Weigh-In Week 24 & 25

Well, we've been falling down on the blogging lately... Fortunately, we've been sticking to the eating plan well enough, with a few exceptions for family gatherings. The exercise plan... yeah, that one's still under construction... :) Here's how the last couple of weeks went:

Weigh-In Week Twenty-Four [6/13-6/19]
Jay: 331.0 (-1.5 pounds [40.5 overall])
Dee: 211 (-0.5 pounds [20.5 overall])

Weigh-In Week Twenty-Five [6/20-6/26]
Jay: 328.5 (-2.5 pounds [-43 overall])
Dee: 209.5 (-1.5 pounds [-22 overall])

Rock it!
--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 23

Well, we've just come off a week with a couple of days celebrating anniversaries and things like that, which involved a few meals out, movies with popcorn and all sorts of fun things... :) We've learned that it's okay to splurge every now and then, as long as we come right back to the plan! Here's how we went (or didn't go, ha ha) for the week:

Weigh-In Week Twenty-Three
Jay: 332.5 (no change [-39.0 overall])
Dee: 211.5 (-0.5 pounds [-20.0 overall])

We shall kick it back into gear for next week...

--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 22

We're still plowing along nicely, whipping some calories into submission... No exercise to speak of again this week. Hopefully, once we clear a couple of events that we've had coming up, we'll find time to hop back on the exercise bandwagon... :)

Weigh-In Week Twenty-Two:
Jay: 332.5 (-4.0 pounds [-39.0 overall])
Dee: 212.0 (-1.0 pounds [-19.5 overall])

We have a theatre picnic to attend today, but we're not planning to go too far outside the box. They usually provide veggie burgers and a nice array of veggie and fruit options.

Bring it!
--Jay :)

The Amazing Shrinking Feet

Ah, back to the online world after a laptop format & reinstall... ugh...

Anyway, Dee made a fascinating discovery today when she went to squeeze on some shoes that were always on the tight side, and now they're falling off her feet! It's funny to think of all the places that the weight comes off of you. :)

--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 21

I must apologize for all the silence on the blog lately... My poor laptop finally caught one of those malware bugs that just won't quit! I've had great success in taming them in the past, but alas... no more. So I've reordered the restore CDs from Dell and shall give 'er a wipe soon enough. It's behaving remarkably well this morning though, so I figure I'll get on here and roll out an update. :)

Weigh-In Week Twenty-One:
Jay: 336.5 (-3.5 pounds [-35.0 overall])
Dee: 213.0 (-3.0 pounds [-18.5 overall])

No real exercise to speak of again this week, but we're hoping to get back on that horse again soon. The next two weeks will be a little hectic, as I'm planning to cram five days worth of hours into four days worth of work, in order to take off the next two Sundays.

Roll on!
--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 20

Looking back, it has been a bit of a quiet week here on the blog. If only in real life... :)

This past week was the closing of our theatre production, including tearing down the set after the last performance. There was no structured exercise to speak of for the week, other than a bit of lifting and carrying things up a flight of stairs to our group's warehouse. We did manage to eat well all week, including at the pizza party after the set strike, where we rocked the salad bar.

Here's how we rolled:

Weigh-In Week Twenty:
Jay: 340.0 (-2.0 pounds [-31.5 overall])
Dee: 216.0 (-2.0 pounds [-15.5 overall])

I think my results last week were partially due to not being as hydrated as normal, and I tried to compensate for that this week.

Rock it!
--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 19

It's turned out to be an excellent week! Usually, "play" weekends turn horribly wrong, because Dee and I used to think we were forced to grab fast-food and eat at odd times of the day to accommodate a show schedule. This time, we packed all our healthy meals and things into a cooler... heck, I even packed some salad veggies with a knife and cutting board! I was quite the chef sitting there on my hotel bed, using an armchair for a stable surface! :)

Here's how it went down:

Weigh-In Week Nineteen:
Jay: 342.0 (-6.5 pounds [-29.5 overall])
Dee: 218.0 (-3.5 pounds [-13.5 overall])

Lovin' it!
--Jay :)

Back to the jungle...

Well, Dee & I had another "jungle" moment this weekend (see previous post "It's a jungle out there..." if you haven't already). In packing for our weekend away from home, I mistakenly grabbed a container of minestrone instead of chili, leading to some holes in the meal plan. Fortunately, we were again saved by the chili at Wendy's, which we've found to be a fairly healthy alternative in the fast-food realm. It's nice to know that a few small goof-ups won't derail your whole plan.

--Jay :)

Exercise Update: Week 19

Not a whole lot to report this week... We opened our theatre production this past Friday, which always puts a bit of a damper on plans to do much of anything else. :)

Sunday 5/9 (day off - Mothers Day)
8:45 am - Dee did 1 mile on the Gazelle at Level 1 (13 minutes)
9:05 am - Jay did 0.5 mile on the Gazelle at Level 1 (10m 15s)
9:05 am - Dee did Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" (22 minutes)

Monday 5/10 (work day)
Dee walked/jogged about 1 mile with one of her "nanny" children

Tuesday 5/11 (work day)
8:15 am - Dee did 1 mile on the Gazelle at Level 1 (13 minutes)
8:35 am - Jay did 0.5 mile on the Gazelle at Level 1 (9 minutes)
8:35 am - Dee did Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" (22 minutes)

Wednesday 5/12 (work day)
7:50 am - Dee did Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" (22 minutes)

Thursday 5/13 (work day)
morning - Dee did Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" (22 minutes)

Friday 5/14 (day off)
no exercise due to theatre performance

Saturday 5/15 (day off)
no exercise due to theatre performance

I did splurge a bit on the Mothers Day dinner gathering, but made up for it by cutting small things like pudding for dessert throughout the week. :) We also did very well at remembering to pack our food while away from home for the weekend for the theatre stuff.

We won't be able to weigh in until tomorrow (Monday) morning for this week, so we shall see what we have in the morning!

Woo hoo!
--Jay :)

Minestrone Fail?!

Being pressed for time Tuesday evening, I tossed together a batch of Chicken Chili AND Minestrone within a very short time, and I was feeling pretty good about myself... until we cracked our Minestrone for lunch of Wednesday to find... no rotini. Oops!!! :)

Oh well, we still had the chickpeas in there and I didn't really miss them that much, plus we ended up saving about 30 calories per serving. But I think I'll try extra-hard to remember to put them in there next time.

Live and learn...
--Jay :)

It's a jungle out there...

Dee & I had a slight brain malfunction yesterday... We were right on schedule, with all food packed and ready to go for work... only to find that upon getting to work, our "dinner" bag was still sitting on the counter at home! No Chicken Chili?! No pudding and fiber bars for dessert?! What were we to do?!?!

Fortunately, our friend the internet, along with the good folks at Calorie King, led us to an alternative, and we were able to find a healthy fast-food option. So, we ended up with a plain baked potato from Wendy's, and we split a small chili.

Upon returning home to the calorie counting spreadsheet, we actually came up short for the day! Further proof that healthy options can be found while eating out, but we wouldn't want to rely solely on fast-food, as the potato & chili didn't exactly keep us as full as our normal fare.

Oh well, it's good to know we didn't mess up our whole plan! :)

--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 18

Well, it's a bit of an up-and-down week. Dee is, without being too blunt, at that point in the month where it's difficult to show any weight loss, even though she worked her bum off all week! I'm sure it will all come around and show nicely next week... :)

Weigh-In Week Eighteen:
Jay: 348.5 (-4.5 pounds [-23.0 overall])
Dee: 221.5 (+0.5 pounds [-10.0 overall])

We're having a Mother's Day dinner with the fam this evening, and have already selected what we'll be eating... the menu involves bbq ribs & chicken, rice, and sauteed broccoli, among other things. We've each decided to opt for one breast piece without skin, 1/2 cup of rice, and a nice big serving of broccoli, passing on any extras and dessert options. :)

Good times!
--Jay :)

Exercise Update: Week 18

The end of another productive week of exercise, most of which was indoors due to the existence of those evil yellow flies (see previous post). Here's how we rolled:

Sunday 5/2 [took the day off from work]
9:00 am - J & D walked about 1/10 mile before "yellow fly" attack!
9:30 am - Dee did 12 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 2 (0.4 miles)
4:00 pm - Core Rhythms "Full Workout" - J did 15 min., D did the whole 38 min.

Monday 5/3 [work day]
8:20 am - Dee did 15 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 2 (0.5 miles)
8:45 am - Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" - J did 5 min., D did the whole 22 min.

Tuesday 5/4 [work day]
8:00 am - Dee did 15 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 2 (0.5 miles)
8:25 am - Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" - J did 8 min., D did the whole 22 min.

Wednesday 5/5 [work day]
morning - Dee did 15 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 2 (0.5 miles)
morning - Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" - Dee did the whole 22 minute workout

Thursday 5/6 [work day]
morning - Dee did 15 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 2 (0.5 miles)
morning - Jay did 12 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 1 (0.7 miles)
morning - Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" - Dee did the whole 22 minute workout

Friday 5/7 [day off]
10:30 am - Dee did 20m30s on the Gazelle at Level 1 (1.5 miles)
11:00 am - Jay did 10m20s on the Gazelle at Level 1 (0.7 miles)
11:00 am - Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" - Dee did the whole 22 minute workout

Saturday 5/8 [day off]
9:15 am - Dee did 20 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 1 (1.5 miles)
9:50 am - Jay did 16 minutes on the Gazelle at Level 1 (1.0 miles)
9:50 am - Core Rhythms "Quick Workout" - Dee did the whole 22 minute workout

We're headed to host the entertainment at a sort of cast-type party this evening, and won't get in much more exercise than hauling some audio equipment, but Dee hit up every day this week, and I got in on at least a little bit for 6 out of 7 days. Not too shabby!

--Jay :)

No Flies Allowed!

Last Sunday, our morning walk was cut short by a routine summer visitor... the dreaded yellow fly!

"Yellow fly?" I hear some folks asking... "What's a... yellow fly?" Dee wondered the same thing when she moved here, and I had always assumed that these beasts tormented the entire nation. Apparently, not true.



Ah, there he is... vicious little bugger. I decided to read up on them, and discovered that they seem to be localized to the swampy, marshy East Coast area. This past Sunday morning had been a perfect morning for them... weather starting to turn warm, but mostly overcast and not much wind. Plus, our walking path happens to be near a whole lot of trees, which is where these pesky flies like to hang. And once a group of these guys finds you, they won't leave you alone until they've bitten you thoroughly.

Anyway, long story short... after being mercilessly tormented by a swarm of these beasts, we've moved our workouts inside for this week... and perhaps longer. We'll see if that makes any apparent difference in our grand plan here, but I think we'll both be okay. We've been rocking on the Gazelle with a little Core Rhythms thrown in for good measure. We shall see on Sunday morning how we've done for the week!

Watch out for those yellow flies!
--Jay :)

Recipe: Chicken Posole

Inspired by a dish that a co-worker brought to an office party, and our love for hominy... it's the perfect solution! :) Check keyword "recipes" for all our recipes...

Chicken Posole
~Makes 8 servings, 1.5 cups each



Ingredients:
1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
3 cans (14.5 oz each) hominy
4 medium carrots, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp. oregano (or blended Italian seasoning)
dried minced onion
garlic powder
black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. salt

1) Place broth, hominy, carrots, bell pepper, and spices in a large pot and get boiling!
2) Grill chicken until cooked through, and dice.
3) Add chicken to soup pot and simmer together 10-15 minutes.

Quick and easy!

Nutition Information (per 1.5 cup serving)
Calories: 182
Fat: 2
Fiber: 6.5
Protein: 16

Yum-o!
--Jay :)

Recipe: Veggie Minestrone

Here's a quick minestrone that I put together to break up those chicken noodle soup blues... :) Click keyword "recipes" to see all our recipes!

Veggie Minestrone
~Makes 8 servings, 1.25 cups each



Ingredients:
2 cans (15.5 oz each) Garbanzo beans
1 cup dry rotini pasta
1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) green beans
1 large handful fresh spinach, rough chopped
4 medium carrots, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
dried, minced onion (or substitute fresh onion)
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Italian Medley seasoning

1) Place broth, tomato sauce, Garbanzo beans, green beans, carrots, bell pepper, spinach, minced onion, and seasoning in large pot and get boiling!
2) Once boiling, add pasta, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Quick and easy!

Nutrition Facts (per 1.25 cup serving):
Calories: 187
Fat: 1.5
Fiber: 9.5
Protein: 9

Dig it!
--Jay :)

Recipe: Chicken Barley Soup

This is a slight variation on the chicken noodle recipe... Remember: keyword "recipes" to see all our recipes all together...

Chicken Barley Soup
~Makes 8 servings, 1.25 cups each



Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
3 cups water
4 medium carrots, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 cup barley, quick cooking
1 big handful fresh spinach, rough chopped
dried, minced onion (or substitute fresh onion)
salt (we use a lower sodium variety)

1) Place broth, water, carrots, bell pepper, and spinach in large pot and get boiling!
2) Grill chicken until cooked.
3) Dice chicken and add to soup pot.
4) Add barley and minced onion to soup pot. Add salt to taste.
5) Simmer for 10-15 minutes until barley is cooked.

Yum yum!

Nutrition Facts (per 1.25 cup serving):
Calories: 163
Fat: 1
Fiber: 3.5
Protein: 19.5

--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 17

Ah, the end of another productive week... after surviving set build (which is usually a time of "grab whatever you can" for meals, such as pizza and doughnuts) and still managing to eat healthy! Here we be...

Weigh-In Week Seventeen:
Jay: 353.0 (-4.0 pounds [-18.5 overall])
Dee: 221.0 (-2.0 pounds [-10.5 overall])

The funny thing is... we've lost HALF our total weight loss, just within the past two weeks, since we started the ol' "count your calories" routine again. We found that's what worked best for us last time too, so we're sticking to it for now!

Bring it!
--Jay :)

Exercise Update: Week 17

Just wrapped a weekend of helping build and paint the set for the latest theatre production... A little light on exercise this week, but we worked our tails off at the build. :)

Sunday 4/25 [took the day off]
8:55 am - 1 mile walk (both of us & Jay's mom, about 21 minutes)
2:30 pm - Dee did 20 minutes at Level 2 on the Gazelle
4:55 pm - 1 mile walk (both of us, 16m 45s)

Monday 4/26 [work day]
Dee walked 1 mile with the kids she nannies for :)

Tuesday 4/27 [work day]
9:00 am-ish - 1 mile walk (both of us, 18m 15s)

Wednesday 4/28 [work day]
8:30 am - 1 mile walk (both of us & Jay's mom, 20m 23s)
Dee took a looooong bike ride with the kids she nannies for :)

Thursday 4/29 [work day]
Dee did 20 minutes at Level 2 on the Gazelle

Friday 4/30 [day off]
Walked up & down flight of stairs a few times for set build!

Saturday 5/1 [day off]
Spent the day lifting flats, bending and painting, etc.

Lookin' good... lookin' good...
--Jay :)

That's a wrap...

Dee & I crafted a nifty little lunch wrap for ourselves today... We had picked up these wheat wraps at the grocery store, so we decided to toss in a handful of fresh spinach, half a can of tuna, a handful of raw snow peas, a splash of fat-free Italian dressing, and a slice of fat free sharp cheddar. Roll up and toss on our double-sided grill panini-style for 3-4 minutes. Very nice! A bit higher in calories than our normal soup & salad, but Sunday is our "loose" day to experiment a little and break any monotony we may have fallen into. Also, today I'll be trying those two new soup/chili recipes to get us through the work week.

Rock!
--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 16

We've reached the end of our first full week back on the healthy eating & exercise wagon! Here's how all that hard work paid off...

Weigh-In Week Sixteen:
Jay: 357.0 (-5.0 pounds [-14.5 overall])
Dee: 223.0 (-3.5 pounds [-8.5 overall])

Wow... we're both impressed with ourselves. :) We know the "first week" is usually the easiest because it seems that you're shocking your body back into submission, but we believe that we should be able to maintain about a 1-2 pound per week loss for Dee and a 3-4 pound per week loss for me. (The one sad thing for me is that yesterday morning, I weighed in half a pound LESS than this morning... chalk it up to normal fluctuations... I guess that's why we should only weigh in once per week and not try to get a sneak preview of how things will come out!)

Keep on keepin' on!
--Jay :)

Exercise Update: Week 16

Well, we're in for the evening after completing our afternoon walk, and enjoying Chicken Chili with a side of grilled yellow squash for dinner, and sugar-free pudding for dessert. Dee had two graham crackers with her pudding, and I opted for a fiber bar, as I was a little deficient in fiber for the day. :)

Here's a recap of how we did on the exercise front for Week 16:

Sunday 4/18 [took the day off, as Dee got a migraine!]
9:00 am - 1.5 mile walk (both of us, took about 30 minutes)

Monday 4/19 [work day]
Dee took a 1.75 mile walk by herself while I was stuck at work :)

Tuesday 4/20 [work day]
8:30 am - 1.5 mile walk (both of us, about 23 minutes)

Wednesday 4/21 [work day]
8:20 am - 1 mile walk (both of us, about 19 minutes)

Thursday 4/22 [work day]
8:30 am - 1 mile walk (both of us, about 19 minutes)

Friday 4/23 [day off]
8:30 am - 1 mile walk (both of us AND Jay's mom!, about 21 minutes)
5:00 pm - 1 mile walk (both of us, 17min 15sec)

Saturday 4/24 [day off]
8:53 am - 0.7 mile walk, rained out! (both of us, 11min 15sec)
10:17 am - Dee did 20 minutes at Level 2 on the Gazelle
5:00 pm - 1 mile walk, (both of us, 17min exactly)

Dee hit EVERY day this week, and I got in 6 out of 7 days! We're feeling good, seeing results, and loving every minute of it. We haven't gotten tired of my "healthy" recipes yet, as we both think they're delicious, and we'll hit the store tomorrow to get ingredients for the two new creations for the upcoming work week... a white bean chicken chili, and some sort of chicken veggie barley soup. I'll toss the recipes up here if they're worth a second look.

Weigh-in tomorrow morning! When we checked in this morning, the numbers were pretty amazing, compared to how we'd been doing all along... we're both stoked!!!

Woo!
--Jay :)

Singin' (and Walkin') in the Rain

Mother Nature had other plans for our morning walk... We knew we were due for rain from about 9-10am and from about 4pm-on today, but we tried starting our walk around 8:50am, only to have it start a light rain about 1/4 the way through. So, we cut it to about 7/10 of a mile (according to Google maps) in 11m 15s.

We'll see how the afternoon goes, but I don't think a walk is in the forecast, no pun intended. Time for some Gazelle, or Core Rhythms, or just jumping around like a loony!

--Jay :)

A Walk To Remember...

Well, I just walked a mile in 17:15. A pathetic personal best, ha ha... but not too bad for a fat dude. :-D

We've been remarkably consistent with the exercise regime, trying to get in at least a mile walk each day, some days as much as 2.5 miles over the course of our two daily walks. Woo!

I look forward to the days when I can look back and say, "It used to take me HOW long to do this?!" :)

--Jay

A Day In The Life...

Well, here's the new plan for those asking "how do you do it?"... We've found the ONLY way for us to make sure we stay on plan is about the oldest trick in "dieting"... be mindful of the calories you take in. Wow, really? Yeah, that's our big secret. :) Here's how we usually break down our caloric intake over the course of an ideal day:

8am Breakfast - 450 calories (Jay); 350 calories (Dee)
11am Snack - 150 calories (both)
2pm Lunch - 300 calories (Jay); 250 calories (Dee)
4pm Snack - 60-90 calories (both)
7pm Dinner & Dessert - 500 calories (Jay); 450 calories (Dee)

TOTAL CALORIES: around 1500 (Jay); around 1300 (Dee)

The big secrets? If you notice, the largest meal is breakfast (not counting the dessert combined in with dinner). We try not to eat past about 6-7pm, as we want to be nice and digested by bedtime around 11pm or midnight. Also, we're eating FIVE times a day! Every 2-3 hours! Who has time to be hungry?!? :)

We also try to throw in a 1 or 1.5 mile walk around 9am and 5pm!

Here's how a typical food day looks for us:

Breakfast - 2 packets of oatmeal (OR a bagel); 1 serving Egg Mates (OR half a serving of Egg Mates and half a serving of deli meat); 6 oz. nonfat yogurt; 1 serving fruit; nice big cup of coffee with Splenda and fat-free creamer

Morning Snack - "Trail Mix" made of: 1/2 serving raisins; 6 almonds; and 1/2 serving pretzels (OR a graham cracker substituted for the pretzels)

Lunch - 1 serving of my Chicken Noodle Soup (recipe in this blog) OR a chicken/spinach wrap; salad with lettuce, spinach, carrots, snow peas, cauliflower, etc. and fat-free Italian dressing

Afternoon Snack - 1 serving fruit, such as an apple or orange

Dinner & Dessert - 1 serving of my Chicken Chili (recipe in this blog) OR 1 serving lean protein with a large vegetable portion (edamame, spinach, California blend, etc.); 1 cup sugar-free chocolate/vanilla swirl pudding; 1 oats & chocolate fiber bar

That's a snapshot of Jay's daily meal plan... Dee's is pretty much the same, but lose the Egg Mates. We find ourselves taking in about 15-25 grams of total fat per day (trying to keep it low!), while maintaining at least 38 grams of fiber and 56 grams of protein for Jay (25 fiber and 46 protein for Dee). We found some clever calculators online for those numbers, and I'll have to find the link and get it on here sometime.

We're also discovering the joys of water. And that whole "eight 8-ounce glasses" doesn't work for everyone. We've read in several places that you should take your body weight, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water each day! Dee and I typically go well beyond those numbers, and we feel like it's definitely helping to keep us hydrated and healthy, as well as flushing out all the bad stuff. :)

There's plenty of wiggle room in there, and we used to rely a lot more on the frozen convenience meals, but since we're starting to think Dee's headaches are coming from nitrite and/or MSG, we're trying to cook a lot of things ourselves so we can control the ingredients. We've found we can pretty much substitute whatever we like in there, as long as we stay in our calorie range and keep the fat low and the fiber high.

Anyway, that's where we are for now! We're both doing exceptionally well, and know this is something that we can keep up easily. Once you start a new way of life, you do pretty much have to do it forever. Once we get closer to our "goal weights", we should be able to increase the calories a bit, and figure out that magic number that will allow us to maintain.

Rock it!
--Jay :)

Recipe: Chicken Chili

Here's a mild chili that I created using diced chicken breast instead of ground meat. Remember, you can click keyword "recipes" to see all the recipes together...

Chicken Chili
~Makes 10 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 packet chili seasoning (whatever heat you prefer, may want to use 2 packets!)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cans (15.5 oz. each) dark red kidney beans
2 cans (15.5 oz. each) pinto beans

1) Put tomato sauce, all beans, and seasoning in pot and get cookin'!
2) Grill chicken until cooked.
3) Dice chicken and add to chili pot.
4) Simmer together 10-15 minutes.

Break out the bowls! :)

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup serving):
Calories: 243
Fat: 0.5
Fiber: 8.5
Protein: 23

Cost per serving: $0.61 (we found chicken on sale for about $1.50 per pound!)

--Jay :)

Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

Here's a really simple, nitrate-free chicken noodle soup I threw together one day, and Dee and I rocked that stuff every day for lunch without getting tired of it! :) And remember, you can click on keyword "recipes" to see all our recipes!

Chicken Noodle Soup
~Makes 8 servings, 1 1/4 cups each



Ingredients:
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
3 cups water
4 medium carrots, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1.5 cups dry rotini pasta (we used "garden" rotini)
dried, minced onion (or substitute fresh onion)
dried parsley
salt (we use a lower sodium variety)

1) Place broth, water, carrots, and bell pepper in large pot and get boiling!
2) Grill chicken until cooked.
3) Dice chicken and add to soup pot.
4) Add pasta, minced onion, and parsley to soup pot. Add salt to taste.
5) Simmer for 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per 1.25 cup serving):
Calories: 156
Fat: 1 gram
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 19.5 grams

Cost per serving: $0.96 (we found chicken on sale for about $1.50 per pound!)

--Jay :)

Nitrites? Autolyzed? Monosodium-who?

Well, we've come to a crossroads in our dietary journey... Dee developed a bad migraine (the fourth in four days) after breakfast this morning, and we were suddenly struck by a conversation we'd had with a co-worker about her migraines and not being able to eat hot dogs because of nitrates.

At our office party on Thursday, Dee ate a hot dog. She got a headache. Friday morning, Dee had deli ham with breakfast. She got a headache. Saturday morning, more deli ham. More headache. Sunday morning, ditto. Ditto. Light bulb. We started thinking back, and were able to connect past headaches with other events involving processed meats, and especially trips to buffets, Chinese food, etc.

We had connected the buffet-headache trend before, especially after Chinese buffets, and thought the problem might be MSG, so I started reading up on it, and had never realized all the other names that MSG can go by! Autolyzed yeast, sodium caseinate, carrageenan, and a whole host of other things that may indicate the presence or creation of MSG in food!

So, we're pulling Dee (and myself) off anything that we think may have nitrates/nitrites (such as hot dogs, lunch meat, ham, pepperoni, sausage) or MSG. We're going to try to cook fresh, and be super-conscious of ingredients on nutrition labels. We would like to find some deli meat, be it ham or turkey, that doesn't contain any warning words, as we do like that with our breakfast.

We're choosing the road less traveled... which may be a slightly more expensive road than grabbing the latest frozen healthy meals on sale each week... but we know the benefit will be greater in the long run. I've heard over and over again to know exactly what you're putting into your body, and now it's all making sense. I'm tired of eating chemicals... :)

--Jay :)

Weigh-In Week 15

Yes, this is technically Week 15 on (or off) the diaita, and here's the weigh-in...

Our last recorded numbers were on 3/28 with Jay at 364.0 and Dee at 226.0.

Weigh-In Week Fifteen:
Jay: 362.0 (-2.0 pounds [-9.5 overall])
Dee: 226.5 (+0.5 pounds [-5.0 overall])

After breakfast, we'll hit up at least a mile of walking, and try to continue the good exercise plan through the work-week. Dee found a website through The Biggest Loser where you can pledge to lose weight and they donate money to your local food bank... she pledged 30 pounds and I pledged 50 pounds (the max you could do) though I intend to lose quite a bit more than that!

Rock!
--Jay :)

Let's Play Ketchup...

All right, let's catch up on what's been going on the last few weeks during our absence... :)

It seems we left off just before V-Day, so let's recap the weigh-ins:

Sun. 2/14 - Jay 359.5 (-0.5 pounds) - Dee 227.0 (no change)

Sun. 2/21 - Jay 359.0 (-0.5 pounds) - Dee 225.5 (-1.5 pounds)

Sun. 2/28 - Jay 361.0 (+2.0 pounds) - Dee 225.5 (no change)
[this was the opening weekend for a theatre production, and Dee & I stayed at the beach and I enjoyed the free hot breakfast a little TOO much...]

Sun. 3/7 - Jay 363.0 (+2.0 pounds) - Dee 223.0 (-1.5 pounds)
[and then, this was the closing weekend of the play, hotel breakfast killed me again - Dee caught the "cast bug" that was going around and felt miserable!!!]

Sun. 3/14 - Jay 360.5 (-2.5 pounds) - Dee 224.0 (+1 pound)
[how did I have such amazing progress, besides the play being over and tearing myself away from the hotel breakfast... my turn for the "cast bug" and no appetite!]

Sun. 3/21 - skipped weigh-in

Sun. 3/28 - Jay 364 (+3.5 pounds) - Dee 226.0 (+2 pounds)

Sun. 4/4 - skipped weigh-in

Sun. 4/11 - skipped weigh-in

And here we be! Through the stresses of helping put on a theatre production and a good little spell of illness and recovery, and then falling back into some of the old habits, we've gone a lot of nowhere fast! :-D Just this past Thursday, after having eaten not-so-well at our monthly office employee birthday party, we both vowed to start anew!

The good news is that we've got an exercise recap going on now...
Fri. 4/16 - 1 mile walk in the morning, 1 mile walk in the afternoon
Sat. 4/17 - 1.5 mile walk in the morning, 1 mile walk in the afternoon (plus Dee put in 30 minutes on the Gazelle in between!)

We don't expect too much in the way of results this week, as we've only been back on the plan for about two days, but we look forward to things to come!

--Jay :)

Life is Sweet... Potatoes... :)

Just wrapped our one-mile afternoon walk... that's a total of 2.5 miles walked today, up from the 2 miles of combined walking yesterday!

Dee's hit the shower, and I've got our world famous baked savory sweet potato "fries" in the oven. Adding some steamed edamame and one of those healthy pre-packaged TV-diet meals (gotta get rid of them somehow... might as well eat them!) and we're in business! We are loving us some edamame lately!!!



We shall see what tomorrow brings...
--Jay :)

"She told me to walk this way..." --Aerosmith (1975)

Well, Dee & I are some walkin' machines! I wimped out a bit on the late-afternoon walk yesterday and scaled it down to just one mile... Not bad... I don't remember the last time I walked two miles in a single day, for no good reason, ha! :)

We're still tracking all our dietary numbers, as that seems to be a good guilt trip I can give myself... if I can't COUNT it... I can't EAT it... so that helps me personally get rid of any stray snacks at work, homemade goodies brought in, etc. etc. etc. Plus, we're set it all up in a spreadsheet with "goal" numbers for each day, so we can see how close we are to going over and we know when we're had enough for the day.

We started today off with a mile AND A HALF walk post-breakfast. I had only eaten about half my intended breakfast and chugged the last half of my cup of coffee, so I was feeling pretty weird around the half-mile mark, but I soon settled in and pushed for a little extra.

Tomorrow morning is the big grand re-weigh-in, and I'm sure we're both up from where we left off on the blog, but we'll soon get that turned around again!

Rock it!
--Jay :)

Wagging Their Tails Behind Them...

Well, we fell off the wagon for a while. Actually, our wagon went over a ravine and broke apart on some rocky outcroppings... okay, so it wasn't THAT bad. It just wasn't that GOOD.

We've come back with a vengeance, partly due to the fact that we're both in a play and would like to look a little more aesthetically pleasing, and party due to the fact that we're both tired of being lazy. We're cleaning the house, getting rid of junk, donating stuff to charity, and working on the bodies as well!

Dee and I walked a mile this morning after breakfast, ate super healthy all day, keeping track of the calories, fat, fiber, protein, and sugar, and are planning a before-dinner late-afternoon walk of about 1.5 miles. Bring it!

We haven't weighed in lately, but will do a complete update this Sunday.

The challenge is back on! Eat our dust!!! :P

--Jay

"We Are Here To Pump... You Up!" --Hans & Franz

Time to recap the exercise schedule for this past week...

Mon. 2/8
Dee did about an hour of her elliptical/treadmill combo. I was consumed with producerial duties for the upcoming community theatre production. :)

Wed. 2/10
Dee & I both took the 45 minute Basic Step class at the fitness center.

Thu. 2/11
I did 30 minutes on the treadmill, then gave it up so Dee could finish her set of about 45 minutes between the elliptical and treadmill, as there were no other machines free.

Woo hoo!
--Jay :)

Recipe: Crab & Corn Chowder

Our first experiment with soup, using imitation crab meat, which Dee grew up on. Remember, you can click this keyword "recipes" to see all our recipe posts at once.

Crab & Corn Chowder
~ Makes 6 nice, large servings



Ingredients:
6 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, or other white bean
24 oz. imitation crab meat
16 oz. frozen corn
2 green onions
1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning (we used Old Bay Blackened seasoning)

1) Chop crab meat and green onions.
2) Combine all ingredients in large pot.
3) Simmer on medium-high for about 30 minutes, to a consistency you like. I also tried smashing some of the beans to thicken the broth. (Ah, if only I had a stick blender...)



Chow time! This recipe would lend well to shrimp, and other vegetation of course, so we'll be having some fun with this bad boy. :) If the portions are too large, divide into 8 servings (or cut the entire recipe in half, and divide into 4 servings, same difference).

Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Calories: 370
Fat: 2 grams
Fiber: 8 grams
Protein: 21 grams
Sodium: 1570 mg (this is a little high for my tastes... the chicken broth was already lower sodium, but I'm sure using fresh beans or frozen beans could make a difference, and using a fresh seafood like real crab meat would help as well)

Rock!
--Jay

Weigh In Week 5

Well, we think Dee has started building some muscle, and due to some other extenuating circumstances, the scale numbers are iffy for the week. However, we're both having great luck with the better fit of our clothing, which is awesome! Anyway, here it be:

Weigh-In Week Five:
Jay: 360.0 (-1.5 for the week [-11.5 overall])
Dee: 227.0 (+0.5 for the week [-4.5 overall])

We've already done about 20 minutes of Core Rhythms to kick off our day! Time for some soup experimentation and the big game this evening.

Woo!
--Jay

Hard-Core Rhythms

Dee has been a dancing fool today! :) She did about 30 minutes of her Core Rhythms latin dance exercise DVD program, which is a great aerobic way to have some fun. We've also done well at spacing out our eating lately, trying to work back into several smaller meals, rather than just three normal meals. We're both definitely noticing that our clothes are fitting much better than they did a mere month ago, and even though the scales may not always show it, we are making good progress. :)

Tomorrow, after weigh in of course, I'm going to be experimenting with making a healthy seafood stew for us to enjoy during the big game.

Should be fun!
--Jay

Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries

All right, so I think we've perfected this one about as much as we're going to... Time to make the first official "recipe" post of the blog. :) I'm planning to have all the recipes linked from the main page, and searchable for keyword "recipes" so they're easy to find all at once.

Sweet Potato Fries
~ Serves 2 people



Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, washed with skin left on
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. oil (we use canola)

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds, discarding the ends of the potatoes. Cut the rounds in half to make semi-circles.



3) Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oil, coating all pieces evenly.



4) Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray or oil, and place sweet potatoes in a single layer, leaving a little room between pieces.



5) Bake 25 minutes on the first side, flip all fries, and bake 10-15 more minutes on second side to a dark golden brown on both sides. I've also found it helps to move the fries around the edge into the middle and vice versa, as the outside of the pan seems to cook faster than the center.

Time to eat! These times work perfectly for our oven, but you may want to play with the timing the first time to make sure nothing's getting OVERdone... Also, we use a lower sodium salt, so play with that to your tastes as well. And of course, this recipe lends itself SO well to trying out different spice combinations, so... have fun and explore!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories: 250 (for about a 9 oz. sweet potato, plus oil)
Fat: 6 grams (less than 1/2 gram of that is saturated)
Fiber: 7.5 grams
Protein: 4 grams

Enjoy!
--Jay :)

Get Up, Come On, Get Down With The Swiftness...

Gazelle moved. Dee worked it. Woo hoo! She did 39 minutes on the Gazelle while I danced around and played some Guitar Hero, ha ha. (And I know the title of this blog post was a bad joke combining a song (which is actually on Rock Band 2 rather than Guitar Hero, I believe) with a gazelle characteristic... get it... gazelle... swift... all righty then...)

Food for the day has been pretty standard, but we are going to rock some air-popped popcorn tonight while watching a flick. I've been digging into the more interesting flavors of frozen healthy meals the last couple of nights, leaning toward the spicy Asian flavors, and that's been a really nice change of pace.

Get down!
--Jay

Step By Step Aerobics

The exercise train rolls on... Dee and I hit up another exercise class at the fitness center yesterday afternoon, this time a step aerobics class with some light weight training. The class was about 45 minutes, and although I thought I might die at the beginning, it got better and we both felt invigorated after.

Of course, for dinner, we had the awesome sweet potato fries again, along with our healthy frozen meals and some "California blend" broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix.

Today, we plan on moving the Gazelle exercise machine back into the den. That way, we can actually exercise while watching TV and whatnot.

Sweetness!
--Jay

Welcome to the Sweet Potato Fry Blog... :)

How do I love Sweet Potato Fries; let me count the ways...

Okay, so we're totally not burnt out on the awesomeness of Sweet Potato Fries, and tonight's batch was the best yet! (Okay, so I think I've only made them four times, but still...) I left them in the oven longer on the second side, and got them nice and toasty... tender inside... mmmm...

Here they sit, next to one of my favorite vegetables of all time...



Why are so many people Brussels-sprouts-haters? I guess I can see they've got a unique taste... a little cabbage-y. If they're not cooked enough, their raw taste isn't very pleasant. But I love these things, AND they're great for you, so... bonus! :)

We hit the gym again today... Dee did 35 minutes on the elliptical, and about 20 on the treadmill, burning approximately 590 calories, according to the electronic brains. I... sat. :) I decided to be there for moral support, but I had a little too much work to do for our theatre group, so I rocked the laptop across the room while Dee worked out. :)

I'll try to limit the number of Sweet Potato Fry photos from now on... Once we clear off some of these leftover Nutrisystem lunches and frozen entrees, we'll start cooking more and have more to show off. :)

Sweetness!
--Jay

Enter: Exercise?!?

Yes, the punishment phase has begun... Actually... it wasn't that bad. :)

Dee and I had begun going to the fitness center to use the elliptical & treadmill a couple of times a week for a few weeks back at the end of last year. But that didn't last.



Today, we decided to partake in an organized exercise class... aerobics with light weight training. The class was about 50 minutes, and it was actually really fun. We both felt really good afterward! We're shooting to incorporate exercise at least three times a week now... probably twice at the fitness center, and one time at home. We have a Gazelle (thank you Tony Little... "you can DO it!!!") and a Core Rhythms dance fitness DVD system.



Dinner was a nice creation from our eDiets days called Tuna Pasta Salad. Normally done with rotini, we had to sub angel hair, as it was the only pasta in our cabinet. :) Throw on a can of tuna drained of its water, some fat-free Italian dressing, some spices, little spinach on the side... yum!

So... exercise count for the day: 50 minutes, aerobics & light weights.

Woo!
--Jay

Weigh-In Week 4

Well, it just gets interesting-er and interesting-er. After staying on our healthy eating path all week (except for the party last Sunday) we've had virtually no progress on the scale. We're noticing clothes are fitting better, and have become suspicious that our weight is starting to get scared and it's just running away to other places... :)

Weigh-In Week Four:
Jay: 361.5 [-0.5 for the week (-10 overall)]
Dee: 226.5 [no change for the week (-5 overall)]

We're planning to begin the dreaded "exercise phase" now, as the good eating just doesn't seem to be holding up on its own like it used to. :)

Carry on!
--Jay

UPDATE: (four hours later) Wow, Dee has just weighed again AFTER breakfast and coffee, and is down a full pound... but we'll save that for next week's weigh-in I suppose... :)

Smoke Alarms: 3, Humans: 0

Well, we've yet to defeat the smoke alarms during the "sweet potato fry" making process! Due to some residual oil in the bottom of the oven, we had another auditory assault this evening. The fries keep getting better though! Can't improve too much on perfection!

--Jay

Chickpeas = Garbanzo Beans = Cecis = Cicer Arietinum

What's In A Name?

For a "day off" lunch treat, Dee made a variation of a Food Network "Five Ingredient Fix" salad recipe centered on beans. We chose to use chickpeas... I mean, garbanzo beans. Or, as Mario Batali likes to call them, "cecis".

The original recipe (located here) involved endive, cannelini beans, roasted red peppers, with some olive oil and lemon juice. We opted for some substitutions from the fridge, and went with iceberg, chickpeas, raw red pepper, fat-free Italian dressing, and added some water-packed tuna for extra protein, and crushed pretzels for crunch. Rock! I didn't get a photo, but next time we may opt for a fancier green and make a nice beauty plate to put on here. :)

Two more days until weigh day number four!
--Jay

She Loves Me, Yeah Yeah Yeah

I came home from work this evening to find that my poor wife Dee, after suffering from a migraine all day long, had made me a nice healthy dinner: grilled chicken breast with honey mustard, brown rice, and spinach. She's requested cinnamon baked apples for dessert, which I will be happy to oblige. Love you! :X

--Jay

Step One: Disable Smoke Detectors

Sweet Potato Fries - Take Two

Attempt number two at savory sweet potato fries: a rip-roarin' success. :)



We are hard at work perfecting our new favorite way to consume sweet potatoes. I have learned (and not for the first time) that there are certain things that are NOT meant to be baked on perforated pizza pans. Oil-coated sweet potato fries? Definitely one of those things. After having offended the smoke alarm gods for two out of two attempts, I will henceforth lean toward a nice, sturdy, solid-bottomed sheet pan. But these things are turning out to be awesome!

Only changes this time was that I left the skin on, and cut the potato into about 1/4" rounds, which I then cut in half to make semi-circles. Much faster than those silly strips I made the first time. High oven, get a nice char, good to go! So here's the rundown for those who missed it:

Preheat oven to 425. Use one nice sized sweet potato per person, washed with skin left on. Cut into rounds, 1/4-1/2" then cut rounds in half to make semi-circles. Toss in a bowl with just enough canola oil to coat, plus salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I know, right?!) to taste. [The recipe from mi hermana-in-law suggested chili powder as well, but we haven't gone there yet.] Spread in a single layer on a SOLID sheet pan, don't crowd. Bake about 20 minutes, flip all fries and bake about 10 minutes more, until a nice dark golden crunchy brown on both sides. Eat and marvel at the yumminess you have crafted.

In a conversation with my aunt the other day, she mentioned that she cuts the calories of a dish similar to this that she calls "Roasted Winter Vegetables". She takes cubes of sweet potatoes, and mixes with butternut squash and carrots, and roasts them all up until tender. I'm thinking two parts sweet potato, one part of each other item. That must be tried in the not-to-distant future as well. Yum! :)

Keep on keepin' on!
--Jay

Post-Party Depression?

Just got back from the overabundance of deliciously evil food, better known as my company New Year's party. Dee executed decent portion control, but I did go a little beyond. Crab dip, red meat, and a plethora of dessert options could not be resisted!

Upon returning home, I found a delightful e-mail from mi hermana-in-law (and current winner of our weight loss "competition") featuring lots of positive thoughts for Dee, and a crap-load of awesome healthy recipes, which will be tested (and probably blogged) very soon.

Looking forward to the continued "challenge"...
--Jay

Weigh-In Week 3: "Hello Walls" --Faron Young (1961)

Weigh-In, Week Three

Well, it's a sight we were hoping we wouldn't see for a long while yet...



That's right... the dreaded "wall". Dee has hit it this week, but we carry on, undeterred! We did extremely well and can't think of a single thing we did "wrong" all week... no eating out, no junk food, only healthy snacks... One theory we're starting to think about is that it's not just what you've done in that one past week that determines how you'll weigh in. Is there a certain amount of carry-over from last week, when we had those lovely all-you-can-eat shrimp, and ate "yogurt blend" ice cream every night? Hmmm...

Hopefully some of our healthy eating this past week will carry over to next week, because we have a company "kick off the new year" party this evening at a local restaurant, and the food is so good that we usually have to indulge just a bit. We could opt not to go, but I'll be receiving a plaque for 10 years of service, and I can't pass up my moment in the spotlight! :-D

Anyway, here's the weigh-in for the end of week three:
Jay: 362.0 [-2.5 pounds for the week (-9.5 overall)]
Dee: 226.5 [no change for the week (-5 overall)]

We've determined that we're still going to try to "healthy up" even more with what we're doing now. I've decided to phase out the fat-free cream cheese and just go with jelly on my morning bagel, and using considerably less than I had in my photo from a few posts back. We're going to try small cuts here and there and see how things go. AND we're going to start using my free company fitness center membership for some workout action. "Carry on, my wayward son." --Kansas (1976)

--Jay

Worth A Thousand Words (A Photo Journey)

Well, it's time for a blast from the past, and visit where Dee and I came from, got to, and then went back to. Here's five years, squished into four photos:


Click it. It makes it bigger. More easier to look at. Click it.

Photo #1 - The Wedding Day
We weren't keeping track of trivial things like weight back then!

Photo #2 - The Turning Point
Taken about two months before the decision to start our original healthy lifestyle plan, after I peaked at 446 pounds and Dee peaked at 296 pounds.

Photo #3 - Who Are Those Hotties?
Did I just call ourselves hotties? How embarrassing. Anyway, a nice shot of our skinny faces around the point of our healthiest, with me at 289 pounds and Dee at 200 pounds.

Photo #4 - Wrong Way Down A One-Way Street
A mere three months ago, after a little backtracking. Over the course of the holidays, we've actually gone up since this photo, but don't have any good current shots.

Photo #5 - Coming Soon
This will be the "skinny again" shot, hopefully posting within the next few months. :)

Rock on!
--Jay

Is it still "breakfast" if you eat it at noon?

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Ah, the crack of noon and we're cooking breakfast. Such is the life on our days off from work. :)



There she is... our standard issue breakfast. I like to call it our "happy breakfast"... see the smiley face there, oh how cute... Whole wheat bagel with fat-free cream cheese and strawberry preserves, frittata/omelet made with egg substitute (today's featured bell peppers, onion, and parmesan cheese as we were out of deli meat), a 6 oz. non-fat yogurt, and a large cup o' joe, featuring Splenda and "light" powdered non-dairy creamer. Yum.

* Estimated Cost of Meal per Person: $2.15

So, for about the cost of two greasy things from the local "dollar menu" we've rocked a decently healthy breakfast that left us significantly more satisfied. Nice.

Upon weighing this morning, I'm still a half-pound up from last week, but tomorrow morning is the official weigh day. It feels like it's been a good week, so we shall we how we end up tomorrow morning!

--Jay

Can you overdose on sweet potatoes?

Mmm... Sweet Potatoes



I do love sweet potatoes, but after trying to work them into our "diaita" three times a week, we're already experimenting with nifty new ways to cook them. We decided to try sweet potato fries again tonight, after I failed miserably at making some several months ago. Dee came across a Paula Deen recipe today, and we decided to adapt it and give it another go.

They actually turned out great, and Dee claims they're now her second-favorite food of all time, second only to shrimp! Here's how they went down... super-easy...

I took one nice sized sweet potato for each of us, and cut it into strips like steak fries. Toss them in a bowl with just enough oil (we did canola) to barely coat, along with a pinch of salt, pepper, and (believe it or not) garlic powder! Bake for about 20 minutes at 450, turning at least once. Our thinner fries started to burn and had to be removed before the rest were done, due to my uneven knife skills. :) Anyway, the garlic powder gave them a savory spin, and they almost tasted like regular potatoes with just a hint of sweetness. A great alternative for when you get a little burnt out on the "sweet potato" taste.

--Jay

Update from Sun. 1/17/2010 - Two Weeks In!

We're a little late at getting this blog started, and wanted to get caught up on how we've done in these first few weeks of trying to adapt to the goodness of healthy eating (again).

Starting Weight (1/3/2010)
Jay: 371.5
Dee: 231.5

End of Week One (1/10/2010)
Jay: 366.5 [-5 pounds for the week ]
Dee: 229.5 [-2 pounds for the week ]

End of Week Two (1/17/2010)
Jay: 364.5 [-2 pounds for the week (-7 overall)]
Dee: 226.5 [-3 pounds for the week (-5 overall)]

During week two, we went out for my grandfather's birthday and indulged in the "all you can eat shrimp" special. We went with the option of broiled shrimp with no butter, mixed veg, and a sweet potato. I must have put away about 150 pounds of shrimp (felt like it anyway) but still managed a decent showing for the week.

Keep on keepin' on!
--Jay

Rule Number One: There Are No Rules

Rules to Eating Healthy and Losing Weight?!?

Well... we don't think of them as "rules"... more like "guidelines" really. Here's a quick look at our approach to building a healthy lifestyle and getting ourselves back to a decent weight.

Our approach is sort of a combination of things we learned from the Nutrisystem style of eating, combined with a little bit of Alton Brown's "four lists" from a recent Good Eats episode.

Our basic things to remember is that you don't have to stop eating out. It's all part of the balancing act. We usually eat in because it's cheaper and we have more control of what goes into our food, but when we eat out, no matter where we go, there's almost always something that can be found on a menu that won't kill our entire month! :)

The stuff we've gleaned from Nutrisystem are:
-MOST Important Thing: Eat breakfast. Every day. Whole grain, dairy, protein, fruit.
-Salads are great to eat before lunch and dinner, and help fill you up. Watch the dressings, and we lean toward non-fat Italian or Catalina/French style rather than creamy dressings.
-For lunch and dinner, vegetables should be in higher quantity than meat.
-Fiber is what keeps you full. An eating plan high in fiber leaves you more satisfied.

Common breakfast items for us are whole grain bagels, lean ham or turkey sandwich meat, egg substitute, and nonfat yogurt. Sometimes we rock a little fat-free cream cheese and strawberry preserves on our bagel. Lunches are usually a healthy microwaveable soup, a couple of large carrots, sugar free gelatin, an apple or orange, and either a serving of pretzels or a 100-calorie snack pack. Dinner is usually a frozen healthy meal, and a nice serving of a vegetable like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or spinach. For dessert, we lean toward chocolate fiber-type bars, sugar free pudding, or gelatin. A good snack item we used to do daily was a trail mix of things like almonds, pretzels, raisins, etc. And of course, water, water, water.

Recently, we watched Alton Brown's new philosophy on Good Eats, involving "four lists". From this, we've decided that we're going to start trying to incorporate these new ideas:
-Eat one or two pieces of fruit each day, typically an apple or orange.
-Eat at least one whole grain item each day.
-Leafy greens, every day. Spinach or brussels sprouts are our faves.
-We will have a small handful of nuts every day, usually almonds.
-Carrots every day, usually at lunch, which are great to make you feel full.
-Green tea, every day. We brew our own and sweeten with Splenda.
-Try to incorporate oily fish like salmon or sardines at least 2-3 times per week.
-Sweet potatoes, at least thrice a week. Mmm... I love sweet potatoes.
-Limit red meat, and any pasta above and beyond what's in our frozen meals.
-No fast food, no soda.

That's about the gist of it. We're excited to see how these new ideas may work!

--Jay

"It starts." --Timon, The Lion King (1994)

diaita [noun] -- Greek: "way of life"

Welcome to our blog!

Why are we here? In late 2004, my wife Dee and I hit the peak of our unhealthy lifestyle. I had migrated to wearing loose-fitting size 5X (that's XXXXXL) Hawaiian shirts and size 58 jeans, topping out at 446 pounds. Dee was up to 296 pounds, and wearing a size 24 pants and a 3X top. When I started threatening to pop out of my shirts yet again, we decided it was time to act.

Over the course of the next couple of years, through a stint at eDiets.com, a little bit of the Subway diet, and a healthy dose of Nutrisystem, we dropped a ton of weight. At our lowest, around May 2008, I found myself at 289 pounds (a 157 pound drop) wearing size 42 jeans and mostly XXL shirts, with a few XL sprinkled in. Dee was down 96 pounds to an even 200 pounds, sporting size large tops and a pants size of 14. Amazingly, this was all accomplished through healthy eating with no regular exercise regimen. A few mile-long walks here and there and some time on a Gazelle, but nothing crazy, and it was definitely few and far between.

And now... the rest of the story. Through too many relaxing family trips, grabbing fast food on the way to and from community theatre play practices, Chinese buffets, fancy coffee drinks, pastries, and too many other things to mention... we backslid a bit. (I backslid quite a bit more than Dee, which she'll be quick to remind me... ha!)

Start of the year 2010, she's at 231 pounds (a 31 pound gain) while still maintaining a size 14 somehow. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here like a lump at 371 pounds after gaining back 82 pounds. That's just over HALF of what I'd worked so hard to accomplish in the first place.

So, here we are. Motivated partially by a "bet" with Dee's brother to see who could lose the most weight in 8 months, and partially by a need to prove it to myself again, we're back on track. So many people (both now and then) asked us what we're doing... what do we eat... how does it work... Sounds like it's time for a blog, so all the world can live along with us, and participate if you so choose.

We hope to share details about our lifestyle... what we're eating, weight updates, new recipes we're discovering, ways to sneak healthy stuff and make it taste good... and maybe we can motivate someone out there to grab onto a new "way of life" along with us. Remember... it's not a DIET... it's not a bunch of restrictions... it's developing a new way of living that you can LIVE WITH.

We welcome comments, suggestions, and anything constructive. Life is a journey, so let's see how far we can go together.

--Jay