Tuesday, March 31, 2009

April 1 - We Are Now at War


My birthday get-together was certainly good for my ego. People who haven't seen me in months were "amazed at the amount of weight" I've lost and some wondered if I "had a tapeworm." That kept me beaming until I got home tonight and loaded the pictures from my camera.

I apologize for the brown belt with the black outfit. It's the only belt that fits at this point. All of my other belts are too big. However, look at this body. No chest, sagging moobs, and a wide belly. (The skin tone looks good, however.)

For everyone who claims I've lost enough, I'm sorry - the answer is "not yet." Plus, April 1 marks my new dedication to pushups, situps and whatever else I need to do to transform myself.

As the billboard used to say, "more carrots, less carrot cake."

Snap It Fatty 2.0 is ON!

Lunch - 1 cup beans w/Parmesean cheese. The cheddar I was eating before had too many calories. This way, I get the 'zing' without the 'ding'.

Dinner - Didn't plan on going out to dinner, but this salad was the best choice on the menu. I shoulda skipped the pita.



March 31 - Happy Birthday To Me. Have Some Cake.

No, this is not my body. Not yet.

Today I celebrate my 45th birthday -- happily. On balance, things are good. Good health, good friends, good job, and 41.1 lbs lighter than I was 4 months ago.

Last time my waist was this size, I was 36 years old. Almost a decade ago. I know this because for a long time, my waist was about the size of my age...30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42....Each couple of new years would see a couple more inches around the waistline. Not this year.

Have a little something sweet in my honor today, and here's to another year of great things!

Breakfast - 2 cups of coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Was taken out by co-workers to Damon's. I ordered the spinach salad because it sounded like the healthiest thing on the menu, but it was covered in bacon, blue cheese and goo. Screw it. It's my birthday. I ate it. And a piece of bread, too.

Dinner - Green tint? Must be Pier W! A delicious antipasto pizza: prosciutto, caramelized onions, grilled peppers, pepperoni and mozarella. I ate 2/3rds of this pizza.

Snack - Nothing! No cake! Can one have a birthday without cake?! Yes, it's possible.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that my dear friends Zak, Dan, Michael and Javier decorated my cube at work with 1800 Mary Jane candies (my favorite). I ate about 10 of them today. (They're 30 calories each, fwiw.)


Monday, March 30, 2009

Today, Bob & I celebrate our 25th anniversary. Yes, a quarter of a century ago today, we were dressed as generic beer cans, and while "Here Comes The Rain Again" played on the radio, we kicked off 2.5 decades together.

It's been the happiest 14 years of my life.

KIDDING! (Sheesh. No one can take a joke.)

Seriously, 25 years of lots of good memories and all of the junk that goes with it. I'm in for another 25 and then we'll see how I feel.


Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Less than 1/2 of the Bourbon Chicken and Rice shown. (I could have eaten it all. It was delicious)

Snack - 2 bags of rice cakes. Yes. 2

Dinner - Bob & I went to Boulevard Blue. The appetizers were prunes stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon. I had 2 of them. Meh. They were OK. Dinner was a Pear and Goat Cheese salad. Bob commented on how minimalistic it was. Honestly - 1/2 of a pear, 1/8 cup of greens and a slice of goat cheese. I took it as The Universe saying, "You keep going, Fatty....keep up the good work."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

March 29 - They Tried To Make Me Go To Rehab....

..and I said, "will there be more Mazzone's Cheesecake?"

OMG. Stick a fork in me. I'm done. I anticipate today being a pretty light day eating-wise.

Breakfast - Western Omelet wrap. A few pieces of fruit. Coffee.

Dinner - 1 cup of Fiber One Cereal. (I was getting a *little* hungry by 6pm, but didn't want to overload.)

March 28 - Why SnapItFatty was born...

Today was a classic example of why Snap It, Fatty had to be born. It was a slop fest from noon til night and now (6:30am on Sunday), I'm still belly full. And before Snap It, Fatty, I wouldn't have been able to tell you why I was so porked-out today.

Bob was bemoaning the lack of any real bakeries left in Cleveland and how most ended up going out of business with the Sam's Clubs, KMarts, and grocery stores. I suggested we head to Mazzone & Son's on Clark. Once there, we were enticed by the giant slices of pizza and each ordered one to go. While there, I also got a piece of cheesecake for the ride home. The cheesecake was spectacular and even though I cut the pizza in half, after I ate the first 1/2 (which was equivalent to 2 slices anyway), I devoured the 2nd half of the pizza.

Dinner rolled around and we joined a bunch of friends to celebrate a birthday at #1 Pho. Bob ordered some pork spring rolls - I at 1/2 of one. Dinner was a Sweet and Sour Tofu which was so spectacular that it found its way into my belly. All of it.

After dinner, back to the birthday boy's place for a chocolate chip cookie and a 1/3 slice of ice-cream cake. Yes, that piece shown is what was considered a "tiny" piece.

Interesting to note about dinner and afterward: How much of the conversation was about food. Food we love, food we ate. Food we're growing, food we plan to eat soon. Food we'll travel for, food our parents made. Food, food, food, food, food.

Food was a safe topic. No politics. Very little talk about religion. Very few popular references. Nothing philosophical. Nothing about books. Certainly nothing about exercise. A little bit about the health ailments. Just food, food, food.

Breakfast - coffee, flax oil geltab

Lunch - cheesecake (hey, gotta eat that 1st, right?). 2 HUGE ASS SLICES of pizza. (urp!)

Dinner - Pork spring roll. Sweet and sour tofu.

Party Food - Cookie. (Bob has an eye for chocolate chip cookies). "Tiny" piece of ice cream cake.

Friday, March 27, 2009

March 27 - Where Did This Week Go?

Hard to believe that it's Friday already. Although I only have a little birthday celebration for tomorrow evening, the rest of the weekend will be filled with photographing jewelry for Russ, learning how to use my Bamboo Fun Graphics Tablet and learning a little more Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Breakfast - Fiber One. Coffee. Gel Tab

Lunch - Big Honkin' Chicken Salad w/pineapple, cranberries, feta, pecans, etc. Yes, I ate the whole thing. (urp!) A licorice twizzler.

Dinner - Spinach Salad.

Snack - Big honkin' cookie.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

iPhone App - PushUp Fu


In the GTFO category, comes this nifty app. I was just contacted by one of the developers suggesting that I try it out. Like a previously mentioned Push Up application, GymFu also encourages you to do 100 push ups. The difference here is that it's motion-detector activated and can determine when you do a full push up vs. when you're faking it. It also looks like it challenges you to keep a steady pace.

I just downloaded it and will give an initial report later tonight.

UPDATE: HOLY SCARY CRAP! This app does what it says it does and then some. I strapped the iPhone to my arm, listened to the robotic voice to tell me to start my pushups, and it counted them off for me. It'll warn you if you don't do a full range of motion, and it will slow you down if you move too quickly. By giving a simple test, you'll be provided with a fitness routine that PushUp Fu will guide you through. When complete, and begging for more challenges, you can challenge others in your fitness level to a series of pushups. TOTALLY worth the $3.

If you have an iPhone, download it now and pray that the makers of PushUp Fu start creating more apps!

March 26 - Wish Me Well.

Tonight I'm subbing for a fitness class that I created 2 years ago, but gave to another instructor last August. At that point, I was tired of teaching, and tired of going to class overweight. Problem was, after each class, we'd go out eating, and because I had "worked out", I'd chow on fries, a full sandwich and a honkin' piece of cheesecake -- at 10:30pm. I say I "worked out" because I was actually just barking commands while everyone worked out.

The new instructor needed the night off and asked if I could cover for him, so it'll be the first time these guys have seen me at the new weight.

I'm still planning on just barking commands.

Update: Did quite well with the fitness class. Students were amazed at the weight loss, and I was able to sail through most of the class without dying.

Breakfast - Kibble/Coffee/Flax Oil Gel Tab

Snack - Rice Cakes

Lunch - Spinach Salad (There was a luncheon at work with some wonderful smellin' food, but I opted to just eat my salad. I really wanted cake, and walked by the room several times but each time I just walked by over and over....)

Snack - 4 pretzel rods.

Dinner - Forgot to eat 2 hours before class and didn't wanna hurl on the students, and didn't want to eat heavily after working out, so I just had an apple when I got home from class.


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

March 25 - Waking up at 3am.

For the past 2 nights, I've woken up at 3am.

Two nights ago, it was because a dream I had convinced me that "they" changed the name of "FaceBook" to "Frito Bandito". I woke up confused.

Breakfast - Coffee/Flax Oil Gel Tab.

Lunch - Spinach Salad

Snack - 3 Pretzels.

Later Snack - It's Jim-Bob's birthday. Mandatory (and delicious) cake.

Dinner - Cesarean Salad (you had to cut it yourself.) Recognize the green lighting? Yes, we were back at Pier W

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

March 24 - New Avon


I am a staunch advocate of skin care. Not just your face, but the whole body. Bob's dermatologist recently scolded him because he doesn't moisturize. I mean, honestly, in this day and age, is there a reason not to?

I'm trying out some new Avon stuff that arrived yesterday. My L'oreal stuff was pretty darn good, but I'm hoping that Avon will step up to the plate and deliver. Truth is, I could probably sell Avon for as much as I talk it up.

If you kids aren't moisturizing because of the cost, something is better than nothing. Oil of Olay's basic formula is great. Hell, my grandmother used to put Crisco on her face before bedtime and she had great skin. Today I'm starting to use Avon Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum,Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift, and Avon's Lift and Tuck Professional Body Shaper.

I'll give ya my opinions after a few days.

Breakfast - Fiber One Cereal. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Spinach Salad.

Dinner - Broiled Fish, broccoli & rice. Yes, it was as tasteless as it looks. Took mom to Mavis Winkle's for dinner and opted for something 'healthy'. My spinach salads and black beans have so much more flavor than this expensive mess.


Monday, March 23, 2009

March 23 - My Funny Body


I've learned how to hack my body - get it to do certain tricks.

After a week of watching what I eat and the weight just sort of slowly coming off, if I eat more than I normally do, in a couple of days I lose several pounds. I've used this trick in the past, but this time was unintentional.

Friday night, Bob & I went to that Cool Cleveland event where we filled ourselves with samples from all of the food tables. I gained a few pounds the next day, and yesterday a little more came off, but today I'm down to 192.4. A significant loss.

This takes my BMI to 26.0 - the high end of "normal". This means I've gone from "obese" to "overweight" to "marginally overweight" to "normal" in about 4 months. Woot! Now, again, this is the high end of "normal." Normal is defined as 20.7-26.4, so let's not think that there isn't work to be done.

Breakfast - Coffee. GelTab combo.

Lunch - Black Beans.

Snack - Stopped by Zak's to water his plants, and took the Dots from his candy bowl. I ate 1 mini box and realized that they were disgusting. Threw the other box away.

Snack Part 2 - When I got to the office, someone was selling candy. I broke down. Bought it, ate all of it. I guess I was craving sweets today. Moo.

Dinner - Spinach Salad.