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By NCN, on September 16th, 2009%
Finally, I think I’m well.
I’ve been sick, on and off, for the better part of four weeks. It’s been almost two months since I last wrote an article here at No. Calories. I wish I had a better excuse / reason, but the truth is, I just haven’t felt well. My kids have been sick, my wife has been sick, and I’ve been sick. Thankfully, we are feeling better.
It looks like I’m going to have to start over with my weight loss. I haven’t been to the gym in a long time and I’ve been eating a lot of comfort food.
I woke up this morning, had some scrambled eggs and a few turkey sausage links. At lunch, I had a salad with some lettuce, dill pickles, a couple slices of turkey bacon, and some cashews. I’ve once again ditched the soft drinks and I’ve had six glasses of water.
Tomorrow, I’ll head to the store to stock up on some healthy food and I’ll hit the gym. Tonight, after church, I’ll go for a walk on the treadmill, for a bit of exercise.
I hope you all have been doing well.
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I’ll dare to step on a scale Monday.
By NCN, on July 24th, 2009%
It’s Friday and my week has been crazy. Want proof? I haven’t posted over at No Credit Needed, I haven’t been to the gym, and I’m exhausted. Instead of giving in, and eating a bunch of junk, I’ve decided to make a smarter choice, and eat very lightly today.
It’s always difficult for me to figure out how to have a successful eating day. My struggle usually begins with breakfast. See, once I start eating, I want to continue eating. So, I tend to avoid breakfast. Of course, that’s ridiculous, and usually leads to me eating a massive lunch. Then, the massive lunch leads to sluggishness, which leads to snacking, which leads to….
You get the picture. It’s super-hard for me to get started eating, and then eat sensibly throughout the day.
I’ve tried high-carb for breakfast, low-carb for breakfast, fruits, cereals, oatmeal, protein, fat… In other words, I’ve tried every single combination of foods that I can imagine. And, still, once I’ve started to eat, I want to continue to eat. (Please note – As evidenced on this very site, I can, for a couple of months or so, control my eating, but then I lose resolve and return to bad habits. It’s ridiculous, but, hey, I wouldn’t have the site in the first place if I was good at this stuff.)
That’s it. That’s the post. I’d love to have some insight or some thoughts on how I’ve solved my “breakfast issue”, but I really don’t have any. Instead, I’m going to go eat an apple, a few cashews, and drink a big glass of water. Hopefully, this will be enough to satisfy me until lunch, and then I’ll go from there. Step by step, choice by choice.
By NCN, on March 19th, 2009%
I didn’t stick to my diet today. Intentionally, I just ate whatever I wanted to eat. I’ll be honest, I feel terrible, but I’m hoping that this day of “junk food” might shock my system and break my stall.
I also skipped the gym, I took a nap, and I did a lot of things that I haven’t been doing lately. Ugh. I feel like a slug.
It’s amazing how awful my “old” lifestyle feels, even for a day! Again, I’m doing this, not because I want to loaf around and eat junk, but because I’m trying to break my stall. I’m only going to do this once, and then it’s right back on plan.
Hopefully, I’ll wake up tomorrow and I’ll feel much better than I do now. I have a busy day planned – and that day does NOT include eating like this!
By NCN, on January 31st, 2009%
My goal, creatively named The 929 Project, is to lose 90 pounds between September 29, 2008 and September 29, 2009.
After 4 months -
Weight
I am down (a little more than) 27.8 pounds. Official weigh in days are Mondays – and my scale is broken! I have been convinced, for some time, that the scale was dying, and this morning, it died. So, I’m going to go buy a new one, and I hope that I’ve lost a couple of pounds since my last official weigh in. Check back Monday to see how I’m doing.
Exercise
I am now working out four to six days a week. I am also training for my first 5K. I can now run (almost) 2 miles, without stopping, compared to four months ago, when I could barely jog one-quarter of a mile.
Attitude
What can I say? I feel like a new man. Seriously, I love going to the gym, I love feeling in control, and I love the fact that I’m losing weight. Even on weeks where my weight stays unchanged, I still feel good, because I’m doing the right things and becoming and healthier person.
Eating
124 days ago, I decided to stop eating refined sugars, starchy foods, and assorted junk. I also gave up caffeine and soft drinks. I radically changed my eating habits. Since then, I’ve stuck to my plan, and I feel better than I have ever felt in my entire life. Seriously, less is more.
Writing
I’m actually posting several articles a week, here at No. Calories Needed. Connecting with my readers keeps me motivated.
By NCN, on January 15th, 2009%
What I Eat Now -
Lean Meat -
I eat chicken breast, turkey breast, and lean cuts of beef. I try to buy hormone-free meat, but it can be hard to find. I avoid processed meats, like those from the deli counter, and try to cook as much as I can at home. I stir fry chicken in olive or coconut (yum) oil. I do not use batter or flour. I am not a fan of pork, so I don’t eat it.
Vegetables -
I eat various types of lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, and spinach. I also eat carrots (on my salad) and various other green leafy vegetables. I avoid legumes (beans), corn, and potatoes.
Fruits -
I eat green apples, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I avoid overly sweet foods like watermelon, red apples, and oranges.
Fluids -
I drink water, and that’s it. I haven’t had a soda in 108 days, and I don’t miss the nasty things. Living in the south, it’s almost impossible to avoid Sweet Tea, but so far, I have managed to do so!
Nuts -
I eat a lot of nuts – almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews. I try to avoid peanuts. I will buy nuts that have been salted, if that’s all I can find, but I prefer (both the taste and the health benefits of) raw nuts.
Eggs -
I eat eggs, but only occasionally. Why? I’m just not a big fan of eggs. When I do eat them, I scramble them and cook them with olive oil.
Oils -
I cook with olive oil, coconut oil, or grape seed oil.
Vitamins -
I take a mulit-vitamin, psyllium husk (for added fiber), and a pro-biotic.
Diet Plan -
I follow the Phase One diet as outlined in Doug Kaufmann’s book Fungus Link.
I have also incorporated some of Mark Sisson’s ideas from his Primal Eating Plan.
A good friend of mine turned me on to Doug’s work, and I’ve found great success following his plan – which focuses on removing fungus from our bodies and taking pro-biotics. Another friend sent me a link to Mark’s site, and I really like what he has to say.
My goal? I want to move away from processed, unhealthy, gimmick foods – and return to a much more basic, nutritionally rich diet.
I have found that when I eat from the list above, I really don’t have to worry about counting calories. In fact, I haven’t measured a single serving size or worried about portions in over four months – and I’ve managed to lose (at last count) 27.8 pounds.
What I Do Not Eat -
Sugar -
I do not eat products that contain sugar. I do not eat cakes, pies, cookies, or cereals.
Sugar Substitutes -
I do not eat store-bought protein bars. I do not drink diet sodas. If it taste sweet, and it’s not a real fruit, I do not eat it.
Starches -
I do not eat corn, potatoes, bread, or rice. I have considered eating whole grain oats, but I get plenty of fiber from my diet, and I’m not a big fan of oats anyway. Oh, and I don’t eat that southern staple, grits.
Overly Processed Meat -
I try to avoid sandwich meat, deli meat, and any other meat that has had sugar added to it. It’s tough to avoid any processing, but I try to minimize my exposure.
How Much Do I Eat -
I eat when I am hungry and I eat until I am (almost) full. Then, I stop eating. I do not worry about what time of day it is and I do not follow a normal breakfast – lunch – dinner routine. I eat four or five times a day, and most of the time, I’m eating almost the same thing, all day long.
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