Dag 98

Temptations I Resisted

Appetizers Part 1

Appetizers Part 2

LC Rolls and Bacon Wrapped Avocado

Tonight is my niece's birthday party. My sister asked that we bring over some low carb creamed spinach. She also inquired about what types of food I'm able to eat. Isn't that sweet? I hope that will translate into an option or two that's truly low carb. Sometimes other peoples perception about what's LC isn't in fact LC. We shall see. I'll report back and try to take pictures.

11:00 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 5 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, 1 tsp of organic instant coffee, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

+ a swig of organic, grass fed yogurt

2:30 pm (pictured above)

+ two rice-free, sashimi-rolls * <--- tasty! + an organic avocado, sliced and wrapped with natural, thick cut bacon + a swig of organic, grass fed yogurt

* I took out the little bit of carrot that was in the roll. Not a big deal.

5:00 pm

+ a cup of organic instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

Note: We had a power outage yesterday - which extended into today (Sunday). Hopefully the problem is resolved now. It appears to be. But, you never know!

6:45 - 8:30 pm (partially posted above)

+ assorted LC appetizers: asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, black olives, salami, apple smoked bacon, guacamole and mozzarella cheese

+ half a Cornish game hen with creamed spinach on the side


More to come ... I hope!

Novantasettesimo Giorno

I used a packet of Jay Robb chocolate whey protein in my mid-day shake. It made the shake taste even better. I like Jay Robb's products because they're 100% natural (he's been using stevia in his products for years). Almost as importantly, they usually taste really good. I don't use them often however because they tend to be quite expensive.

I've been kind of busy and preoccupied lately. When I feel that way, eating is the last thing I'm interested in. In fact, it almost feels like a chore. That's why I often make a shake, instead of a proper meal. Fortunately, I feel like I've come up with a genuinely healthy meal replacement. So I don't feel bad about utilizing it anytime that I need/want to. The added bonus is that it really does taste delicious to me.

10:45 am

+ a cup of organic instant coffee with a few ounces of organic heavy cream and a pinch of pure stevia

2:45 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 5 oz of purified water, 1 packet of natural chocolate whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

5:30 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 5 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, 1 tsp of organic instant coffee, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

7:00 pm

+ pork shoulder seasoned with organic garlic & shallots, sea salt, fresh cracked organic pepper and red pepper flakes, cooked with with an organic onion and 2 Roma tomatoes

+ 1/2 cup of mashed cauliflower


More to come ... I hope!

Day 96

Dinner at Harry's Cafe

I just got back from my treadmill work out. That makes 2 days this week. I plan on walking one more day - for a total of 3 sessions, per week. It's a modest goal but one that I hope to maintain over the long haul.

Today I walked for 45 minutes and 45 seconds. I stuck with a speed of 3 and an incline of 1.5. That equals to about 2.28 miles. I also walked to the gym (as my warm up) and walked back afterward (as my cool down).

Now it's cooking time. I'm making pork shoulder and mashed cauliflower for dinner. I hope it turns out well. I always get a little nervous when I cook something that I'm not very experienced with. I've only cooked pork shoulder, in the oven, once before. It turned out really well. I hope that wasn't a fluke!

7:45 am

+ a cup of organic instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

9:30 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 5 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

1:00 pm

+ a spicy Italian chicken sausage

+ a lamb burrito bowl - ground lamb with grilled organic onions, a diced organic Roma tomato and organic sour cream

+ a few ounces of organic, grass-fed (whole milk) yogurt

4:45 pm

+ a cup of organic instant coffee with a few ounces of organic heavy cream and a pinch of pure stevia

7:00 pm (pictured above)

+ pork shoulder seasoned with garlic, shallots, sea salt, fresh cracked organic pepper and red pepper flakes, cooked with with an organic onion and 2 Roma tomatoes

+ 1/2 cup of mashed cauliflower


More to come ... I hope!

95th день

Salmon, Mashed Cauliflower and Organic Avocado

So this past week I had a stall in my weight loss. Yesterday, while walking, I recalled something Pooti mentioned. She urged me to be cautious about using flax seed meal. Apparently, some people find it negatively impacts their ability to lose weight. Why? It's possible that it affects thyroid function.

I looked back at my menu history and noted that I began using the flax on the 14th (of February). I last weighed myself on the 23rd. Is there a connection? I don't know. I think I'll ditch the flax, for now, and see what happens. It's a shame really because flax meal does impart certain valuable health benefits. I even found a way around the whole phytic acid issue - by using sprouted flax seed meal.

Anyhow, perhaps I'll know better if it was the flax by next week or the following week. If nothing changes by then ... I'll reintroduce the sprouted flax.

10:00 am

+ a cup of organic instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

1:45 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 5 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

5:15 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 5 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 tsp of organic instant coffee, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

7:00 pm (pictured above)

+ 1 salmon fillet

+ 1/2 cup of mashed cauliflower

+ 3/4 of an organic avocado


More to come ... I hope!

日本語 94日のCarbingの低い楽しみ

The big goal for today, come heck or high water, is to exercise. I will do it! Rah! Anyone seen my exercise shoes? :-)

PS - I had trouble posting comments on a few of the LC menu blogs yesterday. Anybody else encounter that glitch?

Update: I did a 45 minute, 45 second workout on the treadmill. My speed level was 3. The incline was 1.5. I walked a total of 2.27 miles - not counting my warm up walk (5 minutes, to get to the gym) and my cool down walk (5 minutes, to get back home).

I tried to make it a "full body workout" by pumping my arms while walking. Man I must have looked goofy on that thing! :-)

9:45 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

10:45 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 4 oz of organic heavy cream, 4 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

* Note: I've stopped taking my supplements with my protein shake. I'm concerned that the phytic acid (an "anti-nutrient") in flax my impede nutrient absorption - when taken at the same time as nutritional supplements.

1:45 pm

+ 2 natural Bratwurst sausages

+ 2 organic Roma tomatoes, topped with sour cream and raw goat's milk cheese

4:45 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

6:45 pm

+ a lamb burrito bowl - ground lamb, sauteed with onions and mixed with organic sour cream & spicy chipotle salsa


More to come ... I hope!

Jour 94

Alaskan Salmon ala My Wife

A dark day has befallen me. I didn't lose any weight this week! Boo! Hiss! Doh!

I'm not entirely sure why that is. It could have something to do with the accelerated weight loss in the previous two weeks (about 2 1/2 lbs. per week).

I try not to get too excited about any one week change - be it positive or negative. If I notice that this stall-pattern remains for the next few weeks ... then I'll seriously consider making some changes to my program. But for now, I'll just put myself in a "wait and see" mode.

Besides, I've already committed to starting my new exercise regimen today. That may help kick start some additional loss. It will certainly help improve my overall health. That should be my primary goal anyhow. :-)

_____________________________

This Week's Body Weight: 209 lbs.

This Week's Body Fat %: 28.5 %
_____________________________

Last Week's Body Weight: 209.2 lbs.

Last Week's Body Fat %: 29.2 %
_____________________________

2 Week's Ago Body Weight: 211.8 lbs.

2 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 31.7 %
_____________________________

3 Week's Ago Body Weight: 214.4 lbs.

3 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 33.1 %
_____________________________

4 Week's Ago Body Weight: 216 lbs.

4 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 32.7 %
_____________________________

5 Weeks Ago Body Weight: 217.6 lbs.

5 Weeks Ago Body Fat %: 33.8 %
_____________________________

6 Week's Ago Body Weight: 220.6 lbs.

6 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 34.1 %
_____________________________

7 Week's Ago Body Weight: 224.4 lbs.

7 Week's Body Ago Fat %: 36 %
_____________________________

8 Week's Ago Body Weight: 227.4 lbs.

8 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 35.7%
_____________________________

9 Week's Ago Body Weight: 228.2 lbs

9 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 38.2%
_____________________________

10 Week's Ago Body Weight: 230.6 lbs

10 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 36.9%
_____________________________

11 Week's Ago Body Weight: 231.8 lbs.

11 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 37%
_____________________________

12 Week's Ago Body Weight: 235.6 lbs.

12 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 38.9%
_____________________________

9:30 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic heavy cream and a pinch of pure stevia

12:00 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

2:30 pm

+ a lamb burrito bowl - ground lamb, sauteed with onions and mixed with organic sour cream & spicy chipotle salsa

6:45 (pictured above)

+ a fillet of Alaskan salmon with an organic German mustard, fresh cracked organic pepper and sea salt "crust"

+ 1/2 cup mashed cauliflower (not pictured)


More to come ... I hope!

한국어 당신은 일 93를 말할 수 있는가?

Tomatoes w/Goat & Parmesan Cheese, Avocado & Natural Salami

This afternoon we'll be heading out to an Oscar party. It's Academy Award time again!

We're in charge of bringing the pizza. That gives you an idea about what kind of food will be there. That's right ... the kind of food I used to love to eat. No worries though. I just need to plan to avoid any problems.

Here's my plan: I plan on eating just prior to going to the party. I'll also have something simple planned for (a late) dinner for when we come back. A full belly is a safe belly.

At the party, I'll just enjoy the good company and the award show. Imagine that! How will I ever survive?! :-) I'll try to take some pictures of what I don't eat. That's always good as a conversation starter. ;-)

Update: I forgot to take the photographs at the party. Doh! I'll post dinner pics instead.

10:45 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic heavy cream and a pinch of pure stevia

12:15 pm

+ "cheesy eggs" - 2 organic omega-3 eggs, a splash of organic heavy cream, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and tomato cream cheese spread & Monterey Jack cheese (added at the very end)

+ several slices of natural bacon

+ 3/4 of an organic avocado

4:00 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 teaspoon of organic instant coffee, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

9:15 pm

+ 1 1/2 organic Roma tomatoes, sliced and topped with fried organic goat cheese encrusted in Parmesan cheese

+ 3/4 of an organic avocado

+ 6 slices of natural salami


More to come ... I hope!

O Dia Numerado 92

Rib Eye Close-up with the Blue Cheese Butter

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

The Rib Eye and the Fries I Didn't Eat

My Lovely Wife's Scallops

The Heirloom Tomato Amuse-Bouche

We're going out for a romantic dinner tonight. It's kind of a belated Valentine's Day dinner. :-)

The restaurant is supposed to be excellent. They mainly use organic, locally grown and raised ingredients. If it's not in season, they don't serve it. Healthy and delicious?! Bam!

I've already looked over the menu (online) and spied a few LC-friendly menu options I'll likely choose from. But, you never know. I may get all crazy-like and choose something completely different once we get there. :-P

I'll report back and hopefully have pictures to post as well.

Update: The dinner was wonderful. The company was the best, of course. The food was delicious (perfectly cooked steak and scallops) and served quickly - just the way we like it.

10:45 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

2:15 pm

+ 3 thin fillets of petrale sole topped with Italian herbs and sauteed in a mixture of organic butter and organic olive oil. I then covered the fish in a reduced sauce made of white wine, lemon juice, organic butter, "pan bits" (the bits left behind after cooking the fish in the pan) and a little sea salt.

+ 1/2 cup of mashed cauliflower

4:15 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic heavy cream and a pinch of pure stevia

6:15 pm (pictured above *)

+ 1 slice of an heirloom tomato with a little basil and vinaigrette

+ 1 grilled scallop (a gift from my wife's plate)

+ a 14 oz rib eye steak topped with blue cheese butter and a clove of roasted garlic

+ Brussels sprouts with bacon

* Note: I didn't touch the French Fries on the plate. :-)


More to come ... I hope!

Ελληνικά Η 91η ημέρα

Breakfast!

I'm psyching myself up for my upcoming exercise routine. I plan on putting in as much effort in it as I do with my diet. If I can accomplish that, I should be able to stick with the exercise and derive many of the benefits.

Update: I see that U2's No Line of the Horizon just received 5 stars in the new issue of Rolling Stone. I can't wait to hear it, in it's entirety! Something to look forward to. :-)

Update 2: You can listen to the entire U2 album (for free) on their My Space page! Here are the details!

10:15 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

11:45 am (pictured above)

+ thick sliced natural salami

+ 2 organic Roma tomatoes topped with organic sour cream and raw, aged gruyere cheese

3:45 pm

+ a lamb burrito bowl - ground lamb, sauteed with onions and mixed with organic sour cream & spicy chipotle salsa

6:15 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

9:00 pm

+ an In-n-Out "3x3" - three hamburger patties, three slices of American cheese and grilled onions

+ 1 organic Roma tomato, sliced


More to come ... I hope!

День они вызывают 90

Spinach + Feta Chicken Sausage and Creamed Spinach

I'm up early for a morning meeting. Must find some coffee quickly!

I'll be back later to add some commentary. < - Never happened. Tomorrow it shall be.

I hope you all have a positive day. :-)

6:15 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

7:45 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

1:15 pm (a quick "bite" before my dentist appointment)

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 4 oz of organic heavy cream, 4 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

6:30 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

7:45 pm (pictured above)

+ 3 spinach and feta chicken sausages (only two are pictured)

+ 1 cup of creamed spinach

+ 1/2 cup of homemade chicken stock


More to come ... I hope!

Dag 89

Update: I didn't have any good pictures to post. So, I thought I'd post a promotional shot from the film, The Visitor. We saw it this past weekend and enjoyed it quite a bit.

--------

I really need to start exercising. I think a firm commitment is in order. Something that isn't overwhelming but that at least gets me moving. My plan is to keep it simple and consistent.

Therefore, I commit to myself and my blog readers that I will begin to exercise three times a week - starting Monday. For starters, I will begin by walking on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes. I'll document my success or failure here on the menu blog.

There. I've said/typed it. Now I must do it! :)

10:00 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 teaspoon of organic instant coffee, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

3:45 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 5 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

7:30 pm (pictured yesterday)

+ 2 thin fillets of petrale sole topped with Italian herbs and sauteed in a mixture of organic butter and organic olive oil. I then covered the fish in a reduced sauce made of white wine, lemon juice, organc butter, "pan bits" (the bits left behind after cooking the fish in the pan) and a little sea salt.

+ 1/2 cup of mashed cauliflower


More to come ... I hope.

Jour 88

Petrale Sole and Mashed Cauliflower

The food shall speak for me today. At least that's what we agreed on.

10:15 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 teaspoon of organic instant coffee, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

3:00 pm

+ 2 grilled chicken thighs

+ an organic avocado

7:30 pm

+ 2 thin fillets of petrale sole topped with Italian herbs and sauteed in a mixture of organic butter and organic olive oil. I then covered the fish in a reduced sauce made of white wine, lemon juice, organc butter, "pan bits" (the bits left behind after cooking the fish in the pan) and a little sea salt.

+ 1/2 cup of mashed cauliflower

More to come ... I hope!

The Day Called 87

My Mid-Day Feast!

Steppin' on the Scale Day. The verdict: I'm down about 2 1/2 pounds. That's about the same amount as last week. This may be a clue that my daily glass of wine was slowing my loss. I think it's too soon to tell though because there were weeks when I lost even more weight than this while drinking wine.

The experiment continues!

_____________________________

This Week's Body Weight: 209.2 lbs.

This Week's Body Fat %: 29.2 %
_____________________________

Last Week's Body Weight: 211.8 lbs.

Last Week's Body Fat %: 31.7 %
_____________________________

2 Week's Ago Body Weight: 214.4 lbs.

2 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 33.1 %
_____________________________

3 Week's Ago Body Weight: 216 lbs.

3 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 32.7 %
_____________________________

4 Weeks Ago Body Weight: 217.6 lbs.

4 Weeks Ago Body Fat %: 33.8 %
_____________________________

5 Week's Ago Body Weight: 220.6 lbs.

5Week's Ago Body Fat %: 34.1 %
_____________________________

6 Week's Ago Body Weight: 224.4 lbs.

6 Week's Body Ago Fat %: 36 %
_____________________________

7 Week's Ago Body Weight: 227.4 lbs.

7 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 35.7%
_____________________________

8 Week's Ago Body Weight: 228.2 lbs

8 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 38.2%
_____________________________

9 Week's Ago Body Weight: 230.6 lbs

9 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 36.9%
_____________________________

10 Week's Ago Body Weight: 231.8 lbs.

10 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 37%
_____________________________

11 Week's Ago Body Weight: 235.6 lbs.

11 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 38.9%
_____________________________

8:45 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

10:15 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 2 oz of organic heavy cream, 4 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

1:45 pm

+ 1 organic Roma tomato, sliced and topped with organic sour cream and raw sheep's milk cheese (Idiazabal)

+ a small organic avocado, quartered

+ several thick slices of Chorizo salami

Note: Some of the salami didn't make it on to my plate. It made it into my mouth first. :-)

5:15 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

8:30 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 4 oz of organic heavy cream, 2 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

+ a cup of organic whole milk yogurt

Note: I didn't feel like making or eating dinner tonight. Instead, I just made a more substantial version of my WZ meal replacement shake - by adding more cream. I also finished a container of yogurt that needed finishing. An odd meal. But it was pretty nutritious.


More to come ... I hope!

일 그들은 86를 부른다

My Sunday Lunch

I got a late start to the day. This gave me an opportunity to make my new Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake. I think I'll need to tinker with the quantities of the ingredients somewhat. For instance, I found that the shake was too think this morning. So I tried upping the water content by a few ounces.

Tomorrow I may add more cream and less water to the mix. If that works (consistency-wise) it would be great because it'll further up the caloric content. I feel like any good meal replacement shake needs to be substantial enough to approximate the number of calories we'd normally get in a meal.

In a few days, I'll probably have all the kinks worked out. The good news is that the taste will only get better (and it's already really good) if I end up adding more cream. :-)

Update: Hearing a new song by one of your favorite bands is always a mood-booster. Here's a new track from U2's upcoming album: No Line on the Horizon

11:00 am

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 2 oz of organic heavy cream, 4 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 teaspoon of organic instant coffee, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

2:30 pm (pictured above)

+ 2 small organic Roma tomatoes, sliced and topped with organic sour cream and raw sheep's milk cheese (Idiazabal)

+ 2 andouille chicken sausages, sliced

4:15 pm

+ a shot of instant coffee, with a splash of organic reduced fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

7:15 pm

+ a poached salmon fillet (store bought)

+ 1/2 cup of creamed spinach

More to come ... I hope!

日85

The Wowee Zowee Breakfast Slam!

My mouth is continuing to improve. Hooray! So today my menu will basically be back to normal. I'll probably just avoid anything too spicy or acidic.

Right now, my lovely valentine is preparing a delicious late-breakfast. I'm a very, very, very lucky fellow. The fact that she's an excellent cook is the least of the reasons why! :)

There's a new item on my menu today: Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood

I tried it the other day at a local health food store. The ingredients are excellent and so is the taste. I figure it'll add some additional veggies and low-sugar fruit extracts into my diet.

Update: I added a recipe for a new "meal replacement" shake I made this afternoon. I think I'll have this on a regular basis. It's delicious. It provides all the elements I'm looking for in a meal: a good source of protein, fat, fiber, low in carbs and nutrient dense. It's also really easy to make and clean up is a snap. I used a small, plastic shaker cup to make it.

Update #2: As some of you may have noticed, I've temporarily stopped drinking wine. At first, I did so because of my mouth situation. But then I noticed that I also lost more weight last week ... while I was avoiding alcohol. So, for the time being, I'm taking a break from "the sauce".

But here's the thing. I'm a firm believer in the health benefits of red wine (for most people). What to do? What to do? Well, what I'm doing is taking a red wine supplement to compensate for the lack of actual red wine in my diet. This supplement is supposedly 3 times as powerful (antioxidant-wise) as a typical glass of red wine. It's also alcohol and calorie-free. Price-wise, it's about $6 per month. Much cheaper than buying organic red wine.

This is the product I'm using: Doctor's Best Biovin

10:45 am

+ one heaping teaspoon of instant coffee, one scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia and about 4 oz of purified water

12:15 pm (pictured above)

+ "cheesy eggs" - 3 organic omega-3 eggs, a dash of heavy cream, Monterey Jack cheese, grilled onions, freshly ground pepper and sea salt

+ several slices of natural bacon

+ 3/4 of a small organic avocado

Note: I couldn't finish the eggs. About 1/4 of what you see (on the plate) was saved for leftovers.

4:30 pm

+ The Wowee Zowee Meal Replacement Shake - 2 oz of organic heavy cream, 2 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 2 tbs of organic flax meal, 1 teaspoon of organic instant coffee, 1 scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood, a pinch of pure stevia, and 1/4 tsp of Also Salt)

7:30 pm (pictured yesterday)

+ 2 baked chicken thighs

+ 1/2 cup of creamed spinach


More to come ... I hope!

El 84.o día

Baked Chicken Thighs w/ Creamed Spinach

My mouth is on the mend. I'm planning on having a liquid diet up until dinner today. That'll give my poor mouth a little more time to heal. And to break my liquid diet ... I have a yummy dinner planned. :-)

10:30 am

+ a coffee protein shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 2 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 heaping tsp of instant coffee, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt

2:30 pm

+ a coffee protein shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 2 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 heaping tsp of instant coffee, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt

7:45 pm (pictured above)

+ 2 baked chicken thighs

+ 1/2 cup of creamed spinach


More to come ... I hope.

83rd день

Liquid Dinner

I'm going to try to summarize this past week's medical blunder in as concise a way as possible.

Several days ago, I noticed something wrong with my mouth. Have you ever had a "white coating" on your tongue? Well, I had some white areas in the inner cheeks of my mouth.

So, like any 21st century lunatic, I did some digging on the Internet. Aha! This must be a mild case of thrush! Or maybe some other kind of fungal infection that I hear so much about on the 'net. Never mind that I don't fall into any of the "high risk" groups that generally get thrush - newborn babies, people undergoing chemo or using steroid drugs, etc.

But those warning signs didn't stop my quest to heal myself. I proceeded, on the assumption that I did have thrush. I read up about "natural" ways to treat it. They seemed awfully safe. Heck, some of the information was meant to be applied to babies! How much safer did I want it to be?

To make a longer story shorter, I started rinsing with grapefruit seed extract (a natural anti-fungal/anti-microbial) & water, sea salt & water and even a little baking soda & water. The trouble is ... the problem kept getting worse!

Not only did the situation look worse, it felt worse. I went from no pain at all, to discomfort, to a level of pain that was severe enough to make me not feel like eating. It even hurt to rest my head against the pillow at night.

So I finally broke down and went to go see my dentist. What did she find? A particularly virulent form of thrush? Some other bizarre fungal infection rarely seen outside of the jungles of Borneo? Nope. I had chemical burns ... from the grapefruit seed extract and the sea salt rinses!

The prescription: change toothpaste, rinse only with a water-hydrogen peroxide mixture and stop using the other stuff that was burning my mouth!

My dentist believes I may have been had an allergic reaction to my (natural) toothpaste. That's likely what cause the mild irritation (the white patches in my mouth). Go figure ...


9:30 am

+ a coffee protein shake - 3 oz of organic heavy cream, 2 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 heaping tsp of instant coffee, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt

2:00 pm

+ a coffee protein shake - 4 oz of organic heavy cream, 2 oz of purified water, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1 heaping tsp of instant coffee, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt

5:00 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

7:45 pm (pictured above)

+ "pumpkin pie" shake - (3 home-pasteurized organic omega-3 eggs, 4 oz of organic canned pumpkin, 2 oz of organic sour cream, 1/4 tsp of organic pumpkin spice blend, 3 packets of Organic Stevia + FOS and 1/2 teaspoon of Also Salt)

Note: I'm a little out of it. I forgot to add the protein powder tonight! Still, I'm sure I scored at least 20 grams of protein (with the eggs, etc.) in this little ditty.


More to come ... I hope.

The 82nd Day

Breakfast for Dinner

I'm not feeling very well tonight, folks. I think I may just have to turn in early.

Tomorrow's another day. My best to you all ...

10:00 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

12:00 pm

+ "pumpkin pie" shake - (3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 home-pasteurized organic, omega-3 eggs, 4 oz of organic canned pumpkin, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 tsp of organic pumpkin spice blend, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt)

4:15 pm

+ "pumpkin pie" shake - (3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 home-pasteurized organic, omega-3 eggs, 4 oz of organic canned pumpkin, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 tsp of organic pumpkin spice blend, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt)

6:00 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

7:15 pm (pictured above)

+ "cheesy eggs" - 2 organic omega-3 eggs, Monterey Jack and provolone cheese, sauteed shallot, sea salt, Also Salt and fresh ground pepper

+ 2 small organic Roma tomatoes, sliced and wrapped in natural bacon

9:00 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of organic heavy cream and a pinch of pure stevia


More to come ... I hope!

Η 81η ημέρα

Bacon-Wrapped Tomatoes & Jalapeno Poppers

Commentary to come ...

9:30 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

11:30 pm

+ "pumpkin pie" shake - (3 oz of organic heavy cream, 3 home-pasteurized organic, omega-3 eggs, 4 oz of organic canned pumpkin, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 tsp of organic pumpkin spice blend, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt)

3:30 pm (pictured above)

+ 2 small organic Roma tomatoes, sliced and wrapped in natural bacon (no nitrates)

+ 5 jalapeno poppers (one didn't make it to the plate!)

5:30 pm

+ a cup of instant organic coffee with a few ounces of organic low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

7:45 pm

+ homemade spicy chicken salad - a large chicken breast w/skin, organic sour cream, organic spicy chipotle salsa, organic grilled onions and Also Salt

+ an organic avocado


More to come ... I hope!

Dag 80

An In-n-Out "3x3" and an Organic Avocado

Let's get down to brass tacks. I lost about 2 1/2 pounds this week. That's better than I expected. I'm not sure why I lost more this week than the past few weeks. Perhaps it's because I haven't been drinking as much wine. That's one possibility.

I'm probably going to continue cutting down on my wine consumption, as a personal experiment. We'll see if and how that impacts my weight loss goals.

The battle continues ...

_____________________________

This Week's Body Weight: 211.8 lbs.

This Week's Body Fat %: 31.7 %
_____________________________

Last Week's Body Weight: 214.4 lbs.

Last Week's Body Fat %: 33.1 %
_____________________________

2 Week's Ago Body Weight: 216 lbs.

2 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 32.7 %
_____________________________

3 Weeks Ago Body Weight: 217.6 lbs.

3 Weeks Ago Body Fat %: 33.8 %
_____________________________

4 Week's Ago Body Weight: 220.6 lbs.

4 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 34.1 %
_____________________________

5 Week's Ago Body Weight: 224.4 lbs.

5 Week's Body Ago Fat %: 36 %
_____________________________

6 Week's Ago Body Weight: 227.4 lbs.

6 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 35.7%
_____________________________

7 Week's Ago Body Weight: 228.2 lbs

7 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 38.2%
_____________________________

8 Week's Ago Body Weight: 230.6 lbs

8 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 36.9%
_____________________________

9 Week's Ago Body Weight: 231.8 lbs.

9 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 37%
_____________________________

10 Week's Ago Body Weight: 235.6 lbs.

10 Week's Ago Body Fat %: 38.9%
_____________________________

Monday - February 9, 2009

10:00 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

12:00 pm

+ "pumpkin pie" shake - (4 oz of organic cream, 4 oz of organic canned pumpkin, 2 scoops of natural vanilla whey protein powder, 1/4 tsp of organic pumpkin spice blend, 1/4 teaspoon of pure stevia powder and 1/4 teaspoon of Also Salt)

3:15 pm

+ 3 spicy chicken sausages

+ an organic avocado

6:15 pm (pictured above)

+ an In-n-Out "3x3" - 3 hamburger patties, 3 slices of cheese, sliced tomatoes and grilled onions

+ an organic avocado

9:00 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia


More to come ... I hope!

Día 79

"My" Birthday Cake - I Didn't Eat Any :-)

The Lamb Burgers w/Harissa Sauce and Arugula

A Mini-Appetizer: Smoked Salmon and a Cherry Tomato

Sunday - February 8, 2009

9:15 am

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

12:45 pm (pictured above)

+ one small piece of smoked salmon and a cherry tomato

+ 1 1/2 lamb hamburgers (w/o bread) topped with with a harissa sauce and arugula leaves

3:00 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of heavy cream and a 2 stevia tabs

6:15 pm

+ a cup of instant coffee with a few ounces of low-fat milk and a pinch of pure stevia

8:00 pm

+ poached salmon (store bought)

+ 1/2 cup homemade mashed cauliflower


More to come ... I hope!