Saturday’s food log

Breakfast: 3 whole Omega-3 eggs, 1/2 small onion, 1/2 red bell pepper, shitake mushrooms.
Lunch: grilled salad. Asparagus, purple eggplant, Endive, Pineapple, yellow onion, green bell pepper, and fresh shrimp. juice of 1/2 an orange, orange zest, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil for dressing.
Dinner. Magic Mike’s Seafood stacks (4 stacks) plus salad with romaine lettuce, avocado, mozzarella, tomato and burpless cucumber. (recipe for seafood stacks will be posted on website)
Desert: 2 squares of Godiva sea salt dark chocolate.

Tip of the day: Easy method for evaluating nutritional information label

here is the scenario.. You are at the supermarket with a box of “product X” in your hands.. staring at the ingredient list, and scanning the nutritional information.. How can i tell if this is “healthy” or not.  I have created a quick and easy method to evaluate food labels that I am willing to share with you.. If you are reading a label on the box of product X, chances are its NOT healthy. a great rule is to avoid processed foods and shop around the outside edge of the store where they typically have the fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein sources. I like to combine a lean protein source, and veggies/fruit with each meal. Yes, I am sure there are exceptions but I was having a hard time thinking of one. My wife and I were chatting about this in the car, and we thought of Pasta. We both love pasta, and with my Italian heritage it will always have a special place in my heart but not on my plate. We only eat starchy carbs within about 60-90 minutes of a good workout, or as a cheat meal (approx 10% of our total meals for the week) 

Friday food log

Breakfast: 2 whole eggs (I buy the Omega-3 eggs), with fresh spinach and shitake mushrooms. served with fresh berries. Lunch was a boatload of Broccoli (with 2 teaspoons of olive oil), 4.5 oz pork tenderloin with locally made goat cheese. Dinner: 1/2 order Local Lime ceviche with fresh chips, skirt steak with lime/cilantro rice and black beans. As i had rice, chips, and 3 glasses of wine.

Dumbbell Snatch

a progression photo showing Dumbbell snatch technique. Note the middle picture, showing a good triple extension. You get this extension from a strong (and fast) pull, the dumbbell from second photo to the finish should go up easily based on speed of execution. you should NOT have to “muscle it up” from there like a press but rather it should seem to fly up.

patterns start to emerge.

I am an engineer in the high tech industry by trade. I guess the way I am wired, I tend to look for patterns and try to “fix” things. As I started this journey I realized I had much to learn regarding nutrition, and spent a fair amount of free time doing research. My job during that period of time required extensive travel, so I had time in the evenings to read, or while eating alone in a restaurant. I will admit that I am also a people watcher and I started to see patterns in the restaurants and supermarkets as well. My observations in restaurants, and supermarkets:

In restaurants:

• One group seemed to hit the salad bar in larger numbers.
• That same group would load up on the high fat or sugar content toppings and then multiple ladles of ranch dressing.
• Order starchy carbs as side
• Almost exclusively ordered Diet beverages

This was in contrast to the other group, who I saw:

• ordering meat cooked dry (no added butter or sauces)
• very specific orders, questions about how food is prepared/served, to make informed choices.
• Salads as a meal, often with dressing on the side.

In supermarket:

• One group tends to have lots of fruit juices, processed foods, sugar heavy foods, and pre-packaged meals.
• If I saw a fresh veggie in their basket it seems that iceberg lettuce was the most popular item.

 I am familiar with the mindset that states that a salad is somehow “automatically healthy”, but that is so far from the truth when prepared in this manner

What about a fast food joint? The only one I ever happen to visit is Subway, and they are known for some healthy options. If you order carefully, you can get pretty healthy lunches there. Yes, their meats are a bit high in sodium, but overall it’s a better bet for me than a burger joint. two observations from subway. First of all, its the “and’s” that are the killer. i have seen with my own two eyes people ordering something off the menu of healthy options, but then turning that into a bit of a joke. for example.. “I will have the 6 inch fresh and fit ham on wheat” GREAT START!!

But then.. “and can you put double meat on that?”.. oh and can i get double cheese? and while you are at it, might as well make it a foot long, because it is a better deal, and i don’t need many veggies.. and can i have EXTRA ranch on it.. and can you throw a little southwest sauce, etc. you might think I am kidding but I have seen that exact exchange in a Fayetteville Subway.

My core message is that these are all choices, and we just have to be aware of what we order and HOW we order. If you are trying to change your body, try to visualize the order a person with your dream physique might order and order that. Yes, if you are heavy you can almost get away with ordering crap without anyone being too shocked. Before I could talk myself into ordering a large pizza for myself, but if it’s not in my house there is no chance for me to eat the whole darned thing. Today I am perfectly OK with ordering like a little old lady and being VERY specific with what I order. (e.g. asking for the 6oz filet cooked with no added butter/sauce, and steamed broccoli with no added butter/sauce). BTW. what do I order at subway? I order a 6 inch chicken breast on wheat (no cheese), loaded up with veggies and light salt/pepper and oregano.. I find it very tasty, and it is only about 320 calories. 

I need to add that when I look at what people have in their basket or what they order, I am doing so as part of my own self-discovery process. I do NOT look down on them, In fact there is a part of me that aches to talk to them and share everything I have learned with them, but I am aware that would be quite unwelcome for most and rather rude as well. I guess that when you finally find some answers that help, you want to share that message and try to help others, but I am not going to be a total dork on a quest to offer unwanted help to strangers at the Kroger. I of course will still be a dork, but just one that keeps his mouth shut. 🙂

Thursday’s food

Breakfast: 3 eggs, shitake mushrooms, and fresh spinach. with fresh berries on the side. lunch. home-made chicken soup with chicken stock, fresh onions, red peppers, and tomato’s. Pre-workout. chocolate protein shake (2 scoops) with strawberries, pineapple and blueberries (and skim milk) dinner: 9 oz of grilled pork tenderloin and salad with lettuce, tomato, avocado. dressing was 3/4 teaspoon of olive oil and wine vinegar and sea salt. Served with Eberle vineyards cabernet.

Is Obesity a disease?

I have read several articles lately that express outrage that obesity is considered a disease (mostly from fit people in the fitness industry). Their belief is that it must be a lack of will power and simply can not be a disease.

 

First of all, I should remind you that the origin of the word “disease” is DIS/Des (lack of), Ease. I feel that anyone who has been significantly overweight KNOWS that it is anything but easy.  A couple of decades ago, Alcoholism was also viewed as a character defect and people without the addiction thought that everyone “should” be able to just say no. If a light social drinker could stop after 1 drink, then they assumed that all people should be able to. We are now (mostly) comfortable with drinking or smoking being defined as an addiction (after years of resistance by the Tobacco and alcohol industries),but why do we resist calling obesity an addiction or disease process that involves food addictions. I acknowledge that there seems to be a difference of opinion within the world of psychology (or addiction treatment centers) with defining an addiction as a disease process, but my central point is that some people are more likely to become addicted to various substances (or behaviors) and breaking that cycle involves more than will power. It’s a bit disturbing to me that obesity and potentially related diseases are HUGE killers. The numbers lack the level of resolution I would like, as there is not currently a “all obesity related deaths” category but its about 400,000 people for heart disease, 190,000 for obesity, 45,000 for diabetes and another 93,000 for stroke since the start of 2013(versus about 15,000 for all drug abuse deaths). To be more precise we would need to have the medical community note if the person who died from heart disease, diabetes, stroke, etc. was obese.

 

If lung cancer is a disease related to smoking, why is adult onset/type 2 Diabetes not considered to be a disease related to sugar addiction. If we think of how devastating Diabetes is, and that we have methods to control the disease (drugs and dietary restrictions), but people still die every day because they are not able to control it. From what I understand, there are many cases where the person will no longer require medication if they lost the excess weight and controlled their eating (adult onset diabetes), but they continue to gain weight. Of course the same thoughts would apply to cardiovascular disease related to diet/exercise (rather the lack of). I think the last group of people that can be publicly shamed are fat people, and some people really think that name calling will somehow HELP that person. On the other hand, ignoring the issue will not help either and in my own past I know that my mother had major concerns but did not want to upset me by having that conversation. I will tell you that awareness was a biggie for me, and that being accountable to myself was an important step. Its EASY to fool yourself into guessing your calorie intake/burn if you don’t track it.  My wife and I use a calorie tracking app and it was eye opening to realize how many calories are in common foods (especially restaurant foods).

 

I have no global solutions, as this journey is different for each person. At the heart of it is “move more, eat less” and a move away from processed foods and empty calories. Some people have asked me about my workouts and I’m always happy to share, but what works for me might not be right for you. I think THE best workout is the one that you actually do on a consistent basis. Get out there, find something you enjoy and constantly challenge yourself/raise the bar. If you are not able to control what you eat, you might want to see qualified help. 

 

Sorry this is such a long post but I felt it was something I needed to share. If you see this and have a question, please feel free to get in touch with me. 

NOTE: this was originally published as a rant on my facebook page, but thought it would be of benefit to publish it to a potentially wider audience. 

Wednesday’s food. sept 11

trying Intermittent fasting, so no breakfast. Lunch was 8oz chicken breast, large tomato, with 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil and wine vinegar. Pre-workout snack was 2 scoops of protein powder, 1/2 teaspoon honey, with skim milk. Dinner was 9 oz of grilled shrimp, and salad consisting of lettuce, large tomato, avocado with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

TIP of the day!!

Its called a “Spoon”. This handy device can be used to measure stuff before you put it on your food. As you might be able to guess from my food blog, I LOVE fresh tomato’s and eat them typically with a little olive oil and vinegar (or lemon juice). Instead of guessing how much dressing, or oil you are using, Measure it. then you will have an accurate count when logging calories. BTW. thats a teaspoon, I only really need about one teaspoon of olive oil for a large tomato so why break out a bigger spoon if I really dont need it. Accurately recording what I eat has been a great tool, and is now a habit.

Whats your excuse?

Tell me your excuse of why you cant work out. Is it the lack of time? Do you have a bad back, or perhaps your pinkie toe hurts?  I am quite curious about this, not trying to judge but I would like to understand.

What about me? I could start off by saying how well I am doing today with workouts/nutrition, but instead will admit that for years I had all of the typical excuses.  I could justify/dismiss just about anything, but i was going down a bad path. I will open myself up, in the hope that my transparency helps any person who might be reading this. After a ugly first marriage, and messy divorce, I got my dream job. My new role came at the perfect time, and I jumped in with both feet. I was out drinking beer and eating crappy food every night, and stressed over my job.  I am sure was gaining weight on a daily basis and I was miserable. I was alone, and lonely, but was sick of trying the dating game. I decided I was OK with being alone, and OK with the man I was. Shortly after that I was blessed enough to find with the love of my life, a truly awesome woman that I do not deserve but try to be worthy of every day. Fast forward to about 2 1/2 years ago, when I got to my breaking point in terms of health. I realized that if i did not change that I was going to die, and i had too much to live for. I found a great trainer that day, called him and got the courage to walk into that gym. I sit here today with 80lbs less fat on my body and much more energy.  I am saying that I am human, that i have made the same mistakes as many others, but I made a decision to turn that around.

I decide what to eat, and not fall prey to urges or attractive advertising. I decide to work out hard. Not trying to be a martyr but just so you know, I have some fairly bad neck issues. Today is a BRUTAL pain day but i’m up and working and i will be in the gym tonight. I will be there because my body and my mind NEED that workout. I refuse to use that as an excuse.

I have learned some tough lessons over my 50 years on this planet. My own father was an abusive guy, and to top it all off he stole every dime i had when i was in my 20’s.  I decided that I will not allow that experience to make me a bitter person that is not capable of trust or love. I saw hurricane Katrina take so much from my family, including my grandmothers home. I used that experience as my inspiration, as i realized so many people no longer had the opportunity to show small acts of love and kindness to those who matter. I made a decision to share positive thoughts with people, as i did not ever want to hold back feelings of love, or respect.

These are all decisions, conscious or not, and we decide our path in life. If I could only tell you how much better i feel today than I did when i started this fitness journey. If I could demonstrate how good it is to feel strong and healthy, you would be hooked too. I freely give my work day, and weekends to my job and to helping my friends and family but I demand 1 hour a day each weekday that is MINE. My time in the gym is not selfish, as our bodies need to move to remain healthy. I have a friend that once said that he felt guilty about taking an hour a day in the gym, that he should be spending it with his family. He is a good man and a good husband/father, but the reality is that he is currently over 300lbs. I simply noted that if he did not take that time to become healthy today, then he is truly depriving his family of so much in the future. Who will be there to comfort his wife, or to walk his daughter down the aisle if he is not there?

Apologies for a long post, but I just wanted to use my personal pain to try to help encourage others to take that step. If someone is reading this, and I can help you.. PLEASE reach out to me with any questions. I would love to help others in any way that I can.