my diet plan

Body Mass Index Calculator

2007-03-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting link on my friends Health Insurance website. It takes the normal body mass index calculator, and looks at it from a health insurnace company standpoint. I recommend anyone who is shopping for health insurance to also check this out before applying.

Body Mass Index Calculator for Insurance

Hope it motivates a few of you like it did me when I bought my health insurance!

Getting Health Insurance

2005-11-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

I was surprised the other day when I went to try and buy Health Insurance. The agent suggested I fib a little on my weight because the rates the insurance company offers are based off some height and weight ratio charts.

This got me thinking to restart my weight loss efforts. Just in time for the Holidays! :(

Is a Sticker Motivation?

2004-08-21T23:01:00.001-07:00

My first 5 lbs. I earned a book mark. When I lost 10% of my total body weight, I got a cool key chain that was shaped like the number "10"; My wife jokes that I cannot eat anything more than would fit through the key chain! Now that I have lost a total of 35 lbs., I have earned a sticker? Oh, I'm sorry, I have earned a "Gold Star Sticker" for having lost 35 lbs since starting 11 weeks ago.

Also, it is funny, when I first joined they gave me a thick booklet with menu ideas, charts, and various motivation ideas. Then week by week the booklets began to get thinner, and by the 11th week, I now get a slip of paper. Shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, I have paid more than the new person overall, and had more success. It reminds me of that cellular phone commercial where the new customers get the better phones than the existing customers. Isn't this a meritocracy, shouldn't those of us who have lost the most weight get the best stuff?

Obviously I am being a little sarcastic. But I have to admit that the thoughts have briefly crossed my mind.

"Someday" has arrived!

2004-08-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

You know those old clothes in your closet? The ones that are too small to wear, but you can't throw out because they might fit "Someday? Well, someday has arrived;

My boxer/brief underwear now fit like regular boxers! My wife calls me "No-Butt Man". I like that pet name much better than "Cuddle-Bear". Even my shoes are too big! (Not really, but it seems like it) But something else *ehem* down...um, there, does seem bigger. Or more accurately, longer. *grin* that really makes all the missed cheese burgers, and diet food worth it!

What is My Secret?

2004-06-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

My friends and family have been asking me, "What is my secret?" So I have decided to share examples of my meals, thoughts, and strategy.

The easiest way is just to break it down for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was calculating points religiously for the first 3 weeks, and I noticed that if I didn't calculate what I was eating BEFORE I actually ate it, I would end up going over on my points for that meal. Now, I will still calculate points on some new food, but many of the foods I eat, I now know the points and portions I have had before, so I can just eyeball it better. I still say to myself, "I want to stay under 10 points for this meal", and I remember what I have measured out before that was 10 points, and I will only eat only those things, in those amounts or less. Then, mentally, I cross off 10 points for that meal, even if I was satisfied that it was less, (like 7-8 points if I actually figured it out)

Sometimes, I will go back and write down what I eaten already, this is helpful if I have had something new that I need to remember the points value for. I visualize what I ate, portions, and kind of food, and then I add up the points on my paper diary.

I have some other basic rules. One, I try to stay under 10 points at every meal. Here is my reasoning. If I have 25-30 points to spend a day, no one meal should make up more than 1/3 of the total. Otherwise I get too hungry when I run out of points and still have hours left in the day. My second rule is to never skip a meal. When I used to eat a lot more, I could skip a meal without a problem. But I have noticed that when I eat only what I need to get me to the next meal, I cannot skip a meal. If I do, I get too hungry, and end up light headed, loosing energy and concentration, and getting irritated.

Another rule I have is if I do get too hungry, and feel like I can't make a good choice right then about food. I will drink an emergency slim fast (5 points) which takes the edge off the hunger. Then I can think rationally about food again, and I will still eat something healthy. The hardest thing is to make a good decision about what to eat when I am too hungry to think clearly.

My wife can tell if I have eaten or am hungry too. If I am cranky and short with her, she knows I need to eat something, and she will tell me. I love her!

Honestly, I was hungrier when I was eating crap all the time, before I started Weight Watchers. When I was going through fast food withdrawals, I was pretty much a crank too. But, now I don't crave the same types of food I once did (See StarBurtos Below) white corn on the Cobb, barbecued on the grill gets me salivating, and carrot stick leave me more satisfied than french fries ever did! Carrots are sweet! It is kind of like my taste buds have woken up to flavors that always seemed too bland to me before.

In fact, not that long ago, my wife and I decided to "go off the diet" for one meal, and have an In-And-Out Cheese Burger. We were both on the toilet for an hour! Our stomachs cramped up, we felt ill. At first we thought maybe something was wrong with the burger, but I am sure it is because our bodies are not used to that kind of food any more. The milk shake was worth it though!

259 Butt Naked in a Slight Breeze

2004-06-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

I got on the scale this morning and I weighted 259. I was down to 259 a week ago, but was too hungry to keep my weight there. I ate too much food for the beech party, and our wedding anniversary, and I was back up to 264.

However, a few days later, with steady discipline of low calorie diet, and healthful foods, I am back down to 259 and feeling like I can maintain it.

I play mind games with myself I have noticed. I plan to make this my new high weight, and start chopping away at getting down to 255, my next intermediate goal. Also, I have yet to see the scale lower than 259, so I will know I am on the right track when I see it going down to 258, 257 etc...

I am a little obsessive. I weigh myself 4-5 times a day. Once when I first wake up, again after I shower and shave. When I get home I strip off all my clothes and weigh myself again, to see how much I gained from lunch, then I know how much I can eat for dinner. I like to weigh myself after dinner too to see if I stayed on target. Then I will get on the scale once more before bed.

Another obsessive tendency I have is to calculated how much weight I have to loose while standing in the shower. I write the number I am at, and subtract 3 from it or 7 from it and give myself a date I want to be at that weight. (Usually it is the next weight watchers weigh in) I visualize what I need to do to get there, and I imagine what I will look and feel like at that weight.

Status Update 264 lbs.

2004-06-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Well, since I lost the post about the fair, I will just say it went well. I think it was smart to eat before we went. They had fried snickers candy bars, fried twinkies, and various other junk food. But I held strong.

We had a lot of fun, we found a Lama named "Andy" that we took our picture with my son of the same name.

The other update/post that disappeared is my last weight watchers meeting. I lost 2 2/3 lbs. and got to 10 lbs total lost since weight watchers.

My weight now is a low 264, and I feel good about it! It is time to start adjusting my points to keep the weight loss going.

Going to the San Diego County Fair

2004-06-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a test.
I am going to the San Diego County Fair which all the locals know as the Del Mar Fair. The fair is a lot of fun. There are rides, shopping, animals, horse shows, and FOOD.. Lots and lots of FOOD!

This will be a truly difficult test, I feel like I should eat first to prepare, but I don't know if that is the best strategy? Maybe, I should fast, because I know there will be things there to tempt me that will be difficult to avoid.

I have been being really good on this diet, and I know the Del Mar Fair will be a trial. my wife wrote down all the food we can eat, and hopefully stick to our points plan somewhat. I will let you know how we do.

One Week Down...

2004-06-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, we had weigh in at the weightwatchers meeting yesterday. And it went really good. I got a book mark for loosing my first 5 lbs. I lost 7 lbs. Total! I guess eating point works.

My wife 4 1/2 lbs. the first week. So, all in all, we are feeling really good.

Here is what I had to eat yesterday:

BREAKFAST: Choc. Slim Fast (3 points)
LUNCH: Lean cuisine (6 points) + Low Fat Yogurt (3 points)
SNACK: Choc. Slim Fast (3 points)
DINNER: 4 Slices Papa John Pizza -thin crust, garden vegetable (12 points)
For a grand total of 27 points spent yesterday.

I had a Slim Fast for Breakfast

2004-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been calculating points, eating right, but NOT exercising. I haven't been hungery, between all the water they have you drinking, and all the fiber in the food, my appitite has been in check. Here is an example of what I ate yesterday.

6-7-04
BREAKFAST Home Made Smoothie
w/ Peachs, Soy Milk, Yogurt & Ice. (5 Points)
2 Slices of Turkey Bacon
+ 1 Egg & Water (4 Points)

LUNCH T.V. Style Dinner Smart Ones Thai Chicken Noodle (6 Points)

DINNER 2 Fish Tacos
w/ cabbage, low fat cheese, corn tortillas (15 Points)

This morning I had a Slim Fast for Breakfast.(5 Points) Thats it. I'm not hungery, so I want to see how well I can do on a lighter breakfast, as long as I feel good doing it. I used to skip breakfast, and eat a large lunch, (I don't want to do that either) But I'm not a big breakfast fan.

1st Day/Week at Weight Watcher

2004-06-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

First off, I got _most_ of the things done on my list. I exercised, I got a gross photo up. (I'm looking forward to the updates though!) and I ate much better than I did the day before. I didn't start keeping a journal, but I have since weight watchers. Speaking of weight watchers...

My wife and I got up early (for a Saturday) at 7:00am and made it to the meeting. This was my first time to such a thing; For those of you who have not been to one, think "AA". I'm sure we have all been to AA meetings, right? It is pretty much what you would expect. While I was a weight watchers virgin, my wife is an experienced pro (maybe that's why I married her!) While she went through her "reinduction", I got signed up. They lined us up, like lambs to the slaughter, and weighed us in. Then they talked to us about how to eat, what to eat and the mysterious points system. Some people shared recipes, others talked about the Rock and Roll Marathon that they were running tomorrow. One person got her 50 pound pin, a few people got their 10% weight loss pin. Truthfully, it was pretty cool.

53 pounds to go...

2004-06-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

I question my sanity in posting this terrible picture, but if I want to be real... Let me know if it is "too" real, okay?
PICT0119
Originally uploaded by mydietplan.

A New Day

2004-06-04T08:39:00.000-07:00
Okay, so this morning my wife and I got in an argument about our commitment (or lack there of) to the diet. She said she puts everything and everyone (yours truly included) before her own needs and health. To make a long story short, she was mad that I drank the last of the milk (and ate the last of the brownies. I guess she wanted to use the milk for her Kashi breakfast cereal.

So this morning, it became my job to make breakfast. Luckily my wife had gone to the market recently, so I popped two English muffins in the toaster, cracked open two eggs on the skillet, and put two slices of turkey bacon in the microwave. WHALA! There was some orange juice still in the fridge, and it smelled okay so we drank that, and split the breakfast bounty 50/50. I keep surprising myself that I don’t mind cooking, it just seems difficult to get myself to do it.

Over breakfast we discussed getting serious about the diet. I agreed to join Weight Watchers with her tomorrow (We will see how that goes) I am meeting her for lunch, and we plan to have something healthy at Subway - "Eat Fresh!"

MY DIET GOALS TODAY:
1) 20 minutes on the Elliptical Machine
2) Eat “better” than yesterday
3) Keep a journal of what I eat
4) Stay motivated
5) Learn how to post pictures on this blog

That is good for a Friday –don’t want to over do it.

StarBurtos for Dinner

2004-06-04T08:02:00.000-07:00
Well last night, right after writing my first post ever WOOT!, I had two more brownie’s. Oops and the last of the milk in the fridge. But that’s not the worst of it…

My wife brought home “*Burtos” for dinner at my suggestion. If you don’t know San Diego County style Mexican \Food, you won’t understand. I know there are probably some doubters out there, there always are a few skeptics. And yes, I have heard of “Tex-Mex” but I have friends from Texas, and they say it’s not the same. But for the most part, “STARBurtos” is a regional phenomena. I’ve look in Los Angles, and San Jose, and everywhere in between, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, I’m sorry. You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. You just can’t get the same food in other towns!

For example, other southern Californians will know about In-And-Out Burger. And their commercial saying you can’t get an In-And-Out back east, but when my friend Chris moved to Chicago, and my other friend Andrew went to visit him, Chris asked that Andrew bring him a Carne Asada Burrito from a local “*Burtos”. Its THAT GOOD. Until you have eaten at one, you wont understand! If you have a favorite regional food please let me know about it in a comment.

I suppose I should explain the “STAR”. These “Burtos” style restaurants are for the most part knockoffs of the original (at least as far as I know) Alberto’s. From what I hypothesis, good ol’ Al doesn’t do franchises! There is an urban legend that Al is the leader of the Mexican mafia La Emme, and controls his restaurant empire from behind bars –for all I know, its true!

So you find a lot of Hispanic restaurant entrepreneurs starting their slightly different, yet eerily similar restaurant in the “*-burtos” tradition. You have your original Albertos, but you also have your equally good, Alibertos, Eliburtos, Josebertos, Allbertos, etc… hence the * for us gringo geeks.

They all serve Carne Asada Burritos, 5 Rolled Tacos with Guacamole, Chicken Chimachangas, and the eternal favorite – SUPER NACHOS con Carne Asada. (I feel like Homer Simpson sitting here drooling about it) Your more die hard gringo will enjoy the occasional Horchata, a Mexican rice drink and Munodo (the food not the boy band) on the weekend.

Well can you guess what I had for dinner last night? I’ll give you three guesses… That’s right! The original “*Burtos”-can’t-go-wrong-Carne-Asada-Burrito! It was good as always, (and a large coke to wash it down)

278 lbs and counting!

2004-06-03T16:55:00.000-07:00
I got on my scale, and TODAY I start documenting everything I eat. I have read Dr. Phils book, but it didn't really appeal to me, and Atkins leave me feeling funny A few weeks ago, I was down to 270 on Atkins, but the carbs got me... I know I will need to start eating better in coming days, and may even have to start exercising, but today I started a BLOG instead.*grin* (I have never written a blog before) I figure it will keep me honest, and allow me to document my progress. I would love to hear support and comments from others out there! And I hope that my story will be of help to other dieters.

I currently weigh 278 pounds. Of course I am 6'4" tall, so that is not too terrible...(at least that is what I keep telling myself) I have a personal goal to get down to 225. (Doing math in my head…slowly, slowly…That is 53 pounds to loose…yikes!) 225 may still seem high to some of you, however I am confident that it is a good goal weight for my height and age (31 years young). My goal with this post is to post everything I eat and keep a journal.

Yesterday is gone, so it really doesn't matter…(It wasn’t good either) And here is the list so far for today:
DATE: 6-3-04
8:00 am Breakfast - 2 Brownies and 1 cup of non-fat milk
(I saw the Cherios, but somehow, the brownies from the night before looked better. Portions I told myself, I can avoid portions. But that obviously was not enough food for breakfast, so I got hungry before lunch…)
11:30 am Snack - String Cheese, Yogurt (Yoplait Whips), and a Kashi Chocolate Shake
(That would have been lunch, rather than a snack, but my father showed up with lunch at 1:45)
1:45 pm Lunch – Or as us Hobbits call it 2nd breakfast! Seriously though, I had Fish & Chips from Long John Silvers, with french fries and coleslaw and 2 glasses of crystal light Iced Tea!! ( Oh, well At this point I figured my diet was shot, so I decided to go all out and have desert… yes, desert. )
2:00 pm Desert – 2 more Brownies, and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. yummy!

Well, it is now 5:30 pm and that is my list. After the fiasco of Desert after lunch, I told myself, "I would be good" for the rest of the day. I feel a little embarrassed writing it all down. (I eat like a pig!) But I also feel a little liberated. The truth is finally out there. I would say that is typical of how I eat. Trying to be good, but giving into temptation. Looking at this list, I suspect I need to start adding up calories, or points or something. Or I could just wing it! We will see, and time will tell.

The dogs are hungery, so I better go feed them (Seriously, my two dogs, Coco & Quindi need their dinner)I know I will probably still have dinner tonight too. I will have to update that on another post I guess! I would like to put up some photos eventually too, to track my progress, and keep me honest!