Well, it all depends on how I look at it.
It has been two weeks since I started my diet. And my official weigh-in this morning was 325 lbs. That is a total weight loss of 10 lbs in two weeks. And I have to tell you I actually enjoy being on the 4-Hour Body diet. I am eating things that I enjoy, and then I get to have all of my carbs on Saturdays. I am actually using Saturday to get everything out of my system. Last weekend I over ate for dinner, and I was very uncomfortable. But, now I really don't want a Bubi burger for quite a while. I'm fairly certain that I got that out of my system. Last night my wife had sushi for dinner, and now I think I will have some today as that's what I'm craving most recently. This morning I had two (yes 2) large cinnamon buns from Cinnabon. And I have to tell you they were amazing. I have been craving these for two weeks, and last week I forgot to go and get one. But this week...OMG!! Anyway, enough about food and my diet.
After four months of being unemployed...I am finally starting my new job! As of Monday I am officially the first Maintenance Manager for Siliken Canada. I'm actually really looking forward to this. This is a promotion for me. I've always been a supervisor. But now I will be getting experience as a manager as well as experience setting up a new plant. The building is beautiful from the outside. But I have yet to go inside. So I will see on Monday the amount of work I have ahead for me. But none the less...I'm very excited about this, and I'm looking forward to getting us into production. I have a feeling everyday is going to feel like a maintenance shut down day until production officially starts.
But there are two things that I'm really looking forward to for this position over the next couple of months.
First, I'm really looking forward to the day the plant officially starts production and runs a full production day. For me that will be my first measure of success at the company.
Secondly, I've been informed that I will be traveling to Valencia Spain for at least one week of training. I don't think I have to say anymore than that. Spain in the winter. Definitely a hell of a lot better than Windsor in the winter. So, as we get closer to these to milestones, I will be making posts before during and after.
And now I will move on. I don't want to ramble like my past couple of posts, but at the same time I don't want to be too abrupt either. On that, I think I will start to post more frequently. But I will only be making weekly posts as far as my diet goes. I am certain that over the next few weeks, I will be making fairly regular posts.
Anyhow, thats it for me today. Wish me luck. And it's time to enjoy myself today. And get ready to start work this Monday.
Dan
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Binge Day!
And so, it has been 5 somewhat eventful days this week since I started my diet. It wasn't that my diet was eventful. As a matter of fact, the diet was quite boring. I ate eggs and turkey bacon every morning for breakie, along with spinach and refried beans. This week I had 3 job interviews and one job offer. It was exactly what I had expected, but it was something that I could work with. So, that means that I'm once again part of the working class again. They had wanted me to start on Monday. But since we are negotiating my terms, I will be starting on Tuesday the earliest.
More good news! I did my weigh in this morning with our old scale, and I lost 4.5 - 5 lbs. And that was just after 5 days of dieting. No exercise. No nothing. I'm sure that once I actually start working again, and being physical, that I will lose another pound or two during the week.
My wife and I also decided to buy a new scale today since the old one we had was the analog dial type. We bought a new iFit scale at Home Outfitters which is a pretty amazing scale. It not only performs simple weighing, but it also does body fat %, muscle %, water %, and has a twelve person memory. It's not exactly as the one shown here, but it is still pretty amazing.
I decided to weigh myself with the new scale, and it reconfirmed my earlier results. So, for the first week of my diet, I will confirm a weight loss of 4 lbs. Giving the old one the benefit of the doubt. But from this point on, I will be able to give accurate weekly results. I could add my body fat percentage, but I really can't remember what it was. So, I won't at this point.
And so the binge day started without very much fan fare, and with ideas in my mind as to what I wanted to eat today. Thing that I have been craving during the week. And things that I knew...ok assumed that I missed. And actually, none of it really happened as I had expected it to. I had my regular breakie this morning. And then a banana and a yogurt after that. Lunch was a really big stuffed sub, and then dinner was a burger and fries from Bubi's. Only the best burger joint in the city. And I actually treated myself to desert. And this is where I binged. A piece of coconut cream pie, and a napoleon square. For me, that I guess is what I consider bingeing. I drank plenty of water. And did my air squat and wall presses, and made sure to have some grapefruit juice today. But aside from that. What I would have considered a normal Saturday night. Except for the the desert.
Anyway. I will be posting about my new job once I learn more about it and actually get started. And I hope to be posting a number around 325 for my weight. And until then. Have a safe week.
Dan
More good news! I did my weigh in this morning with our old scale, and I lost 4.5 - 5 lbs. And that was just after 5 days of dieting. No exercise. No nothing. I'm sure that once I actually start working again, and being physical, that I will lose another pound or two during the week.
My wife and I also decided to buy a new scale today since the old one we had was the analog dial type. We bought a new iFit scale at Home Outfitters which is a pretty amazing scale. It not only performs simple weighing, but it also does body fat %, muscle %, water %, and has a twelve person memory. It's not exactly as the one shown here, but it is still pretty amazing.
I decided to weigh myself with the new scale, and it reconfirmed my earlier results. So, for the first week of my diet, I will confirm a weight loss of 4 lbs. Giving the old one the benefit of the doubt. But from this point on, I will be able to give accurate weekly results. I could add my body fat percentage, but I really can't remember what it was. So, I won't at this point.
And so the binge day started without very much fan fare, and with ideas in my mind as to what I wanted to eat today. Thing that I have been craving during the week. And things that I knew...ok assumed that I missed. And actually, none of it really happened as I had expected it to. I had my regular breakie this morning. And then a banana and a yogurt after that. Lunch was a really big stuffed sub, and then dinner was a burger and fries from Bubi's. Only the best burger joint in the city. And I actually treated myself to desert. And this is where I binged. A piece of coconut cream pie, and a napoleon square. For me, that I guess is what I consider bingeing. I drank plenty of water. And did my air squat and wall presses, and made sure to have some grapefruit juice today. But aside from that. What I would have considered a normal Saturday night. Except for the the desert.
Anyway. I will be posting about my new job once I learn more about it and actually get started. And I hope to be posting a number around 325 for my weight. And until then. Have a safe week.
Dan
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Doubters and Promoters
Well, over the past few days I have been spending a lot of time researching the 4 Hour Body diet on the net. Reading blogs. Watching vlogs, and just plan reading as much info as I could find. And all I can say is that everyone has o take the information for what it is. Just that...information.
I have read blogs about people saying that calorie counting is easier, and this is a worthless diet. But following their blog from the beginning, I found that they did just about everything wrong. And the only way to get the maximum effect from this diet is to follow it to the letter. And then at the same time I have watched vlogs where people have had great success. And those that saw only marginal results, admitted to making many errors during one or two weeks.
This diet is no different than any other diet. You MUST follow it religiously, or you will not see the maximum benefits. I will admit that after reading the book, that this diet isn't for everyone. But those people that can adapt to it will see the biggest gains. I for one pretty much grew up on beans, sauerkraut and smoked meat. So for me to adjust to a diet that is heavy in legumes will not be a drastic move for me. However I have to admit that after being married for close to 10 years, and not living with my parents, that my diet has change quite a bit since then. And now my biggest downfalls are over eating, sweets, and just plain junk food. We eat out more than we should. And when we do, it is normally fast food. So for me the biggest challenge will be not eating out, and cutting out all of the sweets and chips.
And so, since Timothy says to start the diet 5 days prior to your first cheat day, I will be starting my diet first thing Monday morning. Now, I have already started to adapt the diet into my normal routine over the past three days. I have started to eat more legumes, more vegetables, and cutting out the sweets and treats. But in an effort to get everything out of the house...I have been cheating a little. But admittedly I have only been consuming 50% of what I have consumed in the past. Last night my wife and I had take-out. And it wasn't the worst take out, but at the same time it wasn't really good for us. My meal consisted of a very large burger stuffed with jalapeno peppers and topped with cheese, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. The bun was the true killer in this burger. However, the true killer to this meal was the mountain of steak cut french fries drenched in gravy and cheese curds. I think that poutine will be the one piece of fast food that I will miss the most. But, it is the one food that I will most definitely incorporate into my cheat day. And so, today is officially the last day before the start of my diet.
Tomorrow I start to change my body as part of 'My Journey' to a new me. I have taken the time to find new recipes, and new ways of preparing my favourite foods. All in an effort to not bore myself. I have decided to keep a list of the foods that I find myself craving during the week. And I will try to add those to my cheat day. I have already prepared a large pot of sauerkraut and smoked meat, as well as a large pot of bean stew with sauerkraut and smoked meat. Both of these dishes that I grew up with and love to eat. Mind you, I have kept the smoked meat to a minimum in both of these pots. Primarily to give the dishes the protein that I will need, but also to keep the fat content down in the dishes. I will try to add good lean proteins to my meals as well as more veggies. And being a person that loves cauliflower, I plan on making a puree with it to accompany the occasional meal, as well as spinach with as many meals as possible.
In the beginning, I think I will try to take pictures of my food, but I won't necessarily post them on here. But when the meal is exceptionally tasty, or is something that I think people may enjoy, I will add to here along with the recipe. And so, this weekend, I plan on eating all of the things that I normally eat. Primarily to get them out of the house...but as in an effort to try and get them out of my system before the diet starts.
So, I look forward to adding a new post this time next week prior to the start of my cheat day, and I will do a second entry at the end of my cheat day chronicling what I did and ate on my cheat day, and how it all made me feel. I will do weekly weigh-ins, and once a month I will take measurements and add those to my blog.
I have read blogs about people saying that calorie counting is easier, and this is a worthless diet. But following their blog from the beginning, I found that they did just about everything wrong. And the only way to get the maximum effect from this diet is to follow it to the letter. And then at the same time I have watched vlogs where people have had great success. And those that saw only marginal results, admitted to making many errors during one or two weeks.
This diet is no different than any other diet. You MUST follow it religiously, or you will not see the maximum benefits. I will admit that after reading the book, that this diet isn't for everyone. But those people that can adapt to it will see the biggest gains. I for one pretty much grew up on beans, sauerkraut and smoked meat. So for me to adjust to a diet that is heavy in legumes will not be a drastic move for me. However I have to admit that after being married for close to 10 years, and not living with my parents, that my diet has change quite a bit since then. And now my biggest downfalls are over eating, sweets, and just plain junk food. We eat out more than we should. And when we do, it is normally fast food. So for me the biggest challenge will be not eating out, and cutting out all of the sweets and chips.
And so, since Timothy says to start the diet 5 days prior to your first cheat day, I will be starting my diet first thing Monday morning. Now, I have already started to adapt the diet into my normal routine over the past three days. I have started to eat more legumes, more vegetables, and cutting out the sweets and treats. But in an effort to get everything out of the house...I have been cheating a little. But admittedly I have only been consuming 50% of what I have consumed in the past. Last night my wife and I had take-out. And it wasn't the worst take out, but at the same time it wasn't really good for us. My meal consisted of a very large burger stuffed with jalapeno peppers and topped with cheese, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. The bun was the true killer in this burger. However, the true killer to this meal was the mountain of steak cut french fries drenched in gravy and cheese curds. I think that poutine will be the one piece of fast food that I will miss the most. But, it is the one food that I will most definitely incorporate into my cheat day. And so, today is officially the last day before the start of my diet.
Tomorrow I start to change my body as part of 'My Journey' to a new me. I have taken the time to find new recipes, and new ways of preparing my favourite foods. All in an effort to not bore myself. I have decided to keep a list of the foods that I find myself craving during the week. And I will try to add those to my cheat day. I have already prepared a large pot of sauerkraut and smoked meat, as well as a large pot of bean stew with sauerkraut and smoked meat. Both of these dishes that I grew up with and love to eat. Mind you, I have kept the smoked meat to a minimum in both of these pots. Primarily to give the dishes the protein that I will need, but also to keep the fat content down in the dishes. I will try to add good lean proteins to my meals as well as more veggies. And being a person that loves cauliflower, I plan on making a puree with it to accompany the occasional meal, as well as spinach with as many meals as possible.
In the beginning, I think I will try to take pictures of my food, but I won't necessarily post them on here. But when the meal is exceptionally tasty, or is something that I think people may enjoy, I will add to here along with the recipe. And so, this weekend, I plan on eating all of the things that I normally eat. Primarily to get them out of the house...but as in an effort to try and get them out of my system before the diet starts.
So, I look forward to adding a new post this time next week prior to the start of my cheat day, and I will do a second entry at the end of my cheat day chronicling what I did and ate on my cheat day, and how it all made me feel. I will do weekly weigh-ins, and once a month I will take measurements and add those to my blog.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Where to Start
So, I guess I can start at the beginning, even though I said I would start from this point in my life. But the beginning really isn't the beginning, but more this point in my life.
I'm currently unemployed. Longer than I have been since my wife and I got married 9 1/2 years ago. I lost my job Nov. 4th, 2010, and it was the worst feeling in my life. I felt like I let my family down. I felt helpless. I felt lost. I felt hopeless. But at the same time I was trying to be strong for myself as well as for my family.
I don't really know what happened! It just happened so fast and unexpectedly. To this day I still don't know why. I guess that just makes it that much more difficult to accept. I was happy where I was at. Earning a good living. Being able to afford the things my family needed and wanted. Being with people at work that I enjoyed spending time with. I guess it was just too good to be true. And here I am now.
However, being off has afforded me the luxury of spending my days with my son when he isn't in school. Taking him to school in the mornings and picking him up after school. All things that I was unable to do when I was working. For this I find myself to be very fortunate. But at the same time, I fear that the time that I have been spending with my son just hasn't been as complete as maybe I should have made it. I've been focusing more on myself and less on him than I should have. I guess I'm in a rut because of the curve that life has thrown at me. But even still, I would never trade the time I have had with my son for any job that I have ever had or could dream to have.
Since day one of my unemployment, I have been actively looking for work. But, as we are not completely out of the recession that we were in a couple of years ago, it is tough to find work. For the past 13 years, I have worked in the manufacturing industry, making everything from engines to alcohol, to automotive parts. And being that that is all that I know, makes it that much more difficult to find work.
Sure I've sent out hundreds of resumes, and have had a number of interviews and calls. But I am still waiting for that offer to come my way. I have been working with a placement agency since November on a position with a new company to the Windsor area. But still nothing has panned out with that. All of my interviews took place prior to the holidays, and then it was just sit back and wait. Changes happened with the employer before they could even get started and snags happened as well. But I am still hopeful, as all of my conversations with the agency have been very positive regarding the position.
Windsor is one of the cities in this country that needs to turn itself around and focus more on diversifying ourselves in the renewable energy industry and aerospace, and put less emphasis on the auto industry. It's sad to say, but Windsor really is a one trick pony.
And now to add to my excitement over the past three months...my wife and I have decided that it is time we really take control of our lives and get serious about losing weight. She has done it in the past with some success, but was unable to keep the weight off. And then she got pregnant with our son, and put more weight on. But through the years, and I'm not just saying this, my wife is just a beautiful as the day we met.
And now it is my turn. I am ready to take the proverbial bull by the horns, and take control of my weight and my body once and for all. A number of years ago, my wife and I did the Atkins diet. At first it was great. Eat all the meat and cheese and eggs and proteins that you want. Just "NO CARBS"! Well, we lost some weight. I think I lost twenty pounds, and my wife lost about the same. But it just didn't feel right. So, like most other dieters, we gave up and put ALL of the weight back on and then some.
BUT NO MORE!!! It is time. It is time to drop the weight and keep it off! We have both been inspired by Dr. Oz and his book 'YOU: On A Diet' . So far so good. I like what I have been reading. And at the same time we read '4 Hour Body' by Timothy Ferriss. And I have to tell you, I am very intrigued and excited to get started. Tim's methods seem unorthodox to most people. But Dr. Oz read his book and seemed to be very impressed. Not only was he impressed, but he was able to give medical reasoning for why the methods work for people and in a good way at that.
And so, 'My Journey' begins.
'My Journey' to a new career.
'My Journey' to a new body.
'My Journey' to being a better father and husband.
'My Journey' to being the person I should have been all along.
I will end this entry today with my starting weight...335 lbs as of this morning.
My height...6'3"
My age...37...38 in March
My pant size...46...(44 in Tommy Jeans)
I guess I really don't have a target weight. Everyone says you should have a target weight. But I don't. I really don't think that is important to me right now. Dr. Oz says to look at where you were when you were 21. Well I was fluctuating between 240 and 260. And my pant size was between 36 and 38. So, I guess if I had to pick a weight, I would say 250 is my target. But more importantly to me is to get down to a pant size of 36 again. I want to be able to go shopping and be able to buy a pair of pants that I like, and not have to worry about finding them in the "big mens store". I want to be able to buy a shirt at the Gap or Hugo Boss, and to know that I won't look like I just did the 'Fat Guy in a Small Jacket' skit. I know there are thing about my body that I will not be able to change. But those that I can, I plan on changing to the fullest extent that I possibly can.
I want to look forward to going away on vacation next year somewhere warm, and not being embarrassed about how I look in shorts with my shirt off.
I want to go scuba diving again. I want to be comfortable on a motorcycle again. I want to be able to run with my son when I coach his soccer team, and not be out of breath.
And so this is where I will end it for now. And I will do my best to keep this up on a weekly basis. I will be making entries about my weight. About my family. About my career. And about anything in general that I feel like talking about at the time.
Thank you for taking time to ready my rambling thoughts.
Regards,
Dan
I'm currently unemployed. Longer than I have been since my wife and I got married 9 1/2 years ago. I lost my job Nov. 4th, 2010, and it was the worst feeling in my life. I felt like I let my family down. I felt helpless. I felt lost. I felt hopeless. But at the same time I was trying to be strong for myself as well as for my family.
I don't really know what happened! It just happened so fast and unexpectedly. To this day I still don't know why. I guess that just makes it that much more difficult to accept. I was happy where I was at. Earning a good living. Being able to afford the things my family needed and wanted. Being with people at work that I enjoyed spending time with. I guess it was just too good to be true. And here I am now.
However, being off has afforded me the luxury of spending my days with my son when he isn't in school. Taking him to school in the mornings and picking him up after school. All things that I was unable to do when I was working. For this I find myself to be very fortunate. But at the same time, I fear that the time that I have been spending with my son just hasn't been as complete as maybe I should have made it. I've been focusing more on myself and less on him than I should have. I guess I'm in a rut because of the curve that life has thrown at me. But even still, I would never trade the time I have had with my son for any job that I have ever had or could dream to have.
Since day one of my unemployment, I have been actively looking for work. But, as we are not completely out of the recession that we were in a couple of years ago, it is tough to find work. For the past 13 years, I have worked in the manufacturing industry, making everything from engines to alcohol, to automotive parts. And being that that is all that I know, makes it that much more difficult to find work.
Sure I've sent out hundreds of resumes, and have had a number of interviews and calls. But I am still waiting for that offer to come my way. I have been working with a placement agency since November on a position with a new company to the Windsor area. But still nothing has panned out with that. All of my interviews took place prior to the holidays, and then it was just sit back and wait. Changes happened with the employer before they could even get started and snags happened as well. But I am still hopeful, as all of my conversations with the agency have been very positive regarding the position.
Windsor is one of the cities in this country that needs to turn itself around and focus more on diversifying ourselves in the renewable energy industry and aerospace, and put less emphasis on the auto industry. It's sad to say, but Windsor really is a one trick pony.
And now to add to my excitement over the past three months...my wife and I have decided that it is time we really take control of our lives and get serious about losing weight. She has done it in the past with some success, but was unable to keep the weight off. And then she got pregnant with our son, and put more weight on. But through the years, and I'm not just saying this, my wife is just a beautiful as the day we met.
And now it is my turn. I am ready to take the proverbial bull by the horns, and take control of my weight and my body once and for all. A number of years ago, my wife and I did the Atkins diet. At first it was great. Eat all the meat and cheese and eggs and proteins that you want. Just "NO CARBS"! Well, we lost some weight. I think I lost twenty pounds, and my wife lost about the same. But it just didn't feel right. So, like most other dieters, we gave up and put ALL of the weight back on and then some.
BUT NO MORE!!! It is time. It is time to drop the weight and keep it off! We have both been inspired by Dr. Oz and his book 'YOU: On A Diet' . So far so good. I like what I have been reading. And at the same time we read '4 Hour Body' by Timothy Ferriss. And I have to tell you, I am very intrigued and excited to get started. Tim's methods seem unorthodox to most people. But Dr. Oz read his book and seemed to be very impressed. Not only was he impressed, but he was able to give medical reasoning for why the methods work for people and in a good way at that.
And so, 'My Journey' begins.
'My Journey' to a new career.
'My Journey' to a new body.
'My Journey' to being a better father and husband.
'My Journey' to being the person I should have been all along.
I will end this entry today with my starting weight...335 lbs as of this morning.
My height...6'3"
My age...37...38 in March
My pant size...46...(44 in Tommy Jeans)
I guess I really don't have a target weight. Everyone says you should have a target weight. But I don't. I really don't think that is important to me right now. Dr. Oz says to look at where you were when you were 21. Well I was fluctuating between 240 and 260. And my pant size was between 36 and 38. So, I guess if I had to pick a weight, I would say 250 is my target. But more importantly to me is to get down to a pant size of 36 again. I want to be able to go shopping and be able to buy a pair of pants that I like, and not have to worry about finding them in the "big mens store". I want to be able to buy a shirt at the Gap or Hugo Boss, and to know that I won't look like I just did the 'Fat Guy in a Small Jacket' skit. I know there are thing about my body that I will not be able to change. But those that I can, I plan on changing to the fullest extent that I possibly can.
I want to look forward to going away on vacation next year somewhere warm, and not being embarrassed about how I look in shorts with my shirt off.
I want to go scuba diving again. I want to be comfortable on a motorcycle again. I want to be able to run with my son when I coach his soccer team, and not be out of breath.
And so this is where I will end it for now. And I will do my best to keep this up on a weekly basis. I will be making entries about my weight. About my family. About my career. And about anything in general that I feel like talking about at the time.
Thank you for taking time to ready my rambling thoughts.
Regards,
Dan
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