Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
4 oz. Cheddar Cheese
Whitefish pieces
A few peppadews


Dinner
Ribs
Chicken
Pulled Pork
More of Same Salad
Baked Beans

Dessert
1 Bite of "No Sugar Added" Edy's Fudge Tracks Ice Cream

It was a funny kind of an eating day. I had originally planned to play tennis with my sister-in-law at around 11AM, but she ended up playing with Emily for longer than planned. I had been holding off on lunch, but I needed to make lunch for the kids. Naturally, they didn't eat it (or not too much of it) so I ate a lot of their hamburger with an incredible salad that Emily's sister made— it had lettuce, mint, cabbage, red peppers in it. Plus, she discovered a balsamic vinegar that is super yummy (with 2g of sugars in it) but so worth it. When they got home from tennis at around 1:00pm we all had lunch so I had more salad and more cheese. Then, I was waiting to play my brother-in-law so I wasn't eating any snacks; but I did eat a lot cheese waiting for him (and nuts). We played two sets at 5:00pm, and we finished at around 6:42pm. He took both games 6-1, 6-0. From the sounds of it, you probably think I'm not a very good tennis player, and I can't deny that, but we all had fun. When I got back I was famished and we devoured a whole bunch of pretty good barbecue.

I had a bite of ice cream that had been left here by the 'rental-owners.' It was pretty good for Sugar-free ice cream, and significantly lower in fat/calories/sugars then the other sugary ice-creams that were left here.

Year 2, Day 131: Vacation, Day One

Emily's sister said to she and I while we were discussing last minute arrangements "You guys don't like to travel." She was right, and it stung. We don't. That explains why we are packing as if we are 1)moving or 2)going on an ocean voyage. We just lack the experiene to do it correctly. From a long weekend to a week away we approach every trip as some kind of break-up with our house, to whom we must faithfully reproduce the experience of living in when we arrive at said destination. I find that people are often amused by our packing, and if I ever get around to writing down WHAT we actually pack, maybe I'll print it here.

Breakfast
1.5 Cups Kashi Go Lean/Heritage Flakes
1 Cup Blueberries (2 strawberries thrown in there)
1 Cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
a little bit of Rice Crunch-Ems and Strawberry Yogurt Burst Cheerios thrown in the mix

Lunch
Salad with Roasted chicken (this consisted of four flat, thin slices)

Arrival Snack(s)
3 Handfuls of Almonds/Cashews (provoked by anxiety)
3 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
A few bites of a nectarine
a few bites of cantaloupe

Dinner: Brio's
6 Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese
Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken, Feta, Avocado and Candied Pecans (I thought I could just eat around them, but I was wrong).

In retrospect, this seems like kind of an irresponsible eating day, but wait— there's an explanation (isn't there always?). I had packed all the cereal this morning so I couldn't do my usual "add a little more Kashi to the bowl" routine, but I knew it was important to be well-fortified for the trip. Arriving at our vacation house was anxiety producing for all the regular reasons— what did we get? In this case, there were other difficulties—the directions were so BAD that we were driving around for quite a while until we asked a hapless postal clerk with a mysteriously enigmatic accent for directions. Even his directions were mysterious; like a character from "The Usual Suspects." When we finally arrived, we realized it would not be the house of our dreams, but mostly because it lacked 1) central air conditioning and 2) unbroken screen windows. Oddly, out of all the cyberrentals in the world, Emily unknowingly picked for rental the first house my Father and stepmother moved in when they moved to the area from Long Island. They had rated it poorly, but from the pictures (online) that Emily sent them guessed it had been 'fixed up a little.' They were wrong. So when we got here, after a frustrating 20-minute 'lost' episode following a three hour ride, I was strapping the nut-bucket to my chin. Amazingly, our kids were nearly silent as we bickered amongst ourselves as to how to navigate the car. With some luck, and while it was still daylight, we arrived, unpacked, and got into the pool. Emily went to play tennis, and after a few laps with Ruby, I played an hour of tennis too. I hope to play an hour everyday while I'm here, and maybe swim that long too. I'd hate to have the next weigh in be another trip up the detecto scale.

Year 2, Day 130: Sunday Before Vacation

People who love traveling are different from me, and by extension, my family. I suppose I never really got that excited feeling about going somewhere and doing something other than being at your house. Growing up in Long Island it always seemed that the most exciting thing in the whole world was going to Manhattan, and that was just a 30 minute train ride away. You didn't even have to DO anything--just going there was exciting. I realize the world has a lot to offer but for me it's best encapsulated by Saul Steinberg's New Yorker cover known as "View of the World from Ninth Avenue" or what it's often called is the "New Yorker's View of the World" I always laugh because I thought what's wrong with that picture? For the reason that my home is what I love, packing and getting ready for a long spate away from home—at least at this time in my kid's lives—is more labor than the love.

Breakfast
2 and half Eggs
2 Slice Balthazar's Multi-Grain Bread
Tea

Snack
Coffee
2 Rye Vita Crackers
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch
Broiled Chicken Thighs
Peppadews
Pickles
Salad with Cabbage and Celery

Dinner: Skipjack's Takeout
"Skipjack's" Sole (with flour)
Salad
Snap Peas

Today I broke some kind of record, as I did five miles on the elliptical in under 47 minutes. This involved going over 7mph for a good bit of the time. Another first for me was that when I arrived at the rather deserted JCC gym room, I decided to take the television matter into my own hands and change the channel to the Wimbledon men's final. This was, for me, a totally engaging bit of programming that made the workout go by very fast, which is always what I am hoping will happen. The downside is that it was very difficult to keep a consistent pace going because I was so often slowing down or speeding up with the match. Lastly, I started to fret that the game would last longer than my water, but it was not to be because Nadal lost in the fourth set. A few hours later, I was back at the JCC and swam three more laps. I was hoping to best yesterday's showing, but it was not to be.

Year 2, Day 129: Weekend Before Vacation

Every day Ruby wants to go to the pool but I can only help her out on Saturdays and Sundays and days that I am not working. It so happens that today was such a day so we went. Usually, the day after a poker game is a slow-moving affair but there as busy dance card today, with the pool, the beginning of packing for our vacation and dinner at our neighbor's house. Ruby and I really only got about an hour at the pool, but all things considered it was a pretty good time, because it was a perfect day and a lot of folks cleared out around 3:30 when we arrived. I swam three laps, which I consider one back and fourth, though I realize some people may be counting lengths or what have you. Whatever it is, I went back and forth three times. By the last time I was doing some retarded version of the doggie paddle just trying to get to the other side. It's amazing that you can walk two miles around the river, do five miles on the elliptical, but that you can be so out of breath and tired from three laps. That really tells me I have a lot of work to get into 'good shape.'

Breakfast
2 Eggs
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Tea

Snack
Coffee
1 Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Joystick

Lunch:
1 Hamburger
Peppadews
Pickles
Salad with Cabbage and Feta

Dinner
1 Hot Dog
1 Chicken Sausage
1 Chinese Sausage
1 Chicken Patty
seafood salad
Cauliflower with Pine Nuts
Asparagus

Our neighbors hosted us for a barbecue dinner which was very sweet and we like them an awful lot. They are very thin, and they love to grill American food, like hot dogs. I loved everything they served. Emily volunteered to make vegetables in the wok. That was good, because otherwise it would have been tough from a SoBe perspective. As it was I ate too much, but as with "all you can eats", when the food just sits out there it's really hard to stop. Until the mosquitos make you run for cover, of course.

Year 2, Day 128: Is it Poker Again

This morning I was not only thinking about my poker game tonight but about Ruby's field trip. She was slated to go to the MFA with her camp. I thought it didn't sound too exciting for a 6 year old, but she had a good time. She was especially excited about seeing Mummies, which naturally she called "Mommies." Since she has not been eating her lunch at camp, I struggled with what to give her so she would have the strength to keep up with what I imagined would be a terribly draining day. To this end, I took her shopping with me the night before and told her to pick out what she wanted in terms of: drink (orange juice), side dish (corn chips) and dessert (Marshmallows) from Whole Foods. Her report was that she 'ate everything up.'

Breakfast
Two Eggs (Soft boiled)Marshmallows
1 Slice Balthazar Multi-Grain Bread

Snack
1 Joy Stick
1/2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Luch: Peter's Kitchen
Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken
Feta, Oil & Vinegar

Poker/Dinner
1 Handful Almonds/Cashews
2 Doritos
3 Roll Mops: Roast Beef, Turkey, Corned Beef, Jarlsburg, Mustard
Peppadews
Pickles
Cole Slaw
Pistachios
A few Strawberries

I went for a fast walk today with another Domaniac, who is training for a triathlon. I usually find that walking on poker day helps my game. Tonight, however, I was not so lucky. In the first two hours I had to keep buying in as I made foolish mistake after foolish mistake and continue to go down in flames. My luck turned around right before dinner when I bet everything on a ridiculous long shot, pushing my luck to where it should not go and I got lucky and took an enormous pot. From that point on I was able to stay in the game but I did not distinguish myself. I came in third for the night, which is probably my worst showing since I don't know when. Though I ate my weight in pistachios, I did OK for the night.

Amazingly, one of the players insists on buying a pie, ice cream and whipped cream every single time, despite the fact that this leaves half a pie, most of the ice cream and nearly a whole can of whipped cream over. Since the average cost of this set up is about $20, it's quite a big deal. He asks me every time what kind of pie I think we should get, to which I give him the same, unemotional response: "I don't eat pie." Despite this, he continues to badger me at pie time. "Come on, have a slice." "What, you're not going to have any pie?" "You can't have one piece?" I try to employ techniques I have learned as a parent to deal with his obliviousness to both my irritation at his fiscal irresponsibility and my South Beach tendencies. I'm just glad he hasn't chosen Strawberry-Rhubarb yet, which is my weakness. He insists on getting apple, all 12 months of the year, no matter that I tell him other fruits are in season. He is a lost cause.

Year 2, Day 127: Shock and Awe

A single serving of Teddie Natural Peanut Butter is 2 Tablespoons (32g). I know that I have been eating more than this because servings per container are "14". I put that number in quotes to share my alarm. This means a jar of peanut butter should last me 14 days, if I'm having the correct serving amount every day. Since I'm lucky if the jar lasts me 5 days, I can conclude that I my 'eyeing it out' system has failed me completely. I suppose if I employ science I could figure out that if 14grams is half an ounce, that 28 grams would be two ounces and since I use tupperware for my peanut butter I guess I would have to say I was putting about three ounces in them, rather than two, though 32 grams should be two and half ounces, so I was probably pretty close. But again, as I described, the bottle lasting only a week is a tell. Additionally, the peanut butter serving described above has 190 Calories, of which 140 are from fat. While it has absolutely no trans fats or cholesterol (and what product does have cholesterol?) it does have 7g of carbs but with a redeeming 8g of protein. As a food, it's excellent: low in sugar and sodium, very delicious and satisfying. But as the South Beach book proclaimed and I have since re-quoted multiple times:

NUTS ARE A DIET-BUSTER.

Oh the woe! Sad for me, really.

Contrasting that, 14g (1/2 oz) of Boston Lite popcorn has 60 Calories, of which 20 are from fat. That means I could eat three times one serving (three bags) for 180 calories, and 60 from fat, which is much better than the Peanut Butter (but not as yummy). Carbs are slightly higher at 10g, so you've got to watch that, but there's 0 sugar and less sodium. Probably two bags is the way to go for lunch, and that's what I've started today. We'll see if it makes a difference.

Breakfast
2 Eggs, Over Easy
1 Slice Balthazar Multi-Grain
Green Tea

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($4.94)
Red leaf, red onion, red pepper
chicken, chick peas, feta
broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes

Dinner: Papparazi
Grilled breast of chicken
broccoli, spinach, tomatoes

Tomorrow is another poker game and that's not great. It's hard enough to mind my ps and qs without going into it with a deficit situation. On top of that, this weekend begins my vacation which almost will certainly make it harder to stay on top of both diet and exercise. July is going to be a tough month, I can just tell.

Year 2, Day 126: Detecto says "187"

Let's just call a spade a spade. I have gained about four pounds since last weigh in. There are really only two words that need to be said. Peanut Butter. That's it. Peanut Butter. Peanut Butter. Peanut Butter. I am addict. I must kick it. By now it is not unfamiliar to come to this place. After a few weeks or months of losing, the recidivism. I've gotten to the point where it's not the end of the world, though it is still dissapointing. I know two things (aside from Peanut Butter) that start to happen prior to a weight gain or slippage. One, I start bringing more carbs back into my diet. Two, I start to allow myself bigger portions. Why just the other morning I was starting to question why I felt it was OK to have two cups of cereal in the morning. Answer: it's not. Probably getting weighed after a few days of wine and ice cream wasn't the brightest idea either.

Breakfast
1 Cup Kashi Go Lean
1 Cup heritage flakes
1 cup strawberries/blueberries
1 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk

Snack
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno cheddar
4 sticks celery, 2 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter

Lunch:
Grecian Chicken (yogurt & garlic)
mediterannean salad: tomato & cucumber and parsley leaves

Dinner
Poached chicken breast
broccoli and peppadews

Dessert
1 Peanut Butter nip

On the plus side, I feel good about my physical activity. I've been able to do five miles on the elliptical in under 50 minutes and that's good. I've felt good on the tennis court, and that's good. Now if I could only get to doing those situps every day, I'd really be onto something. Also, I know that I've got to both vary my diet (having the same exact snack every day is a no-no); I've got to get back to watching the carbs, and I've got be hungry more. I've really been going without that part, and you've got to be hungry if you want to stay slim. At least I have to.

Year 2, Day 125: Independence Day

Though the world was clamoring* for our participation in countless parades, fireworks displays and backyard barbecues, we only wanted as a family to stay at home and relax. I'm not exactly sure when my disdain for large-scale spectacles began, but it's for sure that Emily's even-greater disdain for such events has created a family unit that generally avoids those things like a bout of stomach flu. If you are long time reader with a good memory, you'll remember that I've often noted with a wince-laden despair when my neighbors can be observed packing up their families and cars for such events, whether it's 4th of July, Patriot's Day or what have you. Maybe I'll feel differently if my kids get older and want to go to such things. Especially when they're old enough to go without me.
(*actually, no one was clamoring, this is just a figure of speech.)

Breakfast
1 egg
3 slices ham
1 oz cheddar/monterey jack shreds
1 Joseph's Oat Bran Tortilla
1 Tablespoon Salsa
Coffee

Lunch
Salad of Romaine Lettuce, Feta, 6 oz. Tuna and Cabbage
2 Dark Rye Vita cracker with 1 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
Coke Zero

Movie Snack
Popcorn
1 Reeses Bite

Dinner
Steak Tips
Broccoli
Peppadews

Dessert
One Nip

Ruby and I went to see "Cars," because the pool, which she desperately wanted to go to, was out due to rain. Despite my love of Pixar, I thought this one was a dud from the preview. Talking cars? Really, how can you get warm and fuzzy about that? If it weren't for the Reese's Bites the movie would have been intolerable. As it was, I had to dole out three about every five minutes. As if that wasn't enough, I noted with some pique that AMC showed a card that said "Silence is Golden®" before the movie. Can they really register that? Who allowed that? I did some searching on the Internet (do you know about this Internets thing?) and found this:

"AMC's Silence Is Golden® “Silence is Golden” is AMC’s proactive national program aimed at providing a distraction-free moviegoing experience. A pre-feature trailer asks our guests to please not “spoil the movie by adding your own soundtrack.” AMC has created other entertaining trailers to express this important message. The program has received overwhelmingly positive response from guests."

Jeez. And I thought it was bad when the rights to "Happy Birthday" were sold.

Year 2, Day 124: Carb-cident

There has been a lot going on in my personal life that has been stressing me out somewhat. So even though this has been a sort of laid-back week going into the holiday, I was on edge, and found it hard to settle down. I had some wine with dinner, and I figured I'd treat myself to a little dessert. We went out to an untried ice cream place in Wellesley with everybody. We all got something— I got a kid's soft-serve yogurt vanilla-oreo swirl; Emily got a coffee chip cone, Mag got one scoop of plain vanilla and Ruby, against my advice, got rainbow sherbet. As you would expect, the ice cream place had labeled it "Sherbert" which, if you are not already slapping your forehead for the woeful long-gone standards of this country, is incorrect. Though I usually would have taken the time to correct the young man who was scooping us, I figured I wouldn't get anywhere with it, so I just let it go. Ruby naturally didn't like her sherbet (maybe the 'r' made it more tempting) so I gave her mine, but in reality we all ended up eating each other's in a kind of round-robin ice cream feast. Magnolia kept yelling 'bite' 'bite' every time her mouth wasn't packed with ice cream so it took a lot just to keep everybody happy. Though it was a great few moments at the ice cream shoppe, I felt even worse physically as a result of the ice cream. Not sure whether it had to do with lactose intolerance or just the 'I gave up' feeling of surrendering to dessert, but I vowed to go to the gym the next day. I can't face the July weigh in without it.

Breakfast
Kashi
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Soy Milk

Lunch:
Romaine, Feta
Tuna,
50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Rye Vita Crackers

Snack
6 Celery Sticks
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
Several Crackers and Cheese for Testing

Dinner
Pork Cutlet
Asparagus
White Wine

Dessert
Some Yogurt and Some Ice Cream

One of the problems with your kids is they go over to other people's houses and eat the junk that you have forbidden (or at least refused to buy for) them to eat. Alas, our neighbors are no exceptions as they proffered these 'cheese and crackers' setups, that in my opinion are neither cheese nor crackers (discuss). Frustratingly, Ruby fell in love with the little red knife that comes with it, and would only eat the orange, fakey cheese and the high-fructose corn syrupy crackers. In my attempt to get her to eat the 'real' or 'whole foods' versions of these foods, I got an array of crackers and some nice spreadable goat cheese. I think you can predict the outcome— the loud wah-wah sound. But I will keep trying, so long as there is breath in my body.

Year 2, Day 123: Sundays with Utz

This morning I went for a workout and it was like a ghost town. No one anywhere; no one signed up for machines. No one breathing down my neck. Yet mysteriously, the TVs were turned to some kind of hellish NASCAR only channel. Not sure why I am forced to endure this, but it sure doesn't add much to the whole workout experience. All I can say is it's better than the other television in front of the treadmills that had Dick Cheney on some Sunday Morning show. Do people want to work out to Dick Cheney? I did five miles on the elliptical in 50 minutes, which was good because the first mile took me over 12 minutes and as usual, I didn't think I was going to make it the whole way. Without fail, when you hit the 40 minute mark, and for me also the 4 mile mark, things seem to get a lot easier. I always think about the optimal indicator of what time you should quit your workout. Is it when you hit your time, distance? Calories burned? Ultimately for me, it's when you run out of water.

Breakfast
2 Soft-Boiled Eggs
1 Large Slice of Balthazar Rye bread

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Rye Vita Crackers

Lunch:
Hamburger
Pickles
Peppadews
Salad with Feta

Pool Snack
Peanut Butter & Celery
1/2 Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Cheese Stick

Dinner:
Salmon a la Emily
Cabbage

I just wanted to add another comment about the unfortunately named "Utz" Extra Dark Specials Pretzels. Note that three adjectives were needed to describe them. In my opinion, should be sought out whenever possible. I first found them in Connecticut where I went to camp, and they are available in New York and New Jersey, but I recently found them at Shaw's too. On their packaging they pose the question:

"Ever wanted to enjoy that dark kiln-fired flavor without the crusty bite of a hard pretzel? That's what make these...a classic— rich taste in a crackery, soft-bite pretzel."

That is just fantastic marketing. But what's on their Web site? (http://www.utzsnacks.com/transfat2.shtml) That's not so good..


"Our general food supply contains trace levels of elements and compounds that are generally considered toxic, but due to the level present, they do not have an adverse impact on our health. We need to be more concerned about the amounts that may be present at some significant level than their mere presence. The FDA requires us to label any macronutrient present at under 0.5g per serving as "0 gram" in the Nutrition Facts box portion of the label."

Year 2, Day 122: Strawberry Fields

This morning Ruby and I got up early (as always) and she was eager to play with new bricks I got her. If you've ever spent time with 3-7 year old kids, you know about these ubiquitous bricks made out of cardboard. We played with them all morning and then, just as we wanted to, we made off to Lands Sakes Farms in Weston for their Strawberry Picking Festival. If you go to their site, you'll see they are already making excuses for the poor selection of Strawberries, but when we got there there was a sign that said "No Strawberries" which I think is poor if you're advertising a Strawberry festival. Of course in this world, you can't believe what you read and after buying a strawberry shortcake for Ruby (4 tickets) and a plate of pulled pork (from Blue Ribbon, natch, also 4 tickets) we went to check out the hay ride and we were told that you could pick strawberries, only that it might not be very fecund. Ruby and I trotted over to the fields and we barely got one box worth (and I had to lower my standards to even do that) before her head got turned by the Hay Ride. In the typically disappointing pattern of the day, we got there and the hay-ride driver said he was going to take a 15 minute break. Ruby and I waited on the hay. When he got back we went on the world's slowest, hottest, and least visually stimulating hay ride. I'm sure I didn't win any fans by discussing the Al Gore movie in regard to global warming vis-a-vis the barren strawberry fields. At the end of our trip to the farm a lady took Ruby's picture with the farm llama named Harley. She said it might be in the Weston Cryer. I said "when?" She said "I don't know." Very sketchy.

Breakfast
1 Cup Heritage Flakes
1 Cup Kashi Go Lean
1 Cup Strawberries/Blueberries
1 Cup 8th Continent Vanilla Light Soymilk

Strawberry Field Snack
Pulled Pork
a few bites of strawberry shortcake

Lunch:
1 Joseph's Wrap
1 Egg
2 oz. cubed ham
2 oz. cheese

Pool Snack:
Celery with Peanut Butter
1 oz. Cracker Barrel Cheese
1 Utz pretzel

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Cauliflower with Pine nuts

Quite a hot day, we made the most of our pool membership by suiting up everyone in the family and hi-tailing it around the corner to the fairly-hopping pool scene. As always, it takes quite a while to perform this operation, and we went in two cars so Ruby could stay after Magnolia had had enough. As I am finding is so often the case, I am in charge of packing the snacks for the family, which is good because it means I will only pack good snacks, but it is also bad because it means I want to eat everything I touch. As it was I had my usual peanut butter & celery snack and surrendered to the urge of 1 dark whole wheat pretzel. They are quite yummy. I swam one lap, which wasn't too much exercise, but as you know, I think every little bit counts.