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Fighting Weight One Calorie At a Time

3 Week Diet Fail

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Its really sad to follow up my post of a 3 Week Diet Challenge with my 3 week diet failure! I was able to less for less then 5 days before I completely fell off track. The worst part is my weight seemed to be dropping like crazy mid-week and I’m sure I did some damage.

Full Failure

It happened Friday night…. A friend took us out to a really classy Steak house. I was peer pressured into getting some drinks with my friend but the 32oz Rib Eye was my fault. That and all the sides we got ala cart for the table to share. This doesn’t include the Sushi appetizer or the fact that they accidentally split Amy’s salad in half. It was really good food but totally not worth it as a cheat. I would have rather cheated with some Wendy’s and a milk shake. The only thing somewhat helpful was I went back to the gym the first time since California and burned about 800 calories on the treadmill. Still not a huge help.

This meal was grotesque and the total calories I logged on MFP were over 3,000!

MORE THAN I EAT IN ALMOST TWO DAYS!!!!

It continues Saturday

Saturday afternoon we joined some friends for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in a small nearby town. It started with a pretzel I split with Amy. After that we went to our friends house where they bought a bunch of pizza for everyone and I couldn’t help but eat three slices. This was our afternoon.

At night we went to a friends birthday party in a bar. Amy and i didn’t have dinner so we split a Sliders appetizers which wasn’t so bad but I followed it up with about 6 or 7 beers and a shot of cafe patron.

Sunday Funday!

Sunday wasn’t a total loss because I had a big bowl of strawberry’s for breakfast. Lunch time came around and we decided on the diner. I knew this was my last big meal of the day and decided on french fries and a cheese-steak sandwich.

Activity

Not only did I eat like shit this weekend but activity was at an all time low. We laid around on the couch, napped and watched TV. Amy says were taking it in before the baby comes but watching my Fitbit was getting me seriously depressed.

I’m sure my Monday weigh-ins going to suck!

All I can do is get back on track =(

 

Attempt at a 3 Week Diet Challenge

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In my weigh-in post on Monday I mentioned starting a 3 week diet challenge. After not losing weight for almost a month and getting pretty pissed blaming myself for not working hard enough I decided to clean up my diet and knock out some of the carbs and sodium.

What the hell am I thinking?

That’s pretty much my thought today. All day I was like, “if I make it till Monday I’ll stop”. I forgot all bout Mondays post saying I would go at it for three hole weeks. Cursing myself now because if I said it I should do my best to stick with it.

I’m having a hard time mainly because I dropped carbs since Monday. My net carbs for the day have been pretty much under 30. More than likely my body is starting ketosis and its got me feeling like crap. There were two things I wanted today in the worst way.

  1. To eat something loaded with carbs. Monday and Tuesday were fine but today I was having major withdrawals. I kept fantasizing about slamming a Kellogg’s 90 calorie cereal bar in my mouth.
  2. The other problem I was having was a total lack of energy. I hit the ground running in the AM and because I didn’t have any appointments until 2:30 I contemplated between cleaning up the house or going for a jog. I still cant get myself back in the gym and the weather was pretty nice for a change for cleaning won. Around 11:30 all I wanted to do was go back to bed . I dragged my ass for the rest of the day and now I’m sitting here at 9:00 ready to pass out.

I don’t plan on doing a full keto diet but I was curious what would happen if I mixed things up and continued eating low call and dropping out the carbs. Well….. somethings working and I’m really exited because I was 246 on the scale this morning. That’s about a half a bound from the lowest I’ve been in the last 8 years. If I weigh myself in on Monday and I break that weight it will be a huge personal milestone.

Keeping a clean diet is going to be the goal for the next three weeks but I’m not sure what angle I want to take this carb thing. I read a little about carb cycling which sounds like a viable option. Id like to bring back the fruits and various vegetables because eating mostly meat, eggs, nuts and cheese gets boring really fast.

Hopefully for the next 18 days I can keep it clean. I’m going to call this the gluten-free-paleo-hybrid-diet.

Here’s a rundown of what I’ve been eating;

Monday-

-Breakfast

  • Coffee
  • Chocolate Protein Shake with Almond Milk

-Lunch

  • 2 Poached Eggs
  • Half Avocado

-Dinner

  • 2 Baked Chicken Thighs
  • Garlic Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
  • Trader Joe’s Kimchi

-Snacks

  • Polly String Cheese
  • Baby Bell Light Cheese

Tuesday-

-Breakfast

  • Scrambled eggs with cheese
  • Side of strawberrys

-Lunch

-Dinner

  • Greek Salad with Gyro meat

-Snacks

  • 2 Baby Bell light Cheeses

Wednesday-

-Breakfast

  • Chocolate Protein Shake with Almond Milk

-Lunch

-Dinner

-Snacks

  • Baby Bell light Cheese
  • Tuna Pouch mixed with Greek Yogurt Guacamole
  • Almonds
  • Polly-o String Cheese

I also started drinking lots of green tea from my Keurig. I’m trying to get used to this so I don’t have to drink coffee every morning. Green tea is supposed to be good for you I think.

Well that about sums up my week so far and I’ll keep the blog updated on anything new. I’ll leave you with pictures of my last two lunches, definitely not #foodporn!

Poached Eggs

Turkey Meatballs and Green Beans

Garlic Parmesan Salmon & Asparagus Foil Pack

Recipes, What I Eat
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Garlic Parmesan Salmon & Asparagus Foil Pack
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 1
  • Calories: 420
  • Carbohydrates: 5
  • Protein: 42
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Very easy to make and so delicious!
Ingredients
  • 6 oz portion of Salmon
  • 7 Asparagus spears
  • 1 Tbsp whipped light butter
  • 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic pressed
  • 2 tsp of lemon juice
  • Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Cut a sheet of aluminum foil large enough for the the asparagus and salmon
  3. Arrange asparagus spears on foil and top with the salmon
  4. Mixed the remaining ingredients in a bowl to make a paste
  5. Smear the mixture on top of the salmon
  6. Cut another piece of foil large enough to cover everything and fold up the sides
  7. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes
Notes
Make sure to completely seal the foil edges so everything stays cooking inside.

 

Garlic Parmesan Salmon Bake Garlic Parmesan Salmon Foil Pack Steps

Takeya Water Bottle Review

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Takeya Glass Water Bottle The Takeya Water Bottle was introduced to me by my cousin who is a full time personal trainer. I’m a dieter that tries to drink as much water as possible and I was getting tired of filling up water bottles, having empty bottles pile up and not to mention the cost of cases of water. I was looking for a simple solution to having a water bottle by my side at all times that was to important to leave behind. I knew I could get a water filter set up if I could just find the perfect bottle to fill. I read tons of Amazon Reviews and bought the most popular competitors bottle but was seriously unhappy. I’ve now owned my 22 ounce Takeya Bottle for almost 3 months and very satisfied.

What’s up with the Takeya Water Bottle?

The 22 ounce Takeya Water Bottle is different from most water bottles because it’s made of glass. The glass is encased with a rubber sleeve that protects it from breaking even if you drop it on solid concrete (I’ve done this). For a glass water bottle it’s pretty rugged and can hold up to some pretty tough daily use. The bottle features a screw on cap with a big mouth opening for gulping your drink. At the top of the bottle is a plastic handle that’s held in place by a ring of glass above it. The handle makes the bottle easy to carry or clip onto a belt or bag.

Pros:

  • BPA free
  • Water tastes better in glass
  • Cool and modern looking
  • Fits into most cup holders
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Large drinking spout for big thirsty gulps
  • Spout large enough to drop in ice cubes
  • Easy to open twist off cap
  • Strong seal that never leaks
  • Comes in a variety of colors
  • Bottle never sweats with cold water
  • Competitively priced

Cons:

  • Hard to clean
  • Sleeve may be damaged on the bottom shelf of the dishwasher
  • Hard to fit on the top row of most dishwashers
  • Handle is somewhat odd shaped and takes time to get used to
  • Sometimes bottle is too tall for tight spots

Weighing the Pros & Cons of the Takeya Water Bottle

As a reusable water bottle this one is very durable and will surely last you a long time. The bottle is stylish and comes in different colors so you won’t attract any strange attention because its anything but weird looking.

The bottle is dishwasher safe but from my experience you shouldn’t put it near the bottom of the dishwasher close to the heating element or it will melt. I can lower my top shelf of the dishwasher to get it to fit. The only problem washing it this way is that the bottle will taste like “dishwasher” for a while. The best way to clean this is probably to get a bottle brush to scrub the inside by hand.

The bottle has a large spout that is great to take big drinks from and makes it easy to drop in some ice cubes or fruit, but if you’re trying to take a swig while you’re walking on the treadmill you’ll probably dump some out on yourself.

The 22 Ounce bottle I have is on the big side, specifically tall. You might have trouble fitting it in some car cup holders that have overhanging dashboards. It may also be to heavy to comfortably bring on a run.

Conclusion

Overall my Takeya Water Bottle serves its purpose. The 22 Ounce bottle is large enough to last me on car rides and I can easily refill it whenever its empty. Even if its annoying to clean I think it’s worth it. I’ve saved tons of money because I almost never have to buy bottle water anymore. Bringing my bottle with me has become second nature and I grab it just as if I would my wallet or car keys. I haven’t forgotten it anywhere or misplaced it yet!

I just picked up a second Takeya Water Bottle in pink for my wife and she’s excited to start using it!

Where to buy your own Takeya Water Bottle?

If you have a nearby Costco I noticed they started selling two packs in random colors combinations.

You can have your Takeya Water Bottle quickly shipped to you directly from Amazon. If you have a chance, see what the other reviewers on Amazon have to say.

 

Baked Turkey Meatball Recipe (low carb)

Recipes, What I Eat
2 Comments

 

Baked Turkey Meatball Recipe (low carb)
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serves: 4
  • Serving size: 3 Meatballs
  • Calories: 322
  • Carbohydrates: 2
  • Sodium: 451
  • Protein: 42
Recipe type: Low Carb
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
This is a healthy and low carb meatball option. I like to make a batch of these and eat them as meals during the week.
Ingredients
  • 1 & ¾lbs Lean Ground Turkey
  • ¼ Cup of Egg Beaters
  • ¼ Cup No Salt Added Tomato Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Garlic Clove Minced
  • 1 tsp Parsley
  • ½ tsp Onion Powder
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • Salt to Taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F
  2. Simply add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl
  3. Mix and fold over until fully combined
  4. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray
  5. Roll out meatballs about 1.5'' each and place in pan
  6. This should yield about 12 balls the same size
  7. Place the meatballs in the oven for approximately 30 minutes
Notes
*Without filler like bread crumbs or oats these will be sticky when you roll them. Don't worry, they still taste great!

Meatballs are delicious and you can mix them with all types of sauces once there done. This is great if you plan on prepping meals because you can store or freeze the meatballs and use them for a quick dish with a side of vegetables or pasta.

 

Turkey Meatball Recipe Photos

Turkey Meatball Recipe Steps

 

 

Monday Weigh-In Week #7

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Its Monday which means another official weigh-in for the start of a new week. Last week was my transition back from vacation and I really wasn’t doing very good both eating and logging calories into MyFitnessPal. Some meals I just entered as a total lump some of calories because I didn’t feel like figuring it out or just didn’t know how. Didn’t have high expectations but I really cant complain.

Start of Week #7 Official Weight – 248.1

Nice!

I broke back into the 240’s on a regular Monday after a lack of exercise and eating great. Maybe this is the start of busting out of this plateau I feel like I’ve been stuck in.

Next Steps for Dieting

After freaking out about weighing the same over the last few weeks I totally picked apart my diet and got obsessive about why I really haven’t been budging. Even though I was going to give my Vitamin D deficiency a chance to work itself over and see the results, if any, I just really want to get this moving. I decided to give myself a 3 week challenge.

3 Week Diet Challenge

After watching my brother eat Paleo last week I realized that I could clean up my diet. I’ve been eating loads of processed stuff with high carbs and sodium. None of these things are good for weigh loss even if I’m restricting my carbs. For the next three weeks I’m going to try and cut down my carbs big time and eliminate anything processed, loaded with sugar or gluten. Three weeks of this should do me good and maybe even keep my system guessing so it continues to be a fat burning furnace.

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