Snap It, Fatty

Thursday at SnapIt, Fatty

2011-09-15T10:55:00.001-04:00

Ran from my hotel and brought fruit with me. At 3 figs about 11am.

Lunch is a bowl of oatmeal and some pineapple. A drug rep brought in lunch for the office but I passed on the chicken wings, apple pie and sweet tea.

I also downloaded and app to make me go from "Couch Potato" to running a 5k in only 2 months. I'm gonna do it!

Afternoon snack? More pineapple! And a pack of nuts

Dinner - tomato soup and naan

Wednesday Sept 14

2011-09-14T08:09:00.001-04:00

Breakfast - 3 figs and 2/3 pack trail mix. (I spilled some of it when opening the package. )

Snack. - 2 Fiberful bars

Lunch - the heart healthy chicken with black beans and rice.

Dinner - with Joe (coworker) Pear and spinach salad. Dessert (not shown) single scoop green tea ice cream

Tuesday - Sept 13

2011-09-13T17:45:00.001-04:00

Breakfast - oops. Skipped it

Lunch - was taken to Olive Garden. Soup, Salad, breadroll.

Dinner from Trader Joes! Something Indian, tomato soup and naan!

Already Feeling Better

2011-09-12T10:22:00.001-04:00

Day two and I feel less bloated.

Breakfast - oatmeal.

Lunch was a pretzel (300 cal) and a 300 call smoothie

Dinner - fried tofu and some fab sushi from Room112

Snap It is back

2011-09-11T09:42:00.001-04:00

Horrible revelation last night. Gotta jump on the Fatty Wagon.

I know an Egg McMuffin doesnt look like the best choice but it's less than 300 cals and I didn't eat since lunch yesterday.

At the airport with hours to go before my flight. A stop at Chilis for the heart- healthy salad.

And some yogurt nut mix.

New City. New Challenge

2011-07-06T22:43:00.001-04:00

I am staying at a new hotel and don't have breakfast included. This means that I had to leave the hotel without any food and not really knowing my way around I went to work without any breakfast. Because of that, I ended up having peanuts and a granola bar from a vending machine. Yuck. Lunch was better with a simple grilled chicken salad. And I overdid it with dinner by indulging in some spectacular sushi at restaurant 112 here in Charlotte

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Charlotte Trolley Trail (Charlotte Trolley Rail-With-Trail),Charlotte,United States

December 2008 Weight History

2010-12-05T09:16:00.000-05:00

I started SnapIt, Fatty two years ago, and I started the weight loss at approximately the same time. Compared to two years ago, I'm .2 lbs lighter than I was then. :)

Dec 31 - 221.8 lbs
Dec 30 - 222.0 lbs
Dec 29 - 219.8 lbs
Dec 28 - 220.2 lbs
Dec 27 - 221.8 lbs
Dec 26 - 220.6 lbs
Dec 25 - 222.0 lbs
Dec 24 - 222.0 lbs
Dec 23 - 221.8 lbs
Dec 22 - 218.2 lbs
Dec 21 - 220.2 lbs
Dec 20 - 220.2 lbs
Dec 19 - 221.0 lbs
Dec 18 - 222.0 lbs
Dec 17 - 222.8 lbs
Dec 16 - 223.4 lbs
Dec 15 - 225.2 lbs
Dec 14 - 224.2 lbs
Dec 13 - 223.6 lbs
Dec 12 - 223.4 lbs
Dec 11 - 225.0 lbs
Dec 10 - 225.8 lbs
Dec 9 - 227.2 lbs
Dec 8 - 225.8 lbs
Dec 7 - 226.2 lbs
Dec 6 - 230.2 lbs
Dec 5 - 229.0 lbs
Dec 4 - 229.8 lbs
Dec 3 - 231.4 lbs
Dec 1 - 232.6 lbs
Nov 30 - 233.5 lbs

Saturday - Taking A Break

2010-12-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - a total of 5 popovers (the first 3 were so good, I had 2 more)
Lunch/Dinner - The leftover Vesuvius Pasta

Ooch. My Belleh.

2010-12-02T09:09:00.002-05:00

I indulged for a second day and felt bloated. Bleh.

Breakfast - Fiber One Cereal
Lunch - Soup. Tuna on Pita w/Fries (I can't believe I ate them all)
Dinner - At The Bistro: Chicken Casseolete (1/2 portion) Mac & Cheese (1/2 portion), a meatball and some noodles.

Wednesday- under 230!

2010-12-02T05:10:00.001-05:00

Wednesday We Went A Little Out of Control

2010-12-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

Breakfast - Bowl of Fiber One Cereal
Lunch - At Hoggy's: Apple, BlueCheese Salad. Side Bread
Snack - Popcorn (250 cals)
Dinner - At Stino di Napoli: Salad, Pasta w/a Vesuvius sauce (only ate 1/2. Took other 1/2 home)
Snack - A couple cookies

Tuesday - A little Progress

2010-11-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

Wasn't ravenous all day. Started the day with a bagel and some La Vache Qui Rit cheese. Salad and a slice of pizza (not 2 or 3!) at a work retreat. The cheesecake looked too good to pass up, so I had a slice of that. Around 5pm I had one of those 5-hour Energy drinks and I sailed through dinner without feeling hungry. I won't do that often, but it was a nice bonus.

Monday 231.2

2010-11-29T18:39:00.000-05:00

I love Sunday slide or little bit and have some pizza and even some pie. On balance, I still lost a little bit of weight so I guess it wasn't all that bad.

Today I went back to my usual tricks and had fiber cereal, spinach salads, and some pad Thai for lunch. Oh, there also handfuls of homemade cookies.

Location:West Blvd,Cleveland,United States

234.4 - Super Fatty!

2010-11-26T06:24:00.001-05:00

Holy Moly. I haven't stepped on a scale in a few months and with good reason. I was afraid of what I'd see. Well, i am afraid.

234.4 lbs. Two years ago I started Snap It Fatty, and after 6 great months, I let myself slide. Until today. My new life starts today.

I am more important than food.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-12-01T06:03:00.004-05:00

A year ago today I started Snap It, Fatty. I was at my heaviest ever - 233.4.

Since then, I shed 50 lbs, but as of this past July, I started sliding back to my old habits and let 19 lbs creep back on. I am officially at 204.4 this morning.

Disappointed that I let the 19 lbs find their way back? Nope. I expected it. When you stop the consistent self discipline, this is what you should expect. Still, losing 30lbs in a year is fantastic.

And today, start again with Snap It, Fatty. My goal this time is to lose that other 20lbs for good. Some people thought that I looked too thin at 185, but I felt fantastic. Even at 200, I feel a little sluggish.

So, here's to Round 2 of Snap It, Fatty!

Breakfast - Chocolate chip cookie. 1/2 donut (Yeah, really healthy.)

Lunch - Whole Chicken Terriyaki Subway sandwich (should have eaten 1/2)

Dinner - Salad w/ fruit and goat cheese! (yum! From 56 West) and some sweet potato fries

190.8 After the Cruise

2009-08-03T05:08:00.003-04:00

I got back from a 2 week cruise last night. You know what that means - non-stop food and booze at your fingertips. The good news is that I only gained roughly 2 lbs while I was gone. This morning I stepped on the scale to see that I am at 190.8 - up 2 lbs from the weight I was when I left.

I think it might be time to start snapping those photos again. Want to stay on track - we're talking another cruise next year!

Where Have I Been?!

2009-07-08T07:02:00.003-04:00

Howdy to all who have been asking me about the blog!

Since the phone gave me troubles, it was tougher to take photographs regularly. Yes, I suppose I could have taken the tiny Casio camera, but I found out that I have started eating smaller portions. My weight is still around 187 and holding there for about the last 2 months. I'd like to get to 180 for kicks, but I'm not gonna worry about it. Giving myself til the end of the year for that.

My vacation is next week. I'm thrilled with my progress. For now, I'm taking a break for photographing. Maybe after vacation, I'll need to Snap It, Fatty again.

But I hope not.

I'm not dead. But my iPhone nearly was.

2009-06-28T07:17:00.002-04:00

In the continuing saga of the dead iPhone, it took another unexpected turn this week when an AT&T rep basically shot it between the eyes, rendering my phone dead for a day.

I've got most of the photos from what I ate, and will post them as I can. The iPhone app where I captured 6 months of weightloss has lost its data. I can input the data again from the archives I've kept here.

The good news is that my weight is about the same. 185 - 187. Holding in that comfortable place.

June 28

2009-06-28T06:57:00.000-04:00

Ah, Sunday.

Lunch - Bowl of plain pasta. I shoulda had half of the amount shown. But I didn't.

Dinner - Russ made a fab dinner. Ribs, corn, homemade potato salad. Skinny cow for desert.

June 27

2009-06-27T07:06:00.000-04:00

Michael was in town. That means we're off to Caffe Roma!

Breakfast - Popovers. 6 of them, total. (not sure where the pic is of the lot of 'em.)

Snack -Apricots and chocolate. (Where did I get this idea as a snack?)

Dinner - Caffe Roma. Veal picatta. Angel hair pasta w/alfredo sauce. *swoon*

Dessert - Turtle sundae at East Coast.

June 24 - Apricots

2009-06-24T07:34:00.002-04:00

I'm behind in posting (again)

Lunch - leftover Island Tofu stuff from the Asian Grille

Snack - handful of dried apricots and chocolate

Later snack after I forgot dinner - Apricot Russian Tea Cake.

June 23

2009-06-23T07:47:00.000-04:00

Behind schedule in posting:

Breakfast - popovers (yes, all 5)
Snack - cream cheese strudel (thanks, Carole!)
Snack - Snackwell cookies AND almonds. Moo
Dinner with Mom - 1/2 of the scallion pancake shown and Island Tofu something. I lost the original pic. This is a pic of the leftovers. :)

June 22 - Cake

2009-06-23T06:52:00.003-04:00

The cake in the pics was to celebrate a co-worker who became a US citizen this past week. Way to go, Franklin. However, the cake was so tasty, I had a second piece which guilted me into skipping dinner.

Lunch - Salad. three pretzels

Snack - Cake. Then more cake.

Late (before bed) - handful of dried apricots and chocolate. (hey, I wanted something sweet.)

June 21 - Back on Track

2009-06-22T06:56:00.002-04:00

Breakfast -At Perkins with Mom. 2 egg omelete w/toast.

Dinner - Black beans and salad.

June 20 - Didn't exist

2009-06-21T07:47:00.002-04:00

I was without my phone all day. I left it in the car whenever we went to eat. Dork.

What I remember eating:

2 slices of pizza at an outdoor fest (yeah, like I needed that.)
A cookie from Truffles.
Small choco-cherry ice-cream from Honey Hut.

At that point, I was ready to lay down and bust and didn't eat the rest of the day.

June 19 - It all goes to pot.

2009-06-21T07:43:00.003-04:00

I brought bagels for our morning meeting --but then went overboard. I started with one before I got to the meeting. Then had 2 more at the meeting. Then another one at my desk. Ugh.

Bob and I went to a grad party in the evening where I had a bit of salad, pizza and some delicious cake.

Carb, much?

June 18

2009-06-18T07:35:00.001-04:00

I'm several days behind in posting. Mom was in the hospital and another friend ended up in the ER with back problems, so I've been a little stressed which will be realized in my eating habits during the next 2 days

Lunch - TWO ORDERS of sweet potato chips. They were too damn good.

Dinner - Chicken-Coconut soup and pineapple-fried rice from Asian Grille in Lakewood. Mom's first time after getting out of the hospital. "Get me some real food!" she pleaded. She loved the soup and entree.

June 17 - What a Day

2009-06-17T07:18:00.002-04:00

Started off teaching downtown. Stopped home to grab a quick bite and got a call from Mom who needed to be rushed to the ER. She's fine, but a bit of a scare. Then zipped to see Russ, Jeff and Zak -- all in separate locations. By day's end, I was pooped.

I came home, eager to download the new iPhone OS, which then crashed my phone. I was up til 1am trying to get it operational again. It's now 7:20am on 6-18 and it's almost 1/2 way done.

Breakfast - stopped by Einstein Bagels for a PowerBagel with peanut butter. Yum

Snack - 10 dried apricots

Lunch - None. I spent the afternoon in the ER with mom.

Dinner - After mom was left in the CDU, I went to dinner with Russ at a new place, Boca. Wonderful food. The bread comes with 3 types of spread - a tomato, a black bean and an herbed butter. 3 lamb and kalamata olive empanadas and a rock shrimp, corn and veggie "pan" (pizza). I ate too much, but wonderful.

June 16 - Stunning

2009-06-16T07:28:00.003-04:00

It was one of those days when the weather was so perfect, you wish everyday could be like today. I drove the car to work thinking I'd be attending an event after work. That changed. I should have taken the scooter since we'll have rain the next few days.

Lunch - leftover potato/onion/pepper mix from yesterday's breakfast. 2.5 pretzels.

More Lunch - Pizza was brought in for lunch. I took a corner piece. :)

Snack - 3 Musketeers.

Dinner - black beans and cheese.

2009-06-15T23:37:00.003-04:00

OK - Screw it. Pics don't want to align properly and it's late and I'm too tired to fight it. (UPDATE: Fixed it)

Breakfast - about a hand-sized portion of the egg/cheese/onion/pepper skillet you see

Lunch - 5 easy pieces (of sushi). Since I went to pick up my new car tonight, I missed dinner.

Snack - cookie.

June 14 - Sunday

2009-06-15T23:31:00.003-04:00

Odd day.

Lunch - went to a birthday party, but really didn't eat anything there except 1/2 of a devilled egg.

Dinner - 5 pieces of sushi. Then 4 more.

Snack - a little ice cream.

June 13 - Whoa, Nelly.

2009-06-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

Put the brakes on yesterday's food fest.

Lunch - 1/2 of this chicken BBQ salad from The Clifton Diner

Dinner - The rest of the salad.

June 12 - TGIFatDay

2009-06-12T14:07:00.000-04:00

Lunch - Pizza and a Prosciutto and Mozzarella sandwich (with peppers!)

Snack - 2 choco chip cookies

Dinner at Resstone. Very good. Tomato and blue cheese soup. (yum).

The Winter Burger: Smoked Ohio Apple Slices, Creamy Fontina Cheese, Apple Jam (Delicious)

June 11 - I got nuthin'.

2009-06-11T07:15:00.003-04:00

After yesterday's event filled day - today paled in comparison. Sometimes, quiet days are nice.

Lunch - The "Nick Wrap" from Gourmands. I forget how "heavy" this salad is. Ham, bacon, feta, cranberries, walnuts. I also asked for those famous sweet potato chips, but got regular chips instead. Oh well. I ate them anyway. :)

Snack - I skipped dinner since I was still stuffed from lunch. However, by 10pm I was hungry and made the mistake of stopping at Truffles. I had to have a Russian Tea Cake to go along with my late-night coffee.

June 10 - Changes. Changes.

2009-06-10T06:22:00.001-04:00

Everything has been moving quickly recently. I paid for my new car today -- the first car I've ever owned. (My current car is leased.) I'm seeing lots of wonderful trips in this little baby, and I *promise* to try to keep the car clean.

I also recently became an Independent Avon Rep because I love their products. Unfortunately, there's been a glitch in getting me under the right upline (I had a manager I want to work with), but its taking several days to iron out. Hopefully by the end of today, that'll all be straightened out.

Lunch - had a minute at home, so boiled some pasta, put it in a bowl and ate it with a toothpick on the way to work. THAT slowed me down. :)

Snack - Suzetta's birthday -- had to have cake!

Dinner - That cake did me in. Had an apple and some coffee at 9:35pm

June 9 - Salad Day

2009-06-09T23:19:00.003-04:00

Breakfast - Doughnut brought in by one of the nurses.
Lunch - Salad from Panera - apples, blue cheese. Tasty
Dinner - Salad from Perkins. Fried chicken. Sloppy sauces. Tasty but deadly

June 8 - Falling behind.

2009-06-09T23:14:00.002-04:00

Yikes! Almost a day late!

Breakfast - Bagel
Dinner - Beans
Snack -Apple

Not on list: Popcorn. Went to the movies with Bob and my hand dug into Bob's popcorn a few times. Mea Culpa.

June 7 - C is for Cellulite. That's good enough for me.

2009-06-07T06:50:00.004-04:00

In short, Bob and I went to Mark & Brian's for the Tony Awards. Mark & I keep each other in stitches w/snarky comments about the awards, drink cocktails and snack.

I had a salad before the get together so that I wouldn't gorge myself at their house. However, the site of Liza Minelli last night set me into food relapse. I started eating cookies. A few here, a few there. Before the night was over, I porked away over a dozen.

Moo.

Breakfast - 3 pancakes. 2 eggs from Perkins. Didn't eat the fruit.

Lunch/Dinner - Salad.

Snack - A dozen cookies. Ugh.

June 6 - Shoutout and Picnic

2009-06-06T07:13:00.000-04:00

Here's a shoutout to "I'm Getting Fit" who spotlighted Snap It, Fatty on her blog yesterday. She's an adorable young woman who is going through what we all all. Keep rockin' out, Jenks! You're beautiful...

So, yesterday was one of those days when you have to confront the beast. In the summertime, that means "a picnic." My friends, Mark & Brian, host not so much a picnic as a food orgy.

There were so many people there whom I haven't seen since last October/November -- when I was clearly at my "fluffiest." The looks on their faces ranged from "WOW! YOU LOOK GREAT! WHAT HAPPENED?" to, "OMG! HE MUST HAVE THE CANCER!". I let them all know that the weight loss was intentional and I must have spewed the "Snap It, Fatty" story about a dozen times.

NOTE ABOUT TODAY'S ARTWORK: I Googled "Picnic" thinking I'd find a picnic basket. I found Manet's "The Picnic". Along with it, some creative folks who did their own take on the classic work.

I brought chicken salad. I usually make it from scratch, but I cheated this year. Sam's Club Chicken salad is a little more "goopy" than I normally prefer, but two tubs of that, some chunks of apple and little croissants and I was ready for the picnic.

Breakfast - a little cup of the chicken salad. (Hey, I had to try it, no?)

Lunch - Right before the picnic I had 2 little chicken salad sandwiches so I would gorge myself at the picnic. That strategy didn't exactly work.

Picnic - Hamburger, slaw, mac salad, couple chips.

Dessert - a few grapes. Mini eclair. Cookie. Slice cheesecake.

That was it. I was stuffed for the day. Around 11pm I was hungry again, but decided to not eat and went to bed an hour later.

June 5 - GANG WAY!

2009-06-05T07:00:00.004-04:00

Greg at Gourmands let me know that the sweet potato chips were high in fiber. Paying no mind, I ordered two the other other.

These little babies did their magic last night and continue into this morning. I feel like I've been power cleaned.

UPDATE: BOY HOWDY! I didn't realize how much I ate today!

Breakfast: Veggie Flatbread from Dunkin Donuts. Yummy! But then, I ate the multigrain bagel with cream cheese that I originally bought for Zak.

Lunch: Still sort of full from breakfast, I only ate about 1/3 of this salad. The lettuce wasn't that tasty and I won't order it again.

Snack: About 3pm I got a little hungry. Saw someone with a KitKat at the office so I grabbed one as well.

No Dinner. I took a late nap, then met with a client. At 11pm I headed to the coffee shop and had a cookie. I loves me some shortbread cookies.

Those nasty looking ovals are sundried tomatoes. I had some tomatoes that I threw in my dehydrator with a little olive oil and a dash of salt. I realized I had been nibbling on them throughout the evening and I had munched about 1/2 of the tray. This is what was left. So yes, I ate about 4.5 Roma tomatoes!

June 4 - I'm a Soul Man

2009-06-04T07:46:00.003-04:00

My lease on my Malibu is up soon and I'm in need of a car. The MINI Cooper is just going to be too small; despite my love of the Cooper, it's just not practical for me, Mom and the stuff I tote around.

Zak and Dan were looking at the Kia Soul, which piqued my curiosity. After doing a LOT of online research and being impressed by crash ratings, gas mileage, user reviews and the warranty, I decided to go test drive one with Mom. You know what? Not bad!

It's certainly not a luxury ride, but the ample head and leg room were great for us. The standard features include everything that I want except for heated seats (which can be added for $400 after market.)

I am having the dealer bring one up to Cleveland in the Alien Green color. If I like the color, I'm sold.

Breakfast/Lunch - 5 popovers.

Dinner - Spinach Salad. 1 cup tortellini with some sprinkled Parmesan.

June 3 - Land of the Lost

2009-06-03T07:37:00.003-04:00

Just feel like I'm wandering without a destination today.

Breakfast - pack of Trail Mix

Lunch - 2, yes 2, servings of sweet potato chips (hey, high fiber and all that...)

Late snack - split a Napoleon and a Cherry Bomb with Zak.

I've noticed that I haven't been eating the most healthy things over the last few days. Will correct that soon.

June 2 - Rain. Rain. Rain.

2009-06-02T07:37:00.003-04:00

I thought it was "April Showers". I've not ridden my scooter at all yet this year partially because it's always flippin' raining. Ugh. My skin is white and pasty. Would it be too much to ask for a little sun, please? And 80 degree weather?

Breakfast - 2 bagels w/cream cheese. Yes, two.

Lunch - Little more than 1/2 of the sweet/sour chicken shown.

Dinner - 1/2 meatloaf/cheddar sandwich and sweet potatoes from Boston Market.

Went to see UP with Mom (that's her in a terribly unflattering photo above). Loved the movie. No popcorn.

Weight History - May 2009

2009-06-01T22:38:00.001-04:00

Ugh. 2.2 lb increase. Even though I started the month at a light weight, I thought for sure I'd lose my needed 4 lbs.

1-May 185.4
2-May 186.8
3-May 186.2
4-May 185.2
5-May 186.6
6-May 188
7-May 187.8
8-May 187.6
9-May 186.6
10-May 186.8
11-May 187
12-May 186.8
13-May 187.2
14-May 186.2
15-May 184.2
16-May 186
17-May 184.2
18-May 185.2
19-May 187.2
20-May 183.5
21-May 181.6
22-May 182.2
23-May 184.8
24-May 186.8
25-May 186.8
26-May 185.6
27-May 185.2
28-May 186.3
29-May 185.8
30-May 186.8
31-May 187.6

June 1 - OK - NOW we're buckling down.

2009-06-01T07:19:00.002-04:00

May was a write-off month. I maintained weight for 4 weeks and even gained a couple of pounds. No big deal. But now it's time to buckle down and get serious again. I'm heading for somewhere between 175 and 180.

Lunch - Sweet Potato chips and the "Nick Wrap" from Gourmands. I should have had just the sweet potato chips. They were filling enough. I should have saved the wrap for dinner since I haven't been hungry for the rest of the day.

May 31 - And the Slide Continues...

2009-06-01T07:10:00.003-04:00

Breakfast - 2 egg cheese/onion omelet with toast.

Snack - KitKat.

Dinner - party with friends who are going on the cruise: pork medallions (must be something in the air. Everyone is serving them.) Salad. Cold potato salad. Absolutely a wonderful dinner.

Dessert - Vanilla ice cream w/a piece of strudel.

I figured May sucked as a month, so I might as well go out with a bang.

May 30 - Help! I can't Stop Eating!

2009-06-01T07:05:00.002-04:00

Lunch - Spinach salad (with spinach harvested from my garden)

Dinner - Black beans w/cheese.

Here's where the story goes wrong. I was invited to a party at 7pm. After being a slug all day, I decided to go. The food was fabulous and I had:

Party Food: 3 glasses of wine, a plate of food including a pasta salad, pork medallions, coleslaw. Then for dinner, ice cream over mini-brownies.

May 29 - Smaller Body. Smaller Car.

2009-05-29T07:15:00.003-04:00

I've leased a Malibu for the past 4 years. Nice car. Nice ride. Heated seats. Mom likes it.

However, the lease is almost up and I have to look for another car. Four years ago when I was looking I test drove a MINI Cooper. LOVED the way it handled and loved the way it flew. I was wary about the lack of physical space inside the car since I'm notorious for hauling around a lot of crap with me. In the end, I leased the Malibu.

I'm back to looking at the MINI. I think I'll take Mom for a test drive soon to see if it's too small for the two of us. It has heated seats which she'll love. And I'm thinking that if I have a smaller car, I'll be forced to haul around less stuff. (Yeah, right.)

Breakfast - Lunch - 2 bagels. w/cream cheese. Moo.

Dinner - Went to dinner with Michael, Mark & Brian. Bread. Plus Garlic bread. Penne pasta stuffed with ricotta in a alfredo sauce. (My heart started fluttering after eating the whole thing.)

Dessert - the four of us split this piece of vanilla walnut cake. It was OK, but not spectacular. So, we had to go get custard at East Coast. I had a small pecan somethingorother cone.

May 28 - Bugger

2009-05-28T08:38:00.003-04:00

I'm working from home a little before going in and just saw my pics of Popovers from the other day. I might have to whip up a batch before going in.

Breakfast - Popovers

Lunch - Spinach salad

Snack - Offered from a coworker: 2 madeline cookies

Late snack -4 ice cream bonbons.

Holy crap. I ate a lot of junk today.

May 27 - No Changes This Month

2009-05-27T06:45:00.003-04:00

I'm quickly coming to the realization that this month might be the first month where I haven't lost the 4 lbs I originally intended to lose each month. This morning's weigh in puts me at exactly the spot I started at on May 1st. Don't get me wrong - I'm thrilled with where I am now. I'd like to get to 180 just to say that "I did it", but I can do that over the next few months.

When Brad and I started talking diets in November, my goal was to be at 200 by the time I went on the cruise in July. I've already hit that goal. Actually, I've hit my goal weight for all of 2009 already - but now the trick is maintaining that weight.

Lunch - Sweet & Sour Chicken. Yes, all of it.

Snack - Snackwell cookies.

Dinner - Chicken Waldorf wrap and fruit. Yummy.

Dessert - Coffee and Russian Tea Cake from Truffles.

Yes, it was a big eating day.

May 26 - Back from a Long Weekend

2009-05-27T06:43:00.002-04:00

The long weekend is over. Picnic foods are behind us. Bob has flown back to NY. No reason to continue to eat like a horse.

Breakfast - Carrot Muffin

Dinner -2 slices of bread. Bowl of wedding soup. Slice of pizza.

Snack - 2 dehydrated pears.

May 25 - iPhone Death

2009-05-26T07:17:00.004-04:00

Bugger.

I dropped my iPhone in water Sunday evening and guess what? They don't like that very much.

At the moment it keep rebooting which I'm taking as a sign of its slow death.

Yesterday's pictures are in there. I might try to retrieve them later.

From what I remember:

Breakfast - 2 bagels. One with cream cheese. Einstein goodness.

Dinner - Spinach salad.

Get together with Friends - plate of assorted chips. 2 s'mores.

SCORE! I plugged in my phone and the pics came right out. The internal speaker part of the phone isn't working yet, but all is not lost.

May 24 - Playing Catch Up

2009-05-25T09:06:00.003-04:00

I'm so far behind in posting. The holiday weekend has us all over the place.

Lunch - 1/2 of this fabulous turkey/cheese/garlic mayo/potato salad sandwich. 1/2 of the fries

Snack - Cookie (I have a weakness for shortbread cookies. Especially ones that smile at me.)

Dinner - the other 1/2 of the sandwich.

May 22 - A Day Behind

2009-05-23T07:49:00.005-04:00

I'm writing Friday's post on Saturday. I've been doing "spring-y" things...you know, like catching up on laundry that's been piling up from 3 days of being sick and going to wakes and funerals. That sort of cheery stuff.

I'll post pics and log in the food later on today after the funeral. Because that's what I want to do on Memorial Day weekend -- go to a funeral.

I am putting in my will that will I go, I want to be cremated immediately - no viewing. Then, on a nice Fall day, everyone can get together and drink cider around a campfire, roast marshmallows, tell stories, etc. Then plant a tree in my memory, shove the ashes in the hole, and move on

Lunch - Mom and I split sandwiches at Panera. 2 different chicken sandwiches, we traded a half a sandwich so we could try them both. I ate the whole thing.

Snack - When Bob came in, we headed to Honey Hut and I had my first Butter Pecan of the season. THIS is a single scoop. (And this is why we're fat.)

Dinner - Leftovers from Stir Crazy the night before

Snack - a chocolate chunk cookie from Truffles.

May 21 - Great Way To Lose Weight! Stomach Flu! Drop 5lbs in 2 days!

2009-05-21T07:46:00.004-04:00

Seriously. If anyone wants me to lick them and give them the 'ick', just let me know. I've rapidly lost over 5lbs in 2 days.

The good news is that my belly is feeling much better today. Still a little churn-y, but hopefully I won't be doing as much bathroom reading today. (FWIW - I read a lot of How to Photograph Absolutely Everything over the last 2 days. I guess that's one way to get your reading in.)

Breakfast - Bagel and cream cheese from Panera. Oh, it feels good to eat again.

Dinner - 2 duck rolls and a bowl of goodness from Stir Crazy at Legacy Village.

May 20 - Thanks, Stomach Flu! - 50lbs gone

2009-05-20T06:38:00.006-04:00

The bad news: I still have this stomach flu and some nasty sweating going on.

The good news: I lost 4 lbs in a day -- I'm officially 50 lbs lighter than I was Dec 1st!

I'll take my Nutrisystem 50 lb goal bear, thank you. And go back to sleep.

Late Breakfast: I felt like I needed something, so I whipped up some popovers. Ate 3, then the other 3. This gave my belly LOTS to churn during the day.

Dinner: Tired of being perched on the john all day, I just had a little piece of carrot souffle from Giant Eagle.

May 19 - Gangway.

2009-05-19T06:59:00.002-04:00

I think yesterday's buffet is trying to work its way out of me. That would explain the horrific sounds coming from my belly at the moment.

UPDATE: As the morning went on, it became obvious that my upset stomach was part of a larger problem. I had the flu - slight chills, sweating, fatigue and a very unhappy GI tract.

After teaching a 1-hour class in the morning, I came home, emailed work to let them know I was not well, and slept on the couch all day.

I finally woke around 6pm ravenous. I made some quick sauce (onions, tomatoes, lot of garlic) and about 1.5 cups of dry pasta. I thought the spicy food would help me sweat this mess out. It did, but it also gave my belly more stuff to churn.

May 18 - It isn't Fair

2009-05-18T07:34:00.003-04:00

I thought for sure I'd drop just a little weight yesterday. I was less than a lb away from hitting my next milestone. Oh, well.

So, in my typical, "Screw it. If I can't lose it, I'll gain some" mentality, I ate like the metaphorical horse today.

Breakfast - Jan brought in an amazing spread for breakfast and invited me to partake. Thank you! It was delicious. (I should have skipped the second helping of cheese and crackers.)

Lunch - About 1/2 of the Honey-Garlic chicken platter. It was good, but it's just laying with me.

Snack - Found a few more damn Mary Janes left over from my birthday.

Dinner - Even though I wasn't really hungry, I opened a can of black beans mom got me from Aldi. At 59 cents a can, that's almost half of what I pay at Giant Eagle. Guess what? No big taste difference.

May 17 - Sunday

2009-05-18T07:19:00.002-04:00

Not much going on. Typical Sunday. After church/breakfast with Mom, went shopping with the intent of buying shoes for the cruise. Something comfy that I can walk miles in and yet are sorta-kinda dressy so that I can wear them with dressier or casual pants.

The winning shoes were a pair of Merrell World Passports found at Dick's Sporting Good on the clearance rack. Of course, they were the only shoes without a tag, and the saleskid told me that they really weren't on clearance. I asked for a box, "I'll take them anyway", and he told me they didn't have one. Responding to my, "I'm going to bitch-slap you if you say one more stupid thing" look, he gave me $15 off of the tag price.

I'm a big fan of Merrell shoes. With only one exception, they have all been immediately comfortable out of the box and these shoes feel like bedroom slippers. I like that I can throw some quick polish on them and they'll be ready for day trippin'. They're not the sleekest shoe, but I bought them for cruisin' and walkin'.

Breakfast - Perkins with Mom. Cheese and Onion omelet. 2 pieces wheat toast. hashbrowns.

Late Lunch -When I woke from a nap, Bob has made me a couple slices of pizza. Yumm.

May 16 - Wafflin'.

2009-05-17T07:26:00.002-04:00

You know how you get those cravings? I wanted popovers this morning, but the drugstore next to me was out of eggs. I bought a box of frozen Eggo waffles hoping that they would take the place of my sweet-carby popovers. Boy, did they ever!

I started out with 3 waffles in the morning (90 cals a piece.). At lunch, I had 3 more. Then, late night, I chowed the last 4 in the box! 10 waffles - 900 calories. No syrup - just a little butter and powdered sugar.

It wasn't the healthiest of choices, but it sure was tasty!

Breakfast. Coffee. Flaxoil Gel Tab. Waffles

Lunch - Waffles.

Dinner - Waffles (pic missing from camera)

May 15 - I'm "Normal"

2009-05-15T06:36:00.004-04:00

It took losing two more pounds to get to today's weight (184.2) to get my BMI to the "normal" range. According to the BMI charts, I am no longer "overweight" - I'm on the heavy side of normal.

I saw a nurse co-worker on Tuesday who hasn't seen me in months and she was a little alarmed by the weight loss. I told her the loss was intentional and that I had a few lbs to go. "No. Too much. You can't go by the BMI charts. You need to put on a few."

First of all, it's my body. I'll do with it what I choose. Secondly, if we need to re-examine what a healthy BMI is, then let's do it. Lastly, this is Ohio. We're used to seeing everyone on the plump side.

Breakfast - I was ravenous today. And since I was down to a new low weight, I let myself go crazy. 2 bagels (one with cream cheese) and a caramel latte from Panera.

More Breakfast - brought in for a meeting - 2 cups of fresh fruit w/2 yogurts. 2 pieces of dark chocolate.

Dinner - Spinach salad.

Evening - Apricot Russian Tea Cake from Truffles, with a very tired Jefferson in the background.

May 14 - Fast.

2009-05-15T06:34:00.002-04:00

It was time to fast a little and kick my body back into gear. I want to lose those last few pounds.

All I ate today was a salad, and you know what? I wasn't hungry.

Breakfast - coffee. flax oil gel tab.

Late Lunch - Spinach Salad.

May 13 - Hump Day

2009-05-14T07:24:00.004-04:00

Breakfast - Coffee.

Lunch - The other 1/2 of the chicken salad sandwich

Dinner - Pier W. 3 slices of a small, thin crust pizza. Cesear salad. On the way home, Russ wanted a candy bar and he got me one, too. Ugh.

May 12 - The Slide Continue

2009-05-13T06:58:00.001-04:00

Breakfast - Coffee. 2 cupcakes. (Flour, sugar, eggs - that's breakfast, right?)

Lunch - Spinach salad.

Snack - "Squirrel food" - 2 cheese sticks and crackers (thanks, APL!)

Dinner - 1/2 the chicken salad sandwich. All of the fries and coleslaw. (urp!)

May 11 - Ain't Doing So Good.

2009-05-11T07:45:00.003-04:00

It's almost the middle of the month and I haven't been dedicated to lose my monthly 4lbs. In fact, I'm up 2 since the start of the month. Definitely moving in the wrong direction. I'll start reeling in the eating today. Today. TODAY.

Update: Here's the perfect reason Snap It, Fatty works: I had no recollection that all I ate today was junk. At the end of the day, I was sure I had *something* of value ..but nope. Not really.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil

Lunch - Cupcake. La Vache Qui Rit (ate about 1/2 of the wheel with a bagel. Ate the rest over the course of the day)

Snack - another cupcake

Late Snack - I forgot to eat dinner, so I had 5 strawberries.

See? Mostly junk. Argh

May 10 - Mother's Day

2009-05-10T07:38:00.001-04:00

Mom wanted to check out appliances at Lowe's today. Her refrigerator is making ugly sounds; we think the compressor is shot. I figured I'd check out new ovens since mine is 50 years old (yes, really).

Why is it that the ovens I like are over $2,000? Do I really cook that much anymore to justify that cost?

Breakfast - At Johnny Mangos. Breakfast quesadilla with beans, scrambled eggs. I asked for only a small portions of potatoes and didn't eat the bread.

Lunch - Leftover pizza.

Dinner - None. However, as the night went on, there was a howling from the freezer from the ice cream bon bons that have been there since January. I had to eat them (and then eat some more) in order to silence them. The yellow stuff in the mixer is sugar, and the molded sugar skulls are in the final pic.

May 9 - I Eat A Pizza

2009-05-09T07:57:00.000-04:00

It was a busy Saturday and I sorta forgot to eat until 8pm when I got pretty hungry. For better or worse, there was a DiGiorno pizza in the freezer.

I ate 2/3 of it. According to the package, that should be my caloric intake for the day.

Thank you very much.

Breakfast -Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Dinner - 2/3 of a pizza.

May 8 - Back to Life. Back to Reality.

2009-05-08T09:46:00.002-04:00

I will probably spend most of the weekend cleaning up the photos from Wednesday's event. I will also try to detox a bit after a couple of weeks of big eating.

Breakfast - Coffee. Gel Tab.

Lunch - At One Walnut with a coworker. Bread, 1/2 of this lamb shank.

Snack - 3 dehydrated pears

Dinner - I forgot my phone! sorry! Jalepeno poppers, bean salad.

May 7 - Back from the Ball

2009-05-08T09:41:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was an amazing day. It hasn't quite sunk in yet how lucky I am.

Flight Home from NYC around 1:30pm to Chicago. Chicago to Cleveland.

Breakfast - Egg white, feta and onion omlete with coffee from Fluffy's on 55th

Snack - An apple. (trust me, I wanted a good New York bagel.)

Lunch/Dinner - Airport fare: yogurt, soy chips, low sugar cookie

May 6 - A big day.

2009-05-06T05:34:00.004-04:00

Yes, I am having a "big" day from all of the food I ate yesterday, but today is a big day because in about 2 hours, I'm flying to New York to be with my friend, Russell Trusso, whose jewelry is debuting at Bergdorf Goodman. I took the photos for this collection and I'm so thrilled to be documenting the day for him. Tonight's dinner is at the Four Seasons and I plan on eating well. Unfortunately, I don't think that I'm going to have much time to snack during the day.

I have been packing clothes and camera equipment for days. I can't fathom that today is the day.

Wish me well! I fly back tomorrow.

Update: With my "big day" came "big eating" although I was restrained compared to my abilities to pack it away.

Breakfast - a cheese and onion omelet, 2 slices of toast (didn't eat the hashbrowns) from a diner in Midtown.

Lunch - a delightful buffet at the Sherry-Netherland private club. On my plate: 2 duck pierogi, some celery slaw, carrot souffle. There was TONS more food, but I was being dainty. Dessert: 2 strawberries and a shortbread cookie

Dinner - at the Four Seasons Restaurant. There's a reason this place is a classic. The food was spectacular. Appetizer: Prosciutto and white asparagus. Entree: Crispy Duck. (ate about 1/2 of it.) Dessert: Choco-banana mousse.

May 5 - Happy Cinco De Mayo

2009-05-05T07:22:00.003-04:00

I'm sure everyone will be clamoring to go to Cozumel's for lunch today. I'm going to avoid the crowds and probably just nap. Got to bed late last night and woke up at 4am. I'm whooped!

Breakfast - Leftovers from Jan's "Little Bags of Ambush". 2 bags of fruit. 3 bags of cheese & crackers. 1 bag of chocolate covered raisins (no, I didn't eat them all at once sitting. That's what made it so dangerous. I just kept snacking. Ugh.)

Snack - A donut. Sure. Why not? It had sprinkles.

Lunch - See above. It was a non-stop food fest.

Dinner - Star Restaurant. Macadamia encrusted brie w/sweet pears. Wedge Cesear salad w/anchovy and mustard dressing

May 4 - A Note From Tucker Shaw

2009-05-04T07:02:00.005-04:00

Tucker Shaw is the man who inspired me to start Snap It, Fatty. His book, "Everything I Ate", is a photojournal of what Tucker consumed over a 1 year period. I took his idea an modified it into a way to lose weight.

The last time I wrote to Mr. Shaw, I had just started Snap It, Fatty, and I had shed my first 7 lbs. Tucker congratulated me on the journey in this email, but I had no idea he was following the blog.

I received this yesterday:

Hey Nick,

I just peeked at Snapitfatty and wanted to say congratulations. Fifty pounds! You are amazing! You are what, six months in now? Bravo, truly. What an inspiration. Way to go, brother. Makes me want to pick my camera back up and get rid of the ten pounds that settled onto my gut over the winter.

You know, I think one mark of genius is the ability to give real-life meaning to an abstract idea, and you've done that, emphatically. That makes you a genius. Congratulations.

Best to you, and I'll still be watching,

Tucker

Now, if that doesn't give me the incentive to shed these last 2 lbs to get to my 50lb goal...

Breakfast - Jan was hosting an APL food orgy. For a buck you could purchase all sorts of tasty sweets, but bless Jan - knowing that I was watching what I put in my gob, filled bags with fruit, veggies, cheeses and other healthy treats. I dropped $4 and ate heartily. (Uh, Jan - you could make this a monthly event/business. I'd gladly support your efforts!)

Lunch - Spinach Salad

Snack - 2 truffles that Bob had left over from Christmas. Meh, not a fan.

Dinner - Pier W for 1/2 of this Antipasto pizza and then the 3 sliders. MOO!

2009-05-03T07:23:00.004-04:00

Five months ago, I started Snap It, Fatty in an attempt to reel in my blossoming figure. In the past 150 days, I've lost nearly 50 lbs and have become much more healthy in the process. As a result, I thought it was time to update the profile picture.

Compare this to this color photo from November 2008. As my friend, Jan, pointed out - even my fingers were fat.

This mid-life crisis thing can be a powerful motivator if played correctly. Yes, I'm spending more money on clothes, scooters and all of those other toys. I'm taking up new hobbies with a renewed interest in learning. (I actually hope that this phase of "the crisis" never goes away. ) But this time in my life has also given me a new appreciation for a sense of self and the world around me.

Gotta enjoy it while its still here.

Breakfast - I FORGOT MY PHONE! First time in 5 months I left the house without it. I felt naked. Figuratively, that is. Anyway, went to Denny's with Mom and got the new Grand Slamwich.

Never again. Here's what I found out about it online: Total calories: 1,320. Fat grams: 89. Dietary fiber: 4 grams. Carbs: 72 grams.

And that doesn't count the hashbrowns that came with it. That's it. Game over. I'm done for the day.

May 2 - A Full Day Ahead

2009-05-02T08:02:00.003-04:00

Mowing the lawn. Making a Sugar Skull to give to a local shop owner to celebrate an open house. Going to the scooter shop to visit their open house. Pick Up Dry Cleaning. Seeing a show at 5pm. Going to an art gallery show after that. Possibly going to a burlesque show after that. And if I have time, figure out how to use the bracketing feature on my camera and learn HDR processing in Photoshop Elements.

Stay busy, fatties!

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab.

Snack - PEEPS! I didn't have any this Easter, and I found these on Clearance. Sweet Marshmallowy love.

Lunch - Leftover veal paprikash. Is there anything that the convection oven doesn't make taste better?

Dinner - Spinach Salad

Late Snack - 2 slices dehydrated pears.

May 1 - Hacked the Wrong Way

2009-05-01T07:20:00.003-04:00

Readers of this blog will recognize that on the last day of each month I tend to eat a little more. It's a little game that I play that raises my weight a bit for the first of the month, making my goal of losing 4lbs in a month a little easier. Call it what you will - a reward day, a hack day, a cheat day.

Yesterday was the last day of April and I didn't play the usual game. I only had a couple of salads the entire day; I just wasn't that hungry. This resulted in a 2 lb weight loss, meaning that this month I start at 185 lbs instead of 187, 188 or 189.

That means that by the month's end, I should lose 4 lbs which will then make me hit my "50 lbs lost" mark.

WARNING! A FULL DAY OF EATIN' AHEAD!

Breakfast - Came back from the dentist around 11:30am ravenous. Since I was still numb, I needed something filling and flavorful. So I made popovers. I intended to only eat 3, but the butter and powdered sugar were so tempting, I ate all 6.

Dinner - went to a Hungarian restaurant with Mark & Brian. I think I surprised them when I ate as much as they did. Bread with an amazing feta & onion dip. About 3/4 of the veal paprikash shown. A piece of chocolate torte.

Post-Dinner - What better to have after dessert than more dessert? Stopped at Truffles with the boys. Had some coffee and then ate the last bit of a Russian Tea Cake that Mark ordered.

1 person dead from Swine Flu in the US ...Meanwhile another 5,769 people have died from obesity in the past week.

2009-04-30T19:40:00.002-04:00

Maybe it's time to lay off the chalupas, folks.

C'mon, Fellow Fatties - We don't have to be statistics.

According to: Wrong Diagnosis

Deaths from Obesity: 300,000 premature deaths associated with obesity annually (CDC)

Death rate extrapolations for USA for Obesity: 300,000 per year, 25,000 per month, 5,769 per week, 821 per day, 34 per hour. Note: this automatic extrapolation calculation uses the deaths statistic: 300,000 premature deaths associated with obesity annually (CDC)

Most studies show an increase in mortality rate associated with obesity (BMI 30). Obese individuals have a 50-100 percent increased risk of death from all causes, compared with normal-weight individuals (BMI 20-25). Most of the increased risk is due to cardiovascular causes.

April 30 - 6.6 Down this Month

2009-04-30T07:25:00.005-04:00

And so ends another month. I lost 6.6 lbs, bringing me ever closer to that 180 lb goal. The top chart is total weight loss on SnapItFatty. The bottom chart is April's progress.

It just struck me - for years, no YEARS, I've dreamed about being 180 lbs again. At best, I would drop 5 - 8 lbs. I never thought that I'd get to this place again.

Here's the Breakdown:

April 30 - 187.2 lbs
April 29 - 187.8 lbs
April 26 - 186.8 lbs
April 27 - 189.2 lbs
April 24 - 187.8 lbs
April 23 - 188.2 lbs
April 22 - 186.2 lbs
April 21 - 184.6 lbs
April 20 - 186.8 lbs
April 19 - 187.0 lbs
April 18 - 188.4 lbs
April 17 - 188.6 lbs
April 16 - 188.2 lbs
April 15 - 189.4 lbs
April 14 - 188.6. lbs
April 13 - 189.6 lbs
April 12 - 189.2 lbs
April 11 - 188.8 lbs
April 10 - 186.0 lbs
April 9 - 188.8 lbs
April 8 - 190.8 lbs
April 7 - 191.2 lbs
April 6 - 189.4 lbs
April 5 - 190.8 lbs
Aprl 4 - 191.0 lbs
April 3 - 192.2 lbs
April 2 - 192.0 lbs
April 1 - 193.8 lbs

April 29 - Already?!

2009-04-29T07:07:00.002-04:00

Has another month slipped by?! Holy cow! Considering I've been losing 10lbs a month on average, I'm way behind the curve for April. That's OK. As of this morn, I'm holding at 6lbs down. With fewer than 10 lbs to go, I'm not sweating it.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab.

Lunch - Leftover meatloaf. Made in the Convection oven so that the potatoes and meatloaf got that wonderful "crusty" layer..yum.

Dinner - Spinach Salad.

Dessert - Jeff. No, not really. That's Jefferson handing me one of the most delicious Russian Tea Cakes I've had. I'm not sure why he felt compelled to bow before me like that. I guess I have that effect on people.

Taste - The chocolate cake a friend had me try. (I liked my Russian Tea Cake better).

April 28 - Must. Stop. Spending.

2009-04-28T06:56:00.005-04:00

Just like the over-indulgence with food this past weekend, I've been the same with spending. Chicago gave me an opportunity to buy a rolling camera bag at a great price. Did I really need one? No. I also bought a rolling garment bag. Again - did I really need it? No. Both pieces will make next week's excursion to NY so much easier.

I've also picked up new Avon (got to keep the skin looking good), memory cards for the camera, sync cables for the iPhone, and a host of other little bitty things.

Now that I'm back to cutting calories, maybe it's time to close the wallet as well.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil. Whatever.

NOM - Coconut Hershey's Kiss. Stupid Delicious. Keep the bag from me. (I only at 1)

Lunch - BLEH! Sweet and Sour Chicken Nugget Hell from "The Chinese Restaurant That Shall Not Be Named".

Dinner - about 1/4 of this delicious meatloaf from The Little Polish Diner in Parma, OH. Fab. 1 dinner roll.

April 28 - This is What I'm Talkin' About, Willis

2009-04-27T06:52:00.003-04:00

Saturday and Sunday I walked until I thought I was going to drop. I marched my carcass up and down the streets of Chicago until my shins begged for mercy, and then I walked some more. This morning, I still feel the lingering pains of shin splints for the walking, walking, walking over the last 48 hours.

And yet, when I jumped on the scale this morning, I'm up a couple of pounds. Why? Because, as in the past, I lulled myself into thinking that by "doing all of this extra exercise" I was going to magically burn off that second Auntie Anne's pretzel. That strolling through Nordstrom Rack was going to burn off that huge fritata from breakfast. That power walking Michigan Avenue would make that cookie disappear.

I used to make that mistake when I was teaching fitness classes -- after jumping up and down for an hour, I'd go out to eat a decent sized dinner, chips and a piece of cheesecake.

I have to be honest and say that restricting the number of calories I consume is my best defense. Fewer calories in equals a thinner me. You'll note that at no point have I starved myself - just chose to eat less.

It's back to beans and salads for the week, kids!

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Spinach Salad.

Dinner - Black Beans w/some cheese.

April 26 - Sunday in the City

2009-04-26T23:27:00.004-04:00

I adore Chicago. Got to find a way to get there more often.

Breakfast - At Nookie's with Tony. A Gruyere, mushroom and bacon fritata, wheat toast. Ate 2/3 of the fritata.

Late Dinner - Yogurt. Cheese plate from the airport.

Snack - I'm weak. I got Aunt Anne's pretzels. 2 of them. (But only ate 1.5 of them.)

April 25 - In the Windy City

2009-04-25T09:09:00.003-04:00

It's 8am and the sun is trying to peek out. There's rain forecasted, but I have a day of shopping in front of me. No scale in the bathroom, so I'll have to trust my intuition with food. Just because I'm out of town for the weekend doesn't give me permission to lose control.

Hotel coffee isn't the best. I'm going to hit the shower and then hit the streets.

Breakfast - Starbucks coffee (not a fave). Bagel. I don't know why Starbucks can't buy a GD $15 toaster and toast their bagels. They can make coffees that require a PhD, but when it comes to slicing a bagel and shoving it in a toaster, it stymies them.

Lunch - Slow roasted brisket sandwich. A few of the homemade chips. Ate a place called "Encore" next to the theater where Mary Poppins was playing. The cookie came with the check.

Dinner - who could eat after all of that? I had a banana.

April 24 - Good News Weekend

2009-04-24T06:50:00.003-04:00

GOOD NEWS: I found my sync cable for my iPhone. And I found the spare. After, of course, I bought two new ones online.

GOOD NEWS: I'm leaving for Chicago this weekend to see a friend in a show, enjoy some shopping and enjoy the Spring weather.

GOOD NEWS: Despite some off-track eating the last couple of days, I'm back down to the 187's.

GOOD NEWS: My passport came yesterday. I can officially go on my trip in July.

GOOD NEWS: The "look book" that I've been working on for Russell Trusso's induction into Bergdorf Goodman is back from the printer and its stunning.

I leave for Chicago after work today. I doubt there will be a scale in my hotel room.

Breafast: Coffee. Gel Tab. Fiber One Kibble. Rice Cakes

Lunch: 1/2 of the Spinach Salad shown. Delicious. (Warm Bacon Dressing)

Snack: Pretzels on the flight to Chicago

Dinner: Got to Chicago late. By 11:15pm, there wasn't much of anything open, so I hit a 7-11 and got some tuna/crackers and some pineapple. It was a better choice than the muffin I was going to get. The label said it was 630 calories!

April 23 - A Day Short

2009-04-24T06:46:00.003-04:00

Not sure why I didn't post this morning.

Breakfast - Caramel corn rice cakes and salted almonds. Breakfast of Champions.

Lunch - 2/3 of the chicken/veggies from Damons.

Snack - Mary Janes. Then some more Mary Janes.

Dinner - Late night spinach salad.

April 22 - Ooh. Mah Belleh.

2009-04-22T06:55:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure if it's from yesterday's Novocaine or from something else, but my belly is not happy this morning. Started yesterday afternoon and has been just "sour", "icky", and "upset".

I've misplaced my iPhone sync cable and can't get pics off of my phone. I'll update soon.

It was a day of big eating. Epic. Colossal.

Breakfast - Bagel with cream cheese. Real cream cheese

Lunch - 1/2 of this salad. Aside from the chicken and pita it was sorta "bleh."

Snack - 10 MaryJanes. I'll be happy when these things are gone.

Dinner - 3 shredded pork pierogies from Pier W. Spectacular. (I did not eat any of the tempura shrimp that Russ is trying to get me to eat.)

Snack - Coconut cake from Truffles.

April 21 - Do Not Attempt This at Home

2009-04-21T07:37:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I didn't eat nearly enough. It was a day of bland eating, so i just didn't want to eat. Now that I'm within a pound of reaching my 50 lb weight loss mark, I'm thinking of also eating lightly today -- just to reach that goal. Call me dumb or an overachiever. At that 50 lb weight loss mark, I will no longer be considered "overweight" by the weight charts and my BMI will be at the high-end of normal. Yes, even after a 50lb weight loss, I'll only be barely "healthy".

Breakfast: Coffee. Gel Tab combo

Lunch: Black beans and cheese.

Dinner: WildFire Salad and 2 dinner rolls with honey from Bob Evans.

April 20 - Rainy Days and Mondays

2009-04-20T06:59:00.003-04:00

Well, at least the weekend was sunny.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab. Rice cakes (yes, rice cakes.)

Lunch - A fairly tasteless salad wrap from a work cafeteria.

Dinner - 2 crab ragoons leftover from Bob's dinner. Left sort of a "bleh" taste in my mouth and didn't really feel the need to eat after that.

April 19 - Woot! No Church!

2009-04-19T08:21:00.003-04:00

Mom called this morn. Her belly is a little grumbly, so we're skipping church. That means Bob and I have the day to ourselves. We're heading to Lyndhurst in a bit to go see Eggshelland. We caught the documentary last night, and now we want to go check it out for ourselves.

Breakfast - Cheese/Onion/Pepper Omelet. Toast. Forkful of homefries.

Dinner - Leftover tofu roll.

April 18 - Ooops

2009-04-19T08:16:00.003-04:00

I'm really writing this Sunday Morning. Yesterday was chocked full of excitement. OK, not really. I spent the better part of the day creating a "Hackintosh" - a Dell Mini 9 netbook that now runs the Mac OSX. Yeah, I'm crazy like that.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Bean and Cheese Quesadilla

Dinner - Spinach Salad Wrap

Late Snack - Tofu Roll with Peanut Sauce.

I Lied on my New Driver's License

2009-04-17T16:05:00.002-04:00

Let him without sin cast the first bagel.

I lied on my new driver's license. I said I was 185 when I'm really 188.6 as of today. It's better than my last license when I claimed I was 200 and I was actually 217.

I don't like this new picture. I look like "Powder". The old license is on the top. New one on the bottom. Thoughts?

April 17 - New Clothes

2009-04-17T06:52:00.004-04:00

A quick scan of my wardrobe proved that I no longer have anything that fits me. In a good way. Dress pants are huge and have been cinched with belts that I've had to add extra holes. Dress shirts balloon across my mid-section. Knowing I was going to have to look sharp for Russ' event in a few weeks, I went to Macys for their suit sale.

I can't tell you the last time I purchased a suit. There is something wonderful about going through the tailoring process; making sure that the sleeves break correctly, getting the pants hemmed to the matched length of the shoe.

Macys in-house designer brand is Alfani. I found a suit in the Alfani Red line - their fitted clothing line. At first I was hesitant to have anything too fitted because I still consider myself to be big. But after slipping on the jacket (2 sizes smaller than I previously wore due to my belly), I was happy with the new silhouette. Overall, I am fairly pleased with the brand. I picked up a $700 for about $240.

Breakfast - Panera Bagel w/cream cheese. About 450 calories! Yikes!

Lunch - Spinach Salad

Dinner - Tofu Roll. 1/3 bowl of Cinnamon Beef Soup

April 16 - Full Dance Card

2009-04-16T06:56:00.003-04:00

My "To Do" list is packed. Between going to Chicago next weekend, Russ' show at Bergdorf Goodman's in 3 weeks, vacation and all of the projects for work (which are now somewhere around a dozen), I'm swamped. I'm usually pretty good at keeping everything organized, but today I'm a little overwhelmed.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil

Snack - Bag of caramel rice cakes

Lunch - One big-ass salad wrap from Gourmands. Yes, this is the one with walnuts, cranberries, ham, bacon and other goodies. Grilled. Yum. However, it totally ruined my appetite for the rest of the day.

April 15 - Carb Much?

2009-04-15T07:04:00.004-04:00

Wow. Looking over yesterday's food, I guess I was on a bit of a carb fest. Popovers, tortilla, pizza...

It's all good. I've done Atkins and while it made me drop weight, I never felt satisfied. I felt deprived of my beloved carbs. Snap It, Fatty is about being aware of what you're eating, not labeling foods as "bad". I can see from yesterday's foods that I didn't have my usual amount of veggies and today I feel it.

I'll fix that today.

Breakfast - Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab.

Lunch - Spinach Salad.

Dinner - I knew I'd be going out with Russ for dinner, so I ate lightly today. Dinner was a fabulous Salmon, Bacon and Tomato sandwich with a couple potato briolettes. Delicious.

April 14 - I Should Be Walking

2009-04-14T06:58:00.003-04:00

My morning routine involves rolling out of bed, weighing in, grabbing coffee and then sitting online for an hour or so while I catch up on news, new iPhone applications, update blogs, check my to-do list for the day, etc.

With the weather getting better out there, I need to start squeezing in a walk in the morning. I wonder if there's an iPhone app that will read my news to me?

Breakfast - 5 Popovers. Yes, 5. Oink! 1 egg, 1 cup milk. 1 cup flour. Vanilla. That's it.

Lunch - Bean and Cheese quesadila

Dinner - Wedding soup. Slice of pizza. Roll.

April 13 - The Importance of Weighing In Every Day

2009-04-13T06:57:00.004-04:00

I've gained a little over 4 lbs over the weekend. I expected it: fish fries, restaurant eating and holiday food fests will definitely pack on the weight.

I don't care.

I expected it. I planned for it. Today, I will begin damage control.

The morning weigh-in is part of my habit. It's not necessarily something I look forward to, but it helps me gauge my work -- am I on track? loosing too quickly? gaining too rapidly? Without the scale, I don't have a tool to gauge my work. When you build a wall, you have to frequently use a level to make sure that your work is on track. Why would anyone shy away from a scale?

I was not looking forward to this morning's climb onto the scale. I was hoping that I could minimize yesterday's impact and stay at 190.8 or below. Happy day - I was at 189.6. The scale told me - I have a guideline for the day - back to work.

Breakfast - Fiber One. Coffee. Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Spinach Salad.

Dinner - Black bean and cheese quesadilla.

April 12 - The Last Breakfast

2009-04-12T07:51:00.006-04:00

Today I will be taking Mom, Bob, my brother and his family to brunch at Pickwick & Frolic for their Easter Brunch. We went last year and it was delightful.

However, I woke up this morn with the most atrocious stomach cramps. I wondered if it was a kidney stone like I had several years ago, but I didn't have the urgency to pee. It could just be all of the junk from the past 2 days backing up in my body. (How pleasant, I know.) It's been an hour, and the pain as passed.

WARNING: MONDO CHOW DAY!

First Stop: Pickwick & Frolic for Easter Brunch. Omelet with Havarti cheese, onion and peppers. A piece of sausage and a piece of ham. Round 2: A little piece of Waffle, some pasta/cheese mess, a little bread pudding, and a piece of beef that was too rare even for my tastes (so I didn't eat it.)

This was all of the stuff I ate at Bob's sister's place later in the afternoon: M&M's (Thanks, Easter Bunny! BOK! BOK!), peanuts, some cheese, Ritz crackers with crab dip, sweet potatoes with walnuts, cranberry bread, jello jigglers and a piece of date nut birthday cake.

I surrender.

April 11 - The One That Didn't Get Away

2009-04-11T06:27:00.005-04:00

Last night's Fish Fry packed on over 2.5 lbs. Yes, I ate 2 pieces of deep fried fish, coleslaw and french fries. Yes, it feels like the two pieces of fish have re-animated in my belly and are now fighting to get out. But if Good Friday is about sacrifices, then I feel like I've done my part.

Breakfast - Bean and Cheese quesadilla (hey, there were leftover beans from yesterday)

Dinner - Tofu and veggies from the Asian Grille on Clifton.

Snack - Strawberry iced cookie from Truffles.

April 10 - Classic

2009-04-10T07:17:00.003-04:00

In what's become a classic strategy for my body, after I overeat for a day, my body's metabolism kicks in high gear and sheds weight. I guess I needed those 15 Mary Janes and the trough of tomato/onion sauce for my body to work overtime.

The scale this morn says I lost 2.8 lbs since yesterday. Now, you and I know that's a lie. You can't just drop 3 lbs overnight. Either the scale is off, or I lost a bunch of water weight, or there's an old Indian man who placed the "Thinner" curse on me.

Breakfast - Bagel/creamcheese & Fiber One Cereal.

Lunch - Black bean and cheese quesadilla

Dinner - Fish Fry and dinner biscuit. Yes, I ate the whole thing. Big mistake.

April 9 - Ooh. I gotta pee.

2009-04-09T08:02:00.004-04:00

One thing about this change in the way that I eat - I drink a lot more water than I used to. OK, it's flavored carbonated water, but it's Zero-calorie "Fruit Refreshment". Anyway, I'm downing about 60 oz of water a day plus a couple cups of coffee in the morning.

I pee all day long. I know this is supposed to be healthy, but frankly it's getting annoying. I can't sit through a 2 hour meeting without squirming. It's 8:05am, and I've already hit the bathroom 3 times.

Breakfast - 1/2 cup of Fiber One Cereal. Coffee. Flax Oil Tab.

Lunch - Sweet Potato. Yeah. That was it. I wasn't that hungry.

Dinner - Still not hungry. Small salad.

April 8 - Hurry Up and Wait

2009-04-08T08:32:00.003-04:00

I'm at work waiting on a new physician to show up. He was scheduled for training 2 minutes ago, but either can't find this place or is running late. I had to pick up my friend and his kid this morn, but he called and asked if I could get there 10 minutes earlier than I had planned. I ran out of the door without grabbing cereal and I'm a little hungry this morn.

Tonight, Russ & I are going out to celebrate our birthdays.

Lunch - Spinach Salad.

Snack - The very last 7 seed RainCrisp crackers

Dinner - 4 pieces of the Tempura shrimp. One slice of Russ' Antipasto pizza (all from Pier W)