A Pirate Looks at 300 (Pillaging is Fattening)

Props

2008-06-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

I was riding across the dam thirty minutes ago and saw the same immense man walking across (See last post). This time, he was strutting, arms pumping and moobs flying. If I am a XX, he is 5 or 6X. He is working it though. In the heat. Meanwhile, I sit in my air conditioned office, regretting my lunch decision.

271.5

2008-06-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

I performed a wedding ceremony on Saturday and I tried very hard to limit my intake at the reception. Didn't quite make it. I am 50 bucks lighter now though.

The heat is incredible here right now. In my youthful, football playing days, I chose the mid-afternoon to exercise so I would be used to the chicken-broth air once practice started. Now, I try to wait out the peak of afternoon heat before making the neighborhood walk. I drove over the dam at Lake Murray Saturday afternoon and saw an immensely fat guy walking, sans shirt; wearing only a sheen of sweat. That can't be good for anybody.

275

2008-06-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

It's not a bet. It's a potential penalty. If I weigh more than 270 pounds on Monday morning, June 9th, 2008, I have to give my Wife $50.

I can't tell if she is pulling for me or against me.

278

2008-04-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Ugh.
No exercise. Fried foods. Stress.

273.5

2008-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Breakfast-Greek Omelet, potatoes from ABC
Lunch- Fish Tostado, Chicken Tacos (2), chips and salsa
Dinner-chicken stir fry
Snack-Frosted, shredded mini-wheats
Liquid-milk in coffee and cereal

Tried a new breakfast and haven't looked up the nutritional info yet. I am sure I will be regretting that decision as soon as I do. The lunch doesn't look healthy but it is probably not so bad. The tostado has pickled tilapia and avocado, the tacos have grilled chicken, onion, and cilantro. There is no cheese involved at all. Dinner was fine and the snack is a cure for sweet tooth as much as hunger.

274.5

2008-01-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

Breakfast-oatmeal with raisins and pecans (double sized)
Lunch-Grilled Chicken on Green salad with cranberries, nuts, etc. (no cheese)
Dinner-Fried Fish Sandwich, Wing Chips
Liquid-milk in oatmeal, 2 near beers

275 Missed Wednesday Post
Breakfast-Oatmeal with raisins and pecans
Lunch-Veggie panini, steamed brocoli
Dinner-Cuban Sandwich, steamed broccoli
Liquid-3.5 St. Louis Regulars ( I was going to stop at two but the bartender was ruthlessly efficient and handed me two more before I could protest. I did commit alcohol abuse by leaving the last one half finished though)

Not too bad for the poker nights. The fried dinner last night was not a good move but it was the only one for the two days.

274

2008-01-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

Breakfast-oatmeal with raisins and pecans.
Lunch-Spinach salad
Snack-cashews
Dinner-spaghetti with sauce
Snack-cheese and crackers
Liquid calories- 1/2 cup milk in oatmeal and coffee

Now that is not too bad a day. I ate breakfast at home, made a sensible choice at lunch and turned down seconds at dinner (for the most part). It was impossible to resist the cheese call late but at least there is nothing sweet in the house for me to get my hands on.

Poker today and tomorrow. Gotta make a plan.

275

2008-01-14T11:24:00.001-08:00

At least I didn't gain anything over the weekend. Friday was BBQ at my favorite place in town so I couldn't turn that down. On Saturday, we went to the great asian place right beside the spot where the three year old was attending a birthday party. They have pineapple shrimp in coconut curry and that can not be refused by law. Finally, on Sunday, I have to order a plate at the Mex place that comes with rice and beans so I was screwed there.

Weekends are a trouble spot.

Alright, I've got a good start on the day. No more pecan rolls for me. Let's see how dinner goes and I am shooting for some walking/biking during the TV hour.

275

2008-01-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

Breakfast-Pecan roll (seeing the patten here?)
Lunch-Grilled veggie sandwich with cheese, sauteed vegetables
Snack-Triscuits with cheese (can't eat a piece of fruit, huh?)
Dinner-Steamed brown rice, vegetarian refried beans
Snack-kashi bar (140 calories)
Liquid calories-milk in coffee

A no meat day but light on the fruits as well.

Wow. I just searched the pecan roll nutritional info. I just ate my last one. I can't afford to start the day off with almost 1000 calories. Going shopping this weekend to get some breakfast food to eat at home.

Pastries - Pecan Roll (Atlanta Bread Company)
Serving Size: 1 roll / 6 oz; Calories: 860, Total Fat: 60g, Carbs: 72g, Protein: 11g

276.5

2008-01-10T08:42:00.001-08:00

Breakfast-Pecan Roll
Lunch-Cajun Chicken Salad, Roll, small amount of ranch dressing
Snack-Cashews
Dinner-Fried Fish sandwich, wing chips
Liquid calories-cream in coffee, Near Beer.

I need to eat breakfast at the house. Lunch was fine but I should have skipped the roll. Dinner was awful. Poker night #2 for the week. It's a much more serious game though so I never have more than two beers and rarely even that.

276

2008-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

Breakfast-Pecan roll
Lunch-Sopa de Camaron
Dinner-Mixed nuts, cookies
Liquid calories-2% in morning coffee. Irish, Irish, Golden, Kentucky, Kentucky, Kentucky.
Exercise-none

Tuesday night poker game=bad diet

The lunch choice was a new one at a favorite restaurant and it worked out well. Very filling and tasty with much fewer calories than my regular plate with rice and beans on the side. I skipped happy hour at the wing joint to get the place ready for the game and that probably saved me a hefty caloric total. I used to think I ate pretty well. I am learning I do not.

277

2008-01-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Got rid of some of the salt that I put in there over the weekend me'thinks.

Breakfast-banana
Lunch-Pimento cheese on sourdough, macaroni salad
snack-apple, handful of cashews
dinner-10 triscuits with extra sharp cheddar
liquid calories- Irish, Irish, Irish

Not enough fruit and vegetables. Too much cheese.

280

2008-01-07T10:34:00.001-08:00

Damn, these things go up too.

Friday night, I split a couple of bottles of wine with the Wife. Saturday, I hit the BBQ buffet. Sunday, the cheese tots did tempt me. Couple that with only 15 minutes on the bike and some very light yardwork and I am getting heavier.

At least today has started a little better.

275.5

2008-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is easy!

Breakfast-Cinnamon Roll. Coffee with milk from Atlanta Bread Comp.
Lunch- Bistec Ranchero(left some rice and beans on the plate)
Dinner- pimento cheese- straight out of the tub-no bread

no fruit and scant vegetables with the Mex food. Not a healthy day.

15 minutes of exercise on the stationary bike with light weights in hands doing various arm work.
Bored out of my mind even though the TV was on.

278

2008-01-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

A disturbing trend?

Breakfast-Orange. Banana.
Lunch-Mujadara
Supper-Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Fries. Beer (2).

Where did I go wrong? Must have been the second piece of fruit for breakfast. Lots of sugar in an orange.

277.5

2008-01-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

That is all. It was fun year. Down and back up. Too much fun at the buffet and in the bottle.

Seven and Counting

2007-10-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

The last meat I ate was Tuesday morning at breakfast (fried catfish. if you are ever in the midlands of South Carolina, let me know and I'll tell you where to go eat my favorite breakfast). Since then, I have had seven meat-free meals. There has been some cheese and some fried items but no hunks of meat. I am hopeful this will cut my calories enough to drop some pounds but, more importantly, I hope it helps my gout situation. It has gotten worse as it has moved into my knees and lower arms and hands. It sucks.

No Monday Weigh In

2007-09-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

It was a rough weekend. Feels as though bronchitis has set in. I cloaked my misery in leftover consumption while watching football on the couch all day Saturday and Sunday in between bouts of napping.

Last week, I had two nearly, meat free days. Cutting back on meat makes me cut back on fried potatoes and other fatty foods. I end up getting vegetable plates and the like which makes my body feel better. I am going to try to work in a meat free day or two a week from now on.

Also, I am going to make a concerted effort to cut out artificial sweeteners. I am letting folk tales get to me about their effect on the body. Every study I have seen shows no ill effects on health but I ma being a little superstitious right now. I still have some diet root beer to get through though. It's hard to cut that off completely.

Monday Weigh In

2007-08-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

261.5

I don;t feel as though I did anything to warrant a loss. It might just be natural fluctuation. There was some cake and ice cream over the weekend at a B-day party for our 3 year old but I held off on seconds. It's too hot to get outdoors in the shape I am in. I used to revel in exercising in the heat of the day. Now, I can't fathom the idea.

Monday Weigh In

2007-08-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

263 lbs.

It has been a summer of BBQ and Beer. Fun. Fun.

But my back hurts, which makes my hip hurt, which makes me sleep light, which makes me grumpy.

I've never announced a goal here. It's easy to pretend I don't really have one. It makes it easy not to strive for one. It makes it easy to stop trying.

185.

I am 6'3" and 185 puts me right in the BMI range the experts say I should be in. I haven't weighed 185 since seventh or eighth grade. 185 would give me a 15 pound cushion to 200.

Eighty pounds. About what my three kids weigh together right now.

The Horse is Elusive

2007-04-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

253

After the bachelor party, of course, there was a wedding. Now, I love wedding food so that weekend went horribly wrong. Then came Easter and with three small kids in the house, candy was rampant. My willpower is not what it once was and I succumbed to sweet goodness on more than one occassion. On a positive note, I have done some serious digging and hauling of railroad ties the last two Saturdays. As long as I remain active, a bad run such as this should not affect me too much. If my wife reads this: please do not buy anything I should not eat. If it is in the house, I will probably eat it.

Today's victory- I stopped by Atlanta Bread Company on the way to work for a coffee. I used Splenda instead of sugar (can't resist the 2% though) and completely ignored the free pastry samples they were offering.

5th Monday Weigh In

2007-03-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

252.5

Bachelor party weekend. Myrtle Beach. Casino Boat. Breakfast Buffet. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Off boat. Meet with party. Hamburger. Fries. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Back to Boat. Dinner Buffet. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Scotch and soda. Off Boat. Late night crappy hour. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Kamikaze. Beer. Beer. Beer. Beer. Tequila. Beer. Beer. Sleep. Wake up. Calabash Seafood. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Back on the horse today.

4th Monday Weigh In

2007-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

249.9

Yard Work. Yard Work. Yard Work.

I actually slipped up a little on the food this week with a couple of bigger meals and a few ill-advised snacks but was able to get back on the losing track by shoveling and hauling dirt. Snacks are a key item for me right now. As I am trying to eat small meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I need to have something available at the mid-points between those meals. My two main snacks right now are an ounce of smoked almonds at 150 calories or a light, Byers yogurt at 110 calories. Both have enough protein to stave off hunger for a bit without giving me too many calories. WhenI don't have those available though, I can easily grap a 200-300 calorie snack without thinking. Got to get to the store and stock up.

I am starting to get those, "are you sick?," comments from people who haven't seen me in a month or two. Far from it my friend. I'm getting healthy. 250 pounds and people think I look sickly. It's my fault for letting them get used to the Big Pirate.

3rd Monday Weigh-In

2007-03-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

253

Wait. What?

That is the same as last week. What happened? Too many Tex-Mex lunches? Too much alcohol? I know; the sausage did it. That's it, Saturday's sausage at breakfast. Alright, let's not go crazy here, blaming innocent sausage. I think my body is just slowing down the metabolic rate in response to the calorie cutting. That, coupled with the fact that it is nigh impossible to continue to lose weight at the rate I was. This is a real danger time. Without the daily results showing on the scale, it is easy to get despondent and return to the old ways and before you know it, "Hello again twenty pounds. Been on holiday? " I do feel thinner than last week though and the belt has gone down another notch so there was some tangible progress this week. On the excercise front, I worked in the yard Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, hauling dirt, raking, and pruning. I have a number of projects in mind that will require some very hard work so excercise should be taken care of for the next few month of Sundays. I still have not been able to start a habitual program during the week though. Morning comes much too early when you have to get up two or three times a night to deal with wandering children and the after work time is spent hanging out with the family. It looks as though I will have to strap one on my back and get out on the street.

2nd Monday Weigh In

2007-03-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

253 lbs.

I have three "trouble" meals during the week: Friday lunch, Saturday breakfast, and Sunday lunch. Friday as I take the office out and we usually eat somewhere where the menu is not overly conducive to healthy eating, Saturday as it is family breakfast day and I love corn beef hash, pancakes, syrup, grits with butter, toast with jelly, coffee with cream and sugar, and sausage, and Sunday which is traditionally a big mid-day meal for me. I am trying to make sure to eat less than I normally would even if I do not well. I am also staying away from sugar and jelly. I am finding a high dose of sugar is making me feel a little ill as soon as I eat it so my body is adjusting to the new diet. Artificial sweeteners are not having the same effect so I've got that going for me.

I finally exercised with thirty minutes on the bike Friday. That, coupled with two days of pretty good yard work over the weekend helped me overcome some of the bad food choices I made. Five pounds in a week! Woo Hoo! I know I am still in a shedding phase and it will slow down and get harder. Conversely, eating well and less is getting easier each day I do it. From past experience though, I know it only takes few bad meals in a row to knock me completely off track.

Monday Weigh In

2007-02-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

258.3

Below 260 for the first time in a looooooooooong time. When I started the serious calorie counting two weeks ago, I resolved to not have two "bad" meals in a row. If I slipped at breakfast, I would get back on track at lunch. Well, I had a too-big lunch on Friday and a much too-big lunch on Sunday but didn't let it ruin my plan. I just ate smaller subsequent meals and actually ended the weekend a little lighter than I began it.

I haven't begun exercising yet but did clean up the exercise room on Satruday. We have a treadmill, recumbent bike, dumbells, bench, and heavy bag. I am going to try to get in there this week and start a plan.

Calories are Evil

2007-02-22T07:28:00.000-08:00

I know they are nto really but I feel as though that is how I have to approach this issue. I try to cut something at every meal: No cream in my coffee, no bread with my salad, leave something on my plate. I have been keeping my days at around 1500 calories for almost two weeks now with just a few in the 2000 range. It appears as though my body has discovered what I am doing and has stopped shedding the weight at about a pound a day. Ahh, my first (expected) plateau. Time to break out the treadmill and shock the sytem a little more.

I did succesfully go to a bar-b-que buffet last Friday and eat reasonably (lots of green beans and cabbage, meat with vinegar sauce rather than sweet, no hash, no rice) and went out for a pre-poker happy hour on Tuesday (ate a small meal before going, thereby laying off the pizza at the beer joint and limiting myself to two and half glasses). Dangerous ground I know, but I feel as though I have to allow myself some freedom if I expect to stay the course for more than a month or two.

Back on Track

2007-02-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am back, plugging away. Like most of us, I can really concentrate on eating but have less success eating well. Since last May, I actually lost about 10 pounds without "really" trying but it was the same ten I have been toying with for years. I went in for bloodwork recently and everything was great except for a weirdly low good cholesterol number. I do want to get some of this weight off as I've got kids to cart around and need to be in better shape so I have resolved to take this thing serioulsy for a while. I ate great for about two weeks, went on a weekend camping trip where I ate awful but exercised enough to counteract it, and have been on a calorie counting binge for the last week and a half. I hated to break out the science but it had to be done. The result: I am at a ten-year low of 262 and hoping to go much lower. Why didn't anyone tell me they put calorie counts on the back of food packaging? I just looked at the pretty pictures on the front.

The Right Track

2006-05-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have lost weight before. In tenth grade, I put on some quick pounds after football season was over. All it took was one comment from the coach about it for me to immediately start eating oranges for two meals a day and limiting myself to one helping of dinner. Within two weeks, I had dropped fifteen pounds and stayed there for there for almost two years. I then dropped some more weight my senior year before graduation and actually was doing all I could to gain weight once summer came.

A few years ago, I started pushing 290+ and decided to cut weight. I counted calories religiously, walked/ran almost every day and dropped 30 pounds in a month. I have not approached that maximum weight since, but it has crept back up. At a physical a few months ago, I tipped the scales at 286. Since then, I have dropped about ten pounds by eating less. Sounds simple, huh?

Short term results are easy for most men to attain in weight loss. We can deny ourselves the "goodies" for a short period and force ourselves to get out there and exercise. Hell, we might even start to enjoy it. Invariably though, the exercise wanes and the trips to the buffet increase. We think, "No big deal. I've lost the weight before. I can do it again." This is the cycle many of us settle into, becoming the stereotypical yo-yos.

This time, I have decided to change the way I operate. Everything I am doing now, I plan to continue the ret of my life. Sweet tea and soft drinks will be rarely ingested and water will be my beverage of choice. Oh, if the server messes up and brings me a glass of sweet, southern nectar, I'll drink it. I am just not going to make a habit of ordering it.

A life without bar-b-que is not a life worth living. Instead of loading up on the entire menu though, I'll forgo the hush puppies and other fried delectables. I will concentrate on clean meat, fill up at least half my plate with collards or whatever vegetables are being offered, and take a moment to digest and think after cleaning off a plate before reflexively heading back to the bar.

There is a sandwich and sweet shop located across the parking lot from my office. Every morning, Joe puts out a fresh cake (lemon is my favorite) and every afternoon I can hear any pieces not eaten by the lunch crowd calling my name. If the sirens get loud enough, I will not turn a deaf ear. I'll go on over an savor every bite. Adjustments will be made at dinner to account for the extra calories. I plan on enjoying a full life of food, just not enjoying so much of it.

In short, I will not be on a "diet." I will be changing the way I eat in the hope I can maintain long term weight control.

Now , if I can just figure out what to do about the beer.

Start it up

2006-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Fat Dan is not scared to lay it out there so neither am I.

I am just getting over an acute attack of Gout. Gout! How the hell does a Pirate get gout?

Years of bar-b-que and beer and a steady weight gain seem to have done it. I don't have the exact figures but I am guessing I am around 280 right now. My high has been in the 295 range (I was a biscuit away from 300). My low over the last five years has been 263. I have no idea what my goal is right now other than to feel better but I hope to post some soon.

My weight history as best I can recollect:

9th grade. 13 years old. 215 lbs. I was 6' 3" and haven't grown an inch since.
10th grade 251 lbs (peak of HS weight)
12th grade 222 lbs. (during football season)
216 lbs (at graduation)

Reporting weight to ECU. 17 years old. 225 lbs. (not too good for an offensive tackle. even in 1986)
Final football weight. 255 lbs. 1989 (muscled up. 400 lb. BP. solid legs. little gut. Of course, I "retired" immediately)
After college but before law school I worked a manual labor job and kept it around a solid 260 lbs. for about four years. I probably started law school in 1995 at 260.
Post law school to present. 270-285 range with no big swings either way.

I have slightly elevated blood pressure (maybe due to medication) and normal cholesterol (my "good" number is not very good though) as of my last blood work two years ago. I am going for updated work within the month.

The Plan

Rare buffet trips
Less red meat
More greens and fruits
Replace most beverages with water
Activity increase

I love vegetables and fruit so adding them to my diet doesn't hurt. I love fried chicken more so taking it out will.