Week 2 Day 1

Week 1 CONQUERED.  

We made it so far.  I have to remember that there are people out there who made it to week 2, 3, and 4 to keep myself on the shred wagon.

Sadly to say, I had a weak moment yesterday and cheated.  I know, I know.  I am holding myself accountable and repeating Day 1 of Week 2 today.  On the bright side, I only have food that I bought for this diet, so when I snacked late night, it was yogurt, figs, and a small piece of chocolate.

 Okay, I shouldnt have done that.  And Im sorry. So as a punishment, I am doing over Day 1 of Week 7.  If I let myself go it will be easier to do again, and again, and again, and before you know it, I will be a long string from an unraveled sweater.    But Im going to try again and shrink my stomach back to the way it was before that terrible hour.  New Beginnings!

Week 2 is different.

Theres no more Meal 4 and Snack 3 is at night.  Slimming down by slimming food.  This is the self-named "Acceleration Week" and although most people dont slim down as much the second week, we will see.
As of today:

Weight: 163lbs

BMI: 25.8%

Body Fat 28.8%

I lost 8 pounds. The struggle (so far) was worth it.  My pants fit me better.  I look smaller in the mirror.  I feel healthier. Wow.

Todays meals:

Meal 1:  Cream of wheat with almond milk and half a pear.
Snack 1:  Stem of grapes
Meal 2: Cup of chicken barley soup
Meal 3: Green salad with lemon juice and carrots
30 min cardio 30 min weight training
Snack 3: Fig bar

Im upset the author, Ian K. Smith,  came to Connecticut and I missed him!  I would love to have told him that I was on it and progressing, that he made my life easier, and listened to all the wisdom he had to share about his own personal journey.  Keep on keeping on, shredders.  Talk tomorrow.

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2014 The 5 Bite Diet Day 1

Hello everybody, my name is Connor and I am really glad to have the opportunity to be here and journal my experiences with the 5 Bite Diet. Dave has given me lots of support in the past. I have had some success and failures with dieting in general because I cant let go of the past and just get with the program. I can be my own worst enemy at times. Dave has given me some guidelines to follow concerning the way he wants me to document my progress during this challenge. I dont know how long I will be on it. It will take way more than thirty days to get me to a normal weight. Currently I am at 250 lbs. I understand that this diet is copying Lap Band surgery way of eating and the way people eat under doctors orders. So if it is safe for them it should be safe for me. I can only try and find out.

Dave wants me to list an everyday weigh-in and a menu for the day. I put my goal weight at 180 lbs. So this challenge will last that long. I think it will be much longer than 30 days. I eat zero carb foods. I know the regular diet calls for snicker bars, but I want to also start eating zero carb and I feel that type of food will hold down the hunger better and is more nutritious for my body. Dave tried to talk me into a regular zero carb diet, but he went along with my wishes if I followed his instructions and did not deviate from them. Also I know that a snickers bar is about 2 oz. I have elected to eat at least 3 oz of protein. I can adjust as I see needed. I wont have long posts other than to report weight loss or gain, my menu, and any noticeable concerns. Wish me luck and ask any questions that may come to your mind.


Start/Current/Goal
 250/    250   /180

Day 01 250 lbs

Menu
B black coffee & water
L 3 oz meatloaf
D 3 oz meatloaf

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Morning Glory Turns 1

Hello folks!

I havent been to the library in a few weeks. So, I think I should update everyone. Im 14 weeks along and I am feeling less tired. I havent worked out in about four weeks. And yesterday I realized that I need to take small steps if I want to get into a work-out routine again. So, this week Im making it a goal to try to run a few miles a day....and thats it.

I first need to see if I am able to run and not feel bothered by it. If it does bother me, I may switch to biking. In the past, Ive never been able to run past 18 weeks because I had some discomfort in my uterus.

So far Ive gained at least seven pounds. But quite honestly most of that is probably from some unhealthy food choices.

Also wanted to mention that Morning Glory turned one year old on Friday, Nov. 4th and he started walking five days before that. He is two to four months ahead on walking than all of the other kids. He is just the cutest thing and an absolute joy to everyone. I think I will try and get some picture to post of his eating birthday cake.

We are about six months away from the birth of this next baby. I still sometimes cant believe Im pregnant and having another blessing so soon.

Talk soon!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

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1 10 2013 UPDATE NEW 30 Day Challenge

Greetings all,

This is to announce a new 30 Day 5 Bite Diet Challenge. The TWIST??? Well I will be doing it Ala Zero Carb. That being said the 30 Day 5BD Challenge will be conducted on my Zero Carb Blog:

http://zero-carb.blogspot.com/

I will start this challenge 1/14/2013. I will post daily results, foods I ate and all that stuff. 

Have a Healthy Day my Friends and Family. Keep the Faith and Always Battle On!!!

(ZC)er Up to the Challenge

Cheers,

Dave

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18 1 2 Pounds in 9 Weeks

Hello friends! Thanks for the encouragement. I suspected that someone might want some before and after pictures. I do have some before pictures from last summer when Im basically the same starting weight. Ive spent several months losing a little and then gaining it back. This time my diet is working, and I feel relieved to be down 18 pounds. Its actually 18 1/2 pounds right now. I dropped a half pound last week. So, Im on my tenth week this week. I hope another 1 1/2 pound drops, you know, for my blogs namesake.

If it takes longer, thats ok.

Now, I still have 30 more pounds to lose to get to where I want to be and I expect that it will take the whole summer to get that weight off. But thats ok, too, because I am feeling more energy from carrying around less weight which makes it more fun to get outside with the kids and "go places". I plan on biking everywhere with them, walking places. I plan to work up my weight lifting work-out routines to five days a week. I may also train for another half marathon in September. Ive been very slow about increasing my exercises because Ive, first of all, been very busy, but also its more fun to work out when you weigh less. So, Ive actually put off doing some work-outs because I wanted to lose some weight first.

Even though my diet has been more drastic than usual, I feel comfortable with it and enjoy the foods Im eating. As my work-out routines intensify, I will have to add additional calories. But as its become nicer outside in Wisconsin, I am glad to be almost 20 pounds less.

Well, hopefully, Ill be at a 20 pound loss by this Monday.

Hope you all have a good week!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

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Week 1 Day 2

For all you "Day 1" junkies who proclaim today is the "first day of the rest of my life" every couple days after starting something new, you know Day 2 is a big deal.  I made it without cheating, without complaining (too much), and spent the entirety of my morning cooking and packing todays meals.  I also made a special, more indulgent breakfast for my friend who was with me so she wasnt forced into dieting with me.  Willpower!  My coworkers thought it was pretty funny that I was eating lettuce and shredded carrots out of a Ziploc bag for dinner yesterday.  My excitement for this diet and its results probably means that this week is the honeymoon phase.

Nom.

Also, for your info, the meals are timed as such: 

What that means, for those who dont wake up at 7:30am, is that you have snacks an hour and a half after your meal, and meals 3-4 hours apart.  Today so far looked like this:

Meal 1: 1 Vitamuffin, 1/2 champagne mango, 5 black grapes, 1 Applegate sausage link. Glass of water with lemon.  (I am skipping the green tea because my dentist is whitening my teeth and prohibited tea/coffee)  This was my favorite meal of the day :)

Snack 1: 2 Turkish Figs (at 120 calories) and 2 celery stalks (15 calories)

Snack 2: 10 baby carrots

Meal 2: Was supposed to be the awesome spicy black bean kale soup, but I was wrapped up in work and missed the time frame, so Im passing it and moving on, as advised in the book.

Meal 3: Green Salad with 4oz grilled chicken. 

1 Hour Workout (I use the Nike Training Club App - its effing phenomenal)

Meal 4: 6oz Salmon with steamed kale sprinkled with salt, garlic, EVOO, and nutritional yeast. 

I am having Meal 3 in about fifteen minutes.  The beauty to this diet plan, and meal plans in general, is that although I may have hunger pangs, I know exactly when I can eat - so I have something to look forward to.  My favorite part about today was the figs.  Chewy, nutty, and sweet.  No more eating out!  I will have to bring my food to NYC tomorrow.  Restaurants will always be there.

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Week 1 Day 6

One of the best pieces of wisdom I ever received came from an old friend during a hard time.  She said "it doesnt get easier, you get stronger."  That was a dose of reality that applied to everything in life.  So here we go, working hard to make things better.

Surprisingly, I havent eaten past Meal 4, meaning I havent had any late night cheat snacks.   Most of my weight I attribute to eating dinner and chocolate after 10pm, so three cheers to a milestone!  I have also been exercising a lot, minus the one rest day.

Yesterday I went to SoulCycle with a friend and kicked some sexy soulful ass.  That was my 45 minutes of cardio, and the high-energy structure of the class mixed with the uplifting mantras the instructor says made it impossible for me not to push myself harder than normal.  Its very expensive ($34/class), so I only do it once in awhile when I feel like giving myself a treat.  I am totally drinking the SoulCycle Kool-Aid.







The candles, music, and lighting give it a nightclub feeling, so there is definitely a sexual energy surging through the spin room (and the co-ed locker rooms), giving everybody that extra motivation to work hard for your body.  Burning 800 calories never felt so good.







In terms of fitness in conjunction with this program, it only makes sense.  I dont want to be what my co-worker calls "skinny fat" and have a small frame but no muscle tone.  At this point, after four weeks of using the Nike Training Club app to get lean, I am addicted to exercise.  It is the only part of my day where I feel like my stress leaves my body.  So, on that note, here is my meal plan today:

Meal 1: 1 apple and 1 cup of cheerios with almond milk

Snack 1: 1 sliced kiwi

Snack 2: Skipped, was running late for work

Meal 2: Protein shake

Meal 3: 3 cups of Kale
30 minutes on the bike, 30 minutes weight training

Meal 4: One cup of black bean soup and small green salad

I think the whole point of this diet is to also realize that you dont need as much food as you normally put into your body.  Rather than a means for nourishment, we use food as a crutch for boredom and stress.  This is redirecting my attention otherwise and forcing me to cope with life in other ways, while making my body feel cleaner and tighter.  How is everyone else doing?  This isnt easy, but it is worth it.

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5 15 2012 The 5 Bite Diet Day 1

Greetings Friends and Family. My Spirits are in orbit. My Energy levels are very good.

So today is the first day to start my next 5 bite diet challenge. 30 days? Well I am not sure. I have a feeling it will be a bit longer. I dont plan to stop until I reach............... until I reach............. I just dont know.

According to the BMI chart I could go down as low as 122 lbs. That would put me at an optimum of a BMI of 18.5. The good Doc recommends that you get as close to possible to that margin to achieve better health. I will do my own research in that area for supporting documents.



Dave at 122 lbs? I have a hard time imagining that. I really do. Dave in the 150s or maybe the 140s. Not so much a problem. I really dont know. What I do know is that I am very much overweight and I need to get to the next stage in my life. I want to get there by the age of 50 which is not far away at all.

As far as the 5 Bite Diet goes: Well in my uneducated opinion I agree with it, but not 100%. I still do think that it makes a difference on the quality of food that you consume. So again in my little uneducated opinion I feel that grass fed beef is of a higher quality than hormone infested meat and so on. What do I eat. I eat what I can afford. Right now I am at the mercy of the regular old grocery store. That is for now. My sisters have been talking with me about buying a whole grass fed calf and dividing it equally between us. That might just make the difference. Hey it is a start. When? No time soon. Yet there is hope.

Look-It: I dont go blind into anything if I can help it. I look, learn, listen and try to make reason of things. I have an open mind and I will exercise it and try to make sense of what is happening around me. I will try this venture and see what happens.

I did not do as well on my little week of maintenance. I gained 5 lbs which puts my at at starting weight or approximately 190 lbs. I way overate at a birthday party on Saturday and did not do myself any favors on Sunday either. I was not hungry at all. I just overate. No excuses. I will always report the truth no matter how embarrassing it is. If I dont then why waste the time. Yours and mine. I can huddle up with a box of Ding Dongs, a Family size bag of Doritos and wash it all down with some Dr. Pepper. Yum or is that YIKES to the third degree!!!

So how will I format this? I did not like the way I did it before because it was so misaligned. That being said I will stick to that format until I find something better.

Results thus far:

Day 1 = (00.0) = 00.0 Loss or Gain Current Weight: 190 lbs

Ohhhh, Ahhhh and all that JAZZ!!! No surprises here. Heck its day one duh! OK then, now for the menu and other information. Well I will keep that to the end of the post as before.

Have a Healthy Day my Friends and Family. I have laid a path before me. Lets see where it leads.

Todays Menu: Black coffee, H20, Seltzer Water, Andouille Sausage and a Pork Steamed Bun.


Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Cheers,

Dave

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Week 1 Day 4 and Day 5

I just want bacon and chocolateeeeee

*beach thoughts beach thoughts*

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9 1 2012 Update Shoot for the Stars

Howdy Yall! My Spirits and Energy levels are great!!!

I have to say that I am have a great day so far. I am focusing on my task at hand which is refurbishing my gas grill. Jeez, I did not know that so MUCH grease could be in places that you would not or could not imagine. This is the second washing that I am doing before I begin to sand it down. I need to finish this today as I plan to use it tomorrow. So sand, paint and assemble needs to happen before the day has ended.

I am also painting my kitchen or lets say I am on the starting stages of painting. We have paint a few test patches and will probably go with a color called "Soft Candlelight" from Glidden. I want to brighten up my kitchen  The paint is the same on the walls from when we bought the house a few years ago and it is cheap flat paint. I dont like it and it makes my kitchen dull. So yet another project in the works. I will then start to plan to buy a new stainless steel gas stove to replace my white electric stove. Then I will plan on replacing the counter tops, back-splash and sink soon. Yes a total kitchen update. I like the wood floors so they stay. Oh yeah I will also replace my metal 1 inch mini-blinds with 2 inch wood blinds.

I am still working on the "New Blog". I need to come up with a good title. I will take my time and plan it right. I really want it to be my last blog or least my last "MAIN" blog. This will indeed take some time. So be patient............. all good things come with time. I guess. HA!!!



I might have some good news soon. Maybe. I dont know. I cant share now because it may not be anything at all. Regardless of the outcome I will share later. Yes, I know you guys and gals hate when I do that..... but what can I do? Again some things just have to wait. What I can say: it will be interesting.......... interesting indeed. I am just a simple person........ yet very independent. I dont jump into things on a whim unless I am fully confident that its the right thing. Life is too important to me to "CHEAPEN" myself. Example: I rather have a small social gathering at my home with Family and Old Friends than have a meal at a fancy pancy restaurant with a celebrity. Unless that person was a friend or someone of good standing. I guess this is strange for some folks, but not me. This is who I am.

For now I am eating Zero Carb with portion control. I feel good if not great. I do plan on another 30 day challenge  but not just yet. Maybe in a month or two. Sorry that is what it is. Right now I need to focus on projects on hand. Things that I have mentioned and a few that are private... well at least for now. I will be going to the Texas Renaissance Festival in October or November. I cant wait!!! I love it and look forward to it every year. I am here and I am not going anywhere yall. On the new blog I do plan on posting daily... what? Well we will find out together. I sort of would lid to have a few of you post some pages yourself about your Journey. I dont know. I think it would be interesting. Not like a forum, or who knows. I guess the comment boxes may be enough. Alright too much thinking OUT-LOUD Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not that strange laugh again? YIKES!!! OK comedy hour over and out.

 Look-it: At the end of the day we have "Free Will" and yes that means choices. Good choices and Bad choices. So easy, yet so hard. Believe me I know. Been there done that. Solutions can seem easy on paper, but hard to follow. We sometimes know better, but give in to forces that....that... well, seem to overpower us. The answer is not magic. Dig deep my Friends and Family and Fight.......Fight for your very LIFE, Fight for your very Happiness, Fight for your very Being. Have a Health Day my Friends and Family. Win the Day, and Prepare for Tomorrow. Keep the  Faith and Always, Always Battle On!!!

Hold the Line

Cheers,

Dave

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