I usually assemble the following day's food the evening before. Washing, chopping and bagging, but rarely weighing the portions. After countless nights of food preparation experience, I've become quite adept at estimating proper serving sizes. To test my theory, I decided to weigh my portions, just to make sure I was still accurate, and not over or under feeding myself. I was still fairly spot on, but as I moved my lunch bag to the refrigerator, it felt quite bulky. Almost hefty. Out of curiosity, I lowered the bag onto the scale. Minus the weight of the containers, the food weighed in at 4.4 pounds (2 kgs)! Add to that all the water I take in, as well as my supper at the end of the day, and you've got a whole lot of eats. But when I peeked back in the bag, I didn't see anything that wasn't beneficial. Red pepper, carrots, spinach, apples, and soup. The soup was the weightiest culprit, but containing a variety of veggies (green beans, kidney beans, black beans, onions, celery, tomatoes), a broth consisting of water and a splash of hot sauce, and a little non-fat cottage cheese, I wasn't concerned. I was more amazed at the sheer mass of my daily intake. That would definitely account for the day-to-day-to-day weight fluctuations I've experienced, giving even more credibility to not weighing in on a daily basis. As long as the general trend continues downward, all is well.
I'm mere weeks away from turning 30 years of age. I hadn't really thought about it too much until very recently, but when I think about how old that seemed when I was a teenager, it's a little disheartening. It's not as though a magical switch will flip and I'll be transported to a world of collared-shirts-under-sweaters, expensive coffee and SUV's. I'll remain the same person I've always been, just one year wiser, and still striving to be fit. I had set a goal a few years back that I'd be at my maintenance weight by my 30th birthday, and it appears unlikely that will happen. However, if all still goes as planned I will have only missed the mark by a matter of months, or conceivably a few weeks. I'm now four weeks from my 30th birthday, nine weeks from my second 1/2 marathon, and about 25-30 pounds from my goal weight. With my fitness levels increasing, and my weight gradually decreasing, everything seems to be coming together as it should. It's comforting to know that hard work and discipline actually do pay off.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Week 11 - Good Food Is Heavy, and Aging Gracefully
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5 comments:
Trevor, do you read these??
Awesome job so far.
Tip: Try drinking green tea. Brew about a litre and drink throughout the day like you would drink water. Sweaten with a sugar substitute, and try mixing with a herbal flavoured tea for greater enjoyment.
Tea will not de-hydrate you like coffee will, and the energy will really get your metabolism going on overdrive.
Suggestion: Publish this when you have met your goal. You are inspiring and well written.
30????? Wow that hit me like a ton of bricks, I remember clearly the day you were born! The sun rose and set on your every action (and still does!) Keep up the great work, Trev, you will succeed! Love Anne
Of course I read the comments! They are very influential, inspiring and motivating for me. If I ever have a moment of doubt towards my abilities to succeed, it's surprising what a little positive comment can do to spark my desire. Many thanks to all the readers that do leave comments, they are greatly appreciated and welcome.
As for the tea, I fully agree. I am already a tea drinker, and have never really been a coffee fan. Of my many vices in this world, thankfully caffeine is not one of them.
I would love nothing more than to be a published writer, and I do hope that one day I'll get that chance.
And to my lovely Aunt Anne, sorry for turning 30 on you. It had to happen some day.
Thanks again for all the support and kind words. There are some days where I need all the help I can get.
Trev, for quite a few years now you've been somewhat of an influence in my life. Whether it be to share a beverage with you, or introduce me to a new hilarious TV show or movie or video game or share many a funny yarn, you've had a profound effect on my life.
Recently (in the last few months especially, I've added sharing a desire to generally be a healthier person to that list. Despite the fact we have a little contest going, I've taken a path of doing it slowly and steadily rather than try to lose everything all at once. I've taken this approach by learning partially through your blog and conversations I've had with you about your weight loss struggles (a lot of credit must go to the lovely Tanis as well). Some of your documented failures have led me to the conclusion that a focused, healthy, steady approach is what is going to work for me.
I may not win the weight loss contest battle but I will win the weight loss war.
Thanks for your help Trev.
Michael Bergen
Wow, Mike. That's very kind of you. I'm honoured that you have enough confidence in my words and actions to consider me an influential person in your life. You've always been a great friend, you've seen me at my very worst and have never passed judgment or asked for anything in return.
I always believed if I could positively affect just one person with my stories and experiences, it would make this all worthwhile. Thank you for reading and being one of the big reasons I keep this blog going.
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