Okay, so that I don't have to start another, new Diet and health Blog, I'm just going to use this blog to also track that information, my apologies if it's a bit of a downer compared to my usual existentialist ramblings.
So, around my Birthday (January 13th) I decided that I was missing the big New Year KICK, I had watched the documentary, Hungry For Change, so I was extra inspired to get started with things on the diet front. I scaled down what I would eat for my birthday, and even lost 2 pounds my Birthday week (unheard of), but then last week, this weekend, right off track again. URGH!
Laura (my wife) went away for the weekend, I planned some MASSIVE eating, didn't eat as much as I had planned, but still ate lots of garbage Vegan food, way too many calories (over 4000 a day on Saturday-Monday to my best estimates), and last night, laying down in bed, I had my first "trouble breathing" episode in a long long time. Then, this morning, my work shirt and work pants didn't fit me (and I bought these last year as "fat clothes" that I could wear layers under for the Winter). Worst of all, after a week of seeing some shrinking, my belly looks like someone stuffed a cow in there once again.
In the middle of the night I decided to make the change today, and so, today is the first day (yet again) of many changes.
I have wanted to go Raw Vegan for sometime now, or even Raw Til 4 (you eat raw foods and low fat until dinner, then you eat gluten free cooked and raw foods), and oddly enough, since my Birthday evaluation post, I have successfully re-rallied my troops and decided that I do want to stay Vegan, and have stayed the course on the subject as well. Anyway, today is a Raw Til 4 day, and my plan is to do Raw Til 4 for 6 out of 7 days a week (Sunday Tofu Scramble is a must). I am also giving up on coffee except for Sundays. I was worried about the expense of buying my lunches everyday while I teach, but I spend so much money going out for meals anyway, I am sure I can cut my daily expenses to within a reasonable range of some kind. The most difficult part, outside of coffee, will be giving up wheat, which I also intend to do (outside of Laura's Birthday Celebration, or should we go back to France), and being accountable that I am full before I get onto a bus or subway (which makes me deathly motion sick). It is possible I may just do Raw for Breakfast, and then do a more Grains and Greens thing for lunches, if expenses and convenience aren't working out, but really, I don't think I have much of an excuse for this not to work. The important thing is to get my fat consumption (right now I'm averaging 90 grams of fat per day), sodium (about 5000 milligrams), cut calories down (I am average about 4200 a day, when I should really be around 2200), and clean up all the junk food Veganism that I seem to be eating all the time (goodbye jarred pasta sauce and cookies and fake-processed-cheese products), and then when I drop down about 25 foods, make a real commitment to moving around more, hit that Yoga mat and some long walks HARD, keep up the progress.
It occurred to me last night, that if I lost 2 pounds a week, for 10 months, I would be down 80 pounds, and that would be a really comfortable weight to live at, and my Yoga practice could again really propel me to being healthy, strong, and fit again. The first time I did WW I lost my first 100 pounds in 9 months, and then another 45 in the following year. There's no reason I can't average 8-10 pounds down a month.
I'm also using a calorie counting system, either MyFitnessPal or Livestrong (I'm doing both today: MFP has better socialization, but LS has much more accurate counting tools--I did also think about FitDay and Chronometer as well, but the former is too advertisement strewn, the latter doesn't have good customization for someone like myself who cooks a lot), because I need to actually see the numbers in order to feel and be encouraged. Until WW starts counting fruits and veggies again, I just wont go back, it's a massive waste of my time, although I think they do have the best tracking tool in the business.
So, today is the first day, I'm pretty strong so far (though drinking Green Tea feels a bit ridiculous still, instead of coffee), even dealing with some work stress. I guess I will know where I stand after I go looking for lunch in the University eatery (on MWF at NU, the food options for Raw food are MUCH better). I think eating dinner as soon as I get home (around 7:30 on Tue and Thur) will be really important to help me from freaking out on chips and dip and snacks when I get through the door (actually, I have all the ingredients for a beet-carrot-apple juice when I get home and THAT is what I am really craving today).
Okay, folks, once more, into the breach.
I'll try and post something more mystical, magickal, existential in the next post.
So, around my Birthday (January 13th) I decided that I was missing the big New Year KICK, I had watched the documentary, Hungry For Change, so I was extra inspired to get started with things on the diet front. I scaled down what I would eat for my birthday, and even lost 2 pounds my Birthday week (unheard of), but then last week, this weekend, right off track again. URGH!
Laura (my wife) went away for the weekend, I planned some MASSIVE eating, didn't eat as much as I had planned, but still ate lots of garbage Vegan food, way too many calories (over 4000 a day on Saturday-Monday to my best estimates), and last night, laying down in bed, I had my first "trouble breathing" episode in a long long time. Then, this morning, my work shirt and work pants didn't fit me (and I bought these last year as "fat clothes" that I could wear layers under for the Winter). Worst of all, after a week of seeing some shrinking, my belly looks like someone stuffed a cow in there once again.
In the middle of the night I decided to make the change today, and so, today is the first day (yet again) of many changes.
I have wanted to go Raw Vegan for sometime now, or even Raw Til 4 (you eat raw foods and low fat until dinner, then you eat gluten free cooked and raw foods), and oddly enough, since my Birthday evaluation post, I have successfully re-rallied my troops and decided that I do want to stay Vegan, and have stayed the course on the subject as well. Anyway, today is a Raw Til 4 day, and my plan is to do Raw Til 4 for 6 out of 7 days a week (Sunday Tofu Scramble is a must). I am also giving up on coffee except for Sundays. I was worried about the expense of buying my lunches everyday while I teach, but I spend so much money going out for meals anyway, I am sure I can cut my daily expenses to within a reasonable range of some kind. The most difficult part, outside of coffee, will be giving up wheat, which I also intend to do (outside of Laura's Birthday Celebration, or should we go back to France), and being accountable that I am full before I get onto a bus or subway (which makes me deathly motion sick). It is possible I may just do Raw for Breakfast, and then do a more Grains and Greens thing for lunches, if expenses and convenience aren't working out, but really, I don't think I have much of an excuse for this not to work. The important thing is to get my fat consumption (right now I'm averaging 90 grams of fat per day), sodium (about 5000 milligrams), cut calories down (I am average about 4200 a day, when I should really be around 2200), and clean up all the junk food Veganism that I seem to be eating all the time (goodbye jarred pasta sauce and cookies and fake-processed-cheese products), and then when I drop down about 25 foods, make a real commitment to moving around more, hit that Yoga mat and some long walks HARD, keep up the progress.
It occurred to me last night, that if I lost 2 pounds a week, for 10 months, I would be down 80 pounds, and that would be a really comfortable weight to live at, and my Yoga practice could again really propel me to being healthy, strong, and fit again. The first time I did WW I lost my first 100 pounds in 9 months, and then another 45 in the following year. There's no reason I can't average 8-10 pounds down a month.
I'm also using a calorie counting system, either MyFitnessPal or Livestrong (I'm doing both today: MFP has better socialization, but LS has much more accurate counting tools--I did also think about FitDay and Chronometer as well, but the former is too advertisement strewn, the latter doesn't have good customization for someone like myself who cooks a lot), because I need to actually see the numbers in order to feel and be encouraged. Until WW starts counting fruits and veggies again, I just wont go back, it's a massive waste of my time, although I think they do have the best tracking tool in the business.
So, today is the first day, I'm pretty strong so far (though drinking Green Tea feels a bit ridiculous still, instead of coffee), even dealing with some work stress. I guess I will know where I stand after I go looking for lunch in the University eatery (on MWF at NU, the food options for Raw food are MUCH better). I think eating dinner as soon as I get home (around 7:30 on Tue and Thur) will be really important to help me from freaking out on chips and dip and snacks when I get through the door (actually, I have all the ingredients for a beet-carrot-apple juice when I get home and THAT is what I am really craving today).
Okay, folks, once more, into the breach.
I'll try and post something more mystical, magickal, existential in the next post.
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