November 30, No Excuses

The final day of November has arrived and I have done well in getting a little more exercise on a daily basis. Granted, I certainly don't push myself and I am far from being fit, but I am doing more than I was doing and I'm working on making exercise (not just activity) a part of my daily routine.

Having said that, yesterday was a day of activity rather than exercise. 
It was travel day and included a lot of walking and carrying luggage.
I probably consumed a full day's calories at dinner with a couple of beers and a full plate of steak nachos. That isn't too bad considering I really didn't eat much throughout the day.

Although my simple version of No Excuse November ends today, I am hopeful of continuing with daily exercise of some type and working towards a more healthful and sustainable diet. Today I am going to have to figure out a daily or at least a monthly goal for December.

Be well,
John 

November 29, No Excuses

Sunday was an easy day. I started with some time on the exercise bike and a little stretching. I ate lightly and fairly well. Fairly well because dinner was a little high in fat calories but the overall total for the day was pretty low.

Monday will need to be a low cal day because I'm not expecting to get in much exercise, but hopefully we'll get a walk in after our plane lands in Puerto Vallarta late in the afternoon. No Monday morning weigh-in; just going with Sunday morning's 238.

John

November 28, No Excuses

sigh

I suppose I should be happy to have made it through Thanksgiving week without gaining any weight, but a weight neutral week is not really what I want at this point. Travel, family, a little beer, some good international food--all in my future for the next couple of weeks. This is going to be a challenge.

On the other hand, I should be able to get plenty of walking in. I don't know that I'll get much in the way of other exercise, but the walking part should be good. 

With just 33 days until 2022, 220 pounds is looking to be unrealistic as a part of a lifestyle change. If losing 18 pounds in that time was the main thing, I'm sure I could do it. But losing the weight as a part of sustainable lifestyle habits is not going to happen. A steady two pounds per week (maybe a little more) will put me around 228 on January 1. That would be -34 pounds from my August 1st high of 262. It's not much in the grand scheme of weight loss, but considering my 7 weeks of no loss from the beginning of September to mid October--I'd take it.  
Even at my current -24 pounds I already feel better. I don't really look any different (yet), but I do feel better. Honestly, it isn't like it's a great feeling of "Oh! I have so much more energy!" or anything exciting like that. It's more like a subtle peace of "I feel good about myself and the decisions I'm making." 

Writing about it each day in a kind of daily diary keeps me mentally focused on how I'm doing day by day. I don't share this blog to Facebook on a daily basis, but I do post it to Twitter every day. It's really for my own benefit that I write it. I know that there are others that also struggle with the day to day bad habits to better habits changes that are necessary to get to better health. Maybe it's for them, too.

     "The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are."
     --JP Morgan

Change is difficult.
I know.

John

November 27, No Excuses

It's hard to believe that the month is coming to an end. It's possible that I could be at -12 pounds for the month, but it will be hard to know for sure. I'll get a weigh-in at home on Monday morning, but will be away on December 1. Really hoping for an extra good December and will have to stay very focused and be more into the exercise part next month to make 220 by January 1.
Yesterday was a good day for both diet and exercise.

As I am re-reading The Abs Diet I am finding it interesting how there are so many opposing views on what the best way to fuel the body is. Every expert has their own set of studies and stats to back their particular view. Then you have people that read multiple books and cherry pick what they like, or believe, or can live with as they struggle with trying to change their overall diet and lifestyle. I think we often end up going from one process that has led to bad choices to a new process that leads to many of the same bad choices or maybe a whole new set of bad choices. No wonder the diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.

The one common theme that I seem to find in the many different books I've read over the past few decades is controlling insulin. While it isn't always addressed as insulin control, it's really always the main thing in controlling weight, reducing fat, and living longer, healthier lives. 
Whether it's eating several smaller meals per day (5-6), severely restricting carbs, going paleo, going vegan, or any other of hundreds of diet book philosophies, the ones that seem to have the most success are the ones that can be effective as a lifestyle rather than serve as a temporary diet plan that you are on for a while and then off and back to your old habits as you yo-yo up and down between "diets" that are designed to only work for a short time. 

Like many overweight people, I have the diet books, the diet cook books, the healthy eating cookbooks, the exercise books, the yoga mat, the exercise equipment, and the receipts that have contributed to that multi-billion dollar industry. The one bill that I haven't had (yet) is the large medical or hospital bill. To date I am not on any meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or any other health condition. But I do fear those things are in my future if I revert back to the yo-yo life of gaining, losing, and regaining weight. 

For today, November 27, I will be healthy. I'll get some exercise and I'll eat well. I'm not going to worry about undoing the past. I'm just going to live well today and leave the past where it is. While I certainly have goals and hopes for the future, I'm not going to be so focused that I miss out on today. 
Live in the moment. Live well. That's the plan -- for today.

John

November 26, No Excuses

Yep
I went over my calorie target. I did try to keep "bad" foods to a reasonable low, but managed more than a few sweet calories and processed carbs. All-in-all, it wasn't a terrible day. 
Today it's back to the new normal and a much lower volume day.

I did start the day with a 45 minute, 10 mile, indoor cycle ride to help minimize the damage done by eating the Thanksgiving feast later in the day. I'll be hitting the cycle again today. I don't have a new, computer connected cycle like Peloton or anything. I'm pretty low tech. I also have a low tech, older model treadmill. There is no computer coach driving me on, just some classic rock radio and a steady rhythm to keep me going.

John

November 25, Thanksgiving

I'm giving myself the day off.
I know that I'll still log foods--partly because I'm on a streak and don't want to end it, and partly because I want to make paying attention to what I eat a lifelong habit. I won't always be logging foods, but I'm still working on the the recognition of what I'm shoving into my mouth and its effect on my body. 

I am going to try to get a little cycle time in this morning. 

John 

November 24, No Excuses

November is winding down. I'd like to say that I'm going to finish strong, but I'm not really committed to that. I'm more likely to just keep doing what I've been doing for the first 23 days of the month. In fact, that's what I'd like to be doing as I move forward into December and 2022--just keep doing the same mindful eating and activity each and every day.

I do plan on making today a light day on the diet side. I know that tomorrow will not be. Even though I hope to be mindful of everything during the traditional Thanksgiving feast, I know there will be so very much food that I am shying away from in my new diet. Moderation is the key (I think).
I will try to track my food for the day, but I am expecting to exceed my normal daily intake--and I'm okay with that. I know that logging it will help to keep the over doing it to a minimum. 

I will need to get my exercise in early. With company coming over for dinner I don't know what the afternoon/evening will look like. It would be nice to have a post dinner walk, but I don't know how everyone else will feel about that. I'll count it as a bonus if it happens.

John

November 23, No Excuses

One week left in the month of November!
Yesterday was a good diet day. I'm really finding that eating more plant based stuff -- fruit, beans, raw veggies -- makes eating fewer calories so much easier. I do need to consciously add more veggies into the day and limit the nuts and seeds because of the high fat content. Overall, I've done pretty well at restricting the processed grains from breads, pasta and white rice. I've had a few sandwiches, enjoyed some pasta, and made fried rice, but as a rule -- most days have been free of the lower nutrient, processed carbs. I've also restricted most dairy by switching to a milk substitute and forgoing the cheese when I think of it.
And I've really restricted beer (I think I've had two this month). Beer and weightloss don't go together very well.

I'm not hard and fast on not eating (or drinking) anything in particular. I'm just being more aware of how it affects me and deciding if it's okay in that specific circumstance. I'm minus eight pounds for the first three weeks of November and hoping to keep pace through the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Side note: The MyFitnesPal app that I use adds in additional food calories for calories burned during tracked exercises like walking, running, cycling, etc. Rather than using those exercise calories to add to my intake as I have in the past, I think I'll just count them as additional calories burned moving forward. 

Exercise wise -- I'm doing better and finding something daily in the way of actual exercise vs just being active. I think this is important for me as we enter into the winter months and my activity is much less than during warmer weather.

I've also started re-reading The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko. It's the book that got me started on my last minus sixty pound journey eight+ years ago.

November 22, No Excuses

It's  a Monday morning weigh-in day and the beginning of the fourth week in November.
I am back to losing a relatively healthy 2 pounds per week and come in at 238 pounds. I'm not sure who decided that 2lbs/wk is supposed to be the target, but the MyFitnessPal app creators won't go higher than that for calculating calories for weight loss. I, however, am going to have to step it up to 3lbs/wk if I'm going to make 220 by the end of the year.

Actually 220 isn't a must meet goal. It's a number I had in mind before I went eight weeks without losing any weight in September and most of October. I'm still going to go for it even though I expect the next three weeks to be a challenge--Thanksgiving this week, then some traveling and family time in the coming weeks.
It will be more doable if I look at my daily log to track what I've eaten instead of looking at it to see how much I can snack late in the evening. Yesterday's diet was good. I even managed to have a rare beer in the afternoon.

Exercise was light as I'm still having some back issues. This getting old crap really sucks. While I'm not really wanting to stop aging; I am wanting to hold off its effects, hence the current exercise and healthy living plan. 
Bring on the tough weeks!
Here we go!

John

November 21, No Excuses

This was a different day than I was expecting. While working in the garage today, I managed to trigger some muscle spasms in my low back. I spent the rest of the day alternating between trying to relax the offending muscles and gently stretching with out over stimulating them. Just going to say it pretty much sucks when I've been doing well on the activity part. Hopefully a good night's rest will be all I need for recovery.

Food wise was a good day and I'm under the calorie target and looking for a decent Monday morning weigh-in. 

John

November 20, No Excuses

Today (the 19th) was one of those days. I really didn't feel like doing anything -- at all.
As it turned out, I added a couple of extra miles to my normal indoor cycle ride. I think I'll be building it up to an hour soon. I also may use the treadmill some, just for something different.

I did okay on food. I made some pork fried rice for dinner. We always use lots of veggies, but the bacon, pork (chops), eggs, and bacon grease added a lot of animal product and a lot of calories. Thanks to my added bike time/miles, I was still under for the day.

For the past couple of days I have been writing this at the end of the day rather than the following morning. It started when I had plans for the morning and wasn't sure if I'd have the time to write in the morning and has just continued. I've also been writing my other blog at the end of the day and posting after midnight or scheduling it for the morning.
It may or may not continue like that.

Be well,
John

November 19, No Excuses

I enjoyed a couple of late night snacks and still managed to come in under my calorie limit. I'm paying more attention to the carb/protein/fat ratios and totals. I'm doing okay but still trying to figure out what my body is telling me for balance.

I did something to strain my back yesterday, It was stiff last light, okay for most of the day today, but started stiffening up again tonight. My activity for today was some good stretching and a little body weight stuff. Hopefully, I'll be good to go tomorrow.

John

November 18, No Excuses

For the second time in the 28 days that I've been logging foods I have gone over my daily allotment of calories. I thought about hopping on the cycle for another 30 minutes, but decided against it. It really wasn't a bad day. The foods that put me over weren't bad foods and I don't feel like I over ate. I had a coupe of cheesy biscuits at 150 calories each and ate too many cashews which are pretty high in fat and total calories. I'm just going to own t and not worry about it. I should still be at a loss for the week.

An easy 30 minutes on the cycle and a short walk. Thursday looks to be a busy day and I'll need to figure out where the exercise fits into it.

John 

November 17, No Excuses

Not every salad is good for you.
We ate out last night and I had a salad and it was good.
I don't know that it was good for me. 
It was loaded with salami, pepperoni, ham, turkey, and bacon. Plus it had black olives and cheese. It also had some iceberg and romaine lettuce. After all, it was a salad.
It was obviously pretty high in fat calories, but I managed to stay under my total calories for the day and didn't feel like I was depriving myself along the way.

I came home and did my 30 minutes on the exercise bike to end of the day.

Although it wasn't an exceptional day in any way, It is what I'm hoping each day will be. I'm only a couple of weeks into really trying to restructure what my normal day will look like. I hope that this will be on the fringe exception side of normal as I am striving to reduce meats and dairy, especially meats that are loaded with preservatives like salami and pepperoni.
My late in life recognition to my little bit of lactose intolerance had me using milk with lactase (Lactaid or other lactose free milk), but I just bought some oat milk which works well in my mostly oat cereal and is easier on my digestion. 

One simple step at a time.

Be well,
John

November 16, No excuses

(actually writing this late Monday night to post on Tuesday morning)
Although t was a fairly busy day (at least by retired guy standards), I did manage 30 minutes on the exercise bike late in the evening.
I had a heavy meat day which also means a heavy fat day (they tend to go together). In spite of this, I did well in the overall calorie count. I actually did very well until experimenting with some almond nog, almond nog with bourbon, and a couple of handfuls of nuts as a late snack.
Still under for the day and will do better on Tuesday.

Just fyi, here is an article that popped into my feed (funny how that happens) on plant based protein. For those that are still skeptical about the amount of protein in green plants, I used to own horses. They were some of the most well muscled animals I know of and ate nothing but grass. The same can be said of gorillas that are predominantly vegetarians.
Just food for thought (so to speak).

John

November 15, No Excuses

I'm two weeks into No Excuse November and doing pretty well. I've continued to log foods daily and have had no problems coming in below calories. Increasing fruit, vegetables, and legumes while limiting meat, dairy, and processed grains has really helped with keeping a full, satisfied feeling and lower calorie count.

I'm also finding it easier to find daily time for some sort of exercise, even if it's only 15 or 20 minutes on the stationary bike. I've lost 11 pounds since October 22 when I decided to get serious and changed my eating habits.

The thing that always concerns me is wondering if this is something that I can do as a lifestyle change. If you've followed my journey for long, you know I've been up and down and up again with weight swings that have varied by nearly 70 pounds. I really think can keep up with a more plant-based diet as a way of life. 
I am not going all in on Dr. Fuhrmann's Eat to Live diet. I'm not doing his hard-core 6 week induction diet, and I probably won't completely eliminate dairy, nor limit meat to the extent he recommends. I'm not cutting out coffee, nor do I want to feel bad about an occasional beer, bourbon, or tequila. But I do think I'll find a place in between the way I was eating and his plan that will work as a lifestyle eating plan that will be nutritious and healthy and doable for me.

Many years ago an old friend (80s) said to me, "John, if I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself." 
Hopefully, it's not too late for me to take care of myself now so that my 80 year old self will not regret the health decisions of my 61 year old self.

John 

November 14, No Excuses

I thought I'd post my breakfast pic and recipe from yesterday. It's a little variation on my fried oatmeal. I like this no egg approach better and it makes it vegan friendly. It does make for a larger breakfast than I typically have, but I don't mind moving towards larger meals earlier and smaller meals later. It fits with the weight control adage -- Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper.

Start with a small ripe banana and mash it in a bowl. Add a half cup of old fashioned rolled oats and a quarter cup of crushed walnuts. I like to season it with a bit of cinnamon. Mix it well so that it will stay together in a ball or patty and fry it on the griddle or in a skillet. I use just a little coconut oil and medium heat. I topped mine with a cup of frozen mixed berries that I heated in the microwave. It ends up with 537 calories. It's a little high in fat from the walnuts (18g), but it's the good Omega 3 fats we need. It also has 7g of protein.
It was pretty tasty!

I had a pretty good day food wise. I was (again) right at the daily calorie allotment, but pretty satisfied with what I'm consuming. I am liking plant based eating for keeping a full feeling without packing on the calories. 

On the fitness side I spent time on the indoor cycle and with the dumbbells. That seems to be a good cool weather/bad weather fit and I'll work on keeping that up in the coming weeks. It really isn't much of a workout. I may put more into it as time passes, or I may just be satisfied with the regular activity level it brings as is. It's not like I'm planning a 50 mile run like my niece Laura just completed, or a century bicycle ride like my nephew Joe does on a regular basis. I just need to manage the stairs from the deck to the garden!

My regular weekly weigh-in isn't until tomorrow, but I stepped on the scale this morning to see how it was looking and it read 240. I'm feeling pretty good about it.

John

November 13, No Excuses

With the cooling temperatures and less of a commitment to walking in the great outdoors, the indoor cycle and dumbbells are becoming my go-to for exercise. I put in an afternoon 30 minutes yesterday and may do the same today while watching the fights.

Total food calories were okay yesterday and most of the content was good. I was a little heavy on the fat intake due to the guacamole with dinner. 
We finished dinner early and I was very purposeful about no late evening snacks so I'm set up well for a day of IF. I'm already at 15 hours. Noon will be 19 hours and I'll see how I feel then.

John

November 12, No Excuses

I think I like adding the 1 minute sprints into my indoor cycle riding. I've done that a couple of times now and will try to continue to do that or some other variation to keep it interesting. I added some dumbbell work to the cycle riding yesterday and felt good about it afterwards.

It was a good day on the food intake. I did have a heavy milk stout which was the first beer I've had in a few weeks. Losing weight while continuing to drink beer is a real challenge. It's much easier to cut it out or severely limit consumption. I ended up close to the total daily allotment on calories, but feel good about the food I ate.

I did miss Monday's weigh-in since we were camping. I stepped on the scale this morning and was encouraged to read it at 242. That's -20 pounds since Aug 1st. It's good to see the numbers moving (and in the right direction!) again. It is seven weeks until 2022, so 220 will take some purposeful and consistent work. Holidays can be a tough time to be eating healthy and losing weight. Not being that much of a social creature is an advantage.

Be well,
John

November 11, No Excuses

Yesterday was pretty much as expected.
We torn down camp in the morning and spent the afternoon on the road. After a quick dinner at home, I went to my meeting in Springfield. I did manage some cycle time after I got home, so the day wasn't a total bust as far as exercise goes.

Food was okay in the calorie count, but could have been better as far as what I actually ate. It will be good to be back at home and eating more of what I want to be my new normal.

John

November 10, No Excuses

We took a short hike yesterday around the Johnson Shut-ins. There was quite a bit of elevation change -- down, up, down, up stuff. It wasn't too severe. Just something to add to the walk.

We ate out last night. It was an old school that had been turned into a hospital during the Civil War. It was later bought by nuns and turned into a convent and school for girls. It's a cool place, but seems out of place for the area. I'm sure they do a much better business during the summer season. I imagine it's a pretty rough time for business during the winter months.
I didn't log my calories for the entire day, but it wasn't a bad day.

Today will be breaking down camp, driving home, church meeting tonight. I'll get some time on the exercise bike later in the evening. 

John

November 9, No Excuses

A nice walk around the campgrounds, a nice drive into town.
Today some hiking.

I pushed the calorie limit yesterday and am finding that both meat and processed foods can add calories quickly without really filling me up. Gotta listen to what my body is telling me.

John

November 8, No Excuses

Blogging from the table of our pop-up camper this morning. Yesterday was driving and setting up camp. I took a day of rest from the walking/exercise and used camp setup as my activity for the day.

The pasta dinner was as much processed food as I've had in a meal in a week, but it was a tasty camp dinner. 

No weigh-in this morning to mark the end of November week 1, but I'm feeling good about how it's going.

John

November 7, No Excuses

Yesterday was a light day. I was pretty active doing stuff most of the day, and managed a couple of miles of walking. Actual exercise was pretty light in the evening. I got in some decent stretching and some squats in while watching the fights.

I did the IF thing by waiting 19 hours from Friday's finish and then packing some good eating into 4 hours yesterday afternoon and early evening. I did eat more lean meat yesterday than I will typically be eating, but my calorie numbers were way down so the higher density calorie food didn't hurt.

Being away from home for the next couple of days will be an interesting challenge. I'm hoping to be able to stay on course.

John 

November 6, No Excuses

Yesterday's walk was a more leisurely stroll. We drove to the Ozark Park and walked the park and the newly developed area around the old mill. It ended up being only 1.5 miles, but I added some walking and stair steps while working on an afternoon project for the back porch.

I'm going to put yesterday in the bad diet column. I did come in below my calorie allotment for the day, so that part is good, but I ate poorly--too much calorie dense, high fat food. I'm okay with the occasional day like that, but I want it to be the exception. Back to the fruits, nuts, and veggies today.

I won't be home on Monday morning for a first week weigh-in. I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow morning. I did step on the scale this morning and I was 244 pounds. That's minus 2 for the week/month and I'm happy about that. Daily weighing can be weird, so I may or may not weigh in tomorrow. 
When I went through the big loss several years ago, I weighed daily but told myself I had to be at or below a weight for three consecutive days before I could claim it. Maybe weighing daily isn't the weird part. Maybe it's me.

Be well,
John

November 5, No Excuses

I split yesterday's exercise into 15 minutes on the indoor cycle and a 1.2 mile walk. I went with something a little different on the cycle by adding five 1 minute sprints followed by 1 minute of easy (12 mph) cycling. The walk was twice around the perimeter of the property (.95 miles) and to the mailbox and back (.25 miles). I like the perimeter walk. It's hilly and grassy and better than road walking.

I had a good diet day. I'm liking eating more fruits and veggies. They are more filling than I would have expected and are way less calorie dense than meat and dairy products. Plus they are way more nutritious than meat and dairy products. It's actually been a pretty easy way to come in low on the daily calories without feeling hungry at all during the day.

The mixed greens, carrot, cabbage, radish salad with a bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some seasonings, topped with tuna with mayo and a little relish was dinner.

John

November 4, No Excuses

I did the 30 minutes on the exercise cycle yesterday. It wasn't a killer pace or anything. I was actually reading a little bit while riding, but that doesn't work too well for reading or riding. I'll most likely be on the cycle again today.

We went out to eat last night. I had a nice salad that had fruit, nuts, and feta cheese on some nice greens, and a bowl of shrimp and lobster chowder. The freshly baked bread and butter added big to the calorie count, but I was right at the daily number for my total (after a late snack of a few crackers and peanut butter).
I'll give some attention to the time of my last intake today and set up a day of intermittent fasting for tomorrow.

Be well,
John

November 3, No Excuses

I did get a nice walk in yesterday as well as a little late evening exercise. I was a little short of 10,000 steps (but wasn't really targeting that). I might try to add some cycling to my walk today. We'll see.

I also kept my calories below the daily allotment. The breakfast experiment I mentioned yesterday was to use a mashed banana as a binder for my fried oatmeal instead of the egg I normally use. I also used coconut oil instead of butter to keep it entirely plant based. The banana added sweetness which was good since I didn't want to used syrup or add refined sugar. It turned out well and I'll probably use a banana in the future if it's available.

Also, a cup of my muesli mix, a large banana, and a teaspoon of coconut oil was well over 400 calories and a very filling breakfast. In the future I will probably make half or split it with Chris if she wants.

John

November 2, No Excuses

I did it! One day--No excuses. Big deal, right?
Actually, without Day 1, there is no Day 2, so it's kind of a deal. I started with just 15 minutes on the exercise cycle and then walked 1.2 miles before it started a light rain. Today will be another cool and overcast day, but no rain is in the forecast. The plan is to walk a couple of miles.

I had more meat yesterday than I think I'll be having on most days as I move to more of a plant based diet. I had a chicken salad lunch and chili for dinner. Overall, I was well below the daily calorie count. 

I want to point out that even though I am using calories as a sort of daily guide for weightloss, I'm learning that the kind of calories really matter in how I feel. By limiting low fiber processed foods like bread and pasta, and calorie dense foods like meat, I am not feeling hungry or even craving snacks throughout the day. I'm thinking about a mini-experiment for breakfast today. If I go through with it, I'll share it tomorrow.

November 2
Just another day in the new healthy normal, right?

John

November 1, No Excuses

I used to walk every day.
Every. Single. Day.
It was just a part of what I did.
I need to get back to that kind of daily habit.

November's goal is 30 minutes on the exercise cycle or a two mile walk -- every day, no excuses.

Yesterday's diet was okay. For the second time in a week I ate most of my calories in a single meal and was very close to my daily calorie allotment. (The few Halloween treats pushed the limit.) I'll be sticking to the heavy on the fruits and veggies, light on the processed foods and meats diet for the coming weeks and looking to make that a lifestyle change.

This morning's first of the month weigh-in was at 246 pounds. That's less than yesterday's 248. I don't think I lost two pounds in a day and several things may have contributed to the difference. 
1) It's an analog bathroom scale.
2) We all have heavy days and light days
3) Yesterday was just a quick read. Today I double checked.
4) Yes, I did lose two pounds in a day

In the end, it's not a big deal and I'm going to call it 246 for November's starting weight.
Here we go!

John