It is so good to be home and back to my prepared meals, i have missed out on Monday to Wednesday this week but my loss has been Shannons gain who munched my meals for me, so i have been sort of vicariously dieting through her. The feedback on the quality and variety of the meals i missed from Shannon was extremely positive.
I still have a lot to learn about adding variety to my diet so for now the prepared meals are here to stay, also i am a long way off being able to determine what a daily balanced diet comprises of by myself.
And with some pretty high but non diet busting calorie counts from Friday last week to this Wednesday (ranging from 2000 calories to 2500 per day) it is great to get back into a controlled eating environment again.
So with out further ado yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Mushroom, onion, spinach, roasted cherry tomato and cheddar cheese omelette.
Mid morning snack: Chocolate chip & peanut butter cookie plus a pear.
Lunch: Crunchy chicken & lentil salad plus a handful of lean biltong.
Afternoon snack: 2 apples, one at 3pm and one at 5pm.
Dinner: Lean beef meatballs with stir fry vegetables & buckwheat noodles.
Desert: Stewed fruit & custard.
Evening snack: Handful of salted peanuts.
Drinks: 2.5 litres of water, 3 coffees and 2 green teas.
Total calories: 1955 calories
Friday, February 27, 2015
Exercise - Day 17
What is BMI?
It was pointed out to me yesterday that i am mis-representing BMI as a % when in fact it is a number, so never one to take an individuals word for it i did a bit of research and i think i have got to the bottom of it now.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) and its equation was the brainchild of a Belgian social physicist Adolphe Quetelet who in 1835 published a book titled in English as 'Treatise on Man' which explained his take on a type of social physics regarding what he thought to be the average man, by using various statistical data and equations Adolphe was able to explain that variables linked to social factors contributed to crime, marriage and suicide rates, his research led him to the conclusion that a population produces enough variables for both artificial selection (selective breeding) and natural selection to occur side by side.
BMI a simple means of classifying a persons weight relative to an ideal weight for their height was originally intended to be used as a measure of a populations overall risk of health problems due to weight gain or loss. Now used in individual cases BMI gives us a fair indication of the thickness or thinness of a person compared to the national average of sedentary persons who are considered to have an average body composition. Once calculated BMI can be compared to a sliding scale of ratios which can give a person a rough idea of which health issues they may experience based on historical statistical data collected from others of similar height and weight.
The equation for calculating BMI is as follows:
Metric
(Weight kg/height m) / height m = BMI
Imperial
(Weight lb/height inches) / height inches x 703 = BMI
My metric equation looks like this:
(161.1/1.80) = 89.5
89.5/1.80 = a BMI of 49.72
My imperial equation looks like this:
(355.17/70.87) = 5.0116
5.0116/70.87 = 0.0707
0.0707x703 = a BMI of 49.70
Now as a western male i can compare my result to the data held by my local health authority of choice which in my case is the UK National Health Service (NHS), their ratios are as follows:
BMI score below 18.5 = underweight
BMI score between 18.5-24.9 = healthy weight
BMI score between 25-29.9 = overweight
BMI score between 30 and above = Obese
With a BMI of 49.7 i am classified as obese compared to normal height to weight ratio of what is considered the norm for people of a healthy weight. Due to my classification falling above 25 i am statistically more at risk from developing heart related diseases, type II diabetes or experiencing a stroke. A BMI below 18.5 could show signs of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. In all ranges it is advised people eat a well balanced diet and partake in some form of exercise to maintain a healthy BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
The one problem with BMI is the fact that the number does not take into account the physical composition of fat v muscle nor does it give us a clear indication of the norms within a certain age range or bone density therefore the results can be misleading in children, the elderly or athletes, to combat this there are many ways to calculate body fat some more accurate than others, from underwater weighing to the more modern techniques such as duel energy X-ray absorptiometry but not everyone has access to a science lab or can afford such procedures to be carried out, the US Navy has a system using logarithms which can determine a persons overall fat content determining the criteria for entry into the armed forces which uses measurements such as neck, waist, hip size but again to manually use the equation can be a bit taxing for us mere mortals, so for us we can stick to the following equation formulated by nutritionist Paul Deurenberg for calculating an estimated Body Fat Percentage (BF%):
Adult BF% = (1.2 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) - (10.8 x sex) - 5.4
sex = 1 for males and 0 for females.
My equation looks like this:
(1.2 x 49.7) + (0.23 x 39) - (10.8 x 1) - 5.4
So my BF% is calculated as follows:
59.64 + 8.97 - 10.8 - 5.4 = 52.41
My calculated BF% is 52.41, now lets compare with data again collected from the my local health authority of choice the NHS:
Essential fat
It was pointed out to me yesterday that i am mis-representing BMI as a % when in fact it is a number, so never one to take an individuals word for it i did a bit of research and i think i have got to the bottom of it now.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) and its equation was the brainchild of a Belgian social physicist Adolphe Quetelet who in 1835 published a book titled in English as 'Treatise on Man' which explained his take on a type of social physics regarding what he thought to be the average man, by using various statistical data and equations Adolphe was able to explain that variables linked to social factors contributed to crime, marriage and suicide rates, his research led him to the conclusion that a population produces enough variables for both artificial selection (selective breeding) and natural selection to occur side by side.
BMI a simple means of classifying a persons weight relative to an ideal weight for their height was originally intended to be used as a measure of a populations overall risk of health problems due to weight gain or loss. Now used in individual cases BMI gives us a fair indication of the thickness or thinness of a person compared to the national average of sedentary persons who are considered to have an average body composition. Once calculated BMI can be compared to a sliding scale of ratios which can give a person a rough idea of which health issues they may experience based on historical statistical data collected from others of similar height and weight.
The equation for calculating BMI is as follows:
Metric
(Weight kg/height m) / height m = BMI
Imperial
(Weight lb/height inches) / height inches x 703 = BMI
My metric equation looks like this:
(161.1/1.80) = 89.5
89.5/1.80 = a BMI of 49.72
My imperial equation looks like this:
(355.17/70.87) = 5.0116
5.0116/70.87 = 0.0707
0.0707x703 = a BMI of 49.70
Now as a western male i can compare my result to the data held by my local health authority of choice which in my case is the UK National Health Service (NHS), their ratios are as follows:
BMI score below 18.5 = underweight
BMI score between 18.5-24.9 = healthy weight
BMI score between 25-29.9 = overweight
BMI score between 30 and above = Obese
With a BMI of 49.7 i am classified as obese compared to normal height to weight ratio of what is considered the norm for people of a healthy weight. Due to my classification falling above 25 i am statistically more at risk from developing heart related diseases, type II diabetes or experiencing a stroke. A BMI below 18.5 could show signs of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. In all ranges it is advised people eat a well balanced diet and partake in some form of exercise to maintain a healthy BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
The one problem with BMI is the fact that the number does not take into account the physical composition of fat v muscle nor does it give us a clear indication of the norms within a certain age range or bone density therefore the results can be misleading in children, the elderly or athletes, to combat this there are many ways to calculate body fat some more accurate than others, from underwater weighing to the more modern techniques such as duel energy X-ray absorptiometry but not everyone has access to a science lab or can afford such procedures to be carried out, the US Navy has a system using logarithms which can determine a persons overall fat content determining the criteria for entry into the armed forces which uses measurements such as neck, waist, hip size but again to manually use the equation can be a bit taxing for us mere mortals, so for us we can stick to the following equation formulated by nutritionist Paul Deurenberg for calculating an estimated Body Fat Percentage (BF%):
Adult BF% = (1.2 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) - (10.8 x sex) - 5.4
sex = 1 for males and 0 for females.
My equation looks like this:
(1.2 x 49.7) + (0.23 x 39) - (10.8 x 1) - 5.4
So my BF% is calculated as follows:
59.64 + 8.97 - 10.8 - 5.4 = 52.41
My calculated BF% is 52.41, now lets compare with data again collected from the my local health authority of choice the NHS:
Essential fat
- Women 10-13%
- Men 2-5%
Athletes
- Women 14-20%
- Men 6-13%
Fitness
- Women 21-24%
- Men 14-17%
Average
- Women 25-31%
- Men 18-24%
Obese
- Women 32%+
- Men 25%+
Essential fat levels are the bare minimum we need to be at to not negativly impact our health but it is important to mention that athletes such as bodybuilders may compete at even lower ranges as recommended to them by certified personal trainers. Female ranges are higher due to the effects of childbearing and other hormonal functions.
Now i know where i need to be with my BMI and BF% and the person who corrected me yesterday on my reporting of BMI was indeed correct BMI is a number and BF is a percentage.
So on that note exercise yesterday consisted of 14,778 steps from my daily routine, a lunch time walk and after work stroll with Ryan on his green machine (bicycle)
Once month one has been completed i am contemplating adding to my walks with some beginners aerobics combined with light weights, stay tuned...
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Week 2 and a bit - Time to hit the scales
I am pleasantly surprised with today's weigh in, i must have done something right on my trip away because i am happy to report the following:
Weight last week: 162.4kg
Weight today: 161.1kg
Weight lost week 2: 1.3kg
Weight lost total 5.9kg
BMI last week: 49.9%
BMI today: 49.4%
BMI week 2 improved by: 0.5%
BMI total improved: 2.1%
Weeks to go 59 out of 62...
Weight last week: 162.4kg
Weight today: 161.1kg
Weight lost week 2: 1.3kg
Weight lost total 5.9kg
BMI last week: 49.9%
BMI today: 49.4%
BMI week 2 improved by: 0.5%
BMI total improved: 2.1%
Weeks to go 59 out of 62...
Exercise - Days 12-16
I have more time at the weekend to exercise, during the week i add my two extra walks in and that's about all the time i have managed to make for myself at the moment but at the weekend there are no excuses, it is summer here, there are thousands of walks available to amble around and sometimes leaving the car at home to complete a local shop is a handy way to get some extra fitness in.
On Saturday the car needed washing, normally this would mean i would drive the 3.5km to the car wash and either have Shannon pick me up or alternatively sit in a cafe for 1 hour and 30 minutes eating a heart clogging breakfast washed down with copious amounts of coffee but i have found a revolutionary third option, so revolutionary i should follow suit and release a book and here it is (drum roll please) drop the car off and walk home, seriously why not, it's only three and a half kilometres, the weather is decent and the walk is safe, clean and flat. So that's what i did, i left the car wash, took a non taxing 40 minute stroll and before i knew it bingo i was at home enjoying a well deserved plate of beans on toast for lunch.
Spurred on by the mornings achievement the whole family took a walk in the woods in the afternoon, i added another 4000 to my daily grand total of 21000 steps...
Sunday we all took a walk around the local flea market and went out to lunch but the day still finished off on 10k + steps.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday i was away on business so plenty of steps were taken at the airport, going to meetings and walking around the factory also on the night time walking to the local restaurants seemed like the best way to go.
Walking is a breeze, trust me if you are not doing this as even the base level of your exercise plan give it a go for just 30 minutes and you'll really understand what i am getting at.
On Saturday the car needed washing, normally this would mean i would drive the 3.5km to the car wash and either have Shannon pick me up or alternatively sit in a cafe for 1 hour and 30 minutes eating a heart clogging breakfast washed down with copious amounts of coffee but i have found a revolutionary third option, so revolutionary i should follow suit and release a book and here it is (drum roll please) drop the car off and walk home, seriously why not, it's only three and a half kilometres, the weather is decent and the walk is safe, clean and flat. So that's what i did, i left the car wash, took a non taxing 40 minute stroll and before i knew it bingo i was at home enjoying a well deserved plate of beans on toast for lunch.
Spurred on by the mornings achievement the whole family took a walk in the woods in the afternoon, i added another 4000 to my daily grand total of 21000 steps...
Sunday we all took a walk around the local flea market and went out to lunch but the day still finished off on 10k + steps.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday i was away on business so plenty of steps were taken at the airport, going to meetings and walking around the factory also on the night time walking to the local restaurants seemed like the best way to go.
Walking is a breeze, trust me if you are not doing this as even the base level of your exercise plan give it a go for just 30 minutes and you'll really understand what i am getting at.
Meals - Days 12-16
I'm back, the business trip was a success and i came back lighter than when i left...
For the past 5 days i have had to fend for myself, no pre-prepped meals at all, this gave me a chance to put my portion control into practice and stick to the lessons i have learned, being away on business is difficult for us food addicts because we are free to do as we please with no-one to judge what we are nibbling away on in our hotel rooms or at the dreaded table for one, alcohol consumption normally increases too as hotels always have a bar handy for socialising or to network with other businessmen, then there are the courtesy meals out with customers to contend with, business breakfasts, lunches and dinners, fine restaurants, back street cafes and the odd invite to a customer hosting dinner at home.
So how did i handle all this, i basically prepared myself mentally before i left to not let myself down whilst on my trip, to test myself to see if i am being serious about this weight loss and lifestyle change, my goal was to show the readers of this blog, my family and friends that i have the maturity and strength to see this through to the end.
I have spent the last 5 days studying menus to find the healthiest most nutrient balanced item to eat, i have pictured in my mind what the 85kg version of myself would have for lunch and stuck to it, also i have tried to remember what i would have had to eat at meal times on previous trips and made sure that all my portion sizes where at least 1/4 of the size, at restaurants i have stuck to water sparking or still, made sure i have had a handy bag of trail mix and a bottle of water in my bag at all times and in all instances but one i managed to stay away from anything obvious in high fat/sugar content.
Breakfast was easy, bran flakes and a splash of milk, mid morning snack a trail mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and chocolate pieces, lunch vegetable wraps, beef strips with cous cous or Greek salads, afternoon snack the remnants of the mornings trail mix, dinner i stuck to fish, grilled of course or calamari, prawns, mussels each with rice, one whiskey to finish off with straight plus an ice block.
I cracked once and had a chocolate mousse desert, but i am not beating myself up over it because on that night i had decided to walk to the restaurant instead of taking the car as per normal.
I am now back on the pre-prepped meals, i have made arrangements to be able to take them with me on my longer trips as most airlines will let you if the food is vac packed and sealed in a cool box or polystyrene container.
It's good to be back blogging again, thanks for hanging around...
For the past 5 days i have had to fend for myself, no pre-prepped meals at all, this gave me a chance to put my portion control into practice and stick to the lessons i have learned, being away on business is difficult for us food addicts because we are free to do as we please with no-one to judge what we are nibbling away on in our hotel rooms or at the dreaded table for one, alcohol consumption normally increases too as hotels always have a bar handy for socialising or to network with other businessmen, then there are the courtesy meals out with customers to contend with, business breakfasts, lunches and dinners, fine restaurants, back street cafes and the odd invite to a customer hosting dinner at home.
So how did i handle all this, i basically prepared myself mentally before i left to not let myself down whilst on my trip, to test myself to see if i am being serious about this weight loss and lifestyle change, my goal was to show the readers of this blog, my family and friends that i have the maturity and strength to see this through to the end.
I have spent the last 5 days studying menus to find the healthiest most nutrient balanced item to eat, i have pictured in my mind what the 85kg version of myself would have for lunch and stuck to it, also i have tried to remember what i would have had to eat at meal times on previous trips and made sure that all my portion sizes where at least 1/4 of the size, at restaurants i have stuck to water sparking or still, made sure i have had a handy bag of trail mix and a bottle of water in my bag at all times and in all instances but one i managed to stay away from anything obvious in high fat/sugar content.
Breakfast was easy, bran flakes and a splash of milk, mid morning snack a trail mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and chocolate pieces, lunch vegetable wraps, beef strips with cous cous or Greek salads, afternoon snack the remnants of the mornings trail mix, dinner i stuck to fish, grilled of course or calamari, prawns, mussels each with rice, one whiskey to finish off with straight plus an ice block.
I cracked once and had a chocolate mousse desert, but i am not beating myself up over it because on that night i had decided to walk to the restaurant instead of taking the car as per normal.
I am now back on the pre-prepped meals, i have made arrangements to be able to take them with me on my longer trips as most airlines will let you if the food is vac packed and sealed in a cool box or polystyrene container.
It's good to be back blogging again, thanks for hanging around...
Friday, February 20, 2015
Exercise - Day 11
I am now a walking addict!
I have swapped being addicted to food to being addicted to walking instead, i am obsessing about every step i take, making time to step some more and pushing myself to hit my daily target of 10,000, incidentally the reason the goal is 10k is from what i have read most health agencies worldwide recommend that people complete at least this number of steps as a form of daily exercise.
So my lunch time walks are continuing, i am trying to take a different route each day to mix it up, i even walk past my nemesis bakery on my stroll (see meals day 11 for explanation), i imagine the owner looking out the window, seeing me, wondering if i am now going elsewhere for my lunch, maybe his closest competitor on the far corner.
Also during my lunch walk yesterday i saw a guy jogging, he was in great shape, running shoes and shorts on and making his way up the road, i thought to myself 'one day that will be me'.
If i sit down all day at my desk and complete a 30 minute walk at lunchtime i hit about 6000 steps by the time i have returned home from work and as i have said previously i need to find the extra steps to hit my daily goal, now it is surprising how many steps can be taken just going about the normal nightly routines at home, sometimes up to 3000, so realistically i could just do my day job, go for a lunch walk and stay in the house when i get home.
But remember i am now a walking addict, which means i am now fretting about not getting my walks in, checking my steps every 15 minutes, logging in to my fitness app, freaking out and obsessing.
Why put myself through that mental torture when i could just get the trainers on and go out and hit my target for the day, so last night Shannon, the two boys and i took a walk around a wetlands nature reserve close to home, we walked for about 45 minutes, chatted, took in the fresh air, burned a few calories, built a bit more leg muscle up and spent some quality time with each other and mother nature.
After the walk i checked my pedometer and boom Louis 11,000 steps, now i could relax all night knowing at least my goal for the day had been achieved and any other steps would be a welcome bonus.
PS. I am away on business next week Monday to Wednesday so i may struggle to post, i will however still be walking!!!
I have swapped being addicted to food to being addicted to walking instead, i am obsessing about every step i take, making time to step some more and pushing myself to hit my daily target of 10,000, incidentally the reason the goal is 10k is from what i have read most health agencies worldwide recommend that people complete at least this number of steps as a form of daily exercise.
So my lunch time walks are continuing, i am trying to take a different route each day to mix it up, i even walk past my nemesis bakery on my stroll (see meals day 11 for explanation), i imagine the owner looking out the window, seeing me, wondering if i am now going elsewhere for my lunch, maybe his closest competitor on the far corner.
Also during my lunch walk yesterday i saw a guy jogging, he was in great shape, running shoes and shorts on and making his way up the road, i thought to myself 'one day that will be me'.
If i sit down all day at my desk and complete a 30 minute walk at lunchtime i hit about 6000 steps by the time i have returned home from work and as i have said previously i need to find the extra steps to hit my daily goal, now it is surprising how many steps can be taken just going about the normal nightly routines at home, sometimes up to 3000, so realistically i could just do my day job, go for a lunch walk and stay in the house when i get home.
But remember i am now a walking addict, which means i am now fretting about not getting my walks in, checking my steps every 15 minutes, logging in to my fitness app, freaking out and obsessing.
Why put myself through that mental torture when i could just get the trainers on and go out and hit my target for the day, so last night Shannon, the two boys and i took a walk around a wetlands nature reserve close to home, we walked for about 45 minutes, chatted, took in the fresh air, burned a few calories, built a bit more leg muscle up and spent some quality time with each other and mother nature.
After the walk i checked my pedometer and boom Louis 11,000 steps, now i could relax all night knowing at least my goal for the day had been achieved and any other steps would be a welcome bonus.
PS. I am away on business next week Monday to Wednesday so i may struggle to post, i will however still be walking!!!
Meals - Day 11
I'm rich!!! Woohoo!!! Well i am sort of, well i am a little bit...
Truth be told i'm not really rich but i have more money left out of my monthly salary than i normally would have on the 20th of the month. I have had R100 in cash in my wallet since Monday and there it remains unspent and it is all down to stopping my daily spend on junk food.
In the past, before my lifestyle change i would visit our local bakery twice a day, the fact the bakery is 2 minutes away doesn't help but then neither did my food addiction, actually i used to class walking to and from the bakery as my daily exercise.
My daily spend would normally kick off with with me pulling the car up outside the bakery on the way to work, make idle chit chat with the owner, normally about football and order 2 large sausage rolls, it wouldn't matter to me if i had just eaten an apple and banana in the car i would still order and eat them, then off to work with my greasy treats, by 9am my desk and surrounding floor would be a mess of pastry flakes, i would be sleepy and my wallet would be lighter to the tune of R25.
Then 1100 hours arrive and i start to feel peckish, i know full well now i was not hungry but i got so used to being stuffed all the time anything less than this to me was hunger, now i am not a fool (cough cough) i also know full well 11am is too early to eat lunch, 1 o'clock is lunch so i would pace myself, challenge myself to hold on for a bit, finally give in by midday and be proud that i made it to my silly time goal.
12pm back to the bakery i go, knowing full well they know I ate two sausage rolls only 4 hours ago i would feel a mild sense of embarrassment returning so soon but the jovial nature which i am greeted with puts me at ease (i am after all one of their best customers), i would peruse the menu and decide to either have the breadcrumbed deep fried chicken in a pita pocket with crispy chips (chips have to be crispy for me), the same chicken but in sweet and sour sauce with extra sauce and rice, beef curry with crispy chips, a medium chips on it's own (which is in a box the size of roughly 6 dvd cases stacked on top of each other it could even be more it's a huge portion!) and always a 750ml bottle of coke. Sometimes as a treat i would add a bag of biscuits but i would always have another sausage roll or 3 samosas while waiting for the take out lunch to arrive, then back to the office i would go and within 15 minutes i would be re-stuffed , sleepy and my wallet would now be lighter by another R80...
It gets worse...
After an afternoon nap at my desk i would awake with an hour to go, muddle through the hour and jump in the car for the 45 minute journey home for dinner, as i pass a petrol station at the beginning of my journey it seemed like a good idea to pop in and get a drink to keep me company in the traffic, so another bottle of coke and hey why not a bag of crisps ooo and a chocolate bar for variety, so i would pay for my 750ml coke, 400g bag of crisps, 80g slab of chocolate, part with another R50 of my hard earned but not in the middle of the afternoon cash and be on my merry way.
So, all that junk adds up to a whopping total of: R155 per day, simple equation to follow:
R155p/d x 5 days p/w x 4 weeks in the month = R3100 per month, R3100! THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED RAND A MONTH!
I have had people ask me how much my pre-prepared meals are costing me and how they would love to follow my lead as all they do is pop in and out of fast food joints all day because it is convenient, and when i tell them their reaction is 'wow that's too expensive for me dude' but on the figures above it appears it is not at all too expensive, all i have done is swapped guilt filled, gluttonous, sleeping tabletesque food for a better variety of fresh healthy balanced nutrient rich food...
End result my wallet is happy and so is my stomach oh and my boss who doesn't have to give me a missed call to my office desk phone to wake me from my afternoon slumber...
So on that note yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Cheddar, pickled pepper and basil omelette.
Mid morning snack: Mixed berry smoothie plus a pear.
Lunch: Spicy chicken mayonnaise, gherkin and chive pita pocket plus a handful of salted peanuts.
Afternoon snack: Apple and a banana (apple at 3pm, banana at 5pm).
Dinner: Sweet and sour pork stirfry.
Desert: Chocolate cheesecake.
Evening snack: Bran flakes with semi skimmed milk.
Drinks: 3.4 litres of water, 2 coffees and 2 green teas.
Total calories: 2088 calories.
Truth be told i'm not really rich but i have more money left out of my monthly salary than i normally would have on the 20th of the month. I have had R100 in cash in my wallet since Monday and there it remains unspent and it is all down to stopping my daily spend on junk food.
In the past, before my lifestyle change i would visit our local bakery twice a day, the fact the bakery is 2 minutes away doesn't help but then neither did my food addiction, actually i used to class walking to and from the bakery as my daily exercise.
My daily spend would normally kick off with with me pulling the car up outside the bakery on the way to work, make idle chit chat with the owner, normally about football and order 2 large sausage rolls, it wouldn't matter to me if i had just eaten an apple and banana in the car i would still order and eat them, then off to work with my greasy treats, by 9am my desk and surrounding floor would be a mess of pastry flakes, i would be sleepy and my wallet would be lighter to the tune of R25.
Then 1100 hours arrive and i start to feel peckish, i know full well now i was not hungry but i got so used to being stuffed all the time anything less than this to me was hunger, now i am not a fool (cough cough) i also know full well 11am is too early to eat lunch, 1 o'clock is lunch so i would pace myself, challenge myself to hold on for a bit, finally give in by midday and be proud that i made it to my silly time goal.
12pm back to the bakery i go, knowing full well they know I ate two sausage rolls only 4 hours ago i would feel a mild sense of embarrassment returning so soon but the jovial nature which i am greeted with puts me at ease (i am after all one of their best customers), i would peruse the menu and decide to either have the breadcrumbed deep fried chicken in a pita pocket with crispy chips (chips have to be crispy for me), the same chicken but in sweet and sour sauce with extra sauce and rice, beef curry with crispy chips, a medium chips on it's own (which is in a box the size of roughly 6 dvd cases stacked on top of each other it could even be more it's a huge portion!) and always a 750ml bottle of coke. Sometimes as a treat i would add a bag of biscuits but i would always have another sausage roll or 3 samosas while waiting for the take out lunch to arrive, then back to the office i would go and within 15 minutes i would be re-stuffed , sleepy and my wallet would now be lighter by another R80...
It gets worse...
After an afternoon nap at my desk i would awake with an hour to go, muddle through the hour and jump in the car for the 45 minute journey home for dinner, as i pass a petrol station at the beginning of my journey it seemed like a good idea to pop in and get a drink to keep me company in the traffic, so another bottle of coke and hey why not a bag of crisps ooo and a chocolate bar for variety, so i would pay for my 750ml coke, 400g bag of crisps, 80g slab of chocolate, part with another R50 of my hard earned but not in the middle of the afternoon cash and be on my merry way.
So, all that junk adds up to a whopping total of: R155 per day, simple equation to follow:
R155p/d x 5 days p/w x 4 weeks in the month = R3100 per month, R3100! THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED RAND A MONTH!
I have had people ask me how much my pre-prepared meals are costing me and how they would love to follow my lead as all they do is pop in and out of fast food joints all day because it is convenient, and when i tell them their reaction is 'wow that's too expensive for me dude' but on the figures above it appears it is not at all too expensive, all i have done is swapped guilt filled, gluttonous, sleeping tabletesque food for a better variety of fresh healthy balanced nutrient rich food...
End result my wallet is happy and so is my stomach oh and my boss who doesn't have to give me a missed call to my office desk phone to wake me from my afternoon slumber...
So on that note yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Cheddar, pickled pepper and basil omelette.
Mid morning snack: Mixed berry smoothie plus a pear.
Lunch: Spicy chicken mayonnaise, gherkin and chive pita pocket plus a handful of salted peanuts.
Afternoon snack: Apple and a banana (apple at 3pm, banana at 5pm).
Dinner: Sweet and sour pork stirfry.
Desert: Chocolate cheesecake.
Evening snack: Bran flakes with semi skimmed milk.
Drinks: 3.4 litres of water, 2 coffees and 2 green teas.
Total calories: 2088 calories.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Exercise - Day 10
I've now walked 10,000 steps or more for 6 days in a row, a total of 74,247! This averages out at 12375 per day, last week Thursday my steps for a normal day were 6675 this gives you an idea of the amount of walking i was doing prior to this lifestyle change. I am now walking 47% more than the median average for men who are 35-40 and obese and 33% more than all age, weight and gender groups!
I am a walking machine, i can feel my muscles in my calves and thighs strengthening, my stamina is increasing, i am finding myself becoming more flexible and to top it off i am sleeping better on a night time and actually getting out of bed on the first alarm in the morning.
And the amount of physical effort i have put in is close to zero, the effort is mentally getting on with it and adding the extra steps needed to break 10,000, finding time to go out and walk, making changes in routine to allow for periods when steps can be taken, for example i generally find myself sat on the patio after work, smoking (i will stop this year), bored and glued to my cell phone brain dead to the fact that there are better things to be doing with my time, but now my early evenings have more purpose.
I would urge anyone on a weight loss program to invest in a pedometer, even if it is an app on a smart phone, aim for 10,000 steps a day, you'll not only find yourself getting out the house for a walk but also offering to do things around the house because it entails adding valuable steps to your total, i've even taken to walking round the back of my car rather than the front when i park because it is a longer distance.
Yesterday i wanted to walk at lunch, i also needed to get something from the mall, so i parked at the far end of the car park as far away from the shop as is possible within the mall grounds and walked to the shop in question, i even found myself taking the long way round the stalls and restaurants on the walkways. Unbelievably the walk covered 3km, 2000 steps and burned 327 calories all for a 26 minute stroll through a mall!
I am a walking machine, i can feel my muscles in my calves and thighs strengthening, my stamina is increasing, i am finding myself becoming more flexible and to top it off i am sleeping better on a night time and actually getting out of bed on the first alarm in the morning.
And the amount of physical effort i have put in is close to zero, the effort is mentally getting on with it and adding the extra steps needed to break 10,000, finding time to go out and walk, making changes in routine to allow for periods when steps can be taken, for example i generally find myself sat on the patio after work, smoking (i will stop this year), bored and glued to my cell phone brain dead to the fact that there are better things to be doing with my time, but now my early evenings have more purpose.
I would urge anyone on a weight loss program to invest in a pedometer, even if it is an app on a smart phone, aim for 10,000 steps a day, you'll not only find yourself getting out the house for a walk but also offering to do things around the house because it entails adding valuable steps to your total, i've even taken to walking round the back of my car rather than the front when i park because it is a longer distance.
Yesterday i wanted to walk at lunch, i also needed to get something from the mall, so i parked at the far end of the car park as far away from the shop as is possible within the mall grounds and walked to the shop in question, i even found myself taking the long way round the stalls and restaurants on the walkways. Unbelievably the walk covered 3km, 2000 steps and burned 327 calories all for a 26 minute stroll through a mall!
Meals - Day 10
After adding a handful of peanuts to my diet after lunch i felt much better yesterday afternoon, concentration was back, hunger was gone and i felt less giddy than i did Tuesday afternoon, there was only one component i decided no to partake in and that was green tea, i normally drink a good quality green tea after lunch, a blend called Alexandria which is subtly scented with Mediterranean mint and vanilla. so i was wondering if this was the culprit in the 'why was i off my face on Tuesday afternoon?' story.
It turns out out it may have been a significant factor.
Instead of a post lunch green tea i elected to have an after dinner one instead and once again i was sat buzzing away in a semi retarded stupor.
At home i have a few green teas to choose from, i go for the loose tea like a good quality Chinese sencha flavoured with orange and berries and steep it in a ceramic and stainless steel infuser, the infuser is quite large for a normal tea cup so i use an oversized mug which has recently been relegated from hot chocolate duties for obvious reasons, my infuser also has a little ceramic stand to put it on to keep it safe and not mess up the counter when i remove it from the mug, i keep my green tea sealed in the foil lined bag it came in in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
Back to the effects green tea has on our bodies, first of all green tea contains many bio-active compounds which are beneficial to our health such as powerful antioxidant polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins which protect cells and molecules from damage by reducing the formation of free radicals. The antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is one of the most powerful compounds in green tea and has led to as yet unsubstantiated theories that it's affects can reduce the risk of various cancers, i say unsubstantiated as there are yet to be any approved claims of this from studies on humans in Europe or the USA. But in theory if oxidative damage can contribute to cancer cells developing then it makes sense that combating this with an antioxidant can have a protective affect?
This next benefit of green tea blew my mind, the catechins present have been shown in studies to inhibit the growth of streptococcus which is the primary bacteria in the mouth which causes plaque formation leading to tooth decay and cavities!
Other possible advantages of green tea are as follows but i must stress that most of these advantages are as yet verified in human studies, show only marginal success in controlled trials or depend on the individual:
It turns out out it may have been a significant factor.
Instead of a post lunch green tea i elected to have an after dinner one instead and once again i was sat buzzing away in a semi retarded stupor.
At home i have a few green teas to choose from, i go for the loose tea like a good quality Chinese sencha flavoured with orange and berries and steep it in a ceramic and stainless steel infuser, the infuser is quite large for a normal tea cup so i use an oversized mug which has recently been relegated from hot chocolate duties for obvious reasons, my infuser also has a little ceramic stand to put it on to keep it safe and not mess up the counter when i remove it from the mug, i keep my green tea sealed in the foil lined bag it came in in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
Back to the effects green tea has on our bodies, first of all green tea contains many bio-active compounds which are beneficial to our health such as powerful antioxidant polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins which protect cells and molecules from damage by reducing the formation of free radicals. The antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is one of the most powerful compounds in green tea and has led to as yet unsubstantiated theories that it's affects can reduce the risk of various cancers, i say unsubstantiated as there are yet to be any approved claims of this from studies on humans in Europe or the USA. But in theory if oxidative damage can contribute to cancer cells developing then it makes sense that combating this with an antioxidant can have a protective affect?
This next benefit of green tea blew my mind, the catechins present have been shown in studies to inhibit the growth of streptococcus which is the primary bacteria in the mouth which causes plaque formation leading to tooth decay and cavities!
Other possible advantages of green tea are as follows but i must stress that most of these advantages are as yet verified in human studies, show only marginal success in controlled trials or depend on the individual:
- Lowers risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ultimately dementia.
- Lowers risk of type II diabetes by up to 42%.
- Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease up to 31%.
- Boosts metabolic rate and weight loss.
- Decreases the risk of death from heart disease and strokes
The compound i need to focus on for my answer to why i have a overpowering desire to listen to 160bpm drum and bass after drinking green tea is caffeine which has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, although green tea has less caffeine present than coffee it can still block an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine increasing the firing of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine improving mood, reaction time, memory and vigilance.
Caffeine works in conjunction with the amino acid L-theanine increasing the activity of another neurotransmitter known as GABA which has anti-anxiety effects, this amino acid also has the ability to increase the production of alpha waves in the brain which are the gateway to your subconscious and lie at the base of your conscious awareness, mainly intuition, problem solving and creativity. Alpha waves unlike beta waves also improve moods and establishes emotional stability by increasing serotonin production which is key to alleviating stress and depression.
So there you have it, when i drink green tea i am basically experiencing amongst other things a legal high, hmm there may be a niche in the market for a green tea only nightclub...
I will end on the fact that i have reduced the amount of green tea i am steeping to half a teaspoon and this seems to shorten the jittery effects i have been experiencing.
So yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Bran flakes with semi skimmed milk.
Mid morning snack: Carrot, pineapple and orange booster juice plus a banana.
Lunch: Basil and lemon chicken salad plus salted peanuts.
Afternoon snack: Apple and a peanut butter sandwich on low GI white bread.
Dinner: Low fat lasagne.
Desert: Stewed fruit and custard.
Drinks: 2.8 litres of water, 2 coffees and one hit of green tea!
Total calories: 1885 calories (still working on the increase)
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Exercise - Day 9
I have found myself in competition with another slimmer who is a member of a weight loss forum i joined, to see who can achieve the most steps in a day, day one which was Monday i was soundly beaten 16,483 steps to my 13,092 steps.
Yesterday by midday it looked like i was on course for a +-8000 step day so at 1pm i went out for a 1.5km stroll around the industrial area i work in and added an extra 951 steps to my daily total and burned 126 calories. According to my heart rate monitor I also managed 7 minutes of fat burn, 5 minutes of cardio and my heart rate peaked for 4 minutes. It was hot though, wow, at one point my walk took me under a 100m cooler covered area which was a blessing.
When i got home from work my steps were around 7000 so i told Shannon i was going out for a walk, she asked if we the family could all go out together which i thought was a great idea so i suggested we all drive down to the beach for a sunset walk, which we did.
We strapped baby Ethan to my chest in a baby harness, Ryan decked out in his shorts and tee, and with sunglasses on Shannon and myself hit the beach with our brood.
We walked along the water line for 1 hour, covered just over 4km, burnt off 714 calories and more importantly i added 4043 steps to my daily total.
The sunset was stunning, Ryan had a great time, got soaking wet, befriended a piece of discarded seaweed, chased our shadows up the beach as the sun set and laughed his head off, Ethan smiled and cooed and finally fell asleep with his head on my chest, Shannon was laughing and joking and told me how proud she was of me, so all in all it was such a beautiful, natural and relaxed way to exercise.
During the one hour walk on the beach my heart rate was constantly in the fat burn zone which was an added bonus.
And as for the step competition i narrowly won 13286 to 13194...
Yesterday by midday it looked like i was on course for a +-8000 step day so at 1pm i went out for a 1.5km stroll around the industrial area i work in and added an extra 951 steps to my daily total and burned 126 calories. According to my heart rate monitor I also managed 7 minutes of fat burn, 5 minutes of cardio and my heart rate peaked for 4 minutes. It was hot though, wow, at one point my walk took me under a 100m cooler covered area which was a blessing.
When i got home from work my steps were around 7000 so i told Shannon i was going out for a walk, she asked if we the family could all go out together which i thought was a great idea so i suggested we all drive down to the beach for a sunset walk, which we did.
We strapped baby Ethan to my chest in a baby harness, Ryan decked out in his shorts and tee, and with sunglasses on Shannon and myself hit the beach with our brood.
We walked along the water line for 1 hour, covered just over 4km, burnt off 714 calories and more importantly i added 4043 steps to my daily total.
The sunset was stunning, Ryan had a great time, got soaking wet, befriended a piece of discarded seaweed, chased our shadows up the beach as the sun set and laughed his head off, Ethan smiled and cooed and finally fell asleep with his head on my chest, Shannon was laughing and joking and told me how proud she was of me, so all in all it was such a beautiful, natural and relaxed way to exercise.
During the one hour walk on the beach my heart rate was constantly in the fat burn zone which was an added bonus.
And as for the step competition i narrowly won 13286 to 13194...
Meals - Day 9
I freaked out yesterday afternoon, i was sat here feeling very light headed, washed out and couldn't concentrate.
I put these feelings down to the food addict in me screaming out for sugar but as i am eating a nutritious well balanced meal plan i decided to do a bit of digging on the internet, trying to correlate all the advice into one solid answer proved to be a bit difficult however i think i have a rough idea what is going on now.
It turns out i may have unintentionally put my body into starvation mode, in short i am consuming less calories than my body needs just to function properly and if this is the case my body is triggering defence mechanisms which will slow down my metabolism to make the most of the energy i am feeding it, meaning my weight loss is also slowed down, which is not good.
To calculate the amount of energy required for our bodies to go through the daily motions of just staying alive we need to know our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), this figure is determined by height, weight, age, gender. To calculate manually we can use the Harris-Benedict equation later revised by Roza and Shizgal as follows:
For men: BMR= 88.362+(13.397 x weight in kg)+(4.799 x height in cm)-(5.677 x age in years)
For women: BMR= 447.593+(9.247 x weight in kg)+(3.098 x height in cm)-(4.330 x age in years)
So for me my equation looks like this:
BMR= 3220.91 - 221.40 = 2999.51 calories
2999.51 represents the amount of calories i need to be eating if i theoretically stayed in bed all day blinking, breathing, scratching and turning over. But we don't do that on a daily basis so now we have the BMR we have to take into account the amount of energy we expend going about our daily routines of commuting, working, digesting food or exercising this is called the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to reach this figure we have to be honest with ourselves and pick from the list below and multiply our BMR by the number which follows our level of activity:
Sedentary (little or no exercise) 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise, doing sports 1-3 days a week) 1.375
Moderately active (sports/exercise 3-5 days per week) 1.55
Very active (intense sports 6 or 7 days per week) 1.725
Extra active (sports and exercise, physical job or hard training) 1.9
So if i take my previous level of activity prior to my move to a healthier lifestyle as sedentary my TDEE calculation looks like this:
2999.51 x 1.2 = 3599.41 calories which represents my TDEE.
Therefore to maintain my body weight of 162.4kg i need to eat 3599.41 calories a day and do little or no exercise for example walk to the car, go to the office, sit at my desk, walk back to my car, go home and couch potato all night but now i am walking 10,000 steps a day of which at least 4000 are in one go which is classed as exercise, i have increased my physical activity to lightly active so 3599.41 calories is not an accurate figure of my current lifestyle so i have to recalculate my TDEE as follows:
2999.51 x 1.375 = 4113.33 calories which represents my new TDEE, this is very accurate because my sports watch mentioned in a previous blog tells me that i burn between 4000 and 4500 calories a day.
I now know how many calories i need to be eating in order for me to stay at 162.4kg, go about my daily lightly active lifestyle, but i don't want to weigh 162.4kg i want to lose weight and do it in a responsible and safe way over a realistic period of time so i now have to create a calorie deficit meaning eating less calories than my maintenance level currently requires, some dietitians i have come across during my research recommend reducing your calorie intake by between 500 to a 1000 calories maximum per day, but this figure does not really take into account the overall meaning of healthy eating, sure i could reduce my intake from 4113.33 to 3133.33 calories which is ok because i am very heavy and have plenty of fat stores to keep me going but what if your TDEE is 2200 calories in this scenario reducing your calorie intake to 1200 calories per day can be very dangerous to your health and also negatively effect your metabolism for weight loss so i found this excellent guideline to follow when creating a calorie deficit which is based on your desired rate of weight loss showing the calorie deficit as % of your TDEE:
15-20% = conservative deficit
21-25% = moderate deficit
26-30% = aggressive deficit
31-40% = very aggressive deficit (risky)
41-50% = semi starvation/starvation (potentially dangerous & unhealthy if not monitored by a doctor)
Which brings me all the way back to my opening point because as it stands right now my figures look like this:
BMR = 2991.51 calories
TDEE = 4133.33 calories
Daily intake = 1700 calories
Calorie deficit = 2433.33 calories
Calorie deficit % = 58.87 which is in the semi starvation/starvation zone.
As i need to lose a lot of weight i can afford to be aggressive with my calorie deficit due to my size, so realistically my figures should look like this:
BMR = 2991.51 calories
TDEE = 4133.33 calories
Daily intake = 2893.34 calories
Calorie deficit = 1239.99 calories
As i need to lose a lot of weight i can afford to be aggressive with my calorie deficit due to my size, so realistically my figures should look like this:
BMR = 2991.51 calories
TDEE = 4133.33 calories
Daily intake = 2893.34 calories
Calorie deficit = 1239.99 calories
Calorie deficit % = 30%
Please note that as you lose weight or increase your daily activity levels or both you have to recalculate your daily intake of calories in order to maintain your set level of weight loss for example i will do this once a month on photo/measurements day.
Finally, from the figures above we can get a rough estimate of how long the weight loss will take if we stick to the deficit % we have chosen for ourselves which in my case is 30% as follows:
Goal weight = 85kg
Weight to be lost = 77.4kg
Calories to be burned 77.4kg x 7000 = 541800 calories (7000 calories = 1kg of fat weight)
Calorie deficit = 1239.99 per day
Calorie deficit = 8679.93 per week
Calories to be burned divided by weekly calorie deficit 541800/8679.93 = 62 weeks.
Just over a year to safely lose 77.4kg sounds about right and in accordance with what most dietitians advise about losing weight gradually to aid goal weight maintenance instead of crashing with a fad diet which is a difficult lifestyle to maintain once goal weight is achieved.
In closing it is obvious that i need to increase my calorie intake from 1770 calories per day in order to maximise my weight loss so over the course of the following month i will be gradually adding healthy options to my daily calorie intake and monitoring how i feel versus weight lost.
So without further ado yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Blackberry smoothie.
Mid morning snack: Lean biltong plus a banana.
Lunch: Roasted butternut & halloumi salad.
Afternoon snack: Apple plus a peanut butter sandwich on low gi white bread.
Dinner: Grilled chicken fillet with stir fry vegetables and buckwheat noodles.
Dessert: Blueberry and pecan oatie.
Evening snack: Handful of salted peanuts.
Drinks: 3 litres of water, 2 coffees and 1 green tea.
Total calories: 2181 calories.
Please note that as you lose weight or increase your daily activity levels or both you have to recalculate your daily intake of calories in order to maintain your set level of weight loss for example i will do this once a month on photo/measurements day.
Finally, from the figures above we can get a rough estimate of how long the weight loss will take if we stick to the deficit % we have chosen for ourselves which in my case is 30% as follows:
Goal weight = 85kg
Weight to be lost = 77.4kg
Calories to be burned 77.4kg x 7000 = 541800 calories (7000 calories = 1kg of fat weight)
Calorie deficit = 1239.99 per day
Calorie deficit = 8679.93 per week
Calories to be burned divided by weekly calorie deficit 541800/8679.93 = 62 weeks.
Just over a year to safely lose 77.4kg sounds about right and in accordance with what most dietitians advise about losing weight gradually to aid goal weight maintenance instead of crashing with a fad diet which is a difficult lifestyle to maintain once goal weight is achieved.
In closing it is obvious that i need to increase my calorie intake from 1770 calories per day in order to maximise my weight loss so over the course of the following month i will be gradually adding healthy options to my daily calorie intake and monitoring how i feel versus weight lost.
So without further ado yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Blackberry smoothie.
Mid morning snack: Lean biltong plus a banana.
Lunch: Roasted butternut & halloumi salad.
Afternoon snack: Apple plus a peanut butter sandwich on low gi white bread.
Dinner: Grilled chicken fillet with stir fry vegetables and buckwheat noodles.
Dessert: Blueberry and pecan oatie.
Evening snack: Handful of salted peanuts.
Drinks: 3 litres of water, 2 coffees and 1 green tea.
Total calories: 2181 calories.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Exercise - Day 8
I have to try and make this brief,
Thanks to MikeBurk i am now aiming for 10,000 steps per day minimum.
During the course of a normal day and due to the fact i work in a small office my daily steps are +-7000 which means i have to find 3000 extra steps from somewhere.
I am still enjoying my walks with Ryan after work but the length of the walk depends on Ryans mood, on Saturday we went out for a walk the usual scenario of me in trainers Ryan on his green machine bicycle but after 5 minutes he wanted to go home to carry on playing with his cousin who slept over, incidentally the same cousin who he had been fighting with 6 minutes earlier and the main reason i dragged him out the house to cool down, kids, and last night Shannon and myself were summoned to a school AGM and had to be there half six to seven o'clock.
According to the Financial Officer the school is R29 million in debt and will soon be borrowing a further R7 million and for some reason it was all a big laugh and no one appeared to be bothered which was a bit concerning.
Anyway, so where was i to find the days extra 3000 steps, sure i would walk about a bit at the AGM but probably not enough so at lunch time yesterday for the first time ever i left my desk and went out for a walk, i covered 1.1km in 660 steps which by the way is no mean feat seeing as the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius and i was wearing my steel toe capped work boots.
So with 660 steps in the bank i had to find the other 2340 steps, so I rushed home from work, in the house, boots off, trainers on quick quick, hi love bye love and missioned off around the block for 35 minutes. The walk took in 1752 steps the outstanding was taken up at the AGM and 5 laps of the garden when we got home so for the 4th day in a row i hit +10,000 steps.
Thanks to MikeBurk i am now aiming for 10,000 steps per day minimum.
During the course of a normal day and due to the fact i work in a small office my daily steps are +-7000 which means i have to find 3000 extra steps from somewhere.
I am still enjoying my walks with Ryan after work but the length of the walk depends on Ryans mood, on Saturday we went out for a walk the usual scenario of me in trainers Ryan on his green machine bicycle but after 5 minutes he wanted to go home to carry on playing with his cousin who slept over, incidentally the same cousin who he had been fighting with 6 minutes earlier and the main reason i dragged him out the house to cool down, kids, and last night Shannon and myself were summoned to a school AGM and had to be there half six to seven o'clock.
According to the Financial Officer the school is R29 million in debt and will soon be borrowing a further R7 million and for some reason it was all a big laugh and no one appeared to be bothered which was a bit concerning.
Anyway, so where was i to find the days extra 3000 steps, sure i would walk about a bit at the AGM but probably not enough so at lunch time yesterday for the first time ever i left my desk and went out for a walk, i covered 1.1km in 660 steps which by the way is no mean feat seeing as the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius and i was wearing my steel toe capped work boots.
So with 660 steps in the bank i had to find the other 2340 steps, so I rushed home from work, in the house, boots off, trainers on quick quick, hi love bye love and missioned off around the block for 35 minutes. The walk took in 1752 steps the outstanding was taken up at the AGM and 5 laps of the garden when we got home so for the 4th day in a row i hit +10,000 steps.
Meals - Day 8
...where was I? Oh aye... Sunday Lunch.
On Sunday we met up with Shannons sister, husband and two boys for lunch at the farmstall out near Melkbos, it's a nice spot for lunch, the menu is wholesome, the food quality i would describe as ok, mainly due to the fact that last time i was there i am sure my 'home made farmhouse' chicken pie was microwaved which was a pity because i am a sucker for home made chicken pie, in fact when we take road trips up to Plettenberg Bay i always make a point of stopping half way in Swellendam for the amazing chicken pie at the restaurant near the church on the rivers edge, however i digress,
According to my fitness app and other extensive research i have carried out for me to reach my recommended target weight of 85kg safely under normal circumstances the amount of calories i should be taking in per day is approx 3000 this is based on the amount of calories i burn carting my moosive frame around which is +-4000 per day, this then creates a 1000 calorie deficit, for every 7000 calorie deficit i achieve it is equal to losing 1kg of body fat weight, the total calories intake per day will reduce as i get closer to my target weight, for example the current recommended intake of calories for the average man who is healthy, mildly active and eats a balanced diet to be able to maintain his body weight and BMI should be +-2500 per day.
So the bottom line is this, based on the norm of 2500 calories per day whatever you eat more or less of will either lose you weight or put it on, if you eat 3000 calories a day you need to exercise and burn off 500 of them alternatively if you eat 2500 calories a day and burn 500 exercising you can treat yourself and add an extra 500 calories to your diet to stay the weight you are but if you eat 3000 calories per day and do no exercise you will in theory put on 1 kg every 14 days. Incidentally the total recommended amount of calories for a woman is 2000 per day.
With all that in mind on Sunday morning i exercised by taking a 35 minute stroll around the complex and surrounding streets which burned off an extra 270 calories so realistically as i am sticking to 1700 calories per day i had gained myself an extra 270 calories to play with taking my possible total intake to 1970 calories for the day so as a reward when i went to lunch i ordered what ever i wanted without going mad and would not have to suffer the consequences later on,
So Sundays lunch was as follows:
3 Jalapeno Poppers
1 Chicken Tikka wrap with chips (i only ate 3 chips)
1 coffee and 2 glasses of water.
Total calories 777 which brought my Sunday total in at 1907 which is less than 1700 + 270 by 63 calories... so it was all good...
Yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Homemade granola with blueberry yogurt.
Mid morning snack: Beetroot, lemon and ginger booster juice plus a banana.
Lunch: Mixed bean, corn and pepper salad with a lime and coriander dressing.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Red spiced fish with a warm green salad.
Desert: Caramelised pear with yogurt.
Evening snack: Handful of salted peanuts and an apple.
Drinks: 3.3 litres of water, 3 coffees and 1 green tea.
Total calories: 1759
On Sunday we met up with Shannons sister, husband and two boys for lunch at the farmstall out near Melkbos, it's a nice spot for lunch, the menu is wholesome, the food quality i would describe as ok, mainly due to the fact that last time i was there i am sure my 'home made farmhouse' chicken pie was microwaved which was a pity because i am a sucker for home made chicken pie, in fact when we take road trips up to Plettenberg Bay i always make a point of stopping half way in Swellendam for the amazing chicken pie at the restaurant near the church on the rivers edge, however i digress,
According to my fitness app and other extensive research i have carried out for me to reach my recommended target weight of 85kg safely under normal circumstances the amount of calories i should be taking in per day is approx 3000 this is based on the amount of calories i burn carting my moosive frame around which is +-4000 per day, this then creates a 1000 calorie deficit, for every 7000 calorie deficit i achieve it is equal to losing 1kg of body fat weight, the total calories intake per day will reduce as i get closer to my target weight, for example the current recommended intake of calories for the average man who is healthy, mildly active and eats a balanced diet to be able to maintain his body weight and BMI should be +-2500 per day.
So the bottom line is this, based on the norm of 2500 calories per day whatever you eat more or less of will either lose you weight or put it on, if you eat 3000 calories a day you need to exercise and burn off 500 of them alternatively if you eat 2500 calories a day and burn 500 exercising you can treat yourself and add an extra 500 calories to your diet to stay the weight you are but if you eat 3000 calories per day and do no exercise you will in theory put on 1 kg every 14 days. Incidentally the total recommended amount of calories for a woman is 2000 per day.
With all that in mind on Sunday morning i exercised by taking a 35 minute stroll around the complex and surrounding streets which burned off an extra 270 calories so realistically as i am sticking to 1700 calories per day i had gained myself an extra 270 calories to play with taking my possible total intake to 1970 calories for the day so as a reward when i went to lunch i ordered what ever i wanted without going mad and would not have to suffer the consequences later on,
So Sundays lunch was as follows:
3 Jalapeno Poppers
1 Chicken Tikka wrap with chips (i only ate 3 chips)
1 coffee and 2 glasses of water.
Total calories 777 which brought my Sunday total in at 1907 which is less than 1700 + 270 by 63 calories... so it was all good...
Yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Homemade granola with blueberry yogurt.
Mid morning snack: Beetroot, lemon and ginger booster juice plus a banana.
Lunch: Mixed bean, corn and pepper salad with a lime and coriander dressing.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Red spiced fish with a warm green salad.
Desert: Caramelised pear with yogurt.
Evening snack: Handful of salted peanuts and an apple.
Drinks: 3.3 litres of water, 3 coffees and 1 green tea.
Total calories: 1759
Monday, February 16, 2015
Week 1 - Time to hit the scales
I'll weigh myself every Monday morning about 1 hour after breakfast on the same scales, measurements will be updated every month, and at some point this week i have to add grisly pictures of myself in just my pants.
Weight last week - 167kg
Weight today - 162.4kg
Weight lost week 1 - 4.6kg
Weight lost total - 4.6kg
BMI last week - 51%
BMI today - 49.6%
BMI week 1 improved by - 1.4%
BMI total improved by - 1.4%
Weight last week - 167kg
Weight today - 162.4kg
Weight lost week 1 - 4.6kg
Weight lost total - 4.6kg
BMI last week - 51%
BMI today - 49.6%
BMI week 1 improved by - 1.4%
BMI total improved by - 1.4%
Exercise - Days 5,6 & 7
'BREAKING NEWS - ON FRIDAY A CAPETONIAN MAN WHO FOR REASONS UNYET DISCLOSED REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE BAGGY CANTONA REMOVED A SPIN BIKE FROM HIS BAKKIE AND PUT IT INTO HIS GARAGE!'
Yes i finally chalked that off my to do list,
Friday exercise was an awesome landmark for all sorts of reasons but most off all it will be remembered for this email on a weight loss forum i am a member of received at 6pm from a runner and total stranger who refers to himself as MikeBuck:
'You did 3000 steps the first day, 6000 the second, 7500 the third, you should hit 10000 today! That's all it is, moving forward each day. Try to make 10000 you minimum. It will make a huge difference!'
At that point i was on 7800 steps for the day.
For the next 30 minutes I then proceeded to wander around the house between a state of 'no I can't be bothered' and 'yes go out and have a walk show MikeBuck you are taking the weight loss seriously', i finally blurted out to Ryan 'hey pal do you want to come ride your bicycle with daddy?' the look on Ryans face was a picture of happiness and excitement as he has never heard me ask this question since Santa brought him his good boy two wheeled present last Christmas, so off we went.
We both missioned around our complex, Ryan on his bike and myself in trainers (i know) for over half an hour, Ryan spent all the time pointing out all the marked car parking spaces 'look daddy here is another one!' and we chatted about school and friends and stuff, and lo and behold i hit for the first time 10,000 steps with what i will say was the minimum of effort so thank you for the push MikeBuck!
Saturday afternoon spurred on by Fridays achievements i went out for another walk with Ryan and again hit 10,000 steps and on Sunday morning i made my greatest achievement to date and walked around the streets outside my complex for what could be the first time in the four years of living there! I stomped down to the gates, broke the threshold, took a left and proceeded to wander up and down the local streets for over 35 minutes eventually covering about 5km and burning a pleasing 540 calories, and to be honest with you I managed this with no physical discomfort at all, it was easy but so effective in so many ways!
Sunday was also the point i removed the dumbells from my passenger side footwell and re-homed them strategically in the corner of our bedroom.
So i am off, i am finally exercising, i am not breaking any international records but i am slowly setting personal bests, small goals which can be easily duplicated or even beaten. Shannon is also very proud of me too which makes me so happy.
Yes i finally chalked that off my to do list,
Friday exercise was an awesome landmark for all sorts of reasons but most off all it will be remembered for this email on a weight loss forum i am a member of received at 6pm from a runner and total stranger who refers to himself as MikeBuck:
'You did 3000 steps the first day, 6000 the second, 7500 the third, you should hit 10000 today! That's all it is, moving forward each day. Try to make 10000 you minimum. It will make a huge difference!'
At that point i was on 7800 steps for the day.
For the next 30 minutes I then proceeded to wander around the house between a state of 'no I can't be bothered' and 'yes go out and have a walk show MikeBuck you are taking the weight loss seriously', i finally blurted out to Ryan 'hey pal do you want to come ride your bicycle with daddy?' the look on Ryans face was a picture of happiness and excitement as he has never heard me ask this question since Santa brought him his good boy two wheeled present last Christmas, so off we went.
We both missioned around our complex, Ryan on his bike and myself in trainers (i know) for over half an hour, Ryan spent all the time pointing out all the marked car parking spaces 'look daddy here is another one!' and we chatted about school and friends and stuff, and lo and behold i hit for the first time 10,000 steps with what i will say was the minimum of effort so thank you for the push MikeBuck!
Saturday afternoon spurred on by Fridays achievements i went out for another walk with Ryan and again hit 10,000 steps and on Sunday morning i made my greatest achievement to date and walked around the streets outside my complex for what could be the first time in the four years of living there! I stomped down to the gates, broke the threshold, took a left and proceeded to wander up and down the local streets for over 35 minutes eventually covering about 5km and burning a pleasing 540 calories, and to be honest with you I managed this with no physical discomfort at all, it was easy but so effective in so many ways!
Sunday was also the point i removed the dumbells from my passenger side footwell and re-homed them strategically in the corner of our bedroom.
So i am off, i am finally exercising, i am not breaking any international records but i am slowly setting personal bests, small goals which can be easily duplicated or even beaten. Shannon is also very proud of me too which makes me so happy.
Meals - Day 5,6 & 7
As you may have noticed at the moment i am not blogging at the weekend, my laptop is playing up, white screening when i boot it which is a shame because it has been a good companion over the years, mainly bought because it has built in Harman Kardon speakers which are arguably one of the best audio manufacturers around.
As Fridays meals are prepared i will list them in the normal fashion at the end.
Today though i would like to write about my experiences Saturday and Sunday which are for all intents and purposes days i have to fend for myself, i stuck to what i had learnt during last week; portion control, appetite control, eating responsibly and self belief not to let the greedy munchie butterflies get the better of me.
Both mornings i had the bran flakes, about a cup each day with a splash of semi skimmed milk.
Saturday night i made Thai green curry with homemade paste, sugar snap peas, 1/2 a tin of low fat coconut milk and jasmine rice and the portion size was approximately 1/2 a cup of cooked rice and 1/2 a cup of curry.
Sunday night i ate a delicious 330g lo cal lo fat chicken and spinach cannelloni bought form a local store.
For snacks i ate 5 marie biscuits (rich teas), 2 apples, a pear, a banana and an extra bowl of bran flakes spread out over the course of the weekend.
Now that just leaves Saturday and Sunday lunch and this is where i learnt a lot and also pleasantly surprised myself in the process.
Saturday lunch, getting invited to a party when dieting is always a worry and this was my concern on Friday night when a neighbor popped by to ask us to his sons 3rd birthday party at 1pm the following day. We duly accepted and when the neighbor had left we started scurrying around for a last minute present.
My initial reaction to the forthcoming party was the usual 'i'm too fat to go out and socialise' 'what will i wear?' followed by 'oh no what will i eat?' 'can i avoid temptation?' 'i'm a food addict i know i will break and hear myself saying it's only the once'. I spoke to Shannon about this and she gave me the most amazing advice passed onto her by a work colleague.
It turns out that because Shannon and her colleagues work in print media they are often invited to product launches or campaigns which inevitably means trays upon trays of tempting amuse bouche or delectable canapes and apparently the trick to not over eating on such occasions is before hand set yourself a maximum number of items you are allowing yourself to consume, no matter what the food stuff is stick to the pre-determined number and forget about the possible consequences, in Shannons case the advice was six, i decided because i am a special case i would set the target at three but nothing obvious in large sugar content.
And so the time came attend the party and sure enough we were met with a beautifully tempting buffet table that 2 weeks ago i would have said hello baby to before the hosts, pies, quiche, samosas, sausage rolls, donuts, cake & brownies all catching my eye and connecting with my inner addict.
I stayed strong, waited until i could stay away no more, took a paper plate and selected a small salmon quiche (may as well get some omega 3 while i am at it right?), a curried mince samosa and because i am a sucker for anything wrapped in puff pastry a small beef and vegetable pie, i ate them slowly, enjoyed every mouthful but also realised i am not missing out compared to what i had eaten all week. I washed it all down with half a glass of fresh mango juice, stayed away from the buffet table for the rest of the afternoon, left and returned home happy with the success of my first food orientated outing since i started this diet.
Hmm this blog is getting a bit long and i do not want to bore, whats say i talk about Sunday lunch later on in the week? I think it's a good idea too.
So without further ado Fridays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Homemade granola with strawberry yogurt.
Mid morning snack: Apple and Ginger booster juice plus a pear.
Lunch: Shredded southern pork salad.
Afternoon snack: Apple
Dinner: Chicken a la king with brown rice.
Desert: Nutella rice krispie treat.
Drinks: 2.7 litres of water, 2 coffees and 2 green teas.
Total calories: 1681
As Fridays meals are prepared i will list them in the normal fashion at the end.
Today though i would like to write about my experiences Saturday and Sunday which are for all intents and purposes days i have to fend for myself, i stuck to what i had learnt during last week; portion control, appetite control, eating responsibly and self belief not to let the greedy munchie butterflies get the better of me.
Both mornings i had the bran flakes, about a cup each day with a splash of semi skimmed milk.
Saturday night i made Thai green curry with homemade paste, sugar snap peas, 1/2 a tin of low fat coconut milk and jasmine rice and the portion size was approximately 1/2 a cup of cooked rice and 1/2 a cup of curry.
Sunday night i ate a delicious 330g lo cal lo fat chicken and spinach cannelloni bought form a local store.
For snacks i ate 5 marie biscuits (rich teas), 2 apples, a pear, a banana and an extra bowl of bran flakes spread out over the course of the weekend.
Now that just leaves Saturday and Sunday lunch and this is where i learnt a lot and also pleasantly surprised myself in the process.
Saturday lunch, getting invited to a party when dieting is always a worry and this was my concern on Friday night when a neighbor popped by to ask us to his sons 3rd birthday party at 1pm the following day. We duly accepted and when the neighbor had left we started scurrying around for a last minute present.
My initial reaction to the forthcoming party was the usual 'i'm too fat to go out and socialise' 'what will i wear?' followed by 'oh no what will i eat?' 'can i avoid temptation?' 'i'm a food addict i know i will break and hear myself saying it's only the once'. I spoke to Shannon about this and she gave me the most amazing advice passed onto her by a work colleague.
It turns out that because Shannon and her colleagues work in print media they are often invited to product launches or campaigns which inevitably means trays upon trays of tempting amuse bouche or delectable canapes and apparently the trick to not over eating on such occasions is before hand set yourself a maximum number of items you are allowing yourself to consume, no matter what the food stuff is stick to the pre-determined number and forget about the possible consequences, in Shannons case the advice was six, i decided because i am a special case i would set the target at three but nothing obvious in large sugar content.
And so the time came attend the party and sure enough we were met with a beautifully tempting buffet table that 2 weeks ago i would have said hello baby to before the hosts, pies, quiche, samosas, sausage rolls, donuts, cake & brownies all catching my eye and connecting with my inner addict.
I stayed strong, waited until i could stay away no more, took a paper plate and selected a small salmon quiche (may as well get some omega 3 while i am at it right?), a curried mince samosa and because i am a sucker for anything wrapped in puff pastry a small beef and vegetable pie, i ate them slowly, enjoyed every mouthful but also realised i am not missing out compared to what i had eaten all week. I washed it all down with half a glass of fresh mango juice, stayed away from the buffet table for the rest of the afternoon, left and returned home happy with the success of my first food orientated outing since i started this diet.
Hmm this blog is getting a bit long and i do not want to bore, whats say i talk about Sunday lunch later on in the week? I think it's a good idea too.
So without further ado Fridays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Homemade granola with strawberry yogurt.
Mid morning snack: Apple and Ginger booster juice plus a pear.
Lunch: Shredded southern pork salad.
Afternoon snack: Apple
Dinner: Chicken a la king with brown rice.
Desert: Nutella rice krispie treat.
Drinks: 2.7 litres of water, 2 coffees and 2 green teas.
Total calories: 1681
Friday, February 13, 2015
Exercise - Day 4
Bakkie still fully loaded, it is shameful i know but the weekend deadline is fast approaching and all will be right in the world of the Baggy Cantona by Monday morning.
However, yesterday this arrived:
In the time honored profession of procrastination i always feel throwing a gadget at the problem helps alleviate the shame,
This is what is known as a 'health watch', it has a built in heart rate monitor, connects to my smart phone with Bluetooth which in turn relays all the data into an app.
The watch is a watch too, it has 6 different read outs; time/date, heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, distance covered, stairs climbed.
It can be activated by pressing the button on the side or by some demonic black magic witchcraft of double tapping the screen.
It is splash proof but not water proof, the strap is hypoallergenic, comfortable but only just fits me the strap is on the last hole, it's on my left wrist which is my non dominant hand and i will wear it from the moment i get out of bed in the morning until i return to my horizontal heaven on earth in the evening.
I will go into the data and app in more detail in the future but for now all i will say is the fact i can see how many calories i am burning is such a boost for me, for now i do not have to fret about estimated facts and figures, obsess about my intake of calories versus calories burned as according to the data i am burning way more calories than i am consuming, but more on that later on, the data i have access to is so exciting i can't wait to blog about it!
So as it stands,
Exercise completed yesterday:
None in the physical sense of intense cardiovascular activity but biologically i took in 1641 calories and by spending most of the day sitting down i burned 4039 calories of which 1585 were activity based mainly by climbing 14 floors and taking 6787 steps, spread out throughout the day, i'm no hero...
...yet.
However, yesterday this arrived:
In the time honored profession of procrastination i always feel throwing a gadget at the problem helps alleviate the shame,
This is what is known as a 'health watch', it has a built in heart rate monitor, connects to my smart phone with Bluetooth which in turn relays all the data into an app.
The watch is a watch too, it has 6 different read outs; time/date, heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, distance covered, stairs climbed.
It can be activated by pressing the button on the side or by some demonic black magic witchcraft of double tapping the screen.
It is splash proof but not water proof, the strap is hypoallergenic, comfortable but only just fits me the strap is on the last hole, it's on my left wrist which is my non dominant hand and i will wear it from the moment i get out of bed in the morning until i return to my horizontal heaven on earth in the evening.
I will go into the data and app in more detail in the future but for now all i will say is the fact i can see how many calories i am burning is such a boost for me, for now i do not have to fret about estimated facts and figures, obsess about my intake of calories versus calories burned as according to the data i am burning way more calories than i am consuming, but more on that later on, the data i have access to is so exciting i can't wait to blog about it!
So as it stands,
Exercise completed yesterday:
None in the physical sense of intense cardiovascular activity but biologically i took in 1641 calories and by spending most of the day sitting down i burned 4039 calories of which 1585 were activity based mainly by climbing 14 floors and taking 6787 steps, spread out throughout the day, i'm no hero...
...yet.
Meals - Day 4
Reet, i am trying to stick to not eating after 8pm,
From everything i have read this appears to be a basic rule of dieting which for me as a food addict is proving difficult, with the two boys 6pm until 8pm is what Shannon refers to as the crazy hours, Ethan has to be fed, bathed and bedded so does Ryan, the sonic backdrop which themes these two hours is a mash up of frustrated parental pleading, screaming boys and Dora the Explorer, it is madness.
In the past i would mostly cook dinner for Shannon and myself while my amazing wife and the boys loving mum would see to the two terrors, once the crazy hours had passed we would finally sit down to eat, now i have pre-prepped meals to look forward to and currently cannot risk the temptation of picking and craving while cooking for Shannon i am eating much earlier at around 7pm which has it's pros and cons:
Pros: I get to eat dinner earlier than usual at a more reasonable time.
Cons: I get hungry around 9pm.
So last night for an hour after 9pm i was thinking 'what's in to eat? 'is any of yesterdays popcorn left?' 'half a cup of cornflakes and semi skimmed milk cannot hurt can it?' ''drink more water, that's what the experts say', Shannon noticing i was on the wane made me a coffee, she offered to and i said yes, now in reality I shouldn't really be drinking coffee after 6pm but i made an exception hoping the caffeine would help abate my appetite and to be honest it did but in the end i was so close to eating something stupid i relented and went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep, dreamt about food all night and woke up happy with myself for not breaking my diet over a stupid craving to be greedy.
So yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Caramalised onion, ricotta and spinach omelette.
Mid morning snack: Trail mix (cheerios, choc chips and peanuts) and a pear.
Lunch: Low GI pasta salad with sun dried tomato and feta.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Lean beef cottage pie with cauliflower mash and peas.
Dessert: Baked apple, raisins and cinnamon syrup!
Drinks: 2 litres of water, 3 coffees and 2 green teas.
Total calories: 1641
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Exercise - Day 3
Spin bike update...
It is STILL in the back of the bakkie,
On Tuesday my dad also lent two pairs of 2.5kg dumbbells and alas they are also still living their new life in the passenger side foot well of the same vehicle.
Do i feel guilty? - I do a little bit but not so much.
My first hurdle is to sort the eating out then add the exercise, i have mentioned in a previous post that i am waiting (see procrastinating) for week two to begin until i start my training regime, so this weekend is my deadline for emptying my car of the various pieces of fitness equipment i am collecting and put them into their rightful places, update on the move Monday followed by a proper 'Exercise completed yesterday' post on Tuesday.
I am excited to get going, and i know the hardest thing is to start after that it is easy to find the motivation to keep it up.
It is STILL in the back of the bakkie,
On Tuesday my dad also lent two pairs of 2.5kg dumbbells and alas they are also still living their new life in the passenger side foot well of the same vehicle.
Do i feel guilty? - I do a little bit but not so much.
My first hurdle is to sort the eating out then add the exercise, i have mentioned in a previous post that i am waiting (see procrastinating) for week two to begin until i start my training regime, so this weekend is my deadline for emptying my car of the various pieces of fitness equipment i am collecting and put them into their rightful places, update on the move Monday followed by a proper 'Exercise completed yesterday' post on Tuesday.
I am excited to get going, and i know the hardest thing is to start after that it is easy to find the motivation to keep it up.
Meals - Day 3
Another great day yesterday, i am well pleased with the addition of the fruit with my mid morning snack it really did help boost me through the 2 hours which followed.
I have learnt two things so far in the past 3 days and that is:
1. Chew your food,
In the past i would be in the middle of swallowing one mouthful only to be stuffing the next in, i would also swallow food not fully chewed, this is a big problem with from a psychological point of view because one way our brains determine if we have eaten enough food is my the amount of chewing or time taken to consume the meal, the more i chew my food the more it seems to make me feel fuller and content once finished my meal, also the other major bonus from chewing food properly is it allows me to taste and enjoy the food more. A 1/2 cup of bran flakes with 200ml of milk, eaten out of a mug with a teaspoon should take 10 minutes if eaten slowly and chewed correctly, meal times are there to savor and enjoy.
2. Portion sizes,
Wow, as i can cook i am eating roughly the same foods as i have done in the past, the good dishes such as spaghetti and meatballs, chow mien stir fry, salads, omelettes etc. but at a fraction of the size, like 20% of the size and the feeling afterwards is better than ever, yes i feel full but not so stuffed i cannot move, yes i feel like i have enjoyed a flavorsome meal but with no burping, belching or regurgitating as before, yes i am enjoying wholesome exotic foods which i thought would be disallowed on a lo cal diet but not any of the monotony experienced with certain extreme and restricted quick solution diets and more importantly no food is wasted or binned.
So yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Bran flakes with 200ml of semi skimmed milk.
Mid morning snack: Carrot and apple booster juice plus one small banana.
Lunch: Spicy chicken salad with broccoli.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Chicken chow mien with stir fry vegetables.
Dessert: (it still rocks) Chocolate cheesecake.
Evening snack: 1 x cup of salted popcorn.
Drinks: 2 litres of water, 2 coffees and 3 green teas.
Total calories: 1700
A short side note if i may on the popcorn, Shannon took Ryan to the circus last night, came home with a bag of popcorn, i quickly checked the calorie counter, 1 cup = 50 cal and i was good to go, i will not generally be entertaining an evening snack or any food after 8pm but on this occasion my food addicted fat barsteward mentality kicked in and i thought 'bugger it why not, i've been good today'
I have learnt two things so far in the past 3 days and that is:
1. Chew your food,
In the past i would be in the middle of swallowing one mouthful only to be stuffing the next in, i would also swallow food not fully chewed, this is a big problem with from a psychological point of view because one way our brains determine if we have eaten enough food is my the amount of chewing or time taken to consume the meal, the more i chew my food the more it seems to make me feel fuller and content once finished my meal, also the other major bonus from chewing food properly is it allows me to taste and enjoy the food more. A 1/2 cup of bran flakes with 200ml of milk, eaten out of a mug with a teaspoon should take 10 minutes if eaten slowly and chewed correctly, meal times are there to savor and enjoy.
2. Portion sizes,
Wow, as i can cook i am eating roughly the same foods as i have done in the past, the good dishes such as spaghetti and meatballs, chow mien stir fry, salads, omelettes etc. but at a fraction of the size, like 20% of the size and the feeling afterwards is better than ever, yes i feel full but not so stuffed i cannot move, yes i feel like i have enjoyed a flavorsome meal but with no burping, belching or regurgitating as before, yes i am enjoying wholesome exotic foods which i thought would be disallowed on a lo cal diet but not any of the monotony experienced with certain extreme and restricted quick solution diets and more importantly no food is wasted or binned.
So yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Bran flakes with 200ml of semi skimmed milk.
Mid morning snack: Carrot and apple booster juice plus one small banana.
Lunch: Spicy chicken salad with broccoli.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Chicken chow mien with stir fry vegetables.
Dessert: (it still rocks) Chocolate cheesecake.
Evening snack: 1 x cup of salted popcorn.
Drinks: 2 litres of water, 2 coffees and 3 green teas.
Total calories: 1700
A short side note if i may on the popcorn, Shannon took Ryan to the circus last night, came home with a bag of popcorn, i quickly checked the calorie counter, 1 cup = 50 cal and i was good to go, i will not generally be entertaining an evening snack or any food after 8pm but on this occasion my food addicted fat barsteward mentality kicked in and i thought 'bugger it why not, i've been good today'
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
The witching hours - update
I've mentioned before that the worst period of the day is between mid morning snack at 11am and the 1pm lunch, i think i may have broken the back of it by adding a medium banana, 100 calories though but it has kept me sane the past 2 hours... Chuffed...
Exercise - Day 2
Erm,
Look i bought a second hand spin bike on Monday night from a woman who used it 5 times and realised she had a back problem, myself and Ryan went to pick it up in the bakkie, the price was incredible, she bought it for R4000, advertised it for R2600, i offered her R2000 cash by email to take it straight away and she agreed by reply email within 40 seconds, it was agreed i would go to her house around 6pm and pick it up, meanwhile i saw another used spin bike for sale an Avalance, white, used 15 times, owner needs to make space (the picture was the usual cliche; bike in the bedroom, bought to be used but ends up as a clothes horse) she was asking R2900, i emailed the seller at 5.15pm and offered her R2000 cash i would pick up that night but she had to reply before 6pm because at that time i would be buying the first option, she mailed me back at like 1 minute past 6pm,
'yes, my husband says that is ok'.
Unfortunately at 6pm i was knocking on the previous sellers door, inspecting the bike which is in tip top condition and slapping 10 of the crispest 200 hundred rand notes into her greedy palm.
Just goes to show that with the economy the way it is today it is possible to knock anyone down upto 40% from asking price, i was quite pleased with myself, however i will get on to the spin bike in more detail later because...
...it is still in the back of my bakkie waiting to be unloaded.
So on that note yesterdays exercise amounted to:
Thinking about unloading the spin bike from the bakkie and putting it into the garage, in fact i even went as far as burning calories by talking about unloading the spin bike and putting it into the garage...
still a bum...
Look i bought a second hand spin bike on Monday night from a woman who used it 5 times and realised she had a back problem, myself and Ryan went to pick it up in the bakkie, the price was incredible, she bought it for R4000, advertised it for R2600, i offered her R2000 cash by email to take it straight away and she agreed by reply email within 40 seconds, it was agreed i would go to her house around 6pm and pick it up, meanwhile i saw another used spin bike for sale an Avalance, white, used 15 times, owner needs to make space (the picture was the usual cliche; bike in the bedroom, bought to be used but ends up as a clothes horse) she was asking R2900, i emailed the seller at 5.15pm and offered her R2000 cash i would pick up that night but she had to reply before 6pm because at that time i would be buying the first option, she mailed me back at like 1 minute past 6pm,
'yes, my husband says that is ok'.
Unfortunately at 6pm i was knocking on the previous sellers door, inspecting the bike which is in tip top condition and slapping 10 of the crispest 200 hundred rand notes into her greedy palm.
Just goes to show that with the economy the way it is today it is possible to knock anyone down upto 40% from asking price, i was quite pleased with myself, however i will get on to the spin bike in more detail later because...
...it is still in the back of my bakkie waiting to be unloaded.
So on that note yesterdays exercise amounted to:
Thinking about unloading the spin bike from the bakkie and putting it into the garage, in fact i even went as far as burning calories by talking about unloading the spin bike and putting it into the garage...
still a bum...
Meals - Day 2
Yesterday went well,
I am still addicted to food though, my whole thought process or most of it surrounds food, when's my next meal?, will it be enough?, once i've had my next meal when is the next meal?
I am even dreaming about food, last night i dreamt i was eating a massive slice of strawberry cream cake followed by anger for breaking my diet finishing off with relief when i woke up and realised it was all a dream, i am definitely having food withdrawals, cold turkey (mmm turkey), that is all it is, no big problem, i can take on my brain and win then it will pass and anyway it is not like i am eating a monotonous diet of canned tuna, boiled eggs and cheese wrapped in ham, for example yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Blackberry & strawberry smoothie with wheat germ.
Mid morning snack: Lean biltong.
Lunch: Ricotta, rocket and chick pea salad.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Traditional spaghetti and meatballs topped with tomato ragu and Parmesan cheese.
Dessert (still can't believe it): Mini milk tart.
Drinks: 1.5 litres of water, 2 coffees and 3 green teas.
1540 calories...
I am still addicted to food though, my whole thought process or most of it surrounds food, when's my next meal?, will it be enough?, once i've had my next meal when is the next meal?
I am even dreaming about food, last night i dreamt i was eating a massive slice of strawberry cream cake followed by anger for breaking my diet finishing off with relief when i woke up and realised it was all a dream, i am definitely having food withdrawals, cold turkey (mmm turkey), that is all it is, no big problem, i can take on my brain and win then it will pass and anyway it is not like i am eating a monotonous diet of canned tuna, boiled eggs and cheese wrapped in ham, for example yesterdays meals were as follows:
Breakfast: Blackberry & strawberry smoothie with wheat germ.
Mid morning snack: Lean biltong.
Lunch: Ricotta, rocket and chick pea salad.
Afternoon snack: Apple.
Dinner: Traditional spaghetti and meatballs topped with tomato ragu and Parmesan cheese.
Dessert (still can't believe it): Mini milk tart.
Drinks: 1.5 litres of water, 2 coffees and 3 green teas.
1540 calories...
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
The witching hours...
Same as yesterday, the time between my morning snack and lunch is dragging, i am hungry, drinking lots of water and contemplating a coffee to stave off the cravings, when will it end!!!! I know it is mind over matter and i can get through this but this seems to be the hardest part of the day so far... Only day 2 though, i am trying to keep myself busy to keep my mind off it but my thoughts keep reconnecting with my stomach and then i look at the clock on the corner of my pc and sigh 'another two hours to go until lunch' Is there a way of hiding the clock i wonder?
Exercise - Day one
I will update everyday what exercise i did the day before.
I have decided to start the exercise one week after starting the diet to give my body time to adjust to the plan but also because i am still in the super lazy put it off for a bit mode, i know from experience with previous diets exercise motivation comes from seeing or even not seeing results, i know it will kick in and later on i will let you know of some exciting developments in the fitness portion of this lifestyle change.
So without further a do yesterdays exercise amounted to:
NOTHING except breathing, looking, typing, walking about as little as possible and getting in and out the car 6 times...
bum...
I have decided to start the exercise one week after starting the diet to give my body time to adjust to the plan but also because i am still in the super lazy put it off for a bit mode, i know from experience with previous diets exercise motivation comes from seeing or even not seeing results, i know it will kick in and later on i will let you know of some exciting developments in the fitness portion of this lifestyle change.
So without further a do yesterdays exercise amounted to:
NOTHING except breathing, looking, typing, walking about as little as possible and getting in and out the car 6 times...
bum...
Meals - Day one
Everyday i will update here what i ate the day before, i am aiming for 1700 calories per day
My meals are being prepared by a chef a week in advance so this weeks meals where delivered to me last Friday.
The meals are vacuum packed, labelled by day and time of day to eat, they have been balanced to give me all the nutrients and micro nutrients i need using fresh produce and nothing is frozen and the calorie count per day is 1500 which leaves me 200 cal to play with like an apple in the afternoon.
It is expensive and my family and i have had to make some sacrifices to be able to afford the eating plan but we have decided my future health is worth only one year of such sacrifices, don't worry the bills are still being paid, the kids are well looked after and thankfully i have Shannons full support.
The reason i am paying for my meals is that i have always found calorie counting too difficult, prepping diet meals every day too taxing, estimating correct portion sizes a mission and maintaining variety is an effort, breakfast is an especially difficult meal to add variety too sure i could eat bran flakes or special k every morning but i would soon get bored of this or miss a breakfast then run to the junk to satisfy myself and then it's game over.
I plan to also use the meal prep model as a tool to teach me about healthy eating in the long term and hopefully by the end whenever that will be i will be able to go it alone.
So yesterdays meals as follows:
Breakfast: Homemade granola with blueberry yoghurt.
Mid morning snack: Strawberry and pineapple booster juice.
Lunch: Chicken and coriander pita.
Afternoon snack: Apple
Dinner: Cajun grilled hake with tarter sauce served with vegetable brown rice.
Dessert (i know how awesome): Chocolate pear crisp.
Drinks: 2 litres of water and 3 coffees.
All in all i enjoyed all the meals yesterday, i'll upload some sample photos at some point.
My meals are being prepared by a chef a week in advance so this weeks meals where delivered to me last Friday.
The meals are vacuum packed, labelled by day and time of day to eat, they have been balanced to give me all the nutrients and micro nutrients i need using fresh produce and nothing is frozen and the calorie count per day is 1500 which leaves me 200 cal to play with like an apple in the afternoon.
It is expensive and my family and i have had to make some sacrifices to be able to afford the eating plan but we have decided my future health is worth only one year of such sacrifices, don't worry the bills are still being paid, the kids are well looked after and thankfully i have Shannons full support.
The reason i am paying for my meals is that i have always found calorie counting too difficult, prepping diet meals every day too taxing, estimating correct portion sizes a mission and maintaining variety is an effort, breakfast is an especially difficult meal to add variety too sure i could eat bran flakes or special k every morning but i would soon get bored of this or miss a breakfast then run to the junk to satisfy myself and then it's game over.
I plan to also use the meal prep model as a tool to teach me about healthy eating in the long term and hopefully by the end whenever that will be i will be able to go it alone.
So yesterdays meals as follows:
Breakfast: Homemade granola with blueberry yoghurt.
Mid morning snack: Strawberry and pineapple booster juice.
Lunch: Chicken and coriander pita.
Afternoon snack: Apple
Dinner: Cajun grilled hake with tarter sauce served with vegetable brown rice.
Dessert (i know how awesome): Chocolate pear crisp.
Drinks: 2 litres of water and 3 coffees.
All in all i enjoyed all the meals yesterday, i'll upload some sample photos at some point.
Monday, February 09, 2015
I'm as big as a house! Ryan isn't...
Took my measurements tonight and the results are as follows:
Neck 53cm
Waist 133.5cm
Chest 135cm
BELLY 152cm
Bum 141.5cm
Upper leg 88cm
Wrist 21cm
Upper arm 46.5cm
Moosive...
In comparison Ryan wanted to be measured and I can report back as follows:
Neck 27.5cm
Waist 57cm
Chest 57cm
Belly 55cm (scumbag)
Bum 60cm
Upper leg 32.5cm
Wrist 12.5cm
Upper arm 17cm
Not moosive...
Best go looks like Ryan is strangling Ethan with the tape measure...
Foooood...
So, just had my mid morning snack, a 250ml juice booster, this morning i had blueberry yogurt with granola plus Sky News for breakfast, i'll get onto the eating plan later in the week, but for now all i can say is i am hungry, i can't stop thinking about food, the diet, the long road, the pies, when is lunch, can i do it... I have downloaded a motivational desktop wallpaper, but now i questioning the vanity of it and after all i am a married man, i don't want to look hot (sort of), i want to look erm thinner, not have a gap at the bottom of my t-shirt, wear smart shirts, jeans and stuff and that bloody Cantona shirt (will explain later on), maybe i should change the poster, any ideas? Lunch is in precisely 1 hour, 52 minutes and 27 seconds...
In the beginning there was a chubber.
I weigh 167kg, disgraceful i know,
It has taken some real dedication to eating to get this big, a lot of sitting down and plenty of late night snacking, I've eaten until full, bursting even and ate more on top of that.
I am the ripe old pre-nervous breakdown midlife crisis age of 39 now, 2 boys Ryan 4 and Ethan 6 months, married to Shannon and full of excuses.
No more eating junk
No more 2 sausage roll breakfasts washed down with a half litre coke.
No more fad Hollywood diets.
I am doing what we are already biologically programmed to do and that is basically not be greedy, apparently to maintain my weight right now i should consume over 3600 calories per day, wow that is hectic, the recommended amount for a normal mildly active male is 2200, i popped my stats into an online diet generator and apparently because i do zilch exercise, have a BMI of 50% (Ronaldo's is 10) and should weigh in around 85kg (what?) i need to consume no more than 1700 calories a day, so that's what i am going to do.
No more daft lo carb, high fat, lose a load of weight only to stop the eating plan and put it all back on again plus 10%.
No more boring boring egg breakfasts, mayo salads for lunch and a rack of lamb chops for dinner (fine though hey).
Nope i am going to follow the age old advice of, lo calorie coupled with portion control, plenty of water, five meals a day, proper breakfast and for now a wee bit of exercise, i am going to blog about how i get on, upload pics, at times talk rubbish, i will try to update as much as i can, any encouragement, support or even abuse will be much appreciated, we'll see how the blog develops, 12 months initially i will follow the eating/exercise plan, goals will be set, achieved and reset.... Here we go, fasten your seatbelts (tune) i'm on the blast pad, strapped in ready to tackle this mother head on, join me if you like....
Andrew
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