Been Away

I've been quite busy lately, gettin ready for the holidays. Too busy to post? Maybe.

AnyHOO Im out here in OR so I am kinda at the mercy of my gracious hosts. I am simply surrounded by carbs (tasty ones too) -- sometimes its the only option for dinner. I have definitely eaten LESS potatoes and pasta than I would have before but.... I have slipped, particularly on Christmas day. I dont know how many pounds I have gained, but ... hey, Im not as gorged as I would have been if i hadnt been on Phase 1 for the preceding 3 weeks, huh? Look at the bright side.

I'll try to be back on the wagon, starting today.

There are no scales in sight out here, so I cant really - weigh in. What is my goal out here? To maintain until I get home, where the downward progress until i get home again.

Thanks for checking in.

261.5 (-16.5)

I am now currently at my mean weight for the past few years. My next goal is to dip into the 250s. I am supposedly on phase 2 but i am a little cautious.

Breakfast
Egg / Ham / onions

Snack
Peanuts, 4 cups water, coffee

Lunch
1/2 tortilla wrap, hummus, mushroom, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers (i had half the wrap to lower the carb count.)
sausage, cheese, ricotta

Snack
Peanuts

recipe

I just concocted a great, low-carb, hearty stew which I think is worthy of codifying into a recipe. Warning - the kimchi makes this stew VERY hot and spicy. Its a weird mix of cultures, but then Im wierd. Adjust portion sizes to suit your mood. If you want a veggie version, substitute tofu for meat, or just add more mushrooms. If you want to change all the ingredients to make it a poof souflee, well thats fine, as long as you STILL call it Kimchi Stew. You cannot substitute the entire recipe for a single kumquat. Thats right out. Any suggestions on adjustments or variations please forward.

Ingredients:

olive oil
splash of lemon juice
3/4-1 lb of kimchi (Korean Cabbage)
4 stalks of celery, cut into 1" lengths
4 small onions, cut coarsely
1 pound of cooked shrimp
3 cups of mushrooms, cut in 1/2, coarsley
1 pound of crushed tomatoes (NOT TOMATO SAUCE)
2 cups water
1/4 pound ham or ham-like food, cut into 1" cubes. (sausage would work great too)
1 tbsp of old bay (or some sort of cajuny) seasoning.
YOU WILL NOT NEED SALT OR PEPPER

Directions:
1 ) In a dutch oven or big ol pan, fry celery, onions, mushrooms, ham in olive oil until a bit soft. About 5 min.
2 ) Add shrimp and lemon juice, stir fry for a bit. About another 5 min.
3 ) Add crushed tomatoes and water, and old bay seasoning. Let stew for 1/2 hour minimum.

Get a clay bowl and ladle in, and be prepared to have your sinuses cleared and your socks knocked off. Whew!

I dont have nutrition facts but all of the ingredents are on the "Phase 1" list of the South Beach Diet, so it has to be low-carb.

262 (-16 lbs) Phase 2

Lapsed a few days. Well I went down as you can see. My scale varied from 259 to 262.5 this morning so I erred on the upper side.

I am technically allowed to go onto phase 2 right now but Im going to take it gradually as I am enjoying losing the weight and am just hitting a stride with the Phase 1 diet.

Breakfast
2 hummus wraps with turkey salami, lettuce (low cab wrap)
diet pepsi

Lunch

263.5 (-14.5)

Well the water + sleep formula seems to work! Drink water!
At 250 lbs I have resolved to get a Cattlemen's cut at the Pub. Todd? Coming?

Breakfast
Turkey ham and eggs w/ mushrooms

Snack
coffee, black

Lunch
Pork Chop w/ parm and mustard, greens, cheese

266 (-11)

Lack of sleep and lack of water has been pushing me up the scales a bit. Worked on that today.

Breakfast
Mushroom and sausage egg omlette

Snack
celery

Lunch
kimchichigae, kimchi, water

snack
peanuts, water, laughing cow

dinner
Sirloin steak w/ grilled veggies and collard greens, diet pepsi

lots of water today
will get sleep tongight

265 (-12lbs)

My scale is screwed up. Well the general trend is down, thats good.

Breakfast
Sausage, mushroom and egg, diet pepsi

Lunch
dont remember

Dinner
Meatball sandwich without bread

264 (-13 lbs)

Thoughts---

If you are reading this and you are not Charlie, thanks for checking in.

Didnt get as much sleep last night. I find it makes a big difference in losing weight.

Re: Water weight - apparently this can fluctuate a lot. They say a better gauge is looseness of clothes.

My clothes are very loose, and ive had to start buckling my belt one hole tighter.

Im looking forward to reintroducing the good carbs.

Breakfast
Slimfast Low Carb

Snack
Peanuts, sugar free soft drink

Lunch
Salad with ham and turkey salami, cherry tomatoes, bacos, olive oil / vinagarette, sugar free soft drink

Snack
Peanuts, sugar free soft drink

Dinner
Meatball Parm w/o bread, pizza cheese

Snack
Salad with turkey salami and bacon

265 (-12 lbs)

Not sure how long this "water weight" drop will keep up but I'm encouraged. My energy level is 200% up. My wife makes unsolicited comments approvingly, which is great because shes the person im trying to impress.... ;)

Breakfast
Some low carb soup from last night

Snack
Cheese and dip, 2 crackers. Coffee, black.

Lunch
Low carb soup from last night, fat free sour cream

Snack
4 pc. lunchmeat - ham, turkey salami, chicken

Dinner
Taco salad with steak, bacon, ranch dressing (6g carb), fat free sour cream

Its kinda hard to beleive im losing weight with this diet.

267 (-10 lbs)

Breakfast
Sausage, bacon, fat free ricotta, and egg omlette (no hashbrowns, tho they were there :( ....)

Snack
Peanuts

Lunch
Pizza cheese and meat, no crust.

Snack
Slim fast low carb

Dinner
Soup of tomato, peppers, sausage, ricotta cheese (low fat), leftover steak, butter.

269 (-9 lbs)

I like kimchi when presented to me in a restaurant. But my luck with buying kimchi and using it at home has been star-crossed. I made a almost eatable omlette with kimchi for late night snack but i tried to make it like a breakfast omlette with cheese, which really made it un-eatable. The kimchi wasnt really fresh either. Better would be kimchi pancakes but i cant do it on SBD Phase I. Kimchichigae needs to be the next step, i always love it.

Breakfast
Steakum, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, onion omelet. (truck)

snack: 2 pc ham lunchmeat, babybel cheese, cherry tomatoes

Lunch
salad with cream dressing and 3 sausage links, fat free sour cream

Dinner
slim fast low carb, peanuts

snack: kimchi omlet w/ sausage, low fat cheese (note: never combine cheese and kimchi)

270 (-8lbs! this is working)

ex: walked a 1/4 mile to work

Breakfast
fried together in olive oil: 1/2 lb ground beef, 1/4 cup low fat ricotta, 11/2 onion, mushrooms, 1 lowfat cheese slices, sausage
diet pepsi

Midmorning snack
celery

Lunch
Kimchichigae / kimchi / radishes

Dinner
Wendy's Taco Salad without cornchips, w/ fat free sourcream, sausage

ex: walked a 1 mile - treadmill

271 lbs (-7 lbs)

Last night I passed on my favorite - Spaghetti with Prego Meat Sauce and had a bowl of green beans instead. Dieting sucks sometimes. Focusing on not eating until stuffed but until satisfied.

Breakfast from truck
3 eggs scrambled, steakum, mushrooms, onions, raw tomatoes, salt / pepper, diet pepsi

Midmorning coffee, caff, black

Lunch
fried together in olive oil:
1/2 lb ground beef, 1/4 cup low fat ricotta, 11/2 onion, mushrooms, 2 lowfat cheese slices, selzer water to drink
salad:
lettuce, mushrooms, bacos, lowfat cheese, salsa, broccoli

Midafternoon

Celery sticks and salsa
Diet Soda (need to stock up - its the only normal thing that keeps me sane right now)

Dinner

1 lb top sirloin steak w/ horseradish and lea&perrins
green beans
water with lemon

Nighttime snack

Fat Free Milk (thanks Amy!!) this was a treat.
coupla pieces of sausage

exercise
1 mile on treadmill, 25 min.


need at store
canadian bacon
shredded lettuce