What I can say about my diet
Let me start on the diet. I did do the tv dinner thing the first time I went through the plan. Not this last time though. I didn’t want the sodium so I did make changes. I will give you some examples below…
For chicken note that every weekend I make an entire bag of frozen giant eagle chicken and save to eat through the week. I still do this. Also for the most part my diet does not change except I snack slightly more after work. This kills me. I also drink water constantly up to one gallon per day.
Breakfast one the following with Orange juice
Mostly egg white on whole wheat bread
Oatmeal
Cheerios (The healthier kind)
Snack: 1 apple, light yogurt or banana and maybe 1 graham cracker
Lunch
Turkey, swiss (under 100 calorie cheese 2% milk fat), Romaine lettuce and tomatoe + 1 grahm cracker
Glass of water
Or
Boost energy drink
Snack: 1 apple, light yogurt or banana and maybe 1 graham cracker
Supper: Glass of milk with…
Romaine lettuce, large piece of chicken, light ranch dressing, tomatoe
Or
Wheat macaroni and diced tomatoes (making using full box of macaroni and 2 cans diced tomatoes)
Or
Piece of chicken, yam, vegetable and graham cracker
Or 300-400 calorie TV dinner
Evening
Protein powder mixed with milk (and banana if after a workout)
Or
Protein powder mixed with water if really close to bed time.
Or
Yogurt (rare)
So, that’s the first part. It took getting used to at first, but this is pretty much what I eat now too. (except I am getting away from the protein powder on non-workout days because it’s expensive. Nonworkout days my evening snack may be a handful of raisins or peanuts or one of the snacks above.
You know when I first started dieting before beginning “the program” I ate healthy too but my biggest mistake I ate too much. My role I try hard to live by is to never get full. Take smaller portions, use smaller plates and get my mind on something else asap. If I cannot stand it, I give in and eat something bad but note, I do not make cookies because I’d eat them like there’s no tomorrow. I see paying $1.50 for a cookie the price of staying in shape. (Even though I surely can make them much cheaper) Being “full” will kill your plans in weight loss. Your probably know how to tease your metabolism. It’s like a log burning on the fire. Keep it burning, just one log. If the fire gets too big you burn all your wood up quicker and if it gets too small it goes out. To lose weight you have to eat. Never be hungry or full. (Though I was pretty hungry going through the initial change in my lifestyle last year. Not this last time though)
The one thing you can do to build your inner strength, character and help you to succeed in losing weight weight is to walk away from a splurge. This is where sticking to your guns come in. I believe in doing what I say I will do no matter the cost. Separate your body and spirit much like a doctor does with his patient and his emotions. When I walk to work from the bus I freeze. I freeze if my legs move slow or fast, no different. I’ll let my legs move a little quicker but I am fully focused on staying warm and not worrying about getting their faster. I’ve learned to do this quite well as a result of 20 years of strength training. I can pound the crap out of myself as long as I do not focus on the pain. I have 2 TV’s and a radio to distract me. I focus on pumping my muscles and the burn is just a side effect. It’s hard to explain but as you know there is a lot of psychology to motivation and exercise. You spirit is far superior to the body that holds it. When you can make your body align with your spirit, you will have the body you want. I know I am probably sounding nuts here as I am reading a book on social intelligence and it includes a lot of psychological analysis. (More then I care to read)
My goal if I had kids would be to incorporate kids into the workout. This could be a great thing for you guys to do together if you can find the space and the place. I know this is hard so I’ll move on.
Journaling works and can help you as long as it remains as a motivator and not a reason to quit. Becareful of barriers such as, I will workout but before I do this I have to make a protein drink, stretch for 30 minutes, take pictures of myself, do 30 minutes of cardio and then I can finally lift weights for one hour. Oh and after this, I need to shower, clean and iron my workout clothes, wipe down the machines, take notes on how I felt during every exercise and then read a book on nutrition. In other words, try to keep it simple yet effective.
I think most looney parents just decide to stay fat. Believe me, there aren’t that many people in good shape that I see each day. My bus ride is rather homely.
Discipline is the key and the topic I would like to write a book around some day. 20 years is a long time to do something and not have key values forcing me to keep at it.
Lifting weights does intimidate many people but it truly is the best way to get in shape. I’m sure you know the benefits such as muscle burns more calories while you sleep (the more you got the more efficient your resting metabolism) , it makes you more flexible and less like to be injured. (knees are more secure and fewer twisted ankles), and muscle keeps the body tighter (chest naturally lifts up, and triceps no longer fly in the wind). I have a list of like 20 things as to why cardio is inferior to cardio. My first 20 pounds came from doing cardio 1 day a week and lifting 3 days a week. The one thing to is that you do ever do get into bodybuiding, you should look into a scale that looks at your % bodyfat and not just your weight. You would also focus on pictures and measurements. Muscle looks better. You guys should go with us to the PA Championships in the spring. Beth was actually inspired, I could not believe it. Last thing I will say on this issue is you will not look like those bodybuilding ladies that compete. You’d more likely look like a swimmer or some other less bulky athlete at best. Believe me, if it was easy to look like Arnold, I would look like Arnold now.
My biggest issue with cardio is you almost have to do it daily and I just don’t have time for that. By lifting my metabolism is burning quicker when I sleep and also on the days between workouts. Ok, I’ll move on. Remember though, I lifted for a long time and the thing I had to change was my diet. Working out alone was not enough.
One diet a friend of my suggested was to be extremely disciplined 6 days a week and do whatever you want on day 7. This is a guy promoting abs and I Have his book here somewhere too. I didn’t really like him. Very cocky.
Finally, it does seem like you know what to do and it’s just a matter more so of splurging less and watching some of the snacking. I would not of done the 6 week program if I would of thought of it in terms of forever. I thought of it as, I’ll do it for 6 weeks and decide at that point to recommit or not. If I can’t commit to 6 weeks, I can’t commit to anything. During this process I began to reprogram my life about food and the reality of why constant eating rather then 3 meals a day works. It’s counterintuitive but true.
I also forgot to mention that on weekends I would go out with my wife for one meal and order the healthiest protein I can find on the menu. Usually a fish dinner, or if at Eatin Park, I would pick one of their healthy choices.
Well hopefully I didn’t write too much. I’m a bit passionate about this topic.
Good luck on whatever you guys decide to do. I would be excited to see your result
(This was taken from an actual email and explains my diet fine points)
