Feeling sluggish

It's been a couple of days since I've ridden the bike and I'm feeling sluggish and crappy. I obviously need to get on the ball again. I felt so much better about myself mentally even if it wasn't doing anything for me physically at least I was feeling better. Back on the bike for me tonight!

Misc. feel goods

I like riding the bike, I like spicy chicken soup, I like spinach salad, I like being a little more disciplined, but I don't know that I've lost much weight yet. I feel pretty good though.

Exercize & Productivity

I was extremely productive last week, thanks in part to Google Calendar and--I'm now realizing--exercise. This week I was not as productive, thanks in part to some family crises (not my own), other interruptions, and--I now realize--a lack of exercise.
I didn't do much bike riding this week. I ate decently, but not great; I was on the road a lot. Its been a real struggle to get out of bed this week; not so last week, when I exercised every day. So, last night I forced myself to get on the bike--with a little encouragement from Tammy. When 6:50 rolled around this morning I was ready to take the boys to school, and the next 20 minutes I spent lying in the bed was relaxing and enjoyable (since I was ready to get up). Later today I decided to ride the bike again before I jumped in the shower (I could do that b/c it's my day off). I had lots of energy and felt like being productive again.
So, is there a correlation? I think so. I think I might like this exercise thing for the mental and emotional effects and increased productivity even more than the weightloss.

Dan's Lean Cuisine Ratings

Here's a place for Dan to keep track of Lean Cuisine meals that he enjoyed--on sale now at your local Piggly Wiggly (1/5/09). Create another post to keep track of yours. Change the post date when you add to it to keep it near the top of the page. The numbers in parentheses are ratings out of 10 possible points.

Dan Loved:


Dan Enjoyed :
Chicken Fried Rice (7) -- good with a little Morton's Lite Salt
Chicken Mediterranean (8) -- needs a little light salt
Roasted Garlic Chicken (6) -- pretty tasty, didn't knock my socks off
Ginger Garlic Stir Fry With Rice (7) -- pretty flavorful, ginger makes for good Asian food.
Chicken With Basil Cream Sauce (6.5)--pretty good.
Swedish Meatballs w/ Pasta (5) - not bad

Dan Could Do Without:
Teriyaki Chicken (3) -- for all its ingredients, not flavorful enough
Salmon With Basil (3) -- very bland, and just not enjoyable even with lemon and salt & pepper

Dan Would Rather Eat His Own Vomit Than Eat:

Making Progress

I am just reporting in that I have made some strides...I am now riding the bike for 30 minutes and 6.4 miles for the past two days!! I think I have lost 4 lbs so far. We only have a dial scale so I am not exactly sure how much I've lost, but I am feeling better anyway!

Today's Diet

Breakfast: Eggs, Toast, Green Tea
Snack: Coffee
Lunch: Lean Cuisine(Ginger Garlic Stir Fry With Chicken) & Salad
Snack: Banana Yeah!
Dinner: Pork Tenderloin (small portion), Baked Potato, Salad, Sauteed Onions, Steamed Cabbage.
Snack: The devil (a.k.a. Tammy) made me do it, diet coke and popcorn--while I watched (prediction) the Gators beat the Sooners!

Are You Goanna Eat That All By Yourself, Granny

-Mice who take in more fat are more likely to night time binge, and be restless while sleeping.

-Over eating dramatically speeds up metabolism and processing of food, causing the body to get rid of this food in "a big load" :), and encouraging the body to store the energy as fat.

-Excess food causes the pancreas to produce insulin until the blood sugar is at a "safe level." But by the time the insulin production stops, blood sugar is too low, causing us to feel tired, dizzy, depressed, etc. But, "thankfully," we can remedy this with more carbs or sugars, which are quickly stored as fat anyway. That fact seems to be compounded by the the previous one.

-Cold liquids cause your stomach to contract and message the food down and out, making you hungry sooner.

Check out these and more facts at:
NPR's Morning Addition

Buffets are Evil Traps to Thrifty Dieters (Though I Don't Consider Myself a Dieter)

Because the Golden Coral charges $9.95 for a tiny beverage and mediocre food, I feel like I need to load up and make up the difference with quantity. If I were rich, this wouldn't be an issue, but I'm pretty sure I have some "Mediterranean" heritage that causes me to want to get more than what I pay for. I knew this was a trap to thrifty dieters, but I wanted to oblige my good friend Doobie--he let me pick the restaurant--b/c I knew it was his favorite eatin' stop. So buffets are probably not the best option for thrifty folks lookin' to cut a few calories.
I ate breakfast at a ministerial meeting this morning so I was forced eat some grits and toast with my eggs. Again, I'm rather frugal, and grits and toast are like 20 cents more than the eggs by themselves, so I couldn't pass them up. I also was trying to keep from being perceived as a liberal dilettante among my manly woodsmen peers, so I refrained from ordering fruit in place of the grits. I didn't budge on the wheat toast though.
For dinner I had a bowl of cole slaw, as I was still quite full from my "value" meal at GC.
After a long day I burnt 150 calories on the bike and played some wii.

Tammy and I enjoy a cup of hot tea in the evening. It really helps fight off the perceived need snack at night, as a way to calm the insanity that takes place in the course of a day. Tammy heard an expert today who confirmed what she read on a blog the other day--green tea is proven to boost metabolism. So we downed a cup of that TAZO's lotus flower decaffeinated green tea before bed.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

I went to bed early and got up a little earlier than normal. Ol' Ben Franklin was right. "Beer is proof that the Good Lord love us, and wants us to be happy." Also, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Well, 1 out of 3 ain't bad. I made the bed this morning, and that felt good.
No exercise bike this morning, but rode tonight for 20 minutes and burnt 130 calories. I also played the Wii and really got into it.

Breakfast: Coffee, 1 cup of; Eggs, 2, scrambled w/ cheese, orange slices
Lunch: Salad (iceberg mix, spinich, OM bacon bits, onion, tomato, modified honey mustard vinaigrette); LC Roasted Garlic Chicken; Diet Coke, 1 20oz. cup of; Club Crackers, 5
Dinner: Pork Steaks (rather lean and delicious), Baked Potato, Broccoli.
Snack: Banana Yea!

Did I mention that this is kind of a trial week for Tammy and I. We're trying to figure out what our routine might be like next week, when we start officially. We're trying some recipes, experimenting with different exercises, and the like.

Dan

Bike Progress

I just wanted to report that for the first time in 6 days of riding I was able to ride for the full 20 minutes without stopping. I know it seems sad that I couldn't ride straight through before now, but it's not quite like riding a mobile bike. You can't coast! So today on my level 3 "ride in the park" I was able to go 4.4 miles in 20 minutes with no interruption! I also did some reps with the weights for my arms. I need to not only work on my legs & heart but boy do I have some old lady flaps forming on my arms. Whoever said chasing kids would help you stay fit and trim is a liar. I am not sure what kids of kids they have but...good grief! Mine aren't helping me so I must help myself. I am feeling good to be on the 6th day or riding. Only I saw some pictures of myself and was saddened & motivated!
That's all for today! Maybe I'll have Dan make some kind of chart on here that I can update each day with progress!!

PS. I am going to keep a running list of my progress here...
Sunday-3.9 miles
Monday-4.2
Tuesday-4.4 & 4.1= 8.5
Wednesday-4.0

Necesity is a Mother...

Here's a pic of Dan setting up the blog.