Caffeine to Green

Weight: 240 lbs.

     I haven’t been doing the stock-boy job for closing in on a year now, so I’ve lost out on that exercise. Still, I was back up to 246 for a little while, so it’s nice to be down to 240 again. One or two people have commented that I look like I’ve lost weight.

     Tomorrow, I start a walking competition at work. Well, I say competition, but we’re not competing. A cooperation? It's an event, anyway. I will be walking 10,000 step+ every day for 25 days. That’s the goal, anyway.

     I’ve been trying to quit caffeine. Towards the end of the Spring Semester, I had been up to 64-96 ounces of Dr. Pepper a day. I’m down to 12-40 ounces of soda a day, and skipping out on them some days. For comparison, that would be a couple of the largest sodas at the convenience store down to a few cans or couple of small bottles.

     I have been having trouble getting going in the morning, but I used to have that same trouble before I started drinking very much caffeine. Perhaps the key is moderation. I’m thinking I could get some of those half sized cans and have one when I wake up to get started in the morning, then maybe have a 12-ounce can or 20-ounce bottle at lunch if I really need one. When I return to school in the spring, I’ll keep that habit. Caffeinating just to finish studying is counter-productive, after all; you’ll learn the information more poorly, and forget it more easily.

     I’ve been drinking green smoothies for a couple of months. The greens in my smoothies have been rather limited. No kale; I can’t drink the stuff. I found a spring mix at Costco that doesn’t ruin the flavor. Sometimes I do peas or (and this one surprised me as workable) broccoli. Both of those come from a bag of frozen vegetables, though I run warm water over them first.

     The nice thing is that when I have a smoothie, I feel less need for caffeine and I feel more satisfied throughout the day. Maybe it has something to do with the sugar I get from the fruit I put in it, or the oatmeal I also include. Whatever. They’re tasty and I like what they do for me.

Official 20

Weight: 230 lbs

I have now officially lost a full 20 pounds! I have gone from my belt not being quite big enough to it being perhaps a little large. Even my favorite t-shirts no longer hug my belly!

Having a more active job, and walking 20-30 minutes to and from it every day is really making a big difference, as is just flat eating less. I think I actually have a smaller appetite. I am eating a healthier variety of foods, and take every chance to add veggies to a meal or snack.

One thing that's surprises me about the weight loss is that my caffeine intake, via soda, has actually gone up in the last couple of weeks. Now, I imagine that if I can get my sleeping pattern regulated, and cut back the soda long term, that my weight loss could kick into overdrive.

To celebrate my lower weight, I walked an extra 20 minutes on the way home from work. That's right, I used exercise as a reward rather than a punishment. I'll tell you what, that is a mind-blowing thing for me.

Stockboy to GenCon

Weight: 237 pounds

     Well, having a job as a stockboy is starting to pay off, in terms of exercise and weight. It would pay off even better if I didn't have such a bizarrely changing schedule from week to week, forcing me to down caffeine to try and regulate my energy levels...

     Admittedly, it doesn't take that much for to get me to drink soda.

     I'm hoping to go to GenCon later this year with some friends, which means I'm looking at getting another job to pay for that, and to help save a bit more for the college I'm starting the week after.

A New Belt

Weight: 240 lbs

I got a new belt right about a month ago. I now need the smaller size. Yay!

The primary changes I've made in my life are:

   •  Mall Walking: 2-4 times a week, about a mile and a half worth of walking each time.


   •  Extra Walking: About an hour 1-2 times per week, in sunlight.


   •  Less Soda: This has been less intentional, but I have been drinking significantly less soda


   •  Snacks: I make sure to have healthy snacks to curb hunger, and I decrease the size of my meals a bit to account for the extra calories.

What small changes can you make to make a difference in your health?

More to Go

Weight: 244 lbs 

     244 lbs. That number seems so high, and I suppose it is. It's frustrating to know how much further I have to go. I do seem to have gotten stuck on that number.

     I've been walking about a mile and a half still, several times a week. I need to crank that up a couple miles and push it to every single day; that should help.

     I'm taking a closer look at my diet this week, seeing how I can improve it and still enjoy it. I need to eat more vegetables compared to what I've had over the last week. I need to find a good chocolate substitute.

Health Games and Oatmeal

Weight: 243.1

A couple of days since I posted, but I probably don't need to be keeping detailed track every day. Then again, maybe I should. Hm.

The weight I've lost is probably due mostly the natural fluctuations of weight that most people go through. I've been eating a little lighter, and trying to choose the healthier choice. Yes, I went to fast food on Wednesday; but I chose a kid-size soda and fries, and a regular cheeseburger - no bacon or second patty of beef. I've also been cutting way back on my soda, so good on me for that. I've been doing fairly good at walking as well; in fact, once this post goes up, I will go out walking for a half hour or so.

I've also signed up on Superbetter.com, which is a site that helps people achieve their goals by making them more game-like. (See the TedTalk about it here.)

A surprisingly simple and filling snack/meal I've been having is oatmeal. Just put some instant oatmeal in a bowl, add some milk (experiment with the amounts a bit) and top off with some honey for sweetness, maybe some cinnamon for flavor. I put it in the microwave for a minute and a half, stir, and run it through for another 1-1/2 minutes. I use honey instead of sugar because, despite having a few more calories per teaspoon, it also has more nutrients.

Egg Sandwich Recipe

Weight: 248.3 lbs

I started the day off fairly well. I had an apple and a tangerine fairly early, then went mall-walking. Walked about 2 miles, in total, around the mall. At just high enough speed to start to smell the sweat, though not enough to get my shirt wet. Increased heartbeat is the key.

After, I had a fried egg sandwich to complete my breakfast. (Recipe below.) I can understand not enjoying egg sandwiches, but me? I love 'em.

I didn't do so well for lunch - my brother-in-law decided to take me to a pizza buffet place. Not ideal situation, I grant you. But, I did go for a variety of toppings, chewed well, and ate a little slowly. I was still very satisfied, and ate a good amount. But I didn't eat as much as I used to.

The side benefit to that is I needed very little dinner! I had a glass of juice, and I don't think I had much besides that.



KP FRIED EGG SANDWICH

     2 Eggs
     Pepper, to taste
     Parsley
     Just a little salt
     Tomato (Ketchup or salsa work, as well)
     Mayo (Lite Mayo works great!)
     Bread

I have a tiny little pan that just barely holds the two eggs, and turn the temperature on low, maybe medium low. I add the pepper, parsley, salt, and a little bit of tomato, ketchup, or salsa while the eggs are still pretty uncooked. When it is solid most of the way through, I flip the eggs. (Or, in the case of my tiny pan, hold the eggs with a spatula and flip the pan over top of the eggs, then turn the whole mess over.) Give it enough time to solidify,

Spread mayo on the bread, lightly is fine; it's mostly so the bread isn't too dry. Put the eggs on the bread, and you're done! (Again, small pan, so I put the bread on the egg and just turn the pan over to get it out.)