11:45AM
9-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup mashed cauliflower with 3 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
2:00PM
60-minute massage mostly on my lower back
8:45PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled zucchini and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 3 Tbs butter
NOTE: Thankfully I was able to see my massage therapist today and she worked on that lower back for about 45 minutes trying to relieve the pain. And she did a fabulous job of it, too. I was still in a lot of pain when I woke up today and it felt light years better when she was finished. Hoping tomorrow continues the healing trend as I skipped my volleyball tonight and likely my yoga tomorrow morning. You don't know how tempting it has been to eat something a little "bad" while I haven't felt my best these past few days. I mean, who wouldn't want a little sugar therapy to drowned away the pain, right? Well, thankfully I still have a good head on my shoulders and I've resisted that urge to you know what. It's just not worth messing up a good thing. This Friday's weigh-in will probably reflect my inability to exercise for most of this week and perhaps a few extra calories in my diet as of late...but I'm not concerned. The trend is still downward and I'm gonna do all I can to get it moving again if there is any roadblock in my way. I remain undeterred.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
February 27, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
12:45PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 3 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
6:45PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 3 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Christine and I were a couple of pitiful old saps today when we woke up. She had a massive headache that actually kept her at home from church and that nagging sore lower back was still up to no good. I ended up going to the service and singing in the choir despite the pain. We combined the adult and youth choirs for today's service and so they took out all of the nice, comfortable, cushy chairs we usually sit in and we had to stand for a half-hour through the beginning of the worship service. Normally that wouldn't be a big problem, but my back--OH MY ACHING BACK! I don't know what I did to it, but it's a doozy right now. I'll probably be going to the massage therapist tomorrow to see what she can do to help. The thing I hate the most about my back being injured is the fact I can't get in my exercise--no volleyball, no yoga, no intervals or weight lifting. But I want to be ALL THE WAY better before I attempt to jump back into the fitness fray again. Hopefully I can be that patient.
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 3 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
6:45PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 3 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Christine and I were a couple of pitiful old saps today when we woke up. She had a massive headache that actually kept her at home from church and that nagging sore lower back was still up to no good. I ended up going to the service and singing in the choir despite the pain. We combined the adult and youth choirs for today's service and so they took out all of the nice, comfortable, cushy chairs we usually sit in and we had to stand for a half-hour through the beginning of the worship service. Normally that wouldn't be a big problem, but my back--OH MY ACHING BACK! I don't know what I did to it, but it's a doozy right now. I'll probably be going to the massage therapist tomorrow to see what she can do to help. The thing I hate the most about my back being injured is the fact I can't get in my exercise--no volleyball, no yoga, no intervals or weight lifting. But I want to be ALL THE WAY better before I attempt to jump back into the fitness fray again. Hopefully I can be that patient.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
February 26, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:15AM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:00AM
4-hour youth basketball refereeing
1:45AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
3:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Today was the last day of the season in the Upward basketball youth league at my church. I really enjoy being a referee in all of the Upward sports and soccer will be starting up in mid-April. Running around chasing a ball may not sound like a big deal to some people, but it's an area of ministry for that Lord that I'm able to do thanks to healthy low-carb living. If I was still 400+ pounds, then there's no way I'd be able to last for four hours refereeing these games--but now it's something I actually look FORWARD to! I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and I am grateful my 39-year old body is able to be of service in this capacity.
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:00AM
4-hour youth basketball refereeing
1:45AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
3:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Today was the last day of the season in the Upward basketball youth league at my church. I really enjoy being a referee in all of the Upward sports and soccer will be starting up in mid-April. Running around chasing a ball may not sound like a big deal to some people, but it's an area of ministry for that Lord that I'm able to do thanks to healthy low-carb living. If I was still 400+ pounds, then there's no way I'd be able to last for four hours refereeing these games--but now it's something I actually look FORWARD to! I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and I am grateful my 39-year old body is able to be of service in this capacity.
Friday, February 25, 2011
February 25, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:45AM
15-minute weight training (arms, shoulders, back, chest, deltoids)
20-minute Peak 8 interval workout
11:45AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup grilled green beans with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
6:45PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: When I woke up today my back was so sore. I'm not sure what I did to twinge it, but there's almost nothing more paralyzing than a lower back that hurts. My massage therapist who has been helping me the past couple of weeks try to loosen up the knots and tight muscles that have been plaguing me has said my lower back is gonna take some work. I see her again on Thursday and I really could have used it today. Even still, I pushed through the pain to get in a fasting workout this morning. Why should I let a little pain stand in the way of my continued progress. I'm gonna do this!
15-minute weight training (arms, shoulders, back, chest, deltoids)
20-minute Peak 8 interval workout
11:45AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup grilled green beans with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
6:45PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/4 cup grilled green beans and 1/4 cup mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: When I woke up today my back was so sore. I'm not sure what I did to twinge it, but there's almost nothing more paralyzing than a lower back that hurts. My massage therapist who has been helping me the past couple of weeks try to loosen up the knots and tight muscles that have been plaguing me has said my lower back is gonna take some work. I see her again on Thursday and I really could have used it today. Even still, I pushed through the pain to get in a fasting workout this morning. Why should I let a little pain stand in the way of my continued progress. I'm gonna do this!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
February 24, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:15AM
3organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:00PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup grilled green beans with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
7:00PM
120-minute competitive volleyball
NOTE: It's weigh-in day and I had more good news in my weight loss efforts this past week--another 5.2 pounds lost! That puts me over 30 pounds lost in nearly two months of this new focus in 2011 and well on my way to reaching my goal of 230 pounds again and beyond. In fact, it's been several years since I've been this low in my weight and by one of the next two Fridays when I weigh in again I should be pretty darn close to cracking the 250-mark. WOO HOO!
Someone left a comment earlier this week stating I was slipping back into bad habits by adding vegetables like cauliflower and chocolate into my diet. HA! What a freakin' dope! This is my journey and I'm simply documenting it here for you to see what happens to me. And yes, that even includes having DAILY chocolate which I've thoroughly enjoyed and been able to all while seeing the pounds melt off of my body. It's been an amazing ride that I expect to continue moving forward.
We went to see the tax guy today and it went surprisingly well. I never know what to expect when it comes to doing our taxes, but it usually works out for the best in the end. I am faithful about making my estimated quarterly payments and Christine is a whiz at keeping good records for the business. It's awesome to be able to do what I do for a living, help people along the way, and genuinely love every moment life gives me. It's what motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing and never losing the fire that attracted me to blogging in the first place. THANK YOU for being a part of that in my life.
3organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:00PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup grilled green beans with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
7:00PM
120-minute competitive volleyball
NOTE: It's weigh-in day and I had more good news in my weight loss efforts this past week--another 5.2 pounds lost! That puts me over 30 pounds lost in nearly two months of this new focus in 2011 and well on my way to reaching my goal of 230 pounds again and beyond. In fact, it's been several years since I've been this low in my weight and by one of the next two Fridays when I weigh in again I should be pretty darn close to cracking the 250-mark. WOO HOO!
Someone left a comment earlier this week stating I was slipping back into bad habits by adding vegetables like cauliflower and chocolate into my diet. HA! What a freakin' dope! This is my journey and I'm simply documenting it here for you to see what happens to me. And yes, that even includes having DAILY chocolate which I've thoroughly enjoyed and been able to all while seeing the pounds melt off of my body. It's been an amazing ride that I expect to continue moving forward.
We went to see the tax guy today and it went surprisingly well. I never know what to expect when it comes to doing our taxes, but it usually works out for the best in the end. I am faithful about making my estimated quarterly payments and Christine is a whiz at keeping good records for the business. It's awesome to be able to do what I do for a living, help people along the way, and genuinely love every moment life gives me. It's what motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing and never losing the fire that attracted me to blogging in the first place. THANK YOU for being a part of that in my life.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
February 23, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
1:00PM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
5:15PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Took the day off from exercise today to give my body a break. I've got volleyball coming up tomorrow night and probably my weight lifting/interval workout on Friday morning before my weigh-in. Looking forward to seeing my progress continue when I share my weekly update tomorrow.
I wrote a blog post about fasting that has generated quite the response. I'm considering doing a one-week fast for health purposes likely in mid-April or May just to see how I do. The intermittent fasting I've been doing with my new journey since January 3, 2011 has made me think about how I could probably do this a lot more easily than at any time before in my life. It's still just a thought right now, but I'm seriously thinking about doing it. I think it would be a positive experience regardless of how it goes for a variety of reasons. But I welcome your feedback.
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
5:15PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Took the day off from exercise today to give my body a break. I've got volleyball coming up tomorrow night and probably my weight lifting/interval workout on Friday morning before my weigh-in. Looking forward to seeing my progress continue when I share my weekly update tomorrow.
I wrote a blog post about fasting that has generated quite the response. I'm considering doing a one-week fast for health purposes likely in mid-April or May just to see how I do. The intermittent fasting I've been doing with my new journey since January 3, 2011 has made me think about how I could probably do this a lot more easily than at any time before in my life. It's still just a thought right now, but I'm seriously thinking about doing it. I think it would be a positive experience regardless of how it goes for a variety of reasons. But I welcome your feedback.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
February 22, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga
11:45AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
5:15PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I got back into my yoga class again today for the first time in several weeks. The instructor was out for a couple of weeks after having a medical procedure and I was sick all last week when she returned. It was good to get back into the groove of sun salutations and warrior squats again. I really do love that class and it helps to relax my body, mind, and soul. Along with the regular massages, adequate sleep, and deliberate attention to try to de-stress my life as much as possible, I think I'm doing as much as humanly possibly to reduce the high-cortisol levels I recently discovered in a test earlier this year. With the weight loss I've experienced so far, I can tell a big difference in how my body feels and I'm sure that will help relieve some of the elevated cortisol as well.
I was talking to Christine today about how easy the intermittent fasting has been for me since starting this new routine and the ability to exercise on an empty stomach like I've attempted to do at various times over the past week, including with my yoga class today. Before when I tried to do this I'd get dizzy, nauseated, and ready to pass out--but it's different now. Christine said the difference this time has got to be the fact that my blood sugar levels are so well controlled by my dietary changes that those hypoglycemic side effects are negated. That's makes a lot of sense to me and perhaps that's the key to making IF and fasting exercise work. Get the glucose levels stable and the magic of those things will begin to happen. Dr. Jonny Bowden blogged about exercising on an empty stomach if you want to read more about the research behind this.
Whatever it is doing to help me in my current fat loss efforts, I'm gonna keep doing it. And I don't think it's necessarily any one thing making the biggest difference. It's the totality of it all--the diet, the intervals, the weight training, the sleep, the relaxation to reduce cortisol...it's ALL important! And as long as I'm hitting on a little bit of all of that on a consistent basis, then there's no reason I cannot continue to be successful in my efforts to get leaner and stronger than I've ever been. THANKS for continuing to follow me along in this journey. If you've been inspired to start your own journey, then I'd love to hear from you. E-mail me anytime as dozens of your fellow readers have already done!
60-minute Namaste yoga
11:45AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, 1/2 cup mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
5:15PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I got back into my yoga class again today for the first time in several weeks. The instructor was out for a couple of weeks after having a medical procedure and I was sick all last week when she returned. It was good to get back into the groove of sun salutations and warrior squats again. I really do love that class and it helps to relax my body, mind, and soul. Along with the regular massages, adequate sleep, and deliberate attention to try to de-stress my life as much as possible, I think I'm doing as much as humanly possibly to reduce the high-cortisol levels I recently discovered in a test earlier this year. With the weight loss I've experienced so far, I can tell a big difference in how my body feels and I'm sure that will help relieve some of the elevated cortisol as well.
I was talking to Christine today about how easy the intermittent fasting has been for me since starting this new routine and the ability to exercise on an empty stomach like I've attempted to do at various times over the past week, including with my yoga class today. Before when I tried to do this I'd get dizzy, nauseated, and ready to pass out--but it's different now. Christine said the difference this time has got to be the fact that my blood sugar levels are so well controlled by my dietary changes that those hypoglycemic side effects are negated. That's makes a lot of sense to me and perhaps that's the key to making IF and fasting exercise work. Get the glucose levels stable and the magic of those things will begin to happen. Dr. Jonny Bowden blogged about exercising on an empty stomach if you want to read more about the research behind this.
Whatever it is doing to help me in my current fat loss efforts, I'm gonna keep doing it. And I don't think it's necessarily any one thing making the biggest difference. It's the totality of it all--the diet, the intervals, the weight training, the sleep, the relaxation to reduce cortisol...it's ALL important! And as long as I'm hitting on a little bit of all of that on a consistent basis, then there's no reason I cannot continue to be successful in my efforts to get leaner and stronger than I've ever been. THANKS for continuing to follow me along in this journey. If you've been inspired to start your own journey, then I'd love to hear from you. E-mail me anytime as dozens of your fellow readers have already done!
Monday, February 21, 2011
February 21, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:15AM
15-minute weight lifting (arms, shoulders, back)
20-minute Peak 8 interval workout
11:15AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
5:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
7:00PM
120-minute competitive volleyball
NOTE: I'm back! Today was the first day I woke up and felt like I was my old self again. Man it sucked being sick, but it makes me appreciate just how well and healthy I am. I'm nearly 30 pounds lighter and what a difference that makes in how I feel about myself, what it means to me physically (fitting into clothes that have been getting a bit tight lately), and knowing that I'm progressing towards a positive end when it comes to my weight and health. I did another fasting workout this morning and did much better at it than I thought I would. Maybe I've become acclimated to the intermittent fasting to the point I do well on it whereas before I couldn't. I can't fully explain why it's working so well but who cares?! It's working and that's all that matters. And even at my volleyball games tonight I was more energized than I've been in a long time. I could have easily gone another hour or two with all the energy that I had...but there's more working out to do later this week. Nothing's gonna stop me now!
15-minute weight lifting (arms, shoulders, back)
20-minute Peak 8 interval workout
11:15AM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
5:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
7:00PM
120-minute competitive volleyball
NOTE: I'm back! Today was the first day I woke up and felt like I was my old self again. Man it sucked being sick, but it makes me appreciate just how well and healthy I am. I'm nearly 30 pounds lighter and what a difference that makes in how I feel about myself, what it means to me physically (fitting into clothes that have been getting a bit tight lately), and knowing that I'm progressing towards a positive end when it comes to my weight and health. I did another fasting workout this morning and did much better at it than I thought I would. Maybe I've become acclimated to the intermittent fasting to the point I do well on it whereas before I couldn't. I can't fully explain why it's working so well but who cares?! It's working and that's all that matters. And even at my volleyball games tonight I was more energized than I've been in a long time. I could have easily gone another hour or two with all the energy that I had...but there's more working out to do later this week. Nothing's gonna stop me now!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
February 20, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:30AM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:00PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
3:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Man, I felt good today for the first time in a long time. After a restful night's sleep, I got up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated with the last few vestiges of that stupid cold finally leaving my body. I was in full voice singing in the choir at church and it just felt amazing being somewhat "normal" again. I can't wait to get back into the groove of my exercise routine this week with two volleyball nights, two yoga sessions, two weight lifting/interval training workouts planned this week. Let's do this!
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:00PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, mashed cauliflower with 2 Tbs butter
3:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Man, I felt good today for the first time in a long time. After a restful night's sleep, I got up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated with the last few vestiges of that stupid cold finally leaving my body. I was in full voice singing in the choir at church and it just felt amazing being somewhat "normal" again. I can't wait to get back into the groove of my exercise routine this week with two volleyball nights, two yoga sessions, two weight lifting/interval training workouts planned this week. Let's do this!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
February 19, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:30AM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:00AM
4-hour youth basketball refereeing
1:30PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, mashed cauliflower with 1 Tbs butter
2:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
9:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Last night I did something I don't think I've done in around 25 years--I slept for more than 12 hours! Christine and I were watching television last night on the DVR and by 8:00PM I looked over at her and said, "You're not gonna believe this, but I gotta go to bed. I'm dead tired!" I was feeling crummy from the cold with some annoying coughing and took some nighttime medicine to help with it which brought on the sleepiness. When I got into the bed, I must have crashed hard because the next thing I remember is waking up and looking at the clock to see it was 8:15AM the next day! Yikes! I laid there for a few more minutes before forcing myself to get up since I had refereeing duties to perform at my church youth basketball program today. I added an extra egg to my breakfast to make sure I was fueled up for all that running up and down the court. And afterwards, I decided to have a steak and my very first vegetable in my menus in nearly two months. I called it a splurge and Christine laughed. I even had a double dose of chocolate today and it was a fantastic day overall. Can't complain...the scale is moving downward and I am feeling thinner than I have in the past few years. This is what livin' la vida low-carb is supposed to be about!
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:00AM
4-hour youth basketball refereeing
1:30PM
7-ounce sirloin steak with pepper seasoning, mashed cauliflower with 1 Tbs butter
2:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
9:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Last night I did something I don't think I've done in around 25 years--I slept for more than 12 hours! Christine and I were watching television last night on the DVR and by 8:00PM I looked over at her and said, "You're not gonna believe this, but I gotta go to bed. I'm dead tired!" I was feeling crummy from the cold with some annoying coughing and took some nighttime medicine to help with it which brought on the sleepiness. When I got into the bed, I must have crashed hard because the next thing I remember is waking up and looking at the clock to see it was 8:15AM the next day! Yikes! I laid there for a few more minutes before forcing myself to get up since I had refereeing duties to perform at my church youth basketball program today. I added an extra egg to my breakfast to make sure I was fueled up for all that running up and down the court. And afterwards, I decided to have a steak and my very first vegetable in my menus in nearly two months. I called it a splurge and Christine laughed. I even had a double dose of chocolate today and it was a fantastic day overall. Can't complain...the scale is moving downward and I am feeling thinner than I have in the past few years. This is what livin' la vida low-carb is supposed to be about!
Friday, February 18, 2011
February 18, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
7:00AM
15-minute weight lifting (arms, chest, back, shoulders)
20-minute Peak 8 interval workout
8:15AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:15AM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
3:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
4:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I was up super-early this morning feeling refreshed like I haven't felt in a long time. So I decided to hit the gym to do some weight lifting and interval training on an empty stomach. There's a lot of scientific studies showing the fat-burning benefits of doing exercise in a fasted state...and especially so when you're engaged in the final hours of an intermittent fast as I have been doing. I'm not gonna lie, it's quite intense. But it's amazing how you feel when you've completed a workout that combines resistance and interval training. WHEW! Love it!
I'm probably around 85% better from that cold that's just barely hanging on for dear life now. By Monday I should be all the way back again so I can resume my workout schedule lifting, doing intervals, yoga, volleyball, etc. I MISSED THAT this week and I think it hindered my weight loss progress to about a one-pound loss--I'll take it, but I know it could have been more. I'm gonna hit it hard and see what happens at the next weigh-in on Friday. BRING IT ON!
15-minute weight lifting (arms, chest, back, shoulders)
20-minute Peak 8 interval workout
8:15AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:15AM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
3:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
4:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I was up super-early this morning feeling refreshed like I haven't felt in a long time. So I decided to hit the gym to do some weight lifting and interval training on an empty stomach. There's a lot of scientific studies showing the fat-burning benefits of doing exercise in a fasted state...and especially so when you're engaged in the final hours of an intermittent fast as I have been doing. I'm not gonna lie, it's quite intense. But it's amazing how you feel when you've completed a workout that combines resistance and interval training. WHEW! Love it!
I'm probably around 85% better from that cold that's just barely hanging on for dear life now. By Monday I should be all the way back again so I can resume my workout schedule lifting, doing intervals, yoga, volleyball, etc. I MISSED THAT this week and I think it hindered my weight loss progress to about a one-pound loss--I'll take it, but I know it could have been more. I'm gonna hit it hard and see what happens at the next weigh-in on Friday. BRING IT ON!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
February 17, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
12:45PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
3:00PM
60-minute full body massage
5:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
NOTE: After being sick with a cold for most of the past week (it's FINALLY starting to leave me), I was bracing for what the scale would show today as I weighed in. But it was a pleasant surprise to see that despite my lack of any real exercise (except for my Monday night volleyball) I still managed to lose over a pound. WOO HOO! I'm still enjoying what I'm eating, feeling super-energized, and the progress in how my clothes are fitting is nothing short of spectacular. It's cool being able to move up THREE holes in my belt since this started and fitting into T-shirts that I haven't been able to wear in ages. The fat loss happening on my body is very apparent and I expect this to continue as I keep this going.
I went back to the massage therapist again as part of my quest to lower cortisol levels and stress in my life to help assist my fat loss efforts. She noticed my neck and back were better today than the first time, but they still needed some work to get all the knots and kinks out. I'm gonna try to see her every couple of weeks in the coming months to see if we can get these worked out. I've long held that being healthy is a lot more than simple weight loss through diet and exercise--it's taking care of your entire body to treat it well for many years to come. That's my goal as I go about the business of nurturing this gift God has given me to use for His glory and honor. I'll never be ashamed of doing all I can to make my health as optimal as it can possibly be.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
12:45PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
3:00PM
60-minute full body massage
5:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
NOTE: After being sick with a cold for most of the past week (it's FINALLY starting to leave me), I was bracing for what the scale would show today as I weighed in. But it was a pleasant surprise to see that despite my lack of any real exercise (except for my Monday night volleyball) I still managed to lose over a pound. WOO HOO! I'm still enjoying what I'm eating, feeling super-energized, and the progress in how my clothes are fitting is nothing short of spectacular. It's cool being able to move up THREE holes in my belt since this started and fitting into T-shirts that I haven't been able to wear in ages. The fat loss happening on my body is very apparent and I expect this to continue as I keep this going.
I went back to the massage therapist again as part of my quest to lower cortisol levels and stress in my life to help assist my fat loss efforts. She noticed my neck and back were better today than the first time, but they still needed some work to get all the knots and kinks out. I'm gonna try to see her every couple of weeks in the coming months to see if we can get these worked out. I've long held that being healthy is a lot more than simple weight loss through diet and exercise--it's taking care of your entire body to treat it well for many years to come. That's my goal as I go about the business of nurturing this gift God has given me to use for His glory and honor. I'll never be ashamed of doing all I can to make my health as optimal as it can possibly be.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
February 16, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
10:15AM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
NOTE: After night before last's sleep debacle, I slept like a baby last night as I got the cough medicine back in me again. Today my ears felt stopped up (sinus pressure, no doubt) all day long and I felt horrible. My voice was groggy and it's like this stupid cold just doesn't want to leave my body. I went to church choir practice tonight and couldn't hear a darn thing. Right in the middle of rehearsal, my left ear finally opened up a little so I could hear what was going on. It's a funny feeling walking around with one ear partially open and the other ear closed up. This cold can't go away fast enough for me! My weigh-in is tomorrow...BRING IT!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
10:15AM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
NOTE: After night before last's sleep debacle, I slept like a baby last night as I got the cough medicine back in me again. Today my ears felt stopped up (sinus pressure, no doubt) all day long and I felt horrible. My voice was groggy and it's like this stupid cold just doesn't want to leave my body. I went to church choir practice tonight and couldn't hear a darn thing. Right in the middle of rehearsal, my left ear finally opened up a little so I could hear what was going on. It's a funny feeling walking around with one ear partially open and the other ear closed up. This cold can't go away fast enough for me! My weigh-in is tomorrow...BRING IT!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
February 15, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
5:15AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
12:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
5:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I never got to sleep at all last night. The last little bit of crud and gunk from this cold are hanging on for dear life and they kicked my butt royally trying to sleep. I must have tossed and turned and flipped in the bed for four hours before saying the heck with it and just getting up. I checked my e-mail, wrote a blog post, and did some other work to keep me busy until around 7:30AM when the lack of sleep finally caught up with my body which decided to become tired...AHHH, at last! I think the reason I didn't sleep well is I tried to come off of the cough medicine I was using at night since it has sugar in it. Yes, I know there are sugar-free brands of cough syrup, but they are not effective at nighttime for me. There's only one brand that does the trick and it has sugar in it. I've been taking it the past few nights, but decided to try NOT using it last night. Oh well...live and learn. After I rested and woke up my ears were both almost completely stopped up all day long. That's an annoying feeling and I was sneezing like a madman. My plan was to hit the gym again today, but that quickly became just pie in the sky thinking. I'm working my way back to normal, but it's just taking some more time.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
12:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
5:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I never got to sleep at all last night. The last little bit of crud and gunk from this cold are hanging on for dear life and they kicked my butt royally trying to sleep. I must have tossed and turned and flipped in the bed for four hours before saying the heck with it and just getting up. I checked my e-mail, wrote a blog post, and did some other work to keep me busy until around 7:30AM when the lack of sleep finally caught up with my body which decided to become tired...AHHH, at last! I think the reason I didn't sleep well is I tried to come off of the cough medicine I was using at night since it has sugar in it. Yes, I know there are sugar-free brands of cough syrup, but they are not effective at nighttime for me. There's only one brand that does the trick and it has sugar in it. I've been taking it the past few nights, but decided to try NOT using it last night. Oh well...live and learn. After I rested and woke up my ears were both almost completely stopped up all day long. That's an annoying feeling and I was sneezing like a madman. My plan was to hit the gym again today, but that quickly became just pie in the sky thinking. I'm working my way back to normal, but it's just taking some more time.
Monday, February 14, 2011
February 14, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:15AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:45PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
3:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
7:00PM
90-minute competitive volleyball
NOTE: The final stages of this cold have finally arrived today as I felt well enough to be upright all day long and even get in some volleyball tonight. By the last game I was wiped out, but it felt good getting back to some semblance of "normal" again after being sick the past few days. It seems like everybody has had this stuff in some form or fashion and I don't wish it on anyone. I'm eating very well right now and sometimes even that's not enough to totally prevent an illness like this from befalling you. I'm looking forward to continuing this journey right where I left off with it.
Christine and I took the first step in our embryo adoption process today going to see the reproductive endocrinologist to have Christine checked to see if she is able to carry a baby. Since we're adopting an embryo from another couple that will be transferred into Christine after a series of things that need to happen, the doctor needed to make sure she can carry a baby. The good news is YES she can! WOO HOO! That was the first hurdle to overcome and she passed with flying colors. They drew blood to check various things like thyroid function and other inhibitors that would make a pregnancy difficult. She starts birth control tomorrow to prevent her ovaries from doing their thing and we're on schedule for her to begin some shots and stuff in March to prepare her for the embryo transfer to take place in early April. We'll know by mid-to-late April whether she is pregnant or not. We'd definitely covet your prayers through this process. THANK YOU!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:45PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
3:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
7:00PM
90-minute competitive volleyball
NOTE: The final stages of this cold have finally arrived today as I felt well enough to be upright all day long and even get in some volleyball tonight. By the last game I was wiped out, but it felt good getting back to some semblance of "normal" again after being sick the past few days. It seems like everybody has had this stuff in some form or fashion and I don't wish it on anyone. I'm eating very well right now and sometimes even that's not enough to totally prevent an illness like this from befalling you. I'm looking forward to continuing this journey right where I left off with it.
Christine and I took the first step in our embryo adoption process today going to see the reproductive endocrinologist to have Christine checked to see if she is able to carry a baby. Since we're adopting an embryo from another couple that will be transferred into Christine after a series of things that need to happen, the doctor needed to make sure she can carry a baby. The good news is YES she can! WOO HOO! That was the first hurdle to overcome and she passed with flying colors. They drew blood to check various things like thyroid function and other inhibitors that would make a pregnancy difficult. She starts birth control tomorrow to prevent her ovaries from doing their thing and we're on schedule for her to begin some shots and stuff in March to prepare her for the embryo transfer to take place in early April. We'll know by mid-to-late April whether she is pregnant or not. We'd definitely covet your prayers through this process. THANK YOU!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
February 13, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:45AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: As predicted, I needed to stay home from church today to get some additional rest to fight the final stages of the death grip of this cold that has befallen me the past few days. My voice is still in and out, but I'm feeling a lot better than I was yesterday. The fever is all gone and I'm up and moving around again. I considered going to the gym to get in some weight lifting, but thought I'd better take it easy one day longer to be back at full strength again. I'll be hitting it hard again starting on Monday to keep this weight loss momentum going. The past few days haven't done me any favors in this regard.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
2:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: As predicted, I needed to stay home from church today to get some additional rest to fight the final stages of the death grip of this cold that has befallen me the past few days. My voice is still in and out, but I'm feeling a lot better than I was yesterday. The fever is all gone and I'm up and moving around again. I considered going to the gym to get in some weight lifting, but thought I'd better take it easy one day longer to be back at full strength again. I'll be hitting it hard again starting on Monday to keep this weight loss momentum going. The past few days haven't done me any favors in this regard.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
February 12, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
11:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
5:00PM
12-ounce grass-fed bottom round beef steak cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
6:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: The sore throat was gone today, but all the gunk was all up in my head and chest today. I had to skip my youth basketball refereeing this morning because my voice was completely gone and I felt horrible. After about an hour of checking e-mails, I began to feel feverish and had to lie down. I pretty much stayed rested the rest of the day with my fever topping over 100 degrees at one point. It was an interesting day to say the least, but I did what I had to do to get through it taking cough medicine to help me rest and calm the symptoms of this ravaging cold. I'm sure I'll miss church on Sunday, but hope we'll nip this monster for good by the start of next week. How'd you like that big fat steak I had today? It was pretty darn yummy for my ailing body.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
5:00PM
12-ounce grass-fed bottom round beef steak cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
6:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: The sore throat was gone today, but all the gunk was all up in my head and chest today. I had to skip my youth basketball refereeing this morning because my voice was completely gone and I felt horrible. After about an hour of checking e-mails, I began to feel feverish and had to lie down. I pretty much stayed rested the rest of the day with my fever topping over 100 degrees at one point. It was an interesting day to say the least, but I did what I had to do to get through it taking cough medicine to help me rest and calm the symptoms of this ravaging cold. I'm sure I'll miss church on Sunday, but hope we'll nip this monster for good by the start of next week. How'd you like that big fat steak I had today? It was pretty darn yummy for my ailing body.
Friday, February 11, 2011
February 11, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:00AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: After that nasty sore throat took ahold of me starting in the wee hours yesterday morning, it continued today and morphed into a full-fledged head cold. I don't get sick very often, but when I do it's usually a BIG one like this. I'll do my best to take it easy the next few days, continuing to eat well, taking appropriate cold medications along the way, and watch this thing pass sooner than later. I already take high-dose VItamin D and I'm popping extra Vitamin C for good measure.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: After that nasty sore throat took ahold of me starting in the wee hours yesterday morning, it continued today and morphed into a full-fledged head cold. I don't get sick very often, but when I do it's usually a BIG one like this. I'll do my best to take it easy the next few days, continuing to eat well, taking appropriate cold medications along the way, and watch this thing pass sooner than later. I already take high-dose VItamin D and I'm popping extra Vitamin C for good measure.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
February 10, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:15AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
8:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: After last week's less-than-impressive weigh-in of less than a half-pound following my one-week experiment of upping my caloric intake to see what would happen, I got back on the original plan that produced a 20-pound weight loss in one month this week. And what a difference this change made in my weight loss over the past seven days--I LOST 6 POUNDS! What's amazing is how a few pounds dropped pretty quickly last weekend, slowed down a bit midweek and then a couple more since yesterday morning. I'll take it! That's getting me closer to my goal of reaching 230 pounds by April 1, 2011 and I'm more motivated than ever to see this through to then and beyond.
This morning at 3AM I woke up wide awake to my throat feeling like it was on fire and somebody was pouring gasoline down it! OMG, this was the worst sore throat I think I've ever had. I started drinking water and it wasn't doing a darn thing. Then I got out the Chloraseptic which provided some temporary relief, but not much. I hated to do it, but I pulled out the Tylenol Cold liquid blue stuff that I knew would knock me out and get me back to sleep again. I was able to rest about six hours before waking up again with a red-hot sore throat for most of the day. I thought I might have strep throat, but I decided to ride it out to see how I do. With the coconut oil in my meals, I think this helps coat and soothe the pain along with lots of ice cold tea. And you'll notice I had more chocolate than usual today--again, it coated the throat and provided some much-needed relief! I have a feeling this is the start of a cold and I'll do my darndest to keep it from knocking me flat on my back!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic, 2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
8:30PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: After last week's less-than-impressive weigh-in of less than a half-pound following my one-week experiment of upping my caloric intake to see what would happen, I got back on the original plan that produced a 20-pound weight loss in one month this week. And what a difference this change made in my weight loss over the past seven days--I LOST 6 POUNDS! What's amazing is how a few pounds dropped pretty quickly last weekend, slowed down a bit midweek and then a couple more since yesterday morning. I'll take it! That's getting me closer to my goal of reaching 230 pounds by April 1, 2011 and I'm more motivated than ever to see this through to then and beyond.
This morning at 3AM I woke up wide awake to my throat feeling like it was on fire and somebody was pouring gasoline down it! OMG, this was the worst sore throat I think I've ever had. I started drinking water and it wasn't doing a darn thing. Then I got out the Chloraseptic which provided some temporary relief, but not much. I hated to do it, but I pulled out the Tylenol Cold liquid blue stuff that I knew would knock me out and get me back to sleep again. I was able to rest about six hours before waking up again with a red-hot sore throat for most of the day. I thought I might have strep throat, but I decided to ride it out to see how I do. With the coconut oil in my meals, I think this helps coat and soothe the pain along with lots of ice cold tea. And you'll notice I had more chocolate than usual today--again, it coated the throat and provided some much-needed relief! I have a feeling this is the start of a cold and I'll do my darndest to keep it from knocking me flat on my back!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
February 9, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:45AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
3:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Here is that blog post I've been telling you about the past couple of days where I chronicled my blood sugar test results throughout the day as well as a one-month before and after photo update on what this new eating and exercise plan is doing to change my body composition. It's amazing how quickly these changes have happened and that encourages me to keep this going to see how much more fat loss will happen in the months to come. I'm still aiming for reaching my goal of 230 pounds by April 1, 2011 and I have great confidence that short-term goal will indeed be met. Beyond that, I want to see just how lean I can possibly be for the remainder of 2011. The only time I know I'll be off of my current plan is when I go on a cruise May 1-7th...I'm allowing myself a little more latitude that week to just enjoy myself and then I'm right back on plan again when I return. This is fun and I have a lot of confidence that BIG CHANGES will continue to happen in my life.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
3:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: Here is that blog post I've been telling you about the past couple of days where I chronicled my blood sugar test results throughout the day as well as a one-month before and after photo update on what this new eating and exercise plan is doing to change my body composition. It's amazing how quickly these changes have happened and that encourages me to keep this going to see how much more fat loss will happen in the months to come. I'm still aiming for reaching my goal of 230 pounds by April 1, 2011 and I have great confidence that short-term goal will indeed be met. Beyond that, I want to see just how lean I can possibly be for the remainder of 2011. The only time I know I'll be off of my current plan is when I go on a cruise May 1-7th...I'm allowing myself a little more latitude that week to just enjoy myself and then I'm right back on plan again when I return. This is fun and I have a lot of confidence that BIG CHANGES will continue to happen in my life.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
February 8, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:45AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
3:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
5:35PM
15-minute strength training (arms, shoulders, and back)
20-minute Peak 8 interval training
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I tested my blood sugar all day again today and will be including the results of yesterday and today's readings into a big blog post later in the day on Wednesday at "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb." In the meantime, I'm really enjoying my current routine and I haven't felt this amazing in a long time. On Monday when I was playing volleyball, one of my team members looked at me and said, "Did you get a haircut?" I replied that I'm keeping my hair pretty short these days trimming it every few weeks from home and then she interrupted me saying, "You've lost weight, haven't you?" I told her what I've been doing since the beginning of January and how much I've lost and she snarked back, "I hate you! Men always lose weight so fast!" LOL! I guess that was a compliment. And it did make me feel good knowing that somebody noticed my progress. Today I was running some errands and as I was walking in and out of different stores I "felt" thinner if that even makes sense. Sure, I still have the belly that I'm working hard to get rid of...but it was a bit smaller. My shirts felt looser, I could move just a little faster, and Christine can clasp her hands around me when she hugs me again. The signs are there that I'm well on my way and the Friday weigh-in updates will reflect that as I continue to pursuit of 230 pounds. Be encouraged!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
3:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
5:35PM
15-minute strength training (arms, shoulders, and back)
20-minute Peak 8 interval training
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I tested my blood sugar all day again today and will be including the results of yesterday and today's readings into a big blog post later in the day on Wednesday at "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb." In the meantime, I'm really enjoying my current routine and I haven't felt this amazing in a long time. On Monday when I was playing volleyball, one of my team members looked at me and said, "Did you get a haircut?" I replied that I'm keeping my hair pretty short these days trimming it every few weeks from home and then she interrupted me saying, "You've lost weight, haven't you?" I told her what I've been doing since the beginning of January and how much I've lost and she snarked back, "I hate you! Men always lose weight so fast!" LOL! I guess that was a compliment. And it did make me feel good knowing that somebody noticed my progress. Today I was running some errands and as I was walking in and out of different stores I "felt" thinner if that even makes sense. Sure, I still have the belly that I'm working hard to get rid of...but it was a bit smaller. My shirts felt looser, I could move just a little faster, and Christine can clasp her hands around me when she hugs me again. The signs are there that I'm well on my way and the Friday weigh-in updates will reflect that as I continue to pursuit of 230 pounds. Be encouraged!
Monday, February 7, 2011
February 7, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
10:00AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
7:00PM
90-minute competitive volleyball
9:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: The results of my blood sugar testing today were so remarkable that I decided to write a blog post about it. I'm testing again on Tuesday and will likely publish my findings on my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog on Wednesday. You're not gonna believe what happened!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
7:00PM
90-minute competitive volleyball
9:15PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: The results of my blood sugar testing today were so remarkable that I decided to write a blog post about it. I'm testing again on Tuesday and will likely publish my findings on my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog on Wednesday. You're not gonna believe what happened!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
February 6, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: You'll be proud of me. It was Super Bowl Sunday and I didn't feel the need to stuff my face with food while watching a really bad version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Christina Aguilera, some mostly crappy television commercials that I forgot as soon as they were over, and a nice football game pulled out by the Green Bay Packers. And I was fine with that too despite Christine wanting garlic parmesan chicken wings which I got for her before kickoff. The aroma of the wings filled the air, but I was fine with it. Sure, I could have had a few, but I chose not to as part of my current plan. You'll notice I've added a little dark chocolate into my menus the past few days without any deleterious effects and it really has helped me psychologically if nothing else at night when I'd like a little boost of something to keep me going. A couple of ounces of chocolate does the trick!
I've been thinking a lot about what made me successful in 2004 lately and it seems I did what I'm doing now to a certain degree--ate filling low-carb meals, didn't eat too much food, had a consistent schedule, and never waned from achieving the goal. And the whole calories thing is an interesting part of this recipe for success for me. Calories may be important, but it's the kind of calories I'm putting in my mouth that determines whether I need to be consuming more or less of them. When I eat more carbohydrates, even green leafy ones, I need more calories to feed the beast. But when I eat a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet, calories can stay naturally low because I don't feel the need to eat as often. It's the perfect yin and yang that I think livin' la vida low-carb is based on. You eat less calories on a low-carb diet because you're satisfied with the foods you are eating which keep your hunger at bay, tastes amazing, and you don't feel deprived. It's a win, win, win. And it's what's working for me again in 2011. Look out 230 pounds, here I come...and beyond!
Stay tuned tomorrow...I'm pulling out my glucometer to test my blood sugar levels at varying times throughout the day. Should be interesting.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
1:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: You'll be proud of me. It was Super Bowl Sunday and I didn't feel the need to stuff my face with food while watching a really bad version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Christina Aguilera, some mostly crappy television commercials that I forgot as soon as they were over, and a nice football game pulled out by the Green Bay Packers. And I was fine with that too despite Christine wanting garlic parmesan chicken wings which I got for her before kickoff. The aroma of the wings filled the air, but I was fine with it. Sure, I could have had a few, but I chose not to as part of my current plan. You'll notice I've added a little dark chocolate into my menus the past few days without any deleterious effects and it really has helped me psychologically if nothing else at night when I'd like a little boost of something to keep me going. A couple of ounces of chocolate does the trick!
I've been thinking a lot about what made me successful in 2004 lately and it seems I did what I'm doing now to a certain degree--ate filling low-carb meals, didn't eat too much food, had a consistent schedule, and never waned from achieving the goal. And the whole calories thing is an interesting part of this recipe for success for me. Calories may be important, but it's the kind of calories I'm putting in my mouth that determines whether I need to be consuming more or less of them. When I eat more carbohydrates, even green leafy ones, I need more calories to feed the beast. But when I eat a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet, calories can stay naturally low because I don't feel the need to eat as often. It's the perfect yin and yang that I think livin' la vida low-carb is based on. You eat less calories on a low-carb diet because you're satisfied with the foods you are eating which keep your hunger at bay, tastes amazing, and you don't feel deprived. It's a win, win, win. And it's what's working for me again in 2011. Look out 230 pounds, here I come...and beyond!
Stay tuned tomorrow...I'm pulling out my glucometer to test my blood sugar levels at varying times throughout the day. Should be interesting.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
February 5, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:15AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:00AM
4-hour youth basketball refereeing
2:15PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
9:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I'm really excited by what I'm doing right now with my diet and exercise this past month. It's been an amazing journey that has allowed me to shed 20 pounds in a very short amount of time. I'm blessed by the success and look forward seeing this continue. The weight lifting I'm doing is primarily on my upper body since my yoga classes include lower body strength training. Try doing a Warrior Squat and hold it for a couple of minutes to feel your quads catch on fire! I'm getting stronger and feeling quite incredible as my belly is FINALLY shrinking again. I am looking forward to being able to fit in some shirts again for the first time in a few years. I'm committed to this and am enjoying the ride almost as much as I did in 2004 during my 180-pound weight loss. The advantage I have this go around is I KNOW it will work for me and I'm already satisfied with using fat for fuel instead of carbohydrate. And I don't really eat sugar as a norm anymore...don't eat junk like potato chips, candy bars, or cereals...don't see the point of running on a treadmill for hours on end...and look at life through a much different lens now. I'm livin' la vida low-carb and would never have it any other way!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
9:00AM
4-hour youth basketball refereeing
2:15PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
9:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: I'm really excited by what I'm doing right now with my diet and exercise this past month. It's been an amazing journey that has allowed me to shed 20 pounds in a very short amount of time. I'm blessed by the success and look forward seeing this continue. The weight lifting I'm doing is primarily on my upper body since my yoga classes include lower body strength training. Try doing a Warrior Squat and hold it for a couple of minutes to feel your quads catch on fire! I'm getting stronger and feeling quite incredible as my belly is FINALLY shrinking again. I am looking forward to being able to fit in some shirts again for the first time in a few years. I'm committed to this and am enjoying the ride almost as much as I did in 2004 during my 180-pound weight loss. The advantage I have this go around is I KNOW it will work for me and I'm already satisfied with using fat for fuel instead of carbohydrate. And I don't really eat sugar as a norm anymore...don't eat junk like potato chips, candy bars, or cereals...don't see the point of running on a treadmill for hours on end...and look at life through a much different lens now. I'm livin' la vida low-carb and would never have it any other way!
Friday, February 4, 2011
February 4, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
5:00PM
8-ounce grass-fed Top Round steak cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with Montreal steak seasoning
9:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: My neck and shoulders were still so sore from my massage yesterday that I had to cancel my plans to lift weights today. I thought it would be better to give my body another day of rest than to try to push through the pain. Since I'm trying to lower cortisol levels in my body, that's probably a good idea. I had a lot of work to get done today anyway so it worked out well. I got finished a little early in time to spend time with Christine on our date night today and I got the bright idea to Sous Vide a nice steak I received as part of the donation from Tropical Traditions to my current challenge. The only problem was I forgot to get those vacuum bags to cook the food in. DOH! So I took that mother-of-all-steaks that looked so beautiful and plopped it in a pan of coconut oil and fried it up the old-fashioned way. Ohhhhh, that steak smelled up the whole house with aromatic goodness--could have made a candle scent out of that! Yes, I realize that steak is bigger than 8 ounces, but Christine consumed most of it. I had my usual 1/2 pound of meat to keep with my plan to do what's working for me right now. Exciting days are still to come!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
5:00PM
8-ounce grass-fed Top Round steak cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with Montreal steak seasoning
9:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: My neck and shoulders were still so sore from my massage yesterday that I had to cancel my plans to lift weights today. I thought it would be better to give my body another day of rest than to try to push through the pain. Since I'm trying to lower cortisol levels in my body, that's probably a good idea. I had a lot of work to get done today anyway so it worked out well. I got finished a little early in time to spend time with Christine on our date night today and I got the bright idea to Sous Vide a nice steak I received as part of the donation from Tropical Traditions to my current challenge. The only problem was I forgot to get those vacuum bags to cook the food in. DOH! So I took that mother-of-all-steaks that looked so beautiful and plopped it in a pan of coconut oil and fried it up the old-fashioned way. Ohhhhh, that steak smelled up the whole house with aromatic goodness--could have made a candle scent out of that! Yes, I realize that steak is bigger than 8 ounces, but Christine consumed most of it. I had my usual 1/2 pound of meat to keep with my plan to do what's working for me right now. Exciting days are still to come!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
February 3, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
11:30AM
60-minute full body massage
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: It's time to weigh-in today and my weight loss over the past week was just under a half-pound. This is not at all surprising as I noted in yesterday's post that I've been eating more food each day this week as an experiment. It does seem that at least for me that not only do I need to keep my carbohydrates reduced while upping my fat, but that the amount of food does make a difference on the scale. Again, this is what's happening me and not necessarily universal for everyone. When I lost 180 pounds in 2004, it wasn't that way at all as the weight poured off simply by cutting the carbohydrates in my diet. Perhaps my body has changed and adapted to my low-carb lifestyle now that it takes cutting a few calories each day to commence weight loss while maintaining health. That's what seems to be happening for me right now and I'll continue to monitor my progress.
The fantastic news is I'm STILL doing remarkably well going so long between my meals. But for the fact I've already been low-carbing for so long already, I don't think I could be doing this right now. Yet without the sugar and carbohydrate cravings that plagued me early on when I first started livin' la vida low-carb, I'm excelling with my eggs, coconut oil and beef diet right now. The fat/protein combo is kicking hunger to the curb and I really am energized and revitalized like I haven't been in a very long time. I can "feel" like I'm losing weight if that makes any sense. Whether it's psychological or physiological, I'm motivated by the progress I am seeing which only spurs me on to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm down 20 pounds with another 30 to go!
After posting my recent cortisol test results with you last week, I decided it was time to try some massage therapy to work in tandem with my exercise and sleep routine I've been engaged in. While I'm a relatively easy-going kinda guy letting most things slide right off of me without excessive worry (the exact opposite of my dear Christine), I knew I was gonna have some trouble spots. Sure enough, my neck and shoulders were full of knots that needed to be worked out by the masseuse. She probably stayed on my neck for 20-25 minutes of the session, but it was so good. It's quite tender and sore today, but I know it'll only get better the more she works on me. I'm thinking of going once or twice a month to try to de-stress my body and improve this aspect of my health as much as possible. The massage therapist was so good I've invited her on my podcast to talk about all the amazing benefits massage can offer. If she agrees, then it will likely air in late summer.
THANK YOU for rooting me on in this new effort to get the weight under control. I'm feeling lighter by the day and have to get used to what it takes for me to reach that goal. The 410-pound Jimmy Moore sometimes likes to invade the conscious of the current reincarnation of who I am to convince him he needs to be eating a certain way. But I know better and have to tell that big lug to mind his own business. I'm a new man now and old things have passed away--everything is new. I WILL keep this going and nothing is going to stand in my way of being the success I deserve to be. That's the attitude YOU should have if you feel discouraged in your low-carb lifestyle--REFUSE ANYTHING BUT THE BEST! You DESERVE it and I know YOU CAN DO IT!
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
11:30AM
60-minute full body massage
2:00PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
8:00PM
2 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate
NOTE: It's time to weigh-in today and my weight loss over the past week was just under a half-pound. This is not at all surprising as I noted in yesterday's post that I've been eating more food each day this week as an experiment. It does seem that at least for me that not only do I need to keep my carbohydrates reduced while upping my fat, but that the amount of food does make a difference on the scale. Again, this is what's happening me and not necessarily universal for everyone. When I lost 180 pounds in 2004, it wasn't that way at all as the weight poured off simply by cutting the carbohydrates in my diet. Perhaps my body has changed and adapted to my low-carb lifestyle now that it takes cutting a few calories each day to commence weight loss while maintaining health. That's what seems to be happening for me right now and I'll continue to monitor my progress.
The fantastic news is I'm STILL doing remarkably well going so long between my meals. But for the fact I've already been low-carbing for so long already, I don't think I could be doing this right now. Yet without the sugar and carbohydrate cravings that plagued me early on when I first started livin' la vida low-carb, I'm excelling with my eggs, coconut oil and beef diet right now. The fat/protein combo is kicking hunger to the curb and I really am energized and revitalized like I haven't been in a very long time. I can "feel" like I'm losing weight if that makes any sense. Whether it's psychological or physiological, I'm motivated by the progress I am seeing which only spurs me on to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm down 20 pounds with another 30 to go!
After posting my recent cortisol test results with you last week, I decided it was time to try some massage therapy to work in tandem with my exercise and sleep routine I've been engaged in. While I'm a relatively easy-going kinda guy letting most things slide right off of me without excessive worry (the exact opposite of my dear Christine), I knew I was gonna have some trouble spots. Sure enough, my neck and shoulders were full of knots that needed to be worked out by the masseuse. She probably stayed on my neck for 20-25 minutes of the session, but it was so good. It's quite tender and sore today, but I know it'll only get better the more she works on me. I'm thinking of going once or twice a month to try to de-stress my body and improve this aspect of my health as much as possible. The massage therapist was so good I've invited her on my podcast to talk about all the amazing benefits massage can offer. If she agrees, then it will likely air in late summer.
THANK YOU for rooting me on in this new effort to get the weight under control. I'm feeling lighter by the day and have to get used to what it takes for me to reach that goal. The 410-pound Jimmy Moore sometimes likes to invade the conscious of the current reincarnation of who I am to convince him he needs to be eating a certain way. But I know better and have to tell that big lug to mind his own business. I'm a new man now and old things have passed away--everything is new. I WILL keep this going and nothing is going to stand in my way of being the success I deserve to be. That's the attitude YOU should have if you feel discouraged in your low-carb lifestyle--REFUSE ANYTHING BUT THE BEST! You DESERVE it and I know YOU CAN DO IT!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
February 2, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
9:30AM
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
3:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
4:30PM
15-minute weight training (arms, shoulders)
20-minute Peak 8 interval training
NOTE: Over the past week I've been noticing an interesting trend with the amount of calories I'm consuming daily and my weight. Despite my fat intake being very high (as it should be), protein moderate, and carbohydrates next to nothing, my weight has somewhat stalled on the days when I've consumed more coconut oil, eggs, and beef than on the days that I do not. Of course, this is only an n=1 observation, but certainly worth noting. Today I cut back on my eggs from 4 to 3, my coconut oil from 4 Tbs to 2 Tbs, and my grass-fed beef from a pound to a half-pound. My energy was similar as was the lack of hunger despite a significantly less amount of food and calories. The result? I saw a loss on the scale for the first time in the past week. Now, I could be building muscle with all the weight lifting I'm doing to offset some of the fat loss that has been undoubtedly occurring. But this was a trend worth noting. I'll continue to keep my food intake reduced for a period of time just to monitor this theory to see if there is any merit to it. I'm sure the weight loss will continue to happen which is the purpose of my current eating plan right now while still maintaining a healthy high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb nutritional intake. This sure beats arbitrarily cutting calories and portions like the USDA wants us to be doing with their new Dietary Guidelines.
3 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil
3:30PM
1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 1 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
4:30PM
15-minute weight training (arms, shoulders)
20-minute Peak 8 interval training
NOTE: Over the past week I've been noticing an interesting trend with the amount of calories I'm consuming daily and my weight. Despite my fat intake being very high (as it should be), protein moderate, and carbohydrates next to nothing, my weight has somewhat stalled on the days when I've consumed more coconut oil, eggs, and beef than on the days that I do not. Of course, this is only an n=1 observation, but certainly worth noting. Today I cut back on my eggs from 4 to 3, my coconut oil from 4 Tbs to 2 Tbs, and my grass-fed beef from a pound to a half-pound. My energy was similar as was the lack of hunger despite a significantly less amount of food and calories. The result? I saw a loss on the scale for the first time in the past week. Now, I could be building muscle with all the weight lifting I'm doing to offset some of the fat loss that has been undoubtedly occurring. But this was a trend worth noting. I'll continue to keep my food intake reduced for a period of time just to monitor this theory to see if there is any merit to it. I'm sure the weight loss will continue to happen which is the purpose of my current eating plan right now while still maintaining a healthy high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb nutritional intake. This sure beats arbitrarily cutting calories and portions like the USDA wants us to be doing with their new Dietary Guidelines.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February 1, 2011 Low-Carb Menu
8:30AM
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 2 Tbs coconut oil
10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga
1:15PM
1 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 2 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
NOTE: My regular yoga instructor was out today. She had surgery on Monday and is expected to be out for the next two weeks. The substitute leader was a lady who usually leads the "Group Power" classes that focuses on strength-training as a group--and we could all tell it right away when she started leading the class. OMG! We usually work hard in our yoga class, but this was like boot camp or yoga on acid. Sheez! As I'm writing this nearly 10 hours later, I'm STILL feeling it throughout my body. WOW! If that was my first introduction to yoga, I don't think I'd EVER go back again. LOL!
4 organic, soy-free, coconut fed eggs cooked in 2 Tbs coconut oil
10:00AM
60-minute Namaste yoga
1:15PM
1 pound grass-fed ground beef cooked in 2 Tbs coconut oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and granulated garlic
NOTE: My regular yoga instructor was out today. She had surgery on Monday and is expected to be out for the next two weeks. The substitute leader was a lady who usually leads the "Group Power" classes that focuses on strength-training as a group--and we could all tell it right away when she started leading the class. OMG! We usually work hard in our yoga class, but this was like boot camp or yoga on acid. Sheez! As I'm writing this nearly 10 hours later, I'm STILL feeling it throughout my body. WOW! If that was my first introduction to yoga, I don't think I'd EVER go back again. LOL!
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