So Far, So Good…
Well it's been almost a week since I started trying to get back on track, and so far, so good.
I haven't worked my way back to my workout routine yet, however, I did manage to run a 30 min 5k on both Saturday and Sunday, and my calories and food intake are finally starting to shape up... 
It can be hard due to client lunches and work events to eat healthy, but I have managed. For example, today I was invited by a client to grab some Mexican food. Instead of ordering a greasy fried WHATEVER, I got a chicken taco salad, no sour cream - and I didn't eat the shell. I even skipped the chips they brought to the table. Now THAT'S a challenge!
It's getting easier to stay on track again, so I think I can say that I worked through my little "fall off the wagon" and am now ready to get back into routine.
I know I say this frequently, but THANK YOU to all who helped motivate me and get through all this. I was feeling pretty down, and my Fitness Friends helped to pick me back up again.
Thanks for being there for ME. Now it's time I get back out there and start motivating others again!
With Each Days “Chip” Comes a Victory…
I know, I know, you have heard the old saying before: "Take things a day at a time!" It sounds like such common sense, but in the minds of we "Biggest Losers", it can be easy to forget - especially when we are all at different points of our journeys.
For me, I am not trying to "lose" the weight as much as "maintain" from my 80lb loss. There is no "before & after" people, only "then & now". It's a life style, and you can't stop when you reach your goal - but don't let that discourage you. It's worth it.
Now back to it (man I go on tangents!)...
One common scenario is when I end up eating something I either didn't really want to eat, or didn't plan on eating. Since I count calories, it's very important to me to keep on track throughout my day, especially considering there are many nights that the wife and I make dinner "on the fly". (Speaking of which, she made some AMAZING Guacamole Chicken the other night - more on that in another post!) I tend to sometimes look at my day at that point and think "Well there goes today!" and will then tend to snack more just because I feel I have already somehow ruined my day - which simply isn't the case. I could eat a smaller dinner, or - guess what - even workout and burn some of those extra calories away! Duh!
My point is - in order to succeed on our respective missions, we need to take each little thing we do to help ourselves towards our goals and be proud of them. We can't let each little bump in the road halt our progress. I finally took my own advice last week, and low-and-behold, look what my new attitude has given me in return:
TA-DA!
My first #7daychip in a long time! I am so happy, and very proud to be part of such an amazing group of individuals, all striving towards the same goal!
WHAT??!?!? You have never heard of the #7daychip? FTW?! Here are some basic "guidelines" that you will need to understand before trying for it:
- No longer can I eat without thinking.
- No longer can I eat to comfort myself.
- No longer can I eat to abuse myself.
- No longer can I eat because I don’t feel good about myself.
- No longer can I eat for stimulation.
You can find all the information you need right here on Brad Gansberg's site. Be sure to tell him Miller sent you!
PS. Today is my Day 11 - how are YOU doing?
Portion Control Tip: Hit Your Plates with a Shrink Ray
I tried to stop him. Really I did. But he wouldn't listen. Now he is sitting here right next to me while I type this. He is being an asshole nice guy as usual. He is none other than Fat Miller. You asked for him to be a bigger part of the blog, so I hope this is what you wanted. Oh God does he stink too. Christ. It's as if he doesn't bathe because he is too fat to care. Oops. Now I sound like an asshole too. Let's just get this over with...
So I had such an amazing response from my first "In the Kitchen with Fat Miller" post that I thought I should do another. I envision doing more of them if you like them, because the majority of the battles we fight with our weight issues take place in the kitchen.
<FatMiller>
I personally give my fridge a dirty look each time I walk by it. It pisses me off. F*ck him (or her - I'm equal opportunity) for having such tastiness held within it's icy cold four walls!
</FatMiller>
Can I finish? Jesus. Anyway...
I LOVE SPAGHETTI. There I said it. Loudly. The only thing I like more than spaghetti is A LOT of spaghetti. Yeah. I know. Crazy. The problem here is simple: When I eat, I want to EAT. As I said before, 70% of your battle against your weight is mental. Damn you mind games! So I thought to myself... how can I play mind games on myself to fool myself into eating healthier. (That's too many myself's but whatever).
Then it came to me - I need to make my plates LOOK more full. Sound crazy? It most certainly is is not.
Both plates have the SAME amount of food on them. Honest.
So here is the deal. You can see two plates above. Each has 2 cups of cooked pasta, and a piece of bread placed on it. The SAME piece of bread. And it was yummy. Hell yeah I ate it. Geez. Anyway - I think you can see pretty clearly what I have effectively done. I have magically changed a 1/2 full plate of spaghetti into a full plate of spaghetti! Viola!
<FatMiller>
I mean, I know it's not feeding millions with like, 3 loaves of bread, but come on people, work with me...
</FatMiller>
And again, I am sorry. He is a monster.
The point of this post (if there is one) is to remind you to be mindful of the size of the plates and bowls you are consuming your food from. No one wants to eat a 1/2 plate of pasta or a 1/3 bowl of cereal. But - who would turn down a full plate or full bowl of either? Not this guy.
Enjoy.
Healthy 100 Calorie Snacks: Fact or Fiction?
Don't let the silly title to this post fool you, of COURSE there are 100 calorie snacks out there! That's not the issue for me at all...
The problem I have is two fold:
1. I tend to think they are healthy for me to eat just because they are only 100 calories
2. I have a hard time eating just ONE.
Let's look at #1 for a second. Be careful when choosing your 100 calorie snacks! Some of them are extremely high in fat and sodium - YUCK! So make sure you check the rest of the label and know what you are eating. On to #2 - eating just ONE. I don't know about YOU, but it's hard for me to eat just ONE 100 calorie brownie. I always try to justify it: "well two of them is ONLY 200 calories!"... Yeah - totally NOT the point of the 100 calorie snack.
So the next time you reach for YOUR favorite 100 calorie snack, check the label, and eat just ONE. Together we can all be as healthy as we want... :)
Which Came First: Depression or Eating?
I would love to say that I never feel depressed. Honest. I would love to say that I always am in a stellar mood and always have things "figured out". I don't. I have a great wife, an awesome daughter, a steady job, and roof over my head. Most people would say that I have all that is needed to feel happy in life. Yet sometimes I still feel depressed.
Usually when I am depressed I eat. Then I get more depressed. This got me thinking, which came first in this sick game of "Weight-gain Roulette"? Did I used to be depressed and then binge eat? Or, do I get depressed due to binge eating? Argh...
The thought of it alone makes me mad. I am better than this.
I did awesome today, in fact (if I do say so myself!). I am still 872 calories under my intake for the day, and burnt off 250 of those this morning lifting at the gym. All in all a good day.
Now to just manage to get to bed without eating anything else... :)
PS. All the feedback & support from everyone via the blog and Twitter have been a huge help! It's nice to know I am NOT alone in this fight, and that maintaining the weight is hard for everyone, not just me. Thank you all SO much. It means everything. You keep me honest, and for that, I owe all of you a huge THANK YOU!
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