Memorial Day Weekend ’17

First, I just want to thank all of the soldiers through our history that have given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country and our firm beliefs that we deserved our own sovereignty; their sacrifice has enabled the rest of us to live in this amazing country that so many dream of being part.  Now, I don’t post my feelings on social media regarding Memorial Day because they seem selfish.  I say this because my immediate family (back to grandparents on both sides) is blessed that none of those that served gave that ultimate sacrifice.  Both grandfathers served in WWII, one served in Korea, my mom’s siblings all served in some capacity, I have numerous cousins that served in Iraq & Afghanistan so we are truly blessed on this day when so many mourn their loved ones.  Their suffering and sacrifice is not in vain and will not be forgotten.

Holidays can be hellish when you’re working on creating and maintaining healthy habits and Memorial Day weekend is a weekend full of bad decisions waiting to happen!  Here in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) we have a tradition of rain over Memorial Day weekend and this year that tradition continued!  Any guesses on who got caught in the rain while trying to grill?!?!  That’s right, THIS GUY!  I enjoyed the grilled vegetables from last week so much that I wanted to do it again and guess what!?!?  Corn was on sale $0.20 / ear, so I was a big spender and bought $1.00 worth I know, reckless…  Grilled corn, asparagus, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms – DELICIOUS!  Variety definitely keeps the lifestyle changes going because you don’t get bored.  I vary the protein through the week so I don’t get bored, too; pork spareribs (pre-portioned), boneless skinless chicken breast & thighs, and beef ribs.  I know that seems like a lot of protein but at the end of the day I’ve made enough food for a week of lunches and dinners that will require a microwave so a full day of prepping, cooking, and cleaning enables me freedom to just chill after a full day of work.

One of my longest and best friends celebrated his birthday at the end of April and we weren’t able to get together to celebrate due to work, a new baby, him remodeling his kitchen, and just life in general but this weekend we went to a Frederick Keys game which is more more cost effective when you have three girls in tow with the added bonus of a monkey rodeo and a fireworks show!  The only reason I bring this up is to 1) post the pictures  and 2) let you know that stadium fare is not worth it…  It’d been almost 2 years since I’d had a hot dog at a stadium and I forgot that it’s like licking a salt lick.

And now, ubiquitous pictures of the garden and my attempts to battle the wildlife…

Have your BBQ and Eat it too!

It’s nearing Memorial Day which had my soul wanting to do some grilling and this weekend, I did just that!  I don’t claim to be a competitive bbq chef but I feel like I do a pretty decent job on the grill.

I work on finding ways to eat delicious food while continuing my weight loss journey and lifestyle change.  So I’m constantly looking for ways to maintain flavor without ridiculous amounts of calories so I use Truvia, Splenda, Splenda Brown Sugar, etc… you’ll probably say that I shouldn’t use those because they’re not natural…  Please refrain – white sugar, molasses, brown sugar, etc are all uber processed, unhealthy (especially if you have high blood sugar), highly caloric so I shed calories where I can.  Calorie shedding spreads into my meats of choice, also, so a lot of times I’ll cook more lean proteins.

Typically when I grill I use dry rub and offer sauce on the side, I like this method the best because you can taste the rub, the meat, and smoke (when I use wood chips / charcoal).  This weekend I made my dry rub with your basic ingredients cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, ground black pepper, sweetener, and kosher salt but this time I thought I’d add ground bay leaf AND Sumac.  Don’t sleep on sumac, it adds a very citric flavor and is very aromatic!  You’re probably hoping that I’ll give you a recipe but I don’t measure my spices and I feel like you should experiment for your tastes because I might have more heat in mine than you prefer – so do some experimenting and taste as you add.

For this grilling session I grilled: vegetable kabobs, corn on the cob, chicken breast, beef short ribs, and pork spareribs.  You’re probably thinking that’s a lot of food and yes you’re right it is but by doing all that cooking I was able to complete my meal prep (weight loss journey/lifestyle change) for the week.

Don’t let anyone tell you the best method or you need bigger, I used a Baby Q gas grill and got all of my grilling taken care of in 3 hours.  I would have preferred something larger but you use what you have!

Allow your meat to absorb the seasonings for a minimum of 30 minutes, I was able to let mine rest for two hours.

I love grilling veggies with some olive oil, salt, and pepper!

You might think that this is burnt but that’s actually the sweetener darkening on the meat which I’m cool with because you’ll get some crunchy bits but for the chicken breast I’ll be removing the skin so all that flavor transfer is imperative!

Which leads me to how you can eat well while on a weight loss journey because as you’re aware neither short ribs nor spareribs are the healthiest meats.  Lighten them up by trimming fat before and after cooking!  When I eat this meat I’ll have a pile of skin, fat, bones, etc… on my plate because cutting those calories quickly add up considering 1 gram of fat is 9 calories!  Avoiding caloric sweeteners, fat, skin, heavy sides like pasta/potato salad I’m losing unnecessary calories that won’t add anything to my meal.  So load up on healthy vegetable sides and an appropriate serving of your grilled protein to celebrate the coming summer!

24 DC / Beijing and Back

Per my last blog I was participating in a 24 Day challenge which was going fabulously as I had a group of close friends participating with me which was an amazing new experience.  The input that was offered by them was invaluable and their successes really championed my goals and helped to keep me focused.  It was just really refreshing to get back to the basics of the challenge and get back into eating clean and rejuvenating my body and soul through clean, healthy, positive food.

On Day twenty (20) of my challenge I departed for Beijing to assist my grandmother in returning home after a three week stay in China.  Day 20 of my challenge was extremely challenging as 1) I couldn’t control what time the flight would serve my meals, 2) I did not have 100% control of what food I’d be served, 3) due to DHS rules and regulations (without spending a small fortune) I wouldn’t have enough water for the 14 hour flight, and 4) I would be miles off of my step count due to be on a plane for 14 hours.  With all that on my mind I did the best that I could in terms of what I ate on the plane, packing some easy to stow snacks and crushing an AdvoCare Rehydrate before boarding the plan.  I managed to come close to my daily goal of 10,000 steps thankfully both Dulles and Beijing International Airport are huge and require you to walk a fair amount.

Days 21 – 24 were very very easy for me to control because China offers a huge array of fresh fruits and vegetables, tons of varieties in snacks, bottled water is easy to find and ridiculously cheap, and finally I was not invited to any functions those days.  I had total control of when I ate, what I ate, how I ate and it was fantastic!  I was on schedule with my core products and was able to consume more than enough water; not to mention I averaged 18,000 steps for each of those days because 1) I’m too cheap to pay for a taxi and 2) I’m too scared to take the subway and buses so I had to rely on my legs and feet to get me anywhere I wanted to go.  The only draw back to finishing my challenge in Beijing is that I did not have access to a scale…so I still need to finish my measurements for the challenge.

The bad about finishing a challenge in China…  Banquet meals, now I’ll be the first to say that banquet styled meals are AMAZING but for a recovering FAT GUY they’re a trap of deliciousness!  Being invited to banquet meals and hosting two myself over the last 4 days of my stay in Beijing I definitely overindulged and it’s slightly devastating.  I think for most westerners the concept of banquet meals is totally foreign, outside of large holiday meals or family gatherings, but for a majority of Chinese banquet meals are THE way to celebrate anything and everything and the culture that goes along with the banquet meal can be as difficult to grasp as the fact that you’d have one everyday for four days because 1) not having some of everything that is served is extremely rude and could be a total loss of face, 2) you have no real say in what dishes will be ordered, and 3) there are assigned seats with no seating chart!

Beyond finishing my challenge in China I had a fabulous few days.  I met some new people, saw a lot of family friends and personal friends, returned to the Old Summer Palace (Yuan Ming Yuan) got lost for a few hours with a very attractive lady and explored the park at Peking University.

The flight back to the US was a lot better than the flight to China because I was able to get the upgrade!  The amenities in first/business class are just hands down better than economy and you don’t have to worry as much about Chinese that don’t know how to operate a western style toilet (I have nightmarish stories of economy class bathrooms…).  BTW I had a beautiful woman sitting next to me who enviously was able to sleep for about 8 hours to my 2 but who was counting.  And no, I don’t have any pictures with her because that would have been awkward to explain why I was trying to creep her into a “selfie.”

I’m happy to be home and my body is starting to get readjusted but of more importance I’m ecstatic to be back in my own bed!  How I missed my pillows and the comfort of an actual bed versus a roll away mattress.

Long Overdue

Hey hey hey!  It’s been a very long while since my last post, the summer of 2014 has been quite difficult in many aspects.  I managed to gain 6 lbs over the summer but have since gotten back on track with my eating and planning.  So I have a lot going on in my personal life that has caused me a lot of stress and as a stress eater I’ve been eating but recognizing that and battling that I feel is a step in the right direction, at least I hope so.  I’m working on a modified 24 Day Challenge (no cleanse for me) and will be eating clean.  I’ve gotten back on my snacks, good wholesome snacks that fuel my body with the necessary proteins and carbs.  This go round, I’m not challenging alone luckily I have five other challengers that have locked arms with me and we’re keeping one another accountable which makes this a lot easier.  I assume it’s the fear of judgement…  “Oh gosh, I can’t eat that what will ______ think?!?!?” 

So my soda free lifestyle, I had one soda in June and haven’t had one since.  When I have a grilled steak I feel like I should be having a carbonated drink to go with it but that passes when I remember how unimpressed I was with the last Diet Coke that I had, not that there’s anything wrong with soda but at this time I no longer thirst for it to each their own.

In August I attended AdvoCare’s Success School 2014 in Dallas and learned some new insights about products and myself.  1) I don’t really enjoy Texas, it’s hot and humid like it is in DC but the temps get about 100…  Eh, I could do without.  2) The Sci Med Board of AdvoCare is truly amazing and focuses on the safety and quality of every product while keeping up with current research to improve products, improve?  Yes, IMPROVE!  AMAZING!  3) I’m guilty of being passive-aggressive because I know what’s best for everyone…  Clearly, I don’t know what’s best for everyone but my passive-aggressive ways would show that I do and I’ve been working very diligently to improve that. 

Dancing…  Oh how I miss that shimmering dance floor and being crowded into a 2X2′ area during group classes, alas, time and money are a problem but luckily I get to spend some Saturday nights with some of my favorite people.  My dancing has really suffered from lack of practice but like Taylor Swift’s new song, I just go out there and “shake it.” 

In regards to my current challenge, we’re on day 5 which is a pivotal day as we’re halfway through the cleanse phase and the last two days I can feel the positive affect the clean food has had on my body as my mood has improved dramatically.  I do know that I wish everyone could feel the positive come over their body because it is truly life changing.  Focusing on the small things and how they impact the big things is a very difficult, yet, it will be very rewarding in the future.

Well, I’ll try and be more consistent and keep everyone posted on this challenge as it will more than likely keep me accountable to my actions.  Big love to everyone!

Soda free failure and other life fails…

Soooooooo….  I’ve been a bit incognito lately, I haven’t been very visible on any social media over the last couple of weeks.  Life has been taking a toll on me causing me to lose traction on goals and life in general.  I would love to go into detail but don’t feel like it would be beneficial for anyone so I’m going to make a list:

1. Grilled steak last week and thought a cold Diet Coke would be amazing with my steak…  Lies, it was not amazing and I don’t think I’ll have another any time soon.  My streak ended just shy of 6 months.
2. Work sucks and I’ll probably be unemployed by the end of September…
3. Have been eating all the wrong foods and quantities because I have not found any other coping methods than shoving my face full of food.
4. Haven’t danced in almost three weeks… 
5. A girl has tried to break up with me three times now and we’re not even dating…  Must be a sign.
6. Gained 3 pounds in a week…  NOT OK!
7. Haven’t been to the gym in over four weeks.
8. Haven’t been a good friend in over four weeks.

Life isn’t just failures there have been a couple of wins:

1. My dad is here visiting!
2. My friends support me even when I’m a douche.
3. My grandmother’s friends have told complimented her on how filial I am.

I take full responsibility for all that I haven’t been successful with other the last month but sometimes I really wish that life was simpler and things would just fall into place the way that I imagine them to.  My question is how can you break up with someone when you aren’t dating?  Anywho I’m just in need of some better coping strategies and need to start putting myself before everyone else again. 

 

Eh… New Post

I’ve started probably three drafts of a new post and continually delete them because I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m trying to say.  Sometimes I feel like I should go old school and make a list of points that I want to share with people but then I decide against it because it might remind some of chain emails from back in the day, Pre-Facebook and IM, and others may not understand because they know nothing of days prior to those.  Here’s what I say to that IT’S MY BLOG AND I’M TAKING IT OLD SCHOOL!

1. This weight loss journey is killing me, I hate to look at the scale because I know it’s a roller coaster day to day so I have a refusal policy.  I keep going with my meal plans, my work out plans and trying to just be healthier overall but the scale makes me angry.  If I had a shotgun, that scale would be a goner!
2. Working out…  I HATE YOU!  Every time I do some sort of workout I feel like everyone is watching me and judging me whether it’s with body weight or even free weights I feel like everyone is like that dude is too big to be doing that little weight.  I stay torn between bulk and definition especially when I see some of these dudes in the gym and I want to be swole up but at the same time I’ve got an overly inflated body already and don’t need any bulk…  My ego is my worst enemy and it’s a battle, I have to fight the urge to try and show off and stay committed to the course for a better me.
3. Friends – I have a lot of friends around the world because of traveling, their travels / studies and the internet.  Some people’s opinions and thoughts are more valid than others just based on our history and/or their knowledge base and it’s really nice to have their ears / shoulders at times but sometimes I wish I could chill with them.  Luckily I have a stellar group of friends here at home that keep me in line…they know how to crack the whip and make me smile.
4. Dancing – Ugh…  I’m over it!  Not really but I am over not having money in my bank account so until that is resolved there shall be no #ArthurMurray.  I love my AM family and they understand where I’m coming from and luckily they’ll list me as “guest” to any event.  HAHAHHA!
5. Ladies – Can’t meet them if you don’t go places…  Well, I guess that settles that…internet dating/mail order brides.
6. China – I had pushed China out of my mind and was working towards getting beyond it but it continues to haunt me.  My desire to explore and learn about the land that holds the heritage that I know only grows and does not relent.  I have so many restless nights because I dream of being in China but I feel wrong for desiring more.

That is all for the moment….there may be an additional post after I get my hair cut.

Weight-Loss, Food Struggles, “Gun Show” and Everything In Between

So it’s been a while since my last post and honestly I’ve begun about 3 new posts on separate occasions but deleted them all because they were essentially rants that I’ve had before.  Clearly if I’m still complaining about them I haven’t changed anything and complaining about it does no good.

Weight-loss:  I loathe this whole process, it takes exceedingly too long and my patience is wearing thin.  There are days when I just want to break down and give up because it’s not easy when everyone around me is eating anything and everything their hearts desire.  There are days that I condemn people for not trying when clearly, visually, they need to lose weight as BADLY as I do but you can’t say something like that because you’ll be an @sshole.  So here’s what I’ve learned about myself, through this whole process I have refused to conform to measuring…which leads to consuming too much protein which leads too many calories daily which = NO WEIGHT LOSS!  I’ve not eaten clean enough through my second challenge and therefore will not lose nearly as much weight as I’d hoped to lose and I have no one to blame but myself.  I have not been prepping my food diligently and have been excessively eating out and while making good choices at time there are other times when I make the poorest choice possible.  I have a food addiction and it’s just as strong as any other addiction but is more easily attainable.  Through all of my trials and self-loathing I have been working on new habits and one of which is making time to workout and not necessarily at the gym but I’m making and taking time to make sure that I’m getting some work-outs in ranging from weights to body weight exercises and cardio ranging from the elliptical to just plain walking and my body is feeling rejuvenated.  I just need to match my food with these workouts because I don’t want to be stagnant I want to lose weight and tone up.  Cheers to these new changes!

The “Gun Show”:  So my uncle has proposed a friendly competition and me being the overly competitive person that I am jumped right on that!  When he comes out for his next visit we’ll be judging whose “guns” are the biggest/baddest.  We’ll have to figure out some rules or something because biggest doesn’t necessarily mean the best and I want to be the best.  This is another key reason to the whole workouts because I WANT TO WIN!  I’ve of course invited other family members to the competition so we’ll see who rises to the challenge.

Foodie:  So I enjoy being an amateur foodie, my skills of instagramming photos and still-life shots of my meals leaves a lot to be desired but I do enjoy delicious food.  I’ve had to really cut back on that during this whole weight loss process which leaves me sad and somewhat curious about all the delish things that I’m missing out on in life.

Ballroom:  For those that are unaware I do enjoy some ballroom dancing, in the grand scheme of things I’m new to the world of ballroom and my skills are very elementary but I have to take a break from that life because of the weight loss goals, workout goals and financial goals.  Don’t let anyone tell you that dancing is cheap…unless you don’t care what you look like in which case it’s cheap.  Like I said I’m very competitive and I want to be the best that I absolutely can be and that requires additional classes, lessons, competitions, shoes, beautiful women…you name it and it requires it.

Finances:  Recently I’ve decided that I need to be a lot more fiscally responsible, I’m a grown man that needs to behave like a grown man.  So I’ve decided that I really need to buckle down and become more responsible so that my future is brighter than my present.  I want to enjoy today but I want to love my tomorrow so in order to achieve that I’m making sacrifices now.

Overall, I’d just like to say that I do a lot of self-evaluation and please don’t take my criticisms to mean that I’m not happy because I am very happy and very proud of what I’ve accomplished to date with my weight loss goals but at the same time I know with more discipline I could have achieved more.  There’s nothing that’s been a failure, everything I’ve done to date has been successful in some manner but everything has a teachable / learnable moment.  I’m trying to learn from my hiccups because 1) I don’t want to repeat and 2) it’s all about growth once I reach my goals I don’t want to regress and have to reach my goals a second time.  I just wanted to give an update on my life and put my thoughts down for accountability.

2nd Challenge – The Self Hate Begins

So I started my second 24 Day Challenge and today is the 4th day of the challenge.  So far I haven’t been doing so well in terms of portion control and work outs.  SURPRISE!!  Not really, those are the two things I’ve been struggling with for the last twenty years…  Those are the two areas that torment me and I lack total discipline with both.  I know exactly what I need to do but I make more excuses for both of those areas than I can put to words.  This is precisely why I love this challenge because you are 100% accountable!  Any weight you lose or not is totally based on how much work and effort you put into it.  If I come off this challenge with a 20 lb weight loss it’s because I was focused and practicing good habits and if I come out with a 5 lb loss I’ll know that I fell short in those two areas.   The title is deceiving because there’s no self hate here but I am probably overly critical of myself and I expect great things.  I should probably practice more patience but that’s not my strong suit, I’m more of a right now kinda guy.

With that being said, my goal for this challenge is to get to 200 lbs which means I need to drop 25 lbs.  That’s a pretty large order since I’m already 4 days in and I’ve been struggling but as I’ve been preaching there’s no better time than the present to make changes.  However, I have every expectation that I’ll get to that number it’s simply time to go to work.

I don’t really have any nuggets of motivational nutrition today, I just know that I want to be healthier and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get there…  Plus, not being embarrassed going to the pool or beach would be a huge bonus.

Easter…jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and resurrection?

It’s been ten (10) days since my last post, and yes I did check, and a lot has been going down.  Today is Easter and like most things the religious significance of the day has been lost due to corporate rebranding of the holiday much like Christmas.  With that being said, I intend to use this holiday as a catalyst to give my inspiration and motivation a resurrection/rebirth/renaissance because ultimately that’s what this season is all about; a rebirth for positive change.

As I’ve said previously I’ve been having issues with portion control and just not feeling satiated which has gotten me thinking about needing to renew my motivation.  I’m not sure how many out there snack when they’re bored, upset, sad, etc…but I know that is a huge problem that I have and lately I’ve not been doing my meal prep and have been “winging it,”  which is a disaster when you’re looking for something to snack on and you don’t have any veg prepped and you’re surrounded by chips and other junk food.  I solved this issue by taking my free time and working on some prep for snacks instead of sitting at the laptop watching FB for updates.  Positive changes will have positive outcomes.

This is apparently the season of change because I had to get a new vehicle…  You’ll ask, “why did you have HAVE to get a new car?”  The answer is simply that I was informed that my car needed some work done and the estimate was close to $3k not including the new tires that I’d need before the end of summer.  So I had a choice of maxing out a credit card to get work done on an 8 year old vehicle with over 100k miles or get a new vehicle with a new warranty besides it was a great deal.

Over the last month I’ve danced three times and it’s been glorious!  For those that don’t ballroom and think it’s lame you really need to give it a shot because it’s pretty spectacular and if you’re competitive like me you have opportunities to compete for cash prizes.  Anyhow, I’ve been having so much fun on these Saturday nights but at the same time I’m feeling lost because I’ve regressed while everyone that I know has progressed so much and it makes me a bit angry.  I’m angry because I’ve yet to find the balance that I need in my life, I still have this overwhelming sense of stress which I’m trying to cope with but having difficulty overcoming.  Coping strategies include:  eating, exercising, dancing, cussing.  I realize that of those strategies two are fabulous options but those two are the rarely used options and I tend to cuss a lot and eat a lot…soooo  EPIC FAILURE!  Cussing, so I’ve been doing this swear jar with a friend for Lent and let’s just say that by the end of today I will be paying at least $150 to a charity in the upcoming weeks.

I’m done rambling because I need to start cleaning and prepping for the celebration tonight.  I hope everyone is able to spend time with people they care about, not all family/people you care about are blood relatives or related, I know that is easier for some than others.  Until next time; keep in mind that we control our decisions and those decisions will impact your life in some fashion and your perspective will decide if that is positive or negative.  Lately, my glass has been half empty and I need it to be half full, time to be more grateful.

Challenge Results in Real Life Applications

Hey!  It’s been a while and I’m sure everyone is itching for some random thoughts from yours truly.

I’d like to discuss briefly how things have been going regarding the lifestyle changes.  As anyone that has tried changing habits and/or “dieting” or anything different from what you know as normal you have days that are incredibly easy and others are ridiculously challenging and all you really want is that $5 Little Caesar’s pizza.  I’ve had my fair share over this journey and the last few weeks have been no exception aside from having more cravings and desires of food that shouldn’t be considered food.  It seems like I’ve been insatiable over the last few weeks and no matter what I’ve tried I can’t fill that void and that has been incredibly discouraging.  As I said previously, I’d gotten back to the basics and went back to simple foods with very little ingredients just focusing on ensuring that I was getting a ton of fiber and green in my diet because I’d been neglecting that but I’d, also.  I’ve been moderating and cutting back on my carb intake because I work in an office and I don’t need a farmer’s intake of carbs because I don’t burn them… alas the reason I’m a fatty mcfatster.  Anyways, I’ve been combating the desires for the last few weeks which has been pretty tough but lately I’ve been having a new urge…  I want a Diet Coke!  OH MY GOSH, I WANT A DIET COKE RIGHT NOW!!  No amount of water, unsweetened iced tea, fruit, anything can make me not want a Diet Coke right now.  I can’t do it though because I’m on my streak since January 15th and I haven’t given in and I have no intentions of doing it now but I WANT ONE!  I know I can’t have just one which is the reason that I can’t give in…if I drink one it will turn into 3-4 daily and I can’t do that again.  Enough of my trouble coping with desires because that will only make people want things, too.

Real life implications to lifestyle change…  So if you can recall I had a check-up prior to the AdvoCare challenge beginning and I had some pretty horrible results with my check-up.  The day that would either solidify my changes or force me to do something totally different has come, I had a checkup on Monday and the results were FABULOUS!!!  All of the hard work that I’ve put in has really shown inside and out!  I can’t really put into words how I feel inside but I can tell you that I am extremely pleased and focused on continued success!

P.S. I rewarded myself with a haircut last night and I’m looking smashing if I do say so myself.